Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Final Fantasy games or characters. Squaresoft does. 'Nuff said.
Author's Notes: Okay… I've decided to try to drop a few people and add in new ones from other FF's because someone told me to put Squall… and I don't wanna get slammed again. Okay, I'm dropping Reeve, Barret, Reno and Elena from the fic and I'll add… Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Irvine, Amarant, Zidane, Garnet, Rikku and Wakka… if I could fit them in the fanfic somehow.
=-*-= Chapter 2: Getting Around =-*-=
Cloud exited the locker room and took a swift look around. Standing there for sometime he got ran into by some guy. He heard the voice from behind him and turned to see the same kid he saw leaning on the lockers earlier that morning. "You okay?" He asked and noticed that he was also the same person Riyuji left with.
Kenaouru groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "I'm okay but what the hell are you man? Some kind of walking brick?" He opened his eyes to see that it was the new kid Riyuji had told him about. "So you're Cloud?"
Cloud glanced back at him and nodded. "Cloud Strife."
"Kenaouru Katsu Kashiwa. Riyuji says you're kinda cool," he exclaimed, scratching the back of his head. He grinned at the skeptical look on Cloud's face, just before hearing the whistle of the coach. "Gotta run! We can't be late!"
They both ran to the field and took their place in line just as the new coach went to check the attendance. The coach had a blue bandanna across his head to keep his fiery orange hair aside from visions way. We walked in front of them and announced, "I don't think it'll be easy being a coach, but so everyone would get along for the whole school year it's best to get aquatinted, ya? The name's Coach Wakka."
~*~
A few minutes before Math, Riyuji ran through the halls trying not to be late for his next class. "Damn, why do I always have to end up being late?" He stopped a hall away from the classroom to put away his English books into his locker and get out his Math books. He freaked out as someone tapped him on the shoulder, thinking it was the teacher. He turned only to see Chase.
"What's up with you? You've been kinda jumpy for the past few minutes." Chase was one of Riyuji's best friends ever since. She had golden brown hair that was usually tied into a ponytail, with at least a bit hanging from the side.
"I dunno… Just because I have a bad record, here in school probably. But I don't ever want to go back to a private school! I can't stand the uniformity and that kind of stuff. I ain't fit for the rich life!" He slammed his locker and made his way to the classroom.
Chase followed him and tried to comfort him. "Didn't you always have a bad record? You're too good of a troublemaker to be good," she said and gave him one of her genuine smiles. She had always tried to keep people happy.
"Okay, and what is that supposed to mean?" Riyuji asked skeptically, opening the door and letting her get in. "After you."
Chase giggled and walked into the room, followed by Riyuji. " I meant you're too… Let me put it this way. You are nice, friendly and funny but you also have that mischievous side that everyone loves. Especially on April Fools day." She took a seat on the second row and continued to stare at Riyuji who had his eyebrow raised at her.
He pulled a seat beside her and leaned backward. "I get you now. Do you think that is better that I stay here or at least try to stay here? Or… take my chances at a place like a military school because I have a feeling that it will be the next place my parents are gonna send me." He smirked at his last comment.
"Yeow… That would be harsh. But someone like you could withstand a place like that. Without a doubt!" she chuckled at the vision she got if Riyuji was in a place like military school. "I'm surprised that the teacher is the one that late and not you." She looked around the room to see who else was missing. "Where's Tifa? She isn't usually late. Sephers isn't here to."
"Sephers? Since when have you called that gothic person 'Sephers'?" asked Riyuji as he scanned the room. "He doesn't even fit to have a weird nickname such as that," he turned to Chase to see her giggling at that comment. He returned it with a smirk and turned away to face the door. "Hey, you are right. Little Miss Punctual is late again."
"Little Miss Punctual? Now where did you pick that up?" She asked, twisting a bit of her hair around her finger.
