Chapter 2
For what seemed liked hours, Rinoa had sat in the presence of the mysterious SeeD, saying nothing. He seemed to thrive on uncomfortable silences, never wanting to say a word. It was Rinoa who finally gave in, saying the only thing that came to her mind.
"It's not like I want you here to babysit me," she blurted out suddenly. He raised one eyebrow quizzically but did not offer any reply. "To be honest, I'm quite uncomfortable with you being here all the time." Still, there was no reply. "Exactly how close do you have to watch me?"
"Orders say I have to be in close proximity to you at all time."
"That's it?" she asked, surprised at how vague the instructions were.
"What were you expecting, an essay?" She glared at him sharply before continuing.
"So, if I wanted to get dressed now, I could go into the bathroom now and you wouldn't have to follow me?"
"Be my guest," he said, putting both hands behind his head and resting them against the wall, almost as if he were about to fall asleep.
"That's a relief," she exclaimed, grabbing her most comfortable clothes out of her wardrobe and scurrying into the bathroom to change.
"I can see this being my most boring mission yet. I didn't become a SeeD to look after spoilt, rich women. Not that she seems spoilt yet, but with a boyfriend like that, she must be. I know the type. New millionaires are always stuck up, think they own the world. Then when they get into trouble, they call us to bail them out. I didn't spend most of my life training to do this. I wanted to make a difference, do something worthwhile maybe, but no. Here I am, a glorified babysitter. This isn't where I should be."
Rinoa swiftly locked the bathroom door behind her and let out a long sigh of relief.
"At least he doesn't have to follow me in here." She let her dressing gown drop to the floor and unbuttoned her nightdress. "Staying with him is going to be hell. She dressed in the clothes taken from her wardrobe and began to brush her hair, checking her reflection in the mirror as she did so. "He has such a bad attitude problem. He didn't even tell me his name. He's aloof, cold and sarcastic. And I have to live with him." Satisfied with her reflection, she returned to her bedroom to find Squall slumped back in the chair with a cigarette in his mouth.
"Who said you could smoke?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.
"There was nothing about not smoking in my contract, alright? Get over it."
"No. So far, I have put up with your impoliteness and your attitude, but I will not tolerate you smoking in my room," she screamed at the top of her voice. He sighed, getting up from the chair. He opened the window and threw the cigarette out onto the street below.
"Happy now?"
"Not quite. What's your name?"
"If you must know, it's Squall."
"Thanks," she smiled slightly. "Please don't do that again when I'm here, I hate the smell of smoke. It used to make me sick when I was little. And besides, it'll kill you." He gave out a small laugh.
"That'll kill me? Do you know how long most SeeDs live?" She shook her head.
"I don't know much about you."
"Twenty three is the average age that SeeDs survive to."
"Twenty three?" she gasped.
"So somehow, I don't think that it'll be cigarettes that kill me."
"Rinoa? Rinoa, where the hell are you?" Seifer screamed down the hallway. "Get in here now."
"Excuse me," she said to Squall as she headed for Seifer's room. Opening the door, she could see Seifer hunched over his desk, surrounded by bits of crumpled paper. She couldn't quite make out what was written, just that most of them had sums of money scribbled down on them. It was then that she noticed the empty whisky bottle by his left hand. He had been drinking again.
"Please don't say he's still drunk," she prayed.
"The SeeD arrived?" She could tell by the way he was skipping on his words, and the way that he was struggling to lift his head, that he was definitely still feeling the effects of the alcohol.
"Yes, he has."
"Good. And Rinoa? What happened to that girl with me last night? Where did she go?"
"You sent her away."
"What!" She could see anger flaring up within him as he struggled to comprehend what she had told him.
"Erm, you, you sent her away," she said tentatively.
"Liar!" he screamed, picking up the empty bottle and throwing it at Rinoa. Luckily, he was not was not able to aim very well in his inebriated state, and the bottle hit the wall, smashing into a million pieces. One of these jagged shards lodged itself into the palm of Rinoa's hand, which she had thrown up around her head to protect herself with. "Now, get out," he ordered.
She fumbled with the handle, and as the door opened, noticed Squall walking down the corridor towards her.
"I heard glass smashing. You alright." She nodded, hoping he wouldn't notice her injury. He lifted her hand and removed the glass shard embedded in it. "Yeah, you look alright," he said sarcastically. "Am I here to protect you from your boyfriend or something?" She smiled weakly, noticing his attempt to cheer her up.
"I'm going to go and wash this." She pointed the deep gash that ran down her hand, dripping with blood.
"No, you're not." He inspected the wound more closely, before going into the bathroom and returning with a clean towel. "You need stitches," he explained. "Wrap the towel around it and keep pressure on it to try and stop the bleeding."
"I don't want stitches. I can't get to the hospital."
"You don't have a car?"
"No. It's his." She nodded towards Seifer's room.
"Guess I'll have to walk you there then."
