Chapter 2
Another day, another gil
At lunch Sunday Yuffies mother asked her. "So how was it? I want to hear all about it."
Yuffie smiled softly "It was good. We ate some great food, then played video games and watched a movie in Vincent's room."
"Oh, I bet that was fun." She said
"It was!" Yuffie said then added "Cloud told me 'Vincent is rich, he's got everything we need to have fun with'. Yuffie giggled. "I believe it, I mean him and his mom have nice cars. Well Aerith has a nice one too and Clouds is nice, it's just old." She nodded repeatedly.
"Can't hide money." Her dad said jokingly.
Her mom gently hit his arm. "Hush Godo."
Godo Kisaragi laughed at his wife. "What? I can't joke?"
"No." She said.
Yuffie giggled at her parents. "I don't think Vincent would mind." She laughed again.
Yuffie's mother smiled, and her father asked. "What did you say Vincents family name was?"
"Valentine." She replied.
He rubbed his mustache. "Valentine, Valentine." He repeated.
Her mom spoke "Vincent Valentine does sound familiar."
"His mom is Issabella, but she said I could call her Mrs. Izzy." Yuffie added free of charge.
He continued to rub his mustache in deep thought. "I think I know that name. Does he work at Shinra Steel?"
"I'm not sure. His dad wasn't home, his brother wasn't either." Yuffie once again giggled. "Cloud put Geoffrey's mattress in the hall closet."
Yuffie's mother smiled and said "Cloud sounds like a fun guy."
"Sounds like trouble." Her father said. "I would know, I was a troublemaker in my youth."
"No" Her mom started "You were an electrical engineering student with a 9:00 pm bedtime."
"Yeah, after I met you. Before that I used to get into bar brawls with punk Shinra soldiers."
Her mother crossed her arms. "Why is this the first I'm hearing of this?"
He looked at her and said. "Because you scare me more than them."
"Darn right I do." Her mother said with a sassy tone as Yuffie laughed.
"Uhhnnnh." Yuffie groaned as she pulled the covers over her head.
"Sorry to bother you" her mother started "but you have a phone call."
Yuffie sat up with her eyes still closed. "H-hh uww."
"Who?" Her mother translated. "Cloud, something about picking you up early."
Yuffie rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "I don't remember agreeing to that." She yawned.
"Well, he's waiting on the phone and it's close enough to time to get up, so you might as well talk to him."
"O.K" She said as she slid out of bed in her pajama pants and matching shirt. She made her way to the phone in the living room and picked it up then gave her eyes one last rub before speaking. "Hello."
"Hey, Yuffie. You gonna be ready soon?" Cloud said on the other line.
"Whaaa? It's 6:30 in the morning, why are you up? School don't start 'till 8:00." Yuffie typically got to school at 7:45. She didn't get out of bed until 7:00, it would be a lie if she said she wasn't upset about not getting her remaining thirty minutes of beauty sleep.
"I'm up so I can get you and be at school by 7:15." He stated.
"Why?" She said through a yawn.
"Because I told you I would, I wanted to show you something with everybody. Don't worry, you don't have to do it again if you don't want to." Yuffie was about to speak when Cloud said "But! You have to do it today."
"But I have to get ready." She said with the hopes of getting a little more sleep.
"You're a girl, I know you showered last night." He stated.
"No. I didn't." She sighed. "I took a bubble bath. But!" She hit him with his own move "I have to shave my legs." She lied with the hopes that a girly topic would make him fold.
"Just wear thigh highs like Tifa does when she doesn't shave." He said without hesitation.
To be fair, leg shaving was a tame topic. "O.K." She relented.
"Awesome! See you soon." She noticed he sounded happy. He hung up without saying bye and she went to her room and put on her uniform. She made the bold choice to rock her green low top converse, she double checked that she had on low cut socks. She once made the mistake of not having low cut socks with low rise Converse. Needless to say, she wasn't about to do it again.
"Bye mom." Yuffie said as she saw Cloud pull into the driveway.
"Bye dear, have a good day. Oh! Ask your friends if they want to come over one weekend. I want to meet them, not just see them walk in front of the car." She smiled.
