Life's Lessons on Stress

by Nona Mae King

  Chapter Seven

  A Rockin' Week in Winhill

  From the transport to the outskirts of Winhill was quite a hike. Especially since I couldn't shut up. I must've blabbed 200 stories about everyone in Balamb, the orphanage, and Garden by the time the first farm came into sight. Sally never complained. She laughed and giggled and "oh'd and "wow"d at all the right times. As usual, she made me feel like I outranked the President.

  Any idea how girls do that, guys? Anyone?

  So, the two of us headed into the main part of town. Stories came slower as I watched our surroundings and kept my tread light and ready. Sally hadn't had the chance to get my level of experience, magic, or junctioning GFs. We hadn't had a chance to share, either. To be honest, I didn't want her to have the experience.

  You know what I mean?

  Of course, both of us could kick butt without the help. And the critters around Winhill were nothing like the things in Ultimecia's castle, that was for damn sure. The only thing I worried about were the things I didn't know about. The people that Seifer worried about. The people that made Zack and Quis need to go under cover.

  The people that made Sally and I come here in the first place.

  I stepped closer to Sally as we passed through the farms on the outskirts of Winhill toward town. I pointed out the chocobo crossing, told a funny story, and then made sure she caught sight of the chocobo running in a far field. It made her face glow with a smile that burned me clear through.

  Guys, are we this easy to impress all the time?

  "So where do we set up the interviews? Or do you have to go door-to-door?"

  "Yes," Sally told me with a smile.

  I chuckled. "Both, huh. Go door-to-door to give interview appointment times?"

  She nodded. "We can set up today, get settled, pass out the appointment times tomorrow, have the afternoon and evening to ourselves, interview day after, and then head home."

  I halted, staring down at her in shock. Then I grinned. I couldn't help it. "You've got it all planned out, huh?"

  She flushed and slightly nodded, lowering her head and eyes. "Guilty."

  "How 'bout we stow our gear at wherever we're staying, I pass out the appointment times, and you set up. Then, we get the interviews down and the rest of--"

  "We can't, Zell."

  My smile vanished. "How come?"

  "I have to go back to Garden as soon as the interviews are done."

  "Ohhh. Gotcha." I grinned again as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her again toward Winhill. "Okay, we'll do it your way."

  Didn't I say she was smart?

  She giggled and wrapped an arm around my waist. The best rush on the planet. 'cept kissing her, of course. Dude. Sally is a rush! And I still remembered the freakin' volcano when she'd kissed me the first time on the way to Balamb. What a head rush! I thought my brain would explode, and I'd never had that happen to me before. Ever. She musta froze all body function for at least five minutes. Okay, maybe it was less, but it sure as hell seemed like time stopped.

  And when she told me she liked me? Duuuude. Guys, do ya get what I'm saying? Yeah. Thought so.

  "...to stay?"

  I blinked and looked over at her. She wore the sexiest expression of expectation. "Huh? Stay?" Okay, Dincht. Chill.

  "While we're here. Should we both stay in different rooms? Or should we stay in different buildings?"

  Sally's reputation's on the line here, Dincht. "Why don't you stay at Laguna and Raine's place. I'm sure he won't mind." I blinked. "Dude. I wonder if Ellone's here? That'd be cool."

  "I heard Ellone is in Esthar with Laguna," Sally said as we headed into town.

  "Oh. Bummer." But not too much of one. I didn't want to share Sally this 'weekend'.

  We halted outside the inn--well, it was really the place Laguna had stayed while laid-up after his escape from Esthar--and I handed Sally her stuff.

  "I'll come and get ya in a sec. Then we'll head on over to The Flower... The Pretty Flower..." I rubbed my scalp as I looked at my feet. "What was it called again?"

  I heard a soft giggle and raised my eyes to meet Sally's. Her smile shot any thoughts clear out of my head. I grinned.

  "I know where you mean," she told me.

  I continued to smile at her, and she flushed. Dincht! Talk! "Cool. Nice place. Good grub." I chucked her under the chin. "Pick up the pace, Meg. I'm starved."

  She adjusted her hold on the shoulder strap with another bright smile and turned for Laguna's place. I watched her go, grinning when she looked over at me just before stepping inside. Dude. And what else could I say? Sally Regal was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and I didn't remember ever thinking that about anything. 'Cept for when we'd made it through the battle against Ultimecia with our hides intact.

  I released a deep breath, grabbed my duffel, and went inside.

