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Me and Roxas got sent to an orphanage when we were six because, well, our Ma wasn't too motherly. She was found to be "unfit" by the law, thus, we were swept away to a place that gave hope that someone else would want us. As far as we knew, we were the only twins there. We sat by ourselves for weeks. We only spoke between ourselves, comforted each other... Then a bully by the name of Seifer and his friend Fuu, roughly two years older than us, started picking on us. Said we were weird because we looked alike. "Two people shouldn't look that much alike. It's creepy," he reasoned. I, of course, started crying. I'd always been a bigger crybaby than Roxas. Always. He, in turn, comforted me and told me not to pay attention to him. "He's just a big bully." We had both looked up to see our saviours. The tallest one that was standing between his two friends, a redhead with the wildest hair anyone could have, just stood with his arms crossed. His hair was massive, really. Hadn't he ever gotten it cut? "Knock it off, Seifer," he'd said with sarcasm in his voice. I'd learned what sarcasm was from my mom. "Take your girlfriend elsewhere, Fuu. Leave them alone." This time it was the silver-haired one to the right of him. He had his hands in his baggy jean pockets. I'd always thought his hair was really pretty. "Yeah. They're cute. I'm glad there's two of them," squeaked a scraggly-looking dirty blond to Axel's over side. His left, obviously. This one's hair was a mess, too, but much shorter. He was also covered in head-to-toe with dirt. He had to have been on the playground for hours before. Me and Rox avoided that playground at all costs. Too many people. Too many stares. Anyway, that blond stood with his hands on his hips, shoulders tensed. Seifer had just given them a dirty look and scrammed with Fuu following slowly behind him. then the three turned towards us. I think all five pairs of our eyes widened at the same time. Demyx's were a gorgeous mediterranean blue that we had never seen before. Riku's were more of a seafoam green. The colour of a beautiful shallow end off of a barrier island or something. Then Axel's. Thos were the ones that took my breath away. They were a striking green. Like acid. They bore into my being, and I could feel the hole getting bigger and bigger... Such as we were mesmerized by their eye colours, they were caught up in ours. Our wide, deep blue eyes and their ranges of greens just stared back and forth until the dirty blond held out his hand with a happy grin. "Hi! I'm Demyx!" he had told us. He was so friendly, we had thought, so I shook his hand and smiled back with a small nod. We soon thereafter had found out that the redhead was Axel, and the silvernette was Riku. Then Roxas told them our names. From that day, the five of us were inseparable. Axel and Demyx had been there for roughly three years. They were nine--three years older than us. Riku had only been there for one year. He was eight. We all shared our stories, then. Riku's parents had been, sadly, killed. He had no more known relatives. Demyx's parents couldn't put up with him anymore, so they put him up for adoption. Axel's dad...didn't like him. He had been brutally abused when the police came after someone called them, hearing his screams. His mother, not being able to afford to feed them both, regretfully put him up for adoption as well. They both loved each other very much, but...there was no other way.

We had always gone and tried to hide when someone came to adopt. We didn't want to be split apart. The five of us always wanted to stay together. It wasn't until two years later that Riku was adopted. Riku and I had grown really, really close. I had been close with the other two, but Riku was my best friend other than Roxas. There was a lot of screaming and crying that day. From both of us. The next to go was Demyx about three months later. Then...the worst happened just two months later. Roxas had been adopted, but...but I hadn't. there was even more screaming then. We were twins, for Christ's sake! How could you tear us apart?! They couldn't afford to have both of us, so they just had Roxas. So then it was just me and Axel. We had grown particularly close after that. He was all I had. I was all he had. It took us two months to get over that. Both of us. I never truly got over it, because he was my twin. We always had each other, and then he was gone. A year after Roxas was adopted, Axel's mother had come to get him back. She had gotten a very stable job, and actually had bought her own house. She got herself back on her feet by herself just so she could have her Axel back. I remember watching with big, watery, lonely eyes as Axel and his mother embraced each other. "I'll miss you, Sor," was all he told me as we hugged. He had looked at me with sad but hopeful eyes before he left with his mother. And then...there was just me. Even Seifer had been adopted. I felt so unloved. From then on, I just sat in a corner quietly by myself. No one ever spoke to me or even looked towards me. Why did no one love me..?

