Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, you know the routine.
A/n: I feel kind fo guilty about this turning into more of a Namine+Reno kind of story, but he really should have been in KH. I mean, in a way he sort of was, since him and Axel are basically the same character, but still...
Please don't flame me for this...
Chapter Three: Trouble
"Ugh…" Namine sat on her knees in front of the toilet.
She gripped the porcelain sides of the bowl miserably and coughed. She had no idea where that came from, but it was a good thing they had been standing across from the bathrooms at the time. Wiping a shaky hand across her mouth, she pushed herself back up to her feet. Spending extra time washing her hands and face, she stared into the mirror above the sink. She looked paler than usual.
"Are you alright?" Larxene asked, watching the younger girl with interest as she wobbled out of the bathroom. The smell of food drifted over again from the food court behind them and Namine's stomach lurched again.
"Yeah, I think so. The smell in here just made me feel sick all of the sudden.." Larxene pressed a hand to her forehead.
"You don't feel warm or anything, you'll live." She motioned for Namine to follow her back to the table where Reno, Axel, and Elena were seated. No sooner had she taken her seat beside Axel when her phone rang. The sound made her jump and Reno snickered at her from across the table.
"Oh.. Hello?" She yanked the phone out of her pocket and nearly dropped it. Her sister's angry voice echoed at her from the other end.
"Namine! Where are you? You skipped fifth period!" Namine blushed when Axel leaned over to try and listen in. She swatted him away.
"I'm at the mall, in the food court." She said meekly, cringing slightly at the trouble she knew she was in.
"Don't move, I'll be right there." Kairi snapped before hanging up on her.
"You're in trouble." Reno grinned. Elena hit him, but couldn't help but smile.
"She's coming to get me.." Namine said miserably, sinking down in her chair. Axel threw an arm around her shoulders.
"Could be worse, she could bring your mom. Why aren't you allowed to hang out with us, anyway?" He asked in a mock sad tone. She just shrugged and let her body slump over the table.
"If I were you, I'd throw a fit. My mom hasn't asked me where I was going in three years." Larxene said smugly from the chair beside her.
"Yeah, that's because you sneak out of the house!" Reno laughed, ducking as she threw a packet of ketchup at his head.
It wasn't long before Kairi appeared out of a crowd in the food court, and she stood with her hands on her hips as she stared at her little sister in disbelief. She grabbed Namine by the arm and yanked her out of her seat, dragging her back towards the exit. Her new 'friends' waved as she was dragged away and she watched them miserably.
"What were you thinking? You can't hang out with people like them!" Kairi snapped, holding Namine's upper arm as they marched through the neighborhood towards home.
"Why not? They're nice to me, they don't make fun of me or anything." Namine mumbled.
"They're horrible, low class losers! Why do you think none of our friends ever talk to Reno or Larxene?" Kairi stated, her tone turning to worry as she watched Namine's sullen face.
"You mean your friends." She muttered. Kairi sighed.
"Look, they're dangerous, they don't care what happens to them or anything. They have no potential and no future, if you hang out with them they'll drag you down with them!" Namine snorted, but didn't want to press the matter since her head had started to pound painfully. Neither girl said a word the entire rest of the way home.
xXx
Morning, finally. She stared up at her ceiling sadly. Another wonderful day at school, where her friends were fake and someone was always watching her. She swung her legs over the edge of her bed and stood up. She walked slowly into the bathroom and leaned on the countertop, looking into the disheveled image in the mirror. She had just picked up her toothbrush when her stomach flipped uncomfortably and she slapped a hand to her mouth.
"Ugh…" She knew what was coming, dashing to the toilet just in time. She heard a knock behind her and cursed in her head.
"Namine, I was wondering if-" Kairi stopped dead in the bathroom doorway as she stared at her little sister, heaving painfully and poised over the toilet.
"Namine, what's wrong? Are you sick?" She asked worriedly, rushing forward and bracing a hand against the girl's back. She was finished, and leaned back again, sighing to herself.
"I don't feel sick, it just happens.." Kairi stared at her in confusion.
"What do you mean, it just happens? This happened before?" Namine nodded over at the older girl and pulled herself up on the counter.
"Maybe you should go to a doctor or something. I could go ask mom to take you if you want me to." Namine grabbed her arm desperately as she turned to leave the room.
"No! Please, don't tell mom!" She pleaded, pulling her back into the bathroom.
"What are you talking about? I'm sure it's not a big deal-" She stopped when tears started forming in Namine's eyes.
"I'm late." She murmured softly, staring miserably into her sister's eyes.
"Oh…" Kairi said.
"Oh. Oh! Oh my god! You're kidding!" She panicked as realization hit her and she wound her fingers in her hair in shock.
"Shit! What do we do?!" She howled as Namine leapt on her and clamped a hand over her mouth. She was crying now and Kairi felt like crying herself.
"Um, alright, it's okay, we'll just go find out, alright? I'm gonna go to the store, we'll get one of those test things, and then we can find out for sure, alright? Everything's going to be fine." She patted Namine's back and she sobbed into her shoulder.
