A/N: So…my computer decided it didn't like the Internet. I'm not even joking. It just deleted it. So mom and I had to go on a wild goose chase to find it. But we did so, here's the chapter that was supposed to be up yesterday. Sorry about the inconvenience.
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
Space may be the final frontier, but it's made in a Hollywood basement.-Californicatioin by the RedHot Chili Peppers.
"Riku…Riku? …Riku Melosine!"
"What?" He asked irritably, stopping his English homework so he could actually pay attention to his Science teacher.
"Answer when I speak to you. You're not seven; I shouldn't have to tell you this."
"Yeah."
Mr. Vexen sighed. "Yes, sir. Not 'yeah'."
Riku rolled his eyes expressively. "Yes, sir."
"Thank you. Now will you please answer the question?"
Riku heard someone in the back of the classroom snort, and had to fight the urge to turn around and see the glaring green eyes he knew to be at the back of his head. He put down his pencil and looked his brown haired teacher square in the eyes, feeling his inner-self groan, as he had to ask, "What was the question, sir?"
Mr. Vexen nodded, tersely, pursing his lips to stop himself from screaming at his student. "Had you been paying attention," He ground out through clenched teeth. "You wouldn't have to ask that question. There is a reason I am up here everyday, reciting this. It's not for my health!" He yelled, rambling through his well-used speech, as Riku pulled this close to everyday. "I am up here so that you can learn. I know this stuff. I don't need it, but you do. You need it to graduate and to go to an Academy (1) and so you can succeed in life, you ungrateful delinquents!" He took a deep breath, picking up his head to look at Riku again, to say the same thing he said everyday. "Next time, pay attention, Riku."
Riku didn't look at him. He just continued on his homework. But he had the decency to say, "Yes, sir."
"Thank you. Now the question was, how many grams are in 18.78945 mols of Oxygen?"
"I don't know, sir." He said, uncaringly, marking off a question in his book.
"Big surprise!" Axel said, and Riku could hear the sneer in his voice. He grasped his pencil tightly trying to get at least one day under his belt before he beat the shit out of someone else. He continued with his English, trying to understand the secret behind being able to tell this difference between a predicate adjective and predicate nominative. "Why don't you just give him a colouring sheet? I'm pretty sure that's the only thing his simpleton mind can handle."
Riku snapped his pencil down. "Fuck you, dipshit. Can't you keep your mouth shut for more than twenty minutes at a time?"
"Why? Do I turn you on?" He countered with a cold glint in his eyes. He smirked evilly, licking his lips in a would-be seductive way. "I'm glad to know what gets you into the cars at night." He leered.
Everything shifted suddenly and Riku was out of his seat and moving towards him with deadly speed. Axel just watched him with a crooked eyebrow, seeing how far he would go.
"Riku, leave my classroom."
The entire class seemed to breath a giant gasp of relief, except Riku and Axel, who both seemed to thrive on the endorphins their fight and confrontations. Their eyes still held, aquamarine held against emerald. Riku wanted to punch him even more when the fire in his opponent's eyes held something other than the rush of the game, something deeper than the rush of the game. Axel smiled menacingly, waving his fingers at him in goodbye.
"Bastard," Riku spat out like a poison.
Axel sneered back at him as Vexen grasped the back of his neck, immobilizing his body and forcing him out of the room.
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
"Sora, where's Riku?" Roxas asked, sitting down with Naminé next to Sora and Kairi for the fifteen minutes he had before Axel showed up for lunch.
Naminé was a nice girl. She was very quiet, but very authoritative, and was the very voice of the senior class. She knew a great deal of everything going on in the high school. Many whispered that she got her information through her mind reading powers, a rumor that started with Roxas when she had been able to call all of his bluffs in BS. She knew every secret ever to cross the lips of everyone, even the one going on behind the very back of Axel and Riku, even though the work had yet to begin. Though she thought the entire idea was completely asinine…she was trying.
Kairi scoffed. "Why do you care?"
Kairi was a nice enough girl. She wasn't great, but she was okay. She was loud, and easy and really only did what others were doing. She didn't have any mind reading powers she was just super nosy, but since she was cute, she could get her way. She too knew of the plan hatched against Riku and Axel. And she too thought it was ridiculous. But unlike her cousin, Naminé, the mind reader, she was not trying. In fact, she was dragging her feet at the entire idea.
Roxas cut her a withering look. "Because I was hoping to string him up by his ankles and sacrifice him to the leprechauns." He sniped.
Sora rolled his eyes expressively. "I don't know. He disappeared after third hour." He answered his counterpart while spreading a thin layer of mayonnaise onto his bread. "Why?"
"I wanted to sacrifice him to the leprechauns! I told you!"
Naminé giggled while Kairi rolled her eyes.
"No, I wanted to see when we were going to start this little game of ours." Roxas said, sliding his chair closer to Sora's so they could talk about it.
"Not today." Sora said.
"Well, obviously, a missing Riku makes it hard to force him in the same room with Axel."
"Oh, did you figure that out on your own?"
Roxas pinched his nose. "You're so cute when you're being sarcastic." He said irritably. "Could you give me a straight answer, if it's not too hard?" He was usually fine with Sora's inability to give straight answers, but he felt tired today and he really didn't care for anything.
Sora sighed, "We'll talk about this in economics." He told the other firmly.