"'kay, I'll see." She walked outside and went up to Cloud's Camry, she could see Tifa in the front passenger seat. She hopped into the back seat, which had two cardboard boxes of chips behind the drivers seat. She was curious
"Hey Yuffie!" Tifa said. "How bad did you want to punch Cloud for getting you up early?"
She put her fist in her palm "Badly."
Tifa laughed. "You're in trouble Cloud." She teased him.
Yuffie couldn't see it, but she knew Cloud was smirking. "What's new."
"Me getting to school this early." Yuffie retorted.
"Ha!" Cloud laughed as Tifa giggled. "Don't worry I'll make it worth your while." He said, then asked "Do you really not remember me telling you I'd pick you up early?"
"Not a word, my need for sleep overrides you." Yuffie said.
Cloud laughed softly and continued to drive.
They pulled into the sparsely populated parking lot. As they got out of the car they were met by Vincent and Aerith. Yuffie said hello to them, then turned to Cloud's car as she heard the trunk open. She saw Tifa holding the boxes of chips, Aerith went over to her and grabbed one of the boxes. Cloud and Vincent lifted out a big cooler from the trunk.
"Lets set up shop." Cloud said as he rolled the cooler toward the school. Yuffie looked on in confusion before being silently waved on by Vincent. She followed them into the school and to a stair chase, she wasn't sure of which one it was until they walked up it and emerged on the second floor. They were down the hall from the stairs she normally came up, in the very spot where a large crowd gathered every morning. She still didn't know what went on but it looked like she was about to find out.
Cloud walked over to what Yuffie assumed was his locker. "Hey Yuffie. 'Mere." He motioned her over as he put in his combination.
"What's up." She said.
"Put your hand on my locker." He said.
She gave him a quizzical look. "Umm. O.k." She did as he said. She pulled her hand back "Yo! What the fuzzity uck! Why is it so cold!"
Cloud and the gang laughed. Cloud flashed her a grin and opened his locker. Air so cold it could be seen escaped from it, Yuffie looked inside the frigid locker and saw…
Soda and water lined up on makeshift shelves. "Y-you turned your locker into a fridge?"
"Heck yeah." He said cooly.
Tifa put her arm around her shoulder. "Ever wonder why there is always a crowd over here."
Yuffie nodded.
"Cloud sells snacks and drinks from his locker." Tifa said.
"That's how it started anyway" Aerith added "He's expanded as you can see." She motioned to the cooler and boxes of chips."
"With 20 gils worth of birthday money freshman year," Tifa smiled.
"A gil for room temp, two gil for chips, three gil for cold." Vincent said as he opened the cooler and began to restock the empty spots in the fridge locker.
Cloud chimed in "I fill my locker to the brim with drinks, but the cold ones always sell out fast."
"Two dozen waters, if stacked right and near forty soda cans." Tifa said. "Brought cold from home, so you don't have to worry about them not getting cold in time."
Cloud pulled out a black metal box from his backpack. Yuffie assumed it was the money box.
"That the money box?" She asked
"Yup." Cloud answered
"Anybody ever try to steal it?" Yuffie asked.
"Once." He said as he checked the contents of the box.
"Thank the planet Zack was there." Tifa groaned.
"Yeah" Aerith said "I was kinda scared."
"Dang, that guy give Cloud and Vincent that much trouble?" Yuffie said with surprise.
"No" Tifa sighed "Cloud nearly killed him. It took Zack and Vincent to keep Cloud off him."
Yuffie gasped "Really!?" She looked from Cloud to Tifa and back.
"Yeah, yeah. That's enough of that." Cloud said slightly annoyed. "It's almost show time. Get ready Yuffie." He said with his gentle smirk that wiped away any concern that arose from the story she had just heard. She was still curious to know what he did though.
"Yo! Whatchu want?" Cloud said to the boy in front of him. "Yuffie!" she heard her name over the noise of the crowd. "Red bag, blue Bag and the good doctor."
