Chapter 1:

I Can do anything, Better than you can

It was the first day of school, and Rikku was packing her stuff for school. So far she had everything. She double, triple, and even quadruple checked for her supplies. She ran downstairs, plopped her bag by the door, and walked into her kitchen. She was a bit startled by the site of her brunette cousin, Yuna, sitting at the table talking to Cid, Rikku's dad.

"Oh! Hiya Yuna. What're you doin' here???"

"Don't tell me you forgot Rikku! Didn't you remember that we said that we'd go to school together for the first day of school?!"

"Oh yeah! I just… uhhh…"

"Forgot?" offered Yuna with a grin.

"Yeah… Wait. Why aren't you goin' with Tidus? He is still your boyfriend, right?"

"Of course! I just wanted to make sure you get to school ok. I felt pretty bad for ditching you all summer to hang out with Tidus. Sorry 'bout that…"

"You shouldn't feel bad! I've been fine the whole time. No need to apologize."

"Well nonetheless we're goin' together. We said we would, so we shall."

"Ok, then let's get going."

"You two stay out of trouble, ya hear?" called Cid as they walked out.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

They walked outside, jumped into Rikku's yellow convertible, and drove to their first day of their last year at Luca High. Getting to school, they checked their schedules and found they had Math, Chemistry, 4th Lunch, and English together. They started to walk off to their first class, Math, but were interrupted when a blond guy snuck up behind Yuna and held her waist.

Yuna knew it was her boyfriend, Tidus, because of the way he hooked his thumbs into her skirt loops when he held her. She snuggled into the chest of her beloved boyfriend and asked, a bit dreamily, "So what's your schedule?"
Tidus looked up towards the ceiling as if thinking and then replied, "Math, Reading, Chemistry, 4th Lunch, English, and then P.E."

"We have Lunch together, the three of us. And we have Math and English, too. 1st period Math and 5th period English right?" asked Rikku, who was getting fairly disgusted by their lovey-dovey actions.

"Yep, those very same classes."

"Wonder what Paine, Lulu, and Wakka have,"

"Well we all have lunch together, unfortunately," said an aggravated voice. They looked around saw Paine with her ruby eyes, Lulu and her black buckled dress, and Wakka with his flaming red hair standing there.

"What 'bout the other classes? Got any of those with us?"

(A/N: Skim over the schedules even if they confuse you, I'll list 'em at the end of the chapter, so that you can clearly see who has which classes with whom.)

"I've got Reading, Chemistry with Rikku and Yuna, P.E. with Rikku, Lunch, of course, English with all 3 of you, and then Math. Paine's got English with Wakka, Reading with Tidus, and Chemistry with both of Ti and Wakka, Lunch with us, Math with Wakka, and P.E. with Yuna. Wakka has English, P.E., Chemistry, Lunch, Math, and then Reading. Phew…" Lulu doesn't try to catch her breath after talking for so long. She keeps her breaths steady, almost as if she was asleep. "Don't try to memorize that, Rikku, it'll only let your eyes have an excuse to look as swirled as they are," she said to Rikku.

It was true, Rikku looked quite befuddled indeed, but it wasn't because of Schedules. Truth be told, she hadn't heard a word Lulu said. It was because she thought she saw vaguely someone familiar walk by. When Lulu had told her to stop she snapped back to reality and asked,

"What?"

"You were starin' out and I had to bring you back."

"Oh…"

"Well let's get going before we're all late for our classes."

"Bye guys."

"See you guys later."

"Later, ya?"

"Bye then."

"Whatever."

Before you could say Celsius, everyone is gone. After a furiously fast period of blinking, Rikku looks for, spots, and then runs to catch up with Tidus and Yuna. Her thoughts of the guy from earlier were completely forgotten now.

They endured through their Math class, whose teacher was named Mr. Dillards. He was OK, but he could sure as hell blink once in awhile, just to show that he was actually alive and not a puppet on a string.

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

When Gippal entered his new school, sure he was scared as hell, but it was first and last year, so he didn't have to be scared long. Oh, but he did. The first thing he saw when he passed threw those doors of the hell was Rikku.

