Humming broke the silence of the classroom, accompanied by the occasional sound of something being picked up or put away. A cellphone ringing interrupted the hummer, and they quietly answered, "Sora. Is this important? I'm cleaning up the art room." In return for being allowed the use of the pain in the classroom, along with the canvas, she stayed behind in the classroom every day after school to clean up the room for the teacher.
"Sorry 'bout that! Hey Kaito, meet me by the fountain; there're some people that wanna meetcha!" There was silence, before a soft sigh, and the phone closed. Sora grinned at his friends. "She'll be here soon!" He promised. Roxas stared at him quizzically. "But Sora... she didn't say anything." Sora shrugged. "Yeah yeah, but trust me. She'll be here." He merely shrugged and smiled when Axel tried to pester the answers out of him.
Kaito watched the group, stopping a bit away when she saw Leon, who looked nervous, to her trained eye. "Hello Leon." She greeted softly, dipping her head slightly as she moved towards where the group was headed. Roxas turned, after hearing Sora say loudly, "Hi Kai! How do you know Leon?"
Roxas studied her while his brother began babbling, not allowing time for an answer. Long brown hair that curled easily, but not in those annoyingly bouncy springs some people called curls. It was held back in a simple low ponytail, although some bangs had escaped, waving in the wind. Pale skin with a light flush to it that made you think she ran to get here, her eyes were quiet but held a definite sparkle to them. Chocolate brown, Roxas dimly recalled hearing Tifa's voice. Her eyes were large but not ridiculously so, framed by unusually long, dark lashes. Her face had freckles spread over it, but not heavily; they looked like ones you'd get form sun exposure, mostly. She had a bump in her nose that automatically made Roxas think of her having broken her nose before, and full lips that looked like they could smile, and in the next instant frown; moody, Roxas thought, somewhat unhappily. It was impossible to tell the girl's figure or body frame with those baggy clothes, but at least she wasn't really tall or really short.
He was brought out of studying here when Sora suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, yeah! Sorry! This is Axel, an' this is Leon, an' Riku, an' Cloud, an' my brother Roxas!" Sora beamed at the girl, who had followed his introductions with a bit of puzzlement. "Sora. I was in the middle of art—did you call me out merely to meet your group?" She asked, a bit annoyed. Sora paused, before pouting. "Aw, but Kaito!! You promised! Did you already forget?" Kaito blinked, before taking out her cellphone and flipping to something. She looked up sheepishly a moment later. "Sorry, Sora. Thing's've been hectic of late. Don't tell me you're expecting me to treat everyone?" She arched an eyebrow, frowning and sighing when Sora just shone those big blue eyes on her.
"You should learn to bottle and sell that look. You'd make millions." She muttered, shaking her head and turning. Leon, oddly, was the first to follow her. He sped up so it was them ahead of everyone else, and looked down at her, frowning. "You don't seem yourself." He observed. Kaito looked up, smiling tiredly. "I'm just tired. I got a job recently, and juggling the job, school, homework, drama, music, and everything else..." She shrugged. "I haven't had such a hectic schedule since I was a kid." She sighed, and tried to run a hand through her hair, before making a face when she realized her hair was in a ponytail. "Those kids can really pack it away. You should set a limit." Leon advised. Kaito smiled gently. "Mm. Well, I got the job to get money. I'm just going to get scholarships, so..." She shrugged. "Still undecided?" Leon asked. Kaito frowned thoughtfully. "Yeah... but it's been narrowed down." When she didn't continue, Leon merely fell back into his usual silence, frowning at her, before looking up to watch where he was walking.
When they reached the mall, Sora cheered, and ran ahead inside, half of the gang following him and the other half keeping their own pace to walk behind them. Kaito shook her head and chuckled, quickening her pace a bit – which, considering she was already walking quickly, made it very brisk indeed. When she arrived at the food court, she glanced around, before laughing aloud when she saw Sora, Riku, and Axel already in line at their favorite place. Grinning, she made her way to them, before giving Sora a look when she heard him encourage the others, "Come on; order as much as you want! Kaito doesn't mind!"
"Oh I don't, do I? Just for that I should cut you out. I know what a pig you can be." She said, scowling at him. But she shook her head, smiling when she ordered. Without thinking, she ordered for Leon as well. "I can order my own food." Leon reminded her, frowning. Without looking, she paid for the entire group, asking mildly, "You can? Aww, mama's little boy has grown up! How sweet. But don't worry LeLo, mama's still here." Her voice had entered into a sweet cooing, and she reached up to pat his arm.
