(Author's Note: Yey! I got reviews and I'm now really happy and to make up for the past week of neglect on my story because of school, I intend to do at least 2 chapters during my long weekend. As usual, I would like to thank Alex and Sacha, my two fellow fanfic friends even though they don't really care (you guys suck!). Purple Rose, my inspiration. Optical Goddess for her support and Tiger5913, for her MANY kind reviews. Thank you all. And Sophie, ill later write a scene on grass just for you k? This is an inside joke for all of you who are really confused right now. Thank you thank you thank you)
(Just to pick up where I left off. At first, I meant this to be a pure romance fluff fic, but for some reason its turning into a full fledged angst story which was not my intent since I suck at writing those. So, hopefully, in the following chapters, I will go back to the fluff while keeping my original story line since this would be an even more idiotic story if I just left it like that. So, for those of you who were anticipating the fluff I promised in chapter one, chapter 7 is going to be `the ball'...pure lovey dovey. Thank you for being patient.)
*~Chapter 6~*
Lipstick, High heels, Diamond Rings and Decisions
Zell sighed in impatience as he continued picking at an old piece of hot dog residue wedged in his teeth. He had been siting on the newly built air pad extension for over an hour and he was getting more than bored. *Where is he?* the blonde fighter questioned, when finally giving up on the hot dog skin and standing up to start his usual hobby of shadow boxing.
It wasn't long before a loud humming began to fill his ears, the far sound of a high powered jet. It got louder and louder until Zell could see the distinct outline of a massive air vehicle hovering on the horizon...the Ragnarok...finally.
The incredible ship, silhouetted against the rising sun, slowed down to a crawl as it neared Garden, it's landing gear extended and slowly but surely, it lowered onto the airship landing extension.
Zell stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to warm them from the chill of dawn and cautiously made his way towards the Ragnarok. He watched in fascination when the many lights and gears shut down and the ramp lowered to the make shift runway, allowing the single pilot to shuffle back down to solid ground.
"Where the hell have you been?" Zell demanded to the descending figure, his arms loaded with bags of purchases. The pilot paused for a moment, squinting in the dim light to identify his harasser. Seeing it was no one more threatening than his friend Zell, he continued down the ramp, ignoring him.
"Hello!" Zell followed him off of the landing pad and back into the corridors of Garden. "You can't just take the Ragnarok of all ships off on a pleasure cruise in the middle of the night! Especially without notifying the air authorities! What were you thinking?!"
"I'm the Commander" Squall replied emotionlessly, shifting his bags to his right hand as he searched his pockets for the card key that would allow him to use the elevators after curfew. "I can do whatever I want."
Zell scowled. "Just because you're Commander doesn't mean you can throw around the rules like this. It's not like you."
"Whatever." Squall drummed his fingers on the wall impatiently as he waited for the lift to arrive; doing his best to ignore Zell who refused to give up.
"What's wrong Squall?" He insisted, firmly crossing his arms over his chest, a sign that he wasn't leaving any time soon. "And don't say `nothing or `whatever' cause something is obviously up."
Squall almost laughed, but contained himself. Of course something was up! He was about to literally destroy everything he had worked for up until now by eloping with Rinoa. No sane man wouldn't be bothered by that thought. I mean, would anyone who ever met him even think that he would ELOPE! Words like that didn't belong in the same sentence as Squall Leonhart. It was strange and wonderful miracle. One that he knew most people would surely find entertaining. Squall's drumming became more incessant as he pondered what to say to get him off his back.
He couldn't tell him.
He couldn't tell anyone or they would try to stop him. Try to make him see sense and the only thing he wanted to see was Rinoa...and their future together.
"I'm just stressed..." he verbally improvised "I needed a little time to myself...to unwind. You understand?"
Zell smiled, glad that Squall had so readily admitted something to him. Interpreting the lie as a sign that they were getting closer as friends, Zell gingerly place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly in moral support. Squall tried not to flinch or punch him, as were his instincts.
*Only one more day* he reminded himself *one more day and I'm free of this...people trying to get me to open up all the time. When all I want is to be left alone. Alone with her.*
"I understand" Zell whispered. "Just next time, tell someone before you take a spin on a 3 billion gil aircraft...Xu would of killed me for not keeping a better eye on it."
The elevator finally arrived, and the two men strode in, both heading to their dorms on the new 4^th floor for the elite SeeD.
"Need help with one of those?' the blonde fighter asked when they arrived, gesturing to the many bags Squall held, peering into a half open one. Curious to what was so important to Squall that he had to go out in the middle of the night to get it. "Clothes?" he exclaimed in shock, noticing that many of the bags contained nothing more than casual men's wear. "What? Are you planning a five year vacation or something?"
"Something like that." Squall shrugged, gathering the bags on his own and quickly scurrying down the hall, trying to make it as obvious as possible that he didn't care to continue the conversation.
"I suggest you get some sleep!" Zell yelled down the corridor from the intersection of hallways since his own room was in the opposite direction. "You look like hell." And with that, he left, sure that he wouldn't be getting any more information and confident that nothing was seriously wrong.
Squall tiptoed the rest of the way, fumbling noiselessly with the keycard to his room and desperate for no one else to discover he had gone out. Throwing the bags inside, Squall carefully closed the door behind him and went to sit on his bed, his purchases on the floor at his feet where he could double check that he had everything. This whole thing made him extremely paranoid, constantly nervous that someone would somehow get inside his head, discover his plans and reveal them to Cid, who would surely do something drastic to prevent his commander from `kidnapping' the sorceress.
After all the trials and debates the headmaster had gotten into to convince the world council that Rinoa's powers were dormant for a while and she would be totally secure in Garden, to think what would happen if she went missing?...
Cid would be forced to retire from the job he created for himself...Garden would lose its hard earned reputation and the world would turn its hostility to it instead of the lost sorceress.... And he, Squall, would be a wanted man all over the world for the highest of all treason...
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
The only thing that would really change is that they'd be able to have a public relationship but in hiding. What was the point in that?
Squall shook these thoughts of doubt from his mind. It was too late now anyway. He had already gathered and arranged everything so that he and Rinoa could live a peaceful life on the coast near Winhill...his hometown. Hard to think of anything besides Garden being called his home but he had, in fact, been born there. It was only natural that he went there to start his own new life.
Picking up the nearest bag from his foot, Squall began digging through its contents for his most important purchase. This bag was from the bank, and held about 6 billions gil in cash and a few fake identifications. He had withdrew everything that he had earned from his account since he became a SeeD, and that was A LOT of money considering that, besides an occasional box of bullets for his gunblade, he never had the need to buy anything. It was more than enough to start anew until they got settled. But that wasn't what he was looking for...
It wasn't long before, buried underneath the bills, he saw a small, black, velvet box.
Drawing a rattling breath, Squall slowly pulled out the case, almost as if he were afraid it would suddenly spring to life and bite him. Though he knew very well that it wasn't the box he was afraid of, it was what it symbolized. A never ending bond between two people...a pledge of eternal devotion...something more frightening than Ultimecia herself.
Firmly gripping the top cover with his fingers, he opened it, revealing a beautiful platinum engagement ring. The stone itself was beautifully cut in the shape of a four-pointed diamond, which glimmered in the dim light of his room like an actual shooting star. He remembered seeing it in a shop a year ago and immediately thinking about how Rinoa would love it. Seconds later he had literally ran away from it as fast as possible, scared about even thinking about Rinoa and an engagement ring.
