18: Garden Festival of Spring

Nida was already at his post when Irvine and I arrived at the door. All of my friends were still standing outside. They had been waiting for me to show up before going into the ballroom. I felt like a conductor on a train or something as I took their tickets from them and welcomed them to the Festival.

"See ya inside," Irvine waved. I waved back. They all went inside, leaving Nida and I outside to greet people.

"Hey, Nida. I'm getting a sense of déjà vu."

"As am I," he nodded. The hallway leading to the ballroom was only wide enough for two people to go down it side by side. We didn't have to wait long for the first two partygoers to show up. It was Headmaster Cid and his wife Edea. The headmaster gave Nida his tickets while Matron and I socialized.

"Selphie, you look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you, Matron."

"And Nida, you look handsome."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kramer," he replied shyly.

"Irvine and Quistis are already inside," I told her. "Why don't you go say hi?"

"I will," she smiled. Nida held the door open for her. SeeDs and students I didn't know so well came next. I welcomed them with a bright smile and allowed them entrance into the ballroom. They are so lucky I'm a nice person! Lots of them hadn't bought their tickets until the very last second. Oh, well, I guess I should be grateful they bought tickets eventually.

"Selphie!" I knew that voice to be Raijin's. He hadn't bothered to dress up at all. That was just as well, since he would've probably looked silly in a suit. He gave both me and Nida a big hug. "You're lookin' great, ya know?"

"Thanks! Hey, you didn't get a date?"

"Yeah, but that's okay. Between you and Fujin, I'll have plenty of dances, ya know?"

"Is Seifer with a girl?" I asked. Raijin winked at me.

"You'll just have to see." He handed Nida his ticket and went inside. His statement had left me dying of curiosity. Did Seifer get a girl to go with him? And if he did, what did she look like? My curiosity was soon sated by the arrival of Seifer. He was wearing a white suit with a black tie. I'll admit he looked very handsome. I next observed the girl that was hanging onto his arm. She had light red hair in wavy curls. She wore a white dress with a light blue sash tied around her waist. Her neckline had blue trim, as did her sleeves.

"Seifer, you got someone to go with you!" I cheered, hugging him happily. When I pulled away I found he was smiling. His date was smiling as well; her smile was shy and uncertain. "I'm sorry, I've been so rude. What's your name?"

"Angel," she replied. She held out her hand and I shook it.

"Nice to meet you!"

"I'm glad to meet you too. I hope we can be friends."

"Sure we can!" I noticed that I was holding up the line. "Oops! We can talk later. I'm so glad to meet you!" She smiled meekly.

"Sellie, try not to scare her away on our first date," Seifer warned.

"I'll wait until the second date to do that," I said playfully. He rolled his eyes and led his date into the ballroom. "You're awfully quiet, Nida. Is there something wrong?" He chuckled and shook his head.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just that I have no reason to speak. You're doing enough talking for the both of us."

"That I am, Nida. That I am."

"Selphina, you look great!" There was only one person in the Garden who called me by my full name. I beamed at my friend Jacob. Gently clutching his arm was…

"Fujin?" She smiled and nodded her head. "Uh… wait a second… I'm confused here… I thought you weren't going with anyone."

"JAKE ASKED ME," she answered in her "normal" voice. I wondered if she used it because of Nida or Jacob, or both. "COULDN'T SAY NO." Jacob's whole face turned red. He was in a black tuxedo with a black bowtie.

"Are you going to a wedding, Jacob?" I teased.

"This was the only suit I owned!" he defended.

"LOOK FINE," Fujin assured him. They each handed Nida a ticket. He looked as confused as I felt. Fujin was right: she could surprise me. "SEE YOU INSIDE."

"Okay," I answered blankly. I watched them go in.

"That was unexpected," noted Nida wryly. But the surprises of the night weren't over yet. I still hadn't seen Zell. I had just about enough of welcoming people and opening the door for them when I finally saw him.

"Selphie! You look great!" That was Zell all right. He still had his hair fixed the same way. He had on a light purple suit and a white tie. I know he's my friend, but I just felt like laughing when I saw him. It was hard for me to keep a straight face.

"Zell, you look… uh… nice." At his side was a girl only slightly shorter than he with short blonde hair. She had on a dark blue negligee.

"This is Viktorija," Zell introduced. She spelled out her name for me. "I got so lucky on this one. I was practically begging her to come."

"You were begging," she corrected. Her voice held a thick foreign accent.

"I'm glad Zell found someone to go with him," I smiled, shaking her hand. "I can't wait to get to know you."

"I feel the same."

"Hey, Nida!" Zell waved. Nida silently waved back. There were a couple more people to let in before we could join the fun. I was aching to go in so we could get the Festival started. Finally the last person was welcomed and ushered through the door. Nida offered me his elbow.

"Let us join the festivities, Ms. Tilmitt."

