A/N: A big thank you if you have come this far! Still on the build up to the rest of the story yet but a little more goes on in this chapter.
"Fuck! Hang on a second Quis, got to put the phone down my tart's burning."
"I swear, Seifer Almasy. You'll get fa-" I placed the phone down on the side, trying to drown out the electric hum of Quistis' voice while I pulled my beloved tart out of the oven. The apples had overcooked a little on the edges but otherwise it had come out relatively okay. I set it down on the cake stand so it could cool and then I could enjoy tearing it apart.
"Yeah, yeah. Have I gotten fat yet though?" A tut and a sigh but eventually she yielded and just let out a delicate chuckle before complaining about how her students were a collection of idiots with a few diamonds stuck right within the mud. I sat down at my desk, opening up a piece of work that needed editing, placing the phone next to the computer and put it on loud speaker.
"I have one kid in my class, Squall, and let me tell you he is a major ass with a capital 'A' Seifer. I mean the first lesson in he told me my lessons were boring and that I needed to liven things up a bit." There was a faint scream and a crack of a whip in the distance, then two seconds later it sounded as if something had completely fallen apart.
"Did you break one of the dummies again, Quissy? You know, maybe that's how you could liven your lessons up a bit, by scaring the shit out of them like I do." I put on a haughty tone knowing that advice from me would annoy her in the first place, she responded with another scream and a string of curse words. "I never fail to find it funny, the fact that you always act so composed and then when you're done for the day the true side of you is revealed." I coloured a few slides in on my presentation for tomorrow's lesson on SeeD ethos, kids always seemed to respond well with colour.
"And I love how you act tough but in reality you're a big softie." She laughed triumphantly and cracked her whip again. "Plus I heard today that the famous professor himself was corrected by a student on the first day."
"Yeah well I didn't read over the text book amendments over summer."
"Oh so it is true." I swear this woman could be condescending to a person from over a thousand miles away, she had mastered the hubristic tone long ago. "Some 'Zell' kid if I remember the rumours right. He got the highest score on the theory exams, he pretty much aced them from what I read up since I was interested as to who corrected one of our best. I mean he almost reached my score." And there was the hauteur again.
I knew I should have looked at those entry scores, I could've at least prepared myself for some whizz kid chicken-wuss.
"However I looked into his other scores and let's just say that he should never try magic. Ever. He got lower than what Raijin got." Holy shit he did bad. I logged onto the Garden's database and pulled his file up. His theory and battle exams had been aced, but like she said his practical magic assessment was awful.
"Crap! He asked me to do his personal tutoring on practical magic as well since he's a double major. I'm not even that good at magic, I mean I'm decent enough to teach but I don't think I can teach him. He's just untalented." I laughed when I saw the examiner's comment, some part of me filled with humorous dread. "Apparently the fire spell didn't even make it from his body, he just set fire to his hands."
"Looks like you have some work ahead of you." One more crack of the whip came with a masculine shout. "I'm going to have to go now Seifer. And if he's too much trouble you can ask for help." Then she hung up on me without even saying good-bye.
Like hell I'd ask her for help, I'd rather ask Selphie and suffer the migraines. I carried on reading through Zell's file. Other than his high scores there was nothing particularly special about him. His interview had gone, according to Cid, well and was to the standard of any normal candidate. I closed his file then carried on with my work, but I couldn't seem to focus for that long.
I grabbed a slice of my tart and had a scan through the revised text book, just noting any changes since I had the original information memorised.
I wonder whether he'd read all the book yet? Could I push him and have him sit both year's theory exams at once? He certainly seemed capable from his scores. But, I'm worried about the magic.
Why are these idiots even bothering me? I really needed this, being circled by a bunch of goons who think I'm the perfect target for bullying, most likely because I'm short and look weak. Like hell they'd try it with someone their own size.
"Well then, look at little Dincht, already being a smart-ass prick and it's only the second week." Rinoa Heartilly, the biggest prick known to man with prick mark two Zone and that other one, Watts if that's even right, like I care anyway. "Mr Almasy does not need somebody like you making his job any harder." So that's what the problem was, she had a crush on her male pompous counterpart and I was at fault for him being an idiot and not teaching correctly.
She'd always been like this. She was the rich girl that everyone idolised and wanted to be friends with and if you didn't treat her as a princess, like me, then you became part of the social outcasts because that was the rule of the Heartilly society. I don't think I ever helped my cause; one time I laughed when she got gum stuck in her hair and they had to cut it into a bowl cut just to get it out. I think that was my best memory of her.
