Chapter 20: Confession
When Naminé went to school on Monday, her mind was still reeling from last Saturday's party and each event that had unfolded constantly replayed in her head like a broken record. Thankfully, Riku had made an impromptu transfer after the police came to bust up the party, but what happened to Roxas? It was the one question Naminé still couldn't answer and it drove her nuts. She had found his home number in the school directory but when she called no one picked up. Naminé even tried Sora's cell number but each time she called she was left with the option to leave a message—which she didn't because she wanted to talk to Roxas directly. Plus, the blonde didn't want to sound super desperate either, especially with how pathetic she had looked at the party.
Naminé cringed at the thought. She had spent years building her reputation, polishing her new image…and ridding herself of the old, feeble Naminé. Yet…it had only taken one night to shatter her once beautiful mask.
'I don't even like want to go to school today…but it would probably look worse if I didn't come…' Pushing back a stray strand of platinum colored hair, Naminé sighed and looked ahead to the ominous set of clear doors ahead of her. She was still the Queen. One night couldn't ruin everything. Plus, she was never going to find out what happened to Roxas unless she just sucked it up and went in.
Naminé approached the doors with a graceful gait, but once she was face-to-face with its glassy frame, the anxiety bubbling in the pit of her stomach grew until the blonde was sure nothing would be able to mollify its fierce grip on her heart. It was as if, despite her best efforts to remain in control, there was still that lingering fear haunting her—refusing to let the girl's self-confidence do anything but waver.
Irritated, Naminé clenched her gloved hands and glowered down at door's gleaming metal bar. It made the blonde girl feel incredibly stupid for not just going inside. Other kids would be walking inside soon and if they saw her just standing here…What kind of rumors would that stir up? Naminé quickly shook the thought of her head and proceeded to blindly push through the doors and into the school building.
The first hallway Naminé went into was nearly empty as only a few students lingered by lockers to talk amongst themselves. But, it was only 7:30 am right now. School didn't start for another half hour. Normally, Naminé didn't even come to school until closer to eight, but she had wanted an opportunity to be alone before she was bombarded with questions from her peers.
The students leaning up against the lockers cast her curious glances from the corners of their eyes as they passed; Naminé resisted the urge to send a snide glare as she continued to walk into the next sunset painted hallway and eventually into Ms. Rapunzel's empty art classroom.
Taking a seat in the far back of the room, Naminé snuck a quick glance towards the closed door before bringing a sketchbook from her purse. She looked down at the blank vanilla sheet for a moment but quickly became enveloped in her work as her fingers nimbly directed the pencil across the page.
Some days, Naminé found herself amazed at how therapeutic art was to her. She usually didn't spend any time drawing at school because she didn't want anyone to mock her, but…today was an exception. And, in truth, Naminé really wanted to be an artist some day, have her own studio and paint to her heart's content. It was the dream she had, had ever since she was a child.
'Ever since that little boy told me I should be an artist…' Naminé smiled fondly at the thought. She still couldn't quite remember what the little boy looked like or even his name, but his encouraging words never left her mind. Whenever she drew, his voice rang in her mind—the kindhearted boy from her memory.
"Wow…You're so good Nami! You should become an artist when you grow up so everyone can see your pictures!"
When it was close to eight o'clock, Naminé finally set her pencil down and looked down at her work with pride. It wasn't colored yet, but the once vague lines that filled the page were now crafted into an elaborate depiction of a winter landscape. Since Naminé was born in December, winter easily became her favorite season. It was the one time of year where her parents didn't work every day and would even take off a few days to be together on the Holidays.
No other season brought her family together or even enchanted the blonde the way winter did. Its white innocence and glittering ice had always captivated her and brought a sense of hope close to her heart, especially as a child.
Naminé glanced up at the clock above Ms. Rapunzel's desk. 7:50 am. Ten minutes until class. Naminé gathered her things, quickly hiding her drawing materials in her bag before exiting the room and becoming enveloped into the swarm of students bustling through the halls.
It wasn't long, however, until Naminé spotted the back of her bubbly friend's head. Approaching coolly, Naminé lightly tapped the brunette on the shoulder. Selphie turned around sharply, not knowing who was attempting to gain her attention as her normally perky smile contorted into an irritated frown.
"What do you—Naminé?!" Selphie yelped as she realized the person on the receiving end of her foul expression was none other than the Queen.
Despite being slightly puzzled, Naminé didn't bother questioning Selphie's uncharacteristic attitude as she cast her friend a small, slightly hesitant smile. "So…have you heard what people have been saying about the whole party incident yet or is the info still like MIA?"
Naminé didn't want admit that she was nervous talking to Selphie. It was beyond pathetic and as the Queen that was completely unacceptable. But, at the same time, Naminé knew she couldn't help herself. Her entire social life was on the line and if she lost that, the blonde didn't know what she would do.
"No, I've been hearing stuff like all weekend," Selphie admitted as she forced her lips from turning down into a sour frown. She really didn't want to tell Naminé what their peers had decided. It had made her nearly screech aloud in rage, but…Naminé was still the Queen and Selphie knew she couldn't hide the truth even if she really wanted to.
"And?" Naminé prompted as she bit down on her lower lip anxiously.
"You're like more popular than ever!" Selphie exclaimed with false enthusiasm.
Naminé's blue eyes widened in shock before a large smile began to blossom across her lips. "W-What? Why?"
"Well, like for one thing, everyone felt like super bad for what Riku had like tried to do to you," Selphie explained with another ounce of forced excitement, "and plus, you were like a hero for saving Roxas!"
"I didn't really save him. He saved me," Naminé confessed as once again her thoughts began to drift to the blond boy and his heroic deed that night. It may sound like a typical and rather cliché thing for a teenage girl to ask herself, but whenever she thought of Roxas springing into action to save her, Naminé couldn't help but wonder if he truly did harbor romantic feelings for her. At first, Naminé had been so certain that he liked her and that it would be only a matter of days until they started dating. Yet, it was already November and the two still hadn't formed any kind of romantic relationship.
