Sorry that this took a while and also that it's not that long ^^; (Not that any of my chapters are long anyway OTL) But here it is, Chapter Eight! Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Square Enix and I do not claim them as my own~

Chapter 8 – One day down

"Do you have a daddy too?"

"Yes but he's not as nice," Riku began to build the sand again, Sora deciding to help out. "He doesn't like me playing with other kids."

"So you don't have any friends?" Sora pouted. Riku shook his head, looking down at his knees. "I'll be your friend, Riku!" The brunette flailed, a wide grin appearing on his face. Riku looked up at him happily.

"Okay, Sora!"

Sora stood and grabbed the other boy's hand. "Let's go exploring!"

"I think this is the end." Sora whispered back to all the others. A vent with slits that showed the light of the hallway was staring him in the face.

"Kick it open!" Hayner said to the leader, wanting to get out of the tiny area as quick as possible.

Sora found a way to turn around, not having much space to do so easily. He began to kick the vent as hard as he could, but left only a couple dents.

Roxas began to get frustrated. "Let me do it." He said. The two boys maneuvered past each other, switching places. Roxas gave the vent about two kicks until it flew off. He tilted his head back at the brunette. "See, that wasn't so…"Roxas felt someone grabbed his ankle, and screamed as he was pulled out of the vent. "UHWAA!"

"Abort! Abort!" Axel whispered loudly to everyone, all of them beginning to back up a bit.

Roxas hung upside down, looking up at the culprit who was staring down at him through black rimmed glasses. "Cloud?" Roxas flailed, being all sorts of uncomfortable.

Cloud kicked the inside of the top of the vent. "You guys can all come out now." He said, still holding onto Roxas.

The group quickly scrambled out of the vent, dusting themselves off. Cloud let go of Roxas, having him fall to the floor onto his back. He quickly sat up, rubbing his hurt back. "You didn't have to drop me."

"What are you kids up to?" Cloud crossed his arms. Cloud was a relative to Roxas, his older cousin in fact.

"We had gotten sent to the office," Sora explained. "So we ran before we would be noticed."

"What period is it right now?" Olette looked up at Cloud.

"Seventh." Cloud answered.

"So we missed sixth period," Kairi felt distress, missing a class was completely out of her intention. "We were really in there for that long?"The group had been in the vents for about an hour, having to turn around from large spider webs or dead ends. Even Hayner almost had a panic attack of thinking they'd never find an exit.

Olette put her hand on Kairi's shoulder as if to show comfort in an 'everything will be okay' way.

Roxas looked at his watch, "We're already fifteen minutes into seventh."

"Olette," Hayner said, hands in his pockets. "We should get going to painting class."

"Right." Olette nodded and jogged over beside Hayner. They waved goodbye as they turned and walked away.

Axel put his hand on top of Roxas' head, his blonde locks peeking through the cracks in between each finger. The boy slightly cringed as Axel kissed his forehead. "I have to go to Spanish," He smiled. "So I'll see you later, Roxy!" He casually jogged off.

"Is that your boy-"

"NO!" Roxas, with cheeks as red as McIntosh apples, quickly responded to Cloud's question, already knowing what the question was. He grabbed Sora by the wrist. "Let's go, we have English."

Kairi went up and grabbed Sora's other hand. She peered over at Roxas on the other side. "I have English too!" She bubbled.

The trio split with Cloud, who went his own way to wherever he was going, and went to English to meet their new teacher Mr. Galenth Dysley. They were scolded by the teacher, embarrassingly, in front of the class who just laughed and snickered at the situation. After seventh period Sora went alone to his last class, Science. Walking through the hallway, he looked to the side of the floor, trying to hide his face from a certain snow haired boy and his friends.

The bell rang. 'Finally.' Sora stood up from the lab desk he was sitting at on his own. Having no one to talk to was definitely depressing to the boy, who has been showered all day with his friends.

"Make sure you children bring the materials I have specified for you by Monday." Mr. Vexen Evens stated, his voice sounding somewhat sinister.

Sora made his way out the classroom, fishing through tons of his peers in the condensed hallway. After stopping at his locker he stepped outside, the hot air swarming in on him like a ton of angry bees. He was quite used to this type of island weather though.

He leaned up against one of the palm trees, its leaves granting him some shade. "Kairi, Axel!" He yelled, waving over to the two red heads. He saw their faces light up and they came over to him.

"Have you guys seen Pence since we left him?" Sora asked. The two shook their heads.

"I hope he's okay though…" Kairi frowned, thinking of all the possibilities of what could've happened to poor too-big-to-fit-in-an-air-vent Pence.

"He probably is." Sora smiled, trying to optimistic. Though he was unsure himself.

"I have seen the other three either," Axel began to count their names on his fingers. "Larxene, Demyx, and…Zexion."

"Well, I guess we'll find out what happened to them another day." Sora sighed.

"Hey guys," Olette came in, joining the three. "So, did you guys have fun today?"

"More like embarrassed the crap out of," Sora frowned, hunching his back over with another sigh. Olette put a head on his shoulder. "Sorry, Olette."

"You guys should be much more daring than you were today." Axel grinned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Huh?" The auburn haired girl snapped. "Excuse you, but I missed a class today. That's way too daring for me!" She laughed.

Axel was about to retort, but felt someone cover his eyes. "Guess who." The voice behind him was monotone.

"My honey bunny!~" Axel rang, turning around and grabbing the tiny boy by the waist, anchoring him up off his feet.

"Errh," Roxas mas made the buzzing noise as if Axel plugged in the wrong answer. "Wrong."

Axel put Roxas down. "Sora, are you coming with me to town?" The blonde asked as he began to readjust his newly wrinkled shirt.

"Mhm!" Sora nodded.

"How come I never get to come?" Axel frowned irritably. Roxas had answered the fire-head but Sora tuned out when he saw Hayner and Pence coming their way.

"Hayner, Pence!" Olette waved over to them, happy to see Pence alive.

"How was the disciplinary?" Kairi asked.

"Well, after waiting in there for a while he had me come in his office," Pence explained. "And then he gave me a week of detention after explaining to him how I made you guys come up to the rooftop with me."

"Sorry you had to lie for us." Sora pouted.

Pence waved his hands in front of him. "Nah, it's alright!"

Sora turned to look at Roxas whom had grabbed him by the wrist. "Let's go, Sora." Roxas smiled.

"Bye!" Their voices echoed each other as the departed the group whom waved goodbye to them as well.

"If you weren't here Axel I could swear that those two would've had something with each other." Hayner crossed his arms, watching the two boys disappear in the distance. Axel frowned.

Kairi giggled. "I'm sure their relationship is just brotherly, Hayner."

"Yeah," Olette concluded. "We all just met last year, right? It's still really hard to figure out Roxas's actions." She put a hand on Axel's shoulder. "Are you worried, Axel?"

"Not at all."

"Well, one day down and a ton more to go!" Pence cheered.

"Is that supposed to make us relieved?" Hayner sighed.