Chapter two! :D
Marluxia and Vexen (the newly appointed Principal and Vice Principal of Twilight Town High School) developed a sort of friendship that only occurs with the right circumstances and just the right force and if God happens to be in a humorous mood at the moment.
"Why in God's name did you get principal?" Vexen had decided to bring the subject up again as they drove their car (pubic school teachers were generally poor and only had other public school teacher friends who were just as poor as they were. So, even though Vexen and Marluxia each had their own cars, they carpooled with each other at every chance they got and added to the popular belief that they were dating, and, apparently, it was getting serious) to the East side of TTHS.
Marluxia tried to safely parallel park, roll his eyes, and get a piece of his (un)natural pink hair out of his face. "Get over yourself," he absentmindedly replied as he continued to stare intently at his rear viewed mirror at the car behind him. While Vexen went on with his rant, including words like 'tenor' and 'work ethic' whenever he deemed them worthy, Marluxia was inch by inch getting closer to the curb, estimating the remaining distance, versus the pressure he added to the gas peddle.
The truth was, Marluxia didn't know why he was chosen in to be principal. In the eight years he had been teaching, he only showed interest with the academic aspect of school, only getting involved with the budget when they threatened to get rid of the newspaper or didn't have a particular book he wanted to read with the class. No. He wasn't like the Science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology if he was feeling particularly evil) teacher next to him, as Vexen was part of every budget meaning, often covered for the Vice Principal. The only thing Marluxia cared about other than academics, was keeping the student garden at school.
"...budget is certainly not your strong suit."
"You done Vexen? We've been parked for five minuets." Marluxia had been hearing this lecture for the past week or so, even when the two had gone out for a couple drinks, ruining his chance with the pretty brunette girl.
The two scowled at each other a moment longer before getting out of the car, slamming the silver Prius doors shut, and heading towards the theatre, where roughly two-hundred (give or take) students were freaking out for their arrival.
Before they entered, they were greeted by Naminé, who still had those bundles of papers in her arms and glasses on her face.
"Gentlemen," the smile she greeted them with was slightly forced, but being an actress, it was easy to overlook on her, "Welcome to the Ansem Heart Theatre." She offered both of them her hand.
Marluxia gave her a grin back, and Vexen saw the predatory gleam in his blue eyes. He resisted the urge to face palm.
"My pleasure," Vexen bit back a groan of frustration. Oh, God! The idiot's purring! "I'm Marluxia Florix." Vexen watched in slight horror as Marluxia kissed Naminé's hand.
An awkward pause followed...
The cold look Naminé gave Marluxia sent him a good foot behind Vexen. Vexen tried very hard to not to look too smug as he shook Naminé's hand with a simple, "Vexen Icren."
"Naminé Giri."
Marluxia half hid, half sulked behind Vexen as they walked into the theatre.
Axel forced himself not to look as Roxas happily bounded up to Sora.
"What Axel?"
"You're sounding incredibly...jealous."
Roxas stared at him. Axel could see his thoughts rushing around his head through his blue eyes. Axel's own green eyes narrowed at Roxas' 'dear caught in the headlights' expression. "Damn it, Roxas." He walked a step closer and Roxas took a step back. He grabbed Roxas' shirt pulling him close.
"Axel, not in public."
Axel pushed Roxas against the wall putting his hands on either side of Roxas' head. As Roxas' blue eyes grew fearful, Axel felt a perfect mixture of smugness and shame bundle up inside of him. He leaned forward feeling some dark triumph when Roxas tried to shrink away from him. "Get out of your fucking closet, Roxas."
One last moment and he left, trying to convince himself that he did not see tears form in those blue eyes.
Axel scowled staring intently at the music in front of him. And who was that silver-haired pretty boy over there? Acting all friendly with Roxas... Riku, that was his name...what a stupid name...
"You've got your 'I'm gonna kill you' face on, Axel." Snapped out of his thoughts, he looked at Demyx Hyudren. The high school senior ginned happily at him before grabbing his violin, making sure it was tuned.
Axel rubbed his face with one of his hands, letting out a yawn, "How do you know my murder face, Dem?"
Demyx just shrugged, grin growing bigger. "It's the same look you gave me when I put a bottle of water on your precious piano."
"You were gonna leave a stain." Axel snapped, going back to reviewing the music.
"Or that time Roxas kissed me."
"Go to hell." Axel turned his back to Demyx, because a treble clef was so damn fascinating.
Demyx laughed, "You can't talk to me like that, I'm your student." Demyx was, of course, joking. He'd known Axel for most of his life since they were neighbors and family friends and blah, blah, blah. The messy haired blonde pouted as Axel remained silent. "Don't try to ignore me. I got info to help with Blondie."