'And I can't even talk to him!' Naminé grumbled in her mind irritably. Of course, her primary concern at the moment was to make sure he was okay, but a part of her also wanted some answers. She had never had any difficulty securing a boyfriend before so all of this waiting nearly drove her up the walls.
"Still," Selphie countered, "You were the one who like broke up the fight." 'And like made my King-To-Be like transfer,' Selphie's mind added sourly.
Naminé opened her mouth to protest, but stopped when a group of unpopular kids approached her. The one in the middle, a girl with thick framed glasses and greasy hair pulled into two pigtails, walked up to Naminé first with a bright and surprisingly confident smile. In her hands was a colorfully decorated card with her name scrawled at the top in large, bold lettering.
"We heard about what happened Naminé and just wanted to say how sorry we are. Everyone on the debate team was super worried when we saw all those posts on Facebook," The girl explained, shaking her head so that the pigtails lightly slapped the sides of her face.
Mortified at the display, Naminé's blue eyes quickly darted to Selphie to make sure this was actually happening and wasn't the start of some ridiculous nightmare. The jade eyed girl hadn't caught Naminé's beseeching gaze, however, as her once sour disposition lifted into one of amusement at the spectacle she was now beholding.
No one who wasn't at least relatively popular dared to speak to Naminé. Ever. It was like an unspoken rule amongst the students at Twilight High. A rule that if you didn't keep, you paid the ultimate price of social suicide. Yet, these kids seemed to have lost that concept as they beamed up at their Queen.
'This is like…so not happening right now,' Naminé thought as she swallowed back the panic that was threatening to overcome her. She looked around at her peers who had stopped to linger at the odd and, in their eyes, disturbing scene that had begun to unfold before them. It was clear that they were waiting for a reaction from their Queen. The very reaction Naminé seemed too paralyzed to give as her hands numbly took the card, clenching the thin white sheet tightly.
Yet, the spectacle didn't stop there. No. It became worse as the school's biggest nerd, Ronald Lionheart, clumsily waltzed up to horrified blonde with an eager grin and a large bouquet of red roses in his arms.
Ronald wheezed loudly as he pushed up the frames of glasses along his freckled nose but for once he seemed un-intimidated by the object of his affections. As if that one night of her vulnerability had suddenly made her seem relatable and even attainable to those who were denizens of even the lowest rung of the social ladder.
"For you," He said in a nasally voice, extending the flowers with an obnoxious flourish.
Naminé's face grew red hot with embarrassment as she noticed her fellow students snickering and pointing at the red headed nerd's display. He was absolutely humiliating her! Making it seem like Naminé had stooped so low as to accept a gift from the likes of him!
Her hands balled into tight fists before flipping her corn silk hair over her shoulder and casting the hopeful boy the coldest glare she could muster. "As if I would ever accept a gift from a freak like you."
"B-But I got these especially for you!" Ronald pleaded as he clumsily staggered towards the blonde, grasping her wrist.
"Quit talking to me like we're friends," Naminé snapped icily as she wrenched her wrist from Ronald's weak grip, "I don't even like you; you're a loser and girls like me don't associate with losers like you." Ronald, who had fallen to the ground, could only look up the cold female with a heartbroken expression. He had really thought the Queen had changed, had become more friendly even to someone like him.
"So," Naminé continued with a cruel smirk, "why don't you do everyone here a favor and like crawl back under whatever rock you live under."
The surrounding crowd roared with laughter at this and Naminé, seeing her subjects pleased, decided to finish her own display by gesturing Ronald off the ground with a mocking flick of her wrist, like she was merely shooing some bothersome fly away.
Hearing the deafening laughter echo through the hallways, Ronald nearly burst into tears as he haphazardly scurried down the hallway and away from the inevitable torment that was sure to come from his bold actions.
Naminé, on the other hand, found herself to be completely elated once again as she was sure her reputation was now secure. No one doubted her reign as the Queen any longer and no other outsiders had the gall to approach her so freely any longer.
'Finally, everything's back to normal.'
KHKHKHKH
Two weeks had already passed by since the party and Roxas was now finally able to prepare for his first day back at school. His stitches had already been removed and with all the rest he had gotten, Roxas was practically itching to go back to school.
The blind boy was especially eager to leave, however, due to his new living conditions. It had only been a little over a week since his family had moved in with his aunt and uncle but already things were chaotic. Maybe it was simply the cramped living quarters but it seemed like every day there was some kind of fight between his father and uncle. Roxas' mom usually tried playing referee since the fight was between her husband and brother but even with her mediation skills, the fights never did stop altogether.
Roxas closed his eyes and rolled onto his side in attempt to relax. He knew there was nothing that could be done now. They were already fortunate enough that his aunt and uncle had been willing to take their family in. He couldn't let any anger overcome his heart, especially since he felt frustrated enough by the fact that he had twin somewhere that he hadn't even known about.
'Sometimes...I wonder if we've even met before. I mean, it's possible, right?' Roxas silently mused as he tried to recall anyone he had met that could have been his brother. 'The only thing is, is that I don't even know if we're identical or not. I mean, I know I would have recognized someone with my face running around, but a fraternal twin is a totally different case…'
Roxas sighed, rubbing his head gingerly before abruptly flinching at the still sore spot he had touched. The blond really did hope Riku transferred schools. Sora had come into their room the night he had left the hospital and revealed to his cousin the silver haired boy's fate. In a sense, Roxas did feel bad for Sora since him and Riku were friends, but, at the same time, he also felt relieved to not have to deal with the tropical eyed senior's threatening ways.
"Sleeping yet, cuz?"
Roxas jerked his head up at the sound of his cousin's voice, nearly smacking into the wall. "Huh? Oh…no I was just laying here."
"Figured you wouldn't be," Sora replied with an exasperated sigh, "I mean I don't think anyone could with all the fighting going on downstairs."
"What is it about this time?" Roxas asked petulantly.
