Chapter Two: My Solemn Promise
Part of him planned on forgetting about Selphie at lunch. It wasn't like any little bit of what she said last night mattered anyway, did it?
"Well, look. If it isn't aitsu Seifer," smirked a student.
He closed his eyes and fought off the wlil to fight back that was surging within him. Taking insults silently wasn't his style, and it never would be. But if he fought back, what would it lead to? Cid would cetainly kick him out of the Garden, and he couldn't get a job anywhere else...everyone knew about Ultemecia...there would be no place for him to go.
Swallowing his pride and anger, he kept walking.
"Oh, so you got hte nerve to help Ultemecia compress time, but you ain't got the nerve to stand up to me?"
"Nah, he ain't got the time of day to waste on you," came a familiar, cheerful, yet somewhat annoyed, voice.
"Uh, Selph'? That's Seifer Almasy you're sticking up for..."
"I know. I can still see just fine, y'know," she beamed.
She wasn't being rude, or sarcastic. She was just being...being Selphie.
"Well, whatever y'say Selphie, but, I mean...Seifer..."
A bitter frown that even Selphie couldn't force herself to supress crossed her face.
"You weren't there," there was a hurt, somewhat scared, edge in her voice. "SEifer was being manipulated, sorta like how Rinoa got possessed. But y'wouldn't know, 'cuz you weren't there."
Her eyes were reddish and tear-filled, and it was obvious she was using every ounce of her strength not to cry, but she still managed to keep calm.
"Sorry, Selph'," the guy said regretfully, rushing off.
He wasn't really sure what to do. He awkwardly reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, instantly withdrawing it. What exactly were you supposed to do for a girl you hardly knew but had once fought against who was on the verge of crying? Luckily, she seemed to recover.
"All-right, I got us a table kinda way from where I normally sit...I kinda figured you wouldn't wanna see Rinoa, and I..." she trailed off, glancing to the section of the cafeteria where she and her other five friends usually sat.
His gaze followed hers, landing on the table she was staring at. He wasn't suprised to see Squall and Rinoa sitting together, but the sight of Irvine and Quistis together was a little...suprising...
"Sorry, Tilmitt."
She shook her head.
"It just wouldn't have worked out with me and everything and..." she shook her head.
Quistis and Rinoa waved. She waved back, and sat down at a table a good distance away from them.
He followed her, feeling incredibly stupid and really awkward.
"They already know about our counciling session," she explaiend, and hastily added on, "But they're the only ones. Just Irvine, Quistis, Rinoa, Zell, and Squall."
He nodded. Who really cared, anyways? The whole frickin' school probably knew that Selphie had appointed herself as his shrink, but what'd it matter anyway???
"Alright, then," Selphie beamed him one of her trademark smiles. "If I ask anything y'don't wanna talk about, just lemme know."
He nodded numbly.
Somebody tell me why I'm putting up with this, please?
"Okay, um, you're not gonna pull what you did last night ever again, are you?"
Maybe....
"Seifer, just let me show you how great life is! Give me...a month. Give me a month, and I'll show you!"
"Fine. Y'got a month."
"Thank you, Seifer!!" she smiled. "Wait...promise me!! Promise me you won't..."
He scowled, holding up his right hand.
"I solemnly promise not to harm myself in any way until one month from today."
She beamed happily, holding up her right hand.
"And I solemnly promise to show you how wonderful life is...in one month from today."
Despite her happy smile, there was something deeper hidden in her eyes...something she was hiding. He wondered what it was, why she was hiding it, and why, despite the cheerful smile on her face, she seemed so sad....
~//~