Note: Hi everyone! Oh wow, thanks for your support in this fic! I really appreciate all your reviews! Well, I am close to finishing this story and next, like I mentioned before, is the long awaited, third installment of the 'M' Series set in the near future! Watch out for the introduction of the Millenium Day Fantasy 8! Anyway, back to the story with Seifer and Quistis! Yeay!
Chapter 19 – Maybe…
A long time ago, the sun, the wind, the trees, would make sense to her on why they were there on Earth. The knowledge would have been told to her by her mother, but since she wasn't alive, it was impossible to question really on why she was born in the first place. She closed her eyes and imagined what her mother would look like. She wondered if she was popular because she was beautiful or popular because she just had the best attitude for it. Her father never mentioned anything to her about her mother's past or how exactly he fell for the lovely blond that caught his eye. She felt the cold wind blowing her blond tresses across her face. Gently, Quistis curled a strand behind her ear and imagined how her mother's voice sounded like. Maybe they were soft and gentle, or deep and understanding. Or maybe her mother's voice sounded like hers; cold, depressed and just didn't know how to express herself or didn't know how to stand up for herself, unless someone handsome, tall, blond and rebellious rescued her like a Knight in shining armor. Her mind wandered towards Seifer Almasy, the boy whom she has learned to understand a lot more. The boy, though arrogant and self righteous, was one of the people in school who seemed to understand her more, for some strange reason.
"Of all places, I didn't expect YOU to be here…"
Startled with the voice, Quistis opened her eyes and found herself staring straight into a pair of green eyes staring down on her. Surprised at his sudden appearance, she sat up quickly, but ended up hitting her head against Seifer's. They could both hear the 'smack' as the two heads made contact.
"AH! CRAP!" Seifer quickly sprang straight up on his feet and began rubbing the front of his forehead comically. "WHAT THE HELL-!?" He turned and glared at her. "What was that about!? You didn't have to knock me off my feet like that!"
Quistis turned and apologized. "I'm sorry! Look, you scared me all right?" She sat back down and quickly rubbed the redness on her cheeks away. If he saw her blushing like that, then he'd know she was thinking about him!
Seifer mumbled another cursed word and sighed, still rubbing his forehead. "And you show how scared you are by bashing someone's head in?"
"Better safe than sorry," Quistis replied quietly.
"What?" He stood there, unsure if he should sit down beside her or just stand there, acting cool like he wasn't still in pain from the forehead smash he was given.
Quistis shook her head. "Nothing. You know, you're such a baby… I don't think it was THAT hard!"
"Hey! Don't call me…" Taking a quiet, deep breath, Seifer folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the tree. "Nevermind…" He watched her sit there, suddenly quiet. "So, what are you doing here anyway? School is still in session you know. I thought you weren't the type of girl who broke the rules of the school?"
"I was thinking about my mom…" The blond girl replied.
Seifer was surprised. He never expected her to answer that quickly and calmly about her personal life. Why is she suddenly telling him about this? "Oh…I see…" He didn't really want to get involved like he was before. It was really a bad idea to hit her father like that. He could get into more than just trouble.
"You know, she died giving birth to me."
Other thing…he didn't how to respond to these types of things. It wasn't like he didn't have a mother, even though they barely talk about stuff like this. This girl never grew up with one.
"When I was growing up, the kids made fun of me because of my lunch."
Seifer smirked. "Lunch? What did you do, feed them old, rotten food? Hah!"
Quistis shook her head, without turning to look at him. "I made my own lunch and since I was very young, I didn't know how to put mayonnaise in my ham sandwich so it came out of the package very messy."
The blond young man didn't know how to respond to that. Maybe he should've kept his mouth shut. He gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he was feeling pity towards this girl, or maybe… "Impossible…" he mumbled.
"Normally, mothers prepared lunch for their kids but…" She sighed deeply. Why was she telling this guy her life story? Why wasn't she scared that he would make fun of how horrible she's lived her life? Maybe… maybe because he stood up for her when she couldn't do it herself… Maybe… "I guess… I guess I wasn't meant to have a mother. I guess it was my fault after all that she died…" She chocked back the tears that threatened to fall and stood up quickly before it really fell from her eyes. She couldn't afford to let ANYONE-- let alone Seifer see her like that.
