Chapter 2- Favors, Favors, Favors...

Disclaimer- I don't own FF8... there... I said it.

... Thoughts

"So why am I doing this again?" Rinoa asked with an irritated tone.

"You're doing this because you owe me." Shinsei replied, equally annoyed.

"I still don't see the point. Why do I have to get involved?"

"Miss Heartilly please... for Seifer... for ME." Shinsei pleaded.

"Alright... but JUST for you... ok?" Rinoa replied with a sigh.

Shinsei beamed at the sorceress and gave her an ecstatic hug. The plan was to somehow mention to Squall that Seifer was in Garden and to somehow get Seifer to be accepted again. Of course, Shinsei had to inform Rinoa about how Seifer was here, blah blah blah. Rinoa had accepted the situation better than Shinsei had hoped, but Rinoa still held that feeling of irritation that Shinsei wished had vanished. Unfortunately, it came up again at full blast, but still subdued and controlled. Finally, Rinoa had agreed to the plan. They parted ways again and left. Rinoa approached the table in the cafeteria where her friends were sitting, along with her loving boyfriend, Squall Leonhart...

"Hi guys..." Rinoa said with a downcast look.

"Hey," Her loving boyfriend replied, followed by a sweet kiss on the cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Oh.. ummm nothing," Rinoa lied.

"Oh is that so?" Quistis questioned with a knowing look.

Rinoa sighed and cast her gaze downwards toward the floor. She couldn't... it was too hard. Her and Seifer had once been together, and it was too odd... and way too difficult. She couldn't ask this of Squall, no matter how much it meant to Shinsei. Her blonde friend, Quistis cast her a worried look. Rinoa's eyebrows were knit in frustration, and she felt as if her head had just taken a dive in a sea.

"Quistis?" Rinoa asked with much frustration.

"Yes?"

"Can you go up to Shinsei's dorm... and... and say to her that I can't?"

"Can't what?"

"Just... can't... please hurry."

"Al... Alright..."

Walking as fast she could, Quistis hurried over to the dormitory and then to the instructor's quarters. Her heels clicked behind her and echoed through the walls.

Funny... there's not many people here... They're probably just having lunch... that's all. I gotta bad feeling though...

Dismissing her previous thoughts, she finally reached the guardian's dorm. Because she was a highly respected individual of Garden, she was placed in the instructor dorm rooms. Quistis was never placed there though. She liked being among people and her peers, not professionally toned instructors.

Finally reaching room 601, Quistis knocked on the door and called out,"Shinsei? It's me Quistis... Rinoa want's to say that she..."

Before she could finish her sentence, sapphire blue eyes greeted her own, and were in equal shock. Quistis just stood there, like a victim under Medusa's spell. The person on the other side was under the same spell, but recovered faster and quickly put his hand over the former
instructor's delicate mouth.

"Don't. Say. Anything," Seifer muttered under his breath. Quistis nodded slowly. "If you scream or anything like that, you're gonna get yourself, me and Shinsei in A LOT of trouble... so keep you damn mouth shut, alright?" Quistis nodded again. "I'm gonna let you go now... just don't freak out on me, or I swear I'll knock you out."

Finally releasing his hard grip, Seifer let go of the blonde girl in his arms. She took a deep breath of cool air and faced him, her strong gaze meeting his.

"Seifer Almasy... What a surprise to see you, unfortunately..." Quistis spat, with a hard glare. Seifer grabbed his side and frustration covered his face.

"Ouch Instructor! You could hurt a poor guy like me..." Seifer replied sarcastically. A playful smirk spread across his lips, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Despite the anger boiling up inside of her, Quistis held her gaze, her professional look resurfacing once again. Immediately, Seifer wiped the smirk off his face and held a genuine smile.

"I'm guessing you would want an explanation."

"I certainly do."

Seifer looked around to see if anyone was looking. Once all his suspicions were confirmed, he led Quistis in to the dorm and pulled out a chair for her. She raised an eyebrow at him, but still took the unusual act of politeness and sat.

"Alright.. it's like this..."

~*Tsuzuku*~

A/N: All right, all right.. that ISN'T what I intended it to be, but I think it still came out pretty okay. Short I know... but I had to have SOME lead on the next fic, right?