Disclaimer: I own only the plot, the characters you all know so well are owned by Squaresoft/Square Enix and also, the latest character addition (Michael) is owned by my very lovely friend (shall I state her real name? no…) Mariedel…let's give her a round of applause! Ok…on with the show…

- - -

Chapter 3-Separate Lives

- - -

"So," Squall queried anxiously as Louise stepped into his car, "How was it?"

"Really, really good!" she exclaimed with a smile.

"What's your accompanist like?"

"Very talented, she plays the piano and she teaches. How cool is that?"

"Wow, a multi-tasker…so what you feel like for lunch?"

"I dunno, we already went out last night."

"What did you want to do today, then?" he asked as he smiled at her briefly, his eyes focused on the road ahead of him.

Louise scanned the shops outside the window and bit her lip. "Shopping…" she replied slowly.

Uh-oh… "Sure thing, sweetie. I suppose you do need to get a dress for the competition."

Her face immediately brightened up. "That's right! I'd almost forgotten about that!"

Squall parked the car and they proceeded into the shopping centre. "You go hit the clothes shops, I'm just gonna take a browse in the music store."

"Alright, I'll give your cell a call when I need you," she said as she let go of his hand to go in the opposite direction. "See ya later!"

He smiled as he came upon the familiar shop, walls and tables full of cd's and what have you. Approaching the counter, the guy at the counter recognised him immediately.

"Hey Irvine, got anything new this week?"

"Not really, Squall…well nothing your style anyway."

"I see, well have you got any recommendations?"

"Hmm, why don't you drop by later, I'll have a list for you by then."

"Alright, I will, but I'll stick around for a while anyway, Louise is dress shopping."

"Ooh," Irvine winked. "For a special occasion?"

"A music competition actually."

"That's right, she's the violinist, who was the pianist again?"

"Umm…" Great, two reminders of Rinoa in one day…not good "Dunno. Anyway, talk to you soon, I'll be looking around." With that, he departed to a somewhat secluded section to listen to some music.

- - -

Rinoa's head gently bopped to the catchy tune. Great vocal talent, she thought as she listened to the female voice singing. She laughed to herself thinking about how ridiculous she looked with massive headphones on her head. Glancing at the other cd's available for listening, she switched to Michelle Branch, skipping the 'Intro', she listened to 'Are You Happy Now."

Biting her lip to keep from singing out loud, she mentally sang the words.

"Now don't just walk away
pretending everything's okay and you don't care about me.
and I know it's just no use
when all your lies become your truths and I don't care

Could you look me in the eyes
and tell me that your happy now
would you tell it to my face or have I been erased
are you happy now?

You took all there was to take
and left me with an empty plate and you don't care about it
and I am giving up this game
and leaving you with all the blame cause I don't care

Could you look me in the eyes
and tell me that your happy now
would you tell it to my face or have I been erased
are you happy now?

Do you really have everything you want
you could never give something you ain't got
you can't run away from yourself

Could you look me in the eyes

and tell me that your happy now
come on tell it to my face or have I been replaced
are you happy now

oh would you look me in the eye

Could you look me in the eye
I've had all that I can take

and I'm not about to break cause I'm happy now
are you happy now?"

When the song had finished, she glared at nothing in particular thinking about the worst day of her life.

Are you, Squall? 'Cause I sure as hell aren't...

Sighing, she skipped to another cd with more light-hearted music, a smile once again returned to her face.

She was totally oblivious to her surroundings until a slight jab between her shoulder blades brought her back to reality.

"Ouch." She hastily took off the headphones, eager to glare at the culprit of such a disruption.

Her glare, however, turned into a surprised look when she saw who it was.

- - -

Quistis lazily ambled along as she window-shopped. Rinoa insisted that she be left at a music store, which left Quistis the great mission of finding Rinoa's dress based on what she knew about Rinoa, which was practically everything. A little shorter than me, skinnier than me...slightly...looks great in blue, refuses to wear any skirt length above her knees, refuses to wear revealing tops, refuses to wear halter-necks, but that can change...

She entered a store and was looking at a dress when she was quickly invaded by a sales assistant.

"Hi, can I help you? Are you looking for any kind of dress in particular?"

"Umm…"

"No idea, eh? Well," the lady presented a dress from the nearby rack, "How about you try on this dress?"

"I really don't…"

"Not you're type, well, I suggest you try this fabulous dress on!" she pulled out a pink dress which was quite the eyesore.

"Uhh…I-"

"Don't think it'll look good on you? Nonsense! If I know one thing, its how to pick out fabulous clothes for people."

You don't know very much then, do you? "No-"

"Then, there really is no problem! Come this way, I'll show you the way."

Quistis followed as the lady hastily pulled at her and shoved her into a changing room. "Now, I'll be right out here if you need anything, but you simply must try on this fabulous dress."

She slowly changed into the dress as she listened to the lady harassing another young woman. Poor girl, I feel sorry for anyone caught in the presence of that woman! Quistis giggled to herself. What a joke! I look like a bloody cake decoration!

Stepping slowly out of the change room as to glance at herself in the mirror, the saleslady appeared, seemingly, out of nowhere.

"Oh my gosh! That dress looks absolutely fabulous on you!" the sales assistant squealed at Quistis.

"I'm not actually looking for a dress for me, its for my friend," she replied, keeping in her laugh.

