Chapter 3
'Strange Bedfellows'
Zell sat in his bed reading. It was past midnight, yet still not one A.M. This was the only time Zell could actually sit down and read. Zell had a hidden passion for romance novels, and late at night was the only time he felt confident enough to read them and not get caught. They were his little secret. While most other guys hid naughty magazines under their mattresses, Zell hid his romance books there.
Of course Zell was a bit embarrassed by his love for romance novels, what guy wouldn't be? No one knew, except for his adoptive mother. He had just started the second book in the Outlander Series, which his mother had just finished. He had waited patiently fro two months as his mother had read the book, and he had to suffer through reading the first one a second time. But his patience's was well rewarded.
It had been at least six month since the battle with Ultiminica, and everything had returned to normal. Well except for the young adult/ teenage drama that acted up every once a while. Selphie and Irvine were seen everywhere together. And lately Irvine had been spotted sneaking in and out of Selphie's room at night.
Mean while Quistis had bloomed into a social butterfly. After she learned of her growing fan club, she was a bit embarrassed at first. But she learned to live with it. Many of the young men in the fan club began to ask her out after she found out about them. She turned down many of them but she did go out with some of the older ones. For the longed time Quistis had a date almost every weekend. But now it was rumored that Quistis had a steady boyfriend, who'd she'd been seen with many times over the course of the last week.
After everything returned to normal, everything returned to being boring for Zell. But Zell kept him busy, with training, and even passing on his knowledge to the next generation. Yes, Zell had taken up mentoring, nearly every kid in the garden and Balamb knew him. So Zell spent a good portion of his time with people just like him, kids. All the while he dreamed of other adventure.
But the latest drama had taken place with in the last month. Ever since the battle with Ultiminica Squall and Rinoa had, had a sweet and loving relasinship. Of course it was a little hard at times for Rinoa because of Squalls unwillingness to open up. Then Siefer stepped in. He had recently passed his SeeD test and his first order of business after passing the test was to tell Rinoa about the long time crush he had, had on her. Rinoa was shocked. Squall wasn't. The confession couldn't have come at a better time, only a week before Rinoa had asked Squall to take a break from the relationship. After that Rinoa and Seifer were seen quite often together, and had become known as an "item".
Squall was heart broken, but he didn't show it. He merely berried himself in work. Squall tried to be happy for them, but it was so hard not to feel heart ach whenever he saw them budding around the garden and near by town. Rinoa was nice about the break up and even continued to be his friend. While Seifer never rubbed it in his face that he had "won the girl", well at least for now. And then they were gone. Rinoa was going home to her father and Seifer accompanied her on her trip. They were gone for nearly three weeks and would be returning the day after next.
Over the weeks fallowing their trip, Squall began to heal. The heart ach faded and he d to his normal self. And he could finally be happy fro them. But still part of him missed her. Part of him missed having someone to talk to and hold on to. But most of all part of him, like Zell, wanted another adventure. Why wouldn't be want adventure? It ran in his blood, the longing for excitement and adventure. Even Laguna his father had been the same way. Yes, he did like the calmness of places like Winhill. But still nothing could stop him when he had fallen face first into another adventure and a butt load of trouble.
So everything had returned to normal. Laguna was in Esthear still president of course. And Ellenor was with him. The last Squall heard from them they were happy as can be. The most notable sign of their happiness was when Elloneor called Laguna "Uncle". They did come to visit Squall every once a while, and as much as Squall didn't show it, he did enjoy it. And so everything was back to "normal".
Zell closed his book and shoved it under his mattress. His head was racing with thoughts. But "Wow." was all he could say. The book had odiously been good so far. He clicked his bedside lamp off and nestled down into his blankets.
As his head sank deeper into the feather down pillow, he found that his eyes were surprisingly heavy. He was near sleep when the sudden smell of smoke tickled his nostrils. Zell shrugged in off at first then found that the smell was growing a bit stronger. Suddenly there was a silent smoke based explosion. Zell jumped up. The room was filled with smoke. Zell got out of bed quickly and ran to his window, flinging it open to let the smoke escape. He hacked and coughed wildly. Zell glanced around his room to see the smoke was disappearing quickly. There was no fire, so he figured some jerk had set off a smoke bomb as a prank. Zell would deal with who ever it was in the morning. As for right now he was too tired to complain.