"I don't know what you're talking about." He was surprised with how smooth and easy the denial came out of his mouth. Axel was pleased that that had actually worked on Demyx and figured the matter was over, until he heard from a sly voice behind him, "Wanna know about that silver haired kid?"
Fuck denial.
Axel whipped around grabbing Demyx by the collar, "What about him, Dem?"
Demyx just laughed, slowly prying Axel's hands away from his collar. "The only thing I know is that he's Sephorath's kid, and he was looking more at Sora than Rox."
Axel visibly relaxed, but then tried to tense up slightly, so Demyx wouldn't notice. This only made Demyx laugh harder. Groaning, Axel plopped down on a bench, closing his eyes, and letting the world go away. "Who else knows?"
"About your obvious crush on Roxas? Almost the entire orchestra. At least all the strings and percussion." Opening his eyes at the new voice, Axel saw Zexion; possibly God's other gift to music after Demyx, especially with the violin.
"And after that time Roxas made out with me and we saw you two sneak upstairs two hours later for, what we all assumed, was some drunken butt-sex."
"We even had bets. Which reminds me." Zexion turned toward Tidus, a blond sophomore who was fixing up a drum set, "Tidus, you owe me twenty bucks for that night. I was right."
Ignoring the "Aw man!" from Tidus, Axel tried not to reveal how irritated he was about all these high school kids involved in his sex life (or lack of).
"Wait, Roxas and Axel are doing it?"
"Ha, ha! I knew it!"
"Crap! I just lost ten bucks!"
"Hey, idiots." Axel was getting sick of all high school minds butting into a private matter, "One, we're not doing it, that would be illegal." That was true, seeing as Roxas was only seventeen (for only nine months and three more days...not that Axel was keeping track or anything), "Two, get ready to do the damn scene or I'm making your lazy asses run two miles on Monday."
There was a moments silence as the music geeks considered the unspeakable horror of this threat.
"Someone help with the music stands!"
"Where the fuck did my glasses go!"
And as Axel put his hair back out of his face and into a hair tie, he couldn't help but feel satisfied in his bossing of kids one to four years younger than him.
He heard Demyx sigh behind him. For some reason, this ticked him off. "Shut it, Demyx," He growled.
"What I don't get is the big deal, Axel."
"The big deal," he began though clenched teeth. Axel had never felt so frustrated and hurt in his life, "Is that Roxas doesn't wasn't anyone to know." Axel couldn't trust his voice as he murmured, "Like he's ashamed."
The price of falling in love with a high school theatre geek was all the drama that came along with it.
Larxene knew she was possibly the greatest junior ever to walk the stage of Twilight High School.
She was in her dressing room (complete with mirror and lights and away from all those screaming brats in the main dressing room) finishing up her make-up, and making her hair absolutely perfect. (Not that there was much that she could do with it anyway).
The dressing room was full of pictures. Pictures of her, of course. The lead since she made her debut in Camelot, being an understudy when the original Guinevere had broken her leg. (There had been a small pause to appreciate the irony of that, but the show had to go on.) It had been an old janitors closet, but Larxene didn't care. It was her's, showed how she was the best, always the best.
Besides, she thought to herself as she left, giving her good-luck shoe a kiss, they're only waiting for me out there.
Of course they were all waiting for Larxene. She had yet to come out of her pathetic excuse of a dressing room and was the freaking lead of the freaking show!
Axel was close to pulling his hair out.
"Where the fuck is Larxene?" He called out at random. The curtain was still closed and the cue to start the music wasn't given yet.
Demyx sighed next to him, tapping several keys on the piano to the tune of "Under the Sea," "Who knows?"
Axel looked out on the seats watching Miss Giri attempting to stall for who he assumed were the new principals. One was either an ugly ass blond chick, or some long haired dude. The other was either a very masculine lesbian, or his hairdresser confused 'brown' with 'pink' the last time he bothered for a haircut. Both looked ready to either make or break this whole Department just to show that they have power; maybe not really sure how they got it, but still ready to use it nevertheless.
Then there was the silver-haired fruit. Axel narrowed his eyes at him as he looked around the theatre with a vague interest. Axel didn't care what Demyx said. Until he saw Sora and Riku doing a tonsil tango with his own two eyes, he was gonna be jealous.
(Though he wouldn't dare saw that out loud.)
Marluxia seemed to be staring in awe to everything barely twenty feet from him. The production had begun, and it was hard to remind himself that these were only high schoolers. Naminé noticed his interest, and smiled, "Talented, aren't they?"
He couldn't take his eyes off as a blond dancer pairing with the redheaded girl as they danced to the mornful tune that was being played by...by, "Are those student's in the orchestra?"
