chapter 10
bite the bullet

"Ladies," Squall said sweetly while dipping his head towards Quistis and myself. A few unruly bangs broke away from their tucked position behind his ears and softly fell in front of forehead, the tips seemingly getting caught in his eyelashes. I once again found myself being drawn in by his eyes, which were just visible from their refuge behind his bangs. We locked eyes for a split second, which was long enough for me to see a flicker in his eyes and an evil grin form on his lips. I just sneered at him as he and Seifer retreated to the front doors. That pompous ass actually thinks he is going to win? Hmm…perhaps we should find a karaoke bar later tonight.

"So what's the bet?" Quistis asked.

"Oh, Squall thinks that he is going to be able to find someone on Balamb that will drop us off on Ponchi, but he won't," I replied while lazily propping my elbows up on the table and watching Squall walk past the windows and vanish from sight.

Are you sure that not a single person will drop you off? Yes, of course I am. Absolutely sure? Yes. Positively sure? Yeah. Unquestionably sure? Ugh…yeah. You're undeniably certain? I…think…so. Unequivocally certain? Hyne, what is this! Okay, so maybe there is an infinitesimal chance that…I…could…be wrong; a snowballs chance in hell even! There are you happy! ...you're so screwed. Yeah, thanks for that. You know, you're supposed to be on my side, a little encouragement would be helpful. You're right…Rinoa, you aren't screwed. You're undeniably and unequivocally…fucked. Do you want me to hold my breath? Is that it? Don't make me hold my breath!

"Rinoa! Come in Rinoa!" Quistis uttered loudly while waving a hand in front of my face. In the midst of my argument with myself it seemed that Quistis had asked me a question. I tugged my hat down and slouched into my seat as I noticed that the few customers that were in the Fire Cavern were now staring at me as if I had a horn growing from my forehead. I could tell that they recognized me, but just couldn't pinpoint exactly who I was. Shit, I need to get out of here, and fast. I'm going to have a hoard of reporters chasing after me now. My nervousness was starting to spread as people were talking quietly amongst themselves and casting stares in my direction.

"Huh? I'm…I'm sorry Quistis. W-what did…you say?" I choked out, shifting my eyes around the room.

"Rinoa, are you alright?" Quistis asked in a concerned tone, noticing my sudden nervousness. I shook my head and removed my bowl and glass that lay on top of the newspaper that was sprawled out across the table. I angled the paper so that Quistis could get a better view of the headlines. Quistis leaned forward and began reading to herself. She paused and stared up at me, much in the same way that the other customers had. What! There isn't a horn! I swear!

"Vincent Valentine's critically acclaimed play will be running at the Angelika Theater on-"

"Shit. Not that. Here, read this," I interrupted and flipped the paper over so that the front page was displayed. It only took Quistis a couple of seconds to understand why I was suddenly on edge. She looked around to make sure that no one was close enough to hear us talking.

"Go to the restroom in the back, there is a window you can climb out of. I'll meet you behind the Fire Cavern," she said in a hushed voice as she leaned in closer to me and turning her back to the other customers.

"But I-"

"I'll pay the bill. Just go."

"NO! No, let me-" I tried to argue.

"Rinoa, it's alright, there is just an alley out back. I'll meet you in a couple of minutes, okay?" Quistis spoke with concern and laid a hand down on my shoulder.

I looked into her blue eyes and felt my nervousness ebbing away. There was something so warming and calming in her eyes that it was so foreign to me. She spoke with a soothing tone that a mother would take with a frightened child, again, something that was completely foreign to me. All that I could do was nod my head absentmindedly. Quistis almost immediately sensed my uneasiness.

"Rinoa, they won't get to you, we won't let them. Besides, you're one of us now and we look out for each other. You'll be fine."

You'll be fine. There is was again, that tone. It sounded so…so…motherly. In an instant I felt warmth wash over me while my anxieties seemed to slip away into oblivion. It was assurance; assurance that for the first time I would be safe. I've had numerous run-ins with reports and I've always had to outrun them or sneak away on my own, with no help. But now, I was being welcomed with open arms into this group of friends; friends who weren't superficial.

