Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ When Darkness Falls ❯ Chapter 30 ( Chapter 30 )

The large door slid aside, gaining the attention of those within the building. Zell stepped into view as he entered the cool dark of the shelter.

"Hey, there he is, the man of the hour." Said a familiar voice.

Everyone inside turned their head towards the door and began to clap at his entrance.

Zell looked from left to right as though they were all insane. What did he do that was so comendable?

Terra rushed over to her new friend, throwing her arms around his shoulders, hugging him. "Thank you, Zell." She smiled into his ear.

Returning the hug, he smiled and asked. "For what?"

"For getting Cid arrested." She blinked. "Didn't you hear? It was all over the news this morning."

The confused blond shook his head. Last time he checked, the cops were after them not Cid. So what changed? Terra took his arm and began to guide him farther inside the shelter to his usual cot. "Well, yesterday when you guys broke into his home, he called the cops on you..."

Zell held up a hand for silence and shook his head. "Wait a second, you knew about that?" He asked her. He kinda didn't want Terra to find out about it in case she thought he was a good person; he didn't wanna wreck her image of him.

"Yeah, everybody knew... but," She cocked her head from side to side. "When he told the cops his name, all these charges were brought up against him... he was put away last night."

"Turns out the cops were lookin' for that dick for years." Shadow chimed in. Joining himself to Zell's right side, slipping an arm around the guy's shoulders. "So that makes you a hero."

"Ha. Cool." He grinned.

"Very cool. We wanted to celebrate last night, but, you weren't around - - where'd you go anyway?" Asked the leader of their pack.

"Um... I was with... God." Zell replied in his honesty.

Shadow laughed and tightened his grip around his friend's shoulders. "We're going into town to get tat's today. You in? Reno's paying."

"Sure. Why not? I feel a need for a change anyway."

"There you go!" His hand pat his shoulder. "We're leaving at lunch, so fill up now. We might not be back til a little later."

Zell shifts his gaze to his friend. "How much later?" He asked. "Cause I've got somewhere to be tonight."

"Really, that sucks... can you blow it off?"

Zell wondered about that, but Squall will want answers no doubt for the letter he had written him. He has to meet with him. It was a request, and he couldn't turn it down. Squall has done too much nice stuff for him.

"No, I can't." He shook head. "I'm sorry."

"Maybe tomorrow night then?"

Zell lowered his eyes. He hated to lie to him, but if he was gonna choose Squall... this life, and the others, had to end. "Yeah, we'll see."

Shadow wasn't blind or stupid, something was up and he could feel it. "What's with the cold shoulder? You look like somebody whose about to jump off a bridge." He held the blond's chin between his fingers and thumb. "Did something happen to you last night?"

Zell shook his head. "Um... Let's go eat breakfast. Terra can tell you tomorrow." Moving out of his friend's grip, Zell crossed the room to where everyone eats their meals.

Shadow looked after him with a frown, but shrugged it off figuring it's better not to push it. If Zell was gonna tell him, he'd do it. So, better to be patient.

"It's gonna be nice to walk around and not see that big blond ogre wandering, too." Rikku was saying. Terra nodded and stirred lazily at her food. Cocking her head seeing this display, Rikku reached across the table placing her hand on top of her friend's. "What's the matter? You don't actually feel sorry for him, do you?"

"No way! I was thinking about something else, that's all." Terra replied in all honesty.

"Terra?" Zell asked sitting himself down.

"Yeah," she turned to face him.

"If..." He swallowed. "If I were gone... would you miss me?"

"Of course I would. You're the nicest guy I've ever met." She pushed his shoulder. "Why wouldn't I miss you? Where're you going?"

Waves it off. "Nowhere. I was just asking for sake..."

Terra could tell this was a lie, but she kept quiet about it. Missing Zell would be a shame but, sometimes people leave the shelter and that was that. How do you ask someone to remain in a place like this, when they've found something better? It would be hopeless. Besides that, it isn't the first time it's happened and it wouldn't be the last.

Back at the school.

Everyone piled into the lunch room later that day. People were still talking about what happened the other day outside. Locke knew it. They believed every word of what Seifer had said, and now he was mud. Quietly and casually, the distressed brunet wandered into the cafeteria. He thought about taking his usual seat but decided against it. Going farther back into the cafeteria, he chose a table where only the quiet and shy people sat. With his head cast downward, Locke silently picked at his fingernails, hoping to be ignored.

