Chapter 2
Author's note: I got a review!! YAY!! Chapter2!!! YAY!! *cough* Umm...Well anyways...All characters that you have heard of belong to Squaresoft, and the others belong to me or my friends. Flames are sent to evil killer zombies and so on and so forth. I only update if you review.

Chapter 2
Belonging

Squall stared down the dark street. He thought he had heard Rinoa's voice. Oh well. It didn't matter now anyway. He was alone, and that was the way he liked it. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited for Chase. Chase had said he would meet him here after his set at the club he frequented. Stupid musicians. Rinoa had talked about being a musician-Squall stopped that thought immediately, almost hitting himself for thinking of her again. Why would he want to think of her, anyway? He liked to be alone. Bredan finally came up, behind him, even though the club was the other way. Squall knew, he had been there once. How did he come up behind him? Oh well, people in this world were known to do some strange things. Chase had a friend that was a vampire, but that didn't matter. What took you so long? Squall asked.
I stopped for a girl.
A girl? Why?
She was lost. And pretty. This made Squall sigh in exasperation. Chase never went for a girl, though. What'd she look like?

Just curious.
Black hair, brown eyes. One of those innocent until you get to know em types.
So what's the deal now? Squall asked, trying to change the conversation. His mind wandered again to Rinoa, but he shook his head, ignoring it.
Same as it's always been. You help, you get food and a place to stay.
Whaddya' you want me to do? Squall needed a place to stay in this world of misfits and the ignored. He felt like he belonged here.

***************

Rinoa laid again on the hotel bed, looking up at the whitewashed walls and bad paintings. She was thinking again of that rainy day outside Balamb Garden.
Squall laid both hands on Rinoa's shoulders, looking into her eyes. I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend.
Pretend what?
That this life is what I want. I'm leaving. I don't want you or anyone else coming with me. I don't want to see any of you anymore.
Rinoa burst into tears. She hugged Squall, and fell to her knees in a hopeless heap when he walked away. The rain splattered down over her, but she didn't feel it until she was practically dragged inside by Selphie and Quistis.
The group had just fallen apart after that. She knew from letters that Quistis had fallen in love with Seifer, even though neither Rinoa or Selphie understood why. Selphie and Irvine had gone back to Timber to be with Selphie's friends, and Zell was still at Garden as far as Selphie knew. No one had heard from him in a while. No one saw each other much anymore. And no one had heard anything about Squall since that day. Rinoa would have been sad, and she was sometimes, but then she thought of what he said. That he didn't want to see any of them anymore. No one could have really loved her and said that. She turned over, staring otu the window at the light rain. Why was it always raining when she was thinking of that? Was it her powers? They were more powerful in this world then anywhere else she had been. Oh well, what did it matter to her, anyways?

***************

Squall watched as Chase practiced his songs. He liked staying here, liked the people and the sense of danger in this town. He had met vampires, demons, and so many things he had never thought he would see, even doubted some of their existence. But still, the unknown was no big deal to him. Nothing was. Chase finished and looked up at Squall. Deep in thought, huh? he asked. Squall nodded. Does it have to do with this? he held up a picture, one Squall thought he had lost. Squall snatched it back angrily. Where did you get this from? he demanded.
Chase said, holding up his hands in a gesture of defense. I didn't steal it. It fell out of your pocket on the way here. By the way, that girl looks like the one I saw today.
It's...She was my girlfriend for a while.
What happened, if you don't mind my asking.
I wasn't in love, that was all. Squall looked down. He didn't want to talk about it. he stood up and went to the room he had occupied for the last week or so. Chase's friends wouldn't be here fpr a couple of hours, so he had some time to himself. Once they got here, it would be too loud to even think, much less get any sleep.