Disclaimer: (See Part I.)
A/N: Chayn is a character that I made up; I own nothing else but the plot of this story.
To my readers/reviewers: Thanks so much for all the reviews, I love getting your feedback! (It keeps me going.) Keep it up!
-.-.-.-.-
Zell moved swiftly to get to the door and open it for the visitor, but Irvine turned the knob and walked in after the first knock.
"Common in," Zell offered, though he didn't really have any other choice.
"Hey Zell," the taller man moved quickly and caught Zell off guard with a kiss.
Zell pulled back, causing Irvine to stare at him in question with raised eyebrown. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing, I just uh... have to get my things together for class," Zell quickly changed the subject.
"Okay, no rush, we've still got time. I can wait." Irvine flopped down on the sqeaky couch and crossed his legs. "Don't just stand there, common, get your stuff," he urged Zell.
Zell walked to his bag that lay on his bed and finished putting his books into it. "Okay, let's go."
Irvine was standing by the door once again; he turned and open it.
"Good morning, Mr. Irvine," greeted Chayn.
Irvine jumped at the sudden appearance of the younger boy.
"Hey Chayn," Zell came up behind his paled friend. "Whatcha doin' here?"
"I have been transfered from Battle Training into your review class, because the instructor told Headmaster Cid that he didn't think that I was ready for the field yet." Chayn made a face. "It is utter nonsense, though. I was clearly better than half of the other students."
Irvine rolled his eyes and thought to himself that the instructor probably just couldn't stand the boy's attitude.
Zell shrugged, pushing Irvine aside to lock the door. "I don't think you'll find our instructor any better."
"He cannot be worse," said Chayn.
"I dunno..." muttered Zell, and the three boys left the dorm hall for class.
-.-.-.-.-
To Irvine's dislike, Chayn sat right across the aisle from Zell in class. The instructor set Chayn up with his own set of textbooks and took an immediate liking to the book-smart student.
Both Irvine and Zell were surprised to find that Chayn knew more of the review that they had been working on than they themselves did.
"Chayn, how do ya know so much of the stuff we're doing?" Zell asked after class had ended.
The younger boy shrugged. "Well, I really like to read, and I have already read through all of the Junior SeeD textbooks, so I moved on to some of the more advanced Senior SeeD books."
"Uh huh..." Irvine rolled his eyes. He would have done anything to get away from the boy, but he refused to leave Zell alone with him.
Zell elbowed Irvine in the side. "Wow, that's a lot of reading!"
Chayn smiled proudly.
"Well, if you aren't in our next class, Zell and I have to be going this way now." Irvine hastily pulled Zell down a different hallway.
Chayn waved goodbye and continued on in the other direction.
"What's the matter with you Irvine? I told you, he's not going to put a spell on me or try and kill me, so why don't you just chill?"
Irvine didn't know what to say. He knew it had just been a dream, but it had felt so real. In reality though, he couldn't hold much against the kid. He looked away from the blond's staring eyes.
"Common, let's get to class." Zell walked past Irvine down the hall.
Irvine put a hand in his pocket and slowly followed.
-.-.-.-.-
Zell sat on his squeaky couch trying his best to complete his homework while having extreme difficulties. He leaned his head on his hand as he tried again to remember what a Raldo and a Granaldo looked like. Just when he thought that he almost had it, there was a knock on his door.
Irvine was really starting to get on his nerves. Didn't the guy have anyone else to bug? Didn't he have homework, too? Zell thought that he was becoming way too obsessive. He went to the door and opened it, but this time, it wasn't Irvine who stood there. It was Chayn.
"Good afternoon, Zell," he greeted.
"Chayn!" Zell was surprised to see the younger boy outside of his dorm room instead of Irvine. "What's up?"
"Nothing much, may I come in?" he asked.
Zell hesitated. 'I should really get back to doing that homework,' he thought, but he didn't want to have to turn the boy away. "Yeah, of course." He moved out of the way so that the younger boy could walk in. "Just as long as you don't mind the mess."
Chayn walked into the messy dorm room that Zell had been 'trying' to clean for the longest time. "No, the mess is fine. My dorm isn't exactly the cleanest either."
Zell seriously doubted that Chayn's room could possibly compete to his own pig's sty, but he gave a chuckle at the thought of Chayn having a messy room. "So what brings you here?"
Chayn took the room in at a glance. "This dorm is much nicer than my own. I cannot wait to become a SeeD if it comes with this luxury. I still have to share my dorm."
"I know what that's like," Zell sympathized with Chayn. Then he noticed his open textbook on the couch, waiting to be studied. "Hey, I'd love for you to stay, but I should really get back to doing the review."
"Oh, you are still working on that?" asked Chayn.
