Title: The Saddest State
Author: NeverRoses
Summary: Vincent has just started High School. His antisocial personality doesn't help with all the phobias which results from a past he can't speak of, at least, without breaking. Can the friends he has help him, or will High School Crush him? No pairing, really. First high school fic. R&R
Note: With the uniforms, think japanese. Long sleeved, black turtle necked looking things, the Gaku-ran. With the girls, the usual Sailor Fuku style, Except Black with White lines in the summer and White with black lines in the winter. My own personal touch. Search up Gaku-ran and Sailor Fuku on Google if you don't know what i'm talking about. :)
Chapter 1: Small Circle
Vincent stared at the cellphone in his hands. His lip quivered slightly. Today was one of those days where he would awaken in the manor with an ache in his gaunlet arm which could floor Bahamut. It happened periodically since those days when Hojo had kidnapped him, had him in his grasp. The injections, the scalpels, the intentional exposal of vital organs to the outside air. Shaking his head, he dismissed the thoughts and sighed. The air in the manor he lived in was rather cold, it always found a way to exaggerate the mildest of weather. His hand slowly punched in the numbers of one of his closest 'friends'. He raised the phone to his ear and listened. The phone rang... Once... Twice... Thrice...
"This is Cloud." Vincent's lips twitched at the corners, suggesting the smallest of smiles. His friend sounded rather tired, more than likely he had awoken him. Vincent chose his words carefully. He didn't really need to, since he had spoken the same words for the last year, every morning, but thinking was just what he did most of the time.
"Will Cid be transporting us, today?" He asked in his usual, rather low, gruff voice. He had an unusual voice for his age, although, he always had. He heard mumbling on the other end of the phone before there was an answer.
"Yeah. We'll meet you just outside Nibelheim." Vincent swallowed, feeling the pain from the flesh under the gauntlet, or what was left of it, lessen a bit, turning from a biting pain to a dull throb.
"I will see you there, then." He said, closing the phone. He took a deep, shaky, breath. Taking his red cloak from the chair nearby. He reached up and tugged on the collar of his school uniform. He was glad that he got the same uniform, the long sleeved ones. He didn't particularly enjoy his gaunlet being clearly exposed. However, the gaunlet, from wrist on, was easily noticable. He quickly turned to a cold chest of drawers he had spotted a while ago. He opened several drawers. There, thankfully, was a pair of black gloves, new since he had destroyed the pair he had used the previous years. Reaching in, he grabbed one and with some effort, managed to slip it over the sharp points and large swells of metal. The leather was morphed and shaped as he made a fist several times. Sighing, he grabbed the handle to his schoolbag and pushed open the doors of the manor, stepping into the early morning light.
His crimson eyes quickly closed, his pupils practically the size of a grain of sand from the sudden light. He dropped the schoolbag, then bent to pick it up. His eyes still shut, he walked forwards, his gloved his ahead of him. After a moment of blind walking, guided by pure memory, he managed to guide himself along the curving path and felt the shock of his gaunlet hitting against something solid. Reluctantly, his opened his eyes, the light still burning his eyes. He pushed open the gate with his gauntlet, using the other arm to guide the strap of his schoolbag up his arm to hang on his shoulder. As he walked through the streets of Nibelheim, he ran his human... at least what was the closest to human, hand through his long, black hair. He blinked back a tear which was able to escape the corner of his eyes, not from being emotionally distraught, rather, the light bothered him. The entire summer in his dark mansion with only the occasional visitor and rare nightime walk did make his eyes more used to the inky darkness of the dimly moonlit nights.
As he reached the gates, he could see through his narrowed eyes, his 'friends' hadn't arrived yet. Reaching the gate, he sighed, leaning against the wood of the town enterance sign. The 'Nibelheim' sign had been worn by the weather, being only occasionally repainted, usually in the night when, yours truely, had been particularly jaded. Unfortunately, the red paint had run, so it didn't help the tourist travelling factor. Not that they had many anyway. Mostly travelling merchants.
"Vince!" With only the smallest greeting gesture, the slight lifting of a finger, and a small scrap of speech, he replied.
"Cloud." Cloud gave him a bit of a look.
