Chapter 6: Squall's Frustration
Squall was standing in line to receive his SeeD rank after he was announced as one of the new SeeDs. He kept glancing at Zell through the corner of his eye. He still couldn't believe what Zell had done earlier in his room. Squall was really surprised with how good it felt, but that caused him to worry too. His training was suppose to help him get rid of all physical urges, but he had a moment of weakness and that wasn't a good thing. 'I'll just need to train even more,' Squall thought to himself as Headmaster Cid made his way down the line slowly.
Sure, Squall felt he was weak the few times he masturbated, but he didn't do it often. He thought the best way to get rid of sexual frustration was in the Training Area battling monsters. Squall believed that giving in to sexual urges could put his life in jeopardy if he was ever seduced by a Garden infiltrator. For that reason, he had been trying to train his body to ignore physical pleasure of any kind.
"You may all go now," Cid told the small group. "Squall, I want you to stay for a bit longer. There is something I want to discuss with you." Cid watched as the rest of the new SeeDs walked out of his office and he kept silent until the door closed behind the last one. "I've got an assignment for you Squall," Cid started. Squall stood at attention and kept silent as he wondered what his first assignment as a SeeD would be. "As you know, there is concern that the girl who accompanied the Galbadian SeeDs is a Sorceress. What I want you to do Squall, is take her to the Inaugeration Ball with you."
"Why?" Squall asked Cid before he could stop himself. Ever since that girl showed up, his life was turned into a circus for the rest of the student population at Garden. It all began when she dragged him into the Cafeteria in search for Seifer. Later on, she actually kissed him on the cheek. After that small kiss, he heard people talking about him behind his back. The few who had courage enough to ask him in person about the girl received nothing but a shrug of indifference. On the inside though, he was pissed off with everything. All Squall wanted was for people to leave him alone and now...there were rumors spreading around Garden about him and the strange girl being a romantic couple. 'It isn't their damn business even if it was true,' Squall found himself thinking lately. 'It's my life and people need to keep the hell out of it!'
"With every SeeD going to the Inaugeration Ball," Cid interrupted his thoughts, "we cannot take the chance of leaving her out there with the regular students. They are not ready to face a Sorceress just yet, but SeeD is. If this girl tries anything, our best forces can take her out for good."
"But why me?" Squall couldn't help but ask. He wanted to know why he was the one Cid depended on.
"Because I know you are prepared for anything," was Cid's answer as he handed Squall six thousand gil. "Use this so she can buy herself a dress for the ball. You may go now." Squall turned to leave Cid's office and right before he got to the elevator door, Cid added an afterthought. "At least if this girl doesn't do anything, you have a pretty date to accompany you to the ball." With that last comment, Squall turned briefly to study Cid's smiling face. That made Squall wonder if Cid used the Sorceress excuse to set him up on a date.
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After Squall left his office, Cid turned to the window looking out to the Garden's courtyard. Cid decided to have the girl to accompany Squall because of what his wife, Edea, told him many years ago.
"I met a young man outside," Edea had said. "He called me Matron, but he was too old for me to have looked after him. I found out that the man was Squall."
"Squall? Our Squall?" Cid had asked.
"Yes. He was trapped in time. He had fought a Sorceress from the future and he was part of the group who defeated her," Edea told Cid.
"Who was the rest of the people in this group?" Cid asked.
"He didn't say...but he gave me an idea, if we can get the financial backing," Edea replied.
"What is your idea?" Cid asked.
"I think we should build a military acadamy to train people to fight me if the need arises," Edea told her husband sadly.
Cid was shocked at what his wife had just told him. "Why would you need anyone to fight you?"
"The Sorceress that Squall and the others fought..." Edea paused, "...passed her powers onto me."
"But you are already a Sorceress, Edea," Cid argued.
"I know...but if this Sorceress took over my body through her time, she could use me to cause another war," Edea argued back.