Naminé nodded, looking at Axel's flaming red locks pushed back into a hair tie. "The conducter is a collage sophomore who's majoring in music. But other than that, they are all between the ages of fourteen and eighteen."
At this point, Marluxia was on the edge of his seat, watching as the main singer pranced around the stage, singing her love for the peasent man.
And he'd only thought just the main cast would do a five-minuet thing.
So did Vexen. Who currently didn't really care about what was going on. Personally, musical and play plots bored him. Too simple, too much drama...just fancy costumes and dance routines with overpriced tickets and plenty of time wasted.
"The kids insisted on doing a whole song from there up coming play," he heard Miss Giri say, "they wanted to impress you and let you know we take this very seriously."
Vexen glanced over at Marluxia to see him staring as though in a trance. His brows furrowed in confusion. This was either a ploy for Miss Giri's attention, or the idiot liked the play. It was a fifty out of fifty chance either way.
"It's amazing what you've done with those children, Miss."
Seventy out of thirty chance.
One and two and three and four and one and two and three and four and... Roxas concentrated on the beats, barely allowing room for anything else.
Five and six and seven and jump! Come down with a turn, end in second position, all with a smile.
Faking smiles. The easiest thing he was taught.
One and two and three and four and...
"Bravo, class." Naminé beamed up at the stage as the students finished, Larxene's final note hanging in the air.
Beside her, Marluxia looked like Christopher Columbus; he discovered something everyone knew about, but was still pretty damn excited about it.
Vexen still looked bored.
Riku was looking at the happy brunette, currently hugging Roxas. He smiled, still the same Sora.
None of them noticed the change of shadows toward the side of the stage towards the curtains.
To say Larxene was furious would be the understatement of the year. How dare they. This was all about me. I'm the star. Not that little faggot Roxas and his twin.
She glared at them, watching with narrowed green eyes as they talked in the corner. Occasionally, someone would walk up to them congratulating Roxas and talking with them a little while before heading backstage to change.
Even Axel himself (who, the more Larxene thought about it talked to the junior twins way more than her) hopped up onstage, speaking in low tones to them, she couldn't take it anymore.
"Miss Giri!" Larxene walked up front, center stage, calling out to her teacher. Miss Giri, who had been talking to Mr. Florix and Icren, looked up at her, taking off her purple rimmed glasses.
"Yes, Larxene?"
Larxene put on her most innocent smile. "I just wanted to pleasure our guests more by reciting that song in the second act? Right after the intermission?"
Roxas and Axel, who had been trying to sneak out of the theatre in the hope of talking privately, stopped dead in their tracks, whipping their heads around to see if Naminé would have her sing. If Larxene sang, Axel would be needed to play the piano...
Miss Giri smiled, "Of course." She turned to the men beside her, "Just one more minuet of your time if you please." Lowering her voice she added, "It'd be easier to let her do it than listen to the tantrum if she didn't do it."
Vexen and Marluxia looked at each other before quickly settling down in there seats.
After whispering a quick, "Sorry," to Roxas, Axel slipped back to the piano.
Roxas beckoned Sora to come join him as he walked down the aisle. Sora quickly caught up to him and went to sit next to Riku. He smiled at the silver haired boy, "Hi," he whispered.
Riku grinned down at him, "You were great out there." He said back in hushed tones.
Sora blushed, "It's really Roxas' scene..." he trailed off, trying to be modest.
Riku only shrugged, then replied with the same smile, "I was looking at you."
Sora opened his mouth to reply, but Roxas cut him off with a quick, "Shh!"
By now, some of the students had come down to sit down in the audience seats. Others were standing casually standing on the stage behind Larxene, looking incredulously at her, and whispering when they figured she wouldn't hear.
Riku looked confused at the silence turning to Sora and Roxas for help. "Umm-" "SHHH!" This time it was the two of them at the same time shushing him.
A soft appragio intro began on the piano. Roxas always liked listening to Axel play. He felt a stab of frustration toward Larxene. Damn it. He wanted to talk to Axel so bad right now. He was so stupid earlier today. Crrraaaaap. Roxas internally groaned as Larxene's crooning came on.
Sora sighed, resting his head on his palm. He glanced over at Riku. Riku looked back at him, and made an exaggerated yawn. Sora clapsed his palm over his hand, stiffling his laughter.
The brunette quickly flashed his blue eyes to the stage, making sure the singer was distracted before he crossed his eyes, sticking out his tongue.
Riku turned away, shoulders shaking with repressed laughter. He turned back, teal eyes rolled up in his head, tongue touching his nose.
Sora put both hands over his mouth, eyes watering up.
