So you guys weren't expecting that, were you? Neither was my mom when she read it. (Yes I let my mom read it because she's only the coolest mom ever, and she writes, too.) Just wait for the chapter when they actually crash it. Heh, heh, heh. You might actually hate me. Lol
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, on my honor.
Life Less Ordinary
Chapter Sixteen
"Bad Luck"
The only thought running through Seifer's mind was, "What on earth have I done?" He was in shock that he had actually agreed to what he had done. Now look at him. He was going to help crash the biggest dance of the year, which could ultimately get him expelled. What would his mother say if he got expelled? She wouldn't say anything. She'd just kill him. There wouldn't be any reason, or need, for words. She'd strangle him, probably, or some other painful punishment, screaming at the top of her lungs, and if for whatever reason she didn't kill him, he'd be grounded until he was forty. Wouldn't that be exciting? He decided it wouldn't by any means be exciting. He could barely stand living with his obsessive-compulsive mother now, let alone for the next twenty years. He shuddered at the mere thought of this.
As Seifer pondered his soon-to-be death and/or sentence, Squall was devising the plan on how they would crash the Formal. Unlike Seifer, he was willing to take the risk of expulsion for revenge, but now, he was unsure of just on whom he was seeking revenge. At first, it had been Quistis, but now it seemed it was between his disowned brother, Bryce and Rinoa. He was angry with both of them and maybe even hated them. Bryce was the reason for his anger while Rinoa was responsible for his disappointment and lack of feeling. He was dead to them, but he was okay with that.
"Do we have to crash the Formal?" Seifer asked. He could see the raging nostrils of his mother's furious face already.
"Are you scared?" Squall looked up from his devious task. "Because if you want to back out, that's fine." Squall no longer cared if he had a partner in crime anymore.
"What happened to this just being a harmless game? When did this get serious?" Seifer asked, confused. He knew that Squall was no longer joking around but was serious and going to base his actions on that seriousness.
"When some people took it too far." Squall answered gruffly. "Are you in or out?" He went back to the previous question that Seifer had skipped.
The blonde sighed. "I'm in, I guess." He answered with some doubt.
"Listen, if you want to back out, I'm okay with that. I can take it all on my own." Squall said to him. He would take all the blame if he had to. It was fine with him.
"No, I'm behind you all the way. Besides, it'll be fun." He said with more confidence this time. "Even if it does get us expelled." He muttered under his breath.
"If that's what you're worried about, then don't go through with it." Squall had heard him. "Besides, I sincerely doubt if we'll get expelled. Suspended, maybe, but not expelled. They're not that harsh here. And who even said we were going to get caught." Squall didn't care which sentence they gave him. Either way, he was going to do his dirty deed, and he wouldn't have any regrets.
Seifer shook his head. "I'm still in, don't worry." He sighed.
"Good." Squall smiled.
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Two days left. That's all they had. Two bloody days.
"None of them will do it." Quistis said, throwing the papers of the five bands onto the table. Rinoa handed her the CD she had made for back up with a sad expression.
"I had wanted this to be perfect." She was on the verge of tears. Nothing was going the way she wanted it to lately. They didn't have a band for the Formal, her friends were plotting behind her back, and Squall wasn't speaking to her. She felt like she was headed down to the same Hell that she had once escaped.
"It's okay, Rinoa. It'll still be fun. At least you put more effort into it this year. You have to remember that. You're still very different from the seniors of last year. You care, they didn't." Quistis tried her best to make her friend feel better, but it didn't seem to be working.
Tears swelled in her eyes. "Nothing is going right! What happened to my life?" she dropped her head onto the table. Quistis hugged her, feeling horrible.
"I'm sorry, but hey, it'll get better. I promise. There's nowhere to go but up." She tried to sound optimistic, but it wasn't working. They were doomed to failure.
"I sure hope so. I don't want to be hated." Rinoa's shoulder's shook as she spoke through muffled sobs.
