To all readers: Wow! It's so great that so many people are actually reading this! We figured that since it wasn't with original pairings not many people would try it out. Thanks everyone! ^_^
A **SQUALPHIE** Fan: What language do you speak? That is so neat that you would read something in a different language! I'm taking Spanish in school, and Bree is taking French, we couldn't imagine reading an entire story in either language!
Banshee Puppet: Thanks for the compliment on Sae and Arisu! We were afraid that since they were made up characters and not a part of the original team that they would be disliked.
XxMazLeonhartxX: We agree that the "Squinoa" fics are very cliché. That's the reason we don't write romances with them. -_- They just get old after awhile.
A/N: Again, thanks everyone for reading this! We are so sorry that we are so slow at updating, but you have to realize that the new school year has begun and we have to get into the habit of writing AND doing homework. (Not to mention I've been getting grounded a LOT –Anna). So, please bear with us! The fourth chapter is in the works as I type this up! And for those of you who are waiting for "Swapping Souls" to be updated….we are terribly sorry for the delay. We're working on that one too. As a matter of fact we have the entire chapter planned out, it's just a matter of writing it.
Taming the Lion: Chapter 3
About ten minutes came and went. A bell sounded and the class stampeded through the door. Rinoa still sat on the ground, waiting for Quistis to exit as well. When the instructor did not show, Rinoa walked into the classroom. Quistis sat at her desk, obviously grading papers.
The raven-haired girl plopped down into a chair in front of the desk, feeling much like a student who was getting ready to be punished. Sighing, the blond instructor pulled off her glasses, rubbed the bridge of her nose, and put them back on.
"Alright, let's talk," Quistis said as she leaned back in her chair.
"Well…" Rinoa started, then fell silent. The two stared at each other and Rinoa knew that Quistis was not happy with her, at all. She started again, trying to sound confident, "Does he?"
The SeeD instructor tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "Look Rin, I'm just as clueless as you are. But haven't you given this any thought at all?"
"Of course I have!"
"Then what do you think Squall would do? Huh? Zell is his best friend!"
At this, the younger girl blushed. She hadn't really given it that much thought…. "Quisty, I really need support. I'm not sure what to think…"
Quistis pursed her lips and stared down at Rinoa. "Sorry, but you don't have my support." With that she slammed her hands down on the desk, pushed herself up and walked out of the classroom.
Rinoa still sat in her seat feeling speechless. Never did the thought of ruining Zell's and Squall's friendship cross her mind.
Why is she so upset? I was just being honest. Rinoa thought bitterly. Rolling her eyes, she got up and exited the room as well.
Feeling both grumpy and confused, she trudged down the hallway. Normally in situations like this she would talk to Squall, but right now that thought didn't seem to be appealing. Besides, she didn't want to bother him while he was sick.
Selphie was good to talk to, but she transferred overnight without telling anyone. Though she didn't leave any notes, everyone knew the reason. It was Irvine.
Still feeling very crummy, Rinoa kicked a trashcan as she passed it.
"Whoa! What did the trashcan ever do to you?" someone said from behind. The voice was extremely familiar and made her heart skip a beat.
"Zell?" she breathed, clutching her chest. Turning around she sat the blond martial artist smiling brightly at her.
"The one and only!"
For a split second Rinoa could have hit him for causing her so much confusion, but decided against it. It got eerily silent between the two. The question began to eat at Rinoa, and before long she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Zell, I've got a question…"
"It isn't rhetorical is it?" he asked, still smiling.
"No."
"Good! I hate those!" he winked. "So, what do you want to ask me?"
"Do you, err…like me?"
Zell turned a pale shade of green for a split second and felt his heart leap into his throat. He decided it was best to answer this question sarcastically, "No Rin. I hate you." Maybe this way she would drop the subject early….
"I'm serious!"
Oh Hyne, Squall's gonna kill me. Zell could feel himself start to blush, so he quickly put his hand over his face to try and cover it.
"Well? Do you?" she urged.
"Uh…" he pulled his hand down, though he could feel his face getting redder by the second. "Yes…" he finally admitted. "I always have…"
Both stood there, not sure of what to say. It was Rinoa who broke the silence. "You know…I'm not sure what to think right now," she said as she nervously fiddled with the rings on her necklace. His ring.
Zell opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but Rinoa had already run off.
"Gah! I've just screwed everything up!" he yelled, mentally slapping himself.
* * *
"Hey, Selphie…" Squall said as he stood up. "I'm going to take a shower. Sae and Arisu are on their way to discuss what they found out while talking to Cid. I think I'll be out before they arrive though…"
"Alright," Selphie mumbled. As much as she wanted to get up and walk around she was restricted to his dormitory. So, her only real entertainment was to bug Squall occasionally.