Seifer couldn't believe this. After all the things he's done, she STILL doesn't get it? He watched her stand up and watched her start to walk away, but Seifer couldn't let her go. Not yet. Before she could pass him, he grabbed her arm and looked hard into her eyes. "Haven't you figured it out yet, Trepe!? It's NEVER a child's fault when she is born from her mother who died! She died because she wanted you to live! Isn't that enough for you!?" He forced her to look at him. "And why don't you cry for once!?"
Quistis turned away, unable to look at him. "I have no reason to cry… And I have no reason to be alive… I should be dead somewhere... and-!" She gasped, when Seifer suddenly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his heartbeat. The blond girl blushed a crimson red and she found herself unable to move. She closed her eyes and pleaded for him to let her go. "Please…let…go…" Her eyes popped open. Tears, once again, were forming in her eyes and she knew that if she closed them, it would all fall at once down her face. Seifer would DEFINITELY see that. And she can't be the victim. She can't be the weak one here. She has to be strong.
"You idiot…" He smirked. "I'm not letting you go until you let go…" Seifer whispered gently. "And you call yourself 'smart'…"
"What-?" What was this guy talking about? She wasn't holding onto anything. HE was the one who was holding on to her… But why wasn't she moving away from him? Why wasn't she pushing herself away from him?
"Tell me something, Quistis. Do you think everyone's life is perfect? Even more perfect than yours?" He slowly released his grip around Quistis to give her some breathing space, but still wouldn't let her go.
"Of course it is…"
"You're such a bad liar," Seifer retorted. "Not everyone's life is perfect you know. Not even Brandy's or someone from the football team who is very popular with everyone in high school. So you can't say that yours is the only that is messed up. We all have our lives screwed up, but there's no point in dwelling in the past. You're supposed to be looking forward, or whatever the hell they say in the hallmark cards, instead of walking backwards with two left feet." He waited for her to respond, but when none came, he added, "And sometimes we all have to let go."
A tear escaped from her eyes.
Then another.
And another. And then all came at once. Quistis was desperate to hold them in, but they kept escaping. Suddenly, she was crying. Suddenly, she was shaking. And suddenly, she was weeping and sniffling, her face crunched up against a young man's chest… one she barely knew but was willing to be there for her. Suddenly, her arms went around his waist and she began to cry as hard as she could, letting out all her emotions, showing him that she was weak after all.
He was too good.
She was too stupid.
No words were exchanged the rest of that moment. He allowed her to cry as much as she wanted, while she continued to weep and wonder if this was truly what she thought about herself. Was it really her fault she died? Was Seifer right, that everyone's lives weren't all that perfect? Has she been selfish all this time? Was she thinking too much about herself instead of thinking about other people's problems? Was she supposed to cry for herself?
************************
After what happened that day, Seifer couldn't get his mind off of it. Has he gone insane? Did he fall of his bed last night to make him do what he did today? Ever since that time, he can never get his mind off of Quistis' sad face when he held her in his arms and listened to her cry. He listened and said nothing. She cried and said nothing.
The blond young man, the image still engraved in his mind, opened the front door of his house and by the time he opened the door, he was startled to find Martine there again, standing by the stairs and looking around as if he was intruding. And he was. It annoyed Seifer that this guy wasn't as usual being rude to the living conditions of the house. It annoyed him that he was too polite. Too polite, in fact, that he didn't have a reason to kick him in the ass for violating his mother or just making rude comments towards him. He had fun beating the crap out of the three guys his mother took to bed, but this fourth guy was different than the rest of them. Martine was Lynette's best friend in college and Martine was the perfect guy for his mother to be with. Seifer hated that thought.
When Martine noticed him coming in, he gave a wide smile and a wave. "Hello, Seifer, it's me again."
Seifer slammed the door behind him and stopped by the door. He folded his arms across his chest and smirked. "Yes, it's you…"
Martine grinned, then turned away, who obviously noticed that Seifer found him annoying and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yes…"
"Why are you here again?" He lifted a single eyebrow curiously at the older man.
"I'm here to take your mother out on a date!" Martine suddenly said cheerfully.
