Chapter THREE

Snacks to buy that aren't cookies - cause season's starting and I gotta get fit

- celery sticks
- baby carrots
- fruit: bananas (all that K, baby), apples, oranges…
- yogurt
- almonds
- ...peanut butter counts right
- NOW I JUST REALLY WANT A DONUT

ugh just looking at this list gives me a head (and stomach) ache

"KAIRI!"

"Yessir!"

"Before we end today...is that my Anna? Anna!"

I watch as my cross country coach's infinitesimally short attention span leads him back to the one constant in his life: his daughter. He sees her in everything he does. Given his age, I think it's part of growing sentimental. And growing old.

But...wait, that's actually Coach Tellah's daughter waving at us from the school gate. Huh. I thought he was just hearing things again.

"Hey! Where's Coach going?" our captain Yuffie asks, hopping between the balls of her feet.

"He saw his daughter."

"Like, saw-saw?"

"Like...I also saw her. Right there." I point at Anna's figure at a distance.

"Oh!" Yuffie grins. "So we're dismissed! I'll go tell everyone."

Before I can correct her (not that I really want to), Yuffie heads back towards the rest of the team doing cooldown stretches. Well, maybe I should also go before Coach Tellah returns with a new set of conditioning exercises…

I follow Yuffie back to my teammates. At this point, they're all either chatting or getting ready to leave. I'm by no means a running fanatic, but the thought of skimping on practice a week before our next meet makes me anxious. So I do what a runner does best: run off my nerves.

"You going for another round?" Yuffie asks before I wander off too far.

I halt, turning around to face her, and shrug. "Just another cooldown lap. I'm nervous about next week."

Yuffie smirks. "Look at you working so hard, Kairi. Makes me look bad."

I chuckle at Yuffie's lightheartedness. "I try."

"C'mon. I'll run with you."

Before I can refuse, Yuffie's already jogging two steps ahead of me. I'll admit I'm a little competitive, so I catch up in a few quick strides and try to match her steps.

Yuffie's cooldown pace is a little faster than mine, but I think I can handle it. However, I don't expect holding a conversation at this slightly-faster-than-I'm-used-to speed.

"What're you up to these days? Besides cross country, that is," Yuffie asks.

Since I'm exhausted from practice and focused on keeping up with her pace, my answers come out short and precise. "School. Hanging out with friends. The usual. You?"

As we round a corner, Yuffie laughs - how can she run so fast and laugh? - her head peering towards the grassy field in the middle of the track. We're in the midst of football season, so all the jocks are still out there doing drills and running plays. Her next words throw me off. "I'm trying to figure out how to ask Squall to Fall Formal."

Huh? "You...and Squall?" Squall's a quiet guy. To my knowledge, he mostly keeps to himself and his core group of friends. I didn't even know Yuffie knows Squall, much less wants to go to Fall Formal with him.

"Yup! I'm tired of watching that clueless rich bitch lead him on. He deserves better, you know?"

I have no idea who 'clueless rich bitch' refers to, but I nod along to what Yuffie's saying.

"Sorry," she hastily says, "I didn't mean that. Well I did, but not really." She shrugs. "He's my friend, y'know? I just want what's best for him. And all he does is mope about her these days. He broods enough for the two of us!"

I chuckle. Despite everything, Yuffie's endearingly protective of her friends. Of me and everyone on cross country too - she can act like a team mom sometimes. Or maybe like the team's hip older sister?

"Enough about me! What about you, Kairi? Gonna go to Fall Formal with anyone? Like...Riku?"

I stare at Yuffie's oblivious smile, wondering if she's implying something or just doesn't know. Well...I'm more concerned about not falling behind Yuffie's pace, so I forgo tact and spare minimal brain cells to respond to her question. The words fall off my tongue.

"We, uh, broke up." Way to carry a conversation, Kairi. This is what drama club's supposed to remedy. Speaking of which, they'd better accept me and my award-winning portrayal of life underwater as Ariel.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Yuffie chirps brightly enough. "Was it - err, did you, or he…?"

"It was mutual," I say. My breakup with Riku was about as amicable as it can be. No hard feelings, promises to remain friends...and subsequently minimal contact. Yeah, things could be a lot worse.

"Oh. I'm so surprised! You two were like the posterchildren for an inter-grade romance."

I laugh. "Inter-what?"

"Inter-grade! Y'know, cause he's in my grade and you're a...junior, right?" Yuffie grins. "You guys were so cute!"

I say the breakup was mutual, but hearing stuff like that still gets to me a little. A hollow laugh escapes my throat. "Yeah…" I trail off, hoping we'll leave that there.

