Connecticut
Chapter Five
By Jamaica
Author's Note: Squaresoft owns characters. Everything else belongs to me. Copyrighted. I know absolutely nothing about motorcycles, so I just used a name I saw in the book Stinger. So it could be a really ugly and old one but just pretend it's really cool. Anyone knows anything about cool motorcycles you can tell me, I just need a name.
Connecticut
Chapter Five
By Jamaica
"Look out!"
Squall turned just in time as the football zoomed past his neck. His companion behind him, though, jumped up and caught the flying olive object in front of her chest.
"Good catch."
Seifer walked toward the two coming from the streets with a wide grin. "Haven't see you since forever, Fu."
"Yeah, well, nobody missed you." Fujin handed him the football. Then she also smiled widely and wrapped him in a hug. "Much."
"Heh, right." Seifer buried his face in Fujin's hair. "Whoa, who did this?"
"Me. Who else?" Fujin released him. "Now where's that dumbass friend of yours? I'm here to take him back to prison."
"Hey! It's Fu, ya know."
A giant came running from the direction of the backyard. He looked at least six-foot-four, with huge muscles and the physiques of a professional athlete. He was sweat-soaked in a white T-shirt and some black pants. It looked like Seifer and him had been playing football for quite some time.
"Yeah, it's me. Now get in the squad car or I'm gonna have to use my handcuffs and gun." Fujin motioned with her hands. The giant just laughed and started to give her a hug, but Fujin backed away. "Ew, sweat."
"Seif's about as wet as I am, ya know." The giant replied.
"Yeah, well, he's Seifer, you're Raijin." Fujin retorted. "Oh, Squall, this mumbling fool's Raijin."
Squall narrowed his eyes. "How did all of you know each other?"
"Washington Central Conference." Fujin explained. "Summer program. My luck that half of the people there decide to come here for college. Quistis, Irvine, from there, too. Who else?"
"Don't forget Zell and Selphie." Seifer added.
"Oh yeah, those two crazy chemists. They're exactly what you label 'mad scientists'. They live like, a few blocks down in an apartment." Fujin pointed to the southern side.
"I'm . . . glad you all found each other." Squall frowned. "Yeah, well, I'll see you." So *that's* why she insisted on coming here, he thought, knowing she'll run into old friends. He started walking to the porch when someone's arm swung around him.
"Aw, feeling left out, pretty boy?" Seifer.
Squall sighed in frustration and shrugged the arm off. He continued until he heard Raijin exclaimed. "Whoa, check out the bike, ya know! Yours, Squall?"
"Yeah," He answered without turning.
"Man, it's awesome, ya know. A real beaute, ya know."
"Uh-huh."
"Can I take it for a spin, ya know?"
"No," This time he stopped to glance at the brown giant hunching over his Honda 250cc. Freshmen weren't allowed to have cars on campus. However, to get to campus on foot from this location was absurd. He wouldn't leave his motorcycle behind anyways; had it with him since he started high school. It saved his parents from getting him a car.
"Don't bother asking him, Raij," Seifer cut in. "He doesn't even let his own sister ride it."
"That's because she doesn't know *how* to." He spat and spun around. He walked to his motorcycle and started to push it down the driveway. Didn't get a chance to do that yet since he got ambushed by a football the second he left the seat.
"What's his problem now?" He heard Seifer talking to Fujin. She mumbled something incoherent and Seifer ah-ed. Whatever.
He locked the motorcycle and walked back up the stairs, emerging from the door in the kitchen. Quistis was standing in front of the table with all of their mail. She greeted him briefly; her eyes never left the papers in her hands. Fumbling through the pile, she suddenly came to a stop and gasped. He looked at the thick plain white envelope she was clutching like it was her last breath of life. All he could make out was a picture of a can of film on the return address.
"Yes! Yes!" Quistis started hopping as soon as she tore open the envelope and scanned the first piece of paper. Her grin could split metal sheets. She turned a circle, hollering, and then ran out the room.
Squall raised his eyebrows. "O-kay," Bewildered, he retreated to the stairs and up to his attic. His art studio. And looked out the window.
The sun had just begun to set. Fibers of rose and gold weaved into the sky as clouds in the distance bore same tint of red. The sun peeked through the trees, dotting yellow light on the windowpane. Squall smiled. He unrolled his canvas and set up the easel and paint. He needed to capture the picture before it could fade to oblivion. A few basic colors here and there, simple but vital for the memories. The critical shapes, lines, contours. Color can be brightened with imagination; places to inspire color for the imagination cannot be reinvented.
"It'll be a lot faster if you just take a picture, you know."
Squall shook and his brush tipped, accidentally spilling some blue onto the gold. "Quistis, do you mind?"
"What's wrong?"
Squall held down his temper. "Why does every single person I run into ask me what's wrong? Nothing!"
"Besides being sexually assaulted by a jerk, you mean."
His hand stopped. "Fujin told you?"
"No, Seifer told me. He offered the info, I didn't ask."
"Well, Seifer need to learn when to keep his mouth shut." He spun around in anger. "I don't know what's the rules are in this house, but people *do* have private things that they don't like sharing with the rest of the city. That's why they're called *private*. If I want your intervention I would've asked you. If I want your sympathy I would've also asked you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a very pressing professor in my major who assigned a critical assignment on the first day of class, and I need to work on it. Please leave."
He turned back to his canvas. The sun had faded into the dark green leaves. He sighed audibly. Sunsets are unfortunately evanescent.
"When Keith Prishner is involved, there is no such thing as privacy! If he really does has his eyes on you, then I recommend you start off with a gun. He's capable of anything and his family's rich. I came up here to give you a warning not to attack you, au contraire, I'm here because I actually care about your well-being and don't want to see you get hurt. You running into Keith is already bad luck. Him running after you is ten times worse."
Then she left.