Disclaimer - I don't own this game…
The Way She Is
Chapter Four - what you're Made Of
Irvine got out of the hotel bed and pulled on his clothes. Squall was still sleeping which was fine. His head hurt and he hadn't slept well all night. The night before continued to raced through his head. He had been looking for Squall so he had gone outside the hotel. There he saw something that broke his heart. He dropped down on the bed. He couldn't think about it.
After a while he got up and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. He wrote a note to Squall saying he had gone out and would be back later. Having written the note he left the hotel and Squall. The sky was sunny and cloudless unlike his mood. It was rather early so not many people were around and Irvine felt relieved. He couldn't bare having to look at people.
On the streets of the city he walked slowly as young woman rushed past him. Probably late for work, Irvine thought. He watched her jog to wherever she was going. She was attractive and a long time ago he would have hit on her. It wasn't that long ago though… A lot had changed…
He slowly walked into the street, dazed not looking where he was going. There was a squeal of tires, a shout, lots of screaming, and suddenly red pain. Everything went black. Nothing was there. Everything was gone.
Zell moved down the hall towards Quistis' room. He needed someone to talk to for advice. He would have gone to someone else but no one was around except maybe Xu and Nida but he wasn't that close to them. He made it to her room and knocked softly on the door. It was early and he hoped she wasn't sleeping.
Nida opened the door, "Oh, hey Zell?" He raised his eyebrow.
This is awkward. "Uh, hi… Is Quistis here? I need to ask her something," Zell said shyly.
"Yeah, I'm here," A voice sounded from behind the door. Quistis appeared beside Nida. She placed her hands on her hips and scowled, "What do you want?"
When the blonde-haired woman appeared, Zell started to regain his energy. How did she do this to him? "Well I need some advice and since...you're the closest friend I have here right now, could you help me?" Quistis sighed then nodded. Zell looked at Nida and said, "No offence."
"None taken." Nida shrugged
"Well…it's kind of private…" Zell shrugged back apologetically.
"No! If Nida has to leave I won't help you."
"Hey, hey! It's okay. I was going to leave soon anyway," Nida backed out the door, his hand raise in surrender. He blew a kiss to Quisty then started down the hall.
Quistis stepped aside and let Zell in her room. He looked around. Wow! He was in Quistis' room! "So what is it?" Quistis' question startled him and he looked at Quistis in befuddlement.
"You said you needed advice. Don't you remember?"
"…uh…oh! Oh yeah! Well this is kind of… You see…I…" Zell tried to say something but the words wouldn't come out.
"Oh my god! Just say it!" He could tell the well-known instructor was irritated.
"I don't think the relationship with Stella is working…" He trailed off and started looking around, "You've got a nice room."
Quistis would not be distracted. "And you thought I could help you?"
Zell plopped down on her tidy bed and looked into her blue eyes, "Well you always helped Selphie and you are really smart… I just don't want to lie to Stella by saying that we're something that we're not. I care for her like, well, a sister and I don't want to hurt her, yah know?"
Quistis looked at Zell. He somehow looked different. Not the overly hyper, annoying guy she knew, but a caring brotherly type. Maybe that's what Selphie saw…? "I think you should tell her the truth. Like you said, you don't want to lie to her. If you keep it from her, the truth will come out eventually, it might hurt her even more finding out from someone other then you."
Zell thought this over before saying, "I guess you're right. Thanks Quistis!" Zell leaped up and move towards her. He kissed her on the cheek, "You're great!" Then he bounced out and left her standing there, dumbfounded holding her cheek, a soft blush rising slightly from her neck to her face.
Seifer sat in the waiting room of the hospital. Reyna was stationed next to him. He held his head in his hands, "Stupid girl. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid girl!"
Reyna slumped in her chair, "I didn't mean too… Do you think we should call any one?"
"No! He has no—" Seifer broke off in the middle of his sentence and stood up, walking over to the pay phone.
"Wait, who are—" Seifer cut her off with a wave of his hand, "Do you have any change?" She dug into her pockets and then handed what she found to Seifer. He took it and started making calls.
"Hello. Balamb Garden, how can I help you today?"
"Xu? It's Seifer. I need to speak to Cid!"
"Seifer? …The headmaster is busy—"
"That's bull! I need to speak to Cid. It's really important!" Seifer growled through the phone.
"Fine," Xu said. There was a pause and then a male's voice said, "Hello, this is Headmaster Cid."
"Cid? You know that girl you sent to get me? Well, she ran over Irvine," He paused to silence the protests from Reyna.
"What? Is he all right? I'll be right there!" The line clicked. Seifer hung up the phone then fed the phone more money and dialed the Tilmitt's home number.
