Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return

Namine sucked in a breath, looking up at Roxas on the stage when he started the bridge of his song. Everything was connecting for her..."everything" meaning the depth of her relationship with Roxas. It was even closer than she had originally thought. And now, knowing what she knew through the song he was singing now and the memory she had just recalled, she felt overwhelmed. I can't handle this, she thought, her eyes starting to get a little moist.

 

"You can come to me...
Tellin' you it's alright, hey-yeah
Sharin' the smiles, sharin' the smiles babe
Sharin' the smiles, babe!
Let me be the one
Lovin' you when you're weak
For all of the strength you need,
you can come to me..."

Roxas opened his eyes to glance at the girl he loved, catching her expression and looking down at his guitar as he continued to play.

 

Namine shook her head slightly, keeping her tears down. Her eyes were only damp; her vision was still clear. She turned to look at Sora and Kairi, who were looking at Roxas as he performed. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I have to go," she silently rose from her feet and started out, first slowly, and then walking more quickly toward the exit.

Sora turned at Namine's words, the teen not even getting a chance to respond. His concerned and confused blue orbs followed Namine's movements, but he made didn't try anything to stop her.

 

Kairi glanced at Namine, the look in her eyes full of worry and concern. She then turned back to Roxas, who was still playing, completely oblivious that the girl he cared for was leaving.

Roxas closed his eyes, lifting his mouth to the microphone as he sang.

"Whenever you need me, ah
Whenever you need me, girl
Whenever you need me, ah
Oh, I'll be there..."

 

Namine felt like people were staring at her as she weaved her way through the tables. Now, no mater how hard she had tried to keep her emotions inside, she was visually upset. A single tear slid down her cheek, but she wiped it away as she set a hand on the door.

 

Roxas opened his eyes to glance at the girl he loved, but when she wasn't there, his eyes danced around until he found her near the door.

"Whenever you need me, ah
Whenever you need me, girl
Whenever you need me, ah
Oh, I'll be there..." he continued, his eyes on her. He couldn't stop midsong, even though he was almost done.

 

Namine pushed open the door and turned to the right, heading toward the park. At first, she was just walking quickly, but then it turned into a run. She couldn't say where she was going for sure...she just needed to get away. Not from Roxas or her friends, that was an unfortunate side-effect of her panic. She needed to get away from the crazy emotions swelling in her heart. And somehow, she hoped running would make those feelings disappear.

Sora looked up at Roxas, who was still singing. But seeing where his gaze was now, Sora knew that he saw Namine leaving. However, his facial expression didn't show distress, which was good for the rest of the people still enjoying the song.

 

Roxas looked down at the guitar in his hands, finishing off.

"Just reach out, reach out, reach out for me..." he sang, voice fading. He strummed a few more chords, the song coming to an end with a final strum of the guitar strings. Looking back up, Roxas noticed how the people inside the cafe were smiling at him, and they soon started clapping. He smiled shyly, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his head. But really, he was worried, his eyes darting from the door to his friends.

Despite what just happened, Kairi applauded Roxas's performance with a smile. He did great, and really put his heart out there.

 

Sora applauded along with the rest of the cafe--Roxas really had done a great job with his performance. It was just a shame how it had to end....Once the brunet met Roxas' gaze, he subtly motioned to the door with his head, as if to say "go get her." Sora was worried, but he was sure Roxas felt much worse than he did.

Namine pushed her way through the crowd, sometimes accidentally bumping into people. Her feet led her to the park, the place she had been yesterday. She slowed her run and stopped by a tree, putting a hand on the trunk as she breathed heavily. It wasn't only from running, she was also worked up over the memory she had recalled. Roxas...the two of them were much closer than she thought. And just catching a glimpse of how in love they were made her feel completely overwhelmed.

 

Roxas nodded at Sora, then turned back to the audience. "Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!" he said, waving, before jumping off the stool and setting the guitar back on its stand. He then went to the side of the stage closest to him, quickly getting off and weaving through the tables to reach the door.

Kairi's smile slowly faded as she watched Roxas rush through the cafe. She was concerned, but she knew that he and Namine would figure it out without any interference from her or Sora.

 

Namine exhaled silently, slowly moving away from the tree. Where she had been standing, everyone could see her facial expression. So she moved forward and sat on the edge of a ledge by a pond, where people could only see her backside.

Sora kept his eyes on Roxas as he headed off the stage, but he didn't look at his friend when he exited the building. That would probably bring more attention to Roxas if everyone saw him leaving, and Sora knew that neither of them wanted that. So it would be better for him not to draw attention to his friend.

 

Roxas put his hand on the door and left the cafe, taking a few steps outside. He looked left and right, not sure which way Namine went. He looked back to the right, staring in that direction with furrowed eyebrows. Something was telling him to go that way, and Roxas had learned to trust his gut feeling, so he did what it told him. He started that way, his pace picking up into a jog when he didn't see the girl anywhere within his sight.

Once the boy was gone, Kairi looked down at the table. She hoped things worked out; it was sad seeing this happen to her two friends.

 

Namine sniffled, and leaned forward, elbows resting on her legs. She brought her hands to the side of her face, thinking again. What came over me that I ran out of the cafe? Of course I still don't feel alright, but you were hoping to show your friends you were okay! The girl furrowed her brows, a frown appearing on her face. I feel like such an idiot...

 

Roxas jogged down the street, dodging people with people also avoiding him when they saw him running along the sidewalk. ...Where is she? he wondered, coming to a stop near the corner of a street. His head of spikes turned in different directions looking for any sign of the girl.

 

I want things to be alright, Namine thought. Not just for me, but for all my relationships. My friends...Roxas...I want things to be the way they used to be. I don't know what that is, but it was good. Namine bit down on her lip; now she knew just how much Roxas was sacrificing by not forcing their relationship on her. It must have hurt him a lot...

 

Roxas noticed the park a little ways down the street. Could she be there? he thought. He made up his mind anyway, jogging toward his new destination. It was the second place they all hung out at, so it was worth a shot.

 

Namine sat upright again and brought up her hands, wiping at the last of her tears. She didn't have a right to cry when she was the one causing Roxas pain...but...that logic didn't sit well with her. She was a victim here too; she had lost her memory somehow, and now she was confused and lost a lot of the time. She sighed softly, closing her eyes as a soft breeze shifted her hair. I'm so lost in all this...

 

Roxas cut across the street when there weren't any cars nearby, reaching the grass of the park. He ran across it for a few seconds until he slowed, coming to a stop as his bright eyes darted around the sunlit area. She has to be here somewhere...

 

Namine exhaled silently, the breeze picking up slightly. It blew her long blond hair off to the side a little bit, but she didn't bother fixing it. She brought two fingers up to her temple, her soft blue eyes staying closed. Where do I go from here? she wondered. Obviously things can't stay the same with Roxas now that I know more about what we had. And I want to be with him, I really do, but...

 

Namine? Roxas's eyes widened slightly when he saw her, catching his attention. She was sitting near the pond, her back to him. He was sure that was her--the right length and shade of hair, the brown jacket she had been wearing... The boy started toward her location in silence, concern already in his eyes.