Note: HI all! Hey, thank you to Mariko for giving me the insight on soccer. Can you believe that I played in a soccer team before and I didn't even know? Heh heh! My bad! ^^; Anyways, so we last left off with our little blond couple arguing (as usual) and with a little bit more of their 'problems' unresolved, such as Quistis' drunken father and Seifer's own divorces parents' lives. Now, the blond boy, after being invited over by his father and his new wife and half younger sister for the weekend at the lodge, decides to go for the weekend. I have to admit, there isn't much Seiftis here, but I have to put a little bit more of their own thing in order for them to help each other out with their problems. Well, enjoy! ^_^ And don't forget to review!
Chapter 10 - The Weekend (Part one)
~Friday~
It wasn't that long of a travel for him to drive down to his father's house that was close to the border between Canada and the United States. At first, he was reluctant to go, knowing he would feel awkward being with his father, his wife and his new step sister, but decided that he had no reason to be afraid of them. They were going to be his new family, aside from the terrible relationship he had with his mother. Bryan Almasy had asked him to come to his home and have dinner with him and his wife and kid. Seifer wasn't sure at first with the idea, neither was Lynette, but after thinking, he decided to go anyways, since there was nothing else for him to do for a few hours on a Friday night.
Seifer looked into the horizon, towards the Island where the house, his father said would be situated in. Just as Bryan Almasy had described, the house was a large mansion with its roofs peeking high above the cliffs, where, down below, the ocean smashed against the rocks. He made a turn towards exit 43 and drove down the high way, until he made it towards an even bigger neighborhood, with even bigger houses. However, it did not compare to the size he saw on the other side of the Island, where his father was waiting for him at the dinner table. He looked out the window and noticed people in cell phones, driving expensive cars, while children played in the front yard with their Barbies or their expensive bikes. Teenagers, who were too old for Barbies or bikes, drove around in their cars, their stereos pumping up into a high volume with very irritating music. Normally, he wouldn't care how loud these teenagers were playing their songs, but right now, all he wanted to do was pound one boy in the face, listening to a high pitched heavy rock metal band that sounded like the singer was just screaming out obscene words, than actually singing them. With the nervousness he had right now, he couldn't stand the thought of having music pounded into his head without asking for it. He rounded into a corner and almost hit another expensive car. Though it wasn't his fault the driver of the other car gave him the finger and Seifer, being a wise civilian he was, offered him the same. "Dumbass..." he mumbled, turning another street. He drove the car to the last house on the hill and when he saw the large, brown and white house, he parked his car at the side of the road, deciding that he can just carry his luggage up the driveway and to the front door.
The blond was greeted by a rather short, Asian woman with a heavy accent that Seifer couldn't quite understand what she was trying to say in English. The woman, around her mid forties, looked at him for a moment, making him wait some more. Seifer was about to lose his patience, when a familiar man appeared at the door, dismissing the Asian woman (Rio) with a slight nod.
Bryan Almasy glanced at his son and smiled, opening the door wider for him to step inside with his luggage. "I'm so glad that you can make it, Seifer!"
At first, Seifer was hesitant to step inside, but his father made sure that he stayed. The short, bald man helped him with is luggage, dragging it with one hand inside. There was no problem for him to carry it, because Seifer packed lightly. The blond followed his father inside and when he did, Seifer was amazed at how large the place was, compared to his house.
"Oh, you must be Seifer!" came a soft tune from somewhere. Seifer looked up towards the top of the stairs, where a woman with long pointed nose and very skinny legs and arms walked down the stairs. She was attractive in a way, but not really the most beautiful, because of her high cheek bones, her very skinny mouth, her large jaws and long black hair. Despite it all, however, Seifer saw a pair of soft green eyes, which showed him the kindness inside her.
"Yes, Halle. This is my son, Seifer," Bryan announced, putting an arm around his son's shoulders. Because Seifer was rather tall, the blond had to lean down a bit so his father could completely put his arm around him.
Halle smiled. When she did, it actually made her look beautiful. "OH! Let me look at you! Your father has said so many things about you, Seifer! I didn't imagine how handsome you were!"
Seifer felt his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Personally, he never branded himself as 'handsome,' just 'good looking,' and a type of boy who had problems with his mother. No one can ever imagine him being related to a short, bald man like Bryan or a sex-crazed and rather, skinny mother. But there is no denying the truth. He is indeed related to these people. Halle approached him suddenly, much to Seifer's dismay and looked at him up and down.
"After a year of waiting, I can't believe I finally get to meet you!" Halle wrapped her skinny arms around him. Compared to his mother, Halle was much taller and was even taller than his father. "So, how old are you now?"
"I'm seventeen," Seifer replied.
"Dominique come back here!"
All three heads, who were preoccupied with each other, turned their attention towards a little girl, barely two, who stopped right in front of Seifer, staring at him curiously. Seifer nervously looked around for help. The little girl was staring at him angrily.
"Who you!?" she yelled, planting both her fists on her hips like an adult. "Awe you my bwother?" The blond examined her for a bit. Like him, the girl was blond, with two pig tails sticking out of her tiny head and large, baby blue eyes. She had chubby cheeks and chubby little fingers and hands that when people saw her, wouldn't be able to resist pinching all of them, saying how cute they were.
Seifer nodded slowly, trying to understand the situation. Was this his little sister? "Yes. I am. I think." He looked at her father, who just smiled and nodded.
Dominique stared at him for a moment, then suddenly ran to him, wrapping her little arms around his large, long legs. Seifer stood there awkwardly, unsure how to handle a kid. This was his first time having to confront a little girl. "HEWWO BWOTHER!" she screamed, almost damaging Seifer's ears. She hugged him tighter and jumped up and down excitedly, giggling. "Aw you going to take me to the zoo?"
