Chapter 3

Selphie pulled over and threw Rinoa the clothes she'd bought for the club that day at the mall.

"We're almost at the club."

Selphie turned away from Rinoa and began to change. Rinoa pulled off her dress and looked down at her snow-white body, and over at Selphie's freckled back. She would die if she knew she would awaken and look like that.

She pulled on the blue halter and searched through the bag and found the skirt she bought, a little black miniskirt. She threw it back in the bag and pulled out the black pants she had bought. She opened up her purse and threw glitter on them, and then pulled them on.

They made her look tall and slim, the dark blue halter perfect against her skin. Selphie turned back around wearing a pink sequined sleeveless top that showed off her flat stomach and white glittery pants. She smiled at Rinoa.

"Ready?"

"Go."

Selphie pulled out and began to speed down the streets of Balamb. Everything flew by in a rush of neon and sequins. Music already pulsed down Rinoa's spine and she closed her eyes and took in everything, even though she couldn't see it.

Selphie pulled into the parking lot between Zell and Seifer's cars and nodded at Rinoa. Rinoa smiled confidently and opened the car door, slinging her purse over her shoulder. The red bag fell off of her lap and she reached back in to grab it. She hesitated slightly, and then reached for it, slipping it into her purse.

Selphie and Rinoa walked in, seemingly taller and more confident then at dinner, as if they came across some beautiful secret while they were traveling to the club.

It isn't hard to get into a club when you're tall, slim, and gorgeous, as Rinoa and Selphie had noticed. They got in no problem and ran over to the rest of the group. Quistis had already changed, and Audrey looked awesome too. She had apparently also brought clubbing clothes.

Selphie was dancing around Irvine, taking his hat and running away with it, Zell and Audrey were out at a little booth talking and Quistis and Seifer were…

Seifer had his arm around Quistis who was sipping on a martini and giggling. Quistis was intoxicated in more ways than one obviously. Seifer whispered something in Quistis's ear. She giggled and nodded. He pulled her over to the dance floor as she put the martini on Zell and Audrey's table.

Seifer pulled her past Rinoa and leaned down by Rinoa's ear and said, "Now's the time. You pick who you want to be."

Rinoa knew what he was talking about and opened her purse, pulling out the red bag. She headed for the bathroom, took a stall and locked it.

She brought her knees up on the seat and sat there, no one seeming to care she was in there. No one even knew.

She brought the bag up to her face and smelled it. It didn't have the same smoky-cologne smell as Seifer's jacket, surprisingly. It was a much more dizzying scent that Rinoa wanted to take in all at once, and at the same time she wanted to leave the bag abandoned in the stall for someone else to find.

Infatuated with the flowery smell of the bag, she opened it only to reveal the makeup of the gods. It wasn't in cute little compartments, but in tubes and little cases that resembled where paints once sat.

The only way Rinoa could tell it was makeup was the fact that it had a certain resemblance to cutesy packaged makeup, but this was so much more meaningful somehow.

There seemed to be a million tubes and cases, proving Seifer's point further. She could be whoever she wanted to be. She pulled out light pink eye shadow and smudged it across her eye with her finger, spreading thick glitter all over and around her eye. She pulled out fake eyelashes, and pressed fake rhinestones on them before putting them over her already shimmering eyes. Then she underlined her eyes in silver, putting rhinestones over by the corners of her eyes.

Now that the eyes were done, she headed down to her lips, which she painted a deep, dark purple. It didn't suit her at all… but then she was someone completely new now.

She topped everything off by pulling out the jasmine scented oil at the very bottom of the bag, which she put on. She looked in the mirror, seeing a completely different person.

Already high with the poison jasmine scent, she dropped the contents of her purse all over the stall floor. She bent down to pick them up and threw them back in her purse. Glitter, hand soap…

a charm bracelet?

