Monday, October Fourth
Seven thirty, a.m.
Delighted chatter flowed about the class room. Naturally, the huddle of students were all collected around the one and only silver-haired heart throb, Riku. The whole routine of the days had been like this for the past month and a half; Riku would enter the room, the entire room's attention would be attatched on him, and the teacher would be entirely blown off for the rest of the period. The same would happen for all of the other classes that the silver haired modern Adonis was in. The teachers hated it, the smart kids hated it, but- most of all- Riku's friends hated it.
It was sickening. For the past few years of their life, Riku, Sora, Kairi, Roxas, and Namine had been the best of friends that could ever so touch this earth. It had remained that way all the way up until Riku hit his sophmore year of highschool- the other four were mere freshmen at the time. They would watch from affar as their one dear friend would be pulled away from them without being able to stop it. Their over protective friend had changed greatly since the start of the first semester in August. They wouldn't go near him anymor; just being around him was painful. Sora had tried mending his friendship to the elder teen once- poor Sora hadn't even said two words before turning around and abandoning th idea. That's how bad it had gotten, forevenSora to abandon hope.Had that been cigarette smoke that the brunette clearly had smelled on his friend?
Now, on October fourth, Riku sat in his class room with the newroutine about him. Calling out on girls that caught his eye ever now and then, snapping back at his so called new 'friends' just as they did to everyone else. He was the classic teenage student now- there was nothing left of the old, kind hearted Riku that had once been.
The highly irritated teacher let out a loud shout to silence the students... Ten minutes after the bell had rung for class to start. The normal routine broken, and erie silence ensued throught the room. The student that was standing at the front of the room was clearly the reason for the teacher to make the loud noise. A new student. Small, petit, and obviously the quiet type. Gothic and adorned in black and neon colors, all placed about to give her an odd look. Her neon pink streaked and splotchedpitch black hair- quite obviously dyed-was long in the front, coming past her shoulders, but was short enough in the back to spike up in a frayed about way. She stood infront of the class with an uncertain stance as the teacher explained that she was a new transfer student, though herheavily ely-liner exentuated emerald greeneyes betrayed nothing but a hateful glare to the faces of everyone that sat in the front of the room, particularly dead-centered on Riku.
"Now, you all try to treat Artemis with more respect then you all have clearly shown mand yourselves. Artemis, I want you to go sit next to Riku. Maybe having you around will be a better influence." The teacher had muttered those last two sentances so that only Artemis could hear,"Riku, raise your hand, will you?"The teacher called out. Riku olled his eyes, laughter and giggles sputtering through the room as he waved lazily.
"Right here. Getting senile on us already, teach?" Riku called out, causing the laughter throughout the room again.Artemis glared sharper at Riku, drew back slightly, and hissed in clear resentment. Yes, hissed, like the thing tha a cat does. The cat laughed again, several people making snidecomments about the black and neon-colored dressed girl presented before them.
"You think that I'm going to sit near that? Sorry, I'd rather rip out someone's spinal cord and beat them with it," the class silenced again. Artemis had said tht with an all to serious face. All eyes in the room followed her as she walked with an unnatural grace straight to the back of the class. She sent another particularly deadly glare in the direction of Riku and his main groupies.
"Daaaamn. Home girl is crazy, man," came the snide remark from a random student in the class. The tenson released with a laugh that rang through the class. Things returned to the natural routine, though everyone couldn't help but throw the cautious glance back to Artemis, whom seemed to be the only one in the class that was actually doing the work, despite the teacher's efforts to get the class to shut up again.
Monday, October Fourth
two fifteen, p.m
Sora, Kairi, Roxas, and Namine all walked together down the side walk, laughing and chatting away as the school got further and further behind them. Of course, they walked because all of them lived within the mile distance from the school that required students to walk if that had no other mode of transportation. A car drove swiftly by, none of them bothered to pay attention to it, or the fact that their once best friend was sitting in the front passengr seat. That is, until the car slowed up the street from them, coming to a slow crawl as in moved with a girl that walked several yards ahead of them. The small group of friends could hear snide and crude remarks coming from the teens in the car and the black and neon-colored dressed girl.
It wasn't unil Riku's voice rang clear did the group of friends quicken their pace. "What kind of phyco freak are you?" Those were his words. In no time, Sora and his friends had caught up to the car and the girl that was now hissing at the people that were in it. Her glare was set dead on Riku in particular.
