A/N: This is my first attempt at a crossover in anything so I'm really looking forward to getting some feedback on this. It is also my first time of really showing how much of a young adult/teen book reader I am, being influenced by Cabot and Dessen as my two favorite authors. This is going to be a multi-chapter with the expected pairings of FFVII (CloudxAerith, CloudxTifa, ZackxAerith, etc.) and FMA (RoyxRiza, RoyxLust, EdxWin, WinxAl, etc.) I know that looks strange to some people but hey, it's a teen fiction, of course there's going to be angsty drama-it's just expected. I think that's enough from me, now it's time to hear from you by using your power of the review!
Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII nor FMA. FFVII belongs to the geniuses at SquareEnix and FMA is the wonderful creation of Hiromu Arakawa.
Background music-playlist entitled Emo Skimo that I made to embody those tormentingly angsty/fun moments of being a teenager. Ah, the joys of high school.
The Dramas of Cetra High
By MakoRain
Chapter 1
She hated doing this, hated facing a class full of new faces, new rooms, new rules. Every school was the same since she'd first been pulled along on this wild ride known as her life. The schools were the same, but the people…the people were always different. Sure, there were cliques and all that, but the ones in those cliques were always different in their sameness.
Tifa stood before the building's doors with a sense of dread, the place towering over her as if daring her to enter. She liked to think of herself as brave, but even she would not voluntarily go in until she was forced to. With the final shriek of the warning bell, that time came all too quickly.
Tifa placed her hand on the handle and pulled the door open quickly, not giving herself the chance to back out now. The hall was lined with lockers as schools usually are and she walked slowly, her footsteps reverberating in the now empty space. She passed windows and saw teachers addressing classes, but that was not the case for her, yet…that was what was to come.
She cringed at the thought of being among the masses as she headed for the principal's office, no doubt for the dreaded greeting said authority figure had for her. No matter how many schools she had been to, Tifa still didn't see the need for the principal to speak with her before everything else. She never saw them again anyway, unless you count detention…which is usually taken care of by less worthy faculty members that were more like lackeys than respected adults. She'd try to stay out of their way here, for the most part.
The building's like a maze…wasn't the main office supposed to be easy to find? It did have the name main in it after all, so it can't be that hard, Tifa thought as she stood in the hallway, turning every which way.
No help was to come since everyone was in class and so she stood stupidly until picking a random direction and heading that way. Lockers, lockers, more lockers…finally, the sign for the Main Office appeared, announcing its presence in all of its hidden glory. Tifa reached for the handle, not looking up as she walked through the door and fortunately caught herself before running full force into a person filling the frame.
"Sorry about that," a masculine voice said and she looked up, since the guy was a good few inches taller than her. All she really saw was a mass of spiky blond hair and shining blue eyes, so unique in color that she felt like swimming in them; before the receptionist said something, breaking her concentration. Dazed and still lost in thought, her attention was diverted from the boy, muttering a "that's okay," before walking past as he held the door open for her before exiting.
(Switch to Tifa POV)
The office was the same as all the others; small, quant and failing at trying to look cozy with its plush furniture and cheery receptionist. She perked up her ears and wore a full hundred watt smile before I even had a chance to sit down.
You could not pay me enough money to do that job. I refrained from saying this though and instead gave the woman a small smile. I'm not usually the type to encourage any sort of interaction but I couldn't help it. I was probably going to be the only person in here that wasn't being sent because of getting in a cat fight in the halls or making the toilets explode or something else equally juvenile.
On to a disguised as comfortable and actually rock hard chair and waiting for the big man to be ready. Same old schpeel from the so called person in charge; this headmaster would be no different from the others…except he did tend to look intimidating with his height and all as I followed him into his office.
"I'm Principal Wallace, Miss Lockheart," he greeted me warmly, and I tried to look interested, I really did, but he lost me after he opened up my transcript.
"I see here that your grades are exceptional…" blah blah blah.
I spaced out, as I tend to do, and instead looked in the direction of Mr. Wallace while actually focusing on the grounds behind him from the advantageous view of his office's first story window. Football field, baseball field, soccer field…they seem to be very much into their sports, I observed, tuning in once Mr. Wallace was wrapping up his welcome.