With Kairi's help, she managed to get ready for the day and struggled into her jeans and a tank top. She pulled her bag over her shoulder and Kairi rushed her out the door, barely waving goodbye to their surprised mother.
Sora appeared on the sidewalk, waiting for them. Namine blushed in embarrassment when Kairi whispered something to him and he stood by in shock as they practically jogged down the street.
"Ok, you go to class, but meet me in the girl's bathroom right after second period." She shoved Namine towards the school and continued down the road.
xXx
It was nearly lunchtime now, and Namine sat under the paper towel dispenser in the bathroom. Kairi loomed over her, pacing back and forth anxiously.
"We can't just not tell them, Namine." She said sadly, twirling the test between her fingers before getting fed up with it and throwing it in the garbage can angrily.
"I want to go home." Namine whispered, looking up at Kairi. She nodded and helped the girl to her feet.
"What if they try to make me kill it?" She asked sadly, grabbing a handful of her shirt. Kairi sighed heavily.
"Namine, look, you're barely fifteen, you can't keep it. You don't even know who's it is!" She stated. Namine whirled on her angrily.
"It's mine! I don't care who caused it, it's mine and I won't let anyone kill it!" She shouted, turning and running down the hall. Kairi stood behind helplessly as the blonde disappeared down the hall.
She burst from the school as the lunch bell rang and dashed out past the football field, not stopping until she had found a sheltering tree to hide under. She sat there and cried, letting out all her frustration. She cried for what felt like days, until her whole body hurt from the strain and her head pounded angrily.
The bell rang again and she knew she was going to be late for class. Somehow, she managed to find it in her to go, dragging herself to her classroom and sitting down in her seat like a zombie. She stared ahead through the whole class, barely hearing what the teacher said.
xXx
"Namine…" She closed the door behind her softly and didn't look up. She didn't want any more bad news or drama, she just wanted to go to bed and never wake up. Someone touched her arm gently and she couldn't help but look up into her worried mother's face.
"Kairi told me everything." She said quietly, taking her daughter's hand and leading her into the living room. She fell miserably onto a couch and stared at the floor.
"You can't have a baby, Namine. Maybe if you knew who the father was, but you can't do it by yourself, and honestly, your father and I don't want to help you. Our decision is for you to get an abortion, if you choose otherwise, we don't support it and we won't help you. If you don't want to kill it, you need to put it up for adoption, but you can't have it here." Namine nodded at the statement a stood up, fists clenched at her sides.
She turned without a word and walked out of the room, too upset with her family to even want to argue.
xXxXxXx
Friday, November 8th. The school dance was tonight, and Namine had spent the entire week avoiding the student body. Her friends were starting to catch on to her hiding places, so she had chosen to hide under the bleachers today. Lunch was almost over and she closed her textbook to put it away, her homework tucked neatly inside. A dark figure to her right made her jump sharply.
"Hey, kid, you've been hiding." Reno said, gazing down at her nonchalantly.
"I haven't been feeling very social." She muttered, trying to avoid his eye contact. He gave her a sideways glance.
"What's wrong?" He watched her intently for several minutes as she tried to ignore him. She finally gave up and started putting her books and papers away, and he leaned down to help her.
"I'm pregnant." She said simply, not looking at him. Reno sat back awkwardly and stared at her, several papers still clutched in his hand.
"Wow, really?" She nodded and he shifted his cigarette again, thinking.
"Your family giving you a hard time about it?" He asked. She nodded again and he lit his cigarette. "Yeah, some people can be pricks." She looked up at him curiously and he nodded.
"Larxene almost had one once, but her parents talked her out of it." Namine watched him as he finished shoving the papers back into the bag and stood up. He offered her a hand and she took it, pulling her up off the ground.
"I thought you didn't have a boyfriend though?" he gave her a suspicious look, but she shook her head sadly.
"I don't, I don't know who the father is…" She was starting to get numb to the idea, but for some reason it hurt to admit it to him.
"Hmm, that's tough. You still going to the dance tonight? It'll help get your mind off things." He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the metal structure. She watched him for a moment before shrugging.
"I don't know, it's better than being at home I guess." She really didn't want to go, but she would rather deal with her teasing classmates than her disapproving parents. He nodded in understanding and pulled the cigarette from his mouth, exhaling sharply.
"Can I…?" She asked, motioning towards his cigarette. He watched her curiously for a moment before handing it over and crossing his arms.
"You shouldn't be smoking if you're pregnant." Reno stated. She ignored him and put the cancer stick to her mouth, inhaling the smoke. He watched with interest as she breathed in the smoke and exhaled without a problem. She wanted to cough and spit, the smoke burned her throat and nose, but she felt like she had something to prove to him. He grinned and took it back.
"Go to class, I'll meet you at the mall at eight, considering your parents would probably give you a harder time if someone like me showed up on your doorstep." He waved over his shoulder at her as he turned and walked away. She watched him go before gathering herself and heading to her next class.
The bell still hadn't sounded as she walked won the crowded hall. Several people cast her suspicious looks, but no one said anything to her. Practically the whole school had heard how she couldn't hold her alcohol and someone had taken advantage of her. She had just approached her locker and opened it when Riku appeared beside her.