"You won' be, Rinoa! You can't be!" Quistis told her. Rinoa shook her head, but didn't say anything else. She thought about Squall and how the fight was probably the last straw in their friendship. It was going up in flames before her eyes, and nothing could be done to save it.
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The Gym was decorated perfectly for the Formal. Rose and white lily petals lined the floor over a luscious red carpet. On the stage sat the thrones for the King and Queen with the crown resting on each throne. A DJ booth sat in the upper right corner with speakers on either side. Tables with pink and white tablecloths lined the walls on both sides of the Gym with refreshment tables in the center. Everything was in place and ready. A net, which would be released at he announcement of the King and Queen, was overhead the entire setting, containing rose and lily petals, confetti, and balloons. The entire room was just magical, transformed into a Winter Fantasy, perfect for the dance. It was Friday night, snow was falling outside, and the countdown for the dance had begun.
But trouble was brewing outside behind the school. A pair of cars pulled into the back parking lot, and two guys emerged from the cars, clad in black clothing, and masks hiding their faces. They were each carrying a black duffle bag, here to perform a dirty deed. The two crept through the shadows and the snowflakes to a back door, which miraculously had been left unlocked. Entering the building, they made their way to the Gym silently. The only sounds heard were those of the faint echoes of their feet against the hard tiled floors. They spoke not a word but continued on their way, knowing what was coming.
The Gym was on the other side of the school. It didn't take long for them to trek their way over to he readied Gym. Once inside with the doors shut tightly, the two removed their masks. It was no surprise hat there stood Squall and Seifer. The former had been set on this immoral task, and he would get it done at all costs; Seifer was just along for the ride. He had no real reasons to seek revenge on anyone. He didn't hold a grudge, nor did he feel the need to go all out to get someone back. This was just something to put a little more excitement in his life. He wasn't like Squall. He wasn't driven completely mad by his brother stealing his girl.
"You ready?" Squall asked, sporting a deceitful smile towards his companion.
"As ready as I'm going to be." He returned the smile as best he could, but there were still some fragments of doubt resting in the back of his mind. If hey were to get caught, it could have devastating effects. They could get suspended, even expelled, grounded for life, and possibly charged by the government for breaking and entering. The punishment given to them by their parents would be even worse, though. Who knows what horrid things their parents would do to them if they ever found out what they were about to do. Unfortunately, the stakes were higher than originally thought. There was now more to lose and little to gain.
"The offer still stands if you want to back out." Squall told him, seeing the look of worry hidden in his eyes. He would take all the blame if necessary.
"No, I'm already here. No point in turning back now." Seifer said, sighing. "Now let's get this party started." He laughed.
"Let's hope that's what they're saying tomorrow!" Squall returned his evil smile and grabbed the duffle bag. "Let's do this."
"You bet!" Seifer grabbed his, and they went about their dirty deed.
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The two guys finished about an hour later as the clock approached one. They slipped out the same way they came, chuckling to themselves at what they had done. It was a masterpiece, perfect in every way, and would go down in history as one of the best ever.
Before they went to their cars, they exchanged a high-five. Their deed was done, and there was no going back.
Seifer was the first to leave, but Squall remained, staring back at the school. He wasn't having regrets, but there was a hint of worry. He could only imagine how the dance would go tomorrow. The announcing of the King and Queen would trigger the whole event, and some people may not be smiling by the time it was over.
Squall knew that he had to consider the consequences and be prepared for them. He wasn't as worried as Seifer obviously was, but he did have his share of doubts. He was in a clear, collected state of mind, knowing what he was doing. He understood that this would either go well or down in flames. He had nothing to lose anymore, and maybe that was his reasoning for acting to such extremities. All that he had was already lost, and he had nothing left to give up. It was all or nothing now.
He had to consider that maybe this act of revenge wasn't on Bryce, Quistis, or Rinoa but on himself. He couldn't blame others for his misfortunes. He had brought everything on himself. There was no one left to point the finger of blame.
