Chapter 20: Shifting Affinity

Roxas stared at the blinking digital clock on his dashboard. One minute. He'd wait one more minute.

5:21 AM.

What? A minute had passed already? No way. He'd wait one more.

"Uuuuuugh." Roxas rested his head on the steering wheel. Why did he arrive fifteen minutes early? Ten minutes early made it look like he was a little too eager to leave. Five minutes would be okay, but it got really confusing and potentially stressful since he never clarified whether or not he'd arrive at 5:30 or leave by that time. But fifteen minutes? That screamed all kinds of things. Axel said people who arrived fifteen minutes early to anything came off as insensitive to another person's time with other people, or it made them seem like they were really desperate.

And while that may have been more applicable to job interviews, Roxas still took it to heart. The money mark was arriving eight or seven minutes early. It was a single digit in the middle ground. So after waiting six minutes in his car, Roxas waited for the seventh to pass before he approached the door.

It was still dark outside, and the sky showed no evidence of an imminent sunrise. It would be at least another hour before the sky brightened. Roxas kept his eyes on the ground to make sure he didn't trip. It probably didn't cross Naminé's mind to turn the lights on for him before going to bed or upon waking up.

He paused at the door and placed a finger on the bell, only to hesitate. What if she was still asleep? He should have called her first to make sure. Roxas shuffled through his pockets, only to find out that he left his phone in the car. He shrugged and rang the doorbell.

As the light above turned on a few moments later, Roxas heard the lock give way. He smiled in relief to see a lively-looking Naminé on the other side of the doorway. "Hey," he greeted. "You ready to head out?"

"In a bit. I've got to pack a few things." Naminé closed the door after letting Roxas in. She walked in the direction of Kairi's room and brought back a large duffel bag and a pillow.

"Jeez, Naminé. We're going to an amusement park, not a camping trip," he joked.

"Oh please. This is Kairi's stuff that she wanted me to bring up for them. And the pillow's for me so I can sleep." Naminé held out the bag. "Take this at any time. Really."

Roxas laughed and relieved her of the burden. "Forgive this lowly servant, master."

Naminé rolled her eyes and followed Roxas outside after securing the house. "Don't give me that. Any decent guy would have offered."

"Maybe I was going to offer and you were being the rude one for not waiting," Roxas shot back. "Ever think of that?"

"I can already tell that this is going to be a fun trip!" quipped Naminé as she got into the car. "You seem like a bottle of sunshine this morning."

"I'm pretty sure that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." He laughed at her groan. "Good that you think this will be fun. It's just beginning."

The first half hour was uneventful.

"So are you a good theme park partner or are you one of those non-riders?"

Naminé stopped just before she bit into her second doughnut and shot Roxas an offended look. "Seriously?"

"What? It's a legitimate question," said Roxas. He took a sip of his coffee and gingerly placed it back in the cup holder.

"I'm the one in the family that maps out all the rides and arranges them in tiers of necessity and importance. What do you think?"

Roxas shot a quick glance in Naminé's direction. "I'm guessing you ride then."

"That's right! I knew you could do it," she giggled.

"I find it so surprising that you're actually a ride enthusiast. You don't seem like that type of person."

"There's a type for riding?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"I don't, actually. Care to explain?" Naminé took a sip of her own coffee— incidentally the same exact order as Roxas's— and waited for an answer.

"You know, like… you look like the kind of person who'd be afraid of roller coasters or something."

Naminé recoiled as if Roxas tried to spit acid in her face. "What? I'm not afraid of any rides, much less the ones at Disney!"

"So defensive," Roxas said with a chuckle.

"You're the one stereotyping me! Is it because I'm a girl?"

"No," Roxas quickly answered. "Fine, it may have been an unfair assumption."

"It was. You'll see when we get there. I won't hesitate to leave you behind if you drag us down or walk too slowly." Naminé crossed her arms and took another sip.

"You're really not afraid of anything?" Roxas asked skeptically.

"Nothing… well, except maybe the teacup ride when Kairi's involved."

Roxas didn't hide his amusement. "You're afraid of the spinning teacups?"

"Um, have you ever been in a teacup with Kairi?" Naminé asked like it was a normal occurrence.

"Can't say I have."

"Well you're in for a treat," Naminé mumbled. "You can't say I didn't warn you, okay? Because I just did."

"Duly noted," Roxas answered.

A few more minutes of silence passed before Roxas spoke up again.

"So… are you even tall enough to ride everything?"

Naminé tried to ignore the urge to smile, but failed. She turned her face toward her window instead. "Screw you, Roxas."

The start of the second hour showed the first sign of impatience.

"Do you always drive with the radio off?" Naminé asked to break the silence. It was on the verge of becoming overbearing.

"It's usually off, but not always. I usually drive in the morning though, and all that's on are talk shows," Roxas explained.

Naminé turned on the radio to check for herself. Sure enough, every channel she came across was a talk show or a station with music she didn't like. "Ugh, great."

"Told you so," Roxas said. "It'll probably be like this the whole way through, and the stations change completely."

"How much longer until we get there?" Naminé asked. She peeked at the speedometer.

"We're getting there. You want me to drive faster or something?" Roxas accelerated the car for extra effect.

"No. No," she repeated when he didn't slow down. "You're going to get pulled over."

"Relax, I'm just passing someone." Roxas switched back into the right lane. "Why don't you go to sleep or something?"

Naminé fluffed the pillow behind her head. "I can't. It's too… quiet."

"Too quiet? What, do you fall asleep to a blasting radio every night?" Roxas asked.

"Maybe I don't trust you. You'd probably try taking pictures of me," Naminé accused.

"What? I'm driving. I wouldn't dare do something so dangerous," Roxas said defensively. He smirked soon after. "Wait a second. Too quiet? You just don't want me to find out that you snore, huh?"

