A/N: Here is chapter 7, as promised. I told you that I'd update faster. Even though I feel that this isn't my best story, it makes me happy that you all like it so much. I appreciate the support more than you know. Anyway, I'm not going to keep you from reading, so let the story commence! Disclaimer: I do not own kingdom hearts.

I am walking through the hallway of my school, my face feeling heavy. With each step, the heavy feeling seems to intensify, causing me to have to physically hold my head up. My neck aches and I have to stop walking in order to catch my breath. People rush by me, but I can't tell who is who; everyone is going so fast, they're a blur. I begin to panic, searching desperately for someone I know. I spot a shock of blue hair and hurry through the crowd towards it. I am relieved that Aqua is there and grab her shoulder to turn her towards me. I am unprepared for the ghastly mask that is covering her pretty face and recoil, stumbling backwards several steps. She follows me and tilts her head to the side, as though questioning my actions. Two figures suddenly appear from behind her and I soon recognize them as Sora and Roxas. They, too, are wearing their own horrifying masks. Before I can blink, I am surrounded by a crowd of students, all adorn in terrifying masks. "What is wrong with you people? Why are you wearing such awful things on your faces?" I scream. My voice is barely audible and sounds like it is coming from under water. Aqua peers at me through her mask and shakes her head. "What are you talking about, Ventus? You're wearing one, too," she says, her voice clear and loud, despite the thick plastic covering her mouth. It feels as though my blood turns to ice in my veins and I rush into the nearest restroom. I stop in front of the nearest mirror. My face is contorted by the worst mask of all. I frantically make an attempt to rip the mask off, but it is to no avail; it is stuck tight like cement. I panic and start pulling fearfully at the mask. I rush from the restroom, calling for help as I try to pry the seemingly plastered mask from my skin. No one appears to hear me and I slam into people in a wild charge of fright. I trip and fall onto the floor hard, the side of my face slamming into the tile. I feel the spot where the mask was struck and begin to cry; not a single dent has defiled the mask's surface. Laughing, cruel and horrible, echoes throughout the hallway and gets increasingly louder, until my ears begin to ring. It is when I hear my own insane laughter, erupting hysterically from my throat, is when I scream.

I bolted upward, the final notes of the scream dying in my throat. I have to take in deep, heaving breaths in order to keep myself from hyperventilating. My entire body was covered in sweat, making my T-shirt cling to me like a leech. My heart thudded hard in my chest like a hyperactive hummingbird. I tried to calm my nerves. "It...it was just a dream," I muttered to myself. Gasping for air, I flung the covers from my body and swung my legs over the side of the bed. My feet hit the floor with two distinct thuds. I spared a glance at my alarm clock and groaned in frustration; it was three in the morning. I held my head in my hands and closed my eyes. I instantly reopened them as the frightening images of the masks leered back at me. "Ah, shit," I cursed under my breath. I ran a hand through my messy hair and blew out a harsh exhale of breath. I looked around my room and felt goosebumps rise on my skin. The room was illuminated by the moonlight shining from the window, painting dark shadows along the floor and walls. I whimpered like a child and wrapped my arms around myself. "M-maybe I should just take a walk or something," I mumbled. The silence in the bedroom seemed to mock my pathetic act of speaking out loud to myself. I almost laughed at how ridiculous I was acting. Almost. I stood rather shakily and tiptoed silently over to the door.

Opening it as soundlessly as I could, I slipped out of my stuffy room and stood in the slightly chilly hallway. "Oh crap, this is even worse," I whispered to myself. An eerie feeling crept up my spine and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up on end. 'Where the hell did you expect to walk to, dumbass?' my subconscious sneered at me. I gulped and gnawed at my lower lip. It was right; I didn't really have anywhere to go. A part of me wanted to go into Vanitas' room, but, although the door was open and tempting, I knew that it would only make matters worse. I let out a defeated sigh and turned to go back into my room. "Ventus? Is that you?" said a sleepy voice. I felt my heart skip a beat and turned towards Vanitas' room. There he was, leaning on his elbows, looking at me from his bed. I gulped and tried to speak but only a squeak of air came through. I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "Uh, yeah, it's me," I said sheepishly. He yawned and a stab of guilt shot through me; I had woken him up. Vanitas motioned for me to enter the room and, after a brief moment of hesitation, I obeyed. I stood awkwardly at the side of his bed. He rubbed his eyes and yawned again. "Why are you up, Ventus? It's...3:15 in the morning," he mumbled, squinting at the alarm clock by his bed. I bit my lip hard and scratched the back of my neck in embarrassment. "I just...um...had a nightmare. It isn't that big of a deal, though. I just couldn't go back to sleep and the shadows on the walls keep reminding me of how terrible the nightmare was," I said, surprising myself. I hadn't meant to say that last comment; it had slipped out. Vanitas quietly listened, his head tilted. Abruptly, he scooted over and held the covers off the bed, revealing a space on his mattress. "Here. You can sleep with me, so you don't have another nightmare," he said, his voice slightly heavy with sleep. I was thankful for the darkness that hid the burning blush spreading up to my ears. "A-ah, no, that's o-okay, Vanitas. I've already woken you up a-and I wouldn't want to-," I stammered, cutting off when he grabbed my hand and tugged me onto his bed.