"Tell him to teach his class well. Oh wait, hold that thought. I'll tell him now as I have private tutoring with him." I don't think I ever made life easy for myself, but was it hilarious seeing her face balloon up and turn fiery red with anger and envy. She glared at me, really tried to set fire to me with her eyes until she could fathom some form of sentence together.
"You're a waste of time Zell. You act weak and helpless but in reality you're just a shark." She pointed at me and walked over. She jabbed her finger harshly into my chest with that much force behind it, it pushed me back a little. "You hide behind your glasses and pretend to be shy but I know the real you."
And there it was, the all-knowing omniscient act which made her feel like the princess she wasn't. She was so royal that her father sent her to Balamb just so she was out of his hair, or as she claims 'away from dangerous Galbadia'. Like hell she knew the real me. So I pretend to be shy but maybe it's because I don't want to be fucking noticed by people like her who will take advantage of the fact I'm small and try and dominate me. But I wasn't weak and I'm certainly not dumb enough to let them take advantage of me.
She flicked her hair over her shoulder in what she felt was triumph. I'd had enough of her over the years so I let her have her victory. I turned and walked away and walked into one of the busier halls, at least they couldn't get me there. But she still followed me, walked far enough behind me then stopped.
"Zell!" She came running up to me then hugged me, garnering the attention of a few of the people around, but most just carried on with their conversation. "I don't think Mr Almasy is into that like Irvine was, you know, the blow jobs for good grades." Shit! Now everyone in the hall turned and I could feel a burning heat rise in my face. How dare she. She knew that wasn't even true but she knew that the majority of the students here knew about the rumours which she had started because I achieved better than her in all the exams.
Ignore her. Do not hit her. I wanted to run but I couldn't, I had to walk through the hundreds of judging eyes until I was safe and then my legs started to move with no abandon. I could feel the angry pressure building up inside of me, ready to burst out and swallow me whole. I took salvation in one of the bathrooms, dry heaving over the sink while a few tears made it out of me. Fucking weak.
I hated this, not being able to control myself when it's not even true but now they would all remember and I would be in that same situation again in which I can't walk two feet without hearing a 'cheat' or the more imaginative insults of 'cock-sucker' or 'faggot'. It wasn't even that Balamb was a narrow-minded place, it was just the fact that it gave them and excuse for me being better than them.
I cooled down and splashed some water on my face. The make-up covering my tattoo ran a little so I re-applied it and slipped my glasses back on, not wanting to be the Zell that would stand out. I looked at my watch; it had just gone twenty past four which meant I was now extremely late for my first lesson with the great teacher himself. Most of the other students would have cleared off by now, returning home or to the dormitories which meant I wouldn't have to do the walk of shame.
I strolled to the classroom I'd organised to meet Mr Almasy in, not wanting to rush because the worst thing about being late is trying to make up time by running, if you can make it that quick in the first place it makes the other party why you weren't there on time anyway.
Five minutes late. He's late for our first session which focuses on the part of the entrance exam he fucked up. Don't be angry, maybe he got lost or something. But it has been a week and he's a smart kid so I'm sure he's got a hang of his timetable by now which means that he's either forgot or he's screwing me over and not turning up. However I doubt he'd do that so he's probably just forgotten so I'll wait for him because I am a kind and helpful instructor.
Ten minutes. I may as well get some work done while I wait for him. I bet he's one of those dizzy blondes and he'll get to the entrance of Garden and then turn round and slap himself on the forehead saying 'silly me' and come rushing. I'll mark his work first so we can go through it when he gets here.
Twenty. Minutes. Is he testing my patience? Because I could feel a migraine developing and the bastard got a perfect score so I can even scream and shout about why he needs all the extra help possible. I carried on marking the rest of the class' papers, taking my frustration out of them and my red pen took more than just a beating, it was scribbling, crossing out, putting furious question marks and even writing comments like 'are you an idiot?' until it finally gave in and I had to change the ink cartridge. To top off the anger I was currently feeling I couldn't find a spare cartridge.
I heard the door slide open as I scrambled through the bottom desk of my draw, so I attempted to look up but instead I slammed my head on the underside of the desk further aggravating my migraine and to complement the bang I let out at string of rather strong curses.
