BENEATH OLD DREAMS
Chapter Seven
Both Julia and Rinoa were ready when Laguna and Squall arrived. They had planned to wear jeans for the occasion.
Julia wore a printed floral blouse and leather sandals.
Rinoa wore a white sleeveless button-up shirt and blue sneakers. She did not put on make-up and arranged her hair into a neat french braid.
Laguna and Squall also wore jeans.
Laguna wore a green shirt that brought out his emerald eyes. Squall donned a round-necked t-shirt with white, red and blue stripes. Both men were wearing boat shoes.
Laguna and Julia held hands as they saw each other.
"Did we make you wait?" Laguna asked. "We got stuck in traffic."
"It's only ten minutes past nine," Julia replied. "You're not late."
"Good morning, Aunt Julia. Hi, Rinoa," Squall said as he entered the house.
It seemed as if the whole place lit up with his smile.
But Rinoa had prepared herself for that smile the previous night.
She just nodded her head to acknowledge Squall. Afterwards, she quickly averted her eyes.
"Where's Edea?" Laguna asked. "Is she really not coming with us?"
"At the grocery," Julia answered. "I couldn't force her."
"Let's bring her something from Winhill," Laguna said with a smile.
"Oh! We're going to Winhill?" Julia was surprised.
"Yes. Let's go," Laguna said.
Laguna and Squall rented a van and a driver for the trip.
Julia and Rinoa boarded the van first.
Julia sat at the back of the van. Rinoa wanted to sit down beside her mother. But she knew her Mommy and Laguna would want to beside each other. She decided to sit behind the driver.
Laguna got in next. As Rinoa predicted, he sat down beside Julia.
When Squall got in, he immediately sat beside Rinoa.
Rinoa got uneasy. She couldn't do anything about it. It would be impolite if she transferred to another seat or she would tell Squall not to sit beside her.
But Squall did not look uneasy sitting beside her. The qualities he displayed at last night's dinner were still there – happy, talkative and very charming.
They had not even gotten past Deling's boundary, he had already told her lots of stories.
Squall was very happy in Deling. The Deling people were kinder than the people of Esthar. They appreciated people even if they did not know each other.
Rinoa gave him a warning.
"Don't be too idealistic. Don't be too trusting. There are a lot of crooks here, too. And they prey on foreigners like you."
She told him about the felonies committed by wicked people to foreigners and tourists. But she also explained to Squall that she is not scrutinizing her own people.
"I just want you to have a more balanced and realistic view of our country and people. This isn't paradise. But it's still a very good place to be in as long as you keep your eyes open."
Squall just shrugged.
"Nothing's perfect," he said. "But I really like it here."
He then told her about the crimes that the people of Esthar do to people.
"I guess it's the same everywhere," Squall ended. "There are some bad characters. But when I look at the good side of people, I think I see a lot more of it in here."
And he smiled at her.
"You haven't been here long enough to show that," Rinoa said.
"But I intend to stay as long as I can," Squall replied. "After my forty-five days are up, I have to go back to Esthar. But I promise you, I'll be back here. And I'll be staying."
"For good?" she asked.
"Possibly," he answered.
Rinoa gazed out the window.
She was hoping that Squall would go back to Esthar after his forty-five day vacation and they would never see each other again.
It was easier for her if that would happen. She would only have to deal with him while he was in Deling but she would be more comfortable if Squall would not extend his vacation.
What if Squall would reside permanently in Deling? Could she act heartless towards him forever?
Why was this guy so damn lovable?
"A horse carriage!" Squall exclaimed as he pointed to one on the road. "I'd like to ride in one some time. Will you come with ne?"
Rinoa wrinkled her nose. "I've never ridden in a horse carriage," she confessed. "I'm scared of those horses."
Squall just chuckled. "Scared of those poor things? They look like they're the one scared of all this traffic."
"Exactly," she answered. "What if the horse gets frightened and throws off the passengers? Nope, you wouldn't get me on one of those things."
"What a pity," Squall said. "Being here in Winhill and not being able to ride one."
They stopped at a restaurant for lunch. Laguna ordered cream of mushroom soup, steak and caesar's salad for all of them.
Rinoa noticed that she and Julia were both very relaxed with the two men. They even ate more than they usually did. They were already comfortable with each other. They even looked like one big happy family.
Squall also noticed that.
"I've never seen Dad this happy before," he said. "We've never had this much fun together before."
"Are you jealous, son?" Laguna joked.
"Gosh, no," Squall replied. "I like it. In fact, I'm enjoying it as much as you are."
Rinoa thought to bring up something that she had been dying to include in their conversation.
"I should be calling you 'Kuya'," she told Squall.
His eyebrows were knitted. "What's 'kuya'?"
"It's a Filipino word, way back hundreds of years ago. 'Kuya' means 'older brother'," she said. "You are older than me. Don't deny it."
Squall's expression remained the same.
"Yes, I'm older," he said. "But don't call me that. I'd like it much better if you'll just go on calling me Squall."
Rinoa shrugged.
"Okay," she answered. "But you'll still be my older brother."
Squall's face darkened.
Rinoa did not know how to accept that.
But Laguna and Julia laughed. They were happy because they thought that their children were getting along.
Is getting along the same as Rinoa not knowing where did she and Squall stand in this relationship?
