Chapter 8: Whipped

A few days had passed since the thong incident, but people weren't exactly forgetting it. Numerous girls came up to Riku saying how they loved the bow, or that his butt was their picture on their phones. He walked into practice one day.

"Alright, let's go! Split up! Shirts versus skins. Come one!" Riku yelled. He took off his jacket and shirt to reveal that he had the thong on again. "Alright. Ball!" he said to a teammate who had the ball. All the guys just looked at him.

"Man, are you wearing thongs again?" Sora whispered to him.

"Yup." Riku said. Girls started to walk into the gym to watch the practice and they noticed the thong. He started dribbling the ball and walking forward. "It's like letting your best friend sleep in a silk hammock." Riku said. The guys looked at each other. "They're breezy. They don't bind. And they give you just enough swing." Riku said. He ran to the basket dribbling, did a flip, and managed to dunk the ball. Everyone started cheering in shock.

At the next practice all the guys were wearing thongs.

"Alright, guys! Let's go!" they were all in a line and the first person bounced the ball against the backboard. And then the next…and the next…and the next. Riku was the last in line and he dunked the ball and hung on to the rim before dropping back to the ground. Rikku had walked in during their performance on the phone with Kairi.

"Un…believable." She said into the phone.

"I'd hit him with my car if he wouldn't make body casts a fashion statement!" Kairi said walking through the halls and noticing all the guys wearing thongs. She looked away in disgust.

Namine was walking to her car later that day after school.

"Namine!" Riku yelled behind. He ran up to her. "Hey. The other night didn't go as I planned." He said.

"Yeah I know. Sorry." Namine said looking away.

"Nah, it's ok. I kinda spun it."

"Yeah, I noticed. Now everyone knows Victoria's secret." Namine said. Riku chuckled.

"Yeah, Sora was thinking we'd do it as a party theme. "Not the Same Old Thong and Dance"." Riku said.

"Cute." Namine said walking ahead of him.

"Namine, Namine, wait! Wait, wait!" Riku said running after her. "Look, you don't get it, ok? I was humiliated trying to get your attention. And I'm not doing all this work just to get some action." Riku said.

"So I'm just some '82 Bordeaux you wanna "uncork and pork"?" Namine asked.

"Where did you hear that?" Riku demanded. Namine raised her eyebrows. "No-no-no. Look-look, that-that's just locker room talk. It doesn't mean anything." Riku said.

"So you act like a pig just so you don't look whipped?" Namine asked.

"Yes. Exactly. Look, I'm saying things I don't believe. I'm doing things I don't understand. I mean, I scaled a building in your underwear." Riku said. Namine just smiled. He sighed. "I'm trying so hard. But I'm out of plays. Namine…you're the one." He said. She just looked at him shocked. "Look, I don't really know how this works. It's just something personal." He said taking off his Rolex. "Something to show you…" he said putting it onto Namine's wrist. "and whoever wants to know, that I'm whipped!" he said holding up Namine's wrist. The people scattered around the grounds just stared. He let her wrist go. "Yeah. I'm whipped." He said quietly. Namine looked at him. "Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh." Rikku said in the production room.

"My." Selphie said grabbing Namine's wrist.

"God!" Kairi said.

"We'll crush him." Rikku said walking over to her computer.

"Kill time. Bam!" Kairi said tapping the watch. "Happy Birthday, little Davis!" Kairi said walking over and leaning over Rikku's shoulder.

"Ok, so now, we…" Rikku started whispering. Namine took her wrist back.

"U-umm, you guys. I'm feeling a little weird about this whole thing." Namine said. The girls looked at her.

"Huh?" Kairi asked.

"Namine…you said if you ever dated a guy like this you'd get even." Rikku said standing up.

"I know…umm, but…" Namine couldn't think of what to say.

"Oh my God! You love him!" Selphie said.

"Oh, we are doing a dating intervention! This is for your own good." Kairi said.

"Reality check, Namine: you're not really dating him." Rikku said. "He didn't fall for you. He fell for what we made you!" Rikku said. Namine tried to shake her head no. "Who were you before you met us?" Rikku asked.

"No one! And then we made you "the one" and this is how you repay us?" Selphie yelled.

"So the little monster you created destroys Riku Davis and then what? What happens to me?" Namine asked.