Three years later, I was twelve years old and still sitting in my corner by myself. I was reading a book, though. I had taught myself words to broaden my vocabulary. The caregivers there never tried to teach us anything, really. I was forced to learn on my own. I liked to learn, I found. It made me feel smart. It made me feel above everyone else there so I wouldn't feel so small anymore. I also liked to read to the smaller kids. I liked to help them and feel like I was making a difference. It made me happy, actually put a smile on my face. Three years after that, I was sitting alone again. I wasn't reading this time. No, I was just thinking. I would have been entering high school by then. I knew a lot now. I had self-taught chemistry equations and history. I was great at the English language, I figured out. It was mostly just patterns and memorization. I was really good with memorization. I also started to draw and write. I liked to see my ideas down on paper. I even wrote some of my own books for the kids to read and play with. I would create covers with spare pieces of cardboard and bind it all together with some string or thread I found lying about. They loved them, really. And they knew to be careful. ...Maybe I would do really well in high school. I think I would. It was summer break right now for the kids with families, I had thought. Then I thought about Axel and Demyx and Riku. Axel and Demyx would be going into their senior year. They would be graduating and going to college. Riku would be going into his...tenth grade year? that was my guess. Then I thought of Roxas. Roxas would be going into his freshman year... I would be, too, if I wasn't stuck here, was what had crossed my mind. "Sora," I heard my voice called and looked up at the kind woman I had almost befriended at the orphanage. I blinked a few times and walked to her. "Someone's here to adopt you," she told me with happiness and tears in her eyes. My jaw went slack. Really? "Really? Someone actually wants me..?" I remember whispering in disbelief. I had been in that place for almost ten years, and someone finally wanted me. She had nodded and led me into the small adoption office where two kind-looking woman sat. One had short-cropped silver hair that was kind of fashioned into a mohawk. She wore darker clothes than the other who was very, very brightly-coloured. Her hair was ridiculously long and such a bright blond it was almost yellow. There was an explosion of accessories all over her. Their names were Paine and Rikku. I teared up at the name, remembering my friend... We had been so damn close to each other before we were ripped apart. Then, they had hugged me. Both of them. And they announced that they were going to be my new parents. I was ecstatic and let my genuine smile finally shine through.

I remember saying goodbye to all of the children. I told them to keep the books so they could read them all over and over as I slung my bag over my shoulder. We had a group hug, then I left with my two loving mothers.

All of the memories... Everything flashed through my mind as I walked through the front doors of my new high school. I was supposed to be a freshman, but when they tested me in, they found me to be more intelligent than anticipated. They moved me a grade up. I was a sophomore now, and I was really, really nervous. How the hell did public school even work? I looked down at my schedule in my shaking hand. I had AP Biology first block, honors geometry second, AP English third and AP Art fourth. It was official. I ******** loved my schedule. I squealed on the inside and bounced on the balls of my feet in happiness, grin plastered across my face and eyes shining brightly. Apparently AP Art was only meant to be a junior or senior course, but they put me in it because my moms had told them about my amazing drawing ability. And my AP English class was actually a junior class. I was the only sophomore in there.

I was currently waiting for my "senior escort" to get there to guide me around the school. I hadn't spoken to anyone over the age of seven other than my moms and the wonderful woman at the orphanage since Axel had been adopted. Needless to say, I was nervous.

"Rikuuuu! What's taking Axel so long?" a spunky blond whined to his silver-haired friend. "He was supposed to be here like ten minutes ago..." He pouted and leaned against the locker door as Riku slowly hung up the phone. "I wanted to tell him all about my date last night, too! But no! He has to go and be all late and s**t. Soooo not cool." He whined a bit before looking at the expression on Riku's face. "Wait...what happened? Is something wrong? Who died?!" he cried spastically, hands gripping the sides of his head in worry. "Is Axel okay? He didn't die did he?!" Tears sprang to his eyes as his chin trembled. By then, anyone in the hallway was staring at him and Riku like he was having a psychotic fit and Riku was about to get his face eaten off.