Sora snorted. "Money, of course. My Dad is super pissed that your Dad hasn't found a stable job yet."
"Because he wants money," Roxas stated flatly.
"Exactly and I mean, I get that we might need a little extra income with you guys staying but—"
"It's barely been over a week," Roxas finished.
Sora nodded, plopping down onto his computer chair tiredly as he absentmindedly fiddled with the chain of his crown necklace. "Yeah…it's stupid. I just wish they had something else to talk about, you know?"
"Hmm…" Roxas twisted his lips to the side and lifted himself off his bed. Sora cast his cousin a curious look, automatically handing the blind boy his cane as he noticed his cousin's hands clumsily groping for its familiar surface.
"What are you thinking?"
Roxas didn't turn around at the sound of his cousin's voice but answered coolly. "I'm thinking I'm going to give them something else to talk about. I need to know about my brother."
"Are sure that's a good idea?" Sora inquired hesitantly, "You know how sensitive that topic is and—"
"Sora," Roxas interrupted in a pleading voice, "I need to know. He's my twin. And…besides, it will give them something else to talk about, right?"
"I guess…," Sora admitted with a sigh. He knew this wasn't going to be taken well by anyone in the family. The brunette's aunt and uncle never broached the topic and his own parents couldn't talk about it without going on some long-winded diatribe.
Roxas used his cane to find the door, bracing himself only a moment before starting his slow descent down the steps. The blond stumbled at the last step, but for once found himself to be completely unscathed. No blossoming bumps or even bruises preparing to decorate his skin as they usually did and Roxas was extremely grateful for this. He wasn't planning on causing a large commotion to get their attention and preferably, the blind boy would rather not fall on his still healing head.
"We just moved Leon," Aerith pleaded, counteracting her brother's cold blue gaze with desperate emerald eyes.
Leon's rigid position against the living room wall remained unchanged, but his gaze did soften when he looked down at his younger sister. "No one is mad at you, Aer."
"But you're mad at my husband," Aerith stated with a frown, glancing at her husband briefly only to see his face still contorted into a fierce scowl.
"We just want him to have a job," Riona tried reasoning. Her eyes spoke sympathy but the hand that firmly rested on her husband's arm was a clear indication of her true allegiance in the matter.
"We just moved!" Cloud burst in angrily, his fists clenched. "How the hell am I supposed to get a job when we just settled in!?"
"Well, maybe if you hadn't lost your job in the first place—"
"I was layed off!" Cloud spat, feeling his wife's arm on his chest warningly in response.
Leon crossed his arms and shot Cloud a snide, cold glare. "Tch, yeah like that's surprising."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" Cloud snarled and both women tensed slightly as the atmosphere suddenly became much thicker.
From his hiding place at the foot of the stairs, Roxas decided that now would be the best time to intervene. 'Before they kill each other,' Roxas thought with a grimace.
"It means," Leon began to retort harshly, his normally blue eyes placid, "that—"
"When were you going to tell me I had a twin brother?"Roxas interrupted, his voice soft but still loud enough for the four adults to hear.
Aerith's mouth opened and closed, seeming to fail grasping the words in her mind and her husband was equally shocked as his once angry blue eyes widened in horror at his son's discovery.
His aunt and uncle were the only ones in the room that remained impassive. They were surprised at the teen's sudden outburst, yes, but had always known he would find out eventually. His sister already knew since she was old enough to remember her brothers' birth, but Roxas had always been kept in the dark—something that neither Leon nor Riona particular agreed with, especially since Ventus' adoptive family still resided in Twilight Town.
"W-Where did you get t-that idea?" His father finally sputtered after a moment of brief silence.
Roxas remained at the foot of the stairs, gripping his cane tightly as he closed his blind eyes. "I heard you and Mom talking about him…about how you had to give him up for adoption because we couldn't afford his medical bills."
Cloud exchanged a weary glance with his wife and sighed. They had both known he would find out eventually. It was inevitable really, but…they just wanted to wait until he was just a little bit older.
"Roxas…," Aerith began with a weak smile, "Your father and I…We…We were going to tell you—"
"When? I'm already sixteen Mom. How much longer were you going to wait?" He asked, lips pulling down when his mother made no effort to respond. "I want to know who he is…I want to meet him."
Cloud shared a simultaneous sigh with his wife. "We always knew this day would come," Cloud spoke, his voice soft and filled with an unmasked grief. "I just thought it would be easier when it did…"
"Where is he?" Roxas asked lowly, "Do we…Do we even look alike?"
Both Aerith and Cloud exchanged another more solemn glance. They knew where their child was. It was an open adoption after all, but confessing the information to their son created this helpless feeling within the parents. Where did they start? What should they hold back? Or should they even hold anything back?
"If we could show you a picture," Aerith said softly, a nostalgic smile painting itself across her face, "we would, but…I guess the only thing we can say is that he looks just like you."
"Like an identical twin?" The words left Roxas' mouth without a second thought, his mind like a tornado as he attempted to process his mother's confession.
"Yeah," Cloud added with a sad smile of his own, "You two were identical, but Ventus…he just wasn't as healthy. Your mother and I would have done anything to be able to keep him, but the medical attention wasn't something we could provide for him." Cloud released a shaky breath and ran a hand through his head as if replaying the scene in head like it had only just happened. "So, we did what was best and gave him up for adoption to a family here in Twilight Town."
Roxas' eyes grew large at the mention of his home town. Ventus lived here!? "Twilight Town! D-Does he still even live h-here?"
Cloud hesitated for a moment, but nodded his head with a guilty smile. "Yeah…that was one of the reasons we had to move when you were a kid. You two kept meeting as children and…Ventus' adoptive parents agreed that it would be best if the two of you didn't have contact, at least not until you were older." Cloud amended uneasily, glancing back at his wife who he knew was barely holding herself together.