"Thanks," I whispered. Quistis smiled and nodded towards the back of the restaurant. I stood up, placed some gil on the table, and walked briskly toward the back, dodging a couple of chairs and tables on my way. People all around me were talking and forming their own conclusions. I followed the sign with the arrow pointing towards the back. I could just see the door for the restroom come into view. I was within three steps of the door when I heard it. I knew it would happen sooner or later.

"Hey, isn't that Rinoa Heartilly?" I heard someone say. I froze in mid-step and my heart starting to beat faster.

"Why would Rinoa Heartilly be here? She's surfing in the competition this morning," I heard Quistis reply confidently.

I smiled and continued on toward the door of the restroom with a smile on my face. I reached out and turned the rusted door handle. The wooden door creaked and moaned out in pain as I pushed it open. The restroom was small with only one stall, a sink with a mirror, and of course my freedom, a small window. In the middle was a single light bulb with a long pull cord hanging from the ceiling. I stepped inside and pulled the cord to turn on the light. I then closed the door behind me, switching over the latch to lock it. The tan tiled floor had scattered bits of toilet paper lying haphazardly around the stall. The white paint on the walls was starting to chip off, falling down on to the tiles. Next to the sink was a metal trashcan that was over flowing with paper towels.

I walked straight ahead to the window which was positioned about a meter and a half above the floor, and had a film of dust and grime. The window latch was locked and covered in a coating of white paint, just as the wooded windowsill was. I gripped the latch with my fingers and tried to pull it out towards me to unlock it. The only problem was that paint was so thick that I could barely budge the latch. Oh no! NO! Come on! Open up you stupid piece of metal! While I struggled with the door my fingers started to grow sore from exerting so much force. I pulled back and after a couple more vain attempts.

"Shit!" I spat out in frustration. Think! Think! Think! I looked around the room until my eyes rested on the trashcan. "Hello there," I said to myself as the light bulb in my head clicked on. I grabbed the can and turned it over, excelling all of the paper towels that were deposited, and some other…things. Oh that's just disgusting! What would possess two people to do that in here? Oh Hyne! The smoothie is rising! I dropped the can and turned around and nearly gagged in my mouth.

Okay, Okay, just don't look at them. You want to get out of here, right? With a new resolve I turned around and grabbed the trashcan while keeping my eyes focused on the wall to minimize the risk of seeing…those…again. I walked over to the window and brought the trashcan above my head. I unleashed a fury of hits upon the latch to loosen it from its current position. Metal clashed against metal creating a clamorous noise. I had no doubt that someone would come to the door in curiosity.

After about the tenth whack, the latch popped open. I tossed the trashcan in the corner and pulled the latch all the way out into the open position. I raised the window just as the door handle began to jiggle and turn back and forth. I paused and peered over my shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, I'll be right out. Just give me a minute," I said will pushing out the screen and watching it fall to the ground outside.

I was about to hop up on the windowsill when I noticed a problem. The window only opened about a foot. Great, now I have to slither out. I took a deep breath and gripped the outside portion of the window sill with both of my hands. Using the strength that I had, I pulled myself up and forward, dipping my head as I passed under the window. I stopped when I pulled my torso up onto the windowsill to catch my breath. I took a couple deep breaths and mentally prepared myself for the fall that I was about to take. Now granted, the window wasn't that high, but falling face-first onto the ground from any height was not my forte; especially for one who is a bit scared of heights.

Just then the window began to creak. Fearing that the window would shut on me and cut me in half…or something…well it might…I pushed myself out the window and collided with the soft dirt and sand mixture on the ground…face-first. Shit that hurt! For Hyne's sake, that's twice today. Sure my hands were out to soften the blow and try to catch myself, but that failed miserably. I did manage to land on my side though.

The right side of my body hit the ground with a thud. Half of my face dug into the sandy dirt with some being shoved into my mouth. My hat twisted around so that the bill was covering the left half of my face. My hair was sprawled about in every which way. All the while I heard some one trying to sustain a giggle. I looked up and sure enough, there was Quistis with one hand covering her mouth and the other outstretched to help me up. I spit out the dirt that was in my mouth and slowly rose into a sitting position before taking her offer.

"How long were you standing there?" I asked.

"Just long enough to see your graceful dismount," she replied with a smile, while pulling me up.

