Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.
Rinoa Heartilly walked down the hallway with her head facing the floor. She didn't look at the people who she knew were staring at her. She just continued with her head bowed, trying not to hear and trying not to see the people snigger and laugh at her.
She wore her hair in a braid at the back and a long old styled skirt; she also had a black blouse on that was done up to the top button and baggy on her.
The clothes, hair and lack of accessories masked the beautiful face that she had and made her seem like a freak to her peers, but her father always forced the rule upon her that beauty was a evil thing and that she should pray that her years come quickly so she could better serve God.
That was her main problem. Her family was part of an isolated religious sector that didn't allow her to talk to anyone other then the people in it, to follow rules that prohibited her from doing anything and to make her seem as little as possible.
She hated it, and people hated her for it. The perception of people was that she thought she was better then everyone else. But this could not be further from the truth. She felt below everyone else. Like a bit of dirt you would scratch off your shoe.
The worst part of it was she believed in God, but she didn't in reality love him enough to devote her entire life to him.
Unfortunately this was the road ahead for Rinoa; she was already engaged to be married. An arranged marriage of course, she was to marry a man called John Pastor. "A good Christian name," or so her father said. But she thought it was boring, it lacked the excitement that she craved.
She past the cliché of friends that always met by their lockers. Rinoa wasn't allowed a locker, her father said that the devil is in everyone and her belongings would be stolen by Satan's rouges.
She heard the girl with the brown hair giggling and caught a glimpse of her hanging off her boyfriends arm. She thought that that group were wonderful.
They seemed so rough. Scars, long hair and tattoo's on the boys, short skirts, tight tops and feminine ways about the girls.
Rinoa sighed to herself; she knew that she could never associate with those people. But it didn't really bother her, she was used to it by now, she had her own friends anyway. Admittedly they were all part of the religious sector but at least she could talk to someone.
"God that's an ugly bitch."
Seifer Almasy made his usual comment about the girl that always walked past; he didn't know her name so referred to her as 'ugly bitch'.
Seifer Almasy was a cocky and arrogant teenage boy, even by teenager's standards. He had short blonde hair that he usually whisked back, today was no different except he had a couple of strands hanging over his forehead. It may not sound that great but this was a dramatic fashion change for Seifer and several people had already commented on it. He had crystal blue eyes that would've seemed welcoming and friendly had it not been for the eternal smart ass smirk on his face. And also for the fact that there was a dominating scar running between them.
He wore a pair of black baggy jeans with black shoes, a blue baggy t-shirt with the word shiznit written on it, shiznit was a popular saying among teenagers. He had his usual silver men's necklace on and a rather large watch that seemed to have everything but the time on it.
"I tend to disagree, I think she had real potential."
That was Quistis Trepe, a gem amongst the sea of pearls. Or at least that's what the love letters said. In case you haven't realized she is beautiful.
She had long cherry blonde hair that she tied half up. The back in a bun with the top half around her face. Her hair was really long so it was a very unique looking hair style, but she pulled it off. She had blue eyes that seemed more like oceans. Not because they were big or anything but because they seemed to hold so much depth, but there was a tinge of pain held in those eyes that a lot of people didn't pick up on.
She wore a see-through white, three quarter flared sleeved top, with a sleeveless orange top underneath. She had tight flared jeans on that had orange stitching; color coordination was a must to her. She wore brown slave sandals and was known to wear reading glasses, but not today.
"Yeah cut the girl some slack. Her old's are like devil worshipers or something."
Irvine Kinneas, he was a bit dull-headed but a good guy with a big heart. Especially when it came to the opposite sex. Unfortunately for him he was tied down with a girlfriend, but he didn't see that as a burden.
He had dark brown eyes that were always smiling (I'm not crazy dick! The eyes of someone who's happy!). He had long dark hair that he tied in a pony tail going down his back. He usually wore a comical leather cowboy hat over it but know one had the guts to give him shit about it, except Seifer.
