Hey everyone! Posting the second chapter up now! I had it pretty much ready for last night, but it's gonna take a lot longer for the next since school is really picking up in terms of difficulty and workload (although the next chapter is nearing completion!). Wish me luck! Anyway, Roxas is now at our head as we start off the boy's summer vacation, although this one sure looks to be longer than six days!
"Take care Sora, Kairi, Riku. I'll catch you guys around later." Giving one final wave to my cousin and his best friends, I turned back to my own spiky-haired companion. Axel gave a grunt and a grin as he shrugged his shoulders, the two of us heading up Market Street once again.
Some things just never change, huh?
As per usual, my childhood friend continued to tower over me by a good foot, although I simply told myself that Axel was un-naturally tall (I'm not that short…). His lanky frame only seemed to accentuate our physical differences, and this became even more obvious as I looked into a window, giving a brief smile as I gazed upon my reflection. Running a hand through my spiky blonde hair, I watched my image carefully, wanting to look as good as possible for my trip to Naminé's home.
Of course, Axel had to ruin the moment as always as he patted me on the back, my reflexes kicking in at once as I pulled away from the jolly red-head.
"Geez Roxas, no reason to get all full of yourself. You already have Naminé, no need to try and get other girls fawning all over you." Even as I rolled my eyes, I knew Axel's remark had accomplished exactly what he had desired. Already I felt the color rushing to my face, my head turning away just enough so that Axel was not in my field of vision as we walked along the street. Axel just continued to smirk at me, before playfully throwing a punch at my back. "You know that boyfriends are supposed to be, you know, happy when a girl accepts the whole dating thing, right? I mean, knowing you two as long as I have, you are practically destined to marry at this point!"
M-Marry? Me and Naminé? What would ever give him that idea? As much as I like the guy, Axel can just be a bit too much sometimes, and this was clearly one of them. It had been hard enough to ask Naminé out despite the fact that I care about her more than anything else in the world, but to even think of her blushing form walking down the aisle…
I suppose that my face had become as red as Axel's hair as he continued to laugh, although I had to wonder why I really felt so embarrassed.
Naminé and I have been close since childhood. We have virtually grown up together with our parents being so close, and I cherish every memory I possess of the blonde beauty. Our friendship had just developed into something more recently, and that's where we are now: two best friends of the opposite gender starting to take it steady.
"Speaking of Naminé, is she feeling any better?" It was rare for Axel to ever show much emotion in his voice, but almost at once I identified the genuine worry within his question. Axel had also been there with us early in our lives, acting like both a big brother and a best friend to the two of us. Maybe that was why he hadn't minded getting arrested for setting off fireworks the night I finally asked Naminé out, his master plan since childhood finally coming to fruition.
Wait a minute, this is Axel I'm talking about; I think I'm giving him way too much credit.
"She's doing better now, although I'm still worried about her. I'm just glad she only got sick after she finished all of her finals. It would be a huge pain for her otherwise…" Naminé was an excellent student, doing about the same as Kairi in terms of grades. However, unlike the red-head who she was best friends with, Naminé is a prodigy in the field of art, even holding classes at her family art studio three days a week. Heck, she has her own exhibits in a few local museums and galleries!
Of course, this week hadn't proven the best for her so far, the girl having caught a bad cold as it would seem from the symptoms she reported. As such, for the last three days, I had been spending a lot of time with her, doing my best to care for the girl I love above all else. In fact, I had been on my way to visit her before Axel had shown up, although I could already tell that he wasn't going to be around for all that much longer.
"That's a relief then. I trust her big strong boyfriend to take care of her then." He said with a grin as he punched my shoulder, a small smile coming to my own face as I returned the friendly gesture. "Six o'clock tonight, remember? Sorry Roxas, I just have to do a bit of work first. On that note, I wanted to talk to you about a job later tonight. I'll buy the ice cream this time." With a wave of his hand, Axel started to walk away, my eyes turning to follow my best friend.
Even if Axel doesn't look like he takes all that much seriously, I know that he just isn't very comfortable showing it. He cares for Naminé and me the same way we care for him, although as usual, Axel had to play tough guy. It made me smile just thinking about it.
