Ch. 12
Surprises of the Unsure
When Squall finally returned to Balamb the transaction went quite well. Quistis and the others did an excellent job of running things while he was gone. As for Squall re-taking his place as Headmaster, his desire and heart now had a whole knew take on everything. It was a new tide coming in and even though the past stayed ashore Squall was at least looking into the horizon.
Although being headmaster was extremely demanding Squall still made the time for his friends. Despite how awkward it could be.
Quistis and Seifer had been going strong and steady for quite some time now. He was happy for his friends, you only had to watch them and you immediately that things were the way they were suppose to be. However, Squall regrettable always felt a tinge of pain whenever he saw them together. It reminded him too much of Rinoa and himself.
Quistis and Seifer weren't the only one's feeling the love in the air. Zell had seemed to have found someone special in Laila. One night Zell even had the guts to tell Squall that he seriously thought that Laila was 'the one.'
As much as Squall loved seeing his friends happy it was at times hard. Especially when it was just the five of them.
On the night that they heard that Selphie and Irvine were getting married was when it hit Squall the hardest. They were all sitting around the cafeteria table listening to Zell poking fun at the dynamic couple.
"Those two married. I thought the world would stop turning or something before they would commit to something like that."
"They've been together for three years without any problems." Quistis countered Zell's exaggeration. "I'm almost surprised they hadn't done it sooner."
Zell shrugs. "I guess either way I'm thrilled for them."
Quistis turns to Squall. "Selphie told me Irvine is having you be his best man."
"It was a bit of a shock," Squall admitted. "I thought he have one of his Trabia or Galbadian buddies do it."
"Squall I sometimes think you underestimate the effect you have on others." Quistis told him Squall replied with his famously predictable line.
"Whatever."
Zell looks at everyone seriously. "Can you imagine what our lives will be like once we take that next step? And all the steps after that? I mean our lives our just cruising around every corner and pretty soon before any of us know it were going to be there."
Everyone stares at Zell. Although his point was well spoken no one thought Zell would actually be the first to speak it.
Seifer was the only one to smile at Zell. "Your right Zell, but you want to know something?" Seifer turns to Quistis. "As long as you're with me I don't care where I turn."
Suddenly the night had become a couple thing. Everyone's attention was on their significant other. Saying sweet nothings into each other's ears and so forth. It became more then Squall could sit and take. Suddenly without a word to the others Squall got up from his seat and walked away. He was sure they all looked at him, but it didn't matter all Squall knew was he had to get out of there.
Squall didn't feel like staying in the garden. He decided to take a walk over to Balamb were he went into the coffee shop that was open all night. He found an empty seat in the corner of the shop where he enjoyed a latté and for at least that one moment, some peace of mind.
It was shortly after he arrived that he noticed a familiar figure sitting with someone only a couple booths away from his.
Emma Winston was the one sitting in the booth. Squall might have said hi if it wasn't for the other man with her. Instead against his own will he watched.
Emma seemed to be in intense conversation with the person accompanying her, Squall caught tears rolling down her face. Abruptly Emma stood up from her seat and left the shop.
Squall didn't know why, but he was swept with the same feeling he felt that night when Seifer broke up with Emma on the balcony. It wasn't exactly a feeling he could control so against his better judgment he got up from his seat and chased after her.
He found her standing on the sandy beach. The same place Seifer found him a little over a year ago. Squall watched Emma, she was completely beautiful her auburn hair was blowing wildly with the ocean breeze and her eye's where so set on the open ocean in front of her. Her figure stood there in a vulnerable state, Squall never looked upon a soul so lost except for the times that he happened to look into a mirror.
Hesitantly Squall walked up to her. Emma heard his footsteps and jumped around.
"Squall," she screamed "What in the world are you doing here!?"
"I.I." Suddenly Squall felt like some freak stalker as he tried to explain himself.
"I was in the coffee shop and I saw you run off crying." Squall paused feeling like an idiot. "I.I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Emma smiled at him. "You always seem to be there for me Squall." She quickly wiped the tears from her face. "So Squall how's it going?"
Squall wasn't fooled by her adverting question; he was the king of those. "Alright," he told her. "How about you?"
Emma looked back up at him tears were rolling down her eyes, but you could see how hard she was trying to keep them at bay.
"I just don't know anymore Squall." Her voice was exasperated. "Is there something wrong with me? I'd been seeing this guy; I wasn't going to let myself get attached. My heart after the whole Seifer ordeal wouldn't be able to take anymore heartache, but here I am."
