Lots of new characters will be in this one.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR ANY OF ITS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES AND CHARACTERS!

I just own this story. Enjoy!

Thankfully Kairi didn't see my encounter with Vanitas. I wouldn't have heard the end of it if she had.

My final class of the day was Art General, which I shared with Roxas and Riku.

I was tracing the curve of a tulip petal when Roxas interrupted my concentration.

"Namine, about Vanitas…" he began.

"Yeah?" I replied, starting. Thankfully my pencil had been above the paper when Roxas startled me, so I didn't slash a line across my painstakingly drawn sketch.

"He's a senior," the boy stated.

"So are you," I said. "What about it?"

"He might rope you in, you know?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Riku cut in.

"Why are you interested in Vanitas 'roping in' Namine?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, he looks like a playboy!" Roxas defended.

"Okay, so?" I responded. What was Roxas getting at?

"I saw the look you gave him," Roxas said firmly.

"That's called gratitude," I snapped back. "And why are you even interested in how I look at other people?"

He flushed red. "I-I just wanted to, uhhh, you know…umm, keep you safe you know?" he stammered.

Riku stared at us for a second, then…

"Awww…" he crooned teasingly. "Is cool Roxas jealous of Vanitas?"

Two fists crashed into his jaw simultaneously.

As I walked out of the classroom for the parking lot, where Mom was waiting for me, I reflected on Roxas's words on Vanitas.

'Keep you safe'? What did Roxas mean by that?

As for Riku's statement that Roxas had a crush on me, yeah right. I didn't know how he felt about me, but I certainly knew how I felt about him, and if he made the moves on me I would give him hell. And that was that.

Vanitas, on the other hand, was the hottest guy I had ever seen. I couldn't believe I'd never even heard of him! Then again, I had never really taken the time to look at the boys in my school.

However, I deny that I have a crush on him. Yeah, he was hot, but I was making that observation like a paramedic would analyze a crash victim's injuries.

For that matter, he probably felt the same way towards me—a Good Samaritan assisting a stranger in need of help. Nothing would come out of that fall.

So why had Roxas said he was a playboy? Vanitas certainly didn't look like it. He was charming, but he hadn't acted on it. Playboys were supposed to smooth and suave, I thought, and Vanitas hadn't commented on my blushing or staring at all.

A REAL playboy would have embarrassed me, laughed with me to drain away the humiliation, and then comforted me. Vanitas had just complimented me.

Am I splitting hairs in an attempt to prove that I irrefutably don't have a crush? Perhaps, but I don't think so.

Thus assured of my continuing loveless social life (YES, that was the way I wanted it), I picked up the pace as a light drizzle began.

Rain pattered melodically at my window, making me look up from the laptop.

I liked rain.

I liked the feel of it gently pounding my skin as I hurried through it.

I liked the sight of it—falling rain was a beautiful sight.

I liked the smell of it—fresh and clean and pure.

But most of all, I liked the sound of it. The rhythmic tap-tap-tap of rain against a window was one of nature's loveliest lullabies, right up there with waves and cicadas.

Ending my reverie, I turned back to the glowing computer screen and resumed reading the TVTropes page on Crowning Moments of Awesomeness of the Halo series.

A soft chime startled me.

"Who?" I murmured, going to my email.

It was Kairi, again. I just thanked someone that this conversation wouldn't be over a phone. My ears were still a bit below nominal functioning.

Roxas told me u got the hots for some boy! XD Finally! -Kairi Strife

I do not have the hots for Vanitas! -Namine Farron

Vanitas…so that's his name! Hehe… -Sora Leonhart

Girls only Sora! Go away! -Namine Farron

Namine, he can't. He's using my desktop right now. -Kairi Strife

Your dad actually let Sora into your house? XD WOW -Namine Farron

Back on topic…then what DO you think of Vanitas? -Roxas Leonhart

He's cute…in a -Namine Farron

I was actually going to delete that entire post and put a new one telling off Roxas in its place, but I accidentally brushed the "return" key while reaching for the "backspace" key.

Damn the advent of touchscreen technology.

OMG OMG OMG Namine has a crush, Namine has a crush. X frickin' D! -Kairi Strife

SHUT UP! -Namine Farron

Wait a sec, you complete that post. You said V is "cute in a", and then it cut off. -Roxas Leonhart

Why do you wanna know? Interested in him? =D -Namine Farron

No, I'm interested in you! -Roxas Leonhart

Wait that came out wrong. -Roxas Leonhart

LMAO -Sora Leonhart

LOLZERS OMG -Kairi Strife

WTF -Namine Farron

Namine Farron has left.

The reason for my abrupt departure? You know why.

Roxas was interested in me? Really?

Granted, he'd taken it back faster than Sora could type LMAO, but I knew how Roxas really felt. His denial only reinforced that belief.