"Naminé!" My heart almost stopped as I saw the girl in question lying on the floor, her breathing strained. Hesitation a long lost concept, I was immediately at the side of the blonde-haired girl as I helped her back into bed, fear flickering through my eyes as I attempted to aid my girlfriend. "Stop it Naminé! You need bed rest and lots of it!" I felt bad for a second after yelling at the girl, but I knew that I only had her best intentions in mind. It was bad enough that Naminé had a cold, but if she were to continue moving around in her state, things would have just got worse.
Shaking my head a little as her gentle blue eyes looked into mine, I felt all the anxiety and fear simply melt away, a small smile fighting for control of my lips as I looked at the petit girl who I now placed in bed, my eyes quickly studying the girl who I knew so well (not like that, you perverts). The girl's bright blonde hair fell just below her neck, her small, frail fingers gently wrapping around my hands as she gave me a weak smile. Then again, what was I expecting? I could tell she felt like crap, having to lie there all day in pain. Colds aren't exactly fun.
"Roxas…I'm glad you could come." The voice of an angel filled my ears as I nodded, a real smile gracing my face now as she closed her eyes, giving me a peck on the cheek now as I did the same for her. Even as color rushed out faces, my smile failed to falter, my love for Naminé too strong to let embarrassment get in the way.
Well, while I was around her anyway. You try having virtually every friend you have constantly ask if you've gotten to any of the bases with her yet (for the record, no we have not)!
I mean, I love Naminé, but it's been strange for us, finally admitting that we see each other as more than just friends after over a dozen years of knowing one another. "How was your last day as a sophomore?" I couldn't help but feel pangs of guilt, realizing that Naminé had spent the last day of her second year stuck in bed, not even allowed to sketch or draw due to the strict orders of her parents. Still, I couldn't help but agree to a degree: Naminé needed to spend all of her energy on recovering.
"Oh, it was fine Nami. Nothing all that special, just going around, saying good bye to all our teachers and learning how we did on our finals. Oh, that explains why your parents aren't home, huh…" I said quietly, knowing that Naminé must feel terrible due to her inability to thank her art teacher for the well spent year. "Don't worry; we'll see everyone again this fall, right? Spend the present resting up so that we can spend a wonderful summer vacation with one another. I promise I'll take you to Sunset Terrace a few times…I know you really love sketching on that hill. Besides, I hear anxiety just makes these things worse."
With a simple nod, Naminé remained still, a small smile on her beautiful face as she looked at me. It was too hard not to smile back at her as I ran a hand through her silky blonde hair, both of our blushes deepening a little as I did so.
As my eyes started to travel from the beautiful girl to her room, I couldn't help but look at the white walls covered with sketches and pictures that Naminé had created herself, each a masterpiece in its own right. Landscape paintings, portraits, and even still-life's adorned the vibrant white walls, and it was always nice to see that I was included in some of those portraits. Each time, it was the same as looking in a mirror, Naminé's detail unmatched when it came to artwork.
There's no way she won't make it big.
"Oh right! Nami, I got you something!" I said with a smile, knowing that the treat I had brought her would certainly assist with her recovery. Naminé smiled weakly as she took the small box I handed her, eyes widening before resting gently on the piece of lemon meringue pie that lay within. She didn't even have to say it was her favorite; of course I knew what the girl I had grown up with liked. Still, it didn't stop her from placing a peck on my cheek as she thanked me, saying she'd eat it later.
"Thank you, Roxy (for the record, anyone who isn't Naminé that calls me that is dead)." She said quietly with a smile, coughing a little as I quickly fetched her a cup of water. She graciously took it from me, already appearing relieved as she set the tall glass down after taking several sips. "Thank you for taking care of me like this…I love you, Roxas."
It had been hard to leave Naminé back at her room, but thankfully her parents arrived home a few minutes before my departure, thanking me for watching over her while they were gone. It was hard for us to tell if they encouraged our deeper relationship or not, although I'd think our parents would be overjoyed if Naminé and I were to marry.
There was that word again.
Just thinking about it almost overwhelmed me, the already innocent and lovely Naminé wearing the dress of absolute purity, a bright, teary smile on her face as she approaches-
I have to stop thinking about these things.