He closed his eyes as a scene appeared before him. His mother was looking at him with disappointment. The principal, too, giving off a look of the same meaning, but the one person whom he knew actually mattered was there. He saw Rinoa's face, saw her staring at him through tears and anger, demanding to know what he had done. He knew that his actions might ultimately hurt her the most. He didn't want to hurt her, but as he had already predetermined, he had nothing left to lose. Not even their friendship remained an issue because it was out of commission now, and there would be nothing left to save it with once this was done. In this case, failure was the only option.
Squall remained there for several more minutes before he finally managed to break away. He walked over to his car and left, but not without one last look back at the school.
"What's done is done, and there's no going back." He spoke only to the falling snow, which twinkled back at him in the pale moonlight.
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The next day, the snow fell nonstop, piling up outside. The temperature was 29 degrees Fahrenheit and falling, but the excitement was rising. The dance was only a few hours away and already the magic could be felt. It would be a winter fantasy of spectacular magnitude.
Selphie, Quistis, and Rinoa prepared themselves for their last dance, going all out with everything. They occupied themselves at Rinoa's house, doing hair and makeup and giggling as the hour of magic drew nearer and nearer.
"I just can't wait!" Selphie exclaimed. They had one hour to go before dinner, but they had been ready a long time ago.
"Yeah, it's going to be perfect!" Quistis agreed. She had been forced to give up on the matchmaking game when Rinoa confronted her and explained that she had squall had known all along. She also told her that she and Squall were no longer friends and that there was no point in trying to put them together anymore. Quistis decided only to abandon her project until next semester when The Formal had been long forgotten.
"Let's hope so." Rinoa said, still filled with doubt. She was afraid that everyone would like the no band factor, and she also didn't trust Squall. She was still convinced that he had something up his sleeve, but she didn't know what. Actually, for all she knew, he could've been bluffing.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine." Quistis reassured the doubtful girl.
"Yeah, I hope." Rinoa repeated. She couldn't hide her doubt; there was just too much of it.
"Lighten up, and at least try to have fun. The more optimistic you are, the better it will be." Selphie said with encouragement. Rinoa wasn't being very optimistic, and that worried both Selphie and Quistis.
"I know, but I can't help it. I've got this bad feeling that something bad is going to happen tonight. I don't know how or why, but I can't help it. It's still bugging me." She frowned and shrugged, both contradicting her emotions.
"Nothing bad will happen if you sop thinking that way. Think positively. It's important. This is our last dance; we should make sure it's memorable." Quistis stated firmly, ending the discussion.
But Rinoa couldn't stop thinking about it. She knew it would be memorable, but she was afraid it would be memorable for all the wrong reasons. She frowned again. Maybe she was just paranoid. Maybe she was just overreacting. She looked at Selphie and Quistis chattering away as they did each other's nails. They seemed carefree enough, but then again, hey didn't have to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. If the Formal bombed, they wouldn't get reamed for it, but she would. She would be the single most hated person, but if she was going down, she'd be taking someone down with her. She didn't want to have to take the blame by herself, especially it if wasn't her fault.
"Rinny!" Selphie exclaimed, making the raven-haired girl look up from where she had been staring at the table. "Stop thinking about it! Everything will be fine if you just stop thinking about it!"
All Rinoa could do was nod. Her voice had stopped working, and her mouth wasn't going to open anyway. She kept nodding slowly and solemnly as her eyes drifted back to the table. Shivers ran up and down her spine, and chill bumps appeared on her arms. The room was overly warm, but she was freezing. Thoughts of skipping crossed her mind, but she couldn't do that. She had to go and at least try to have a little fun. This was her last year, last dance, and she had to go. Deciding not to just because of a hunch was ridiculous, and she knew it. She'd push through the doubt no matter how bad it was.
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Squall woke up at a few minutes after noon to the sound of someone banging his door down. He'd gotten back home at quarter to two that morning, but he didn't fall asleep until nearly dawn. He had too much on his mind to do anything, let alone sleep, but somehow, he'd managed to drift off into an uneasy, disturbed sleep.