"…You'll have a pleasant time here, I believe, Miss Lockheart."
"Please, just call me Tifa."
"Very well Tifa, now if you go out into the reception area, your student guide will be with you in a moment."
Student guide? Oh, so this school was all with the formalities. What, do they think I'll get lost? It can't be that big of a school.
I obeyed blindly and thought this over on another stiff chair until my attention was brought to a young girl a couple grades younger than me. She looked to be about 15 or so with a cute hairdo and proper clothing…goodie goodie all the way.
"Hi, Tifa? I'm Marlene Wallace, I'll be showing you around till you get used to the school, okay?"
I shrugged noncommittally and looked at her again as the name registered. "You're…"
"Principal Wallace's daughter." Marlene clarified, smiling brightly at the thought of her father.
Well, that I wasn't expecting.
"Daddy likes me to take on the new students, my way to 'contribute' as he puts it. I don't mind though. Most people need a hand at first, new schools can be somewhat…intimidating."
I nodded as we headed down the hall. You've got that right. The hall was filling up with milling students leaving their respective homerooms as groups of people cluttered every other part of the space and so you usually had to walk through a few to get anywhere. I could tell this was going to be fun as people smiled as Marlene did this and glared at me as I followed.
Oh the joys of being the new girl.
Suddenly, a petite and very hyper girl bounced up in our path, causing Marlene to stop and me to almost run into her. I was watching everyone else instead of where I was going, and I'm just glad Marlene was there to stop me. Otherwise, it would have been social suicide. Falling on your face in the middle of the hallway on your first day of school does not exactly gain an acceptable status among high schoolers….more like a life of teasing, which I so did not need here.
"Sorry," I mumbled, backing away from Marlene and gaining something of my personal space once again.
I don't know why, but having people like right there next to me all the time is unnerving. That's what got me my title of loaner at my old school, which wasn't so bad; it was just that that place was full of narrow minded people who couldn't have an original thought if their life depended on it. Maybe I could reinvent myself…but into what? Who do I have to impress, anyway?
I glanced around the crowded hall: there were your jocks, nerds, Goths, preps, stoners…all the regular cliques for an ordinary high school. My peers…. kind of a disappointment, really. But I couldn't help wondering what they thought of me, trespassing on their turf, as it were? Oh, well.
Marlene was poking me on the shoulder and so I gave her my attention.
"This is Yuffie, she's in your grade so now you'll know someone in your classes!"
"Great," I said, trying to smile but feeling it falter, not that this Yuffie person would notice, she was too busy scanning the rest of the crowd.
"Yeah, great to meet you, Tyfa."
"Tifa, like an e."
How is it that my name is that hard to get right? I don't know how many times I have to go through this but come on; it's not brain surgery, people!
A glance at her skin bearing halter top and short skirt made things a little bit clearer. She's a cheerleader…imagine that. Maybe that's it. All that rhyming and jumping up and down can't be good for a person's mental capacity.
Looking at Yuffie, I could see that she had the attention span of a bee…maybe less as she spotted someone she knew and ran full force, Marlene deciding to follow and dragging me along. It's not like I was just going to stand there like some loser on their first day…I needed to at least try this time.
"Aerith! Eeeeee!" Yuffie squealed as she hugged yet another cheerleader and Marlene just laughed as we watched off to the side of all the attention.
My ears are going to be damaged if I have to be anywhere near this girl for long, I can tell it already. How can she hold one syllable for so long? My God, will this torture never cease?
I couldn't help watching them bitterly as the two cheerleaders hopped up and down, still hugging and yet still able to stand upright. I will never say out loud that I want to be a cheerleader-I am so not the cheerleader type. It's not like I'm a dog or anything. On the contrary, I'd say I'm on that naturally pretty/beautiful borderline with my long dark hair, big hazel eyes and um, huge chest. Hey, it's hard to ignore so I might as well just get that out of the way right here and now. I could see from the daggers sent in my direction that the rest of the squad had already taken notice anyways. Jealousy is not pretty on anyone, girls.