Meanwhile, Sora sat silently outside of the office in the nice, surprisingly cushioned chairs they had set up there. He was examining one of the reminders of the orphanage that one of the children gave him after reading to them. It was a worn-out baseball that could barely hold itself together. The boy had signed his name in sloppy, backwards printed letters and told him that when he grew up and became a baseball star, he wanted Sora to know that he would always remember him and come visit him at his big baseball star house. He smiled softly at the memory and the big, happy grin that was on the boy's face. He was one of the children that Sora had taught to write and read.

He was snapped out of the memory and into another one. Demyx had spazzed out over the fact that Axel got gum in the poor blond's hair and had to cut it out. He freaked out and slapped the hell out of Axel's arm. The poor redhead. He stood, glancing down the hall. He heard the same voice yelling about some big happenstance. "No, Sora...you're just imagining it because you're lonely. You did it all the time at the orphanage, it's no different," he told himself. He had imagined all of their voices his years alone at the orphanage. He would perk up when he would hear someone laughing like Demyx or Riku or yelling like Axel. Then his heart would slowly crack another piece off of its lonely soul.

But the yelling continued. And it was spastic like Demyx...and he just couldn't resist to go check it out. So he slowly made his way down the hall, heart racing and footsteps falling faster on the tiled floor. What if it wasn't him? What if he was just imagining it again? His heart would be broken... But what if it was him? Maybe Axel and Riku and Roxas, too? "Roxas..," he muttered under his breath before sucking it in and taking the corner into the other hall. He stopped dead in his tracks. A silvernette and a sandy blond flipping out and gripping his head in worry like he always did. He wanted to say something, but his voice wouldn't work. Then he began to doubt. But...what if they didn't remember him? What if they had completely forgotten and didn't even want to look twice at him. Tears slid down his cheeks, and he retreated. He turned around and hid behind the corner of the wall so they wouldn't see him. He was just too scared... Too scared of rejection by the ones he loved...

"What?! Axel hit someone?! B-But are they alright? Oh my God!" he continued to scream before Riku yelled at him, snapping him out of his craze. He automatically silenced, wide-eyed as he stared at Riku, forcing himself to keep his mouth shut. Then he nodded spastically before turning to his locker and getting his things out of it before quickly following Riku. "Oops!" he squeaked as he bumped straight into Riku. "Sor...ry..." His words slowed as he looked up to meet Sora's eyes as well. His jaw went slack as he stared at him as the chocolate-haired teen stared at Riku.

Sora turned white as Riku stopped in front of him. His bright blues filled with tears that leaked down his cheeks as he tried to say something...anything to the silvernette. Suddenly, he was lifted up into the arms of a tall blond and was being spun around in the middle of the hallway. "Sora! Aaaah!" squealed Demyx as tears streamed down his face as well. They both yelped as Demyx lost his balance and they fell to the floor, laughing. "Demy! I missed you so much!" Sora sobbed happily, hugging him tightly and refusing to let go. "Sora! You're even more adorable than I remembered!" the blond replied, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

When he was finally released, Sora breathed heavily with Demyx laying there on the floor with him, both grinning their asses off. Then Sora remembered Riku was there. He looked up at him with a blush on his cheeks. "Are you just gonna stand there or come give me a hug?" he asked in a timid voice, grinning weakly at him. "If...If you want to, anyway... I'd like one..." He blushed darker in embarassment, glancing down at the floor timidly.

Watching Riku crumble in front of his eyes and start bawling caused Sora to choke out a sob and hold him as tightly as he possibly could. "Riku...Riku...Riku..," he sobbed into the silvernette's shoulder. He didn't even realize how tightly he was being held nor did he care. "I missed you so...so ******** much," he choked, not even caring that he broke his silent rule tO never curse. He was being held by Riku. Riku who no one could ever replace in his heart. "I-I was so scared y-you forgot about me...". He sniffled and relaxed against Riku's chest, loving the feeling of being held.

