Stupify
Chapter Seven
By Sniffles
Stupify
Chapter Seven
By Sniffles
Pop.
Snap.
Pop.
Snap.
"Uh... Seifer..?"
He looks up, brows raised in question. "Could you stop that?" He's driving me insane.
"Stop.. what?" He asks, tilting his head ever so slightly.
"Cracking your knuckles." I can't stand it when people crack their knuckles. I remember one time when Kiros, Ward and I were being held prisoner. I don't remember much about our time in the prison, hell I don't even remember our escape. Kiros has told me that I was the one who led the escape but I don't know about that. But, what I remember about our time in that prison was the knuckle cracking. Or should I say bone cracking?
It was a form of punishment. Disobey prison rules and they'd break your bones. Yeah, I know knuckle cracking isn't quite the same thing but when I hear the popping and snapping... I have visions of ... Well... you know.
His eyes narrow. For a moment I'm sure he'll say no, but then he surprises me and mutters, "Okay."
He asked me to join him here last night, after taking me back to my room. I was surprised, but I accepted. So, now, after training we're sitting in the cafeteria. He's not talking. Just like he didn't speak much yesterday. But there's something different about him. Something different about the way he looks at me. Something different about the way he sounds when he does speak to me. It's disturbing.
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Kid Wonder asks suddenly.
"Uh.. sure." I shrug, what could he possibly want to ask me? My heart starts beating just that much faster. I hope I don't embarass myself. Shit. I should have said no.
"Well, uh, I k-know that you were in l-love with R-raine and... and.." He's stuttering. My god... since when does the perfect Kid Wonder stutter? "I-I was.. wondering... how do you tell.." His voice drops, becoming so low I have to lean forward to catch his words, "When you're in love?"
He won't meet my gaze. What a question... how do you tell when you're in love? "That's a hard one." I find myself muttering as I lean back and rub my chin. How do you tell when you're in love? How did I know I was in love with Raine? Or.. even Kiros. How do I know I'm in love with him? "Everyone.. is different when it comes to love." I murmur softly, choosing my words carefully. "But, the way I knew I was in love.. well.."
I think about Raine. Beautiful, sweet Raine. A smile curves my lips. "I knew I was in love with Raine when I couldn't stand the thought of her being out of my sight. I loved looking at her. Just watching her. The simplest thing.. would make my heart ache. It's funny.. love is supposed to be a positive emotion, but my heart ached alot when I was in love with Raine." I laugh, thinking of all the times I'd made a fool of myself in front of her. But she loved me anyway. No matter how idiotic I looked.. she loved me. "She was so perfect... to me anyway. I loved everything about her..."
He's staring at me with this really sad look on his face. I shake my head slowly, my smile gone. "Love is.. enigmatic. Y'know? It's not something that.. can be .." I chew on my lower lip, "Listen, only you will know when you're in love Seifer. And trust me, you'll know."
"Laguna?" He shifts uncomfortably, meeting my gaze even though it's obvious he's having a hard time doing so.
"Yeah?"
Suddenly his hands are on my shoulders and he's pulling me towards him. I squeak in surprise but before I can speak he's kissing me. Those soft, sweet lips taste.. so nice. He pulls back, tears in his eyes. Tears?
"Laguna... I.. I love you." He whispers. Then he's on his feet and gone.
I don't have a chance to react.
I stare at the spot where he'd been sitting, my mind numb with shock.
Holy shit.
My life just gets better and better.
"Seifer?"
He stiffens when he hears my voice. He grips his gunblade in both hands, turning to stare in my general direction. I say in my general direction because he doesn't actually look at me. He doesn't speak, just stares, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles are white.
"Mind if I.. join you?" I hold up my machine gun with a sheepish smile.
He shrugs and turns away.
All right. Step one completed. Now what? What do I say? What can I say? Listen kid, I'm in love with Kiros and much as I like you... no. That wouldn't work. Seifer, I respect you. You're a great kid but... no. That wouldn't work either.
He's ahead of me now. I'm so busy thinking of what to say that I don't notice when we enter the west side. That is, I don't notice until we come upon the biggest freakin' T-Rex to ever grace the training area. Oh crap... Out of the pot, into the fire.
"Use your GF!" Kid Wonder snaps as he raises his gunblade and charges the large beast.
GF? What GF? I didn't equip GF! "I uh... I..."
"What are you waiting for?!" He screams, hopping out of the way as the T-Rex swats at him with one huge... paw?
"I don't have any GF's."
His face registers a brief moment of shock. He meets my gaze. "Shit." He mutters.
"Well, don't you have any?" I ask, raising the machine gun and unleashing a round of fire at the T-Rex.
It roars and swats again. Dumb shit probably thinks we're just little bugs. Without GF's... we may as well be.
"The only GF's I have equipped wouldn't do shit all against a T-Rex." He snaps, turning his face away and raising the gunblade.
He rushes.
I watch as the blade slashes into the T-Rex's side. I hear the bang as Kid Wonder's gunblade explodes. I watch as Kid Wonder dodges a blow from a huge leg and runs back to my side. "Shall we run?" I ask him.
"Yeah." He responds quickly, "Head for the trees. We might be able to lose it in there."
"Right."
And we run.
As the world rushes past I can't help thinking that we have no chance in the world to outrun a T-Rex.
Suddenly something hits me in the back so hard I'm lifted off my feet.
I'm flying.
All my life I've wanted to fly. Here I am flying and all I can think is how much I don't want to fly. Ironic? Ne?
I would have laughed if I wasn't so busy shitting my pants.
Oh yes, but the fates are kind. A nice tree reaches out to stop my flight. Impacting with the tree hurts more than whatever it was that sent me on this flight in the first place.
Finally I stop moving.
My stomach doesn't. I lean over and puke so hard I'm sure my intestines are now lying on the ground. Then the world grows dim.
I just lay there panting, listening to the screams of a human and a beast.
Holy shit.
Isn't my life just great? Wanna' trade places for awhile.... please?