I can always tell when Riku is upset about something when instead of offering up a snappy retort, he falls dead silent. And the more I saw him stare at those fliers, the more quiet he became.

"Look at him, he's so thrilled he's speechless!" Selphie boasted with overt mocking sarcasm, dumping a huge box of the papers at his feet.

Sora's eyes met mine and I could tell he was struggling not to crack at the sight of Riku's glamor shot adoring the cover of the festival pamphlets. Poor Riku. He was the literal poster boy for the ultimate elusive dark, mysterious stranger that was the subject of many teenage girl crushes, and it certainly made for a stellar advertising campaign. I do feel a little guilty at how we basically had to trick him the whole time into not only getting a picture in the first place, but misleading him about its purpose. But it was too perfect. Embarrassing for him, but perfect.

Selphie told me she's run off dozens of extra copies of that picture and is racking up a lot of owed favors on the side haggling them off. She declares proudly that its for the good of the festival, but I think she just enjoys playing love doctor.

She nudged the box she had just set down with her foot again, drawing attention towards it. "See all these? You two are going to head to Twilight Town today and hand them out. Every. Last. One. No coming back until not only this box is empty, but..." She selected another box from the table behind her and shoved it into Sora's arms much to his chagrin, scattering the juggling balls he had been clutching to the floor. "...this one, too!"

It wasn't the nicest thing to do to these two, but it would certainly keep them occupied and prevent Riku from skulking around the whole audition trying to pick up on clues about what we were up to. Besides, I'm sure Sora will have some fun with it, and hopefully run into a few of his friends in the process.

Riku surprisingly didn't even argue. I think he was just expending far too much effort in trying to look like he didn't care that he couldn't spare any energy elsewhere. Sora kept glancing down at the juggling balls at his feet, trying to kick them back together into an organized pile.

"But don't you think we could just do this anoth-"

Selphie immediately cut him off, her voice terse and unrelenting. "You'll do it now or I'll make sure every single one of those juggling balls I find ends up at the bottom of the ocean."

I wilted a bit at the sight of his betrayed face. "That's a little extreme, isn't it?" I scooped his lost juggling aids up for him and set them down gently on the table. "If you wouldn't mind, it really would help us out a lot. And don't worry, I'll make sure you get these back."

Pleased by my answer, he cheerily bumped his shoulder into Riku, who was still staring wordlessly down into the box of papers below him. "I'll be a bit sad to miss out on the audition but I suppose passing these out won't be too bad. Maybe we can even get Roxas to help out!"

Selphie bent down to lift Riku's box back up and shoved it unceremoniously into his arms. "Lovely. Now get out!" She pushed against the boxes, forcing my two friends into the hall, and slammed the music door shut.

I heard a muffled "good luck" coming cheerily from the other side and the sounds of one set of very grumpy feet stomping away. The other set of feet hastily pattering along behind. It wasn't too difficult to figure out who was who, even behind a door.

Selphie did a flourishing about-face, returning her attention to the musicians behind her. "Right! Let's get these auditions started! To be clear, all of you are in, we just need to figure out who gets assigned to what instrument, since we need to achieve a very specific sound."

Pretty much everyone looked baffled by this announcement. I would be too. The only exception was Edward, who always ran around proudly declaring himself the "Spoony Bard" and I think plays every single instrument imaginable to some extent, including, of course, spoons. Today he was holding onto his mandolin.

A boy I wasn't too familiar with in the grade below me tentatively raised his arm. "So...what if we only play one instrument?"

Selphie just shrugged. "Oh come on, live a little! Experiment! Trust me, the music isn't really a song it's more of a...thematic accompaniment for Kairi's role in the festival. Now, this is all top secret stuff so once we tell you, on pain of death none of you can say a word about it outside this room, got it?" Hesitant mumbling swept all around the room. "If you don't think you can handle it, bow out now. Doors there."

She pointed firmly to the exit. I saw a few people whinging, but eventually they settled back down into their chairs. Turning to me, she gave me a nod. "Alright then, Kairi. If you would kindly explain?"

