Only the Lonely- Part 1
The teacher with hair of the sun seemed to be not up to her usual vigor. Most of the time, she was filled with an untamed spirit, but Quistis Trepe seemed to have finally been broken. Broken with the weight of losing the man she loved to a girl she resented and barely knew. Broken by the weight of never finding that special someone that almost everyone of the Orphanage Gang did. Broken by the weight of... loneliness.
With empty electric blue eyes, Miss Trepe watched as her students sat in the usual order- the Trepies, the 'geeks', the 'normal' kids, and the trouble makers- and do their work... But back to the troublemakers, as if there actually trouble makers in her class again. Ever since Seifer Almasy had finally returned to Garden and became a SeeD, the classroom had lost it's luster and challenge in her eyes, even if she received back her job from Headmaster Cid Kramer to fill her empty time.
Climbing onto her black booted feet, Quistis surveyed the classroom with false interest as the approaching the bell that would ring through the learning Halls of Garden. Picking up a dry-board marker, she wrote slowly on the board with her neat, and almost in too-small hand writing that day's reading and writing assignment.
Center with cat-like grace, the lengedary Quistis turned back to her class with a small smile. Her eyes swept the classroom, as the Trepies hushed the class for the daily closing speech. Pushing back her glasses with her index finger, she took a deep breath, and addressed the class.
"Some of you might have known, but the SeeD exams are soon approaching, so if you haven't made your way to take the entrance exam, see Xu and she'll set up appointment for you to make," her breathy voice rose slightly over the slightly shifting of weight in the chairs.
"Most might of heard the entrance is extremely hard, it isn't. It's just takes a lot of skill to make you are personally ready for SeeD," Quistis informed the worried students.
Taking a deep breath, she continued, "the threat of Sorceress still out there, even if Sorceress Riona is an ally. Who knows if there are truly other Sorceresses are out there or not.
"So it is important we keep the Tradition and power of SeeD to full strength," she added. Rolling lightly on her heels, she added, "White SeeD, an elite Sea-Class group of Garden, is accepting new members. So those who do extremely well may, if requested, a recommendation to join their ranks."
Several students perked up at this with great interest, but none were of the infamous fanclub of Quistis Trepe. They, for sure, would follow Quistis to whatever Garden she went, since she wasn't leaving Balamb, they weren't either.
The bell rang and Quistis unconsciously stiffened. Looking up at the clock, she rushed on, "you have your homework assignment. I expect it by Monday. Have a nice weekend."
The twenty-year-old teacher watch the classroom empty out, as she began to grade the quizzes. Quizzes in which she graded, recorded in the computer, went to her dorm and cried. Only when someone came to get her for dinner, did the quizzes came into her mind. They had filled her empty life with some meaning.
Some meaning, she thought bitterly, and now is the time to do it. The whip-mistress opened her drawer and pulled out an object. An object that was to be the answer to all her problems. A gun. The same gun in which her best friend, she remembered, used before she was killed, four days after Quistis became an instructor, in a SeeD mission.
Placing the cold, steel barrel to her head, Quistis sighed sadly. Closing her eyes, she went to release the safety and-
Warm, firm hands jerked away the gun away from her. The warm hands took her gun and set it on a desk, then rested themselves on her heavily burdened shoulders. Even in her darkest moment, those warm weren't welcome, yet were.
"Oh why, Quisty, why?" The deep, throaty voice inquired thickly with emotions.
Meeting the cobalt blue eyes of Seifer Almasy, Quistis felt tears well up in her eyes. Turning away, she bit her lower lip, sobbing softly, and tried to fight off the wave of guilt that rode through her body.
The former knight pulled the woman into a tight hug, brushing away her tears, and whispering full-hearted comforts in her ear. Over the last year, they have grown close, but he sensed something she always hid and know he knew: her heart still bled from Squall Leonheart.
"It's okay, Quisty, to cry. I know you hurt from that bastard; he hurt me too," Seifer whispered, cradling the woman in his muscular arms. Sweeping her silvery-blonde hair from her eyes, he kissed her forehead softly, "he and Riona both hurt us."
Looking up to meet the golden knight who saved her in her time of need, Trepe nodded sadly and choked out, "I know... I can't help but bleed, to be be alone, and drown in this emptiness."
Seifer ran a finger down her fine chin and smiled bitterly, "same here, Quisty." A glint of regret and something more appeared in his eyes and he continued, "but you have me now! You're part of the posse now."
Blinking, Quistis almost forgot the fact she almost killed herself, and startled, she stared at him for a moment. Blushing slightly, she whispered, "what do you mean? Why?"