Chapter 1–

It's been a month already. A month since Roxas had moved to Lokeheart. His parents had shipped him off a couple of weeks before the new school year started in the fall. He was assigned to live with his uncle for the time being; until he was eighteen, two years from now. Apparently, to his parents and teachers, his old school was too easy for him. It wasn't a big enough challenge for his IQ.

He had a fair number of friends at his old school. He wasn't popular or anything, but he was known by quite a few students. Teachers adored him. He never got in to trouble; never had any enemies. He got straight A's in all his classes. No missing assignments or projects, no detentions; no tardy slips. He was the angel of the school.

His old town, Symphonia, was small. It was the kind of town where everyone knew each other. Your neighbors were like your long lost cousins. Everything was always so peaceful there. The sun was always shinning, filling the streets and alleys with its rays. Roxas was the only one in the town that didn't quite believe it was all fine and dandy. To him, Symphonia was the kind of town where serial killers hid out. Since the town was small, it wasn't like the state police would be traveling through it in search for criminals. It was the town that was never on the map.

Lokeheart was different than Symphonia. Sirens were always going off. Lights from police cars seemed to be routine to people. They always just dismissed it and kept on with their lives. Instead of the sun brightening up everything there always seemed to be a shadow on each street. People always had a frown or scowl on their face as they passed you, so you didn't dare even try and make a friendly conversation with them.

The house Roxas lived in was fairly small. It suited a sixteen year old. Not so small that you couldn't have more than ten items in it, and not so big that you always felt lonely. Even though the boy didn't have any friends to invite over, he was happy with his 'new life', as he called it.

Even now as he quickly pulled on his freshly cleaned school uniform. It was the first day of school for him and there was no time to waste. He had planned to walk to school every morning; the bus always scared him since the day he had gotten separated from his mom on a city bus. His mind was racing with things to accomplish before he started his journey to the new school. He had pulled all the things he needed for school together and placed them in his backpack the night before. He had already showered and popped in a few pieces of toast for breakfast. Everything seemed to be under control.

His slick, nimble fingers ran through his damp, dirty blonde hair that slumped when wet. He peered at himself in the mirror. Wiping off a drop of water from his right cheek, he tried to tie the tie that was slung around his neck like an unwrapped scarf. His father never showed him how to put on a tie correctly. He just figured his uncle would help him.

After giving a deep sigh, Roxas gave up with the blue tie and let it fall back on to his chest, untied. He smoothed out his white shirt. The shirt really contrasted nicely with his navy blue pants, which cut right below his ankles.

He smiled at his reflection in the mirror and made his way back to the kitchen where he heard his breakfast pop up from the toaster. The smell of the crisp toast filled Roxas's senses. His mouth watered on instinct, awaiting for the food to enter his mouth.

He pulled out the two brown pieces of toast from the metal contraption and tossed them on to the counter, afraid to burn his fingers. The steam slowly settled and Roxas was able to pick it up. He tossed it in to his mouth and quickly chewed it down.

The clock ticked in the empty house. Roxas quickly looked at it and quickened his pace. "It's already seven and I haven't even gotten out of the house yet." Roxas mumbled to himself as he swallowed the last of his breakfast and threw his backpack over his shoulder. "It's going to be a tough day."

Roxas sighed once more and opened the front door. The chilly morning air collided with his skin and sent shivers down his back. He tried to forget about the temperature and stepped outside on to the cement porch in front of the house. He closed the door behind him and locked it with the key attached to the waist of his pants.

The keys settled back down in the front pocket of Roxas's navy blue pants. He turned, but paused. He patted his chest, then his front pockets, then the back. He frowned for a minute, sensing he forgot something. He patted the back of his pants once again. "I must be forgetting something. Something important." His frown deepened.

He finally shrugged, giving up on the idea and stepped on to the driveway. The driveway was empty of course. He wasn't old enough for a car, so his parents said. Roxas could never understand it. How were you not old enough for a car when you were allowed to drive one?

Roxas grumbled to himself about the chilly wind as he walked down the sidewalk towards the expensive school his parents had signed him up for. He jammed his hands in to the front two pockets. He assumed the long pants would make up for the short sleeve shirt he was forced to wear. But, of course, goosebumps were already located all along his arms.

The school was four blocks from his house. It couldn't be so bad walking to school every morning; it seemed better then riding the bus. The sun could be seen on the horizon line. It seemed duller then the sun he used to see in Symphonia. It looked a lot less dull.

