Blue eyes glared at the flyer that hung over every square inch of the school. It was officially prom season. The theme you may ask? Fairy Tale Masquerade. Roxas huffed at the lame theme. Why couldn't prom ever be something cool? Like Space Ninja on the Moon themed? Maybe he should have voted when the ballot was going around.

But then again, why would it matter? Roxas already worked two jobs to support himself. He didn't have time for something stupid like prom. Plus, he'd have no date. And all his friends apparently managed to either snag one or were already dating within the group, leaving him alone. Yes, prom was something stupid and childish that he could live without.

"Are you sure you can't go?" A hyper brunet said beside Roxas, "It'll be so much fun! It's like the highlight of senor year!" He batted his long lashes at his longtime friend and sent the blond a pleading pout.

Roxas rolled his eyes and smiled at his best friend, "I thought graduation or senor ditch day were the highlight of senor year, Sora?"

"Yeah, yeah. Well those too. But you can't miss prom. Promise?" Sora held out his pinky.

Roxas wound his pinky around the other, "Promise. Now can we get to class before we're late and land another detention?" The two started to walk to class. Roxas couldn't look at his brunet friend knowing that he would have to break his promise. Prom just wasn't his thing.

~X~x~X~x~

"Order up!" A chef yelled as he tossed a couple of plates under the warming lights, waiting for Roxas to snatch them up and bring them to the table. The blond groaned as he finished cleaning some spilt juice and stood up. He grabbed a tray and started to load up the plates.

"Cheeseburger?" He questioned the group of teenagers. School had gotten out an hour ago and as usual the diner was packed with students who had skipped lunch or just wanted to hang out.

"Oh that's me!" A cheery dirty blond with his hair styled like a mullet raised his hand and shook it. Roxas placed the plate down and went through the other orders.

When he finished and was about to leave one of the teens called him back, "We're expecting another friend. Would you mid keeping an eye out for him? Thanks doll." The girl flashed him a smile and waved him off.

Roxas rolled his eyes once his back was turned from the table. He knew those kids. They were seniors too. Hell he even had classes with most of them, but he doubt they knew him.

First there was Demyx. He was hyper and friendly to anyone and everyone. But he was pretty flighty and tended to forget most of the people he came in contact with. Roxas had him as a partner in science sophomore year, but since then dirty blond never spoke a word to him.

Riku was the pretty boy of the group. His muscular body and flawless face made all the girls swoon and boys envy him. He was the quarterback of the football team in the fall and captain of the tennis team in the spring. He made As and Bs in all of his classes. Riku was pretty much the golden boy of the school.

Larxene was the only girl in the group, but people sometimes forgot about that thanks to her tough exterior. She tended to pick on anyone she found annoying or the poor kid who got in her way when she was mad. Roxas was unfortunate enough to have P.E. with her. For whatever reason whenever they played any game involving balls, Larxene always made poor Roxas her target.

Then there was Axel. He was currently missing from the group, and Roxas suspected that he was the friend Larxene was talking about. What was there to say about Axel? Well first he was smart. And not just the standard makes As smart. No, Axel was rumored to be a genius. Top student in all of his classes and it wasn't going to be a surprise when he would be made valedictorian of their senior class. He was either in or had already taken all of the AP classes that their school had to offer and was currently taking some classes at the local community college.

And Roxas was hopelessly in love with him.

But the teen would never notice a nobody like Roxas. The blond wasn't upset by this though. No he had his own life to live, and he knew that his feelings for Axel would fizzle away once he left for college.

The bell above the diner door jingled as a mess of red spikes walked through the door. Roxas felt the butterflies take off in the pits of his stomach as Axel took his seat at the table. The blond had to take a few calming breaths as he intensely watched the teen flip through the menu. Roxas pretended to be busy whipping off the bar when Axel lowered his menu and waved him down.