I may not be a threat at 5'5" but I'm no damsel in distress either. I could probably get onto the cheerleading squad if I really wanted to but the key word there is want. I just think it'd be nice to have close girl friends like that, as long as they weren't always trying to stab you in the back with their hundred dollar acrylic nails over a guy or something equally stupid as that. The last thing I need is to be envious of cheerleaders so I'm just gonna stop that little glitch right now.
This new girl was wearing a short pink skirt with a matching top; pink, for crying out loud, and had her light brown hair in a long braid down her back. Her emerald eyes sparkled with what looked like happiness when she stopped jumping and started talking animatedly with Yuffie, her smile shining brightly as the gaggle known as the rest of the cheerleading squad packed in around us.
How can anyone be this animated at this ungodly hour? I'm barley awake…but that could be because I don't want to be here.
I hated her already.
I almost fell over when this uptight princess turned to me and said almost genuinely, "Hi, I'm Aerith. Welcome to Cetra High. Don't be fooled, we're all not that bad."
She giggled at these last words and I couldn't help thinking, what was with this girl?
"What?" I said brilliantly, unable to hide my perplexity with figuring her out.
Aerith just laughed and said, "You have that look, like we're evil or something."
Or something is right, but I wasn't going to be that mean, unless necessary, which you never know with cheerleaders. Instead of answering her directly, I did the smart thing and just ignored her; it got her to take her attention off of me, at least.
Marlene went on with the formalities as I took in the rest of the Aerith and Yuffie replicas…all fake smiles and real glares. I tried not to cringe as I looked past them and once again down the hall.
I wonder how the art program is here? Why didn't I think to ask Mr. Wallace that? At least I have more electives than actual classes that I might enjoy-oh the perks of senior year.
Every now and then a guy on some sports team or another would float by, pausing to talk/flirt/grope one of the squad and then move on as was there custom.
God, someone just shoot me now.
As if an answer to my prayer, I was suddenly pushed forward from behind, almost face planting into the floor when I was suddenly stopped by a very broad and masculine chest.
Hmmm, interesting.
I scanned up the guy's form, pleased with the equally well built but not over doing it arms, nice chin, and a face to die for. I almost passed out when I met his eyes, so blue and exotic that they reminded me of rare tropical waters.
I remembered those eyes…I remember wanting to dive into them sometime before.
I stood in shock as this guy helped me regain my balance and asked "Are you alright?"
That voice…why did it sound familiar? Of course I was unable to think straight with his arms still on my shoulders. The office!
"We have to stop meeting like this," he chuckled as I stifled a groan remembering earlier. I can't believe I'd ignored this nice guy who had held the door open for me and right now felt like kicking myself. It just goes to show that someone has it out for me already this year and they've got an uncanny sense of ironic humor. Just my luck, I run into the same hot guy twice in under an hour and I am still looking like an idiot. Great way to start the year, Lockheart, just great.
"We haven't really met, actually. I still don't know your name." Casual flirting always picked up my spirits so hey, why not? I had an opportunity, might as well use it to get his name.
He just smiled a little brighter, a real smile and not one of the fake ones that the cheerleaders were giving me over his shoulder. "You're right, I'm-"
"CLOUD!" an inhuman shriek cut him off.
Things got even better when said hottie, now known as Cloud, was jumped on from behind by none other than Aerith, who just so happened to be his girlfriend by the looks of things. It was confirmed when she made it a point to tell me.
"Tifa! This is Cloud Strife, my boyfriend."
Of course…why does the universe hate me so? I put on my fake smile for her as he turned to me and said, "Tifa?"
"Lockheart, I just moved here."
"Well, Tifa Lockheart, nice to meet you."
I couldn't help smiling at this boy with the gravity defying hair that oddly reminded me of a chicken but quickly stifled my laugh at this revelation. It was bad enough I had ignored him earlier, I didn't need to add rude bitch onto that by laughing at him for no apparent reason. 3
I could feel my smile grow as he gallantly made a show of taking my hand in his, only to be pulled away all too quickly by his over possessive girlfriend. Cloud managed a wave before being dragged off down the hall.
I now officially had a reason to hate Aerith, but it didn't make me feel any better.
A/N: Questions? Comments? Press the button! Reviews make me happier than a penguin wearing headphones o.O