Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Final Fantasy VIII.  If I did I would use my money and hire people to kick the asses of others that I do not like.  Sadistic, I know.

Chapter VIII

I did my best to act as cold to Squall Leonheart in the morning.  It was kind of hard but I didn't want him to think that I'd forgiven him on a whim though what happened last night seemed to say otherwise.  No, I do not wish to discuss my private life. 

I woke up early, a bad habit that college has induced upon me.  I guess my biological clock has been set back and I've passed into the schedule of an adult.  I'm getting old.  Turning eighteen does that to you.  Yeesh, I remember when I was young and stupid … wasting my life away sleeping in.  I believe I was seventeen.  

Apparently, my boyfriend's clock hasn't been altered because he was still sound asleep when I crept out of bed and into a warm shower.  The best awakening to what was to be Doom's Day.  Oh come on, in a few hours my home would be invaded by evil children that would leave destruction and ruin in their ravaging path.

I got dressed, wandered around the halls aimlessly until I realized that I didn't have time to be zombie-like.  So I strutted my ass down the stairs and into the kitchen where I joyfully poured myself a bowl of sugar-loaded cereal and milk.  Mm … carbohydrates.  The much needed element that would chance my living through today.  Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit but not by much.

Soon Mikey bumped into the doorframe leading to the kitchen, he mumbled "Sorry." And continued on stupidly, feeling his way through the kitchen.  I watched him in amusement, taking aside the fact that I was like that a moment ago as well.  He groped for the fridge handle and took out the carton of orange juice.  He poured himself a bowl of the same cereal and added orange juice to it.  I couldn't help my eyebrow from being raised in an inquisitive manner, "Mom, why're you looking at me like that?"  Whether that was deliberate or not I still wanted to kill him.

"I'm Rinoa.  You're sister.  Older sibling." I explained whilst rolling my eyes and somehow managing to calm the raging urge to kick him in the ass.

"Oh yeah." He muttered in a near incoherent manner, "I wanted to talk to you about math.  Do you get order of operations?  That is the most confusing shit that I've ever encountered in my life and … Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally …" He trailed off.

"Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction.  It's just a thing to help you remember in what order to solve the operation." I replied knowing very well that he wouldn't remember in a matter of two seconds.  He was half asleep.  "After you finish eating your, uhm … breakfast, can you take Angelo out?"

"I'm bruised all over.  I think I fell down the stairs or something …" The stupid crackpot!  I was the one responsible for his falling down the stairs, did he NOT remember?  How could he?  I'm so freaking insulted!  "I don't really want to walk Angelo." He took out a fork and began plunging it in his cereal without very good results.

"Right … well, I'd still really appreciate it if you would walk Angelo for me because I have to prepare lunch for the little brats that'll be here by noon today.  I won't have time and what can the poor dog do if he has to go." I must have spoken too fast because he looked on at me cluelessly like a lost little puppy.  Minus the cuteness.

Speaking of cute, Squall entered the kitchen.  "G'morning." He yawned.  Oh, he looked so tired.  Whatsa matter, Squally?  Did I give ya a rough night?  That's what happens when you beg for it.  No, I didn't say that ALOUD. 

"Morning." I replied as icily as I could muster.  He was so adorable in his chocobo boxers and his hair was all messy.  No, I don't usually have a penchant for men in chocobo attire but he was an exception.  And no, I don't like guys who seem to be ignorant of the great invention of a hairbrush but he was the exception.

"Oi." Mikey raised his hand in some sort of salute.  "This milk tastes funny." He pushed away his bowl of cereal and walked out of the kitchen, "I'm a-gunna get dressed."  He rammed into the wall, felt around for the hole in the wall (commonly known as a door) and left the kitchen.

"He looks tired." My little lust puppet observed intelligently as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded, annoyed but mentally begging him not to let go. 

"What do you think I'm doing?" He replied, missing no beat.  "I was thinking if you'd like to go out with me sometime … you know, dinner and a movie.  Then we could go back to our place …" What the Hell was he talking about?