His feet dragged on down the sidewalk. He looked at the houses on his street. They seemed…nice? The yards weren't kept very nicely. The grass looked like it was only mowed once in the last month. Weeds were growing in the poor, wilting flowers. Even the trees seemed to be wilted. Lack of water, maybe?

Roxas looked up at the sky, in search of some source of water coming to help out the dying plants. It was blue like it was supposed to be, with not a cloud in sight.

The streets were dark. The light poles didn't even seem to help. It just seemed dead, abandoned. It was a wonder how anyone lived there. The houses were dark inside and out. Nothing moved. No source of life.

The boy's journey finally came to a close when he peered up at the double doors of the school. It was huge! The doors were a good three feet taller than him. He pushed through the doors to find himself in a hallway in front of the office. There were a few lingering students in the hall walking to their first class, they, too, in their school uniforms.

Roxas pulled out a paper from one of the front pockets of his pants. He unfolded it and scanned over it. "Lets see… My first period is… English." He looked up from the paper to one of the students walking toward him. "Excuse me sir. Do you know where English would be?" Roxas looked at the boy with pleading eyes.

The boy in turn shook his head 'no'. He looked away from Roxas and continued his way to his destination. Roxas frowned. 'How can you not know? It isn't that a big of a trouble, is it? It's down the third hallway to the right. That's not hard.'

Roxas sighed. "Can anyone help me?" He said out loud. Some students passing him ducked their heads lower to the ground and picked up their pace.

"Hey there, cutie." A voice came from behind Roxas. The blonde whipped around to punch whoever said the comment, but quickly paused when he noticed the boy behind him. "You look like a lost angel." The male leaned lower towards Roxas, his breath beating on the blue eyed's ear. "Maybe I should help you out."

Roxas gulped. In school and already going to get molested. What a wonderful way to start the day out, or, for that matter, the year. "I-I-I-." Roxas stuttered. 'I don't know who the hell this person is but he is way too close to me.'

"Axel stop it! Leave the poor boy alone!" Another voice sounded from the molester next to Roxas. Unlike the other male, his voice was more high pitched.

The male pulled back. Wow, was he something else. He had red, spiky hair that stuck out everywhere. Green emerald eyes with… two green, upside down triangles tattooed under each eye? He had the dumbest grin on his face. One that said 'Hey! Look over there! It's a balloon!' He was tall, at least a foot taller the Roxas. And he smelled like fire for some reason. 'Wait! How am I able to smell him!?'

Roxas snapped out of his gaze to see the male's chest. Apparently when the red head pulled back he grabbed on to Roxas's still untied tie and pulled him in to his muscular chest. Roxas tried to push away but it resulted in getting pains n the back of his neck.

"Axel let the kid go!" That high pitched voice said again. Suddenly Roxas's tie was let go and the boy stepped back. "I do hope you are OK. Axel is such an ass sometimes."

"Y-yeah I'm fine." Roxas rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you think you could help me? See, I'm new," Roxas was cut off by the brunette haired boy.

"I heard there was a boy who just moved here! I'm Sora!" Sora pointed to his chest with his thumb. "And that's Axel." He motioned over to the read head.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Roxas." Roxas smiled at them. 'Yay some new friends!'

Sora looked down at the tie slung around Roxas's aching neck. "Need some help with that?" He asked pointing to the askew clothing.

Roxas blushed out of embarrassment but nodded. Sora stepped towards him and grabbed each end of the tie. Within seconds the tie was neatly resting against Roxas's chest, knotted and pulled tight.

"Wow thanks!" Roxas gazed down at the perfectly knotted tie.

"I've had lots of practice with this big lug." Sora laughed and pointed at Axel. His tie was slung around his neck like Roxas's had. Sora stepped forward, extending his arms towards the male.

"No! Get away from me!" Axel yelled as he ran behind Roxas, grabbing on to the back of Roxas's shirt. Roxas blushed as a response. Sora laughed at the two. Roxas blushing and Axel grinning with that dumb smile.

"Axel. Y-your hands are a little too far down." Roxas blushed.

Axel grinned deeper. "Oh sorry." He lied. His hands slithered their way under Roxas's shirt and up to the top of his back, right below his shoulder blades.

Roxas yelped in surprise. He fell forwards, away from Axel. He caught himself before he fell and quickly hid behind Sora. "Aww come on Roxy. It was just a little touch!" Axel stepped forward.

"Axel just stop. The boy isn't here for your rapings. Where are you off to, Roxas?" Sora looked sideways at the boy.

"Uhh… English." Roxas almost forgotten where he was going.

"Oh! That's our first class, too! Come on, we'll escort you." Sora took another look at the grinning Axel. "Or I'll escort you."