Chapter 19: Friends Never Say Goodbye
Riku wakes up overwhelmingly nauseated. The sun has barely breached the horizon, and Riku barely notices as he stumbles out of bed. What woke him from his restless and unsatisfying slumber was his phone, buzzing on the ground next to his glasses case where it had stayed for the entirety of the camp. He didn't answer it, too anxious to somehow reach the bathrooms before vomiting all over the floor. Only vaguely does he hope that his shuffling and uncoordinated movements do not wake up his sleeping friends around him. His cloudy mind clumsily leads his body out of the cabins, not even bothering to close the door behind him.
Normally he would inwardly comment on the crisp morning, or that it was chillier than normal—but that was probably his fever talking. Only one coherent thought enters his mind when he reaches the bathrooms: thank God. He picks the nearest stall, ignoring the general filth, and empties his stomach into the bowl almost immediately. He is grateful for the earliness; he can't even imagine the humiliation if anyone saw him like this. Vomiting is probably the least dignified way to be non-lethally sick. And yet he knows that it is his own fault that he is in this predicament; if he had stayed in bed yesterday it probably wouldn't have gotten to this point. He can't bring himself to regret his decision though. He helped Sora after all.
He stays in the lavatory for a long while, intermittently leaning against the side wall and bracing against the toilet. Though the severity of the nausea declines over time, his headache seems to only increase. Even in seclusion he tries to hold back his shivers. Soon the silveret is convinced that he needs the warmth of his bed more than the bathroom, and slowly rises to his feet. Everything he does is slower than usual and he sways slightly in place. It doesn't help that without his glasses he isn't able to see as well; he inwardly scolds himself, wishing he would just swallow his pride and wear them like a normal human being. Maybe he will start wearing them. He's too out of it to make these sorts of apparel decisions.
He shuffles out of the bathroom, lightly tracing the wall to trick his mind into thinking that he is in balance. Already, there are kids outside waiting for their parents to pick them up; he can tell by the multicolored blurred "columns" in the distance. He knows that some are leaving really early to make it home within a day's drive. Roxas was complaining about that the other day… The silveret wonders what exactly his mom's plans were. He thinks back to the buzz from his phone, scowling when he realizes that it was probably her. She'll probably be super late.
Coach and the staff are quickly going to and fro the entrance of the camp and the administrative building, signing kids out and retrieving cabin keys. Riku tries to stay out of the way, outlining the outskirts of the commotion, though it is amusing to watch a huge round thing dart across his field of vision like a game of pinball, followed by a trail of lightening yellow intermittently. He heads back toward the cabins quickly to avoid Larxene and Coach, his throbbing mind set on reading the text he had gotten before hopefully returning back to slumber for another hour.
He doesn't get farther than a few steps, however, when he hears a distinct thud behind him. Someone puts a stern hand on his shoulder, their nails digging into his skin a little. "Riku! There you are! I've been looking everywhere!"
Speak of the devil. The silveret inwardly cringes as he turns toward his mom, hoarsely asking, "…Mom? What are you doing here so early?"
She rolls her eyes, annoyed. "Didn't you get my text? We have to get back to Texas and beat the movers to our new apartment."
Riku raises an eyebrow, noting how flustered she looks, her silver hair in slight disarray. He holds back the urge to roll his eyes as he notices that she is still wearing heels, black and stiletto, despite having known that she would be walking on gravel and grass. He supposes that some things never change. It is almost surreal to see her again after everything that has happened. He can't even perceive her the same, though she hasn't changed. It isn't that he has more respect for her but perhaps less bitterness and anger towards her. There isn't any need for it now.
Finally he notices that she has retrieved his backpack that served as his suitcase for the summer, which was the source of the thud earlier when she probably gave up on lugging it around when she caught sight of him. "No," he says finally, "Sorry. I've been sick; I didn't look at my phone." She frowns.
"Oh," she finally says. "Sorry to hear that, honey." She says it sympathetically, but she isn't looking at him directly, which was essentially a sign of her omitting his suffering. He sighs, leans down, and straps the black backpack across his shoulder slowly. Once he complies with her indirect will, she adds, "Though I'm afraid we do need to go." The silveret is already woozy just from lifting the heavy thing. Though a man of few things, the many game consoles within did weigh him down. He vaguely nods, not having much will to argue. He inwardly scowls as a shiver passes through his body again.
She begins to walk away, her short silver hair bobbing with each struggled step. Even in the haze of his sickness, Riku knows he is missing something. It clicks almost immediately once he thinks about it for a moment. He calls out to his mother, "Give me a second, I have to do something."
"If it's about your cell phone I already put it in your bag, Ri," she says, sweetly but impatiently.
"No, uh, it's something else."
She scoffs in frustration, displeased by his ambiguity and reluctance. "Ugh, well fine but hurry up! Seriously!" She continues to walk away, indicating that she is going to wait for him in the car. He sighs deeply, already feeling exhausted by her in addition to the normal tiredness that accompanies sickness. He takes a moment to clear the fog from his head before trudging back to the cabins, resting his stuffed backpack by the stairs (he's likely to pass out trying to go up the stairs with extra weight). He makes a beeline toward Sora's cabin, too sick to be casual.
His first instinct is to barge in. They are all boys— well, except for Xion— so it shouldn't matter if he goes in unannounced, right? They are all friends, after all. And yet when he tries to turn the door knob, it doesn't budge. It's locked. Typically it's never locked unless someone is changing within. He growls in frustration, feeling the time pressure him. He knows that the longer he takes, the more pissed his mom will be when he gets into the car. The last thing he needs is a hostile mother barraging him for hours on the way home. With this in mind, he knocks on the door aggressively, or as aggressively he can manage in his current state. He waits a good thirty seconds, but no one answers. He is tempted to kick the door, or hit his head against the frame, but his body hurts enough as it is. Why the absolute fuck is the door locked? And why won't anyone answer? He considers the time. With reluctance he admits that it is still quite early for anyone in Sora's cabin to be up. Who knows, maybe T.K. or Ventus already left (because if Roxas left early, that should mean that Ventus would depart at the same time) and locked the door behind them. Considering the two of them, it's quite probable. He growls again.
