After class they headed for the cafeteria again. The Cafeteria was still brightly lit with almost blinding sunlight shining through the translucent glass windows lining up on the corners. The beige title floors seemed to light up even more and match the white-paint-sprayed metal tables and chairs. Class usually took up the entire morning and right after would be perfect for lunch. It was just the usual group: Scott, Karen, Dan, Zell, and Lina. They sat at their regular table, eating their regular foods until Gina showed up.
"Um..." she murmured quietly, portraying her perfect smile and with her perfect tone of voice. Her voice was timid and golden, having a melodic tone to it as she spoke. "May I sit with you guys?"
"Sure," Karen replied to her answer without consulting any of the others. Gina nodded and smiled, showing her teeth. She pulled up a heavy metal chair easily to the table and sat on Zell's left side because Lina was on his right side. Zell was holding Lina's hand in his under the table and as Gina sat down, he gave her hand a tight squeeze and played with it a little. Lina smiled at him and blushed secretly.
"So what's it like in Dollet Garden?" Dan asked her as he took a bite into his hotdog and chewed on its suckle meat tentatively. Gina looked around the beautifully lit Cafeteria with her coffee brown eyes similar to Lina's and thought for a moment. She adjusted the position of her chair and it seemed like her repositioning it brought it closer to Zell's chair.
"I did a lot of activities and stuff back in Dollet...I'm very energetic, but I definitely liked Duel class the best," Gina replied with her never ending smile. It seemed like the smile was glued to her face. That was one way Lina differed from her. Lina often seemed distraught or preoccupied; being a sorceress took up a lot of brain power, but Zell was always there to help her.
"They have a class for Duel?" Zell sat up shocked. Gina giggled at him as she nodded. Lina was surprised by his shooting up like a bullet. Zell calmed back down, blushing just as much as Lina did when he continued to play with her fingers. Usually Duel wasn't that popular and wasn't even in a session.
"Yeah, it's great!" Gina chuckled, even her laughter was melodic. Lina smiled dreamily and held onto Zell's hand tightly. She thought about her Master Tokeen who had taught her everything there is to know about Duel and she immediately remembered his nimble features and the graying hairs she would pick at occasionally in the past. Master Tokeen had served as the father Lina had never gotten to know. Zell wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Let's go to the library!" Karen suggested, or more like commanded because immediately everyone stood up and headed for the door. They walked down the circular corridors of the peaceful Garden, seeing all of the peole who were playing cards and waving to the people jogging along the halls.
When they reached the library, a girl was standing out in front, waving to them excitedly. She had brown hair pulled to the side to make one pigtail; only one. Her grayish green eyes showed naught but solemnity and revealed that her past had not been a happy one.
"Hey Sally!" Lina called out to her as they neared the library entrance. Sally waved to them and ran out to greet them. Lina smiled as they met at the halfway point from the group to the library. Lina could see that Sally's eyes would still shy around Zell. Lina and Sally had had conflicts in the past. Sally had been desperate for Zell, but Zell loved Lina and no one else. Sally had tried to kill Lina in the past, but her attempts had been in vain for Lina and Zell never ceased to love each other--they only loved each other more than ever after her attempts.
"Hi! You looking for a certain book?" Sally asked Lina. Lina looked at her unsurely. "Because if you did, I know where everything is," Sally put her hand over the badge pinned onto her shirt. "I got promoted from assistant librarian to librarian!"
"That's great!" Lina and Sally both giggled. Sally looked over Lina's shoulder and saw a girl who looked almost exactly like Lina. She seemed shocked at first, but had to get a second look to make sure she wasn't just seeing double. Lina sighed and nodded. That perfect little angel...
"Who's that?" Sally whispered into Lina's ear, her eyes widening as if in fear of this girl who was so similar looking to Lina. Lina looked rather solemn about it. Just something that was bugging her. By then, the rest of the group had caught up with her; Zell had stayed near the back of the group, still afraid to come face to face with Sally in fear she might go back to her phases of wanting to hurt Lina.
"New girl," Lina murmured back morosely; it wasn't that there was anything wrong with Gina...it was just something about her that seemed fake or unreal...How could she possibly be so perfect? Perfect smile, perfect laugh, perfect speech, perfect perfect perfect...almost sickening. Lina would have explained that she was from Dollet, but the intercom cut her off.
"It has once again been a great day for Garden," it was Commander Squall, a nineteen year old with silky brown hair, charming brown eyes, and a reluctant attitude. "Squad A has defeated Sorceress Hatinamia." There was scattered clapping throughout the library and the corridors. "There will be a dance tomorrow night in honor of the SeeDs. Enough time, Lina?"
Lina smiled. She remembered the last time Squall had announced the dance in only an hour's notice. She had screamed at him in from her classroom so that everyone throughout Garden could hear. She had even motivated the other members of the band to step up and yell at Squall, obviously causing him much embarassment.
She shook her head and snickered quietly. After a short chat with Sally, the lot of them returned to the Dormitory. After kissing Lina a temporary goodbye, Zell went back to his dorm and Gina went back to her dorm, where as Lina, Karen, Dan, and Scott all went to Dan's dorm to practice for the dance. They called up Seifer and he showed up as well. They usually performed live at the dances and they had to practice on the guitars and on their voices.