my network communication within the Garden's system. When it asked for a log in name, I paused for a long moment before typing Megafenix. Then I gave a curt nod and hit enter. I logged into the system and sent Zell an instant message, all the while hoping he had the sound down on his computer.
BOOYABOY: u shud hv seen thm jump!
I groaned. MEGAFENIX: You turned the sound all the way up, didn't you?
BOOYABOY: ^_^
"Zell," I sighed. MEGAFENIX: That wasn't very nice. They're taking a test.
BOOYABOY: hey. we had a laf. tenshun sux.
MEGAFENIX: You've got a point. Congratulations. I wish my Instructors would relieve tension like that on test days.
BOOYABOY: man u typ fst! n u spel al the wrds rite 2
I flushed. MEGAFENIX: I guess all that time in the library was good for something.
BOOYABOY: ^_^ lol
I sighed, touching the smiley face with a finger. "Why do you have to be the way you are?"
BOOYABOY: so how long u wrkd ther?
MEGAFENIX: Ever since I started studying here, so about 5 years.
BOOYABOY: 0_0 5 yrs! In the lib?!
My cheeks burned. MEGAFENIX: It sounds lame, doesn't it?
BOOYABOY: no it dsnt. i just cnt beleve i no som1 hoo actlly styd smwhr lngr thn 2 mnths. u proly hv al the pwr.
I wrinkled my nose. MEGAFENIX: What do you mean?
BOOYABOY: wat do I meen? cuz yuv ben ther so lng, u can proly do n wrk wenevr u want. rit?
I raised an eyebrow. I'd never thought of it that way. I just worked my scheduled days, tried to cover whenever I could, and did the best job that I could. I stared at the keyboard and had no idea what to type. Did I want to admit that I'd never thought of it? That I apparently didn't have any kind of ambition. That I was fine to be the--
BOOYABOY: u ther?
I blinked, and my throat tightened. MEGAFENIX: Yeah.
BOOYABOY: 'sup?
MEGAFENIX: I just never thought about that before.
BOOYABOY: thts ok. yu lik wurkng ther. not evr1 who studes here is like me or squall. u can teach or somthng els.
I smiled a wavering smile at the monitor. He couldn't be much less than perfect.
BOOYABOY: hav u thot of wat u wnt 2 do aftr u pass?
Again, I blinked. MEGAFENIX: No.
BOOYABOY: y not?
MEGAFENIX: It never seemed to come up. Sure, my written exams are great, but my field tests? they're pretty sad.
BOOYABOY: mybe cuz u dnt no wat u wnt to do aftr?
My mouth dropped open as I stared at that line of genius and insight. I hadn't even thought that deep into myself. MEGAFENIX: You think so?
BOOYABOY: hoo nos? y dnt u gv it a thot or 2 b4 tmorrow?
I leaned slightly to the left, resting my elbow onto the counter as I cupped the side of my face in my hand and lightly scraped the raised letters on the enter button. What do you want to do, Sally? All these years you've been working here and you haven't ever wondered? You haven't ever thought about it? How come?
BOOYABOY: ive got it. yur rily gud at the ntwrk sys ther at the lib and ordrng books and mkng sur evrythng is a-ok, so y dnt u try n be netwrk admin for thm or somthng?
I pursed my lips and adjusted my face in my hand. Hmm. Do I want to be in the library for the rest of my days? I looked around the place, remembering the good times and the laughs, the organization and the improving I'd done. The comments by Headmaster Cid and some of the students at how easy things were to find. I smiled and straightened.
MEGAFENIX: I'd like that.
BOOYABOY: of cors! u shud do wats ez n fun.
I giggled. MEGAFENIX: It has its boring days, too. Remember?
BOOYABOY: wel wat gud is a job if u cnt slack off 1nc in a whil? ^_^
I laughed. MEGAFENIX: Now you sound like Selphie.
BOOYABOY: o! i tawkd 2 sef. she tld me a lot, so i thnk i no wat 2 wrk on tmorrow. itl b brutl. just 2 let u no.
I smiled. MEGAFENIX: Take it a *little* easy on me. I don't have the world-battle-saving experiences you do.
BOOYABOY: dnt sel yrslf shrt. u cn kick butt if u wrk hrd and pay atnshn.
With you instructing me? Try and get me not to focus! I giggled. MEGAFENIX: Okay, but don't expect me to take on T-Rexaur after the first 5 minutes.
BOOYABOY: i giv u 1 hr
I raised an eyebrow. MEGAFENIX: That's all?
BOOYABOY: ul c
I gnawed my lower lip. MEGAFENIX: So you really think I can pass the Fire Cavern test?
BOOYABOY: of cors. dnt swet it. wel wrk on thngs tmorrow. tak it ez 2day. ul need the rest.
My face warmed with my smile. MEGAFENIX: Okay. Thanks again, Zell. I owe you dinner.
