He Was Nothing Special

Wow, the sky is really blue today.

That was Cloud's most frequent thought as he was walking home from school. He normally would look down at the cobblestone road or at the gardens in front of the houses, but for some reason today he felt like looking up at the sky and admiring the clouds.

And one other thing that was really odd.

He couldn't stop smiling.

Not that he wanted to, it's just that he couldn't stop smiling. He had never felt this way before. Cloud just wanted to smile all day and admire the beautiful sky above him. The pokey-headed young boy breathed in deep, allowing the crisp and cool mountain air to fill his lungs.

And he relived that memory that gave him such a feeling of exhilaration, such a feeling of…worth.

"Cloud, do you have any friends?" Tifa asked. Cloud almost coughed up his tuna sandwich. He looked at her, struggling with what to say. He swallowed his food.

"Well, I have a couple…but they're home-schooled so you probably don't know them." Tifa nodded. "But do you have any friends at school?" Cloud's eyes widened and he looked down at the ground. A long pause transpired, and then the boy's voice came soft but clear.

"You,"

Tifa turned to look at Cloud, clearly surprised by his response. Cloud turned to look at her and their eyes met. Steel blue and crimson brown met in a tense exchange. Cloud moved closer to Tifa and…

WHAM!

…suddenly found himself on the ground. From the ground he could hear Tifa laughing uncontrollably.

"You pushed me!" Cloud accused. Tifa shook her head, trying to suppress her laughter. "No I didn't, you fell. Probably cause you're a boy." Cloud looked indignant.

"Wha…Huh…But…Hey…That doesn't ma-" he was suddenly interrupted when Tifa stuck her hand out in front of him. He looked at the hand suspiciously before he tentatively took grasp of it. He felt himself getting pulled up until suddenly…

WHAM!

…he was back on the ground again. Once again he could hear Tifa laughing like a hyena. She had her head cocked back, and she was shaking from her own glee. Cloud felt his cheeks burning. He couldn't believe that she had gotten him on the ground…twice!

But soon he started to smile. And he started to laugh. Soon they were both laughing loudly at what happened.

Tifa held her hand out yet again. "I promise I won't let go this time." She managed to say in between giggles. Cloud took her hand immediately. Cloud's eyes gleamed mischievously…

WHAM!

…Tifa suddenly found herself looking at the sky above. She looked at Cloud, who was in fits of laughter.

"You pulled me down on the ground!" she cried, astonished by Cloud's actions.

"No, I didn't," he said, grinning, "You fell, probably cause you're a girl."

Tifa laughed at his answer. "Cloud, you're such a weirdo, you know that?"

Suddenly the bell rang, signaling that lunch and Cloud's torture were over.

Tifa got up suddenly and pried an errant leaf from her hair. "See you later Cloud. Remember not to get in trouble and eat paper."

And with that she was gone.

Cloud's smile grew wider as the feeling in his heart grew stronger. He looked back at the school.

It was built in response to the growing relevance of college education in the world. Universities on the eastern continent were becoming less and less likely to accept applications from people who were home schooled or weren't educated in an accredited facility. Complaints were lobbied to the mayor by parents who were angry that the sole reason their children weren't accepted is because they had no grade transcripts or any quantifiable evaluation or documentation of their education up to university standards.

At the time, revolutionary scientific advances were elevating fields such as biology and engineering to prominence. Shinra Weapons Manufacturing Company, eager to capitalize on the new discoveries and hoping to use them to create weaponry to aid them in the war, promised job security and substantial salaries to newly graduated scientists. Soon these were displacing formerly lucrative fields such as farming and coal mining, jobs that small towns such as Nibelheim lived on. People who were well-read or had a small spark of ambition had to look outside the small village to fulfill their dreams.

The mayor knew this and commissioned the building of the public school. It was on the outskirts of the village, approximately half a mile away from the Shinra Mansion. It was a one story building that stretched out horizontally. It was in a state of constant growth, having rooms added on each year. Even now there was a framework for a new room being constructed, a skeleton of wood and cement.

Cloud hated that school for so long. He hated it because he had no friends. He hated it because he thought the other kids were stupid or bullies. He hated it because it didn't matter how hard he studied or how well he did on tests, everybody still hated him.

But looking now, Cloud didn't feel that familiar loathing. In fact he didn't know what he felt, but he knew that it wasn't anger.

He walked uneventfully home and entered. The smell of food cooking greeted him at the door. Apple turnovers, my favorite. His stomach rumbled in agreement. He quietly entered the living room and sat at the dinner table.

Lily Strife noticed her son enter the room and her heart ached. She knew what was coming. His moist tears, his piercing cries, and his familiar pain. No matter how many times she saw it, seeing her son cry because of his solitude never got easier.

She walked to the table and sat across from her son. She knew the ritual. Putting on a happy face, she asked. "Cloud, how was school today dear?"

Cloud looked at his mother. "It was good. Better than I expected." He grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl and got off his chair. "I've got a lot of homework to do. Bye."

And with that he picked up his backpack and scampered off to his room.

Lily could barely register what had happened. Her eyes were still fixated to where Cloud was sitting a moment ago.

The tears…Where are my son's tears? Where are his cries of agony?

The mother snapped back to reality at the realization of what she was just thinking.

What the hell is wrong with me? I should be happy that Cloud isn't crying. That he actually had a good day at school.

Ms. Strife bit her lip, knowing why she felt this strange feeling.

I'm a horrible mother. I've actually grown accustomed to my son crying in my lap every day. Oh God, what have I become to actually treat my son's suffering like everyday business? I could have done something but I just let him cry, instead of being a real mother and helping him…Oh God…

"Hey Mom," Cloud called as he trampled down the stairs. "What's for dinner?"

"Cloud, don't run down the stairs. You're not a horse," Lily replied out of reflex. "We're having Gumboco if you're so curious."

She got up and went to the stove to resume cooking. Cloud however lurked at the bottom of the stairs, awaiting the answer of an unspoken question.

"Yes," she said, reassuring him. "We're having apple turnover for desert."

"Yay!" Cloud's face beamed with delight. "How do you do that Mom? How do you know what I'm going to say?"

Lily smirked. "Cloud I'm your mother. I know you better than anyone. I know you better than yourself sometimes." She turned off the stove and oven, just as her son walked into the living room. She turned to face him. "Which is why I'm a little surprised by your behavior? What was so good about school today?

Cloud looked down, a little embarrassed about what he was going to say. "I made a friend today."

His mother stood there, blindsided by the news. "You…made a friend?"

Cloud nodded shyly.

Tears started to well up in her eyes, and she kneeled down to embrace her son. "Oh Cloud! I'm so happy for you! You have to tell me everything you can about this friend! We should invite them over! Are they a boy or a girl? Oh, I'm so very proud of you Cloud! Can you believe it Cloud? A friend!" she hugged her son tightly.

"Um, well my friend is a girl," Cloud said uncomfortably, feeling the squeeze from his mother's hug.

"Well, tell me about her," Lily said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Okay, her name is…"

A/N: Hello all. Well, sorry for the disgustingly late update. School was kicking my ass before, so I had hardly anytime to write. So two days ago I said "Wee, you're going to finish Chapter 3 if it kills you." And ta-da! Here are the fruits of my labor. Enjoy.

Gumboco-Chocobo Gumbo

Just to clear that up for you guys