"Okay Roxas you can do this. No need to panic. Just ask for his order and get out. You do this practically every day." The blond teen quietly mumbled to himself as he approached the table that seemed to be stretching farther and farther away. Once he reached the table Roxas flashed Axel what he hoped to be a charming smile and not an 'I just crapped my pants' cringe, "Hello, may I take your odor-I mean order?" Roxas mentally slapped himself at the slip up.

Larxene cackled and didn't shut up till Riku roughly elbowed her in the ribs. Axel sent Roxas an amused smile before pointing at an item on the menu, "Can I get a grilled cheese and chocolate milkshake?"

Roxas jolted down the order on his notepad and tucked his pencil back behind his ear when he finished, "Sounds good. It should be done shortly." The shorter teen quickly scurried away from the group of friends who were quietly talking and laughing amongst themselves. And Roxas was scared that it was about him.

~X~x~X~x~

"Twenty. Twenty-five. Twenty-seven. Thirty. Fifty?" Roxas frowned at the twenty in his hand. He was currently sitting on the floor in front of his rundown coffee table counting his tips that he made for the day and found a stray twenty dollar bill in his pile. He looked at the already accounted for bills that laid on the table and frowned at the measly one and five bills. He didn't remember the last time someone had left such a large tip. He calculated in his head and figured that going by the standard twenty-percent of the bill tip, he would have to serve someone who' bill was one-hundred dollars. And the small diner he worked in never had a bill that was ever close to that much.

"Well it looks like I can afford to order pizza tonight." Roxas smiled over to his fat cat, Pete. The cat glared at his owner before pulling his large frame off of the couch and walking out of the room, probably to Roxas's bedroom where the blond wouldn't bother him anymore, "Well whatever jerk." Blue eyes looked back down to the large bill and sighed as a sudden sense of loneliness washed over him.

It was times like this that Roxas wished he didn't live alone. But living in this rundown apartment with only his unaffectionate cat was way better than staying in his family home with his stepmother and her bratty son. The blond snorted as he thought of the two. They weren't even his steps anymore. Not after his father died in the line of duty. When the will was read it was revealed that while his stepmother held the deed to the house, Roxas got all of his father's money. But not till he was eighteen and he had to graduate from high school.

After the reading of the will Roxas's stepmother threw a fit. She was the wife. She should be soul heir. Getting the family home wasn't good enough for her. As the months went by the stepmother started getting more and more abusive towards Roxas. Making him ignore his school work or even school all together to clean the home. Would yell at him and call him a useless speck on the Earth or any other harsh thing she could think of. Roxas was a wreck towards the end. Over worked and lack of sleep put him on edge. All the name calling and humiliation put Roxas's self-esteem at an all-time low.

Things were bad for the poor blond. It wasn't until Sora confronted his best friend about his changed behavior. Once things were brought to light and Roxas realized he didn't need that kind of life, he got emancipated, his own apartment, and two job to help support himself.

And now here he was. Alone and living with a stuck up cat that obviously didn't like anyone unless they were offering him food. With not having time between homework and his jobs, Roxas had no social life to speak of. It was a very lonely time for the blond.

~X~x~X~x~

"Come ooooon Roxas! It won't be that bad." Sora pouted as he poked the blond with the eraser part of his pencil. The two were currently sitting in math class doing busy work while their teacher sat at the large desk up front reading a novel.

Roxas grumbled to himself as he erased one of the answers before regarding his hyper active friend, "I have to work that day. I just can't risk my paycheck on a stupid dance. Plus you'll just be off dancing with Kairi. I'll just be stuck being the boring third wheel."

"You won't be a third wheel. More like seventh." The brunet caught what he said and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "Just…oh come on! It's not like being the odd one out bothers you that much. You still hang out with us. Why is going to prom so much different?"

"I don't know Sora. I just don't want to go." Roxas absentmindedly scratched his left cheek and went back to his math problems, "And no, you can't copy my work so you better start. Class is going to end soon."

The brunet just huffed as he slouched in his seat and glared at the paper on his desk, "Will you go if I get you a date?"

"Nope."

"What if it's Axel?"

