"I feel like a fool," Roxas said, peeking through the diamond-shaped window in the door between the kitchen in the dining room of Castle Oblivion's Heart's Club. Candelabra were being lit, and crystal stemware checked. In the large kitchen were he and Repliku were standing, tables were laid out with polished fruit and hors d'oeurves. Roxas had no idea what most of the hors d'oeurves were or if they were to be served in any special hoped simply that they and the champagne glasses would stay on the up side of his tray.
Repliku was struggling with his cuff links. The cummerbund of his rental tuxedo kept unwrapping itself from his waist, its Velcro failing to stick. One of his shiny black shoes, a size too small, was tied with an emergency purple sneaker lace. Repliku was a real friend, Roxas thought, to agree with this scheme. "Remember. it's good money," Roxas said aloud, "and we need it for the Atlantica meet." Repliku grunted. "We'll see what's left after we pay for the damages." "All of it!" Roxas replied with confidence. How hard could it be to carry this stuff around? He and Repliku were swimmers. Their natural athletic balance had given them their right to fib about experience when they interviewed with the caterer.
A piece of cake, this job. Roxas picked up a silver tray and surveyed his reflection. "I just don't feel like a fool-I look like one." "you /are/ one," said Repliku. "And I want you too know I'm not that much of a fool to believe your line about earning money for the Atlantica meet." "What do you mean?" Repliku snatched up a spaghetti mop and held it so its spongy strings flopped over his head. "Oh, Roxy," he said in a high-pitched voice, "what a suprise to see you here at my father's wedding!" "Shut up, Repliku." "Oh, Roxy, put down that tray and dance with me." Repliku smiled and patted the mop's spongy head.
"Her hair doesn't look like that." "Oh, Roxy, I just caught Riku's mother's bouquet. Let's run away and get married." "I don't want to marry her! I just want her to know I exsist. I just want to go out with her. Once! If she doesn't like me, well. . ." Roxas shrugged as if it didn't matter, as if the worst crush he'd ever had in his life might really disappear overnight. "Oh, Roxy"~ "I'm going to kick your-" The kitchen door swung open, and oddly enough, it was Xaldin who walked in, for this was his second job other than the school cafeteria.
"Gentlemen," said Xaldin, "the wedding guests have arrived and are ready to be served. Could Fortune be so smiling upon us that you two experienced garcons would be available to serve them?" "Is he being sarcastic?" Repliku asked. Roxas rolled his eyes, and they hurried to join the other waiters at their stations. For the first ten minutes, Roxas occupied himself with watching the other workers, trying to learn his job. He knew that the girls and women liked his smile, and he used it for all it was worth, especially when a caviar he was serving leaped like a fully evolved fish into an older woman's lap. He worked his way around the large reception hall, searching for Kairi, sneaking peeks while big-bellied men unloaded their trays. Two of them went away wearing their drinks and muttering, but he barely noticed. All he could think about was Kairi. What if he came face-to-face with her, what would he say?
"Have some crab balls?" Or perhaps, "May i suggest le ballee de crabbe? Yeah, that would impress her. What kind of guy had he turned into? Why should he, Roxas, Number Thirteen in the Organization, the Key of Destiny, a guy hanging up in a hundred girls' lockers (maybe a slight exaggeration) need to impress her, a girl who thought nobodies didn't exist, or have feelings, a Princess of Heart, who was uninterested in hanging in his locker, or anybody else's for all he could tell? And the fact that her father was his Superior, and his Principal, did /not/ help either. She walked the same halls he did, but it was as if she traveled in another world. He'd noticed her on her first day at Oblivion.
It wasn't just her different kind of pristine beauty, that wild tangle of gorgeous rose-colored hair and her ocean blue eyes, that made him want to look and look, and touch. It was the way she seemed free of things other people were caught up in-the way she focused on the person she was talking to, without scanning the crowd to see who else was there; the way she dressed not to look like everyone else; the way she lost herself in a song. He had stood in the doorway of the school music room one day absolutely mesmerized and astonished at her skill. Of course, she hadn't even noticed him. He doubted that Kairi knew he exisited. But was this catering thing really a good way to clue her in? After recovering a fat crab ball that had rolle dto a stop between some pointy-toed shoes, he was staring to doubt it.
