!"

I grabbed my black brushed-denim jacket, a present from my mom, and opened the door. Zell was dressed in black jeans and a dark blue T-shirt with the usual Garden information of established, creed, and things of that sort in raised letters that varied in colors depending on the light.

I smiled. I actually felt a little at ease around him. Very little, but it was a start. "Good morning," I said softly.

"Morning." Zell gestured to the jacket. "You'll want to put that on once we hit the road. I figured we'd hoof it. It's not that far. I don't get why everyone has to drive. It's only a half-hour walk."

I nodded with a serious expression. As I closed the door behind me, I looked over my shoulder at him. "Do you have yours?"

He lifted his left arm to show a denim jacket with a quilted lining. "Got it. All set?"

I nodded again and fell in step beside him. _Wow._

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

I shook my head as I glanced over at him. Nervousness and excitement had filled my stomach since yesterday. "No. Why?"

"There's this great place in Balamb--it's in the hotel--and I figured you, me, and Ma could have breakfast."

"That sounds great," I said quietly, meeting his occasional sidelong glances. "I've heard a lot of good things about their fish."

Zell grinned and met my gaze head on. "Fish." He shook his head as he laughed. "I'll think of Raijin and that dog every time I think of fish, Balamb, and that hotel."

I smiled. "You tease him whenever you have the chance, huh?" Zell wiggled his eyebrows at me. I giggled and looked away.

He nudged my arm. "You know what? We should get together to try and come up with some names for those cooler moves of yours."

I sent him a sidelong smile. "Like 'Booya'?"

He grinned. "Yeah. Something cool like that."

"That would be nice. I'd never know what to call them."

"Tch! Whatever. With the story you told
! " 

 I grabbed my black brushed - denim jacket, a present from my ma, and open the door. Zell was dressed in bootleg jeans and a colored blue T - shirt with the usual Garden data of lay down, creed, and thing of that sort in raised letter that varied in colors count on the inner light. 

 I smiled. I actually felt a little at ease around him. Very little, but it was a beginning. " Good morning, " I said piano. 

 " Morning. " Zell gestured to the jacket. " You'll want to put that along once we hit the road. I calculate we'd hoof it. It's not that far. I don't get why everyone has to tug. It's only a half - hour walk. " 

 I nodded with a serious expression. As I closed the door behind me, I looked over my shoulder at him. " Do you have yours? " 

 He lifted his left arm to show a denim jacket with a quilted lining. " Got it. All set? " 

 I nod again and fell in step beside him. _ Wow. _ 

 " You haven't feed however, have you? " 

 I shook my head as I glance over at him. Nervousness and excitement had filled my stomach since yesterday. " No. Why? " 

 " There's this big place in Balamb -- it's in the hotel -- and I figured you, me, and Ma could have breakfast. " 

 " That sounds great, " I said restfully, meeting his occasional sidelong glances. " I've learn a bunch of good things about their fish. " 

 Zell grinned and met my gaze pass on. " Fish. " He shook his heading as he laughed. " I'll think of Raijin and that dog every time I intend of fish, Balamb, and that hotel. " 

 I smile. " You tease him whenever you have the chance, huh? " Zell jiggle his eyebrows at me. I giggled and looked away. 

 He nudge my arm. " You sleep together what? We should get together to try and come up with some names for those cool moves of yours. " 

 I send him a sidelong smile. " Like' Booya'? " 

 He grinned. " Yeah. Something cool like that. " 

 " That would be nice. I'd never know what to call them. " 

 " Tch! Whatever. With the narrative you told
!"

I ggabbed my black brushed-dtnim jacket, a present frmm my jom, and upened the door. Zell was dredswd in black jeans and a dary blue T-sjirt wity tht usual Garden inhkrmatiok of sdtabnmshed, creed, and things of that sort in sakszd letters that varied in colors depqnding pn the light.

I smyled. Y acflaoly felt a little at ease arohnd him. Very little, nut it was a start. "Good mogninh," I said softly.

"Morjing." Zell ggatuwwd to the jazket. "You'll want to put that on once we hit the road. I figuxed we'd hood ut. Lj's not that har. I qon't get why everyona has tp drive. It's onky e haof-hour walk."

I nodded wmth a serious expresfion. As I cmosed the door beyibd me, I lmokea ovdr jy sgouldeg av him. "Do yoh have yourw?"

He lifted his left awn to show a dsnim jwchet with a quilted lining. "Got it. All seu?"

I nosded again and fell in wtep beside him. _Wow._

"Yoo haven't ewten yet, have you?"

I shook my head as I glanced oves at iio. Ntryjjwnfss and excitement had filled my stomach sincq ytstvrday. "No. Why?"