I cleared my throat and began. "Well, I'm sure many of you are aware of the origins of our festival...

I tapped my cheeks, trying to stay awake as much as possible. Come on pull it together, you can do this! All of these people are working hard too so I can't just give up on them.

"Hey...you okay?" A soft hand rubbed at my shoulder. I looked up to see Selphie biting at her lip.

I did my best to cheerily smile back. "Y-yes! It's just been a long week."

She sighed and tried to read my face. "I think you've had enough for today."

"But the rehearsal is-"

"-going fine! Trust me, I have a strong artistic vision! Power girl time! I've also got Irvine to run any errands for me if they come up." She gave me a wink.

I still felt guilty and I shook my head. "No, I'll be fine. I'll just go take a minute to get freshened up, okay?"

She puffed her cheeks out and sighed. "Stop being so stubborn! If I run you ragged I'll never hear the end of it when the boys get back. If they get back."

I smiled a little when I remembered earlier this afternoon.

"It's okay, Kairi! We appreciate your input but we'll probably just be running the basics for a while so you should go take it easy." I saw Edward cheerily calling over from behind his mandolin. While Edward was sometimes a frustrating flirt like Irvine, he did have a good point.

I sighed and gave an apologetic wave to the musicians still up on the small raised stage platform of the band room. "I'm sorry, I'll just take a short break and come back when I can!"

Selphie nodded insistently at me and I rose from my chair, heading towards the small garden by the edge of the stairs just outside of the band room. I figured if anything I could just sit on the stairs, smell some flowers and relax a bit to get my head together.

Even though it was Friday this whole weekend was likely to be busy as well. We actually had a half day at school this Saturday to make up for the time lost during this week for festival preparations, how utterly unfair, and just about every single school club scheduled a meeting afterwards because we weren't allowed to meet during the week until the festival ends. At least I can hopefully de-stress a bit by whacking some tennis balls into submission. I stretched upwards to the sky, now already falling deep into twilight. I took a seat on the steps noting the speed of the clouds rolling through. Hopefully there isn't a storm coming.

I wonder if Sora and Riku were done yet? There was something that was still nagging at me from the other day. Both of them were acting so strangely; Sora was avoiding my eyes all the time like he's upset about something, and Riku is way more quiet and serious than normal even when he's not gawking at photos of himself. What could be going on in their heads? I folded my knees up and stuffed my chin on them in frustration. It must have something to do with our schedules getting so chaotic lately. Or maybe...

When I think about it, it was about two days ago, on Wednesday. That's just about when it started getting more noticeable. I can't shake the feeling that I'm missing something about that day. Maybe Sora said something important to me before I fell asleep and now I can't remember? Could that be why he is upset? No...that doesn't seem like him...

Maybe...it was that little cheeky kiss? I bet Riku has been giving him non-stop grief about it. I should apologize. But I don't really want to apologize! It definitely felt like the right thing to do at the time. Besides! I did it a few times when we were kids! It shouldn't really be a bit deal...but...

No...there was definitely something different about it. Being so close and feeling the warmth of his face...I couldn't breathe. It was never like that before. Maybe because it's something I know deep down I shouldn't be doing. We aren't little kids anymore, and things like that have certain...implications now. I shouldn't give him the wrong idea.

It...is the wrong idea...right? I felt the thump of my heart growing louder in my ears and I took a deep gulp of fresh air, calming myself. What was I getting so worked up over? It must be that dream. I wish I could remember it...it's just so frustrating! I know it had something to do with Sora and it felt...important.

I paused, and sighed deeply into my knees. Still, I suppose if he is mad over what I did, I should just apologize and try to make amends, no matter how confused I feel about it. I wonder how that conversation would even go. Do I just walk up and say something awkward like 'hey Sora, if kissing is off limits for us, that's okay!'? Because that feels...insincere. I wish he would just tell me what-

"Um...hey, Kairi? C-can I ask you about something sorta...personal? Is that...problematic for you?"

I opened my eyes to see a girl I recognized from flower arranging club. She always sat in the back, made every arrangement with at least one iris. She was very quiet, a little clumsy and soft spoken, but always tried to do her best.

