WHAT IF WE HAD A CHANCE…
CHAPTER 7
…TO REALLY LISTEN
Beep…beep…beep
Cloud's eyes slowly opened and he felt like he deserved at least another hour of sleep. The door creaked and his mother sat on his bed.
She was in her pink robe and a blue towel covered her hair.
"Time to wake, Cloud."
His mom was full of energy and was fully awake. Cloud mumbled unknown words to her ears.
"What's wrong Cloud? You haven't done this since 1st grade. I tell you there was a time where I had to pick you out of your bed and get you ready while you were still sleeping…."
Cloud knew what his mother was doing. Rambling until he got fed up and went to get ready.
She got up and went up to his face and kissed him on the forehead and messed up his hair.
"Wake up, now!" She said in a strict yet sweet voice.
She left the room and Cloud reluctantly got up and went to the bathroom. The same routine he has done his entire life.
As Cloud went into his room to get dressed he heard the front door of Tifa's house open. Out of curiosity Cloud looked out of his window and stretched his body to get a view of the front door. His head went in reverse as he saw Johnny leaving the house and he could barely see another person.
Cloud reached for a branch for a support and leaned a little forward…
Cloud was then out of the comfort of his room and held on to the branch for dear life. He tried to get his foot on his window ceil Aw…you got to be kidding me….Cloud was half naked only wearing some pants. I guess the good new was that Cloud could clearly see and hear what was going on….
"So how's it going with the Midgar Collage." Mr. Lockhart said.
"Well it's hard to say I mean school just started but they saw Tifa's records and said she is well qualified…but in order to go to that collage you have to live around the area or live in a dorm."
"Hmm. Doesn't a dorm cost a lot?"
"It really all depends I think living in a dorm is a little cheaper than moving all together."
"But even if I send her to a dorm I still want to be nearby, I'll feel like I just lost my baby. But for her I want her to have the greatest education possible."
Johnny leaned on the house and looked at Cloud's house.
"You sure that's all?"
"Well, Nibelheim isn't the greatest place for my daughter, she needs to be somewhere where she can really make a difference."
That wasn't what Johnny meant. Johnny then felt the force of Mr. Lockhart embracing him.
"You're a good kid you know that."
Johnny was always intimated by Mr. Lockhart and was dumb-struck by this surprise.
"What do you mean?" Johnny said as Mr. Lockhart let him go.
"Well you know watching out for Tifa. Contacting all these collages. You're like the son I never had!" Mr. Lockhart laughed.
Still holding on to that branch Cloud got his two feet planted on the side of his house under his window….did Mr. Lockhart just propose to him!?
Cloud's foot then slipped a little making a screeching sound. Johnny and Mr. Lockhart looked around out of reflexes, they thought, just an animal.
"But Mr. Lockhart are you sure sending away Tifa to an unknown place is right thing. I mean she has friends here."
"Well didn't you say you were moving to Midgar? I mean you and Tifa are close."
Johnny scratched his head.
"I mean Aerith and Zack…and….well-her classmates…" Johnny had another name in mind but he knew mentioning 'him' would start a problem he didn't want to get into.
Johnny respected Tifa's feeling and knew Tifa liked Cloud. And her leaving could affect it. Sure Johnny loved Tifa. But he loved her own happiness. He was either a good a friend or had bigger intentions.
"Well they can still keep in touch. But I guess getting away from that 'thing' next door is the best outcome out of all of this."
Cloud was still and quite as he listened.
"It's no secret that you hate him…but why do you hate him?"
Mr. Lockhart was quite and a breeze blew in. Cloud released a small shiver. Cloud scoffed.
"Just say…I tried to kill your daughter." Cloud whispered. "I know that's what you think."
Mr. Lockhart shook his head.
"Shouldn't it be time to go on home and get ready?" Mr. Lockhart grinned.
Johnny accepted his non-answer and said his good-byes. He wondered was he doing the right thing? Getting a better education is a important. But what was really going on was that Mr. Lockhart was trying to keep Cloud away from her.
Johnny thought those two could be happy…if only they had a chance…but what's the point.
Next year Tifa would be gone…going into the best collage on earth…where they accepted the top students…
Johnny stopped walking and an idea sprung into his head…Wait, Cloud…he was one of the top smartest boys in the school…
Johnny kept on walking. First he would have to get a hold of his records, can't be too hard. Other people would call Johnny crazy for trying to help Cloud, but he knew Cloud wasn't all that bad. Still Johnny had the feeling that Cloud did have a few skeletons in his closet but he's not bad….I guess.
And if things don't work out with those two…at least Johnny will be there for Tifa. In Johnny's head it was a win-win situation for Tifa.
………………………………...