"What? I don't snore!"

"Mmhmm." Roxas knew she didn't, but he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to tease her. "No, you're not a snorer. You're the kind of person who farts in her sleep, aren't you?"

"I am not! You're definitely pulling stuff out of nowhere now," Naminé pulled her pillow into her lap, obviously flustered from the accusations.

"Well how would you know if you're asleep?"

"You know, I could just as easily make things up about you in your sleep," Naminé countered. "Oh, wait a second. I don't have to. Somebody in this car will hug anything and everything that's within his reach when he's asleep!"

Roxas scoffed. "So? What's wrong with that?"

"Oh, nothing really. But it was awfully hilarious seeing you glued to Axel the morning after the party."

"I wasn't holding him. I was… pushing him away," Roxas excused.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of… Little Roxy just needs someone to snuggle with if he wants to fall asleep," Naminé cooed. She laughed when Roxas blocked her attempt to pinch his cheeks.

The opening minutes of the third hour were filled with conversation. Roxas didn't seem to mind answering any of Naminé's questions about his friends. Roxas noticed that she was fixated on learning more about Xion. He didn't hesitate to answer, and she seemed to be completely ignorant of her disease. It would have been the only topic he would have avoided since it wasn't his story to tell.

It did get a little weird when she asked about undie time. He knew she was implying that Xion was purposely doing things to find Roxas in such positions, but he brushed it off. His friends didn't really respect his privacy, but he always thought it wasn't a big deal. They never bothered him and never truly used their knowledge against him. Instead of taking the bait, he told Naminé that he saw Xion only as a friend.

He knew they were close, and probably a lot closer than other pairs of best friends, but he didn't really think about her in that regard.

"What would you do if you found out she liked you?" Naminé asked.

"I'd continue to act normally until she either disproved it or told me herself. Hearing it from other people won't convince me of anything," Roxas answered.

"And what if she confessed to you?"

Roxas didn't really have an answer. "I don't know." It was an honest response. "If it ever happened, what do you think I should do?"

Naminé didn't expect the response to be a question, especially one she didn't have an answer for. "Well, you like her, right?"

"As a friend, yes. Romantically, no. Do you think it'd be better to start dating and see where it goes?" Roxas looked directly at her right after he asked. "It seems to be the best option since it wouldn't make anything awkward. We'd continue our relationship normally and if things happened, then we'd deal with it accordingly."

"So you'd say yes if she asked you out?"

"I didn't say that. I said what I thought would be an easier choice. We both know that's not always the best one either, hence why I asked you."

Naminé shifted in her seat. "Well, I mean… if you liked her, then of course you'd say yes, but you keep saying you don't."

"Because I don't," Roxas said tiredly.

"Right. And while it would be easier for both of you if you actually started dating, I don't think you should say yes." A heavy silence followed, and Naminé felt obligated to change that. "It's because your views on relationships are different, really. Xion has a much more casual approach, and one that's probably better. Yours is… it's more like mine," she finished.

Roxas laughed. "I noticed that too. If I were to take your approach to it though, Xion would be girlfriend material."

"Right, but that doesn't mean you have to automatically date her," Naminé quickly added. "I mean, just because she's your best friend doesn't mean you have to. You have to like her back, and you say you don't."

"Because I really am not romantically interested in her." Roxas felt like he was repeating himself. "She knows me better than anyone else in the world, and I care about her a lot. She's my best friend, and I've never wanted any more from her."

"That's quite charming of you," Naminé said. "I'll be sure to tell her how you declared your friendship on the car ride."

Roxas's eyes widened and he chuckled at a memory that came up. "Funny how you mentioned that. On my last birthday, she gave me a CD with a ton of Disney songs as both a present and declaration of friendship."

"Oh really?" Naminé folded her pillow in her lap. "Is it some sort of inside joke between you guys or something?"

"Not really. We just watch a ton of movies together and sang along. Rather than singing with or to each other though, we sing at each other. It's actually pretty hilarious."

Naminé giggled. "I'm getting this weird visual of you two in each other's faces and singing songs with a confrontational attitude when they should be intimate and romantic."

"That's exactly what we did!" Roxas laughed loudly at the thought. "We haven't done that in a really long time though. It's been months, and I can't…" he stopped suddenly. "Wait a second. Open that compartment in front of you. The CD might actually be in there."

Naminé did exactly that and pulled out a CD in a thin plastic case. "Is this really it?"

"No way!" Roxas's face brightened. "It was in there the whole time! Go put it in."

Naminé opened the case and turned on the radio. "You're not gonna sing at me, are you?"

"Only if you don't want me to," Roxas said with a cheeky grin. "As a result of singing, I've learned the words to every single song on that CD, which amounts to about six movies worth. I'm not bragging or anything…"

Naminé looked at a piece of paper with a handwritten list of movies. The thought of Roxas being able to sing songs from Beauty and the Beast to Mulan really intrigued her. Curiosity once again got the best of her. Was Roxas being serious? She had to know if he could really sing. There was also an added bonus factor about singing Disney songs right before going to the park.

She popped the CD in and turned up the volume. "Let's see what you got."

By the time they were twenty minutes away, they were already having too much fun.

"I'm gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware!"

"Well I've never seen a king or beast with quite so little hair!" Naminé added a poke to the shoulder as she sang along.

"I'm gonna be the main event, like no king was before! I'm brushing up, I'm looking down, I'm working on my roar!"

Naminé leaned back in mock-recoil. "Did you just roar at me?"

"Yeah, I did. I'm gonna be king, so what are you gonna do about it?" Roxas challenged with a smirk.

Naminé giggled and hummed along with the rest of the song. Much to her surprise, Roxas was a pretty good singer. She half-expected him to be awful considering how he joked about singing at people, but his voice seemed trained. He remained in tune and only went off-key on a few notes or if he wanted to. He wasn't perfect, but it was good enough to catch her off-guard.

