A/N- Happy you guys are back! This chapter is extra-extra long and may have a few errors (I'm sorry!).

Disclaimer- I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters.

Chapter 3- Sora's POV

Riku's depressing poetry was contageous. Now that I'd written something sad like that, I was having trouble thinking of anything nice to say. I looked outside; it was snowing, and snow never had the tendency to make me happy. Snow was cold and I hate cold. Even on one hundred-degree days I would rather stand outside and burn than go inside and eat ice cream, or have a popsickle, or anything like that. I can tell you why, too.

When I was younger, probably around the age of three, my parents took me on vacation somewhere up north. It was winter and we were going to my aunt's house for Christmas. Since my aunt lived in a small house and my parents insisted she didn't need the money, we had to stay in this really fancy hotel for a couple of days. My father went to go check into the hotel. He told my mother to stay in the car with me while he did so because our room was on the entirely opposite side of the counter, and he would be returning to take us and the luggage over there when he was finished.

So it happened this way.

My father forgot the credit card and my mother had to get out of the car and take it to him. In this process, she said absolutely nothing to me; didn't tell me how long it was probably going to take or anything. Whatever the case, she left.

She left, alright. She left me in the car all by myself in below-freezing weather in the winter with no heat on in the car because she'd taken the keys so no one could steal them.

So I waited and waited.

What a great mother, right? Leave your son in the car with locked doors (which, by the way, I had absolutely no idea how to open) in below-freezing temperatures! We had sound-proof windows. Even if I would have screamed, no one could have heard me. I couldn't pound on the windows either. It was six at night, and in the winter season it gets dark outside pretty early.

Did you know it's even colder when the sun isn't shining?

I was three, and all I knew was that it was pitch black outside, the temperature was really low, and I was literally freezing.

It wasn't for about another hour and fifteen minutes that my parents finally came back for me. (Maybe they were just there for the luggage; I really couldn't say.) They didn't even apologize. Instead, they explained how the hotel had gotten our room wrong and said we could take a suite-any one we wanted-for the same price, and of course they'd probably taken their time and inspected every inch of every suite there.

I guess it's safe to say I started crying then, so they took me inside and bought me some ice cream.

So tell me: Do you know anyone who's sat in a freezing car for an hour and fifteen minutes beginning to develope frost bit in a variety of areas who wanted to have an ice cream cone afterwards? No? Didn't think so.

I started bawling and my parents took me to the doctor. Yep, that's where all the money set aside for the college fund goes. They were so wonderful. They never asked me what was wrong themselves, oh no, they always hauled me off to a doctor who could do it for them. This particular doctor perscribed me with a 'fear of cold' (I can't remember the scientific name) and sent us about our way.

I think that doctor was wrong. I'm not afraid of the cold, I just hate it.

For right now, all I got down on my piece of paper was the sad, solumn beginning to a poem that I didn't have the inspiration to write.

Did you know that everytime I look outside

I see blood in the snow and that's no lie?

Yes, sure, blood from the frost bite I had almost gotten when I was younger (did you bleed when that happened?) and stuck in the cold. God, I hated now. I would also never say it out loud, but I hated my parents, too.

Back to my hopeless attempt at writing something nice. Ugh.

Well, if I tried to think of some joy that snow could bring to people, the best idea I got was possibly the beauty of snowflakes and all of the different, random shapes they could be. The rumor was that no two snowflakes were alike, but I certainly didn't believe that. Maybe I just lacked the imagination? Kairi told me she saw one that looked like a unicorn once.

Snowflakes are lame.

Uhm, what else is good about winter? Nothing?

Outside certainly wasn't the inspiration for the day. I needed something fresh, something new that would give me a wonderful idea and lead to the creation of a pleasent poem, and maybe someday, my fame. Trying to envision how happy I always was in the summer around my birthday, I scribbled something down about the enviroment, trying to compare it to the outside's violent state during the winter season.