At that Roxas felt his face catch on fire. His blue eyes narrowed into a glare, "Will you shut up before someone hears you." He hissed, "And no. Not even if it's with him." Roxas's eyes softened as he turned back to his work and started to scribble in the paper's margins, "Besides, he'd never do it anyway."

Sora frowned at his friend's dejected aura and quietly let the subject drop.

~X~x~X~x~

Roxas was currently taking an order from a couple at his second waiting job when he heard the doors open and a loud group of teens walk in and sit in his section. The blond mentally cursed. His section was practically filled. Why couldn't they sit in Kairi's section? The lazy girl was just sitting on her ass waiting for someone to come over. When Roxas finished the order and dropped it off in the kitchen, he filed up the water cups at another table then made his way over to take the new groups order.

"Aren't you the waiter from the other restaurant yesterday?" Riku asked as he set down his menu and gave Roxas a confused look.

"Hey you're that runt that always gets in my way in P.E.!" Larxene practically yelled as she finally took the time to look at the waiter's face, "How's your back doing? It's totally not my fault that you ran in front of me right as I threw the ball." The girl tried to defend herself from an incident that had happened earlier in the day that left Roxas with a bruise on his back.

Roxas gave a nervous laugh and tapped his notepad with his pencil, "Heh, yeah. This is my second job. So what can I get you?"

"I think you mean can you take our odor. Ow! The fuck Axel?" Demyx pouted at his redheaded friend who in turn glared at the dirty blond. Demyx pulled his leg up onto the booth and rubbed the abused shin, "You're a horrible friend."

Axel just shook his head and slouched in his seat, green eyes never leaving Roxas, "Excuse my 'best friend'." The redhead made air quotes around the word, "He can be kind of an idiot sometimes."

Roxas couldn't respond. His breath caught in his throat as those beautiful jade eyes stared at him. Axel was actually acknowledging him, "It…it's fine." The blond finally managed to say around a forced smile, "So, what can I get you?"

The four ordered and Roxas went back to his duties. The group stayed longer than he would have liked. Thankfully though, people kept ignoring Kairi's empty section for his, leaving him no time to go spend unnecessary time with the group. When the time came for the bill three of the friends left, leaving Axel to pay.

"Hey Roxas." The man smiled as Roxas approached the table, "Sorry about Demyx earlier…and for how Larxene treats you in class. I swear they make the rudest couple…" He drifted off into his thoughts for a moment before turning back to Roxas with a large smile, "Anyway, thank you for waiting on us twice. Here." He handed the money for the bill to the blond then pulled another bill out of his wallet, "And this is for you." He slipped the folded bill into Roxas's apron. He stood and gave the smaller teen one last smile and left.

"Oh my god Roxas!" Kairi yelled as she jumped on the stunned blond, "He totally has a thing for you!" The girl hugged the blond from behind and rested her head on his shoulder, "That's a good thing right? Now you can ask him to prom and go live happily ever after!"

Roxas blushed at his friend's words and tried to dislodge himself from her arms, "No he was just apologizing for his friend's being rude to me. He probably doesn't even know my name." He said with a frown.

"Na-uh! I totally heard him say it." Kairi let go of Roxas and stamped her foot down.

Roxas thumbed the name tag that was pinned to his shirt, "Or he just looked at this Kai."

The girl huffed and flipped her bangs out of her face, "Why must you always be a Scrooge? Can't you just live a little?" The wine haired girl gathered her tips off of a nearby table and stashed them in her apron, "Are you off soon too? We need to go shopping for prom." She looked up at Roxas with her large blue eyes, knowing that that tactic always worked on her boyfriend, "Sora and I are going to wear yellow. Maybe you should wear red. It'll match Axel's hair." She winked at the stunned blond.

"Kai-kairi!" Roxas yelled as the girl giggled and left the dining area to the employee area. The teen glared in the direction that his friend had disappeared to and went back to finish up his shift. He only had an hour left and he thanked the gods that his area had calmed down since the after school and work rushed had ended.

