quick updates I know, but it's just pouring out of me. If you're enjoying it then leave a review, or if you just wanna put me on blast that's fine too

He lay awake that night, staring up at the weathered indentations that marked his ceiling like potholes.

Over and over, he replayed the day's events in his mind. Over and over, he went back and relived the moment he heard that voice

(hey!)

and stopped. Why did I stop should've walked should've walked should have just kept going why did I stop why

He heard a noise, something creaking in the hall. Roxas, he thought to himself. It was just Roxas, trying not to wake him up. He listened as the footsteps grew fainter, pausing around where the kitchen would be. Of course, Roxas could never get enough food. The boy was an eater from the day he was born, their mother had always said-

His stomach grumbled. He had hardly emerged from his room since he returned from the deli, venturing out only to relieve his bowels and take a bit of that chicken, which, despite the damage he had caused to it, still tasted alright. It was better than nothing, anyway. Now he was hungry again, but he just couldn't bring himself to stand, his mattress was not the most comfortable by far, but it got the job done, and right now he was too tired to move.

He listened to the sounds of Roxas munching on chicken and looked out the open window, curtains fluttering softly in the late summer breeze. The sounds of light traffic, of blaring horns and laughter and the thud of slamming doors drifted up into his room, and he himself began to drift.

He wasn't very much looking forward to the start of the school term. The district had undergone some renovation, all the smaller high schools spread out across the borough had been demolished and a much larger one built in their place. Conveniently located in the center of Brooklyn, the thing was three stories tall and was simply named Brooklyn High School.

Now entering his junior year, he wished he could say the previous two years had passed without much fanfare, but he would only be fooling himself. Sora sighed and turned away from the window, willing himself to fall asleep, if only for a few hours.

An enormous crash tore him from his deepening doze. He shot up and paused to listen.

"Mom?!" he heard Roxas cry, and he was up and out of the room, moving down the hallway and taking in the spectacle unfolding in his living room.

His mother, dressed in a jean skirt too small for her and a tiny pink blouse, was stumbling through the wide open door, staring up past her bewildered children and smiling dreamily.

"Mmmmello…" she slurred, almost toppling over. Roxas put an arm around her and led her to the couch, which she fell against like dead weight.

"Mom?" Roxas called again, putting his hands on her face and forehead. "You're burning up." He turned to Sora. "Get her a towel."

Sora stayed put for a moment, watching his mother groan on the couch with Roxas leaning over her. Then Roxas looked back at him, his face hardened and there was a fire in his eyes.

"What are you waiting for?! Get her a towel!"

Sora got to work, racing into the kitchen and grabbing a paper towel, he put it under the sink and allowed a thin stream of water to wet it. He handed it to Roxas, who placed it gently on their mother's forehead.

"What happened, Mom?" Roxas asked, keeping his voice measured and gentle. But Sora could hear him quiver.

"Mmmmmy babies…" she giggled. Her eyes turned from Roxas to Sora. "Oh, look at yooouuu…all grown up."

Sora turned away. He didn't want to see his mother look at him like that; he had seen it too many times before.

"C'mon, let's get you into bed," Roxas murmured to her, trying to get her to stand. Sora narrowed his eyes at him.

"Into bed? Whose bed?" he asked, watching as Roxas tried to wrap his arms around her and she, fighting him off, giggled madly.

"Just – would you help me here?!" Roxas growled, frustration evident in his tone.

"Just leave her there, she'll be fine."

"She's really warm, I don't want her to pass out," Roxas explained, giving up altogether and stepping back. Their mother sat, ogling the ceiling as if it were shooting off fireworks.

"Just get her some more towels through the night, she's good," Sora said, turning around and beginning to head back to his room.

"Sora, c'mon – "

Sora felt that familiar flash of anger tear through him and he whirled on Roxas.

"Don't fucking tell me to come on. Look at her, stoned out of her mind and on who knows what! She's not taking my room, she'll be gone before we even wake up and you know it."

He stomped back to his room and slammed the door shut.

Indeed, she was gone when they awoke.

He felt Roxas nudging his shoulder. Groggily, he lifted himself from his bed, stretching and letting out a yawn. One good look at Roxas was enough to understand what had happened. But the look on his face was gone as quick as it had become noticeable; his brother had always been good at hiding. Whether they were children playing a game of hide and seek or hiding something else, it was all the same, really.

Sora stepped into the shower, warm water flowing freely now. He wanted to at least make a decent impression, something between the spotlight and nonexistence would be nice, because honestly, what more could be asked for?

They got ready in silence and, as the clock struck six thirty, left their apartment and stepped out into the cool morning air. They were close enough to the school that they didn't have to take the bus, which was just fine as far as Sora was concerned.