"Leaver her alone Riku," Sora cautioned, putting up the face that he had worked on for a long time. Defiance. He still didn't want to believe what Riku had become in such a short time. Or had the change been happening without any of his friends realising it? Regaurdless, Sora put up a defensive stance next to the girl as they continued to walk. He was trying to make it look like he was friends with the hissing girl that was being picked on. Kairi, Roxas, and Namine picked up on this quickly and mimiced Sora.
"I'm surprised Sora. Who would have thought that you guys would stand up for this crazy chick. By the way, who's it been?" Riku's voice was light. Still friendly. He had abandonded them, and now was acting like nothing was wrong, like he had done nothing. But he had. Quite clearly, honestly. Even if his tone was light, he still talked like them, still smelled like the mild scent of cigarrettes and something else that Sora quite couldn't place. It was postitively revolting.
"Drive on with your friends, Riku, and leave us out of whatever you've got planned, got it?" Roxas had been the one to speak. His voice held the tone that meant that the girl was included into this 'we' that he had stated, and that Riku was deffinantly not the favored person by this group of friends. The girl smirked smuggly, though her sharp, merderous glare didn't faulghter one bit.
"You hear that, Riku? No one wants you around," she made a ranther odd gesture at this point int time, though it was obvious that it meant something, "Drive on." She repeated Roxas at this point. Riku scoffed, roled up the window to the black vehichle, and had his friend do just that. Sora turne to the girl and gave her a light smile at this point in time. So did the others. They had no idea who this girl was, but they were desperate by now to replace their lost member now. Anyone who Riku hated would fit the job purfictly- they would work on getting to know her better later.
"Hi there, my name is Sora. My friends here are Namine, Kairi, and Roxas. Are you new around here?" he offered, pointing out his friends as he called out their names. They each offered a kind and respective hello, or something along those lines. The girl smiled.
"My name's Artemis. You know, you all are the first people to be civil to me all day. Man, I spent enough time glaring at people, I thought that I would forget how to smile by the end of this week. And yes, I'm new here. It's nice to meet you all," Artemis informed. The group of friends shared a smile. She seemed friendly, and sane, enough. Maye they could get to like her a lot more than Riku and his cronies seemed to.
Friday, October eighth
Ten fourty five, a.m.
Artemis sat at one of the round lunch tables by herself, eating her lunch quietly. Snickers from thse around her ringed in her ears. She didn't care. By now, she had learned that her new freshman friends all had advanced classes, therefore went to lunch with the sophmores and uperclassmen, rather then with the rest of the freshman. That's what she was waiting for. While her friends had to buy lunch, she had brought her's. Artemis had honestly felt that school food was toxic, an would most likely causeher intestines would start bleeding or something else rather gruesome if she even bothered eating it.
That was the other thing about her new friends. They didn't seem to mind her dark scence of humor like the other students did. They understood that that's all it was; a really dark scence of humor. She was never actually really serious about anything she ever said, unless it was directed at a certain person. Speaking of the little silver haired devil...
"Sitting all alone again, Arttie?" Riku cooed, using the nickname that the rest of the sophmores had adopted to her. Artemis absolutely dispised the nickname; she felt like it was a way of disrespecting the goddess that she was named after. Artemis, the goddess of night and the hunt, was being disrespected everytime one of those ungrateful bastards eve uttered the name 'Arttie'.
"Go die, you stupid mongrel," Artemis seethed, not even bothering to look at Riku anymore. She was too buisy looking for her friends to pay attention to him today. He was like the fly in the room that you couldn't quite ignore, yet you couldn't quite pay attention to. Or, at least, to her he was. Now all she needed was the roll of newspaper that would obliterate that fly from his life.
"You seem rather different today. Finally decide to act like a sane person for once?" Riku mused. It wasn't getting to her. Being called insane hadn't gotten to her since she had actually been clinically proven to not be in her right mind. She would just never admit to it out loud yet.
"You're a waste of air and skin," was her short reply. Where were they? With a soft sigh, her paranoia subsided for the moment when she spotted Sora's abnormally spiked hair in the lunch line. He would have his food soon, at least.
"Wow, like I haven't heard that one from you before. Are you honestly running out of stuff to use?" Riku mused back. When would he take a hint? Yeesh. Though, there was something wrong about this situation that was nagging at the back of her mind. Because she wasn't actually looking at Riku, she couldn't place just wat it was.
