Meant To Be
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns all the characters. I don’t own anything.
~ Pov switches between Seifer and Squall. ~
Meant To Be
Chapter 4
Some of the younger students were kicking a ball around near my table. I watched them laughing and joking with each other. I sat at a wooden picnic table on one of the far school fields.
I absently munched on my burger; I sat alone to gather my thoughts. It had been three days since I last spoke to Squall, I’ve seen he since then but he’s been avoiding me. I see him around the lockers a lot; he always looks at me with a nervous, sad look. I don’t know what he has to be afraid of; I’d never hurt him. I smile at him but he never returns it.
My gaze is suddenly caught when three figures settle down for lunch in the shade of a large oak tree. They laugh and joke, Zell and Kurt are full of smiles but the brunette struggles to join in, his smile is small and falters every time. The other two obviously want to make him happy; they joke and fool around. He does smile but it never reaches his eyes. His friends don’t seem to notice they carry on regardless. I’m a keen Squall observer; I’ve had lots of practise. His lips smile but his eyes look sad, lonely and left out. His friends are a couple, a cute couple; Squall envy’s that. Kurt and Zell mean well they want to help but they are only making it worse.
I smile to myself. For the last few days I’ve watched Squall, learnt his ways and his moods. It’s like he’s my best friend, I know him better than anyone including my girlfriend.
What’s wrong with me?
When he’s happy, I’m happy even when he’s not talking to me. When he’s sad, I want nothing more than comfort him and to found out what or who has upset him.
I watch him now sitting in a circle with his friends; he’s facing in my direction. He’s absently eating his chips, but his mind’s not on them, he’s a million miles away. His eyes are fixed to the ground; he looks lost and confused.
He frowned suddenly glancing up at me; he must have felt me watching him. I smiled at him, he quickly looks back at the ground, he glances up at me from time to time. I never took my eyes off him.
I sat down for lunch with my friends. They could tell I was upset over something but I wouldn’t tell them what. They joked around trying to make me feel better, I smiled politely for their sakes but it didn’t help my mood. I sat there trying not to think of Seifer, it was hard though. He was dating my sister and I was having warm, fuzzy feelings about him, it wasn’t right. To make matters worse he wasn’t discouraging me. I don’t know what he was thinking that night at my house. I thought Seifer just wanted to be friends and I misunderstood, but you don’t watch your friends sleep and you definitely don’t kiss them. I love my sister and I wouldn’t want anyone to hurt her but.... it’s such a mess.
I frown, feeling someone watching me. I look straight up and into the eyes of Seifer. Oh shit! Speak of the devil. I back at the ground again quickly. He smiled at me . Why? We’ve been avoiding each other so I thought he felt as uncomfortable as I did. I glance up quickly to see if he’d notice, he hasn’t looked away yet, I’m starting to feel uncomfortable. I eat my chips quicker maybe I can escape. I know it’s cowardly to run but I can’t stay here.
“Guys I-er-have to go.”
“Why?”
“I... um.. forgot I have to go to.... the.... library.” That’s a terrible excuse.
Kurt followed my gaze as I glanced up at Seifer again.
“Don’t let him bully you away.”
“What?!” I hadn’t told them. How did he know?
“I’m not blind! You turn away in corridors when Seifer is around. I thought you two got on.”
I looked back at the grass. I hadn’t wanted to tell them but now that Kurt knew I wanted to tell him everything. I told my friends the whole truth.
“HOLY SHIT!!”
Zell kept glancing over at Seifer even though I told him not to. I didn’t want them to act any differently to towards him.
“It’s not his fault.”
“God! Stop defending him!”
I snapped my mouth shut, not realizing I had defended him. They were still firing questions at me, which made me more uncomfortable.
“Sorry guys but I really have to...” I trailed off, getting up and walking off.
I didn’t pay attention to where I was going. I was deep in my mind when someone grabbed me from behind by the shoulders. I snapped out of it, expecting to see Zell or Kurt or even Seifer but I was shocked at who I saw.
Connor, Kane and Duncan the guys I’d ran from at my old school. Of course everyone bullied the queer but they were the worst. Quickly I scanned my surroundings; I was still on School property they shouldn’t be here. No one was out here they were all at the lunch area. I had nowhere to run, I was so dead.
“Hey Queer. Do you guys in your school know what you are?”
OH CRAP!
I watched Squall leave his friends and wander off, I knew it was my fault both Kurt and Zell shot me evil looks. They knew. I watched him until he was out of sight; he headed in the opposite direction to school. Where was he going?
I knew I should just leave him be, but I couldn’t. I left my burger on the table and followed him. I kept far enough behind so that he wouldn’t see me. I halted suddenly seeing three boys approach him. Were they friends of his? They weren’t from our school. I watched out of sight for a while, he looked scared of the boys. I couldn’t hear what was being said but it wasn’t good. Squall made a run for it but one of them grabbed him and punched him a couple of times.
My eyes grew wide, I sprung from my hiding place and I was beside him in a heartbeat. The guys were Squall’s height or just above so I used my 6:2ft height advance over them. The front guy, a blonde he wasn’t intimidated in the slightest, he stood up to me.
“Who the hell is this guy?!”
I saw Squall palm blood away from his lip and wince. I turned back to the smug blonde and didn’t hesitate to smack him in the face. He went straight down but I carried on kicking him. I was so surprised he didn’t try to hit me back, I had expected a fight. The other two guys shared a look and fled. I guess I scared them. Good.
I eventually left the guy on the floor and turned back to check on Squall. He had a split lip and a red mark under his eye that would turn into a black eye. He looked so vulnerable at that moment. I wanted so much to comfort him. I stepped close and lifted his chin so I could look in his eyes.
“Come on let’s get you to the medical room.”
I gently led him back to school. I put an arm around his waist in comfort and because I wanted to be close to him.
Many students noticed Squall’s injuries, no one said anything but there were whispers. Squall seemed to get more upset with each look, I half expected him to burst into tears. We got to the medical room and I knocked on the door after no one answered I entered. The room was empty; the nurse had left for lunch. I led Squall inside.
“There’s no one here, it doesn’t matter. I-I’ll be okay.” His voice shook with every word and it was clear he wanted to run away and cry somewhere but I wasn’t about to leave him like that.
“No you won’t, sit down.” I gestured to a nearby chair.
Reluctantly he did what I said. I rummaged though the first aid cupboard, finding some cotton wool. I held under the tap to get it damp, then knelt in front of the brunette. I gently dabbed at his split lip with the cotton wool and he winced.
“Sorry.”
I looked up at him to see his eyes shimmering with unshed tears, he was biting his lip to hold them back.
“Squall?”
He broke down and openly cried in front of me, shame swimming in his eyes. He didn’t have anything to be ashamed about; I’d never think any less of him. I leaned up and took him into my arms. I felt his tears fall against my shoulder and he wrapped his arms around me.
“Hey it’s okay; they won’t hurt you any more.”
“But what if-”
I pulled back so I could look him in the eyes. “I won’t let them hurt you anymore.”
His eyes searched mine. I don’t know what he was looking for, but he must have found it because he smiled. I smiled back at him; he had the most beautiful smile ever. I made me feel good to see him smile, to see the tears stop, to know that I had caused that.
TBC.