Saving Axel

Chapter 1: The Jerk

Roxas's POV

When my parents sent me to live with my aunt and uncle six years ago, I thought my life was over. I was losing all my friends and for what? So my parents could live the dream I shattered for them? Sorry I was born guys; maybe dad should have worn a condom! When I moved here it was really hard because I don't make friends easily; I really don't. You have to put in a lot of effort to become my friend and even more if you want me to trust you. I've been hurt by people in the past, and I don't want to be again. I remember my family trying so hard to make me comfortable in their small home since I was used to such a large one. I remember not being alone for the whole first month, not one. My cousin would always bring his friends over and they would be friendly with me. It took me four weeks to get over my parents leaving me behind, one year to get over them not coming back, and four years to become comfortable living in Twilight Town.

"Roxas!" called my cousin Sora, "Get up, we have school today; another day, another dollar!" Sora yelled and thundered down the stairs.

"What dollar?" I mumbled into my pillow. I wasn't a morning person at all, but once you wake me, I'm awake, and I hate that about myself. I shuffled out of bed and sighed as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I looked to my left and put on my glasses. I put my iPod on the iHome and hit the play button. Ah, my favorite song by Three Days Grace.

"Took me down to the river so I could drown, drown, drown," I sang as I walked to the bathroom, "Looking up through the water, I kept sinking down, down, down." I leaned over the sink and removed my glasses and went to wash my face while Adam Gontier sang Goin' Down to me. I loved this song.I finished and dried my face and put my glasses back on to brush my teeth. I hated school; I really did since I was in no hurry to fail the test I had today in math. It's not my fault Mr. Saïx doesn't teach us jack shit! All he does it give us book work and fantasize about Mr. Xemnas the principal… or so I've been told. I think they actually are a thing, but I really don't know; it's just rumors. I should be a little happy I guess; it was a Friday after all. That meant I could lounge around the whole weekend and skip out on whatever plans I promised people this week. Mean, I know, but I really wanted to just sleep this weekend. I have midterms coming up and I needed all the sleep I could get so I could cram.

"Roxas!" my aunt called and knocked on my door as I pulled on my pants. "Hurry up; Riku and Kairi are already here and Sora is about to eat your pop tarts," she said and walked to the stairs that I heard her descend. I threw my night shirt on the floor and pulled on my white T-shirt and black zip up jacket. I looked in the mirror and silently wondered if I should consider getting contacts. I shook my head and walked out of my room and down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Mornin', cuz!" Sora smiled widely to me from the kitchen table. He was my complete opposite in almost all aspects. He had spiky brown hair while I had blond, he had tons of girls on his heels and I didn't. He had tons of friends and made them easily, while my friends were his friends. I can't make friends easily. He always wore bright happy things, and I wore darker depressing things.I really think the only thing we do share is the blue eyes, and I'm being totally serious. Today he was dressed in tight skinny jeans and a white shirt with black music notes all over it.

"Hey, Roxas." Rikusmiled and waved slightly as Sora tackled me with a hug. He had white hair, but by no means did it reflect his age. He was seventeen, like Sora, and dressed in loose, low rise jeans and the cream vest jacket that showed off his muscular arms. You'd be lucky if you could see my hands half the time. He was also the star of several sports teams while Sora was just number two beside Riku in Blitzball. I had about the same hand eye coordination as a rock, so I cheered from the side lines. I know the only reason most people talk to me is because they're trying to get on Riku and Sora's good side.

"Hey, I wanna hug Roxas!" Kairi complained and pushed Sora off me and hugged me. She was so nice to everyone and every guy in school wanted in her pants. Her long red hair and kind blue eyes made her very pretty I guess, but she wasn't my type. She always wore somewhat revealing clothes I guess, but a lot of clothes to me are revealing. Like I said earlier, you'd be lucky to see my hands. She was good at keeping secrets and was a good person to talk to. She was also a cheerleader for several teams and captain for all of them.

"Can I eat whatever Sora left?" I asked as I gently patted her back. "I saw you just yesterday," I told Kairi as we pulled away, "and I saw you this morning!" I pointed to Sora who started to laugh and he sat at the table. Riku rescued what was left of my breakfast from the Hoover Vacuum that was Sora. "Thanks, Riku." I smiled as I ate the half of a pop tart that was left.

"Shit! We need to high tail it!" Kairi said as she hopped out of her seat and dragged Sora out of his. Riku shook his head and got up, and I followed suit. I grabbed my messenger bag from beside the door and followed them outside. Sora and Kairi were talking about what they were going to do this weekend, and Riku walked along side me. I had one ear bud in as I listened to some Thousand Foot Krutch.

