Chapter 4: Major Mistakes

"Left. Right. Jump. Throw." My color-guard coach, Ms. Sun, clapped her hands as she chanted. The Twilight High color-guard danced around the corner of the soccer field, everyone trying to keep in time with each other. It was hot, the late summer sun beat down on our heads, and school had ended nearly an hour ago.

But Ms. Sun devoted her life to guard practice and she said we didn't have time to waste, with homecoming only two months away.

We weren't the only ones suffering in the sun. The soccer players were shooting and running around the field in preparation for the game that weekend. The cheerleaders had been practicing cheers and pyramids, but were now lying on the grass, working on their tans and watching the soccer team.

"Right, Namine," Ms. Sun said. "Left, right, jump, throw."

Oh, give it up, Ms. Sun. I could never keep in step during practice last year, why did she think this year would be any different?

We were forced to endure another thirty minutes of dancing and throwing our flags to Simple and Clean before Ms. Sun finally let us go. Sweat had soaked my back and my blonde hair clung to my neck, making it darker.

"Hey Namine," Kairi greeted me as she made her way over to where I'd left my backpack and flags. Olette and Selphie followed her. "How was your practice."

"Torture," I said. "I need a cold shower."

Olette made a face. "I'm glad I dumped flag for cheerleading," she said. "One year of dancing in the sun was more than enough."

And yet, jumping around in the sun was somehow better? It didn't make sense to me, but I figured it must be popular-girl logic.

"You should join cheerleading," Kairi told me. "Then we could hang out together at practice."

I snorted. "Me? A cheerleader? Did you not see me unable to keep a beat while dancing? Besides I'm way too shy to even think about cheerleading."

Kairi pouted. "Oh, well, I guess we can still hang out after practice and whenever we get a break at the games." She bounced on the balls of her feet. "I can't wait for the game on Saturday! It'll be so much fun!"

"I'm just looking forward to seeing the guys running around getting all sweaty," Selphie said, grinning as her gaze roamed over the soccer field.

"Yeah, well that's a given!" Kairi said, giggling.

"Especially one guy in particular," Olette said nudging Kairi's side. "Right?"

Kairi's cheeks reddened. "Maybe."

Coach Ven blew his whistle to signal the end of the practice, and the soccer players headed off the field. It was easy to pick out Cloud from the other guys. He stood taller than most, with broad shoulders and a thick, muscled body. Riku was tall too, though not as tall as Cloud, and thinner, with lean muscle and a narrow frame. They walked off the field differently: Cloud kind of stomped, his body still ridged and tense from practice, while Riku causally sauntered off the field, as if the workout had no effect on him at all.

"Hello, ladies," Riku said when he reached our little circle. He threw an arm around Kairi's shoulders and grinned down at her. "How's it going?"

"Ew," Kairi said, wrinkling her nose. "You smell sweaty."

She didn't make any movement to get away from his stench.

"My apologies, dear lady," Riku said, making a mocking, sweeping bow. "I shall now head off to the showers to wash away the stench of my manly toil."

I rolled my eyes.

But obviously I was the only one that thought Riku's display was revolting. Kairi, Olette, and Selphie all giggled and waved to him as he joined the line of guys headed for the little gray building that housed the locker rooms.

Olette and Selphie let out an earsplitting squeal.

"Did you see the way he put his arm around you?" Selphie asked Kairi.

"He totally wants to go out with you," Olette said.

"Don't you think so, Namine?" Selphie asked me. "I mean, you're Riku's sister. You know him better than we do."

I knew my brother liked to flirt with pretty girls. And I knew Kairi was just his type.

I also knew from the bad feeling in my stomach that things were not going to end well now that Kairi Robbins had come to Twilight. Especially not if she let her fascination with my brother make her forget about her longtime boyfriend.

All three girls were looking at me as if waiting for an answer, so I said, "Um, yeah…I guess so."

Kairi slipped her arm through mine. "Tell me about him," she said. "What's he like? What does he like to do for fun?"

I could tell her how Riku always managed to weasel his way out of doing his chores. Or about how when we were kids he tore the arms off my favorite doll. Or even how he fell madly in love with girls for two weeks and then got tired of them and moved on to someone else.

But I knew Kairi didn't want to hear any of that. And if I didn't watch myself, I'd end up sitting alone in the cafeteria again. I'd have to walk home from color-guard practice by myself instead of standing with the three prettiest girls at Twilight High, gossiping about boys.

And there was something about Kairi. Things were different when I was around her. I wanted to be like her. She made me want to be pretty and popular and crazy over soccer players (although not soccer players who happened to be my brothers, because that would be gross).

I wanted Kairi to be my friend. And I was afraid that the only way to have that was to tell her what she wanted to hear.

"Riku is…such a great brother," I gushed hesitantly. "He's really funny and always helps out around the house (Cloud…I was describing Cloud). He's a really great guy. He loves action movies and soccer, of course, and he sometimes helps my dad work on the family car. Riku is really smart about mechanical stuff."