Cloud struggled to get his feet inside his house. The branch would break any minute if he stood there any longer. Cloud heard a slight humming coming from Tifa's room…Cloud looked up and saw her…she was brushing her hair and was sitting by a piano. Cloud felt uneasy and finally got his foot on the floor of his room. Cloud's other foot followed all that was left was to get his body in there. He twisted his body so now he was facing Tifa's room.
Cloud looked down to the ground trying to be polite only to find himself sick. Cloud put his hand on the window ceil and collapsed in his room. He laid on his bed heavily breathing and had his hands on his head.
His mother came in shortly and patted his stomach.
"Come on, you need a shirt you know."
Cloud nodded. After getting fully dressed and eating breakfast Cloud was off on his way to school. Tifa had already gone without him.
Cloud entered his first class and saw Aerith holding a bundle of dull yellow flowers. She had a huge smile on her face. Cloud sat down and waited for her to tell him.
"I swear Zack is the best. I mean for no reason he just send me flowers! It's not even a birthday or anniversary." Aerith giggled.
If you only knew…Cloud leaned on his chair and had his arms folded.
"You seem a little tense."
Cloud stared down his desks avoiding Aerith's jade eyes.
"You're hiding something."
Actually it was two things but really who's counting?
"Fine be all anti-social Strife." Aerith scoffed.
Cloud knew she was doing it in a sarcastic way. The day was long and Tifa wasn't at lunch as far as Cloud knew. He sat there the entire time hearing how great Zack was.
He reunites with him at Literacy. And to Cloud's surprise there is a new sub…again? Another day in class wasted. Not a thing was learned. Tifa was unable to talk to Cloud since Zack is sitting with him.
"So the flowers were a way of saying you were sorry…or did you even tell her?"
"Not so loud." Zack said lowing his head. "…I'm not gonna tell her."
Cloud bows his head down…please don't act up Strife…
"It will only hurt her more if I tell her." Zack pleaded.
"It will hurt her more if she finds out by accident."
Zack suddenly glares at Cloud and Cloud is frightened. Then it hits Cloud that he is being wrongly accused and in the first time of his entire life he defends himself by glaring back.
"I won't tell her. And if you feel like you can't trust me why do you always call me when your ass is in some deep shit." Cloud coldly said.
Zack is surprised by this remark. And shakes his head. Cloud hated this. Why was he fighting with his best friend? Always Cloud was second guessing himself.
"I didn't mean to say that." Cloud said sincerely.
"I'm just going through some problems that's all."
Cloud hunches over and lay his head on his arms. He is then welcomed by Johnny's entrance to his class. Tifa is half out of her seat ready to go. Aerith mouth's the words 'good luck' to Tifa.
"Um…mister can I borrow Tifa Lockhart for a moment?" Johnny asks in a teacher's pet voice.
"I guess so. I'm not the regular teacher, so what is it for?"
Johnny stares at Cloud slightly and Johnny whispers into the teacher's ear.
"Well if that's it go right on ahead Miss Lockhart." the teacher says
Tifa practically jumps out of her seat and follows Johnny into the deep halls. Cloud can hear them talking happily but he cannot make out their words. Cloud is unaffected in any way, he won't let himself. He can feel Zack breathing down his back.
"So…you're not gonna ask what that was all about?"
Cloud shrugs.
"It's her life."
Zack laughs.
"You really have no clue who Tifa is don't you?"
Cloud blinks blankly.
"She has 'try-outs'. Didn't she tell you?"
"Oh! Yeah." Cloud said feeling dumb. "She told me. Guess I just forgot."
The bell rings and Aerith put her hand on Cloud's back.
"Be sure to come right after your last period." Aerith says.
Cloud sits in math not hearing a single word. He suddenly feels overjoyed. As if world peace has came. He never felt like this, ever. Calm down…Cloud lets out a breath of air and Cloud is energized by the ringing of that final bell.
Cloud power walks out of the class and hears his name.
"Cloud!! Wait up!" Zack yells.
Cloud waits for him.
"Do you even know where to go?"
"To the gym right?"
"Yeah, yeah mister know-it-all."
They go into the huge gym, the boy's gym is usually where they host the try-outs. Cloud sees Johnny sitting in one of the seat in the bleachers with Aerith. He notices Tifa and a bunch of other girls. Tifa waves at him. Cloud feels hot.
Tifa walks in.
"And here I was thinking you weren't gonna come. Thank you." Tifa says.
"How could I forget." Cloud says using a fake laugh.
Zack hits him in the back.
"So good luck Tifa! We'll be routing for you!" Zack says and hugs her.
"Thanks Zack!"
A whistle blows and the other girls head for the lockers.
"So Cloud just watch out for me all right."
