Chapter 8

It's 7:30 PM at the Garden. It was one of those long days when you just want to sit back and relax but the circumstances wouldn't allow you to. Just this morning, Dr. Aki, our defense against magic professor, suddenly had the urge to put us on training in the Galbadian Ashlands. It was a boring one and a half hour travel for us and it didn't help that I was stuck with kids mostly 4 years younger than I am. On the site, we were instructed to fight several Belhelmels and a whole colony of Geezards. Talk about boring..Another boooring one and a half hour travel back and here I am in my room, complaining to myself. What a stupid life..Tomorrow, I'll take to final test to pass the SeeD Exam..I really tried very hard because of ReJecteD..

I stood up from my couch and turned-off the television. I stepped into my room and my eyes fell on the PC. Ahh..the Garden Chatroom..maybe she's there? It's been a week since that announcement about its creation and I've been talking with her every night, and yes, every night we would get a netsplit and we'll talk one on one. It's really very new for me to open up to another person. Especially through a chat room. Come to think of it, I've always been looking up to night time just for another chance to talk with her.

I think I'm falling for her..

I advanced toward my PC, turned it on and sit in front of it. After several clicks, I finally came to the main chatroom window..

PC ID NO 6401 logging in.....................................

Enter nickname: StrideR

Entering GARDEN CHATROOM...........................

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[StrideR joined the channel [Members: Matchmaker, FUNKYlady, BlondeGirl, ReJecteD, StrideR]



[BlondeGirl I don't think that is such a good idea..

[Matchmaker I do! I do! That's a great idea!!!!

[ReJecteD Well I think it is a good idea so I'm going for it..

[BlondeGirl Alright then, I'm just warning you, you've been hurt once, don't do it all over again to yourself.

[Matchmaker Hey there, StrideR, here we go again..

[StrideR Some psychic you are, matchmaker..go ahead, hurry it up!!!

[Matchmaker Tee-hee! It takes some time, as usual, just you wait..

[BlondeGirl So Matchmaker and Strider has a plan that the rest of us doesn't know of..

[ReJecteD You have to tell me..

[StrideR hahaha, sorry ReJecteD but you quit early that first time...

[Matchmaker and that removed your privileges as a member of the prone-to-netsplit-chatters gang

[ReJecteD ....

[FUNKYlady Umm..okay...guys can I ask you some SeeD questions??



[LaughingCow joined the channel [Members: Matchmaker, FUNKYlady, BlondeGirl, ReJecteD, StrideR, LaughingCow]



[LaughingCow Hihihihihihihihihihihihihi

[ReJecteD What kind of questions, FUNKYlady?

[BlondeGirl Sure, FUNKYlady, what's your question?

[FUNKYlady Umm..I just want to know which is better: to draw higher level magic from monsters or just refine weaker spells.

[ReJecteD Hmmm..

[BlondeGirl I think they are just about the same..

[FUNKYlady You sure?

[LaughingCow Hihihihihihihihihihihihihi

[BlondeGirl I dunno..never really thought about that, good question though.

[ReJecteD Yeah..I'm stumped as well. Maybe we can ask some students to perform a research on that field..I haven't really thought about that

[FUNKYlady Well, thanks anyway. If you decided to put a research on it, I'll gladly sign-up, okay?

[ReJecteD Sure

[LaughingCow Hihihihihihihihihihihihihi

[StrideR Go ahead, LaughingCow..just laugh your head out..just don't complain if a very sexy gunblader comes barging into your room to cut your stupid head off..

[FUNKYlady Isn't publicly insulting other Garden students a ground for detention?

[ReJecteD That was rude, strider

[StrideR oops..sorry, rejected..

[ReJecteD Not me..say sorry to LaughingCow!

[StrideR ....

[ReJecteD NOW!

[StrideR I'm sorry Laughingcow, for being rude to you. There, I said it!

[LaughingCow Hihihihihihihihihihihihihi

[StrideR *#&@$!!!!

[BlondeGirl Hahaha..



[HotDoggy joined the channel [Members: Matchmaker, FUNKYlady, BlondeGirl, ReJecteD, StrideR, LaughingCow, HotDoggy]



[HotDoggy Woohoo!