The closer they came, the more crowded the sidewalks became. Other kids, few people Sora recognized, most he didn't, were also making their way to Brooklyn High. The sun was just beginning to grace the sky, sun glinting off the horizon and turning the sky a deep shade of blue-orange. He liked the mornings.

Within twenty minutes they were there, crowds of students milled about at the entrance, others were filing in through the double doors. Sora stopped and put his hand on Roxas's shoulder. His brother turned and met his eyes.

"You've got your schedule, right?" he asked. Roxas nodded.

"Guess I've gotta find the main office or something," Sora sighed. His brother's schedule had arrived in their mail, but his was strangely absent. He had waited and waited, hoping that it was just late and would arrive before that day, but no. He supposed it was too much to ask for the district to remember he existed.

"You want me to come with?" Roxas asked, but Sora could tell he was anxious to leave him. He did have friends, after all. Sora shook his head, "No, I'm fine."

Roxas gave him a quick smile and practically dove into the crowd, Sora was taken aback at his enthusiasm, he supposed staying cooped up in your project apartment most of the summer would make anyone eager to return to the educational social scene. He sighed again and pushed his way into the school.

Nobody spared him a second glance as he walked the halls towards where (he hoped) the Students Assistance Office was located. He entered the room, noticing a line of students had formed, stretching out from the front desk almost into the hall. Slightly irritated, he took his position at the back and waited.

He took the time to admire the walls, some may call it dull, blasé even, but he admired the blue-grey color scheme they had going on. From the walls to the ceiling down to the grimy white floor, it was clinical alright, but maybe that wasn't so bad.

He spent so much time admiring the walls, in fact, that he didn't realize the line had moved on without him until someone pushed him forward.

"Ow! What-?" he turned and found himself looking at the form of a very well-defined chest. Lifting his gaze upwards, he found himself staring into the turquoise colored eyes of who was without a doubt the most popular child in all of Brooklyn High.

"Riku…" the name fell from his lips, and suddenly he felt his face getting very hot.

"Are you gonna move or what?" Riku stared down at him with a mixture of disdain and annoyance.

"Y-Yeah, sorry," Sora whispered, not trusting his voice to see him through this close encounter safely. He walked up to the woman who was watching him pointedly behind the desk, she looked downright bored and her brunette buns bounced gracefully as she leaned forward.

"Can I help you?" she cocked an eyebrow.

Conscious of Riku's presence behind him, Sora swallowed. "My name is Sora, I didn't get a schedule over the summer, so…"

"Are you new?"

He shook his head.

"Huh. Sora, you said?" she turned her chair around and rolled over to a file cabinet, opening it and picking through the various folders within.

He nodded, and then realized she couldn't see him. "Yeah."

She hummed as she scoured the cabinet, tongue held firmly between her lips as she read the names on the files. Finally, she seemed to settle on one and pulled it out.

"Sora…Sora…here we are," she handed him a rectangular yellow slip. "There's your schedule. Need anything else?"

"No," Sora shook his head, "thank you."

"Don't mention it," was her flippant response. She perked up when Riku approached. "Hello," she smiled.

The following periods passed in a blur. Sora sat and listened to his new teachers drone on and on, he sat where he was told to sit, he paid no one any mind, and no one paid him any in return. He had ended up in a window seat at Trig, and staring out at above the Brooklyn rooftops he could see the city clear as day, its magnificent skyscrapers rising up and daring to brush the clouds.

A shining city on a hill

He smiled. It didn't have to be all bad.

Then came Lunch.

He knew very well that he had no one to sit with, not that there was anyone in particular that he wanted to sit with. Roxas had his own table with his own friends, and whenever he would find himself approaching Roxas would look at him and give him a small shake of the head. He couldn't go to the library, he wasn't sure how that system worked yet and wasn't keen on making any major mistakes that would be sure to embarrass him further. No, he thought, he would have to bite the bullet and sit by himself; an action that was akin to social suicide, especially on the first day.

The cafeteria was spacious and he was trying to see over the heads of his peers when his foot collided with another. He could feel himself go and his heart leapt in his chest, he held onto his tray as tightly as his fingers would allow but it was already too late. His lunch splattered onto the floor and he promptly followed. Colliding face first into the goopy mess and concrete mixture that was now his lunch and the floor, the cafeteria went silent.

It was at this moment that Sora found himself, for the first time in his life, completely at peace with the concept of death. But first, he had amends to make. He lifted his face and turned himself over, expecting to find another unfortunate soul knocked out on the ground alongside him. Instead, he found Riku bursting out into laughter as he high fived his friends. Everyone else followed suit, an enormous droning laughter that rattled the very floor of the room. In his immense humiliation, he was able to take note of how much it sounded like buzzing bees.

