Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII.
Chapter IX
Argh… The stupid bitch… I'll get her back. Somehow…
I had finally calmed down a bit and had resumed playing Sly Cooper. This seemed to ease my nerves but not my anger. Now how the hell was I supposed to pass the stupid exam? She had definitely tested me and I had definitely failed!
I sighed as the Panda King killed me once more. Dammit… Why was I having so much trouble beating this overgrown bear? Mike had told me that this was the easiest boss! Nyah! I was losing patience with everything now.
I scrambled from the couch and flicked off the Playstation2. How was I supposed get her back for that? No matter what I did… It still wouldn't match the witcheries that she pulled on me tonight.
Just forget it, Leonheart… You'll never get the best of that female. Speaking of problems… I needed to call the mechanics tomorrow to see if they had repaired my car.
***
I had never taken the public bus in my life. Truth be told, I didn't like it either. It was 3:30 P.M. and I was on the way to get my jeep back. There wasn't that many people on but they all seemed to be staring at me. Instantly I remembered last night's events… Maybe they were all Rinoa's friends and now they were all secretly laughing at me. Yeah, including that old lady in the corner…
Holy shit… Now I was paranoid. What hadn't she succeeded in doing to me? Worst was… I didn't hate her for it. Why didn't I hate her? I kept telling myself, 'Hate her goddamn guts, Leonheart!' and I couldn't bring myself to obey. I hate women.
Luck was definitely not smiling at me today because guessed who walked on the bus at that moment? Rinoa and her friends… Now what the hell were they doing on a public bus? Well… It could have been worse… Jake could have been there.
Immediately, almost as if she had alarms going off at my two feet presence, she spotted me and walked over, "I thought you had a car… Why are you taking the bus?"
Remain calm… Remain calm… "I… Um, the… Jeep broke… Down." Now why the hell was I stuttering? Stupid females…
"Hey Squall…" Quistis grinned at me; and, Selphie waved. Ah Cripes! This was just getting worse and worse.
Wait a minute… Had she told them of my hormonal problems? Hyne, I hoped not…
"So you said that you were going to get your jeep?" Rinoa asked, she sat down on the seat next to mine and I felt like running to the opposite end of the bus. This was not good… This was terrible…
"Uh… Yeah…" I tried not looking at her but it was kind of hard. "It's been fixed… And I'm… Going to pick it… Up… AND WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" I hadn't really been watching her but I felt these slight nudges on my sides… that I interpreted as some sort of 'invitation'.
More people were looking at me and Rinoa glanced at me with an arched eyebrow, "I'm taking off my school bag, what did you think I was…" She let her sentence hang and then burst out in laughter. Quistis and Selphie just gave me inquisitive stares.
I guess she hadn't told them about my problems. I grumbled, as she continued laughing quietly, and got up from my seat. This was my stop… Well, the stop where I was supposed to get off and take another bus… to the garage.
She got up and off at the same time as me, "You'll give me a ride home since I don't feel like riding this bus all the way home."
"Good, Squall, you can give us rides home too?" Selphie bounced up and got off the bus at the same time as me. Hyne, now what the hell was I supposed to do? Stuck in a car with three girls? My chances to survive: Not likely.
"Aw, that's so sweet Squall!" Quistis latched onto my arm.
"I never agreed…" I informed them, "It looks like you three'll have to walk home."
"That's not nice!" Selphie pouted, "Leaving three innocent girls to walk home in the blistering cold." Innocent? How innocent were three girls? Rinoa Heartilly innocent?
"He's got to have a weak point!"
Quistis smirked, "If we can find it… Squall, are you ticklish?" Oh HELL NO!
Not this… Not this…
"Yeah, he is." Rinoa grinned.
"Hey… Wait a minute… How would you know that, Rinoa?" Quistis bit her lower lip, still wearing that evil little smirk.
"Pure, unintentional accident!" Rinoa was caught off guard and that made me feel all fuzzy and warm inside. If her friends could catch her unexpectedly… Maybe I could too.
"I don't think Jake would be too happy to hear about that accident…" Selphie smiled.
Rinoa rolled her eyes, "Anyways… Squall's also got another weak point… If you're interested." Oh HELL NO! That was even worse. Not the event that happened last night… If that got out…
"Ok, ok!" I snarled and crossed my arms, "I'll give you people a ride home. Now, Rinoa, why don't you shut it!"
She smiled and Quistis hurried into the bus shelter, "It's cold… I'm changing into pants!" They were all wearing those black skirts that were required in their school uniform.
"You're going to change in a glass bus shelter?" I nearly screamed. Was she crazy? I had no intention in seeing that! If it was Rinoa… Then maybe… Hey wait! NOW what the HELL was I thinking?
"Yeah." Quistis answered and I looked the opposite way. I was not going to live through today, was I? Oh Hyne, why do you hate me so?
