~The *New* Guy~ parts 1-4
BY: Yuff Puff
~*~*~*~*~
"Tifa, I want you to restock all these items!" her boss's voice boomed from the stock room.
"Yes, sir…" she mumbled.
"And I want them done by three o'clock!" he finished.
"Okay, sir…" she answered again flatly.
Tifa was sitting at a table behind the counter of the store "7th Heaven" in her town, Nibelhelm. It was another afternoon of a school day and she was working part-time for some much-needed money.
She was flipping through Soldier Weekly looking at pictures of the latest stars in Soldier, when her boss unexpectedly entered the room.
She jumped up, knocking the magazine down to the floor. "Oh, s…sorry sir! I'll restock those things right away, sir! Yep." she said picking up the magazine and then stood up in front of her boss.
He glared at her for a while, but his gaze softened a bit and he actually smiled. "Heh…just like your mother…"
Tifa was surprised. "You knew my mother, sir?"
Her boss was suddenly uncomfortable. "Well yes…quite a tragedy…" Then a determined look fell on his face. "Quit dawdling Tifa, and restock the shelves!"
Tifa nodded her head. "I will sir." She put the magazine back on the shelf sheepishly, trying to hide the cover, which contained a soldier wearing trunks, from her boss.
"Look…" her boss scratched his head. "I have to step out for a bit. I'm trusting you with the store, okay? I'd better find it in one piece!"
"I'll take good care of it, sir."
He left.
Tifa groaned, but gathered up some things from the stock room, nevertheless. She started stacking the first row, filled with ethers, tranquilizers, and so on. After a while, she began absentmindedly singing a soft tune to herself.
"You have a real pretty voice." A voice behind her said.
She dropped a package, startled, and turned around. Her eyes widened. A guy, around 16 years old, was standing at the doorway. He was fairly good-looking, wearing khaki shorts and a blue shirt. The thing that struck her the most was his hair. You could say it was…unique, with its many blonde spikes, sticking out all over the place.
"Oh, thanks..." she said, standing up to help him out. "Did you...want something?
He almost looked confused for a moment, as if trying to remember why he was there. Then he said, "I was wondering if, uh…you sold any potions at this store? My mom's kind of sick right now."
"Potions…" Tifa walked to the other side of the room and pulled out a blue sack. "Here ya go," she said, handing it over.
"Thanks…thanks a lot." He started walking towards the exit when Tifa called out.
"Wait! Are you from around here?"
The boy turned around and grinned. "My mom and I just moved here yesterday."
"Oh, that's neat." she said, her ears turning red. "Well, I'll guess I'll see you around…" Tifa replied, unsure of what to say. She was one of those people that you gradually become friends with, once you've known her long enough.
"I guess you will." He gave her one last smile, before turning around and walking out the door.
Tifa ran to the windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. She peered out and just saw him turn around the corner of the street.
"I guess I'll see you around!" Tifa imitated herself, and laughed at her own behavior. Next thing you know, you'll be stalking the poor guy.
Tifa returned back to her work, just in case her boss returned any second. Her mind wandered after a while.
"Geez, what was his name?"
*Part 2*
"So anyway, Yuff, you should've seen this guy! I mean, I totally think you'd like him!" Over the phone, Tifa could hear her friend laughing.
"Yeah…the famous spiky headed dude that you don't even know the name of."
Tifa cradled the phone against her ear, lying on her bed. She sighed. "He was so nice too… definitely nicer than all the guys at school."
"Well, no kidding! Most guys at school are jerks." Yuffie said.
"What about Vincent?" Tifa pointed out.
"What about him?" Yuffie asked.
Tifa let out a laugh. "Yuffie, he's a guy...and he's nice."
"Yeah, but...that's different. He's just a friend, nothing more than that! That'd be just weird."
Tifa laughed. "Right… Listen, I better get off the line 'fore my dad gets mad. I'll talk to you at school, 'kay?" she said, getting ready to put the phone down.
"Wait, Tiff…do you think Spikey will be there?" Yuffie asked.
"Where?"
"At school!"
Tifa sat up, suddenly. "Gee, I sure hope so…that'd be awesome."
"Yeah it would!" Yuffie replied incredulously. She suddenly yelled into the phone. "Great Sephiroth! I have to finish up my paper…I gotta go Tifa."
"You're not done yet?" Tifa giggled. "How could you forget?"
"Tifa…my name is Yuffie Kirisagi, who do you take me for?"
Tifa sighed. "One of these days you're gonna learn, Yuff. Education is important!" Tifa said, imitating Barney.
