Selphie Kinneas

Roses

The Sniper's Rose

Chapter Four- Squall's Disapproval

Irvine opened his eyes. The golden sun sank below the horizon. Selphie was still asleep. He quickly turned to her. "Selphie! Wake up it's night time!" Selphie woke up immediately.

"Oh no! I over slept! We have to get back to garden before they lock the gates!" Selphie scrambled to her feet and started through thicket of trees and mud. Irvine followed.

Rinoa sat in her dorm. Squall paced the space by her, "Do you think she's okay?"

"I don't know! She just disappeared during lunch." Rinoa snapped.

"When'd you last see her?"

"Just before I went to find Zell."

"And you made sure she wasn't in the cafeteria." Squall interrogated. Rinoa shook her head in agreement.

"I hope she's not hurt."

"Me too," He said.

The dorm's door burst open and Selphie ran in. "Oh my gosh! I lost complete track of time…!" She breathed.

"Selphie! Where were, Squall and I look all over for you." Rinoa exclaimed.

"I…I was in the town checking it out with a friend." Selphie lied.

Squall shrugged. "Gee, you could have at least told us. We thought you were hurt or something."

"I scared you?" Selphie whispered with a tone of guilt.

"Kind of, only cause it was your first real day." Rinoa admitted.

"Rinoa thought a T-Rexaur ate you." Squall spat flatly.

"Only because you said you found a broken nunchuk the training center!" Rinoa argued.

"I also said a junior classman claimed it!"

Selphie giggled. "I'm sorry, I just lost track of time." She really meant it.

"It's okay. The reason I was paranoid was because Squall listed all these horrible things that may have happened." Rinoa pointed out.

Squall snorted, "I'm leaving."

Irvine entered dorm 259. Zell and his hotdog filled body was sprawled over the table, his mouth laid open as he slightly drooled on his homework. Irvine carefully avoided him and entered his room. He threw himself on his bed and attempted to sleep. His stomach growled loudly.

I missed all my meals today.

Irvine tossed over as he laid his eyes on his schedule. Selphie never gave me that tour. He sighed as he checked his first class. "History." He pretended to yawn. Damn, my first class is a snooze. He pulled off his coat and placed his rifle in his closet. He looked at his messily wrinkled bed. There's no reason to try sleeping right now. He changed his clothes and took a peek at his dreadful navy uniform.

"Dang, what a way to strip individuality." He sat on his bed and watched the clock that hung crooked on his wall. The long thin hand slowly ticked, 'Tic tock, tic, tock.'

Irvine waited past midnight before his head went into another daze.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Wake up Irvine." Young Irvine rubbed his eyes as he spotted his uncle in the corner.

"Get up, today we're going to see sumthing, hurry and make my food." He said greedily. Irvine nodded as he slowly got to his feet and rushed down the hall and cooked his guardian's meal. The fat old man sat comfortably and lazily on a large seat.

"Bring me my food Irvine!" He commanded. Irvine scurried to him with a plate of freshly made Chocobo eggs and Gayla bacon. The man chewed the crisp bacon and grunted, "Well what you looking at? There's plenty o' chores to do. Stop bein so lazy, ya bettah be lucky I even keep ya round'."

Irvine shuffled his feet. "May I eat something?" He pleaded quietly. The man turned his enormous neck.

"Eat!!? YOU PIG! I GIVE YA A NICE OLE' BED AND A ROOF AND YOU NEVER DO ANYTHIN TO HELP AND YOU ASK ME FOR SUNTHIN TO EAT!?"

"Please…?" Irvine whimpered slightly.

"NO! GO DO THE HOUSEWORK!" Irvine slowly made his way to his room. His empty stomach ached with pain.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The Next Day

Selphie walked out of the cafeteria holding her history book. She sighed as the hushed garden's students made their way to breakfast. Selphie went to the elevator and entered the 2nd floor hallway. Girls flirted with boys and instructors ignored them. Seifer and his posse of the disciplinary committee passed her quietly, as if.

"Hey you! Rule breaker! You broke a rule ya know!?" A fat dark man called.

"LIE." A lady in blue with a patch over her eye declared.

"Fujin! I saw him…run ya know?" The man replied in defense. Seifer shook his head.

"Shut up Rajin, he seriously didn't do anything." He shouted sounded extremely aggravated.

Selphie watched as the trio argued about if the student broke a rule or not. She held her books tighter as she made way to her next class, History.

A bell later

Selphie set her books on her on her desk.

"Can I sit here?"

Selphie's ears perked up.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Can I sit here?"

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

 Selphie turned around, Irvine stood there, just as charming and calm as before. "Of course!" Selphie answered. She ignored her books and smiled sweetly, her cheeks brightened to a reddish color. Selphie smiled as she turned her head to Irvine.

"Sure!" Irvine bowed his head and sat down.

"Thanks." He said. Selphie shuffled her feet. Say something!

"I had fun yesterday…" Selphie started. Irvine turned his head.

"I did too." He replied, "Want to do it again?" Selphie blushed deeply.

"I, uh… I'd lo, what are doing?" Selphie stammered. Irvine chuckled slightly.

"Want to really go see the town? I was thinking we could head into Balamb somewhere in the weekend."

"I'd love to go!" Selphie chirped.

"Settle down class." A deep voice called through the room. The instructor, Instructor Elijah, walked to his desk, "Today we'll be talking about the Great Hyne. Now does anyone know anything about the Great Hyne?"

