A/N- slowly comes out from behind a curtain Why hello there! I'm sorry it took so long to load this fifth chapter up; I haven't gotten into FFVIII for a while since I finished it so sorry! Thank you for those patient enough not to pressure me into updating! Now let's get a move on, shall we?
.:Blue Stars:.
Chapter Five: Thank you, Thank me
I don't remember sighing so many times in one period! Rinoa thought to herself, twirling her mechanical pencil with her fingers. Her eyes watched the blended colors of blue and white mix, dizzying herself for mere entertainment. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at the ticking clock and almost screamed. I've been at this for only two minutes! She stopped her finger exercise and planted the pencil back on the desk. It made an imprint. A light bulb blinked in her mind and she smiled internally. She moved her pencil forward. Now there was a line on her desk!
Mr. Freeman was talking on and on about some subject, and she knew she'd be berating herself later for not listening, but at the moment, doodling on her desk was much more enticing. She didn't know what she was drawing yet, but when she had finished her small task, a grin blasted across her youthful face. It was a picture of Mr. Freeman choking on a Statistics paper, his glasses hanging crookedly off his nose and Rinoa standing nearby pointing and laughing animatedly. Oh, sometimes being cruel had its pluses.
After staring in admiration of her creation for a few moments, she started erasing it, her previous enthusiasm slowly dissipating as she wondered what she could do next to pass the time. Something softly hit the side of her head and fell onto her desk. Rinoa blinked and looked down before reaching for the offending object. It was a paper ball. Slowly, the brunette turned her head and faced the direction in which the object had been thrown. Her confused expression turned into a faint blush when she saw the perpetrator.
Seifer Almasy mock-saluted General Caraway's daughter with two fingers, a smirk plastered on his handsome face. His emerald eyes stared at her, amused, as she managed a shy smile and mouthed a 'What was that for?'. He replied by pointing at the paper ball, making a hand gesture to unfold it. Doing as he gestured, Rinoa pulled at the ball and smoothed out the wrinkles to read his small yet neat handwriting.
You look bored.
Rinoa couldn't help but let a small giggle escape her. She looked back up at him. He was crossing his arms nonchalantly, waiting for her to reply. Taking her blue and white pencil, the chocolate-eyed girl scribbled onto it and after taking a quick glance at Mr. Freeman, tossed the ball into the air. Her aim was dead on. It smacked Seifer on the nose and he fumbled for it, rubbing the skin childishly as the paper crinkled in his gloved hand. Rinoa clapped a slender hand over her mouth and waved the other one in apology, controlling her laughter. When she had thrown the ball and it had hit the blonde man, he had had an absolutely adorable surprised look on his face for a second.
Seifer stuck his tongue out at her and turned back forward in his seat to read her note.
How very perceptive of you. You've been watching me, huh?
Seifer turned to look at her only to see that she had her chin propped in her hands, her elbows resting on the table and a daydreamer's face on. He chuckled to himself. Talk about a short attention span. Smoothing out the paper, he clicked his pen and wrote something else, the smirk on his face widening slightly. Finished, he rolled the paper up again and closed one eye, holding the ball in front of his face in concentration. With a heave, the paper ball sailed into the air…
…And hit Squall Leonhart square in the eye.
Seifer stared, stunned, for a moment. One thought ran through his mind: Wow. I have really bad aim. Hahahaha. With that, the blonde in the grey trench coat shook violently in amusement at the bewildered look on the stone lion's face as he clutched his targeted eye, Rinoa's own widening in surprise. Squall lowered his hand and his glare immediately pinned down Seifer, who merely smiled innocently. 'Oops!', he mouthed, before dissolving into another fit of shaking.
Slowly, the chestnut-haired teenager grabbed the paper ball and was about to give Seifer a taste of his own medicine when a larger hand grabbed the object from his own. Mr. Freeman. Rinoa paled even more as the green-eyed instructor frowned, placing a hand on Squall's desk. Seifer's shaking merely increased tenfold.
"What have we here, Mr. Leonhart? Not paying attention, are we?" Squall merely shrugged and slumped in his seat carelessly, his grey eyes flashing in annoyance. Rinoa immediately felt bad even though it technically wasn't her fault, but her attention wavered as Mr. Freeman unraveled the ball. "Let's see what you have to say to the class.
"You look bored. How very perceptive of you. You've been watching me, huh? Well, yes, I think you're a strange person. I like watching you, sexy." Rinoa whirled in her seat and stared in surprise at Seifer, who shook some more, winking at her teasingly. She couldn't help but smile; his mood was contagious. She could tell straight away that he was only joking with her, too. She stuck her tongue out at him, promising to get him back.
"Well, Mr. Leonhart, I didn't know you thought Mr. Almasy was 'sexy'," Mr. Freeman spoke aloud, using his fingers to quote the last word. The class erupted into laughter as Squall fumed and Seifer roared above the other students. Rinoa watched the expression in Squall's eyes, and she really felt bad. He didn't deserve that!
"Seifer and I were the ones passing notes in class, Vincent." The laughter stopped immediately. Rinoa could feel her face flaming in the dead silence, but she continued to lock gazes with the instructor, whose friendly appearance remained.