"No one likes you, they all hate you. Now go die," Artemis seethed. He was really getting on her nerves now.
"Amazing, there Arttie," Artemis actually flinched at the name this time, even though she knew that this would only encourage the duche even more, "You really are running out of things to say." Artemis finally spun to look at Riku. Well, she could finally place what was wrong; his posse wasn't standing there behind him cracking jokes with hime like usual. Though, this made Artemis smile. She knew just what exactly she could use to aggitate Riku to the point of leaving. She had a sadistic smirk about her lips, as if she were going to enjoy his reaction.
"No one wants you here Riku. Drive on," she informed smuggly. Riku flinched and glared quite noticably. Clearly, the memory of Sora disowning him and choosingArtemis over himhad come back up, like it always did when she hinted to that day. Purfict timing, too. Sora had just walked up.
"Whatever," Riku grumbled, walking away. That sadisticly smug expression stayed with Artemis for the rest of that day. Oh, she was going to have fun with this.
Saturday, October Nineth
One eighteen, p.m.
Artemis' eyes were wild with delight. So this was the secret that Sora had been muttering about since she met him. This absolute paradise had been the thing that hs friends were hinting about taking her to since Monday, and now she was here. They had called this their getaway island, a place that they would always come two when timesgot stressful or tough, or when they just wanted to relax for the weekend. She could see why, too. The water was always purfict, the miniature sort of tropical rainforest that the island contained was an absolute delight, the giant tree house always seemed roomy enough that someone could live there with several of their friends without feeling over crouded. They had said that, over the summer, they would stay on this island for weeks on end, only returning to bathe or to get more food.
They were going to stay on the island for the weekend, like they always did. It was up to Artemis if she wanted to stay or not. They had assured her that none of the thuggishpeople that hung around Riku never came to the island- they never sought a reason to. The only one that she would ever have to worry about, they had said, was Riku, and he hadn't shown up around the island since some time in September.
Artemis' answer was an immidiant yes. She was amazed that she would ever be able to pull herself from this island. Seeing as most of the adults didn't even know about it that well, and certainly not her parents, she could just about live here and forget all of her worries. Just drop out of school, start taking one of those online home school programs, and forget about the rest of life and live on the island. She was actually convinced that this was the way to go; nothing had ever seemed so spectacular or able to be done.
Dancing in the waves, she silently watched Sora as he sat on a little connected island on that oddly curved tree with the star shaped fruit. He was looking over the ocean, at the main land that seemed so far off. She knew that he was waiting for Riku. She didn't hate Sora for it; Artemis actually understood the situation entirely. He was sitting there, waiting for his once-was friend out of habit, not that he actually expected Riku to show up. Hell, Artemis even understood that she was only there because of Riku's abandonment, because that this group of friends need a replacement for that empty spot in their soul and being that Riku had left behind. The funny thing was, Artemis was fine about all of this. They had chosen her over him, and that was all that mattered.
"Hey, Artemis," Tidus had called out. She turned and looked at him. She hadn't met Tidus up until a couple of hours ago. The only reason that she hadn't met him yet was because he had to take the bus to and from school, and he only had freshman classes and lunches. So did Selphie and Waka. It was all good, though. They had accepted Atremis just as fast as Sora, Kairi, Namine, and Roxas had.
"Yes?" she pondered in a light tone, stopping her dancing in the aves. The water continued to lap around her legs as she stood there. She still couldn't believe that a place like this even existed. Not after what she had been through.
"...You're going to stay, right?" the instant Tidus had asked, Artemis knew what he was really asking. Not that if she was going to stay with them on the island that weekend- her answer to that had been quite clear; his question purely could be translated to "you're not going to leave us like Riku, are you?" He had every right to be cautious. It was probably hard to believe that anyone would ever want to take Riku's place.
"Yes, I am. You have nothing to worry about, Tidus," Artemis assured, looking away from Tidus and out across the open ocean. She could see a small boat making it's way across towards the island, but she disregaurded it; she was too buisy looking at the beauty of the ocean to notice it.
Saturday, October Nineth
Eight thirty, p.m.
Riku was infuriated. What was she doing here? On his island. She was taking his place, his sanctuary, and just about eveything he had valued in his life. Sure, he might have abandond them a little for a moment in time, but now that he realised that this little witch was taking his chance of ever regaining them, he couldn't help but feel jealous and infuriated. Artemis-the name lef a bitter thought in his head- had come here out of the blue, and had taken his entire past from him the very day that her face showed up in his school.
