Chapter 6: Could be

"W-What?" I asked, unaware of the point to this.

Roxas was still choking, but managed to speak in exasperated gasps. "Hayner... you're... dead..." He finally cleared his throat and turned to me, Hayner still laughing in the background. "Namine, I'm sorry. Hayner's really stupid. We should have warned you." Hayner started to back away, but Roxas, without taking his eyes off of me, grabbed his wrist. "Really, he doesn't know what he's talking about."

"So then," Everything was quiet. "You do have a girlfriend?"

"What?!" And Hayner slipped free of his grip, running away. "Hayner!" Roxas yelled, and then started after him. They were both fast runners, but Roxas, in his fury, was catching up.

"What are they doing?" I asked. "They won't hurt each other, will they?"

"Not badly." Kairi reassured, but it wasn't very helpful.

Olette took my hand and pulled me away, where Kairi and Selphie followed. "Look, you like Roxas, right?"

"What?!" I practically yelled. They all shushed me. "Sorry..."

"Whatever, but you like him don't you?" Selphie repeated Olette's question.

"Where are you getting this?!" I asked loudly, only to be hushed again.

"Namine," Kairi asked. "Just tell us. We're friends, you can trust us." And I knew that I could, by their eyes.

Slowly, I nodded, my wrist still in Olette's hand. They all smiled and nodded. "Good. Because he likes you, and we just wanted to make sure that–"

"Huh?"

"We wanted to make sure that you liked him back."

"No, no." I said. "What did you say?"

"Good?" Selphie asked.

"No. What did you mean?" I tried to get it across that I didn't comprehend what they said, and I wanted to know.

"We wanted to make sure it was mutual, because we care about him, and we don't want him to get hurt. Well, we care about you too and–"

"NO!" I yelled, and again they hushed.

"Wow, Namine. You suck at this."

I sighed. "What's mutual between us?" I tried my best not to be loud, because a very angry Roxas and a very bruised Hayner had just rejoined the group.

"DUH!" They all yelled, and before I could shush them... "You two like each other!" But then they covered their mouths, realizing their mistake after it was too late. Roxas, as well as the other boys, had turned to the girls, who were now laughing very uneasily, and me, blushing again. Roxas sighed and walked toward the group. Silently, with his eyes downcast, he pointed to the rest of the group. Smiling apologetically, Kairi, Selphie, and Olette began to walk back to the group. I, wanting to get away, followed, but he caught my wrist.

"Can we talk?" He asked, his voice shaky.

"Yeah. I think we should."

"Yeah, okay." He turned back to the group. "Hey guys!" He yelled. "Wanna go to the park?" They all agreed and we started to walk to the park. Roxas and I stayed far ahead of the rest walking in silence until we were half way there. "You know," He said, without looking at me. "This is a lot like earlier." I knew by his tone he meant walking to Sora's.

"Yeah. It kind of is." I knew it probably wasn't the best time, but the almost non-existent flirt in me, took over. It was Roxas, I figured later. I had never flirted with any other boy before, and when they tried to flirt with me, they came off as annoying. But here I was, trying -without experience- to flirt with him. "The only thing missing is..." He looked at me, a little surprised and smiled.

"Are you–" I knew he was going to ask if I was flirting with him, and my cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Could be." I said, looking away. "It's not really what you expected, huh?" Here I just wanted the truth, what he thought about me. He smiled devilishly.

"Could be."

---

"W-What?" Namine stammered.

Of course, I was still choking, considering what had just happened. But I managed to speak for the most part. "Hayner... you're... dead..." Finally, I was able to get the coughing under control, and I turned to Namine. "Namine, I'm sorry. Hayner's really stupid. We should have warned you." Knowing Hayner as well as I did, I figured now, he was probably moving away, so I grabbed his wrist, preparing to pretty much annihilate him. "Really, he doesn't know what he's talking about."

"So then," She started quietly. "You do have a girlfriend?"

"What?!"I was almost relieved that Hayner got away, I knew I didn't have to explain anything. "Hayner!" I yelled, and then picked up on a run after him. He was ahead of me for a while, but finally, I was able to catch him.