Zell walked across his dark room back to his bed. The last remains of the smoke dissipated, or were swept out the window by the cool night breeze. Zell sat down on the edge of his bed and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He lie down and rolled over trying to find a comfortable position
Zells eyes were shut heavily was his mind clicked. Something was different, something was wrong. Zell opened his eyes sleepily to see a young lady lying in his bed next to him. It was Meagan. Zell leapt out of bed with a loud yelp sound. He screamed again when he flicked on eth light to see it was a girl and not a figment of his imagination.
By now Zell screams had waken up Meagan, and the residents of the room next door, and the room across the hall and the room next to that. Meagan sprang from the bed; still summer P.J. clad, in sports bra and old P.E. shorts. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Zell yelled as loud as he could. Meagan's attention shoot to Zell, she recognized him from somewhere, in the mass of confusion. Her eyes grew wide as it dawned on her. "Oh muh god!" Meagan mumbled to herself, her eyes locked on Zell. "WHO ARE YOU?" Zell yelled again. Meagan snapped out of her partial trance and through her hands over her head, then fell to the floor. "My name is Meagan!! I am so sorry!! Really I am!" she yelled back. "Why were you in my bed?" Zell lowered his voice, he asked suspiciously. "It's a freak accident, Zell! I swear. I don't know..." Meagan said excitedly as she gazed up at Zell from the floor. "Wait. How do you know my name?" Zell said looking at Megan suspiciously. "Well...uh...its really hard to explain." she smiled nervously. There was a sudden knock at the door; before Zell could answer the door flew open. Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine all stampeded into the room in a panic. "We heard you scream. Whats wrong Zell?" Irvine yelled as he skidded to a stop.
After a long moment of exchanging glances all eyes settled on Meagan. Meagan smiled and waved nervously to the other.
Zell sat in his bed reading. It was past midnight, yet still not one A.M. This was the only time Zell could actually sit down and read. Zell had a hidden passion for romance novels, and late at night was the only time he felt confident enough to read them and not get caught. They were his little secret. While most other guys hid naughty magazines under their mattresses, Zell hid his romance books there.
Of course Zell was a bit embarrassed by his love for romance novels, what guy wouldn't be? No one knew, except for his adoptive mother. He had just started the second book in the Outlander Series, which his mother had just finished. He had waited patiently fro two months as his mother had read the book, and he had to suffer through reading the first one a second time. But his patience's was well rewarded.
It had been at least six month since the battle with Ultiminica, and everything had returned to normal. Well except for the young adult/ teenage drama that acted up every once a while. Selphie and Irvine were seen everywhere together. And lately Irvine had been spotted sneaking in and out of Selphie's room at night.
Mean while Quistis had bloomed into a social butterfly. After she learned of her growing fan club, she was a bit embarrassed at first. But she learned to live with it. Many of the young men in the fan club began to ask her out after she found out about them. She turned down many of them but she did go out with some of the older ones. For the longed time Quistis had a date almost every weekend. But now it was rumored that Quistis had a steady boyfriend, who'd she'd been seen with many times over the course of the last week.
After everything returned to normal, everything returned to being boring for Zell. But Zell kept him busy, with training, and even passing on his knowledge to the next generation. Yes, Zell had taken up mentoring, nearly every kid in the garden and Balamb knew him. So Zell spent a good portion of his time with people just like him, kids. All the while he dreamed of other adventure.
But the latest drama had taken place with in the last month. Ever since the battle with Ultiminica Squall and Rinoa had, had a sweet and loving relasinship. Of course it was a little hard at times for Rinoa because of Squalls unwillingness to open up. Then Siefer stepped in. He had recently passed his SeeD test and his first order of business after passing the test was to tell Rinoa about the long time crush he had, had on her. Rinoa was shocked. Squall wasn't. The confession couldn't have come at a better time, only a week before Rinoa had asked Squall to take a break from the relationship. After that Rinoa and Seifer were seen quite often together, and had become known as an "item".
