Six:
Out on the lawn he sat. Watching her stand in the wind on that sunny morning. Her sundress blowing. What a moment. She turned back to look at him. Walking on her little white matching high heels towards him and stopped right above him. As his eyes slowly looked up he saw that she was begging to have him. One hand against her left breast, her breaths were heavy, and he could see her heart beating. Her hair tossing dramatically as she looked incredibly sexy. He began to remember...a whole lot of things. The way he tickled her and made her giggle irresistibly like a little child. The times when they would sit together, and be so easily amused by the smallest things. A day out in the woods would just seem so interesting with her when normally he never paid any attention to bird songs.
She sat down beside him. Looking right into his eyes. It was that very mystical stare of his that made him want to surrender. He didn't know who he thought he was kidding besides himself. Leaving was impossible. She loved him, and he loved her to death! So much that he feared having anyone else know about their relationship. He didn't want to risk anything else.
She put her hands up across her face stroking his cheek gently as her dreamy eyes stared into his. He wasn't ready at all for what was about to come next.
The slap actualy sent his face entirely in the other direction facing back to the building behind him. Only reason that he let it become that powerful was that he was partially expecting punishment from her. He would pretty much take whatever she had to give to him right then.
He also imagined her as a great judge with a gavel. He was a prisoner in rags guilty before a massive jury, and they were all replicas of this person. Their voices loud and booming as they screamed rage and comtempt in his direction only being held back by a gate fence that didn't seem as though it could hold up for too long.
He looked at his own face through the glass. What would he do?
As the entire courtroom felt darker and began to give off ehllish red colors, he felt that he was in more trouble. The charges were read before him as the monstrous voice of the judge echoed before him making his knees tremble almost enough to come off his legs as he stood in manacles. He pleaded his case as best as he could. It all came down to a plea of insanity. Yes he had to be insane to do this.
It didn't excuse him at all
He was to be burned at the stake.
Her eyes became evil as he could see her through the fire one last time. The power of his fire so numbing that he couldn't even feel how painful it really was. His nerves were stuck in their own limbo as the pain dropped out, and returned, but most of the pain came from looking at her face. Sure he was getting his just desserts but he'd never seen her this angry. It wasn't even like her to have such an attitude. He had created a monster, and it was getting revenge on it's master like Frankenstein.
The image of the execution faded away and he was returned to a previous experience. She sat there with tears in her eyes, and looking at him while sitting on the grass. He lowered his head for awhile but he couldn't stare at the flowers forever. He wasn't sure how much she knew, but in this dream she knew enough.
" Promise me it can be just us again." Her voice sounded as though she was asking desperately. Seeing her like this only made him more desperate to hold her. He nodded his head 'yes' and reached out to her. with open arms. She accepted him fully.
Then he woke up.
Or did he?
The location looked exactly the same, but it was someone else in that sundress only with the hat and purse to match. The very person who's lap became a resting place for his head. He was on campus that Saturday to visit a certain someone, and he'd been having dream about another someone for the past three weeks. He knew that high school relationships only lasted six months anyways. Just because he wasn't an underclassman didn't mean that he was suddenly ready for more mature long lasting relationships. Some things never stayed, and it was all an experiment.
That couldn't be true though?
Not if he was stil having dreams about her.
He still tried calling, and everytime that he came up short he went to Celes to tell her the bad news. Right then, the pain of it all had his, head resting in her lap.
" Awwwggh. I miss her." He moaned out sickly. His voice was sick enough to convince a boss that you really couldn't go to work.
" She was one in a million huh?" Celes looked down at his face lightly rubbing the palm of her hand across his cheek. So thats where it really came from the whole time.
" I used to think she would understand anything that you said. I mean aaannnnyyyttthhiinngg. Now she's totally changed, and I can't get anywhere near her." He threw his hands up in loss, but he didn't want to throw out the white flag in this situation. Even so, she had blocked him off completely. He didn't know how much more determined he could be without his parents getting on his case.
"Don't give up now." Celes encouraged him softly while grabbing one of the hands he held in the air and squeezing it as he did so in turn. "I hear that you have iron determination out on that court. Iron determination in a house where things are awkward, you're even man enough to admit it to people on the outside, but you've got to be man enough to call your girl."
"...and soon be regarded as a phone stalker? Uhhh yeeeaah. See I've crossed the line already on phone calls." Tidus tried to explain while laughing nervously
" Go to her house?"
