The New Me

Chapter 5


Once again, they gathered around their self proclaimed leader for another round of: ‘Here’s-how-we’re-getting-off-this-rock’. The three watched with wide eyes and blank faces, more so out of sheer boredom then amazement.

“OK now…” Riku continued to draw out plans in the sand, “I figure if we work nonstop, Wakka, Tidus, and me on the raft, and you girls on the supplies, we can spend our whole summer out on the sea…”

At this point Selphie rolled her eyes and made a spinning motion at her forehead. Wakka shook his head in agreement, but their mocking went unnoticed by the boy crouched over in the sand.

“Riku…” the third member leaned over, “do you really think we have time for this? I mean, we have finals this week…”

“Besides, you’ve been coming up with plans to leave the Islands for years, and not one of them has actually worked.” Riku stopped drawing in the sand and looked up at Selphie.

“Maybe…they’d work, if we didn’t have freeloaders in the group.”

“I am not a freeloader!”

“Yes you are.” Riku stood up straight now and ran out from the little circle and grabbed a vine off the rock face. He took it and began using it like a jump rope. “WOO! LOOK AT ME I’M SELPHIE!! I SKIP! I PLAY! I FALL ON MY ASS SOMETIMES BUT I NEVER DO WORK!!” and with that he took a fake dive forward into the water. Selphie expressed her anger in one loud scream before storming off.

“Oh, she’s definitely going to help now, ya?” Wakka turned to Kairi who shook her head in disappointment.

“He’s just…well, you know how he is. An adventurer at heart.”

“Apparently he’s a jerk at heart too…” Wakka muttered. Kairi was going to say something, but her words were cut off by Tidus as he came running through the stair hut.

“BOAT!” Riku looked up now from where he was still flailing about in the water pretending he was Selphie. “Really! A Boat!” Tidus stopped on the beach in front of Riku. “It looks like a cruise ship.”

“Oh…” he lay back down in the muddy sand, “Then its just tourist, more old people for melanoma to take down. Woo…”

“That’s a terrible thing to say!” Kairi had come over to hear him speak of the untimely deaths of the elderly, so she kicked sand in his face.

“Well….they’re just gonna die any way…”

“Riku, stop talking like that! What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me, how about what’s wrong with you Kairi?” He stood up now brushing the wet sand off his clothes. “For a best friend, you’re not very supportive of my dreams.”

She huffed a little disgusted that Riku’s childish behavior resulted in such a lame ploy. They all watched him stalk off to the other side of the island. No doubt he’d get a look at the boat from the look out tower they’d built on the other side. He was predictable, after all, for as long as Kairi had known Riku, all he could ever bring himself to hope for was a one way ticket off their islands.

Once on the other side, Riku jumped down from the rise and landed with a splash in the water, he walked over sulking to the little look out area on the opposite bit of beach. He glanced over once or twice to get a look at the huge boat full of people coming to the island from the main land for the summer. Their summer vacation wouldn’t start for another week, but that didn’t stop Riku from making his plans. He was famous for them around Caspa. He and his friends.

They hung out on this island, Destiny Island, most of the time. Too small for developments and tourist, it was the perfect little playground for a bunch of kids. And on occasion, if he had a girlfriend for the summer, offered some of the best make-out spots amongst the island chain. A bright vibrant sun all year long, fresh breeze, cool air, the ocean, this place was a paradise; however it made him sick to his stomach to be here.

Once at the top of the look out tower, Riku picked up a little handheld telescope that they kept there. He opened it up and got a look at the boat, and let out a sigh when he read the commercial industry name on the bough.

‘Yep, more tourist.’ He put the telescope down and started to climb down, ‘Why do I even bother?’

“Any luck!!” Kairi’s cheery voice called out as he was half way down.

“No.” he let go and let himself drop the remaining two feet. “Just a cruise of old people, like I thought.”

“Well, cheer up! You’ll get your adventure someday!” She threw her fist in the air in a rallying motion. “If it won’t come to you, then we’ll go to it!”

“Oh, so now you support me?” he rose and eyebrow and tilted his head.

