A Final Fantasy VIII Fan Fic
All rights to the characters and names of locations are owned by SquareSoft
The Highwayman Copyright Jim Webb
Rated R for language and sexual content
By Toysaurus
Chapter Two
I was a highwayman
Along the coach roads I did ride
With sword and pistol by my side.
And many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
And many a soldier left his life blood on my blade.
They finally hung me in the spring of '25
But I am still alive
The Highwayman
Principal Cid Kramer sat eating lunch in the employee's small dining room. Actually calling it a dining room was a misnomer. It was a dining room only in the strictest definition; a place where people dined.
There were some very small tables, possibly room for two if the diners were willing to crowd. Most of the teachers preferred to eat alone in order to look over their lesson plans for their afternoon classes. Plus a lot of the teachers felt as if their teaching careers at Balamb High closely resembled life during wartime and they made a conscious choice not to get too close to their co-workers; because no one knew who might not be there the next day.
Orders for lunch were taken such as they were. There were only so many choices available in a daily school lunch. Many employees brought their lunch for this reason. There was a microwave oven in the room, but it was believed to be emitting dangerous rays by most teachers so it was rarely used. The lunches were rolled in on noisy metal carts with wheels.
It was all arranged as a way to keep from making the teachers eat lunch in the cafeteria with the students. In an ideal world, the teachers would have wanted to eat a meal with their students in order to learn how they interacted with others outside of the classroom. Balamb High was far was an ideal world.
In fact, the teachers who were the students' lunch room monitors had all they could to do to keep it from turning into a full scale riot and sometimes they failed. Monitoring lunch time had caused more teachers to resign than any other reason, including have their cars fire bombed.
Sitting across from the principal was the new school counselor, Edea Arcane. She was a very attractive woman with long dark hair and a beautiful figure with the promise of a substantial bosom beneath her tasteful outfits. Being in her mid-thirties, the principal realized from doing more than just scanning her personnel record that Edea was still a miss. He just couldn't understand how such a beauty had remained unplucked, so to speak.
As if reading his mind, but the opposite of it, Edea asked, "So how is it you're still unmarried? You're not gay are you?"
Cid coughed and almost took in a bit of his lunch down his windpipe by mistake. Blushing, he answered, "No, why do you ask?"
"Oh, did I upset you, I'm sorry," Edea smiled at him.
Cid melted on the spot. "Have we ever met before?" he asked seriously.
"Oh, come now, isn't that the oldest line in the book?" Edea smiled at him.
"No, I'm serious, I feel as though we knew each other before now," Cid explained.
"You mean like a past life or something?" Edea asked.
"Maybe, I just feel as though I already know you and yet we just met."
"You know," she smiled, "I had no idea you were so smooth. One wouldn't know it to look at you."
"I'm not," Cid replied seriously.
"I know," Edea replied just as seriously.
After that exchange in which they both had embarrassed themselves, they lowered their heads and ate a few bites of their lunch.
"What is this, by the way?" the woman asked. "It appears to resemble dried snot."
Cid choked on his food.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I disturb you again?"
You have quite a quirky sense of humor, don't you?" asked Cid.
"Some people say the quirkiest, but then this town isn't exactly a garden spot, is it?"
"What did you say - garden? What do you mean?" demanded Cid.
"I just meant the city of Balamb isn't exactly a garden spot. Why? What's wrong? You just turned white. Are you okay?" Edea asked concerned.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. It just hit something in me, I don't know what," admitted the principal.
"Well, you know that Jersey is the Garden state, haha."
"Yes, I know," Cid sighed. "But exactly what kind of garden it is I've never been able to figure out - I think it's a garden of roads."
"Not to change the subject, but is the first week always this hectic?" the new counselor queried.
"Actually risking sounding like an old guard this week has been pretty mellow compared to other years. We haven't had any shootings or knifings so far this year," Cid replied sardonically.
"You're kidding, I hope," Edea responded.
"Not by much, what did you do before you came here?"
