The Delinquent
Anyone who really likes Rinoa might not like this chapter. It's not like incredibly graphic or anything, you just may not like it.
Rinoa pulled vigorously at the rope that bound her hands. Lucas had left abruptly when he decided Rinoa was cold. She was of course still only clad in her boxers and t-shirt.
She heard something crackle in the trees that surrounded her and found Lucas coming back towards her.
His eyes were forever set upon her when he was near her. He never looked away for a second. There was a glimpse of desperation locked behind his oceanic blue eyes.
Lucas carried in his arms wood, odd branches that weren't too big or too pathetic.
"Lucas you can't keep me here." Rinoa cried.
Lucas shook his head and set the wood down about a foot away from her.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Zippo, obviously believing that he might be able to start something.
"How else am I going to keep you warm?" Lucas shouted manically.
Rinoa looked down at her feet, not wishing to stare at his agonized face any longer. His eyes were brimming with tears that wouldn't fall; she'd never seen him cry, not really.
He seemed to have an idea at that point and ran back to his car. He opened the boot and pulled out a bright yellow puff jacket. Something that Rinoa might've thought was cool before, seeing it now made her sick. She couldn't believe that she would get involved with such a freak!
"Take me home, now!" Rinoa said firmly.
"JUST SHUT UP!" Lucas screamed.
He held his head in his hands and rocked himself for a couple of seconds, trying as hard as he could to calm himself down. He didn't know what he was doing, this wasn't something that he should be doing and he knew that. He knew all about the consequences of what he was doing, he knew that people were going to notice she was missing but he needed to try. He couldn't give her up, she was everything to him.
Everything she had said about it being a façade and it not meaning anything was a lie and he knew it. It couldn't be true; it was too terrible to even try to contemplate.
"So where's your g-i-r-l-friend?" Selphie sang.
"Shut your face." Squall snapped.
"Don't take it personal or nothing Squall; its just that… you'd wanna suck face again wouldn't you?" Zell laughed.
Squall grimaced, wishing that this nightmare would end. He still hadn't seen the worst two either. Irvine would be an absolute shit-head about it, asking every personal question that he could think if.
If he was really interested he might even give Squall some hints on how to really 'reel her in'. Then there was Seifer… that was going to be painful. He would get great pleasure in not actually saying anything at first, until everyone was there and he could make a dick out of Squall.
"Leave him alone, your putting him off her." Quistis interrupted.
Squall found himself thanking Hyne for the first time today that Quistis was in his presence. So far since she'd shown up she'd been a right royal pain in the ass since she'd gotten there.
"Quisty's right." Selphie began, actually doing a pretty good job of keeping a straight face. "Its about time Squall got some anyway."
"That's just speculation! We don't know yet." Quistis replied.
"Not until we talk to Rinoa anyway, Squall's not letting out any details." Selphie muttered.
"My sex life is none of your business!" Squall exclaimed.
Selphie scoffed and rolled her eyes. Of course it was her business. She'd never withheld any information about her and Irvine, admittedly half the time nobody wanted to know but she still told them.
"Can we just change the fucking subject?" Squall moaned.
"On that bright and happy note, I'm going home." Zell said.
Every bid him his goodbyes and whatnot before he was seen zooming off, strangely in a direction opposite from his home.
"I think Zell's got a bit on the side happening." Selphie whispered.
It was anyone's guess why she whispered, nobody in this town really cared what any of them were doing in their personal lives. As it had been put on numerous occasions, they were a stain on the community.
"Of course he is." Quistis stated. "We wont officially find out who for another couple of weeks though, you know how he is about these things."
"I reckon its one of the cheerleaders; he's being surprisingly quiet about the whole thing." Squall supposed.
It was more surprising that Squall was actually taking an interest in the matter; usually he reserved his feeling on subjects until it was absolutely necessary for them to become known.
He was just glad that they were talking about someone else. Small town gossip was always rampant in Balamb though.
"Wouldn't that be trippy, imagine if they went out. Where would that put us?" Selphie enquired.
"I spose we'd become Zell's peer pressuring friends. Something like that would give him instant popularity and he'd be exempt from any actions he may partake in." Quistis explained.
Squall sighed in relief, this was going to turn into a debate which would no doubt last for more than half an hour, leaving him time to enjoy what little time he had until the real shit started.
The ever approaching certainty of seeing either of the terrible-two was becoming more and more foreboding. It was inevitable that he would at some point during the day see them as well.
