Things Change
Chapter 10
by Mariye
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Disclaimer: I don't own FF8.
A/N: Wow, I think this is my longest series so far! Don't worry, I don't think it'll go past 15. I don't plan into going into the whole nitty-gritty of Zell's treatment. My friend doesn't want to talk about or remember when she went through her treatment and, to be quite honest, I'm bad when hearing about needles :::cringes::: and stuff like that.
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"Well... see Zell, the thing is, we kind of mislead you." Aeron said while sitting down. "I'm the pre-med major. Sionna's the Psych major."
"But, then she hasn't done anything with regular medicine? She hasn't been here all these years?" Zell asked, looking from Lheia to Aeron.
"No. She has been working here all these years. She just decided on psychology a few years ago. She does have a lot of medical training."
Dr. Kadowaki said as she sat down behind a desk.
"Why did all of you mislead me?"
"We figured that you wouldn't talk to the person who was the therapist-in-training, but that you would to the person you thought was just a med student. So we just kind of said Sionna was in my position and I was in Sionna's." Aeron went over and started putting some first aid kits in a cabinet.
"It is a shame. You were really starting to connect with her." Lheia said as she shuffled through some drawers.
~What does she mean connect? We drove each other insane. I hate her.~
"Excuse me?"
"Well you would talk to her. More than you would to me. Especially this morning at breakfast? Damn, and I had to act like some dumb little caring dork." Aeron shook his head. "Well, at least I can be myself now. Now I know why Dad would never agree to put me through acting school."
"She seemed pretty on edge too. Flustered. I've never seen her like that." Lheia said.
"Yeah, she almost seemed like she had lost her composure. I don't know what you did, but I don't think Seifer's even made her act like that." Aeron said as he walked up to Zell. "If I were you, I'd apologize."
"Well you're not me." Zell stomped out of the infirmary.
~So they lied to me? Well, then she definitely deserved what she got.~ Zell walked slowly, watching the people around him.
"How could you hit her?!?!" Zell felt a hat hit his head.
"Irvine..."
"Don't even start! How could you beat her like that?" Irvine was looking him right in the eyes.
"She deserved..."
"Nobody deserves to be treated like that! How could you? Were you even thinking? Don't you even know anything?" People were stopping to watch. Irvine was yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Do you even know how she treated me?" Zell found himself yelling back.
~What is with everyone? The little witch got what she deserved!~
"Irvine! Stop! Maybe Zell didn't know!" Selphie came running up and placed herself between the two of them.
"That is no excuse!" Irvine said, trying to argue with her.
"Well, maybe he wants to go apologize now and he's gonna go find out what went wrong!" Selphie said, holding Irvine's hands.
"Still. He attacked a woman."
"Zell, are you going to apologize now?" Selphie turned and looked at him.
~I'll humor them.~
"Yeah."
"See!"
"Fine..."
Irvine gave Zell a dirty look. "But if I hear about you doing anything to her ever again..."
"IRVY!" Selphie said, jumping up and down in front of him. Irvine shook his head and walked off. The crowd watching slowly disipated. Zell waited until everyone had left before he started making his way to the cafe.
"You said you were going to apologize to someone Chicken-Wuss." Seifer said as he moved out of the crowd, Raijin and Fujin shadowing him.
"Yeah, so? What, are you and your posse gonna try something else? Want to go for an expulsion?"
"They wouldn't expel us for beating you up ya know."
"APOLOGIZE."
"Do it or we'll bust you and force you into suspensions." Seifer said, keeping his hand on Hyperion.
"That's blackmail." Zell said, while raising his fists. Seifer came close to Zell and whispered in his ear.
"Listen. I wasn't able to stand up for her or protect her before, but you damn well better believe that if someone threatens her and attacks her I will kick his ass. Understand?" Seifer backed up.
"Yeah, I get it. You want to justify beating me up." Zell said, leaning back.
"We don't need to justify it, ya know. We do it cause we enjoy it."
