Genre: Humour
Paring/s: -
Line: And what part of the two way conversation were you answering, Axel?
Conversation was definitely lacking. Roxas was slowly tracing an imprint a cup from lunch had made. There was something unappetising about the way he swirled his finger round and round. His best friend, Riku, reclined next to him using Roxas as a support pillar. One leg was propped up, and a slowly growing mountain of screwed up paper balls was on his lap. He lifted one ball, took aim, and threw it cleanly across the room. It bounced off a third formers head. The kid looked around at once, and Riku casually looked away, painfully cracking heads with Roxas.
I supported my cheeks in my palms, letting the babble of students washed over me. It was the end of the school day. It was raining outside. And we were in the cafeteria waiting for the bus bell.
To be precise, Roxas and Riku were waiting for the bell. I'd never caught the bus in my short life. Neither had Demyx. Who was literally dropping off next to me. We lived a five-minute walk down the road. My mother said it was good exercise for me to walk to school. Bull shit.
By this time, Riku had already thrown another screwed up paper ball. It hit the same kid. Right on top of his head. I'll give Riku some credit. He never misses. There was a whistling sound, and something small, fast and green flew through the air, and smacked Riku hard on the back of his head. He jerked forwards, and from the swearing, I could tell that hadn't been paper.
"Alright. Who the fuck threw this!" He yelled, standing up, unsettling Roxas, and holding the item in charge of the crime. From my time spent with Riku, I knew he didn't have his mouth in the gutter all the time. He only swore when he was pissed. A few students looked around.
"What'cha gonna do about it, you little fag," somebody I couldn't see jeered loudly. A few well trained 'oohs' hollered out. Riku was physically shaking. He lifted the apple, and meant to throw it.
"Sit down," I said quietly. Hardly bothered to be fighting over something so petty. Riku glared, then slouched back down, fingering the green apple. There was a nice dent on one side where it had struck him. Just in time, and bell sounded out. There was a great flurry of movement as students stood up and grabbed bags.
Roxas, hand unsurprisingly sticky, shouldered his bag, and glanced at me. "You don't have to do this everyday, Axel."
I shrugged casually. "It'll be boring if it didn't."
Out of the year I'd known the two fifth formers, Roxas found it bothersome for people to go out of their way for his sake. It hadn't seemed to have sunk in we did it because we were his friends.
"But it's raining," Roxas pointed out, as Demyx bent to get his own things. Everyone knew what that meant. Rain and me don't go to well together. It had been overcast all day. Only when we'd hooked back up did the heavens open up and down came the rain. If we hadn't waited for the bus, Demyx and I could have missed it. I twitched my shoulders again.
"So."
Roxas turned to Demyx. "I'll be first in line to your funeral." He deadpanned.
"Make sure it's a closed casket," Demyx sighed, handing over my bag. I frowned.
"Oi!"
My temper wasn't that bad on rainy days. Riku was taping his foot impatiently. "Roxas, hurry up! It'll be bloody new years by the time we get on."
"Yeah yeah," Roxas gave a small flick of his wrist at us, then disappeared into the thinning crowd. We turned in the opposite direction to the others, and went out the main double doors. I was grateful for Demyx's umbrella. It popped open in his hands, and made a sizeable dent in the endless rain. He put it over our heads, and we walked down the flooding concrete stairs.
For the five years we'd been at college together, we'd always had the same ritual. We walked home together. We went to the allocated person's house and studied. Then rotated each day. Demyx had worked out I was the kind of person blessed with natural smarts, and didn't need to study for a test once. Hey, it wasn't my fault God screwed up and broke the mould. Demyx, on the other had, no matter how bright he was, always needed to study. He was gifted musically and artistically, but that was it. It was a shame our school didn't promote the arts. Demyx had a very open mind, and could create things out of thin air. Something I'd never been able to do.
Last year, I'd come best in class. Lord knows how that happened. I'd maintained an excellent grade through out the school terms yet never put in any effort of study, and that's how the award went. Best grade all year. You won it. Obviously, I felt like I hadn't deserved it. Half the class worked their asses off, and only just managed to scrap by tests. A lot more deserving that me.
I was in a very touchy mood as we splashed down the muddy footpath. My arms were crossed firmly over my chest to keep in what little warmth I had. I could see my breath as I breathed out heavily. Demyx's umbrella isn't the greatest thing in the inverse. I had to snuggle up close to make sure I didn't get splattered on. However, the bottoms of my jeans were saturated. And my shoulders were collecting a heavy mist of condensation.
You could stick a Popsicle stick into my hands they were so cold. At last, we turned into Demyx's drive way. I could have kissed the house, I was so happy to see it. We paused outside the door, and I turned my back on my friend, waiting for him to get out the keys. I looked over the neighbourhood. It wasn't the best area to be in. It was the main cause of my crude language. I started to shiver violently.
