Tifa: Sora, it's time for our project!
Sora: Ugh. Dumb projects.
Riku: Why don't you do that 'anatomy' project?
dude overdrived: Sora, you know you want it.
----------Beginning----------
Chapter 9: The Sora and Tifa Project
Before School...Thursday Morning...
"Don't mope, Sora!"
Sora groaned. Tifa was trying to get him excited over their science project. Naturally, Sora was not too happy about it. All his life, he had never liked school projects. He always ended up slacking until the day before the project was due, which was not the best choice. He would end up either staying up until 5:00 in the morning making a sloppy report, or just winging a presentation. Either way always gave him the same grades: D, or in some lucky cases, D+ or C-. He would always tell himself that he would try harder the next time, but when that time came...meh.
This time, however, he would get his chance to do a better job. Had it been a solo project, he would do what he always did, and procrastinate. However, Tifa would not be content with a D or a C. She would work Sora to the bone so that the two of them would get a B or an A.
"But these projects are so boring. Why can't they give us fun projects, like making a model plane or something?"
Tifa ruffled her hand through Sora's hair. "If you want to be a successful surgeon, you have to get good grades!"
Sora grumbled. Kairi and Riku laughed.
"Sora would need someone to do some 'surgeoning' on his brain for him to get good grades!" Riku cackled.
Tifa brought her fingers to Riku's head. She flicked him hard.
"Ow!"
"Don't make fun of him!" Tifa ordered as she waggled a finger at him.
Riku and Tifa began arguing, with Kairi and Sora looking on with interest. A few feet away from them, Cloud and Aerith appeared. Aerith looked happy and animated. Cloud looked serious, but not nearly as serious as he had been the last two weeks...er, seven months. He had some bandages on a few of his body parts, but he was still quite strong. Aerith went behind him and gently pushed him towards the group of four friends. He reluctantly went forward.
"I don't know, Aerith," Cloud quietly protested.
"Connect with them, Cloud. I guarantee you that they'll be your friends in two minutes tops!"
"They might be uncomfortable being around me after how I was to them when they visited me."
"I can tell that they really care about you. I'm sure that they won't take that situation too seriously."
Cloud tried protesting again, but within a few moments, he and Aerith were standing right in front of the group. Riku and Tifa stopped arguing, and the four friends looked at the two, but especially Cloud. Tifa grinned.
"Hey, Cloud! Looks like you're doing good!"
Cloud looked down at the ground and scratched his head. "Y-yeah..."
Sora stepped towards Cloud. He patted him gently on the back. "How're you doin, man?"
Cloud gulped and struggled as he made eye contact with Sora. "I'm...fine."
Cloud let his eyes down to the ground again. Kairi went towards him. She crouched down to her knees so that she could make eye contact with Cloud. Cloud surprisingly did not find it very difficult to keep eye contact with her.
"You're looking well! Really well!"
Cloud nodded. Aerith smiled warmly. "He's doing wonderful."
Riku laughed and messed with Cloud's hair. "Maybe so, but I bet I could beat him up."
Cloud was surprised to find a small laugh escape through his lips. "Get real, I could beat you with my eyes closed."
Cloud caught what he just said. His sudden playful banter surprised even him. He hadn't been like this since he talked with Zack. Zack...his friend...his best friend...the friend he would always remember, even if he was no longer the only reason for both his and Aerith's existences...
Kairi laughed and playfully pushed Cloud. "Why don't you prove it?"
Cloud began to say something, but Aerith interrupted. "He's still kind of weak. But I'm sure he'll be able to do it some other time."
Ring!
The school bell rang. It was time for 1st Period. The group began walking into the school, with Cloud standing at their side. As Cloud walked, he chuckled and smiled. Perhaps now...things could finally be right.
-I-
Cloud and Riku departed for their Spanish class, the two of them now on good terms. Sora, Kairi, and Tifa were now headed towards French. Sora looked back at the two girls and smiled mischievously.
