Irvine's sober eyes widened as Zell told him of the terrible things he had
done.
When Zell finished, he said, "Oh my God… I did all those things… without even remembering? How can I go back to Garden now? I'll be expelled!"
Zell looked him in the eyes and knew that Irvine felt great remorse. For one reason or another, he had lost control of his actions, and didn't remember any of it.
Zell asked him, "What the hell happened to you? What was the phone call you received, and why did you take it out on Selphie?"
Irvine sighed and said, "You wouldn't understand…"
"Hey, you seriously injured me and Selphie, and now you're gonna get expelled! I could go over and turn you in right now, but since I feel a little sorry for you, I want to hear you out. We are supposed to be friends, so why don't you confide in me?"
Irvine said, "If I tell you, I would put lots of lives in jeopardy… You can't breathe a word of it to anyone, and you have to promise to help me."
Zell rubbed his temples and said, "All right. I'll help you. Just tell me."
Irvine began, "Well, that phone call I received… It was from Headmaster Martine of Galbadia Garden. I'm the only one from Galbadia Garden in Balamb Garden, and he gave me a secret mission. He told me that it was necessary to… exterminate…Squall, Rinoa, Selphie, Quistis, Seifer, and you, Zell. Martine said that without you guys, you would quickly crumble under a Galbadian attack. He gave me an ultimatum; kill all you guys myself, or watch you all be killed. They knew I was involved with Selphie, so they said I would watch them torture her first, do terrible things to her, then kill her. I couldn't handle it, so I told them I'd think it over. I thought I could but some time and figure out what I was going to do.
"I knew Galbadian spies were everywhere, watching me. So I cheated on Selphie. I went out with a different girl every day, to throw them off. Soon the guilt was too much for me, and I had to escape. I started to get drunk, just to forget about it. Then I got worse; I began to use drugs. They gave me the high I needed to escape my pain. When I wasn't stoned, I would cry nonstop because I knew they would come soon for her. The worst part was that there was nothing I could do about it. I didn't know when they were going to come, and I had seen their armed forces. They could easily overtake us, and even if I protected her, we would all be killed."
As he spoke, his voice cracked. Zell could see that he was at the end of his rope. Then he thought of something. "Hey, why didn't you go to Headmaster Cid first?"
Irvine replied, "I already tried that. But Martine told me that they had bugged his office; he would hear everything I said, then launch the attack even sooner. I tried to talk to Cid, but I chickened out. When I got back to my dorm, Martine called me and gave me a final warning. So I know he's not kidding around. Zell, you've gotta help me! They're gonna come any time!"
Zell said, "Okay, I think I have a plan. But before I tell you, I still have to let you know; that still doesn't excuse what you did to Selphie. You didn't have to see her broken and beaten like I did. Let me tell you, it wasn't pretty."
Irvine looked down and softly said, "I don't think she'll ever forgive me; even if tell her that I was high."
Zell thought, 'Okay, better lay off for now. Let's get to the plan.' He said, "Here's the deal. You stay here with my mom. I'll take a written message to Cid, explaining everything. It won't seem too suspicious if I bring it. I'll tell him to destroy the message after he reads it. I'll come back as soon as possible. Does it sound all right?"
Irvine nodded, and they sat down to write the message for Cid.
~*~*~*~*~*
Zell carried the precious letter in his hands while running back to Balamb Garden. As he reached the front gate, an unusually strong gust of wind came and ripped the letter from his hands. "NO!" he shouted, and he chased after it. The letter drifted on a high wind and right into an open window of Balamb Garden.
~*~*~*~*~*
Selphie sat alone in the Infirmary, looking out the window. She was lost in thought as she watched the waves tenderly stroke the beach.
'I thought Irvine loved me. Why would he do this to me? Zell is treating me much better than he did… He even kissed me goodnight… Whoa, Selph! Back up, you're falling for Zell Dincht!' she thought. 'But maybe I never really loved Irvine to begin with. Maybe I loved him because I knew he loved me… there were no real feelings on my part…'
'Well, one thing's for sure,' she thought as her eyes hardened. 'I'll never let Irvine near me again! Never…' She took a deep breath, then cried out in pain and let the air out. "Damn!" she spat as the sharp pain subsided in her ribs.
Just then, a letter flew into the window and onto her lap; it was addressed to Headmaster Cid—from Irvine.
