Three weeks ago, I met her.
I didn't know who she was or why she approached me.
I didn't know that she would keep approaching me every day since then.
Constantly trying to beat me.
Constantly trying to prove something.
But she never could.
For three weeks, she constantly pestered me, and she always left disappointed.
Yet her constant losses only fed her desire to win.
I was caught in a vicious cycle.
In fact, I'm still caught in its never ending wave.
As I sit here, I can't see an end to this in sight.
In fact, it's almost become clockwork.
She should be approaching me in about five seconds.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
"Sora!"
Right on time.
"Here." Without looking back at her, I reach into my bag to hand her my test. Yesterday, we had a calculus test, and the teacher just handed the results out. Math is my best subject, so I already know I've won, but I let her examine it anyway. With a dejected sigh, she tosses my paper back onto my desk.
"Seriously? A perfect score? This test had like… seventy questions!" She cries out, holding her head in her hands. Honestly, she shouldn't be surprised at this point. Every day, when the test results are handed out, she comes for me. And every time she does, she acts all surprised that she's lost. I mean, lower your expectations, woman!
Anyway, it's lunch time, so I'm not really in the mood to be harassed.
"Well, if you're done, I'll be leaving." I get up and start leaving, but she follows me and grabs my wrist.
"Hold on a second!" She looks pensive, like she wants to ask me something.
"What is it? You need something from me?" Her face instantly burns up, frantically shaking her head.
"N-No! I mean… why would I e-ever need you! I mean, ugh!" Letting go of my wrist, she pushes me aside and stomps down the hall.
What the hell was that about?
I was clearly on the mark. There's something she needs my help for, and she's too ashamed to ask for it. Well, I'm not gonna approach her, I'll let her do tha-
What the hell?
Vibrations from my pocket cut off my thoughts. I reach into my coat pocket to pull out my phone. Flipping it open, I can see a small message from Xion.
From Xion Hikari
Yo, Sor. After school, wait at the vending machines for me. Let's walk hom 2gether.
This is strange. Back in our old school, Xion always walked home with her friends. We only walked together when something important was happening. Closing my phone, I slip it back into my pocket. There are still a few people hanging out in the room, talking with friends or packing up for lunch. Since I'm already up, I might as well eat lunch as well. On normal circumstances, I don't eat lunch. I try my best to eat a healthy and filling breakfast, so I'm never really hungry during school. Whenever I am hungry, I normally just sneak out to a convenience store, since I've developed a habit of avoiding public cafeterias ever since middle school. But honestly, I don't remember why I have such a hatred for them. I guess I'll switch it up and head there.
XxCOMPLICATEDxX
I remember now.
I hate cafeterias because they're the second most claustrophobic areas you could possibly be in, beaten only by elevators. Seriously, this is just dumb. A sea of ugly blazers and blue miniskirts is in between me and the place where you get food. Such an arduous task for something so simple.
As I start walking to get in line, the crowd starts parting to accompany me. By simply walking forward, I get to the front of the line. Huh, I guess being a Hikari does have some perks. Picking out a simple ham and cheese sandwich, I hand the lunch lady a five hundred munny note. Smiling, she hands me my lunch packed in a simple plastic bag. Thanking her, I escape the cluttered room.
Where should I eat? I mean, there's no way I'm gonna eat in the cafeteria. With all those students concentrated into one room, I wouldn't be able to finish my lunch due to all the interruptions. And that's assuming that no psycho steals my sandwich and tries to sell it online. Honestly, it wouldn't be the first time.
My legs start going on auto pilot, and I end up in front of my classroom. Well, I guess this is the best place. It's quiet, nobody's in there, and I probably won't be disturbed. Gripping the door's handle, I fling the door open.
Huh.
What the hell is she doing here?
All the way in the back of the room sits Kairi, perched over a few papers. Despite my overly dramatic entrance, she doesn't seem to notice me. I walk to the back of the class, yet she doesn't notice my footsteps. I sit down next to her, but she has no reaction. I open my bag loudly, but she simply starts writing something down. I make loud obnoxious chewing sounds, but she makes no efforts to shut me up.
What the hell is wrong with her?
"Hey! Earth to Kairi. You there?" My words wake her up from her trance, as she quickly shifts her head to find me. Once she does see me, her face is a mix of annoyance and fear. She quickly covers her papers with her arms.
"O-Oh… hey there, Sora" She greets awkwardly, "Sh-Shouldn't you be eating lunch? Like, not here?" she's definitely trying to get rid of me, so she can work on whatever it is she's doing with those papers.
"Eh, the cafeteria's too crowded. What are you working on?" She immediately shoves her papers into her open bag.
