Ch. 3
Happy Squall
It's funny and ironic how something's turn out. In a short two weeks Squall and Seifer had developed a strong friendship. Even Zell and Quistis had taken an unexpected liking to the rebellious ex-knight.
Between Seifer's vigorous studies to become a SeeD and Squall's responsibilities as Commander the two spent much of their time battling in the training center. It wasn't the serious challenges that occurred to them a year ago, but more light hearted fun between two friends.
For the most part everything was fine, but there had been one quarrel between the four. They were in the cafeteria having lunch, discussing the events that were occurring in Timber and Galbadia.
"Timber's got to stand up, they have to declare themselves to the world," Seifer shouted making himself heard throughout the cafeteria.
"Make them selves heard with what?" Quistis asks reasonably "Pitchforks and kitchen knifes."
"Sometimes wars take more then brute strength, it takes heart and ingenuity."
"Yeah well heart and ingenuity can only take you so far. They win battles yes, but they can't start them." Quistis pointed out to the hot- headed Seifer.
"I think SeeD should help Timber!" Seifer yelled abruptly.
"Why?" Zell asked with a hot-dog shoved in his mouth. "They haven't asked for any help."
"They haven't because there too proud. I think SeeD should go to Timber and kick those Galbadians right out of there."
Squall noticed the hypocrisy in what Seifer was saying. Wasn't he on the Galbadian side just a little more then six months ago? Squall decided not to say anything while he continued to listen.
"Let Caraway deal with the Galbadians he's the one that's trying to put everything back together." Quistis argued.
"One man can't do it all!"
"I don't think he should."
"Why should we put our necks on the line if they can't even ask us too?" Zell asked Seifer honestly.
"Because not only is it the right thing to do, but.but it's what Rinoa would have wanted."
Seifer's words caused an awkward silence amongst the four of them. All eyes wen't on Squall. Seifer meanwhile was biting his lip knowing that he had said too much.
Squall wasn't about to help the silence. He had been concerned about the Timber affairs for quite some time now, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to get into a war that didn't necessarily wanted their help. Then there was Rinoa, what would she have wanted him to do? Well he knew the answer to that.
Zell finally broke the tension when he shouted "Shit Squall it's you birthday today isn't it. We got to go out."
His birthday, now if that wasn't the most unworthy day of the year.
"No we don't," Squall stated. The first words to come out of his mouth during the whole conversation.
"Yes we do man." Zell says getting up "Were going out to meet some fine ladies." He turns to Quistis "Sorry it's a guy's only night."
Quistis nods "You guys go have fun."
"Listen Zell I don't"- Squall started, but was suddenly punched swiftly in the arm by Seifer breaking up his sentence.
"Your going, we could all use a good night out."
Defeated and not caring enough to really argue Squall agreed to go. When he went up to his room he couldn't help but feel that it was going to be quite the night.
The bar they ended up taking him to wasn't exactly the trendiest place. It was simple with only wooden tables and counters. The walls were bare, sparing a picture or two. The only extravagant thing there was the stage that contained a deep velvet curtain. Overall Squall liked it and wondered why Zell had never taken him here before.
It was a rather small bar, but for such a small area it contained a fire hazard amount of people. They had to wait over an hour just to get a table. While waiting Zell and Seifer went to the out to the crowd and mingled, in the mean time Squall stood near the entrance and waited.
It was his birthday, but Squall never found this day to be worthy of some sort of celebration. He could only recall one birthday that was worth recalling at all. It was just last year his eighteenth, of course it was his only one with Rinoa which could account for why he remembered it so fondly, even though thinking back nothing special had occurred other then her just being there.
Squall suddenly felt a warm voice whispering in his ear taking him away from his memories of Rinoa. Bitterly he turned to the person responsible for the disruption.
A young strawberry blond woman stood in front of him. She had long slender legs which she didn't try to hide with an extremely short skirt. She had a slim waste, her breast would be the only thing he say had any width to it and boy did they ever. Squall could see how some men find woman like her attractive, but Squall didn't agree. She wasn't even on the same level as Rinoa.
The woman was standing rather close to Squall; in fact she was practically on him. She whispered into his ear again, but this time Squall heard her.
"Do you want to go somewhere private good lookin?"
Not even looking at her Squall answers "That's okay."
"What?" she asked "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Yes," he told her flatly. Without any further argument the woman walked away.
Squall's own answer startled him. He honestly still saw Rinoa as his girlfriend; he still felt every bit as loyal to her as the day she left him.
Squall was grateful when their table was ready he gathered Seifer and Zell together and the three of them sat down. The two of them looked like they were having the time of their lives, Squall was defiantly less amused.
With a laugh Zell teased Squall about the woman from before.
"What was she not hot enough for you Squall?"