"You're finished?" asked Zell, not believing that Chayn could have already finished the homework that he himself have been working on since the moment he'd walked into his room.
"Oh yes, it was a cinch. That is part of the reason I came over."
Zell raised an eyebrown.
"During lunch I had the most interesting conversation with the instructor of the review class and he told me that you were having some difficulties with the rev-"
"What? He told you that I was having difficulties, why was he talking to you about me? How many people has he talked to about my marks?"
"Calm down Zell. He only told me because he noticed that I sat down next to you in class. He was actually worried that your behaviour would rub off on me." Chayn chuckled to himself.
Zell snarled.
"Anyway, I was just wondering if you would like some extra help with any of the work? I could help you review for the test next week if you like."
"We have a test next week?"
Chayn nodded. "I think you will learn a lot if you get to know your instructors better."
Zell snorted. "Whatever."
Chayn moved to the door. "Well, if you do not want my help, I'm sorry to have bothered you. I'll be going now."
"Wait! I never said I didn't want your help. I need all the help I can get!" Zell invited the boy back into the room. He picked up the textbook and pointed to the question that he was stuck on. "I can't remember what a Raldo and a Granaldo are."
"That's an easy one," Chayn smiled. "Here, I'll show you how to remember them."
Within the hour, Zell was able to recite the names and descriptions of nearly all the beasts on the left side of the world map with little to no difficulty.
"Wow! I've never been able to remember any of this stuff! Thanks a lot, man."
Chayn smiled. "A little repitition is all that you needed."
"Hey, would you mind if I passed some of what you've told me to Irvine? He could probably use some of the stuff you told me, too."
"Go ahead, but I do not think you should tell his that I am the one who told you. I don't think Irvine likes me very much..." Chayn said with a little disappointment.
"He's just got... other things on his mind," said Zell, not wanting to go into the topic of how Irvine thought that Chayn was doing black magic.
"Like that library girl."
Zell smirked. "Yeah, like the library girl." Then he realized what Chayn had said. "What?"
"Irvine has his mind on the library girl. He is always in the library; I saw him there earlier today. Yesterday he asked me if I knew where he could find her." Chayn looked helpless. "I do not think his mind is where it should be. He should be doing the review homework."
Zell narrowed his eye. "Indeed..."
-.-.-.-.-
Irvine knocked desperately on Zell's door.
Zell flung it open. "What's the urgency? Who died?" He looked up and down the hall wildly.
"No one died, let me in." Irvine pushed past Zell to get into the room.
"What's the matter than? Why are you out of breath?" asked Zell.
Irvine's complexion was pale. "You let him in!"
Zell sighed, relieved that nothing was wrong. "Yeah, I let him in. He came by to help me with the review."
"What?" asked Irvine in disbelief. "Not possible. He's probably trying to brainwash you!" He paused a moment and pouted. "I thought it was my job to help you with the review?"
"Ya know, that 'Chayn is evil' bull is getting old, man, and if it's your job to help me study then where were you?" Zell folded his arms in front of him and waited for Irvine's reply.
Irvine thought carefully. "I was, uh, in the library..."
"Hitting on the library girl."
"No!" Irvine objected. "Where did you hear that from?"
"Chayn."
Irvine rolled his eyes and pointed a finger at Zell. "See, he is trying to brainwash you! I was just studying, you can ask anyone who was there. Besides, today is the library girl's day off."
Zell glared at Irvine. "And how do you know that? Huh?"
Irvine's eyes shifted back and forth under the pressure. "Uh..."
"So this is how you are with all your relationships, right? You just can't take the commitment, can you?"
"That's not true!"
"Yes it is, you did the same thing to Selphie, and now you're doing it to me! I'm just glad that we haven't been a 'couple' for very long, if that's even what you'd call it," Zell spat. "I wouldn't have wanted to find out that you were a player months from now." He sighed. "I really thought you had changed, man, but you haven't. Not in the least."
Irvine stared at Zell with his mouth hanging open. What had Chayn been telling Zell? Irvine had never even looked twice at the library girl, or any one else for that matter, but Zell was so determined to find fault in him, that he didn't stand a chance of telling his side of the story. He walked past Zell to the door and left without another word.
Zell leaned on the door and put his head into his hand. 'So much for an honest friendship,' he thought.
Irvine went back to his own dorm. How could Chayn have told Zell so many lies? Now he would have to find away to prove himself to Zell, but why? He didn't need to prove anything. Perhaps Zell was just insecure with their relationship.
He decided that after Zell had had some time to settle down and come to his senses, he would try and talk to him again and explain himself. Clearly Chayn could not be trusted.
-.-.-.-.-
Somewhere down another hall, Chayn was clamly walking with a little smirk on his face.
-.-.-.-.-
End of Part XIV.