Chapter 10

           

You won't admit you love me

            When Rinoa awoke the next morning, she found a heavy weight pressed on her middle. Looking down she saw that Squall was more or less lying across her. Using all her strength that she had so early in the morning, Rinoa managed to push him off of her and sit up. Her head collided with the roof of the tent, and she lay back down again quickly.

            "Hyne damn it!" She cursed rubbing her head. "What is this made out of anyway?" She asked to no one in particular. A stifled laugh came from Squall's direction. "And you can shut up and all." Rinoa said, throwing her pillow onto him. Squall rolled over on to his back.

            "Touchy this morning aren't we?" He said slyly. Rinoa grabbed another pillow and threw it onto his face.

            "You fell asleep on me Mr." Rinoa said.

            "Yeah, well you try getting up at 4 in the morning and driving miles to get home, only to be harassed by reporters and then tell stories!" Squall said annoyed. Rinoa watched him warily. He still had the pillow on his face, but his words could still be heard clearly. Rinoa burst into laughter.

            "Keep that pillow on your face, I'm going to get changed." Rinoa warned. Instantly Squall removed the pillow.

            "I'd rather watch thanks." He said smiling. Rinoa frowned.

            "Has anyone ever told you, that you are really annoying?" She said pulling some clothes out of her travel bag.

            "Nope, but thanks anyway." Squall replied. Rinoa rolled her eyes.

            "I'm going to interview you today ok?" Rinoa said after pulling her shirt over her head. Squall watched her button it up before answering.

            "Fine." He said simply, and lay back down to stare at the ceiling.

            Rinoa lay back next to him and draped her arm over his chest.

            "Squall?" Rinoa said softly.

            "Hmm?" He answered, the earliness of the morning claiming him back to sleep.

            "What is going to happen between us?" Rinoa asked nervously. Squall opened his eyes in fear of his answer.

            "W…what do you mean?" He asked.

            Squall thought it was lucky that Rinoa couldn't see his face right at this moment. He imagined that he would look like someone who was drowning. Squall tried to buy some more time for his answer, why did girls always ask this?

            "You know, where do we go from here?" Rinoa said becoming braver. Squall knew what would happen next, he seen it before. If he couldn't give her the answer she wanted, this calm, pretty thing next to him would turn into a screaming killer.    

            "Rin, we've been together for about two days. That's not really a long time…surely your not thinking of going steady yet?" Squall said. Rinoa sat up abruptly.

            "So that's all I am? A two day fling?" Rinoa snapped, unzipping the tent and climbing out being sure to stand on Squall as much as she could.

            "Rinoa wait!" Squall said, clambering out after her. "I didn't mean that!"

            Rinoa stomped past Selphie and Irvine who were playing really bad songs on some guitars. They stopped and observed the scene in front of them with wide eyes.

            "Just piss off!" Rinoa screamed as Squall came near her.

            "Rin, come on. Don't do this." Squall said calmly. Selphie nudged Irvine and the two of them walked away as quick as they could from the exploding fireworks in front of them.

            "You think that I'm some sort of toy? Like one of your cars? Oh she isn't anyone important, so I can use her anyway I want, and after just throw her away?" Rinoa shouted.

            "No, Rinoa I don't think you are a toy." Squall answered, both their voices in equal amounts of urgency. "You're the most amazing woman I've ever known. Rin, please look at me. I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't mean to make you upset." Squall apologised.

            "Upset! This is way past upset. You can't treat people like this Squall! The whole time I've known you, all you've done is play me, and I was so stupid as to let you do it. Well it ends here, you can take back this!" Rinoa said throwing the necklace onto the ground.

            "Rin." Squall pleaded.

            "Just…just leave me alone." Rinoa said finally sitting down of the ground. Squall looked at her painfully and then walked back to their tent. Rinoa watched him leave before bursting into tears in her hands.

            An hour passed without much happening, Rinoa had watched Squall's tent for the past half hour for any movement. But it seemed he was about as stubborn as she was.

            "Rin?"

            "Selphie, I don't think I'm in the mood to be cheered up right now." Rinoa said wiping her tears out of her eyes. Selphie remained where she stood.

            "I'm not here to cheer you up." Selphie said standing over Rinoa. "He's not the only one to blame here Rin. You're not being honest with him so why should he be so with you?" Selphie said.

            "Look I don't need this right now, at least not from you." Rinoa said looking up at her friend. Selphie crouched down beside her.

            "Does he know about Seifer?" Selphie asked. Rinoa shook her head. "Well then. You shouldn't be asking anything of him while you belong to someone else."