The sight of the ring seemed to ease his nerves a little, and he couldn't help but smile as he carefully took it out of its case and read the inscription.
`Forever...I promise'.
No, he was no longer afraid of marriage, as long as it was to the most caring, intimate and beautiful woman in the world. His Rinoa...Mrs. Leonhart...he actually liked the sound of that.
Returning the ring to its case, Squall fell back into his bed, the rare smile still stuck to his face. *Tonight...* he thought happily *After tonight nothing will ever be the same again.*
He was going to go to the ball, do his best to avoid any contact with Laguna, make his `speech', propose to Rinoa and then...before anyone had time to blink...they would be well on their way.
With these reassuring thoughts floating through his mind, it wasn't long before the tired Commander of SeeD fell into a deep and pleasant sleep. The first he had had in years.
~*~
"Rinoa?..."
She heard a voice calling...sounding vaguely familiar and yet so foreign and far away.
"Rinoa!..." It continued to taunt, getting louder with every passing second.
"Leave me alone..." she muttered to the voice, roughly pressing her pillow to her ear in an attempt to block out to sound.
"RINOA!! GET UP!!" She had no choice in the matter when she felt the comforter she was wrapped up in, be yanked off her bed along with her body, the entire heap crashing to the floor.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Selphie asked the struggling pile of sheets and limbs on the ground. "You missed more than half of your classes already!"
Rinoa groaned...classes...she forgot about those. A year of them and she still forgot. What a great SeeD she would make.
Refusing to remove herself from the warm quilt, Rinoa's arm fumbled on her nightstand for her battery operate clock. Bringing it to her face, the glowing red number stared at her menacingly.
2:36 PM...shit.
"All your instructors have been harassing me all day to find you and of course I look every where but your room cause the ever-so-diligent Rinoa Heartilly is never late unless she was in some fatal accident or something and I was so worried!" She bent down next to her friend, pulling the sheets off of her face. Rinoa winced at the sudden exposure to light but didn't protest as Selphie examined her, aggressively twisting her head this way and that so that just in case her neck wasn't broken, it would be soon. "Hmm...well you look all right to me. So you better have a good excuse girl!"
Rinoa brought her hand to her head with a sigh. "Squall...need I say more."
"Oh...him again." Automatically guessing that this was going to take awhile, Selphie seated herself next to Rinoa cross-legged, signally that she was ready to listen and knowing that the spirited black haired girl always wanted to talk about what was bothering her.
Last night, after what seemed like countless hours of crying and pondering, Rinoa had only gotten to sleep at around 3 in the morning. Even if she had remember to set an alarm, she didn't think she would have paid attention to it. She was more likely to become Garden's new commander than actually pay attention to a stupid clock that buzzed annoyingly only to force her into another day of endless lessons on the top ten ways to disembowel someone with maximum pain. Torture, that what this all was...sheer torture.
"So what'd he do this time?" she asked, annoyed herself that Squall was so harsh towards her friend. "Forget an anniversary? Going to fast? Going to slow (which is more likely)? He's too reserved? He's boring? He wouldn't know a romantic gesture if one hit him in the head? Take your pick. I've got more."
Rinoa shook her head at all of these suggestions. "Nothing," she replied in a pained voice "he's done absolutely nothing." Her actual relationship with Squall, when they had one, was nothing less than perfect. Behind closed doors he was a romantic, he did open up about his feelings, and she was attracted to him like a moth to a flame. But only behind closed doors...that was the problem.
It didn't take long for Selphie to decipher the answer. Everyone who wasn't a complete idiot could tell they had a relationship, and those who looked deeper into it could tell that that relationship was teetering on the edge of annihilation.
"I'm sorry Rinoa." She sympathized, rubbing her back sisterly like. "But you can't blame him for following orders. It's what he does. It's like his mission in life...to become the first human robot."
Rinoa laughed while trying to hold back tears. A human robot...it described him perfectly.
(`Squall, go jump off a cliff'-Cid
`Yes sir!')
"It's just so aggravating!" Rinoa threw her pillow across the room in frustration. "He won't even tell me why! Say's its (quote unquote) `top secret'. Most of the time I only go to meet him with the intent of breaking it off but then he..." a small smile suddenly found its way to her lips as she reminisced about her and Squall's encounters. The passion in a single kiss, the way he laughs, and his beautiful blue-gray eyes, as flawless as the sky itself.
"He's just so perfect! So damn perfect that I can't bear to let him go even if he is an idiot." Rinoa sighed as she slowly sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. "Or maybe I'm the idiot for expecting him to change."
Selphie only smiled and put reassuring hand on her shoulder. "There's a fine line between being an idiot and being in love." Rinoa paused, and considered this for a moment. Strangely, those were the most reassuring and wise words she had ever heard.
"I'll give him one more chance." She decided. "I love him but I don't want to waste my life being his secret mistress. I know it may be selfish but I want more than that."
"You DESERVE more than that." Selphie grinned once more before heading to the door, pausing at the threshold. "Have a shower and I'll be back in an hour to get ready for the ball. If you're going to be bargaining for the love of your life you may as well help the cause by looking gorgeous."
Rinoa laughed and nodded to her giddy friend. "Thank you. This has helped more than you'll ever know." Selphie nodded in return then exited into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
Gathering her blanket from the floor, Rinoa began making her bed and cleaning up her dorm. It was rarely a mess but after last night's little tantrum, it looked like a tornado had hit Balamb Garden. *Tonight...* she thought while tucking the sheets into her mattress *after tonight, things will be different. For better or for worse*
~*~
The bell rang at last, interrupting her speech on junctioning status effect, not that she cared. The great mass of students quickly began filing their notes into their binders and stuffing then in their bags, just as anxious as she was to get out of last period and begin preparing for tonight's festivities. It was, after all, in her and her friends' honor. She didn't want to show up looking like a rag doll.
"Don't forget I want your report on elemental magic is due on Monday" she yelled over the noise of scraping chairs and closing zippers. "And next week is the written exam for all those who are confident and skilled enough to apply for SeeD this year. Good luck and have fun tonight."
Quistis waited as her usual throng of fans approached her desk and began asking her pointless questions like "what time are you going to show up at?" and "what will you be wearing" and one boy even had the nerve to ask what color her underwear was going to be. Trepies Squall called them, and ever since then she had tried to get rid of them all but couldn't find the heart to reject people whom admired her so much.
So, with the simple excuse that she still had papers to grade, Quistis excused herself from the group and began to make her way to her dorm on the fourth floor. She didn't know why it was like their goal to have a little social interaction with her at least once a day. It was kind of sad how they always flocked to her, and it destroyed whatever respect she had once had with her students. There had only been two exceptions in her lifetime. Two people who wouldn't care less what color of underwear she was wearing and this, of course, left her with an unsurpassable urge to MAKE them care.
Seifer and Squall.
Seifer was an all around asshole so she could care less about what he thought cause he was a jerk to everyone and anyone. But Squall, he was different. He was the kind of guy that women were immediately attracted to, and one whom made a girl desperately want to discover what he was guarding so closely...his heart.
She had tried of course. Many had tried. But only one had succeeded...Rinoa.
Even her name alone made Quistis snarl in anger as she stepped out of the elevator. *What does she have that I don't?* Quistis wondered as she made her way to Selphie's dorm, where the bouncy brunette had promised to help her with her hair. Yes Rinoa was beautiful, but then so was she. What more did the guy want?
