Ari twirled her pink hair idly and vaguely wondered why she’d bothered to come. It was pretty obvious that she’d only been invited out of courtesy. And sitting alone at a secluded table while everyone who knew each other was dancing was rather depressing. But it was better than sitting alone in her borrowed room. At least she could observe.
Her mouth twisted sardonically as her dusty gray eyes took in the six people she did know, standing out against the crowd even if she didn’t know them. They were so wrapped up in each other, perhaps the only ones in the room who’d found real love. Some people had all the luck. There were two faces that she did not see, though.
Lila and Zell.
Well, she knew where Lila was. The same place Zell resided at the moment. It bothered Ari how Zell relished in Lila’s company with Alexya dead for only a week now. She didn’t trust Lila as far as she could throw her. In fact, throwing the brunette around sounded like a good idea to her. The young girl always got her way, whether it was obvious to the others that it went the way she wanted it to. Like how she suddenly had so much time to spend with Zell. How Lex died once Lila came.
On the other hand, Seifer believed that Ari was the guilty one. Just because she didn’t suck up to the sneering blond man didn’t mean that she killed anyone. Besides, why would she kill people that she just met? Lex was a genuinely nice person. Ari liked her. The only person Ari wouldn’t mind not having around was Lila. As for Zell, who knew? Probably Zell, despite what he told Squall. Years of running from the law taught her how to eavesdrop. Of course, if Squall Leonhart, perfect Commander of Balamb Garden, knew she was running from the law, she wouldn’t be here, attending a graduation party. Good thing she covered her tracks well.
Her eyes caught Seifer’s, who had taken up position on the opposite side of the room, and the green of his eyes hardened. She felt tears spring to her eyes, and quickly brushed them away, rising to her feet. “I’m not guilty of anything,” Ari whispered to herself, turning to leave. The bastard didn’t believe her. Well, it didn’t matter. She was leaving as soon as she could figure out a way to escape surveillance. Now seemed like a good time to study the plans. Screw Seifer Almasy. He was in for a wake-up call.
* * *
“Seifer,” Quistis said warningly.
“What? I don’t trust her!” he responded, watching Ari twirl a pink curl around her finger. It wasn’t her hair, nothing about how she looked. She was actually a pretty girl, with those big gray eyes and the midnight blue dress. The pink hair didn’t look BAD, it was just odd. “Haven’t I seen that dress before?”
Seifer moved behind Quistis as the slow song ended, and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck.
“Well she had to wear something.”
“Remind me to burn it.” An elbow in his stomach made him wince. “Honestly, strawberry-and you do look delicious tonight-, there’s something about her. Everything she says is a bit too convenient, everywhere she is seems a bit too placed.”
“Give her a chance, Seifer.” The blond woman turned her head to meet his gaze. “I would think you’d be the first to give chances.” Seifer sighed as the barb hit home. “Come on, try to include her. Ask her to dance.” Green eyes met gray, and Ari rose slowly and turned to go. “Seifer!”
At that moment, a familiar and suitable substitute passed by, and Seifer reached out a hand and grabbed him by the collar. “Joe!”
Joseph Olinet grinned and straightened his shoulders, before saluting. “Sir.” His gaze moved to Quistis and the turquoise orbs widened. “Quis…wow…”
“Quis?” Seifer’s eyes filled with laughter. “Quis?!”
“It’s better than strawberry,” Quistis murmured, before shooting him a stunning smile.
“Can I get a ‘kiss’, Quis?” he smirked.
“Seifer, before she leaves!”
“Working on it…Joe, would you mind doing us a favor?”
“What’s that?”
A semi-evil grin crossed Seifer’s handsome face as he pointed across the room at Ari. “See the girl with the pink hair? She’s been sitting by herself all night. Go ask her to dance.”
Eyebrows furrowed, Joe, taller than most in the room, surveyed the room. “The one who’s about to leave?” He grinned impishly, and Quistis shoved him in Ari’s direction. “All right. What’s her name?”
“Ari!”
“On it, sir! Quis!” Risking his life, Joe blew a kiss to Quistis’ smiling face, before he dashed off through the crowd. Seifer frowned after the blond boy, then shifted his glare to Quistis. She in turn, made a big show of catching the kiss and tossing it away, rising up to kiss Seifer full on the lips.
“You’re forgiven,” he mumbled, resting his forehead against hers.
“Mmmm.”
* * *
“Hey, Ari! Ari, wait!”
