A/N: Well, here's the next chapter, and guess what? Tidus isn't so much of a butt in this one XD haha. Well, hope you all like it.
This fic is for my love, it's for Tim, whom I love more than anything.
Disclaimer: I own not but the paper that this is written on.
-&…&-
It's later in the evening, and Tidus is outside, waiting for his ride. 'This sucks!' Tidus thinks. 'Why do I have to be in this crappy play?' He lights a cigarette, and who should appear buy Yuna, she approaches him with her mind set on what she's going to do. 'Great, just what I need.' Tidus thinks. "You know, you're like this fly buzzing everywhere." He said rudely.
"This play means a lot to me."
"This play—" He said snorting.
"—I know you don't suck at acting." She said.
Tidus just laughs at her 'She can't be serious.' He thought.
"But you have to make a big joke out of it because dorks and dweebs like theater." She said. The lights of the school start to go out.
"Yeah, what're you going to do about it?" He challenged.
"I can judge too." He narrows his eyes and glares at her, daring her. "You don't care about classes or graduating. But you like school because you're popular and you know you'll never be on top again."
"Oh, that's deep—" he said sarcastically.
"— Your act only works with an audience."
"My act?!" He almost shouted.
She doesn't respond, instead she walks to her dad's old Pontiac and goes home, leaving Tidus to think about what she said. 'Why should I care what Bible girl wants?' He thinks, clenching his fists.
Fire trucks zoom by, and Tidus is antsy, no car, no ride, he looks toward the silver Pontiac preparing to leave.
He sighs and runs up to the Pontiac and taps on the window, Yuna looks up at him.
"A ride?! Pease?" He said. Yuna just stares at him. She wants to tell him no, but she can't do that. "Please? We can talk about you helping me with my lines." He said insincerely. She hesitates then nods.
"You don't want help." Yuna said.
"Then we both know that." Tidus said. "I'll point, you drive. Faster."
He points she drives until they reach the tailgates of the fire truck. The wet road glistens from the red flashing lights.
"We're following the firemen?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because that's where the fire is." Tidus said with a roll of his eyes. "Fire is like a living thing, wild and unpredictable." He continued. There was a pause between them. Suddenly Yuna pulls into the wrong lane, and speeds up her driving a little.
"What the?!" Tidus shouts, gripping the dashboard.
"So you agree you need help." Yuna said.
Headlights appear, coming closer and closer, Yuna shows no signs of moving.
"Yes!" Tidus said. Yuna pulls the car back onto the right side of the road. The other zooms by with the horn blaring.
"Really?"
"Yes, Auron would kick me out of school if I screw up the play." Tidus said, dropping his attitude.
"28 and 42." Yuna said under her breath. 'What the…' Tidus thinks, tries to ignore it, but his curiosity gets to him.
"What's with the friggin numbers?"
"28 is doing something illegal and 42 is befriending an enemy."
"I'm an enemy?"
"Kinda, yeah."
-&…&-
It's a little later; Tidus and Yuna are standing, watching the firemen and the fire.
"So you got some kind of list?"
"Are you asking to mock me or do you really want to know?"
"Maybe a little of both." Tidus answered.
"I'll take a chance." Yuna said with a smile, Tidus finds himself smiling back.
"Go for it." He said lighting a cigarette.
"It's like a to-do list but for my life."
"So what else is on the list?"
"It's private."
"You want to tell me." Tidus said with a smirk. She looks at him, not certain about sharing her dreams with him. "Get wasted, lose your virginity." Tidus said jokingly.
"Spend a year in Peace Corps. Make a medical discovery."
"Ambitious."
"Being negative is harder than being positive."
"Like you'd know."
"I do know." She pauses. "Be in two places at once, hit a baseball or turn a cartwheel, eat breakfast with chopsticks."
"What's… number one?"
She looks away, uncertain. "I'll help you with your lines under two conditions." She said changing the subject. "You have to promise me not to fall in love with me."
"No problem."
"And you have to meet my father."
He looks at her like she's crazy worrying about that. "Fathers love me."
-&…&-
The door swings open, and out comes a tall brown-haired aging man. Tidus gives a wave to the Reverend. "Hi, Tidus Carter." He said, offering him his hand. The reverend takes it reluctantly.
"You're in the play?" He said, surprised.
