Hello lovely readers! I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter! Life won't slow down lately and I can't find enough time for all of my favourite things. But never fear - I will continue this story to the end! To make up for it, I've given you a long chapter to enjoy!
Something super quick to clear up - for the sake of ease I've set this story to the same climate as where I live in Australia - as such, the school year runs from Jan - Nov and Winter marks the middle of the year, NOT Christmas. I'm sorry if that makes this harder for you guys to read, but hopefully it gives you a glimpse into an alternative mode for our favourite gang of dorks.
Thank you all for the lovely reviews - I can't tell you how much your kind words mean to me. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this instalment!
x-x-x
Although Destiny Island was a tropical beachside area, winter still brought with it an icy wind and a bucketload of rain. Namine was just thankful that it didn't snow here - she couldn't stand the cold.
The group were currently loitering around their lockers, not too keen to go outside - the school had become a vast pool of muddy water, and the usual spot was soaked. Students ran with their jumpers over their heads and sought refuge under the many classroom verandas. Unfortunately, students weren't allowed to stay inside when it rained (except for the lucky year 12s). Namine thought back to primary school, where the class used to stay inside for a 'wet day timetable'. Why must high school be different?
Kairi and Selphie were spending as much time by their lockers as they could, and the others were gathered around to wait for them. The boys were jostling happily, but then Selphie gasped and jumped up and down in excitement.
"OH, you guys! You won't believe it! Roxas and Namine are doing a lift in dance!" She squealed, her hair bouncy despite the damp air. Roxas groaned and tried to hide behind Kairi's locker.
"Are you serious?" Hayner laughed, but Pence and Sora looked impressed. "Can you even lift her up?"
"What are you saying, Hayner?" Namine put her hands on her hips with a teasing expression. The light-haired boy scratched his head sheepishly.
"I'm not saying you're heavy, I'm saying Roxas is weak," he chortled, earning a mock punch from the boy in question.
"I totally beat you at the last struggle competition!" Roxas pouted. Namine couldn't help but giggle at his expression.
"So do you get to do anything special, like spin her around?" Olette asked.
"N-No!" Roxas spluttered, hardly comprehending how anyone could spin a person while dancing. It was bad enough that he had to hold her so close to him while he was forced to stare into her eyes...
"I think it's cute," Kairi giggled, "and super romantic."
The implication of her statement was lost on the boys, but Namine noticed both Olette and Selphie raise their eyebrows in thought. "J-Just because it's a romantic song!" Namine explained. Roxas caught Kairi's eye and rolled his own in exasperation.
"You'd better not drop her, Roxas," Sora piped up then, teasing the blonde. "If you do, Hayner, Pence and I will beat you up." They laughed and Namine sighed. Sometimes she felt like she was surrounded by big brothers.
"I won't drop her!" Roxas pouted. "I'm strong enough to handle it."
"Pft, strong? With these scrawny things?" Hayner jabbed at Roxas' biceps, earning another chuckle from the boys.
"I trust Roxas," Namine said, putting an end to their banter. Roxas smiled down at her and they shared a moment of eye contact. It sent a jolt of nerves through his body. Why did a simple gaze make him so nervous? He'd never get over her at this rate...
"You shouldn't," came a new voice from behind them. Suddenly, Axel's arms were sprawled over the two blondes. "Roxie here couldn't even lift a bowling ball when he was a kid."
Roxas stared vacantly into space and the rest of the group laughed. "I'm so glad you're here to share more childhood stories, Axel."
Namine couldn't help but giggle. She took a moment to look at all the smiling faces around her, including Sora's. She truly didn't feel sad anymore. Finally, things felt just like before... And somehow it was even better than ever.
Just as Axel began sharing more embarrassing stories about Roxas, everyone heard a throat clearing from behind them. Mr. Leonheart was standing tall with a merciless stare.
"You guys know you shouldn't be inside..." He warned, but Kairi and Selphie quickly put on their best innocent face.
