Chapter 2: Misplaced Aggression

My mom woke me up for school the next morning and I rushed so as not to be late. Namine had gotten a ride with Riku so when Sora came to the door as I was storming out, I was surprised. He didn't seem to sense my foul mood though and greeted me friendly.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey… Namine's already gone," I told, and as an afterthought I added, "with Riku."

"I know. I asked him to pick her up. My car's still in the shop."

"So… why are you here then?"

"I uh… Does it always have to be about Namine when I come over?"

"Uh. Yeah. What other reason could you possibly have for being here?" Sora smiled coyly and said, "Maybe I want to see you." I rolled my eyes, but his joke set my heart aflutter. When he saw that I wasn't falling for his prank, Sora shrugged. He gave in and told me his real reason for the unexpected visit.

"Fine. I just wanted to talk to you about her." My heart began to beat against my chest forcefully and I started to feel sick. The sunny, autumn morning seemed glum.

"Uh well… Come on. I don't want to be late," I said and started down the street. I saw my mother in her car going to work and I hadn't even noticed her leave the house. Sora walked beside me in silence and I had to assume that it was going to be a touchy subject. Maybe he did know about Namine and Riku already and I just hadn't given him enough credit. I absentmindedly focused my attention on the fallen tree leaves that littered the ground.

"… Namine's bored with me huh?" Sora asked suddenly; however, his tone wasn't questioning. It seemed more as though he knew the answer already and was relaying the information to me. I was silent. Ok… So maybe he didn't know after all…

"I mean… I guess lately I've been feeling like I haven't been making her happy. Like I've been doing the same things and they aren't good enough anymore. Has something been happening with her?" I looked at some of the trees whose leaves had all fallen off and were left bare as I tried to find some loophole. I knew what was going on and I also knew that it wasn't my place to tell him about it. His openness just left me feeling so bare, as though he could see all my secrets.

"Kairi?" His tone changed from being upbeat to uncertainty. I was forced to look into his cerulean eyes that were full of questioning. I cursed his stupidity. Why did he have to ask me about it?

"Uh… just ask her yourself," I said. I tried to sound normal so I could get rid of the panic I had caused with my silence. Unfortunately Sora (being the people person that he is) read my false tone.

"She won't tell me and you know something. Tell me Kairi. Please?" My heart started beating real fast again and I redirected my gaze.

"You know… this is really unfair. You're putting me in an uncomfortable position Sora… It's just Namine… Can't you just ask her about it?" My voice cracked a little. My eyes were warm and I couldn't believe I was about to cry over something so trivial. Sora knew it was something bad now, and that was enough. I'd done my part, but still I hoped that the whole thing wouldn't hurt either of them as much as I knew it most likely would. A slight breeze blew and lifted the dead leaves off the ground. I felt like I owed him something. He didn't deserve what Namine was giving him. My hand found his and I said, "… I'm sorry…" Sora squeezed my hand a little before letting go.

At school, Sora was avoiding Namine and she seemed hurt. She tried to talk to him at times, but he openly ignored her. I felt guilty, so I avoided both of them. My best friend, Selphie, watched us and looked as though she was watching a bunch of crazy alien people.

"What's going on? Did someone pee in the shower and someone else trip in it?" We were at lunch, and Selphie took this time (almost the end of the day now) to finally confront me about the subject. I couldn't help smiling happily at her little expressionism despite how crappy I felt. I loved her for that kind of stuff. She always knew how to cheer me up.

"Sora's mad at Namine because I sorta led him on about something…," I admitted. Selphie took a bite of her sandwich and while she was still chewing asked, "Something like what? It can't be that ol' boy doesn't know how girl gets passed around more than a pack of cigarettes can it? Man, he's so cute and good at everything he does! What's her problem? If they break up I'll be the first to pick up the pieces!"

"Yea right. If you ever get off of your obsession over Tidus," I said giggling. Selphie blushed.

"I'm not obsessed! I can give him up in a heart beat if it was for some guy like Sora! You're just mad because you don't have anyone to love."

"I love you. And Sora and Namine. That's why I hate this. I've been feeling nauseated all day… How do I fix this?"