Quistis knocked loudly on Selphie's door, venting a bit of her rage on the hard wood. *It doesn't matter. After tonight, things will change. I will show him what he's been missing for the last few years and he will give up on that prissy little girl once and for all in exchange for a real woman. A woman with experience beyond his wildest dreams.* The blonde smiled to herself as she listened to Selphie start on the first of many locks guarding her door. *After tonight...he'll be mine.*
"Quistis!" Selphie exclaimed, as she was finally able to open the door a crack, still held by the security chain. "What are you doing here?" She seemed a little out of breath, which was odd for though hyper, Selphie always managed to look tamed. But at the moment her hair was disheveled and her usual, short yellow dress was twisted oddly.
"Am I interrupting something?" Quistis asked with a sly smile, pretty sure she knew exactly what she was interrupting. Easily peering over the head of the short brunette, Quistis could swear she saw the distinct silhouette of a cowboy hat on the floor of the darkened room.
Selphie, determined not to reveal her actions, quickly undid the security chain and stepped outside in the corridor, closing the door behind her. "I was just...cleaning" she obviously lied, but Quistis didn't care to pursue the subject. "So, for what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"Well, I was wondering when you wanted to start on my hair..." Selphie was Garden's only known stylist and everyone immediately rushed to her the moment a special occasion of some sort was announced. Quistis, because of her second job as assistance headmistress, always knew about parties and balls at least a day before they were announced and therefor went through much trouble to get a hold of Selphie before anyone else could.
But Selphie, by her look of shock, had obviously forgotten this. "Oh Hyne! Quistis I totally forgot I am so sorry!"
"It's quite alright..." she replied casually. So she forgot, no harm done. "I just wanted to know when..."
"No Quistis you don't understand. I COMPLETELY forgot and I kinda...I kinda promised someone else I'd help them out."
Quistis still didn't waver. If it came down to a choice between one of her best friends and some random student, she had total faith that Selphie would choose her. "Well tell them that you're very sorry but you can't make it."
Selphie didn't even take the time to consider this option before she shook her head. "I can't do that. Rinoa's really down lately and needs all the help she can get."
Quistis' eyes visibly flashed at the sound of her rival's name. Rinoa...first she steal's her guy and now she steals the hairstyle she was going to get in order to takethe guy back. *Well of course she needs all the help she can get!* Quistis decided mentally *If I hair like that, I'd be wearing a wig! Besides, Squall prefers more natural women. Even though I always enjoy getting dolled up, it only matters that I look attractive to him and only him.*
"It's okay Selphie," Quistis reassured her. "Go help Rinoa, I'll do fine on my own."
"Oh thank you!" she exclaimed happily giving her blonde friend a big bear hug. "I was so afraid you'd be mad at me."
"I don't think it's possible to stay mad at you." Quistis replied with a charming smile. "Now you can return to...whatever you were doing in there."
Selphie blushed, before giggling and hastily backing into her room, slamming the door. Only once out of sight did Quistis' face fall in disappointment. Her hate for Rinoa seemed to grow with every passing second.
~*~
"Yes...yes sir. That would be perfect. Thank you Mr. President." Cid paced in front of his desk as his wife finish the phone call with the president of Esthar, sir Laguna. The one who had control over the activities of the team of scientists and astronauts that had guarded the previous sorceress, Adel.
"What did he say?" Cid asked anxiously.
"I know of a secret area around Centra where we can take her. Laguna assured us that Tears Point's scientist will be ready if she prematurely comes into her powers. Or if Carraway gets to close to discovering us, I will take her myself."
"So you're going with her then?"
Edea nodded sadly, taking her husband's hand in her own. "I have no place here Cid. I love you, but like Rinoa, I will always be seen as a threat. We will be happy there, Rinoa is like a daughter to me and she always will be."
"Can you at least tell me where you're going? That way if an emergency arises..."
"No Cid," she interrupted. "No one can know. You understand? This is of the utmost importance that not one living soul discovers our whereabouts."
"I understand." He looked upon his wife with a new respect as he pulled her out of the chair into a soft embrace. Hyne she was beautiful, and so strong, always doing what she thinks is right no matter what the consequences.
"Promise me you'll be careful." He whispers in her ear and she nods against his shoulder, sobbing lightly.
"We should leave by dawn. A car is better more inconspicuous than the Ragnarok. Your job is to get her to the parking lot by dawn. By any means you have to."
"I'll do what is necessary. I promise."
~*~
"There! Perfect." Selphie stepped back to admire her work as Rinoa stared in the mirror. Overly concerned about her appearance tonight she kept constantly pulling at her blood red strapless dress and blending the corner of her eyeliner till it was almost unnoticeable.
"You look fine!" Selphie assure her friend, holding her hands to her sides so that she couldn't perform any more damage. "Trust me, Squall will fall over backwards when he sees you! And I'm sorry to say that if he doesn't, then he's most definitely gay."
Rinoa laughed and hugged her in appreciation. "Thank you so much Seffie. I bet Quistis wasn't too happy when you told her you promised to help me."
Selphie shrugged. "She'll get over it. Besides, you didn't know about the appointment, there's no way she can logically blame you."
"Oh she'll find away. Trust me, she always does."
Selphie waved the information aside as she picked up two pairs of strappy black sandals and tried one on each foot, trying to compare. "You shouldn't let her get to you." She stated while sifting her weight from one foot to the other. "It's not like she'd have a chance with Squall even if you weren't going out with him. She's just not his type given her reputation and all..."
Rinoa gave her friend a questioning glance. "What reputation?"
"You mean you don't know?" Selphie turned away from the mirror to face her, a look of pure astonishment on her face.
Rinoa sighed and shook her head. This officially confirmed her fears that she was the most anti-social person in all of Garden. It seemed she wouldn't have been informed even if the sky were falling.
"Well..." Selphie started, seeming a little awkward. "Let's just say she's gotten around." She said with a wink.
Rinoa, however, didn't seem to catch on. "What do you mean?" she asked, oblivious to what her friend was getting at.
Selphie fidgeted more. "Umm...let's say she's experienced in the bedroom."
She shrugged, still not getting it to the annoyance of Selphie. "Cripes Rinoa! I'm not going to spell it out for you!" But the black haired girl simply shrugged again and gave up, still in the dark on what the big secret was, thinking she was destined not to ever know what was going on. But if it had to do with Quistis, she could care less.
Selphie however, being a gossip queen, couldn't help but spill the beans even though it was embarrassing to say about her own friend. "To tell the truth Rinoa...Quistis is kinda...she's kinda..." she began to giggle "I'll just say it...she's kind of a slut."
"What!?" this had been that last thing Rinoa had expected Selphie of all people to say. Sure Quistis was known for her fondness of partying and enjoying the company of high-class men but Rinoa never considered her sleeping around. It was pretty hard to believe. "You're joking." She concluded with a laugh, but Selphie remained serious and shook her head.
"She actually gloats about it at times...I guess since Squall rejects her she's desperate to prove that she can have anyone she wants." Selphie seemed amused at the shocked look on Rinoa's face and took it as a sign for more information. "Everybody knows." She said as if it were a fact. "At least the students do (I don't think the Garden masters would be too happy with her extra curricular activities) and, this may just be a rumor, but she's supposed to be VERY good. There isn't a guy in Garden who would resist her. She has these tricks and things that..."
"I don't wanna know." Rinoa interrupted, falling back on her bed, thoroughly disturbed by the conversation. Selphie just shrugged and continued her mirror gazing while troubling thoughts plagued Rinoa.
