Chapter 7 : Beginning of The End
After knowing about Squall and Rinoa's problem, Zell and Selphie were worried about them. Therefore, they went to Irvine to confront the matter to him.
"What shall we do?" Selphie asked.
"Any bright ideas, Irvine?" Zell asked.
"What about having a Christmas party? It's Christmas Eve tomorrow," he suggested, but in his mind, there's another 'thing' behind this.
"Great! We can invite Squall and Rinoa without making them embarrassed," the sole girl said.
"Not to forget Quistis too," Irvine added.
"Yeah, and Jessica, Xu, Dannie, Fuujin, Carol…" Zell teased his friend.
Selphie and Zell entered Squall's dorm. They couldn't believe their eyes when they saw his dirty room. Not to mention Squall himself who hasn't shaved for 3 days?!
"Squall, um… we came to tell you to go for a Christmas party tomorrow," Zell said and poked his friend beside him with his elbow.
"R..Right, Rinoa will be coming too," Selphie told him.
"See ya tomorrow,"
Squall didn't answer them the whole time. He just put his hand over his eyes to avoid the sun. He shifted to the left and faced the wall.
*I will apologize to her tomorrow.
Squall was late for the party, Zell told him to be there at 8pm but he got out of Garden at 9pm. Meanwhile, Zell, Selphie, Irvine and Rinoa were playing card games while waiting for the star of the day. Whoever looses in one round, has to drink a glass of beer. Quistis didn't join them but she was sitting and talking with some friends at the bar. Those guys were quite drunk but they are still conscious. Rinoa was drinking non-stop. Not because of loosing the games but because Squall didn't show up. That was the longest period of time they hadn't seen each other. She walked towards the bartender and ordered another glass of beer. Irvine went to stop her.
"You have enough, Rinoa," he advised.
"Irvine, please take her out to the balcony for some fresh air," Quistis suggested.
"Sure!" he said obediently.
They sat there, letting the wind sweep pass their faces. Irvine hiccuped and made Rinoa laughed. He took a small bottle of beer from his coat and drank from it. Rinoa snatches it from him.
Squall parked his car outside the pub. He had his beautifully wrapped present in his hands and straightened his shirt before going inside.
He looked round but didn't spot his Rinoa. He asked the drunken Zell on the floor for her.
"Bal…(hiccup) cony," he informed him dreamily.
She swallow the whole of its content up until it left a few mouthfuls.
"Why you!" Irvine said and tried to snatch it back from him friend.
He lost his balance and dragged Rinoa down the floor too.
"Quistis…..you are so beautiful….." he said dreamily.
"Hmm….? Squall….?" she responded.
They nearly kissed when Squall opened the door. He was dumbfounded. He dropped the present with a thud and clenched his fist. He was trying to think that it's just an illusion but he can't. There was fire in his eyes! He picked Irvine up by his collar and threw him, hitting the glass door. The door broke into pieces and Irvine was on his butt. Squall dashed towards him like a hungry lion waiting to be feed. Irvine was shaking his head to clear his mind while Zell and Selphie were also awaken by that loud crashing sound. They shook their head to clear their images. Squall wasted no time and pinned Irvine on the wall. He hit and kicked his friend like hell. Zell and Selphie quickly swayed their way to stop the hungry lion. Irvine's hat flew off and his ponytail loosens. Quistis went to take him to a much safer place, a place far from Squall.
"Do you know Rinoa is MY girlfriend?!" Squall shouted and cursed some more under his breath.
Irvine coughed and vomited blood. His whole body was too weak to fight back. He wasn't even sure why he was beaten.
Squall pulled his hand roughly from his friends' grip and went to launch some more attacks. No one and I repeat, no one has ever seen Squall this angry before! Meanwhile, Rinoa was crawling over to the happening place. She picked up the present Squall dropped and went over him as fast as she could.
Squall continued beating him, when he was going to make the final punch, Quistis went in front of Irvine to protect him. Squall didn't even think of slowing his attacks. He pushed the elder away and made his move. Suddenly, someone held his blood-covered fist. It was Rinoa. She looked at him with pleading and sorrowful eyes. She didn't let out a word, she just shook her head. That was all Squall need to stop himself, the look from Rinoa. He was stunned, having the biggest emotion breakdown in his life. He couldn't believe even the one he wanted to protect turned against him. His eyes were fixed on his beloved, they didn't blink, just staring at those dark brown eyes. He saw her hurtful eyes and staggered backwards. He can't believe that Rinoa is standing on his side too, protecting him! He shook his head in disappointment and turned away to leave the bar. He crashed the wooden door before storming away from that horrible place.
