Chapter 6

When Axel opened the door I saw that it led to a long hallway and then the stairs curled in a half-circle to the second floor. On both sides of the hallway there were doors that led into some unknown rooms . The floor was a soft carpet and the walls were red. I thought the house was lovely and well decorated with little things too look at everywhere you turned.

„I'll bee back in a snap Rox, just got to fetch something first", Axel said, closed the door behind him and ran up the stairs.

I stood where I was and tried not too take deep breaths or I would feel a sting in my side. Then I noticed a mirror at the other end of the hall. Maybe I should take a look at the damage Seifer had made on my body?

I walked to it and looked into my own eyes

„The second day here and you've managed to make an enemy already" he said to his reflection.

I lifted my T-shirt and frowned. It looked pretty bad. I had at least 5 bruises all intertwined into one big one and there was a little wound and some blood where my skin had split from Seifer's shoe.

„Shut up!"

I jumped and then gasped as my side screamed. Who had said that and way? I hadn't said anything.

„Axel?",I said and looked around. He wasn't here.

„Who's there", I asked and felt a little spooked.

„What d'ya mean?", Axel asked with a smile and jumped the last few steps and landed with a gentle 'whoop' on the floor.

I turned too him and said awkwardly,"there's someone in the house. He told me to shut up but I want even talking",I said and looked ower my shoulder at the house which seemed to bee empty except for myself and Axel.

„I don't- Oh, right",Axel said and grinned. „I think I forgot to mention that I don't live here alone", he said and gestured too me to follow him. I walked behind Axel to a door that was left half ajar.

„Check it out", Axel said and stepped aside.

„No, I don't want to barge into a room I don't know who owns",I said and knocked instead.

Axel rolled his eyes at me and pushed the door open himself. Inside was a couch up against the wall and a low table in front of it with remote controls on it. And on the wall opposite there was a big flat screen and stereos under it and around it all there were shelves with DVDs and Cd's. But I couldn't see anyone inside.

„Hello?",I asked feeling like an idiot.

„Axel, feed me please!" the voice yelled loud and clear around the room and I cried out and backed into Axel who just laughed and squeezed my shoulders.

„Rox, it's OK. See? There on top of the shelf?", Axel said and pointed.

I looked and saw a huge yellow-red-blue-green-whatever-colored bird staring down at me.

„Ah, Axel, what is that?",I asked and stared back at the bird which just sat there.

„This is a she, not a what, and her name is Marry. She is, as you may have heard, a talking parrot", Axel said and smiled at the bird.

„But it...she...Marry isn't in a cage", I pointed out. „Won't she just fly off?".

„No, we have this silent agreement that if she can fly freely around the house then she won't try to escape",Axel said and lifted his hand and then added,"watch this. Marry, come girls", and then he whistled.

The huge parrot tilted its head and whistled back. Then she unfolded her wings and flew down and sat on Axel's hand.

„Bang, bang, waoo, waoo!", Marry sang and Axel petted her head.

„Wait, you said you didn't live alone in the house earlier. Were you talking about Marry?",I asked and started to smile.

„Well, yeah. And we love each other, don't we Marry?", Axel said to the parrot in a gentle voice.

„Pretty bird, pretty bird.", Marry replied.

I laughed but then gripped my side. It was still hurting.

„Oh, I almost forgot", Axel said and reached into his pocked,"I thought you might want some pills too ease the pain", he handed me something small and round.

„Thanks, Axel", I said and blushed. He was being very nice to me.

„No prob. C'mon, didn't you want to call somebody?",he said and put Marry down on the couch and she nibbled his fingers.

„Yes please", I said.

He lead me out of this room and into the kitchen which was on the other side of the hallway. It was big and bright and had all the newest technology. And there on the wall hang a phone.

„Here", Axel said and handed me a bottle full of water he had gotten from the fridge.

„It's to help you swallow the aspirin", he explained.

I smiled and took a big gulp too get the painkiller down. Then I realised something. I was not the only one who didn't own a cell, Sora didn't either. But I guess I could call the workshop. Except I didn't know the number there.