"O.K!" Yuffie said as she fetched the items. She couldn't believe how crazy it was. The crowd of students was imposing as it encircled them around the lockers. Luckily Cloud and Vincent could keep the crowd under control as the girls filled the orders. She was surprised at how well Vincent and Cloud organized the crowd. From the outside it looked like a chaotic mess, but it was anything but. Vincent funneled the students from the crowd into a short line in front of Cloud. Apparently Vincent was good at keeping tabs on who came through the line, they had a strict 'no coming through twice' rule. According to Vincent only freshmen broke that rule, and they only did it once. If you didn't know Vincent, he could seem intimidating.
Yuffie handed the items to Cloud who handed them to the boy. "Exit Left." He told him and called out the next order.
"Rodger!" Tifa called out.
So it went from before 7:30 to the first bell at 7:55.
"Whew!" Tifa said as she stretched "That was our busiest day this year!"
"I know" Aerith said. She put her hand to her chest "I think I lost five pound and gained five years."
"Man, y'all do this every day!?" Yuffie said.
"Indeed." Vincent said.
"Hey, what about the cooler?" She asked.
Cloud rolled it behind him as they walked towards their class. "I have a place for it." He said. This place, as it turns out, was the space in between a door and the end of the lockers.
"It's safe there?" She questioned.
"It's empty and has my name written on it." Cloud told her.
"Ah, I see." Personally, she wouldn't have left it but whatever.
They walked into class as the late bell wrang.
"You keep cutting it close, Mr. Strife." Miss James said before she sighed "And now you are dragging miss Kisaragi into it."
Cloud opened his mouth to say something but was silenced by Tifa "Shut up Cloud!" Yuffie heard her whisper to Clouds back "You know how thin the ice this school keeps you on is." Cloud didn't respond, him and Tifa made their way to their seats as Aerith did damage control. Yuffie stood near Aerith and noticed Vincent slip past to his seat.
"Business was booming! You should have seen it." Aerith beamed.
"Believe me I did." The teacher said with crossed arms. "I don't know why you are allowed to sell snacks."
"It's not hurting anybody, and it boost morale! You said you saw how big that crowd was, then you'd know we needed Yuffie and let me tell you she is quite the worker." Aerith then leaned in a said in a low voice "Cloud really has changed, so please go easy on him."
The teacher sighed again. "Please you two take a seat."
What did Aerith mean by that? Yuffie thought.
Class proceeded as normal, they got their stories from last week back, Yuffie's got an A and some very nice feedback and critiques from the peer review Vincent had done. They also received a poetry prompt to begin working on. Miss James gave a lesson on poetry to accompany the prompt.
Soon enough class ended, and she began leaving with the others but the teacher had other plans.
"Ms. Kisaragi, a word."
"O-o.k." She said
"I'll see you at lunch Yuffie." Tifa and Aerith echoed each other. Yuffie nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry you aren't in trouble. I'd like to talk to you about your new friends."
"Alright." Yuffie said skeptically.
"The girls and Vincent are alright but Cloud, he is…well to be frank he is no good. I don't know why the others hang out with him. I really shouldn't be saying things like this…"
"Then don't." Yuffie cut her off. Her heart began to race, she had never talked back to a teacher like that. It just raised her heckles that teachers would take so freely and badly about Cloud.
Miss James looked puzzled. "I am trying to help you. That boy is a bad influence, I can understand you may not like hearing this, but I am just trying to help." She smiled a revoltingly fake smile that irked Yuffie.
"Right, I'll keep it in mind. But I'm not easily swayed." The late bell rang and Yuffie began to leave, she hadn't noticed the class had filled up.
"Hold on, I'll fill out a late slip for you." Miss James told her.
Yuffie took the slip and walked out of the room. Why does that woman hate Cloud so much? Is it because of how he answered on the first day? If so that's petty, Yuffie knew he did good and had so far been a decent student. Sure, he talked back some but it was fairly tame she thought. Well, aside from that time he was a freshman but she wasn't there for that so it might as well not have even happened. Then there were the things she heard Tifa say. About him being on thin ice and it taking three boys to pull him off a guy. But that guy stole from him, so it doesn't make Cloud a bad guy. Besides he was so nice to her and a great cook.
