Lost Memories of my Love

Chapter 3 – Vacation Blues

Rinoa didn't have a really good sleep that night. Ashleigh snored and talked in her sleep, and sleeping on the floor wasn't the most comfortable position. She sung herself to sleep in her mind, and it worked. The next morning, she woke up bright and early. Everyone was still asleep, and the sun was going to rise soon.

Rinoa sat in the kitchen, drinking hot chocolate and looking out the window. She wanted to go back to Garden ... she'd be away from home and away from all this stuff. She wouldn't have had to worry about Sera and her father … all she had to worry about was herself and her friends, and that was all she wanted.

Caraway came downstairs, in his uniform. He was obviously working that day.

"You're up bright and early, angel wing," said Caraway. He kissed Rinoa's forehead.

Rinoa didn't say anything and acted as if he hadn't shown any sign of affection, like she always did.

"So how was your night?" asked Caraway.

"Get another bed in the room, please," said Rinoa with a sigh.

Caraway laughed, not sensing that Rinoa had a miserable night. "All right, I'll work on it today."

Everybody gradually began to wake up. Ashleigh was searching through the cupboards for some breakfast food she'd actually like. Sera was sitting at the dining room table, eating breakfast with Caraway beside her. Seifer was nowhere to be found.

"So what're you kids planning to do today?" asked Caraway.

"Nothing," said Ashleigh, sounding disappointed.

Rinoa's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Rinoa picked it up on the first ring.

"Hey Rinoa, it's Squall."

"Oh, hey Squall!" said Rinoa, suddenly feeling happy.

"Are you doing anything today?" asked Squall.

"Uh … nope, not a thing," said Rinoa.

"Oh, that's good then. The guys here miss you already. You wanna come over to Garden, just for today?"

"Oh, that'd be great!" said Rinoa happily. "I'll come by train, so don't worry about going all that way."

"Great," said Squall. "Then we can hang … um … around."

"That'd be great," said Rinoa, smiling, even though Squall couldn't see her.

"Yeah, it would," said Squall. "Anyway, call me when you get to the station so we can pick you up."

"Yep, sure!" said Rinoa brightly.

"Later," said Squall.

"Bye!"

Rinoa hung up and her day was already brightened. Caraway and Sera looked uninterested with Rinoa's conversation, but Ashleigh looked very fascinated.

"Who was that?" asked Ashleigh curiously.

"A friend," answered Rinoa. "Anyway, I'm heading for Balamb today. Won't be home until late, okay?"

"Sure thing, angel wing," said Caraway.

"Balamb?" said Sera. "That's where the Garden is, isn't it?"

"Um … yeah, it is pretty close," replied Rinoa.

"Ah, well that's wonderful," said Sera. "You can take Ashleigh to her orientation day at the Garden today. That goes for Seifer too..."

Rinoa was slightly disappointed. She wanted to go on her own.

"Oh, would you, Rinoa-san?" said Ashleigh innocently.

Rinoa pursed her lips together. I thought she wasn't going to call me big sister, thought Rinoa.

"All right ... I guess I should," said Rinoa, deciding it was the better thing to do.

Ashleigh squealed with delight. "I'll go upstairs and get changed."

"So ... where's Seifer?" asked Sera.

"Right here." Seifer came down the stairs as Ashleigh brushed past him. He was already dressed in that white trench coat and the clothes he was wearing the other day.

"Oh, well Rinoa is going to take you to the Garden for your orientation," said Sera.

Seifer shrugged, not really caring.

"Do you want a lift to the train station?" asked Caraway.

Rinoa was about to say 'no it's okay' but Ashleigh came downstairs and answered the question for her.

"That would be great, father," said Ashleigh.

Rinoa looked at Ashleigh. She was wearing the clothes from her wardrobe. A black mini skirt that was short enough to be a belt, and a black leather tank top ... something that Rinoa wouldn't be caught dead in. It was her normal, blue princess outfit for her.