"Okay Dominique I think your big brother needs to eat and I think you need to wash your hands!" Bryan spoke, picking Dominique up in his arms. He winked at Seifer, then left with his daughter to wash her hands. Halle smiled. She noticed Seifer picking up his suitcase, but she put a hand on his arm and shook her head. "You don't need to worry about that now, Seifer," she said. "You can just leave it there and I'll have Rio put that in the trunk of the car later. Right now, we're going to have dinner. Come."
Halle walked pass him and led the way the kitchen, having to pass a long hallway with many doors that led suspiciously to somewhere. Seifer followed closely behind, admiring the beauty of the mansion, from the wall paper on the ceiling, to the antique tables and chairs situated at some areas of the house they passed by. The blond couldn't help but say, "Wow...." under his breath.
"I know," Halle smiled, looking over her shoulder at the tall boy. "This place was owned by a rich family a long time ago, but they died when it burned down."
"How did it burn down?"
"Well, there were rumors that someone in the family wanted to murder the rest of the household, but managed to kill himself while trying to do it. It was said to believe that he was trying to put oil into their bedrooms and when he was about to light the match, a female servant he fell in love, stopped him just in time." They passed a few more corridors.
A lover's spat, Seifer thought. "But, how did that kill him? She was able to stop him right?"
Halle shook her head. "Or so people thought. Some investigators believed that the lovers had a fight that same night, because the girl didn't want to marry the boy, you know, due to the fact that his parents didn't want her to. The parents told this to only her and she was heart broken. She promised not to tell their son about their little 'conversation,' but the boy found out and was angry. He was planning on burning the mansion down and run away with his lover with millions and millions of dollars stashed somewhere in his bedroom. Of course, she refused. She didn't want to leave, because, no matter how hard it was, she was happy where she was and that's when she decided to stop him that night. They struggled and eventually she won, despite the result. He was burned down along with his parents while trying to escape. Because she was smaller than him, the girl was able to escape through the small window. Here we are!" She guided the blond inside a large, dining room, one that looked like it was seen from a medieval castle. A long table covered most of the room and a long, white cloth covered the table. Old looking candles and expensive looking plates were set up to make the place look eerie and romantic in a way, underneath the blanket of darkness.
Seifer was too shocked about the setting that he had completely forgotten about the story Halle was telling him. "Sit here," a voice interrupted his thoughts. The blond looked up and noticed that his step-mother was already sitting at the farthest corner of the table. She was patting her hand on a chair to her left.
The blond obeyed and sat himself down on the decided chair. The two were later joined by Seifer's father and his stepsister, who was smiling even wider when she noticed her older brother sitting there. She quickly ran to his side, sitting down on a chair next to him. Seifer didn't know how to react to a little girl sitting next to him, so he just nodded and glanced at his father.
Bryan smiled. "So, how are you liking this place, Seifer?"
Seifer nodded. "It's pretty big that I'm nervous about getting lost here."
Bryan and Halle laughed. "Well, you'll get used to it in time," Halle replied.
"Bwother? Aw you coming with us to the mountain?" the little voice spoke.
All three heads turned to the direction of Dominique, who gave hopeful looks towards the blond. The girl was too cute, that Seifer couldn't help but put a hand on her head to assure her that he was indeed going. "Of course," he replied, smiling slightly. At least this was going to get his mind off of a certain blond woman who kept insulting him about his 'attitude.' Seifer smirked.
"What's wrong?" Bryan asked, noticing Seifer's look.
Seifer looked up and shook his head. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking."
"About yo girlfwend?" Dominique's tiny voice spoke.
The blond looked at her strangely. Both Bryan and Halle just laughed, mostly because of Seifer's reaction than Dominique's question.
'This was going to be a loooong night,' Seifer thought.
***********************
"So you want to go a party tonight?" Her friend sat down beside her and took the liberty of stealing a French fry from her plate.
"Nah...." she answered, sliding the tray towards her friend.
"Awww, come on! It's going to be fun!" She grabbed another fry and chewed it quickly, before wiping her greasy hands with her napkin and looked up.
She shook her head, thinking about that party. If she went, what would her dad say? She has to find a way to tell Selphie that she couldn't go. "I can't, because I have to study for this big exam next week." A little lie wouldn't hurt.
Selphie stared at Quistis as if she didn't believe her friend, then decided to give up. Even though she was curious about Quistis' REAL excuse on why she wouldn't come, she would never pry on her friend's personal things. The brown haired girl gave a smiled and nodded. "All right! But if you DO decide to come, just show up at Amber Lane's house..." She picked up the unused napkin from Quistis' tray and fished out a pen from her pocket. She began writing down something and when she was done, she handed it slowly to Quistis. "This is her address. I'm sure your cousin, Travis knows where she lives and he can drop you off or something."
"How would he know?" Quistis lifted an eyebrow curiously.
"Because your little cousin dated her," Selphie replied, standing up now.
"You mean Travis dated an older woman?" Quistis couldn't believe her ears.
Selphie shrugged. "I dunno. Well, I better go, or Mr. Watanabe will throw a fit at me if I don't show up on time for Japanese class! See ya!" With that, she waved good bye and quickly walked out of the cafeteria.
Quistis sighed, looking around at the usual table her, Selphie, Zell, Rinoa and Squall usually sat, but for the first time in one week she's been here, she was alone in it. She glanced at her watch and gasped. If she didn't pick up her books now for Literature class, then she'll be late for it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After school was quite different. The blond spent most of her days in class getting bored, because every subject repeated every lesson from the previous days. Quistis thought about skipping class today, but she decided too late that she just rejected that idea. She came home at an empty house, as usual, because her Aunt was probably working late today and Travis had his baseball practice and wouldn't be coming home tonight... which he persuaded his mother for him to stay over at his friend's house. Quistis envied him. She wished she was doing something on a Friday night. Her father.... Quistis shook her head. She didn't want to think about what her father was doing. She guessed he was probably drinking his thoughts away as usual, instead of finding a decent job.