"I'm sure it is." Yuffie laughed. "See you tomorrow."
"Alright, bye…"
Tifa hung up.
~*~*~*~*~
Cloud walked through the hallways, staring at a map and a folded up schedule. From the sight, you could obviously tell that he was brand new to Nibelview High. Every other student seemed keen on hurrying to their classes before they were too late, and didn't look twice at him.
Cloud looked up and checked the number of the nearest classroom. 84. He was looking for room 142.
"Yo man...you lost?" a voice said.
Cloud turned around. A guy wearing baggy black jeans and a blue shirt (with a green ugly face on it) was standing before him. He also had long jet-black hair and a green bandana tied around his forehead.
In short, he looked pretty cool.
Cloud nodded, relieved. "Yeah my last school wasn't nearly this big."
The guy chuckled. "You get used to it." Then he held out his hand. "Vincent Valentine."
"Cloud Strife." He said, shaking Vincent's hand. "Could you help me find this classroom?"
Vincent leaned over and checked out his schedule. "Cool, you're in Tiff's class." When Cloud gave him a look, he continued. "She's a friend of mine. Just tell her you know me and she'll help you out."
Cloud nodded. "So how come you're not at class yet?" he asked.
Vincent shrugged. "I kinda just stall. Ms. Yen doesn't care. But Mrs. Aupert is pretty crabby so I'd better take you there..."
~*~*~*~*~
After many stairs and hallways, they reached 142.
"Hey, thanks a lot for your help." Cloud said gratefully.
"No problem. Good luck, man." Vincent walked off for a bit and then turned around. "What lunch do you have?" he called out.
"Second, what about you?" Cloud said.
"Same...i'll see ya there." Vincent walked away.
Cloud turned to the door and reached for the handle. Taking a deep breath, he walked inside.
Every single student in the classroom turned to face him. Cloud could feel his cheeks redden.
"May I help you, young man?" the teacher in the front of the room asked. She was pretty short and had little spectacles hanging off the end of her nose. The lady was peering at Cloud through her glasses.
"I'm...Cloud Strife."
When the teacher didn't respond, he continued. "I'm the new person."
"Ah! Cloud Strife - yes, we've been expecting you." Then she looked around the room for a vacant seat. "You can sit...next to Aeris Gainesborough. Aeris, please raise your hand."
Cloud looked towards where Mrs. Aupert gestured. The girl sitting down in the seat had long brownish-blonde hair, braided and tied up with a ribbon. She was wearing a blue spaghetti strap tank top and black pants. Cloud whistled to himself inwardly.
Aeris smiled politely at him, and Cloud smiled back. He walked over to sit down.
~*~*~*~*~
There came a point in class when the teacher was at the back of the room answering a phone call, giving everybody a little "social time" to talk amongst themselves.
Cloud turned towards Aeris who was looking down at a piece of paper. He thought it was best not to disturb her, but he did anyway.
"Hey..."
Aeris looked up and she smiled at him. "Hey! Um...Cloud, was it?"
"Yup. Aeris?"
"Yup." Aeris replied.
"Say...do you know someone called 'Tiff' in here? I bumped into her friend Vincent in the hallway." Cloud said.
Aeris brightened up. "Tiff's my friend! Vincent too, kinda. Her real name's actually Tifa...she's that girl at the back, you see? Wearing the pink blouse." she turned around and pointed her out to Cloud.
Cloud raised his eyebrows.
Tifa was the same girl he had met the other day.
~*~*~*~*~
"Oh my gosh, Tifa! I thought we tell each other everything!"
"Sorry, Aeris, i seriously tried to call you the other night but I couldn't get an answer."
The two girls were at their lockers getting their bag lunches. Aeris had found at that Tifa and Cloud supposedly had already met when they had both exchanged each other surprised looks.
Aeris put one hand on her hip. "So what happened?"
Tifa, who was applying blush to her face paused and looked at Aeris through her mirror. "He said I had a nice voice..."
Aeris giggled. "How cute."
"Anyway," Tifa rolled her eyes and snapped her makeup case shut. "C'mon, let's get to lunch before it's over."
*Part 3*
-Lunch-
Cloud entered the lunchroom awkwardly, wondering where to sit.
"Cloud, c'mere!"
Cloud turned around to the source of the yell and he saw Vincent gesturing him to come over and sit with him. Cloud sighed, relieved that he wouldn't have to be a loner on his first day of school.
He walked over, and Vincent led him towards a table near the window. Tifa and Aeris sat on one side of the table, while a guy and a girl he didn't recognize sat on the other.
