Chapter 12: Conjugates
Xion sat comfortably in a booth, her thoughts drifting to a certain blond-haired boy. A smile tugged her lips. It always showed itself when her best friend was on her mind. She idly played with a straw wrapper as a few memories replayed in her mind. She and Roxas came to this restaurant at least once a month. It was his favorite, and he made quick work of making it one of hers.
The best part was the bread bowl; it just also happened to be the free part of dinner. He'd say it all the time as if she needed to be reminded.
That didn't happen this time, and it was an odd feeling not hearing those words uttered when the bread rolls had arrived. Still, Xion smiled. She employed the line herself, filling Riku in like it was something only known between her and Roxas.
Riku. The name seemed to drop in her mind and send ripples through the images of her memories. That's right. I'm here with Riku, not Roxas, Xion reminded herself.
She never thought she'd have a different boy sitting across from her at this restaurant, much less on a date. A small part of her wished he was someone else.
"No." Xion whispered to herself. That was it. She always had to remind herself not to let her thoughts stray from her control. Entertaining the very notion of Roxas liking her the way she liked him would only make things harder for her.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to replace Roxas with Riku in her mind. It was something much easier done if he was around. Until he got back, her thoughts would be plagued with Roxas's presence.
Xion never made the effort to hide the fact that she liked Roxas, but she never really had to. Most people confused them for the two friends who were awfully intimate with each other, and most believed them when they asserted they didn't have feelings for each other. Xion knew she was the liar of the two, but the guilt never appeared or affected her.
The truth was that she had liked Roxas from the very first day. It didn't help that he stubbornly and persistently knocked at the walls Xion threw up to keep people at bay. She always told herself that growing close to someone would only be a painful experience for both parties once her life started falling apart. And Xion was very aware that it would start collapsing at the worst possible time. It was both too much time to nurture a friendship and too little a time to sever one. It would leave their friendship at some sort of peak, holding it at high enough a height to make it as painful as possible.
But Xion couldn't deny herself. She wanted friends. She wanted human contact. She couldn't help but wish she had that friend to talk to. She tried to ignore the urge. She wanted both her walls to hold and collapse at the same time. She didn't want to be selfish, but at the same time she craved someone's company.
Roxas just had to come along and tear the defenses down.
Not only that, but he introduced her to his friends as well. She grew close to his other best friend Axel in no time. Sora probably ranked behind those two, with the rest an indistinguishable mixture.
But then Riku had to come along and separate himself from the pack.
It wasn't his fault though. She was the one who stumbled onto him with the help of dumb luck.
Being someone who was plagued by unrequited love herself, Xion recognized a hurting heart with utmost accuracy. She noticed the smaller things when he talked to Sora about their mutual friend. It wasn't until spring break did Xion recognize the source of Riku's hurt: Kairi.
It was strikingly obvious to Xion how much Sora and Kairi liked each other. It had to have been obvious to Riku as well. So when Riku finally let his guard down— something he only did when he was alone— Xion found him. She wasn't supposed to, but she did.
The result was an accidental friendship. Who knew that two people could bond so well over similar situations?
Riku was just as persistent as Roxas. There was no denying that an attraction grew between them over the past few months. At the same time, both were aware that they weren't first choice in the other's heart. Xion never fathomed she would find herself in such a twisted romance. It was one of the many things Xion was trying to avoid: useless teenage drama.
This summer was the epitome of confusing, starting with the way Roxas seemed to despise Kairi's sister. But Xion wasn't Roxas's best friend for nothing. She knew deep down inside, Roxas needed to resolve his issues with her. Something in their past defined them. It was so unlike him to act that way toward someone. She only knew a friendly Roxas. Why did he change so much for one girl?
And then she met Naminé and understood. They had hurt each other in the past, so much that they weren't able to get over it. Xion thus made it her mission to fix that problem. It was one of the reasons she forced Roxas into spending time with Naminé. The rest of the reasons were ones she didn't like to think about. It was her way of compensating. If she fixed something in Roxas's life, maybe she wouldn't feel so guilty when she broke something. But she would probably screw that up too.