Rinoa could only wish that that was all she had to worry about. This situation was spinning worse out of her control with every passing second. With every minute that went by Lucas became more frantic and distressed.
She couldn't even talk to him now without him flipping out, it was obvious that he knew what he was doing was wrong but somehow he still maintained the notion that if he just convinced her to come back to him it would all be ok.
She had no idea how long she'd been out there but didn't think it had been too long. She couldn't trust her concept of time anyway, minutes were passing like hours.
"Are you ready to talk like adults?" Lucas said flatly.
Rinoa stared at him incredulously, she was trying to treat the circumstances with as much maturity as she could but it was hard to be strong. She was losing her hope in the fact that he would physically hurt her, if he could do this then he could do anything.
Rinoa nodded nonetheless though, she didn't want to worsen the situation. She'd been trying to keep him calm but his touch disgusted her, she hated his hands upon any part of her and he kept trying to keep some sort of contact with her at all times.
"Good. I was just thinking the only way this is going to work is if you come to Deling with me. You can't stay here with those freaks. They've warped you Rinoa, your not the same person anymore, it's like I don't even know you."
"Well you'll excuse me if I say the same about you." Rinoa replied.
"SEE!" Lucas yelled. "If you're not going to listen to me with an open heart then there's no point in even being here."
"Then take me home." Rinoa stated.
Lucas sighed; he rubbed his temple trying to make his brain work. Thoughts and different idea's kept racing through his mind but he still had many plans to go and then there was the finale. The one thing that he knew would make Rinoa stay with him forever.
"I wish that we could just put all this behind us and start fresh…" Lucas trailed off. "Like when we first got together and everything was perfect. Everything's just all fucked up."
"The only thing fucked up here is you!" Rinoa burst out.
Lucas balled his left fist in his hand and with the other backhanded Rinoa across the face. She fell off her rock and smashed her head onto another with enough force to gash her forehead.
"See what you made me do!" Lucas exclaimed.
Rinoa finally understood the seriousness of the situation; if someone didn't save her then she wasn't going to get out of this. This was going to turn ugly and soon. Before she'd been scared but now she was terrified. She couldn't even help herself up.
She let out a whimper but tried with all her might to suppress it.
Lucas sat her down beside the rock she'd been perched up, her back leaning against it and her legs outstretched in front of her.
"Now if I undo your hands do you promise to behave?" Lucas asked gravely.
"Fuck you!" Rinoa screamed.
She spat in his face and noticed the blood in it, he'd obviously split her lip or something when he hit her.
He wiped the spit from his face angrily and slapped her, sending her body over again. This time she didn't sustain any injury from the tumble, she wasn't as high this time.
He sat her up once again, asking her the same question once again but a more nonchalantly than last.
Rinoa nodded, not wanting to continue receiving anymore of his fury and not wanting to have her hands bound any longer.
He looked in her eyes a little while longer, not liking what he was seeing but not considering any other way. Her eyes were full of panic and were puffy and red from permanent crying. Every tear that fell was like a dagger ripping through his heart but it was too late now, it was too late to stop.
He knelt down behind her and began slowly untying the rope, watching her body for any signs of resistance. Once they were free Rinoa began rubbing her wrists from where it had been tied. They were red and slightly bloody from being far too tight and her constant attempts to get them free.
Lucas made his way down to her feet and sat down beside them for a while. He wasn't sure if he should untie the feet, she could make an attempt at running if he did.
His ego then got the better of him; he was a star football player. As fast as she could run he'd be able to run faster.
Rinoa bit her bottom lip as he tore his eyes away from her and began sorting out the knot at her ankles. She managed a grin when they were undone and took her chance.
She kicked Lucas in the head with all her strength and scrambled up as fast as she could. She didn't wait around to see if he was chasing her, she just began running. Adrenaline was pumping through her system and if there was ever a moment when she was proud of her bolting ability it was now.
Lucas fell back with the force of the kick; he moaned and held his bleeding nose. He saw her running and forgot the pain. He took off after her, reaching out for that extra percent of stamina.
Lucas was soon right behind her and Rinoa could hear his heavy footfalls mere inches away from her own. He dived out and tackled her to the ground, overpowering her easily.
"Where were you going to go? Huh?" Lucas shouted in her face.
Rinoa closed her eyes tightly together and began crying distraughtly.
