Chapter XXII: ShinRa High School

"Can you believe this?" the boy with chocobo-yellow hair looked up to the man with white hair that fell just past his shoulders.  Both were lugging suitcases, instrument cases, swords, and other random items.  "Finally, Sephiroth, finally!"

"I know, Cloud," the boy named Sephiroth smiled regretfully.  "If only they would have done it while I was still younger!  I only get one year!"

"Do you think they'll let us pick our roommates?"

"Although not likely, I actually have heard that that is the plan, so yes, we probably will be able to," Sephiroth answered, walking into the dormitory.  "Look...class lists.  Sure aren't as many as I figured."

"A lot of people kept their kids in underground public schools disguised as home schooling.  Didn't want to send their kids to anything involving Shinra," Cloud shrugged, staring at the list, which was still extensively long.

"You're looking for her, aren't you?" Sephiroth asked quietly.

"Yeah...but..." he smiled brightly.  "She's here," he pointed at her name.  "She's a senior, but she's here!"

"Heh," Sephiroth grinned, crossing his arms.  "Find her later, kid.  We'll see her at dinner tonight."

"Right," Cloud smiled, grabbing a pen and scribbling his initials by her name.

"What's that all about?"

"....well, I..." he paused.

"Wanted her to know you were thinking about her?" Sephiroth lifted an eyebrow, amused.

"...yeah," he mumbled.

            Sephiroth smiled pleasantly, then playfully punched Cloud's arm.

"Geek."

"Hojo...cut it out..."

            A senior with longish black hair walked through the dormitory hallway, head down.  He didn't have much to say to anyone, and didn't really mind it that way.

"Seriously, Hojo, stop!" the voice pleaded again, and the boy had to look up.  Hojo, a complete idiot from the sophmore class, was harassing a smallish girl with long brown hair and green eyes.  The boy paused, but then decided to take action.  He had a grudge against Hojo already from the band camp days about the entire guy-flutist thing.

"Hey," he said quietly, but sort of forcibly.  "Leave the lady alone."

"Valentine," Hojo hissed.

"Hojo," he nodded.

"...what's your problem?"

"You.  Leave her alone."

            Hojo chose at that moment to speed off.  The boy Hojo called Valentine never understood why, but the girl Hojo was bothering did.  After all, she saw Sephiroth walk by and point his sword warningly.

"Thank you," she smiled slightly.

"No problem," he shrugged.

"I'm Lucrecia.  What's your name?"

"Vincent.  Vincent Valentine."

"It's a pleasure," she smiled.  "I'm a sophomore this year, how about you?"

"I thought you were my age!" he exclaimed, surprised.  Of course, Vincent just wasn't very good at guessing ages...  "I'm a senior."

"Maybe I'll see you around then, Vincent?"

"Hopefully," he smiled as the girl walked off.

            He was still smiling as he walked towards his dorm, unable to explain his strange happiness.

"You're practically floating," came a familiar voice.  Vincent turned around to see his band camp friend, roommate, and fellow senior Cid Highwind.  "What happened?"

"Nothing," he smiled pleasantly.

"Somebody give you an economy size box of Kudos or something?"

"Shut up," Vincent muttered, and Cid laughed.  Uncontrollably.  "Stop!" Vincent scowle,d and Cid just laughed harder until the point that Vincent mumbled something about Shera.  That shut Cid up and fast.  Vincent grinned.  Although he'd only spent a week with these people, he'd learned that they were predictable...and he was pretty good at making predictions, even if his age-guessing ability really did suck.

            Three girls sat in one of the rooms in the dorms.  One had blonde hair and green eyes, another had chocolate brown hair and dark brown eyes, and the final was a black haired, brown-eyed ninja.

"It's just like band camp all over again," Shera laughed, smiling.  "Same roomies, even adjoining rooms..."

"Where's Aeris?" Yuffie asked.

"Maybe not here yet?  She does have a bit of a distance to travel," Tifa pointed out. 

"She will be here, though.  I saw her name under the senior class roll," Shera said.

"I saw 'CS' beside her name.  What's that mean?" Yuffie asked.

            The girls pondered it for a moment.

"Cloud Strife," Tifa said, and Shera giggled.

"We'll have to get her about that one later!" Shera grinned.

"I can't wait!" Yuffie smiled evilly.

            Aeris Gainsborough was one of the last of the students to arrive.  Her train had broke down and stopped, among other numerous problems, but she had finally arrived.  Somewhat frazzled, but she was there.  She walked over, distracted, to the huge class roll list.  She smiled, seeing how most of her band camp friends were there.  She caught a glance of her own name and paused.

"CS?" she questioned, but it didn't take her as long to figure it out.  "...Cloud Strife."

            She pulled a pencil out of her pocket and wrote 'AG' by Cloud's name under the junior list.  Cloud was a sweet kid...he reminded her a lot of Zack.  She shook her head.  Zack was in the past now, an elite member of SOLDIER that she'd never see again.  She pulled her stuff to the top floor, figuring she'd find Tifa up there.  They'd discussed where to room in a letter once, and that's where they said they'd try for.

"AERIS!"

            It wasn't Tifa that caught her, but Yuffie.

"C'mon, Aeris, we were just talking about you!"

            Aeris laughed and followed Yuffie to the room.  Nothing had changed.

a/n: not sure what Shera looked like...and since my disc 2 won't work I couldn't fly to Rocket Town to see!  XD  If it's me and I'll gladly concede defeat.  Recently I read a plot analysis to FF7...and I'm so confused that it's not funny XD  So if some of this is crazy-wrong...well...it is a humor fic, so I have a little freedom, right?  -  Aw, who cares...

Xifa