Chapter TWENTY FOUR

How to get SelTi back together - SelTi? Tiphie? Ugh couple names are so hard

-Get Tidus to buy her a billion shoes, but I don't know her shoe size
-Buy Tidus a billion soccer balls under Selphie's name
-Make some big romantic gesture and set them up, but what is romance

also HOW, I'M BROKE

ugh why are they doing this to me

"They broke up!"

My exclamation travels down the halls of our school, which I immediately regret since I don't need the entire grade knowing my business. Naminé stares at me worriedly and takes the cue to grab my arm and drag me into an empty room. We get comfortable in seats and Naminé calmly asks, "What's wrong?"

"...my cousin, and Selphie! They broke up!"

I'm not crying (yet) but still rather upset. Huffing and puffing my frustration, I rant to Naminé about everything Tidus told me Saturday morning, which isn't much. All he'd said was that they broke up just before Snow Ball and they're still friends.

"Friends, my ass! He said they haven't talked in days!"

"Well, how's Tidus doing?" Naminé asks.

"Tidus? He's being his usual dopey self. I don't know, it's like he doesn't even care! Naminé, what's he gonna do? We have to get them back together!"

Naminé blinks and looks somewhat alarmed. Perhaps I dumped too much information on her all at once. "Um, I mean, maybe you should start with understanding why they broke up?"

"...good idea!" I chirp. "Once we know, we can get Tidus to say sorry and they can get back together!"

"Maybe...you could get Selphie's side of the story too? To get the full picture."

"Okay! Can you ask her for me?"

"H - huh?"

"Yeah, cause I'm gonna be interrogating Tidus. Again. He's not telling me anything and it's really bothering me. What if it's something really serious? What if they can't get over this? What if this is it for them?"

"I mean, if this is it...maybe this is it." Naminé shrugged. "Maybe you shouldn't get involved in something that's about the two of them…"

"No! They have to get back together!" I exclaim passionately.

"Why?"

"...huh?"

"Why do they have to get back together?" Naminé asks. All I can hear is curiosity in her voice. "I'm just saying. It's really common for couples to break up. We're only in high school. Tidus and Selphie lasted a long time - almost 7 months, I think?"

"...right."

Naminé's question throws me off, but I'm still convinced I need to do something to push them back together. The topic dies off somewhat naturally, but I feel like things are still mostly unresolved. I guess at this point...I just have to figure out what I'm gonna do next.

Since Naminé seems a bit preoccupied to help, I decide to recruit someone else for my cause.

"You need to help me," I beg him the next morning.

Sora raises a brow confusingly. "What'd you do this time?"

"I need you to - wait, what does that mean?" The implications of his words are just registering. "You make it sound like I messed up!"

Sora snickers. "Isn't that what usually happens?"

"What! I mean...okay, sure, I've screwed up a few times - more than a few times recently. But this time, it's really not my fault!" I clear my throat, trying to get back on topic. "Look. Tidus and Selphie broke up. I need your help to get them back together."

"...okay, sure."

Sora agrees readily enough. In fact, I had reasons and ideas prepared to back my argument in case he had doubts like Naminé did. That takes some of the wind out of me.

"What were you thinking?" he prompts when I don't speak.

"Oh, right." If Sora's willing to cooperate, that makes things so much easier. "Okay. First, I need you to ask Tidus why they broke up. He was being very vague when he explained things to me, so maybe it's awkward cause Selphie and I are friends? Kinda. Not really. But anyways, maybe he'll tell you why. Cause you're bros, or whatever."

"Eh. Not so sure about the bros part, but I'll try," Sora promises. "So. When'd they break up?"

"Like last week! Right before the Snow Ball! They didn't even go together!"

"Oh! Now that you mention it, I think he told me about it then."

"What? And you didn't think to tell me?"

"I mean...maybe it was after I saw you? Yeah, must be it…" Sora trails off, chuckling nervously. I decide to give him the benefit of doubt and believe his words.

"Okay. You do that, and I'll try asking Selphie. We haven't talked in awhile though, and she might not tell me cause Tidus is my cousin…"

We commence our usual morning conditioning, which is just routine at this point. Having Sora as a workout buddy makes time pass by more quickly, because we're each trying to make the other laugh to grow out of breath. Neither of us is very serious about training, because cross-country just ended for me and soccer is after the holidays for Sora.

...hmm.

Something about that thought strikes me as odd.

I'm soon too tired to maintain my usual level of mental acuity, so irrelevant wonderings as such are quickly tossed to the back of my mind. Instead, my mission is to cruise through the day and find Selphie.

The first day I try to find her after school, but I'd forgotten about her handful of extracurriculars. Actually, for three days straight, I can't find her after school because she has so many clubs to attend. I try to catch her during lunch, but she's always studying or asking a teacher questions for some test or homework. Ugh.

Finally, after much effort, I stake out her class during my study hall, determined to catch her. As the bell rings, she appears as expected, dashing down the hall presumably to her next class. That's not a big deal for this runner though, and with a few wide strides, I catch up to her.

