Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 so yeah … uhm … it's not mine.
POV Rinoa Chapter XIIChristmas had finally come!
Yay! I was so ecstatic when the
bell sounded the end of my last exam that I literally skipped my way to the
dormitories and packed with an unbearable amount of joy. I must have looked like a wild banshee on
crystal meth because Angelina was beginning to give me strange looks. Can you believe it? She was the one giving me strange
looks. Ok, before I get carried away,
let me get back to my point.
Anyways, SO IT WAS CHRISTMAS! Or at
least, nearly and I was just a little bit too excited just like every
year so I will conveniently forget to mention the events of me tripping
over books, getting entangled in phone cords and slamming into a door (I wasn't
paying attention, ok?). I was finally
free for the tortures of school and other such works of evil, I headed straight
towards Balamb where I used my abundant, boundless energy to drive Squally up
the wall. He was already exhausted of
the holiday season when we headed for Deling.
My entire family wouldn't be there until Christmas where they would stay until New Year's … ugh. But in the meantime, I was a happy, happy camper as I bounded up the house steps in a euphoric demeanor. "Come on, come on, come on! Screw the bags! I can practically smell the cookies from here, LET'S GO!" Poor Squall sighed and came to join me on the steps.
As I placed my hand on the handle he let out a yell of panic, "Woah, wait!" I stared at him confused and he reached for my left hand to remove the engagement ring. "Not yet … I want to wait a little." I nodded comprehensively. To tell the truth, I don't think I wanted to face my father on Christmas. It would ruin to spirit of things. He gave me back the ring that I securely slipped onto my silver chain. "Thank you."
"Thank you." I smile and opened the door. Instincts made me bolt into the kitchen where I was greeted by gingerbread men.
"Will you cut it down?" My mother snapped irritably at my father and two brothers who were devouring them like it was nobody's business.
"Yeah, seriously!" I scowled and pounced on a cookie, sadistically tearing off its head and chewing, "Get away from the pan now, they're all mine."
"Oh, you wish!" Mikey said, his mouth crammed with at least three gingerbread people.
I made a grab for another one as I was just swallowing the remains of my first. We were like four ravaging beasts, killing each other for the cookies as my mother and Squall just watched in amazement. My mother sighed in annoyance, "Those were supposed to be for Christmas with the entire family."
I ignored her, "Is Joan already gone to her sisters?"
"Yes, she left you a gift and wishes you the best." My mom filled in, "Also-"
I interrupted her as her previous statement made my wheel of thought turn, "Gift? SWEET! Where?"
My father looked at me with an evil glint visible in his eye, "We'll never tell …" He smirked. I glowered back and stole the cookie he was eyeing. "Damn." He hissed and went for the one with a broken leg and a missing eye. It was the only one left. No more gingerbread cookies until the day before Christmas when both pairs of grandparents, uncle, aunt and two cousins were due to arrive. Aww …
It was a funny and inexplicable thing … but the holiday season was the only time of the year where my father and I could truly get along. We formed a complimentary bond together that lasted until the New Year. Maybe it was because of our unmatchable love for festivities … or maybe it was just one of those strange things. During the year, we were comparable to enemies. And during Christmas we were a 'team' …
After eating my last gingerbread cookie, we all hopped into a van and went tree shopping. We picked a tree that was 10 feet high … something of a towering citadel was about it. You had to crane your neck upwards to see the top and my father with Squall's help had trouble getting it into the family room. It fit (our ceiling is high) however the main problem was getting it through the doorframe. It was a well-furnished tree with a thick trunk and sharp pins that stabbed your fingers but the two military guys managed.
Of course it was only custom to wait for the whole family to decorate the tree … so we didn't touch it. Stu asked if he could be the one to put the star at the top of the tree and my mom replied, "We'll see." At that specific moment I was filled with a bit of anger. I knew Stu wouldn't be the one to put the star on top of the tree … that would be perfect-Summer's job … goddamn youngest cousin, about three years older than Stu.
Actually, as much as I repressed the thought of their coming, it seemed to intervene neatly in my happy Christmas time quickly. Mikey was bellowing inappropriate lyrics to Frosty the snowman from upstairs, "Frosty the snowman knew the sun was hot that day, so he said, Let's kill 'em all, eat their kids before I melt away!' Down to the village, with a musket in his hands shooting here and there, all around the square, saying, 'Stop me if you can!'" The doorbell rang and my father's face lost some color.