It was actually kind of sexy. Shiver-inducing too, but she was far too embarrassed to mention that.

Still, she had to give credit when it was due. "You're actually a pretty good singer, you know."

Roxas blushed and scratched the back of his head. "It helps that I've been playing piano for a while. You're pretty good yourself."

"I don't think so." Naminé looked out the window and gasped as they passed a sign. "We're almost there!"

"That didn't feel like three hours," Roxas admitted.

"No, it didn't. I knew music would make the ride seem faster." Naminé took out her phone to let her sister know of their location. Her phone vibrated with a reply a few minutes later. "Kairi said Sora's still asleep, but she's waking him up now. They'll probably get there half an hour late."

"That's fine. Are we meeting them inside the park?" Roxas followed the signs and took an exit that would take them to their destination.

"Probably. It's still early, so the lines will probably be short. We can probably catch a ride while we wait."

The rest of the drive felt even faster thanks to the welcoming signs every mile. Before they knew it, they were being directed to the parking lot. They were all smiles when they walked to the waiting area where a trolley would be picking them up.

Naminé took in all the sights. The last time she was at Disney, her parents were still together. It must've been four years ago. Though she was older, she couldn't help but feel excited. Trips to Disney were always an adventure, and now that she was closer to adulthood she expected it to be a nostalgic as well.

She made sure to follow Roxas closely since her focus was on her surroundings. There were already a lot of people and cars despite the early hour. She should have expected it. It was the height of summer, and tourists from all over the world were probably paying a visit. Part of her really wanted to come back in the offseason. A weekday would be nice. The park would probably be empty with no waits.

"So what should we do now?" Roxas asked as they arrived at another area. Though they were technically already there, the park itself was a short ride away.

Naminé craned her neck and saw a familiar boat heading towards them. The old-fashioned ferry was one of the ways of getting to the park. Although it was slower than the trains, it seemed like the better option. "Let's take the ferry!" Naminé quickly walked as far as the barriers would allow. They were among the first few people to get on.

They remained stationary as more people boarded. Only when the boat was completely full did they begin the short ride. Roxas followed Naminé to the edge and leaned on the railing.

"I always liked the boat ride more," Roxas said as he stared at the water. The air felt cool above the water, and a few clouds kept the sun from an overbearing heat. The weather was perfect for a day at the park.

"Same here. I always look for the most efficient way to get on as many rides as possible, but I never pass the opportunity to make this the first one." Naminé tucked her hair behind her ear and held down the back of her skirt. "When was the last time you came here with your family?"

"A while ago. I came here two years ago with Xion and Axel, but I was probably ten the last time we went as a family. Our parents took us a lot when we were little. Then we got older." Roxas shrugged. "It's better to go to amusement parks with friends. I'd rather go on different kinds of vacations with my parents, like cruises."

The pair took their time debarking and discussed which rides they could go on. With a group of five, there were a ton of rides that accommodated them perfectly. They eventually settled on one of the water rides.

"Better to get these out of the way, right? That way we're dry for the afternoon!" Naminé walked speedily through the empty line with Roxas in tow.

"Good idea," Roxas agreed. "I don't think they'll mind skipping this ride anyway."

"That was a horrible idea."

Roxas and Naminé laughed as they made their way to the middle of the park where Sora, Kairi, and Riku were waiting. Their wet clothes stuck to their bodies, and a trail of wet footprints and water drops was left in their wake. Naminé attempted to wring the water out of her shirt, but it didn't help.

"If I remember correctly, you were the one that said it was a good idea," she reminded Roxas.

"And if I remember correctly— and I do— you were the one who came up with that idea," Roxas shot back with a smirk.

"That makes you none the wiser and equally guilty!" Naminé said as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Roxas! Naminé!"

The two turned around to see Sora waving at them like an idiot.

"I see you guys didn't waste a second of your time," Riku greeted as they arrived.

"You're alone in the park with my sister for half an hour and you already got her wet." Kairi paused and shook her head. "Ew, that sounds disgusting. Pretend I never said anything."

"Which ride did you go on?" Sora asked.

"The round water raft one. We got the short end of the stick." Naminé giggled as she wiped her wet hands on Riku's shirt.

"No joke. The people on the other side of the raft were practically dry. It wasn't fair at all," Roxas added.

"At least you guys had fun, right?" Kairi paired her question with a mischievous smile.

Naminé nodded. "We did. We can definitely get you guys started too. The lines are probably really long right now, but we can probably sneak in two really good rides before lunch."

"Sounds good, Nam. I've already told the guys that you're pack leader for the day. As long as we go on the teacups later, I'm down for anything." Kairi stood from the rail she was sitting on.

"Lead the way," Riku said. "We'll be right behind you."

Naminé led the group to yet another water ride with the excuse of "leveling the playing field." Kairi was the only one who appeared disgruntled with the choice, but she followed her friends anyway. It was one of the rides that they could exclusively ride together. The wait, as expected, was very long. As one of the most popular rides in the park, the line stretched well beyond the actual entrance.

The wait gave them time to catch up. Naminé recounted the whole drive up and explained how she and Roxas sang the last hour away. She ignored the looks she was getting from her sister and instead focused on the boys who didn't seem to take everything out of context. She spoke with Riku a lot and poked fun at the only couple present. Amazingly enough, Riku told her that they were being "very good" behavior-wise. She was happy to hear that her sister was making the best with her best friends.

The day continued with that routine. They'd wait nearly an hour for a five minute attraction, ride it, and move onto the next one. Naminé began to see why Roxas said it was much better to go with friends. The waiting didn't feel nearly as long as it actually was with a constant conversation to pass the time.

