Disclaimer: I only own Chloe, Akira, Terra and Shiloh.

A/N: As a response to some of your comments about chapter 8's title, yes I am a fan of Eminem and that's why I chose Cleanin' Out My Closet as it's title. I'm not sure if you've noticed but this fic has all song titles as chapter names. For example, chapter 4 is called My Own Worst Enemy, which some of you should know is the title of a Lit song.

"What are you doing here?" Shiloh asked snobbily.

Akira decided not to submit to his attitude. "I happen to have this class now... Not like it's any of your business." Shiloh rolled his eyes.

"All right, welcome to first period... once again," Quistis said with a smile. A few students chuckled, but most of them agreed that they didn't want to be there either. "First off, I'd like to introduce you to our new student, Akira Almasy." Quistis tried not to hesitate when saying the young girl's name, but she couldn't help the pause. "Now, ahem... Last night's homework assignment was a sheet on safety during multi-opponent battles, was it not? Pass them up to the front." Once again, students groaned in displeasure at the fact that they hadn't done the assignment, but Shiloh just tapped the girl seated in front of him and handed her his paper.

Akira glanced over at him, hoping he'd lose his attitude and warm up to her again. Was it really her father that was bothering him so much? She thought it was a little strange that he was overdramatizing the way he was. He looked over at her. "What?" he asked quietly.

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Okay Shiloh, what's your problem?"

"Look you think you can just waltz in here and expect people to just welcome you with open arms?" he whispered harshly. "Well sorry, it's not gonna be that way."

Akira's spirit became heavy. She'd never expected him to say anything so heartless, even if it was the way he really felt. She opened her mouth to speak but Quistis cut her off. "Akira, Shiloh. Please quiet down."

"Sorry Instructor Trepe, it won't happen again," Shiloh told her, throwing a glare at the blonde seated next to him. Akira just sighed and turned to face the front of the room.

"Well now that that's settled, I'm going to need to pair you up for the SeeD field exam later in the month." Quistis surveyed the room and nodded. "Well, this seems to be sorted out already... You're seated off in pairs anyway, so whoever you're sitting by is your partner." Most of the students were relieved, because they had picked to sit by their friends anyway, but Shiloh looked disappointed.

"Instructor Trepe, can we pair off some other way?" he asked.

"Hey!" Akira cried.

Quistis gave him a disatisifed look. "Mr. Leonhart, are you going to be uncooperative for me?"

"But she's -- "

"Not buts. Akira Almasy is your partner and that's all there is to it. Like it or not, I'm not going through any excess trouble when you're all paired off so easily because of the seating arrangement." Shiloh sighed and said nothing more.

Akira glanced up at Quistis, who winked at her without Shiloh seeing. Was she really sticking up for her? She couldn't believe it; everyone else had pretty much been arrogant to her. Quistis turned and went back up to her desk.

Akira was heading out the door at the end of class, but Quistis called for her to come to her desk. "What is it?"

"Akira, I know that Shiloh is giving you a hard time, as well as some other people too. I just want you to know that it's not your fault they're acting this way, and they really have nothing against you, it's just... Your father did some pretty awful things to this Garden and the people here. People are just taking it out on you for very stupid reasons."

"Yeah, I've... I've noticed..."

"And I want you to know that I'll help you out in anyway I can to make you feel more comfortable, all right?" Quistis smiled.

"Look, um... You don't have to do that. I know you're just treating me like this because of you and my dad, so... I'll be okay without you." And she left.

"Akira, wait!"

"Akira?" She recognized the voice well. It was Shiloh.

"What do you want?" She was seated in her dorm and she'd left the door open.

"I wanna apologize for before," he said as he entered the room and sat down next to her. "I didn't mean to be so... mean to you. But it's really hard to look at you and not see the person my dad taught me to hate my entire life."

"I understand I guess... And I promise you, I'm nothing like he used to be. I'll try as hard as I can to prove that to you, and everyone else here as well. Just... give me a chance all right?"

He smiled warmly and nodded. "All right, I'll remember that. And... I'm glad that I got stuck with you as my field exam partner and not some idiot."

She laughed. "Really? Then I guess that means I'm not an idiot?"

He nodded and stood. "No, you're... you're definitely not an idiot Akira. Well, I'd better go. I have to help my dad out in his office. I'll see you later on maybe?"

"Yeah, okay. See ya." After he left, Akira couldn't help the grin that appeared across her face.

The next morning, a group of girls came walking Akira's way, smirking deviously. "So you're the new girl, huh?"

Akira didn't feel like talking to anyone right then. Especially these three girls who looked like they had way too much makeup on and even more of a bad attitude. "Oh, uh... yeah. I'm Akira."

The three girls glanced at each other, suspicious grins crossing their lips. "Akira what?"

Akira sighed and brushed past them. "Nevermind. I don't need this kinda crap."

"Like father like daughter," she heard one of them say from behind her. Akira stopped walking and shut her eyes. The girls giggled and gave each other high fives. She spun around to face them.

"You know, I've had to put up with enough of this already!" she exclaimed.

