I've been reading a lot of AU high school setting fanfiction lately for this game and I found a recurring theme that I'd like to place more emphasis on. Thus, a fic about a high school romance of a different and much more adult nature was born. It's a fic in which the students are extras, and the faculty are the main cast...



Chapter One

...Recollections...

The rain tapped gently upon the window of a small apartment in the city of Luca, where a young woman was humming to herself as she packed the last of her belongings into boxes. Never in a thousand years did she think she'd be so willing to leave the city she had been so anxious to move to as a child. Of course, back than she was different. She had dreamt of becoming a famous singer and marrying a blitz star. More specifically, a man like Jecht – who was of course, retired now – with their only complaints being of their lack of privacy.

She chuckled to herself. How she'd idolized him. What a dreamer she had been. Her dreams of course, had come true in a much different way, but she often thought it was better this way.

Unable to land an agent and make the scene as she'd anticipated, she had to find some way to garner a stable income until she hit it big. So, one evening as she was reading the "intent to evict" notice she found taped to her door, a motivation washed over her and she ran down into the streets.

Five gil later, she was standing on the sidewalk, scanning the classifieds desperately. The ad practically smacked her in the face.

"Teacher needed for high school arts programs. Music, drama, dance and visual art knowledge a must. Teacher's degree required. Call..."

Her mind wandered while her legs mindlessly carried her to a nearby payphone. She had long since lost her phone service. Dropping in a single gil, she absently dialled the number in front of her and waited, holding her breath until someone answered.

"Luca high school, how can I help you?" said a woman's voice.

"Hi, my name is Lenne and I'm calling about the teaching position."

"Thank you for your interest. Please hold while I patch you through to the principal's office."

Moments later a gruff voice greeted her and she reintroduced herself and her intention. The conversation went swimmingly until he asked, "And what teacher's college did you attend?"

She froze. She had never been to teacher's college. She looked down at the ad again and of course, there it was in clear print... Teacher's degree required... Swallowing, she thought for a second, she'd made it this far and the local high school wasn't known for its brilliant staff.

"All of my post secondary education was found through Kilika's community college," she lied.

"I wasn't aware there was a school there."

There was a silence in which she was sure she'd been caught...

Finally he spoke again.

"Of course, I haven't been there since before Hurricane Flint and I heard they really went all out when they rebuilt..."

Looking back, it was the luckiest moment she'd had in possibly her whole life. Her first day had been hell. The students were rowdy and disrespectful, her coworkers were all older and she found no common ground with them. The cafeteria food made her sick and when she'd finally finished the day, she realized that it was like going back to school all over again... literally.

On her second day, sitting on the desk in front of her music class, she discovered the kind of student that made the job worth doing. Her name was Yuna and she changed Lenne's life forever.

She was attentive, sweet, and incredibly talented. Every day she looked forward to her music classes. It didn't matter that the job paid too little, that just about every other child seemed to be the definition of hopeless, or that she ate her homemade lunch alone in the staffroom every day.

Then came the day that led her to pack up her belongings. A private school in Bevelle was visiting and they were interested in Yuna, who apparently did as well in every class as she did in music. An undeniably creepy man entered her classroom after final her students and left.

"Hello. Can I help you?" she had asked, suddenly wishing the school had better security.

"My name is Seymour Guado and I'm the headmaster of Yevon's School for the Gifted."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise. I understand you are a teacher of a particular student. Her name is Yuna Lesca."

"Yes, she is a fantastic student," Lenne told him. She knew she'd miss her, but she couldn't selfishly hold her back either.

"I see. All the other staff members seemed to share in your opinion. That's why I've arranged to meet with her father."

In the staffroom, they others were already discussing Yuna's visitor.

"Her father should have sent her there to begin with. She's so talented and it's not like he hasn't got the money. He's a doctor."

"Well, his practice is local and I'm sure the thought of sending Yuna away after the loss of his wife was more than he could take."

Lenne gathered her jacket and bag from her locker and left without speaking.

The wind that whipped about the fall leaves made her regret wearing her hair down. It danced across her face, sticking to her lip gloss and tangled into what she knew was most likely an ungodly mess. She reached her car and found her prized pupil standing beside it, waiting for her.

"Yuna? Shouldn't you be home? You should be there for your father's meeting with Yevon's Headmaster," she told her.

"I'd rather not go. I don't want to leave my dad."

"It's not forever. You'll be back for holidays and it's only four years."

"Yeah, but what about after that? I'll go to university or college and then I'll get a job and I'll regret going because I won't get to spend any time with dad."

"Yuna, I'm sure if you stay here, you'll regret not having gone to Bevelle..." she gestured to the school behind her, "I mean, you are much better than this place. This is your chance to get out. The drive back would only be about two hours if you wanted to spend weekends at home."

The younger looked at her feet and remained silent for a long time before, "You're better than this place too, you know."

Lenne didn't know how to answer, so instead she changed the subject. "Get in, let me drive you home."

The next day, she'd received a second visit from the strange headmaster.

