We'd just made our way out of the station when, wouldn't ya know it, Miss. Hottie the Bartender came strolling across our path. She seemed a bit shy all of a sudden, blushing when I smirked in her direction. I probably didn't make a very pretty picture, so mentally I gave her extra brownie points when she didn't cringe at the sight of me.

"Glad to see you found him. What's your name again?" she asked, but not in my direction.

"His name is 'Shit Face,' and what do you mean you're glad he found me?" I demanded, making sure to put myself in the exact center of the conversation.

Because of the many references to the fact that I was short and carried an extremely boyish appearance for a twenty-plus-year-old, I'd always been a little sensitive about people talking over my head.

I didn't mean to take it out on her, though. I really didn't. Felt like a jerk when she looked to the ground in shame. Ah, well. Once a fuckup, always a fuckup.

"I went looking for you at the bars tonight, Zell. Marlene told me you were here," Squall informed me, speaking slowly as if I were retarded.

"He didn't know where the police station was, so I decided to come over and make sure he found it okay. If he hadn't, I was going to bail you out myself," she continued for him morosely. "I'm so sorry, Zell. What happened to you tonight, it was my fault..."

Heard Squall snort about that one. I looked up at him, clearly not amused by whatever he found funny about the events that had taken place that evening. Didn't stop him from saying it though. Never did.

Some guys just need to learn when to shut up.

"Oh, don't worry, Marlene. If it hadn't been in your bar, it would've been somewhere else. Dincht's got one hell of a short fuse."

I shook my head, still shooting him a nasty look before I turned back to the girl. "He's got a girlfriend," I informed her, my intentions more than slightly malicious. Almost as an afterthought I added, "And a boyfriend. And see, the boyfriend found out about the girlfriend, and that's why Squall's got a nasty scar right in the middle of his forehead. Just thought you should know. And for Double Jeopardy, guess who his current girlfriend dumped before she started dating him..."

"Zell, enough," Squall cut me off, trying to silence my ramblings.

I rolled my eyes. "Pfft. You're just mad 'cause I fucked Quistis back when you were screwing around with that Rinoa girl. Let me tell ya, 'Squally,' she liked it, she liked it a lot."

He dropped me. Probably should've seen that coming. Not that falling on my ass on the concrete stairs right outside of a jail really registered; I was laughing my ass off by the time I hit the ground and soon I couldn't stop. I was literally about to bust a rib, I went at it so hard.

When I finally calmed a little, I stared up at the two of them looking down at me. The girl's gaze was tainted with mild interest, and Leonhart had his arms crossed over his chest, shooting daggers at me with his eyeballs. The two of them were framed against a picturesque background, with the stars and the moon shining bright above them. I realized suddenly that they looked good together, just like Squall always looked good with every girl who ever showed an interest in my well being.

My cheesiest grin still in place, I decided to share a little of my early morning wisdom with the two of them, absolutely positive it would benefit them to hear it.

"Now look at you, Squall. You're so pissed at me because of what I may or may not have done with your girlfriend. You'd never think I should be pissed at you, since you were the one who stole her from me in the first place. I didn't realize it until too late, but I was a dog for those girls. I was too young to understand that every single one of them was just passing me around like a party favor until the man of their dreams, whether it be you, or Irvine, or that motherfucking bastard Seifer, came around. You know what? You all got what you wanted. You all found somebody. Then the only fucking person I ever had was murdered by people trying to get at me, to get at all of us for God knows what reason.

"And then when I changed, when I stopped pretending to be some hyper-active retard who could withstand anything, and still be happy about everything, you had me fucking committed! You kicked me the hell out of Garden for psychological reasons before I could quit, and you ruined my fucking life! I can't get a good job, because on my record it says I'm a goddamn skitzo! And do you know why you did it, Squall? I'll tell you why you fucking did it! You had me committed because you were afraid Quistis would leave you for me, just like Rinoa left you for Seifer!" I was screaming. Lying on my back on the steps outside the police station, and screaming my lungs out at the guy I used to consider my best friend.

Kids, this is why drinking is stupid. The stuff just absolutely reeks havoc on your social life.

When I'd said enough, I just laid there quietly, afraid if I said any more I'd end myself back up in prison, or worse—I'd start crying. I get emotional like that sometimes. Alcohol plus thinking about my mom just never mixed well for me. See, I have a mental complex where I think her death was my fault. Which, it was...

The shrinks could never get my head sorted out for me. I don't even try.

"Quistis sent me to find you tonight, Zell. Said she had a bad feeling about you. She wanted me to talk to you about coming back. Some people think you might be ready, but I can see you're not. I'm going to go home now and tell her that you're not ready, and you never will be."

"You do that," I snapped coldly, hoping that the glare I shot him was as frosty as I felt inside.

"I'll take him home," Marlene instantly offered before Squall could think about trying to get a refund on his bail money. She crouched down next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'll take him home..."

Squall sighed. "Whatever," he said, before turning to walk away.