Name



The weekend was long and pretty horrible. I couldn't stop thinking about Irvine, but he didn't call.

I waited all weekend, and he didn't call.

Why didn't he? Was there something wrong with me? Did he not like me anymore?

I didn't wonder if anyone had seen me. Of course no one had seen me. Taren hadn't gone to the dance, and I hadn't seen any of his friends there. There wasn't anything to worry about there.

Probably, I should have worried, and considered some things. Considered that Taren was home today, and that the ringer to my phone wasn't working and that Irvine didn't have my cellphone number. If I only would have stopped worrying and actually thought for a minute, I could have figured things out before it was too late.

*

Monday I got ready for school with some apprehension. I wasn't sure what wouldhappen when I got there, and I was worried. You know, I never USED to worry.

Guys are great, but they have the worst affect on girls sometimes.

*

I met Quistis in front of school, as usual. She looked at me a little oddly.Irvine had been standing next to her, but as soon as he saw me he walked off.

Running up, I managed to catch his arm, waving at Quistis quickly.

He looked hurt.

"What's the matter?" I asked, worried.

"You were out with another guy?" he asked in a small voice.

"What? Irvine, I was home all weekend. I didn't go anywhere. I stayed in my room, waiting for you to call me."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"You said that you would call and I didn't want to bother you. Really, I was home. Just ask-" It hit me. "He wouldn't. . ." I breathed dangerously.

Quistis had joined us now. "Who wouldn't what?"

"Taren. He lied to Irvine. He knows." I said shortly.

"That can't be good."

"It's not. He'll tell my parents."

"Selphie. . .I won't let anything happen, okay? It'll be fine." Irvine said.

"No, it won't! You don't know Taren, and you don't know my parents!" I was really upset.

Irvine pulled me into an embrace. "Really, everything will be alright," he whispered.

I believed him. Really, I did.

Then I felt the hand on my shoulder.

"Selphie, what do you think you're doing?" Taren's rude voice cut through the schoolyard. Everyone turned to us.

I had never stood up to my cousin before. He had always been in charge. I'd been scared to cross him when I was younger. I still was, but my fear would not get the better of me now when so much was at stake. Nothing had ever been worth facing Taren's full wrath before, or the fury of my parents.

Irvine was worth it, and many times over.

"Nothing that concerns you, Taren."

"You're family. Everything you do concerns me, especially when it goes strictly against everything our family has always stood for. How can you touch. . .that?" He spoke like Irvine was something the cat dragged in.

"Always? No, Taren. Not always. You're delusional." I was pissed. Irvine and Quistis could tell, and while Quistis took a step back, Irvine moved closer, protectively. I thanked him mentally for it. "Grandfather would have never stood for this. You and Father, and Mother too, you're all spoiled. Spoiled rotten. You see nothing but yourselves. All that matters to you is how much money you have. You're the same, all of you. Why can't you see that's not what matters in life?"

I grabbed Irvine's hand and held it tightly. "I hate you, Taren. I hate you and Mother and Father. How can you be so heartless?"

It didn't bother him in the least. "I've had enough of your childish prattle, Selphie. We're leaving, now."

"Excuse me? We're leaving? I'm not coming with you."

"Yes, you are." He said, grabbing my arm. A group of his followers moved behind me to stand around my friends. "It's for your own good, Selphie. You'll thank me someday."

I stood stone-still, not moving. He yanked my arm, hard. "Come ON." He said in a hard voice. Several teachers were watching, but none made any move to interfere. I shuddered. As I was being pulled away, I turned to look at Irvine. His eyes were sad. Quistis looked helpless. I smiled sadly at them, mouthing the words 'I love you' to Irvine.

*

When I arrived home, I was locked into my room. Neither of my parents were there, and while Taren's actions infuriated me, there was nothing I could do. I paced my room angrily, wondering if I dared to call anyone. When school was finally out for the day, I went for my phone but dropped it when I heard a noise at the door. I tapped it with my foot, sending it sailing under the bed, and turned to face my parents defiantly.

"Selphie, is it true what Taren has told us? How could you go against your family like that?"

"How could he do what he did?"

"Selphie, they're bad blood. Don't you ever think about anything? Remember the feud?" My father said.

"No, I remember how you were jealous of Mr. Kinneas because he was a good guy. You're just greedy."

"Young lady, I will not be spoken to like that." He said at the same time my mother said, "You will not talk to your father like that."

I just glared.

"You are not to see that boy again."

"You can't stop me from seeing my friends!"

"Oh yes we can. If you don't stay away from him, you will go back to Trabia."

That would be awful. I'd rather stay here, where I could at least see Irvine.

"And I'd like it if you stayed away from that Trepe girl as well."

"May I ask why?" I said sarcastically.

"Don't be smart. She has bad breeding. You may continue to see her but try not to get too close."

I was furious, but I concealed it until they left. As my mother walked out the door, she said, "You will go back to school tomorrow. Taren will be watching you."

*

During math class, Quistis and I passed about three pages of notes. We sat in the back and did nothing else the entire time. At lunch, we didn't go to the usual table, but instead, out to the hall, heading towards the girl's room. I sat on the edge of the sink and Quistis stood in front of me.

"They make me so mad." I said. "If Taren sees me talking with Irvine at all, or even too near him, they're shipping me back to Trabia."

"I know." She said sympathetically. "There's got to be a way around it. We'll just have to think of something, and until we do, you and Irvine can meet in secret."

"Secret how? Taren's probably got people everywhere."

"You make it sound like he's evil."

"He is." I said angrily.

"Selphie, calm down. . .It's okay. Well, it isn't right now, but it will be. Don't worry about it."

"You're right."

"I know I am. Now wait here a minute, I'll be right back." She grinned impishly and took off. I wondered what she was doing.

We were in the third floor girl's room, it was out of the way and run-down, so no one ever used it. It was a good place to ditch classes, but it wasn't like anyone ditched lunch. The only other classes this hour were electives, and no one ditched those either, usually they were an easy A.

After a few minutes, I heard noises outside the door. One voice I think I recognized as Quistis's, and the other voice was deeper.

I tried to make out the words, and after a few minutes, I could.

"It's a girl's bathroom!" Irvine said. "Why do you want me to go in there?"

"Because Selphie's in there!"

"What? I thought we couldn't see each other!"

"Guys are so thick." Quistis said, and I giggled. "Don't you WANT to see her?"

"Of course."

"Then you have to be sneaky. No one's around. Go on, nothing will bite you."

The door opened slowly, and Irvine poked his head in. I jumped down from the sink and flew at him, wrapping my arms around him tightly.

Quistis smiled and left. "I'll tell the others." She said.

"Quisty told me what happened. Don't worry about it, okay? We'll think of something." He said and kissed me.

"I already have." I told him.