A/N: So the tension has certainly risen... not sure where I'm going next, but I've got some ideas. Feel free to drop any ideas for what you'd like to see happen and I'll gladly consider them.
Thanks to DBH for reviewing... I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. Also, to reb for reading... don't worry... things will get better as the story progresses.
Chapter 3 The Next Morning
Rinoa awoke to the sound of her alarm, feeling like a vise grip was attached to her head. She turned to look at the clock at her bedside, and immediately regretted doing so. Her stomach lurched at the movement and she scrambled from the bed, making a beeline for the bathroom.
After getting what she hoped was the last of the previous night's binge out of her system, she lifted her head from the toilet and stood slowly. She got her toothbrush from the mirrored medicine cabinet, scowling at her disheveled appearance as she closed it again.
It was a slow and difficult process, but she got herself showered and dressed. She headed out of her dorm, sunglasses on standby, tucked in the breast pocket of her blouse in case the brightness got out of hand in the cafeteria. They weren't supposed to be worn inside, but if anyone thought they were going to pry them from her today, they were sorely mistaken.
No one fucks with a hung-over sorceress she thought.
She heard quick footsteps approaching from behind, but before she could turn to see who it was, a high-pitched voice peirced through her brain.
"Hey, Rin!" Selphie squealed as she stepped to Rinoa's side.
Rinoa cringed and covered her ears, doubling over as if having taken a blow to the stomach.
"Not so loud, please!" she whispered, roughly.
"Oh," Selphie whispered. "Sorry. I forgot how weak your alcohol tolerance was."
"Thanks," Rinoa said softly, truly grateful for the decrease in volume. She slowly continued to the cafeteria, Selphie following.
"Wow... rough morning, eh?" Selphie commented, noticing Rinoa's careful and slow movements.
"Ugh... you have no idea," Rinoa groaned, haunted by memories of having her head in the toilet for twenty minutes.
"I've got some idea," Selphie giggled. "You did drink probably twice as much as the rest of us. Zell had to carry you back to your dorm."
Rinoa grimaced guiltily, having forgotten that part of the evening. After Squall left, she drank all of the alcohol on the table, not caring who it belonged to. Feeling a little more relaxed, as she had put it, she decided to go back to the dance floor. She'd danced with Zone, Zell, Irvine, Nida, and even Headmaster Cid until she nearly passed out, having had a glass of some alcoholic beverage in her hand at all times.
Thinking about it, she vaguely remembered pestering the DJ to dance with her, and at some point she had finally given up and danced with Xu, the headmaster's female assistant, instead. It was an innocent thing, it was a quick-paced techno song, so everyone was dancing with whom ever was nearby, male or female. Rinoa personally adopted that mindset at some point throughout the night, not caring who or what she danced with, as long as it moved and as long as there was a drink in her hand.
She shuddered.
"I can't believe I did that," she sighed. "I've never behaved that way. I didn't do anything... else... that was questionable, did I?"
Selphie chuckled, "No, we kept you in line. Don't worry."
"Good," Rinoa breathed, relieved. She wondered what happened to Squall after he left. Did he meet with that girl afterward? Did he meet with someone else? Or did he just go to the training center like he usually does that time in the evening?
They reached the cafeteria and Rinoa ordered just coffee for herself before joining Quistis, Zell, Squall, and Irvine at their usual table. Selphie joined them moments later after ordering her breakfast.
"Hey, it's Lush of the Year!" Zell announced as Rinoa settled into her new spot, across the table and over to the right from Squall, between Selphie and Quistis. Squall sat at the end of the table, an newly empty space to his right.
Rinoa shot Zell a quick glare at his comment. "Fuck you," she hissed, leaning over her coffee, her head down.
"Hey, you better be nice to me," Zell chuckled. "Otherwise, I'll drag you home by your ankles next time."
Rinoa groaned and put her head down on the table next to her coffee. Squall, who hadn't said a word all morning, watched her do this and sighed, feeling responsible for her state. He stood up, and cleared his throat nervously.
"I've gotta go. I have a field exam to supervise later, so I've got a lot of work," he explained, moving toward the exit. "I'll see you guys later. Hope you feel better, Rinoa."
"Thanks," she mumbled, not looking up, fully aware that Squall called her Rinoa instead of Rin. He only did that when they were arguing or when something was weighing seriously on his mind.
"Bye Squall," everyone else said.
He walked out and headed for his office.
Squall stepped into the elevator and leaned against the wall, his eyes struggling to stay open. He lazily pushed the button for the floor of his office.
He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. After the disaster at the party, he went out, heading for a liquor store in Balamb. He had wanted to drink, but didn't didn't want to remain at the party regardless that the booze was free. He returned to his dorm shortly after with a pint of Southern Comfort. He didn't particularly care for the stuff, but he knew it would do the trick.
He had sat on the floor, leaning against the side of his bed, thinking of Rinoa.
The thoughts had begun with memories of the time they met, through the battle with Ultimecia, through various memories of their relationship. The memories of their lovemaking had surfaced soon after, only to be followed by memories of that very evening, and the seductive way Rinoa had danced with Zone and the other man.
Before he knew it, the bottle of SoCo was gone, and he was clutching it tightly in his fist, his knuckles white. He had then decided it was a good time try to get some sleep, only to fail miserably, haunted by thoughts of Rinoa sleeping with other men all night.
The ding of the elevator arriving at his office floor brought him back to the present. He pushed himself off of the wall and stepped out, shuffling his feet lazily to his office door.
He sat at his desk for an hour, finishing what pending paperwork he had to do, then he finally stepped out, heading for his meeting in the headmaster's office about the field exam today.
He groaned inwardly at the idea of having to supervise a field exam in his exhausted and hung-over condition. He walked into Cid's office, giving little notice to the group of cadets waiting eagerly for their field exam, and went straight for Cid's desk.
"Alright, sir," Squall began, "have the cadets been briefed?"
"Uh, yyyyyes," Cid drawled out, stunned by the commander's straight-fowardness. "They are ready to leave as soon as you are."
"Good. Xu, can you please escort the-" he paused, finally seeing the cadets. The blonde he had danced with was there, her gaze fixed on him. She had a slight smirk as he looked at her.
"Squall?" Xu spoke softly.
"Yes. Um, please escort the... cadets... to the van. I will be there shortly."
Xu nodded and saluted the headmaster, then turned and gestured for the cadets to follow her as she walked out of the office. They followed obediantly, the blonde's gaze lingering on Squall a moment longer as she turned to follow.
Squall cleared his throat as the door shut behind them.
"You alright, Squall?" Cid asked, noticing the dark circles around Squall's icy gray eyes.
"Fine, sir," he replied quickly, wanting to avoid the subject of last night's events.
"Well, here's the file," Cid sighed, seeing no purpose in pressing Squall further. The man was like talking to a mule. He handed him the file on the SeeD candidates for the exam. "Good luck, Commander."
"Thank you, sir," Squall said, taking the file. He saluted the headmaster, then turned and left. I shouldn't even be here today.
A/N: The next chapter will be a little more interesting. I promise. I just needed to set a little more "mood", if you will. Now we can go on to the events of the field exam with the blonde.