An hour passed and Roxas was finally free! He was exiting the restaurant when he felt his arm get tugged, "Holly fuck!" He yelled a he was pulled in the opposite direction of his home

"Well, let' go Roxas. Off to the mall!" Kairi exclaimed, pumping her free fist in the air as she dragged the blond down the street towards the shopping district.

Roxas groaned and threw his head back in annoyance. He just wanted to go home. Why was Kairi so hell bent on torturing him with this? "Dammit Kai, I said I didn't want to." He tried to pull out of the girl's grasp, but she was relentless. He gave up with a dejected sigh and let himself be dragged to the bus stop. He was quite the whole ride, but it didn't seem to bother Kairi as she talked nonstop the whole time.

When the two got to the mall Roxas was dragged into a fancy looking store that had dresses and tuxedos displayed in the windows, "Oh look at these!" Kairi streaked as she pulled a reluctant Roxas towards a rack of expensive looking dresses. She started to search through the clothing and smiled as she pulled out a canary yellow halter dress, "Okay I want to try this on. Why don't you go over there and look for something that'll make your ass pop." She patted the boy on the cheek as she walked away and towards the dressing room.

Roxas was alone and uncomfortable. He wasn't planning on buying anything but he might as well humor his friend. The blond went over to the other side of the store where men's appeal was. He was going through the tuxes, taking note how they all had the same generic look, with a bored expression. That was when he saw red spikes in his peripheral vison.

Roxas gasped in surprise at seeing Axel so soon after their last encounter and by himself. The teen was never alone, he always had at least one of his friends with him. The small blond tried to hide behind a rack of clothing but it was too late, green eyes had already seen him.

"Hi." The redhead slowly approached Roxas, "Aren't you usually my waiter at like every restaurant I hang out at?" He gave the blond a crooked grin as he looked down on the other teen, "Did you get dragged here to buy things for prom too?"

Roxas couldn't find his voice. Axel remembered him? "I'm not buying anything." He managed to mutter out. He didn't think the taller teen heard him but he kept talking, "I have work that night so I can't go."

"Oh."

The two didn't talk for a while, and Roxas wished that Axel would leave so he could breathe normally again. Blue eyes scanned the fitting room, looking for Kairi.

"I guess I'll just have to stop by after and tell you about everything that happened." Axel flashed Roxas a smile that made the blond go weak in the knees.

"Axel!" Someone yelled from the dressing room, grabbing both boy's attention. Larxene came storming their way with a helpless Kairi in her grasp. Both girls wore the same dress and while the blonde looked furious, the smaller teen could barely contain her amused smile, "Tell her that she can't wear the same thing as me."

"You can't wear the same thing as her?" The redhead said with a shrug. It was obvious that he didn't care, "Seriously Larxene why did I have to come? Demyx is better suited for picking out dresses. He's not fashion impaired like me, not to mention he's kind of your date so your outfits shouldn't clash."

Larxene snarled at her friend and released Kairi, "He had work today and you know it. Besides you two are practically the same size so just try on a suit and let me be the judge if it clashes or not." She crossed her arms over her chest, "Now tell Kairi she has to find something else to wear."

"No way! You change! I like this dress and unlike you, I don't give a shit if we have the same thing on. It's your problem so you find something different." Kairi stuck her tongue out.

Roxas rolled his eyes at the childish back and forth. He was getting tired and wanted to go home. Maybe if he was quick enough he could get away before anyone noticed. He managed to get out of the store, but his peace and quiet didn't last for long when his phone started to ring. He groaned when he saw who was flashing on the I.D.

"Hey loser, Mom wants you to come home next weekend. She misses you and wants to make sure you're not doing anything unsavory."

"Vaan, really? I do nothing but go between work and school. Plus I don't give a shit what you mom wants. I'm not her responsibility anymore so she can't tell me what to do. Besides next weekend's prom, you know that." Roxas started to pace around the mall, not paying attention to where he was going.

"Like you're going. Who'd want you for a date? You're a loser and it'll just make your friends feel uncomfortable with you being there ruining the mood."

