All Quistis wanted to do was fight. She'd tried to pretend everything was okay (and had done a great job at convincing that to everyone, even herself for a little while). But now, now that everything was back to "normal," she just couldn't pretend. All the passion she had bottled up inside of her was leaking out as pure rage. It was having to endure the pain of seeing them together day after day after day that had set it off. How could Squall, the loner, the one with all the bottled emotions, the misunderstood complexity that had intrigued Quistis from day one fall for someone so… "bouncy"!?! She wore her heart on her sleeve! Squall needed someone more like himself, someone not like Rinoa. Someone who could understand him on some level. Someone like Quistis.
It was a beautiful thing that Squall and Rinoa shared… maybe that's why it made Quistis so sick. She peered at them from her table across the cafeteria from them. I'm probably just jealous, she thought, shaking her head. Still, she felt the need to fight.
Rinoa had recently enrolled in Balamb Garden to become a SeeD like Squall. Quistis had no idea exactly why, she was a spoiled brat, not at all the military type. Sure, she could effectively use the Blaster Edge weaponry, but that was easy to learn. The only real thing she was good at in a battle was as a healer.
Squall, like most everyone else in the "group," was just hanging around on call at Garden, sharpening his skills. There was a small rumor of him running for president of Esthar. Quistis was sure Laguna was pressuring him into it.
"Summer's coming up," Cid pointed out, breaking her thoughts as he took a seat across from her. "Have you thought of what you're going to do?"
"Well…" Quistis replied slowly. "I've thought of spending the summer at Galbadia Garden. I've heard they have a rigorous training program to get SeeD candidates in shape."
"Yes… yes they do. I warn you, though, Quistis, that's usually where we send our delinquent SeeD candidates to whip there attitude in shape as well."
Quistis wondered if Cid was trying to scare her away from this; but she wanted to get away from Balamb and Squall and Rinoa as well as sharpen her skills.
"Why do you ask?" Quistis curiously inquired to the headmaster.
"Well, I was hoping you could tutor a few of our struggling SeeD candidates," Cid said, looking around the cafeteria and focusing on a few select students. "Especially her…" he zeroed in on Quistis' nightmare.
"But, sir, I know nothing of her weaponry, and if she's struggling in her studies, then that's what Instructors' are here for. I am no longer an Instructor, I am just a SeeD." Quistis argued.
"The Blaster Edge is one of the simplest weapons to learn." Cid pointed out.
"I know, but…"
"Quistis, it was just a suggestion."
"Why can't Squall help her?"
"Squall is spending the summer in Esthar under an internship with Laguna."
"And Rinoa's not going?"
"She wanted to stay here and get in plenty of practice to become a SeeD. She's trying really hard, Quistis…. She just needs someone to help her out a little… push her in the right direction."
I'll push her in the right direction… Quistis thought evilly, right off a cliff… Quistis mentally scolded herself and decided she needed to spend more time in the training center to get all of this rage out of her system.
"I suppose…" Quistis started, thinking intensely about what she was about to do… "I could come back from Galbadia during the weekends and help her out…"
"Great! Oh, and… I don't want to make her feel like, well, like…"
"I know, I know, I know. I won't mention this was your idea." Quistis sighed, leaning back in the uncomfortable plastic chair.
