"What would you like, hun?"

Rinoa looked around to see what the cafeteria had available. "The chicken salad sandwich looks good today. So I will have two of those… and a chocolate milk."

"My, aren't you hungry today." The lunch lady smiled at Rinoa, handing off the tray filled with food. She snuck Rinoa a pudding cup and winked. She turned her attention toward Squall, "And what will you have, Sir?"

"The usual." Squall took the tray quietly from the lunch lady. He gave his student card to her in exchange. "I will be paying for Rinoa's lunch."

"Don't you always?" She handed the card to Squall.

"Thanks." Squall looked around for Rinoa. She was sitting at a table near the Trepies. Hmmm… looks like she already started eating, she must have been really hungry. By the time he arrived at the table, Rinoa had already eaten one of her sandwiches.

"How can you eat those things every day?" She motioned at the hotdog Squall was about to eat, "You do know what they are made of right? I heard that they are made of catcharpillars."

Squall took a bite of the hot dog, "Catcharpillars taste good." He smiled when Rinoa stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"Ewwwwwiee…" :P

"Actually they are made out of the T-Rexars from the training center."

"Really?"

"Yes, it would be a waste just leaving the bodies to rot, so after they are killed a cleanup team retrieves the bodies. We sell them to Balamb. Balamb makes the hotdogs and sell them to the world."

Rinoa continued to finish her meal. Garden makes money on everything…

She was halfway through her pudding cup, when Squall finished his hotdog. "The pudding is made from Grats."As quickly as the pudding went in, it was spat out. A napkin was used to wipe it off her tongue.

"SQUALL GROSS!!!"

He started to chuckle, "I was just joking." Rinoa glared with an intensity of a flare. Squall's smile quickly disappeared. He had angered her too many times today. "I'll go get you another pudding cup." Sheepishly he got up and went to get the pudding.

That jerk, I get him to open up and all he does is make me mad. She sighed and looked around. Squall was on his way back.

"Here is the pudding." Squall gently placed it in front of her. "I am sorry, I just couldn't resist."

"I lost my appetite." She pushed the cup away.

Crap… I have to cheer her up. "Umm… hey do you want to open that letter?"

She quickly got up, reached into her pocket and pulled it out. Rinoa threw it at him, "Whatever." She walked away fuming.

Great, the only person who can stand to be around you and you piss her off twice in one day. Squall looked up, everyone one looking at him. I am such an ass. He opened the pudding cup and started to eat it. He looked at the letter that had landed in his fries. To Squall and Rinoa… I wonder who it is from. Most people address me as Commander Squall. He reached out for it and picked it up, shaking it to get the salt off. Flipping it over, he noticed an Estharian seal on it. Who would send a hot pink letter? And from Esthar? They always email me. I didn't think paper existed in Esthar. He opened the letter slowly; his curiosity was getting the better of him. Inside were a letter and an invitation.

Dear Squall and Rinoa,

Laguna is throwing a birthday party for me and I was hoping you two would attend. The party details are in the enclosed invitation. The ball is on the 15th of June, but I was hoping you would be here on my actual birthday which is the 14th of June. Please you are both welcome to stay at the Palace. I am looking forward to seeing you.

Love,

Ellone Loire

Squall read the invitation for further details. June 14th that is this Friday, I won't be able to get Friday off. And Rinoa will be angry all week. He looked at the ground. What am I going to do? I was going to work Saturday to make up the work I missed today. Rinoa probably won't talk to me. Why me? He sat silently, pondering his predicament. He had to make amends with Rinoa and attend Ellone's birthday party. Rinoa wants to spend more time with me. And I would like to attend my only sister's birthday.

He headed toward the headmaster's office. Asking won't hurt… He arrived at the headmaster's office, it seemed deserted. He knocked on the door.

"Come in. Oh, hello Commander." Squall saluted the headmaster. Cid motioned for him to sit down. "I wasn't expecting you today; we have a meeting scheduled on Thursday."

"Well I wanted to ask a favor of you."

"Hmmm… that is a little out of character. Well…"

Before he could finish Squall cut him off, "I need a day off."

"Ahhh… you do have quite a few vacation days, so you could take a vacation. Let's see…" He looked at Squall's file on the computer, "you have 27 days of vacation. Have you never taken a vacation since becoming a SeeD?! Well I suppose you can take August off."

"Actually I just need this Friday off. Just one day."

"This Friday? Asking on such a short notice isn't like you. Must be important, I suppose you can have Friday off."

"Thank you, Sir." Squall started to get out of his seat.

"Just a minute, I don't want to be a slave driver. You need a vacation."

"But, I just need one day off."

"No buts, starting Friday, you will be on vacation. You will use all 27 days of your vacation time."

Squall's jaw dropped, "You can't be serious."

"I am serious. We can survive, Xu and I used to run the place without you, I am sure we can manage. Nida and Quistis can help with the workload. Just use the rest of the week, to prepare all the work to be handed off."

"But a month of vacation?!"

"That is an order, you are to prepare for your vacation and you will be back in one month's time." Cid looked at Squall, his face was stern.

"Yes, Sir."

"You are dismissed Commander." Squall got up and walked out of the office. He then headed toward his office to begin his new assignment.

I asked for one day off, and I get a month. What is wrong with him? All his decisions are so asinine. Sending rookies to non ending contracts, sending them to kill a Sorceress, making me a Commander, and now this?! Squall looked at his watch. Almost four, I wonder if Rinoa and I will be eating dinner together. He got to his office and sat at his desk. Turning his chair, Squall looked out the window. Maybe… Squall smiled. I should surprise her. But first…

He picked up his phone to call Ellone.