As the day went on, Naminé found herself drifting from group conversation to more private ones with Roxas. At every ride, they traded stories of their previous experiences. His seemed to be a bit more exciting since Axel was far more likely to make a scene than Roxas's family. He told her about the rides that Xion used to be afraid of, and how they had to convince her to go on anyway. She commended their creativity and was happy to hear that despite her fears, Xion was at least more willing to try more rides. She didn't expect Xion to be afraid of some rides, but Roxas pushed that it was all true.

Even better, the whole group seemed to be able to keep up with her speedy pace. They managed to hit a lot more attractions than she anticipated. Since the park was so crowded, everyone voted to have a late lunch and sneak in a few more rides. As the middle of the afternoon approached, Naminé insisted that they grab passes for the rides they'd be riding later. The passes would allow them to skip the main line in return for riding at a later hour. Since they were going to have to wait, eating would be the perfect way to shave off a lot of time.

But before that, Kairi had one more ride that needed to be squeezed in before eating.

"Mad Tea Party! Mad Tea Party!" Kairi leapt and ran around the group, repeating her mantra as they slowly made their way to the line.

"This is your favorite ride?" Roxas looked unimpressed. "Out of all the rides in the park, you pick this thing as your favorite?"

"Don't be mean! You've never been on this thing and rode it to its full potential, have you?" Kairi led them through the winding line path. The line was one of the shorter ones they encountered, and since it was during the hour right after normal lunches, the wait time was a measly fifteen minutes.

"It spins. What potential are you referring to again?" Roxas looked at the ride, watched it for a few seconds, and then returned to Kairi. "We can pregame if you want and start spinning. Let's warm up, guys!"

Sora and Riku laughed when Roxas started spinning in place. Quick to her sister's defense, Naminé grabbed Roxas by the shoulders and halted him. "Oh stop it, Roxas. Save your teasing until after the ride."

"Thank you, Nam. And you," Kairi poked Roxas in the chest as she spoke, "are going to be blown away. Let's see if you say the same thing later."

The wait for the ride felt like seconds compared to the other lines. Kairi excitedly ran to a large pink cup and waited for everyone to catch up. She allowed Roxas to go first, but when Naminé followed in right after him, she slid into the opposite side. Kairi deadpanned. She held Sora back so Riku could enter, forced Sora to go the same way, and then followed her boyfriend. As a result, Roxas had to slide all the way around and ended up sitting next to her sister. Perfect.

Kairi smiled innocently when she received an eye roll from her twin. She looked at everyone else packed shoulder to shoulder. A metal disc as big as a pizza stood in the middle of giant teacup, limiting the already tiny leg space available. Her entire leg was pressed against her boyfriend's.

"I remember these things being a lot bigger the last time I came here," Kairi pulled the small door shut, sealing them in their round confined space.

"This is entirely speculation, but I think we got bigger," Riku said with a serious tone. He placed his hands on the disc in the center and experimentally pulled his weight around it. The teacup spun slowly, its riders rotating around the metallic center. Riku stopped. "Well that's embarrassing. I uh… I promise I'm not that weak, guys."

"We're judging you. Those arms are all show, aren't they?" Naminé teased.

Riku clutched his heart and put on a pained look. "Ouch, right in the manhood!"

"I think the brakes are on until the ride actually starts. Everyone has to put their back into this, by the way. We're gonna be the fastest spinners here." Kairi looked around. "Let's spin it… this way!" She rotated her finger in a clockwise direction. The momentum would allow her to lean on Sora if needed, but more importantly, push Roxas toward her sister. Kairi wanted to pat herself on the back. She was way too good at scheming.

It was a really short minute before the ride began, and it only took seconds before their little ride was spinning at full speed.

"Faster! We need to be faster!" Sora cheered as he pulled harder and harder.

"Are you kidding me? I can barely keep up with this!" Roxas complained.

"Faster! Faster!" Kairi giggled. She had already stopped contributing and held onto Sora.

It reached a point where they were spinning too fast. Roxas finally understood why Kairi enjoyed the ride so much. The speed of their rotation was enough to send them backwards. Roxas couldn't pull himself away from the edge, and the momentum kept him from aiding Sora and Riku from continuing their cyclonic spin. Soon after, everyone was reduced to a laughing mess, their heads cocked to the side and their bodies leaning at a sharp angle. They were pressed against the backs of their seats, helpless against the gravity of their own momentum. Just as Roxas began to wonder how much longer they'd be subject to their dizzying world, the ride began to slow down.

"The world won't stop moving!" Sora looked around wildly and grabbed onto Kairi and Riku.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Kairi giggled and pushed the door open when everything stopped. She wavered when she stood, but held onto the door for support. One by one, everyone in the group stepped out.

"Exit's right there!" Riku pointed across the ride area. Everyone followed him as best they could.

"Roxas, the exit is that way!" Naminé giggled. She clutched the back of his shirt for support.

"I'm getting there!" Roxas would've rolled his eyes if he wasn't so dizzy. He watched Sora stumble where the floor dipped and laughed.

When everyone made it outside, things had returned to normal. The ground was firm beneath their feet and nothing rocked or waved in a supernatural fashion. Kairi was quick to grab Roxas's opinion.

"So what'd you think? Not bad for a ride that just spins, huh?" she said with a smirk.

"I consider myself lucky and happy to stand corrected." Roxas shrugged. "Not bad at all."

Kairi looked back to the ride as it started up again. "Well if that's the case, is anyone up for that one more time?"

Sora was so sleepy when lunch came around. Though he did stay up late talking with Riku and Kairi, but at home he generally made it through the whole day thanks to a mid-afternoon nap. Sora realized he and everyone else had been walking and riding and waiting nonstop, skipping over his routine nap. Hopefully the food would help him recover. He wasn't going to be the one to lag behind everyone else or slow the group down.

