~Drowning in mud

Can't move

Can't see

Can't breath

Will you pull me out~

Chapter 8: I'm Scared

Monday to Wednesday she avoided him. It wasn't too hard, considering he didn't show up at school the first two days. The third day he avoided looking at her, and she him.

'Why did he kiss me?' she just couldn't wrap her head around it. First, he helps her at the party. Then he hugs her, then randomly kisses her.

As much as it confused her it also bugged her. Was he trying to play with her feelings? How was she supposed to go on when he did things like this?

So when she woke up Thursday morning she decided, if he was there, she would talk to him. Obviously he was up to something. She wanted answers, and he owed her that.

'I wonder what the chances are that he'll actually give them' she thought, throwing her covers back. When she got down stairs she saw Cloud was already in the shower, meaning she slept in a bit. She hurried down the stairs, jumping over Alonzo since he decided to lay in the middle of the hall.

"If Cloud steps on you it's your own fault," She told the feline. But knowing her, she'd get mad at her brother anyway.

As she grew more awake she realised her legs were feeling sore. She ignored it though, focusing on her cereal.

"Better hurry, or you'll be late." Cloud came into the kitchen, drying his hair.

"Sorry, forgot to set my alarm," She said. She absently rubbed her leg, an action her brother noticed.

"Are your legs bothering you?"

"No, it's just cold," She said.

"Maybe you should stay home, just in case."

"I'm okay Cloud," She assured him. When he didn't say anything, just frowned, she added, "I'll be with Kairi. Stop worrying so much."

Roxas really wondered why he didn't hit girls. Or at least Larxene. She may have the curves of a woman but she certainly didn't act like one.

"Will you let go woman!" He struggled.

"Yeah, because I take orders from you," She rolled her eyes. She was dragging Roxas down the Alleyway by the back of his coat to where Axel was waiting in his truck. "You keep skipping, avoiding your little girlfriend and I'm tired of Axel and Demyx complaining about you not being there enough so guess what. You're going to school."

"I went yesterday!"

"Yeah, at lunch."

"Since when do you care what I do?" Roxas muttered. The grip on his coat tugged harder, making him fall onto his back. If that didn't wind him then the high heal boot on his chest certainly did. Thank god the sadistic woman wore shorts underneath her skirt.

"Listen here, and listen good Runt," Larxene seethed. "I'm not Axel or Demyx. I don't care when you get depressed. I don't care if you don't take your pills. I especially don't care about your school attendance. But-" He winced when she pressed harder into his chest. "-I do care when you start playing with girls feelings. Either tell the girl you're sorry, I don't care how you do it, and start begging for forgiveness like the little shit you are-" he was pretty sure there was already a bruise where her heel was. "-Or stop being an ass. Your getting on my nerves with it, and if I hear you kissed her again without apologizing to her, I'll make you wish I had my knives back. Got it?"

"I-I'm not playing with-with her feelings!" he choked out.

"Oh? That's not what I see," Roxas gasped for breath when she removed her foot. He sat up, rubbing his sore chest. "What I see is a little blonde girl walking around the school, depressed and confused as to why a guy kissed her, even though that same guy told her to get lost, and that she meant nothing to him."

He glared at her at that last part. Rolling her eyes, Larxene turned around, leaving him on the ground. After a couple seconds he got up.

Following the crazy blonde for a few seconds, he realised something. If you took away the abuse and harsh words, Larxene basically gave him advise.

"So how do you do this?"

"You move just reverse the numbers and turn the negative into a positive."

"Oka-Wait, why?"

Kairi couldn't suppress her smile as she watched her cousin try to help Sora with their math assignment. She honestly had no idea why she was worrying about Naminé yesterday. Her cousin had some colour in her cheeks for once, and she was smiling a lot.

"Kairi, you look creepy grinning like that," Naminé told her.

"I'm in a good mood, sue me." Kairi stuck out her tongue. Naminé rolled her eyes before checking Sora's answers.

"Sora, you're supposed to turn it into a fraction."