Tears finally rolled down Rinoa's pale and pretty face. She was seeing her love going away, leaving her behind. The eyes she saw just now have no trust.
She covered her mouth with her right hand while clenching on the present inside her coat, crying her heart out.
Squall ran as fast as he could without knowing where his legs have led him. He finally arrived t the beach. The very beach where he encountered the witch. He hit and hit and hit the ground until his hands were filled with his own blood.
*You deserve it, you deserved it…..
Pearls of clear water began to drip from his eyes. The crescent moon shone and they glimmered before absorbing into the sands. That was the first time Squall ever cried since his childhood.
Zell and Selphie accompanied Rinoa back to her house, trying to comfort her.
"I'm sure Squall has gone back to Garden by now," Selphie assured her.
She replied nothing. Just clenching the present with her head down.
"Yeah, Squall will be ok," the driver comforted too.
Silence still.
She walked like a sleepwalker back to her room. She cried immediately after closing the door behind her, thinking of what she had done. She sniffed and opened the fancy paper of her present. To her amazement, it was a magic music box. She winded it and the box opened slowly into a flower like shape, holograms formed on top of it like movies. There she saw the moments she spends with Squall, the happy and sad moments. She has misunderstood him from the start. Squall is not as unromantic as she thought. He isn't as cold as he seems to be. At least the music box showed some magic of their love. She recalled why he got his arms injured, his secretive acts and why he fainted that day. All this comes to conclusion that he has been working on this for her. Her eyes were once pooled with tears again. He was like her, he remembered every moment he spends with her but he reserved them in his memory while Rinoa saved them in her diary. She was going to give him the book to understand her more, to trust her because she trusted him. But now….
The music stops once the hologram finish playing. Suddenly, a ring popped up, it was a diamond platinum ring (the Griffin ring if you must know, just bit of change, though)!
"Oh, Squall….." she called, streaming her tears freeing down her cheeks.
She took out her necklace and inserted the ring into it, clenching it through the night.
Two days later, she received a phone call. It was from Squall, she would have called him too if he didn't do so, they really need to talk. So she drove to Balamb. Squall was already leaning on the oak tree with his head down. The green grassy area has turned into complete snow, leaving only the tree trunk.
Rinoa tried to smile at him when he noticed her. She walked towards him and handed him the present. He just kept it in his jacket and waited. He don't know what he was waiting, Rinoa just leaned on the trunk like he did. Finally Squall turned to face her, putting his right arm on the tree and kissed her softly on the lips. Rinoa was shocked at first.
*Soon, this will all be over.
"This will be our last….." Squall whispered huskily before heading back to Garden.
Rinoa's eyes widen at that statement.
What do you mean?
She went in front of him to block his way.
"I…I don't understand," she said with her eyebrows frowning.
"We can't be together anymore…." He said softly, avoiding her eyes.
"Why?! I want an explanation!" she demanded.
"There's no more trust between us," he said shortly.
"Is it because of the incident that day? You know I didn't do that on purpose!" she louder her voice, her whole body began to shake.
"I don't know! All I know is that you've hurt my feelings!" he shouted back.
"It's because you didn't tell me how you feel!! You always keep your feelings to yourself!" she fought back.
"If we are meant to be together, you would know how I feel even if I didn't tell you!"
"You're being so unreasonable!" she cried.
"You're right, I'm not reasonable. I'm not as reasonable as you, who throw yourself to another guy when I'm not there, who got easily flattered when a guy just says some sweet words to you, when…" Squall blustered freely.
*SMACK!!!
Rinoa's palm went right onto Squall's face and he bleed.
"If that's what you think, have it your way," she said coldly, holding back her tears.
Both of them went away from the scene. One to the left and the other to the right. Rinoa tripped on her way back to her car. She didn't bother to get up. She suddenly burst into tears, felt with heartache and disappointment, clenching the rings and cried her heart out. Squall ran back to his room. He had prepared his speech and prepared for good ending but he didn't think they would end up like this, he sat on his bed leaning against the wall, with his hands covering his tears-flowing eyes.