Beaming, she picked up the remote control and turned the television on. She flipped through the channels until landing on what she was looking for. She turned the volume all the way up so that the 'Sesame Street' theme blared.
"Turn that crap down!" Squall yelled from within his bathroom. Restraining from laughing, she started her search for something to watch. Finally, she landed on a game show and watched boringly as Stacy from Winhill won five thousand gil.
During her sick time, Selphie had come to the conclusion that there was nothing to watch during the day! According to Squall it was because hardly anyone is ever home during the day, but she thought the television stations were just 'inconsiderate of the ill'.
"I'm going to write a complaint letter," she muttered to herself as she turned off the TV. She threw the blankets off and began to look for something to write with when someone knocked on the door.
"It's them, get the door Selph…" came Squall's muffled voice.
Abandoning her mission to find paper, she walked to the door. It had been about two days since she had seen Sae and Arisu, so she was very eager to talk. Without bothering to look through the peephole, she threw the door open. Who she found was neither Sae or Arisu, but Rinoa.
For forever the two stood there, mouths agape, not sure of what to say. Rinoa's brown eyes scanned Selphie, taking everything in. She looked disheveled and exhausted. Her chestnut hair was all over the place and she was wearing Squall's clothes. A look of disgust swept over Rinoa's face, but still both seemed to have lost their voice.
Selphie was the first to recover, "R-R-Rinny!" she stammered. From within the bathroom came the unmistakable sound of a shampoo bottle hitting the floor. The running water was turned off and Selphie listened as Squall desperately scrambled around.
Seconds later the bathroom door swung open and there he stood. His brown hair was wet and sticking to his face and droplets pf water were running down his bare chest and legs. He had a towel wrapped around his waist that he held together with one hand in the back. Panting, he managed to make out an uneasy, "Rinoa! W-What're you doing here?"
Rinoa still stood in the doorway looking infuriated. Selphie put her hand to her mouth, backed up and sat on the bed looking horrorstruck. The sick girl began to shake violently, then got sick on his rug. For once, Squall ignored her as she ran into the bathroom. His eyes were still fixed on Rinoa, hoping that this was not happening.
"What am I doing here!? What the hell is she doing here?" Rinoa finally spat, pointing at the bathroom door.
"R-Rin, I-"
"So, you were sick this entire time, huh?" she continued. Tears of rage were making their way down her cheeks.
"You won't let me ta-"
"I thought she transferred! What is she doing in your dorm!?"
"Irvine-"
"Oh, okay…pen the blame on someone else!"
"No! Rinny, you have the wrong idea completely!" Selphie yelled as she immerged from the bathroom, still looking very pale.
"And you!" Rinoa turned up her nose at Selphie and pointed a slim finger at her. "You were supposed to be my friend!"
From then on out, all attempts to talk it out civilly were abandoned. Squall and Rinoa had begun yelling at each other. Looking stunned, Selphie went back to sit on the bed and listened.
"The little slut!" Rinoa raged, "I can't believe you'd cheat on me with her!"
"Rinoa! If you would shut your damn mouth for a split second I could tell you what happened!" Squall yelled, making her jump.
Selphie hugged her legs to her chest and cried into her knees. It's all my fault…. It seemed like an eternity, Rinoa just glared at Squall, seething with anger.
"Don't be surprised if you see me with another guy!" she yelled. Then, before he could explain himself she brought her hand across his face and took off down the hall.
Now extremely angry, Squall slammed his door then looked at Selphie. His ice blue eyes washed over her, but with an emotion she could not decipher. Loathing? Sorrow? Truth be told, she didn't want to know what that emotion was. She felt bad enough as it was. Without saying a word, he walked inside the bathroom, slamming that door as well. Selphie shut her eyes as the sound echoed through his silent dorm. Seconds later the sound of the shower broke the silence.
Feeling horrible for everything, the little SeeD fell into the bed, face-first and sobbed into the pillow. She knew how pitiful she had to look, but continued to cry despite it.
A few minutes passed and Squall got out of the shower, this time fully clothed. He glanced at her, but this time he provided no comfort. It was apparent he was beyond angry. He sat on the other side of the room, drying his hair with a towel.
* * *
As Quistis was walking to her dormitory she noticed something that sidetracked her. A very upset Rinoa had run into her own dorm, slamming the door behind her. Sighing, Quistis shook her head and walked to the door.
"Rin let me in…" she said quietly.
Slowly the door opened and a red-faced Rinoa motioned for her to come in.
"So, what happened…?"
