Once again, here I am with another update. I am so sorry that I didn't fulfill my promise. I tried so hard, but I wasn't expecting to get the flu. This was not how I planned to spend my Winter Break. I'm going to try my best to get this finished as soon as I can. After all, with a strict order of bed rest for the next 3 days, I have a lot of time to kill and a whole stack of video games to beat. So if I fall a little behind, you guys wouldn't really hunt me down, would you? I hope not. After all, this is the season of joy and goodwill to others. I really don't want to die.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII characters, places, or ideas. All rights reserved to Square.
Life Less Ordinary
Chapter Twenty- Four
"Decisions"
Thirty- three hours to go. That's all he had left in this tiny scrap of a town, but he soon realized that he didn't want to leave. He wanted to finish up the school year and graduate from a decent school that wasn't filled with big-city corruption, but he'd blown up that opportunity. He had the perfect chance to make his life as normal as possible in a normal high school with great friends and a sexy girlfriend, but he'd blown that chance into a million, incoverable pieces.
It was three o'clock in the morning, and he was wide awake, thinking like he always did and having too many bad thoughts hat always seemed to get him into a world of trouble.
But this time, something was different. He wasn't mat at anyone, sad in anyway, or hopelessly entranced. In fact, he felt no emotion at all. For someone who would soon be forced to attend a gruesome, horrible Military School, like he was quite content, and he wasn't quite sure why. He was more than sure that this odd effect would wear off, and he'd be hit with the enraging force of being abandoned by everyone around him. He didn't want to feel that way because he knew that all of this was his fault. He'd brought this all onto himself, and, oddly enough, he had little regrets.
The whole ordeal had been fun and entertaining until he'd gotten caught. When he looked back on it, his entire time spent here in this backwater town had been fun. The people here were wonderful and accepting. It was a whole world apart from Esthar, where crime and corruption haunted every shadowed alley and every street corner. It was there that he'd involuntarily obtained his "bad boy" image, but here, he could just be himself and didn't have to prove himself in any way to anyone. He liked having that kind of freedom and was remorseful that he'd done something so stupid to have to be forced out of this picture-perfect place.
Of course, the expulsion had been by his own accordance. He had blandly told the principal that he would take expulsion. He'd clearly stated that he deserved it, too. It was only natural that he was expelled. If he'd believed that he was totally innocent and argued in his defense, then maybe he wouldn't be in this situation. He could've saved himself like he did Seifer. If only…but he hadn't. He'd willingly choose to be expelled. Why? Because he knew that it was the right thing to do. He couldn't lie to save his own skin and then be done with it. It just didn't work that way. He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he'd lied and tried to fight for his "freedom." He'd never been imprisoned, so he had no need to try to obtain something he already had.
Squall was certainly getting sick of this ongoing battle within his mind. His head and his heart were trying to tear him in two, fighting for a common cause but under different circumstances. He was done trying to convince himself of something he already knew.
He was currently lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling in the dark, at 3 in the morning. He'd woken up so many times that he thought it to be completely useless to attempt to go back asleep.
He eventually got tired and stood up, determined to get this all off his mind. He walked out of his room. The game room outside his bedroom was dark and silent. He leaned against a couch, eyes running over everything. Memories popped into his mind, reminding him of all the times he and his cousins had down here. He smiled at the thoughts as they crossed his mind. He knew that he would miss this place, but now he knew just how much he'd miss it.
He lingered only a few minutes longer against the couch before moving over to the drum set and bass guitar. This was the end of Grimm's Defeat. He knew that, but he would still remember. His smile grew wider as he thought of the concert part of the Winter Formal when the water was coming down all over them, and people were totally getting into the music. That had probably been the best show they'd ever done, even if it was really short.
His fingers drummed lightly on a symbol and he smiled at the sound. Being in a band had brought the four guys close together, forming a bond that Squall feared would now be broken once he left.
He tried not to think that way, but it was difficult. Just the idea of military school forced bad thoughts into his head, so imagine what would happen after he was actually inducted.