He scrambles to come up with a plan B. He needs to get his number to Sora somehow… He thinks about giving the number to Axel, but can he trust the redhead to pass the digits along? He is incoherent at best after waking up and the silveret doesn't have the time—or patience— to wait for him to be alert enough to accept his instructions. Roxas is probably already gone. Quite frankly he wouldn't trust any of the others with the task except maybe Xion, but she too is behind the locked door and therefore cannot help him.
He shuffles as fast as he can back to his black backpack. The only thing he can think to do is write the number down and put it on the door somehow. He manages to find a pen at the bottom of the endless dark storage, probably from the last school year. In the front pocket he manages to find a fragment of notepad paper, blue with little paw prints off the side and a single hole that was meant to be immured onto a binder. He groans a bit, remembering the girl who gave it to him to put his number on (of which he never did). How ironic now that he would finally use it, only for someone completely different.
He hastily scribbles his cell phone number on the scrap of paper, feeling ridiculously close to a middle-school boy with a crush. He sighs; it can't be helped. The silveret only hopes the brunet can read it; his handwriting isn't the best even when he is well. With a little faith he focuses on the next task. Where should he put the note so that Sora will get it? Better yet, he should probably indicate somehow that it is his number in the first place. He doesn't want to label it as his number, knowing that it may be stolen by some admirer that way. In frustration his hand goes to move back his hair, only to realize of course that it is tied up in his usual safety blanket of a pony tail. Almost like a light bulb turns on, Riku slides the malleable thing from his hair and carefully ties it to the paper; it's practically a miracle that the paper doesn't rip, but he isn't one to complain about the stroke of luck. Finally, Riku loops the pony tail to the door knob of Sora's cabin and sighs at the shoddy solution. It'll have to do. Even in his sick stupor, he is able to have a little faith; it may be a sketchy way to get your number to someone, but at least he fulfilled his promise to the cherub brunet, his light. Sora will see it.
The silveret leans against the wall, unwilling to leave. He had hoped to say goodbye to everyone at least. Though ready to face whatever lies in waiting for him at his new home and life, it's bittersweet to leave this purgatory, masked by sports and a high school atmosphere. He supposes this place will never leave him— the wooden cabins, worn and discolored with use; the overarching trees, old and immobile yet full of life; the beaten trails that indicate unwritten history, forever lost to the forest and the minds of those who indulged in its privacy; the cafeteria, a touch of all their normal lives; and the unknown wilderness all around, just outside their reach…. Except for him and Sora. He smiles at the flash of memory; Sora, flushed in exhilaration and fear at Riku's driving.
He hears the distinct sound of his phone buzzing again from his backpack. He sighs, sufficiently brought out of his own mind. He knows it's probably his ever impatient mom, urging him to get his ass in the car. He slowly shuffles to his bag, slinging it over his shoulder painstakingly. He looks back, his small gift swaying ever slightly in the early morning breeze. It'll have to do. Almost unconsciously, he lifts a shaky hand and blows a kiss toward the cabin; he hopes that it makes it through to door and finds the forehead, or lips God willing, of an unsuspecting brunet deep in restful slumber, maybe even dreaming of yours truly. He wishes he could see Sora at least one more time before he leaves…
But he walks away, spirit still entangled in the hair tie on the door. He doesn't recognize anyone worth talking to as he makes his way out of the camp, and so he reaches the gateway uninterrupted. Coach pats his shoulder roughly, nearly causing the silveret to fall over. "Take care of yourself, Riku," he says as close to affectionate as the man can get. Riku looks up at his rotund face, a genuine smile on his face. "You too, Coach. See you around."
Coach laughs and nods. As Riku moves to leave, he offer amiably, "If you ever need a summer job, son, you know where to go!" The silveret looks back momentarily, rolling his eyes. "Sure." And that's the end of that. The silveret makes a beeline for his mom's red little Mazda, throwing his backpack weakly in the back seat once he approaches.
"It's about time!" When Riku doesn't respond, she sighs. "Come on, we'll stop by a Sonic to get you a Sprite for your stomach."
Riku collapses in the passenger side and sends her a small, grateful smile. "Thanks." He closes his door, buckles up, and she puts the car in drive. The car rolls away down the gravel path and soon they are on an obscure highway, headed back toward the Lone Star State.
Sora wakes up feeling, literally, better than ever. The bright sunlight pours through the cabin window, for once, invitingly, warming the air within comfortably. The soft hum of his body is so comfortable… After opening his cerulean orbs it takes a fair few moments to remember that these are his last minutes, or perhaps hours, here. All campers are to be gone by 2 p.m. according to Coach; the uncertainty of the day is highlighted by the fact that there is an open-bar breakfast for the entire day. Normally there would be an hour window to eat, but formality was decidedly thrown out the window. He supposes that camp truly ended last night, then; after all, today will resemble nothing of the days previous to this.
He slides lethargically from his bunk, noticing that he's the only one left within. He wonders if they are all outside conversing, or have they already left? Surely they would want to say goodbye… With a sudden feeling of rush, he quickly dresses, shoving his pajamas in his already packed suitcase. He fleetingly wonders when his own parents will arrive; they usually have impeccable timing so he doesn't fret too much. Even if they were already there, they'd probably allow him to loiter until it suited him to depart anyway.
