Cookie
Dear Diary,
I got another note! By the way, why does he always bring that notebook and pen?
He always has a note for me… that was the third and I don't think it stops there.
Anyway, Marlene told me something about an activity that I have to attend…it was quite a surprise.
"You have to come!" Marlene cheerfully said. We were having our dessert. Our favorite, chocolate sundae.
"Tell me again why I'm going?" Tifa asked as she took a spoonful of vanilla ice cream in her mouth.
Marlene sighed "Because the teacher told me that I have to bring the person I admire!"
"You do realize I have to cut work?"
"Please, just once! You'll even see Denzel!" that got Tifa's interest. Instantly she agreed making Marlene dance her victory dance.
The following day…
"That would be great!" Elena said as she and the others walk out the hall. Class ends and Tifa had to go to Marlene's class.
"But, I have to skip work then" Tifa sighed.
"You need a major break from all the work stress! That's just the break you need!" Yuffie exclaimed.
"Come on, cheer up, maybe something good will come of it" Zack patted Tifa's back.
"Yeah" Vincent agreed. I raised my shoulders and headed to Marlene's building.
Every level is separated. High school, kindergarten, elementary and college, even the administration. All had different buildings, so you would definitely say the school is enormous, and it should be in capital letters.
As Tifa walked with normal pace, her thoughts were caught up.
'Today was quite normal' she thought 'class, Cloud behind me…seems like no note came to me today…'
She sighed, and entered Marlene's classroom.
"Tifa!" Marlene hugged her. She had a grin in her face as she led Tifa to her seat. Two other vacant seats were beside them.
"So where's Denzel?" Tifa asked.
"He went out to wait for his cousin"
"I see" Tifa nodded. She looked around observing everyone in the class. It seemed like cousins and siblings were brought with the little ones. All were high school or an older grade in elementary.
After a couple of minutes of waiting. Denzel wasn't still around. Marlene was quite worried.
Suddenly the teacher entered.
"My, Thank you to everyone who came" she clapped her hands cheerfully "We shall start"
The event started and each student showed their admired person.
"My Sister, because she's pretty"
"His my cousin and he knows how to play the guitar!"
"She's good at drawing and I want to be like her!"
"My big brother…because…because…his older"
The people shown in front gave smiles and waves. Others showed their talents. Tifa was wondering if she might just greet.
"Next" The teacher stated. Marlene smiled and pulled Tifa upfront.
"My name is Marlene! This is my Sister, Tifa. She's a scholar in the high school division and she's really smart! I admire her because she works hard for both of us! And I want to do the same when I grew up!"
Tifa bowed as a greeting. Some were surprised and others began murmuring, she thinks she knows why.
"A scholar?"
"Scholar's are rare in Midgar academy…"
"She's pretty lucky she got in"
"What are your talents then, Miss Tifa?" the teacher asked. Tifa was about to answer but Marlene took the privilege.
"She's good at singing! She sings me a song every time I go to bed and when I'm sad. She's also a great cook!"
The introduction continued on and on, Marlene won't stop talking that it's up to Tifa to stop her.
"She also-" Tifa cuts Marlene's long speech with her hand.
"Well, that was a long introduction" she bowed and went back to their seats. Tifa sighed and felt embarrassment. Marlene protested a bit but had no choice but to shush. Marlene wasn't like this, she wasn't so talkative.
The teacher giggled and clapped her hands "Now, last and foremost, Denzel?"
No one responded.
"Denzel?"
Tifa looked at Marlene, she was bit worried. Now Tifa thinks she understood why Marlene was talking so much. She was stalling. After some time, no response still, the teacher sighed.
"Well, I guess-" she was cut by a running boy. He had a big grin in his face.
"His here! Big brother is here!" he exclaimed, he looked at Marlene with a big grin. Marlene gave a soft smile.
'Oh? He must be Denzel' Tifa thought 'big brother?'
Denzel went in front the table Tifa and Marlene were in. he holds in his hand a letter.
"For me?" Marlene asked. Denzel shook his head.
"No, Big brother said I give it to your sister" Denzel said. This got Tifa a bit thrilled. Marlene was confused. Denzel went in front to start his introduction.
"Sorry for the delay, he had an appointment…" He continued his introduction. Marlene elbowed Tifa gently. Tifa looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
"You know his Cousin?" Marlene asked in a whisper.
"Didn't he say big brother?"
"Denzel's an only child; his said his cousin was coming. He calls him Big Brother"
"…His good at singing and I bet all of you know him! My Cousin!" Denzel pointed at the door "Cloud Strife!"
Tifa's eyes were wide when Cloud entered. His eyes were already at her, making an eye contact. Tifa breaks the contact and looks at the note in her hand and Cloud's blue alluring eyes.
People noticed to and had their eyes on Cloud, then at Tifa, then back. Eyes had glares and wonder, mostly the glares were from the teenagers bought by the kids.
Chatters come up…
"Cloud Strife?"
"What a lucky little boy"
"Why is he looking at that girl?"
"Are they acquainted?"
Cloud went into the center front with his eyes still on Tifa. He seems to want to say something but Tifa couldn't grasp it. After a moment of silence, Cloud wasn't talking; he was still staring at her, that's when it hit Tifa. She unfolds the note and checked.