Sighing, without even bothering to cook anything for lunch, Quistis opened all the drawers where she thought she could find good snacks she can munch on while watching some kind of soap on television and was happy to find sour cream and onion flavored Pringles which wasn't open yet. Today, she felt like relaxing, instead of doing her homework. She grabbed the green container and went to the living room and turned on the television to the first channel which caught her attention. It was a documentary about a family that mysteriously burned in the flames of their large mansion. The accused was their twenty year old son, who also died in the flames, though there is no actual evidence that the son did it or why he died in the flames if he was the one who burnt the place down in the first run. The only proof the prosecutor had was the young man's lover, a servant of the family, who claimed that the young man wanted her to run away with him. The screen flashed to a brief case that the police found in the son's bedroom, stacked with a lot of hundred dollar bills, which was ready to be taken by the son and his lover to a far away place where they could be happy.
Quistis snorted at those last few lines. "A far away place, where they could be happy?" She flipped open the Pringles container and reached inside, taking out one chip and stuffing it hungrily into her mouth. "There is no such happy place anywhere," she mumbled with a full mouth.
Suddenly, she heard a bang on the door. Quistis quickly turned off the television and turned her head towards the door. It banged louder, then the door knob began to twist open. About a moment later, Quistis saw a pair of large familiar shoes and a man walking in, with bloodshot eyes.
"You stupid, bitch! What the hell are you doing sitting here instead of getting me dinner!?" he yelled, stomping his large feet towards her.
Quistis winced as her father slammed the door behind him. She quickly put the pringles down on the coffee table and stood up, her eyes turning into thin slits from fright. "I uh... Well, Aunt Charlotte isn't here and-"
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT CHARLOTTE! IF SHE'S NOT HERE THEN COOK SOMETHING! YOU'RE DAMN WORTHLESS!" He grabbed his daughter's arm roughly and pulled her towards the kitchen. Quistis could smell the alcohol from his breath as he spoke into her face. She felt herself being pushed inside the kitchen, practically shoved on the floor by her own father. Quistis quickly looked up, her eyes widening in fear as her father hovered over her. "WHAT ARE YOU STARING AT!? GET ON WITH THE COOKING!"
Quistis was still too scared to move. Her body would not get up at the sound of her father's voice. She was still too traumatized, even though it happens to her a lot. "I...I'm sorry, I'll get on it, right away!" She was about to stand up, but was too late. She felt something hard hit her cheek, leaving her almost unconscious. The blond felt strong hands grasping the collar of her shirt, almost lifting her off of the ground, then felt the same it again on the same cheek. She could hear her father's hatred in her ears.
Hatred for the only daughter he wished he hadn't raised.
"YOU STUPID BRAT! YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK IN HERE, EAT PRINGLES AND NOT CARE ABOUT MY HUNGER?!"
"I... I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! I'll cook something! I will!"
Satisfied by her words, Sean let go of his daughter, dropping her back on the floor. Quistis stayed there for a few more seconds, then quickly got up on her feet, turning towards the stove to start dinner. She could still feel her cheeks stinging from his slaps and no matter how she wanted to touch it and caress it in her palms, she dared not to. Her father will become more angry.
"Forget it!" Her father's voice was getting soft now. "I'll go get something to eat! You can stay here and eat whatever you want!"
Sean staggered towards the dining room table, paused behind a chair, then slowly made his way to the back door, where he disappeared out of sight. Quistis suddenly took that moment to take a deep breath. She had almost forgotten that she was holding her breath a bit while her father made it clear to her about what she should do every time she came home from school.
The young blond turned off the stove, leaned her back against the refrigerator nearby and slid down until she felt her bottom touch the ground. Tears fell from her eyes, streaming down her face like a never ending flow of emotions. She buried her face in her hands and wept for the longest time that night. Now she can never go to the party tonight. What will she tell Selphie and Zell about the bruise on her face. She shouldn't let them know. She mustn't! Quistis didn't want both her friends involved in something she can never face on her own.
********************
~Saturday~
Bryan Almasy was proud to be a father to a young man who has grown quite... adult in the last seventeen years. Seifer was STILL growing and soon, he will be towering over the short, 5'6 bald man who had stopped growing when he was only seventeen himself. He watched, as his only son helped load the largest luggage on top of the car and aided Halle tie a rope around it to keep it secure. Inside the rectangle shaped, black Carion luggage, as Bryan remembered, were all the hiking gears they were going to need when they go trekking up the snowy mountains.
"Seify!!!!" yelled a very excited little girl. Bryan looked up, almost laughing at Dominique's cute nickname for her step older brother and watched the little blond girl running towards Seifer, carrying her favorite Raggity Anne Doll in her arms. "Can I get a piggy back wide?"
When he was finished loading the hiking gears, he looked down at the small form of his little sister and stared at her strangely. "Now?"
Dominique lifted up an arm towards him and nodded, smiling. "Yeah! Yeah!"
Bryan could see the irritation in his eyes, but to his surprise, Seifer only shook his head and patted Dominique on the top of her brown locks. The bald man was sure his blond son was going to throw a fit. He knew that Seifer didn't know how to handle little kids. "How about when we get to the resort, I'll carry you ALL the way to the lodge? Deal?" He put out a hand towards her as if to 'seal the deal' and waited until her small tiny hand slipped inside his large ones.