Leaving his suitcase behind, he swings open the cabin door, anxious to find Riku, Axel, and the others. In retrospect, he probably should have set an alarm for today… but he was so exhausted last night, all he could think about was the many events of the day and the warmth awaiting him under the covers. It can't be helped.
He hastily surges out of the cabin as soon as his shoelaces are tied. But as the door flies open, he is drawn from his thoughts from the sound of fluttering paper, a sound he hasn't heard since the last day of school. Though his lithe body was in full swing, prepared to strive to the sun, he stops mid-step, looking around for the source of the sound. In no time he finds it, a slip of paper hanging off a hallmark pony-tail. After a slight surprised pause, Sora takes the thing immediately as the note hangs precariously, the fragile slip already partly ripped. He examines the tiny gift in his hands, fairly certain what it was. His heart sinks as the proof is in the pudding; Riku must have already left. He is comforted however by the gift itself, and the sequence of numbers left on the paper.
His first instinct is to go back inside his cabin, retrieve his phone, and text him immediately. But as he looks at the numbers, he realizes that there are several that resemble something closer to Japanese. He frowns and squints. Eventually, he sighs in utter frustration; he finally gets the silveret's number and it is illegible? Calculating quickly, he supposes that there about twenty different combinations he can narrow down the number to. Maybe Axel could help; he seems like the type who would be able to read horrendous handwriting. He carefully puts the note in his pocket, taking the pony tail and snapping it on his wrist. It's a comforting token, but the hurry from before overcomes him again. After all, who knows who will still be around? Maybe Riku hasn't actually left yet and he can catch him last second.
He quickly makes his way out of the cabins toward the sounds of conversation. Most people are gathered right before the entrance archway to the camp. His footsteps crunch as he progresses, keeping his eyes open for anyone he knows. Most groups are lounging around one of the many trees on the outskirts of the big, gravel circle where parents come in to the middle and wait awkwardly for their child to approach. It is a rather convenient system for Coach, the brunet notes; he can keep an eye on all the kids and simultaneously help the uncertain parents by standing in the middle, being the virtual bridge between the two established worlds.
He is relieved when he picks out an unmistakable mane of red hair under a tree farthest from the entrance. He quickly makes his way over to him, inwardly laughing that Axel would pick such a distanced spot from his exit point. Clearly the brunet is not the only one who is reluctant to leave!
Axel catches sight of him before Sora can say anything. "Oi, Sora! Did you plan on sleeping all day?" he teases, waving him over. Sora grins, unphased. Once he gets closer he notices Xion and Christopher standing by. They both say good morning to him happily.
"Good morning! Where is everyone else?" the brunet replies, stopping to stand in front of the redhead.
Axel tsks disapprovingly. "Well, Roxy and Ventus already left. I haven't seen T.K. today…" Sora looks beseechingly at his friend, and the redhead, understanding, adds, "And I haven't seen Riku either. I think he had to leave 'cause when I woke up all his stuff was gone already."
Sora deflates a little. "Yeah… I expected as much," he replies, "Well, what about you guys? When are you heading out?"
Xion pitches in, "My dad said he's on his way. He'll probably be here soon."
Christopher adds, "Oh, my parents are already here. We aren't in any rush though. I'll go when my sisters want to go." Sora nods.
Axel chuckles, "No need to worry about me leaving you. My aunt and uncle will wait till the last minute to get me." The redhead glares toward the entrance. "Though I won't exactly be fucking ecstatic to see them either."
The brunet looks compassionately toward his friend. "I'm sorry, Ax. When do you turn 18?" Instantly his friend brightens. "I have about a month. And then BAM! Freedom." He sends Sora his regular wide, toothy and mischievous smile.
Xion giggles, "Watch out world, here he comes."
"You betcha missy. Though you might wanna replace world with Roxy," he says with a wink. Xion and Christopher laugh at his flamboyancy. Sora chuckles, but mostly from the fact that he knows that the redhead was not kidding in the slightest.
"Speaking of Roxy though…" Axel continues, turning to Sora, "He told me to give you his number. Give me your arm."
"Huh?" Before Sora can protest, Axel grabs his arm and brandishes a sharpie in a single movement. His arm is soon covered in a cell number.
"There," Axel says cheekily, "Now you can't forget about us." He says 'us' like the number includes the both of them, but Sora supposes that it is all the same.
The brunet laughs. "I wasn't going to anyway! Here, write yours down too." He looks at Xion and Christopher in succession, indicating to them as well as Axel that his skin is now a phonebook. The sharpie attacks them all in a flurry of hands and black numbers across their skin. Axel looks at his arms observantly and then braces. "Well, I know what I'm not getting tattooed."
Sora laughs, "What, you don't want my number for the rest of your life?"
Xion adds, "Axel, are we only temporary to you?!" She pretends to shed a tear.
"Woah, woah, ladies chill out," Axel says, grinning, "You can have me one at a time, okay?"
Sora glares playfully at the redhead, "Oh really? What about Roxas, Mrs. Priss?"
"Pfft, it's fucking Mrs. Fabulous to you."
"I can't believe you just went there," Christopher says, hiding his laughter behind his hand.
They burst into laughter again together, ignoring that the sand in the hourglass is ever diminishing. But before it slips his mind, Sora asks Axel, "Oh, can you read this?" He hands the amused redhead his slip of paper.
He receives it casually and glances at it. Then does a double take.
"Is this English?"
"I'm pretty sure they are numbers…" Sora says hesitantly. "Oh," Axel responds, frowning. "Did Riku leave this for you?"
"Yeah, it was attached to one of his hair ties."
"How romantic." The redhead sends him a wink. Sora blushes and glares.
"Oh shut up! Seriously, though, can you decipher that?"