"That sounds like a marvelous idea, Mr. Jones." We entered the ballroom. Thankfully I found Irvine in the crowd (he was the only one wearing a hat) and together we helped Nida look for Quistis, who was much harder to find. Together the four of us stepped on the dance floor.

"Hey! Can I have your attention, please?" I shouted. The crowd didn't seem to hear me.

"QUIET!" Fujin's voice ordered. The noise died down. "LISTEN TO SELPHIE." All eyes were on me. Most people would get nervous with all those people staring at them. Not me!

"Thanks for coming to the Garden Festival of Spring. Nida and I will do a solo dance with our partners to start things off!" The lights dimmed down. Irvine took off his hat and bowed to me. I curtseyed. I put my left hand on his shoulder and clasped my other hand in his. Please let the song be a waltz! The music kicked in and it was a waltz. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Irvine and I moved as if we were one person. I didn't want it to end.

"Selphie, I see lots of girls out there wearin' all types of dresses with their hair in all types of styles. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I wouldn't trade this one dance with you for a hundred dances with those girls." I gasped and gazed up at his handsome face.

"Do you mean it, Irvy?"

"Yes, Sellie. I mean it." I smiled and nestled my head on his chest. The music died away all too soon. There was a part of me that wanted to stay with Irvine, but there was another part of me that remembered all the dances I promised my friends.

"I have to make the rounds. I'll dance with you again, I promise," I whispered, kissing him on the cheek.

"See you then." Our hands slipped apart. I was sad to leave him, but quickly cheered up when I spotted Zell. His suit is just so funny! I mean, it's purple! I wanted to run over to him, but I remembered Quistis' request to be ladylike. So instead I calmly walked over to him. I didn't see Viktorija anywhere.

"Hey, Zell. Where's your date?"

"Oh, some guy asked her to dance," he answered dismissively.

"Speaking of dancing!" I sang, grinning mischievously. "I call the next waltz with you!"

"Sure, okay." We waited for another waltz to play. It took three songs before one kicked in. We went out on the dance floor and waltzed.

"I should've taken dancing lessons from Oonagh or Rinoa. Being restricted to waltzing is such a bummer."

"I'm sorry," Zell cringed. "I was just trying to be helpful."

"Yeah, I know you were."

"What you could do is fake it like Squall did."

"He's a guy, Zell. Guys are allowed to be bad dancers. Girls are expected to be graceful." Zell chuckled.

"No offense, Sellie, but you're not what I would call 'graceful'." I slapped him on the arm.

"Behave!" The song ended and a new one that was definitely not a waltz started. "I'm going to talk to Seifer. You go dance with some girls. I want to see your card full all night long."

"Yes, ma'am." I ignored the sarcastic remark but promised myself I would get him back for it. Seifer was easy to spot in his white suit. He and Angel were talking, and I couldn't remember seeing Seifer so happy. Except when he was with the posse, myself, and Irvine. Good for you, Seifer. You found someone that accepts you. I could sense that my presence was unwanted so I turned to go. Seifer noticed me and urged me to join him and his new friend.

"How are you enjoying yourself, Selphie?"

"Oh, fine," I shrugged. "You seem to be having a good time."

"I am. Angel is a very nice girl. The best part is that she actually likes me!" He looked absolutely thrilled. Angel smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"He has a nice smile, doesn't he?"

"He does," I agreed. Seifer turned a little red. "I was going to take him away from you so I can dance with him, but I just don't have the heart to do it now."

"That's all right. You've been his friend longer than I have. Go ahead and dance with him." I thanked her and eagerly pulled Seifer onto the dance floor.

"Sellie, wait." I stopped. "I… really don't dance very much."

"That's okay. I only know how to waltz." Unfortunately the next song wasn't a waltz. Seifer and I didn't mind; we made up our own dance. I can't even describe it, it was so random. Luckily we were both making up a weird dance, so it looked almost planned. At least we were looking ridiculous together. We were both laughing when we rejoined Angel.

"I was watching," she said. "I've never seen that dance before."

"We made it up," I admitted.

"Well, it was a good way for me to hear Seifer laugh for the first time." Seifer's face was about the same color as her hair. I patted him on the shoulder.

"I have to go dance with Jacob and Nida before the night's over. I'll talk to you later. And Angel? I look forward to getting to know you." She smiled.

"I agree." I waved to them and went out in search of Jacob. I actually spotted Fujin first. She and Jacob were on the dance floor. I had to wait until the dance was over before I went up to them.

"Jacob! Fujin! How're you guys doing?"

"Doing well, Selphina," Jacob answered, welcoming me with a hug. "She's too modest to tell you, but Fujin is an excellent dancer." Fujin smiled and shook her head.

"TOO KIND."

"Fujin, may I have a dance with Jacob, please?"

"JUST ONE," she warned.

"Okay, just one." The very next waltz that came up found Jacob and I on the dance floor.

"Fujin's such a nice person," Jacob said. "I really feel lucky to be her friend."