He gave off a shrug. "Well, she's usually early but today, I think she been kinda off today, y'know. Do you think that she has a problem or something?" Chase shrugged at her friend with a concerning look on her face.
Tifa then came, storming into the room. Heads turned and glanced curiously at her as took a seat behind Chase. Her hands were balled into fist and she looked like she wanted to punch her desk. "He can be so irritating. Why do I even cope with him?" She rested her head on her hands and leaned on the table. "Why did I even fall in love him?"
"Trouble with Sephiroth?" questioned Riyuji from his seat, a hint of curiosity in his voice when he spoke.
Tifa nodded and let out a deep sigh. "It's been four months already since we broke up and yet, he's still trying to win me back. When will he ever learn? I mean, like, he's just using me to show-off. Darn him."
"Don't worry Tifa. I'm sure someone could try to keep him away from you. Maybe someone like Riyuji…" She turned to her seatmate who had a cynical look on his face. Both girls giggled at his expression. "If not Riyuji, then maybe that new kid that you helped. He is kind of cute. What's his name again?" Her finger tapped on her chin as she went deep in thought.
"It's Cloud Strife," Riyuji muttered feeling left out of the conversation.
"Oh yeah. Thanks Riyuji." Chase glanced at him with a mischivious glint in her eyes. "Aww, Riyuji is feeling left out. Aren't you Riyuji? That's okay" She patted him sarcastically on the back and gave him another grin.
Tifa grinned then rested her chin on her palm and thought, "What if I just tried to make him jealous of someone else. That might work. But it would be the same as what he did to me." The thought drifted away as she heard the door open.
A guy with long silver hair, a black shirt with a skull printed on it and black cargo pants marched into the room. His chain chimed at his every stride. He had green eyes that seemed to pierce a person's soul in one glance. That smug bad-ass look that he kept on his face immediately told people to back off or face the consequences. It was Sephiroth.
"Not him again," Tifa sighed, her palm connecting to her forehead.
The gothic loner strode casually and pulled a seat in the last row beside one of his only friends, Squall Leonheart. Squall wasn't like Sephiroth but he too was a loner. He prefers to live in seclusion than with the rest of the world and reality.
A few moments passed since Sephiroth's arrival until the teacher entered the classroom. "Sorry about being late class. I kinda had a bit of first-day trouble," she said as she adjusted her glasses.
Riyuji leaned toward Chase and whispered, "I'm actually glad she's late. I won't be marked."
"Mister Raicho. I see we have another year to cause trouble. Do you plan to step out of line this year?" Her foot tapped lightly on the floor as she crossed her arms across her chest.
Riyuji took a stand and uttered, "Well you know me Professor Trepe. Anything can happen this year. All I can say is expect the unexpected." His eyebrow raised and her gave her a very cocky smirk that he would usually give to all the teachers.
"I'll be watching you this year 'Raptor'." She got her fixed her notes and propped it onto the table before giving Riyuji the permission to take his seat. "You may sit down now."
Riyuji did a quick salute. "Yes, ma'am!" And with that he took his seat, receiving a few fits of laughter from some random students in the room.
"Very funny," she remarked. Professor Quistis Trepe was their Math teacher. She had blonde locks that went below the shoulders, glasses that she almost always wore and her eyes were a mysterious shade of blue. "Well, let's get down to business."
Riyuji leaned on his chair again, which was a bad habit of his, and was able to catch Zell's low voice mutter something. It seemed to sound like, "I'm not gonna flunk." He turned around and stared at Zell. He had always like that tattoo on his seatmate's face. "You won't flunk if you listen."
"Yeah, but I tend to get bored after a while and end up sleeping in class then getting sent out of the room to stay in the hall," the blonde muttered.
"Really?" asked Riyuji. All he received was a quick nod.
After a while Zell did fall asleep in class. He suddenly let out a loud grunt that everyone heard. Even Professor Quistis jumped to the sound. She sighed at the boy and tried to call his attention, but to no avail. "Rikku, wake him up for me will you?"