"Hold on, I'm coming!" he called groggily from his bed, but the banging didn't stop. "I said I'm coming!" he yelled, losing his temper. Rubbing his temples together in aggravation, he swung open the door to find his sister standing there, holding a freshly dry-cleaned suit. "Can I help you?"
"Aren't you going to get ready?" she asked holding up the suit higher as a clue.
"Ready for what?" He fought a yawn, but it escaped anyway. He leaned his head against the doorway, trying to keep his eyes open.
"Uh, the Winter Formal! Did you forget?" Again, she raised the suit. In her other hand, she held a boutonnière of a red rose, freshly cut.
"I'm not going." He yawned again and moved to close the door, but Ellone stuck her foot in to stop it.
"Oh, yes, you are!" she said, threateningly. Her eyes grew dark as she glared at him. He shrugged again and opened the door back up again. "If you're planning on crashing this thing, then you're going." She shoved the suit into his hands and forced both of them into the room.
"Listen, Elle, I have no business there. I'm not going." He repeated firmly, stating his point.
Ellone raised a menacing eyebrow. "Oh, really?" she countered. Squall didn't like the look on her face and swallowed nervously. Did he ever mention that his sister was the only one who had the power to intimidate him? If not, let it be known now.
Ellone took a step to her brother, narrowing her dark eyes on him coldly. "Do you really want to fight with me because I will win." He neither did nor said nothing. "Now get ready!"
"Elle, I don't…" he tried to say something in his own defense, but he barely got three words out.
"NOW!" she boomed, becoming scarier than he thought she could even get.
"All right!" he threw his hands up in defeat. "All right. Chill, okay." She continued to glare at him.
"You have ten minutes." Ellone turned on her heels and headed back up the stairs, slamming the door behind her on her way out.
Squall looked down at the suit and back to the door with wide eyes. "And Bryce called me Satan's spawn."
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Ellone traveled up the stairs back into the main section of the house. She found Drag sitting at the kitchen table in a white dress shirt, dress pants, tie, and vest eating the remains of a cold pizza. Ellone frowned. Her family had her so confused. If it were her, she would've started preening the moment she woke up- five hours ago.
"Don't get anything on that shirt. There's no time to bleach it." She warned him, passing through to find her parents and the rest of her estranged family. Drag just rolled his eyes at her and stuffed the half slice in his hand into his mouth.
She continued to the den across the hall where she found Zion. He was half asleep on the leather couch, wrinkling his suit. The TV was on displaying the Peanuts Christmas Special. Ellone turned off the TV and smacked Zion with a pillow, waking him. "Come on, get up!" she said, hitting him again. He groaned and obliged, well, only until she left the room.
As Ellone patrolled the house, making sure that everyone was ready for tonight's dance, Bryce crept downstairs, through the kitchen, and to the basement to his brother's bedroom. He knew that he was risking a lot doing this (namely his life and limb), but it had to be done. He moved down the stairs, keeping hi eyes focused on the light under the door. He knocked nervously, afraid of how his brother would act.
"That wasn't even close to ten minutes!" he heard him yell, followed by footsteps. The door opened, and Squall was in his dress shirt and pants, attempting to button his sleeve. He looked shocked to see Bryce, but stepped aside to allow him to enter the room. He looked at his brother in confusion now as he pointed to his casual clothes. "Why aren't you dressed?"
"I'm not going." Bryce replied, looking away shamefully.
Squall hid a smile. "Don't let Elle hear you say that. Why not?" he grabbed the black vest from off his bed and proceeded to put that on.
Bryce shrugged. "I don't think I should." He wouldn't make eye contact with his brother.
"If you want to go, then go." Squall grabbed the jacket, completing his snazzy outfit.
"But I don't think I should, and I don't know if I want to or not anymore." Bryce flopped down onto the bed and sighed.
Squall eyed his brother suspiciously and waited patiently for him to explain. Bryce met his questioning look nervously. He had expected his brother to still be mad at him, but so far there had been no hostilities. He didn't want to bring up the subject, but he had already determined that they needed to find a common ground. All this fighting was ridiculous.
