Hatred to Love

A/N: Hey everyone and welcome to another chapter of Hatred to Love! I don't really know what to say now, except that this chapter might not be interesting, but the intriguing parts are coming up soon! I'll try to update as fast as I can, but I can't promise quickie updates. Sorry! Before you start reading, I want to thank Sammie and LadyComplicated. And thanks for telling me General Caraway's real name Lil Doro. Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 10 – Hate it or Love it

Julia Heartilly gazed longingly at the view outside. She was in her chauffeured car, on her way to Esthar for a meeting about the upcoming Music Video Awards to be held in Esthar in a couple of month's time. Normally, she'd get her reps to appear at meetings, but this time, she wanted to attend the meeting herself as well as getting a peaceful retreat in Esthar.

"So Julia, have you decided which song on your new album that you're going to perform at the Awards?" asked her assistant, Michelle.

Julia shook her head, her medium length dark brown hair swaying along as well. "Not yet Michelle, but I was thinking either 'We Belong Together' or 'Hard for Me'. They're my favourites off my new album,"

Michelle gave her a warm smile. "How's Rinoa doing?"

"I only just shipped her off to the Caraway House of Doom. I kid, but I think she's fine living with under the same roof as her father, Amber and her daughter," replied Julia inaudibly.

Michelle nodded. "How long do you actually intend to stay here in Esthar Julia?"

Julia sighed. "Around 3 to 5 days Michelle, no longer than that,"

Michelle slightly nodded again, so Julia resumed back to staring out the window and admiring the incredible views around her.

Julia opened her handbag which was sitting right beside her and pulled out her mobile phone. She was about to dial Rinoa's mobile number, but decided against it and slowly placed it back into her handbag.

Oh Rinoa, I hope you're alright darling. I hope that Amber's not bribing you with anything to accept her as your stepmother.

After Squall had let Rinoa out of his arms, he couldn't help but ask her, "Rinoa what are you doing here in Esthar?"

Rinoa smiled contentedly at him. "Aren't you happy to see me once again Squall?"

Squall and Rinoa then started walking down the street together with Rinoa holding onto Squall's hand.

"I'm happy to see you, but did you run away from home?" He asked her seriously, a frown crossing his brow.

Rinoa burst out laughing. "No way Squall! Let's just say that my father brought Amber, her daughter, cousin Nida and I are here to Esthar for a family vacation,"

She didn't want to tell Squall that her stepsister (rather Amber's daughter) was actually Mandy, his ex-girlfriend. Rinoa knew that this wasn't exactly the right moment to tell him anyway. She wanted to break the ice to him when it felt right.

His face relaxed. "Do you think you can take time off from your family and spend it with me?" asked Squall gently.

Rinoa's lips formed a small, delighted smile. "I'm not sure Squally; I'll have to ask my father,"

Carefully following them from behind was Mandy. She smirked at what her stepsister had just said. That gives me a good idea…And then, she turned around and walked off in the opposite direction.

"Besides Squally, what are you doing out here on your own?" Rinoa asked coyly.

Squall turned around and briefly glanced at "Crystal Petals" and curved his lips into a half-smile. "Just taking a walk. Why?"

Squall could've sworn that he saw Rinoa's face look a bit disappointed, but she couldn't have known about him visiting a jewellery store, now could she?

"No reason," responded Rinoa quickly.

"Rinoa, you're still going to that school aren't you?" asked Squall quietly.

Rinoa closed her eyes and after a while, slowly opened them. "Yes Squall. I am,"

The pair then continued to walk past stores in silence. Neither knowing what to say to the other.

"Where are we going?" asked Rinoa after the long period of silence.

Squall looked ahead of him and shrugged. "Anywhere you want, I guess…"

Rinoa smiled apologetically at him before dragging him the other way and turning into a store she liked to visit whenever she visited Esthar.

Squall's eyes broadened as he saw where she was leading him to. Oh no…Rinoa…

Rinoa was leading him inside 'Crystal Petals' where he was meant to be heading earlier until he met Rinoa.

