Aftermath

Chapter 4.)

Julia sat there in the nurse’s office for a long while, pondering her actions.  Of course she understood Sephiroth’s reaction…she’d guessed he wasn’t the type to want to have someone looking after him – but that wasn’t what she was trying to do!  In this place…this wretched miniature world run by Shinra…she had no one.  Though now reunited with her foster brother she had no friends…and now it seemed that she’d just unintentionally alienated the only person in the school to express an interest in friendship with the likes of her.  

All at once, she was consumed by the urge to drop out of high school…to leave this place and never look back.  It wasn’t as though she’d be missed…and anywhere, anywhere on the Planet was better than here.

She knew she had nowhere else to go.

She knew she didn’t have a choice but to go to high school as her parents had ordered her to do.

Trying futilely to wipe away the tears slipping from her eyes, she couldn’t help but wonder why she was acting this way.  She’d only been here one day – this wasn’t the end of the world, so why was she behaving like it was?

‘Must be the stress of the day…’ she thought, but she didn’t believe it.  She’d been alone for years, with no one but her parents for company since she had been forced to leave Tseng’s family.  To have found someone she could relate to in the first day had been very fortunate…and now it seemed her good intentions of offering assistance had blown up in her face.

She understood.

After all, if it had been her, she wouldn’t want someone risking themselves for her, especially when the risk was so high.

Why had he just pushed her away?

It had seemed that he was going to say something…other than what he had.  What made him change his mind?

Maybe she was imagining it.

Maybe she was trying too hard to imagine that she hadn’t just humiliated him by beating Hojo when he couldn’t.  That whole ‘male pride’ thing…she’d probably damaged his ego by coming to his assistance.

Why did she bother?

Finally she got to her feet and wandered to Tseng’s classroom…only to find that he was in the middle of a class, and she couldn’t just barge in to cry on him.

Tears began dripping down her cheeks once more, and so she dejectedly began making her way to the band room for her next class, trying to figure out what excuse she could offer for her tardiness.

Making her way across the common room, she could hear the sounds of a food fight going on in the cafeteria. “…Barbarians…” Just that was enough to remind her of why she’d been so shocked at how quickly she’d estranged the only student in the school who demonstrated some semblance of intelligence.

“…Lost?” A voice drawled from behind her.

Whipping around, she offered a scowl. “…Cutting class?” She replied scathingly.

“Yup.” Reno was leaning against a pole in the commons, smirking. “So…whatchya crying over?” A pause. “Didn’t see ya get hit by Hojo…you okay?”

“Why would you care? And…I’m fine.  It’s just been a long day – you know, attempting to do well in school?” She paused. “Oh…you wouldn’t know, since you’ve never tried.”

“Well, aren’t we the first class bitch?” Losing all pretense of composure, Reno stalked forward. “And for the record, hotshot, I ain’t impressed with your flashy magic and crap…and if ya don’t learn to hold your tongue, I’m gonna have to teach ya how.”

“Hmph.  As much as I’d like to see you try, I have a class to attend.  If you still want a fight, find me after school.” Flicking the redhead off, she stormed into the music hall, her depression cured by Reno’s amazing ability to set her off without any effort.

Waiting for a pause in the music, she slipped into the band room, where the professor had all manner of chaos underway already. He looked over at her and offered a benign smile. “Julia, right?  Sephiroth told me you’d be coming.”

“Uh…yes, sir.” She was still standing in the doorway, slightly surprised that she hadn’t been yelled at.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Professor Loft laughed. “Grab your piccolo! Let’s make some music!” Giving the student a moment to pull out her instrument, he announced a measure number and went full speed ahead into the music.

Despite the difficulty of the music, Julia smiled.  The funny, optimistic attitude of the Professor had done wonders for lightening her mood.  She delighted anew in the glorious sound of her Hamig piccolo, soaring far above the rest of the band…and her worries vanished as she concentrated on the intense, wonderful feeling of the drums pounding in her soul…the runs of notes, fingers flying over the keys, gasping a breath to keep playing – indeed, ‘Vesuvius’ had to be the best piece of band literature ever written.

The class passed all too quickly, and Julia was honestly disappointed when Professor Loft announced that it was time to pack up.  Resignedly she put her piccolo away and returned it to her backpack before going to speak with him.

“Er…Professor Loft?”

“Hmm?” Looking up from the score, the man smiled cheerfully. “What’s up?”

“Um…will I…do I have to attend you after school?” She was barely even able to control her flinch, as she had missed the better portion of the class.

“As in detention? Heavens, no!” Professor Loft laughed. “Sephiroth got here only a few minutes before you did, and he explained the whole thing – you got here from Hojo’s class, right?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Well, then why would I punish you?  It isn’t uncommon for students from his classes to not show up at all…the way he abuses them.” He shook his head. “But I’m glad you made it here safely, and don’t be afraid to come to me if you need help in the future, okay?”

“Alright.  Thank you, sir.”  Turning away and heading for the doors, Julia paused to examine her schedule.  It seemed that it was her lunch shift…followed by…oh good, two rounds of gym.

Staring at the slip of paper, she hardly noticed when Sephiroth made his way over to her. “Hey, you planning on eating, or are you just going to keep staring at that paper?” Laughingly he asked, “Or maybe you’re planning on eating that?”

Looking up at him, she managed a smile. “I was planning on eating,” she admitted, “but was wondering if I could help heal your wounded ego by asking you to show me around?”  She knew she was taking a risk with that joke, but it was out of her mouth before she could bite it back.

For a moment, Sephiroth just stared, stunned. “You…you’re something else, you know?” Steering her toward the cafeteria, he finally surrendered to laughter.

“Psh.  Better to be ‘something else’ than ‘normal,’ wouldn’t you agree?” She started to laugh, but quickly stopped at the sight of the cafeteria.  There was chaos everywhere!

Some of it was students.

Some of it was teachers.

And…eighty percent of it was Reno, throwing food that was both his…and everyone else’s.