Thanks for reviewing everyone... on with chapter two...


:Suggestive Implications:

Chapter Two

Highwind Academy

At first when he left Ansem, It felt like the warm attachment to his soul withered away with him. Ansem was pain and trouble. But he was his father, nevertheless. He looked after Riku, gave him what he wanted and even gave him –in a very sick sense- love.

Everyone in life had a lesson to learn… his just happened to be Ansem…

Riku's father had moved out when he was merely three years old, but he lived with his mother Clarice from there out, happily and blithely waving at the days passing them by. Riku remembered her being a young pretty woman; maybe a little too young to have a child of seven, but neither Riku or her thought that way about it. They were the inseparable two. Best friends even. She loved him and treated her son as her prize possession –which any mother would- cleaning his cheeks like golden trophies when he came home from school carting in muddy shoes and grubby unwashed hands he'd stuck in the sandpit at lunch.
The good things never last in life –so he realized. And neither would this. His mother soon remarried after dating her new boyfriend for only three months. Riku didn't like him, never liked him; he only tolerated the trash-bag for his mother's sake, because she loved him. He was a real prick, so thought Riku. He was always giving the silver-haired boy frightening sneers in the hallway, making him eat dog food when his mother was out late working and what Riku hated most, when his step-father beat him to a bloody pulp and blamed it on the kid down the street.
Life wasn't so perfect anymore, but it was still level… until the day he came home from school…

A young Riku ran up to his front door, enthusiastic over his impressive 'A+' in English. Like always, the door was open. He ran in flailing the paper around.
"Mom! Mom! You'll never believe it! I got a good mark in my English Assessment! My teacher said it was the best in the class!" Riku noted the house looked vaguely different. The furniture was missing… everything down to the last picture frame.
"Mom… where are you?" he walked through the entire house, cold chills shooting through his spine. Nothing. He came to his room last, opened the door and saw that it was the way he'd left it before school. No notes, no explanation anywhere. Just an unmade bed and his many loved toys all over the floor with his clothes.
"They'll come back," he muttered helplessly, tears pricking the corners of his eyes… but they didn't. They left him there, just him and his cold room to rot away to nothing in the darkness of the night.
It was a horrible thought for a ten-year-old boy to have, but Riku knew better than any ordinary ten-year-old, his mother was confident enough to know he'd sit there and wait like a trained puppy.
That's just what he did.
Sitting and crying until the flame inside burnt out.
Nothing…
For days he cried and starved himself -with nothing in the cupboards to eat- missing school, isolating himself from everyone hoping that his bed would turn into a monster and swallow him whole.

A week later…

Riku lay silent against his tear-wet pillow, staring blindly out the window watching as droplets of rain hit and roll down the glass. He heard something in his mind, a voice much like his own.
'
You know. There are ways to help you think easier.'
It didn't frighten him. As though he'd heard it before, he rolled off the bed. 'What other way's are there?'
The voice replied, 'Go to the kitchen…' Riku blinked twice and complied. The kitchen was empty, what use was there here? 'Good… now open the drawer and take out the potato peeler.' Riku winced slightly, but opened it. He didn't expect it, but there were still knives, forks and –what he was looking for- the potato peeler. He took it and sank to the floor staring fondly at the utensil.
'…Put it to your wrist and pull back…'
'I-I'll get hurt,' he responded inwardly.
'But you'll be able to take your mind off all this…'
'This trouble…'
'Your mother…'
'That arsehole that took her away from me. I know that I am naïve to most things, but I know better than to listen to myself at times like this.'
He felt himself smirk, but the muscles felt controlled. 'Times like this?'
'No! I-I'm calling someone before I hurt myself!' he didn't know what medication to take for a headache; it was just his luck he had one. "I don't know who to call!" he yelled out helplessly, taking fists of hair into his hands.
'Trust yourself… trust… your Voice Of Survival…'

