Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return

Once she was done tying it, Namine turned back to h er dog, who looked a bit sad. "Sorry," she whispered again, leaning down to give the wet pooch one last kiss on the head. She then turned her head and saw that Roxas was waiting for her. She hesitantly looked at her dog one last time before rising to her feet.

 

Roxas saw how upset Namine seemed at leaving her dog outside. Maybe I'll bring him in later, the boy thought, his eyes on Ty. He kept his arm out, holding the door open for the blonde girl rising to her feet. Roxas's bright eyes glanced out toward the streets, rain pouring down and falling from the roof, making it a little harder to see. There was a flash of lightning, followed by a rumble of thunder.

 

Namine looked out at the rumble of thunder, seeing some lightning out of the corner of her eye a few moments before that. Okay, she thought nervously. Enough is enough; it's time to go inside. She walked past Roxas and entered the house, giving him a weak smile as she went past him.

 

Once Namine passed, Roxas smiled lightly and glanced back at Ty. He would most likely be able to come inside later; Roxas didn't mind. The boy followed the girl inside, shutting the door behind him.

 

Namine lightly crossed her arms, warmth flooding her body. It may have gotten cooler outside, but the house was still a little bit warmer than the outside world. And besides, it wasn't pouring rain on them now. Her eyes wandered for a brief moment before she looked back over at Roxas.

 

Roxas put a hand against the wall, beginning to slip off his shoes. He looked up to see what was causing the feeling arousing within him, like somebody was watching. His eyes found Namine, and he wasn't surprised or offended that she was looking at him. He offered her a smile, running a hand through his damp and darkened, yet still messy, hair. "Make yourself at home," he softly suggested, walking past her to turn on a light in the house.

 

Namine smiled softly, hearing kindness behind Roxas's voice. "Thank you," she said quietly. She knelt down slightly, untying her converse sneakers, which were completely soaked. After taking off the first shoe, she moved onto the second, untying it and setting it next to the other against the wall before putting a hand on the wall to help her rise to her feet.

 

Roxas flipped the switch in the foyer, illuminating the small area. He then moved on to the thermostat nearby, checking the temperature. It was summer vacation, and it wasn't normal for somebody to turn on the heat. But he and Namine were soaked head to toe, and were freezing, so it was only natural to want to get warm.

 

Namine stood up again, eyes wandering slightly. The place looked extremely familiar. Almost like it was her home--A cold drip of water on the back of her neck distracted her, making her shiver. She folded her arms, looking down at the ground. How was it so cold now? The only explanation was the cold water, since the house itself wasn't too cool.

 

Roxas glanced at Namine, before smiling softly. "Be right back," he called gently, turning and exiting the foyer and entering the hallway, heading toward the bathroom. He was soaking wet, and so was she. It was time to dry off.

 

Namine looked up when Roxas left, the girl only getting a brief glimpse of him before he disappeared. Her eyes started to wander again, seeing a picture of herself, Sora, Kairi and Roxas at the park. Apparently we used to hang out there a lot, she mused, starting toward the framed photograph.

 

Roxas took a left into the bathroom, grabbing two clean towels hanging up. Halfway out of the bathroom, he stopped. He looked behind him, seeing that there were now some traces of him being in there, water on the tile floor. He needed to change.

 

Namine stopped right in front of the picture, soft blue eyes inspecting every detail. It was a sunny day at the park, and she was standing to the right and Kairi to the left. What was in the middle was what really caught her attention, though. Sora and Roxas were standing there, and Roxas had Sora in a headlock. It was clear to Namine that everyone in the picture had been laughing at the time.

 

Roxas left the bathroom, heading back the way he came to return to the foyer. He turned the corner, entering the small area. He came to a silent halt, pausing when he saw Namine gazing at something. He slowly started to approach her, and when he got close enough, he realized what she was looking at. Roxas stopped, standing beside her as he too stared at the framed picture. A smile came to his face at the memory, the boy holding back a chuckle at the hold he had on Sora.

 

Namine tilted her head slightly, confused. She didn't remember that picture at all, but it seemed like something she should have recalled. She bit her lip lightly. Dang memory loss...it was leaving her so lost. All those people int he picture...they really were her best friends. She could just tell.

 

Roxas let his eyes linger to the girl on the right side of the photo: Namine. He smiled slightly in recollection of how she had been that day--happy, carefree, energetic, loving, gentle, and kind. All the things she was. Or used to be. The boy felt his lips turn down into a frown. He really needed to get rid of the negative thoughts; they weren't helping anything. It was true, though--Namine wasn't the same as she had been that day. She...his Namine...wasn't here anymore.

 

Namine stared at the picture, trying desperately to remember. But she couldn't...she just couldn't do it. No matter how badly she wanted to regain her memories, she knew that she couldn't force them to come back. She shivered, both because of the cold and sadness.

 

Roxas blinked, hard. This was no time to dwell on the past and the predicament they were all in at this point. He turned his head to gaze at the girl beside him. "Here," he finally said, his voice soft. He held out one of the towels to her, knowing that she was just as wet as he was.

 

Namine blinked, finally turning away from the picture. Her eyes wandered down from Roxas's eyes to the towel that he had in his hand. She extended a hand, gently taking it from him. "Thank you," she said softly, looking the towel it in her hand for a moment. She was still wrapped up in her thoughts, trying to recall what had happened the day the photo had been taken.

 

Roxas smiled a little, looking down at the girl before him. But after a second's silence, he glanced at the picture once more. However, he decided not to look at it for long. Instead, Roxas turned around and headed for his room, approaching the stairs nearby.