Hello all! Thanks for reading my first published story. I finally found the nerve to post it so be nice! In case you didn't know, I don't own anything except the storyline and dialogue. All characters and such belong to their respective parties… blah blah.

Make a wish, take a chance, make a change.

And breakaway.

--Breakaway, Kelly Clarkson

Chapter One

Rinoa turned around in front of the full length mirror, inspecting her uniform again. Ever since she decided she wanted to become a SeeD, she felt the need to be perfect. Her desire was becoming somewhat compulsive. Just one more touch… she thought to herself while pulling her long, raven hair into a tight ponytail. Just as she gave herself a nod of approval, Headmaster Cid's voice came over the intercom.

"Good morning, Garden. At this time I need all incoming SeeD cadets to report to the Quad…"

Well, this is it. She turned the doorknob and silently prayed that her crew of friends would be occupied; she wanted her decision to be a surprise. To her relief, most of the hallways were deserted, save for the other new cadets. The Headmaster always made it a point to schedule cadet orientation after the morning rush of established students, and for that she was thankful. Rinoa couldn't count the number of times she had walked through these halls, yet this time felt different, almost new. A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she remembered being the "new kid" in an unfamiliar school. Reflecting on old memories brought along old feelings of nervousness. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea to keep this a secret. Will Squall be angry when he finds out? What about the rest of the guys? Will they be mad, too? Just when she was about to turn and go back to her dorm, a familiar voice called her name. Thank Hyne for Xu.

"Hi Rinoa!" Xu called out. "Ready to start your first day?"

Rinoa slowly shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess…" She murmured.

"Don't worry about it. Everyone has the first day jitters. It'll be fine." She placed her hands on the new cadets shoulders, squeezing gently for support.

"Were you nervous your first day, Xu?"

"Nervous? I was terrified!" Xu laughed. "Just between you and me; I was so scared, I threw up on Nida's shoes!" That brought a much needed giggle out of Rinoa. After their laughter died down, Rinoa hugged the older mentor. "Thanks, Xu."

"No problem. Hey, you better hurry or you'll be late!"

"Wish me luck!" Rinoa called behind her. Xu smiled to herself while shaking her head. The old throw-up story works every time.

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Rinoa walked into the Quad to find a few dozen new faces spread out amongst five rows of chairs placed in front of the stage. Some talked in small groups while others sat alone, looking as lost as she felt. She opted to sit in the center near the back next to a brown haired cadet. They exchanged tight smiles while a younger cadet who looked to be about seven turned around to face Rinoa.

"You're kinda old to be a new cadet, aren't you?" The freckled faced boy blurted out, looking Rinoa up and down. Her pending tirade was interrupted when the girl next to her slapped the boy on the head. "Shut up, Billy! Momma taught you better than that!" She sighed and turned to the offended Rinoa. "I'm sooo sorry about that." She cut her eyes menacingly over to the boy and back to Rinoa. "My brother is what you would call 'stupid.' Please forgive him." While she talked, Billy imitated her the entire time, earning himself another scolding from his older sister. "I'm Kirsten, by the way." She extended her hand, which Rinoa shook warmly.

"I'm Rinoa." Their introduction was cut short when the Headmaster entered the room, shortly followed by the Commander himself. While Cid was dressed in his usual attire, Squall wore his official SeeD uniform.

Rinoa couldn't help but blush at the sight of him and tried desperately to conceal her smile. The flutters in her stomach had turned from those of nervousness to those of excitement.

"Good morning, everyone," The Headmaster began. "I am Cid Kramer, Headmaster of Balamb Garden, and this is Squall Leonhart, Commander of Operations." Squall gave a curt nod to the group, obviously bored with the idea of attending a cadet orientation. The Headmaster continued with his speech. "Let me be the first to welcome you to Balamb Garden. You are about to embark on a journey…" The sound of Cid's voice was slowly being drowned out by her own thoughts. Squall always did look great in his uniform. It's a shame he never wears it. Rinoa thought to herself while studying Squall. She found herself starting to undress him with her eyes, yet he still hadn't noticed her.

"…give the chance for the Commander to introduce himself." The audience's soft chuckles caused Rinoa to snap back to reality. Her heart pumped wildly in her chest as Squall approached the podium. He took a deep breath, preparing to recite his memorized speech, when a pair of chocolate brown eyes locked with his.

"Rinoa…?" He mouthed, shocked into silence at seeing her in cadet orientation. What is she doing here? She isn't a cadet, is she? And why didn't she tell me? He thought. Meanwhile, all eyes were now turning in her direction, hoping to see what or who was making the Commander freeze. When Squall still didn't say anything, the Headmaster cleared his throat, hoping to catch his attention; however it was still captured by the raven-haired girl in the center of the crowd. Rinoa looked around and smiled nervously, beginning to blush under his gaze. Her eyes returned to his and she mouthed "Say something!" to him.