The fidgeting behind me stopped suddenly. I distinctly heard the words; 'Oh shit.' Which was weird, cause Demyx never swears.
"What's wrong?" I snapped. "Open the door."
Demyx looked at me, and I knew what was coming next. "I've lost the keys."
I swear I felt something drop. Like my brain had squeezed out through my ears and was making for the border. It's very hard to get angry with Demyx. All he has to do is lower his face a fraction, and give you his puppy eyes. Aw, isn't he cute? Let's buy him some ice cream. Even if he's crashed your car into the river. But not this time. I was so angry; I would have used his body to physically brake down the door.
I opened my mouth to suggest we go to my place. But then I remembered I didn't have keys either. The spare key happened to be attached to my car keys. And my mother had decided to take away my car, so I'd no use carrying either of the two around. I'd only plowed into a little old lady. Once. Then into the gutter to avoid further damage. The first day hadn't stopped me, however. I'd hot-wired the car. When my mother found out, she'd cut the wires. Not only was the car screwed, so was I.
My back was getting damp. The umbrella wasn't over me anymore. If it was possible, the rain was getting worse. The dark clouds rumbled ominously.
"Do you have a hair pin?" I asked. Demyx stared at me like I was insane. Instead, I reacted up and pulled out one of my own. Demyx opened his mouth, then decided it was better off not asking. "Be prepared for the worse," I shouldered him out of the way, and pushed the needle point into the lock. "You've no idea how many times I've lost keys for something."
"I can imagine. I remember when we went camping, four hour drive, then when we got to the cabin you'd forgotten the keys for it," I winced at the painful memory.
"Well it wasn't raining, now was it?" with an expert flick, the locks turned and opened.
The house was an open fridge. Nobody would be home until six o'clock, so there wasn't anyone to keep it warm. Demyx house also had very large, very open bay windows in the lounge, that let in most of the cold air. He turned on a few lights, and I attached my self to the heater. They didn't own a fireplace.
"Don't stay their all night, Axel," Demyx warned, throwing his bag down on the kitchen bench. "You'll catch fire."
"Well that's exactly what this place needs," I complained. "In fact, I bet I could-"
"No, Axel."
"Yeah, but."
"No!"
I frowned, and gave him my dirtiest look. He shot one back. We had learnt in form two about my problem. My problem of being a pyromaniac. Our science teacher had the misfortune of leaving our class unattended for five minutes with flammable gasses in the room. My family had been charged with over a thousand dollar worth of damaged chemicals and equipment, for ceiling plaster, brick and frame work. I'd then been suspended for a week.
I hadn't noticed the noise the rainwas making up until now. I was amazed I hadn't. It was pounding on the bay windows, and making a hell of a racket. Somewhere in the distance there was a deep rumble.
Satisfied that I could move away from the heater at last, I flopped down on one of the plush couches. I brought out a tin lighter, and started to flick it on an off. Demyx glared again. "Do you have to do that?" he growled.
"More heat," I lied. The lighter would probably give off as much heat than putting the fan bake oven on. Demyx lifted his arm, and threw something at me. I caught it and eyed it suspiciously. "It'll less likely give you lung cancer."
It was a green lollipop. I aimed the lighter at Demyx head. It missed and hit the sink. I wasn't particular found of sweets. Though Roxas had got me onto sea salt icecream, which was an acquired taste in my opinion.
"On second thought, that's my last one," Demyx hopped of his seat, to grab it back off me. I put the sickly sweet candy into my mouth just to spite him. He was on me in a flash. One hand went through my hair, and the other started to tug at the lollipop stick. He was a tricky little bugger. Every time I went to pull away, his hand in my hair would tighten, and bits of hair would part from my scalp.
Then the lights went out.
The clouds gave their loudest rumble yet, and lightening zigzagged across the sky. Something outside exploded in a shower of bright sparks. The bulbs in the house shattered, and electrical sparks shot out of the heater and every other appliance. Caught completely off guard, I jumped in surprise. Unfortunately, this unsettled Demyx. He was pitched forwards, and I fell off the couch hitting my hip painfully on the wood. Demyx's full weight hit my stomach, and I was winded.
My first reaction was the spit out the lollipop before I choked on it. What a pathetic way to go. Second was to sit up. I cracked my forehead into Demyx's nose, and we both yelped. The strangest, most out of place memory came back to me when that happened.
Asking Roxas to the ball.
No matter how many times you try and re-phrase it, it'll still sounds weird. I'd first meet Roxas when I was in fifth form. He'd come half way through the term, as a third former. Apparently at our school, they still inforced the 'buddy' system. I thought I'd kissed that goodbye at intermediate.
