Note: Wooh! I am soo excited because I'm almost finished this story! This has been the longest story I've worked on I think. I think it was much longer even in the previous Modern Day! ^^
Chapter 24 – No One's Business
Everyone was preparing, wherever she went. Girls were chatting about who their date was going to be for the dance, while the guys talked about the 'cute' girls they were taking to the dance. Dresses were also part of the girls' conversations, about what color the dress were perfect for what person and who was coming over to whose house to discuss about makeup, but Quistis decided to leave before she heard anymore of it. She headed to the cafeteria, bought her usual lunch and sat down on her usual spot. This time, however, seemed different than the other days. Since Selphie and Zell weren't there to cheer her up and make her laugh, she sat all by herself, but she chose to ignore that thought. She was used to it.
Quistis tightly gripped unto her sandwich to make sure the meat wouldn't fall off the flat bread and opened her lips to take a bite out of it, when the table began to shake. Startled, she looked up and noticed Rinoa who appeared out of nowhere. "QUISTIS!" she yelled, catching the attention of everyone around them. Thankfully, Rinoa quieted down and said, "Have I got the perfect dress for you!" she said, toning down her voice this time. Without giving the blond a chance to talk, she continued to tell her about the 'perfect' dress. "It really goes with your eyes and your hair. Now, I took the liberty of buying it for you because I thought I should just buy it now instead of waiting for another day to get it. So…" She took a deep breath and removed her hand from behind her back, producing a large paper bag with something inside. "Here!"
The blond looked at it, confused. "What is it?"
"It's the dress, silly!" Rinoa replied. She watched as Quistis took it from her hand and looked inside. "Don't worry about paying me back, because just think of it as an early Christmas present!"
Quistis' eyes widened in surprise. Inside, she noticed a beautiful, dark red, strapless dress with beautiful black designs around it. She looked up, still in disbelief. "I… I don't know what to say!"
Rinoa smiled. "Just say you'll wear it for the dance!" she replied.
The blond shook her head, wrapped it neatly in the bag and handed it back to Rinoa. "It must have cost a lot, I can't take this…"
The younger girl shook her head. "Don't worry about that, Quistis! I gave this to you because I wanted to! It's also a way of saying thank you for listening to me…" She took the blonde's hand in hers and squeezed it lightly.
Quistis was really touched by the young girl's kind heart. "So, you really don't want anything in return? If you want I can buy you the right shoes for your dress…"
Rinoa giggled, letting go of her friend's hands. "You don't need to do that."
"Please, at least let me do this for buying the dress…"
The dark haired girl sighed. "All right, if that's what you want."
Quistis smiled.
They were both silent for a moment, until Rinoa suddenly jumped in alarm. "Oh! I forgot! I have a counselor's meeting right now." She stood up and smiled again. "Could you tell Ms. Fisher that I'll be a little late for class?"
The blond nodded. "Sure," she replied.
"Thanks a lot!" Rinoa waved at Quistis, turned and left the cafeteria for the counselor's office situated on the far end of the building. Lately, Rinoa's been going to the counselor's office ever since Squall hasn't been going to school for almost two weeks now. The blond knew Rinoa was feeling lonely and was starting to feel worried for Squall. She could also tell that the dark haired girl was worried, thinking that the social services were going to take away her baby. Quistis suddenly glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall of the opposite side of where she sat and read that she still had twenty minutes left until she had to get ready for math once again. Deciding that there was no point in sitting in the cafeteria alone, eating her sandwich, she stood up, grabbed her bag and the dress and left the uneaten sandwich on the table. She made her way to the hallway and walked down to the direction of her locker at the end of the hall. Once more, she heard the same conversation from the girls and the guys as she walked pass them. Unknown to her, one of the girls in the group was Brandy McFadden, who was just joining the group. The red headed girl was watching Quistis' every move, from the time she arrived at her locker to the time she noticed the white 'Bon Marche' bag with something inside. Quistis stopped to look at the bag inside and closed it again, but as soon as she opened her locker, books came flying out.
There was some snickering from around Brandy, but she was too curious about what was inside the bag. The books fell, as well as the plastic bag. The content of the plastic bag jumped out and landed neatly on the floor. From where Brandy stood, she could tell that the item inside the bag was indeed a gown of some sort. She was even more surprised that the gown seemed to look really nice and she hated to admit as well that the gown matched Quistis' look. She smirked and decided to take a closer look by 'helping' her out. Much to her friends' surprise, Brandy approached the blond, bent down to pick up some books and took the liberty to pick up the plastic bag as well. She had sharp eyes, so she was able to take a quick look if what she saw before was true. "Here you go," Brandy said, handing back the stuff to Quistis with a fake smile.
Quistis looked at her curiously. "Thanks," she mumbled, taking the two books and the plastic bag from the taller girl. She watched curiously as Brandy turned and walked away, immediately followed by her 'puppy dogs.' The blond was very surprised by Brandy's behavior, but she knew that there was more to that act than just a kind gesture and she was prepared for anything. She put her stuff back in her locker and closed it again, still trying to figure out what just happened. Was Brandy really planning something? Or was she just being paranoid?
Paranoid, she answered herself. Deciding that it was just that, Quistis slung her backpack on her shoulders and walked towards her math class.
**********************
There was no ending, except for a back and forth drama unfolding around him. Dresses, limousines, corsages, hair, makeup, girls, guys… It was as if he was trapped in their heads while he struggles to get out, trying to avoid being drowned. It was driving him completely nuts!
Seifer walked down the hall, trying to block out the voices around the hallway that threatened to shadow him with their little conversations about the dance coming up. He was just turning the corner, when he heard two voices. One of them, he knew was Brandy's, but it wasn't that that forced him to stop and listen. It was the fact that he heard Quistis' name being mentioned in this conversation. He moved a little bit so he could see what was happening and noticed that Brandy and the new, handsome transfer student from France Jacque, were having a 'private' conversation, apparently, about Quistis.
"So, will you do it for me, hon?" Brandy purred, wrapping her arms around Jacque. "I'm sure that with your charms, Quistis will never suspect a thing. The dance will only be one night anyway."
"Good, because I do not want some blond, four-eyed freak to get in the way of my fun with my favorite person." Jacque grinned, kissing the tip of Brandy's nose. "And what will I get in return?" he asked in his thick, French accent. He moved one arm around her waist, while the other hand grabbed Brandy's and brought the back of it to his lips and kissed it.
Brandy smiled seductively. "You'll get me… and…" She leaned close and whispered something so only he alone could hear, but Seifer noticed the way her lips moved. He could read what she said and he knew exactly that the one word he whispered to the French man was, 'Quistis.'
Jacque's eyes widened in lust. He pulled himself apart from her and looked into her eyes to see if she was telling the truth. Brandy nodded, without having to say anything and Jacque immediately believed it. "I guess I wouldn't mind having her as well, just as long as I have my fun."