"We're not finished at our locker yet, sir! I'm having trouble finding my fork," Selphie giggled mischievously, and held up her tupperware container of fruit for good measure. Namine knew Mr. Leonheart had a soft spot for their group, even though he didn't like to show it. He had watched them grow from scared new high schoolers into who they were now. He was stern and cold on the outside, but he was actually a really fun teacher.
"And do you really need the help of eight of your friends to find it?" He asked with his usual dull tone. Namine always wondered where he got the tiny scar of his face, but was of course too scared to ask.
"Don't you remember how much you drilled us about teamwork in year 7?" Pence quipped, and the troupe collectively chuckled. Mr. Leonheart groaned.
"Are you hassling the kids again, Squall?" came a teasing voice from behind them. Mr. Fair slapped his colleague on the shoulder and smiled. The be-scarred teacher narrowed his eyes.
"Don't call me that," he said quietly, and the group couldn't hide their sniggers. When he gave a glare to his students, there was a collective 'eep!' before they finally scurried outside. Yup, Namine thought, things were definitely back to normal.
Expect perhaps one little thing, she reminded herself, watching Kairi and Sora from the corner of her eye.
x-x-x
That evening, Namine and Selphie were working extremely hard in their ballet class. Now that it was halfway through the year, the dance school had begun putting together choreography for the end of year concert. Namine's class was banding together with the other ballet classes for one big dance sequence, to music from 'Cinderella'. All the pointe students were dancing to the ballroom song, while the juniors would be the adorable mice that helped Cinderella. It had only been a few weeks since they started pointe, but Namine was already loving the challenge.
She watched as one of the older girls practiced her solo part for her role as Cinderella. The only senior boy in the entire school was of course playing the role of the prince. Namine wished they had a boy in their class... Then at least she might have had some experience doing a lift with a boy. Though she was excited about her lift with Roxas, she couldn't help but remember his mortified expression.
"I love that we're doing Cinderella!" Selphie whispered as another of the senior students practiced her role as the fairy godmother. "It's so romantic!"
"It's my favourite fairytale," Namine agreed, watching the junior girls prance about the room and pretending to have mice tails. It was true; the tale of Cinderella had been her favourite since she was a little girl. She loved how the prince tried so hard to find his true love, and how it had been love at first sight...
Suddenly, Sora and Kairi popped into her head. She found herself thinking of how similar they were to the fairytale couple. Sure, there were no glass slippers or adorable mice involved, but at the end of the day... They seemed perfect for each other. Namine kept having flashbacks to their summer holidays and before city centre, to every time she saw the two sharing a totally unplatonic moment together. She couldn't believe how blatantly she had ignored it now.
"Namine," Selphie whispered as she tapped the blonde on the shoulder. Namine quickly snapped out of her thoughts and realised she missed their cue to begin dancing. She quickly caught up and focused on keeping her feet perfectly straight in her pointe shoes.
The junior girls watched in awe. "They look sooo pretty on their tippy toes," one of the littlest ballet girls whispered, and Namine beamed. She couldn't wait to show off her new skills at the end of year concert.
During the dance, the two seniors joined and Stella reminded them to look like they were in love. The junior girls giggled, and Namine once again thought of her two best friends.
In the end, she wanted them to be happy... And now that it had been a few weeks, she felt like she could handle it. At the last beat of the ballroom song, Namine made her decision.
x-x-x
Namine suddenly felt like she was in the past - she was running around all over the place, trying to find Sora and steal a private moment with him. But instead of confessing, she was trying to find him for a very different reason.
Unfortunately, the boy was becoming increasingly difficult to pull aside. The school year was becoming more busy and stressful, with exams looming and sports events at the forefront. The boys' were practising more basketball at lunch time to get ready for the inter-school rounds, and pulling Sora away from his favourite sport was out of the question. Class time was also impossible - Mr. Caelum was prepping the students hard for their first 'serious' exams and encouraging students to take on specialist subjects next year. Everyone was beginning to feel the pressure and longed for the dreary winter months to be over. The gang didn't hang out after school much, rushing home to avoid the cold. So the chilly days slipped by and Namine didn't manage to snatch a private moment with Sora.
That was, until Selphie's birthday party.