The pink-haired girl paused, trying to place the voice calling her name. It was unfamiliar. Slowly, she turned back to see a tall blond guy with turquoise eyes jogging after her. Quizzically, Ari tilted her head, attempting to figure out where or if she’d ever met him.
He ran up to her, and stood there a minute, resting his hands on his thighs before he straightened to grin at her. “Thought I wouldn’t catch you!”
Unable to help herself, she grinned back. “But you did.” There was a long pause. “I don’t mean to be rude, but…who are you?”
“Oh, sorry!” Joe stuck out a hand. “I’m Joe. Joe Olinet. From Timber! I just made SeeD!”
“Yeah, I could tell,” Ari took his hand and shook it firmly. “Guess you already know my name.”
The band began another slow song, causing Joe and Ari to stare at the floor nervously. Sighing and resigning herself to a night of feeling left out, Ari stubbed her toe against the floor, before she looked up with a sad smile on her face. “Look, I better be going. It was nice to have met you, Joe.” With that, she turned away. A hand on hers stopped her and she eyed Joe over her shoulder.
“Ari, do you want to dance?”
Quickly she pulled her hand away and backed up a few steps. “What?”
“I asked if you wanted to dance.” Joe leaned forward and lowered his voice, so that she also had to lean forward to hear him. “Please say yes.” His blue-green eyes pleaded with her, and Ari clenched her fist. Slowly her diamond eyes searched his, and a small smile appeared on her lips.
“Yes.”
Joe stood back up straight, and held out a hand, closing his fingers over her small one as soon as she touched it. Then he led her to the dance floor.
* * *
“Are you happy now, Quis?” Seifer mocked, wrapping his arms around her middle and resting his chin on her head.
“It would have been better if you asked her.”
“But I would have had to give you up for a dance,” he protested.
“Well, then, I guess you’re forgiven.” She winked at him, swiping two glasses from a passing tray. “When are they doing the announcement?”
“Should be soon..” he responded. An intercepted glance from Squall had him nod. “After this song.”
“And the mic works?”
“And the PA system. Calm down, strawberry. Everything’s fine.”
There was a comfortable silence between them. Just as silently, Irvine and Selphie came up beside them, all eyes focused on Squall, who in turn was eyeing the microphone warily. The song came to a close, and everyone applauded politely, then turned to face the stage as Squall took hold of the mic. His voice was low and dangerously close to brittle, but he concealed it behind his wintry eyes.
“I’d like to thank you all for coming tonight, to this celebration held in honor of those young men and women who graduated from Balamb Garden. It is a great honor to have made it this far, and SeeD is proud to welcome them to our forces. However,” Squall coughed lightly, and Rinoa came up beside him, grabbing his hand and raising it to her lips. “Tonight’s celebration is also held in honor of Alexya Khatrii Newscom, who was the victim of petty revenge. Her memory will continue to live in the hearts and minds of those who knew and adored her. Thank you.”
There was a long silence, before slowly people began to clap. Hesitantly, Squall returned to the microphone. “And now for the new members of SeeD. Please hold your applause until the end. Mahra Kuslog, Bronwyn Gester, Joseph O-“
A blood-curdling scream cut him off and everyone turned to see a disheveled Ari run into the room, missing a shoe, hair partially falling down. She ran so quickly that she fell down the stairs, and Quistis rushed over to her.
“Ari, are you okay?!” Quistis fell to her knees, putting an arm about the girl.
Violently Ari wrenched her arm away, her gray eyes flitting wildly. “No, don’t touch me! DON’T TOUCH ME!” She collapsed in a fit of sobbing, intermixed with screaming.
Seifer was right there, almost immediately, resting a hand on Quistis’ shoulder. “What the fuck? Ledras, this better not be some sick joke!”
The pink-haired girl leapt to her feet, shaking her head fast enough to give her whiplash, her arms flung out to either side. “SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!” Another frightening scream. “LILA! ZELL! NO! DON’T TOUCH ME! SHUT UP!”
“Lila and Zell…?” Quistis exchanged a look with Seifer, who instantly took off at a run, followed by Squall and Irvine, in the direction that Ari came from. Rinoa ran to get Doctor Kadowaki, and Selphie took a spot next to Quistis. “Ari! What happened to Lila and Zell? ARI!”
With one last scream, Ari’s eyes stopped moving, went blank, and she crashed to the floor with a sickening THUD, leaving the entire congregation to stare in horror at her silent, prone body.
The sound of sobbing echoed like a whisper in the room.
But no one in the ballroom was crying.