After knowing about Squall and Rinoa's problem, Zell and Selphie were worried about them. Therefore, they went to Irvine to confront the matter to him.
"What shall we do?" Selphie asked.
"Any bright ideas, Irvine?" Zell asked.
"What about having a Christmas party? It's Christmas Eve tomorrow," he suggested, but in his mind, there's another 'thing' behind this.
"Great! We can invite Squall and Rinoa without making them embarrassed," the sole girl said.
"Not to forget Quistis too," Irvine added.
"Yeah, and Jessica, Xu, Dannie, Fuujin, Carol…" Zell teased his friend.
Selphie and Zell entered Squall's dorm. They couldn't believe their eyes when they saw his dirty room. Not to mention Squall himself who hasn't shaved for 3 days?!
"Squall, um… we came to tell you to go for a Christmas party tomorrow," Zell said and poked his friend beside him with his elbow.
"R..Right, Rinoa will be coming too," Selphie told him.
"See ya tomorrow,"
Squall didn't answer them the whole time. He just put his hand over his eyes to avoid the sun. He shifted to the left and faced the wall.
*I will apologize to her tomorrow.
Squall was late for the party, Zell told him to be there at 8pm but he got out of Garden at 9pm. Meanwhile, Zell, Selphie, Irvine and Rinoa were playing card games while waiting for the star of the day. Whoever looses in one round, has to drink a glass of beer. Quistis didn't join them but she was sitting and talking with some friends at the bar. Those guys were quite drunk but they are still conscious. Rinoa was drinking non-stop. Not because of loosing the games but because Squall didn't show up. That was the longest period of time they hadn't seen each other. She walked towards the bartender and ordered another glass of beer. Irvine went to stop her.
"You have enough, Rinoa," he advised.
"Irvine, please take her out to the balcony for some fresh air," Quistis suggested.
"Sure!" he said obediently.
They sat there, letting the wind sweep pass their faces. Irvine hiccuped and made Rinoa laughed. He took a small bottle of beer from his coat and drank from it. Rinoa snatches it from him.
Squall parked his car outside the pub. He had his beautifully wrapped present in his hands and straightened his shirt before going inside.
He looked round but didn't spot his Rinoa. He asked the drunken Zell on the floor for her.
"Bal…(hiccup) cony," he informed him dreamily.
She swallow the whole of its content up until it left a few mouthfuls.
"Why you!" Irvine said and tried to snatch it back from him friend.
He lost his balance and dragged Rinoa down the floor too.
"Quistis…..you are so beautiful….." he said dreamily.
"Hmm….? Squall….?" she responded.
They nearly kissed when Squall opened the door. He was dumbfounded. He dropped the present with a thud and clenched his fist. He was trying to think that it's just an illusion but he can't. There was fire in his eyes! He picked Irvine up by his collar and threw him, hitting the glass door. The door broke into pieces and Irvine was on his butt. Squall dashed towards him like a hungry lion waiting to be feed. Irvine was shaking his head to clear his mind while Zell and Selphie were also awaken by that loud crashing sound. They shook their head to clear their images. Squall wasted no time and pinned Irvine on the wall. He hit and kicked his friend like hell. Zell and Selphie quickly swayed their way to stop the hungry lion. Irvine's hat flew off and his ponytail loosens. Quistis went to take him to a much safer place, a place far from Squall.
"Do you know Rinoa is MY girlfriend?!" Squall shouted and cursed some more under his breath.
Irvine coughed and vomited blood. His whole body was too weak to fight back. He wasn't even sure why he was beaten.
Squall pulled his hand roughly from his friends' grip and went to launch some more attacks. No one and I repeat, no one has ever seen Squall this angry before! Meanwhile, Rinoa was crawling over to the happening place. She picked up the present Squall dropped and went over him as fast as she could.
Squall continued beating him, when he was going to make the final punch, Quistis went in front of Irvine to protect him. Squall didn't even think of slowing his attacks. He pushed the elder away and made his move. Suddenly, someone held his blood-covered fist. It was Rinoa. She looked at him with pleading and sorrowful eyes. She didn't let out a word, she just shook her head. That was all Squall need to stop himself, the look from Rinoa. He was stunned, having the biggest emotion breakdown in his life. He couldn't believe even the one he wanted to protect turned against him. His eyes were fixed on his beloved, they didn't blink, just staring at those dark brown eyes. He saw her hurtful eyes and staggered backwards. He can't believe that Rinoa is standing on his side too, protecting him! He shook his head in disappointment and turned away to leave the bar. He crashed the wooden door before storming away from that horrible place.