For what seemed liked hours, Rinoa had sat in the presence of the mysterious SeeD, saying nothing. He seemed to thrive on uncomfortable silences, never wanting to say a word. It was Rinoa who finally gave in, saying the only thing that came to her mind.
"It's not like I want you here to babysit me," she blurted out suddenly. He raised one eyebrow quizzically but did not offer any reply. "To be honest, I'm quite uncomfortable with you being here all the time." Still, there was no reply. "Exactly how close do you have to watch me?"
"Orders say I have to be in close proximity to you at all time."
"That's it?" she asked, surprised at how vague the instructions were.
"What were you expecting, an essay?" She glared at him sharply before continuing.
"So, if I wanted to get dressed now, I could go into the bathroom now and you wouldn't have to follow me?"
"Be my guest," he said, putting both hands behind his head and resting them against the wall, almost as if he were about to fall asleep.
"That's a relief," she exclaimed, grabbing her most comfortable clothes out of her wardrobe and scurrying into the bathroom to change.
"I can see this being my most boring mission yet. I didn't become a SeeD to look after spoilt, rich women. Not that she seems spoilt yet, but with a boyfriend like that, she must be. I know the type. New millionaires are always stuck up, think they own the world. Then when they get into trouble, they call us to bail them out. I didn't spend most of my life training to do this. I wanted to make a difference, do something worthwhile maybe, but no. Here I am, a glorified babysitter. This isn't where I should be."
Rinoa swiftly locked the bathroom door behind her and let out a long sigh of relief.
"At least he doesn't have to follow me in here." She let her dressing gown drop to the floor and unbuttoned her nightdress. "Staying with him is going to be hell. She dressed in the clothes taken from her wardrobe and began to brush her hair, checking her reflection in the mirror as she did so. "He has such a bad attitude problem. He didn't even tell me his name. He's aloof, cold and sarcastic. And I have to live with him." Satisfied with her reflection, she returned to her bedroom to find Squall slumped back in the chair with a cigarette in his mouth.
"Who said you could smoke?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.
"There was nothing about not smoking in my contract, alright? Get over it."
"No. So far, I have put up with your impoliteness and your attitude, but I will not tolerate you smoking in my room," she screamed at the top of her voice. He sighed, getting up from the chair. He opened the window and threw the cigarette out onto the street below.
"Happy now?"
"Not quite. What's your name?"
"If you must know, it's Squall."
"Thanks," she smiled slightly. "Please don't do that again when I'm here, I hate the smell of smoke. It used to make me sick when I was little. And besides, it'll kill you." He gave out a small laugh.
"That'll kill me? Do you know how long most SeeDs live?" She shook her head.
"I don't know much about you."
"Twenty three is the average age that SeeDs survive to."
"Twenty three?" she gasped.
"So somehow, I don't think that it'll be cigarettes that kill me."
"Rinoa? Rinoa, where the hell are you?" Seifer screamed down the hallway. "Get in here now."
"Excuse me," she said to Squall as she headed for Seifer's room. Opening the door, she could see Seifer hunched over his desk, surrounded by bits of crumpled paper. She couldn't quite make out what was written, just that most of them had sums of money scribbled down on them. It was then that she noticed the empty whisky bottle by his left hand. He had been drinking again.
"Please don't say he's still drunk," she prayed.
"The SeeD arrived?" She could tell by the way he was skipping on his words, and the way that he was struggling to lift his head, that he was definitely still feeling the effects of the alcohol.
"Yes, he has."
"Good. And Rinoa? What happened to that girl with me last night? Where did she go?"
"You sent her away."
"What!" She could see anger flaring up within him as he struggled to comprehend what she had told him.
"Erm, you, you sent her away," she said tentatively.
"Liar!" he screamed, picking up the empty bottle and throwing it at Rinoa. Luckily, he was not was not able to aim very well in his inebriated state, and the bottle hit the wall, smashing into a million pieces. One of these jagged shards lodged itself into the palm of Rinoa's hand, which she had thrown up around her head to protect herself with. "Now, get out," he ordered.
She fumbled with the handle, and as the door opened, noticed Squall walking down the corridor towards her.
"I heard glass smashing. You alright." She nodded, hoping he wouldn't notice her injury. He lifted her hand and removed the glass shard embedded in it. "Yeah, you look alright," he said sarcastically. "Am I here to protect you from your boyfriend or something?" She smiled weakly, noticing his attempt to cheer her up.
"I'm going to go and wash this." She pointed the deep gash that ran down her hand, dripping with blood.
"No, you're not." He inspected the wound more closely, before going into the bathroom and returning with a clean towel. "You need stitches," he explained. "Wrap the towel around it and keep pressure on it to try and stop the bleeding."
"I don't want stitches. I can't get to the hospital."
"You don't have a car?"
"No. It's his." She nodded towards Seifer's room.
"Guess I'll have to walk you there then."