"It's fine with me, Ventus. You just said that you were scared to sleep in your room," he mumbled. I swallowed hard and tried not to move as he placed the comforter over me. He slumped back down onto his pillow with a tired sigh. I could feel his body heat emanating from him, warming my cold skin. I was about to protest that there was no need for me to stay in his room, when he rolled over to face me. "Ven, you're shaking. Are you sure you're okay?" Vanitas asked looking down at me in concern. I wanted to nod and say that I was fine, but I knew that there was no point in lying; I was still very much afraid. I shook my head and impulsively moved closer to him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. As embarrassing as the situation was, I felt a sense of comfort from the embrace. A smile tugged at my lips and my eyes began to droop. I saw the masks and my eyes shot open. I gasped in fright and Vanitas tightened his hold on me. "Shh, it's okay. Don't think about it. Focus on something else, something that makes you happy," he murmured. I allowed myself to be soothed by his voice and took shaky breaths to calm myself. I came to an abrupt realization; it wasn't the embrace that comforted me, it was Vanitas himself. 'Jeez, could you be any more obvious?' I scolded myself. I smiled as Vanitas unintentionally nuzzled my neck then muttered 'sorry' once he had done so. I could hear the shyness in his voice and focused on it. My eyes drooped once more, but this time I didn't see the masks. Instead, I saw Vanitas smiling at me. My muscles relaxed and I sighed in relief. "Thank you," I whispered as I drifted into unconsciousness. I heard him mumble an inaudible response then fell asleep.

I had a dreamless sleep, consisting of only a silent darkness. The blackness held a sense of peace and made me feel as though I were wrapped in it like a blanket. A warm blanket that smelled of the nighttime wind and hickory smoke. I had the sensation of being swayed, softly and calmly. It was such a wonderful experience, I wished that it didn't have to end. Without warning, I was jerked out of my serenity and was jolted to reality by the blaring sound of the alarm. My eyes shot open and my ear, the one directly next to the alarm clock, started ringing. I tried to move my arm to hit the snooze button, but I soon discovered that it was trapped under seperate limbs; I was being spooned from behind. I nudged the blanket off of me and found a pale leg draped over mine. An arm dangled over my ribs and another pinned both my arms to the bed. Warm breath was hitting my neck in even bursts and I turned my face to investigate. I came nose-to-nose with sleeping Vanitas. My heart nearly broke at the sight of him; although it was peaceful, Vanitas' sleeping expression was also one of pure despair. I sighed softly and pulled one of my arms out of his grasp as carefully as I could. I slammed my hand down on the snooze button and almost cried in relief; my eardrum was nearly shattered. As the room filled with the abrupt silence, I heard Vanitas make a sound similar to a whine. He pulled me against him and I looked behind me in confusion. When I saw the distressed look on his face, my mouth tugged up into a grin. 'He didn't want me to move away from him,' I thought. A wry sense of amusement sparked in my chest; I hadn't really moved away. I had only shifted my arm a little. "Vanitas...hey, Vanitas. Wake up. We have to get ready for school," I whispered, shaking him lightly. Vanitas stirred and his eyes fluttered open. He took in a shaky breath and looked down at me in a daze, as though wondering why I was there. Realization dawned in his eyes and he groggily released me. I felt a stab of disappointment then had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at his flustered expression.

