Note: Hi all! This is another one of those M series and this time, this takes place in Modern Time. Now, I don't know if any of you remembered the time when I wrote one where the FF8 gang were in college in which I accidentally erased ^_^;, but no worries, this will be an ever better one! This time, the gang are younger, a lot younger than you thought. Sixteen to be exact, but then again, Quistis and Seifer are both seventeen, while the others are sixteen. This story deals with peer pressure, abuse, and a lot of things teenagers deal with, so...... enjoy! Please r/r! Oh yah, it's also a Seiftis, Squinoa and Zelphie, yay! ^_^ Oh yah, in each chapter, there are stories for each character, dealing with their lives and then they'll eventually meet just like before too! The first chapter is about Quistis, of course, my favorite character and about her alcoholic father and about moving to a new place...etc. Just read!
Modern Day Fantasy 8
Chapter 1 - Locked Memories
She couldn't blame him. It was her fault in the first place. It was her fault that every night he would come home, smelling of alcohol, his hair disheveled and his face dirty from pain and sorrow. It was her fault she died the instant she came into this world.
The glass shattered into millions of pieces, leaving only a broken bottle left on the floor. She picked it up quickly and threw it in the garbage can. He wasn't like this all the time. He was a nice man before that bottle reached his blood. That bottle helped him and she was glad though. She had no other way to help him, but that bottle also destroyed their relationship like a father and daughter should have, but that was the only way. It was the only way to make him forget. But it didn't make him forget. It didn't make him forget of what she did to her mother. She had to die and she had to leave him behind to take care of her.
"I wish you died instead of her!" he said outloud, the cool liquid drooling from the corner of his mouth. She let those words pass by her like air. She pretended to be a rock where no one could touch her or no one could penetrate the shell that covered her emotions and her hurt feelings everytime he said those words. She couldn't complain. He said those words many times and she was used to it. If she kept pretending that she didn't hear, then she wouldn't be hurt.
Quistis picked up the remaining glass shard and threw the rest in the garbage can, then looked up to find him sitting on the dining room table, just staring into nothingness, while the bottle, still kept in between the palm of his hands, stood there, gazing at her. He looked sad again- the same look he'd given her everytime he stopped turning to the bottle. Before she could say anything, or ask anything, he lifted up the bottle to his lips and drank the last content inside, then put the bottle back down on the table. "Clean this place up," he said, standing up. "We're moving tomorrow."
Confused, the blond girl, at age seventeen, watched her father leave the room and the bottle, abandoned on the table. "Moving?" she asked outloud, to no one in particular. What brought this up? Picking up the bottle, she gently put it inside a black garbage bag hanging from the cabinet of the sink, along with the other bottles full of memories and slowly tied the ends together. The bag was already full and it was time to throw this year's memories away.
Outside was nice. The neighborhood itself, wasn't. She remembered the day when she turned two, the day her father started drinking, of their neighbors just standing outside, chatting and pointing to their home, especially her, telling each other of the 'weird' family living in that house. They were talking as if she couldn't see them. They spoke rumors of the father beating up his daughter every night, but it was no rumor after all. This must be why her father said they were moving, because he was sick and tired of the whispers of the neighbors, just pointing and staring at them as if they were invinsible.
The girl sighed. There was no point in reminiscing now. She had to clean the place up before they move tomorrow. She wished though that he told her beforehand, so she knew how to pack and what to bring.
After putting the bag inside the garbage dump, she walked back inside and made her way to her bedroom. The bedroom, small, yet comforting, was the only salvation from her father's anger. She would hide inside, lock the door, even though he would find a way to get inside and just pray to God that the beating would not be harder this time. There were times she wished she could just run away, but where to? She didn't know anyone else in the neighborhood and if she did, they would never give a damn about her. Just like the rich folks, they were snobs and could care less about her life. She would turn to her family, but then she wouldn't know how to get to San Fransisco. It was many miles away from her life here in Chicago, Illinois. Besides, she loved her father. He was a good father after all, if he was sober that is. Quistis pulled out her suitcase- her ONLY suitcase from underneath her bed and opened it up all the way. It was a long time since she used the luggage. It was getting moldy and dust was just settling inside. It was high time she got a new one, but if she asked her father about it, an argument between them would start brewing.
The door suddenly opened. Startled, Quistis turned around to find her father standing there, hovering over like a hawk. "You're still not packed yet? Start packing!" He turned around and left the room quickly, slamming the door shut behind him. The girl closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he didn't do any drinking tonight. With his words still ringing in her ears, she ransacked her closet, pulling out all her clothes and quickly began folding them, throwing the ones she didn't wear anymore at the side and packing the ones she was going to wear. She glanced at her watch. It was only three in the afternoon, but there was no time wasting if they were going to leave early tomorrow for wherever they were going to move to. Once done packing her clothes, Quistis began her quest through the untouched top drawer of her dresser. In there, she kept her most precious things hidden from everyone, even her father. Despite his constant nosing around her room, she knew he would never dare look at the things that she kept close to her heart. Even before he started drinking, her father kept away, because that same drawer was used by her mother before she had her. It's been at least a year since the last time she looked.
Quistis took a deep breath and approached the drawer cautiously. With shaking hands, she opened the top drawer and looked inside. Her mother's memories, along with her own were stacked together. An old, baby rattle that was passed on from generation to generation rolled towards her from the movement of the drawer, revealing its appearance as a rotten, but still perfectly healthy toy, shaped like maracas. A folded, knitted scarf that her mother made since she was sixteen, which was finished by the time she got pregnant, as explained to her by her father before he started drinking, was still soft as Quistis placed her palm against it. Inside as well, she found an empty photo album, the front saying, "Friends Forever." She often wondered whatever happened to the pictures that were inside. She could tell something was already in there, because of the creases and the thumb prints in them. Her mother probably wanted her to use it for her 'friends.' Quistis smirked at that thought. Friends? For sixteen years, the only friend Quistis has ever known was her worn out, stuffed animal bunny rabbit, which was older than her mother. She had to throw that away even, because she was getting allergic to it. If she had to find a friend, she had to be the most popular, or the most prettiest to be friends with anyone in a school where everything was a contest. She was pretty though. Her Aunt Charlotte, from her mother's side, who lived in Seattle, visited her one time, the nicest of all her relatives, told her that she was a pretty girl and she would end up being the prettiest out of the girls who made fun of her. She didn't believe it at first, but when she started looking at herself, as she grew up, she became aware of it. When high school came, all the boys would stare at her, probably because of her chest (she developed early then), or maybe it was because she WAS attractive. The girls would look at her with disgusted faces and would whisper to their friends about the girl with glasses. That's when Quistis knew her Aunt Charlotte was right. The girls began their jealous war with the girl who never had friends. However, despite that, she didn't find a real good friend. Boys were hard to be friends with, since all they cared about was making lip locks with someone, while the girls...the girls started rumors about her- terrible rumors that ruined her reputation as a sweet, intelligent girl, so she stepped away from it, isolating herself from everyone. The rumor that they spread, damaged her chance of being friends with anyone- even the ones who weren't popular themselves.