"You're really pale, spend the entire summer in the manor, again?" Cloud asked, pulling on the collar of his uniform.
"Yes." Vincent said, raising an eyebrow at the fairly forceful looking tugging on the collar. Noticing the look, Cloud explained.
"I think they made the collar on my uniform too tight..." He said, unhooking the the collar and letting the turtleneck collar loosen around his neck. He took a deep breath. Vincent nodded and sympathized, signaling the same problem as he tugged on his own collar. Cloud chuckled a bit.
Several minutes later, in which they had spent in silence, Cloud spoke.
"Tifa's kinda late." He said, and as if on cue, there was the sound of a door slamming. In her black Sailor Fuku glory, she ran out of the inn, half of a freshly buttered piece of toast hanging from her mouth. As she ran, bookbag in her left hand, her right was busy haphazardly shoving the piece of toast into her mouth. Reaching them, she swallowed and coughed a couple times. She raised a hand.
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to wake up late." She said, wiping crumbs from her mouth. Cloud nodded in understanding.
"Does anyone mean to wake up late?" Cloud said, blinking as both of the fingers on their right hands pointed to him. He rolled his eyes. "Well, I don't have an alarm clock." Vincent sighed.
"Neither do I."
Just as they finished speaking, they saw The Highwind come into sight from over the Nibel mountains. They could see the outline of 'Highwind' painted on the side as it got closer. As it was landind, wind blew wildly around them. Vincent felt the wind play with his hair. He closed his eyes. He would never admit it, but he liked when his hair was played with. Hearing the faint sound of The Highwind dropping a rope ladder, he opened them again. Cid had his upper half hanging over the railing, his black uniform jacket unbuttoned, showing the white collared shirt under it. The usual cigarette hung from his mouth.
"Hey! 'Ya gonna get on? The Highwind don't stay on hover long!" He said, his improper speech irking Vincent the slightest bit. Cloud and Tifa turned to each other and smiled. As they held hands and ran towards the ladder. They both jumped at the ladder, Vincent following at a normal pace behind them. Cid smiled and pulled them up. He took something from his pocket and did something, Vincent couldn't see exactly what, but suddenly the Highwind started to take off again! "Better hurry there, Vince!" Cid teased, dropping the ladder again. Cloud and Tifa did nothing, they knew if they left him behind, more then likely he would shun them for a rather long time, meaning they would never do that. Even though their small circle of friends was strange, they were closely knit.
With a mental curse, Vincent ran forwards. Reaching the ladder just before it was unreachable, he used his gauntlet hand to grapple it, his claws slamming impossibly hard on the rope. A small smirk graced his face as Cid went inside, leaving him to dangle. He had enjoyed the feeling of flying, watching the fields and mountains passing under him. Tifa and Cloud were still there, always there to watch him, just in case. They stayed there for other things too. He had always metally asked them to meet their sucking face quota somewhere else, although they had never actually 'sucked face'. Raising his human hand, he pushed the loop of his bookbag around his neck, then pulled his hair through. Now that it was secure, he simply waited. He watched the mountains below him. Seeing the distant sea, he smiled, closing his eyes. As they reached the ocean however, he turned and started to climb the rope ladder. Ever since he had seen a huge green monster in those waters, he had decided, safer inside with the sucking face couple. Both Tifa and Cloud had grabbed one of his hands as he reached the top. As he was pulled up, he looked back to notice the aforementioned emerald colored monster's outline under the waves.
0000
There was a rather loud beep noise which echoed through The Highwind. Vincent looked up from his book 'Beastly' before bookmarking it with a black ribben and closing it, setting the book on the table of his room in The Highwind. Everyone here had their own room, he never knew why, but the first time he had ever stepped foot in The Highwind, just after he had joined the small circle they had, the first thing they did was introduce him to a room. He supposed it was helpful, though. Everyone practically lived on The Highwind since they had gotten it. However it had taken a rather long time to move in furniture. Summer and weekends during the school year was the only time they were actually seperated.
"We're gonna land now. A couple blocks from Continent, but we can walk there."