Seifer felt his face go red. His mouth suddenly went dry and his hands suddenly curled into tight fists. He was just about to approach them, when the bell suddenly rang. Startled, Brandy and Jacque broke off, said their farewells with quick kisses and headed for their classes on opposite directions. Seifer quickly moved out of the way to avoid being seen by Jacque, then followed him down the hall. The blond followed the long, dark haired youth into the bathroom. He wanted to tear his eyes out, maybe even the one 'thing' he needed the most and cut it to pieces until it was no longer visible, but it was a good thing he kept his cool, because Jacque wasn't alone in the bathroom. There were other bathroom goers, taking their time in getting ready for class. Seifer had five minutes to get back to class and he wasn't about to risk being late or Ms. Fisher would have his head, so he turned and left the bathroom. There was still time to do some 'talking' with the French guy, before he decides to ask Quistis to the dance. Then again, he was ready for some good butt whipping. "Damn," he muttered, walking out of the bathroom.
*******************
As usual, Seifer Almasy was late, but Quistis wasn't worried. She has to get used to it after all. Ms. Fisher wasn't worried either, in fact, she seemed quite interested in how many tardies he would have until she would be required to give him long hours of detention.
However, something was different with Seifer when he finally shuffled his way into class. He seemed irritable than usual, of course, but not the type of annoyance she would see in his face. It was a cross between irritation and worry. He was definitely worried about something and was irritated because of it. Quistis watched as he sat down on his usual seat, while Ms. Fisher began to talk about an exam coming up. Seifer was suddenly alarmed when she mentioned that the exam was going to be right after the dance and she warned the class not to stay up late and procrastinate.
"What? An exam!? Already!?" Seifer burst out.
All heads turned towards the blond, while Ms. Fisher, who didn't seem surprised by the comment, sighed and looked at him. "Seifer, you know this is the time for midterms, so you shouldn't be alarmed about this."
Seifer growled and folded his arms across his chest. The percentage of his bad day doubled to ninety now and if this continues, he didn't know how long he would last. He thanked Ms. Fisher sarcastically in his head for ruining it more. Yes, he has been getting tutorials with Quistis and it was helping him a lot, but he still wasn't ready yet. There was still a lot in his mind that needed to be kept balanced and an exam wasn't going to help. The French guy's face kept popping into his head. There was the grin, the look of lust in his eyes and the thought of Quistis in the same bed with that sleaze was…
BAM!!!
"Mr. Almasy! What on earth!?" he heard a voice yell. Seifer looked up. Everyone was looking at him again and Ms. Fisher's face looked flustered. Confused, he looked at her.
"What?" He looked down at his palm resting flat on the table. Did he just slam his hand on the table??? Seifer lifted up his hand and looked at it. It was red all right and it was confirmed that he DID slam his hand on the table. He glanced at Quistis, who was staring at him in concern, then turned his attention towards Brandy, who was grinning from head to toe. Seifer glared at her. 'Don't think I don't know what's going on,' he thought in his head.
"Sorry about that, Ms. Fisher," Seifer mumbled.
Ms. Fisher sighed, rubbing the top of her nose irritably. "Well, see that it doesn't happen again, Mr. Almasy." Her heart was still pounding from the noise. She took a long deep breath and began explaining what was going to be in the exam.
Seifer sat there, with his arms still folded across his chest. His mouth turned into a scowl once more, his mind swirling with so much hate and anger towards Jacque and most of all, towards Brandy. "The exam will also include…" Ms. Fisher went on, but after a couple of seconds, he allowed his thoughts to shut out her words and soon, he heard nothing but the sound outside. Why was he stressing out about this whole thing? It was really none of his business… If Jacque starts hitting on her and if she starts swooning over his charms… no, that can't be right! Quistis is smarter than that…right? He has nothing to do with it anyway.
"Seifer?" someone called. He looked up and noticed that everyone had gone now. Quistis was looking at him strangely. "Is something the matter?"
The blond male stood up and left the room without saying a word. But Quistis followed him. "What's this? We're not talking now? Did we have a fight that I'm not aware of?"
Seifer stopped walking and turned to look at her. She was staring up at him with her deep, strong-willed eyes. He could tell she was smart, so why should he worry so much? Then again… "Look, Quistis you have to believe me when I tell you…"
"What is it?" she asked curiously.
This was none of his business… Seifer shook his head. "That uh… I'm going to take you to the dance as a thank you for tutoring me for the past month and a half."
Quistis looked at him in shock. "Really?" She blushed and turned away. "Well, if you don't want to, you don't have to. I was just planning on going with Rinoa anyway. Squall's not here and she has no idea where he is, so it's just going to be the two of us hanging out in the dance." This whole 'thank you' thing was sudden, but she was flattered and felt excited when he said that. He would actually be her date to the dance? No way!
Seifer shrugged. What was he thinking? Why did he say that? He wasn't planning on going to the dance in the first place! 'I'm such an idiot!' he thought. But then again, the thought of that French bastard trying to make a move on Quistis… 'Ugggh!!!!' he yelled in his head. Quistis is not his! Why is he making a big deal out of this? It's none of his business!!! "Well all right, if you don't want me to take you to the dance, then that's fine." He shrugged again, stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to walk away.
"Wait!' Quistis yelled, running after him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn around. "So, you would really take me to the dance?"
"If I have to take Rinoa too, I will," he replied. "I can escort both of you." Now, all he has to worry about is buying a suit or some kind of tuxedo or something or whatever the hell they wear in formal dances. He nodded, turned and left, without another word.
That was weird, she thought. Quistis watched the tall blond fade into the distance. What brought on the sudden idea to take her to the dance? As far as she knew or remembered, she never mentioned anything to him about the dance. What suddenly brought this on? She felt her cheeks heating up. 'Oh great…' she thought. 'Not now.' It was not the right time to be blushing like this!
******************
"Mom, I'm home!" he called. He closed the door behind him. Today has been such a bad day. If only he went up to that Jacque bastard and beat the crap out of him, then he would have had a great day! But what stopped him, he may never understand. Maybe it was because he was suddenly thinking about Quistis and realized that…IT WAS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS. "Mom?" he called again. Something was weird around the house now. It was quiet, too quiet. Usually, Seifer would see his mom sitting in the kitchen, drinking or upstairs in her room making a lot of noise. That thought made him shudder.
Seifer walked to the kitchen, thinking maybe she passed out somewhere on the floor, but when he didn't see her there, he decided to check the living room.
Still nothing.
"Mom?" he called again. "Where the hell are you?" he mumbled. He glanced up the stairs and all he could see was darkness. The light weren't on. NONE of them were on, so that concludes only one thing. "Dammit! Couldn't you at least called the house or left a message to let me know that you've gone out!?" he murmured to himself. Sighing, he went back to the kitchen and turned on the lights. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It read six o'clock and he figured his mother wouldn't be home probably until midnight or pass midnight. Seifer yawned and stretched and decided to fix himself up with homemade coffee. His mother loves his homemade coffees, so does his father. When he asked his dad if he still does, Bryan would reply with an enthusiastic tone in his voice that he still loves them. So, on the second weekend he stayed with him, Seifer made his father and his stepmother his specialty coffee. Halle loved it too and forced some of the maids to try it and everyone in the Almasy mansion was quite pleased with the drink.