There was only one thing left to do. Keep to my policy…and give him hell.

I was setting the table for five when the doorbell rang. I made a mad dash for it, leaping around corners and sprinting down the hall. I may be the weakest kid in school, but I was doubtlessly one of the fastest. Aqua joined me in the foyer.

We opened the door to reveal Mr. Katzroy and his son, Dajh.

"Hey there, kids!" he said with a wide grin. "How are ya?"

"Great! How're you?" Aqua and I chirped in unison.

"Namine!" Dajh cried, and dove at me, bowling me over. Both of us slammed into the foyer wall.

I laughed while trying to catch my breath. Dajh squeezed his tiny arms around my waist.

"I missed you!" he wailed.

"I missed you, too," I cooed with a smile.

Mom had invited the Katzroys over for dinner. Sazh Katzroy was a colleague of Mom's. Like her, he was a homicide detective, and was a frequent partner of hers. He could also tell very vivid horror stories based on some of his cases.

I was still having nightmares about being dumped headfirst into wet concrete.

His son, Dajh, was a six-year-old copy of his father. The boy was annoying as all kids could be, but most of the time he was endearing and fun to be around.

I picked Dajh up, cradling him in my arms. "You're getting gigantic!" I said.

"What're we doing today?" he squealed.

"Hmmm…Monopoly?" I said, placing a finger on my lip.

"Yeah!" he declared.

"Getting' a bit ahead o' yourself, Dajh," Mr. Katzroy chuckled. "You wanted to give something to Namine?"

Dajh jumped down from my arms and ran over to his father. The kid took something from Sazh's left hand and walked back to me with it in his hands.

It was a baby Chocobo in a tiny cage, cheeping merrily.

"It's so cute!" I squealed, holding it to my cheek. I hugged Dajh. "Thank you!"

He blushed. "Y-You're welcome," he replied shyly, looking at his toes.

Mom came into the foyer. "Sazh!" she grinned.

"Lightning!" he cackled. "How ya been, girl!"

"Great!" she responded. "And how're you, Dajh?" she said, kneeling down.

"Fine, Mrs. Farron," he mumbled nervously.

Sazh looked me head to toe and frowned.

"Lightning, you been feedin' this girl right? I could swear she hasn't grown an inch!" he said, shaking his head.

"Well, Dajh once told me the best food he'd ever had was here!" Mom retorted.

Sazh looked at his son and moaned in mock pain like he'd been shot.

"Traitor," he croaked.

Aqua and I giggled uncontrollably at that.

"Well, I haven't finished making the salad or the potatoes," Mom noted, striding into the kitchen.

"You don't ever finish paperwork on time. I ain't surprised that extends to your cooking," Sazh smirked, following her.

"Just shut up and help me," Mom ordered.

I looked at Dajh again.

"Wait here a sec, I need to put this Chocobo in my room, OK?" I said.

"Okay," he nodded.

I raced up the stairs to my room and set the cage down on my desk. I stroked the cage again, admiring the little bird inside for a second.

Then I went downstairs to rejoin Dajh.

"Alright," I declared, rubbing my hands. "Let's get the board…"

I took Dajh's little hand and we started for the family room—

—and then the doorbell rang again.

I whipped around in surprise. Who was it this time?

"Somebody get that!" Mom shouted from somewhere inside the kitchen.

I grasped the doorknob, turned and pulled.

Standing there was a regal-looking woman. She looked to be in her late forties, and had horn-rimmed glasses sitting on her nose.

She looked down at me and smiled. "Hello there. I'm Jihl Nabaat. You must be Namine," she greeted me.

"H-hi," I mumbled, before I drew a sharp breath of recognition—Jihl Nabaat was my mom's boss! I promptly scrambled a mask of businesslike attitude (can't find the perfect word for that).

"Hello, Mrs. Nabaat," I said formally. "Welcome."

"You don't need to be that formal, my dear," she laughed. "Oh, Lightning! How are you?"

As she and my mom conversed, I noticed that there seemed to be someone behind Mrs. Nabaat. I peeked around her and saw…

No way. No fucking way.

"Come on in!" my mom invited. "It must be freezing out there!"

"Thank you, Lightning," Mrs. Nabaat said gratefully, stepping into the foyer.

That was when I got a full, undeniable, indisputable view.

Impossible.

Unreal.

This was not happening.

It was him.

It was Vanitas.

DAMN. I thought of that just today, to be honest. Cliffhangers, ahoy!

Anyways, review if you want. I appreciate compliments, but I also like constructive criticism. I know my story's not perfect, so I want you guys to show me what's wrong with it so I can make it perfect.

However, I just want to make this clear: I treasure each and every review I get, even if in the future one's going to flame me. This is because it means people are reading my stories.