Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Zell was in the training center looking for something – anything – to try his newest Combat King combo on. The martial artist silently cursed himself for not bringing his favorite sparring partner along with him. Cara had been his best friend since he first came to Garden. She was always there when he wanted to spar, when he needed help him in class, to goof off with him in the hallways, and to lend a hand when he needed to cram for a big test the next day. The girl even offered to keep the library open late for him so he could study there the night before his big SeeD exam. They had been friends for years, since they were both Junior Classmen. They met in an Intro to magic class – Zell had to take it again because he still didn't quite grasp Junctioning. She was a year younger than him and ended up helping him with his homework after class most days. One thing led to another, and before they knew what had happened the two had become best friends.
No one really understood why – even when he was that young, Zell was a party boy. He loved to fool around, he hated sitting still, and he was the talk of every classroom. Zell Dincht was the class clown, the boy who everyone knew and liked to be around. Cara was different when she was by herself. She was quiet, reserved, even shy. Her eyes rarely left her computer sreen unless it was to look up at the instructor or the board. She was Zell's polar opposite, except when she was hanging out with him: when they were together she was spunky, funny, and even pulled a prank or two with him. Not even Zell and Cara understood why they were so close.
He shook his head, trying to focus in his moves as he wandered from area to area, leaving some Grats scattered here and there. No matter how many steps he took, how many times he twisted and turned through the trees and undergrowth, he always ended up in the same place – the Secret Area. He had taken Cara there when he got bored at the SeeD ball, sick of the lame songs that the DJ insisted on playing the entire night. He had slipped into the Dorm hall and gotten her to agree to prowl the grounds with him, so to speak. The pair had wandered every open hall, trying not to laugh as they ducked in and out of the shadows to prevent getting caught by the sentries. Eventually, their trek landed them in the Training Center – it was way too humid that night, even for Cara who was still dressed in her sleeping shorts. After he started feeling like he was swimming inside of his dress shoes, Zell remembered the secret area at the back of the area. The small balcony that was outside the controlled climate of the Training Center, but still sheltered from some of the harsher winds that passed through the plains in at night. They must've talked for hours that night about absolutely nothing. But the again, that wasn't unusual for the two of them.
Want to vanish
Inside Your Kiss
He shrugged, giving into an unheard will and went inside, leaning against the same wall Cara was perched on that night. It seemed like an eternity had passed since they had been sitting out here, but he still felt his guts clench every time it crossed his mind. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what exactly had happened that turned his stomach inside out when he thought about it.
He remembered they had stopped talking at one point, and the silence was getting thick enough to cut with a gunblade. He remembered feeling extremely grateful when Cara finally spoke, causing a rift in the unbearable hush.
Zell was leaning against the wall with his elbows resting on top of the concrete barrier. Cara was sitting to his right, the hem of her cotton shorts brushing his jacket when the wind picked up and slipped over the balcony. They were both looking up at the stars, trying not to notice that they had been completely silent for the past few minutes. Her voice finally broke the quiet. "Hey Zell, what time is it?" She asked, letting her eyes wander down to rest on him again.
He glanced at his digital watch. "11:35." He glanced over his shoulder at the expansive pine forest that surrounded Garden. "It's getting kinda late . . ." He remarked, trying to keep silence from setting in again.
Cara sighed, running a hand through her wavy chocolate hair. "Yeah. I'd better get to bed soon, or I'll never wake up tomorrow." She looked back up at the sky and gasped, smiling. "Look! A shooting star!" Zell's head snapped up, his eyes catching the tail end of the star as it zipped across the dark night sky. "Make a wish." She commanded, clasping her hands together. He just chuckled and played along, shutting his eyes and thinking of what he would even wish for. Before he could decide on anything, Cara hopped off the wall and poked him in the ribs playfully. Zell jumped away from her fingers, scowling at her before laughing at the innocent face she was making. He stood upright, rolling back his shoulders to release the tension that had built up from leaning against the cold wall. Cara walked over to him and held open her arms expectantly. He smiled and leaned in, giving her a friendly hug.
As soon as he released her from his grip, she leaned up onto her tiptoes and kissed him chastely. When she pulled out, Zell robins egg eyes widened in surprise, staring disbelievingly into her calm, storm cloud eyes. Smiling despite the light dusting of blush that settled on the bridge of her nose, Cara walked out of the Training Center, leaving a dumbfounded Zell in her wake."G'night." She called over her shoulder before disappearing.