I hope that the shop assistant doesn't tell Rinoa that the gift that I was meant to be picking up today was actually for Rinoa!

Irvine paced around his room, while his fingers were tightly gripped onto his cordless phone. He tried to call his girlfriend Selphie, but he kept on getting a busy signal.

He took a deep breath and sat down on his bed. What could you be doing Seffie?

He hadn't been talking to Selphie for a couple of weeks; most of the time she was busy with something or she hung up on him when he had called her. Irvine was worried about her; normally it was her who constantly tried to call him.

Irvine knew that he had a reputation for being a ladies' man at Balamb High, but was Selphie ignoring him because of that?

Flashback

Irvine tried to stop another argument from erupting with his girlfriend Selphie by grabbing onto her wrist and looking pleadingly into her sparkling, emerald green eyes.

"Let me go Irvine Kinneas!" Selphie wailed and tried to free her arm from Irvine's strong, firm grip.

Irvine looked down at his girlfriend and forced a modest smile onto his face. "Selphie, calm down," He said soothingly.

Selphie glared at him. "No, I will not calm down Kinneas!"

Irvine sighed. "Selphie, I can explain,"

Selphie's eyes coldly looked into his own. He took her silence as an offer to listen to whatever it was that he was about to say.

His grip on Selphie's slim white arm softened. "Selphie, I was with Jessica for a reason. We're in the same Geography class and we have an assignment to do together…"

Irvine felt something wet drip slowly onto his arm. Selphie's tears, fresh from her eyes.

"Seffie," Irvine murmured.

Selphie looked up at him with a jolt. "Then what makes you think that you can have her hang onto you like she owns you?"

Irvine was quiet for a moment. "I don't complain when you have other guys hang onto you!" He shot back thoughtlessly.

Her eyes were reduced to slits. "Irvine Kinneas, I haven't let any guys hang onto me the way Jessica hangs onto you! At least I don't go sneaking around your back!"

This argument was going nowhere, and apparently Selphie knew that as well.

"Look, I don't need this, ok? I've got a lot on my mind without you adding onto it," Selphie sobbed.

With one more jerk, her arm was free from Irvine's firm clutch. She walked away from him, her tears now dried up.

"Where are you going Selphie?" Irvine called running after her.

"Far away from you," She snapped back.

End Flashback

And that was the last time that he actually talked to Selphie. It was on the last day of school as well.

He sprawled back onto his bed. In a way, everyone thought that he had everything. Good looks, money, ladies and he was popular. He never asked his parents for much. They were always at work and he was normally at home on his own. He was used to this process, but now he didn't really care about anything anymore.

With one single blow, he knocked down everything on his table stand. Most of the things that were once displayed on it were in a mess on Irvine's tiled floor. The glass items had shattered into pieces as they made contact with the ground.

The sound of glass breaking, especially a lot at once would've pierced someone's ear. But to Irvine, it was just as regular as the birds chirping cheerfully outside.

Now snapped out of his daze, he glimpsed at the mess in horror and shock as he slowly sunk down onto his knees.

He picked up several pieces of glass, not caring that some of them had cut the skin on his smooth, white hand. Blood gradually trickled down his hand and dripped onto the tiled floor. It didn't pain him at all. In a way, he felt like he had deserved it.

Before Irvine knew it, tears stained a photo of him and Selphie, taken back in the happier days. He howled into the night. The lively, carefree and laidback Irvine was slowly fading away. And was being replaced by a broken shadow of what he used to be.

The sun was about to set and Rinoa walked back to her Esthar home, accompanied by Squall. They had agood time browsing through the jewels at 'Crystal Petals'. Or rather she had a good time there while Squall was standingin the shoplooking uncomfortable. Rinoa had a particular liking for a crystal chain necklace, but she hid the fact that she liked it. She didn't want Squall splurging his money on something she'd probably never wear.

Rinoa was in awe after looking at the sky, which was now streaked with red, yellow and orange.

"So you're staying here for just a couple of days?" asked Squall as they were getting closer to Rinoa's Esthar home.