After I cleaned and brushed myself off, we decided to get as far away from the press as we could. We walked back onto the now bustling street and headed for the docks. The sun was beginning to climb higher into the morning sky as we walked along the beach. A steady breeze blew in from the ocean, playing with my hair as it danced around me. With each step I took, my foot sank into the soft sand. The grains seemed to hold my foot captive until the moment when my momentum would bring about liberation, and the cycle would start anew.

The docks were virtually empty as we approached them, most of the boats already gone on their fishing expeditions for the day. The wooden planks groaned as we walked above them. The water down below was gently crashing into the wooden columns holding up the dock. We sat along the edge of the dock, looking back along the beach as it seemed to stretch into the horizon. Sumet's was only about one hundred meters away, so we could still keep an eye on the reporters who were snooping around.

I was very grateful for the opportunity to just get away; get away from the five hour photo shoots, the press junctions, and asshole boyfriends. Now I find myself with this…amazing group of friends that have invited me along with them on their journey. Just watching them interact with each other, they seem like a close-knit family. And I am just an outsider. I started thinking that I actually didn't know anything about them really. Okay, other than Squall is Laguna Loire's son, but beyond that, I don't know much about them. I do know enough that I feel safe enough to travel with them, this family, to a hidden beach.

"So how long have you guys known each other?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Well, we grew up together in Esthar, to put it simply. Squall, Seifer, and myself all lived on the same street. I actually lived right across the street from Squall and Seifer just a few houses down. We didn't meet Irvine, Selphie, and Zell until later."

"So you became best friends from the start?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Squall and Seifer were inseparable, they did everything together. It's funny really, Squall was always quiet and shy around people that he didn't know, and even sometimes around us. He would retreat deep into his thoughts unless Seifer was around. Seifer was, and still is, the exact polar opposite of Squall. He was the livewire of the two, always getting into trouble and dragging us along with him. I remember he would always say, 'come on Squall, don't be a girl, nothing is going to happen'. I always knew that they would get into trouble, but I still went along with them. Deep down I think that Squall knew as well, but didn't want to disappoint Seifer."

Quistis had her long legs dangling over the dock edge and had both arms back to support her as she leaned back, admiring the view of the beach and recalling found memories, smiling all the while. I leaned back onto my hands as well and looked back on the beach. The thought of the three of them getting into any sort of trouble was comical to say the least. I could just imagine Squall beginning to chicken out and Seifer making fun of him.

"What kind of trouble did you get into?"

"Oh, just little petty stuff really. It started off with prank phone calls to random people in the phone book, to pick-pocketing in downtown Esthar, to vandalizing property," Quistis said while shaking her head at what I could only imagine would be the images that were flooding her memory. She paused and her face suddenly fell and added, "but that all changed after the…accident."

The accident, what accident? Wait, Squall said he was in a car accident.

"Oh, you mean the car accident?" I asked

"Uh…right, the car accident. How do you know?" she asked while turning to face me.

"Well, I asked Squall this morning how he got that scar on his forehead and he told me his was in a car accident."

"Ah, I see. Well, yes, Squall and his mother were involved in…a car accident. Tragically, his mother, Raine, was killed and his father just up and left," Quistis spoke with mixed emotions. She tried to force a smile, but I could tell that she was angry about what had happened. She turned back around and focused on the horizon again.

"Oh my Hyne! I had no idea. I mean when Squall said that he was in a car accident, I just assumed that this happened recently, like he was the one driving," I paused to let the realization sink in. To loose your mother at a young age was almost unfathomable…almost. I guess that's one thing that we have in common.

"Squall doesn't talk about it. That's the one subject that we don't press upon him really. We know he has limits about what he is willing to talk about. He virtually shuts down when the subject is brought up."

"I kinda noticed that. How old was he?"

"Nine. Yep, that's when everything changed."

"How so?"

"Well with Laguna out of the picture…I ugh…assume that you know about that already?" I just nodded my head in response.

"Well, with Laguna gone and with Squall and Ellone having no other living relatives, the courts sent them to live with foster families. Only, these foster families weren't the most…hospitable. He and Ellone were shuffled from one abusive home to another and the courts and lawyers just turned a blind eye."

"I remember for school Squall would hardly show up, and when he did, he was a different person. He became much quieter more nervous more…protective. He would only talk to Seifer and me, and when Seifer wasn't around, he would tell me what goes on back at his home. Some of the things he told me were just unimaginable. I remember a specific incident where he told me that Zeke, one of his foster fathers, like to physically beat them after a night of drinking. Zeke came home one night completely trashed and dragged Squall and Ellone out of their beds to begin beating them. He would start on Squall and then move on to Ellone, but…" Quistis paused for a long moment.

