Short chapter this week... only about five pages, and no, you guys aren't getting two :P Anyway, reviews:

P5hng-Me-A'Wy: Don't really know how to reply to this review, other than the last line. I figured it was from that song :P Great song. I love it so much! :D

Pirate Mage: I'm one of those girls who gets over things quickly as well (unless they've done something horrible to me) but Namine isn't really like that so... XD Hm... Ven and Roxas meeting... hm... *SPOILER!* ;P

To BreakBeauty: I'm very glad you think I'm a brilliant writer :) I tried to make this story fun, yet dramatic, and I was hoping I succeeded :) My next project isn't like this at all, though XD

Chocomiiillk: Thanks for all the reviews again :) I do try and mention all my reviewers unless I'm busy, tired, or being an idiot DX And thanks for the basket of cookies! What kind are they?

SutaaFox (of course), thanks for the reviews again :) I've never heard of Sliding Doors, but it sounds interesting.

And finally, to animeXIII: Thanks ;)

So, done with reviewers. It's short this time because I suddenly got inspiration to write again, after a week of not being able to, so I'm trying to get this done quickly. Plus, I have a white mop of a dog on my lap (my dogs a maltese named Nimbus, and he likes sitting on my lap while I'm on the computer) and... wait... never mind, he's gone... Silly puppy.

Anyway, I have a contest for this chapter. See, when I wrote this chapter, I was supposed to be studying for my vocab quiz, so I decided to do both, by incorporating words from my list in this chapter. My contest challenge thing is: the first person to find and define at least 5 of the words correctly will receive a special oneshot dedicated to them. It can either be a request, or I can come up with it myself :) So either send me a PM, or leave it in a review, and I'll let you guys know who wins next week! :D (There are 20 total from my list, and a couple from another weeks list, so have fun!)

That's all for now! So, enjoy the chapter, and I'll see you guys next week! (Oh, and guess who's given up on trying to only write my original story this summer -_-)

~Sunechirei

Full chapter title: Essays are like skirts; long enough to cover the subject, short enough to make it interesting

"This is your fault."

"No it's not."

"Yeah, it is."

"How could you say that?"

"Look where we are!"

"In the middle of the most deserted highway between Radiant Garden and Hallow Bastion with no gas and no cell service."

"Exactly!"

"I still don't see how it's my fault."

I glared at him. No, it was worse than a glare. It was a blazing stare of pure hatred and annoyance. He was the one who wanted to go on a random drive, and the one who didn't bother filling up his gas tank before he dragged me twenty miles outside of Radiant Garden. Now, the two of us were stuck, alone, in the middle of nowhere, with no way to contact the outside world.

"Axel, you're the one who wanted to go out for some weird ass random drive, so yeah, it's your fault," I hissed, unbuckling my seat belt. An arm stopped me from actually getting out of the car, though, which just plain old irritated me. "Let me go!"

"Hm, I don't really want to. If I let you go, you'll just leave me." Axel's voice was whiny and annoying. This was normal, of course, but this time it was different, almost like he was pleading with me or something.

This intrigued me. Sure, he liked company, and my company was something he really liked (or, so he says), but he wasn't afraid of being alone. I think. So the fact that he was acting like a baby, not letting me leave the car, with a beseeching look on his face made it so I didn't want to leave the car. I hated that about him. His ability to make me do something that I wouldn't even consider for someone else.

"I'm not going to leave you," I muttered, trying to yank my arm away. "I just want some fresh air. Away from you. Because you're pissing me off."

"Aw, don't talk like that, Roxie. How could I ever piss you off?" Axel asked.

Honestly, I didn't know how to answer him without repeating myself. For the seventh time. Really, Axel was either faking being a genius, or he got hit in the head after he graduated from high school. Or, maybe, the car accident had done more damage than the doctors originally said. I wonder what his I.Q. would be now...

"If you love me, you won't leave."

I considered this for a second, wondering how I should react. After a moment, the answer was pretty damn obvious.

"See ya," I told him, finally getting away and slipping out of the car. He didn't like my reaction, but I could care less. Being around him was just pissing me off.

Getting outside of the car certainly took my mind off our situation, though if only for a few minutes. Harsh winds nearly blew me off my feet, not having any trees or buildings to stop it. It kind of made me wish I'd stayed in the car, but I couldn't go back in now. Axel would just make fun of me for it. Instead, I scrambled around to the front of the car and climbed onto the hood, wanting to sit down.

