CHAPTER 21

AUTHOR'S NOTE: YEY! I ALREADY FINISH THIS CHAPTER AFTER SO MANY DAYS... SORRY IF IT TAKES TOO LONG TO UPDATE... I JUST WANT TO ANSWER A READER'S QUESTION: IN THIS STORY THEY ARE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLERS..XD

PLEASE ENJOY: AND THANKS TO SUNFLOWERSPOT FOR GIVING ME IDEAS...XD

Tifa blew her bangs out of her face while looking at her phone. She kept on looking at it while pouting.

It was eleven in the morning and only a few customers went to the café. Tifa rested her head on the table while still looking at her phone. Yuffie noticed her odd behaviour, so she approached her and sat down across her.

"What's wrong?" Yuffie took Tifa's phone on the table and played with it.

"Hey," immediately, Tifa snatched it away on her hands and stared at it again.

"You keep on looking at your phone," Yuffie raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms.

Tifa looked at her, "I'm waiting for something…"

"Something?" she tilted her head. Tifa nodded, "A message…"

"A message from?" she leaned closer to her.

Tifa just grinned and her eyes went back to the phone, 'He is still not sending me a message,' she thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Denzel touched Cloud's forehead and sighed.

"Vince, can you get some warm water and a towel, please?" Denzel looked at Vincent who was just sitting at his bed while reading a book.

Vincent looked up, feeling irritated, "For?" he raised his eyebrow.

"For Cloud… He has a fever…"

Vincent went closer to Cloud and checked his forehead, "Hmm… You're right… Maybe, it is because of the heavy rain last night."

Denzel nodded and looked at Vincent, "Can you get it now, please?"

Vincent pouted, "Alright," he went outside the room and at the same time, Reno entered their room. He checked the watch and looked at Denzel.

"It's already almost 12, why is Cloud not waking up?" Reno said while looking something in the closet.

"He's sick," Denzel sighed.

Reno looked at him with his eyes wide open, "He got sick already? He's so weak," he shook his head and ruffled his head.

Denzel scoffed a little and shook his head.

Suddenly, Cloud moved a little and opened his eyes slowly.

"Cloud…" Denzel smiled a bit and removed some hair strands on his forehead.

"Denzel… What time is it?" Cloud asked.

"It's almost 12… Are you okay? Does something hurt?" Denzel checked up on him.

Cloud shook his head, "My phone… Where is it?" he looked around on his bed.

Denzel sighed, "Cloud… You should not be thinking of your phone right now. You're sick. You should think about yourself, first."

"But, I need to text someone," he coughed a little and tried to get up.

Denzel didn't let him, "Cloud… Please? Just rest for a while."

"It won't take long… I promise…"

He sighed again and got Cloud's phone on the table, "3 minutes…"

Cloud looked at him then his eyebrows met, "10 minutes…"

"4 minutes…"

"9 minutes and 59 seconds…"

Denzel sighed, "Cloud…"

"Denzel…" Cloud sighed, as well, "After 10 minutes, I'll take a rest…"

Denzel thought of a minute, "Okay. 10 minutes. After that, I'll confiscate your phone for a while…"

Cloud smiled a bit, "Thanks," he, then, started typing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tifa was stretching while waiting for customers to come. Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She got it immediately and suddenly smiled when she saw the sender's name.

"Good morning." Cloud sent a message to her.

"Good morning? It's already afternoon." Tifa replied while smiling at herself.

"Ah. Sorry… Anyway, can I call you right now? Are you busy?"

Tifa looked around looking for customers, "I'm not, since there's no customer yet. You can call right now."

Cloud sat up and rested his back on the wall. He looked at Denzel who has looking at his watch while his legs were crossed.

"… Can you please go outside for a minute?" said Cloud in a low voice.

Denzel looked up at him and stood up, "8 minutes left," he walked out of the room.

