Chapter Four- The Diner
The car ride was a quiet one. For once Rinoa was silent. She stared out the window in the lonely backseat, watching all the green blur of trees pass, as they made their way into inner-Esthar. Squall pulled up and parked into a small restaurant, the Esthar Eatery.
The trio walked inside, and was greeted by a familiar face.
While Squall began to grow a bit red in the face with anger, Quistis nudged her way between the two men, to keep them from quarreling. "Table for 3, non-smoking."
Seifer stared at Rinoa for a second, then looked back at Quistis. "Oh, uh, right this way."
Seifer seated the group at the table, and handed them their menus. "So, how is everyone?" he asked casually in his husky deep voice.
"Everyone is doing fine." Squall coldly replied.
Seifer just stood there, making everyone feel very awkward to be sitting at the table. Quistis stared at her menu, feeling her cheeks become hot. She glanced over at Rinoa, who seemed to have done the same thing. The silence was driving the ex-instructor crazy.
"Well, what have you been up to Seifer? It's been a while." Quistis asked, as the two brunettes at the table darted from their menus and gave Quistis a stern look.
"Well," Seifer began, "I've been around. Fujin found me this job, she said that I needed to do something." He glanced at the ground. "It's different. Fujin and Raijin said I've changed a lot. I don't know." Seifer began to shift his weight from one leg to the other.
"SEIFER! CUSTOMERS!" a familiar voice in the back of the restaurant screamed.
"Damnit, well. The lady wants me back to work. It was good to see you all. have a good meal." Seifer hurried off back to the line of customers waiting to be seated.
Rinoa finally looked up from her menu. "He sounds." she trailed off.
"Seifer turned into a wimp." Squall finally spoke up. He looked over at the blond man and shook his head.
"That's not what I had in mind." Rinoa began to stare at Seifer, then hurried back to her menu. "Wow, that sandwich looks good. where's the waiter?"
'Rinoa. Squall caught you. Can't hide that now.' Quistis smiled. "So, what'll it be?" A short chubby waitress walked (waddled really,) up to the table.
"Can I have the chicken sandwich, uh, no mayonnaise. and a diet coke to go with it? Oh and fries!" Rinoa beamed. "I love fries!"
'Another pointless sentence out of the mouth of Rinoa.'
"Ok pumpkin, and for you?" She glanced at Quistis.
'The salad bar seems to be screaming your name Quisty.'
"I'll take the salad bar, with an iced tea, lemon on the side please." Quistis spoke quietly.
"Sure sugar! Now for the cutie?"
Rinoa and Quistis began to chuckle, as Squall's face turned a bright red.
"I'll have the salad bar also. With a glass of water." Squall answered, then looked down at the table.
Quistis grabbed the menus and handed them to the jolly woman, and slipped out of her chair to see what the salad bar had to offer the hungry girl. She took a plate into her hand, and started down the line of lettuce and the other ingredients to make her perfect salad.
'Hmm. Seifer looked like he wasn't happy. Something's bothering him. Even Rinoa acted different. They've seen each other plenty of times since the whole incident in the past. I wonder what's up? I should talk to Rin tonight.'
Suddenly, a warm hand touched her shoulder. Quistis jumped, and quickly turned around to see Squall behind her.
"Are you going to get anything? You've been standing there for 5 minutes. Are you that picky?" Quistis embarrassed, hurried and picked out everything for her salad, and slowly walked back to her seat. They began to eat, and towards the end of lunch, Quistis excused herself to use the restroom. She couldn't stand the sight of Rinoa hovering over Squall, and from the looks of it, neither did Squall. As Quistis hastily turned the corner, she ran into her former student. "Whoa there chicky!" 'Chicky?' "Are you talking to me?" Quistis asked. Before he could answer, a sobbing Rinoa ran passed Quistis and into Seifer. She looked up to see the astonished blond man, and screamed. Everyone in the diner stopped what they were doing and stared at the trio of shocked confused faces.
Quis, geez- a bit uptight I see." Seifer pulled Rinoa to the side, and started walking around his former instructor. "Why so tense? You look- bothered." Seifer saw Squall walking toward the jumbled mess of people. "Ah, I see."