"Hello, this is the Tilmitt's," Seifer recognized the voice of Marie Tilmitt.
"Hi, Mrs. Tilmitt. This is Seifer Almasy. I need to talk to Selphie. Is she there?"
"Yes, she is. I'll go get her right now," He could hear her set down the phone and call up to her daughter. "Who's Selphie?" Seifer turned and looked at the girl who had run over Irvine. She looked scared and helpless. He never in his life wanted to look like that, but of course, he already had…
"She's a close friend of Irv—"
"Hello? Seifer?"
"Selph! …I've got something I need to tell you. Don't freak out. I'm sure everything will turn out all right."
Selphie was now more scared then she had been before. It was obvious he had never comforted anyone before. He was just going on and on about how she shouldn't be worried while had to wait on the other end, "Just tell me Seif!"
There was a pause before he said, "We were in an accident. Reyna came and picked me up to go to garden. He just came out of no where and she hit him…"
"Who is Reyna?" Realizing what she heard, Selphie clutched the phone. "Are you okay? Who was hit? Who Seif?"
"Irvine." Tiers welded up in her eyes instantly. She couldn't speak but Seifer didn't expect her to, "Selphie? Do you know what hotel they were staying at? I think we need to call Squall. Do you know the number?"
"I, I, I don't, I don't know…" She forced herself to speak.
"Come on Selphie? Do you know the number?"
"…No…"
"Okay, that's okay. Do you think your mom can drive you to the hospital? I could come and get you if she can't...somehow…I suppose I could—"
"She can…"
"Okay. Selphie I need to go but I'll see you soon, okay?" He was talking to her as if she was a child. Why did everyone treat her like that? She put down the phone not answering. She leaned against the wall of her kitchen and sunk to the floor. She started to sob.
Marie took control of the situation after she got what she needed from her daughter and soon they were driving towards the hospital. Selphie's head pressed against the window as support for the sobs that were racking her body. Marie could do nothing to console her. The young girl's body jerked suddenly upwards and she whispered, "Stop."
"What? Why?" Marie pulled into the parking lot of the hotel that Selphie was pointing at and parked.
"I'll be right back." Selphie opened her door and started sprinting for the rotating doors. She reached the counter in record time and rang the gold bell three times before someone came to the desk. Xu would have never made her wait this long.
At the sight of the brunette's face the woman who had come grabbed some tissues and asked what she could do to help. Soon Selphie was be escorted to Squall and Irvine's room on the fifth floor. She thanked them as best she could, took a deep breath, and pounded on the door.
A rumpled looking Squall came to the door. He was tucking in his white shirt but on seeing Selphie took her in his arms, "Selph! What's wrong?"
Selphie grimaced and tried to pull away, "Squall…" He held her tighter and again tried to pull her closer. "No, Squall, it's Irvine."
This caught his attention and he let her go and gave her a hurt look before closing off his thoughts. "He went out. I don't know when or where so if you want to talk to him I wouldn't know where he is."
"No! Squall! They were in an accident. They hit him and now he's at the hospital." Her voice quivered and went lower. "Seifer said he was still in surgery…"
Squall took a step backward. His mind was wheeling. A part of him was ecstatic; she didn't come here to see Irvine. Another part of him felt guilty for that and yet another felt scared. He was scared for his friend and brother. The final fourth was confused; Seifer?
He had to act. They would get nowhere if he was frozen in his own thoughts. "How did you get here?"
Selphie walked as fast as she could through the white halls to get where Seifer was waiting. She had never been this worried about anybody. Even during the Sorceress Wars, she was convinced they would all make it out okay and she didn't worry about it but she couldn't find that comfort now. This was something so common. People died in accidents everyday. Irvine was more than a person he was her best friend.
The minute she saw Seifer she felt that maybe everything would be okay. She ran the last couple feet and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Are you okay?"
He hugged her back. He had never felt like this, like he was needed by someone. Moreover, he never thought anyone would worry over him. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm okay." She didn't let go but he didn't really want her to. He looked past her brown head and saw a very stunned Squall stare at them. He then collapsed in a chair and coughed. "Any news?"
Selphie finally pulled away and looked uncertain about something but turned her attention on the girl sitting next to the pay phone in a blue plastic chair, "Reyna?"
The blonde-haired woman looking startled, along with sick, tried to pull herself together. She stood and took Selphie's hand, "Reyna Nation. I'm so sorry. I, I don't know what happened…" She said it so sincerely Selphie tried to smile. Failing she decided to hug her, as she would have done a year and a half ago.
Seifer addressed Squall formally, "Not yet. The doctor said he would wait until Headmaster Cid got here."