" Her folks'll kill me."
" See her at school?"
" She switches classes."
" Talk to her friends?"
" They're idiots."
" Try to see her anywhere?"
" She's doing such a good job of hiding from me that I think she should apply for the CIA."
" Whoa." Celes blonde hair blew back ironically in the wind as she reared back her head in suprise." Dat ain't good. Wanna know a secret?" She leaned in closer to him smiling excitedly.
" You girls and your secrets....*nnnarrrggh!* No more." Tidus moaned as he sat all the way up. Celes pulled him even closer to her.
" I suppose you probably wouldn't be interested in knowing why and how we avoid you guys the way we do."
JACKPOT! Indiana Jones would have been looking for information such as that! Mel Gibson was cursed
when he had that opportunity, now here was a golden chance for him to pry, to hack into the mystery that was the young woman, and loot valuable information. Through their incredibly giant brains, that ran busier than the New York Stock Exchange at one of its most dramatic hours of selling. So many thoughts, but he was going out for only one piece of stock, and that was...the reason why he couldn't get a chance to see Yuna.
" Tell me. Please don't lie either." It was written all over his face that he really wanted to know this.
It sounded as though she had gotten it off some movie that he'd heard about but never seen in his life. At least she was still letting him in on something that sounded believeable.
" We like it when you men sweat us."
" Well duh! I kinda imagined that!" Tidus steamed out. It only made Celes laugh harder as she brought him back close.
" No really there's more. If you only knew what some of my friends did just to lure in boys like fish."
" OH great." Tidus rolled his eyes " Is this going to be a really long 'chicky' story because the danger of me falling asleep right now is real grave I'll tell you that."
" Aww Come on. Listen please? You wanted to know."
" Alright, but get to the important part." He warned
" I will. Relax. So we'd never sound like we were interested. Whenever we picked up the phone we'd would pretend we had other plans, but would 'attempt' to sqquueeeeezzeee you into the 'heavy' schedule. The feeling of your unimportance is the key. Look out for that."
" But Yuna's not trying to play games with me. She's just fucking mad. I don't think she'd do that."
" Trust me." Celes patted his back " They all do nowadays. It's a method of venting the steam."
" Oh." Tidus said. " So what were they really doing on the other line?"
" Chilling in front of the old tube at home, and eating. What'd you think? You'd catch them while they were getting their facial or something? Let's be honest, without 'love' in their lives, people have nothing else to do."
" But..Yuna..?"
" I know it's wierd..but yeah. On the day that we actually decide to see you again, we're looking sexy enough to make Carmen Electra want to commit suicide.....or at least we try."
Tidus laughed. It had been awhile since he did that. He'd seen a few of those cases by the locker halls at school. He should've figured this all out on his own.
" What else?"
" We don't stay for long either when we see you. It's a temptation. Right in the middle of a tense moment and *nnnn* Time's up!suddenly its...'oh shit I forgot to go do this...blah blah blah'."
" What else?" Tidus was breaking up in chuckles
" Uhh lets see if I remember the list correctly theres....rain great balls of fire over your puny head, get some other half brained muscle 'dude' to party with at the club and making sure you're watching uhh...make dates and break em...make you think that she's gotten over you for all eternity....uh if she rolls with a tough crew they'll be on your ass like you stole honey out their hive..uhh..slash your tires, terrorize you, play pranks, and rumors too! That's a killer. If she's got dirt on you, and you hurt her, sheees prrroobably gonna use it against you. and then...there's the BIG 1.
" Whats the big one?"
" The Old skool method."
" How do they do it old skool?"
" Decapitate the bitch you're with, and mount her head on the wall."
Tidus's mouth widenened but he expected something like that.
"That's right." Celes assured him " Right up there next to Bullwinkle, Smokey the Bear, and Bambi...old skool."
It was still funny, but he found himself pausing right in the middle of his laughter, then looked up at Celes worried.
" Don't worry. Nobody knows you're still here with me." She rested his head against her. A moment couldn't seem more awkward when he had his head against her, accepting her body on him, and was still thinking about someone else. Well not in his book, but when you were too tired to lift a finger, anything went.
" I'll help you if you get on the phone right now." She offered. Celes never stopped smiling. Even more than Yuna. It was scary.
" I don' wanna." He whined
" EEEENUFF you sissy! Gimme that phone!" She said in a jokish commanding voice as she grabbed it up and forced it into his hand upon much resistance.