The blond finally stopped his pacing and sat down on a nearby bench. Vann was right. He was nothing but a loser, "So why does she want to see me for? It's not like I'm her son or anything. Can't you two just let me live in peace?"

"Please we'd like to get rid of you. But you're still a minor and living on your own or not, Mom still feels like you are her child and wants to keep tabs on you since your dad died and what not."

"Well tell her I'm not her kid. I never was and never will be her son. So if you'll excuse me." Roxas hung up the phone and turned it off. He didn't need Vaan calling him back, or him telling his mother and the witch calling him to bitch him out some more, "I need to get out of here." The blond muttered to himself. He stood from his spot and quickly made his way out of the mall.

It wasn't until he walked into his apartment did he get a text from Kairi asking where he was. He ignored his friend in favor of going to his room to take a nap. Any type of interaction with Vaan or even his stepmother exhausted the blond no matter for how long it was.

A large, black, ball of fur took up most of the small twin bed, making Roxas's frown deepen. He kicked off his shoes and tried to crawl into his bed, only for Pete to let out a low, threatening growl.

"Shut up or move. It's been a long day." Roxas groaned as he pushed his furry companion to the far side of his bed so he could comfortably lay down. Pete got up with a huff and left the room, only to start meowing. Probably trying to inform Roxas of his half empty food bowel.

Roxas ignored the cat and nuzzled into his pillow, willing his body to relax and forget the stress of the day.

~X~x~X~x~

"Okay really?" Roxas looked towards Pete who was currently pawing at the TV, trying to catch a carton bird that was flying around the screen, "Another twenty. This can't be a coincidence." The blond put the money on the coffee table to get something to drink.

His phone, which sat on the coffee table, started to vibrate, catching Pete's attention away from the amusing cartoon. Roxas watched in amusement as his cat started to stalk his poor, helpless phone. The blond couldn't contain his laughs as Pete somehow managed to hull his body up on the table and snatch the phone, the coffee table creaking and wobbling under his weight the whole time.

Once the phone stopped vibrating and playing its high pitched tone Pete grew tired of the game and left the living room to find something else to do. Roxas shook his head at his pet's antics and picked up his phone to see a missed call from Kairi. He groaned, "Hey Kai."

"Don't you 'Hey Kai' me mister!" Oh boy she didn't sound happy. Roxas sat on the couch knowing he was in for a long lecture, "How could you just leave me like that? Because of you I didn't have any backup and had to go find a new dress! Fuck Larxene is such a bitch. And Axel did nothing but take her side just to shut her up! I swear to god Roxas you have horrible taste in men."

The blond couldn't help but snort and cover his face in embarrassment at the last comment, "Just earlier today you were saying how I need to go to prom with him."

"Yes, and I still think you two would be the most adorable couple there. But I am not happy with him at the moment. Now apologize for me losing out on my totally cute dress."

"I'm sorry for making you lose your totally cute dress." Roxas said in a monotone voice.

"That's better." Kairi said, ignoring how unapologetic Roxas sounded, "Now if you really want to make it up to me," She paused for dramatic effect, which really was making Roxas cringe in anticipation of his punishment, "I took the liberty and rented you out a tux, don't worry about paying me back for it. Just make sure you get it back to the store on time with no damage done. And I also talked to our boss and got you off for the night. But we both have to pull a double shift the next weekend, so make sure you and Axel don't have a date." She said the last part in a sing-song voice.

Roxas's slowly closing eyes snapped open, "Kairi I can't! I almost can't afford rent this month! I can't just call off like that! Plus who says anything about going on a date with Axel?"

Kairi just giggled and hung up, leaving a flustered Roxas with the annoying dial tone.

Roxas stared at his phone. First in shock and then in anger. He dropped his phone and raised his voice which caused Pete to peak his head back into the living room to see what the commotion was about, "Dammit!"

The blond let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair as his cheeks turned pink, slightly calmer after his little outburst, "Dammit Kairi, it's not like Axel would even notice me there to even ask for a date…"