The was another beep. Vincent rose from his chair, taking the bookbag from the side of the chair, which i leaned against. He stretched and opened his door, redoing his collar before navigating through The Highwind, to where the exit/enterance was. The others were there, chatting, playing their games. Everyone was there. Barret, Cloud, Tifa, Cid, Reeve, everyone.
"Vincent!" Reeve turned, raising a hand in greeting. Vincent allowed himself a twitch of a smile before returning to greeting gesture, even if it was much fainter then his 'friend's'.
"Reeve." He walked over the join them, letting Barret punch his arm in a rather coarse way of greeting. He grunted as the large darkly-tanned man, who didn't know his own strength, struck his shoulder. "Barret." He looked to Cid, who was busy watching the door fall open slowly.
"Continent High School. Got a ring to it, don't it?" He asked, turning to face them all with a large grin gracing his face. Vincent had always been a bit jealous of the fact that Cid's parents had given him the gift of an entire Airship. Let alone, the fact that they let him drive it wherever, whenever. Well, that wasn't entirely true...
Vincent followed everyone else in the group as they left, Cid trailing behind as he stayed for a moment to close the doors and lock them, using the code that they all knew. 1-8-1-5, AVAL. Short for their cheesy little group name, AVALANCHE. The buildings in Midgar were very... tall to say the least, reminding Vincent, who shuddered, of the tall Shinra building which stood like a foreboding shadow in the middle of Midgar. Still spacing out, he walked into Barret's back, smashing his nose against the taller man's shoulder blade.
"Spacey, Vince?"
"Sorry." He quickly apologized. Cid laughed.
"We leave ya t' yer thoughts fer just a moment and 'yer bumpin' into people!" He laughed, hands behind his back. His improper english never failed to irk Vincent. As he moved to the side, away from the group, he looked upon what was Continent High School. He traced the building's six stories all the way down to it's large row of glass doors. He allowed himself a small whistle, being drowned out by everyone else's 'ooh's, 'ah's, 'wow's, and 'woahs'; Although there was one exception for Cid's 'Holy fuckin' shit'.
"It's so big!" Tifa squealed, excited. There was another voice which replied, belonging to another member of AVALANCHE who didn't ride on The Highwind.
"That what she said!" Yuffie called, standing at the gates. She waved, both hands flailing right and left, among all the other directions, in the air. Aeris stood nearby, her braid swaying in the gentle wind. Vincent could see Cloud's obvious blush.
"Yuff! Aeris!" Tifa called happily, running forwards to give a friendly, flying hug to her comrades. "It's nice to see you! Haven't seen you in forever!" Yuffie smiled, the embrace being ended by Vincent, and everyone else, arriving to linger near the gates.
"I had things to do, i helped my mother with flowers." Aeris said, putting her hands behind her back. This gesture usually meaning she planned to stay out of the rest of the conversation, not from antisocial behavior, but she was always the kind to like watching.
"Well, you know. Wutaian princess, my dumb dad, and of course the Materia!" She said, putting a finger to her lips in a 'shush' gesture while she took a Chocobo Lure Materia out of her bookbag. Tifa gasped, hands over her mouth.
"Yuffie!" She whispered harshly. "You know those aren't allowed anywhere near school grounds!" She said, putting both hands on the Materia and shoving it towards Yuffie's bookbag.
"I know, i know." She complained, putting it back in her bookbag. "But they're soooo cool! Besides, Bandersnatches, Jabberwocks, Cactuars, these Materia floor them all instantly! If we're gonna be in battling classes, we should know how to use these!" She said, grabbing Tifa's arm, along with Aeris' as she dragged them both into the school.
"Girls." Vincent heard Cid say. He followed everyone as they went through the doors. Vincent looked upon a large row of square lockers, surrounded by little platforms of metal, with walkways of tile. He saw that there were names taped to each locker. Yuffie's fathe had always asked the schools to put their entery lockers together, and what he said, they did. Always. Vincent quickly found his between Cid's and Cloud's. Cloud, Cid, and he approached them, opened each one in uncanny unison. Inside was a pair of inside school shoes, their schedules, and a printout of rules. Unlike most High Schools, the 'inside school' shoes looked more like boots. They were thick-soled and black, looking more like combat boots than school shoes. He sighed, taking off his metal plated boots and putting them in the locker, placing the set of school shoes on the floor. His Schedule made him cringe in some places. Art/Drawing people for is last hour class didn't particularly catch his interest, but it did catch his attention, as well as Library Aiding and Rock band. Continent High really did have some strange courses available. He dully noted that Cid and Cloud were celebrating the fact that they had Geomatry together.
