Disclaimer: How about you just don't try to sue me and it just makes it easier cuz then I don't have to write long disclaimers, k?

Author's Note: Well here's a lengthy chapter, not sure if it's long enough but here goes any way. Hope whoever is reading likes it, and to somebody…sorry if this is exposing considering our new level if you like…

Chapter 7:

Several days later…

Rinoa stood beside Edea witnessing Cid becoming increasingly more and more frustrated as the Esthar officials repeated over and over what they wanted the contract to bind to. There was a crowd of professionals all in the headmaster's small office and although this whole legal document draft was concerning Rinoa's future she wasn't any one to be taken account of during its processing. She was simply to stand there and shut up. The young sorceress could see Cid was doing all he could for her but Esthar and their lawyers had a very strong authority over garden and really by disagreeing with anything they said was very shaky grounds.

Rinoa didn't understand half the things they were saying with all the complicated language that was being used, but everybody looked severally serious. All concentrating hard on what was happening at the front of the room where Cid and an Esthar officer were reading out what had already been written. Every moment it seemed there was something that needed to be changed due to some slight problem with the wording.

Rinoa had allowed Edea to come into the meeting unaware of what she was suppose to expect and very scared by all the visits that had arrived in the recent days. Edea had accepted graciously, and occasionally squeezed the young woman's arm as a reassurance. Somehow the small gesture did exactly what the ex-sorceress had set out to do and the young rebel couldn't have been more grateful.

Squall hadn't come today; he had…business to attend to. Rinoa hadn't pushed that further, she knew when to back off and why exactly would she want him to come to something like this which to her was just so vicious. She hated something so official, and so very greedy in a way.

If she had the intelligence she should have been sat exactly where Cid was now, it was unfair to drag him into this awkward situation. Maybe she should just agree to whatever they proposed. After all, what could make the current situation any worse exactly? She began to wonder in this room full of 'professionals' and blank expressions that if she threw her head back and screamed, arms outstretched with clutched fists whether anyone would actually turn their head and question why? It was clear she was distressed about this and no one gave a damn. And why would they? This was just another example of how selfish she was. Right?

The funny thing about the situation was that every now and again after they had defeated Ultimecia, the question or the option would arise for her by several officials coming through garden or by emails for her to take this option. Every time she'd refused, every time she'd felt it her own decision but now when it was pushed upon her and she didn't realised her duty, she felt horridly guilty about her ignorance to her fate.

Her dark brown eyes wondered the room for a moment in mild interest, she sighed silently to herself. Cid raised his tone again to the man stood beside him and Rinoa could only cringe. She bit her lip than looked down slightly, her hair smoothing falling into her eye sight, her nails tucked into her palms as she clenched…

"We thank you for your cooperation sorceress. And appreciate how hard this must be, we look forward to visiting to retrieve you in 3 months time." A man with short spiky black hair smiled, outstretching his hand to shake hers.

Rinoa considered this for a moment, not once taking her gaze from his light shallow blue eyes. Than slowly but cautiously outstretched and took his hand in hers and shook as she'd presumed he'd wanted. It was a very bitter and forced smile, but just as slowly as the gesture she just played, it appeared across her features. It was a very dangerous thing to do to look a sorceress in the eyes deeply when every fibre of her inside twisting up in anger.

Soon the middle aged Esthar official took back his hand and nodded followed by his turn to walk away, carrying his step with some kind of self regard. Oh yes, Rinoa could see how proud of himself he was. Walking tall with a spring. She continued to watch his back and contemplated shooting just one icy spike into his back, just lodging it in-between his shoulder blades.

Before she even realised what she was doing her arm began to outstretch, all her hairs stood on end on her arms and neck, her eyes widened slightly and the tips of her finger spread apart. It was only when she felt the power rush through her veins that she realised exactly what she was doing. In shock and horror, she gripped the outstretched arm with her other but had difficulty in pulling it back down to her hip.

Her eye brows narrowed as she struggled to control her arm, the man soon entered the elevator and was out of sight. Spluttering in confusion she let go of her arm and of her own mild self control and watched as the familiar spike that had once embedded into Squall emerge from her outstretched right arm again than cut through into the elevator doors. Electrical sparks flying everywhere she screamed as she faded back to her old self.

Fuck…

Gasping she felt her once out of control arm fall limp by her side as she clutched her eyes shut, still spluttering in fear. Rinoa heard foot steps from behind her and found her new dilemma, Cid and Edea had to witness what the young sorceress had just done. Or was it her? This was taking over her, whatever it was, those voices. And she couldn't escape this situation, considering she'd just destroyed her only real way out; jumping out the window would cause her death.