Rikku did as Professor Trepe requested, but as the annoyance that she is, shouted into his ear. "Yo Zell!"
He immediately sprang to life. "What?! Who?! When?! Where?!" The whole class laughed at him while Riyuji slapped his forehead and muttered, "You're hopeless Zell."
~*~
Cloud had just finished twenty push-ups to complete the PE period. He had already taken a quick shower and had changed back into his clothes. He checked his schedule again and found out he had free period for twenty minutes. He soon decided to try to familiarize himself with the school.
He walked along the halls constantly trying to avoid the other students running around the campus. He ended up finding his way to the library. There he looked for a vacant table and decided to brush up a bit on his new books.
The silence was truly deafening. Cloud swore that he could hear the winds whistling to him. The sound was broken as he heard a book slam on a table, causing him to jump from his seat. He turned to see a girl with long, light brown colored hair that was tied into a lengthy braid, which cascaded along her pink dress that fluttered with every step she took. It had seemed that the other person standing by her was the one who caused the racket. He was too busy staring at them both to notice that the girl was now standing right in front of him.
"Hi! It's Cloud Strife isn't it? A tenth grader? I just wanted to introduce myself in case were at the same classes. I'm Aeris Gainborough and that guy over there is supposedly Zack Flakrash. Welcome!" She wiped her hand onto her hanky and let it out for a salutation.
"Well, thanks I guess," said Cloud as he shook it. He looked at her and seemed to get a feeling that she was an okay kind of girl but he couldn't help but wonder, who was that guy she pointed to. He gulped as his gut told him that Zack was one bad-ass that he shouldn't mess with. Probably her boyfriend he concluded.
"Hey Cloud! May I see your class sched?" questioned Aeris as she leaned down and pulled a seat beside Cloud. He searched through his back pocket till he felt the crumpled paper that was presumably his schedule. She gave quick glances at each column and smiled brightly at Cloud. "I guess we're in the same class later after lunch. It's gonna be science. I think Chase, Rinoa and Irvine will be in that class to. I could introduce them to you if you want."
"I want mind that," Cloud answered. He then looked at the clock and saw that he had ten more minutes to kill. "Hey Aeris, do you mind if you show me around a bit? Just so I don't end up getting lost." He really wanted to memorize the campus within two weeks at the longest.
Aeris immediately nodded at him. "Sure why not? I'll just go get Zack fist okay." She went back to her table to the boy with long slightly spiky raven hair.
Cloud wondered why Aeris seemed more excited to show him around than him wanting to know how to get around. "She just must be happy-go-lucky," he judged.
Zack turned to Aeris as she tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey Zack, wanna come with me and Cloud. I'm just gonna show him around the campus."
Zack gave her a smug look before getting up from his seat. "Why do you always have to do this every year? You go up to a cute new guy and show him around the school and end up making me jealous." The sarcastic smile on his face gave away the prank he was about to pull on his girlfriend.
"Aww, c'mon now Zack! You know that I wouldn't leave you." And with that ended the short argument. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, grabbed his arm and paced back to Cloud. "Cloud meet Zack. Zack, this is Cloud Strife.
"Yo! What's up, man?" He slid his hand through his hair and did that bad-ass look Cloud saw on his face earlier. Cloud stood up and nodded slightly and saw Zack mouth utter, "Don't try and steal my girl." No one said anything for a while. But it seemed Zack and Cloud were having a staring contest.
Aeris broke the silence again. "Hey, hey, hey! C'mon people! If we wanna get around the school we have to this, like really, really fast!" She grabbed Cloud and dragged him together with Zack toward the exit of the library to start her tour.
"Wow! Now that's what I call energetic!" Cloud said in a low voice, inaudible to the other two as he got back on his feet to walk on his own. He fixed his shirt before following the lissome Aeris and the seemingly hostile Zack through the winding labyrinth of halls.
