Chapter Six: Demons on the Track
By PasifikStar
Author's Note: Someone requested Tifa and since Tifa is my favorite FFVII character, she's here. ^_^ More cameos from FF7, 9, and 10 as much of this will be at the speedway.
* All standard disclaimers apply: I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters.
"Sir, Commander Leonhart is here to see you." the secretary said. Cid sat up straight on the large leather chair behind the oak desk and looked at the phone. He took a deep breath and reached out his hand to press one of the buttons.
"Let him in." Cid said in a steady voice. He had been rehearsing what he was going to say to Squall all last night. He finished reading over one last document as the door opened and Squall stepped into the office. He gave Cid a salute.
"Good morning, sir."
"Good morning, Squall."
"You asked for me?" Squall said. Cid nodded and motioned to the chair in front of him.
"Please have a seat," Cid told the young commander. Squall walked forward and sat on the plush leather chair in front of Cid's desk. Cid put his pen down and looked up at Squall. "I saw you at the dance last night, Squall. You seemed to be having a good time. You rarely ever dance."
Squall nodded his head slightly as one thought went through his head - Cid knew about him and Rinoa. "Everyone has to take a chance sometime, sir."
Cid nodded and removed his glasses. He placed them on the table and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't really know how to say this, Squall..." he said tiredly. He put his glasses back on. "But after seeing you last night and witnessing your actions with the student Rinoa Heartilly Caraway, I decided just to ask you flat out. Are you aware that Miss Caraway is a student and not a cadet?"
Squall nodded. "Yes, sir."
"And as for the rumors that you are seeing Miss Caraway-"
"Rumors?" Squall asked, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. "What rumors?"
Cid looked slightly surprised. "You mean you haven't heard them?" Cid asked. "A few students have seen you riding outside the Garden on your motorcycle with Miss Caraway. A few saw you two in a cafe once."
Squall's eyes narrowed. "Do people think that Rin-Miss Caraway and I are involved?" Cid nodded.
"And it seems that last night's dance with her seemed to solidify the rumors," Cid added. "You are aware of the student-SeeD Administration involvement policy, aren't you?"
Squall nodded once more. "SeeD Administrators, including faculty and all non-cadet SeeDs are not to engage in romantic or sexual involvement with non-cadet, academic students." he repeated.
"Then you can understand why I am concerned," Cid continued. He leaned forward slightly and looked nervous. "Squall, are you involved with Miss Caraway?"
"No, sir." Squall stated sternly.
Cid let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "Please keep the policy into consideration, Squall."
"Yes, sir."
"It is especially difficult in Miss Caraway's case." Squall tilted his head slightly and looked at Cid as the headmaster leaned back against his chair.
"Why is that?" Squall asked.
"Miss Caraway's father is General Caraway."
"The head of the Galbadian army?" Squall asked. Cid nodded and looked at Squall with a serious face.
"He's a very powerful man that can do a lot of damage - without the Galbadian army," Cid informed him. "You must know that Miss Caraway is a popular singer. The reason she's in Balamb Garden in the first place was because she was stalked at her old school in Deling City. Her father was worried, so he had her sent to a secluded Garden like Balamb."
"Stalkers?" Squall mumbled. *She never told me about that...*
"We are under strict direction by General Caraway to see to it that Miss Caraway will not be involved romantically with someone here at the Garden. He's afraid that she will get hurt." Cid explained.
"That's very understandable, sir," Squall said. "But I don't see why we have to treat Miss Caraway's case so special."
"I already told you that General Caraway is an extremely powerful man," Cid said. "He has connections to Galbadia Garden and knows people in high places that can mean trouble for us."
Squall narrowed his eyes. "Is he threatening us?" Squall spat out. Cid immediately shook his head.
"No, no..." the headmaster stammered. "But we just don't want to cause trouble at this point. Seeing to it that Miss Caraway is not engaged in any sort of affair is a small price to pay-"
"But sir, I just don't think it's right for us to deny Miss Caraway something like this-"
"It doesn't matter," Cid told him firmly. "The only person I was worried about getting involved with Miss Caraway is you. The rumors were specially concerning. Not to mention that Miss Caraway seemed especially content when she was dancing with you."
"I assure you, it was nothing," Squall stated. He felt his blood begin to boil at the thought of Rinoa being put under some sort of watch dog. "Miss Caraway and I are not involved. Aside from having the same friends and occasionally being in the same room, we are not having any sort of affair."