"We met?" Roxas asked quietly, though he spoke mostly to himself as his mind raced. When had he met Ventus? More importantly however, why didn't he remember meeting Ventus? You'd think meeting someone with your face would be an unforgettable moment, but Roxas couldn't find the memory of his brother. Whenever he thought of his childhood, it was only ever Naminé that came to his mind.
"When you were really little," Aerith confessed as a sad smile played at her lips. She didn't like remembering Ventus because it was painful, but seeing her two boys together again, even if for only a moment had made her heart feel whole.
Roxas shook his head incredulously. "That's insane…My own twin. I met him and I don't even remember it." A part of Roxas was still angry that his parents had lied to him for all these years, but another, more dominant part of him just wanted to know who Ventus was. Wanted to see him. Talk to him. Be the brothers they should have been.
"Well," Cloud coughed slightly, "that may have been because you were always so busy with that little girl you liked to play with at the park."
"Naminé," Roxas filled her name in almost instantly, but neither of his parents heard the familiar name slip from his lips, so the blind boy just continued. "Yeah, I guess. But still, I can't believe I don't remember meeting him at all. And…And I'm still really frustrated that no one told me sooner. I mean, does Ventus even know about us?"
His mother evaded the first question guiltily, wringing her hands nervously. "He…He knows he's adopted if that's what you mean." But she knew he didn't.
"That's not what I mean Mom," Roxas snapped back angrily, "I mean does he know about us, our family. Does he know he has siblings? A twin?"
Aerith swallowed, unable to speak as she cast her husband a panicked glance. Cloud returned the gesture, sensing his youngest child's brewing anger. Neither parent wanted to speak, but they didn't have to. Their silence spoke volumes.
"He doesn't know, does he?" Roxas asked coldly, but the words came out more as a flat statement than a question. "And we'll probably never meet because no one will tell him."
Again, silence reigned supreme in the room; Roxas bit his lower lip angrily and stormed haphazardly up the stairs, ignoring the several slips and bumps along the way.
When he was in his room, Roxas clumsily groped for the nearest pillow and threw it; it hit the floor without a sound. He wanted to pace, but being blind made even the simplest things next to impossible.
No one had ever bothered to tell his twin brother who his real family was and now they could never meet.
'And,' Roxas' mind added with a grimace, 'I have to go back to school tomorrow which means I have to face Naminé.'
It wasn't that Roxas didn't want to ever see her again, but after the whole Riku fiasco, he knew she would want to talk to him about their potential romantic relationship—A topic Roxas wanted to avoid at all costs because he couldn't have a relationship with her. They were strictly childhood friends. Nothing more, nothing less. It didn't matter how badly he wanted to be in a relationship with her.
'I can't let anything get in the way of saving her…'
KHKHKHKHKH
The moment Roxas and Sora came through the school doors and into the hallway Monday morning, a swarm of students enveloped the duo in a boisterous assault of praise. No one wanted to be left out on the blind hero's grand welcome. Except for perhaps the hero himself that is…
"Dude, that fight was so sick!" Tidus, one of the school's blitzball players, exclaimed, clapping Roxas heartily on the back as a large grin stretched across his tanned face.
"Uh…Thanks," Roxas scratched the back of his head, resisting the urge to outwardly grimace as he attempted to clumsily maneuver away from the overly enthusiastic blitz ball player. The result being an informal face-to-face meeting with someone's locker of course...
It wasn't that Roxas was unappreciative of the praise he was receiving, but it was just he wasn't exactly in the mood for it either. With so much plaguing his mind, Roxas didn't have time to slow down and play hero.
"You certainly are popular today," Sora chuckled and laced his hands behind his head. Another of the overly peppy cheerleader's passed by and blew Roxas an unnoticed kiss. "Can't say I envy you though."
"Tell me about it…I just wish they would all leave me alone," Roxas muttered under his breath, eliciting another laugh from his cousin.
"It'll die down…" Sora reassured before grinning cheekily, "eventually. Just don't let it all go to your head."
Roxas rolled his eyes. "I'll try not to. Though…I really don't get what the big deal is…"
"Kicking the ass of a star athlete to protect the most popular girl in school," Sora shrugged nonchalantly, "You're right. No big deal."
"I just did what anyone else would," Roxas countered, stopping his pace when he no longer heard the sound of his cousin's footsteps hitting against the hallway floor. "Everyone keeps treating me like I did something amazing, but it really isn't that big of a deal."
Sora looked up at the clock looming above a row of sunset lockers briefly before turning his gaze back to Roxas with a sigh. "I don't really believe that just anyone would have done that, especially since it was Riku, but I guess that's just my opinion. I really should get to class though." Sora's eyes flicked to the clock again, "Yeah…I really should go. It's only gym but the last kid who was late to Shang's class, ended up doing fifty laps around the entire campus. And, I know you haven't exactly noticed but this campus is freaking huge!"
Roxas scratched the back of his head and released a small chuckle. "Can't say I really have, but um…good luck then. I'll see you after classes?"
Sora nodded, beginning to sprint down the opposite hallway before calling loudly over his shoulder. "Three o'clock sharp! We'll meet where we usually do!"
"Alright!" Roxas responded, cupping his hands around his hands around his mouth to project better since the blind boy wasn't even entirely sure he was facing the right way. And, if that was the case, Roxas could only imagine how stupid he looked to his fellow classmates.
'Hopefully not too many people are in the halls now…'
"Roxas?"
The familiar sound of her voice cuts through his thoughts, automatically forcing him to turn sharply in the direction of her voice. The only problem? The blind boy's lack of coordination. Falling to the ground with an audible thud, Roxas rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as Naminé hurried to his side with a worried expression.
"Are you okay?" She asked, kneeling beside him with a hand resting on his forearm.
"Yeah…I'm alright," Roxas assures, pushing himself off the ground; Naminé helped keep the blond steady. "But um…How have you been since you know…"
"Oh," Naminé looked down at the ground as she mustered the words that had been trapped behind her lips for over two weeks now. "I'm fine…T-Thanks to you anyway…"
"It was…nothing," Roxas murmured hesitantly, "Anyone would have done have done it…" Roxas didn't understand why he was feeling so uncertain talking to her like this, but inside, his heart trembled.