"Then why doesn't your friend come in and try on this fabulous dress?"

Quistis looked down at the dress that adorned her. The baby pink dress with enormous frills at the waist and shoulders. As if! I was just going to try this on as a joke! Besides, pink isn't very Rinoa...neither are frills! Quistis almost laughed out loud. "I'll think about it," she said instead with a feigned innocent smile.

"Alright, but that dress does look fabulous on you!" the saleslady squealed once more before leaving Quistis alone.

"And you're a crappy salesperson," she muttered under her breath. Taking another look at her reflection in the mirror, she rolled her eyes.

What kind of person would design such an abomination?!

- - -

"Hi, can I help you? Are you looking for any kind of dress in particular?" a lady chirped in a high pitched voice.

Louise smiled. "No thanks-"

"You aren't? Well I recommend this dress, you'll look stunning!"

She raised her eyebrows doubtfully, but politely acquiesced. "Sure, why not." Why on earth do I have to be so polite?!

"Now, you go in there and try it on, I'll be out here if you need anything, but do come out, I want to see your stunning vision in reality!"

Louise laughed dryly before turning into the changing room. What have I gotten myself into?

"Oh my gosh! That dress looks absolutely fabulous on you!" she heard outside of the door.

What?! She can see inside here?!

"I'm not actually looking for a dress for me, its for my friend," a girl replied.

Phew! Wasn't me...

Louise kept silent, staring down at the dress until the lady had walked off. Silence remaining, she assumed no one else was outside the door to see what was bound to be a shocking sight. Eager to see how funny she looked, Louise opened the door and turned towards the mirror almost colliding into the girl the saleslady had obviously accosted a few minutes ago.

"I see she caught you too," the blonde stated.

"Yeah," Louise replied with a soft laugh. She caught the other girl's glance and they both let out a huge laugh. "You do realise we look like dying roses," she said inbetween laughs as she gestured to the identical dress they both wore.

"How badly do they want to get rid of these dresses?!"

"I reckon, she was hired for that sole reason; to approach any girl who looks remotely interested in a dress and shove the dress in her face without letting her get a word in edgewise."

"How much do you think she gets paid?"

"I'd think she's doing them a favour," Louise looked, disgusted, at the dresses. "Can you believe I actually agreed to trying this on!"

"You agreed? I was forced! If I were you, I would've run out of the store as fast as my little legs would've taken me!"

"Oh well, can I help it if I'm too polite sometimes?"

"Don't worry, being polite does have its ups, but more downs than anything." Laughing once more Quistis continued, "I'm gonna get out of this…thing."

"Me too, nice talking to you." Both girls then immediately turned to their changing rooms, getting out of the dress and into their normal clothes as quickly as possible.

Quistis stepped out of the room and took one more look at the dress before adding it to the 'return' basket in front of the mirror. Oh God, here she comes again!

"You didn't-"

"No I didn't like the dress, and my friend just rang, she really needs my help right now, so I've gotta run. I'd love to stay and chat though." That said she practically ran out of the store and into the one adjacent.

Note to self: never enter that store again...

- - -

Rinoa's surprised state was not missed by company she now held. She stared up at the blonde, blue eyed man in front of her.

"Oh my God. Michael? It's been, like what? three years or something?"

"Something like that, I'm surprised you recognised me. Sorry about elbowing you, some guy just knocked into me." He accepted the hug that Rinoa gave him. "How've you been?"

"Really good, how about you?"

"I'm great, finishing my medical degree this year."

"Wow! Congratulations!"

"Listen, it's been so long, why don't I buy you coffee or something?"

Rinoa bit her lip as she thought of Quistis alone, in a shopping centre…with her credit card. "Gee, I don't know…"

"Oh, its ok, you might not want to give your boyfriend the wrong idea if he saw us."

Boyfriend? "What? Boyfriend?"

"You're still together with him right? The one I used to see at your house a lot when you lived at your parents'?"

"Oh, him…that ended ages ago. I'd love to go with you, really I would, its just that I've just got a friend waiting for me somewhere."

"Well, if that's the case, why don't I take you out to dinner sometime?"

- - -

A/N-yay! Another chapter from lil ole me. Gosh I feel good! This fic is coming along easier than expected…there must be a reason for that, oh I know what it is, it must be all the reviews and feedback I've been getting, it must give me motivation and energy to write more quickly *hint, hint*…gee I hope my hints were subtle enough…but if you want it put plainly, please REVIEW!! I love feedback of any kind, you are the audience after all, and I'd like to know what you think. Right…I know I said I might write individual responses…next time, I promise, really busy this week, I swear! But thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far:

Angelprinczess29, XxPheonix BladexX, Cassandra, Red Eyes2, !~*moonlight chick*~!, Cloud-123, Klumsy Assassin, FF9 Zidane, Stormy Dreamer, Chery6124, wcigtdniw (I still find your name interesting), Sabam, Freelancer, Fallen_Angel_Swordsman_Tenshi, Mariedel (more Michael in next chap, even though you dun like him as much as you-know-who), Sorceress Pain, code wyze, digininga, noacat, Karla3, Exhile87, Severed-Ragdoll, Billie the Kid, XxSquall's angelxX, wInD chIme beLLs and Jolly-B.

Thanks all, don't forget to review!!