"You are an excellent SeeD, Squall," Cid told him. "I would hate to have to punish you if you break the policy. And if you do with Miss Caraway, it'll be even worse. General Caraway will be down our throats about it."
"I understand."
"If you do break the policy..." Cid took a deep breath. "I'm afraid I will have to retract the vacation time granted to you."
Squall's eyes went wide and his hands clamped on the edge of the table. "The time for the G-14?" he gasped. Cid nodded. "But sir, I requested that a month or so ago and everything has already been finalized-"
"I'm sorry, commander," Cid said as he sat up straight. "But the rules are rules. Besides, you yourself have assured me that there is nothing going on between you and Miss Caraway, therefore you should have no problem."
Squall closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes, sir. I understand."
"Excellent," Cid said. He gave Squall a weak smile. "You are dismissed."
Squall stood up quickly and turned his back to the headmaster as he headed for the door. His hands were clenched at his sides. It took all his will power not to slam Cid's door. *He knows we're involved,* Squall thought for the billionth time. *He knows! Otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned the punishment. Dammit!*
He walked down the hall and looked at his watch. It was still early and he wasn't scheduled to leave for the speedway until later, around noon. He needed to talk to Rinoa. As far as he knew, she was still sleeping in her dorm room. And obviously walking up to her room would only fuel the rumors.
Instead, he headed for his room. She had told him that she had set up her computer to accept all his messages. Perhaps he could send her a message and tell her to really watch what she was doing around him. Squall slid his key card through the reader and allowed his doors to slide open before he walked in. He headed straight for his laptop.
It was already on and he opened up the program. A small screen popped up and he saw an image of Rinoa's room. Her bed was still messy. Suddenly, he saw someone pass by the camera. Squall opened up a text box to send her the message.
He looked back up and froze in his seat. Rinoa was now by her closet and was tossing some clothes on her bed. He could hear music coming from her laptop. Rinoa's head was bobbing up and down as she danced to the music and Squall smiled.
Rinoa then closed her closet once she had her clothes laid out. She was dressed in an oversized gray T-shirt that reached her knees. Her hair was all over her head. She was looking over her bed, her back to the camera, when she put her hands over the edge of her T-shirt and lifted it over her head.
Squall's eyes went wide as she tossed the shirt into the hamper at the foot of her bed. Try as he might, Squall couldn't bring himself to turn away from the monitor. Instead, he enlarged the screen.
Rinoa grabbed the towel hanging over the edge of her bed and wrapped it around her body before slipping out of her teal undies and dark colored socks. She matted them into a little ball and tossed them into the hamper. It was then that she turned around. She seemed to look over at her desk before rushing forward. She played with the mouse and her eyes went wide.
"SQUALL!?" she gasped as her face flushed.
As she wrapped her arms tighter around her and her towel, she sat down on her chair. Squall felt his entire body turn red as he realized that he had been caught. "I just got here!" he gasped out.
She gave him a look of disbelief. "What did you see?"
"Nothing!" he insisted. She narrowed her eyes and glanced up at the camera on her desk. "I swear!"
"Well, what is it?" she asked. "I'm about to go take a shower."
Squall shook his head and tried to clear his mind. He let out a deep breath. "I just got out of a meeting with Cid."
"The headmaster?" Rinoa asked. Squall nodded.
"He saw us dancing last night-"
"He doesn't KNOW does he!?" she gasped.
"I think he does, but he doesn't want to admit it," Squall explained. "I didn't know about this, but there are rumors going on about us."
"I knew that."
"What?" Squall asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you'd be upset," Rinoa answered. "Besides, they're just rumors."
"Regardless, we have to be even more careful now," Squall replied. He paused. "Rinoa... why didn't you tell me that you came to Balamb Garden because you were being stalked?"
The dark haired woman's face paled. "How...how did you know about that?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"Cid mentioned it," Squall answered. "He also told me that your father has requested that you not get involved with anyone while you are here."
"What?" Rinoa asked. Her eyes narrowed as anger flooded her senses. "Dammit!" she shouted, frustrated. "How DARE he put in a request like that!? I don't care if he IS my father! He has no right to do that!"
"I don't think so either, Rinoa, but we can't-"
"No wonder Irvine's here!" Rinoa added, her eyes narrowed. "How could he!? He didn't even tell me! And SEIFER! Seifer's probably in on it, too!"
"Rinoa, what are you talking about?" Squall asked.