I was surrounded by... well, nothing. Nothing at all. Farmland, maybe, but it looked uncultivated, and kinda boring. Not that cultivated farmland isn't boring, but this was worse than that. No food, nothing. Actually probably just a random field that just loved to taunt me.

Stupid Axel.

"How the hell can you stand this wind?"

Axel's voice surprised me. I hadn't heard him come out of the car, much less slip onto the hood next to me. It was like he was a shadow... well, a pale, red-headed shadow. Who liked human contact.

"Hm," I mused, trying not to laugh at his stupid question, "Well, for one thing, I'm not thinner than a toothpick." This earned me a smack in the shoulder. Axel didn't like me teasing him about how skinny he was. He said it made him feel inferior somehow.

It's more like he just has issues.

Major, issues.

The silence that followed my snappy comment was wonderful. Well, if the wind weren't there it would have been. Not really wanting to stay there any longer, I whipped out my cell phone again, hoping that maybe, just maybe, I had some kind of service, but unfortunately, the world hates me. Remember when I said the world was basically saying, "I'm amused, sorry if you're getting fucked in the process?" Well, those are the words I heard on the wind that day.

Or, they were, until a long arm suddenly draped itself across my shoulders. I shuddered slightly at the touch, not quite registering that Axel was probably doing that because it was chilly outside, and his body is about ten times the normal temperature. Okay, exaggeration to the max, but you know what I mean.

"Cold, Roxie?" Axel's voice was a low whisper in my ear. "Are you ready to give in and go back inside the car?"

"Fuck off," was the only response I could give him.

"Aw, but it's no fun without you."

Damn, that guy really wanted to be murdered, didn't he? If anyone else had been with us, that comment would have sent their minds into a spiral of ridiculous thoughts and assumptions, all of which would probably be true. I guess the only good thing about being in the middle of nowhere was that Axel could get away with saying things like that.

And I could get away with them as well.

"Really? I would have thought with how good you are, you would have practiced by yourself all the time."

That comment got me punched in the side. I flinched, but didn't let the annoying groan that hid in the back of my throat, because then Axel would know he'd hurt me. Which was his goal. And it annoyed him when he didn't reach his goals. And it was my goal to make sure he became annoyed.

Payback, I guess.

He didn't react kindly to my lack of response, however, and the next thing I knew, I was being grabbed by the arm that had punched me. It wrapped around my stomach delicately, and efficiently, before yanking me away from where I was sitting, and onto Axel's lap.

I let out a yelp, unable to control the sound, which tugged a grin onto Axel's lips.

"Man, Roxie, I didn't realize you wanted me so badly," he smirked, head leaning down to my face. "Am I really that good?"

Okay, it was nearly impossible to get this guy pissed anymore. When I was still being an idiot and didn't know that Axel was gay, or that I liked him, it was so easy, but now...

"You're the one who's desperate," I snapped, trying to pull away. "I'm trying to get away from you."

"Roxie, Roxie, Roxie. You have such interesting badinage."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

Axel didn't answer me however, instead, pulling my head up to his so he could kiss me. Naturally, my brain went dead. This kiss seemed different than most of the ones I've experienced; light, simple, like a feathered touch, but at the same time it had so much meaning to it that my brain nearly exploded. It was a perfect moment, one that you only get to see once in a lifetime, you know?

And then Axel ruined it.

How did he ruin it?

By what he said, of course.

"Rawr."

Rawr? Why the hell would he say "rawr?" Was he referring to that stupid saying that kids have, where rawr means "I love you," or something like that?

I lost most of my respect for Axel right then.

"What's wrong? Did I shock you?" Axel asked, brushing some hair out of my eyes. "You're really pale."

"I'm fine," was my simple answer. "I'm just contemplating just how smart you really are."

Advice for future Roxas: Never question Axel's smartness.

Never.

"That, Roxas, was a very nasty affront." I was pushed off his lap after he said this. Though I didn't get too hurt, the shock of the action surprised me enough into complete and total silence as Axel continued to speak, a smirk appearing on his face. "I am cognizant of the fact that my intelligence will sometimes appear picayune, but I assure you, that laconic animadversion of yours lacked a certain... efficacy."

Obviously loving my completely confused look, Axel slid off the car and crouched over me.

"Now then, the fact that this propinquity engenders a special discomfit for you should not bring about any sort of canard, and you should be contrite for what you have just said about me. It doesn't matter much though; your exigency to annoy me is rather feckless, so you might as well give up your facade, and stop this febrile machination, because it fails to opprobrium me in any way."

