Disclaimer: I own a bag of popcorn, and that's it. However, this is my first fanfic, so I hope do well.
Please Come Now
Rinoa walked silently up to the gates of the Garden, with a bright smile across her face. Her raven black hair was gently blowing in the wind of the beautiful morning sky as her pale skin seemed to glisten in the sunlight. She was dressed in her standard Seed uniform, which is required for every student who attends the Garden. In one hand, Rinoa carried her study books. Her other hand was firmly placed on her hip as she stopped in front of the entrance.
For some reason, she knew this year was going to be special. Maybe it was because she woke up in such a good mood, or maybe it was because she was so eager to meet her friends again. For whatever reason, she was sure about one thing....
"I'm sure glad this is my last year at the Garden. I swear, I thought I was never going to get out of here," she thought, making herself laugh inside.
It was the first day of school at Balamb Garden, and Rinoa was more then ready for it to begin. She had already attended the Garden for three years, and this was to be her fourth and final year. Rinoa actually had mixed feelings about it, but she knew that graduating from the Garden would be a huge accomplishment. Although she wasn't fond of all the work that the Garden 'graciously' provided, she still enjoyed school a great deal. Some of her best friends attended Balamb Garden as well. Besides, going to school meant that she could get away from that bitter old man that she called a father, and, in her mind, anything was worth that.
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Rinoa was walking down the main hall of the Garden as she tried to find directions to her first class.
"You'd think they'd learn to hand out maps at the front gate by now," Rinoa said to herself as she continued to wander aimlessly throughout the Garden.
There were other students walking through the halls as well, all dressed in there fancy Seed uniforms, but Rinoa refused to look stupid by asking someone for directions. She was just about ready to give up when she heard a familiar young voice.
"Hey Rinny, long time no see," came a distant, yet energetic young voice. Rinoa couldn't help smile, as she immediately recognized the voice.
"That can only be one person," Rinoa thought as she quickly looked around the crowds of people in an attempt to locate the source of the voice.
"Over here," came the voice again, this time much closer the before. Rinoa turned around, and was finally able to spot the culprit behind it all. Running toward her was a young girl with cute red hair. She was also wearing a Seed uniform, and had a bright smile across her face. Rinoa couldn't help but smile back at the young girl.
"Hey Selphie, how've you been?" Rinoa said as her old friend finally caught up with her.
"I've been doing great, especially now that I found you. I swear Rinoa, what would you do without me?" Selphie chirped.
"What are you talking about?" Rinoa asked innocently, making Selphie shake her head in disbelief.
"You know what I mean. You're lost aren't you? It's written all over your face," Selphie said playfully. Rinoa couldn't help but laugh at her friend's goofy response as they continued to walk down the hallway.
"Well, I'm looking for room 107. Do you think you can help me find-," Rinoa was cut off by another familiar, yet annoying voice, coming from behind her.
"Hey sweet cheeks, I can help ya find your class for you. All you had to do was ask me," said an arrogant male voice. Regrettably, Rinoa also knew who this person was as well, as she turned to meet him.
"So, what do you say babe. Would you like to be honored with my help or not?" said the tall male student. Rinoa couldn't help take a moment to admire this familiar face. He was a handsome man, with dark blonde hair and a cute scar across his face. He was also very well built with a nice toned figure, which could easily be seen despite his Seed uniform.
Rinoa had to fight back a blush as she stared into the man's beautiful emerald green eyes. She knew "exactly" who this person was, and she wasn't about to give him any type of satisfaction. Even though he was the best looking guy she had ever seen, Rinoa knew that his personality left something to be desired.
"Thanks Seifer, but I think Selphie can help me find my way. Besides, I was always taught to stay away from strangers," Rinoa said, with a slight smirk across her face.
"Yeah, and you're about as strange as they come Seifer," Selphie added in her usual cheery voice. The tall blonde merely glared at both girls as they burst into laughter.
"Hmph! Jeez ladies. What's up with you two today? Didn't put enough make-up on this morning or something," Seifer asked jokingly, causing both Rinoa and Selphie to give him an evil glare.
"I'd ask YOU the same question Seifer," Rinoa retorted playfully, causing Seifer to fall silent as Selphie desperately tried to hide the overwhelming smile that crept up upon her face. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have classes to find."