Author's Notes: Okay… I've decided to try to drop a few people and add in new ones from other FF's because someone told me to put Squall… and I don't wanna get slammed again. Okay, I'm dropping Reeve, Barret, Reno and Elena from the fic and I'll add… Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Irvine, Amarant, Zidane, Garnet, Rikku and Wakka… if I could fit them in the fanfic somehow.
=-*-= Chapter 2: Getting Around =-*-=
Cloud exited the locker room and took a swift look around. Standing there for sometime he got ran into by some guy. He heard the voice from behind him and turned to see the same kid he saw leaning on the lockers earlier that morning. "You okay?" He asked and noticed that he was also the same person Riyuji left with.
Kenaouru groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "I'm okay but what the hell are you man? Some kind of walking brick?" He opened his eyes to see that it was the new kid Riyuji had told him about. "So you're Cloud?"
Cloud glanced back at him and nodded. "Cloud Strife."
"Kenaouru Katsu Kashiwa. Riyuji says you're kinda cool," he exclaimed, scratching the back of his head. He grinned at the skeptical look on Cloud's face, just before hearing the whistle of the coach. "Gotta run! We can't be late!"
They both ran to the field and took their place in line just as the new coach went to check the attendance. The coach had a blue bandanna across his head to keep his fiery orange hair aside from visions way. We walked in front of them and announced, "I don't think it'll be easy being a coach, but so everyone would get along for the whole school year it's best to get aquatinted, ya? The name's Coach Wakka."
~*~
A few minutes before Math, Riyuji ran through the halls trying not to be late for his next class. "Damn, why do I always have to end up being late?" He stopped a hall away from the classroom to put away his English books into his locker and get out his Math books. He freaked out as someone tapped him on the shoulder, thinking it was the teacher. He turned only to see Chase.
"What's up with you? You've been kinda jumpy for the past few minutes." Chase was one of Riyuji's best friends ever since. She had golden brown hair that was usually tied into a ponytail, with at least a bit hanging from the side.
"I dunno… Just because I have a bad record, here in school probably. But I don't ever want to go back to a private school! I can't stand the uniformity and that kind of stuff. I ain't fit for the rich life!" He slammed his locker and made his way to the classroom.
Chase followed him and tried to comfort him. "Didn't you always have a bad record? You're too good of a troublemaker to be good," she said and gave him one of her genuine smiles. She had always tried to keep people happy.
"Okay, and what is that supposed to mean?" Riyuji asked skeptically, opening the door and letting her get in. "After you."
Chase giggled and walked into the room, followed by Riyuji. " I meant you're too… Let me put it this way. You are nice, friendly and funny but you also have that mischievous side that everyone loves. Especially on April Fools day." She took a seat on the second row and continued to stare at Riyuji who had his eyebrow raised at her.
He pulled a seat beside her and leaned backward. "I get you now. Do you think that is better that I stay here or at least try to stay here? Or… take my chances at a place like a military school because I have a feeling that it will be the next place my parents are gonna send me." He smirked at his last comment.
"Yeow… That would be harsh. But someone like you could withstand a place like that. Without a doubt!" she chuckled at the vision she got if Riyuji was in a place like military school. "I'm surprised that the teacher is the one that late and not you." She looked around the room to see who else was missing. "Where's Tifa? She isn't usually late. Sephers isn't here to."
"Sephers? Since when have you called that gothic person 'Sephers'?" asked Riyuji as he scanned the room. "He doesn't even fit to have a weird nickname such as that," he turned to Chase to see her giggling at that comment. He returned it with a smirk and turned away to face the door. "Hey, you are right. Little Miss Punctual is late again."
"Little Miss Punctual? Now where did you pick that up?" She asked, twisting a bit of her hair around her finger.
He gave off a shrug. "Well, she's usually early but today, I think she been kinda off today, y'know. Do you think that she has a problem or something?" Chase shrugged at her friend with a concerning look on her face.
