At 7:00 AM Lina's alarm clock sounded, loud and clear through the morning peace, protruding through the silence like a siren in the middle of an empty field. She was certain the entire school might have heard it, but maybe that was just her and the morning and all its logic driving her senses insane. With an effort, she slapped the alarm shut and rid her ears of its throbbing shrieks, twirling back around and nestling her cheek into the corner of her silky soft blanket.
It wasn't long before a loud knock at her door shook her awake. She very reluctantly and bitterly rose from the comfort of her warm sheets and went to the door, the cold biting of her every step of the way. Though, when she opened the door, no one was there--in fact no one was anywhere. She glanced to her right and saw some door down the hallways slam shut, but there was no person to be found. She shrugged, sighing, Well I'm awake. She suddenly realized that today was the first day that she would be judged to be an instructor. Her vague dream must have cleared her mind of that very important event. She couldn't be late for that and the person in that room knew it too.
She changed, the one tedious idea of having to deal with new students lingering in her mind, and stepped in front of the mirror. Her uniform fit perfectly, and in her reflection she could almost see something familiar from the feeble smile on her face to the very last stitch in her uniform. The embroidered emblem of Balamb Garden was sorely visible on her right shoulder and a maroon tie with a yellow tip was clasped around her neck. She smiled, not denying the fact that she at least looked the part. She prepared herself, heading out to the classroom early and stopping in the hallway of perhaps catching a glimpse of whoever had rapped on her door a while ago step out of his or her dorm. She saw no one, a little bit to her disappointment, and headed out to her classroom instead.
The room, located on the second floor some ways away from the emergency exit was just as she'd imagined it. Computer desks and clean rows sat uniformly across the room and in the back. Clean windows remained clear and untouched. She could see the sun just beyond the mountains, and with its predictable route, her hope rose that she would do her best for the job. Half an hour later, Quistis popped in and took a seat in the back of her room.
"You ready?" Quistis asked. Lina held in an instinctual blush and nodded as the bell rang and the students one by one reluctantly filed in. She watched them walk in, realizing that both Seifer and Zell were in her class. They took their seats and waited for further instruction.
"I'm looking at the rollsheet right now... I see 'Almasy, Seifer' and I think, 'Oh no... not Seifer'," Lina said as the class settled down. Most all of the students chuckled at her remark. "Welcome to class. I'm Ms. Heartilly." She saw Seifer smirk. "Despite what you've all probably heard--being that I am younger than a select few of you--my age will not affect my teaching methods. You mess with me and you will bear the consequences. That's a given. Otherwise, I'm fairly lenient. Go ahead and take your textbooks out." Class went by rather quickly, somewhat indicating how much fun the students had in this new instructor's class.
They discussed everything from politics to the future, studying each sorceress within every timeframe. Afterall, Lina was assigned to teach that subject. Out the door, Lina caught them, "Research on Ultimecia tonight and be prepared tomorrow for a preliminary quiz." She heard a few students groan.
"I like your method, Lina," Quistis announced as soon as they'd all left. Lina thanked her for the comment, bowing her head to hide the blush. "Squall wants us at the front gate in a minute though so let's get going." Lina packed her things and hurried to Quistis who stood in the doorframe.
"Me? Are you sure?" Lina asked, astonished. Squall wanted her to the front gate?
"Well he said more specifically 'Alpha Team', but I'm pretty sure your presence is implied," Quistis smiled. Lina glowed at the remark and the two of them set out for the elevator.
A minute later, in front of the library, Zell saw Lina and Quistis walking towards the front gate. He noticed Quistis look up in his direction and give him a stern glare. That might not have meant much had it been for Rinoa's lecture to him the night before. Yes, they'd seen him dancing with her and yes, the "master" was disgruntled by it. Now all would follow such a gesture. He glanced back down at Sadie to his left who still had her arm coiled tightly around his. He sighed. What a mess.
As Lina arrived, Rinoa and Squall gave her a cursory look of general concern, then Squall left in the opposite direction. "He's... gone to round the rest of them up," Rinoa explained upon their general arrival as the others nodded in acknowledgement. They waited and soon enough, against the sunlight, Lina could decipher Squall's distinctive silhouette approaching from the Quad. Soon she realized that there were three others following close behind him, each with their own defining characteristic walk: Irvine Kinneas, Selphie Tilmitt, and Zell Dincht.
"Lina, I believe you know Selphie and Zell," Squall said. Lina nodded calmly, but could feel her cheeks burn sorely with embarrassment. Was Squall actually directing her? Was she supposed to say something in return? She couldn't--her stomach dropped and her lips were permanently sealed. She glanced to the side and passively turned her face away seeing that she was being monitored by Zell and Irvine alike. How embarrassing. It was like tripping down the stairs in front of the person you have a crush on.
"Ahem," Irvine peeped, lightly poking Squall in the shoulder. He nudged Squall a bit to the side and winked at an already thoroughly flustered Lina. "Well Squall, how impolite. Aren't you going to introduce me to this lovely young lady?" Squall, obviously annoyed, rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in general discontentment.
"Lina, this is Irvine Kinneas: the most perverted man in Garden. Aren't we just so lucky to have him on our team?" Squall smirked. Irvine pushed Squall aside and took Lina's hand in his.
"Miss Lina Heartilly. Has there been ever so brilliant a day that I should get the opportunity to hold your slender fingers in my hand and look into your beautiful eyes?" Irvine asked. Lina didn't respond even as Irvine was leaning down to kiss her hand. Selphie raced up and jutted a fist into the back of his head violently. Irvine fell to the ground, twitching like a beached fish striving to get back into the water. Lina chuckled slightly and bowed her head. Selphie bowed apologetically, explaining how Irvine sometimes couldn't see what was going to happen next. She yanked on his ear and dragged him to the side.
After that mess was over, Squall again explained their situation, "Everyone go ahead and change out of your SeeD uniforms. Dress casually given the possibility that we will have to negotiate under heated conditions with Martine himself. Assemble in five minutes. Dismissed." They dispersed towards the dormitory and reassembled only a few minutes later, Lina deciding just to wear a t-shirt, sweater, and jeans. They stood about for a minute or two, questioning the overall significance of this mission, until Squall came down from the bridge. As they headed out the gate, Sadie caught up from behind.
"What are you doing here? You should be in class. This mission is only specified for SeeDs," Quistis said rather firmly. Sadie stood and very calmly and slowly walked to Zell's side and hooked an arm around his. Lina could catch his flinch the moment her hand touched his bare skin.
"I just came out to check up on my boyfriend," she stated, glaring in Lina's general direction.
Lina turned away and hooked her hands into her pocket, chatting a bit with Selphie and Irvine about the functions of the Alpha and this and such. A while later, after pissing Zell off to the point where he had trouble controlling the rising tone in his voice, Quistis demanded Sadie return to her class before she'd be reported to Garden Officials. She turned to leave, but did not go. The lot of them headed out, assuming the problem had been taken care of, but the moment Lina turned, Sadie scurried to her and pushed her to the ground.
Lina stood up, and everyone else was quiet. Great. This was just frikken great. First day in a new home and already had something screw her day over. Her sweater was dirty and she was furious! What the hell was this bitch thinking!? She shot her arms to the side, and the ground around the two girls rippled, pushing the others far away. Sadie slipped her gloves on hesitantly. What had she done? Before she knew it or could even gain enough sense to tell, Lina's outline was emitting a white light--that of which none of them had ever seen before.