"Hey Cloud!" Tifa greeted him, happily.
"Hey!" Aeris smiled.
"Hi…" the other girl said, giving him a crooked smile.
"Hey," Cloud said, giving them a cheesy grin.
The guy seated across from Tifa seemed pretty buff looking, and had blondish-white hair that was combed through the middle. The girl next to him was pretty, although she did look a bit younger than the others. She had shoulder length brown hair that framed around her face.
"Hey wassup Cloud! I'm Cid." The blonde guy held out his hand, and Cloud shook it.
"Where's Shera?" Vincent asked, taking a seat next to the girl with the short brown hair. "Sit down Cloud."
Cloud looked at Tifa, who smiled shyly back at him. He sat down next to her.
"Shera had to finish up a lab report. I think she's eating her lunch there." Aeris said, taking a sip of milk.
The girl next to Vincent coughed intentionally and poked him in the ribs. Vincent jumped. He gave the girl a wary look, and then faced Cloud. "...And this idiot here is Yuff Puff," Vincent put his arm around her mockingly.
She smacked Vincent on the arm playfully. "Yeah, that's really funny…jerk!" Vincent laughed.
The girl turned to Cloud. "I'm Yuffie, it's good to meetcha! I've heard a lot about you…" she looked at Tifa slyly. Tifa blushed and threw her a meaningful look.
Vincent rolled his eyes at them. "Okay, who likes him?"
Cloud scratched his head, confused. "Um, what?"
"Nothing!" Tifa said hastily.
Aeris laughed. "Right, Tifa."
~*~*~*~*~
-That night-
"I say…if you like him, you just do something about it!" Yuffie said, as if it were the most obvious in the world.
"Yuff…it's not that easy." Tifa said, defensively.
Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Sure it is! Just go…" Yuffie lowered her voice in an attempt to make it sexy. She sounded more like as if she had a very bad cold. " 'Hey Cloud, what do you say me and you do the bonka?' "
Aeris giggled. "What the heck?"
It was a Friday night and the girls were having a sleepover at Tifa's house. They were sprawled across Tifa's bedroom, watching an episode of "Young Americans." At the moment there was a commercial break, and this was the only point during the show they would talk.
Shera, the girl who was doing the lab report during lunch, was also there. She was very attractive, despite her glasses covering her blue eyes. She had long red hair that, at the moment, was tied in a messy ponytail.
"I still need to meet this Cloud guy." she said, munching on some chips. "What's he like?"
Yuffie laughed, interrupting. "What kind of name is Cloud anyway?" Then she made her voice unnaturally high, immitating Tifa. "Ooo, take me to Cloud 9, Cloud!" She switched her voice to deep. "Anything, my darling!" She laughed again.
Tifa gave Yuffie a look, and Yuffie shrugged, grinning. Tifa sighed. "Shera, he's so cute, and he's nice, and sweet, and polite...."
Aeris nodded, and everyone looked at her.
"What? Tifa's right…he's polite."
"You like him too?" Tifa said, frowning. "I mean that's okay, I guess…but-"
Aeris patted her on the back. "Don't worry Tiff…I don't. And even if I did, I'd tell you, right? We're friends!"
Tifa smiled. "Yeah."
Yuffie was about to remark on their lameness when the show came back on, and she was quickly shut up by her friends.
~*~*~*~*~
-30 minutes later-
"Gyaaahaaahaa!" Yuffie was clutching her stomach and smacking the ground with her fist.
The show was already over and Yuffie was laughing about something that happened 20 minutes ago.
Shera looked at her strangely. "Yuffie…it wasn't that funny."
Yuffie paused to take a deep breath, only to laugh some more. "But...Jake….the lipstick! Hamilton…wiping off! Haaaahaaaahaaa!"
Tifa clucked her tongue. "Yeah…" She scratched her head. "ANYWAY- ignoring Yuff Puff here…"
Yuffie stopped laughing and gave Tifa an odd look. "Please don't call me that!"
"What, and Vincent can?" Tifa put her hand to her chest and opened her mouth, pretending to act offended.
Yuffie grinned. "That's different."
Aeris yawned. "Yuff, we're getting tired of you guys flirting with each other."
"We do not flirt…" Yuffie protested. "He's my friend! I mean…he's just Vincent. Stop thinking gross thoughts!" she suddered.
Tifa laughed. "Right…'friends.' " she said, making quotation marks with her hands.
"It's true!'
"Uh huh…"
Yuffie picked up a pillow from Tifa's bed and through it at her.
"Ha! Feel my wrath!" Yuffie said, throwing another pillow.
