Phantom Dreams

Evening Plots

Selphie was ordering around some students with a clip board in her hands. "Oh hiya Squall!" She smiles and shoo's them all away to their posts.

Squall smiled a little,"What are you doing?"He asked,nodding towards the students,having to many things to keep track of to remember which of selphie's plans she was doing.

"Oh come on Squall! It's going to be Easter!!" Selphie giggles. "Hey how's Seifer?" She asks going serious more.

Squall shrugged a little."Seifer's...seifer."He sighed,"Sometimes I can see the man he was...and sometimes I feel like I'm kicking a dog that's already been kicked to much."He frowned a little at the analogy,but it was suitable towards the way the blond had first acted.

"Ah!! I just had a great idea! Come with me!" Selphie smiles widely. She grabs his arm and starts walking off with a purpose.

Squall drug his feet a little,but followed anyways,it was easier going along with him instead of protesting."Now what are we doing?"

"Zell!!!" Selphie hollers at the Martial arts gymish room. she knew the blonde man would be there.

"yea?"He said,catching the boxing bag in his hands to stop it, looking at the two.

Squall sighed,now quite confused at what she was going to do.

"I am inciting a No Flub Law! And your going to have classes! Anyone who's flubby must come and work out! Arm's, Leg's, abdomens.. mmm six packs a must! everyone must be healthy! And there will be an endurance test after the classes whoever fails has to do the class again. Irvy can help out too! He does excersizes! Well what do you think?! It's agood idea right!? To make Seifer do something? and become part of us again? Not that he really was part of us considering him trying to kill us all the time and everything but still now we can make him a part of us! We'll have an even bigger gang and a whole lot more fun!!" Selphie says excitedly. She was bouncing in her boots.

Both men stared at her in shocked silence,not sure what to say.

Zell swallowed hard,overcoming it."I am not flubby.Why must I participate?"

Squall frowned a little,not upset,more like a thoughtful frown, as he idly looked around the room,before back at the girl."Its...it sounds good."He said,many things sounded good- they hardly ever turned out like you planned."But you can tell him he's participating."he said.

"Because' you'll be the instructer stupid!" Selphie grins. "alright fine go hide and I'll start setting it up. the first class will be tomorrow! I'm going to go to Quistis and ger her okay and make it official! Zell you better get ready to teach Seifer and some others." Selphie giggles and runs off. She was really excited. And had already started to scribble notes on ehr little clip board.

Squall nodded goodbye,letting zell go back to his training, forgetting why he'd tracked down the pilot anyways.Heading up to his office,he checked the registry to see what rooms were free,grabbing the codes for it,and a few files,hiding in his room was starting to appeal to him,since everyone interupted him in his office.Heading back down to his room,he pushed it open."seifer?"He said,closing the door behind him as she pulled off his boots.

Seifer grunts. He was looking out the windows in the bedroom. He had done a few ecxersizes on his own to see how out of shape he was. He hadn't stopped until everything hurt.

Squall's feet thudded lightly on the floor as he walked in,setting his things on the desk,sitting down in the chair, looking at the blond,"Selphie's on her way down to see you,"Squall said,frowning a little as he shifted through the files,"but I have your room number if you want to go hide before she figures out where you've gone."

"Why would she want to see me." Seifer frowns turnign to look at Squall. Seifer was in the new clothes. The slacks and a wife beater.

"Wants you-well all of us-to join her new fighting class."He smirked a little at the blond."we've learned it's easier to go along with her then try to resist."

Seifer frowns. "Give me my room then." he says standing slowly.All his clothes had been folded and put in one large bag.

Squall handed him the key,the room itself just a few doors from his own."If you dont want to,I can tell her to leave you alone."He shrugged,while he disliked ordering friends around, but he could.

Seifer shakes his head no and takes the key and grabs his bag tossing his shoes in them he walks outside the room. frowns then goes two doors down and opens it. It was plain. but there were all the nessecities. He drops his clothes on the small two person table. and then walks to the bedroom and sits on the desk chair to look out the window once more.

Squall sighed,working again.

~meanwhile~

Quistis looked at selphie,eyes a little wide in surprise as she stared at the girl."...you want to do what?"

"It's a fitness regulation! Quisty! Come on! It's like a ghreat excersize for those who won't do it on their own! Zell said he'd teach it! And Irvine said he'd help. Besides we need to get Seifer into the whole Cadet Program again!" Selphie says sitting on the desk.

Quistis nodded dthoughtfully,looking over the edge of the glasses."Did you talk to squall to?"She asked curious because the girl had mentioned the other men,but not the commander.

"duh Quisty, everyone know that in balamb garden you refer to Squall for training and missions." Selphie rolls her eyes. "What do you think huh? huh?" Selphies asks already squirming again at her great idea.

"Its a good idea sel."Quistis smiled a little."It'll give seifer something to do,and get squall out of his office once in awhile."

"Squall doesn't have flub though!" Selphie says jumping to her feet. "Just say okay then I'm going to go make Zell sign it and run around signing up SeeD's and cadets!" Selphie says squirming.

Quistis leaned back in her seat,enjoying making her friend squirm for once."Ok,ok.go make him run around."

"Hurray!!" Selphie bounces around teh desk Giving Quistis a large hug before she rockets out of her office. She goes firs to the the Cafeteria to track down Irvine and Zell considering it was dinner time. And those two never missed.

Zell looked over his friend's shoulder,moving to hide a little behind the taller cowboy."I forgot to tell you,selphie's looking for you."

