Chapter 3

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Squall stayed on that bench until late into the night watching the children play. He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do. He had never told anyone how he had come to be at Garden or why exactly he was so good at everything he did there. He hadn't even figured out what to say if someone had asked him why. All he knew was Garden and the few friends he'd grown up with.

The only one that knew about his life was Cid because Cid had raised him. Quistis knew enough but Zell knew next to nothing about his story.

He probably would've improvised and said that he was just a very dedicated SeeD student but anyone who knew him long enough knew that that story would never suffice.

Students at Garden typically never question each other about their past since once you attend Garden you can't ever go back. Therefore people had no problem not knowing his secrets and just believing that he was just extremely talented with his gunblade.

He waited on that bench, not really knowing exactly what he was waiting for. Maybe he was expecting something to happen to the children. He looked up as someone walked by; a newbie by the look of his attire. Newbies had curfew at ten because training is rough the first year. Squall glanced at his watch. It read thee and knowing that something was up, he questioned him.

"Hey, what are you doing up?" Squall asked from the bench. The boy stopped, startled by anyone being up at three in the morning sitting on a bench.

"Uh, the Headmaster told me to come down and get someone named Bejei, a SeeD." He stuttered.

"Bejei? He's in room 413. He's not here." Squall told him.

"Sir, he's not in his room. The Headmaster would like to see him and thought he might be here instead." Squall tried to remember if he'd seen him at the club.

"Well, he's not here. I've been here for about six hours. Everyone else has left." The Squall saw the boy's face, crestfallen at not finding him.

"Tell the Headmaster the SeeDs went out tonight and that he's probably still out, all right? Is everything alright?"

"Sir, his sister was rushed to the hospital!" Then the boy thanked Squall and ran out of the Quad. Squall blinked. Bejei had graduated in the same year as him yet he had never mentioned anything about ever having a sister. He had never asked about Bejei's family either, as Bejei had not asked him. It was a sort of unspoken rule. Squall wondered if anyone else he knew was hurting as much as he was from their past.

Squall's eyes returned to the spot where he had been watching the children just moments earlier, but they were gone. He sat up quickly. He blinked again. Where has they gone?

"You're tired." He told himself, standing up. He stretched his arms back and closed his eyes to yawn. Suddenly someone bowled him over. He was underneath someone and as he sat up he saw someone with brown hair hugging his chest. He recognized her outfit.

"Rinoa, why are you on me?"

"Oh Squall! I missed you so much!"

"I saw you two weeks ago. Why are you back?" He looked at his watch again. 3:07. "And why so early?"

"I was escorting some newbies from our area this morning and we only just arrived! I gladly volunteered to come. I couldn't wait to see you guys!" He sat up letting her slide down a little.

"Well that's...nice." Squall told her.

"Are you not happy?" She asked, frowning.

"Sure." He grunted.

"You are? You don't look it." She pouted.

"I'm going to bed." Her bottom lip pouted more intensely.

"I was hoping you'd stay up with me. We could catch up and stuff! It will be fun!"

"Maybe later." He stood up.

"Oh okay. I'll walk you to your room." She said jumping up next to him.

"I have a mission in the morning," he lied.

"Squall! Can't you get out of it?" She asked sing-songly while running up beside him and linking her arm with his.

"I'm afraid I can't."

"I know I thought we could talk since we haven't in such a long time! And I've really missed you!" She said capturing one of his brunette locks around her finger and twirling it.

"We can talk later."

"Promise?" She asked, pouting again.

"I have a mission." Said Squall avoiding her eyes.

"Oh, well I can help you with the mission!" She said jumping with enthusiasm.

"It's going to be a long one. You might have to return to your own Garden to help with this escalating war." He told her. Realizing she still had his hair around her finger, he pulled it away.

"Squall? Are you okay?" She asked, stepping in front of him.

"Yes, just tired." They neared his room. He opened the door and quickly tried to shut it but she caught it with her hand.

"See you in the morning!" Then she released it and it slammed. He walked over and fell on his bed.

"But that's the thing. I don't want to see you in the morning." He changed and got into bed and fell asleep quickly.

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The next morning he was awoken quickly by a voice he had originally thought to be in his dream.

"Oh, isn't he a doll when he sleeps?" He opened his eyes and sat up and to about five of six girls in his room, including Rinoa. The rest of the girls, the obvious newbies, ran out of his room in giggling fits.

"Well good morning sleepy head! I was just showing those newbies what the inside of a SeeD room looks like!" She cried gleefully.

"GET OUT." He pointed towards the door. She didn't seem to realize that he was furious.

"Okay well I'll see you later." She skipped out the door and he went over behind her and slammed it. Then he locked it and watched her out the peephole.

"Run along now girls. You'll be expected soon I think." But as Rinoa began to walk off someone went by.

"Quistis! What a pleasant surprise!" Rinoa shrieked. Quistis had been reading something and had stopped in mid-step to look at Rinoa. The two of them, dire opposites clashed so badly but Rinoa never seemed to mind. There was Quistis, prim and proper, in her nice ironed SeeD uniform, hair pulled tightly back and glasses propped on the tip of her nose. She was on duty, reading whatever the latest news about the war was and there was Rinoa in her civilian clothes, a catastrophe in mismatching socks.

"Oh hello. I'd heard you would be here this week...but I didn't expect you down here...in the Dormitory wing." She said, her eyebrows rose ever so slightly, glancing at Squall's door.

"Oh well, you know, I just woke up Squall, the sleepyhead. He was in bed until just a minute ago." Quistis's eyes were still focused on the door, where Squall was still standing looking at her through the peephole.

"Oh, I see." She said rather bitterly.

"Well, I really must get going." She added quickly as if Rinoa was going to invite her to stay.

"Well maybe we can all get together, do some missions or just hang out. I haven't been able to see you guys in such a long time, you know?" She smiled, patting Quistis on the arm but Quistis took a step back as if her joviality was infectious.

"I don't know how busy I'm going to be. We're not on break, like your Garden so I'm sure the schedule would be the same as usual." She said with monotony as she watched Rinoa bouncing on her toes with excitement, like a puppy.

"Oh okay but I'm sure we can still get together and do something." She sang.

"Yes, yes that...would be...nice." She forced out.

"It would be wonderful!" She shrieked.

"Until later then." She said, quick to resume reading where she left off.

"See ya later!" Shouted Rinoa joyfully and skipped off down the hallway. Squall rolled his eyes and watched Quistis walk off. He went back to his bed and lay on his back, thinking.

"Quistis." He whispered.