Rinoa nodded. "Yeah. Squall, I'll ask my father about spending time with you. I promise,"

They stopped once they were in front of her house.

Squall faced her and gave her a little smile. Rinoa returned the smile back at him.

Squall then leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on her forehead.

He walked away after that. Rinoa was still a bit shocked that Squall wanted to freely kiss her. Normally, she was the one that kissed him first.

She smiled and touched the spot where his lips had just softly brushed against her forehead. I just hope that he can one day admit that he loves me. But I don't want him to become an open boyfriend that loves public displays of affection. That would be too much for me! I love him the way he is now.

Rinoa remembered that her father had given her a spare key to the front door and she retrieved it from her pocket and opened the door.

The house was quiet, like no one was even in it. She had been in this house when she was younger and it never gave her an eerie feeling like it did now. But Rinoa then heard some shuffling and soft, faint voices coming from the living room. Rinoa made her way there cautiously and was amazed to find what looked like Mandy having an intimate conversation with her father.

Rinoa froze. She was too stunned to even speak, yet alone move a single muscle. Mandy looked over her shoulder and gazed at Rinoa smugly while her father looked up at her with a disappointed look on his face.

Mandy stood up from the sofa she was sitting on and brushed past her. Rinoa thought she heard "Busted," escape from Mandy's lips, but thought nothing of it.

Her father gestured to her to sit down, but Rinoa didn't budge from where she was standing. Her father gave her a "Don't make me frustrated now" look and Rinoa then moved from where she was standing and sat down as far away as possible from her father.

Richard Caraway shook his head with disappointment. Rinoa was silent and simply watched her father. After a while, he opened his mouth and began to speak.

"Rinoa, Mandy tells me that you left her on her own and that caused her to almost get lost in Esthar. It was very dangerous for Mandy, being alone and not knowing her way around, especially in a place like Esthar," said Richard, the anger in his voice raising. Rinoa merely looked at him.

"And she said that you made plans with that Leonhart boy so you that you couldn't spend time with us on this family vacation," continued her father.

Rinoa sighed quietly. She knew that somehow, Mandy would try to get her into trouble for ruining her designer pink dress.

"Answer me Rinoa!" demanded her father.

Rinoa's thoughts were broken up by her father's loud, irritated voice. She couldn't resist but say "You didn't ask me anything,"

"Don't you try to be cheeky with me young lady. Your behaviour nowadays is inexcusable. Makes me wonder what that mother of yours was doing with you,"

Rinoa snapped her head back up. "If you're talking about your ex-wife, she did a great job of raising me on her own!"

Her father's face was now red with anger. He tried to avoid getting into heated arguments with his only daughter, but somehow they managed to get themselves into plenty of arguments.

"Rinoa, please kindly explain to me why you did what you did to your stepsister Mandy," asked Richard calmly, his face now regaining its normal colour.

Rinoa snorted. Amber and her father weren't even married yet! So Mandy wasn't legally her stepsister. Her father raised his eyebrows, so Rinoa had to respond to him.

"She's done nothing but make my life a living hell. From the moment she stepped into Caraway Manor, she's tried her hardest to make me look like the bad girl and reports lies to Aunt Sophia as well," replied Rinoa in the same calm tone.

Richard nodded in her direction. "What about giving the poor girl a chance? You're going to be living with her and spending a helluva lot of time with her. Why not apologise and start over?"

Rinoa's eyes widened. You have GOT to be joking me Father! Apologise to Mandy Portman is the last thing I hope to do before I die and leave this planet!

"Rinoa, I know that you must hate me now," started Richard.

How did you know? Rinoa thought sarcastically.

"But I'm remarrying Amber because I love her and I want you to grow up with a sibling. I don't want you and Mandy to constantly argue over every little thing. What will Amber think of you?"

What won't she think of me?