Slowly and unsurely she turned to see Edea's usually calm face replaced with fresh anxiety and Cid's with the same concern, they each in turn looked at Rinoa standing a few metres from the elevator, with a petrified and exhausted expression, than towards the crackling elevator doors where the spike began to fade…

Rinoa trembled awkwardly back in her steps towards her dormitory in embarrassment, her head hung low as eyes in interest took concern in her odd facial expression…

Don't look at me…

What she didn't realise was only half the people she thought were watching were actually taking their gaze in her direction. Was it a growing paranoia or was she simply just vane? Neither mattered for the moment while she paced down the corridor trying to escape or get as far away from the situation as she could.

After the little incident a couple of hours ago, they'd had to get mechanics to release the mostly destroyed doors and Rinoa was quick to run from the lectures she'd of been sure to receive if she'd stayed put. Now the elevator in the principles office didn't have doors any, they'd had to have been removed until they could find replacements probably from FH.

Rinoa slammed her dormitory door as hard as she could, flicking her arm to hit it as hard as she could she grunted at the slight discomfort it caused the limb. The door clicked closed with an ungrateful bang, than there was a strange ping, Rinoa didn't even want to know what that is and didn't get the chance to question further.

Her brown hazy eyes caught sight of a coffee haired beauty sat at on one of the stoles at the dining table, stroking the excited Angelo laughing lightly to herself. Kara was back.

Kara didn't even look up, she'd witness Rinoa lose it plenty of times before and for all she knew this could just be one of her silly misunderstandings with Squall or the fact that she tried to get free food by leaning over the counter at a shop and it didn't really work the way she'd planned. Her pale gooey lip gloss spread quietly as she fleshed her pearly teeth, continuing to tickle the dog behind its ears excitably.

"Kara?" Rinoa blurted in shock, her eyes wide and red. She was slightly embarrassed from her entrance.

"Heya." Kara finally looked up; her eyes still dark with the layers of mascara and eye liner. Her eye brows thin but straight and perfect.

Kara was sporting a low cut pale purple shirt that only came half way down her arms, patching with pale denim jeans that fitted her legs tightly showing off the sexy shape that the young woman possessed to flaunt. Her cerulean eyes stung Rinoa's soul but somehow they managed to gaze at one another.

"Why you so pissed than?" Kara continued, letting go of Angelo so that the dog could obsess its owner instead.

Angelo sure enough raced over to Rinoa who bent her knees and sat on her shins to attend the dogs need, affection. It's fluffy blonde fur slipped through Rinoa's fingers easily as she scratched across the companion playfully with the same smiling expression Kara had once worn while watching the dogs eyes, to show Angelo how happy she was to see it.

"Nothing, just fucked up a bit earlier that's all." Rinoa would use the same foul language she would use.

Both had lived through a rough area with rebels and terrorists, both had grew up with the same sort of background. Both experiencing the pressure of trying to be attractive girls, Kara more so than Rinoa. Rinoa hadn't lived with it her whole life, she'd lived with her parents, than after her mother died she'd joined Kara. But Kara had lived this way her whole life. Caking her face with make up and flaunting her body through streets. The only reason Rinoa could give for the pleasure Kara took in breaking boys heart was that she had been hurt before, and that was what had happened but…she'd experienced the same thing. Why wasn't she bitter? Squall?

"Nothing too bad I hope." Kara smirked.

Suddenly there was a pound on the door and a familiar squeaky voice cried out through the dormitory. Selphie.

"Let up! Let up!" Selphie shouted.

Rinoa turned her head to the door and shouted angrily…

"It's open, damn it!"

Kara frowned briefly than looked down to the kneeling sorceress, witnessing her continuing scowl. Rinoa didn't usually get that stressed out with Selphie, what was that anger all about? It was forgotten soon enough any way, however shocking the change in character was for her best friend.

The door burst open with what seemed like difficulty, probably due to whatever jamming Rinoa caused by slamming it so hard. Selphie, Quistas and Xu entered all with happy content smiles on their faces. Each in turn raced over to Kara and gave her a tight hug as Rinoa just watched from the back. For the first time, she didn't feel part of this little close group of friends. All she kept remembering was their reactions. Some sort of angry rejection bubbled inside of her as she watched them all practically drown in Kara's presence, almost envious…

"So you guys missed me!" Kara teased with a sly smile.

