The Call
by Mariye

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Disclaimer: Why is the title of a BSB song the title of this story? Um... coincidence? Luck? Okay, I admit it. I own that CD. ::sniffles:: It was a gift! I was delusional! I was channeling Selphie! I didn't mean to get it and listen to some of it, really! Everyone is allowed to own at least one CD that is something they usually wouldn't have, right? (Maybe its the conspiracy, right Alan? I think they're getting to me...) Oh, back to the point of this disclaimer; I don't own FF8...

This is for Andromache's Valentine's Story challenge! I hope you like it!
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"GANG WAY!" Selphie bolted through the dorm halls and ran into her room.

"NO RUNNING." She heard Fujin shout as she slammed her door. She quickly opened it and poked her head out.

"THIS IS A LIFE OR DEATH THING HERE!"

"Ouch." Quistis backed up.

"Sorry Quisty, didn't know you were there." Selphie backed up a little.

"Its okay. I don't really need to hear anyway. So what's the life or death issue?"

"Today's the day! Its Valentines! Irvine has to tell me he loves me today." Selphie leaned back on her heels. Quistis looked sympathetically at her friend.

"Selphie, you know how Irvine is. I mean, its the only day devoted to flirting and love." Quistis looked at her.

"I know. But he has to tell me eventually, right? Besides, I plan on today being a turning point." Selphie motioned for Quistis to come in.

"What do you mean a turning point?" Quistis asked as she fiddled with a Valentine she had been given.

"If by midnight Irvine doesn't make some kind of commitment, then I'm out."

"Selphie?" Quistis watched her friend who had suddenly turned serious.

"Irvine is a great guy. And you all know how much I love him. But I never see him trying to show me the same love. He just doesn't have any passion when it comes to the two of us. Here he does cutesy romantic little things for other girls, and the only semi-romantic thing he does for me is give me his hat once and a while. I want more than that. We went through all these bad things together and made it through, only for him to go and flirt with other women."

"Selphie, maybe you should talk to him instead of just doing this all at once."

"No. It has to be this way. I want to see if I'm the one he'd want to spend Valentines with." Selphie sat down on her bed.

"I know I'm not perfect, and I shouldn't expect him to be. I'm too hyper. I pull all these pranks on everyone. He always forgave me though. He never held anything against me. I love him, and I think he's the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, but if he's going to not even show me he loves me, then I can't keep following him." Selphie said.

"I see. Listen, I have to go."

"You have a date, don't you?" Quistis blushed.

"No, its not that..."

"Uh huh. Who is it?"

"That other instructor, Samual Klere. He's a sweet man. And I mean... well..."

"You didn't want to spend Valentines alone. Don't worry about me. Go have fun. I'm just gonna watch some chick flick." Selphie said as she ushered Quistis out the door.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Definitely! Go! Have fun! I expect details when you get back!" Selphie said as she pushed Quistis out. She then ran and plopped down next to her phone.

~He'll call any minute now. He always calls before he comes over. Any second now he'll call and ask what I'm doing and tell me how cute I am and that he wants me to go out with him.~ She rolled over.

~And then he will shower me with gifts and take me out and we will have an incredible time.~

Selphie sat up and stared at her Garfield phone.

"And then little piggies will fly across the sky." She stuck out her tongue at the phone.

--- 15 minutes later ---

Selphie blew on each of her now Crimson nails.

~I have to be ready when he comes. I wonder if he which he likes better, red, yellow, or pink...~

She held them all up.

::knock knock::

Selphie hopped off the bed.

"Who is it?"

She ran to the door, accidentally smearing one nail.

~Oh well, its just nail polish.~

"Hi!" Selphie opened the door.

And there stood Rinoa and Squall.

~Oh, them...~

"Hi! Listen, Squall and I are going to this restaurant in Timber, and we were supposed to go with Quistis and Samual, but they had to cancel."

"So we wanted to know if you and Irvine wanted to come with us."

"Irvine and I aren't doing anything today as of right now."

"Oh. Well, nevermind then. I'll go ask Raijin and his date."

"Raijin has a date?" Selphie asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that girl who says 'for crying out loud' at the end of every sentence. Oh well, C-ya Selphie! Have a nice day!" Rinoa called as she walked after Squall.

Selphie sat down on her bed and pulled out her nail polish remover.

~Okay, lets try pink with yellow tips...~

--- 2 hours later ---

~Okay, pink with yellow didn't look good, but yellow with pink looks cute...~ Selphie thought as she stared at her toes. Her fingernails were now pink with yellow tips and her toes were yellow with pink tips.
~So now what?~

::ring ring::

Selphie grabbed her phone.

"Hi Irvy!"

"Um, Selphie? Its Xu..."

"Oh, sorry, I was expecting a call."

