Sick Cycle
My mom woke me up early that Monday morning. Thirty minutes earlier than usual (which would make it five a.m.). I did not appreciate the wakeup call. Nor did I appreciate her tugging my exhausted body out of bed, wrenching my headphones from out of my ears. My blue eyes opened and watched in despair as my iPod fell to the ground, making a clunking noise. Terrified that it had broken, I scampered off the bed and onto my knees. My mother placed her hands on her hips as she turned on the light in the room.
"Kairi's mother told me that a certain someone's back," Taranda sang quite gleefully. Her motherly eyes were set upon me as I scrambled to recollect my fallen iPod. I held the lime-green object in my hands, pressing the middle button to make sure it was all right. Thankfully, it was. Releasing a sigh of relief, I turned my attention back to my mother.
"I know," I replied, biting back a jovial grin. I didn't want my mother to know how elated I was to know that Riku was home.
"Honey, why did you fall asleep listening to music? You know that's not safe," Taranda said, the glee from her earlier statement now completely gone. Brown eyes watched me as she placed her lithe fingers on my shoulder. "Come down to the kitchen, I'll make you a big breakfast seeing I woke you up so early."
"Thanks, mom," I answered in a quiet voice. I watched as she left the room, carrying herself towards our kitchen.
My eyes then settled back down to the iPod in my grasps. Wordlessly, I pushed my back against the bed, my shoulder-blades flattening against the cold metal of the frame. Carefully, my index finger began scrolling through the playlist until it settled upon a rather familiar song. More so the song I had fallen asleep listening to. With a goofy grin, (which everyone says I always have… it's not my fault I'm a happy person…) I clicked on it and slipped the small ear plugs on.
Humming along with the song, I made my way around my room, usually I was a neat person, but ever since high school started, that habit went out the window. I stared rather dejectedly at the mob of clothes spread out around my room, hiding the furniture (well, the little furniture that I actually had in here, anyhow).
Before I realized what I was doing, I had begun grinning like a maniac, swaying rhythmically around my room as I mouthed the words. I came to a complete halt. Gravity-defying brown locks fell down in front of my eyes as I laughed nervously. "Heh…glad no one saw that," I murmured quickly to myself. Only girls danced around their rooms over a boy.
I then proceeded to quickly get dressed. When mom makes breakfast, she goes all out. Pancakes and all. I love her cooking, but sometimes she goes over the top. Not that I mind. I just need to make sure I have enough time to get ready for school. Though…every time I went to do something, Riku kept popping up in my head. Did he look any different? Did he change?…Did he…hate me?
My stomach began to tie itself into knots as I slipped on a black shirt with a pair of baggy pants. Quickly snagging my windbreaker, I slipped out of my bedroom, iPod still in hand.
My mother greeted me with a plate filled with towering pancakes and syrup. I swear my eyes doubled - no, tripled in size. How did she make so many?! I always wondered that though I had never bothered to ask. She probably just has a lot of mix.
"Eat up, Sora. You need the energy for all your classes," she sang happily, making her way back over to the sink. My mother dipped her hands into the soapy water and began cleaning a few bowls and whatnot.
"Thanks," I answered brightly, taking a seat and taking one of my earplugs out.
"Did Riku tell you himself that he was back?" she asked as her fingers swiped at the dirty surface of the plate in her grasps.
I fell silent. My fingers curled tightly around the fork I was holding and my eyes went from bright to dim and dull. I then quickly swallowed the pancake I had been chewing. It went down a bit painfully and I scrambled for my glass of water. After taking a quick sip, I dared to look across the room. Taranda was staring at me questioningly, silently wondering if I was all right.
"N-no…" I replied after the long delay. "…Kairi told me." I shifted a bit in my seat, eyes focusing on the stack. My mind began playing tricks on me. How did I know this? Well, it isn't everyday that you think your pancakes look like a broken heart. You know, with all the tears in it. Each one representing something someone you loved did to you. Something that Riku did to hurt me…
"Oh," my mother answered with a swift nod. "Well, when you see him, give him a big hug for me, okay Sora?" She smiled brightly and went back to cleaning.
Somehow, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to do that. Maybe I was just being…a bit doubtful? Yeah! Everything was going to be okay! I just needed to go back to being perky and excited and…Soralike (if that was even a word...), or maybe like that movie Kairi and Selphie made me watch…You, Me, and Dupree. Your name plus 'ness'. So I needed to regain my Soraness?…I'm hopeless.
"Can do, mom," I mumbled after yet another moment of the only sound being the bubbles popping in the sink and the water swishing back and forth.