And now she'd not only be hurting one person deeply, but two as well. The worst part was that neither of them deserved it, especially Riku. She didn't want to be the second girl to break him.
"You look a little distressed. Is something wrong?"
Xion felt herself drawn from her thoughts at the sound of Riku's voice. A smile instantly formed on her face. "No, it's nothing. Just thinking."
"I hope I have nothing to do with it."
You have everything to do with it, Xion wanted to say. She instead shook her head vehemently. "Not at all. You took a while in the bathroom. Are you feeling alright?" Xion asked, hoping to change the subject.
"If you must know, I was suppressing the urge to throw up out of nervousness. It's not often I get to treat beautiful girls to dinner." Riku said smoothly.
"Ugh." There it was. If there was something that Riku had over Roxas, it was his smooth delivery. Xion had to give him the edge in looks too. Roxas was cute, but Riku was sexy.
Stop comparing them!
"That's not the reaction I was hoping for. Perhaps that was a little too cheesy." Riku chuckled.
"No, no! I'm just not used to it…" Xion rubbed her thighs nervously. Her ears went hot when Riku's laugh reached them.
"I don't think I've ever seen you so flustered."
"I'm normally not. You're just different."
"How so?"
"You're freakishly attractive." Xion stated bluntly. She busied herself with her drink, avoiding Riku's eyes. She was trying to be frank with him, but it was still a little embarrassing.
"I'm glad you think so." Riku quipped. "I think you're attractive as well."
"Just attractive? No supporting adjectives?"
"Nope. No combination of words could even come close to really describing you."
Oh for the love of… "Okay, you need to stop doing that, else you'll convince me that you actually like me."
Riku just shrugged, flipping his utensils over in his hand. "But I do like you."
"Nobody can get over an old love like that in a matter of days, Riku. Not even you." Xion remarked with finality.
"I never said I was completely over Kairi." Riku's voice softened as he leaned forward. "But I'm damn close. I think it helps to have prepared for it. Not to mention the fact that I like you too."
Xion looked away, smiling to herself. She wished she could say the same. They were different now that Riku had some closure. Unfortunately, a small part of her still held hope that Roxas might like her the same way. "That's great for you then."
"If you're worried about your own feelings, don't be. I'll wait as long as I have to." Riku said quietly.
Xion sighed. "It's not my feelings I'm worried about."
The somber conversation took a lighter turn when the food arrived. Xion seemed to forget about her toiling thoughts and instead focused on Riku. Just like any two friends, they laughed and joked and told each other stories. They shared their thoughts and learned about each other. It was something Xion realized she hadn't done in a long time, at least to the degree she was going with Riku.
There was only one person in the world who Xion could claim to know everything about, after all. But she had learned about Roxas a long time ago. There was always something else to learn, but the idea of connecting with another person in a similar manner was exciting for Xion. Her friendships were generally above the level of superficial, but she rarely allowed someone so close to her heart.
She considered letting Riku be the second.
Dinner passed and ended quickly. With only twenty minutes to spare, the pair left the restaurant hand in hand. When they reached the car, Riku made a show of opening the door for Xion. Before she could settle in, however, Riku pulled her in for a kiss.
Xion immediately closed her eyes and kissed back, a pleasant warmth spreading throughout her body. It was the first time he had kissed her since the night she stayed over his house, and also the first since Kairi agreed to date Sora.
This kiss was different. Riku wasn't thinking of someone else. He was thinking of her; just the feeling alone made Xion shiver.
She sighed when he pulled away, slowly making out his smirking face. Her eyes widened as she reared back in shame. She walked around the car door, making sure something stood between them. "You really need to stop doing that."
"What? Kissing you?"
"Making me feel… like that." Xion shook her head. That wasn't right. She liked that feeling. "I mean, I'm the one who's supposed to be in power, but you keep doing things like that and I don't even know anymore." It was both scary and exhilarating at the same time.
