Chapter 3
Why does he look so happy?
Ask him yourself.
Shiva, are you talking again?
A girlish laugh sounded in Squall’s head, duh, can’t you hear my voice?
Squall rolled his eyes. “Zell?”
Zell jumped sky high, and shrieked like a girl, “yeeeah, don’t do that, Squall.”
An amused look crossed Squall’s face. It was only a slight change to his normal stoic look, so Zell didn’t notice. “Did I scare you?” Zell did notice the slight change in his voice though.
“Yes, you thought that was funny, didn’t you?” Zell walked further into the room and set down at his desk, half glaring at Squall.
Funny, I got a glare, from the normal happy, bouncy Zell.
Yes, you know he’s waiting for an answer, Squall.
Oh right, “it did look funny.”
“Ha ha, really funny, you almost gave me a heart attack.” Zell shook his head, his cheeks flaming. Squall was staring a little too hard. “What,” he finally asked?
What were you . . .
Out loud, Squall . . . Shiva giggled.
Squall leaned back on the couch, putting his hands behind his head. Zell blushed, he could see his muscles ripple through his tight T-shirt. “You just get in?”
Oh, whoops this must look bad. “I feel asleep. Quistis said she didn’t have the heart to wake me, so I spent the night.”
“You . . . are you two . . . ”
Zell’s eyes went wide. Is that what he thinks? “No, of course not. She’s nice and all, and pretty, but not my type.” Zell grinned, “and besides, she’s too tall for me.”
“Oh, so you won’t go out with someone taller then you.”
Zell blushed, “well maybe if it’s the right person.” Like you. As if, that would ever happen.
Quistis looked at the two guys that had agreed to help her. They only reason they had agreed was because they were Trepies and this was a perfect opportunity for them.
“So what is it we have to do again, Miss. Trepe?” Trepie number one asked.
Quistis grinned, “Zak,” the Trepie almost fainted. She knew his name, “here’s the plan. I have a friend, who is dating a girl, who I believe is not right for him. What we have to do is: I’m going to go to him and beg him to let me borrow his girlfriend.”
Trepie number two looked confused, “Borrow?”
“Yes. I’m going to say that you,” She pointed to Zak, “asked me out on a date. And I said yes, but then you asked me to get a date for your friend.”
“Me,” Trepie number two questioned?
“Yes, Sean, knowing my friend, he’ll say yes.”
“Your friend will say yes, to letting another guy take his girl out?” Zak looked dumfounded.
“Sure, and that’s where you guys come in. We will approach her and ask, with my friend watching of course.”
“Hmm, why,” Zak asked?
“Well, she’ll either say yes and be all flirty or say no and be very nasty, either way my friend will get a clue about how she really is.”
“Okay, I guess we’re in,” Zak and Sean said, anything to be in Quistis presents.
“Good, and you can’t act, like you normally do. I’m just a regular girl you’re going on a date with.”
Rinoa ran into Squall and Zell’s room not even knocking. She ran past Zell, elbowing him hard in the process. Zell grunted, and fell back, throwing a glare at the dark-haired girls back. Squall noticed all of this and frowned.
Squall sighed, what does she want now?
Squall honey. You are her boyfriend. Are you going to live this lie forever?
I appreciate the concern, Shiva. But I owe it to her don’t I?
It was not your fault what happened to her, Squall. You didn’t drag her into the war. I seem to remember it was her that contacted us.
Yes, then she was possessed by Matron . . . well Ultimecia. And she saved me in time compression.
Maybe, but that doesn’t mean you owe her your whole life.
What should I do?
Well the words ‘dump her skinny a. . . .
You don’t like anyone do you?
Hey, that’s not true. I like your other friends, Selphie, Quistis, even Irvine. I really like Zell. Did you see what she did to him?
Squall frowned, Yes, maybe it was an accident.
Could be, but it would have been nice of her to say sorry.
Squall tuned Shiva out when he noticed Rinoa was smiling up at him. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Hmm?” Squall looked over the girls shoulders and noticed Zell, sitting in his desk chair. He had a hurt look on his face and he was rubbing his side. Zell looked up at Squall, and he could have sworn there were tears in his baby blue eyes.
Rinoa didn’t notice that Squall’s attention wasn’t on her and started to go on about how much fun she had the other day on their date. Squall just nodded, not saying anything.
“We should go again,” Rinoa cooed, smiling sweetly.
That brought Squall’s attention back to the dark-haired girl, “not today,” he muttered.
Rinoa started to pout, “why,” she whined?
Squall hated it when she whined. It sounded like someone running their fingernails over a chalkboard. Squall looked at Rinoa’s face and noted that she didn’t look so pretty when she whined either.
“...”
Rinoa huffed, getting mad. He was being all stoic with her again. She thought she was finally breaking through the man’s quietness. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“No,” was all Squall said.
“Are you sick,” Rinoa whined?
Yes, of you . . . “something like that.”
“Oh,” Rinoa whispered, “I’ll leave you alone then.” She glanced at Zell, “maybe you should leave him alone too.” Her voice still had its sweet tone to it, but both boys could hear something extra. She was jealous that Zell would be alone with him.
That made Squall mad. “No, Zell’s fine. This is his room too.”
Rinoa nodded, her face red. She went to the door and left without saying another word.
Zell glanced over at Squall. Did he just in a way say he’d rather have me around, then Rinoa?
Standing up, Zell winced in pain. Rinoa had really hit him hard.
Squall frowned. Was he really hurt? “I’m sorry,” Squall whispered.
A surprised look passed over Zell’s tattooed face, “what? Why?”
“She elbowed you. She should be the one saying sorry, but well . . . ”
Zell smiled, “oh, thanks. I’m okay.” He walked over to the couch and set next to Squall, wincing again.
