Author's Notes: Another chapter for you all to enjoy. I'm so glad everyone likes this so far. Just curious - what are your favorite parts from this story? Review with the answer, because I'd like to see what it is I'm doing that people like so much. Such as story elements and so forth. I can keep them in mind for later stories!

Chapter 11

"A Transfer and a Mark"

The moment Sora heard about what had happened to Tidus, he was furious. Riku had attacked Tidus! His only best friend! Sora's new friend! That twisted jerk—he better have a good reason for acting so violent, or else Sora had half a mind to come up and punch Riku himself!

The news didn't escape Lisa, either. Now not only was she upset that Sora had been slapped by Riku a week earlier, but she was cautious after Riku had nearly choked Tidus. "Sora, I don't want you going near that boy, do you understand?" She said it at least once a day while they settled into their house. She also warned him, "Make sure Selphie stays away from him too, do you hear? I don't want my precious babies getting hurt."

"Trust me, Mom," Sora had said on a Sunday (the one-week anniversary of Riku's assault on him), "I really don't intend to."

By now, it was a Wednesday, and Sora was finally ready to transfer into Besaid High School. The house was fully settled in, and not only were Sora's clothes arranged in the drawers, but his mother even took him and Selphie shopping for new jeans, new shirts, new shoes—all the while buying them school supplies as well. So now Sora was wearing a pair of dark-blue denim jeans, a black t-shirt, and a dark denim jacket overtop of that. He also had on his favorite crown necklace, and a black studded bracelet that he really liked. His backpack was unbearably full and heavy, but that always came with the first day.

Likewise, Selphie was in her favorite yellow overalls skirt and was wearing a pair of plain sandals, and had a few bracelets on her wrist. Her Hello Kitty backpack was held firmly to her back as she gripped the straps, whilst Sora let his hang off on one shoulder. His had a crossed-out heart design on one of the pockets, a black heart with red thorns in an "X".

And their mother was taking pictures.

Sora groaned. "Mom, can I go now? I'm gonna miss the bus!"

"Awww, but I can't resist! Your new school, your new clothes…I just had to take photos!"

"Selphie, honey, let's go. I'll drive you to school." John said. Selphie jumped up and down excitedly.

"Booyaka! New school!" she cheered. Lisa saw Sora was checking out the television again, watching as a rather familiar blond-haired celebrity was on the screen, looking at the dozens of microphones in front of him with tired blue-green eyes.

"…Has been questioned about the relationship with his boss, but there have been no comments as of yet…"

Sora's mother clicked off the T.V.

"Okay, you've watched enough of that. That man has been on the news for the last week. I swear, they just won't leave him alone."

Sora nodded. By now, he'd been the main subject of their dinner news talks so much that he was already familiar with his face and his name, and he even knew what his job was. He was apparently named Cloud Strife, and he was a model for the Rising Sun line of men's clothes. Selphie was starting to idolize him. Every time they got a magazine from the store, she secretly hunted for pictures of Cloud's ads and tore them out. Selphie knew her mother would be a little unhappy if she found out, because Cloud's modeling was privy mostly to underwear advertisements.

"Guess I better go," Sora said as they all went out to John's car. "Selphie! C'mere, give your big brother a hug." Selphie ran right up to him and squeezed him, standing on her toes, and Sora hugged her back and gave her a kiss on the head.

"Be good at school," he told her.

"Be safe!" Selphie replied.

Sora nodded, knowing the importance of that if he was going to the same school as Riku. "I'll be careful," he told her. He smiled, and winked. "Promise."

Since Sora was riding on the same bus as Tidus and Roxas, the three of them grabbed a seat in the back (the back was the only part of the bus with open seats for three). The minute Sora sat down, they were chatting like girls.

"Okay, the ropes," Roxas said excitedly, turning in his seat. He was wearing khaki cargos and sandals, and a plain white t-shirt that fit his body pretty nicely. (He looks cute, Sora found himself thinking.) "The principal sucks, and we call him 'The Penguin' because he's so fat. Don't piss of Mrs. Kent, she's a total bitch, she's the worst teacher in the school. The best teacher is Mr. Slyver. Awesomest English guy you'll ever meet."

"English? He's English?"

"He means the best English teacher," Tidus corrected. "Axel teaches both of us, but we're in different classes."