"Race ya!"
Sora sped off. The two girls were caught off guard, and then chased after him. As the girls shouted playful complaints, Sora ignored them and continued running. He knew that one of them would likely beat him, so he managed to escape through crowds of students. This strategy proved to work quite well, as Tifa and Kairi were held back by traffic of students. Sora went up to the top of the stairs leading up to the third floor, looked back at the girls, and blew a raspberry at them. He then continued running towards C Hall.
He reached C Hall, and was nearing room C1. He looked back, and saw that neither of the girls had yet to catch up with him. He looked at C1, laughed to himself, and proceeded to the door.
As he neared the door, he saw that Rikku was sitting at a desk near the door. She was talking to a friend of hers. Sora thought about who it was, and remembered that the emo girl's name was Paine. The two girls appeared to be talking about something really important.
"It's just...I don't know, Paine."
"Rikku, you're not normally this soft spoken."
Ooh, this sounds important. It would be rude to eavesdrop...but no one will know, right?
"I've never been this confused about something before!"
"How long have you even known the guy?"
What guy? What guy is she talking about?
"I've only known him for as long as school started. So, I guess maybe two weeks."
Is Rikku talking about Riku? Or maybe Cloud? Or maybe me?
"Rikku, that's hardly enough time for someone to feel like this."
"Not always! I guess, in my case, it was enough time."
Time for what?
"So...are you admitting it?"
"...Yeah. I guess I am. The man I want...is Sora Keiman."
Sora felt as if a thunderbolt just struck him. All the students walking past him, the weird guy standing next to a classroom door with a creepy look on his face, they all stared at him. Sora did not even notice them. He just heard those words repeating over and over and over again...
The man I want...is Sora Keiman.
Sora blinked rapidly. He just could not believe it.
Wha-huh?!? Rikku?!? Likes me?!? She-she likes me?!? How the hell did that happen? How could a such a great and pretty girl like her be attracted to weird me?!?
"Huh, so you like him. Want me to tell him?"
"No, don't Paine! I don't want him to get all shocked."
Too late for that, girl.
"He's already got Tifa to think about, so I don't want to complicate things."
Again, too late for that, girl.
-
Suddenly, Sora felt someone slap him hard on the back. He winced and dropped to the ground. Kairi stood above him and laughed.
"You're such an idiot! What were you doing, standing by the doorway?"
"Nothing! I was doing nothing!" Sora blurted out.
Kairi looked into the classroom. She saw Rikku and Paine sitting close to the door. "Were you eavesdropping on Rikku? You naughty boy!"
"Sora is naughty!" Tifa shouted as she suddenly appeared. She hugged Sora as he stood up from the ground. "Wait, why is he naughty?"
"He was eavesdropping on Rikku!"
"No I wasn't!" Sora screamed.
Kairi skipped into the classroom nonchalantly. Sora looked at her in horror as she walked a few feet over to Rikku.
"Hey, Rikku!"
"Hey, Kairi! What's happenin?"
Kairi looked at Sora. He dropped to the ground, and appeared to be begging Kairi not to tell Rikku that he was eavesdropping on her. Kairi grinned maliciously.
"Rikku, next time, do your discussing on the other side of the classroom!"
"Why?"
Kairi pointed at Sora. Sora was bug eyed and his face bright red. "Cuz Sora was eavesdropping on your conversation just now!"
"HE WHAT?!?!?!?!?"
Kairi flinched. She did not understand why Rikku had yelled so suddenly. Everyone turned to look at Rikku. She stood up from her desk, her face burning red, and turned to Sora. Sora abruptly shook his head.
"I swear, I wasn't eavesdropping! I didn't hear nothing!"
"He's lying," Paine said monotonously. "I can read his face like a book. He heard what you said to me."
Rikku stared at Sora in horror, her face magma red. Sora awkwardly smiled and shrugged.