Rushing to Central Station, I darted into the side entrance rather than the main door reserved for people who actually needed to use the train. I paused briefly as I thought about the train to Sunset Terrace, knowing that my two brothers were both there at Terrace Academy, their summer vacation not starting for a few more days. I wanted to see them again, even though they had visited home just a week before. Ven was as cheerful and bright as ever, and Vanitas, well, he's a rogue as always. Regardless, they are my brothers, and as I started up the clock tower steps, I wondered if the three of us might spend quality time together this summer.
Standing atop the clock tower, I took in a very familiar sight before me: Twilight Town. Almost the entire town could be seen from up there, be it the ocean, the various districts of the town, and even that spooky mansion that lay far off in the forests.
I recalled fondly the dares between Axel and me to go there on Halloween and how Naminé had been brought to tears at the idea of a ghost getting us. For her sake, I had convinced Axel to cut it out and leave the area with us, although that had been four years ago. I wonder, what really is in the mansion? Is it truly abandoned?
I'll have to figure it out one of these days.
Thankfully, I didn't have to wait very long before I started to hear footsteps as my best friend ascended the clock tower, a full three minutes after the bells had rung (they aren't so bad if you cover your ears). I forced myself to hold back a smile as Axel waved at me, the young man taking a seat to my right with a grin. "You're early." He said quietly, placing his backpack down behind us as he started to look within.
"No, you're just late." I shot right back at him, Axel looking up at me with a small grin as he shrugged his shoulders. Of course, my rather rude comment bounced off of him as per usual, a smile breaking onto my face as he handed me the plastic-wrapped item that he knew I desired, already opening up his own as he showed me the light blue colored ice cream. I eagerly tore open my own, the taste of sea-salt ice cream filling my mouth a moment later.
For the record, it is actually really good, but no one is willing to give it a chance. I'm still trying to get Naminé to try it for herself. Some people don't think salty and sweet work together, but I feel those people just don't have an open mind.
Sitting atop the tower with Axel, licking and chomping away at our ice cream, I couldn't help but hope that our time together wouldn't come to an end the way I knew it would. It was a bit sad for me to think about how in less than eighty days, Axel wouldn't be with Nami or me anymore, or at least not at school. "Hey Axel…about college next year…are you-"
With a heavy sigh and an amused look to his fiery face, Axel simply stared at me, shaking his head from side to side as he raised his arms a bit. What was this about? "Didn't I tell you, Roxas? I'm not going to college, alright? Look, I know that my grades were good enough to get into some of those 'safety' schools, but I'm not interested in any of that…school just drags you down, you know…that's right, I wanted to talk to you about that."
Axel had pretty much lost me on the first sentence as worry gripped my heart. Axel wasn't going to college? What about his future? What about getting a job? What about financial support, starting a family, and-
"Woah, chill out man." Axel said as he slapped me on the back, my jumbled thoughts leaving my head as I balanced myself, not wanting to die. I had almost fallen off the tower several times, and if it wasn't for Axel's quick reflexes, I wouldn't be here anymore. "Look Roxas, I know you and Naminé are good at the whole education thing, but I'm not interested. Besides, I already have a job. A job that I was hoping you'd maybe help with for the summer as well."
"But Axel, don't you think you should…" I stopped myself there, knowing it was pretty useless to continue arguing with my best friend. He is just as stubborn as I am after all, and that is pretty stubborn. Still, the prospect of taking a job alongside my best friend certainly did spark some interest within me as I looked at him, not knowing that my eyes gave away my curiosity.
"A job? What sort of job? How long have you had a job for, and why haven't you told me?" Of course, this explained the countless times when Axel had run off to go work on 'stuff', although in all honesty, I thought he was dating a girl all that time…
"A few months actually, although now it is going to be a full time job, you know? I've been working with The Organization. Never heard of them? Well, I'm not too surprised. They are a group of journalists and investigators bent on learning the 'truth' rather than having to put up with all the gossip and rumors that go around in the world through the discovery of facts and the like. It sounds a bit odd I know, and I can ensure you that some of the actual cases I've been on have been strange to say the least. Thankfully, our boss is a zany enough guy to pay us four hundred munny an hour for the job."
I had to stop myself from letting my jaw drop all the way down the side of Central Station. Four hundred munny an hour!? That was eight times minimal wage here in Twilight Town. With that kind of munny, I'd be able to take Naminé wherever she wanted to go, buy her whatever her heart desired, and even have way less worries when it comes to funding for college.