Squall was heart broken, but he didn't show it. He merely berried himself in work. Squall tried to be happy for them, but it was so hard not to feel heart ach whenever he saw them budding around the garden and near by town. Rinoa was nice about the break up and even continued to be his friend. While Seifer never rubbed it in his face that he had "won the girl", well at least for now. And then they were gone. Rinoa was going home to her father and Seifer accompanied her on her trip. They were gone for nearly three weeks and would be returning the day after next.
Over the weeks fallowing their trip, Squall began to heal. The heart ach faded and he d to his normal self. And he could finally be happy fro them. But still part of him missed her. Part of him missed having someone to talk to and hold on to. But most of all part of him, like Zell, wanted another adventure. Why wouldn't be want adventure? It ran in his blood, the longing for excitement and adventure. Even Laguna his father had been the same way. Yes, he did like the calmness of places like Winhill. But still nothing could stop him when he had fallen face first into another adventure and a butt load of trouble.
So everything had returned to normal. Laguna was in Esthear still president of course. And Ellenor was with him. The last Squall heard from them they were happy as can be. The most notable sign of their happiness was when Elloneor called Laguna "Uncle". They did come to visit Squall every once a while, and as much as Squall didn't show it, he did enjoy it. And so everything was back to "normal".
Zell closed his book and shoved it under his mattress. His head was racing with thoughts. But "Wow." was all he could say. The book had odiously been good so far. He clicked his bedside lamp off and nestled down into his blankets.
As his head sank deeper into the feather down pillow, he found that his eyes were surprisingly heavy. He was near sleep when the sudden smell of smoke tickled his nostrils. Zell shrugged in off at first then found that the smell was growing a bit stronger. Suddenly there was a silent smoke based explosion. Zell jumped up. The room was filled with smoke. Zell got out of bed quickly and ran to his window, flinging it open to let the smoke escape. He hacked and coughed wildly. Zell glanced around his room to see the smoke was disappearing quickly. There was no fire, so he figured some jerk had set off a smoke bomb as a prank. Zell would deal with who ever it was in the morning. As for right now he was too tired to complain.
Zell walked across his dark room back to his bed. The last remains of the smoke dissipated, or were swept out the window by the cool night breeze. Zell sat down on the edge of his bed and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He lie down and rolled over trying to find a comfortable position
Zells eyes were shut heavily was his mind clicked. Something was different, something was wrong. Zell opened his eyes sleepily to see a young lady lying in his bed next to him. It was Meagan. Zell leapt out of bed with a loud yelp sound. He screamed again when he flicked on eth light to see it was a girl and not a figment of his imagination.
By now Zell screams had waken up Meagan, and the residents of the room next door, and the room across the hall and the room next to that. Meagan sprang from the bed; still summer P.J. clad, in sports bra and old P.E. shorts. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Zell yelled as loud as he could. Meagan's attention shoot to Zell, she recognized him from somewhere, in the mass of confusion. Her eyes grew wide as it dawned on her. "Oh muh god!" Meagan mumbled to herself, her eyes locked on Zell. "WHO ARE YOU?" Zell yelled again. Meagan snapped out of her partial trance and through her hands over her head, then fell to the floor. "My name is Meagan!! I am so sorry!! Really I am!" she yelled back. "Why were you in my bed?" Zell lowered his voice, he asked suspiciously. "It's a freak accident, Zell! I swear. I don't know..." Meagan said excitedly as she gazed up at Zell from the floor. "Wait. How do you know my name?" Zell said looking at Megan suspiciously. "Well...uh...its really hard to explain." she smiled nervously. There was a sudden knock at the door; before Zell could answer the door flew open. Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine all stampeded into the room in a panic. "We heard you scream. Whats wrong Zell?" Irvine yelled as he skidded to a stop.
After a long moment of exchanging glances all eyes settled on Meagan. Meagan smiled and waved nervously to the other.