" My hand won't work." Tidus continued to kid around
" You want me to help some more?"
" It's a miracle!" Tidus began dialing instantly. "...but if I get a restraining order and police report filed against me, you will never hear the end of it, understood?"
She nodded
Now what was he going to tell her? That he'd like to see her again? That he wished he could be around? What did he say that didn't work. The 'I miss you' approach, but he was telling the truth, okay so what would make a good plan B? He had to think quick through the dial tone, a solution was on the tip of his head but he wasn't fully aware of it. He needed a solution for her parents, and one for her. He was still afraid of going through it. Maybe he couldn't sound too typical.
" Who's this?" Came a voice that sounded really casual. Celes read his lips and she whispered back
" She's Casual? Okay watch it. Not too serious. Not too desperate. Not too playful. Hurry up."
" Who else would it be?" said Tidus. Celes gave him a 'so-so' evaluation with her hand.
It was dull and quiet inside the house. She was lying on the couch, sighing heavily as she ran her hand through her hair. She was thinking...
( how can he still have the nerve?)
" I know you must be ready to hang up right now huh. That is (if you want to know the best way to break the heart of a shrimp like me) the way to do it."
(That's pretty risky) Celes warned with her eyes
" Thanks for the advice-" Yuna told him coldly on the other end. Today would be no different than any other. Eventually he would stop chasing her.
" No wait a second." He told her. She waited. Still wondering if there was anything that he could possibly say that would help the situation.
" It's been almost another month, and everybody else has moved on, but I still havent."
" You should." She advised him, but her laugh in her voice even seemed serious.
" I take you have then?" Tidus asked. The question said a lot of things. Who was taking his place? Big question. Yuna knew that guys couldn't handle an answer even if there was a seperation.
" Well..." There was a long beat. He didn't see it coming but he could tell that there was an advantage coming.
" What do you say we take it to the woods like we always did. An IDEAL date. No club with corny dance music and alcohol eh?"
" I don't know." She was still reluctant, but he had to deal with it. he was lucky she was even talking to him.
" I lost control of myself. I can openly admit that to you right now believe me. Mistake was my very first word when I learned to talk, but I'm no stranger to improvement either, and I REALLY don't want to mess this up any more than I have." He told her straight up. His eyes squinting as he searched for words, there had to be total truth, and he had to be determined to set things right for her.
" Can't promise you an angel, but you know I'll try for you...I was still out of it that night but..I could remember you cried before you ran away...I don't want to make you cry like that again okay?"
A long pause. Was he talking to nobody? If so..he wouldn't be suprised
" Then you know what you have to do." Yuna told him.
" What?" Tidus asked. The volume was up high enough for Celes to hear Yuna, and she was already flapping her arms and waving to Tidus as seriously as she possibly could
(No. You don't want to ask her 'what?' You should know what to do.)
" Hang up." Yuna told him. He lowered his head.
What a blow. He played his best card, and she ripped it up in his face. He told her the truth, but she wasn't giving him any chances. Her resistance was admirable, but he was no criminal, he meant what he was saying. Too late.
" Hang up. Stop whatever you're doing, and come over here now...please." Her voice choked up on the phone. He didn't think it sounded like she was about to let it out all over again, but it was happening, and he was stunned. Celes eyes brightened up hugely. she then bounced her eyebrows and offered a victory high five. One that Tidus made quietly so that Yuna wouldn't hear.
" Yuna...you don't have to get ready or anything...I'll be right there."
" Promise?" He could tell that she was smiling on the other end.
" Yes." Tidus swore it. What he didn't notice was that she didn't even hang up instantly th way a person did when they weren't interested in talking to him. She hung on waiting for one or two last words of closure.
" I love you."
" I love you t-too Yuna...I'll see ya.." He muttered somewhat embarrased by Celes judging eyes, but also hit with happiness. He hung up.
" Jackpot. Go AHEAD Tiger." Celes slapped his back again.
" How'd I do it?...I can't believe I did it."
" Yeah. Even WITH my help." Celes joked " Just kidding. It was your faith. You didn't have dirt to hide or anything so your case was easier. Only thing is that I've seen the girls around your school. I even remember Squall talking about them saying 'they're too judgmental unlike ya'll women. Even the little slip-ups.' So if you want to be around them you have to be a good guy. Play the 'pimp' somewhere else, because they are high maintenance and demand respect."
" Yuna's from out of town."
