Author's note: Yay! My first story. I'm really excited with this stroy and I hope that everyone will like it. It came to me out of nowhere so I started typing the first chapter today when I should be dong my homework W I already have some ideas for the next chapter and I have a feeling that its going to be a funny chapter. Warning: Some characters may be out of character. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. I tried to make Rufus seem like a jerk. Tell me what ya think.
Chapter 1: Winter Break
The leaves have already fallen and have been replaced by the chill of winter, with a thick layer of white fluff covering the dead grass. The pathways have been shoveled clean, leaving dirty slush from all the busy students rushing to class. University of Midgar is full of life, student running to the library, class or their dorm room. The coffee stand has a line miles long with each member of the school bundled up from head to toe waiting eagerly for just one cup of delicious, warm caffeine. Soon, however, the campus will be empty, with winter break close on the horizon.
Finals are such a stress. Sitting in classrooms trying to remember everything learned from the beginning of the term. Tearing your room apart to try to find the notes you need to study for this monstrous exam. All the late night cram sessions, with endless amounts of caffeine surging through your body. All the days of wanting to pull your hair out from all the stress. Everything we have done is about to pay off.
The room is completely silent except the scribbling of pencils on paper, the clock ticking away the time, and the occasional cough or sneeze. A single bead of sweat runs down a student's head, as he nervously chews on his bottom lip. He silently curses himself for all the late night screwing around when he should have been studying. Another student smiles confidently as he circles his answer and moves on the next question. The time continues to pass by slowly, and then finally a loud voice booms across the room. "Pencils down. Time is up. Place your exams on my desk on your way out. Have a good winter break."
Tifa steps out of her class, stretching her arms widely above her head and let out a long sigh. After such a long time of just sitting in the classroom without moving or talking, it felt good to just stretch her arms out. She had a good feeling about her exam. She had spent the last two weeks locked up in her room studying. All of her hard work has finally paid off. That was the last exam she had to take. She was done with all of her classes and winter break had officially begun for her.
After she had bundled up her coat and wrapped her scarf around her neck, she hesitantly pushed the door open and the chill of Jack Frost rushed against her warm skin. Forcing her legs to obey, she ventured out of the warmth of the building into the campuses' courtyard. The campus is so beautiful this time of year with all the powdery soft snow lightly covering the ground. If it wasn't for the cold, she would love to walk around the campus to take in all the sights. Because it was so cold she just wanted to get some hot coffee and go lay down in the warmth and the comfort of her bed.
Tifa hurried through the courtyard to the nearest coffee stand to be disappointed by the sight. The coffee line was extremely long, filled with students whose exams probably haven't started yet. Now she had to decide if coffee was really worth standing in that long line for. As she was pondering her decision, she heard her name yelled across the courtyard.
Looking across the courtyard, Tifa spotted her best friend jogging toward her, waving her arms above her head. Tifa loved her best friend but this girl was out of her mind for wearing that. The short raven-haired girl wore a mid-thigh navy blue pleated skirt with white above the knee socks. She wore black knee high laced kicks. Upon her chest was a light fashionable jacket that was only buttoned up halfway. Lastly, she wore a pair of gloves and earmuffs. Her friend finally jogged up to her slightly out of breath and greeted her with a, "Heya!"
"My god Yuffie, just what are you wearing? Did you not check the weather report before you stepped out the door today? You must be freezing!"
"Jeez, nice to see ya too," sighed Yuffie. "Anyway, I did happen to watch the news today, and yes I am freezing my cute little ass off."
"Then why are you wearing that," Tifa asked as she gestured to Yuffie's outfit.
"Why, you ask? Well, this outfit was just too damn adorable not to wear! Besides, the school girl outfit was perfect thing to wear for taking my exam today. My professor totally wants me, and I figured that the naughty school girl image might play a part in my grade," Yuffie said with a wink.
Tifa sighed and looked her best friend in the eye. "You're so delusional if you think that outfit of yours is really going to get you a better grade. Why didn't you just try getting the grade you want the old fashion way, studying!"
