Ok, ok, ok! I know it took me forever to update, but, y' know how it is. School ended and I went on two trips in the past two months...  I travel a lot, if you haven't noticed. It's sad, really, as I was looking through my outline of the story, I realized it is pure CRAP! Well, maybe not all of it, but most of it. I really need some ideas to keep this story going, and, who knows? Your idea may end up changing the entire story! So get those thinking caps on and think about some ideas as you read this next chapter. And also, I did realize that Squall's first day of work was a Friday and he is already giving a test on Monday! That is a little mistake, but whatever, just ignore it. :P

Oh, I almost forgot…

Thanks go to all who have reviewed:

Cailin Skylark: Thank you! blushes Sorry it took me a long time to update.

SilverMist23: Hey, thanks a lot! Hmmm… I'll think on that idea.

GothicAngelEyes: Take in the fact that if you kill my not very bright character, this story shall end…  Shame on you! I'm just playing around. Anyways, thank you for your thoughts, and I'll see what I can do.

Angel of Apocolypse: Devours both the chocolate cake and the chocolate chip muffin Thank you, how did you know I am a chocoholic? LOL! Thank you for your kind words, I feel very proud you feel that way.

Whatever floats your boat: LOL, thanks! I don't exactly hate Rinoa, you see, I just seem to dislike her to some extent! I'm just kidding. I really like her, she's a cool gal, but she will NOT take lil Squallie away from my Quisty! I'm sorry if any of you were offended by the way I portrayed Rinoa, but I just had to make her a little bit… not a genius. Actually, I think this personality makes her…well, loveable cackle

Josefiine: Thanks for the review:D I won't make Rinoa a bitch, but I don't want to make her too bright either. I want a dash of humor in there too!

Dacera: Thank yoo! LOL, true, true, but I'm not really too hard on Rinoa… am I? I'm very sorry if the characters act out of character, but it would be so hard to make a real, in-depth Squall in a romance story. I can almost imagine him throwing up just reading it. I mean, when I played FFVIII, I think even Squaresoft made him out of character (if that is possible)!

Kero Chan Fan: Thank you for your somewhat constructive criticism. Tee-hee! I made Squall that way because I wanted him to be secretly afraid of everything he does not understand. When he first looked into Quistis's eyes, he had a feeling he never truly felt before, and he was afraid. That is why he lashed out at her. I hope that helps!

Ok, I guess that's all for my reviews. Now, is my most favoritest part (bleh)!

Disclaimer: I do not own Squaresoft nor do I own Final Fantasy VIII. I own nothing but a copy of the game and the hot poster of Squall in my room! (Yummy:P)

Again, I apologize the story is so late. I mean, now that school is over, I never have a chance to go on since SOME PEOPLE HOG THE FRIGGIN COMPUTER! I mean we never do anything over summer so me, my brother, and even my mom compete for the computer. I mean we have like three computers, but one is strictly my dad's and the other doesn't have Internet access… Lol, I don't mean to be such a pain in the butt.

That is all for now! Now hurry up and read the chapter!

Chapter Three: Quistis Unleashes a Beast

"Nope. Never! You will never, ever, make me do that!" Quistis cried with the last of her might. She could feel the last of her strength give way as she collapsed on a hard chair behind the counter.

Business had been slow today, giving her the chance to dust all the shelves and the nooks and crannies as well. Oh joy. Her grumpy boss, Ms. Portman, didn't help either. And now, even as Quistis had finished cleaning and had looked forward to the sweet salvation of sleep, Rinoa had to come up with one of her crazy ideas.

"Oh, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE? I will never ask you for anything again! I promise you!" when she got no reply, she gave one last, desperate shot. "Look, if you don't let me, I will never stop asking you. And hey, it could even be fun!"

Quistis heaved a heavy sigh. She knew if she didn't agree with Rinoa, Rinoa would make a vow never to let her forget it.