"Sora, honey, if you've missed him make sure to tell him," Taranda suggested quietly from by the sink.
I instantly frowned. "M-mom! He didn't even bother calling!" I refuted, tears of rejection clouding my eyes. Of course, I kept them in. I didn't need my mom noticing them.
"I didn't see you trying to call him," my mother reasoned, her agile fingers working at cleaning the plates.
You know…she's kind of right. If I had missed Riku this much perhaps I should have called him? But he promised he'd call me!…I could have called him. I was just so afraid that maybe he'd be busy and that he'd get angry at me…I was afraid that my best friend wouldn't want to talk to me. Perhaps if I had called, even texted him, maybe I wouldn't be in this odd situation.
"He said he'd call," I retorted stubbornly, lowering my head so that my hair fell hid my eyes.
"So you're both to blame. That's it. If he doesn't hold it against you, dear, then don't hold it against him," Taranda suggested compassionately.
"…okay, mom," I mumbled in defeat as I rose from my seat and made my way across the kitchen and towards the door, grabbing my bag with disdain.
"Have a good day, dear," she called as I left the house.
"Thanks mom, you too…" I answered quietly, ready to face my doom.
Riku . . . "It goes on and on"
Destiny Islands hadn't changed one bit since I left it. Everything was the same as I remembered. And of course, the first person that came running towards me was Selphie. I sort of expected that. I mean, how could I forget her hyperactivity?
"Riku!" she sang excitedly, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug.
My eyes widened with a bit of shock. Alright, so I was expecting that, but it still was…to some degree, unanticipated. Laughing nervously, I pried the clingy brunette off me and smiled lightly at her. "Hey, Selphie," I replied more calmly than she had. Much more calmly.
I hadn't even noticed a certain brunette watching in envy.
"I've got so much to tell you!" Selphie eagerly said, grabbing me by the wrist. She then promptly began to drag me towards homeroom with excitement brimming from her like lava from a volcano. Selphie … she was always a weird one. But at least I knew someone didn't hate me … which reminds me…
Sora. . . "And over and over and over again"
"This…is it," I stated dramatically, walking into my high-school after having taken a deep breath. A smile was on my face, whether I was aware of it or not. My hands clenched the straps of my bag tightly, as if to contain my enthusiasm. No matter how much pain Riku had caused me I was still eager to see him…talk to him…and dare I say even hold him. All right, so I was hopeless…it's not my fault. He's my best friend that I just so happened to fall for.
Tidus stopped me on my way to my locker. 1125, to be exact, if you were wondering. The brunette at once noticed the look on my face. "Wakka, come here," Tidus called, motioning for the other male to come over. Wakka promptly did such and they both blocked off my locker from use.
"What's with the look, Sora? Someone get laid?" Tidus asked, arching an eyebrow playfully.
My cheeks turned a dark red. "N-no!" I slurred, quickly shaking my head in refusal.
"Then what's the problem?" Wakka questioned.
They were acting more like bullies then my friends, then again, this was Tidus and Wakka. The dynamic duo. Oh well. "It's nothing." I lied and pushed Tidus to the right so I could get to my locker. Tidus continued to watch me intently.
"I haven't seen you this cheerful in nearly a year," Tidus noted, rocking on the balls of his feet. "What's the occasion?"
By now Wakka had wandered off, to chat aimlessly with his other friends, no doubt. Nervously, I glanced around the hallways before gesturing for Tidus to come closer. Hesitantly, he did such. "Riku's back." I whispered, happiness somehow leaking into my voice as another smile spread. Once again I felt like I couldn't breathe. Stupid excitement.
"He is?" Tidus inquired, arching a brow. "Interesting," Tidus noted and then stretched his arms above his head. "Is he in our math class?"
"Dunno." I replied sheepishly and went back to getting my books from my locker.
I dropped my algebra book in sudden horror. There he was. His silver hair was a bit shorter and neater than I had remembered. If it was achievable, he looked even more gorgeous. Familiar aquamarine eyes caught my attention and it took everything I had not to collapse on the ground beside my book. Breathing heavily, I watched as Selphie flung herself at him. Anger and jealousy at once shot through me as I quickly turned around, glaring at my locker as if it was the reason for my discomfort.
If it was possible to feel any more nervous … well, it would be a miracle.
Sora. . . "Keep spinning around I know that it wont stop"
I think that Tidus can tell the future. I'm serious. How he knew that Riku was going to be in my algebra class … I'm not quite sure.