"It would seem I've overlooked something very important yesterday. It wasn't until I overheard a conversation in the parking lot that I realised it though," he told her with a look she could swear was lecherous, "A school with brilliant students requires brilliant staff to encourage them. Miss Lesca attributes much of her motivation and the like to you."

Lenne felt her face grow hot.

"Which is why," he continued, "I'd like to invite you to Bevelle as well. We have an opening for a vocal teacher. Not to mention we need someone to run the school choir."

An hour later details had been worked out and, inspired by her favourite student, the incredible raise in pay, and the fact that she would be living on campus rent free, she rushed to the principal's office to quit.

Not long after, she pranced through the staffroom and sung her goodbyes to her coworkers before dancing through the parking lot to her car.

At home, she'd given notice to her landlord and went about packing immediately. The school year had already started, so she would be leaving as soon as possible to fill the position.

Now, here she was on her last night in the humble dwelling, reflecting on what had transpired in the last month and a half. She was possibly the luckiest human being alive.

Standing, she decided to make a trip down into the street to call her best friend back in Zanarkand, where she had grown up.

"You know, I heard today that Jecht's youngest son goes to school there. Maybe you'll get to meet him on parent teacher night," teased the girl's voice on the other end, "Or maybe he's a member of the PTA."

Lenne giggled furiously at the thought, undisturbed by the strange looks the action had earned her from every passerby. "With the way my luck has been this last little while, it wouldn't shock me."

"Shut up it wouldn't shock you. You'd shit your pants if he walked into your classroom."

"Maybe."

"Maybe? Ha, you know you would."

Two hours had passed before Lenne heard the reminder to deposit another gil. Reaching into her pocket she discovered she had run out. "Damn..."

"Outta change?"

"Yeah, sorry, but it looks like it's time to hang up."

"That's fine, just remember to call me once you get settled into your new place."

"I totally will, promise. Oh, I can't wait until I have a phone again. We'll talk for hours."

"We already talk for hours.... We need some men in our sad lives..."

"Shut up," Lenne laughed, "I'll call you tomorrow night."

"You better. Love you hun."

"Love you too."

She placed the phone on the receiver with a sad smile. She always hated to hang up, but inevitably she would run out of gil and be forced to.

Distracting herself from her realizations of loneliness, she entertained her thoughts with fantasies of what the future would hold. Charming students with the occasional one being prone to misbehaviour, though not in the way her current ones were. Her new students wouldn't carry guns or fight over a drug deal. No, they would be better. They wouldn't leave death threats if they failed a test. Instead, they'd come in for extra help and she would help them. Their parents would appreciate it. Their parents would be involved and not blame her for their own parenting failures.

Smiling again, she re-entered her apartment and lay her head down on the flat pillow of a bed that felt like brick and slept there for the last night.

When daylight broke, she was already awake. The car was already packed. She was just going through to make sure she'd forgotten nothing. The basic furniture was staying, her subtle way of thanking the landlord for putting up with her being behind on rent almost every month and never actually following through with his threats to evict her. Besides, she wouldn't need these things where she was going.

Sweeping the floors for the last time, she slung her purse strap over her shoulder and picked up the last trash bag. On the first floor, she knocked on the landlord's door and handed him the key. They quickly exchanged pleasantries and she set off for the back parking lot.

Tossing the trash into the dumpster as she passed, she outwardly cheered her perfect shot and got into her car.

Rolling down the window and poking her head through, she dramatically called out, "Goodbye old life!" pulling her head back in, she started the car... and nothing happened. "Dammit."

Four tries later and the rust bucket finally rumbled to life.

As she left the parking lot, she watched the building vanish in her rear-view mirror. It wasn't long before she was watching the very city do the same and then it was gone. It was all behind her. The crappy job, the crappy coworkers, the crappy students were all behind her. She laughed to herself as she followed the winding roads that led her past Djose, over the Moonflow Bridge, through the Thunder Plains – which even looked unusually cheery today – and through Macalania Woods.

She slowed to admire the scenery. The beauty not lost on her. As she took the turn that would lead her to her new home, she noted how close the woods were and promised herself that she'd return sometime for a walk.

Bevelle was vast, but the school was easy enough to find, being the centre of the city and most likely the largest building. It loomed in an intimidating way as she drove closer. The sight had a different kind of effect on her though and she felt nothing short of bliss as she walked from her car to the front doors.

The lobby opened into halls that seemed to bend and sprawl in every direction. She was instantly confused.

"Excuse me, miss, but do you need a hand?"

She looked to the teen with a smile. His white hair shocked her a little, especially in contrast to his dark skin. Recovering quickly she nodded, "I'm looking for the office."

"I'm Baralai, tenth year. The main office is just this way," he told her in a liquid voice as he led the way, "This place gets easier to navigate with time."

"That's good to hear," she said with a smile, "I'm Lenne. I'm going to be the new vocal teacher."


And that's the end of the first chapter. I'm sorry if it's a little dull, but I felt it was important to lay some ground work about Lenne and her life before the story really gets underway, you know? Anyway, now that that's done with, I can get on with the real story. I'd appreciate some feedback, but no pressure. I'd just like to see how people feel about the idea.