Everyday I love you more and more
Zell passed a thumb over his lips, swearing he could still feel her pressed against them whenever that night popped into his mind. With a sigh, the martial artist walked back out into the Training Center, telling himself that he needed to work on that combo if he was going to master it before he got his next mission assignment. But after a few minutes he gave up, deciding that his concentration was crap and went to grab a hot dog from the Cafeteria in hopes that it would put his wandering mind to rest with its deliciousness.
As soon as he left the Training Center, the thick aroma of roasted meat caught his nose and sent him running the rest of the way to the Cafeteria. He got through the outrageously long line, miraculously holding a tray with two hotdogs placed in the center, and began looking for a place to sit. Cara crossed his line of vision, sitting at a table on the far wall, talking to another girl. Zell had seen her before in class – a good girl, used a rifle if he remembered right. She was always flirting with him, and he flirted back playfully. But they never got into it. After that semester ended, they never saw each other again. At the moment she was glaring, one finger pointed accusingly at Cara.
His eyes focused on Cara. Her chocolate hair in a tight braid that was pulled over her shoulder, one hand playing with the loose tail of hair – curling and twisting it around and between two fingers distractedly. He noted that her eyebrows her drawn down angrily over her stormy eyes and the hand that wasn't playing with her hair was waving in the air agitatedly. Zell watched her talking, her rosy lips mouthing words that couldn't reach his ears before parting in a sneer. A few more words were passed between the two before the other girl rocketed out of her chair. She glanced over her shoulder and said something that sent Cara into the back of her seat, eyes wide with shock before scooting past chairs and tables to reach a door. Cara leaned forward and rested an elbow on the tabletop, rubbing her forehead. She sat up straight and turned in her seat, finally seeing him standing alone in the middle of the crowded room. She sent him a grin, which was obviously fake, and waved at him. He smiled and waved back, shaking his head to clear it of the images he still had floating around from the Training Center. She motioned for him to come over sit down and he nodded, lifting his tray up and carefully edging his way past other full tables to Cara's side.
Listen to my heart; can you hear it sing
Telling me to give you everything?
"Hey you." She released her braid, letting it swing around rest between her shoulder blades.
"Hi Cara." He responded nonchalantly, taking his first bite out of his coveted hotdog. "Who were you talking to?"
She shrugged indifferently, though her eyes caught a glimmer of something Zell couldn't quite place. "Her? Name's Kelly. She apparently had a crush on you last term."
Zell seemed surprised and almost spit out his hotdog. He managed not to choke and swallowed with very little chewing, gulping down air afterwards. "Seriously?"
"Yeah." She pursed her lips, pretending to be mad at him. "And just where have you been all day, mister? I've been trying to find you."
He blinked owlishly and bit into his hotdog again. "Training. Why were you looking for me?"
"I was gonna tell you . . ." she faded off, looking back out the window.
" . . . what?" Inquired Zell.
"Well, uh," she started to blush, and then shook her head, "We haven't hung out since you graduated. I miss you."
He knew she was trying to cover up something, but since he had no idea what he let it go. "Sorry about that. Life's been hectic with all the missions and junk." Zell went back to his hot dog, finishing it in a matter of seconds. He looked back up at Cara. She was staring at the crowd of students that filled the Cafeteria to maximum capacity, her eyes misted over with the sheerest veil of moisture. "You all right?"
"Hmm?" She turned toward Zell, blinking. "Yeah, I'm fine." She cleared her throat, shaking her head again. "I just realized I never apologized . . . for that night in the Secret Area. Are you – ?" She trailed off again, her lips twitching in an apologetic smile. Zell waved it away, taking a huge bite out of his second hotdog, chewing slowly so as not to choke on it again. She sighed moved to look out the window again. A few students were milling about the campus; some of them hand in hand, pecking each other on the cheek. "Hey." She turned back to Zell, who hadn't moved his eyes from her. "You wanna go for a walk down to Balamb? I kinda need to talk to you." Zell nodded and gulped down the last of his hotdog. They stood and edged their way around tables until they made it out of the cafeteria.
Seasons may change, winter to spring
The two walked through the gates of Garden, down the road of the plains and into the coastal town of Balamb where Zell grew up. He had been so busy training that he hadn't really been within the city limits recently. He looked around at the familiar buildings and people, who waved and smiled at him. They strolled down the friendly streets, past the worn harbor, past the old fishermen and onto the pier. The sun was setting as they made their way up the planks and stood on the brink of the sea, letting the salty mist from the waves cover them in droplets. Zell looked down at Cara, hands on his hips. "Okay Cara, now tell me what's been bugging you. You've been acting weird all day."
