Thank you all for the lovely reviews! Enjoy Chapter 10.
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YUNA
I hear the smile in his voice.
"Hey. What's up?" he asks. I am sitting on my bed with the cordless phone in hand, wearing the white nightgown I was sleeping in last night. Belgemine is fluttering around my room, dusting random objects and tidying up, even though I told her I can manage my own room. I know she is trying to be quiet so she can listen in on my conversation with Tidus.
"Nothing, really. I was just calling because . . . um . . ." I falter slightly, unsure of how to say this.
"What is it?" he urges, sounding curious.
"Well, this is going to sound strange, but . . . did anything . . . happen to you last night?"
A long pause on his end. I ignore Belgemine's quick glance in my direction.
"Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know. I just had this feeling last night that something bad happened to you. I can't really explain it, but sometimes I get these strange vibes, and I'm usually right. Am I right this time?"
"Well . . . last night Nooj and his gang jumped me when I was walking home," he replies casually.
My stomach lurches. "Oh Tidus, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
I hear him laugh. "Yuna, relax! I'm fine. The bruises will fade away eventually. No serious harm done, thanks to my gang for showing up at the right moment."
"I knew I should have given you a ride home . . ."
"And what, risk that beautiful Porsche of yours? I'd never forgive you if you let it get stolen."
"But you could have been killed! What's a car compared to a human life?"
Belgemine is now staring pointedly at me. I gesture for her to leave, which she does reluctantly, still trying to catch hints of our conversation. "Have you spoken to the police?"
He laughs again, harder this time. "Yuna, stuff like this happens all the time in my neighbourhood. People get murdered in the streets and the police don't do jack shit about it. The law doesn't care about any of us on this end of town. Just don't worry yourself about it, okay?"
"But-"
"I swear on my father's dead glory that I am fine. It's nothing serious."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," he says emphatically. "Trust me. The gang was there to back me up."
"Okay. I believe you."
"Man, what were you planning to do? Come down here and nurse me back to health?"
"No," I mutter, picking at a loose thread in my nightgown. "It was just a feeling. It bugged me all night." Of course he doesn't know I possess some White Magic. At least not yet.
"How nice. Someone loves me!" he says, laughing. I blush furiously.
"You be quiet," I snap, trying not to grin into the phone. "Sorry for trying to help!"
"Well, I guess it comes in handy having a psychic friend. Know any winning lottery numbers?"
I giggle softly at the joke, secretly pleased inside. He just referred to me as a friend.
"So, what are you up to today?" he asks me. I stand up and walk to the window overlooking the city. Even in the daylight, Bevelle is beautiful.
"Actually, I'm going shopping with Dona and her friends this afternoon."
I brace myself, hearing the hesitation on his end.
"Oh," he says quietly, in a flat voice. "Listen, my dad needs the phone. Talk to you later."
I am about to say bye as well, when I hear the click and ring tone. He has hung up on me, obviously displeased with my plans for the day. I sigh and shut off the cordless phone, troubled by his attitude. It still baffles me how he could be so suspicious of Dona. Just because they supposedly had some trouble in a relationship a while ago, why must he mistrust her so? She seems harmless to me.
There is a knock on my door.
"Yes?"
Auron pokes his head in, regarding me as I turn around from the window to greet him.
"Your father wants to see you in the library. Best not to keep him waiting," he tells me, and then withdraws. I swallow. The library? Father never wants to see me there unless he's angry. If I were to see him in his private study, or his bedroom for that matter, I would not be worried. But ever since I was a child, the library has always been the place where I receive my punishments. I do not have very fond memories of that room . . .
Does he know where I was last night? Will he interrogate me and then force some kind of chastisement on me for it?
I change quickly and hastily run a brush through my hair, attempting to make myself look presentable. My father hates sloppy appearances, especially under his own roof.
The house feels very cold and silent as I make my way down the vast staircase and through the main hall to the library. The door is slightly ajar, and I can hear the faint sounds of classical music coming from within; his favourite choice of music.
"Father?" I ask, peering in through the somewhat open door. He is standing with his back to me at the fireplace, one hand resting on the mantle. There is, yet again, a bottle of brandy and a crystal glass sitting nearby.