"Oh my gosh, you guys look amazing!" She squeaked as she welcomed Kairi, Namine and Olette inside her house. Once in the entrance hall, everyone shrugged out of their coats to reveal brightly coloured outfits - Selphie had chosen to have a rainbow party for her 15th birthday. Of course, to her it was an excuse to get everyone to dress up colourfully during the drab months of winter, and it had worked really well. There were no dark clothes in sight and everyone went all out - Zidane had even turned up in rainbow suspenders and brightly striped socks, which made everyone laugh. Selphie herself was wearing a dress with pastel purples, blues and pinks and had glammed out to the max.
"Okay guys, the party is this way!" Selphie guided the girls out the back and into the garage, which had been transformed into a party scene, complete with banners, a food table, music, balloons and space to dance. Everything was decked out in pastel rainbow hues and pop music blared from the sound system.
Namine sucked in a breath. She knew this was a chance to relax from the daily grind of school and dance, but she still had Sora in the back of her mind and she needed to deal with it sooner rather than later. It was gnawing at her thoughts and making her feel guilty, especially every time she saw him talking to Kairi.
Everyone began to mingle - Selphie had invited almost the entire class (bar Seifer and his gang, of course) and they excitedly chatted, ate and mingled. Selphie had underestimated the forty-strong class and the garage simply wasn't big enough for the entire group, so the living room was also filled with people. It was the biggest party Namine had ever been to - she'd already lost sight of Sora.
By the food table, Roxas and Kairi were having a discussion of their own.
"So you're just going to give up?" Kairi sighed, nibbling on a sausage roll.
Roxas stared off to the side at the rainbow cupcakes. "I know she's moving on from Sora, but it still means she doesn't like me. I don't want to confuse her or wreck our friendship." He lowered his voice as he spoke, but it was unnecessary - the garage was filled with music and excited, rainbow-clad teenagers.
"I know..." Kairi chewed on her bottom lip. "It just seems like you two are meant for each other."
"What, just because she yelled at me in year 7 and we became best friends?" Roxas shrugged, and the redhead gave him a dubious look. He sighed, tucking at the bright rainbow tie he was wearing. "I thought so too... But I really think we should just stay friends. It's easier that way for everyone." He could see a protest about to escape from her lips, so he quickly turned the subject around. "What about you? Are you going to give up on Sora?"
Kairi pouted. "We've talked about this, Roxas. Sora likes someone already. Who knows if it's me..." She lit up in a teasing manner. "Maybe you could get it out of him...?"
"I already told you, he won't tell me," the blonde shook his head, knowing the truth all too well. It was the last white lie he had to hold onto from this mess - after all, it wasn't his place to tell her. Still, the knowledge did frustrate him somewhat and he wished he could just push the two together.
"It's fine," Kairi waved a hand, "It wouldn't be right anyway, with Namine still getting over him. I couldn't do that to her." She said this truthfully, but Roxas could see the reproachful expression she wore.
"You know-"
"Game of spin the bottle in the living room!" Wakka suddenly called out, bursting into the garage. There were a few squeals of embarrassment and some excited jeers, and most of the party goers went inside.
"I bet Selphie's excited," Roxas sniggered to himself, and when Kairi questioned him he feigned ignorance. Okay, maybe he had just one more secret, but this one was a lot easier to keep.
x-x-x
Although most of the guests gathered for the game, Namine still couldn't find Sora. She watched with curiosity as Olette strategically sat in the circle, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Selphie was right - that girl had a crush on somebody. She wanted to stay and try to figure out who it was, but she had to talk to Sora before she exploded from the suspense.
Finally, she spotted him chatting with Riku and Axel, who had also been invited. They were standing in the kitchen, away from the noise - and close to the freshly cooked food Selphie's mum was making.
"I see you guys picked the prime spot to party," Namine joked as she walked up to the trio. They all sniggered, and Axel put a finger to his lips.
"Shh, everyone'll come over!" He winked cheekily and popped a mini pie in his mouth.
"Plus this is a great place to watch the spin the bottle action," Riku pointed out, and Namine turned to see Zidane happily leaning forward for a kiss from Garnet. Unfortunately for him, she pushed him away and left the circle, embarrassed. "Ooh-hoo-hoo, burn!"
