Hey, guys. This chapter is one of those let's jump inside the minds of Squall and Seifer and see how much trouble we can get into. It's relevant to the story plot, but the chapter itself kinda deals with how you interpret their actions, like the title suggests. It's not as off the wall as the color chapter but it is down that alley sort of. It also features the ever so wonderful Professor Fitzgerald. She plays an important role in this story...sort of. To understand what I mean you have to get inside my head, and believe me, that is no easy feat. There are too many passwords and traps and odd mazes that have no end. Heck, I'M even still trying o get in. Go figure. Anyway, that's just a thought. Here's 20!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. Please see the man who does own it in Japan to confirm this statement.

Life Less Ordinary

Chapter Twenty

"Relief of Regret?"

"That's it." Squall said softly as he finished his story. His eyes dropped to the floor and he waited. Silence crept in, showing its ugly face, as they all waited for something to happen, for someone to say something. At first, Principal Kramer was silent. He looked over the boys, analyzing the story that Squall had just told. He believed him, but that wasn't what he was struggling with. He didn't know what punishment to give either one of them. Of course, he couldn't let them off completely; at least some action had to be taken, but of that he was unsure He needed to consult with the parents again and then the school board, but he feared that he would have to make this decision alone. A movement outside his office door captured his attention, and he looked to see Professor Fitzgerald waiting patiently.

"One moment please." he said to the five other people as he rose from his desk and proceeded to the door. A short, brief conversation with the Professor occurred, and the Principal returned to his desk. "Mr. Leonhart, Mr. Almasy, I need to speak with your parents. If you would please go with Professor Fitzgerald, she will escort you down to the Gym where you can get started on that mess." He dismissed them, and the two guys removed themselves from the Principal's office. Professor Fitzgerald waited outside, and she glared at the two guys as they all proceeded down to the Gym.

Squall and Seifer both avoided Professor Fitzgerald's glaring, heated gaze and even one another as they continued what felt like a never-ending trek to the Gym. Nothing was worse than being alone with the most evil, defile woman in the entire world. This would be classified as torture in itself.

They finally reached the outside of the Gym, and as they were about to enter, Professor Fitzgerald grabbed both guys by a shoulder, digging her dagger like nails into their flesh, forcing them to turn around and face her.

"In the unlikely circumstance that you tow hooligans are not, in fact, expelled, I will make sure personally that your lives are completely miserable from the first second that you step into this building to very last one that you leave!" She hissed, leaning closer into their faces menacingly. "And believe me, that is not a threat. That is a promise." She thrust a broom and a mop into both of them, jabbing Squall in the stomach. He restrained from wincing with high difficulty. "Now get to work." She turned on her heels and returned up to the office. Squall and Seifer just stood there watching here until she was out of sight.

When she was finally gone, they exchanged quick looks before proceeding into the Gym. The sight was even worse than they had left it.

"Oh, man!" Squall groaned; he wasn't referring to the work load but to the memory he knew he had to live with for the rest of his life. "I really blew it this time!"

"We," Seifer corrected softly. Squall looked at him strangely. How could he still want to stand by him after what he dragged him into?

"Yeah, sure." He shrugged.

"Looks like we'd better get to work." Seifer said, taking the broom and heading through the mess of the gym.

"Yeah, this isn't going to clean itself, is it?" Squall sighed and walked over to the stage and began mopping up the puddles of water while Seifer worked on the confetti mess around the tables. "Damn! What a mess!" Squall let out a low whistle. He heard Seifer mutter an agreement, and then they settled into an uneasy silence. There wasn't much good to this at all. As the night went on, it seemed that everything went wrong. Squall knew he should have stayed at home in bed, but something had made him come. He thought he knew what it was, but he wasn't entirely sure in that.

So he thought on what he was going to happen to him. He had already taken all the blame, but would that be enough to clear Seifer's name? The only thing he wanted to do was accept his punishment and be done with it. In his opinion, it shouldn't take this long to decide upon whether or not he was guilty or non-guilty. He assumed that he was just going to have to wait and see and see what happens. That ultimately feared him, but at this point, he didn't have much of a choice.

Seifer didn't enjoy the silence, but he didn't want to force Squall to talk either. He knew that he had to be thinking about something, and that it had to do with this whole situation. It was difficult to forget what was going on and the seriousness surrounding it. Their future was at stake here, not to mention a few friendships as well.