Then he saw her. She was in pink-and pink and pink: yards of pink sparkly stuff that fell off her shoulders and must have had some kind of hoop under its skirt. Repliku passed by him then. Roxas turned a little too quickly and their elbows hit. Eight glasses shivered on their stems, spilling dark wine. "Some dress!" Repliku said with a quiet snicker. Roxas shrugged. He knew the dress was cheesy, but her didnt care. "Eventually she'll take it off," he reasoned. "Pretty cocky there, buddy." "Not what I meant! What I-" "Xaldin," Repliku warned, and the two of them quickly parted. The caterer snagged Roxas, however, and hauled him into the kitchen. When Roxas emerged again, he was carrying a low-lying spread of vegetables and a shallow bowl of dip-stuff that couldn't spill.
He noticed that some of the guests seemd to recognize him now and moved quickly out of his way when he approached. Which meant he carried a full tray round and round, hardly needing to look where he was going, and had plenty of time to scope out the party. "Hey, swimmer. Sssswimmer." It was someonefrom school calling him, probably one of Riku's friends. Roxas had never liked guys or girlds in Riku's crowd. All of them had money and flaunted it. They did some stupid things and were always looking for a new thrill. "Sssswimmer, are you deaf?" the guy called out. Axel, thin-faced and red-headed, lounged against the wall, one hand hanging on to a candle sconce. "I'm sorry," said Roxas. "Were you talking to me?" "I know you, Key of Destiny. I know you. Is this what you do between laps?"
Axel let go of the sconce and swayed a little. "This is what I do so I can afford laps," Roxas replied. "Great. I'll buy you ssssome more laps." "What?" "I'll make it worth your time, Key of Destiny, to get me a drink." Roxas looked Axel over. "I think you've already had one." Axel held up four fingers, then dropped his hand limply. "Four," Roxas corrected himself. "This is a private party," Axel said. "They'll serve under age. Private party or not, they'll serve whatever or whoever Aqua wants them to ssserve. That woman buys everybody, you know." That's were Riku learned it from, Roxas thought to himself. "Well, then," he said aloud, "the bar's over there." He tried to move on, but Axel placed himself squarely in front of Roxas. "Problem is, I've been cut off." Roxas took a deep breath.
"I need a drink, Key of Destiny. And you need some Munny." "I don't take tips," Roxas said. Axel started to laugh. "Well, maybe don't get them-I've been watching you bump around. But I think you'd take'em." "Sorry." "We need each other," Axel said. "We've got a choice. We can help each other or hurt each other." Roxas didn't reply. "Know what I mean, Key of Destiny?" "I know what you mean, but I can't help you out." Axel took a step toward him. Roxas took a step back. Axel stepped closer again. Roxas tensed. Riku's friend was a light-weight in Roxas's book, the same height but nowhere near as broad as Roxas.
Still, the guy was drunk and had nothing to lose-such as a large tray of loaded vegetables. No problem, thought Roxas. A quick side-step would send Axel plunging to his knees, then flat on his face. But Roxas hadn't counted on the groom's party passing through at that moment. Catching sight of them out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly had to shift direction. He slammed into the lurching Axel. Celery and cauliflower, mushrooms and pepper curls, broccoli and snow peas were launched toward a chandelier, then rained down upon the party. And then she looked at him. Kairi, sparkling Princess Kairi. For a moment their eyes met, hers round as the cherry tomatoes that rolled onto her father's train. Roxas took a deep breath and swallowed hard. The Superior did /not/ look happy.
But, Roxas was sure that she finally knew he existed. And he was just as sure that she'd never got out with him. Never. And by the look on the Superior's face, he was sure he would get detention for a few weeks. "Maybe you were right, Kairi," Selphie whispered as they looked down at the splatter of raw vegetables. "On land, Roxas's a klutz." What is he doing here? Kairi wondered. Why didn't her stay in his pool, where he belonged? She knew her friends would be convinced he was following her around, and it embarressed her.
Olette picked her was towards them, spearing a tomato with her high heel. "Perhaps this is how he earns money," she said, reading Kairi's troubled face. Selphie shook her head. "Throwing broccoli at the groom?" Kairi laughed quietly. She rather enjoyed the look on her father's face when he got veggies dumped on him. "He has no idea what he's doing," Selphie observed. "He's here just for the night." Kairi sighed. "I guess Roxas's hard up." Beth said. "For money or for Kairi?" Selphie asked, and they both laughed.
"Oh, come on, Kairi," Olette said, touching her gently on the arm. "It's funny! I bet his eyes got big when he saw what you were wearing." Selphie made her eyes gigantic and started humming the theme from Gone with the Wind. Kairi grimaced. She knew she looked like Scarlett O' Hara dropped in a bucket of glitter. But it was the gown her father had picked out especially for her. Selphie kept humming. "I bet Riku's eyes got big when he saw what you weren't wearing," Kairi told her friend, hoping to shut her up. Selphie was in a plunging black sheath.
