Dedicated To You
Disclaimer: FF8 and characters are owned by Square Soft. And I am NOT SQUARE SOFT! I am only a
seventeen year old fictionist!
" C'mon, Rinoa," Selphie said, " You can sit with us, and meet the rest of the gang!"
As Rinoa followed the girls into the cafeteria, she saw a fight starting in the lunch line
between two guys. She couldn't clearly see the other guy, but the one who seemed to start the
fight was a short blonde. He had his fists curled, and he was ready to strike. They were busy
arguing about cutting in line.
" No, way, man, I was here first!" the blonde shouted angrily.
" Yeah, right, man, you cut in line!" the other one replied.
" That's our friend, Zell!" Selphie said, pointing to the blonde. " He's really a nice
guy, once you get to know him..."
" Just don't come anywhere between him and his beloved hot dogs!" Quistis added, and the
two laughed.
Zell was about to punch the guy out, when the lunch lady opened the cafeteria line.
" HOT DOGS!!!!" he cried, grabbing a tray, and loading it up with about ten hot dogs. Upon
further reflection, he added another ten, and then went to the register to pay. Rinoa stared at
the tray.
" Does he really eat THAT much?!" she asked, wide-eyed.
Selphie giggled. " Oh, no, he has to buy us all lunch this week."
" Why?" she asked.
" Because," Quistis replied, " he lost a bet with..."
" Irvine!" Selphie cried out, running to their table, and taking a seat next to a
pony-tailed cowboy.
" Hey, Selphie!" he replied, squeezing her hand. Then, he noticed Rinoa. " I believe
we've never met before. Irvine Kinneas. And you are..?"
" Rinoa Heartily." she replied, sitting down.
" A pleasure, Miss Heartily." he replied, grinning at her, until Selphie leaned over
and whispered something to him. Embarrassed, he apologized to her.
" Okay, you guys..." Zell said, walking up to the table. " We've got one for Quistis,"
he handed her one, " One for Selphie...two for Kinneas..." he paused at Rinoa. " Hey! You
didn't tell me we'd be having visitors!" he exclaimed.
"I'm new here." she quickly replied. "My name's Rinoa Heartily." 'How many times have
I said that?!'
" Ah! Zell Dincht!" he replied, handing her a hot dog. " One for Rinoa, and the other
fifteen are for Zell! Thank you, Zell!" he thanked himself, and stuffed his face with three hot
dogs at once. Rinoa giggled.
" Thanks, Zell!" she replied, taking a bite. " So...What should I know about the Garden?"
Zell replied, " Muhmflhmhabwhayanawha..."
" Zell, I think Rinoa would understand what you were saying if you swallowed first!"
Irvine said, chuckling.
Zell swallowed. " I said," he replied, offended, " that if you don't want to starve
around here, it's best that you get a good spot in line early before lunch. Hot dogs are in
demand, and there aren't enough to go around!"
" That's probably because you eat them all." Quistis replied, and the whole table burst
into chuckles.
" HEY!" Zell defended, " Ma Dincht says that I need to eat as much as I can!"
" Oh, so you listen to Mommy now, huh, Zelly?" Irvine replied, and they all roared with
laughter.
" STOP IT!!" Zell replied.
" Take it easy, Zell, we were just kidding!" Selphie replied, and they all quieted down.
" Okay, what other things go on around here that I should know about?" Rinoa asked.
" Well, there's a guy around here who won't shut up about Chocobos..." Quistis replied,
" We call him Choconut."
" Oh, and I'm putting together a party for the Garden soon!" Selphie added. " Wanna sign
up and help?"
" Sure," Rinoa replied, smiling. 'Things can't get better than this...' she thought.
Suddenly, she heard Zell groan.
" Oh, great, here comes Seifer!" he complained, shoving the last hot dog in his mouth.
'Seifer?!' she gasped, 'Dammit! Why me?' "Quick-hide me!" she quietly begged Selphie.
" Why?" she asked, " Do you...know Seifer?"
Rinoa heard a laugh behind her. " We've been going out for almost a year, why wouldn't
she know me?!" He sat in the empty seat next to her, grinning like the Cheshire cat. " Why,
Rin, thanks for saving me a seat."
"Get lost, Seifer..." she mumbled.
" Still mad, huh?" he asked, chuckling. " I told you already that no one was there. You
were only drunk."
" How would you know if I had a drink that night?" she asked angrily, " You weren't even
with me!"
" Tch." was his reply. He noticed Zell swallowing his last bite of hot dog. " I'm
surprised you haven't become a hot dog, Chicken-Wuss." he teased.
Zell stood up, knocking his chair back. He was shaking in anger. " What did you just
call me?!" he asked, his fists curled. Seifer only laughed.
" You're no threat to me." he replied, putting his arm around Rinoa. " Look, I don't
know if you're blind or just stupid, but let's just put the past behind us. C'mon, Rin, what do
you say?"
