Chapter 2: Mother-Daughter Bonding
"So how were your holidays, Lu?" asked Wakka as they walked back towards school after lunch (and a rather embarrassing encounter with Paine and Baralai at the café).
"Wakka, I was with you for most of the summer," said Lulu, shaking her head cynically. "I don't think there's much you don't know about my holidays."
"Uhh, yeah…" Wakka admitted, grinning cutely. "I guess."
Lulu just smiled. "You know, I think all the time we spend together is starting to give Paine the wrong idea."
"How d'you mean?" asked Wakka, glad to get the focus of off him and his inaptitude for small talk.
"She thinks we're a couple," said Lulu, blushing lightly.
Wakka just laughed. "Oh, come on, Lu! Don't pretend we didn't used to do that as well! Remember how cute we thought Mr Braska would be with that one Al Bhed teacher?"
"Yes, but we were right and they got married, whereas you and I-"
"Really?!"
Lulu looked surprised, then laughed a little and nodded. "Paine's friend Yuna is their daughter."
Wakka was wide-eyed with shock, causing Lulu to laugh again, harder this time.
"I'm sorry, I thought you knew!" she apologised.
"No!!" They were silent for a few minutes and then Wakka laughed too. "Wow… Things sure do change."
"And yet we're exactly the same as we were in high school…" Lulu mused, smiling softly. "It's funny how that works out, isn't it?"
"Funny," Wakka agreed. "But definitely not unfortunate." He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently, a cute little grin on his face. "Like I'm really glad we can still be so close after everything that's happened, ya."
Lulu smiled and nodded, squeezing his hand back. "Yes. I'm glad too."
"Hi, Lulu," said Paine, the smirk evident in her voice alone as she and Baralai picked the perfect moment to walk up behind the pair. "Having fun?"
"I could easily ask you two lovebirds the same question," Lulu replied immediately, nodding towards the unlikely couple.
"Baralai and I are not together," Paine grumbled defensively, pulling her own hand away from Baralai's at the same time that Lulu drew hers away from Wakka.
"Well neither are we," Lulu retorted and the two girls had a mini stare off, lasting about 20 seconds, before they both simultaneously looked away, blushing, almost as though they had made some sort of truce.
Wakka and Baralai grinned at each other knowingly.
"Hmph… Well I'm going out with some friends after school so don't wait up," said Paine eventually, breaking the silence.
"Not too late," Lulu reminded her, almost ritually. "You have school tomorrow."
"Like I don't know," said Paine, rolling her eyes slightly. "I'll be back by ten."
"Paine, it's only the first day back!" Lulu admonished her. "You'll be home by seven-thirty, at latest!"
The older woman's surrogate daughter didn't protest but she didn't look happy about it either, folding her arms across her chest in a rather indignant manner.
"I'll make sure she's home on time, Miss," Baralai was quick to assure Lulu, seeing how her eyes narrowed slightly and her lips pursed.
The teacher's face immediately broke into a smile. "Thank you, Baralai," she acquiesced, then she turned to Paine and added in a whisper, "I approve of this boy- he seems like a gentleman!"
"Lulu!" Paine protested, blushing deeply, and the men laughed again.
The four walked onto school campus and split up without another word. Teachers and students just didn't get along that way- not in public. The moment they got through the gates, Paine and Baralai were off to their lockers and Lulu and Wakka were on their way to the staffroom in preparation for the final two hours that separated them and the end of their first day of torture at Besaid High.
-
As it was, Paine did manage to get home by seven-thirty that night (though Baralai had had to risk life, limb and a speeding ticket to pick her up from Rikku's house after his scholarship meeting was done and get her there before curfew) and Lulu's approval of the boy soared.
"You couldn't go wrong with a quiet, sensible boy like that Baralai," she teased over a dinner of cold pizza- both of them having been absolutely dead on their feet after their first full day back to school and having refused to cook.
"Shut up about him or I'll have to go on about Mr Wakka," Paine threatened, knowing by now that this was the single best way to shut her up.
As expected, Lulu was adequately ruffled by the insinuation. "Paine, how many times do I need to tell you that there is nothing going on between Wakka and myself?"
"Seriously?" said Paine, leaning back in her chair slightly to fully survey the older woman. "I wouldn't believe you if you told me a million times- which you probably already have, by the way."
"Look, I won't deny that we're good friends, Paine, because I know that you know that we are, but…"
"You were engaged to his brother?" Paine supplied and Lulu blushed furiously.
"That's not it!" she exclaimed. "It's just that…"
Paine leaned forwards slightly, suddenly quite serious. "Yeah?"
"…I just don't see him that way, Paine," Lulu sighed, looking down.