„Axel, we have a problem. I know where Sora is but I don't know the number",I said sheepishly.

„Umn, where is he?",Axel asked and sat down into one of the chairs

„At some workshop....uh, do you know somebody named Riku?".

„Riku", Axel said thoughtfully, then he snapped his fingers,"I know a Riku, well, I don't know him but a friend of mine, Demyx, knows him well, I just know who Riku is through him", he said.

„Who's Demyx?", I asked without thinking. Ooops.

„Uh, I didn't mean to be rood or anything", I apologised and looked down at my hands.

„No, it's cool. Demyx is in my band",Axel said and stood up to take the phone down from the wall.

„WHAT! Your in a band?", I gasped. I had never ( well, or at least I didn't remember it anyways. Sometimes it's a bummer not to remember your past ) even see anyone who played in a band before. Let alone talked to or gotten a ride with one in his car.

„Is it that hard too believe?", Axel said with a small smile playing over his lips when he saw my face.

„I'm sorry, I just didn't know you were famous", I said and blushed so much I felt like my brain was boiling.

„Famous? Not really, me and the boys have just made two albums and and are working on the third but were not on any high-ranked music-list anywhere else than in and around Twilight Town and somewhere on the southern coast in the USA. But, I guess it pays well", and then he gestured around at the house and through the window where the corvette stood.

I hummed. „That's still pretty famous. D'you think I've been listening to your band without knowing it?", I asked and then added,"Whats its name?".

„Sharp edges. And you might have heard a song or two, but I don't think so, or else you might have recognised my voice", he said and started too dial a number.

„Your the singer?", I said and tried to picture him in my head singing. But I couldn't, maybe I would just have too see it some day.

„I'm the singer", Axel said and nodded. The he put the phone to his ear and waited.

„Cool", I whispered.

„Demyx? Hey man, how's it going?", Axel. He waited a sec and then laughed."Yeah, well, you know how it is. But hey, can you do me a fave? Can you tell me how I can reach your friend, Riku?". He waited again. „Well that is a story I will have too tell you guys when we meet tonight to rehearse". He listened again and then laughed softly."Mhm, yeah, thanks Demyx. Bye". He hung up.

„So, is the rehearsal open for public or?", I said and hoped he'd say yes. It would be awesome to be able to tell Sora that while he was out getting a job, I was making friends with a band.

„You wanna hear us play?", Axel asked and handed me the phone.

„That would be soooo cool", I said and my excitement shone through and made Axel grin.

„Well, then you can...but only you, were not suppose to let anyone hear us play songs that we haven't given out yet.",he said and looked happy about how I was wanting to hear his music.

„But, now, take the phone and push the call button, I've already dialed the right number", he handed me the phone and then walked out of the kitchen. Probably to give my some privacy.

The phone rang three times and then a man answered.

„Hello, Leon here at Leon's workshop, how may I help you?"

„Umn, hi, my name is Roxas, is Sora there?"

„Sora, yeah, wait a minute, I think he went out side", Leon said and then I heard shoes walking over a floor.

„Riku! Sora! It's the phone for Sora!", Leon yelled.

A few seconds later Sora answered. „Roxas?".

„Sora, you are not going to believe what happened to me", I said.

And then I told him everything. How I had taken a walk to the park, fallen asleep and then being attacked by Seifer. When I told him that Axel had saved me, given me a ride home and that he was in a a band named Sharp Edges and I was going to listen to a rehearsal with them tonight, Sora stayed quiet. Then he breathed out.

„You were right", he said with a calm voice.

„...umn, about what", I asked, not following.

„I don't believe you", he said and I heard he was smiling.

„But, Sora, it's cool right? I mean, you'll be alright when I go out ,right?", I knew I didn't have too ask his permission but I still didn't want to be impolite.

„Wait, your serious? FUCK!", he yelled and my ear rang a little.

„What?", I said.