"What exactly are you trying to do?"
"I'm trying to be romantic, work with me here." He answered and then he started speaking Shakespearian style, "Ah, my dearest Rinoa … your eyes show me nothing but my future, our future.  Our love is like an undying flame that Poseidon's oceans cannot extinguish …"

"Are you done yet?  I'm getting very frightened and debating whether I should call a mental institution where they'll provide the care that you need."

"When I taste your lips I taste life itself.  I'm overcome with a feeling of passion that will catalyze the birth of our children."  This seemed quite hilarious to me and I burst into uncontrollable laughter.  The damn cold façade was gone.   "And to answer you're previous statements, my dear, dear, dear Rinoa … I'm scaring myself."

"You're scaring me more." I said between laughs. "Squall-stop!"  I squealed like a little schoolgirl when I felt him necking me.  It was a pleasurable feeling however it left marks and that's the last thing I needed … a mother of my brother's friend noticing that.

"Only if you promise me dinner and movies."

"Yes!  Whatever!  Anything!" I felt him smirk against my neck and I couldn't help wondering why.  True, we had never had an 'official date' but would he honestly expect me to refuse him if he happened to ask?  He was my boyfriend.

"Excellent." He murmured, "So … should I entrust you with breakfast or will I just end up eating Kraft Dinner again?" 

"Ahahahahah …" I laughed cynically and rolled my eyes, "How does Instant Noodles sound?"

***

Soon, Hell was handed to me on a silver platter.  Kids began arriving with their presents in all their hyper glory.  I had the stupid and selfish idea of sending Squall to open the door and unfortunately, it was the typical suburban, gossiping mother.  She ushered her child in and then began to speak to Squall and I.
"Oh, word has it you two are getting married!" She clapped her hands excitedly together and another woman with her child came to the doorstep and let her child into my home.  She smiled a toothy grin.

"Yeah, I heard that too!  It's great news!  You two are so cute together."  WHY CAN'T WE BE LEFT ALONE?  WHERE THE HELL DO ALL THESE STORIES COME FROM? 

"We're getting married?" Squall asked sarcastically, faking confusion.

"Well, apparently!" I looked down at my ring-less fingers, "You must be pretty damn cheap too because I see no engagement ring."
"You seem to be the first to know." Squall turned to the women, "And when I say first, I mean first.  We didn't even know!"

The women seemed to share uncomfortable glances while all I wanted to do is glare.  "Oh … so I suppose it's just a rumor."

"Yes, I suppose so." I replied indignantly.  Didn't they have anything better to do?  I mean, couldn't they watch soap operas like everyone else who didn't have a life do?  Why'd they have to poke their nose in my business, in my private life?  And who the fuck was the moron who started that rumor? 

After the two annoying women left me with their monkey children I set off to occupy the tyrannous children from destroying everything in the house.  I did not actually gather them around in a circle and ask them, "What do you want to play?" I went through Stu … he answered that they were going to go in the playroom and have fun with the Playstation and the Gamecube and whatnot.  I took the opportunity to order Squall do look after them while I ordered pizzas and fries for lunch. 
Mikey came down to join me a while later and I practically had a heart attack.  He had styled his hair with some gel and had put on jeans and a white t-shit with the silver chain that mom had given him for Christmas.  He looked half-decent. "Where the fuck are you going?  On a date?"

"No!  But … how do I look?"

I shrugged, "Well, it's a small improvement from your everyday attire."

"So I'm … I look good right?"

"Adequately."

"So … like … you think I could pick up girls?"

"You seem to forget who you're asking this to.  I'm your older sister so obviously I will reply to that question in a way to crush all your little hopes.  So no, you couldn't even pick up a horny old gay man."

