The Apex

RESTORATION AT 20% COMPLETE

My chest felt heavy as I rolled down Market Street on my skateboard. I wasn't sure if it was from the fight or because I was worried what the gang thought of me. They'd never said anything homophobic. Well, Hayner called anyone that annoyed him gay, but so did everyone. Now I could tell them how much it ticked me off.

Hayner, Pence and Olette were sat round the table in the hideout. I joined them for lunch (first meal of the day for kids on vacation). We had nachos with fiery-hot salsa and jalapeños.

Olette and Pence admitted they couldn't take the heat. Hayner and I rose to the challenge.

'You alright, Hayner?' I asked.

'I'm fine!' Hayner said round a mouthful of nachos and chilli peppers.

'You're sweating a lot. Are you sure you can cope with that?'

Hayner gave me a friendly punch. 'You try, jackass.'

'Kay.' I loaded up a nacho with as many of the jalapeño slices as I could. It was fine at first but the heat spread around my mouth until my tongue was on fire. 'Water!' I gasped. 'Water!' Oh God, I felt like I was gonna die.

Olette passed me a water bottle and I spat out the chillies. I doused the flames in my mouth and then my face for good measure.

Hayner was laughing something wicked. 'You're such a dork, Roxas.'

'Shut it, blondie.'

Olette sipped from the remains of the water bottle. 'You always make us laugh, Rox. It wouldn't be the same here without you.'

I thought about my little announcement in class. 'After what I said yesterday, don't you think differently about me?'

Pence was hoovering up the remaining nachos. 'You mean when you said you're a gay?'

I nodded.

'We kind of had an inkling,' said Pence.

'I didn't,' said Olette.

Hayner folded his arms. 'Yeah, well we know that.'

Everyone laughed. I hoped Olette didn't feel too awkward. My spirit lifted a little knowing they were cool with me.

We goofed around listening to music and making a nuisance of ourselves around town. Scrooge McDuck's prices were reasonable enough that I got ice creams for everyone with plenty allowance to spare. I met them at the top of the clock tower, skateboard crooked under one arm, four sea-salt ice creams in the other.

As I handed them out, Hayer took a bite from the blue lolly. 'Can I talk to you a sec?'

I licked the drops off my own melting ice cream. It was satisfyingly salty. 'What's up?'

Hayner led me round the other side of the clock tower. We sat side-by-side, legs dangling over the edge and watched the miniature trains go round, casting long shadows against Twilight Town below our feet. 'I heard you got into a fight yesterday.'

I should have worn a muscle vest like Hayner. The setting sun was beating down like a motherfucker. I opened my jacket some more. 'Where'd you hear that?'

'Seifer was bragging about it. Enacting justice on faggots or some shit like that.'

'The fucker,' I said. It made my chest feel tight. 'How dare he judge me? How dare he question what's in my heart?'

'I hear ya.' Hayner looked at me sidelong. 'You could have told me.'

'About what?'

'About the fight. Or even about...you know. I could have helped.' He ran a hand through his swept-back blond hair and I caught myself admiring his biceps again.

Olette and Pence were chattering quietly round the other side.

'No harm done,' I said.

Hayner's brown eyes were big and warm as he looked to me. 'I wanna make sure of it.' He played with a strand of my spiky hair. Then his hand rested on my cheek and he pulled me in close.

We kissed and Hayner's mouth was warm and tasted sweet and salty. It must have lasted only a few seconds but it felt like forever. I wanted to get lost in the depths of his mouth. Hayner pulled away and nuzzled up against me. He put an arm round me and we watched the sun setting over the town together. 'You're okay, Roxas,' he said reassuringly.

I leaned against him. He had worked up a little sweat. He smelt very manly. 'Naminé said I don't have a heart.'

'Whose Naminé?'

'She said I'm a nobody.'

Hayner squeezed me. 'I don't think you're a nobody. I think you're special, Roxas.'

It sounds harsh to say it, but I didn't believe him. It was nice to kiss a boy, though.

Hayner took a bite of my lolly, playfully. We shared that moment, tangled together under the setting sun.

'I don't want this to end,' I said.

'It's got to end. We've just got to enjoy it while it lasts,' Hayner said.

This time I believed him and you know what, it hurt a little.

I don't know how it happened but I lost my balance. My foot slipped away from the clock tower. My hand grazed the stone ledge as it fell away. I looked down at the world tumbling toward me with my heart in my mouth. Relieved of my worldly burdens, I was weightless as I slowly, peacefully drifted away from the tip of the tower. There was a beach above me. The ripple of the water's surface. An outstretched hand.

'Sora!' the girl called out.

'Kairi!' I replied.

'Sora!'

I saw my reflection in the water's surface as it fell away. It was that boy again. Bright blue eyes. Long spikes of brown hair.

I woke with a start. My PJ shirt was soaked in cold sweat. I pushed the window open and leaned out into the night's cool breeze.

Sora.

His name was Sora.