The girls weren't moved by her sudden outburst. "Ooh, she's turning into her daddy, ladies." They all laughed at the girl's comment. That's when Akira make a lunge for her. She brought back her fist and let it land right in the girl's eye, who seemed to be like the "leader" of the little group.

They all gasped as the girl held a hand over her eye, which was already beginning to change colors. "See? I told you she's just like Seifer."

"What a bitch," the second girl commented as she stared at Akira.

A guard who had seen everything came over and grabbed Akira's arm. "You're coming with me. Vessa, go to the Infirmary immediatly."

Vessa, still holding her eye, smirked at Akira. "Will do, sir." Akira shut her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Your first day here and already you're starting trouble. Do you think you can just come here and do things like this?" the guard asked her as they walked towards the elevator.

"Sir, it really wasn't my fault. She -- "

"I saw everything Miss Almasy, there's really no need to try and talk your way out of trouble. The headmaster will be furious with you." Akira didn't say anything else. She was too embarassed, but she was more scared than anything. Her punishment would surely be far worse than anyone else's, simply because it was her. It wasn't fair.

"Akira... Why did you hit Vessa?" Headmaster Cid spoke more calmly than she'd expected and she had to wonder why.

Akira's eyes began welling up with tears, which shocked Cid. He knew it was stupid to be surprised - she was only a child, but he had to feel somewhat surprised that an Almasy was actually tearing up the way she was. "Sir, I really didn't mean to. But she was saying stuff about Dad and... I couldn't help it." Tears were now rolling down her cheeks, although she hadn't wanted them to.

Cid sighed and removed his glasses. "I feared this would happen... Listen, I'm not going to punish you, but don't let it happen again. I'll have a talk with Vessa if that will make things right again."

Akira nodded. "Okay. Thank you sir." She smiled and for the first time, he smiled back.

"You may go now. Hopefully the next time I see you it will be under different circumstances."

"I can promise you, it will be."

As Akira exited the elevator, Shiloh was there to greet her. "Why did you do that to Vessa?" he asked immediatly. Akira suddenly remembered her promise to Shiloh and immediatly tried to explain herself.

"Shiloh, just listen. She was saying all kinds of awful things about me and my dad, so I -- "

"So you broke your promise to me and wailed on her, right or wrong?" he asked dryly.

"Wrong! You're completely wrong Shiloh! It wasn't even like I meant to hit her, I just... I couldn't help it..." She saw by the look on Shiloh's face that he wasn't buying the story, even though it was the truth. "Shiloh..."

"You know, I thought you were different. I didn't think you'd lie to me like that, but you did. You're just like Seifer, but you promised me otherwise. I should've known you'd go and stab me in the back. You're an Almasy after all."

Tears fell from her eyes as she walked him walk away. She was just about ready to leave as well when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Quistis. "I saw the whole thing, honey." Akira put her arms around the woman and cried into her shoulder. "It's okay Akira. He's just blind."

"It isn't fair," Akira told her between sobs. "It just isn't fair..."

"I wish there was something I could do..." Quistis told her. "And I'm not just saying that because of your father." She felt she needed to add that because of what Akira had assumed before.

"You mean you really want to help me and not because of him?" She let go of Quistis and wiped her emerald eyes, an exact replica of Seifer's.

"Of course. I hate it when things like this happen to students here. And the problem is, you can't control who you are inside. Of course you're going to look and act like Seifer Almasy. You're his daughter."

"Well right about now I wish he wasn't."

"You can't think like that now. It's not right. He's your father. He gave life to you and you have every single right to love him. Hyne knows I do..."

"You... You love him?"

Quistis hesitated. "Yes, and I always have. When he left Garden I felt like a part of me went with him, but he never knew that. In fact, I don't think he even gave me a second thought. I was too proper and sophisticated for him, no offense." They both laughed a little.

"But that's where you're wrong," Akira told her. "He likes you a lot. Believe me, I know."

"Akira what about your mother? Nothing can ever happen between your father and I."

Akira frowned and looked down at her feet. "I really don't... have a mother."

Quistis furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Mom and Dad were never really together. They spent one night together and that's when I was born, but they had completely lost touch. My mom Terra just left me with Dad when I was three weeks old. I never saw her again, but on my eighteenth birthday, she called our house. But that's the only time I ever talked to her, and it wasn't even that long. Dad wouldn't let me talk to her after he found out it was her." Quistis put a hand over her mouth, which was opened in pure shock. "So I basically grew up without a mother."

"I'm very sorry Akira," was all Quistis could manage to say.

Akira shook her head. "Nah, it's okay. Seifer's a great dad. He didn't need her help anyway."

Quistis smiled. She still couldn't help but feel bad for him. Seifer Almasy had to raise his daughter by himself? That had to have been extremely difficult. She hated to think it, but she'd never really seen a nurturing side to him in all the years she'd known him. Apparently though, many things had changed about him.

Well there's chapter 9. You like? I tried to put drama in it, I really did, so I hope there's at least a small amount in there to keep you satisfied. Buh- bye!