Life's Lessons on Stress

  ~*~

  Zell, Selphie, and I stepped off the train in Timber. Selphie adjusted her duffel over her shoulder as she took a moment to scan the small crowd of faces for Quistis. A couple of the SeeDs had mentioned she’d headed out without warning after a meeting with Seifer. Needless to say, we were all curious to know what had happened, especially since Zone lived in Timber.

  I caught sight of a thin, tall blonde with a ponytail and an outfit of what looked to be brownish suede. I pointed. "Isn’t that Quistis?"

  Zell and Selphie followed the line of my pointing finger.

  Selphie gasped. "Uh-oh."

  "Damn," Zell muttered.

  I lowered my arm. "Oh no."

  Quistis and Zone were arguing. Actually, Quistis did most of the pointing, jabbing, and intense words while Zone only outstretched his hands in a gesture of what seemed to say ‘Please. Listen.’ My heart sunk. Finally, Zone’s public humiliation was completed, punctuated by a final jab of finger to chest, and Quistis turned to stalk away. Zone stared after her, silent.

  "Damn," Zell repeated. "What the hell did Zone do?"

  Selphie shook her head. "I have no idea."

  I looked up at Zell, who met my gaze. "I’m going to go talk to her."

  "Sure, Meg. Watch your footing."

  I smiled and stepped off in the direction I’d seen her go, biting my lip as my brain chucked sentence after sentence. There was no way I thought of myself and Quistis as girlfriends who could talk about ‘girl stuff’. I didn’t even think of us as friends. We were acquaintances, plain and simple, but she and I had talked before. That talk had even led her to start exchanging emails with Zone. In a way I guess I held myself a little responsible if they weren’t working out.

  Zell would shake his head at me, I knew.

  I caught sight of her retreating figure as she strode toward the stairs that led down to the pub. "Quistis!" She didn’t slow or pause. "Quistis, wait!"

  She didn’t. She descended the stairs and disappeared from my view. I released a quick breath and hurried forward. I likely took my life into my hands by following, but it was something I felt I had to do. So, I made my way across the stone walk that also led to the train station and descended the stairs to the ‘mall’ area just before the pub. Once there, I paused, took in a deep breath, and rubbed my palms on the sides of my jeans before pushing through the door and entering the pub.

  The pungent aroma of second-hand smoke, stale beer, and body odor mixed with bad cologne made my eyes water and my nose wrinkle. I pushed myself forward though, and I did my best to ignore everyone as I searched the variety of faces for Quistis. I found her in the farthest and darkest corner of the room hunched over a table while slowly turning a beer bottle.

  I took in and released yet another deep breath before stepping toward her table. She didn’t look up when I stood across from her. I slowly sat, but I didn’t say anything. Several questions came to mind, such as ‘Are you okay?’ or ‘Do you need to talk about it?’, but I couldn’t make myself ask. I couldn’t invade her privacy, even if it would have invited a needed conversation.

  Quistis suddenly leaned back in her chair, an arm resting across her middle as her other lifted the beer bottle for a deep drought. She slammed it down. "The bastard has nudie pics of me," she snarled, but I could hear the tears.

  I almost opened my mouth to ask ‘Why?’ or ‘How do you know?’ or ‘Where did he get them?’, but I still couldn’t. It really wasn’t any of my business. She’d talk about it if she needed to.

  She finished the beer and motioned for another as she slammed the empty bottle down away from her. Then she leaned forward and against the table again, rubbing her forehead with a shaky hand as she sighed deeply. "At least he didn’t deny it," she mumbled. "Maybe he should have?"

  The bartender set down another bottle, asked if I wanted anything, and then went back to his counter with a sidelong glance to Quistis when I declined. Quistis took another long swig of the fresh beer before setting it slowly down and fingering the body of the bottle.

  "It could’ve worked, Sally," she confessed softly. "We talked about everything in our emails or phone calls. He’s funny." She released another long sigh, finally lifting her eyes to meet mine. "It could’ve worked but for his damned--" Quistis looked away. "I’m a person," she told me in a carefully controlled voice. "I’m not a pin-up of some porno bimbo for him to get his midnight jollies." She looked over at me with flashing eyes, jabbing sharply at her own chest. "Damn it," she whispered in a choked voice, "I’m not a ticket to a wet dream!"

  I flushed but held her gaze and finally said, "No, you’re not."

  She pressed her lips together and then looked away again. She drank her beer with a slow and deliberate action. Then she held it in one hand and stared down at the label. "I should have known better, Sally. Rinoa told me about his collection of mags. You did, too. I didn’t think I’d care--No. I just never thought pictures of me--" Quistis sighed and shook her head. "He screwed up."

  I gave a slight nod. "Yes, he did."

  Quistis looked at me out of the corner of her eyes. "He said he’ll dump them if I give him another chance," she offered slowly. "I don’t think he will. Not permanently." She motioned toward me with the beer bottle. "What do you think?"

