WOO! This is a very long chapter, the longest one I've ever written. So be warned, lots of mumbo jumbo going on. Hope this makes up for the two months I was gone, I have a lot of time of from work now, so expect another long chapter soon!.
Cloudy Tifa
Chapter 14 "responsibilities"
Following the incident in the cafeteria. Zack, after being confronted by his cousin Vincent, had to force the motor club to halt production on the school dance. Further instructing the entire group to leave campus. Everyone in attendance had complied, though many awed in disappointment. Mainly. because, the motor club wanted to know the outcome of the catfight and who was going to be punished. many bet it would be Tifa since she had Nicki pinned on the floor and had been wailing hard on her.
The only people allowed to stay after Vincent's arrival were: Cloud, Tifa, Nicki, Jesse, and Zack. Aerith and Ellie left with the rest of the club. Aerith looked visibly upset, and with good reason. She was worried. Worried for Tifa mostly, her close friend of over two years had never ever shown such a violent side to her before, this fight came as a shock to her. Aerith had never even seen Tifa yell at her own stepsister Yuffie! what in the world happened? what did Nicki Do to cause Tifa to snap? Tifa, a girl who had taken her bullying in silence finally retaliated against her abusers despite always taking the highroad.
Aerith, along with her boyfriend Zack, and Tifa's boyfriend Cloud had become increasingly protective of Tifa. Especially after last years bullying that had gotten way out of hand. Aerith knew, that there were still girls at school that were out for blood- girls who wanted to give Tifa a hard time here and there.
The bullying was not as bad as before. Thank goodness. But Aerith had been suspicious of Nicki and Jesse. In fact,Aerith had warned Zack about the two girls and their intentions toward Cloud and their disdain toward Tifa. Jesse had a not-so-secret crush on Cloud. The worst kept open secret in school, as almost everyone in the motor club knew about it.
It was a well-known fact that Jesse had the wrong idea about Cloud, the story had gotten back to Aerith months after, bit last year during the time that Cloud and Tifa had broken up; Cloud had shown up for the Snow Flake festival alone. Well, dragged there actually-by Zack and the gang. Aerith was at the dance with Zack, so she was there to witness the slow dance between Jesse and Cloud. Cloud,who appeared visibly upset that day over the break up with Tifa. Accepted Jesse's invitation to dance-only out of politeness he had insisted to Aerith when she questioned him about it once.
During the festival Jesse had attempted to kiss Cloud. A kiss, which Cloud promptly dodged by turning his head towards the table his friends sat at. Aerith remembered how embarrassed he looked, later after the festival ended. It was Aerith who had comforted Cloud, who cried over his broken relationship. Consoling him had almost brought Aerith to tears in fact because; Cloud felt guilty over just dancing with Jesse, all because he had promised Tifa that he would take her to that very dance. It was hard for him to attend it at all, when all he wanted to do was stay home and wait for Tifa to call him back because he wanted to work things out.
In the meantime, That failed kiss ate at Jesse. So much so that she complained to Nicki, who assured Jesse that he would have kissed her back had it not been for Billy and Johnny hooting and laughing at the pair when they had danced. Aerith knew about this from Ellie, who liked to gossip with the other girls in the motor club. crazy how a simple rejection could get so out of hand. The ridicule, that Nicki blamed the failed kiss on, was nothing more than Wedge spilling punch over his white trousers. Johnny and Billy were hooting, because Wedge had stood up wiggling to dry himself. Aerith remembered, the guys were laughing at Wedge not Cloud. If anything, this Nicki was reinforcing false hope in a girl that would have, and could have moved on from her crush on Cloud, a guy that saw her as no more than a friend.
But that Nicki, she was a volatile girl who cared nothing for Jesse's feelings. Nicki (in Aerith's opinion) was a girl who just wanted to rattle a few cages. Nicki had mentioned a few times how she would like to break up Cloud and Tifa. The golden couple of the motor club- the couple that many, many jealous girls were trying to break apart. Nicki made it known that she wanted Cloud with Jesse.
For that reason alone Aerith disliked Nicki. A rarity for her, Aerith had requested Zack to ban Nicki from the club, as she was not a real member but a guest of Jesse's. Zack, being a fair guy, tried to assure Aerith that he could keep it under control, and that he could not ban Nicki. As it would violate the number one rule of Motor Club, that rule being that the club was to be open to anyone unless they did something openly to disturb the peace. Aerith had thought nicki had done more than enough to gain a ban.