Heck, that was only a little less than what my parents make! It was almost too good to be true. "Of course, you'll need to go in for an interview, my eager little friend. I already dropped your name to some of my superiors, so if you present yourself at your best, I'm pretty sure you'll get the job without a problem. What do you say?"
"The Organization, huh…do you think I could go for the interview tonight?" Axel read my eagerness as he laughed, patting me on the back as I simply gave a genuine smile. Once again, Axel had pulled through for me, the offer for this high-paying job truly a blessing. I had to wonder how Axel had been spending his munny recently, or maybe he had been doing the smart thing and saving it up (no wonder he wasn't worried about finances).
Finishing our ice cream, we descended the tower just as nightfall came, Axel leading the way as we traversed several side streets, chatting the entire time.
It was rare for me to travel into the business district of the city, and as such I was amazed at the fact that The Organization's headquarters was located in an area of such high prestige. The skyscraper that loomed over us appeared quite expensive and exquisite, light currently coming from only the highest of floors and the entrance. Grinning, Axel stepped forward, pulling out a small key card as he waved it before a scanner, causing the doors to open before use. Even as he pocketed the little card, I noticed an "VIII" upon it, much to my confusion.
"Welcome back, Axel. This must be the boy you spoke of." My eyes quickly fell upon the speaker's face as the man smiled, approaching the two of us as he stretched out a hand for me to shake. With a smile of my own, I promptly shook it, much to his delight judging by his expression. "You must be Roxas, then. Axel has said nothing but good things about you. My name is Marluxia, Number 11 of the Organization."
I couldn't help but bat an eyebrow as he said such a cryptic thing, until I remembered the number on Axel's card. So these numbers were apparently important, although exactly why they were was still lost to me.
Although I refused to admit it, I found Marluxia to be a bit effeminate, what with the shoulder length pink hair, pale complexion and rather thin build, although after shaking his hand, I knew all too well that there was great strength within that body of his.
"Thanks, Marluxia. I was hoping that I could be interviewed for that job here, i-if that is alright." Maybe it was the business suit he wore that intimidated me (stupid power positions), or perhaps it was the incredibly high salary offered to someone not even in his junior year, but I admit I was nervous, despite how badly I wanted the job. Marluxia simply laughed a little as he nodded, already making his way to the elevator as he hit the button for us, Axel patting me on the back as he walked with me to join the pink-haired man.
"I'm sure you'll do fine and get the job easily enough. I hope you aren't afraid of heights, Roxas. The Organization only owns the top two floors of this building. You'll find our boss at the top. I hope that when I see you next, you'll be one of us." He said, sending me nothing but good vibes as I nodded and returned the smile. It wasn't too much longer until the elevator arrived, Axel hitting the top floor button as the door started to close.
Oddly enough, the last thing I saw before the doors finally shut was Marluxia arranging some flowers. Who would have thought?
I wouldn't call the elevator ride eventful, but Axel was entertaining as always as he told me about some of the other job benefits aside from the high pay I'd be receiving. "Some of the higher ups are friends with some of the local bartenders, so you can get a discount if you go there. Of course, since you are under age, I guess it doesn't apply to you, huh?"
I shrugged off his comment with ease. Unlike you Axel, I'm mature enough to know that I can't drink. Don't think I forgot about your last Halloween Party.
"Anyway, I think I'm going to have to leave you out here, so good luck buddy." Axel said with a smile, quickly pressing the button for the floor beneath the top one as the elevator came to a halt, my friend laughing as he looked at the shocked expression on my face. "It takes forty-seven seconds to get to this floor. Got it memorized?" He joked as the door shut, worry starting to build within me once again now as the elevator quickly reached the top floor.
The door opened to a rather wide office space, a handful of cubicles seeming to spread around a rather large room, the door several yards ahead of me. As I stepped out of the elevator, I quickly found myself confronted with yet another man in a suit, this one studying me closely with his menacing yellow eyes. With blue hair that fell to his mid back and a large X-shaped scar across his face, I knew I certainly would not be forgetting this face anytime soon.
