Thanks once again for your reviews, guys. And look, this chapter is more then 500 words!

Sorry if it's not the most thrilling of chapters, but then you have to have a variety, so the thrilling chapters are even more thrilling?

Right…?

Anywho, have a super day and go treat yourself to something nice!

*Editor's note: What's with the 'J' thing? Is it something I've missed?*

Chapter 9: The lonely book

Selphie wasn't talking to me.

What she was doing was giving me non-stop greasies.

I had the most horrible feeling that she knew what I had done, and the feeling that she could read my thoughts. It was horrible and sent shivers down my spine. The days passed slowly, the spring showed its true beauty and many of the students spent their time out in the fresh spring air. I kept inside, as though giving myself a punishment from enjoying anything. The day was Friday. Normally, this would be my "girl's night" with Rinoa. We had planned it when she told me she was marrying Squall, so that we would never lose our close friendship and made Friday night our night. It is funny how things in my world never go as planned.

'Girls night' had slowed down to a once a month thing and then without a word had completely vanished. So instead, I decided to get lost in a book. I sat in front of my bookshelf looking at the books. Most of them I hadn't even known I had, they must have crept in when I wasn't looking. I wasn't much of a reader. After a few minutes I finally picked out a book, just one of those smelly Mills and Boons books that I found behind the bookshelf. I didn't really want to think, just get lost in other people's problems and not have to face my own for a while.

And anyway I felt sorry for it.

Yeah I know it's just a book, buts its half torn cover and its smelly brown pages made me want to make it feel special by reading it. Pretty stupid huh?

I took it into the bathroom and ran the water. A really hot bath made me feel dizzy and mindless. That's what I wanted, to forget. I lit a few candles to give it that peaceful feeling and when some incense were burning, I immediately felt calm. The smell made my head feel light. I let myself slide into the hot tub which was filled with bubbles and bath crystals, opened up my book and started to read.

It wasn't the most interesting book I've read, but it sucked me in, go to show how long it's been since I've read a soapy book. Just the characters and their pitiful pathetic lives which were worse then mine made me the tiniest bit happier. The book was called "Love Letters," and I had only gotten through 3 and a bit chapters when my eyes felt suddenly heavy.

I woke up shivering, not knowing where I was. I was so cold I felt like I'd never get warm again. It was dark. It loomed around me threatening to swallow me in it. I didn't know where I was. Was I still asleep? Why was I sitting in water?

Remembering the last time I lost consciousness in water, I got up, letting the water run off me. I stumbled on the cold tiles and finally after much blind groping for the light switch I finally found it, and when the room was filled with the light bulb's harsh light I remembered what I was doing.

I grabbed my white towel; it was one of the more expensive types. One of my bad traits was that I had to have nice fluffy towels; I am appalled how people can dry their bodies with those harsh sand-paper towels they sell at the junk shops for four bucks.

It was only after I was doing up the strings on the bottom of my lavender colour flannel pyjamas that I noticed the scarlet envelope showing a corner from underneath the door, like it was too shy to come in. At first I thought I was hallucinating, but as I ran my fingertips along the edge of the letter, I knew it was real.