The Last Traces of Childhood
Chapter 9 – The Anticipated Night
Dear Diary,
It has finally arrivedthe ever-wondrous prom night Today was the last day of school; everyone was hectic, including the teachers and Mr. Wallace. We juniors were excited of demolishing our old status, and have truly realized the concept of our going-to-college status in the fall. I did pretty well on my SATs, got 1528. Mom and Dad were proud, and they took me out to dinner to celebrate. Yesterday, Yuffie and I were frantically searching for a dress at the mall. I swear, the clerks there must either have a LOT of patience, or they've been through this sort of thing before Oh, what am I gonna do without Yuffie and Vincent? I probably won't see them all that much during summerI'll really miss them Please let them go to the same college I'm going to Oh ya, speaking of college, I got a scholarship to Nibelheim University; Cloud applied to that school too, and he got in. It's kinda far from my home in Kalm, but I'm glad that Mom and Dad are letting me go. Hope they won't be too worried about me when I'm gone
"I think this one's better"
"No way, Aeris! This one is more glamorous!"
Aeris and Yuffie were at Kalm Mall, debating on which dress to get for the prom; they had already gotten their shoes. The girls had wandered into a gown store, where the clerks had shown them a couple of very nice dresses. Yuffie had already chosen her prom gown; however, Aeris was still indecisive. Her best friend had pointed out a pretty yellow mini-dress, but the flower girl didn't think that it was her type.
"Argh, I'm never gonna find the right dress" Aeris complained.
"Of course ya are!" Yuffie assured. "Just don't be so picky!"
"I'm not being picky!" Aeris protested. "I just want the prom to be perfect!" The Asian girl rolled her eyes.
"Rissy, dear," She said, a teasing glint appearing in her eyes as she used Cloud's nickname. "Nothing is perfect; something's gotta go wrong"
"Yuff, you just jinxed the prom!"
"Hey Aeris, why do you want everything to be so perfect?" Her friend questioned, curiosity shining in her face, and then she grinned wickedly. "Ooh, I get itare ya planning something special for Cloud?"
"Yuf-fie!" Aeris groaned.
Secretly, she thought, Yeah, I'm gonna tell Cloud that I love him, what's your point?
She shook her head free of those thoughts and focused her attention back to the shopping, not bothering to answer Yuffie's question. Suddenly, her eyes were attracted to an elegant lavender dress that was displayed on a wall. Thin purple straps encircled the hanger that the gown was on, and small sparkling designs were stitched into the dress itself. Aeris went up to it and felt the silky fabric, then smiled at Yuffie. The two nodded at each other and Aeris plucked the gown off of the rack.
She walked to the counter and paid for the dress, then the girls left the store and searched around the mall for a pay phone. After a little while, Aeris spotted one and she dashed toward it, motioning for her best friend to follow her. The teenage girl inserted thirty gil into the machine and picked up the receiver; she punched in Cloud's home phone number.
"Hello?" A male voice asked.
"Hi Cloud!" Aeris greeted.
"Hey Rissy," Her boyfriend said back. "What's up?"
"Um, can you do me a favor? Please?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Well, Yuffie and I met each other at Kalm Mall a while ago. You know, to shop for our prom stuff?"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yuffie's gonna get picked up by her dad in about five minutes; I need to get home but I feel kinda tired after walking around that longso I was wondering if you could give me a ride home" Aeris twisted the phone cord around her finger.
"Okay, wait outside for me; I'll be there in a few,"
"Thanks Cloud, see ya." She hung up and turned to her best friend with a wide smile. "Isn't he the sweetest?"
"Rissy and Cloud, sittin' in a tree" Yuffie teased playfully.
"Hey!" Aeris protested. "What about you and you Vincey-boy, hmm?"
The Asian girl flushed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever I'm gonna go to Jamba Juice until Dad comes, see you at the prom tonight?"
Her friend nodded. "Uh huh."
The two girls hugged and Yuffie ran off, calling back, "Bye!"
