This chapter is back to Tifa's point of view. Sorry if it's too confusing.
I knew it would come sooner or later. This was the time to feel pain and regret. Aeris' mother was already trying to get rid of me. She's suspecting. I began to worry. Pesturing thoughts ran through my mind as I walked in the door. I began to feel guilt and anxiety. Had I ruined everything between us already? The last thing I wanted was for her mom to hate me after all the years we'd been friends. My mom sat at the table reading, looking stressed as always. Being a mother, she was able to tell that something was wrong with me. And me, being the "normal" teenager I was, denied anything was wrong when deep down I knew that my world was slowly crumbling.
"You can't keep everything from me, Tifa. You and I both know there's something wrong..." I had to give in. If I didn't, she was never going to stop bothering me about it. And I'd rather get it out now than have to keep thinking and talking about it.
"Aeris' mom is trying to keep her away from me. She thinks I'm a bad influence on her.."
"Did her mom say that?"
"I don't know...but I can kind of determine that since she's so willing to shut me out..."
"Well, I can't change what her mother thinks. But I'm not saying it's okay for her to stop your friendship...Tifa...how good of friends are you?"
My eyes shot up instantly to meet hers and just as quickly looked away in embarassment. I felt my cheeks burning red and the thoughts kept pouring in my head and wouldn't get out. How did she know? How long had she suspected? Does she hate me for it? Will she do the same thing Aeris' mom is doing? I had no clue what was going to happen but I was hoping for the best.
"Tifa...I know you think I'll hate you for this. How do you think I felt when I found out about your brother?"
"I didn't think you knew..."
"Well, I'm not blind to what's been going on. I see the way you are around her. The only person you were ever that affectionate with was your father and I know you really loved him..."
"Keep him out of this!" I snapped angrily.
"I'm not angry with you...I've known for a while. You show your feelings for her quite openly, Tif..."
"I can't help it. I love her. I'm in love with her."
"I know you are..."
Tears welled up in my eyes. I was overwhelmed by her more than accepting reaction. And even more overwhelmed by the thought of how Aeris' mom would take it. The last thing I wanted was for her to disown her own daughter. I sank down to the floor and cried. I was in love. I didn't know what to do about the fact that her mom hated it. She didn't even know yet and she hated me. My mom sat next to me on the floor and held me in her arms. At that moment, I actually felt like I had a mother.
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I awoke in the morning on the couch to find my mom sitting at the coffee table reading again.
"Just in time. Get ready for school."
I felt like a wreck. My hair was a mess and all I remembered from the previous night was crying a lot. I threw the small cover off my body and ran upstairs to get ready. For the first time in a while, I was nervous to see her at school today. I didn't want to make a complete fool of myself. And the last thing I wanted was to be hurt more than I already was. I didn't know about how she would feel. Would she be sorry for her mother's foolishness? Or would she feel like she'd betrayed her mom and get new friends? I scared myself thinking about it. I wanted to be her friend. Her close friend. No one else. With the exception of Cloud, Zack and Yuffie. I wanted to be her number one. And that was slowly being taken away from me. The more I tried not to think of it, the harder it got not to.
I went downstairs after I was done getting ready and quickly hugged my mom before running out the door. I nearly tripped over my own feet, fumbling with my car keys in a rush until I finally managed to climb in the car un-injured and drive away to hell. School, that is. A light drizzle began to fall from the sky and it was still somewhat dark out. The clouds overhead parted and were many varieties of pink, yellow and orange. I stopped admiring the atmosphere to avoid a fiery crash and kept driving. I rebelliously passed the school buses and turned into the entrance of the school. Doing my best to avoid the students that were standing in the way, I parked the car and got out.
"Well, if it isn't the school's biggest dyke..." I turned around to see that stupid blonde bitch who just happened to be in all of my classes.
"Oh, and here, ladies and gentlemen, is the school's biggest cock sucking slut, Leblanc!" I replied. Her mouth hung open in shock of my answer to her insult. I wasn't taking shit from her. I didn't have to. I grinned sarcastically and walked into the school. The first thing I'd do would be to look for Aeris.
"Tifa!!" she shouted, running to me from her locker and leaping into my arms. I stumbled back, surprised by her enthusiastic greeting.
"I miss you!! A few days without you has seemed like years for me!" she said again. I smiled weakly.
"It's good to hear you say that...I thought you didn't care.."
"Tifa...of course I care!" she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly to which I returned the embrace. I wasn't lying, I really needed to hear her say that.
"Tifa..come over tonight.."
"What? What about your m--"
"She's not gonna be home!"
"Listen, I don't want you to get in any more trouble than you're in.."
"Tifaaaaaaa" she whined. "This could be our only chance in a long time to be alone..."
"You're sure she's not gonna be there? Don't you feel bad about sneaking?"
"I'd do anything to be with you." she answered. I couldn't reject that...but I still felt bad. I didn't want to get her in trouble.
"It's not that I don't want to, you know that...But I think that if we want to avoid you getting in trouble...we need to wait a little more..." I replied. She backed away from my hug and looked at me like she didn't understand what I'd said.
"Aeris..."
"I just...thought you'd wanna be with me.." with those words, she walked off.
"I do, Aeris! I just don't want you to get in more trouble than you're in!"
"Save it!" she yelled down the hall. I didn't know how to react to that. That was the first time she'd been upset with me. This short encounter with her left me upset the rest of the day and it didn't help that she didn't want to talk to me, either. I found it weird that a little argument left me so upset but it did. I felt horrible. The last thing I wanted was for her to think that I didnt want her. I do. She's my everything. But it's not worth the risk of her mom finding out and us never being able to be together at all. I hoped she'd apologize after taking that into consideration.
I was walking out to the parking lot, finally able to get out of hell for the day when I saw Aeris give Cloud an enthusiastic hug. I wondered. Was she forgetting about me? Suddenly, she looked over her shoulder at me and started coming over. I looked away and opened my car door, fumbling with my keys until she got there.
"Hey..."
"Hey, uh..lookin' rather cozy with Cloud over there..."
"Tifa...I'm sorry I didn't listen to you today...I was wrong..." I nodded in agreement.
"And...I was selfish for not understanding that you didn't want to jeapordize our relationship...I was too blind to see that..." I nodded again. "Is that all you're gonna do? Nod?" she continued. There was a long pause before I spoke.
"I didn't want you to think I didn't want you...because you are the one I want..." She smiled, caressed my face with her hand and leaned in, kissing me. It got unusually quiet around us but I didn't care. I smiled back and took her hand.
"I'm sorry. I don't want to have an argument ever again..."
"Me either..today was hard..." she nodded. "You're forgiven," I continued to which she smiled. I turned and hopped in the driver's seat.
"Get in."
She threw her bookbag in the backseat and jumped in. I was more than happy that we had come to an understanding about our little argument. It made me feel a whole lot better. The whole way to her house, she held my hand.
It was drizzling lightly by the time we reached her house.
"You better get inside," I said to her.
"Thanks for the ride," she said smiling.
"No problem" I smiled back and kissed her goodbye.
That doesn't mean I wanted to say goodbye. But for now, I had to...
