Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Two : School & Work
Diary Entry: 0054 Date: 02-04-05
All right, I admit to lying slightly. I'm not as cold and bothered by some people as I am towards others. I don't even know why I find myself so attracted to Seifer, he's just there and he's the first guy that ever actually made a move on me. Not that it counts for much, but it made me feel good inside. Good God, what am I becoming? Another one of his "ladies?" I think not, from this point on I am most certainly not allowing him to take our relationship any further…Relationship? I've never thought of it like that before, is it really even worthy of calling sex and the occasional date a Relationship? Yes, there is nothing more in the world that I would love to do then jump Seifer and hurt him badly, but a part of me is still soft inside and that is what I hate most about myself. But self-hatred is just a sorry excuse for numbskulls that can't deal with their life so instead of trying to resolve their problems they take it out on themselves, it's stupid really.
I know that I won't have time to write later because it's a Friday and I'm probably starting my new job today. I still can't figure out why I took it but Seifer did have a point last night about Internet income being very unstable and unreliable. Either that or I'm an idiot who just doesn't have the heart to turn him down. Seifer knows that too and that is the worst thing about this conversation.
I think I might invite Zell down to the pub tonight for some company. He can be painfully dumb and clueless sometimes but deep down I think that he's not a bad guy, just a bit confused and rather eager to please.
Upon arriving at her locker, Quistis emptied a few books out of her bags and shoved them into the small, dark chamber, taking only a moment to glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her blonde hair was pulled up as usual and two pieces fell gently around her face and complemented the warm colors she was wearing in her clothing. She gasped slightly as she felt two muscular arms encircle around her waist and a moist mouth at her neck.
"I've thought about your offer."
"And?"
"And…I…"
"You'll take it. Great, love, you'll be starting later tonight."
"You owe me."
"I have every intention of paying you back…later this evening after I pick you up from the pub." He whispered in her ear before walking off with his two friends Fujin & Raijin.
The comment made her blush slightly and she turned around to see if anyone had heard him say that, like one of the jocks that was obsessed with her or maybe the one of the preps. Perhaps then they would see that she was not interested in them and back off. To her misfortune, they hadn't and so she grabbed a few writing utensils out of her locker before locking it and starting to make her way to her English class.
"Yo, Quistis, how've you been?"
She turned to her left to face a very energetic and happy Zell.
"I've been all right. I'm guessing that you've been quite fine yourself too."
"Yeah, I finally got my schedule today but this school's so huge…"
"It's not that hard to navigate after going on a tour a few times, I'll show you around sometime."
"Really?… I mean…uh…" He scratched his head, trying to think of the correct thing to say, "It would be cool."
She couldn't help herself from silently laughing as she watched him, not exactly paying attention, he was going on about how his last school had been a lot smaller and how he would never be able to do his exam because he wouldn't be able to find the gym.
Suddenly, one of her many admirers and followers, Nida Wilson, came up beside her and pulled her close to him, trying to kiss her, however she pushed him through the door of the Women's bathroom before he had the chance to. She heard screams from inside.
"Woah, who was that? A love interest?"
"No, that was nobody."
"But he tried to kiss you, obviously he's someone important. And why did you get so angry and push him into the-"
"Look Zell," She turned to face him, biting her lip before looking around and sighing, "There are a lot of people around here that want to get with me, I just can't handle it sometimes. That person was just another dumb-minded jerk who wants to get me in his bed. But I don't do that sort of thing…"
He looked ashamed for being so persistent and lowered his gaze to the floor.
"It's not your fault. I'm-"
"Forget it, what are you doing later?"
"Later?" The question struck her off guard, "Later I'm going to be working at the Honey-Bee Pub, it's downtown."
"You work?"
"Mmm-hmm. Well, this job's kind of new."
"That's great, you should be happy. It can be a real pain trying to find work around here. I was planning on asking you to a movie, but since you're working, how about I just drop by and say hello?"