Yuffie was lost in her thoughts and didn't notice the girl walking towards her until she bumped into her. "Oh! I'm Sorry I-…" Yuffie stopped.
The girl she bumped into was Cissnei.
"Y-Yuffie?" She said. Yuffie couldn't make out her expression, probably disgust.
Yuffie didn't know what to do, her heart began to race and she breathed out. Why was she so panicky? It's just Cissnei. Her old friend. Her ex-best friend. The girl that quit hanging out with her first.
Cissnei opened her mouth to speak.
"I'm late, I have to go!" Yuffie said as she ran down the hall to her class. She stood outside the door and leaned against the wall to calm herself down. "What's next?" she said and opened the door to class. She made her way to her desk to find a pretty girl with shoulder length brown hair and mismatched eyes sitting in it.
"Oh. Umm…hello." The girl said with a soft voice.
Yuffie looked around and saw Cloud? And Sephiroth? She turned red as it dawned on her that she was in the wrong class.
"Hey Cutie!" A red-haired boy called out at her. "Yuna, introduce me to your friend."
"Freshman, Reno." Cloud said.
"She looks like she has standards." Sephiroth added.
"Shud up." The boy called Reno said.
Yuffie turned as the teacher cleared his throat. He was kinda handsome with slicked back black hair and a well-groomed beard. He was sitting on the edge of his desk holding a stuffed cat like plushie with a red cape and a crown. "I'm glad you are so eager to be in my class but I'm afraid you'll have to wait a couple years."
Yuffie laughed nervously. "I'll just exit from the window if you don't mind."
"Bend your knees and roll forward when you land." Cloud teased.
"Please use the door, miss freshman." The teacher said.
"O.k." Yuffie said and started to leave the room.
"Do you have a late slip?" the teacher asked.
"Yes." She replied.
He held out his hand. "Let me see it." She handed it to him, and he looked it over before saying "This won't hold water." He crumbled it up. "I'll write you one, no, how about three or four." He walked behind his desk and pulled out a small notebook, every teacher had a different way of doing late slips it would seem.
"Name?" he asked.
"Yuffie Kisaragi." She said.
"Here Miss Yuffie, don't use them all at once." He handed them to her. "Feel free to join us again."
"Thank you." Yuffie said as she looked over them as she left. The topmost slip read 'I requested the young Miss Yuffie procure me some papers from the office, my students were occupied with a quiz.' She decided to use that one and put the others in her notebook. As she entered, she handed the slip to Mrs. Barnes.
She gave it a scrutinizing look. "Tuesti. He can do his own errands, take your seat."
"Yes ma'am." Yuffie said as she sat down.
As Yuffie left her class she was grabbed by the brown-haired girl, didn't that boy call her Yuna?
"Hi! I'm Yuna! I like your shoes!" she beamed
"Thanks." Yuffie said.
"Which way is your next class?" Yuna asked.
"Oh, I have lunch next." She said
Yuna's mouth dropped. "Lucky! Me and my girlfriends don't get to eat until third wave and that boyfriend of mine just loves to rub it in that he is on 2nd wave and I'm so hungry by 3rd wave!"
Yuffie didn't know who was bubblier, Yuna or Aerith. "You've never met a stranger, have you?" She asked the girl.
She shook her head. "Nope! Gotta go, it was nice to meet you."
Yuffie waved bye and made her way to a waiting Cloud, ready for lunch. It seemed like everyone in the junior class was outgoing and cool. Not like her class, who mostly kept to their cliques.
She sat at the lunch table and unpacked her lunch as she waited for everyone to get their trays.
Once everyone sat down Cloud said. "So Yuffie."
'Oh boy' She thought.
"Could you just not wait 'till lunch to see me or what?" He smirked.
"What's he talking about?" Tifa asked.
"Yuffie" Cloud started "decided to visit me in Tuesti's class."
"No" Yuffie said "I visited Yuna." This got a laugh out of Cloud.
"What possessed you to do that?" Aeirth asked. "Wait! You know Yuna!" Aerith clapped her hands together. "I just love her!"
Yuffie scratched her head. "No, just met her. I was distracted and walked into the wrong room."
"All the way to what she thought was her seat." Cloud added.