"Its okay. Listen, I was wondering, what was the name of that movie you saw that you said was good?"

"What Women Want?"

"Yeah, I have a date we're gonna see a movie."

"Listen, have you seen Irvine today?" Selphie said while coiling the phone cord around her finger.

"Him? I though I saw him with the diamond girls."

"Thanks. I gotta go. Bye."

Selphie half slammed the phone down.

~Okay, I think black is a more fitting color for my nails now...~
Selphie grabbed the nail polish remover and went back to work.

--- 3 hours later ---

~Hmmm, black actually looked pretty good. Especially with glitter and clear coat over it...~ Selphie thought as she waved her hands in the air. She also had her feet lifted off the ground.

::knock knock knock::

Selphie sighed as she carefully got up.

"One minute!" She pulled the door open. Outside stood Zell with a heart-shaped box and a dozen roses.

"AWWWW! ZELL! This is soo sweet! I love you!"

"Um these aren't for you Selphie..."

"What?" Selphie placed her hands on her hips.

"I need you help with a decision. Should I give Libby the chocolates and my Ma the flowers? Or should my Ma get the chocolates and Libby get the flowers?"

Selphie looked at him.

"Zell. This isn't a good time."

"Oh, you getting ready for a date with Irvine?"

Selphie slammed the door in his face.

"Was it something I said?" He asked the closed door.

--- 6 hours later ---

Selphie grabbed three stuffed animals off her bookcase shelf.

"This is Irvy!" She shouted as she tossed one into the air, pulled out her nunchukus, and hit it into the wall.

"This is Irvy!" She repeated the process until the three stuffed bears were lying smashed on the ground.

She sighed. ~Maybe I should paint a design on my nails...~ She started to walk over to her Caboodle when she heard voices outside her door.

"SWEET."

"Its nothing. SO Fujin, are you doing anything tonight?"

"NO."

"Well, I know this nice little restaurant by the docks in Balamb."

"OH SEIFER."

"Is that a yes?"

"AFFIRMATIVE."

"Let's go."

Selphie ran to her door and looked out the peep hole. She reached and grabbed her supersoaker, then opened the door.

~Hmmm, the wind is with me... this has a 30 ft range... they're ten feet away...~

"What the?!?!?!"

"COLD!"

"Hehehe..." Selphie said as she quickly pulled the door shut.

--- Ten minutes to midnight. ---

~These look so pretty.~ Selphie admired her nails. Each had a little series of gold, white, and pink fireworks on them. She turned and looked at her clock.

~Why didn't he call me? Not even a card...~

::ring ring::

::ring ring::

Selphie slowly reached over.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

Selphie put it down.

~Just a wrong number.~

::knock knock knock::

~If this is a game of ding dong ditch I will hurt the brat behind it...~ She grabbed her weapon and went to the door. She peeked out.

~No one.~

She opened the door and looked around. On the ground was a letter on a red sheet of paper.

"Hmmm..." She said as she grabbed it and opened it up.

[Dear Selphie,
[Happy Valentines Day.
[I'm sorry I took so long.
[I had trouble thinking this up.
[Its hard for me to say somethings. To commit.
[And it seems like sometimes I don't care, I know.
[I'm ashamed of how I treat you sometimes.
[When I'm flirting and I see you there watching I wish I could stop.
[I can't seem to.
[I wish that those things didn't happen.
[I'd like to think that it was only a dream.
[A bad dream, one I want to forget....
[But by now I can't forget it.
[For the first time, I know what it means to be in love.
[Now I realize why you were so infatuated.
[You kept telling me I had no passion,
[but it seems that even I can be passionate!
[If I can forgive you, will you forgive me, too?
[If you feel you can forgive me for all the things I've done,
[come to the Quad now.
[Love, Irvine

Selphie grabbed her key and ran out.

~Woo hoo!!!~

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Selphie slowly walked into the Quad. Little Solstice lights were across the ceiling, and a slow song was playing in the background.

Irvine walked up to her.

"Its too cold for a night under the stars, so I did the best I could."

"Its beautiful."

"I hoped you'd come." Irvine pulled her into his arms. "Dance with me?"

"Yes."

Irvine pulled her close and started singing along with the song. Singing for her.

"Looking back on the things I've done, I was trying to be someone, I played my part, kept you in the dark, now let me show you the shape of my heart...." Irvine pulled back.

"Selphie. I love you. You are the most important thing in my life. I'm sorry for my past. Can you forgive me?"

"Always. I love you too."

"I want you to have this." Irvine pulled off his necklace. "So everyone can know what you mean to me."

"You have no idea what this means to me."

"Sorry I kept you waiting so long."

"I didn't even notice." Selphie took his hands.

"Hey cool! I like your nails!"

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[The End]