At that, Rinoa and Selphie continued to walk down the hallway, leaving Seifer at a complete loss for words.
"Sheez, Rinny. Don't you think you were a 'little' hard on him back there? I mean, I know Seifer can be a pain, but I think he really meant what he said about helping you," Selphie asked innocently. Rinoa took a moment to think about what her friend just said.
"Hmm, she does have a point. Maybe I should try to fix this," Rinoa thought. In an instant, Rinoa whirled around and started yelling down the hall at Seifer, who was starting to walk down the hall in the other direction.
"HEY! SEIFER BABY," Rinoa shouted in a sarcastic tone, causing Seifer, and all the other students in the hallway, to stop in their tracks and turn to face Rinoa. "MAYBE YOU CAN BE MY BODY GUARD SOME OTHER TIME, OKAY!!!"
A large wave of laughter broke out among the students as Seifer's face turned beat red. Selphie could barely remain standing as she leaned against the side of the wall, laughing her cute little heart out.
Rinoa, on the other hand, couldn't help smirk at Seifer's current situation. She knew she embarrassed him, but she really didn't mind too much. Seifer was a big boy, and no stranger to being the center of attention. Rinoa knew that it didn't matter how many times she embarrassed him because, in the end, NOTHING could bring Seifer's ego down.
A bell sounded throughout the Garden, signaling that classes were about to start. Rinoa looked at Seifer and blew him a kiss as she and Selphie turned and continued toward class. Just as they were about to round a corner, they heard a voice shouting back at them from down the hall.
"DON'T WORRY PRINCESS, YOUR 'KNIGHT' WILL ALWAYS BE HEAR TO PROTECT YOU," Seifer shouted back in his usual arrogant voice, causing Rinoa to blush slightly. Both girls decided to ignore him, and continued around the corner. Once they were out of Seifer's sight, Rinoa and Selphie looked at one another with knowing glances, as they both thought the same thing...
"He'll never change."
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The bell rang throughout the Garden once again, signaling the start of class. Luckily, Rinoa was already seated in her assigned desk just before it sounded. The classroom was fairly large, containing about 30 some students, all dressed up in their usual Seed uniforms.
"Man, you'd think this school had any sense of style. I mean, they've got us all dressed up like robots or something," came a friendly voice across from Rinoa's seat.
"Awww, Zell. If you're really THAT tired of having to wear your 'male' uniform, you can always trade it in for the 'female' one," Rinoa said playfully as she looked over at her blonde, spiky haired friend, who gave her a rather horrified look.
"Hey, that wasn't very funny Rinoa," Zell said teasingly. "I mean, come on. Don't tell me you actually ENJOY wearing the same uniform to school every single day?"
"Well, not really. However, I 'always' look good no matter what I wear," Rinoa said with a bright smile across her face.
"Whoa, that's weird," Zell said, causing Rinoa to give him a puzzling look.
"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked innocently.
"It's nothing really. You just, you know, kinda sounded like Seifer there for a second," Zell exclaimed. "Hmm, I guess he must be rubbing off on you."
"WHAT!" Rinoa shouted in high pitched tone. "I can't believe you are actually comparing me to-," she was just about to say something when her teacher's voice cut her off.
"Alright, settle down now. Class has already started, so let's begin. Will everyone please take your seat," the teacher said in very calm and mannered voice as the students began to take their seats. "My name is Miss Kramer. Edea Kramer. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
By this time, the entire class was completely silent, and the students were all in their own assigned seats. Rinoa was actually surprised at how quickly the class responded to Miss Kramer's authority. Then again, discipline was always a top priority at Balamb Garden.
"Now, I need to take attendance," Miss Kramer said, pulling out her class sheet. "When I call out your name, please raise you hand. Lets see, Zell Dincht."
"Present."
"Thank you," Miss Kramer said, as she checked Zells name on the list. "Quistis Trepe."
"Present," came the voice of a young blonde sitting in the front row of the class. Rinoa took a moment to look over at this student to see if it was the 'same' Quistis Trepe she knew from the years before. Sure enough, it was. Rinoa was very surprised that she hadn't noticed her friend's presence before. However, her train of thought was interrupted by the teacher's voice once again.
"Rinoa Heartilly."
It took a few moments for Rinoa to register Miss Kramer's voice before she finally answered her. "Oh, um, present," she said, in a rather embarrassed voice.