Dominique nodded. "K!!!!!!!" With that done, the little girl bounced up to her mother, who was finished putting in the last luggage inside the car, which was a small, pink back pack that Seifer guessed was probably little Dominique's toys and everything she needed while they drove to the mountain resort. The tall, lanky woman, stuffed her back pack gently in between herself and the compartment so it was easy for her to reach in and grab something that her daughter needed while on the road. Halle then picked up her little daughter and put her in her booster seat, near the window, so it was easy for Seifer to jump into his own seat. She fastened Dominique securely with the seat belt and kissed her daughter on the cheek, which made the little girl giggle in delight.
Seifer joined the girl in the back later, sitting just beside her to ensure her safety and fastened himself in as well. "Seify! Wanna pway doll?" Dominique asked in a small, tiny voice.
The blond looked at her and nodded gently, slightly smiling. "Maybe next time, okay?"
Disappointed, Dominique frowned and looked away sadly.
Seifer sighed, knowing he had hurt the little girl and reached up to pat her head. "Hey, how about I play with you when we get there, just like I promised to give you a piggy back ride?"
The little girl's face lit up. She nodded vigorously, her blond locks, bouncing around her face. "Otay!!!!!!!"
He sighed in relief, glad that he didn't make her cry. He couldn't stand it when little kids cry, especially a very energetic girl like Dominique. Besides, she was his little sister and he would have to get used to the fact that she will be begging for attention from him from now on.
Bryan smirked and when he did, it showed that he was, in fact, related to his son. He joined his family inside the car, putting the keys inside the ignition and closed the door. Other doors in the 2004 Dodge Caravan closed after him. All heads turned to the direction of their Asian helper, Rio and waved. "We'll be back late Sunday, Rio," Bryan announced.
The woman nodded, waving her hand good bye.
The van pulled out of the long driveway. Seifer watched the Asian helper shrinking from view, then disappear from his sight inside the house.
About a couple minutes later, the Caravan had hit the highway, heading towards the direction of Mount Rainier, the mountain lodge. Seifer felt his heart jump in excitement, thinking about all the interesting things he was going to be doing.
Seifer glanced at the little girl sitting beside him. For a two year old, Dominique Almasy was a girl who could speak like a normal ten year old would. She was smart for her age and knew exactly the big words her father and Seifer exchange each other. Sometimes she would jump in, make the conversation even more interesting when Seifer and Bryan talked about the climate that will be assuming today in the mountains. Dominique could use big words that no other two year old could and Seifer was impressed.
The one thing he wanted the most once they arrive at the lodge was to spend this time with his father and the family he will learn to love and cherish forever...
*******************
The morning was, as usual something new. Everyday was new for her and the bruise she received from her father last night was definitely new.
Quistis got up quickly, taking out a concealer from her drawer and dabbed it ever so gently over the bruise that formed around her left eye. She made sure she put just enough so her Aunt and cousin would not notice. At least, today, she didn't have to worry about them eyeing her suspiciously so much, because she was going to spend the rest of the day with Selphie at the prison to visit her brother. It turned out, her brother was transferred over at the Whitcomb State Penitentiary just last night, which was closer to where she lived than the one where he took his rehab program at. Selphie called her in the middle of the night, asking for her to come and meet Garrett and Quistis agreed to go with her. It would give her a chance to go out for a while and check out the nice places in Downtown Seattle.
"Quistis! Selphie's at the door for you!" Aunt Charlotte yelled from downstairs. She had told her Auntie about her trip to prison to see her friend, Selphie's brother.
The blond looked stared at the door, as if expecting her Aunt to burst inside her room and see her trying to cover the bruised marks. "Coming!" she yelled back. She glanced at her face through the mirror and made sure the bruise was completely covered and when she was satisfied, she left her room and went downstairs. Luckily, Aunt Charlotte was already at the kitchen by the time she made it all the way down to meet Selphie. She knew that Charlotte had X ray visions and could tell from a million miles away what a bruise looked like. Unlike Charlotte, Selphie was more reliable. She would never question anything odd about her face, like her Aunt would, because she didn't need to. Selphie probably noticed already how uncomfortable it was for her to explain the marks. Quistis was glad to be her friend.
"I'm leaving now, Auntie!" Quistis called.
Charlotte peeked her head through the kitchen and nodded. "Okay! What time will you be back?"
Quistis glanced at Selphie, wondering the same thing, but all she got from her friend was a shrug. "Well uh... I'll probably be back around... six in the evening! Is that okay?" She stepped through the door, then heard her Aunt talk again. The blond paused for her to continue.
Charlotte nodded. "All right! Please be careful!"
"Okay!" She closed the door behind her and joined Selphie inside her tiny, grey Mazda Miata that only she and Quistis alone could fit. Quistis thought it was a rather cute car as she hopped inside the passenger seat, secured herself with the seat belt and closed the door shut. Selphie did the same, putting the key into the ignition and started the car.
The small, tin-can like car drove out of the driveway and headed straight to the direction of Downtown Seattle.
"I wonder what my brother looks like now!" Selphie squeaked as she changed lanes to hit exit 140 towards Whitcomb County. Suddenly, her smiled faltered. The bouncy haired girl glanced at her blond friend and raised an eyebrow curiously. "By the way, Quistis, what's with the bruise in your eye that you covered so badly?"
Quistis frowned. She guessed Selphie wrong after all. "I thought you were smarter than this, Selphie?" The blond suddenly felt angry for asking such a personal question.
"I'm sorry..."
The blond folded her arms across her chest and looked away, towards the window.
Selphie bit her lip nervously, glancing quickly at her friend beside her. She was about to rebutt the question, when Quistis spoke again, shutting her up.
"I... it's nothing. I accidentally tripped and my eye hit the doorknob as I fell. It's no big deal." She looked at Selphie and forced a smile on her face to assure her that she had no reason to be worried, seeing that the brunette wore a concerned look on her face.
After that...