"Please… just let me go." Rinoa sobbed.
Lucas looked down at her crumbled figure, wanting to just make her all better again. He needed her to understand and needed her to see how much he loved her.
He touched the side of her face lightly and relished in the fact that she was too herself to flint away from his touch.
He arched downwards and kissed her passionately on the lips, hoping that if his words couldn't make her recognize than his actions might.
Lucas smiled when he felt her open her own mouth, inviting in his tongue that was already pushing its way in there. He enjoyed his moment of bliss, sending his hands south to inch up her thighs.
Suddenly his eyes widened and he screamed in pain as Rinoa bit down as hard as she could on his tongue. He tried to pull his mouth away but her teeth were clamped shut. He could see blood start to drip onto her face and a determined look in her eyes told him that she wasn't going to be letting go anytime soon.
He hooked his hands under her rips, sending a scream out of Rinoa's mouth this time. He quickly stood and took a couple of steps back while Rinoa's winded form gasped for breath.
Without a word he reached down and picked up a fist sized rock that lay dormant beside her. He raised it above his head, readying himself to plant it into her face.
"No! Please Lucas NO!" Rinoa shrieked.
She held her hands in front of her face defensively but to no avail. The rock smashed into the side of her face only with enough force to knock her out.
As her world began to turn black she watched Lucas retreat back to his car and open the boot. She only say him pull something white out of his trunk before her entire world faded into darkness.
"You wait till I see that bitch!" Seifer laughed.
Quistis had just finished informing him on the day's gossip, not holding back any details that she had found out.
"Ring Rinoa and find out what happened." Seifer continued, handing her the phone.
She dialled the number expertly, not even looking at the numbers as she did so.
When she heard Caraway pick up she excitedly asked for Rinoa. She'd been trying to get hold of her for awhile and finally someone was home.
"No, I haven't seen her all day." Caraway said abruptly and hung up.
He never bothered saying goodbye; he didn't get along with many of Rinoa's friends. Mainly because of his lack of anything nice to say about them and the fact that he never really bother to get to know any of them.
"Where the fuck is she?" Quistis exclaimed.
"Chill out, she's probably with Squall."
"I just seen him before at the café, he hasn't seen her since this morning." Quistis replied.
Seifer rolled his eyes; he could see what was coming. Quistis was going to go on some stupid mad goose chase that would end in nothing. Rinoa would probably be in the most obvious place and somehow he'd be dragged into it.
"I'll txt her, Rin got money on her phone the other day didn't she?"
Seifer shrugged, like he cared. He didn't exactly go on a txting frenzy with her.
"Just drop it babe." Seifer griped. "You're being paranoid."
"I spose… but it's a bit suspicious, if she's not with anyone then where the hell else will she be?"
Rinoa groaned as she cracked her coffee brown eyes open, reaching up to rub her aching head. She could feel a rather large lump behind her ear and retracted her hand only see little specks of blood on her fingers.
It was then that she noticed the absurd outfit that she was dressed in. It was a sleeveless pale white dress. Down either side of the dress from under the arms to the hips was sort of shoe laced up with golden cord, crunching up the middle a little. From her hips down it silhouetted down her body, flaring out a tiny bit at the bottom.
On her feet she could see white stiletto high-heels; she found small hope in that fact. They'd hurt like fuck if she stamped them down on him.
She felt on her head a tiny tiara that she took out immediately after noticing it. It was gold with little white pearls decorated on it.
"You look so beautiful." Lucas said from behind her.
She turned to see him smiling down on her, still wearing the previous jeans and t-shirt combo that she'd remembered him in from before.
'This is a wedding dress…' Rinoa thought instantly.
"More beautiful then I ever think I've seen you before." Lucas continued.
Rinoa thought there was a fat chance of that considering what he'd done to her face. She hadn't been able to see it yet but could only imagine how shitty she actually looked.
"What's going on?" Rinoa whispered.
"Today, I pledge my adoration for the person that I love. Now we can be together forever." Lucas beamed.
In summary; Rinoa's disappearance hasn't seriously been noticed yet but some people are starting to get a bit curious. Squall's getting shit from anyone who can get a cheap shot it. Irvine wasn't even in this chapter. Quistis is starting to worry about Rinoa but Seifer keeps telling her not to be so stupid. Selphie's on the hunt for details about Squall and Rinoa's little "thing" and Zell's got a bit on the side.