Different From You

(A/n: Yay, sequel to 'Different From Me'. I fell in love with the first one so I had to write a sequel. I couldn't just leave it at that. So yay, hope you guys like this one as much as the first one!)

Prologue: Quiet Imperfections

The flower arrangements were perfect. The menus and place settings were perfect. The bridesmaid dresses were perfect. Even her wedding dress was perfect. Yet something was seemed so imperfect but Selphie couldn't place her finger on it. It had been six months since her engagement to Irvine and she had spent every waking second of her life since that night planning. Everyone had thought had been meticulous when it came to the Garden Festival but they were in awe at how much work she put into the wedding. But no matter how many times she had stepped back and looked at it all, she couldn't quite figure out what was wrong.

It wasn't the groom. She had taken Irvine aside that night, and kept him inside the walls of her dorm to show him who she really was. And he wasn't angry for her pretending and he hadn't demanded the ring back. He told her that he always knew that there was someone hiding inside but he felt that she should reveal it of her own accord. He had just been giving her time to heal… And after that night, everything seemed perfect between her and Irvine. And everyone commented on how much they truly seemed to be in love.

It wasn't the past. She had spoken with Zell and he understood. True, he was heartbroken but she had been too. Determined to show that their friendship could survive their momentary 'fling', Selphie had begged with success to get Irvine to ask Zell to be his best man. Undoubtedly, Zell refused and had casually tossed around the comment that he would 'try' to appear at the wedding. Maybe just 'stop by'. His bitterness stung like salt on an open wound but she couldn't blame him. And since she had talked to him that day, he had returned to Balamb and hadn't been back to Garden.

Selphie turned her emerald eyes up to the mirrors in front of her and ran her hands down her sides, her fingertips stumbling over elaborate stitching and sewn in pearls. The dress fit like a glove on her tiny frame. As she studied her reflection in the mirror, she realized what was imperfect. It was her. Before life had been hard for her because she was pretending to be someone that she wasn't and now it was hard for her because she felt incomplete. She sighed and sat down on the stool in front of the mirrors and stared at her reflection. Who was the real Selphie? And why couldn't she just be happy?

A tear traced its way down her cheek and she didn't bother to wipe it away. Somehow it completed her look…