Oh god, he was talking in words I didn't understand. Me, the middle of my class, being lectured with vocabulary that only freaks would know was somewhat unnerving. I mean, I couldn't even figure out what the hell Axel was trying to tell me, but based on the small smile on his face, he was kidding about whatever it was. Either that, or he was just amused.

"Man, Roxie, I didn't realize you would be so surprised," Axel said suddenly, his speech back to the Axel I knew and loved. It was like the world started spinning again, after a minute of complete and total stillness.

Creepy...

"What, the hell, was that?" I asked, my voice somewhat shaky from shock. Axel only laughed, then held a hand out to help me up.

"It's nothing, Roxie. You're just so captious that I had to be a complete and total jack ass and confuse you." He smirked. "Besides, your baffled expression is so adorable, I couldn't help but continue being a smart-alec."

"You are a complete and total-"

"Now, now, Roxie, I don't think it's quite deign of you to not be decorous to me. After all, I am the one helping you up."

"You're the one who pushed me off the car in the first-"

"Man, I thought you were going to be completely desiccated. But, I guess the fact that my putative hypothesis was incorrect only goes to prove how much you mesmerize me."

Wait, I mesmerize him?

I managed to pull my arm out of his grip, just realizing that it was trapped in his steely grasp. I'm sure my glare would have sent any normal person running for their mother's, but not Axel. Oh no. This guy just laughed at my "pathetic attempt to be ghoulish," as he put it later, and kissed me again.

"You can be so ethereal, Roxie, that I should probably sequester you from anyone else in the world," he whispered into my ear. "Though, it's indubitable that you would gainsay every attempt I tried to accomplish in order to reach this goal. No doubt, the pittance of my feelings for you that you know of would keep you from actually submitting to me."

I had enough at this point.

"Shut the hell up!" I screeched, tackling Axel to the car, and pressing my lips to his to keep him from talking anymore. This forward action certainly pleased him, and he wrapped his arms around my back, pulling me closer to him.

Needless to say, I was extremely happy that the sun was beginning to set, because no one could see the... um... things, Axel decided to do after I started making out with him.

I decided then, though, that smart Axel was annoying. I would never, ever, ever question his intelligence again, for fear of him attacking me with more words. Though, it did lead to pretty nice results when I finally got fed up with his nonsense.

It was probably about four hours after I "attacked" Axel that we saw the car lights in the distance. At first, I didn't believe they were there, and convinced myself that I was hallucinating from lack of food and water, or that I'd fallen asleep and was dreaming. But as they drew closer, Axel smacked me over the head to wake me up, and exclaimed;

"Look, a cynosure!"

I glared at him, not in the mood for words that I didn't understand, and he rolled his eyes.

"Too annoying to explain. But from what I can tell, that's Riku's car, so we. Are. Saved!" He grabbed me, pulling my body into a tight hug right as the car pulled up behind ours. So of course, I pushed him away.

He was right, though, about the car. It was Riku's. Much to my happiness, the accountant and Ellie both got of the car and gave the two of us a funny look. Finally, Riku laughed.

"I told you they were out here being stupid. Pay up."

They made a bet. The two of them made a bet about where Axel and I had been all day. Why the hell do we talk to these people again? It's like, they didn't care about us at all, and were only using me and Axel for entertainment. Though, that's not really much of a stress, as Riku had already confessed to only caring about me amusing him and Sora so...

"Riku, it's not polite to make bets about our friends." Though Ellie was trying to use a harsh, scolding tone, it was obvious that she was only saying that to get out of paying her boyfriend whatever amount they'd bet on.

"Excuse me," Axel interpolated before Riku could speak. "But could the two of you take us back to our homes before you decide who owes who what?" My thoughts exactly. Only, I was too tired to say anything.

"Fine, whatever," Riku mumbled, shaking his head. "I can't believe the two of you got stuck out here for this long. Actually, it's more that I'm surprised Roxie didn't try to kill you."

I blushed, Axel laughed, and the couple in front of us exchanged confused glances. "Roxie did try to kill me. A couple of times," Axel explained after he stopped laughing for a bit. "His attempts just failed." Why did he have to wink at me after saying that? It was so suggestive...

They didn't comment on that, though. They just shared another glance before getting back into the car. Axel started laughing again.

"Hey, Roxie, the two of them are so incongruous," he said, steering me towards the car. Then, he leaned in and kissed me on the ear, which of course sparked a huge blush to form across my face. "I'm just being so abstruse today..."

Axel was a fucking genius. No doubt about it. It didn't matter anymore that he'd gotten us stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no cell service, or gas, or food and water, or anything but ourselves, really. He knew way too fucking much about everything.