Aeris' heart seemed to stop and her head began to spin, making her
breathless. Cloud still had his arms wrapped around her securely, their
bodies pressed against each other. Both their faces were flushed, and they
were out of breath. Tifa, the girl who looked at him and yearned for him
from afar for all these years – and told her about it – had just seen her
be kissed by her beloved. Her mind went blank.
Tifa tried to stand up by herself and hoped it wasn't too clear that she was crying. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, hoping that it will lead him to believe that she had been woken up. Luckily it was dark and he probably couldn't see her tears.
Cloud smiled sheepishly, letting Aeris go. He was kind of embarrassed that his best friend had caught him in a situation like this, and cleared his throat.
There was an awkward silence between the three. Aeris was the first one to break it.
"Tifa… I really have to speak to you."
Tifa chuckled. "There's no need to, Aeris." Her voice bore sheer malice. She wanted to punch the daylights out of that girl, the girl who now looked like a delicate porcelain doll under the moonlight. She opened her mouth to lash out at her, but closed it immediately when she remembered that she had no right to. Cloud doesn't know that Tifa had these feelings for him. Her lips froze in place and her throat closed like the gates of hell.
Bewildered, Cloud touched Tifa's shoulder. Tifa jerked away from him as if he had stricken a blow.
Cloud. The man who she had spent half of her life pining after. Her happy daydreams had carved itself into a crystalline figure, intricately detailed and casting sparkling lights everywhere. It was now shattered, and the broken pieces pierced her heart. The lips which had been kissing, pouring his soul out to, Aeris. Aeris, the girl who was so undeservingly fortunate. She barely controlled her rage, the desire to rip her heart out, as her muscles in her arms tensed.
Aeris turned to Cloud, seeing the look in her face. "Cloud… I need some time with Tifa. We'll see you tomorrow, ok?" He started to say something but Aeris stopped him with one look. Her eyes told him not to object and he left the place, perplexed.
Tifa turned back wordlessly and Aeris followed. Once they both got in Aeris closed the door.
"Tifa, this isn't what you think… please listen." Aeris touched her friend's shoulder. She was surprised when she turned abruptly around and glared at her.
"What??? What else could it be? You were kissing Cloud, right after I told you how I feel!"
Tifa was almost blinded with rage. She knew how to control her emotions when she was around Cloud – but when you are alone with the girl who you despise at the moment it's a different story.
Tifa started laughing. "So, what, I told you and you just decided to kiss him to make me go crazy? It wasn't enough that he came by to see you – at MY house – every damn fucking day??"
Aeris didn't know what to say. The only defense she had was that Cloud was the one who kissed her. But it seemed that it would only make it worse.
The dam inside Tifa, the one she had tried so hard to lock up, broke and all her pent-up emotions flooded through her. Anger. She was so angry with the girl who Cloud had kissed, the girl who was staring at her with frightened eyes… not five feet from her. Tifa saw how fragile she looked, and she hated her venerability. Her reason suddenly was blinded by sheer rage. She went straight up to Aeris without a word, and she raised her and slapped the girl across her cheek.
Aeris was utterly shocked. She fell back a few paces. Suddenly she began to grow furious too. She might be kind, but wasn't the type to stand around while being beat up.
"Would you stop and listen to me??? " Aeris, her cheek still red from the blow, grabbed Tifa's shoulders and shook her. She swallowed and sighed. "Just listen to what I have to say!"
"Tifa, it's not what you think," Aeris said, more collected this time. Tifa was now crying hysterically. "Tifa, it really isn't."
Tifa lost her senses. What does the bitch mean? How could it mean anything else but this?
"It's not what I think?!" You slut! I told you and you go on about kissing him behind my back! Bitch! I told you, then you kiss – KISS – him!!! Have you even slept with him yet, huh??!!"
Aeris stood her ground, although now she too had tears in her eyes.
"Tifa…. No, it wasn't me!!!"
Tifa stopped short. Her eyes held a different kind of tears, one of pure despair and hopelessness, one someone sheds when they have lost all. Tifa choked.