Zack now wished that he had listened to his girl, than maybe this whole fight could have been avoided. But it was too late for that now. Before parting with Aerith, Zack gave his cute green-eyed girl a reassuring hug, and kiss on the lips. Zack smiled his trademark "it's ok" grin and promised to help out Tifa in any way that he could. Perhaps he could talk Vincent into letting the girls off the hook. though he was doubtful because of how rough the fight had gotten.
Aerith, hugged him back, and with that she left campus with a very worried Ellie.
Zack knew he had his work cut out for him. He knew how his cousin Vincent was, Vincent was extremely professional, a real by the book kind of guy. Vincent took his job very seriously as a student teacher as he should. Vincent wanted to become a teacher, and Zack was sure he was not going to have a huge smudge on his record trying to help him out.
Despite this, Zack did his best to keep Cloud and Tifa's spirits up. Luckily, the Dean of students, and the principal had already left for the day. The only members of the Nomura High faculty that remained on campus were security guards, school counselors, and the Principal's secretary. Only three school teachers remained, but they were in the staff room grading papers.
Vincent garnered several puzzled looks from his co-workers. Their eyes asked what was going on. He remained mum, while acquiring a private office at the end of the hall, ushering Zack and his friends to the room. Vincent ordered Zack, Cloud and Tifa. To stand outside in the hall, while he spoke to Nicki and Jesse in private.
Both girls looked Shaken, Nicki more so. She had one a huge bruise on her cheek, but nothing else, surprising, because Zack knew how tough Tifa actually was and the fact that she had gotten a lot of hits in. After Nicki and Jesse were through the door, that closed behind them. Zack and his friends could hear the muffled voices of the two girls, and Vincent. But it was hard to make out exactly what they were saying.
So he did not bother to decipher the conversation, it was a pointless effort, and it would be better to spend the next few minutes speaking to Cloud and Tifa.
Tifa eyes were red and puffy. When Vincent had retrieved her, with Cloud at her side earlier, and she had been in tears. Tears that were drying now after time that past, thankfully. 'poor girl' though Zack the adrenaline must of worn off and the reality of what had just transpired must of hit her. He knew she must have felt guilty.
Zack knew that Tifa was not a violent person, but even he (an expert in reading people) could not explain her actions. He hoped to learn her reasons for fighting Nicki, besides the obvious one, because Tifa had gone through nearly two years of that sort of bullying that she now waved off, Zack did not understand why she would lose it now. Though Tifa had stopped crying, she was still nervous looking, Zack could see this by looking at her scrunched eyebrows.
Which indicated that she feared something. Zack figured that maybe Tifa was afraid of getting detention, or being suspended. She was an honor student after all, that would look bad for her. But after glancing over at his best friend Cloud, The spiky haired Motor Club president believed that it was something much more serious that had her shaking.
Now he was getting nervous.
He had a feeling that there was more to this meeting with Vincent than the fight, and neither Cloud nor Tifa were speaking to him about it. Yet. Zack gulped, he had a feeling that he would find out more than he wanted to know-and soon. Cloud was holding Tifa's right hand in between both of his, securely, Cloud appeared as nervous as his brunette girlfriend.
if not more so.
"Don't worry guys, I'm sure Vincent will go easy on you Tifa." He wasn't a thousand percent on that, but Zack felt it his duty to comfort the pair. In Truth Zack was unsure of his ability to haggle with Vincent. Vincent was one of the few people who could turn him away, without feeling guilt.
"Thanks Zack." Tifa replied quietly, But in a thankful tone.
"Zack…"Cloud spoke up, his tone serious. "Vincent isn't the type who would tell a secret, is he?" Cloud asked suddenly. This caught Zack off guard.
"I'm not sure…Why? Does Vincent know something about you guys?" Zack said suspiciously. He waited for Cloud to go into detail about it, only to see the blond hesitate and look to his girlfriend with a look of guilt on his face. Tifa's eyes dropped and squeezed shut. Cloud in turn put his arm around her, and the two remained silent for the next fifteen minutes after.
The normally cheery Zack dare not say anything to them. Nothing he did at the moment could help them.
Finally, Vincent re-emerged with Nicki and Jesse. Neither of the girls made eye contact with the trio in the hall. Instead, the two girls quietly walked past them and out the front door without further incident. Though Zack did notice that Nicki looked pissed off where Jesse looked fearful. Zack figured he would message Jesse later and see if she was alright. She was still his friend after all, at least he believed she was.