"Hey Namine." He said quietly. She jumped and clutched her textbook to her chest defensively.
"Hi…" She mumbled. He leaned in closer and she began to get nervous.
"You want to go with me to the dance tonight?" He asked in a hushed tone. She gave him a sideways glance before responding.
"Uhh, I kind of…have a date.." She said nervously. His eyes widened in surprise behind his thick silver hair.
"Really? Who's taking you?" It almost sounded like a challenge, and she realized he didn't believe her.
"Um, Reno asked me to go with him." She held her head up a little higher at the mention of his name. A few weeks ago, she would been afraid to admit she knew him, now she found it comforting. It was amazing how quickly your life could change after one drinking party.
Riku stared at her for a moment before bursting out in laughter. "That's great, Namine, I can't wait to see you two." He wandered away and she stared after him in confusion.
Why was it so hard to believe that Reno asked her to go with him? Her delicate brow furrowed in thought as she watched the silver haired teen disappear in the crowd of people around her. Was she just a joke now? And why had he wanted to take her if she was just a joke to the school? She slammed her locker angrily and surprised herself. She decided not to worry about it and rushed to her next class just as the bell rang.
xXx
Kairi and Sora were too busy flirting to notice Namine slip out of the room. She had put on a modest white dress that came to her mid thigh, light blue high heals, and a light blue sweater that only came to her midriff. She slipped quietly down the stairs and opened the front door, jumping when she realized her mother leaning in the doorway to the living room. She opened her mouth to reprimand her youngest daughter, but heaved a sigh instead and turned away. Namine found herself scowling at the woman and tugged the door open, walking out into the night.
Looking up at the clear night sky, she breathed easily and sighed at the relaxing feeling. She walked quickly down the road, it was only seven thirty, but she didn't want Kairi to catch her looking for her 'date'. She wondered exactly why Reno didn't care about what happened like everyone else did. To the rest of the school, what happened to her was a scandal. It was embarrassing outcast material, and she could honestly say that she didn't have any real friends anymore. But Reno was so much different, she felt like there was a chance she could fit in with him and his friends. He had his fair share of rumors, but it was obvious that he couldn't care less about it.
She was walking fast, and had already rounded the corner and could see the school up ahead, bright lights glinting in the night. She slowed down, sure that Kairi and Sora where just now leaving. There were a few people loitering in front of the school and she wondered what people would think of her, walking in to a school dance with none other than Reno himself. It was exhilarating, but terrifying at the same time.
Namine stopped at the edge of the school yard, leaning behind a tree. She didn't see him and it was nearly eight o' clock. Heaving a sigh, she stared down at her feet. How did she know he would even show up for her? Several happy couples walked by behind her and she hit behind the tree, tucked out of sight of the sidewalk. Her heart ached as she watched the couples in the light from the school. People holding each other and talking happily, swinging around in anticipation of a night of dancing. She watched them almost dreamily as the line in front of the doors grew longer and longer, finally beginning to disappear inside the double doors at the top of the stairs. Excited teens ushered their friends inside as the doors opened and the happy couples vanished from her sight, leaving her feeling cold and lonely.
"Feel left out?"
She jumped and nearly cried out in surprise when Reno's familiar face popped up in front of her. He gave her that grin and blew a puff of smoke up into the sky.
"What are you doing out here?" She snapped.
"Looking for you, duh." He laughed and she felt her face turn red. He motioned behind him and turned back towards the schoolyard. She quickly followed his lead as he walked along the side of the school and leaned in against the shadowed building. She turned around just in time to see her sister walk by the tree they had just been standing next to.
"I'm assuming you didn't tell anyone I asked you to come here?" he waved his cigarette in her face and she followed the red glow with her eyes as she thought.
"I told Riku when he asked me to go with him, but he laughed at me." She stated. Reno laughed again.
"I bet he did." He took a long drag and blew the smoke away from her politely.
"Why did you want me to come here?" She asked. "I mean, really, am I some kind of inside joke for the school now?" She crossed her arms and couldn't help but feel a little defenseless. He hesitated for a moment, pondering her words.
"You do realize that everything is a joke to them, right?" He asked quietly. She threw her arms in the air.
"Who's them?"
"Your sister, Riku, your so-called friends. That's them, and if you're not like them you're a joke. Have you noticed that?" She felt a little offended by his statement, but it was intriguing somehow.
"What do you mean?" She let her arms fall limply at her sides.
He chuckled mysteriously and she stared at his shadowed face. "You know what I'm talking about, you just haven't realized it yet."
"So if you don't like people like my sister, how come you wanted me to come here with you?" She couldn't tell if he was insane or just very clever. He flicked out his cigarette and motioned for her to come closer.
She leaned her face in and he did the same, staring at her seriously. "Because." Before she caught what he was doing, he had moved forward and given her a kiss on the lips. She stared at him in shock as he pulled away and acted like nothing had happened.
"Let's go inside, it's getting cold out here." He said casually, offering her his arm. She accepted it in a daze and allowed him to lead her out from the shadow of the school.
End of Chapter Three