  I think I don’t want to answer that question. I moved my focus to the table‑top and began picking at a knot in the wood. "Second chances are important," I said carefully.

  "But?"

  I sighed and finally lifted my eyes. "But you need to do what’s best for you. Is Zone best for you?" I lowered my gaze. "Or not?" Sorry, Zone.

  Quistis sighed. "Not."

  I met her eyes. "Then that’s what you’ve got to do," I said softly, and then I reluctantly smiled. "He’ll get over it. Eventually. And who knows? Maybe he’ll stop with the naughty magazines?"

  She smirked. "Yeah. Right. I won’t hold my breath." She held my gaze a moment before looking back to her beer bottle. "It would’ve worked."

  "I know, Quistis. Sometimes it doesn’t."

  "Twice. Three times and I’m single for life."

  I examined Quistis’ lovely face, her expressive eyes, her slim form and her graceful way of moving and shook my head. "Not for you, Quistis." She looked up. "You just have to find the right guy."

  "Fine." She focused on her beer bottle again. "You got a brother who happens to be single?" She immediately scoffed. "Yeah. Right."

  I blinked. Zack? He wouldn’t want me to set him up--Would he? I focused an absent gaze on the table. He’s been burned twice, Sally. He’d rather be a bachelor now than start dating again--Wouldn’t he? I bit my lower lip. He’s really busy at the T.V. station; he’d just say he doesn’t have the time--Right?

  Quistis looked up at my continued silence. Her smirk vanished at the expression on my face. "You’re kidding."

  I lifted my eyes. "Actually, um, I have an older brother. Zack. He works at the T.V. station," I said as I motioned to the pub exit. "Manager."

  "Manager?" she repeated. Quistis crossed her arms. "What is he? Forty? Sorry; not into the marrying my father thing."

  I giggled. "Zack’s only twenty-six, Quistis."

  She arced an eyebrow. "Twenty-six. Manager of the T.V. station. Single. Five hundred pounds? Bald?"

  My eyes crinkled at the corners. "No. He’s just really busy at the station." Should I tell her he’s been married before? I slightly bit my lower lip, the smile vanishing. "And, well, he’s not really single. He’s been divorced a couple times."

  Quistis smirked. "Sounds like he has the same luck I do."

  My smile returned, and I motioned toward the back door of the pub. "You want to meet him? We could watch the shows until he’s free."

  She moved her gaze to her half-full beer bottle. "No, thanks. I’ll give up on love for a while. Maybe another time."

  "Oh." I watched her a moment before clearing my throat. "You still want to go shopping with us?"

  She shook her head. "I
’ll pass. Tell Rinoa ‘hi’ for me."

  I nodded and stood. "Okay." I adjusted my pack on my shoulder. "I’m sorry about Zone, Quistis."

  She held the beer bottle with both hands. "Thanks."

  I hesitated a moment longer, wishing I could say something that would make her feel better, and then turned to leave.

  "Sally."

  I turned. "Yeah?"

  Quistis looked up. "Thanks for listening."

  I smiled. "You’re welcome."

  She stared back at her beer bottle as I turned again to leave. Zell and Selphie had just come down the stairs into the mall area. Zone wasn’t with them, and neither Selphie nor Zell looked very happy.

  I met them by the foot of the stairs. "He tell you?"

  Zell clenched his jaw. "Yeah, stupid idiot. What the hell was he thinking? Even I know you don’t go scoping off a girl’s naked pictures!" Zell gestured to the pub. "She pissed?"

  I turned to stare at the pub entrance. "She’s hurt."

  Zell shook his head. "Damn."

  "She want to be alone?" Selphie asked.

  I nodded and looked over at the two. "Yeah."

  "Poor Quistis." She adjusted her duffel over her shoulder. "I guess it’s just the four of us then. Come on. We don’t want to miss the train."

  Selphie headed out, but Zell hung back and took my hand in his. I looked over at him. He wore a sad expression and rubbed lightly at his tattoo.

  "What’s the matter?" I asked softly.

  He released a quick breath. "I don’t get it, Sally. I don’t get why Quis and Zone didn’t work. Quis gave him a shot and he screwed up." He looked over at me. "How come? Why the hell did he do that?"

  I moved my gaze to the ground at our feet. "Habits die hard, no matter how much one person says they love the other." Quistis loved Squall, but it wasn’t enough. Zone said he loved Quistis, but it wasn’t enough. I sighed. "Sometimes it just doesn’t work."

  Zell looked away. "It sucks."

  "Yep." I adjusted my hand in his as if to prove I’d had better luck. "It does."

  He released my hand to drape an arm around my shoulders, his hand stroking my hair. "I’m glad we work, Meg."

  I smiled. "Me, too."

  "I just wish I knew why. I mean, what’s so different about us? I’m willing to change the little things that bug you. Why couldn’t Zone do the same for Quis?"

  My smile dwindled and died. I leaned my head against him. "I don’t know, Zell. I wish I did."