"Girl, are you feeling o.k?" Aerith asked and put the back of her hand to Yuffie's forehead.
"I'm fine." She said "I used my charm to get extra late slips from teacher dude."
"What did the slips say anyways." Cloud asked. "He likes to write off the wall stuff."
"Lets see." Yuffie said as she dug in her backback for her notebook. "The one I used was about getting some papers from the office. The second is… 'I needed an extra test subject.'" Yuffie nodded. "Interesting fellow."
"He's cool though." Cloud said. "Anyways, next."
Yuffies eyes widened. "Explosive diarrhea!" She shook her head. "The heck!"
Cloud began to laugh.
Aerith said. "Well, I suppose you wont be late to often."
"Sounds about right." Tifa said then changed the subject "Did you see Cait Sith?"
"What's that?" Yuffie asked.
"A weird looking stuffed cat thing with a crown and cape." Tifa answered.
"Yeah, he was holding something like that. What's it for?"
Cloud spoke "He asks a question and chucks it at someone. You have to answer if he tosses it to you."
"That sounds fun." Yuffie said "More fun than Barnes's class anyway."
"Anything is more fun than her class." Aerith said. "I remember being in her class, I think the only thing that made it entertaining was Cloud and her going back and forth."
Vincent had a 'don't remind me look' as he shook his head.
"How you didn't get suspended by her is beyond me." Tifa reprimanded him.
Cloud shrugged. "She should be more likable."
"Yeah, yeah." Tifa said like an annoyed mother. "You should have been better behaved."
"Oh!" Yuffie remembered "Vincent! My dad wanted to know who your dad is, does he work at Shinra steel?"
Vincent nodded. "Yeah, he does. His name is Grimoire. Your dad work at Shinra steel?"
"No, he's works at Shinra electric, power plant three. He's an electrical engineer."
Vincent nodded. Yuffie interpreted that as an 'I see'.
"I think most peoples parents work at a Shinra plant around here." Tifa said "Aerith's dad works at the paper mill, my dad is at the chemical plant and Clouds mom works at the grist mill. Well, o.k that one isn't Shinra, but still."
"Grist mill?" Yuffie questioned.
"They make grain products." Cloud said. "I have more boxes of grits and oatmeal than I could ever eat…you're getting a box for Christmas."
"O.k…thanks." Yuffie went back to eating then slapped the table. "That reminds me!"
"Grits reminded you of something?" Aerith asked.
"No, the word 'mom' did. My mom wanted me to invite all of you over one weekend, doesn't have to be this weekend. She just wants to meet all of you."
"That would be awesome!" Tifa said
"We can add your house to the rotation." Aerith said gleefully.
"Rotation?"
"Yeah, when we hang out, we just kind of rotate from one house to the other." Aerith said, she then giggled "Tifa actually has her own room at Clouds place."
Tifa was about to say something when Yuffie pipped up "You two live together!"
"No!No!No!" Tifa hurriedly exclaimed and waved her hands in defense "We live next door to each other; We used to spend the night with each other all the time. When we got too old to sleep in the same bed, I got the spare room."
Cloud held his drink to his mouth in an attempt to not get dragged into anything.
Yuffie rubbed her chin dramatically. "That's a fishy sounding story."
"Looks like the great ninja is on to you two." Aerith teased with a coy look at Tifa and Cloud.
"Figuring things out is all a part of being a great ninja." Yuffie said proudly. She then leaned in towards Tifa and said. "So…are you and Cloud dating?"
She heard Cloud choke on his drink as Tifa turned red.
"Me!Me!Me!" Aerith said as she raised her hand. "I know the answer."
"Then tell me!" Yuffie said excitedly.
"They are but they aren't." Aerith stated.
"Eh?" Yuffie cocked her head to the side.
Aerith held up a finger as Cloud buried his head in Vincents shoulder to hide, Tifa put her head on the table which allowed Aerith to use her back as a rest for her elbow. "They act like a couple that's totally in love but are to scared to admit it. Believe me, you'll see more of it or my ribbons aren't pink." She nodded in affirmation.
"So, what you're saying is Seven has a chance." Yuffie said.