A loud whistling sound forced him out of his reverie. Seifer blinked and looked up. The kettle was now boiling, calling for him to finish the job. He stood up tiredly from his seat in the kitchen and headed for the counter where the kettle was and poured half a cup of the hot water in his favorite mug. It was the first mug he has ever gotten when he first started drinking coffee at the age of seventeen. The mug was of a sentimental writing about their son and by meaning, 'their' meaning the son of Lynette and Bryan Almasy. Those were the times when the Almasy family were happy. He wished for it everyday to come, but he knew it could never happen. The happiness of the Almasy family was taken by someone else. It was now surrounding Bryan Almasy's new family with little Dominique and kind Halle. Sometimes Seifer felt jealous that he couldn't get that now, but felt relieved, knowing that a little girl would have a happy life. In all honesty, he was beginning to feel attached to his new sister. It was the most wonderful feeling of all to be the big brother and to be able to protect his sister when she's old enough to date young men her age.
When he finished making his specialty coffee, Seifer lifted the mug to his nose to smell the coffee and sighed. He WAS really good at this. The blond sat back down on the chair and thought about what happened at school. It was useless really. He was denying too much and he knew that if he kept denying, it would haunt him forever. These feelings he had towards Quistis. It wasn't a lie. It was the truth after all. He knew he was falling for her, but he wasn't ready, so that's why he had to deny it. Once again, he sighed deeply and thought about what he had just offered Quistis. "I'm such an idiot!" he mumbled, leaning his head down on the table. "Crap! What have I gotten myself into?"
Riiiiing!
Startled, Seifer lifted his head back up and jerked his head towards the phone hanging on the wall. Taking a deep breath, he stood up slowly, letting it ring one more time, before answering it. "Hello?"
"Is this Seifer Almasy?"
The tone of the man's voice sounded serious and Seifer had a bad feeling about this. "Yes, this is he. Who is this?"
"My name is Raymond Bernhardt; I am an officer of the Seattle City police. Your mother, Lynette Almasy got into a car accident just an hour ago and she's been taken into the ER right now. Your mother-"
Seifer's heart started to pound badly. "Which hospital!?"
"Crenton Hospital, down highway 25-"
"Yes, I know that!" he yelled, interrupting the officer once again. "I'll be there!" He hung up the phone without giving the officer a chance to reply and ran for the door. Not bothering to lock the door behind him, nor bothering to grab his trench coat, he ran out the door and into his car. He pulled out of the driveway as fast as fifty kilometers, but luckily no one was outside at that time. Most of them were probably having dinner.
When he arrived at the Crenton Hospital forty minutes later, he ran to the front office and frantically asked for a Lynette Almasy. The desk nurse immediately knew who she was and pointed down the hall and said, "Room 16," she told him. "It's to your right."
Seifer nodded and followed the young nurse's directions. He was quite shocked when he noticed that the room she was directed to was an operation room. He couldn't see a thing, because the back of the doctors were blocking the way. "MOM!" he yelled. One of the doctors must have heard him yell, because the door suddenly opened, but not enough so that he could push his way in. The doctor who came out was older than the rest of them and as soon as he met Seifer, he immediately knew he was the patient's son.
"What's going on!? What's happening!? Is she in there!? TELL ME!" He grabbed the doctor's collar and pulled him so that they were eye to eye.
The doctor calmly removed the young man's hands from his coat and looked at him with a sad expression. "I'm afraid your mother suffered severe internal damage."
"What does that mean!? Is she going to be all right!?" He looked over the doctor's shoulder, but he still couldn't see anything.
The doctor looked away. "There was nothing we could do. The wound was much too large for us to close and if we operated on her, it would have been more damaging to her organs. She didn't make it…"
Seifer shook his head in disbelief. "No…No, that's not true! You're LYING!" he yelled, his voice hoarse and loud. "She's not dead! She's alive! I still have so much to say to her! I…I…" His head continued to shake. Seifer took a step back, then another and another. What if he woke up? What if he pinched himself and he would wake up back in his bedroom? What if he woke up and hears his mother making breakfast and his father watching television on a Sunday morning? What if the divorce was never real? What if he woke up and finds them together again? "I'm…I'm dreaming…I know I'm dreaming!"
"It's not a dream, Seifer…" a voice spoke behind him. Seifer jerked his head behind him and noticed Martine sitting on a chair nearby, his left cheek bandaged and his hair all disheveled. "I was with her the moment the car hit that truck."
"No, that's not true. I'm dreaming."
"All this is real and you can't deny the fact that your mother is dead…" Martine stood up. "Stop thinking you're dreaming because YOU'RE NOT!"
"What do you know!? You're not my father!!!! It's YOUR fault she's dead! You were with her the whole time and you couldn't even save her! She considered you her best friend! Her companion! Her-"
"Lover…" Martine replied. "She wanted to tell you about me, even before you were born, but she wasn't ready yet. So…" He fished inside his coat pocket and handed him a piece of folded paper. "This is a letter to you from your mother. She planned on giving it to you in the first place, but…" He couldn't say anything more, so he stopped.
Seifer looked at it. "What is it?"
"A letter your mother wrote a few days ago. She didn't know how to tell you, so she wrote it on paper and maybe recite it in her head or give it to you just the way it is." When he noticed that Seifer was still confused, he continued on by saying, "It's the truth about her life and yours."
"Mine?" He took the paper from Martine and looked at it. Seifer looked up and scowled at him. "What the hell is a piece of paper going to make me better!?"
Martine sighed. "Just read it…" He turned and quickly left, unable to stay in the hospital any longer and remember Lynette's pale face when she was brought into the ER.
The doctor, who was standing there listening silently, cleared his throat to get Seifer's attention. "Would you like to make your farewell to your mother?" he asked.
The young blond looked up and blankly shook his head. "No…" he replied quietly. "I'd rather." He couldn't see her. He couldn't face her. Not when he didn't even have a chance to look at her in the eyes before he left for school. He didn't know anything until he was given this piece of paper from Martine. Slowly, he turned, stuffed the paper in his jean pocket and walked out the door awkwardly.
Outside, it was pouring rain, but Seifer didn't care. The cold couldn't compare to what he was feeling now. He felt alone. He felt like no one cared about him anymore. His father had his own family to care about. His mother was gone and now… He walked straight ahead and absent mindedly decided to head for the park where he first started playing in with his parents. Leaving the car behind, he made his way to Hampton Park.
He didn't care how long he walked, just as long as he could remember where it was. Seifer sat down underneath one of the trees. His hands immediately reached into his pocket for the letter, the rain pouring heavily down on him. He unfolded it and began to read the letter with his eyes vague and unfocused. Despite that, he was still able to make out the words.
Dear Seifer: I didn't know how to tell you this, so I decided to write this on paper instead. Seifer, I really love you and you have been a great son. I haven't been such a good mother to you and I'm sorry. Please forgive me for that. I didn't want to disappoint you and I did. Seifer, let me tell you something about yourself and where you came from. First, let me start off by explaining to you the first time I met Martine.
Seifer paused. 'Martine?' he thought. 'What does Martine have to do with this?'