[BlondeGirl Hey, you're late..

[HotDoggy Yeah, I know

[FUNKYlady Isn't it important for a SeeD to be punctual?

[HotDoggy Yah, I guess. I just..well I deliberately made myself late..its cool

[BlondeGirl What? It is not cool at all to be late.

[HotDoggy For you it isn't, cause I'm kinda starting to think that you are not a woman at all! I mean..look at you!

[BlondeGirl How dare you! I can do all sensual stuff a man needs with just one flick of my finger!

[HotDoggy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was just kidding.....

[ReJecteD ...........

[BlondeGirl Ahh..well..umm..there's those annoying demons again...hahahahaha...they are really annoying, no?

[LaughingCow Hihihihihihihihihihihihihi

[HotDoggy Anyway, I finally found a way to ruin Seifer's 'grand' but actually stoopid plan.

[StrideR What?

[ReJecteD What?

[HotDoggy Hahaha, that bully will never know what's gonna hit him!

[Matchmaker Uh-oh, this may be a problem, gotta hurry things up..

[StrideR You're talking about THE Seifer Almasy??? Explain!!!

[BlondeGirl HotDoggy! What the hell are you saying? Tell us

[HotDoggy Ahahaha, in time, blondegirl, in time!



[ReJecteD was kicked from the channel [possible reason : netsplit] [Members: Matchmaker, FUNKYlady, BlondeGirl, StrideR, LaughingCow]

[StrideR was kicked from the channel [possible reason : netsplit] [Members: Matchmaker, FUNKYlady, BlondeGirl, LaughingCow]

[ReJecteD was kicked from the channel [possible reason : netsplit] [Members: FUNKYlady, BlondeGirl, LaughingCow]



[BlondeGirl Not again!!!

[FUNKYlady What was that?

[LaughingCow Hihihihihihihihihihihihihi

[HotDoggy Hahahahahahahaha..I don't get it???

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[ReJecteD placed to Secret Channel [possible reason : netsplit] [Members: Matchmaker, ReJecteD]

[StrideR placed to Secret Channel [possible reason : netsplit] [Members: Matchmaker, ReJecteD, StrideR]



[StrideR Whooops..another netsplit..wonder what happens, I'm sure matchmaker has nothing to do with this.

[Matchmaker You cannot be anymore right, Strider! Maybe you two are really meant to be alone..

[ReJecteD Yeah..alone with you..

[Matchmaker Nevermind me!! I'm just nobody!!

[StrideR So, ReJecteD..what were you talking about with BlondeGirl back there?

[Matchmaker Go ahead, ReJecteD, say it now!!!!

[ReJecteD ...

[StrideR Oooo! The suspense is killing me.

[ReJecteD I want to see you..

[StrideR See me?? When?

[ReJecteD Umm..right now?

[StrideR Now!!??

[ReJecteD I mean..tonight..

[StrideR ?

[ReJecteD You don't want to..

[StrideR Hey! I didn't say that..of course I do, I was just surprised. What time?

[ReJecteD 10:00 at the secret meeting place in the training center?

[StrideR Great! I'll be logging off, now..see ya!

[Matchmaker See ya, StrideR!!

[ReJecteD goodbye, then



[StrideR left the channel [Members: Matchmaker, ReJecteD]



[ReJecteD Selphie..

[Matchmaker !!!!!!! What? Selphie? Where???

[ReJecteD Don't play with me, Selphie, I know it's you.

[Matchmaker Gee..and I thought I was very stealthy about this..

[ReJecteD ......

[ReJecteD Selphie, tell me who StrideR is. I know that you know.

[Matchmaker I do..but..well, you'll meet him tonight, just wait until then okay? At least it makes the eyeball more exciting!

[ReJecteD ....fine. Goodbye..



[ReJecteD left the channel [Members: Matchmaker]



[Matchmaker Wee! Gotta tell Quistis about all of this! She'll be so delighted!!!

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"Yes, Selphie? What's wrong?" I asked as she literrally barged into my dorm.

"Nothing's wrong. I just can't keep all the excitement to myself. Tee-hee, this is so great!!!" she said, bouncing to my couch.

"What happened?" I asked tiredly, she's always like this at everything. Even the most boring events ever.