"No, Rinoa!  I'm serious … do I look good?"
I rolled my eyes, "Look Mikey, you don't know how much it goes against my morals to say this but look, the genes are evenly spread out in this family.  Is dad ugly?"  He shook his head, "Is mom ugly?"  He shook his head again, "So then why should WE be ugly?  You're just as not-ugly, I refuse to say good-looking, than I am or Stu is.  Ok?"  He nodded. "Good … now answer me this; why do you suddenly care?"

He didn't have time to answer … the doorbell rang.  I saw by the look in his eyes that if I wanted to make his life a living Hell, I should get to the door before he did.  I darted out of the kitchen yelling, "I'll get it!" 

He came running after me screaming, "LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" But I still beat him to the door.  I opened it but he body-checked me against the wall.  Poor Cynthia and her mother were as confused as Hell. 

"Hi …" Mikey breathed to the both of them, "How're you?"

If only I could have faked having a seizure … that would've made him look like a woman-beater and probably the worst male on the planet.  Unfortunately, the idea hit me after I had got onto my feet.  And anyways, I can't make myself foam at the mouth.

He let Cynthia in and politely took her jacket.  She said hello to me, asked me if I was ok, told her I was fine, hit Mikey so hard in the back of the head that he was still rubbing it twenty minutes later and finally got around to ordering the pizza.  After that was all done, I asked Mieky what he would be doing with Cynthia … taking her into the basement or participating in Stu's party.  I asked this half out of curiosity, half to embarrass him.

He replied the latter.  The party went by normally.  The pizzas arrived, Squall looked half-dead when he came back downstairs.  I felt kind of sorry for putting him on the worst job but I would've ended up killing on of the kids so I thought it best if I didn't involve myself too much. 

I sent him to get soft drinks down in the basement and two minutes after he was gone I heard a loud crash.  Mikey and I shared a look and for once all the little monkeys shut their traps and looked towards me.  I peeped down the stairway and saw Squall sprawled out at the bottom, quietly cursing to himself, "Are you ok?" I bounced down the stairs, ignoring the warning cries and slipped on what he seemed to have slipped on. 

I came colliding down the stairs like he had and landed atop of him, "Ow …" I mumbled and got up slowly.  I helped him up (he seemed to be in more pain than I was but then again, I had fallen on top of him as well).  I went up the stairs cautiously and looked on the evil stare for the murderous substance.  By then we had an audience of little children that looked on in amazement.  It was a pile of green slime and it all became clearer.  This summer Mikey had bought himself a chemistry set that taught how to make … SLIME …

"YOU LITTLE-"  I stopped myself, noting that there were little children present.  I skipped that stair and ran after him, "I'm going to kill you!"

"I SWEAR IT WASN'T ME!" He cried as he started running the other way, "I DIDN"T MEAN IT TO HURT YOU OR SQUALL!  I had put it there when daddy told me I couldn't go to my friend's house!  It was meant for him!!"

"LIAR!"  He charged up the stairs and I followed him.   He then made a detour and seemed to be heading for the stairs again but I caught up with him just before.  However, that caused us both to lose our balance and tumble down the stairs together.  Let me tell you that I had never gotten as many bruises as this in my entire life … I looked like I was physically abused.

The doorbell rang and the pizzas arrived.

Sabam: At some point in the reviews someone asked me about the plot of this story.  Well … there is no plot, as to my knowledge.  It is a simple tale of growing up in love.  Towards the end of this story Squall and Rinoa will have grown into adults, they will be able to have conversations that they may have been embarrassed to have before … etc, etc … So that's my answer. 

Next is that I am ALL threatening YOU that I am seriously considering dropping this stupid crap.  I've been lazy in writing but you've been lazy in reviews.  Those go hand-in-hand because I'm doing this to improve my writing style.  How the hell am I suppose to improve if I get NO feedback?  So don't be lazy and review or else I may be lazy and NOT write until I feel like it (and I REALLY have not been feeling like it lately).  And sure, go ahead and flame me for being immature and threatening you for reviews … just give me constructive criticism with it.