"Quistis, the bus is coming…" Rinoa said, "You don't need to put your pants on."
Thank you! Thank you SO much, Rinoa! She gave me a look and I could practically hear her say, 'You owe me one, Leonheart…'
***
"Ok, Sir, everything seems to be fine now. We even got the oil changed for you." The heavy-mustached mechanic told me. "Um, Sir…?"
"Yeah?" I took out my credit card, ready to pay.
"Those three girls that are waiting for you… Are they all…?"
"No!" I nearly shouted, "Hell, no!"
"Alright, Sir… I was just wondering." He smiled and swiped my credit card in the machine, "However… That black-haired one has been watching you very intently for the past few minutes…"
"What is that supposed to mean?" I blurted out.
"Well, Sir… It is in my experience that when a woman bothers to glance your way, not to mention stare at you, that she has some feelings for you…" The moustache man twinkled at me.
Yeah… Rinoa likes me. Now wouldn't that be the day's news. Of course she has some feelings for me! Most of them are negative feelings! Like 'hate', 'annoyance'… And the list goes on…
***
"Hey, you know Wednesday?" Rinoa asked, from the front seat of the truck.
I made a face and imitated a moronic voice, "Uhh… Is that the day before or after Saturday?"
She rolled her eyes and Quistis patted me on my shoulder from behind the driver's seat, "Close, but no cigar."
"So, anyways, I'm going to be eighteen soon and so I'll have to pass a driver's test, you see? So, Squall, could you teach me some basics?"
I had to mentally restrain myself from slamming on the brakes. After all she did to me, she expected me to… To… Help her? "Yeah, ok… How about some NO."
"So, how's about Squall's second weak point!" Rinoa clapped her hands together and looked back at her friends. Goddamn her… I'd kill her in her sleep.
"Ah, shit on you!" I yelled at her and slammed my hand on the steering wheel, "One day, someone is going to arsenate your fucking drink!"
She just smiled. So I went on, "Blackmailing is a crime, Miss Heartilly. Apparently, so is witchcraft. You'll end up burned on a fucking stake! With scary men armed with pitchforks! I'll be one of them."
"Right, so first you said that someone was going to slip arsenic in my drink… Then you say I'll be burnt on a stake…" She smirked, "Is it likely for me to be killed with… Oh I don't know, a knife? A gun?"
"No, no, no! How about this… A fucking fire poker? How do you like that?" Stupid red light, turn green… turn green. Let me go back to concentrating on the road…
Quistis and Selphie were giggling in the backseat and Rinoa retorted, "Well, if your planning on killing me… I guess it would be more convenient for you to use a fire poker since you could just pull it out of your ass!"
I grinded my teeth together… I can't believe her… The cruel, manipulating bitch…
And I was now her driving instructor…
***
I had dropped Quistis and Selphie home. Good… I had survived that little bit. Well, on the other hand it was a bad thing because being Rinoa's driving instructor was awaiting me in the near future. This was just great…
"Ok, so will you teach me how to drive or not?" She had to bring up the topic that I was trying to forget.
"Yeah, well… Are you giving me a shitting choice here?" I scowled.
"I guess you're still peeved off from last night…" A tiny smile was forming at the corner of her lips.
"You were right, miss Heartilly… You are a good guesser!" I reminded her of the event where she had kidnapped my mail… Yeah, the one where Jake walked in.
"It's a natural talent with me. So are many other things…" She grinned.
"Right… But discretion isn't one of them!" I snapped back.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Anger was gleaming in her eyes.
"You were staring at me at the garage! The mechanic noticed! Could I please know why you were staring at me?" I braked at the stop sign and drove on.
And BINGO. She didn't know what to respond. "What… I… Was not!"
"Yeah, honey… You were!" I replied, "Its very flattering for me but it's kind of embarrassing when the mechanist starts to think your in a relationship with a picky, annoying bitch like you!"
"I am not a picky, annoying bitch! You're a dumb loser!" She countered.
"Yeah? Well, you're an arrogant, self-centered, evil, manipulating, cruel, little witch!" I pulled into the driveway.
"Well, you're hair-cut is ugly!" She responded.
"How old are you?" I scowled, questioning the level of her maturity.
"How old are you?" She answered the question with the same question.
We didn't look at each other for a moment. We just sat in the car, silently. All of a sudden, this feeling of relief overwhelmed me… "That felt really nice."
She must have known what I meant because she replied, "Yeah… It did." Another moment of silence, "So are you or are you not teaching me how to drive?"
"If you help me study some more." I offered her a deal.
"Ok… settled then."
Sammy: Heh heh … this ought to be interesting … teaching Rinoa how to drive. I promise that no innocent lampposts or stop signs will be hurt. Well, anyways … read and review! Updates next week!