"H-Hello there. My name is Roxas, and I'm here for a job interview. You wouldn't happen to be the boss around here, would you?" Damn, of all times to sound nervous, why now? This was a big chance for me to prove myself to my family, and even Nami now that I thought about it.
The man looked indifferent as he continued to stare at me, clearly not as friendly or social as I might have liked. "I wouldn't be. I'm Saïx, vice president of The Organization. Axel spoke of you briefly to me last week. He spoke quite highly of you. If that's the case, I trust that your interview will go well. The President is currently taking a call at the moment, but I will admit you when he finishes." I nodded, thanking the man quietly as I stood around outside the door, my eyes occasionally traveling to Saïx's as the blue haired man continued to stare at me.
"So Saïx…is it alright if I call you that?" I asked as I continued to look at the man, Saïx simply giving a brief nod as he continued to stare at me. "Do you know Axel well by any chance? He's actually my best friend, which is probably why he wanted me to get the job…ehehe…" Usually I was tougher than this, but I guess there was just so much on the line that I didn't want to come off as brash or impulsive, two adjectives that Axel often associates with me.
Betraying my image of the man, Saïx gave me the smallest of grins, his yellow eyes seeming to glint a little as he continued to watch me. "I'm aware of your relationship with Axel. I was two years ahead of him in school, explaining why you have probably never heard of me. I guess you could say we were friends, but since then we've developed a more professional relationship."
Well, Axel sure does love to keep me up to date on who he hangs around with. If he had ever mentioned Saïx before, I honestly didn't remember, and I certainly had not seen this blue-haired man before in my life. Studying my facial reactions, Saïx seemed a bit amused, although all emotion vanished as he looked over towards the door before us. "You may enter, Roxas."
What is with these people and their magical timing abilities? First Axel with the elevator, and now Saïx with the phone call. True, Axel had explained how he had pulled his little trick off, so maybe Saïx just had super good hearing…shaking the thoughts off, I opened the door, closing it behind me as Saïx gave me one last curt nod, something I took as him wishing me good luck.
Having seen two men in black suits so far, I wasn't exactly expecting for their leader to be wearing anything different. Of course, it was thus that much more of a surprise as I finally met the head of the Organization within the dark room, lit only by starlight from the large window beyond him. Wearing an all-white suite, the slightly tanned silver-haired man now turned to look at me, his face expressionless as his amber eyes studied my form. "H-Hello sir, my name is Roxas. I was hoping for a job interview…"
"Axel! I did it!" My voice reverberated around the lobby as I reached the bottom of the skyscraper, Axel smirking as he clasped hands with me. To say I was excited was an understatement, as knowledge of my salary was almost too much for me to take. "I-I actually got the job! This is awesome!" I cried out, not even caring that I was boasting around the two men who were already employed here. I could be as arrogant as I wanted right now, and no one would care!
"Congratulations, Roxas. I look forward to working with you. You'll need this from now on, though." Marluxia said as he handed me a key card identical to the one Axel possessed save for the number which read 'XIII'. Smiling, I quickly pocketed the card key, knowing I'd need it to enter the building. "You are now Number XIII, Roxas. Although it is fine for us to refer to one another by name, you must realize the nature of our job. It is best if none of our names leak. I'm sure Axel will fill you in on all you need to know. Xemnas has informed me that you will start here in two days, so make sure to report on time, in a suit of course."
Shaking my hand again, Marluxia returned to tending the flowers, something he seemed to take great joy in judging by the look on his face.
"Not bad, Roxas. It seems I've taught you well." Axel said with a smirk, hands behind his jagged hair as he walked alongside me, the keycard in my hands now taking up all of my attention. So, I was part of The Organization now, huh…I had a well paying job for the summer that would let me do whatever I wanted with Naminé. I had hoped I could get a job, but I hadn't dreamed of anything this good. Life was looking up for a change.
"Well Roxas, I'll see you at work then. Tomorrow I'll be busy with Organization business I'm afraid. I'll introduce you to everyone on Wednesday, alright? See you around." He said as he pat me on the back once again, a smile born on my face as I watched Axel leave, my good friend simply tossing his Frisbee up and down.