The blond frowned. "And you're saying that cheerfully…why?"
"Well, because uh…"
"Oh, Seifer, you're back!" Both men looked up to find an unknown woman, dressed in a beautiful black strapless, tight dress with a drooping V neckline. Despite the large drop of the neckline, it was still modest in style. The part where the cleavage showed, was still covered by the fabric of the dress, thankfully. There was a slit on the right side of her dress showing off the end line of her black, satin stockings. Despite her age, Lynette Almasy was still attractive in her early forties wearing a dress like that and still showed a nice figure as if she was nineteen again. Seifer was taken aback by how modest her dress was, which was different from the other dresses she usually wore on her dates.
"Mom? Is that…is that you?" Seifer couldn't believe his eyes.
Lynette laughed, slowly walking down the stairs. "Of course it's me! What other woman would live in this house?" She paused to look at her son. "Unless there's already someone in your mind you want to live here????" Lynette gave him a curious look.
Seifer's eyes widened. "What-? What are you…" He turned away.
"HAH! I see you blushing!" Lynette giggled, pointing at Seifer like a little girl. "Why didn't you tell me you have a girlfriend, Seifer?"
"She's not…I don't…" He turned his head towards Martine, then back at his smiling mother. "SHUTUP!" Seifer walked pass his mother and up the stairs, slamming the door of his bedroom behind him.
Martine turned to Lynette. "You know, you're not a very good mother when you do that. You sound more like his older sister."
Lynette smiled. "Really? So I DO look young in this dress!" She linked her arms with her date and laughed. "He'll get over it! I'm just glad that boy FINALLY found someone! Whoever this girl is, I know she's lucky to have him."
Martine led his date out the front door and stopped, waiting until Lynette locked the door. When she was finished, he led her to his car. "You know, you raised him well…"
The blond woman looked up. "I didn't do it alone."
He nodded. "How is he doing?"
Lynette shrugged. "From what Seifer told me, he's doing fine with his wife and new kid."
Martine raised a single eyebrow at her. "And you got that from his grunts and nods?" He opened the passenger door first with his key and opened the door for her, before walking over to the driver's seat. When he got inside, Lynette started to laugh. "What?"
"You look like him when you do that," the blond woman replied.
"When I do what?"
"That! Whenever you ask a question, you two raise your right eyebrow. It's so cute!" Lynette stifled a giggle and smiled.
Martine turned on the engine. "So, when exactly are you going to tell him?"
Lynette frowned, turning her head away from him and towards the window. Her eyes wandered to where Seifer's bedroom window was dark and covered by the white curtains. "I'll tell him…somehow…someday…"
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Quistis placed a hand on her cheek. She had cried. She had showed Seifer how weak she was. It was just a few hours ago that it happened, but it was those hours where it can never be forgotten. It was a moment that would last forever in her heart.
She heard a knock on her door and her Aunt's voice speaking through it. "Quistis, time for dinner," she said. The blond girl sat up from bed and stared out the door and answered, "Yes, Auntie," she replied. As soon as she heard her Aunt's footsteps fade, Quistis got out from bed and walked over to the window. She stared outside into the night where it was dark. It was raining hard now and she could hear the large drops of rain water falling on the rooftop. She was confused now. She didn't know how to make of that scene between her and Seifer. Why did he comfort her? Why did he make her cry like that? She was trying her best NOT to cry, yet he succeeded in doing it. "I hate him," she mumbled. Quistis grabbed both sides of the curtains and closed them hastily. Maybe dinner can make her forget about him. With that thought in her mind, the blond girl left her room and made her way downstairs to the dining room where her Aunt and cousin were waiting for her. Her father was nowhere to be found, but she figured, he was probably working late again. Slowly, she sat down in between her Aunt and her cousin. She smiled at them, though not very well because what happened between her and Seifer earlier was still very much glued into her head. It took her a moment to really realize that she blushed from out of nowhere. Quistis glanced at both Charlotte and Travis, hoping that no one saw, but it was too late. They BOTH saw it in the corner of their eyes. They were watching her this whole time she made an entrance in the dining room.
"Why are you blushing Quistis?" Travis finally asked, after waiting a while to confirm that she was indeed blushing. His mother gave him a hard look, but Travis pressed on. "Did something happen at school today?"