"I think I like noticed that one." Irvine says dryly.

"Irvine!! I'm so glad I found you! Hi zell! Anyways Quistis is starting up a fitness class and want's you to be the deputy Instructer. So you need to sign these papers. you too Zell." Selphie says sitting down giving them an adorable look.

"Why do we always get stuck running around asking everyone?"The boy said,taking the clipboard looking up at the cowboy."Why doesnt she ever make squall or quistis do this?"

"You two sign your names there on the bottem. This is your payment and insurance coverage. I'm going to go around and get everyone signed up you losers." Selphie giggles.

Irvine grins ruefully. "Because who else can understandf her fast talk and cute looks." He takes a pen and signs his name and dates it.

Zell sighed,signing his to,"That all we need to sign?"He asked.

"Yessir! Thats it! I'm gonna go badger some cadet's!" She giggles takes it and runs off.

"there goes the doom of all Cadets and SeeD's she befalls." he says shaking his head.

"Here's to hoping seifer decides he doesnt want to go,and putting everyone else out of the misery of listening to her." He said,only half serious,mostly kidding about it,despite their past,sure the man wouldn't kill the girl.

"He won't... He's like the dogs you see in towns. The one's without owners. everyone kicks them when they come to beg for food or kindness. Eventually they get kicked to many times... and they attack back. I think Seifer came back before it was to late. but maybe... Maybe it's past due." Irvine says softly before shaking his head. "that was like deep." he grins.

Zell grinned,rolling his eyes."For once cowboy,you had a good insight."He said,getting his food.

"Oh yeah and ,like you could have done better?" Irvine asks taking a bite of his.

zell grinned eating."Of course I can."

"Oh yes, like of course!" Irvine laughs.

"yea,yea.But neither of us will beat squall at insightful things."

"thats all he is." Irvnie rolls his eyes.

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"Squall!! I know your in there! Is seifer there? He has to sign this!!" Selphie calls through Squall's door. She had gone to his office.

"no.And I dont know where he is.So leave me alone.I'm working."Squall said, pulling open his door after a few moments,having debated on wheater to talk to her or not.

Once the door opened a nearly teary eyed, bottem lip protruding Selphie was seen. Her shoulders slumped. Head a little droopy. even her hair was droppign a little.

Squall stopped,shifting from being angry about getting distracted to worried something had happened.Resting his fingers on her chin,he made her look up at him,"what happened selphie?"he asked gently,preparing for the worst.

"I try to be nice, and friendly" sniffle "And a good friend and tlak to you al lthe time. But you always yell at me and tell me o be quiet or go away. Or Leave me alone. why are you always so mean!" she says two tears slipping down her cheek's as she looks into his liquid silver gaze.

Squall's eyes grew sad,and distant,trying to think of something,not wanting to hurt her more,but unable to think of it,despite his year of getting friendlier.Sighing gently, he pulled her inside,shutting the door behind her,before wrapping his arms around her."I'm sorry selphie."he said,pulling away,stepping away from her,shoulders barely slouched,but slouched anyways,now he felt like the worst person ever to walk on earth for hurting her."I dont mean to be..."He sighed, not sure how to explain it.

"Well I only came to get Seifer to sign the sheet... And... I thught you liked the idea dn wanted to help him. But then you yelled and won't help me... Am I that annoying? do you really not like me? or want to help me?" Selphie asks wiping her tears away. trying to act like they hadn't fallen.

"I did like it selphie."Squall sighed,resting his hands on her shoulders,squeezing lightly."I'm sorry I yelled.and I do want to help."He frowned,tilting his head a little,wondering if he came off as stand offish to everyone else to,that he didn't like anyone,his eyes getting distant as he followed the train of thought further.

"then why won't you help!" She says stamping hr foot a little. bottem lip still sticking out a little, she wipes her eyes as if trying to dispel the tears.

Squall jumped a little,having for a moment forgotten she was there,gently wiping her eyes for her."I didn't say I wouldn't. I just said I wouldn't tell you were seifer was hiding."

"then why won't you! I can find everyone but him! I've been asking and asking! and then I come to you cause you know all kinds of things and you yell at me! All I wanted was to know if you knew where he was or might be and you yell!" Selphie says more tears rolled down her cheeks.

"He already said he would.I talked to him before he left."Squall said,looking panicky almost,not sure how to stop the tears,wiping them away with his fingers,wanting them to stop,stumbling a little over his words."And I only yelled because I was only trying to get all the paperwork done for you before you came and found me."

"but I need his name written by his hand!" Selphie says calming down. she stopped crying so much.

Squall sighed a little."Give him a few hours selphie.Then I'll tell you where he is."He said,wanting to the give the blond a few hours by himself,if just to adjust to being here again." does that work for you?"He said gently,using his sleeve to dry her cheeks.

"Yes!!" Selphie beams the sad air about her gone completely. She lunges forward and hugs Squall's chest tightly. Closing her eyes and taking in his scent. She had always liked the way Squall smelled. Clean, earthy with a hint of oil for his gunblade.

He stood there for a moment,in shocked surprise,before awkwardly hugging her back,kissing her head in a friendly kiss."Is there anything else I can help with?"

"Not really. Thanks Squall."Selphie smiles and leans up kissing his cheek before opening the door and walking out. "you got two and a half hours!" She waves and walks off with a chipper bounce to her step.

Squall shook his head a little,watching her go,glad that she was happier.