04/01/12

Good evening, April. I know I should have worked on my other story, but I had to get this out; the idea's been killing me. It just had to be written. Hope you guys like it, I personally think the ending could have been better.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Vocalize—Koewodasu

.::1::.

Knowing

The girls glared at her, whispering crude things about her as she passed by. The boys simply stared, some wolf-whistling in her direction. Kairi smiled sweetly back, giving the hormone-crazed boys a flip of the finger, continuing her way to the auditorium, tucking her displaced wine-red locks back behind her ear. Head held high, she silently walked through the entrance of the auditorium, eyes watching her every action until their curiosity moved elsewhere. Kairi strode down the aisle, taking a seat near the doors for a quick escape. Sighing, she shrugged off her weightless backpack, setting it down to the ground, its form turning limp and dead on the cement ground beneath her Converse-clad feet.

The redhead glanced around her, contemplating about how she would adjust to her new surroundings. Her subdivision had been rezoned, so others from her previous school that had passed by gave a shy wave or nod in her direction, yet each familiar face walking by showed signs of confusion in their eyes. She simply sat, waiting for her best friends that promised to find her during the juniors' assembly, though she was starting to have great doubts due to the slowly growing mass of students coming in. Her hair fell out of place once more, causing her to sigh as she looked down to her feet, slowly pulling it behind her ear once more.

"Having trouble, sweetheart?" a flirtatious voice spoke from behind her, causing her eyes to narrow as she straightened herself out, carefully turning around to find the source of the voice, face blank for the recipient. The boy had to be a junior; it would only explain his presence in the auditorium. Kairi inwardly grimaced, realizing that she'd be likely to see his face more often than she'd prefer. A smirk was glued to his lips, icy eyes looking her up and down, his lips turning upwards even more once he finally came back to look at her disgusted face. He leant down on the back of her seat, his face leaning in close to hers, breath hot on her mouth once he spoke, almost causing her to gag at the distance. "Name's Seifer. I can always help you out, babe. What do you say, we skip this joint and go elsewhere." he drawled, winking at her as his head jerked towards the door, probably trying to make a suggestive move.

Kairi stood up, smiling at the blonde boy, whose hair was hidden under a gray beanie. The blonde grinned mischievously, stepping around the seats to meet her at the end. The redhead shook her head, gesturing him to stay in place from where he stood. More students filed into the theater, looking at the pair, whispering disdainfully about the two. Looking down to smooth out her shirt, she finally looked up, eyes cold and hard from the stare-down she was giving him, a smile still planted on her face, stating in a firm voice, "Look here, Seifer. I came to school to actually go to class and learn, not fuck around like the whore you are and flunk out of school." Seifer glared down at her, realizing he hadn't chosen the right chick to hit on during the first day of school. "Unlike you, I plan to get a diploma and earn money, not go around splurging on alcohol and crack. Get that? I'm not a dumbass." Kairi glared back into his eyes, grabbing the front of his shirt roughly to pull him down to her height and within four inches of her face, voice calm with poison. "Not like you. Now go fuck a bitch." The boy glared harshly at her, accepting his defeat reluctantly as he tried to play it cool, walking off with long strides, yet the gait showed his agitation, how humiliating it was for him to not catch her as he thought he would. Kairi scoffed, taking her seat once more, not sure if she should allow her aggressive Taurus side to show anymore.

A shuffling was heard from her left, a voice speaking admiringly, smooth and deep. "You are one kind of heroine." Kairi looked up, making sure her face was expressionless once more, staring up at the sunkist-blonde standing beside her, who seemed to look disarming with the gentle sloping smile on his lips, eyes showing no signs of aggression or desire, just ease and peace. The redhead nodded, letting him know she acknowledged his presence. He continued, saying, "Hey, I'm Roxas." He stuck his hand out, allowing Kairi to notice he was slightly muscled and had a light tan from the dim lighting of the theater.