"Oh, come on, you must know. I bet you were pouring all through my personnel file this morning," Edea teased.
When she observed Cid blush deeply, Edea realized she hit paydirt. Bingo! she thought. One for our side.
"Ok, I'll play fair," the black haired woman said while smiling. "I ran an orphanage, a very small one."
She looks beautiful when she smiles.
Cid continued to stare at her. "Okay, what are you thinking?" she asked.
He blushed again. "Uh, I'm sorry, I just couldn't tell you that."
"Kinky, wasn't it? You were thinking something kinky about me and now you're ashamed to admit it," Edea teased.
"Well, if you're going to accuse me of misconduct, I'll have to tell you. I was thinking about how beautiful you look when you smile."
A minute passed by and the principal grew even more embarrassed He noticed a tear ran down the new counselor's face. Oh, what have I done? I always think I'm so damn smart.
Finally Edea spoke. "It's been quite awhile since anyone told me I was beautiful, thank you."
Cid was all set to make a light hearted statement when he observed a look of deep sadness in her eyes and he thought better of it.
The Balamb High Football team won its' first game of the season forty-nine to zero over little Winhill High School. Seifer was the hands down hero of the game, throwing for over three hundred yards and running for almost another two hundred more. And he wanted to play on the defense too. The coach had to admit Seifer could have been an all state linebacker if he had been allowed to play that position also, but the coach also knew if Seifer had gotten injured playing defense the town of Balamb would have ridden him out of town on a rail.
Which made Cid's job as principal even harder when it came to such things as disciplining Seifer, as he was explaining to Edea in his office on Tuesday morning.
"I take it this is a little more official than our lunch was?" Edea asked with a slight twinkle in her eyes.
Cid blushed remembering just that he had made a fool of himself in front of a new subordinate and could probably be charged with sexual harassment.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the pretty woman spoke sincerely. "I've caused you to blush again."
Cid offered a slight grin. "Not your fault, goes with the job. The reason I asked you to come in was I need your opinion on something."
"Oh, okay," Edea responded sitting up straighter in her chair and appearing more focused.
Cid went on to explain. "The gist of it is that Seifer has continued with his half denuding various freshmen boys. Now the people who are really complaining about this are the young female teachers. I have spoken with the youngest female students we have. They informed me they thought it was funny. And on top of all that, I talked to the freshmen boys and offered them complete anonymity and they said it didn't bother them. So my question to you is what do you make of all that?"
Edea sat and pondered for a moment and then spoke. "I think the freshmen women who haven't yet experienced sex find that being able to sneak a peek at what lays beneath boys outer apparel in this manner is naturally intriguing and helps to satisfy their curiosity without being threatening in any fashion."
"I think the freshmen boys don't mind because of the notoriety it carries with it. From what you have told me before of this boy, Seifer, he's a minor god around here and to be picked out for attention by him makes the person special in the eyes of his peers, even if it's only negative attention."
"But what of it being only young female teachers who are complaining to me about it?" Cid inquired again.
"You might find this distasteful, Cid, but you have to remember that it's subconscious and probably the teachers don't have a inkling of it. They find the entire thing to be sexually attractive and it's bothering their sense of morality. No, they're not attracted to the freshmen boys, they're attracted to Seifer. To them on a primal level, he represents the hunter, the leader of the pack, and when they instinctively realize that, they submerge it quickly again as being too distasteful to deal with."
Cid sat back silent for a moment drinking in that particular piece of information, probably more than he had ever wanted to know about his young women staff. "Well, that's very interesting," he replied, "and very insightful. From what you said I think I'm just going to let things ride for awhile."
At least until football season is over, he thought cynically.
Arising to his feet, Cid invited, "What say we have lunch off campus today?"
Standing up also, Edea smiled and replied, "Why Principal Kramer, is this a date?"
"Play your cards right and it could be." Cid smiled in return.
"Should we be doing this?"
"What, eating off campus? Sure, we don't have to eat here," Cid answered being deliberately obtuse.