"Listening to anything good this morning?" Riku asked and I gave him the other ear. I found I could relate to him the easiest.

"Any requests?" I asked as I produced my iPod. He shook his head as I flipped through the songs for him to see.

"Nothing today~ Roxas!" he called and before I knew it, I was on my back, my glasses gone, and my bag I don't even know where.

"Hey! Watch it!" a blur of red yelled to me. I couldn't see since I didn't have my glasses.

"Stupid kid!" a blur of pink laughed as it was pulled by a blur of yellow.

"Sorry," a tan blur told me and ran off.

"You okay?" I knew it was Sora from the voice, and he handed me my glasses and I put them on, the square frames instantly perfecting my vision.

"Yeah," I muttered as Riku helped me stand up. "Who was that?" I asked and Kairi rolled her eyes.

"A jerk, that's who," she mumbled and we began to walk toward the school. The sad part was that Sora was in 'protective cousin' mode, and it always bothered me. I can look after myself; however, I didn't use violence to do it. I smiled slightly when we got into the building, and Sora dropped me off by my homeroom. Oh, and another thing different about us: his last name was Leonhart and mine was Strife. At least I had a few friends in homeroom with me, not just Kairi, Riku, or Sora. I walked in and found my seat beside Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"Morning, Roxas!" Olette waved. She had brunette crimpy hair and happy green eyes. She was like a mother in our little group with her constant worrying and chastising when we are reckless. Then we have Pence, or like what Hayner and I call him: Olette's loyal dog. He had raven hair and wore a basket ball jersey everyday. Everyone in our group knows Pence has it bad for Olette, but he does nothing. Then there's Hayner: the blond haired, brown eyed attitude problem. He had some weird obsession with camouflage and wore it every day.

"You look terrible," Hayner stated with an even face and Olette glared and since she did, Pence did as well.

"Why thank you, Hayner," I replied sarcastically as I sat beside him. "I got plowed over this morning by some kid," I informed them and Olette rushed to my side to check for injuries, but I waved her off.

"Who was he?" Pence inquired, and I shook my head.

"Don't know," I sighed and crossed my arms and placed them on the table and put my head on top. "The force of that guy hitting me knocked off my glasses so all I got was a voice," I mumbled to the table, but I know they could hear me.

"Did you see that kid?" questioned a boy near the front of the room, but I caught the voice and it was familiar. "It was funny when he just fell over, Ax. Priceless!" he laughed. I located the voice and saw who was talking. Apparently the pink blob was Marluxia: the guy from art class. The only reason I know his name is because he flirted with Naminé in front of me, and a minute later he was flirting with me in front of her. The red head, I didn't know.

"That's the kid," I said, and Hayner and the others leaned to look where I was looking. "The red head ran into me, and Marluxia made fun of me. That means Larxene was the yellow blob, but who was the tan one?" I asked myself.

"That's Axel Lea," Hayner breathed and Olette looked down.

"He's a bad kid; he's really mean and self centered. His friends are no better, besides Demyx. He's a nice guy." She smiled at the mention of this Demyx guy. "He helps me with work in Study Hall when I have too much~ that's him!" She smiled and gestured to the kid who just walked in carrying something in his hands and gave it to Axel. He had a mullet/mohawk going on and seemed like a nice guy.

"Larxene is okay… if you're on her good side," Pence explained. "Just catch her at the right time and she's cool." He smiled. I noticed Axel and his gang walking back here. I looked down while the others looked away from me and talked amongst themselves.

"Hey, hot stuff,"purred a voice beside my ear and I jumped in shock, and the same voice laughed. "Here; you dropped this earlier, short stack."Axel smirked as he held out my math binder, and I took it quickly.

"Wouldn't have dropped it if you watched where you were walking," I growled and put it in my bag.

"Sorry, but I never got to mess with you before, kid."He laughed and turned to leave.

"I think all the papers are still in there," said the boy named Demyx. "If you're missing anything, let me know, okay?" He smiled and walked off after his friends.

"Oh, you just dropped your binder?" Pence asked. "I thought they would have a problem or something," he sighed, relieved.

"He's still a jerk," I mumbled. Hayner nodded, and Olette sighed while Pence put a hand on her shoulder for support.

"Yeah, a total asshole," Hayner agreed, and I laughed.

"I think 'douchebag' fits his personality better," I countered, and we both were cracking up. It was only 8:13, and my day had already been interrupted twice by that jerk. Looking back on it, I never would have thought about how important Axel would become in my life.