"Come in." His voice is grim.
I step in further and stand uncomfortably by the doorway. I am reluctant to walk in any farther.
"You came in late last night. Where were you?"
My heart sinks. So he knew of my absence. What can I say to him? Should I lie to protect myself?
I stare hopelessly at the man's back, wanting again to make him turn around to face me. Just once I want him to look me in the eye.
The anger comes again. I will not hide from him this time. I will not be ashamed of my friends.
"I was with a friend, working on a school project with him."
He stiffens, still facing the fire.
"Him? Who is 'him', pray tell?"
"His name is Tidus. I was with him and his gang at 8-Ball's the other night."
My own boldness surprises me, but there is no turning back now. He still does not turn around.
"I thought I made myself quite clear that you were not to associate with those people, young lady," he says slowly. I can hear him struggling with his own anger.
"I know."
"And yet you insist on defying me?"
"It's not to defy you, Father. I like this boy. I like his friends. They are nice to me, and they-"
"Did he touch you?"
"Father!" I gasp, startled at his question. I feel my cheeks burning. "No, of course not! He's my friend, how could you suggest such a thing?"
"I know his kind, Yuna. I know what he's after."
"That's ridiculous, Father, he's not some savage."
"Do you have feelings for him?"
"That's none of your busine-"
"Answer my question, girl!"
". . . I . . . I don't know," I falter. It's the truth. Am I developing feelings for him like in some silly high school drama?
He is silent for a moment, as if contemplating my response.
"I am going to say this one last time, young lady. You are not to spend any more time with this boy, do you understand?"
I clench my fists. I am too angry even for tears.
"Father . . . I am going to spend as much time with him as I want."
He is so stunned by my statement that he turns around to face me. His eyes are wide.
"Excuse me?"
"You . . . heard what I said." My heart is pounding so hard I can barely hear anything else. But I refuse to back down this time. I am tired of him controlling me and telling me what to do. I have been nothing but a loyal and patient daughter my whole life, never questioning him. I have had enough of it. Today I am making my own choice.
He turns away from me and rubs at his temples, clearly agitated.
"Yuna, I don't appreciate your little attitude. I've given you my order, and I expect you to obey."
"I will not obey something so unjust! Father, you don't know these kids, if you just met them you'd see that-"
"I won't discuss it any further, girl. Clearly you are suffering from a case of menstrual hormones. Ask Belgemine to give you some Midol to take care of it."
I gape at him, stunned by his indifference. I can do nothing but open and close my mouth at his back, too outraged to speak. Finally I whirl around and storm out of the library. I am severely tempted to call Tidus and his friends to invite them all over, just to spite Father.
But the rational, mature part of me gradually takes control again. I sit down at the bottom of the stairs, gripping the polished wood rail to calm myself. I will not let that man get the best of me, no matter how angry he makes me.
I stand up to go into the kitchen, when I notice Auron standing nearby. I am not surprised; his stride is completely silent. I never know where or when he'll appear. I stare at him for a minute.
"How can you bear serving my father? How can you live under the same roof as that man for so long?" I ask in a low voice. Auron chuckles and shakes his head.
"Braska and I go way back, Yuna. We defeated Sin together. There's no way I could turn my back on a friendship like that," he says with a grim smile. I walk over to him, and lean my forehead against his shoulder. He lifts up one arm to hold me around the shoulders.
"And there's no way I could leave you behind," he says softly. "You've been like a daughter me." I sigh heavily and close my eyes.
"I'm glad you didn't. I'd never be able to survive here without you," I tell him. My words are muffled by the material of his shirt. He says nothing in response, except to pet me on the back gently.
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"Oh my god, Yuna, this would look SO good on you!" Dona says excitedly, holding up a small piece of sky blue material against my chest. It takes me a moment to realize it's a shirt. Gently I push it away, shaking my head with a shy smile.
"I . . . don't think this would suit me. Maybe you should try it on instead," I say awkwardly. Dona pulls it towards herself, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"You think so? Well, I could give it a try. But we need to get you to buy something a bit more skanky than your whole librarian look," she says with a wink. I fidget uncomfortably as she and her friends examine me. There are two other girls with us, a redhead and a dark brunette. I'm not sure I remember the redhead's name, though I believe it is something like Lucil, and the other girl is Elma.