"Pshh, studying is for losers! Aha, no offense. Besides, I am way too busy to be wasting my time with something as stupid as studying. I have better ways of spending my time."
"Doing what?"
Yuffie was quiet for a moment before answering, "That doesn't matter. Anyway, how did your exam go?"
"It went really well. I knew a lot of the answers to the questions. I have no doubt that I'm going to get an A on my exam,"
"Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less of the Great Tifa!" Both girls laughed for a while before Yuffie questioned, "So, what are you doing out here?"
"Oh, well I was going to get some coffee but the line is really long and I'm really cold. I don't know if I really want to stand in this line or not."
"I'm totally up for some coffee. I'll stand in line with you." The girls got in line together, huddling close to try to keep warm with body heat. The line didn't seem to move fast enough but at least the girls had each other to keep company. After what seemed like hours, the girls were only a couple people from the front of the line. " So Teef, what are your plans for the winter break?"
"Nothing really, I don't have any plans. I'm thinking I'm just going to stay in my dorm room and stay in some pajamas and watch some tv or something. You?"
"Ugh, well I have to go home to see my dad over the break. I tried to figure out anything to keep me from going but my old man isn't having it. Besides, he already made arrangements to come get me. Can you believe him? He's always treating me like a child. What if I had something planed. God, that makes me so mad!"
The girls had finally reached the front of the line and ordered their coffee. The man got them their coffee rather quickly, making Tifa wonder why the line seemed to take forever. They both paid for their coffee and walked away, gripping it with hopes that the warm liquid would warm them. They walked in the direction of Tifa's dorm until Yuffie said, "Well, I would love to stay and chat, and believe me I would! But I have to be heading to my last class. I'll talk to ya later. Bye."
Tifa waved goodbye as she watched her friend run off in the opposite direction for a while. The coffee in her hand was already cooling down and was not providing any warmth whatsoever. Tifa turned back and rushed in the direction of her room. As she neared her building, warmth was the thought that consumed her mind. She picked up her already rushed pace and reached the door. She quickly opened the door and almost ran into the building slamming the door behind her. She could already feel the warmth thawing her frozen body.
She shuffled her feet as she made her way to the elevator. Normally she would take the stairs but she was too tired and cold. All she wanted to do was get to her room, change into some sweats, and climb under the covers on her bed. As she entered the elevator the anticipation grew. When the doors slide open, she nearly sprinted to her room, fumbling for her keys inside her bag. Tifa squealed in excitement as she pulled her keys from the depths of her bag and unlocked her door.
As she stepped into her room, she admired her room and the warmth it gave. Her room was simple, just the way she liked it. Well her side of the room was anyways. The room was painted a very soft, pale yellow. Her bed had a plain light blue comforter with an assortment of different sized pillows. Next to her bed was a wooden nightstand that held a picture frame with an old family photo in it, her mother's old jewelry box, and her father's favorite book. She had a desk that held various things. Her laptop, some books, a picture frame of Yuffie and herself, another picture frame with her boyfriend in it, and a bag that held all of her beauty supplies were on her desk with a couple of other odds and ends. She also had a dresser that held all of her clothes and atop it held her television and DVD player. Her room was nice, but it would be nicer if it wasn't for her roommate.
She had to share a room with Scarlet. There was just something about her that drove Tifa insane. In simple terms, she was just a total bitch. The room smelled like a baby prostitute because of Scarlet's perfume. Scarlet's side of the room was covered in the color red. Her bedspread was red, as well as her pillows. She had a vanity that was covered in various kinds of perfumes and make-up. She had a red sphere chair with her clothes in it and everywhere else on her side. Scarlet's dresser draws were open and a lot of clothing hung out. The good thing was that Scarlet was very rarely in their room. She was always off doing god knows what. Nevertheless, Tifa liked her room.
