Sahrah: This chapter is dedicated to MATT because he said he needed a good fanfic to read, which made me happy, and he's a guy, which is rare for highschool fics, so I was even happier. Thanks, dude! I don't really know what to say about the chapter… it's a filler… but it's good! I promise! Don't eat me!

Editor: Don't freaking tell them! Agh.

Sahrah: Well they knew it was coming. And so did you, bitch. (Why am I so cruel to my wonderful Editor?) Anywho, it seems as though your Authoress has finally remembered that she has other characters and their problems to address. I believe this chapter will deal with… let's see… Raine, because I've neglected my cute little OC (she seems immature, and it's because she's based on me when I've been eating sugar), and of course Squall, because I let that subject die regardless of the fact that it was stated… I don't own "Chasing Cars" or any character except Raine and the chick behind the Starbucks counter. Raine's point of view.

Chapter 5: Making Faces in the Mirror

Okay, so, there's lots of drama with this bunch of people. This kind of thing didn't even happen in high school, and in the snowy school of Gagazet Highschool West, there was plenty of drama. Like, for instance, one time I liked this guy, but he liked my other friend, and she liked him, so I gave up on that and pushed them together instead, and it worked. Also, my other friends had all kinds of issues that were both dramatic and kind of fun to watch. I've seen plenty of movies, but I didn't honestly believe how dramatic highschool was until I got there.

Now, here's college. I'm like 'yay, no more overactive dramatics!' But noooooo. So much drama it's insane. My one friend has a crazy stalker who murders her teacher to give her a message in the dead guy's blood and then the same stalker beats the crap out of her boyfriend, and then he (the boyfriend, not the stalker) gets a concussion, then he can't remember anything since their senior year of highschool.

Oh boy. When does the real world start?

All these things I was pondering to myself as I strolled down the hallway on Sunday afternoon. For spring break, I had been abandoned (everyone else went home for the week, and the trip for me to go home was just too far) so I was stuck at the ol' college, bored like a crazy person. And they'd only left that morning, too.

'Kay, so, I'm there, but there's nothing to do, since there's only a few people still on campus. I opened the door to the courtyard, when I looked at the bench and saw Squall walking to it.

I waved weakly at him. I'm not normally shy, especially not when I like a guy, but with him I was lost for words. Squall Leonhart. Hehe.

He nodded and went towards the bench

"Can I sit here?" I asked.

Squall glanced over at me and nodded, then sat down on the bench with his sketchbook open. He pulled out a pencil (specially made for drawing, very fancy).

Curiously, I shuffled over to gaze down over his shoulder.

His picture was fantastic.

It was a scene drawn from his dorm room facing the courtyard. It was from a month ago, when it had snowed at night, and the dorm lights had illuminated the sparkling wonderland in different shades of color. I looked at the picture closer, and I gasped.

That night, I had gone out to play in the snow. I had wanted to build a snowman, and Rikku was going to help, but she ended up not because she had auditions. So I had gone out to build a man of snow by myself.

And there in the sketch, in the courtyard near the cherry blossom tree, was a silhouette of a small person with a hat and a scarf. The person also had a mitten on one hand, and an actual glove on the other.

And as far as I remember, I'm the only person who does that.

Squall smirked and chuckled to himself, waking me out of my trance. "Don't you know it's rude to look over someone's shoulder like that?" he asked.

"S-sorry… but wow, that's so good!"

"Thanks," Squall said. "Is that you in the sketch?"

"Shouldn't you know? It's your own work."

"I don't know half of the people I draw. I just draw them. You were there in the scene, and it looked funny without that person. A less endearing picture. Kind of empty."

I blushed. "Th-thanks, I guess."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"Well, thank you just the same."

He glanced up with a frown. "Hey, do you have a watch?"

I looked at the red numbers on my digital watch. "It's 1:27."

He stood up, making me feel very tiny very quickly. I'm not very tall (I'm only five feet and two inches) and Squall is (I later found out) 5'8".

"You're tall," I complained.

"You're short," he replied. Then, Squall started to walk away.

"H-hey, where're you going!?" I cried.

"To grab some coffee."

"Can I come? I want coffee."

For the record, I don't drink coffee.

"I don't date freshman."

I kind of exploded… just a little bit.

"Okay, wow. Did you just say that? I heard that all through highschool. If you're going to act like that, then just head on back to senior year. And who called it a date, huh? I'm DEFINITELY coming now, you jerk."