“I’ve always supported you. I just think we should wait. You know, how about the summer we finish High School, then we don’t have to come back before summer’s over.”

“Heh, that’s a great idea, except you’re a grade behind me…What will I do with the year off?”

“Help me in school?”

Riku threw his head back and laughed. “No way. Once I’m done, I’m done.” He started to walk back.

“Still, I would really go with you, even if the other’s wouldn’t.”

“You sure?”

“Yea, as a matter of fact,” she stopped walking, “I swear by this.”

Riku turned around and in front of him, on Kairi’s out stretched hand was a yellow, star shaped fruit. He stared at her for a moment before laughing. “You’re crazy. You don’t want to give me that, you don’t know where I’ve been.”

“So…we’re best friends. We should be together forever.”

“Yea…but...” he stared at her and shook his head, “You never wanted to before.” Riku scratched his head, but never took his eyes off Kairi. Finally he decided. “Give me your keychain instead.”

“What?”

“Your star shaped keychain. That way…That way you can stay on the island.”

“Riku…” she lowered her hand finally.

“Please, you want to stay and I want to go. I won’t drag you away from this place. But I’ll take a little bit of you with me…Here!” He took off his black bangle and gave it to Kairi. “There, now you have some of me too.”

She took it, reluctantly, and handed over her keychain. Riku smiled and turned around and headed back to the main beach. Kairi on the other hand stood with the little paopu fruit still in her hand.

‘It’s all right. Summer’s just started…there will be other chances. Can’t avoid it forever, we were made for each other, after all.’

Chapter 6


With the sun setting, Riku and his friends made their way home. Kairi, Tidus, and he rode their bikes, Selphie skated along, and Wakka came up behind them on a skateboard. It was a Saturday afternoon, so they were busy chatting up plans on what to do for tomorrow.

“We could go to the movies.” Selphie suggested.

“I’m out of money, I can’t buy a ticket to the movie or for the ferry to get there…” Wakka shook his head pitifully.

“My mom wants me to study, and I’m sure Riku’s does too.” Kairi nodded her head in his direction.

“Pffft. Studying is highly overrated.”

“Well then, lets all do it together,” Tidus suggested, “That should bring it back to par right?”

“Yea, let’s do that! How about we meet at my house?” Kairi began to come up with suggestions of what snakes everyone should bring when Riku suddenly stopped. “What’s wrong?” Riku shook his head and pointed.

Up the street from the group was Riku’s house, and next to it, the vacant house that had been for sale for more then a year now. Only, it wasn’t vacant. The ‘For Sale’ sign was gone and in its place stood a new mail box someone had just put out. There was a large ‘U-Haul It’ van in the driveway, though it looked as if the movers were getting ready to leave. They were talking to a woman with long brown hair, dressed in a grey women’s suit. She appeared to be signing a check and seeing them off.

The group remained in their spot, three houses down from Riku’s as they watched the truck drive away and the woman walk up the steps of the house’s porch. She paused for a moment at the door and began having a conversation with someone on the other side of the screen. They couldn’t hear what was being said, but the lady pointed to her watch a few times and banged on the door with the pal of her hand. The door then opened slightly, and she leaned in. Here head was only inside for a moment, then she pulled back out walked down the porch and into the garage of the house.

Soon a car pulled out and the front door shut. As soon as the car was out of sight, Riku jumped off his bike and ran for the newly sold house. His friends called after him, but he didn’t care.

‘Front doors don’t close on their own! Front doors don’t close on their own! And unless she married an extremely short guy, she’s got a kid! A new Kid! NEXT TO MY HOUSE!”

He jumped up the porch steps and banged on the door.

Sora had only gotten to the base of his new stair case when he heard the bang at his front door. He cursed a little under his breath, but then correction himself, remembering Leon had told him not too. His mom had just left, with the clear instructions that he was to unpack as much of his stuff as he could on his own, and to stay put in the house. But more importantly he was not to let anyone in, and even greater still, he was to change out of that ‘ridiculous outfit’ Leon had given him.