"But I hate fractions!" The Burnett complained.

"Kairi, help me, he's impossible!" Naminé shook her head, but her smile betrayed her amusement.

Once the class ended, Naminé and Sora made their way to the gym. As always, the blonde made her way up the stands, sitting in her usual spot. Since she didn't have any homework to do she took her sketch book out of her bag. She'd been so distracted lately that she didn't have time to draw anything expect for in Art.

Art. The class she has with Roxas. She really did want to talk to him, but as the morning went by she was losing all desire too. She knew he was here today. He was standing outside her Science class waiting for Axel. It looked like he was going to talk to her but it was Axel he wanted to speak with, not her.

'I don't understand him at all' she thought. She thought back to the Seventh Grade. Everything was great then. They were still friends, they were so close. Then he told her he loved her. She was so happy.

Then he broke her heart.

Sighing, she looked at her sketch, and was startled to see she had started to draw him. She turned to a new page, and started a new one.

Which turned out as him. Same for the next, and the next. Finally she just gave up.

Wanting a distraction, she looked to see what the class was doing. Unlike last week, they didn't divide boys and girls. They were doing a sort of fitness run. She laughed when she saw Olette trying to cheer up Selphie, who looked unusually depressed. Probably because she hated running.

After a minute she spotted Sora, who seemed at ease with running. For someone so lazy he was in good shape. Then again, he was on the soccer team.

Then her heart skipped a beat. Right behind him was Roxas. He was keeping a steady pace, looking almost bored with the run. As though feeling her gaze, he looked up, his eyes locking with hers. He didn't look away until he had to turn.

Her face feeling very warm now, Naminé took a book out of her bag, and hide behind it.

Once the bell rang she wasted no time leaving. She didn't even pause when she tripped, though she really should have.

After gym Roxas hurried with changing, ignoring Sora when he called his name.

'It's now or never' he thought, running down the hall. It didn't take long for him to find her.

She was walking down the hall with Olette and Selphie, who was complaining about something.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he took a deep breath.

"Naminé!" The two Brunettes turned around, surprised, but he was too focused on the blonde between them.

Slowly she turned around, looking cautious yet curious at the same time.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"I-uh…" Damn it! Why was it so hard to say now that he was in front of her. "Can we talk? After school?"

Her cautious look increased, and he couldn't blame her. He really should have picked different words to use.

"S-Sure," She nodded. It was then he noticed how flushed her cheeks were. At first he though it was just her natural blush but up close it looked too red.

"I'll, uh, meet you in the parking lot," Roxas said.

"Okay." Nodding, he turned to go but something stopped him. He remembered watching her leave the stands after the class, and how she tripped. Looking back at her he asked, "Are your legs okay?"

"Uh, Yeah," She said. She smiled, though she surprised at the question.

Though he wasn't convinced, he decided to take her word for it.

He was half way down the hall when he heard a gasp of surprise.

"Naminé, are you okay?"

Turning around he saw Naminé of the ground. Her bag, laying next to her, had scattered it's contents around her. At first glance it looked as though she just tripped, and he desperately hoped that's all it was; a case of clumsiness again.

But then she looked up, her cerulean eyes locking with his. Seeing the panic and fear in them he didn't hesitate to run back to her, kneeling beside her once he reached her.

"It it what I think it is?" he asked quietly so Olette and Selphie couldn't hear.

She nodded. He could see the tears she was trying to hold back.

"When was the last time it happened?"

"E-Eight months." her voice cracked slightly.

"Right," Roxas exhaled sharply, trying and failing to hide his frustration. Eight months? Does that mean nothing at Radiant Garden worked? He remembered Sora saying that they did what they could, but does that mean nothing helped at all?

He saw Naminé tremble slightly. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

"Right." he repeated. He took out his phone, hitting the speed dial.

'Come on Axel, pick up' he thought.

"Yeah?"

"Axel, I'm taking your truck. I'll explain later."

"Sure, but when did you grab a copy of the key?"

