I thought I would upload this a day early since I uploaded the last chapter late. I'll probably be busy with work tomorrow anyways to upload so heres chapter 3 for those of you who are interested. Again this isnt going into the story plot per se, but more a development and solidarity of what Rinoa and Quistis's relationship will be like in the upcoming chapters.
Disclaimer: I dont own Final Fantasy at all, nada, nil, zilch, nothing!
Chapter 3 - The Promise
Quistis parked up her car in the driveway and slowly gathered her belongings while heading towards the front door to her house. Upon entering through the oak doors into the passageway she could make out Rinoa's slender figure in the kitchen working away at dinner. Quistis's mother stood near the cooker stirring a saucepan and muttering something to Rinoa who was nodding her head while concentrating on cutting carrots.
"Hey I'm home" Quistis said tiredly walking into the kitchen and plopping herself down onto a stool. Rinoa smiled up at her cautiously and Quistis's mother turned to look at her daughter.
"Hello love, was your day at school good?" She asked absentmindedly.
"Yeah it was alright, I - "Quistis started to respond but was cut short.
"Darling could you pass me the tomato paste?" Anna said while fiddling with the cooker controls.
With a soft sigh and a meek "Sure" Quistis stood up and walked to the pantry. From there she could hear her mother start another conversation with Rinoa.
"If there is any tutoring I can offer, you know I'm always here for you dear, Balamb High's education is the best here but I don't mind putting in some extra time to help you with your Advanced Maths" Anna offered trying to make her niece feel more at home. Rinoa had always been a good student, her father being the General couldn't afford to have a stupid teenager that only cared about looks and how far it could get her in life.
"Aww that's sweet auntie but I looked over the syllabus and I think I covered most of that already with my old tutor back in Deling." Rinoa replied. She liked her aunt, her aunt was an accountant that worked in Deling a few years ago while she was living there. After her husband, Jacques Trepe, got a job as an Art instructor for Balamb University they moved to Balamb by the time Quistis was 10 years old.
"Mum I was thinking I might need some help with my science project this weekend" Quistis asked coming into the kitchen with the tomato paste. She handed her mother what she requested and waited for the answer.
"Sure honey, when is it due? I might have to be in the office this weekend though so could I help you Monday night?" Anna suggested. Her job kept her busy most of the time than she would of liked. The honest truth was in order for Quistis to have a comfortable life at University Anna had to work hard and bring in the money, unfortunately Jacques' job was not that high paying.
"Yeah no problem" Quistis said slightly defeated.
"Hey if you want maybe I can help you?" Rinoa offered. She could tell Quistis was a bit upset with her, knowing Quistis all these years Rinoa didn't need to have a conversation with her cousin in order to find out where the problems lay.
"No I'll just wait for mum when she is free" Quistis responded rather uninterested.
"Darling don't be silly, if Rinoa could offer her help take it, I'm rather busy with work at the moment and don't want to break any promises I can't keep". Anna interjected.
"But you just offered to help Rinoa" Quistis said and immediately regretted.
Rinoa just stood staring at the chopping board. Anna looked at Quistis harshly before she spoke up. "Rinoa is new here, she may not be used to the teaching methods at her new school. I thought you were mature than that Quistis, you know I work hard for your comfort"
Quistis apologised and stood up and made her way upstairs. She felt stupid now, she actually didn't need her mother's help, she just asked for it because she didn't like the way she was feeling with Rinoa being here. She loved her cousin but sometimes she felt she was always Rinoa's shadow, her mother was always busy and now she was making time for Rinoa. She knew it was just to settle Rinoa in but she couldn't help but feel jealous.
Another thing that upset her was the attention Rinoa was getting at school. What made it worse was the little attention she got from Squall. Since Quistis became a woman Squall never gave her that attention, his answers to her were always short and bored, he didn't stare at her longingly and he never even shared any jokes with her. Yet here was Rinoa on her first day she was touring with Squall, then Squall teasingly implies that she is his girlfriend. Quistis knew it was a joke but she didn't like that idea, nor did she like that Squall made a joke about Rinoa on the same day she asked him out, and he accepted!
Rinoa walked into the room at that point and stood rather awkwardly brushing her toe along the soft carpet of Quistis's room. She hated that habit Rinoa had, where she would wait for people to notice her before she spoke up. Well, Quistis thought, I'm not giving her that attention. She started to unpack her bag and get her textbook out. She flipped to a couple of the front pages and started on her Chemistry homework.
The silence was driving her mad and the presence of Rinoa in her room was even worse.
Sighing she finally spoke. "Can I help you Rinoa?"
"Are… are you upset with me Quisty?" Rinoa asked shyly.
"No" She replied bluntly.
"I don't believe you." Rinoa replied softly.
"Believe what you want to believe then, no skin off my nose" Quistis retorted hastily.
"Oh come on Quistis, you say you're not upset with me and then you respond so harshly"
"Well stop being so annoying and I won't have to" Quistis said exasperated.
The two girls fell silent again. She knew she was being silly she didn't want to fight with her cousin on the first day she was here. She tried to think of how to make the situation lighter. Before she could think of anything Rinoa beat her to it.
"Quisty, is it because of today at lunch?" Quistis's eyes spoke the truth, she couldn't look at Rinoa. "You know I only played along because I didn't want to look stupid in front of your friends, I wasn't really taking it seriously." Rinoa offered trying to make up with her cousin.