"I've made a lot of mistakes, but I'm trying to make it up to you. Rinoa, please don't upset me like this again. I was enraged to hear what you did to Mandy. I know that you're a courteous, spirited and beautiful girl, but to hear my future stepdaughter saying that she was scared and shocked at how you just ran off without her…I was let down by you Rinoa,"

Rinoa raised an eyebrow. I made you upset? I don't hear that often. And since when does Mandy get scared and shocked when someone leaves her on her own?

Just as Rinoa was about to open her mouth to ask something, her father said "If you're going to ask if you can spend time with that Leonhart boy instead of your own family, I'm thinking about it. But I think you've had enough excitement for one day. Go upstairs, shower and get dressed up. We're going out for dinner,"

Rinoa left the room without saying another word. She made her way upstairs and into a room, where she had spotted her suitcases and bags.

She grabbed a couple of things including a towel and entered the bathroom, which was also in the same room.

"Is there a reason why you're so…so dressed up Mother?" asked Squall as he came into his parents' room to greet his mother.

Raine looked up to see her son Squall. She smiled. So Rinoa probably didn't tell him.

"We," She said, getting up from where she was sitting. "Have been invited to dinner,"

"…"

"Go shower and then get changed dear. It's at that high class restaurant…oh I've forgotten the name now,"

Squall said nothing, but did as he was asked. He left the room and ran into his father on the way.

"Squall my boy! You were out for a long time!" said Laguna gleefully with a goofy smile.

Squall didn't even bother to remark. Most of the time, he was reserved and polite when his mother was in the room with his father, but when he was alone with his father, he didn't give a damn about what the man had to say.

Squall tried to brush past his father and make it to his own bedroom, but his father stopped him.

"Squall, let's talk,"

"Whatever," responded Squall and this time, he managed to get to his room.

Laguna smiled into the distance. "At least you're trying Laguna," A soft voice said.

Raine came up and patted his back. "Yeah, I'm always trying Raine,"

But it'll take more than just trying to get Squall to forgive Laguna…

"I hope that you haven't caused any trouble Amanda," said Amber as she was applying on a cherry coloured lipstick.

Mandy scowled. My name is Mandy! She wanted to snap.

Amber eyed her doubtfully. "Amanda, what have you done now?"

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Nothing," Amber gave her a look. "Oh alright, I got Rinoa into trouble," She quickly added.

Amber sighed. "I don't know how you ended up being so impertinent Amanda,"

Mandy stood there with her arms folded. But it's not my fault! Her mind screamed.

"You know Amanda; you were always a good girl, but now, it's like trouble and nastiness adopted you. Where did I go wrong? What made you hate me so much that you decided to punish me in your own way? Do you think its funny watching me suffer?" asked Amber quietly with hints of anger and frustration.

Mandy was silent. She didn't know what to say to her mother. "You may leave now Amanda,"

Mandy left the room and carefully closed the door behind her.

This is all Rinoa's fault! If she hadn't gotten together with Squall, I wouldn't have hated her and my mother wouldn't hate me! Mandy thought angrily.

She walked past a room where Nida was napping. He had gotten some food poisoning after drinking an Estharian milkshake. She then peeked into the room that Rinoa was supposedly meant to stay in. She smirked. Maybe there's an even better way of keeping Rinoa out of my way…

Mandy took out a key that she had secretly swiped from her mother and Richard's room when her mother wasn't looking and locked Rinoa's door.

There! Now darling Rinoa won't be able to get out, because you have to unlock it from the outside!

She strolled back to her own room, satisfaction written all over her smirking beautiful face.

A floor length mirror was placed in Mandy's room and she willingly used it to her advantage just to make sure that her dress wasn't ruined in any single way, like it was last time. She grimaced as she remembered all the humiliation that she had to endure at Rinoa's party. But this time, it wouldn't be her who would be humiliated.

Mandy smiled to herself as she smoothed the back of her dress. Her dress was black and ruffled and fell above her knees. It was revealing, so she had to wear a black tube top underneath so that it wouldn't expose her chest whenever she leaned down. A pair of matching black high heels completed her look.