"In a proper relationship, there's usually a balance of power between both parties." Riku chuckled. "Maybe I'm just better at hiding the way I feel about you."
Xion frowned. "I don't want you to stop doing that! I want to see how you feel!" Xion was silenced with another kiss. She felt her knees go weak and wobbly. Just before she'd lose her balance, she shoved Riku away. "Stop that!"
Instead of being offended, Riku looked very amused. "I thought you just said to show you how I feel."
"I know what I said! Just… ugh!" Xion threw herself into the passenger's seat of Riku's convertible. "Just get in the car!"
Laughing, Riku closed the door and jogged around the car, obeying Xion's orders. Xion eyed him carefully the whole way, crossing her arms over her rapidly beating heart.
Riku turned to her, his brow raised as he brought the roof down. "I hope you're not angry at me."
Xion shook her head. "Not angry. You're just confusing."
The two didn't say anything more on the short drive to the arcade. Xion sunk back into her chair, smiling into the wind. Riku probably wouldn't be completely alright for a long time, but he couldn't have been lying in saying that he was close. He began to take those steps toward her. Maybe he'd actually be the second person she'd become selfish for. He just might be the one to help her get over her feelings for Roxas.
And maybe then could Xion give all her feelings to him.
"Whatever. This game sucks."
"Mmhmm. Blame the game, Roxas. Blame the game."
Naminé followed Roxas around the arcade with a light skip in her step. She was in a good mood— a great mood, in fact— because she consistently defeated Roxas in just about every game they came across. It was extremely satisfying to crush him over and over again, especially since it involved a medium she never thought she'd excel at.
Apparently she was the queen of the arcade.
The blonde stood on her toes and pointed to a game far from their area. It looked easy enough. "How about that one?"
"No." Roxas crossed his arms. "I'm done playing with you."
"Aww, did I bruise someone's ego?"
He ignored her taunt and instead changed the subject. "Where in the world is Axel? We're starting in fifteen minutes."
"Xion and Riku aren't here either." Naminé pointed out. She eyed the corner of the arcade where Sora and Kairi were locked in a game of DDR. "Why don't we play that game after them?"
"No. I already said I wasn't playing with you anymore." Roxas said grumpily. He crossed his arms, lips pressed stubbornly together.
"You are quite the sore loser, aren't you?" Naminé folded her hands behind her back.
"I was letting you win." He narrowed his eyes menacingly.
"Feel free to go 'all-out' then!" Naminé mockingly air-quoted her words. "I'll even let you pick."
Roxas sighed. Truth be told, he stopped holding back a while ago. Naminé just happened to get lucky with her button mashing and super cheap tactics. Pride on the line, he searched the arcade for something he was sure he could win at. And then he saw it.
"Fine. Let's have a shootout." He pointed to the basketball game a few steps away.
Naminé's smile dropped. She was expecting a video game thing, not a sport game. She was horrendous when it came to sports.
If it indicated anything, and it probably did, Naminé had mistaken soccer balls for volleyballs on more than one occasion at school.
"Seriously? A sport game? Why not a video game?" Naminé whined as she walked with Roxas.
"You mean an arcade game?"
"Whatever. Same thing."
Roxas stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "You did say I could pick the game. Now that I'm not holding back, you're suddenly scared?"
"Scared? Scared of you? Please." Naminé pulled out two tokens and slapped them onto her shooting station. "I can take you any day."
"You sure?" Roxas grabbed one of the basketballs and, without breaking eye contact, shot the ball with a flick of his wrist. It caught nothing but net. "I can hold back so you don't run away crying."
Behind the cocky smirk on his face ran one single thought: Holy shit I made it! It went in! It actually went in!
Naminé, of course, couldn't have known that. She gulped, knowing full well she might be humiliated but too prideful to back down from his challenge. "Are you going to play or what?"