"Uhhh…" Axel scratches the back of his head, concentration expressing itself on his face. The brunet hears him mutter under his breath, "And I thought my handwriting was bad…"
After a few moments (with Xion and Christopher talking indistinctly in the background) Axel grimaces and hands the note back. "Sorry," he genuinely appears it, "but my guess is as good as yours."
Sora sighs, unwilling to let hopelessness overtake him. "It's alright. If worse comes to worse I'll find him on Facebook or something."
"Yeah, of course," he says uncharacteristically encouraging. "Me and Roxas will poke around on the internet too. There's got to be something." Sora nods, smiling. "Thanks."
Xion taps Sora's shoulder and he turns to her, surprised she had moved. "My parents are here," she explains.
"Oh…." Sora pouts, keeping the mood of the separation light. "You better text me," he says, unsure what else to say. Xion smiles. "As soon as I get signal!" she says jovially. Then she steals a hug, squeezing him strongly.
"Ugh… Xion… you're crushing me," Sora gasps, over exaggerating. She giggles, quickly releasing him and moving on to Axel and Christopher, embracing the other two quickly as well.
"Keep in touch," Axel says coolly, avoiding eye contact as he is still awkward about goodbyes.
"See you around," Christopher says, grinning. She smiles back and turns, jogging toward the center as an overabundance of boys sprint toward her, literally tackling her in greeting. Sora finds himself giggling at the scene as a mid-forties woman who looks nothing like the rest of the family paces around them frantically, chastising them for mauling her step-daughter in public. Though he never doubted her in the first place, he can't help but marvel that her story has proven to be authentic. She truly is a master of simplicity, he thinks. But, he knows that he can and will be too. Partly in thanks to her. He'll have to remember to thank her later and keep up with her; she is definitely a friend he would sorely miss if he lost forever.
She looks back, smiling brightly at her dirt-streaked cheeks and already filthy clothes. Axel, Sora, and Christopher wave in a strange respect for the girl. After all, not many girls come out smiling from such an all out assault… But as soon as Sora can finish the thought, she's gone amongst the crowd and her family, heading back home to whatever mysterious, fabulous future awaits her.
"And then there were three," Sora says, sighing sadly. Axel places a rough hand on his shoulder and shakes him sympathetically, like forcing the brunet to shake off his emotion like a puppy.
"We'll all get together again eventually," Axel says surely. Sora smiles back at his friend. "Yeah," he says, eyes shining gratefully from his friend's comfort.
It isn't too long after that Chris's sisters indeed come and beckon him away as well. The goodbyes are quick between them, but he doesn't seem to mind the lack of emotionality. When he's out of earshot, Axel muses aloud, "You just have to wonder how good it is to be like that."
"What do you mean?" Sora asks, sitting under the tree in exhaustion from standing so long. Axel follows suit, happily slipping further out of sight of the entrance arch.
"I wonder how nice it is being completely normal."
Sora takes a moment, contemplating what his friend had said. He shrugs, responding, "Eh, I mean, there's no telling if he was really completely normal. He just might not have told us… But even if he was normal, what kind of person does that make him? I guess I'd prefer being me. I have a story of my own."
Axel looks surprised, and is momentarily rendered speechless. "Well… shit, yeah. Not only that, you can hardly go through life without suffering at some point," the redhead adds hastily. Sora nods, though somewhat sadly. If not now, later, he thinks, but at least we have people to turn to.
"Ain't no rest for the wicked," Sora says jokingly, though Axel looks grimly ahead of him. "What is it?"
The redhead doesn't reply directly to him, but instead mumbles under his breath, "Fuck… speaking of the wicked." He stands, and two slightly familiar figures approach, scowls equal to the redhead's.
"Come on, boy," says the man. He still stands a good ten feet away, but he is hesitant to come closer. Sora finds himself glaring at the pair of them.
Axel, seemingly bored by them already, replies caustically, "The name's Axel. Got it memorized?"
"Don't get smart," the sour woman snaps, her dark eyes (almost nearly black, Sora notices with a shudder) glaring menacingly, "Unless you want to get sent off to boot camp."
Sora glances back to his friend, contemplating how much good it would do to defend him. By the twitch in his eye, the brunet demises that it'd be better for him to stay silent. A tense moment passes but eventually Axel turns to Sora with stony eyes. Sora stands, slightly unnerved.
"Text me," he says shortly, holding his fist out for a bump. The brunet clumsily returns it, but that's all Axel needed. Without another word he strides off, ironically towering above the two tyrants taking him back home, wherever that may be. It comforts the brunet ever so slightly; he knows Axel will be alright. After all, he himself said that he only has a few more weeks to endure with them. He is sure that is why he didn't retaliate to their hostility. He is better than them anyway. Sora sighs, sad for his friend and suddenly grateful for the tranquility of his life at home. There is true joy in that he can enjoy it now. His only worry is finding Riku again.
Now alone, Sora is overwhelmed with a sense of loss but ambivalently, a sense of completion as well. Feeling no more need to hang around the tree, the brunet shuffles back to the cabins and retrieves his suitcase. His eyes keep glancing back to the black hair tie on his wrist; even now, it brings a little flush to his cheeks from all the memories that are associated with the owner. But as he walks out from the cabins for the last time, he finds even more distraction from the scenery. How many mornings will he wake up surprised that he is in his own bed instead of his hot, small bunk? Will he miss the strange outdoors scent that just doesn't exist in the same way in Katy, Texas?
The wind is absent now, as if giving Sora the perfect opportunity to take a mental snapshot of his immortal experiences. The tall trees, the courts, the adult's cabins and the kid's cabins… The pool, the track, the lake. The memory of the lake almost makes him laugh now at his own foolishness. But he is grateful, more than anything, for the experiences of this place. He may have made a fool of himself more than a few times, but, to be cheesy, they made him into a better person, which is more than he even thought possible.