Aeris grinned and picked up her bags. She rushed across the mall and found a pair of doors leading outside. Letting the bags hang off onto her elbows the flower girl pushed open a door and stepped out into the humid, afternoon weather. A breeze started up and blew her bags around in the air, as well as her loosely hung hair. Her boyfriend appeared in his car a few minutes later, and he grinned at her as he braked the automobile.
"Hey," Cloud said to her.
"Hi, thanks for sending me home." Aeris smiled at him.
"No problem. So, what's in a bag?" A teasing twinkle glimmered in his sky-blue eyes.
"You'll find out tonight," She replied saucily.
As he drove Aeris back to her house, the flower girl and Cloud chatted about the junior-senior prom and their friends.
"Think the seniors are ticked off cuz us juniors are gonna be at the prom with them?" Cloud questioned.
She shrugged. "Well, maybe the popular and intolerant people? But then again, Cid's the most popular senior and his own girlfriend is a junior, so he must feel okay about it. The other people probably just follow his example"
Her boyfriend gave her a strange look.
Aeris frowned. "What'd I do?"
"Tifa's not a junior," Cloud explained.
"Oh, really?" Aeris asked incredulously. "She's a senior too?"
"Not even close; she's only a sophomore." He informed her.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "B-but isn't Tifa seventeen, just like us?"
Cloud nodded. "Yeah, but she failed a couple of times"
"Oh my"
"I guess Cid's got respect for the little ones too, huh?" The blonde-haired boy joked with a chuckle.
His girlfriend punched him lightly in the arm. "Hey now, you were a 'little one' two years ago!"
"Yeah, but did my status stay like that three times in a row?" He asked with a grin.
She laughed and answered, "Guess not"
Not too long after she said that, they arrived at her house. The teenage girl gathered her bags as Cloud put his car in "parking" mode. She kissed him on the cheek, then pushed the door open and got out.
"See you at ten!" Aeris called as she darted up the sidewalk. Her boyfriend waved and drove off.
*****
"Aeris, sweetie! Your date's here!"
"Coming, Mom!"
The flower girl checked herself over in the mirror, then flicked off the light switch and shut the door to her room as she ran out. Grabbing her purse off of the table in the hallway, she slowly walked down the stairs. Her silky lavender gown clung to her when she approached the bottom and a cold wind coming from the open door, chilled her skin. Low-heeled, dark purple dress shoes covered her feet and little sparkly icons were glittering in her mahogany-colored hair.
"Hi Cloud!" Aeris greeted her boyfriend after going to the door.
Cloud's eyes widened slightly, and then he looked away sheepishly and glanced down. His girlfriend smiled when she saw him in his crisp, black tuxedo; his spiky blonde hair was slicked back, long bangs hanging in front of his face. Ifalna was sitting on the couch in the living room, curled up with Aeris' father and the two were watching television.
"Ready to leave?" Cloud asked, face still turned to the side.
"Sure!" Aeris replied with a bright smile. "Mom, Dad, see you in a couple of hours, k?"
"Have fun and be careful, you two," Her father said. "Don't stay out all night!" Aeris rolled her eyes.
"We won't be able to, Dad! Cloud's got a bedtime!" She replied, giving her boyfriend a teasing smile.
"Ae-ris!" Cloud protested, blushing at her remark.
"Be careful!" Ifalna called, just as her daughter stepped outside and shut the door.
"You look beautiful," Cloud whispered in his girlfriend's ear as he leaned toward her to grasp her hand.
She blushed and replied, "Thanks Cloud, you look pretty handsome yourself."
The couple walked slowly down the sidewalk, and Aeris gasped when she saw a long black vehicle in the street.
"You rented a limousine?" She asked her boyfriend in an astonished tone. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Cloud grinned at her. "I wanted to surprise you"
"I'm really grateful, thanks Cloud!" The teenage girl gave him a warm hug. Then she broke away and tugged his hand to go faster.
A man in a black suit – presumably the chauffeur – opened the door to the limo and gestured the couple inside. Aeris stepped in and Cloud followed, then the driver shut the door and went over to the other side, getting into the driver's seat. Aeris' eyes widened in surprise as her gaze fell upon two dark figures sitting beside her.