"If you insist." Roxas inserted his two tokens and waited for Naminé to do the same. The game rang to life, the scoreboards flashing blank scores. "Let's try the three point shootout."
"You would…" Naminé muttered as she pressed the button Roxas had indicated. The sound effects played a cheering crowd as it counted down.
"I hope you're ready to be put to shame." Roxas taunted. As soon as he heard the first buzzer, Roxas launched his first shot and began racking up points. One after the other, the ball went in. He smirked to himself. This game was already in the bag.
With only twenty seconds left, Roxas looked over to see Naminé trailing by only six points: two shots away from tying.
He couldn't believe it, so he stopped shooting for a moment to see how she managed to stay so close. Her strategy seemed to be working for her: throw the basketballs at the hoop in quick succession and hope they go in.
Three points down.
"What the hell…" Roxas grimaced. He pulled up for another shot, sinking another one. As the final ten seconds clicked down, Roxas focused as best he could and made most of his shots. With only two seconds left on the clock, Roxas looked over at Naminé's basket to see a game-tying ball heading straight for it. The breath in his throat immediately caught.
And then it released when the ball fell short. The final buzzer sounded and their scores flashed on their screens.
"Ha!" Roxas threw his arms up victoriously. "In your face!"
"Rematch!" Naminé instantly declared. "You won by a shot! We're doing that again!"
"Winning is winning!" Roxas shrugged with a cocky smile. "And I think I'm done for the day!"
Naminé glared at him for a moment before her expression softened. "Fine. I'm done too. I'm finishing today with a ten-four record against you."
Roxas closed his mouth. "Brag all you want, Naminé. They don't count. I was taking it easy on you."
"Whatever you say, Roxas. Though the way I see it," Naminé leaned into him, close enough to whisper in his face, "winning is winning. And I. Have. Ten."
"Rematch accepted." Roxas quickly cut her off. This was real. His manly pride was on the line. "You're going to regret this."
"When did you get so funny?"
The battling blondes once again locked into another challenge, each of them waiting to begin their game. At the sound of the whistle, the basketballs went flying toward the hoops. Roxas didn't make the same mistake as last game: he waited until there were only seven seconds left to check the score, and he smiled smugly when he realized he had a fifteen point lead. She wasn't going to make more than five shots in the final seconds, so Roxas chose to stop playing.
Naminé caught the taunt from the corner of her eye and glared at him. Just before the final buzzer, Naminé chucked the ball one last time, only to watch Roxas smacked it midair and change its course.
"Rejected!" Roxas cheered loudly. "Owned! You lose again!"
"Rematch! You hit my last shot!" Naminé slapped Roxas's arms down.
"Are you kidding me? That last shot wouldn't have helped even if it did go in!"
"I think you're just scared of me!" Naminé accused. "What's the matter? I'm that big of a threat that you have to cheat to win? Too big of a challenge that you want to run away while you still can?" Her brow rose, challenging Roxas.
He took the bait. "Well if you want to lose that badly, I guess I could…" Roxas shrugged nonchalantly. "I figured you would want to find a different game, but who am I to deprive you of another soul-crushing loss?"
"Keep talking, Roxas." Naminé smiled devilishly as she inserted more tokens. "The first game was closer than you think. Luck rarely sides with the same person three times."
Roxas shook his head, chuckling as he picked up a basketball. "You'll realize that it's not luck, but skill that makes me better than you. Go ahead and start." He pointed to the different game modes and waited with a smile.
She pressed her finger to the desired option and stared straight at Roxas.
"What?" he asked impatiently. He stared at her, a suspecting feeling crawling up his back. "You're up to something."
"I don't know why you would accuse me of such a thing." Naminé smiled sweetly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
The whistle to begin the game went off. However, neither of the players took a shot. "The game started." Roxas stated.
"I know."
"Then why don't you shoot?"
"Why don't you?"
The two fell silent as they stared at each other. Then, Roxas slowly turned to the hoop and prepared for a shot.
The ball in his hand was promptly swatted away, bouncing off into the arcade.