When the school board had put us together, I'd taken one look at his hair and asked. "Please tell me that's natural."
"No. I stuck my finger into a power point when I was little. Yours?"
"Toaster."
Love at first site. Roxas possessed a very sarcastic tongue, and one of the genius things that made it work was that he always kept a straight face. When he died, I knew God would kick straight him out. He'd randomly comment on how he could see why the pearly gates were called that when they were obviously gold. One time too many.
Then Riku had come a few weeks later. He was already friends with Roxas, because Riku had been close friends with his twin, Sora. I've never seen Sora. Apparently he was studying abroad, but when he came back, he would be going to a different school than us. Riku was actually a year older than Roxas, but had been put back a year because he'd shifted schools so many times, he'd missed out on basic school education. So in other words, he was God blessed with fantastic looks, but bummed out on the other side of the genepool.
I'd figured, once Demyx and I were in out last year of highschool, why waste our time inviting another student from our year to our last ball? So I'd invited Roxas to go with me. There was nothing in the school rules about taking a younger student with you. Or of the same sex. I'd much rather go with one of my mates than some girl I didn't know. Of course when the rest of my year found out, news spread like wild fire. Everyone started to jump to the most obvious and worse conclusions.
Being gay isn't exactly frowned on at our school. It's just bothersome. The teacher say that any activity, no matter what sexuality, is to be done behind closed door. In other words they didn't care as long as they didn't see. But I'm more afraid of girls than the teachers. They would twitter around like obnoxious birds if we'd even entered the same corridor together. The tension finally popped like a balloon when everyone heard about Demyx asking Riku. It would only work if all four of us went after all.
I found increasing amounts of girls arguing over the matter. We had broken their charts like a bad earthquake through a city. Riku, of course, had found it hilarious. At last, the truth had seeped out from somewhere. Once our year understood what we were doing, some people copied our lead, and started asking their younger friends to come. The ball had been endanger of the whole school coming.
"Three second rule!" We both shouted, and lunched for the lollipop. We both missed, and ended up in a tangle, my nose a few inches away from the sticky sweet.
From my reputation, I'd been kicked out of Demyx' house by his mother. It wasn't my fault half the house wasn't working. Another thing I'd forgotten. My mother was out of town for the weekend. Damn. I was supposed to ask Demyx if I could stay over, but then this had happened. And my mother had learnt, and put in double bolts. So I couldn't use my hairpin to break in.
I fished out my handy- dandy mobile, and called my help line. Roxas.
"For God's sake, Axel. It's hardly been two hours and you're already calling me!" His annoyed voice floated down the line.
"This is important, so listen," I cut across him. I retold my dilemma. "So can you help, Roxie?"
"What do you want me to do about it. A what have I told you about calling me that!"
"I need to stay at your place. And it's cute."
"Hey, do you remember what you did last time? My mum grounded me, because of you, and I had to pay for new carpet, and the stuffed up sound system. And that's even worse than the name. In fact, that's something you name a girl."
"I don't see the problem in that."
There was a short pause, and the sound of distance static. "And what part of the two way conversation were you answering, Axel?" Roxas finally asked, sounding weary. I was getting wetter by the second.
"Guess." I said suggestively, while wishing I had started this in a drier spot.
"You disgusting, pervert."
At least it felt good to get one over Roxas. "Look, Roxas," I half whined, looking up to the sky, and getting an eye full of rain. "I'm stuck outside, getting drench. Can you pick me up?"
"You know I'll be half an hour. You're by the park, right?"
"I don't care. Just bring something warm," I said, before the line went dead. I pocketed my life line, and surveyed the landscape. Nobody was on the playground today. I found the thickest tree, and lent on it. A few droplets splashed down around me.
When Roxas arrived, I felt like a drowned rat. He threw a towel at me when I opened the car door. Then an insult. "What kind of idiot doesn't bring an umbrella with him?"
I didn't answer, to relieved to be in his warm car.
The next week, Roxas was grounded again, and a law suite was set up so I couldn't be in the same vicinity with him for a month. That's what rainy weekends do to you I suppose.
END
What a huge WASTE of gig on my ram xD
Sometimes I don't know why I bother. I mean I hate my writing, but people tell me it's good. And I love doing it. Erh. Mixed messages
I really like writing about Riku ( no idea why ) I was annoyed I couldn't fit more of him into the fiction. Out of all the KH fics I've done, the majority are Riku-less. And I'm not counting my KH/WoOz cross over. Riku was so terribly OC ( on purpose I might add ) it made me sick.
Roxas is pretty fun as well, only because he's got the same personality as me xD
So, anyfoos, a bit of a run on from Relay of Life. I've always wanted to write a KH school fiction. Dream complete I guess
-Ixi