Squall stood by Cid, awaiting all of the new students outside by the gate. Why did he always have to be the one to greet all of the new children? That's literally what they were. Children. Squall sighed and leaned against the fence until he could see a car appear in the distance. He stood up once more, and waited.
"Ready for new students, Squall?" Cid nudged Squall in the shoulder.
"No."
"Well, you better behave. Don't want to scare our newcomers off. Tonight we will have a grand dinner and ball in name of the new students and you better be there." The cars were getting near.
"Yes sir, I will be there." Squall muttered while cursing to himself.
"Okay, good. Now be on your best behavior for the new students."
"I know, you don't have to repeat yourself." Squall frowned slightly. Cid just sighed.
"Yes but, sometimes I feel as I have to." The first set of cars finally pulled up, and nervous looking students edged out of the car. Hesitantly, they walked up to their new Headmaster. "Hello, new students. I am Headmaster Cid and this here is Squall. My second in command. If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to bring them up with him if I am not around." The students looked up at Squall, looking scared. Squall sighed, knowing he should say something to ease them a bit.
"Yes, I am Squall Leonhart, but please call me Squall. I will try to the best of my abilities to make you guys feel welcomed and at home. You will soon get your room keys, and if you need a tour, I will be giving one. If you haven't found your rooms by them, I will point them out to you on the tour." The students nodded, and some actually smiled at him.
"Well there you have it. Just walk into the Garden and make yourselves comfortable until everyone else shows up." Cid and Squall bowed their heads, cueing them to enter Balamb Garden. They all picked their things up and walked inside. Talking amongst themselves about the interesting second in command guy.
Cid and Squall finally walked in a few hours later, once all of the expected students were there. The main hall was full of loud and talking students. Some were talking, others were laughing, whiles some were looking around at the past students of Balamb that were walking around and wishing the new students to go away.
"Attention students!" Yelled Cid. No one quieted down. Squall let out a small chuckle.
"Get your mike or something. They won't listen to you right now. There's too many of them talking." Cid walked up the steps, Squall following right behind him, and turned around to face the crowd.
"Attention students!" He yelled again. Finally some students started to quiet down and turned towards the Headmaster. Others got this message as the Headmaster wanted to talk to them. Soon, it was quiet. Cid took a breath and began to speak. "Thank you for quieting down in an orderly manner." Squall chuckled again. "Welcome to Balamb Garden where your seed of opportunity awaits you. Hopefully you all read the pamphlet you received in your mail about the history and requirements of this place. If not, you will tonight." Students muttered uneasily among new found friends. "By now you have been divided into different classes depending on the accomplishments you have provided in your portfolio that I have received. If there has been a misunderstanding on where you are, please contact either myself or Squall and we will have it adjusted as soon as possible.
"Now Squall will lead you in a tour of our wonderful Garden, and he will explain the welcoming party we will have in the ballroom. Please don't be late or you will not be permitted in. Thank you." Everyone shifted their gaze nervously to Squall.
"As Cid said, we will have a welcoming party for you new students. Our older students will be there also, so don't hesitate to ask for help or to make a new friend. Now I will have you students divided into smaller groups who will have different tour leaders." Squall set up the groups by the students' last names. Quistis, Rinoa, Zell, Seifer, Selphie, and Irvine walked out of the elevator and stood by Squall while Cid entered the elevator to escape to his office. Squall politely introduced each of the tour guiders and then took his group on their way.
"Don't you think Squall is hot?" Whispered one student. She had cute blonde hair and gentle green eyes.
"Yes, he is." Said one of her friends. "Oi vie Lauren, stop staring and pay attention to what he is saying."
"Can't help it, Sally. Don't you think he's hot Ryan?" Ryan turned to Lauren and grinned.
"What's it to ya?" Ryan ran his fingers through his silky black hair and his beautiful piercing blue eyes smiled at Lauren. "He is hot, but you're just too sexy for me." Lauren giggled.
"Oh Ryan." She murmured, trying not to laugh.
"Being bi can be deadly, Ryan." Sally joked.
"No, it just makes me plain sexy okay?" Ryan crossed his arms. Lauren playfully shoved him. Squall frowned slightly and turned around.
"Can you please keep it down, students? Some students are actually trying to figure out where everything is so they won't get lost and be late for classes." He looked down at his clipboard. "Ryan is it?" Ryan murmured slightly.
"Yes sir."
"Would you like to join me at the front of the group so you can learn easier without being interrupted by other students?"
"Say yes," Mike, Ryan's best friend whispered. Ryan shoved him.
"No sir, but thank you."
"Okay, then keep up and shut your mouth, Understand?"
"Erm…yes sir…"
"Good." Squall bowed his head and continued the tour. Ryan remained silent for most of the tour, except when someone talked to him, which was when he murmured one or two words back in response.
"Poor Ryan," Mike chuckled behind him. Of course, Ryan didn't even bother responding. He liked Squall attitude. It even made him seem hotter than he already was. Maybe kidding around with the guy would be pretty fun, actually. "Hey I have a dare for you." Ryan snapped out of his thoughts and tilted his head slightly to see Mike.
"Erm, what?" Mike snickered.
"A dare. I'll tell you later okay?"