She pushed his arm off of her shoulder. " Go away, Seifer." she replied. " I want you to
leave me alone!"
" C'mon Rin..." he cooed.
" And stop calling me Rin!" she added, " Only my friends can call me that! Just go away!"
" Not until you forget about that girl!À À he insisted.
" I believe Miss Heartily has made herself perfectly clear, Mr. Almasy." a voice said
coolly behind him. They turned around to see Squall. Rinoa felt her face growing hot. 'Why?!'
she thought, ashamed.
Seifer only chuckled, and leaned back in his chair.
" This isn't any of your business, Puberty Boy," he replied, " So just stay out of this."
Fujin and Raijin walked up.
" C'mon, Seifer," Raijin said, " We can deal with them later, ya know?" He looked at
Fujin, who was glaring at Rinoa. " Right, Fujin?"
She looked at Seifer, and Rinoa could've sworn that she had a look of admiration in her
eyes. " WORTHLESS." she added, as Seifer got up. They walked off.
" Is everything alright, Miss Heartily?" Squall asked.
Rinoa stood up, and crossed her arms. " Call me Rinoa, remember?" she insisted. And I'm
fine now, thank you. It was nice of you to do that for me."
'Why does she want me to call her Rinoa??' he thought to himself. " Whatever." he replied,
walking off.
When he was out of hearing range, Rinoa asked,
" What's his problem? You'd think he's never heard a compliment before!"
Quistis shrugged. " We're still not completely sure."
" Eh, Squall's just got a broomstick up his ass." Zell replied, " But he's still our
friend."
Irvine laughed. " He's not really the talkative type." he said.
" He is a loyal friend, though!" Selphie added, " And he's always there to help his
comrades."
Quistis sighed. " He was a great student, too." She paused for a moment. " Why do you
ask?"
Rinoa felt a little nervous. " Just curious..." she replied, " It's not really important."
" Really?" Irvine asked, grinning, when Selphie gasped.
" Oh, hyne!" she said sadly, " It's almost time for classes..."
" I'll see you after class, okay Selphie?" Rinoa said.
" Sure!" she replied, hugging her new friend. " See ya!"
" I believe you're in my class next, Rinoa." Quistis said, and she gasped.
" I guess you're right!" she replied, and followed Quistis to class.
End Chapter Two
What do you think so far? R & R!! Thanks to those of you who've R&Red so far!
Disclaimer: FF8 and characters are owned by Square Soft. And I am NOT SQUARE SOFT! I am only a
seventeen year old fictionist!
" C'mon, Rinoa," Selphie said, " You can sit with us, and meet the rest of the gang!"
As Rinoa followed the girls into the cafeteria, she saw a fight starting in the lunch line
between two guys. She couldn't clearly see the other guy, but the one who seemed to start the
fight was a short blonde. He had his fists curled, and he was ready to strike. They were busy
arguing about cutting in line.
" No, way, man, I was here first!" the blonde shouted angrily.
" Yeah, right, man, you cut in line!" the other one replied.
" That's our friend, Zell!" Selphie said, pointing to the blonde. " He's really a nice
guy, once you get to know him..."
" Just don't come anywhere between him and his beloved hot dogs!" Quistis added, and the
two laughed.
Zell was about to punch the guy out, when the lunch lady opened the cafeteria line.
" HOT DOGS!!!!" he cried, grabbing a tray, and loading it up with about ten hot dogs. Upon
further reflection, he added another ten, and then went to the register to pay. Rinoa stared at
the tray.
" Does he really eat THAT much?!" she asked, wide-eyed.
Selphie giggled. " Oh, no, he has to buy us all lunch this week."
" Why?" she asked.
" Because," Quistis replied, " he lost a bet with..."
" Irvine!" Selphie cried out, running to their table, and taking a seat next to a
pony-tailed cowboy.
" Hey, Selphie!" he replied, squeezing her hand. Then, he noticed Rinoa. " I believe
we've never met before. Irvine Kinneas. And you are..?"
" Rinoa Heartily." she replied, sitting down.
" A pleasure, Miss Heartily." he replied, grinning at her, until Selphie leaned over
and whispered something to him. Embarrassed, he apologized to her.
" Okay, you guys..." Zell said, walking up to the table. " We've got one for Quistis,"
he handed her one, " One for Selphie...two for Kinneas..." he paused at Rinoa. " Hey! You
didn't tell me we'd be having visitors!" he exclaimed.
"I'm new here." she quickly replied. "My name's Rinoa Heartily." 'How many times have
I said that?!'
" Ah! Zell Dincht!" he replied, handing her a hot dog. " One for Rinoa, and the other
fifteen are for Zell! Thank you, Zell!" he thanked himself, and stuffed his face with three hot
dogs at once. Rinoa giggled.