The absolute deadpan way she said it, along with the look Leon gave her, had even the cashier grinning and trying not to laugh. In a very childish way of revenge, he subtlety tripped her, watching in amusement as she began to stumble. But when she fell, and didn't drop her food, everyone stared at her – she was staring at her tray, before looking up at the group, looking confused. "I...have absolutely no idea how I did that. What was that for, Lo?" She asked, glowering at Leon rather impressively. He reached down and took her hand, yanking her up. She stumbled, only just managing to balance her tray, and returned to glaring at him. "That was for calling me LeLo. And don't call me Lo either."
The group stared at them, momentarily forgetting their trays of food. "Since when does Leon act almost normal?" Axel leaned to ask Riku, who could only shake his head. "Leon acts like he has a crush on Kai-Kai!" Sora suddenly quipped, giggling madly.
When Kaito and Leon both started and turned to stare at him incredulously, the whole group collapsed into laughter. Leon looked mildly horrified, and Kaito merely looked amused and...somewhat sick. "Sora. It'd be the same as me liking my sister." Leon finally said, looking a bit green himself. Axel arched an eyebrow. "Gee, LeLo. I had no idea you were into incest!" Sora started giggling again, and the rest of the group was either trying not to laugh, or out-right snickering.
Kaito blinked. "And this is why I don't hang out with you. I try to allow you to preserve what's left of your dignity... well...after I tear it to shreds of course." She added as an afterthought modestly, heading to a table and sitting down.
Roxas threw an annoyed look to Leon that was filled with curiosity, and hurried to sit across her. Leon sat beside her, and Sora dragged over another table so they could all sit together at one table. Kaito looked up when Roxas asked pleasantly, "So, how do you know Leon?" The girl glanced at Leon, who was watching Roxas with an odd expression. She shrugged, taking a sip of her water bottle. "Oh, you know; typical story. Boy and girl end up hanging out after the knight in shining play clothes saves the damsel in distress. You know. That one." Sora looked confused, and looked up at Riku, who looked as though i was no clearer to him, but he caught the meaning. "Leon? In play clothes?" Axel quipped, grinning deviously. Leon closed his eyes, before shooting a dark look to Kaito, who smiled blandly. "Yeah... but he was so cute!" She cooed, obviously doing an impression of Selphie. "We met when we were kids. Let's see...you were about nine I think, Lo, which means I was about seven I think..." Leon nodded, not even noticing that she'd called him Lo. "And you're as annoying as you were back then. In fact, you're more annoying. Now you aren't nearly as shy."
"Hey! I'm still shy! I just know how to deal with it!" She laughed when Leon grabbed her water bottle threateningly, raising it. "Oh, you wouldn't do that here--!!!" She was interrupted when Leon did in fact turn the bottle upside down on her, drenching her. She gasped at the sudden coldness, and could only sit, dumbfounded. Then her look steadily darkened, and she raised deadly eyes to the older teenager, who immediately stood and took a step back. "Shit." "Yes. That sums it up." Kaito agreed calmly, before lunging out of her chair to 'attack' the brunet. Said boy hurriedly began sprinting through the mall.
Kaito could only imagine how they looked – Leon running away from her, her running and skidding occasionally, soaked, her waving her fist in that air and threatening him in a mock angry voice.
When they finally made it back to the table, Kaito was gasping, but laughing so hard Leon was afraid for a moment. She had enough trouble breathing as it was. She collapsed in her chair, giggling madly. She opened her eyes to see the group staring at her, looking dumbfounded. "The employees are used to us doing that. He does something or other, I act pissed, and we run around the mall once before ending up back where we started. Haven't done it for months now; haven't had the time." She sounded breathless, but was grinning wildly, a slightly feral gleam in her eye. She leaned forwards, and began drumming her fingers restlessly on the table as she took a bite of her slightly cool pizza. They really hadn't been gone long.
"So...why do you do that?" Roxas finally asked, breaking the odd silence. Leon looked oddly peaceful, and Roxas couldn't help but wonder... Does Leon have a crush on this girl? But why was he so insisting I try and date her? Or rather, he...god dammit, he tricked me! He made sure I'd be interested by telling me she would never go for me...damn it!