"You see what?" Quistis asked, demandingly.
Just as Seifer was beginning to answer Quistis, he walked over to Squall and brought him over to a corner of the diner. "Squall! I just wanted to let you know that I'm not out to hurt anyone! I'm . better now. The 'knight' thing wasn't me- but busing tables, now that's a different story." Seifer smiled at his enemy of the past, and stuck out his ungloved hand. "Past's history, now I'm focusing on the future."
Squall noticed something that Seifer never had. What it was he didn't know, but what Squall did know was that Seifer was better. He shook Seifer's hand, and gave him an approving look.
Seifer looked endearingly over at one of the waitresses, and then nudged Squall. "See that girl, over there? She's my girl," he said smiling proud.
"SEIFER! -Oh, heh, I mean." Fujin blushed and looked down to the ground. "Seifer, are we still on for tonight?"
Seifer smiled and nodded at Fujin. Then he turned to face Squall. "Who's your girl?" he asked with his old smirk.
Squall looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet. "Honestly, lately I have felt that I fell in love with the wr-"
Rinoa and Quistis walked out of the restrooms and cut off Squall's answer.
"Well, I'm ready to leave." Rinoa hastily remarked. "Now."
Squall looked over at Quistis as Rinoa made her way to the table to get her sweater. "I'll be waiting for you both out at the car." Rinoa said, staring angrily at Seifer and Squall.
'What just happened?'
Quistis began to say "Squall, I think we should-"
"Go, I know." Squall finished her sentence.
"Well, uh, for all it's worth," Quistis walked up to Seifer. "I'm glad to see you're happy here." Quistis smiled her warm smile. Seifer hugged her back.
"Thank you Quis. It was nice seeing you all again, even though Rinoa can't look at me." the strong blonde looked to the ground.
"Hey, it's not your fault. Not at all." Squall said, and once again shook his newfound friend's hand. "We'll see you around."
Author's Note-hmm. Wonder what Squall was thinking. oh, and the whole reason why they're in Esthar- yeah it's coming up in the next couple chapters. I sort of got caught up in a different storyline then what It was meant to be.
The car ride was a quiet one. For once Rinoa was silent. She stared out the window in the lonely backseat, watching all the green blur of trees pass, as they made their way into inner-Esthar. Squall pulled up and parked into a small restaurant, the Esthar Eatery.
The trio walked inside, and was greeted by a familiar face.
While Squall began to grow a bit red in the face with anger, Quistis nudged her way between the two men, to keep them from quarreling. "Table for 3, non-smoking."
Seifer stared at Rinoa for a second, then looked back at Quistis. "Oh, uh, right this way."
Seifer seated the group at the table, and handed them their menus. "So, how is everyone?" he asked casually in his husky deep voice.
"Everyone is doing fine." Squall coldly replied.
Seifer just stood there, making everyone feel very awkward to be sitting at the table. Quistis stared at her menu, feeling her cheeks become hot. She glanced over at Rinoa, who seemed to have done the same thing. The silence was driving the ex-instructor crazy.
"Well, what have you been up to Seifer? It's been a while." Quistis asked, as the two brunettes at the table darted from their menus and gave Quistis a stern look.
"Well," Seifer began, "I've been around. Fujin found me this job, she said that I needed to do something." He glanced at the ground. "It's different. Fujin and Raijin said I've changed a lot. I don't know." Seifer began to shift his weight from one leg to the other.
"SEIFER! CUSTOMERS!" a familiar voice in the back of the restaurant screamed.
"Damnit, well. The lady wants me back to work. It was good to see you all. have a good meal." Seifer hurried off back to the line of customers waiting to be seated.
Rinoa finally looked up from her menu. "He sounds." she trailed off.
"Seifer turned into a wimp." Squall finally spoke up. He looked over at the blond man and shook his head.
"That's not what I had in mind." Rinoa began to stare at Seifer, then hurried back to her menu. "Wow, that sandwich looks good. where's the waiter?"
'Rinoa. Squall caught you. Can't hide that now.' Quistis smiled. "So, what'll it be?" A short chubby waitress walked (waddled really,) up to the table.