"Oh all right! But don't expect this to become an everyday thing," Quistis hated giving in to Rinoa's crazy schemes, but going all out trying to nab the 'mysterious stranger' did kind of sound like fun. She shook her head. Rinoa could make her do the weirdest things.

"Thank you so much! We are going to have so much fun tomorrow! I promise you, you will have that man on his knees begging for more by the time I'm through with you!"

Quistis cringed with terror.

"Rinoa? Why am I beginning to regret doing this?"

Quistis looked back at herself through the mirror. She and Rinoa had gone to the most expensive salon they could find. It was also located in one of New York's many malls, which was a big plus. As Rinoa put it "The higher the price, the higher the quality." Quistis had realized all too late that she had unleashed the animal within Rinoa.

"Don't be silly, Quistis! You look great! I'm beginning to think it's that attitude of yours we need to fix!"

Uh-oh… This didn't look so good…

"Not a problem! It's already been fixed!" Quistis eyed her with curiosity.

"Just how has this problem been fixed, Rinoa?" the hair stylist returned and handed Quistis the bill. "I hope you're paying for this."

Rinoa giggled like it was the funniest joke in the world.

"You crack me up, Quistis. I didn't tell you I was paying for it. Nope. I told you I was only going to help you! You're loaded, anyway."

Quistis quieted urge to rip out her hair. She was not about to bite off Rinoa's huge head. No, that would be wrong. Gritting her teeth, she counted very quickly to ten and released her breath.

"Okay. That's fine. It's just peachy," she cleared her throat before turning to the stylist and taking out her wallet.

A few hours later, the pair had attacked a young sales woman in a shop nearby. After trying on dozens of different outfits, Quistis was beat. Rinoa had also joined her in her shopping spree, and together, they had gone wild. Quistis was currently in sugar-high mode and was having so much fun shopping. Was it always this fun?

"Okay, Rinoa" Quistis sighed after they had each finally changed back in their own clothes. "I've let you take over me all morning and now, I'm just ready to go hit the sack."

Rinoa gave such an innocent look of disappointment that Quistis suddenly felt a pang of guilt in her heart.

"Already? But… I just found the perfect outfit for you… Can you at least try one more? Oh, and we haven't even looked for any accessories yet!" Rinoa did the puppy dog eyes thing, which just melted Quistis.

"Wait a minute. Accessories!" Quistis was exasperated. "I probably just spent most of my paycheck on all this clothes and on my hair. Do you want me to go broke?"

Rinoa was quiet for a moment until she gave one of her small smiles.

"At least you'll look good doing it." (A/N: If this were a manga, Quistis would fall down right about now )

"You know what? Fine. Just… Just give me a break, will you? Let's go sit down and chat over some smoothies. That is, if you'll invite me."

Rinoa shook her head and giggled.

"You're such a charmer, Quistis!"

"Of course. Now show me this 'perfect outfit' so we can just get this over with."

Smiling one of her evil smiles, Rinoa brought a heap of clothes into view.

After eyeing the clothes suspiciously, Quistis just had to turn Rinoa down.

"Nope, sorry. Not happening."

"Oh please? Just try it on. I only want to see how it'll look on you."

Sighing, Quistis took the clothes and walked towards the dressing room.

"You forgot something."

Quistis groaned and turned around.

"Shoes make the outift1 Even you should know that, Quistis!"

And with that, Rinoa tossed the strappy stilettos to Qustis.

Walking into the cramped dressing room, Quistis took off her casual clothes consisting of lightweight, beige pants, a black, somewhat fitted, tank, and black boots. It was a bit hot to be wearing boots, but for Quistis, boots were perfect all season long.

After squirming into her new outfit with slight difficulty ('I really need to work out a bit more,' Quistis thought to herself), she walked out of the dressing room comfortably. The clothes weren't all bad, just a bit too tight for her taste. Rinoa gasped happily and clapped with glee. Even the young saleswoman looked impressed.

After glancing in the full-length mirror, even Quistis was amazed. The skintight flare jeans with a brownish tone accentuated her curves wonderfully and the beige tank with cinched sides and loose neckline, which flopped over many times, clinged to her curves nicely.