She stopped, her English class was through the door just beside her.
"That sounds alright. I'll see you then."
Entering the classroom slowly, she took a seat near the front, the class was already mostly full and there were only two desks left. Now there was one available because she occupied the other one.
If it gets anymore crowded, people will be crouching on the floor. Of course I'm sure that's nothing they aren't used to, most of the people here are quite used to being on the floor while…
The bell rang, interrupting her thoughts and so she reached for her pen and paper from her bag, getting prepared for the day's lecture on Lord of the Flies and government.
As she grabbed her pen, she noticed another student whom she had never noticed before, he entered the classroom. He was considerably tall with medium length spiky hair and wore a leather, fur-lined jacket.
"Who's that?" Selphie, who sat beside her on the bus and behind her in English, whispered in her ear.
"I haven't a clue…" She whispered back, turning her attention towards the board where the teacher was waiting to begin.
"Ahem," The professor cleared he throat, motioning for everyone to give him their undivided attention, "We have a new student today, his name is Leonhart, or rather, Squall Leonhart. He got transferred here from the other English class due to a conflicting schedule."
Some students nodded to him while others whispered and stared.
Way to make him feel welcome, guys. Let's all stare at him like he has a bloody scar across his-
She stopped in mid-thought, Squall Leonhart had the same mark as Seifer did, a light but noticeable scar that stretched, on an angle, across his nose. He took a seat in the desk beside her and seemed quite uncomfortable, not having any notepaper or pens.
She almost would have felt bad for him, if she had got over her shock, however she was still thinking about it by the time she noticed that he was now looking around the room, probably for someone to borrow some supplies from.
"Do you need anything?" She asked in a hushed tone.
"………"
"Excuse me…" She waved her hand in front of his face, "I asked you if-"
"Miss. Trepe, what are your views on the colonization of the island in Lord of the Flies?" The old, and obviously annoyed professor had decided to turn his attention towards her.
"Colonization, sir, there was hardly anything of that sort. The novel and films were about a group of young boys that got shipwrecked on an island and formed their own government, I believe the term 'colonization' stands for the founding of a group of people, an alliance, or a population of a city for a development." Her tone was informative and betrayed any emotion. She knew that her teacher was on the verge of strangling her however she smiled politely at him as he nodded to her.
"I don't need anything." Squall Leonhart told her quietly before turning his attention towards the miserable and angry professor.
It was not long before the bell rang and it was time for her next class, she noticed that Seifer had been watching her more then he usually did and it made her slightly uneasy as he came up to her as she was walking to History. It was only down the hall from her previous class but she had to make a quick trip to her locker which was around the corner and down a few more corriders.
Why can't he just leave me alone? He acts like I'm his bloody property…
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Later that night at the Honey-Bee Pub…
"Alright, so that's a screwdriver on the rocks and a coors light from the taps?"
"Yup, thanks a bunch sweetie."
Quistis forced a smile, noticing the manager was watching her, she walked over to the bar, moving her hips as she did so, and told the bartender what the two customers wanted.
Oh this job is just wonderful, rowdy guys who think they can place their hands all over me and a manager who watches me like a damned hawk.
The building reeked of cigarettes and the air was so smoky that sometimes it was difficult for her to find her way around the bar without squinting or walking slower then usual to make sure she didn't bump into anyone. Music played in the background, there were neon lights around and some sports memorabelia hung on the walls. She grabbed a tray of drinks and fries from the bar and carried them over to a table in the corner where a few guys were chatting and drinking.
"Hey, why don't you sit down with us and have a drink?" One of them asked, patting the seat beside him.
"No thank you." She said, trying to be polite, and turned around.
"Wait!" One of them grabbed her by the arm, her instinctive response was to spin around, grab his arm and twist it, but she knew that she'd get fired if she did such a thing.
"I'm sorry, but I have to work." She quickly pulled her arm away and walked over to the bar before they could say anything else however she heard groans of disappointment coming from behind her.