Naminé was the first of his friends to arrive. She brought his drink order along, which he gratefully accepted. He didn't realize how thirsty he was until he took his first sip.

"I don't know about you, but this is definitely my favorite trip in a really long time," said Naminé with a contented sigh. "Though I think it'd be a lot more fun if it wasn't so crowded. I could do without the long lines."

Sora nodded. "I wouldn't mind it so much if I could sleep while we waited. They need to find a way to make that happen."

"Aww, does someone need his nap time?" Naminé reached over to ruffle his hair. "You guys did the smart thing and went to bed extremely late, didn't you?"

"I regret nothing." Sora crossed his arms. "It was pretty awesome. Riku's apartment is two bedrooms, but we ended up bringing one of the mattresses from the bedrooms into the living room and crashed there."

"You all managed to fit on a single mattress?"

"Originally, Kairi and I shared the mattress while Riku slept on the couch. At some point in the night, Kairi switched with Riku because I was moving around too much. I can't help what I do in my sleep!" Sora shrugged helplessly.

"So Roxas latches onto things, you run into things. Definitely related," Naminé said with a giggle.

"Speaking about my brother, you guys seem to be having a lot of fun. What are you guys always whispering about in line?" Sora leaned in as if to pressure for an answer.

"We usually discuss the possibility of running off and ditching you losers," Naminé joked. "No, we just talk about whatever."

"What kind of whatever?" Sora was smirking now.

"You seem awfully interested in our conversations now," Naminé noted. "I think you've been hanging out with my sister a little too much. Is she feeding you all her theories again?"

"I'll have you know I am fully capable of independent thought!"

"You're also the one who's most likely to be my sister's spy. Can you blame me?" Naminé asked innocently.

"Well if you've got nothing to hide, then it wouldn't even matter if I was a so-called spy," Sora countered. "If there's something private between you guys though, I'll gladly back off."

Naminé decided to take a straight approach. "Kairi has definitely been talking about me, hasn't she?"

"You came up at least twice on the drive up here," Sora answered guiltlessly. "But I really am not here for her. I'm just curious about you guys. I think Roxas likes you."

"Likes me?" The words dripped with disbelief.

"Not like that. I mean that he enjoys being around you. He seems different now, and I haven't seen such a drastic change in him since… well, since he met Xion," Sora said before taking a long sip.

"Well I hope he likes me and doesn't secretly hate me. I actually consider him a friend now, so it'd really suck if he was acting like this for some long con." Naminé folded her arms on the table.

"It's definitely genuine. If he sang in front of you, then it has to be," Sora reasoned.

"Is that a big deal or something?"

"Well I've only seen him sing around Xion and Axel. He's super secretive about it. I only know he sings because I'm usually in my room and I can overhear him." Sora leaned in and spoke in a lowered voice, "I think he's embarrassed or too shy to sing in front of people."

"He sang around me though. Well, at me actually. It was pretty funny though!" Naminé recalled.

"He's pretty good, right? I mean, he's not 'put this guy on stage' good, but it's decent enough to make the ladies swoon."

"See, if I say anything remotely positive about that, you're gonna run off to Kairi so she can make a big deal out of it." Naminé leaned back in her booth as if she had figured him out.

Sora placed his hand on his chest. "I'm not that evil! Trust me. I promise I won't tell Kairi. I'm just wondering if you share my opinion."

"Well, since you promised…" Naminé began to nod slowly and said in a low voice, "Yeah, it was pretty hot."

"Oh my!" Sora waggled his eyebrows.

"You promised not to say anything!" Naminé lifted her finger to her lips.

"I won't! It's just such a scandalous piece of information. My twin has a fangirl!" Sora nudged Naminé with his finger.

She brushed him away. "Not true. And just so you know, I think Kairi would love it if you learned to sing like your brother."

"I hope you guys haven't been talking about me this whole time." Kairi's words turned the seated teens in her direction.

Sora slid over so his girlfriend could sit next to him. "No, just now. Naminé was telling me that I should learn how to sing properly so I could sweep you off your feet."

"Ew. Please don't." Kairi set her tray down and gave her sister her order. "I'm all for romance and all, but what the hell am I supposed to do if you decide to serenade me? Awkwardly rock back and forth? Sing along? Smile for three minutes straight?"

Sora turned to Naminé. "That got shot down very quickly."

Kairi patted his shoulder. "Just being honest. Now, are there any more must-rides that we didn't collect a pass for? We have a lot of time left, so it's starting to look like we'll really catch all the rides we want."

"The only one we didn't get a pass for is the Tower of Terror, but that's because it was on the other side of the park." Naminé looked at a map that was left at the end of the table. "I say we do that right after we eat since we can't ride immediately anyway."

Sora perked up. "Wait, we're actually going on that?"

"Are you scared of that ride? That's what I'm here for, you know!" Kairi playfully nudged him with her elbow.

"No, not me. It's actually…" Sora's gaze drifted to his brother, who was on his way to the table. "Never mind. We definitely have to go on it."

Roxas stared upward, trying to ignore the pounding heart in his chest. That was a pretty big drop. The screams from the current riders reached his ears at every fall, fueling a fear he thought he had shaken.

At times like these, Roxas always thought about Axel and Xion. The fact that he felt relieved by their absent told the whole story: they were the kind of friends to encourage him to make stupid decisions. In fact, they were the friends who would put their own entertainment over his own well-being.

They'd definitely be the friends to egg him onto this horrific ride. That served as the biggest warning sign for Roxas. If Axel and Xion would've wanted him to ride this, it was probably a bad idea.

"Well, enough dawdling! Time to finally ride this thing!"

Roxas managed to look away only when the top of the ride was obstructed from view. He looked down to see Naminé's fingers wrapped around his wrist. He mindlessly followed. Where was she taking him? He looked around. His eyes widened in fear.

