Glory be and the saints be praised! By golly, she's updated! Well, I finally got around to finishing, no matter how tentative I am about it. I'm sorry!!! I have/had about a thousand different ideas pooling up like a flood in my head and my brain was drowning. But... it's up... right? So that's what matters! I hope you enjoy the new chapter!!!

(disclaimer applies for all chapters forever)

Conversation is a little awkward, though it becomes much easier with Sora whispering (shouting, rather) in Roxas's mind. It gets better when they get to school -- Sora doesn't have to sit next to Riku, and Kairi is up front.

Sora keeps yawning and chattering to him, clearly not paying attention.

"Shut up," he tells Sora internally. "Don't push it." Don't push my boundaries. "I still hate you."

Sora sighs. "I know. I'm sorry."

Tiny bits of guilt stab at him, and Roxas beats them back with a metaphorical stick. Whatever happened to having no feelings?

Sora's quiet, then, and that's okay, because he really does want to learn. Half of what they're talking about makes no sense, though that's not surprising. Roxas has never actually gone to school before, so it's quite exciting for him. He did, he recalls, get seriously tutored in the library of the Castle That Never Was, by none other than Zexion himself, and that's close enough, if not better... right?

"The only school I remember is an independent summer project," Roxas thinks sadly, flashes of Hayner, Pence, and Olette appearing in his mind.

"They're still there," Sora murmurs to him. "They're still in Twilight Town."

Roxas shakes his head a little. "They're not the ones I remember. And they won't remember me."

Sora is quiet a moment longer. "Yeah... Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm sorry."

"Shut up, Sora," Roxas thinks bitterly. "It's not important. It doesn't matter."

"It's important to you."

There's a pang again. He really wishes Sora would just shut up.

On the way to the lunch room, he starts to fidget a little. He'll have to sit with Riku and Kairi, and that's not something he's looking forward to. But, all the same, he has no choice. So he stomps across the cafeteria, jaw set.

Roxas slides into the spot that faces the window and the ocean.

Riku sits across from him and pulls Kairi down beside him before she can even think about it.

Roxas looks into her soft eyes and smiles before looking away again; she'll notice right away he's not Sora.

Tidus and Wakka go jogging by with a blitz ball, heading toward Destiny High's courtyard. Roxas almost wants to follow.

"It's fine if you do," Sora whispers. "I'm not great, but I bet you'll be better."

"No, it's... okay," Roxas says with the shake of his head. "I don't want to get involved."

His hands flex and then clench on their own volition. "If you say so."

Roxas sighs and looks down at the tray in front of him, but he isn't hungry. The longer he spends as Sora, the more he wants to sleep.

"Sora?" Kairi calls, and Roxas's head snaps up, gazing at her worried expression. "Are you okay?"

Roxas shakes his head slowly. "I... No. No, I'm not."

Riku's eyes narrow.

"What's wrong?" Kairi murmurs, reaching out and touching his hand gently.

He doesn't recoil from the touch, and sighs again, shaking his head. "Nothing. I just... couldn't sleep."

"Nightmare?" Riku asks, voice softening. He seems genuinely concerned this time, like he's seeing him as Sora.

"Yeah, it was..." Roxas clears his throat. "It was about That Night." He feels a warm sensation in his chest and gets the strange idea that Sora is giving him some kind of hug.

Kairi frowns sadly and nods. "I'm sorry."

"Roxas was there, wasn't he?" Riku demands suddenly, once again turning hostile. "That's where he lives, right? In you dreams."

Roxas can't help it; his lip curls. Still, he fights to contain himself, holding Sora down, knowing that it is safer with him in control.

"Riku," Kairi chides the silverette, a furrow growing in her brow. "Don't harass Sora. He's your best friend."

"Yeah, Riku," Roxas says as lightly as he can, hoping it matches Sora's bright tone. "What's wrong?"

Riku glares. "You're not Sora," he hisses. "Kairi, that's not Sora!"

Roxas blinks. "Fuck." But he can't let Riku know he's won. "What are you talking about, Riku?"

"You're not Sora. Roxas, give Sora his body back."

Kairi's eyes widen.

"I'm not taking over," Roxas whispers, fighting to keep calm.

"Bullshit!" Riku pushes himself up, eyes burning.

Roxas can admit he feels the same. He's always hated Riku. He always will. He pushes Sora as far down as he can; his Somebody does not need to interrupt, he can handle the situation himself.

"Riku, please," Kairi whispers, tugging on her friend's shirt.

"I didn't take it from him," Roxas insists. "He let me take control. I swear, Riku."

Riku doesn't seem to like the sound of that. He growls, and Roxas glares.

"Why can't you just trust your own friend?" he taunts, lips curving into a vicious smirk that he just can't stop and reminds him too much of his past as a heartless Nobody.

That's enough for Riku. He practically snarls, reaching out and grabbing the front of Roxas' uniform. "I've had enough of you, Nobody." He pulls his arm back, hand in a fist, and Roxas tenses.

Fuck.

Short but certainly not the end! Oh noooo! What will happen? Will he hurt poor Roxas? Well, tune in find out!