VST, or Ventus Standard Time, is quite different from the law of Kairi Standard Time that I've already established. When he gives you a time frame, you best be sure to be ready at least five minutes in advance. Being punctual is one of his best - or worst, depending whose talking - qualities.
Maybe I should let this potential "bae" know of that detail.
In accordance with this standard law, I made sure to get into an appropriate outfit, finish up my makeup, double-check to see that I had everything I'll need in my purse, and even eat a snack, with ten minutes to spare 'til the time Ven stated he would get here. Only five passed before I heard the sound of his rickety, hand-me-down pick-up (courtesy of some cousin of his) truck pull into my driveway, as predicted.
After making sure one more time that I had everything I needed, I bade good-bye to Mom (who wouldn't let me drive on my own with her car, since she needed it for whatever reason) and headed out, and now here I am, riding shot-gun, as we drive towards the recreational center for our volunteer orientation.
"So, Aqua, you ready for this?" Ven asks, turning out of my street and onto the route we need to take.
"Ready as I'll ever be," I respond, leaning back into the seat. "I'm actually pretty excited. This totally beats sitting around at home all day."
"Yeah, I bet! Sorry Roxas and I weren't able to hang out much this past week. Between odd jobs and having some family over, we were pretty swamped."
"Don't even worry about it. You guys all had tons of prior commitments; I wouldn't want to get in the way of that. Plus, it was actually pretty nice bonding time with my mom." I don't normally spend much time with her during my vacations, but I needed something to do this week. Admittedly, I don't regret it at all—it was actually a lot of fun. She took me shopping a couple times, and we went out for lunch once, too. Even cooking and cleaning, which I usually loathe, turned out to be pretty great despite being patrolled during those activities by Mom the boot camp instructor.
"Well, that's always good," Ven nods. "To be totally honest, I was a little worried."
I turn my head sharply to look at him, trying to decipher what exactly he means by that. He looks ahead stoically, eyes glued to the road. "Worried? What for?"
"Hm, well…how to word this…" He pauses for a few seconds to ponder.
"Just say it," I sigh, growing impatient. "You're one of my best friends. If there's something up I definitely want to know."
"Okay, then I guess I'll go ahead with it," he starts. "I kind of got worried about you last week. You just kept talking about finding things to do over the summer, almost obsessively. Not that it's bad that you want to keep yourself busy, 'cause four months off is a ridiculous amount of time to just laze around and do nothing during, but you sounded desperate to keep your schedule as full as possible, like something would go wrong if it wasn't." We reach a stoplight, and he turns his head my way and looks me straight in the eye. "Is everything alright?"
I shrink a little under his gaze. While I appreciate the fact that he's being upfront with me, he's brought up some pretty rocky territory. I take a few moments to gather myself before I carefully respond to the posed question.
"In a nutshell, I'm basically just trying to keep my mind off of certain things." The light turns green, forcing Ven to shift his eyes back on to the road. "Keeping myself as occupied as I can will definitely help that."
"You don't have to go into detail or anything, but, I just have to ask…is it that Zack guy?"
My stomach turns over just at the sound of his name.
"Yeah," I admit reluctantly. "It might sound stupid, since we weren't even together for that long, but…it's been pretty tough."
"It's not stupid at all. You're entitled to your feelings, Aqua. Everyone reacts differently to certain situations. But, I just want you to know that you don't have to go through it alone. You might not be ready to talk about it right now, but when you are, all of us will be there to listen. Don't forget that." A lump forms in my throat as I take in his words.
"Geez, Ven, did you get that off a fortune cookie or something?" I retort quickly, trying to mask the sudden overflow of appreciative emotions. He just chuckles.
"I just have a way with words, don't I?" He seems a little too pleased with himself.
"I think I'm gonna stick with my fortune cookie theory."
"Hey, we've been apart for the better part of over two months. People change!"
"Well, I did notice that the car doesn't swerve as much anymore with you behind the wheel. Great job!"