"Squall…he would bear the brunt of Zeke's attack and then do anything to keep Zeke from getting to Ellone. He would do anything to try and protect her. Keep in mind; this is a nine year old kid trying to protect his ten year old sister." She shook her head at the memory. "He never told Seifer how he would get the bruises, but I ended up telling him. In three months they were in and out of ten different foster homes, each as abusive as the one before, until finally the courts got word of what was going on. With no one else willing to take them in, the courts shipped them off to Esthar Garden to become SeeDs.

"Seifer was hit hard by the news. I mean, they were really close. Seifer started changing; he started becoming more brash and getting into more trouble. He would even break into cars to steal gil or whatever. Seifer's home life was starting to crumble as well. His parents were sick of his antics and lack of respect, so they sent him to Garden."

"And you? Did you go to Garden?"

"Yep. My parents ignored me mostly. They got sick of me and found caring for me too much of a chore. So, they sent me to Garden so that they could get on with the rest of their lives."

"Wow…I don't know what to say. You were all so young."

"Yeah, well, shit happens for a reason. Besides, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger," she said with a slight smile on her face as her eyes focused on something off in the distance. I followed her gaze and saw a blur of yellow coming this way…coming right at me…at very high speeds.

"RINNNNY!"

"And that's where we met Irvine, Zell, and…Selphie."

In a time that was faster than I could even blink, my insides were being crushed, my spleen was rupturing, and ribs were puncturing my lungs. Okay not really, but tell me this, how is it possible for someone so tiny to possess so much crushing force? I opened my eyes and saw Selphie crouched down beneath me with her arms thrown around my waist, squeezing the very life out of me.

"Selphie…release," I heard Quistis say, and as if on command, she did.

"I can't believe it! Does this mean you're coming with us!" Selphie squealed.

Believe me, I wanted to answer her, but I was very afraid that she would tackle me…or worse. So I pulled back, closed my eyes, and cringed before answering.

"…yes?"

"YAAY! Irvy, Zell, did you here that? Rinoa is coming with us!" Behind Selphie stood a form holding packages, the only distinguishing feature was the spiked blonde tips. Irvine was trailed behind him tipping his hat with a smile on his face.

"That's fantaAHH-" Zell stumbled forward nearly dropping the load he was carrying, but recovered quickly. Quistis stood up and walked over to assist him.

"What did you guys get?" Quistis asked.

"We bumped into Squall and Seifer this morning and Squall told us to go out and buy some food and pack our bags," Selphie said energetically.

"Selphie…what did you get? There are four bags here!" Quistis exclaimed while taking the top bag off the pile so that Zell could be seen. He thanked her and set the rest of the bags down on the dock.

"Actually, the bottom bag is food and stuff that we'll need, and the others belong to Zell" Selphie said as she stood up and walked towards Zell, clenching her fist. Zell took a couple of steps back and held out his hands to defend himself from Selphie's anticipated onslaught.

"What do you mean the others are Zell's?" Quistis asked. I stood up to watch, sensing something was about to go down, mostly of Zell getting beat up by Selphie…and probably Quistis too by the look of it.

"Okay…wait…I can explain!" Zell said.

"Yeah Zell, tell Quistis and Rinoa what you spent 75 gil on," Irvine said from behind him.

"Well Squall told us to buy what we would need for a couple of weeks, and, well I have different needs from you guys," Zell choked out. I could tell he was nervous, his hands where starting to shake and his eyes were darting back and forth from Quistis to Selphie.

"Out with it Zell," Selphie said.

"Like I said, I have different needs…and…and…and I have a very sensitive diet-"

"Selphie, tell me he didn't?" Quistis asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'll carry everything, I promise. You guy won't even notice a thing," Zell promised.

"Zell!" Selphie practically shouted.

"Okay!" Zell took in a deep breath and prepared himself. "I-went-down-to-one-of-the-local-stores-and-bought-them-out-of-hotdogs," he spat out all at once. He then cowered back and winced.

"You spent 75 gil on hotdogs! Zell are you crazy! They're all going to spoil by tomorrow!" Quistis exclaimed.