Before Cloud could convulse at hearing Seven's name the bell rang to end lunch.
"Oh, look at that all out of time!" Tifa said as she sprang up startling Aerith. "See ya in physics Cloud!"
"Told you." Aerith sang as she got up. "We all have physics together but look who she spoke to."
Before Yuffie could leave the table, Cloud handed her an envelope. "Your cut for the day." She reached for it, and he snatched it back. "I'm tempted to keep it for implying Seven has a chance."
Yuffie pouted and held out her hands like an orphan from a Charles Dickens novel. Cloud handed it to her, she looked in the envelope as they began to leave, her eyes went wide as she stared at the gil inside.
"Uh!? What's this for!" she said confused.
"Helping with the snacks, I split the profits. Typically, I pay on Fridays but I wasn't sure if you wanted to keep helping…"
"Heck yeah I do!" she cut him off.
He smirked. "I'll pick you up same time then."
"No, no mom can drop me off." Yuffie said. "It'd be easier that way."
"I don't mind it on my why." He said as they exited the main doors of the lunchroom.
She was about to continue her protest when she felt a hand on her head. It was Vincent "Welcome to the team." He said then grabbed clouds collar between two fingers. "Physics."
Yuffie smirked and shook her head. "Those two." She said it as if she'd been there with them since first grade. She turned to her left and headed towards her third class of the day.
Math.
She was good at it, but she hated it. When was stuff like imaginary numbers gonna be used in real life anyway?
She took her seat in the middle of the class, Kadaj took his seat next to her. The teacher wasn't in the class, so naturally all the students began to chat.
"So" Kadaj started "you hangin' with my brothers class I see."
Yuffie put her notebook on her desk and as she opened it said. "On the occasion."
"On the occasion? You eat lunch with them every day." He said quizzically.
She smiled at him "Very astute observation." She though for a second. "Wait. You never talk to me." She learned towards him "Do you have a crush on me?"
Kadaj turned red and stammered "N-nnnnO! I was just asking!"
"A likely story." Yuffie jeered.
"As if I'd be into a twig like you." Mumbled loud enough for her to hear.
"Twig?!" Yuffie crossed her arms in aggravation. "That's rich coming from a guy who can shop in the girls section."
He looked at her with a confused expression partly covered by his almost shoulder length silver hair. "The heck does that mean?"
"It means you are the size of a girl." Sephiroth was right, he is a little stupid. Anybody could figure out what she meant. She added "Girly boy."
"I just haven't hit my growth spurt yet!" he growled. "Stupid flat chested nerd." He added.
Yuffies eyes went wide with anger. "Oh yeah!" She yelled for all to hear as she pointed an angry finger at Kadaj. "You look like you cut your hair with glass!"
Kadaj looked slightly panicked and started to grabbed at his hair and try to inspect it as the class began to snicker and try not to laugh.
Wait, why were they trying to hide their laughs…
"Yuffie and Kadaj!"
She turned slowly to face the teacher at the front of the class. "Y-yes, Mrs. Highwind." Yuffie said.
The brown-haired women adjusted her glasses. "Both you and Kadaj stay after class. I want to have a word with the two of you."
"Yes ma'am." Yuffie and Kadaj groaned.
'Goodie.' Yuffie thought to herself 'getting in trouble with the teacher I like…stupid Kadaj'
After the uneventful class Yuffie tried to walk out but Shera Highwind's eyes were just too sharp.
"Now" She began "I haven't had any trouble from the two of you and all of a sudden here the two of you are saying rude things to each other." She looked genuinely concerned. "Is everything o.k at home?"
"Eh?" Yuffie put a hand to her hip and relaxed her knee.
Kadaj was equally confused. "W-what?"
"Your brothers aren't being mean to you are they? Loz is still at home, right? He is a sweet heart, I'll sure he'll step in if-"
Kadaj held up his hands "N-no, there's nothing like that going on"
Mrs. Highwind nodded "Well that's good, I'd hate to have to go up stairs to your father and tell him his sons aren't getting along." She cleared her throat, "One last thing Kadaj, those things you said to Yuffie, you shouldn't say things like that to a young lady. It's very rude."
