Queen Luana : Third chapter, day two begins and Zell starts trying harder.

The instructor's lounge

"Self-reassurance as an all-day necessity. Help her make a list of all positive aspects of breaking up with this guy."

"Is ruining my wall part of my recovery?" Selphie demanded when Zell pulled out four thumbnails and pinned a green paper opposite Selphie's bed.

"Just wait and see," Zell said and pressed the fourth and final thumbnail in the bottom right corner. "This is just a cheer-up in case I'm not around."

Curiously, Selphie crawled closer and read the paper.

"The UPs of break-UPs"

More free time.

No need to worry about how you look.

Flirting is allowed again.

Possibility to spread lots of negative gossips about him.

Get spoiled by all your friends who feel sorry for you.

Below those four points was a whole lot of space left. "I took the liberty of writing down a few things myself," Zell smiled broadly. "Of course I expect you to think of a few things yourself. But this is just to get you started."

Selphie smiled feebly and hugged her pillow.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Zell said and wiped his hands at his shorts, "I need to go and arrange something. I want to find some more ups when I get back." He gave Selphie a friendly pat on the shoulder and left. When he left the dormitory he broke into a run. The poster was just a smaller part of his plan. The next step was only now about to take place.

"Zell, I told you I'm not an instructor anymore," Quistis said and looked at him from behind her oval spectacles. Despite that she still had a job at Balamb Garden. Even now she had settled herself in the cafeteria with a packet of papers, drinking an ice tea. She sipped it carefully then took off her glasses and twirled them around in one hand. "What do you expect me to do?"

Zell scratched his head. He had heard about the so-called instructor's lounge. He didn't know where it was but he did know that it had a large tub, thus the source of his interest.

"There is nothing more relaxing than a long hot bath. With everything on it. Foam, petals, music… You name it. Perfect for taking away all worries."

"I know you're not an instructor anymore," he said carefully, "but I figured you'd be able to help me out in this one. I don't even know where it is."

Quistis sighed and swept back her long blond hair. She had let it hung loose for a change and the length of it surprised Zell. "Even if I told you exactly where it was," she said, "you'd still need a code to get in. It changes every year and no, I don't have this year's code." She pointed her glasses at him as if to stab him. "And don't go hoping that the instructors will be wanting to give it to you."

Zell bit his lip. Darn, he really needed that code. All their private rooms had were shower cabinets and that wouldn't work. He really needed that notorious tub.

Quistis saw the desperate look on his face and pressed her eyelids closed. "Well, it's on the second floor if you must know," she said but she didn't sound to pleased. Rather pitiful. "Across the bridge, then go left. Third door on your right, you can't miss it. It's the only one that has to be accessed with a code. Now listen here-", she leaned forward as she spoke, as if she was about to tell Zell her deepest and darkest secrets, "-if anyone catches you, I won't come and defend you and I didn't tell you about it."

"Roger," Zell said and smiled widely. "Thanks a lot!"

Quistis shook her head sadly and replaced her glasses. Without giving Zell another look she went back to work.

Zell sniggered and skipped away. Poor Quistis. After almost exiting the cafeteria he stopped dead in his tracks when the tasty scent of hotdogs got its grip on him. One for the road then.

Zell dropped his bag on his desk and then plumped down on his bed. Getting the necessary ingredients for a perfect bath, also handed to him by Rinoa, all he had to do was somehow gain access to the lounge and its fabulous tub. But getting hold of the code was only one thing. Next he had to make sure no instructor would enter while he and Selphie were inside. He'd have to create some distraction that could keep them busy for at least an hour or two. And who had distraction written all over his face?

Seifer roared with laughter. "This is heavenly! The chicken-wuss, asking me for a favour."

"It's not much," Zell said but already his cheeks were growing red and his fists were clenching. He loathed him, he absolutely loathed him. "Besides, you'd like nothing better. I'm sure you'd already planned another great act somewhere this week. All I'm asking you for is advance it."

"And may I ask why?" He was lying on his back on one of the benches in the centre of Balamb Garden and hadn't given Zell as much as a glance.

Zell however didn't feel comfortable with telling him what it was all about. Seifer was completely unpredictable. Give him too much information and this little scheme could turn against him. "None of your business," Zell snapped. "Just keep 'm away from the second floor."

Seifer chuckled. "None of my business, ey? You're asking me for a favour here."

"Come on, Seifer, I'll owe you one."

Seifer looked him up and down then sighed. "Fine then. You'll owe me one." He sat up straight and stretched. "When do you want me and where?"

"Anywhere on the first floor," Zell said. "Around seven PM. If you'd keep them busy until ten or something that'd be great."

"Three hours, come on, chicken, give me a challenge will ya?" He lied back down again and closed his eyes. "Fine. Sevenish it is. I'll gather up some people. We'll have ourselves a lovely time."

Zell was so glad he could scream. He'd never expected it to go so smoothly. Then again, he owed Seifer one. And who knew what that could mean. Now there was only one more problem to go. He'd have to find a way to open that door. Zell scratched his chin and paced up and down his room. If he could just get an instructor to open it see he could get that code…

"No forcing doors open here," Zell muttered. He'd found the door and it looked just like he'd imagined it. Just the regular electric sliding door, only now with a five-digit code. Feeling silly he pressed number one four times. The screen bleeped 'ACCESS DENIED'. "Always worth a shut," he mumbled and looked up when he saw two kids scurrying through the hall, giggling and laughing. Idea.

He stopped the two boys at their collars and lifted them up.

"Hey, lemme go!" the shortest one cried and waved his fists.

"Easy, there," Zell spoke soothingly then lowered his voice. "You kids want to earn some money?"