"But they didn't; you did," Naminé pointed out quietly. Her own heart quivered as she spoke, but there was also a bout of excitement threading its way through her being. A hopeful notion that urged her to speak. "And…I…I," Naminé swallowed back the nervous lump in her throat, "I've been wanting to know if—"
"S-Sorry! I've got to go!" Roxas blurted, unable to hold himself back any further as his feet abruptly released into a hazardous sprint into the nearest hallway. His arms thwacked and grazed lockers as he ran but Roxas couldn't stop. The fear in his heart was too much to bear.
What she wanted, he couldn't give—not in good conscience anyway. This was what was best. They had to remain friends. If something went wrong because of his folly and personal desires, Roxas could never forgive himself. To save her, he couldn't complicate things with a relationship.
'I know I can't run forever, but I have to at least…Unh…' Roxas paused mid-sprint as his consciousness began to drift. 'Damn head wound…' Roxas' mind complained as he slumped to the floor. The doctor had advised he stay home for another week, but Roxas had insisted on going to school anyway. Worst idea ever. The blind boy didn't think Naminé would follow him, but the sense of paranoia refused to leave his mind, forcing the blond to slowly and awkwardly scuttle forward.
'Yet another incredibly stupid position I'm in…"
Roxas continued his pace for another minute, but stopped when the pain made even the thought of movement unbearable.
"Umm…Do you need help over there?" The voice that spoke was friendly but uncertain.
"Ventus?" Roxas queried, his eyes shut tightly to help assuage the pain in his head.
Ventus nodded before remembering his friend's condition. "Oh! Um…Yes! Do you need help?"
"A little," Roxas chuckled and held out a hand.
Ventus pulled the blind boy from off the ground, staggering slightly but remaining upright. "Urgh…There we go."
"Thanks," Roxas said smiling only a moment before grimacing in pain.
"Are you okay?" Ventus asked anxiously, "Did you hit your head or something?" Roxas chuckled in response until the pain in his head elicited a loud wince. "What? Is there something I don't get?"
"No…Well yeah," Roxas admitted, "I guess I'm just surprised you didn't hear about that big fight I got into with Riku…Everyone else seems to." The last part of the sentence slipped from the blind boy's lips sourly, but Ventus didn't seem to notice as his ocean blue eyes widened in shock.
"T-That was you!" Ventus exclaimed, "I heard that…Oh! Your head!" Roxas furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but once he felt the back of his head, understood the other blond's worry.
"I'm bleeding…aren't I?"
KHKHKHKHKH
"I guess I owe you one," Roxas noted with a small grin.
Ventus scratched the back of his head in confusion. "All I did was take you to the nurse's office."
"But you didn't have to," Roxas countered as he pressed an icepack to the back of his head, "So…I do owe you one."
The bright eyed teen rolled his eyes, but then can't help but pause for a moment in thought. Perhaps Roxas could help him with his dilemma?
"Well…when you put it that way, I guess I could use some help," Ven confessed softly.
Roxas arched an eyebrow and cracked a grin, "Why do I feel that this has to do with a girl?"
"…" Ventus didn't speak as his cheeks grew hot with embarrassment. His silence, however, spoke volumes and Roxas' grin broadened until it resembled the Cheshire Cat himself.
"It is a girl," Roxas stated smugly.
Ventus sighed; his companion was blind and yet even he could read the blue eyed boy like an open book. "Is it really that obvious?"
"Yeah," Roxas admitted with a chuckle, "it is, but don't sweat it. My cousin says I'm super easy to read too."
"Still…," Ventus grumbled, "It would be nice if I wasn't."
"But you're not, so tell me; what's the problem?"
Ventus shuffled and mumbled shyly. "I…I like this girl, but I don't know how to tell her. And I'm afraid if I don't tell her soon someone else will confess…," Ventus whispered the last few words but Roxas caught them easily and if he could have, the blind boy would have cast his friend a sympathetic glance.
To be in competition for someone affections, Roxas couldn't imagine the constant heartache his friend had endured. He removed the ice pack from the back of his bandaged head and attempted to place it on the table near his bed; half of its gelatinous form sagging on the edge before plopping quietly onto the floor.
"Well…I think you should just go for it. That's what my Dad always taught me. Even if it comes out super awkward, at least you'll have said it," Roxas advised.
"I guess you're right," Ventus said softly, "but…"
"But?" Roxas prompted.
"It's just a little funny because my Dad has always taught me the opposite since my Mom was the one to make the first move," Ventus explained, scratching his cheek lightly as he leaned back precariously in his chair and stared up at the almost blinding white lights of the nurse's office with a look of curious musing.
Roxas smiled. "That is kinda funny. I guess everyone has their ways to be with ones they love. My Dad has always been a man of few words, so confessing to my mother ended up being well…super awkward. He stuttered a lot and could barely even look at my mom."
"But it all worked out," Ventus finished with small smile.
"Exactly," Roxas said with an encouraging tone, "So don't worry about it. Everything will work out the way it needs to. Just go for it!"
"Thanks," Ventus said gratefully, "Your Dad has some good advice…I'll have to try and use it." Lifting himself from the chair, Ventus began to edge towards the door.
"Definitely. And I'm sure your Dad has plenty of good advice too, even if it's not on dating," Roxas added when he heard Ventus' footsteps.
Ven nodded. "He's a cool guy. I mean sometimes I wish I knew my real Dad but—"
"Real Dad?" Roxas interrupted curiously. What was Ventus talking about?
Ventus turned back towards Roxas and blinked in surprise. "Oh! I just meant that I was adopted," Ven quickly amended, "that's all."
"…So, you've never met your birth parents then?"
"Not that I know of," Ven answered lightly. Talking about his birth parents was always a topic he wanted to avoid, but strangely he felt compelled to talk to Roxas about it.