"Very funny," he deadpans. Without warning, he speeds up the car and makes an extremely sharp right turn. I clutch the door handle and hold my breath; my very life is flashing before my eyes!
"Watch it!" I meant for it to come out in a more stern tone, but it ended up sounding kinda whiney and wimpy. Dammit! He's cackling like a hyena at my now-obvious dismay.
"That's what you get!" he taunts. Ugh.
Luckily, I do hold some leverage over him.
"Keep this going," I begin, "and I'm just gonna leave you, bae-less." The car slows down almost instantaneously.
"Alright, alright, alright, I'm sorry!" A smirk plays on my lips in response to his exasperation. "Speaking of which," he continues, "how are we on that front? You told me you had someone in mind!" Oh, that's right, I did, didn't I?
"Okay, I guess I can let you in on a liiittle bit of it." The times I did find myself free last week, I made sure to hit this girl up as much as I could. Without seeming like a creep, of course. If it actually works out between her and Ven, I'll end up spending a lot of time with her, after all.
"So, lay it on me," he demands, rather impatiently.
"Alright, fine. I met her in calculus this semester, and we both were part of the same study group. She's pretty smart and has a good head on her shoulders, which should hopefully make up for all you lack on that front."
"Hey!"
"Kidding! Anyway, she's super friendly and approachable, and a pretty competent cook. One time, she made some pretty bomb stir-fry in the communal kitchen. I still dream about that stuff."
"Ooh, now that is a very enticing package you got there. Now, before we go any further, how is she on the looks front? I mean, like…she's not ugly, right?"
"She looks like a troll-doll whose face got run over by a monster truck." I shift my eyes to see how he's reacted to the revelation; he doesn't look very impressed with my sarcasm. Hmph. I thought it was a pretty good joke. "Of course she's cute. Wouldn't be looking into her if I didn't think she wasn't!"
"And…the name?"
"So you can stalk her on MoogleSpace? I don't think so!"
"Oh, come onnn," he whines.
"Knowing you, you'll do something reckless with that information, and the just blow your chances. I'm working on getting her to come this summer to visit, so I can set you both up on a blind date then. But no online stalking. You'll ruin it. Just like last time."
"Hey, I learned from my experience with Shiki, alright? I promise, I won't do anything stupid!" Shiki's the girl Kairi tried setting Ven up with during the winter. When he found out about it, he creeped on all her social media and did a thorough FBI-level investigation, and with that, practically interviewed her about every aspect of her life during their date. There's a gold-mine worth of quotes from that night, but my personal favorite of his was "You remind me of my mom."
She never returned any of his calls or texts for another date.
"At least give me a hint!"
"She's got blue eyes," I inform, without skipping a beat.
"Practically everyone has blue eyes, Aqua," he replies, bemused.
"In due time, my friend, in due time."
"Bah, you're no help!"
I'm gonna make him eat those words.
Twenty minutes later, and we've finally arrived at the rec center. Could be a worse commute; definitely gonna have to find a way to get money to pay for gas when I start driving here myself, though. Really hope Kairi's dad comes through with the potential job!
I trail Ven as we walk towards the entrance. Just as I'm about to catch up to him, he sticks his arm out like a barrier to stop me. I give him a quizzical look, but he pays me no heed as he walks up to the sliding doors himself. When he reaches the sensors that trigger them to open automatically, he waves his hand in a slow, horizontal motion, and, as if in response to the gesture, the doors part.
"Go on in, and may the force be with you," he says stoically, bowing to me.
"Dork." I shake my head at him in disapproval as I head inside. He chuckles, presumably at himself, following me in.
Okay, fine, I admit, it was kind of endearingly funny. Kind of.
The sight of the rec center lobby definitely brings back a lot of memories. When I was in middle school, my parents would always get rid of me during the day by sending me here when the summer activities were in session. I honestly don't remember much, but I do know I would have a good time. My personal favorite thing to do was to participate in sports, which I remember being the most popular activity offered; I kinda hope I'll be able to help out there for the summer, 'cause I think that might be a lot of fun!