"It's my fault you and Rinoa aren't friends anymore. If I hadn't asked her, then you wouldn't have gotten so mad at me." Bryce frowned at himself and spoke quietly.
Squall shook his head. "No, it's not your fault. Our friendship was having issues of its own. You didn't do anything that caused problems, so don't worry about it."
"But it is! So I've come to compromise!" he choked on the last word.
"Compromise? How?" Squall wasn't sure if he liked where this conversation was going. What was Bryce planning?
"I want you to go with Rinoa to the Formal." Bryce kept his voice low. Squall crossed his arms over his chest and looked at him strangely. "I know you and Rinoa like each other, and I'm not mocking you this time. You guys are really close, but you both act like you hate each other. You keep your feelings at a minimum, both of you do. Why do you think Quistis wants to set you two up so badly?" Bryce demanded. His eyes suddenly grew wide as he realized what he had just done.
"It's okay. I already knew." Squall waved Bryce on to continue.
"Do you think you're not obvious because you are. We all know you like each other, so why are you trying to hide it? I know you well enough that when you want something, you go after it no matter what the costs. So why not now?" Bryce raised his voice slightly with a newfound confidence. He was standing up to his brother in way that he had never done before. He had a mission, and he knew that it had to get done no matter what. He had to do whatever necessary to make this work.
But Squall wasn't convinced that this was an act of a guilty conscience or the kindness of Bryce's heart. He knew something was up, and it wasn't the paranoia in him acting up either. He was 99 percent sure that his good, wonderful little brother had something up his sleeve. The only trouble was figuring out what it was. He could try to figure it out or he could be blunt about it.
"What is going on here?" Squall demanded, settling for the latter and narrowing his eyes on Bryce. He knew better than to trust him or take what he had to say for face value only.
But Bryce was more than appalled. "Why are you always so suspicious? For once, why can't you take me seriously?" he demanded harshly, his face growing hot with anger.
"Because most of the time you never give me any reason to." Squall retorted. He kept his face void or expression and feelings moderately calm.
"Well, I'm giving you a reason now." Bryce frowned at his older brother. "I'm being completely honest with you. I think you should go to the Winter Formal with Rinoa instead of me going with her."
"But you asked her, and she said yes. Remember? You can't just give up your date without a valid reason or her consent." Squall countered. As much as he would like to go to the Formal with Rinoa, he couldn't.
"I have a valid reason!" Bryce's face was getting hotter and hotter as the anger in him continued to fill.
"Which is?" Squall asked. He was nothing short of toying with him now.
"I already gave you that!" he yelled. Bryce took several steps to his brother, getting in his face as he spoke again. "Either you go in my place with Rinoa or she goes with no date because I'm not going." He said threateningly.
"So you're going to stand Rinoa up? That's low, Bryce. That's real low." He narrowed his eyes on him again.
"What's it going to be, brother?" Bryce asked.
Squall said nothing but his eyes gave it all away. He looked to the door nervously as he tried to make his decision. There was evident uncertainty residing behind his steel blue eyes.
"Squall! Come on! Pictures!" Ellone's voice was heard from the top of the stairs.
"Make your choice now." Bryce ordered. "You don't have anymore time."
"Fine." Squall growled. He headed to the door. "But you are so dead when I get back." He opened the door and hurried up the stairs. Bryce followed moments later after a quick victory dance. Battle number 2-won!
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Selphie, Quistis, Rinoa, and the rough captain of the Cheerleading Squad, Summer, were all waiting outside the best restaurant in town for their dates to finally grace them with their presence.
"Okay, someone needs to redefine fashionably late." Quistis said in complete aggravation. She shivered in the cold winter air. They stood beneath the canopy to avoid getting wet by the falling snow.
"Maybe we should go inside and wait." Selphie suggested. She was freezing to death- literally.
"There they are!" Summer exclaimed, pointing as two cars pulled into the parking lot.