He was seated on the cafeteria floor, face covered in cafeteria food, everyone watching him, everyone laughing at him.

He saw his brother trying not to look; his friends did not show the same restraint. Riku's table was all smiles, but he did see a blonde girl frowning, whether it was at him or her peers' reaction he wasn't sure. But what really caught his attention was the girl seated next to the blonde.

Her dark red hair cascading down to her shoulders, bangs parted on opposite sides of her head, her round indigo eyes, cute button nose, her lips, though turned downward in a frown, were full and pink.

She was without a doubt the prettiest girl Sora had ever seen, and she was looking at him.

The laughter was dying down, the occupants of the cafeteria looking at the scene before them uncertainly, perhaps waiting for retaliation.

Sora stood and Riku turned from his friends to look at him, as if challenging him to cross the line they both knew he would not. Sora was angry, he could feel his hands shaking, whether in embarrassment or rage he did not know, and in that moment he considered punching the silver haired heartthrob square in the face. But it was already too late, the impulse had passed. He was just a kid with food all over his face.

Head hung low, he exited the cafeteria.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

He was seated in a guidance counselor's office, Aerith's, if the name on the door was anything to go by.

Sora said nothing, choosing instead to stare at the floor. Aerith was looking at him with a mixture of – what? Sympathy? Pity? He couldn't be certain.

"Sora, I can't help if you don't talk to me," she tried again.

"Shouldn't you already know? It's probably all over the school by now," he snarled, the venom in his voice catching even him off guard. Aerith leaned back in her seat, watching him, and he squirmed under her gaze.

"I just don't understand why this happens to me. Why this always happens to me," he grumbled morosely.

"Why what always happens to you?" she asked softly.

"This. Why am I in your office on the first day of school?!"

"I don't think-"

"No," he cut her off, "you know what? I'm done, I'm leaving. Sorry for wasting your time," he stood up and left the room.

So focused was he on leaving the office that he failed to notice the girl in front of him until he had already crashed into her, sending them both sprawling onto the floor.

"Jesus Christ…" he said to no one in particular as he stared up at the incandescent ceiling light shining down upon him. Dazed he was. The whole day was beginning to feel like a bad dream. He strained his ears; he could swear the light was buzzing at him.

"Um…are you okay?" a soft voice broke through the fog of his auditory investigation.

"Not in the least, thanks for asking though," Sora replied as he pulled himself up, turning to the source of the inquiry.

What he saw sent his brain into meltdown mode. The red haired girl from Riku's table was looking at him with the utmost concern in her eyes. It was then that he realized she was the one he knocked over.

"Oh – God, I'm really sorry! I didn't see you, I was just trying to – well, I'm sorry," he finished lamely, head down, fully prepared to get chewed out.

She began giggling, surprising him enough that he lifted his head to stare at her incredulously. She held out her hand.

"I'm Kairi."

"Kairi," he tested the name on his lips. He liked it. She looked at him curiously, his eyes widened upon realizing she was waiting on him.

"Sora!" he said, clasping her hand and shaking it, something he had to restrain himself from doing too vigorously. It was very warm. "I'm Sora."

"Sora," she mimicked him, looking past him and pretending to consider it. "It's nice to meet you, Sora," she smiled.

"Yeah, likewise," he nodded. They let go of each other's hand and stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"So, are you here to see Aerith?" he asked, and immediately chided himself. What kind of question was that?

"Yeah," she nodded, her smile wavering just a bit. "I see her sometimes."

"Oh," was all he could say. He knew they were dancing around the fat elephant between them, he remembered the look on her face as he sat on the cafeteria floor and the entirety of the eleventh grade student body was having a laugh at his expense.

"So what are they saying about me?" he nodded towards the hall. She looked back at the door and then at him, eyes widening. Was that guilt he saw?

"Nothing!" she said, all too quickly. "Well, you know," she said, as if that explained it all, and really, it did.

"I do know," Sora responded, suddenly finding his feet very interesting.

"Kairi!" called a voice behind them. He turned around to see Aerith watching them curiously. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up. I see you've met Sora."

"Yeah," Kairi smiled again. He liked it when she did that. "I've gotta go," she said apologetically.

"Yeah, yeah, don't let me keep you," Sora said, stepping out of the way so she could pass by. She walked towards Aerith's office and then turned before she reached the door.

"I'll see you around?" she asked, and he couldn't help but catch the hopefulness in her tone.

"Yeah, you'll see me around."