Tears finally rolled down Rinoa's pale and pretty face. She was seeing her love going away, leaving her behind. The eyes she saw just now have no trust.
She covered her mouth with her right hand while clenching on the present inside her coat, crying her heart out.
Squall ran as fast as he could without knowing where his legs have led him. He finally arrived t the beach. The very beach where he encountered the witch. He hit and hit and hit the ground until his hands were filled with his own blood.
*You deserve it, you deserved it…..
Pearls of clear water began to drip from his eyes. The crescent moon shone and they glimmered before absorbing into the sands. That was the first time Squall ever cried since his childhood.
Zell and Selphie accompanied Rinoa back to her house, trying to comfort her.
"I'm sure Squall has gone back to Garden by now," Selphie assured her.
She replied nothing. Just clenching the present with her head down.
"Yeah, Squall will be ok," the driver comforted too.
Silence still.
She walked like a sleepwalker back to her room. She cried immediately after closing the door behind her, thinking of what she had done. She sniffed and opened the fancy paper of her present. To her amazement, it was a magic music box. She winded it and the box opened slowly into a flower like shape, holograms formed on top of it like movies. There she saw the moments she spends with Squall, the happy and sad moments. She has misunderstood him from the start. Squall is not as unromantic as she thought. He isn't as cold as he seems to be. At least the music box showed some magic of their love. She recalled why he got his arms injured, his secretive acts and why he fainted that day. All this comes to conclusion that he has been working on this for her. Her eyes were once pooled with tears again. He was like her, he remembered every moment he spends with her but he reserved them in his memory while Rinoa saved them in her diary. She was going to give him the book to understand her more, to trust her because she trusted him. But now….
The music stops once the hologram finish playing. Suddenly, a ring popped up, it was a diamond platinum ring (the Griffin ring if you must know, just bit of change, though)!
"Oh, Squall….." she called, streaming her tears freeing down her cheeks.
She took out her necklace and inserted the ring into it, clenching it through the night.
Two days later, she received a phone call. It was from Squall, she would have called him too if he didn't do so, they really need to talk. So she drove to Balamb. Squall was already leaning on the oak tree with his head down. The green grassy area has turned into complete snow, leaving only the tree trunk.
Rinoa tried to smile at him when he noticed her. She walked towards him and handed him the present. He just kept it in his jacket and waited. He don't know what he was waiting, Rinoa just leaned on the trunk like he did. Finally Squall turned to face her, putting his right arm on the tree and kissed her softly on the lips. Rinoa was shocked at first.
*Soon, this will all be over.
"This will be our last….." Squall whispered huskily before heading back to Garden.
Rinoa's eyes widen at that statement.
What do you mean?
She went in front of him to block his way.
"I…I don't understand," she said with her eyebrows frowning.
"We can't be together anymore…." He said softly, avoiding her eyes.
"Why?! I want an explanation!" she demanded.
"There's no more trust between us," he said shortly.
"Is it because of the incident that day? You know I didn't do that on purpose!" she louder her voice, her whole body began to shake.
"I don't know! All I know is that you've hurt my feelings!" he shouted back.
"It's because you didn't tell me how you feel!! You always keep your feelings to yourself!" she fought back.
"If we are meant to be together, you would know how I feel even if I didn't tell you!"
"You're being so unreasonable!" she cried.
"You're right, I'm not reasonable. I'm not as reasonable as you, who throw yourself to another guy when I'm not there, who got easily flattered when a guy just says some sweet words to you, when…" Squall blustered freely.
*SMACK!!!
Rinoa's palm went right onto Squall's face and he bleed.
"If that's what you think, have it your way," she said coldly, holding back her tears.
Both of them went away from the scene. One to the left and the other to the right. Rinoa tripped on her way back to her car. She didn't bother to get up. She suddenly burst into tears, felt with heartache and disappointment, clenching the rings and cried her heart out. Squall ran back to his room. He had prepared his speech and prepared for good ending but he didn't think they would end up like this, he sat on his bed leaning against the wall, with his hands covering his tears-flowing eyes.