Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Squaresoft, so do nearly all the characters I use.
Bad Zell! No hotdog for you!
Chapter 1: RINOA'S CRACK!! (Just read it, all will be revealed.)
Zell sat up sleepily in his bed. It was already daylight. The boy glanced at the calendar.
"July 15. Hmm… there's something special about tomorrow. What is it?"
Selphie peeked in the door. She then decided to jump into the room.
"Hi Zell!"
"AH!"
"Tee-hee! Did I scare you that bad?"
Zell jumped out of bed.
"What the Hell you doin' in my room?"
Selphie innocently swayed from side to side.
"I just wanted to wake you up. It's almost 11."
Zell began to feel guilty for snapping at the poor girl.
"Um… Thanks."
The blonde boy grinned at Selphie, hoping to reassure that he wasn't angry with her. She turned and exited the room, bouncing with each step. He watched her leave, still trying to figure out what was so special about tomorrow…
"Selphie's birthday! And I don't have a present for her!"
Zell threw on his clothes, grabbed his t-board and ran out of his room… and straight into Seifer.
"Watch it Chicken-Wuss!"
He then realized who he ran into.
"I don't have time for him, I need to get to Balamb…"
Zell jumped up and continued running. The former leader of the Disciplinary Committee just stood, scratching his head.
"Has Chicken-Wuss finally learned to be afraid of me? Ugh, my head is so itchy; damn lice…"
Zell rode his t-board after passing the directory. Suddenly a voice from behind called him.
"Zell! Don't make any more wrong turns into the lady's room!!"
He didn't have time to react; Selphie would be so mad if she knew he nearly forgot her birthday. Even though it was safer to stay on the road, he decided to take the short cut through the grass. Suddenly a bright light engulfed the boy as about five bite bugs appeared in front of the boy.
"Damn it! You guys are just annoying now."
Zell swiftly attacked each of the monsters as music played from an unknown source. The bite bugs were easily beaten. Zell did a little victory dance.
"Where does that music come from?"
He wasn't asking anyone in particular, but he found it odd how that song always appeared during fights. Shrugging his shoulders, the boy hopped on his t-board and continued to his hometown.
"Ma! I'm home!"
Mrs. Dinct appeared from the kitchen.
"Zell! You didn't bring any of your friends?"
"No Ma, I need to get a present for Selphie, her birthday's tomorrow."
"Is she your girlfriend?"
"No! She's just a friend! I was wanting to ask you what I should get. I really don't know what girls like."
"Girls like jewelry."
Zell's face lit up, he hadn't even thought of that!
"Hey! I'm pretty good at making stuff like that! Thanks Ma!"
The boyish grin spread across his face as he waved to his mother. He stopped by the junk store on his way. He was sure he would find some metal there. After selecting a chunk of shiny, silvery metal he rushed back to Balamb Garden.
***
Rinoa stood by Zell's dorm room. He'd been in there for hours. Squall, who had been looking for the girl for nearly half an hour, found her trying to look under Zell's door. He stood over her. The only girl that had ever managed to gain his affections, and she was on her hands and knees with her face pressed against a door.
"Rinoa?"
She quickly sat up, then nervously brushed the dust from her clothes.
"Hi Squall!"
He reached for his girlfriend's hand, helping her to her feet. He didn't ask her what she was doing. He didn't really want to know.
"Zell's been locked in there for hours."
"Why are you trying to look under his door?"
"Heh… I was just worried"
"I recognize that glazed look in her eyes… Choco-boy sold her crack again! I always wondered why he hung around here so much, until I saw her trying to pay with m-stone pieces. She should have known better. No body wants those anymore. You can find those things in a toilet. I actually found one in a hotdog once--"
"SQUALL!"
"Huh?"
Rinoa held a little bag out to him.
"Heheh… want some of this?"
"…"
Rinoa held the baggie protectively to her chest.
"Fine! More for me!"
Quistis sat straight up at her desk. Her students were all looking at her, each one with an expression of surprise, disgust, shock, or a combination of the three.
"Um… heh, continue with your tasks!"
Quistis vacantly taped on her desk.
"No more all-nighters for me. Why did I accept becoming an instructor again? That was such a strange dream. I hope Rinoa isn't really on crack…"
One of the boys in the class stood. Quistis was afraid of what he'd say; he was notorious for ridiculing others. This time he had a serious and slightly frightened look on his face. He drew up nervously and finally muttered something.
"Instructor Trepe… ma'am, we've all finished and… you have a big pen mark on your head."
He said the last words as quickly as possible and ducked behind his desk. Quistis rubbed her forehead apprehensively and pulled out her compact to check her work.
"Good thing I use gel ink, I cleans so much easier."
She replaced the compact and stood smiling.
"Time for the next lecture…"
Quistis was interrupted by a figure flying through the door.
"ZELL!"
The aforementioned had fallen off his t-board, and then turned red when he realized whose class he'd just fell into.
"'Sup Quisty? Why is your forehead red?"
Quistis covered the area with her hand.
"Never mind that! Why are you in my classroom?"
"I… wanted to say 'hi.'"
"Class is dismissed in an hour. Can you wait-"
Zell looked at his watch.
"Actually, class is dismissed in five seconds."
The instructor looked shocked for a moment.
"But-"
A bell rang and the junior classmen all left the room.
"I slept for a whole hour?"
Zell jumped back in surprise.
"You slept! Just what were you doing last night?"
"I was grading papers."
An evil smile spread across the boy's face.
"Who was helping ya?"
"No one was 'helping' me! Well, Nida came for a short visit…"
Zell jumped back even further.
"Nida! Why him?"
A shocked expression formed on Quistis.
"He just stopped by to say 'hi' and was only in my room for a few minutes."
"Yeah. Anyway, I was going to make Selphie's birthday present and I was wondering what kind of ring she'd like. Wanna help me out here?"
Quistis stood thoughtfully for a few seconds.
"I remember her pointing at one in a magazine I have and saying 'Ooh, that one's pretty!' Come with me and I'll show it to you."