"What the hell are you still doing in there?! Start packing already!" her father yelled through the door. She heard him slam his fists against the wooden door, startling her from her reverie. She nodded to herself and closed her eyes, picking up the scarf her mother made and closed the drawer, forgetting to look at the other items that were considered, 'her' memories.
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She never expected to leave the house to untamed and clean. Once she finished packing, her father dragged her out the door and just drove off, without asking whether she forgot something or if she had to pee before they left. Quistis looked back at the house she has known all her life and ignored the neighbors who were staring out their windows, watching their 1975 beaten up black Cadillac, with its paint rusting off from the sides pull up from the driveway and drive off without a word. Her father and herself exchanged no glances towards each other, instead, she sat there, in the passenger seat, wondering in her mind where they were going, instead of asking him. She hated herself for having no will power to ask him anything. She hated herself for not being so brave. Without the help of her father, she had no confidence in herself. She has grown to wallow in self defeat and be the weakest person there was, but she knew she had to change. If they were to be in a place where confidence is needed, then she had to change her life, her attitude.
"Where are we going?" she asked finally, finding the confidence. That the first conversation they had ever since they left for the road. They were driving along an intersection that went to Highway 25, a highway that led them, to what she believed, towards a border...but which one? She looked over her shoulder. The car swiveled smoothly in a curve, allowing the small suburb where her house was located, hidden from her view.
Her father glanced quickly at her and sighed. "Seattle."
Quistis' eyes glowed. Seattle? It was the most unexpected answer for her ears. Seattle was the last place, she knew, her father wanted to be.
"You will stay with your Aunt Charlotte from now on. I found a job there too, so you can go to school there."
Quistis said nothing. She didn't know what to think. Should she be glad now that she was staying with her favorite Aunt, who looked like she could be her sister, instead of her thirty year old Aunt? Or should she feel bad because it would take a long time for her to adjust to a new place? I mean, yes, she loved her Aunt dearly, but it was her first time moving from one place to another. "Oh," was all she could say.
Their conversation stopped there. And for three long days of travel, that was the only conversation they ever had, before they arrived at their destination. She wasn't sure if it was three days. She was too sleepy to think straight or too dizzy from the humidity of the car. It was no wonder though. Seattle was steaming with heat. Summer was ready to take place there. The traffic in Seattle made it even worst. They had to wait two hours until the traffic died down, before they could smoothly drive down the street as she watched the tall buildings and the beautiful shops pass by. It was already night time when they got to the downtown area. Street lights were on and lights that hung from the trees on every street made the night even brighter, like it was Christmas all over again. Quistis watched people go by, couples holding hands, necking even, while groups of attractive young men and women hung out at a bar as she could see through the clean windows. The buildings were extraordinarily large and tall and Quistis had to crane her neck farther in order for her to find out how tall it was. She has seen many tall buildings all her life in Chicago, but it wasn't as tall as what she was seeing now.
"They have such beautiful shops," Quistis spoke, surprising even herself for saying anything after the long journey of silence. She could sense her father looking at her from the corner of her eyes, then turned away quickly as if none of her words meant anything to him. Sighing, the blond girl looked back out the window and noticed a small building that read "The Book End," a cute little shop in between Wal Mart and Fred Meyer. The Book End was not packed, but she could see two or three people checking out books. She noticed one woman holding a paperback book, reading 'To Kill A Mockingbird.'
The car turned a corner. Quistis watched the small bookstore drive by behind her, leaving her to wonder how many books the little store had. She could imagine many new and old books stacked in shelves neatly and a middle aged woman standing behind the counter, price tagging books that people were buying. Her mother loved books a lot, to what her Aunt Charlotte told her. She told her niece that Flora Meyers (her maiden name) had a favorite book that she bought from a store similar to The Book End and every night she would read it. Quistis couldn't quite remember what it was, but the story was about a girl in the 1800s who meets a boy from the future. "Tuck Everlasting," Quistis whispered out loud.
"What?" Sean Trepe looked at his daughter and stared at her with a questioning gaze.
Quistis shook her head and grinned. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking outloud again." She watched her father nod and turn his attention back on the wheel, his blue eyes scanning the streets, as if trying to remember where exactly Charlotte Meyers lived. Her father, Sean Trepe was once handsome. A blond haired, blue eyed jock who fell in love with a smart woman like Flora Meyers, a girl with round, thick glasses, who was the president of the Math Club and became the Student President of Klydesdale High in Salt Lake City, Utah. Aunt Charlotte, two years younger than her mother, told her that Flora wasn't all that attractive, but Sean Trepe eventually fell in love with the woman inside. They married after they graduated from high school and had a beautiful daughter. After Flora died, Sean lost his charm and good looks when he started drinking.
She looked out the window once again. The drive from downtown to the quiet neighborhood of Haley Street was ten minutes, but Quistis felt it to be five seconds. Quistis must have been watching outside for too long and daydreaming that she didn't realize just how long the drive was. The car took another turn and by the time the first house came into view, Sean parked the car in the driveway where they were greeted by her Aunt. Quistis got out of the car first and gave her Aunt Charlotte a loving hug, before the woman pulled herself away from her niece to take a good look at how big she had grown.
"My, Quistis! You've grown a lot the last time I saw you!" Charlotte spoke, smiling. She pulled her niece once again for another hug, before turning her attention towards Sean. "And Sean, look at you! You're still the same!"
Quistis watched the glances her father and her Aunt exchanged. Her father had no reaction whatsoever to the greeting, as if he expected her to say those sarcastic words. Her Aunt Charlotte just gave him a smile, like they were old friends. The girl couldn't quite understand the relationship between her Aunt and her father. As far as she knew, it was a neutral one. They talked, they fought, but they were never that close to each other- just like brother and sister-in law.
"Well come on in you two! We'll worry about the luggages later!" Charlotte took Quistis by the hand and pulled her inside the house, followed by her father. Her Aunt opened the front door to the house and allowed Quistis and her father inside. The blond girl expected the house to be quite small, just by looking at it from the outside, but the moment she stepped in, it was unlike what she thought it would be. It was bigger than she expected and much more comfortable than the apartment where her Aunt used to live in. The living room was divided by a hallway that led to the kitchen and the staircase was located just beside it, leading to the second floor. The thirty-seven year old, single mother, had a picture of herself and her fifteen year old son, Travis hanging on the wall above the fireplace of the living room. Quistis wondered if they had enough room for two more people for the rest of their lives if they were to live here? "So? What do you guys think of the place?" Charlotte asked, planting both her hands on her hips, looking at her brother in-law and niece.
