Disclaimer: (See Part I.)
A/N: Chayn is a character that I made up, along with Buzz and Garold, and anyone else that I throw into this story that have nothing to do with FF8 whatsoever; I own nothing else but the plot of this story.
To QueenAdreena: Sorry again about the cuteness. Glad you like the plot though. Thanks for your review.
To Lady Pyrefly: Thanks for your review. I find your confusion about Chayn very amusing. All you questions will be answered very soon.
To Lionfaq: Thanks for your review. I'm glad you like the story. I actually never thought about a sequel, but since you've mentioned it I've been having... ideas, (that's a very bad thing).
To Fuuraiken: Thanks for the review! Glad you like the pairing.
Enjoy!
-.-.-.-.-
"You want me to do what again?" asked Squall. He had agreed to help Irvine open the box, but the taller boy had failed to mention how, exactly, they were going to do it.
"Open this box," Irvine held it up to show Squall.
"No problem." Squall lined his Gunblade up with the top of the box. "One good swing should crack 'er open." He drew back his weapon and brought it crashing down on the box.
Irvine leaned in and inspected the object. Squall's Gunblade hadn't even left a dent.
"Did it work?" asked Squall.
"No."
Squall took the box from Irvine. "That's weird... Have you tried picking the lock?"
"Not yet."
Squall rolled his eyes. "Gimme something," he snapped his fingers a couple times, "like a wire, or a bobby pin."
"A bobby pin?" repeated Irvine.
"Yeah, Rinoa would have one."
"Sure, but Rinoa's a girl."
Squall shrugged. "Well, you never know. I don't know what you like to do in your spare time... Your hair is long."
"Hey man, I don't have no bobby pin."
"Okay, what about a paper clip?"
A light went off in Irvine's head. "Yeah, I think I have one of those." He sifted through a pile of his school papers and found what he was looking for. "Here ya go." He handed the clip to Squall, who opened the paper clip and poked it around in the lock until he heard a click.
"Got it."
Irvine quickly took the box from Squall's hand. "Thanks." He put the box on his desk.
"Aren't you going to open it?" asked Squall.
Irvine looked from Squall to the box and back to Squall again. He shook his head. "No."
Squall scrunched up his face. "Okay... Well, I guess my work here is done then."
Irvine thanked Squall again and sent him on his way out the door, and as soon as it closed Irvine went back to his desk, knelt down, and took the box into his lap. 'I've got you now,' he thought. He carefully opened the lid of the box that would confirm all of his suspicion.
-.-.-.-.-
Chayn walked into his dorm, arriving just in time for room check. He went to his side of the room, thankful that he had something to come home to after a long day. He reached under his bed for the box, but it wasn't there.
'Okay Chayn,' he told himself mentally, 'there has to be a logical explanation for this. You probably just misplaced it.' He looked around the room and noticed for the first time that it was slightly disheveled.
He looked back into the main room to see Buzz still sleeping where he had been when he had left the room. It wasn't possible that his roommate could have had another party since he had last been in the room.
Chayn rushed over to his roommate and shook him awake. "Buzz. Buzz!" He dodged the massive hand that swung at his head.
"Whadaya wan?"
"Did you take my box?"
"What box?"
"The one under my bed!" Chayn said with urgency.
"There was a box there?"
"Yes! Did you take it?"
"Why would I wan yer stupid ol' box?"
Chayn raced back into his room and removed the floor board, slightly relieved that the key was still there, but still, someone was out there with his secret box. Who could it-
"Irvine!" Chayn exclaimed aloud.
"What the hell's an Irvine?" asked Buzz from the junk pile in the other room.
Chayn ignored him. It made perfect sense. Irvine hated him. Chayn's mind raced. 'What if he gets my box open?' He had to get it back.
He bounded over heaps of junk and out the dorm door hearing Buzz holler behind him, "Ow! That was my foot, you ass!" Buzz got up and ran after his roommate to teach him a lesson.
Irvine stepped out of his dorm, box in hand, as Chayn was racing down the hall toward him.
"That's my box!" he shouted. "Give it back to me."
"Get back here, I'm gonna pound your face in!" Buzz shouted behind him.
Irvine looked over at the pushy brat and his scary roommate. He wasn't about to hand over one of the only pieces of evidence he had against the kid. He bolted down the hallway in the direction of the elevator with Chayn right on his tail.
They raced past a member of the Garden Faculty who was ensuring that the library was closed and locked up for the night. "No running in the halls!" he called after them and joined the chase.
As Irvine reached the steps that lead up the elevator he took a glance behind him. Chayn was pretty fast for having such short legs, but then again, Irvine with the box in his hands gave the kid a lot of motivation to keep up.
At the top stair Irvine leapt for the button to go up in the elevator, pressing it desperately.
"Stop!" ordered the faculty member.
The elevator opened. Irvine slipped in and pushed the close button on the inside only moments before Chayn arrived.
Chayn pressed the button to go up on the outside of the elevator, but it was too late. He put his hands on his hips and his chest heaved up and down. Then a hand on his shoulder whipped him around.
"Oh boy are you gonna regret stepping in my foot." Buzz puled back his arm and made a fist.
Chayn shielded his face with his hands, but the blow never came. He lowered his guard and saw that the Garden Faculty had saved him from the threat of the bigger boy. "Thank you."