"Oh, Ophelia! It's alright, I was just thinking about nonsense. What's wrong?"

She was fiddling with her book bag and she definitely looked agitated, almost like she was now reconsidering.

I tried reassuring her. "Please, it's okay, you aren't bothering me."

She dug the toe of her shoe into the step. "W-well...it's...about a b-boy..."

I had a vague idea where this was going and I stood up. She must be yet another girl interested in Riku, or at least wanted to barter for his picture. "I understand. Did you want advice about what he likes?"

She blushed furiously. "See...I...thought I would buy him something b-but I just can't decide what will stand out. I bet tons of other girls are chasing him, so..."

Best not to discourage her. "What were you considering?"

"I thought...maybe he would like sweets and...oh who am I kidding? There's no way he would choose me over the others!"

I put my hands over her trembling ones to calm them. Certainly if Riku decided to date anyone he would at least hint something to me. Or Sora, I suppose. And there's no way that goofball could keep something like that a secret.

"Don't worry about that. I won't lie and say the odds are fantastic but as far as I know he hasn't chosen anyone yet. And I would know!"

"Th-thank you. If I am this nervous talking with you I don't know how I'll ever approach him."

Riku did often have an...intimidating aura about him sometimes in the past, but he really has mellowed out quite a bit. At least he has stopped trying to pretend to be someone he's not. He's remarkably clever, takes things seriously, and he's a little bit jealous at times, but ultimately a very humble person who wants to help those close to him. He's matured quite well. "I know he might seem a bit scary but he's really-"

"He's not scary at all! He's sweet and cares so much about other people."

Hmm, that's surprising. Most people didn't notice that about Riku at first. They just assumed he was exclusively serious or anti-social all the time. That, or they were only interested in his looks. It's nice that she's trying to see past that tough exterior shell he puts up sometimes.

Ophelia continued, excited. "I love that he's always so optimistic and happy! He always makes me laugh."

...Optimistic? "W-wait, I'm confused. We are talking about Riku, right?"

She furrowed her brow, utterly bewildered. "N-no, I was talking about Sora."

Something strange twinged in my stomach and my hands froze. "Wh...S-Sora?"

She sighed, fiddling with her braids. "There is just something about him. His spirit. It just glows. I really want to impress him and see him smile for me. And I thought...maybe...since you know him the b-best..."

I took a deep breath and calmed myself. Why was I getting so agitated about this? I do this all the time with Riku. I opened my mouth to try and speak but it felt like my voice just tumbled down some stairs and twisted itself up into knots.

"S-Sora is...he's n-not-"

I caught myself. Why was I trying to discourage her? That's a horrible thing for me to do. She seems very earnest and wants to make Sora happy. Doesn't he deserve a girl like that? It's a far cry from so many of the ones who seek Riku out. I should...I should be glad...

My blood ran cold, but I pressed on. "Sorry, for the misunderstanding. L-listen, Ophelia. Sora does have quite a sweet tooth. And...I'm sure he will appreciate a gift like that. But that isn't really the way to win him over. To be honest I don't think the gift matters."

She looked confused.

"He appreciates it most when he sees people following their heart. Any gift that expresses yourself, even if its not something he might personally enjoy, matters a lot to him. Because it would remind him of you."

"So...I should try to get him something he dislikes?"

"Not on purpose!" I retracted hastily. It was clear she could use an example. "Let me tell you a story. Back when I was seven, I wanted to try making my own chocolate valentines. I wanted to make it extra special. Someone told me that dark chocolate was "fancy" chocolate so I decided to make some to gift to Sora and Riku at school."

"I don't understand...are you saying I should make him chocolate?"

I shook my head. "Well, the thing is: Sora hates dark chocolate. Absolutely can't stand it. Riku doesn't mind it though, despite not being a big fan of chocolate in general. But you know what? I never found out until two years later when Riku decided to rat him out. He told me that all those years ago, Sora was nearly dying on the floor forcing himself to choke it all down because he didn't want to waste it!" I giggled at the thought of it. The sweetheart always tries so hard...