"Well, you see, I finally made Seifer and Squaaaaa....oops, you aren't still in love with Seifer are you, cause I think it's just an infatuation or something similar.."

"Nah, you just confused everything back then.."

I realized it was time to fix things up so I quickly confessed the whole mess-up in as little words as I can. She keeps on gasping and shrieking at every little detail.

"Great!!" she finally said when I finished. "Then I just have to tell you, Seifer and Squall are so gonna fall in love with each other!!"

"WHAT!!!!!" I shouted rather loudly. "What did you just say?"

"Well..you see how ReJecteD and StrideR gets netsplit everytime they chat..it's actually my doing.."

"What? StrideR is Seifer? This can't be..Oh my God, not again..I don't think Squall can take this anymore."

"What are you saying???? They are soo meant for each other."

"You do realize that Seifer is straight, right?"

"Ahahaha, another mission accomp..straight? Seifer? You mean.."

"When are they meeting?"

"Umm..umm..fifteen minutes from now.. I GOTTA GO!!" she shrieked. When I blinked, she was gone.

"Bye Selphie............" Great, leave it to Selphie to screw things up. If Seifer finds out Squall was ReJecteD, he will make a ruckus over it! And I'm pretty sure Squall wouldn't just run to me crying once more. Time to make my own moves.

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I started strolling liesurely along the hallways. I bathed already, soaped my whole body four times over, dressed to kill and perfumed to perfection. Nothing can go wrong. Along the hallway to the training center, I passed a rather serious looking Xu.

"Hey there, Xu, looking as young as ever." I said to her casually.

She stiffened at my comment but quickly recovered. "Did I just hear a nice comment from Seifer Almasy?"

"You bet you did. Looks just the same from the first time we met, Xu!"

"....I have my secrets.." she said timidly.

"You better show it to me sometimes, then." I said as I headed to the Training Center. Oh boy, this is getting me all nervous..

Wonder what she looks like?

Probably long silky black hair...

almond brown eyes...

pink kissable lips...

pale smooth skin...

slender body...

Ahh, the curiosity is killing me.

I was almost near the secret place when I came across a T-Rexaur. I took out my Hyperion. Hahaha, this is great. It feels like I'm killing a monster to go save a damsel in distress. Very romantic..

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I ran from Quistis' room to the secret place at the Training Center in a matter of ten minutes. I found a lone guy by the edge of the room looking at the stars.

"Umm..Squall.." I said nervously. How do I say to him that he should leave?

He turned around to face me. Holy shit, he looks very gorgeous with his clothing. Really perfect for a date. Too bad, though.

"..Selphie? What are you doing here?"

"Look..Squall. You have to leave this place immediately. As in now!"

"..."

"Let's go, hurry up!!!" I said and started pulling him out of the place.

"Selphie! What the hell are you doing."

I stiffened as I looked through the door leading outside. There was a guy outside..a blonde guy.

Seifer..

I made Squall duck behind me, using surprise and all the force I can muster to keep him there for as long as I can.

"Keep down. Please..." I begged Squall quietly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!!" Squall demanded, but it was not loud enough to get Seifer's attention.

"Hey, there Strider!" I said casually as Seifer finally entered the secret place. I can feel my nervousness showing with every word I utter. He was as sexy as Squall, if not even better, and his aroma is making my knees wobbly. He was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands. I can notice Squall behind me fidget at the mention of his date.

"Selphie???" Seifer asked, confused. I feel the hair at the back of my head standing up as Squall got loose from my grip. Oh God.. I tiptoed, hoping beyond hope that my short body can block Seifer's view of the brunette behind me.

This is hopeless...

Seifer looked up after he finally adjusted his vision to the darkness. His expression looked more and more perplexed as he saw Squall and all of its implications. I looked back and forth from Squall's expressionless stare and Seifer's confounded gaze.

"..Squall??" Seifer finally asked, his eyebrows slightly furrowed

"...StrideR..." Squall stated, emotions unreadable

From somewhere in the training center, a gnat can be heard screeching through the night.

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This one is a little bit short but it has to end just right there.

I think I'll pause writing for a while, we have just recently started our classes so I wouldn't be able to give much attention to this fic as before.

Please review, okay?