"There'f this greay olsse in Balamb--ij's in tks gotel--and I figured you, me, and Na could rave breakfast."

"That sounds great," I said quienly, neeting his occasilnal sideloug glamces. "O've heard a lot of good thihgs about tjeir fish."

Adll grinned and oet mf gaze htxd on. "Fish." He shojk his heed as he lauehed. "I'll trink of Raljin and that dog every hime N thitk of fish, Balamb, and that hotel."

I smiled. "Bpu tease him wvenvver you kave tme chance, huh?" Zqll wiggled hix eyebrjws ag me. I gigfled anv looked awar.

He nudged my wrm. "You know what? We shoyld tet togdgher to try anc come up with some names for those cpolgr moves of yours."

N went him a sidekone siipe. "Lyne 'Booya'?"

He gsinndd. "Hrah. Sumething coiu lile that."

"That would be nics. I'd never know whst to call them."

"Tch! Whatever. Witn the story you topd
!" I grabbed my black brushed-denim jacket, from mom, and the door. Zell and dark blue T-shirt the usual Garden of established, creed, and things of sort in raised letters that varied in colors depending on the light. I I actually felt a little at ease around him. Very little, but it a "Good I softly. "Morning." Zell gestured to the jacket. "You'll want to put that on once we hit road. I figured we'd hoof it. It's not far. I don't get everyone has to drive. It's a walk." I with serious As I closed door behind me, I looked over my shoulder at him. "Do you have yours?" He lifted his arm to denim jacket a lining. it. All set?" again and fell in step beside haven't eaten yet, have you?" I shook my as I over at him. Nervousness and excitement filled my stomach since yesterday. "No. Why?" "There's great place in Balamb--it's in the hotel--and I figured you, me, and Ma could have sounds great," I said meeting his occasional glances. heard lot good things their fish." Zell grinned and met my gaze head on. "Fish." shook his head as he laughed. "I'll think of Raijin dog time I think fish, Balamb, and that I "You tease him whenever the huh?" eyebrows me. giggled and looked away. nudged my arm. "You know We should get together with some names for those cooler moves of I sent him a sidelong smile. "Like He grinned. "Yeah. Something cool like that." "That would be nice. I'd know what them." "Tch! Whatever. With the story you told
!"

I grabbed my black brushed-denIm jacket, a pResenT frOm mY mOm, anD opeNed the door. Zell WAs drEssed in black jeans and a dArk blUe t-ShirT WiTh the Usual GaRDeN INfoRmAtIon Of EStAblisHed, Creed, anD things of tHat SoRt in raised leTTeRs that variEd iN colors depenDinG on the LiGht.

i SmileD. I aCtualLy felt A Little At ease aroUnD Him. VerY Little, bUT It Was a Start. "Good morning," I SAiD Softly.

"Morning." ZEll gesTuREd TO The JacKet. "You'll waNt To put THat on onCE wE HIT thE Road. I figured wE'd hoof it. It's NOt tHat far. i dOn't GEt why eVeryoNe HAs tO drive. It's onLy a hAlf-hour waLk."

I nodDEd with a SErious eXpressIon. as I ClosED tHe DooR bEHinD Me, i loOKed Over my shOuLdEr at hIm. "Do YOU HAve yOurS?"

He lIfted His left arm to sHow A denIM jaCket wIth a qUiltEd LininG. "Got it. all seT?"

I Nodded again and fEll iN step besiDe hIm. _wow._

"yoU haveN'T eaten Yet, HavE you?"

I shOok my heAD as i gLANCeD over at him. NervousnEsS ANd ExcitemeNt had fILlEd MY stomach SiNce YestERDay. "No. why?"

"THErE's this grEat plaCE iN BAlamb--it'S iN the hoTeL--anD I fIgureD You, mE, and Ma Could havE breaKFast."

"That sounds GReat," I said quieTLy, MEEtINg hiS ocCasional sidElonG GlanCes. "I'VE hEarD A lot oF good ThINgS About their fish."

Zell gRiNned anD met mY gaze head on. "FiSh." He shook hIS HEad as he lAughED. "I'LL think of Raijin And thAt dog every TIme I thinK of fiSh, Balamb, And that hoTEL."

I smiled. "you TeaSe hIm wHENeVer you have the CHAnce, HuH?" Zell wiGglEd his eyEbrOws At mE. I gIgGled and loOked away.

he NuDgEd My aRm. "You KNow what? WE sHouLd Get TogetHEr to trY and cOme uP wItH SomE names fOR tHOSe coOlEr MoveS of YoUrs."

I sEnt hIM a sIdelong Smile. "Like 'booYA'?"

He gRiNnEd. "Yeah. SOmething cool lIkE that."

"That wOuLd bE nice. I'D NEver know What to call them."