"W-Wait a second, what are we doing?" Roxas pulled his arm from Naminé's grasp. Riku, Sora, and Kairi continued walking as if they didn't hear him.

"We're getting on the ride, silly! Remember we got passes for the fast line?" Naminé giggled as she walked on, only to stop when she realized Roxas wasn't following. "Are you coming?"

"Doesn't… we… what…" Roxas stammered.

"I figured you'd be the most eager! You were standing in front of the ride the whole time!" Naminé beckoned him to follow.

Roxas gulped. He wasn't standing in front of the damn thing because he wanted to ride. He was petrified by fear. "Why don't we ride this later?"

"Because we're already here!" Naminé rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you're actually scared!"

Roxas responded defiantly, "I am not! I was just wondering why we… ugh, never mind! Just go." He sighed in defeat. He was trapped. He wasn't going to admit— to Naminé of all people— that he was scared. And he really wasn't scared of the theme of the ride itself. The Tower of Terror wasn't really terrifying. It was, quite frankly, ridiculous.

The drop, on the other hand, was a crime against humanity. It was cruel and unusual punishment. It was a butterfly kiss of death.

It was the only ride Roxas feared. Throw him on a roller coaster, spin him, toss him from side to side, flip him upside down, or spray him with water and he'd be fine. Drop him from a great height and simulate the feeling of free fall? Absolutely not.

"Five!"

Roxas blinked, wondering why his brother said such a seemingly random word. He realized that they were being herded to their spots. Panic began to set in. How did they get there so quickly? There was usually a long exposition, a mood-setter, a bunch of theatrics to alleviate the wait. Had he really blacked out? This had to be a joke.

"The last time we were here, we didn't get to ride this." Naminé's words stole his attention from his inner conflict. "Aren't you excited too?"

Roxas choked out a laugh and wiped his sweaty palms on his shirt. "Ha. Right. Excited." He looked to his right. Standing next to him was Sora, then Kairi, and finally Riku. On his left, Naminé bounced in anticipation.

"I'm surprised you actually got on this ride, Rox," Sora whispered. "I thought you didn't like rides like these."

"I don't." He gulped.

"At least you have someone to hold onto, right?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Very funny."

"What?" Sora smiled innocently. "I was talking about me!"

The doors finally opened, parting with an ominous slowness. Roxas reluctantly followed his friends into their row and gawked at the protection. The only thing preventing him grounded to his seat was a bar? A measly lap bar was supposed to hold him down from freefalling and flopping around in the ride? It became very clear to Roxas that he was going to die in a few minutes.

The final moments of his life began with darkness and awful special effects. While his brother chatted with his two friends, Roxas shot a nervous glance to Naminé. She appeared to be just as scared, her blue eyes wide as she stared at the "ghosts" of the tower. Knowing that someone else was affected was comforting.

"I don't remember this looking so fake," Naminé said as she tapped her chin.

Or not.

The time finally came. Roxas felt the ride gradually slow to a stop, and every single light turned off, leaving them in the blackness. All was still for only a moment, as the other riders either whooped or screamed or laughed in their way of coping. The seconds felt like minutes to Roxas. He knew a drop was coming. Why did they have to drag it out?

"This is taking a while." Naminé's voice in his ear would have made his hair stand on end if they weren't like that already. "How long do you think they're gonna keep us here?"

In all his restless and articulate glory, Roxas answered, "I'unno."

Naminé giggled. "You're scared, aren't you?"

Roxas felt a swell of disappointment. He put a lot of effort into hiding his fear, but it wasn't enough if Naminé noticed. He didn't really know why he was hiding it anyway. Sure, he was afraid of a ride at the Happiest Place on Earth, and yes, the very first time he rode the attraction ten years ago resulted in a pants-wetting incident, but he was going to die today anyway. Better to come out with the truth since it wasn't worth taking to the grave.

"A little," he admitted. It was all his pride would allow.

"I'm sure it'll be over soon. We should be dropping right now, actually." Naminé accidentally brushed Roxas's hand on the seat bar with her own. "Oh! Sorry."

A split second before Roxas could apologize, he heard it. Whatever was keeping their ride in place gave way to gravity.

And then they were falling.

The feeling of weightlessness choked down a scream that would have been embarrassing and emasculating. Roxas, however, was not grateful. His insides were going wild, and he couldn't even feel the seat beneath him. He fell, and fell some more.

And when it abruptly stopped, he felt himself being pulled higher.

A girly squeal escaped from his lips when the wall in front of them opened to reveal the whole park in all its glory, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came.

And they dropped again. One more time. Another one after that. And, as if to outdo the crescendo of fear it had been playing all along, the ride hung in the air for a second longer before dropping all the way down.

Roxas only knew it was over when the other riders cheered and laughed. He released a long sigh of relief. It was over. He got out of hell alive.

"Just a little scared, huh?"

Roxas felt something tightly grasped in his hand and blushed profusely as he quickly let go. "S-Sorry!"

Naminé held up her hand and stretched her fingers. "Sure you don't need it to help you get off the ride?" she teased.

Roxas rolled his eyes and cursed his shaking legs. "W-Whatever then."

"My hand is free if the little baby needs it," Naminé cooed.

That one made Roxas go on the offensive. "You know what? I don't even want it. Your hand wasn't even comforting anyway," Roxas said with his arms crossed.

Naminé's mouth dropped open, but was quickly replaced with a smile. "You would find a way to twist it so it's my fault!"

"Well you certainly didn't make the experience any more tolerable— ow!" Roxas rubbed the back of his head where Naminé smacked him.

"See if I let you hold my hand again!" Naminé tried to brush past Roxas, but was held back. Naminé looked down to see her hand in Roxas's and groaned before ripping it away.

