Falling Short of Cloud Nine (cont'd, yet again...)
Last time: Riku stopped dead in front of the door. He heard sobs, most likely Sora's mother, finally broken down… He was greeted horribly by another (inconvenient) flashback…
This will probably be weird...
Riku waited outside the school while Sora got his things together inside. He came out hefting a guitar case, a collapsible stand and at least two folders of sheet music.
"Whoa, got enough stuff there?" Riku almost laughed.
"Yeah. Plenty." Sora grunted from beneath the bundle. He carefully placed the guitar on the ground to try to organize the disorderly music that stood out from the folder at all sorts of odd angles.
"The counselor was right… You sure did find something to get yourself busy. You hardly have time for me anymore!" Riku mocked.
"Well, we don't want you feeling neglected, now do we?" Sora teased back.
Riku put on his best innocent face, but couldn't quite pull it off. Sora bursted out laughing.
"You know, you look like you have to go to the bathroom really bad when you do that look! Every time you do it!"
The look disappeared, but Riku laughed with him. "Maybe I should try it in the mirror or something…" he mused.
"That might work…" Sora elbowed him. He bent down to pick up his things so they could start walking home.
"Hey, you need help?" Riku asked him as he struggled for balance. He nodded gratefully and handed him the folders of music. "So how many instruments does that make now?"
Sora mentally counted his fingers. "Four, I think. First piano, then bass guitar, violin, now 6-string guitar. You know, it really does help. Learning how to play all these... It gives me something to do other than just…remember. And it's a great way to get out feelings." He choked back a laugh, trying his best to keep a staid face. "Hey, Riku, you should join the band!"
Riku snorted indignantly. "What? What kind of geek do you think I am?" But then he smiled at his friend. "I couldn't. Trying to remember all of those, it would kill me."
"Aw. It's not that hard. The notes are always the same, unless you're reading a bass score…then you gotta read down two steps…"
"See! I can't remember all of that! I'm getting a headache just thinking about it."
"I don't believe it. You can do everything better than me. Now, you're just admitting defeat without trying? What did you do with the real Riku!" Sora laughed.
Riku laughed with him, but the truth was that Sora really had found something he was better at. And Riku didn't want to actually end up being capable of playing music and taking that one thing away from him. "You're better at Algebra…" Riku tried.
Sora almost laughed. "You're just trying to make me look like a complete geek, aren't you? Band, algebra, what's next, chess club?"
"Don't tell me you're gonna join that too!"
"No!"
"Good." Riku sighed in mock relief. "I'd have to avoid you in public if you did that…"
Sora had a huge urge to punch him, but his arms were too full. "Thanks a lot, Riku…"
"Hey, it was a joke! I wouldn't do that! What happens if I need help on homework or something? You can't tell me to ask Tidus…"
Riku had gone too far with the joke. Sora dropped the things he was carrying and stared, offended, at the other's back. He sat down on the edge of the sidewalk, forgetting his belongings that were strewn along the ground around him.
Riku heard the clatter behind him and noticed that Sora had fallen out of stride with him. He turned to see the other boy sitting with his chin resting on one of his hands moodily. The guitar, stand, and some of the music were all over the ground, disregarded. "Hey, what's wrong? I was only joking…" he asked, startled.
Sora didn't answer, instead preferring to stare in the opposite direction. Even as Riku bent down to try to collect some of the items, he ignored him.
"Oh come on, I didn't mean it! You're not a geek at all. I can't believe you would actually let a label get to you…"
Sora turned and stared at him, his eyes sparkling with the prospect of new tears. "Riku… it's not even about that… What you said… I know you're just kidding, but other kids aren't…" He sighed. " You know those two big ones? Ansem and Sephiroth? (I knew I'd bring them in eventually…)" Sora paused to make sure Riku knew what he was talking about.
Riku did. Those two were trouble. Rumor had it they had pulled two smaller boys off and shot them because they were bored. They weren't the type that you got in the way of… "Yeah, I know 'em…" he muttered.
"Well, they found out about Kairi…and how we were going out…They call me the Widowed Nerd…They've threatened me, just like they do everyone else, but I'm actually scared…They tell me it won't be long until I join my 'slut of a girlfriend' in hell…" Sora sobbed.
Riku's blood ran cold. How could anyone say anything like that, especially to a grieving fifteen year old? "When was the last time they told you anything."
"Today. After lunch…" Sora gasped. "But I'm not supposed to tell anyone that! C-crud! If they found out that I told you any of this… oh my god…" he stammered.
Riku just stared, completely aghast. How could Sora have hidden something so… disturbing? You could never tell anything about Sora's real feelings, unless you listened to his music. Everything was in the music. Problem was, how do you translate music into actual words?
Riku's gaze averted itself to the guitar case. An idea formed in his mind. He reached out to the case and pulled it between them.
"What?" Sora asked simply, trying to wipe his eyes with his sleeve.
"I want you to play something." Riku told him plainly. He smiled as Sora went bright red.
"Here? Like, now? On the sidewalk?"
"Yep." He undid the fasteners on the case and gently flipped it open, revealing Sora's acoustic guitar. (Mrs. Hart full-heartedly supported her son's musical interest, and Mr. Hart had a nice credit card…)
"But, you know, I just started a month or so ago… I'm not that great…" Sora was trying to find any way out of playing.
"Doesn't matter. Maybe I'll learn something by watching you. It should help get your mind off things, too, don't you think?"
Sora gulped and nodded. He knew what Riku was trying to do. Anyone who had heard him play before knew that he (unconsciously) put all of his emotions into the music he wrote, but when he played it, they were hard to identify. Riku wanted to try to figure out exactly what was going through his troubled head.
He took the guitar out and placed the strap loosely around his neck, then positioned his fingers on the fret board. He looked to Riku, his gaze blatantly asking 'Are you really sure about this?'
Riku nodded and Sora sighed, finally recognizing that he was going to have to play. He turned around to pull out one of the sheets of music, but Riku's hand stopped him.
"Just make it up as you go." He whispered, causing Sora to become even more nervous about playing. Make it up! What was Riku thinking?
Sora strummed a chord as a warm-up, and Riku was surprised immediately by the sound produced. Sora did say he had just started, right? Just listening to the perfection of that one chord sent shivers running down Riku's spine.
Sora didn't notice Riku's surprise; he was already settling into his secret world of notes and music that he found true comfort in.
Riku was amazed, and that's even an understatement. Sora's song started with a simple, melancholy melody; the best he could do with only one instrument. The melody pulled at Riku's heart; he couldn't believe what one boy could do with a simple guitar…
The tune quickly became slightly distressed and fast; many quick and sharp chords and strums. The sound was almost like a tortured scream attacking the steel strings of the instrument. Sora didn't seem to notice.
Riku almost considered asking him to stop, but the music, while grating, was beautiful. Sora had a real knack for it…
Eventually, the melody calmed down and Sora let the song end. He let the guitar relax on his shoulder. He scoffed lightly.
"Wish I had written that one down…" he said quietly.
"Can't you write it down later?" Riku asked as Sora began to put the guitar away.
Sora shook his head. "I don't know what I just played, but it was good." He seemed really distant to Riku. "We should be getting home…"
Riku nodded. He picked up some of the music that was still strewn across the ground. He put the sheets into the folder and they continued home in silence. When it was time for them to part ways, Riku handed him the folder, saying, "See you in school tomorrow?"
Sora averted his gaze. "Sure…"
They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways…
That had been two days ago. That was the last time Riku had talked to Sora in two days…
Alright. I'm done for now. I'll try to update sometime soon. And comments would be great, I don't want to have to end it there because it falls to the bottom of my priority list!