"And he didn't tell you he hated it?"

"Never said a word. I think because he knew about the effort I put in, he wanted to appreciate it fully, even if it made him feel sick. He's like that with almost everything."

"Really?" Ophelia's eyes widened just like Sora's do when he gets excited about something and I smiled. Maybe these two really would make an interesting pair...

"Mm. So I would suggest thinking about something that is special to you, like a hobby or craft and making him something that way. Or you can always just recommend something important to you, like a song, or a piece of art..."

She tipped her head side to side. "I'll really have to do some thinking, then." She then reached out and grabbed my hands, shaking them happily. "Thank you so much, I'll go home right away to start! I feel so giddy I could almost fly!"

Her eyes sparkled with an eager hope that made my stomach knot up again. I could only wave her off as she skipped down the stairs towards the bike racks. As soon as she disappeared from view I felt my legs buckle and I dropped down to the top step. The heaviness in my throat clenched tighter. My breath quickened and I grabbed at my chest. It hurts. Why does it hurt?

I must be getting over stressed from all this work. Selphie is right, I am taking on too much right now. I should just get my bag and excuse myself back home. If I'm not myself I won't be very productive anyway. I smacked at my cheeks again, trying to snap myself out of it. Big breaths. Okay. Calm…

Once I felt I was steady enough I slowly made my way back to the band door. I could hear them practicing inside, running the same few bars over and over, changing instruments each time. Cowardly, I shuffled open through the door and tried to tiptoe over to my bag as quietly as possible. Selphie noticed. How could she not? The room is only big enough for ten people.

"Oh, there you are, I was about to—Kairi? Kairi what's wrong?"

I tried to wave her away. "N-nothing, it's nothing. I just think I need more rest than I realized..."

"No kidding...you look awful!"

The music at this point had ground to a halt and everyone was staring at me. I brushed at my hair, tucking it and untucking it from behind my ear. "I-its that bad?"

She nodded sternly and waved over to Irvine. "Hey, be a dear and take over for me. We are gonna have a girl chat."

I backed away from her. "Selphie, I've distracted everyone enough. I can't also take you-"

"No, take her, please!" Someone in the band shouted out, pleadingly.

Selphie glared back at them over her shoulder. "When I get back we are going to be working double!"

Before I could protest against this, Selphie scooped up my bag, clutched my wrist and yanked me towards the door. Irvine gave a solemn wave at my departure. "Take care, little lady. Get some rest. No one wants you to overwork yourself."

Murmurs of agreement followed and I just managed to shoot a goodbye and another apology before I was spirited out into the hall. She continued pulling me until we made it around the corner where she finally stopped and braced her hands on my shoulders.

"Okay. So spit it out. What happened out here? Someone give you trouble?"

My head felt heavy. "I...no. It was just Ophelia. She wanted to talk to me."

"...about?"

"She just wanted some boy advice, that's all! Then I started feeling sick and...it must be stress."

"Hmm...boy advice? You mean about Riku again?" Selphie rubbed her hands together. "By any chance did she want a photo?"

"N-no..." I stared at my shoes, feeling that tightness in my throat coming back. "I-it was...she wanted help with Sora."

Selphie blinked up at me in shock. "Wait, hold on, are you serious?!" She stared at me intently, but I could barely see with all the water swimming in my eyes. I just wanted to go home, curl up and hug one of my stuffed animals. I nodded.

"She asked for dating advice for...Sora? Our Sora? And that's made you..."

Come on, Selphie, how many boys do we know by that name? I gave her an impatient frown.

"Wait whoa...Kairi, that's...unexpected, really. Well, maybe not that unexpected, but not what I had assumed..."

Why was she smiling?

"I didn't expect it at all. I think maybe that's why I'm just suddenly feeling so stressed. One more extra unexpected thing and it was too much to handle. That must be it, right?"

She crossed her arms. "Maybe."

What else could it be…? I felt my whole body starting to shake and the tears just started to spill out over my hands. "I'm sorry...I don't..."

Selphie snuggled me into a hug, patting my back. "Hey, hey, it's okay. You've had a lot of stuff to take in this week, that's for sure."

