Disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada. I think I watch Seinfeld too much.

"We're here," Seifer said. He got out of the car and opened the door from the outside for Irvine. Irvine got out. Zell opened the door on his side and got out. Quistis got out on Zells side. As soon as she stepped foot on the ground, she sprinted for the town not too far away. She didn't get far though. Zell chased after her and he easily caught up to her.

Quistis held her head down and felt as if she were about to cry. Who were these people? Why did they want her so bad? Did she really belong here?

"Please don't hurt me," Quistis squeaked as they practically dragged her to the Garden. They didn't answer, but Zell looked back and shook his head as if to say: We won't.

As soon as they stepped foot in the Garden, everyone gave Quistis looks. It reminded her of the first day she spent at Galbadia Garden. A group of students ran up to her and followed her, saying, "Hi, Quistis. We're soooo glad your back. Don't worry, we made sure that nobody touched your things. We guarded your dorm day and night." Seifer turned and gave the group of girls and boys a look. They all cowered and stopped following them. "We love you, Quistis!" They yelled down that hall.

Quistis turned her head to look at them, confused. "Who are they?" She asked Zell.

"The clique that someone started. They started it because of you. They adore you."

Quistis nodded a little. Maybe it is possible that I belong here.

They all walked into an elevator. Quistis squeezed in between the three large men. "Maybe I should just take the next one," she joked. Irvine and Zell chuckled, but Seifer didn't say anything.

Quistis held her head down at the silly joke she made. For some reason, she wanted Seifers respect. She wanted him to notice her more and to acknowledge her.

"Here we are," Seifer said as the elevator dinged. The doors opened with a swoosh and they all walked down a hallway. They were faced with large double doors.

"Give me a few minutes with the Headmaster," Seifer said.
Zell and Irvine nodded and they stood back as he walked in.

Quistis took a seat on a bench and so did Zell and Irvine.

"So," Zell said. "Where have you been all this time?"

Quistis thought long and hard. "Well, I really don't know how I started off there, but I was in a hospital."

"A hospital?" Irvine asked. He crossed his legs, resting his ankle on his knee. "What happened?"

Quistis sat straight as a panel of wood. "Well, that's what gets me. I don't remember what happened or where I was from. The doctor just said that I suffered a concussion and I had been out for a while. We went through a three week session where they tried to help me get my memory back, and I thought I had, but now I am more confused than ever." She clasped her hands together. "I don't know what to believe anymore."

Zell put his hand on her shoulder. "You can believe us. We've known you forever. You can count on us."

Quistis nodded. "Alright, but you have to give me time to myself. I have to do this alone. Get my memory back, I mean."

They both nodded and Seifer walked out of the Headmasters office. "Quistis," he said. "The Headmaster wants to see you."

Quistis nodded and she stood up. She slowly walked through the door and shut it behind her. She saw a stocky middle-aged man standing by the window. When he turned to face her, his face lit up with a smile. "Hello, Quistis. Seifer has informed me of your condition and I know that this is hard for you to deal with." He gestured to a seat and Quistis took it. "Well, I would like to hear your point of view of what happened since you've been away." He also took a seat.

Quistis leaned forward, uncomfortably. "Um, well. I guess it started a little more than three weeks ago. I-uh. Well, I woke up in a hospital. The doctor asked me where I was from and what my name was, but I couldn't remember. So then he started naming some places and Galbadia Garden rang a bell. So, that's where I thought I was from." Quistis paused. Her voice was shaking and when she glanced down, her hands were trembling also. She tried to clasp them tighter to make them stop. "Well, the doctor said that I had suffered a concussion and that the paramedics found me near a beach and I hit my head. So, for three weeks they tried to help me get my memory back. So then after the three weeks, I left to live in Galbadia. I was only there a day, then, Seifer is it? Seifer and the other two brought me here today." Quistis kept her eyes on the floor. Her body felt hot and she knew that all the blood in her body had rushed up to her face.

Cid nodded a bit. "I see," was all he said. He stood back up and paced the floor, which made Quistis even more nervous. Finally, he started to talk again. "Well, Seifer informed me of what happened and why. I'll inform you on this later during your stay. But for now, I will assign you with various individuals that will help you retrieve your memory back. To start you off, you will be paired off with Seifer Almasy. He will help you for one week, then after that week, you shall report back to me to see if you made any progress. Understood?"

Quistis nodded. "Thank you, Headmaster," she looked at his name plate. "Headmaster Cid."

Cid smiled and nodded. "You're welcome."
Quistis nodded. and stood up as the door opened.

Seifer glanced at her, then at the Headmaster. "Is everything settled, then?" He asked.

Cid nodded. "Dismissed."

