Note : My published first fanfiction. I know nobody read FF8 anymore but I really like the characters (I played the game almost a decade ago). English is not my first language, I don't have beta. No flame please...

Pairing : Seifer X Squall (before anyone hope for anything, there won't be any lemon, lime perhaps but not until much later)

Disclaimer : FF8 characters are not mine. Obviously.

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After sending her girlfriend to her class, Raijin was looking for Seifer and he wasn't surprise at all when he saw the blond guy stand alone and leaned over the balcony outside their second floor class with his head on his hand. Those angst aura gave a very clear 'leave-me-alone' message. Raijin release a long breath before he tapped his own cheeks lightly.

"Cheer up man!" greeted the burly guy.

He nudge his best friend, it was uncommon to see Seifer Almasy brooding in the day light. Nobody dared to ask, even the most nosy girl had the modesty to keep quiet. Seifer lifted his head from the balcony he was previously leaned over, " I'm cheered" he said, " it won't be like this forever Rai, you know me."

"Oh, do I?" he doubted it this time. Seifer shrugged, but a least now he paid attention to his friend.

Raijin stood beside the blond guy. He gripped the railed of the balcony, and watched as more students entered the school gate.

"Come on, man! It's the first day of school, you know?" Raijin watched Seifer as he lazily scanned the flood of new student, " You can always find a new girlfriend, you know?"

Seifer sighed, " I feel like an old man. I'm not even 18 yet, and already devoted myself for a girl." he said, "and she's gone for good, I mean, she just can't stay and say good bye to her scholarship just because of me. Even I had a common sense Rai"

Sappy I know...

"Even try for long distance thing? You know, email, phone call or Skype?"

Seifer chuckled, " First two weeks and it was disaster", Raijin thought for a while, " And now she already gone for..."

" Four months"

"And you've been brooding for three and half months?"

Seifer nodded, " More or less..."

"Ouch...Fuck, what's with you?" he yelled as Rai hit his head. Raijin didn't stop the violence, he grabbed Seifer's arm and made him even closer to the balcony.

"Look man!" he said," those are about fourty freshmen now you know, and they were eager, once again EAGER to become your girlfriend, as long as you realize that Quistis is not the only girl out there see...ow, not another blonde, THERE!" Raijin pointed to a long haired brunette girl which stood not to far from them. He didn't mind about the single status his friend had, it was the brooding and angst he could not stand about.

"You do realize that the half of the fourty are dudes, right?" but he also looked anyway, "Hmm...let's see..."

The girl was the cute type with her big doe eyes and small narrow lips, this time Seifer must admitted his friend good taste in woman, "Not bad Rai, not bad..." he smirked. But another dark haired chick beside her 'target' caught his eyes even more. Standing slightly taller than her friend, she got leaned frame, short brunette hair, and enchanting thin lips. She also had the most stoic face he had ever seen. Such a contrast with the expressive girl beside her.

And her eyes, was like storm. With the distance between them, Seifer just could describe those like that. It was to determined if they were blue or gray or even silver.

And they were captivating.

Almost for no reason at all, he couldn't keep his eyes out of her, and the poor Raijin seemed like was vanishing beside him. He watched her as she listened to her long friend rambling, that she just lifted her lip a little for a very slight smile. Or that she bit her lip and nodded when heard the interesting part of her story (perhaps, because however Seifer couldn't hear a word the long haired girl said, but she used her hands to describe something). Or that said lips become a bit redder. Or when the lips part when she tried to say something and luckily also showed a glimpse of her perfect teeth.

What's with me and the lip anyway?

And again those eyes, she seemed not the too-much-talk type but her eyes showed her emotion if you pay attention enough. He watched her reached her front pocket and took a piece of paper.

Weird, girl uniform didn't have front pocket. Or it does have now?

Then, he just realized, that he couldn't see the girl's leg. For a while, he was imagine long legs which obviously shall compliment those beautiful features and yes, he was dying to see them. But he can't. Because she was wearing pants, and because she wasn't a she after all.

Hyne, what's wrong with me?

At that moment, those storm eyes lifted up and stare back at him.

Damn...

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Edea's High School of Balamb was built outside Balamb City, it was a quite exclusive and expensive highschool since the acceptance was only by personal invitation from Edea Kramer herself. It was said that she was handpicked the students one by one, that's why the school just accepted total of maximum fourty students each year from all over the country.

At first there was many negative rumours on Edea's choice of student or Fated Children as she called them, since the exact categories of the chosen ones was unclear. For sure, all the students' parents were rich enough and the students themselves got some achievements, but as the graduated student from the school mostly even more impressing there was nobody protested Edea's choice anymore. Edea Krammers seemed to be able to forsee the future.

EHSB designed like a small town. The classess divided in four main buildings. The building for the senior, was the only building that has the balcony on each class room which faced the school gate. The school's facilities also was a top notch, as it could be expected from such expensive school like this. Students which not from Balamb could stay at the dorm for free or commute from the Balamb city (if they choose to rent apartement or if they had realtives there). It also had great basketball and soccer field, gymnastic hall, tennis court and an olympic size pools.