Either way, halfway through class Riku entered, silver hair sparkling. Now that I got a good look at him, he looked even more godly than he did when he left. My breathing rate turned dangerous again as I glanced down at my desk. Why oh why did I have to be stuck with the front seat?! Someone hated me… I made sure not to make eye-contact with him, afraid that if I did my eyes would betray me.
Sneaking a peek at him as he took a seat in the far back corner behind Naminé, I exhaled loudly. There he was. It took everything I had not to jump out of my seat, tackle him, and kiss him. I tore my gaze away when he turned his head in my direction. Naminé had begun whispering to him already. They were old friends from Traverse Town, right?
"So, Riku, where are you from?"
Oh splendid. My teacher had to ask him something. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, my body feeling limp and weak. Was I sweating?… I'm pretty sure I was.
"I moved to Traverse Town last summer," came his elegant response. Damn…he sounds even better than before…slightly deeper voice…O-oh…God… Trying to ignore my thoughts and my hormones, I grabbed for my notebook and began writing something quickly down in it. Something incoherent, probably.
"Did you have Algebra II there?" the teacher asked with interest.
"Yes sir," Riku answered calmly.
I wasn't sure if he had even noticed me, why that bothered me…I'm not sure. Regardless, for the entire math class, I kept my head low and my eyes glued to my book, only sneaking peeks over my shoulder once in a blue moon. When I did, he wasn't looking my way at all, and was reading.
Never before had someone looked so beautiful.
Sora . . . "Till I step down from this for good"
Lunch. Well … That went horrible.
Wakka and Tidus were eagerly chatting about something pointless to Naminé. Kairi was by my side, noting my uneasiness. She didn't say anything. She knew that I was upset and nervous. The red-head's lips fell into a frown before she comfortingly whispered, "It's all right, Sora. He's a jerk."
I was doing fine, (not eating… I didn't have an appetite), until the vacant seat was taken.
Did God hate me?!
A wave of silence overcame our table when he took a seat. If it was possible to feel any sicker, well, it just happened. I lowered my gaze again, feeling tears pricking at the corner of my eyes. Why wouldn't he… say anything to me? I had hoped that he would now that it was lunch.
"You're not welcome here," Kairi seethed, breaking the silence.
"Kairi-" Naminé spoke apprehensively, smiling faintly at Riku, trying to nonverbally tell him that it was all right.
"Go back where you belong," Kairi continued, narrowing her eyes.
I looked up weakly, staring at my untouched sandwich with a wave of guilt. Out of the corner of my eyes I caught him looking my way. My cheeks turned a dark red at once. Somehow having him just looking at me made my blush. I…I'm not sure why. He's just that… talented, I guess? Riku said nothing to Kairi, ignoring her completely, and went back to talking to Tidus and Naminé.
He completely ignored me…
Sora. . . "I never thought i'd end up here"
English class. Last class of the day. We have this weird schedule. Four hour and a half long classes a day. And just my luck Riku was in two out of four of mine. Just splendid. I entered English class with a frown, keeping my head down low. Too many things were running through my head. And tears were threatening to fall. I didn't need anyone seeing, so I kept to myself as I took my seat in the last row on the far right, near the windows.
I hadn't even noticed that Riku was already in the room, talking to the teacher with amusement. It wasn't until I heard his unmistakable laughter that I realized he was there. My blue eyes snapped up from my textbook and stared at the front of the room. Riku…my stomach ached and I wanted to leave the room as quickly as I could.
As if the devil was instructing him, he took the empty seat beside me.
If I could possibly get anymore nervous…it happened.
He was within…a foot of me…
Nervously beginning to scribble random letters on my notebook, I kept silent. My hand shook, and I hoped it was obvious… Anger suddenly swelled up inside of me when a few girls had run over to welcome him back happily. Each…hugged him. Then the bell rang and they took their seats. One of them, regretfully, had the seat on Riku's other side.
I'm not sure what got into me, but I ended up writing a shaky note to him. Yes, I am hopeless…
Hi :D. Long time no see.
Yes, it was cheesy. And it was meant to be friendly. Overly friendly, now that I think about it. Oh well. I shyly moved it across my desk to the corner, hoping he'd notice it.
The thing was…
He had noticed it…and didn't do anything about it. He completely...ignored it. Just like he had done to me.
If it was possible for my heart to break anymore…it happened.
I promise next chapter they'll have some interaction.
But that's how it went down … the ignoring, any how.
So yeah. Review. I promise the next chapter will make up for this crucial…plot-builder?