"Okay…" He was not certain if he wanted to know what the dare was. Knowing Mike, it was something for his amusement. Ryan sighed as he turned around once more to continue listening to Squall.
Squall sighed as he collapsed onto the bed of his room. Today was a long and exhausting day, yet it was not over. The welcoming party was lingering still in his mind. Luckily Selphie is helping out with that one. Squall did not want to do anything except stay in his room, or go on a mission. Nope, he gets to stay and teach. Luckily he has the honor of taking the brats on their first mission. Oh how lucky he was…
"Squall?" Rinoa slipped in to the room.
"Yes Rin?"
"Are you getting ready for the party?"
"Of course I am." Squall muttered as he stood up and went to the closet to get his formal SeeD outfit. He could see it now…
"Oh wow! That is such a cool outfit!"
"Where did you get it?"
"An official SeeD outfit? COOL!"
"Where can I get one?"
The never ending questions that Squall gets to answer in a matter of hours. He pulled on the outfit and got ready alongside of Rinoa.
Ryan walked into the ballroom with Lauren, Mike, and Sally. All four of them were in awe as the looked around the beautiful ballroom. It was fully decorated with silver and shiny ornaments, looking like something from a fantasy story.
"We have just entered Cinderella's ballroom…" Sally murmured. All of them nodded their heads.
"Hey guys! Welcome!" They turned around to see a blonde looking guy waving and smiling at them.
"Isn't that Zell?" Lauren pointed out.
"Yes, I think it is." Ryan responded. Zell stopped right in front of the four of them, and bowed his head. He was in a SeeD outfit like some of the other older students.
"Hey kids, welcome to Balamb Garden. Have fun and enjoy yourselves." Everyone was already enjoying themselves, dancing and drinking the night away.
"Thank you, Zell was it?" Mike muttered.
"Yes, Zell at your service." Zell took a bow and sipped from his wine glass. "Squall and Rinoa are over there, Quistis is talking to Cid and Edea, Selphie and Irvine are dancing away in that area, the stupid guy-I mean Seifer is over there, and then…" Zell continued on with names of older students while glancing around and pointing them out. Ryan tugged at Lauren and led the group off unnoticed. The music played on, and so did Zell with his introductions.
"What a weird guy…" Sally frowned as she watched him talking while she was walking backwards with the other three.
"Tell me about it." Lauren agreed giggling. "He seems like a cool guy though."
"Yes, I agree. Interesting, but cool." Mike chuckled. Then he grabbed Sally who let out a tiny shriek.
"Hey what's the big idea!" The angry Sally yelled at him.
"Don't wanna dance with me?" Mike put on a sad look, trying to sway her.
"Ugh fine." Sally playfully shoved him and walked off alongside him.
"Man, those two need to get together." Lauren sighed as she turned to Ryan.
"Yeah, seriously." Ideas poured in to his head. Mike had a dare for him, but couldn't he come up with a dare for Mike also? For instance, make them go out on a date or something? The endless possibilities.
He saw Squall leaning against the wall near the back. Why wasn't he dancing with Rinoa? Where was she to begin with? Ryan scanned the room looking for her. Probably dancing with someone else. Squall did not seem like the party type of a guy. Poor Rinoa. Ryan should probably go up to him and apologize for earlier.
"Hey I'll be right back, Lar."
"Um, okay." Ryan walked towards Squall, watching him sip from his wine glass and look around the ballroom.
"Squall, sir?" Ryan stumbled upon words.
"Yes? Ryan was it?" Squall fixed his gaze onto the student.
"Yes sir. I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I did not mean to speak out among my friends when you were talking." Ryan searched Squall's face for any changes.
"That's all?" Squall chuckled slightly. "Don't worry about it, Ryan. I understand you are new and do not know our rules and procedures. We are a lot different than other schools, are we not?"
"Yes sir, this is different from what I am used to." Ryan forced a smile.
"Well do not worry. Soon this place will feel like your home. Just take it easy and listen to your headmaster and tutors. You will be well cared for here. Everyone will become like a family to you. Or at least close friends."
"Thank you, sir. I am glad I could talk to you. You have eased my worries a little bit."
"Glad to hear that. Please just call me Squall. I don't really like formalities unless I am in command of a team."
"Yes s-Squall."
"Well, go enjoy yourself. It is your party." He took another sip of his drink and looked over his head at Rinoa who was dancing with one of the new students.
"Okay, thank you again." Ryan slightly inclined his head and then strolled up to Lauren. Lauren was sitting down at a table, sipping her drink. Looking up, she smiled and beckoned for him to sit down.
"Well, how did it go?" Ryan sank down in a chair and grinned.
"Pretty well actually. I hope he is my teacher. Squall is such a cool guy."
"Don't forget hot." Lauren smirked as she rested her elbows on the table and leaned her head into her hands. "Very hot."
"Yeah yeah, I know." Rolling his eyes, Ryan turned to look at Squall. He was an interesting guy. Different but interesting.
"Now come one and let's have fun! We have to dance the whole night away!" Lauren giggled as she stood up and pulled Ryan to his feet. They strolled onto the dance floor, hand in hand, and laughing. It was a lovely night and a new life for them.