"W - what? Kairi, I'm gonna be late to my next class - "

"C'mon, I just have one question! What happened? Why'd you guys break up?"

Selphie finally comes to a stop, which is smart because did she expect to outrun a cross country athlete? We're in a somewhat isolated location behind the school building, so that's enough privacy for her, right?

"Look, Kairi. Your timing is really bad, so I'm gonna keep it short and simple - "

"That's all I want!"

Selphie shoots me a look and then sighs. "Things weren't working out. Tidus is a senior, so he just wants to enjoy the rest of high school. And I'm swamped with schoolwork, and club activities, and trying to get in a good college to study business so I can - " She abruptly cuts herself off and sighs. "We're still friends, Kairi. Don't worry. Things won't be awkward for too long."

"But - after all you guys went through! You guys were so good together!"

Selphie smiles somewhat rigidly. "Yeah, it was good. But, like the saying goes, all good things come to an end? Just cause it ended doesn't mean it wasn't good."

I'm still somewhat tongue-tied by Selphie's eloquence and racking my brains for something smart to say. Selphie checks her watch and grasps my arms with her hands.

"Sorry to run, but I really got to go. Look, I'm not sure if you're asking cause you're worried, or if Tidus wants to talk to me - but don't worry. And tell Tidus he knows to call me if he wants to. I'm always there for him."

My eyes narrow, partially confused by the progression of events. I think Selphie's misinterpreted why I'm talking to her...but if she thinks Tidus wants to talk and is waiting for a call from him…!

"Okay, I'll let him know!" I chirp enthusiastically. Selphie smiles wanly and then rushes off, leaving me with plans stewing in my mind.

Sora dutifully reports what he learned from Tidus the next morning.

"He said they're both too busy to spend much time together," he responds succinctly when I ask him.

"...that's it? That sounds like an excuse!" I exclaim.

"Well, it's a valid reason," Sora points out. "Soccer season's about to start, and we're doubling up on practice."

"There's always soccer practice," I point out, which is absolutely true - our high school's boy's soccer team is renown for their commitment to the sport. Maybe because it's one of the few sports our school has generally been good at. They practice on and off during off season, and during spring, they're out on the field at least 2 hours a day, including weekends, not including time for conditioning.

Point is, Tidus always has soccer practice, and if they really wanted to make things work, they would be able to.

"What'd Selphie say?" Sora asks. "Is she busy too?"

I roll my eyes. "I guess. She's in a billion clubs, who knows why? I mean, I know it looks good on her transcript and she wants to get in a good college and blah, blah, blah...but yeah, that's why she said they weren't working out. But they were a really good couple!"

"Well, stuff can happen, and things can change. I mean, it sounds like things aren't that bad if they're open to talk about it."

"Wow. You sound exactly like Selphie." I narrow my eyes on him suspiciously. "Do you guys talk or something? Did she tell you why they actually broke up? You didn't have anything to do with it, did you - ?"

"Hey, hey!" Sora protests. "Are you actually accusing me of sabotage when I've been trying to help you out?"

I exhale deeply, letting my suspicions go as well. "I'm just trying to figure things out. It doesn't make sense! They were all lovey-dovey everytime I saw them, back when I didn't want them to be together, and the moment I get over it, they break up?! Something's wrong here!"

"Maybe it has to do with you."

"W - what?" I stammer, glancing at Sora confusedly. "Why are you accusing me now?"

"I'm just saying!" Sora says defensively. "I mean, more than anything, it sounds like they broke up just 'cause, and they're not actually looking to get back together."

"But - !"

My brain hits a wall, and it's nigh hour AM in the morning, which means I'm not actually thinking straight yet. "I give up, for now. My mind's not making any sense, and I'm running on five hours of sleep."

"Why'd you go to bed so late?" Sora snorts.

"I was rewatching Sole Liter, I forgot it gets so good in the middle, and I couldn't stop!" I chuckle amusedly, remembering all the feels from last night.

"Then you could've just skipped training this morning and slept in," Sora says. "It's not like you need to condition for anything anymore."

"I - "

Sora's looking at me funny as I run his words through my mind: I don't need to condition for anything anymore. Which means I don't need to come to morning conditioning anymore. This is the strange feeling I'd gotten earlier when thinking about the fact that cross-country season is over, but I'm still waking up so early every morning just to - just to come and…

"Kairi? Kairi, you there? Kairi - hey, wait, where are you going?"

I hear Sora's voice calling after me as my legs run as fast as they can to carry me away from the scene. My thoughts and emotions are running too wild for me to discern exactly what I'm thinking or feeling. And not for the first time, I thank the fact that I am a runner -

"Kairi, you know I run faster than you."

- which means...ack, it's Sora!

I come to a stop when I realize he's right, he does run faster than me, and I'm dead exhausted after all that conditioning we just did. Huffing and wheezing, we're both in a competion to see who catches their breath first.

Surprise, surprise: I'm very competitive.

"What are you doing?" I exclaim vehemently.

He gives me a weird look. "That's my question. What are you doing just running off without a word?"