  It was a nice place, and I think it was actually Ellone's old home. Nobody had lived in it for a long time, probably because Ellone's parents had been killed here, but Laguna had fixed it up anyway.

  I made my way up the stairs and thwumped my duffel onto the bed. Then I unpacked and changed into a pair of shorts and a different t-shirt. Walks as long as what we'd done kind of made a person sweaty. Sure Sally liked how I smelled but, dude, it was pretty rank.

  I looked around the second floor as I put my shoes back on. Yeah. It was a nice place. And that got me to planning.

  "Zell?"

  I finished my final shoe and hurried downstairs. Sally waited at the foot dressed in a lightweight thing that came to just below her knees and had no sleeves. It must've shown off every good thing about her body. "Girl, you look awesome!"

  Sally flushed and looked down, smoothing the front of the dress. "Thank you. My mom made it."

  Thank you, Mom. I took her hand in mine and led her outside. When I heard a flip-flop-flip-flop I looked down and saw she wore sandals that showed off her cute feet. I smiled, grinning when she interlaced her fingers with mine. Booya! Dincht. You've gotta. You know it.

  I looked this way and that, caught sight of a shadowed section past the houses, and pulled Sally toward it.

  "Zell Dincht, don't you dare!" She pleaded in a hushed tone.

  I pulled her past a large woodshed and stepped behind it, drawing her into my arms with what I hoped was my most charming expression. "Please?"

  Her expression softened to an incredible smile as she adjusted her arms around me. "Oh all right."

  Ohhh maaannn. Kissing Sally was like, dude. It was like kissing a flower petal and a flame at the same time, and that was how I'd become a junkie. You know--? What am I saying? Of course you do. Everyone's got a 'Sally'. Only one problem with being a Mega Phoenix Junkie: sometimes I forget she's shy and go a little further than I should.

  This time, Sally did it first. Kinda like I did at the Tomb, but with a little more tongue.

  A firecracker went off in my head, and I pulled back. Sally flushed red and lowered her eyes and her head. I swallowed hard.

  "Sorry," she whispered.

  Ookaaayy. I think I've OD'd. "Sorry?" I cleared my throat. Chill, Dincht. "For what?" She peeked at me from under her lashes. Chill.

  "I shouldn't have done that." She peeked again. "Should I?"

  Duuude. I smiled and kissed her forehead. Then I tipped her head up and kissed her nose and her lips, twice, before pulling her into a tight hug. "You're fine, kitten." I chuckled. "Confession. 'Bout ready to do it myself."

  She giggled and snuggled.

  Booya. I released a slow breath. "Girl, do you have any idea how crazy I am 'bout you?"

  "Not as crazy as I am about you," she said softly.

  Now come on, guys. You've gotta admit that hearing that from a girl makes us feel about 15 feet tall. Who cares if it's mushy or sappy, or whatever the hell we call it? I mean, we'd been dating for about 4 months and it felt like I'd known her forever. What the hell was I thinkin' about when I didn't see her around? I mean--Damn! Fiv
e years she'd known about me, three of those spent finding out everything about me, and I didn't even know she existed. Well, except for the Mega Phoenix potion she gave me--Say. You always remembered her face when you'd pull that bottle out looking for something else. I'd just been a little busy to do anything about it.

  Or just dense.

  I laughed.

  Sally looked up at me with a smile that coulda made me blind--Okay. That was a little too much. Sorry.

  "What?" she asked softly.

  "Nothing. Just tryin' to figure out why I didn't fall in love with ya three years ago."

  She flushed my favorite shade of red. "You couldn't, Zell. I was hiding. Remember?"

  "Nah. You gave me that potion. I coulda done something."

  Sally wrinkled her nose at me. "You were a little busy saving our planet."

  I lifted a hand to brush some hair behind her ear. "Yeah. I guess I was, huh." I cupped her cheek and caressed it with my thumb. "I'm glad I did." My lips twitched as I held her gaze, and then the smile slowly vanished. "Man."

  "What?" she whispered.

  "I really love you, Sally." And any guy who says it's not tough to say that is screwed in the head. It takes guts to admit something like that, and boy is it a rush!

  Those awesome eyes glimmered, grabbing every single bit of feeling and lodging it in my throat as I looked down at her.

  "I really love you, too, Zell," she said in a teary voice. "So much it hurts."

  I kissed her forehead and then gently pushed her back to take her hand in mine. "Come on, kitten. Let's go have some lunch and then do some sight-seeing." Yeah. Otherwise I'll ask before I'm ready.