Now, I know you must be wondering why I mentioned Martine and it's good that you are, because all this time your father and I have been lying to you. I know that your father and I should have told you from the very beginning, but it was hard telling an unborn child, or a six year old child the truth. We tried to tell you many times, but we were scared that you wouldn't be able to understand, but I guess we were wrong to think that. The truth is Seifer your real father is Martine. You're Martine's son. He was my best friend in college, a knowledge that has been given to you already. And during that time, our friendship turned out into something more and eventually I got pregnant…with you.
Seifer took a deep breath, closed his eyes and opened them back up to continue reading. He shook his head in disbelief and in anger. "So you died, wanting to hide the truth from ME!?" he yelled out loud.
I told Martine the good news, but I received no reaction from him. After that, he hasn't spoken to me. I tried contacting him on his cell phone, even during my lunch break, but he wouldn't answer, or call me back. I found out later from his friends that he was gone. I was confused at first on where he had gone and then I figured out that he had left me. I was now three months pregnant at the time when I met your father. He just transferred there and he was really sweet to me. I told him about my life, even the part that I was pregnant. He just laughed and told me that he already knew and he didn't care. That's when I fell for him. I fell for his compassion and his kindness. Just two months before you were born we got married and I gave birth to you. We lived a happy life. We moved in together to a nice apartment and by the time you were a year old, we decided to buy a house. With your father's good job and wages, we were able to afford one that worked for all three of us. Well, you know the rest after that. Secretly, however, I was searching for your REAL father… Martine. I was thinking of making him suffer for leaving me behind, but when I suddenly received a phone call from him nine years ago, I began to have doubts about that idea. I realized that I was still in love with Martine. I didn't know to express this feeling towards Bryan, so I kept it quiet for five long years. It was peaceful for a while, until Martine called at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Bryan was able to talk with Martine and found out the truth from him. And after that…well, you know the whole story. I'm really sorry for lying to you. Please, Seifer even if he hasn't been there for you for nineteen years, Martine is hoping that you would consider him your father as well. I'm not asking for you to accept him right away because I know it's hard, but I'm just asking you to give him a chance to get to know you. If you're reading this right now that means I'm gone. I love you Seifer. I love you and Martine. But I just hope I can love you together, even if I'm not there. Love Mom.
He sat there for a moment, reading the letter over and over again to try and make sense of it all. Seifer was too angry that his own parents would lie to him and he had to find the truth out from a piece of paper! He folded the letter, stuffed it back in his pocket and stood up. The rain was heavy now. It was pouring much harder on his head. He walked over to the swings, sat down and began to swing absent mindedly on his own. Seifer wasn't ready to go back home just yet, otherwise, he would be walking in an empty house.
****************
"Quistis! Could you do me a favor, honey?" Charlotte called from the kitchen as soon as the blond girl was coming down the stairs to join her Aunt and cousin for dinner. Tonight was the first night her father wasn't going to be there. And for the first time, she was relieved.
"Sure! What is it, Auntie?" she asked, walking in the kitchen.
Charlotte handed her a twenty dollar bill. "We ran out of eggs and I need it for the bake sale tomorrow for work. Could you go to the store and buy me a dozen?"
Quistis nodded. "Okay." She took the money and stuffed it in her pocket. The blond girl turned, grabbed her jacket and the umbrella hanging at the back of the door and stepped out into the cold, wet, winter night. As soon as she stepped into the cement, she opened her umbrella and made her journey to the nearest grocery store, which was the store where Rinoa worked. She hoped that she could see her there so she could tell Rinoa about Seifer's 'offer.' She wasn't able to talk with Rinoa, even when she came late for math class, because by the time the class ended, she bolted out the door unexpectedly. Quistis turned a corner, passing few houses and decided to take the shortcut through the park. Normally, she didn't make shortcuts, but tonight was an exception. She hated the rain, so she wanted to get back home as quickly as possible. She was just about to pass the monkey bars, when she noticed a shadowed figure swinging in the swings. The figure looked male. 'Oh crap…' she thought. "Okay, Quistis, now's not the time to be scared…" she said to herself. Taking a long deep breath, she casually walked pass the swings. As soon as she was walking pass him, Quistis lifted up her eyes to see his face, but was shocked to find out that it was… She stopped walking and turned to face him. "Seifer?"
Seifer looked up, his hair wet and his eyes expressionless.
Quistis stepped forward towards him. "My God! What are you doing out here!? It's cold and it's raining!" She put the umbrella over them both. "What's wrong?"
The blond man didn't answer, instead he fished into his pocket once more and handed her a piece of paper. "This is from my mom."
She took it from him and glanced up curiously. "What is it?"
"A letter…" he answered numbly. "She's dead. It was a car accident."
Too shocked to answer, Quistis opened the paper and began reading it. Even under these conditions, the blond girl was able to make out the words clearly. After a couple of seconds of reading and re-reading, she looked up, her eyes full of remorse. "I'm…I'm sorry," she said quietly, handing him back the paper. She looked at his face.
He looked very miserable, not like him at all. Quistis couldn't tell whether he was actually crying or whether it was the rain sticking to his face. "I couldn't even tell her I'm sorry," he said suddenly, his face downcast. "I didn't even get a chance to say I love her. This morning, all I said was 'goodbye' not 'I love you.' And she said I'm a good son, but I'm not…" He buried his face in his hands and sighed.
Quistis was still unsure whether he was crying or not, but nevertheless, she moved closer and slowly wrapped her arms around him. Surprised, Seifer froze in his spot. "You ARE a good son. If you don't recognize that, then you're telling your mother she's a liar." Her hands slipped from around the umbrella and now the both of them had nothing on top of their heads to cover them from the rain.
Seifer closed his eyes, feeling the cold rain pouring down on them and at the same time, Quistis' warm body pressed against him. "I couldn't tell her that I love her. I didn't even say good bye…"
"She knows that you love her," Quistis replied, embracing him tighter. She closed her eyes and sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Even if you didn't say good bye to her then, you can always say good bye to her now and she can hear you. That's what I did when I couldn't say good bye to my mom."
He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist. "How do you get rid of this pain? It hurts…" It was painful. He couldn't stand this feeling. He's been feeling this ever since his parents got divorced but that was nothing compared to the feeling he had now after losing his mother.
"It's impossible to get rid of pain with a snap of your finger," Quistis said. "The best way is to take your time and remember all the good things you had with your mother, not the bad things. Good memories make me happier, even if I didn't get a chance to meet my mother."
"If you didn't meet your mother, how did you make good memories?"
Quistis smiled. "It doesn't matter if you experience good memories or not, as long as you make it good. I just see it in my head what my mother did to take care of me while I was still in her stomach. She must have sung songs to me and must have thought of a name for me every time she went to work or every time she stayed at home. Even if you don't have good memories with your mother, Seifer….you can still think that you HAVE one. Looking into the bad memories won't help you cope with this pain that you're feeling."
Seifer closed his eyes. Good memories, he thought.