"I - I had to go! Just didn't get the chance to say bye!" I pull that fib straight out of thin air, and it's a miracle I could think of it. Sora standing so closely is giving all sorts of weird signals. For one, he's rarely the confrontational type, always letting me off the hook when I do choose to run away from things. So what does it mean that he's coming after me this time -

"Well...you left your water bottle."

I stare at the offending object in his hands, almost wanting to will it away from existence. Quickly snatching it up, I stuff it in my bag and cross my arms, turning to view Sora once more. Nervousness is quickly replaced by the usual tendrils of frustration I associate with this boy.

"Anything else?" I ask.

"...nope," Sora says with a straight face.

And though I'm not sure why, I realize what I'm feeling right now is disappointment. What was I expecting? What would Sora want from me? I narrow my eyes at him, scrutinizing him and trying to suppress the burgeoning feeling in my chest, telling myself this is nothing, this means nothing.

But obviously, the gaping hole I feel in my heart suggests his lack of response means something, at least to me.

"...okay, actually, I have a question," Sora says. I look towards him eagerly, wondering what he could want to ask. "So...do you have to go now?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I mean - I can stay a bit longer." I nod, gesturing for him to continue.

Sora draws a deep breath and then sighs. "So...he's been complaining about it a lot recently, and just really distracted overall. What's up with you and Riku?"

…

Oh wow, are we going there?

I exhale, trying to find the words to say. "Nothing. We're - " We aren't friends, as I'd established to myself. It's easier after accepting that fact. "We're just kinda awkward exes," I say, finding that an overly simplified but apt description of our relationship. "Things ended...on a bad note, and we haven't really aired out our complaints to each other. So it's a little awkward." I proceed to shrug casually, trying to emphasize that this is no big deal. "I mean, whatever, it's okay."

"...well, if things are just a little awkward, you wouldn't be avoiding him, would you?"

"What? I'm not avoiding him!" I exclaim. "I said hi to him during the Snow Ball!"

"Well technically, you waved. And then when he came over to talk, you didn't say a word."

Oh wow. I'm just realizing the truth in Sora's statement. I literally have not said a word to him. No wonder it feels like things are awkward - because I make it awkward.

The realization is chilling and not entirely welcome.

"Wouldn't it be better to just talk things through with him? I mean, he obviously still cares about you, cause he's all wrinkles and frowns whenever I see him - "

"Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"Not, err, like he wants to get back together or anything!" Sora hastily exclaims, though that hadn't been my concern at all. "Just that I see him frowning in your direction, sighing a lot after you leave...that stuff. And I don't like seeing my best friend so upset like that."

"Sure, so you're blaming me. Aren't we friends too?"

"We are! And obviously the situation isn't helping you either! So why don't you guys...work things out? Talk things through? Maybe it's just a big misunderstanding - "

"It's definitely not just a misunderstanding, Sora."

" - okay, sorry, that was presumptuous. Sorry, that's not what I meant. I mean, maybe you can work things out so you aren't the awkward exes but the friendly exes!" He beams like he's promising me a bright future.

Along with the gentle prodding and obvious investment he has in another's happiness...plus, who can resist a smile like that?

"Okay...I'll think about it," I quickly amend my statement when Sora bursts into cheers. His ridiculous happiness makes the corner of my mouth quirk upward as well. "You're really happy about something that doesn't directly involve you. I can't tell if this is you being a good friend or just nosy."

"It's the former, and I'll take that as a compliment," Sora insists. "Also, here you go."

"What is this?" He hands me a thermos and gestures for me to take a look inside. Uncapping it and taking a whiff, I quickly realize it's coffee and take a sip.

"Oww! It's hot!" I exclaim, but the caffeinated liquid trickles down my throat and I sigh satisfactorily. "This is so good...hey, this is my usual!"

"Yup! All nice and hot for you, cause it's getting cold real fast," Sora comments, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Consider it a reward for helping me out."

I take another sip of the heavenly liquid. "I wouldn't say 'helping you out,' I mean, if anything, you're the one helping me and Riku out. So this coffee is like another point for you." Sora smiles innocently while I continue, things slowly coming to mind. "And all the coffees you bought for me. Wow, that's a lot of money, isn't it?"

"Not really - "

"That must've racked up. Wow. Sora, you should've said something!"

"It's really not a big deal - "

"And trying to look out for me about Riku. I never realized you're actually a nice person, Sora!"

Sora snorts and rolls his eyes. "Thanks, Kairi. Okay, I'm gonna go shower."

"Please do, I was gonna say something about the smell."

"Wow, Kairi, you're really good at this complimenting thing."

"What can I say? Just trying to keep it real."

I smirk at his mocking smile and then burst out laughing. It's hard not to when you're around Sora.

A/N: Heyy, maybe this story is finally getting somewhere...or not. XD

Shenanigans aside, I apologize for the lack of plot / action and will try to instill more drama in this slice-of-life story slowly chugging along...

Comments and reviews are, as always, much loved and appreciated. :) Out of curiosity, does everyone read the lists at the beginning of the chapter?