Tifa quickly pulled off her coat, gloves, hat, and scarf, tossing them onto her bed while she ran over to her closet and pulled out a pair of sweatpants. She quickly unbuttoned her pants and slid them down her long legs and putting her sweats on much faster. She also pulled a sweater over her head then went over to her bed to collect the clothing she had previously taken off. After cleaning up her mess she climbed under the covers of her comforter on her bed and grabbed her father's book and snuggled deep down in her bed and opened the book to the place she had last left off on.
After reading about two chapters, her cell phone began to ring. Tifa gazed over in the direction of where her phone was ringing and sighed at the distance. Tifa had left her phone in her bag which happened to be at the other end of her room. She ignored her phone and continued to read until her phone went off again. She glared at her bag and cursed her phone for being all the way over there. Hesitantly, Tifa climbed out of her bed and shivered from the cold air in the room. She dashed to her bag, and dug for her cell phone. At the last moment, she pulled out her phone and answered, "Hello?"
"Hey baby. I was wondering if I could stop by your place after my last class. I have something I want to run by you."
"Um, sure. What do you want to run by me?"
"I'll tell you when I get there. I have to go. Goodbye," and like that, the phone call was over. Well, that was weird. Tifa was starting to get nervous for some reason. 'What could he want to run by me? Why couldn't he just tell me now?'
Tifa climbed back into her bed after changing into something a little bit more appealing and tried to distract herself from what was to come. It took awhile, but her book seemed to ease her nerves. She had gotten into her book again when there was a knock on the door. In an instant, her nerves came back and she stared at the door as the knock came again. Telling herself that she was being crazy, she got out of bed and slowly crossed the room. As she placed her hand on the door, she took a deep breath before turning the knob and opening door.
"What took so long for you to open the door? Jeez, no need to get all cute for me. I've seen you at your worst!" There Yuffie stood with a huge smile on her face, leaning on the door frame.
Instantly, Tifa's shoulders dropped and she let out a breath that she didn't even know that she was holding. Tifa greeted her friend with a warm smile and let her into the room. Tifa sat on her bed slightly climbing back under the covers and Yuffie inspected the mess that was Scarlet's. After looking through her roommate's things Yuffie plopped down on Tifa's bed, pulling on the cover's silently asking permission to get under. Tifa smiled and held open the covers for Yuffie, which she gratefully accepted and climbed under. After the girls were under the warm covers, Yuffie gave Tifa a puzzled look and asked, "So what was with all the tenseness you had when you answered the door? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, Yuffie."
"I call BS! I could cut the tension with a knife, so spill. What's up?"
"Rufus called earlier…"
"What did that pretty boy say? Do I have to kick some rich kid's ass? You know, I knew there was something wrong with him. Ya know I've always had a knack for smelling out arrogant son of-.."
Tifa cut Yuffie off abruptly, "No, no, no! It's nothing like that."
Yuffie coughed a little before saying, "Aha, forget what I said about him just now. So, if it's nothing like that, then what?"
"Well, he called earlier and was asking to stop by later. He said that he had something he wanted to 'run by me'. I tried to ask him what it was about but he wouldn't answer me. He just said that he would tell me when he came by. I don't know why, but I just have a bad feeling about this Yuffie. I'm probably just worrying myself over nothing but…" Tifa sighed then continued, "I just don't know."
Yuffie smiled her trademark grin and gave a light punch to Tifa's shoulder. "Don't worry, Teef. Knowing Prince Charming, he probably wants to surprise you by taking you on some fabulous get away vacation, like Costa De Sol. You know, I would love to go to Costa De Sol instead of going home with my dad. Gah, this is so stupid... Oh, yeah, talking about your problems. Aha, so don't sweat it. Everything going to be fine" Yuffie stated with a wink.
Tifa smiled and hugged her best friend. Although Yuffie could be a little crazy sometimes and a little rambunctious, she was a good friend. She was always there when Tifa needed her. "Thanks, Yuffie. You made me feel better."
"Of course I did! That's what I am here for," Yuffie said with a smile. "So, when is Richy Rich coming over?"
"He said he was coming over after his last class was over."
"Ugh, school," Yuffie said as she contorted her face and stuck her tongue out, making Tifa laugh. "So when is that anyways?"