Rikku grabbed her head with her hands, looked up at the ceiling, and screamed, "YAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Immediately after, Rikku sprinted out of the classroom. She didn't show any signs of wanting to stop.
Tifa called after her. "Wait, Rikku, class is going to sta-"
Ring!
-II-
2nd Period: Sora - World History
Sora tapped his feet anxiously. He looked at the desk behind him. Rikku still had not arrived. He sighed and faced forward.
"What could Rikku have revealed that was so embarassing?" Tifa asked.
Sora half-heartedly shook his head. "I dunno."
Tifa looked at him thoughtfully for a few more moments, and then turned around to face the front. Mr. Nomura was preparing to start the class.
"Ok class, today, we're going to watch a movie about-"
The door opened. Rikku walked in quietly. She was staring at the ground.
"Are we tardy, Ms. Grayson?"
Rikku slowly nodded. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nomura. It won't happen again."
Rikku shuffled her feet and slowly walked to her seat behind Sora. As she sat down, Sora turned to face her.
"Rikku, I-"
Rikku artificially smiled at Sora. "Later. Mr. Nomura doesn't like disruptions."
Sora looked at her for a few more seconds, sighed, and faced the front as Mr. Nomura continued talking.
-
Lunchtime...
It was now lunchtime. Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Tifa were hanging out where they usually hung out- a table at the 'entrance field'.
"Sra, whats up wth Rkku?" Kairi asked through a mouth stuffed with pizza.
Sora shrugged. "You got me."
Kairi gulped and swallowed the glob of food down. She then cleared her throat. "You know! You found out something embarassing about her when you were eavesdropping on her!"
"Well, if I found out something embarassing, wouldn't it be mean for me to tell more people?"
Kairi thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Tifa took out a piece of paper and smothered Sora's face with it. He pushed it away and spit on the ground. "Tifa, what the heck?!?"
"You need to focus, Sora! We've got a science project to think about! Now read this paper over!"
Sora groaned and took the paper from Tifa's hand. He read it over.
-
Hello, Conceptual Physics students!
Our conceptual physics class will now be beginning its first project. You must participate unless you want to fail. This project is worth 15% of your quarter grade.
All students must have partners. All partners must be from the same class period. No inter-period partnerships are allowed, unless I have said otherwise.
We are currently studying motion. Suitably, our project will be about motion. This project will involve two components: an experiment report, and a model.
You are to design an experiment involving motion. Here are some possible questions for an experiment:
Do bikes move slower across rough surfaces?
How much faster can a car accelerate than a bike?
Can you alter air resistance to affect falling objects?
These are merely a few of many different possibilities. Choose one that you are most interested in!
The experiment report must have all these parts: Title, Problem, Hypothesis, Procedure, Data Chart/Graph, Analysis, Conclusion. Refer to pg R64 in your Conceptual Physics textbook for information about these different parts.
The model is the fun part of this project. The model does not necessarily need to be handmade. It could be a 'model' only involving two people performing the experiment. You could make a PowerPoint presentation. You could take pictures of you and your partner performing your experiment, or perhaps even record a video of it! As long as it involves the experiment in some way, I am okay with it.
Here is what I mean by a model. Say you are doing an experiment involving the motion of a ferris wheel. You could make a handmade model of a ferris wheel, and demonstrate how your model works. Or maybe make a PowerPoint presentation with pictures of a ferris wheel, and the different vectors it involves. These 'models' are meant to be physical representations of your project.
Your projects are due Wednesday, September 16. This should be enough time for you and your partner to finish your project. Remember to have fun with this!
-
"Aw, we only have a few weeks to do this," Sora complained.
"We have plenty of time, Sora! As long as you don't procrastinate!"
"But I love procrastinating," Sora whined.
"Good luck getting lazy over there to start working."
Sora and Tifa looked behind Riku. Behind him, Cloud was coming over, surprisingly interested in hanging out with them. He patted Riku on the back, and sat down.
"Hey, I'm not that lazy," Sora retorted.