Both Rinoa and Quistis' jaws dropped when they saw two of the guys approaching them with Drag and Zion. Squall and Seifer, whom both had said they weren't going to be anywhere near the Formal, were all dished out in their best black and white suits, looking good.
"What on earth…?" Rinoa started, but she was ushered inside with everyone else out of the cold.
At the table, the guys gave the girls their corsages, and dinner began. Rinoa looked at Squall with confusion.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"Bryce couldn't make it and asked me to go in his place." Squall replied, not making eye contact with Rinoa. Instead, he focused on the menu and spoke in the same nonchalant tone.
"Nice replacement!" Summer whispered to Rinoa with a wink as she shifted closer to Drag who was deep in conversation with Seifer. Rinoa continued to look at Squall with a puzzled expression.
"Why couldn't he make it?" she asked, afraid that maybe Squall had something to do with it.
"He's sick." Seifer answered, seeing Squall's facial expression. He had heard the whole story on the way up to the restaurant.
"Aww! Poor Bryce!" Selphie exclaimed while Zion rolled his eyes. "He's going to miss the biggest dance of the year!"
Squall nearly choked on his soda as he heard Selphie say this. He coughed, trying to breathe again as he and Seifer exchanged glances.
"Yeah, poor Bryce." Rinoa agreed weakly, her voice filled with suspicion as she watched Squall. She hadn't seen the look, but she still didn't trust his intentions.
The rest of dinner was set in silence between Squall and Rinoa while everyone else was deep in conversation. Rinoa was suspicious of Squall who was unsure of what he was supposed to be doing. He kept thinking that Bryce had this whole thing planned all along, which would mean he used Rinoa, and that pissed off Squall. But he also had to consider that there was a chance that Bryce was really being truthful. It was slim at best, but he had to consider that option.
Before they left the restaurant parking lot to go to the school, Squall pulled Rinoa aside and spoke to her.
"Listen, I know this isn't what you were expecting, but let's make the most of it. Okay?" Squall said genuinely.
"You're right. I wasn't expecting this, but I'm okay with it. Well, only if you are." she looked away in embarrassment, cheeks turning red.
"Yeah," and he broke away to his car while Rinoa went to join Selphie, Quistis, and Summer.
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They entered the Gym together, all of them experiencing the magic within. Music was playing and everyone was all smiled. A great burden was lifted from Rinoa's shoulders as people passed her and congratulated her on the success of the dance thus far.
But a hard lump had formed in Squall's throat as his eyes glanced overhead to the net. He was beginning to have a bad feeling about this, not to mention serious regrets. He had told himself that he wouldn't have any regrets, but he was sure having them now. He used Rinoa's distraction to pull Seifer aside and talk to him. He barely got two words out before Quistis whisked Seifer away for a dance. He looked to Squall apologetically as he was dragged to the dance floor. Squall cursed beneath his breath. He needed to talk to Seifer. It was way too important, and it needed to be done before the announcing of the King and Queen.
"What are you doing?" He heard a soft voice behind him and turned to see Rinoa there, smiling curiously.
It was then that he actually got a good look at Rinoa. She finally removed her coat and underneath, she wore a floor-length cream colored dress with white lace covering the bodice and clinging to slim body. She was gorgeous with her hair slightly curled and curved around her face. He knew his jaw had dropped to the floor, but he didn't care. She was absolutely beautiful.
"What?" Rinoa asked, titling her head.
"Oh, fuck!" he whispered, shaking his head and looking away. The guilt was getting to him at maximizing speeds.
"Are you okay?" she asked, touching his arms gently.
"Fine. Nothing. It's nothing." He said quickly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to he dance floor. "Let's dance."
They walked to the dance floor as an upbeat song began. The entire student body was on the floor, getting their groove on. Squall's purpose for this was to look for Seifer. He needed to talk to him! As the dance continued, Squall eventually found Seifer. He and Quistis were getting into it, obviously having fun.
When they go within earshot, Squall called to Seifer, "About mission! Abort mission!" Seifer looked back to him in confusion. No one around them was even remotely paying attention to what they were saying. Someone else had grabbed Rinoa's attention in his arms, and she was concentrating on them.