Quistis nodded and smiled. "It's very beautiful, Aunt," she commented.
Charlotte winked at her. "Well of course! I was born as an interior decorator after all!"
The blond girl smiled at her Aunt's jokes. "You're right!" She almost forgot that her Aunt worked as an interior decorator from a wealthy company known as Beautiful Living, that gives good wage to anyone who worked there. "Will you have room for the both of us?"
Charlotte nodded. "Why, yes! Why do you think you came here in the first place?"
"Are you sure it's all right, Charlotte?" Sean spoke up, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
The woman looked at him and nodded again. "I said it was all right, Sean." She looked at Quistis. "I'm sure you're going to have a lot of fun staying here. The school is just a few minutes walk from here so you wouldn't have to worry about transportation."
Suddenly, a sound of footsteps coming downstairs interrupted their conversation. All three heads looked up to see Travis Meyers coming down the stairs with large feet. Quistis couldn't remember the last time she saw her cousin. Maybe it was when she was ten and he... eight years old. He used to have no teeth in the middle. The boy ate a lot of candy during his childhood the last time she remembered and every year, a tooth had to be pulled out because of cavity. Now- it was different. Travis grew up to be a handsome boy with the eyes and face of his beautiful mother. His hair though, was sandy brown, unlike his mother's which was almost dark brown than anything else.
"Travis, do you remember your cousin Quistis and your Uncle Sean?" Charlotte asked, putting an arm around her niece.
"His Travis!" Quistis smiled, waving her hand.
The boy looked at her, thinking for a second and when the memory of the blond girl with pig-tails appeared in his mind, he smiled and greeted her with a shake in the hand. It was, after all the only thing he could do, since it's been seven years without seeing each other. "Hi cuz, it's been a long time," he said awkwardly. He could see that she was attractive.
Quistis smiled back and nodded. "It has been a long time. You've grown tall Travis- whatever happened to that short boy who loved to eat chocolate?"
Travis blushed. "Well uh... he had to leave because chocolate was damaging his teeth."
The blond girl laughed. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Travis, would you kindly help Quistis and Uncle Sean with their luggage please?" Aunt Charlotte asked her son.
Travis nodded. "Sure, mom." He glanced back at his cousin. "Let's go cuz."
Quistis smiled. "All right."
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Adjusting to this new place was hard. The room that was given to her was much smaller than her old one, but she could tell her Aunt tried to make it cozy, by putting nice, colorful sheets for her bed, while the dresser drawer was painted burgundy, Quistis' favorite color. Her room was just across the hall from Travis' so she could just walk across from her room to his if she needed anything. Her father's room was downstairs, one that was used as a den by her Aunt's late husband, who died in a car accident. He wasn't Travis' father, but Travis and Mr. Gerald Codwell were like a family. Her and Travis got along pretty well, even after that awkward moment they shook hands when they first met from not being able to see each other. Travis made her feel welcome, treating her like his older sister and Quistis was glad to be living in the house. Tomorrow, Travis was going to walk with her to her new high school and show her around, which was no problem since he went there too.
Her father, however, was a different matter. That night, just as Quistis was getting ready for bed, she heard him and her Aunt arguing about something. Sean Trepe was not getting along well with any of the two. With his temper, his drinking habits and his swearing, Aunt Charlotte could not tolerate that kind of behaviour, so they ended up arguing. They never really got along very well. Her Aunt Charlotte explained to her on why. It was because Sean Trepe and Flora Meyers eloped and told no one about it, except Charlotte, Flora's only sister. At first, Charlotte attempted to pursuade the couple to stay, which resulted in Sean and Charlotte's constant bickering. The Meyers' were not happy with the situation. Flora was pregnant with her daughter that time they left their home and the Meyers, especially the father was about to kill Sean for taking his daughter away. They never returned after that. The two ended up living in Chicago, where Flora died. Quistis never met her grandparents from her mother's side. As for her father's family, she never knew them. Basically, the only relative she knew close enough was her Aunt Charlotte and her cousin Travis.
The argument eventually died down after twenty minutes. Quistis sighed a breath of relief and glanced at her clock beside her. It glowed 12:21 am. She needed to sleep, since she was going to school tomorrow, but she was too nervous to do anything, even sleep. She not only had to adjust to her new hone, she has to adjust to her new school- with new people- with kids her age who were going to look at her and stare at her and make fun of her.
Taking another deep breath, Quistis forced herself to close her eyes and sleep and after a couple of minutes of trying to sleep, her body suddenly drifted to that state. 'School will be something tomorrow,' she thought, drifting in and out of sleep.
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"Everyone, I'd like you all to meet, Quistis Trepe, who just moved here from Chicago," the teacher spoke.
All eyes turned towards a blond haired, blue eyed student, who looked to be around five feet, six inches tall with round glasses. She was wearing a pink skirt and a matching pink shirt with black knee-high boots. Her hair was up into a messy bun, her own style. There was a few smirks and real smiles towards the girl. The girls, who looked like the 'popular' crowd, sitting in one side whispered to each other. One girl, with long auburn hair, looked at Quistis up and down, folding her arms across her chest. She gave Quistis a threatening look, one that the teacher missed, but Quistis just ignored that and obeyed the teacher to sit next to a girl with short brown hair, whom the teacher named, Selphie. She was lucky to be sitting with her, because by the time she did, Selphie gave her a big, warm smile and said, 'hello' to her, before she sat down.
"Hi, my name's Selphie Tilmitt," the girl said.
Quistis shook her hand, smiling. "Hello, I'm Quistis Trepe."
"Nice to meet you, Quistis!" Selphie spoke, smiling.
Quistis smiled wider, glad she could talk to someone. She felt something small hit the back of her head. The blond girl turned around and noticed the same girl with the auburn hair just smirking at her. "Don't worry about her," a voice came from her side. Quistis turned, face to face with a pretty girl with long dark hair. "She just likes taking pleasure in torturing other people, isn't that right, Brandy?" The girl looked up and gave the other girl a frown. Brandy turned away and made a simple snort, before turning her attention back to her friends. The girl with the dark hair smiled at Quistis and held out her hand. "My name is Rinoa Heartilly. I'm Selphie's friend."
The blond girl shook the girl's delicate hand. She studied her for a moment and noticed how pretty she must be and popular. The way she was standing up to the Brandy girl, Quistis could tell Rinoa Heartilly was more than just a nice girl with pretty eyes. She could also have a boyfriend who was one of the jocks and that led you to a popular life in high school. Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to the classroom opened to reveal a handsome, tall blond male entering the room. Ms. Fisher, who was only in her early twenties, paused in the middle of reading the answers outloud to the homework that apparently had in algebra and looked up as the blond student walked in without a word.