"Yuffie! Vincent!" She cried out.
"Hi Rissy!" Yuffie greeted her, just as Vincent said, "Hey Aeris."
"Wow, this is great!" Aeris' eyes shone with delight. "You're coming with us, right?"
"Uh huh!" Her best friend answered.
"This was Cloud's doing," The Asian girl's boyfriend told Aeris with a smile.
"Thank you!" Aeris said to Cloud and gave him another hug.
"Welcome," He answered and returned her embrace.
The group relaxed into their seats after the excitement and had a couple of casual conversations about the upcoming prom. As they were in the middle of talking, the limo came to a smooth stop and the driver got out of his seat. He opened the door to where the four friends were sitting, and they climbed out anxiously, spotting other couples getting out of limos near the front of the high school. Aeris and Yuffie held the skirt of their dresses up, and immediately rushed to the entrance to the dance room, where Vice-Principal Elmyra Wallace, obviously the principal's wife, was standing by.
"Hey, wait up!" Vincent called out to the girls as he and Cloud ran after their girlfriends.
The girls grinned at each other and slowed down to a stop in front of the doors. Aeris shook a finger at Cloud playfully when he and Vincent arrived.
"Too slow, huh?" She teased.
"Yeah, whatever" Her boyfriend grinned bashfully. "Let's go inside; it's already fifteen minutes after ten."
"Okay, come on everyone!" Aeris grabbed Cloud's hand and the two couples went inside, Mrs. Wallace calling after them, "You know the rules! And no break-dancing!" Vincent rolled his eyes at that remark, remembering what had happened the last time.
As Aeris and Cloud stepped into the room, juniors and seniors turned away from their dancing and their attention went to the couple. Light clapping was heard, and then they went back to their business. The flower girl smiled inwardly, glad that there wasn't a big commotion like the other dance. Two female students were sitting at a table near the entrance, and they stopped the two momentarily.
"Please cast your votes for the Prom King and Queen, then drop your ballet into the box," One girl instructed while the other one handed Aeris and Cloud a small piece of paper and a pencil.
Hmmm Prom King and Queen Who should I vote for? Aeris pondered as she silently read the names of the juniors to herself. The only names she recognized were Tseng Robinson and Elena Jenkins, so she checked off the box next to the couple. Afterwards, Aeris turned her attention to the senior nominees.
"Cid Highwind and Tiffany Lockheart," was the first name.
Tifa doesn't deserve the title The flower girl decided, then groaned. Ughwish I could vote for Cid and Shera
The next couple on the list was, "Rufus Shinra and Scarlet Harlington,"
Don't know them too well Aeris thought in disappointment.
"Yuffie Kisaragi and Vincent Valentine" She read, then exclaimed in her mind, Yuffie! I think I'll vote for them
Before she marked the box next to their name, she glanced at the last names on the paper.
"Aeris Gainsborough and Cloud Strife." She smiled.
How cute, they nominated us Still, I'm gonna vote for Yuffie and Vincent The flower girl concluded, even though she'd always wanted to be Prom Queen.
After the couple had obliged and gave the girls back their pencils, they continued on to the dance floor. When Aeris focused her sights on the room, she smiled happily at how beautifully it was decorated.
Colorful streamers enlightened the place, and bright, flashing lights overcame the darkness. Big silver stars were stuck to the ceiling and walls; a small mist was spraying into the air from the stage, where the DJ was playing records. All of a sudden, she felt something slip onto her arm, and Aeris turned around to see her boyfriend tuck a white box into his pocket. She raised her arm and saw that a small blue corsage was on her wrist.
The flower girl smiled and said, "This looks pretty, thanks Cloud."
He smiled back at her and took her hand as a slow song came on. "Wanna dance?"
"Okay," She replied and the two walked to the dance floor.
After the slow song, a few fast-paced ones came on and Aeris went over to find her best friend. Yuffie was surrounded by a group of her other girl friends and together, they danced, while Cloud and Vincent occupied a corner with their fellow guy friends and talked.
