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Hi all, here's chapter four, enjoy.
Chapter 4 – Good News & Bad News
Cloud, Sephiroth and Rikku walked to the Principle's office, when they walked in Elma looked a little down.
"Hey El. S'up?" Rikku asked cheerfully.
She sighed "You're about to find out" she said pointing at Auron's door.
Feeling apprehensive, they moved on, into Auron's office, he had a smirk on his face.
"I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" he said.
"Uhhh, the good?" Cloud said nervously.
"You both passed your test with flying colours, the bad news is you've both now got new timetables to get lost with" he informed them with a chuckle.
Sephiroth clapped Cloud on the back "Congrats smart guy, Dad's gonna flip, but at least Mum'll be pleased"
"Yeah" Cloud answered, grinning from ear to ear.
"Rikku will you be staying until your father is finished as usual?" Auron asked.
She shrugged "Yeah I guess"
Cloud thought for a moment "Seph, how would Mum and Dad react to me bringing home a friend unannounced?"
He laughed "Drop dead from shock most likely, but I get away with it all the time so don't worry about trouble" he said.
"Great, Rikku, wanna come over to my house? It's gotta be better than staying here for god only knows how long." Cloud called, since Rikku was halfway to the door already.
"Yeah sure, wait here I'll just ask my Dad." She dropped her bag and ran off. Auron looked at the bag disapprovingly but Sephiroth just picked it up and shouldered it.
She was back soon enough "Dad says it's fine" she told them and the left.
Fifteen minutes later the trio arrived at Cloud's and Sephiroth's home.
It was a nice little place, two floors, low brick wall surrounding a perfect lawn and a huge back garden, big enough for a small pool and a large party Rikku thought to herself.
"Well comin' in?" Cloud asked; Sephiroth had already gone inside.
Rikku nodded but got distracted by someone yelling to Cloud.
"Hi Dad" he called back to a well built man with messy blond hair and Iron grey eyes on a huge yellow bird.
"YOU'VE GOT A CHOCOBO?!?!" Rikku squealed, running to stroke the animal.
"And who's this?" Cloud's Dad asked, eyeing Rikku quizzically.
"Her name's Rikku, she's a friend I made at school today" Cloud answered, causing his father to nearly die from shock.
"You … made a friend … at school … who are you and where is my son?" he said.
By now Sephiroth had come outside and was laughing his head off "Don't worry Dad it's still Cloud, Rikku I'd like you to meet our Dad, Tiler, it's pronounced Tyler but with an I instead" he explained.
Rikku stuck out her hand "Pleased to meet you sir, I'm Rikku" she said with a smile that reached her eyes.
Tiler smiled too "Hi Rikku, what's with the eyes" he asked, noticing the swirls in her eyes.
"Oh … I'm an Al Bhed" she said.
"Hmmm, interesting, well let's go in I can smell Jen's cooking already" he stated and, after giving Rikku a slight push in the small of her back, started guiding the bird into his paddock.
"What's his name?" Rikku asked.
"Well Dad decided to call him Speedy" Cloud answered.
"Why?"
"Because he used to be a racing chocobo, but he was released to us because of mistreatment" Sephiroth explained.
"Oh, don't say anymore, I hate hearing about cruelty to animals, I break down in tears before anyone can blink" she said, blinking back tears already.
"I'm just as bad" a soft female voice answered "Hi I'm Jen, Cloud's mother" she said, holding out a few tissues for Rikku's eyes.
"Thanks" Rikku mumbled, taking the tissues and wiping her eyes.
"Are you staying for dinner?" Jen asked Rikku. She had cerulean eyes like both her sons and grey shoulder length hair.
"Yeah if that's alright" she answered and started sniffing "Mmm, what's cooking?"
Cloud walked downstairs with a cleaner face "That would be" he sniffed the air "What is that?" he asked, not recognising the smell.
"I'm trying something new, wild Lupine stew" Jen explained.
"Uhhh, not meaning to be rude but…" Rikku started.
"You don't like Vegetables?" Rikku nodded "Neither do I, don't worry, I'll just do extra 'non-veggie' stew" Jen told her kindly.
"Stew isn't stew without vegetables" Tiler complained, earning him a kiss from Jen.
"Quit whining and set the table" she said smiling evilly.
"Remind me why I married you?" he said, doing as he was told.
"Because you were mad" Cloud answered, but after a look from his mother added "Ly in love" which caused Rikku to grin.
"Remind me again why we have to wash our hands and faces before every meal?" Sephiroth asked, coming downstairs, his fringe dripping slightly.
"Because your face picks up traces of dust during the day, and you tend to have a scuffle with your friends at school" Jen answered.