"You become a legend!" Selphie said.

"Yeah!" Kairi said.

"But what if I don't want that!" Namine said.

"Well you can't have him!" Selphie yelled. "This watch belongs to me!" she said grabbing Namine's wrist again. Kairi and Rikku just looked at her. "I'm the head cheerleader! He's team captain! This should be mine!"

"What, you think because you're the head cheerleader you can get anything you want?" Kairi yelled.

"Exactly!"

"Hey! Girls, stop!" Rikku said.

"Thanks, Rikku." Namine said.

"He deserves the best, ok? He obviously deserves me." Rikku said pointing to herself.

"What? You don't care about him! All you care about is getting into Hartford!" Kairi yelled.

"I believe it's Har-vard!" Rikku said.

"Stop it! Guys, we're supposed to be friends!" Namine yelled.

"Well friends don't say their gonna do something and then-" Selphie started.

"And then totally screw everybody over!" Kairi finished for her.

"If you're not against Riku, then you are not with us." Rikku said pointing at Namine. The three crossed their arms and glared at Namine.

"You guys really think this gonna help you get over Riku Davis? You're either obsessed with destroying him or obsessed with dating him." Namine said. They all looked at her. "Either way, it's always all about him! I'm done with it." Namine said turning to walk away.

"Well cheerleaders don't quit!" Selphie yelled.

"I'm not a real cheerleader." Namine said grabbing her messenger bag and putting it over her shoulder. "Whatever your plan is, count me out." Namine said walking out of the production room.

"Well don't worry about it because you're fired!" Rikku yelled after her.

"But…" Kairi said pointing in the way Namine just went.

"Okay. Hang on. I think I know what we need." Rikku said sitting back at her computer.

Namine quickly walked out of the learning center. Roxas was there listening to music with a friend and he saw her storm out with a concerned look. About half a minute later he saw Kairi, Rikku, and Selphie walk out of the production room together looking pissed off. He knew something was up. He quickly got out of his chair and left the learning center.

Namine walked to her locker and started to open it. She put in her books and shut the door, locking it again.

"That's a nice watch." Roxas said behind her.

"No, it-it's not what it looks like." Namine said turning around to face him.

"Since when are Kairi and Rikku best friends with Selphie? And what are they doing talking to you?" Roxas asked. "What happened to you? You were so different, and now you're like the rest of them. You-you fell for my brother." Roxas said.

"No, I-I didn't! No, it-it's not like that. I mean-"

"It's something you've cooked up with those three! This is just a game to you, isn't it?" Roxas yelled. "You want to know why Riku fell for you? He said it was the first honest relationship he's been in."

"Ok, well, he is not that innocent either. I mean, y-you know how Riku Davis can be."

"Everybody knows how he can be. He is Riku Davis!" Roxas said with a bite in his voice. "And still, every girl in school lines up to date him, knowing what they know. And yeah, he lies to girls to get them to fall for him. I can't imagine the kind of person who would do that. Can you?" he said turning and starting to walk away.

"Roxas-"Namine started on the verge of tears.

"Oh, save it, Namine! I mean, you came to this school and you could've been anybody you wanted to be. I just didn't think you'd want to be that." Roxas said.

"Don't you dare stereotype me! Just because I'm the new girl doesn't mean I have to be the sweet, innocent one."

"I never said that! You-you just didn't seem like the type of person that would become friends with people who don't even like you!" Roxas yelled.

"What? Th-they said that we were friends."

"And you believed them?" Roxas yelled. A hot tear rolled down Namine's cheek. "I mean, look at who you're dealing with here. You've got Kairi, the vegan teen activist slut. She just plays the good girl card so she can get laid! And then there's Rikku. The school reporter who knows everything about everybody. Do you really think she's gonna keep all that information to herself? And then, of course, there's Selphie. She's the head cheerleader, but everyone calls her a cold-hearted bitch. Why you would trust them is beyond me." Roxas said.

"You're wrong." Namine yelled.

"Am I? Come on, Namine! These girls all hate each other! They're not your real friends!" Roxas yelled.

"Then that means the only real friend I have is you." Namine said walking towards him.

"No. The only real friend you had was me. But, not anymore." Roxas said walking away. Namine leaned against a locker and just slid down to the floor. She tried not to let them, but the tears all just slipped down her face.