I could only nod and try to stem the tears back. She gripped onto my shoulders again, staring determined into my face.

"Right! Well, if it's come to this, you can definitely count on me. I'll think of something that will help you out. You just get home and relax. Have a good cry, take a bath, whatever. I know you, you'll pull through this."

I closed my eyes a moment, steadying myself. When I opened them again, I felt like I could finally smile back at her. "Thank you. All of those ideas sound wonderful. I'm sorry again for the trouble."

Selphie released me from her hug and rolled her eyes at me. "Seriously? I live for this sort of stuff!"

"What do you mean?"

She waved her hand around hastily. "A-Ah, you know, planning! Organizing! Taking care of my people!" She mumbled something under her breath that I couldn't quite hear and clapped her hands together in determination.

I gathered up my bag and slung it over my shoulder, smiling brightly at her. "You're right. I'll make sure to come back nice and refreshed for practice tomorrow!"

She shooed me away with her hands. I still couldn't help but notice that she had such an excited face, like someone had just fed her a whole weeks worth of gossip at once. What is she planning?

I trudged down the stairs, letting my bag droop until I was kicking it slightly with each step. The tears had stopped and I was feeling much less choked, but something inside still tugged at me with merciless abandon. Miserable. Just miserable. Luckily it wouldn't be long before I could go change into something fuzzy and dive into bed. Or maybe a hot bath would be nice tonight. Mhm, that settles things. I'm going to eat something absolutely delicious in the bath and no one is going to stop me!

I felt the skip in my step coming back a little as I made my turn into the dirt path towards my house. I wonder if Sora and Riku have gotten back from Twilight Town yet? Knowing them they probably decided to stay overnight at the..."The Mysterious Secret Mansion Clubhouse of Fun and Justice". I smiled.

The sky had long since grown dark, stars dotting the cool crisp air above me. It's too bad I wasn't at Twilight Town now with them. It would be a perfect time to use Ven's telescope and chart more of the stars for Riku's big map project.

I felt a brush of chill in the night air that gave me a moment of pause. Something unusual had definitely been picked up by my subconscious. But what was it? I took a cautionary look around to see what was amiss. In the distance I thought I could see a figure standing near a large bougainvillea bush. That's strange. I would imagine the only person examining the flowers this late at night would be that sweetheart Margaret, but I didn't see her walker or cane nearby. The figure must have noticed me coming by now, but they made no indication to acknowledge me, or even themselves. Almost like they were waiting for me to draw closer.

One foot at a time, I approached. Through the darkness I slowly was able to pick out more and more details of this person. I noticed a silhouette of hair spiked in that very distinctive way…that dork! Was he trying to sneak up and scare me on my way home? I felt warm relief rush over me as I readjusted my bag over my arm and hurried over to greet him.

"Did you honestly think you could sneak up on m-"

An icy chill gripped my body and I froze. That wasn't Sora. That wasn't Sora at all.

"Ooh, what a face. Mistake me for someone else?" He sneered over at me as he leaned up against a nearby sign post.

Vanitas. Why here? Why now? I steeled myself, pulling my bag down and gripping it tightly with my left hand just in case I needed to get a weapon ready.

"What are you doing here. Where's Ven?" I demanded more than asked. It was a bit frightening to see him out on his own. Ven could put him under that magic seal to keep his powers locked up, but I had no idea if that would even work long distance.

He shrugged. "Why so aggressive? Hate me so much you can't even stand it when I visit?"

"I never said that." I shivered as he turned his eyes to stare directly into mine. The urge to look away gripped me, but I knew I couldn't risk taking my eyes off him, especially not while I was alone like this.

"You see, I've got this problem I was hoping you could help me with." His words seemed sincere, but his face was twisted to the side with half a sneer.

"I'm sorry but I can't believe that."

"Ouch, so cold, and yet so fiery. Would it help if I made big eyes and talked like a certain Mr. cheery cheery sunshiiiine."

"You aren't Sora." I clenched my fingers tighter around the handle of my bag. Despite having almost the same face and the exact same voice, there was definitely no mistaking the two.