"I certainly hope so!" "And speaking of," said Olette. "There you are, Kairi." Riku's voice was warm and almost intimate. Selphie swung toward him. He offered Kairi his arm. "We're expected by the head table." With her hand resting lightly on his arm, Kairi fell into step beside him, wishing Selphie could go in her place. Her father looked up as the two of them approached, beaming up at Kairi in his tuxedo. "Thank you," Kairi said as Riku held out her chair for her.
He smiled at her-that secret kind of smile she had first seen at the swim meet, He leaned down, his lips close to her bare neck. "My pleasure, ma'am." Kairi's skin prickled a little. He's playing, she told herself. Just play along. Since the swim meet, he had been teasing her and trying to be friendly, and she knew she would give him credit for that; but Kairi preferred the old, cold Riku. She had understood completely his icy response when she had first arrived at his school. She knew it must have been a terrible shock when he found out Xemnas was moving his brood from their apartment in Destiny Islands to one his mother was leasing in The World That Never Was, and that this was in preparation for marriage.
Aqua and Xemnas's affair had begun years earlier. But affairs were affairs, people said, and Aqua and her father were such an odd romantic pair-A very skilled, wealthy Keyblader with a heart, and a Nobody, who seemed to be able to "feel". Who'd have guessed thats years after their fling, years after Aqua's divorce, she and Xemnas would tie the knot? It was a shock to Kairi. Her own mother had died when she was an infant. She had grown up watching her father go through a series of girlfriends, and thought it would always be that way.
Kairi leaned forward to look down the table at her father. Aqua caught her eye and smiled, nudging her new husband. Xemnas beamed back at Kairi. He looked so happy. Angel of love, Kairi prayed silently, watch over Dad. Watch over all of us. Make us a loving family. Loving and strong. "Should I tell you that your-uh-sparkles are dipping in the soup?" Kairi sat up quickly. Riku laughed and offered her his napkin. "That dress can get you in a lot of trouble," he teased. "It nearly blinded Roxas."
Kairi could feel the warmth spreading in her cheeks. She wanted to point out that it was Axel not she- "I feel sorry for the table he's wating on tonight. He and that other jock," Riku said, still grinning. "I hope it's not ours." They both glanced around the room. Me too, Kairi thought, me too. Shortly after the raw vegetable shower, Roxas was told he could leave and should leave, immediately. Tired and humiliated, he would've been glad to clear out, but he was Repliku's ride home. So he poked around the kitchen until her found a storeroom to hole up in.
It was dark and peaceful there, its shelves stacked with large boxes and cans. Roxas had just settled down comfortably down on a carton when he heard rustling behind him. Heartless, he thought, or mice. He really didn't care. He tried to console himself, imagining himself standing on the top winner's block, holding his Keyblade and the swimming trophy up, Kairi watching on TV and sorry she had missed her chance to go out with him.
"I'm an idiot!" he said, dropping his head in his hands. "I could have any girl I wanted and-" A hand rested lightly on his shoulder. Roxas's head shot up and looked into the face of a kid. The kid, who looked about eight years old, was all dressed up, his tie knotted tightly and his chocolate brown hair plastered down. He must have been one of the wedding guests. "What are you doing in here?" Roxas demanded. "Would you get me some food?" the boy asked.
Roxas frowned, annoyed that he had to share his hideout, a cozy place for pining over Kairi. "Why can't you get your own food?" "They'll see me," said the boy. "Well they'll see me too!" The boy's mouth formed a thin, straight line. His jaw was set. But his eyes looked uncertain and his brow was puckered. Roxas spoke in a gentler voice. "Looks as if you and I are up to the same thing. Hiding out." "I'm really hungry. I didn't eat breakfast or lunch," the kid said.
Through the door, which was open a crack, Roxas could see the other waiters whisking in and out. They had just begun serve the dinner. "I might have something in my pocket," he told the kid, and pulled out a squashed crab ball, several shrimp, three stalks of stuffed celery, a handful of cashews, and something unidentifiable. "Is that sushi?" asked the boy. "Got me. All of this was on the floor and then it was in my pocket, and I don't know where this jacket has been, it was rented from the Moogle Shop.
The boy nodded solemnly and studied Roxas's selection. "I like shrimp," he said at last, picking up one, spitting on it, then wiping it clean with his finger. He did this with each shrimp in turn, then with the crab ball, then the celery. Roxas wondered if he'd spit on each tiny nut. He wondered how big a problem this kid was carrying around to make him not eat all day and hide in a dark storeroom. "So," said Roxas, "I guess you really don't like weddings."