Squall shook his head and cleared his throat, finally being released from the trance he was under, and greeted everyone. "Good morning, everyone. I am Commander Squall Leonhart, and I would also like to welcome you to Balamb Garden. Here you will become one of the finest mercenaries the world has to offer." He looked directly at Rinoa. "But I must warn you that the journey will be difficult, often it will be dangerous," He lowered his voice. "And sometimes it can be deadly." He turned his attention back to the group. "But with your fellow cadets, SeeDs, and instructors by your side, it will also be the most memorable journey of your life. I am confident that with hard work and determination, you too will join the ranks of SeeD." With that, he turned and left the room and the Headmaster returned to the podium.

"Thank you, Commander. By now you should have all received your handbook on Garden's policies and code of conduct…" Rinoa's thoughts once again drowned out the Headmaster voice. I think he was sending me a message. The way he looked right at me, I'm almost positive that he was. But that means he was warning me on what to expect. Does that mean he's okay with this? "…inform your instructor of any electives you would like to take. You all have the rest of the day at your leisure, but first thing tomorrow morning, you will begin training. If there is nothing else, dismissed!"

Rinoa jumped out of her seat preparing to run and find Squall to verify her thoughts.

"Wow!" Kirsten piped, gaining Rinoa's attention. "That Commander guy is hot, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he sure is…" Rinoa responded wistfully. She couldn't get angry at the poor girl. She had no idea that he and Rinoa were involved…Sort of. Besides, the girl looked to be only fourteen. Rinoa could now face disciplinary action if she started an altercation. Are we involved? She thought to herself. I mean he never formally asked me, but sometimes we act like we're dating. And there was that one time I slept in his room…

Kirsten continued to ramble on. "I wonder if he fights alongside the rest of the SeeDs. I would follow him into battle any day! Maybe he's an instructor, too! That would be awesome if I was in one of his classes… Rinoa, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Huh?" Damn, I wasn't even listening. "Uh, y-yeah, I'm fine!" She feigned a smile. "I'll see you around, Kirsten." The younger girl shrugged to herself at Rinoa's sudden change, then waved cheerily. "Okay! See you around, Rinoa! Hey, maybe we'll have a class together!" She called out. It fell on deaf ears as Rinoa made her way to Squall's dorm room.

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Squall grabbed his usual gear out of the closet, preparing to change out of his restricting uniform. I hate this thing… He thought with contempt of the offending garment. It's too hot, it's too confining, and it's too tight around my neck. He pulled at the neckline hoping to stretch the stiff material. I wouldn't even have worn the damned thing had Cid not wanted me to 'display a military-like appearance' yet he walks in there in a sweater vest and khakis. Maybe I'll make some changes to the uniforms… His internal rant was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. "Come in, Rinoa." He called without looking behind him. Slowly the door opened and Rinoa poked her head in.

"How did you know it was me?" She asked tentatively.

"Because no one else knocks like you." He stated plainly. She raised an eyebrow at his observation. "Both Irvine and Zell bang on the door, Selphie knock is somewhat strange, and Quistis knocks like the police." He clarified.

"Really? I never noticed." She was silent for a moment while watching him dress and sat down on his bed. "And how do I knock?"

He paused, searching for the right words. "…Softly." He stated finally. "You knock like…you want to get someone's attention, yet you don't want to disturb them."

"Wow Squall, I never knew you were so observant." Rinoa teased.

"I'm trained to be observant. Many soldiers have been killed because they didn't notice their enemy until it was too late." He said while pulling his shirt over his head. Rinoa's smile faded when he turned to her, an unreadable expression covering his face. "I also observed you sitting in cadet orientation earlier. What was that about?" He asked. He really wasn't angry at all at the fact that she had probably enrolled as a cadet. He actually thought she looked cute in the uniform. However, he wasn't pleased with the fact that she had kept it from him.

"Surprise!" Rinoa spread her arms out wide hoping that he would go along. Unfortunately his face wasn't changing. "S-surprise?" She tried again. For a split second, she saw the tiniest of smiles.

"Congratulations, Rinoa." She squealed in response, hugging him around his waist.

"Thanks, Squall!" Just as soon as the moment began, it ended.

"Whatever."

Rinoa inhaled his scent and slowly pulled away. "Now all I have to do is look over my schedule and…"

Magic 101!?

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Sorry if this moves a little slow at first. I promise it will get more interesting in later chapters. Reviews are greatly appreciated.