Rinoa shook her head and covered her face with her hands. "Irvine and Seifer have been watching me like hawks. Seifer's been really insistent that I don't get involved with you. And then Irvine shows up and gets really concerned when you're mentioned..."
"Is your father employing them to watch you or something?" Squall asked.
"Seifer and Irvine have done...some things in the past. They both regret it, but it could ruin them," Rinoa explained. "From what I've managed to piece together, my father is making sure that their records are held secret."
"I see..." Squall mumbled. *So he's blackmailing them into watching her...I'll have to watch out for those two.*
"They're not bad people," Rinoa insisted. "I love Seifer and Irvine like my brothers. And I know that they care about me, too."
Squall let out a sigh. "Just watch out what you do and say in front of them, then."
"I will," Rinoa whispered. "Squall...I'm sorry if I got you in trouble."
Squall shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he assured her. He offered her a weak smile. "Just go take your shower. I'll be back from the Speedway later."
"Okay." Rinoa agreed. She stood up and headed towards her bathroom. Squall leaned back against his chair. He looked over at his bed, where his helmet laid waiting for him. He stood up and grabbed it.
Squall stepped out of the locker room dressed in his racing outfit. It was black with dark blue and silver insignias. He had black gloves on as he walked out, holding his helmet in his left hand. The garage they were in was busier than it usually was. Numerous other racers were there on the weekends.
"There he is!" a female voice shouted above the hustle and bustle of the garage. Squall looked up and saw a beautiful woman waving at him. "There's my little lion!"
Squall smiled slightly and waved back at the dark haired woman. Her long dark brown hair fell past her waist and ended with a dark red hair tie. She was wearing a short black skirt and black boots with a tight white shirt that had her large breasts almost popping out.
She was waving him over. "Hello, Tifa. Nice to see you again."
"Don't be so formal!" she scolded him lightly as she put an arm around his neck and squeezed him. "Congratulations, honey. I heard about the G-14 - FINALLY!" She turned to glare at the blue eyed blond who was cowering behind his motorcycle. "SOMEONE kept forgetting to tell me!"
"Sorry..." Cloud mumbled as he averted her eyes.
"Thanks." Squall said calmly.
She let him go and pointed to a small silver cooler she had brought with her. "I brought you boys lunch from Loveless," the former Racing Beauty Queen told him. "Have some before Tribal eats it all."
"I am not eating it all!" said the blond who was sitting on a nearby chair, his mouth stuffed with what looked like part of a pie.
"Right...so the fluffy white stuff on your lip isn't whipped cream?" Tifa said.
"No!" Zidane gasped, as if appalled that he had been accused of stuffing his face.
"So you have rabies now or what, monkey boy?" Tifa smirked. Zidane frowned.
"Thanks, Tifa, but I'm not hungry." Squall said casually. She nodded, understandingly as Tidus snuck behind her and reached into the cooler. He triumphantly pulled out a slice of cake and smiled as he ate it.
"Oh, Squall, I've been meaning to ask you," Tifa said as she forced Zidane off the chair so she could sit down. The blond grumbled as he was forced to stand. "I heard that Rinoa Caraway is attending your Garden."
"No way!?" Tidus gasped as he whirled around. "Dude, can you get me her autograph!?"
"No," Squall stated, rolling his eyes as he looked over his motorcycle. "She does go to Balamb Garden, but I am not getting Tidus an autograph."
"Why not!?" Tidus whined. "She's only the hottest singer out there! She could use a little more up here - but hey, Tifa over compensates for her."
"Shut up, you little-" Tifa began, but Squall cut her off with a glare at Tidus.
"I think her chest size is FINE." Squall hissed in a dangerous voice.
"So you've actually met her?" Tifa asked. Squall nodded slightly. "How is she like?"
*She's an energetic person, caring, warm, and friendly. She's loyal and kind and when she smiles...Hyne, when she smiles...* Squall paused as he got on the seat of his bike. "She seems nice." he answered.
Tidus sighed and leaned against his bike. "That means you haven't really met her," he frowned, disappointed. "There goes my autograph..."
"Whatever." Squall mumbled. He put his helmet on as the sound of his motorcycle sounded beneath him. Gripping the handles with his gloved hands, he slipped out of the garage and on to the track.
Cloud stood up from where he was cowering behind his bike and watched as the dark haired member of the team raced away. "You know...he did mention her name a few weeks ago. He denied it was her, though."
"Oh yeah!" Zidane gasped. "I remember that! He had this far off look on his face. You think he was thinking about her?"