Namine rolled her eyes, feeling sorry for the poor girl. "Well, I hate to break up this little party, but I was wondering if I could borrow Sora?"
Sora lit up and smiled. "Sure thing, I can't take too much of these two for very long anyway."
"Psh, that's a lie," Riku sniggered, "you wouldn't leave my side for the entirety of primary school."
"Shut up, Riku!" Sora laughed and pushed his best friend away. He gave a good natured nod to Namine and followed her to a more secluded spot, in Selphie's bedroom.
"Geez, could that wall get any pinker?" Sora commented, covering his eyes from the bright feature wall.
"Yeah, it's a bit intense," Namine laughed, but it was forced - she was suddenly nervous. She knew she was getting over him, knew that it was all for the best - but being here, alone with him, noticing the warmth in his eyes as he looked down at her, she couldn't help but feel hesitant.
I've made up my mind. I have to do this.
"Is everything okay?" Sora opened, feeling the awkward but not uncomfortable silence between them.
Namine jumped at his cue with vigour. "Yeah... Actually, everything is okay. Even better. Everything is great." She nodded with a knowing smile. "I wanted to tell you that. That I'm okay. And... There's something else."
Sora cocked his head curiously and waited for her explanation.
The blonde girl sucked in a deep breath, wishing the colourful dress she'd worn wasn't so tight around the waist. "I... I know you like Kairi."
Sora's face instantly morphed into one of shock and embarrassment. He spluttered and rubbed his neck. "H-How do you...?"
Namine smiled at his increasingly crimson cheeks. "I guess I just figured it out. The way you look at her, and this past summer... I can't believe I didn't notice it before, actually. Anyway..." She could see Sora was at a loss for words. "I want you to know that... I'm okay... with you asking her out."
Silence. Sora dipped his head forward slightly, as if he didn't hear right, his face contorting into confusion. "Really...?"
Namine smiled at the way his lips quivered at the edges, fighting against a smile. "Really. I want you to ask her out. I'm ready. I'm moving on. And... I want you both to be happy."
"Namine..." Sora let out a breath of disbelief, shaking his head. "That's really nice... But I don't even know if she likes me back."
His plight was met with a blank look from Namine. "Come on, Sora, she definitely likes you back. Besides... Don't you want to find out?"
Sora stared at her for a moment, but his look of confusion soon changed to one of nervous excitement. He nodded. "Yeah... I do."
Suddenly, the muffled sound of yells and cheers came from the living room; Namine wondered if Olette had snagged that dream kiss.
"Namine... Thank you. You're seriously okay with this?" He asked once more, just to be sure, but she nodded happily. "You're the best, Nam. You know that?" He leaned in to hug her and she reciprocated hesitantly. She closed her eyes and breathed in his earthy scent, feeling an explosion of mountainous emotion. Nervousness, apprehension, forlorn... But she was also happy.
They broke apart and Namine almost felt her heart burst at his smile - bursting at the seams with happiness. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Namine..." Sora paused, still flabbergasted, "I really don't know what to say..."
She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on it any longer. "C'mon, we're missing the party. Selphie will be mad if we miss out on the group photo."
Sora chuckled. "You're right. Let's go."
x-x-x
The two teens bounced down the hallway. Sora had a spring in his step as he headed for the garage, but he did falter somewhat when he passed Kairi, who was chatting with Selphie. His face contorted into all sorts of weird expressions as he hid his excitement. Namine went to join them, and Sora headed into the garage to find Roxas by the food table.
"Geez Roxas, stop eating all the food," Sora teased, grabbing a rainbow cupcake and licking the icing, a wide smirk across his face.
Roxas rolled his eyes, but he quickly realised that his brunette best friend looked like he just won the lottery. He narrowed his eyes. "What's with that face?"
"What face?" Sora said innocently, gobbling down the rest of his cupcake.
"That face," Roxas pointed, "your smile is wider than when you beat Riku around the island. What's up?"
Sora couldn't help but let his smile burst even wider. "I can ask Kairi out!"