Half an hour later, Aeris and Yuffie parted from their group, got back with their boyfriends and danced with them. At one point, about fifteen minutes after she had went back to Cloud, the flower girl felt a bit stuffy and fanned herself; her boyfriend noticed this and asked, "Do you want to go outside for a little while?"
Aeris nodded. "Yeah, but let me tell Yuffie firstYuffie?" Her eyebrows knitted together when she couldn't find her best friend. "Hmm, I guess she's off somewhere else"
"Come on then," Her boyfriend gently pulled her out the back door, where other couples were scattered around the backyard of Midgar Academy.
The auburn-haired girl sat on one of the benches near the garden at the center and Cloud sat beside her. Aeris sighed in relief and breathed in heavily, grateful of the chilly wind blew around her body, cooling down her temperature. She raised her head up and her emerald green eyes sparkled with joy when she saw the twinkling stars in the dark night sky. Big, puffy clouds loomed overhead, the gray lining in them threatening thunder and rain. A little yellow daisy in the flowerpot hanging next to Aeris beckoned to her, and she smiled softly as she carefully stroked the fragile petals. Her attention went back to Cloud as he placed an arm over her shoulder, and turned his face to her.
"Feeling better?" He asked. She breathed in the soothing, cool oxygen and nodded.
"Hey, look" The blonde teenager whispered and motioned toward something to her right. Aeris turned to see what he was gesturing at, and chuckled quietly.
Yuffie and her boyfriend were slowly walking around the center of the garden. The Asian girl spun around, the skirt of her short, black dress twirling at her knees. She stopped and plucked a leaf off of a tree next to her, then placed it on Vincent's head. He smiled at her and in turn, took a small red rose out of his tux and tucked it behind her ear. Yuffie grinned and wrapped her arms around the neck of her dark-haired boyfriend; they leaned in toward each other and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Aeris flushed and looked away awkwardly.
I shouldn't have watched them like that It's an invasion of privacy The flower girl quietly scolded herself, slightly embarrassed. She looked at Cloud and guessed that he was feeling the same, since his face was tilted toward the ground.
"Um, maybe we should go back in" Aeris suggested softly and stood up.
"Right" Cloud agreed and they went back to the back door of dance room. Just as they walked in, they noticed the music had stopped. The couple looked at the stage, surprised to see Vice-Principal Wallace standing on it, mike in hand and in the middle of an announcement.
"So if any of you juniors or seniors would like to make a shout-out, go over there," She pointed to a table blocking the door. "And wait until it's your turn to go on stage. Alright, go on ahead and enjoy the prom!" With a smooth smile, the vice-principal latched the microphone back onto the stand and walked off the stage, disappearing into the crowd.
"Ooh, that looks like fun!" A voice chimed in from behind Aeris.
The flower girl turned around and saw Yuffie and Vincent; the hyperactive teenage girl's eyes were twinkling with happiness and her boyfriend had a similar expression on his face. Yuffie smiled energetically as she grabbed her best friend's arm, tugging Aeris toward the door that led to the stage.
"Come on, let's go on!" The energetic teenager urged.
"Cloud, you come too!" Aeris demanded lightly as she felt herself get dragged away. Her boyfriend shrugged with a small grin and motioned for Vincent to follow.
*****
"I wanna say bye to all my friends and I hope you guys will have a cool summer!"
That shout-out was met with light clapping; Aeris heard Yuffie sigh in relief as the junior girl currently on stage jumped off the platform, and ran to her friends. The four had been waiting for about twenty minutes (it felt like forever), and it was finally their turn.
"Aeris, it's our turn!" Yuffie whispered and grabbed Vincent's hand, leading him up the stage, heading for the mike. Aeris looked back and gestured to Cloud, then ran after the couple and stood behind her black-haired best friend, suddenly feeling self-conscious about being in front of so many juniors and seniors; Cloud just hung back in the shadows.
"Hey y'all!" Yuffie greeted the crowd excitedly, keeping an arm around Vincent's waist and the other hand gripping the mike. "I hope you're doin' great!" Quite a few people cheered in response.