Selphie stared at Irvine who didn't look interested into class, but he still was concentrated on something. She quietly nudged him. Irvine faced Selphie and gave her a 'What's wrong?' face. Selphie smiled and pointed to Instructor Elijah. Irvine understood and listened to the endless lecture of the Great Hyne, the creator of Mankind.

The bell rang an hour and a half later. Selphie left the classroom alongside with Irvine. "I'll see you at lunch Selphie." He waved. Selphie grimaced as she waved back.

Rinoa sat in the library as she searched through her book. Selphie pulled up a chair and joined her.

"Hey." She greeted. Rinoa looked up from her book.

"Oh hey," Rinoa shoved her books aside. Selphie pulled out her notes on the Great Hyne and read through quickly. No homework! Maybe I should start on my Cactaur report. Selphie slowly reached for her previous notes.

She began rustling through the many sheets of paper. Selphie sighed as she left the table and went over to an empty computer. She placed her hands on the keyboard, and her fingers on the keys.

Cactaurs…by Selphie Tilmitt. Selphie thought to herself as she typed.

"Cactaurs are born unusually tiny. They grow quickly developing long thin needles in large amount each time. A normal Cactaur can grow over 5,000 needles a month. They cannot attack with more than a 1,000 a time…" Selphie muttered to herself.

Soon the bell rings

Selphie stuffed her finished report in her schoolbag and rushed away after waving to Rinoa. She made her way to the elevator, and not surprisingly, there was an enormous crowd pushing and shoving to enter. Selphie groaned as she waited impatiently.

A few minutes later, she was in the elevator lifting up to the second floor. Once the elevator came to a stop, Selphie rushed down the hall to the classroom for "Monsters & Magics."

Irvine tipped his books onto his bed.

"Hey dude," Zell called as he walked in.

"Oh hi Hotdog man." Irvine chuckled back.

"Wha?" Zell turned his head to Irvine, who was laughing hysterically. "What does that mean?" He asked crossly.

"C'mon, don't tell me you didn't realize the mountain you ate for lunch yesterday." Irvine replied trying hard to pause his laughter.

"Course I realized! I eat that, cause…I share!" Zell stammered. Irvine burst into laughter again.

"Sure, with your stomach." Irvine disappeared into his room. Zell shouted as he angrily threw a shoe that had just been released from his foot and gave off an odd odor.

Irvine contained his chuckles and sat on his bed. His eyes slipped onto the clock hanging over his bed. Don't I have class right about now? He scratched his head slightly and read his next class. Training Skills of Fight? There's a class I'll like. Irvine placed his rifle by his waist and strapped it on tightly. He picked up a silly text book titled, "Junctions, Triggers; and to use it."

At Lunch

Selphie and Rinoa sat down at a table as they started to eat their lunches.

"Guess what?" Rinoa peeped excitedly. Selphie glanced up,

"What?" She asked interestedly.

"There is this new guy in our class, and dang is he strong!"

"Strong?"

"Yeah, I was in Training Skills of Fight and we had a field practice."

"Uh huh."

"Well, this guy killed three bug bites, two gaylas, and a glacial eye with one shot!" Rinoa smiled sarcastically, "He just might take Squall's place on top SeeD!" Selphie laughed along with Rinoa.

As the two laughed, Irvine walked over to them holding his tray.

"This a free seat?" He asked. Selphie smirked as she caught Irvine's eye. She turned to Rinoa.

"That's him." Rinoa uttered under her breathe. Selphie shrugged as she looked back at Irvine.

"Sure." She answered. Irvine pulled the chair and sat down. Rinoa's eyes widened.

"You're in my last class weren't you?" She asked nervously. Irvine nodded.

"I think." He shrugged. Selphie sighed as she scooted closer to Irvine's seat.

"Rinoa, this is Irvine Davinsen." Selphie introduced. Rinoa raised an eyebrow.

Another tray landed on the table. "Sorry I'm late." Squall gestured. Rinoa turned her attention to her boyfriend.

"Oh hey Squall." Rinoa sipped some of her drink, "this is Irvine Davinsen, he's new here." Squall turned his face towards Irvine.

"Hi Irvine, welcome to Balamb…" Squall's eyes darted at Irvine's.

"Do I got something in my eye?" Irvine asked as he brushed his fingers around it. Squall shook his head.

"No, no. It's nothing." Squall began to eat. The table stayed quiet.

Irvine finished his last bite and stood up.

"I'm going now. I'll see ya'll later. Bye." Irvine waved quickly and vanished into the large crowds. As soon as he was gone, Rinoa threw a dirty look at Squall.

"What was that?!" She demanded crossly.

"What?" Squall asked bewildered.

"Why were you acting so cold all the sudden?" Rinoa pointed out. Squall shrugged.

"I dunno, there's something about him." Squall sighed heavily, his eyes were real weird. And he is just so…nah don't say it. "I don't trust him." Squall spat. Selphie jerked for a moment, "But you just said like 9 words to him." She pointed.

"I know, but there's something about him."

Rinoa laid her head on her palms. "I know where this is going." She sighed. Selphie squinted her eyes curiously.

"Where?" She asked. Rinoa pushed a few bangs out of her eyes.

"Squall sees too many coincidences." Rinoa nudged Squall, "Your predictions are always wrong Squall." Selphie crossed her arms.

"Who, and what?" She asked loudly. Rinoa closed her eyes. Squall wet his lips to answer.

"Too many coincidences to be Irvine Kinneas."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!