Squall sighed heavily as the minutes dragged by slower than before. He felt like time had slowed down just to torture him. He wanted to know what was going to happen to him, and then be done with it all. This wasn't working at all; he didn't like having to find other things to occupy his thoughts with.

Finally, Seifer couldn't take it anymore. Without looking up, he called to squall. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" the other guys asked, looking in his direction.

"Why did you take all the blame?" Seifer demanded, looking up and leaning on the broom. "Even after I told you I would go down with you, why did you take all the blame?"

"Because I had to." Squall walked to the edge of the stage and sat down. "Listen, that whole thing was my idea. It was my own mindless obsession to get back at someone, but you know, I'm no longer sure who I was aiming at." He sighed again and looked away. "By the time I realized that what I was doing as wrong, it was too late to change it. This is my fault. I just dragged you into it for unknown reasons. I don't want you to take any kind of punishment on my account."

"But I said I would! Listen, I knew what the consequences would be if I helped you. I knew we would get caught. I said I would help you, and I said that I would take any punishment they could throw at me. It doesn't matter. You're my best friend, and I'm going to stand by you no matter what. I was your accomplice proudly back in Esthar, and I'm going to be the same thing here. You're not going to stop me!" Seifer repeated, losing some of his patience and his temper. He didn't know why he was so mad, but he was. "Everyone else may be afraid of you, but I know you and I'm not."

Squall jumped off from his seat on the stage and walked over to Seifer. "Seifer, you and I both know that back in Esthar we never got caught. Yes, everyone knew it was us, but we never got caught. And you also know as well as I do that Principal Kramer thinks that I've done it all and that you had nothing to do with it. What's done is done, and there's no going back or changing it. And what's this about everyone being afraid of me? That doesn't have to do with anything."

"You know what I mean!" Seifer protested.

"And you know what I mean when I say that he thinks I did it and brought you into it against your will. It can't be changed. I can't just go back and tell the Principal that I lied to him, and that you were involved too. I can't and I won't. This was my problem, my obsession, and my downfall. Let me have it my way." Squall spoke to him calmly, never wavering in tone or losing his confidence. He finished his part of the argument and then returned to the stage, grabbing his mop off the floor along the way.

Seifer frowned in knowing that he could not add anymore to that argument in his defense. Squall wouldn't let him be included. He knew that he should thank him for keeping him out of trouble, but he was still just a little angry that Squall was trying to be the hero. He wanted some of the glory, too, but alas, he didn't want the rejection or the expulsion. But no matter what happened- rejection or expulsion- squall would still be the hero. He would be the Handsome Sailor celebrated and like despite his actions. He envied Squall but not enough to want to go crazy over it.

Seifer went back to his work with the broom, concentrating on one area but not actually cleaning. He was just dragging the broom across the floor, not picking up dirt, just moving it across the floor for no reason.

Squall would occasionally look at Seifer out the corner of his eye, but other than that, he kept to himself, working to both clean up and maintain the silence that surrounded them. He wasn't in the mood to speak anymore. He wanted to get this all over with. The sooner this nightmare ended, the sooner he could get on with the rest of his life. Well that is, if he even had life left by the time his parents were done with him, but in all actuality, it wasn't his parents whom he feared. They would just lecture him and probably ground him, but the punishment that he really feared would come from the one person whom he tried so hard to earn respect from. He'd lost all that now, he was sure, but he was still afraid of the punishment that would come. She would push him away and out for good, offering him no chance for redemption.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, breaking the silence he tried so hard to maintain. He looked up and around, but Seifer obviously hadn't heard him, and he was relieved. He didn't want to have to explain himself.

And so he went back to his work and his silence. It wasn't worth the pondering and worrying. He'd get himself out of this scrap. After all, he'd always been able to before. No matter how hard this was, he'd get through it with no problems. He may walk out of the fire alone, but at least he'd walk out free and that was all that really mattered.

A/N: Well, there it is. I liked this chapter only for one reason: Professor Fitzgerald. I don't know why, but she just makes me laugh. She's like the evil villain that you don't even notice, and then she comes back and like takes over the world. It's awesome!! R&R and ignore my useless ramblings. Later Days!