Things Change
Chapter 11
by Mariye
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Disclaimer: I don't own FF8.
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--{two hours later}--
"Man, The Rock is a good movie." Zell said as he stretched and stood up.
"That was way too gory." Quistis said, making a disgusted face as she rose.
"Did you see when that guy's face melted at the end! That was so cool!" Rinoa exclaimed. Squall, Quistis, and Zell looked at her. "Well, it was pretty cool..."
~I never pegged Rinoa for action movies.~
"Yeah. I guess that was cool. Want to go get something to eat?" Squall asked.
"Sure. I'm not all that hungry, but I'll join you." Zell walked with them out of the room.
"Should we ask Selphie and Irvine if they want to join us?" Quistis said as she held the door for all of them.
"How bout I go look for them? Hey Zell, how about asking Aeron and Sionna if they want to come too?" Rinoa said.
"Fine. I'll go ask Sionna though. We have to talk anyway. Could one of you look for Aeron?"
"I'll go look for him." Quistis said as she walked off.
"Okay, we'll meet at the front gate in half an hour." Rinoa pulled Squall after her.
Zell watched as the three of them left him.
~So... If I was Sionna, where would I hide to cool down...~
Zell slowly walked to her room.
~Its a long shot, but who knows, maybe she returned to the scene of the crime.~ Zell knocked gently on the door.
No response. No noise. Nothing.
~Okay. Well, where else would she go...~ Zell walked away. ~She likes to be alone sometimes... Where is an isolated place? The secret area is at a time where it will get busy. The cafe has people. The library is quiet, but always mobbed. People are working in the quad.~ Zell stopped at the exit to the dorms.
"The second floor deck." Zell whispered. He walked towards the elevator.
~I hope I'm right...~ He ran up the stairs and pressed the button. He ran in. ~I hope she isn't crying though. Hyne knows I can't take it when women cry.~ He tapped his foot to the floor as he waited for the elevator to finally rise.
He ran out the second the doors opened, and as he looked toward the balcony, he saw Seifer walking out of it.
~Great. This is probably a good sign, but I really don't want to deal with him now.~
"I'd beat you up, but in light of recent revelations, I'm deciding against it." Seifer said.
"I feel honored."
~Should I ask?~
"Is she out there?"
"Yeah. Listen, she barely talked to me. I doubt she'll even look at you. Let me just warn you. Don't pry. I don't think you're up to it." Seifer said as she walked past Zell.
"What do you mean I'm not up to it?" Zell asked, turning to face Seifer.
"You're a Chicken-Wuss. You can't handle bad situations. Especially when they happen to other people. I'll admit, you're handling your own situation pretty well. But when it comes to other peoples... well, I don't think you could handle this one." Seifer turned and looked at Zell.
"You're heading into pretty deep waters Chicken-Wuss. Watch it or you'll drown."
~What is up with him? Its not like I'm going there to hear her life story. I'm going there to apologize and invite her to dinner with the group. That's it.~
Zell opened the door.
Sionna was sitting on the edge looking down. Zell walked over towards her.
"Its beautiful up here at night." He looked at her. She wouldn't look at him. She seemed to focus on the night birds that flew around.
"So are my charm and and good lucks sending you into such a shock that you can't speak?" Zell tried to look her in the face. Instead, she still looked down.
"Can we talk?"
She still looked away.
"Can I talk while you listen?"
~Man, for once Seifer is right.~
"Listen Sionna. I came here to talk for the same reason that I was at your room. I want to apologize. I'm sorry for grabbing you without your consent and I am extremely sorry for attacking you in the Quad."
Sionna still looked down.
"Okay, if you're listening, look up once and roll your eyes, then look down again. If you're not, then keep doing what you're doing."
Zell watched.
~Please. Let her look up.~
Sionna raised her head and rolled her eyes.
"Okay, so we're at least at a starting place. This is good. Considering how for the past few days you devoted your life to making mine miserable..."
"I wasn't making it miserable..." She whispered, looking down again.
"What was that?" Zell leaned down.
"I was trying to help you. You were hostile about finding out about your disease. I wanted to help you. I wanted to give you someone to blame, to be mad at. Otherwise you would have taken it out on your friends and family." Sionna shook her head.
"But you didn't really think." Zell lifted her head. "You have to realize that maybe I didn't want someone to blame. Maybe I wanted someone who would be a friend." Sionna moved back and pushed herself away.
"I'm sorry. I forgot." Zell put his hand down.
"Maybe I should have thought. But in the 2 other cancer cases I worked in, they both wanted someone to blame. To take their anger out on."
She pushed her hair away from her face.
"Well, still. I had no right to attack you. I really am sorry."
"Its fine. Now, if you wouldn't mind..." Sionna turned around and looked up at the stars.
"Actually, I wanted to ask you something. The whole group is going out for dinner, and I wanted to know if you want to come with us." Zell sat and waited. Sionna didn't answer.
"Would..."
"No. I... No." Zell heard her slightly sob.
"Sionna?" Zell moved and sat on the other side of her. She hid her head.
"Please go."
Zell sat and waited.
~Am I strong enough? Or am I a Chicken Wuss?~
"Listen, I have an idea." Zell moved his hands close to Sionna.
~She's like a wild animal. Make her come to you.~
"How about if I share one thing about myself, you share one thing about yourself?"
Sionna moved her hands closer to herself.
"Okay. You asked how I got this tattoo if I hate needles, right? You asked that the first day you saw me. Do you still want to know?"
She still wouldn't look at him. She slowly moved, as if she were going to get up.
"Does it have to be a personal thing? A deep secret?"
"If you want it to be, it can. It can be anything you want to tell me."
Zell moved back.
~I can't alarm her. She might run again. Funny, here is the girl who seemed so rock solid and harsh, and yet now she's acting like a little kid. Did I cause all this? Man, now I'm really feeling guilty...~
"Alright." Sionna slowly looked at Zell. She seemed to be looking at him, but never fodusing on him.
~Its like she is physically looking at me, but she really is somewhere else or focusing on something else.~
"I was about fifteen, and it was the only time I was ever drunk. I was drinking with friends and well, when I woke up I had this. I don't remember the exact time or place when I got it, but it was there when I woke up. I remember before I started drink I was talking with my friends and I mentioned that I wished I had something that made me stand out. That made me different. I mean, at first glance I look pretty average. They suggested a tattoo, but I told them how I hated needles. I got drunk and ended up with this. At least I finally had something that made me different. I guess I was lucky. Most people when they're drunk do things that they regret. Since then I haven't drank since, so I would never have the realization of waking up and discovering I had made a stupid, life altering mistake." Zell looked at her. Sionna still wasn't moving.
"Well, its your turn."
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What will be Sionna's secret?
Will Zell be able to handle it?
How can a strong willed person, like Sionna, suddenly be brought to her knees after one incident?