"Do you have your schedule?" asked Roxas.

"I think so…let me get it…" Sora fished around in one of the front pockets of his backpack and unfolded a paper with his schedule.

"Um…let's see…A-Day is first period Gym, second period Drama, third period Biology, fourth period History…"

"Booooriiing." Droned Roxas. "Get to the B-Day! Today's a B-Day!"

"The block scheduling isn't too confusing, is it?" Tidus asked. "Sometimes the new kids get confused." Sora shook his head.

"Not at all. My old school had block scheduling, too, so I'm used to it."

"So what's on your B-Daaay?" Roxas groaned. Sora skimmed.

"…First period Geometry, second period Psychology, third period English…"

Tidus looked very hopeful now. "Who's your teacher?"

"It says Slyver."

"Yes!" Tidus clapped his hands and held them up in the air. "Oh yeah! My class!"

"Awwww! Oh well, at least he's got Gym and Drama with me, see? He's got Mr. Saix in Gym and Mr. Valentine in Drama." Roxas pointed out the respective classes on Sora's list. Sora had a bright smile on his face.

"Cool…I get to have classes with you guys!"

"I think that means you're on the same lunch shifts as us, too." Tidus pointed out. He paused, going over the shifts. "Yeah, you are! First and Third shifts. This is great!"

"You're lucky!" Roxas sighed. "We, like, never get the classes with the people we want. It's a curse, I tell you. A neverending curse!"

Sora smiled. "Then I guess I broke the curse!"

Roxas laughed. "Well not really. Now we need a class where all three of us are together—then the curse will be broken!"

Sora and Roxas began to talk away amongst themselves, momentarily forgetting about Tidus, who stared at the seat in front of them with distant eyes. Riku was riding the bus today. Tidus was looking straight at the back of his head.

The silver-haired teen was wearing a black t-shirt under a creamy-white jacket with a pale yellow lining to it, and had a short leg warmer/arm brace on one arm. His jeans had big pockets and were dark blue, sitting low on his hips—just enough to show off the black, white-plaid boxers underneath. Riku turned around and looked at Tidus, but he was the one who turned around, and not the blond. He almost looked sad—sorry, even. Tidus wasn't sure what to make of it. Was Riku regretting what he'd done to him, and had he finally calmed down, or was this just another period of calm before the next storm?

As Tidus observed Riku, frowning, he saw the other turn and glance over his shoulder again. This time, his eyes grew wide and shocked, and he forced his gaze up front, his hand grasping the left side of his chest flat. That was strange. Tidus' brow creased. What was Riku looking at just now?

He took a fleeting glance at Sora and Roxas, and his eyes fell upon the black heart on Sora's backpack, blending with the dark blue material almost perfectly, crossed by red barb-like thorns.

He was looking at Sora's backpack?

"Hey, Sora?"

"Yeah?" Sora acknowledged Tidus, and the sandy-haired blond touched his backpack.

"What's that symbol from? It looks cool."

"Oh, this?" Sora shifted the bag so it sat in his lap, showing off the symbol. "This is the logo of one of my favorite bands. They've been around since my mom was a little girl, but I really like their music. It's kind of dark, but the lyrics have a lot of meaning."

"Sweet! What's the name of the band?" wondered Roxas.

Sora's fingers brushed over the logo as he smirked. " 'The Heartless'."

Riku tried to keep his heartbeat steady as he grasped the tattooed flesh of his left pec under his shirt, biting his lip as he sat alone on the bus. That was his mark! His curse! And Sora had it on his school bag! The nerve of that little shit, reminding him of the leash he'd been on since thirteen!

Riku shut his eyes tightly and breathed deep.

No, he doesn't understand. It's not his fault.

Exactly! cried his Ansem Defenses. He doesn't understand! And yet he still torments you!

But he just moved here—he doesn't know!

But there it is, right there, the mark of that bastard who rapes you every night! Every day of your life you've had that tattoo, ever since you were fifteen years old. Ansem ruined your birthday when he gave you that tattoo! How dare Sora carry his brand!

Riku's knuckles bleached white. He tried to fight against this. Inside him, he knew this fear in particular was illogical, but years and years of abuse tried to tell him otherwise. He knew the logo was from a popular band, but that was the extent of his knowledge. Except that he also recognized it primarily as the curse of Ansem Atercor.