Seifer saluted Cid. Quistis looked at Seifer salute him and decided on doing the same. She lifted her left hand the same way Seifer did and held her stance. Her salute was perfect.

"Good, Quistis," Cid said. "Good-bye. Report to me at the end of the week, the both of you."

They both nodded and walked out of his office.

"Here's where you stay," Seifer said. "Your dorm is...." he looked at a card key and said, "room 304." He walked her to her dorm and opened the door. It opened with a swoosh and she looked inside. There were posters on the wall and her room was very neat. "This is how it was when you...left," he said. "Well, let's move on."

Quistis gave her room one last glance before moving on. "Here's the cafeteria. It's where we eat, you know. And next is the Training Center. We train there. Next is the.."

"Wait," Quistis said. She was getting irritated of his monotonous attitude. "Can't you at least give this tour a little spunk? You now. Be a little more enthusiastic?"

Seifer stopped and gave her a look. "Sorry, but I'm not really enthusiastic about showing you around, you know?"

Quistis put her hands on her hips. "Well, it's not my fault. If you didn't want to get stuck with me, then you shouldn't have brought me back here."

"Hey, I was following orders. You think that I wanted you back here in this Garden after the way you always treated me?" Seifer stood nose to nose with her.
"Well, maybe if you act like you actually gave a damn about something, then maybe I wouldn't treat you like that." She stared back at him defiantly.

"Well, you know what? There's nothing to give a damn about. You think I give a damn about you or helping you out?"

"Well, you did when you saved me, right?" Quistis asked.

Seifer opened his mouth to retreat, but then stopped. "What did you say?"

Quistis fidgeted. "What do you mean? I said 'Well maybe if you acted like you gave a damn about something-'."

"No, no. After that."

"Why are you avoiding the subject anyways?" Quistis asked. "I can't remember what I said."

"You said 'Well, you did when you saved me, right?' How do you know that?"

"Seifer," Quistis said. "You are crazy. I didn't say that. Even if I did, it is totally irrelevant. I don't know what it means or why I said it. I blurt a lot of things out and dream a whole lot of things ever since I got out of the hospital. Now, why are you avoiding the subject?"

Seifer scoffed. "I am not avoiding the subject. I am just trying to help you out."

Quistis smiled. "See? I knew you cared." With that, she started to walk off.

Seifer followed her, boiling mad.

"And try to be a little more enthusiastic, alright?" Quistis called back.

"Ok. So where do you want to eat lunch at? In town or do you want to go to the cafeteria?" Seifer had been showing Quistis the Garden the whole day. Time seemed to be against him when he looked at his watch. It only read 12:30. He could have swore that it was already time to go to sleep.

Quistis thought about it. "Let's go in town. If you don't mind."

Seifer opened his mouth to response, but Quistis cut him off again. "I knew you wouldn't. Let's go."

She walked to the parking lot and waited patiently at his car door. "Hurry, Seifer. I'm starving."

Seifer mumbled something to himself and he got into the car. Since when did Quistis become...so....so disrespectful? She never used to talk like this before. I almost want the old Quistis back. Almost.

He opened the door for Quistis and she got in. "Come on, let's go."

Seifer shook his head, exasperated.

"I'll have a double cheeseburger and a side of French fries. Oh, wait. Make that onion rings. No, I want fries again. Oh," She turned to look at Seifer. "What did I always use to order?"

Seifer put his menu down. "I don't know. Just pick something before the cafe closes, alright?"
Quistis resumed into debating over fries or onion rings. "Ok. I made me decision." She stared at the menu to make sure she wanted it.

"Oh, goody," the waitress said. "What'll it be?"

Quistis smiled. "I would like to change my whole order, please. I would like a slice of pepperoni pizza with two breadsticks. And I would like a refill of ginger ale, please. Thank you." She handed the waitress her menu and smiled sweetly.

"And what would you like?" She asked Seifer.

Seifer just gave her the menu. "I just lost my appetite."

"Ok, I guess we need to talk now," Seifer said. He leaned back in his chair. It was already eight in the evening and they finally got back to the Garden so they can talk in the quiet of Seifers dorm. Time went progressively fast after lunch. After they ate, they skipped class and went to Deiling to see a parade that they had which was inaugurating a new mayor. Then they went to the Deep Sea Research Center so they can find some rare items that were rumored to be hidden there.

"I guess we do," Quistis said. She leaned back the same way he did. This whole day, she had been putting up an act to get Seifer to notice her. It took her a while to actually get into the character but after she did, it turned out to be fun. And he sure did notice her.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Seifer asked. He rubbed his tired eyes.

Quistis shrugged. "Whatever," she said.

Seifer cringed. "Don't say 'whatever'."

"Why?" Quistis asked.