Tifa grabbed her phone, flipping it open to read the time. "Um, well actually his class should have gotten out like 10 minutes ago."
"Whoa! Let me get going so you can have your time with your man," Yuffie laughed at her last statement. "Richy Rich should be coming over any time now. Do me a favor?"
Tifa nodded her head, "Mmmhmm. Sure, what do you need?"
"Make sure you call or text me right after he invites you to Costa De Sol and tell me what happened?"
Tifa laughed at her friends question and answered, "Of course! You don't need to ask me to do that. You know I will. I can't keep my best friend in the dark. I'll call you the second he leaves and tell you that he has invited me to Costa De Sol. Hey and maybe next time you won't have to go with your dad and I can invite you with us," Tifa laughed and winked at her friend as she watched her best friend's eyes light up.
"Really? You would invite me!" Yuffie jumped up and down with excitement. "I'm holding you to that, mmkay. I'm going next time! Alright, well I'm going to get going. Don't forget to call me the second Bill Gates here leaves."
Yuffie bounced to the door and Tifa laughed, promising to her friend that she would call her the second Rufus had left. Not three minutes after her bubbly friend left, there was a knock at the door. Although Tifa wasn't as nervous as she was earlier, just a bit of nervousness leaked into her body. Tifa took a deep breath and walked confidently over to the door, opening it to reveal her boyfriend.
Rufus was very handsome. He had blonde hair with bright blue eyes. He was tall and sophisticated. Rufus comes from a wealthy family and always got the best in life. Every girl was in love with Rufus and his good looks, making Tifa the most envied girl on campus. They were the power couple of the university. Tifa never quite understood why everyone made such a big fuss over them. She was just a regular girl and he was just a normal guy. Of course there was the fact that he was rich, but was that such a big deal? Was everyone that shallow? Tifa could care less if Rufus was rich or poor. She liked him for who he was on the inside.
Rufus leaned in and kissed Tifa before inviting himself in her room. Tifa closed the door and followed him into the room. She sat on the bed and looked up at him as he looked around the room. Feeling a little uncomfortable, Tifa decided to break the silence. "So how did your exam go?"
"Fine. I came here to run an idea by you."
"Oh yeah," like she forget with it being the reason her stomach was in knots. "So what did you want to run by me?"
"I know you don't have any plans for the winter break since you have nowhere to go. I am going home this winter break to see my family…" Tifa began to tune him out after hearing that much. Her father was busy with work and wouldn't be able to spend much time with her if she went home for winter break and her mother had died when she was just a little girl. He was so careless with his words sometimes. That was the one thing that drove her crazy. He could be a total jerk sometimes. Oh and practically bragging about going home to see his family when he knew she couldn't. That was so rude! He could be such an insensitive jerk!
"Tifa! Hello!" Rufus said as he shook her. Tifa snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at her boyfriend. "Were you listening?"
"I'm sorry, Rufus. What were you saying?"
With an aggravated sigh, he repeated, "Would you like to join me this winter break and come to my home to meet my family?"
"Go home with you and meet your family?"
"Yes. Would you like to accompany me home or not?"
Tifa looked at him for a while. Meet his family… That was such a big step. They had only been dating for a couple months and he already wanted to take her home to meet his family. Was she ready for this step? She looked back at him once more and saw the look of annoyance in his eye. Well she better hope that she's ready to take this step in their relationship. Finally she responded, "Sure, I will go with you to your home."
"Good. Start getting packed. We will be leaving tomorrow morning." Tomorrow morning, is he serious? Rufus walked over and kissed her cheek, before saying his goodbyes and leaving her dorm.
Tifa sat there in shock. Tomorrow morning she would be leaving to meet her boyfriend's family. She sat there for a while before she finally came out of the shock. She had so much to do and so little time. She had to pack everything she would need to leave in the morning. Talk about short notice.
Tifa was about to start packing before she remembered something. First things first, time to call Yuffie. She punched in her friend's number and after a few rings said, "Yuffie?"