Had the blonde already tried anything with Squall? If not, she surely would soon. What would he do? Would he be able to resist? Had it already happened?
The sorceress hugged herself in consolation as she tried to push these ideas and images from her mind but they kept on resurfacing. Would he do to Quistis what he wouldn't do to her?
No, she wasn't what anyone would call seductive or tempting. Quistis would be described as just that by many. Sure Squall had tried to get further with her whenever they met, but it was never really his top priority. They would always get interrupted and then wouldn't try again till much later. Maybe he didn't want her at all...what sane guy would when they had someone like Quistis fawning over them...It made sense. If he were sleeping with Quistis then he wouldn't want anyone to know about their relationship. Was that the `top secret' reason?
"I wouldn't worry about it," said Selphie reassuringly, noticing that Rinoa had been silent for a while now. "I've known him most of my life and Squall wouldn't go for someone like her. Especially when he has you."
"Are you sure?" she asked. Squall may act like a robot but he was still a man after all. "I mean...most guys would jump at the chance to..."
"Need I remind you that Squall isn't like most guys. And you are not like most girls. Trust me."
Rinoa nodded and decided that she wouldn't think about it until she got a chance to speak to Squall in person. He always had a way of banishing all feelings of doubt from her mind and she needed her strength tonight...for if he still refused to tell Garden then...
Rinoa looked over to the open suitcase beside her bed where half her clothes were already packed and ready to go, a train ticket to timber tomorrow afternoon was tucked inside the front pocket and she had a spot at medical school already reserved. This would hopefully discourage her from remaining in Garden if he refused her. She prepared for the worst since she really didn't expect Squall to change his mind. Still, the glimmer of hope was still glowing faintly in the back of her mind.
Maybe...not only would he announce that they were in love but he'd quit his job as Commander and whisk her away from this awful place...and then they'd get married and have 3 children along with a modest house in some small little village and then...yeah right.
Like that was going to happen. The chances of Squall doing anything of that proportion were so remote that they could be placed in the negative percentile. There was less than 0% chance of any girl ever having a normal family life with that man in particular.
It didn't matter though. All she wanted was to get rid of the secrecy. Once that was over, they would take things one step at a time.
"So are you really gonna go?" Selphie asked, breaking her stream of thoughts and gesturing to the suitcase and emptied drawers.
Rinoa sighed and nodded. "I don't want to but I can't stay here. I don't belong...you understand don't you?"
Selphie said nothing as she looked away and tried to hold back tears. "I understand...and I'll miss you." She fell to her knees in front of Rinoa, who was still sitting on her bed, and gave her a big bear hug, squeezing with almost inhuman force. "You know he's an idiot if he doesn't choose you. Cause you are beautiful my friend."
Lacking the oxygen to do much else, Rinoa patted her on the back gratefully, signaling to get off before she suffocates. "Enough of this depressing crap..." Selphie said, pulling away and still trying to determine which shoe looked better. "I don't know about you but I vow to have fun tonight. Promise me you'll have fun."
"I promise." Rinoa said with a smile. And that was one promise she meant to keep.
"So back to more important matters. Which do you think Irvine would like?" she lifted one leg and then the other to model each shoe with her dark blue outfit.
"So you are going with Irvine?"
"Well, he came to my room after last period today and practically begged me to come with him. He was on his knees with flowers and everything! In the middle of the busy hallway! How could I say no?"
Rinoa laughed through a pang of jealousy. "I wish Squall would do something that reckless. He's scared to even tap me on the shoulder if it's not behind a locked and securely bolted door."
"Aww but do not fear my friend. After tonight, he'll expose himself to the world!" she paused and took a moment to reflect on that statement as Rinoa giggled. "Not that I want to see him...exposed. But, I meant in a metaphorical sense of course. Though I wouldn't mind a little peak cause the way a shirt hangs off that man makes a girl wonder...but you no what, I'm going to shut up now." Selphie hastily turned back to her mirror gazing, finally deciding on the right, platform sandal, muttering something about how damn tall Irvine was. "Okay! I'm ready." She said before offering her arm to Rinoa. "Shall we?"
~*~
`Rinoa...I've loved you since the...no'
`Rinoa...we've been together for a year now and though that year has sucked I wanted to ask you to...uh uh'
`Rinoa...I really want you...oh Hyne, now I'm sounding like Irvine'
Squall paced in the elevator as it descended to the ground floor. The ball had started about an hour and a half ago and with the excuse that he wanted to be `fashionably late' Squall had stayed in his room ad long as possible, trying to detain this moment a little longer. But Selphie had called him to inquire about his inability to show at the party held in his honor and that she had worked so hard to organize and blah blah blah. He had made the mistake of answering the phone and now had to face the consequences.
All too soon, the annoying bell rang that signified he had landed. Nervously fiddling with the ring in his pocket, he stepped into the dark hallway. Even from the elevator he could hear the music blaring for the nearby Quad and, by the amount of exaggerated laughter, he decided that the champagne too had already been opened.
Taking a deep breath, Squall his first step out onto the hallway. It took him all of a minute to get fully out of the elevator and the doors closing behind him signaled his doom.
Two people awaited him in that ballroom.
There was Laguna who would surely spend the entire night chasing him around for a chance to talk and then there was Rinoa...beautiful sweet Rinoa...who was begging to be let in his heart but still out of arms reach. Tonight everything would change for him.
Tonight he was starting over and turning his back on everything he had once stood for. Tonight...tonight it would all end and begin at the same time...
*I can't do this* he realized, quickly turning around and desperately pushing to button to summon the elevator once more. Obediently, then lift arrived not 20 seconds after he called for it, but to his displeasure, it was occupied.
"Squall!" exclaimed a hyper Zell, throwing his arm around him. "Don't we look good! Think we could pass for twins?" He gestured to their matching uniforms and laughed at his own pathetic excuse for a joke.
"I was just going to my room to get something," Squall protested, trying to break free of the fighter's stiff hold and catch the empty lift. But Zell held tight.
"You're not going anywhere Commander Leonhart. I know you too well. You only decided to show up cause you promised Selphie just to get her to shut up and now that you actually get down here you come to the conclusion that it's stupid and pointless so you want to go back and shut yourself in your room. On a scale of one to ten how close am I?"
*Pretty close.* Squall admitted in his thoughts, but didn't say anything aloud. *You're just missing that I'm about to have a nervous breakdown cause I'm proposing to a girl that my job entitles me to stay away from and who also happens to be a sorceress hunted down by her power hungry father. And, not to mention, my own father who had abandoned me before I was born is now looking for a new relationship and practically stalking me. But other than that, you're pretty close.*
"Look," Zell began, looking him straight in the eye. Squall could feel a lecture coming on. "Upper class society partying isn't exactly my idea of fun. I'd choose a keg and a bunch of strippers any day instead of a cocktail reception." Squall rolled his eyes, trying hard not to paint the ugly picture Zell, a keg, and a bunch of stripers would make. "But Selphie assured me, that this is pretty much a `young people's party'. That's what she wanted in the first place but with the time and money she way demanding for it, Cid insisted it be a little classy. We'll go, we'll dine with the leaders of the world as they congratulate us, we'll be fawned over by many beautiful women, we'll listen to some boring speeches and then we'll party! So, just bear with me for a while and if you're bored out of your mind in an hour, then I'll convince a `drunk off her ass' Selphie to let you go. Deal?"