"He's right. When he's lying on his bed watching tv, it only takes him 5 minutes to get enough willpower to reach for the remote he dropped on the floor," Kairi sincerely said.
"It only take him 5 min, blah blah blah," Sora mocked.
Cloud chuckled. "I feel sorry for you for being partnered with Tifa. She'll make you finish the project early, by force if she has to."
Tifa flicked a pepperoni slice at Cloud's face. "So not true."
Riku laughed. "Yeah, her forceful method is to persuade Sora to do the project by sleeping with him."
This time, Tifa did not throw a pepperoni slice. Instead, she stood up, holding a piece of school pizza, and went over to Riku, and jammed the pizza in his face. She spread it all over his face, getting him all oily. Riku sputtered gibberish as he tried stopping Tifa.
"Hey, what was that for?!?"
"I hope your face breaks out and gets huuuuge acne! Then you'll be a real pizza face!"
Riku screamed at the thought of having a pizza face. He leaped up, and ran into the school, possibly going to the restroom. The remaining group laughed. Cloud smiled and lightly laughed. These people could really be his friends.
-III-
After School...
"Think, Sora, think! What are we going to do for our project?"
Sora scratched his head. Right now, it was just him and Tifa standing at the entrance of the school, among other students. Riku had to drive Kairi home earlier, as she wanted to get a head start on writing her report for her French projet. Cloud was over at the gym, where the garden club was having holding a 'flower fair'. He himself was not in the garden club, but Aerith was. He went to the fair to be there for her. Rikku...who knows where she went?
"I can't do all the thinking. You need to help me out, here."
Tifa put her hand on her chin and started thinking. "...We need more time. Hey, come over with me to Boxers and Butchers!"
"Boxers and Butchers? That's a totally weird combo," Sora replied with a laugh.
"It's a place that has both a boxing area, and sells meat! They're perfectly harmonious!" Tifa gleefully said.
"What am I going to do over there?"
"We'll think! Together!" Tifa then put her hands on Sora's neck and smiled seductively. "And we can be alone..."
Sora turned red and laughed nervously. "Um...we can think. That's all."
Tifa took her hands off Sora's neck and smiled. "Great! So let's go!"
-
After taking the public bus, Sora and Tifa found themselves standing at the front of a seemingly small building. There was an illuminated sign at the top of the blue, decaying building reading 'Boxers and Butchers'. Both of the B's were unlit, so it instead seemed to say 'oxers and utchers'.
Sora looked at the building with disdain. "This place looks really old."
"And yet, it gets great business!" Tifa grabbed Sora's arm, and they ran into the building.
The front area was pretty basic. There were one or two chairs. There were piles of meat in glass cases with price stickers on plastic covering that covered the meat. Behind the selling area, there were black counters with blood and knives scattered everywhere. There were also three doors at the back. One read 'Freezer Room', another said 'Barret's Office', and the other read 'Boxing Studio'. There were several people cutting meat. One noticeable person was a tall, dark-skinned man cutting through pig meat as if it was butter.
Tifa waved to the tall, dark man. "Hi, Uncle Barret!"
The man, Barret, looked up fom his meat. He smiled through yellow and chipped teeth. "Hey hey, Tifa!"
"Wait, uncle?" Sora thought out loud.
"He's not actually my uncle, but a family friend. But I still like calling him Uncle Barret."
Barret waved at Tifa. "Just a minute girl!" He then looked back at the others cutting meat. "Hey, sh*tt*rs! This isn't a f*cking Thanksgiving dinner! Put your m*therf*cking backs into it! Come on, you c**ts! Cut faster!"
The terrified workers immediately focused all their attention on their meat and cut faster and faster. Sora looked at Barret in disbelief.
Tifa turned awkwardly to Sora. "Oh...and he has a bit of a potty mouth."
Barret turned back around and grinned at Sora and Tifa. "Sorry about that. Now what you kids want?"