"Ashleigh, you look … wonderful," said Sera.

Seifer coughed, which somewhat sounded like "cough-slut-cough".

Rinoa bit her bottom lip to stop herself from saying anything that was on her mind. She didn't want to sound intrusive with what Ashleigh wanted.

"All right, let's head off then," said Caraway.

Ashleigh excitedly followed Caraway outside. Rinoa grabbed her backpack and tagged along with a sigh.

Ashleigh hopped into the front seat, leaving Rinoa having to slide into the back. Sera went outside to see them off, still in her bathrobe.

"Take care, all right?" said Sera.

Seifer walked out of the house also. He glanced at the car, but just walked on.

"Don't you want a lift, Seifer?" said Caraway, pulling down the window.

Seifer didn't look at Caraway and just kept on walking.

Caraway looked at Sera, who shrugged.

"He'll be fine walking," she said.

Caraway started the car and drove to the point Seifer reached. "Come into the car, Seifer."

Seifer glanced at the car. Rinoa looked curiously out the window as the young man continued to just keep walking. She wanted to get out of the car as well and just walk to the station … it was better than staying in a car with two unpleasant people.

"Just leave him," said Ashleigh bitterly. "He was always ungrateful."

Caraway shrugged and drove straight to the train station, leaving Seifer behind. Ashleigh turned the radio on. It was some weird, jumpy pop song. Ashleigh started singing along ... it was as if it was a battle cry for the start of the Sorceress War II.

Rinoa tried to hold in fits of laughter, but looked out the window, and tried to block out Ashleigh's singing. She couldn't understand why her stepsister enjoyed making herself look like a complete idiot out of herself.

Pretty soon they arrived at the train station. As usual, Deling station was hustling and bustling with people late for work and people just bumming around.

"Do you want me to pick you up afterwards?" asked Caraway.

Don't you have somewhere you have to be? Rinoa wanted to say. So far, he proved to have a lot of time on his hands ever since Ashleigh and Seifer moved on.

"Oh, it's okay father, we can take a bus back," said Ashleigh.

Rinoa turned away and rolled her eyes. She walked into the train station without waiting for Ashleigh or saying goodbye to her father.

She bought her ticket and sat on one of the benches, waiting for the train to come. She listened to the music of trains braking at the other platforms and announcements over the speakers.

Ashleigh's high heels clicked on the ground as she ran towards Rinoa.

"Why did you leave me like that?" said Ashleigh angrily. "I could have gotten lost!"

I wouldn't mind that, thought Rinoa, but she didn't say anything.

The train for Balamb arrived in about five minutes. Rinoa and Ashleigh got on the train and sat down on the seats by the door.

The ride was in total silence. Ashleigh was looking out the window with a constant frown stuck on her face. Rinoa kept playing with Julia's ring that hung on her neck, making the cold metal warm with her touch.

Rinoa's cell phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rinoa, it's Squall."

"Oh, hi, Squall," said Rinoa, seeing in the corner of her eye that Ashleigh was already deeply interested in Rinoa's conversation.

"Where are you now?" asked Squall.

"I'm on the train," answered Rinoa.

"Oh okay, I'll send the gang up to pick you up," said Squall.

"What about you?" asked Rinoa.

"I've gotta do something for Headmaster Cid," said Squall. "But I'll see you sometime during the day."

"Promise?" said Rinoa.

"Promise," said Squall.

"All right, that's good enough for me," said Rinoa, grinning.

"Zell, Selphie and Irvine are coming to pick you up," said Squall, "Quistis is getting ready for the new students' orientation."

Rinoa glanced at Ashleigh. She was still watching Rinoa speak.

"All right then," said Rinoa. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," said Squall, and he hung up.

Rinoa closed her flip phone and put it back in her bag.

"Who was that?" asked Ashleigh curiously.

"A friend," answered Rinoa patiently.

"A boyfriend?" said Ashleigh, tilting her head to the side.

