Chapter 9: Cef's Big Night
A week after Cara had come aboard the ship, she and Cef were sitting on the deck of the Highwind 3, playing a game of poker. After six hands of Cef winning, Cara threw her cards down in frustration.
"I suck at this game," she sulked.
"You realize that it mostly luck, right?" Cef said.
"Then why do you keep winning?" she asked.
"Maybe I'm lucky, maybe I know when to trade in the right cards, or maybe I stacked the deck, who knows," Cef teased.
"Did you really stack the deck?" Cara exclaimed. She grabbed the cards out of Cef's hands and looked through them. After being assured that they were properly shuffled, she handed them back to them. "Hmph, I'm going inside for a drink," she said grumpily as she stood up and walked off.
"Leave me with a mess to clean up," Cef sighed after Cara had gone inside. Inside Aeris's room, Aeris and Tifa were watching the two of through one of the portholes.
"I don't like the two of them spending so much time together," Aeris said.
"Oh come on, I think it's cute," Tifa giggled, "You're so over protective, you should lighten up."
"But what if he starts to get romantic with her, then they have a fight and end up hating each other, but they have to live in the same place? Cef will be miserable, and Cara will be angry and-"
"Let me stop you there," Tifa interrupted, "First of all, Cef and Cara are only twelve years old. That's a little young to be getting 'romantic' with each other, especially with a sister as sheltering as you. And even if they do, I highly doubt that they'll have a fight and end up hating each other for the rest of their lives."
"Why do you think that?" Aeris asked.
"Because of how good friends they are. Cara's an orphan, so she's probably been lonely the majority of her life and wouldn't risk losing a friend as good as Cef, and Cef just doesn't have many friends."
"Are you calling my brother some sort of social reject?" Aeris exclaimed.
"Yes," Tifa smirked, "He's cold, brutally honest, has a freakish hair color, and has magazines hidden under his mattress."
"WHAT?" Aeris shrieked. She bolted out of the room, and a minute later came back with an angry look on her face. "You didn't say they were "Sword Collector's Monthly" magazines."
"See, you're paranoid," Tifa said while trying to stifle her laughs.
"You'd react the same way if you were in my place." Aeris sulked.
"Come on, everyone knows that boys nowadays use computers to satisfy those urges."
"Ha ha, very funny," Aeris said sarcastically.
"Hey, Cara's back outside," Tifa said looking out through the porthole. She was almost knocked over by Aeris running to the small window to see. Outside, Cef and Cara were leaning on the guard rail, talking.
"So Cef," Cara said, "Do you like your sister?"
"Yes. She reminds me of my mother." Cef answered. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I don't think she likes me." Cara said as she smoothed out a wrinkle in her skirt.
"Nonsense, who couldn't like you?" Cef said. "Aeris is just a little paranoid."
"About what?"
"Everything. She didn't even want me to enter that tournament at the Gold Saucer."
"You mean the one that Tifa whooped you in?" Cara giggled.
"I only lost because I wanted to save my mother's locket."
"From what I hear she was winning anyways."
"Getting off the subject," Cef said. The two of them said nothing for a while, but Cara broke the silence.
"This airship is nice, you can see so much of the world in so short a time." Cara said.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, I mean I've never been out of Midgar until a week ago, and I've already seen so much of the world. The only thing that would make it better is if we could land to see the places we pass over."
"Well there's no reason we can't. Where do you want to go?"
"Well, I hear Cosmo Canyon is a really pretty place. Let's go there, just the two of us." Cara said as she put her hand on Cef's that was on the railing.
"O-ok," Cef stuttered nervously. Cara giggled a little and smiled at Cef, who walked over to the comm. system and said "Cid, could you take the ship to Cosmo Canyon?"
"Cosmo Canyon?" Cid shouted through the speakers. "That's on the other side of the goddamn world! It'd take at least a day to get there!"
"Please," Cef said into the comm. system.
"Fine, by tomorrow, you and your little girlfriend will be in Cosmo Canyon."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Cef shouted back.
"That's what they all say," Cid said. Cef turned back to Cara, who had her arms behind her and was staring awkwardly at Cef.
"So," Cef said nervously, "Are you happy? You'll get to see Cosmo Canyon."
"Yes," she said, "I'm very happy. Thank you." she hugged him and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. Cara ran back to the interior of the ship, and inside Aeris's room Tifa and Aeris were continuing their debate.
"She how happy she makes him?" Tifa said.
"Cef's too young to go on a date, I won't allow it." Aeris said.
"You should tell him that, see how he takes it." Tifa said back. "Look at him, it's obvious to everyone that Cara is the only person on this planet that can make Cef happy. And if that's not enough for you, we can have Red XIII chaperone them. Would that put your mind at ease?"
"No," Aeris sulked, "I still think he's too young to go on a date."
"Let me ask you something." Tifa said. "When did you first start dating Zack?" Aeris hesitated before answering.
"When I was fourteen."
"And how old was he?"
"A year older than me."
"And how did Elmyra take it that her fourteen year old daughter was dating a fifteen year old SOLDIER?"
"Badly. She wanted to keep me in the house."
"And how did it feel to have another person judging your love life based on trivial things like age?" After more hesitating, Aeris answered.
"Really bad. And embarrassing."
"And is that how you want your brother to feel? Sad and embarrassed?"
"No, but I'm just trying to protect him."
"From what?"
"From, from, oh I don't know."
"Exactly. You are just paranoid, and like I said earlier, you need to lighten up."
"But what if he gets hurt?"
"Cef's the most mature twelve year old I've ever met, he'll find a way back to his feet."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