Selphie never asked again.
GoodGurl: Heh heh, I decided to skip Sunday for the two. I was thinking of leaving some Saturday and the rest of Sunday for Zell and Selphie, since it kinda continues with Selphie about visiting her brother in prison. I will continue the story with Seifer's weekend in upcoming chapters! Tooda loo! ^_^.
Chapter 10 - The Weekend (Part one)
~Friday~
It wasn't that long of a travel for him to drive down to his father's house that was close to the border between Canada and the United States. At first, he was reluctant to go, knowing he would feel awkward being with his father, his wife and his new step sister, but decided that he had no reason to be afraid of them. They were going to be his new family, aside from the terrible relationship he had with his mother. Bryan Almasy had asked him to come to his home and have dinner with him and his wife and kid. Seifer wasn't sure at first with the idea, neither was Lynette, but after thinking, he decided to go anyways, since there was nothing else for him to do for a few hours on a Friday night.
Seifer looked into the horizon, towards the Island where the house, his father said would be situated in. Just as Bryan Almasy had described, the house was a large mansion with its roofs peeking high above the cliffs, where, down below, the ocean smashed against the rocks. He made a turn towards exit 43 and drove down the high way, until he made it towards an even bigger neighborhood, with even bigger houses. However, it did not compare to the size he saw on the other side of the Island, where his father was waiting for him at the dinner table. He looked out the window and noticed people in cell phones, driving expensive cars, while children played in the front yard with their Barbies or their expensive bikes. Teenagers, who were too old for Barbies or bikes, drove around in their cars, their stereos pumping up into a high volume with very irritating music. Normally, he wouldn't care how loud these teenagers were playing their songs, but right now, all he wanted to do was pound one boy in the face, listening to a high pitched heavy rock metal band that sounded like the singer was just screaming out obscene words, than actually singing them. With the nervousness he had right now, he couldn't stand the thought of having music pounded into his head without asking for it. He rounded into a corner and almost hit another expensive car. Though it wasn't his fault the driver of the other car gave him the finger and Seifer, being a wise civilian he was, offered him the same. "Dumbass..." he mumbled, turning another street. He drove the car to the last house on the hill and when he saw the large, brown and white house, he parked his car at the side of the road, deciding that he can just carry his luggage up the driveway and to the front door.
The blond was greeted by a rather short, Asian woman with a heavy accent that Seifer couldn't quite understand what she was trying to say in English. The woman, around her mid forties, looked at him for a moment, making him wait some more. Seifer was about to lose his patience, when a familiar man appeared at the door, dismissing the Asian woman (Rio) with a slight nod.
Bryan Almasy glanced at his son and smiled, opening the door wider for him to step inside with his luggage. "I'm so glad that you can make it, Seifer!"
At first, Seifer was hesitant to step inside, but his father made sure that he stayed. The short, bald man helped him with is luggage, dragging it with one hand inside. There was no problem for him to carry it, because Seifer packed lightly. The blond followed his father inside and when he did, Seifer was amazed at how large the place was, compared to his house.
"Oh, you must be Seifer!" came a soft tune from somewhere. Seifer looked up towards the top of the stairs, where a woman with long pointed nose and very skinny legs and arms walked down the stairs. She was attractive in a way, but not really the most beautiful, because of her high cheek bones, her very skinny mouth, her large jaws and long black hair. Despite it all, however, Seifer saw a pair of soft green eyes, which showed him the kindness inside her.
"Yes, Halle. This is my son, Seifer," Bryan announced, putting an arm around his son's shoulders. Because Seifer was rather tall, the blond had to lean down a bit so his father could completely put his arm around him.
Halle smiled. When she did, it actually made her look beautiful. "OH! Let me look at you! Your father has said so many things about you, Seifer! I didn't imagine how handsome you were!"
Seifer felt his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Personally, he never branded himself as 'handsome,' just 'good looking,' and a type of boy who had problems with his mother. No one can ever imagine him being related to a short, bald man like Bryan or a sex-crazed and rather, skinny mother. But there is no denying the truth. He is indeed related to these people. Halle approached him suddenly, much to Seifer's dismay and looked at him up and down.
"After a year of waiting, I can't believe I finally get to meet you!" Halle wrapped her skinny arms around him. Compared to his mother, Halle was much taller and was even taller than his father. "So, how old are you now?"
"I'm seventeen," Seifer replied.
"Dominique come back here!"
All three heads, who were preoccupied with each other, turned their attention towards a little girl, barely two, who stopped right in front of Seifer, staring at him curiously. Seifer nervously looked around for help. The little girl was staring at him angrily.
"Who you!?" she yelled, planting both her fists on her hips like an adult. "Awe you my bwother?" The blond examined her for a bit. Like him, the girl was blond, with two pig tails sticking out of her tiny head and large, baby blue eyes. She had chubby cheeks and chubby little fingers and hands that when people saw her, wouldn't be able to resist pinching all of them, saying how cute they were.
Seifer nodded slowly, trying to understand the situation. Was this his little sister? "Yes. I am. I think." He looked at her father, who just smiled and nodded.
Dominique stared at him for a moment, then suddenly ran to him, wrapping her little arms around his large, long legs. Seifer stood there awkwardly, unsure how to handle a kid. This was his first time having to confront a little girl. "HEWWO BWOTHER!" she screamed, almost damaging Seifer's ears. She hugged him tighter and jumped up and down excitedly, giggling. "Aw you going to take me to the zoo?"
"Okay Dominique I think your big brother needs to eat and I think you need to wash your hands!" Bryan spoke, picking Dominique up in his arms. He winked at Seifer, then left with his daughter to wash her hands. Halle smiled. She noticed Seifer picking up his suitcase, but she put a hand on his arm and shook her head. "You don't need to worry about that now, Seifer," she said. "You can just leave it there and I'll have Rio put that in the trunk of the car later. Right now, we're going to have dinner. Come."
