My Life is a Cliché

My Life is a Cliché

I was bored and it was kind of late, so I figured if I wrote something, I could possibly fall asleep. So… this was born.

He was the hero. I get that.

She was the princess. No surprise there.

I am the friend turned villain turned friend again. Confusing… but understandable.

He was supposed to get the glory, get the girl, and get all the friends and loyalty from even people he barely knows. And guess what… he got all that.

He got everything because that's just what happens when you're the hero. Kairi and him was a done deal. It always had been. Sora getting the Keyblade was… an accident. But isn't that how it's supposed to happen?

He was my best friend. He was younger than he was, and inferior in every way, shape, and form. I was stronger, tougher, a better fighter, and even though he denies this in front of me, I am better looking.

We liked the same girl, and even though sometimes it seemed like Kairi liked me better, they would always end up alone and have these precious moments. I was always the most confident, and had every reason to be, because it seemed like my life was ending up to be the biggest cliché in the universe.

Too bad I wasn't born a sidekick.

There are two types of clichés. The one where the hero is the jock, who used to be a jerk, but a girl ends up coming along and changing him into a better person. Skipping all the boring details like how she was unpopular, he was the big shot in school, they meet, secretly have a thing, get into a fight, then he chases after her in the end, kisses her in front of everyone and let's all know that he loves her. Yadda… yadda… ya.

The second type is where the less popular guy, sidekick or just downright loser, meets either really pretty new girl, or the most popular girl in school, and he falls in love with her. The boring details usually vary, depending on which girl he meets, but usually it's somewhere in between. The new girl arrives, and she's really pretty and all the guys want her, so she is instantly popular. The loser boy showed some kindness to her when she was new and unpopular, so she still sees him in the halls and passes by giving him looks blah, blah. Either way, they end up together in the end.

Lucky for Sora, my life took a turn for the second cliché. It was different from the movies, but that's because this is real life.

I was supposed to get the Keyblade, but I screwed it up by choosing the darkness and whatnot. So it went to Sora, the runner up. He scavenged the worlds looking for the girl that he loves, and me, his best friend. He ends up saving both of us. Small, boring details really have no part. Especially that… what some would call… minor detail, of me being completely in love with her as well.

His girl is sent home, and he's off again on a quest to find me because in an act of heroism to redeem myself, I am shut up in the darkness. So, being the hero, he has to go and find me, because if he doesn't, the whole cliché is messed up.

So, he ends up saving the worlds… again… along with me and Kairi and the rest of my friends. He returns Kairi's lucky charm to her, because he loves her and that's the item that kept him going throughout his journey. Plus… he promised.

I loved her more… I know I did. I did everything I did for her. Sora did it because destiny called upon him… Kairi was a slight afterthought. She was my first thought. She always had been.

But that didn't matter. Cliché won in the end… it always did. It's all quite a simple thing. It's predictable and easy. No surprises.

What I don't understand is why I was so shocked when Kairi held that big rock up in my face. I was practically knocked over with surprise.

"You're getting married?" I asked, still unable to close my mouth.

Kairi giggled. "Yep!" she said, bouncing up and down. "Sora proposed last night! He didn't tell you?"

I shook my head, taking her hand back and scanning the diamond. "I… I don't know what to say." I admitted.

She smiled, throwing her arms around my neck. Slowly, I returned the huge, finally shaking my astonishment away. "Riku, I'm just…" she paused. "Happy! I'm so happy!"

Cliché, cliché, cliché.

I nodded, burying my head into her shoulder. Kairi was getting married. She was finally tying the knot with Sora… finally making it completely official.

Sora was grinning that stupid goofy grin when I confronted him about not talking to me first.

"You two are my best friends, Sora!" I frowned. "And you didn't even talk to me about proposing to her?"

Sora shrugged. "I was going to!" He retorted. "Last night just seemed… perfect."

"Tonight could've been perfect!" I argued. "After you told me about it! I looked like an idiot just staring at that stupid ring when Kairi showed me!"

"Riku, you look like an idiot 24/7." Sora smirked. "Anyways, it's too late now, no use in dealing with the past. I have a question for you!"

"No, Sora." I shook my head. "I won't marry you unless you've talked to Kairi first; after all she is our best friend and has a right to know before you ask."

Sora stared at me for a moment. "So… you're gay?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "I was… I mean… I was trying to prove a point!" Sora tilted his head, smiling. "Never mind!" I huffed.