They couldn't see the cold grey, blue eyes of someone watching them from afar. He wasn't really that far. He was leaning on a railing by the curtains. The man snorted. He could hear Sora's soft laughter even over this hag's singing.
He was dressed in a black dress shirt, fitting smugly over his thin frame. A pair of dress pants, also black, were held by a belt. His silver hair was perfectly styled, perfectly parted, several bangs stylishly fell across his eyes.
There was only one thing off about his appearance. A white mask, adorning half his face, fitting his bone structure nicely, leaving a whole for his eye to shine through.
He glanced back to the Strife twins. His pride, his own personal jewels. His gaze flitted between them, switching from Roxas to Sora. Sora, his precious, his light. His light. The man closed his eyes. Light. So much light. Images filled his mind of bringing Sora into the darkness. His darkness. Something so light, must look so dark without power. Real beauty could only be seen in the dark.
He sighed turning his back to the audience and stage. He almost had everything right. He just needed a different singer...he just needed Sora.
He couldn't wait another year to get rid of Larxene. Something had to be done.
"And I will alwaaaaaaaays be theeeeeeeere!"
Larxene sang the last note with all her strength.
Everyone cheered. It was one of those lame traditions you find in every playhouse. The inside joke was that no one was cheering for Larxene, they were just cheering that she was done.
But of course Larxene didn't know that. She just thought she was the best.
Apparently someone didn't think so.
Roxas walked up to the stage piano. He saw Axel picking up some music. "Hey." He greeted softly, a smile on his face.
Axel turned around, offering his own unsure smile. "Hey."
It was kind of how the two had first met. Awkward greetings when Sora needed to talk to "That new collage guy", then quickly walking off to talk to Demyx as Roxas and Axel were left to talk to awkwardly meet each other.
"You played great." Axel smiled at the compliment.
"Thanks, Roxas. You did really good today too." Roxas blushed, glancing down. He suddenly frowned, remember what else he did today.
"Axel," he forced himself to meet Axel's eyes, "I'm...I'm sorry about...earlier. I-"
Crack! Woooosh!
Axel and Roxas looked up in time to see the curtain falling down on them.
"Damn. How is she the lead?" Riku stood up, stretching. He noticed Roxas had almost bounded up to the stage immediately after the song was done.
Sora yawned, "She just has the presence of a star." He looked back at the blonde, currently taking praise from anyone who gave it to her. His blue eyes looked envious as he continued to look at her. Roxas often told him he had twice the voice Larxene could ever have...but...he felt something hold him back from the spotlight...
A scream brought him out of his revere. Sora looked towards the stage just in time to see a curtain fall over Larxene, Axel...and, "Roxas!"
Sora ran up to the stage, hopping on top, and helping with other teens to lift the curtain off of his brother. He knelt as the curtain was taken off, revealing Roxas' blond hair peaking out from under Axel, who had thrown himself on top the junior, shielding his head.
Axel got up first, offering a shaken Roxas a hand, keeping him close.
"Xigbar!" Naminé stormed up to the stage. "What did you do? You almost injured two students and Axel!" Her eyes were narrowed, her small hands balled into fists. She deal with this right now.
A snort was hear up on the scalfholding, "As if! I just ran up here when the damn thing came crashing down. No one was up here. Well," he chuckled. A sound that sent shivers up Roxas and Sora's spines, "Maybe a ghost." His tone was mocking, but still brought on some shrieks from the younger teens.
Kairi burst into tears, "It was the Ghost! The Ghost!" She and Selphie, another dance, clung to each other, as though the Ghost itself would come down and take them both.
Roxas and Sora glanced at each other. The Ghost. The Drama Ghost of Twilight Town High School. A legend. A myth told to scare the freshies the first few weeks. But, for the past three years, certain 'accidents' have been taking place. At first they stared simple enough, a mic going out in the middle of a play, the orchestra music being switched up. But they steadily got worse. Costumes being cut up, blackouts during rehearsals, sometimes putting them way behind schedule.
Sometimes...sometimes Roxas and Sora would feel something looking down on them. Something watching over them...
"That's it! I can't take this bullshit anymore!" Everyone turned to Larxene at her outburst. She glared haughtily at everyone, "Dose anyone else bother to notice that this, this thing only does it's stupid shit when I'm preforming?" There was a pause as everyone thought about it. Of course they had known, maybe laughed a little behind her back.
She took in the guilty silence around her. Everyone was waiting for the eruption. "Well that's it! I'm leaving. Goodbye! This crap is bellow me!" She paused dramatically. "When you all see me in ten years, I'll be famous."
And she left.
It was dramatic.
Okay. Is it obvious I still don't know who the 'phantom' is?
And can I just say how much I love the idea of Marluxia and Vexen having a love/hate bromance?
LOTS OF LOVE!