Ven and I walk straight up to the receptionist's desk, situated smack in the center of the lobby only several yards away from the entrance. On duty is a bemused-looking, rather unsightly woman, who looks busy on her computer. Naminé told us to check in with her, so with the utmost caution, I approach her.
Alright, I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but, come on…this woman's appearance is so unsettling! And the hideous scowl that forms on her face when she sees us definitely isn't helping her case.
"What do you guys want?" she asks, her irritation quite evident. Her voice could be featured on one of those 'THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T SMOKE GUYS' ads, because I'm pretty sure that's what emphysema is supposed to make you sound like.
Alright, fine, that was a bit judgmental, but I digress…
"Um, we're here to check in for volunteer orientation…" I explain warily. I sense Ven nervously nodding in agreement.
The woman, whose name I gather is "Mary Sue" from the looks of her name tag, turns back to her computer and clicks her mouse a few times, seemingly to get to whatever program she needs to be in. Her angry grimace doesn't fade one bit, like it's etched permanently onto her face. And I know it's rude to stare, but I can't help it – I've never seen anyone quite so…ugly. The receding hairline, the bloodshot eyes, the saggy skin...you could almost say she looked like Queen Elizabeth, if someone tried to pull off her face but gave up halfway, and then deprived her of sleep for about a week. And her makeup job sure isn't helping her case; the smudged blue eye-shadow, neon pink blush, and blood-red lipstick are reminiscent of the job a five-year-old who snuck into their mom's cosmetics would do. Not a pretty sight, in the slightest.
"Name?" she inquires impatiently, snapping me out of my almost-trance.
"Uh, Aqua Holland," I reply, shaking my head as I try to find something else to fixate my gaze on. The tiled floors sure look clean and shiny! Wonder if someone waxed them recently?
"And you?" This time, she's asking Ven.
"Ventus Uchiyama," he responds, almost too nonchalantly. She clicks her mouse a few more times before speaking once again.
"Third floor. Take a left. You'll see it."
"Th-thank you!" we say in unison. Yes, even the stutter was in sync.
"Yeah, yeah. Scram, now." And we do exactly that. The stairwell is to the left of the desk; Ven swings the red metal door open and lets me in, before following in behind me.
"Wonder who spit in her coffee this morning?" I ask, clambering up the stairway.
"I think it takes a little more than saliva and caffeine to turn a person into…that." I can hear him shudder. "Do all the people who work here look like that?"
"Now, now, Ven, don't judge a book by its cover!"
"Of course not! But, I mean, come on, at least pay me for potential eye injuries!"
"Ha, you might have a point there. But, hey, Naminé works here, and she is definitely not ugly. I'm sure Roxas would kick your ass if you thought otherwise. Heck, we all would. And Sora's older siblings work here, too – haven't seen Terra in a while, but from what I remember, they are a pretty good-looking family."
"And then us beautiful volunteers'll light up the rest of the place! Ooh, maybe there'll be some girl –"
"Ven, S.M.H."
"Hey, if the opportunity arises, I will seize it."
"I don't doubt it." I shake my head in disapproval at him as we arrive at the third floor. Pushing the door open, I hold it for Ven to enter before I follow him inside. My eyes are greeted by the sight of people sitting in a wide circle of folding chairs. Thankfully, they are all at least palatable to look at.
Roxas and Kairi are already here, sitting with some guy I haven't seen before. He has some very spiky, bright red hair, I must say. Ven and I go over to join them.
"You're here!" Kairi stands up excitedly to greet us when we catch her eye.
"Yep! Quite frankly, I'm surprised you're here," I respond, returning the hug she hastily initiated.
"Roxas and Naminé picked me up from Daddy's office while they were on their way here," she explains. "So, I was actually here super early, believe it or not!"