"We just need a place to stay at so we can figure out a plan for our science project."
"Go in my office," Barret gruffly said. "Oh, and one more thing." He barked at one of his employees to bring him something. The employee came back with a tray that had some baby back ribs on it. Barret set it on the counter. "Eat some ribs while you're planning! Makes you big and strong!"
Tifa gave Barret a thumbs up. "Thanks, Uncle Barret!"
Tifa took the plate of ribs, and she and Sora walked to the door that said 'Barret's Office'. As they entered the office, Barret yelled at his employees again.
"Pick the f*cking knife up, Rick! Get to work, you c*cks*cker!"
-
Sora and Tifa sat down in Barret's Office. It was somewhat small, holding only two chairs, two tables, one computer, and piles of paper with grease on the edges. Tifa took one of the baby back ribs and sunk her teeth into it.
Sora watched as Tifa devoured the entire rib in mere seconds. She licked her lips, and looked at Sora. "You eating your rib?"
Sora shook his head, and Tifa grabbed the rib. She again finished it in mere moments. Afterwards, she patted her stomach and belched.
Sora chuckled. "That is so cool how you finish that so fast!"
"Mouth of steel!" Tifa said, pointing at her teeth. "Now, pitch me an idea!"
Sora exhaled and looked up at the ceiling. The rotting ceiling with spiderwebs along the corners. "Um...something with cars?"
"Like what?"
"Um...how much faster a car accelerates than a bike?"
Tifa groaned. "You just ripped that off of the paper!"
"Well, Mr. Miller never said we couldn't use that idea!"
"But I don't want our project to be so average!" Tifa exclaimed dramatically. "I want it to be at least the tiniest bit different, just like Kairi and Rikku's French project!"
"Well, we don't exactly have a princess that is an expert in motion!" Sora stated.
"Well, think then! Give me a little something!"
Sora closed his eyes. He thought hard. Very hard.
-
Sora takes on a dare and drinks three Monsters in a row. He runs around Principal Middle School eight times. He collapses shortly after.
Sora attempts to slide into Riku's car by going in through the window, like the Dukes of Hazzard. He fails miserably, hits his head on the side mirror, and is knocked out.
Sora is rollerskating in the rink in the Destiny SuperMall. Riku bumps into Kairi, and sends her flying onto Sora. They are put in a suggestive position.
Sora and Rikku finish riding the Final Velocity rollercoaster in Magic Kingdom. She pukes on him.
-
"Magic Kingdom," Sora murmured.
Tifa gasped. "That's great! The rollercoasters and ferris wheels and bumper cars all involve motion! The amusement park is the perfect model!"
"That place is also where we had our awkward first meeting," Sora quietly said.
Tifa put her hands on her hips. "Are you still hung over on that? It's over and done with! You have your new phone! I understand you didn't try to take perverted pictures of me! I'll gladly let you touch me nowadays!"
Sora was taken aback from that last comment. Tifa rolled her eyes. "You heard me."
"Um...so, Magic Kingdom?"
-IV-
Sora and Tifa entered the familiar amusement park. They used their season passes, so that they wouldn't have to pay the ridiculous one day price. Tifa took a look at the map of the park.
"Hey, didn't you go here with Rikku last week?"
"Yeah. Rikku..." Sora drifted off in his thoughts. He was still confused about Rikku's feelings for him.
"There's so much to do! Let's just walk around for now, looking!"
Sora nodded, and the two wandered through the park. Sora was enjoying this time. It was just him and Tifa, the girl he shared so much in common with. The girl who would stand at his side. The girl who confessed to him.
A girl wearing a Magic Kingdom uniform walked to Sora and Tifa. She held up a camera. "Want a photo?"
Tifa grinned. "Yes please!" She then locked arms with Sora and rested her head on his shoulder. Sora sighed contently at this closeness.
Flash!
The girl gave Tifa a ticket. "By the way, you two look really good together!"