"Well enjoy it now, cause I'll be dead soon." Zell stomped off.
~Like they can tell me what to do. How old am I? Come on!~
"What do you mean, dead soon?" Seifer turned around and watched him leave.
"What, your dear little sister didn't tell you? I have cancer!" Zell said as he turned to face Seifer. Then he turned and walked towards the dorms.
~Why is it that I'm the one who's dying, but 'she' seems to get all the attention.~ Zell walked into the dorms. ~I wish she would just disappear. I mean, look at all the commotion she causes.~
He slowly walked through the hall up to Sionna's door. He looked behind him.
~No one's following me. I don't have to do this...~ Zell looked at the door.
~Why do I feel bad about hitting her? Why am I here? She was cruel. She helped lie to me. I should be talking to my friends and helping them deal. Or maybe even at the infirmary talking to the Doctor, seeing when I can start treatments. So why am I at Sionna's door? Why am I even considering apologizing to an Almasy?~
Zell took a deep breath and knocked.
He heard some shuffling on the otherside.
"What?"
"I need to talk to you Sionna."
"Well I don't need to talk to you. Go away."
"Open up."
"No."
Zell leaned on the door.
"It would be a lot easier to apologize if you didn't have to make things so difficult..."
The door opened and Sionna stuck her head out. Her eyes were red rimmed and her hair was sloppily pulled back into a ponytail.
"I'm not the bad guy here you know! I'm the victim! You're the villain!" She tried to run out into the hall and get away. Zell grabbed her arm.
"Just wait one minute!"
"Let go of me!!!"
Sionna wrenched her arm free and took off down the hall.
~Man, and I thought she was tough...~ Zell shook his head. ~Well, they all can't say that I didn't try to say I was sorry.~
He walked into the dorm student lounge. Inside Quistis, Rinoa and Squall sat watching a show broadcast from Esthar.
"Hey, what's up?" Zell walked over and sat down with them.
"Finished thinking things through?" Squall asked, looking over at him.
"Almost. Still acting a little lone-wolfish, but I'll probably be back to normal by the time I start treatment."
"Zell? Are you going to act like you're going to die now? Because if you do..." Rinoa looked sullen.
"No. I'm kind of past that now."
"Good. It was scaring me."
"Its nice you're back to normal. One Squall is enough." Quistis said as she grabbed a chip from the Pringles can.
"Hey. I was never as bad as he was." Squall said indignantly.
"Yah, you never really had that black sense of humor. You're more into sarcasm." Rinoa said. "So Zell, what do you want from us? I know this sounds bad, but I mean, well, we don't know how you want to be treated during all this. Do you want us to dote on you? Help you? Or just treat you like nothing's different?" Rinoa asked, looking at him.
~I didn't think they'd ask...~
"I guess I just want to be treated the way you always treat me. Just be willing to give me some space when I need it." Zell said, leaning back in the arm chair.
"Alright. Whatever you want. Its all up to you." Quistis said.
"It'll be nice to have a remnant of the old Zell back though. You were getting a little annoying." Squall said.
~So things might at least still stay a little familiar. I guess its all for the best.~
"So did you apologize?" Quistis asked.
"Didn't have a chance."
"I hope you do. Maybe if you talked to her you'd realize what a nice person she can be. Sometimes its hard to believe that her and Seifer are related."
"Maybe when I'm in a better mood I'll try it." Zell thought as he grabbed the controller from Squall. "First things first though. We can't be sitting here watching a chick flick."
~Maybe I should consider apologizing and getting to know her. Despite her family she is kinda hot. Not that that's all that matters... Nah, that is all that matters.~ Zell smirked to himself.
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Why did Sionna run off crying?
How will Seifer and the posse react to Zell's cancer?
Will Zell and Sionna ever stand on common ground?
A/N: I have a great idea for another series after this one! I'll give a preview teaser of it in the last chapter of Things Change. (So far it looks like chapter 12 might be the last one…)