They all giggled among each other until Xu spoke…

"Cha! Don't get too far up yourself girl." Her dark black hair straightened as normal, lying limply across her shoulders as her sparkling blue eyes glanced to the floor. She was still wearing the seeD uniform, even in her leisure time.

"Hey who wants drinks?" Rinoa spoke loudly trying to clear her head of the heavy thoughts that were pushing their way through and stinging painfully in her eyes.

She left Angelo to sit there and lap up all the rest of the attention he'd gain by joining the other girls in the centre of the small dormitory. The young sorceress paced round to the fridge and began reading out the names of a few…

"Sure." Quistas called. "Coke'll do."

"You got any milkshake?" Selphie asked innocently enough.

Rinoa raised an eye brow as she turned round to the girl, why the hell would she stock the stuff. She drank too much of it when she went out with her, but she could make it. Or something slightly similar to the concoction of sugar and milk and other added colourings…

"Sure I'll whip some stuff in the blender." Rinoa waited for the rest of the requests but she got none, a few 'no thanks'.

Rinoa first poured the coke and handed it over to the instructor leant across the counter on the other side listening to some story that Kara was telling. Than took out the blender, a machine she hated greatly, sometimes it just DECIDED to spill everything everywhere, it wasn't that SHE'D forgotten to put the top on or anything it was it's fault, of course!

Replacing the coke to its place in the fridge she reached up for the freezer handle, she tugged at it harshly than quickly gripped the strawberry ice cream from the top shelf and dropped it on the counter. Just as impatiently she shut the door than took out of the milk from the fridge and closed the cooling machine.

She peeled off the top of the ice cream and gripped a scooping spoon that was laid in a pot a little down the bench with other kitchen utensils, and with every bit of strength she possessed ripped the frozen contents from the box, with great difficulty. After a short while she finally slapped a scoop of thick strawberry ice cream into the blender and after another while longer she had about three scoops and that was good enough for her.

As she relaxed her body she realised how tensed every muscle has been, than felt the pain in her gums and teeth from where they had been gritting deep into one another. Frustrated she spilled far too much milk into the plastic container and raised her other hand to hit the on switch. But this time she'd learnt, she placed the milk back after covering the top again, than hit the cover on the blender and switched on…

To stand in the background…

"You so didn't!" Selphie cried in shock and excitement.

"I shook his hand the next thing I knew he was on his knees begging for me so I gave him it." A cruel and flirtatious smirk crossed her lips as her eyes thinned.

Some intense desire gripped Rinoa to suddenly listen to whatever dirty story Kara was about to tell, her eyes glanced up towards her best friends pretty mascara loaded fluttering eyes and watched for a little while. Fighting the pathetic desire she turned her head away and pulled from her own little spot to go get some dinner, she'd just order a pizza from the cafeteria. Pick up a bottle of vodka on the way; she'd be alright with that little present in arms length. Time to pay an old friend a visit, Garden didn't want anything to do with alcohol and was heavily banned among students, but she wasn't a student.

"Gonna grab a pizza, be back soon." Rinoa mumbled as she left the girly scenario behind as they all outstretched around the room, grabbing comfy places to listen intently.

"Sure hunni." Someone replied, but Rinoa didn't even recognise who, she wasn't even sure if deep down she'd wanted for someone to just realise she was going and to just reply to her, to the extent that her subconscious would create such a voice.

Rinoa knocked five times against the broken hinged door, and waited patiently for a familiar face to appear behind the oak board that had been a door be withdrawn from where it once rested against the frame. Rinoa looked around at where the door used to be attached to the wall than looked to the ebony haired boy smirk nervously and than shake his head as a welcome for her to step inside.

Once she took the steps inside the room he pushed back the door with all his strength and breathed deeply once the door was back in comfortable balance against the chipped frame.

Rinoa raised an eye brow than quirked…

"Door management problems Ice?"

Ice had short spiky hair and a tattoo across his temple of a symbol from an old GF religion of some kind, apparently his family created the facial obligation as a child and he was soon to replace the faded areas of the body art filled in. Piercing dark eyes, and a thick bridged nose, a pierced hoop right ear and a buff body, Ice wasn't a bad looking guy.

"Got busted yesterday and I was out of it, took too many Z's, so Garden security officers knocked the door down. I have to be out of here by the end of the week, parents coming to get me. Cid said I could stay cuz I'm banned from Balamb as well." There was a small trace of pride left lingering in the way he looked at her as he retold his current situation.

"Damn." Rinoa seemed shocked. "Someone dob you or just stupid enough to get caught?"