"Anyways, I'm sorry for bringing that up. I'm always last to hear this kind of news. Just can't keep up with all the gossip." Yuffie laughs. I watch her feet automatically pick up the pace at the last stretch. She's a few steps ahead of me, and I try hard to not let that distance widen. Yuffie effortlessly steps past the finish line, continuing towards another lap, but I slow down to a stop.

"I think I'm done," I call out to Yuffie, who turns her head around and then heads back.

"Sorry! I kept going cause I wanted to talk to you a little more. You said you were only gonna run one lap."

My heart warms a little at Yuffie's words. "I'm burnt out. Your cooldown is like my mile time."

Yuffie laughs aloud, slapping my back - quite hard. Ugh, who knew she packs so much energy in her tiny body? I make sure my smile doesn't morph into a grimace. "Your mile time's almost as good as mine, Kairi! Of course, you're not quite there yet otherwise you'd be captain."

I roll my eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow, Yuffie."

"See ya, Kairi!"

She then runs off towards the school building. We just went through the same drills and I'm wiped out. Where does she get all that energy?

It's almost 5:30, so I hurry to the lockers to take a quick shower and change out of my sweaty clothes. I'm always famished after practice. The thought of returning home to refrigerated food is disappointing to say the least. I wonder if there's anyone I can grab dinner with right now…

As I'm coming out of the locker room, an answer is delivered to me.

I dash up to Tidus' familiar back figure and tap his shoulder. I leave a finger pointing right next to his cheek and a head turn later, he falls for it.

"What the - oh, hey Kai. What's up?"

"Gotcha!"

We're actually doing much better after I drove him to and from school a few times. Nothing like being forced to spend time together in an enclosed space. I'm not sure who it was, but someone eventually broke the silence. As long as we don't mention Selphie, it's kinda like BB didn't happen. I mean, I've sorta missed him when we weren't talking. I've literally known him since I was born. And I've always known he'll always have my back. I miss that feeling.

Ahem. Anyways. "Wanna grab dinner?" I ask.

"Oh. Uh…"

"C'mon, Tidus. I'm starving and there's only leftovers tonight."

Tidus does that awkward face scrunch thing again. Doesn't he know that'll give him wrinkles? I'm not sure what he's thinking so I watch him struggle with his words. "Uh, I'm getting food with the guys."

"What guys?"

"...from soccer. We were scrimmaging just now."

I smile nervously. "Oh…okay, cool."

Tidus, however, begins pulling out his phone. "Or, uh, I'll just tell them I can't make it - "

"No! No, you should go! I can...have leftovers…"

"You just said you don't wanna eat leftovers. I'll just text'em - "

I cringe at how distantly polite we're being with each other. Usually Tidus would blow me off for his friends without a second thought. We're both each other's backup plans for this sort of thing, and we've always been fine with that. Now I feel awkward that he's prioritizing me over his friends. I guess mending this relationship's still a work-in-progress.

"It's okay, Tidus, we can get dinner another time."

"Nah, I wanna eat with you." Pause. I'd say Tidus was blushing if he were the blushing type. But he just stammers to take back his words. "I mean, since - uh, since you offered…"

I stare at his fingers already dashing across the touchscreen. Hastily, I snatch his phone from him.

"Hey!" he protests. "What, Kairi?"

"I - " I what? Now that we're looking at each other...what do I wanna say? 'Stop speaking to me so formally'? 'Why are you acting like this'? 'Can we just admit Selphie exists, BB exists, and though we can't go back to the past, at least we can move forward'?

...yeah, no way we're having the Talk now. We're still at that awkward phase with each other. Jumping the gun won't be good for anyone. Right?

"I...just remembered!" My eyes light up as the lie begins forming in my head. "I...promised Mom I'd...water the plants."

Stare. Stare.

Okay, I'm really bad at staring contests. And when did Tidus get so good? My eyes break away and I wait in awkward silence for his response.

"...okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Okay."

"That's what I said."

"I know. I'm just confirming that's what you said."

"I said it like three times."

A familiar sensation of mild irritation starts buzzing in my head. It takes me a second to realize how...comfortable it is. For a moment, I feel like we're back to normal.

"I'm gonna go then," Tidus says. "Say hi to your mom for me."

"Yeah, sure. Have a good dinner."

I cringe at how polite I sound. I guess this distancing tactic is a two-way thing.

Nonetheless, when Tidus leaves, I realize I'm back to square one with dinner plans. There goes my only source of company. I guess I'll just heat up the leftovers and maybe actually water the plants.

