Just Wait
By Gem #1
Chapter Nine
Squall (Part 2)
Well, I am SO sorry about the delay. I have no excuse, but here is the next chapter. Hopefully the one after this will have a better time frame.
-Gem
Thanks to FloralBlackMoon for hurrying me up. ;)
I sat on the dirt path, watching everyone looking curiously at me.
"Um-"
The woman crossed her arms and shook her head.
"I'm Raine. Raine Leonhart."
Raine...
"Okay, it looks like you don't remeber me. But-"
"No no!" I tried to shake my head. "I know. From graduation, you were um- Squall Leonhart's- his mom, right?"
Raine smiled and moved her hands to her waist.
"I'm glad you remembered." She reached down her hand to help me up, and I took it. The crowd was beginning to disappear. In the corner of my eye, Quistis had a slightly shocked look on her face.
"Thanks." I said hastily and walked over (more like stumbled) over to Quistis.
"This is your friend? She looks familiar." Raine asked.
"Yeah, it's Quistis Trepe. My friend from college."
They shook hands.
"Hello Quistis! Welcome to Winhill! You must be Ellone's friend that she told me was coming today or tomorrow."
Quistis nodded, and glanced at me quickly.
"It's nice to meet you."
"Well, the feeling is mutual."
I looked around nervously, watching Raine and Quistis swap stories politely. Ellone Loire... was that that Squall guy's sister? Something was really weird about that. He had never actually mentioned it...
"Rinoa?" Quistis put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you listening?"
"Oh!" I blinked and looked at them.
Raine cleared her throat.
"Well, I invited you two to come to tea at my house, would you like to go?"
"Of course! We'd love to." Quistis smiled beautifully, leaving some grown men in the crowd shocked.
"Yes, that would be nice, thank you." I nodded hesitantly.
"Great! Of course, Ellone will be there. I think Squall will, too, y'know? Maybe you guys will get to talk for a bit. I'm sure High School was really something else, huh?"
Maybe, who knows. I have some memories from High School I'd rather not share.
"Yeah, I guess so. Let's go then."
Two long legs flopped on to the footrest at the base of the sofa. The man sitting there sighed heavily and drooped his eyes, ready for a nice nap. The person next to him was reading a book.
"So, Squall, you think Winhill is great, huh?"
"Uh, sure."
Silence.
"So, Squall, your mother went to the town square earlier."
"Mmm..."
"And she said that she was bringing some friends of Ellone over."
"And?"
Wedge shifted uncomfortably.
"And...I just thought you'd like to meet them. Ellone seems pretty fond of Quistis Trepe. She also told me Quistis was bringing a friend. And, well..."
Squall turned and glared at Wedge, daring him to finish the thought.
"...I just...thought that maybe you'd wanna meet her. Both of them. You know, you and your Irvine friend. He seems to like girls."
Squall scoffed, and Wedge raised his eyebrows. The first real emotion today.
"Irvine likes girls that are more of a... give me just one night to make you happy thing."
"Oh."
There was another uncomfortable silence before:
"Uh, Squall? I don't want to be rude but..."
"..."
"Could you please not smoke in here, Ellone is kinda touchy about that..."
"Whatever."
Quistis, Raine, and Rinoa walked side by side down the wide Winhill streets. They were having a nice conversation, about who knows what.
"So, Rinoa, I heard that you graduated from the prestigious Deling School of Arts with Quistis." Raine smiled warmly.
"Well- yes. Although I haven't really used that talent much, you know. Whatever talent that might be."
Quistis frowned at her friends expression. She was obviously still troubled by what happened to her record deal. Neither of them knew whether she actually made it or not, but the hope always seemed to be there for Rinoa.
As for me? Smart, pretty, intellectual Quistis? Whatever happened to the girl who knew every monologue from Shakespeare and wrote stories that had grown men teary?
"Well, you know Quistis is very smart, too. She graduated head of her class in high school in Cetra."
Raine's eyes lit up hopefully, and she grinned.
"Cetra, eh? Well, it must be great to be back home, then, isn' it? You have to tell me what part of Cetra you lived in!"
"Umm..." Quistis stared at the ground in concentration. "I was brought up near the Cetra Ruins. There used to be a small town there, before a hurricane hit a few years ago. My aunt raised me there. Now she's moved to Balamb, where I'm working."
"What a story! Ellone's never told me that before."
The two younger women looked at each other uncomfortably before Quistis realized something.
I supposed we both lost something important these few years.
Hopefully Ellone will help me find what I'm looking for here.
"Quistis? Did you hear me?"