"Rin… I asked him out today" Quistis finally open up.
"Really?!" Rinoa sounded surprised. "Well what did he say?"
"He actually said yes" Quistis replied still astonished herself.
" Wow. Well that's good news right?" Rinoa said trying to sound excited.
"Yeah but then he totally ignored me at lunch and… and he made that joke about you, it really bugged me" Quistis said finally let out her feelings.
"Quisty he was put on the spot by that teacher, he was just playing along" Rinoa tried to comfort the blonde.
"Even so, you don't flirt with the cousin of the girl you are suppose to be going out with" Quistis stood up and made her way to the window.
Rinoa didn't know what to say, she made her way towards the bed and sat silently. She didn't know why Quistis felt so threatened, Rinoa was there for only one day and Squall only made that joke because he didn't want to be played right? She had to admit, when he said he was serious there was a small part of her that felt a bit flattered, after how Quistis described Squall she thought he was a closed book, but that joke showed her the total opposite.
"Rin, can I ask you something?" Quistis looked at her straight in the eyes.
"Yeah sure" Rinoa said hopefully.
"I know Squall accepted my invite, but I don't actually know where this relationship will go, or even if it will turn into a relationship." Quistis paused for a bit. "Rin, if it doesn't work out between me and Squall, I know I will be more heartbroken than before when he didn't even attempt to reciprocate my feelings."
"Quisty don't be so negative" Rinoa got up walking towards her cousin.
"No let me finish" Quistis interrupted. "Rin, promise me something. You are really pretty and smart and you can most probably get any guy in Balamb High, just please, don't ever go out with Squall. I really like him and I don't think I can see him with anyone, especially you. And even if that was a joke today, I didn't like that idea of you and him together. So please promise me." Quistis looked longingly into her cousin's eyes.
The brown eyes looked back into the cold blue ones, both searching for hidden feelings and some form of protest if not defeat. Rinoa didn't want to promise her, for some reason she knew it was a promise she would later regret.
But she loved her cousin enough to do this for her. "Ok Quisty…" She responded softly after a minute. "I promise, I won't ever go out with him".
Quistis didn't respond, she didn't smile or nod her head. Instead the blonde haired girl turned to face the window watching as the remaining sunlight fell asleep beyond the horizon and darkness fell onto the town. Much like the darkness that filled Quistis's eyes.
Squall slid his tongue over his teeth and checked in the mirror for any hidden plaque. Happy with the cleanliness he popped his toothbrush back into the mirror's cupboard and made his way into his bedroom and jumped into the covers.
His thoughts went back to the day's events. He remembered Rinoa and the incident with Dr. Kowadaki, of course he was joking when he mentioned she was his girlfriend but when she said she would take it seriously he had some hope in him that she actually would.
He then thought about Quistis, she had seemed hurt and betrayed when he said he was, the only way he could make the situation light was to say he was joking. He didn't like the position he was in, he didn't want to go out with Quistis, why wouldn't she just understand that? Yes Quistis was pretty, she was beautiful with her blonde hair and blues eyes, she was smart, she didn't start every sentence with 'Like oh my gwad', she didn't constantly take out her compact mirror and touch up her face every 2 seconds. But Squall just didn't feel that way; the thought of kissing Quistis was similar to him kissing Ellone. Yuck Squall thought trying to shake that image out of his head.
But he didn't even know what Rinoa was like, maybe she was the one who started every sentence with 'Like…' and was so overly obsessive about her looks. But she didn't seem like she would be.
"Rinoa" Squall pronounced her name letting it roll around his tongue. "Rinoa" he said again, he liked the name and he liked the way it felt when he said it. "Rinoa"
"Squall you're not having a dirty dream are you?" Laguna interrupted at the doorway.
"DAMN IT Dad!" Squall jerked up in bed. "Why are you sneaking up on me?!" He said angrily.
"I wasn't! I came to say goodnight when I heard you chanting someone's name" Laguna said with a wide grin. "So who is she?"
"None of your business, shut the door and get out" Squall replied back heatedly.
"Oh don't be like that, it was about time my boy fell in love!"
"I'm not in love, just get out and shut the door while you're at it" Squall punched his pillow and laid back down.
"Is she pretty?" Laguna asked shyly.
Squall just groaned.
"Is who pretty?" Ellone asked walking out the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair.
"Squall got himself a girlfriend" Laguna said cheerfully.
"Squall is that true?" Ellone asked incredulous.
"NO, just go away and let me be!" Squall shot out of bed and slammed the door shut. He took a step towards his bed but turned around and flipped the lock on his door. He could hear giggling behind his door but chose to ignore it.
He got back into bed and pulled his covers over him. Switching off his lamp on his bedside table he rolled over to face the wall. The image of Rinoa came to his head. And with that he fell asleep.
Ok so maybe some people might find my Squall slightly too romantically involved straight up with Rinoa than from the game. But the way I see the game, Squall happened to notice Rinoa out of everyone in that ballroom, and when she walks away he looks after her, so that kinda shows that given a different setting minus the whole teenage rebellion against the political father and the spoiltness Squall saw in Rinoa in Timber, he most probably would have seen her like this. Well in my world he did :p
Anyways please review.