At least I'll always have my TV shows.

Yes, yes, words of a true loner. I swear, I'm generally quite sociable and friendly. I like hanging out with people. I guess I...I'm just...going through a rut lately, and all these awkward relationships are tripping me up. With all my bad luck, I've decided to not jeopardize any other relationships I have and just settle with being alone for the time being.

It's quite lonely, I realize belatedly when it's 8pm and Mom and Dad are nowhere to be found. Somehow, on the nights that I have nothing to do, everyone else in my life ends up living theirs. And I thought I can always count on my parents...guess not.

But at least I have my pillows, stuffed animal, and bag of chips at hand.

Just as the girl is about to respond to the guy's confession (OMG but what about her best friend who has pined after her for years?), the doorbell unexpectedly rings. I pause the show, look around curiously, and then remember I'm home alone. So that means I have to answer the door.

I pull myself up from my very comfortable position and cautiously approach. Suddenly, all those horror stories about murderers and rapists showing up at your front door come to mind. Of course, our neighborhood's pretty safe, so that's just me being paranoid.

I open the door to an unfamiliar woman, dressed nicely in a shirt, pants, and silk scarf. Her eyes light up upon seeing me but then fade away with confusion.

"Hi! I'm here for the dinner?"

I blink. "Sorry ma'am, I think you have the wrong address."

The woman frowns, looking down at her phone. "Isn't this...465 Coral Avenue?"

I lean over her shoulder and glimpse at the GPS app pulled up. "Yeah...but there's no dinner here tonight. Besides leftovers." I chuckle, but the woman just frowns. I clear my throat. "Uh, who are you looking for?"

"Aya? Aya Hikari."

Well, doesn't that name sound familiar? Actually, I should've expected it since this isn't the first time this has happened. "Mrs. Hikari lives at 465 Korel Avenue. I know - super confusing. But if you go down this street and turn left at the second intersection, her house is three blocks down on your right."

The woman's eyes boggle upon hearing my directions. I look outside at the dying sun, thinking she's never gonna find her way once it gets dark. Plus, I'm a little bloated from dinner. "I can walk you over," I volunteer.

"Oh, you would? Thank you so much, dear." She smiles gratefully, and I shrug. I still need a karmic good deed today anyways.

I grab my phone and keys before accompanying the woman, apparently Mrs. Hikari's friend from college, to her destination. Mrs. Hikari loves hosting parties for her wide network of friends and acquaintances - to my knowledge, she holds one at least every other week. She's a very sociable lady.

"How do you know Aya?" the woman asks curiously.

I pause, considering my words before speaking. "I go to the same high school as her son."

"Oh, that's right, she has a son! What's his name again?"

"Sora."

"That's right, Sora! I met him when he was just a little kid…"

I tune out the woman's voiced nostalgia, more concerned with how chilly the autumn night is. The temperature sure is dropping fast. I rub my bare arms quickly trying to generate heat, even though I already feel my toes going numb. At least we're almost there.

Though the Hikari household is just a few blocks away from mine, it easily stands out with its ornate fencing and ostentatious yard displays. Mrs. Hikari has always had a flair for dramatics. The front gate is shut, but a quick check reveals it's unlocked. I walk the woman up to the front steps and she presses the doorbell eagerly. While waiting, she turns around and suddenly gives me a hug.

"Thank you so much, dear. What's your name again?"

"Kairi, ma'am."

"Thank you so much, Kairi! I never would've made it without you."

At that moment, the door swings opens and both of us look towards the entrance of the house. Mrs. Hikari, decked out in a form-fitting dress and pearls, beams at the woman I escorted. "Sweetie, you made it!" she squeals, flinging her arms around her and giving her a tight hug.

"Of course! My goodness, Aya, you look fabulous!"

"Oh, you're exaggerating again. Come in! And Kairi! What are you doing here?" Mrs. Hikari beams at me. Did I mention she's very tall? Looking at her is somewhat intimidating. I suspect she used to be a model. "Are you looking for my son?"

I chuckle, wondering when's the last time she checked in with her son about his relationship with me. "No, your friend ended up at my house so I walked her over."

"Oh, Kairi, bless your kind soul," Mrs. Hikari gushes. "Did you want to come in and have something to drink? We just popped the champagne - I promise I won't tell your mom."

I blink, still processing the fact that Mrs. Hikari just offered me alcohol. I'd never pegged her as the cool mom type...though oh, in hindsight, she's totally the cool mom. "Um, I'm fine, Mrs. Hikari. It's getting cold, so I'll just get going - "

"My dear, look at you! You're shivering! Let me grab something for you!"