GoodGurl: GAH! I didn't like the ending, but still ending…^^; Heh! Heh! I hope you guys liked this chapter! So sad though…*sniff* poor Seifer! But at least Quistis was there right? ;)
Chapter 24 – No One's Business
Everyone was preparing, wherever she went. Girls were chatting about who their date was going to be for the dance, while the guys talked about the 'cute' girls they were taking to the dance. Dresses were also part of the girls' conversations, about what color the dress were perfect for what person and who was coming over to whose house to discuss about makeup, but Quistis decided to leave before she heard anymore of it. She headed to the cafeteria, bought her usual lunch and sat down on her usual spot. This time, however, seemed different than the other days. Since Selphie and Zell weren't there to cheer her up and make her laugh, she sat all by herself, but she chose to ignore that thought. She was used to it.
Quistis tightly gripped unto her sandwich to make sure the meat wouldn't fall off the flat bread and opened her lips to take a bite out of it, when the table began to shake. Startled, she looked up and noticed Rinoa who appeared out of nowhere. "QUISTIS!" she yelled, catching the attention of everyone around them. Thankfully, Rinoa quieted down and said, "Have I got the perfect dress for you!" she said, toning down her voice this time. Without giving the blond a chance to talk, she continued to tell her about the 'perfect' dress. "It really goes with your eyes and your hair. Now, I took the liberty of buying it for you because I thought I should just buy it now instead of waiting for another day to get it. So…" She took a deep breath and removed her hand from behind her back, producing a large paper bag with something inside. "Here!"
The blond looked at it, confused. "What is it?"
"It's the dress, silly!" Rinoa replied. She watched as Quistis took it from her hand and looked inside. "Don't worry about paying me back, because just think of it as an early Christmas present!"
Quistis' eyes widened in surprise. Inside, she noticed a beautiful, dark red, strapless dress with beautiful black designs around it. She looked up, still in disbelief. "I… I don't know what to say!"
Rinoa smiled. "Just say you'll wear it for the dance!" she replied.
The blond shook her head, wrapped it neatly in the bag and handed it back to Rinoa. "It must have cost a lot, I can't take this…"
The younger girl shook her head. "Don't worry about that, Quistis! I gave this to you because I wanted to! It's also a way of saying thank you for listening to me…" She took the blonde's hand in hers and squeezed it lightly.
Quistis was really touched by the young girl's kind heart. "So, you really don't want anything in return? If you want I can buy you the right shoes for your dress…"
Rinoa giggled, letting go of her friend's hands. "You don't need to do that."
"Please, at least let me do this for buying the dress…"
The dark haired girl sighed. "All right, if that's what you want."
Quistis smiled.
They were both silent for a moment, until Rinoa suddenly jumped in alarm. "Oh! I forgot! I have a counselor's meeting right now." She stood up and smiled again. "Could you tell Ms. Fisher that I'll be a little late for class?"
The blond nodded. "Sure," she replied.
"Thanks a lot!" Rinoa waved at Quistis, turned and left the cafeteria for the counselor's office situated on the far end of the building. Lately, Rinoa's been going to the counselor's office ever since Squall hasn't been going to school for almost two weeks now. The blond knew Rinoa was feeling lonely and was starting to feel worried for Squall. She could also tell that the dark haired girl was worried, thinking that the social services were going to take away her baby. Quistis suddenly glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall of the opposite side of where she sat and read that she still had twenty minutes left until she had to get ready for math once again. Deciding that there was no point in sitting in the cafeteria alone, eating her sandwich, she stood up, grabbed her bag and the dress and left the uneaten sandwich on the table. She made her way to the hallway and walked down to the direction of her locker at the end of the hall. Once more, she heard the same conversation from the girls and the guys as she walked pass them. Unknown to her, one of the girls in the group was Brandy McFadden, who was just joining the group. The red headed girl was watching Quistis' every move, from the time she arrived at her locker to the time she noticed the white 'Bon Marche' bag with something inside. Quistis stopped to look at the bag inside and closed it again, but as soon as she opened her locker, books came flying out.
There was some snickering from around Brandy, but she was too curious about what was inside the bag. The books fell, as well as the plastic bag. The content of the plastic bag jumped out and landed neatly on the floor. From where Brandy stood, she could tell that the item inside the bag was indeed a gown of some sort. She was even more surprised that the gown seemed to look really nice and she hated to admit as well that the gown matched Quistis' look. She smirked and decided to take a closer look by 'helping' her out. Much to her friends' surprise, Brandy approached the blond, bent down to pick up some books and took the liberty to pick up the plastic bag as well. She had sharp eyes, so she was able to take a quick look if what she saw before was true. "Here you go," Brandy said, handing back the stuff to Quistis with a fake smile.
Quistis looked at her curiously. "Thanks," she mumbled, taking the two books and the plastic bag from the taller girl. She watched curiously as Brandy turned and walked away, immediately followed by her 'puppy dogs.' The blond was very surprised by Brandy's behavior, but she knew that there was more to that act than just a kind gesture and she was prepared for anything. She put her stuff back in her locker and closed it again, still trying to figure out what just happened. Was Brandy really planning something? Or was she just being paranoid?
Paranoid, she answered herself. Deciding that it was just that, Quistis slung her backpack on her shoulders and walked towards her math class.
**********************
There was no ending, except for a back and forth drama unfolding around him. Dresses, limousines, corsages, hair, makeup, girls, guys… It was as if he was trapped in their heads while he struggles to get out, trying to avoid being drowned. It was driving him completely nuts!
Seifer walked down the hall, trying to block out the voices around the hallway that threatened to shadow him with their little conversations about the dance coming up. He was just turning the corner, when he heard two voices. One of them, he knew was Brandy's, but it wasn't that that forced him to stop and listen. It was the fact that he heard Quistis' name being mentioned in this conversation. He moved a little bit so he could see what was happening and noticed that Brandy and the new, handsome transfer student from France Jacque, were having a 'private' conversation, apparently, about Quistis.
"So, will you do it for me, hon?" Brandy purred, wrapping her arms around Jacque. "I'm sure that with your charms, Quistis will never suspect a thing. The dance will only be one night anyway."
"Good, because I do not want some blond, four-eyed freak to get in the way of my fun with my favorite person." Jacque grinned, kissing the tip of Brandy's nose. "And what will I get in return?" he asked in his thick, French accent. He moved one arm around her waist, while the other hand grabbed Brandy's and brought the back of it to his lips and kissed it.
Brandy smiled seductively. "You'll get me… and…" She leaned close and whispered something so only he alone could hear, but Seifer noticed the way her lips moved. He could read what she said and he knew exactly that the one word he whispered to the French man was, 'Quistis.'
Jacque's eyes widened in lust. He pulled himself apart from her and looked into her eyes to see if she was telling the truth. Brandy nodded, without having to say anything and Jacque immediately believed it. "I guess I wouldn't mind having her as well, just as long as I have my fun."