Squall Loire accepted his invitation after he won a prize in painting competition in Esthar, he disguised himself as Leon back then so the judgement won't biased since he was the son of the mayor . He almost declined it but his best friend Rinoa Caraway convinced him after she also received the same letter. Actually he was the second after his sister, Ellone, whom received the letter. Laguna, his dad, obviously thrilled. Raine, his mother, also estatic but worried at the same time because her only son would be far away from her for about three years. It was the same thing she felt when Ellone also accepted at the same place.

At the day on his departure, his mom and dad helped him packing and prepare everything. Laguna rambling about how few Squall's things were, but Raine was unusually quiet.

" Son, you sure you just need a suitcase of clothes?" he asked

"I can buy some in Balamb, Dad..." Squall yelled from another room

"And shoes? You just packed two pairs?"

"There is also some shoe stores in Balamb, honey" answered Raine this time.

"Are you sure?"

Raine just rolled her eyes, but her expression still sad. Laguna approached her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sure he'll be alright, Raine..." Laguna comforted his wife,

"Well, I know Squall is a big boy now. I know that he will be able to take care of himself, but..." She smiled and glanced at him, " I'm just worried as every mother would."

"Ellone was fine then, I'm sure Squall will be fine too..." he kissed Raine's hair, " and we can get our second honeymoon after he's safe at his dorm."

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The dorm was too noisy...

Squall sighed. He rolled in his bed and eventually he got a comfortable position The sound around him perhaps just some of his dorm mates in another room moving their things here or the but still annoyed him.

I should rent an apartement like Rinoa. It would be much quiet there.

" Be more socialize, Son. I arranged you to stay in the dorm"

Socialize...whatever...

He closed his eyes and trying harder to sleep, tomorrow would be the first day of his highschool's days and being late obviosly not a good idea.

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Rinoa Caraway waiting for her bestfriend at the gate. It wasn't fair anyway since Squall stayed in dorm and he didn't need to be at the gate at all. But she insisted that they should enter the school together. After all she knew that Squall would be brooding at the darkness alone if she wasn't near him. Not that she was over confident but it just how Squall was.

Squall Leonhart Loire. In Rinoa's point of view is a walking oddities. Apart from his effeminate feature, he also bestowed with great mind, but totally lacking in emotion departement. After being best friend for almost 9 years she still should encrypt what actually he wanted to say. Squall never judge people, and actually a very loyal friend. She remembered when Squall helped her sneaked out to find a vet a the middle of the Saturday night in their family holiday in Dollet when Angelo's foot was injured after she stepped on broken glass.

Nonetheless, Rinoa loved Squall all her life, as a friend, no never more, she had tried actually. And she was also sure Squall also loved her as a good friend. It was actually a miracle why Squall still not pushed her off or what so ever, but anyway she wouldn't let him do that. Squall rarely talked, and he responsed to people with one or two sylables word. Except with Laguna, Raine, Ellone and herself.

She watched as Squall approached her. He's the most beautiful guy she had ever seen. And he even prettier than her (and she had good genes from her late mother). The dark blue uniform from EHSB fitted him perfectly. He was a ten if the score was given from appearance only, but his ice cold manner put down his score to a three or a four.

He wasted his pretty face

" Rin."

She put her sweetest smile, " Hey there buddy, how's your dorm?"

Fine

"Fine."

"You looked good in the uniform."

Just said, "Thank you, you too Rinoa"

"Hn"

Ahh, should have guess...

Rinoa sighed, she tapped Squall's lightly, "Let's go in."

I must try harder, I think...

To be honest he didn't listen closely to Rinoa story. But he knew it was about Angelo and how lucky that she found an apartment which not only comfortable but also dog friendly. Squall pleased that Rinoa was excited that Angelo seemed very happy with the hot-moist weather in Balamb and the dog was totally in love with the white beach sand around the city. But he also felt her worry that she left Angelo alone in a strange place after just two days of moving in.

"How if she injured herself again, Squall? Angelo is a very active dog anyway." she said, " Balamb was like Dollet anyways, it doesn't have any animal hospital" she pouted and cross her hand. Crossing hand usually meant she was upset, Squall think, he bit his lip a bit. "But there must be a vet somewhere, Balamb is quite big." he said.

Rinoa sighed, " Yea...not a big as Esthar anyway."

They walked towards the school yard, it was 7.20, and the bell would ring at 7.45. There still time to get acquintance with this new environment. " Where was our building?" he asked, Rinoa looked around, " since we were freshmen, it would be A building. That one." She pointed an ivory building, "what's your first class?"

"Let's see..."

He reached his pocket and checked his schedule...suddenly he felt uncomfortable like he was being observe from afar, and out of instinct he looked above. To the pairs of peridot eyes watching him intensely. And the owner of said eyes also startled as he was.

Oh, wow...

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