Squall took another deep breath and unconsciously put his hand in his pocket to feel for the ring, squeezing it tightly in his fist for strength. "Let's go," he said to Zell, who excitedly slapped him on the back.
"Alright! Look out ladies, here we come!" and together they walked to the Quad.
(Just to pick up where I left off. At first, I meant this to be a pure romance fluff fic, but for some reason its turning into a full fledged angst story which was not my intent since I suck at writing those. So, hopefully, in the following chapters, I will go back to the fluff while keeping my original story line since this would be an even more idiotic story if I just left it like that. So, for those of you who were anticipating the fluff I promised in chapter one, chapter 7 is going to be `the ball'...pure lovey dovey. Thank you for being patient.)
*~Chapter 6~*
Lipstick, High heels, Diamond Rings and Decisions
Zell sighed in impatience as he continued picking at an old piece of hot dog residue wedged in his teeth. He had been siting on the newly built air pad extension for over an hour and he was getting more than bored. *Where is he?* the blonde fighter questioned, when finally giving up on the hot dog skin and standing up to start his usual hobby of shadow boxing.
It wasn't long before a loud humming began to fill his ears, the far sound of a high powered jet. It got louder and louder until Zell could see the distinct outline of a massive air vehicle hovering on the horizon...the Ragnarok...finally.
The incredible ship, silhouetted against the rising sun, slowed down to a crawl as it neared Garden, it's landing gear extended and slowly but surely, it lowered onto the airship landing extension.
Zell stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to warm them from the chill of dawn and cautiously made his way towards the Ragnarok. He watched in fascination when the many lights and gears shut down and the ramp lowered to the make shift runway, allowing the single pilot to shuffle back down to solid ground.
"Where the hell have you been?" Zell demanded to the descending figure, his arms loaded with bags of purchases. The pilot paused for a moment, squinting in the dim light to identify his harasser. Seeing it was no one more threatening than his friend Zell, he continued down the ramp, ignoring him.
"Hello!" Zell followed him off of the landing pad and back into the corridors of Garden. "You can't just take the Ragnarok of all ships off on a pleasure cruise in the middle of the night! Especially without notifying the air authorities! What were you thinking?!"
"I'm the Commander" Squall replied emotionlessly, shifting his bags to his right hand as he searched his pockets for the card key that would allow him to use the elevators after curfew. "I can do whatever I want."
Zell scowled. "Just because you're Commander doesn't mean you can throw around the rules like this. It's not like you."
"Whatever." Squall drummed his fingers on the wall impatiently as he waited for the lift to arrive; doing his best to ignore Zell who refused to give up.
"What's wrong Squall?" He insisted, firmly crossing his arms over his chest, a sign that he wasn't leaving any time soon. "And don't say `nothing or `whatever' cause something is obviously up."
Squall almost laughed, but contained himself. Of course something was up! He was about to literally destroy everything he had worked for up until now by eloping with Rinoa. No sane man wouldn't be bothered by that thought. I mean, would anyone who ever met him even think that he would ELOPE! Words like that didn't belong in the same sentence as Squall Leonhart. It was strange and wonderful miracle. One that he knew most people would surely find entertaining. Squall's drumming became more incessant as he pondered what to say to get him off his back.
He couldn't tell him.
He couldn't tell anyone or they would try to stop him. Try to make him see sense and the only thing he wanted to see was Rinoa...and their future together.
"I'm just stressed..." he verbally improvised "I needed a little time to myself...to unwind. You understand?"
Zell smiled, glad that Squall had so readily admitted something to him. Interpreting the lie as a sign that they were getting closer as friends, Zell gingerly place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly in moral support. Squall tried not to flinch or punch him, as were his instincts.
*Only one more day* he reminded himself *one more day and I'm free of this...people trying to get me to open up all the time. When all I want is to be left alone. Alone with her.*
"I understand" Zell whispered. "Just next time, tell someone before you take a spin on a 3 billion gil aircraft...Xu would of killed me for not keeping a better eye on it."
The elevator finally arrived, and the two men strode in, both heading to their dorms on the new 4^th floor for the elite SeeD.
"Need help with one of those?' the blonde fighter asked when they arrived, gesturing to the many bags Squall held, peering into a half open one. Curious to what was so important to Squall that he had to go out in the middle of the night to get it. "Clothes?" he exclaimed in shock, noticing that many of the bags contained nothing more than casual men's wear. "What? Are you planning a five year vacation or something?"
"Something like that." Squall shrugged, gathering the bags on his own and quickly scurrying down the hall, trying to make it as obvious as possible that he didn't care to continue the conversation.
"I suggest you get some sleep!" Zell yelled down the corridor from the intersection of hallways since his own room was in the opposite direction. "You look like hell." And with that, he left, sure that he wouldn't be getting any more information and confident that nothing was seriously wrong.
Squall tiptoed the rest of the way, fumbling noiselessly with the keycard to his room and desperate for no one else to discover he had gone out. Throwing the bags inside, Squall carefully closed the door behind him and went to sit on his bed, his purchases on the floor at his feet where he could double check that he had everything. This whole thing made him extremely paranoid, constantly nervous that someone would somehow get inside his head, discover his plans and reveal them to Cid, who would surely do something drastic to prevent his commander from `kidnapping' the sorceress.
After all the trials and debates the headmaster had gotten into to convince the world council that Rinoa's powers were dormant for a while and she would be totally secure in Garden, to think what would happen if she went missing?...
Cid would be forced to retire from the job he created for himself...Garden would lose its hard earned reputation and the world would turn its hostility to it instead of the lost sorceress.... And he, Squall, would be a wanted man all over the world for the highest of all treason...
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
The only thing that would really change is that they'd be able to have a public relationship but in hiding. What was the point in that?
Squall shook these thoughts of doubt from his mind. It was too late now anyway. He had already gathered and arranged everything so that he and Rinoa could live a peaceful life on the coast near Winhill...his hometown. Hard to think of anything besides Garden being called his home but he had, in fact, been born there. It was only natural that he went there to start his own new life.
Picking up the nearest bag from his foot, Squall began digging through its contents for his most important purchase. This bag was from the bank, and held about 6 billions gil in cash and a few fake identifications. He had withdrew everything that he had earned from his account since he became a SeeD, and that was A LOT of money considering that, besides an occasional box of bullets for his gunblade, he never had the need to buy anything. It was more than enough to start anew until they got settled. But that wasn't what he was looking for...
It wasn't long before, buried underneath the bills, he saw a small, black, velvet box.
Drawing a rattling breath, Squall slowly pulled out the case, almost as if he were afraid it would suddenly spring to life and bite him. Though he knew very well that it wasn't the box he was afraid of, it was what it symbolized. A never ending bond between two people...a pledge of eternal devotion...something more frightening than Ultimecia herself.
Firmly gripping the top cover with his fingers, he opened it, revealing a beautiful platinum engagement ring. The stone itself was beautifully cut in the shape of a four-pointed diamond, which glimmered in the dim light of his room like an actual shooting star. He remembered seeing it in a shop a year ago and immediately thinking about how Rinoa would love it. Seconds later he had literally ran away from it as fast as possible, scared about even thinking about Rinoa and an engagement ring.
The sight of the ring seemed to ease his nerves a little, and he couldn't help but smile as he carefully took it out of its case and read the inscription.
`Forever...I promise'.
No, he was no longer afraid of marriage, as long as it was to the most caring, intimate and beautiful woman in the world. His Rinoa...Mrs. Leonhart...he actually liked the sound of that.