Realization slammed into her, eyes widening as she stared at the hand, then back at his confused face. Standing, she stuttered, "You're Roxas. Roxas." He gave her a quizzical look, extremely confused at her reaction. "You're Naminé's boyfriend!" Roxas looked down, a light smile playing on his lips at the mention of Naminé's name. He turned back to face Kairi, who's eyes shimmered with joy, an honest and warm smile shining under the overhanging lights. Kairi continued, head cocked to the side as her eyes bore straight into his cobalt orbs. "I've heard so much about you, Roxas. Naminé absolutely adores you." The blonde beamed at the statement, shuffling from foot to foot in embarrassment. "But," Kairi started, her eyes challenging, "If you hurt her, you're in for it. She's the only cousin I'm aware of having, and I have no siblings. She's practically my sister—hurt her, and you'll end up running to Europe." Roxas grinned, having already been warned by his girlfriend that Kairi was protective of her family and friends and knew how to defend herself when needed.

"I understand, but I do hope you'll see I mean no harm to her, she's stuck with me ever since I moved here. I could never even think of hurting her." Roxas said wistfully, as if remembering the day he met Naminé. "So when she asked me to go find someone that looked exactly like her but with red hair, I had to follow through with my word. Are you ready to go?" Kairi frowned in thought, staring at him as she considered his demeanor. After a few seconds, she nodded and revealed a kind bright smile, picking up her backpack that had been neglected on the floor, slinging it over her shoulders as she followed Roxas's lead, weaving in and out of students and aisles, their eyes somehow always finding her as a focal point of observation.

They walked briskly to the other side of the auditorium, sparser than the other, much to the redhead's relief. A group was huddled in the corner, consisting of a silver-haired boy whose back was turned to the approaching pair, having a well-muscled body, his hair layering down to the base of his neck. Two other girls stood by him, one holding his hand and the other standing in front of the two, both petite and likely to be Kairi's height. The girl who held the boy's hand had jet-black hair, reaching its longest length at the base of her neck as well, jagged layers making it stand out in a simplistic way. The girl on her own was facing their direction, her glacier-blue eyes seeming to smile with her lips, her platinum-blonde hair draped over her right shoulder, bangs hovering over her right eye and on top of her forehead. Her pale skin glowed under the weak lights, making her seem see-through.

As Kairi and Roxas approached, the blonde female beamed with joy, walking up to her cousin with a gentle expression, her friends turning around to find what had caught her attention. Naminé looked up at Roxas affectionately, giving him a quick peck on the cheek as a thank you for his completed mission. She then turned her attention to Kairi, instantly pulling the redhead into a hug, saying, "It's good to know I can count on my boyfriend to get you." Naminé pulled away, flashing her a jovial grin. Kairi giggled as Naminé continued, starting with a content sigh. "Well, now we can finally keep you all to ourselves." She winked, earning more laughs from the redhead.

Kairi hummed, nodding as she glanced at Riku and Xion. "Yeah, it'll be great to finally be with my best friends again. We planned this since—"

"The middle of June." Xion interrupted, dragging Kairi into one of her usual one-armed hugs. Despite the 'less-loving' gesture, it held as much warmth as Naminé's hug. "Oh, goodness, I have been ready to hang out with you at school for the longest time. I'm so happy you got rezoned," Xion gave her a sympathetic look, continuing, "Just sucks 'cause you'll be missing all your other friends, huh?"

Kairi frowned, looking to the ground in thought. Sure, back at her old school, she had a good amount of friends, but none that she could truly confide in like the way she did in the phone calls or chats with Naminé, Xion, or Riku. She shook her head, smiling, "No, not really. The only close friends I had there moved here with me, so it doesn't really make a difference."

Riku placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, silently asking for a hug as she complied by wrapping her arms around her only male best friend. "That's good for you." He said with a small warm smile, releasing her as he took Xion's hand back into his, their fingers lacing together in sync. He gestured to the seats, voice soft under the chatter of other students, "Take a seat, Kai, the assembly is going to start soon." She nodded, moving to the end of the aisle as she let the two couples sit together.