"You didn't break anything so there's nothing for you to fix. It's your sister's fault so let her handle it. And if they do split, we know they can't blame you." She finished off her sandwich and we both got up to throw away our trash. I wanted to believe Selphie and feel better, but wasn't it true that I was as deep in this as all of the people involved because I was keeping secrets as well? I hated the idea of them splitting. They'd been together for too long and I didn't want to lose Sora. He was a valuable friend. Priceless. If he found out that I was involved too, would he hate me as much as he would hate Namine? Would she blame me if they broke-up because of our conversation earlier? My stomach hurt really badly so I ditched Selphie and went to the bathroom.

----

My guts literally spilled out into the toilet bowl until I felt totally empty. The emptiness didn't clear my mind though. It was still full to bursting with my dilemma. I felt like crying those tears that I had held back earlier while I was talking to Sora, but someone came in and I stopped myself.

"Ew! It stinks in here!" I heard one of the people say.

"So what? This is as private as we're gonna get in this hellhole," the other claimed. She locked the door and I gulped nervously. A smell that was kind of sweet and kind of foul began to spread throughout the room and I knew they were smoking. I tried to hold my breath but I got a big whiff of my own throw up and almost gagged.

"Quick! Open up that window!" The window was opened no later than the words were said and a giant gust of autumn air blew.

"Whoa… Is it gonna rain?"

"Who knows? Now, do you feel better?"

"Uh. Yeah actually. This stuff really works!"

"No shit. Now spill it. What's been gnawing mercilessly at your ass all day?" There was silence and I thought they found out that I was in there. I didn't think I was wrong for being there; it was a public place after all. It was just that this girl was about to tell her friend something in earnest and I was there pretending I wasn't and I was gonna hear her tell it all! I began to feel guilty again.

"Well, you know Roxas right?"

"Sora's cousin? Ain't he your boy toy? The one that pulled the fire alarm last year?"

"Well…yea…"

"What a dumbass."

"Hey! I admit that it was a little childish but it was also funny as hell!" I smiled at the memory. Roxas was the complete opposite of Sora for being a blood relative. He was a trouble maker who looked for all kinds of ways to attract negative attention to himself. Last year he pulled the fire alarm so he could leave school and go to a concert. Unfortunately he was caught and currently "volunteers" at the old folk's home for a year's worth of community service. I never talked to him though; not in the entire time that I've known him which is the same amount of time as I've known Sora.

"Yea… yea. What is it about the little moron that has got you all wishy washy?" I listened a little more intently then I should have. It wasn't my business after all.

"Well… yesterday we went to the park and he was drawing graffiti on the park ranger's hut. He was saying some naughty things about his cousin's girlfriend on there and I told him to stop it. He said 'shut-up before you get us caught'."

"Hm. Go on."

"I told him that it wasn't us doing anything to get caught and that if he was caught it was his own fault. He was like 'I wouldn't get caught if you would shut the hell up'. Rude huh?"

"Very."

"So I told him he was being a bastard and that he shouldn't be writing anything about someone else. Then you know what he did? He erased Namine's name and put Olette on there instead!"

"No."

"Yes. And he wrote 'clueless bitch' in big capitalized letters. I asked him why he was such a dick and he said it was because that's how I liked it and I told him no it wasn't but he insisted and-

"Can we speed this up?"

"Anyway, we had another fight and I was going to apologize to him today but… but…" I heard faint sniffling sounds and I only assumed that Olette had started crying.

"Spit it out!"

"I caught him making out with Yuffie! That slutty little heifer! And… and… I went ahead and made out with Hayner!"

"Oh shit. You didn't."

"I did. But… but… Hayner…"

"Yes?" There was more silence and then Olette erupted into big fits of tears and sniffles. Her friend, who I'm guessing is Fujin because she's one of the only girls Olette ever hangs out with, lit another joint.

"Now, what'd he do?" Fujin asked slowly. Olette was quiet and I wondered what it was that could make her act like that. Olette was very smart, an honor roll student. She was a little mixed up with the media's portrayal of the world though; consequently, she was a follower who hung out with the wrong people (in my opinion anyway), but she was always happy and bright. I never knew this side of her.

"Well… he… he started getting too caught up into it and… and… he… raped me." I gasped at the same time Fujin had so they were still oblivious to my presence. I half expected Olette to break down again but surprisingly she laughed instead. I failed to find the humor in it.