Rinoa looked at her friend with concern.
"Huh?"
"Raine just asked if you liked green tea and you looked pretty out of it."
The elegant blond shook her head and smiled.
"I'm fine. Um, green tea sounds pretty good, thanks."
What is it about this place that gives me a strange feeling... maybe it just reminds me of..home? Ha, that hasn't happened since I went to visit my parents while they were on vacation near... oh what am I thinking...
Squall
A loud crashing and rumbling could be heard from the stairs as a young man descended, both legs in front. The woman at the bottom of the steps winced.
"I swear, you're gonna wear out my house before I get married."
"Shame."
Ellone rolled her eyes and frowned.
"Mom's coming around the corner and she's bringing in some of my friends. Don't be mean to them, ok? This is important to me." She sighed. "Thanks anyway."
Squall shook his head and walked over into the living room, where Wedge was trying to clean the already shiny room.
"You're not making a difference, it's already fine."
The older man looked up and almost laughed out loud. The first kind gesture made by his brother-in-law to him since.. ever.
"Thanks man it-" He paused and waved to someone behind Squall. "Hey Raine, those Elle's houseguests?"
"Yep. Squall, turn around and say hi!"
Squall painfully turned and sighed. Wedge was busy introducing himself, as usual. As much as Squall hated to admit it, the guy was perfect for his sister.
"Hello, Ms. Trepe, it's nice to meet you too." Wedge smiled and shook her hand.
The other man in the room raised an eyebrow at the two girls that his mother brought. One of them looked familiar...
Wedge looked at the other girl, the one with black hair and also shook her hand. The girl smiled.
"Oh, hello, I'm- ACK!"
Everyone suddenly jumped back as something tackled the young girl, and she fell back onto the floor. Wedge looked like he was about to have a heart attack, and Quistis and Raine looked horrified. Squall could barely manage not to laugh.
"Oh my god Angelo! Look what you've done! This is awful! Oh I'm so terribly sorry..." Ellone was wringing her hands through her hair. "It's just she has so much energy and..."
The girl on the floor got up slowly and shook her head, laughing as Angelo slid off her.
"It's okay, I don't mind. I work at a Pet Shop in Timber, anyway. It's a nice dog you have there-um- Ms. Ellone?"
Raine half-snorted.
"Actually, this dog is my son's. Right here." She jabbed Squall with her elbow. "You guys went to high school together, remember, Squall?"
"Uh..." Squall studied the girl lying in front of him, petting his dog. That was probably why she seemed so familiar. "Sure, whatever."
The girl giggled.
"I guess some people don't change a bit!" She got up and extended her hand. "In case you forgot my name, I'm Rinoa Lw- , um, Caraway. Nice to see you again."
Squall frowned.
Can she not remember her name or something?
He turned around to leave but a swift kick in the calf from Ellone forced him to shake her hand with a grimace.
"Hi."
Squall looked around uncomfortably. Suddenly someone pratically shoved him right into Rinoa and screamed,
"Quistis! Oh my god! I'm so glad you're here."
Damn reunions, who really cares anyhow?
He eyed the cowboy hat on the couch.
And that Irvine is here, too. Man, why is everyone coming to this stupid hick town? At least that stupid guy is staying at the hotel. Still, he should stop trying to bring over 'young Winhill ladies' for me to 'court'. As if.
His mother's voice broke Squall's thoughts.
"Do you girls have a place to stay? Squall pratically chased his friend out when he came to visit, but Ellone-"
"Don't worry, mom. We have a spare bedroom, since Squall is sleeping in the basement and all."
The hell is this? Antagonize Squall Hour?
"Thank you so much." Quistis smiled at Ellone. "And we have a lot to catch up on, don't we? Um, do you wanna come Rinoa? Or-"
Raine stepped in, always the hero.
"Don't worry, Rinoa can just stay with me for now while you girls catch up on whatever you need to."
"Thanks mom." Ellone gave Wedge a quick kiss and left. "Behave yourself Squall!" She winked.
Squall raised an eyebrow.
"Huh?"
The Rinoa girl giggled slightly and turned to Raine.
"You guys have such a nice family."
"Ha ha, it'll only get better once my husband joins us next week. He's the president of Esthar, you know?"
"Laguna Loire? He sometimes has brunch with my father. Politicians and..."
The two of them walked off chatting away while Squall, dragging his feet, followed them. Wedge shrugged and headed for the front door.
"He really likes avoiding his friends, doesn't he? I don't think he's talked to that Irvine guy since he came. Of course, I can understand, but..."
The screen door slammed behind him.
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