He's taunting you. Mocking you.

His eyes flashed and Riku growled primitively, clenching the material of his jeans in his fist. He forced the voice of survival out of his head, and focused on something else—anything else. He didn't want to think about Ansem right now. He was trying to keep his thoughts Ansem-free. When he went home today, Ansem was going to put him through the Master-Slave routine again. That was always the worst. He usually ended up being forced to suck Ansem's sex, and got choked with a mouthful of the man's bitter-tasting fluids. Those were the nights when Riku wished he could crawl into an open grave, bury himself, and rot.

Riku winced when he shifted in his seat, Ansem's quiet, compact vibrator brushing against his prostate and making him hard again. He was so glad that fucker sent him to school with these baggy pants. This was going to be happening to him all damn day.

So much for keeping his thoughts Ansem-free.

Sora was welcomed very warmly into all of his classes, and he realized that Tidus was right about this place. It felt very homey. Everyone was nice, and some of the students were a little rowdy, but they were good. Sora was able to spot a lot of the Besaid Raiders the moment he came in. Wakka, Tidus and Roxas all hung out in a corner table at the cafeteria in the mornings, Sora discovered. And Riku apparently sat by himself in a far corner just across from them on the other side of the cafeteria. When the teen looked their way, Sora just glared at him. He wasn't happy with Riku, and he wasn't going to appreciate the other's glances until Riku apologized to them. At least then, he would give Riku a chance.

During lunchtime, Sora talked with Tidus and Roxas—Tidus walked with him from Mr. Slyver's class, and he found that so far he liked Mr. Slyver the best. He was a little big-headed, but he was really nice, and very pleasant. He'd actually seen Mr. Slyver with someone before school started. Some guy with a blond mohawk and a guitar case slung over his shoulder. It made Sora curious, particularly because the two of them were in a private corner of the school and had their arms around each others' waists. Sora had turned beet-red when Axel groped the man's ass, and left them there. He decided he would ask later, and now was the opportune moment.

"Hey, Tidus? I have a question."

"Ask away." Tidus popped a bite of school mashed potatoes into his mouth, which were edible, if anything. Roxas was chomping down on a chicken salad sandwich. Those, Sora discovered, were not half bad. He was eating one himself.

"Is Mr. Slyver in any…er…relationships?"

"I'm not the Gossip Stone." Tidus waved his plastic fork to Roxas, whose eyes were suddenly shining with a bright, excited luster. "Ask Chatterbox over here."

Sora turned to Roxas. "So…is he?"

"Has been since he was hired here last year!" Roxas declared, setting down his sandwich. He kept his voice just above the cafeteria noise, so that only Sora and Tidus could hear. "Mr. Slyver's really good at keeping it secret, but sometimes his boyfriend stops by the school. I saw him. Why, did you see him this morning, too?"

Sora's cheeks turned red again. "Y-You mean, you watched them?" he squeaked.

"Watched them? I talked to them!" Roxas' grin grew wider and wider. "Mr. Slyver's boyfriend is so nice, and he's sooo cool! His name is Demyx Mylon, and he plays the lead guitar for his own band. How sweet is that?"

Sora frowned. "Well, but, isn't the teacher faculty worried about the fact that Mr. Slyver is…?"

"Gay?" Tidus filled in. Sora shrank from embarrassment and nodded. "I don't think so. Down south where you're from, it might be different, but we're a little more accepting up here. Mr. Slyver never told anyone he was gay, but I think some of the teachers found out, anyway. Some of the students—like Roxas—have met Demyx personally."

"Oh…"

"Axel doesn't mind that a few people know. I think that slowly he's getting used to the idea. He's not a closet-gay or anything, but he grew up in a big city where gay guys were just big faggots."

"Roxas!" Tidus cried.

"It's true! They discriminated him!" Roxas defended himself with his ever-endless information. " 'You stupid faggot, you queer little fucking sinner!' That's what Axel told me they called him."

Sora swallowed. "Gosh…that's not good. I hope he's gotten over it."

"Probably." Tidus answered, eating the rest of his food. "Mr. Slyver moved here for about a year and then he was hired at the school. His paycheck helps to fund Demyx's band somewhat. Demyx is waiting on his big break."

