Quistis sat in Field Practice that next Monday. Right in front of Seifer.
Oh yay.
The bell rang. Mr. Keaton stood up and walked around to the front of his desk, carrying a big book. "Get out your books, " he said to the class, flipping his own open " and turn to page fifty-three."
Various sighs and mutterings of complaint could be heard. One student near the back asked why they weren't leaving Garden for practice in a whiney voice.
Mr. Keaton sighed. "Stop it already, you sound like children." The class quieted a bit. "We're not going out on land because Headmaster won't land Garden. Want to jump out?"
"Why won't he land Garden?" a girl a few seats to the side of Quistis asked.
Mr. Keaton's attention turned over to her. "He said you'll be notified later."
"But do -you- know?" she retorted.
"That isn't any of your business. Now open your book Ms. Fledger." he said. She rolled her eyes and flipped over the hard cover of the book. He sighed and turned back to the class. "Page fifty-three, answer the questions and bring your paper to me when your done."
Quistis dug a pen out of her purse and grabbed a piece of paper from the basket underneath the desk. She was midway through the first question when the intercom dinged. A man's voice resounded from the small speaker on the wall.
"I regret to inform all SeeDs and Cadets that Esthar has declared war on Deling. We are in league with Deling, so this means that this is war for us to. I'm sorry."
Another ding was heard, signifying the end of the announcement. A ding that seemed too cheery for such news. The class was silent.
Quistis stared down at her desk blankly, digesting this new information.
Balamb was an ally to Esthar. Trabia too. Balamb...Squall and the others...her...Galbadia...Esthar...Laguna...
Did they forget about her?! She was nineteen and very applicable to be drafted and shipped off to kill some of her own kind, Balamb SeeDs, Balamb people. If Esthar declared the war, that meant Laguna agreed with the idea. A country couldn't declare a war against their president's will!
This totally destroyed her plans for the mission. Could she even finish the mission? Not if she was somewhere else, not if they drafted her.
She felt like she was going to vomit all over her textbook.
"Mr. Keaton I need to go..." she mumbled as she stood up and headed for the door. No one stopped her.
She walked down the hall. The foreign walls and tile reminded her of how alone she was in this place. For one second, she never wondered what she would do if something like this happened. Where would she turn? She couldn't go home. She couldn't even contact home.
Tears began to well up in her eyes.
Someone grabbed her wrist. She turned. Seifer.
"What's wrong? Why'd you leave?"
"Leave me alone." she said quietly, pulling her wrist from his grip. She turned and continued walking.
"Well whatever it is, running isn't the answer." he said.
She stopped and turned around. "I'm not running." she said bitterly. "I have no where to run. And what do you know?! You don't know me, you don't know what I'm going through!"
"I never said I did!" he retorted angrily.
"Argh! Just let me deal with my problems!" she yelled, walking faster down the corridor.
"You have a lot to learn." he called out before turning and walking the opposite way.
She walked into the girl's bathroom and slammed the door shut. The loud bang echoed off the pink tiles.
She swung open one of the stall doors and fell to her knees, retching into the toilet bowl. Her chest heaved over and over. She closed her eyes tight, tears squeezing to the edges of her eyelids.
Soon nothing would come up. Wave after wave of pain went through her ribcage. She couldn't stop gagging, even though it hurt so much she was crying. She struggled to breathe deeply, and soon sat back, leaning against the wall of the stall.
It hurt to breathe. She could taste and smell the vomit in her mouth. She stood up weakly and stumbled over to the sink to wash out her mouth and face.
She looked up into the mirror, water dripping from her face. She looked so tired and worn. Her black eyeliner was smeared down her cheeks.
She was beginning to realize that she couldn't do this alone. She wasn't superhuman. They couldn't expect her to bring down Galbadia Garden by herself, amidst war. The mission was over, and she'd failed.
She had to focus on getting herself out of this place. She couldn't be here anymore.
The bell rang. She picked up her purse and strode out of the bathroom. Keeping her face low she walked straight to her dorm. Class didn't matter, Seifer didn't matter, the mission didn't matter. She was packing tonight.
