Yep! Flight of the Angels, Eclipse and It's Just A Crush all in one day!!

You must feel so happy.

I won't be here long, I've got to get food. But because I had been sick this past week, I had time to think over who EXACTLY would be the guy Lightning has to meet.

:)

Gotta go! Enjoy and review. Because you love me.

-Chapter Ten-

The next day...

This girl was going to drive me insane.

And I'm not kidding.

Stella Nox Fleuret had already beaten a super-computer in terms of speaking so fast that I could barely keep up. She had already annoyed the hell out of me by talking about my wardrobe – or lack thereof. She was taking over my household, my family, and my sisters. She was rattling on and on about some economic shit I don't get to Rufus, who was warming up to her. She had offered to help my mother do something I would never do (as the maid did it for us already) – wash the clothes.

She was a miniature whirlwind.

And not to mention that she and Noctis were definitely going out.

"Hey! YournameisCloudright? It'snicetomeetyou! I'mStella-"

"I know."

"AndI'myoursister'snewbestfriend-"

"Good luck with that."

"Don'tyouthinkshe'-"

"She's my sister. I don't give a damn what she wears as long as it's something."

"OHMYGODisn'tthatlikeyoursword? It'?! OOHandaren''ssocutedon'tyouthink? She'ssooperfectforyou!"

"... Dad, can I stab her-"

"No, Cloud. Be nice."

"VANNY!! Let'sgoshopping,-"

"Okay! This'llbesoawesomeOHMYGOD-"

Good God, now there are two of them!

"YeahIknow,comeonlet'sgogetourthings-"

Make that three.

My own sisters.

I had higher expectations of my own sisters. Too bad they let me down.

Noctis was sitting on the steps with his hands over his ears, a pained look on his face. I snickered, and he looked up. "What're you laughing at?" he mumbled. "I have to deal with this every day since she came."

"Your fault," I said immediately without thinking, causing Rufus to frown at me.

"Lightning, be nice."

I ignored him, and sat next to Noctis as the terrible threesome thundered back down the stairs.

"MOM! DAD!! We're going out with Stella!!" Vanille called, and bounded out the door.

"Be back in time to help Lightning dress up," was all mother darling said. Dress up? What- oh. Right.

Traitor.

Stupid arranged marriage.

"We will!!!" Stella replied cheerfully.

"Actually, Stella, I'll have to meet you back home. I think Dad wants to ask you something..." Noctis ventured.

"Oh." Stella frowned. "All right. When you get back, tell Uncle Caelum that I'll talk to him about... it, okay?" Wow. She was clear!

"It?" Vanille raised an eyebrow, and Stella shot me a grin before tugging my sisters away.

Uncle Caelum?

... So they're related?

"Yeah, Stella's my cousin," Noctis told me.

I had to stop being so obvious.

"Oh," I said intelligently. "I knew that."

He smirked, and stood. "I'd better get back... I've delayed going home for too long now. I guess I can't put it off completely." He stretched, and walked out the door, saying goodbye to everyone. I followed him to shut the door after him.

"I'll see you later," he told me, and kissed my cheek. Naturally, they turned to the exact same shade of a tomato, which is also the natural colour of my mother's hair.

"Okay," I mumbled, and shut the door.

I hope Noctis hated her, whoever she was.

--

"Just a little hairspray..."

"Think she needs mascara?"

"Nah, her eyelashes are long enough. Maybe a bit of that golden-brown eye shadow and some blusher."

"What about blue?"

"No, blue makes her look weird. A light red is good. Maybe white. Try them, Serah."

"Don't I get a say-?"

"No."

"No."

"I hate you both."

"She smudged her lipstick, Vanille."

"Stop biting your lip, Lightning."

"Sorry."

I wasn't.

Vanille finished spraying the flammable stuff on my hair and stepped back, smiling at her handiwork. "There! What do you two think?"

"I remind myself of a stag."

"She looks great, but I think we need something else..." Serah looked around and spotted a black headband with a red ribbon near where my right ear would be.

"Get rid of the ribbon, or I won't wear it."

"Don't be ridiculous, Light, you'll look great." Serah slid the velvet-covered plastic headband onto my head and stepped back, smiling brightly. "There!"

Vanille grinned. "I'll go get my camera."

"No!"

Too late, she was already gone.

I squeezed my eyes shut as Serah spun me to face the mirror. "I look hideous. And good thing too – maybe this won't work out if I look bad."

"Maybe you'll like him more than you like Noctis," Serah offered lamely. I shot her a sarcastic look quickly before shutting my eyes again. I'd hate anyone Rufus chose, she knew that. Even if he was as good-looking as Noctis. Or even better.

Not that I'd ditch Noctis for anyone.

And not that we were even together.

But still.

"Come on Light, just open your eyes."

