"Hey, why did you do that? That was cruel" Squall panted when he finally got to stop running to catch up with the little prankster of a girl. They were already practically back to the trailer by now. Rinoa simply turned around and gave him a shy, blushing smile. "So you really did want to kiss me?" she asked, batting her big eyelashes.

The poor pre-puberty boy just gaped at her. What was he supposed to say to that? He didn't know if he did or not... "No! I mean to make me think you were actually going to put me through that!" he spat, trying to sound masculine...if that was what masculine people said...he thought so.

Hearing those words seemed to hurt Rinoa, but instead of taking off in a crying mass, she took a few steps closer to the body and wrapped her arms around him so he couldn't escape, resting her head comfortably on his shoulder. "Well I like you Squall Lionhart. I think we will be friends forever."

Squall's bushy little head began swimming with a mixture of different feelings. No one had ever said that to him before. But he was a boy and she was a girl. It would never work would it? "Thanks" he finally sputtered and carefully embraced her in her own hug, in a way that she wouldn't possible be offended.

SNAP "Aw that is just the sweetest thing I have ever seen! Skrew that other picture, THIS ONE is for the fridge!" Laguna smiled happily at his masterful skills of photography, "I knew if I waited long enough I would get a good one like this.Hey, maybe I should become a photographer instead of a writer!" He stood there and pondered his new choices of careers totally oblivious to the fact that his son was homing in on his murder.

BEEP BEEP

A big black Mercedes pulled up behind the trio and was waiting for them. How long it had actually sat there none of them knew, but there is sat none the less. A small, orderly looking bald head popped itself out the driver's window. "Miss Heartilly, your father is here to pick you up," he announced with an English accent.

Rinoa sighed and began dragging her feet sulkily over to the back door of the car to look in. Neither of the bachelors knew exactly what went on or what was said but it didn't take long for her father to get out of the car and march over to Laguna, eyeing Squall heatedly.

"My daughter just begged me to let her stay another night because she gets to stay up all night with him!" he bellowed, waving his finger in Squall's direction, "What exactly does she mean by this?"

Laguna smiled nervously and began scratching his head, "Uh well, I'm not sure...I was asleep."

He looked up into the full-sized man's eyes for signs of approval but was met with only a blood red face. "What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded. Squall, who until now was watching quietly from the sidelines, shoved his dad aside muttering something like, "Shut up stupid" and looked up into the blood red face himself.

"Sir, All we did was watch infomercials and fall asleep. We are friends, isn't that what friends do?" Sparkles began drifting around him while he spoke these words of wisdom and he could have sworn that somewhere in the distant sparkles he saw Rinoa cheering him on, but it might have just been his imagination.

"Well, normally I would have pummeled you AND your father for this, but you are such an intelligent and honest young man everything is ok!" Rinoa's father exclaimed, smiling broadly and slapping Squall's shoulder nearly off. From behind him, Rinoa gave her new friend an extremely enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Well father, can I stay?" Rinoa chimed after a few moments. The gruff look returned to the older man and he moved his arm in an away-with-you motion. "Of course not! What would your mother have said if she were alive?"

To Rinoa Heartilly, this meant war. "Well DAD, she would have told me to follow my heart and go for the one I love because he might not always be here!" she blurted without realizing what she had just said. A silent gasp let loose throughout every man in the vicinity, especially a certain ten year old, bushy haired boy. Rinoa just looked at them stupidly, "What?"

"THIS is why I am a writer and not a photographer!" Laguna yelled very ADD like, then hurriedly went back inside to look for a spare notebook. Everyone watched him with a blank stare until he was gone, but quickly returned to what they were doing and the conversation that was going on.

"Rinoa, we're going home," her dad calmly stated and motioned her back towards the car. The girl strongly stood her ground though. "Fine, but I want to say goodbye first! Go away and count your money or something till then!" She crossed her arms and marched over to Squall, who was blushing deeply by now.

He was quickly calmed when Rinoa smiled at him, even if it was fake. "Good bye Squall! I guess I'll see you at school Monday...er...yea." A rare but beautiful thing happened. Squall Leonhart smiled. He smiled so much his eyes were practically closed and he held out his hand. "Friends?"

Rinoa didn't take his hand. She threw her arms around him in a huge friendly hug. "You know, you're my very first friend. Thanks Squall..." she whispered as her grasp on him tightened. "Same here Rinoa....but, could you let go...I'm kind of choking here..."

The girl let go with a blush and happily skipped to the car. She flung open the door and jumped in. Squall could hav swore he heard the father cussing as she landed on him, but he wasn't sure.

"Ok, I'm ready! Now, just keep talking and this will be wonderful!" Laguna announced as he pranced out of the house with his paper, stopping in mid-air when he realized his soon was the only one there. "Where did everybody go?" The boy shot HIS father his more then daily evil stare and went back inside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Squall sighed and sat down at his desk. Monday already....oh well. It didn't matter. It wasn't like home was any better.

"Hey puberty boy, how's it hanging?" Seifer teased, sitting down in the desk in front. Squall just rolled his eyes and decided to ignore the annoying thing in front of him. "Hey, I'm talking to you! Dammit, talk, punch me, do something!"

'La la la, I'm not listening.'

"Oh, did you hear? Lil' Miss Rinoa isn't comming here anymore. I heard in the teacher's lounge this morning that her dad said the kids were too unproper for his daughter and she would return home-schooling from now on. Ha ha ha sucks for you puberty boy!" Siefer chuckled.

"What?! No! I gotta get her back!" Squall was on his feet and out the door before Siefer could even come up with an insult on how much he liked the girl. While rushing out, he accidentally brushed by Mrs. Edea.

"Sorry! I'll be back before class starts!" Squall panted. Normally, Mrs. Edea would have ran to catch anyone who rushed out of her class and paddle them, but in this instant she just sighed and smiled. 'It starts earlier and earlier every gneration I tell you...' she thought to herself and walked calmly into the classroom.


Sorry this chappy is so short but I thought it would be a good stopping place for this chappy! The next one will be longer I.....er...hope. What? Thought you would get a promise outta me? I dont think so!