"Yeah well, whenever I wash my face my hair get's wet" Sephiroth gestured to his dripping fringe.
"Well she keeps telling you to get it cut, but if you like I can give you a crew cut" Tiler offered.
"DO IT AND DIE!!!!" Sephiroth exploded earning him a round of pointing and laughing.
Half an hour later everyone was eating at the dinner table.
"Hey Mum, Cloud's got some news about school" Sephiroth stated.
Cloud scratched the back of his neck nervously "I uh kinda got kicked out of class today"
"WHAT!" his mother exploded.
"And moved up to Seph's class" he finished.
Jen blinked a few times, processing what her youngest son had said, then squealed once she realised what he was saying.
Sephiroth explained to his father what had happened, mainly because Cloud was being crushed by a bear hug.
"Well I think this calls for a celebration" Tiler called, but that idea was interrupted by a knock on the front door, Jen answered and Cid stood there.
"Hi, is Rikku still here" he asked, Rikku came to the door.
"Hi Pop" she said.
"Hey sweetheart, we need to get goin' if you're gonna have that sleepover" he told her.
"Oh poopie I forgot" she looked at Cloud and Sephiroth at the table "Listen I know you said no boys, but can I invite Cloud and Seph?" she whispered to him.
He looked at the two young men, then to his daughter and smiled "Ok, just this once and only if their folks say so" he answered.
She asked the boys, who asked their parents. They were sceptical because it was a school night, but once they found out that Cid was the Alchemy teacher at school and would ensure that they got to school early, they consented and decided to have their celebration tomorrow instead.
Now they were in the supermarket, grabbing snacks and fizzy drinks to last them the night, Cid had even gone so far as to allow Rikku and her girlfriends to allow the rest of the boys over to celebrate her and Cloud advancing classes. But under the condition that boys slept in a different room from girls.
Not only did that mean extra supplies, but the boys were stuck with Brother, Rikku's older brother, who Rikku explained was slightly bi-sexual, but the only girl he'd ever tried it on with was Yuna, other than her he was totally homosexual.
"How likely is he to try it on with us?" Cloud asked.
"That depends" she answered.
"On what exactly" Sephiroth asked.
"On how cute he thinks you are on sight" she told him casually.
"Would he respect the fact that I'm not interested?" Cloud asked.
"Only if you tell him at sword or gun point" she answered.
"Suddenly I'm getting worried about tonight" Sephiroth mumbled.
Later they're at Rikku's house with the rest of the Crusaders watching a comedy movie, everyone was in stitches laughing as one of the male cadets got caught spying on the females in the shower, drinking a beer. Then the officer that caught him got seen and all the women started pointing and screaming.
After Police Academy was finished Squall whipped out The Strangers and put it on, before anyone could protest, before the movie was half way done all the girls were cuddling into their boyfriends in fear, Yuffie had run from the room and Aeris and Tifa being single settled for Cloud and Seph.
Sephiroth didn't hesitate to place an arm around Tifa, but Cloud was unsure about what to do, he looked around the room, the guys all had an arm around a girl that was cowering into a guy, while that guy was still watching with keen interest.
The problem for Cloud was that he too was getting freaked out, but he eventually put an arm around Aeris and held on for dear life, it felt strangely comfortable holding her like that.
By the end of the film everyone except Squall and Seph were starting to feel sick, knowing what was coming.
The two victims were tied to chairs, in the living room with the curtains wide open on a bright and beautiful morning. The man was slightly drowsy, not surprising since he'd taken a fist to the face earlier and now had a concussion, but the woman was struggling against her bonds and begging for their lives.
"Why are you doing this to us" she asked the three masked people before them, on the verge of tears.
"Because you were home" the blond female answered.
Five minutes later Cloud was in the bathroom, throwing up, with Aeris rubbing his back soothingly. She'd had the sense to run out of the room before things got ugly, but from the noise of the TV she gathered what had happened.
Now everyone was back in the common room, shaking slightly.
"I'm never going to sleep after that" Cloud said, looking slightly green, Sephiroth was worried that he might be sick again.
"Squall, what were you thinking?" asked Rinoa in a falsely sweet voice.
He shrugged "I thought you'd enjoy it" that earned him a slap.
"The next person that tried to make me watch that again is going to be hospitalised" said Cloud, sounding a little traumatised.
There was a general murmur of agreement.
"On a brighter note, who's up for either Truth of Dare or Spin the Bottle?" Rikku asked.
"Well I'm out on both games, it's nearly my bedtime and I've got a boyfriend, if he were here then I'd play, but … never mind" Yuffie said, heading for the door.
"Where was Zell today?" Tifa asked.
"Slight stomach flu, his Mum said" Yuffie answered "which is why he didn't come tonight either" she left to get some sleep.