Tifa then came, storming into the room. Heads turned and glanced curiously at her as took a seat behind Chase. Her hands were balled into fist and she looked like she wanted to punch her desk. "He can be so irritating. Why do I even cope with him?" She rested her head on her hands and leaned on the table. "Why did I even fall in love him?"
"Trouble with Sephiroth?" questioned Riyuji from his seat, a hint of curiosity in his voice when he spoke.
Tifa nodded and let out a deep sigh. "It's been four months already since we broke up and yet, he's still trying to win me back. When will he ever learn? I mean, like, he's just using me to show-off. Darn him."
"Don't worry Tifa. I'm sure someone could try to keep him away from you. Maybe someone like Riyuji…" She turned to her seatmate who had a cynical look on his face. Both girls giggled at his expression. "If not Riyuji, then maybe that new kid that you helped. He is kind of cute. What's his name again?" Her finger tapped on her chin as she went deep in thought.
"It's Cloud Strife," Riyuji muttered feeling left out of the conversation.
"Oh yeah. Thanks Riyuji." Chase glanced at him with a mischivious glint in her eyes. "Aww, Riyuji is feeling left out. Aren't you Riyuji? That's okay" She patted him sarcastically on the back and gave him another grin.
Tifa grinned then rested her chin on her palm and thought, "What if I just tried to make him jealous of someone else. That might work. But it would be the same as what he did to me." The thought drifted away as she heard the door open.
A guy with long silver hair, a black shirt with a skull printed on it and black cargo pants marched into the room. His chain chimed at his every stride. He had green eyes that seemed to pierce a person's soul in one glance. That smug bad-ass look that he kept on his face immediately told people to back off or face the consequences. It was Sephiroth.
"Not him again," Tifa sighed, her palm connecting to her forehead.
The gothic loner strode casually and pulled a seat in the last row beside one of his only friends, Squall Leonheart. Squall wasn't like Sephiroth but he too was a loner. He prefers to live in seclusion than with the rest of the world and reality.
A few moments passed since Sephiroth's arrival until the teacher entered the classroom. "Sorry about being late class. I kinda had a bit of first-day trouble," she said as she adjusted her glasses.
Riyuji leaned toward Chase and whispered, "I'm actually glad she's late. I won't be marked."
"Mister Raicho. I see we have another year to cause trouble. Do you plan to step out of line this year?" Her foot tapped lightly on the floor as she crossed her arms across her chest.
Riyuji took a stand and uttered, "Well you know me Professor Trepe. Anything can happen this year. All I can say is expect the unexpected." His eyebrow raised and her gave her a very cocky smirk that he would usually give to all the teachers.
"I'll be watching you this year 'Raptor'." She got her fixed her notes and propped it onto the table before giving Riyuji the permission to take his seat. "You may sit down now."
Riyuji did a quick salute. "Yes, ma'am!" And with that he took his seat, receiving a few fits of laughter from some random students in the room.
"Very funny," she remarked. Professor Quistis Trepe was their Math teacher. She had blonde locks that went below the shoulders, glasses that she almost always wore and her eyes were a mysterious shade of blue. "Well, let's get down to business."
Riyuji leaned on his chair again, which was a bad habit of his, and was able to catch Zell's low voice mutter something. It seemed to sound like, "I'm not gonna flunk." He turned around and stared at Zell. He had always like that tattoo on his seatmate's face. "You won't flunk if you listen."
"Yeah, but I tend to get bored after a while and end up sleeping in class then getting sent out of the room to stay in the hall," the blonde muttered.
"Really?" asked Riyuji. All he received was a quick nod.
After a while Zell did fall asleep in class. He suddenly let out a loud grunt that everyone heard. Even Professor Quistis jumped to the sound. She sighed at the boy and tried to call his attention, but to no avail. "Rikku, wake him up for me will you?"
