Disclaimer: I made up Connie, her friends, her family, and her family's friends. , but anyone from the following games/TV shows was made up by... someone else. FFX, FFX-2, FFVII, Yu Yu Hakusho... and I think that's it. Well, unless you count the names of the cats and dog, which are from Kingdom Hearts. Okay, I think that's it. Now back to the story

Close Encounters Of The FFX Kind! Chapter 10:

We wake up the next morning, and now our troop has gone from 10 to 13. I was beginning to wonder who was going to show up next! Everyone was down stairs playing – you guessed it- FFX. Tidus was having a wonderful time. You should have seen him. Shuyin was sitting behind him and telling him what to do. It was really kind of funny to watch. It was almost like twins. Except one was like a thousand years old, and the other was born two thousand years after the other one was born and... never mind, it's too confusing. Anywho, I was talking to Aeris. She was sitting on the couch, and I was with her. My cousin was sitting in the chair he had been in last night. I think he either now thought that the world had gone insane, or that these people were real. Of course, it's all good. Everyone else was in random places, and watching or listening in on one conversation or another. Silly walked up and tapped me on the shoulder. "Oh, hey, Silly!" I said, "What's up?"

"Can I talk to you?" she asked.

"Sure! Is that okay, Aeris?"

"Yeah, that's fine," she said.

"It won't take long," said Silly. Silly and I went upstairs, and into the dinning room. Grandma Jill was in the kitchen, and was making Lemonade. I think she had about a million gallons. She didn't mind. She loved it when Max or I had friends over to play games. She keeps a ton of Lemonade on hand for such an occasion. She also had some cookies.

"Hi, girls. You want something to eat?" she asked us.

"Sure!" we said. Wee took about 3 each, and she gave us a glass of lemonade.

"So, what's up?" I asked.

"Well, see," she started. "Can I start at the beginning?"

"I would really prefer it," I replied.

"Okay," she started. "When Yuna told you that she was coming you thought she was a real person, I'm guessing." Through most of this monologue I just nodded, smiled and nodded, smiled and nodded, but anyway. "When Yuna said she wanted to meet you the ship had already broken down near your home town. All services were off line. Nothing worked. No electricity, no lights we were basically living outside. We sent Yuna, Rikku, and Paine because we knew you would know who they were for certain. So, when we got the word you said yes we sent people as they were ready. The reason some came later than others was because they were helping clean up, and do other things. Well, after the last set, you didn't see anyone for a while. Until us, and we were sent to tell everyone that the ship is back online, and we can go anytime you are ready to let them go and they are ready to go."

"What? You mean, they aren't gonna stay?" It had never occurred to me that they would be gone.

"No, we all have to go. The sooner the better. But," she said, "you always have the option of doing what I did.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Well, see, I left my home town, my school, my family, and I joined the crew. The thing is that I will still be getting a good education. All the crew members teach different things. Really it all works out. It's great fun. Truthfully, it's better than a real school. It's like private school. Their technology is advanced, and they know so much. Really, you wouldn't believe it. It's great, they are all really nice, and they're helpful. Here," she handed me a piece of paper. "This is something I made in a while back, on one of the computers. I knew there were people out there who would get confused as the real thing, like I did. So I made this. It's just a small brochure. Maybe give it to your parents? Ask them if you could go to a private school. A really good school.

"Really? You mean, leave my life, my sister, my parents, my cousin, my Grandma Jill, and come with you?"

"Well... yeah."

I breathed deep. This was a huge decision! "There is no way I can tell you now. Can I think about it?"

"Of course. Talk it over with your parents, and let us know, okay? Feel free to take your time. If you want you could start next year. After summer vacation. You always get to go home during the summer, and Christmas.

"I'll work on it."

"Okay, now, let's go play some FFX."

"I thought you had to go."

"We do, but not now! We can leave later."

Silly and I walked and talked and headed down stairs where everyone was still standing and sitting and playing. I wanted them to stay forever and have a good time. But I knew it would all be over far too soon.