"To think… to think I was trying to hurt Roxas. But I was the one who got screwed twice over… I wanted to tell him I'd made out with his best friend to hurt his feelings… but now I can't tell him anything because I'm embarrassed and he might not want me anymore… Plus Hayner-''

"I'll beat his ass."

"Huh?"

"I'll beat his ass beyond recognition then I'll cut off his testicles, make him eat them, and then I'll throw him down a cliff for wild animals to eat on so no one will ever find out…"

"Fuu. This is no time to joke around."

"I'm not fucking kidding! We'll kill the bastard and that way it never happened. Roxas won't hate you. And everything's back to normal."

"Kill him? But…"

"He fucking raped you Olette! What the hell?? He asked for it! After he fucking touched you his tombstone was carved! Stop being a pussy!"

"That's why I didn't want to tell you! You're always jumping off the deep end! Always going too far! Just stop! We're not killing him!"

"Then what do we do?! I want to see some fucking justice!" There was silence once again. A chill crawled down my spine and I shivered a little. I forgot the window was still opened and so I tried to get myself in a more comfortable position. I was so caught up in Olette's story that I didn't pay much attention to my obvious cramped position inside the cubicle. I forgot that I was supposed to remain absolutely silent…

"We do nothing," I heard Olette say with a firm, finalizing voice.

"Olette!! Be reasonable!"

"Nothing Fuu!" Olette's loud voice startled me and so I accidentally pulled down on the handle and flushed the toilet. My heart started beating real fast and butterflies fluttered around mercilessly in my stomach.

"Oh. Shit," Olette swore. Before I had time to react, Fujin's boots appeared beneath my stall and suddenly the door was kicked open. I screamed.

"What the…! Who the hell are you? Come on, get outta there!" Fujin grabbed me by the arm and pulled me from the stall very forcefully. I fell against the sink and bumped my head. The pain was excruciating, but Fujin didn't think that it was enough. She pulled me by the hair and began to repeatedly bang my head against the sink. I felt like my skull was going to crack.

"Stop Fuu" and Fujin did, but not before throwing me up against the wall roughly. As I tried to catch my bearings, Olette hovered over me with her arms crossed and a hateful look on her face. I kept looking at her face. All that hatred was directed to me? It was for me? But I struggled with why that was. Given, I knew that they didn't want anyone hearing them and I didn't really want to hear them. So why did she hate me for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

"What'd you hear?" I began to feel dizzy and something began trailing down the side of my face.

"Wh… what?"

"Exactly. You didn't hear anything. We were never here. And guess what else. If you ever tell anyone else about this, I'll find you and hurt you worse than what just went down in here today. Understand?" I touched my cheek and looked at my hand. Blood.

"But… Olette…," I stammered clumsily.

"Understand?" She asked again and Fujin kicked me in the gut. I gasped as the air escaped from my lungs and I doubled over.

"I think she's got the picture Fuu, thanks. Am I right?" Not wanting to experience any more than necessary pain for one day, I nodded my head pathetically, which seemed to satisfy her.

"Good." They began to leave but I didn't feel right. Part of it was because of the ass whooping I just received. The other part of it was that if they walked out that door carrying such a burden on their shoulders, I knew someone was going to get hurt worse than me because her scars would probably never heal. And if they did, they wouldn't heal as fast as I would. Not that it was any of my business, not that I owned them anything, not that I particularly cared for either of them, but I decided to meddle. I decided if it was something I could prevent then I would try.

"Olette! Tell someone! Please tell someone! It's not worth being quiet over! Let him pay! Get him back by telling someone that can hurt him back or make him suffer!" Olette and Fujin stopped at the door and looked at me. Fujin's face was a little understanding; sympathetic. But Olette was furious.

"Shut the hell up bitch!" She came at me and started punching me repeatedly. I screamed a little as blood splattered everywhere, the majority coming from my face.

"Olette," Fujin cried. She pulled her off of me, but Olette was still angry. She gave me one final kick in the ribs which set me off to crying. Satisfied, she turned the sink on and splashed water on me.

"Wash off. You're bleeding bitch."

