Chapter 11:

A/N: Yet another OC shows up, and she makes Tessa look like a kitten!

Sorceress Eternity It's not that kind of Crossover fic. I haven't even planned involving RE characters past the Prologue (only Umbrella, which takes a backseat to another corporation

DarklightZERO I hadn't planned on the zombiefication of anyone other than OCs, but that's a great idea evil laugh

Gullwing Yunie Things don't fall into place for awhile. As of right now, I have almost 40 chapters written already, and some of the things are just being explained!

"Is Dr. Kadowaki here?" Tessa shouted when she reached the security booth. However, Fujin, as opposed to Seifer, staffed it.

Fujin glared at Tessa with her one eye and pounded her fist on the counter behind the glass. "WHY?"

"I need to see her because there was a student attacked in the lobby," Tessa said calmly. "Now can I get through?"

"GONE!" Fujin replied. She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. Her eye was concentrated on Tessa, almost daring her to do something.

"Where did she go?" Tessa asked, knowing full well what Fujin's response would be. When the grey-haired woman didn't respond, Tessa turned around and stormed off angrily.

This is so irresponsible! she thought as she walked back into the Garden, stopping long enough to have her keycard checked. The woman is neglecting her duties, and I'm stuck cleaning up her mess. I hope she gets reprimanded for this.

The lobby was empty and Latasha was standing by the directory, clearly waiting for Tessa to get back. "So?"

"She's not here. She's not at the Garden," Tessa told her. She looked around, "Where's Sonje?"

"Some of the guys took her to the infirmary. They figured they'd wait for Kadowaki in there," she said.

"You know what? I don't care," Tessa fumed. "I'm just a student, and a girl to boot! What do I know? How could I dare advise people as to how to practice medicine when I've only been studying it for four years?"

Tessa stormed off, walked up to the elevator, and mashed the "UP" button. She stood waiting and when it finally dinged and the doors opened, a flood of people poured out. She slid in and waited in the back as other people piled into the elevator.

"I'm Lila," a SeeD beside Tessa said. She held out a hand, which Tessa ignored.

"I don't care," Tessa told her. "Leave me alone now."

Lila's face fell and she withdrew her hand. "Bitch," she muttered, which caused Tessa to break out in a smile. The elevator dinged again and the doors opened. Everyone stepped off, Tessa among them.

There was a balcony on the second floor and it often went unused. In fact, Tessa had never remembered it ever having been used for anything during all of her time at the Garden. She believed it to be the perfect place to get a break from everything.

"Hey there, Sweet Thang!" someone yelled. "You look hotter'n a pepper in a bowl o' chili."

Oh God, Tessa thought as she covered her face with her hands. She did not have the patience to deal with whom she knew was heading her way. Anyone but him.

"Howdy, Miss Matleo," Irvine Kinneas said as he sidled up next to her. "I haven't seen ya in awhile. Where've you been hidin'?"

"Behind the rock you crawled out from under," Tessa said as she stepped away from him. "What the hell do you want?"

"Just to talk," Irvine said as he made an "X" over his heart. "I promise."

"You have two minutes; talk," Tessa said as she folded her arms across her chest. They were still on the platform between the hallway with the classrooms and the elevator, so she leaned against the railing and stared at Irvine with an upturned eyebrow.

"See, we didn't have a Garden Festival last year and Selphie really wants one this year…"

"And you want me to join the Committee," Tessa finished. She shook her head and laughed. "Costa del Sol would have to freeze over first."

"Come on," Irvine pleaded. "It would mean a lot to her… and me."

"I said, 'no,'" Tessa told Irvine as she walked past him. "So leave me the fuck alone. Go die or something you pathetic loser."

She walked past the classrooms and an emergency exit. At the end of the hallway was a door marked, "BALCONY." She pushed the door open and ran into a cloud of smoke.

"Are you a narc?" someone asked through the smoke.

"What?" Tessa asked as she shut the door and walked out of the smoke. She knew the smell, loved it. She was suddenly craving it.

"Are you a narc? You know, a stool-pigeon?" the same person asked. Tessa looked around and saw a girl perched on the rail.

She had a cigarette in her mouth and was wearing a SeeD uniform. Her hair was cut short except for the bangs, which were long and covered her face, and died a deep violet; she was wearing heavy white mascara on her face and neck; and the eye shadow she sported was an extremely dark blue. Around her neck was a black collar, but instead of tags, it bore a half-heart charm. "Well?"

"Well what?" Tessa asked. She was still marvelling at the sight in front of her. "What would I rat you out for?"

"Smoking," the SeeD said simply. "Apparently SeeDs are supposed to be in top physical shape or some other bullshit like that."

"I'm not a narc," Tessa told her. "So you can keep smoking."

"I was going to anyway," the SeeD said. Then she reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "You want one?"

You quit, remember? A small voice in Tessa's head screamed. However, a louder one was also screaming and covering up the first. Just smoke one; it's not that big of a deal!

"Sure," Tessa said as she reached out and took a cigarette from the pack. "Can I get a light?"

The SeeD held out her hand and a small flame appeared. Tessa stuck the cigarette in her mouth and leaned up to the flame. The tip of the cigarette lit up and Tessa took a long drag to make sure it really was lit.

"Thanks," she said as she blew smoke out of her nose. God this feels good. Why did I quit?

"Whatever," the SeeD said as she closed her hand, extinguishing the flame. "Just don't blame me if you get sick. A lot of girls here try to smoke just so they look cool and end up puking their guts out."

"Believe me, that won't happen," Tessa said as she took another drag. She leaned her head back and formed an "O" with her mouth. The smoke came out in little rings that quickly dispersed.

"Impressive," the SeeD said. "So, who the hell are you, anyway?"

"Tessa."

"Most people call me Jayne, you'd do well to remember that," the SeeD said as she took the cigarette from her mouth and flicked it, still lit, over the railing. "The last person stupid enough to call me 'Jane' got his ass kicked. I'd hate to ruin your pretty little face."

"Bite me," Tessa said as she took another drag from her cigarette. "If anyone would get hurt it'd be you."

"Ooh, spicy," Jayne said condescendingly. "You're just my type."

"Type?" Tessa asked. "What the hell does that mean?"

Jayne jumped down from the railing and walked to Tessa. She put her face right up to Tessa's and grinned. She licked her lips and looked Tessa over. "You'll figure it out someday. Unless you get yourself a man like every other brain dead bimbo in this hellhole."

"Fuck off," Tessa said as she took the cigarette in her hand and blew the smoke in Jayne's face. "I don't need some idiotic man screwing up my life."

Jayne smiled through the smoke and stepped back. "Hmm, maybe you're not as stupid as everyone else around here. That's a very good thing to find out. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Tessa watched as Jayne walked past her and opened the door. She went into the Garden, and closed the door behind her. Tessa threw the cigarette on the floor and stamped it out, having already smoked away most of it. She narrowed her eyes and thought aloud, "What the hell was that all about?"