"Squall's been having an affair with Selphie!" Rinoa choked out.
Quistis looked at her confusedly, "Selphie has been gone for almost a week. She transferred to Trabia…"
"Th-Then why was she in Squall's dorm!?"
"Maybe she's visiting! Why must you always jump to conclusions without retaining information!?"
Rinoa narrowed her eyes and flipped a lock of her black hair over her shoulder. "She was wearing his clothes. Not hers!"
The blond instructor raised her eyebrows. There wasn't anything she could say about that. Taking a deep breath she started over, "Squall would not cheat on you! Let's face it, he doesn't have it in him!"
"Quistis! How naïve are you!? She was disheveled, in his dorm, wearing his clothes!"
Once again, Rinoa was starting to really get on Quistis' nerves. Thinking back to their discussion about Zell, it was Quistis' turn to explode. "What were you doing going to Squall's dorm in the first place? Wasn't it to break up with him so you could hook up with Zell?"
Those words made Rinoa feel like someone stabbed her in the stomach and twisted the knife. As much as she wanted to say, 'No! It's because I was worried about him! He has been sick…" She knew that it was a lie. Her intention was to break up with him.
For the second time that day Rinoa felt her cheeks redden.
"That's what I thought…" Quistis stated as she stood back up. "Well, I'll leave now. I have to make tomorrow's lesson plans still. Why don't you talk to Squall and sort things out?" With a small smile she let herself out.
After she heard her door click shut, Rinoa fell backwards into her bed. "I can't…I can't talk to him. Not after I blew up at him like that…. But there is someone I can talk to…" Picking herself up out of her heap, she left to look for Zell.
* * *
After Rinoa had left neither Squall nor Selphie spoke. The silence between them was starting to drive her nuts. The only sound in the entire room was the faint murmur of the television. Suddenly someone began rapping at the door so loudly Selphie almost jumped out of her skin.
"I'll get it," Squall said coldly, making Selphie want to disappear. He stood up and opened the door. In stepped not two, but three girls, almost knocking Squall down.
"Selphie!!" Sae and Arisu yelled together and they ran forward to embrace her.
"How are ya feeling?" Arisu asked sounding concerned.
"I've been better…" she answered truthfully.
"Who is this!?" Squall asked angrily, pointing to the third girl. "Didn't we agree not to tell anyone else!?"
"This is Renee," Sae introduced. "We trust her."
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," Renee smiled. Squall still didn't look pleased.
"Hyne! We just got here, what's your problem!?" Arisu exclaimed.
"Rinoa saw Selphie and thinks that we…we uh…well, you know…"
"Uh-oh…" All the girls looked at Selphie who was staring at her feet and turning bright red.
"How could she accuse…Selphie of all people!?" Sae fumed.
"Sorry to interrupt, but what did you gather from talking to Cid?" Squall asked, shutting the door.
"He thinks that she's staying at the Balamb Hotel. Her file will be back here in about three more days." Arisu explained, reading off of some notes she had apparently taken.
"Yeah, so she needs to be there by Saturday…" Sae added in.
"I'll be taking her tonight." Squall said bluntly.
Renee looked appalled. "Tonight!? She'll be all alone for three days!" Everyone began talking as if the young SeeD weren't sitting right there.
"I'm a SeeD too! I could keep her in my dorm!" Renee offered.
Almost in tears, Selphie spoke up. "It's alright! I don't mind…really." In reality, she just wanted to get away. Those few days she spent in Squall's dorm, under his care, she found herself falling head over heels for him. The problem with Rinoa may have only happened a few hours ago, but she couldn't handle his cold looks or any more of the silent treatment.
"Are you sure?" Arisu asked, looking worried.
Solemnly she nodded. "We'll try to visit you after classes, alright?" Sae smiled.
"And I'll bring ya a survival kit with all sorts of sweets!" Renee added in, beaming.
Quickly she dried her eyes on the corner of his bed spread and looked up at the newcomer. "S-So, who are you?"
"She's here to scare Irvine!" Arisu stated, smiling broadly.
"Well, actually…I didn't…"
"Oh, you should've seen it! She gave old Piss Pants a run for his money!" Sae exclaimed, patting Renee's back.
"Piss Pants?" Selphie asked. She had stood up and was typing her hardest to hide her grief.
"Oh man! He we it right outside the cafeteria!"
"It was everywhere!"
Renee rubbed the back of her head and began blushing whereas Squall mumbled about missing it, thus worsening his mood. Selphie softly giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.
"You are my new best friend!" she laughed, shaking Renee's hand. "So, why's he so scared of you?"
