This fic is discontinued

Prologue

Vanille ordered Meat Extravaganza pizza. Normally in a night like this since her college life, she'll just boil some water and have herself some instant cup noodles. But today was special; the final day of 1st semester, and the day before Winter Break.

But what Vanille doesn't know is with that pizza is a special delivery…

Ch. 1: Delivery Dance

Vanille

"Damn college draining the shit out of me. Pizza delivery is slow as heck to!" Vanille complained. Stretching her sore body in her computer chair, Vanille answered her emails. Emails like: "Season's Greetings!" and "Enjoy your break!" from her professors from Pulse. Suddenly her cellphone rang.

*BEEP*

*BEEP*

Vanille stopped her speedy fingers from typing and reached out for her cellphone. Vanille glanced at the caller ID and sighed. It was her brother Snow.

"Hello Snow?" Vanille said.

"Hey Vanilla!" Snow's cheerful voice rang in reply. "How's your freshman year in Pulse? Any mean professors? Bullies and bitches I need to handle for ya?" Snow asked.

Always the hero and big brother Vanille had grown up with, and loved.

"Everything's fine and under control Snow. Pulse is also great; teachers are considerate, but the work they assign to us is a pain in the ass." Vanille responded, always prepared for interrogations like this with Snow.

"Hmm… Okay. For now…" Snow paused, thinking of another question. Vanille sighed and glanced at her laptop's digital clock: 8:47 PM; twenty minutes since she last called for pizza.

"Erm, so how's Waterscape Elite? I made sure I rented your apartment room there, heard it even has a pool and clubhouse!" Snow gushed. Vanille smiled, sometimes her brother spoiled her too much, and her apartment room was a definite example of it. Living in Pulse's dorm rooms would have meant no peace and privacy; right about now Raines and Megan should be celebrating a Winter Break party at someone's dorm room, partying like there's no tomorrow.

Raines and Megan invited her with them, but Vanille flatly refused. She doesn't want to be mixed with older college dudes, drinking alcohol and getting drunk, plus she doesn't even know the girl who threw the party, Lebreau or something.

"Waterscape Elite is awesome bro! Thank you, thank you a bunch for them again!"

"Heh, well no problem. Claire said she's hosting a party at her house: Dec. 23rd. She'll call later on for the extra deets. Well that's just about it. Just wanted to check in on ya! Remember don't act stupid and you enjoy your Winter Break now you hear?"

"Wait Snow!" I blurted.

"Huh?"

"Are you coming in Waterscape tomorrow?" I asked.

"Well I thought it would be a great surprise. But now you got me caught." Snow replied.

"Ha! I knew it!" I retorted.

"So see you then!" Snow cheerfully said.

Then he ended the connection.

"Tsk! What a guy." I muttered, putting down my phone.

*DING-DONG*

"Finally! I was about to call in for a refund!" I walked towards the main door.

*DING-DONG*

I unlocked the door and was surprised when I've opened it. The pizza delivery boy must have been balancing 10 boxes of pizzas in his hand, and what was even more surprising was that he needed only one hand to do so, the other clutched a notepad full of customer addresses and pizza orders. The "pizza tower" was carefully stacked up to his nose's bridge, making me wonder how he could breathe properly through it. "Oerba Dia Vanille?" He asked his voice muffled through the pizza boxes. I giggled at the odd situation the boy was in, and I answered a yes rather too cheerfully. The boy sighed and said: "I'm their only delivery boy, and apparently all the neighboring colleges want some…" He shifted the pizza tower away from his face and exclaimed in a sing-songy tone: "Cheesy, Cheesy Chicken & Pizza Place!" He finished the jingle with a funny dance number seen on TV while still managing to hold the pizza tower in place. He smiled at me, still caught on the moment, and then he suddenly realized and blushed red all over, matching his uniform. "Is this part of your job as a delivery boy or are you also excited because it's the Winter break?" I said through fits of laughter. I knew he was in college because of the Pulse ID he still wore around his neck.

"Erm… How did you know I'm still at school?" He asked.