"I'm a witness," Roxas chimes in.
"Speaking of Naminé, where is she? And Sora?" Ven asks, taking a seat next to the red-haired guy. He greets him with a high-five. Ah, the language of men!
"Sora's stuck at work for the day, but he's volunteered here before, so it's not really necessary for him to be here. And then Naminé is in the back with all the other coordinators," Roxas explains. I take the last seat available next to Kairi as I listen in. "They should be out in about five minutes to start this meeting, though."
"Pfft, like these things ever start on time," comments the mysterious red-haired guy. He lets out an exaggerated sigh as he leans back in his chair, hands in the pockets of his black jeans.
"I'm surprised you're even here, Lea," Ven says. Oh, so that's his name.
"Isa said it would look good on my resume, and with my grades, believe me, I need all the help I can get."
"Wow, someone's growing up!" Roxas taunts.
"My parents said they're gonna kick me outta the house once I'm done with school, and they're actually being serious about it this time, so I sorta have to if I wanna get that dough, ya feel? Gotta fill up that resume shit to look competitive or whatever. Besides, not like I'm gonna be here all that long. Just gotta hold this down 'til I find one of those internship things. Say, Kairi, think you could help a brother out with that?"
"Somehow, I can't quite picture you working in the government," Ven muses aloud.
"Hey, gotta start from the bottom if I wanna work my way up to rulin' the planet." He waves him off. "I got it all planned out."
"Hm, I can definitely ask for you, but you might have to wait for the fall for something to open up," Kairi explains apologetically. "They're pretty full there right now. I just asked for you, too, Aqua, and Daddy said he'll let me know as soon as they have a position you can take."
Dang! I was really banking on that for a job! Guess I might have to take up on the odd job offer from Roxas and Ven at some point after all.
"Aw, well, thanks for asking!" I reply, giving her a pat on the shoulder.
"Oh, so you're Aqua," Lea interjects. I look over to him to see him extending his hand over. "Heard a lot aboutcha from these folks. Name's Lea."
"Nice to meet you, Lea." I reach over to shake his hand.
"I met him in one of my classes this year, and now he just stalks me," Ven states. Roxas nods in agreement.
"Oh, you know you love the thrill of having me around! I spice up your monotonous life, brochacho." He throws an arm around his shoulder.
"'Monotonous?' That's a pretty big word coming from you, Lea," Roxas observes, apparently impressed.
"You learn a few things when you drop a couple dozen G's on your higher education."
"May I have your attention?" It's a cheery woman's voice that cuts through the buzzing of the various conversations throughout the room. The noise level drops as the attention turns to a black-haired girl standing in the middle of the circle, hands cupped around her mouth to amplify her voice. Tan skin, green eyes, cute flower sundress…oh! This is Sora's older sister, Amaya. "We're ready to begin here in a moment, if you all could please settle down? Thank you!"
Seeing her immediately brings my thoughts to Riku, who would probably get on his hands and knees and obey this girl's every command. He's whipped, even though I don't think she knows he exists. It's funny; he's a self-proclaimed ladies' man, as well as one of the most popular guys growing up, but the façade melts to reveal his true nature – being a gigantic dorkwad – around the girl he likes. Kind of cliché, huh?
"Alright, guys," she speaks up once again, "thank you all so much for coming here today! The seats here, as you all can see, are totally full, which is awesome! As you know, we have our hands full here with the kids, and all the help, no matter how little, is extremely appreciated. I believe there're 25 of you guys registered, which is the perfect amount to help us around the clock in all the activities we offer." She pauses to look at the note card she has in her hand. "Um, so, before we begin, I'll give you a rough outline of what we plan to go over today. It should be pretty brief, so that we can all get out of here as quickly as we can. But, basically, the four of us – Naminé, Terra, Tifa, and myself – are going to go over what each of the activities we coordinate entail, and what we're gonna need your help to do. We will then go over more specific details of what is expected of you guys, as well as hand out sheets for you to register your timeslots. Terra will be out in a minute to go over that in a little more detail. Until then, do you guys have any questions?"