"I figured you'd still be up." A voice spoke to him from behind. He turned his head to find his father standing at the foot of the stairs, gripping the handrail, eyes fixed on Squall. He sensed something in his father. Was that fear?
"Yeah," he felt his face heat up and knew the anger was coming.
Laguna sighed and walked over to his son, but Squall turned his back on him, coldly. He should've known that was coming.
"Look, I know you're angry, but-" he started until Squall turned around to lash out.
"Angry?!" he demanded. "Dad, I'm beyond angry. I'm furious because you and mom have made me out to be some monster, and now you're sending me off to Military School! You have no idea what I'm feeling!"
"You have to understand our side of things, son. You haven't exactly been a complete angel, you know. After all, you were EXPELLLED!" Laguna boomed.
"The only reason why they expelled me was because I told them to," Squall snapped. "You don't have to send me to Military School. Just send me back to Esthar High. They'll take me. After all, they take druggies."
"I will sooner send you back to boarding school than that vile place. You learned nothing there except how to get into trouble. Hat place should be shut down." Laguna retaliated.
"You're the President! DO SOMETHING!" Squall barked, losing his patience.
"Oh, believe me. I am, starting with you." Laguna crossed his arms over his chest and gave Squall a death glare.
'Oh, what more could you possibly do to make my life worse?" he demanded, sensing hostility.
Laguna's face softened, "Son, I'm not trying to make your life worse. I'm just trying to give you a good future."
"Oh, yeah, you're doing a great job." Squall said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Well, at least I'm trying, which is more than I can say for you." It was Laguna's urn to be sarcastic.
"What do you expect me to do? I'm 18! I'm practically still a kid! I have my whole life ahead of me! I'm just having a little fun before it's all over!" Squall exclaimed.
"Squall, if this is your idea of fun then you need a new definition!" Laguna sighed. " Son, you're throwing away your future this way. That's why your mother and I think Military School is just what you need."
"I don't need Military School! I'm not like you! I have no need to attend boot camp and pick fights with other countries. I'm not a soldier, and I'm not soldier material." Squall shook his head.
"That's not the point, son, but I do have another option for you." Laguna wrung his hands nervously. Squall looked to him, waiting for him to continue. "You could take Military School, or you could accept the Grand Council's offer."
Squall's eyes shot up, and he looked at his father curiously. "Which is?"
"The Grand Council offered you a proposition on your 18th birthday and you have yet to reply." Laguna answered. Squall just shook his head. "Ugh! They said that if you accept, they're willing to re-establish the Estharian Throne."
"They have the power to do that?" Squall asked, slightly amused.
"Stay focused!" Laguna snapped, irritated. "Would you?"
"What would I have to do?" Squall asked, sighing.
"Does that mean you'll do it?" Laguna wondered, surprised.
"No, that means 'what would I have to do?"' Squall rolled his eyes again.
"Don't get smart," Laguna warned. "You'd have to be crowned and learn how to rule the country, which means a private tutor will have to come and you'd have to finish school and possibly do a college crash course. It'll be tough."
Squall fell silent as he thought about his options. Ruling a country would mean infinite responsibilities and being confined within the borders of Esthar and having big, tough goons following his every move. Going to Military School gave him a few more options, but either way he was still confined to Esthar, just under different terms.
"I'll have to think about it. It's not something I can just decide on impulse. I'll let you know tomorrow." Squall walked to his room, not waiting on a reply from his father.
Laguna let him go, knowing he could get no more out of the boy. This was Squall's choice, and he could only hope that he'd make the right one.
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Rinoa slammed her bedroom door behind her as hard as she could, and then threw herself onto her bed, sending pillows and stuffed animals flying.
"Military School!" she moaned into the bed. "What a bunch of bull!" Rinoa didn't know if she believed him or not. What are the odds that his parents would actually ship him off to Military School just because he got into a tiny, little scrape? She didn't think so. And both of Quistis' parents and her mother were on the School Board, and she doubted if they would choose to expel him. Rinoa decided it was time to do some investigating.