I came up with this:

As I can see the glowing summer when compaired to this

The green season is nothing short of purely simple bliss

When I walk outside it's cold

Reminding me of days of old

Reminiscing of being in that car, alone to freeze

And realizing that the weather wasn't just a cool breeze

My parents I despise

Tears in my frightened eyes

For I know that they left me there, wishing I'd die

I couldn't decide whether to actually send that or not. It wasn't happy, and he might think I was a baby for suggesting I had cried when my parents left me in the car. I had. I was three and it had been my only defense, even though in the end it all amounted to nothing. It didn't matter; Dear old father and mother hadn't cared anyway.

I hate them so much.

---

Riku's POV

Sora's letter was thoroughly depressing, and that made me upset.

He wrote me a poem compairing what I believed were winter and summer, and at the end he hinted at some memory I couldn't comprehend. He then went on to explain my mis-comprehension by telling me about something that had happened to him when he was three. It was cynical and about him having a fear of the cold or hating it because his parents had left him alone in a car in extremely cold weather for two hours, not apologized, given him ice cream, and taken him to the doctor because they didn't understand what he was crying about.

Don't worry, Sora. I hate my parents, too.

Sora,

I notice you use the pronouns 'mother and father' instead of 'mom and dad.' A 'father'

is different than a 'dad.' Same with 'mother' and 'mom.' One version cares about you

and the other just treats you like pure shit. You're absolutely sure your parents are

your 'mother and father' instead of your 'mom and dad?' My parents are assholes too,

so please... Don't feel so alone.

-Riku

P.S- I got your number from Kairi. I'll call you later.

I hope he won't be frightened of me calling him, and I hope he doesn't already think I'm a jerk. Quite honestly, I believe Sora and I would get along quite well if we became better friends, maybe even an inseperable pair?

Maybe we could even date?

From somewhere inside of me, my conscience is saying, Don't count on it, Riku...

---

Sora's POV

I'm waiting ever-so-patiently for Riku to call my cell. I hope Kairi didn't give him the wrong number, or anything like that, because I really would like to speak with him. All of his poems are giving me hope and maybe he will turn out to be a nice guy?

Anyways, this eighth hour class is terrible. Why did I take photography again?

Probably just because Kairi suggested it was a field of work and I could turn out to be interested in it. Well guess what? I'm not. I couldn't use a camera, or the flash on it for that matter, to save my life or anyone else's. Kairi has to develope my film for me because whenever I do it, that turns out to be a mess. Riku's probaby very skilled at the art of photography. I, on the other hand, am not.

Riku's probably perfect at everything. Those teachers are just stupid.

Wait, me calling teachers stupid? And for that matter, all for some guy I barely know?

Am I losing my mind?

---

The bell rang, signaling to everyone that the hell that was known as eighth hour was finally over, and I was very anxious about Riku calling. "Calm down," was what Kairi kept saying as I swayed to and fro down and across the hallway, stumbling like a drunk. I had to reach my arms out and push myself up because I almost fell once or twice.

Why was I so damned scared?

When my cellphone rang I dropped it on the floor, cringing at the small sound of the impact as Kairi picked it up and answered it. "Hello?" How does she talk to people so freely? "Uh... Kairi." Was it my mother on the phone or something? "He's laying on the floor right now... Because he's lazy."

"Kai-ri!" I whined, grabbing for my phone before she said something completely degrading about me. She held it higher, out of my reach and resumed conversation with whomever it was she was talking to.

"He's... Oh you do? Well sorry... Wait, the red-head? Oh my God..." She gave a small giggle as I yanked the phone from her hand.

"Who is this?" I think I sounded retarded.

"Name's Axel. Isn't this Kairi's number?"

"No, it's Sora's..." I heard a muffled 'I told you that three times' in the background come from possibly the hottest voice I have ever heard. Who's voice was that? "If you want to speak to Kairi that's fine."

"Eh that's alright. Tell her I'll see her at work... And hey, Riku wants to talk to you." Riku?

"Uhm, okay?" I could have been in a panic, but I remained slightly more placid than I had in the earlier hours of the day.

"Hey is this Sora or Kairi?" His voice is so fucking hot.

"Sora, but if you want to talk to Kairi that's..."