„Who is this Seifer?", Sora asked and I could hear by his tone that he was trying to stay calm but was shaking with anger. „Where-is-he? I-am-going-to-find-him-and-when-I-do", he broke of and snarled.

„Sora, Sora, it's OK, I'm OK, and Axel told me that he would kick his ass for me too so I think you don't have to worry about that", I tried to explain soothingly.

„Oh, yeah? Well, that's not good enough", Sora said.

„But Sora, there is a reason I went home with Axel. I forgot the name of the street we live in."

There was a little pause.

„Really?".

„Really", I replied, glad Sora was calming down. He told me the name of the street. Of course. How could I have forgotten. But then he told me he was being called at and had to leave but we could talk more when he got home and I'd finished going to the bands rehearsal. Then he hung up.

I put the phone where it belonged and walked out of the kitchen.

„Axel! I'm done using the phone!", I yelled.

He came flying down the stairs and nearly crashed into me. Good thing he didn't though.

„Good. Got the name of the street memorized?", he asked and I nodded.

„Well, I don't suppose you have to get home immediately?", he said and smiled at me.

„Well..not really", I said and then I was swept back too the room where I had met Marry earlier, except she wasn't there anymore.

„Sweet, ´cause I want to play you some songs from our first album", he said and pushed me onto the couch.

I watched as he jumped to the shelves and pulled out a CD and put the disk into the huge stereo player.

When the music started I liked it immediately. It was like a mix of Linkin park and Nickelback.

„This is some good stuff", I said amased when we had listened to a few songs. „And your voice is beautiful", I added but then blushed like hell.

„Awww, thanks Rox. Here, you can have a copy of both Sharp Edges and Sharp Edges – higher, which is the second one, just for saying that", he said, drew two albums from the shelf and handed too me with a proud bow.

I was shocked by his generosity. Ha had not only saved me from Seifer, driven my too his house when I didn't know my way back, got the number so that I could contact Sora and but now he was giving me two disks for free with his band's music.

„Thanks Axel...but you've been so nice to me today and I haven't done anything in return",I said and felt bad. I looked down at my lap and sighed.

I felt Axel sit down beside me and touch my hand which lay on the couch.

„You don't have to do anything in return. Those things I did for you were things I wanted to do. Not something you made me do. And I did what I did because, well, I thinks your a good kid and I like you. Maybe, after you've come to the rehearsal tonight, we could do other stuff too, if you'd like. I know that I'd like to be able to call you my friend.", Axel said and then put a finger under my chin and made me look up at him. He was serious.

I smiled again. „Really? You'd want to spend some time with me?", I asked shyly.

„Well, yeah", Axel said, happy I was happy.

„OK, but there's one thing you should know through", I said and stood up.

„What?",he asked and raised his eyebrows.

„I'm not a kid", I said and poked his arm.

He grinned and stood up to,"Of course not!", he said,"your way to smart to be a kid".

I smiled satisfied.

„You're captain bubble head", he said and laughed loudly.

„Hey!", I yelled a little offended but not mad at all. It was kinda funny actually, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

„Oh, you're not?", he asked and made a surprised look,"lets make Marry decide", he said and then whistled.

A few moments later Marry came flying and yelled,"Aloha!", before landing on top of one of the shelves.

„Marry", Axel said and looked at me with a smug look on his face,"say: Roxas is a bubble head", he said and then looked at Marry.

She looked back and Axel repeated his words.

„Roxas!",Marry cried.

I laughed. This was so cool.

„Marry", I said,"say: Axel is a bubble head".

„Axel is a bubble head!",Marry yelled and Axel's jaw dropped to his stomach.

„Hey, you little",Axel pointed at Marry,"you never repeat what others say, never", he said.

„How did you do that?", he asked me.

„Well, I guess Marry just agrees with me, that all", I replied and grinned.

Axel came up to me and said,"is that so?". I was going to say : deal with it.

But he had thrown me onto the sofa so I was laying on my back, then he took my feet and started tickling me. I laughed and laughed. This was the most fun I'd had in ages.