A/N: Oh my God! I'm updating this story! It's a miracle! ^-^ Sorry for the delay, but I've been busy with school and other fics... Anyways, I decided I should continue this story too because it hasn't been updated in so long! So, here I go!

~~~Chapter Seven: The End Of Now~~~

"Cloud! What are you doing down there?! Get out here now!" Aeris shouted at the shaking Cloud Strife who was crouching under the table.

Slowly and hesitantly, he crawled out back towards his seat and he seemed almost petrified. He was pale and his teeth were chattering.

"Cloud, what's wrong with you?" Yuffie asked him, a bit surprised at his state.

"I'm okay...really...I'm fine! Never better..." Cloud said, and he already began to get his color back.

"Okay...anyways, Sephiroth said that he found some information for your project and he said you can call him and give him your e-mail and he'd send it to you." Aeris said, quickly changing the subject.

"..." Cloud said nothing and almost freaked at the thought of Sephiroth sending him an e-mail. Knowing him, there was probably 500 viruses in there too. Cloud shuddered at the very thought.

"Shall we take our leave now, ladies?" Vincent asked; gentlemen like as he helped Yuffie get her coat.

"Aeris, let's go. It's getting late anyways and I wouldn't want your parents to worry." Cloud said politely.

With that, Aeris and Yuffie both got up and got their coats and steadily walked out of the restaurant, chatting with their dates.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Tifa dear?" Tifa's mom cried out from the kitchen.

She had cleaned up the big mess they had made in the living room while Tifa helped and watched T.V for a bit. After her mom finished with the dishes she had peeked into the quiet, dark living room only to see Tifa huddled in the blankets, fast asleep. Her mother leaned her shoulder against the kitchen wall as she watched her baby sleep in peace. She let out a small smile, remembering her own mother and her own childhood.

But then she remembered the marriage and her smile quickly turned into a frown. How was she going to ever tell Tifa? She would think her parents had betrayed her and her mother wouldn't be able to live seeing her daughter upset at her or unhappy. She couldn't tell her yet...she was too young. Maybe a few years later she will...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* LATER ON AT SCHOOL

"Hey Tifa! Wait up will ya?!" Aeris and Yuffie cried down the hallway after their friend, panting for breath. But Tifa kept her back turned to them, ignoring them completely.

"TIFA WOULD YOU PLEASE LISTEN TO US?! IT'S IMPORTANT!!!" Aeris and Yuffie finally caught up to her and stood in front of her.

Tifa merely shook her head and closed her eyes as she walked right past them, turning red in the face. Her friends merely followed close behind, trying their hardest to get her attention.

"Tifa!! Why won't you talk to us?!" Yuffie shouted at her.

"...Maybe it's because I'm still mad at you guys." Tifa barked back and she continued walking slowly down the hall.

"So? Does that mean you can't speak to us or at least listen to us when it's something important?!" Yuffie hollered back.

"Yuffie...when someone's mad at you, they don't talk to you! Duh?! And now you know how it feels when people don't listen to you! It's not a very nice feeling is it now?!" Tifa shouted at them.

"Wait...if you're mad at us then why are you talking and listening to me now?" Yuffie asked, all confused.

"Yuffie...shut up." Tifa said, getting annoyed and angry all of a sudden.

"What?! Hey, no need to be so mean Tifa! I'm just asking! I mean this is sooo confusing!" Yuffie shouted.

"Okay, Yuffie right now that's not important! Tifa we need to talk to you now! It's urgent and it concerns you!" Aeris said to Tifa, panicking slightly.

"Oh really? Well it better be good because you're lucky enough that I'm even paying attention to you." Tifa said without the slightest bit of interest.

"Look, we're sorry Tifa! Okay? We didn't mean to ditch you. We wanted you to come with us but we knew you wouldn't want to." Aeris said, apologetically.

"Anyways, yesterday, on our date with Vincent and Cloud, we were talking to them and then they mentioned that your family is known for arranged marriages! Tifa, they'll make you get married to someone you don't even know! You have to stop them!" Aeris shook Tifa by her shoulders.

Tifa, who seemed totally blank in the face, only walked backwards, nudging Aeris' hands off her shoulder and continued to walk away. Aeris and Yuffie were now in a complete state of shock at their friend's carelessness.

"TIFA! COME ON!!! WE'RE SERIOUS!!!" Aeris shouted after her, once again continuing the run along the hall.

"Look, if you expect me to believe you now, especially since CLOUD told you this bullshit, then you're wrong! My parents would never do something like that without telling me! Now if you don't mind, I have math to attend to." And with that Tifa merely walked off, leaving her friends in a complete state of shock.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kawaii_Tifa A/N: I know this chapter was REALLY short and I apologize! But I needed to end the highschool years and in my next chapter it's going to be University and that's where the REAL plot kicks in! So I promise the next chapter will be MUCH MUCH longer! Thank you and please R&R!