Tifa, who totally didn't expect that fell to her side. She laughed and threw it back, only to hit Shera in the face, knocking off her glasses.
Shera put her glasses back on, and picked up a pillow, grinning menacingly. Everyone backed off.
Soon, the room was filled with loud yells and laughter as the girls became engrossed in a pillow fight.
~*~*~*~*~
-At the same time-
Cloud lay in bed, hands behind his head, and eyes wide open.
His first day had gone…pretty well, in fact. Vincent and Cid…they were both fun to hang around. Cloud had spent the rest of the afternoon with them at the arcade, challenging each other at some Street Fighter and Tekken. Vincent obviously spent a lot of time playing video games, because he kicked both Cloud's and Cid's asses.
Cloud's thoughts shifted over to the girls. Tifa and Aeris…they sure were something. Cloud smiled in the dark. Tifa…she was very pretty, no doubt about that. She seemed smart and fun. But then there was Aeris. Cloud couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about her that appealed to Cloud. It wasn't just her looks, although Cloud wasn't complaining about that.
It was…something else.
Cloud did know one thing though. He wanted to get to know her better.
*Part 4*
"So you're gonna ask him?"
Tifa winced. "I dunno…I mean what if he says no?"
Aeris rolled her eyes. "Why would he say no?" She paused and looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, before adding a coat of lip-gloss on. She turned to face Tifa. "You're gorgeous Tifa, how could a guy resist?"
Tifa smiled. "Aeris, you're so cool."
"I know." Aeris grinned back.
~*~*~*~*~
-Gym Class-
Yuffie sat down on the hard gym floor and stretched out her right leg, reaching out her arm as far as possible.
"Careful…you might break your back." A voice said.
Yuffie looked up and saw a guy with brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes looking down at her, grinning.
"Need some help?" he asked, only half kidding.
The guy proceeded to sit down next to her, crossing his legs.
Yuffie gave him a weird look, before continuing. "I believe I can handle stretching out on my own, thank you very much. But if I ever need your help, I'll let you know."
"Your name is Yuffie, right?" he asked, looking thoughtful.
"Yes…" Yuffie said slowly. She'd never seen this guy before in her life, and she wondered how he could just pop up in her gym class. "Why?"
The guy ignored her question and smiled secretively. "What do you say we go out on a date?"
Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "I don't even know your name."
"Okay, my name is Wes." He looked thoughtful. "Will you go out with me now?"
What was this guy on about? Yuffie thought to herself.
Vincent entered the gym at that moment and Yuffie breathed a sigh of relief.
"Listen, Wes, if that really is your name. See that guy over there?" Yuffie nodded towards Vincent.
"What about him?" Wes asked, eyeing Vincent.
"Well…he's my boyfriend. And he'd literally kick your ass if he found you here flirting with me." Yuffie lied, shrugging to make it seem as if guys hit on her all the time.
Wes laughed. "I don't believe you."
"About what?"
"That he's your boyfriend." Wes said.
Yuffie scoffed. "Oh yeah?" Yuffie stood up and brushed off the dust on her shorts. "Hey Vinnie!" she called out, praying that Vincent would play along.
Vincent looked at her strangely, but came over anyway.
Phew…so far so good, Yuffie thought. "Vinnie, sweetie, what time are you picking me up this afternoon?" she laughed nervously.
Vincent looked at Yuffie strangely. She just looked back at him, eyes wide open, as if trying to tell him something through telepath.
"Um…what?" he said, confused. He was blushing, nevertheless.
Yuffie laughed again. "Oh yes, silly me! Our date is tomorrow."
Vincent shook is head, confused. "Are you asking me out?" There was a tiny hint of hope in his voice.
Yuffie groaned, defeated, while Wes burst out laughing at the scene. Vincent just stood there, bewildered.
"Okay fine, you win!" Yuffie said to Wes, "He's not my boyfriend."
Wes laughed. "Duh."
Vincent seemed to have caught on at that moment. "Oh yes, our date is tomorrow!"
Yuffie grinned. "Too late…and you wish."
Vincent chuckled awkwardly but decided to leave them alone. "Okay, well I'm gonna go play…baseball with everyone. Bye Yuff."
"Bye Vinnie." She said, grinning.
Wes spoke up. "So…."
Yuffie bent down to face him. "So…I'm still not going out with you." She said, matter-of-factly.
Wes gave her a winning smile. "Yes, you will."
~*~*~*~*~
-In the hallway-
"Cloud, wait up!"
Cloud turned around and smiled when he saw Tifa running towards him. She was clutching her side with her left hand, breathing fast, while at the same time cradling around 5 books in her right.