For the next few days he kept the potato peeler by time at all times, clutching it in a caged fist like a bird. When he felt like he was suffocating in thoughts he peeled away the skin on his arms, thinking in a sick sense it was helping him clear that barricade.
The school soon became worried about his long absence and thought over a short phone call –amazing that the phone line hadn't been disconnected- it was two weeks later… the phone rang…

'Ring-ring… ring-ring… ring-ring…' Riku had run out of tears to cry. It was starting to hurt his puffy red eyes. He had grown immune to the dark and cold, like a rock in the ocean, waiting to wear away. His arms were torn apart, blood over his bed and his clothes; he didn't notice any of it. The blood kept his skin warm when it hardened. Soothing… relaxing…
He heard the phone during a thunderstorm. Now was the question, was he willing to answer. "I need to get it… it could be mom!" he jumped up and ran for the phone. He took it off the receiver and cradled it against his ear. "H-hello?"
"Riku? Oh my God, Riku, is that you?"
"Mom?"
"No dear, it's Aeris. Where is your mother?"
Riku nervously chewed on his lip until he felt the skin break between his teeth. He did this often when he was thinking about things, or thinking how he could make the most horrible news come out sounding mild.
"Riku… where is she?" Aeris asked again.
He started to cry. "I don't know… she's gone…"
He heard Aeris sighing, but it was hard, because he was crying so heavily now that he'd heard himself say it aloud. Just to reflect on it, made him feel numb.
"Honey. I'm coming right away. Are you hurt?"
Riku felt his arms sting, but he ignored it and lied, "No…"
"I'm in the car at this very moment. Don't move from where you are! I'll be two minutes, Riku… alright?"
Nothing.
"Riku? Please answer me."
"I understand… I won't move…"

Aeris pulled up in the driveway and quickly made her way to the front door. The house hadn't changed since she'd been there last. It was still brick all over and very modern looking. Two garage doors to the left of the house and two big double doors at the right beside the nicely watered garden. She wriggled the handle and the door opened. She went in dripping wet and cold, looking around the empty house. "Riku! Riku, the door was opened… Are you here, sweetheart? Just say 'yes' or 'no'."
She found him, holding his arms tightly and folded. She saw the blood. Lots of it was dripping off his arms like a waterfall of chaos. She wanted to hurl. But she managed to keep herself looking at his pretty young face. "You said you weren't hurt…" she mumbled.
"I'm not."
"You're bleeding. It doesn't look like any kinda' accident either," she heard herself say.
"It's just a bit of blood."
She looked at him, socked, paled and frightened. "You're arm's are skinned!"
"They'll get better-"
"No they wont!" she could barely see his eyes in the shadowiness. Perhaps the electricity had been cut loose by the way he was sitting in nothing but candlelight. If she hadn't made a big scene, Riku probably wouldn't have noticed her come in. But she was glad to be there now.
She didn't wait for the invite; she just sat down close by him taking a few more candles from a huge bag reading, '101 Candles'.
Aeris went to work, lighting them and setting them in various places. Wax stuck to the places she chose, a hint of places having done this more than once. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked as she always did.
"I am now, that someone's here."
The answer surprised her. Lately around the block she'd noticed Riku brushing off anyone who talked to him, but he must have been wanting for someone to come by. "Glad to hear I've made you calmer by coming here… any reason you're using candles?" she thought she'd just ask.
"Nothing's working but the phone… I'm sure it will go too, soon enough…"
"Riku…" he looked up at her after brushing his fingers over a flame. "Tell me how that happened to your arm… please?" she didn't feel that sickened by it… as much as she did when she came in. It still made her spine tingle.
"I'd rather just not say…"
Aeris saw him drowning in the glowing little flames. Warm. Glowing. She looked him up and down before she noticed a potato peeler jutting out his pocket. She swallowed deeply and nodded, "I understand…"

Another week after that, Aeris had organized getting him someone who'd take care of him. Of course by law she couldn't take him, being under a restraining order Riku's mother had put against her. She put him into an orphanage. He didn't like that idea, and thank God he was only there for three days…