"No, I mean go on a date. Mightn't some people suggest that it is at best a conflict of interest?"
Leading Edea from his office, Cid responded, "Mightn't those people just go to hell?"
Raijin was seated on a stone bench in the small senior's park which was situated in the middle of all the school buildings closed off in a rectangle. He had a free period because of being a senior and only needing his state required senior courses to graduate.
He had no idea yet where he was going to attend college the next year, but he was already certain he would. A number of colleges had offered him full scholarships to play football, but he was waiting to see what his good friend would decide. Seifer promised him that he would not sign any scholarships without their explicit promise to include Raijin; they were a package deal.
Hey, there's that chick again that everybody is afraid of, I just don't get it. She looks cool to me.
Fujin sat on the other side of the courtyard directly across from Raijin as she did every school day that it wasn't raining. She would stare right through him if she noticed him at all.
Damn! She's real sweet looking too. I'm gonna go talk to her, the worst she can do is kill me, haha.
Fujin didn't betray any of her thoughts or feelings as she watched Raijin cross the yard to her. In fact she didn't even blink.
"Do you mind if I sit down?" Raijin queried.
"NO."
That's another thing I love about her, she doesn't waste any time on small talk, Raijin thought as he sat down next to her.
"I'm Raijin."
She nodded at him. "FUJIN."
"Cool, I play football, ya know?"
"KNOW."
"Would you go with me next week to the Welcome Back Dance?"
Fujin cocked her head and searched his face for any hidden trace of trickery or ridicule. Seeing none, she replied, "SURE."
Raijin beamed at her and let out the breath he had been holding while waiting for her answer. "Cool, ya know!"
The bell rang for the next hours' changing of classes. "Come on," Raijin invited standing up and holding his arm out. "I'll walk you to your next class."
Fujin stood up, looped her arm through the young man's and they strolled off together as though they were on a walk in the country. From a deep corner of the courtyard, Rinoa had watched with avid eyes. The senior's park was where she hid out for most of the day. It was basically fool proof. No body else could be there for more than an hour so she would walk into the building with the old group and walk back out with the incoming group.
Raijin was getting along famously with that girl. I bet if he likes her, then Seifer probably does too. I'm gonna have to try and befriend her to see if I can get to Seifer through her.
"Hahaha!" Seifer laughed his big guffaw. "You were doing what?!"
He was speaking to Raijin who was standing next to him in the Balamb High shower room. It was just after football practice and they were both showering down in preparation of leaving for home.
"I said I was talking to Fujin and she's way cool."
"Well, you can have her and keep her away from me," Seifer retorted.
"Aw Seifer, don't be like that. I like her, ya know and I like you so I would like you two to like each other, ya know?"
"You know something, Rage? You get more confusing as each year goes by. I think I'm the only person alive who would have understood that last statement," Seifer laughed. "I'm telling you though and I'm not kidding around here. Take her to the dance, take her to the moon for all I care; just keep her away from me. She gives me the creeps. I can't explain it and I don't want to, ok?"
"Ok, you're the boss, ya know?"
"Yeah," Seifer smirked. "Just see that you remember that."
On Wednesday of that week in the very early afternoon following lunch Rinoa hurried into the senior's park and was overjoyed to see Fujin sitting alone without Raijin sitting beside her which was usually the case. He must have gotten a late start from the cafeteria, she realized.
Not mincing her intentions, Rinoa strode over to where Fujin was sitting and introduced herself. "Hello, my name is Rinoa Heartilly."
"FUJIN."
"The thing was I was wondering if you would like to come to my house for dinner on Saturday night?" Rinoa asked with tentativeness in her voice.
"SURE."
It took Rinoa a few seconds to realize the young woman had said yes, she had been so certain she would be turned down.
"Cool!" the dark-haired woman exclaimed. "Give me your address and I'll come with father's chauffeur to pick you up. Is six alright? And don't worry, we don't have to eat with that man."
"YES."
Fujin tore out a sheet of line notebook paper and scribbled her address and passed it to Rinoa.