The cafeteria was just as quiet as he was, almost like they were waiting to see who would make the first move. Him or them.

Selphie was outside of the cafeteria reaching for the door handle. She paused a moment seeing Rinoa out the side of her eye. Smiling she turned to her friend, greeting. "Hey Rin'. Nice weather, huh?"

The dark haired girl continued approaching, though saying nothing as she does so.

"You won't believe what happened last night, we found..."

Rinoa's hand came up so quickly that Selphie couldn't evade the assault. "Rrrrr!" The hyperactive girl bit her tongue to avoid crying out when her best friends hand went across her face with a very loud smack. "What did you do tha-..."

"Shut up!" Caraway spat.

Rinoa was angry, obviously, but Selphie couldn't see why. After all, what did she do?

"Apologize right now, and I won't have to return the favor." Selphie ordered, pointing a finger to her burning cheek.

"No. You're the one who should be saying you're sorry." Rinoa snapped. "You... let me believe that Locke was straight, when you knew all along that he wasn't."

"...Ohhhh, is that what this is all about?" Selphie nodded in realization.

"Ohhh is that what this is...Rrrrr." Rinoa mocked. "How could I be so stupid as to think you are my best friend." She shook her head in disbelief. "Tell me Selphie, did you find it funny that I had a crush on someone who you knew wouldn't be interested in me?"

"I didn't, but seeing the way you're acting now I'm finding it kind of hillarious." Retorted the angered girl.

Rinoa looked as though she were gearing up to slap her again, but the noise from the cafeteria took both of their attentions.

"Faggot!" Someone called out tossing an opened container of whole milk at the back of Locke's head. It missed completely but it did make contact with his lunch soaking it down to the last piece of corn. Locke merely pushed the tray away from himself and kept his head lowered.

"You hear me you fucking fairy?!" A guy walked past Locke, elbowing him in the back which shoved Cole's chest into the edge of the table. Locke didn't make a sound, he didn't wanna give them any kind of fuel to their fire by reacting to their shouts and attempts. The quieter teens have since left to avoid another manslaughter, leaving Locke alone to take it all.

Setzer watched from a distant table, his stomach twisted tighter than a knot in a piece of thread. Sucking in a breath, it took all his power to stand and walk over to the vacated table. He stood there for only a second before sitting down, reaching for his distressed friend. This time Locke did do something, he picked up his hand smacking Setzer's away.

This didn't surprise Gabbiani at all, he was the one who had told Seifer all that stuff about his former flame in the first place. But he still felt sorry for his... friend.

"What the fuck is this?" Someone asked.

"Uh-ohhh, cat-fight!"

Every occupant of cruel intentions began meowing at them, making other cat like gestures.

Ignoring them all, Setzer kept his attention on Locke. "Locke, come on, you and me can go sit in the library or cut classes - - anything you want."

"Why? You wanna clear your conscience?" He turned his face away from the traitor. "Well forget it, it won't work. Nobody asked you to tell Seifer shit, but you did." He looks up at him then. "What kind of friend are you, anyway?"

"...I'd like to think a pretty good one, all things considered." His voice was low and deafeated. "...Who told you that I talked to Seifer?"

"Just leave me alone." Hissed Locke.

"Bombs away!"

Locke looked as though he was ready to explode when a handful of spaghetti landed in his lap. He wasn't the only one being pummeled though. Setzer was also part of the cafeteria's firing range now. But he merely brushed the food aside.

"Anything's better than this... I'm still your friend, Locke. And you'll always be... well.."

Locke scoffed. "Yeeeah, I'm so great, you can't even say it in return."

A dark figure shaded the front of the table. Looking up at the reason why, he sees there are three guys standing before them. "Meal time." The three raised the table. The slant dumped the contents of the table over onto Locke and Setzer's laps, Locke's milky tray coming down first and then the assaulting trio's lunches follow.

"That's it!" Growled Locke.

"Don't." Setzer warned.

Going around to the side of the table where the three bullies are standing, Locke braced himself to fight. The trio merely laughed and shoved Locke onto one of the seats. A loud double stomp began with a triple clap following as the whole cafeteria sang out "Faggot". Stomp! Stomp! Clap, clap, clap! "Faggot!"