"What? Why?" Seifer asked, moving him and Quistis closer.
There was an increase in tempo in the song, and Squall and Seifer, somehow, managed to twirl the two girls and exchange partners. Rinoa and Quistis looked at each other in confusion as they somehow ended up dancing together.
"Something is not right here." Rinoa said to Quistis who nodded. They stopped and watched the tow guys in shock. Just the thought of Squall and Seifer dancing together was funny if not weird; and yet, kinky.
"We can't let them do it!" Squall told Seifer.
"Why?" Seifer demanded.
"Because it's wrong!" Squall exclaimed.
"Oh, so now you're having doubts! Well done!" Seifer said sarcastically.
"Yeah, well, at least I've realized it's wrong!" Squall countered in mock anger.
Another quick beat in the song put the partners back together, and Rinoa looked at Squall strangely who shrugged.
"What was that all about?" she asked as the song ended.
"Nothing just had to clear something up with Seifer." Squall replied as they moved off he dance floor.
"Uh-huh." Rinoa nodded her head, but Squall knew she didn't believe him.
Squall and Rinoa walked over to a table as another quick song began to play. Rinoa was still looking at Squall in confusion, and Squall knew he had to get her mind onto something else to save his own skin.
"Hey, Rin. This place looks great." Squall leaned in and whispered to her.
"Thanks. I worked really hard to make this perfect." She replied with a smile, stressing the fact that she had put a lot of time into this dance. She knew he had to be up to something. Why else would he even be here? There was a reasonable explanation for everything, but so far, she was lacking one for this particular event. There was a cloud of suspicion surrounding him, but that's all she had. And that was exactly why she wasn't going to let Squall out of her sight. If he was up to something, she was going to find out what it was before it could be performed and ruin all her hard work.
"What/" Squall asked. She didn't realize that, as she pondered these thoughts, she was glaring at him. She shook herself out of her own self-induced trance.
"Oh! Sorry! I was just thinking about something." She grinned apologetically at him, excusing her erratic behavior.
"What were you thinking about?' he asked, leaning in even closer and slipping his arm around her shoulders as the corners of his mouth turned up into a small smile.
"Nothing. It's not important." She whispered with a mischievous smile. She looked into his eyes and momentarily forgot hat she was suspicious of him.
"Aww! Ain't that sweet!" Drag's loud voice was heard followed by a giggle from Summer.
"It sure is!" she exclaimed.
Rinoa and Squall both cringed as another nearly perfect moment was ruined. This was certainly becoming an undesired routine. They moved away from each other to show their sudden discomfort.
"Hey, why aren't you two out there having fun like the rest of us?" Drag demanded, joining them at the table. He grabbed Summer's hips and pulled her onto his lap. She smiled.
Squall said nothing but kept his silence. There was a certain person among them that he held a strong dislike for. Drag and Summer had this fling going on since about October, and Squall was against it. He didn't like cheerleaders, and he didn't like Summer. She was a punk. And he believed that punk and cheerleader did not mix. It also didn't help that she had Drag wrapped around her finger.
"I juts want to watch for a while." Rinoa said with a smile. She was proud of herself, and she was going to openly admit it. "But he can do whatever he wants." She titled her head in Squall's direction, who sat with his arms over his chest, obviously sulking.
"Well, in that case, hey, Squall! You up for a dance?" Summer asked smugly from Drag's lap.
"No," Squall muttered harshly, glaring at him. Drag smiled, understanding Squall's undying hate for the chick in his lap. But Summer just laughed.
"Come on, Drag! Let's leave these two bums to themselves!" Summer jumped up and pulled Drag with her. She grinned to Rinoa and headed to the dance floor with Drag in hand behind her.
"You're mean, do you know that?" Rinoa asked, smiling at Squall, who had lightened up as soon as Summer had left them.
"I hate that chick!" he growled, glaring at her still, dancing with his cousin. "She does this stuff just to piss me off!"
