Squall's POV

That last lesson was most uncomfortable. I'd felt like I was under the spotlight whenever Cloud was talking to me. No doubt it was due to the two sets of eyes on the back of my head… It certainly gave me the creeps alright. After all, nothing more could be expected of someone who's main ambition was to be invisible at school.

I knew that it wasn't Cloud's fault per se though some small part of me couldn't help blaming him which made me feel like absolute crap. The logical part of my brain was trying to tell me that they were paying attention to him and not me, as well as reassuring me that his interest was only to help the new kids and not in them personally. Though despite what brilliant theory my head was telling me, it wasn't working too well.

What was I feeling? I don't know – you tell me then at least someone may know!

Could I have possibly been feeling jealousy? Geez, you think? I'll give you a hint YS: fill in the blanks.

Why? He's one of the only people you trust and you're too afraid of losing him to someone else if someone better were to come along.

These thoughts made me ill. It was times like this that my rather self-destructive tendencies were truly apparent, confusion caused by too many mixed emotions; those were the times when I wanted out. I could see that Selphie was looking at me worriedly; she spoke to me though I was beyond comprehending it. My eyes were glazing over, I was losing focus behind a haze I recognised to be tears welling up and threatening to spill.

I felt a small hand grip my arm with almost vice like power, I vaguely registered that Selphie was dragging me away, calling an apology to Mr Barrett. I knew I was creating a scene though my head was too torn up to care. Soon, I felt another larger hand wrap around my other arm and saw a blonde blur; it was Cloud standing next to me. He was taking me somewhere where we could talk. "Selphie, I'll handle this – Can you tell Mr Barrett what's up, He'll understand!" his voice was commanding. I don't know if Selphie nodded, but she let go of my arm.

"Come this way" Cloud's gentle voice was urging me forward. My legs began buckling under the strain of walking, indeed I was being dragged somewhere. Along the way, my stomach kept clenching violently. I recognised where Cloud had taken me - to Garden. He let go his hold on me, the only support I had, and I immediately collapsed onto my knees. Before I knew it, my stomach was erupting; I felt the familiar sting of bile in my throat as I threw up. He knelt beside me, lightly stroking my back. The only thing that could calm me down when I got like this; and he was the only one who could do it.

He waited patiently beside me as I retched violently. I felt horribly embarrassed for being this pitiably weak. He and Selphie were the only ones who had ever seen me this way and I hated that even they had seen it. They both genuinely wished the best for me which was precisely why I cared for them so much. Hell, it was the two of them and my mother that had kept me from seriously killing myself. Even though they'd be there for me no matter what, they'd share my pain… I could never burden them with my issues.

I'll be the first to admit it (though never out loud), I am possessive. Cloud was one of my three anchors to sanity and I could never bear the thought of losing him to someone else. Stupid I know, but since when did human emotions make much sense to begin with. I've known for years that he'd never just abandon me like that, we were far too close to each other for one of us to decide to cut the other out of their life, though my fears would never quite abate.

I didn't realise that I had stopped. Occasionally I would dry reach though I knew I'd be ok from this point. I still hadn't shifted from crouching on all fours and I noticed that Cloud hadn't moved from his kneeling position to my left either. I raised my head slowly to look at him, feeling the cool breeze on my face as I did so.

His eyes were saddened, downcast, a sight which did nothing to alleviate my sense of guilt or embarrassment. Before I could say anything to explain myself (he and Selphie were the ONLY two people at school I'd ever felt the need to explain myself to) he had wrapped me in a tight hug.

I could hear his heart beating in his chest and I felt the warmth permeate my body in a way that sunshine could never have managed. I felt tears streaking down my face though I fought back the urge to let them flow freely. I heard his voice in the hollow of his chest, reverberating, speaking words of comfort.

I thought one thing then: Thank the Gods it was going to rain.