"N-Nothing! Nothing at all! I mean, it doesn't have anything to do with you so you don't have to worry about it, see?" She laughs nervously, although I'm not exactly sure whether I should press the topic or not. Seeing how her flimsy lie hasn't worked, she simply runs away, hauling her open bag behind her. I'm about to warn her that her things may fall out, but she's already out of the room.
"Well… that was weird." I'm about to take another bite of my sandwich when I notice a paper lying on the ground. It's probably from Kairi's open bag.
Well, if she won't tell me what she's doing, I guess I'll just have to find out for myself.
Picking the crumpled paper up, I examine its contents.
…
…
What the hell?
I don't know what to make of this.
It's a set of various school assignments and problems from several classes. There are a few physics equations and a calculus paper stapled to the very bottom of the paper. Of course, the reason this is strange is because Kairi doesn't need anything like this. These assignments are way too simple for someone of our intellect. It's something for the C class or perhaps the D class. That's how this school system works. They don't believe in the "Leave no retard behind" policy. The A class is the top class, the one that Kairi and I are part of. Each grade has classes A through D, and you get transferred between them depending on how well you do in school. These problems are ones I can solve in my sleep, and I'm sure Kairi is no different. Why does she have this? I mean, these aren't from the school. These are handwritten. Why would Kairi make notes for something so simple? And the most confusing thing about this entire thing, is the line on the very top.
For Roxas
Roxas.
Roxas.
Roxas.
Okay, I don't know who this Roxas person is. But since this paper is titled, 'For Roxas', I guess it's for him. Why is Kairi making handwritten study guides for this 'Roxas' guy? I assume that this is one of many papers for Roxas.
…
Okay, now this has got me interested.
Who is Roxas?
Why is Kairi making notes for him?
…
Well, there's no time like the present.
Eating the last piece of my startlingly delicious lunch, I take my phone out. Searching through my contacts, I choose the only name in the 'P' section.
…
…
"Hello?" His confused greeting sounds a bit fuzzy and static.
"Yo, Pence. It's Sora." I greet him in our normal fashion. He laughs lightly once he hears my name.
"Haha, Sora? How've you been? This school's been boring without you." I can only imagine. "So, what's up?"
"I need info on someone in my new school."
"Whoa, it's been a while since I've had to search someone! I really have missed you!" He laughs again, "Got it. What's the name?"
"Roxas."
"Last name?"
"I don't know."
"Hmm… that makes things a bit harder. How about his age?"
"Nope."
"Grade?"
"No idea."
"Ugh… you know you're making this pretty hard for me." He grumbles, but it's a light hearted one. He's not actually mad, I can tell.
"I thought you enjoyed a challenge." He laughs loudly.
"Haha! You're right, Sora. God, it's been too long since I've had to do something like this. So, is there anything else you know about him?"
"Um... check the lower classes. He's probably in C or D."
"Got it. Just let me boot up my laptop."
Well, you're probably confused, so I'll fill you in while I'm waiting. This is Pence, one of my only friends. He's smart, but not my kind of smart. He's computer smart. He can hack into pretty much any computer and he's my main source of information. He's got easy access to the educational database of Destiny Islands, and whenever I need to know something, he's the guy to talk to. Some people find him shady, and although his hobbies may be a bit questionable, he's a good person. We met two years ago, I caught him trying to change his grades by hacking into the school's database from his laptop. Of course, he started begging me not to tell anyone. I felt sorry for the guy, and I could kinda tell that he wasn't a bad guy. So I offered him my services as a tutor if he wouldn't cheat. Ever since that day, I've come to him whenever I need help with my gadgets or when I'm in need of a special favor, like this. Honestly, Pence is probably one of the only things I miss from my old school. Something about his carefree attitude along with his technological knowledge makes him a fun person to be around.
"Well, it was a bit difficult, but I've got some info on your guy."
"Thanks Pence. What'cha got?"
"Well, first off, his name is Roxas Nomura. He's a junior, like you, except he's in class D. According to his permanent record, he's what you'd call a delinquent. He's been absent from class about thirty times so far, his grades are pretty bad, C minuses to D minuses across the board." The things Pence can dig up from just a name is a bit scary. Although it's useful, it still doesn't tell me why Kairi would be interested in Roxas. In fact, it's giving me more questions than answers. Why is Kairi making a study guide for a class-ditching delinquent?
"I need some specifics, Pence. Is there any reason that he'd be approached by… another student?"
"Uh… let me check…" A long pause ensues as Pence tries to connect my vague assertion to Roxas's profile.
"Well, according to this file, Roxas is dangerously close to being kicked out of school. About a week ago, Roxas failed another test, dropping his GPA below a solid two. Roxas had to participate in a meeting with the school president and the councilor to discuss how to deal with him. They came to a decision a day later, where they assigned class A's representative, Kairi Uchida, to tutor Roxas." Well, that's the jackpot. "Although, I don't think it's really working well. His grades are still floating around the D minus area, despite the tutoring."