"Don't tell me Cloud kiss you and you weren't responsible. Don't tell me you didn't do anything. DON'T!!!! I know it's all your fault!!" Tifa's voice was hoarse. "Aeris it's your fault, it has to be. Please God, don't tell me Cloud chose you over me, and that you had to be just a perfect angel and didn't steal him away from me." Tifa closed her eyes. "God, don't be so cruel! Don't!! She doesn't even want him, she doesn't even deserve him, what the hell!!"
Tifa's knee buckled and she slumped down on the floor. She wasn't shouting anymore. "Pathetic loser, goddamn you Tifa. You slapped her wen you should be beating up the guy you spent the half of your life for. God, I'm so pathetic. Aeris, please tell me it's your fault, that I… that I have a chance with him. Please…"
Tears were streaming down Aeris' cheeks, and she sat in front of Tifa and looked her in the face. God, she had caused this girl – so strong and confident – to become the most miserable person on Earth. She had… cut off her one string of hope. God… how could I be forgiven for this?
Aeris suddenly hugged her friend, and when Tifa didn't protest, she knew that Tifa wasn't angry with her. She was angry with herself; she was cursing herself, for being so damn weak, being so incapable. Aeris wanted to reassure her that it wasn't true. Aeris' heart seemed like breaking at the sight of this girl's misery.
Aeris backed up from the hug and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. "Tifa, don't cry. It wasn't his fault that we ended up kissing. I kissed him – I got caught up in the moment. I don't think he meant anything by it."
Tifa now stood up and looked at Aeris with disgust. However Aeris saw through the façade and saw that she was relieved, and that her hopes had started making their way back to her. "Slut!! Get out of my sight!" WHAT?!?! Aeris choked. "Tifa…"
"No!! Get out!! Please!!" Tifa's voice cracked again. Frightened of upsetting her even further, Aeris took a big breath and turned away. She headed out the door.
Tifa stood watching, cursing herself for being so stupid. She was being so forgiving... and she knew, in her innermost hearts, that it was to Cloud.
Author's note: This chapter is for describing the characters' thoughts. Tifa's conflicting emotions and Aeris' sacrificing nature along with sympathy is portrayed (I hope). Tifa's mean in this chapter… ^ ^ Do you think she's overreacting? Well, I thought I would probably act like her if I was placed in that kind of situation… would you? (Geez I'm being sooo cheezy… ^^ just leave a review!)
Tifa tried to stand up by herself and hoped it wasn't too clear that she was crying. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, hoping that it will lead him to believe that she had been woken up. Luckily it was dark and he probably couldn't see her tears.
Cloud smiled sheepishly, letting Aeris go. He was kind of embarrassed that his best friend had caught him in a situation like this, and cleared his throat.
There was an awkward silence between the three. Aeris was the first one to break it.
"Tifa… I really have to speak to you."
Tifa chuckled. "There's no need to, Aeris." Her voice bore sheer malice. She wanted to punch the daylights out of that girl, the girl who now looked like a delicate porcelain doll under the moonlight. She opened her mouth to lash out at her, but closed it immediately when she remembered that she had no right to. Cloud doesn't know that Tifa had these feelings for him. Her lips froze in place and her throat closed like the gates of hell.
Bewildered, Cloud touched Tifa's shoulder. Tifa jerked away from him as if he had stricken a blow.
Cloud. The man who she had spent half of her life pining after. Her happy daydreams had carved itself into a crystalline figure, intricately detailed and casting sparkling lights everywhere. It was now shattered, and the broken pieces pierced her heart. The lips which had been kissing, pouring his soul out to, Aeris. Aeris, the girl who was so undeservingly fortunate. She barely controlled her rage, the desire to rip her heart out, as her muscles in her arms tensed.
Aeris turned to Cloud, seeing the look in her face. "Cloud… I need some time with Tifa. We'll see you tomorrow, ok?" He started to say something but Aeris stopped him with one look. Her eyes told him not to object and he left the place, perplexed.
Tifa turned back wordlessly and Aeris followed. Once they both got in Aeris closed the door.
"Tifa, this isn't what you think… please listen." Aeris touched her friend's shoulder. She was surprised when she turned abruptly around and glared at her.
"What??? What else could it be? You were kissing Cloud, right after I told you how I feel!"