"You three come in." Vincent ordered. The three walked in, single file line, with their heads downcast. Cloud led the chain, while holding Tifa's hand; Zack noticed that Cloud had not let go of Tifa…not once.
After taking their seats in the office. Vincent shut the huge oak door behind them, he then walked around a wooden desk that decorated the center of the office, with various plaque's and pictures. He began to speak.
"No one here is getting punished for what happened today. Though that fight you had in the cafeteria Miss Lockhart, should have earned you an expulsion as our school has a zero violence tolerance." Vincent paused and cleared his throat; Zack's eyes were wide with surprise and relief. A smile even began to form on his face. But after looking at Cloud and Tifa, his smile dropped- why didn't they look as relieved as he was?.
"I'm only a student teacher, I don't really have a say in this matter. I'm supposed to report something like this to my superior, but I'm going to let it slide as I prefer none of the girls lose out on their education. As long as everyone involved keeps quiet and avoids another fight like this one." Vincent spoke firmly "The two girls have agreed to keep quiet about this incident as I have."
Zack had not expected this, in fact he had expected to try and plead with his cousin. Although he was relieved that Tifa was off the hook. He wondered about what Vincent was going to do about the witnesses. At least twenty-five kids had seen Nicki and Tifa fight in the cafeteria. Word of the fight was bound to get out, what would Vincent do about that?
"This is where you come in, Zachary Fair." Vincent turned to Zack who sat up straight in his seat. "You are the club president, I'm sure you are the only one who can revoke memberships to the Motor Club. So there fore your going to call up your friends, and you will tell them to keep quiet about this fight, or you will ban them from the club, if i report to the principal you know he wont hesitate to disband the club altogether. Understood? Take care of this immediately or else."
"Sure. I'll get right on it!" Zack responded light heartily even taking out his phone and texting a message to Billy who he knew would get the word out,even sending it, expecting to be excused soon, he was about to add to his sentence when Vincent Turned to Cloud and Tifa, his facial expression stone cold serious.
"Now you two. how far along are you in this pregnancy?".
Tifa Knew that Vincent was going to ask about the baby. Cloud did too. But Tifa had not expected Vincent to ask about the baby in front of Zack. One of the very people they had not wanted to know about the pregnancy. Suddenly, the past three months of secrecy seemed like a waste. Zack was a good friend, an amazing friend. But he was also a terrible with secrets, whether he knew that he was or not. Zack was going to tell Aerith, Tifa Knew that he would. Zack rarely, ever, kept secrets from his girlfriend. Especially, one, about Aerith's best friends. Zack and Aerith were a very trusting couple, and keeping huge secrets was a big no-no in their relationship.
"Pregnant?…who's pregnant" Zack,who's expression resembled a dear caught in headlights, asked breathlessly. He turned too Tifa and Cloud, looking ever so puzzled as expected.
Tifa turned pale, she felt her lungs heave heavily from angst, prompting her squeeze even harder on Cloud's already reddening hand. Searching her mind for an excuse, a good lie to tell. She came to the realization that they had been caught, and it was time to explain, time to let the cat out of the bag. Looking to her side, Cloud caught her gaze, he too appeared frightened and unsure of what to do. Damn. She had been hoping that he would help out with this, but at the moment, Tifa and Cloud realized exactly what they were now. A pair of frightened high school kids, with a baby on the way, confused, horribly scared little kids with the odds against them. What would they do now?
Tearing away from Cloud's stare, Tifa sat up and let go of his hand. She took a deep breath before looking up at Vincent, who sat with his arms across his chest across from her, the desk in the middle of course. He was observing quietly,and from the look on his face, Tifa Knew that Vincent regretted bringing this up in front of Zack. Vincent must have thought that his cousin knew about the baby, he was Cloud's best friend and confidant, always attached at the hip with Cloud, so of course Vincent would assume that Zack knew.
"Who's pregnant?" Zack reiterated. He appeared to be in a trance, as his voice was low and zombified. Vincent cleared his throat and looked over at Tifa. She nodded, she knew what to do.
"I am Zack. I'm having a baby with Cloud." Tifa answered meekly. "I'm a 11 weeks in" she added quietly bowing her head in silence, slowly placing her hands on her belly as if to shield the baby from whatever came next.