He goes to stand by the camp's entrance to wait for his foster parents, actually anxious for them to arrive; though not one to open up to adults, he is actually excited to tell them of his adventures. He's ready to accept them as his parents. After all that they have done, it is the least he can do, and the brunet knows that his real mother and father wouldn't want him to deny himself family.
Time passes slowly and kids disappear from the arena one by one. Sora passes time by playing hangman and tic-tac-toe with a few of the other stragglers by the arch in the gravel, but eventually Coach comes and stands near them as there is no one left to monitor. Sora glances up from his criss-cross position on the ground at the exact same time Coach looks at his watch.
"What time is it?" the brunet asks curiously.
"Mm, about one. No worries," he says it to the group at large, but Sora nods in acknowledgement. The brunet pulls out his phone from his pocket (which he retrieved about thirty minutes ago, waiting for a text from his mom or dad). Still nothing on the screen to indicate any change. Though even if they had sent him a text, it would be a surprise if it came through; his phone only has one bar, teetering on having no service at all. For that reason he hadn't bothered to use his phone over the summer, as there was slim chance of establishing any solid communication. He sighs, glancing back at the hangman. He really wishes he could head home already… Mostly so he can start his campaign to text Riku.
Suddenly struck with another realization, Sora asks, "Oh, Coach, did you see when Riku left?"
Coach doesn't appear surprised by the question. "He left real early, 'bout 8 in the morning. Looked really sick too, so I don't blame him for taking off."
Well, that explains a lot of things. Sora feels a slight dash of anxiety, hoping that his silveret isn't gravely ill over their misadventures. Coach however doesn't notice, and keeps speaking. "I told him to come back if he ever needs a job," he winks, "You're welcome as well. Need all the help we can get."
Sora smiles, feeling a little honored at the offer; perhaps Coach liked them more than he had thought. "Thanks," he says, "I'll keep that in mind." Coach nods smugly.
Another kid leaves a few minutes later and then, finally, a familiar silvery-blue suburban pulls up and parks. The brunet doesn't get up until his foster-father gets out of the car, stretching exaggeratingly while his mom laughs at him as she too tumbles out of the car. A wide grin fills Sora's face. He leaps up, practically vibrating in place as he waits for them to cross into his domain.
He tackles them into a hug as soon as they pass under the arch, purposefully catching them by surprise. His mom squeals in surprise and his dad involuntarily tries to twitch out of the line of fire, only laughing and embracing the two of them a second later.
"Sora! Oh, I missed you so much!" his mom says with glee, hugging Sora tightly, "How was camp?"
"Dear, he can tell us all about it in the car," his dad steps in, though laughing roaringly too, clapping the brunet on the back in the midst of their huddle. "Did you meet any girls?" he says, replacing Sora's mother's question.
Sora can already feeling himself flush due to the ironical answer, but his dad takes the blush as an answer on its own. "See, told you this camp would be good for you! Did you get her number?"
His mom hits him over the head, "Oh my gosh, Frank, not my baby!" Just from the way they speak to and about him, no one would ever guess that Sora wasn't actually their offspring. Though that fact used to make his blood boil before camp, now Sora counts it as a precious blessing; they had been protecting his feelings and identity this entire time, lying not to dupe, but include. Lying not to harm, but shelter.
Overcome with the sudden sentimental bond, Sora shows his dad the slip of paper Riku gave him, answering, "Yeah, I got it." Surrogate father and son mutually grin their fullest, and Sora's mom gasps, "Sora!"
"Well, damn, son, she's got terrible handwriting," he says incredulously when he peers at the paper delicately. He sends the brunet a peculiar look, but it is easily translatable. Sora sends back a sheepish smile and the father figure relents his scrutiny, aware of their publicity. Even then, the joy never leaves for a moment. His mom giggles, "I'm so proud of you, baby."
Sora makes conscious effort to refrain rolling his eyes at the maudlin scene. "Thanks," he says, "Though shouldn't we be going? It's a long drive back home."
Sora's father pulls out of the hug, nodding. "Very true, and I'm hankering for Tex-Mex. I'll be back; I'll go sign you out."
The brunet points his dad in the direction of Coach, who meandered away when Sora tackled his parents. While he flags down the bowling ball of a man, Sora turns to his mom, who immediately launches on to her and her husband's adventures in the East. By the time his father returns, she seemingly has only scratched the surface to their tales.
"And then we saw the Great Wall, oh my goodness Sora it was amazing—"
"Ready to go?" his father asks, sliding his arm around his wife once he has approached. Sora nods, smiling.
"You sure there's not anyone else you want to say goodbye to?" his mom inquires further, dropping the monologue about her and her husband's adventures in China.
Sora nods again, glancing at the hair tie on his wrist for confidence. He knows it is indeed time to head out, leaving behind the camp to pick up the bitter cup of reality. His eyes itch for wanting tears, but he holds them back, remembering how much more promise the future holds. His mom puts a hand on his shoulder understandingly. "Don't worry, baby, school doesn't start up again for another few weeks."
Sora shakes his head, chuckling at their misunderstanding. "Yeah, thank god for that," Sora replies, adjusting his suitcase to be ready for mobility, "It's okay, let's go."
He turns and waves good-bye toward Coach who returns with a quick wave. The brunet isn't offended; he knows that he was already given a farewell. So he allows his parents to guide him out of the camp unceremoniously, and Sora doesn't even blink twice when passing under the arch. He's thought so much about this moment, dreading it and begging for it, that now it simply is. His parents chat happily as they approach the car, load it up, clamber in, and settle, though Sora remains unconsciously silent. Only when his dad starts the car does he release an audible sigh.