Kairi squeezed my arm. "He's not seeing anyone, is he? Or is there anyone he likes?"

"No, I don't think so," I said, "Well, obviously he must like you, with the way he's been acting since he met you at lunch. But I haven't heard him say anything about liking anyone else."

Kairi stopped walking and turned toward me. Selphie and Olette stood behind her, with matching grins as they watched Kairi.

"Namine, can you do me a huge favor?" Kairi asked. "Tonight at home, can you somehow find out what Riku really thinks of me? Find out if he truly likes me? I'll give you my cell number and you can call me right away. I have to know every detail about what he says and how he says it. Okay?" Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at me, her smile hopeful. I felt as if she were entrusting me with an important task. And no one else could do this for her.

I nodded. "Sure," I promised.

"How was the first day of school?" Mom asked over dinner that night.

Family dinners consisted of the five of us eating in various places around the living room while watching TV. I sat on the floor, with my plate on the coffee table. "Fine," I answered.

"Not bad," Riku said, shrugging.

"Uh-huh," Cloud grunted, his eyes glued to the TV.

"Sounds like a great day," Dad said, smirking. "How was soccer practice, guys?"

"Good," Cloud said. "Coach says my blocks are looking great."

Dad nodded approvingly. "I knew all that practice this summer would improve your blocking," he said, "Not that it needed much improving." He grinned.

"So, Namine," Mom said, "how were your classes?"

Mom always asked that. And I knew that what she always really wanted to ask was, "Did you make any friends today?" It practically killed my mom that I wasn't as popular as she had been in school. My dad had been a soccer player, Terra Selene, and my mom a cheerleader, Aqua Rosealle. They were like the perfect, popular couple. They'd had two perfect, popular kids. And then they'd had me.

I'd spent my entire life convinced that I must have been adopted.

"My classes were fine," I said, stirring a cucumber around in a puddle of salad dressing on my plate. "I have a friend in my English class."

Mom's face lit up so much you'd think I had just told her Santa Claus was coming down the chimney right at that moment. "You do? Who is it?"

"Kairi Robbins," I said. "she's one of the kids who got transferred to Twilight from Traverse for the redistricting. We have a couple of classes together. And we know each other already because she – "

I caught myself just in time. I almost said that we knew each other because she was dating Roxas's brother. I had a feeling that spilling the beans about Kairi's relationship status in front of Riku probably wasn't the way to win her friendship.

But why shouldn't I say something? Kairi was dating Sora. Riku had a right to know that before he had any serious thoughts about dating her.

And yet, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

Maybe Kairi and Sora really weren't together anymore, I told myself. They could have broken up last night after I left Roxas's house. Kairi and Sora breaking up was nothing new. Every few months, they had a huge fight and swore they'd never speak to each other again. Then three weeks later, they were back together, proclaiming how they were soul mates.

But wouldn't Kairi have been upset today if they had broken up? Or maybe she had become so use to it that it didn't even bother her anymore?

I had to keep my mouth shut for a little while.

"How do you know Kairi?" Mom asked me.

"Oh," I said trying to think quickly, "We met at the community pool last year." I shoved a forkful of salad into my mouth and focused on chewing.

"I can't believe Kairi is a sophomore," Riku said through a mouthful of steak. "She seems so much more sophisticated. Sophomores are babies."

I rolled my eyes and pulled out a sketch pad and pencil.

"You were a sophomore just last year," Cloud reminded him.

Riku waved his hand. "Exactly my point. Last year, I was just a kid. This year, I'm much more mature." He let out a loud burp. "Excuse me. See? Last year I wouldn't have said excuse me after burping. This year I have manners."

Oh, please. When had he suddenly developed these manners? Right after he had held me down and farted on me two days ago?

"But there's something different about Kairi," Riku said. The corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile. "She's not like the other girls at school. Not like anyone I've ever met."

"You've only talked to her twice," I pointed out.

"But I can tell," Riku insisted. "She's special, I can feel it." He put his plate down on his knew and looked at me. "Namine, you have to help me get her."

I swallowed the food in my mouth. "Get her what?"

"You know, get her to go out with me. I haven't been able to stop thinking about her all day. Do you know if she's seeing anyone?"

This was it. This was the time to tell my brother the truth. Maybe I could break it to him gently.

But the way Riku looked at me made me remember the way Kairi had looked that afternoon. Riku and Kairi could become the most popular couple at Twilight High. And if I kept my mouth shut and went along for the ride, I could be popular too.

I didn't owe any loyalty to Sora anyway. What had he ever done for me?

I tried to push thoughts of Roxas out of mind as I said, "I don't think she's seeing anyone right now."

Riku smiled wide at me. "Great. Tomorrow I'll work my magic on Kairi Robbins."