"No they won't, because I bought them MRE style, you know, meals ready to eat," Zell whined.

Both Quistis and Selphie were glaring at Zell, Irvine just had an amused smile on his face. Zell straightened up after he realized that neither Selphie nor Quistis was about to pummel him with blows. An agonizing minute went by where nobody uttered a sound.

"Ugh…I'm just going to go back to my room and pack up my stuff…yeah," Zell tentatively said. He slowly bent down to pick up the bags, keeping an eye on both Quistis and Selphie. With the bags in his arms, he smiled nervously and walked back to the hotel.

"Hotdogs huh?" I playfully asked.

"You don't want to know," Irvine answered.

A couple of hours later, everyone except for Squall, Seifer, and me, had gone back to the hotel and gathered up their packs. Squall and Seifer still had not returned from their quest to find a boat that would drop us off on Ponchi. I, of course, couldn't go back to Sumet's because the press was still hounding me from what I could tell. We were all biding our time by the docks; Quistis, Selphie, and me strategizing how I could get back to my room and get my stuff. Irvine was busy teaching Zell the art of hitting on women back down on the beach. I think that Zell got slapped across the face at least three times so far. Oh, and I did inform them of our little bet, they were ecstatic to say the least.

Off in the distance, a lone figure began walk towards the docks. As the figure came closer, we realized it was Squall. He had his hands shoved deep into his pockets looking…defeated. This is going to be good. Maybe I should start off with him groveling at my feet. He approached the docks and slowed his pace when he noticed us.

"Where's Seifer?" he asked, trying to avoid eye contact with me.

"We thought he was with you," Selphie replied.

"He was, but we split up to cover more ground."

"What's the matter Squall, no luck?" I asked with a knowing smile. He didn't answer me though, didn't even look at me. He just turned around and started walking back.

"I'm going back to get my stuff, be right back," he mumbled.

"Hey, that is! Rinoa, Squall can get your stuff so that you don't have to be caught by those reporters!" Selphie said while jumping up and down at her idea. I turned and looked to Quistis.

"Do you think it would work?" I asked.

"It's worth a shot, what do you think, Squall?" Quistis asked. He froze with his back towards us.

"…fine…whatever."

"Great! Here's my key, all of my stuff is in a bag near the foot of the bed. Don't worry, Squall, just think of this as practice for later," I told him while I walked up to him, holding out my key. He swiped it out of my hand and stormed off.

We watched Squall as he reached the back deck of Sumet's and disappear into the hotel. A moment later, we heard a roaring engine quickly approaching. Zell and Irvine ran back up to the docks. Racing along the shallow water at full speed was a ski boat that was cutting through the waves with ease, creating little wake. The driver was hunched down in the captain's chair, his blonde hair flapping behind him as he fought against the wind.

"Holy shit! Is that Seifer!" Zell called out.

Without warning the boat's front end reared up as the driver threw the boat into reverse, instantly slowing the speed. The boat skid across the water and stopped right before slamming into the end of the dock.

"Hey guys! We got us a boat!" he yelled out over the engine.

"Seifer, I didn't know you could drive a boat," Quistis stated.

"What can I say, I'm multi-talented. Alright, throw your shit in, lets go," Seifer said as he put the engine in neutral and hopped out of the boat with a line to tie to the cleat. He tied the line quickly and began tossing bags and packs into the boat.

"Seifer what's the hurry?" Irvine asked as he strolled up to the boat.

"Nothing! Just get it!" he spat out.

"Nice ride, how did you get it?" Selphie asked.

"Hyne just shut the fuck up and get in!" he nervously shouted.

"Seifer, what did you do!" Quistis demanded.

"I'll explain later," he said while chucking a bag into the boat, "where's your stuff Rinoa? Where's Squall?"

"He's back at Sumet's getting our stuff," I answered.

"SHIT! Come on, everyone get in."

We all had worried looks on our faces. Irvine and Selphie got in first, Selphie taking the passenger chair. Zell hopped in with his three bags of hotdogs in his arms. Seifer jumped into the boat and turned around to help Quistis in. I stood on the edge of the dock and looked back towards Sumet's and was Squall coming out of the hotel with bags in hand.