"Sounds like you had a great time," his father aptly observes. Sora swallows thickly and nods as they pull out of the gravel parking area, Hawkeye camp passing out of view to give way for the empty, green countryside. Sora holds onto his wrist for dear life, but doesn't look back.
The summer ended swiftly in a flurry of college visits and SAT tests and simply dreading the resumption of school. The dread, however, did not postpone the inevitable, and Sora trudged to his fourth period class, AP English Composition and Literature (which, so far, is as much fun as it sounds), sighing sadly.
To get to the unfortunate point, Riku was nowhere to be found. No Facebook, or Twitter, or MySpace (yes, Sora actually tried there, too), or Instagram. He even tried researching Mikey, hoping that maybe by finding something on him he would be able to trace it back to his sorely missed silveret. Yet infuriatingly he couldn't find anything definite there either. He even tried texting as many different numbers as he dared from the slip of paper Riku had left him. He got many replies but none of them were him. It was almost like he had never existed and was simply a figment of his imagination… But Sora kept the hair tie on him at all times, reminding him of the validity of everything that had happened. Of course, texting Axel and the others helped confirm that it wasn't all in his head as well, and that he was not irrational for being upset about his disappearance. It was a small comfort, but it could not fight the disappointment and growing hopelessness that Riku could be lost forever.
He leaned against the wall by the classroom door, waiting for his red-headed friend Kairi to arrive. A peppy and long-time friend, she at least made school bearable and brought him into contact with new people from time to time. Now, hopefully, they could be potential friends. When she showed up, she was in tow with a vaguely familiar girl whose name he believed to be Selphie.
"—he looked so jealous when I looked at the new kid, I felt so bad! It wasn't a flirty look!"
Kairi laughed, "Even if it was, he should know by now you aren't going anywhere!"
"Yeah, seriously! Oh, hi, Sora!" Selphie greeted. Kairi smiled, adding, "Hey, Sora… so what do you think of the new kid?"
"What new kid?" Sora asked, only slightly interested. It's the same routine every year; what classes do you have? Oh, that teacher? Sucks, man. Did you meet the new kid? Did you hear that that girl got pregnant over the summer? Oh, he transferred. I really miss the seniors from last year, don't you? Yeah, I hate the freshman. Don't you think they've gotten so much shorter than last year's freshman? Are you ready for football season? We're sure to go to state!
It was—is— all rather tiring, really, but it's the fervor and promise of a new school year, and the brunet was fine to play along. Kairi, enthused by his encouragement of the conversation, answered, "Oh! I can't believe you haven't seen him! He—"
"Me and Kai were just talking about him, he's got the most gorgeous silver hair—"
"He's a senior too! Poor guy though, having to transfer his last year—"
"Wait a second," Sora interjected, catching the two girls both by surprise, but he continues in a rush, "Silver hair?" Already his heart was beating fast and he could have sworn a blush made a way onto his face.
The girls' surprise faded into pride that they caught Sora's attention. Selphie picked up again, "Yes, I know, right?!"
Before she could continue, Sora asked, "What's his name?"
Kairi, giggling at his eagerness, obligingly and casually answered: "Nitori."
Sora instantly deflated of course; how chimerical the thought he had, that Riku would be at his school! He was momentarily angry that he even hoped. Due to his crestfallen look, Kairi inquired afterward, "…Why do you ask, Sora?"
He sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "For a second I thought he was someone I met over the summer," he answered honestly. He smiled as if to apologize for his weird reaction.
"Oh," Kairi replied, sympathetic, "I'm sorry." Sora shrugged. "Nah, don't worry about it!" An annoying bell rung overhead, signaling they had two minutes left to get to class. Sora nodded toward the classroom and continued, "We need to get to class anyway."
Selphie nodded enthusiastically and skipped off. "See you after class!" she called to the two of them, and they waved back before walking into their shared English class.
That was three days ago, the first day of the brunet's senior year. In all fairness, it wasn't a bad first day. Of course, the school did not suddenly see how Sora had changed and flocked to him, eager to make friends, but the friends and acquaintances that he already possessed showed interest in his new subtle sociability. His teachers seem alright, too. He supposes that, around the edges, things are indeed looking up.
And yet he still feels that nagging lacking. As much as he hates to admit it, life isn't the same without Riku in it. It's been… a few weeks without contact with him. Though he has been keeping in touch with Axel, Roxas, and Xion especially, the vestiges of the camp experience he draws from them isn't enough. He knows that after a few weeks of school he'd pull out of this funk, but for now it's almost as if someone died. He finds himself daydreaming of what it would be like to get a random Facebook message from the silveret, or a phone call, or a text. When he's feeling particularly fantastical, he imagines Riku waltzing into one of his classes like he had been there the whole time… and then shoving Sora against the wall and kissing him. He blames hormones on that last part.
He scowls at himself as he goes into his "enrichment" class (essentially a fancy way of saying mandatory tutoring period, where most kids just chat for thirty minutes and teachers respond to emails; it is also significant to note that enrichment is not an every-day event), sitting down at a random desk that suits his fancy near the back of the classroom. Though it is only the third day of school, he already has a pile of homework a mile high. He wastes no time to get a head start, not even waiting till the bell rings or bothering to look around at the people that slowly trail into the classroom.
Eventually the bell does ring, and the classroom teacher takes roll; Sora only pays partial attention, waiting for his name as he works on a calculus problem.
"Nash?"
"Here." A rustle of paper and a pause.
"Nelson?"
"Here."
"Nguyen?"
Silence then a small "hmph" from the teacher who promptly moves on.
"Nichols?"
"Here."
"Nitori?"