Roxas chuckled. "You're not doing a very good job of keeping it from me."

Naminé tried her best to appear nonchalant, but was betrayed by only the slightest of blushes. "Hmph. Had I known you wanted to hold my hand so much— and had you been a little nicer— I would've allowed it."

It worked. Roxas was suddenly on the defensive and sputtered an excuse. "W-What? I wasn't trying to hold your hand! I was trying to prove you wrong, and I did!"

"Of course." Naminé shrugged. "You sure proved me wrong by wanting to hold my hand and doing it."

"I wasn't—" Roxas scratched his head in frustration. "You were the one that challenged me!"

"Yup, since I told you to hold my hand, right?"

"Are you even listening to me?"

"I believe you, Roxas."

"Hey!"

Kairi stretched her arms above her head, relishing the downtime at Riku's condo after a day at Disney.

After watching her twin around Roxas, Kairi finally felt like she understood what it was like to stand on the other side of the proverbial fence. Before she started dating Sora, every single one of their friends went on and on about how it was "so obvious" that there was a mutual attraction between two best friends. Kairi always had a hunch that they were right— she was around ninety percent sure Sora liked her— but the mere existence of doubt was enough to keep her from outright confessing. Her friendship was too high a wager to gamble even with favorable odds.

But that was all in the past. The more important matter that needed to be addressed was right in front of her.

She recalled every event. Earlier, Roxas told Kairi that they would be leaving early enough to get home before ten. When she asked him why, he mumbled something about ice cream and closing times and a bunch of other intelligible words that didn't mean anything. It ultimately didn't matter: it was past ten and they were still around.

Kairi didn't bother hiding the smugness when she pointed out that Roxas was holding Naminé's hand in the photo. Of course the two people in question ignored her with an admirable poise, but Sora and Riku indulged her with eye rolls and sighs.

She knew it was their way of saying, "Fine, you were right."

And she was right. Again. She wanted to buy the picture, but her best friends talked her out of it by rushing her out of the store and imposing a completely irrelevant conversation. If only she looked over at them during the ride, the image of it would have been burned into her memories. Instead, she was busy trying to stage an arm wrestle with Riku while Sora used the same manic smile they all wanted him to do since morning.

Right after a delightful light and special effects show, the whole group walked to the center of the park to watch the fireworks. Kairi was absolutely ecstatic since her sister was looking really cozy next to Roxas.

Or maybe not. From an objective standpoint, they looked like two people who sat down on the sidewalk to watch the fireworks explode. But in Kairi's defense, they were sitting close to each other, as close as she was to Sora and Riku. The latter two were her best friends, and if Naminé sat as close to Roxas, it must have meant that the two were becoming fast best friends.

Per Naminé's weirdly specific criteria and standards, boyfriends had to be best friends first. If Roxas became her best friend, he qualified as boyfriend material. Naminé would most likely date him, which would lead to sex and hopefully marriage, and sex led to babies, and that meant that Kairi would be graced with an infant niece or nephew of unparalleled pulchritude, which Kairi of course would steal from them so she could shower the little baby with so much affection the world would explode—

"Kairi, are you okay? You're shaking."

"Huh?" Kairi stared into Riku's worried eyes and laughed. "I'm just thinking. No worries."

"Well, try not to crush your phone in the process." Riku gently removed the device from Kairi's grasp. "Sora will eventually get out of the shower. No need to have a mental breakdown."

"Oh quit teasing!" Kairi shoved him lightly. "I was actually thinking about Roxas and my sister. They should be home by now."

"Wasn't she texting you earlier?" Riku asked as he walked into the kitchen. The condominium was small enough so he could easily talk to her despite her place in the living room.

Kairi folded her legs underneath her on the couch. "She wasn't just texting. She was gushing, Riku. I mean, look at this! 'Kairi, you have to hear Roxas singing Call Me, Maybe. He is so funny!'" Kairi did her best imitation of how she imagined her sister saying such words.

Riku raised a brow. "How is that gushing?"

Kairi read another text from her phone. "My sides are on fire. Help me, I'm dying."

"I'm just glad she finds him hilarious rather than loathsome."

"Here's another then: 'He just started dancing. You can keep all my stuff when I'm gone.'"

Riku couldn't help but chuckle. "See, I'm pretty sure that last one might be a real indication of danger since Roxas was the one driving and all." Riku abruptly stopped, looked down at his hands, and groaned. "Damn it. Why did I just peel this? You want a banana, Kairi?"

Kairi laughed. It was the first time she saw Riku make a mistake in a long time. "Nope! And it's your fault for trying to contradict everything I say instead of agreeing with me. You were too busy coming up with excuses for Nam."

Riku rolled his eyes and took a bite out of the banana. He returned to the living room and sat right next to Kairi. "You do have this tendency to romanticize very normal events between people. It's like you project things you want to see happen."

"I blame romantic comedies," Kairi conceded. "But you have to admit it's a little gushy. C'mon, Riku."

"Eh… I don't know." Riku smirked. "You're so smug already. I'd hate to give you more credit for calling this stuff early."

"It's gushy and you know it too!" Kairi yelled with a giggle. "I know you saw them too. I told you this was eventually going to happen, and I am hereby collecting an old debt!"

Riku's eyes widened in realization. He clapped his hands and laughed. "Of course you are! This is all it was ever about, wasn't it?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that's what you promised to say to me all those years ago." Kairi jumped on Riku, wrapping him in a loose headlock. "Say it, Riku! Say it!"

"Kairi…" Riku grudgingly spoke the three words that would seal his fate. "You were right."

Kairi was sure they were the sweetest words Riku could have ever said to her.

Naminé turned on her bed for the umpteenth time since turning the lights off. The heavy feeling of sleep that took over the last hour of driving disappeared when she hopped into a warm shower over half an hour ago. As she reviewed the day's events in her mind, sleep only seemed to drift further away.