"Hey Tifa…need a little help?" he remarked, grinning.
"Well…now that I have my personal helper with me, I'll be okay. Right, Cloud?" she joked back.
Cloud pretended to look confused. "Now, who'd that be?"
Tifa rolled her eyes. "You think you're funny, huh?"
Cloud laughed and took some of her books, and they continued walking down the hallway.
"So Cloud, um…how was it like in your old school?" Tifa said, brushing some hair out of her eyes.
Cloud shrugged. "It was okay. I miss all my friends and all, but things here seem pretty cool. Lots of nice people…" He glanced over at Tifa. She smiled at him.
"Oh yeah? Well, I guess that's good to hear." She paused and continued. "I actually wanted to ask you something…"
They stopped walking, and Cloud was looking at Tifa curiously.
This was it!
Tifa tried recalling what her friends' advice from the other night. She took a deep breath. "Okay, I know this may seem kind of really sudden but, um…I was wondering if you'd like to go watch a movie sometime?" She said this all very fast, and her face was flushed a color of pink.
Cloud looked surprised, but he replied, "Sure! Yeah, that'd be awesome."
Tifa smiled broadly, relieved. "Okay, that's great. Well I get off duty from the store around 4, so how about then?"
"Works for me." Cloud said, smiling.
~*~*~*~*~
-3:45 o'clock pm-
Vincent opened the door of 7th Heaven, the bell above him ranging with a welcome. Tifa, who had her feet up on the counter, looked up and grinned when she saw him.
"Hey Vincent! What're you doing here?" she stood up to give him a hug.
Vincent hugged her back, and pulled away, smiling. "Just coming by to check up on my friend…" He paused. "So when's Cloud coming by?"
Tifa gave him a sideways glance. "Who told you?"
"Cloud."
"Cloud…" Tifa repeated, and giggled. "Cool."
Vincent ignored her girliness with a roll of his eyes.
"So how's Yuffie?" Tifa asked. Tifa walked over to the shelf for a pack of donuts. She unwrapped them and offered Vincent some who shook his head. Tifa shrugged and took a bite out of a chocolate one.
Vincent groaned. "I had the chance to go on a date with her, Tifa!"
"She asked you out?" Tifa raised her eyebrows, surprised with Yuffie herself. "Why'd you say no? I thought you liked her."
"Well she didn't exactly ask me out..." Vincent paused. "She was just trying to get this guy off her back He kept asking her out."
"What happened?"
"She's with him right now." Vincent shrugged.
Tifa stopped chewing and looked at Vincent sympathetically. "That's too bad."
"It's cool…"
"So what's this guy's name?" Tifa asked.
Vincent scratched his head. "Wes…Phillips or something. I dunno."
Tifa grinned. "Phillips? You mean that gorgeous dude with the silky brown hair?" She laughed.
"If that's what you call him…then yes."
Tifa laughed again. "Go Yuffie!"
Vincent sighed. "Thanks Tiff."
Tifa smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." She looked up at the clock and her eyes widened. "Hey-"
"I know, he's gonna be here any minute." Vincent smiled. "Good luck."
"Thanks…and don't worry about Yuffie. She'll come around." Tifa winked at him. Vincent grinned and walked out of the store, waving goodbye to her.
~*~*~*~*~
-Cid's House-
"Let's sing a song for the brokenhearted!!!"
Cid who was half-asleep on the couch watching TV, jumped up at the loud sounds of the doorbell. He grumpily made his way to the door mumbling about unwelcome guests.
When Cid opened the door, Shera, Aeris, and Vincent were standing out there, grinning at him. Vincent messed up Cid's hair and walked inside, while Aeris strode past him laughing and Shera just gave him a shy smile.
"What're you guys doing here?" Cid demanded, closing the door after Shera.
"You, my friend, are going to get off your lazy butt and come with us to the Jewel Mess." Vincent said, taking a seat on his couch. "Hurry up and go get changed."
Cid shook his head. "What? No! I don't feel like doing anything tonight."
"C'mon, Cid, it'll be fun." Aeris said. "We hardly ever hang out anymore." She sat down next to Vincent and Shera followed suit.
"That's all we ever do." Cid rolled his eyes. Then he looked suspiciously at Vincent and his face broke into a grin. "Ah…I see what's going on here. A certain someone wants to do a little spying!"
Vincent pretended to look as if he had no idea what Cid was talking about. "What the hell are you talking about, man? Just go get dressed before I kick your scrawny little ass."
THE END.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next part!