Returning the ring to its case, Squall fell back into his bed, the rare smile still stuck to his face. *Tonight...* he thought happily *After tonight nothing will ever be the same again.*
He was going to go to the ball, do his best to avoid any contact with Laguna, make his `speech', propose to Rinoa and then...before anyone had time to blink...they would be well on their way.
With these reassuring thoughts floating through his mind, it wasn't long before the tired Commander of SeeD fell into a deep and pleasant sleep. The first he had had in years.
~*~
"Rinoa?..."
She heard a voice calling...sounding vaguely familiar and yet so foreign and far away.
"Rinoa!..." It continued to taunt, getting louder with every passing second.
"Leave me alone..." she muttered to the voice, roughly pressing her pillow to her ear in an attempt to block out to sound.
"RINOA!! GET UP!!" She had no choice in the matter when she felt the comforter she was wrapped up in, be yanked off her bed along with her body, the entire heap crashing to the floor.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Selphie asked the struggling pile of sheets and limbs on the ground. "You missed more than half of your classes already!"
Rinoa groaned...classes...she forgot about those. A year of them and she still forgot. What a great SeeD she would make.
Refusing to remove herself from the warm quilt, Rinoa's arm fumbled on her nightstand for her battery operate clock. Bringing it to her face, the glowing red number stared at her menacingly.
2:36 PM...shit.
"All your instructors have been harassing me all day to find you and of course I look every where but your room cause the ever-so-diligent Rinoa Heartilly is never late unless she was in some fatal accident or something and I was so worried!" She bent down next to her friend, pulling the sheets off of her face. Rinoa winced at the sudden exposure to light but didn't protest as Selphie examined her, aggressively twisting her head this way and that so that just in case her neck wasn't broken, it would be soon. "Hmm...well you look all right to me. So you better have a good excuse girl!"
Rinoa brought her hand to her head with a sigh. "Squall...need I say more."
"Oh...him again." Automatically guessing that this was going to take awhile, Selphie seated herself next to Rinoa cross-legged, signally that she was ready to listen and knowing that the spirited black haired girl always wanted to talk about what was bothering her.
Last night, after what seemed like countless hours of crying and pondering, Rinoa had only gotten to sleep at around 3 in the morning. Even if she had remember to set an alarm, she didn't think she would have paid attention to it. She was more likely to become Garden's new commander than actually pay attention to a stupid clock that buzzed annoyingly only to force her into another day of endless lessons on the top ten ways to disembowel someone with maximum pain. Torture, that what this all was...sheer torture.
"So what'd he do this time?" she asked, annoyed herself that Squall was so harsh towards her friend. "Forget an anniversary? Going to fast? Going to slow (which is more likely)? He's too reserved? He's boring? He wouldn't know a romantic gesture if one hit him in the head? Take your pick. I've got more."
Rinoa shook her head at all of these suggestions. "Nothing," she replied in a pained voice "he's done absolutely nothing." Her actual relationship with Squall, when they had one, was nothing less than perfect. Behind closed doors he was a romantic, he did open up about his feelings, and she was attracted to him like a moth to a flame. But only behind closed doors...that was the problem.
It didn't take long for Selphie to decipher the answer. Everyone who wasn't a complete idiot could tell they had a relationship, and those who looked deeper into it could tell that that relationship was teetering on the edge of annihilation.
"I'm sorry Rinoa." She sympathized, rubbing her back sisterly like. "But you can't blame him for following orders. It's what he does. It's like his mission in life...to become the first human robot."
Rinoa laughed while trying to hold back tears. A human robot...it described him perfectly.
(`Squall, go jump off a cliff'-Cid
`Yes sir!')
"It's just so aggravating!" Rinoa threw her pillow across the room in frustration. "He won't even tell me why! Say's its (quote unquote) `top secret'. Most of the time I only go to meet him with the intent of breaking it off but then he..." a small smile suddenly found its way to her lips as she reminisced about her and Squall's encounters. The passion in a single kiss, the way he laughs, and his beautiful blue-gray eyes, as flawless as the sky itself.
"He's just so perfect! So damn perfect that I can't bear to let him go even if he is an idiot." Rinoa sighed as she slowly sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. "Or maybe I'm the idiot for expecting him to change."
Selphie only smiled and put reassuring hand on her shoulder. "There's a fine line between being an idiot and being in love." Rinoa paused, and considered this for a moment. Strangely, those were the most reassuring and wise words she had ever heard.
"I'll give him one more chance." She decided. "I love him but I don't want to waste my life being his secret mistress. I know it may be selfish but I want more than that."
"You DESERVE more than that." Selphie grinned once more before heading to the door, pausing at the threshold. "Have a shower and I'll be back in an hour to get ready for the ball. If you're going to be bargaining for the love of your life you may as well help the cause by looking gorgeous."
Rinoa laughed and nodded to her giddy friend. "Thank you. This has helped more than you'll ever know." Selphie nodded in return then exited into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
Gathering her blanket from the floor, Rinoa began making her bed and cleaning up her dorm. It was rarely a mess but after last night's little tantrum, it looked like a tornado had hit Balamb Garden. *Tonight...* she thought while tucking the sheets into her mattress *after tonight, things will be different. For better or for worse*
~*~
The bell rang at last, interrupting her speech on junctioning status effect, not that she cared. The great mass of students quickly began filing their notes into their binders and stuffing then in their bags, just as anxious as she was to get out of last period and begin preparing for tonight's festivities. It was, after all, in her and her friends' honor. She didn't want to show up looking like a rag doll.
"Don't forget I want your report on elemental magic is due on Monday" she yelled over the noise of scraping chairs and closing zippers. "And next week is the written exam for all those who are confident and skilled enough to apply for SeeD this year. Good luck and have fun tonight."
Quistis waited as her usual throng of fans approached her desk and began asking her pointless questions like "what time are you going to show up at?" and "what will you be wearing" and one boy even had the nerve to ask what color her underwear was going to be. Trepies Squall called them, and ever since then she had tried to get rid of them all but couldn't find the heart to reject people whom admired her so much.
So, with the simple excuse that she still had papers to grade, Quistis excused herself from the group and began to make her way to her dorm on the fourth floor. She didn't know why it was like their goal to have a little social interaction with her at least once a day. It was kind of sad how they always flocked to her, and it destroyed whatever respect she had once had with her students. There had only been two exceptions in her lifetime. Two people who wouldn't care less what color of underwear she was wearing and this, of course, left her with an unsurpassable urge to MAKE them care.
Seifer and Squall.
Seifer was an all around asshole so she could care less about what he thought cause he was a jerk to everyone and anyone. But Squall, he was different. He was the kind of guy that women were immediately attracted to, and one whom made a girl desperately want to discover what he was guarding so closely...his heart.
She had tried of course. Many had tried. But only one had succeeded...Rinoa.
Even her name alone made Quistis snarl in anger as she stepped out of the elevator. *What does she have that I don't?* Quistis wondered as she made her way to Selphie's dorm, where the bouncy brunette had promised to help her with her hair. Yes Rinoa was beautiful, but then so was she. What more did the guy want?
