A/N: This is my first fanfiction, 'tis about Squall and Rinoa. (XD) things are a bit different than in the game. I'll be posting the prequel "That Summer" at roughly the same time, so read both if you wanna get what's going on!

Warning: the story changes b/t Rinoa and Squall's POV; Rinoa is in first person, Squall in third.

Enjoy!

"Zell, why don't you invite a friend home for dinner this weekend?" I heard Delia, my stepmother, say into the phone. I peeked into the kitchen to find the petit woman busy stirring bowls of who-knows-what in preparation for dinner. "I want to meet the oh-so-infamous Squall you keep babbling about. Honey, I want to meet your friends, and that's that. How can I trust you if I don't meet them? But Rin invited Selphie to dinner, not you. I'll see you tonight then. And not alone. Do you want to talk to Rinoa? All right, I'll tell her you said hi. Bye, honey."

"So," I said, leaning against the door frame, "Zell called."

Delia turned around, a surprised look on her face. "Oh, sorry dear. He said he had to go. I didn't realize you were here! Silly me, I forgot you're already out of school. But it's okay, he'll be home in a few hours anyway. Can you help me with dinner?"

As she asked about my day, I thought of tonight. It was true Zell never brought home any friends, and he did ramble on about Squall most of the time he called or was home, ever since he became a SeeD. Our this mission Squall single-handedly killed four Anacondaurs, and on that mission he saved So-and-So. I was very curious to see just who Zell's new idol was. I touched the bulge underneath my shirt where a ring too large for my finger rested on its chain. I didn't dare wish it to be that Squall, from three summers ago. It'd hurt too much if it turned out to be a different person.

I was sitting outside on the front porch, reading and enjoying the cool mid-spring weather when Zell arrived, his spiked blond hair a beacon in the darkening evening. He was walking, oddly enough, his T-board no where in sight, and talking to another figure. He punched the air a few times. Mr. Macho Guy. I stood up and waved. Zell sprinted the few yards to our house and hugged me. I laughed.

"Yo, Squall. This is my twin sister, Rinoa," Zell said to his friend, who had caught up. I could now see that he had longish brown hair and a long scar across the bridge of his nose. He was wearing all black except a white shirt and the fluffy white lining on the collar of his jacket. His leather gloves were also black. We stared at each other.

It was like seeing a ghost. He was more poker-faced, and had filled out; last time I suspected he'd just had a growth spurt. His hair was much longer. And the scar across the bridge of his nose was new. It scared me to death. What had happened? I wondered.

But it was him.

My heart started racing. I looked away, but I could still feel his eyes on me.

"Zell! You're here! Come in, come in. Ah! I see you've brought a friend. Don't make him stand out in the cold!" Delia hustled us inside. "Your father should be home soon. Dinner's almost ready. Squall, is it? Make yourself at home!" She hurried back into the kitchen.

We stood in awkward silence for a long moment before Zell told me that Squall would be spending the weekend. He went upstairs to show Squall where his room was; they didn't come back down. I let out a deep breath.

It looked like we'd both lied. But he was here. After three years. I almost couldn't believe it. All those feelings I'd buried after learning Zell and I wouldn't be going to Fisherman's Horizon again burst from their cage. I was ecstatic and frightened at the same time. Would he be angry at me for lying? Did he still have feelings for me? At least he remembered me; that was all that mattered. I'd make him fall in love with me again if I had to. Anything to win his heart back.