"Ha! I can spot a Pulse ID from a mile away," I replied, still chuckling from the crazy delivery guy act. "You just made my day! My brother just called in saying he'll stop by tomorrow; that big brute!"

By now he was just staring at me, probably regretting and thinking of never doing of what he just did.

"I'm, I'm sorry!" I said, finally regaining my dignity. "How much?" I asked, whipping out my wallet from the back of my jean pocket.

"$15," he replied. I was trying to fish out a fiver when he said: "Oh, I'm glad I…" He paused awkwardly. "That I made your day, with my delivery dance. I guess I am too excited for the break." He finished. I just smiled a reply, and before I can stop my hands, placed the $15 change at his uniform breast pocket. He automatically backed an inch away, and buried his face from the blush I only saw for a fraction of a second. "Oh! I'm sorry!" I quietly slipped. "No, no! It's okay." He defended, scratching the back of his moppy silver hair. "There really was no other free space you could have placed it on." He stammered. After a moment of blushing and silence from the two of us, he said: "Well here's your pizza." He grabbed the top box out of the "tower" and gave it to me carefully. He muttered something about getting fired and was turning to leave, when I said: "So… See you around Pulse?" He turned around some 30 degrees back, and replied: "Yeah." With that he jogged the rest of the way to the exit.

I looked at him leaving for a moment, and then turned to the pizza in my hands.

Now it doesn't look as appetizing as before.

Hope

"Jesus Cripes, Hope!" I screamed inside my thoughts. "Yeah?" I mimicked at my own reply. "What kind of dumb ass reply was that? And at a potential cute-looking girl…" I smacked my forehead with my left hand, while keeping my right gripped firmly at the steering wheel. Sazh will never forgive me if he saw what had just transpired. I inhaled and exhaled my breaths at a rhythmical pattern until I calmed down enough to read the next address. "I'm gonna kill Bob the next time I see him for leaving me his dirty work!" I mentally thought.

Still. The girl did seem to enjoy my little dance. I smiled weakly while I bit at my lower lip. I tried to focus on positive thoughts. I turned at Pinewood Jog, stopping at a red light. Palumpolum was gorgeous at night, as it is at daytime. Rare shops nowhere else to be seen at Cocoon brightly lit against the pale night, and satisfied tourists and civilians walking alongside each passing shop. This is what I've grown up with: traditional and contemporary.

I read the address again: Pinewood Apartment Homes, Building B-232. Two blocks ahead I turned right at the apartment's sign and circled around the complex looking for a building B. Once I've found it I parked the rusty Cheesy Chicken & Pizza Place bug at the nearest parking space and I grab my notepad and pizzas just like a routine. I started at the threatening-looking flight of stairs to room 232, careful not to tip the pizzas. After looking at a bunch of room numbers I spotted 232 at the far left and I jog towards it. I buzzed the bell a good three times until an all too familiar looking head popped out of the door.

"Rygdea Kendell?" I asked. He looked at me curiously with his comical eyebrows furrowed together, and tilted his head away from the pizzas that blocks my identity (the Pulse ID is also hidden). When he finally saw me at angle he busted into laughter.

What the heck's wrong with me?

"I thought I recognize that white head of yours! Hope that you?" Rygdea said, slapping his knee as he doubled over with laughter.

"Yeah," I grumbled, my voice muffled from the pizza boxes covering my mouth.

"And what's with the Leaning Tower of Pizza, huh? Blocking your ugly face from innocent customers perhaps?" Rygdea continued, laughing breathlessly.

"Ha. Ha." I replied sarcastically. I took off the top pizza box and shoved it forcefully to his panting chest. "Here's your damned pizza, 18 bucks." I said flatly.

"Ahh Hopey, you do know how to make someone's day." Rygdea said, voice cracking into another hearty laugh. "Here your 18 bucks, and keep that one extra dollar as a generous tip." Rygdea placed the bills on top of the pizza boxes and waved me off. "See you after the break Hopey." With that he slammed his apartment door in front of my face. I sighed and took the dollar into my pocket; the rest will be emptied out into the bug.

I counted the pizza boxes left to deliver and sighed. A dozen more to go…

End Ch. 1