"No. Axel just wants to meet her and tell her how hot she is, and speaking of meeting people, I think you should come meet me so we can go to your house." Is it just me, or did that sound a little awkward? Anyways... No passing up one of the best chances ever!

"Okay, where do you want me to go?"

"You do know where Ashton High School is, I expect. It's basically two blocks down and a left, then straight from there and you'll be walking down Twenty-second street. I can meet you somewhere along that road if that's fine."

"Alright."

"And don't forget to tell Kairi Axel's coming to see her on her break."

"I won't."

"Good. See you in a bit." He hung up. What a polite way to say good-bye.

---

I walked towards Ashton school in the direction Riku had insisted upon mere moments ago, worried that maybe he would decide not to show up. I shivered. It was cold and miserable outside, not to mention the snow was falling, and I didn't see Riku anywhere. He hadn't called to tell me he wasn't coming, so I expected he was. Maybe this was all a joke.

A little further down the street, my mind started to come up with another miserable poem. What was wrong with me lately?

Through the distance

I cross the snow

This final resistance

A good way to go

Will I see you there

Where you swore you'd be

Or do you really not care

And wish to avoid me

Trying and succeeding

You're sure to win this game

Even as the light's receeding

The lies will still remain

A poem was a sure-fire sign I was in a panic. Maybe I'll end up writing another letter, saying that I showed up, but he must have missed me. Maybe he wasn't coming at all. There were so many maybes, and I was overly worried and probably hyperventilating when I saw the silouhette of that familiar, middle-lengthed hair walking towards me. I was almost completely sure it was Riku, but did he even know what I looked like?

Maybe, but for right now, I suspected no. How could he?

Reguardless, I was scared. What if he figured out I wasn't... Well, straight, and that frightened him away? Perhaps that's why most of the guys at school avoid me. I don't make it obvious, though, so how would they figure it out? Kairi even said she would pretend to go out with me if it got too terribly bad, and it hasn't.

But I'm so fucking frightened.

It seemed that, in all of the time I had been thinking, Riku had suddenly gotten to standing right in front of me. My God, was he tall...

He was holding a bag in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How intimidating... I'm being serious.

"You must be Sora." I nodded. I had to look up at him. The top of my head was level with his chin. "I hope you don't mind, but uhh..." You hate me? You're leaving me because I'm so inferior and strange compaired to you? He pulled the bag to the front of him, letting it drag through the snow. "I heard you were smart, and I could really use your help with these late assignments." I nodded again, knowing that if I opened my mouth to speak, I would probably blurt out something obnoxious. "Are you a mute? I heard you talking just fine on the phone..."

"Oh, sorry, I just have no idea what to say to you." Then he looked at me, and I averted my gaze to the ground like it was second nature. I pointed to his bag instead. "I can carry that for you, if you'd like." He shook his head and gave me a smile.

"Nah, it's my fault I don't already have this shit done. About how far away do you live?"

"Just a few blocks." I motioned towards the direction where I lived, mumbled something that was even inaudible to me, and started walking. He followed, dragging his heavy bag along behind him.

"So Sora... I'm going to take this time to thank you for staying out in the cold this long."

I froze where I was standing.

---

Riku's POV

Kairi had been right. This poor kid was socially challenged, and I felt terrible for him. However, he's not as bad as I had pictured.

I thought he would look like a complete nerd, big coke-bottle glasses and the like, that he'd have about four backpacks and an extra instrument to carry or something, but I guess I'd gotten lucky. Sora didn't have a backpack at all, and he was carrying a single book in his left arm. He had baggy blue-jeans and a red sweatshirt and some red and black tennis shoes. He looked like any other normal person. Guess they didn't need uniforms in that private school.

Sora was being awkwardly quiet, so I, Riku, being the friendly and respectful person I was, decided I was going to need to start a conversation. "So Sora, what classes are you taking this year?" A nice, formal question to get him to say something.

"Well... Advanced english for this semester. In about a month I get to go into combined British literature class and take creative writing on the side. I'm in physics now, advanced chemistry next semester, and I might try some human biology if they allow me to attend summer school classes. I have economy, trig, photography, advanced art class, physical education, German level three, and..."