He heard footsteps coming down through the room. All the other children were downstairs eating, so it startled him when someone stopped at the end of his bed. He kicked back the annoyingly, hot blankets and stared, softly and scared into the eyes of a stranger. Long silver hair, dark skin and hard brown eyes.
The man flashed a smile at him. "Are you, Riku?"
"Mm…" he replied looking down at his bandaged arms. But no matter how tight they were, blood and pain still seeped through the material.
"There is a hidden sadness in your eyes… it's beautiful…"
"Beautiful?" He'd never thought he'd take that as a compliment from a man. But really, he didn't know because a man had never said it to him before. It was nice. His heart grew warm to reach the point of sweating with his body.
"You've had a bad road so far… haven't you?"
"Maybe…"
The man smirked. "A very strong attitude too…"
"Um… thanks… all the others are downstairs having lunch."
"Silly, I'm here for you… an old school friend phoned me and asked was I interested in adopting a boy… she said you were handsome, but I never knew that she meant…" his grin widened, then he sat beside the boy on his bed. "My name is, Ansem Stopgra…"
"Nice to meet you," Riku replied.
"What's say I get you out of here?"
Riku's eyes narrowed, "At what cost?"
"I simply own you… as my son."

Riku snapped from his thoughts. 'What am I thinking… I love Ansem! He took me in when no one else would… he made me who I am. Replaced my mother. Made me his…' he saw his name sketched out in permanent marker on a plastic board being held up by a man in a black suit.
"Yo…" Riku mumbled.
"I take it you're Mr Riku Stopgra?" the man asked genuinely. He was only in his thirties or so. His hair was creatively braded and black, thick eyebrows, pretty much the same and black beady eyes to hit.
"I take it you're the guy who's gonna' hand me over to the academy?" Riku mumbled discreetly, trying to stop thinking about the man that wouldn't leave his mind at rest for any duration of the day.
"Yes. My name is Xaldin. Nice to meet you, young sir," was the chirpy response given as the driver began loading Riku's bags into the trunk of the limousine.
"So you work for the academy?" Riku asked. The driver opened the backseat door and ushered him inside.
"That is correct. I drive around picking up the new comers… I take it you're somewhat excited to be attending Highwind Academy?" he asked, getting inside the front.
"I don't know… I guess…"
"Do you even know what Highwind Academy is?"
Riku rolled his eyes out the window and stared at the sad-looking weather. It was raining hard, and a storm looked like it was ready to threaten the skies. "I know it's a school… and I'm going there…"
Xaldin laughed and took off. "Heh… it's really special. Your father sounds like a lovely guy! And to send you here to such a school… wow. That's showing that he cares."
'I really, really love him… more than anything…' "He's a good father…"
"That's good…"
Riku said nothing. He just waited until the sun dived away, giving the moon it's shouting of the twenty-four hour period. He could see the building in the distance. He was amazed at its size! Stunned. It was huge, that's when it sparked his interest.
"Alright, sir. This is where I drop you off. Let me get your bags for you."
"I can do it myself," was his firm response.
"You sure? They're quite heavy… at the least, I'm supposed to guide you to the front door." Riku shot him a threatening glare saying 'leave me alone' the man caught it and winced, "Uh! But of course, you are a big boy, I'm sure you'll be just fine while I go and pick up the next scheduled student from the airport."
"I thought that's what you said," Riku replied as he hoisted his bags out of the trunk, he held one on his back, another around his neck and two bags as heavy as weights in each hand. He wasn't surprised that he was coping; he'd been through much worse in his nightly training sessions.
The front doors opened for him and two men were waiting inside, wearing black suits; one was holding a board and the other an electronic organizer. The man with the board smiled at Riku. "Welcome to Highwind Academy, may I ask for a name?"
"Riku Stopgra… I'm Ansem's boyfrien-uh-son!"
The man arched an eyebrow and checked the list. "Seems right… we're very pleased to have you here. Please tend to desk eight. Lulu will talk you through everything from there."
"Humph… whatever…" 'Stupid fancy man… treat me like a kid, I'll show him! All the anger I've held up on Ansem I'll throw at that jerk… and that driver too… still, boyfriend! Riku how could you?' He cringed inwardly. 'Could you be any more loyal to the man? Now you're mistaking him as –not for a father- but a boyfriend?'
He motioned toward the front of desk eight where a pale young woman placed the phone back on the receiver, combing her fingers through a strand of black hair, which she had back in a tight little bun. Her suit payed for her dark features; it was completely white, though Riku did think it made her breasts look abnormally large…
"Aw! What a pretty face! Haven't seen one like yours in quite some time! Are you sure you're in the right place?"
Riku sneered and clenched his teeth tight. "I'm sure of it. Ansem Stopgra has sent me to board here for here next couple of months."