The faculty member shook furiously. "What are you three doing out of your dorms at this time of night!"
Chayn opened his mouth about to explain himself, but the Garden Faculty stopped him before he could start.
"This kind of behavior is inexcusable. You will both report to the Headmaster immediately!"
-.-.-.-.-
Irvine arrived at the top of the elevator and walked into the Headmaster's office, thankful that he didn't retire for the night until everything was locked up and all the students were in their dorms.
Cid looked up from his desk. "Irvine, shouldn't you be packing it in for the night?"
Irvine strode up to the Headmaster with determination and put the box down firmly on the desk in front of him.
"What's this?"
"Open it."
Cid opened the box and observed the objects within. "I don't understand."
"That box belongs to Chayn," Irvine explained. "He's obsessed with Zell and I'm worried about Zell's safety."
"Irvine, do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"
Irvine took a tape out of his jacket and put it down on the desk beside the box. "Listen to that if you don't believe me."
As the Headmaster stared at Irvine at a loss of words the elevator dinged the arrival of the Garden Faculty with Chayn and Buzz.
Both Irvine and Headmaster Cid looked to the door as the three walked into the room, all with similar looking expressions of outrage.
"What's going on here?" asked the Headmaster with disbelief. He couldn't believe all the excitement that night.
"Headmaster, these two hooligans were stampeding down the hall after that one," he pointed at Irvine, "while I was locking up."
Cid folded his hands calmly and placed them on his desk. "I see, thank you. I can take care of things from here," he dismissed the faculty member.
All was silent as the three students stood before the Headmaster awaiting his reprimand.
Cid's eyes moved from boy to boy and finally stopped on Buzz. "Buzz, I want you to go back to your room. I'll speak with you tomorrow."
Buzz rolled his eyes, gestured carelessly with his hand, and left the office.
Cid looked back at the two boys before him with disappointment. "Chayn... this is a first."
Chayn looked nervously at his open box on the desk.
"Which one of you would like to explain to me why you were 'stampeding' down the hallway?" Cid looked at Chayn expectantly.
"Irvine went into my dorm and took something that belonged to me so I went to get it back from him, but when he saw me approaching he started running from me with my box."
"Yeah, 'cause you were running straight for me. If I didn't start running, you probably would've tackled me to the ground!" Irvine tried to defend himself.
Chayn crossed his arms in front of him, rolled his eyes, and looked away from the tall boy.
"So this box does belong to you?"
"Yes sir, may I please have it back now?"
"No, I'd like to hold onto it for the time being if you don't mind."
Chayn did mind, but he didn't say so.
Headmaster Cid sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry that Irvine took your box, I'll have a talk with him, so for now, why don't you just go back to your dorm and get some sleep."
Irvine's chin dropped. How could he let the kid off so easily? "But sir-"
Headmaster Cid held up a hand to stop him from speaking.
"Sir, please do not make me spend the night in the same room as Buzz. He will pound me the moment I step through the door."
Cid nodded his head with understanding. He opened a large book on his desk and ran his finger down the list of student's names, and stopped on one. "I'll arrange for you to stay with Nida tonight. Room G11."
"Thank you, sir." Chayn left the office, leaving the Headmaster alone with the confused Irvine.
"Uh, sir, you just let him back into the Garden unsupervised."
"Irvine, how did you get this box?"
"Uh..." Irvine knew that it was against the Garden rules to break into another student's dorm, let alone take something that belonged to that student without permission, but what could he say? "I took it from his dorm, but only after I knew that he was up to something. Just listen to the tape."
"That won't be necessary."
"What do you mean?"
"You know Irvine, sometimes people are so determined to find fault in someone that they start to imagine things."
"It's not like that!" Irvine protested.
"What do you think is in this box?"
"Pictures and hair or Zell's, and a crusty, old hotdog bun."
The Headmaster motioned Irvine to come around to the side of his desk. He showed Irvine the inside of the box.
Irvine pulled out a chain necklace, and a pendant with a large, clear crystal in the center of it, and an antique looking bangle with a triangle design running around it. "Where did it all go?"
"I'm afraid it was never here."
"But it was; I saw it!"
"Calm down Irvine. There is nothing here that you mentioned. If it will make you feel any better, I can arrange for you and Chayn to meet with Dr. Kadowaki and she can help the two of you settle your your differences." The Headmaster smiled up at Irvine encouragingly.
Irvine didn't know what to say. He didn't want to discuss his feelings with Chayn, or anyone for that matter. He knew he was behaving very Squall-ish, but it was the truth. Besides, why should he talk about what his instinct was telling him if no one was going to believe him anyway?
Zell! That was his ticket to sanity. Zell believed him; he would tell the Headmaster that he was telling the truth. He needed more time. Time to talk to Zell and explain the situation to him.
"Irvine, are you listening to me?" asked the Headmaster.
Irvine hadn't even realized that the Headmaster had been talking to him. "Sorry, what was that?"
"This is a very serious matter. If you do not agree to speak with Dr. Kadowaki I will be forced to remove you from the Garden permanently."
Irvine nodded his head. "Fine, I'll talk to her."
Cid nodded his approval. "I'll arrange a meeting for the two of you first thing in the morning."
-.-.-.-.-
End of Part XVIII.