Seifer felt his face go red. His mouth suddenly went dry and his hands suddenly curled into tight fists. He was just about to approach them, when the bell suddenly rang. Startled, Brandy and Jacque broke off, said their farewells with quick kisses and headed for their classes on opposite directions. Seifer quickly moved out of the way to avoid being seen by Jacque, then followed him down the hall. The blond followed the long, dark haired youth into the bathroom. He wanted to tear his eyes out, maybe even the one 'thing' he needed the most and cut it to pieces until it was no longer visible, but it was a good thing he kept his cool, because Jacque wasn't alone in the bathroom. There were other bathroom goers, taking their time in getting ready for class. Seifer had five minutes to get back to class and he wasn't about to risk being late or Ms. Fisher would have his head, so he turned and left the bathroom. There was still time to do some 'talking' with the French guy, before he decides to ask Quistis to the dance. Then again, he was ready for some good butt whipping. "Damn," he muttered, walking out of the bathroom.
*******************
As usual, Seifer Almasy was late, but Quistis wasn't worried. She has to get used to it after all. Ms. Fisher wasn't worried either, in fact, she seemed quite interested in how many tardies he would have until she would be required to give him long hours of detention.
However, something was different with Seifer when he finally shuffled his way into class. He seemed irritable than usual, of course, but not the type of annoyance she would see in his face. It was a cross between irritation and worry. He was definitely worried about something and was irritated because of it. Quistis watched as he sat down on his usual seat, while Ms. Fisher began to talk about an exam coming up. Seifer was suddenly alarmed when she mentioned that the exam was going to be right after the dance and she warned the class not to stay up late and procrastinate.
"What? An exam!? Already!?" Seifer burst out.
All heads turned towards the blond, while Ms. Fisher, who didn't seem surprised by the comment, sighed and looked at him. "Seifer, you know this is the time for midterms, so you shouldn't be alarmed about this."
Seifer growled and folded his arms across his chest. The percentage of his bad day doubled to ninety now and if this continues, he didn't know how long he would last. He thanked Ms. Fisher sarcastically in his head for ruining it more. Yes, he has been getting tutorials with Quistis and it was helping him a lot, but he still wasn't ready yet. There was still a lot in his mind that needed to be kept balanced and an exam wasn't going to help. The French guy's face kept popping into his head. There was the grin, the look of lust in his eyes and the thought of Quistis in the same bed with that sleaze was…
BAM!!!
"Mr. Almasy! What on earth!?" he heard a voice yell. Seifer looked up. Everyone was looking at him again and Ms. Fisher's face looked flustered. Confused, he looked at her.
"What?" He looked down at his palm resting flat on the table. Did he just slam his hand on the table??? Seifer lifted up his hand and looked at it. It was red all right and it was confirmed that he DID slam his hand on the table. He glanced at Quistis, who was staring at him in concern, then turned his attention towards Brandy, who was grinning from head to toe. Seifer glared at her. 'Don't think I don't know what's going on,' he thought in his head.
"Sorry about that, Ms. Fisher," Seifer mumbled.
Ms. Fisher sighed, rubbing the top of her nose irritably. "Well, see that it doesn't happen again, Mr. Almasy." Her heart was still pounding from the noise. She took a long deep breath and began explaining what was going to be in the exam.
Seifer sat there, with his arms still folded across his chest. His mouth turned into a scowl once more, his mind swirling with so much hate and anger towards Jacque and most of all, towards Brandy. "The exam will also include…" Ms. Fisher went on, but after a couple of seconds, he allowed his thoughts to shut out her words and soon, he heard nothing but the sound outside. Why was he stressing out about this whole thing? It was really none of his business… If Jacque starts hitting on her and if she starts swooning over his charms… no, that can't be right! Quistis is smarter than that…right? He has nothing to do with it anyway.
"Seifer?" someone called. He looked up and noticed that everyone had gone now. Quistis was looking at him strangely. "Is something the matter?"
The blond male stood up and left the room without saying a word. But Quistis followed him. "What's this? We're not talking now? Did we have a fight that I'm not aware of?"
Seifer stopped walking and turned to look at her. She was staring up at him with her deep, strong-willed eyes. He could tell she was smart, so why should he worry so much? Then again… "Look, Quistis you have to believe me when I tell you…"
"What is it?" she asked curiously.
This was none of his business… Seifer shook his head. "That uh… I'm going to take you to the dance as a thank you for tutoring me for the past month and a half."
Quistis looked at him in shock. "Really?" She blushed and turned away. "Well, if you don't want to, you don't have to. I was just planning on going with Rinoa anyway. Squall's not here and she has no idea where he is, so it's just going to be the two of us hanging out in the dance." This whole 'thank you' thing was sudden, but she was flattered and felt excited when he said that. He would actually be her date to the dance? No way!
Seifer shrugged. What was he thinking? Why did he say that? He wasn't planning on going to the dance in the first place! 'I'm such an idiot!' he thought. But then again, the thought of that French bastard trying to make a move on Quistis… 'Ugggh!!!!' he yelled in his head. Quistis is not his! Why is he making a big deal out of this? It's none of his business!!! "Well all right, if you don't want me to take you to the dance, then that's fine." He shrugged again, stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to walk away.
"Wait!' Quistis yelled, running after him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn around. "So, you would really take me to the dance?"
"If I have to take Rinoa too, I will," he replied. "I can escort both of you." Now, all he has to worry about is buying a suit or some kind of tuxedo or something or whatever the hell they wear in formal dances. He nodded, turned and left, without another word.
That was weird, she thought. Quistis watched the tall blond fade into the distance. What brought on the sudden idea to take her to the dance? As far as she knew or remembered, she never mentioned anything to him about the dance. What suddenly brought this on? She felt her cheeks heating up. 'Oh great…' she thought. 'Not now.' It was not the right time to be blushing like this!
******************
"Mom, I'm home!" he called. He closed the door behind him. Today has been such a bad day. If only he went up to that Jacque bastard and beat the crap out of him, then he would have had a great day! But what stopped him, he may never understand. Maybe it was because he was suddenly thinking about Quistis and realized that…IT WAS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS. "Mom?" he called again. Something was weird around the house now. It was quiet, too quiet. Usually, Seifer would see his mom sitting in the kitchen, drinking or upstairs in her room making a lot of noise. That thought made him shudder.
Seifer walked to the kitchen, thinking maybe she passed out somewhere on the floor, but when he didn't see her there, he decided to check the living room.
Still nothing.
"Mom?" he called again. "Where the hell are you?" he mumbled. He glanced up the stairs and all he could see was darkness. The light weren't on. NONE of them were on, so that concludes only one thing. "Dammit! Couldn't you at least called the house or left a message to let me know that you've gone out!?" he murmured to himself. Sighing, he went back to the kitchen and turned on the lights. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It read six o'clock and he figured his mother wouldn't be home probably until midnight or pass midnight. Seifer yawned and stretched and decided to fix himself up with homemade coffee. His mother loves his homemade coffees, so does his father. When he asked his dad if he still does, Bryan would reply with an enthusiastic tone in his voice that he still loves them. So, on the second weekend he stayed with him, Seifer made his father and his stepmother his specialty coffee. Halle loved it too and forced some of the maids to try it and everyone in the Almasy mansion was quite pleased with the drink.