"Ha! Payback!" Naminé cheered with a maniacal laugh. "How does—" Her taunt went unfinished as Roxas took the ball from her hands and threw it in the opposite direction.
And then all hell broke loose. The basketballs in each game were thrown about the arcade, and the two blondes were forced to run around and collect them all. And just when someone was about to finish, the other managed to sabotage the collection by tossing another ball.
Both Roxas and Naminé needed only one more basketball to return all the game pieces, and one just happened to be a few steps away. Anther basketball sat near the ski ball games, but that was on the other side of the arcade.
Naturally, the two went after the closer one.
"It's mine!" Naminé laughed as she reached the ball before Roxas. Her competitor didn't even give her a chance to celebrate; though she turned her back to him, he reached around and attempted to knock the ball out.
"Not if I can take it!" Roxas pulled Naminé closer, trying to get a hand on the ball.
"You already lost!" Naminé struggled to keep the ball secure in her arms as she squirmed out of Roxas's grip. She pressed her back against him, extending the distance between his body and the ball. "Back off!"
"Then let go!"
The two fell to the floor in a laughing heap as the ball slipped away, slowly rolling out of reach. Roxas, though the first to react, was pressed down as Naminé hopped over him to get to the ball first. She didn't get far; a grip on her ankle held her in place, making her fall to her knees. Neither would allow the other to gain any ground as they advanced like a broken machine, tripping and stumbling over one another.
Roxas and Naminé eventually came to a halt, their laughter getting the best of them. Roxas gripped his sides which had long grown painful for multiple reasons. Naminé, on the other hand, rubbed her face over and over again, trying to get the burn out from wearing a huge smile for such a long time. Every time they met each other's eyes, they only burst into another fit of laughter.
The ball rolled, completely forgotten. It didn't stop its trip a foot trapped it in place.
"I don't think you guys understand how to play this game."
The smiling blondes looked up to see Xion standing above them. Arms crossed, Xion smiled down at them as she picked up the basketball. "You're not supposed to remove these from the game, you know."
"Aww, and here I thought they were prizes." Roxas said sarcastically as he tried to compose himself. He pulled up into a sitting position, coughing a few times as he tried to hold his laughter in.
"I never expected to find you guys of all people to be crawling around on a gross arcade floor." Xion tucked the ball under her arm and reached out a hand, helping Naminé stand.
Naminé graciously accepted the basketball from Xion before sticking her tongue out at Roxas.
"Wait, that was mine!" Roxas complained. He still sat on the floor, half-expecting his best friend to help him up as well. She didn't.
"Oh be quiet. Get up and get yourself together. You're so embarrassing…" Xion walked off, her nose stuck in the air like she was personally insulted by Roxas's actions. "I'll be with your siblings and Riku!" She called without turning around.
He chuckled, looking up at Naminé when Xion walked off. "I think you have something of mine."
"This?" Naminé held the ball in front of her. "This one's mine. Yours is all the way over there!" Naminé pointed to the far end of the arcade where the last basketball rested against the wall.
Roxas looked over and sighed. "Fine, fine." Just as he was about to get up, he noticed a hand floating just before him. He looked up to see Naminé smiling down at him.
"You just gonna stare?" She taunted with a giggle.
Roxas rolled his eyes and took her hand. She pulled him up, but just as he was about to set himself on his feet, she pulled her hand out of his and let him fall on his bottom. He could only stare as she broke into another fit of laughter. "Very funny."
"I can't believe that worked!" She bit her lip mischievously. Again, she held out her hand for him.
"Try that again and you're coming down with me." Roxas warned as he took it. This time he was pulled up. "That's right."
"You're so full of empty— hey!" Naminé felt the basketball pop out of her grip and watched it land in Roxas's arms. He walked off, heading towards the other ball. "Roxas, give it back!"
"And give you the chance to declare yourself the winner after you cheated? No way." He bent down to pick up the other ball and handed it to her. "Knowing you, you'd say you win by simply arriving at the game first."