"A friend," Rinoa repeated, wanting Ashleigh to know as little about her as possible. Something in the back of her mind told her that Ashleigh wasn't one of those people she wanted to get to know.

Ashleigh shrugged, and at that moment, they reached Balamb station.

Rinoa spotted Irvine, Selphie and Zell chatting on the other side of the platform.

"Guys!" Rinoa yelled, and ran up to them excitedly.

All three of her friends turned around.

"Hey Rinoa, we missed you!" said Selphie.

"Yeah, one day sure is a long time," said Zell.

Ashleigh came running up to Rinoa, huffing and puffing for air. That short run had tired her out.

Irvine's eyes almost popped out as he looked at Ashleigh. "Whoa, who is that?"

Rinoa turned around to find Ashleigh's tiresome face turn into a smile. That smile was the same smile she always gave her father … how she hated that smile.

"My name is Ashleigh," said Ashleigh, smiling. "I just transferred here from Galbadia."

Rinoa couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Right," said Irvine, nodding his head up and down, scanning Ashleigh's body.

Ashleigh giggled. "Do you mind showing me to Balamb? I'm here for my orientation."

"Well, sure thing, missy," said Irvine, taking off his hat and bowing.

Selphie poked her tongue out at Irvine.

Zell started coughing, but it suspiciously sounded like disguised laughs.

"Let's go to Garden then … with our new friend," said Rinoa. She didn't want to say that Ashleigh was her new stepsister. She just pretended that she didn't know Ashleigh. She wanted her friends to have as little to do with Ashleigh as possible. It might have been fear of sharing friends with her sister, but the sorceress didn't want to admit it.

From Balamb, they headed to the Garden. Rinoa was merrily engaged in conversation with her comrades, and Ashleigh would also add her two cents once in a while when she felt the urge to. Rinoa would always ignore her comments and continue conversation as if she wasn't there.

"Wow, this place is so huge," said Ashleigh, looking around.

"The orientation's on the second floor classroom," said Rinoa, wanting to get Ashleigh away from her as soon as possible.

"Where's that?" asked Ashleigh.

"Uh ... on the second floor," said Rinoa, getting annoyed.

"Take me there, please guys?" said Ashleigh innocently.

"Oh, we have plans…" Rinoa trailed off, wanting to get rid of her annoying sister.

"It'll only take a sec," said Irvine.

"Yeah, we've got plenty of time," said Selphie.

Rinoa gave in to her friends and ended up agreeing. It will only take a second.

They took Ashleigh to the second floor classroom, where about another twenty new students were out in the hallway, chatting. Amongst them, Seifer was leaning against the wall alone, examining his gunblade.

"Well, we'll be off now," said Rinoa.

"Yeah, you can come and meet us at the cafeteria later if you like!" said Selphie.

"Hands off the hotdogs," said Zell.

Rinoa cringed.

"Oh, but I don't know anyone here," said Ashleigh, sounding sad.

"You'll make new friends, missy," said Irvine.

"Oh ... big sister, can't you come into the orientation with me?" said Ashleigh.

"But ... I don't need any orientation..." Rinoa tried to throw off what Ashleigh had just called her.

"Big sister?!" exclaimed Zell.

"You never told me this little lady was your little sister," said Irvine.

"We didn't even know you had a little sister!" cried Selphie.

"It's ... it's a long story," said Rinoa, sighing.

"Please, big sister, come with me to the orientation?" said Ashleigh. "I'm sure the instructor won't mind."

"But..." Rinoa looked at her friends.

"Help out your lil sis, Rinoa," said Zell.

Rinoa sighed. It was as if Ashleigh didn't want her to be around her friends.

"All right," said Rinoa finally.

Ashleigh gave Rinoa a sweet smile, but to Rinoa, it looked like a smile of triumph.

"We'll meet you guys later," said Irvine.

"Have fun!" said Selphie.

Yeah, I'll have heaps of fun, thought Rinoa.