A loud whistling sound forced him out of his reverie. Seifer blinked and looked up. The kettle was now boiling, calling for him to finish the job. He stood up tiredly from his seat in the kitchen and headed for the counter where the kettle was and poured half a cup of the hot water in his favorite mug. It was the first mug he has ever gotten when he first started drinking coffee at the age of seventeen. The mug was of a sentimental writing about their son and by meaning, 'their' meaning the son of Lynette and Bryan Almasy. Those were the times when the Almasy family were happy. He wished for it everyday to come, but he knew it could never happen. The happiness of the Almasy family was taken by someone else. It was now surrounding Bryan Almasy's new family with little Dominique and kind Halle. Sometimes Seifer felt jealous that he couldn't get that now, but felt relieved, knowing that a little girl would have a happy life. In all honesty, he was beginning to feel attached to his new sister. It was the most wonderful feeling of all to be the big brother and to be able to protect his sister when she's old enough to date young men her age.
When he finished making his specialty coffee, Seifer lifted the mug to his nose to smell the coffee and sighed. He WAS really good at this. The blond sat back down on the chair and thought about what happened at school. It was useless really. He was denying too much and he knew that if he kept denying, it would haunt him forever. These feelings he had towards Quistis. It wasn't a lie. It was the truth after all. He knew he was falling for her, but he wasn't ready, so that's why he had to deny it. Once again, he sighed deeply and thought about what he had just offered Quistis. "I'm such an idiot!" he mumbled, leaning his head down on the table. "Crap! What have I gotten myself into?"
Riiiiing!
Startled, Seifer lifted his head back up and jerked his head towards the phone hanging on the wall. Taking a deep breath, he stood up slowly, letting it ring one more time, before answering it. "Hello?"
"Is this Seifer Almasy?"
The tone of the man's voice sounded serious and Seifer had a bad feeling about this. "Yes, this is he. Who is this?"
"My name is Raymond Bernhardt; I am an officer of the Seattle City police. Your mother, Lynette Almasy got into a car accident just an hour ago and she's been taken into the ER right now. Your mother-"
Seifer's heart started to pound badly. "Which hospital!?"
"Crenton Hospital, down highway 25-"
"Yes, I know that!" he yelled, interrupting the officer once again. "I'll be there!" He hung up the phone without giving the officer a chance to reply and ran for the door. Not bothering to lock the door behind him, nor bothering to grab his trench coat, he ran out the door and into his car. He pulled out of the driveway as fast as fifty kilometers, but luckily no one was outside at that time. Most of them were probably having dinner.
When he arrived at the Crenton Hospital forty minutes later, he ran to the front office and frantically asked for a Lynette Almasy. The desk nurse immediately knew who she was and pointed down the hall and said, "Room 16," she told him. "It's to your right."
Seifer nodded and followed the young nurse's directions. He was quite shocked when he noticed that the room she was directed to was an operation room. He couldn't see a thing, because the back of the doctors were blocking the way. "MOM!" he yelled. One of the doctors must have heard him yell, because the door suddenly opened, but not enough so that he could push his way in. The doctor who came out was older than the rest of them and as soon as he met Seifer, he immediately knew he was the patient's son.
"What's going on!? What's happening!? Is she in there!? TELL ME!" He grabbed the doctor's collar and pulled him so that they were eye to eye.
The doctor calmly removed the young man's hands from his coat and looked at him with a sad expression. "I'm afraid your mother suffered severe internal damage."
"What does that mean!? Is she going to be all right!?" He looked over the doctor's shoulder, but he still couldn't see anything.
The doctor looked away. "There was nothing we could do. The wound was much too large for us to close and if we operated on her, it would have been more damaging to her organs. She didn't make it…"
Seifer shook his head in disbelief. "No…No, that's not true! You're LYING!" he yelled, his voice hoarse and loud. "She's not dead! She's alive! I still have so much to say to her! I…I…" His head continued to shake. Seifer took a step back, then another and another. What if he woke up? What if he pinched himself and he would wake up back in his bedroom? What if he woke up and hears his mother making breakfast and his father watching television on a Sunday morning? What if the divorce was never real? What if he woke up and finds them together again? "I'm…I'm dreaming…I know I'm dreaming!"
"It's not a dream, Seifer…" a voice spoke behind him. Seifer jerked his head behind him and noticed Martine sitting on a chair nearby, his left cheek bandaged and his hair all disheveled. "I was with her the moment the car hit that truck."
"No, that's not true. I'm dreaming."
"All this is real and you can't deny the fact that your mother is dead…" Martine stood up. "Stop thinking you're dreaming because YOU'RE NOT!"
"What do you know!? You're not my father!!!! It's YOUR fault she's dead! You were with her the whole time and you couldn't even save her! She considered you her best friend! Her companion! Her-"
"Lover…" Martine replied. "She wanted to tell you about me, even before you were born, but she wasn't ready yet. So…" He fished inside his coat pocket and handed him a piece of folded paper. "This is a letter to you from your mother. She planned on giving it to you in the first place, but…" He couldn't say anything more, so he stopped.
Seifer looked at it. "What is it?"
"A letter your mother wrote a few days ago. She didn't know how to tell you, so she wrote it on paper and maybe recite it in her head or give it to you just the way it is." When he noticed that Seifer was still confused, he continued on by saying, "It's the truth about her life and yours."
"Mine?" He took the paper from Martine and looked at it. Seifer looked up and scowled at him. "What the hell is a piece of paper going to make me better!?"
Martine sighed. "Just read it…" He turned and quickly left, unable to stay in the hospital any longer and remember Lynette's pale face when she was brought into the ER.
The doctor, who was standing there listening silently, cleared his throat to get Seifer's attention. "Would you like to make your farewell to your mother?" he asked.
The young blond looked up and blankly shook his head. "No…" he replied quietly. "I'd rather." He couldn't see her. He couldn't face her. Not when he didn't even have a chance to look at her in the eyes before he left for school. He didn't know anything until he was given this piece of paper from Martine. Slowly, he turned, stuffed the paper in his jean pocket and walked out the door awkwardly.
Outside, it was pouring rain, but Seifer didn't care. The cold couldn't compare to what he was feeling now. He felt alone. He felt like no one cared about him anymore. His father had his own family to care about. His mother was gone and now… He walked straight ahead and absent mindedly decided to head for the park where he first started playing in with his parents. Leaving the car behind, he made his way to Hampton Park.
He didn't care how long he walked, just as long as he could remember where it was. Seifer sat down underneath one of the trees. His hands immediately reached into his pocket for the letter, the rain pouring heavily down on him. He unfolded it and began to read the letter with his eyes vague and unfocused. Despite that, he was still able to make out the words.
Dear Seifer: I didn't know how to tell you this, so I decided to write this on paper instead. Seifer, I really love you and you have been a great son. I haven't been such a good mother to you and I'm sorry. Please forgive me for that. I didn't want to disappoint you and I did. Seifer, let me tell you something about yourself and where you came from. First, let me start off by explaining to you the first time I met Martine.
Seifer paused. 'Martine?' he thought. 'What does Martine have to do with this?'