Locke could feel his shelter cracking around him and he turned his eyes on Seifer, whose sitting smugly with his friends, arms crossed over his chest and an evil sneer on his face. He had to get out of there, and he had to do it now!

Running away to the exit; Setzer held his hand out to stop him. "Locke, wait up." He called. Taking a step forward, he was jerked back to where he stood. Setzer turned slightly seeing Seifer standing behind him.

"If you don't wanna end up like that dripping cry-baby, I suggest you stay where you are Gabbiani."

Shrugging his shoulder free, Setzer adjusted his shirt. "Back off, dickhead." He leered at him and whispered. "Or I'll tell everyone you're not exactly straight as an arrow yourself." With that he left the cafeteria after Locke.

Seifer scoffed and turned around seeing his posse behind him, their expressions curious after overhearing the stranger.

"Seifer, is that true?" Tifa asked taking a step forward.

"...Yeah, it's true."

They were silent until they heard a low snort from Vincent. "Cool. Let's finish lunch. I gotta take a leak." The small group walked back to their table with Tifa and Seifer trailing.

"Seifer...?"

"Yeah."

"Look, anytime you need a beard, I'm your girl. Right." The often self-absorbed girl stated, rather than asked.

Seifer smiled drapping an arm around her shoulders walking her to the table. "Of course, you think Quistis has half the class that you do?"

They chuckled lowly and sat themselves down. 'That went easier than I would have thought.' The relieved blond noted.

In the hall. Setzer spots his departing friend.

"Locke wait." Setzer followed the tourmented brunet into the bathroom with Rinoa at his heels, but she paused as the solid oak door came to a close.

"Locke you can't..." His words stilled seeing a guy appear from one of the stalls. He walked silently by to the sinks, turning on the water then washing his hands. He shook them off and walked out whispering loud enough to be heard. "Fag."

Setzer checked the rest of the stalls then walked over to Locke who was writting on the mirror with a bar of soap. "I wish I was dead." Setzer read to himself. "Why are you letting this bother you so much?" Locke snorted at him ready to leave but the albino held him back. "Is it because your ashamed of who you are?"

Locke made a pissed of sigh.

"Because guess what, so are a lot of straight people for reasons of their own, but they still go on."

"So? Good for them." He growled, not attemtping to pull himself free. "Besides, I'm not ashamed of who I am."

"So, why should you be this way, if you're happy about who you are?"

"I'm ashamed of what I do, okay!" He finally pulled free by throwing his hands in the air over his head. "There, are you happy?" Locke walked to the sink again, hopping himself up onto the countertop to sit, swinging his legs back and forth with his head lowered.

"What you do?" Setzer was a little confused now.

"The way I have sex, the people I prefer... Hell the things I do to the guys I date." He shrugged. "I know the shit is messed up and ain't fair, but... I don't like the idea of.. being by myself."

"Why are you alone?" Setzer joined him atop the counter.

"Because... better I leave them than they leave me, ya know?"

He got it now, Locke didn't want to be left again. Again, meaning when his father left him and his mother out of the blue. Not to mention the abussive alcoholism. Which would explain the cruelty in break ups.

Setzer reached a hand out and rubbed Locke's back. "Look, all that happened in the past doesn't have to effect you in any way... be your own man." He shook him lightly. "Instead of blowing people off, tell them it's a one time thing... you don't have to accept commitments you're not ready to make."

"But what about Zell?" Locke blurted out. "I fucked his life up royaly; told him he couldn't stay with me, because I didn't want my habits and problems staring me in the face."

"Well, find him and tell him you're sorry... He might understand, he's sought you out so many times."

"I guess."

"Try." Setzer pleaded. "If this one person could help you, than go for it."

Locke thought about it. "...Okay."

"Good... And for what it's worth... you'll always have me - - oh, as a friend I mean."

Locke smiled nodding. "I know, thanks."

"You're welcome." They hugged briefly then pulled back.

"So," Setzer looked down at the mess on his clothes. "Are we cutting class to look for him?"

"...Nah, I can do it after; and.. I think I better do this by myself." Locke slipped off the counter and walked to the door. "Thanks, again." He exited.

Setzer smiled to himself and looked back at the mirror. "I wish I was dead... I hope not." He turned on the faucet. Setzer dipped his hand under the water, and used it to wash away the disturbing desire.