"Shh!" Roxas clamped Sora's mouth shut, but the rest of their friends were too preoccupied on the dance floor to hear his outburst. Selphie had just dragged Olette into the garage and was begging her to belt out her favourite song with her.
Sora chuckled, pushing Roxas' hands away. "I'm sorry, I'm just so excited!"
"Whoa Sora, rewind. Since when can you ask her out?" Roxas said in an urgent whisper.
"Namine said she was okay with it," he smiled, his brunette spikes bouncing with his excited movements. "I couldn't believe it. She's such a good friend."
Roxas blinked, realising Namine had made her decision - a little faster than he anticipated. He felt a sudden array of emotions; pride at her loyalty and strength, happiness for Sora and Kairi... And the faintest hint of hope that she really was over Sora.
He cracked a smile at his best friend. "That's awesome! So what now? Are you gonna ask her out right now?"
Sora spluttered. "Are you kidding!? There's no way I'd be prepared. Besides, Selphie would murder me for stealing the focus of her party," he laughed, and Roxas couldn't help but agree. She would bury him alive for stealing her thunder. "I'll come up with something. But I'm not asking for your help this time - you were completely useless last time!"
"Hey! Maybe I didn't come up with any ideas then, but I could have a tone now!" The blonde puffed up his cheeks in indignation, and Sora pinched them. "Hey!"
"Sure, Roxas. Anyway, I'll think of something. What about you, though?"
Roxas looked confused, trying to ignore Selphie's terrible singing from the dance floor. "What about me?"
Sora raised his eyebrows as if his best friend was stupid. "Namine is moving on. This is the perfect time to swoop in and tell her!"
"Uh, no way," Roxas looked away, turning pink. "It's only been a couple months. Besides, we both know she doesn't like me. Why would she change her mind?"
Sora took another cupcake from the stand, and Roxas had to wonder if his earlier comment was just a cover-up for his own gluttony. "I know she might not change her mind, but... There's a possibility. Don't you want to find out?" He asked, echoing Namine's own words.
Roxas sighed, trying not to let that glimmer of hope get any larger. "I don't know. Let's just worry about your love life for now, okay?"
"Who's love life!?" Selphie suddenly jumped between the two boys. "Hey, who's eating all the cupcakes!?"
Sora immediately stopped chewing and hid his second wrapper behind his back. "I'unno."
Roxas chuckled. Trust Selphie to be the perfect segue from this conversation. He quickly slipped away while Selphie accused Sora of being a pig.
x-x-x
Roxas headed into the living room to find Namine. Although he knew her resolve was coming, he still wanted to make sure she was okay. He found her chatting with Kairi, Axel and Riku in the kitchen.
"Roxie! Join the kitchen club!" Axel called out to his childhood friend. "You get piping hot food on demand!" He grabbed another dim sim from the platter that Selphie's mum was about to take to the guests, and she smiled knowingly.
"Is that why I haven't seen you all night?" Roxas teased, then took a fleeting glance at Namine. She looked happy enough chatting with the others, but she was pretty good at feigning emotion. He supposed it came with her acting skills from dancing.
"Guys! We're cutting the cake soon!" Selphie called out from the sliding door, giggling as she rushed back to the garage. Everyone began to head into the cramped room.
"Ooh, more food!" Axel quickly sauntered off and everyone followed, but Roxas quickly grabbed Namine by the arm and she looked back in confusion.
"Sora told me," he half whispered, being careful not to alert Kairi. "Are you okay?"
Namine gave a weak smile and face him fully. "I think so... I knew it was something I had to do. I think it'll be okay..."
But her voice wavered somewhat and Roxas wasn't convinced. "It's okay to still be sad about it, Nam. Don't forget that."
Namine didn't say anything (hesitation?), she just nodded and smiled up at him again.
Roxas smiled down at her, hoping to placate her a bit. "Alright, let's hurry. Selphie will be shouting for us any-"
"NAMINE! ROXAS! WHERE ARE YOU!?"
"... Any minute now," he finished with a huff, and Namine giggled.
"Let's go before she gets worse," she smiled, and they snaked their way to the front of the group for photos with the birthday girl.