"Because, you remind me of Squall saying 'whatever'. He always says it and it drives me wild."

Quistis smiled evilly. "Whatever, whatever, whatever."

Seifer scowled. "Anyways, let's get back to talking."

"We just were," Quistis pointed out.

"No," Seifer said. "We weren't talking. You were sitting there annoying me.

"Same thing," she said.

Seifer scowled once more. "You need to stop being so out-spoken now and go back to being quiet old Quistis."

Quistis frowned. "You mean boring old Quistis."

"Same thing," Seifer joked. His joke fell short when he saw the hurt expression on her face.

She quickly recovered, though. "Well, that's ok, because I don't remember the old Quistis. I don't have to be ashamed of her if I don't know her, right? I like the new Quistis. It's just like learning all over again. And I get to spend time with-" Quistis stopped short and blushed. "I get to spend a lot of time with discovering who I want to be all over again."

Seifer blinked. Was she just going to say what I thought she was going to say?

"So, anyways," Quistis said, changing the subject. "What about you? What do you want to do with your life?"

Seifer looked at the ceiling. "Well, I guess that I want to just become a fighter. I want to train to be the best. Right now, I am one step short, though."

Quistis stared at him. "That's all?" She asked.

Seifer sat up. "What's wrong with that?"

Quistis stretched her arms. "Well, that's kind of a waste in life. I mean, don't you want to see the world? Go explore things and see how other people around the world live from day to day without the common things we have to make out life better? I may have wanted to be a fighter before and I still have it in me now, but I also have that strive to make the world better. I want to help everyone out in the best way that I can."

Sefier shook his head. "See? That's what I don't like. I hate the way everyone wants to make things better. A lot of things can get screwed up that way. This world was just fine until everyone discovered out how to make a light bulb and a telephone. They tried to make things better and they ended up screwing this world up. Now this world is going to die way beyond it's years because of our stupid selfishness to make things easier."

Quistis nodded. "I know what you mean, but I don't want to help out by doing something bad for the world. I just want to help people in general. Like all the homeless. And the sick or whatever."

Seifer scoffed. "But don't you think that one person is just a little short of an army?"

Quistis could feel herself get angry. "I didn't say that I was going to change the world, I just want to help out in any way I can. And helping out people isn't such a bad thing. Look at yourself. You're helping me out. If you think that helping people is wrong, then you're a hypocrite."

Seifer sneered. "Well, like I said before, I didn't want to help you. I was assigned to."

Quistis jumped to her feet. "What are you talking about? You look me in the eye and tell me that everything you did today was assigned for you to do and you didn't have fun doing it."

She paused for Seifer to say something. He didn't.

"I think that you're just afraid. You're afraid of becoming close to someone for the same reason Squall is. You both are scared to lose someone."

Seifer laughed and stood up, meeting her gaze. "Oh, and who do you think that I care for? You?" He spat the words out like it was poison. "Quistis, I am being so honest when I say this: I do not care for you. I never have and I never will. You are nothing to me than a thorn on my side and a big baby. Bigger than Rinoa. And I am going to tell you this now because you need to know it. It was eight weeks ago, give or take a few days. You cam up to me and begged me to talk to you. I didn't want to talk to you because you were annoying. Plain and simple. So, you tried to kill yourself. You attempted to jump off of the pier and you did. You jumped and if I had a right mind, I would have let you go. You hit your head and feeling obligated, I jumped in there after you to be the good guy. I felt that I needed to. And I almost killed myself in the progress. You think that you're the only one that got hurt? I broke my arm that day and I almost had to quit my fighting career. All because of you. What you did was a selfish thing and I disrespect you for that. And something else. You just have to get over that fairy tale fantasy where the girl and the guy always have to be together. Because it never works out. Never."

Quistis took a small step back. Never in her life did words like that hurt her so much. And the funny thing was that she didn't know why it hurt so much. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a small squeak came out. Think of something to say, Quistis thought. Don't show him that you're really hurt by what he said. Stay strong.

But she couldn't. Her face scrunched up and she tried her best to hold it in. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. Ok.... you're going to cry, but leave now so he won't see you. Without anything to retaliate with, she just looked at him then left the room without anything to say.

The next day

"Why'd you have to be such a jerk to her?" Selphie asked. They were all sitting at the breakfast table in the cafeteria and he told them about what happened yesterday...actually, they more pried it out of him.

Seifer looked at his eggs. "I don't know. She's just becoming real annoying, you know? Not really annoying, but sort of....dependant. Like the way Rinoa is with Squall."

Rinoas mouth opened in a small circle and she threw a piece of bread at him.

"Well, that's how it went and I can't change it. She's just going to have to deal with life now." Seifer glanced around the table that had suddenly got quiet. He thought he had said something wrong, and then he realized that he did. Quistis was standing right there.

