A/N:

The long awaited Chapter 7 is finally here. After a long long long break from my computer I decided to update this. Hehe, now to show a side of the story that no one was expecting. And for those that know me well enough! HOUR SHOWERS RULE! A few pairings in this chappie are Zack&OC Riku&OC Sora&Riku and Leon&Cloud

Kairi's reply in note

Eric's reply in note


Chapter 8

Waking upon a Dream


Eric awoke in a cold sweat. Everything seemed to slow down for him and it seemed far away at the same time. He got up from his bed and grunted. His side was bruised and his arm was numb. He had been sleeping on it, as he walked down the steps his mother was at the table, a coffee mug in her hand.

"Nightmare," Michelle asked calmly looking at her son. "I heard you screaming…it must have been horrid."

Eric didn't reply. This was the second night he had had this dream and it scared him. He went into the bathroom and started the shower. It was still dark outside; it was 5:30 in the morning. He liked getting up early so he could take his usual one hour shower. It gave him time to think but today something kept nagging him to take a quick shower and go to see Riku. To apologize for his behavior the other day and to see if what Sora had said was the truth.


Eric sighed as the hot water seemed to send the dream from earlier down the drain. He washed his hair twice as a morning ritual. An hour later he was squeaky clean. Most of the hot water was gone, but since the water was heated through the furnace it would warm up a lot faster then a usual home. He ran up the steps, naked, his mother had left ten minutes ago. As he ran up the steps he heard someone opening a door. As he reached upstairs he saw Riku standing outside his doorway. Eric panicked; here he was naked without a towel. His mother must have let him in while Eric was in the shower.

I am sooo going to kill my mother, was Eric's only thought. Then he thought of an idea. The upstairs bedrooms were connected…Why not go grab a towel before he thinks to come and knock--.

"Eric…….I um WOW! I think I'll turn around and ignore the fact that—" Riku was red in the face and so was Eric. He had spent so much time he hadn't noticed Riku came down the steps. Riku turned around and Eric ran past him into his room and slammed the door. A few minutes later he looked outside his door and Riku was on the steps with a bit of a smile on his face.

"You can come in now…………." Eric says as he moves the door open even wider. Riku walked in with the same smile and sat on Eric's bed with a small grunt of satisfaction.

"So much better then those stairs of yours. So…I came to ask you something…but I seemed to forget the reason…" Riku was red again as he looked Eric in the face. Eric was red too and decided he wouldn't sit on the bed. Too awkward for the both of them. So he sat at his desk with a look of content.

"I'm fine from a few days ago, honest, I'm better. I think I'll take Zack on his offer though. It would be nice to have someone to talk too. Maybe apologize for being rude to him I just—" Eric didn't get to finish his sentence. Riku had grabbed Eric by the shoulders and kissed him. Eric didn't fight Riku off put slowly pushed him away. Eric looked at Riku and Riku looked at Eric.

"..I'm sorry…" Riku got up to leave and Eric just stared after him.

"WAIT…Riku…Here, take this." Eric handed his leather bound book to Riku and in a final attempt kissed Riku on the cheek and ran past him and outside. His bus had just pulled up.


Eric smiled as he reached the school; he felt a bit better from this morning in the shower and after the shower. The bus ride was a bit of a newer thing for him. It had it's ups and downs…literially. The only good thing about it was the fact that everything seemed to calm down as they reached the school. But as the bus pulled up Eric looked down. He wasn't in his school uniform, but was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He smiled as he got of the bus and went directly to the principal's office. As he went to enter the door his older brother was coming out. In that effect Eric found himself on the floor with a loud thud. His brother highest, Jason, laughed at him and helped him to his feet.

"Can I help you little bro," Jason asked calmly and then looked at his brother. "How did I not guess, let me guess, you took one of your two hour showers and forgot to wear your uniform? You're a putz!"

Eric smiled and got a nock on the top of his head, "Hey now, I had an hour shower, and I need you to run me home really fast so I can get changed!"


About ten minutes later, Eric was entering his English class with a moan and groan, as he was given detention EVEN with a late pass. Kairi laughed as she listened to Eric moaned and groaned about how unfair the teacher was. As the class went on Eric felt two stares on the back of his neck, one from Riku and one from Zack. He wanted to turn around and glare at them and tell them where to shove it but didn't want another detention. As the class dragged on Eric looked over at Kairi and passed her a note:

They are both staring at me aren't they?

You can tell? Wow how is that possible?

After many years of putting up with crap, I wish Shade was here.

Who's that, an ex-boyfriend of yours, Riku told me by the way.

He told you I kissed him? Wow, what a loser:D but no, Shade is one of my exs.

TEACHER COMING!

"Hand it over you two," came Miss Aerous up behind Kairi, her hand held out, the whole class turned to watch. "I will not as you again, hand over the note and I will not read it aloud."

Kairi didn't move, she just looked at the note, then at her teacher then at Eric and mouthed, Sorry. Eric's eye twitched and he grabbed the note, "I told her not to copy off of me, I'm sorry but it's about chapter three, she was asking if I could come over and help her with it!"

Miss Aerous looked at Eric and smiled, "Next time wait until after my class to pass your love notes!" The whole class laughed and the bell rang. Eric quickly grabbe dhis stuff and waited to get out the door, a firm hand landed on his shoulder and forced him towards a deserted corridor. When Eric turned to yell he saw it was Zack. Eric's cheeks went red and he went to move away from Zack only to be forced against the lockers.

"Let go," Eric muttered not looking up, afraid he might see Shade in those eyes. "Zack I have to get to class." Xack pressed himself against Eric who shuddered under the extra heat. Not only was the weather changing again but this was comfortable...yet UNcomfortable.

"You know you like it, I can smell it on you like a perfume," was Zack's short sweet reply.

"GET OFFA HIM!" Came a scream, and Zack hit the ground taking Eric down with him. A few student's heard this and came running chanting the usualy, "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!" Eric forced himself to his feet to see Riku on top of Zack fists aiming for his face, but each somehow missing. "STAND STILL SO I CAN HURT YOU!"

Zack laughed and forced Riku off of him and caused him to hit a few lockers, Eirc hollered, "SOMEONE GET A TEACHER!" Then Eric pounched on Zack and pinned him against the floor, his face down onto the dirty hallway tiling. Sora ran for the principal's officehe was replacedby a few teachers whom had come to calm down the fight, only to see Eric holding Zack down and Riku trying to get at Zack.

"RIKU BACK OFF," Eric hollered losing concetration enough to be thrown off of Zack and against a few lockers. He hit back first and then hit his head. Slowly his world faded out, his last thoughts were that of staying awake.


A/N: So how was it? You guys like it...yes no, sorry for the delay, now I can actually post more often...though I WOULD LIKE SOME MORE REVIEWS...I have like 276 hits on this one story and only what, 4 reviews. Come on people tell me how I'm doing! LOVERZ YOU ALL WITH PEACE AND LOVE!