Chapter 1: The beggining

Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 7 and its characters.

"You've go to be kidding me." Tifa said weakly as she stared at her disheveled appearance in the mirror. "Of all days to have dark circles around my eyes, it has got to be today. Just why?" She said to herself. It was the day of her auditions for a shampoo commercial, and looking like a mess will not let her make the cut.

She made her way downstairs of her apartment in the Midgar slums, she just moved in the city a few months ago to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. Her father was totally agains't it but she did anyway, she didn't have enough money with her and her father wouldn't give her any financial assistance, hoping that if she became totally broke, she will come back to their hometown in Nibelheim. But of course she didn't give up, she applied for a job as a bartender in a bar called Seventh heaven to get her by. Her pay was not a lot of money, but it was enough for her to survive everyday.

She went over to the fridge to get some water and breakfast to heat up. She looked at the time, it was 7:15 in the morning.

The audition's in two hours, I better get ready.

After downing her pills, she hurriedly went back upstairs to shower and get dressed. When she was done, she sat on her vanity and started on her make up, she will need to cover those dark circles.

Great. She rolled her eyes to herself.

"Wow..." She pulled up her sunglasses and stared up in awe in huge building of Shinra Entertainment. She swallowed the looked straight ahead, employees, visitors and some reporters are making their way inside the building. She pushed back her sunglasses to her eyes and stared at them for a while before deciding to walk ahead, when she finally did, she felt herself being pushed down from behind causing her to fall to the ground.

"Ow!" She exclaimed while trying stand up slowly, she looked at her side to see her offender looking at her and Tifa was quite starstruck. She was a very pretty woman with short brown curly hair and brown eyes. Her complexion was really fair and creamy and she seemed to glow.

"Watch where you're going." The girl suddenly said which made Tifa's blood boil.

"What? Me? You were the one who bumped into me! You're the one who should watch where you're going!" She raised her voice for her anger was already taking over. What a bitch! The brown haired girl scoffed.

"Whatever." The pretty girl said. "Come on babe." She said again to someone that Tifa couldn't see, she was once again in the ground collecting her belongings that was scattered all over. When she felt someone brush past her, she looked up to see the girl already leaving with someone trailing behind her, he was wearing a hat and sunglasses but he has the same glow as the rude girl. She slowly stood up to see his retreating back and narrowed her eyes at the hair poking out on the back of his head to his nape, it was blond, a very familiar blond. She couldn't help but stare.

That guy... could it be...? She shook her head from her thougghts and deciding to go to her audition, she will find out later if she was right in what she thought.

She went inside the building and looked for the receptionist to inquire on which floor the auditions was held. She spotted a snooty looking girl in the front desk and went ahead to ask.

"Excuse me..." She removed her sunglasses and smiled sweetly to the lady who just looked at her a raised eyebrow. "Hi, I just want to ask where the auditions for Vanilla Kiss shampoo are being held?" She said still smiling. The snooty looking receptionist looked at her with a disapproving look then scoffed. It made Tifa scowl.

Great, another bitch.

"Third floor, room 304." She said coldly then looked back at her computer.

"Thanks." Tifa said with a fake smile then went ahead but was stopped but the same snooty girl.

"Where are you going?" She said coldly.

"What...? I was going to the auditions." Tifa said back, confused.

"Your I.D.? You need a pass young lady." The receptionist raised her eyebrow again.

"Oh! Right! Sorry ma'am." She rummaged through her back to get her I.D. "Here you go." She handed it to the woman who snatched the card from her rudely. Then she went over to her desk and gave Tifa her visitor's pass. "Thanks!" Tifa responded happily, wanting to piss off the rude woman even further who scoffed again and shook her head.

"Girls with no brain." The rude receptionist said while typing on her computer. If Tifa wasn't about to go and fulfill her dream in the very same building she would have clobbered the woman already and beat her to a pulp.

Bitch.