That's it. I don't care how much money this job pays, if they keep bothering me I'm quitting. This is horrendous and the atmosphere and smell in here is absolutely putrid. Why did I even take this job in the first place?
Just then, someone put their hands on her sides and began tickling her, her face turned a light shade of crimson. Spinning around, she was ready to slap whoever it was, she didn't care if it was a customer or her boss. When she saw it was Zell all she could do was stare at him.
"Hey, sorry I surprised you, I came in here earlier but you looked busy so I decided not to bug ya."
She shook her head.
"That's alright, where are you sitting?"
"Up here at the bar, I was waiting for ya to come up." He grinned.
"I'll be back in a minute."
Grabbing the screwdriver and coors light that was waiting to be picked up by her on the bar, she balanced them carefully and walked back to the couple that had ordered it. Taking a quick glance around the room, she noticed that business had cooled down for a bit so it was possible to take her break. She strided over to the bartender, a middle-aged man named Laguna, and told him that she would be back in a few minutes, before going over to the doorway and motioning for Zell to follow.
He jogged over and they went outside for a bit, the bar was located not far from the downtown section of Chicago, the were quite a few small shops and other restaurants on the same street and small, outdoor café not too far down the block.
"Wanna go for a coffee?" Zell asked, trying to be casual even though she could tell he was probably nervous asking her. The thought made her smile inwardly as she nodded and they began heading for the café.
"It seemed pretty busy and packed in there before, I guess the prime hours are in the late evening."
She nodded and looked around, thinking about how rushed she had been.
"So, what's it like working there?"
Quistis was quiet for a few moments, contemplating on what she should tell him. They crossed the street and turned a corner, by now they were almost at their destination.
"The pay is good but the customers and my boss are appalling. I don't know how I'm going to stand it if I decide not to quit."
He seemed surprised.
"That bad?"
"Worse. Some people just get too adventurous with their hands."
Zell looked embaressed now, most likely thinking about how he had tickled her earlier and feeling bad about it.
"It's not you, I don't mind the occasional pat on the back or tap on the shoulder, but the people in there simply grab at me anyway they please and they think it's fine. Then I'm stuck because if I decide the break their bloody fingers and snap their arms behind their backs, I'm going to get fired for 'assualting' the customers."
"Didn't you have a job before?"
"I did….but it wasn't very secure."
"Man, I know I wouldn't mind if I was waiting tables and some chicks decided to place their hands on me." He joked.
"Heh, I'm sure you wouldn't."
She walked over to the small stand set up outside and ordered a Moccachino. Zell ordered a hot chocolate with marshmellows which made her laugh. They stood, watching cars go past and gazing up at the sky for quite some time while chatting about school.
"So, I've decided to attend Galbadia University, I'm still unsure of what I want to be but teaching interests me so I might look into that." She mentioned to him, they had decided to start heading back to the bar because her break was almost over and she knew that Laguna was expecting her back soon.
"I think that I want to be a Sensei in Karate because I'm good at martial arts." Her companion explained.
"Martial arts…hmm…"
"Yeah, it's nothing special and it doesn't exactly require intelligence bu I guess I enjoy it."
"Well, as long as you're happy." Quistis mused, "I doubt I could ever get into Martial Arts, writing and drawing interests me much more, although I enjoy physical activity."
'You mean sports?"
They rounded the same corner and crossed the street again.
"Yes. I've always enjoyed dancing and gymnastics."
"Dancing? Are you good at it?"
"Considering I used to dance at a local club and get paid for it, I'd say I'm a formidable dancer."
"A local club? Why don't you work there anymore? You must have loved it, I know I would!"
"I did, I can honestly say that I enjoyed dancing there, it was mainly hip-hop and I used to dance on stage. But…" She stopped, wondering if she should continue with her anecdote.
"But…?" Zell asked.
"Things got quite out of hand and I was forced to do some things that I didn't want to do so… I quit and I took up the job of webdesigning."