Cloud kept his eyes to the floor, to ashamed to look at is best friend in the eye. Vincent was taken aback by Tifa's revelation; Tifa did not appear as if she were three months along. In fact. She looked far from being pregnant. something that had in fact at first concerned the young mother to be, not gaining weight was a bad thing, so she had heard. But Tifa's worries were put to rest after reading several chapter in several different books. That some women don't show well into their sixth month. With those babies still coming out perfectly healthy.
At first Tifa had thought that she might have been wrong about being pregnant, but four pregnancy tests later, the answer was still the same.
"Your not serious are you?"A very pale face Zack stared at Tifa blankly "She's kidding right Cloud?"
"No…She's having my baby." Cloud tilted his head up at last, and then nodded. "Congratulations, you're an uncle." Cloud's attempt at humor failed to inspire a laugh from the normally cheery Motor Club president.
As a matter of fact. Zack's reaction was a little more comical, funny, because he reacted in a way that Tifa had expected Cloud too, when she had told him about her situation all those months ago.
"Oh…oh…wow…" Zack stuttered, right before he fell back in his chair. His weight caused the wooden office chair to fall backwards, crashing to the floor loudly. Which sent the dark haired young man to somersault backwards on the floor landing with a crash and his face flat on the floor.
"Zack!" Both Cloud and Vincent sprang up from their seats, Vincent was the one who rolled Zack onto his side.
"Oh no!, Zack!" Tifa covered her mouth in shock, as both Vincent and Cloud did their best to revive the fallen MC president.
Zack did no come too for another five minutes, but when he did spring back to life it was with a barrage of questions. Reserving most of his choice words for Cloud, who cowered like a child being yelled at by his father.
"Pregnant! Pregnant! What the hell Cloud! I thought I was your buddy! Why didn't you guy's tell me!" Zack rambled on and on, till Cloud lost his patience and stood up to shout at Zack.
"We wanted to keep it secret! We didn't want anyone to know yet!" Cloud defended himself that is until Vincent decided to step in and break up this little male Catfight. Tifa kept quiet as this happened, by pursing her lips together. Her face was burning red with embarrassment.
"Well Zack, obviously bringing you into this office was a huge mistake." Vincent interrupted "A mistake on my part. So will you two young men please leave the office, so that I may speak to Miss Lockhart in private." Vincent motioned towards the door. At that Cloud looked at him pleadingly. Clearly he did not want to leave Tifa with Vincent.
Since Cloud was the father, he felt that he had a right to stay and defend her. Even if it meant expulsion.
"Go now, or else." Vincent was firm this time, his mood was most foul at the moment, and he was in no mood to argue with Cloud. Cloud froze in his place, and glanced over at Tifa, looking defeated but apologetic. Tifa smiled at him weekly, and nodded at him, her way of telling him that it was okay. She would be fine without him.
Zack was the one who led the way out, Cloud followed him. Zack was mumbling furiously ahead of Cloud, Zack mentioned something about wanting to knock the hell out of Cloud as soon as they were off school property, for withholding such important information from him. Apparently, being the leader of a high school club, enabled Zack the right to know about everything.
Tifa could not help but think that Zack was overreacting just a little bit. Really! One would think that it was Zack who was the expectant father!. Once the two boys had gone from the office. Vincent shut the heavy oak door behind them. Once more, and then turned his attention towards the young brunette.
"I'm Sorry about that." Vincent spoke calmly. "It was not my intention to out you and your boyfriend. I just figured, well since you were all friends, that at least your friends would know about this situation you're in. And I apologize for my actions." He was being sincere, Tifa could sense that much. Still, she could not help but feel angry with him, three months of secrecy, and in just three minutes her cover had been blown.
"We were going to tell Zack eventually…Cloud and I just wanted to wait awhile." Tifa answered honestly, despite the fact that inside her blood was boiling with humiliation.
Vincent was a scary looking man, with his dark hair and pale skin. Those eyes of his were so intimidating and cold.
"Waiting for what? For your stomach to spill out of your uniform?." Vincent wavered "what do your parents have to say about this whole thing?" at that Tifa pursed her lip, and looked down at her worn black school sneakers, and Vincent sighed unapprovingly.
"Your parents don't know yet, do they?" His voice was calm, but his tone judgemental.
"No…they don't even know I have a boyfriend. They think Cloud and I broke up last year. And that we no longer see each other." Tifa admitted. Saying it out loud like that made their relationship sound far too dramatic, she had been sneaking around going on two years soon. A wave of guilt consumed her, believing that maybe she had what was coming to her.
