The new kid. Playing that role was never fun. And it wasn't anymore fun for me than anyone else. I was picked on for the first few days, not making a single friend as I trudged through the halls. My brother always called to ask how things were going, but it was always 'not well,' or 'sucky.' The bullies at school were sure having a heck of time with me. My hair, for one, was crazy and it was also the brightest blond ever. The fact that my face was always in a book was no plus. Everything I did seemed to get more attention by the day. The only thing I was good at was writing.

I spent the time alone out on the football field, where I would lean against a tree, knees up a bit. I would place my notebook against my thighs and then against my knees and write. I did it all the time. Not having company made it pretty easy. I would blast music into my ears and hope no one would come up to me. Most days, I even forgot to get lunch.

I had a routine: Wake up, go to school, get bullied, write, finish school, go home. I never really ate at school, just had a pop-tart here or there. I cooked at home, made every meal. I was staying on my own, though no one knew that much about me.

I had a part time job at a local grocery store where I bagged things or cleaned the isles. I had to pay my own bills and rent. My renters knew what my story was, having interviewed me beforehand. My guardian lived down the street, but I didn't want to live with anyone close to me. No, most of my family wasn't nice. My brother, Sora, tried to make me stay with him, but I said no. He lived too close to our mom.

After a month, not much changed. I did homework at the library right after to school for two hours, then walked to work, and did my work. I paid my low rent every month and bought unhealthy food that I could afford. Ramen. If I ever bought nice food, I would make a meal in a large pot and eat it for almost a week at a time.

Two months of school passed before even one person talked to me. A guy, probably two or three years older than me. I was writing, like I always did, and he walked right up to me and sat in front of me. I looked up slowly, seeing the bright green tray on his lap. It held food of all kinds. He must have been a rich kid or something. I felt my stomach grumble. He offered a smile and I smiled back a bit. "Hey there!"

"Hi…" I managed, looking back down and then away.

"What's your name? I've seen you around, I just haven't gotten the nerve to talk to you. You definitely have some interesting habits. But I never see you in cafeteria, or in any of the club rooms at lunch. Is something wrong? The people here have really taken an interest to you." He asked so many questioned that it made my head spin. But people were really interested in me? Strange. I wasn't too much different than these people, and this guy looked even stranger than me, with his bright red, spiky hair and crazy green eyes. He even had tattoos on his face.

"Uh… Slow down a little. My name is Roxas. And I don't really eat lunch, for one. And two, I didn't know that people… even looked at me," I answered, wondering why he had even come over to me. "And I don't mean to be rude… but why are you even talking to me?"

"Didn't I just tell you? I've been wanting to talk to you for days. Just haven't gotten around to it," he replied, leaning over my knees to see what I was writing. I bent my knees more so that he couldn't look at the scribbles I called hand writing.

Who was this guy anyway? I heard yelling, and I slowly looked up. Axel was standing up and carrying his tray with him. I looked to him next, seeing a bright smile on his face. He waved back to a group of his friends then looked to me.

"Hey, have this, okay? I know you said you don't eat at school or whatever, but I can practically hear your stomach from across the room in History after lunch," the red-haired guy said, handing me his tray before running off. I tried to call after him, but he was long gone with his pals.

There was so much food on the tray that I only ended up eating half of it. There was no way that he had gotten all of this just for me. People don't just do that. Normal people don't just do that. I put what was left in my backpack so that I could eat it later. The rest of school went by pretty quickly, and I soon found myself at the library, doing homework. I hadn't gotten a chance to thank that guy; he been around his friends every time I tried to walk up.

The next morning was the worst. Walking up to school, someone said something mean, just like always. And that wasn't what bugged me. As I opened the door, someone poured ice cold water over me from the roof. I stood still for a good minute, before turning and running off. I couldn't just go inside soaking wet. That's what I told myself anyway. I couldn't shake the fact that no one liked me, that I had to friends. I took off my backpack and took out my notebooks, laying them out in the sun so that they would dry off.

I was sobbing as I set everything out, even slipping out of my sweater and laying it on the asphalt. Through most of the school day, no one walked up to me. Not a single soul. I would have gone back to class, but I couldn't stop crying. Everything was dry from sitting in the sun and it was all put away in my backpack. But how was I supposed to face anyone?

"Roxas?" I whipped around quickly, hearing a semi-familiar voice. Looking up, I saw that tall, slim red-head. He must have seen something in me because he sat beside me and looked closer at me eyes, which I looked away from. "What happened? I didn't see you in class just now… I just got back from a doctor's appointment."

Was he really worried? I sniffled a bit as I felt the tears rise again. "Nothing."

"Now, come on. I know you're lying, man. What happened?" he asked again. I didn't even know this guy's name, and yet he was here sitting with me.

"Someone poured water on me when I got to school this morning." I closed my eyes and fought the tears away, keeping my head bowed low so that he couldn't see my face. I felt him touch my cheek, cupping it as he made me look back up.

"I got your back. I'm gonna go tell the principal, okay?" I was about to shout no, because no one liked tattle-tails, but his lips were over mine. It was the gentlest touch ever, and I could've pulled away with no problems, but I let him kiss me. And though my eyes were wide with shock, his were closed. He pulled away slowly and smiled. He got to his feet and walked off, waving a bit.

A blush didn't rise on my face… until he was all the way inside the building. I quickly grabbed my bag and ran home. I had no reason to stick around. I called in from work and said I was sick, quickly receiving a 'get well soon' from the woman at the desk.

I just laid around for most of the day until my Uncle called, the one from the down the street.

"Hello?" I asked gently, sitting up and running my fingers through my hair.

"Some guy just called here looking for you. His name was Axel, I believe. He told me to give you his number so that you could call him." My uncle gave me the number, and I simply stared at the paper that had his number written across it. Who in the world was Axel? And how did he get my uncle's number? I called it a few minutes later, holding my phone with my shoulder as I worked on my dinner.

"Hello?" the voice asked. It sounded familiar, but who knew?

"Hi, this is Roxas. You were trying to get a hold of me?" I asked. I always had a professional outlook on things, always hoping for a breakthrough.

"This is Axel! I'm that guy from school."

That guy from school? That kissed me?! That got me lunch? That kissed me?!

"Axel?!"