"Thank you Miss Heartilly," Miss Kramer said, in rather amused tone. "Now, lets see-," before Miss Kramer could read the next name off the list, the classroom door slowly opened. The entire class drew their attention to the door, and Rinoa couldn't help but follow suit. Although she wasn't expecting anything special to come into the classroom, nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to see.
In the doorway stood a tall, young man dressed in black leather pants and a white T-shirt. He had silky brown hair, along with ocean blue eyes and slightly tanned skin. Rinoa felt herself blush as she noticed his six-pack, which could easily be seen threw his skin tight, thin layer T-shirt. Several whispers could be heard about the classroom as the students continued to study this new found stranger.
"Wow, talk about abs to die for," Rinoa thought as she continued to study the overwhelmingly attractive body of this nameless hunk. He was very lean with a nice broad chest, along with strong, muscular arms. He seemed to have gentle look about him, despite his well-defined features. Rinoa's eyes continued to roam across the unknown stranger's body as she began making mental notes to herself.
"Hyne, this guy is an angel sent from heaven," Rinoa thought as she continued to stare at the anonymous man, with her mouth hanging slightly open. "Let's see, gorgeous face, beautiful eyes, silky hair, strong arms, nice build," Rinoa trailed off for only a moment before correcting herself. "No, in fact, a 'perfect' build. He also has a cute-," Rinoa's thoughts were broken off as she noticed something on the boy's face.
"Hey, he has a scar across his face," Rinoa thought to herself. "That's strange. It looks a lot like the same scar that Seifer has."
A long silence seemed to fall upon the classroom. Feeling a little uncomfortable with the situation, Miss Kramer finally decided to speak.
"Hello sir. Are you lost?" she asked in her usual mannered voice.
The boy remained silent for a few moments until finally deciding to answer her.
"I'm not lost," He said in a cold, husky voice. "I transferred here from Galbadia Garden."
Rinoa could feel shivers down her spine as she heard his voice.
"Hyne, that has to be the sexiest voice I've ever heard," Rinoa thought as she continued to daydream about the young man. Her dreams were suddenly interrupted as Zell leaned over and whispered in her ear.
"Um, Rinoa, you're starting to drool," Zell said in a rather concerned voice. Rinoa quickly snapped back reality and noticed that Zell was right. Embarrassed by her current situation, she quickly whipped her hand across her mouth.
"Come on Rinoa, get your head out of the gutter," Rinoa thought, trying to give herself some much needed self-control.
"Man, Rinoa. Are you sure you're okay?" Zell asked innocently. Rinoa didn't answer him. Instead, she re-fixed her gaze back on the new stranger, who was currently in front of the class, talking to Miss Kramer privately. Rinoa did her best to try and make out the conversation, but could only catch a few bits and pieces.
"Well, I'm afraid it will take a few weeks to order you a Balamb Garden uniform," Miss Kramer exclaimed. "Until then, I suggest you wear your old Galbadia Garden uniform. Understood?" The boy merely nodded and calmly walked to the back of the classroom to take his seat.
"Oh, I almost forgot. What's your name?" Miss Kramer asked intently. There was a long pause, and the entire room grew silent once more as the young man turned around to face his teacher. His cold eyes seemed to look straight threw her as he spoke in a deep, almost lifeless voice.
"Leonhart, Squall Leonhart."
Many of the students shuddered at the sound of Squall's words. Although he didn't appear to have any kind of aggression in him, the tone of his voice could easily be perceived as hostile. However, this didn't stop Squall from getting more then one 'admiring' look from every female in the class. And this, in turn, didn't stop him from getting more then one 'irritated' look from every male in the classroom either.
Yet, in spite of his fellow classmate's expressions, Squall's face remained unchanged as he took his seat behind Rinoa. As he sat down in his seat, Miss Kramer continued her role call. However, Rinoa was no longer paying attention to her teacher. She was more focused on the handsome man sitting right behind her.
"Damn it, why did he have to sit 'behind' me?" Rinoa thought. "Hyne, why do I even care? It's not like his good looks mean anything. I mean, sure, he's hot, probably too hot. In fact, he's like super ultra mega hot. However, he's going to end up being exactly like every other guy with good looks, stuck up and arrogant. No different from Seifer."