"Sorry I'm late." So he finally decided to show and that tone of voice had so little remorse that I even doubted whether he wanted to be here or whether he'd rather be at home doing what kids do these days. He stood half-assed, messenger bag hanging close to his knee. His eyes were slightly red and puffy.
"Have you been crying?" I don't know why I asked but I was still clearly seething as he was taken aback. He regained posture then looked down, hiding his face like usual, then he shook his head to rebuff the idea, his hair tickling his face as he did so. I took that as my cue not to push any further and digressed back to my rage.
"You do realise you are thirty minutes late? I could have left but I waited."
"Well, why didn't you just leave then?" He was still looking down towards the ground but his voice had spark and a little fight in it.
"If you're going to talk back look at me in the eyes." I crossed my arms and challenged the pathetic kid. If he was going to be late then sass me I wanted at least a little bit of fight from him. He glanced upwards swiftly then quickly returned his gaze to the floor, then after thirty seconds or so he started to build his confidence up and looked up at me maintaining weak eye contact.
"I said why didn't you just..." He started off strong but then faltered and lost his voice, his words fading into thin air. I grabbed him by the jaw harshly and forced him to look at me.
"Now I'm not going to say it again. Look at me when you're speaking." He licked his plump lips trying to form words, blue eyes darting left and right until yielding at my gaze and stared into my own.
"Thank you... For waiting. Thanks." Get out of here now Seifer while you still have the chance. I released my grip on is face and shoved him back probably a little bit too hard judging by the fact he almost fell flat on his ass. He resumed his downwards look. I pulled out some books I had ordered for him from the library detailing magic and more importantly, how to use magic.
"I presume you learn better from books." I tossed him 'The Children's Guide to Magic' book. "Look through the 'How to Draw' section and then we'll start." He flipped through the first few pages and sat down at one of the empty desks to read over the section. I looked back after a minute of flicking through one of the books I got from him to see him scratching his head and his forehead creased in frustration.
He followed the lines with his finger, eyes getting narrower and narrower with every word and breaths getting sharper and quicker. He must have read the same part five times before moving on and I couldn't even attempt to suppress the laugh that came out. It earned me a death glare. He stormed up to me and shoved the open book at my chest.
"I don't get it." The petulance was radiating from him.
"How can you not get it?" I pushed the book back to him. "You got the highest score on the theory and you got a perfect score on my introductory test, so why are you so shit at magic?"
"Well I'm sorry! I don't get how you can 'feel' something that's not even physical! Surely you have another way to teach me."
"Give me your hands." Zell gave me an incredulous look before offering me his hands. I grabbed them in a death lock. "Now I'm going to cast fire and if you don't stop me I'm going to burn us both so you better learn to draw quickly."
"Stop it! We'll burn! I can't do it- I can't." He panicked and tried to pull his hands away, but I gripped harder and smiled. He saw my hands start to glow slightly and increased his pulling force but I wasn't letting him go. "Stop!"
The glowing around my hands died and the light moved towards his hands until it disappeared, absorbed by his body. He stared with shock at his own hands then started laughing nervously before falling to the ground, his knees failing to hold the weight of the experience. I knelt down beside him.
"I wasn't really going to do it you know, but I'm glad it worked." I flashed him a toothy grin but instead of being happy he punched me in the arm.
"You ass! I was really scared; I thought I was going to die." He started laughing and I found myself joining in until we we're roaring and the classroom was shaking in joy with us. I helped him up off the ground and we came down from our high.
"Well, we'll carry on with this tomorrow because I really want to go home."
"Okay." We grabbed our bags and headed for the door together. We got in the lift down to the first floor, sharing the uncomfortable silence even life partners feel when they're trapped in a three-feet wide box with about an inch between them and no breathing space. We got out and headed our separate ways, him to Balamb and I went off to the dorms.
" Mr Almasy." He called my name when we were about fifty metres apart. "I've changed my mind. Maybe you're not such a bad teacher after all."
The little chicken-wuss. "Zell. Call me Seifer in future, or next time I will burn you."
He waved to me as he left through the turn-gate, blonde hair fading into the evening sun. I think I may have found a student I actually like for once.
A/N: So it begins. I promise you we actually get some drama next chapter, I mean what I gave with Zell this chapter was just a little taste of what is to come. Plus I will get more of a backstory and a Zell POV going on but for now we're stuck with sarcastic Seifer!