"Seifer Almasy," Ms. Fisher spoke with sterness in her voice. "Glad that you could join us." Although the teacher said those words, Quistis could tell there was no sarcasm in the way she said it. Seifer said nothing and casually walked pass her. Quistis watched his every move as he made his way to the first row to her right and watched him sit down on the empty chair just behind a girl with glasses thicker than hers. Quistis observed him for a moment. His hair was golden brown like hers and was slick back with what looked like to be just the way his hair does it. It didn't look like he was wearing any gel to keep it that way. The moment he stepped in the class, she noticed green eyes and way he walked, showed muscle underneath his grey trenchcoat. Quistis had no idea that she was staring at his for some time now, until Rinoa nudged her in the shoulders, with a wide grin on her face.
"You just got here and already you're smitten with the rebellious Seifer?" Rinoa whispered in her ear.
Quistis blushed and shook her head coyly, taking her eyes off of him. "What are you talking about? I was just wondering why he was late."
Selphie giggled. "Sure, sure," she said, placing a hand on the blond girl's shoulder.
"Is there a problem, Ms. Tilmitt?" Ms. Fisher said.
Selphie looked up and grinned. "Not at all, Ms. Fisher."
Rinoa and Selphie grinned at their teacher. Ms. Fisher gave them strange looks before she turned back to her book. Quistis shook her head shyly and when she was sure no one was looking, even her two new friends, the blond girl swiftly took a glance at the blond boy and turned red in the face when she noticed him looking at her with a curious expression. Quistis smiled and turned away, still having that same red coloring on her face. 'Great, the first day of class and already I'm embarrassed,' she thought.
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"Hey Quistis could I speak to you for a moment?" Ms. Fisher said from her desk.
"We'll meet you at the cafeteria," Rinoa said, waving good bye. Quistis nodded and watched as her two friends left her alone with the teacher.
Ms. Fisher looked up and smiled, waiting until Quistis stepped in beside her. "I was able to look at the records from your previous school in Chicago. You had very impressive results from your Math class- the top student there."
Quistis shrugged. "Yeah. I do my homework and study, it's no big deal."
Ms. Fisher laughed. "I like your attitude. Have you ever done math tutorials before?"
The blond girl nodded. "Yes, I have."
"Well, then I guess I don't have to convince you to teach one of your classmates from Math class?"
Quistis thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right, I wouldn't mind."
Ms. Fisher smiled and nodded. She gathered all her papers in her hands and stood up. "Good. He's going to be coming in this class afterschool today. You don't mind starting today?"
Quistis shook her head.
"Okay, I'll see you then. Have a good lunch," Ms. Fisher said before leaving the classroom. Quistis followed her out the door and the teacher closed the door behind her, waved good bye to her student, then left. The blond girl watched her go and when she was completely gone, she turned to the direction of the cafeteria to look for her friends there. When she arrived, she was greeted by a young man riding on a skateboard, bumping into her like she was invinsible. Quistis was able to balance herself, instead of falling on her butt. She looked around the area for Selphie and Rinoa and found them sitting just a few tables from where she was standing, close to the middle of the cafeteria. There was a handsome young man with wavy brown hair sitting beside Rinoa dressed in a black leather jacket, so the girl seemed preoccupied at the moment for her to see Quistis there. However, Selphie saw her and called her name, waving her hand as if she couldn't see where they were. Quistis waved her hand back and without a word, turned around and walked the other direction to buy her lunch from the counter. It took her a couple of minutes until she finally picked a chicken wrap with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise and of course, chicken inside. She placed the wrap on her tray and picked a medium sized carton of chocolate milk for her drink, before paying for them both. The cafeteria was getting crowded and by the time she was finished purchasing her lunch, it was difficult for her to get through without bumping into anyone. She gently pushed her way through the crowds and was almost at the table, when something hit her foot. Quistis fell foreward, but because she used to be in the baseball team, she caught her chicken wrap with one hand, while the chocolate milk with the other. She quickly turned around to prevent her face from hitting the floor and landed on her butt on the cement. Quistis closed her eyes in pain and around her, she began to hear shouts of laughter.
"Did you catch that on film, Gerri?" a voice spoke. Quistis opened her eyes and noticed a couple of people staring down on her with smiles on their faces. Brandy, the one who asked Gerri about the film, just stared at her as she sat on her table. She casually ate her sandwich and was trying not to laugh at Quistis' mishap.
The one named Gerri, with dark hair tied back into a ponytail was sitting across from her, holding a camera in her hand. She nodded at Brandy's question and looked at Quistis, laughing. "Oh yeah. Jackass will have a time of their lives watching this."
Quistis couldn't move. She was frozen in fear and embarrassment. She just sat there on the floor, her hands filled with the food she bought with her money. She closed her eyes. She was beginning to think nothing bad was going to happen to her, but now THIS happens. Why do people have to make other people's lives miserable?
"The Great Quistis Trepe has fallen. So, you think you can show me off now?" Brandy looked at the blond girl straight in the face this time. "You and your stupid Math mark...." she mumbled.
The blond girl understood now. Brandy was angry with topping her score at the math pop quiz they had this morning. She was popular not only because of her looks, but because she was the smartest girl in Math- until Quistis came along. Is that how she does it? Embarrass someone just because she was better than her?
"Not everyone is stupid, McFadden..." a deep voice spoke from behind.
The people who were watching her on the floor and just laughing, seem to be frightened when the voice spoke. They backed away from Quistis, giving her some room and a firm hand held it out towards her. Quistis looked up and noticed the same blond boy she met earlier. She took his hand and he helped her up on her feet. The blond girl whispered a 'thanks,' before picking up her tray quickly. She was later joined by Rinoa, the young man and Selphie.
"Quistis!" Selphie yelled, wrapping her arms around the taller girl. "Are you all right?"
The blond girl nodded. "Yes, I'm okay." Quistis turned around, expecting the blond boy there, but Seifer Almasy was already gone. Brandy glared at her and stood up, leaving her unfinished sandwich behind. Her 'minions' followed her like puppies, ones that consisted mostly of girls and all eight of them, including Brandy, left the cafeteria without another word towards the blond girl.
"Why I oughta..." Selphie stomped her foot angrily, taking a step towards the direction Brandy left as if to go after her, but not before that same young man stopped her just in time. Selphie looked up, wondering who it was that stopped her and noticed that young man shaking his head.
"Just let them go, Selph," the boy spoke.
Selphie sighed. "But..."
The boy looked at the blond girl. "She said she was okay, so you don't need to go after them and cause trouble."
