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"Even memories get old when you know that's all they'll ever be."

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Chapter 1: Start of Hell

"You guys are s l o w," Yuffie mouthed out to her four friends as she walked backwards.

"No, you're just to fast," Riku defined with a grin forming on his face.

"I need…some…food…" Sora whined, almost collapsing to the floor. He walked behind them, panting and trying to catch his breath. Easily told, he was the slowest out of the group of friends. From in front of him he could hear the snickering of Aerith and Zack.

"Um, Yuffie." Aerith tried to get her attention, but failed at the attempt when she noticed her talking to Riku. At that moment Riku looked back and winked at her and Zack. He had a plan.

"Am I going to run into anything?" the seventeen year old ninja asked, refraining from looking back. "Riku!" He only shrugged his shoulders at her. She swore she saw him grin, but that quickly faded away along with her imagination.

Aerith closed her eyes and turned her head, not daring to watch. She could hear the loud laughing of Zack and Riku seconds later. "Yuffie…" Her voice trailed off when she looked to see what the ninja ran into.

"Uh, um…hey, Cid…how've you been since yesterday?" Yuffie asked nervously, waving her one hand around in the air.

"Ninja girl, are you asking for another detention?" He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it on the ground, smashing it under his boot. He looked up and stared her in the eye.

"Oh, hey look, the bell's going to ring soon! Bye!" Yuffie hurriedly grabbed Aerith's arm and took off running leaving the others alone with Cid.

"You asking for one to?"

"No, were good." Riku ran off with Zack and Sora following close behind. He would do anything to keep out of trouble. Last year Yuffie got him and the others in so much trouble. Though it was worth it half the time.

"Can we stop by the cafeteria machines and get some chips--"

"No!" Zack and Riku said in unison. They laughed.

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Today could quite possibly be the worst day of Yuffie's life. She sat in her desk listening to the teacher ramble on about things that didn't even matter. Who's going to use science in real life anyway? It's not like anyone would go up to someone talking about Newton's first law and how they used it. She snickered at the thought.

"Yuffie Kisaragi, do you find something funny?" the teacher asked annoyed.

"No," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Good. Now pay attention--" She blanked out right after that. This was most likely the worst class out of the whole day. She didn't have any of her friends in this class, and she had it with Cloud Strife. The one guy she swore she would never talk to again after he switched sides. But it didn't help her if he was constantly staring at her. Well, that, or the fact that he sleeps with his eyes open. Now that'd be freaky.

Next her thoughts left to Leon, her dorm partner, the one all the girls thought were so sexy. Though, she herself wondered how they could think a man of ice could be sexy in any way. Talking to him is like talking to a wall, they listen and never reply, if even that.

"This class is so boring…" she said under her breath. Just once hoping her teacher would hear her so she could be kicked out and spend the rest of the class in the office. But she made a promise to Aerith that she would try her best not to get in trouble. She could only imagine how long that would last. Aerith knew she was always getting into fights and such, that promise would soon be lost in all the others.

Her thoughts shifted from one person to another until her eyes started to become heaving making it almost impossible to keep them open. She fought to keep herself awake.

"Yuffie, what's Newton's second law of motion?"

"Cloud. I mean, Leon...err...pass?" She covered her mouth quickly after hearing what she just said as an answer and as a cover up. "Ah…I mean…what was the question?" She blushed out of embarrassment. A few kids started to laugh until the teacher yelled at them to be quiet.

"You're a disgrace, go out into the hall. I don't want to see your face right now." Yuffie sighed, having a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was the first day of school and she already got a detention and was sent out in the hall. Just another day for The Great Ninja Yuffie. "Now, Miss Kisaragi."

"Fine, I'm going…geez." She glanced back at Cloud before heading into the hallway. He was looking at her with a smile forming on his lips, a smile of deceit. She wanted to make a scene and just go punch him in the face, but if she got into any more trouble she feared for the worst. And it was only nearing the end of the first day.

Yuffie leaned against the wall outside the room, fists clenched in anger. She saw how Cloud looked at her, with pity, disgust, and a hint of laughter in those eyes of his. It made her mad and she really wanted to punch something right about now to get rid of her anger. But instead just let it simmer.

"Ooh! Cloud, you'll pay for this! I made a promise to myself that'd I'd kick your ass for leaving us!" She smiled, feeling a little better after her sudden outburst. "That guy will never change, and he doesn't deserve my pity nor anyone else's! The Great Ninja Yuffie will make sure he regrets leaving." Oh she was happy, she had a plan. One that would embarrass him so bad he'd cry.

Or I could just kick him where it hurts…either way works.

"Hey look, its little baby Yuffie," came a taunting voice. She looked up to see Seifer and Axel for the first time today.

"Just the people I was looking for." Her lips curved upward. "Just the people." Without warning she punched Seifer in the mouth, busting his lip open. He stumbled back in surprise, but gained his composure fast and wiped off the trickles of blood, anger flowing though him.

"Leave her alone, she's not worth our time," Axel tried to persuade Seifer into leaving. But being as stubborn as he was, he refused until he got back at Yuffie for busting his lip. She only stood there with a smirk on her face while the two fought with each other.

"Keep smiling, I dare you. By tonight that'll be gone, I swear by my name."

She could only keep smiling as they walked off together in a rage. Pissing Seifer off was good enough entertainment for a lifetime. Her musings came to a stop as the bell ending the last period class rang through the school building. Her smile turned to a frown as she remembered her detention.