Mandy ran a hand through her long silky blonde hair, which she had made wavy for that night only. Smiling at her reflection one last time, she spun on her heel and then proceeded to march with poise downstairs.

"Where's Rinoa, Amanda?" asked Amber as Mandy entered the living room where she and Richard were patiently waiting.

"Rinoa's feeling tired from today's little tour, so she decided to rest a bit. But she told me to tell you that she and Nida will make it in time to eat with us," explained Mandy.

"Should I go tell her that we're leaving now?" asked Richard as he was about to go upstairs.

"No! I mean…no, she might not want to be disturbed right now Daddy," objected Mandy.

Richard stopped in his tracks and frowned. Amber looked over at her daughter and eyed her skeptically. Mandy met her mother's gaze and forced a truthful, innocent look onto her face, so that she wouldn't be suspicious.

"We might as well leave now, I'll call Rinoa's mobile phone if there's any trouble," sighed Richard.

Amber nodded and signaled to her daughter that they would be leaving. Mandy walked slowly to the door, as her heels were hard to walk properly and quickly in.

Climbing into her mother's fiancé's car, Mandy grinned a deadly smile into the moonlight. Everything had just fallen into place. Everything would've been perfect too, if Rinoa wasn't in the picture.

This is the first day of Rinoa's beautifully, tortured life…

In her bathroom, Rinoa ran a hand through her wet raven hair while blow-drying it. She didn't want to catch a cold that night or look strangely funny either. After a while, her hair was warm and wavy. She brushed her hair and tried to untangle any knots that might've formed as well. After brushing her long raven hair for a while, it turned straight and silky smooth again. She pulled it up into a Chinese style bun and stuck red hair chopsticks into it.

Setting her brush down on the bathroom cabinet, she smiled unemotionally to herself into the mirror in front of her. Nowadays, she just wanted to scream out all her feelings and not have someone tell her that everything would be fine, when they knew that it wouldn't be. She blinked back several tears before stepping back and exiting her bathroom.

There was total darkness in her room and Rinoa found that it didn't annoy her at all. It suited her mood right now and she didn't bother to turn on the light.

Rinoa tossed the clothes that she was wearing before onto her daisy printed double bed. A floor length mirror situated near the bed reflected what she was wearing for the evening.

Rinoa was wearing a slinky, red halter dress that really showed off her slim, fit body. Her hair was held up in a Chinese style bun with red chopsticks and she wore silver heels and a fashionable long, black overcoat, in case it got cold later on in the night.

She exhaled heavily. Rinoa really didn't want to do anything except for spend time with Squall during this break in Esthar. But she knew that she had to behave and do as her father said. She couldn't help but wonder about her mother. How was her mother at this moment? Was she at work? Was she at home in Balamb? Did she miss her own daughter?

The expression on Rinoa's face changed from moping and 'I don't really give a damn' to resentment. Why hadn't her mother called her to see how she was going? Was it possible that she forget about her already?

Rinoa then let out an ear-piercing scream and her hands dug into her hair. Moments after her outbreak, tears slowly fell out her eyes and streaked her pale face. Why? Why Mummy? Why haven't you written a letter to me or at least called me to see how I'm going? Did you and Father plan this…? Did you want me to go through all of this? Why? WHY?

She knew that it was immature to cry over something as little like this, but she couldn't help but feel this way. Wiping her tears with a tissue that she had taken out of her handbag, she walked over to the door and attempted to open it.

That's funny. I swore that I heard voices before and the door wasn't as hard to open or close…

Rinoa played around with the door knob, trying to get it to open. The little gold rimmed door knob simply wouldn't budge. Rinoa's brow furrowed in frustration as she was twisting the knob in hopes of getting it open.

Then it came to her. Why that sneaky little - ! Mandy! How dare she! Suck up to me just so that I wouldn't see her true colours! When I get my hands on her, I swear it won't be a pretty sight.

Rinoa pounded on the door, hoping that someone would still be at home to hear her cries and banging on the door.

"Help me! Somebody please!" cried Rinoa, before sinking down onto the peach coloured carpet floor.