The girl he promised and swore to himself that he would keep in touch with. The girl his dad had him break up with. All because his dad wanted him to go to a military school. He ended up never writing, calling, not even an attempt. He was sure that she forgot about him. But he didn't forget about her.

Those 2 years back, he hadn't even told her straight to her face. He left a card with Cid that said, 'Bye… Hope you have a good life. I'll try my hardest to keep in touch…' But that was a bunch of bull. He didn't pick a pencil or phone once to write or call her. He always wondered what made him stop each time he'd convince himself to try.

He kept in touch with everyone else, hell he even called Cid. They'd talk about how he was keeping his company, Home Inc., still in business. He'd ask about Brother and always got the answer, "He's pissed off with you for leavin' Rikku, but he'll get over it."

Then they'd get to talking about Rikku…

"How's she doin'???" Gippal asked timidly.

"Why don't you ask 'er yerself?" Cid would ask back, trying to keep both his anger and curiosity in check.

"I-I-I just… I just can't." and he hang up before Cid could push further.

When he saw her that first time in 2 years his heart beat at 500 times a second, and then stopped thumping altogether. He was told that she moved to Besaid and stayed there. This is gonna be a problem, he thought. He'd call Cid again later and ask why the hell they were there, but at this very moment he heard Lulu reciting who had which schedules and his stomach lurched when he heard that he had 4 out of 6 classes with one of her friends.

Even though he saw that the guy was going out with Yuna, Rikku's cousin, he still couldn't help but feel jealousy towards the guy. How come he got to spend so much time with her?

You'd be able to, too, if you hadn't just left so suddenly, he silently scolded himself.

I was trying to spare us the goodbyes.

NO, you were running away because you thought you would never see her again. Now, guess what? You saw her, but now you're not allowed to talk to her… AT ALL. All because you ran like a baby. You're fault, not hers, so don't even try to blame it on her.

But it is her fault! She frigging forced me to love her! If she hadn't been so damn caring and cute I could've left without regrets.

Without regrets? Without regrets?! Without fucking regrets! You are the biggest damn liar known to Spira! Keep tellin' yourself that you could've left without regrets. You are so bloody stupid!!!

Well you are me!!! So that means we, as in both of us, are the stupidest, lying bastards known to Spira.

To this the opposing side of his conscience was quiet. At least he could think clearly now. After his little episode, Gippal got through his first classes and lunch.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

After Chemistry and P.E., Rikku left along with Lulu from the gym to the cafeteria. They each ordered, got their food, and then walked off to find an empty table for them and their friends. They were even lucky enough to find a table nearby the windows. Luckily Yuna, Tidus, Wakka, and Paine all managed to find them easily enough.

They had barely started to eat when a trio of girls appeared. They were only noticed once they had made a sound like a cat who was coughing up a hairball.

One was dark skinned with black hair. She wore a bikini/dress combination. Another one was skinny and wearing the world's most revealing outfit. Her hair was definitely a bottled blonde color, not natural and beautiful like Rikku's desert gold. The third girl looked timid, almost scared that she'd came near them. She had long brown hair and was wearing a small blue skirt, but actually made it seem modestly attracting, not whore-like as her friends had done to their bodies.

"I believe you're sitting at our table," spoke up the dark-skinned one snidely.

"Oh sorry, then," spoke up Yuna, but was looking thoroughly confused.

"Good, now get up and get lost," snapped the blonde. She took out a fan began to wave it as if she were flustered or overheat. This confused Yuna even more because she herself was a bit chilly earlier and had actually put her sweater back on.

"And why, pray tell, should we do that," asked Paine, the monotony in her voice in plain sight.

"Because we say so," replied the black girl slowly, as if it's actually supposed to mean something.

"And if you told us to jump off a bridge, you'd expect us to do it?" asks Lulu coldly. Her eyes literally held fire within them. Considering that she could whisper a single word and the girls would turn to ash, they still didn't back off.