Squall looked at his friend incredulously "You honestly find someone like that attractive?"
Zell just shrugs. obviously he did.
The three talked for awhile Squall was just praying they go home soon when Seifer suddenly stood up.
"Fellas would you order me another beer I'll be right back."
With nothing else said Seifer walked away. Squall noticed Seifer introducing himself to a woman. He could only see the back of her, but the appearance was striking. She was medium height about a head shorter then Seifer. She had shoulder length brown hair that had a slight auburn shine to it. She even from just the back was rather pretty.she reminded him of Rinoa.
After a long drunken conversation with Zell Seifer finally came back with a grin on his face, but it wasn't his usual cocky one. Zell asked Seifer drunkenly.
"Wa.wa did ya tak bout with er?" Zell
"You just worry about not keeling over chicken-wuss."
Zell who would normally defend himself against the nickname that Seifer had given him a long ago didn't say anything. Instead he passed out onto the table. Seifer looks at Squall.
"Should we go?"
"Please."
So the two of them each took one of Zell's arms then dragged his limp body all the way back to garden.
After laying Zell down on his bed Squall and Seifer were about to part ways when Seifer says to him.
"You know it won't be this way forever."
Squall gave Seifer a queer look. He suddenly got an eerie feeling that Seifer could read his mind.
"How do you know?" He muttered.
"Because," Seifer answered "No matter what there's always another turn in the road." Seifer walked away without another word, he had an odd habit of always doing that.
Squall stood outside Zell's door for awhile debating Seifer's words. What if there were no turns left on his road? What if from now on his road was straight until it came to its end? The thoughts were too much for Squall to concentrate on. Giving up he returned to his room.
Upon entering his bare white walled room Squall immediately spotted a card addressed to him resting on his mahogany desk. Curiously he picked it up and opened it.
The card was from Selphie and Irvine. It read:
Happy Birthday Squall!
Always,
Selphie & Irvine
Squall brought the card with him to bed. There was something about the simplicity of the card that really struck Squall. It only said happy birthday Squall, but two words in that phrase stuck with him.happy Squall. He wanted to be happy Squall, his friends wanted him to be happy Squall, Rinoa would have defiantly wanted him to be happy Squall, but it was just so damn hard without her.
Tucking the card away under his pillow Squall made his first ever birthday wish. He wished that he could become that happy Squall that he so much desired.
Squall went to bed that night knowing that he had a long road ahead of him.
It's funny and ironic how something's turn out. In a short two weeks Squall and Seifer had developed a strong friendship. Even Zell and Quistis had taken an unexpected liking to the rebellious ex-knight.
Between Seifer's vigorous studies to become a SeeD and Squall's responsibilities as Commander the two spent much of their time battling in the training center. It wasn't the serious challenges that occurred to them a year ago, but more light hearted fun between two friends.
For the most part everything was fine, but there had been one quarrel between the four. They were in the cafeteria having lunch, discussing the events that were occurring in Timber and Galbadia.
"Timber's got to stand up, they have to declare themselves to the world," Seifer shouted making himself heard throughout the cafeteria.
"Make them selves heard with what?" Quistis asks reasonably "Pitchforks and kitchen knifes."
"Sometimes wars take more then brute strength, it takes heart and ingenuity."
"Yeah well heart and ingenuity can only take you so far. They win battles yes, but they can't start them." Quistis pointed out to the hot- headed Seifer.
"I think SeeD should help Timber!" Seifer yelled abruptly.
"Why?" Zell asked with a hot-dog shoved in his mouth. "They haven't asked for any help."
"They haven't because there too proud. I think SeeD should go to Timber and kick those Galbadians right out of there."
Squall noticed the hypocrisy in what Seifer was saying. Wasn't he on the Galbadian side just a little more then six months ago? Squall decided not to say anything while he continued to listen.
"Let Caraway deal with the Galbadians he's the one that's trying to put everything back together." Quistis argued.
"One man can't do it all!"
"I don't think he should."
"Why should we put our necks on the line if they can't even ask us too?" Zell asked Seifer honestly.
"Because not only is it the right thing to do, but.but it's what Rinoa would have wanted."
Seifer's words caused an awkward silence amongst the four of them. All eyes wen't on Squall. Seifer meanwhile was biting his lip knowing that he had said too much.
Squall wasn't about to help the silence. He had been concerned about the Timber affairs for quite some time now, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to get into a war that didn't necessarily wanted their help. Then there was Rinoa, what would she have wanted him to do? Well he knew the answer to that.
Zell finally broke the tension when he shouted "Shit Squall it's you birthday today isn't it. We got to go out."
His birthday, now if that wasn't the most unworthy day of the year.
"No we don't," Squall stated. The first words to come out of his mouth during the whole conversation.