Why were his old friends favoring her so much?Why had they been so quick to defend her, raher then hear the full arguement like they usually would? Now, they practically wouldn't see him anymore, just Artemis. Now that his anger was fully setting in, his old problems of self doubt were flooding in. Pretty soon, all of those happy and peacefull memories that he had with his friends were going to dissapeare and be erased, too. That even his own memories would be raped and taken from him by this abomination named Artemis.
Now, he watched her, looking up at the stars all alone. The others must have been in the tree house already. He could hear their laughter as they countinued to work on their present for Artemis. That's why she was out here all alone; they wanted to make her something, and she was respecting that by staying outside until they were done. What did they see in this girl? She was crude, she had a very dark and morbid scence of living, she treated many people like they were less then the dirt that she walked on, and- as far as Riku was concerned- she didn't give a shit about the rest of the world, so long a she got her way.
"I know you're there, so stop staring at me, you stalker," Artemis called out calmly, not taking her eyes away from the stars. The odd thing was that she didn't have the hate or malace in her voice that she usually had when she talked to him. Did she not realise that it was Riku that she was talking to?
"What are you doing here?" Riku finally seethed. For a moment, he was his old self again; the over protective person that cared for his friend and that didn't smoke or fall easily under the peer presure whenever someone merely looked at him. Riku was, most deffinantly, acting like Riku for this one break in ime.
"Living the life I should have been given before I was forced to re-locate myself far away from where I was raised. You want to take that away from me? Go ahead and try. It's not like you can. You abandond them, Riku. You crushed them to the point where they were just about irreversably fixable. I am only here because they needed a replacement for the whole that you left in their lives. I know I'll never be able to live up to the friend that you once were- not after what I've been through- bu I sure as hell that I'll never, ever do what you did to them. You think of me as some sick freak that only thinks about herself, right? Well, take a gander at yourself for a moment. There you stand, saying that I'm the horrible person when you had abandond your friends, forgot about them, then only started paying attention to them once you saw that someone else was moving in, and now yo'r trying to make that person's life a living hell without hearing their side of the story. People like you really do make me sick. Now, I've said this before, and I'll say it again. No one wants you hear- it's just to painful for them. Drive on," Artemis hissed with a sudden saddened furry. She turned to look at Riku to see his reaction. He had been wrong to think that she had been sitting there all happily- she had been crying, qute clearly, for some time now, due to the fact that her eyeliner had smeared all the way down her face.
If Riku had been in his normal mood- normal being the thing that he had recently turned himself into- he would have laughed at this victory. But he wan't his normal self. He was his old self, the one that actually cared, for the time being. He felt horrid and sick to his stomach. Those last words she had said had actually caused him more pain than he would have ever guessed. His old friends were actually pained by his presents? He could piece it together now; their strained glances whenever he had crossed their path the last month or so. The fact that they would appear to want to try to talk to him, but give up a few moments later. He could really see it now. They needed Artemis, needed her more then he wanted to admit. He and he alone had left them broken, and now what was he doing? Pointing the finger at someone else and acting like he was innoccent and treating Artemis like she was taking away the life he had already lost.
Though, his interest was peaked. He was damaged now, but he wasn't letting that show. What had Artemis meant by what she had been through? By being forced to re-locate? Just what had happened to her that she would get so offended by him not considering what her past had been like.
"I'm not going to answer the question you're about to ask. I'm not aloud to. I would if I could, but I can't," Artemis spoke before his lips could even move. Riku stood there, shocked. What, so now she was a mind reader? Whatever...
Monday, October eleventh
Eight fifteen, a.m.
It had been a week since Artemis had arrived at his school and changed everything to the point that Riku couldn't place his life back together. He stayed away from his 'new friends' for the simple fact that they weren't his friends, and he wasn't the person that he was that previous Friday. The whole scene had changed; he was Riku again, but the only problem was that he couldn't go back to Sora or any of the others. He couldn't because they wouldn't let him back in. Now he understood the rest of what Artemis had told him; he couldn't take his old life back from her not because she wouldn't let him, but because he would have to fight Sora and the others for it, which would be defeating the point entirely.