"There's Squall," I said and pointed in his direction. Seifer's head perked up to look in his direction and he was about to shout to him when a man emerged from the tree line in the opposite direction. He was carry a gun and running towards us while shouting in a foreign tongue.

"Shit! SQUALL, RUN!" Seifer shouted.

"Holy Fuck Seifer! What did you do!" Irvine yelled. Seifer got out and untied the bow line from the cleat. I stood on the dock paralyzed, unsure of what to do or what was going on. Just then, a shot rang out sending everyone in the boat to the deck. Seifer jumped back into the boat as the shot zipped past overhead. Oh my Hyne! I'm gonna die!

"Rinoa, get down!" I vaguely heard someone shout. As much as I wanted to move, my feet were cemented to the wooden planks. My eyes were transfixed on Squall as he broke into an all out sprint towards the docks.

"HE'S PACKING HEAT SQUALL, RUN!" Zell shouted.

The man let off another shot, this time one at Squall that narrowly missed him as he rounded the corner for the docks. The scatter shots imbedded themselves into the planks right behind Squalls legs. He started running faster. His arms and legs were pumping furiously with the bags flying wildly about. He got to within ten yards when the man totting the shotgun finally reached the docks. He quickly reloaded, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

"RINOA!"

My eyes widened and my mouth fell open as I heard the shot bellow out from the gun. Everything started to slow down; the cartridge discharging from the barrel, the smoke wafting into the air, the pellets bursting out of the cartridge. My heartbeat was pounding in my ears as the pellets flew right past me, hitting the side of the boat.

Squall was now just a couple of feet from reaching the boat. He threw the bags into the boat and leapt into the air as another round of shots came hurtling our way. I only had a moment to blink before I felt Squall's shoulder collide into my body right below my ribcage and his arms wrap around my waist. I was flown back as Squall's body slammed into mine, sending us flying into the air with bullets surrounding us. We fell back into the bench seat, by back driven into the seat cushion with Squall landing on top of me.

"GO! GO! GO!" Squall shouted with the side of his face only inches away from mine.

Seifer shoved the throttle forward, instantly bringing the boat to life. The outboard motor roared as we were propelled from the dock at amazing speeds. All of a sudden one of the front windows burst into pieces. Squall instantly turned his face towards me and covered my face with one of his arms. I shut my eyes as the glasses pieces flew back, bouncing off the cushions and over the sides of the boat. The wind was whipping Squall's hair against my face.

I suddenly felt a sharp stab of pain in my ribcage and found myself unable to breath. I tried gasping for air, but to no avail. My eyes shot open and were met by soft blue ones. Squall stared down upon me with a look of concern. The boat was beginning to slow in speed and Squall slowly raised his upper body off of mine. I began gasping for air as his weight lifted off me. Seeing me gasp, he leaned his face down to my ear.

"Are you alright!" he pleaded against the wind. Am I alright? Am I ALRIGHT? I was just being shot at and I was just tackled! Of course I'm NOT ALRIGHT!

"…yeah," I mumbled.

He sat up and started inspecting my body for any cuts or wounds. I was too much in a state of shock to notice that Squall was straddling my lower body, although, the action was subconsciously beginning to registrar in my brain. He pressed his thumb against the side of my waist, his warm skin touching mine. My eyes started to roam over his exposed chest and I started feeling light-headed.

"You're lucky, it just missed you!" What are you talking about?

"One of the bullets just missed you," he shouted as he showed me the newly formed hole that was in my shirt. I looked down and saw the whole, as well as some fresh drops of blood. I blinked my eyes a couple of times to make sure that I was seeing straight. This doesn't make sense…I wasn't hit though…unless. I looked at Squall's side and saw a small trickle of blood that was dripping down onto me.

"You're hit," I shouted as I moved one of my hands up to inspect.

"Nah…it just skimmed me," he said. He then leaned down to my ear once again, "but I think that we're even now."

howdy guys. so there you have it. i hope thatthis chapter is up to par. this will have to hold you guys over for awhile,i won't be able to spend as much time on thisstory, with classes starting and all. anywhoo, thanks for the reviews. oh and about the title, the reason why it's all lower caps is because 1) i'mpaying tribute to the book (whichis also in lower caps) and 2) because i can. i mean, everyone has proper titles, i'm just breaking away from the norm. great reviews though! thank you all soo much! ciao