Selphie glanced at Quistis. "What happened?"
Quistis shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore. Let's go eat our lunch." She quickly glanced around for Seifer, but he was nowhere to be found.
GoodGurl: WOOH! That was long! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter about Quistis and her life. Next chapter will be about...Seifer and his life! Yeay! I hope I didn't bore any of you with this chapter! I'm sure I didn't! :D Please r/r!
Modern Day Fantasy 8
Chapter 1 - Locked Memories
She couldn't blame him. It was her fault in the first place. It was her fault that every night he would come home, smelling of alcohol, his hair disheveled and his face dirty from pain and sorrow. It was her fault she died the instant she came into this world.
The glass shattered into millions of pieces, leaving only a broken bottle left on the floor. She picked it up quickly and threw it in the garbage can. He wasn't like this all the time. He was a nice man before that bottle reached his blood. That bottle helped him and she was glad though. She had no other way to help him, but that bottle also destroyed their relationship like a father and daughter should have, but that was the only way. It was the only way to make him forget. But it didn't make him forget. It didn't make him forget of what she did to her mother. She had to die and she had to leave him behind to take care of her.
"I wish you died instead of her!" he said outloud, the cool liquid drooling from the corner of his mouth. She let those words pass by her like air. She pretended to be a rock where no one could touch her or no one could penetrate the shell that covered her emotions and her hurt feelings everytime he said those words. She couldn't complain. He said those words many times and she was used to it. If she kept pretending that she didn't hear, then she wouldn't be hurt.
Quistis picked up the remaining glass shard and threw the rest in the garbage can, then looked up to find him sitting on the dining room table, just staring into nothingness, while the bottle, still kept in between the palm of his hands, stood there, gazing at her. He looked sad again- the same look he'd given her everytime he stopped turning to the bottle. Before she could say anything, or ask anything, he lifted up the bottle to his lips and drank the last content inside, then put the bottle back down on the table. "Clean this place up," he said, standing up. "We're moving tomorrow."
Confused, the blond girl, at age seventeen, watched her father leave the room and the bottle, abandoned on the table. "Moving?" she asked outloud, to no one in particular. What brought this up? Picking up the bottle, she gently put it inside a black garbage bag hanging from the cabinet of the sink, along with the other bottles full of memories and slowly tied the ends together. The bag was already full and it was time to throw this year's memories away.
Outside was nice. The neighborhood itself, wasn't. She remembered the day when she turned two, the day her father started drinking, of their neighbors just standing outside, chatting and pointing to their home, especially her, telling each other of the 'weird' family living in that house. They were talking as if she couldn't see them. They spoke rumors of the father beating up his daughter every night, but it was no rumor after all. This must be why her father said they were moving, because he was sick and tired of the whispers of the neighbors, just pointing and staring at them as if they were invinsible.
The girl sighed. There was no point in reminiscing now. She had to clean the place up before they move tomorrow. She wished though that he told her beforehand, so she knew how to pack and what to bring.
After putting the bag inside the garbage dump, she walked back inside and made her way to her bedroom. The bedroom, small, yet comforting, was the only salvation from her father's anger. She would hide inside, lock the door, even though he would find a way to get inside and just pray to God that the beating would not be harder this time. There were times she wished she could just run away, but where to? She didn't know anyone else in the neighborhood and if she did, they would never give a damn about her. Just like the rich folks, they were snobs and could care less about her life. She would turn to her family, but then she wouldn't know how to get to San Fransisco. It was many miles away from her life here in Chicago, Illinois. Besides, she loved her father. He was a good father after all, if he was sober that is. Quistis pulled out her suitcase- her ONLY suitcase from underneath her bed and opened it up all the way. It was a long time since she used the luggage. It was getting moldy and dust was just settling inside. It was high time she got a new one, but if she asked her father about it, an argument between them would start brewing.
The door suddenly opened. Startled, Quistis turned around to find her father standing there, hovering over like a hawk. "You're still not packed yet? Start packing!" He turned around and left the room quickly, slamming the door shut behind him. The girl closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he didn't do any drinking tonight. With his words still ringing in her ears, she ransacked her closet, pulling out all her clothes and quickly began folding them, throwing the ones she didn't wear anymore at the side and packing the ones she was going to wear. She glanced at her watch. It was only three in the afternoon, but there was no time wasting if they were going to leave early tomorrow for wherever they were going to move to. Once done packing her clothes, Quistis began her quest through the untouched top drawer of her dresser. In there, she kept her most precious things hidden from everyone, even her father. Despite his constant nosing around her room, she knew he would never dare look at the things that she kept close to her heart. Even before he started drinking, her father kept away, because that same drawer was used by her mother before she had her. It's been at least a year since the last time she looked.
Quistis took a deep breath and approached the drawer cautiously. With shaking hands, she opened the top drawer and looked inside. Her mother's memories, along with her own were stacked together. An old, baby rattle that was passed on from generation to generation rolled towards her from the movement of the drawer, revealing its appearance as a rotten, but still perfectly healthy toy, shaped like maracas. A folded, knitted scarf that her mother made since she was sixteen, which was finished by the time she got pregnant, as explained to her by her father before he started drinking, was still soft as Quistis placed her palm against it. Inside as well, she found an empty photo album, the front saying, "Friends Forever." She often wondered whatever happened to the pictures that were inside. She could tell something was already in there, because of the creases and the thumb prints in them. Her mother probably wanted her to use it for her 'friends.' Quistis smirked at that thought. Friends? For sixteen years, the only friend Quistis has ever known was her worn out, stuffed animal bunny rabbit, which was older than her mother. She had to throw that away even, because she was getting allergic to it. If she had to find a friend, she had to be the most popular, or the most prettiest to be friends with anyone in a school where everything was a contest. She was pretty though. Her Aunt Charlotte, from her mother's side, who lived in Seattle, visited her one time, the nicest of all her relatives, told her that she was a pretty girl and she would end up being the prettiest out of the girls who made fun of her. She didn't believe it at first, but when she started looking at herself, as she grew up, she became aware of it. When high school came, all the boys would stare at her, probably because of her chest (she developed early then), or maybe it was because she WAS attractive. The girls would look at her with disgusted faces and would whisper to their friends about the girl with glasses. That's when Quistis knew her Aunt Charlotte was right. The girls began their jealous war with the girl who never had friends. However, despite that, she didn't find a real good friend. Boys were hard to be friends with, since all they cared about was making lip locks with someone, while the girls...the girls started rumors about her- terrible rumors that ruined her reputation as a sweet, intelligent girl, so she stepped away from it, isolating herself from everyone. The rumor that they spread, damaged her chance of being friends with anyone- even the ones who weren't popular themselves.