The younger woman leaned back in her chair, noticeably disappointed. "I wish you'd tell me the truth, Lu," she said honestly. "I wouldn't hate you if you told me that you'd fallen in love with Mr Wakka, you know, and I bet anything that your Chappu wouldn't either."
Lulu stood up and picked up her plate, taking it to the sink silently. A while later, she spoke again. "I knew that I shouldn't have unloaded all of my problems on you two years ago, Paine… I'm sorry. You should know, though, that I'm not unhappy since Chappu died- I'm not lonely or anything. I have you, after all. I just don't need another man in my life at the moment, and there's no way that you can change that, so don't worry about it. I guess sometimes I forget that you're just a kid…"
"I'm 17," Paine found herself protesting. "Besides, isn't that what you've been trying to do ever since my dad left? Fill that space with another guy?"
"You're just being silly now," said Lulu, frowning deeply, though her back was turned to Paine. "That's completely different. I only encourage you with boys because I know how shy you are, and I want you to be happy."
"I'm not shy! I just-"
"You don't want to put your trust in another guy since your father left you," said Lulu, but she didn't sound at all smug about what she had rightly surmised- in fact, she sounded rather sad.
"Lulu…"
"Don't tell me you'd still be awaiting your first kiss if you were just a normal 17-year-old with a normal family?"
Paine blushed. "Stay out of my personal life, Lulu! It's none of your business!! But while we're on the subject, don't you tell me that if you had never met Chappu, you wouldn't be married to Wakka with kids right about now."
Lulu let out a strangled gasp and stomped her foot once against the black tiled floor of the kitchen. "I'm going to go to bed now," she snapped. "Leave the dishes in the sink and I'll do them in the morning."
Paine nodded with an irritated sigh, but as soon as Lulu was out of the room she cleaned both of their plates anyway. She hated fighting with Lulu- or even just disagreeing with her. It didn't seem right when the teacher did so very much for her- especially since she didn't even have to do it, really.
"Go to sleep, Paine," Lulu called, upon hearing the tap running from her bedroom.
"Two minutes," Paine called back, and, true to her word, a couple of minutes later she was settling into bed, content that she had done all that she could do for her dear foster mother, who was really so much more of a very close sister.
-
…
-
PRIVATE!! Please return to Yuna T. Roll class: 11M-LK
I just saw Miss Lulu talking to Paine outside her locker. It's odd- Paine doesn't even take Black Magic… She seemed pretty annoyed about something or other when I saw her and Miss Lulu was looking worried. Maybe Paine's just in one of her moods and poor Miss Lulu somehow happened into her path…
I approached from behind and managed to catch a little of the conversation.
"-You're not my mother, Lu," Paine was saying. "It's not in your job description to worry about me."
"But those girls were being horrid!" Miss Lulu protested.
"I could have handled them without your interference…"
"Paine, I am fully aware that you could have beaten up all three of those girls in a heartbeat if you'd wanted to, but that wouldn't have changed anything! They were bullying you and I will not stand for it!"
Paine looked like she was about to retort, but then she caught sight of me and did something that I never thought I'd ever see her do.
She blushed. "Yuna!"
Miss Lulu, who had had her back to me, turned around so quickly that the beads at the ends of her braids clinked together loudly and she was blushing too.
The twin looks on their faces vaguely reminded me of Rikku and her last boyfriend when Cid had walked into the room to find them making out on the kitchen table… Oh God, disturbing thought! But Paine isn't even attracted to girls, right? Right?!
"Your school-friends don't know, do they?" asked Miss Lulu, suddenly looking very amused at my expression, which I could only imagine was one of absolute horror, given the frightening mental images I was having of my best friend and my teacher together on a certain kitchen table.
"No. Well, excepting Baralai, of course," Paine replied, giving me a sort of apologetic half smile as she regained her composure.
"Of course," Miss Lulu repeated with a small chuckle and Paine glared at her. Then she looked at me. "Yuna, you look as though you've seen a ghost."
"Uhm… sorry!" I said, falteringly. "I was… a million miles away. Uhm… yeah!"
"Paine is my foster daughter- it's only natural that we're close."
I wondered whether or not Miss Lulu knew what I'd been thinking about her and Painey… then I set that thought aside and glanced at my friend for confirmation. She nodded firmly.
"So that's how come I've never been invited to your house!" I exclaimed and then I started blushing furiously as I cautioned a glance at Miss Lulu, who was still looking rather amused.
"Paine's probably embarrassed to death by me," she agreed with a small smile.
"I'm not…" Paine grumbled defensively.
"Sure you're not," said Miss Lulu. Then she went on, more seriously, "We'll talk more about those girls at home, Paine. I won't let them get away with bullying my child."