Oh yes, her favorite place in the whole world. A place she knew to well throughout all last year. Detention. Home of the idiots and punks who didn't pay attention in class or just didn't care about their grades or their lives.

Figures. Seifer, Axel, and Yuffie were the only ones in the room on the first day of school, just like old times. Detentions worked like this, the teacher locked the room and sat outside grading papers and such while the students stayed in the room for one hour growling and getting into fights. Teachers just didn't seem to care anymore. They knew that all they did was fight, but they continued to lock them up in these god forsaken rooms until the time was up.

What idiots, she spoke to herself.

To her surprise Seifer and Axel didn't pick a fight with her for the first thirty minutes…so far. They just sat there bored in their seats complaining about how horrible there lives were, or how hot some girls were in skimpy clothing. Yuffie wanted to shoot herself after all the disgusting things they said about girls and what they'd do to them. Let's just say that sex was more or less on their minds.

Getting bored of hearing their constant rambling on girls Yuffie closed her eyes and slowly started to fall asleep on the desk, resting her head on her arms.

"You promise, right?" asked the blonde haired youth.

"Yep, I promise! We will forever stay away from the ones who think they're so cool…What are they called again?" The dark haired one jumped up and down in excitement.

"Preps."

"Oh yeah! Them!"

Let's promise…

"Ow, what was that for!" Yuffie looked up and over to see Axel trying to hold in laughing and Seifer snickering. She was annoyed now, they interrupted her dream that reminded her of a past memory with her and Cloud when they were little. When they were both so young and innocent. "I don't see what you're laughing about." She picked a spitball out of her hair.

Cloud…

They faced each other then looked back over at Yuffie. "Come here." Not even knowing what to expect she did as she was told hoping they would want to fight her or something of the sort. She was getting out of shape and those two were just the best to use as a punching bag.

But she got something completely different. In seconds Yuffie found herself pinned up against the wall by her neck, barely being able to breathe. It happened so fast she couldn't comprehend how. It just did. And this time she feared those two would get their revenge on her for all she did to them.

"Now you can pay for everything you did to us." Seifer's next words were laced with malice. "Every last bit of it." She tried to squirm free by clamping her hands around Seifer's hands and pulling them off of her neck, but to no avail. Pinning her and leaving her almost breathless left her weak and useless. Her eyes followed his hand as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a sharp pocket knife. Her eyes widened as he brought it close to her face.

I know I sound pathetic…and I say I can always handle myself but…wait!

"You think…you're so…tough, huh?" she managed to get out between breaths. They both looked a little surprised by her brave action looking at the situation she was in. But to Seifer, that just made it all the more pleasurable. Being as sly and maneuverable as she was Yuffie took the pleasure in her next action.

She swung her leg out and hit Seifer in the knee making him bend over giving her an opening to his weak spot. She slammed the heel of her shoe up as hard as she could in between his legs making Seifer fall to the ground in pain, dropping his pocket knife beside him.

"So, what were you saying about making me pay for everything I did to you?" The only noise heard was the movement of Axel while he helped Seifer back on his feet. In their eyes, this duel was far from over.

"You cheated, chicken-wuss!"

"You're just jealous that a girl beat you!"

"Dare to say that again!" he picked up the knife and pointed it at her. "I'll take you--" Yuffie watched as Axel and Seifer collapsed right in front of her eyes. Looking up she saw Leon standing there in all his glory--wait, glory? More like attempted glory.

"I could have handled it myself." He started to walk away and pushed away her pleas of trying to converse with him, but he did hear her sigh heavily. "Thanks…I guess, Squall."

He didn't even look. He just kept moving forward until he reached the door. "It's Leon."

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"Squall, where did you throw my brush this morning?" Yuffie asked as she threw a few things around making more of a mess in their dorm then there already was.

"Leon. And stop making a mess that I'll have to clean."

"Get over it…oh look, my Disturbed CD. I've been looking all over for this." She continued cleaning, or what she thought was cleaning. In reality, she was only making a bigger mess

She heard a loud growl as she threw her science book across the room in attempt to hopefully destroy it. Instead she did something much worse. "Whoops, sorry Squallie, it must have slipped out of my hand." Her voice was dripping with witty sarcasm.

"Leon," he snapped. His words were laced with venom.

"Since I have to put up with you in my dorm you should at least be a little nicer, preppy boy Squallie." She stifled a laugh at her last comment. "Go hang out with some girls or something since you're so popular."

He didn't reply, Yuffie becoming bored at the thought of nothing to do. She loved bugging him. It brought entertainment to her boring life. Then for a second she did forget that he wasn't much of the talkative type. The only thing he really ever said was "Leon" when people said Squall. But of course, usually only Yuffie said that.

"If I had the choice I'd rather be alone." She looked over at him, mouth gaping.

"You said a full sentence!" She cheered at her accomplishment. Only hoping that he wouldn't catch onto her little plan.

"Where do you live?"

"What?"

"Do have any brothers or sister?"

"…"

"A girlfriend?"

"…"

"Say something!" Yuffie groaned as she saw him turn his head and go back to watching TV. But she never lost her smile. For in her mind the games were only beginning.

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A/n: I'm probably going to change the summary…but I decided to officially make this a Squffie (Squall x Yuffie) story. But of course I'll add a little Angst and Drama with Cloud. He is her old friend after all. If there are any mistakes I'll be sure to fix them.

And questions e-mail me.

Chapter 2: September Rain

This time even Yuffie will be questioning herself with the decision she's making. Is she truly starting to fall for the one type of person she swore to never like? Will old memories get in the way, or will she be able to understand herself first?