From Afar

Author's Note: Doods, you know when you're really bored and you remember stuff you did ages ago and decide to have a look at it? Well, I just had one of those moments, and I really do despise finding typos, general mistakes and bad quality writing.

Disclaimer: I do not the kingdom hearts characters or diesel.

-o-x-prologue-x-o-

Sora swung his bag over his shoulder and walked out the door. He tested it to check it had locked, before continuing on his way. There was no one for him to call out a hurried farewell to, which wasn't the nicest thing on your first day back at school. It's not that he didn't like living on his own. It could be fun, because you could do all sorts of things you couldn't do if you had another person in the house: like leave the toilet seat up, stuff your face until your felt sick, and walk around the house naked. Not that he ever did any of those things. He didn't really mind living on his own, and he knew that quite a few people would call him lucky to be, but he didn't find it as appealing as he might have had he not had a firsthand experience of it.

He let out a weary sigh as the cool September breeze swept over him, the fact that his breath made a slight fog in the air in front of him was proof of how unusually cold it was for this time of year. He supposed it matched his current mood. He hadn't been the usual happy, hyper, all-singing, all-dancing Sora that his friends knew and loved. He wasn't depressed, more disappointed with himself and his lack of courage. And if he kept sighing like he just had he would become one of those sad, depressed people that eat nothing but anti-depressants.

The reason for this? Honestly, he's a hormonal teenager, I'm sure the answer is obvious. It was a big problem, in his opinion, and although he knew it was perfectly natural, happens to everyone, etcetera, etcetera, he was still sure it wasn't supposed to hurt. He was sure it was supposed to be something a person could enjoy, otherwise why would it be a natural human instinct?

He scuffed his foot against the curb of the sidewalk and scowled.

There's nothing worse than being late on your first day back. If you wake up late on any day, everything just seems to go downhill from there and quite honestly, the first day of new school year is not the best day to wake up late on; it could really ruin the whole of your year.

Kairi gasped in frustration as she heard her mother warning her about being late, just as her brush had snagged on a knot in her hair. She pulled the brush free, cursing at her battery-less alarm clock. She grabbed her bag off the floor, smoothed her, finally, glossy, auburn hair, and ran downstairs.

She almost screamed at the sight of her mother waiting for her, insistently holding out a slice of toast and a napkin to her. She shook her head, muttering about how she was already running late and ran out of the door, straight into something tall and solid.

"Woah, someone's in a rush."

Kairi bit back the angry remark she had been about to make as she looked up. She smiled the first smile of her senior year, "Riku! God, am I glad to see you." She grinned, her previously foul mood evaporating, and hugged him tightly, breathing in the familiar smell of Diesel: Fuel for Life.

"How have you been?" He asked her, holding the passenger door of his car open for her.

She grinned, "Considering the fact that I only woke up about twenty minutes ago, pretty good so far."

"Twenty minutes? That must be a record time." He said, laughing. It was true. Kairi had spent most of her Junior year with an alarm clock that never woke her up and a mother who would only get her up when she deemed it necessary. Apparently you needed more time to get ready in the mornings when you were a Junior.

Riku closed her door and climbed into the driver's side. He winked at her as she grinned excitedly; a bubbling pit of anticipation was rolling around her stomach. Senior year. She couldn't wait. With an impressive roar, they zoomed off down the road.

"I can't believe we only have one class together this year! I suppose it's good that it's study hall." Kairi mused.

Riku smirked and leant again the locker next to Kairi's. "I'm glad; I'll finally be able to get some freedom from your iron hard grasp on me." He laughed, feinting pain as Kairi mock punched him.

In all honestly, study hall was the best possible lesson to have together, mainly because there wasn't any supervision. Most people just hang around in the classroom, listening to music and chatting to their friends, but it was possible to just leave the room although, which was great. Kairi smiled that the group of people that had just greeted her from across the hall, she was surprised to see Seifer there; Seifer who had the worse attendance record in the school. Then again, it was their last year.

Kairi shut her locker, smiling when Riku slung a lazy arm over her shoulder as they walked down the hall.

"KAIRI-MARIE!" The redhead turned around just in time to see a blur of brown, white and blue running towards her.

"Selphie!" Kairi said, happily as she was enveloped in a hug by the bubbly brunette. Selphie was perhaps the best friend anyone could wish for. She was constantly cheerful, never ran out of energy, fiercely loyal and had an excellent left hook. Her loud voice was always toned down by the perfect pacifier: Namine. The two were so different it was a wonder they could even be friends, but opposites do tend to attract. The three girls had met when they first started Elementary School and had, amazingly, been firm friends since.

"Where's Namine?" Kairi asked the brunette.

"Oh, she has homeroom on the other side of school. She said to meet her outside the Art huts later." Selphie replied, grinning as a passing boy turned around to look at her again.

"Oh right, okay."

"Hey! Riku!"

"Roxas, man!" The blonde walked over, and high-fived him. "Everyone alright?" Roxas asked. The others all nodded in reply. "Looking good, Selphie, as always." He said, winking at her. Selphie rolled her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently, indicating that she would like to leave. Roxas was in some sort of a relationship with Namine, it was never certain whether they were actually dating or not. Selphie thought this meant Roxas was a player and that Namine should steer well clear, but Kairi wasn't sure if there was something else behind the mask.

"Well, excuse us ladies," Roxas began, probably feeling rather uncomfortable from the hate vibes Selphie was giving off. "Riku and I have to depart your presence." He cleared his throat, shot me a look of despair, and then dragged Riku off away.

"I thought he'd never leave." The brunette said, scowling at his retreating figure.

Kairi sighed, "I'm sure there's more to the situation than meets the eye, Selph. Maybe he just doesn't want to tell you about it."

Selphie looked doubtful. "Yeah, right. You're fighting a losing battle, Kai. You know I'll never like Roxas until he flipping well sorts himself out." She admitted, readjusting her bag strap on her shoulder as the bell rang throughout the hall.

The two girls walked into their homeroom class and were suddenly surrounded my people. "Did you have a good summer?" and "I love your skirt, where did you get it?" where the only two comments Kairi could pick out of the noise that was currently hurting her ears. The comments kept shooting at them, until, right on time, Ms. Gainsborough walked through the door.

"Sit down, please."

There was a scraping back of chairs and the grumbling of disgruntled voices - then silence. Their final school year had started, and Kairi could almost taste the anticipation.