Rikku did as Professor Trepe requested, but as the annoyance that she is, shouted into his ear. "Yo Zell!"
He immediately sprang to life. "What?! Who?! When?! Where?!" The whole class laughed at him while Riyuji slapped his forehead and muttered, "You're hopeless Zell."
~*~
Cloud had just finished twenty push-ups to complete the PE period. He had already taken a quick shower and had changed back into his clothes. He checked his schedule again and found out he had free period for twenty minutes. He soon decided to try to familiarize himself with the school.
He walked along the halls constantly trying to avoid the other students running around the campus. He ended up finding his way to the library. There he looked for a vacant table and decided to brush up a bit on his new books.
The silence was truly deafening. Cloud swore that he could hear the winds whistling to him. The sound was broken as he heard a book slam on a table, causing him to jump from his seat. He turned to see a girl with long, light brown colored hair that was tied into a lengthy braid, which cascaded along her pink dress that fluttered with every step she took. It had seemed that the other person standing by her was the one who caused the racket. He was too busy staring at them both to notice that the girl was now standing right in front of him.
"Hi! It's Cloud Strife isn't it? A tenth grader? I just wanted to introduce myself in case were at the same classes. I'm Aeris Gainborough and that guy over there is supposedly Zack Flakrash. Welcome!" She wiped her hand onto her hanky and let it out for a salutation.
"Well, thanks I guess," said Cloud as he shook it. He looked at her and seemed to get a feeling that she was an okay kind of girl but he couldn't help but wonder, who was that guy she pointed to. He gulped as his gut told him that Zack was one bad-ass that he shouldn't mess with. Probably her boyfriend he concluded.
"Hey Cloud! May I see your class sched?" questioned Aeris as she leaned down and pulled a seat beside Cloud. He searched through his back pocket till he felt the crumpled paper that was presumably his schedule. She gave quick glances at each column and smiled brightly at Cloud. "I guess we're in the same class later after lunch. It's gonna be science. I think Chase, Rinoa and Irvine will be in that class to. I could introduce them to you if you want."
"I want mind that," Cloud answered. He then looked at the clock and saw that he had ten more minutes to kill. "Hey Aeris, do you mind if you show me around a bit? Just so I don't end up getting lost." He really wanted to memorize the campus within two weeks at the longest.
Aeris immediately nodded at him. "Sure why not? I'll just go get Zack fist okay." She went back to her table to the boy with long slightly spiky raven hair.
Cloud wondered why Aeris seemed more excited to show him around than him wanting to know how to get around. "She just must be happy-go-lucky," he judged.
Zack turned to Aeris as she tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey Zack, wanna come with me and Cloud. I'm just gonna show him around the campus."
Zack gave her a smug look before getting up from his seat. "Why do you always have to do this every year? You go up to a cute new guy and show him around the school and end up making me jealous." The sarcastic smile on his face gave away the prank he was about to pull on his girlfriend.
"Aww, c'mon now Zack! You know that I wouldn't leave you." And with that ended the short argument. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, grabbed his arm and paced back to Cloud. "Cloud meet Zack. Zack, this is Cloud Strife.
"Yo! What's up, man?" He slid his hand through his hair and did that bad-ass look Cloud saw on his face earlier. Cloud stood up and nodded slightly and saw Zack mouth utter, "Don't try and steal my girl." No one said anything for a while. But it seemed Zack and Cloud were having a staring contest.
Aeris broke the silence again. "Hey, hey, hey! C'mon people! If we wanna get around the school we have to this, like really, really fast!" She grabbed Cloud and dragged him together with Zack toward the exit of the library to start her tour.
"Wow! Now that's what I call energetic!" Cloud said in a low voice, inaudible to the other two as he got back on his feet to walk on his own. He fixed his shirt before following the lissome Aeris and the seemingly hostile Zack through the winding labyrinth of halls.