Zell recognised an instructor leaving the classroom by his uniform. He was a tall but thin man and his hair was neatly combed back. Bingo. "Sir, hey, sir," Zell said and waved.

The instructor turned. "Yes?"

"I just saw two kids down the hall, they were playing with one of the doors."

With an annoyed sigh the instructor hurried through the hall and Zell followed. He smiled when he saw the kids doing exactly as he had told them. Both were sitting on there knees and were trying to look underneath the door of the instructor's lounge. One of them was slipping a paper underneath it. "Hey, you two!"

They jumped to their feet quickly and soared away through the hall.

Zell stayed close to the instructor as he hurried towards the door and pressed the buttons. Zell peeked over his shoulder.

4112.

The door opened and the instructor kneeled down to pick up the little piece of paper. All it had written there was the word 'boo' and Zell had to suppress a snigger. "Lousy kids," the instructor mumbled and crumpled up the piece of paper. The door closed again and Zell turned away, just so the instructor wouldn't see the broad grin across his face. This was going almost too well.

Zell entered Selphie's room at about a quarter to seven. "On your feet girl," he said cheerfully and with a moan Selphie lifted herself out of bed. Zell walked over to the green poster. Still just his five lines. "Zell, I really don't feel like going out." Zell watched her. She stood there unsteadily, dressed in her chocobo PJ's.

"Don't worry, it's not far," Zell said and took Selphie's red coat off the rack and wrapped it around her shoulders. In the meanwhile he pricked up his ears. He just Seifer hadn't forgotten or lied. If he had then he'd just have to take his chances and hope no instructor felt like taking a long hot bath that night.

Zell led her out of the room and down the hall. So far all seemed quiet and peaceful and Zell's hands turned damp. Come on, Seifer. They shuffled along and some people looked surprised at seeing them together. After all, Zell had wrapped one arm around Selphie's shoulders because he was afraid she could collapse any moment. Just when they reached the elevator and pressed the button to go up, they were startled by a ruckus down the hall.

"Come on, wussies, join the party!"

Zell almost sank to his knees with joy when he recognized Seifer's voice.

"What's happening?" Selphie asked.

The elevator doors opened and two instructors came barging out. "Darn it, always that Seifer!" one of them said and off they went. Zell led Selphie into the elevator but she was still trying to see what was going on. When they left the elevator on the second floor they saw that several students had gathered on the bridge and were gazing down. Selphie hurried up to join them. After talking to one of the students for a moment she gasped and turned to Zell.

"He's riding a chocobo!" she said and pointed towards the first floor. "He's taken a chocobo and has chased some of the monsters from the Training Centre!"

Zell peered down and indeed saw Seifer riding a chocobo, whooping loudly and casting spells at a Grat. "Oh shit…"

"Seriously, he is MAD!" Selphie said.

Zell swallowed and pulled her along by her arm. "Come on, Selphie…" Well, it sure would keep those instructors busy for several hours. He pulled her along the hall and stopped in front of the lounge. "Okay, let's see here."

Selphie watched curiously as Zell entered the code and it bleeped before the door swooped open. "I've never been here before."

"Yeah, actually we're not allowed to come here." Zell beckoned towards a large red sofa. "Have a seat, I'll call you right in." She blinked and then saw him heading towards the door.

Zell closed the classic wooden door behind him. "Phew." The lounge itself was nice, but it was nothing compared to the bathroom he was now standing in. It had murals of the island of Balamb and the floor was covered in a colourful mosaic. In every corner hung silky red drapes and right in the centre of the room was a round tub. He clapped his hands and went over to turn on the taps. Hot, steamy water started to pour down into the luxurious tub and Zell pulled out his bag from behind one of the curtains.

He'd gotten everything Rinoa had requested. She had directed him to a shop in Balamb, which he had never heard about but had found after some searching. It had been called 'Bub's and Tub's' and had everything you needed to get the perfect bath. They even sold rose petals in a jar.

"Okay, let's see here," Zell said and pulled the piece of paper from his pocket. "Bubble bath…" He grabbed a large purple bottle, turned of the top and poured down a large amount of aromatic purple liquid into the tub. "Check. Music." He saw his radio standing in a different corner. "Check. Rose petals." He lifted the jar to himself. "Check. Rubber ducky." He squeezed it and giggled. "Check."

After he had arranged everything he opened the door and called Selphie in. By now the room had filled with steam and was drowned in a thick lavender odour. Selphie gasped when she saw the tub. "It's HUGE!" She flung her coat in a corner and without even asking Zell to turn away she stepped out of her clothes and dipped one toe in the hot water. "Oooh, hot hot hot!" Carefully she stepped in and sat down.

By now Zell had turned bright red. He'd never seen any girl naked, except for his mother. And he had definitely not seen this coming. He cleared his throat and tapped the radio with his feet so soft lounge music started playing.

"Wow, Zell, you know what a girl wants…" A huge smile had broadened on her face and she had closed her eyes.

After studying the large amount of foam in the tub he decided it was safe to get closer.

"Oops," Selphie tucked a hand under water and pulled out the rubber duck. She giggled. "You thought of everything!"

Zell kneeled next to the tub. The cheerful Selphie was coming back. He smiled to himself. Hello, free hotdogs.

"Here." Selphie trusted a bottle in his hands and he looked down at it. Shampoo. "Go on," Selphie smiled. "Spoil me."

While Zell rolled up his sleeves she dived under for a moment. He squeezed the shampoo in the palm of his had, rubbed his hands together and gently massaged her head.

"You know, Zell," she said and played with the little duck, "one day you'll make some girl reaaally happy." He smiled.

Queen Luana: That's it for day two. Stay tuned for day three!