"Yes ma'am." He sighed.
Yuffie was next.
"Yuffie, is everything alright?"
Yuffie nodded. "Yep."
"Are you sure?" Mrs. Highwind asked concerned.
"I'm an only child, things are grand." She answered.
She smiled. "Well, I'm relieved. As for what you said to Kadaj, boys can be just as self-conscious about their body."
Yuffie softly bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. She didn't need to snap back at Kadaj, the teacher was doing it for her.
"Now, the two of you make up and be sweet to each other."
"I'm sorry." They groaned in unison.
"Good." Mrs. Highwind smiled. She reached out and pressed her palm against their foreheads. "There, late slips."
Yuffie pulled the sticky note off her head, it read. 'Sorry, I had to keep Yuffie and Kadaj late. I'll make it up to you.' It was signed and had a smiley face on it.
Before they could leave she added. "I expect better attitudes tomorrow, o.k."
"O.k." Yuffie said.
"Sure." Kadaj said.
When they were in the empty hall Kadaj said. "She's too nice to be a teacher."
"I like her." Yuffie said. She didn't want to talk to him.
"I didn't say I didn't, it's just…I don't think she could handle a really bad kid." Kadaj voiced.
"I don't know, my mom is super nice but she can be scary." Yuffie stated. She still didn't want to talk to him.
"My brothers said that about Mrs. Highwind, something about her husband being a rough and tumble dude until she walks in the room." He snickered.
Yuffie grinned. "A smart man listens to his wife." She really didn't want to talk to him.
"I guess so." He said as he went to his last class. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow."
"O.k." She said as she headed to hers. 'I still don't wanna talk to you.' She thought to herself.
As Yuffie entered her mom's car she was met with unbridled enthusiasm.
"Yuffie! I remembered why the name Valentine sounded so familiar! Vincent is a published author!" She held a book up to Yuffie's face. Her mom looked like an excited teenager as her girlish glee spilled out.
Yuffie took the book and looked over it. It had Vincents name on it alright, no picture of him in the about the author page though.
"Eternal Night." Yuffie read the name aloud. "Yeah, that sounds like something he would write."
"It's a really good book." Her mom said as she began to drive "I never thought I'd be into a vampire romance, but man! That boy can write!" Her mom's glee continued to spill out.
"I know." Yuffie said proudly "I peer reviewed one of his short stories in class."
"Maybe he can help get you published?" Her mom said.
"W-w-why? What do I have to publish?" Yuffie stammered.
"All those nice stories you have stored on the computer." Her mom said
"Those are private." Yuffie crossed her arms.
"So is your laundry but I see that too." She said.
"W-w-huh?" Yuffie stuttered. "How are those related?" She questioned.
Her mother smiled mischievously "They are both hidden in the open, one in a topless bin the other in a file on the computer." She patted Yuffie's thigh "And both can be easily seen if a certain group comes over."
"Huh!?" Yuffie was very confused.
"I want an autograph please." Her mother said sweety.
"Y-you threaten to expose my writing and undies…so you could get an autograph?"
"Weeellllll" her mom started "That was just something I made up on the spot to distract you from me reading your latest work, I would never blackmail you. Also, I never said undies."
"So, you're who I get my wits from." Yuffie said.
"Yup." Her mom confirmed.
Yuffie changed into some thin sweatpants and a baggy shirt and grabbed her HI-8. She was considering taking it to school and recording some stuff. She used to do it in middle with Cissnei, but well, those days were over.
Yuffie sighed and said out loud. "Should I have talked to her today?" She set her camcorder by her backpack with an extra tape. "I …I miss my friend." She turned on her tv and put a dvd in the PlayStation. "Maybe I'll ask Tifa and Aerith about it."
"Yuffie!" Her mom called "Dinner!"
"'Kay!" She made her way to the table and saw her dad sitting down. "Oh, hey dad. When did you get home?"
"Five, like usual." He said
Yuffie put her arms around his neck. "And you didn't say hi to your favorite daughter."
"How did you know about my other daughter?"
"Come again?" Yuffie said as she sat down.