"It would make sense, wouldn't it?" Cloud asked. "Since she goes to Balamb Garden now, he's probably seen her."
"Maybe that's the chick he's in love with," Tidus said as he watched the large screen by the track. The cameras were currently focusing on Squall, who was passing the other riders with ease. "And remember that day when he was having women problems?"
"He has a girlfriend now?" Tifa asked, her brown eyes large with question. "Oh, cute! Has she could around yet? Have you met her? I want to meet her!"
Cloud chuckled. "We haven't met anyone, Tifa," he told her as he wiped his hands on his worn down suit and headed for the cooler. "We speculate that that he likes someone, but we're not sure if that's his girlfriend or not."
"Of course he has a girlfriend!" Tifa announced. "Squall is a sweet, intelligent young man with a pretty face and a nice butt. I don't see why the girl he likes would refuse him!"
Cloud held a half slice of sandwich and looked at Tifa with concern. "You think he has a pretty face and a nice butt?"
Tifa nodded as if nothing was wrong with it. "All the girls think he has a pretty face and a nice butt. It's so obvious. You've seen him walking around in those tight leather pants," she stated. She smirked slightly and leaned forward. "Are you jealous, Cloud?"
"No!" the blond retorted proudly. "Why would I be jealous of Squall!?"
"Because your girlfriend said he has a pretty face and a nice butt." Zidane mumbled as he tossed a napkin into the trash bin. Cloud shot him an annoyed glare.
Tifa merely chuckled and stood up. She put her arms around Cloud's neck, making the blond blush furiously as her chest was pushed up against him. "No need to be jealous, baby. There is only one racer for me."
Cloud let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "Good..."
"And when I find him, I'll tell you, okay?" she grinned. Cloud frowned and the others laughed.
"Don't tease him, Tifa," Tidus said as he pulled his gloves on. He was wearing his yellow racing uniform with the black and blue patches all over his chest and arms. "You know Cloud has his pick of the ladies."
"Yeah, unlike two other blondes, I know." Cloud grumbled. Tifa let him go and looked over at the other two.
"Hey, I'm already in a deep relationship." Zidane replied truthfully.
"Whipped." Tidus coughed. Zidane shot him a glare and frowned.
"At least I'm not Yuna's bitch." Zidane mumbled as he passed him.
"What did you say!?" Tidus gasped. "I am NO ONE'S bitch!"
"Tidus!" a young woman with short black hair stuck her head out of the office of the garage. "Yuna's on the phone! She wants to talk to you!"
Zidane burst into fits of laughter as Tidus turned bright red. "Well?" Cloud said as he knelt down to check the tires of his motorcycle. "Are you going to keep her waiting, lap dog?"
"Shut up!" Tidus pouted and got off his bike. He looked over towards the office. "Forward the call out here, Yuffie! I'll get it!"
"Sure thing, lap dog!" Yuffie shouted back with a grin.
"I'm not a lap dog!" he shouted. He walked towards the phone by the work bench and picked up the head set. "Hello, honey muffin...yes, I missed you, too. Kiss kiss..." Tidus had his back turned to the garage as the other three snickered behind him. His voice had all of a sudden gotten ten times sweeter.
The roar of a motorcycle was heard and Squall slipped back into the garage. He removed his helmet and ran a gloved hand through his thick dark hair. He looked up as he heard Tidus and rolled his eyes. "Yuna?"
"Yep," Cloud said. "So are you all ready for tomorrow's exhibition run?" He stood back up as Squall got off his bike and nodded.
"Yes," Squall said. "I haven't performed in front of an audience in a while. It'll be good practice for the G-14."
"Good idea," Cloud agreed. "The crowds can sometimes be distracting at the G-14. It's best to learn to ignore them."
"Are you going to invite your girlfriend, Squall?" Tifa asked from her seat. Squall turned to her with a look of confusion.
"Girlfriend?" he asked. "What are you talking about?" His eyes narrowed. "What have they told you?"
"They said that you were having girl problems," Tifa replied casually, despite Cloud and Zidane making hand motions to get her to stop behind Squall. She merely ignored them. "I assumed that you have a girlfriend."
"I don't have a girlfriend." Squall asserted.
"Oh..." Tifa frowned, somewhat disappointed. "Well, if you ever do, bring her by. I'd love to meet her. She's always welcomed here."
"You sound like you own the place." Zidane said, rolling his eyes.
"I think you're forgetting that she does," Cloud said. "She owns half, remember?"
"Someone had a really big debt at the bar..." Tifa sighed carelessly. "So they paid with their half of the speedway."
Squall continued to ignore them. Part of him wanted to invite Rinoa to watch him race. He wanted her there to see him. But of course, if he did invite her, the rumors at the Garden would be in full swing and then Cid would have to acknowledge their relationship, therefore retracting the vacation time request for the G-14.
He let out a tired sigh. *When did this all get so complicated...?*
"What about you friends from the Garden, Squall?" Tifa was saying as he snapped out of his thoughts.
"What?" he asked, having not heard part of the question.
Tifa sat up straight on her chair. "What about your friends from the Garden? Why don't you invite them to watch? That way they know what to expect from you during the G-14."
Squall narrowed his eyes slightly. *If I invite everyone...that means...*
"Are you serious!?" Zell shouted over the phone. "You're not kidding!?"
Squall held the phone away from his ear as the over enthusiastic blond could be heard shouting over the phone. "I just have extra tickets," Squall said. "And since you guys can't be there for the G-14, someone suggested that I should invite you to the exhibition run tomorrow."
"Hell yeah!" Zell said. "We'll be there! How close are the seats!?"
"Close. You can even come into the pit afterwards if you want," Squall explained. Zell let out some more loud shouts. "I'm spending the night here by the track since I have to be here early tomorrow. So just get your tickets at the gate tomorrow morning."
"Got it!" Zell replied.
"Ask the others and see whose coming so I can send in the notice," Squall added. "Call me back when you know how many people are coming. And Zell, make sure just to invite close friends and not the entire Garden, all right?"
"Sure thing!" Zell answered. "I'll call you soon, bye!" The phone hung up and Squall put the phone down on the work bench.
"So are your friends coming, hon?" Tifa asked in a sisterly manner. Squall shrugged.
"Maybe."
The woman sighed and cupped his face in her hands warmly. "Squall, honey, you have to try to be a little more enthusiastic. Aren't you at all excited?"
"Of course I am." he said as he pulled away from her. He walked around her and she sighed. She watched as he headed towards the locker room.
"You know he's excited," Cloud said as he finished putting away some tools. "He just doesn't always show it."
"I guess..." she sighed. Suddenly the phone rang and she turned to pick it up. "Hello?"
"Hi! May I please speak to Squall Leonhart? This is Zell."
"Sorry, Zell, but Squall's in the locker room changing right now. Can I take a message?" Tifa asked.
"Sure, tell him that six of us are coming. Including Seifer, although I didn't really invite him. He just insisted on coming." Zell replied.
"Six...got it. And their names? We need to put them on the list at the front gate." Tifa told him. She took out a pen and tore off some paper from a note pad that was lying around.
"Zell Dincht, Selphie Tilmit, Quistis Trepe, Irvine...uh...Kinneas, I think... Seifer Almasy, and Rinoa Heartilly," Zell replied. "Do we need to show ID? If so, than put down her name as Rinoa Caraway."
Tifa smiled and wrote down the names. "No, no...just mention your names at the front gate," she said. "You'll have your passes waiting for you tomorrow morning, promptly at nine."
"Thank you!" Zell replied.
"You're welcome. Have a good evening. Bye." Tifa hung up the phone and looked down at the list. She circled Rinoa's name and smirked.
"Who was that?" Cloud asked as he approached her. She turned around and smiled.
"Squall's friend," Tifa said with a girl. "It looks like tomorrow will be a very interesting day."
"Whoa..." Selphie and Zell chorused as they looked at the massive speedway that laid before them. "I had no idea it was this big..."
"This is so exciting!" Selphie shouted joyously. "I can't believe we're actually going to go watch Squall race!"
"You've never seen him race before?" Rinoa asked. She was wearing her usual clothes, as was everyone else.
Quistis shook her head. "He's always kept it to himself," she mentioned. "This the first time he's offered to let us watch."
"I think someone made him invite us," Zell said as they walked through the parking lot. There were many people heading towards the front gate, tickets in hand. "He said that someone told him to."
"Go figure..." Selphie sighed.
"So where do we get our tickets?" Rinoa asked.
"He said the front gate," Zell said. He pointed up ahead. "Over there!"
Zell took off running towards the booth at the front of the speedway. The others shouted and then followed after him. "Rinoa!" Irvine said as he ran next to her. "Don't forget you're still a celebrity. So be careful all right?"
"Right, right!" Rinoa told him carelessly. They finally caught up with Zell at the front gate where a large black man with a buzz cut was sitting.
"Hi! We were told to pick up our tickets here!" Zell said as he stood in front of the group.
"Names?" the man asked.
"Zell Dincht-"
"Oh...party of six for Squall Leonhart?" the man asked. Zell nodded. "All right, sign here," He put a clipboard with a carbon copy document on it in front of them. He put a pen on top of it. "I'll get your VIP passes."
"VIP?" Selphie gasped. "Cool! I've never gotten one before!"
"That was very kind of Squall..." Quistis said as Zell passed around the clipboard. Everyone signed their names next to where their names were listed.
"Miss Lockheart, one of the owners, had the order sent in," the man said. He placed six laminated badges on the counter. They were black with their names in silver letters as well as ID numbers and big letters that said VIP watermarked in silver. "If you need anything else, just ask for me, Barret. I'd be happy to help."
"Thanks!" Zell said. Everyone took their badges and clipped them on.
"Make sure to keep them on your left breast at all times. Have a good day, guys." Barrette said. He opened the gate for them to go through and the group was ushered in, having the pleasure of bypassing the line.
"Let's go get our seats," Rinoa smiled. They followed the signs towards a special section that was closed off. They flashed their badges and were let in without question. "This is so exciting!"
"Irvy, have you been to one of these before?" Selphie asked.
Irvine nodded. "I've gone to the G-14 several times and some races in Deling City."
"I hate motorcycle racing." Seifer grumbled.
"Then why did you come?" Quistis asked, rolling her eyes.
He extended his arm over her chair and threw her a smirk. "To keep you company, of course." he said coolly. Quistis let out a frustrated sigh and turned her head away.
Rinoa, Zell, and Selphie were at the edge of their seats. they were practically clinging on to the railing as they looked at the track below. "This thing is huge!" Rinoa said as she eyed the track. "Look at all the people!"
The crowds were filling the seats all around the track as large screens were on either side of the track. Below them, to their left was the pit. Numerous racers were preparing. There were some already practicing on the track.
Irvine let out a whistle as he looked down. Walking in front of them was a beautiful woman wearing a red body suit and a black leather racing jacket and heels. She was waving at the crowd. "Tifa Lockheart."
"Who?" Rinoa asked.
"Tifa Lockheart is a racing beauty queen," Irvine said. "She owns several race tracks all over the world as well as a chain of bars. She's a famous icon in the racing world."
"Wow..." Zell mumbled.
"What about her?" Seifer asked, motioning his chin to some woman who was in a even more exclusive box seat to their left. Irvine looked.
"Yuna Lesca," Irvine shrugged. "Her father is a big sponsor of the G-14."
"And whose the girl jumping up and down next to her and waving at you?" Selphie asked suspiciously.
Irvine tilted his head up and smiled. He waved back. "Rikku, Yuna's cousin."
"REALLY..." Selphie said, in an almost dangerous voice. Irvine winced and turned to look at her.
"She's just a friend, really!" he told her as he put an arm around her shoulder. Selphie was about to reply, when she saw someone in the pit.
"It's Squall!!" she nearly screamed.
"WHERE!?" Zell and Rinoa shouted. She stood up and pointed to the pit.
"In the black and blue!" she replied. Rinoa and Zell leaned over the railing and saw the brown haired young man going over his motorcycle with a spiky haired blond. He nodded as he tugged his gloves on. "SQUALL!!!" Selphie shouted. "OVER HERE!!"
"He can't hear you," Seifer grumbled, rolling his eyes. "The crowd is too loud."
Tifa however had heard them and smiled. She walked over to the pit and the group watched as she tapped Squall's shoulder. He looked over at her and she pointed to the group in the stands. Squall lifted his eyes and immediately focused on Rinoa. She was leaning against the railing waving enthusiastically. He could make out her mouth letting out the words 'good luck'.
He raised his hand slightly and gave a subtle wave meant only for her. As Selphie and Zell shouted that he waved back, Rinoa merely smiled thoughtfully. Suddenly, the PA system went off and announced the start of the exhibition run. She sat back in her seat.
"You ready, Squall?" Cloud asked. The brunette nodded and put his helmet on. "Good luck!"
Squall gave him the thumbs up sign and left the pit with a graceful movement. As he rode out on the track, he was announced. As soon as it was revealed that it was him, the crowds let loose a ridiculous amount of cheering. Rinoa looked around, noticing that practically every woman in the audience was standing up and screaming for Squall.
"It looks like he's very popular." Quistis said as she noticed the outcome as well.
"He is popular," a voice said behind them. They turned and Irvine's mouth dropped.
"Miss Lockheart!"
"Call me Tifa," she said with a smile. "You must be Squall's friends that he told me about."
"You know Squall?" Zell asked with awe.
She nodded. "You must be Zell. I spoke to you on the phone last night."
"You spoke to Tifa Lockheart and you didn't tell me!?" Irvine gasped in shock.
"I didn't know who she was!" Zell replied.
"I'm glad you were all able to make it," Tifa said. "Squall has numerous fans and admirers, specially since he's made it into the G-14."
"Squall made it into the G-14?" Irvine said. "That's amazing...no way!"
"What's the G-14?" Quistis asked.
"It's a fourteen day motorcycle race through Galbadia," Seifer replied. "It's supposed to be the most grueling motorcycle event in the world."
"I thought you said you didn't like motorcycle racing." Quistis retorted. Seifer merely shrugged.
"The G-14 is common knowledge, Quisty."
"Do you think Squall can win it?" Rinoa asked. Tifa's gaze finally settled on her and she smiled.
"I think he can," Tifa answered. "Rinoa Caraway?" The other brunette nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you. We heard that you now attended Balamb Garden, but we didn't think that you actually knew Squall," *Well, actually, I did, but the others didn't seem to believe me.*
Rinoa blushed slightly and nodded. "He's the commander. Everyone knows him."
"I see," Tifa said. "Well, once the exhibition is over, feel free to come down to the pit." she said with a wink. She headed back down towards the track and Rinoa shifted her attention to the large screen across from them. It showed a man holding a gun raised in the air.
Suddenly, it went off and the race began.
*I will kill Tifa for this...* Squall thought as he sat under a tent, holding a pen as he signed a picture of himself on a motorcycle. *She never mentioned an autograph session...*
Behind him in the pit, his friends were taking pictures with motorcycles and racing queens. Zell and Irvine seemed to be having the most fun while Selphie was trying to get Quistis to sit on a motorcycle for a picture. Seifer was being forced to hold the camera.
In front of him was a long line of fans, all waiting for a chance to talk to him and get an autograph. Some waited with cameras to take a picture with him. Behind him, he finally heard Seifer crack. "Quisty, just get on the damn bike already!"
"Next!" Squall said. He was looking down at the table when a picture was slipped in front of him. He lifted his hand to write his name. "Name?" he asked, bored.
"Rinoa."
"Rino..." his voice trailed off as he lifted his head. She smiled warmly at him as she blushed and stood there. A smile reached his lips at the mere sight of her. "Thanks for coming out, Rinoa."
"It was my pleasure," she said. "I'm a big fan of yours."
"I'm a big fan of yours, too," he added. He took his pen and wrote her name as neatly as he could, before writing a personal note. "Did you enjoy the exhibition?"
"It was great. I've never seen one before this close up. And you were amazing. You'll win the G-14 for sure." she told him. Squall smiled and wrote his name on the paper.
"Did you want to take a picture with me?" he offered quietly. For all the other women, he had been hesitant to. When he had given his autograph to people, it had merely been a scribble that started with an 'S' and ended with a line. It wasn't the note that he had left on hers.
"That would be great," Rinoa said. She looked over his shoulder. "Selphie! Selphie, can we borrow the camera!"
The green eyed brunette looked up from what she was doing - taking a picture of Irvine on Squall's bike, and nodded. She told the others to wait for her as she ran over to where they were. "Okay, get behind the table next to Squall!" she said brightly.
Rinoa walked around the table and knelt down next to where Squall was sitting on a chair. "How's this?" Rinoa asked.
"Closer!" Selphie insisted. The two of them were a good foot away from each other. Rinoa moved a little closer, but there was still a six in gap between them. "Closer!"
"Just take the picture!" Rinoa sighed. She had one hand on the edge of the table, keeping her steady. Her other hand dangled at her side.
Selphie let out a sigh. "Okay...get ready..." Rinoa smiled brightly and suddenly felt another hand brush hers under the table. "One..." She felt herself blush, but didn't allow her smile to falter as warm fingers intertwined with hers. "Two..." His hand squeezed hers gently. "Three!"
There was a flash and his hand left hers. "Thank you..." she whispered quietly as she stood up. Her legs felt shaky as she gripped the edge of the table to help her up.