Quistis knocked loudly on Selphie's door, venting a bit of her rage on the hard wood. *It doesn't matter. After tonight, things will change. I will show him what he's been missing for the last few years and he will give up on that prissy little girl once and for all in exchange for a real woman. A woman with experience beyond his wildest dreams.* The blonde smiled to herself as she listened to Selphie start on the first of many locks guarding her door. *After tonight...he'll be mine.*
"Quistis!" Selphie exclaimed, as she was finally able to open the door a crack, still held by the security chain. "What are you doing here?" She seemed a little out of breath, which was odd for though hyper, Selphie always managed to look tamed. But at the moment her hair was disheveled and her usual, short yellow dress was twisted oddly.
"Am I interrupting something?" Quistis asked with a sly smile, pretty sure she knew exactly what she was interrupting. Easily peering over the head of the short brunette, Quistis could swear she saw the distinct silhouette of a cowboy hat on the floor of the darkened room.
Selphie, determined not to reveal her actions, quickly undid the security chain and stepped outside in the corridor, closing the door behind her. "I was just...cleaning" she obviously lied, but Quistis didn't care to pursue the subject. "So, for what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"Well, I was wondering when you wanted to start on my hair..." Selphie was Garden's only known stylist and everyone immediately rushed to her the moment a special occasion of some sort was announced. Quistis, because of her second job as assistance headmistress, always knew about parties and balls at least a day before they were announced and therefor went through much trouble to get a hold of Selphie before anyone else could.
But Selphie, by her look of shock, had obviously forgotten this. "Oh Hyne! Quistis I totally forgot I am so sorry!"
"It's quite alright..." she replied casually. So she forgot, no harm done. "I just wanted to know when..."
"No Quistis you don't understand. I COMPLETELY forgot and I kinda...I kinda promised someone else I'd help them out."
Quistis still didn't waver. If it came down to a choice between one of her best friends and some random student, she had total faith that Selphie would choose her. "Well tell them that you're very sorry but you can't make it."
Selphie didn't even take the time to consider this option before she shook her head. "I can't do that. Rinoa's really down lately and needs all the help she can get."
Quistis' eyes visibly flashed at the sound of her rival's name. Rinoa...first she steal's her guy and now she steals the hairstyle she was going to get in order to takethe guy back. *Well of course she needs all the help she can get!* Quistis decided mentally *If I hair like that, I'd be wearing a wig! Besides, Squall prefers more natural women. Even though I always enjoy getting dolled up, it only matters that I look attractive to him and only him.*
"It's okay Selphie," Quistis reassured her. "Go help Rinoa, I'll do fine on my own."
"Oh thank you!" she exclaimed happily giving her blonde friend a big bear hug. "I was so afraid you'd be mad at me."
"I don't think it's possible to stay mad at you." Quistis replied with a charming smile. "Now you can return to...whatever you were doing in there."
Selphie blushed, before giggling and hastily backing into her room, slamming the door. Only once out of sight did Quistis' face fall in disappointment. Her hate for Rinoa seemed to grow with every passing second.
~*~
"Yes...yes sir. That would be perfect. Thank you Mr. President." Cid paced in front of his desk as his wife finish the phone call with the president of Esthar, sir Laguna. The one who had control over the activities of the team of scientists and astronauts that had guarded the previous sorceress, Adel.
"What did he say?" Cid asked anxiously.
"I know of a secret area around Centra where we can take her. Laguna assured us that Tears Point's scientist will be ready if she prematurely comes into her powers. Or if Carraway gets to close to discovering us, I will take her myself."
"So you're going with her then?"
Edea nodded sadly, taking her husband's hand in her own. "I have no place here Cid. I love you, but like Rinoa, I will always be seen as a threat. We will be happy there, Rinoa is like a daughter to me and she always will be."
"Can you at least tell me where you're going? That way if an emergency arises..."
"No Cid," she interrupted. "No one can know. You understand? This is of the utmost importance that not one living soul discovers our whereabouts."
"I understand." He looked upon his wife with a new respect as he pulled her out of the chair into a soft embrace. Hyne she was beautiful, and so strong, always doing what she thinks is right no matter what the consequences.
"Promise me you'll be careful." He whispers in her ear and she nods against his shoulder, sobbing lightly.
"We should leave by dawn. A car is better more inconspicuous than the Ragnarok. Your job is to get her to the parking lot by dawn. By any means you have to."
"I'll do what is necessary. I promise."
~*~
"There! Perfect." Selphie stepped back to admire her work as Rinoa stared in the mirror. Overly concerned about her appearance tonight she kept constantly pulling at her blood red strapless dress and blending the corner of her eyeliner till it was almost unnoticeable.
"You look fine!" Selphie assure her friend, holding her hands to her sides so that she couldn't perform any more damage. "Trust me, Squall will fall over backwards when he sees you! And I'm sorry to say that if he doesn't, then he's most definitely gay."
Rinoa laughed and hugged her in appreciation. "Thank you so much Seffie. I bet Quistis wasn't too happy when you told her you promised to help me."
Selphie shrugged. "She'll get over it. Besides, you didn't know about the appointment, there's no way she can logically blame you."
"Oh she'll find away. Trust me, she always does."
Selphie waved the information aside as she picked up two pairs of strappy black sandals and tried one on each foot, trying to compare. "You shouldn't let her get to you." She stated while sifting her weight from one foot to the other. "It's not like she'd have a chance with Squall even if you weren't going out with him. She's just not his type given her reputation and all..."
Rinoa gave her friend a questioning glance. "What reputation?"
"You mean you don't know?" Selphie turned away from the mirror to face her, a look of pure astonishment on her face.
Rinoa sighed and shook her head. This officially confirmed her fears that she was the most anti-social person in all of Garden. It seemed she wouldn't have been informed even if the sky were falling.
"Well..." Selphie started, seeming a little awkward. "Let's just say she's gotten around." She said with a wink.
Rinoa, however, didn't seem to catch on. "What do you mean?" she asked, oblivious to what her friend was getting at.
Selphie fidgeted more. "Umm...let's say she's experienced in the bedroom."
She shrugged, still not getting it to the annoyance of Selphie. "Cripes Rinoa! I'm not going to spell it out for you!" But the black haired girl simply shrugged again and gave up, still in the dark on what the big secret was, thinking she was destined not to ever know what was going on. But if it had to do with Quistis, she could care less.
Selphie however, being a gossip queen, couldn't help but spill the beans even though it was embarrassing to say about her own friend. "To tell the truth Rinoa...Quistis is kinda...she's kinda..." she began to giggle "I'll just say it...she's kind of a slut."
"What!?" this had been that last thing Rinoa had expected Selphie of all people to say. Sure Quistis was known for her fondness of partying and enjoying the company of high-class men but Rinoa never considered her sleeping around. It was pretty hard to believe. "You're joking." She concluded with a laugh, but Selphie remained serious and shook her head.
"She actually gloats about it at times...I guess since Squall rejects her she's desperate to prove that she can have anyone she wants." Selphie seemed amused at the shocked look on Rinoa's face and took it as a sign for more information. "Everybody knows." She said as if it were a fact. "At least the students do (I don't think the Garden masters would be too happy with her extra curricular activities) and, this may just be a rumor, but she's supposed to be VERY good. There isn't a guy in Garden who would resist her. She has these tricks and things that..."
"I don't wanna know." Rinoa interrupted, falling back on her bed, thoroughly disturbed by the conversation. Selphie just shrugged and continued her mirror gazing while troubling thoughts plagued Rinoa.
Had the blonde already tried anything with Squall? If not, she surely would soon. What would he do? Would he be able to resist? Had it already happened?