Tifa was almost blinded with rage. She knew how to control her emotions when she was around Cloud – but when you are alone with the girl who you despise at the moment it's a different story.
Tifa started laughing. "So, what, I told you and you just decided to kiss him to make me go crazy? It wasn't enough that he came by to see you – at MY house – every damn fucking day??"
Aeris didn't know what to say. The only defense she had was that Cloud was the one who kissed her. But it seemed that it would only make it worse.
The dam inside Tifa, the one she had tried so hard to lock up, broke and all her pent-up emotions flooded through her. Anger. She was so angry with the girl who Cloud had kissed, the girl who was staring at her with frightened eyes… not five feet from her. Tifa saw how fragile she looked, and she hated her venerability. Her reason suddenly was blinded by sheer rage. She went straight up to Aeris without a word, and she raised her and slapped the girl across her cheek.
Aeris was utterly shocked. She fell back a few paces. Suddenly she began to grow furious too. She might be kind, but wasn't the type to stand around while being beat up.
"Would you stop and listen to me??? " Aeris, her cheek still red from the blow, grabbed Tifa's shoulders and shook her. She swallowed and sighed. "Just listen to what I have to say!"
"Tifa, it's not what you think," Aeris said, more collected this time. Tifa was now crying hysterically. "Tifa, it really isn't."
Tifa lost her senses. What does the bitch mean? How could it mean anything else but this?
"It's not what I think?!" You slut! I told you and you go on about kissing him behind my back! Bitch! I told you, then you kiss – KISS – him!!! Have you even slept with him yet, huh??!!"
Aeris stood her ground, although now she too had tears in her eyes.
"Tifa…. No, it wasn't me!!!"
Tifa stopped short. Her eyes held a different kind of tears, one of pure despair and hopelessness, one someone sheds when they have lost all. Tifa choked.
"Don't tell me Cloud kiss you and you weren't responsible. Don't tell me you didn't do anything. DON'T!!!! I know it's all your fault!!" Tifa's voice was hoarse. "Aeris it's your fault, it has to be. Please God, don't tell me Cloud chose you over me, and that you had to be just a perfect angel and didn't steal him away from me." Tifa closed her eyes. "God, don't be so cruel! Don't!! She doesn't even want him, she doesn't even deserve him, what the hell!!"
Tifa's knee buckled and she slumped down on the floor. She wasn't shouting anymore. "Pathetic loser, goddamn you Tifa. You slapped her wen you should be beating up the guy you spent the half of your life for. God, I'm so pathetic. Aeris, please tell me it's your fault, that I… that I have a chance with him. Please…"
Tears were streaming down Aeris' cheeks, and she sat in front of Tifa and looked her in the face. God, she had caused this girl – so strong and confident – to become the most miserable person on Earth. She had… cut off her one string of hope. God… how could I be forgiven for this?
Aeris suddenly hugged her friend, and when Tifa didn't protest, she knew that Tifa wasn't angry with her. She was angry with herself; she was cursing herself, for being so damn weak, being so incapable. Aeris wanted to reassure her that it wasn't true. Aeris' heart seemed like breaking at the sight of this girl's misery.
Aeris backed up from the hug and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. "Tifa, don't cry. It wasn't his fault that we ended up kissing. I kissed him – I got caught up in the moment. I don't think he meant anything by it."
Tifa now stood up and looked at Aeris with disgust. However Aeris saw through the façade and saw that she was relieved, and that her hopes had started making their way back to her. "Slut!! Get out of my sight!" WHAT?!?! Aeris choked. "Tifa…"
"No!! Get out!! Please!!" Tifa's voice cracked again. Frightened of upsetting her even further, Aeris took a big breath and turned away. She headed out the door.
Tifa stood watching, cursing herself for being so stupid. She was being so forgiving... and she knew, in her innermost hearts, that it was to Cloud.
Author's note: This chapter is for describing the characters' thoughts. Tifa's conflicting emotions and Aeris' sacrificing nature along with sympathy is portrayed (I hope). Tifa's mean in this chapter… ^ ^ Do you think she's overreacting? Well, I thought I would probably act like her if I was placed in that kind of situation… would you? (Geez I'm being sooo cheezy… ^^ just leave a review!)