Riku chanced a glance over at Artemis at this point in time. She had her head tilted towards her desk, her pen flying back and forth across the paper on her desk as she worked diligently. It wasn't until recently that he ha learned that Artemis was actually supposed to be a freshman, but due to the fact that even the freshman honors classes weren't advanced enough for her and the fact that she would be entirely new let her have the opportunity to be in classes that were meant for upperclassmen and sophmore. He was astounded by the things that he learned about this girl, wuite honestly. She most certainly wasn't the adverage person what so ever.
The time clicked by rather quickly that period. Hardly anyone talked now that he suddenly wasn't the center of attention. Everyone picked up really fast that he wasn't the same as he was the previous week. Nothing was. How in the hell had his life gotten so fliped around?
The bell rang, and everyone stood from their seats and left the room. Artemis was just about the only one to hand in her work, other then Riku, of course. Now that he was back to his old self, he actually cared about his grades once more. The teacher had smiled victoriously when he saw that Riku had actually turned his work in; naturally, the teacher noticed more than anyone that Riku had miraculously changed since the arrival of this new girl.
Riku signed saddly. Nothing would ever be the same again.
Monday, October eighteenth
Ten fourty five, a.m
Riku sat on his own at a table near by the one that Artemis usually sat at. Sora, Kairi, Roxas, and Namine were all there already with the same worried expression. Where was Artemis? Riku had somehow managed to pick up that Artemis had left the islands early on saturday afternoon, not letting anyone know where she had gone, why she had left. What was worse was that she didn't turn up for school today. He began to silently worry. What had happened to her? He could faintly recall that conversation that they had had the first weekend she had while living here; she had said that she had a really horrible past. That she had to be re-located here. What if her past had caught up with her?
Riku didn't want to think those thoughts. Whatever had happened, he was sure that it couldn't be that bad, could it? Why was he worrying so much, anyway? Maybe it was because he could finally see Artemis in a new light, her true light, or maybe, just maybe... It was something else. Regret and worry continued to pound down on him like a never ending land slide. He hadn't spoken to Artemis since that weekend on the island, but he could notice subtile differences in how she acted when he reviewed the last few days in his head.
Where was Artemis Stone? What had happened to her?
Friday, October tewnty sixth
Two Fifteen, p.m.
Sora couldn't help but notice that Riku had been walking home like he used to the past week or so. Riku had changed again, noticably. But so had Sora. He wasn't going to trust Riku again like that. There was no way. Not when they still had Artemis, who clearly dispised Riku's very existance. On that sour note, where had Artemis been? Not one of them had caught a single word or sight of Artemis since she left early that one weekend. It still seemed so far off...
That's when he saw it. Not just him, but the rest of his friends, and Riku as well. Something that hadn't been there that morning, something out of place. Artemis' favorite bag was sitting off to the side of the road, just about jammed into the whole in the chain link fence that ran along side of the sidewalk. Riku was the first to get to the black and neon colored bag.
'Sorry. Pick my pieces, okay?' The note attached to her bag was short, and would mean nothing to the adverage person. But Riku knew. He also knew that it was meant for him. Artemis wanted him to pick up where she had left off, for him to be the one to catch their friends when they finally realised that she wouldn't be back anytime soon. Though the message was short, Riku could see that there were several little water marks on the page- yet it clearly hadn't rained any time soon, and the little water stains smelled a little bit like salt.
Stuffing the note into his pocket, Riku turned to see that Sora and his former friends had just caughtup to him. Riku offered a light smile. His return responce was a sharp glare from all of them. With a dismissive sigh, Riku passed of the bag to Sora's possesion, turned and started to walk on. There was no point in even trying anymore if they couldn't actually see him. Was that how they felt when he had started his change? He hoped not.
"Hey, Riku...? You're in a lot of Artemis' classes. Do you... Know where she went?" it sounded like Sora had to just about strangle himself to even speak up. Riku stopped walking, looking over his shoulder. He hadn't even realised how far he had walked away or how loud Sora had to be in order for Riku to even hear him. Riku smothered a pained look and settled for a frown.
"Sorry..." Riku murmured, knowing that they wouldn't hear. If they were lucky, maybe they could read his lips. Not that his responce mattered. They would enterpret anything he did more then that as something else, and then try to point the finger at him for Artemis' dissapearence. That's how obsessed their need for Artemis had gotten. And who had caused it? He had.