"What are you doing, Rinny?" Julia asked as Rinoa rummaged through a desk in the den.
"Mom! You're on the School Board, right?" she exclaimed, wasting no time.
"Well, yes, but why the sudden interest?" Julia asked.
"Did you go to the last meeting about the Winter Formal?" she demanded.
Julia's face suddenly became very hard. "Now, Rinoa, you know I can't give you any information concerning our meetings."
"Mom! This is important!" Rinoa objected. "All I need to know is if Squall was expelled or not."
Julia looked at her daughter as if she didn't understand plain English. She cocked her head and just stared at her. "What?"
"Was Squall expelled?" Rinoa asked again.
"We didn't even say Squall's name once. Why?" Julia was so confused now.
"Would Mr. Kramer expel Squall without consulting the School Board?" Rinoa asked.
"No, of course not! He doesn't have that kind of power." Julia answered.
Rinoa's eyes suddenly grew very large. "He lied!" she exclaimed and raced out of the room before Julia could even get a word in edgewise.
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Quistis was already waiting for Rinoa at Joe's before she even called her. She'd found out long before Rinoa and had called Selphie, Seifer, Drag, Zion, and Bryce. Everyone was at Joe's waiting for Rinoa to get there. They had now less than 24 hours to go, and they still needed to formulate a plan.
"Rinny!" Selphie exclaimed, seeing her enter the building. She waved her over.
"Hey, guys! Listen, Squall-" Rinoa started until Quistis cut her off.
"Wasn't expelled." She finished. "Yeah, I found out this morning. He's only suspended until the end of the week."
"Which means he lied!" Rinoa exclaimed, furious.
"Not quite." Seifer answered.
"What do you mean?" Rinoa demanded.
"Mom and dad told him he was expelled." Bryce replied.
"He didn't lie to us; he was lied to!" Drag said.
"So we've got to do something! We can't let them ship him off to Hell!" Selphie said.
"Yeah, but what's the point? I'm leaving, too." Rinoa said sadly, dropping down into a chair.
"Remember the whole closet thing?" Selphie asked, a strange, wild gleam showing in her eyes.
Rinoa didn't say anything but laughed.
"Look, we may not be able to keep Rinny here, but at least we know she's going to be safe. We can't guarantee that for Squall. Military School is no picnics. Trust me, I've heard stories." Seifer said with a slight shudder.
"And I'll always come by and visit you guys whenever I can. It'll be fine, but if Squall goes away to Military School. We may never get to see him again." Rinoa added. "And I don't want to see him turn into a war fiend like my father. Believe me, it's not worth it. He's better off away from all that."
"So to save one friend, we have to sacrifice another?" Selphie asked. "That doesn't seem at all fair."
"Maybe so, but if we can save Squall, we can save Rinoa, too." Zion said.
"Still…" Selphie whined.
"Well, we have to make the choice now." Quistis commanded. "Do we help Squall or not?"
"We help him, of course!" Drag exclaimed, and everyone nodded.
"Yeah, but will he listen?" Rinoa asked, and they all fell silent.
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Squall had been wrestling with his two options all night, and he still didn't have a decision yet. No matter how he looked at it, neither was really good. If he helped the Grand Council re-establish the throne, then he'd be making all kinds of global enemies, but if he chose to go to Military Scholl, he'd still have those enemies to deal with, but this time he'd have to face them with weapons and dirty fighting. He really didn't care for either, but it didn't look as if any other options would suddenly pop up. He was stuck with these two.
So what to choose? Right now that was the question that needed to be answered. Military School or re-establishing the Estharian Throne? The most obvious choice was right in front of him, but that was a rode he really didn't want to travel down. The other was even less desirable.