Cid brought his thoughts back to the present. He wondered if this new girl at his Garden could be the Sorceress that Squall had battled against. If she was, he made the right choice having Squall take her to the ball. Cid was determined to study the girl's behavior at the ball to see if any clues of her motives were able to be uncovered. He will also have to think of a reason for NORG as to why he gave away six thousand gil to one of his new SeeDs. 'The greedy bastard will surely shit his pod,' Cid thought to himself. He'll do anything to keep all of his kids safe for as long as he could. He had a lot of things to think about.
/\/\
Squall was furious after his little meeting with the Headmaster. He wanted to train to let out his anger, but he had one thing to do before he could. 'Damn him!' Squall thought darkly to himself. 'It's bad enough I have to go to this stupid dance, I have to take someone too?!' He had been looking all over Garden for her and that added to his stormy mood. Finally, he entered the Cafeteria and scanned the room. He found the girl he was trying to find and she was talking to Zell. 'Just my luck,' he thought as he stared at Zell. He walked over to their table and said, "I need to speak to her alone Zell." Zell turned his eyes up to look at Squall before looking down at the floor with blushing cheeks.
"A'ight man," Zell said. Squall caught Zell glance at his crotch before coughing and standing up. "See ya Suiko."
"Bye," Suiko told him.
'So that's her name...' Squall thought. Zell looked at Squall again as if he was afraid of him for some reason and Squall gave Zell a cold glare. Zell gulped before taking off towards the entrance of the Cafeteria as fast as he could.
"What was that all about?" she asked Squall.
"It doesn't matter," Squall told her. "I want you to accompany me to the SeeD Inaugeration Ball."
Her face fell in shock. "But...you don't even know me," she said. "Why do you want me to go with you?"
"All of the students at Garden know me. I don't want unnecessary rumors starting if I were to take a girl who attends Garden," he answered with a shrug.
"I...don't have anything to wear," She replied as she looked down at her dress.
"Headmaster Cid already came up with the funds to purchase you a dress. All you have to do is go to the tailor in Balamb and choose one," Squall told Suiko.
"Why don't you just go to the ball alone?" she asked with suspicion.
"Everyone is required to escort a date," was his answer. 'Why is she asking all of these questions?' Squall thought to himself.
"Why is Seifer going?" Suiko asked.
"He was part of the last mission. He will be there as an act of respect for the new SeeDs," Squall answered.
"I see..."she replied and she seemed to have been thinking of something. Finally, she told Squall, "It would be an honor to go with you to the dance Squall. I hope it will be an honor to you with me by your side too."
"Whatever," was his response before fishing around in his pocket and pulling out a handful of silver coins. "Here," he placed the coins in front of her and Suiko picked one up to study.
"So this is what gil looks like?" she asked. Squall thought that was a strange thing to ask. "This is the first time I've seen gil before...we use a different currency where I come from," Suiko explained her comment. "The coins we use are also silver...but they have different pictures on them." Squall's face became more relaxed with that explanation. "Is this going to be enough?"
"That's six thousand gil!" Squall answered with surprise. "That will be more than enough."
"Is there any currency smaller than gil?" Suiko asked.
"We only have gil," Squall answered.
"If these gil coins were in my currency..." she studied the coins. "It would amount to less than one gil." she looked up and saw that one of Squall's eyebrows were raised in question. "That is the reason I asked if you thought this was enough."
"I...see," Squall said. "Well, there is a SeeD waiting for you in the Garage." With that Squall turned around and walked toward the exit of the Cafeteria. 'I've never heard of a place that doesn't use gil.'
"Did you hear that? He asked her to the dance! She must really be his girlfriend!" Squall heard a girl exclaim to another girl and they both looked at him.
'Fuck!' Squall thought in anger after he heard the girl and a few others whispering about him as he walked out of the Cafeteria. Squall thought to himself as he walked to the Training Area to train out his frustration.
