Knowing You More
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII.
Author's Note: If you don't like this chapter, it's okay. But I'm just so bored, and I had to write this and...well, I'm bored. I'm not in the mood to write. This is the best I could do. I'm not going to put another note at the end, because if it's the end, I want you all to read it all over again. Not the note... LOL. It's just a short chapter. So I guess I made a mistake in the two chapters that's going to finish this story. It's only one. Please review! At last, I finished it!
Chapter Sixteen
Quistis stood behind the podium, her eyes surveying the students, the SeeDs, instructors and the Garden staff, who were looking back up at her with interested expressions on their faces.
She looked down at the papers that contained her speech. She couldn't see the words she had written clearly last night. She felt like she couldn't do what she was supposed to do there. She was disturbed. Her mind was crowded. But the only way to soothe her was to tell everyone what she wants them to know.
"Good evening," she said on the microphone.
The audience replied in enthusiasm.
She smiled weakly at them, and then took a deep breath.
"As you can see, I'm here to talk about the activity we're doing right now," she said. "It will end after this. I'm not only here to talk about it, but I will share what I had experienced."
Everyone leaned on the edge of their seats.
"The activity was all about instructors getting to know their students," Quistis explained. "For the past week, that's what we did. You've all been partnered with your instructor and with your student. As most of you already know, my student was Seifer."
Just saying his name made Quistis' heart crumple in pain. She couldn't bear this anymore. She wanted him back so bad, she could die.
She bit her lip and once again, took another deep breath.
"I already knew him," she said in a shaky voice. "At least, that's what I thought."
She didn't mind the tears that were now filling in her eyes. She tried to stop them, but they continued to fill up.
The people in the front row were leaning toward her to get a better look at her or to see she was really going to cry.
'Seifer and I had lots of fun. We did fishing, partying in a club and even fought off some mosters!' Quistis read the sentences she wrote. She gripped the edges of the paper.
This wasn't right. This wasn't what she wanted to tell everyone. This wasn't the part where she was so proud of.
Slowly, she took the papers and ripped it into two.
The audience looked at her with surprised and curious eyes.
She stood up tall and faced them with her head lifted high.
"Isn't it weird to have an instructor and a student, especially a girl and a guy, put together? I mean, what's the point of this activity?"
Everyone turned to look at the headmaster, including Quistis. He blinked and stared back at them.
"So we could know more about our students," Quistis continued. "What did we know about our students? We knew more about their hobbies, their likes and dislikes, their true personality and many more. If some of you didn't get to know this about your student, then you did the wrong thing. This is the activity. It's what I'm talking about.
"But why don't we please proceed to my experience here. I hated the whole thing. I didn't want to be paired up by that idiot, Seifer. As a matter of fact, I wanted Squall to be my partner. But he was a SeeD. I can't exchange Seifer to another instructor. He or she wouldn't want him, anyway."
The whole audience laughed at this.
Quistis shook her head. "But I was wrong to ever think he was like that," she said silently.
The laughs died down and all the people looked at her in confusion.
"It's weird how things work out, like what happened to me in this activity. I thought I wasn't going to like it at all. I didn't like Seifer. I despised him, actually. But as an instructor, I had to do what I was assigned to do.
"So I got to know Seifer more. I realized he was more of a good person than I thought he was. He liked to do things I never dreamed he would do. He was . . . the only person who made me feel as if I had everything in the world."
She watched as the audience started whispering to themselves and looking at each other. Some of them are confused, but some of them knew what she was going to say. She smiled to herself. She didn't know why she had to do the speech. She felt like it was right. She wanted everyone to know how special Seifer was to her.
"I love Seifer."
The noise grew. Everyone stared at her with wide eyes.
"I don't care what you all think, okay? I don't care if you'll say we're not a good couple, if you'll say we're not for each other, I don't care! But I'm going to fight for my love! I'm not Juliet, but I'm feeling what she felt. And my love for Seifer is far greater than any of you may ever know."Quistis took one last look at the audience and ran out of the stage. She was going to find Seifer, and she had to hurry. She didn't want the headmaster to order some Garden staff to go and fetch her for her resignation. She knew she had no chance of ever going to teach again.
She ran out of the hall and hurried to the training center. She knew where Seifer was. She ran across the center and toward the Secret Area. Once she arrived, she saw no one there.
The wind was cold. The place was deserted. Quistis stood in the middle, clutching her heart tightly. If Seifer wasn't there, where would he be?
"Right beside you," a warm voice whispered in her ear.
Quistis turned around and there he was. A smile was spread across his lips and his eyes were turned in a sweet gaze at her. She looked up at him, relief sweeping over her.
She found him.
He sighed and looked down, the smile on his face not fading. "So, did you have to insult me first before saying you love me?" he asked. "Everyone enjoyed it when you said I was an idiot.
Quistis looked sheepish. "Seifer, I'm so sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't know what I was saying. I'm the idiot, not you. I hurt you so much. All I cared about was myself. I was selfish."
Seifer laughed and shook his head. "Quistis," he said gently, turning to her and taking her hand in his. "I'm glad you said it. I'm glad you told everyone."
A smile formed across Quistis' lips. She suddenly felt shy around Seifer. She looked down at the ground and bit her lip. Suddenly, the thought she was just thinking a few moments ago hit her again. She looked back up at Seifer.
"Seifer, we're in trouble."
"No, we're not."
"Yes, Seifer," Quistis said. "They're going to fire me, and they might kick you out of the Garden. This was your last chance to become SeeD, and I failed you as an intructor."
"Yeah, but we're not in trouble," Seifer said confidently. He smirked at her. "They still haven't found us."
Quistis looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
Seifer gave her a mischievous smile. "An escape wouldn't be so bad, eh?" he said.
"An escape.... But they'll still find us!"
Seifer opened his mouth to disagree, but a voice cut him off.
"Yes, we will, Instructor Trepe," the headmaster walked up to them and separated them from each other.
Quistis' eyes widened.
"And we won't allow you to escape."
Seifer looked down at the floor.
"And let me just say this once, Instructor Trepe and Mr. Almasy, so please pay attention."
Quistis and Seifer looked up at him. Both were surprised to see him smiling.
"I'm happy for you."
Quistis' jaw dropped, Seifer blushed deeply. They were astonished to hear this. They didn't expect it at all.
Suddenly, loud cheering came from behind the headmaster. They all turned around and saw Squall, Rinoa, Irvine, Zell and Selphie hurrying toward them. They were all smiling and clapping their hands; Irvine and Zell were dancing around.
"A wedding would sound great!" Zell cheered.
"I'll arrange the wedding if you like!" Selphie shrieked in excitement.
Rinoa laughed loudly. "I can't believe you guys are going to get married!" she said.
"No, we're not," Quistis and Seifer said at the same time.
Instantly, all the cheering and noise stopped. They all looked at Quistis and Seifer with disappointed faces.
Quistis smiled and turned to Seifer. "But not after a special kiss," she said mischievously.
Seifer smiled. He pulled Quistis close to him and kissed her passionately.
The headmaster and Quistis' gang slowly backed away. They knew leaving the two alone would be best, and they did. As they parted, Quistis looked up at Seifer.
The moon was glistening down at them, happy to see they were together again. The wind suddenly became warm and everything went back to place.
"You know, a wedding would be great," Seifer said.
Quistis snorted. "Yeah, whatever," she said.
"I'm serious."
"Really? Me, too. Only, I'm serious about the part where I said 'whatever.'"
"Oh, please! I can't believe I love you."
"It's easy to believe."
"Oh, really? How?"
"Just...believe."
And Quistis pulled Seifer into another kiss.