"So basically you were afraid of losing." Naminé grinned, falling into step beside Roxas.
"One shot to win it." Roxas said as they approached their stations. The rest of the basketballs were tucked behind a barrier.
"As long as you don't resort to cheating, I'm fine." Naminé gave Roxas a warning look, holding her finger in front of him. "No blocking."
"I don't need blocking to beat you." Roxas tossed the ball in his hands. "Ladies first."
"You're too kind." Naminé cautiously turned to face the hoop, her eyes darting to Roxas suspiciously. He only smirked as he waited for her to shoot. Tuning him out, Naminé chucked the ball towards the goal, only to miss. "Shoot."
"Aww, that stinks." Roxas shrugged. "Could have won that one."
"Don't get cocky."
Roxas looked at the hoop, releasing a slow breath as he took aim. He pulled up for a shot and watched it fall in.
It bounced out after hitting the inside of the rim.
"Ha!" Naminé cheered.
"Are you kidding me? I was robbed!" Roxas groaned as he stared at the hoop. He turned to Naminé, giving her a dirty look for looking so happy. "I technically won that one. Mine was more in."
"Oh don't even!" Naminé crossed her arms. "It's either in or it's out. That did not go in."
"It was totally in before it bounced out!"
"What was that last word?"
"Naminé, it went in!"
"It was never in to begin with!"
"I would think that the lady would know whether or not it went in." A new voice broke into the conversation. "You best back off, Roxas. If she says you were never in, you never were."
The two looked behind them as Axel approached, his hands tucked behind his head. Naminé wondered how they missed his approach; his t-shirt was a glaring red and his legs seemed to extend endlessly in his whitewashed jeans.
"Axel! When did you get here?" Roxas greeted his friend with a high five.
"Just now. Where is everyone? Is it just you two?"
Roxas's face grew warm at Axel's implications. "No. Xion is here, and so is everyone else. They're probably waiting by the laser tag arena."
"I see." Axel shifted his gaze to Naminé, smiling when their eyes met. "Are you playing too? I wouldn't mind an extra gun on our side."
"I'm actually just watching." She responded. She sent a quick glance toward Roxas before meeting Axel's eyes again. "I'm gonna use the bathroom. I'll uh… I'll meet you guys near laser tag."
"Okay then." The boys watched her walk off on her own, feeling a little weird after the exchange. "That was strange."
"I don't think she's comfortable around you." Roxas observed as they walked to a different area of the arcade.
"I think it's because I caught you guys having one of your moments." Axel laughed when the younger boy gave him a look of disgust. "It's true! You guys were totally flirting. All that talk about whether or not you were in…"
"We were talking about basketball." Roxas said shortly. The blush was apparent on his face.
"Mmhmm. So first you imply that she's morecomfortable with you, her supposed enemy, and now you guys are talking sports like two friends at a bar. Is that the secret code these days? It's nothing to be ashamed of, Roxas. It's part of becoming a man." Axel ruffled Roxas's hair.
"Axel!"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! No need to get your panties in a bunch… or Naminé's, for that matter."
"Axel."
"I couldn't help it." Axel teased. He dodged a jab from Roxas with a snicker. Half the fun stemmed from the fact that Roxas was too easy to make fun of.
"There they are." Roxas pointed to their four friends standing just inside the laser tag lobby.
Riku and Sora seemed to be locked in a heated debate, with Xion looking back and forth helplessly. Roxas and Axel casually walked over, eavesdropping on the loud conversation as they entered unnoticed.
"I'm telling you, it was this big at least!" Riku insisted as he held his thumb and pointer finger apart. "It was no smaller than this, period."
"Well mine was too! I'm just saying that mine was bigger!" Sora shot back. He held his hands in front of him and indicated the distance between them. "I measured mine, Riku. It was about this big!"
"That is a super generous measurement. I can cheat too, you know."
"It's not cheating! That's just how it is! Mine was bigger than yours, even if it was only a couple inches! End of story!"