The kid glanced up at him, then took a nibble out of the unrecognizable thing, blinking his ocean blue eyes. "Do you have a name, kid?" "Yes." "Mine's Roxas. What's yours?" The kid set down the unrecognizable hors d'oeuvre and began working on the nuts. "I'd like dinner," he said. "I'm real hungry." Roxas peered through the crack. Waiters were rushing in and out of the kitchen. "Too many people around," he said. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" the kid asked. Roxas rubbed the back of his head, sighing. "Some kind. Nothing serious. How about you?"
"Not yet" said the kid. "But will you be?" Roxas raised an eyebrow. "When they find me." Roxas nodded. "I guess you've already figured out that you can't stay in here forever." Squinting, the boy surveyed the shelves in the dim room, as if he were seriously considering its possibilities. Roxas laid his hand gently on the boy's arm. "What's the problem, pal? Want to tell me about it?" And yet again, the young child's mind was more focused on his gut. "I'd like dinner," the boy said. "All right, all right!" Roxas said irritably, groaning quietly. "I'd like dessert, too." "You'll take what I can get!" snapped Roxas. "Okay," the boy replied meekly. Roxas sighed, running a hand through his spikey head of blonde hair. "Don't mind me. I'm grouchy."
"I don't mind you," the boy assured him, ever staring at him with those ocean blue eyes, blinking softly. "Look, pal," Roxas said. "Only one waiter left, and plenty of food. You coming with me? Good! There he goes. Raiders, take your mark, get set-" "Where's Sora?" Kairi asked. The wedding party was halfway through their dinner when she realized that her brother wasn't in his chair. "Have you seen Sora?" she said, rising from her seat. Riku pulled her back down. "I wouldn't worry, Kairi. He's probably messing around somewhere."
"But he hasn't eaten all day," said Kairi. "Then he's in the kitchen," Riku said simply. Riku didn't understand. Her little brother had been threatening to run away for weeks. She had tried to explain to Sora what was happening and how nice it would be in their big house with a tennis and a view of Kingdom Hearts, and how great it would be to have Riku as an older brother. He didn't buy any of it. Actually, Kairi didn't, either. She pushed back her chair, too quickly for Riku to stop her, and hurried off to the kitchen.
"Dig in," said Roxas. On the box between the kid and him sat a mound of food-charred filet mignon, shrimp, an assortment of vegetables, salad, which Roxas particually hated veggies, and rolls with lots of butter. "This is pretty good, said the kid. "Pretty good? This is a feast!" said Roxas. "Eat up!" he chuckled. "We'll need our strength to capture dessert." He saw a trace of a smile, then it disappeared. "Who're you in trouble with?" the boy wanted to know. Roxas chewed on a roll for a moment. "It's the caterer, Monsiuer Xaldin. I was working for him and spilled some things. You know, I wet a few people's pants."
The boy smiled, a bigger smile this time. "Did you get Mr. Vexen?" "You mean Frosty? Should I have aimed for him?" The kid nodded, his face brightened considerably by this thought. "Anyway, Xaldin told me to stick to things that didn't spill. Imagine that." "You know what I'd tell him?" said the kid. The pucker in his brow was gone. He was gulping down food and talking with his mouth full. He looked about a hundred times better than he had fifteen minutes earlier. "What?" "I'd tell him: Stick it in your ear!"
"Good idea!" said Roxas. He picked up a piece of celery. "Stick it in your ear, Xaldin." The kid laughed out loud, and wedged in the stalk. "Stick it in your other ear, Xaldin!" the kid commanded. Roxas snatched up another piece of celery. "Stick it in your hair, Dippety-doo!" the boy crowed, carried away with the game. Roxas took a handful of shredded salad and dropped it on his head. Too late he realized the greens were covered with vinaigrette. The kid threw back his head and laughed. "Stick it in your nose, Doo-be-doo!" Well why not? Roxas had been eight years old once, and remembered how funny noses and boogers seemed to little boys. He found two shrimp tails, and stuck them in, their pink fins flaring out of his nostrils. The kid fell off the box laughing. "Stick it in your teeth, Doo-be-doo!"
Two black olives worked well, each stuck on a tooth, so he had two black incisors. "Stick it in-" Roxas was busy adjusting his celery and shrimp tails, He hadn't noticed how the crack of light had widened. He didn't see the kid's face change. "Stick it where, Doo-be-doo?" Then Roxas looked up.