He wore dark cargo pants and a black baggy t-shirt that had a small white sentence on it saying "In a world of nothing, fear does not exist; this is the world all life desires." And brown shoes.
"No I don't think that's it, I think their really religious, like Jehovah witnesses or something."
Zell Dincht. He was an energetic person and seemed to never think before talking. He called it a severe case of "Foot in mouth disease," where you wish you could put your foot in your mouth to stop yourself from talking. He had aqua green eyes and a long tattoo going down his face. The tattoo started beside his ears and seemed to spurt out from there. It curled around his eye and went down to the bottom of the side of his face. The school had tried to expel him for it, but found that keeping him in saved the argument from Ma Dincht and the cost of cleaning their house after Zell had finished egging it.
He wore baggy lightish blue jeans with a red t-shirt, no writing but a black jacket over it. He had red shoes.
"Yeah Zell's right, wouldn't a devil worshiper be wearing some fully outrageous clothes?"
This was Selphie Tilmitt. Irvine's girlfriend. She was an unusual teenager for the fact that she never seemed to have mood swings, and she had a general love of life. This is possibly why it was so easy to like her. She had mousy brown hair that flipped outwards at the bottom. Her eyes were a shimmering green that shone an innocence that was lost to mostly everyone as soon as they turned five, but she had retained hers.
She wore a short baby blue denim mini skirt with a white lace material added at the bottom. A white tight sleeveless t-shirt that had *Spoiled* written in metallic pink across the front with white tennis shoes.
"What do you think Squall?" Irvine asked.
Squall looked up from the bit of lose material the bottom of his dark blue shirt.
"Huh?" Squall huffed out.
Squall was a strange and enigmatic person. He had changed a lot since he first had been when they met him, but he still retained some of his more distant qualities. At least he smiled now. He had blue-gray eyes that had a scar going between them, identical to the one on Seifer's face, except tilted to the opposite direction. He had dark brown hair that seemed to have a mind of its own.
He wore baggy blue jeans, a white muscle top underneath a dark blue buttoned up shirt, with black steel caped boots. He had a long chain around his neck with a silver lions head at the bottom of it, which he never took off. To go with this he had a ring that matched it.
"What do ya reckon, devil worshiper or overly religious?" Irvine repeated.
Squall contemplated the question for a minute before he replied, "I couldn't care less."
At that moment the bell signaling first period went off and everyone parted ways to go to their respected classes.
A couple of hours later at lunch.........
Squall sat at his usual table waiting for his friends to get there. He had gotten out of class early and had decided just to come to the cafeteria and wait. He noticed the girl they had been talking about earlier was in there as well.
Squall looked indolently at his watch. It said that he had fifteen minutes to go till lunch time. He started shaking his leg in a desperate attempt to make time pass quicker, but it wasn't working. So he got up, he walked over to where Rinoa was sitting and sat on the table to the side of her. She was sitting on the seat of course.
"Hey your Rinoa aren't you?" Squall asked.
Rinoa looked sheepishly around, as if checking no one was watching, then replied.
"Yeah, and your Squall."
Squall smiled at her shyness. He lifted up her chin with one finger and flung a couple of strands out of her face. He was expecting to see the 'ugly bitch' that walked past every day. But instead he saw an angelic face, hidden beneath a false fact that she was to be ignored.
He looked into her eyes, they were a chocolate brown and she had light brown streaks in her dark brown hair. He had never noticed before.
"Yes I am. Why do you dress like this? You could be really gorgeous if you did something else with your hair and changed your clothes." Squall asked with a questioning in his voice that Rinoa knew she would have to answer.
"Because I am not allowed to wear anything other then this. Decoration of ones self is a distraction from God."
Squall screwed up his face and removed his hand, as soon as he did so she dropped her head again. He rolled his eyes and lifted her face again.
"Whats wrong with wanting to look good?" Squall enquired.