He lay on his bed, throwing a ragged, old ball up in the air and catching it again. He found this a good way to think but this time he wasn't having much luck, and that annoyed him. To anyone else, this was an easy decision but for him, it was more difficult. This was the fork in the road for him. This was where he chose what would determine how the rest of his life went.
"Oh, this sucks!" He exclaimed, throwing the ball at the wall as hard as he could. It bounced back and came flying at his head. He wasn't paying attention and was smacked right in the noggin. "Ow!" he muttered and rubbed his sore head.
He held up the ball and looked at it closely. "No matter where I throw I, it bounces back." It took him a moment, but he finally got it, smiling for the first time.
"Bingo!"
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"Mom! You have to do something!" Rinoa exclaimed, running into the kitchen where her mother
was preparing lunch.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Julia laughed. "Where's the fire, honey?"
"Mom! Raine and Laguna are going to send Squall to Military School because of what happened at the Winter Formal! You've got to talk them out of it!" Rinoa exclaimed, all in one breath.
"Rinoa, I can't. That's their decision, and I can't interfere with what they decide for their son. It's just not right." Julia replied, wiping her wet hands on the dishtowel.
"No, what's not right is that they're sending him to become a prototype like Caraway. You know that's what he'll turn into! He'll lose all emotion, all feeling, and he'll only be concerned about conquering the enemy! That's not right!" Rinoa snapped bitterly.
"Rinoa Julia Heartilly! Watch your mouth!" Julia exclaimed harshly.
"Well, it's true and you know it! He's never cared about us! They only thing he's cared about is his job and how he can take out his foes! He only cares about Galbadia! He could care less about us!" Rinoa countered.
"If he didn't care, then why'd he call this morning to ask for you to return home?" Julia demanded, angrily.
Rinoa's jaw dropped. She hadn't expected this. "What?"
"Your father called this morning and said that after this semester, he would like for you to return to the mansion and finish school at Galbadia Academy." Julia answered, forcing out a weak smile. She couldn't say that she agreed with this, but then again, she really didn't have a choice.
"He said that? Are you sure?" Rinoa asked, suspicious.
"Yes, he said it."
"Wow! After over four years, he's ready to take me back? What kind of game is he playing, and how stupid does he think I am?" Rinoa demanded.
Julia hated to side with her ex-husband, but she just couldn't let Rinoa pass up this opportunity. "Rinoa, will you cool it for just a second? You're father is willing to pay full tuition for you to attend Galbadia Academy. It's one of the best schools in the world! I can't offer you that."
"Yeah, but he can't bribe me like that! It's just not fair!" Rinoa exclaimed.
"Just promise me you'll think about it. Alright?" Julia asked, nearly begging.
"Fine," Rinoa left the room, madder than she had been from the start.
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It was Rinoa's turn to sit on her bed, struggling to make a choice with her life. Galbadia Academy or Timber? She'd take the Academy in a heartbeat if it weren't for one major problem: her father. He was only offering this great deal because he obviously wanted something, but what? What could he possibly want that she apparently had? It didn't make any sense, and that annoyed her. He had an angle, but she couldn't see it.
Was it the fact that she was happy? Or maybe that her mother was remarrying? Whatever it was, she needed to figure it out and fast. He'd want an answer soon.
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Squall stood outside his father's office. He didn't want to have to be doing this, but it looked like he had little choice. He knocked, tentatively, and waited for a reply. When one didn't come, he went in anyway. Laguna was sitting at his desk, talking on the phone with someone. He waved to Squall and then pointed to a chair in front of his desk. Squall nodded, sat, and waited patiently for his dad to get off the phone.
It didn't take very long, luckily. Laguna hung up the phone and then turned to his son. "That was the Grand Council. They eagerly await your answer and hope that you see things their way." Laguna smiled, but Squall shrugged.
"I'm not going to help them." He said, strongly.
"What?" Laguna was actually surprised. "So you'll take Military School?"
"I guess. It's the only option left." Squall wasn't happy about this, but he'd brought it on himself and he would find a way out of it.
"True, but don't you think it would be better to help your country?" Laguna asked.