"Anyway, my message is for all my friends, especially my best girl friend over there," She paused and stepped aside so the crowd could see Aeris. The flower girl waved nervously and went with Cloud into the shadowy shades as people clapped. "And my cute boyfriend right here!" A few people, including most of Yuffie's friends, hooted at the sight of Vincent and he flushed. "Well, have a great summer and don't forget me when we all come back to Midgar Academy!" Yuffie stuck the microphone back onto the stand and winked at Cloud and Aeris before hopping off the stage with her boyfriend.
"Come on, Rissy" Cloud whispered to her as he took her hand and they stepped foreword, revealing themselves in the light.
As usual, the room went noisy as the juniors and some seniors clapped and cheered loudly for the most popular guy of the junior grade. Cloud smiled faintly and raised his hand, silencing some of the people. He plucked the mike out of the stand and started with, "So, how's is everyone doing?"
This question was met with wide smiles and a bit of clapping. The spiky haired teenager placed a finger over his lips and continued, "Heh, I guess that means you're all having a great time? Well, the reason I came up here is to say 'hello' to you all, and also, to the seniors, enjoy your summer cuz it's the last one we're gonna get before we go off to prison-uh, I mean college!" A teasing grin spread over his face as he said that.
More cheering was heard as he finished with, "To my best friends, Vincent and his girlfriend, Yuffie, I hope we'll meet up in the summer. It sucks that you two live so far away from us, but maybe I'll see you two in college. And, my final say is to my adoring girlfriend, Aeris." Cloud grinned at the flower girl standing next to him while whistles pierced the air.
"I'm really glad that you transferred here from Icicle High," He said softly, directing his remark to Aeris. "And I hope you enjoyed the last two months of your senior year. It's a good thing we're both going to Nibelheim University, cuz if you weren't, I'd miss you too much"
"Thanks Cloud," She replied with a smile and enveloped her boyfriend in a tight hug.
Cloud replaced the mike and kissed her on the forehead; he left her for a second and went over to the disc jockey. After he whispered something in her ear and she nodded with a smile, Cloud walked back to Aeris and the couple hopped off the stage.
"What was that?" She asked curiously.
He grinned mysteriously. "Nothing important By the way, I hope you weren't embarrassed by my little speech"
"Oh, of course not! How could I have been? You were so sweet" Aeris told him, her smile still in place.
A teasing glint appeared in his cool blue eyes as he placed his lips on her neck, tenderly nibbling her sensitive skin and murmured, "Funny, I always thought girls were sweeter than guys"
She giggled, and then absentmindedly turned her head towards the stage, waiting to see if anyone she knew was going onto the stand. Aeris' smile froze as she spotted Tifa go up, a bald-headed boy standing next to her with his hand around her waist. The flower girl gasped when she recognized the boy to be the one that Tifa had been with near the Kalm the other daythe boy that Tifa was cheating on Cid with
"Oh my" Aeris said out loud, without fully realizing it. Her boyfriend gave her a curious look.
"Something wrong, Rissy?" He asked.
She shook her head, not wanting Cloud to know her little secret. Aeris covered her mouth with one hand, and awaited Tifa's shout-out.
Oh boy, this ought to be interesting The flower girl thought as she bit her lip nervously. I hope this prom-the anticipated night-won't turn into disappointment
Preview of chapter 10:
Dear Diary,
Man, I feel sorry for Cid Sheesh, Tifa is a really mean person. I can't believe she would do that to her own (well, now former) boyfriend! And in front of all those people-! Thank goodness Shera was there to pick up the pieces and comfort Cid! By the way, at the dance, Yuffie pulled me aside and one point and told about her and Vince's first kiss. What she doesn't know, is that Cloud and I saw those two by accident, when we stepped outside for some fresh air, heh Oh, speaking of Cloud I don't really know what to do about him. I said the 'dreaded' "L word" to him, and guess what he did? He just stiffened, and didn't say anything! Good thing I had waited until the last minutes of the dance! Cloud and I left, but in the car, he was all silent and cold; he treated me like I was some kind of stranger or something What's gonna happen between us, Diary? I hope he's not gonna break up with me. Things are pretty damned awkward between us, just because of what happened at the last song