School Dance
"Did you hear? Aerith and Sephiroth broke up!""No way!"
Cloud stopped writing, his attention falling upon the two people in front of him gossiping. He usually wasn't one to meddle in anyone else's business but because this involved his crush and his most hated school companion, he just found himself listening in.
"Yeah, Aerith broke it off," the redhead male continued, nodding as he did so as if to confirm what he had heard. The blonde-haired girl gasped slightly.
"I thought they were going to last," she muttered but the boy snorted.
"Nah, Aerith is too sweet for someone as selfish as Seph," he replied. "Anyways, I wonder who they'll be going with to the dance now."
Cloud sighed softly and focussed back on his work once the conversation turned to the annual school dance. He had never went to one and hated them for that fact. He wasn't good enough to get a girl to go with him anyway.
News of the couple's break-up spread like wildfire through the school, with different versions as to why it had come about. Cloud wasn't interested in any of them, especially since many of the rumours pointed the finger to Aerith as the reason for the split. Cloud had no doubt that Sephiroth had used his popularity to put a mark against her name and make sure that her version of the story wouldn't be believed. The only ones who seemed to believe Aerith were himself, Zack, Tifa, Yuffie and the redhead in his classroom, Reno.
A raven-haired boy with a spiky hairstyle similar to Cloud sat down beside him at the cafeteria table, nudged him, and gave him a large grin.
"Well Spike, now's your chance to sweep Aerith off her feet," he winked, laughing as Cloud's cheeks turned scarlet. Tifa and Yuffie, two black-haired girls appeared, taking the two seats opposite the boys. Tifa looked slightly saddened as she glanced at Cloud every so often but Yuffie looked ecstatic.
"Reno asked me to the dance!" she explained even though nobody had asked. Zack choked on his drink but whether out of surprise or laughter, Cloud could not tell. Tifa blinked.
"I didn't think you were the type of girl interested in the dance," she said, brushing some of her hair out of her eyes and fixing the girl with a curious stare. Yuffie shrugged.
"I'm not interested in the dance. I want the free drink!"
Cloud snorted. That was more like Yuffie. And Reno come to that. Cloud reckoned that was the whole reason the redhead had asked the girl, so that he would not get drunk alone.
"What about you Teef?" Zack asked, catching the crimson-eyed female's attention. "You got a partner?"
She sighed, her eyes crossing onto Cloud for a second. "No."
"Really? I would have thought the guys would be fighting over you by now," he continued, rubbing the back of his neck and staring out of the window. He didn't see Tifa scowl.
"Yeah because I'm just a prize to be won!" she snapped, standing up and storming out of the hall before anyone could say anything. Yuffie made a dramatic whistle, Cloud sat in slight shock, and Zack just looked between the two before he slammed his head against the table. He lifted it a second later with a groan.
"That didn't help," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. Yuffie rolled her eyes and gave him a 'you think?' look. Zack sighed. "Why can you never please a woman?"
"Because we have brains and can tell when you quote stuff from movies, songs, valentine cards and so on. Delete as applicable." Yuffie replied, picking at her hamburger. Zack threw her an agitated look, sticking his tongue out before he buried his face in his hands again.
"What am I supposed to do?" he groaned. "She hates me now! I was only doing a subtle joke, you know? Besides, it was meant as a compliment."
Yuffie scoffed and mumbled against the food in her mouth. "Yeah, girls love it when you treat them like they're your property. They'll have their knickers off in seconds."
"Shut up!" Zack hissed. Yuffie raised an eyebrow in a intimidating manner but remained silent. Cloud sighed.
"I could talk to her," he suggested but Zack just chuckled and shook his head.
"Nah, it's my mess. I should go and sort it. See you later." With that said, the raven-haired youth got up from the table and left. Cloud took a gulp of his water, gazing out of the window until he felt Yuffie staring at him.
"What?"
"Who are you taking to the dance?" she asked, sipping her coke through a straw in a bored manner. Cloud lowered his eyes and shrugged. Yuffie sighed and put her drink down. "Not going to ask Aerith?"
"She would never go with me."
"Did she say that?" the girl asked, taking two chips in between her fingers and stuffing them into her mouth. Cloud frowned.
"No, I never asked her," he answered. "Besides, she doesn't have to say it. Her status does that for her."
Yuffie chuckled slightly and rolled her eyes. "You make it sound as if she's the queen or something."
"Well she is the most popular girl in school and I'm…" he sighed and waved his hand dismissively. Th girl sighed.
"Fine," she muttered, standing up. "But if you don't ask her soon, someone else will and then you'll be even more emo than usual!" she said, picking up her tray.
"And I hate emos!"