Squall groaned, stuffed his sketchbook into his bag, and walked away. I ran after him. I mean, come on, opportunities like this don't just happen every day.

"So what's your goal? Your major?" I asked, almost jogging to keep up with his long stride.

"Art. I like art."

"What kind of art? I like graphic art myself. You know, computer, video games, that stuff."

"Painting, drawing, sketching."

"So you're going to be an artist? Neat."

"I'll be an artist if I ever get the opportunity." And then the conversation was over. He didn't tell me to leave, so it didn't matter. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke.

"And what about you? What career are you aiming for?"

"I'm studying to be a veterinarian," I told him.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. So, um, how're we getting to town?"

"Well I'M driving in my car," he said as he steered towards a sleek black '07 Corvette with its top down. I ran over to the passenger seat and hopped in. He scowled.

"Outta the car!" Squall exclaimed.

"But I don't wanna!" I pretended to whine, and for a minute he just stared at me, part of him pissed off, part of him surprised, and the rest of him not caring because he really just wanted coffee.

"Fine, but you'd better not talk too much," he groaned as he popped the trunk and threw his bag into the back. The car purred to life and the radio started blasting Snow Patrol into the parking garage.

"I love this song!" I grinned, singing the parts I knew and humming the parts I didn't all the way into the heart of Zanarkand City.

We'll do it all
Everything
On our own

"Welcome to Starbucks, can I help you?" said the peppy highschool blonde behind the counter. She said it to both of us, but she quite obviously directed it towards Squall, who was of course not paying much attention.

We don't need
Anything
Or anyone

"A grande brewed coffee."

"Decaf?"

"If I wanted decaf, I would have said so."

"Right, um… cream? Sugar?"

"No," Squall said with a monotone voice.

I snorted. What boring coffee. However, he just laughed at me.

If I lay here

"This is YOURS, Raine," he said. "Now, I want—"

"HEY!" I laughed, pushing him away from the counter playfully, leaving the girl looking kind of confused. "Ignore him, that's not what either of us want to drink. I'll have a strawberry banana Frappuchino crème… um… Grande size, please!"

The girl behind the counter nodded, pleased to have a less angry order to put in, typing quickly.

If I just lay here

Squall ordered some kind of vanilla latte thing and we sat down, me still laughing, and him having an odd little half-smile on his face.

"Don't do that again!" I managed to get out between peals of laughter.

"Who said I'd even have the chance?" he countered.

"Me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. So… are you stuck here over break, too?" I cocked my head to the side and took a drink from the sugary liquid.

"Mmhmm. I'm from Besaid, so it's a long trek just for one week of annoying family members. And you?"

"Mount Gagazet! The skiing and snowboarding up there is the tops!"

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

"Literally, I'm sure," Squall commented.

"Yeah, the school is halfway up the mountain; our town is a quarter way down, so we'd have to snowboard to and from school."

He graced me with a rare smile. "That sounds pretty cool."

"Oh my Yevon, yes it was! I'm a boarder myself, but most of my friends went skiing."

"Wasn't it hard to have your backpack with the board?"

I laughed. "Well, we had a system where everything we needed was at school, and homework was submitted over the computer. It was SO FRIGGIN' AWESOME."

Squall and I sat and talked for like two hours. Before I knew it, it was 5:00, and the gates to the college would be closed, and we would be stuck until 6:30 the next morning. So, we hopped into the car and drove off towards the University.

I don't quite know

How to say
How I feel

The next day, I woke up around twelve, and hung around until 1 in my room. But, it was a totally nice day outside, so I got dressed and walked outside to the courtyard. So imagine my surprise when Squall's by the outside door.

"Whatcha doin'?" I asked curiously.

"Waiting for you, you lazy moron," he retorted.

"Hey, no need to be mean! Sheesh. Why are you waiting for me?"

"Well you said yesterday not to order your coffee for you next time, so I figure I'd better bring you along."

I blinked. Part of me was all like 'Dude it's like a date' and wanted to spaz like a crazy person, but of course, being the coughmaturecough college student I am, it felt like a better idea to just nod

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

That's how the next week was spent; with Squall at the Starbucks. He's really an interesting person; his dad wasn't too happy about the artist thing, his mom was all for it, and the two parents were divorced. His dad had remarried and had another son who is Squall's polar opposite, so he's happy in the end. Anyway, it was Sunday again, and everyone was coming back the next day.