She shrugged slightly; her fingers had ceased their drumming. She looked up accusingly to the brunet, who merely arched an eyebrow. "You didn't show up at the library last week, by the way. When Gima found out I was there alone for all those hours, she nearly freaked. She said I should hit you. I think I should too." She glared at him reproachfully, before diving into the rest of her pizza, eating hungrily but politely.
The group stared at her, save Leon, who looked like he might actually have the faintest of blushes. When the silence continued, she looked up, eyes darting from person to person. She swallowed her bite, and looked at Roxas, eyebrow arched. "Gima. My grandma. So, Roxas. Read about the little bet. How's that goin' for you?" The attempt in changing conversation worked well. Instantly, Roxas's forehead was introduced to the table, as he proceeded to hit it multiple times, groaning as he did so. Then he sat up, cursing under his breath as he rubbed his forehead. Kaito only stared at him. "Does he...do this often?" She asked uncertainly. Leon shook his head, glaring darkly at the boy.
"Don't remind me." Roxas said glumly, slumping back in his seat. "All these girls – and some guys! -- are throwing themselves at me, and the teachers keep making reference to it... and, not to mention, my ex girlfriends are helping throw the girls at me! They keep dropping hints I like the passes, and things that I like, or that they think I might like, and...argh! It's impossible! I don't know how I'm going to deal with this bet for the whole year, and the tone of the bet indicates I have to at least honestly search for girls!" He groaned, and whimpered slightly.
Kaito was silent. "I wasn't the only one who caught that? Hmmm. Maybe you aren't so bad." She muttered, frowning at him. Roxas opened his eyes – when had he closed them? -- and threw her a puzzled look. She shrugged. "I like to read between the lines. It indicated that... and it's just, normally, I'm the only one who catches them. Or Lo. But he prefers going for direct. Twisting and plotting is more my thing." She admitted, leaning back in her chair.
Roxas sat up, leaning forwards in interest. "Really? Most girls don't go for twisting and plotting... unless it's to get revenge on their ex." He added darkly, raising some chuckles from Axel. Kaito frowned, and shook her head. "I disagree. Plotting and twisting and all that fun stuff comes in more then one...I dunno; genre. Kind of like humor. At least, that's the way it seems to me. Do it one way, and it's revenge. Do it another way, and it's funny. It really is a lot of different things like that...I mean, if you think about it. Manage to wrap your mind around a little twisted logic." She added as an afterthought.
Roxas watched her steadily throughout the rest of their time, before Kaito took out her cell and flipped it open, frowning after a moment. She rose, placing it back in her pocket. "Sorry, but I've got to go. I hear homework calling... it doesn't sound pretty. Or much fun. But nonetheless, it's screaming, and I must bid you adieu. Tchao!" She walked hurriedly away.Leon leaned back in his chair, watching Roxas closely. "As I said. She's...different." Roxas nodded slowly, before smiling slowly. "And I do believe I've found my next girlfriend. Asexual, hmm... oh well. We can work that out." He tossed the thought from his head, confident in his abilities. Leon could only shake his head. "Roxas." Said blond looked up. "If you hurt her in any way, your corpse will be found in the back of a dark, dingy alley, and you'll only be identifiable from your dental records...if that." His voice was a cold tone he usually reserved for people who were seriously pissing him off, and Roxas was frozen to his seat, eyes wide.
Leon stood, making his way out of the mall; he had no reason to stay here. "Hey, wait!" He stopped and turned when Roxas called. "Why do you care so much?" It was half a challenge. Leon watched him, before finally saying quietly, "I've already had to rescue her before. I don't want to have to do it again. Besides..." He shruged, and turned, voice carrying back to them softly. "I owe her."
-
-
-
Author's Note: Wow... I really hate updating apparently, heh...sorry! Anywho; any mistakes are my own. I'm lazy and don't feel like going over this again just to clean it up...maybe I'll do it later... that, and, I've got homework and violin pactice I've been putting off...and seriously need to get it done. I've got, like, an hour before bed. So I've got to work hard; those AP classes are fun, sure, but the WORK! Eh, 'tis worth it! Chyah! ... Anywho, if anyone has any ideas, I'd be happy to hear them! And sorry the chapter is so short! D: