Author's Note: …I'm probably going to edit the last 3 chapters. It's amazing how bad your writing sometimes appears to be. I was going to make this chapter a completely different story, but I thought it fit into this one really well. Yes, people, it lives. Not that you wanted it to.

-

Amidst the awkward stares and bleak expressions among the Instructor's table, Quistis hesitantly choked down her breakfast. She timidly glued her eyes on the homely flower designs framing the edge of her plate, refusing to give any hint that she was aware of the activities (or lack of thereof) of the other, older, more seasoned instructors. Despite that, Quistis was well ware that the all of the instructors, all at once, were centering their musings on herself. Quistis was not only the newest addition to the family of Garden instructors, but she was the youngest, the youngest ever to be promoted to the job of an instructor in Garden history.

This, with no doubt, excited almost everyone's skepticism. Both students and instructors knew that Quistis was clever and she remained at the top of her class all throughout her Garden life, but just wits alone for a mere 17 year old was, in their opinion, far from the qualifications of becoming a full fledged instructor - there was a void gap of experience and tactic in Quistis' profile. And people knew Quistis was a shy individual, would she able to gather herself over a large amount of students, most of which were just as old (if not older) as her?

No. Of course not.

Quistis, with reluctance, agreed with the skeptics. How could she be fit for this job? She… she wasn't perfect, however hard she may try. Even though she was smart and aced exams, she wasn't a paragon of any sort among her peers – in fact, Quistis was often ignored and neglected among her peers. She was an outcast. The only person she could go to for support was Xu – a carbon copy of herself that was also promoted recently, to a job of the Headmaster's personal secretary. Although Xu was Quistis' only friend, Quistis often found herself listening on to conversations concerning hot boys and sexual favors going on from the next table down during lunch, instead of listening to Xu's daily tirading about 'ignorant' people in her classes.

Quistis was already bored of being herself, why did she even bother accepting the Headmaster's offer?

Maybe it's just who I really am… Quistis thought bitterly to herself, gnawing on a piece of bread.The question, though, was why she was playing along with her lifestyle of having no sort of 'life' at all.

The more cheery, optimistic side of her conscious butted in – Aw, but there's always that Squall guy!

Quistis flinched after processing her thought – her mind often trailed to and from that boy. Squall Leonhart. Quistis didn't deny the fact that she had a crush on Squall, he was definitely a heartthrob… but the fact that Quistis had never talked to Squall before (save a couple of succinct sentences from an awkward, assigned field exam where they were supposed to draw spells from Grats) bothered her. Can she be in love with someone that she watched and knew only prattle and gossip of? The analogy wearily reminded her of a celebrity – could it be possible that Quistis Trepe had a crush on a celebrity?

Celebrity or not, Quistis was bothered by the fact that she would have to teach and interact with Squall in class. Although she knew Squall just as well as she knew any other given cadet she had to teach, it seemed awkward to her, as if, indeed, he was a celebrity.

Riiing.The Garden bell tolled, and within a second or two, many students stormed towards the Cafeteria exit, pushing and shoving their ways out of the door. Quistis normally was in the mosh pit of students fighting to get to the door, but this was different. This was Quistis' first day of instruction. Quistis had butterflies fluttering in her stomach, and she stayed behind, attempting to gather herself for her first teaching endeavor.

Quistis noticed that many students lingered around the cafeteria tables, bantering cheerfully while their friends listened eagerly, with smiles of anticipation and amusement plastered onto their faces. Quistis regarded the groups of friends, feeling detached and somewhat jealous of them. Although Xu and Quistis were clearly best friends, conversation was far and few when they were together - instead they studied or read in each other's company. Until just then, Quistis didn't realize how infelicitous the situations were among them. Quistis shook her head and proceeded out to the cafeteria entrance, ignoring the students that remained in the cafeteria.

The hallways were crowded with students, strolling slowly towards the Training Area or upstairs to the classrooms. They were walking leisurely in horizontal lines, leaving no space for others to get across them. Quistis was caught behind a particular group of girls that were laughing and whispering excitedly to each other.

Quistis passed the Infirmary hallway before the tardy bell tolled. Quistis bit her lip. Quistis was never late to a class – neither has any instructor she had. She was off to a bad start. Quistis impatiently waited for the girls to make haste upon hearing the tardy bell, but they disregarded it and continued walking in a dilatory fashion.

Quistis counted the seconds after the tardy bell in her head, anxious to be able to get to her classroom before it was too late. Sixty three, sixty four… Quistis looked toward the other end of the circular hallway… maybe I would get to the elevator in good time if I …ran the other way…

Quistis turned around and was about to break into a sprint, but she bumped into someone, and stumbled down. She looked up to Squall, who was completely ignoring her and glaring at the group of students. Quistis got up, and made an effort to communicate with him by apologizing.

"Squall? I… Sorry, I was in a rush, I…" Squall stalked past her, and gripped onto the shoulder of one of the girls, forcing her to turn around. Squall put his face close to hers.

"Can't you walk faster?" Squall growled. The girl smacked her tongue, and tried shaking Squall's grip off, but Squall held on firmly. "Aren't you going to answer my question? I want to go to class."

The girl paused, open mouthed to come up with a lament to fire back at him. "And your point is?"

Squall raised his eyebrows in a quizzical manner. "I just made it, didn't I?."

The girls, who were significantly ahead now and were on the staircase, noticed the absence of their friend, and looked back. "Hey… Katty?" one of the girls called back.

"Squall?! Let go of her!" another one demanded. Surprisingly, Squall let go and then walked coolly up the stairs, past the group of friends, and into the elevator. It closed and transported Squall up to the 2nd floor. Katty caught up to her friends.

"Man, he thinks he's so tough, wearing that stupid leather…"

"I know! He thinks he's soooo gothic just because he wears black! What a poser, and plus—"

"Hey… but I think he's pretty hot!" Katty commented.

"……………………………… EEWWWWWWW!" her friends chorused together.

As Quistis' better judgment overruled her curiosity, she immediately realized why she was alone in the hallway. Quistis quickly went toward the elevator and ran to her class.

-

As Quistis barged into her classroom, out of breath, the class burst into an unexpected applause. Quistis looked up. The back row consisted of Seifer's group of friends – Rajin, Fujin, and himself - and they were leading the clapping by standing up and hollering. Quistis flushed, and indulged the clapping, hoping it would die down.

Seifer, however, refused to let it happen, and he began yelling louder and louder. Quistis looked up to the class, and looked at the students she had to teach. Of the whole class, four weren't clapping – three that were sitting in the front and staring at Quistis with awe, and… Squall, sitting in one of the back rows, who was resting his head on his desk, looking bored.

Quistis cleared her throat and banged her fist onto the table. "Okay, that's enough now. I… uh, I apologize for being late. Now we'll have to get right into the lesson to make up for lost time… okay, I… umm…"

Quistis had spent the last week carefully planning her first few days of instruction – she made charts of monsters' attributes that she had planned for the students to work on, and after they were given adequate time for the students to complete them, she would go over the chart and lecture the students on the best weaponry and magic to use against the monsters listed. However, with all of the students torpidly regarding her, Quistis faltered at their gazes, and started stuttering.

"I, uh… I… well… I made these……… things for you… uh… y-you to…"

"WHAT?" Fujin yelled from the back of the class. Quistis watched her hopelessly, and tried explaining again.

"Imadetheseworksheetsandyouwillworkonthemnow," Quistis slurred nervously, and shakily handed the worksheets to the boy sitting at the front. He flashed his most winning smile.

"Don't be nervous, Instructor. We all respect you!"

Quistis was flattered by his comment, but she still felt a bit fretful and could only managed a curt nod. "Thanks… uh, can you pass these out for me?" she pointed at the worksheets she handed to him. The boy gave a small salute and started strutting proudly around the room, handing everyone a worksheet.

Quistis couldn't understand the boy's behavior. Neither could she understand everyone else's. Quistis regarded the classroom as they worked – few people were actually filling out their worksheet – the rest of the students were passing notes, engaging in thumb wars, or talking. Seifer, in particular, was talking in a loud voice and constantly cast glances toward Quistis' desk.

Quistis raised her voice. "Can you guys, uh, quiet down? It's okay if you collaborate with each other but don't get too rowdy."

There was a brief, promising silence for a couple of moments, before Seifer started talking again, which followed up with everyone else doing what they had been doing previously. From the front of the room, the students rolled their eyes. Quistis smiled to herself – however badly she taught, she was sure that she would produce several students like herself out of the class, if they willingly listened to her instruction everyday. And, of course, they would.

(or would they?)