Rinoa was averting her eyes from his; instead she was looking at the walls.
"God didn't put us on earth to impress."
It started to annoy Squall that she wouldn't look at him. Usually if he was doing this to a chick she would be all over him by now, but it was like she didn't care that he existed.
"Why? Cause it's a distraction." Squall laughed.
Rinoa felt like frowning at him and telling him where to stick it, but she had been taught from an early age that men hold more importance than women so she held her tongue and replied.
"Yes."
Squall had been hoping she would say that, he had the perfect comeback to that.
"But isn't talking to boys a distraction?"
Squall smirked at his answer, he thought he was really clever for that and couldn't wait to see her dumbstruck face, but instead she looked him dead in the eye and said.
"This is why I am going to leave right now. I'm sure my fiancé wouldn't appreciate me congregating with other males, especially one's out of our sector. Goodbye Squall Leonhart, may god bless your days with success."
Rinoa got up and walked out.
Squall looked after her with a look of pure shock. He saw a power in her, a power that you didn't see in beaten down religious nuts. He knew at that moment he had to get her out. But didn't know how and knew that he needed his friends help.
All of Squall's friends are there and he had just told them about the
events and how he wants to get her out.
"Jesus Squall, look over at her table. You can't just go around bringing strays home!" Seifer complained.
"Listen I understand if you don't want to be a part of it. After all I have made it seem like kidnapping, but she'll be about sixteen right? if we convince her to leave it's not against the law!" Squall reasoned.
Everyone looked at each other. Nobody wanted to talk first, Squall seemed overly excited about it and it sounded like he had a crush on her. Not worth going out of their way for. That was until Selphie said.
"Well I'm in, whatever you want me to do I'll do!"
Irvine sighed, that meant that he had to help as well.
"I spose I can't leave ya hanging here. But like........ It won't be breaking the law or something will it? My dads a cop remember." Irvine asked.
"Nah, just convince her to leave it." Squall replied.
Quistis looked around the group then said, "Well you guys need someone with a brain to help you, so I'm in."
Seifer was the next to agree.
"I need a laugh."
They all waited with baited breath for Zell's answer, they knew he'd agree but couldn't be sure.
"If ya shout me a hotdog I'm in for sure!"
Squall smiled triumphantly, this was the biggest thing to do since getting Quistis and Seifer together.
They had been together for about two months now, but didn't really act like a couple.
"Sweet as. Has anyone got a class with her next?" Squall asked.
Selphie grinned triumphantly then said "I do I do, and I don't think she had any friends in it either so they can't gang up on me!"
"I don't think they would anyway." Quistis laughed.
* HEY QUISTIS WILL YOU MARRY ME??!!*
Quistis put on a nervous smile, that boy was about to die.
Seifer closed his eyes in annoyance. He got up from his seat and headed straight for the boy who yelled it.
The group continued their conversation talking over the painful cries of the random boy who yelled at the wrong chick.
"Such violence, I can't wait to move to the town with our own school." one of Rinoa's friends said.
"Father told me that it might not be even happening. He said that because of the sin that they haven't cast out of that place it would be easier to just stay where we are." another girl commented.
"What did your father say Rinoa? Surely as our leader he has more to say on it than most."
Rinoa looked up from her barely eaten apple and replied.
"Father does not tell me. He said that it is not a woman's place to discuss such things. Or to be interested in things that do not concern us."
4th period. Operation free Rinoa begins.
Selphie walked into the classroom, slightly late as per usual, but the teachers were used to her tardiness.
Selphie glanced around the room and quickly spotted Rinoa.
She was all by herself at the side. Selphie grinned to herself and took the seat beside her. This was Module so they weren't really expected to do anything.
"Hey Rinny. What you doing?" Selphie said.
Rinoa looked shocked at this. Like someone had just called her an 'ugly bitch'.
"You're supposed to address me as Rinoa."
Selphie wrinkled up her nose and said.