He shook his head, they had been arguing about it since they got there. For the whole week long boat ride, Sora had been trying to figure out what to do with all his ‘other’ clothes. He couldn’t get rid of them, they had all come from his friends. But he hadn’t worn a single item of them since before his going away party. He had finally resolved to at least wear Leon’s out fit once, just once. So why not today? No one was going to see him. Just his mother and the movers, and some people at the docks.

None the less, his mother ranted and raved, and carried on drawing more attention to his appearance than he was. He probably could have gone through the entire docks without and one noticing he was a boy. He had taken the time to get his hair under control and pin it down with a red head band. He did his face, not to the point that Aerith would, but just enough, he even shaved, just so he could go the whole day without anyone really noticing…But that didn’t stop her, oh no.

About half way through her interrogation of random strangers, and what they thought of him, he finally decided she was acting this way solely because, it was Leon that had given him this dress. Now she wouldn’t even go check in at her new work she was so bent out of shape! She really did want to completely remove Leon from Sora’s life?.

‘Well I’ll show her. It’s my life. I was just gonna do it today, just today, then let it go. But if you’re so determined to ruin this for me…’ He stalked over to the door, ready to let his mother have it, he undid the latch and turned the lock. He pulled back on the door and let it swing wide open…

Riku was surprised the door opened so soon, and he was overjoyed to see the girl in the white and red dress behind the screen. He was not quite sure how to react at being on the receiving end of a slur of curses.

“I can’t fucking believe you won’t let it go! You’re such a damn busybody! He’s my fucking friend! Their my fucking clothes, and I’ll do what ever I fucking please with-” Sora bit his tongue, “You’re not my mother.”

“Um…yea. That’s how, you great your mom?” Riku smiled hoping a joke would smooth things over for a proper introduction, instead he got the door slammed in face.

“Well she seems nice,” Riku turned around to find Kairi behind him on the steps and the others just behind her.

Riku just shrugged and knocked again, a loud “Go away!” was the only answer this time.

“I can’t really do that you see!” He shouted through the door. “I’m your new neighbor!”

‘Well….damn.’ Sora thought, ‘So much for no one seeing me…’ he sighed and repeated his earlier statement.

“Why do you want me to go?” Riku called back.

“I’m not supposed to open the door…not today anyway.”

“Why are you grounded?” Kairi called out.

‘Crap a girl too! Well this is dandy…I can’t believe I just proved my mother right about making a fool of myself.’

“Well?”

“Kairi, do you mind. I was talking to her first.”

‘HER! HER! Oh come on now…I know the screens mesh is thick, but really?’

“Well sor-ry! I’ll just leave you to be alone with your new girlfriend then.” Sora listened to footsteps as they left the porch.

“Oh come on. Kairi, I was just saying…” but she was already getting on her bike and taking off toward home. Riku felt the urge to make a PMS joke, but fought it down since there was already a very angry girl on the other side of the door, or so he thought. “Hey, you guy’s want to go catch her for me?”

“Sure.” Tidus, Selphie and Wakka turned around and took off after their other friend leavening just Riku and the kid on the other side of the door.

“Ok then, it’s just you and me. Feel like opening up now?” There was no response, fearing the girl had fled deeper into the house Riku banged on the door again, this time he got a response

“Stop that! I’m right here.”

“Oh…well. Want to open up.”

“Sorry, I can’t. No strangers and all that jazz…”

“Oh.” He pondered the situation for a moment. “Well, what’s your name?” He stood there and when he didn’t receive an answer for five minutes he banged on the door again.

“SORA!” He finally got his response.

“Great. I’m Riku. Nice to meet you.” There was ‘humph’ from the other side. “Well, now that we’re not strangers…care to open up.”

“No.” This time Sora really did walk away from the door.

He wasn’t sure what Riku said next, but he was sure he had said something, because five minutes later he began banging on the door again. It kept for an hour straight. He bang for a while, then stop, and start again. Finally he left.

‘Persistent,’ Sora thought to himself. ‘I can’t believe he thinks I’m a girl…but maybe I can use this to my advantage. Riku, I thin you just provided me with a way home.’