"Wait wait wait. Why are you in all of the junior and senior classes? You are a sophomore, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I want to get through everything that I can. Besides... It will look nice on my college application.

Now I was beginning to understand him.

All hew wanted was to get into college. He was a sweet, timid kid with every intention of finally getting his parents to notice him in his God-forsaken life. It certainly wasn't as lain back as I'd thought it would be.

"I see... Oh well. Guess there shouldn't be a problem with you explaining all of this homework to me, except that I get none of it."

"You'll get it."

His quick answers were beginning to suprise me.

---

Sora's POV

I think Riku thinks he's stupid. For the past couple of minutes now, he's been talking about how he doesn't understand anything at all in school; that he'll never be able to understand it because he's a failure at life. I don't think he's a failure. Anyone who can write poetry as good as he can, even that depressing, morbid poetry, is brilliant and an absolute hero in my eyes. I wish he would quite putting himself down. It seriously makes me want to scream.

We reached my house, which probably seemed more like a mansion to him. I'm really not being conceited. Most everyone who sees my house on their first time tells me it looks like one. Judging by the way Riku was staring in awe, his opinion wasn't going to be any different.

"It looks like a..."

"Mansion. Yes, I know." Oh, I hope I hadn't just made him feel uncomfortable or outspoken. I put my head down again to show him I was sorry. It was my silent apology. "Everyone else says that, too." I was so happy my parents weren't home. They would have completely frowned upon my shy nature and the way I was trying to dumb our house down and make it seem less presentable.

"They're right. It does." My head was still down, but it popped up when I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. I like it already." He threw his bag down on the ground as he began to wander around our enterance hall and into the living room. "Do you have any food? I'm starving."

"Yeah... What do you like?"

"Basically everything." He sat down on a black leather couch, sinking into it happily and muttering, "I could write poetry all day if I stayed here..." I still wasn't sure what he wanted, so I hadn't moved. He seemed to notice. "Anything is okay, really." I don't wanna mess it up... "What do you have?"

"A lot of stuff."

"Ooh, food..." Riku pushed himself up and came skipping over to have me lead him to the kitchen. I was a bit embarassed, because that room was huge too. It didn't seem to phase Riku. He was a pretty tolerant person. When I opened the fridge, I sighed, and Riku looked at me with a huge smirk on his face. "Your house is... So awesome. How much can I have?"

"As much as you'd like."

"Hooray," He said in a sarcastic, childish tone. "You have like, the best food ever." I was only able to tell he meant it because he was basically going through every shelf and drawer in our fridge and grabbing anything from yogurt to chocolate cake. I could only stand back and stare as he either handed me different items or set them down on the floor. Hopefully my parents wouldn't come home and see their fridge in such unstable conditions. "Aren't you hungry?" He didn't even look up to speak to me, but I wasn't the least bit bothered by it. I actually felt better when he hadn't settled a piercing gaze on me.

"No. I don't eat a whole lot." He closed the fridge and picked up the food. Then he started staring at me, and I didn't like that at all. "What..." He smirked a little. It was unsettling that he did it so often.

"That's understandable. You don't talk a whole lot either. Why is that?"

"Uh... Well... I don't think anyone cares what I have to say unless they're heeding the teacher's warnings to get their homework done and they're asking me for the answers. I'm not a very interesting person." Sad as it sounds, it was true. I had nothing of importance to say. That's probably why I wrote to everyone I was friends with, instead of directly speaking to them. The only way I knew how to communicate was through literature.

"I think you seem plenty interesting enough. Tell me about your family." He wanted me to talk... God, please don't let me screw this up.

"I hate my parents." It was as simple as that.

"That much I already got out of your letter..." Was I boring him? I hoped not... Riku is the hottest guy in the world, and having him in your house is like a fantasy that never happens, but it was, and I wasn't going to ruin it. "They left you out in the cold for three hours... Two hours alone?" I nodded. "That sucks. My parents are about as bad, I guess..."

