(AN)-- Another update! As you'll read, you'll notice…a few minor adjustments to what would have been in the game. It's a little confusing but you'll see what I mean. As for the rest of the characters, they'll show up eventually. I haven't exactly decided which chapter they'll show up in though. As for Yuffie's character: I don't think she's ugly, but I had to think up some realistic problems for the characters. Since she's new and a freshman and a little naïve – okay, so she's not naïve per se but you get it. I hope.

` p a n d o r a

s c h o o l b l u e s

iii. yuffie kisaragi

"As you'll note, the language of Wutai is very exotic; it's most likely the only location you'll find with strong accents."

Yuffie breathed a sigh. Her teacher seemed to be droning on forever. Maybe she would have paid attention had she not been born a pure Wutainian, and if she actually wanted to learn. The fact was, though, she knew the language inside and out, and she didn't need some Wutainian amateur to tell her how to speak her own language. He wasn't even Wutainian to begin with, for Hell Fire's sake! He was some overweight teacher donning a hideous brown suit and a green tie. This guy should be fired for the sake of everyone's health.

She looked down at her doodling and wrote her name with slick strokes of the thin brush, the black scripted character scrawling across the page with grace. This is super boring!

"Now, I will hand out your-

"Excuse me?"

Everyone spun their heads to the door and stared at the curvy figure at the door – a pure female. She walked inside with elegance she wished she had. Then, the mysterious girl walked up to the teacher and handed him a slip. Yuffie continued looking out the door and caught a glimpse of a grinning redhead that was behind the girl, perhaps walking her to class. Then, he turned away and walked in the opposite direction of her class.

Yuffie was well aware of her cheeks stroked crimson.

"Well now, I have myself a senior aide so…" He paused to look at the name on the paper. "Miss Tifa Lockheart. Will you please hand out the books to everyone? They're sitting on the back shelf."

She complied with his commands and passed out the books, then plopped down on a chair in the back, further away from the teacher, which, coincidentally, happened to be the very seat behind Yuffie. Of course, not that it was any significance of the time.

Tifa sighed. The idiot had gotten her late. The only repayment he had offered was to walk her to class that, in turn, would get him late. She snorted. Some penance.

~

The sound of a screeching bell reverberated around all areas of the school, signifying that the last warning bell was approaching.

Reno still wasn't finished on his subject on the "glories of sex." Couldn't this perverted man stop? He was really beginning to grate her nerves.

"Reno!" She yelled to catch his attention.

"Yes, milady?"

Her shoulders slumped. Why had he so insisted on calling her 'milady' or 'sweetheart' when it was definite that she was born with a name? He probably had no idea she had one, what with all the times he had refused to call her by it.

"If you get me late with all this sickening talk of insertion, I will beat your head into the ground." She warned.

"Sickening?" He grinned wryly. "I doubt so. You wish it was me doing you, right?"

"You know…you need to get a girlfriend…bad!"

"That could be arranged, but that would require one of us to surrender to the hypnotic effects of the other."

Tifa rolled her eyes. If she even retorted to that question, she knew what the answer was already. However, something deep inside her told her to say something, otherwise she would definitely blow a gasket. It was hard not to reciprocate any of his words when he constantly teased her about her feelings, which she didn't have any for anyone at the moment.

"And which one would have to surrender?"

"You, of course."

"If my dad heard that, he'd have your hide in a heartbeat."

"Yeah," he nodded gravely, "your dad scares me."

"You are such a liar."

"Yeah, I know. But you love me anyway."

The final bell rang.

"Oh, you idiot!"

~

After that scenario, she had found herself late to her first class. Thankfully, her teacher wasn't bent on tardiness; otherwise, she was sure she would have received detention. And, if she were to get detention, she wouldn't have let the pig-headed spitfire run loose while she was cooped up in the Hell Cage.

Of course, all that was theoretic. She hadn't gotten detention and for that, the damn spitfire should be thankful.

Then again, he was notorious for receiving multiple detentions at a time so it wouldn't make that much of a difference.

Yuffie stole a peek at Tifa behind her. No wonder she was so beautiful. She was a senior. She also probably inherited the good genes. Damn you, Godo.

Finally, after what seemed like endless hours of torture, the screeching bell sounded off again. Yuffie stood up and gathered her books together and stood outside the room, waiting for Nanaki to come by and pick her up. She still hadn't had a tour of the school and looking for her classrooms on her own was like committing suicide.