"Here." Sora is immediately brought to attention from the particular familiarity of the voice. His eyes spin wildly about the room, wide as saucers. He can barely think as he rapes the room with his eyes, searching nearly desperately for the body attached to the voice, hoping that the image he has in his head is equal to the one he finds. Eventually he spots a silver-haired male right by the door, looking around in his black backpack for something. Indeed, his hair is familiarly silver and long, though unfortunately it blocks Sora's view of his face. And yet, his black skinny jeans, black vans, and black shirt give Sora an unbounded hope.
He watches in rapture, waiting for him to look up, to move his hair, to do something, anything that would let him see his face. No other thoughts filter through his mind, no consideration to what he would do if he were Riku or if he wouldn't. Hell, he might even be holding his breath.
"Novak?" Only his name would dare bring him from his thoughts. Eyes, still wide, glare at the teacher and he declares shortly, "Here" before turning immediately back to peer unnaturally at the mystery man named Nitori. Only vaguely does he recognize that this is the kid that Kairi had spoken of a few days ago; now, only the voice matters to him.
Oddly enough, the silveret freezes immediately after Sora declares his presence. Sora watches with baited breath, not willing to move even an inch until he knows for certain. The silveret does not make him wait long however; he rises quickly, nearly hitting his ribcage against the corner of the desk.
Sora nearly has a heart attack in incredulity and joy. Riku's deer-in-the-headlights face would be, perhaps, normally risible, but all the brunet can think about is how absolutely gorgeous he is; hair down, a little frizzled from the humidity of Katy, Texas, his skin as pale as ever, and his eyes, aqua and sharpened by his rarely-worn glasses, black and square shaped. The image of Riku in his pajamas from when Larxene sent them to the administrator's cabins flashes through his mind, and he smiles. Out of all the impossibilities, that this one would come to life; he can't believe what he is seeing! But he is here! If he ever had any doubts about fate, they are all gone!
The teacher could still be calling out names for attendance, but Sora totally disregards it in a flurry of movements. He straps his backpack over his shoulder, jumps (literally) over his desk and the one in the next row, and drops his backpack unceremoniously by the desk in front of Riku's. A split second later, Sora practically tackles the dumbfounded silveret in the desk, embracing him in the most uncomfortable but sincere hug ever to have existed.
"Riku, what the hell are you doing here?!"
"Sora…?"
"I can't believe you are here! How did this happen?! I can't even—"
The teacher's stern clearing of his throat cuts the brunet off. "Sit down, Mr. Novak."
The brunet blushes, but complies, "S-sorry." The teacher nods with a look of annoyance and disdain but continues the roll call, ignoring the newly bubbling snickering from the classroom of high school teens. Sora too ignores their ignorant laughter and turns to Riku, whispering excitedly, "Since when did you come to my school?"
Riku, still seemingly awestruck by the situation replies dumbly, "A few days ago… my mom moved us over the summer… I guess I didn't tell you, did I?"
Sora laughs quietly with incredulity, "No… no you didn't!" He is unable to muster up any anger or sense of injustice on their shoddy plans of contact. The sheer size of the relief that he feels leaves no room in his heart for anything else.
Riku, too, finally seems to accept the reality around him and begins to laugh under his breath, a smile of relief, disbelief and irony softly gracing his face. His shining vibrant eyes stare into Sora with a dignified amazement. Only a slight tint of guilt obfuscates the brilliance of the moment. "I'm sorry, Sora," he explains quietly, "I got sick when my mom picked me up… I left a note with my number but I doubt—"
"I got it," Sora says, shaking his head, "I just couldn't read it." He blushes at his nearly catastrophic failure.
Riku sheepishly looks away. "Sorry," he mutters, sulking a little like a reprimanded puppy. Sora shakes his head.
"You should be," the brunet says, giggling, "I didn't get to nurse you to health either, I feel betrayed."
Riku raises an eyebrow, mischievous in expression. For a moment, he teeters on replying with something equally risqué. But, upon further reflection, the silveret's face changes into one of longing and inquiry. Riku asks without words, the three weeks of separation between them suddenly very and obviously present on his mind. What had the passage of time changed between them?
Almost as though Sora had telepathic powers, the brunet translates his best friend almost flawlessly. The brunet looks around, discreetly surveying the area. The students in the classroom had finally returned to their own worlds, sucked into homework, sleep, their phones, or conversation. The brunet is sufficiently assured. Even the teacher is entranced by his computer screen. And so, Sora answers by being uncharacteristically bold; he leans over Riku's desk and pulls the silveret in towards him silently, kissing him square on the lips. Though obviously not their first kiss, it is Sora's inexperienced confirmation and assurance, driven by the fact that he doesn't know how to love in any other way aside from words. Smiling ever so slightly in the kiss, Riku demonstrates his understanding by clumsily (and blindly) interlocking their fingers, squeezing Sora's soft hand affectionately. The marvel of these moments never seem to fade. The ride from experimentation to spontaneous moments to now has not lost its novelty. The value of the moment is infinite for them though not necessarily unique.
When they pull away, they remain precariously quiet, once again trying to keep away the prying eyes. It is not out of shame but rather their desire to, for now, shut out the world and indulge in their shared sanctuary created over a strenuous and tumultuous summer. They continue to smile at each other, so blissful they aren't sure what to say to one another.
Eventually Sora recognizes the reality around him and asks the silveret excitedly, "Hey, so what's your next class?"
Grumbling, the silveret reaches down to his backpack, searching through the numerous papers for his schedule. "I have aquatic science next," Riku says, brandishing the paper he had looked for.
"Ew," Sora says, snatching the schedule. He pores over it with eager eyes but slowly his smile turns to a pouting frown. "We have nothing together, not even lunch" he says, sadly. "Why are you in all academic classes?"
Riku shrugs, explaining simply, "Didn't care enough to change it."