"I wanted to ask you," Cara looked up at him, taking a deep breath. "Zell Dincht, do you like me?"
He blinked. "Yeah. If I didn't I wouldn't be down here with you."
She shook her head. "That's not what I mean. Do you like me, like me?" She asked softly.
Zell was taken aback and he almost fell off the pier in surprise. "You mean like as in – well, um, why?"
Cara kept her gaze steady, her eyes unflinching as they studied his face. "Answer me Zell." Zell regained some composure and looked down at the pier in thought.
But I love you until the end of time
He didn't really know. Zell had never really wanted a girlfriend before – he just wasn't in the mood to have a girl clinging to him all day everyday. He was too active, had too much to do. He had too many commitments to Garden to think about having a girlfriend. But Cara was different . . .
He sighed and closed his eyes, remembering how the feel of her lips upon his was so right; how her eyes could read your every secret, but you didn't really care anyway. He dug in his memory for the feel of her skin on his as they trained together, the way her voice flowed over his ears like water, how her soft laugh would send chills up his spine. He opened his bright blue eyes again, keeping his gaze steady on Cara. "Yeah, I do." He finally replied.
Come what may,
Come what may,
Cara remained still, tears slowly beginning to fall from her eyes. "That wasn't the right answer . . ." She said quietly.
If Zell wasn't confused before, he sure as hell was confused now. "Cara?"
"Zell, you can't like me that way." She hiccupped as tears ran down her cheeks.
Zell tilted his head and scratched the base of his skull. "What are you talking about?"
Cara covered her mouth and took a deep breath, wiping tears from her face. "You're Zell Dincht: everyone's favorite martial artist, one of the most popular guys in Balamb. You're who every guy wants to be and every girl wants to be with." Zell blinked. Squall didn't want to be him anymore than a snowball wanted to take a scenic vacation to hell. And there was no way that every girl in Balamb wanted yo be with him – Quistis made that clear when she hit him over the head with the class textbook last year. "I'm just the girl who follows you around, who keeps you away from everyone."
Zell lifted an eyebrow. "Who said that?" He was pretty sure he already knew the answer to that question, and was ready to run up to Garden and have a talk with Kelly about how she needed to mind her own damned business.
Cara just shook her head and kept rambling. "You can't . . . you just can't." She cried, hanging her head. "You can't like a girl like me, not that way. We can't be . . . you know."
Zell's eyes narrowed and frowned. "You're Cara Fliet." He said softly, his brain still processing everything that she had just said. "You're my sparring partner, you're my best friend, you're the girl I can go to when the world is pulling some serious shit on me." He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look into his brilliant sky blue eyes. "Whoever started spouting all this crap to you is out of their mind. There's no way you of all people would hold me back from anything. You're the one telling me to go out there and do whatever I want, even when everyone else says it's impossible."
She shook her head harder, glancing out at the sea, where her tears were dropping. "Zell, you have a huge future ahead of you. It's going to be full of girls, girls who are going to fall head over heels for you." His mind skipped back to Kelly. No doubt in his mind she said something to Cara before he made it to the cafeteria. "That's why –" She stopped to catch her breath.
"That's why what?" He prompted.
"That's why I'm going home." She gulped down more air. "I'm turning in my resignation papers and going back to Timber, so you can go and be with –"
Zell's arms tensed and he pulled her close, squeezing her to his chest. "Where do you think you can go that I won't follow you?"
I will love you until my dying day
Cara sniffed and swallowed, choking out a heart-wrenching sob. "Zell, please. Don't make this any harder. I came down here so I could tell you goodbye, and you're sure as hell not making it easy for me." She begged brokenly.
Zell set his head down on top of her head, resting his cheek against her silky hair. "Cara, do you like me?"
Cara pushed away, glaring up into his eyes with watery ferocity. "Of course I do. Why else would I kiss you, bonehead?"
He grinned at her response before pulling her in close again. "Then why let what other people think stop us?" He whispered, holding her close again.
She sighed and nuzzled into his warmth, giving into his strong arms and his undeniable Zell-logic. "Because you deserve better than me, Zell."
He shook his head, resting his lips on her head. "There is no better."