Quistis looked at him and shook her head nervously. "Why-? Of course not! Why do you think that? I'm blushing because it's hot in here."
Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise. "Quistis, the heater isn't even on."
The blond girl blushed even more. She turned her head away and decided to push the topic of conversation from the both of them by putting food on her plate, but it didn't help since Travis was still staring at her curiously. Quistis ignored him more, by eating her food and silently chewing on it, her eyes downcast.
After a while, at Quistis' relief, Travis decided to forget the blush on her cheeks, finished eating and left the dining room quietly for his bedroom. She could hear his footsteps ascend the stairs and into his bedroom at the very end of the hall. Now, the only pair of eyes that were staring at her was her Aunt's, but unlike Travis' this was a look of worry. Finally, after much anticipation, Quistis put her spoon down and looked up. "Is there something you want to ask me, Auntie?"
Charlotte smiled. "Well, there's nothing really, but I was just curious."
"About why I was REALLY blushing?" Quistis was tired of making people feel like they need to know the truth about her life. Lately, that's what she's been doing; telling people about her personal life and her feelings about them without even knowing it.
"You don't have to tell me, if you don't feel like it," Charlotte replied, shrugging. She stood up and took her own empty plate and placed it on top of Quistis' empty ceramic one and put it in the sink, before turning back around to face her niece. "But if you need to talk to someone about it, you can tell me."
Quistis smiled and nodded. "I will…Thanks for the offer." She WAS dying to tell SOMEONE about what happened between her and Seifer and ask someone what to make of it. Was it starting to become a relationship? Is she supposed to feel SOMETHING for the guy? Is it some kind of sign that they're suppose to be together? However, something was telling her it wasn't the right time yet to tell anyone, especially her Aunt about this 'newfound' friendship or maybe even more towards a rebellious young man who has a reputation of being troublesome. She was still unsure about her feelings. There was just something getting in the way of that and she still has no idea what it was. She stood up and nodded. "Well, I think I'm going to do my homework right now. Thank you for dinner Auntie."
Charlotte nodded back in response. "No problem."
With that decided, Quistis walked up the stairs and into her bedroom. In truth, she didn't have homework. It was the only excuse she has so her Aunt wouldn't keep her watchful eyes on her about her problems. She didn't want her to be involved in something that she knew she could do alone. Even if it was about someone whom Charlotte knew since he was just a boy. Instead of doing something else to keep her occupied from her thoughts of Seifer, Quistis looked out the window, which didn't help because it made her thought of him more. She sat down on the window sill and began to think about what Seifer said to her. "You're supposed to be looking forward, or whatever the hell they say in the hallmark cards, instead of walking backwards with two left feet."
How can she do that when all her life, she's been growing up, thinking that she was a failure to be born? She wished she was walking forward but all she's been doing is walk the opposite way of an escalator going up. "I wish you could see how hard it is for me, Seifer," she whispered to herself. She rested her chin on her folded arms atop the window sill and stared out into the night. Unlike tonight, the moon was full and it was as bright as the sun during the day. It was the most beautiful sight she has ever seen, but it was nothing compared to the memories of her mother, even though she never met her. In her eyes, in her dreams, she was beautiful. When she was five years old, her father gave her a toy that her mother wished for her to play the moment she was born. Her mother wished to be playing it along with her, but it was too late. "Dammit…" she hissed, wiping tears that once again fell from her eyes. "I hate you, Seifer," she spoke. She blamed him for making her feel this way. She blamed him for making her remember all the good memories she wished she had forgotten. A year later, when she was turning six, her Aunt Charlotte sent her a book for a birthday gift. She knew how to read then, but she wished someone would read her a bedtime story. Her father was out working and she was always all alone. Her mother wasn't there to read her the story with her soft, gentle voice. So…Quistis ended up doing it herself. More tears fell from her eyes. "No…" she whispered. She buried her face in her arms and sniffed. "I don't want to cry."
Then a voice spoke in her head. "And sometimes we all have to let go."
She shook her head. "No, I don't want to cry. I don't want to let go… I hate you, Seifer."
