Just as Selphie had promised, the dance took place that night. Every student and instructor was present, SeeDs in their uniforms, their dates sporting formal gowns and unique hair styles. Selphie had done her part perfecting, transforming what was supposed to be the quad into something that looked similar to a palace. Marble pillars had been hauled in and shaped with advanced magic, and the glass ceiling provided a splendid view of the stars and the large crescent moon pendent from the starlit sky without the worry of unwanted precipitation.
Earlier in the day, Rinoa had dragged Lina out shopping for this very event. After countless stores and restless train rides, Rinoa had found the perfect outfit for her little sister as well as herself. When they arrived to the festivities, Lina was dressed in an elegant white gown with lace straps and a silk quality that hung down below her knees. Rinoa had spent an hour locked up in the girl's dormitory bathroom with her little sister, fixing her up with make up and curls and everything else the former Lina would have never touched.
Lina stood somewhere close to the snack bar, ignoring the itch around her mascara suffocated eyelashes and staring out towards the entrance at the one and only Squall Leonhart who had just stepped into potential wallflower area. She wondered to herself what'd it be like to be able to have his attention. Her thoughts were shattered as Rinoa pulled him out onto the dance floor and hooked her arms around him.
Something in Lina snapped and the very next second, she had pulled some random guy's arm and dragged him to the dance floor, as if to compete!
The waltz. Something she'd never learned or could never remember learning and yet, her feet guided her. It was only some two minutes later she realized what she'd done. She looked up and saw the somewhat distraught face of none other than the boy from the morning--Zell or something she thought.
"Sorry!" she called and let go of him, but he chuckled and drew her back in and straight into a twirl. "I uh..." She glanced over his shoulder and saw Sadie, staring at her wide-eyed in horror. Oh crap. "I didn't know what was going on, sorry!" She let go of him again, but he just laughed.
"You're a funny type of person," he said, grasping her hand and twirling her twice. Lina blushed. "From this morning right? Didn't even touch the Rex and you were taking it down." The music seemed to soften as he spoke and Lina could feel herself keeping a constant rosy flush in her cheeks. No doubt, Sadie would have the absolute urge to seek revenge now.
"Yeah. It was rather inconvenient for me to stance in that situation," Lina said. His grip on her waist lightened a little bit, but he knew Lina wouldn't be able to tell the stab it gave him to hear her voice--so serious--so different.
"I'm Zell," he gritted through his teeth as he led her into another twirl. At this remark, he almost felt like blushing. It was awkward for him to announce his own name to her.
"I'm Lina," Lina replied. "And you must be the Zell that the girl in the library was talking about. I'm sorry, I'm afraid she'll be upset for my inconsiderate actions." Much to Lina's surprised, Zell laughed.
"Don't worry about it. Sadie's a little uptight sometimes," Zell smiled. Rather warily, Lina nodded and, hiding the disgruntled expression on her face, she conjured up some excuse to let Zell return to the side of who he belonged to. Lina wondered about the consequences for her blinded actions. She wondered why Zell seemed so friendly when they in fact had never been formally introduced.
Lina headed back to her room, locked the door and changed into her pajamas. She had a long day ahead of her tomorrow and she didn't want to be tired even through the beginning of it. She flopped down against her sheets and tossed them over her, closing her eyes and engaging her inner dreams and thoughts--the ones she'd never be able to remember in the morning--the ones that held key to a past she belonged in.
Partway through the night, Lina sat up in her bed stiff, her face sweat covered from a nightmare she'd been having. She breathed a deep breath and leaned against her pillow, locking her arms around her legs and glancing towards the moonlight piercing through her window. What had she been dreaming about that had left her so frightened? She couldn't even remember. Like all the other dreams, this one had left her the moment her eyes opened and the more she tried to cling onto it, the most muffled it became. All she could remember how was that she'd been falling through the sky, a soreness through her body, and below of the barren desert ground, a figure as tiny as an ant ran around in circles.
She leaned over and glanced at her clock. 5:00 AM. Get some rest. You've got a big day tomorrow, Heartilly, she told herself, then rolled onto her side and shut her eyes, hoping to quickly drift back into a peaceful sleep.
And she did just that.