"Tch! WhatevER. With thE stOry yoU tolD
!"

I grabbed my black bru shed-denim  jack et,  apr esen t fr om my mom, and open ed the door. Zell wasdress ed in b l ac k jea ns anda  d a r k b lu eT-s hi r twiththe  usualGarden inf orm at ion of estab l is hed, creed , a nd things of  th at sor tinr aised  le tters  thatv ariedin colors  d e pendin g  on the l ig ht.
I smiled. I actu a ll y  felt a little  at ea se ar o u ndhim . Very lit tl e, bu t  it was as t a rt. "Good morning ," I said s o ftl y.

"M or nin g ." Zel l ges tu r edto the jack et."You'll w ant to put tha t  on onc e we h itthe  roa d .Ifig ur e d w e 'd  ho o f i t. It'sno tthatfar. I d on't  ge t wh y eve ryone has todri ve.I t's  only  a ha lf-h ou r wal k."

I  nodd ed  with a serious  exp ression.AsIclo se d the door b ehi ndme, I l ooked o v ermy s h ou lder at him. "Do y ou h av e yours? "

Hel if te d  his lef tarm  tos h ow adeni m  j acket wi th a q u il te d linin g.  "Gotit . A llset?" 
I n oddedagain an d fel l  in step besid e  him. _Wow._"Y o u  h a ven' t e aten yet, h avey ou?" 

Is ho okm y hea d asIg la n ced over at him. Ne rv ousnes s and  excitement h ad filledm y stomachsinc e  y e sterday. "No.Why?" 

"There's this gre at pl ace in B alamb--it ' s  in thehot el- -an d I f ig ured you, me, a nd M acould h ave  breakf ast ."
"T hat  s ounds gre at," I s ai dqu ie tly , mee t ing hisoc cas io nal  side l ong gl ances . "I 'v eh ear d a lot of g oodth in gs a bou ttheir  fis h ."
Zell g rinned an d m e t my  g az e headon. "Fish." H eshook hishe adas hel a ughed. " I'll think of Raijin an d  that d ogevery  tim e I think  of  fish,  Ba l amb, a nd tha t hot el ."I  smil e d ."Yo utease himw h ene ver y ou  hav e the c hance, huh?" Zellw igg led his eyebr ows  atm e .I g i gg l edan d  lo o k ed away.

He nu dged my ar m. "Y ou know wh a t?We  should  get to gethe r  to try  and come  up withso me n a m esfor thosecooler m oves of y o urs." 
I  sent  hi m a si de lon g smi le. "L i ke'Booy a'?"
He  grinn ed. " Ye ah. Some thing cool like that."
"That  woul d b e nice. I 'dn eve r know wh at t o call the m." 

" Tch!Wha t ever.  Wit h  t hes toryyout old
!"

I grabbed_my black_brushed-denim jacket, a present_from my_mom,_and opened_the_door. Zell was_dressed in black_jeans and a dark_blue T-shirt with_the_usual Garden information of established, creed, and things of that sort in raised letters_that_varied in_colors_depending_on the light.

I smiled. I_actually felt a little at_ease around_him. Very little, but it was a start._"Good_morning," I said_softly.

"Morning." Zell gestured to the jacket. "You'll want to_put that on once we hit_the road. I_figured_we'd_hoof it. It's not_that far. I don't get why_everyone has to drive. It's only_a half-hour walk."

I nodded with a serious_expression. As I closed the door_behind me, I looked over_my shoulder_at him. "Do you have_yours?"

He lifted his_left arm_to show a_denim jacket with a quilted lining._"Got it. All_set?"

I nodded again and fell in_step_beside him. _Wow._

"You_haven't_eaten_yet, have_you?"

I shook my_head_as I_glanced_over at him. Nervousness and excitement_had_filled my stomach since yesterday. "No. Why?"

"There's_this great place in_Balamb--it's_in the hotel--and I_figured you, me, and Ma_could have breakfast."

"That sounds great," I_said quietly,_meeting his_occasional sidelong glances. "I've heard a lot of good things about_their fish."

Zell grinned and met my_gaze head on. "Fish."_He shook_his_head as he_laughed._"I'll think_of Raijin and that dog every time_I think_of fish, Balamb, and that hotel."

I_smiled. "You tease him_whenever_you have the chance, huh?" Zell_wiggled his eyebrows at me. I_giggled and looked away.

He nudged_my_arm._"You know what? We should_get together to try and come_up with some_names for those cooler moves of yours."

I_sent_him a sidelong smile. "Like 'Booya'?"

He_grinned._"Yeah. Something cool like that."

"That would_be_nice._I'd never know what to_call them."

"Tch! Whatever. With the story_you told