Something wasn't right here though…I had a new job; Naminé was showing signs of recovery…
"Oh crap! The band!" How idiotic could I be? I had been so caught up with Axel and my new job that I had forgotten about the Wave Gigs: a band made up of several members of my best friend circle. "Damn, Hayner is going to be pissed!" I yelled aloud to no one in particular as I started running down the street, hoping I could reach the beach before the performance ended. Just the thought of upsetting my friends was enough to upset me as I continued to rush ahead, not eve caring if I ran into anything along the way.
That was, until I actually did.
"Ah!" came a very soft yet scared voice, the two of us falling after the collision as clarity returned to me, possible due to the bump on the back of my head that required my attention.
Great move Roxas: run straight into some innocent young girl will you? Shaking my head a few times, I looked over at the girl in question, the realization that I had never met her before quickly born within my mind.
Much like Naminé and Kairi, she was rather thin and had quite a small frame, although I realized I must have been only a few inches taller than her (come on growth spurt…). Blue eyes so very similar to those of my girlfriend and her best friend starred back at me, but within these eyes there was fear and sadness. As she started to rise, she shook her head as if wanting nothing to do with me, the girl's raven hair flowing almost to her shoulders as she stood, left arm bracing the right as she turned to leave.
"H-Hey! I'm sorry, I didn't look where I was going!" I said, trying my best to conjure up a smile as I apologized to the dark-haired girl. Much to my surprise, she didn't walk away, her sad eyes simply looking down at her shoes now. Just like the shirt she wore, they were black, creating a stark contrast to the white shorts the girl wore.
I took the silence as if it was my turn to speak again, taking a step closer to her, although I made no attempt to touch her. "A-Are you alright? I didn't ram into you that hard, did I? Sorry, I was just thinking about-"
"It doesn't matter…it doesn't matter if I'm hurt…" Those were not words I was expecting to hear as I looked at the sad girl, her head turning as she hazy blue orbs studied my face. Tears had already started to form in her eyes as she shook her head, still clutching her arm where I noticed a bruise had formed.
Way to go Roxas, make a girl cry why don't you.
"I'm just a nobody…someone that shouldn't be here…someone that just doesn't matter."
The word emo came to mind as she spoke, but I shook it away, seeing the way her face genuinely displayed this great sadness. Something was wrong with this girl, and it wasn't just the fact that I had caused her to receive a bruise.
"Hey…don't talk like that…you aren't a nobody, so there's no need to think like that. I'm sorry about our rather chaotic introduction to one another. I'm Roxas." I said, doing my best to smile again at the girl as she took a step back. Ugh, I'm scaring her away now, aren't I. Smooth as usual, Roxas. Just scare off the shy-
"I'm Xion." She said quietly, having re-taken the step towards me, although she still refused to make eye contact as she spoke, clutching her arm. "I'm sorry about speaking like that…I only just moved here, and things haven't been going that well for me." Well, that certainly did explain why she was acting so shy, although the comment about her not mattering still irked me a bit. "It is nice to meet you, Roxas." She said quietly, finally looking up at me as she forced a small smile, something I happily returned.
"I'm sorry about bumping into you…it seems you got a bad bruise because of me, huh? Is there anything I can do to make it up to you, Xion?" She seemed nice enough, if not a little down and sad at the moment. Plus, if she really was new to Twilight Town, she wouldn't have many friends. I hoped that being nice to her would let me be one of them.
"Well, I was hoping, if you really don't mind…I haven't had anything to eat all night. Turns out I forgot most of my munny at home. I'm sorry Roxas, and I promise to pay you back as-"
I didn't know what made me laugh a little as I started to run away, knowing exactly what to get Xion. Only a few yards away did I realize that she probably thought I was playing some cruel joke on her as I turned around, my heart nearly shattering as I saw the dejected look on her face.
"Don't worry Xion!" I cried out, her face changing to one of shock that quickly settled into a smile as she realized that I hadn't just run away from her for the sake of getting away. As if I'd leave her alone in the dark.
Racing ahead, I quickly arrived at Scrooge's Ice Cream, the grumpy old man in question cracking a smile as I ran in. I mean, Axel and I did give him a lot of business, and it seemed like the three of us were the only ones who really enjoyed his trademark sea-salt ice cream. "One bar of the usual!" I said, quickly paying the munny as the man gave me the ice-cream bar.