It is a wonder that my father did not try to stop me this afternoon when I told him that I was going out shopping with some friends from school. Perhaps he was too distracted with preparing his speech for his prestigious dinner party at some governor's house tonight. Either way, I was relieved to not have to deal with him as I left the house.
I don't see what's so bad about my 'librarian' look. I never have the urge to show off a lot of skin, and besides, I need to be prettier like Dona and her friends to wear clothes like that. As the day progresses, I become more and more aware of how small my breasts are compared to theirs.
But then I start to wonder. What would I look like in the clothes that Dona and her friends wear? Would people look at me the way they do her? Do I want them to look at me that way? Briefly I think of Tidus, but I am quick to banish the thought from my mind.
"Maybe . . . I could try this on," I say slowly, pulling a crimson halter top off from the rack. It looks long enough to cover my stomach at least. Dona turns around to inspect it, and her face breaks into a grin.
"That would be perfect for you! Go on to the change room, show us when you're done."
"Try it with this," Elma says, handing me a short black pleated skirt. I take it hesitantly, wondering which exact part of my thigh it will come down to.
"And these!" the redhead I believe to be named Lucil adds, shoving a pair of black knee-high boots in my arms. The three of them hastily push me in the direction of the change rooms, all with matriarchal smiles on their faces, as if they were mothers watching their daughter buy her first training bra or something.
When I emerge from the change rooms, I am embarrassed to note that the three girls are not the only ones checking me over. The male store clerk is leaning over to catch a glimpse from behind the counter, and a man with his young daughter is also looking with an interested expression.
Dona's jaw drops. "Ohmigod! Yuna, you're hot!" she squeals. I turn around to look in the store mirror, and freeze.
Luckily, the shirt does cover my stomach, but it reveals a lot of my back and more cleavage than I'm used to, and the skirt is astonishingly short. I am not sure it even comes down mid-thigh. The black boots are more comfortable than I had anticipated, and they look good with the outfit. Well . . . it really doesn't look that bad. Certainly different from my usual look, but it looks kind of nice. I would never dream of wearing this in school . . .
"You going to buy it?" Lucil asks me with a delighted smile. I grin at her.
"I think I shall."
"Great! Then we got to get you more clothes like this," Dona says decidedly. Immediately she and her friends fan out and begin filing through the clothes racks. I stand numbly rooted to the spot as they begin dumping different items of clothing into my arms. The credit card in my pocket feels like the key to unlocking some mysterious door.
Dona and her friends make me try on each outfit and model it for them. Some of them are too skimpy for my taste, and the girls reluctantly returned them to their original places, but a few of the outfits I really like.
Finally I am ready to buy what I've selected (or what was selected for me, to be truthful). The price is shockingly high, but when you're the daughter of a millionaire, money is not always a huge concern.
Walking out of the store and back into the crowded mall, Dona and her friends are making a big fuss over me, which I can only nod and smile at. I really don't see what the big deal is. I mean, they are just clothes. But then, walking past a store window, I catch a glimpse of my reflection. I am wearing a long-sleeved green shirt and some fitted jeans that are quite unremarkable. Who knew I had a body similar to Dona's under it all? I had never suspected I was capable of wearing clothes like hers, but even though my breasts are not as large, I am amazed to realize that I can show off more than what I've been revealing. Not too much, of course, but . . . enough to make a few heads turn, if possible. Maybe even Tidus'.
Ah, there's that thought again. The thought that fills my stomach with butterflies and makes my heart pound furiously. I cannot shake this feeling growing inside of me, try as I might. I cannot rid the thought that what I feel for that certain blue-eyed boy is becoming more than just friendship.
I glance at Dona out the corner of my eye. It is still strange, knowing that she and Tidus were once intimate together, and I am surprised to feel a stab of envy. I then look down at the shopping bags weighing my arms down, full of 'scandalous' new clothes that I have never even considered trying on before.
'I'll make heads turn all right,' I think with sudden resolve. 'And I'll make a certain blonde head turn more than once.'
