Chapter Three:
*Tweet*
"Uh......?"
*TWEET*
"....." Zell rolled over,his eyes reacting badly to the shaft of golden sunlight slashed across his pillow.Seifer's scent still hung in the stale air,a sharp tinge of seasalt mixed with his fragrant aftershave.Zell took a
deep breath,letting the last vestiges of sleepiness bleed from his body.
(Are you alright?.......no really.......doing 'that' to yourself,it isn't healthy......why?......Why didn't you tell someone?......mind you,it's not like we've been friendly to you,we let the insults ride,the messages on the computers were ignored.....brushed under the carpet of silence......we let you down......i'm sorry,I just stood by and watched while you suffered.....)
Zell closed his eyes,the beating of his heart echoing around the walls,not masking the flutter of guilt stirring in his mind.He flung the bedcovers aside and sat up.He caught his reflection in the mirror,sniffing with derision.His hair was a mess,dark circles the only reminder of the hours spent restlessly tossing last night.
(Thinking of you....The way you treated me,I know that wasn't you......i'm so sure.........you've never been far from my thoughts,but what could I say with everyone banding together,boycotting your friendship.....it was the hardest thing I've ever done.......)
He gathered up his clothes for the day,and the happy facade he'd wear was pulled into place,any hint of his anxiety buried deep inside....
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(Balamb Garden cafeteria-About noon)
There they were,the SeeD's who'd vanquished Ultimecia only a few months ago....seeming so high and mighty to the new cadets,these were seasoned veterans who could claim to have saved the world......
Zell walked towards the others,his shoulders slouched,eyes downcast.Selphie noticed him first,her eyes lighting up as she bounded over,barrelling him over with a hug.
(Affectionate as ever.....)
"Hey! how-ya-doin?-We're-fine-Irvy-and-me-that-is-I-can't-speak-for-us-all-have-ya-had-lunch-yet-huh?-huh?-huh?" She stopped,releasing his neck and breathing heavily.
Zell caught Irvine's wry smile over his shoulder,a tiny flash of jealously in his emerald eyes.
"I'm okay," He started,leaning against the edge of the table they were clustered round.Several grinning faces looked up at him,greetings over and done with in a few seconds.Squall finished off his drink,putting a casual arm around Rinoa's pale shoulder, "I heard that classes have been cancelled for today,some kinda meeting or something..." He shot Rinoa a sly glance.Quistis rolled her eyes,gesturing elegantly, "That's right,Cid and the other instructors are busy,so you're free..for today." She added ominously.
"what are ya gonna do today,Zell?" Selphie stuck her tongue out at him cheekily.He folded his arms,staring at the floor,unable to meet her puppydog eyes.....
"I'm going to see Seifer."
A can fell to the floor,there were intakes of breath,mumbled comments.....shock exploded into the air......Zell glanced up,realising that he had an audience now.......
"Why the HELL are you going to see him?" Squall stood up,his chair clattering back against the tiles.
Zell blinked at him,trying to keep his voice steady, "He got beaten up last night,it was pretty rough and I found him.....I just want to check if he's okay." Irvine's voice rose over the tide of accusing shouts being hurled at Zell from the cadets.
"Who cares.....He chose his friends when he sided with Ultimecia." Zell nearly fell off the table,his eyes widening in surprise.
(How can you say that.....)
"We know he was under the control of Ultimecia then...he's changed." Zell cried,his fists balling with frustration, "Rinoa,tell them....he was just a puppet...a victim....." Zell gazed at her,desperation in his words.She bit her lip,silent under Squall's raking glare....
(Heartless.......I though you guys would understand..........)
Squall stepped round the table,his face suddenly inches from Zell's,he prodded Zell in the chest, "You shouldn't hang round with bastards like Almasy,just leave him alone.....it's better for all of us." Zell sneered at him,barely believing how little he thought he'd known these people.
"Don't any of you care?" He turned to the SeeD's in the cafeteria,reaching out with his emotional plea, "Seifer is hurting......" He paused,hesitant to violate Seifer's trust.He lowered his voice,waiting until the surrounding cadets returned to their conversations.
"He's hurting himself....i'm sure of it.I found scars on his arms last night." Squall backed off,his eyes losing their fury.....
"Are you positive?" Quistis asked worriedly,only letting her concern show now that Squall was subdued.Zell nodded,his voice deserting him.
She shook her head, "I'll speak to Cid,after the meeting....even if no one gives a shit about him," She looked over at Squall disgustedly. "He deserves some kind of help....counselling maybe." Zell thanked her with a smile,feeling the silence wrapped around the room like a blanket.....
"Go,see if he's recovering." she motioned to the door.Zell nodded,willing to escape the suffocating atmosphere as fast as his legs could carry him.