I resisted.

"Open-"

"I've got it!!"

"Lightning, you're going to be late!"

Like I gave a damn.

"Farron, get your ass down here."

Snow was here too? This day was just getting better and better.

...

Sarcasm.

"Coming," I sighed, resigned. "Gimme a sec." I made my way for the door with my eyes closed, my hands flailing around in front of me. I heard Serah giggle.

"Come on, Lightning, open your eyes."

"Oh all right." Only because I'd hurt myself if I didn't. I mean, only because I'd have a higher chance of hurting myself than I would have if my eyes were open.

... Oh forget it.

I braced myself to race for the main door once I opened my room door.

But it was, I could see from the moment I threw it open, impossible.

"You look beautiful!" my mother cried, and reached out to hug me. I stood stiffly in her embrace. I wasn't the huggy person. I think.

Rufus cleared his throat. "You look good," he told me.

All lies.

Cloud raised an eyebrow at my assemble – a black V-necked strapped-on-one-side-long-sleeved-on-the-other top, leather boots and a ruffled golden lame skirt. And it wasn't, as I thought, pronounced 'lame', but 'lamé'.

Um. Because I needed to know that, Vanille.

"I know I look like a hooker, Cloud. Stop staring at me like you're so shocked."

"Actually... you look okay."

I bet Tifa wore this once.

"Besides, you're not the hooker material."

Thank goodness for that.

"And you don't have the body."

"Thanks."

"No prob."

Rufus offered me his elbow. "Shall we go together?"

"So you and his father will be there?" I asked hopefully.

"Only for a while."

Damn it.

Oh but wait! There was a good side. I could fake being ill halfway and go home!

I am a genius.

A pure genius.

People should bow down to my geniusness.

I will rule the world!

... I hate mints.

"Wait! She might need this." Vanille stopped Rufus and I from stepping out the door – so close! – and pressed a metal can into my hands. I looked at it, confused, and then looked at her, also confused.

"In case," was her reply. She winked at me. "You know... if you two hit it off."

"Thanks, but I doubt I'll need it," I said dubiously. Any chance of me hitting it off with a stranger was absolute nil.

"Just take it," she insisted when I tried to give it back to her. "Go! Have fun with your hunk."

"My what?!"

But Rufus had already hustled me out the house, sensing what was coming at Vanille, and into the limo where two of the Turks were already lounging. Reno looked me up and down appreciatively, and winked roguishly. Tseng just looked bored, thankfully keeping his eyes off my ass. Unlike Reno.

I had to sit next to the oversexed redhead.

"Dad, this isn't a good idea," I started to try talk myself out of this. Rufus sighed.

"Lightning-"

"No, listen to me. I'm hopeless with a capital H with guys. I have no idea what to do. And I'm... erm..." Because your sex life isn't something you discussed with your dad – or anyone else, for that matter. But this was an emergency. "I'm still a virgin," I hissed.

Reno smirked. "I can take care of that."

I dug my elbow into his stomach. "Shut. Up."

He doubled over in pain.

The cons of having bodyguards tailing your father everywhere when you need to talk to him privately.

Tseng snorted with amusement, and then straightened his face when Rufus glanced his way. "Keep Reno in check," my birth father told his head bodyguard tonelessly. Tseng nodded, and yanked Reno's head down.

"Ow! Fuck!" Reno tried to raise his head, but Tseng placed both his feet on Reno's back, preventing him from getting up.

"Keep it down."

Surprisingly, Reno didn't put up much of a fight – until I realized he was trying to peek under my skirt.

Asshole.

I crossed my legs.

Hah.

Reno muttered something that sounded like 'prudish women' and received a hit from Tseng's shoe.

I could tell that the dark-haired man was enjoying this.

Whatever. I had a mission to accomplish.

"Dad, come on. Anyone could see that Vanille or Serah would be better at this than I am," I hissed.

"Are you telling me that both your sisters are no longer virgins?"

"... "

Whoa. That was unexpected. Even Tseng and Reno were staring at him. At least, Tseng was – Reno appeared to have passed out from too much blood rushing to his head.

"Dad, are you feeling okay?" I asked carefully.

"Honey, I was kidding."

"You don't kid a lot," I grumbled. "How was I supposed to know?"

Rufus shrugged, and patted my shoulder.

"You'll like him, I promise," he said soothingly. I grumbled under my breath again, and sank down in my seat, sulking.

It didn't take me long to realize that Reno was, in fact, still conscious. It took me one more second to realize that he had been waiting for me to uncross my legs and let my guard down. After that, it took me five minutes to beat the crap out of him while sitting down.

Because I can.

Woosh!! Read and review!!

Also, tell me who you think the person she's meeting is! I'll give you a hint – you've seen him before.

Hehehe!