Paine rolled her eyes and for a moment I thought she was going to remind Miss Lulu that she wasn't her mother again, but she kept her mouth shut resolutely, eventually muttering a small "whatever." Considering this a suitable farewell, the older woman smiled and left.
With her gone, I rounded on Paine. "How come you never told me that you lived with Miss Lulu?" I asked, a little insulted. I had known her pretty much since Pre-K, after all.
Paine just shook her head. "It doesn't matter. How was your date with the new guy?"
I felt my cheeks flushing slightly as the attention was shifted onto me… Thankfully, though, I was saved from answering as Rikku bounced up.
"Hi guys!!"
"Hi, Rikku," I said, smiling gratefully.
"What's up?"
"Yuna was just about to tell me about her date yesterday," said Paine, smirking, and I had to force myself to withhold a groan as Rikku perked up.
"Oh yeah!! How'd it go?!" she squealed, grabbing onto my arm and steering me away from our first class.
I just sighed resignedly, only vaguely aware of Paine slipping away in the background and joining Baralai in a slow trail for 1st period maths.
Gotta love Tuesdays…
Talk to you later,
-Yuna
-
"It's not fair!!" Rikku was moaning when she finally met up with Yuna and Paine for lunch later that day. "How can the school give us double periods of Spirian History? Double periods!!"
"It's okay, we'll be with you," Yuna assured her, laughing a little. "Wanna go off campus and get some real food to up your strength?"
"I'm too depressed to walk that far!" Rikku cried out dramatically, looking pointedly at Gippal, who was slowly approaching with Baralai.
He pulled a face in reply. "Noooo way, Cid's girl! I don't give piggybacks!"
Rikku turned her back on him and sulked.
Gippal only laughed. "Hey, guys." He glanced at Rikku again. "So we're eating in the caf today, huh?"
"Yeah," Yuna agreed apologetically. "Rikku's in one of her moods over her next two periods both being Ancient Spirian."
"I'm doooooooomed!!" Rikku whined miserably.
"Rikku, you have detention every day- why're you in such a state about getting it from Sir Auron? And don't tell me that you don't like winding him up," said Paine, rolling her eyes, and, of course, she was right.
"Becauseeeeee! It's torture!!" Rikku whined, turning to face them again and waving her arms around wildly.
"Look, me and Yuna will buy you an ice-cream after school, okay?" Paine sighed. "Will that make it better?"
Rikku was about to agree whole-heartedly, but Yuna interrupted.
"Uhm, actually… I can't…"
The little Al Blhed's face fell again. "How come, Yunie?"
"I… uhm… have a date," Yuna admitted, blushing a little.
"With your blitzer?" asked Rikku excitedly. "That's so cute!"
Paine rolled her eyes at both of them and chanced a glance at Baralai, who, she found, was looking at her too.
"Come on, guys," said Gippal, heaving a loud, overly dramatic sigh. "Rikku, stop whining- Yuna, stop mooning after your boy toy- And Paine and 'Lai, you two can stop mooning after each other! I'm hungry and I wanna eat!"
Everyone except Rikku started blushing furiously, but, obliviously, Gippal just led the way down the hall and into the cafeteria.
Food came first, after all.
-
"Something wrong, Lu?"
Lulu looked up from her meal and shook her head. "No, I'm fine…"
"You sure?" asked Wakka, putting his knife and fork down to survey her properly. "You look like something's bothering you."
"I'm just a little worried about Paine," Lulu admitted. "I found a group of girls bullying her earlier and I'm pretty sure she hates my guts for intervening before she could punch their lights out…"
"Paine's strong, I'm sure she'll be fine."
Lulu's eyes narrowed slightly. "Well of course she's strong, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings!! …Teenage girls can be absolutely horrible creatures, Wakka. I'm really worried about her!"
"So talk to her about it, ya."
"I plan to," Lulu agreed. "But I don't think she'll tell me much. You know her…"
"Ya, I guess… Why don't you talk to that Baralai kid after class tomorrow? He's tight with Paine so maybe he'll be able to tell you something."
Lulu beamed. "That's a brilliant idea, Wakka!" she praised him. "I'll sleep much better tonight with that in mind!" She leaned across the table and planted a quick, light kiss on his cheek.
Wakka blushed cutely and, sobering up a little, Lulu did too. There was silence for a minute or two, then…
"You'd make a really great mum, Lu."
Lulu blushed deeper and stood up. "Let's just get the bill and go…" She smiled a little. "And… Thank you, Wakka."
Wakka grinned and shook his head. "No problem, ya," he replied earnestly, and as they prepared the leave, Lulu couldn't help but wonder exactly how far from the truth Paine had actually been when she'd spoken before about her and Wakka…