"Hey, Vince. what Basic courses do you have?" Cloud asked, raising his schedule. Vincent looked down at the piece of paper in his hands as he slipped on the school boots.
"Algebra II, Physics, World Literature, Sociology." He said, looking up. He was slightly surprised at how much Cloud and Cid's eyes were bugging out.
"Physics!? Algebra II!? Why do you have all the smart people courses, Vince!?" Cid gaped, grabbing the piece of paper. "That can't be right!" Vincent sighed, picking up on the 'You're stupid' part of the comment. "Holy shit! 'Yer fuckin' right!" Cid said, handing back his schedule as he took the cigarette from his mouth and stubbed it out on the bottom of his school shoe. Vincent rolled his eyes before picking up his bookbag and walking away from the enterance. He looked at his combonation and smiled slightly. 10-13-27 How ironic that the first two made October, thirteenth. He slipped the paper into his pocket and walked to his first class, Algebra II. As he walked he sighed, he guessed that there would be a lot of paperwork for his deceased parents. Funny.
"Yo!" He heard. Looking up at a boy with wild red hair, part of it trailing behind in a ponytail.
"Reno."
"So, Vince." Reno said, approaching him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "First class, yo?"
"Algebra II." Reno gaped.
"Woah, dude! Already!? You got some really rare classes for your grade!" He said, snatching the paper from his hands. 'Why does everyone like to do that?' Vincent nodded quietly. He just stood while Reno turned his paper upside-down, inside-out, inway, outway, and whatever way he could manage, well, maybe not the inside-out way. Reno handed it back to him and sighed, a hand to his forehead. "Lucky you." He looked up and smiled, both hands sliding into his pockets. "Catch ya later, yo!" He said, trotting away to join his bald friend who stood not to far away. Vincent had always thought he looked like neo from the matrix, but that was just him and he had never seen the movie, just posters.
Vincent continued down the hall and went up to the third floor. Just as he got to the top of the stairs he was pushed against a wall.
"Hey, babe." Said a man with blonde hair, his Gaku-ran was white. Several other boys stood behind him. "Why 'ya wearing a Gaku-ran?" He asked, looping a finger inside Vincent collar. Immediately, Vincent understood. He pushed the boy's hand away and sighed. He spoke in his very low voice.
"I'm a boy." The other boy seemed to reel at this.
"What!?" He shouted, grabbing Vincent's face. Vincent was quick to lift his gloved gauntlet hand and wrap it around the boy's wrist.
"Let go." The boy refused, turning his head left and right. The mechanical claws started to close almost crushingly tight.
"Rufus, let it go." A rather tall boy behind him said. 'Rufus' turned.
"I can't! He's crushing my goddamn wrist!" He said, jerking his hand away. Vincent's gloved claws dropped to his side.
"Now, if you would move along, class will start soon." Vincent said, moving quickly. He heard something behind him, but ignored it. Everything seemed to be moving too fast. First day, first time seeing his friends for so long, first year of high school, first time being accused of being a tranvestite, first time for nearly everything that could go wrong. 'Murphy's law' immediately came into his head and he smirked, letting it fade away quickly before opening the door to his first class; Algebra II.
Reeve waved from the one of the desks near the window. Vincent gave a twitch of a smile before sitting next to him. Reeve clapped him on the back.
"Hey, Vincent! Same class, how 'bout that?"
Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he thought.
End Chapter.
Hey everyone. I hope this wasn't too bad. I'm trying my first High School fic and am hoping to get the Chapter 4 before i lose all inspiration!
Please leave a comment. Criticism, Comments, No flames though. Thanks!
Remember to read the next Chapter! I'll make sure there is more action!
I love you all! NeverRoses out. :)