Before I could utter another word he grabbed me and pushed me out of the room. I crashed to the floor in a small heap, my fingers grasping the rough carpet in surprise.
I turned my head towards him, too shocked to comment on the unexpected shove. He laughed softly. "Sorry…didn't mean to hurt you."
"I don't hold it against you." My reply sounded flat and apathetic.
"I appreciate that." He gave me a small smile, a little bit of his cheerful side showing through. "I'll call you later, alright?"
He then shut the door in my face.
Don't Be a Gentleman: Impulsive…
He didn't call.
So far I had spent a good seven hours staring at the clock, doodling flowers in one of my empty journals, and…suffered through about fifteen word puzzles (I was too lazy to attempt Sudoku…).
Needless to say, I hadn't slept a wink. After leaving Sora's home I stomped defiantly to my house while uttering a few profanities here and there. It was a brutal walk home, and the shadows only served to put me higher on edge.
They just seemed too much like the heartless. It reminded me of the darkness…which of course brought my mind back to Sora…
Once I reached my humble abode, I immediately put on some comfortable sweats and went to bed. My mind was churning with poorly concealed hatred and rage. I didn't sleep at all…
So I stayed up going through little routines and games to keep me busy. Irritation increased with every task and by the time I got to the puzzles I was shaking with fury.
He. Didn't. Call.
It was the last straw. When a boy tests a girl to their wits end…there's only so much you can do to keep your sanity. There was only one person to turn to, the last resort…
Just the thought of asking him for help killed my pride right where I stood. But, I was getting desperate…
Riku…
Anger boiled within me as I stared at the name on my cell, thumb wavering over the 'call' button. I settled with a blunt text message saying, "Hey, I'm coming over…"
I sighed roughly, dangling the phone in between my thumb and middle finger in a precarious manner. I was surprised to receive a response quickly reading, "It's three in the morning? What do you want, Kairi?"
Ugh, really? Did he have to ask? I bet he knows exactly what's going on… A single high 'beep' was heard as a slow buzzing sprouted from my phone. A couple seconds passed before a tired sound escaped from the small speakers.
"Kairi…are you okay?" He yawned after making the statement.
"I'm fine. Look, I need to talk with you…"
A rustling sound was heard amongst static before he spoke. "Can't this wait until later?"
"No," I said with conviction.
"Is this one of those Sora things? Look, Kai, I don't mean to be rude…but I'm not your cou-"
"Shut up! I'll be there in a few." I slammed the phone shut, smirking slightly.
Sure, it was kind of a low blow. But I was really too pissed to care at the moment. I want answers, and Riku holds the key. He always does when it comes to Sora, they tell each other everything…
I don't even bother changing my sweats. I placed a note on the refrigerator about my whereabouts before grabbing a small white jacket and heading out the door.
Despite how dark it is outside, I ignore the uncomfortable sensations of darkness as I run to Riku's house. Like Sora's, Riku's home was located a couple blocks from mine. Our parents wanted us all to live close together once they realized that we wouldn't stop visiting each other. Such a bond couldn't be broken by simple limitations and it was considered safer to close the distance between us.
It serves to make my job that much easier as I reach Riku's house and jab another message into my phone rapidly.
The front door opens revealing a disheveled looking silver head, his locks swaying in detangled spikes and curves. His eyes looked even duller in the lamplight, the turquoise hue coming off as a lime green. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Mind telling me why you're up so late?"
"I could say the same for you, but I don't have time for that." I waltzed into his house without permission and plopped down onto one of his couches with a disgruntled sigh. It was actually a very soft seat and the cushioning was pleasant enough to make me sleep on it right there. But, I couldn't get sidetracked…
"Alright, I'll just cut straight to the point. What is happening to Sora?" I gave him my best glare, the one my boyfriend happily nicknamed 'flaming abyss'.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." It was short and crisp, a very casual statement. However, his eyes tell a different story.
"…you're not going to tell me, are you?"
"Kairi…" He tilted his head forward, a grimace plastered on his face. "Look…now is not a good time. Just give him a few days. Maybe you're overreacting…"
I slammed my hands into my face. "Ugh, why do you guys always have to shut me out? I would be able to handle this case quickly if you would only tell me what you know."