Tifa runs and goes into the lockers. Cloud had the misfortune of sitting next to Johnny. Cloud sees the gym teacher pulling out a long blue mattress.
The girls come out again, wearing their gym uniforms.
Zangan the head of the gym department came to make an announcement.
"Now today is the try outs for the girls fighting club. Now girls try your best and remember to use any experience you have in any fighting style. Now lets begin!"
Cloud watches the girls fight. Cloud saw that some of the girls were not as strong as others which were the ones pulling each other's hair or grabbing their shirts. Yet there were a couple Cloud knew not to ever mess with. Finally Tifa's turn.
Johnny and Aerith bolted up and cheered. Cloud felt he would be out of place and just sat down and clapped. Zack was sleeping away.
Zangan blew the whistle and Tifa and the other girl grabbed each other's shoulder starring at one another. The swept her foot under Tifa's leg and Tifa tipped over. She fell back on her hands and Tifa kicked her leg into the girl's face. The girl stood down and quickly recovered to deliver a hard blow to Tifa's face with her hands. Tifa hit's the mat.
Cloud has a weird reaction to go and help her. But he knows to mess around with that girl, might end up losing any sense of his dignity he has left. Tifa stands back up and the girl try's to put a distance between them. Tifa runs at full speed at the girl grabbing her face with her left hand and bangs her head on the matt with great force. The girl is panting and lies there. Tifa stands up and looks at Zangan. He begins the count down.
"One, Two, Three!" Zangan blow his whistle. "The victor is Tifa Lockhart."
Johnny and Aerith screech in delight. Guess Tifa has her own cheerleaders.
The girl lets out a small laugh and Tifa offers her hand. The girl accepts it and gets up.
"Damn Tifa. What were you trying to do? Kill me!" the girl jokes.
"You knew what you were up against." Tifa said in a happy tone.
The next match began and Cloud left the gym and waited by the gym doors. He was only there for Tifa.
After an hour or so when they all fought Zangan blew that damn annoying whistle. Zack hated it.
"All of you girls did a great job and I'm very proud of all of you. Now if you what a moment I will make up a list on who's joining. It will be right outside on the bulletin. The girls leave and Tifa sees Cloud leaning the wall. Cloud quickly changes his position and greets her.
"You did great!" Cloud praised.
"Thanks, I give my thanks to my never ending training sessions I had."
Tifa has no bruises and if anything a couple of sore areas. Johnny, Aerith and Zack come and join.
"I knew you could make Tifa. No one's like you. Nobody has your natural talent." Johnny says.
"Hey Tifa? You don't mind if me and Zack leave early?"
"Naw. You can go. You have a date or are you just gonna go eat?"
Aerith smiles and looks at Zack. "I'll have to lean more to the date option."
"Okay. I'll tell you tomorrow what happens."
Aerith and Zack leave and the three of them wait with the other girls. Cloud tries not to keep eye contact with Tifa, he has turned nervous around her again and Tifa senses it. She stands next to him and whispers in his ears. Johnny tries to listen but her voice is too low to hear around the over flowing voices of the other girls.
But whatever she said loosened Cloud a bit. She told him to relax and that she had wanted to go to the park with him, just to talk.
Zangan come and tapes a long list on the wall. The girls all gather up and Tifa is unable to see the list clearly. Come on Cloud, you can do this…Cloud pushes his way into the wave of girls and get a glimpse of Tifa's name yes! Cloud is then threw out the swarm, watch it you jerk, they yelled. Cloud went up to Tifa gasping a little. Since he still feels uncomfortable about the female body and was practically surrounded by them a second ago.
"I saw your name." Cloud said.
"Really!? Johnny did you hear!"
"Yeah! Good going Cloud!"
Cloud still can't see himself wanting to like Johnny. Cloud only nods to be polite.
"Hey listen Tifa how about you and me go over to my house to celebrate." Johnny says.
Tifa is unsure. And shakes her head.
"Not today. Is that ok?" her voice is sad.
"It's alright. I'll see you tomorrow?"
Tifa nods. And Johnny is off.
"Cloud wait by the girls locker room. I just have to get out of these gym clothes okay?"
Cloud waits patiently for Tifa and has felt hated Johnny after he spoke to Tifa like Cloud wasn't even there. Cloud wished he could have said or done something but like always he just let it be.
Tifa came out fully dressed with her book bag and with her hair up in a loose pony tail. Cloud takes the lead and they both make their way to the park.
Author's note: Sorry if it took to long. High School is a real killer. I already have projects coming soon so I hope you enjoyed this long chapter. And thanks for the reviews MakoRain and Le Pecore Nere and to all of you that reviewed my other chapter, ShinraTurk-Krena, ayame11midori, Snipersnake111, Mystic Dragon Eyes and Toons! And remember to review! They keep me motivated!
