Irvine knocked at Jez' door, and opened it after he heard her yell aknowledgement. He and Rinoa entered, and he whistled at her. In her short black skirt, and tight top in various shades of green that matched her eyes, she looked very good. She turned, and when she saw Rinoa, grinned and went to hug her.
"I'm so glad you could come!"
Rinoa shrugged and smiled at her. "Well, Timber's not the most exciting of places, and I was kinda missing the Garden. Shame everyone's not here." Irvine noticed the look in Jez' eyes matched that in Rinoa's, then she turned to finish her make up.
"Won't be a minute, okay guys?" Irvine settled down to watch Jez. There was something inherantly sexy about a woman putting her make-up on.
"So what have you been up to?" Asked Jez, glancing at Rinoa in the mirror. Rinoa, in her strapless blue dress, was smoothing the wrinkles out of it.
"Oh, not much. There's not much need for the Timber Owls anymore, since the towns been liberated - the Galbadians have enough to worry about without having to worry about a rebellious town like ours." She grinned. "So I've just been hanging around with Zone and <>. Like I said, there's not a whole lot to do. What about you? Have you been enjoying the classes?"
Jez nodded as she picked a lipstick and started to apply it. "Yeah, they've been cool. Seifer and I totally aced the training exercise on Wednesday. The best in our class! Quistis is a really good teacher, too. I learned new stuff even in the classes I've already passed. Pretty cool."
Irvine was engrossed in watching Jez, and jumped out of his skin when there was another knock at the door. "Yeah?"
Seifer walked in, and his eyes went straight to Jez, and he smiled at her. She smiled back with red lips. "You look good," he told her, and she smiled at him.
"You too! I love that shirt," she touched his collar lightly, and Irvine was aware at Rinoa's frantic 'whats happening!!!?' look, and stood. "I've just been telling Rinoa 'bout how we did sooo good on our test."
Seifer smiled, one pale eyebrow raised. "Only because I'm just fantastic."
Jez cocked her head, and put on her best bimbo expression. "Oh yeah! I forgot for a moment there!" Then she smiled and shook her head, picking her coat up from the back of her chair.
"Now that we're all here, can I suggest we get outta here? We're wasting precious drinking time!" Jez rolled her eyes at him while still smiling. Seifer held the door open for her, and she laughed and walked thru it. Rinoa grabbed Irvine's arm, forcing him to lag back with her. In front of them Jez and Seifer were talking, and a lot of laughing and smiling seemed to be going on.
"What the hell's going on!?" Said Rinoa in a ferocious whisper, shocked at her friends behaviour.
Irvine pushed his bangs out of his eyes as he watched the two in front of them. He supposed Rinoa had cause to be concerned. Jez and Seifer did seem very friendly. But Irvine couldn't blame Seifer, even if he didn't like him. Jez was a very attractive girl. He wondered what to tell Rinoa. "Well... I'm not rightly sure. But, here's what I've seen. Every one's off on their mission, right? So Jez doesn't know anyone but me,and I'm in a different class. She's in a class with Seifer, and she gets on with him really well-"
"I can see that! But what about-"
"-let me finish! There was this dorm party a coupla weeks ago, and, well, we were all pretty trashed, but I'm sure I saw them kissin'..."
Rinoa stared at him. "But what about Zell?"
Irvine shrugged. "Ask her, not me!" He ran up to catch up with the two in front of him, as he didn't want to have to answer any more of Rinoa's questions. "Hey, what're you two talking about?" They glanced at each other and laughed.
"Y' know, I'm not sure," giggled Jez, and Irvine didn't miss the way Seifer looked at her, nor did Rinoa, by the look on her face. "You know, I've not been out in Balamb yet."
"Oh, you're missing out on so much, baby," Irvine drawled, and grinned at her, leaning down to look her in the face. Jez tapped his nose and grinned at him.
"Sarcasm!"
"Oh, as if I would!"
"Oh, as if you're smart enough!" Jez giggled at Seifer's little interjection to their conversation. "Really, Jez. Balamb hasn't got much of a night life, but there are some good pubs. We'll have to show you them all tonight. I'm in the mood to get trashed." Since I'm not likely to get anything else tonight, thought Seifer, annoyed at the presence of the other two. If only it had just been me and Jez tonight- Seifer stopped the thought, but the images still ran through his head, and he sighed softly, but caught Jez looking at him worriedly, and his heart soared. Who knew, maybe something would happen when they got back to Garden?
Jez looked away from Seifer, thinking he'd tell her if anything was wrong, and thought of the man that occupied her mind most of the time. "Anyway, you guys, when's everyone getting back? Do ya know?"
"Soon, I hope," Rinoa said pointedly, earning her a strange look from Jez, then a smile.
"Missing Squall, huh?" She smiled at her old friend.
"Aren't you missing anyone?" Irvine stared at Rinoa for her complete unsubtlety. Jez just stared at Rinoa for a moment then frowned at her and started talking to Seifer again, wondering what was wrong with her old friend.
