Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy.

Chapter one

It was hot. It was far too hot.

And the early afternoon sun streaming right into the classroom made things even worse, even though all the windows were wide open to let the fresh air in. Cloud blinked tiredly into the bright light. He couldn't even see the blackboard properly - which was, thankfully, not really necessary today.

Everything his history class teacher had been doing so far was pacing up and down the classroom and talking about - well, something. Judging from the tone of her voice, perhaps something important... oh, right. There was something. Something about...something... or maybe something else... well, Cloud couldn't care less. All he could think about was this damn heat, and it confused him to no end that he seemed to be the only one on the verge of breaking down from heat-stroke; while the other students didn't seem too fond of today's temperatures either, they were at least not almost sprawled out on their desks. Oh god, he just wanted to get out of here. Or maybe die. Yes, that sounded like a great idea.

The first days of his new school year, Cloud mused, had been the worst, but it wasn't because he had moved to another town during summer holidays and had to accustom himself to a completely new environment. In fact, his new school was in almost every aspect more attractive than his previous one - the modern buildings maybe had a somewhat crazy architecture which made it difficult for freshmen and other newcomers to not get lost twenty times a day, but Cloud had a sense of orientation that was far above average.

The campus was large and picturesque, near the edge of the town and also, most importantly, near to his own new home. He didn't have to take the bus like many other students; he was able to get there by merely walking a few minutes.

There were actually some teachers here who were not above fifty (Up to now, Cloud hadn't known that you could be a teacher when still young) and were really able and willing to teach - without using boring monologues in every damn lesson (that they could even put the most attentive students to sleep with within moments). The result consisted in some of the kids actually wanting to learn something, unlike the people he had been around last year who mostly cared about who could play the best pranks on teachers. Tests and exams had been hardly more than a bad joke. Here, it was refreshingly different (Apart from days like today maybe. Cloud could fully understand the wish to bolt outside where at least a light breeze was blowing; he didn't feel any different, after all. And he anyway had decided long ago that from now on, he would stay completely indifferent concerning everything that had to do with school.). So, that wasn't it.

It was not even having to get used to get up early again, or recovering from the horror of receiving a new timetable (Somehow, reading through new timetables always made you wish you still had your old one. For whatever reason.) So, it wasn't that either.

It had been the effort he had to bring up to finally convince his fellow students that he wasn't in the least interested in any of them. It had taken an awful lot of glaring and insulting - more than he had thought - until the last curious people had backed off. Hell, was it really so difficult to understand that he just wasn't social and sure as hell didn't want to be?! That he was just your average asshole who didn't care about company? He was fine on his own, thank you very much. And he didn't need these persistent fools who thought he just needed some persuasion... like that boy who was seated right behind him. Cloud shifted uncomfortably, trying not to think about the sturdy brunette who had just yesterday given up running after him; he always thought that he could feel him staring at his back. What a creepy kid - and if that wasn't enough, he was also gay. Cloud snorted in disgust. How great. He was sitting right in front of a gay. Could it get any worse? And shouldn't it be over soon?!

While the teacher rambled on, beginning to read out... something... which he wasn't at least interested in, mind you, but was suspiciously sounding like various names from some list, Cloud glanced at his watch. Four minutes left. Maybe he could survive another four minutes. Oh, and couldn't somebody just shut the sun down already?! You would think that there was enough heat in this town by now to last for the rest of the summer.

Three minutes left. If he didn't survive, then his gravestone, Cloud thought, should be kept simple. No silly shapes and ornaments, just plain, classical grey stone. And all he wanted on it was his name... and maybe, just maybe the dates of his birth and death - so that people could see what some lessons were doing to kids that they have to die at such a young age. And besides, he didn't want to cause his mother financial difficulties. It wasn't like there were many people who would visit his grave anyway, and he didn't think that it would matter to him. Why should it? He would be dead by then, for crying out loud...

"... Cloud Strife." Wait - what? Did she just ask him something? Cloud looked up lazily and opened his mouth to ask what the question was again, but she just continued talking.

Well, whatever.

Just one minute left. Couldn't she just end this already?

"Any Questions?"

Not a single one. The only thing on his mind now was to get out of this building as quickly as possible, get home, take a damn cold shower, grab a coke from the fridge and then finally concentrate on trying to forget about the superfluous heat for the rest of the day.