“Oh, you’re really okay,” Squall said, reaching out, to raise Zell’s shirt. Zell turned blood red.
“R...really I’m fine,” Zell stuttered.
Squall gently ran his fingers down the abused flesh, making Zell shiver, “that’s a nasty bruise.” It was. It was right above Zell’s hip bone, on his right side. It was starting to turn purple.
“Mm..” Zell bit his tongue hard, stopping the moan that wanted out. “Maybe, but I’ve had worse.”
Squall dryly smiled. He remembered. “Stay put,” Squall instructed, getting up.
Zell nodded, feeling confused, as he watched Squall inter their bedroom. A few minutes later he came back holding a small tube.
“What’s that,” Zell whispered?
Squall poured some of the contents from the bottle into his hands, and set back down next to Zell. Zell shrieked when he started to rub the stuff into his side.
“Cold,” Squall smirked. “It’s healing cream.”
“O...oh,” Zell’s eyes fluttered, as the pain in his side was replaced by a very comforting feel of Squall massaging his side.
+Knock! Knock+
Zell looked the clock. Was it that time already? He grinned seeing that it was.
Squall gave Zell’s side one last rub, before standing up, going to the door.
Opening the door revealed a smiling blonde. Quistis smiled and walked in, when Squall motioned her in.
“I have a huge favor to ask,” Quistis said.
Squall nodded, signaling her to go on.
Quistis nervously grinned. Zell almost laughed. This girl was becoming a superb actress.
“Well it’s like this. Can I please borrow Rinoa!”
Zell had to bit his tongue to keep the laughter at bay, Squall looked so confused.
“Borrow?” Squall looked at Quistis, who was nervously playing with the hem of her blouse.
“You see . . . um . . . I have a date . . . and um, well he said, he won’t be able to go out with me, unless his friend could find a date. I asked Selphie and Irvine, but they were already busy, and Irvine doesn’t trust Selphie.” It was a lie. Irvine did trust Selphie.
“So . . . ”
“Well I thought if you didn’t mind, Rinoa might agree to go out with his friend.” Quistis smiled, now nervously tugging at her hair.
Wow, she’s good. Zell watched the two, wondering what Squall would say.
Sure, what have I got to lose, maybe she’ll find she likes this guy better.
“I guess it’s okay.”
Quistis beamed up at Squall, “thank you!” She ran to the door, “I’ll go ask her now!”
“Wanna go train,” Zell asked, looking at Squall? Say yes! We have to if the plans to work.
Squall pondered the question for a few seconds. “Sure.” Zell grinned, from ear to ear.
Zell pulled on Squall’s arm, stopping him, “hey look it,” he pointed down the hallway. It was Quistis and two guys. They were approaching Rinoa.
Quistis smiled at Rinoa. “Hey, Ri,” Quistis walked up to the brown-haired girl, Zak and Sean trailing behind her.
“Oh, hello Quistis,” Rinoa smiled at the blonde girl and curiously eyed the two guys behind her.
Zak played his role very well, putting an arm around Quistis shoulder. Quistis blushed looking up at the taller man.
“This is Zak, and Sean.” The boys nodded at Rinoa and smiled.
“Hey,” Rinoa was eyeing Sean like he was a piece of meat. Quistis noticed and inwardly grinned.
“Rinoa Zak and I have a favor to ask.”
“Oh, what?”
“We have a date, and Sean is visiting Zak from Galbadia and Zak feels bad leaving him out. So do you think you’d want to double with us?”
Rinoa smiled at Sean, who looked a little scared.
“Oh sure, I’d love to,” she purred.
This was Sean’s que. “Wait, I thought she had a boyfriend.”
Rinoa waved her hand, dismissing his comment, “oh don’t worry about him. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
Quistis blinked, acting surprised. “RINOA, I’m shocked. I, of course asked Squall first, because I didn’t want him to think you were two timing him.”
Rinoa laughed, “oh don’t act all shocked Quistis. I am a woman and I do have needs.”
“Needs,” Sean whispered. He was playing his role too well. He was also very scared of this woman.
“Oh yes! Squall won’t give it up for me, so I have to find it somewhere else,” She winked at Sean.
Sean backed away from the girl, “I’m sorry Quistis, I’m not like that. I don’t want to double any more.”
Quistis smiled at Sean, “it’s okay I understand.” She turned to Rinoa. “How can you say things like that!” Quistis was actually really mad. There was a time when she had feelings for Squall, and she still did. They were friendship feelings now, though.
“What,” Rinoa yelled? “I do have needs!”
“Well then maybe you should leave! Squall deserves somebody who will be understanding and wait for when he’s ready!”
“He’s a guy! Guys aren’t supposed to want to wait,” Rinoa glared at the people in front of her. “Something must be wrong with him.”
“Don’t you find that sexist,” Quistis yelled, her face growing red, in her anger.
“Um, that is sexist,” Zak spoke up, eeping when Rinoa shot him a nasty look.
“What! Do you know any other male virgins?”
Could Rinoa be this stupid? Did she think all guys were sluts like her?
“Of course I do!”
“Like who,” Rinoa sneered?
“It’s not my place to tell you,” Quistis glanced to Zak and Sean.
“Oh um,” Sean looked down, “I’m one.”
“Me too,” Zak said.
“See,” Quistis smiled at Zak and Sean, mouthing ‘thank you.’
“Whatev,” Rinoa yelled.
“The correct pronunciation of that word is, ‘whatever.’”
Rinoa paled, turning around. Squall with the most expressing look she has ever got out of him was glaring at her. Zell was standing behind the taller boy, with an equally mad look on his face.
R&R Please!