Quistis was already towering over Rinoa, even without the addition of the tall stilettos, but they made her legs appear slim and longer and even made her calves look muscled.

Her soft hair now had subtle, darker tones to it, the layered waves making Quistis's overall appearance seem almost innocent. (A/N: LOL!)

Rinoa grinned at her masterpiece proudly.

"See? I told you I was good!"

Quistis couldn't help but smile. She actually liked the way she looked, crazy as it may sound. She even had the courage to give her volumous (sp?) hair a shake. It wasn't slutty in any way, but she had to admit, she looked downright sexy.

"Okay, fine. You win. I'll take this outfit also, but only because you're my best friend, okay? I'm doing this for you."

"Whatever. You know you like the way you look," Rinoa rolled her eyes knowingly.

As Quistis made her way back to the dressing room, Rinoa protested with a "Hey!"

"Why don't you wear that outfit right now? Keep your clothes on, at least while we're here. When you get home, you can change. How about it? Let's see what the people have to say," Rinoa couldn't help but push Quistis's buttons even further. "Look, I'll even shut up for a while."

"Okay fine. Just don't ask me to do anything else for today okay?" Quistis demanded rather than asked. She was seriously ready to faint with exhaustion. (A/N: That sounds like a typical day at the mall for me, lol)

"Okay. Deal!"

Sitting in the food court, Quistis and Rinoa talked over fruit smoothies. They had had a tiring day, even though it was hardly past noon- they had been in line waiting for the mall to open earlier. Quistis still wore her outfit Rinoa had chosen. It seemed weird. Not only did Quistis feel light on her feet, but also many hot guys stared at her like she was some ethereal sex goddess. Yup, life was good.

"So, my fashion manager, what is the agenda for the rest of the day?" Quistis asked playfully, but was distracted by a group of hot teenage guys checking her and Rinoa out. Sure, they were young, but no one said it was illegal.

"Let me see… We bought enough clothes, I guess. Oh, we still need to buy accessories."

"Accessories?" Quistis raised an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look! You know what I mean! Purses, jewelry, belts, hats, sunglasses, you know. An outfit is not complete without at least some accessories. Accessories are a dire ingredient in looking your best! No girl should be without a cute handbag at all times."

"Okay, Rinoa! Don't start getting philosophical on me again," Quistis slurped loudly. They stared at each other for a few moments before cracking up.

"Quistis you act so differently when you're not at work. You're too serious. It scares guys away. You have to act like you do now, but all the time. Guys just love outgoing playmates," Rinoa said very seriously after they had calmed down.

"Playmates!" Quistis couldn't help it. She began to laugh so hard she couldn't stop the smoothie creeping out of her nose.

"Oh my god, Quistis!" Rinoa began to laugh also as they both ran to the nearest bathroom.

Quistis and Rinoa spent the rest of the afternoon browsing and shopping for the oh-so-very important 'accessories'. By mid-afternoon, the two girls were almost literally buried in a mountain of shopping bags. While they were window-shopping on the fourth floor of the mall, Quistis began to panic and push Rinoa inside a maternity shop.

"Hey! What's your problem, Quistis!"

"Shhhh! Be quiet!" Quistis shushed her. Maybe it was the panic in her voice or in her eyes, but Rinoa shut up quickly. But, of course, she could not help her curiosity.

"What is it? What are you so afraid of?"

Rinoa and Quistis struggled for a few moments as Rinoa tried to take a peek and Quistis tried to hide her behind a clothing rack. Eventually, Rinoa won by leaping out of the older woman's grasp, almost knocking over the rack in the process. When Rinoa finally saw what had made Quistis so jumpy, a wave of relevance washed over her.

"Oh… so that's it, huh? So is that the big hunk of yours Quisty? I never knew a guy could make you so jumpy," Rinoa couldn't help but giggle.

Quistis peeked over the clothes and searched for the man that made her heart thump. He had disappeared!