Time seemed to fly by as Rinoa lost herself in her thoughts once more. Minutes raced by like seconds as she continued to keep her mind fixated on the man behind her. She even tried to work up the courage to turn around and try to talk to him. However, she never could find enough confidence to do so, which frustrated her to no end.
Rinoa was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the bell ring, signaling an end to first period. It was only then, when she caught a glimpse of Squall walking away, that she finally snapped back to reality. Rinoa quickly began gathering her things together as she took one last look at Squall before he walked out the door.
"Hyne, I wish I could believe you are different from all the rest, Squall. But I don't think you will be." Rinoa sighed as she let the realization of her thoughts sink in. She knew that no one was perfect, but that didn't matter to her. Rinoa had never been in a 'serious' relationship before, but she always hoped that she could meet that 'special someone' someday.
Of course, Rinoa was no stranger to dating. In fact, because of her good looks and sweet personality, she could easily get a date with almost anybody she wanted. However, it was the part of 'finding' someone that she actually 'wanted' to date that made the whole thing difficult. After a while of using a simple method of trial and error, Rinoa decided to simply lay off dating for a while.
"Oh well, it's not like I'm not happy the way I am," Rinoa thought, reassuring herself as she stood up from her seat and headed for the door. Just as she walked outside the classroom, Rinoa spotted Quistis and Zell walking down the hallway together and quickly ran to catch up with them.
"Hey guys, wait up," Rinoa shouted causing Zell and Quistis to stop and wait for her.
"Rinoa Heartilly, you've got a lot of explaining to do," Quistis said in a rather playful tone as Rinoa caught up with them.
"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked innocently, pretending not to know the answer.
"You know what I mean," Quistis replied with a warm smile on her face. "What happened? Did you forget about me over summer break or something?"
"Well-," Rinoa was just about to answer before Zell cut her off.
"Awww, I don't think that's what it was Quistis. I think Rinoa was more focused on that new student who just transferred from Galbadia Garden," Zell stated bluntly, making Rinoa blush.
"His name is Squall Leonhart, and no, that wasn't the reason at all. I just…didn't see Quistis in class," Rinoa said nervously, as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
"Well, she may not have remembered you Quistis, but she sure did remember that Squall character," Zell said with a big smirk across his face, causing Rinoa to blush even more. Quistis couldn't help but smile at her friend's current situation. Suddenly, the bell sounded once again, which meant they had less then 3 minutes to get to class. Zell quickly took note of this and started to panic.
"Yikes, I better run. My next class is all the way over in the west wing, and there's no way I'll get there in time if I don't hurry. I guess I'll catch you ladies later," Zell said as he started to take off down the hall. As Rinoa waved goodbye, Quistis leaned over and whispered in her ear.
"Oh, and don't worry Rinoa. I'm guilty of being a little too 'focused' on that 'Squall character' as well," Quistis said with a slight smirk. Rinoa couldn't help but smile at her friend's remark.
"Well, I'll say this much. I think we've finally found someone who is hotter then Seifer." Rinoa said, with a small, mischievous, grin. Quistis merely giggled as they continued to walk to their next class.
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Second period had come and gone rather quickly for Rinoa. It wasn't because she didn't like in the class or anything. It was more like her mind was in 'other' places. Even so, she really couldn't explain why she couldn't stop thinking about 'him'.
"It's probably just because he's a new student. Yes, that must be it," Rinoa thought, as she made her way to the cafeteria.
After all these years, the Cafeteria's location had not changed, which was something Rinoa was eternally grateful for. However, in spite of this fact, she couldn't help but remember that, after all these years, the food probably wasn't much different either.
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Once Rinoa got her tray of food, she quickly looked around the cafeteria in hopes of finding some of her friends. The lunch room was fairly large, and it was difficult to pick out anyone with a familiar face. However, Rinoa was finally able to spot a young man wearing a cowboy hat, sitting alone on the far end of the Cafeteria. It was none other then Irvine Kinneas.
"Hey Irvine, it's been a while," Rinoa said as she approached the table where Irvine was sitting.
"Howdy sweet cheeks," Irvine said in a playful tone. "Why don't you take a seat? I could really use some company."
"Yeah, I noticed that. So, what's wrong with you today?" Rinoa asked as she sat down next to him.
"What do you mean?" Irvine replied.