She disregarded him and just stood there. "Hello, everyone," Quistis said, rather calmly. She didn't make an attempt to sit down.

"Uh, have a seat, Quistis," Zell said. He nudged the chair next to him.

Quistis shook her head. "No thank you. I am pleased to inform all of you that I have regained my memory back after last night. All the...help....that I received from Seifer paid off."

Everyone smiled at the table, glad to hear that the old Quistis was back.

She held up her hand. "I'm not finished. In regaining my memory back, maybe I should tell you all what exactly what happened and why I was in the hospital." Quistis paused to look at everyone. "I felt as if I didn't really belong here. I was treated like an Instructor by all of you and not a friend. So, I went through, uh, depression if you will and I didn't know how to deal with it. So, I decided to take the easy way out. I tried to kill myself. Because of how jealous I was of all of you. I guess it was selfish of me to make that decision. And now I am making an even more selfish decision. I am deciding to leave Balamb Garden and transfer to Galbadia Garden today."

Everyone at the table gasped and protested. All except Seifer. He just started down at his food.

"No, Quistis," Irvine said. "You can't leave. We all need you."

Quistis scoffed. "Sure. Just like the way you all needed me before? Oh, wait, you all didn't talk to me before, so I guess that doesn't count. Don't you see? I can't stay here or I might try to kill myself again and this time I may succeed. So it's really your selfish decision if you try and make me stay because that shows that you really don't care. That you want me dead. Well, maybe one of you really wants me dead, so I guess it doesn't really matter." She stared directly at Seifer when she said this and he stared right back.

"Well, I'm leaving right now so I can go off and....'and deal with life now'. Right Seifer?" She stared at him before she turned to leave.

Quistis sat on the train once more. She felt as if she were going to be sick this time. She had lied to them all. She lied about regaining her memory back. And she lied about going to Galbadia Garden. She told Cid that just so she can get out of here. She didn't know what she was going to do. Just explore the world or something. To help people. That's what she wanted to do and she didn't care what other people thought about it.

"You see?!" Selphie yelled at Seifer. She stood up angrily and felt like punching him. Lucky for him, Irvine was holding her back. "Because of you, Quisty is gone forever this time."

Seifer scoffed and poked at his food with his fork. "Who cares? I got my wish."

Selphie, unable to resist anymore, rushed at him and slapped his fork out of his hand. "You selfish pig. What do you think you're doing? Go out there and bring her back."

Seifer sat stunned at Selphies change of attitude. "Are you kidding? What makes you think that she'll listen to me? Especially after today. You must be crazy."

"I don't care," Selphie said. "You have to go get her. You drove her away, now go to Galbadia and bring her back."

Seifer held his hands up as if defending himself. "Alright, I'll go and try to convince her, but I can guarantee you that she's not coming back."

Selphie was shaking by now. "Well, that's a chance that I am willing to take."

"I don't know why they got me going after her. It's not my decision that I made to transfer to Galbadia. That's her choice. They just have to deal with it." Seifer slammed his door shut and sped off to try and catch Quistis.

Ding

The train has arrived at Winhill. This is the last stop. I repeat. Winhill is the last stop. Please depart now.

Ding

Quistis stood up and grabbed her large suitcase. She swung it over her shoulder and trudged off the train. This time there wasn't a nice old man to help her.

She looked around Winhill. It had changed since the last time she was there. The streets had large pot holes in them and there was litter everywhere. Something that Laguna wouldn't have tolerated.

The houses seemed more secluded than ever. All the curtains were drawn and the lights were off in every house.

"Where do I go first?" Quistis asked herself. "Well, I need a job. And I need a place to stay. I guess I should get the job first." She walked the streets of Winhill, dragging her suitcase along behind her. She wiped away the small beads of sweat that formed over her eyebrows. The hot sun beat down on her back through her heavy vest and shirt underneath. She stopped a minute to rest her throbbing calves. Her suitcase was really a problem. If she wasn't carrying it, she would have gotten down the streets much quicker and more efficiently.

I just need to rest now. Quistis thought. I just need to rest. And I need some water. Rest and water. Water and rest. The words blurred together until she passed out in the green grass.

"What do you mean that she's not coming here?" Seifer asked. "She just told me this morning that she was transferring here."

The lady shook her head. "No, sorry, son. Quistis Trepe did not transfer here. Believe me, I would have known if the Quistis Trepe came here."

Seifer nodded then turned to leave. "Oh well," he muttered. "That is her choice. I can't stop her form her decisions." Still, he felt as if he had let the one person that he cared for down.

A. N.: Ok. This is the first half of the story. The next half will take place in five more years, where Quistis and the rest of the gang is in their....well, you do the math.