"It's okay, Mrs. Hikari - "

"Nonsense! You walked my guest over, so it's the least I can do! Come in and have a seat! And don't you dare leave until I come back!" Before I can say anything, Mrs. Hikari is gone and lost in the crowd inside the house.

Her friend laughs. "Same old Aya. She almost has a compulsive need to help others." She sighs contently, perhaps reminiscing fonder times of her youth with Mrs. Hikari. Her head then tilts as her eyes light up. "Oh my goodness, is that who I think it is?" After taking off her shoes, she heads into the house straight towards whoever she just picked out of the crowd.

I look around awkwardly, wondering what I'm supposed to do now. I try to make myself small and inconspicuously enter the house, quietly shutting the door behind me. Peering around, I notice a cushiony stool by the shoe rack and take a seat, waiting for Mrs. Hikari to return.

I've been to a handful of Mrs. Hikari's parties before. She invites my parents and I'm supposed to tag along so we have that one big happy family image going for us. One thing I must say, she always serves really good food. I briefly consider if I should steal some hot food before I leave.

"Hey," a voice calls out.

I turn towards my side to see Sora, towering over seated me. I don't like the height advantage he has so I stand up to reduce the difference. Since his mom's hosting a party, he's dressed somewhat nicer than usual. I can't help stare at the stains on his white shirt.

His eyes follow mine. "Soybean paste," he explains.

"Slob."

"Hey! Well, I guess you don't want a slob's clothes then," he says, raising a hand with a sweatshirt and then holding it away from me.

I roll my eyes. "I don't need it anyways - your mom insisted."

Sora shrugs, tossing the shirt over his shoulder. "Alright. What're you doing here? Your parents came?"

"Nah. One of your mom's guests ended up at my house again."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I'm starving, so I'm gonna go." Pause. I look around the house curiously, since I can't smell anything in particular. "What type of food's your mom serving?" I ask.

Sora pauses for a moment. "Korean."

My eyes widen. "Korean?" Suddenly, it's my love for Korean food versus propriety in front of Sora - and it should be obvious who wins. Cause it's not like I've ever worried about being proper, much less in front of Sora. "Can I get some before I go?"

Sora snorts. "You're gonna bum off the bum?"

"Hey, you're the bum, not your mom."

"Then you're bumming off the bum's mom," Sora says smartly.

I laugh and attempt to string together a reply...but fail. "I - I don't even have anything to say to that." This analogy's gotten way out of hand.

"That means I win!" Sora cheers. Quite childishly, if I must say.

"It was never a competition, Sora," I point out like the mature big girl I am.

"What're you talking about, Kairi?" Sora looks me in the eye. "It's always been a competition."

Usually, I'm careless with things regarding Sora, shaking off most matters quite easily. Cause he says and does things without thinking it through - you really can't take him too seriously. But for some reason, his words get to me this time and I pause. On the surface, it seems like he's just ribbing off me. But does he actually mean something? Is he referring to something? What's he trying to say?

But...this is Sora: simple-minded and straightforward. I'm just overthinking, right?

Sora continues speaking. "C'mon. I'll grab you a Tupperware." He then turns around to head inside.

I pause for a moment, still dallying on my earlier thought. For some reason, I felt like I was close to an epiphany. But Sora's retreating figure is slowly merging with the crowd, and I don't wanna lose him now.

The moment passes, so I kick off my shoes and head inside. Like with most things involving Sora, I just quickly move on with life.

A/N: I was gonna wait till tomorrow to post this but...if you've got nothing to do tonight (like me), consider this my gift to you. Happy Valentine's Day! I'll be spending the day alone reflecting on life (and hopefully writing chapter four)...

What else to say?

- Yes, cameo of FFIV characters cause why not? And cause that's actually the only FF game I've played.
- Too many characters/name drops? Leave a message if you think it's too hard to keep up.
- Did anyone notice that the entire chapter two is basically Kairi being late to school? #sliceoflife

^while we're on the subject, I want to explain what slice-of-life means, at least to me. You can consider this story a series of one-shots about Kairi's life. Sometimes there will be more conflicts. Sometimes there will be essentially no plot. Sometimes we'll see a milestone in her life. Sometimes she'll just go through her daily routine. I'll go in chronological order for the most part (maybe have some flashbacks for events that happened prior to chapter one), but I'll skip parts of Kairi's life. For example, you might've noticed Kairi's audition for drama club happened off-page between chapters two and three.

I actually do want some feedback on this style of writing, so let me know if the lack of coherency frustrates you or you like these stolen glimpses into a person's life.

Signing off with much love.