"Ah. Riku. Nice to meet you, I'm Lulu Hazzarwrath, I give people the nine-one-one on what happens here." She made a quick giggle. Riku lightened a little and dropped the bags. "You've come from… um… Travis City, right?"
"That's right."
"That's pretty cool… haven't travelled since I was ten. God that was a while ago now!" she shook her head and laughed, "I always get off topic when it comes to the new peoples, I get really excited and-"
"Uh-huh…"
Lulu probed her fingers over the back of her neck to assure herself that the hairs weren't standing on end under Riku's fiery gaze. "Sorry… I'll be back in a minute with your things." Then she disappeared into a room a way back from the desk. She came back holding a folded uniform, planner, books, equipment and a book about three inches thick.
Riku stared at her, then at the pile of accessories. "What do I do with these?"
"I was just about to explain. Alright… of course that's your uniform," she stated bluntly pointing to the pile of clothes. "You wear it during schooling hours, which are from seven to three-"
"Fuck who?"
"Another thing. We don't accept vulgar language, Riku."
He was frozen stiff. Shocked. Did someone kidnap the real Lulu and take her place in that short time she was gone? That was his only explanation for such a sudden change in her tone. 'A second ago she was practically kissing my arse! Now she's giving me it straight… this schools already whacked.'
"Moving on…" Lulu started again after the awkward silence. "This school is a one of a kind school, which I hope you've noticed. It contains a food court and your normal shops you'd find in your mall down the road, idea hosted by one of our ex-principles so students wouldn't have to leave the school to shop and work after school hours. By shops I'm just talking about your casual Myer, Target, Just Jeans, Ice, Internet Café, Electronics Boutique and all that other ya-ha! There is also a gym," she broke off and looked Riku's firmly muscled body over, "I'm sure you'll be using it… unless you were born fit, gorgeous and youthful."
Riku felt his cheeks turn red, but nevertheless replied with a stiff, "It's a habit…"
He noticed Lulu's hidden grin. But she contained it well and kept talking. "For purposes of their own… there are five pools, ten tennis courts, eight basketball courts, a farm across the lake and a driving school… that's pretty much all the after-school activity places we have."
Riku snorted, "Like you guys need anything else… so do I get the keys to my room now, so I can jet?"
"But you still have to read the manual. You can do that in your room later, after you've unpacked. It has a few maps inside for you… and uh. Don't worry. I still use a maps myself." She winked. Not a flirty type, but more humble.
"Fun… if it's aloud to be shared… how many other people currently live here?"
"Three-thousand two-hundred and one… you're that lucky 'one'!"
"That's… quite a big number of people… guess I'm having a big class too."
"Actually no. We have twelve in each class… just to make sure we have the students complete attention all times of the day."
Riku gave her a sour look. "I don't get a roommate, do I?"
"Of course you do!" Lulu said enthusiastically.
"What? I have to share! You have all this stuff in here and we have to share rooms?"
Lulu looked at him nervously, "Well… you wont really think like that when you're in the room. It's a good size, big enough for four people. So there shouldn't be a problem, Riku." She took the keys from the pile and jingled them in the air. "You get one set, your roommate has the other. Don't loose it!"
Riku snatched them from her and grunted, "Who's my roommate then? A guy or a girl? And what's his or her name? And how old is he or she?"
Lulu shook her head, "Can't tell. I want you two to just meet and talk… that's one of the benefits from having a roommate. Someone will be there to watch your every move."
Riku rolled his eyes. "Then how do we get mail?"
"Usually e-mail. But people like sending their children things in the mail, so we have a room filled to the roof with lockers. In alphabetical order we have the letterboxes. If you have mail, you'll receive a note from someone you are closely acquaintance with."
Riku thought about having relationships with other people and started with a cold shiver shooting up his spine. "What if we don't know anyone?"
"Your teachers will give them to you."
He felt pretty confident now. He took his bags as he'd had them before, but instead of holding the other two in his hands, he pulled them up onto his shoulders with the straps of the other bag on his back. Lulu looked at him worriedly. "Riku… I'll get those delivered for you."
"No sweat. I'll manage," he said easily bracing his muscles.
But Lulu could see he was struggling. Heck just looking at the bags made her feel like her arms were going to snap off. The veins in Riku's arms were pumped to the max and his muscles were ripping his shirt. Lulu felt mentally threatened by him.
"Look, Riku. I can't let you get into that elevator alone, carrying so much. Let me come with you."
Riku gritted his teeth, voice darkening, "I said I could handle it! There is nothing I can't do if I put my mind to it."
"I know you're strong! Gesh! Your shirt is tearing up for crying out loud," she laughed a little. He'd already gotten his clothes, books and other belongings together, walking away from the front desk. "Hey, hey! Wait up, Mr Stopgra! Rule number four-hundred, 'never walk away when a teacher or work person is talking to you.'"