"And proud of it. He's a loser."

I glared at him sternly, turned my nose up and started marching away from him, down the road to my house.

"Tch. What, you in denial about the truth?"

I kept my eyes focused in front of me. "The only one in denial is you. Feel free to stand there and think you look cool mocking my friends. But I don't have to listen."

I heard him shift positions and he grabbed for my arm. Before he could touch me I spun and pointed my Keyblade at his face, forcing him away. "Don't."

He chuckled darkly, lifting his hands in mock surrender and I shivered in revulsion. I hated seeing Sora's face twisted into such hateful expressions.

"Hey, I've been waiting quite a while for you today. Won't you at least listen to me this time?"

"This time…? Have you been following me!?"

He shrugged noncommittally and sneered again. "Does it matter?"

At least he wasn't approaching any closer.

"It does if you want to actually get in my good graces. But fine, I'll listen for just a bit longer on one condition: one more insult to my friends and I'm gone."

He paused, his eyes tracing along the length of my Keyblade. He gestured down to it with one of his fingers, hands still raised. "Could you put that away first?"

I didn't feel particularly like I trusted him, but there was something a bit different about him this time. I put away my weapon, but refused to drop my guard.

He just stood there, smiling at me with that cruel look in his eyes.

I waited, but he still said nothing. "...well?"

"Heh...have you always been so feisty? Or is it just with me?"

I refused to answer, just meeting him with silence.

He sighed. "A princess of heart. Surely she must know something about emotions and feelings?"

Where was he going with this?

He continued, leaning closer towards me. "Lots of them. All the good ones, I imagine: hope, happiness...love?" His eyes drifted downwards. "...and maybe even forgiveness."

I felt the grip on my bag loosen slightly. "Are you...saying you want forgiveness? From me?"

"Would you, if I asked for it?" He glanced at me again with those sharp eyes of his.

I felt my guard dissipating rapidly. Was he actually asking for me to forgive him? I honestly couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not. His face, though, for once wasn't marred by that typical aloofness of his. Perhaps there really was something to this. If he honestly wanted to change there was no way he was going to ever be direct about it.

"In the past, Riku ended up doing a lot of bad things he regretted. He sought out forgiveness and found it. The hardest part for him was not asking it from us, but earning it for himself. I don't see why you couldn't do the same. If you were really willing to make amends with things, I would forgive you. But there are a lot of important people to me that you hurt; people I am connected to. Until we all feel that you have been truly repentant and put the work in to-"

"Psh. As if I would care about something as stupid as whatever your friends think." He spat at the ground. "I'd never beg for forgiveness like Riku. Like some kind of dog. That's all he is."

"You still clearly have a lot to learn, then. If you do actually want to change, I'll listen and help you. But until then, goodbye." I spun on my heel and abruptly walked off, refusing to entertain any more of this.

To my surprise, he didn't seem to be following me. Once I got far enough away I glanced back over my shoulder but I only saw the empty path behind me, bathed in the starlight. I dashed home as fast as I could, throwing the door open and slamming it shut behind me, collapsing against it, . Why why why is he here. What was that even about!? So much for a relaxing, no stress evening.

I could hear my parents chatting indistinctly from the kitchen and hesitantly called out a greeting to them. My panic was still palatable, blood rushing through my ears. I realized far too late that I probably shouldn't have run directly to my house. Now he might know where I live. I took a few steadying breaths and turned away from the door, quickly casting a defensive spell on the lock to keep it sealed. Just in case he followed me and had any ideas about trying to get in here. I'm so glad Aqua taught me that one.

My father peeked his head out into the front hall, probably wondering why taking my shoes off was taking so long. I gave him a quick hug and went upstairs to get changed, uttering a rather unbelievable excuse that I was fine, I just had a long day. I doubt my mother believed that for a second.