"Why keep your relationship a secret then Miss Lockhart?."
"Because Cloud rides a motorcycle, my parents think he is trouble because of his hobby, but Cloud is a good guy! He really is! He's been looking after me all this time, and he's been so caring…"Tifa stopped there, feeling that this information was unnecessary.
"So why keep it from your parents?, don't you think it's important that they know about what is happening to you?" Vincent questioned.
"Yes…but, we have our reasons." Tifa defended, she kept her tone soft however. "My papa, and my step-mother are good people. But they want me to do something with my life, they expect me to go to an Ivy League college, to have good grades and become successful. If I tell them that I am pregnant, I'm afraid that they might ask me to have an abortion."
Tifa paused then, and Vincent's eyes squinted.
"I'm underage, I think they might have authority over it; I'm not sure. But I know for sure my papa won't have it, he won't allow it. Especially with Cloud being the father and all." She concluded.
"But you have a choice, you don't have to get rid of your baby if you don't want to. You don't even have the right to keep your baby from adoption, you're old enough to make at least that decision. It is your body, and your child were speaking of here." Vincent Countered "I'm sure that if you just talk things over with them, everything will turn out alright."
At that Tifa shook her head. She knew her father, she knew how he was, and Noa would agree with her father no matter what.
"You don't know my parents!." Tifa added wistfully "Don't get me wrong, they honestly do care and want whats best for me,, but they are overprotective! Of me and my sister!" she argued.
"Has your father ever told you that he wouldnt be supportive if something like this ever happened" Vincent questioned
Tifa froze.
At that Tifa recalled the night that her father had gotten off the phone with his own sister, a night that happened not so long ago. Her cousin had gotten pregnant, she was seventeen at the time. Her aunt had tried to talk her cousin into having an abortion, who had decided against it. Choosing to have the baby instead. Tifa's aunt lived in a small town, so everyone knew about it, it had been an embarrassing situation for the family since they were so rich and well known.
Tifa's aunt was a socialite, and such a scandal hit the family hard. Tifa's father had mentioned that if either of his girls ever got pregnant; and shamed him like that, That he would disown them, unless they aborted or put the child up for adoption. Feeling that a baby would just tie his daughters down. And keep them from a great future. Papa had relatively high hopes for Tifa and never feared this happening to her, Tifa dreaded the day she would have to come clean and to see his reaction that day came. She feared that Vincent was going to pick up the phone and call him right now! Oh no! what if he did do just that?!. She wanted to keep her baby, now more than ever, despite how hard her life would be later on. Knowing that her poppa would not support her on her decision to keep it.
"I can understand that he wants to see you and your sister succeed in life, but still there has to be more to it than that…right? Don't you understand the danger you have put yourself in?" asked Vincent, at that Tifa froze "You need medical care, you need to see how the child is developing. He or she could have something wrong with them."
"I know but-…"
"Something could go wrong, you might not be able to even give birth to a child. If you wait till the last minute, your life could be in jeapordy."
"I have my reasons!" Tifa screamed at the top of her lungs. Tifa opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated and stopped short of her next sentence. She was in disbelief, she could not believe that she had just yelled and Vincent Valentine, the harshest of the Student teachers at Nomura High. Vincent, ever the patient man, waited for her to continue.
Even so, Tifa kept silent for a good five minutes. As she could not explain her Father and Noa's behavior, and overprotective natures. She had always just believed that they were being loving, caring people who wanted the best for her and Yuffie… right?. All Mother's and Fathers were like that. Weren't they?.
"I can sit here all day Miss Lockhart, I can if I have too. You'd be surprised how much free time I have." Vincent said staunchly, waiting diligently for a reply. He was very intent on knowing the full story, behind the baby cover up that is, and her parents, but what could Tifa tell him? Besides her father's hopes and dreams for her.
Tifa knew that there was no way out of this, and just decided to give it her best shot.
"My dad, he's just always hoped that I would make something of myself, he comes from a strict and successful family, and he just wants me to be as great as my relatives. He just dreams that one day I'll get an academic scholarship, so that I can get into a good college." She paused "Build a career afterwards, the have a baby. That is my dad's dream, but he doesn't want me having a baby until further down the road, but after I was married to a good successful man."
Wording it in that way. Tifa could not help but stop and wonder, wow, "I've been very much under my papa's thumb". She came to the realization that, she had never even done anything on her own. Had she?. Tifa realized that the dream she had been striving for was no her own…but her fathers. feeling like a broken record she chose to end her explanation there. she was defeated.
