Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return

Sora selected Kairi's name on the list and called her, putting the phone up to his ear. They needed to do this convincingly if Riku was going to make it out of this alive. The man had no clue that they could communicate silently, so he was definitely going to use that to his advantage.

 

Kairi heard her phone begin to ring and found it sitting on her bed. Lying on her stomach, she grabbed it and brought it to her ear, having noticed the caller ID. "Hello?" she said, a small smile on her face at the name that had appeared on her phone. It was always good to hear from him, even if they had just seen each other.

 

The sound of happiness in Kairi's voice made Sora hesitate for a second. But he pushed through that fear and forced the words to leave his lips. "Kairi? We need to talk," he said, having a hard time starting the conversation. "Don't take anything I'm saying verbally to heart," he told her through his heart. "Please...just follow my lead, even if you don't understand."

 

Kairi felt nervous at the words spoken through the phone, her happiness dimming at the tone of voice Sora took on. But once she heard him through her heart, she was even more confused. At the same time, though, she was a little comforted, as strange as that was. "Okay..." she said, her voice naturally uneasy in this kind of situation.

 

Sora swallowed hard, forcing his eyes closed. "We have to break up," he said softly, his voice sounding defeated. "I'm being forced to do this," he silently told her. "Please, just act like it's for real, but know that it's not."

 

Kairi swallowed at the words, both verbally spoken and spiritually recited to her. "But...why?" she asked, going along with the act. "Did I do something wrong?" Her voice was showing her devastation at the topic, but she knew it was fake. Sora was even telling her so. "What's going on?" she asked through her heart, still confused as to why he was doing this.

 

"No!" Sora said aloud, sounding a bit more harsh than he meant. Even if this wasn't for real, he was having a hard time inflicting the damage. "It's not you, it's me," he said softly. "I'm being watched, and you could be too," he said. "You have to go to Roxas and Namine. When you're with them, safe and alone, I'll explain to all of you."

 

Despite the fact that this whole thing was fake, Kairi still flinched at Sora's higher tone. "Sora..." she said softly, her voice showing emotion. By what he was telling her, she really was frightened, and hopefully--if she was being watched--that fear came off as more of sadness than fright. "Now?" she wondered spiritually.

 

"I just can't be with you right now," Sora said softly, bringing up his free hand to his face. He rubbed his fingers over his temple in anger and sadness, his eyes closing once more. "Yes," he responded.

 

Kairi hesitated getting up for a second, knowing that if she was being watched, she had to play this out naturally. She sat on the side of her bed, motionless and speechless for a minute. But she was really communicating with Sora through her heart. "I'll go there now," she told him. "I'll let you know as soon as I get there." Kairi pushed herself up from her bed and walked out of her room, running a hand through her hair to make this look believable. "I just...can't believe this," she said aloud.

 

"You have to believe it, because that's how this is," Sora forced himself to say, his teeth gritted slightly. He was having a very hard time doing this; he hoped that none of his verbal words were hurting her in anyway. But there was no way to tell. Not now, anyway. "Keep your eyes open," he warned her. "But don't look suspicious. Hide your face if you can, like you've been crying."

 

Kairi went down the stairs, heading straight for the door. She did as Sora instructed, bringing her free hand to her face. "Sora... If I did something, please tell me," she begged. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her mother and father watching her.

"Kairi, dear?" her mother called, but Kairi shook her head, walking out the front door without a word.

When the door shut behind her, Kairi bit her lip and lowered her head as she started walking along the road, making her way to Roxas's. Namine was most likely there with him, since she and Sora had walked with them that far.

 

"Why do you keep asking me that? I told you it's me, not you," Sora said, making himself sound overly frustrated. "Please forgive me," his heart whispered. "I love you...so much." He was hardly able to keep up this charade because he was so upset. He hated putting Kairi in this position, and he hated that he had been forced into this situation all together. But for Riku's sake, he'd keep up this charade.

 

Kairi was stunned by what she was hearing, but what she was feeling in her heart made her feel differently. "Sorry..." she said weakly, turning a corner and bringing a hand to her mouth to keep this whole thing going smoothly. "I love you too," she responded. "And it's not your fault. Just be careful, whatever's going on." She was still slightly confused, but she knew that once she reached Roxas's she would hear the whole story.

 

Sora opened his eyes and leaned back into the couch, feeling weak from the emotional stress he was putting himself and Kairi through. "Maybe someday, you'll understand," he said verbally. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure I'm not in a huge amount of danger. Some, but not a lot," he told her honestly, trying to sooth her fears.

 

Kairi nodded, at both statements she was hearing. "I guess...this is goodbye," she said softly, walking toward Roxas's house. He was only a block away from where she was now, so she didn't have that much farther to go. "Okay," she replied with her heart. "But still... Be safe."

 

"Goodybe," Sora said suddenly, snapping his cell phone shut. However, the communication with him and Kairi was far from over."I will; I promise," he said to her, feeling a pang of warmth inside him. "Everything's going to be alright." At least, he hoped they would, anyway.

 

Kairi pulled the phone away from her ear and pressed a button, ending the call. She closed her eyes as she walked, knowing that there was no one around her she could possibly run into. "I believe you," she told Sora gently. She opened her eyes and turned another corner, closer to Roxas's. "I'm on Roxas's street. I'll be there in a few minutes."

 

Sora fought the urge to nod at Kairi's words, in fear that somehow the action would be misinterpreted by watching eyes. Honestly, he had no clue what to expect from whoever was holding Riku. For now, he just had to play along with him and be a pawn...The thought disgusted him, making his eyebrows furrow over his blue orbs. "Okay," he responded simply.

 

Kairi saw Roxas's house a few houses down and she continued along, lowering her head a little in case she was being watched as Sora had said. In a minute she reached the home, and she wandered up to the door, ringing the doorbell.

Roxas turned around slightly from his place in the kitchen, having been leaning against the counter and talking to Namine. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, simultaneously glancing at the clock. He hadn't been expecting someone this late. However, Roxas proceeded to walk toward the door. When he opened it, his eyes grew slightly at the sight of the person before him. "Kairi?"