'Hey Teef,
I knew we'd meet here. Told you…
It's 'fate'
Anyway…Listen to this…
Cloud'
Tifa looked up with an eyebrow raised. Cloud smirked and faced everyone.
"Hello everyone, I guess you know who I am" he ruffles Denzel's hair "This little guy is my Cousin"
"Well then, since everyone knows much about me, I just thought of a treat. How about a song?"
Many squealed and many cheered. Tifa was silent though, blushing a dark shade of red.
Cloud gave out a sigh, with a quick glance at Tifa, he sings…
"I don't want another pretty face
I don't want just anyone to hold
I don't want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul…"
Cloud's voice was like a melody of an Angel. Not low or high, soft and pleasant. Tifa felt as if she's falling in love.
She gazed at the others…The kids or the teens, boys were amazed. Girls were dazzled by his voice. Even her Sister was fascinated.
She looks back at him and sees his gaze on her. Tifa's face couldn't be redder than a tomato.
He had a smile on his face as he sang.
"I know that you are something special
to you I'd be always faithful
I want to be what you always needed
Then I hope you'll see the heart in me"
Tifa stand it any longer. She likes the feeling of falling in love, but Cloud's complete gaze at her that no one seems to notice was giving her more effect than she thought. She claps her hand wildly, making Cloud stop and others glare.
"Uhm that was enough?" Tifa tried to sound it more of a statement but failed.
"I Just started Intro" Cloud smirked. Tifa gulped feeling his eyes on her.
"Well, she has a point" he said after a moment, heads turn to him.
"Big Brother has a sour throat" Denzel was making an excuse. Cloud followed along "Yeah, it was nice, I got to sing that nice" he touched his throat "But it's aching bad"
Others sighed, they had no choice, they gave Tifa one last glare and left it as it is.
Tifa looked at Cloud again, and he had that soft smirk still at her.
'Guess, I still get a note today' she breaks eye contact by looking at the note, carefully in her grasp. She placed it neatly in her pocket and sighed 'another note, another addition to the unexpected collection'
As the activity ended, Denzel and Marlene had planned on some kind of Date by the eastern garden.
"So…were…Chaperones?" Tifa asked. It seems like that everything was planned. They had a picnic basket already set when they got to the garden. Tifa kept on nibbling on the cookies.
"Big brother said we're too young to go on real dates…" Denzel said munching on an apple "besides, big brother would be lonely if his all alone"
"Yeah" Marlene agreed, eating a pretzel.
Cloud nodded while he drinks a soda. Tifa shuts up and nibbled on her cookies. She felt relaxed since Denzel and Marlene were between them. They were far apart, until…
"It's getting cold!" Marlene said, feeling the chills.
"Were prepared" Cloud said and took out two large blankets. It was enough for two. Everyone looked at each other.
"We'll share" Denzel and Marlene wrapped themselves up. Cloud looked at Tifa with a smile.
"Guess were sharing"
Tifa didn't say a word as Cloud stood and went beside her, tucking them both inside the blanket. She continues finishing her cookie, trying to ignore those blue alluring eyes that keep staring at him.
"Your turn" Denzel said. Marlene nodded and took a munch on the apple. They keep taking turns at getting a bite.
Tifa drank some juice after finishing up seven cookies. She felt stuffed and satisfied, though uncomfortable with her staring companion.
"Hey" Cloud said out of the blue. Tifa turned her face.
"Hmm?"
"You got crumbs on you cheek" Tifa wipes her right cheek. Cloud shook his head.
"The other cheek" he whined. He was going to brush it off, but Marlene stops him.
"No No No!" she complained.
"Uh huh" Denzel agreed. Both chaperones didn't know what's wrong.
"Brushing off dirt is too common…its lost its sweetness"
"Yeah, its not that much sweet…"
Both kids agreed at their conclusion. Cloud looked at them like he understood.
"Well, true enough… Then let's make it unique" He smiled at them. Both kids nodded with a smile. Tifa didn't understand what their up to. Both kids were whispering things in both Cloud's ears.
"Uhm, What's-" Tifa was about to ask but stops as she felt something on her cheeks.
It was Cloud. He was licking her cheeks. Tifa felt herself losing her cool, her face blushing scarlet and also feeling her heart pound so hard in her chest, fast and hard.
The kids were looking with awe; Tifa could sense it even if her eyes were closed. When Cloud stopped, he turned to the kids.
"Crumbs gone, well, was that ok?" The kids nodded with thumbs up.
"Wha-" Tifa was speechless. She looked at Cloud and at the kids "Who planned it?"
"We did" The kids innocently raised their hands.
"You two are our admired persons! You're Compatible!" Marlene stated.
"Yeah, we want you two to end up together!" Denzel added.
Cloud and Tifa looked at them with a bewildered face, then at each other.
Alluring blue eyes at Compassionate red eyes…
Both smiled and laughed.
The kids had no idea why they were laughing but decided to join along.
Tifa remembers one word from two notes Cloud has given her…
'FATE'
Took me a long time…well, I promised Rend I'd have an update even in Christmas break. Well, here you go! Oh and Thank you for the suggestion sapphire wind. I'll be using one of the songs some time now. Hope you like it! Though it seems off to me.. I might redo this after Christmas