After eating, they went to a park.
In the short journey from the restaurant to the park, Squall was quiet.
Probably got pissed off, Rinoa thought.
Squall got pissed off because he did not want to look older?
Or he got pissed off because he did not want them to become stepsiblings?
He doesn't want to talk, huh? Maybe this is better, the easier it is for me to avoid him.
The two adults behind them did not notice their silence. Laguna and Julia were still talking in the backseat.
When they were already strolling in the park, Squall seemed lifeless. He just walked behind her.
Rinoa had no one to talk to. Laguna and Julia were still talking.
She started to get irritated.
Is he really like this? When he gets pissed off, does he shut down the whole world?
She turned towards him. She was going to tell him that she will stay in the van and wait for them to finish strolling around.
But when she looked at Squall, she caught him staring at her.
The expression in his eyes were different. It was full of emotions.
Rinoa was astounded. She forgot what she was planning to tell him.
Squall broke the silence.
"I'm sorry," he said in a tone like an embarrassed young boy. "I've been behaving horribly, haven't I?"
Instantly, her annoyance melted away.
"It's okay," she answered. "I was the one who was teasing you. I'm the one who should apologize."
"I'm not usually like this, you know," he said. "Teasing never bothered me like this before."
"I'll remember not to tease you again," she said.
"Well, it's not really the teasing..." Squall said. "I think I'm big enough to take some teasing. I guess it was the subject matter that caught me off guard."
Rinoa did not know what to say.
This was a very delicate and dangerous subject. If Squall got pissed off with the 'kuya' thing, which of the two possibilities that she thought of earlier was true?
Rinoa thought she would rather not know the truth.
But Squall continued.
"I have some kid brothers and sisters with my Mom, you know," he said as he ran his fingers through his wavy chestnut hair. "And I don't think I need another sister to terrorize. But I do need a friend. I'd much rather be your friend than your big brother. At least for now."
Rinoa was relieved.
If he wanted a friend, she would agree.
She smiled sweetly at him.
"Okay," she said. "No more 'kuya'. From this moment on, you're just my friend."
"Uh-uh," Squall said as he shook his head. "Not just a friend. I won't settle for being just a friend."
Uh-oh, Rinoa thought.
"I want to be your best friend," Squall continued. "I want to be your very best friend. Even better than the best friend you've already got right now. I suppose your boyfriend won't mind?"
"Boyfriend?" she asked, surprised. "Who said I had a boyfriend?"
Squall's eyebrows shot up. "Well... I just assumed..."
Rinoa shook her head. "Nope. No boyfriend," she declared. "And no best friend either. I guess you've go what you asked for. You're now officially my best friend – even if we've only just met."
Squall's face immediately lighted up. He was smiling again. He was very happy.
He even raised his hand.
"Okay," he said. "On my honor, I promise to prove my worth as your one and only very best friend even if we've just met."
"Then come on and let's have some fun," she said.
Laughing, Squall grabbed her hand and he dragged her on the grass.
Laguna and Julia were sitting on a bench by the pond. They were talking.
Squall waved at them and he shouted, "We're going to the horses!"
Laguna and Julia both nodded.
Again, Squall dragged Rinoa.
They enjoyed the rest of the afternoon together. Even if Rinoa was afraid of horses, Squall convinced her to ride on a small horse with him guiding the horse. The horse was slow.
Rinoa did not know how she agreed to ride the horse.
Why did she feel that if Squall was the one who would convince her to do some thing that she normally won't do, she felt nothing bad would ever happen to her? She had a feeling of security whenever he's with her.
Squall even helped her mount the horse.
As he guided the horse around the round stable yard, Rinoa noticed that all the other riders around her were all children.
She asked Squall about that.
Squall laughed.
"Because this ride is for kids," he confessed. "But it's the only one I thought you wouldn't be too scared to try. The horses for grown-ups might be too big for you."
Rinoa was humiliated. She immediately said to Squall that she wanted to get off the horse.
Squall held her by the waist and he helped her get down.
She needed to hold on to his shoulders so that she could keep her balance.
As her feet touched the ground, she noticed that the distance between them were only a few inches.
Her heart was throbbed frantically. She knew that if she faced him, her lips were only inches from his.
"You embarrassed me," she scolded him before spinning on her heel.
She walked away briskly.
The truth of the matter was she was not that humiliated for riding on horses for children. She was very conscious of the short distance that was between them seconds ago.
Squall ran after her.
"I'm sorry," he said when he reached her. "I thought it would be fun for you. At least it's a start in getting over your fear of horses. I didn't mean to embarrass you."
She glared at him exaggeratedly. A glare that was obviously teasing.
Squall smiled. "I guess we're even now."
Rinoa returned his smile. "I guess so."
And they laughed.
~.*.~ ~.*.~ ~.*.~
A/N: Hi! I would like to thank the following people for reading and reviewing this fic:
Ariennye: I'm so glad you're not mad! *smiles at you* Anyway, I really am very grateful for your encouragement. I hope you enjoyed this chappy. Thanks!
remote_mine: Thank you so much! Your comments really mean a lot to me, and they help a lot, too! =D I love your writing too! I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks!
Two more chapters to go and this fic is done!
Anyways! To the other people out there who read this fic, please R&R! Comments, suggestions and criticisms will be dearly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
~bembem~