"Thanks man, you've given me exactly what I've been looking for. I owe you one."
"Don't worry about it, man. It's been a while since I've had to hack something." He laughs, "You know, we should meet up. I've actually made some friends this year, and they won't believe that I'm friends with a Hikari." Another laugh, "I mean, not that I'm trying to use you like a trophy or anything." I can practically feel the guilt and nervousness dripping from his last sentence. You see, back in our old school, Pence was a loner, just like me. Because of his shady aura and his… well rounded figure, nobody approached him. He couldn't make any friends, he was the weird one. This is a shame, since he's a generally fun person to be around. I was his first real friend in high school, so it's great to hear that he's got some friends.
"Don't worry about it. I'll try to open up my schedule for you. See ya." With that, I flip my phone shut.
…
…
Sigh.
Although it's good that he's grown his social roots, I can't help but feel a bit jealous. I haven't had the same luxury as him. Although, now's not the time to be thinking of that, I've gotta figure this mystery out. These are the facts:
I have a paper, from Kairi's bag, with handwritten school problems with the title, 'For Roxas'.
According to Pence's data, Roxas is a failing student, and was assigned a tutor by the name of, Kairi Uchida.
So it's safe to assume that the papers that Kairi was writing and hiding from me are notes she's preparing for Roxas Nomura.
But there's one missing link.
Why was she hiding them from me?
There are two reasons I can think of so far.
She's either ashamed to have to associate herself with a failing delinquent, or she's afraid I'll find out and replace her as a tutor, since I'm the new number one.
Unfortunately, both of these theories have holes.
For the first one, I really doubt that Kairi's the type of person to unassociate herself with anyone. She wouldn't just let Roxas lag behind and flunk out. Knowing her, she'd probably bolt him into his chair during class time if she has to.
As for the second theory, it doesn't matter if I'm the best in class A or the worst. This tutoring assignment was sentenced for the class representative. Since she knows that, I really doubt she'd be afraid of me stealing her spotlight, since I can't. I'm not the class rep, nor do I want to be.
…
Argh!
This is frustrating!
Come on brain! What happened to the genius, Sora Hikari!
I should be able to think this one out!
It could be that Kairi doesn't want me to know that she's tutoring Roxas, since it's obviously not working…
But wait, that doesn't work, since, as far as she knows, I don't know who Roxas is and I don't know her connection to him.
…
Wait.
Maybe…
It's possible… and I wouldn't put it past Kairi's stubborn attitude…
The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.
Well, it's the best bet I've got.
I'm pretty sure I'm right, but I can't be sure until Kairi approaches me.
This morning, she was trying to tell me something, but she was too ashamed to do so.
If that is a byproduct of her failed tutoring, then that would mean…
She's ashamed.
She knows she won't be able to do this by herself, so she was trying to ask me to help with tutoring Roxas.
Of course, asking me for help is like admitting defeat, which is probably number one on the list of things she'll never do.
But she knows that she has to ask for help, because if her tutoring doesn't help Roxas, it'll look bad for her.
She wouldn't ask someone other than me, since everyone else is, let's be honest here, dumber than her.
So her only option is to admit that I'm better and to ask me for help.
She has to ruin her reputation as the class rep or swallow her pride and admit that I'm better than her.
…
Holy shit, that's funny.
This is a textbook example of "caught between a rock and a hard place".
Well, even though I know what her problem is, I'm not gonna save her the trouble.
If she wants to save her reputation, she's going to have to swallow her pride and ask me directly.
Nobody's going to save her, especially not me.
I place the study paper back into her desk, as if I had never seen it, and I return to my seat. There are five minutes left until class starts, and I can hardly wait.
Kairi Uchida…
Whatever will you do?
I don't really get that many reviews, so I should probably make a habit out of using private messages to reply. I hear that's what you're supposed to do.
Anyway, onto this chapter.
Bleeeeaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh…
I had to re write this chapter three times.
The first draft of this was simply rushing into things too quickly. It included a plot point that's supposed to come waaayyyy later, and it didn't even include Pence or Roxas.
The second draft was really bad. Just a messy mashup of plot points I wanted to save for later, but ran out of ideas.
The third draft is what you just read. Personally, I really liked Pence from KH II, even though he was a minor character. Most fanfics don't have Pence, so I wanted to give him a big role in this story. Trust me, he might be one of the most important characters in this entire plot. Especially in the later chapters. Honestly, I'm just gonna try to make Pence a likeable and engaging character. I guess you could call that my challenge.
So, anyway, I had to write this thing three times, which is why it took so long to publish. Hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to review, and follow this story if you want to know when I update. So for now, see ya.
~Breaking Barriers