I changed quickly into a light tank top and loose red skirt. It was nice to at least have something comfortable on. Dinner today was a simple goya dish and soup that my dad had thrown together. Obviously my mother was still incredibly busy with town hall work—she had way more on her plate than I did – having to not only be the mayor of our islands but organize its image in the overall world stage now. She gave me a quick hug then returned back to her pile of paperwork. From the looks of it she was going over all the old rule books and trying to retract or update everything to be more modern. She also had a whole stack of zoning code paperwork for festival matters at her other side.

Hopefully the work distracts her enough that I can eat and sneak away without being interrogated too much. I stood up to clean up my soup bowl when my mother flicked her eyes up off her work at me.

"Busy day, I assume?"

"Very." I smiled back.

"Anything the matter?"

I sighed and sat back down. "To be honest, it's boy stuff."

My father nearly spit out his drink. "Boys!? Who!?"

My mother hushed him and I quickly retracted things. "No, not like that! It's Sora and Riku."

"Oh." He cleared his throat and went back to his food while my mother hummed to herself thoughtfully.

"And what have those two done now?"

"Well...nothing, really. It just seems like there is a lot of tension right now because I'm so busy. That and Riku is so perceptive I keep having to watch everything I say just so nothing slips out about the festival."

"You could just tell him what you are doing, he's bound to find out eventually."

"It's supposed to be a surprise! It's not fair that I can never have surprises..." I love surprising people. At least there's always Sora to count on for that.

My mother laughed at my pouting. "He is a little too clever for his own good sometimes, isn't he?"

"Always liked that about him..." My dad mumbled into his dinner.

"It's not a bad quality but it's frustrating right now." I slumped my head over onto my hand propped up by the elbow.

"And what has little Sora been up to, then?" My mom questioned gently.

I paused. "Well...he..." I'm not entirely sure how I can even phrase this properly. I don't even know what I am trying to say. "For one thing he's been acting a little strangely. Avoiding me a little...and today I was asked about..." I paused there. It probably wasn't too important to bring that up, right? "Well, that doesn't matter. Anyway he's acting like he's almost scared of me. Or upset about something..."

My dad chuckled a little. "He's probably seen you chew Riku out about trying to sneak information out of you and is nervous you're going to turn on him so he's avoiding you. That's what I think."

"I wonder..." My mother sighed, tapping her pen against the table. "Any other boys giving you trouble? Or more of the usual."

"It's fine..." I briefly thought of bringing up Vanitas but there's really no reason to worry them about that.

My father sighed. "Ah, well...I suppose everything will sort itself out once the festival is over, then."

"I hope so."

My mother said nothing, still tapping her pen. "That, or your friends need to find themselves a girlfriend to occupy their time with. I take it Riku didn't fancy any of those girls who came to you for advice?"

I toyed with my food. "Not as far as I know..."

My dad tried to hide his smile and I sighed. I certainly don't think having to screen through all his potential dates was all that amusing.

"And what of Sora? I'm sure he gets some attention now and again."

My spoon slipped and rattled down onto the floor, spilling a little bit with it. I rushed to get up to clean it.

"Everything alright?" My mother stood to help me but I shooed her away and wiped it down as fast as possible.

"Yes. I've just had a long day. I-I'm going to go take a bath." I hurriedly ran my dishes under the water and snatched a small package of marshmallows from the pantry. "And I'm taking this with me!"

I left with my mother eyeing me suspiciously and my father staring in bewilderment. I really need to work on my poker face.

I sank into the water of my bath until the level stopped just under my nose. So relaxing...

After a moment sitting there like that with my eyes closed, I pulled myself back up and leaned against the corner of the tub. I reached my hand lazily into my bag of treats behind me and pulled out the last marshmallow, squishing it slightly between my thumb and finger. As strange as this day had ended up being, I was feeling much better now. I just let my mind drift back over fun memories of the past. I remember the last time the three of us had shared marshmallows together on that last minute camping trip. Sora decided to share with me all the wonders of how to make something he called "marshmallow taffy". It tasted amazing, but it got marshmallow everywhere. I'd try it again now but that sort of defeats the point of getting clean in the bath to then just cover myself with sticky sugar again. Or...maybe a bath is the best time, since it can just wash off right away.

