Seifer ran through the halls of Balamb Garden, following the blur of peach
that was Quistis. "Hey, Instructor! Wait up!" he shouted after her.
'Man, she's got a strong pair of legs on her!' he thought as he ran out of the Garden after her. She ran through the dangerous Acauld Plains toward Balamb. Miraculously, she reached Balamb without getting attacked.
Unfortunately, Seifer wasn't that lucky. Before he got too far into the plains, three Bite Bugs attacked him. He quickly eliminated them with a few swishes of his Hyperion, then ran into Balamb after his ex-instructor.
He turned a corner and managed to catch a glimpse of her departing on a train. He roared in exasperation and quickly asked the ticket booth employee, "Where is that train going?" The girl behind the counter said, "Deling City, sir."
'Damn' he thought. 'She's feisty. And quick. I'll catch her when she comes back…'
~*~
Quistis sighed in relief and relaxed in her plush train seat. 'I got away just in time. That was humiliating enough, I don't need him following me to make an even bigger fool of me. How could I have been so careless? I just gave half the Garden a peep show!' Her face burned with embarrassment. She shook her head, sat up, and thought, 'No more feeling embarrassed. I'm going shopping, and I'm not going to think about this any more!'
That settled, she grabbed the latest issue of Timber Maniacs from the coffee table and read it until the train reached its destination.
~*~
Quistis stepped out and looked around. 'Wow, this city hasn't changed at all! It's still amazing!' She gazed in wonder at all the hustle and bustle and took it all in. Then she made her way to the shops.
She entered a fancy-looking boutique and looked around. There were gorgeous gowns and evening dresses all over, and she was engulfed in the excitement of shopping. Even though she had never been a 'girly-girl', she still loved the feeling of splurging on herself.
Quistis browsed through the different dresses when she saw one that stopped her in her tracks. It was a simple spaghetti-strap, black dress with a swirled hem, and she fell in love with it. She tried it on and it fit her like it was custom made, especially for her.
Five minutes later, she owned it. She walked out of the boutique, satisfied with herself. Figuring, 'What the heck?', she had even bought a matching wrap and strappy shoes.
'No more Plain Jane Quistis Trepe. Just wait until they see me in this!' She took the bus to the train station and bought a ticket to Balamb.
~*~
It was dinnertime when Quistis finally made it back to Garden. She was hungry and her feet ached, but she felt good.
She walked up to her dorm and slid her cardkey in the slot. The doors opened with a swoosh! and she entered.
Quistis flicked on the light and put her clothes away, then went back to the cafeteria for dinner. She dreaded going back there, but she couldn't starve herself just because of some embarrassment.
~*~
When Quistis entered, she felt countless sets of eyes on her, then she heard whispers. Ignoring them, she ordered her meal and sat with Zell, Selphie, Rinoa, and Squall, who were all there enjoying their meals.
"Yo, Quistis! What's up? Where have you been all day?" Zell said. He moved over and gave her room to sit down. She replied, "Well, I went to Deling City to shop for a dress for Friday's auction."
Squall looked at her. "You went shopping? And…" Quistis quizzically looked back and replied, "What? Why the 'and'?"
Selphie lowered her voice and said, "We heard about your little 'incident' with Seifer earlier. We thought you ran away from all the embarrassment!"
Quistis blushed cherry red and replied, "W-Well, I just left to go shopping. I didn't run away or anything… How did you hear about it?" she cautiously asked.
Rinoa said, "Um, Quistis, EVERYONE knows about it now. Even the Headmaster! All the SeeD candidates were running around, telling everyone."
Zell quickly said, "Come on Quistis, it's not SO bad. I mean, with all the gossip flying around here, everyone will probably forget about it in a few days…" He looked at Quistis reassuringly, but she just sank lower in her chair.
Quistis quickly finished her meal, and then said, "Well, I'd better go back to my dorm. I'm tired with all that walking. See you guys later."
~*~
Quistis stepped out of the bathroom feeling refreshed. She had taken a hot shower to relieve her stress, and it worked. She looked around her tidy room, and was taken aback at the sight of Seifer. He was standing in the doorway, with his trademark smirk on his face. "Hello, Instructor. You really should lock your door behind you. Otherwise, anyone could just barge on in. Now down to business. Sit down; we need to talk."
Quistis sat on her bed and wrapped her robe around her. "What do we need to talk about?" she innocently asked, though she knew what the answer was.
Seifer closed his eyes, and blurted, "I'm really sorry for embarrassing you earlier today."
Quistis almost fell off her bed in shock. She had never heard Seifer be serious before, much less apologize. "I accept your apology, Seifer," she said in a surprised voice.
He looked over at her. "What I just said doesn't leave this room." He smoothed his short, blond hair with a gloved hand and suavely said, "I have an image to maintain. I don't need everyone to know I have a soft side; especially Puberty Boy or Chicken Wuss."
Quistis couldn't help but giggle a little. "I'm so flattered that you have enough faith in me, that I won't tell." Seifer walked over to her bed and sat down next to her. He moved his face close to hers and said, "How do I know that you won't tell?"
She moved her face closer to his, almost in retaliation, and smiled as she said, "You have my word."
He countered and moved even closer. Their eyes were locked on each other, and their noses were almost touching. He whispered, "That's not good enough…" then he closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss her. At that moment, the door burst open.