I looked all over the school for Squall, but I couldn't find him. It was pretty rude to ditch me. Then again, it wasn't as though we really planned coffee, but still! Come on!

If I lay here

If I just lay here

With a defeated sigh, I marched back up to my apartment. My feelings were hurt, and I felt a little stupid. But when I reached for the door, I noticed an envelope taped to the handle.

It was the picture of me in the snow, now completed, with color. With a blush creeping up my face, I pulled the rest of the envelope off the door. There was a blue sticky note behind it. It had Squall's crappy handwriting, and it said, "to my muse."

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

"What's a muse?" I wondered out loud.

"It means inspiration," supplied a grumpy voice from behind me.

"S-Squall? What's this then?"

"I finished the picture," he said, retaining his poker face. No one would ever beat him at cards, that's for sure.

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

"I see that, but what's with the sticky?"

"It's there because it's true." Squall stepped forward. I took half a step back.

"Umm… can I… keep this picture?"

"You have to pay for it." I stared at him incredulously.

"Damned 'starving' artists," I grumbled. "How much would you even charge for this one?"

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

"Let me think," he muttered as he took another step towards me. What the heck was he doing? Another step.

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

"I'll bargain with you, hmm? How about ten bucks?"

"It's worth more than that." He was standing pretty damned close to me at this point. Personal space anyone?

"It's just a sketch. I'll pay like fifteen at the most, quite honestly. I'm a starving college student too, ya know."

"And what if I didn't want any money?"

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

"What, you want my watch or something? Name your price, Squall."

He looked at me, then at the picture, then at me again. For a moment he looked like he was about to say something, but his eyes looked scared for half a second and he closed his mouth again.

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

"Say it, or I'm taking the sketch and leaving."

He gave me a funny look somewhere between sneaky and embarrassed. Possibly both.

"Can I whisper it?"

"What are you, four years old?" I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Whisper it."

He leaned down (damn his tallness) and said something I couldn't hear. I asked him to repeat it, but he didn't say it any louder, and I shook my head.

"Louder," I commanded.

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

He glared at me with his icy blue eyes. "Fine," he hissed.

And then he kissed me.

At first, I didn't even realize what was happening, because it was like an 'ohmyYevon' kind of moment, but then I pulled my head away in shock. It wasn't like I didn't totally want to kiss him, 'cuz I totally did, but I did not see that one coming.

"Too expensive?" He said it very quietly. Was he… embarrassed? Did I hurt his feelings or something? I took a moment to collect myself, then leaned towards him.

"Too cheap."

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

Squall's eyes met mine. I frowned.

"Lean down, you dolt," I exclaimed. "You're way too tall."

He graced me with a smile. "You're way too short."

Squall kissed me again, and quite possibly the entire world stopped moving, not like I cared.

If I lay here

"Wanna go grab some coffee?" Squall stepped back and asked casually.

"It's dinnertime," I pointed out.

"Dinner, then?"

"Sure. But, not like it's a date."

He looked hurt.

I smirked at him, "Sorry, I don't date juniors."

If I just lay here

He gave me a half-smile. "Well I don't date freshman."

"So then what do we do?"

"I suppose there's an exception for every rule, isn't there?"

I linked my arm with his. "And no one said it was a date."

"Maybe I did," he said.

"Well then that would make it… dating, wouldn't it?"

"I guess I can make an exception."

I grinned. "Me, too." Sadly, though, the date was cut short. Just my luck. Everyone got back earlier than expected. Wouldn't Rikku be surprised?

Sahrah: Eww, it's so incredibly Mary-Sue.

Editor: Then why the hell did you bother?

Sahrah: Well, I felt bad, because Raine was a total monkey-slave on Valentine's Day, and I wanted to make it up to her. I mean, come on, she babysat overnight and set up the candles so that Tidus could get laid.

Editor: Can't argue with that logic. The chapter's title is completely irrelevant to the chapter though.

Sahrah: Making faces at herself in the mirror is totally something Raine would do, don't you think?

Editor: I'm still sort of writhing in pain from the Mary-sue-ness of this character to think about her personality.

Sahrah: By the way, I'm doing a cameo later on; Raine's little sister is named Sahrah.

Editor: I hate you sometimes and in unspeakable ways.

Sahrah: Aww. (If anyone thinks I should totally not do a cameo, just give me the heads up, 'cuz if it's way to MS, then I won't bother. R&R!) See you next month!