"Everyone at school thinks that because I'm out of a wealthy family, everything in my life is great. My grades are nearly perfect, my attendance is good... So they wonder how my life could have anything wrong with it. They don't believe me when I talk about how my parents ignore me, and they don't believe me when I tell them my parents replace spending time with me by buying me something everytime grade reports come out. Everyone just has the completely wrong idea." That's the most I've ever said to anyone outside of making a statement in class at one time. Riku was staring, almost gaping.

Still don't believe I hate them? Think again.

"Well... I would say you're... Anti-social because of that? You know kids who aren't held as much as babies and cuddled as much when they're younger usually turn out shy or depressed or angry when they're older?" I shook my head. "Kairi told me that." He stared at me again. "You're not... Suicidal, are you?"

"No, of course not. Blood is disgusting." I was squeamish around the crimson-red substance. "What about your parents. What makes them so bad?"

"What do you want me to start with? The abuse or the starvation? We never have food at home. The only thing we have enough money for is to pay the bills, maybe not even that much. My mom tries to sneak into my room and take my wallet sometimes, but I don't think she has the heart to do it. We can't go on wellfare because my father just doesn't want to accept that we're poor. You see, when my mom doesn't pay my dad when she comes home from work, or she doesn't give out, my father gets violent and starts threatening to kick us out. He's a raging drunk and he's unemployed. Mom won't leave him, though. She's afraid he'll track us down and kill us." Woah.

"You're very uh... Open with the subject."

"Yeah, well, if you'd ever had a friend over at your house when you were trying to watch t.v in the living room, and your dad decides to force himself on your mom right in front of you, you probably would be too." I didn't want to know anymore. The thought of that happening to anyone was unbearable. "So you think you're up to explaining proportions to me? I could really use the help." I nodded.

Just as I was going to grab his bag for him and drag it into the dining room, he made another suggestion. He called after me, "Can I have a tour of your house, first?"

He'd actually referred to it as a house.

---

Riku's POV

I had no idea Sora hated his parents as much as he does. I also had no idea a single word that so much as hinted at any kind of sexual reference frightened him. I should have figured. He is shy, after all.

He was in the process of giving me the "grand tour" of his house, and let me just say it's huge. I'd been shown the kitchen, the dining room, the enterance hall, the living room, the game room, the pool, the sauna, the laundry room, the bar, the upstairs hallway, an upstairs living room, the two main bathrooms, his parents' master bedroom and bathroom, the attic, the playroom, the sunroom, the backyard, the green house, the garage, the garden, the swings, and we were finally getting to the spare bedroom with its bathroom and eventually to Sora's room. I feel... So fucking poor.

Then again, I'm really beginning to get the feeling that Sora doesn't like being wealthy. Maybe it would make him feel better if I didn't constantly look so amazed. Maybe not. Either way, I couldn't help myself. "So who stays in your spare bedroom?"

"It's really not much of a spare bedroom. I like to think of it as Kairi's. My parents do too."

"Does she live here...?"

"Only when her mom is out of town, and that's about every other two weeks or so, for a week at a time. Kairi's over a lot." Clearly, there was plenty I still didn't know about that girl. I guess I didn't really talk to her all that much. "I honestly think my parents like her better than me." I heard him sigh and wondered how much of a chance there was that his statement was actually true.

"Why would you think something like that?" He turned around to face me, and I could tell from the way his quiet nature was returning that it was a very uncomfortable topic for him. He found it in his heart to answer anyway.

"Because for my whole life, whenever I screw something up and my parents need some way to insult me, my mother always tells me the story about before she had me. I wasn't her first child. She'd had a miscarriage two years before she had me, and the baby that died had been a girl. So whenever I screw up, my mom always tells me she wishes I would have been a girl because that daughter that died would have been perfect and would have never gotten anything wrong. Whenever Kairi's here, my mother always praises her and pays more attention to her and completely ignores me. My father always agrees with her, so I basically mean nothing to anyone."

Wow. How the hell could anyone treat Sora like that, or say he wasn't good enough? He was practically perfect. In fact... He was perfect. I was trying to think of something to say when I heard the loud noise of a door opening. Voices filled the air not long afterwards.