"Do you know if you have siblings at all?" Roxas asked, fighting the nagging voice in his head. The strange connection that pulled him like a moth to a flame.
Ven attempted to mask his sorrow with a smile. "My parents have never been super honest with me about any of that stuff, so maybe? I don't really know though…I wish I did but I don't."Ven let a wisp pass from his lips shakily as he weaved a hand through his blond hair. "I-I can't…My parents have given me everything and I can't hurt them…"
"But Ven," Roxas countered, wishing he could see the other boy's expression as he gazed blankly at the wall opposite of Ven, "you have a right to know! And I'm sure your other family misses you too…" Roxas said the last part softly as his thoughts nostalgically drifted to his own family—to his twin.
"And I have a right not to know...," Ven argued determinedly, "My parents are always afraid of losing me, but if I can prevent that…If I can just give them up, no one will be hurt."
"Except you and your other family," Roxas pointed out gently. Ven clenched a hand around the door frame tightly and released a slow breath.
"I-I'll see you around Roxas."
Roxas didn't speak as Ventus footsteps receded out of the room and faded down the hallway. The nagging, suspicious voice in the back of his mind occupied his thoughts, assaulting him with a whirlwind of possibilities.
'What if…?'
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Over the next few days, Naminé had scoured the hallways for her favorite blond intensely. She waited to catch him at every opportunity she could manage, but every time they spoke, he managed to slip from her grasp with one excuse after another.
At first, Naminé hadn't been too perturbed by this. Roxas had just come back to school after a two week long hiatus. Surely, it was just his homework that kept him away from her?
But as the days passed, Naminé was becoming less certain it was the homework and more certain it had something to do with her.
"Roxas!" Naminé called, catching the blind boy's arm as they were leaving music Thursday afternoon. "You haven't told me when you want to perform our piece? The music teacher says we have an extension since what happened, but I was hoping we could just get it out of the way soon?"
Roxas kept his eyes on the ground but feigned a cheerful smile as he hoisted his backpack over his shoulder again. It was silly to avoid her. Inevitably, they would have to talk. Inevitably, Roxas would have to tell her they couldn't be in a relationship. Inevitably but-
'Not now.'
"Oh yeah…I'll have to um…see what day works best, but I um…have to go to class now so…I'll talk to you later," Roxas said, before maladroitly weaving down the nearest corridor. Several students cast amused glances at his unusual gait but no one stopped the blind boy.
Naminé's blue eyes narrowed and the sheet in her hand crumpled as she suffocated it with her clenched fists.
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"Great job Naminé," Ms. Belle, Naminé's tutor, complimented as she handed the blonde back her Algebra II practice exam. "You really have been improving tremendously."
Naminé stared down at the red letter on the test with a large grin. 'Another A! I can't believe it.'
"Thank you."
It had only been a few weeks, but already Naminé's poor grades were improving. F's had transformed into A's, teachers were beginning to like her and even Naminé was starting to enjoy doing well in school. It didn't prevent her from being popular and, as long as no one saw her scores, she couldn't be made fun of.
'I wonder what Roxas will think? If he ever talks to me again that is…'
"Well, just keep up the good work," Belle said, gathering her things from Naminé's kitchen table and packing them away neatly in her book bag. "I expect a lot out of you; you're a bright girl Naminé."
When Naminé noticed Belle's stern brown eyes on her she quickly added a quiet, "I-I know."
"Alright, well keep studying. I'll be back tomorrow," Belle ordered kindly. Naminé nodded her head and obediently turned back to her studies as the brunette left.
A few moments later, however, Ariel, one of the maids, entered the kitchen. The red head wore a hesitant smile, unhappy to be the bearer of bad news as she usually was but aware of her boss' expectations. Even if he didn't care about his daughter's feelings, he was still business man polite.
"Ms. Kawada, I have a message from your father," Ariel announced meekly, flinching slightly when she noticed the flaxen haired girl roll her eyes.
"He can't make dinner, can he?" Naminé stated in monotone.
Ariel stuttered, "H-He had an unexpected business trip and wishes t-to make it up to you somehow."
"Tell him it's fine," Naminé continued dully, "he doesn't need to do anything."
"I-I'll inform him promptly, Ms. Kawada," Ariel stammered again before quickly scurrying out of the kitchen and up the winding staircase.
Naminé stared down at her textbook with a blank expression for a moment before abruptly slamming it shut and fighting against the tears stinging behind her eyes.
'Business trip? Yeah right. Father just wanted an excuse to be with his new mistress.'
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"Roxas!" Naminé called from the other end of the hallway.
Being blind, Roxas didn't look back towards the sound of her voice but continued to precariously weave through swarms of students, ignoring the many elbows in the face and locker door confrontations. The only thing Roxas was focused was getting away from her.
Just a little longer. That's what he told himself. It was already Friday but Roxas still continued his mantra. It was the only thing that kept him sane.
'I just have to wait a little longer and then we can—'
SLAM!
The sudden impact of Roxas' face hitting the open locker door sent the teen tumbling to the linoleum floor with a loud thud.
"Running from Naminé again?" Hayner's voice rang snidely in his ears, but Roxas was unable to provide an answer. He merely rubbed his sore face as he tried to fight off a wave of disorientation.
"You just hit him directly in the face with your locker door Hayner," Pence chided, clearly exasperated with his friend's antics, "I don't think he's going to answer."
Hayner shrugged, "Looks fine to me and besides, how else was I supposed to get his attention?"
"Oh I don't know," Pence rolled his eyes, "You could have just grabbed his arm or maybe even called his name."
"Eh," Hayner swatted his friend's sarcasm away carelessly, "Too easy."
"Hayner..." Pence sighed but decided it wasn't an argument worth pursuing as he leaned forward to extend a helping hand to the blond still sprawled out on the ground. "Need some help?"
Roxas nodded woozily as he clumsily tried to grasp the raven haired boy's outstretched hand. "Uh huh…" Without sight, however, the blond failed to grab onto anything but air and it puzzled Pence until he felt a sharp pain in his side from Hayner's elbow.