Vincent took a moment to process this information, he looked critical, and from the stare he gave her. But whatever disapproving, hateful, words he had on the tip of his tongue; he kept them stored in his head. Where no damage could be inflicted on her psyche.
"I know that all sounds a little strange, but this is the best explanation I can give you." Tifa wavered at this point. She no longer wanted to speak of her parents, good thing Vincent took over.
"Your father sounds a little controlling to me." Vincent was very careful with what he chose to say, seeing a delicate balance on the subject of the Lockhart parents. "Still, you should tell them about the baby, you need to see a doctor and soon." Vincent stopped then, and stood up. And paced around the room for a second; before turning to his desk in the center of the room.
He reached for a piece of paper and scribbled down, what looked like, numbers.
"Are you going to call my parents? Are you going to tell them?" Tifa asked hopelessly, believing that she had lost this battle.
"No, I don't think I'm in a position to do so. After all, I'm only a student teacher, Miss Lockhart." Vincent worded humorously as he put down the pen he was writing with. Tifa felt a wave of relief flow through her, her eyes even lit up. "But you still need to see a doctor." Vincent ripped off a piece of the paper he wrote on, and handed it to Tifa.
"This is a phone number to a clinic in Metro 3. My friend is a doctor, he works and specializes in…special cases. Give him a call. sessions with him are not that expensive." Vincent turn his back towards Tifa, strode towards the door.
"I'm going to call him ahead of time, so he knows about your case. If you don't see him, I will tell your parents. I can't let a student endanger their health, so take care of this and I will stay out of it." He walked out of the office without another word. Stunned. Tifa stood up quickly, glancing down at the paper in her hands. It read:
"Reeve Tuesti."
Tifa grabbed her book bag, which lay on the floor by her chair, and ran after Vincent without thinking, she grabbed Vincent's wrist. Stopping him in his tracks to turn him to face her. Good thing no teachers were around, because this would have looked a little to out of the ordinary for the faculty.
"Why are you helping me? Tifa demanded, Vincent only stared at her, pulling his wrist out her reach and shrugged.
"I have my reasons." Vincent took a few steps away from her, stopping once more when he was three feet away, his back was turned to Tifa. He looked over his shoulder "You should go find Zack and Cloud now. I'm sure Zack isn't handling this to well" and he was gone. At least it was over with.
Tifa stared however, the first time she ever spoken to Vincent, face to face. he had caused trouble for her with Zack. In her mind he should be doing the damage control, but then, he had decided to keep the baby a secret from her parents too. The telephone number was clutched in her left hand, Tifa glanced at it once more and smiled.
He was going to make up for it by sending this Doctor Tuesti, a message to help her and Cloud. That was good. Tifa figured she could forgive Vincent. At least it was only Zack who knew.
Her parents would be a whole different story.
c
"When did this Happen! where did you too even find the time? you snuck out?" Zack demanded an explanation yelling at the top of his lungs which was uncharacteristic of him, good thing he and Cloud were off school property. The two were standing near a bus stop, neither sat on the bench. Cloud and Zack had parked their Fenrir's in the curve of a nearby residential street. Cloud's reason for talking here by the bus stop was in hopes of catching Tifa before she got home. It was their meeting spot most days.
It was only a block or two from the school, and Tifa's house was only a block away. Cloud knew that Tifa took this route too and from school and hoped that he could catch her here. He would have stayed at school to wait for here if it had not been for Zack's out of control banter; he would not let it go, the fact that he was not the first to know about the baby.
"Why wouldnt you even tell me?!" Zack was really heated about this, and it was starting to get on Cloud's nerves! Why couldn't he just let it go?.
"Shut up will you!" Cloud snapped suddenly, annoyed that Zack had been repeating himself for the last few minutes, and with Vincent alone speaking with Tifa in that office, Cloud didn't know if she was being yelled at or what. He was worried; to the point that he was about be sick and now with Zack he was getting a huge headache. honestly not the best thing to have ever.
Thankfully that little outburst proved somewhat effective- calming Zack down somewhat enough for Cloud to get a few more words in.
"Listen, it happened that day after the race in the planes, the one back in July. Back when Aerith was still in Junon, and you, and I; almost got run off the road by those guys. OK!. And before you even ask, it was the only time Tifa and I did it!" Cloud said this through clenched teeth. "Tifa and I haven't told any one! We don't want anyone to know, we haven't even told my mom. Or her dad for obvious reasons! So don't and act that upset cause you weren't in the know!"