"Actually, I think his friend is much more of a looker," Rinoa was still murmuring to herself.

"Rinoa! You have boyfriend, remember? And anyways, 'he' left already," Quistis scanned the terrain carefully before picking up her dropped bags and ran out of the store. 'Where did he go?' she thought curiously.

Rinoa walked up behind her sighing heavily.

"Am I ever going to see this 'friend' of yours Quisty? The way you describe him, he sounds like a total hunk!"

Quistis gritted her teeth and screamed at herself silently inside her head. She was such an idiot! How could she let infatuation make her act like a lovesick schoolgirl? She had to pull herself together.

"Actually, y'know what? Let's just forget this ever happened," Quistis just wanted to forget he existed, forget about her childish behavior. "I really don't have time for this," she grumbled to herself as she walked away, Rinoa trailing after her like a little puppy.

They walked side by side, silent except for the clatter of their heels on the floor. Of course, Rinoa could not stand silence of any kind, so she chose to ignore what had just happened and began to talk about her boyfriend, Squall.

"What should I get for Squall's birthday?"

"Rinoa, Squall's birthday is in August," Quistis rolled her eyes.

"So? What's your point?"

"Never mind. Let's just go get something to eat. I'm starving."

Again, they went to the food court, but this time they chose to eat McDonalds. After they had stuffed themselves like pigs, they sat in their chairs, relaxing.

"Ahh…" Quistis sighed luxuriously. "This is the good life…"

Rinoa straightened up as she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, before I forget again, I have a way to fix that attitude of yours, Quistis!"

Quistis groaned. Her sleepy paradise shattered as she opened her eyes and glared at Rinoa.

"Okay, so tell me. Just how are you going to fix this attitude of mine, Rinoa?"

Rinoa grinned evilly. Reaching into a small pocket of her purse, she revealed a small paper with a few words on it and handed it to Quistis. Scribbled on the paper was the name of a nearby college and a list of times. Raising her eyebrow with curiosity, Quistis looked up again at Rinoa.

"What is this?"

"Squall is a teacher at the Balamb College and I managed to get you enrolled you in a few classes of your choice," Rinoa grinned widely like an idiot.

Quistis tried her best not to crumple up the paper and stuff it down the younger woman's throat.

"So how is this supposed to fix my attitude?" Quistis shunned the rage building inside of her. How dare she do something like this without her knowing! Rinoa cocked her head in thought.

"Hmmm… I'm not really sure… But you're smart! You can figure that out for yourself!"

Quistis bit the tip of her tongue lightly to keep from screaming. She could almost feel the steam coming out of her ears. Rinoa, sensing she had struck a nerve, hid behind her diet coke. Pushing her seat away from the table and standing up straight, Quistis gave Rinoa her iciest glare she could possibly manage. Rinoa, being immune to the famous 'Death Glare' after suffering through it countless times, fought back with a sheepish smile.

"Jeez, Quistis! You should try something new once in a while. You need to get outta your comfort zone!" Rinoa countered, followed by changing her expression to one of innocence. "I was only trying to help, Quisty… And anyways, you should do something more productive with your time! All you do every single day is wake up, go to work, and then go back home to sleep. I mean, what kind of a life is that anyways? Quistis? Uh… Stop looking at me like that Quistis!"

While Rinoa was busy giving her small speech, Quistis was silently getting madder and madder. Now she was downright pissed.

"What gives you the right to question my way of life? Y'know what? I don't have to listen to this. I'm leaving!" and with that, Quistis turned on her heel and left.

How will Squall react to Quisty's new look? What will happen when Quistis meets Squall for the first time? How will Rinoa get home now? Will Rinoa and Quistis make up or become enemies? Find out in the next chapter!

I made this chapter xtra long to make up for the long wait and I'll try to have the next chappie up by next week! I know it wasn't much of a cliffhanger or such a good ending, but I wanted to put up the next chapter. I also had such a bad case of writer's block so again I apologize for the long wait… Tune in next week for the continuation of… Forever in My Heart