Chapter 11: An Unforgettable Graduation.
"Can all students which took part in the SeeD exam today, wait in the 2F hallway until further notice," Nida announced over the intercom, "I repeat. Can all students which took part in the SeeD exam today, wait in the 2F hallway until further notice. Thank you." The intercom cut.
Strik paced back and forth, nervously waiting for the results.
"Strik, will you calm down?" his sister frowned at him, watching him pace back and forth.
"I'm nervous that's all," he looked Rinoa.
"You have nothing to be worried about. I know you've passed. We both have," she smiled at him.
He smiled back, but his expression changed when he saw Xu.
Rinoa turned round. She held her brother's hand.
Xu stood in the hallway leading to the lift.
She looked at the names on the listof who passed. She smiled.
Everyone was looking at her.
She sighed, "Everyone who passed today, please report to Headmaster Squall's office."
She looked at the list, "Heartily."
Rinoa squeezed Strik's hand.
"Rinoa heartily," Xu continued.
Rinoa looked at her brother. He looked disappointed.
"Don't worry," she reassured him.
He gave a weak smile.
Rinoa then squeezed his hand again and then walked off behind Xu.
Xu continued, "Buri. Omar Buri"
A guy with spiked brown hair stepped forward. He flashed a smile to his friends and then followed Rinoa.
"Fafir. Bryanny Fafir."
A girl with long blonde hair tied back and screamed with excitement. She hugged her friends and followed the other two.
"Hodr. Forseti Hodr."
A tanned black haired girl hugged her friends and then walked off to Squall's office.
Strik felt shamed that he hadn't passed. He wanted to pass with his sister.
"And finally," Xu looked at Strik. She smiled at him, "Heartily. Strik Heartily. That's all. Dismissed."
Strik smiled. He was relieved he'd passed. He thought for a minute he hadn't passed. Was Xu playing a trick on him? He didn't care he'd passed. He was SeeD. Just like his family.
The other students were disappointed. Strik walked to the lift followed by Xu.
"Strik!" Xu called back.
He stopped and turned round.
She smiled at him, "I knew you would pass. Well done, love."
She walked up to him. He bent down to kiss her.
Strik and Xu had been dating each other for five months now. Strik had helped her out when she got into trouble with a monster in the training center.
He had asked her out on a date two weeks later. She said yes and the rest is history.
"You going to the party tonight?" Xu asked him.
"Should be. Are you?"
"Sure, I am. I brought a new dress for it. Anyway you better get there before you get into trouble."
"Yes ma'am," he laughed. He then hugged her and then carried onto Squall's office.
Strik stood in line with his sister and the other three SeeDs who'd passed.
Rinoa smiled at him.
Squall stood infront of them with Quistis. She handed him some papers.
Strik guessed they were graduation forms.
"At ease," Squall told them.
Squall first went to Rinoa.
He handed her a form and shuck her hand, "Well done" He smiled at her.
He the repeated the same with Omar, Byranny and Forseti.
He handed Strik his form. He shuck his hand, "Nice to have family together. Well done."
"Well done to all of you. You did well in your SeeD exam, let's hope it remains that way or improves more. Well done again. You are dismissed now," he then saluted them.
All five them saluted him back.
They then started walking back to their friends.
"See, told you, you would pass," Rinoa told her brother.
"Yeah, thanks," he then hugged her.
"What rank are you?" Rinoa asked.
"Six," he replied.
"Same as me!" she cried, "How cool!"
"Rinoa. Could I see you please?" Squall asked.
"I'll see you tonight at the party?" Rinoa asked her brother.
"Sure," he smiled.
"Remember to wear your uniform!"
"Yep, I know."
"See ya later then."
"Bye," Strik walked into the lift.
"Rinoa, you ready yet?" Squall asked his girlfriend through the bedroom door.
"Nearly," she replied back.
"Okay."
Squall looked at the ring in the little jewellery box. It was the same as his lion ring which he named Griever, but smaller. Rinoa had liked his ring. He remembered when she borrowed it from him before the battle with Edea. Zell had promised to get her one made but instead Squall did. He was going to ask her to marry him tonight.
He closed the box and put it in his jacket pocket.
He was wearing his Seed uniform, just like when he'd passed. Every SeeD except the girls had to wear the uniform. He remembered how Rinoa had came up to him and made him dance with her. He smiled at the memory. He decides that was how he was going to porpose to her.
Rinoa looked at herself in the mirror in their bedroom. She was wearing red dress in the style of her cream one. Would he remember the night they met? It had been over eighteen months She checked herself in the mirror again. She then walked out to greet her boyfriend.
"Let's go then," she said to Squall.
"Wow!" he looked at his girlfriend. He put his arm out gesturing him to loop her arm with his.
She giggled covering her mouth. She placed her arm through his. They then walked out their apartment.
Strik knocked on Xu's dorm door.
A girl wearing along flowing blue dress appeared at the door.
Strik was speechless.
Xu giggled and closed the door behind her.
Xu had a long, flowing blue dress with a slit halfway up her right leg. It had straps that crossed at the back. She had blue open toed knee length boots on. She had a blue shawl that fell over arms falling behind her back. Her brown hair fell over her shoulders with two clips, gripping it back some on both sides.
She was wearing a necklace Strik had brought her. It had a silver feather on it.
She giggled again and put her arm through his. They headed off to the party.
Strik and Xu walked into the ballroom. They searched for their friends. They saw Squall and Rinoa with Zell and Fiona.