She decided to do the only thing she could at that moment: think.

She wondered if Roxas was already asleep. One thing she didn't know was how he managed to stay awake for so long: not only did he most likely wake up earlier than her, but he also drove to and from Disney. She knew he had to be exhausted.

She was glad— relieved, more than anything— that she managed to convince him to spend the night instead of driving home. When she woke up in her driveway, she refused to step out of the car unless he went inside with her. She wasn't going to let him drive alone. Though he was stubborn, he eventually conceded when she reminded him that he had been up for nearly twenty-four hours; perhaps mentioning that he had an extra set of clothes in his car helped convince him as well.

It was probably her fault too. The original plan was to arrive back in town before ten so they could grab their free ice cream. Naminé, however, asked him if they could stay and watch the fireworks before leaving the park, which of course meant missing that chance. To her surprise, Roxas agreed. Naminé was grateful for the gesture. It stretched their day— a day Naminé personally didn't want to end— by an extra three hours, and it probably had to a lot to do with the car ride too.

And oh, that car ride.

Naminé was sure that the first two hours of that drive would forever be remembered as the funniest two hours of her life. She had never, ever in her sixteen years laughed so hard for so long. It was definitely the sort of delirium that followed more than a day's worth of exhaustion, and it all began with a song on the radio.

She only remembered making a comment and asking him if he liked the song, which was particularly girly. He didn't just answer her though: he sang at her with flawless lyrics and purposely off-tune singing.

When that song finished, her sides were aching from laughing so much. Roxas seemed to take great joy in her pain and insisted on listening to his MP3. He shocked her again by singing along with a playlist of a particularly popular country pop singer. She couldn't even ask him why he had her album. She was laughing too hard.

And just when she thought her laughter was finally subsiding, he threw in some exaggerated and very animated dance moves. Naminé actually started crying from laughing so hard. It was all kinds of wrong seeing Roxas sing along as if his closest competition in the love department was a cheer captain who wore short skirts. She had no idea what the heck he was doing when he claimed to be dancing behind the wheel too. Not many people looked good when they tried to jam while sitting down with a seatbelt on.

She found all of it hilarious. She'd howl in laughter when he'd overshoot a high note and clutch her sides when he wiggled his shoulders, shimmied, and gyrated. It was as if his goal the whole time was to kill her with fire in her sides. He did everything he could to make sure she never stopped laughing. He completely changed his character and demeanor for the sake of her continued enjoyment.

Naminé pressed a pillow onto her face and tried to quiet the sound of her giggling.

What an idiot. Roxas was such a freaking adorable idiot.

Naminé didn't know what to make of him anymore. He was chock-full of pleasant surprises. Over and over again he dispelled all those crazy and negative views she once held against him. It was like meeting a person for the first time and finding an immediate friend. Something clicked. Things made sense and remained a total mystery at the same time, and in that chaotic confusion was a weird sense of adventure and desire for discovery.

It was absolutely thrilling.

She didn't know how long she lay awake in her bed. Minutes passed like seconds: her nightly review became a source of buzzing energy and a reason to remain awake. She couldn't find the sleepiness or fatigue to force herself to sleep.

Her phone suddenly vibrated on her nightstand. Naminé quickly recovered from the initial surprise and checked it, expecting it to be a reply from her sister. Her eyes widened.

You awake?

It was Roxas. Naminé's heart began to race as she slowly typed her reply.

Yes.

Her breathing became short and audible to her ears. Her stomach tingled in anticipation as she waited for a reply. She felt nervous and she didn't know why.

Then the reply came. Instead of arriving in the form of a text, it was a soft rapt at her bedroom door that caught Naminé's attention.

"Naminé?" His voice was quiet, whispered even, but Naminé heard it clearly. "Can I come in?"

Naminé bit back a smile. This time she was ready for the surprise question. Doing her best to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, she answered.

The door opened, and the night began all over again.

Redeeming Endeavor: Thank you very much for subscribing or adding LPA (and me!) to your favorites. I love seeing new people reading the story.

And I don't know how it happened so quickly, but we broke 700 reviews! That's freaking awesome, right? I won't be surprised if this eclipses the millennial mark by the time it's done. Spoiler alert: this story doesn't end with the girls' summer. So, I once again want to thank Burai Stelar, Xantaxa539, Ash09, GenieLUV, elspoek1, Ayperi, EnterAbyss29.91, TwinToshiro, rokunami, xXxGothicButterflySpiritxXx, vicucha, Tenshi Yami- Angel of Darkness, Lupus7, Shire Folk, GreyPurpleBlack, Dramamamapwnsall, kingdomheartsoverload, Kingdom13, Justice333, chibixbabe, Squishy Moogle, GummyDrive, abidethestance, Polymoly, pili1995, animeluv3!, illusional writer, Gumi Harue, Gear001, SummonerDagger88, Draco Oblivion, 18summer, Witch of Tragedies, KurukiXV, Omega, TheShadowRiders, Versivalia, PumpedUpKyx, Naivette, I'm Anonymous, monkmonkeys, xglitter-gloss, typewrite, Kiome-Yasha, A Walking Travesty, Madhatta51, Oaths2Oblivion, The Dismotivator, Stardust897, namiroku, amore-amour, KatieGracexox, Lulu, and PatheticalyInLove. With the replies below, I think I managed to reply to every single one of you, including anonymous. Call me out if I missed you though.

Chapter Data- Total Editing Time: 1153 minutes. Word Count: 9432.

Harmless Author Fact #20: I have an awful short term memory, which makes me lose things very often. I typically forget reasons why I run up or down stairs, and on more than one occasion I've forgotten to do things despite being reminded moments before. I also forgot to put this fact in the chapter :P

Take care, and I'll see you around!