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It was the end of class on Wednesday. There were only about three more students to be called into Instructor Trepe's office and Kelsey was one of them. The time dwindled in the classroom and when the bell rang there, there was only one student left. She roused from her sleep and stood up, stretching. As her roommate came out of the office, she told Kelsey that she should go in. Kelsey looked at her watch. It was already past class time but she resigned to having to do it now then later and trudged into the classroom.

"And you must be...Kelsey Griffith," said the woman, checking off the last name on her list. As she studied Kelsey through her glasses her green eyes bore into hers for a few moments as a sad look came into them but when Kelsey looked back, she was sure she had imagined it.

"That would be me." Said Kelsey, plopping herself down in the chair centered in front the desk.

It went on for a half an hour. Kelsey kept thinking that she didn't remember that any of the other interview sessions had run this long. Maybe it had something to do with her being last and that the bell had already rung so the teacher was going slower than usual. Kelsey didn't know but she wanted it to be over. There were interesting parts, parts about the Garden and her career there, but it was getting dull. Now the only thing Kelsey's mind was on was how this woman's face rang in her mind. And as she began to wrap things up, Kelsey saw a more easygoing side of her professor.

"Okay, just a few more questions, it looks like." Said Instructor Trepe, examining the paper.

Kelsey said nothing.

"What is your weapon of choice?" Kelsey had been waiting for this to come up, the whole time.

"I haven't decided. I'm stuck." The woman's kind face looked up and for the first time talked to the student in front of her as an adult.

"Well, what's your dilemma?" She asked, leaning back in her chair.

"I'm caught between the whip and the gunblade."

"Both very good choices. I am drawn to tell you the whip because that is my weapon of choice but only the strong of mind choose the gunblade." Her mind immediately focused on Squall but she shook her head of thoughts of him.

"Why?"

"It is a very difficult weapon to master. Few ever choose it for their long-term goals. Many believe they'll be tough enough to handle it but when they really get their hands on it, they realize what a mistake it was to choose it. We have only a couple gunblade masters in the whole Garden this year. About three of four were released from Garden last year and that has swayed our numbers in gunblade users dramatically, I can tell you."

"I've heard it's very rewarding." And she wasn't lying. Squall and she had wandered onto that very subject the first night she had been at Garden.

"Well, if you want, you can tell me your choice in a few days."

"Ya that would be better." She stood up to go.

"Well, that pretty much sums things up. It was nice to meet you, Lisse." Kelsey did a double take. Instructor Trepe had taken no notice of the error she had made and casually went on filling in the paperwork, adding dates and names.

"Excuse me?" Quistis looked up over the top of her glasses at the pupil in front of her who had spoken. She dared not believe it was such a threatening tone, coming from a student, a newb at that.

"Yes?" She asked. Kelsey didn't know how to explain what had just happened. She was getting a flash back of Squall and her arguing about this Lisse person back in his room. He would not tell her about this ominous girl but to say that she had looked like her and here she was, not even thinking about it to have imagined it and her instructor just called her by the same name.

"You just-" Kelsey sat down. What did she just call me? She thought to herself.

"Is something the matter?" Her teacher asked again. Kelsey was silent but she was putting two and two together.

"You know Lisse?" Kelsey blurted out. The woman was suddenly taken aback. Her eyes grew wide and she took off her glasses to peer intently at the girl in front of her.

"What- what did you say?" Quistis asked her breathlessly.

"I asked if you know Lisse."

"Why would you ask me that, of all things?" She demanded.

"You just called me Lisse. So I thought...you might know her." But as this the woman let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's not a hard thing to do considering how much you look like a friend of mine whose name, truly, is Lisse."

"Where can I find her?" Kelsey asked quickly. The woman hesitated.

"What would you want with Lisse?" Quistis asked, bewildered.

"I need to speak with her!" Kelsey told her. She needed to know about her. She needed to know what her parents had hidden from her. What Squall was hiding from her.

"I'm afraid she is too far for you to go to as a newbie here."

"I don't care where she is!" Kelsey cried hysterically. "Please, I need to know!"

"Like I said, you-"

"I said I don't care! If I have to I'll run away from this place!" These words seemed to jolt her.

"Run away? Just to see Lisse? Why is she so important to you in the first place? How do you know her?" Quistis said angrily.

"It doesn't matter! Please, just tell me!" There were tears coming out of Kelsey's clear blue eyes now, and Quistis realized in her heart that if she were this girl she would expect something from her instructor. She would expect instructions.

"How about we make a deal?"

"No!"

"Please just calm down and listen to me and I'll tell you where she is."

"But I-"

"Please. Have a seat." Kelsey saw no way out and took her seat.

"Where is she?" Kelsey broke out.

"Now, let's make a pact. If you don't say anything to anyone about any of the things I'm saying to you right now, I'll...I'll take you to see Lisse." Lisse's pretty face flashed in front of her eyes and it brought peace to her heart, as she continued. "Do we have a deal?"

"What are you talking about? What am I not allowed to repeat?" Kelsey asked.

"Anything. All you're allowed to say about you being in this room is that I asked you all the necessary questions and you left. That's it."

"And you'll take me to see her? No questions asked?"

"I think I should know the purpose of this outing before we go."

"I want to see Lisse."

"Is that all you're going to tell me?"

"Yes."

"I think you should learn to trust me, especially if you're going to be using either of those weapons."

"Why?" Kelsey asked suspiciously.

"Well, I, of course, train those who chose the whip but I have extensive knowledge on the gunblade too because I first chose it and worked with it for most of my years at Garden."

"Why did you change? Was it to hard?"

"Certainly not. I didn't change really. I am just training with a new weapon, which I happen to like much better."

"Oh. Well...I guess I won't say anything."

"Kelsey, you cannot guess you won't say anything. Don't say anything."

"Okay. So when are we going?"

"I'll have to get back to you on that, just, please, don't run away. What's you room number?"

"140."

"I'll be in touch." Kelsey got up to leave, feeling a lot better. She definitely hadn't expected to make a secret pact with her instructor in the first couple days she had known her and it undeniably made her teacher rise in Kelsey's standings. "And remember. Not a word to anyone."

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