Deepest Emotions, Chapter 3
Confusion
Disclaimer: I did not create any of the characters in this story (though I want to thank the brilliant minds who did! LoL)
" Rinoa will regret having ever left me..." Seifer said quietly to himself, his plan already in play.
Back at the Blue Laguna, Rinoa had just finished unpacking all of her things, and had some free time to walk around the beach before dusk, when all the couples would take up the best spots for skygazing. She sighed as she strolled along the coastline, staring out into the big blue ocean.
'I wish...' Rinoa thought sorrowfully, 'I wish I had someone I could stare at the sky with...'
She stopped walking, and let the water lap up gently on her feet. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds all around her. The seagulls flying above, the ocean waves...
The running feet approaching her...
She opened her eyes, curious as to whom was running down the beach. Looking over, she saw a dark-haired man, running at a steady pace; exercising. As he came closer, she recognized him, and scowled in disgust.
'Squall...' she thought, slightly annoyed. 'Perfect timing; had to come when I was feeling peaceful.'
Somehow, she was compelled to look at him again. This time, when she did, she was able to see what he really looked like for the first time.
On the train, he had been heavily dressed, wearing a large, thick jacket. Now, out in a warmer climate, exercizing on the beach, he wore lighter clothing, and Rinoa saw that he was extremely fit; muscled, but not too muscley.
'He probably has a six pack as well...' she thought, suddenly snapping to attention as she realized she was gawking. She sighed in relief as she looked away, red-faced.
'Shit,' she thought, 'Another moment longer, and I may have even started drooling! Why the hell am I admiring him! I hate his fucking guts! He's rude, and...and...' Finally, she had to admit to herself that, aside from their first meeting, she didn't know anything about him at all. But, as she began pondering about their first meeting, another thought popped into her mind.
'Wait a second...he's staying here!' she thought suddenly, bolting to catch up to him.
As she ran to stop him, she thought to herself, 'I was really more rude than he was. I suppose I should apologize...' The old Rinoa was coming back.
" Squall!" she shouted, " Wait up!"
Squall heard her, and stopped, turning to wait for her. When she caught up, she took a moment to calm her breathing.
" Yes?" he asked.
Looking up at him, she smiled. " I just wanted to stop you for a second and tell you," she said kindly, " That I'm sorry I was so rude to you on the train. I hadn't gotten much sleep, and I was being rather cranky. Do you think you could forgive me?"
Squall sighed. " I guess." he replied.
Rinoa smiled again. " Thank you so much!" she said. " So...are you vacationing here, too?"
Squall was silent for a moment, then he shrugged. " I guess." he replied.
" Cool." she said, looking out at the water. " Isn't it nice here?"
Squall looked at the water, but said nothing.
Rinoa sighed. 'He's doing it again...' she thought, but this time, she decided to be a bit more understanding.
" Not much of a talker, are you?" she asked, looking at him again.
He shrugged.
" Okay..." she said quietly. After thinking for a moment, she said, " By the way, you never told me your last name."
Silence. She continued.
" I mean, I did tell you my last name, but you didn't bother to tell me yours..." She stopped, and watched him expectantly.
Still silence. This annoyed Rinoa, but she figured that she would keep trying instead of blowing up.
" Doesn't it seem a little rude to you?" she asked.
" Doesn't it seem rude for you to persist when it seems I have no desire to tell you what my last name is!" he asked suddenly. It was very quiet, but Rinoa had heard it, and the first thing she felt was anger.
" How dare you!" she cried. " How dare you call me rude! You burned me out the last time I tried to make polite conversation with you, and yet, here I am again, trying to talk calmly with you, and what do I get? I'm told that I'm rude! Well, Mr...Whatever the hell your name is! You can go to hell, for all I care! You're the one that's rude...MEANIE!"
With that, Rinoa stormed away from the beach, leaving a quiet, and slightly disgruntled Squall behind.
'Why the hell did I call him a 'meanie she thought to herself. 'He was a fucking asshole! Why did I say 'meanie'
Suddenly, someone ran up beside her. " Rinoa!" a voice exclaimed.
Despite the fact that Rinoa was angry, and she hadn't even been in the Blue Laguna for a whole day yet, she recognized the voice.
" Hi, Selphie." she said, slowing her pace a bit.
" What's wrong?" Selphie asked. " You seem upset about something..."
Rinoa sighed. " It was just some guy on the beach..." she said, trying to stay calm.
" Oh, you mean Squall?" she asked.
Rinoa stopped walking. " You know him?" she asked.
" Sure I do." Selphie replied. " He and I were in the same school since I can remember."
" You went to school with him!" Rinoa asked. " How the hell did you manage?"
Selphie giggled. " You make it sound like he's an impossible human being!" she teased. " Actually, he's just a really quiet person. He's been that way ever since I've known him, though it got worse when..." Suddenly, she grew quiet.
" When what?" Rinoa asked, curious.
" Nothing." Selphie replied. " It's nothing."
Rinoa sighed, disappointed. She felt like maybe she was actually learning something about a complex person. Almost like she was really interested in knowing more about him.
" Say!" Selphie exclaimed. " How about we go out for lunch? I've got this handy guide that has a list of really good places to eat! I'll treat ya!"
Rinoa nodded. " Sure," she replied. " Let's go."
At lunch, Selphie talked about all the things she was hoping to do during her vacation. But, for some reason, Rinoa couldn't quit thinking about Squall.
'Why can't I quit it!' she thought to herself, hoping Selphie didn't notice she wasn't listening. 'He was rude to me twice! Though...Selphie said he doesn't talk much...but why? And what happened to him that Selphie got so quiet about? What isn't she telling me?'
" So, what are you planning on doing, Rinoa?" Selphie suddenly asked.
Perfect timing for Rinoa, she had just snapped back to attention. " I was just planning on, you know, winging it." she said, sipping her drink. " See what happens..."
Back at the condo, Rinoa walked through the door to her room, kicking off her shoes as she entered. Sighing, she walked to the bedroom. She considered going swimming, but at the moment, she felt too tired to go out in the ocean, so she fell on the bed instead, and slowly dozed off. Even as she drifted off, she kept thinking about Squall, and it annoyed her.
'Goddammit, why...?' she thought, at long last falling asleep.
Author's Note: (27-03-05) Woohoo, chapter three! Thankies muchly for the review, hija! Keep on reading!
Love, TrinForever, aka Viviya 333