GoodGurl: Did she really mean what Quistis said at the end? Heh, of course not! ;) This I think is the turning point for Quistis when she realizes that she's important to other people and that her mother sacrificed her whole life just to make her live. Now, let's see next time if her father will understand it.
Chapter 19 – Maybe…
A long time ago, the sun, the wind, the trees, would make sense to her on why they were there on Earth. The knowledge would have been told to her by her mother, but since she wasn't alive, it was impossible to question really on why she was born in the first place. She closed her eyes and imagined what her mother would look like. She wondered if she was popular because she was beautiful or popular because she just had the best attitude for it. Her father never mentioned anything to her about her mother's past or how exactly he fell for the lovely blond that caught his eye. She felt the cold wind blowing her blond tresses across her face. Gently, Quistis curled a strand behind her ear and imagined how her mother's voice sounded like. Maybe they were soft and gentle, or deep and understanding. Or maybe her mother's voice sounded like hers; cold, depressed and just didn't know how to express herself or didn't know how to stand up for herself, unless someone handsome, tall, blond and rebellious rescued her like a Knight in shining armor. Her mind wandered towards Seifer Almasy, the boy whom she has learned to understand a lot more. The boy, though arrogant and self righteous, was one of the people in school who seemed to understand her more, for some strange reason.
"Of all places, I didn't expect YOU to be here…"
Startled with the voice, Quistis opened her eyes and found herself staring straight into a pair of green eyes staring down on her. Surprised at his sudden appearance, she sat up quickly, but ended up hitting her head against Seifer's. They could both hear the 'smack' as the two heads made contact.
"AH! CRAP!" Seifer quickly sprang straight up on his feet and began rubbing the front of his forehead comically. "WHAT THE HELL-!?" He turned and glared at her. "What was that about!? You didn't have to knock me off my feet like that!"
Quistis turned and apologized. "I'm sorry! Look, you scared me all right?" She sat back down and quickly rubbed the redness on her cheeks away. If he saw her blushing like that, then he'd know she was thinking about him!
Seifer mumbled another cursed word and sighed, still rubbing his forehead. "And you show how scared you are by bashing someone's head in?"
"Better safe than sorry," Quistis replied quietly.
"What?" He stood there, unsure if he should sit down beside her or just stand there, acting cool like he wasn't still in pain from the forehead smash he was given.
Quistis shook her head. "Nothing. You know, you're such a baby… I don't think it was THAT hard!"
"Hey! Don't call me…" Taking a quiet, deep breath, Seifer folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the tree. "Nevermind…" He watched her sit there, suddenly quiet. "So, what are you doing here anyway? School is still in session you know. I thought you weren't the type of girl who broke the rules of the school?"
"I was thinking about my mom…" The blond girl replied.
Seifer was surprised. He never expected her to answer that quickly and calmly about her personal life. Why is she suddenly telling him about this? "Oh…I see…" He didn't really want to get involved like he was before. It was really a bad idea to hit her father like that. He could get into more than just trouble.
"You know, she died giving birth to me."
Other thing…he didn't how to respond to these types of things. It wasn't like he didn't have a mother, even though they barely talk about stuff like this. This girl never grew up with one.
"When I was growing up, the kids made fun of me because of my lunch."
Seifer smirked. "Lunch? What did you do, feed them old, rotten food? Hah!"
Quistis shook her head, without turning to look at him. "I made my own lunch and since I was very young, I didn't know how to put mayonnaise in my ham sandwich so it came out of the package very messy."
The blond young man didn't know how to respond to that. Maybe he should've kept his mouth shut. He gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he was feeling pity towards this girl, or maybe… "Impossible…" he mumbled.
"Normally, mothers prepared lunch for their kids but…" She sighed deeply. Why was she telling this guy her life story? Why wasn't she scared that he would make fun of how horrible she's lived her life? Maybe… maybe because he stood up for her when she couldn't do it herself… Maybe… "I guess… I guess I wasn't meant to have a mother. I guess it was my fault after all that she died…" She chocked back the tears that threatened to fall and stood up quickly before it really fell from her eyes. She couldn't afford to let ANYONE-- let alone Seifer see her like that.