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YUNA
I hear the smile in his voice.
"Hey. What's up?" he asks. I am sitting on my bed with the cordless phone in hand, wearing the white nightgown I was sleeping in last night. Belgemine is fluttering around my room, dusting random objects and tidying up, even though I told her I can manage my own room. I know she is trying to be quiet so she can listen in on my conversation with Tidus.
"Nothing, really. I was just calling because . . . um . . ." I falter slightly, unsure of how to say this.
"What is it?" he urges, sounding curious.
"Well, this is going to sound strange, but . . . did anything . . . happen to you last night?"
A long pause on his end. I ignore Belgemine's quick glance in my direction.
"Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know. I just had this feeling last night that something bad happened to you. I can't really explain it, but sometimes I get these strange vibes, and I'm usually right. Am I right this time?"
"Well . . . last night Nooj and his gang jumped me when I was walking home," he replies casually.
My stomach lurches. "Oh Tidus, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
I hear him laugh. "Yuna, relax! I'm fine. The bruises will fade away eventually. No serious harm done, thanks to my gang for showing up at the right moment."
"I knew I should have given you a ride home . . ."
"And what, risk that beautiful Porsche of yours? I'd never forgive you if you let it get stolen."
"But you could have been killed! What's a car compared to a human life?"
Belgemine is now staring pointedly at me. I gesture for her to leave, which she does reluctantly, still trying to catch hints of our conversation. "Have you spoken to the police?"
He laughs again, harder this time. "Yuna, stuff like this happens all the time in my neighbourhood. People get murdered in the streets and the police don't do jack shit about it. The law doesn't care about any of us on this end of town. Just don't worry yourself about it, okay?"
"But-"
"I swear on my father's dead glory that I am fine. It's nothing serious."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," he says emphatically. "Trust me. The gang was there to back me up."
"Okay. I believe you."
"Man, what were you planning to do? Come down here and nurse me back to health?"
"No," I mutter, picking at a loose thread in my nightgown. "It was just a feeling. It bugged me all night." Of course he doesn't know I possess some White Magic. At least not yet.
"How nice. Someone loves me!" he says, laughing. I blush furiously.
"You be quiet," I snap, trying not to grin into the phone. "Sorry for trying to help!"
"Well, I guess it comes in handy having a psychic friend. Know any winning lottery numbers?"
I giggle softly at the joke, secretly pleased inside. He just referred to me as a friend.
"So, what are you up to today?" he asks me. I stand up and walk to the window overlooking the city. Even in the daylight, Bevelle is beautiful.
"Actually, I'm going shopping with Dona and her friends this afternoon."
I brace myself, hearing the hesitation on his end.
"Oh," he says quietly, in a flat voice. "Listen, my dad needs the phone. Talk to you later."
I am about to say bye as well, when I hear the click and ring tone. He has hung up on me, obviously displeased with my plans for the day. I sigh and shut off the cordless phone, troubled by his attitude. It still baffles me how he could be so suspicious of Dona. Just because they supposedly had some trouble in a relationship a while ago, why must he mistrust her so? She seems harmless to me.
There is a knock on my door.
"Yes?"
Auron pokes his head in, regarding me as I turn around from the window to greet him.
"Your father wants to see you in the library. Best not to keep him waiting," he tells me, and then withdraws. I swallow. The library? Father never wants to see me there unless he's angry. If I were to see him in his private study, or his bedroom for that matter, I would not be worried. But ever since I was a child, the library has always been the place where I receive my punishments. I do not have very fond memories of that room . . .
Does he know where I was last night? Will he interrogate me and then force some kind of chastisement on me for it?
I change quickly and hastily run a brush through my hair, attempting to make myself look presentable. My father hates sloppy appearances, especially under his own roof.
The house feels very cold and silent as I make my way down the vast staircase and through the main hall to the library. The door is slightly ajar, and I can hear the faint sounds of classical music coming from within; his favourite choice of music.
"Father?" I ask, peering in through the somewhat open door. He is standing with his back to me at the fireplace, one hand resting on the mantle. There is, yet again, a bottle of brandy and a crystal glass sitting nearby.