"Come on Olette! She's got it!" I just sat balled up in the fetal position, pain stricken, and they left without looking back.

I stayed in the bathroom for the rest of school. I wouldn't come out until the red, swollen skin on my face went down a considerable amount. My lip was still busted and I had a considerable amount of bruises and cuts that wouldn't go away. Blood was in my clothes and as I stood looking in the mirror, I saw the damage Olette had done. Surprisingly, I didn't hate her for it. I didn't see the attack as hateful, but fearful. I put myself in Olette's place and when I thought about it, I concluded that these scars, bruises, that my pain wasn't actually mine. It was hers. She inflicted on me all the pain that Hayner had inflicted upon her. I started crying because I felt everything that Olette had felt and I forgave her so easily for it. But I hated Hayner with a passion. Maybe I'd give him a little… misplaced aggression. After I dried my face, I left with a fierce determination.

----

"Oh my God! Kairi! What happened??" Namine exclaimed. I joined her out in the parking lot as she waited for Riku to give us a ride home.

"Kairi! Are you alright? Who did this?" Without thinking I said, "Hayner." Namine looked a little scared and surprised.

"Wha… what? Why??" My eyes started burning and my stomach turned about threateningly. I was feeling sick for lying but I was feeling worse for feeling guilty about it.

"It… it… I… Namine!" I started crying uncontrollably and my sister held me tight.

"Shh… shh… it's okay. It's okay Kairi. We'll fix it. I promise we'll fix it…" I felt comfortably reassured when she'd told me so.

When Riku finally came and saw my face he demanded to know what happened. I felt too sick to respond but Namine told him, "Hayner!" When he heard he told Sora and when he heard he went to track down his cousin. When he found Roxas, he found Hayner. Sora and Riku brought Hayner to me and he was scared out of his mind when he saw my face.

"What the hell happened??"

"Don't play dumb you son of a bitch!" Sora cried. He socked Hayner in the jaw and the boy stumbled backward. By this time a crowd had gathered.

"What the hell??" Hayner cried.

"Why'd you do this to Kairi?" Riku demanded. Hayner's eyes widened and he looked at me incredulously. I just cried into my sister's shoulder because I couldn't stand looking at him.

"I didn't do that!"

"Stop lying!" Sora commanded. He pulled Hayner into a headlock and Riku punched him.

"Why'd you do it?"

"I didn't do it! I swear!"

"Why would Kairi lie about something like this?" Sora questioned and tightened his grip around the boy's neck.

"I swear… I didn't! I… don't know why… but she's lying!" Hayner gasped. Sora shook his head as though he didn't want to hear anymore excuses from him.

"Apologize jerkoff!" Namine said. Hayner glared at her.

"I ain't doing shit!" Riku punched him again and said, "Apologize now!" Some people from the crowd began chanting, "Apologize!" Hayner remained stubborn and silent.

"Hey! Apologize you asshole!" Wakka, a boy on Sora and Riku's Blitzball team, cried as he emerged from the crowd. He saw first hand the damage done to my face and was just as pissed as Sora and Riku. Hayner still stayed silent. My own anger flared up now. I broke away from Namine's embrace and stood over him and raised my hand. The back side of it came down and collided against the flesh of his cheek, creating a loud "SMACK". Everyone became silent.

There were so many things running through my mind to say and do to the poor excuse of human existence crunched over in front of me, but I settled with, "How dare you lie about putting your hands on a female? You better fucking apologize then get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness!" Hayner watched me a little. I must have given him a look that made him connect the words I was speaking to Olette. His eyes once again widened with surprise and he blushed with shame.

"I… I'm sorry…" He was sincere. I started crying. Sora loosened his death grip from around Hayner's neck and the blonde fell onto his knees on the pavement.

"I'm so sorry… forgive me…" I sorta glared at him through my tears but my eyes drifted away and connected with Olette's. She was watching and her expression told me all I needed to know in order to respond to his plea.

"Don't you ever touch me again pig!" I kicked him in the balls and he started crying. Everyone began to laugh and cheered. Sora smiled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Come on Kairi." I obeyed and we all piled into Riku's car and drove away. I looked back at Olette. She was crying, but smiling at the same time. I hoped her scars would begin to heal without fear of festering irritation.