" Well she fell under the town curse. Because I've seen relationships under worse circumstances for eons, but not in your area."
" Well I guess that I've got quite a drive ahead of me...just want to say...thanks Celes."
" Anytime, hey come down to campus on the weekends more often we've got movie nights, concerts, and a whole bunch of things planned this month. You might like it. The basketball season'll be over for you soon so you should have a lot more time on your hands right?"
" Uhh yeah I think so." Tidus nodded
" Alright then. Safe driving. I'll make sure what happened upstairs stays with us."
" Safe driving." he exchanged a handshake. Her touch still felt so incredibly warm. Even though it was around seventy degrees outside, he felt colder when she lifted up from him,and he had to go.
" Bye bye." She gave him a little wave, and a sexy voice as she strolled on her way back to the dorms. Tidus watched for a little bit, but when Yuna's message popped up in his head he raced back to the parking lot, started up his dream machine and hit the road. The radio was up high all over again.
" Ceeelllleeebbrraaattion time come on! *Dininint-dn-dn-dn-dn*!"
He didn't even realize how long he drove. The route felt suprisingly shorter than usual. When he pulled up to her house he was still feeling joy. His head swayed and flipped to the right like a breakdancer as his eyes panned to regard the entrance. He drove right up, parked, locked, and ran up to the door knocking estatically.
She didn't look as though she just got up. She was clean. No 'evil hair days' her eyes were still normal but Celes was right. She had been home, hanging OUT. The proof. A baby Tee, and a thong. That was how she answered the door. Hadn't even bothered to put on a pair of jeans but he didn't care.
He didn't stop looking at her. She never stopped staring at him. He tried to think of something else to tell her.
" I'm he-"
She attached herself to him in the next second. By that time they were no longer standing in the doorway but right in the guest living room." Tidus felt her hair while pressing her desperately close as he hugged her. Her tears ran down his shirt. She put her arms around his back. Leaning on tip toe to move up and kiss him. Hands stroked over each others bodies. They moved up to the couch, Yuna looked at him dreamily. More than she had ever before. He began to peel down the thong quickly with his eyes closed. His hand lifted up her shirt discovering that she was wearing absolutely no bra. She was prepared. Prepared indeed.
He didn't see the group of shadows tip-toeing carefully to the open window where the white curtains blew out in the wind. A cam corder edged through the window taping it all while Tidus's head was buried between her jugs. He looked up for a second, swearing that he heard something or somebody, but the mischevious look in Yuna's eyes was telling him to get back down. He'd been planning to have her giving him head, but the plan seemed to be disrupted entirely as he got the notion they weren't alone.
At least the head was blocked on the video by camera because of a big dark spot. Now all he had to hope for was that there were people nearby who didn't recognize the shirt he was wearing while the video was playing. He a;ready had his moment of shock when the morning announcements came on, and in the middle of the lunch menu discussion, porno popped up on the tape. What a lousy edit. People were laughing, even Auron, but administrators would soon be up in the media lab wondering how the tape was infested w/ sex before the broadcast went on since the reports were always completed the day before, but he could at least still rest knowing that they weren't yet laughing at him.
He knew who was responsible, and they would all have mayhem to pay, but he didn't know the first thing that he would do.
He didn't see Yuna walking down the hall until lunch was ending and she was laughing with Rikku and Beatrix. They couldn't see him when they looked back. He was hidden within the crowd.
" So Yuna. I hear that you're actually interested in Seifer these days."
" Wow . You never do fail with gossip do you?" Yuna asked
" Heh heh. Well I can't exactly tell you everything can I? I believe that all my six month relationship 'experiments' are a personal issue."
" Come on. You can tell us." Beatrix pushed
" Nope sorry guys. I'll catch you later in Bio. Bye." She waltzed off
" Why the hell am I hanging around here?" He asked himself.
Cute trick. She lied the whole time. He realized that he had no idea who he was messing with at all. Or maybe he did.
He passed by someone leaning against his locker with his head down. He didn't notice until a had grabbed his jacket.
" Over here cowboy." The voice was low. Tidus looked closer into the person's eyes. They were angry and gray.
" Squall?"
" Let's take a walk outside 'pal!'" He put his arm around him as he coaxed him to follow."
" Something the matter?" Tidus asked nervously. He didn't know why he was telling himself that Squall didn't know.
" Don't fake it. Get over here."
He shoved him out into the courtyard as he walked towards him slowly. With the eyes that he was giving Tidus, he was thinking that Squall was taking him for something not worth being called human, he was much lower than that.
