Just Wait
By Gem #1
Chapter Eight
Rinoa (Part 1)
A/N: Sorry about the delay sort of..
Anyway, if you're reading this before the first chapters, shame on you! But anyway, enjoy!
There was a slight jingling as a hand hastily turned the lock to her apartment. The woman stepped in gracefully and pulled her shoulder bag over her head.
A slight beeping came from her answering machine.
Quistis Trepe sighed and tried to ignore it as she plopped down on her couch. It had been, as usual, a terribly long day. She was a student teacher at Balamb Middle School, teaching a bunch of rowdy 7th graders what X= was.
She put her hand to her forhead and squinted at the red button, then smashed it using her other hand. It beeped one more time, and a woman's voice was heard.
You have TWO new messages
It clicked once more, and Quistis recongnized her supervisor's voice.
"Ms. Trepe? I've got your reports. Just wanted to let you know that I hope we'll still meet for dinner and discuss this later in the week. I will contact you later."
She moaned. The strange guy who had a big crush on her. Well, Quistis knew that she either had to play along or get a bad evaluation.
"This is Balamb Dental. Just calling to confirm your 1:00 appointment tomorrow. Thank you."
Quistis sat up and grabbed her TV remote when another beeping came from her bag.
Damn, I never catch a break, do I?
She dug in and found her cell phone that finally got an answering machine on it after about two years of putting it off. She pushed NEW button, and heard a slight cackling of static before a familiar voice showed up.
"Um, Quistis? Sorry I missed you. This is Rinoa, I hope you remember me, haha... Um, I wanted to talk to you about something- important. Really really important. So can you please give me a call back when you get the chance? Thanks. My number is 886-722-6543, uh, okay, please call me back as soon as you can... bye.
Quistis froze, her hand clutching her cell phone. It had only been a year, and yet, it seemed like forever since she and the free spirited girl had been good friends. After Rinoa had left to get married, they hadn't spoken, not even at her wedding, which Quistis didn't make it to due to work.
I guess she thought I was lying...?
Well, it didn't matter now. Rinoa sounded
distressed. Something horrible may have happened...
Then why did she call me?
Rinoa
I walked slowly out my kitchen, watching carefully and checking if Zone was anywhere nearby. I spotted his napping with his head in a thick book in the living room. Okay, so the escape was going to be a bit harder than I thought. It seemed as if every day was a terrible chore of getting out of the house so that Zone would not see me. But this time, it was permanent.
Quistis was out back with my suitcase that I had snuck over the night before. And in my front pocket were two letters. One for Selphie and one for Zone, filled with crap like- I hope you understand, and I'm sorries. And the truth was, I was pretty sad about leaving, but everything here was just not great for me anymore. Every day I would wake up with dread and rub my stomach, hoping that Zone had already left for work. He never even suspected anything, which was definetely disheartening.
I took the letters out and placed them on the dining room table, then tip-toed softly out of the living room and opened the door quietly. It creaked.
Shit.
But good ol' Zone had not moved, just kept on snoring. I almost sighed in relief as I closed the door behind me. I ran over my small patch of lawn. Quistis was there in her car, waiting patiently, just like she always did, and parked inconspicuiously on the other side of the street.
I sprinted over and opened the passenger door.
"You ready?" She said calmly.
"Um, yeah, I think so." I whispered back.
"Ok then." Quistis took one last look at my house, but I kept my head straight forward. Who knows what I might do if I saw Zone looking out the window?
"Let's just go. I want to get out of here as fast as I can."
She looked worried.
"If you say so Rinoa..."
We kept on driving, and I closed my eyes as we got closer and closer to the train station. The car had been mostly silent for the half an hour we had been in it, and Quistis kept shifting her gaze towards me, looking concerned. But I always avoided it. I guess she knew everything about the baby, though.
"So."
I glanced at her quickly.
"Yes?"
Quistis moved around uncomfortably for a few moments.
"We're uh- not heading to Balamb. Mainly because I had to take a vacation to come get you, and also because I was going to be on vacation at this time anyway..."
"Oh. I'm sorry..."
So I ruined her vacation. Great, just great.
"No no no!" Quistis shook her head. "See, when I took that year off from school about 4 years ago, I went to this small town in Centra for inspiration for my novel, remember that?"
I nodded.
"Well, my mentor figure there is getting married in a few days. I promised her-"
We both fell silent, remembering my wedding, and how she hadn't been there.
"I'm sorry, Rinoa, I really am. And I don't want to make a stupid excuse as to why I wasn't there..."
It was true that I had been mad, but I was also secretley relieved. What if she and Selphie didn't get along? What if Quistis hated Zone, what if she changed? What if I changed?
"I- it's okay."
"Well..." She cleared her throat, gripping the steering wheel tightly as we pulled into the parking lot. "We're going to Deling and taking a train over to the desert. There's been a new one that just got built at Winhill."
"That's- nice" I nodded, and opened my car door. Quistis popped the trunk open and looked down at our suitcases. Funny I hadn't noticed hers in there before. Funny how much you miss being self centered.
"Okay, then let's get a move on."
We hoisted our suitcases up and started the walk to the train.
"Rinoa-"
I turned to her, and Quistis was looking down at her shoes.
"Yes?"
"I just wanted to say... well... whatever it is you're wanting to find, I hope you find it. Because-" She sighed. "I'm no good at this."
"It's okay." I shrugged. "Thanks anyway."
"Yeah."
We stared at each other for a few moments before walking once more.
One Day Later...
Humidity stunk up the air like rats, and I had to grimace.
"Nice desert."
"Sure is." Quistis stepped next to me, pushing her own cart with her bags on it.
"I wonder what made your friend move out here. It's so...empty."
She shrugged.
"Ellone likes to help other. You know? She cares about the environment. Not exactly a tree hugger from what I think, but-"
"I understand."
Both of us kept pushing, up towards where Quistis had told me there was a resturant/hotel house. I noticed there weren't very many people, but enough so that they filled up the town quite nicely. We were getting some strange looks. Even stranger yet, I could swear I saw a woman that looked very familiar.
"Is something wrong Rinoa?"
"Huh?"
I saw Quistis's face filled with worry.
"Oh- nothing. Just thinking... about stuff."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Well, we're almost there-"
My foot-which was briskly walking before, suddenly got caught on some wire on the floor. I gasped, and pitched forward.
"Rinoa!" Quistis yelled.
My face fell right into the dirt.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." My voice shook slightly.
I looked up, and saw that a few people, okay, a crowd, had gathered. Someone was mumbling.
"Lemme through, c'mon."
Quistis frowned at the voice but made way for her.
Who the hell could that be?
"Well, look who it is!" The voice said happily.
I glanced at the person. It was a middle-aged woman in overalls and a white t-shirt.
"Aren't you the young lady from Squall's graduation?"
Oh man...
Part 2 will hopefully be up...soon. ;)
Please review or send me an e-mail at
geminigirlz212@hotmail.com
OR
yp_6441@yahoo.com (whichever sounds better)
Review!!!