"umm..," hummed Demyx, "I know...this is awesome and everything, but what about Axel hitting that person..?" He sat there awkwardly and questionably. "Wh-What? A-Axel's here too? A-and he hit someone?!" Sora squeaked out in surprise. "A-Are they alright? H-He's probably freKing out! We have to help him!". He wiggled from Riku's grip and jumped up, wiping his tears away before dashing off to grab his bag from his seat in front of the office. By time he was back Demyx was on his feet too with his bag on his back. "Come on, Riku! Hurry up!" Sora squealed in worry.

Sora held Riku's hand tightly, blushing slightly as the silvernette looked into his eyes with that pleading expression. "I won't..," he whispered back before walking outside of the building with the other two. "You're right!" Demyx said spaztically as he pulled out his phone and called Axel back. They got in the vehicle and sat down--Demyx in the driver's seat and Riku and Sora in the back seat. Demyx bounced in his seat as he waited for an answer on the other line. Sora looked over at Riku and smiled softly, scooting closer to him. He laid his head on Riku's shoulder and relaxed in contentment, worry for Axel and the victim still spiking at the back of his mind. "I missed you so much," he whispered to him. "What's your family like, Riku? I wanna meet them. My parents would love you. They're so nice, Riku. My mom's name is actually Rikku. Isn't it weird?" He giggled a little, completely at peace with Riku there.

"Axel! You actually answered! Where are you? Or which hospital are you going to? We'll meet you there, but I need to know right now because I'm driving right now! So tell me!" he said spastically, turning out of the school parking lot at lightening speed. The streetlight stopped them suddenly and Demyx impatiently tapped his fingers on the wheel. "Tell me now, Axel, or we'll search all day for where you went," he threatened.

Sora looked down at their clasped hands with a bright smile. "I wanna meet them. My parents just adopted me like two weeks ago. They're really wonderful, Riku. I'm so happy." He smiled back up at him, tears brimming his eyes. "I taught the kids there to read. And I wrote them a few books to occupy themselves with. I taught them to write, too. And they all looked so sad when I was leaving. I'm actually surprised Rikku and Paine took me in since I'm so old. I mean, you would think I would be in there until I was eighteen." His smile turned a bit sad "Even Seifer got adopted before me... He actually got better as he grew up. He's not as much of a jerk as he used to be. He actually might make someone happy one day." He cupped Riku's face, fingertips brushing his soft skin. His face turned a gentle pink as his hand dropped back down to his lap. "I was always thinking that if someone adopted me, I hoped that I could be close enough to see you again. It made me happy thinking about seeing you guys again. It...really helped me through being there alone..."

Sora smiled and leaned forward, burying his nose in Riku's neck and nuzzling it lightly. "I can't believe we all ended up at the same place...minus Roxas..." He tried not to let his emotion show through his eyes, but it just happened anyway. He was too much of an emotional person for it not to. So, instead, he just kept his face buried in Rikus' skin and willed his body not to tremble in sorrow.

Demyx threw his phone onto the passenger seat and sped down the street to a few blocks away from the school. Upon seeing Axel's car, he skidded to a stop on the side of the road and jumped out. "Axel!" Demyx squeaked, seeing the readhead on the ground. Sora hurried out of the car, too, dragging Riku with him. He just stood there watching Demyx pull Axel up into a sitting position, chin trembling and grip tightening on Riku's hand. The blond pulled him into his arms and rocked him gently. "Axel, what's wrong? Why're you on the ground? What happened? Where's the person you hit?" Sora stood back silently, gripping Riku. He was frozen. There Axel was--right in front of him.

Sora blinked at Riku, trembling a little. "B-But what if I make it worse?" he whispered timidly. Then he looked back at Axel and bit his lip hard. He stepped forward, pulling Riku with him unconsciously. He kneeled beside Axel and didn't let go of the silvernette's hand until he leaned forward, setting a gentle hand on Axel's shoulder. "Axel..," he whimpered. "Please...please stop crying." Tears leaked down his cheeks. "You know I h-hate seeing you cry..." He looked at him with pleading eyes, too scared to wrap his arms around him like he wanted to so badly. Too scared of rejection from his peers...from his best friends. "Please..." He rested a gentle hand on Axel's cheek, trembling fingers touching soft, tear-stained skin.