BOOYABOY: nah. its on me. thyr brngng ther pprs up. gotta go. c u tmorrow
I nodded. MEGAFENIX: Okay.
He logged off. I leaned back in my chair with a sigh and a wistful smile.
4: Day Four
I teetered between elation and chronic nervousness the next morning as I dressed in T-shirt, sweatshirt, shorts, sweatpants, and running shoes--hey. You never know what you might need. Then I grabbed my quarterstaff on my way out of the dormitory. Disbelief kept everything else under control as I made my way to the Training Center. Thank goodness. The Fire Cavern exam was all I could think about. I wanted to pass so bad. To make Zell proud. To make Zell notice me?
I shrugged with an accompanying shake of my head. Zell did notice me. I was one of his 'buds'. One of his 'circle'. Only problem for me being I didn't want to be in that particular circle.
"A circle of arms would be nice," I mumbled as I adjusted my hold on my staff. But, like usual, I wouldn't hold my breath.
"Hey, Meg. ‘Sup?"
I recognized Zell's baritone voice as I turned into the corridor leading to the Training Center. I sighed. It would be cool if he sounded that happy to see me. I sighed again. Oh well.
"Meg! Yo, Meg!" Running steps.
I frowned. The girl could at least acknowledge his existence! Sheesh! Poor Zell. Trying to be friendly--A touch on my arm turned me to face--"Zell!"
"Didn't you hear me?" he asked as he jerked a thumb back the way I'd come. "I hollered."
I flushed but surprisingly held his gaze. "I didn't know you were calling me. I'm sorry."
"Oh. The 'Meg' thing, huh. Sorry. Short for MegaPhoenix. Thought it sounded pretty cool."
"It does," I said timidly. Zell gave me a nickname! "I should have guessed."
"Don't sweat it." He motioned to the Training Center and matched my pace when I moved forward. "Let me guess: Nervous?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
Zell gave me a gentle slug on my arm with an accompanying grin. "Don't be. I promise I won't do anything mean or stupid. All you hafta do is work as hard as you can. No slackin' off."
"Okay," I said softly as I nodded. "I'll try."
Zell laughed while giving me a soft shove. My gaze met his. "Loosen up, Meg. Geez."
I flushed and looked away. "Sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry," he said with a smile in his voice, "just take it easy. I'm not gonna drag you through hot coals if you screw up. We're all screw ups at some point you know."
I gave a slight shrug. I'd never seen him screw up.
Much to my shock and horror, he brought an arm around my neck to draw me close to his chest moments before rubbing my scalp with a knuckle. "Come on! Relax!"
My staff clattered to the floor as my hands went to his arm to try and loose his hold. But what was I thinking?
"You gotta try harder than that," he teased. "Come on. Make me leggo."
"Zell, let go," I said, and the tone in my voice was pathetically close to a whimper.
"Aw man, Meg. Come on." He did let go, putting his fists on the hips of his dark blue sweatpants.
I straightened my hair back into my ponytail, my face burning with humiliation. I failed my first test. "Sorry." This time my voice sounded suspiciously teary.
"You're not very aggressive, are ya?"
br /> Aggressive? If I were aggressive I'd grab you by the front of your sweatshirt, back you against the wall, and give you a nice, long--I shook my head. If I were aggressive I would have told you years ago I had a crush on you. "Nope." If I were aggressive, we'd be going out and you'd be wild about me the same as I'm wild about you.
I really wanted to be aggressive.
"We're gonna work on that. I'm not saying you have to be an ass like Seifer, but you shouldn't be scared of wrestling around with me. I'm not gonna break."
I slightly nodded my head, still not raising my eyes. "Okay."
Zell shook his head and lowered his fists from his hips. "Come on. Let's get to work." He picked up my staff and headed toward the main section of the Training Center.
I released a deep breath and followed after him. Believe it or not, I wanted to be anywhere but there. I knew I was a little on the pushover side. I wasn't a coward, no, but I didn't like confrontations. Remember? I have a spine, sure, but wrestling around with Zell Dincht? I rolled my eyes, dread growing in my stomach like a fungus. I really, really don't want to do this.
Well, a part of me did.
Zell rested my staff against the tree on the right side of the stone I'd come to call my own. Then he shrugged out of his gray sweatshirt to the crisp white T-shirt with the bright red letters ‘Booya' on the front and ‘Meteor Strike' on the back. He always looks so good in T-shirts and sweatpants.
He adjusted the lightweight sparring gloves on his hands. "Come on, slowpoke. Let's get down to business."
Hyne, please don't let me look like a chicken-wuss. Not to him. Anyone but him. But I knew that would be up to me. "Okay." I cleared my throat, debated with taking off my hooded sweatshirt, and very quickly decided against it. I didn't look nearly as good as Zell did.
Zell motioned over his shoulder to the metal gate on the right. "Before we head in, I wanna take a look at a few things.