She looked for the elevator waited for it to open. She the bell chimed and the doors opened, she went inside and pressed three, the doors were about to close when it was stopped by hand and someone entered. Her eyes widened at how handsome the guy riding the elevator with her is. He has blond hair which was slick back with a few bangs falling to his face, his eyes were of a dark blue color with a perfectly sculpted face. Tifa blushed slightly at the sight of him.

"Sorry about that." He said while smiling at her. He then pressed a button and settled himself beside Tifa who was looking down.

Wow, so handsome. She thought to herself without looking at the man next to her, but she can see at the corner of her eye that he was looking at her. The doors of the elevator started closing.

"Hi." He said suddenly causing her to look up. "You're here for the auditions?" His smile was radiant.

"Umm... yes..." She said shyly but smiled genuinely.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Tifa... Tifa Lockhart." She responded then he suddenly held up his hand.

"Rufus, nice to meet you Tifa." He said the Tifa took his hand in hers then shook it.

"Same." She blushed a little. The bell chimed and they both looked up.

"This is our stop. Auditions are to the left." Rufus said then proceeded to go outside and went the other way when the doors opened, before Tifa could say something to him she was interrupted. "You're very beautiful Tifa, I'm sure you'll make it." He said while looking over his shoulder. Then he went on his way again straight ahead. She blushed at his comment then went on her way to the room where the auditions are being held.

Room 304, oh there it is! She thought then slowly opened the door. She peeked inside to see a lot of ladies, a lot of fabulous and beautiful ladies and she suddenly felt inadequate.

I think I'm under dressed. She wore a black tank top with dark skinny jeans and some brown boots, she has some long necklaces and some bracelets, not to mention her very noticeable assets, her generous chest and buttocks as well as her long legs and small waist made it all even better. she looked really pretty but she was slightly under dressed compared to the other girls auditioning. She could clearly some them scoffing at her appearance even though she was very pleasing to the eyes. She sighed.

Whatever.

"Auditions will start in five!" A staff member peeked out from another door, wearing a headset and holding a clipboard. Everyone stood up. Tifa took a deep breath and exhaled. He motioned for everyone to enter to room he just emerged into and everyone followed.

This is it.

When they were all inside, they all looked around the very white room, but something else caught Tifa's attention, up ahead in the judges panel was Rufus, and he obviously noticed her for he was smiling handsomely at her direction. Her eyes widened for a brief second before smiling back.

"Please take a seat at the back and when I call your name, you will proceed to stand up in front of the judges and they will ask you some questions, when they are done, you will face this camera and do as I say alright?" The same staff from earlier told them, gesturing in the camera that was beside him, there was a small studio in front of the camera with a blue background. He started calling each everyone, taking turns in showing how good they look on screen.

"Tifa Lockhart."

"Oh." She said then stood up and went to stand in front of the panel. She looked over to see Rufus still looking at her and she blushed again.

"Please tell us something about yourself." One of the panel said coolly.

"My name is Tifa Lockhart, I am from a small town called Nibelheim, I'm 22 years old and I currently moved to Midgar to pursue my dream in the entertainment business." She said with confidence. She was nervous but not showing it at all, and she could feel eyes burning holes through her head from behind.

"We will have a test of your acting skills, Mr. Rufus Shinra here will be your acting partner." Her eyes widened.

Rufus Shinra?! That's why he looked so familiar. Rufus stood up and smiled at her.

"Ready?" He asked her, smirking so radiantly, oh, her heart was hammering mad.

"Yes." She said firmly and nodded her head. Rufus went his way over to her and stood a few inches away from her. She turned to her right to face him and saw him smiling, then he nodded.

"Tifa, there's something I need to tell you." Rufus said, his face was now serious and Tifa realized that the acting test already started.

"Really? What is it?" She asked hopefully. He paused for a while, still staring at her, then he spoke.

"We need to stop seeing each other." He said coolly. Her eyes widened and searched his face the after a while she spoke again.