"That sucks, I never tried webdesgning before, never really interested me." He scratched his head and shrugged.
They had just arrived back at the bar and stood outsde.
"Well, it's getting late and I only have to work for about another half hour. You should probably go."
He nodded.
"I'll see you on Monday." He replied before waving and heading off towards the parking lot where she presumed he had parked his car.
Yes, things definitely took a bad turn at the club. Which is exactly why I was wary of taking this job.
Suddenly, a white porche convertible came speeding down the street, she could have sworn she saw smoke arrising from behind it and she squinted to try to make out who was driving it while taking a few steps back on the sidewalk as a safety precaution. The car came to a screeching halt right infront of her. The manager of the pub, wondering what the noise was, had come outside.
"Hey, Zion." The person from inside he car shouted, the music coming from the car was almost deafening and she could barely make out his voice. The driver turned the volume down, realizing the same thing.
"I need you down at the Opium! Leave Laguna in charge." He ordered. Quistis was confused as to what was happening but instead of speaking up and asking what was happening, she remained silent.
"Okay, Irvine. I'll be right over there."
The man named Irvine nodded and looked towards her for a moment before looking back at her boss.
"She's the new waitress."
"Tell her she can leave early, I'll bet she has some parties that she wants to check out tonight, isn't that right baby?"
She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands up in fists, forcing a smile.
"And make sure you pay her for working full time."
Irvine winked at her before revving up his engine, turning the music back up and racing down the street again.
"All right Quistis, you heard the man, he's my superior and yours too. Get your ass out of here." Her boss said before heading back inside.
Is that how things around here work? Idiots. Now I have to wait outside until one o'clock for Seifer to pick me up.
She heard thunder in the distance and scowled as took a seat on the bench to her right and began searching for her cell phone. Upon finding it, she dialed Seifer's number, though she doubted that he would be home, she tried anyway. It rang eight times before she decided to hang up and wait for another half hour for him to arrive.
But did he ever arrive? Of course not, Seifer had most certainly forgot and it was painfully obvious as she walkied, freezing cold in a blizzard, that it was most likely the furthest thing in this mind at that moment.
Her light jacket barely kept her warm at all because she was wearing a small, white halter-top underneath and her short leather skirt and knee-high boot made the frigid weather all the more unbearable. Apparently, they wanted her to dress "nicely." Translated : they wanted her to come in wearing barely anything at all.
For an hour she walked against the wind without a scarf, gloves or any other protective winter clothing. Her legs and face had got frost-bitten and had gone numb after the first thirty minutes while her lips quivered and her teeth chattered from the extreme cold. She was determined to make it home though and wasn't about to give up so easilly. The streets were practically empty and with every step she took she cursed Seifer, her intense anger was the only thing keeping her from falling down on the sidewalk. She would have called a taxi long ago if she had any money with her and the busses, she was guessing, had been cancelled due to the extreme storm.
Her heart was pounding, her lungs ached and she tasted blood at the back of the throat because she had been inhaling the frosty air for such a long period of time. She could hardly make out the sidewalk in front of her, it was worse then the smoke at the bar, as she continued to walk.
As she rounded the corner, five blocks away from her appartment, she had to stop because she was out of breath and compltely exasperated. The roads were practically empty now, the city had fallen quiet. She noticed that a pair of headlights illuminated the area behind her and she turned around to face a motercycle that had pulled up beside her and halted. She wondered who it was, she was much too weak to fight anyone who would attempt to mug her so she just hoped that it wasn't anyone with bad intentions. To her amazement, the person that lifted off the helmet on the motercycle was Squall Leonhart.
"Get on." He told her. It was not a question but rather it was a command. Normally, she would have been skeptical and argued with him to the point where he would have probably given up on her, but the world was blurry and had started to spin so she reluctantly walked over to the vehicle and allowed him to slip a helmet over her head and mount her behind him on the cycle while placing her cold, numb hand gently but firmly on his waist so she wouldn't fall off.