No one has any objections, so she continues. "Okay, so there are three major activities we have available for the summer program…"
I don't hear the rest of what she has to say, because at this point, I'm totally absorbed in checking my phone. I swear I'm trying to be as discreet as possible, though! Not too many notifications, anyway…an event invite on MoogleSpace…a re-choco…and, ooh, an LDChat from Riku. Upon clicking it, a picture of him appears with his head on the desk, exaggeratedly dejected expression on his face, and captioned with "I'm bored." It disappears after five seconds.
Man, it must suck to be stuck studying right now! Riku's trying to double major, so in a way, he brought this upon himself. Besides, summer break is so ridiculously long, I guess it makes sense to take a couple of classes to keep yourself busy. Maybe I'll try it in the future. Maybe.
In Amaya's place now is a tall, very busty, black-haired woman with bright ruby eyes. She's just wearing a tank top and some gym shorts, but damn, she is hot! Seriously, she is goals. I think I feel a girl-crush coming on…
Amaya's still standing right beside her, along with Naminé, throwing in a little nod here and there. I open up the LDChat camera on my phone and hold it up close to my lap, but keep my eyes on our presenters as to not arouse too much suspicion. When the camera finally focuses, I snap a picture of Amaya, who's got her eyes on her note card, blissfully unaware. I caption it with "10/10 wifey material would recommend" and send it off to Riku. That'll probably help him with his boredom for at least 10 seconds of his life.
A response comes almost immediately. What a creep, he screenshotted it! Oh, and he sent another picture, let's see…
Ugh. He's biting his bottom lip, eyes rolled into the back of his head, and has it captioned "#fack." Classy.
"What the heck?" Kairi whispers, giggling softly. It's only then that I feel her head over my shoulder.
"You know this kid," I whisper back, making sure the disgust is evident in my voice. Another notification from him shows up; this time, it's a text message.
'Seriously, miss you guys. Also, that rating should be more like a 12/10. Jealous af'
'Come back then. And more like u thirsty af' is what I respond with.
"Aqua, smile!" Kairi whispers once more. She leans her head on my shoulder, phone screen pointed up towards us to take a selfie. "Sending Sora and Riku a snap!" I proceed to flare my nostrils and cross my eyes for the picture.
Bitch, I'm fabulous!
"Hey, stupid facial expressions and phones away," retorts an apathetic male voice. I look up to find the source of it and –
…Z-Zack?!
No, no, it's not Zack! But, damn, this guy looks…way too much like him. The hairstyle, the bright blue eyes, the straight nose…
Still, there are plenty of differences. Doppelganger here has brown hair, is much taller, and more muscular. His smolder is also much so more effective. I don't know whether to be scared or turned on right now.
"Sorry, Terra!" Kairi apologizes in a sing-song voice, putting her phone back into her wristlet.
Oh, so this is Terra.
A/N: Whoo! Back for chapter 2! This one was a fun one to work on; I know much didn't happen, but Aqua's perspective as well as introducing the characters and their dialogue was amusing to write. I know this chapter's a little shorter, but I felt like this was the perfect place to stop it before really starting to get into the plot in the next chapter. Plus, I know a lot of you guys don't like exposition :P
And yes, for those of you who don't know, Amaya and Mary Sue are both beloved OC's of mine. Pls enjoy them and their wonderfulness.
I'm going to try to update this at least one more time before I go back to school, which is next Wednesday, but no promises with Toxic and Sex Ed on my plate!
Thanks so much for reading, and please please please give me a review! Those mean so much to me, and really keep me motivated in writing these stories for you guys :)
Shoutouts: Thank you to WishingDreamer5, SoraxKairi7, relena soulheart, Yoyito, miano53, and Painted With a Palette for your reviews! Y'all the real MVP's.