"Yeah, but nicknames are cooler. You can call me Selph."
"No I shall call you Selphie. Why do you people keep on talking to me? I could get in a lot of trouble." Rinoa stated.
Selphie raised her eyebrows and replied.
"Cause you seem nice, and I reckon Squally likes you!"
"Well that's nice, but I am engaged." Rinoa sighed.
Selphie looked at her face. It seemed to loose a lot of its light when she said that. Selphie now understood why Squall wanted to help her, not because he wanted to break her in or something like that. Because she generally seemed unhappy in her little world. At that moment Selphie vowed that she would do whatever it took.
"But you don't love the guy you're engaged to, do you?" Selphie muttered.
Rinoa let out a sigh and then began actually talking.
"It does not matter. Father said that he will provide for me. I am lucky to still be at school. I don't need an education; all I have to do in life is produce children. If I am a good wife I will produce boys."
Selphie opened her mouth to start yelling at her, but thought that wouldn't get her anywhere. She wanted to tell her that she was worth more then that. To tell her that women can do anything they want, but instead she opted for a different tactic.
"But what do you want to do?"
Rinoa thought about getting up and moving, but didn't see why. There wasn't anyone in the room that would squeal on her for talking to other people.
"I want to be a doctor. To help people, but father said that it isn't right for a woman to want such things."
Selphie slumped in her seat. She couldn't get through to this girl so she chose to sit in silence till she came up with a better plan. It would be easier if she had someone smart with her so they could do the thinking. But it seemed that Rinoa was going to do the talking for her.
"I like you Selphie. You're nice."
Selphie grinned. Then it came to her, to establish friendship would be the first step. She couldn't expect her to leave her cult thing just like that; she had to do it gradually.
"I like you to Rinny, your not quite what I expected."
Rinoa smiled at that. She had just made a friend. A real friend. It was a strange feeling to her, to have someone she liked who liked her equally in return just because she was her. Not because her father was their leader.
After school, there all sitting on the steps outside school contemplating
what they are going to do for the rest of the day.
"Any luck with Rinoa?" Quistis asked.
Selphie looked triumphantly at the group and said.
"I have established friendship with her, now you guys have to, we can get her to hang out with us. Me and Quistis will take her shopping one day and bickity-BAM she sees what she's missing and comes to us with open arms." Selphie explained.
They all looked at her in surprise, but had to admit even with her strange way of explaining it, it was a good plan.
"Oh and Squall, I reckon she likes you, cause she had a lot to say about you. Once I got her talking about things other then what a woman should and shouldn't do." Selphie said giving Squall a little wink.
Squall had the spotlight on him, he looked around the group and noticed Seifer's large grin first.
'Shit I gotta say something.' Squall thought, "Yeah well."
Rinoa walked home alone holding her books to her chest how she always did. He walked up the concrete path that led to her house and opened the door.
She saw her husband to be and her father sitting at the table, it seemed her father was home early.
"Hello father, John. I trust you had godly days." Rinoa said.
"Rinoa, I pray that you aren't associating with outsiders at school." her father said.
Rinoa opened her mouth to say something, but didn't know what to say, she couldn't lie about it. How did he know though?
"That's what I thought. I was told of you associating with a boy in the cafeteria, with no company and he was touching you." her father continued.
That was why John was there, because of this. She knew that she was in trouble but couldn't think of a way to get herself out. She had been spotted.
"Perhaps it is time that she left school. What do you think John?"
John looked at her. He was obviously more angry then her father. But an educated wife would be worth more then a dumb one so he said.
"Surely the right discipline would ensure that this wouldn't happen again."
Her father nodded.
Rinoa knew that she had to stay, but wanted to go. It didn't matter what she said, she couldn't say anything.
"Father, perhaps I may go to my room for the time being and continue my bible studies?" Rinoa asked.
Her father nodded and she left.
The discipline was a combination of extra psalm learning and extra work. Rinoa thought that she got off light.