"Come in." His voice is grim.
I step in further and stand uncomfortably by the doorway. I am reluctant to walk in any farther.
"You came in late last night. Where were you?"
My heart sinks. So he knew of my absence. What can I say to him? Should I lie to protect myself?
I stare hopelessly at the man's back, wanting again to make him turn around to face me. Just once I want him to look me in the eye.
The anger comes again. I will not hide from him this time. I will not be ashamed of my friends.
"I was with a friend, working on a school project with him."
He stiffens, still facing the fire.
"Him? Who is 'him', pray tell?"
"His name is Tidus. I was with him and his gang at 8-Ball's the other night."
My own boldness surprises me, but there is no turning back now. He still does not turn around.
"I thought I made myself quite clear that you were not to associate with those people, young lady," he says slowly. I can hear him struggling with his own anger.
"I know."
"And yet you insist on defying me?"
"It's not to defy you, Father. I like this boy. I like his friends. They are nice to me, and they-"
"Did he touch you?"
"Father!" I gasp, startled at his question. I feel my cheeks burning. "No, of course not! He's my friend, how could you suggest such a thing?"
"I know his kind, Yuna. I know what he's after."
"That's ridiculous, Father, he's not some savage."
"Do you have feelings for him?"
"That's none of your busine-"
"Answer my question, girl!"
". . . I . . . I don't know," I falter. It's the truth. Am I developing feelings for him like in some silly high school drama?
He is silent for a moment, as if contemplating my response.
"I am going to say this one last time, young lady. You are not to spend any more time with this boy, do you understand?"
I clench my fists. I am too angry even for tears.
"Father . . . I am going to spend as much time with him as I want."
He is so stunned by my statement that he turns around to face me. His eyes are wide.
"Excuse me?"
"You . . . heard what I said." My heart is pounding so hard I can barely hear anything else. But I refuse to back down this time. I am tired of him controlling me and telling me what to do. I have been nothing but a loyal and patient daughter my whole life, never questioning him. I have had enough of it. Today I am making my own choice.
He turns away from me and rubs at his temples, clearly agitated.
"Yuna, I don't appreciate your little attitude. I've given you my order, and I expect you to obey."
"I will not obey something so unjust! Father, you don't know these kids, if you just met them you'd see that-"
"I won't discuss it any further, girl. Clearly you are suffering from a case of menstrual hormones. Ask Belgemine to give you some Midol to take care of it."
I gape at him, stunned by his indifference. I can do nothing but open and close my mouth at his back, too outraged to speak. Finally I whirl around and storm out of the library. I am severely tempted to call Tidus and his friends to invite them all over, just to spite Father.
But the rational, mature part of me gradually takes control again. I sit down at the bottom of the stairs, gripping the polished wood rail to calm myself. I will not let that man get the best of me, no matter how angry he makes me.
I stand up to go into the kitchen, when I notice Auron standing nearby. I am not surprised; his stride is completely silent. I never know where or when he'll appear. I stare at him for a minute.
"How can you bear serving my father? How can you live under the same roof as that man for so long?" I ask in a low voice. Auron chuckles and shakes his head.
"Braska and I go way back, Yuna. We defeated Sin together. There's no way I could turn my back on a friendship like that," he says with a grim smile. I walk over to him, and lean my forehead against his shoulder. He lifts up one arm to hold me around the shoulders.
"And there's no way I could leave you behind," he says softly. "You've been like a daughter me." I sigh heavily and close my eyes.
"I'm glad you didn't. I'd never be able to survive here without you," I tell him. My words are muffled by the material of his shirt. He says nothing in response, except to pet me on the back gently.
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"Oh my god, Yuna, this would look SO good on you!" Dona says excitedly, holding up a small piece of sky blue material against my chest. It takes me a moment to realize it's a shirt. Gently I push it away, shaking my head with a shy smile.
"I . . . don't think this would suit me. Maybe you should try it on instead," I say awkwardly. Dona pulls it towards herself, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"You think so? Well, I could give it a try. But we need to get you to buy something a bit more skanky than your whole librarian look," she says with a wink. I fidget uncomfortably as she and her friends examine me. There are two other girls with us, a redhead and a dark brunette. I'm not sure I remember the redhead's name, though I believe it is something like Lucil, and the other girl is Elma.