"Oh...um...jeez, Ven, sorry about that. I didn't- oh no," he said, shooting his eyes downward. I frowned in confusion, but once I shifted slightly and felt what was pressing against the back of my thigh, I understood. My face turned deep scarlet and I locked gazes with Vanitas, who was just as embarrassed as I was. "U-uh, that doesn't usually happen. I-I mean it does, but...I-I don't know how it got there. I mean I do, but I wasn't...ah, dammit," he stammered. Even though I was embarrassed, I couldn't help but smile at him. He was adorable when he was flustered. 'There you go again. I thought you weren't into guys, Ventus? Have you changed your mind now that he popped a bone cone on you? Congratulations, sexpants, you turned him on with your snoring,' my subconscious joked. I snorted then quickly clamped my hand over my mouth to suppress the burst of laughter. Vanitas peered down at me in nervous curiosity. I lost it. I tried hard to smother my laughter, but it just erupted from my chest whenever I made eye contact with Vanitas. He stared at me with a puzzled expression, then started to laugh along with me. After a few minutes, our laughter ceased and we just looked at each other while catching our breath. Vanitas grinned down at me, but he still seemed to be embarrassed. "Thanks...y'know, for letting me sleep with you. I didn't have anymore nightmares," I mumbled. He seemed genuinely happy and relieved to hear that I had slept without fear. "Anytime, Ven," he said. My heart beat faster; he'd called me Ven again. 'Yeah, no shit. You did tell him to call you that, dumbass,' my subconscious sneered. My cheeks went hot when I noticed that Vanitas was looking down at me intently. "I-I'm sorry about...well...um," he began, his face turning bright red. I smiled to hide my own embarrassment and looked down at the blanket shyly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, is what I meant to say," he mumbled. I glanced back up at him in surprise. 'He thinks that I'm uncomfortable?' I thought. 'I thought it was funny and...flattering.' Without thinking, I leaned closer to him and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "What makes you think that?" I said, "I'm not uncomfortable...at all."

We made full on eye-contact for a moment. It was in that moment, my courage ran out and I did the stupidest, most obvious thing ever; I fled. I rushed out of the room and scampered into the guest room. I shut the door, then leaned against it. I took in a breath and realized that I was shaking with adrenaline. 'You do realize what you just did, don't you? You just gave him a confession or what sounded like a confession,' my mind screamed at me. I gulped and felt my lips curve into a smile. Perhaps I did like Vanitas in a romantic way; it sure as hell seemed like I did. I wondered if he felt the same way. I shook my head doubtfully. There was no way in hell he'd like someone like me. My giddiness subsided and was replaced with a dull sense of hurt. 'What, did you expect him to like you the moment you start flirting with him? You're delusional,' I told myself. Once again, our kiss flashed in my mind. I touched my lips with the tips of my fingers and felt a surge of sadness. 'You've been through this before. It meant nothing to him. He was upset, need a way to comfort himself, and you just happened to be there. End of story,' I thought. My body began to tremble and I slid down to the floor, holding back tears.

I pressed my lips together and shut my eyes. I knew that I was punishing myself by thinking that way, but I couldn't help it. I had just met him yesterday and I'd already been on an emotional roller-coaster, broken character almost completely, and have been the pawn to brand new feelings I thought I could never feel. I shook my head and sighed as I got to my feet. I wiped the tears pricking the corners of my eyes. There was no point in crying. I grabbed my suitcase off the dresser and rummaged through it, trying to find something to wear for school. I felt something cold and hard beneath my hand. It was my cellphone. "Oh, fuck, I forgot I had brought this," I cursed, turning it on. Once the screen lit up, I cringed; I had 27 text messages and 8 missed calls. I scanned through the messages and found that all except one were from Aqua. The one exception was from Roxas, thanking me for his suitcase. The calls were from Aqua, too. 'Great. She must be worried about me. I'd better call her,' I thought, dialing her number. She answered on the third ring. "VENTUS STRIFE! I HAVE BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU! WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER THE PHONE?!" she screeched. I held the phone away from my ear and cringed.

