Seifer and Quistis passed Madam Sherri's School of Ballet, again. She waved to them cheerfully, while they waved back. Silence had once again taken over them. Quistis wasn't sure that she liked him silent anymore. He was a very interesting person to talk to, and he would always listen, even if he pretended not to.
The same subject had been bothering Seifer that day, so he decided to finally bring it up with Quistis. "Quistis, why do you dance?"
They kept walking down the streets towards Hyne knows where, while she answered without looking at him. "It's my only source of happiness."
Somehow Seifer found that hard to believe. Quistis had many more friends than he did, and even her own fan club, who conveniently called themselves the Treppies. She was so loved where she lived, while he was thrown aside and called names no matter where he went. "What about love?" Seifer innocently asked.
"What about love?" Quistis said it like it was the easiest subject to talk about.
"I mean, you have all these friends that love you, and you have your own fan club, doesn't that make you happy?"
"My friends just respect me. And that fan club, they are all a bunch of stalkers." This was true, the Treppies would do anything just for her to acknowledge their presence. They would 'accidentally' drop their books in front of her so she would help pick them up.
They walked in silence once more.
"So Seifer, why do you play the piano?" Quistis casually asked. It was only fair that she get to ask him something after he did.
"It helps me release my emotions." Quistis was somewhat surprised that he answered her honestly. He usually tried to find a smart-ass comment, but now he trusted her more, and vice versa. "It's amazing how much stress you can relieve by playing one key, or by playing an octave."
Quistis smiled. "I guess I've got to learn to play the piano sometime, care to teach me?"
"I must warn you that I'm not a patient person, Quistis." Seifer warned her, although she already knew.
"And I am a quick learner, we won't have any problems if you just teach me correctly." Quistis countered. "And maybe I can teach you how to dance while we're at it!" Quistis joked.
"Ballet? Come on now, Quistis, maybe Puberty Boy, but not me!" Seifer retorted.
"I would appreciate if you didn't call him that, he has a name you know." Quistis was rather annoyed. After one year, he still didn't grow out of those foolish nicknames.
"I see you're still in love with him. Well, what about love, Quistis?" Seifer angrily said. He didn't know why, but he felt jealous of Squall.
"I only love him as a sister, Seifer."
"That's what you try to keep telling yourself Quistis, but I can read you. To me you're like an open book, and your eyes tell me that you love him romantically." They stopped walking and faced each other.
"He loves Rinoa, and I can't do anything about that!" Quistis started to shout. She knew Seifer was right, she loved Squall more than a friend or sister. She could never come around to telling him though, the last time she tried to open up to him, he told her to talk to a wall. It hurt enough watching him look at Rinoa that way, and not her. "I think I should go back to Garden, Seifer, I'll talk to you later." Quistis quickly turned and left Seifer standing in the middle of the street, watching her back as she ran to her home.
*****
Quistis entered her dorm with tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She thought Seifer and she could have gotten along just fine if he had just avoided the topic of Squall. It would be hard next Saturday to practice with him again.
To take her mind off of both Seifer and Squall, Quistis started cleaning her already tidy room. She remade her small twin-sized bed, and refolded her clothes. She finally gave up and jumped onto her bed. Quistis buried her head in her pillow and cried herself to sleep.
*****
The phone on Quistis' humble, oak nightstand rang wildly and woke Quistis out of her dreamless sleep. She quickly picked up the phone to stop the annoying buzz.
"Hello," Quistis asked groggily.
"Hey Quisty! It's Selphie…I was wondering where you were all day! Oh, by the way, are you okay, you sound tired!" The normal high-pitched, cheery voice of Selphie flooded through the phone.
"Oh, I just woke up from my nap." Quistis answered the latter question, and avoided the first.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! Would you like to go back to sleep? I won't bother you! And I will hurt anyone who does!" Quistis had to laugh. Seeing a petite brunette in a yellow sundress beat up someone is a funny picture. Selphie was a tough one, though. She helped fight the war against Ultimecia.
"No, it's okay Selphie, I've been sleeping for a while now." Quistis looked over at her clock. 5:00, I've been sleeping for three hours!?
"Okay, just want to tell you Squall and Rinoa's news!" Quistis rolled her eyes, but nevertheless smiled through the phone. Selphie was like a smile radar, if you weren't smiling, she knew. "We were wondering what happened when you didn't come back after getting coffee! They told us without you, but they said I could tell you! It's so wonderful! Meet me in the cafeteria in twenty! Bye!"
"Bye Selphie." Quistis said before she put the phone back onto the receiver and plopped onto the bed once more. Why me?
*****
Selphie watched the door as a tired blond walked through. She waved energetically at her, and only received a smile back. Quistis made her way over to Selphie. She was wearing her usual peach battle wear, but her hair was down because she was too lazy to put it up.
"Hey, Selphie." Quistis said while she claimed a seat at the table Selphie was sitting at.
"Hey Quisty…" Selphie started, a little more serious than her normal cheery tone. "Quisty, something is wrong, you are not as happy today as you usually are…want to talk about it?"
Damn, am I that readable? Quistis though, but just smiled.
"No, Selphie, it's okay, I'm fine, really…" Quistis lied to Selphie.
"Ooooookay, Quistis, have it your way, but if things get bad, come talk to me okay? I can't stand to see one of my friends sad." Selphie was so caring, it made Quistis feel slightly appreciated.
"Okay Selphie, so what's the news?" Quistis tried to sound enthusiastic, although she dreaded what Selphie was going to say.
"So, you know that Rinoa has a dog right? Angelo…well she really missed him because he had to stay outside of Garden. Squall hates to see her sad, so he decided to open up a pet care center in Garden! Isn't that so sweet of him! We can also have pets! I think I will get a bunny…no! A cat! Oh, I can't wait!" Yes, how sweet. But of course, Rinoa gets her way again, and now Garden is going to smell like animal feces along with the gross cafeteria odor. Oh well, at least Squall and Rinoa aren't getting married.
"That's great, Selphie!" It was time for Quistis to put on her perfected happy façade.
"Are you going to get a pet, Quisty?"
"No, I'm not much of an animal person. Plus, no matter how cute they are, I don't like cleaning up their poop!" Quistis laughed as she told half the truth. She was actually forming a silent rebellion in her mind against this whole pet thing. The pets could get in the way of the students' studies. It could also mean no sneaking out at night to practice her ballet, or the dogs will start barking hysterically.
Time to start thinking of another plan. Anything to save her happiness.
*****
A/N: Oooohhh…Quisty is plotting! Haha, anyway, yea, another pathetic chapter lol, well have fun reading it! I had to have the typical cliché thing where Seifer gets jealous of Squall and becomes mean again and Quistis runs off crying *sigh*…lol…yea!! Well, Rinoa and Squall aren't getting married…yet! Yay! This is my longest chapter!
Alonia makes me feel too special, my story is on her fave story list! ^_^!! *hugs everyone out of joy* Now you people be nice and go read all her wonderful stories!