Seifer couldn't believe this. After all the things he's done, she STILL doesn't get it? He watched her stand up and watched her start to walk away, but Seifer couldn't let her go. Not yet. Before she could pass him, he grabbed her arm and looked hard into her eyes. "Haven't you figured it out yet, Trepe!? It's NEVER a child's fault when she is born from her mother who died! She died because she wanted you to live! Isn't that enough for you!?" He forced her to look at him. "And why don't you cry for once!?"
Quistis turned away, unable to look at him. "I have no reason to cry… And I have no reason to be alive… I should be dead somewhere... and-!" She gasped, when Seifer suddenly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his heartbeat. The blond girl blushed a crimson red and she found herself unable to move. She closed her eyes and pleaded for him to let her go. "Please…let…go…" Her eyes popped open. Tears, once again, were forming in her eyes and she knew that if she closed them, it would all fall at once down her face. Seifer would DEFINITELY see that. And she can't be the victim. She can't be the weak one here. She has to be strong.
"You idiot…" He smirked. "I'm not letting you go until you let go…" Seifer whispered gently. "And you call yourself 'smart'…"
"What-?" What was this guy talking about? She wasn't holding onto anything. HE was the one who was holding on to her… But why wasn't she moving away from him? Why wasn't she pushing herself away from him?
"Tell me something, Quistis. Do you think everyone's life is perfect? Even more perfect than yours?" He slowly released his grip around Quistis to give her some breathing space, but still wouldn't let her go.
"Of course it is…"
"You're such a bad liar," Seifer retorted. "Not everyone's life is perfect you know. Not even Brandy's or someone from the football team who is very popular with everyone in high school. So you can't say that yours is the only that is messed up. We all have our lives screwed up, but there's no point in dwelling in the past. You're supposed to be looking forward, or whatever the hell they say in the hallmark cards, instead of walking backwards with two left feet." He waited for her to respond, but when none came, he added, "And sometimes we all have to let go."
A tear escaped from her eyes.
Then another.
And another. And then all came at once. Quistis was desperate to hold them in, but they kept escaping. Suddenly, she was crying. Suddenly, she was shaking. And suddenly, she was weeping and sniffling, her face crunched up against a young man's chest… one she barely knew but was willing to be there for her. Suddenly, her arms went around his waist and she began to cry as hard as she could, letting out all her emotions, showing him that she was weak after all.
He was too good.
She was too stupid.
No words were exchanged the rest of that moment. He allowed her to cry as much as she wanted, while she continued to weep and wonder if this was truly what she thought about herself. Was it really her fault she died? Was Seifer right, that everyone's lives weren't all that perfect? Has she been selfish all this time? Was she thinking too much about herself instead of thinking about other people's problems? Was she supposed to cry for herself?
************************
After what happened that day, Seifer couldn't get his mind off of it. Has he gone insane? Did he fall of his bed last night to make him do what he did today? Ever since that time, he can never get his mind off of Quistis' sad face when he held her in his arms and listened to her cry. He listened and said nothing. She cried and said nothing.
The blond young man, the image still engraved in his mind, opened the front door of his house and by the time he opened the door, he was startled to find Martine there again, standing by the stairs and looking around as if he was intruding. And he was. It annoyed Seifer that this guy wasn't as usual being rude to the living conditions of the house. It annoyed him that he was too polite. Too polite, in fact, that he didn't have a reason to kick him in the ass for violating his mother or just making rude comments towards him. He had fun beating the crap out of the three guys his mother took to bed, but this fourth guy was different than the rest of them. Martine was Lynette's best friend in college and Martine was the perfect guy for his mother to be with. Seifer hated that thought.
When Martine noticed him coming in, he gave a wide smile and a wave. "Hello, Seifer, it's me again."
Seifer slammed the door behind him and stopped by the door. He folded his arms across his chest and smirked. "Yes, it's you…"
Martine grinned, then turned away, who obviously noticed that Seifer found him annoying and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yes…"
"Why are you here again?" He lifted a single eyebrow curiously at the older man.
"I'm here to take your mother out on a date!" Martine suddenly said cheerfully.
The blond frowned. "And you're saying that cheerfully…why?"