Rinoa Heartilly walked down the hallway with her head facing the floor. She didn't look at the people who she knew were staring at her. She just continued with her head bowed, trying not to hear and trying not to see the people snigger and laugh at her.
She wore her hair in a braid at the back and a long old styled skirt; she also had a black blouse on that was done up to the top button and baggy on her.
The clothes, hair and lack of accessories masked the beautiful face that she had and made her seem like a freak to her peers, but her father always forced the rule upon her that beauty was a evil thing and that she should pray that her years come quickly so she could better serve God.
That was her main problem. Her family was part of an isolated religious sector that didn't allow her to talk to anyone other then the people in it, to follow rules that prohibited her from doing anything and to make her seem as little as possible.
She hated it, and people hated her for it. The perception of people was that she thought she was better then everyone else. But this could not be further from the truth. She felt below everyone else. Like a bit of dirt you would scratch off your shoe.
The worst part of it was she believed in God, but she didn't in reality love him enough to devote her entire life to him.
Unfortunately this was the road ahead for Rinoa; she was already engaged to be married. An arranged marriage of course, she was to marry a man called John Pastor. "A good Christian name," or so her father said. But she thought it was boring, it lacked the excitement that she craved.
She past the cliché of friends that always met by their lockers. Rinoa wasn't allowed a locker, her father said that the devil is in everyone and her belongings would be stolen by Satan's rouges.
She heard the girl with the brown hair giggling and caught a glimpse of her hanging off her boyfriends arm. She thought that that group were wonderful.
They seemed so rough. Scars, long hair and tattoo's on the boys, short skirts, tight tops and feminine ways about the girls.
Rinoa sighed to herself; she knew that she could never associate with those people. But it didn't really bother her, she was used to it by now, she had her own friends anyway. Admittedly they were all part of the religious sector but at least she could talk to someone.
"God that's an ugly bitch."
Seifer Almasy made his usual comment about the girl that always walked past; he didn't know her name so referred to her as 'ugly bitch'.
Seifer Almasy was a cocky and arrogant teenage boy, even by teenager's standards. He had short blonde hair that he usually whisked back, today was no different except he had a couple of strands hanging over his forehead. It may not sound that great but this was a dramatic fashion change for Seifer and several people had already commented on it. He had crystal blue eyes that would've seemed welcoming and friendly had it not been for the eternal smart ass smirk on his face. And also for the fact that there was a dominating scar running between them.
He wore a pair of black baggy jeans with black shoes, a blue baggy t-shirt with the word shiznit written on it, shiznit was a popular saying among teenagers. He had his usual silver men's necklace on and a rather large watch that seemed to have everything but the time on it.
"I tend to disagree, I think she had real potential."
That was Quistis Trepe, a gem amongst the sea of pearls. Or at least that's what the love letters said. In case you haven't realized she is beautiful.
She had long cherry blonde hair that she tied half up. The back in a bun with the top half around her face. Her hair was really long so it was a very unique looking hair style, but she pulled it off. She had blue eyes that seemed more like oceans. Not because they were big or anything but because they seemed to hold so much depth, but there was a tinge of pain held in those eyes that a lot of people didn't pick up on.
She wore a see-through white, three quarter flared sleeved top, with a sleeveless orange top underneath. She had tight flared jeans on that had orange stitching; color coordination was a must to her. She wore brown slave sandals and was known to wear reading glasses, but not today.
"Yeah cut the girl some slack. Her old's are like devil worshipers or something."
Irvine Kinneas, he was a bit dull-headed but a good guy with a big heart. Especially when it came to the opposite sex. Unfortunately for him he was tied down with a girlfriend, but he didn't see that as a burden.
He had dark brown eyes that were always smiling (I'm not crazy dick! The eyes of someone who's happy!). He had long dark hair that he tied in a pony tail going down his back. He usually wore a comical leather cowboy hat over it but know one had the guts to give him shit about it, except Seifer.