"But... what? Why are you doing this? We're getting married in a month..." She said rather calmly but she was shaking, her lips quivering.

"You see, that's the thing, I can't get married to you, I don't love you that way anymore." He said again, not showing any remorse in what he just said. Tifa gasp slightly.

"How could you...?" She trailed off. "How could you say that, you proposed to me! You said you loved me and meant the world to you! Why are you being like this?" She was shaking more this time. while Rufus just stared at her without feeling sorry at all. He shrugged.

"I got bored I guess." He said while she let out a breath she was holding. She looked down.

"Who is it?" She asked. Her shoulders slightly shaking.

"What?" Rufus tilted his head to the side.

"Who it is? The new girl." She said again not looking up at him. He didn't answer, instead, he just chuckled. Then Tifa slowly looked up causing Rufus' eyes to widen. Her face was full of tears and her expression is the most heartbreaking sight they have ever seen, she didn't cry loudly or sobbed, her tears just continued flowing like waterfalls and the look on her face was showing all the hurt in the world. The judges were in awe at how little time she was able to do that.

"I guess... This is goodbye then, I'm sorry if I wasn't enough for you..." She smiled sadly then turned her back to him. She looked down and closed her eyes to continue crying quietly.

"Cut." The other panel said quietly, he too was in awe at Tifa's performance, they were all totally moved by her. Tifa sniffed then wiped her eyes. It was a good thing that she was wearing waterproof mascara. "Miss Lockhart I want you to proceed to the camera now to see how you look on screen." She did what she was told then a make up artist was waiting for her and retouched her make up slightly before she proceeded to stand in front of the camera

"Alright, Tifa I want look straight over here and smile for me okay?" The cameraman told her and she did what he told her, flashing her most beautiful smile. She could have sworn that she heard a very faint "wow" from the man but it could have just her imagination. "Okay now I want you to face left." She turned to face her left side. "Okay, then turn your face around to face the camera and smile for me again." She did again what she was told and she can see from the corner of her eye that the higher ups were nodding their heads. "Now turn to your right side and do the same please." She followed his direction and she could see him smiling from behind. It made her feel good that they liked how she looked on screen.

It was all over and the ladies were all waiting again outside for their announcement on who was chosen to star in the huge shampoo commercial. Tifa was crossing her fingers. After 30 minutes a staff peeked out and called everyone to comeback. They all stood up in front of the panel and nervously waited for the news.

"Now before I announce the one that we have casted for the lead role, I would like to inform you that who ever we have chosen will be paired up to one of the most popular stars in this business. I'm sure you are all familiar with him." He looked over his shoulder and nodded his head someone Tifa didn't notice before that was there. He stood up from his seat and everyone was squealing quietly in their spots, but Tifa's breath hitch. He has spikey blond hair, striking blue eyes and a lean muscular body, a handsome face with a stoic expression. The girls were already going crazy but Tifa stared at him with wide eyes.

This can't be real...

"I present to you, Cloud Strife. He will star with the lead in this commercial." Cloud took a seat beside Rufus and stared at the table, he didn't even bother looking at the audition-ers. Tifa hid herself a little, she was the last girl in the far left, opposite of Cloud.

"Now it's time for the announcement of our new commercial model." The girls grew quiet and looked at the panel. Tifa closed her eyes. She didn't know what to feel now that they have announced that Cloud was going to be the partner.

"The girl who had showed exceptional acting skills and the best camera presence is non other than Tifa Lockhart, congratulations." Hey eyes widened and everyone looked at her, the girls bitterly and the panel happily, but she was scared to look at the reaction of a certain someone from the panel, she slowly turned her head to see striking blue eyes staring at her in shock while she did the same. Cloud stood up still staring at her, his brows furrowed together.

"Ti...fa...?" He asked quietly. Everyone looked at each other with a puzzled look. Tifa smiled sadly.

"Cloud, it's been a while..." She said with a slightly sad look on her face.

And thus, the start of Tifa's whirlwind life in the entertainment business.