It wasn't there before, but she now picked it up and pulled it on. Little stars danced together on the chain, hitting each other and chiming lightly every time they hit. She shook it a few times, and remembered Seifer leaning down by her ear… dropping something into her slightly open purse…

She smiled confidently and headed out of the stall. As she passed the row of full mirrors, Rinoa wasn't herself anymore. For once, she was completely satisfied with the way she looked. Just right now, she didn't look or feel like herself.

Even if it was just for one night.

Rinoa coughed into her hand and sniffed it casually. She blinked twice and tossed a mint into her mouth as she strolled out of the restrooms.

This was the first day of the rest of her life.

Bright pink poison lights poured down on her, illuminating the dance floor and the people smashing and stomping on top of it, bodies occasionally hitting the floor only to stand back up and continue to push against the ones next to them. On the dance floor, no one knew who you were. You were a different person out there; no one had ever met you. The couples had moved to the side and were sitting at high-seated tables with their first and last drink of the night on top.

Rinoa pressed through the tables with couples tattooed on the seats. She moved quickly and carefully, not wanting to disturb their conversations of how everyone out on the floor pushed so roughly against each other.

Those couples would go home after one drink, and later their own bodies would push just as roughly against each other in a sequence of love and devotion and happiness. They would still love.

It was something Rinoa afraid of, not that she would ever admit it. Squall would worry and break everything off. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes blank and empty, reflecting the entire club atmosphere off of them. Nothing stayed in her eyes anymore.

An instant jingle of the stars hitting their metal outsides against each other woke her from the trance.

You aren't afraid to love. You're not the girl you thought you were.

She pushed through the couples tables, rocking chairs, tables, and drinks. Pursing her purple lips together, she ran a long perfect fingernail over her black, thick eyelashes.

Seifer was chatting it up with Quistis, knocking glasses with her and downing shot after shot of who knows what substance. It went straight to Quistis's brain, taking over all of her thoughts and putting her in a vulnerable position. Seifer could do anything to her now if he wanted to. Quistis could no longer think for herself. Not with all of the alcohol controlling every thought that entered her mind and pushing out any thoughts that might convince her to stop everything and leave.

Seifer's drinks seemed to go through the air, as if he hadn't even taken them in the first place.

Then Rinoa showed up and Seifer's attention seemed to turn elsewhere. Quistis didn't notice, because she was too intoxicated. Temptation, lust, it all overtook Seifer as he stared at Rinoa. Last time was just puppy love, just a crazy little fling you share when you're seventeen. This time he fell, hard, and it wasn't just a crazy little fling anymore.

He managed to snap himself out of it for a few seconds

She's with Squall now.

He turned back to Quistis to see her taking down yet another shot, and then glanced over at Rinoa heading towards them again.

But he's a goddamn lucky bastard.

The night was full of margaritas and neon club drinks, ordered every hour. Shots all around the table were frequent, and Rinoa found herself relaxing with every drink she downed. Her purple lipstick stained every glass her lips found, and she kept reapplying so that she could continue to claim the drinks for herself.

Every time she sipped, her body relaxed more and more. Everytime she grabbed another drink, she wanted more. She kept wanting more and more, and she was never going to give up.

Irvine and Selphie joined Quistis, Seifer, and Rinoa at the tall bar table occasionally. They were drenched in sweat and lust, or it could've been love. Love for the night, love for the moment, and love for each other. Zell and Audrey had left earlier.

Rinoa admired the souls out on the floor and watched them lustfully. She was wishing that she could be so bold to dance and drench herself in their sweat and join in their ritual.

"Hey Rinoa," Quistis said. Rinoa turned her attention over to the girl in red. Quistis gave Rinoa an intoxicated smile and asked, "Wanna dance?"

Rinoa nodded and hopped off of the barstool. Quistis grabbed her hand and pulled her out onto the disco light floor.
She'd never danced before, but as soon as she was out there she felt the music enter her body and go straight to her soul, pounding on her nerves to make her move to the beat.

Quistis was all over everyone, not just Rinoa. Rinoa wasn't over anyone but herself. She had enough to concentrate on, because nothing made sense.

It was the combination of alcohol and music that had her high on everything that night. She wouldn't discover that until later.

