7

when I woke up, I was laying atop a bed, my shoes by the door and my jacket hanging on a bed post. Over in a shadowed corner, Axel lay stretched out in a recliner, apparently haven fallen asleep while waiting for me to awake. I looked at the illuminated digital clock next to my bed. '2:00pm' it read. I got up, stretching lazily as I did. Sitting on the side of the bed, I surveyed my surroundings.

Straight ahead of me was a large bay window covered by deep red curtains. The walls were painted the same deep red while the carpet was black. The walls on my left held the door, which was black, and an array of shelves covered in CD's. The wall directly behind me held only a large set of drawers and a mirror. The top of the dresser was covered with bottles of hair gel, hair spray, hair glue, gum wrappers, empty picture frames, school books, papers, a pair of scissors, a broken portable CD player, a pair of socks, eyeliner, and a cell phone. The wall to my right help the bed I was currently sitting on and a pair of small double doors. 'A closet' I thought to myself ' this must be Axel's room'.

I heard a moan coming from the direction of the recliner. Pulling myself out of my musings, I looked over at Axel's now moving form. He opened his eyes which immediately caught mine.

Than a knock at the door was heard. A woman I assumed to be Axel's mother came in.

"Good afternoon boys, so good of you to wake up. Roxas dear, feel free to stay as long as you like. Axel here informed me of your predicament and I hope you will be comfortable here. Axel, Dean and I are going out. We'll be back about 9. see you than!"

"Alright Jean." Axel replied sleepily.

Jean shut the door behind her. I listened to her receeding footsteps as Axel came up and sat beside me.

"Did you have a nice nap Roxy?' he asked me affectionately. I nodded. 'Good. You want to tell me what happened?"

At that, I turned to face the wall to my right and curled up into a ball. I felt Axel's arm snake around my waist as I was pulled back against his chest. He hugged me and made soothing sounds in my ear. Tears trickled slowly down my face as everything that had happened finally hit me. We stayed in that position, unmoving, for many hours, needing nothing but each other for the time being. We would face the world later.