Chapter Two
Roxas
Lucky XIII
August 25, 2014, 2:50 p.m.
"I'm telling you, Rox, she's perfect for me… absolutely perfect," Axel rambled on as we walked to our cars. "I gotta ask her out."
"Whoa, whoa… don't you think you're moving a little fast, Axel?" I suggest, trying to remind him that he met Namine this morning.
He sighed, whining a little, "But she's so hot… I don't want anyone to steal her. I called her!"
"Axel, she's a human being. You can't call dibs on her. Just… give it time. Let her get used to you first."
"It's gonna be hard, man… I could tell right away, there's definitely sparks between us."
I just shook my head, wondering where he imagined that from. Namine is a really cool girl, but she seemed nothing more than friendly towards either of us all day. I have to admit, when I heard that she was new, my thoughts immediately drifted to Rosie… but there's no way that could possibly be true. Wherever Rosie was starting school, it definitely wasn't here in Twilight Town.
August 25, 2014, 3:38 p.m.
luckyXIII: Hey Rosie, what's up? How was that first day?
paintingwithroses: Actually… it went really well. Made some new friends.
luckyXIII: Oh? That's cool.
paintingwithroses: Yeah! I was pleasantly surprised. How was your day?
luckyXIII: It was fine… same old same old.
paintingwithroses: Sounds… fun? Haha. Did your friend actually show up?
luckyXIII: Haha… yeah, he did. Even earlier than I did, for once.
paintingwithroses: He sounds like a trip.
luckyXIII: If only you knew… he's creeping all over this girl at school, and it's like watching a train wreck… I mean, there's absolutely nooo way that's happening.
paintingwithroses: Aww, but at least he's hopeful!
luckyXIII: Sure. :P
paintingwithroses: Anyways… So I was definitely going through school all day hoping to meet someone named Sammy.
luckyXIII: Ah, but that's not my name. ;P
paintingwithroses: I know… but I was still wishing.
luckyXIII: Well, I gotta admit… I was dying to hear of a new girl named Rosie too.
paintingwithroses: I knew you would be. :P But you know that's not my name either.
luckyXIII: Tell me?
paintingwithroses: Not a chance in hell, but nice try!
luckyXIII: I had to try… Can you blame me?
paintingwithroses: Haha… you could still be some weird 40 year old jacking off to your computer monitor.
luckyXIII: Well so could you! Haha XD
paintingwithroses: Oh whatever. I'm a fabulous young lady and you know it.
luckyXIII: Suuuuure… WITH A DICK
paintingwithroses: Offense! I take offense to this!
luckyXIII: Oh hush, I know you're being honest. I wouldn't have fallen for you if you weren't.
paintingwithroses: …
paintingwithroses: Fallen for me?
luckyXIII: Well… yeah… I mean, we've been talking for months and… I just…
luckyXIII: I suck at this game.
luckyXIII: Sorry…
paintingwithroses: Relax, Sammy… I kind of have a huge crush on you too.
luckyXIII: Seriously…?
paintingwithroses: Well… yeah.
paintingwithroses: I mean, you're kind of my perfect match.
paintingwithroses: It's really too bad that we had to meet like this.
luckyXIII: Just tell me where you moved, Rose…
luckyXIII: Please, I gotta know…
paintingwithroses: No, Sam.
paintingwithroses: The internet is too unpredictable.
paintingwithroses: I have to stay safe.
August 26, 2014, 7:15 a.m.
My drive to school was a grumpy and annoying one. Everything was getting on my nerves, no matter if it was traffic or a stupid song on the radio. I just wish… Rosie would open up to me. I get it, the internet is a scary place, and you never know who's on the other end of a conversation… but god damn it. With this new girl wandering around… I have to know if it's her.
"Whoa, man… you look beat," Axel said as I sat down in Chem that morning.
"I don't want to talk about it," I told him, waving a little at Namine to acknowledge her presence.
She waved back, her nose stuck in a little sketchbook scribbling away. It was cute the way she would lose herself in her art. Yesterday in art class she hardly knew I was there as she sketched. It wasn't even an assignment she was doing. Inspiration must have just struck her or something, because she got this little glimmer in her eyes and suddenly whipped out her book and just went at it. I didn't know what she was drawing, but I bet it was good.
"Hey Namine, what're you doing?" Axel's voice cut through my thoughts.
She slammed her book shut and shrugged, "Nothing… just a doodle."
I wondered for a brief moment how Rosie was doing with my OC request. Honestly, I just gave her a description of myself. Appearance-wise, at least. I didn't tend to go too deep with my original characters. Most of them ended up having an element of me in them somewhere. I knew it would look nothing like me, but that made me even more curious.
