Death Dance: Galbadia Hotel

Chapter Three:
Galbadia Hotel

(Author's note: I know Blitzball doesn't exist in FFVIII but I don't know anything about American football, so don't critisize! Also I know that france doesn't exist in Final Fantasy but just gimme me a break.)

After getting changed Samantha ran out to meet Zell. She saw him sitting on the bench, anxiously checking his pager. She felt her phone vibrate and looked down at it. She saw the message on the screen. "cant u cum? ill meet u sumtim then. ;p zell" She saw him look at his pager again. He would have to walk this way. She'd time it perfectly and come out all graceful and accidently bang into him, and accidently walk into Galbadia Hotel with him, and she'd accidently mark her text messages as unread...

He started to walk towards the corner and Samantha moved back so he wouldn't see her. If she timed this right, it might make her look good. But things don't go that way in the real world. You plan something, like a date, and then a freak storm of raining elephants will happen and one will land on your head (or your date's) and it'll be all wrong. (You'd be in intensive care for a start.)

"Sam! What they hell you doin' hon?" Kui said from next to her. Samantha jumped and bit her tounge. She tasted blood.

"I'm bleeding! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! That hurts! How'm I meant to eat now?" Samantha asked. Damn! I'll have to ask for salt water or something! By a deity, that hurts! And then Zell walked around the corner.

"You ain't meant to be eatin' anythin' girl! Seifer phoned and said you were comin' to band practise. So I came to pick you up. Dunno why you're all dressed up girl, cuz you ain't gonna be able to dance in that," Kui saw Zell. " Ah, wotcha know. Thought there might be a guy involved. You are coming to practise, I told Seifer I'd get ya there, and I'm gonna do," Kui looked at Zell and her face became a mask of some unreadable emotion.

"Fine, just great. You're Ma Dincht's son, ain't ya? If I stop you goin' any where with 'im, Ma Dincht'll bust a cap in my ass. If I let you go, Seifer'll bust a cap in my ass. I know, I'll say you were gone by the time I got here. Now clear off, and tell your ma that I hope her house don't smell of fish anymore!" Zell grinned at Sam.

"She knows my Ma, won't stand for anything interfering with her little boy. Seems she ain't got in touch with her for a while though..." Zell was leading the way. They got to the Galbadia Hotel when last orders for lunch were being taken. A posh looking waiter took their jackets and bags and they sat at a quiet table in the corner. Zell pulled out a chair for her and she sat down. She smiled as he acted all posh and un-zellike.

A waiter came over. "Your drinks, sir?" He asked. Zell looked over at Samantha. She smiled and looked at the wine list.

"You like white wine?" Samantha asked. He's not a wine drinker. I can tell. I hope he doesn't only drink red, I find that stuff a bit, well, red. And the colour wouldn't go as well with my dress.

"Yeah. A bottle of your best white wine please and a jug of water. Just tap thanks," Zell said. The waiter walked off. Samantha looked at the wine list. The most expensive white wine... Oh dear, he was going to be spending a lot of money...

"So, what are your hobbies?" Zell asked her. Samantha thought for a moment, then the waiter returned with the wine and the water. He poured a glass and gave it to Zell, who most obviously hadn't got a clue.

"Here," Samantha said taking the glass. She took a sip, it tasted quite nice, in a dry way. She nodded and the waiter filled up a second glass, putting it on the table in front of Zell, he put the bottle next to the candle in the center of the table. He passed them a menu. Samantha knew what she'd be having. A nice healthy salad. Yum, yum, yum. I bet he's into health foods! I mean with all the muscle toning and everything. He's gotta be. Is he looking at the childrens menu?

"I'll have to salad. What're you having? I think the waiters are coming over... Quick!" Sam urged him. He looked down and then said, "aha!"

"Can I take your order sir?" asked the waiter. Zell gestured for me to go first.

"The Salad Special please. Can you leave out the tomatoes?" The waiter noted it down and Zell looked down at the menu and, in perfet french started rattling off a load of names.

"Pomme de terre, le hot dog, le poisson, er, fingers and, um, an ice cream. Thanks!" Samantha looked at him. Chips, hot dog, fish fingers and ice cream? I wish I could get away with eating things like that! "So, your hobbies?" Zell prompted. Samantha looked into her wine glass.

"I guess my hobbies are singing and dancing. That's what I do most of. But what I really want to do, what I really want to do is write. Write songs, make up the tune, teach them to bands and know that it was my song that got them there. But I know that as long as I am in Pyro, I won't get to do that. They don't like the stuff I write. And I can't desert them, they're my friends. I guess I'm just picky huh?" Samantha smiled. She saw Zell was looking into his wine glass as well.

"You can be whatever you want to be. You just have to put your mind to it. I did, and look where it got me! I became a SeeD, I saved the world and became an Instructor. I've achieved my goal, I'm sure you can do it too. You need to fight hard and eventually you'll get there. On the subject of goals, did you watch the blitzball last night? S'gonna take a lot to beat Trabia this year. They've got some mean attacking players!" Samantha found that Zell and her supported the same team. They talked about blitzball until the food arrived.