"I'm really sorry, Aqua, I had to deal with a bunch of crap yesterday and I forgot that I'd brought my cellphone with me," I apologized. Aqua was silent. Knowing her like I did, she was frowning at the phone, deep in thought. I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. "It was your dad again, wasn't it?" she asked quietly. I heaved a sigh, which she took as my answer. "Oh, Venny, I'm so sorry. What happened?" Aqua said. I explained what had happened while getting dressed. "You've got to be shitting me. He actually apologized for nearly killing you? Are you sure this is your dad we're talking about here?" she said incredulously. I nodded and shifted the phone into my other hand. "Yep, pretty much," I said dryly. I ran a brush through my hair and heard her snort in disgust. She began to mutter a series of curse words under her breath, forgetting that I could hear her. I chuckled and told her what had happened after I'd gone back to Vanitas' house. Aqua went quiet again. I took her silence as an opportunity to brush my teeth. "You like him, don't you?" she said in a fangirly voice. I nearly choked. How could she tell? I quickly spat out the toothpaste and wiped my mouth.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I retorted, "I do not." Aqua giggled, making me blush in embarrassment. 'Jeez, she's not even here and she still can embarrass the crap out of me,' I thought. I was so busy arguing with Aqua that I didn't notice the time. Thankfully, Aqua was paying attention. "Shit, it's already 6:30. Hey, are we still going to walk to school together?" she said. I bit my lip; I had wanted to maybe walk with Vanitas. "Of course. It's okay if we invite our partners, too, right?" I asked, crossing my fingers. I could almost see Aqua smirking at the phone. "Sure, Ven, you can bring your hottie partner with you," she teased. I cursed and the playful banter began again. I snatched my backpack from the floor and heaved it onto my shoulders. As I began to make my way down the hallway, I paused at Vanitas' room. The door was open and Vanitas was sitting on his bed. I was about to open my mouth to speak, when I noticed that he was shaking. "Aqua, I have to go," I whispered, not taking my eyes off of Vanitas. Aqua caught my change of tone and didn't ask any questions; she just hung up without a word. I tentatively hid against the wall, my socks slipping on the hardwood slightly. My breath caught in my throat when Vanitas suddenly put his head in his hands. "It's only for eight hours. All you have to do is survive for eight hours," he muttered. I moved to walk away, feeling that I was intruding. "What's the point? No one cares if you show up or not," he said sadly. I felt as though my heart were about to constrict on itself. 'That's not true. I care,' I thought. I heard footsteps and retreated into my room. Peeking through the gap between the door hinges, I watched him slowly go into the bathroom. He flicked on the light and just stared at his reflection in the mirror. His face was contorted by a torrent of emotions and his hands gripped at the edges of the sink. It was difficult to just stand there, rather than rush to his aid. I knew though, deep in my heart, that now wasn't the time to be a hero; he wouldn't accept my aid. He was too deep within his mind that he wouldn't have heard a word I said to him, anyway.

When he shut the door, my heart nearly broke. 'Don't get involved, Ventus. You have no idea how to deal with situations like this,' my subconcious warned. I sighed; I wished that I could help Vanitas. I didn't want him to suffer so much. I approached the door and lifted my hand to knock. It swung open and my hand screeched to a halt inches from Vanitas' face. I paled and apologized profusely. He seemed bemused and just shook his head. "It's fine. I'm done in here," was all he said as he brushed past me. I spun on my heel and nearly shouted at him to wait. He stopped and looked at me, startled. "What?" he said. I blushed and mentally cursed myself for being so awkward. "I-I was just wondering if you w-wanted to walk to school with me and my friends," I stuttered, "Of course, if you don't want to, I totally understand." I internally screamed; could I be anymore obvious? Vanitas' eyes widened and his eyebrows flew up in surprise. "H-huh? Me? You want me to walk with you?" he said in disbelief. I bit my lip; I knew it would be a mistake to ask. "W-well, that's only if you want to. I'm not going to force you," I said, looking away. God, I was so embarrassed. I felt like my whole body was one big, blushing mess. "Y-yeah, that'd be great. I'd love to walk with you," Vanitas said. I looked up in shock. 'He said yes? Seriously?' I thought. He smiled brightly and I couldn't help but smile in return. "Great! Let's go then," I said breathless with relieved happiness. He followed me down the stairs. I stood on the porch, trying to mentally prepare myself for the day. Vanitas locked the front door and leapt off the steps onto the sidewalk. "C'mon, we'll be late if we don't start walking now," he said. He was so happy, his face lit up and laughing. I hurried to keep up with him. "Hey, Ven, watch this!" Vanitas shouted as he started running. I watched as he jumped and grabbed onto a low-hanging tree limb. "Ah, be careful!" I yelled. He flipped back onto solid ground, landed it, and looked back at me. My heartbeat sped up at the sight of him. His golden eyes shone and a cocky smirk played on his lips. His normally pale face was flushed by excitement and he was slightly out of breath. I found myself clapping and laughing. "10 out of 10!" I cheered.