August 26, 2014, 12:40 p.m.
"Damned long lunch lines…" I grumbled, sitting down at our table. There she was again, scribbling away in her little book while her salad remained uneaten.
I reached over and shut her book, tilting her head up to look at me, "You need to eat, Namine."
She seemed a little taken aback by my touch, but just nodded a little, "Yes… thank you…"
"Having a moment?" Axel joked, plopping his tray down and making both of us jump a little.
I quickly took my hand from her face, coughing, "Jesus, Axel… you really know how to scare the crap out of people."
"Can't have you moving in on my woman, bro," he said, taking his seat.
Namine only scoffed, "Your woman? I belong to nobody, sir."
"Got her calling me Sir already, see?" he commented, only to get whacked in the gut with her sketch book.
Axel was just the type to be into that… Though I doubt he hardly even knew what it really was.
"Excuse me, Axel, but there's only one man in my life I'll ever call Sir, and I haven't met him yet," she sniped right back at him, peaking my curiosity even further. "Now, if you'll cease to ruin my appetite, I'd like to eat."
Axel jabbed me in the side, holding his phone under the table. It was his sign that he wanted to text me about something.
August 26, 2014, 12:53 p.m.
Axel: Did she just admit that she's into that shit?
Roxas: I don't know? Does it matter?
Axel: Dude… she is PERFECT.
Roxas: Wow, you took the time to capitalize it, you must be serious.
Axel: What? Rox, come on. Help a brother out, point her in my direction.
Roxas: Axe, she doesn't want to date you.
Axel: She just needs some persuading!
Roxas: I shouldn't have to persuade her! If she's interested, she's interested! If not, I can't help you.
Axel: What, do you like her or something?
Roxas: No! I happen to hold interest in another lady.
Axel: Whoa. Who?!
Roxas: Not important. Just… cool it.
Axel: You're no fun.
Namine: You two are soooo not secretive.
August 26, 2014, 12:59 p.m.
Wait, what? When did I give her my number? Who am I kidding, Axel gives everyone my number.
"Sorry Namine, we had… important matters to discuss. Wouldn't want to ruin your lunch after all," Axel tried to cover up. She must have sent him the same text.
"Well, lunch is over now. I'll leave you two to have your secret conversation. I can find the art room by myself from here," she said, grabbing her books and leaving the table just as the bell rang.
I waited for her to walk out of ear shot before giving Axel the most dumbfounded of all looks. "You're an idiot, I think."
"What?! Why?!" he feigned ignorance.
"You can't just throw yourself at her like that. She's not like your normal …conquests. A girl like Namine deserves romance and honesty. Not sarcastic little quips about bondage and slavery," I told him, keeping my voice hushed a little as we walked through the crowded hallways.
He nodded a little, "Romance, got it." It only took him a moment to turn to me, "So how do I do that? You're like… a romantic guy, right? I mean, you seem like one. So what can I do?"
"Well, you told me you helped her open her locker, right? So you know her combo," I mentioned. That guy memorized everything. "Why don't you do something special like fill it with red roses and a nice card that asks her out on a date?"
He needed a minute to process that. "Whoa… that's like… intense. Do you think she'll go for it? I don't wanna make a fool out of myself…"
"If I've learned anything about her in the past couple days, it's that she appreciates romance. Did you not notice her reading a romance novel in study hall yesterday?"
Axel just shook his head, "Uh… no. Her skirt rode up on her thigh a little and I kinda lost track of everything else."
It took all I had not to just slam my head into my locker door when he said that. "First of all, stop treating her like a piece of meat. Second, be romantic," I told him, slamming my locker shut and taking off for art class. Why was I even helping him with this?
August 26, 2014, 2:45 p.m.
"So where can I get roses?" Axel badgered me with questions on our way out of the building. "Are they expensive? I mean, aren't like… daisies or something cheaper?"
I cocked a brow, looking over at him, "You are a true romantic, Axe…"
"I'm freaking out here… I wanna do this right!"
"Red. Roses. At least a dozen. Get a card printed, don't just scribble on some notebook paper," I told him, leaning against the hood of my truck. "I still don't get why you're freaking out so much. You've known her for less than two days."
He sprawled himself against my truck dramatically, "But I felt it right away… the minute I saw her wandering down the hall all lost and adorable… I've got it bad, Rox…"
I had to hand it to him, the man did certainly embrace his feelings.
August 26, 2014, 6:08 p.m.
Axel: Got everything together, man… this is gonna be epic.
Roxas: I just hope you don't get your feelings hurt, buddy.
Axel: How could she possibly say no? Hey, keep her distracted after art class tomorrow for a couple minutes to buy me some time at her locker.