Sora grinned and nodded. "Thanks!" Sora gasped to himself and shut his mouth. He was not happy that his problems were escalating. First the Rikku confession, and now this sudden acceptance of feelings for Tifa.
Wait, hold on a moment! Just what is going on? I...I thought I liked Kairi. But wait...didn't I like Rikku afterwards? But now...I think I like Tifa? Or maybe...all three?
-V-
Rikku exhaled a large breath. She was in her room, her bright yellow room. She was sitting on her bed, working on a rough draft of her French projet. She had been working for perhaps two hours, but she had only finished a tiny paragraph. She had many things on her mind. She couldn't think straight.
Rikku whined and lay her head on her pillow. She picked up another pillow, covered her face with it, and screamed as she kicked her feet in the air.
What is wrong with me!?!
Bzz! Bzz!
Rikku took the pillow off of her face. She looked over at her buzzing phone. The buzzing signalized that she just received a text. She picked up her phone to see who the text was from. It was from Sora Keiman.
Rikku gulped. She was nervous about what Sora would say. Now that he knew about her feelings for him, she was not sure if things could be the same again. Rikku was disgusted with how she was feeling right now. Rikku Grayson does not mope. Rikku Grayson does not whine and be unhappy. Rikku Grayson does not get disgusted with her feelings.
With a sigh, she opened the text Sora sent her. It was a simple, slightly long, two sentence text.
Dont let wut hapened ruin things between us. were so close, i dont want anythin to tear us aprt
Slowly, a smile appeared on Rikku's lips. Sora truely wanted things to not change. He was not the only one.
Rikku composed a simple, one word reply, before going back to work on the best projet ever.
Ok
-
Dear Diary,
Once again, this is Rikku Grayson. Today is Thursday, one of the craziest days of my life. It only started off bad. I was so confused about my feelings for Sora. I decided to talk to Paine about it. Then again, why did I go to an emo girl for love advice? XD Just kidding. Anyway, I ended up confessing my feelings for Sora to Paine. Little did I know, Sora was listening in on my conversation! Eek! I was so embarrased, I ended up skipping 1st period altogether! Anyway, I did go to 2nd Period. Sora tried to talk to me, but I rebuffed him. In 3rd period, I felt so relieved that we would spend the entire class outside doing an experiment with bikes. This was so I wouldn't have to interact with Sora very often. I ended up avoiding him for the rest of the day.
A little around 5, Tifa texted me, telling me that she and Sora went to Magic Kingdom, the place of their ugly meeting. She told me that their project would be about the motion of a roller coaster, and they're planning to go to the park again next week. Darn, I should've thought of that idea!
Back to Sora...I just don't know what to make of it. He texted me around 7, telling me that he didn't want our friendship to be torn apart. He wants things to stay the same. But can they really stay the same? Can they?
----------End----------
Rikku Grayson: A fifteen year old girl who lives on Main Island of the Destiny Islands. She attends Destiny Academy, along with Sora Keiman, Riku O'Reilly, Kairi Dawson, Tifa Lockhart, and Cloud Strife. It is unknown which area of Destino City she lives in, or if she even lives in that particular city. Rikku is a very hyper, cheerful, and down to earth girl. She is very optimistic about most things, and is eager to make new friends, as shown by her eagerness to get close to Sora. She has confessed to her friend Paine that she has feelings for Sora. When she found out Sora had heard about this, she freaked out and avoided Sora the entire school day. Even before she confessed, it was implied she had feelings for him. During that time, she appeared to be laid back about her feelings for him, completely contrary to Kairi's feelings. It is not yet known as of this chapter if she truely keeps her close bond with Sora.
-So, this chapter mainly had two main parts: Rikku's confession, and Sora and Tifa getting closer. I'm particularly disappointed that it was not as project-themed as I hoped it would be. I just found it hard to make a storyline revolving the project. It was a lot easier for the projet. I want to ask: did I make Barret swear too much? Did he curse that much in Final Fantasy?-