Quistis started on Rinoa, grabbing Rinoa's shoulder and pressing her chest against her. Rinoa swung her head around, letting her night hair whip against the bare backs of leather clad strangers.

Quistis began to grind against Rinoa; her leather black pants brushing against Rinoa's plain black ones. Quistis closed her eyes and let the alcohol take over. She felt the music inside of her and moved towards Rinoa to it. Her hair was clinging to her rose face and sweat rolled down her arms and splashed on the floor.

Rinoa let Quistis keep grinding against her, enjoying the presence of the older girl and the atmosphere of her strawberry blonde bun sticking to the back of her neck.

Seifer moved out onto the floor, trench coat abandoned. He pulled Rinoa away from Quistis, who didn't seem to notice Rinoa was gone.

Rinoa closed her eyes and felt around for Seifer's arms, pulling him down near her. She began to grind against him instead of Quistis, feeling as though it was the same thing.

He grabbed Rinoa's arm and said, "Rinoa, you need to get home."

Rinoa's eyes opened as though she was waking from a long sleep. Seifer dragged her off of the dance floor and right out the door of the club.

Outside it was cool, a breeze floating over the group and seducing Quistis into a long sleep. She rested in Irvine's arms as the group walked to the cars. Irvine opened the backdoor to Selphie's car and put Quistis in the backseat.

"God, I hope she doesn't puke in my car," Selphie said nervously as she hopped in the driver's seat. Irvine looked over to Rinoa and said, "Sorry, 'Noa, there's no more room."

"I can take you home," Seifer offered.

"Are you sure?" Rinoa asked, politely. Seifer nodded and continued, "It'll take me a little longer, but yeah, I can take you."

"Thanks," Rinoa mumbled as she got into the passenger side of Seifer's car. Irvine tipped his hat at Rinoa and got into the passenger side of Selphie's car. They drove away, Selphie looking nervous about driving a drunk Quisty home.

Rinoa smiled towards Seifer, who was starting the car up. The ride home was long and mostly quiet.

Seifer seemed to be a different guy. As he drove he listened to a slow acoustic band and sang softly along. It didn't seem to fit a guy like him. Rinoa tried to sleep in the passenger seat, but found it most uncomfortable. She finally asked Seifer, "Who is this?"

"Who is what?"

"This band."

Seifer smiled and said, "Death Cab for Cutie. Makes me kind of happy."

"Makes me kind of sleepy."

"Nah, just this song," Seifer said. Rinoa smiled and he glanced over at her and said, "We can do this again sometime." 

Rinoa thought about it before saying, "I'd like that."

She turned to Seifer and smiled. He smiled back, falling into her dark brown eyes before he turned back to the road.

Seifer walked Rinoa to Squall's dorm. He knocked on the door. Squall opened it, wearing only his black pants and boots. Seifer nodded at him and said, "Sup man? Brought your girl back home, safe and sound."

He gave Rinoa a little push towards Squall. He then flung his trench coat over his shoulder and turned around as he said, "Tell Rinoa to call me. Later."

Squall held Rinoa in his arms and brought her over to the couch. Rinoa laid on top of him for a while before she said, "Squall, I love you."

"I love you too, Rinny," Squall said, a bit surprised.

"Which is why," Rinoa said, the alcohol showing in her voice, "I think we should take our relationship to the next level."

Squall sat up, causing Rinoa to fall back onto her knees.

"Why?" asked Squall, a bit alarmed. Rinoa explained, "Because I love you."

"That's no reason to do anything," Squall said, "And besides, you're drunk."

"Don't you love me?"

"Yes," Squall, sighed, "But you're drunk, I don't want to take advantage of you. That's not love."

Rinoa looked him over and then said, "Squall, you won't be taking advantage of me."

"What if… something happens?"

"I always wanted a little girl. If I get one out of this, I'll be so very happy because she's yours and mine."

Squall's eyes drifted to the floor and then back up at Rinoa.

"Okay, Rin, but only if you're sure."