Lina walked out of her room at night near the start sometime of the ball. There was never really any specific time that the dancing started, just around night whenever enough students had adjourned to enjoy the dancing, chat, and food. Lina wore a white halter top dress with a gold beaded sash around a fitted waistline. She dress fell lightly just below her knees and was made of a soft satin material. She hadn't put much thought into her outfit, but staying with the Gullwings for so long had caused her to self consciously pick out an outfit that suited her current disposition the best: classy, dignified, withstanding.
She set out into the hallway and soon found Dan across from room six, strumming his fingers very gently over the strings of a guitar strapped around her shoulder. He played a very melancholy tune, chords and a melody repeatedly finding their way into the air. Lina smiled and waited for a pause in the music. He stopped eventually, smiling a dream smile in admiration of the lovely aftermath of his music.
"That was amazing," Lina said, Dan smiled to himself, but shrugged it off just a little bit.
"It's not much, really," he said, modest, but absolutely brimming with self satisfaction. Lina could see it in the way he didn't make eye contact with her and looked out into the distance as he said, "I've been playing since I was six or something like that."
"I think you've mentioned it before, and if I'm correct, I believe you actually tried to teach me how to play before," Lina laughed. "I actually have a guitar in my room, which is kind of funny, don't you think? I can barely play anything." Dan laughed and accompanied Lina to the doorway of room six.
"Yeah, well, I did teach you, and you played pretty well yourself," Dan said. "Anyway it was a long time ago." He recalled the past and what they had done together those lazy afternoons after school and out of reach of her parents' clutches. He recalled Lina holding an acoustic guitar awkwardly in her hands, strumming chords gently and melodically as if her fingers weren't pressed hard enough to the strings. Lina nodded and smiled, then knocked on the door.
"One sec!" they heard called from the other side. Lina turned to face Dan and was about to say something to start up conversation again until the room next door swung its door open and Zell stepped out of the doorway, looking restless, but rather handsome in his formal SeeD uniform. He struggled a bit with his collar before he took a few steps, realized he was standing right next to Lina and waved awkwardly.
"Hey..." Lina replied, also a bit awkwardly--definitely not as bad at the silence that followed. Dan and Lina stood in silence, thinking to engage Zell in a friendly conversation, but none of them said anything. Dan noticed that the two of them avoided eye contact, and suddenly felt awkward himself just standing there.
The door to room six swung open violently, just missing Dan's head by a few inches. Chichiri stepped out in a black tuxedo, looking very slick and modern. Nuriko, Tasuki, and Tamahome followed in similar looking tuxedos. Miaka was last to come through the door, wearing an elegant black gown that trailed behind her on the floor. They nodded at one another to express their preparedness and headed out to the Quad where the ball was being held.
There, everyone went their separate ways. Lina and Dan headed for some visible but abandoned corner in the room, Karen and Scott immediately hit the dance floor, the Fushigi Yuugi gang scattered all over the place, mingling and whatnot in their new modern clothes, and Zell and Carri headed off towards the dance floor. All the while, Sadie tried her best to get to Lina. She would wander by in her direction and give her glares, then gesture her head over to Zell and Carri's direction every time she got Lina's attention.
However, Lina tried her best to ignore her, and not to look at Zell. She and Dan sat in the corner, Dan strumming chords and Lina singing along to songs they both recognized. Once in a while, Lina would subconsciously glance over and see Zell and Carri dancing together, hand in hand, her hand tucked comfortably onto his should, his hand on her waistline.
It wasn't that Lina felt inferior or anything, but she could just recall that not too long ago, that was her, and she'd been so happy. Now, she sat to the corner wondering if it was love or duty that bound her to her fate. She wondered if it were even possible for her to love at all, given the consequences.
"Hey, focus, don't look over there," Dan said, patting Lina on the back of her head. Lina blinked.
"Wha? Yeah... I know, it's whatever. But hey, I just got an idea, can you play Fall Out Boy?"
"Yeah... why?" Dan asked, a little confounded. Lina just smiled at him, leaned in, and started whispering in his ear some secret plan. They nodded at each other and ran towards Karen to pass on the news. Then they ran to Seifer, yes Seifer, to relay the message. Seifer and Lina ran out of the Quad and back to the Dormitory while Dan and Karen took the stage, setting things up. "Let's do this."
Karen smiled widely, sitting down at the set of drums on the side stage. Dan ran over and informed the orchestra, they'd take it from here for the rest of the night. Seifer charged back into the room, causing a seen, but Lina was no back yet. Dan and Seifer both had taken off their tuxedo coats, loosened their ties, and unbuttoned the first few clasps at their collar. The girls were thrilled.
Karen started with the drums, and Dan picked up with the guitar. They had the floor. All eyes focused in their direction. Dan started singing, "She says she's no good with words, but I'm worse, but I stuttered and 'a joke of a romantic' was stuck to my tongue." He motioned to his lips. Dance, dance by Fall Out Boy. One of his absolute favorites. "weighed down with words too overdramatic. Tonight it's 'it can't get much worse' versus 'no one should ever feel like.'"
When Seifer and Dan started stringing their guitars to the bridge, Lina appeared in the back of the room to carry the bridge to the chorus, everyone's eyes striking her. As Dan belted the chorus, Lina grabbed a hover board, slapped it on, and jetted towards the front her friends on the stage, avoiding several possible mishaps. Lina had changed now, she was wearing a white dress blouse, a thing dark gray vest over that, and light denim shorts. In a dress, she'd feel too self conscious to ride a hover board all the way to the front of the crowd. Zell watched in awe, feeling strange: he'd taught her how to ride one of those.
Lina reached the stage right as the second verse rolled in and skidded off the hover board to the second microphone by Dan. "You always fold just before you're found out, drink up it's last call last resort, but only the first mistake" she sang, and all three of them played to the chorus, Dan belting the lines out over the audience.
They switched off, this performance being their debut one, and everyone cheered, excited and enthralled. Screw the waltz, this shit was awesome! Lina knew Zell was watching, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins from their performance made her temporarily forget. Made her temporarily feel free from worry. She smiled and looked over at Dan who looked so at home on stage with his guitar strung around his neck.
They played a few more songs, switching off on singers and instrumentalists. During a particular slow song, Lina sat to the side of the stage, the adrenaline rush leaving her body very quickly. Seifer was not playing during this one either, but he'd left into the crowd, most likely to find a pretty lady and dance with her during the song. Lina sat alone, looking out into the crowd. She caught a glimpse of Zell and Carri dancing together, held closely together and swaying to the music. Lina suddenly felt something from her escape.
Some piece of her had suddenly resurfaced and the air was cold to it, painful even. She had her eyes fixed on Zell and Carri, and finally, the image was fed to her brain, and to her heart. She breathed in deeply and felt that piece of her burn with pain. Why had he come to find her when she was in Spira? Why had he kissed her before he left? Then Lina felt it. A single tear rolling slowly down her cheek to her chin. Then another, and another.
She shot up and dashed towards the exit, pushing past dancing couples and chatty kids and rushed out the door. Zell saw her go, he saw the tears in her eyes, and he wanted to follow. He pushed Carri away and rushed towards the door, but Chichiri pushed a hand against his chest and stopped him dead in his tracks.
"You've done enough," he said simply.