"And I reiterate." She smiled again. She turned her attention back to the dancing people. Everyone was so happy, which filled her with delight and accomplishment.
Squall felt that lump in his throat return as he scanned the walls of the Gym for a clock. He finally found one above the stage. Only one hour left before the announcing of the King and Queen. He had to remain on his toes as that fated time drew closer. He had to be ready to stop it.
"Are you that disgusted to be here that you can't for it to be over?" Rinoa asked, watching him stare at the clock, her voice full of hurt.
"What? No!" he said quickly. "I just left my phone in the car. I want to be here, Rin. I'm having fun."
"Okay," she said weakly, returning her attention to everyone else. Squall scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm each around her slender waist and shoulders.
"I'm here with you. That's all I need." He whispered in her ear. He placed a small kiss on her exposed shoulder. She turned her head to him and smiled, mouthing thanks to him. Squall could only hope that she would still be smiling in an hour.
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Rinoa eventually became tired of sitting at the table watching everyone else have all the fun. Granted, she was enjoying being wrapped in Squall's arms, but she needed to get up and stretch her legs.
"Hey," she whispered to him. He had his chin rested on her shoulder, eyes closed, and nearly drifting to sleep.
"Hmm?"
"Let's go dance." She moved, much to the disappointment of Squall. She forced him onto his feet and to the dance floor.
They danced to a couple of fast songs with their friends, but then, as the announcement was drawing near, a slow song started. Squall pulled Rinoa closer to him, enjoying the moment to be nearer to her.
"Are you really enjoying yourself?" she asked, whispering in his ear as their bodies swayed gently to the music.
"Absolutely," Squall answered with a small smile. He hadn't looked at the clock since the first song when they returned to the dance floor. He had definitely lost track of time, which was not good.
"I'm glad, you know," she whispered. "I had hoped you would ask me to the Formal, but you never did."
He pulled away slightly to look in her face. "Really?" he asked.
"Yeah," she nodded, fighting embarrassment.
He said nothing more but laughed. As he leaned in to kiss her, the song ended, and a voice was heard from the stage.
Quistis was standing on the stage with a microphone in hand. "Excuse me! HEY!" she yelled, not needing the microphone to get everyone's attention. She smiled smugly upon seeing that all eyes were finally on her.
Squall looked to Seifer in shook who shrugged hopelessly. Squall made an expression that reminded him of the disaster they had to stop.
"It's that time! Time to announce the Winter Formal King and Queen!" Quistis said excitedly. "You voted, and those votes are in!"
People cheered happily as someone handed Quistis the first envelope.
"And your Winter Formal Queen is," Quistis gracefully ripped open the envelope and cast it aside. "Rinoa Heartilly!"
There were whistles, act calls, and claps as Rinoa broke from Squall's arms and headed to the stage in all smiled. Quistis placed the crown on her head and handed her the bouquet of red roses, and Rinoa stood in front of her throne, waiting for the King.
"And the King is," This time, she took greater care and opened the new envelope slowly. She laughed before speaking as she read the winner. "Squall Leonhart!"
Squall's eyes became very wide, and he stood there for a few seconds until Drag and Zion pushed him forward, forcing him to walk. He proceeded slowly to the stage and up the stairs to Rinoa and Quistis as people cheered again and patted him on the back. Both girls placed the crown on his head, which he accepted reluctantly. The traditional fanfare played as the two took their seats, but not for long.
Squall saw someone move toward the string that held up the net. He jumped to his feet and yelled at the top of his lungs, "No!"
Seifer ran across the Gym and dove, arms stretched out like Superman and threw the guy to the floor before he could pull the string.
"What is the meaning of this?" Professor Fitzgerald demanded as Seifer let out a sigh of brief relief. He didn't see the other person return to his feet and pull the string, releasing the net.
The echoes of Squall's, "NOOO!" were heard again as Rinoa looked up to see the net- and its contents- come down towards her and everyone else within the Gym.
A/N: And now I leave you with suspense. (Proclaims evil laugh here) R&R. Later Days!