I started playing with the little treat, squishing it around between my fingers first before stretching it back out. The best taffy was made through the sheer effort of repeating this process as long as possible. It took a lot of patience. Something Sora often didn't have a lot of. I remember our elementary school trip to the new butterfly hatchery. They said to sit still and let them land on you. Riku was practically being swarmed by them but Sora couldn't sit still enough for the butterflies to settle on him. I giggled. He was so jealous...

The taffy still wasn't at the right consistency, so I kept going, kept reminiscing. I remember when we had that movie night during the big thunderstorm and fell asleep together under that big green blanket. The blanket certainly wouldn't fit all three of us now, even if we cuddled as close as possible.

I thought about the two of them, knowing if they were at the clubhouse that Sora will undoubtedly be using Riku as a pillow again. He's always done that. Except for that one sleepover when we were six and he accidentally rolled over and stuck to me instead. I didn't mind, except maybe the fact that he was so warm it was like lying next to a space heater. My dad wasn't too happy though. I'm sure he would have run Sora out of the house if he hadn't been so cutely innocent, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, asking when pancakes were going to be ready.

Part of me really wanted to go surprise them tomorrow morning at the clubhouse. Then we could go down to the beach together and have fun like always. I just felt such a prolonged pang of loneliness that I wished more than anything I could just magic them here. Hmm...I suppose I would want to get out of the bath first, though.

I laughed, imagining their faces if they were to suddenly materialize right next to me while I'm sitting naked in the water. I think all three of us would die of embarrassment. I blushed and rapidly shook my head, knocking that thought into oblivion as fast as it had arrived. Time to finally eat this taffy.

After drying off and getting changed into my pajamas, I decided to shuffle through the craft room. When we were younger, this was where we played with our toys, many of which were still pilled around or stored in bins to the side. I prodded a few, remembering their distinctive place in time in my memories. I don't really know what I was looking for, I just felt like I wanted to revisit all these memories again. As I shifted through the contents of one of the larger bins, my hand brushed against one half of a small wooden ship.

I pulled it from the toy chest with a sigh. This one. I remember you.

Sora had just gotten this ship toy and was, well excited is a bit of an understatement with him. Obviously Riku was a little jealous and the two ended up fighting. It broke into pieces and I remember just being frozen, wondering what to do. I was so worried Sora would cry, he was always so sweet and sensitive even then. I rushed over to hug him but...he just started laughing. He said it was alright because then the two of them could play with it at the same time.

It was incredibly sweet of him, but I could tell Riku still felt so badly about it he refused to touch the toy again. Even worse was when Sora's dad came to pick him up and scolded us all for being careless. A few days later Riku came up to me saying he wanted to make a brand new boat from scratch but everything he tried to make just fell apart. Since he knew I liked crafts he asked for my help. We worked for weeks on that thing, especially because we could never do it when Sora was around. I even sewed some cute little dolls to go riding in it. When we finally gave it to him though...all that work was worth it. He was even more thrilled than before. Said it was his favorite thing in the world. I'm pretty sure he still keeps that ship displayed up in his room. It's so rudimentary, obviously made by children, but it means so much to all of us, in a way. Even when something is broken, we found a way to work together to try to make it whole again.

I felt a few tears leaking from my eyes again and I brushed them away quickly. As soon as those dummies get back I am going to hug them both silly. For now, Mr. Gull is going to have to do. I clutched the stuffed seagull close and took him with me back to my bedroom. I plopped down onto the bed and flipped over onto my back, staring at the light of the streetlamps outside that was cast up on the ceiling. The light swayed hypnotically as my curtains drifted back and forth from the breeze outside.

I closed my eyes and squeezed again, tightly, pushing my head against its fluffy seagull body. Another memory, brief but poignant flashed through my head—when he was finally safe on the islands again. Back then, I was so relieved that he had barely risen to his feet before I buried my face in his chest. Sora was so warm then, too. He always is. So supportive and gentle and I…

My eyes shot open. Why is my head throbbing again? Urgh! I kicked out with my legs in frustration but my feet just got tangled in my sheets. I don't like it when I can't be with them. I don't want to be alone.

Please come back soon.