Zack stopped in his place and eyed Cloud carefully. Or more in disbelief!
"Still, You could have told me!' Zack brought his hands up, sticking out his thumbs and pointing them at himself. "I would have helped you guys out from the beginning, I wouldn't have said anything to anyone, not the guys, the club, not anyone."
"You would have told Aerith!." Cloud interrupted. "You can't keep a secret from her, we all know you can't!. So you couldn't be trusted." Cloud had a tendency to say things on impulse, this was most likely to happen when he was so agitated. After he had said this to Zack, he instantly regretted it. Zack closed his eyes, and shook his head. He turned around and took a step as if to walk away, Zack quickly turned around and walked towards Cloud, confrontationally.
"I don't tell Aerith everything, I love her. But I keep some things private, especially when it comes to my friends! I don't tell her about their problems. Only about mine, and only things that concern my life. If I worry about her, I will tell her things about her friends, but only if it's important, so don't you stand there and tell me I cant be trusted-especially with your hiding this for 11 weeks!" Zack was calm, but his tone was harsh. Making his words sting all the more.
Cloud had to take a step back from Zack. Who did so as well. Zack brushed the side of his pants and took a seat on the bench. Feet wide apart, with his fingers laced, Zack took a breath, carefully choosing his next words.
"Cloud, if you can't trust me, than who can you trust?" Zack added sincerely. Leaning back against the bench. Cloud continued to stand by the bench, he kicked the sidewalk with his sneakers making a nasty scratching sound. Unsure of what to say Cloud shoved his hands in his pant pockets nervously. Something he did when he knew he had really messed up. Cloud felt bad now, for insulting Zack like that it had not been his intention. It made him look extremely ungrateful, when he honestly thought of him like a brother.
Zack, who had welcomed him that day when he transferred to Nomura. Course Zack knew him from that magazine cover, after he had won at Gold Saucer, still he made an effort to befriend him- when no one else would. Zack who had introduced him to the rallies, the club, and most importantly Tifa. He still remembered how Zack practically pushed Tifa in front of him, who knew, perhaps if it were not for Zack. Cloud would not even have known Tifa.
Yeah, Zack had done so much for him. And here he was calling him a crappy friend and a gossipy bitch practically.
"I'm sorry." Cloud sighed "I didn't mean it like that…" he began to explain, which he was no good at doing. Zack; being the cool guy that he was, threw his hands up and waved them about. Zack's way of saying "let it go, it's all good." That he didn't need to hear a long speech, about how sorry you were. Zack then let his arms fall back down to his sides. The stale air between them thickened
Zack was the one to break the tension, Zack looking relaxed, and in his usual calm, cool, and collected demeanor. Spoke up.
"So it was the only time right?" Zack quoted the anxious blond. "So I'm guessing it was the first time,…right?" Zack guessed. Cloud stood in his place, quiet as usual, his face turned beat red, he had never told anyone about his inexperience with women. That he had been a virgin, even though at the time he was sixteen. A status laughable by their peers since most of the guys in the club were not. Well, Wedge and Billy probably were too.
Cloud never really talked about having sex with anyone, or ever wanted too! that was one thing he was ridiculously shy about. He chose instead to listen to what the other guys had to say about it, how many girls they had been with, which girls they wanted to get with, etc. etc. Not that no one had ever asked him if he had ever done it. Last year, when he joined the club, he had been asked countless of times if had gotten with anyone after the GSSR tournament. Questions he dodged by going back about the tracks. Feeling that he would just get ridiculed for it. But this was Zack, he had never asked about it, until now. With good reasons though.
"Yeah, It was the first time for both of us." Cloud confessed. Expecting some sort of snarky comment from Zack. Only to be surprised by an approving smile.
"I knew Tifa wasn't like that, I knew those rumors were all baseless." Zack said happily, looking down for a second and then back at Cloud. "How was it? Was it memorable?" He added, Cloud at this point, was red from his head to his toes.
"It was good, It was something else." Cloud turned pink but was smiling when thinking about that night with Tifa "She stayed with me at my house." Cloud mumbled shyly. It was a relief to finally tell someone about this somewhat, he had never thought he would be.
"That's the way it should happen, something to always remember." Zack leaned back on the bench smiling. "Aerith and I, waited seven months after we started dating. I was her first, we went to the beach that day and it just happened there." Zack confessed, it now Zack who blushed. Cloud's eyes widened in shock.