"You're welcome." he said. His eyes locked on to hers as she was slowly led away by Selphie. Her hands held his autograph tightly and she waved as she walked back to the pit.
"Did you see that?" Tidus said as he looked over at Yuna. "He was holding her hand! That means they ARE close!"
"Tidus, if you really want her autograph, why don't you just ask her instead of getting Squall to get it for you?" the multicolored eyed woman sighed tiredly.
"It's not about that," Tidus said. "I think that Rinoa's the girl he likes!"
"Well...they were looking at each other for a while..." Yuna mumbled. She smiled slightly. "He's kind of cold sometimes...I think that's great that he finally found someone."
"Who finally found someone?" a deep voice said behind her. Yuna immediately took a step away from Tidus and turned to smile at her father.
"Squall, daddy," Yuna said with a smile. "Squall has a girlfriend."
"Oh really?" Braska asked. "Squall is the brown haired one, right?"
"Yes, sir, the one that qualified for the G-14." Tidus added.
"Well, whose the lucky young lady?"
"Rinoa Caraway." Yuna replied brightly. Braska frowned slightly.
"General Caraway's daughter?" Braska mumbled. He knew he had seen her wandering around the pit earlier, talking with members of a team sponsored by Strife and Lockheart.
"They both go to Balamb Garden, sir." Tidus added.
"Where have I heard of Squall before..." Braska mumbled quietly.
"He's the Commander at Balamb Garden." Tidus explained.
"No...that's not where I've heard it..." Braska mused. "He was in a news a while back, I believe..."
"Oh, during the Esthar elections," Tidus said easily. "Yeah, his father is Laguna Loire. Esthar's president."
"I see..." Braska said. "Interesting."
"Did you need something, daddy?" Yuna asked cheerfully. He shook his head and put his hand on his daughter's shoulder.
"No, I just wanted to remind you that I have to leave tonight. Speaking of General Caraway in Galbadia, I have to attend a meeting there tomorrow about the G-14," Braska said. "So I'll be leaving late tonight."
Yuna nodded and watched as her father went to speak to Tifa about the exhibition. She turned back to Tidus. "Sorry..."
"So...when are you going to tell your father about us?" Tidus asked softly.
"Soon..." she whispered back.
"I swear...I thought Zidane and Garnet had it bad when they were hooking up," Tidus sighed. "I mean, she's rich, he's butt poor. Everyone was against them...but now they're practically married and her whole family accepts the monkey. But your father has you set to marry some other guy and my old man is encouraging him...it's like a conspiracy against us. Man...no one has it worse than us."
Rinoa walked past them, behind them, just as she heard Tidus' words. She smirked to herself and shook her head. She slipped his autograph into her purse after she folded in fourths. *You have no idea...*
Squall smiled slightly as he looked over the pictures that Selphie had sent them via email. There were a few of him, mostly from far away, in the pit or riding his bike. Some where merely blurs. As he went through the pictures, one by one, he saved the ones with Rinoa. He didn't even realize that she had sat on his motorcycle until he saw a picture of her on it.
She was smiling and pretending to ride it, even thought it wasn't moving. He hadn't physically seen her in few weeks. With the G-14 approaching, he had spent much of his free time at the track. He would come home late to find her still up, waiting to talk to him online. And she had always understood and assured him that it was okay.
Her finals were approaching and even she had slowly stopped sending him random messages. She was focused on exams and he encouraged her to do so. He moved on to Selphie's next message and realized that she had forwarded it only to him and Rinoa. He narrowed his eyes and opened the message.
There wasn't any note, but just one picture. Rinoa was smiling brightly at the camera as she knelt next to him underneath a blue tent. Behind them was the pit where people were scurrying around. He had a slight smile on his face. Squall followed their arms to where they disappeared under the skirted table and smiled. Unconsciously, he squeezed his hand once more.
He saved the picture on to his lap top when suddenly knocking was heard. "I'll be right there!" he shouted. He closed his laptop and stood up, heading towards the door. It slid open and he frowned as he saw Nida standing there. "What is it?" he asked.
"Headmaster Cid Kramer requests you at his office immediately." Nida answered simply.
Squall's eyes narrowed. "Did he tell you why?" Squall asked in a deep voice. Nida shook his head.
"No, but he said it was urgent."
Squall nodded. "Tell him I'll be right there."
"I have to bring you."
"Why?"
"Commander...you're under probation."