"Well, it's not like you to be sitting alone without a girl nearby to give you company. Are you losing your touch or something?" Rinoa asked playfully.
"Hey, I 'was' able to get you to sit down with me," Irvine replied with slight smirk across his face. Rinoa merely shook her head and sighed. She always knew Irvine to be the 'charming' type of guy. However, Rinoa was never one to fall for his 'sweet talking' personality. Besides, she already knew that Selphie had a big crush on him to begin with.
"So, Rin, have you heard about the new kid that transferred here from Galbadia Garden," Irvine asked.
"Yeah, I've seen him. His name's Squall and he's in my first period class," Rinoa stated proudly. Irvine was about to respond when he was interrupted by a certain blonde haired man.
"Hey princess, whatcha ya talkin' about," Seifer said as he approached their table.
"Hyne, not him again," Rinoa thought, as she turned to face the tall young blonde.
"Oh, nothing important," Rinoa lied, trying to hide her embarrassment as Seifer sat down next to her. For some reason, she didn't want Seifer to know that she had mention Squall. It just didn't seem right in her eyes at the time. However, her hope of having the subject dropped was quickly shattered as Irvine decided to make a comment.
"Actually, we were talking about the new student from Galbadia Garden," Irvine said, making Seifer raise his eyebrow in suspicion. "In fact, I've heard a few interesting rumors about him."
"Oh really," Seifer said with a slight smirk across his face. "What kind of rumors?"
At this point, Rinoa's curiosity had hit an all time high. She didn't know a lot about Squall, but she never imagined that Irvine had actually heard about him before. Even if what he heard were only rumors.
"Well," Irvine began. "I've heard that he was at the top of his class over at Galbadia Garden. He's supposed to be an amazing fighter, and very intelligent as well. If I remember right, I think his Seed Rank was B."
Seifer merely grunted as Rinoa's eyes went wide. Rank B was the second highest rank a Seed student could obtain. The only other Rank higher than a class B was a class A, which could only be given to students 'after' they graduated. Rinoa knew that it took a lot of skill for someone to reach a Rank B, especially before graduating from the Garden. Most Seed members could work their whole lives and 'still' never reach that rank.
"Wow, that's really impressive," Rinoa stated with small grin on her face as she looked over at Seifer. "And what Rank are you again Seifer?"
Irvine smiled, already knowing the answer to that question. Seifer, on the other hand, tried his best to play it 'cool', and restrained himself from screaming back at Rinoa.
"Well," Seifer replied, in an obviously annoyed voice. "Since you two seem to suffer from amnesia, I'll have you know that I have reached the proud position of Rank C. Which, if I may remind you, is much higher then both of YOUR ranks."
Rinoa rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh, while Irvine merely smiled sarcastically. It was true that their Ranks were lower then his. However, a students Rank only applies 'after' they graduate from the Garden. Everyone knew this, including Seifer, so it really didn't bother Rinoa or Irvine.
"For a good looking pain in the ass, Seifer really does know his stuff," Rinoa admitted to herself mentally, as she started to play with her food.
Seifer continued conversing with Irvine, as Rinoa started to lose interest in talking altogether. She suddenly felt like she zoned off into her own little world again. She wasn't paying attention to anyone, or anything around her. She simply sat there, playing with her food, with dull look on her face. It wasn't until she heard Irvine's voice again, that she snapped back to reality.
"Well, speak of the devil," Irvine said as he pointed across the cafeteria. Rinoa and Seifer followed Irvine's gaze across the room until they finally spotted who he was pointing at. Standing alone in the doorway of the cafeteria was none other than Squall.
"Does he ever NOT look good?" Rinoa asked herself as she continued to stare at Squall. Her mind started running wild, but was quickly interrupted by a small grunt from the person sitting next to her.
Rinoa looked over at Seifer, who was looking over at Squall with a deadly glare. Rinoa quickly noticed his change in attitude, and became a little concerned.
"So, is that the bastard from Galbadia Garden?" Seifer asked, hatred flowing from his voice. Rinoa unconsciously nodded, unsure if she really meant to or not. It was clear the Seifer didn't like Squall, but she didn't understand why.
"I think it's time I had a talk with this guy," Seifer said as he stood up and made his way over in Squall's direction. Rinoa didn't know what was going on, but she knew this wasn't good.
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Authors Notes: Please review! I need encouragement!