"I'm glad I met you. Even if you are Seifer's sister. You're kinda cool, and it seems that we both share a passion for blitzball. We'll be good friends!" Zell said, tucking in to his meal. Good friends... I guess that's better than nothing. But how can I be just friends with him when I keep wanting to jump up and snog him? I wonder... Shut up brain! Please, why do you torture me with plotting an schemeing? Why? Why? WHY? Please stop talking to me!

"There you go, back into your own little world. I've noticed you know. You just start to stare into space, and you don't take anything in. Squall used to do that, well, he still does, but not as much. What were you thinking about?" Zell asked her. He was smiling and she knew he had no idea what she'd been thinking.

"Nothing, just, I've never been treated like this in my life. Not even my parents or boyfriends or anything. And I feel guilty, because you're doing all this and you've only known me a few hours. I know that I can't even pay a fraction of this bill. I feel like I'm using you, I guess," Samantha looked into her wine glass.

"Sam, do you think I care about the money? I get way to much for teaching kids to fight. Anyway, you're not using me, I invited you because I wanted to treat you. Maybe, if you achieve your dream, you can repay me? How's your tongue?" Zell asked. Samantha was confused for a moment. She wondered what the hell he was talking about. Usually she kept up with conversation, but then again, usually she was the one talking. Then it dawned on her.

"Oh, fine thanks... I guess after this meal, we'll never really see each other again..." Samantha said. She had thought about her situation. As long as Seifer was wanted by Garden, she was going to have to hide what ever feelings she had for Zell. She knew this. Her eyes were darkening. They were becoming greyer, this always happened when she was sad. Zell didn't freak out though, like most guys did. He's so perfect. Why's it always like this? Why can't anything go right in my life? Just this once?

"There was another reason to my visit, though it wasn't a mission. I want you to consider becoming a spy for Garden. The pay's good, you'll be paid regularly, not after every mission. I also have a feeling that you'll have plenty of free time to come back and rehearse with Pyro. You'd be able to support you mom, and she'd be able to get Seifer or Ellone to help her in the shop. It'd be great!" Zell said, brightly. He didn't understand. I have to talk to my mom, Seifer, Ellone and everyone. I want to Zell, I really would love to be able to spend all my life with you but I have to put my brother first... Sorry... But she didn't say that.

"I can't. Seifer wouldn't let me. How do I know this isn't another way to get at him? And besides, I'm no spy. I can't fight, except for the little bit of Kendo I did when I was about ten. I can't Zell. I really can't. Seifer, he means more to me than any job. I won't put him in danger, or Ellone or Raine. Got that?" Samantha realised her voice was rising slightly. Zell seemed slightly taken aback, but he recovered quickly. His expression was solemn.

"If Seifer doesn't willingly help us, no one can protect him from a World Union Trial. If it ever got that far he'd get the death penalty. You know that. You can't protect him, if he's stupid enough not to co-operate. I know he's your brother, that's why I'm telling you. If he doesn't help Garden, Squall, Selphie, Irvine, Rinoa, Quistis and I will kill him. We won't want to, but it will be our orders. Seifer can remain safe, help us, or he can die. I'll leave it to you to decide which one you want to happen," Zell said, his tone suddenly menacing. Samantha looked at Zell in a new way. He was no longer the Zell that she had met in the shop, he was a cold blooded killer. That's his job remember? That's what he's paid to do. But you can save both him and Seifer, you can get Seifer to go forward with the information. Seifer's pride would be injured though...

"Waiter, bill please," Samantha called. Zell jumped. She stood up as gracefully as she could. She felt the mix of emotions inside her and felt the tears of confusion well up. She clenched her fists.

"Kill him if it makes you feel better. That makes you no better than him, except that you are showing no regret for it. I thought you were better than that, guess Seifer was right. You are all robots, with not a brain cell between you," Samantha told him coldly and put on her jacket. "It was nice meeting you, Mr Dincht. Thank you for lunch, it has made me think of a few things."

Samantha turned and didn't look back. She hadn't really touched her salad, but she didn't care. Zell wouldn't see her cry, not if he wasn't the cause. She got outside and leaned against a wall. She felt the tears pour down her cheeks. Seifer would never hand himself in, that would be admitting he was wrong, that was something Seifer would never do. There had to be a way to get him to hand himself in. How? Trick him. The thought came unexpectedly to Samantha's mind.

"Sam? Sam, I'm sorry. I had no right to say that to you. It's not your fault. I-I'm a jerk," Zell said from next to her. She looked away. She couldn't bear him to see her upset. Your pride's as strong as your brothers. He knows you're crying, so why are you hiding it from him? He doesn't care, you've heard him. He had no right to say that to you, doesn't matter that you're crying.

"Talk to the wall," Samantha told him and walked away. She got on the nearest bus and got to her band practise.