He wasn't so much worried, as amused, but I didn't really care. It's not like I really wanted to hurt him, I just couldn't believe what he did. I managed to trip him and then pin him down, and that really pissed him off. He has this thing about fights, and he thinks it's fighting dirty if someone's pinned down. You know, inability to move, and whatnot. But I didn't really care what he thought right now. I didn't really know how to tell him why I was mad, although I was sure he already knew. I didn't want him to think I was all emotional or whatever, but I felt like I should tell him, he was my best friend.

"Hayner, what were you even thinking?" I asked, trying to sound mad, but I guess he picked up, because he didn't answer. "I really do like her." I said, letting go of his arms. He looked away, obviously trying to keep the 'tough guy' front, but I could tell he was thinking about Olette.

"How long have you known her?" He asked.

"What? Why does it matter?" And then it hit me. Hayner was mad, but not because I had just tripped him, pinned him down, or humiliated him -the other guys were watching from afar-. He was mad because I didn't tell him.

"How well do you know her? How much do you know about her?" He got a little louder. "If you've known her long enough to like her, then what? Did you just not think you could tell me? Did you even care what I'd think?" It was never like me and Hayner to keep secrets from each other. I just hadn't gotten around to it, I guess.

"Hayner, I didn't get a chance to t–"

"It doesn't even matter. Never mind." He, pushed me, stood up and started to walk back to the others.

"Hayner, wait. I don't get why you're so mad." I knew I should have stopped, but it was much easier said than done. "You never tell me anything, anymore!" Lie. "Why should I care what you think? You never care about me!" Lie. "Half the time, I don't even think you know me!" Lie. They were all lies. Dirty little things I had thought about in anger, but even as I said them, I knew they weren't true. Hayner didn't say anything. He didn't show emotion, he didn't even look blank. He just stood there, unmoving, silent.

"Are you serious?" He said finally, his tone unreadable. For the first time since I met him, I really didn't know what Hayner was thinking.

I wanted to say no more than anything, but if I did, he would just think I was stupid. I shrugged, at a loss for words.

"There's no way." He shook his head a little. "You know that's crap. Roxas, come on. Get real. Sorry if that's what you think of me but–"

"It's not. That's not how... I think of you."

"I just want to know." He sounded actually compassionate, the first time in a long time. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I never got a chance."

"Okay. Whatever." He said no more and again began to walk back to the group. I jogged a little, to catch up, and began walking next to him. He didn't look at me until I kind of hit him in the arm. Smiling, I moved in front of him, and held up one of my arms. He smiled too, and silently, we made a promise.

We walked back to the group, unfortunately just in time to hear the girls yelling. Everything was going wrong today.

"DUH!" They yelled. "You two like each other!" They covered their mouths and Namine looked regretful. We all turned to the girls who were laughing unsteadily, except for Namine, who was blushing. I walked over to the girls, a little unhappy with today's events so far. I pointed back to the guys, and they rejoined the rest of the group. Most likely, Namine and I were in the same boat. Neither of us wanted to talk about it. It wasn't that big of a deal, but it kind of had to be discussed. I didn't want to ruin something that was just getting started.

I caught her wrist. "Can we talk?" I asked, unknowing of what her response might be.

"Yeah. I think we should." She agreed.

"Yeah, okay." I turned back to the group. "Hey guys! Wanna go to the park?" They all agreed and we started to walk to the park. Namine and I kind of stayed ahead of the group, so we could talk. Except, we never did. Not until we were like, half way there. "You know," I said, trying not to look at her. "This is a lot like earlier." She knew what I was talking about.

"Yeah. It kind of is. The only thing missing is..." I looked over at her and smiled. She was trying to flirt with me? Wow. Sadly though, her flirting, was just as bad as her trying to fake things. It... didn't really work. But just the thought that she had attempted it, made her that much cuter at the time.

"Are you–" She blushed a little. I knew she knew what I was going to ask. I hadn't really expected that from her.

"Could be." She read my mind. "It's not really what you expected, huh?" I smiled evilly.

"Could be."

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Ooh. Corny chapter, I know. Feel free to flame if you like. I don't mind knowing what people think of my work. Sorry! The next one is better I promise!