Roxas: Will do, captain. Good luck.
August 26, 2014, 6:26 p.m.
paintingwithroses: Sammy?
paintingwithroses: You've been quiet…
paintingwithroses: Are you mad at me?
luckyXIII: No… just kind of disappointed.
paintingwithroses: I'm sorry… but you know why I can't.
luckyXIII: I know, I know…
luckyXIII: I'm just tired of this. I want to hold you in my arms, Rosie…
paintingwithroses: Say it, Sammy. Tell me how you feel about me.
luckyXIII: I… I love you, Rosie.
Message not sent. User is offline.
August 26, 2014, 6:32 p.m.
Fuck everything. Fuck my life for getting this fucked up. Professing my love to a girl on the internet… she didn't even get the damned message!
What has my life turned into? Setting my best friend up with a girl he barely knows and probably setting her up for embarrassment and humiliation? I'm living in my own dream world. Sure, someone like Rosie would for sure love a move like that, but do I really know Namine that well? She could be allergic to roses, or just flat out reject him… I don't think his dramatic heart could take that.
Either way, it's too late now… Tomorrow he's either going to sink or swim with her, and it really hope it's the latter.
August 27, 2014, 12:45 p.m.
It was about halfway through lunch the next day when I felt Axel stabbing me with something.
"Dude… read this, is it okay?" he whispered, handing me the card he'd made for her.
Roses are red, violets are purple. I like your face. Date me?
I think my brain is now running down the side of my face. "Uh… it's fine?" I told him, slipping it back to him under the table. Too late now!
He stashed it away in his folder with this weird little smile and my heart actually hurt for a moment. He was so excited… I really didn't want to see him get crushed.
Looking at Namine, she really had no idea what she was about to walk into. She was just scribbling away in her sketch book again while she nibbled at her lunch.
August 27, 2014, 1:50 p.m.
"Hey, Namine? Can you just explain to me why we used graphite instead of charcoal for that last exercise?" I tried to stall her like he asked.
She explained it to me, but then started gathering her stuff. "I gotta run to my locker before math, walk with me?"
I really hadn't wanted to be there for it, but… "Sure, let's go."
When she approached her locker I stayed back a few feet, seeing Axel hovering nearby. I could see the confusion on her face when she opened her locker to see the roses and took a few steps closer to eavesdrop on them.
"Roses are red, violets are…" she mumbled as she read the card. "Date me?" She looked around for who could have possibly sent it, and her eyes settled on me for a moment before Axel stepped into her line of sight, looking like a begging puppy.
"Would you go on a date with me, Namine?" he asked, holding out one single rose for her in his hand.
She seemed incredibly shocked by this, and I'm assuming that the time frame had a lot to do with it. "I…"
"I really think we could have something special between us, if you just let me show you…" he continued as she reached forward and took the rose from him, twirling it between her fingers.
"Uhm… sure, Axel. I'd love to go out with you sometime," she finally said, and I let out a breath that I didn't know I'd been holding. "This was sweet… how'd you know I love roses?"
He shrugged, a wide grin on his lips, "Just a guess… lemme walk you to class," he said, grabbing her books from her and letting her keep the rose.
All I can say is… thank God.
August 27, 2014, 10:07 p.m.
Axel: Roxas… I just got back from the best date of my life.
Roxas: Awesome… what'd you do?
Axel: Dinner and a movie, the classic. She's amazing…
Roxas: Glad to hear it. You make plans again?
Axel: Yeah… we're hanging out tomorrow after school too.
Roxas: Cool. Everything worked out then.
Axel: I got to kiss her!
Roxas: Great… good for you.
August 27, 2014, 10:12 p.m.
Namine: So how did you know I loved roses?
Roxas: I… was just guessing.
Namine: You know, you remind me a lot of a friend of mine.
Roxas: …Thanks?
Namine: Definitely a good thing, haha. Uhm… thank you for giving me that little bit of romance.
Roxas: Axel did that, actually.
Namine: You expect me to believe he came up with that on his own?
Roxas: I just wanted to see him happy.
Namine: He got me 13 roses… I always thought the number 13 was lucky.
Roxas: Yeah?
Namine: It must be… even my friend's IM tag is luckyXIII.
August 27, 2014, 10:23 p.m.
I swear my heart stopped beating inside my chest when I read that text message from her. Could it be true? Could Namine be my Rosie…?
My immediate reaction was to freak out and ask if it was her, but my fingers stopped abruptly on the screen of my phone. She just got back from a wonderful date with my best friend. I can't ruin that… not for either of them.
Namine can never find out that I'm Sammy. Never.