"Yeah. She's really cool," I agreed. We spent part of the dance in silence. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Would it… be all right if I called you Jake?" His brow furrowed in confusion. "See, you and I are really good friends. The inside joke is good, but I want to feel like we're really friends. So… can I call you Jake?" His face broke into a smile.

"Yeah, sure you can. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"I get to call you Sellie."

"Deal!" I declared. We shook hands. I returned him to his date and went off in search of Nida. I passed by Irvine, who was looking a little lonely. He brightened up when he saw me.

"Selphie! You came back to dance with me!"

"Sorry, Irvy," I pouted. "I've got to steal Nida for a while."

"I already danced with Quistis, Rinoa, Oonagh, and about three girls I didn't even know. I've been waitin' for you so we could dance again," he complained. I smiled sweetly and kissed his nose.

"I'll dance with you after I get Nida, okay?" He sighed and kissed me on the forehead.

"All right. Don't forget me, now." I winked at him and promised I would return shortly. I found Nida dancing with Rinoa. He looked a little uneasy and I soon discovered why: Squall was watching them from a short distance away. I happily helped Nida out of that situation by asking him for the next dance.

"Yikes, Nida! You look awful!"

"Do you blame me?" he groaned. "Rinoa walked right up to me and asked me to dance with her. I couldn't just say no. Then Squall was staring at me. He didn't even blink. It was creepy."

"He's over-possessive of Rinoa. Don't let it get to you," I advised.

"You know what I find odd? None of the girls accepted my invitation to come with me, but they all want to dance with me."

"They realized what they missed out on." He blushed slightly. We finished the dance and he surprised me by giving me a rough hug.

"Thank you, Sellie." I wasn't sure what to be more shocked about, the fact that he called me by my pet name or that he was thanking me for something and I didn't know what it was.

"For what?"

"I know. I don't know how, but somehow I know that you had a hand in Quistis being my date tonight. I wanted to thank you. You're a very thoughtful person, and a wonderful friend." He broke away and smiled at me. "Now go and dance with Irvine. He's been waiting for you."

"You're a sweet guy, Nida," I smiled. I followed his advice eagerly. Irvine enveloped me in his arms.

"Will I get to dance with you now?" he asked.

"Yes." A new song was put in. I recognized it at once.

" 'Eyes on Me'," Irvine whispered. I nodded. It was a fitting song to play. There were so many couples, new and old, on the dance floor that night. Irvine and I gently swayed back and forth. I never felt so happy in my whole life. I hoped the song would never end, that the night would last forever. "Selphie?"

"Yes, Irvine?" I gazed up into his eyes. His eyes on me.

"I kind of liked it your way
How you shyly placed your eyes on me
Oh, did you ever know?
That I had mine on you"

He pressed his forehead against mine.

"There's something I have to tell you. I just haven't gotten the words out before."

"Hmm? What's that?"

"I love you." Before I could say a word, before I could fully react, his mouth was covering my own. Two thoughts entered my head at the same time: He loves me! and He's kissing me! I closed my eyes and stood on my toes so I could cling onto his neck. I willed time to stop. His arms were gently holding me around the waist. Oonagh had been right. Being kissed is indescribable, especially if you love the person who's kissing you. Our embrace was broken and we stood grinning at each other.

"I love you, Irvine," I whispered, rubbing my nose on his cheek. A perfect night, one I would remember forever.

"Darling, so there you are
With that look on your face
As if you're never hurt
As if you're never down
Shall I be the one for you
Who pinches you softly but sure
If frown is shown then
I will know that you are no dreamer"

_____

I obviously had a great time at the Festival. I kept all my dance promises and got to see Seifer happy. The best part was when Irvine told me he loved me. I was happy, but it was a peaceful sort of happiness. Irvine walked me to my room. I had my head resting up against his arm and was wearing his hat on my head. Hey, I may have looked sophisticated, but I was still the same person. We stopped at my door.

"Good night, Sellie."

"Good night, Irvy." We kissed. I opened the door to my dorm.

"Hey, Sellie?" I turned back.

"Yes?"

"Would you… like to go on a date with me tomorrow?" I grinned and nodded happily.

"Definitely." He grinned too.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Seven o'clock."

"Seven," I repeated. He waved and turned to go. "Hey! Don't forget this!" I handed him his hat.

"Oh, thanks." He flipped it on his head. "See ya." I watched him go. He was almost to his own door when I saw him take his hat off again and wave it over his head. "YEEHAA!" I laughed to myself and went inside my dorm. I kicked off my shoes and collapsed on my bed. I was too happy to do anything except smile. So much had happened over the course of a month. I closed my eyes and succumbed to sleep. This is so cool! I'm friends with the posse, and I'm going on a date with Irvine! Plus Oonagh has a great guy, and it looks like Fujin does too. How could this possibly get any better?

Author's note: Thanks go to Cherry for giving me the lyrics to "Eyes on Me". Don't worry, the story's not over!