Despite being with her friends, it felt awkward on her part, being the third wheel since they were all talking amidst to their partner. While the principle droned on about how wonderful it was to receive more students and about the programs, Kairi noticed a boy in the far corner, his back against the wall with closed eyes, copper-brown hair spiked around the frame of his face. The lights showed that he had a California-worthy tan and body, being thin yet slightly muscular, almost like the way Roxas was. It seemed strange to her how much his face reminded her of Roxas's. Kairi thought into it, blocking out the student representatives that were speaking on stage. Could they be related? She gave another quick glance at the boy, instantly looking away when she found piercing blues looking back at her. Breathtaking.

The group of five walked out of the auditorium doors, the bright sunlight streaming through the glass hallways, almost burning at first sight. Riku led them towards the gym, the place where the principle had instructed them to leave for to get their schedules. They all separated, each going to the line with the range of the initial of their last name. Kairi, Naminé, and Xion stuck together, their last names under the same range, 'K' and 'L.' Riku and Roxas had each gone off to other stations, standing idly behind the long line of students awaiting in front of them. Kairi noticed the brunette from the theater walk next to Roxas, his eyes sullen as Roxas patted his back comfortingly. Naminé stared at her boyfriend and his company morosely, her hands gently raking through her flaxen hair. Kairi stayed quiet, feeling like she was intruding on a private moment. She forced her eyes away, looking around the room for anything to attract her attention. The brunette had an air of melancholy feelings, making Kairi curious and sympathetic for him. Her mind strayed as she came up to the teacher, who asked emotionlessly, "Last name?"

"Lieke, Kairi." She stated, leaning on her foot as she waited for the man behind the table to get her schedule. She dusted off her jeans and pulled down the bottom hem of her shirt, looking up to find a schedule placed on the table in front of her. Muttering quietly as she picked up her itinerary, she thanked the teacher, standing off to the side as Naminé and Xion repeated the process. The girls walked off to the side of the gym, where Roxas and Riku were waiting. Comparing schedules and routes with the map on the back of their papers, each left with a smile and grin on his or her face. They each had class with at least one of their friends, conveniently all having the same fifth period, thus having the same lunch. Life was too kind for them as they each headed off to their designated class.

By the time fifth period rolled by, Kairi was irritated to her wit's end. A good amount of guys had tried to hit on her, all being declined kindly unlike the blonde earlier in the morning. Her friends had all snickered at her predicament, reminding her that the attention was specifically on her because they knew nothing of her, assuming this or that due to her beauty. The redhead sighed, slouching in her seat, a simple black-topped lab table with another chair on her side. Setting her backpack into her lap, she waited mournfully for class to begin. Who knew what else could happen in this period. At least lunch is coming soon, she thought with relief, pulling her claret hair into a ponytail. A tap on the shoulder caused her to turn around, her nose inches from a clipboard that was held in front of her face. A melodic voice spoke, "I'm Ms. Lockhart. Your name, dear?"

"Kairi Lieke."

The woman scribbled on her papers, the pen tapping on the wooden board. "Good, you got into the right seat. The person I assign to that seat," her pen pointed to the seat beside Kairi, "will be your partner for the semester, unless you two cause trouble." Kairi nodded, pulling her papers closer to her so she wouldn't cause trouble later on. Ms. Lockhart walked to the door, greeting the students filing into the class, showing them their seats with a point of her pen. Naminé, Roxas, Xion, and Riku walked in, each giving her a smile or a grin as they took the seats: Naminé with Riku at a table right next to her and Xion with Roxas in the far back. So much for my luck, Kairi thought solemnly, shrugging off the fact that she wouldn't be able to sit with someone she already knew. As she glanced around, she noticed all the students were partnered with someone of the opposite gender, almost making her pale at the thought of being stuck with someone like Seifer for half a year.