Pence scowled at his friend. "Will you—Oh yeah…" Pence abruptly stopped mid-sentence and blinked in realization. He had completely forgotten what Hayner had said. 'But…I hadn't really thought it was true.'
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"Okay…So, what is this all about?" Roxas asked irritably once the trio had settled into the old abandoned music room. Both Hayner and Pence, for whatever reason, had insisted on talking in private and, even though Roxas knew he should be suspicious, the anger he harbored towards Hayner for slamming his locker door in his face clouded any form of reason the blind boy had.
Hayner, who now leaned against the wall towards the back of the room, lazily flicked his gaze over to Roxas, "The jig is up goldie-locks, we know your secret."
"S-Secret? What secret? I-I don't have any s-secrets," Roxas verbally fumbled as his mind darted for possibly excuses. They couldn't know. No. Nobody knew. They had to be referring to something else.
"We're really not trying to make this any worse than I'm sure it already is Roxas," Pence assured, his voice gentle as if talking to a lost child.
"I seriously don't know what you're talking about," Roxas replied. His hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides and his veiled eyes were fixed on the ground.
"Then you're…haha," Hayner laughed to himself as he realized the irony of his words, "pretty blind."
Automatically, Roxas' head shot up, his eyes wide but unable to gaze upon the speaker. "W-What!?"
"We know you're blind Roxas," Pence said calmly.
"Not that it was that hard to figure out," Hayner commented snidely, "You act just like my blind cousin 'cept, he uses a cane and stuff."
Roxas swallowed back his panic. They were friends, right? They wouldn't tell anybody about this, would they?"
"You're not going to…tell anybody, are you?" Roxas asked in a steady voice. He couldn't freak out in front of them. Roxas had to remain in control of the situation.
"As much as I'd love to see the Ice Queen flip out, you're still our friend Roxas," Hayner stated firmly, "We wouldn't rat you out."
Roxas breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Thanks guys—"
"But," Pence added, "We would like you to do something for us in exchange."
"Name it," Roxas declared boldly. He would do anything if that meant keeping his secret.
Hayner sighed. "Well…"
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"Mmm…I could eat sea salt ice cream every day," Roxas mumbled dreamily as he took another lick of his sea salt ice cream bar.
Xion watched in amusement and took another bite of her own frozen treat. It felt like forever since they had been able to spend any time together. No school. No stress.
'And no Naminé,' Xion's mind added bitterly. It was still hard for Xion to process what had happened at Selphie's party. Roxas was blind but he put his own life at risk to protect her—the biggest snob in the entire school. The girl who had looked down upon Xion since the sixth grade. Xion took a harder bite of her ice cream this time before realizing her anger and quickly pushing it away. 'I won't let her ruin my time with Roxas.'
"Surprisingly, I don't doubt that," Xion teased before adding cheerfully, "I'm really happy we are finally spending some time together. It feels like forever since we've done anything."
Roxas nodded and licked the ice cream smeared around his lips. "It does, doesn't it? I guess that makes sense though. I mean I was out for two weeks."
"True," Xion agreed, leaning back against the teal and white striped booth cushion. Neither teen spoke again until Xion broke out of her reverie and asked her companion suddenly, "You never did tell me, how did your parents react to the whole hospital thing?"
Roxas stopped devouring his frosty treat and sighed. That had not been fun. "Basically, saying they were worried would be an understatement," Roxas confessed with an exasperated smile, "They both just flipped out on me. My Mom was crying. My Dad was telling me how I better not become like Vanitas. Yeah, it was one big bowl of fun."
"Ouch," Xion grimaced slightly, "Were you grounded at all?"
"No. They understood why I had to do it but they weren't exactly happy I blatantly put myself in danger either." Roxas admitted before taking another lick of his ice cream.
Xion shook her own head. "It was a good thing you did Roxas, but it was still really stupid. You were lucky Riku didn't give you more than a concussion."
"I know it probably wasn't the most intelligent thing to do," Roxas confessed softly, "but I would have done it again if I had the choice. Naminé…I just couldn't not protect her. She's—"
"Just stop," Xion blurted angrily, "I really…I just can't listen to you keep talking about her like she's so innocent and wonderful. Be friends with her. I won't stop you, but please stop talking about her." The pleading tone in her voice, surprised Roxas slightly but, for once, he didn't hold back. He was going to find out what Xion's problem with Naminé was.
"What's your problem with her anyway? I don't get it. What had Naminé ever done to you?" Roxas asked bluntly. The wooden stick of his ice cream bar stuck out his mouth like a tongue and his arms were tightly crossed—body language that clearly conveyed his feelings on the matter.
Xion huffed angrily. "Oh believe me; Miss Perfect has done more than enough damage to my life. We were best friends when we were little." Xion's voice dropped slightly as she continued, "We did everything together…Played at recess, had sleepovers at each other's houses…It was great."
"But?" Roxas prompted quietly.
"Kids always made fun of us and…Naminé didn't like that. She always wanted to be popular and when she got the opportunity," Xion gave a weak laugh as her eyes became distant, "she left me in the dust. She wouldn't even say hi to me in the hallway and as soon as her friends started to make fun of me again, she joined them. I-I…," Xion trailed off as her voice suddenly became thick, "I never felt so betrayed in my life."
Roxas' heart twisted uncomfortably in his chest. Naminé had been so kind to him. Why would she hurt Xion like that just for popularity? It didn't make sense to the blond and the lack of sympathy he had harbored for Xion's feelings towards Naminé abruptly caused a spasm of guilt to erupt in his heart.
"I'm really…sorry. Did you ever talk about it?"
Xion shook her head. "Never could. She didn't want to be seen with me, so I just gave up on our friendship. Though, looking back on it, I guess it's better we're not friends anyway. We're complete opposites now. There's no way we could get along without ripping each other's throats out."