" How was she?!" He burst out. Tidus could only assume the man was consumed by his own rage
" Uh..good."
The words slipped out. He was asking to get punched, and Squall had mean fists. He closed his eyes as Squall walked closer.
His face was left alone. He felt a palm touch his palm.
" THERE YOU GOO BOY! You have learned the most important lesson of being born 2 mack. You gotta move on. I told you these girls were a pain. This puppy love shit don't go on forever. You have to move on. I didn't mean to leave Celes but we both knew it wasn't working... So I set her up to be with you, and told her about you and shit...you on your way now...."
" She cried over you man!" Tidus was held by confusion " and I know Yuna pulled some crap on me but I don't believe that she's all that ready to leave me yet. I can't just pretend nothing happened."
" Don't panic. Think about her man. She's got it doesn't she? Celes is niiice huh?"
" I don't know if I'll have time to spend with her."
" Exams are over. She's got a whole summer, and you're parents don't care. More ample time than ME man. You are lucky."
He didn't want to be shoved into something. Yuna may have thrown him to the side, but he felt within that something wasn't right. There was a part of her that still loved him. He knew it in his bones.
Celes was still sympathetic. She understood him, and even let him in on something that guys shouldn't have known.
" I don't know..I mean what'll you be up to while I'm supposed to be with her?"
Quistis was walking to her car. She was leaving early. Squall was already running off, and offering to help her with her things.
" You?" Tidus couldn't believe it. while Quistis's back was turned. Squall waved happily and smiled before returning to normal and helping her with her things. School was out earlier for him. He got into the car and held up a peace sign as his teacher drove off.
Squall never quit.
Later that Monday
" That SUCKS!" Celes accidentally slammed the horn as she was driving then ended up having to give a signal to the person ahead of her to keep moving on, that there was no problem at all.
"She whipped you...awww man. I remembered when I first did that I realized that I was'nt picking on a person who really desvered it that much. He was actually serious about getting back with me so I tried to apologize."
" What happened afterwards?" Tidus wondered
" He never talked to me again...listen I'm sorry you were led on like this. Strange that it was
all an attempt to lead you to me. I know you must feel really sour."
" Believe me. You never had someone play a charade to get through you."
" I hate to bring this up but I told you we like to play with you guys." She pulled his BMW over to the curb, and parallel parked
" Yeah. Too much."
" Do you ever feel like just going along with the way things were setup?" she asked
" For the sake of feeling solace? Yeah. I know she's at least be jealous of you. It would be awesome revenge."
Celes knew that it was a game, but it had been years since she experienced a real kiss. That night in her dorm was one she would never forget.
" How do you normally feel about me?" she asked out of nowhere. Shifting in her seat without comfort.
" You're great." Tidus said. It was that simple
" How great?" She approached him with her sexy body.
" I uhh. " Tidus backed in his seat.
" Let it happen for now. We can fix the future eventually, but you're hurt. Fix it now.
HE felt a little too liberated. His middle finger was out in the air behind his back, against the window as he leaned in for the kiss. A brown haired schoolgirl was walking by. She saw a familiar looking silver sedan in the city and stopped to look.
Yuna thought she could play the game even further, but there he was taking the clothes of another person. She remembered her from the concert. Caught in confusion she saw the middle finger sticking by the edge of the window. She walked off not knowing what to think as the rest of the crew was coming out of a fashion outlet.
Thoughts of confusion took over her mind. She didn't know what she had done but obviously it did one of two things. Had no impact or drove him into the arms of another. He had just promised her that he was dedicated to her, and in the exact same day betrayed her, but she had used him, and she was even considering other personalities around the school. She thought that she was bold going along with the crews' tricks. Right then she couldn't be full of rage just yet. She ran off out of sight.
Tidus stopped in the middle of kissing.
" I better not look around. I bet she's there. Somewhere."
" Don't be paranoid. She told him. Let's go. I could use some new clothes."
Tidus looked at his wallet and sighed.
A/N: can this relation ship be saved before things get worse or are they doomed to this setup? What will happen to these two while a feud has been announced. Keep tuning in. Later on. There are more real make-ups, and challenges yet to come plus a rowdy- ass brawl with those irresponsible frats who live nearby. Stay tuned and please R&R on this one. Get as many of your friends to give feeback too. Send in lots of op I need to take my own survey on what people prefer in stories like these.