"Yes we do man." Zell says getting up "Were going out to meet some fine ladies." He turns to Quistis "Sorry it's a guy's only night."
Quistis nods "You guys go have fun."
"Listen Zell I don't"- Squall started, but was suddenly punched swiftly in the arm by Seifer breaking up his sentence.
"Your going, we could all use a good night out."
Defeated and not caring enough to really argue Squall agreed to go. When he went up to his room he couldn't help but feel that it was going to be quite the night.
The bar they ended up taking him to wasn't exactly the trendiest place. It was simple with only wooden tables and counters. The walls were bare, sparing a picture or two. The only extravagant thing there was the stage that contained a deep velvet curtain. Overall Squall liked it and wondered why Zell had never taken him here before.
It was a rather small bar, but for such a small area it contained a fire hazard amount of people. They had to wait over an hour just to get a table. While waiting Zell and Seifer went to the out to the crowd and mingled, in the mean time Squall stood near the entrance and waited.
It was his birthday, but Squall never found this day to be worthy of some sort of celebration. He could only recall one birthday that was worth recalling at all. It was just last year his eighteenth, of course it was his only one with Rinoa which could account for why he remembered it so fondly, even though thinking back nothing special had occurred other then her just being there.
Squall suddenly felt a warm voice whispering in his ear taking him away from his memories of Rinoa. Bitterly he turned to the person responsible for the disruption.
A young strawberry blond woman stood in front of him. She had long slender legs which she didn't try to hide with an extremely short skirt. She had a slim waste, her breast would be the only thing he say had any width to it and boy did they ever. Squall could see how some men find woman like her attractive, but Squall didn't agree. She wasn't even on the same level as Rinoa.
The woman was standing rather close to Squall; in fact she was practically on him. She whispered into his ear again, but this time Squall heard her.
"Do you want to go somewhere private good lookin?"
Not even looking at her Squall answers "That's okay."
"What?" she asked "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Yes," he told her flatly. Without any further argument the woman walked away.
Squall's own answer startled him. He honestly still saw Rinoa as his girlfriend; he still felt every bit as loyal to her as the day she left him.
Squall was grateful when their table was ready he gathered Seifer and Zell together and the three of them sat down. The two of them looked like they were having the time of their lives, Squall was defiantly less amused.
With a laugh Zell teased Squall about the woman from before.
"What was she not hot enough for you Squall?"
Squall looked at his friend incredulously "You honestly find someone like that attractive?"
Zell just shrugs. obviously he did.
The three talked for awhile Squall was just praying they go home soon when Seifer suddenly stood up.
"Fellas would you order me another beer I'll be right back."
With nothing else said Seifer walked away. Squall noticed Seifer introducing himself to a woman. He could only see the back of her, but the appearance was striking. She was medium height about a head shorter then Seifer. She had shoulder length brown hair that had a slight auburn shine to it. She even from just the back was rather pretty.she reminded him of Rinoa.
After a long drunken conversation with Zell Seifer finally came back with a grin on his face, but it wasn't his usual cocky one. Zell asked Seifer drunkenly.
"Wa.wa did ya tak bout with er?" Zell
"You just worry about not keeling over chicken-wuss."
Zell who would normally defend himself against the nickname that Seifer had given him a long ago didn't say anything. Instead he passed out onto the table. Seifer looks at Squall.
"Should we go?"
"Please."
So the two of them each took one of Zell's arms then dragged his limp body all the way back to garden.
After laying Zell down on his bed Squall and Seifer were about to part ways when Seifer says to him.
"You know it won't be this way forever."
Squall gave Seifer a queer look. He suddenly got an eerie feeling that Seifer could read his mind.
"How do you know?" He muttered.
"Because," Seifer answered "No matter what there's always another turn in the road." Seifer walked away without another word, he had an odd habit of always doing that.
Squall stood outside Zell's door for awhile debating Seifer's words. What if there were no turns left on his road? What if from now on his road was straight until it came to its end? The thoughts were too much for Squall to concentrate on. Giving up he returned to his room.
Upon entering his bare white walled room Squall immediately spotted a card addressed to him resting on his mahogany desk. Curiously he picked it up and opened it.
The card was from Selphie and Irvine. It read:
Happy Birthday Squall!
Always,
Selphie & Irvine
Squall brought the card with him to bed. There was something about the simplicity of the card that really struck Squall. It only said happy birthday Squall, but two words in that phrase stuck with him.happy Squall. He wanted to be happy Squall, his friends wanted him to be happy Squall, Rinoa would have defiantly wanted him to be happy Squall, but it was just so damn hard without her.
Tucking the card away under his pillow Squall made his first ever birthday wish. He wished that he could become that happy Squall that he so much desired.
Squall went to bed that night knowing that he had a long road ahead of him.