"Well, that changes things a bit! Thank you for clearing this up, Miss Heartilly. I trust that next time, you'll pay more attention. As my star student, you must set an example!" Rinoa's face burned a deeper crimson, ducking her head at the irony of it all as the black-haired man strode back to the front of the room, dumping the note in the trashcan.
Picking up the lesson book, he continued on, even though most of the students were looking back up at the three teenagers curiously. Seifer waved to get Rinoa's attention and she noted he was still smirking.
'You saved Puberty Boy's ass. Why?'
'He didn't deserve it! I just thought it was the right thing to do.' Seifer froze for a moment, his emerald eyes widening as some sort of realization took over him. Then, he slowly shook his head in amusement, mouthing one last thing before facing the front of the class once more.
'Your compassion for that bastard is gonna ruin you someday.'
Rinoa didn't understand the meaning of his words, but shrugged it off, deciding he was just joking with her again. Smiling, she picked up her pencil and started doodling once more, glad to have made another friend.
The minutes passed by without any more dramatic shows by Seifer, and when the bell rang, he saluted her once more before exiting, disappearing in the crowd of students. As Rinoa headed for the door, she saw Squall and ran faster to catch up to him. She managed to grab the fur on his crop jacket and he stumbled backwards before steadying himself and turning around. Seeing her, he crossed his arms patiently as she smiled at him weakly.
"Hey, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about that paper ball. Seifer really did mean to send it to me. I guess he has bad aim or something!"
"I doubt it was an accident," Squall muttered darkly, but Rinoa could sense there was something more deep beneath the subtle words. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence and then Rinoa locked her hands behind her back in a friendly gesture and smiled.
"Well, thanks for saving me earlier in class, today. I have no clue why even I'm in this class! It's all my stupid father's fault." She sighed and ran a hand through her straight locks. Squall raised a brow and uncrossed his arms, shifting to one side.
"So you hate your father as well, huh? That makes two of us," he murmured, a faraway look in his grey eyes. His eyes shook slightly and he looked back down at Rinoa, who tilted her head to the side cutely, her cinnamon eyes warm. "Anyway, you're welcome. Thanks for later in class when…you know," Squall mumbled, a small pout forming on his handsome features as he recalled the embarrassing incident. He scratched his head to hide his embarrassment and Rinoa giggled, shaking her head.
"It's alright. You didn't deserve that." Right now, Rinoa wondered why she'd even thought he was a cold person. He seemed pretty human talking to her right now. "Well, I better get to class. Maybe I'll see you later?" she asked, adjusting her hold on her blue backpack.
"Yeah, I'll see you later…?
"It's Rinoa. Rinoa Heartilly. Don't forget!" Without stopping to think, Rinoa tapped him on the nose for good measure and couldn't help but giggle when he gave her another weird look before slowly walking off into another direction. She giggled again, wondering why she was acting so strange, but shrugged it off and headed to fifth period, her spirits merry. She would see Selphie again next period.
…
Seifer Almasy strolled down the hallways of Balamb High School, Fujin and Raijin marching on either side of him casually. The silver-haired woman shifted her amber gaze towards Seifer, who had a concentrated look on his face. She then glanced at Raijin who was gossiping loudly as usual, and being ignored by the other two as usual.
"And I can't believe that Zell is going out with Amie, ya know! That is like the weirdest couple ever, ya know? I think Zell would go better with—"
"RAIJIN HUSH. SEIFER THINKING." Fujin kicked her comrade hard in the shin, scoffing as he wailed horribly, frightening some passersby. After regaining his composure, he sniffed and strutted, limping slightly, his expression sulky.
"You're so mean to me, Fujin, ya know?" The teenager in the eye patch decided to ignore her friend's mumbling and she loyally followed Seifer to his locker. The thoughtful look in Seifer's eyes was gone and so Fujin decided to ask.
"SEIFER THINKING?"
The blonde gunblade specialist glanced at the girl and hesitated before grabbing some books and slamming his locker door. "Yeah, I was. I met this girl in my class last period. There's something…odd about her." He paused and then shook his head, his emerald eyes narrowing into slits. "Forget it, I must've been imagining things."
"SEIFER TELL FUJIN ANYWAY." The commanding tone in the platinum-haired girl's voice did not go unnoticed by Seifer. He sighed and continued trekking down the hall, Fujin and Raijin following suit.
"I don't know. We were talking during class, and when she mouthed something to me…I could've sworn I heard her voice in my head."
"YOU THINK GIRL SORCERESS?"
"Maybe, or maybe she has some sort of psychic powers like…" Seifer stopped and his expression turned angry and he shook his head. Fujin nodded sympathetically, patting him on the back with a gloved hand.
"UNDERSTOOD."
A/N- Before you freak out on me, this is going to be a Squinoa and eventual Seiftis. Rinoa and Seifer are just on good terms with each other, nothing more. Besides, Seifer and Quistis together is just kick-ass, no? Anyways, I'm getting into this story, so encourage me by reviewing, my loyal readers!
Moshi Moshi Mai