~*~*~*~*~*
When Zell finished, he said, "Oh my God… I did all those things… without even remembering? How can I go back to Garden now? I'll be expelled!"
Zell looked him in the eyes and knew that Irvine felt great remorse. For one reason or another, he had lost control of his actions, and didn't remember any of it.
Zell asked him, "What the hell happened to you? What was the phone call you received, and why did you take it out on Selphie?"
Irvine sighed and said, "You wouldn't understand…"
"Hey, you seriously injured me and Selphie, and now you're gonna get expelled! I could go over and turn you in right now, but since I feel a little sorry for you, I want to hear you out. We are supposed to be friends, so why don't you confide in me?"
Irvine said, "If I tell you, I would put lots of lives in jeopardy… You can't breathe a word of it to anyone, and you have to promise to help me."
Zell rubbed his temples and said, "All right. I'll help you. Just tell me."
Irvine began, "Well, that phone call I received… It was from Headmaster Martine of Galbadia Garden. I'm the only one from Galbadia Garden in Balamb Garden, and he gave me a secret mission. He told me that it was necessary to… exterminate…Squall, Rinoa, Selphie, Quistis, Seifer, and you, Zell. Martine said that without you guys, you would quickly crumble under a Galbadian attack. He gave me an ultimatum; kill all you guys myself, or watch you all be killed. They knew I was involved with Selphie, so they said I would watch them torture her first, do terrible things to her, then kill her. I couldn't handle it, so I told them I'd think it over. I thought I could but some time and figure out what I was going to do.
"I knew Galbadian spies were everywhere, watching me. So I cheated on Selphie. I went out with a different girl every day, to throw them off. Soon the guilt was too much for me, and I had to escape. I started to get drunk, just to forget about it. Then I got worse; I began to use drugs. They gave me the high I needed to escape my pain. When I wasn't stoned, I would cry nonstop because I knew they would come soon for her. The worst part was that there was nothing I could do about it. I didn't know when they were going to come, and I had seen their armed forces. They could easily overtake us, and even if I protected her, we would all be killed."
As he spoke, his voice cracked. Zell could see that he was at the end of his rope. Then he thought of something. "Hey, why didn't you go to Headmaster Cid first?"
Irvine replied, "I already tried that. But Martine told me that they had bugged his office; he would hear everything I said, then launch the attack even sooner. I tried to talk to Cid, but I chickened out. When I got back to my dorm, Martine called me and gave me a final warning. So I know he's not kidding around. Zell, you've gotta help me! They're gonna come any time!"
Zell said, "Okay, I think I have a plan. But before I tell you, I still have to let you know; that still doesn't excuse what you did to Selphie. You didn't have to see her broken and beaten like I did. Let me tell you, it wasn't pretty."
Irvine looked down and softly said, "I don't think she'll ever forgive me; even if tell her that I was high."
Zell thought, 'Okay, better lay off for now. Let's get to the plan.' He said, "Here's the deal. You stay here with my mom. I'll take a written message to Cid, explaining everything. It won't seem too suspicious if I bring it. I'll tell him to destroy the message after he reads it. I'll come back as soon as possible. Does it sound all right?"
Irvine nodded, and they sat down to write the message for Cid.
~*~*~*~*~*
Zell carried the precious letter in his hands while running back to Balamb Garden. As he reached the front gate, an unusually strong gust of wind came and ripped the letter from his hands. "NO!" he shouted, and he chased after it. The letter drifted on a high wind and right into an open window of Balamb Garden.
~*~*~*~*~*
Selphie sat alone in the Infirmary, looking out the window. She was lost in thought as she watched the waves tenderly stroke the beach.
'I thought Irvine loved me. Why would he do this to me? Zell is treating me much better than he did… He even kissed me goodnight… Whoa, Selph! Back up, you're falling for Zell Dincht!' she thought. 'But maybe I never really loved Irvine to begin with. Maybe I loved him because I knew he loved me… there were no real feelings on my part…'
'Well, one thing's for sure,' she thought as her eyes hardened. 'I'll never let Irvine near me again! Never…' She took a deep breath, then cried out in pain and let the air out. "Damn!" she spat as the sharp pain subsided in her ribs.
Just then, a letter flew into the window and onto her lap; it was addressed to Headmaster Cid—from Irvine.
~*~*~*~*~*