He wore dark cargo pants and a black baggy t-shirt that had a small white sentence on it saying "In a world of nothing, fear does not exist; this is the world all life desires." And brown shoes.
"No I don't think that's it, I think their really religious, like Jehovah witnesses or something."
Zell Dincht. He was an energetic person and seemed to never think before talking. He called it a severe case of "Foot in mouth disease," where you wish you could put your foot in your mouth to stop yourself from talking. He had aqua green eyes and a long tattoo going down his face. The tattoo started beside his ears and seemed to spurt out from there. It curled around his eye and went down to the bottom of the side of his face. The school had tried to expel him for it, but found that keeping him in saved the argument from Ma Dincht and the cost of cleaning their house after Zell had finished egging it.
He wore baggy lightish blue jeans with a red t-shirt, no writing but a black jacket over it. He had red shoes.
"Yeah Zell's right, wouldn't a devil worshiper be wearing some fully outrageous clothes?"
This was Selphie Tilmitt. Irvine's girlfriend. She was an unusual teenager for the fact that she never seemed to have mood swings, and she had a general love of life. This is possibly why it was so easy to like her. She had mousy brown hair that flipped outwards at the bottom. Her eyes were a shimmering green that shone an innocence that was lost to mostly everyone as soon as they turned five, but she had retained hers.
She wore a short baby blue denim mini skirt with a white lace material added at the bottom. A white tight sleeveless t-shirt that had *Spoiled* written in metallic pink across the front with white tennis shoes.
"What do you think Squall?" Irvine asked.
Squall looked up from the bit of lose material the bottom of his dark blue shirt.
"Huh?" Squall huffed out.
Squall was a strange and enigmatic person. He had changed a lot since he first had been when they met him, but he still retained some of his more distant qualities. At least he smiled now. He had blue-gray eyes that had a scar going between them, identical to the one on Seifer's face, except tilted to the opposite direction. He had dark brown hair that seemed to have a mind of its own.
He wore baggy blue jeans, a white muscle top underneath a dark blue buttoned up shirt, with black steel caped boots. He had a long chain around his neck with a silver lions head at the bottom of it, which he never took off. To go with this he had a ring that matched it.
"What do ya reckon, devil worshiper or overly religious?" Irvine repeated.
Squall contemplated the question for a minute before he replied, "I couldn't care less."
At that moment the bell signaling first period went off and everyone parted ways to go to their respected classes.
A couple of hours later at lunch.........
Squall sat at his usual table waiting for his friends to get there. He had gotten out of class early and had decided just to come to the cafeteria and wait. He noticed the girl they had been talking about earlier was in there as well.
Squall looked indolently at his watch. It said that he had fifteen minutes to go till lunch time. He started shaking his leg in a desperate attempt to make time pass quicker, but it wasn't working. So he got up, he walked over to where Rinoa was sitting and sat on the table to the side of her. She was sitting on the seat of course.
"Hey your Rinoa aren't you?" Squall asked.
Rinoa looked sheepishly around, as if checking no one was watching, then replied.
"Yeah, and your Squall."
Squall smiled at her shyness. He lifted up her chin with one finger and flung a couple of strands out of her face. He was expecting to see the 'ugly bitch' that walked past every day. But instead he saw an angelic face, hidden beneath a false fact that she was to be ignored.
He looked into her eyes, they were a chocolate brown and she had light brown streaks in her dark brown hair. He had never noticed before.
"Yes I am. Why do you dress like this? You could be really gorgeous if you did something else with your hair and changed your clothes." Squall asked with a questioning in his voice that Rinoa knew she would have to answer.
"Because I am not allowed to wear anything other then this. Decoration of ones self is a distraction from God."
Squall screwed up his face and removed his hand, as soon as he did so she dropped her head again. He rolled his eyes and lifted her face again.
"Whats wrong with wanting to look good?" Squall enquired.