Riku stiffened when she was beside him offering out a hand. Like it was a feather, he picked the bag up off his shoulder and held it out. He saw that she didn't take it, so he just let go. She caught it, but fell to the floor crippling in pain.
"Oh heavens! What did you pack in here? Enough bricks to make your own house on the school's property?"
"Just some of my necessary things from home," Riku assured.
He called for the elevator and no sooner did it arrive. The both got in, and Riku pressed the level engraved in his key. Lulu explained, "You're lucky it's only half past three. If this were midday, you'd never catch an empty lift."
It wasn't until then Riku actually realized the time. "Wait! My roommate will be sleeping then?"
"I don't think so," she grinned.
The elevator doors separated and a young man was standing there in some casual clothes. His hair was naturally blood red resting at shoulder length, jungle green eyes and a pearly smile that made Riku shiver. The man gasped, "Lulu?" he sighed, "I thought you were Rinoa or something… walking around here."
"Axel? You're up early… you're usually late for work, why are you awake? Sleep walking?" she said, grinning devilishly at him.
The man shrugged, "Nah. I fell asleep in my friends room."
Lulu glared harshly at him with a high suspicion, "Which friend?" Axel's eyes dived across to Riku.
"Are you new? Haven't seen your face around here before…"
"Axel!" Lulu shouted. Axel jumped back and smiled innocently. "Who was it?"
"My friend."
"Which friend?"
"…Roxas." He grinned.
"Why were you in Roxas' room?" Lulu forth came with yet another question.
"We were talking…" Lulu's eyes became fresh in a 'yeah, sure,' sort of stare. "We were! He wanted to talk to me, so I said I would!"
"Then what did you talk about?"
"I can't share that information with you, Miss Prissy Missy," he said poking her above the breast childishly.
She looked pretty disappointed with him, but Riku hadn't the slightest clue of what was going on between them, and these bags were starting to feel a little heavier now that he was thinking about it.
"Axeellll," she whined. "You know you're not aloud to befriend students…"
Axel sighed, "I'm about to be fired, aren't I?"
Lulu laughed and threw herself onto him, squeezing his fairly worked out body. "I'd never do that to you, Ax… just," she broke off and pulled back patting the side of his cheek. "Try not to get caught…"
Axel nodded. "Right, oh and before I go. Introduce me to this one, please?"
"My name is Riku, sir," Riku said sharply.
"Nice to meet you." They both took a second to shake hands. "I hope you'll be in one of my classes, Riku. You look like the type of guy I'm willing to teach. High headed. Strong. And respectful… Lulu," he snapped toward the girl, "Is he one of mine?"
"Axel… I'm not telling… now get going to where you're supposed to be." The man rolled his eyes and walked into the elevator, hitting one of the buttons to make the doors close.
After he was gone there was a long silence. Neither said anything and Riku counted doors until he became faintly curious about this 'friendship' between a student and a teacher. "So… what did you mean, 'You know you're not aloud to befriend students'?"
Lulu mumbled nervously to herself until she spoke out, but secretively –meaning it was quiet- but Riku still managed to hear her. "There's… suspicion that he's… mm…"
"Dating a student?" Riku finished for her.
"Well… yeah… but he keeps saying that they are just friends."
"And are they?"
"Pah! Highly doubtful."
Riku sniffed and sneezed for reason unknown. "You say that, why?"
"It's complicated… Roxas and Axel are," she cut off to take a breath. "I shouldn't talk about this with you! I could loose my job if they find out I'm covering Axel! And Axel would loose his job and end up behind bars for a few years."
They finally came to Riku's door number, then Lulu put his bag down and waved to him, "I have to get back to the desk before I have some angry peoples waiting around ringing my cell phone… can you take it from here?"
"I was capable of taking it from the start," Riku muttered angrily sliding the key into the lock. He threw it back and moved everything inside to close the door. Lulu helped him up to there and left to tend to her duties.
His side of the room was untouched by the mess the other had left on his or her side. Riku had guessed it was a boy by the choice of clothes it had around the floor. His books were tossed aside and his bed was unmade with the covers on the ground. There was also a flat screen television close by, and a kitchen. Riku walked over and checked it out. A flat cook top, an oven, a fridge, a pantry and who could forget the phone? Opposite was the bathroom. Nothing special beside the space and the design… 'Very white…' Riku thought. Just a casual toilet, shower and bath, which just looking at he was yearning to slip his body in and wash off the smell of sex covering his body. 'Well… it's lived up to it's good name. I prefer my roommate to be out while I'm here anyway. I need to sleep and make up for those hours I've missed for seven years of my life. And since I don't start school until tomorrow… I think I can afford it,' he reflected, unzipping his first bag.