"You did call Cid? Good." Squall went into full commander mode to take his mind off things, i.e. Selphie clinging to Seifer, and went to find out how the surgery is doing.
Reyna pulled away from Selphie and grasped Seifer's arm and she brought his ear close to her mouth, "You were going to leave her." Her voice sounded confused, surprised, and maybe even a little angry.
Seifer drew away from her and frowned, "What does that mean?" His eyes stayed on Selphie who was quietly talking to her mother. She looked stressed. She looked up and caught Seifer's eye and he tried to smile. Being so out of practice, it didn't turn out so good. Selphie grimaced and looked away with a heartbreaking expression in her eyes.
Reyna coughed, "Well, aren't you two a couple?"
"What!" He said this too loudly because several people turned to look at the two of them. Lowering his voice he continued, "Are you crazy? Me and Messenger Girl? Ha!" He pivoted and walked stiffly towards the ending machine. The blonde he left behind smiled slightly despite where they were.
Suddenly there was a plump man with brown hair rushing into the hall trailed closely by four SeeDs, two women and two men. The man was Headmaster Cid and Reyna recognized the women as Instructor Trepe and Xu. Cid went right to work, going to the nurses' station and demanding to talk to someone important. Instructor Trepe moved to embrace Selphie, the blond man with a tattoo covering his face followed. Although the last man and Xu didn't go to her, Selphie gave them hugs too.
Squall came back from wherever he had run off to and joined the conversation with one of the nurses and Cid, ignoring everyone else. Seifer had slid down into a chair facing a window. He knew that his part in this was over. He looked almost longingly over towards Selphie, who was crying on Zell's shoulder, and sighed. Irvine was so lucky. He had no idea. How many people would come for him? Maybe Squall, just to make sure the job was done. Seifer smirked.
The four SeeDs and the ex-SeeD were all gathered around talking in hushed voices. Marie had gone to the bathroom to give her daughter some time with her friends. "But why is Seifer here?" Quistis was asking.
"Because he was in the car when Reyna was driving," Selphie answered. "How did you all get here so fast?"
"We flew. Cid was worried… It's surprising Seifer hasn't left yet or actually, that he didn't just leave the body. Hit and run," said Zell darkly.
Selphie scowled. "No. Seifer has changed. He's not like he used to be," Selphie said her eyes taking in all of her old friends. Through all this she had not, not noticed that Nida and Quistis were oddly distant from each other and Xu was taking every opportunity to touch the plain boy.
All four of them found what Selphie said unbelievable but if she believed Seifer Almasy was, finally, a good person they wouldn't try to talk her out of it. Selphie could be rather stubborn at times. They all sat back in chair waiting for the news Cid would get for them and didn't' try to talk to each other, except Xu who was flirting outrageously with Nida. Selphie found this disgusting. Who knew if Irvine would be all right?
Selphie whispered over to Zell, who was close by, "What's up with Quistis and Nida? Xu, too?"
Zell suddenly looked very smug. "They broke up. Apparently, Nida doesn't like Irvine all that much and Quistis was like, 'I can't be with anyone who doesn't like my friends.' It was rather cool," He said. "I guess, Xu is taking advantage of Nida's heartbrokenness and trying to 'comfort' him."
Selphie looked at Zell, maybe her and Seifer weren't the only ones who had changed. "Why are you happy about it?"
Zell faced her fully and furrowed his brow, which made him look very cute. "I guess they just didn't look right to me. I think Quistis should be with someone else…"
Selphie raised her eyebrow, feeling slightly giddy but before she could comment on this, Cid was coming towards them with Squall not far behind.
"Everyone, I have great news. The surgeon said the surgery was successful and Irvine will be okay. He's pretty scraped up right now but he'll be back to normal in no time." Cid laughed, he was relieved.
Selphie bounced up, "Can I see him?" She felt elevated. Irvine was fine. He would be up walking around, making jokes, and flirting with all the pretty girls. He is fine.
"He's resting now but when he wakes up, and if he's up for it, he can have one visitor at a time. I want to see him first but," he smiled at the small brunette, "you can be next, Selph."
Reyna looked relieved and went over to Headmaster Cid to talk quietly about what had happened. Quistis and Zell stood up to converse with their commander while Nida watched and Xu petted. Seifer sunk lower in his seat. He had nothing against cowboy, except maybe that he was annoying, and was glad he would be okay, for Selphie's sake.
Marie Tilmitt smiled and patted her daughter on the knee. "Mind if I leave, honey? Or do you want me to stay?"
Selphie smiled slyly at her mom, "I'll be okay now. You can go home."
"Okay then, I'll leave the car with you and call a cab. Bye honey, I love you. I 'm happy you're friend is going to be well" She kissed her on the forehead and left.
End of Chapter Four