"Roxas, what's Demyx's band called?" Sora asked. Roxas smiled even wider.

"They're called 'Nobody's Order'. And I think you'll like this part—their music is influenced by bands just like The Heartless!"

"Cool!" exclaimed Sora. "I wonder if Mr. Slyver will take me to watch Demyx play! That would be awesome!"

"I'll bet if you ask, he'll give you the option." Tidus suggested. "As long as you let your mom know where you're going. Axel's really nice."

Sora nodded absently, considering the thought. Roxas then broke it and hit the table with his palm.

"Dude! Alice and I had a great time last night. We went out and we saw that new movie, Road to the Dawn. I picked good this time, she loved it. And I liked it, too! Kind of a chick flick, but it had plenty of action."

"Oh, I saw the commercials for that." Tidus tilted his head curiously. "Was it good?"

"It was awesome." Roxas nodded his head. "You should go see it!"

Sora stared down at his half-eaten sandwich. Hearing Roxas' words made him think of home. In his mind, an image of a certain red-haired girl filled his senses and he smiled dreamily. Looking up, Sora set his tray aside.

"I've got a girlfriend back home," he mentioned.

"Ooh! What's her name?" Roxas turned excitedly in his seat. Tidus shook his head. Roxas—always a sucker for new information.

"Her name's Kairi. Kairi Dextrous. She has a twin sister named Naminé."

"Mmmm!" Roxas purred. "Sounds foxy!"

Sora blushed, smiling shyly. "She's sweet, and she's beautiful. I really like her." He searched the pockets of his jeans for his wallet that had his lunch money. "I think I've got a picture of her, hold on."

"Sora, you never told us you had a ladyfriend!" Tidus smirked. "I'm not surprised. The girls here like you, too. Better guard yourself or they might try to steal you."

Sora laughed as he pulled out his wallet and produced a palm-sized picture that barely fit in its confines, holding it out to Tidus. "Here. This is from last year. Naminé's on the left, and Kairi's on the right. Nami's hair was still red back then."

Tidus took the picture and examined it, and whistled. "She's a babe!"

Roxas leaned over to see and he gaped. "Sora, you lucky little bastard! You netted the Girl Next Door!" Sora smiled sheepishly and scratched his head, not mentioning just how right Roxas was. At home, Kairi was practically his next-door neighbor.

"Her sister's not half-bad looking, either! Wow, what a couple of foxes!"

"Just remember that Kairi's mine!" Sora laughed, his cheeks still red. "She and Naminé are really protective of each other. They're stuck together like glue. They're from even further south than I am, but they're so sweet. I started dating Kairi about six months ago."

"Then what's with this picture?" Tidus asked. "You said it was a year old."

Sora explained, "Kairi, Naminé and I grew up together in the same neighborhood, so we were really good friends. I guess Kairi just decided that she wanted to take it further, and…well, I sort of had a crush on her since sixth grade."

"Aaah, that's classic." Tidus grinned and nudged Sora's arm from across the table. "Man, you should make a movie out of this stuff. It'll make crotchety old men cry."

Then the lights flashed in the cafeteria, and everyone got up, dumping their trays and heading back to class. Tidus, Sora, and Roxas said their "laters" and went off. But Tidus, he took Roxas by the sleeve and pulled him over.

"Whoa, man. What's up?"

"See me after school," Tidus murmured. "I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure. But why you acting all secretive?"

Tidus dropped his voice lower, looking at Roxas. "It's about Riku. Don't look at me like that, you know I wouldn't abandon him for the world, even if he did nearly kill me. Now I know something's wrong with him." He gripped Roxas' arm. "Just see me. Please?"

Roxas' shock had passed over and turned to concern. "Tidus, you're insane. Why can't you just let the freaking dead horse die? Riku hates you. Get over it."

Tidus glared. "Just shut up! Are you with me or not? If you're going to bitch at me the whole time, I'll just do this without your help."

The sunny-haired blond looked into Tidus' eyes, frowning and licking his lips. He breathed deep and sighed after a while, and nodded his head. "Okay…fine. I'm with you."

Tidus slowly released Roxas' arm, and went to class. "I'll see you later, then."

Author's Notes: I'm sure you can guess what happens next. :)