What the hell are they talking about?" Axel whispered as he and Roxas took a seat on the other side of the room.
"I wish I knew." Roxas responded with a disturbed expression.
"How can yours be bigger if my rod was heavier?"
"First of all, your rod was not heavier. You didn't even hold mine, so you can't even compare."
"Wow." Axel blinked. "I don't know what to make of this."
"I'm guessing it's not what you're thinking about." Roxas pressed his lips together.
"Why does it sound so sexual?" Axel asked in a low voice.
"To you, everything sounds sexual."
"Second," Sora continued, "mine can still be longer! Maybe yours was just fatter! Weight doesn't prove anything."
Riku scoffed. "You're ridiculous. Kairi, you saw both of ours. Whose was bigger? Mine or Sora's?"
"Guys, nobody cares…" Kairi whined.
"We do!" The boys simultaneously replied.
"Fine… if I have to pick, I'd say Sora's."
While Sora screamed in Riku's face, the taller boy only rolled his eyes. "You're only saying that because you're his girlfriend!"
"Will it do any good if I say I don't care who had the bigger fish?" Xion buried her face in her hands as the boys continued their argument.
"Oh. Oh! It's about fish. Thank goodness." Axel laughed in relief. "That was the second sexually charged conversation I heard today. What is with you teenagers?"
"What was the first?" Roxas tilted his head. They were still sitting in the corner, unnoticed during the whole argument.
"The first was your conversation with Naminé. It sounded like you guys were talking about your virginity."
"You're such a pervert." Roxas growled.
"Oh don't give me that! What do you expect me to think when I hear you insist that you were in? And what about this?" Axel held out his hand toward Sora and Riku. "What exactly are we comparing here? What am I supposed to think when they're talking about length and how heavy their rods are? That is undoubtedly a sexual-sounding conversation."
"Axel?" Xion perked when she heard her friend's voice. "Hey! When did you guys get here? Why didn't you say hi?" She ran over to the boys, ignoring the rest of the argument she found herself listening to.
"We were hoping you'd love us enough to notice. Guess we were wrong." Axel feigned sorrow.
"It's dark! You can't expect me to recognize you in here."
"Excuses, excuses." Roxas shook his head. "How can you miss us? Oh, I know how. By being all googly-eyed with Riku."
"I'm not even going to address that." Xion shrugged it off. "You guys ready to own these guys?" She motioned toward the trio on the other side who seemed to stop arguing.
In an effort to keep Roxas from asking about Riku again, he quickly responded. "You bet. We've got to redeem ourselves this year. Last year's paintball match was a total fluke." He stretched his legs out in front of him, checking the digital clock on the wall. "Eight minutes 'til the match before ours ends. Did we already reserve the next game?"
"We reserved the next five." Xion held out her hand with all of her fingers stretched out. "Best two out of three and two fool-around games."
"Sounds good." Roxas nodded. He looked over at their friends— now enemies— and smiled devilishly. He turned back to his friends, holding his hand face-down in front of him. "This year is ours. No mercy."
Both Axel and Xion threw their hands in. "It won't even be close!"
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Thank you very much to the reviewers. This one's for you guys: Lupus7, Ash09, shadowwulfx, spadejackspade, Gear001, Zoe the Hunter, elspoek1, Dramamamapwnsall, Maskedgirl3, Morgead'sgirl, ImYourBro, Draco Oblivion, Gumi Harue, Chibi McFu, RoxasLuvCookies, inlovewithanapparition, eion sairy, Ayperi, Revenge of the Red Pen, D-Ro2593, KurukiXV, zestycrouton, Don't Shoot the Puppy, BruHaeven, BuraiStelar, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, and VARIABEL.
Chapter Data: Word Count- 5,571. Total Editing Time- 383 minutes.
[Somewhat] Harmless Author Fact #12: I have been waiting to tell you guys this one since chapter 2, but I turn 21 on 12/12/12.
Take care, and I'll see you around!