Riku began walking away once more, his back still facing Sora and his friends. Sora's glare set on Riku hadn't even faulghtered. Riku was probably jumping for joy at Artemis' sudden dissapearance. By now, Sora wouldn't be surprised if it had been Riku who had provoced this. Even when their friendship had been violently shattered and after Riku's abandonment had clearly left a giant mark, that stupid silver-haired punk wouldn't cut them any slack.Did he enjoy the pain that he still caused? What a fucking sadist.
Friday, November second
Seven twenty three, p.m.
Artemis still had yet to show up to school. Riku's nerves by now were on end. What had happened to her? How could she possibly expect him to pick up her pieces that she left behind when she had left him in pieces? It was purely unsettling. Riku stood back from the croud- there was a really big party being thrown on the mainland's beach and was even being partaken in some of the beachside houses. That's where he was, in one of the beach houses. He had no idea why, but something told him that he needed to be here.
...And this had nothing to deal with the omnious note that had been pined to his front door that day. Not at all... Well, maybe just a little bit...
The scene before him suddenly errupted into what he had been waiting for. Artemis, adorned in a black dress that had a neon pink band over her stomach. Bright neon green fishnet sleeves came off of the dress. To top it of, she wore neon rainbow stockings and extreamly think platformed shoes. Her eyes danced across the faces in the croud mischeviously; somehow, she had missed seeing Riku entirely, and if she had, then se didn't pay him any mind.
Riku watched as Artemis walked up to some other guy- he had no idea who it was, but the guy clearly didn't look as if he were from their school what so ever- and this burning senstion began eating away at the very fiber of his being. Here Artemis was, enjoying her self and clearly the company of that man, while he knew very well that their friends were off somwhere burning up on the inside on her dissapearance.
What a hypocrite. Riku couldn't stand being there anymore. He had the feeling that if he stayed, something horrid would happen, worst of all it would be caused by him. Meandering out and away from the beach house, he made his way towards the docks. He would go to the islands tonight, despite the fact that he knew Sora and the others would be there. He just didn't care anymore. He needed to tell them the truth about this little skank that had assumed the possition of their 'friend'. He was pretty sure that he had seen Artemis walk up to another man before he left... The burning sensation began again, and Riku litteraly choaked back a sob. What was wih him? Was it the fact that he had truely believe that this girl could just come in, take his place, win, and then give up that spot just to watch his torture. Artemis really was a sadist. A stupid, hypocritical, sadist bitch.
Of course, there was no one to greet him at the dockat the islandlike there would have been if it were still August. Sora and the others were probably in the giant tree house by now, anyway. At least they weren't waiting for Artemis to show up. Maybe they had given up on her like they had given up on him. With that thought lurking in his mind, a realization hit him the moment that he startedwalking across the sand. Everything suddenly pieced together for him.
The entire time, Artemis had been toying with him. The sadistic smirk that she had the day that she had realised how to pick at his armor. It had happened by chance, but that didn't mean anything. Artemis would have found a way to plug herself right into Riku's nervous system, even if Sora hadn't introduced himself to her that faitful day. Taking his place, making him feel less then the dirt he walked on, and then leaving. But, the horrible thing was that she had done this all, the exact same thing that he had done, to Sora, Kairi, Roxas, and Namine without them hating her later. She had abandond them just as he had, yet they still irrivocably and irriversably loved her. She had won again, and she had done it without even trying all that hard.
Riku was willing to bet that Artemis hadn't even gone through anything horrible in her entire life. She was truely scum, the worst type of person that could ever walk the earth. She thrived on people's pain, thinking that everyone's life was just a toy to leave in a trash heap once it was broken. Well, she had accomplished her job; There Riku stood- broken, tattered, friendless, burning, and wanting to just stop this whole attempt he was forcing himself to put up just to live through the next day.
With another sickening twist of his stomach and that burning sensation increasing triple-fold, Riu finally pieced together just why Artemis had bothered him so much. She was a fraud and he knew it, yet... He, like Sora, Kairi, Roxas, Namine, Waka, Tidus, and Selphie, was irrivocably and irriversably in love with this girl hat had just taken all that he had ever had that was worth living for.
Saturday, November third
twelve ten, a.m.
Riku was still on the island. None of the others had to seem to notice him there. If they had, then they were just avoiding him and leaving him be. No matter how much anyone did to another person, it was obious where the breaking line was, and Riku was far past it. It helped that his old friends were kind people, meaning that they were likely to leave him be for a very long time. Maybe that was for the better.