Squall inches closer to her. "It's not you Emma I promise you that. If that guy in there didn't want you then he's a fool and as for Seifer.it wasn't you with him."
Immediately Squall wished he hadn't mentioned Seifer after he saw the saddened expression it left upon her face.
"How.how is Seifer doing?" Her voice was curious, but unsure if she really wanted to hear the answer.
"He's alright."
"That's good." Was all Emma said before the two of them grew quiet.
After a while when things were getting awkward Emma asked him.
"So I heard you got promoted to headmaster. How's that going?"
"Okay I guess. I stay pretty busy which has its pros and cons."
She smiles brightly at him; it made a drastic change in her appearance. Squall had to take a step back in awe of it.
"I always knew you make a fantastic leader."
"Why do you say that?" Squall asked honestly curious.
Emma steps up to him her eyes locking with his own. She places her hand on the right side of his chest.
"Because you have the heart of one."
Embarrassed Squall takes a step back from her touch. His face turning a light shade of pink.
"You even have the modesty." Emma added.
Giving into the tiniest smile he asked her, wanting to change the subject.
"So how are things in Timber these days?"
Emma smiles brightly. "Everything is coming along great. The people are really taking pride in their city. Right now were in the middle of constructing the city hall."
"So you're not going with a president?"
"No Timber's seen enough of a monarchy to last a lifetime."
Squall smirks. "Yeah I'll say it has."
Suddenly Emma's eyes light up and she asks. "Why don't you come and visit? I'll give you the first tour of Timber as a free city," her voice suddenly goes dull. "That is if you aren't busy."
Squall thought about it for a moment. It wouldn't hurt to go see what's going on and anyway it's not like he needs anyone's approval. On top of that it might be a nice get away from his friends for a couple of days. As much as he loved them, being the odd man out was getting old.
"If you'll have me?" Was Squall's end reply to her.
Emma wraps Squall in a hug, even more shocking was that Squall hugged her back.
They spent the rest of the night planning his trip. Squall was to stay there for three days. Even though that was a long time to be away from the Garden it surprised Squall that he was actually looking forward to it. He found a lot of things surprising him lately and he didn't know what to quite make of it.
Surprises of the Unsure
When Squall finally returned to Balamb the transaction went quite well. Quistis and the others did an excellent job of running things while he was gone. As for Squall re-taking his place as Headmaster, his desire and heart now had a whole knew take on everything. It was a new tide coming in and even though the past stayed ashore Squall was at least looking into the horizon.
Although being headmaster was extremely demanding Squall still made the time for his friends. Despite how awkward it could be.
Quistis and Seifer had been going strong and steady for quite some time now. He was happy for his friends, you only had to watch them and you immediately that things were the way they were suppose to be. However, Squall regrettable always felt a tinge of pain whenever he saw them together. It reminded him too much of Rinoa and himself.
Quistis and Seifer weren't the only one's feeling the love in the air. Zell had seemed to have found someone special in Laila. One night Zell even had the guts to tell Squall that he seriously thought that Laila was 'the one.'
As much as Squall loved seeing his friends happy it was at times hard. Especially when it was just the five of them.
On the night that they heard that Selphie and Irvine were getting married was when it hit Squall the hardest. They were all sitting around the cafeteria table listening to Zell poking fun at the dynamic couple.
"Those two married. I thought the world would stop turning or something before they would commit to something like that."
"They've been together for three years without any problems." Quistis countered Zell's exaggeration. "I'm almost surprised they hadn't done it sooner."
Zell shrugs. "I guess either way I'm thrilled for them."
Quistis turns to Squall. "Selphie told me Irvine is having you be his best man."
"It was a bit of a shock," Squall admitted. "I thought he have one of his Trabia or Galbadian buddies do it."
"Squall I sometimes think you underestimate the effect you have on others." Quistis told him Squall replied with his famously predictable line.
"Whatever."
Zell looks at everyone seriously. "Can you imagine what our lives will be like once we take that next step? And all the steps after that? I mean our lives our just cruising around every corner and pretty soon before any of us know it were going to be there."
Everyone stares at Zell. Although his point was well spoken no one thought Zell would actually be the first to speak it.
Seifer was the only one to smile at Zell. "Your right Zell, but you want to know something?" Seifer turns to Quistis. "As long as you're with me I don't care where I turn."
