Chapter 7

Downtown Run In

Rinoa continued to walk down the path. She stared straight at the ground, kicking a rock. She wasn't watching where she was going and ran into the back of somebody. "Oh, sorry." She said. She started to walk off when the person said her name. "Huh?" She turned around. A guy with short brown hair and blue eyes was standing in front of the Balamb Hotel. "Jason?"

"I haven't seen you in forever Rinoa! How have you been?"

"I'm fine. Why are you here, in Balamb?" Jason had been her friend in Timber. He had always wanted more though. Rinoa smiled.

"I'm here because Timber sent me to research about the forests around here. You know, check out how strong the monsters are…" He always liked to brag about his strength. He was good looking but definitely not boyfriend material. He flirted with tons of girls back at her old school.

"Really? That's cool." Rinoa glanced around for a quick escape. Thankfully she caught sight of Squall in a weapons shop, upgrading his gunblade. "Well, I'm going to go shopping."

"Why don't I come with you?" He said moving towards her.

"Oh, you don't have to." She said with a fake laugh.

"No, I want to." Rinoa sighed.

"Great! Just what I need. My secret admirer following me around!" She thought quietly to herself. "Squall's in there so maybe if I hang out with him he'll leave me alone!" She ran into the weapons shop and grabbed Squall's arm, surprising him. He had no idea she was in town.

"Hey Squall! How's it going?" He could since a strange tone in her voice. Then he saw the other guy come in.

"Rinoa…there you are. Who's he?" The guy gave Squall a sinister look of jealousy.

"Oh, him. He's just a close friend." Rinoa did a fake laugh and smile again. "Squall meet Jason. Jason, Squall."

"Nice to meet you." They reached out for a handshake. They stared at one another gripping the other guys hand tighter. Rinoa watched in silence.

"Okay! Now that you've met each other, let's go shopping!" She said cheerfully breaking the tenseness.

Jason looked at Rinoa. "That's not fair. I was always her friend and she never clinged to me like that. Besides, what's that supposed to mean…a close friend?"

They walked out of the store and down past the next few shops. Jason walked a little behind watching Rinoa. The whole time she was hanging on Squall's arm. He was getting jealous, fast.

They kept walking until Rinoa stopped and said, "Can we please go in here? I want to buy some new clothes." Squall nodded his head and they walked inside. Rinoa grabbed tons of clothes and ran to the dressing room. "Okay, I'm gonna try on clothes and you have to tell me whether you like it or not. Got it?"

"Yeah." Jason and Squall said together.

"I have this one in the bag. I know Rinoa's taste in clothes. I used to go with her shopping all the time. She always wanted my opinion." Jason thought to himself.

Squall and Jason sat down in chairs, waiting for Rinoa. The curtain slid back. Rinoa was wearing a summer dress in blue with flip flops. "That looks great on you Rinoa!" Jason said. Rinoa smiled.

"What do you think Squall?" Squall looked up at her and shook his head. "Yeah, I thought so. It isn't really my style." Jason couldn't believe it. It looked awesome on her…this was so not Rinoa.

The next minute or so, she came back out wearing dark blue jeans with a green halter top. Squall nodded his head. Jason said the other one looked better. Rinoa ran back behind the curtain and tried a few more outfits. The whole time Jason was getting more frustrated. "Everytime he likes something she gets it, but if he doesn't she won't. She's not even really paying any attention to my opinions!" He thought.

Rinoa walked out of the dressing room with her new clothes in a stack, folded neatly. "This will do." She said smiling.

"Allow me to pay for it." Jason said.

"Oh, that's not necessary. You don't have to."

"I want to." With that, he took Rinoa's clothes from her and put them on the counter. A minute later he came back with her clothes in a bag. "Here you go."

"Thanks Jason!" Rinoa smiled and began to walk out the door. Squall and Jason looked at one another and then continued to follow her. Halfway down the road Rinoa turned to them and asked, "Hey, do you guys want to have lunch?"

"I'd love to." Jason replied. Squall didn't answer. Rinoa took that as a yes.

"Alright! Let's go!" They walked down to a small restaurant called "Fisherman's Catch" and sat down in the back at a table for four. A waitress then came and took their order. "I think I'll have the broiled flounder with a baked potato and broccoli and a water to drink." Rinoa said from her menu.

"I'll have the same." Jason said. Squall gazed at the menu.

"I'll take the shark…with steamed vegetables and broccoli with water as well."

"Okay. Your food will be out in about twenty minutes." The waitress walked off to get their drinks and came back with three glasses of ice cold water. "Enjoy!"

Jason looked at Rinoa, then at Squall. He wished the other guy wasn't here. Then he could be having a romantic lunch with her. "So…tell me. How did you two meet?"

Rinoa looked at Squall, but he remained silent. "Well, this guy Seifer was showing me around when this T-Rex attacked us. It clawed my leg so I couldn't get up. I called for help…Well, I actually screamed more than yelling for help." Rinoa laughed a little. "I closed my eyes and opened them and to my surprise, there he was, standing in front of me."

"Really? How nice…" Jason was looking a little annoyed.

"Yeah…then he carried me to the infirmary and back to my room."

"………." Jason gripped his napkin tighter in his hand. "What? He took her to her room? He carried her?" He was getting even more jealous by the minute. A few seconds later, their food was placed down in front of them. Rinoa looked over at Squall's plate.

"Aren't you just a healthy eater…I try!" Rinoa laughed as she said this. Squall looked up from his plate.

"Whatever…" He said.

"Can I try some of your shark? I've never had any before."

"Fine…" Squall cut off a piece and put it on her plate. "She eats a lot." Squall thought and sighed.

"Wow, this is really good. I should get this next time." Jason didn't like how this was going at all. Finally, they finished eating and left the restaurant. Rinoa walked ahead of the two guys. Jason ran forwards to talk to Rinoa, leaving Squall behind.

"So Rinoa…I've missed you at school."

"Yeah…is everything going okay over there?"

"It's great…but it still isn't the same without you there."

"You're just saying that…" Rinoa's face flushed a little.

"No. I mean it…" Jason smiled. Squall who was walking behind the two, squeezed his fist tighter.

"Is he trying to make a move on her?" He thought to himself. His flirting continued until they reached the entrance to Balamb Garden.

"Well, time to go get ready for bed." Rinoa said cheerfully.

"Do you have to? You're sure you can't stay here just a little bit longer?"

"I'm really tired, but I'll see you around okay?"

"Fine. Goodnight then Sweetheart." Jason then ran back off toward the town. Rinoa rolled her eyes.

"It's about time he left…I can't believe he's here!" She leaned against the building.

"Sweetheart?" Squall asked, with no emotion in his voice. Rinoa looked up.

"He's always called me that. Jason always wanted me to be his girlfriend, but I always rejected him. I guess he still won't give up." There was silence between the two. "Well, I'm heading on up to my room. Goodnight." She got up and walked into the Garden. Squall looked back towards the town of Balamb and then followed.