"We didn't plan on it or anything!" Zack waved his arms up quickly, " It just happened! Heat of the moment! out there and the beach it was pretty stayed to watch the sunset and then we started kissing, before we knew it, It was dark and no one was there, so... ." Zack chuckled nervously.
Cloud's eyes went wide. Out in the open? Who did that? Aerith of all people!, Cloud could not believe it, but then he really couldn't see Aerith and Zack getting intimate without feeling a little sick. Yikes!
"Who was your first?" Cloud asked suddenly, trying to erase the thought of them on the beach and he prayed it wasn't someone he knew!
"No, it was another girlfriend I had, Cissnei. I told you about her didn't I? she moved before Aerith and I met." Zack said quickly "But enough about sex, when did you guys find out about the baby?"
"About a month after that night." Cloud looked at his friend. "That was why I was all freaked out at the race that weekend. When Aerith came back, that was why Tifa and I had that fight, why I had to apologize to her in such a big way."
"And so it all makes sense now" Zack whistled "You being so overprotective lately, you rushing off to be with her, the extra lunches, your clinginess. It's because this whole time you were trying to make her comfortable."
"Yeah" Cloud said simply "your the only one that knows." Cloud added dreadfully
"You've actually been able to hide it from her dad?" Zack said incredulously, given Mr. Lockharts track record it seemed downright impossible.
"We have, crazy I know-but we don't want them to know until the very last minute" Cloud paused "We figured till we can't hide that she's pregnant anymore, at least that way they cant force her to have an abortion"
Zack nodded.
"But what happens after?" Zack asked softly, his eyebrows furrowed "There's no way her dad will let her keep the baby...knowing him."
Cloud felt his stomach turn upside, neither he nor Tifa had thought that far ahead. Neither wanted too, keeping the baby til term was their only concern. He had rights as the father right? Cloud could claim the baby of course, but than what about Tifa? would he even be able to be with her after this was all over with?
"At this point...we just want to keep it secret." Cloud frowned "please Zack..." he pleaded, and looked down to the side walk, stuffing his hands in his trouser pockets nervously. Zack looked at his friend understandingly, he knew he had struck a nerve. Zack knew it was best to not pursue the future- at least where it concerned Tifa's folks.
"Okay, I'll keep it secret, I won't tell anyone, not even Aerith." Zack assured "but still keeping a pregnancy a secret, that's got to be crazy stressful. You need to be more discreet about it too Cloud. You following her around all the time isn't making it easy for her, it makes girls want to give her a hard time."
Cloud stopped, and processed that. The bullying, that was bad, but cloud had thought it had died down, until today. maybe he had taken it a little too far, but he was only trying to be a good boyfriend.
"Maybe your right" Cloud agreed. But he wanted to be around Tifa to make sure that she was okay. But hearing it from Zack broke it made much more sense for him, Zack was a big people person-he picked up social cues better than Cloud ever could.
"Cloud! Zack!" The two friends heard a familiar voice call out to them, the two boys stood up immediately looking in the directions of where her voice came from.
It was then that Tifa came running towards them. Cloud looked at her with a mixture of worry and fear on his face, but Tifa's was the opposite. she looked so happy. Her skin radiated with a faint glow. He saw that she had a card in her hands.
he wondered what it was. Whatever it was, from her attitude, Cloud was sure that it was going to help them, and that there secret was still safe.
For now.
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YAY! I finally finished it took awhile but I finished. But bad knews everyone. I'm using my relatives lap top, and not my pc. Because…it crashed. NOOO! And it had all my cloudy tifa chapters. But not to worry I rerwrote everything and I have more time to write down chapters in my notebook for when my pc is fixed. So you can all expect an update soon. Promise!.
Unfortunately my time is limited with this computer, I have someone looking over my shoulder and its grating my vibe. I really want to write responses to all of you, but I'm afraid that I have to wait till the next chapter. And I know that going to be a lot, the last one got over twenty reviews! That's the most I've ever gotten for one chapter!.
So really I have to thank you guys for everything, for the support, the encouragement, if it wasn't for you guys I would have let this story die ten chapters ago. But for you guys Cloudy tifa will go on.
Please forgive me for taking so long, and for waiting to respond to you.
I hope this chapter makes up for the time lost. Its almost fifteen pages long!.
LOVEYOU GUYS so much!
Love
Rina.