June 28

When I was younger, I didn't believe in summer boredom. However, now that I'm older and spending my summer vacation all by myself (well, not all my myself. I still have my cat to keep me company, but I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse), summer boredom has become very real to me. I'm so bored that I'm practically rolling around on the ground due to a lack of something to do. I've already fed my cat, read a book, colored, and tried to contact my best friend. Her name is Avalon, and she resides across the yard from my house. However, since it was still around 10:00, I figured she'd probably be asleep/dead to the world. I sighed and decided that I could probably find the book I was reading earlier and finish it. After searching around my house for awhile, I realized that I left it outside when I was reading earlier. I walked outside to my front yard (where I believe I left it) and find an unusual sight. There seems to be a strange, shady looking person sitting on my front lawn, leaning against a tree, reading my book and petting my cat (who I apparently also left outside). I know, I'm a space case.

"Holy crap!" I think. "Who is this weirdo?"

The weirdo in question appears to have blue-ish/gray-ish/silver-ish hair styled in an emo fashion and wears a weird black cloak thingy. Hmm. Is this some sort of strange cosplay? And how the heck am I supposed to get Emo Boy off my lawn? I slowly and nervously approach the strange and foreign creature. Ugh. This is sooo icky. I have no social skills whatsoever. I have a total of three-ish people that I actually consider to be close friends, and they're all loud and talkative so they usually do the communicating for me. I sat down in front of The Emo Creature and prepared myself to say something.

"Howdy, stranger," I say. This draws no reaction from Emo Boy.

"STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGER!" screamed my brain.

"Well," I began, feeling a nervous rant coming on. "I've noticed that you are currently in possession of my book. And my cat. And this tells me we have something in common. We both like books. And cats."

"This is why you don't just have random conversations with weirdos camping out in your yard!" says my disapproving brain. Unfortunately, I find myself unable to stop ranting.

"Also, I've noticed that we both wear a lot of black. And that your hair is a funny color. And mine isn't. But that's okay! Unique is good! Also, is that like, your real hair, or is it a-"

Emo Boy cuts me off by closing my book loudly. He looks up at me and now I can see his , part of it anyways. He has emo hair, remember?

"I'm assuming you want this back?" he asks. He hands me my cat and I take it back.

"Emo Boy has very pretty blues eyes... Err, eye," I think.

"Uhhh... I'm Haruka," I say, introducing myself. "Who are you?"

"STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER FREAKIN' DANGER!" my common sense shrieks.

"Zexion," he says. My heart does a retarded fluttery thing. Wow, Emo Boy is sooo cute! But "Zexion" is a really weird name. Is he kidding?

"That's... different," I say. Cue awkward silence. Then, a few minutes later, I hear a strange noise. That sounds oddly like a stomach.

"Omg, is that you? Do you like, need food?" I ask, a little too loudly.

"Yes," he says quietly.

"Alright!" I yell, grabbing his hand. "TO THE KITCHEN!"

"STRANGER DANGER!" says my brain.

~ break ~

Like the naïve little sixteen year old I am, I have (for some odd reason) allowed this "Zexion" character into my house, fed him left over pizza, and have had about an hour-long conversation with him. He's actually quite pleasant to talk to, even though I met him under some weird circumstances. I'm actually still a little wary of him and I'm not quite sure why I let him in my house. But he makes me laugh with all his sarcastic little comments and the occasional emo hair flip. And he doesn't appear to mind when the conversation takes a turn for the weird. Soon enough, the sky starts to get a little orange tint to it, and I realize how late it's starting to get.

"Oh my gosh," I say. "Do you like, have somewhere to be? Cuz like, it's getting really late, and I'd hate to be keeping you!"

"No, actually," he says.

"Well, if you need me to drive you home, I can!" I say smiling.

"Hmm," he says. "I'm actually having a bit of an issue right now..." He pauses, hand on his chin, seemingly deep in thought. Suddenly, he looks up at me.

"Haruka, can you keep a secret?" he asks.

~ break ~

Zexion is either a very creative person or he's a freakin' lunatic! After hearing his back story type thing, I'm not entirely sure what to say. It's all very complicated. It has to do with different worlds, and monsters called Heartless, and people without hearts called Nobodies, who apparently aren't the same as heartless, even though they have no hearts! And apparently Zexion was part of some weird-ass organization full of these no-heart people, but then he went to a castle, and some lame-o named Axel made something called a Riku-Replica kill him, but now he's here! ARRRGH! I don't get any of this! It makes my head hurt! I don't know how he can tell me and keep a straight face. Zexion stares at me expectantly.

"I won't blame you if you don't believe me," he says.

"No. Fucking. Way," I say. "I am sooo confused."

"You're not going to make me explain again, are you?" he asks. I shake my head.

"Are you for real?" I ask. "Because that was just... Oh my god... That was so... out of this world... and... and..." Crap, I'm babbling again. Can you blame me? This sounds like a convoluted plot for a fantasy novel!

"Umm... I... I need to think for a second! Don't move!" I run to the upstairs bathroom and slam the door closed, not bothering with the lock, which doesn't work anyway. Any sane person would say that he was a complete lunatic. But he seemed so serious. Maybe he's just good at lying to idiotic girls? I mean, if he has no heart like he says, he wouldn't hesitate to lie to me! But if he has no heart, that means he's telling me the truth! AAAAAAAAAH! This is a horrible situation. He's such a liar. That is way too bizarre to be true. But... maybe he is telling the truth. This is a horrible situation to be put in!

~ break ~

After about a half-hour of contemplating, I emerge from the bathroom and find Zexion exactly where I left him. Jeffery (my cat) is curled up on his lap.

"Okay," I say slowly. "Because you seem sincere enough to me, I have decided to trust you." He says nothing but stares at me blankly. It's very unnerving.

"You can stay here with me for now," I continue. "But if I find out you're a liar, I won't hesitate to stab you. Sound fair?"

Zexion nods. I sigh. This is all way to weird. But I can't shake the feeling that this is going to be the most interesting summer of my life!

hey guys! it's me, xiggy! some of you may realize that this is the rewrite of my old story, learning to live: zexion! i'm choosing to post it here because ltl: zexion and panda buddy's ltl: axel are collaboratively written, and we had nothing on this account yet. well, please enjoy the rewrite! it's a lot better than the original! And please, please review! because it makes us happy! thank you!