He jumped up from his armchair in the living room and looked at me, "Ok, you shut up your brother and make sure everything is neat on the way there. Squall, put another log in the fire, Julia … make sure everything's ready. Stu … you just stay out of trouble." My father stared at our dress code and nodded in approval. He examined himself and was gesturing us out when he warned me, "Rinoa, use any means necessary to shut him up. Ok! Everyone! Let's survive this Christmas together."
I ran up the stairs making sure that the way was free of
toys or any sorts of murderous material.
Mikey's voice was coming from the guest bedroom where he was probably
looking for presents, "THUMPETY-THUMP-THUMP, THUMPETY THUMP-THUMP, RUN KIDDIES,
RUN!"
I took a sharp left and darted into the guest bedroom as Mikey continued his
singing, his head poking in the closet, "THUMPETY-THUMP-THUMP,
THUMPETY-THUMP-THUMP, FROSTY'S GOT A GUN!" I grabbed him by the collar and
cupped his mouth closed.
"Grand-parents and Uncle Rob are here! If you want to keep that left eye of yours, SHUT UP!" I hissed to him between clenched teeth.
Downstairs you could hear my poor father and mother, "Hello mother, so nice of you to come … oh, hi Rob, Caroline. Summer, how're you? Jeremy, you've grown taller. Hello father …"
Mikey and I calmly returned downstairs and greeted family members. Squall looked really out of place. Couldn't really blame him either. He only knew my grandmother and grandfather. Since my grandmother refused to talk to me until I went to confession and cleansed my soul of those terrible, terrible sins I greeted my grand-father and proceeded to my uncle Rob, "Hi, nice to see you. Aunt Caroline." I acknowledged but didn't even look at their horrid children, "This is Squall, my boyfriend." It was funny how badly I wanted to say 'fiancée'. I had to smile inwardly.
They were polite, shook his hand and all that crap. It was getting too crowded for me
already. I was immensely uncomfortable;
"I'm top student in my class." And so the bragging began. "The teacher says I'm a model scholar."
Couldn't she just shut up? Summer was
probably the most annoying person I've ever met. She was about the same age as Mikey. Maybe a little younger.
Jeremy was a year older than the little brat and he too was renowned for his
boasting capacity, "They made me captain of the hockey team this year but it
didn't come as a surprise. I mean, I'm
the only one on the team who's got talent." Rob patted him on the shoulder showing
how fucking proud he was.
And that was just the beginning. They took pleasure in scrutinizing our family just to make sure that we were well below them, "So how's Dawson College treating you, Rinoa?" Rob asked me when we were all reunited in the family room.
"It's alright. A little far from home, though but I like it there." I answered, bored out of my mind at their fruitless attempt to degrade me.
"I would never go to Dawson College. It's only number four on lists of best colleges. I want to go to Stillview College, that's number one." Summer piped up and I wanted to lung at her throat and rip out her trachea.
"That's my girl." Rob pinched her cheek teasingly. It was sickening. I've never been so disgusted at my own blood before. "So, uh … Squall, you're captain of Balamb Garden?"
"Commander." Squall corrected.
"You know, commander is lower than captain and those are both ranks of the navy. The garden has its rank system all wrong. I studied it in history." Now I wondered if I could actually resist such a strong urge to murder her. WHY DID SHE NEVER SHUT UP? Who the Hell cares if they bent the rules of rank a bit?
"Yeah, well, Garden can move around on water so it's considered by the government to be part of the navy and of land forces. Also, it's a school before a military piece. And there is no captain so I'm not lower than anyone except for the headmaster." Aw, Squally was getting frustrated. He's so cute when he has that pout.
Anyways, we ate, they bragged, life went on as usually as the holidays allowed it. My aunt Caroline was so kind as to remind my mother that she had gained weight. I won't tell you all the details because it would remind me of how eager I am to murder their entire, happy little family.
Sabam: Hey, review. I'm sick so be nice to me. I'm a frail teenager. Anyways … yeah, review and next chapter will be posted soon. I'm sorry I couldn't finish this chapter before January 6th! But … review anyways?