Author's note: Sorry for a mindless chap here. And this is all I've got. Man, I gotta get back to writing.. I'm sure I had more ideas for this story, but they're somewhere lost now.

to Shadow-Seraph: Thanks. Nothing more to say really... Big thanks! =)

to SxS Fan: soon... I think. If I could only remember what I had planned...

to my oh-so-loyal reviewer PistGurl: Thank youuu... Hope this chap doesn't disappoint you, or any others for that matter. It makes no sense really, but hey, *shrugs* nobody's perfect.

~~~

-Squall's POV-

"Hey man!!"

I slowly turn around as something hits my back. It was a hand. That's attached to a small blonde boy with a huge grin.

"Hi Zell."

"I'm gonna be sent on a mission tomorrow!! Ain't that grreat?!"

"Yeah."

"We're gonna go free Timber from those bad Galbs!"

"G-galbs?" I try not to laugh.

"Yeah, Galbadians, you know."

"Ugh.. yeah."

"So, who was that girl?"

"What girl?"

"At the ball! Come on man, I saw you talkin' on the balcony."

"Oh that."

"So... arentcha gonna tell me what happened after Seifer left you two alone...?"

"Not really."

He pouts. "Come /on/ man!"

"I told her I'm not available, that's all."

"Man, so you /do/ have a girl! Who?!"

"I do not have a girl, Zell. I have to go now." I turn around and continue my way to the Quad.

"Squaaall! Tell meee!" Zell keeps running after me.

"No."

"Come on! What's the big deal?!"

I stop and turn to him. "Exactly." I turn again and continue walking. Man that guy's a drag.

~~~

I stand in the shadow of a tree in the Quad and look around. Seifer and Quistis are sitting on a bench right ahead, a couple of dozen yards from me. The tables are all full. Hyne, I didn't know there were this many people in Garden.

Quistis is explaining something, Seifer's slowly nodding smoking a cigarette. With his eyes closed and his faced turned to the sun. Hyne, he looks amazing.

"Smoking in the school area is against the rules, you do know."

Seifer smirks. "The /rules/?"

"Yes, Seifer, the rules. Some of us play by them."

I walk up to them.

"Squall, hi. Do sit down," Quistis says.

I sit down next to Seifer but don't touch him. There's only one person in Garden that knows about us. He once caught us in the Training Center's secret area.

"So how's your arm doing?"

"It's fine," I reply.

"How long will it take for it to heal completely?"

I shrug. "A couple of days. It's nothing serious, really."

She nodds. "I just told Seifer that the first SeeDs to be sent on a mission are Zell Dincht, Selphie Tilmitt and Roos Essayah."

Roos. That's the guy who knows our little secret. He's a nice guy, smart and very humorous. Excellent fighter, even.

"Oh."

"They will be sent to Timber first thing tomorrow morning."

I nodd. "I'm very happy for them."

"What are you going to do with the parade, Squall?"

I look at her. "Do.. with.. the parade?"

"I mean are you going there."

I shrug and glance at Seifer. "Depends."

"It'll be held in about a week from now."

I nodd. "You know anything 'bout the new sorceress?"

Quistis shakes her head. "Sadly, no. I would've liked to have some background information."

"Yeah, to get to know what kind monster'll be running the planet."

"Seifer," Quistis says scoldingly.

He shrugs. "It could be true. Remember Adel?"

"I think we all do."

Seifer looks up to the sky. "Wonder if she can be seen with naked eye."

"Seifer."

"What? It would've been a nice thought to put her close enough to the planet so that every day we can look up and see her and remember what she did and never let that kinda thing happen again."

Quistis shakes her head and stands up. "I'm gonna go prepare tomorrow's class."

~~~