Halle walked pass him and led the way the kitchen, having to pass a long hallway with many doors that led suspiciously to somewhere. Seifer followed closely behind, admiring the beauty of the mansion, from the wall paper on the ceiling, to the antique tables and chairs situated at some areas of the house they passed by. The blond couldn't help but say, "Wow...." under his breath.
"I know," Halle smiled, looking over her shoulder at the tall boy. "This place was owned by a rich family a long time ago, but they died when it burned down."
"How did it burn down?"
"Well, there were rumors that someone in the family wanted to murder the rest of the household, but managed to kill himself while trying to do it. It was said to believe that he was trying to put oil into their bedrooms and when he was about to light the match, a female servant he fell in love, stopped him just in time." They passed a few more corridors.
A lover's spat, Seifer thought. "But, how did that kill him? She was able to stop him right?"
Halle shook her head. "Or so people thought. Some investigators believed that the lovers had a fight that same night, because the girl didn't want to marry the boy, you know, due to the fact that his parents didn't want her to. The parents told this to only her and she was heart broken. She promised not to tell their son about their little 'conversation,' but the boy found out and was angry. He was planning on burning the mansion down and run away with his lover with millions and millions of dollars stashed somewhere in his bedroom. Of course, she refused. She didn't want to leave, because, no matter how hard it was, she was happy where she was and that's when she decided to stop him that night. They struggled and eventually she won, despite the result. He was burned down along with his parents while trying to escape. Because she was smaller than him, the girl was able to escape through the small window. Here we are!" She guided the blond inside a large, dining room, one that looked like it was seen from a medieval castle. A long table covered most of the room and a long, white cloth covered the table. Old looking candles and expensive looking plates were set up to make the place look eerie and romantic in a way, underneath the blanket of darkness.
Seifer was too shocked about the setting that he had completely forgotten about the story Halle was telling him. "Sit here," a voice interrupted his thoughts. The blond looked up and noticed that his step-mother was already sitting at the farthest corner of the table. She was patting her hand on a chair to her left.
The blond obeyed and sat himself down on the decided chair. The two were later joined by Seifer's father and his stepsister, who was smiling even wider when she noticed her older brother sitting there. She quickly ran to his side, sitting down on a chair next to him. Seifer didn't know how to react to a little girl sitting next to him, so he just nodded and glanced at his father.
Bryan smiled. "So, how are you liking this place, Seifer?"
Seifer nodded. "It's pretty big that I'm nervous about getting lost here."
Bryan and Halle laughed. "Well, you'll get used to it in time," Halle replied.
"Bwother? Aw you coming with us to the mountain?" the little voice spoke.
All three heads turned to the direction of Dominique, who gave hopeful looks towards the blond. The girl was too cute, that Seifer couldn't help but put a hand on her head to assure her that he was indeed going. "Of course," he replied, smiling slightly. At least this was going to get his mind off of a certain blond woman who kept insulting him about his 'attitude.' Seifer smirked.
"What's wrong?" Bryan asked, noticing Seifer's look.
Seifer looked up and shook his head. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking."
"About yo girlfwend?" Dominique's tiny voice spoke.
The blond looked at her strangely. Both Bryan and Halle just laughed, mostly because of Seifer's reaction than Dominique's question.
'This was going to be a loooong night,' Seifer thought.
***********************
"So you want to go a party tonight?" Her friend sat down beside her and took the liberty of stealing a French fry from her plate.
"Nah...." she answered, sliding the tray towards her friend.
"Awww, come on! It's going to be fun!" She grabbed another fry and chewed it quickly, before wiping her greasy hands with her napkin and looked up.
She shook her head, thinking about that party. If she went, what would her dad say? She has to find a way to tell Selphie that she couldn't go. "I can't, because I have to study for this big exam next week." A little lie wouldn't hurt.
Selphie stared at Quistis as if she didn't believe her friend, then decided to give up. Even though she was curious about Quistis' REAL excuse on why she wouldn't come, she would never pry on her friend's personal things. The brown haired girl gave a smiled and nodded. "All right! But if you DO decide to come, just show up at Amber Lane's house..." She picked up the unused napkin from Quistis' tray and fished out a pen from her pocket. She began writing down something and when she was done, she handed it slowly to Quistis. "This is her address. I'm sure your cousin, Travis knows where she lives and he can drop you off or something."
"How would he know?" Quistis lifted an eyebrow curiously.
"Because your little cousin dated her," Selphie replied, standing up now.
"You mean Travis dated an older woman?" Quistis couldn't believe her ears.
Selphie shrugged. "I dunno. Well, I better go, or Mr. Watanabe will throw a fit at me if I don't show up on time for Japanese class! See ya!" With that, she waved good bye and quickly walked out of the cafeteria.
Quistis sighed, looking around at the usual table her, Selphie, Zell, Rinoa and Squall usually sat, but for the first time in one week she's been here, she was alone in it. She glanced at her watch and gasped. If she didn't pick up her books now for Literature class, then she'll be late for it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After school was quite different. The blond spent most of her days in class getting bored, because every subject repeated every lesson from the previous days. Quistis thought about skipping class today, but she decided too late that she just rejected that idea. She came home at an empty house, as usual, because her Aunt was probably working late today and Travis had his baseball practice and wouldn't be coming home tonight... which he persuaded his mother for him to stay over at his friend's house. Quistis envied him. She wished she was doing something on a Friday night. Her father.... Quistis shook her head. She didn't want to think about what her father was doing. She guessed he was probably drinking his thoughts away as usual, instead of finding a decent job.
