Lina waved goodbye politely and walked towards the exit with racing thoughts. Things had changed so suddenly that it was taking her a while to adjust. Yes, Sally was nicer now... not just lenient or generous, but her whole spirit seemed lifted up. Zell had done that for her...as Zell had done for Lina, in her own world...the one she longed to get back to. Seeing Sally like this scared Lina as well as satisfied her. It was nice to see Sally finally smile again. Truly smile... a smile of no worries and of desiring nothing more than what you have. This pure smile Lina had now seen on Sally's face only made Lina remember the times when Zell had made her feel that way, their intellectual conversations, their social conversations, their hugs, their kisses... Lina found herself blushing childishly at the thought.
She spotted Zell walking towards the library and froze suddenly, blush leaving her cheeks with her mind telling her to react! Run! Hide! Don't just stand there! Lina turned agiley and dodged his short quick glare in her direction. She snuck back into the library in fear Zell would see her, in fear someone would suddenly call out her name and their attention would turn to her with her standing there, still frozen and still trying to hide. Lina tiptoed all the way to the back of the shelves and spotted someone with a cap on.
"Can I borrow this? Thanks," Lina grabbed the cap off his head hastily and put it on hers to cover up her eyes and the majority of her face, unable to do anything about her noticable ponytail of long black hair hanging out from the back, as soon as she had heard the reply was a yes from the man. She snuck up behind the front shelf and watched Sally and Zell, searching for the perfect time to run out of the library.
"Hey babe," Zell gave Sally a kiss on the cheek. For Lina it would have been a long, tender kiss on the lips, but that was because her Zell was different. She smild childishly again, but then stopped... Whoa... what am i even thinking? Zell wasn't her boyfriend anymore even though she would like that very very much. Things had changed, but Zell had still been Zell through all of it, and that Zell was still in love with her. "I'm so sorry about this. I'll make it up to you I promise."
"It's okay, take your time, work is more important," she said as she patted his shoulder gently. Lina glanced at the exit... there it was lying in the open, but then again it was also in Sally and Zell's eyesight. She could always take a chance at it and run out as quickly as she could, but that could also attract a lot of attention.
"Nothing more important than you." Sally blushed. Yes, hackneyed and cliche, but eh...isn't that life? Is Zell less busy with me there? Hmm... this Zell seems so...mature. I like the Zell I know better, Lina thought. Lina adjusted the hat to cover her eyes and decided she would take a chance in escaping from the library. She waltzed towards the exit like nothing ever happened, casually looking up into the corner of Balamb Garden and examining some randomly posted banner on the bulliten board. When she was almost out of the library, she was caught.
"Liz!" Lina heard Sally call her and she froze in horror. She immediately regretted every coming into the library in the first place. "Have you met my husband Zell?" Lina turned around and chuckled nervously, trying not to twitch at those words.
"Y-yeah, sorry, gotta get to class! Bye!" Lina said quickly and rushed out at top speed.