Standard disclaimers apply

The sound of a deafening slap rang through the halls.

I slapped him. Me - I slapped him.

I wanted to yell at him - scream at him - tell him how utterly disgusting he was. How he invaded my personal space (even if it sounded childish), how he broke my trust, how his move was horrible - anything I could think along the way. Maybe even that his taste in clothes were horrible.

But it never came out.

I could only stare at him with my mouth wide open, my eyes angry and fierce. My hands clutched my skirt, fighting the urge to attack him and claw him with my nails. He opened his mouth to explain, but like me, he couldn't and could only get his mouth open with his feeling in his eyes. If he had said anything, I didn't hear any of it. I slammed the door in his face and locked it - bolt and all - in a matter of seconds.

My mind reeled. He was such a gentleman - thought it could've been an act. What was he thinking? It was disgusting!

I groaned and tugged on my hair (a habit I developed for when I got frustrated). I walked to and fell back into the couch. I let go of my hair and reached for the phone. I hesitated. Half of me wanted to call Selphie and yell at her until she went deaf or I went hoarse. the other half of me told me to find her later at a decent hour and sleep for the time being.

I got up and went to my bedroom. Selphie was in deep trouble the next day.

Sleeping calmed me down considerably. Though I was still angry, I didn't feel like wanting to strangle Selphie anymore. I had a feeling that the grudge wasn't going to last though - it never really did when it came to Selphie.

I wasn't able to see her that morning though. We didn't have the exact same courses, so she was in class at the time. I window shopped through the downtown district to pass time. It was one of the perks of being older and going to college. It was never far from downtown, which gave access to unlimited shopping centers. The whole city wasn't a mall (naturally...), but stores usually clumped together in one area to make one giant city-mall-like place. My mind told me that my feet would no doubt take the their toll by the end of the day. Nonetheless, I walked through countless stores, tried on at least twenty pairs of shoes, and twice as many outfits. There were only so many that I really ended up liking though. I bought less that I originally thought I would've.

While walking to the cafe - the center of all things in my world (kind of like in Friends) - I felt something cold drip on my head. And then another. And several more. By the time I got to the streetlight two feet in front of me, the drips turned into rain. It wasn't pouring, but it definitely wasn't sprinkling. Around me, umbrellas went up, briefcases and jackets were pulled over heads and people ran undercover or into buildings to shelter themselves from the rain. Thankfully, most of my bags were plastic (as with most stores one would shop at). My new clothes were fine.

I stood on the not-so-crowded sidewalk, one of the few to not have an umbrella up, and probably the only one to love it. Shaking water from my eyes, I walked up to the cross walk and pressed the button that would let me cross the street. (A/N - what is that called again?) The big clock that stood in the middle of downtown chimed. It was far, but I could still hear it. I looked down at the watch on my wrist while walking across the road. It was already 5 o' clock. Selphie probably finished her classes ages ago. Knowing her though, she was probably planning an outfit for another date with Irvine. Ever since they began dating, it was uncommon to see her at the cafe past 6. She was probably trying to figure out if she should wear the yellow striped halter? Or the frilly one with the beads?

"Have a nice day..." the cashier said hesitantly, while looking me up and down. I laughed.

"I got caught in the rain," I explained to her, taking a warm paper cup from her hands. She nodded in understanding and turned to the next customer in line as I walked away. I set the cup down at one of the small round tables to stir in some cream and sugar. I took a sip out of the cup and sighed. It was so warm, and I was soaked and cold to the bone.

"And now we know - the cause of Rinoa Heartilly's short stature is the overdose of caffeine in her diet," a male voice chuckled from behind me.

I jumped, and turned slowly to face the person behind me. My eyes widened and my mouth formed an 'o' shape.

"She loves the rain just as much she did two years ago, too," he said, acknowledging my wet clothes.

Squall.

A/N: Extremely short, I know. Sorry. Some revision done; took out the author's notes that took half the page, etc. and ended up with just this. This is the only chapter this short - I swear.