"What the hell are you still doing in there?! Start packing already!" her father yelled through the door. She heard him slam his fists against the wooden door, startling her from her reverie. She nodded to herself and closed her eyes, picking up the scarf her mother made and closed the drawer, forgetting to look at the other items that were considered, 'her' memories.
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She never expected to leave the house to untamed and clean. Once she finished packing, her father dragged her out the door and just drove off, without asking whether she forgot something or if she had to pee before they left. Quistis looked back at the house she has known all her life and ignored the neighbors who were staring out their windows, watching their 1975 beaten up black Cadillac, with its paint rusting off from the sides pull up from the driveway and drive off without a word. Her father and herself exchanged no glances towards each other, instead, she sat there, in the passenger seat, wondering in her mind where they were going, instead of asking him. She hated herself for having no will power to ask him anything. She hated herself for not being so brave. Without the help of her father, she had no confidence in herself. She has grown to wallow in self defeat and be the weakest person there was, but she knew she had to change. If they were to be in a place where confidence is needed, then she had to change her life, her attitude.
"Where are we going?" she asked finally, finding the confidence. That the first conversation they had ever since they left for the road. They were driving along an intersection that went to Highway 25, a highway that led them, to what she believed, towards a border...but which one? She looked over her shoulder. The car swiveled smoothly in a curve, allowing the small suburb where her house was located, hidden from her view.
Her father glanced quickly at her and sighed. "Seattle."
Quistis' eyes glowed. Seattle? It was the most unexpected answer for her ears. Seattle was the last place, she knew, her father wanted to be.
"You will stay with your Aunt Charlotte from now on. I found a job there too, so you can go to school there."
Quistis said nothing. She didn't know what to think. Should she be glad now that she was staying with her favorite Aunt, who looked like she could be her sister, instead of her thirty year old Aunt? Or should she feel bad because it would take a long time for her to adjust to a new place? I mean, yes, she loved her Aunt dearly, but it was her first time moving from one place to another. "Oh," was all she could say.
Their conversation stopped there. And for three long days of travel, that was the only conversation they ever had, before they arrived at their destination. She wasn't sure if it was three days. She was too sleepy to think straight or too dizzy from the humidity of the car. It was no wonder though. Seattle was steaming with heat. Summer was ready to take place there. The traffic in Seattle made it even worst. They had to wait two hours until the traffic died down, before they could smoothly drive down the street as she watched the tall buildings and the beautiful shops pass by. It was already night time when they got to the downtown area. Street lights were on and lights that hung from the trees on every street made the night even brighter, like it was Christmas all over again. Quistis watched people go by, couples holding hands, necking even, while groups of attractive young men and women hung out at a bar as she could see through the clean windows. The buildings were extraordinarily large and tall and Quistis had to crane her neck farther in order for her to find out how tall it was. She has seen many tall buildings all her life in Chicago, but it wasn't as tall as what she was seeing now.
"They have such beautiful shops," Quistis spoke, surprising even herself for saying anything after the long journey of silence. She could sense her father looking at her from the corner of her eyes, then turned away quickly as if none of her words meant anything to him. Sighing, the blond girl looked back out the window and noticed a small building that read "The Book End," a cute little shop in between Wal Mart and Fred Meyer. The Book End was not packed, but she could see two or three people checking out books. She noticed one woman holding a paperback book, reading 'To Kill A Mockingbird.'
The car turned a corner. Quistis watched the small bookstore drive by behind her, leaving her to wonder how many books the little store had. She could imagine many new and old books stacked in shelves neatly and a middle aged woman standing behind the counter, price tagging books that people were buying. Her mother loved books a lot, to what her Aunt Charlotte told her. She told her niece that Flora Meyers (her maiden name) had a favorite book that she bought from a store similar to The Book End and every night she would read it. Quistis couldn't quite remember what it was, but the story was about a girl in the 1800s who meets a boy from the future. "Tuck Everlasting," Quistis whispered out loud.
"What?" Sean Trepe looked at his daughter and stared at her with a questioning gaze.
Quistis shook her head and grinned. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking outloud again." She watched her father nod and turn his attention back on the wheel, his blue eyes scanning the streets, as if trying to remember where exactly Charlotte Meyers lived. Her father, Sean Trepe was once handsome. A blond haired, blue eyed jock who fell in love with a smart woman like Flora Meyers, a girl with round, thick glasses, who was the president of the Math Club and became the Student President of Klydesdale High in Salt Lake City, Utah. Aunt Charlotte, two years younger than her mother, told her that Flora wasn't all that attractive, but Sean Trepe eventually fell in love with the woman inside. They married after they graduated from high school and had a beautiful daughter. After Flora died, Sean lost his charm and good looks when he started drinking.
She looked out the window once again. The drive from downtown to the quiet neighborhood of Haley Street was ten minutes, but Quistis felt it to be five seconds. Quistis must have been watching outside for too long and daydreaming that she didn't realize just how long the drive was. The car took another turn and by the time the first house came into view, Sean parked the car in the driveway where they were greeted by her Aunt. Quistis got out of the car first and gave her Aunt Charlotte a loving hug, before the woman pulled herself away from her niece to take a good look at how big she had grown.
"My, Quistis! You've grown a lot the last time I saw you!" Charlotte spoke, smiling. She pulled her niece once again for another hug, before turning her attention towards Sean. "And Sean, look at you! You're still the same!"
Quistis watched the glances her father and her Aunt exchanged. Her father had no reaction whatsoever to the greeting, as if he expected her to say those sarcastic words. Her Aunt Charlotte just gave him a smile, like they were old friends. The girl couldn't quite understand the relationship between her Aunt and her father. As far as she knew, it was a neutral one. They talked, they fought, but they were never that close to each other- just like brother and sister-in law.
"Well come on in you two! We'll worry about the luggages later!" Charlotte took Quistis by the hand and pulled her inside the house, followed by her father. Her Aunt opened the front door to the house and allowed Quistis and her father inside. The blond girl expected the house to be quite small, just by looking at it from the outside, but the moment she stepped in, it was unlike what she thought it would be. It was bigger than she expected and much more comfortable than the apartment where her Aunt used to live in. The living room was divided by a hallway that led to the kitchen and the staircase was located just beside it, leading to the second floor. The thirty-seven year old, single mother, had a picture of herself and her fifteen year old son, Travis hanging on the wall above the fireplace of the living room. Quistis wondered if they had enough room for two more people for the rest of their lives if they were to live here? "So? What do you guys think of the place?" Charlotte asked, planting both her hands on her hips, looking at her brother in-law and niece.
Quistis nodded and smiled. "It's very beautiful, Aunt," she commented.
Charlotte winked at her. "Well of course! I was born as an interior decorator after all!"