Rinoa was averting her eyes from his; instead she was looking at the walls.
"God didn't put us on earth to impress."
It started to annoy Squall that she wouldn't look at him. Usually if he was doing this to a chick she would be all over him by now, but it was like she didn't care that he existed.
"Why? Cause it's a distraction." Squall laughed.
Rinoa felt like frowning at him and telling him where to stick it, but she had been taught from an early age that men hold more importance than women so she held her tongue and replied.
"Yes."
Squall had been hoping she would say that, he had the perfect comeback to that.
"But isn't talking to boys a distraction?"
Squall smirked at his answer, he thought he was really clever for that and couldn't wait to see her dumbstruck face, but instead she looked him dead in the eye and said.
"This is why I am going to leave right now. I'm sure my fiancé wouldn't appreciate me congregating with other males, especially one's out of our sector. Goodbye Squall Leonhart, may god bless your days with success."
Rinoa got up and walked out.
Squall looked after her with a look of pure shock. He saw a power in her, a power that you didn't see in beaten down religious nuts. He knew at that moment he had to get her out. But didn't know how and knew that he needed his friends help.
All of Squall's friends are there and he had just told them about the
events and how he wants to get her out.
"Jesus Squall, look over at her table. You can't just go around bringing strays home!" Seifer complained.
"Listen I understand if you don't want to be a part of it. After all I have made it seem like kidnapping, but she'll be about sixteen right? if we convince her to leave it's not against the law!" Squall reasoned.
Everyone looked at each other. Nobody wanted to talk first, Squall seemed overly excited about it and it sounded like he had a crush on her. Not worth going out of their way for. That was until Selphie said.
"Well I'm in, whatever you want me to do I'll do!"
Irvine sighed, that meant that he had to help as well.
"I spose I can't leave ya hanging here. But like........ It won't be breaking the law or something will it? My dads a cop remember." Irvine asked.
"Nah, just convince her to leave it." Squall replied.
Quistis looked around the group then said, "Well you guys need someone with a brain to help you, so I'm in."
Seifer was the next to agree.
"I need a laugh."
They all waited with baited breath for Zell's answer, they knew he'd agree but couldn't be sure.
"If ya shout me a hotdog I'm in for sure!"
Squall smiled triumphantly, this was the biggest thing to do since getting Quistis and Seifer together.
They had been together for about two months now, but didn't really act like a couple.
"Sweet as. Has anyone got a class with her next?" Squall asked.
Selphie grinned triumphantly then said "I do I do, and I don't think she had any friends in it either so they can't gang up on me!"
"I don't think they would anyway." Quistis laughed.
* HEY QUISTIS WILL YOU MARRY ME??!!*
Quistis put on a nervous smile, that boy was about to die.
Seifer closed his eyes in annoyance. He got up from his seat and headed straight for the boy who yelled it.
The group continued their conversation talking over the painful cries of the random boy who yelled at the wrong chick.
"Such violence, I can't wait to move to the town with our own school." one of Rinoa's friends said.
"Father told me that it might not be even happening. He said that because of the sin that they haven't cast out of that place it would be easier to just stay where we are." another girl commented.
"What did your father say Rinoa? Surely as our leader he has more to say on it than most."
Rinoa looked up from her barely eaten apple and replied.
"Father does not tell me. He said that it is not a woman's place to discuss such things. Or to be interested in things that do not concern us."
4th period. Operation free Rinoa begins.
Selphie walked into the classroom, slightly late as per usual, but the teachers were used to her tardiness.
Selphie glanced around the room and quickly spotted Rinoa.
She was all by herself at the side. Selphie grinned to herself and took the seat beside her. This was Module so they weren't really expected to do anything.
"Hey Rinny. What you doing?" Selphie said.
Rinoa looked shocked at this. Like someone had just called her an 'ugly bitch'.
"You're supposed to address me as Rinoa."
Selphie wrinkled up her nose and said.