Cloud made a face. When he was about to type Tifa's number, he suddenly felt someone was watching him. He looked up and saw Vincent was looking at him.

"Vince…" he glared at Vincent.

Vincent blinked his eyes, "What?"

Cloud pointed at the door, "Out, please?"

Vincent rolled his eyes, "Yes, boss…" he opened the door and closed it behind him.

Cloud smirked a little then started dialling Tifa's number.

Tifa quickly answered it, "Hi Cloud!" she said with a cheerful voice.

"It seems that you're happy today, huh?" Cloud smiled, thinking that he may be the reason why she is happy.

"I am always like this…" she sat up on a free table.

Cloud smiled, "So, who is the first one?"

"Huh? The first one?" she tilted her head.

"The first one who greeted you 'good morning'… Who?" Cloud asked with a husky voice.

Tifa felt her cheeks turned red when she heard his voice like that, "Hmm… It's Yuffie? I think…" she nodded with her answer.

"Who's the second one?"

She felt her jaw dropped, "Cloud! Of course I don't know whose next after Yuffie… A lot of people greeted me. So, I can't remember who is the second, third, fourth, and so on…"

He sniffed, "Alright… I was just disappointed because I'm not the first one…"

"It's alright… We still have tomorrow. And, in fact, you are the first one who greeted me 'good afternoon', so it's alright," she giggled.

He felt his heart jumped when he heard her giggle. He, then, coughed; "Sorry…" he said on the other line and coughed once more.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine… I'm just having colds right now…" he sniffed again.

"Is it because of the rain?" her eyes widen.

He nodded, "Probably…"

"Did you get soaked in the rain? How are you feeling right now? Did you use my umbrella that night?" she said, panicking.

Cloud chuckled, "Hey… Are you worried?"

Tifa's face turned into one like a tomato, "O… Of course, I am! Who'll not get worried about you, anyway…" she pouted.

He gave her another chuckle, "Yes, I got soaked, I mean, I really, really got drenched that night. And, to be honest, I'm not that fine right now… And, lastly, I didn't use your umbrella…"

"Why didn't you use it?" she pouted again.

"It will be the same if I used your umbrella. I'll get soak, as well…"

Tifa's mouth turned into 'o' shape.

"Your umbrella is very small… And, there are little holes on it. I thought you knitted them already?" asked Cloud, tilting his head to the left.

"I did… Maybe I just missed some," she answered with a low voice, feeling embarrassed.

Cloud knew what she was feeling that time because of what he said. He cleared his throat, "But… Your umbrella is really, really cute," he smiled.

She smiled a bit, "I'm sorry…"

"Why are you saying sorry?"

"Because of me, you got sick… If I lend you a bigger umbrella and in a good condition, maybe you won't get soak in the rain and you won't get sick… And, if I didn't let you walked me hom-"

"Hey… Stop…" Cloud stopped her from talking, "It's okay… It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself. First, it's my fault. It is because I didn't try to use your umbrella that time. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe if I used that, I won't be like this right now. And, second, it's a guy's duty to walk a girl home when it is already dark. So, don't blame yourself, okay?" he took a deep breath.

"Okay…" she said. But, deep inside, Tifa kept on blaming herself.

Cloud looked at the clock, "Anyway, Tifa, I think I have t-"

"TIME'S UP!" Denzel shouted. He opened the door and went to Cloud to snatch his phone. Denzel hang up, "Go and take a rest now…"

Cloud let his mouth opened, "Denzel!" he slapped his hand on his forehead, "I didn't even say goodbye to her! You should just have let me!" Cloud groaned feeling very irritated.

"I've given you enough time, Cloud. And, you told me, after 10 minutes, you'll take a rest."

"But, you should have let me say goodbye!" he rolled his eyes and shook his head. He lied down again and put the blanket all over his body.

Denzel sighed and massaged his head. He went outside the room, "Wait…" he stopped walking, "Who is he talking to?"