" Thanks, Zell!" she replied, taking a bite. " So...What should I know about the Garden?"
Zell replied, " Muhmflhmhabwhayanawha..."
" Zell, I think Rinoa would understand what you were saying if you swallowed first!"
Irvine said, chuckling.
Zell swallowed. " I said," he replied, offended, " that if you don't want to starve
around here, it's best that you get a good spot in line early before lunch. Hot dogs are in
demand, and there aren't enough to go around!"
" That's probably because you eat them all." Quistis replied, and the whole table burst
into chuckles.
" HEY!" Zell defended, " Ma Dincht says that I need to eat as much as I can!"
" Oh, so you listen to Mommy now, huh, Zelly?" Irvine replied, and they all roared with
laughter.
" STOP IT!!" Zell replied.
" Take it easy, Zell, we were just kidding!" Selphie replied, and they all quieted down.
" Okay, what other things go on around here that I should know about?" Rinoa asked.
" Well, there's a guy around here who won't shut up about Chocobos..." Quistis replied,
" We call him Choconut."
" Oh, and I'm putting together a party for the Garden soon!" Selphie added. " Wanna sign
up and help?"
" Sure," Rinoa replied, smiling. 'Things can't get better than this...' she thought.
Suddenly, she heard Zell groan.
" Oh, great, here comes Seifer!" he complained, shoving the last hot dog in his mouth.
'Seifer?!' she gasped, 'Dammit! Why me?' "Quick-hide me!" she quietly begged Selphie.
" Why?" she asked, " Do you...know Seifer?"
Rinoa heard a laugh behind her. " We've been going out for almost a year, why wouldn't
she know me?!" He sat in the empty seat next to her, grinning like the Cheshire cat. " Why,
Rin, thanks for saving me a seat."
"Get lost, Seifer..." she mumbled.
" Still mad, huh?" he asked, chuckling. " I told you already that no one was there. You
were only drunk."
" How would you know if I had a drink that night?" she asked angrily, " You weren't even
with me!"
" Tch." was his reply. He noticed Zell swallowing his last bite of hot dog. " I'm
surprised you haven't become a hot dog, Chicken-Wuss." he teased.
Zell stood up, knocking his chair back. He was shaking in anger. " What did you just
call me?!" he asked, his fists curled. Seifer only laughed.
" You're no threat to me." he replied, putting his arm around Rinoa. " Look, I don't
know if you're blind or just stupid, but let's just put the past behind us. C'mon, Rin, what do
you say?"
She pushed his arm off of her shoulder. " Go away, Seifer." she replied. " I want you to
leave me alone!"
" C'mon Rin..." he cooed.
" And stop calling me Rin!" she added, " Only my friends can call me that! Just go away!"
" Not until you forget about that girl!À À he insisted.
" I believe Miss Heartily has made herself perfectly clear, Mr. Almasy." a voice said
coolly behind him. They turned around to see Squall. Rinoa felt her face growing hot. 'Why?!'
she thought, ashamed.
Seifer only chuckled, and leaned back in his chair.
" This isn't any of your business, Puberty Boy," he replied, " So just stay out of this."
Fujin and Raijin walked up.
" C'mon, Seifer," Raijin said, " We can deal with them later, ya know?" He looked at
Fujin, who was glaring at Rinoa. " Right, Fujin?"
She looked at Seifer, and Rinoa could've sworn that she had a look of admiration in her
eyes. " WORTHLESS." she added, as Seifer got up. They walked off.
" Is everything alright, Miss Heartily?" Squall asked.
Rinoa stood up, and crossed her arms. " Call me Rinoa, remember?" she insisted. And I'm
fine now, thank you. It was nice of you to do that for me."
'Why does she want me to call her Rinoa??' he thought to himself. " Whatever." he replied,
walking off.
When he was out of hearing range, Rinoa asked,
" What's his problem? You'd think he's never heard a compliment before!"
Quistis shrugged. " We're still not completely sure."
" Eh, Squall's just got a broomstick up his ass." Zell replied, " But he's still our
friend."
Irvine laughed. " He's not really the talkative type." he said.
" He is a loyal friend, though!" Selphie added, " And he's always there to help his
comrades."
Quistis sighed. " He was a great student, too." She paused for a moment. " Why do you
ask?"
Rinoa felt a little nervous. " Just curious..." she replied, " It's not really important."
" Really?" Irvine asked, grinning, when Selphie gasped.
" Oh, hyne!" she said sadly, " It's almost time for classes..."
" I'll see you after class, okay Selphie?" Rinoa said.
" Sure!" she replied, hugging her new friend. " See ya!"
" I believe you're in my class next, Rinoa." Quistis said, and she gasped.
" I guess you're right!" she replied, and followed Quistis to class.
End Chapter Two
What do you think so far? R & R!! Thanks to those of you who've R&Red so far!