*Tweet*
"Uh......?"
*TWEET*
"....." Zell rolled over,his eyes reacting badly to the shaft of golden sunlight slashed across his pillow.Seifer's scent still hung in the stale air,a sharp tinge of seasalt mixed with his fragrant aftershave.Zell took a
deep breath,letting the last vestiges of sleepiness bleed from his body.
(Are you alright?.......no really.......doing 'that' to yourself,it isn't healthy......why?......Why didn't you tell someone?......mind you,it's not like we've been friendly to you,we let the insults ride,the messages on the computers were ignored.....brushed under the carpet of silence......we let you down......i'm sorry,I just stood by and watched while you suffered.....)
Zell closed his eyes,the beating of his heart echoing around the walls,not masking the flutter of guilt stirring in his mind.He flung the bedcovers aside and sat up.He caught his reflection in the mirror,sniffing with derision.His hair was a mess,dark circles the only reminder of the hours spent restlessly tossing last night.
(Thinking of you....The way you treated me,I know that wasn't you......i'm so sure.........you've never been far from my thoughts,but what could I say with everyone banding together,boycotting your friendship.....it was the hardest thing I've ever done.......)
He gathered up his clothes for the day,and the happy facade he'd wear was pulled into place,any hint of his anxiety buried deep inside....
******************************************************************************
(Balamb Garden cafeteria-About noon)
There they were,the SeeD's who'd vanquished Ultimecia only a few months ago....seeming so high and mighty to the new cadets,these were seasoned veterans who could claim to have saved the world......
Zell walked towards the others,his shoulders slouched,eyes downcast.Selphie noticed him first,her eyes lighting up as she bounded over,barrelling him over with a hug.
(Affectionate as ever.....)
"Hey! how-ya-doin?-We're-fine-Irvy-and-me-that-is-I-can't-speak-for-us-all-have-ya-had-lunch-yet-huh?-huh?-huh?" She stopped,releasing his neck and breathing heavily.
Zell caught Irvine's wry smile over his shoulder,a tiny flash of jealously in his emerald eyes.
"I'm okay," He started,leaning against the edge of the table they were clustered round.Several grinning faces looked up at him,greetings over and done with in a few seconds.Squall finished off his drink,putting a casual arm around Rinoa's pale shoulder, "I heard that classes have been cancelled for today,some kinda meeting or something..." He shot Rinoa a sly glance.Quistis rolled her eyes,gesturing elegantly, "That's right,Cid and the other instructors are busy,so you're free..for today." She added ominously.
"what are ya gonna do today,Zell?" Selphie stuck her tongue out at him cheekily.He folded his arms,staring at the floor,unable to meet her puppydog eyes.....
"I'm going to see Seifer."
A can fell to the floor,there were intakes of breath,mumbled comments.....shock exploded into the air......Zell glanced up,realising that he had an audience now.......
"Why the HELL are you going to see him?" Squall stood up,his chair clattering back against the tiles.
Zell blinked at him,trying to keep his voice steady, "He got beaten up last night,it was pretty rough and I found him.....I just want to check if he's okay." Irvine's voice rose over the tide of accusing shouts being hurled at Zell from the cadets.
"Who cares.....He chose his friends when he sided with Ultimecia." Zell nearly fell off the table,his eyes widening in surprise.
(How can you say that.....)
"We know he was under the control of Ultimecia then...he's changed." Zell cried,his fists balling with frustration, "Rinoa,tell them....he was just a puppet...a victim....." Zell gazed at her,desperation in his words.She bit her lip,silent under Squall's raking glare....
(Heartless.......I though you guys would understand..........)
Squall stepped round the table,his face suddenly inches from Zell's,he prodded Zell in the chest, "You shouldn't hang round with bastards like Almasy,just leave him alone.....it's better for all of us." Zell sneered at him,barely believing how little he thought he'd known these people.
"Don't any of you care?" He turned to the SeeD's in the cafeteria,reaching out with his emotional plea, "Seifer is hurting......" He paused,hesitant to violate Seifer's trust.He lowered his voice,waiting until the surrounding cadets returned to their conversations.
"He's hurting himself....i'm sure of it.I found scars on his arms last night." Squall backed off,his eyes losing their fury.....
"Are you positive?" Quistis asked worriedly,only letting her concern show now that Squall was subdued.Zell nodded,his voice deserting him.
She shook her head, "I'll speak to Cid,after the meeting....even if no one gives a shit about him," She looked over at Squall disgustedly. "He deserves some kind of help....counselling maybe." Zell thanked her with a smile,feeling the silence wrapped around the room like a blanket.....
"Go,see if he's recovering." she motioned to the door.Zell nodded,willing to escape the suffocating atmosphere as fast as his legs could carry him.