Chapter 13

            Simple Day

            Rinoa walked through the busy Esthar shopping mall, stopping every now and then to peer into shop windows and stalls. A couple of days had passed since her eventful interview and she was awaiting the response from her office.

            Rinoa's mind was convinced that she was going to get a good disciplining when the boss got hold of her, and so was making the most of her final days in Esthar. Although no one had said that she would be returning soon, Rinoa had already packed a few items into her travel bag.

            Selphie and Irvine had left early in the morning, and Rinoa was sad to see them leave her. But Selphie had promised that she would visit again on her next long weekend if she could.

            Rinoa took the opportunity to feel sorry for herself, as she wandered aimlessly around a mobile phone shop, looking at the little snap shut phones with not much interest. Just as she was making a move to leave, a familiar voice started to cause a fuss at the back of the store.

            "I'm s…sorry sir, but we can't do that! O…our policy won't allow me." Stuttered the frightened shop assistance.

            "Look, all I want is this phone, on this network, in this colour. Is it really so difficult?" asked the second voice.

Rinoa moved towards the direction of which the voices were coming from. The second voice was so familiar, but she just couldn't put a face to it.

            As soon as she passed the last phone shelf, she saw exactly who was causing the scene. The shop assistant made a few sudden excuses and hurried away. The man who took his place appeared to be the manager of the shop.

            "Can I help you sir?" He asked smiling his biggest smile, which looked too cheerful to be a real one. Squall returned the smile, but with without the happiness. He was obviously enjoying making their lives hell.

            "Are you the manager?" Squall asked avoiding the previously asked question.

            "Yes, I own this establishment." The man replied, his fake smile twitching in an odd way. Squall leaned onto the counter and started to explain his problem with a tired voice, showing that this wasn't the first time he'd had to repeat his demand here today.

            Rinoa picked up a random phone and started gazing over it, just in case the manager should look over and see her watching him. But Squall she could deal with if he had any questions for her.

            "Sir I think we can accommodate your order." The manager said, writing down some instructions and tapping the keys on his computer. Rinoa watched curiously.

            "Thank you." Squall said sarcastically. The manager walked away, a little too quickly. Squall waited impatiently by the counter.

Rinoa could see his eyes straying to an office toy on the desk, a small grey dog with a nodding head. She could almost feel the restraint he had to inflict on himself to not start the dog's head nodding. Rinoa smiled as he flicked it once, but the head slowed quickly so he tapped it again. Until finally after what must have been to many nods for the dog to take, he flicked it a last time and sent it rolling over the table and down onto the floor with a clatter.

            The look on Squall's face was priceless, and Rinoa couldn't help but laugh. Unfortunately she blew her cover. 

            "What the hell are you doing here?" Squall snapped.

            "Well that's charming." Rinoa said walking forward. "But I must confess…I'm following you Squall, I can't keep from watching you, wherever you go." She said, adding a tone of desperate lust to her voice. Squall said nothing, but Rinoa noticed how she had affected him as he smiled genuinely.   

            "Is that so?" He asked smiling and looking at her in his usual confident way.

            "Oh you bet stud." Rinoa continued trying to stroke his arm without much effort. Squall grabbed her wrist with his fast reflexes making Rinoa jump.

            "If you wanted to touch me…" Squall started, but be was interrupted by the return of the manager.

            "Here's your phone sir." The manager said handing Squall a small box.

            "Thank you" Squall said letting go of Rinoa and taking the box. Rinoa blushed. What must that man think of them?

            After acquiring his phone, Squall walked out of the shop leaving Rinoa behind him.

            "Hey!" Rinoa shouted after him.

            "You still here?" Squall asked sarcastically.

            "Can I see your phone?" Rinoa asked walking next to Squall with difficulty keeping up.

            "No." Squall answered.

            "Fine. You going home now?" Rinoa asked without interest.

            "Yes, so I can't go and have coffee with you." Squall answered spitefully.

            "I don't want your company Squall. But I'm glad you're going, because you can drive me home now." Rinoa said aware of how bossy she sounded.

            "I'm not taking you anywhere." Squall said striding away from her.

            Five minutes later, Rinoa was buckled up in Squall's car.

            "Are you trying to be extra annoying today Rin, or am I seeing the real you?"  Squall asked as they drove back along the busy main road. Rinoa didn't answer; instead she gazed out of the window.

            "Just shut up." Rinoa said still looking away from him.

            Squall pulled the car up to the side of the road and cut the engine. Rinoa looked about her worried.

            "Why did we stop?" She asked. Squall opened hid car door and stepped out. Rinoa watched him walk in front of the car and over to her side. Rinoa's door was flung open and she was grabbed roughly. "Ah! Squall get off me!" She screamed kicking her legs to dislodge his grasp.

            Squall flung her down on the grass verge and got back into his car. Rinoa picked herself up and rubbed the dirt off of her jeans.

            "Squall! You get back here." She demanded walking towards the car. Her bag was thrown at her in response. "SQUALL!"

            Squall slammed the door shut and drove off without looking back at her once.

            "SQUALL YOU ASSHOLE!" Rinoa screamed as hard as she could at the departing car. Squall smiled as he drove away from her, until dissolving into laughter.

            Rinoa stamped her foot and slumped down onto the floor with her head in her hands. A tear fell down from her eyes and dropped onto the ground. Rinoa sat alone for no more than two minutes before a car pulled up next to her. Rinoa remained looking at the floor in refusal to acknowledge the new presence.

            "Well, what do we have here?"

            "Seifer?" Rinoa asked to the figure at her side. "What are you doing here?"

            "Holiday, yep, I decided to come here for a break." Seifer said sitting down besides her.

            "Oh." Rinoa replied simply. "How come you found me?"

            "I just happened to be driving past." Seifer answered simply. Rinoa nodded and didn't question it further; her mind was too confused to question even the most obvious things.

            "It seems that you need a ride." Seifer said off-handedly.

            "Do you think....you could?" Rinoa asked, looking at him hopefully.

            "You know, I dunno. Maybe if...."

            "Yes?"

            "If... you let me take you out tomorrow evening." Seifer said looking at her with caring eyes.

            "Seifer, I thought we had settled this. There is no us anymore, there never will again." Rinoa said walking away from him.

            "Rin, you can't be serious! We were great together, what went wrong?" he asked.

            "Seifer it's over ok, I don't love you." Rinoa said still backing away from him.

            "But I love you."

            "Seifer don't." Rinoa pleaded.

            Seifer sighed, and walked back to his car.

            "I'll drive you back into the centre, and then you can get a taxi to wherever." He said opening the door for her. Rinoa looked at him worriedly. "I'm not going to hurt you Rinoa, just get in the car or don't."

            Rinoa walked over and reluctantly got into the car.

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            Rinoa's taxi pulled up outside of the palace, and she stepped out and hurried into the building. She was met immediately by the last person she wanted to see.  

            "You got back then?"

            "Oh it's you." Rinoa said impertinently. "I got back as you see. Now if you will please excuse me." She answered walking past him. Squall smiled.

            "You walked fast then." He said sarcastically.

            "I didn't walk, and you owe me a taxi fare." She said spitefully walking into the elevator.

Author's Note: Sorry for the briefness in this chapter, the next will be up very shortly.

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