Kairi and Naminé watched this with rapt. Kairi because she was glaring at Roxas, and Naminé because she thought they should stop fighting themselves and get together. They always did this. They argued like couples, and ended like adults. It was endearing to see, even if it wasn't surprising. They were soul mates, after all.
Roxas met his eyes for a moment, but Sora glanced behind him, and he turned around to see Axel coming down the stairs. He was early. Roxas looked back at Naminé, "Coming to sit with us?" He asked.
She looked up from her salad, and over to where Axel was getting his food. "Yeah," She nodded, gathering her bag and her food. "There's an empty table over there." She said pointing to an empty table in the corner of the room.
Roxas stood as well, running his hand over Sora's neck indiscreetly, before following his friend across the room.
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
"Leon! Where're you going?" Riku called down the hall.
The said male stopped in his tracks, turning around to stare uninterestedly at Riku. "Away." He said simply, turning to start walking again.
"Hey, I know that place. It's right next to 'over there'." He scoffed, finally reaching the tall brunette. "Mind telling me where 'away' is?"
"Why? You looking for me to take you with me?"
"Yeah, actually."
"Aren't you in school for a reason?" He asked mildly, looking around the hallway.
"Yeah, so I can listen to your ridicule too. Just fucking take me with you." Riku demanded, stuffing his hands into his tight jeans.
"You got kicked out of class again, didn't you?"
Riku stopped, glaring at Leon likehe was the devil himself. "Yeah, actually! Does it matter?"
Leon sighed, irately. "Cloud and I are going to Radiant Garden."
"You two are a bunch of pansies." Riku snorted, eyeing over Leon's tough guys appearance.
"You can stay here." Leon said, shortly.
Riku glared at him. "I don't want to stay here." He spat, his eyes flashing as Axel's head flew through his mind like a lance.
Leon didn't notice though, he just walked, giving Riku a very frosty shoulder. "Are you sure Riku?" He said monotonously."I don't want you to feel like you have to."
"Thanks." Riku said sarcastically, feeling put out that he had to struggle to get what he wanted from the sullen man.
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
"When do you want to try and pull this off?" Sora asked while they were in Professor Luxord's room. They were supposed to be doing economics but Luxord was more into poker with his assistant teacher, Yuffie, than anything else. So, it basically was just a giant study hall with all Sora's favorite people, though Riku was mysteriously missing. Axel was in English IV with Naminé, and Kairi, much to Axel's dismay. So really, it was only him and Roxas. Perfect for scheming really.
Roxas examined his nails. "I don't know. I was thinking soon, before either of them had a chance to get in trouble."
"So, maybe tomorrow if they stay the entire day?" Sora said, referring to Riku's insistent disappearances.
Roxas giggled. "Yeah, that could help. I mean it would be easier if one of them weren't here, but not conducive to our plan."
"Tomorrow then. I'll tell Riku I need help with my Calculus."
"And I'll tell Axel that we're going skating."
"It's set then."
Roxas pulled a book out from his bag and began reading it, flipping the pages every few minutes. Sora merely watched him. Naminé always found it entertaining, because Roxas hated people staring at him. Always said if he wanted to be watched he'd set himself up at a museum. Yet, if Sora watched him, it was fine. But it was only because Sora and him had been a team for so long, no other reason. That wasn't possible. That wasn't even conceivable. No.
Sora sighed, scooting his chair back to rest his feet on his desk.
"What's wrong?" Roxas asked.
Sora looked over to Roxas, a small blush gracing his features. "Nothing," He shot a crooked grin to his blond friend. "Nothing whatsoever," He lied.
He had been thinking about Roxas. Thinking about him in different ways than he should think of his best friend.
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
"I've got to go home. My brother's expecting me." Riku said standing and stretching out his sore muscles.
"Bye, Riku. Take care." Cloud said unfeelingly.
Leon waved politely, "Don't get lost." He said on after thought.
Riku didn't say anything to them. He walked to the door, out onto the street, but he didn't head to his house. He took a left at the first corner he came to, heading towards the heart of the city. He took of his over shirt, exposing his much tighter black shirt. Opening his bag, he pulled out his collar and his bracelets, and then stuffed his day shirt in. He stopped by a window, leaning in close to see his reflection properly as he put on eyeliner. He walked by a bakery, kicking his bag under the porch of it, like always. He finally made his destination of Hollywood and 10th street, feeling not for the first time his stomach churn.
He really wished everything Axel said about him were a lie.
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
Axel was on his way to Demyx's house, after he had finished school. When they had gone to the same school, they would walk together. Now, however, Demyx had been picked up by a school for 'talented musicians,' so now Axel had to walk by himself because not only was Demyx in a different school district, he also had to stay half an hour later than King Mickey High.
Demyx lived in the city now, so he had some walking to do, but that was fine. Why not get in a good work out?
Besides, about halfway there he always saw the most of amusing, yet surprisingly upsetting, things. Everyday he would walk by the corner of Hollywood, where he would see a familiar flash of silver hair. Walking out of the cigarette shop, sitting against the wall, very provocatively, or, like today, getting into a car. All of this amused Axel to pieces. What upset him were the empty eyes that always got into the car, as if the little snot had emptied out his soul to be able to do this every night.
Axel shook his head.
'Fucking whore.'
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
A/N: Yeah…I loves the drama! It makes me happy; I can't help it.
1. I think, Academy sounds happier than college in relations to KH.
So there you have it. Chapter 3 in all its glory.
Review me. I love it when yous guys do that.
InnocentGuilt