"Well it all started wh-"
"Sorry to interrupt again, but can you talk about this another time? You three better leave before you're spotted."
The girls looked at each other and nodded.
"Will you need any help getting her to Balamb?" Sae asked before leaving. Squall merely shook his head and shut them out. Still, he completely ignored Selphie as he started flipping through the channels.
Another painful hour passed when Squall finally stood back up. Remaining silent he walked to the closet and began to rummage through his junk. Looking forlorn, Selphie pried her eyes from the screen to watch him. Once she decided he wasn't that interesting, she looked back at the television where Rachel and Ross were at each other's throats again. Sighing, she came to the conclusion that she wasn't in the mood for 'Friends', and reached for the remote control. Just as she was about to grasp it she was aware of something thrown at her that landed on her head.
"Put it on." It was the first thing that he said to her for several hours, but she was just happy to hear him talk. Selphie reached up and pulled a black sweatshirt off of her head. Before she could ask him why, he disappeared into the bathroom.
"Lose some weight, Squall…" she muttered as she poked her head through the collar. "This thing is like a tent…"
She hoped that her remark would lighten the situation but instead she received a cold, "Gain some weight, Selph…"
Her heart sank a little more, and she stayed silent while he continued to search his bathroom for something unknown. Finally he stepped out and threw her a rubber band. "Put your hair up."
Rolling her eyes, she obeyed. When Selphie finished he walked to where she sat on his bed and bent down to where he could see her at eye level. He put his hands around the back of her head and pulled the hood over her to where it shadowed her face. For those few seconds she felt embarrassed for the puffiness of her eyes, and happy to be this close to Squall, even if he did hate her at the moment.
"I'm taking you to Balamb. Keep your head down and your mouth shut."
Once again, she felt like disappearing. She felt her face redden in shame as he unlocked his door. They both walked out of the dorm without saying a word to each other.
"Hey Squall!" came a voice from behind. Squall's shoulders tensed up but he continued to walk. "Feelin' any better?"
Zell ran around the front of them, forcing them to stop. Selphie lowered her face even more so as not to be noticed.
"Yeah…" Squall said shortly.
"Who's that?" Zell asked, pointing to Selphie.
"My cousin. I need to see him off at the Balamb Train Station." Then, grabbing Selphie's shoulder, he began to lead her away.
"But…you don't have any cousins…" Zell mumbled as he watched them leave. Shrugging, he walked off in the opposite direction.
* * *
The Garden car was completely silent as it tore down the road. Squall seemed determined to get to Balamb, and to get there fast. Selphie looked out the passenger window. It would be the perfect night. The moon was bright, and it wasn't too hot. Why did this day have to end so horribly?
She saw the lights from Balamb drawing ever near. How long had they been driving? It seemed like an eternity. She estimated that they would be there any minute, but the silence was unbearable! Making a bold move, she turned on the radio. Instantly the car was full of the sound of hard rock. Startled at the volume, Selphie covered her ears and Squall turned it back off.
The female SeeD slunk a little lower into her seat, blushing. "Sorry…" she muttered.
Squall pried his eyes from the road for about five seconds to look at her. That was the only response she got from him.
Finally the car parked outside the Balamb Hotel. Selphie got out and started walking away from the car, fast. She couldn't handle it anymore.
"Wait!" Squall called from within the car.
Her heart leapt into her throat and hot tears made their way down her cheeks. Had he already forgiven her? Was he going to apologize? Trying to disguise her saddened face, she turned around and walked over to his rolled down window.
"Yeah?"
He pressed something into her empty hand. "You'll need money," he stated monotonously. He put the car in gear, then peeled out, leaving Selphie standing alone on the side of the road looking at the 1,000 gil note she held in her hand.
"Of course he wasn't going to apologize. It's my fault anyways…" she said to herself. Kicking at a rock, she made her way into the Hotel.
"Welcome! It's 100 gil per night. Will you be staying?" the woman at the front desk asked with her plastered on smile.
"Yeah, book me for three nights…"
"Name?"
"Selphie Tilmitt."
The woman scribbled some things down on a piece of paper, then looked back up. "Do you need any help taking your luggage to your room?"
Selphie looked down at the plastic bag she was carrying. It had her trademark yellow dress and SeeD uniform. Everything else was lost in that 'Al's Fish Transport' truck. "I, I think I can manage by myself." She handed the woman her money.
"Alright. You are in room 15A, here is your key card and your change." Selphie took them and walked up to her temporary room, where she fell asleep almost immediately.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That's it for now! I (Anna) have been doing some writing in my Biology class, so it should be done hopefully soon. Thanks everyone for being patient with us! Now, please leave us a review!