"Can I have the chicken sandwich, uh, no mayonnaise. and a diet coke to go with it? Oh and fries!" Rinoa beamed. "I love fries!"
'Another pointless sentence out of the mouth of Rinoa.'
"Ok pumpkin, and for you?" She glanced at Quistis.
'The salad bar seems to be screaming your name Quisty.'
"I'll take the salad bar, with an iced tea, lemon on the side please." Quistis spoke quietly.
"Sure sugar! Now for the cutie?"
Rinoa and Quistis began to chuckle, as Squall's face turned a bright red.
"I'll have the salad bar also. With a glass of water." Squall answered, then looked down at the table.
Quistis grabbed the menus and handed them to the jolly woman, and slipped out of her chair to see what the salad bar had to offer the hungry girl. She took a plate into her hand, and started down the line of lettuce and the other ingredients to make her perfect salad.
'Hmm. Seifer looked like he wasn't happy. Something's bothering him. Even Rinoa acted different. They've seen each other plenty of times since the whole incident in the past. I wonder what's up? I should talk to Rin tonight.'
Suddenly, a warm hand touched her shoulder. Quistis jumped, and quickly turned around to see Squall behind her.
"Are you going to get anything? You've been standing there for 5 minutes. Are you that picky?" Quistis embarrassed, hurried and picked out everything for her salad, and slowly walked back to her seat. They began to eat, and towards the end of lunch, Quistis excused herself to use the restroom. She couldn't stand the sight of Rinoa hovering over Squall, and from the looks of it, neither did Squall. As Quistis hastily turned the corner, she ran into her former student. "Whoa there chicky!" 'Chicky?' "Are you talking to me?" Quistis asked. Before he could answer, a sobbing Rinoa ran passed Quistis and into Seifer. She looked up to see the astonished blond man, and screamed. Everyone in the diner stopped what they were doing and stared at the trio of shocked confused faces.
Quis, geez- a bit uptight I see." Seifer pulled Rinoa to the side, and started walking around his former instructor. "Why so tense? You look- bothered." Seifer saw Squall walking toward the jumbled mess of people. "Ah, I see."
"You see what?" Quistis asked, demandingly.
Just as Seifer was beginning to answer Quistis, he walked over to Squall and brought him over to a corner of the diner. "Squall! I just wanted to let you know that I'm not out to hurt anyone! I'm . better now. The 'knight' thing wasn't me- but busing tables, now that's a different story." Seifer smiled at his enemy of the past, and stuck out his ungloved hand. "Past's history, now I'm focusing on the future."
Squall noticed something that Seifer never had. What it was he didn't know, but what Squall did know was that Seifer was better. He shook Seifer's hand, and gave him an approving look.
Seifer looked endearingly over at one of the waitresses, and then nudged Squall. "See that girl, over there? She's my girl," he said smiling proud.
"SEIFER! -Oh, heh, I mean." Fujin blushed and looked down to the ground. "Seifer, are we still on for tonight?"
Seifer smiled and nodded at Fujin. Then he turned to face Squall. "Who's your girl?" he asked with his old smirk.
Squall looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet. "Honestly, lately I have felt that I fell in love with the wr-"
Rinoa and Quistis walked out of the restrooms and cut off Squall's answer.
"Well, I'm ready to leave." Rinoa hastily remarked. "Now."
Squall looked over at Quistis as Rinoa made her way to the table to get her sweater. "I'll be waiting for you both out at the car." Rinoa said, staring angrily at Seifer and Squall.
'What just happened?'
Quistis began to say "Squall, I think we should-"
"Go, I know." Squall finished her sentence.
"Well, uh, for all it's worth," Quistis walked up to Seifer. "I'm glad to see you're happy here." Quistis smiled her warm smile. Seifer hugged her back.
"Thank you Quis. It was nice seeing you all again, even though Rinoa can't look at me." the strong blonde looked to the ground.
"Hey, it's not your fault. Not at all." Squall said, and once again shook his newfound friend's hand. "We'll see you around."
Author's Note-hmm. Wonder what Squall was thinking. oh, and the whole reason why they're in Esthar- yeah it's coming up in the next couple chapters. I sort of got caught up in a different storyline then what It was meant to be.