"Yeah, but nicknames are cooler. You can call me Selph."
"No I shall call you Selphie. Why do you people keep on talking to me? I could get in a lot of trouble." Rinoa stated.
Selphie raised her eyebrows and replied.
"Cause you seem nice, and I reckon Squally likes you!"
"Well that's nice, but I am engaged." Rinoa sighed.
Selphie looked at her face. It seemed to loose a lot of its light when she said that. Selphie now understood why Squall wanted to help her, not because he wanted to break her in or something like that. Because she generally seemed unhappy in her little world. At that moment Selphie vowed that she would do whatever it took.
"But you don't love the guy you're engaged to, do you?" Selphie muttered.
Rinoa let out a sigh and then began actually talking.
"It does not matter. Father said that he will provide for me. I am lucky to still be at school. I don't need an education; all I have to do in life is produce children. If I am a good wife I will produce boys."
Selphie opened her mouth to start yelling at her, but thought that wouldn't get her anywhere. She wanted to tell her that she was worth more then that. To tell her that women can do anything they want, but instead she opted for a different tactic.
"But what do you want to do?"
Rinoa thought about getting up and moving, but didn't see why. There wasn't anyone in the room that would squeal on her for talking to other people.
"I want to be a doctor. To help people, but father said that it isn't right for a woman to want such things."
Selphie slumped in her seat. She couldn't get through to this girl so she chose to sit in silence till she came up with a better plan. It would be easier if she had someone smart with her so they could do the thinking. But it seemed that Rinoa was going to do the talking for her.
"I like you Selphie. You're nice."
Selphie grinned. Then it came to her, to establish friendship would be the first step. She couldn't expect her to leave her cult thing just like that; she had to do it gradually.
"I like you to Rinny, your not quite what I expected."
Rinoa smiled at that. She had just made a friend. A real friend. It was a strange feeling to her, to have someone she liked who liked her equally in return just because she was her. Not because her father was their leader.
After school, there all sitting on the steps outside school contemplating
what they are going to do for the rest of the day.
"Any luck with Rinoa?" Quistis asked.
Selphie looked triumphantly at the group and said.
"I have established friendship with her, now you guys have to, we can get her to hang out with us. Me and Quistis will take her shopping one day and bickity-BAM she sees what she's missing and comes to us with open arms." Selphie explained.
They all looked at her in surprise, but had to admit even with her strange way of explaining it, it was a good plan.
"Oh and Squall, I reckon she likes you, cause she had a lot to say about you. Once I got her talking about things other then what a woman should and shouldn't do." Selphie said giving Squall a little wink.
Squall had the spotlight on him, he looked around the group and noticed Seifer's large grin first.
'Shit I gotta say something.' Squall thought, "Yeah well."
Rinoa walked home alone holding her books to her chest how she always did. He walked up the concrete path that led to her house and opened the door.
She saw her husband to be and her father sitting at the table, it seemed her father was home early.
"Hello father, John. I trust you had godly days." Rinoa said.
"Rinoa, I pray that you aren't associating with outsiders at school." her father said.
Rinoa opened her mouth to say something, but didn't know what to say, she couldn't lie about it. How did he know though?
"That's what I thought. I was told of you associating with a boy in the cafeteria, with no company and he was touching you." her father continued.
That was why John was there, because of this. She knew that she was in trouble but couldn't think of a way to get herself out. She had been spotted.
"Perhaps it is time that she left school. What do you think John?"
John looked at her. He was obviously more angry then her father. But an educated wife would be worth more then a dumb one so he said.
"Surely the right discipline would ensure that this wouldn't happen again."
Her father nodded.
Rinoa knew that she had to stay, but wanted to go. It didn't matter what she said, she couldn't say anything.
"Father, perhaps I may go to my room for the time being and continue my bible studies?" Rinoa asked.
Her father nodded and she left.
The discipline was a combination of extra psalm learning and extra work. Rinoa thought that she got off light.