*************
Rinoa sighed. As though she was determined to piss her off, Jez grinned and laughed with Seifer all night. Irvine joined in the conversation with them but Rinoa was too angry on Zell's behalf. She glared at the wall all night, until the two guys went to the bar, and Jez looked worriedly at Rinoa.
"Are you okay? You've been really quiet all night." she added, and Rinoa switched her glare to Jez.
"I'm okay, it's you I'm worried about. What the hell are you playing at?!"
Jez' eyes widened, and she shook her head, not understanding. Rinoa was incencensed. What did Jez think she was doing? She wanted to yell at her, but whispered ferociously at her instead. "I mean, what do you think you're doing with Seifer? You've done nothing but flirt at him all night. It's a damn good job Zell's on a mission, or you'd be hurting him so bad-"
"What are you talking about? I'm not flirting with Seifer! I mean-"
"You're doing a damn good job of making it look like you are," Rinoa hissed.
"Rinoa-"
"I mean, you've been giggling like a school-girl, and I saw you leaning forward just because you've got a low cut top on-" She completely missed Jez' look of outrage and anger, as she continued on with her own rampage. "I mean, you could at least have a little self respect, for Hyne's sake!"
"Rinoa, you have seriously got the wrong idea here," Jez spoke through her teeth, trying hard to control her temper. "I do not like Seifer like that!"
"Oh, stop lying, Jez! Do you think I'm blind, that I could miss this? Zell's my friend, and I won't let you hurt him like this!"
"Oh really? At last I understand," Jez glared at Rinoa, her anger fueled by alcohol. "We've known each other for years, but I guess now you have your new friends, your old ones don't mean much anymore!"
With that, Jez stormed out, and Rinoa blinked. Seifer and Irvine, back from the bar stared at her. She merely shrugged, not knowing what else to do.
***************
"I don't beleive it! That she had the gaul - I mean, I thought she was my friend! It turns out that was jut my imagination! I-" Irvine grabbed Jez' shoulders to stop her pacing about her room. He'd convinced Seifer to stay away before he made things worse. He knew adult Jez better than Rinoa did - had known her for three years at Galbadia Garden, and knew that getting her mad was about the furthest from a good idea as was possible. He also knew that he as putting himself in a dangerous position just by being around an angry Jez, but trusted her not to hurt him.
"She was just trying to protect Zell, you know." He looked into her eyes, trying to get her to calm down. It didn't work. She just pushed him off, and started to pace again.
"What about me?! And I mean, what the hell is this thing about me and Seifer?! Where did that come from?"
"It did seem a lot like you two were flirting-" he held up his hands as Jez glared at him. "I know you better, of course, but Rinoa doesn't. She hasn't seen you for years, remember."
"That doesn't give her the right to insinuate that I'd hurt Zell! I love him, Irvy!" With that, Jez' anger gave way, and she started to sniff.
"Oh, Jez," whispered Irvine, and put his arms around her as she cried. "I know you do. He loves you too, I'm sure of it. Just give Rinoa a little time to gt her head together. I'm sure all this time without Squall is just stressing her to the limit, okay?" He lifted her chin up to look at him. "Okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, 'kay." She kissed him softly on the cheek. "Thanks for being here for me, Irvine." He kissed her back and tweaked her nose.
"You betcha. 'Night, Jez." He left her room and wondered what on Earth was going to happen next. Maybe Selphie'll tell me she's been having an affair with Quistis. At that thought, his eyebrows raised, and he grinned at the images that suddenly popped into his mind.
*************
"Jez?" She looked up to see Seifer, and smiled weakly at him. He sat next to her in class and touched her shoulder gently. "Are you okay? Where have you been?" He hadn't seen her all weekend, and she'd missed a few days of class, and he hadn't seen her around anywhere.
"I've just been thinking," she said in a low voice as Quistis walked in. "But it doesn't matter now. I'm back!"
"That's great. I was starting to worry about you. You want my notes to copy up?" He got a more genuine smile at that, and felt certain that she was alright after all.
"That'd be great, Seifer. Wanna meet up for training after class?" He nodded, and they smiled at one another.
**************
It had been almost a month. On top of missing Squall desperately, Jez was avoiding her like the plague. She was spending most of her time with Seifer, which just incensed Rinoa. She supposed there was maybe a little jealousy involved - only a little, though. And Rinoa had been so excited about matchmaking the two up! She felt quite guilty - it had been she who had convinced Jez to come to Balamb, so she was partly to blame for the mess. She'd have to force Jez to listen to her, wether she liked it or not.She'd have to-
"Rinoa!" she turned around in shock, and saw Squall. He smiled at her, and ran up to her and hugged her. She hugged back, then her thoughts skipped back to what she'd just been thinking about. She looked around, and saw Selphie, but not Zell.
"Where's Zell?"
Squall blinked, insulted that she was more interested in his friend than him. "He went to the Quad. Irvine said Jez was there-"
"He did what!?" She ran off, leaving Squall and Selphie to stare after her.