Vanitas stood up, brushing the dirt off of his pants. "Where did you learn how to do that?" I asked as we began walking again. He grinned and gestured to a tree. "I was into climbing trees when I was younger. I would always fall out of them, so I learned how to land on my feet," he explained. I nodded; that made sense. "What about the flip? Does it give you more momentum before you land?" I asked. Vanitas smirked at me and my cheeks went pink. "Nah, that was just for show," he said. I looked at the ground shyly, unable to maintain eye contact. "Ven! Over here!" Aqua shouted from our meeting spot. I glanced over at Vanitas and saw that his expression had changed. He seemed...disappointed? Upset? Annoyed? I couldn't tell. "Vanitas? You okay?" I asked, concerned. He glanced down at me then sighed. "I'm fine. It's just...I've got social anxiety. I'm not good with meeting people," he muttered. I put my hand timidly on his shoulder and gave a small smile of encouragement. "If you want, I can do all the talking for you. Then, when you feel comfortable with speaking to them, you can get to know them. They aren't bad, really. Except Roxas. You should watch out for him. He's my little shit of a brother," I said. Vanitas laughed and nodded in agreement. "Thanks, Ven," he said. I grinned at him and waved at Aqua. When we got closer, I noticed that her partner, the guy with the brown hair that stuck up in the back, was leaning against the stop sign. I shot her a suggestive look that made her frown. She glared at me and mouthed, "Don't you dare." I waggled my eyebrows at her and laughed as she went red. "Well, good morning to you, too, Ventus," she said with a scowl. I shook my head and gave her a hug. She returned it then smacked me on the side of my head. "Ow! Uncalled for!" I said, pouting. She stuck her tongue out at me then turned her attention to Vanitas, who was standing behind me. "Is he your partner, Ven?" Aqua asked, smiling kindly at him. I nodded and caught Vanitas' eye. He gave me the smallest of nods and I turned back to Aqua. "His name is Vanitas. He sits behind Selphie in English," I said. Aqua glanced back at Vanitas and tilted her head. "Nice to meet you, Vanitas. Don't be fooled by how I act around this dork. I'm a decent person, I swear," she said, giggling. Vanitas smiled only a little bit. "Is he your partner, Aqua?" I asked, reminding her that the poor guy was standing only a few feet away. Aqua flushed in embarrassment and motioned for him to come over. He looked up at her and shoved himself off of the stop sign. "Terra. Nice to meet you," he said in a deep voice. My eyes widened involuntarily and I smiled in greeting. Vanitas nodded, a guarded look on his face. Aqua bit her lip and shot me our special look that meant she needed to tell me something important.

Before I could say anything, there came a series of shouts from down the street. We all exchanged looks of surprise and rushed in the direction of the sound. There was a group of students surrounding something, yelling and cheering. I shoved my way through the crowd and stopped dead. Seifer and his two flunkies, Fuu and Rai, were standing over two crumpled figures. I began forcing my way again when I noticed the similar blonde hair and brown spikes. "Sora, Roxas!" I shouted. I nearly fell as I made my way to the clearing. I knelt next to my brother and friend, checking them over. "Don't bother. Those wimps are toast," Seifer jeered. The crowd laughed. I glared at him and had to bite the inside of my cheek. I was surrounded by my fellow classmates; I couldn't break character. There was a series of violent shoves and cries of annoyance as two people made their way through the crowd. "Ugh, Ven?" Sora groaned. I nodded and helped him into a sitting position. Roxas opened his one good eye with a pained moan; his other was swollen shut. "Sora!" yelled a deep voice. The silver haired boy I had met in class broke through the group and fell to his knees beside my friend. "Hey, Riku. I'm okay. Just a few scrapes and bruises. No big deal," Sora said in a false cheerful voice. I heard several people in the crowd begin muttering hurtful things about Sora's talking. Sora quickly shut his mouth, his eyes filling with tears. He had broken character and immediately regretted it. Riku cradled Sora's head in his arms, a look of hoplessnes in his eyes. "Roxy! Roxas!" Axel cried as he reached the clearing. My brother smiled gingerly as Axel fussed over him. "Hey, spiky, what are you doing here?" Roxas rasped. Axel tapped the his temple with his index finger, which I assumed was some sort of code. Roxas seemed to get it and relaxed in his partner's arms. "Isn't this romantic? I think I might cry," Seifer sneered, his voice cutting through the loud noise of the students. Riku and Axel each shared a look and stood up. Side by side, they turned to face the three bullies. "Seifer, they wanna fight, ya know?" Rai said. Fuu nodded mutely in agreement. Seifer laughed and got into a fighting stance. "Oh, they do, do they? Well, I say, bring it on!" he said. The students went wild and started chanting the name of who they wanted to win.