Zell was in his SeeD uniform. Finoa was wearing a red halterneck dress, which fell to her ankles. It had a slit at the back going a third up. She had her hair gripped back.
Rinoa waved at her brother and his girlfriend. Strik walked over with Xu. He then saw Selphie and Irvine dancing on the dancefloor to orchestra playing.
Irvine was also in his SeeD uniform. This was the first time anyone had ever seen in him in his uniform. He looked different.
Selphie was wearing a strapless long green dress. She had put her hair up. Stik had never seen her like that before.
"Hi," Rinoa greeted Strik and Xu. Rinoa kissed Strik on the cheek and hugged him. She repeated this with Xu. Strik and Xu greeted Zell and Fiona.
"Has anyone seen Quitis and Seifer?" Squall asked his friends.
"Yeah, they've just came in," Fiona giggled.
They all looked at the entance where Quitis and And Seifer stood.
Seifer had his SeeD uniform on. He had graduated eventually previously six months before. Quitis had helped him realize how much SeeD that how much SeeD meant tohim and started to work really hard. Squall couldn't believe it when he had graduated. He didn't graduate at Balamb but at Esthar instead. The headmaster there had informed Squall.
Quitis had a short black halterneck dress on. Her long blonde hair flew behind her shoulders. She had knee length boots on.
They headed straight towards their friends.
"Right, anyone want any drinks?" Squall asked standing up.
Everyone agreed they wanted another drink.
"I'll help you out," Zell offered.
Zell and Squall's friends watched them walk off to the bar.
"So you gonna ask her tonight?" Zell asked Squall.
"The same again please?" Squall asked the bartender. He looked at Zell; "I have the ring in my pocket."
He stook the little box out of his pocket, opened it and showed it to Zell.
"That's like the one you have but only smaller." He looked at the smaller version of Squall's ring.
"She wanted one. So I had one made for her especially."
"So when you gonna ask her?" Zell picked up a tray with his friend's drinks on.
"When our song comes on," Squall picked up the other tray of drinks.
He looked at Zell; Zell smiled back at him. They both walked back to their friends with the drinks.
"Rinoa, where you going?" Squall asked his girlfriend, watching her walk away.
"I'll be back. I'm just going to see some friends," she smiled at Squall.
She then walked off to a group of friends.
As Rinoa was talking to her friends, she saw something in the corner of her eye. She looked at the sky; she saw a shooting star. She followed it but her eyes met some one else's. He was stood on the side of the dance floor. He smiled at her. He had brown hair tied back but the front fell over his face. He was wearing his black SeeD uniform. She knew who he was.
She watched him walk over to her.
"You're the best looking girl here," he spoke to her.
Rinoa giggles at him. She remembered the words. They were the very same words she had said to him. She remembered how he had acted and decided to play along as how he did.
She stopped giggling and started to ignore him.
"Dance with me?" he insists.
She ignores him more.
"Let me guess…You'll only dance with some you like?" he tried to look into her eyes. She avoided them.
"Ok then…look into my eyes," she was now looking into his eyes.
"You're-going-to-like-me…
You're-going-to-like-me…" he repeats.
"Did it work?" he asks her smiling.
Rinoa shakes her head; "….I can't dance."
"You'll be fine. Come on," Squall insists, "I'm looking for some-one. I can't dance alone on the dance floor."
Squall takes Rinoa's hands and drags her to the dancefloor.
Squall looks over to the orchestra and cues them to play 'Eyes on me.' Squall and Rinoa's song. The one they were playing when they first met.
Squall puts Rinoa's hands were they're meant to be. She acts like she doesn't know how to dance. Squall looks into her eyes and smiles. And they danced once again like they did when they first met. Same song. Same clothes.
There friends watched them dance on the dance floor.
"Is he going to ask her?" Fiona asked Zell.
"Ask her what?" Strik looked at Zell with a raised eyebrow.
"To marry him," Irvine answered him.
"Marry him," Strik cried.
"Didn't he ask you?" Zell asked.
"No," he cried.
"Well maybe he forgot," Quitis said.
"Don't you want them to?" Zell looked at Squall and Rinoa happily dance together.
"Of course. I want them to be happy. I just wish some-one had told me," he watched his sister dance with the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. She looked so happy, which is what he wanted her to be.
"So is he?" Fiona asked Zell asked again.
"Yep. Anytime soon," he smiled at his girlfriend and then put his arm around her shoulders. They then continued to watch.
Squall lowered Rinoa backwards as the song ended. He brought her back up. He then took her left her hand and went down on one knee. She looked at him puzzled. He fiddled in his SeeD uniform jacket pocket to find the tiny box containing the engagement ring. He pulled it out.
"Rinoa," he paused, he opened the box and took her hand again, "Rinoa Heartilly will you marry me?"
He looked into her eyes, they were sparkling.
She put a hand over her mouth. Tears started forming in her eyes. She noddedher head.
"Yes…Yes I will Squall Leonhart," she cried.
Squall then stood up and put the ring on her finger. She looked at it.
"It's just like yours."
"I know you wanted one. Do you like it?"
"Like it? I love it! Can I name it?"
"Of course you can."
"Fianna. That's its name."
"It's pretty name."
He then kissed her, she kissed him back. He then picked her up and swung her around.
"I love you Rinoa Heartilly."
"And I love you, squall Leonhart."
Strik Heartilly looked at his sister and her husband to be he then looked at his friends and felt as if he belonged. Belonged with his new found family.