"Great!" she responded. "See you then."
"FINE," Fujin said. Hehehe, she thought.
Rinoa realized she had just made it under the wire as Raijin was just coming out of the school as she walked away from Fujin. Raijin came sauntering up and asked, "What was that?"
"DATE."
"With Rinoa?" Raijin asked in wonderment.
"YEP."
They both locked eyes for a second and giggled, "Hehehehe."
During his free period on Thursday instead of going to senior's park and looking for someone to beat on, Zell decided to go to the library instead. He wasn't interested in locating a good book to read, though. Zell had struck a limited (so far) friendship with a senior girl who spent her free period each day volunteering in the library. She was hoping to major in Library Science in college so the match was perfect as the school budget had been slashed to the bare minimum only leaving one permanent librarian and she only worked part time.
Zell realized that most of the school thought she was a nerd, but he didn't care. Zell delighted in going against the grain, no matter what the issue was. Plus he thought she was kinda cute, although she still insisted in wearing her hair in those ridiculous pig-tails.
Walking into the library he observed a couple of the bigger football players giving her a hard time over by one of the shelves near the back. He just couldn't why it seemed the bigger the players were, the weaker the people they picked on. That's why Zell could never accept any of that sports builds character crap. It always looked to him as if it just built smarter animals.
"Hey Kristine, you okay?" he called out on his way over. Zell didn't necessarily want to force the players into fisticuffs although he would never back down from a fight. He wasn't frightened of them in the least. Zell just didn't want to damage any football players the day before a game.
By the time he reached her side, the players had vanished, almost as if they had dematerialized. "Thank you, Zell" Kristine said sincerely. "That was very brave."
"Oh shucks m'am, tweren't nothing," he drawled in his best John Wayne imitation. Kristine giggled and reached forward and touched him lightly on the arm. "You're great, you know that?"
Zell had to turn his head quickly so the young woman wouldn't see the tears that had sprung to his eyes. No body had ever said that to him that he could remember, but particularly not a girl. What's going on with me? he wondered.
"Zell, you okay?" Kristine asked worriedly.
Returning his gaze to her, Zell solemnly said, "Just better than I've ever been my entire life. Carry your books for you after school?"
"It would be an honor, sir," Kristine replied.
Before Kristine realized and really before Zell realized too, he leaned down and offered a small kiss on her lips. "See you then," he smiled at her before sauntering from the library.
Kristine reached up in wonderment and touched her lips gently with two fingers. I think I'm in love.
On Friday evening fifteen minutes before the initial kickoff in the Balamb High - East Academy football game, Brianna, one of the other cheerleaders sidled next to Rinoa and snottily asked her, "Are you wearing your panties tonight or shall I expect some thing scandalous again out of you?"
Rinoa looked on in complete shock for a few seconds and then she slapped the blonde young woman across her smug appearing face.
Brianna stood stunned herself for a couple of seconds and then exclaimed, "You bitch!"
She then launched herself onto Rinoa clutching at her beautiful long dark hair with both hands. Rinoa screamed in pain.
Seifer, on the field warming up with the team, loudly announced, "Cat fight!" This caused everyone on the field and near sidelines to turn and stare at the battling cheerleaders.
"This is great, ya know," Raijin commented.
"Let go of me," Rinoa hissed with great pain in her voice.
"In your dreams!" Brianna retorted. "You started it."
Deciding she had suffered enough, Rinoa tore the sweater and short cheerleader's skirt off Brianna leaving the shapely blonde only wearing her skimpy scanties.
"You slut! I'll get you for this!" Brianna promised before running off to hide under the stands.
"Rinoa, what are you thinking of?" Shana asked. "You're squad captain. People look up to you and depend on you to do the right thing."
Guilt suddenly stabbed at Rinoa as if from a far distance. One bolt of lightning struck startling everyone present as it was one of those that appear to start at ground level and go up to the heavens.
"That may be, but no one can speak to me like that. I won't allow it!"
Shana just sadly shook her head.