The bell rang. Mr. Keaton stood up and walked around to the front of his desk, carrying a big book. "Get out your books, " he said to the class, flipping his own open " and turn to page fifty-three."
Various sighs and mutterings of complaint could be heard. One student near the back asked why they weren't leaving Garden for practice in a whiney voice.
Mr. Keaton sighed. "Stop it already, you sound like children." The class quieted a bit. "We're not going out on land because Headmaster won't land Garden. Want to jump out?"
"Why won't he land Garden?" a girl a few seats to the side of Quistis asked.
Mr. Keaton's attention turned over to her. "He said you'll be notified later."
"But do -you- know?" she retorted.
"That isn't any of your business. Now open your book Ms. Fledger." he said. She rolled her eyes and flipped over the hard cover of the book. He sighed and turned back to the class. "Page fifty-three, answer the questions and bring your paper to me when your done."
Quistis dug a pen out of her purse and grabbed a piece of paper from the basket underneath the desk. She was midway through the first question when the intercom dinged. A man's voice resounded from the small speaker on the wall.
"I regret to inform all SeeDs and Cadets that Esthar has declared war on Deling. We are in league with Deling, so this means that this is war for us to. I'm sorry."
Another ding was heard, signifying the end of the announcement. A ding that seemed too cheery for such news. The class was silent.
Quistis stared down at her desk blankly, digesting this new information.
Balamb was an ally to Esthar. Trabia too. Balamb...Squall and the others...her...Galbadia...Esthar...Laguna...
Did they forget about her?! She was nineteen and very applicable to be drafted and shipped off to kill some of her own kind, Balamb SeeDs, Balamb people. If Esthar declared the war, that meant Laguna agreed with the idea. A country couldn't declare a war against their president's will!
This totally destroyed her plans for the mission. Could she even finish the mission? Not if she was somewhere else, not if they drafted her.
She felt like she was going to vomit all over her textbook.
"Mr. Keaton I need to go..." she mumbled as she stood up and headed for the door. No one stopped her.
She walked down the hall. The foreign walls and tile reminded her of how alone she was in this place. For one second, she never wondered what she would do if something like this happened. Where would she turn? She couldn't go home. She couldn't even contact home.
Tears began to well up in her eyes.
Someone grabbed her wrist. She turned. Seifer.
"What's wrong? Why'd you leave?"
"Leave me alone." she said quietly, pulling her wrist from his grip. She turned and continued walking.
"Well whatever it is, running isn't the answer." he said.
She stopped and turned around. "I'm not running." she said bitterly. "I have no where to run. And what do you know?! You don't know me, you don't know what I'm going through!"
"I never said I did!" he retorted angrily.
"Argh! Just let me deal with my problems!" she yelled, walking faster down the corridor.
"You have a lot to learn." he called out before turning and walking the opposite way.
She walked into the girl's bathroom and slammed the door shut. The loud bang echoed off the pink tiles.
She swung open one of the stall doors and fell to her knees, retching into the toilet bowl. Her chest heaved over and over. She closed her eyes tight, tears squeezing to the edges of her eyelids.
Soon nothing would come up. Wave after wave of pain went through her ribcage. She couldn't stop gagging, even though it hurt so much she was crying. She struggled to breathe deeply, and soon sat back, leaning against the wall of the stall.
It hurt to breathe. She could taste and smell the vomit in her mouth. She stood up weakly and stumbled over to the sink to wash out her mouth and face.
She looked up into the mirror, water dripping from her face. She looked so tired and worn. Her black eyeliner was smeared down her cheeks.
She was beginning to realize that she couldn't do this alone. She wasn't superhuman. They couldn't expect her to bring down Galbadia Garden by herself, amidst war. The mission was over, and she'd failed.
She had to focus on getting herself out of this place. She couldn't be here anymore.
The bell rang. She picked up her purse and strode out of the bathroom. Keeping her face low she walked straight to her dorm. Class didn't matter, Seifer didn't matter, the mission didn't matter. She was packing tonight.