"Hey..." came a murmured greating. The voice was soft, sensitive, and seemed a tad bit fragile at the moment. Regaurdless, Riku knew who it was. Artemis. Wasn't it enough that she had taken everything away from him? Did she want to be the cause of Riku's very own dissapearing act?
"Go away, Artemis," Riku seethed. It was an amazement that he could still even call up his voice. The burning sensation came back, worse then the last time. Artemis sighed deeply walking closer to him and sat next to him on the curve of the Poupou tree.
"That's not my name..." Artemis' voice was barely a whisper. Had it not been for the fact that she was sitting right next to him, Riku was positive that the noise of the distant waves would have drownd out her voice.
"Really now? Should I add that lie to the list of that you've seemed to have created?" Riku's voice was a lot crueler then he had intended. Artemis had flinched from where she sat. Riku risked a glance at her. That burning sensation was tearing him up from the inside. Damn his guilt. How in the hell could she manage such a pained face like that? It's not like she should feel and remorse from what she's done. He was willing to bet that she was incapable of even feeling true remorse.
"I never lied, and Artemis isn't my name.." Her voice sounded more like she were breathing rather than saying anything.
"And would you like to tell me your real name?"
"I can't. I'm not aloud to. You weren't supposed to be therelast night..." Artemis had changed the subject like it were a blink of an eye. He knew what she was talking about. The party...
"Sure I wasn't. And I'm willing to be that you weren't the one that tacked the note to my door that that's where you'd be," his sarcasm dripped off of his voice like the venom that made the bite that much more deadly. Artemis looked just about ready to start crying. His guilt started eating away at him again, just like the burning feeling.
"It wasn't me... Not entirely, at least..." Riku could see it now. Her remorse and regret were starting to tear him up just like it was doing to her. From the corner of his eye, he could se a tear ripple down her cheak. "You remember how you used to joke me about being crazy?" Riku eyed her suspiciously. She couldn't even look up at him.
"Yeah, so?" Riku mused cautiously.
"You weren't wrong... I've been considered clinicly 'troubled' person since I was deemed so at the age of ten. My main problem is skitzophenia, the other odd quirks about be are several other small things. I never said anything because I knew one day it would arrise and take over, but I didn't want my friends to worry about me. My condition is the reason why I had to be trasphered, the reason that I haven't shown up to school in so long," Artemis whispered out. It was like she couldn't even bring her voice above this whisper. At about this time, Riku wanted to shoot himself. All of those things he had thought about her...
"Why should I trust your word now?" was the only thing that colud even be sputtered from his lips. Artemis' tears fell faster.
"I want you to, but... Don't trust me, Riku. I don't diserve it. Don't trust me," she whispered, more to herself then to him. Se was just about hugging herself while resisting from full out sobbing by this point. Little by little, as Riku watched Artemis tear herself up about something that was out of her controll, he was falling appart from all of the things that he had thought about her. That he had ever said about her...
"I'm sorry," Riku began, not being able to stop himself, " I want to believe you; I want to do as you say. I just can't. Not any more. You were right from day one. The world most likely wold be better off with me dead, and maybe no one wants me around after all." Riku paused for a moment. Aremis looked up at him, eyeliner streaming down her face once agian.
"Riku..."
"I'm not the one that diserves trust. I abandond my friends because I wanted to. You did it because that's what you had to do, to keep them safe from hurting... Unlike me, you regaurded nothing." Riku paused again. What was he saying? "I do trust you, Artemis. It's... It's myself that I don't trust anymore."
A moment of silence erupted. He stared at Artemis, she stared back. That burning feeling had just about eaten him numb. There was no longer any movement; not a blink, not an intake of breath, nothing.
"Pick up my pieces, will you?" Artemis questioned as she stood to her feet, suddenly not crying anymore. She was going to leave him again. She was going to turn her back and turn Riku into a person that couldn't subside his sorrow any longer.
"Not until you've picked up mine," Riku shot back, his mood changing to a furious one. He stood up and caught Artemis' arm before she could walk away. Not that she would. Her attention was now directed at Riku. Her eyeliner had been smeared all the way down her face, and her whole stance just looked so fragile. Yet, her face was strong, composed, and built up into a glare fixed on Riku. He glared back.
