Chapter 11
Of all of the fancy balls that I have ever been to, this one was the best. Why? Because I actually had a good a time. Rinoa wasn't like the other girls. She didn't spend her time trying to flirt with me or tell me all about herself. She danced, talked, joked and generally had fun. We had a pretty good time laughing at the 60 year old women in tight, cleavage showing dresses and the men looking thoughtfully at them…the top portion.
So there I was. Walking along the main corridor. It was about 7 am. That's when the 'incident' occurred. I bumped into a lady. She came rushing into me by accident. We had a full on collision. She went one way ad I went the other.
From what she was wearing I could tell she was a business women. Brown hair like mine and a stack of papers in he arms…well they were in her arms. Now they were scattered all over the ground.
" Oh…I'm so sorry" She muttered. It fell on deaf ears. I had been frozen on the spot. Her face. She was so familiar. I knew her but…I had never seen her before in my life. Her hair….eyes…face, well just her! How could I have never met her before…but 'feel' as if I know I her?
Had I known her as a child? I had seen a lot of people come and go…but she was different. Not only did she look so damn familiar, but she also looked like me.
I remembered my manners. If I had any that is…
" Oh yeah, I'm sorry too. I wasn't paying attention" I started to help her pick up the papers.
She seemed pretty transfixed on me too. Staring with an almost bewilded look on her face. Hey…I know I'm cute, but did she have to stare?
She smiled weakly and stood up. " I have to meet Mitch in the conference room so I'd better go. Nice meeting you"
Nice meeting you? But we never actually 'met', we just spoke. Weird.
I walked into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face. I was already scared but Dave still had to rub it in.
" SQUALL!"
"Aaah! Don't do that!"
" Sorry…anyway, guess what this is!"
He held up a piece of paper.
" Is it a confirmation paper saying you have been expelled from school and can roam around Esthar as you please without a care in the world? Please say it is"
" Nah sorry, anyway, you know that university in Deling?"
This wasn't sounding good. Deling. University.
" I GOT IN!"
Definitely not good.
" But Dave that's all the way over in Deling. D-E-L-I-N-G"
I pointed north to make my expression clear.
" Yeah I know…but you know how good this uni is"
He was right. Deling university was originally meant to be built in Esthar. But they built it in Deling because it would give students a better opportunity to travel.
" Jenny is going as well. She's gonna do her medic course over there…but you have to see how much of an opportunity this is for me an Jenny"
" No no, I'm happy for you both. I'm sorry. I must have sounded pretty selfish but really I am happy. Just a little shocked that's all"
" You'll be fine buddy"
~**~
Laguna called me to go to his office in about half an hour so I walked to the outside in the garden Rinoa was there, so I sat down next to her on the grass.
" Did you hear about Dave and Jenny?"
" Yeah, heard they're leaving to go uni huh?"
I nodded. It all seemed so unfair. They were leaving and I was staying here. I wasn't aloud to leave Esthar. I already knew which uni I was going to. Even Rinoa would be going soon. She was a friend too.
But…
Did our feelings go deeper than friendship? I really liked her. She was kind but she seemed lonely. Maybe, just maybe she didn't feel so lonely around me. How does she feel? How could I find out?
How do I feel?
Heck I'm just as muddled up as ever. Sometimes I don't even know who I am. I don't have any strong relationships, except for Dave and Jenny. And maybe Rinoa too.
" How do you feel about it?" She asked.
" Well I don't want them to go, but I feel happy they got in"
" Me too"
Somehow hearing her say, 'me too' triggered something. I said the words, ' I feel' and she said ' me too'. Not with the same meaning as I had in mind…but still. How crazy I must sound…I don't know either.
" Rinoa…when are you leaving?"
" Oh, two weeks remember?"
"Yeah…"
I remembered my 'appointment' with Laguna.
" Sorry Rin I have to go"
I got up and headed for his office.
~**~
Upon entering I saw the look on Laguna's face and something in my mind told me he had pretty troubling news. He motioned for me to sit down and fumbled with some papers on his desk.
" I believe you met a certain lady today"
" Yeah I bumped into her by accident"
He nodded and folded his arms.
" She came in and spoke to me earlier. We were talking about you"
" Me?"
" Yes. Her name is Raine"
Raine. I swear I had heard that name before. Raine.
" I'm not sure if any of the maids have told you but…" I waited. " Your mother…her name was Raine"
No.
" The lady that you bumped into, Raine"
It can't be.
" That was your mother"
My mother?
How?
Why?
When…?
Is that why she was so familiar…because 'she' is mother? No it can't be. But it is.
She is my mother.
Raine…
Author's Notes: Yep. Raine is back! Sorry this chapter took so long for me to post. I've been busy!
As always, please please review!