Sighing, without even bothering to cook anything for lunch, Quistis opened all the drawers where she thought she could find good snacks she can munch on while watching some kind of soap on television and was happy to find sour cream and onion flavored Pringles which wasn't open yet. Today, she felt like relaxing, instead of doing her homework. She grabbed the green container and went to the living room and turned on the television to the first channel which caught her attention. It was a documentary about a family that mysteriously burned in the flames of their large mansion. The accused was their twenty year old son, who also died in the flames, though there is no actual evidence that the son did it or why he died in the flames if he was the one who burnt the place down in the first run. The only proof the prosecutor had was the young man's lover, a servant of the family, who claimed that the young man wanted her to run away with him. The screen flashed to a brief case that the police found in the son's bedroom, stacked with a lot of hundred dollar bills, which was ready to be taken by the son and his lover to a far away place where they could be happy.
Quistis snorted at those last few lines. "A far away place, where they could be happy?" She flipped open the Pringles container and reached inside, taking out one chip and stuffing it hungrily into her mouth. "There is no such happy place anywhere," she mumbled with a full mouth.
Suddenly, she heard a bang on the door. Quistis quickly turned off the television and turned her head towards the door. It banged louder, then the door knob began to twist open. About a moment later, Quistis saw a pair of large familiar shoes and a man walking in, with bloodshot eyes.
"You stupid, bitch! What the hell are you doing sitting here instead of getting me dinner!?" he yelled, stomping his large feet towards her.
Quistis winced as her father slammed the door behind him. She quickly put the pringles down on the coffee table and stood up, her eyes turning into thin slits from fright. "I uh... Well, Aunt Charlotte isn't here and-"
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT CHARLOTTE! IF SHE'S NOT HERE THEN COOK SOMETHING! YOU'RE DAMN WORTHLESS!" He grabbed his daughter's arm roughly and pulled her towards the kitchen. Quistis could smell the alcohol from his breath as he spoke into her face. She felt herself being pushed inside the kitchen, practically shoved on the floor by her own father. Quistis quickly looked up, her eyes widening in fear as her father hovered over her. "WHAT ARE YOU STARING AT!? GET ON WITH THE COOKING!"
Quistis was still too scared to move. Her body would not get up at the sound of her father's voice. She was still too traumatized, even though it happens to her a lot. "I...I'm sorry, I'll get on it, right away!" She was about to stand up, but was too late. She felt something hard hit her cheek, leaving her almost unconscious. The blond felt strong hands grasping the collar of her shirt, almost lifting her off of the ground, then felt the same it again on the same cheek. She could hear her father's hatred in her ears.
Hatred for the only daughter he wished he hadn't raised.
"YOU STUPID BRAT! YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK IN HERE, EAT PRINGLES AND NOT CARE ABOUT MY HUNGER?!"
"I... I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! I'll cook something! I will!"
Satisfied by her words, Sean let go of his daughter, dropping her back on the floor. Quistis stayed there for a few more seconds, then quickly got up on her feet, turning towards the stove to start dinner. She could still feel her cheeks stinging from his slaps and no matter how she wanted to touch it and caress it in her palms, she dared not to. Her father will become more angry.
"Forget it!" Her father's voice was getting soft now. "I'll go get something to eat! You can stay here and eat whatever you want!"
Sean staggered towards the dining room table, paused behind a chair, then slowly made his way to the back door, where he disappeared out of sight. Quistis suddenly took that moment to take a deep breath. She had almost forgotten that she was holding her breath a bit while her father made it clear to her about what she should do every time she came home from school.
The young blond turned off the stove, leaned her back against the refrigerator nearby and slid down until she felt her bottom touch the ground. Tears fell from her eyes, streaming down her face like a never ending flow of emotions. She buried her face in her hands and wept for the longest time that night. Now she can never go to the party tonight. What will she tell Selphie and Zell about the bruise on her face. She shouldn't let them know. She mustn't! Quistis didn't want both her friends involved in something she can never face on her own.
********************
~Saturday~
Bryan Almasy was proud to be a father to a young man who has grown quite... adult in the last seventeen years. Seifer was STILL growing and soon, he will be towering over the short, 5'6 bald man who had stopped growing when he was only seventeen himself. He watched, as his only son helped load the largest luggage on top of the car and aided Halle tie a rope around it to keep it secure. Inside the rectangle shaped, black Carion luggage, as Bryan remembered, were all the hiking gears they were going to need when they go trekking up the snowy mountains.
"Seify!!!!" yelled a very excited little girl. Bryan looked up, almost laughing at Dominique's cute nickname for her step older brother and watched the little blond girl running towards Seifer, carrying her favorite Raggity Anne Doll in her arms. "Can I get a piggy back wide?"
When he was finished loading the hiking gears, he looked down at the small form of his little sister and stared at her strangely. "Now?"
Dominique lifted up an arm towards him and nodded, smiling. "Yeah! Yeah!"
Bryan could see the irritation in his eyes, but to his surprise, Seifer only shook his head and patted Dominique on the top of her brown locks. The bald man was sure his blond son was going to throw a fit. He knew that Seifer didn't know how to handle little kids. "How about when we get to the resort, I'll carry you ALL the way to the lodge? Deal?" He put out a hand towards her as if to 'seal the deal' and waited until her small tiny hand slipped inside his large ones.
Dominique nodded. "K!!!!!!!" With that done, the little girl bounced up to her mother, who was finished putting in the last luggage inside the car, which was a small, pink back pack that Seifer guessed was probably little Dominique's toys and everything she needed while they drove to the mountain resort. The tall, lanky woman, stuffed her back pack gently in between herself and the compartment so it was easy for her to reach in and grab something that her daughter needed while on the road. Halle then picked up her little daughter and put her in her booster seat, near the window, so it was easy for Seifer to jump into his own seat. She fastened Dominique securely with the seat belt and kissed her daughter on the cheek, which made the little girl giggle in delight.