"Cheater," Artemis accused, tossing in a playful smile and a sniffle. At these words, Riku's burning feeling went away and evaporated entirely. She as going to stay. Not for Sora's sake or Kairi's sake or for anyone else's sake. She was staying for him
"Look who's talking," Riku teased back. He was himself again, fully. No grieving regret for the loss of the life he had; he had a new future, so long as Artemis stayed. He understood why Sora and his former friends cared about her so much. She was like an irrisitable drug that was impossible to get off of, that only got stronger the longer she was around. By now, if she were to leave for good, Riku honestly have considered a suicidal way out of this. He needed her now.
"...You can let go of my arm now..." Artemis murmured. A blush flashed on her face. The look in Riku's eyes said he wasn't letting go any time soon. It felt all to natural by this point; they both leaned in at once, eyese closed. That burning moment of passion that only lasted a moment. Then, their moment of sanctuary fell away when the moved appart for air. But their safe haven stayed. Neither noticed the sudden calls from Sora and Kairi, whom had finally noticed that they were there.
"...You're going to stay right?" Riku pondered. Desperation tweeked at his voice. Artemis smiled in a nolstalgic way at the question. Though, her current expression clearly said 'Don't trust me, Riku' as she pulled herself closer.
"Of course. What'd you think I was going to do?" They pulled together again.
From the beach as they watched, Sora and Kairi's expressions changed to astonishment.Their haze lifted. They saw Riku- and actually saw him, not the mess that he had been the past few months- and they saw Artemis for what she really was. Not the purfict little thing that they had been seeing, but the devistating, phsycotic force that the rest of the world saw. They exchanged a glance. What could this possibly mean?
Tuesday, November sixth
seven fifteen, a.m.
Artemis had dissapeared again. She hadn't been to school the day before, like today. Only, Riku wasn't at school either. He hadn't seen her since Sunday- she had spent some rather memorable time with him, which won't be mentioned any further- but he had known before then that something was wrong. He knew he should have listened to her. Don't trust me, she had said.If only he weren't so stubborn...
Unlike before, Riku knew why Artemis had dissapeared, and where she dissapeared to. She was in the hospital. The instant Riku had found out, he left the school. He went and stood by her bedside, trying to calm her as he watched her silently writhe in pain. It was torturous. He could feel him dying a little on the inside as each pounding realization hit him.
Artemis wasn't going to come back this time. Ever. She was going to leave him again, but this time there was no way she was going to be back. Artemis Stone- his Artemis- would be gone before Tuesday morning rolled by. Less then a day did he have with her. It came to soon, then end. What pained him the most were her last words. It had been six fifty in the afternoon on Monday. Artemis was panting lightly inbetween one of her fits of pain. Riku's hand was wrapped tightly around her's, as if it were the only thing that was keeping her there with him.
"I love you, Riku..." Artemis had panted out, looking adoringly at the silver haired person that sat at her side. It was the first and only time that Riku had seen her magnificent eyes without being surrounded by eyeliner. Regaurdless, they were just as piercing and lovely without the eyeliner. Riku had even commented about that. "Don't trust me..."
And that was it. Before Riku could reply, Artemis was hit with a surge of pain that was delivered directly to her brain. Riku paniced, choakig on his words as he watched Artemis wriggle in his arms, which were now around him.
"I love you too, Artemis..." Riku whispered. He was pulled away by doctors desperate to save the poor girl. His hand was torn away from her's, and he was whisked out of the room, but not before he heard Artemis' scream of pain. It was over. He knew that he wouldn't see his Artemis alive again. Ever. She was in the process of leaving him...
But he wasn't going to let her leave without him. The thought had seemed so simple, so complete; if she was going, then there was no point anymore. His friends didn't trust him, he didn't trust himself... If she was leaving- and he knew that she was- then he would, too.
That's why Riku hadn't shown up to school the next morning. Why he had dissapeared. The entire school seemed in remorse. Two students lost to fate in one night. What were the odds that it would happen to be Riku and Artemis? Everyone was in pain now, but it would blow over by the end of the year. No one would remember them, with the exeption of the handfull of students who would tell of Artemis and Riku's story for decades.
So, in a way, Artemis and Riku had never actually ever dissapeared. To Sora and the gang, they were still very much around. They would not be forgotten. They would stay. In a world that they had caused to go corrupt around themselves, they could finally could trust eachother.