He was quite the little organizer, but of course he didn't know it. Everything was packed and away within an hour. He had his Playstation 3 packed into the cupboard –not yet hooked up to the television- his lava lamp running on his bedside, his clock set to 'Twilight City time' and his clothes all folded and packed away in the chest of drawers next to the bedside table.
All that was left was his backpack. He took out his Ipod and threw the backpack against his bed, crawling onto the soft mattress lying chest down with his face in the pillow. 'I can live with this… feels so comfortable,' but his mind shrunk back as he felt the cut on his arm reopen when he shifted onto it, this time it was a lot wider letting a heavier mass of fluids seep through the gap. "Shit! Gah! This always makes a stupid mess… no wonder why I can't maintain white shirts anymore."
He grabbed his backpack and weaved his arm in until it was swallowed completely to the elbow. When he pulled it back out. He was holding some silver duct tape –God knows why that was there- he cut three strips using his teeth, feet and free hand in a talented combination, wrapping them around his forearm to close up the wound. A nifty little trick he'd learnt back home without having band-aids around. 'That should help… it'll only take a few days to seal up anyway,' he thought, lying back down with a sting pulsing through his arm right to the fingertip and back up to the shoulder. 'And still… I love him… I kissed him at the airport…and he didn't even ask for me to do it…' Then his eyes rolled to the back of his head…


I hope its working out...

X-HARU