The blond girl smiled at her Aunt's jokes. "You're right!" She almost forgot that her Aunt worked as an interior decorator from a wealthy company known as Beautiful Living, that gives good wage to anyone who worked there. "Will you have room for the both of us?"
Charlotte nodded. "Why, yes! Why do you think you came here in the first place?"
"Are you sure it's all right, Charlotte?" Sean spoke up, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
The woman looked at him and nodded again. "I said it was all right, Sean." She looked at Quistis. "I'm sure you're going to have a lot of fun staying here. The school is just a few minutes walk from here so you wouldn't have to worry about transportation."
Suddenly, a sound of footsteps coming downstairs interrupted their conversation. All three heads looked up to see Travis Meyers coming down the stairs with large feet. Quistis couldn't remember the last time she saw her cousin. Maybe it was when she was ten and he... eight years old. He used to have no teeth in the middle. The boy ate a lot of candy during his childhood the last time she remembered and every year, a tooth had to be pulled out because of cavity. Now- it was different. Travis grew up to be a handsome boy with the eyes and face of his beautiful mother. His hair though, was sandy brown, unlike his mother's which was almost dark brown than anything else.
"Travis, do you remember your cousin Quistis and your Uncle Sean?" Charlotte asked, putting an arm around her niece.
"His Travis!" Quistis smiled, waving her hand.
The boy looked at her, thinking for a second and when the memory of the blond girl with pig-tails appeared in his mind, he smiled and greeted her with a shake in the hand. It was, after all the only thing he could do, since it's been seven years without seeing each other. "Hi cuz, it's been a long time," he said awkwardly. He could see that she was attractive.
Quistis smiled back and nodded. "It has been a long time. You've grown tall Travis- whatever happened to that short boy who loved to eat chocolate?"
Travis blushed. "Well uh... he had to leave because chocolate was damaging his teeth."
The blond girl laughed. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Travis, would you kindly help Quistis and Uncle Sean with their luggage please?" Aunt Charlotte asked her son.
Travis nodded. "Sure, mom." He glanced back at his cousin. "Let's go cuz."
Quistis smiled. "All right."
************************************
Adjusting to this new place was hard. The room that was given to her was much smaller than her old one, but she could tell her Aunt tried to make it cozy, by putting nice, colorful sheets for her bed, while the dresser drawer was painted burgundy, Quistis' favorite color. Her room was just across the hall from Travis' so she could just walk across from her room to his if she needed anything. Her father's room was downstairs, one that was used as a den by her Aunt's late husband, who died in a car accident. He wasn't Travis' father, but Travis and Mr. Gerald Codwell were like a family. Her and Travis got along pretty well, even after that awkward moment they shook hands when they first met from not being able to see each other. Travis made her feel welcome, treating her like his older sister and Quistis was glad to be living in the house. Tomorrow, Travis was going to walk with her to her new high school and show her around, which was no problem since he went there too.
Her father, however, was a different matter. That night, just as Quistis was getting ready for bed, she heard him and her Aunt arguing about something. Sean Trepe was not getting along well with any of the two. With his temper, his drinking habits and his swearing, Aunt Charlotte could not tolerate that kind of behaviour, so they ended up arguing. They never really got along very well. Her Aunt Charlotte explained to her on why. It was because Sean Trepe and Flora Meyers eloped and told no one about it, except Charlotte, Flora's only sister. At first, Charlotte attempted to pursuade the couple to stay, which resulted in Sean and Charlotte's constant bickering. The Meyers' were not happy with the situation. Flora was pregnant with her daughter that time they left their home and the Meyers, especially the father was about to kill Sean for taking his daughter away. They never returned after that. The two ended up living in Chicago, where Flora died. Quistis never met her grandparents from her mother's side. As for her father's family, she never knew them. Basically, the only relative she knew close enough was her Aunt Charlotte and her cousin Travis.
The argument eventually died down after twenty minutes. Quistis sighed a breath of relief and glanced at her clock beside her. It glowed 12:21 am. She needed to sleep, since she was going to school tomorrow, but she was too nervous to do anything, even sleep. She not only had to adjust to her new hone, she has to adjust to her new school- with new people- with kids her age who were going to look at her and stare at her and make fun of her.
Taking another deep breath, Quistis forced herself to close her eyes and sleep and after a couple of minutes of trying to sleep, her body suddenly drifted to that state. 'School will be something tomorrow,' she thought, drifting in and out of sleep.
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"Everyone, I'd like you all to meet, Quistis Trepe, who just moved here from Chicago," the teacher spoke.
All eyes turned towards a blond haired, blue eyed student, who looked to be around five feet, six inches tall with round glasses. She was wearing a pink skirt and a matching pink shirt with black knee-high boots. Her hair was up into a messy bun, her own style. There was a few smirks and real smiles towards the girl. The girls, who looked like the 'popular' crowd, sitting in one side whispered to each other. One girl, with long auburn hair, looked at Quistis up and down, folding her arms across her chest. She gave Quistis a threatening look, one that the teacher missed, but Quistis just ignored that and obeyed the teacher to sit next to a girl with short brown hair, whom the teacher named, Selphie. She was lucky to be sitting with her, because by the time she did, Selphie gave her a big, warm smile and said, 'hello' to her, before she sat down.
"Hi, my name's Selphie Tilmitt," the girl said.
Quistis shook her hand, smiling. "Hello, I'm Quistis Trepe."
"Nice to meet you, Quistis!" Selphie spoke, smiling.
Quistis smiled wider, glad she could talk to someone. She felt something small hit the back of her head. The blond girl turned around and noticed the same girl with the auburn hair just smirking at her. "Don't worry about her," a voice came from her side. Quistis turned, face to face with a pretty girl with long dark hair. "She just likes taking pleasure in torturing other people, isn't that right, Brandy?" The girl looked up and gave the other girl a frown. Brandy turned away and made a simple snort, before turning her attention back to her friends. The girl with the dark hair smiled at Quistis and held out her hand. "My name is Rinoa Heartilly. I'm Selphie's friend."
The blond girl shook the girl's delicate hand. She studied her for a moment and noticed how pretty she must be and popular. The way she was standing up to the Brandy girl, Quistis could tell Rinoa Heartilly was more than just a nice girl with pretty eyes. She could also have a boyfriend who was one of the jocks and that led you to a popular life in high school. Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to the classroom opened to reveal a handsome, tall blond male entering the room. Ms. Fisher, who was only in her early twenties, paused in the middle of reading the answers outloud to the homework that apparently had in algebra and looked up as the blond student walked in without a word.