Tifa soon walked out the door after many of her other classmates filed out, and she walked to the nearest row of lockers and stacked some books inside. Yuffie sighed, agitated that her dear friend hadn't shown up yet. She glanced at her watch and found she had three minutes until the next bell would ring.

Oh, Nanaki…where the hell are you?

Her dream-glazed violet eyes looked to her left and right frequently before she gave up and decided to get some help. Quickly, she jogged over to the still occupied Tifa Lockheart and tapped her shoulder. She was a senior; she was a freshman. Hopefully, Shiva was on her side and would make this girl before her nice and different from the snooty seniors she heard about.

"Uh…excuse me?" Yuffie stammered, looking down suddenly. What a great time to be shy.

Tifa closed her locker and looked at the younger girl. She smiled.

"You're in that Wutainian class, aren't you?"

Whew! So far, everything was going great.

"Yeah."

When she didn't say anything, Tifa looked at her expectantly but in a patient manner. Was she not aware that there was only a minute and a half before the bell would ring? She hadn't even budged from her place. By now, she would have thought that the perfect senior would get a move on.

"Um…yeah. I…uh…you see-

"Sweetheart! There you are!" A voice interrupted. Yuffie looked behind her and spotted that familiar redhead. Dashing and debonair. Sported shades. Clothes disheveled. It was a definite time for swooning.

Tifa groaned and shot Yuffie an apologetic smile.

"Reno, my name is not 'sweetheart.'"

"Yeah, but you love it."

Tifa laughed. "I'm so sure."

Thirty seconds left and counting…

"Come on, I'll walk you to your next class. That is, unless you want to hang with me and the rest of the gang, you know?"

Tifa shifted the weight of her books from one arm to the other. Reno rolled his eyes and grabbed the books, holding them for her whilst receiving a gracious smile from the young woman.

"I don't know."

"Elena will write you a pass. She's a newspaper editor; therefore, she works in the office. She has access to pretty much everything. Come on. It'll be fun."

"All right, all right. Just lay off."

Five, four, three, two, one…

Yuffie clamped her eyes shut. She heard no bell.

"Are you okay?" Tifa asked, concerned.

Yuffie cracked open an eye, then the other. "No…bell?"

Reno broke into laughter. "I see that you've made a friend with a freshman. Figures. Look here, little lady," he calmly and casually wrapped an arm around Yuffie's shoulders, "the passing period in this school is a lovely eight minutes. Don't fret about getting late."

Yuffie looked at the arm draped over her left shoulder. "Uh…do you mind taking your arm off of me?"

Tifa released a mock gasp. "I guess you're not all that irresistible, are you Reno?"

He grinned. "Shut up, you. So, kid, what's your name?"

"Yuffie Kisaragi."

"Hm…never heard that one before."

Tifa stared at him. "Maybe if you put more effort into being more cultural, you would have. It's not a common name; she's from Wutai. And, by the way, the name should have knocked some sense into whatever brain cells you have left because she's the daughter of the governor."

"She is!" It came out as an exclamation rather than a question, but he was flabbergasted all the same. "Wow…"

"It's no big deal." Yuffie said. "And could you keep your voice down to a minimum when you say that. No one really knows that I am."

"Wait a minute. But you just said-

"Exactly my point, Reno."

He shot a glare in Tifa's direction. "Are you saying that the school is stupid not to recognize that cute face?"

Yuffie blushed but hid her face from view.

"The majority is, yes. Plus, I heard that the principal made sure that the teachers don't call out her last name. It would give her away for sure."

"Then how do you know?"

"I watch the news, unlike some people. Plus, I don't open my big mouth as much as you do. And please, don't tell Elena. She'll have a ball with this one."

"Maybe. Okay, kid, what is it you need?"

"Huh?"

"I saw you talking with sweetheart over here."

"Tifa." Tifa growled.

"Oh. Uh…I need to find my next class…"

Reno stroked his chin. "Well, you can always skip the class and come with us."

Tifa nodded in encouragement. "We'll make sure you aren't caught skipping. The idiot here knows everything about that. And hey, while we're at it, I can give you a tour of the school. It'll help you get acquainted."

"Um…"

"Oh, please. Just live a little." Reno urged and winked.

Oh, who could deny that face? Besides, these two seemed like very nice and people and, if she continued on this social path, she would make many friends in no time. How many freshmen can say they know seniors? Okay, so it wasn't much of a topic to have a fiesta about, but at least she would have friends.

"Sure."