Seifer joined the girl in the back later, sitting just beside her to ensure her safety and fastened himself in as well. "Seify! Wanna pway doll?" Dominique asked in a small, tiny voice.
The blond looked at her and nodded gently, slightly smiling. "Maybe next time, okay?"
Disappointed, Dominique frowned and looked away sadly.
Seifer sighed, knowing he had hurt the little girl and reached up to pat her head. "Hey, how about I play with you when we get there, just like I promised to give you a piggy back ride?"
The little girl's face lit up. She nodded vigorously, her blond locks, bouncing around her face. "Otay!!!!!!!"
He sighed in relief, glad that he didn't make her cry. He couldn't stand it when little kids cry, especially a very energetic girl like Dominique. Besides, she was his little sister and he would have to get used to the fact that she will be begging for attention from him from now on.
Bryan smirked and when he did, it showed that he was, in fact, related to his son. He joined his family inside the car, putting the keys inside the ignition and closed the door. Other doors in the 2004 Dodge Caravan closed after him. All heads turned to the direction of their Asian helper, Rio and waved. "We'll be back late Sunday, Rio," Bryan announced.
The woman nodded, waving her hand good bye.
The van pulled out of the long driveway. Seifer watched the Asian helper shrinking from view, then disappear from his sight inside the house.
About a couple minutes later, the Caravan had hit the highway, heading towards the direction of Mount Rainier, the mountain lodge. Seifer felt his heart jump in excitement, thinking about all the interesting things he was going to be doing.
Seifer glanced at the little girl sitting beside him. For a two year old, Dominique Almasy was a girl who could speak like a normal ten year old would. She was smart for her age and knew exactly the big words her father and Seifer exchange each other. Sometimes she would jump in, make the conversation even more interesting when Seifer and Bryan talked about the climate that will be assuming today in the mountains. Dominique could use big words that no other two year old could and Seifer was impressed.
The one thing he wanted the most once they arrive at the lodge was to spend this time with his father and the family he will learn to love and cherish forever...
*******************
The morning was, as usual something new. Everyday was new for her and the bruise she received from her father last night was definitely new.
Quistis got up quickly, taking out a concealer from her drawer and dabbed it ever so gently over the bruise that formed around her left eye. She made sure she put just enough so her Aunt and cousin would not notice. At least, today, she didn't have to worry about them eyeing her suspiciously so much, because she was going to spend the rest of the day with Selphie at the prison to visit her brother. It turned out, her brother was transferred over at the Whitcomb State Penitentiary just last night, which was closer to where she lived than the one where he took his rehab program at. Selphie called her in the middle of the night, asking for her to come and meet Garrett and Quistis agreed to go with her. It would give her a chance to go out for a while and check out the nice places in Downtown Seattle.
"Quistis! Selphie's at the door for you!" Aunt Charlotte yelled from downstairs. She had told her Auntie about her trip to prison to see her friend, Selphie's brother.
The blond looked stared at the door, as if expecting her Aunt to burst inside her room and see her trying to cover the bruised marks. "Coming!" she yelled back. She glanced at her face through the mirror and made sure the bruise was completely covered and when she was satisfied, she left her room and went downstairs. Luckily, Aunt Charlotte was already at the kitchen by the time she made it all the way down to meet Selphie. She knew that Charlotte had X ray visions and could tell from a million miles away what a bruise looked like. Unlike Charlotte, Selphie was more reliable. She would never question anything odd about her face, like her Aunt would, because she didn't need to. Selphie probably noticed already how uncomfortable it was for her to explain the marks. Quistis was glad to be her friend.
"I'm leaving now, Auntie!" Quistis called.
Charlotte peeked her head through the kitchen and nodded. "Okay! What time will you be back?"
Quistis glanced at Selphie, wondering the same thing, but all she got from her friend was a shrug. "Well uh... I'll probably be back around... six in the evening! Is that okay?" She stepped through the door, then heard her Aunt talk again. The blond paused for her to continue.
Charlotte nodded. "All right! Please be careful!"
"Okay!" She closed the door behind her and joined Selphie inside her tiny, grey Mazda Miata that only she and Quistis alone could fit. Quistis thought it was a rather cute car as she hopped inside the passenger seat, secured herself with the seat belt and closed the door shut. Selphie did the same, putting the key into the ignition and started the car.
The small, tin-can like car drove out of the driveway and headed straight to the direction of Downtown Seattle.
"I wonder what my brother looks like now!" Selphie squeaked as she changed lanes to hit exit 140 towards Whitcomb County. Suddenly, her smiled faltered. The bouncy haired girl glanced at her blond friend and raised an eyebrow curiously. "By the way, Quistis, what's with the bruise in your eye that you covered so badly?"
Quistis frowned. She guessed Selphie wrong after all. "I thought you were smarter than this, Selphie?" The blond suddenly felt angry for asking such a personal question.
"I'm sorry..."
The blond folded her arms across her chest and looked away, towards the window.
Selphie bit her lip nervously, glancing quickly at her friend beside her. She was about to rebutt the question, when Quistis spoke again, shutting her up.
"I... it's nothing. I accidentally tripped and my eye hit the doorknob as I fell. It's no big deal." She looked at Selphie and forced a smile on her face to assure her that she had no reason to be worried, seeing that the brunette wore a concerned look on her face.
After that...
Selphie never asked again.
GoodGurl: Heh heh, I decided to skip Sunday for the two. I was thinking of leaving some Saturday and the rest of Sunday for Zell and Selphie, since it kinda continues with Selphie about visiting her brother in prison. I will continue the story with Seifer's weekend in upcoming chapters! Tooda loo! ^_^.