Now, I know you must be wondering why I mentioned Martine and it's good that you are, because all this time your father and I have been lying to you. I know that your father and I should have told you from the very beginning, but it was hard telling an unborn child, or a six year old child the truth. We tried to tell you many times, but we were scared that you wouldn't be able to understand, but I guess we were wrong to think that. The truth is Seifer your real father is Martine. You're Martine's son. He was my best friend in college, a knowledge that has been given to you already. And during that time, our friendship turned out into something more and eventually I got pregnant…with you.
Seifer took a deep breath, closed his eyes and opened them back up to continue reading. He shook his head in disbelief and in anger. "So you died, wanting to hide the truth from ME!?" he yelled out loud.
I told Martine the good news, but I received no reaction from him. After that, he hasn't spoken to me. I tried contacting him on his cell phone, even during my lunch break, but he wouldn't answer, or call me back. I found out later from his friends that he was gone. I was confused at first on where he had gone and then I figured out that he had left me. I was now three months pregnant at the time when I met your father. He just transferred there and he was really sweet to me. I told him about my life, even the part that I was pregnant. He just laughed and told me that he already knew and he didn't care. That's when I fell for him. I fell for his compassion and his kindness. Just two months before you were born we got married and I gave birth to you. We lived a happy life. We moved in together to a nice apartment and by the time you were a year old, we decided to buy a house. With your father's good job and wages, we were able to afford one that worked for all three of us. Well, you know the rest after that. Secretly, however, I was searching for your REAL father… Martine. I was thinking of making him suffer for leaving me behind, but when I suddenly received a phone call from him nine years ago, I began to have doubts about that idea. I realized that I was still in love with Martine. I didn't know to express this feeling towards Bryan, so I kept it quiet for five long years. It was peaceful for a while, until Martine called at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Bryan was able to talk with Martine and found out the truth from him. And after that…well, you know the whole story. I'm really sorry for lying to you. Please, Seifer even if he hasn't been there for you for nineteen years, Martine is hoping that you would consider him your father as well. I'm not asking for you to accept him right away because I know it's hard, but I'm just asking you to give him a chance to get to know you. If you're reading this right now that means I'm gone. I love you Seifer. I love you and Martine. But I just hope I can love you together, even if I'm not there. Love Mom.
He sat there for a moment, reading the letter over and over again to try and make sense of it all. Seifer was too angry that his own parents would lie to him and he had to find the truth out from a piece of paper! He folded the letter, stuffed it back in his pocket and stood up. The rain was heavy now. It was pouring much harder on his head. He walked over to the swings, sat down and began to swing absent mindedly on his own. Seifer wasn't ready to go back home just yet, otherwise, he would be walking in an empty house.
****************
"Quistis! Could you do me a favor, honey?" Charlotte called from the kitchen as soon as the blond girl was coming down the stairs to join her Aunt and cousin for dinner. Tonight was the first night her father wasn't going to be there. And for the first time, she was relieved.
"Sure! What is it, Auntie?" she asked, walking in the kitchen.
Charlotte handed her a twenty dollar bill. "We ran out of eggs and I need it for the bake sale tomorrow for work. Could you go to the store and buy me a dozen?"
Quistis nodded. "Okay." She took the money and stuffed it in her pocket. The blond girl turned, grabbed her jacket and the umbrella hanging at the back of the door and stepped out into the cold, wet, winter night. As soon as she stepped into the cement, she opened her umbrella and made her journey to the nearest grocery store, which was the store where Rinoa worked. She hoped that she could see her there so she could tell Rinoa about Seifer's 'offer.' She wasn't able to talk with Rinoa, even when she came late for math class, because by the time the class ended, she bolted out the door unexpectedly. Quistis turned a corner, passing few houses and decided to take the shortcut through the park. Normally, she didn't make shortcuts, but tonight was an exception. She hated the rain, so she wanted to get back home as quickly as possible. She was just about to pass the monkey bars, when she noticed a shadowed figure swinging in the swings. The figure looked male. 'Oh crap…' she thought. "Okay, Quistis, now's not the time to be scared…" she said to herself. Taking a long deep breath, she casually walked pass the swings. As soon as she was walking pass him, Quistis lifted up her eyes to see his face, but was shocked to find out that it was… She stopped walking and turned to face him. "Seifer?"
Seifer looked up, his hair wet and his eyes expressionless.
Quistis stepped forward towards him. "My God! What are you doing out here!? It's cold and it's raining!" She put the umbrella over them both. "What's wrong?"
The blond man didn't answer, instead he fished into his pocket once more and handed her a piece of paper. "This is from my mom."
She took it from him and glanced up curiously. "What is it?"
"A letter…" he answered numbly. "She's dead. It was a car accident."
Too shocked to answer, Quistis opened the paper and began reading it. Even under these conditions, the blond girl was able to make out the words clearly. After a couple of seconds of reading and re-reading, she looked up, her eyes full of remorse. "I'm…I'm sorry," she said quietly, handing him back the paper. She looked at his face.
He looked very miserable, not like him at all. Quistis couldn't tell whether he was actually crying or whether it was the rain sticking to his face. "I couldn't even tell her I'm sorry," he said suddenly, his face downcast. "I didn't even get a chance to say I love her. This morning, all I said was 'goodbye' not 'I love you.' And she said I'm a good son, but I'm not…" He buried his face in his hands and sighed.
Quistis was still unsure whether he was crying or not, but nevertheless, she moved closer and slowly wrapped her arms around him. Surprised, Seifer froze in his spot. "You ARE a good son. If you don't recognize that, then you're telling your mother she's a liar." Her hands slipped from around the umbrella and now the both of them had nothing on top of their heads to cover them from the rain.
Seifer closed his eyes, feeling the cold rain pouring down on them and at the same time, Quistis' warm body pressed against him. "I couldn't tell her that I love her. I didn't even say good bye…"
"She knows that you love her," Quistis replied, embracing him tighter. She closed her eyes and sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Even if you didn't say good bye to her then, you can always say good bye to her now and she can hear you. That's what I did when I couldn't say good bye to my mom."
He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist. "How do you get rid of this pain? It hurts…" It was painful. He couldn't stand this feeling. He's been feeling this ever since his parents got divorced but that was nothing compared to the feeling he had now after losing his mother.
"It's impossible to get rid of pain with a snap of your finger," Quistis said. "The best way is to take your time and remember all the good things you had with your mother, not the bad things. Good memories make me happier, even if I didn't get a chance to meet my mother."
"If you didn't meet your mother, how did you make good memories?"
Quistis smiled. "It doesn't matter if you experience good memories or not, as long as you make it good. I just see it in my head what my mother did to take care of me while I was still in her stomach. She must have sung songs to me and must have thought of a name for me every time she went to work or every time she stayed at home. Even if you don't have good memories with your mother, Seifer….you can still think that you HAVE one. Looking into the bad memories won't help you cope with this pain that you're feeling."
Seifer closed his eyes. Good memories, he thought.
GoodGurl: GAH! I didn't like the ending, but still ending…^^; Heh! Heh! I hope you guys liked this chapter! So sad though…*sniff* poor Seifer! But at least Quistis was there right? ;)