It is a wonder that my father did not try to stop me this afternoon when I told him that I was going out shopping with some friends from school. Perhaps he was too distracted with preparing his speech for his prestigious dinner party at some governor's house tonight. Either way, I was relieved to not have to deal with him as I left the house.
I don't see what's so bad about my 'librarian' look. I never have the urge to show off a lot of skin, and besides, I need to be prettier like Dona and her friends to wear clothes like that. As the day progresses, I become more and more aware of how small my breasts are compared to theirs.
But then I start to wonder. What would I look like in the clothes that Dona and her friends wear? Would people look at me the way they do her? Do I want them to look at me that way? Briefly I think of Tidus, but I am quick to banish the thought from my mind.
"Maybe . . . I could try this on," I say slowly, pulling a crimson halter top off from the rack. It looks long enough to cover my stomach at least. Dona turns around to inspect it, and her face breaks into a grin.
"That would be perfect for you! Go on to the change room, show us when you're done."
"Try it with this," Elma says, handing me a short black pleated skirt. I take it hesitantly, wondering which exact part of my thigh it will come down to.
"And these!" the redhead I believe to be named Lucil adds, shoving a pair of black knee-high boots in my arms. The three of them hastily push me in the direction of the change rooms, all with matriarchal smiles on their faces, as if they were mothers watching their daughter buy her first training bra or something.
When I emerge from the change rooms, I am embarrassed to note that the three girls are not the only ones checking me over. The male store clerk is leaning over to catch a glimpse from behind the counter, and a man with his young daughter is also looking with an interested expression.
Dona's jaw drops. "Ohmigod! Yuna, you're hot!" she squeals. I turn around to look in the store mirror, and freeze.
Luckily, the shirt does cover my stomach, but it reveals a lot of my back and more cleavage than I'm used to, and the skirt is astonishingly short. I am not sure it even comes down mid-thigh. The black boots are more comfortable than I had anticipated, and they look good with the outfit. Well . . . it really doesn't look that bad. Certainly different from my usual look, but it looks kind of nice. I would never dream of wearing this in school . . .
"You going to buy it?" Lucil asks me with a delighted smile. I grin at her.
"I think I shall."
"Great! Then we got to get you more clothes like this," Dona says decidedly. Immediately she and her friends fan out and begin filing through the clothes racks. I stand numbly rooted to the spot as they begin dumping different items of clothing into my arms. The credit card in my pocket feels like the key to unlocking some mysterious door.
Dona and her friends make me try on each outfit and model it for them. Some of them are too skimpy for my taste, and the girls reluctantly returned them to their original places, but a few of the outfits I really like.
Finally I am ready to buy what I've selected (or what was selected for me, to be truthful). The price is shockingly high, but when you're the daughter of a millionaire, money is not always a huge concern.
Walking out of the store and back into the crowded mall, Dona and her friends are making a big fuss over me, which I can only nod and smile at. I really don't see what the big deal is. I mean, they are just clothes. But then, walking past a store window, I catch a glimpse of my reflection. I am wearing a long-sleeved green shirt and some fitted jeans that are quite unremarkable. Who knew I had a body similar to Dona's under it all? I had never suspected I was capable of wearing clothes like hers, but even though my breasts are not as large, I am amazed to realize that I can show off more than what I've been revealing. Not too much, of course, but . . . enough to make a few heads turn, if possible. Maybe even Tidus'.
Ah, there's that thought again. The thought that fills my stomach with butterflies and makes my heart pound furiously. I cannot shake this feeling growing inside of me, try as I might. I cannot rid the thought that what I feel for that certain blue-eyed boy is becoming more than just friendship.
I glance at Dona out the corner of my eye. It is still strange, knowing that she and Tidus were once intimate together, and I am surprised to feel a stab of envy. I then look down at the shopping bags weighing my arms down, full of 'scandalous' new clothes that I have never even considered trying on before.
'I'll make heads turn all right,' I think with sudden resolve. 'And I'll make a certain blonde head turn more than once.'