"I'll be helping my country in another way, blowing up the enemy. It's the best thing for me, remember?" Squall challenged.
Laguna sighed, realizing he may have made a mistake. "Before this is all over, you're going to make me eat my words, aren't you?"
"Possibly, I'm crafty like that." A small smirk appeared on his face. It was a smirk of triumph.
"That's why the Council wanted you to re-establish the throne. You would've made a great ruler for Esthar." Laguna was still trying to get him to change his mind.
"Sorry, but that's not my kind of thing." Squall shrugged again.
"Are you sure?"
"Listen, you gave me a choice, and I picked which one I wanted! If you wanted me to take a specific one then why offer me a choice?" He demanded, now on his feet. "I picked the one that would keep me out of trouble the most. If you don't like it, then deal with it. It's my life. And I'm taking what I've got and what's less of a death sentence."
"I didn't mean to upset you. I just want you to understand what's out there. You have a bright future ahead of you, and I want you to have what's best." Laguna said, trying to avoid any costly family wars.
"If you wanted me to have what's best, then you wouldn't have offered my two crackpot choices, and you would have let me choose for myself. But that's not what you did, is it?" He sneered.
"There's no need to get hostile. Sometimes you need a little push."
"Or a shove into an early death, as I see it." He snapped.
"Maybe you need your eye sight checked." Laguna advised.
"Whatever. I told you my choice, and I'm not changing my mind." With that he left, leaving Laguna all but disappointed. He watched his son leave the room and the reached for the phone once again to call the Council to let them know Squall's decision.
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Rinoa still didn't know what to do. She sat up in her room, struggling to decide what she should do with the rest of her life. It was either attending a top-notch school and having a big, wonderful life, or going to Timber and going to mediocre school and struggling to be great. Heck, she wasn't even sure what she wanted to do after school. She honestly hadn't thought ahead that far. She wanted to enjoy life as it was right now, and not worry about the future until she absolutely had to.
But now she needed to think ahead. There were only a few days left to decide what she wanted to do with her life, and she had no idea. It wasn't really anything she had put much thought into. Of course, just the idea of being able to attend Galbadia Academy excited her, but she didn't want to have to deal with her father, and she loved Timber. It had always been a place she liked to visit, and it was her mother's birthplace, so it had sentimental value. But that still didn't leave her with a choice. Both sides had their good points and their equally bad. She just didn't know which would benefit her better, and she also didn't know if her father was serious enough to try and force her to return to Deling City.
"Still trying to decide?" Julia asked, stepping into the dark room to take a seat beside her daughter on the bed.
"Yeah. I just don't know what to do. Both look so good…and bad." Rinoa sighed.
"As much as it pains me to say, I think you should take your father up on his offer. You can't pass up an opportunity to attend Galbadia Academy." Julia said. She never sided with Caraway, so this was new to Rinoa, and it had her suspicious.
"I want to, but I don't want to go back there. I don't want to go there vulnerable and let him hurt me again." Rinoa shuddered at the thought, and Julia wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"Don't worry. I can promise you that he won't hurt you. He'll be away on new projects in Centra, so you won't see much of him. You'll be safe, and you know that I'm only a phone call away." Julia promised.
"I know, but still…. It's scary."
"Well, you have to make a decision soon. There isn't much time left." Julia let go of her and headed to the door.
"Mom?" Rinoa called. She stopped and turned to face her. "I'm going to take dad's offer."
A/N: Well, one down, one to go. I haven't much to say; I'm still pretty sick, but I do have one thing, er, two to say. First, thank you all so much for the reviews you've given me throughout the whole thing. I really appreciate it. This story wouldn't be where it is right now if it weren't for you guys always on my to update. Thanks for your patience and support. The last thing I want to say is that some of you have hinted that you want a sequel, and I'm considering it, but it'll take a lot of convincing for me to make a sequel, so if you want it, let me know! R&R and Later Days! (Yes Seifer will say it soon!)