"Hush." Her mom said as she sat the white rice and grilled fish on the table. "We agreed not to tell her about that, remember."
"I'm just going to ignore that." Yuffie said. "I swear, I think I'm more mature than the two of you at times."
Her father laughed. "Hey, you're never too old to have fun. Anyways, anything interesting happen at school?"
"Not much, I made 30 gil." Yuffie said as she fixed her plate.
"How did you get 30 gil?" Her dad asked interested.
"Working for Cloud." She answered.
"Doing what?" Her mom asked concerned. "Did he…umm…did you…."
"Is Cloud selling drugs?" Her dad said. "I told you he was no good."
"What!? No!" Yuffie exclaimed. "He sells snacks and drinks, he has a big set up. He brings boxes of chips and a cooler, he even refrigerated his locker. Me and the others help him out."
"When?" her mom asked.
"Like, 30 minutes before class."
"Wait." Her dad said. "You made half my hourly wage in about thirty minutes?"
Yuffie nodded.
"Is he taking applications?" He asked.
Both Yuffie and her mom burst out laughing. "I'll ask him."
"Oh! Yuffie." Her mom piped up. "Guess who I just got off the phone with before dinner."
"Who?" Yuffie asked. "Was it Ba-chan!" She asked excitedly
"Nope." She said with a devious smile "It was Mrs. Highwind."
The excitement fell from Yuffies face. "Oh." She laughed nervously.
"What's this about?" Her dad asked.
"Nothing much dear, Yuffie just told that Kadaj boy that he looks like he cuts his hair with glass."
"HAHAHA!" Her dad burst out. "He does!"
"I know right?" Yuffie grinned.
Yuffies's mom gave both of them a look that was quick to shut them up. "Anyways, Mrs. Highwind explained everything. She was worried about you, its not like you to act out like that." Her mom rested her hand in her chin and smiled. "She don't know my baby too well do she?"
"HA!" Her dad exclaimed.
"Hey, I get it honest at least." Yuffie said.
"Yeah" Her mom agreed. "But if you do it again you are grounded."
Yuffie laughed in nervous defeat. "Don't worry, I won't." She then remembered. "Oh, dad. Vincent's dad is Grimoire, and he does work at Shinra steel."
Her dad nodded. "That's what I thought. I've met him a few times during some joint design meetings."
"Cool." Yuffie said.
"When are your friends going to come over?" Her mom asked.
Yuffie shrugged. "I dunno."
"You did ask them, right?"
Yuffie nodded. "Yeah. I told them whenever."
"O.k, so long as you asked them."
The phone began to ring, and her dad got up to answer it. "Hello." Yuffie heard her dad say from the kitchen. "We're eating dinner right now…yes…I don't see why not. I'm sure her mother is fine with it as well. You too, bye."
Her father sat back down.
"What is it I'm fine with Godo dear?" Her mom asked him.
"Humm? Oh, a Girl named Tifa asked if Yuffie could meet everybody for ice cream later."
"That's wonderful!" her mom smiled wide. "You and your new friends are getting along so well."
"Yeah, I like them a lot." Yuffie blushed. She looked at her dad "Hey, when did they say to go?"
"About an hour." He replied.
"Awesome." Yuffie said.
She spent the rest of dinner happily chatting with her parents, barely able to hide her excitement at getting to hang out with Cloud and the others.
In her bliss she began to think that maybe high school wouldn't be that bad after all.
Arthors note:
Getting kinda annoyed at the spam messages in the review section. Dm's, that's fine, I can ignore those but in the reviews! Have thee no shame!
That being said,
Thanks for the REAL reviews! I like the ones that give valid criticism! Well, I like all reviews really, but especially the ones that help me to improve. Yes, it is a style choice to not name parents outright. I prefer a more natural way for this story, well have them introduce themselves or someone else say their name that is.
The class schedule is based off how my high school did things when I was in school. Four classes per day each ranging from an hour to almost two hours. If you where a senior and had enough credits and mandatory classes, you could qualify for early release. I did, so I would get done with school at 11 every day. It was nice. It's not important to the story or going to occur in the story, I just wanted to brag.