"Please say you don't want to meet them..."

"I guess I really don't have to. It would just seem more polite." I wanted to be nice to him because he was beginning to look like he wanted to cry. Now knowing what I did about his parents, I wouldn't have blamed him. I wouldn't have laughed at him either. "Can I see your room then?" He nodded, not saying a word but leading me down the upstairs hallway all the same. His silence was not very reassuring.

"Please don't be in awe of my room... If you are it will probably just be because of all of the possession my parents have gotten so far for me as a way of saying sorry for not spending any time with you."

His parents must have done that an awful lot.

This room was huge. He had a big screen t.v with a stereo system and surround sound and all the video games I think I have ever seen in my entire life. He had a fucking living room combined with his bedroom, not to mention yet another master bathroom he could call his own. And-I found myself scoping this out quite excitedly-a water bed completed everything. Oh my God did I love water beds.

Maybe he and I could be friends with benefits? My sick mind was already at work. Sora wasn't half bad-looking... Riku, stop it.

Then I saw a picture, one that was signed by Naminé. It was very... Different from her usual, happy works. "You and Naminé must be pretty good friends." Then I saw the poem next to it.

There are some people who will try to tell you that human beings only look out for themselves.

The people who say this have never taken the time to be considerate of others;

especially those who have had 'best friends.'

Although it may seem a law of nature to care for only our well-being, we today have somehow

learned to differentiate between laws and rules.

Laws, like Newton's theories and equations, always stay true and cannot be broken; only amended.

It may have been proven a million times over, but it could still be flawed.

Rules can be broken. Rules that say we only care for ourselves and not for others hold no

exceptions. So many of us today hold our ground and choose our own paths.

We may make similar choices, but there is always 'The Road Less Traveled' to even us out.

Although some may choose different paths, and some the same, most of us make a choice

that is along the same figment of perception.

We choose to love; have best friends who will stand by our side through any hardships we must face.

Adamantly, we shall greet every new day, bourne of so many colors and philosophies.

Consequently, we do the same in death, watching the last sunrise before we take our places

beyond the gate.

But even in death, friendship remains.

A fucking masterpiece in my eyes. Wow.

"Wow... She drew this to go along with your poem?"

"Yeah... Don't you need help with homework or something?" He pulled my bag over to the 'living room' area and started unpacking it. I nodded and walked over to join him, still interested in this piece of artwork and it's matching literature.

Out of this whole experience, I have one thing to say:

Sora and I should hook up.

A/N- Long chapter, because I love my fans! Yay I love you guys!

Some notes to make it LONGER!

Sora- Yes, Sora's parents seem to have in some form, abandoned him. His mother is cruel, saying she would rather have a daughter than poor, cute, adorable, loving little Sora as her only child. Kairi is a good kid, though. Sora gets very upset (For obvious reasons) when Riku tries to get him to say something about his parents, partially because he hates them so much and also because he doesn't want them to think he's ungrateful for everything he has in life. Sora needs a hug.

Riku- Someone for Sora to share his problems with. Riku's got as many family problems as the next person, only his would give a psychiatrist heart failure. Riku could also use a hug. (Hugs for Riku, anyone?)

Chapter 4 preview!- Roxas and Naminé try out for the school play, and Kairi's finally starting to take charge of the band. Ooh, go Kairi. Oh, and Sora and Riku... (Does anyone else sense a first date coming? I do, so review for the sake of my writing their first date!)

Extra- If anyone can guess what the play is, given the following hints, I will email you my chapter a day before I put it on fanfiction. So you'd technically get to read it a day earlier than anyone else. Yay!

1.) I don't think this has ever been a play before in history.

2.) It's a newer movie and it has some strange-graphics. It's not done by real actors.

3.) It's kind of a love story in disguise. I'm not sure it's obvious it even is a love story (Even though it is obvious and I'm just rambling.)

4.) The main character's voice of the movie was done by an actor in the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

5.) The same person (Tim Burton) Who made Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also made this movie.

6.) Have fun figuring it out! (First person to review with the correct answer wins.)

The Review button wishes for your reviews. It is hungry.