"Still," Roxas insisted, "none of that should mean you should stop trying. Xion, you could really reach out to her!"
"Yeah uh-huh because that would go so well and besides, you forgot that we don't like each other. If I actually still liked her, I might be persuaded to help," Xion reasoned, though the sarcasm was more than evident in her voice.
"I hope you change your mind," Roxas said with a sullen smile, "It really would mean a lot to me."
But only silence passed from her lips.
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"It's already been a week and he still won't talk to me!" Naminé complained to her red headed companion petulantly. It was lunchtime now, but, instead of overseeing her court, Naminé had decided to sit outside. It wasn't like there were no tables and, besides, it gave Naminé the opportunity to vent without an audience.
"Have you tried talking to him?" Kairi asked, though her attention wasn't so much on the blonde as it was on the glowing screen of her phone—or more specifically her new boyfriend. Not that Kairi could help it. She had been pining for the brunette for years and now that they were finally together, how could she not be almost entirely absorbed in their relationship?
Naminé rolled her eyes and stabbed a piece of lettuce with her plastic fork. Of course, her best friend couldn't listen. She already had her boyfriend while Naminé was stuck playing hide and seek with Roxas.
"Have you even been listening to me Kairi?" Naminé snapped angrily, "I have been trying to talk to him, but he keeps avoiding me!"
When Kairi didn't respond, Naminé snatched the red head's phone away and the goofy smile on her friend's face instantly dissolved.
"Hey!" Kairi exclaimed as her hands automatically reached across the table in a desperate attempt to reclaim her stolen item.
Naminé held the phone further from Kairi's face, however, and arched an eyebrow expectantly. No words passed from the blonde's lips, but her silence was enough to force the red head to deflate in defeat.
"Sorry…," Kairi apologized with a sigh, "I'm just super excited about you know…being with Sora now." Naminé merely examined her nails coolly, as though the words had hadn't been spoken at all."
Kairi heaved a deeper sigh. She hated when Naminé got like this. "Naminé…You really should just confront him."
"He keeps running away," Naminé finally replied, flicking a meandering bug off the table.
"Then don't let him," Kairi advised shaking her head, "just grab his arm and make him talk."
Naminé absentmindedly twirled her fork before looking up at her violet eyed friend again with a suddenly tired smile. "Yeah…I guess that's what I'll have to do. Thanks Kairi."
The bell rang and both girls threw the remains of their lunches away in the trash. Kairi, however, didn't forget the absence of her phone and coughed awkwardly with an extended hand, "My phone?"
"Huh?" Naminé blinked obliviously but then rolled her eyes playfully. "Here," She tossed the phone to Kairi who barely managed to catch its slim metallic body. "Just remember to focus next time Kai."
Kairi nodded and watched her blonde friend enter the building with a small smile tugging at her lips.
'I hope everything works out for her…'
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"I-I have to go," Roxas lied quickly in another attempt to escape the blonde girl's searing inquisition. They were outside this time and the students that filed out were, as usual, the spectators of the event—watching in amusement as their Queen cornered the king to be with a surprisingly cold stare that even the blind boy himself felt as a shiver went down his spine.
"No," Naminé insisted, grasping his arm, "You're not. We have to talk."
A sense of panic slowly crept into Roxas' heart. He was stuck. She had a hold of him and even if he wrenched his arm from her grip, there was no telling where he would land. There was no way for him to tell where to go without Sora.
'Who's late…again…'
"We can talk," Roxas said slowly, "I just can't talk…today."
Naminé growled, her grip tightening. "You can't keep avoiding me Roxas. We have to talk."
Other students tried to draw closer to eavesdrop, but their Queen's icy demeanor was enough to deter any curious onlookers.
The wind howled through the trees and cast an array of autumn colored leaves to the withered grass on the ground. Roxas bit his lower lip and clenched his fists with a sudden bout of irritation.
"About what?" He demanded, "What is there to talk about?"
Naminé flinched at the unusual amount of anger in his voice, but then her gaze became determined once more as she confessed in soft but bold voice. "Roxas…I really, really like you. In fact, I think I may be in love with you."
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A/N: Finally! I can't believe how long it took to write this chapter but I hope you all can understand that since I started college my life/free time has gone down the drain. So, while I want to update sooner, I can't guarantee anything. I'll try and have chapters up each month but it all just depends on what college life brings.
As for the story, I hope everyone enjoyed it. There's always so much going on but I would like to note that I've actually decided the story itself will most likely be 29 chapters and an epilogue instead of 35 chapters. With the length of each chapter, it just makes more sense. Also, I hope this 'Finally' moment of the confession was well executed because I know everyone's been waiting for the big confession since well…forever. Additionally, using the 'l' word wasn't too...bold was it? I was pretty conflicted but I felt like by this time (especially after Vulnerable) and in this moment she would have realized her feelings
Also, thank you all so much for your continuous support! I still can't get over how many people are willing to read and review! Seriously, 312 reviews is awesome!:D
Review goal:…330? As always, I keep trucking regardless but it would be awesome to get closer to 350 reviews:)
Review Replies:
Guest: I agree. Everyone has some awful circumstances but Tifa's probably is the worst considering she lost her husband to her best friend through an affair and their son is a delinquent. Thanks tons for sharing your thoughts!:D
Taco Luver: I know right? I'm happy not to write his character anymore myself! Thanks tons for reviewing!:D
Artism: It has been a long time indeed, but good to hear from you again:) Haha, the really do. It's like one big web of issues that are all intertwined. -Releases sigh of relief- That's good to hear. Humor isn't my strong suit so I'm always hesitant when I try to use it. Also glad to hear that the fighting didn't seem really unrealistic. I already suck at fight scenes so having a blind character fight was just well...difficult. I know what you mean completely. Dialogue is a struggle for me because my social skills are not the best and that is very true:) Thank you and I hope your own writing endeavors go well!
Please Read and Review If You Can! Reviews=Love & Chocolate Chip Cookies Baskets:)