Riku rolled his eyes. "We know you can protect yourself…but I promised Sora, so…"
"So?"
"I'm not saying anything else. Besides, I'm not your personal counselor. This is something you have to work out with Sora on your own…"
"Come on, Riku! I'm your best friend! Surely you could offer some advice or at least give me a hint!"
"I think I'll pass…" He squinted before turning to leave the room. "Look, we can talk about this later. Just crash here…it's too early for this…"
I stuck my tongue out at him. "Whatever. You're just using Sora's excuse."
He scoffed at me. "I have a right to. Sora would never get up at this hour, much less talk to his friends about his love problems. I'm going to bed now, Kairi…"
It was hard watching him go away to his room. On one hand I wanted to strangle him and keep him awake. The other part of me was too tired to care and decided that it was a good idea to fully lie down on the couch.
It was so soft…very comforting. It didn't take long for my eyes to close completely while my body shut itself down, preparing for the interrogation to come in the future…
xxxXXXXXxxXXXXxxxx
My mood wasn't any brighter by the time I woke up. Riku had already gotten up earlier and was cooking some bacon and eggs.
I mumbled something incoherent before straining to hear more footsteps. "Are your parents here?"
His reply was short and taut, probably because he was focusing on the food. "They had a meeting to go to. Relax, you can say whatever…"
"Good, because I'm not going to quit until you tell me about Sora!"
At this a rather weird crashing sound rose out of the kitchen along with a swear word. "Darn it, Kairi! Just…give me a moment…"
Ugh, you mean wait for fifteen minutes. Whenever someone says they're going to take a minute, they really mean five or higher. "If you say so…"
But of course, Riku is more…sophisticated than that. He actually came out in the next forty seconds. Impressive…
"Alright, spill."
I smiled. "Look, I know yesterday was…rough. I'm just worried. Sora won't return my calls and he's been acting really strange…" I bowed my head. For some reason it was hard to meet his eyes. "…I know what you're doing. You hide stuff from me because of Sora. You two think I can't handle the strain and are trying to deal with the workload all on your own."
I turned to glare at him. "Well, that's going to change. You know what I'm capable of, you gave me the Keyblade! I can take care of myself and I don't need you two dawdling over me. So…you can quit stalling and tell me what's going on! Out with it!"
Riku smirked at me before sitting on the couch. "Kairi…selfish, emotional, Kairi…"
"Who are you calling selfish?"
He held up a hand, cutting me off. "I understand where you are coming from…but Sora's my best friend too. You have your perspective, and he has his…you two have to form a compromise somewhere down the line. I can't interfere with that…"
"So basically you can't tell me anything because you feel that I should wait until Sora tells me?" My voice was calm, collected. But don't let that fool you. I was a raging tiger, waiting to pounce.
Riku shrugged, as if he were pushing away my ominous aura. "Precisely. I won't take part in a lover's battle. I'm not becoming the third wheel anytime soon…"
"Oh really? Then tell me why Sora decided to confide in you?"
"We're best friends, Kairi. We've known each other since we were five."
"Yes, but if you meant what you said, technically you wouldn't even have bothered taking in what Sora had to say…"
"Actually, you're wrong. I still would have listened…and Sora wanted to tell me." He was getting angrier now. If you looked at him he would have seemed normal, but I could see the slight twisting of his fingers, forming his hands into fists.
My eyebrows rose up as a new thought invaded my mental caves. "You're not just listening because of your duty as a friend…you still haven't let it go…"
"…what are you talking about?" His voice was flat now.
I chuckled, though there was a bitter edge to it. "I can't believe I didn't see it…you still, you're still…"
"No. I've gotten past that, I told you both." His answer only made me more inclined to believe the opposite.
"Don't worry. I'm not mad, I just…" I frowned, unable to describe what I was trying to explain.
"Kairi…I. Don't. Have. Feelings. For. Sora." He punctuated each word with heavy emphasis, obviously very determined to have me drop the subject. "We established that awhile ago…"
I shrugged. "Doesn't mean you're completely healed…"
I could tell he was waning on me. "Let's not talk about this right now. What you need to worry about is making things right with Sora…which is why I did you a favor and already jump started the process…"
"What?" I glared suspiciously at him. "What did you do?"