            "This is what you really think?" Rinoa asked.

            "Yes." Selphie answered. Rinoa shook her head.

            "Just go away Selph ok." Rinoa said, new tears prickling the backs of her eyes. Selphie sighed and walked away, leaving Rinoa with more confused thoughts.  

            The day started to pass by and Rinoa began to wonder what would become of the remaining days of her holiday. Laguna's week probably consisted of a working week of five days, which meant she had two days left to kill in the company of Squall. Also in two days Selphie and Irvine would leave, and Rinoa was desperate to apologise to Selphie before she left.

Irvine was singing some sort of song that she hoped was made up. Rinoa made a mental note that if she ever found out that that had gotten into the charts, she would personally kill all who had bought it. Starting with Irvine. The main cause for his happiness was the fact he had been allowed to stir the tinned spaghetti over the camping stove. Rinoa smiled, he was funny even when he wasn't trying to be.

Selphie was searching for something in Squall's car. She had disappeared into Squall's tent not that long ago, but had come out again looking dejected. Obviously Squall hadn't been much help, and she was left to look for whatever alone.    

A few minuets later, Rinoa was asked to join them for their spaghetti. Some how Irvine had burned it, but Rinoa didn't care. She didn't feel like eating it anyway. Squall seemed to be trying to commit murder with his, Rinoa was sure that he hadn't eaten any of it either. Squall still hadn't made any moves to retrieve the necklace, and Rinoa was disappointed.

Selphie did her best to break the uneasy silence between them all, but not even her happy speeches could produce a smile on anyone's face.  

A rumbling sound was heard from off in the distance and Rinoa set down her bowl to look. Selphie peered off into the distance also, and saw a fast approaching vehicle heading their way.

"S…Squall? What is that?" Selphie asked, watching as the dust clouds around the object came nearer.  Squall looked up for the first time.

"It looks like one of the Cities taxies." Squall said shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun. Rinoa watched Squall carefully, she had forgotten how smooth his voice sounded and wondered why she'd hadn't noticed it before.

The car rolled up next to their makeshift camp, and a man emerged from the driver's side of the car.

"Miss Heartilly?" He asked looking at both the girls. Rinoa stepped forward.

"Yes?" She asked puzzled. The man rummaged in his pocket and then produced a letter.

"I have a letter for you miss." He said handing it over. Rinoa snatched it urgently.

"Thank you." Rinoa said ripping open the envelope.  The taxi driver saluted to Squall.

"Sir, solider number 17654. Pleasure to meet you sir! A great pleasure indeed." He said shaking Squall's hand. Selphie looked confused.

"I thought he was a cab driver!" She said quietly.

            "Most men in Esthar serve in the army for some part of their lives." Squall said. Selphie nodded in understanding. Rinoa gasped as she finished reading in shock.

            "Oh Hyne. I have to get home!" She cried running to get her bag.

            "Why what's wrong?" Squall asked worried.

            "My Aunt, she died last night. I sorry but I must get back to help my father." Rinoa said climbing into the taxi. The driver jumped back into his car and started the engine.

            "But you will come back soon right?" Squall asked, holding Rinoa's door open so she couldn't close it on him.  

            "I, I don't know." Rinoa said hastily, shutting the door and letting the taxi take her away.

            Squall stared blankly after her fast disappearing form. Irvine punched him meekly in the shoulder.

            "She'll be back." He said, before joining Selphie back at the campfire.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

            Rinoa's mind raced as fast as the wheels of the car. 'I should have been there for her!' Was the only thought that dominated her mind at present.

            The car finally rolled up outside the station after a fast and bumpy drive and Rinoa pulled out a handful of crumpled notes for the driver.

            "Hey Miss?" The driver shouted as she hurried towards the platform. "Nice tip!"

            As Rinoa boarded the train, another thought entered her mind. 'Would she ever be returning here?'  Taking one last look around at the place that had become more like a home than anywhere else in her life, Rinoa said farewell and left for Galbadia.  

A/N: Don't worry, the interviews still happen. Just in a different way to probably what you were expecting. (Please give me some reviews while you're here, thanx!)

Thankyou to: Steel magnolia, Rinoa_07, Ms. Heartilly_07, Rinoa Heartilly73, Phoenix Blade, miss wings, Angel Princzess29, Lionheart, Charlie Girl, The Angel of the Lion, Griever Leonhart, Hiasha, Angelwingedprincess, Sammy-Chan, CTHKSI, Sandra Leonhart.

Thanx for all the suggestions on interview questions!!