Chapter 10: She Lied to Me?
As Tifa dragged me to Cid's garage, I couldn't get the image of Aerith crying out of my head. I wanted to break away and follow her, but I had Tifa to take into consideration. I was searching for her for so long...so why is it that I would want to just leave her for someone else? No. Not just "someone else". I wanted to leave Tifa, my flower girl, for Aerith, and I didn't even understand why. It's just the thought of Tifa as my flower girl didn't particularly sit well with me, as if it didn't add up. But I was soon snapped out of my daydream by Tifa's squeal of joy as she hugged Cid. "UNCLE CID! MAN, I MISSED YOU!"
Cid replied with a tight hug, saying, "Ah can see dat!"
As soon as the two stopped embracing, Tifa took my hand in her's once more, and Cid looked at me in shock. Apparently, he wasn't too happy about the fact that Tifa and I were an item, though he still liked Tifa. I felt myself getting ashamed, as Cid said in a disappointed tone, "So...ya'll are together? What about that flower girl of yers, Cloud?"
Putting up a front, I laughed, and replied with ease, "What are you talking about, Cid? Tifa is my flower girl. Duh."
Cid suddenly got an angry look on his face, and roughly pulled Tifa away from me. I had a desperate look in my eye as I shouted, "What the hell is your problem!? What are you doing?!"
Tifa looked at me with an ashamed look on her face, and Cid replied, "Cloud, wait outside. Tifa, we need ta talk."
And with that I was pushed out the door, leaving the room with the image of Cid's disgusted face, and Tifa's tears.
----
It had already been a half an hour and I was getting tired of waiting for Tifa. I sighed, and walked up next to the door. I was about to knock when I heard screams on the other side of the door. Not wanting to miss the opportunity of eavesdropping on their conversation, I listened to the voices. A voice that sounded like Cid's suddenly yelled, "THA'S NOT THE F$#& POINT TIFA! YOU LIED TO CLOUD! YOU AND I KNOW HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU LIKE HE LOVES-!"
Then Tifa's voice came, "DON'T SAY HER NAME! DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT! WHY CAN'T YOU, WHY CAN'T ANYONE, JUST LET US, LET ME, GO ON PRETENDING!?"
There was a silence, a long silence, and that point I was pushing my ear so close against the door it could have been attached to it. Cid's voice sounded calmer, yet disgusted at the same time as he said those cold words, "Because you ain't his flower girl Tifa. You can never take Aerith's place..."
And then my eyes widened in shock as I backed away from the door. In shock I fell down on my bottom, and started to shake my head in denial. Tifa wouldn't lie to me, but Cid's voice...it was a voice of truth. His voice did not lie to me, and in that moment I felt my heart crumble. Not because of the fact that Tifa lied to me, but because of the fact that my flower girl, the one I truly loved was standing in front of me this whole time never once saying a word of it. Aerith wanted me to learn for myself that she was my flower girl, she wanted my heart to lead me to her, and I failed even that one small request. I was angry with myself for not noticing it earlier, and suddenly the door before me burst open as Cid stared down at my angry, yet crumpled expression. I looked up at him and then at Tifa. I stood up and looked at Tifa dead in the eye. And in a moment of rage I smacked her across the face, and said in the most repulsed tone I could muster, "You stupid, lying, whore..."
Tifa looked up at me with the a pair of the saddest eyes I had ever seen, but I just turned away from her in disgust and disappointment She was not my lover, she was not my friend, she was not my enemy, she was not worth to be my anything... And as I ran away from her to find Aerith, I could hear her sobs echoing down the hall...