Riku smirked, his eyes narrowing. "He's coming. You have five minutes." My heart shook painfully in my chest as a knocking sound assaulted the small house. "Or not…"
"Aw, come on, Riku! I can't talk to him like this!" I gestured towards my horrendous sleeping attire but this only made Riku's smile grow wider.
He walked slowly past me, torturing me as he dragged the moment out. He opened the door quickly, ducking his head to avoid a fist aiming towards him. Sora glared at his friend incredulously. "What took you so long? I've been standing here for ten minutes straight!"
"Sure you were, Sora. I just happened to notice your presence…what was it? Ten seconds ago?"
"Very funny, you know I have no patience. This better be good, waking me up at ungodly hours in the day. Bloody hell…" He froze when he took in my appearance. I wanted to melt into the floor, crawl through the ground, and run out the door…but that was scientifically impossible. Not to mention I would be considered a coward.
So I just stood there like an idiot, waving my hand. "Uh, hi?"
Sora's facial expression shifted from shock to bitterness in an instance. He gave Riku one of those 'looks' before stating his objections bluntly. "You didn't tell me she was here."
The way he said that…I felt like a rotten piece of cardboard. It brought back every negative emotion that had swept me up last night.
I was openly glaring at him now. "Good to see you too…"
Riku smiled, his master plan obviously going in his favor. "Yep, so would you two take a seat and I'll have your breakfast ready."
The tension in the air was palpable as we sat across from each other on the couches in the center of Riku's living room. Sora wasn't looking at me at all; he kept shifting his eyes to the walls and then the table between us. I could literally feel the steam rushing out of my ears.
Riku came in nonchalantly, eggs sizzling and blowing sparks on the plates he set out for us. The food smelled like heaven, distracting me from my volatile reactions to Sora's rude behavior.
I grabbed a plate, eagerly stuffing my face with a couple of eggs only to cough them out as my tongue protested.
"…you should wait for it to cool down, you know." Is he serious? Mr. Eat's-a-lot is giving me table manners? The hell?
Oh, and now he's blowing on his food like the polite jerk he is. Ugh, I hate him! "How dare you! You should pick up your phone every once and awhile, turd!"
Sora raised an eyebrow. "That's new. So…what have I done to anger the princess?"
I growled while childishly avoiding his perfect blue eyes. "Check your messages…"
I heard his hand rumbling through his pockets as an annoying ringing sound blasted into the air. "Wow…I had it turned off. Sorry about that…"
"That's no excuse! You said you would call me back!"
His eyes were now alight with confusion. "When did I say that?"
"Are you really playing dumb with me? That's…I can't even talk to you right now…" It was like a ticking bomb. Everything he said only made it worse and heightened the dangerous energy around me. I was seriously pissed.
How hard is it to turn on a phone? Why couldn't he just call once? Even a text saying he hated me and didn't want to talk would have been better…
Riku decided to come in at that time. "Is there anything else I can get for you love birds this morning?" The mocking tone in his statement made me want to punch something.
Boys are idiots… "Oh no, you've done plenty…"
Sora shrugged before standing up. "I think I'm going to head back home. Have to crash…" His body swayed a little, as if to support his tired façade.
I growled. "If you didn't want to see me, just say it. Don't make up excuses."
His eyes darkened at my response. "I'm not lying to you, Kairi."
"Whatever…" I crossed my arms, tapping my feet. "Don't hit yourself on the way out."
Sora and Riku shared one of those secret glances again. "Okay then, see you later."
He was just at the door when a horrible idea crossed through my mind. It was selfish, completely unnecessary, and wouldn't help my situation at all…
People always say you do crazy things when you are in love, and that's true. But…I think people do their worst when they are mad at the person they love…
I stomped over towards the door, mumbling under my breath. "Riku…"
"Yeah?" His face contorted from mischief to surprise as I hastily kissed him on the lips.
Before he could push me away, I stepped back from him, grinning petulantly at the brunette across from me.
Hmmm, this one changed slightly from the way I had envisioned but it still worked out surprisingly well.
Well, let me know what you all think! Thanks for reading…