"Why yes actually. Most people would kill to have us talk to them. Luckily for you, all you did was choose to sit in the wrong seat. Since you're obviously new to this school, we'll let you off easy if you just leave. But you're really trying our patience…"

"Why don't we just leave them alone, Leblanc? They're fine there plus, to be honest, sitting there every goddamn day is a bit annoying sometimes," interrupts a man who is wobbling on a cane. He wears spectacles and he looks rather… old. "Hi, my name's Nooj. This here is my girlfriend Leblanc."

Leblanc, ignoring Nooj's introduction, begins to whine, "But Noojie-Woojie! Every single popular person has sat at that table. We just can't fork it over to these losers."

Turning to his girlfriend Nooj says, "First of all, NEVER call Noojie-Woojie. Second, why is that you think I care???"

Leblanc "hmphs" and turns away. Nooj ignores her and hobbles away.

"Come on babe let's go," interrupts a voice. It belongs to blonde haired man that looks a bit like Tidus, but he looks older and more rugged. His girlfriend seems to be the one that didn't talk at all during the whole encounter. He holds her waist in a position that is fairly similar to how Tidus holds Yuna.

"Hey! It wasn't my fault. They're the ones with problems," she whispers a bit furiously to her boyfriend. He looks sorry and holds her close.

"I still don't understand why you put up with them." He says this sadly, remorseful for his girlfriends hurt.

"I do it because I love you. And apparently for it to be OK around here, I have to hang out with the 'popular girls.' Yevon knows that half the school hates them," states the girl. She says rather matter-of-factly.

"I know Lenne. I know… After this year it'll be over, and you won't have to be around Dona and Leblanc anymore."

"Hmph! That'll be the day," replies his girlfriend indignantly as if she doesn't believe him, but she hugs tightly onto him. She looks back to the group at their table with a look that says, I'm-really-sorry-about-those-bitches.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

After finishing lunch, Rikku, Yuna, Tidus and Lulu headed off to their English class, whose teacher's name was Ms. Helxson, a really old lady who seemed to always asleep. While in her English class Rikku saw that guy again from earlier. He looked even more familiar this time close-up. It was unusual because every time Rikku tried to look at him more closely, he seemed to avoid her gaze.

It was really beginning to annoy her, and she was about to march over and get a straight view of his face when he was saved from the bell. In frustration she watched him bolt out of his seat and through the door.

She trudged to her Reading class aggravated.

33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

Tidus saw the kid that ran away from Rikku and wondered what the hell was going on. He also noticed that he had the kid in 3 of his classes. He walked to his P.E. class deep in thought. When he got there, he noticed the kid was in his P.E. class, too. So he had him in 4 of his classes altogether.

After P.E. class which was mostly just a bunch of free time and rule introduction, he decided to talk to the kid.

He walked over and said, "Hi, I'm Tidus. Noticed I had you in 4 of my classes."

The kid looked nervously around and then said, "Uhhh… yeah. My name's Gippal."

"So why'd you run from Rikku?"

"What?!" exclaimed Gippal startled. He didn't think anyone noticed his exit.

"Yeah. Almost everyone is English noticed your escape."

"Ummm… I was just in a hurry to get to P.E. It's my favorite subject."

"Oh… Same. P.E. is the best."

"Well nice talking to ya'. Hope to see ya' around."

"Yeah… bye," Tidus replied, but Gippal had already bolted. He sighed and said aloud, "Weird kid."

A/N: How was it??? This is my first AU fic and my second fic at all... Hope people like it...

Schedules:

Rikku:

Math, Chemistry, P.E., 4thLunch, English, Reading

Yuna:

Math, Chemistry, Reading, 4thLunch, English, P.E.

Tidus:

Math, Reading, Chemistry, 4thLunch, English, P.E.

Lulu:

Reading, Chemistry, P.E., 4thLunch, English, Math

Wakka:

English, P.E., Chemistry, 4thLunch, Math, Reading

Paine:

English, Reading, Chemistry, 4thLunch, Math, P.E.