"I'll take the old man wannabe, while you take the beam-pole over there," Seifer ordered. Riku just smiled and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Think you can take me?" he asked in a deathly calm voice. Axel grinned and set his feet apart, his fists up. Seifer struck first, jabbing at Riku's face. Riku dodged out of the way and slammed his fist into Seifer's spine. I watched the fight through awed eyes. Riku fought with fierce grace and agility while Axel fought like a cat, stealthy and quick. He seemed to be enjoying the whole experience, judging from the broad grin on his face. Despite their amazing fighting skills, Riku and Axel were slowly losing the fight. The three bullies had gained momentum and were taking full advantage of it. "This isn't a fair fight! It's two against three!" I shouted. I was about to get up and join them, when there was a flash of blue hair and Fuu went flying. The crowd fell into a shocked silence. "It is now," Aqua growled as she stalked towards the fallen girl, "No one hurts my friends and gets away with it." With a pissed off Aqua at their side, Riku and Axel began to gain the upper-hand. Aqua looked like an avenging goddess as she slapped, punched, and pulled the hair. At the sound of police sirens, the crowd dispersed in panic. "Quick! We have to go!" Terra yelled, snatching Roxas and Sora up. He threw them over his broad shoulders and started running. As Aqua, Riku, and Axel went after him, I felt a hand tug me to my feet. "Come on, Ven!" Vanitas said, pulling me by my hand as he rushed forward. I ran with him, hearing the police sirens getting closer and closer. The eight of us charged through the doors to the school and, after a minute of us standing there out of breath, Terra opened the stairwell door. "Through here," he said slipping inside. We all exchanged looks then followed him. I gripped Vanitas' hand tighter without meaning to; I was too scared to think straight. He looked back at me and attempted a smile. It soon faltered. Terra stopped suddenly, causing a painful domino effect as we all slammed into him. I felt my cheek rip on something sharp and cried out.

"In there is a bathroom no one uses anymore. We can hide there until this whole mess gets dealt with," Terra explained as he shoved himself to his feet. With pain-filled groans, we all cramped inside the bathroom. I slid against the cold wall to the floor and sighed in exhaustion. Vanitas plopped down next to me with a heavy sigh. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them. "What do we do now?" Riku asked, nursing an angry red mark on his cheek. The silence was deafening. "Well, I know one thing, I hate the fact that I couldn't defend myself against that asswipe," Roxas said, wincing as he sat up. Sora, leaning against Riku, smiled, despite the pain it caused him to do so. "We need to lay off the sea-salt ice cream, Rox," he joked. Everyone laughed, though halfheartedly, and the tense atmosphere relaxed. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. It felt as though all my nerves were tensed like coiled springs, ready to snap at the slightest amount of pressure. "Are you alright, Ven?" Vanitas asked softly. I peeked an eye open and glanced over at him. He seemed just as stressed as I was. "I'm...well, I can't say that I'm alright. Can you?" I asked, a little sharper than intended. He didn't flinch, as I expected him to; he simply shook his head. Vanitas looked around the bathroom and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. I gazed at him, curious and confused. What was there to be happy about? He seemed to sense me watching him for he looked down at me. "This is surprisingly nice, despite everything that just happened," he said, his voice only loud enough for me to hear. Before I got the chance to respond, Aqua suddenly sat up with a jolt. "What? Aqua, what is it?" Terra asked. Her blue eyes swept over each individual person and stopped on me. "We...we all showed who we really are. We weren't the way the school wants us to be. In other words, all eight of us...," she trailed off. I gasped and felt my blood grow cold. "We broke character. We're...social outcasts," I whispered.

A/N: Ahhh, finished. Whew! I made this one longer. Yay! Thanks for all the feedback and support, everyone! Talk to you next chapter!