Suddenly the night had become a couple thing. Everyone's attention was on their significant other. Saying sweet nothings into each other's ears and so forth. It became more then Squall could sit and take. Suddenly without a word to the others Squall got up from his seat and walked away. He was sure they all looked at him, but it didn't matter all Squall knew was he had to get out of there.
Squall didn't feel like staying in the garden. He decided to take a walk over to Balamb were he went into the coffee shop that was open all night. He found an empty seat in the corner of the shop where he enjoyed a latté and for at least that one moment, some peace of mind.
It was shortly after he arrived that he noticed a familiar figure sitting with someone only a couple booths away from his.
Emma Winston was the one sitting in the booth. Squall might have said hi if it wasn't for the other man with her. Instead against his own will he watched.
Emma seemed to be in intense conversation with the person accompanying her, Squall caught tears rolling down her face. Abruptly Emma stood up from her seat and left the shop.
Squall didn't know why, but he was swept with the same feeling he felt that night when Seifer broke up with Emma on the balcony. It wasn't exactly a feeling he could control so against his better judgment he got up from his seat and chased after her.
He found her standing on the sandy beach. The same place Seifer found him a little over a year ago. Squall watched Emma, she was completely beautiful her auburn hair was blowing wildly with the ocean breeze and her eye's where so set on the open ocean in front of her. Her figure stood there in a vulnerable state, Squall never looked upon a soul so lost except for the times that he happened to look into a mirror.
Hesitantly Squall walked up to her. Emma heard his footsteps and jumped around.
"Squall," she screamed "What in the world are you doing here!?"
"I.I." Suddenly Squall felt like some freak stalker as he tried to explain himself.
"I was in the coffee shop and I saw you run off crying." Squall paused feeling like an idiot. "I.I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Emma smiled at him. "You always seem to be there for me Squall." She quickly wiped the tears from her face. "So Squall how's it going?"
Squall wasn't fooled by her adverting question; he was the king of those. "Alright," he told her. "How about you?"
Emma looked back up at him tears were rolling down her eyes, but you could see how hard she was trying to keep them at bay.
"I just don't know anymore Squall." Her voice was exasperated. "Is there something wrong with me? I'd been seeing this guy; I wasn't going to let myself get attached. My heart after the whole Seifer ordeal wouldn't be able to take anymore heartache, but here I am."
Squall inches closer to her. "It's not you Emma I promise you that. If that guy in there didn't want you then he's a fool and as for Seifer.it wasn't you with him."
Immediately Squall wished he hadn't mentioned Seifer after he saw the saddened expression it left upon her face.
"How.how is Seifer doing?" Her voice was curious, but unsure if she really wanted to hear the answer.
"He's alright."
"That's good." Was all Emma said before the two of them grew quiet.
After a while when things were getting awkward Emma asked him.
"So I heard you got promoted to headmaster. How's that going?"
"Okay I guess. I stay pretty busy which has its pros and cons."
She smiles brightly at him; it made a drastic change in her appearance. Squall had to take a step back in awe of it.
"I always knew you make a fantastic leader."
"Why do you say that?" Squall asked honestly curious.
Emma steps up to him her eyes locking with his own. She places her hand on the right side of his chest.
"Because you have the heart of one."
Embarrassed Squall takes a step back from her touch. His face turning a light shade of pink.
"You even have the modesty." Emma added.
Giving into the tiniest smile he asked her, wanting to change the subject.
"So how are things in Timber these days?"
Emma smiles brightly. "Everything is coming along great. The people are really taking pride in their city. Right now were in the middle of constructing the city hall."
"So you're not going with a president?"
"No Timber's seen enough of a monarchy to last a lifetime."
Squall smirks. "Yeah I'll say it has."
Suddenly Emma's eyes light up and she asks. "Why don't you come and visit? I'll give you the first tour of Timber as a free city," her voice suddenly goes dull. "That is if you aren't busy."
Squall thought about it for a moment. It wouldn't hurt to go see what's going on and anyway it's not like he needs anyone's approval. On top of that it might be a nice get away from his friends for a couple of days. As much as he loved them, being the odd man out was getting old.
"If you'll have me?" Was Squall's end reply to her.
Emma wraps Squall in a hug, even more shocking was that Squall hugged her back.
They spent the rest of the night planning his trip. Squall was to stay there for three days. Even though that was a long time to be away from the Garden it surprised Squall that he was actually looking forward to it. He found a lot of things surprising him lately and he didn't know what to quite make of it.