"Seifer Almasy," Ms. Fisher spoke with sterness in her voice. "Glad that you could join us." Although the teacher said those words, Quistis could tell there was no sarcasm in the way she said it. Seifer said nothing and casually walked pass her. Quistis watched his every move as he made his way to the first row to her right and watched him sit down on the empty chair just behind a girl with glasses thicker than hers. Quistis observed him for a moment. His hair was golden brown like hers and was slick back with what looked like to be just the way his hair does it. It didn't look like he was wearing any gel to keep it that way. The moment he stepped in the class, she noticed green eyes and way he walked, showed muscle underneath his grey trenchcoat. Quistis had no idea that she was staring at his for some time now, until Rinoa nudged her in the shoulders, with a wide grin on her face.
"You just got here and already you're smitten with the rebellious Seifer?" Rinoa whispered in her ear.
Quistis blushed and shook her head coyly, taking her eyes off of him. "What are you talking about? I was just wondering why he was late."
Selphie giggled. "Sure, sure," she said, placing a hand on the blond girl's shoulder.
"Is there a problem, Ms. Tilmitt?" Ms. Fisher said.
Selphie looked up and grinned. "Not at all, Ms. Fisher."
Rinoa and Selphie grinned at their teacher. Ms. Fisher gave them strange looks before she turned back to her book. Quistis shook her head shyly and when she was sure no one was looking, even her two new friends, the blond girl swiftly took a glance at the blond boy and turned red in the face when she noticed him looking at her with a curious expression. Quistis smiled and turned away, still having that same red coloring on her face. 'Great, the first day of class and already I'm embarrassed,' she thought.
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"Hey Quistis could I speak to you for a moment?" Ms. Fisher said from her desk.
"We'll meet you at the cafeteria," Rinoa said, waving good bye. Quistis nodded and watched as her two friends left her alone with the teacher.
Ms. Fisher looked up and smiled, waiting until Quistis stepped in beside her. "I was able to look at the records from your previous school in Chicago. You had very impressive results from your Math class- the top student there."
Quistis shrugged. "Yeah. I do my homework and study, it's no big deal."
Ms. Fisher laughed. "I like your attitude. Have you ever done math tutorials before?"
The blond girl nodded. "Yes, I have."
"Well, then I guess I don't have to convince you to teach one of your classmates from Math class?"
Quistis thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right, I wouldn't mind."
Ms. Fisher smiled and nodded. She gathered all her papers in her hands and stood up. "Good. He's going to be coming in this class afterschool today. You don't mind starting today?"
Quistis shook her head.
"Okay, I'll see you then. Have a good lunch," Ms. Fisher said before leaving the classroom. Quistis followed her out the door and the teacher closed the door behind her, waved good bye to her student, then left. The blond girl watched her go and when she was completely gone, she turned to the direction of the cafeteria to look for her friends there. When she arrived, she was greeted by a young man riding on a skateboard, bumping into her like she was invinsible. Quistis was able to balance herself, instead of falling on her butt. She looked around the area for Selphie and Rinoa and found them sitting just a few tables from where she was standing, close to the middle of the cafeteria. There was a handsome young man with wavy brown hair sitting beside Rinoa dressed in a black leather jacket, so the girl seemed preoccupied at the moment for her to see Quistis there. However, Selphie saw her and called her name, waving her hand as if she couldn't see where they were. Quistis waved her hand back and without a word, turned around and walked the other direction to buy her lunch from the counter. It took her a couple of minutes until she finally picked a chicken wrap with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise and of course, chicken inside. She placed the wrap on her tray and picked a medium sized carton of chocolate milk for her drink, before paying for them both. The cafeteria was getting crowded and by the time she was finished purchasing her lunch, it was difficult for her to get through without bumping into anyone. She gently pushed her way through the crowds and was almost at the table, when something hit her foot. Quistis fell foreward, but because she used to be in the baseball team, she caught her chicken wrap with one hand, while the chocolate milk with the other. She quickly turned around to prevent her face from hitting the floor and landed on her butt on the cement. Quistis closed her eyes in pain and around her, she began to hear shouts of laughter.
"Did you catch that on film, Gerri?" a voice spoke. Quistis opened her eyes and noticed a couple of people staring down on her with smiles on their faces. Brandy, the one who asked Gerri about the film, just stared at her as she sat on her table. She casually ate her sandwich and was trying not to laugh at Quistis' mishap.
The one named Gerri, with dark hair tied back into a ponytail was sitting across from her, holding a camera in her hand. She nodded at Brandy's question and looked at Quistis, laughing. "Oh yeah. Jackass will have a time of their lives watching this."
Quistis couldn't move. She was frozen in fear and embarrassment. She just sat there on the floor, her hands filled with the food she bought with her money. She closed her eyes. She was beginning to think nothing bad was going to happen to her, but now THIS happens. Why do people have to make other people's lives miserable?
"The Great Quistis Trepe has fallen. So, you think you can show me off now?" Brandy looked at the blond girl straight in the face this time. "You and your stupid Math mark...." she mumbled.
The blond girl understood now. Brandy was angry with topping her score at the math pop quiz they had this morning. She was popular not only because of her looks, but because she was the smartest girl in Math- until Quistis came along. Is that how she does it? Embarrass someone just because she was better than her?
"Not everyone is stupid, McFadden..." a deep voice spoke from behind.
The people who were watching her on the floor and just laughing, seem to be frightened when the voice spoke. They backed away from Quistis, giving her some room and a firm hand held it out towards her. Quistis looked up and noticed the same blond boy she met earlier. She took his hand and he helped her up on her feet. The blond girl whispered a 'thanks,' before picking up her tray quickly. She was later joined by Rinoa, the young man and Selphie.
"Quistis!" Selphie yelled, wrapping her arms around the taller girl. "Are you all right?"
The blond girl nodded. "Yes, I'm okay." Quistis turned around, expecting the blond boy there, but Seifer Almasy was already gone. Brandy glared at her and stood up, leaving her unfinished sandwich behind. Her 'minions' followed her like puppies, ones that consisted mostly of girls and all eight of them, including Brandy, left the cafeteria without another word towards the blond girl.
"Why I oughta..." Selphie stomped her foot angrily, taking a step towards the direction Brandy left as if to go after her, but not before that same young man stopped her just in time. Selphie looked up, wondering who it was that stopped her and noticed that young man shaking his head.
"Just let them go, Selph," the boy spoke.
Selphie sighed. "But..."
The boy looked at the blond girl. "She said she was okay, so you don't need to go after them and cause trouble."
Selphie glanced at Quistis. "What happened?"
Quistis shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore. Let's go eat our lunch." She quickly glanced around for Seifer, but he was nowhere to be found.
GoodGurl: WOOH! That was long! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter about Quistis and her life. Next chapter will be about...Seifer and his life! Yeay! I hope I didn't bore any of you with this chapter! I'm sure I didn't! :D Please r/r!