"Yes, lead man." Tidus replies.
Yuna comes out of the house, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. She looks almost normal in those clothes, Tidus thinks to himself. "I'll get us something to drink." She said, smiling.
"Don't bother!" Tidus said, but it was too late, she was already back inside.
Tidus is inside the house, there's old, stiff furniture left to fade sitting in the living room, Tidus looks around, his eyes catch a picture of Yuna with her parents. Tidus becomes aware of her father studying him closely.
"Did you know that the planet would not suffer one nanosecond if humans disappeared? But if ants disappeared it'd be catastrophic." Tidus said, trying to break the long silence.
"Let's get something straight, you don't know me, and I don't know you, but I know what you're about." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Stay away from this house, and from Yuna." They both stare at each other, the message is clear.
They both hear a noise, its Yuna; she's here with a pitcher of lemonade. "I miss anything?"
-&…&-
Yuna is in the kitchen washing dishes, and humming happily. That's when her father comes in. "Tell me about this Carter boy."
"He wants help with his lines."
"He was driving the car that hit Harold Keene-"
"-by accident."
"Yuna, he's reckless, he's careless." He said, and then pauses. "Are you sure this is the best time to be making new friends?"
"Am I always supposed to be alone?"
"I don't want you to see him outside school activities."
"Fine. But I need to start deciding to spend my time and my life." Yuna said angrily.
There was a moment of airy silence between them.
"I'm sorry your mother isn't here to help you become a woman." He said in gentler tones.
"Dad, I've become a woman without her. Just not a pretty one." She said, and left the kitchen.
-&…&-
Yuna gets out of bed and glances at the clock. She slips down the hall, careful not to wake her dad. She leaves the house and travels down the paths she knows by heart. She enters familiar area, the cemetery. There, she sees Tidus outside, waiting for her. He sees her and smiles, they both laugh.
"I know, don't say anything." She said.
"He's a softy; I've got him wrapped around my finger." Tidus said with a grin.
"You think so."
"Know so."
She smiles, but is still skeptical. "This way." She said, leading to the rear entrance of the cemetery.
"People think I'm strange, don't they?" Yuna asked.
"Yes." Tidus said, smiling.
"Because I try to be nice to people?"
"Yeah… maybe, I dunno." Tidus said, unsure why himself.
Yuna pauses then asks "Do you think I'm strange?"
Tidus is caught off-guard by the question. "Yes, but that can be good."
They reach the entrance, and Yuna hops up and begins to scale the fence, Tidus following her.
Yuna drops down as Tidus reaches the top. "Why are we here?"
"Because it's dark and quiet and you can look into another world."
"The world of the dead?"
"Could be." Yuna answers mysteriously. He drops down; Yuna is walking deeper into the cemetery, and follows after her, thinking about what she said.
"My mother was buried here."
"My father is still alive, but it's like he's dead." She looks at Tidus; she knows what he's feeling and allows a few moments of silence between them. She turns to the shed and takes out some home-made cylindrical devices.
"What is that?" Tidus asks.
"It's my telescope."
"Zibedan, it's beautiful." Tidus said.
"Did you know that there are 10 rings on Zibedan?"
"Yeah, they're made of blocks of floating ice."
"Maybe debris from a moon that broke apart."
"Or building blocks for a world never formed."
Yuna looks at him; he smiles, and is embarrassed.
"I'm not smart, just a sponge." Tidus said, she smiles, not believing him.
Yuna looks through the telescope, moving it around, searching. "Sometimes I come out here and just scan the heavens."
"Looking for intelligent life?" He said jokingly
"Looking for something." She pauses and rephrases. "For someone."
He pauses, uncertain how to continue. "Do you think you'll see your mother again?"
"I hope so… I think she sees me right now."
They lock eyes, and stare at each other for a moment. She looks away and changes the subject.
"I'm building a larger one to see the nucleus of Haley's comet." She said, gesturing to the telescope.
"The dirty snowball at it's core."
"Yeah." She pauses. "I'm probably not going to be here when it comes around the second time."
"76 years, neither will I."
She smiles, and they both lean against the tombstones and stare at the stars.
-&…&-
Done. I know, not quite as long as I wanted it to be, I couldn't type anymore XD haha. Well, I'm open to reviews and constructive critism, Don't read this and burn your eyes then blame me for it.