They decided on Spin the Bottle first, since Cloud had never been to a sleepover before and therefore hadn't played these games, Rikku explained.
"Right basically I spin" she did so and the bottle stopped on Lulu "and the person that it stops on, I've got to kiss" she stood up, walked across the circle to Lulu and kissed her on the lips, much to the guys whooping and Lulu's struggling "and now it's Lulu's turn to spin, understand?" Cloud nodded.
"What if you refuse?" he asked.
"You lose an item of clothing" Tidus answered, causing Cloud to pale, more so when Lulu's spin stopped on him, she leaned across Aeris and pecked Cloud on the lips, making him blush.
Cloud spun the bottle and it landed on Yuna, he hesitated instantly.
"It's alright Cloud, it's just a game" Seph encouraged. Cloud looked to Tidus, who shrugged, and crossed the circle and pecked Yuna on the cheek.
"No good Cloud, it's gotta be on the lips" Gippal called and took a mouthful of his coke.
Gulping Cloud pecked Yuna again, this time on the lips "There that wasn't so hard was it?" Yuna asked and Cloud shook his head.
Yuna spun and had to kiss Rikku, but because they were cousins decided to forfeit and removed her boots, much to the complaints of the guys that were looking forward to another girl/girl kiss.
Seph decided to spin this time, since Rikku had already spun once and it landed on Tifa, she grinned and he attacked her mouth with his own, Cloud looked away once they moved to tongues, Aeris had looked away too and everyone else was yelling encouragement.
After about five minutes they broke apart and Tifa spun as if nothing had happened, hers landed between Baralai and Paine, which meant that they had to do a three way kiss, she crawled over to them and Cloud couldn't understand what happened, but somehow the three of them had managed to kiss each other, at the same time, on the lips.
Rikku tossed a coin, which Paine had called and lost, and Baralai spun, it landed on Shuyin.
"Kiss him or strip 'lai" Seph said calmly.
Since he was only wearing his robe and underwear, he couldn't afford to forfeit, so he got up, crossed the room and quickly pecked Shuyin and ran back to Paine to kiss her and get rid of the taste, while Shuyin did the same with Lenne.
"Was that the best you could do?" Rikku demanded, slightly hyper … well, more than usual.
"Trust me that's the best you'll get from me on another guy" Shuyin exclaimed as he spun and landed on Selphie.
The game continued until everyone got bored, during which time Cloud had become topless from refusing to kiss his brother and had, at one point, spun and landed on Aeris, he originally planned to just peck her like everyone else, but instead ended up having a passionate kiss with her.
Now they had moved onto Truth or Dare, everyone got to put their clothes back on, which upset Seph slightly because Tifa had refused to kiss Gippal and was sat next to him with just her bra and shorts on.
Thankfully Cloud knew the rules here, but not the forfeit rule, he was used to 'if you refuse a dare, you've got to tell a truth and vice versa' rule, not the forfeit and strip rule these guys were wild.
But they never got the chance to start because Cid walked in and ordered everyone to bed because it had gone ten pm.
The girls went and joined Yuffie in Rikku's room and the guys went to Brother's. They arranged things so that heavy sleepers slept furthest from Brother's bed and light sleepers would be woken up by him trying to get past them.
Thankfully he was already asleep and Cloud was placed well away from his bed, but he couldn't sleep anyway, whenever he closed his eyes that movie replayed itself and when he had his eyes open her screams filled his ears, eerily mixed with Wakka's snores.
In the end he gave up, got out of bed, silently made his way downstairs, got himself a drink and sat down to watch some TV, hoping that eventually he would just drift off.
About five minutes later Cloud heard someone creeping down the stairs, with The Strangers still firmly in his mind, he freaked, hid behind the sofa and cursed himself for leaving his sword at home.
All his fears were for nought though, it was just Aeris. Cloud let out a loud sigh of relief, making her jump.
"Sorry" he said, standing up.
She smiled when she saw him "Couldn't sleep either?" he shook his head.
"Decided to watch TV and see if I just drift off" he said sitting back down Aeris joined him and picked up the TV magazine to see what was on.
"Looks like a choice between ordinary shows or two movies. Blade or Trading Places" she said after checking the time.
"Well I've seen both of those movies; Blade's a human/vampire hybrid, all of their strengths, none of their weaknesses. He's a vampire hunter that they call the Daywalker. Trading Places on the other hand is a romantic comedy, which I'd rather watch at this time of night" Cloud explained and, agreeing, Aeris switched to channel three and sat back.
Within an hour she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Smiling, Cloud placed an arm around her and fell asleep too.
That's all for this week, please review, and tune in next week when Cloud has his first experience of the upper class.