"Okay… anyways…" Sora said, scratching the back of his neck. "Do you want to be my best man?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Have you talked to Kairi?" I asked.

"Of course!" Sora laughed. "She was pushing to try and get you to be her Maid of Honor… and I guess… you'd prefer that role… since your gay and all…"

"Sora!" I exclaimed.

"I'm kidding, Riku." Sora grinned. "But seriously, will you be my best man?"

I grinned. "Of course."

There I was. It was absolutely official. I was the best man, but the big picture showed that Sora was actually the better man than I was. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

So, even though I'm not the hero, and getting all the great things that come with it, my life is still a cliché. It's the hidden story behind the second cliché. Cocky jock turned sidekick, turned best friend to loser boy who is turned hero. I am the cocky jock of the second cliché, and everything that happens to me is the outcome of Sora's cliché life, which means my outcome becomes predictable and easy.

I am the hidden cliché.

Kairi whined a lot about how she wanted her best friend to be her Maid of Honor. Sora argued that his best friend—her best friend—was being his Best Man. It was only fair since I was not gay, and I was a boy. I should be Best Man, not Maid of Honor.

"But who is going to be my Maid of Honor?" she continued to complain. "I would ask Selphie… but she isn't my best friend! And I am not going to settle."

"Kairi, Kairi, Kairi." Sora sighed, shaking his head. "Selphie is your best girlfriend. Riku is a boy. I get the boy, and you get the girl. It's only fair."

Kairi huffed. "Maid of Honor is about a best friend. It doesn't have gender specifications, Sora. It's just usually, girls are better friends with girls and boys are better friends with boys. But I just so happen to be the opposite. I am best friend with a boy." She pointed to me, where I was sitting exasperated in my seat.

Sora rolled his eyes. "It would be weird!"

She narrowed her eyes at her fiancée, then turned to me and smiled, the same way that she smiled when she wanted something and knew how to get it. "Riku?" she asked sweetly, moving to me. She stood over me, looking down at where I was sitting. "Which would you rather be?" she asked, sitting in my lap and twirling a piece of my hair around in her hand. Sora's mouth dropped. "His best man? Or my Maid of Honor?"

Sora was at a loss for words. He stood there gaping at Kairi and me. I was frozen in my chair, looking at Kairi with confusion and shock. She was good. She was really good. Then again, she always knew how to play on my biggest weakness… Her.

"Uh…" I started, but quickly shut my mouth as she adjusted herself on top of me into a more comfortable position.

"Hm?" she asked, raising her eyebrows, still playing with my hair.

"I… already agreed to be… Sora's Best Man…" I said, the words coming slowly.

Kairi nodded with a mischievous smile. "Uh huh, I know. I'm asking if you want to change your mind." She was still toying with my hair, occasionally running her hands down through it, combing it. Her fingertips brushed the side of my neck as she did so. I almost shuddered at the contact.

Finally, Sora came to his senses and marched over, scooping Kairi up off my lap. He dumped her in her chair, and I sat up straighter, shaking my head to clear my mind.

"Kairi, what the hell?" he asked throwing his hands in the air.

She giggled. "I just wanted to know what Riku wanted to do."

Sora huffed. "That was so unfair." He complained. "I can't sit on Riku's lap and expect him to do my bidding."

He moved to me, and plopped down into my lap. Immediately, I shoved him off and into the floor. Sora frowned, rubbing his butt. "See?" he concluded, pointing at me.

Kairi laughed. "Alright fine." She sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "We'll play fair." She turned to me. "Riku… what do you want?"

Was I just being paranoid, or was there a double question in that single one?

I sighed. "I already agreed to be Sora's Best Man." I told her.

"Ha!" Sora grinned triumphantly.

"But," I continued, holding up a finger. "I will be your Maid of Honor too, if that's what you want."

Sora began to sputter incoherent words and Kairi smiled.

"I'm just saying that I'll do both." I interrupted Sora's babbling. "I'm a good multi-tasker."

Sora huffed, crossing his arms and sitting back in his seat. "Fine." He agreed.

"I think that's a great idea!" Kairi exclaimed, running to me and throwing her harms around my neck. "Thank you, Riku!"

I smiled and hugged her back. "After all… it is your wedding day. It's supposed to be the happiest day of your life."

I've been writing this. It's really long… so it's now a three-shot!

Hope you enjoyed part one!

Katie