"Well, I suppose you all know what to do. No further homeworks than to start preparing your presentations, so good luck. In case of any uncertainties emerging - we will discuss that next time."

And at this very moment, the bell rang. Hallelujah.

The familiar chaos of students packing their stuff and practically running out of the classroom was music to Cloud's ears. He sighed in relief and picked up some splinters of wood which probably had been a pencil at the beginning of the lesson. He had been wondering where it had gone to...

"Hey... you."

Oh no. Not now. Cloud rolled his eyes before he turned around to... well, whoever decided to bother him when he was just getting ready to fly out of here.

Beside his desk stood a small blond girl looking at him... or to put it more precisely, glaring at him, and he couldn't help but being impressed. She was quite good at it. Almost as good as him... almost.

Cloud sighed heavily in an annoyed manner. "What do you want?!" Why couldn't people just leave him alone?

She narrowed her eyes a bit more. (What was her name again? He couldn't remember.) "Excuse me, Mr. Cloud I'm-too-cool-to-talk-to-you Strife, but as you may remember, it was just decided that we'll give a presentation... together."

Presentation? What exactly was she talking about? Oh, yeah... there was something. Something about the lesson on Tuesday that had greatly disturbed him... he could vaguely remember now. Presentations, sure. But it was almost three weeks until they had to be finished, and... oh, wait a minute. Weren't they supposed to be working in pairs?!

And finally it dawned on Cloud what exactly was going on, and he turned to look at the other blonde with more than just a bit of irritation. Oh, great. Just great - could his first week get any worse?!

"How come nobody asked me about this?" he grumbled, fairly disappointed with the way things were going. What exactly was the point anyway, having students working in pairs or groups? Usually they would just get in each others way, and in the end it all came down to one single person doing all the work (which had always been him so far, if he remembered correctly). And if he was to get the job done together with the fuming girl in front of him that he didn't even know, he was sure the whole thing would turn out being a complete disaster. Cloud could already smell the catastrophe.

His conversation partner was seething with rage by now. "Trust me, if anyone had asked me, I certainly wouldn't have you, of all people, as my partner," she hissed. "Mrs. Greene just went through the list and probably thought it extremely funny to have people put together that under normal circumstances wouldn't even talk to each other. Jeez, did you pay any attention at all?!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. This conversation was getting pretty boring – except, maybe, for the funny aspect that he could very well recognize himself in her. Now he knew why people always had reacted so... piqued when he had tried to point out to them that they certainly wouldn't pass their exams by merely sitting around in class. Obviously, it hadn't been such a bad idea that he had decided to leave his old self completely behind.

However - Cloud just hoped she would just say what she had come over to say, and then stop ranting and leave him alone. He could think of better things to do than fighting with a stupid, moody chick. "It was too hot," he responded blankly and continued to gather his stuff.

The girl sighed, exasperated. "You are hopeless. So, how are we gonna do it? Since I already have plans for today and won't change them for you, I suggest we meet tomorrow after school at the library to at least make some plans. But you certainly have a better idea?!" She was glaring at her hardest, and Cloud met her stare with his own trademark glare.

"No, that's just fine with me." Actually, it was not, but apparently, they both had no choice.

"Well, I'm glad." And with that, the girl left in a huff and headed towards her desk, which was pretty much the only one still covered by various books and a writing pad. Apart from two or three students, who curiously had tried to listen to their conversation inconspicuously (and failing miserably at it), the rest had already made their way out of the classroom.

Cloud again rolled his eyes. So what, he could very well ask her right now instead of waiting for tomorrow. "Hey, what was your name again?"

She didn't even turn around to him as she jerked to a halt, probably fuming again - for a reason Cloud couldn't really decipher.

"It's Elena, you jerk. E-LE-NA!"

Okay. So Elena it was. Not that he minded, but alas, he had to work with her.


Well then. Could somebody please explain to me what has gotten into me that I am starting to write... fanfiction?! I mean, come on, it's fanfiction, for heaven's sake! I never wrote fanfiction! I always thought I would stick with writing originals and be happy with it! Why am I writing fanfiction?!

Could somebody please shoot me?!

Okay, that's done.
Anyway, here's the first chapter. (Uploaded even though I don't have a beta reader yet - so yeah.)