I found Xion exactly where I had left her, the raven-haired girl managing to crack a smile as she turned to me. "Here, Xion. Now, the flavor might take some getting used to, but I promise that it is really good!" I said, handing her the light blue ice-cream bar as she looked it over, before taking a lick. I almost had to laugh at her reaction as she pulled it away as if it were some foreign delicacy, although I supposed that Scrooge's secret recipe would be to those from out of town. "Not a fan, huh? Stay there and I'll go get you a Chocolate one-"
"It's salty and sweet…I've never had anything like it." She said quietly, my eyes quickly turning to her as she took a small bite from the ice cream bar after starring at it curiously.
Was this for real? A girl who actually liked sea salt ice cream? Even Naminé wasn't willing to give it a try! "Thank you, Roxas. I'll pay you back the next time I see you, alright?"
"No need for that." I shot back, realizing that with my new salary, I could stuff my freezer with hundreds of ice cream bars. "That flavor is only available here in Twilight Town. Actually, not a lot of people even like it here! My best friend and I do though, so we actually get that flavor at half price! Which is great, since it is my favorite and all." Was she smiling at me?
Finally, she was starting to open up a little! "Well Xion, do you need me to walk you home? I mean, Twilight Town is a pretty big place. I wouldn't want you getting lost!"
"I'm fine, but thank you, Roxas. It was nice meeting you, and thanks for the ice cream." She said quietly as she flashed me a small smile, now walking away from me towards Central Station, the girl either needing to take the last train back to Sunset Terrace, or living around the area. Well, at least she wasn't too far away. She really didn't seem like a bad person at all, which made me question why she had referred to herself as a nobody.
What problems is she dealing with?
"Wait a sec…Roxas? Roxas?" Thankfully someone was around to snap me out of my Xion-induced daze as I quickly turned to the quirky blonde in question, the young man with the mullet grinning as he approached me, Demyx's trademark sitar in its case as he moved towards me. "You know, you shouldn't promise to attend a performance if you aren't going to attend." Oh crap! I had forgotten again! It must have been quite visible how upset I was, as Demyx patted me on the back in the same way Axel usually did. I wouldn't call Demyx a close friend, but he is fun to hang around at times. Plus he is in Wave Gigs along with Hayner, Pence and Olette. "Hey, it's alright. I'm sure you were busy!" Wow, I forgot how naïve this guy could be! I hadn't even opened my mouth!
"Yeah, sorry Demyx. I was busy getting a job for the summer. I was with Axel, and time just flew by. I'm really sorry I couldn't make it though." Yep, Hayner is going to kill me next time he sees me. Out of the band's three performances since conception, I had only attended one. Some friend I was turning out to be.
"Woah woah woah, hold up. You were with Axel looking for a job? You don't mean…" He said, placing a hand in his pocket as he pulled out something I was now familiar with, although I was quite surprised to see that the quirky blonde also had a keycard, although his had a "IX" on it. "So, I guess you've joined up The Organization too, huh? Well, seems we'll be seeing each other a lot more often, number…let's see, if Larxene is twelve, then you must be thirteen!" He said, laughing a bit now as he forcibly shook my hand.
"Axel didn't mention you worked there either. Then again, they did say it was pretty secretive." I said as I shook his hand, although I had to wonder if Larxene was one of the members I'd meet on Wednesday. Still, it was nice to learn that I'd be working with another friendly face, Demyx grinning goofily as he stretched out before me.
"Knowing Axel, he wouldn't say anything, huh? Well, I'll see you around Roxas. Someone needs their beauty sleep. Today was way too much work." Certainly that someone isn't you, Demyx. Still, I didn't speak such a truth aloud as he walked away, yawns echoing down the street as he went along. Demyx, Axel, Marluxia, Saïx and Xemnas…what other people would I be working with? Quite the diverse group, I could tell that much.
Walking home, I found it hard to believe that summer vacation was just about to begin. Already I had found a job, met a new friend, and ensured that when Naminé recovered, we'd have a lot of time to spend together (and a lot of munny to spend on her). For a day that hadn't started out all-that well, things certainly had gotten better.
Changing out of my school uniform (so long, itchy white shirt), I quickly slipped into my pajamas as I got into bed, wondering what the next day of my vacation would bring. "It looks like my summer vacation is just starting…"
Seventy six days left.