The sorceress hugged herself in consolation as she tried to push these ideas and images from her mind but they kept on resurfacing. Would he do to Quistis what he wouldn't do to her?
No, she wasn't what anyone would call seductive or tempting. Quistis would be described as just that by many. Sure Squall had tried to get further with her whenever they met, but it was never really his top priority. They would always get interrupted and then wouldn't try again till much later. Maybe he didn't want her at all...what sane guy would when they had someone like Quistis fawning over them...It made sense. If he were sleeping with Quistis then he wouldn't want anyone to know about their relationship. Was that the `top secret' reason?
"I wouldn't worry about it," said Selphie reassuringly, noticing that Rinoa had been silent for a while now. "I've known him most of my life and Squall wouldn't go for someone like her. Especially when he has you."
"Are you sure?" she asked. Squall may act like a robot but he was still a man after all. "I mean...most guys would jump at the chance to..."
"Need I remind you that Squall isn't like most guys. And you are not like most girls. Trust me."
Rinoa nodded and decided that she wouldn't think about it until she got a chance to speak to Squall in person. He always had a way of banishing all feelings of doubt from her mind and she needed her strength tonight...for if he still refused to tell Garden then...
Rinoa looked over to the open suitcase beside her bed where half her clothes were already packed and ready to go, a train ticket to timber tomorrow afternoon was tucked inside the front pocket and she had a spot at medical school already reserved. This would hopefully discourage her from remaining in Garden if he refused her. She prepared for the worst since she really didn't expect Squall to change his mind. Still, the glimmer of hope was still glowing faintly in the back of her mind.
Maybe...not only would he announce that they were in love but he'd quit his job as Commander and whisk her away from this awful place...and then they'd get married and have 3 children along with a modest house in some small little village and then...yeah right.
Like that was going to happen. The chances of Squall doing anything of that proportion were so remote that they could be placed in the negative percentile. There was less than 0% chance of any girl ever having a normal family life with that man in particular.
It didn't matter though. All she wanted was to get rid of the secrecy. Once that was over, they would take things one step at a time.
"So are you really gonna go?" Selphie asked, breaking her stream of thoughts and gesturing to the suitcase and emptied drawers.
Rinoa sighed and nodded. "I don't want to but I can't stay here. I don't belong...you understand don't you?"
Selphie said nothing as she looked away and tried to hold back tears. "I understand...and I'll miss you." She fell to her knees in front of Rinoa, who was still sitting on her bed, and gave her a big bear hug, squeezing with almost inhuman force. "You know he's an idiot if he doesn't choose you. Cause you are beautiful my friend."
Lacking the oxygen to do much else, Rinoa patted her on the back gratefully, signaling to get off before she suffocates. "Enough of this depressing crap..." Selphie said, pulling away and still trying to determine which shoe looked better. "I don't know about you but I vow to have fun tonight. Promise me you'll have fun."
"I promise." Rinoa said with a smile. And that was one promise she meant to keep.
"So back to more important matters. Which do you think Irvine would like?" she lifted one leg and then the other to model each shoe with her dark blue outfit.
"So you are going with Irvine?"
"Well, he came to my room after last period today and practically begged me to come with him. He was on his knees with flowers and everything! In the middle of the busy hallway! How could I say no?"
Rinoa laughed through a pang of jealousy. "I wish Squall would do something that reckless. He's scared to even tap me on the shoulder if it's not behind a locked and securely bolted door."
"Aww but do not fear my friend. After tonight, he'll expose himself to the world!" she paused and took a moment to reflect on that statement as Rinoa giggled. "Not that I want to see him...exposed. But, I meant in a metaphorical sense of course. Though I wouldn't mind a little peak cause the way a shirt hangs off that man makes a girl wonder...but you no what, I'm going to shut up now." Selphie hastily turned back to her mirror gazing, finally deciding on the right, platform sandal, muttering something about how damn tall Irvine was. "Okay! I'm ready." She said before offering her arm to Rinoa. "Shall we?"
~*~
`Rinoa...I've loved you since the...no'
`Rinoa...we've been together for a year now and though that year has sucked I wanted to ask you to...uh uh'
`Rinoa...I really want you...oh Hyne, now I'm sounding like Irvine'
Squall paced in the elevator as it descended to the ground floor. The ball had started about an hour and a half ago and with the excuse that he wanted to be `fashionably late' Squall had stayed in his room ad long as possible, trying to detain this moment a little longer. But Selphie had called him to inquire about his inability to show at the party held in his honor and that she had worked so hard to organize and blah blah blah. He had made the mistake of answering the phone and now had to face the consequences.
All too soon, the annoying bell rang that signified he had landed. Nervously fiddling with the ring in his pocket, he stepped into the dark hallway. Even from the elevator he could hear the music blaring for the nearby Quad and, by the amount of exaggerated laughter, he decided that the champagne too had already been opened.
Taking a deep breath, Squall his first step out onto the hallway. It took him all of a minute to get fully out of the elevator and the doors closing behind him signaled his doom.
Two people awaited him in that ballroom.
There was Laguna who would surely spend the entire night chasing him around for a chance to talk and then there was Rinoa...beautiful sweet Rinoa...who was begging to be let in his heart but still out of arms reach. Tonight everything would change for him.
Tonight he was starting over and turning his back on everything he had once stood for. Tonight...tonight it would all end and begin at the same time...
*I can't do this* he realized, quickly turning around and desperately pushing to button to summon the elevator once more. Obediently, then lift arrived not 20 seconds after he called for it, but to his displeasure, it was occupied.
"Squall!" exclaimed a hyper Zell, throwing his arm around him. "Don't we look good! Think we could pass for twins?" He gestured to their matching uniforms and laughed at his own pathetic excuse for a joke.
"I was just going to my room to get something," Squall protested, trying to break free of the fighter's stiff hold and catch the empty lift. But Zell held tight.
"You're not going anywhere Commander Leonhart. I know you too well. You only decided to show up cause you promised Selphie just to get her to shut up and now that you actually get down here you come to the conclusion that it's stupid and pointless so you want to go back and shut yourself in your room. On a scale of one to ten how close am I?"
*Pretty close.* Squall admitted in his thoughts, but didn't say anything aloud. *You're just missing that I'm about to have a nervous breakdown cause I'm proposing to a girl that my job entitles me to stay away from and who also happens to be a sorceress hunted down by her power hungry father. And, not to mention, my own father who had abandoned me before I was born is now looking for a new relationship and practically stalking me. But other than that, you're pretty close.*
"Look," Zell began, looking him straight in the eye. Squall could feel a lecture coming on. "Upper class society partying isn't exactly my idea of fun. I'd choose a keg and a bunch of strippers any day instead of a cocktail reception." Squall rolled his eyes, trying hard not to paint the ugly picture Zell, a keg, and a bunch of stripers would make. "But Selphie assured me, that this is pretty much a `young people's party'. That's what she wanted in the first place but with the time and money she way demanding for it, Cid insisted it be a little classy. We'll go, we'll dine with the leaders of the world as they congratulate us, we'll be fawned over by many beautiful women, we'll listen to some boring speeches and then we'll party! So, just bear with me for a while and if you're bored out of your mind in an hour, then I'll convince a `drunk off her ass' Selphie to let you go. Deal?"
Squall took another deep breath and unconsciously put his hand in his pocket to feel for the ring, squeezing it tightly in his fist for strength. "Let's go," he said to Zell, who excitedly slapped him on the back.
"Alright! Look out ladies, here we come!" and together they walked to the Quad.