"Well, because uh…"
"Oh, Seifer, you're back!" Both men looked up to find an unknown woman, dressed in a beautiful black strapless, tight dress with a drooping V neckline. Despite the large drop of the neckline, it was still modest in style. The part where the cleavage showed, was still covered by the fabric of the dress, thankfully. There was a slit on the right side of her dress showing off the end line of her black, satin stockings. Despite her age, Lynette Almasy was still attractive in her early forties wearing a dress like that and still showed a nice figure as if she was nineteen again. Seifer was taken aback by how modest her dress was, which was different from the other dresses she usually wore on her dates.
"Mom? Is that…is that you?" Seifer couldn't believe his eyes.
Lynette laughed, slowly walking down the stairs. "Of course it's me! What other woman would live in this house?" She paused to look at her son. "Unless there's already someone in your mind you want to live here????" Lynette gave him a curious look.
Seifer's eyes widened. "What-? What are you…" He turned away.
"HAH! I see you blushing!" Lynette giggled, pointing at Seifer like a little girl. "Why didn't you tell me you have a girlfriend, Seifer?"
"She's not…I don't…" He turned his head towards Martine, then back at his smiling mother. "SHUTUP!" Seifer walked pass his mother and up the stairs, slamming the door of his bedroom behind him.
Martine turned to Lynette. "You know, you're not a very good mother when you do that. You sound more like his older sister."
Lynette smiled. "Really? So I DO look young in this dress!" She linked her arms with her date and laughed. "He'll get over it! I'm just glad that boy FINALLY found someone! Whoever this girl is, I know she's lucky to have him."
Martine led his date out the front door and stopped, waiting until Lynette locked the door. When she was finished, he led her to his car. "You know, you raised him well…"
The blond woman looked up. "I didn't do it alone."
He nodded. "How is he doing?"
Lynette shrugged. "From what Seifer told me, he's doing fine with his wife and new kid."
Martine raised a single eyebrow at her. "And you got that from his grunts and nods?" He opened the passenger door first with his key and opened the door for her, before walking over to the driver's seat. When he got inside, Lynette started to laugh. "What?"
"You look like him when you do that," the blond woman replied.
"When I do what?"
"That! Whenever you ask a question, you two raise your right eyebrow. It's so cute!" Lynette stifled a giggle and smiled.
Martine turned on the engine. "So, when exactly are you going to tell him?"
Lynette frowned, turning her head away from him and towards the window. Her eyes wandered to where Seifer's bedroom window was dark and covered by the white curtains. "I'll tell him…somehow…someday…"
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Quistis placed a hand on her cheek. She had cried. She had showed Seifer how weak she was. It was just a few hours ago that it happened, but it was those hours where it can never be forgotten. It was a moment that would last forever in her heart.
She heard a knock on her door and her Aunt's voice speaking through it. "Quistis, time for dinner," she said. The blond girl sat up from bed and stared out the door and answered, "Yes, Auntie," she replied. As soon as she heard her Aunt's footsteps fade, Quistis got out from bed and walked over to the window. She stared outside into the night where it was dark. It was raining hard now and she could hear the large drops of rain water falling on the rooftop. She was confused now. She didn't know how to make of that scene between her and Seifer. Why did he comfort her? Why did he make her cry like that? She was trying her best NOT to cry, yet he succeeded in doing it. "I hate him," she mumbled. Quistis grabbed both sides of the curtains and closed them hastily. Maybe dinner can make her forget about him. With that thought in her mind, the blond girl left her room and made her way downstairs to the dining room where her Aunt and cousin were waiting for her. Her father was nowhere to be found, but she figured, he was probably working late again. Slowly, she sat down in between her Aunt and her cousin. She smiled at them, though not very well because what happened between her and Seifer earlier was still very much glued into her head. It took her a moment to really realize that she blushed from out of nowhere. Quistis glanced at both Charlotte and Travis, hoping that no one saw, but it was too late. They BOTH saw it in the corner of their eyes. They were watching her this whole time she made an entrance in the dining room.
"Why are you blushing Quistis?" Travis finally asked, after waiting a while to confirm that she was indeed blushing. His mother gave him a hard look, but Travis pressed on. "Did something happen at school today?"
Quistis looked at him and shook her head nervously. "Why-? Of course not! Why do you think that? I'm blushing because it's hot in here."
Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise. "Quistis, the heater isn't even on."
The blond girl blushed even more. She turned her head away and decided to push the topic of conversation from the both of them by putting food on her plate, but it didn't help since Travis was still staring at her curiously. Quistis ignored him more, by eating her food and silently chewing on it, her eyes downcast.
After a while, at Quistis' relief, Travis decided to forget the blush on her cheeks, finished eating and left the dining room quietly for his bedroom. She could hear his footsteps ascend the stairs and into his bedroom at the very end of the hall. Now, the only pair of eyes that were staring at her was her Aunt's, but unlike Travis' this was a look of worry. Finally, after much anticipation, Quistis put her spoon down and looked up. "Is there something you want to ask me, Auntie?"
Charlotte smiled. "Well, there's nothing really, but I was just curious."
"About why I was REALLY blushing?" Quistis was tired of making people feel like they need to know the truth about her life. Lately, that's what she's been doing; telling people about her personal life and her feelings about them without even knowing it.
"You don't have to tell me, if you don't feel like it," Charlotte replied, shrugging. She stood up and took her own empty plate and placed it on top of Quistis' empty ceramic one and put it in the sink, before turning back around to face her niece. "But if you need to talk to someone about it, you can tell me."
Quistis smiled and nodded. "I will…Thanks for the offer." She WAS dying to tell SOMEONE about what happened between her and Seifer and ask someone what to make of it. Was it starting to become a relationship? Is she supposed to feel SOMETHING for the guy? Is it some kind of sign that they're suppose to be together? However, something was telling her it wasn't the right time yet to tell anyone, especially her Aunt about this 'newfound' friendship or maybe even more towards a rebellious young man who has a reputation of being troublesome. She was still unsure about her feelings. There was just something getting in the way of that and she still has no idea what it was. She stood up and nodded. "Well, I think I'm going to do my homework right now. Thank you for dinner Auntie."
Charlotte nodded back in response. "No problem."
With that decided, Quistis walked up the stairs and into her bedroom. In truth, she didn't have homework. It was the only excuse she has so her Aunt wouldn't keep her watchful eyes on her about her problems. She didn't want her to be involved in something that she knew she could do alone. Even if it was about someone whom Charlotte knew since he was just a boy. Instead of doing something else to keep her occupied from her thoughts of Seifer, Quistis looked out the window, which didn't help because it made her thought of him more. She sat down on the window sill and began to think about what Seifer said to her. "You're supposed to be looking forward, or whatever the hell they say in the hallmark cards, instead of walking backwards with two left feet."
How can she do that when all her life, she's been growing up, thinking that she was a failure to be born? She wished she was walking forward but all she's been doing is walk the opposite way of an escalator going up. "I wish you could see how hard it is for me, Seifer," she whispered to herself. She rested her chin on her folded arms atop the window sill and stared out into the night. Unlike tonight, the moon was full and it was as bright as the sun during the day. It was the most beautiful sight she has ever seen, but it was nothing compared to the memories of her mother, even though she never met her. In her eyes, in her dreams, she was beautiful. When she was five years old, her father gave her a toy that her mother wished for her to play the moment she was born. Her mother wished to be playing it along with her, but it was too late. "Dammit…" she hissed, wiping tears that once again fell from her eyes. "I hate you, Seifer," she spoke. She blamed him for making her feel this way. She blamed him for making her remember all the good memories she wished she had forgotten. A year later, when she was turning six, her Aunt Charlotte sent her a book for a birthday gift. She knew how to read then, but she wished someone would read her a bedtime story. Her father was out working and she was always all alone. Her mother wasn't there to read her the story with her soft, gentle voice. So…Quistis ended up doing it herself. More tears fell from her eyes. "No…" she whispered. She buried her face in her arms and sniffed. "I don't want to cry."
Then a voice spoke in her head. "And sometimes we all have to let go."
She shook her head. "No, I don't want to cry. I don't want to let go… I hate you, Seifer."
GoodGurl: Did she really mean what Quistis said at the end? Heh, of course not! ;) This I think is the turning point for Quistis when she realizes that she's important to other people and that her mother sacrificed her whole life just to make her live. Now, let's see next time if her father will understand it.