"Cid wouldn't name names but someone told them. Then they searched the place, you should of seen them when they found all the alcohol, THEN the pills, oh, that was funny." He laughed hard to himself, until he gripped his stomach.

Rinoa stood back and watched in sort of mock amusement in awe of how idiotic the boy was, he was lucky he was still on the grounds, REALLY LUCKY. She gulped than rolled her eyes and folded her eyes impatiently.

"So you got nothing." Rinoa sighed.

"Nothing sweetie." He managed to breath, beginning to stand straight again. "They took it all away, said it would be 'disposed' of. Waste if you ask me."

"So what are you going to do now?" Rinoa queried, her voice expressing some sort of concern for the idiot.

"Oh I don't know, deal somewhere else I spose. Parents won't keep me, being a disappointment and all."

"You're still hot in Timber though, they won't take you any where near there." Rinoa shook her head impatiently.

"I'll be cool, it's our home ya know. That's why I left. You left. Disappeared without a trace, no one but those two idiots you hanged with knew where. Otherwise I would have told my parents to fuck off when they started flashing the cash at Cid." He suddenly seemed nonchalant a sudden change from his hysterical state a moment earlier.

"Yeah, I said I was sorry. Never thought I'd find you here though." She giggled. "Any way, I gotta go, Got mates round and thought I could pick up some stuff but ah well."

"I'm hurt, there I was thinking you came to see me!" Ice replied more than flirtatiously.

"Never Ice, so shut up." She giggled back as she walked back towards the broken door.

"I'm hurt Rinny, all those times we used to play in that park, all the time you told me how cute I was." He pushed cautiously.

"Shut up Ice." Rinoa became slightly angered, dwelling on any piece of the past was not something Rinoa was in the mood to do the same.

"You'll come and see me before I leave won't ya?" He became very serious.

"Why don't you come see me?" Rinoa turned her back to the door and looked him in the eye. "My birthday ya know!" She giggled playfully.

"I know it's sometime this month." He replied.

Rinoa sighed heavily than turned and flipped the door sideward into Ice and walked out, listening to his shocked gasp as he clutched the side of the door as it smacked into him and his confused fast breaths afterwards.

The night settled into its peaceful beauty and everyone but Rinoa stayed up in the living room watching old soppy movies. Unfortunately for Rinoa she couldn't quite wrap her head around the new responsibility, did anyone expect her to? Did they even realise the importance? Why didn't any one give a fuck? She laid their staring vacantly into the darkness of her bedroom, hearing the occasional giggle escape from the living room. Quivering at the most recent of the squeals she turned over to face the wall next to her bed and crawled up tighter into a ball…maybe she was just going through depression or something…whatever the reason for the strong hating and hurting emotion she wouldn't ignore the tears that exploded from her eyes through whimpers of fear.

Another explosion of laughter scratched against Rinoa's goosepimply skin, as she clutched even tighter.

Even god damn crying…

The weakness that rippled through her entire body rendered all of her muscles suddenly limp and her once low horse gasps for air through streaking tears turned into low slowed hushed breaths.

You want that to make me feel low?

I don't want to be connected with someone who cries all the time about nothing…your not a sorceress…not at all…

God, your right…I'm nothing like any of the sorceresses…

Rinoa marvelled at this point for a few moments and smirked in the veil of darkness…

I'm not like any of you sorceresses…

…

…

That's great…

What?

Rinoa sat up in the blackness and continued to smile…

I wanna play the rest of my times as the sorceress Rinoa…cuz I'm not like you guys…and I'm not Rinoa Heartily any more either…

What?

The door creaked open a dozy looking Rinoa clutched her eyes to protect them from the light that beamed sharply until they stung her eyes and made them water. The girls all each in turn peeked a glance at her and smiled equally as cutely. She looked round at each them in their pyjamas, all with hot chocolate in hand, a bag of marshmallows in-between the circle of bean bags around the small television laid on the floor.

"Mind if I join ya?" Rinoa smiled brightly, her eyes shining in the light through her slightly closed eye lids.

Kara face widened into a grin as she excitedly turned round to see Rinoa and nodded her head frantically. Selphie immediately jumped up from her seat and dived over the kitchen counter towards the kettle to make another hot chocolate. Kara moved a long her bean bag creating room for Rinoa to cuddle up close to her. Rinoa quickly sat beside her and was taken into open arms…

Author's Note: Sorry this is sorta short, I suck I know, a lot of school work and screwy writers block but I hope this chapter was good for you guys, tell me if it wasn't, it's sorta a boring chapter I know!