Sora furrows his eyebrows, unamused and unsatisfied. "Well, we are most definitely changing it."
Right at that moment, the bell rings signaling the end of enrichment. Immediately the room and hall outside roars with life, movement, and raucous conversation. Sora and Riku, totally unprepared for the transition, scramble to gather their stuff and head out of the classroom together.
"I'll never get used to those bells," Riku grumbles. Sora laughs, about to respond as they head out of the door. However before the brunet can say a word, Kairi appears out of nowhere, catching the brunet off-guard. It shouldn't have been a surprise since this is how it has been since freshman year, but Sora's day has obviously been derailed from its normal schedule. Riku too seems surprised by the sudden intrusion, but keeps silent.
"Oh Sora! So you've met Nitori!" Sora immediately looks at the silveret in absolute amusement, the name mix up now hilarious. The silveret grimaces.
"Why does everyone keep calling me that? My name is Riku," he tells her. Kairi looks back with nothing but confusion. "But… the counselor called you Nitori."
"Because it's my last name."
Sora can't help himself and begins to laugh uncontrollably. Kairi blushes at her mistake and glances desperately between the two in more confusion. "Oh," she says dumbly. Sora, feeling pity for his friend, explains between giggles, "Kairi, this is Riku, the guy I met at camp. Riku, this is Kairi, my like only friend in high school."
Still blushing, Kairi smiles slightly, chastising Sora, "Oh, stop it, I am not your only friend!" But then she turns to Riku, looking up at him shyly. She holds out her hand formally. Riku shakes reluctantly and mostly for Sora's sake.
"Well, welcome to Katy High, then, Riku," she says, emphasizing his name. Riku sociably laughs, replying politely, "Thanks."
"Well, I got to get to class," she says suddenly, probably eager to get away from the embarrassment of the moment. Sora sympathetically nods, "Yeah no problem. See you, Kairi." She smiles gratefully, waves at the two of them and saunters away, disappearing in the crowd of the hall.
"Bet you ten bucks she's going straight to inform everyone of my correct name," Riku comments, shaking his head.
Sora giggles, "I won't take that bet 'cause you're right. But she means no harm; she's actually a good person." Riku nods.
"We probably should get to class," Riku says sighing. Sora, suddenly full of energy and enthusiasm, smiles mischievously back at his miraculously present companion.
"Nope!" the brunet replies, waiting for a reaction from the silveret. He raises an eyebrow, falling for the bait. The blue-eyed teen smiles widely and grabs Riku's hand, dragging him in a familiar path toward the counselors (which Riku recognizes from being summoned so many times to fix paperwork that his mom filled out incorrectly).
Though totally elated from the sudden contact between their hands, Riku asks curiously, "Uhm, Sora, why are we heading to the counselor's?"
Sora keeps plowing on but doesn't look back when he answers. All Riku can tell is that his face has flushed like a tomato. The brunet replies mock-casually, "Well I can't let my boyfriend go the whole year without having a single class with me. That'd just be boring and lame."
Riku almost freezes in place and passes out in disbelief. Did he really hear that? Indeed, Sora continues on, trailing Riku behind him (which is quite a sight really, a jock-looking kid who most know to be second in his class, so jock-smart-kid, dragging newbie emo-looking kid behind him with a blush on his face. Where's the yearbook crew when you needed them?), a blush still painted on his face; confirming, without a doubt, that the words did escape from those two gorgeous lips and that Sora is officially his. Riku is suddenly sure that today is officially the best day of his life. Out of nowhere, it suddenly occurs to him that it is his hair tie on Sora's wrist and the general fluff of the moment is heightened exponentially. Riku chuckles under his breath, holding back sappy romantic sissy tears.
Before he says anything stupidly romantic, the silveret comments, "But Sora, there's no way I'm as smart as you when it comes to school. I won't be able to keep up with your classes." Not only that, Riku hadn't been aware that Sora was serious in his comment earlier about getting his schedule changed… But he supposes he was mistaken.
"Then we'll get you a tutor. Hey look I found one! Nice to meet you Riku," Sora says, sassy and completely determined. The brunet squeezes his hand to convey the playfulness. "You're smarter than you think you are anyway," the brunet concludes. Riku sighs, knowing that the brunet will not let this one go. Just as well. If he can get classes with Sora, and thus see Sora more than once a day, then it's all worth it. A genuine smile spreads across his face.
As they approach the already-busy office, Sora slows down, eventually stopping completely right by the door. Riku stands next to him, refusing to release his boyfriend's hand, slightly puzzled. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Riku asks with his own brand of calm enthusiasm.
Sora looks up with beseeching eyes. "I… I just wanted to let you know that I'm not doing this to replace Mikey or anything." Riku is suddenly dumbfounded by the brunet's perceptiveness. The angel continues, "I just want you to be near me… and I know you have the brains for this… And—"
Riku pulls him into a hug, wondering if there will ever be a limit to how happy the lithe brunet can make him. He replies softly to the flustered brunet, "I know. Don't worry. I really appreciate this. Thank you, Sora."
Sora roughly sniffs, overcome with happiness. "Sora, don't cry," Riku tells him softly, chuckling.
Sora pulls away slightly, pouting at the floor. "I'm not!" he says, rubbing his face. "Damn, you've made me such a cry baby."
"Sorry," the silveret says, not sorry at all. Sora rolls his eyes and quickly recovers due to the joking. He smiles again, re-energized. "Alright, let's go!"
"We are going to be really late to class."
"That's what the first week of school is for, dummy."
And Sora opens the door, greeting the receptionist like a long lost friend while Riku follows, alert and content.
It's going to be a great year.
A/N: And it is finished. My true goodbye is in the epilogue (next chapter). Thank you, everyone :)
