Car Pool

A/N Middle school and high school students are taught in the same building, since the island is so small.

Sora sighed in his sleep, burring his head into Riku’s warm chest. Riku’s eyes shot open in surprise. But seeing that it was only Sora, he smiled and closed his eyes again. He didn’t mind, that his best friend was using him as a pillow.

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Raine walked into Sora’s room, her eyes going to the two snuggling boys. Aw, how cute. "Sora," Raine whispered. "Riku."

Both boys grumbled, not wanting to get out of bed. "Five more minutes, Mrs. Leonheart," Riku muttered.

Raine smiled, "sorry, no can do. And Riku, don’t call me that." Raine shook her head. She’d known Riku ever since he was born and he still called her that. "Get up."

"Mumidunwana," Sora mumbled. For the first time, since he was woken up, by his mothers voice, Sora realized he was snuggled against Riku’s side. He blushed deeply, and rolled over. Sora sighed. Now he was cold.

Riku smirked. "What was that," he asked, now fully awake? Riku set up, clutching the covers to his chest. Riku’s aquamarine eyes swam over Sora’s small form, and he frowned. The boy was red again. He always seemed to be red. Was he getting sick? Did he have a fever? Riku hoped not.

Sora grabbed his pillow out from under his head and clutched it to his face. "I said: Mom, I don’t wanna."

Smiling, Riku grabbed the pillow off Sora. "Well you’re awake, so you might as well get up, ne?"

Groaning, Sora set up, "fine. Never can get my way," he muttered, throwing his legs over the edge of his bed.

"I wish I could let you get your way," Raine said, having heard Sora’s quiet remark, "but you two have school. A whole new school year. Yay, fun!"

"Says you." Sora stood up, and went to his bathroom. "I’ll take the first shower. Then you can have a turn," he told Riku.

"Sounds good," Riku said, lying back down.

"Better not fall back asleep," Raine warned. "Car pull will be here in one hour and you don’t want to make them late."

Riku nodded, "no worries . . . er Raine."

"Now was that so hard," Raine laughed. "You are like my own son, so it’s weird you calling me Mrs. Leonheart."

"Wow, thank you," Riku said, feeling his heart burst. "I think of you guys as family too." It wasn’t like his own family were really there for Riku. Sure Sephiroth was, and Lulu was too, when she was home, but his dad was awful toward him, and his mom never stood up for him.

But what Aura Awayuki didn’t know, was that her husband constantly beat her youngest. Riku didn’t talk about it so nobody knew. Ansem had been away for about a month on business, so Riku was in pretty good shape, but it would surly change, now that he was home.

Raine smiled, patting the silver-haired boy on the head. "We all feel that way about you kiddo."

"Why do I have to volunteer," Cloud whined? Cloud was acting very childish for his 21 years, but he wasn’t a morning person, and didn’t like the fact that Rin rudely woke him and told him he had to car pull the island kids to school.

"It’s my turn this week, but I have a new job. So you have to take over my weeks." Rin had finally landed the job of his dreams. He now was one of the islands few reporters. Not that much was going on on the island, but you never knew when something would pop up. And Rin loved to write.

"Why did you volunteer in the first place?"

Rin rolled his eyes, "Really Cloud! Kairi needed a way to school, and the other parents and I formed this car pool. It’d be rude to not hold up my in." Rin smirked, "our in, since now I’m working mornings and you’re free."

Sighing, Cloud nodded. He wasn’t really selfish, and he didn’t really mind. It was just that he had been woken from a good dream. A dream that happened to be about a certain brooding dark-haired teen.

"Good, so you’ll do it! Great! Thanks a lot, Cloud." Rin grabbed his laptop off the table and put the strap around his shoulder. "I need to go." Rin handed Cloud a small notebook. "That has the names and addresses of the people in the car pool."

Cloud nodded and opened the book.

"Bye, be good."

Rin chuckled and left the house.

Looking at the book, Cloud read the names.

"Yeow," Tidus yelled. The car horn startled him, making him trip over his own two feet. "Dad, car pool is here. I’m leaving!"

A drunken grunt was the only reply Tidus got.

Tidus sighed and walked out his front door, running and hopping in the seat behind the driver’s side.

"Oh," Tidus said, surprised at seeing Cloud and not Rin, "you’re taking us?"

Nodding, Cloud started the van, "yep, Rin’s got a new morning job, so I’m taking his place."

Tidus smiled, feeling happy. "Oh, good for him. Hey Kairi."

Kairi looked behind her from the front seat, "hey Tidus."

"He won’t," Cloud said, sounding confused?

Laughing, Tidus hopped out of the van, "no, he lives in the basement, and you don’t hear much sound from outside the basement."

Kairi nodded, agreeing with Tidus.

"Oh, well hurry up. We still have a few more we need to pick up."

Tidus nodded, and ran up the sidewalk to the door. He knocked and waited for someone to answer.

A disheveled redhead answered the door. He looked like he was just woken. "What ya want?"

"Is Wakka ready," Tidus asked?

"Oy, Wakka," Chappu yelled. Of course Wakka couldn’t hear him.

"I’ll go get him." Tidus said.

Chappu nodded and stepped aside, letting him in.

Going to the basement door, Tidus opened it, and went down the steep steps coming to another door at the bottom. He lightly tapped the door.

The door opened and Wakka smiled brightly, seeing Tidus on the other side. "We’re here to pick you up."

"Right," Wakka grabbed his book bag and followed Tidus back up the stairs.

Cloud followed the directions and soon pulled up to the one story house. Yuffie must of been watching from the door, because as soon as he shut off the van, she came running out of the house.

Jumping in the van, she smiled at everyone. "Gee thanks for the ride," she said.

"No problemo," Cloud started the van again and drove off.

Sephiroth settled down next to the dark-haired girl, who introduced herself as Yuffie, "he spent the night at Sora’s."

"Right," Cloud looked at the house next to Sephiroth’s. "Kairi, wanna run over there and get them?"

Kairi nodded, and opened her door. "Sure," she said. She then sprinted over to Sora’s and rang the door bell.

Raine opened to door, and smiled. "Oh, hey Kairi. RIKU, SORA! CAR POOL IS HERE," she yelled. "Squall!"

The three teens came walking out of the kitchen, grabbing their school things.

"Bye mom," Sora said, kissing her on the cheek.

Squall waved bye, and walked out the door. He slowly made his way to the van, his eyes on the ground.

Raine smiled at Sora and put her head close to his ear, "something is on his mind. Try and figure out what, and see if you can help him."

Sora rolled his eyes, "like he’ll tell anyone."

Raine shrugged, "you never no. Goodbye Sora, bye Riku, Kairi."

Saying bye the teens made their way to Cloud’s van.

"We will!" Selphie jumped out of the van and pulled Kairi’s door open. She grabbed Kairi and yanked her out. "Seventh grade, here we come!"

Kairi giggled, and let herself be dragged to the front doors.

"Keep an eye on those two," Cloud looked at Yuffie, "and Yuffie too. Their first day in a new school. You remember how it is."

Everyone nodded, and climbed out of the van.

Chapter 9