No, I won't meet any creeps, she tried to calm herself, taking in a deep breath, this is an AP class. No, these boys would have to have some manners…

The chair next to her creaked, signaling the arrival of her partner. Just as soon as he came, the tardy bell rang, notifying the teacher to close the door and greet the class as a whole. Kairi still hadn't taken a look at her partner yet, who remained silent and not trying to catch her attention. Ms. Lockhart set her clipboard down, smiling brightly at her class. "Welcome to AP physics, students. I'm Ms. Lockhart, as you know, and I hope you all will enjoy this class despite the strict curriculum. The assignments I assign are usually partner activities, which is why I'm giving you this week to get comfortable with him or her. As you get to know each other, try not to get too loud, alright?" She dismissed them to their chatter, taking a seat behind her desk to get the attendance of her class written down.

Only now did Kairi glance at her partner. It was the boy who seemed grieved by something of his past, the brunette with the stunning blue eyes. Kairi flashed a kind smile, hoping she didn't scare him with her past on-looking. He stared at her blankly, turning his head back to stare at the tabletop that was in front of him. The redhead inwardly sighed, blowing at a strand of hair that fell down her face. "Well, uhm," Kairi said nervously, drawing a leg up onto her seat, "I'm Kairi, what's your name?" He glanced at her, his bangs hanging over watching orbs, casting a dark shadow over his stellar eyes. Sitting up straight, he faced her, face still expressionless. He held his hands up, his fingers making symbols and movements to represent words and letters of sign language. I don't speak. Kairi blinked, surprised. She had taken sign language at her previous school for her language credits, having told herself it was something more interesting to think on than Spanish or French. "You don't speak, yet you can hear me?" She replied to his message, unsure whether to sign him back or to simply talk to him. The brunette tried to mask his surprise, the emotion flashing only for a brief second as he nodded his head cautiously. Kairi bit her lip, excusing herself from his company as she walked the few feet to Naminé's seat. She tapped her arm, catching the blonde's attention. "Naminé, is that boy deaf? He won't speak a word."

Naminé gave a pitiful glance, answering as best as she could. "No one knows, Kai, he's never opened his mouth to tell." The blonde paused, her mind reeling in thought. "He doesn't even tell the teachers his name verbally, just through pen and paper." Kairi's shoulders slumped, feeling lost as of what to do. She had no problem communicating with him—she understood the boy just fine. It just seemed difficult to reach out to him. Naminé sighed, looking longingly at the brunette. "He's Roxas's cousin; they moved to America together for reasons Roxas still doesn't feel like telling me. He says it's because 'he has to agree to it first, it's his past, too.' Roxas says because of that past, he just…" She struggled with her words, unsure of what to say, "Stopped talking. He doesn't speak to his parents or Roxas at all, apparently, but if he does, it's little phrases in Japanese." Kairi frowned, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. She herself was Japanese, once with a fluent tongue, now upset at how the English language had dominated her. Naminé patted her arm, gesturing to the boy. "Go talk to him, Kairi, he needs a friend other than family. Maybe you can break that wall."

Kairi looked back, watching the boy, who had taken out a notebook, music notes scrawled all over the lines in a neat and complicated composition, writing something in the corner of his paper. "That'd be nice." Kairi replied, almost to herself, quickly thanking Naminé for her words as she ventured back to her seat. She tapped the boy's shoulder, giving him a warm smile.

He stared at her, eyes boring right into hers. She noticed how dead they were, the life drowned out of them, yet holding the hue and life of the afternoon sky. "You had eyes just like her." He said softly, his eyes somber in memory. He got up and walked out of the classroom, the teacher aware but not stopping him, closing the door quietly behind him, having left a scrap of paper in his place. Kairi stilled, muscles tense to find many students staring at her, having heard the boy's first words ever spoken since moving and starting school in America. She carefully plucked the paper off the table after the eyes looked elsewhere, reading the neat print written on the ripped corner.

The name's Sora.

Oh, my goodness. This could've turned out a little better. I'm unsure whether to keep or delete. Opinions and reviews, please? Thanks~

-paopufruit-to-go