"Who said it was a copy?"

"What the-Roxas! You son of a-" Hanging up, he turned back to the blonde, who was visibly shaking now.

"Let's go," He place his right hand on her back while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Slowly, he lifted her up.

Once she was securely in his arms, he looked at Olette, who looked shocked and worried.

"Find Kairi, and tell her what happened. I'm taking her to the Hospital, alright?"

"Y-Yeah." She said. Roxas nodded his thanks, and made his way to the doors.

He felt Naminé burry her face into his chest.

"I-I'm scared," She whispered. "I-I don't want to go there."

"I know," he said quietly. Luckily, someone held the door open so he could get through easier. "But you have to."

Kairi was outside, enjoying the warm sunlight, when Olette and Selphie found her and their friends.

"Whoa, why do you two look like you ran a marathon?" the redhead asked.

"Fitness in gym," Selphie panted. It looked like she was going to say something else but Olette interrupted.

"Never mind that. Naminé just collapsed in the hall," The brunette said. Kairi's eyes widened as she felt her blood run cold.

"W-What?" she stammered. In the corner of her eye she saw Sora and Riku exchange worried looks.

"We were walking and then she just collapsed," Selphie said. "She's being taken her to the Hospital right now."

"H-Hospital?" Kairi felt light headed all of the sudden. Her knees started to shake and would have fallen to the ground had Sora not grabbed her arm in time.

"Calm down Kai. We should get going, Nams needs us," he said.

"Right. Naminé needs us," Kairi shook her head, trying to clear it.

'Get a hold of yourself!' she thought. Without a second thought she ran towards the parking lot, Sora following seconds later.

They got into his car, wasting no time leaving the lot.

"Riku brought his car today," Sora said once they got to a stop light. " So Olette and Selphie are coming since they're worried. Hayner and Pence might too if they get a hold of them in time."

"Right," Kairi nodded, leaning back in her seat. Sora glanced at her with worried eyes.

"She's going to be okay Kairi," He said. "It's happened before."

"I know. But I can't help it." Kairi felt tears begin to form in her eyes but didn't care. "What if Olette and Selphie weren't with her? What if she was on a staircase? Or crossing the street? Or-" her eyes widened. "Cloud!"

Taking out her phone, she called him, thankful she had him on speed dial; her hands were shaking so much she doubt she'd be able to punch in the right number.

"What?"

"Cloud, it's Kairi. Naminé-"

"Yeah, I know. She text me, then Roxas called. I'm meeting them in Emerg. You on your way?"

"Yeah, Sora's drivi-" then something clicked. "Wait, Roxas?"

"Yeah, he's the one bringing her there," her cousins tone became grim. "I'm going to have a talk with him when I see him. I have to go"

"What'd he say? What about Roxas?" Sora asked once she hung up.

"Roxas is the one taking her there," Kairi frowned. Sora gave her a surprised look.

"Seriously? How, he doesn't have a vehicle."

"Don't know. But Cloud didn't sound too happy about it," Kairi muttered.

"Uh, doesn't your cousin hate mine?"

"Yeah," Kairi looked out the window. She wished the speed limit was faster then 50. Cloud hated Roxas. Well, maybe not hate but he didn't trust him. But who knows, maybe Cloud will be able to get the answers everyone's been wanting to know the last two years.

A/N:I snuck on the computer and finished this chapter quickly so there's probably mistakes so I am sorry if there are. This is probably my last update for awhile.

Chapter Fact:

I always pictured Larxene giving Advice in a way that saves her pride, and let's her hurt the person in the process. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy her hurting Roxas like that. I'm just as sadistic as her sometimes.

The part about Roxas helping Naminé has been written and finished in my note book for about two months now, give or take. It was done before even the prologue was written.

Here's something to keep you guys busy until I can update again. If you can guess why Naminé randomly collapsed, I'll write a One-Shot of your KH couple choice and dedicate the next chapter to you.

Here's a hint:

It causes temporary paralyses.

Good luck!