Quistis and Seifer whipped their faces over to the door and saw Selphie standing there. Her green eyes were wide with shock, and her mouth was agape. "Oh my Hyne! You guys… an ITEM?!"How
'Man, she's got a strong pair of legs on her!' he thought as he ran out of the Garden after her. She ran through the dangerous Acauld Plains toward Balamb. Miraculously, she reached Balamb without getting attacked.
Unfortunately, Seifer wasn't that lucky. Before he got too far into the plains, three Bite Bugs attacked him. He quickly eliminated them with a few swishes of his Hyperion, then ran into Balamb after his ex-instructor.
He turned a corner and managed to catch a glimpse of her departing on a train. He roared in exasperation and quickly asked the ticket booth employee, "Where is that train going?" The girl behind the counter said, "Deling City, sir."
'Damn' he thought. 'She's feisty. And quick. I'll catch her when she comes back…'
~*~
Quistis sighed in relief and relaxed in her plush train seat. 'I got away just in time. That was humiliating enough, I don't need him following me to make an even bigger fool of me. How could I have been so careless? I just gave half the Garden a peep show!' Her face burned with embarrassment. She shook her head, sat up, and thought, 'No more feeling embarrassed. I'm going shopping, and I'm not going to think about this any more!'
That settled, she grabbed the latest issue of Timber Maniacs from the coffee table and read it until the train reached its destination.
~*~
Quistis stepped out and looked around. 'Wow, this city hasn't changed at all! It's still amazing!' She gazed in wonder at all the hustle and bustle and took it all in. Then she made her way to the shops.
She entered a fancy-looking boutique and looked around. There were gorgeous gowns and evening dresses all over, and she was engulfed in the excitement of shopping. Even though she had never been a 'girly-girl', she still loved the feeling of splurging on herself.
Quistis browsed through the different dresses when she saw one that stopped her in her tracks. It was a simple spaghetti-strap, black dress with a swirled hem, and she fell in love with it. She tried it on and it fit her like it was custom made, especially for her.
Five minutes later, she owned it. She walked out of the boutique, satisfied with herself. Figuring, 'What the heck?', she had even bought a matching wrap and strappy shoes.
'No more Plain Jane Quistis Trepe. Just wait until they see me in this!' She took the bus to the train station and bought a ticket to Balamb.
~*~
It was dinnertime when Quistis finally made it back to Garden. She was hungry and her feet ached, but she felt good.
She walked up to her dorm and slid her cardkey in the slot. The doors opened with a swoosh! and she entered.
Quistis flicked on the light and put her clothes away, then went back to the cafeteria for dinner. She dreaded going back there, but she couldn't starve herself just because of some embarrassment.
~*~
When Quistis entered, she felt countless sets of eyes on her, then she heard whispers. Ignoring them, she ordered her meal and sat with Zell, Selphie, Rinoa, and Squall, who were all there enjoying their meals.
"Yo, Quistis! What's up? Where have you been all day?" Zell said. He moved over and gave her room to sit down. She replied, "Well, I went to Deling City to shop for a dress for Friday's auction."
Squall looked at her. "You went shopping? And…" Quistis quizzically looked back and replied, "What? Why the 'and'?"
Selphie lowered her voice and said, "We heard about your little 'incident' with Seifer earlier. We thought you ran away from all the embarrassment!"
Quistis blushed cherry red and replied, "W-Well, I just left to go shopping. I didn't run away or anything… How did you hear about it?" she cautiously asked.
Rinoa said, "Um, Quistis, EVERYONE knows about it now. Even the Headmaster! All the SeeD candidates were running around, telling everyone."
Zell quickly said, "Come on Quistis, it's not SO bad. I mean, with all the gossip flying around here, everyone will probably forget about it in a few days…" He looked at Quistis reassuringly, but she just sank lower in her chair.
Quistis quickly finished her meal, and then said, "Well, I'd better go back to my dorm. I'm tired with all that walking. See you guys later."
~*~
Quistis stepped out of the bathroom feeling refreshed. She had taken a hot shower to relieve her stress, and it worked. She looked around her tidy room, and was taken aback at the sight of Seifer. He was standing in the doorway, with his trademark smirk on his face. "Hello, Instructor. You really should lock your door behind you. Otherwise, anyone could just barge on in. Now down to business. Sit down; we need to talk."
Quistis sat on her bed and wrapped her robe around her. "What do we need to talk about?" she innocently asked, though she knew what the answer was.
Seifer closed his eyes, and blurted, "I'm really sorry for embarrassing you earlier today."
Quistis almost fell off her bed in shock. She had never heard Seifer be serious before, much less apologize. "I accept your apology, Seifer," she said in a surprised voice.
He looked over at her. "What I just said doesn't leave this room." He smoothed his short, blond hair with a gloved hand and suavely said, "I have an image to maintain. I don't need everyone to know I have a soft side; especially Puberty Boy or Chicken Wuss."
Quistis couldn't help but giggle a little. "I'm so flattered that you have enough faith in me, that I won't tell." Seifer walked over to her bed and sat down next to her. He moved his face close to hers and said, "How do I know that you won't tell?"
She moved her face closer to his, almost in retaliation, and smiled as she said, "You have my word."
He countered and moved even closer. Their eyes were locked on each other, and their noses were almost touching. He whispered, "That's not good enough…" then he closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss her. At that moment, the door burst open.
Quistis and Seifer whipped their faces over to the door and saw Selphie standing there. Her green eyes were wide with shock, and her mouth was agape. "Oh my Hyne! You guys… an ITEM?!"How