A/N: Yes! I revised chapter two! Now I must get to work on typing chapter three, so see ya guys later!

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"No, no this can't be real!" Cloud stuttered, backing away. Tifa continued to look at him naughtily; she was grinning from ear to ear.

As if to further irritate him, she etched slowly towards Cloud in a seductive way.

He couldn't take it! He bolted past her and out of the room in a flash.

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"Are you crazy!"

Tifa stared at her friend Yuffie, amused, while she sat idly on the living room couch. Her friend came to visit her just a few hours after Cloud left.

"Why did you lie to the poor guy? The news of their break-up is all over town and obviously he is trying to mend a broken heart. He doesn't need your story to further worsen his problems!"

"But I am helping him," she grinned smugly. "I can make him forget about that bitch Aeris who didn't know she has the dreamiest, most perfect boyfriend in the world even if it kissed her on the-"

"Tifa!" Yuffie warned sternly. "Don't continue with whatever term you are about to use!"

"What!" she laughed at her friend in mock innocence. Yuffie blew up her bangs in exasperation, "Tifa please! Do you think you can fill in the space that Aeris left in his heart? For gosh sakes girl you know Cloud likes you like he likes Principal Shinra!"

Principal Shinra was the perverted dean and dictator of Nivelheim High. All kids hate him.

"Ow!" Tifa pretended to be hurt. "Are you telling me that I have absolutely no chance of Cloud falling in love with me?"

"You know the answer to that question girl."

"Geez."

Yuffie came near her and smacked her friend’s thigh. "Tifa face the facts. I know you like Cloud even when you two were still sucking on your thumbs- but he doesn't want you. Heck, he doesn't even like you! I need to be frank my good friend if it will be the solution to your long years of delusion that Cloud will ever give you the time of the day."

Tifa smiled beside herself; Yuffie had been using the same lines for years and she was used to the brutal truth in those statements.

Suddenly the door rang and they looked at each other almost at the same time.

"Wonder who it is?" Yuffie asked out loud.

"If that's Rude tell him I just died," Tifa replied with contempt while she filed her nails casually. Rude was Tifa's ex-boyfriend who she caught making out with another girl that caused her to dump him. Ever since then, he was very persistent to get her back.

Yuffie was the one who went forward to check who it was. She opened the door just slightly but Rude managed to storm in.

"Tif, we have to talk!"

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"Man I can't believe it!"

Across the car seat, Reno was looking at him like crazy. Cloud was currently driving his old mustang towards Tifa's house to talk.

"You're so lucky man!"

"Lucky!" he glared at his friend incredulously. "Reno you know only too well what I think about little-miss-bitch! How can you tell me I'm lucky!"

Reno laughed at the golden-haired boy’s frustration. "Geez man, cool it! You had the opportunity to bed the most beautiful bitch on Nivelheim high. Isn't that something to be lucky?"

"I feel so irresponsible!” Cloud mumbled instead. “What if Aeris finds out?"

"Dude!” his friend started with a scowl. “That night with Tifa is what they call a one night stand. Besides, so what if Aeris knows? You're not thinking of getting her back, do you? Or rather, you're not thinking that she'll get jealous and will come running back to you, hmm?"

Cloud only sighed in defeat while he revved his car faster. He knew his red-haired friend was right. But whatever the reason, he still loved Aeris! Blame him, but it was not so easy to forget… Not when just yesterday he was buying her flowers and thinking about their future.

Finally they arrived at Tifa's house. As he got out of the car, he puts his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun to have a better view. In the distance, he saw Tifa standing in front of her house and was talking animatedly to a tall, bald-headed guy.

"Weird, someone seems to be arguing at the front door."

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"Rude will you please just leave!"

Tifa's eyes were bulging as she gritted her teeth in front of her ex- boyfriend. 'He is such a jerk!' she thought.

"Baby can't we fix this?"

"God!"

"But-"

"Just leave!" she pointed towards the open gate door.

"Is there someone else in your life now?" Rude took a threatening step forward.

Before she could answer that, a voice suddenly intruded on them, "Tifa what's happening?"

Tifa and Rude both whirled around in time to see Cloud's bewildered face. Taking the opportunity, Tifa walked towards Cloud and wrapped her hands around his arms.

"Oh it's a good thing that you came, sweets. Rude is bothering me but I told him that I love someone else!"

Cloud was looking at the big, ferocious-looking man in front of him. He was uneasy by the way the bald man was eyeing him with the look of death on his hard face, so Cloud wasn’t really thinking straight when he asked, "Really? Who?"

Tifa laughed. A husky, sensuous laugh before she answered him, "Who else? It’s you! You silly boy."

And in a split second, her lips were on his. He was taken aback and didn't know what to do. But since he didn’t fought back or moved to get away, Tifa just continued kissing him.

Rude looked surprised at first, then angered. He took one menacing step towards the kissing couple. When Cloud saw Rude’s threatening stance he became alarmed and broke away from the girl's grasp.

"I, uuhhh, can explain," he stuttered, backing away.

"Yes darling tell him you love me!" Tifa cooed at him with arms folded to her chest, a teasing grin pasted on those seductive lips.

"Yes I love Tifa and I- NO! That's not what I meant!" out of confusion, Cloud uttered the suicidal proclamation.

The amused Tifa finally took matters to her hands after seeing the intimidated Cloud cower before her ex. She stepped in between the two hostile men and stopped the approaching Rude with a condescending smirk "Okay! Now that you know that there’s absolutely no chance for you to get me back, will you leave already! Or do I have to call the police?"

He seemed to hesitate to make a move at first... But after a few tense seconds, Rude finally admitted defeat and grudgingly trudged away. And as soon as he was out of sight, Cloud turned to the mischievous woman next to him. "What was that all about!"

"Oh Cloud you love me too."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?" she smiled teasingly at him. Oh how she loved the way his eyes brightened like that with extreme emotion. She could only dream though that it was not anger that had put that captivating spark in his eyes but something else.

Cloud was drained due to his vexation over Tifa so he decided to just let the matter go. "I meant- Oh what the heck! Tifa I'm here coz I want to talk to you."

She was mildly surprised with his change of tone. She looked up at his warm cerulean eyes as she waited for his next words.

Hesitantly, Cloud ran his fingers through his blonde hair and started, "Tifa…about what happened last night."

What brought that on? she mused to herself. "Yes?"

"I want you to know that you need not worry in case something…develops," he took a quick glance on her tummy.

She gave him a funny look. "Whatever do you mean?"

Cloud drew in a ragged breath, finding the subject too difficult and too embarrassing to broach, but had no other choice. He brought his eyes to look at her straight on the face and told her in a serious voice, "Listen…I'll take full responsibility for whatever the consequences of my reckless and immoral actions last night. But in the meantime, will you please not tell anyone about last night?"

She saw red as the words started to sink in. Now she knew what he meant!

"Out!" she rasped, indignant and rightly so.

"Tifa-"

"You men are all alike! Too bad I respected you so much!" she pushed him out of the gate.

"But-" he started to protest.

She slammed the gate close and looked at him between the bars with piercing eyes, "For your information nothing happened between us! So now you know the truth, will you please just leave me alone!"

Cloud stared back silently in astonishment; shocked that he was worried for nothing. After he broke away from his stupor, he started to take a step back, got inside his car and sped away.

"He didn't even say sorry or goodbye?" she watched the car go in disbelief. "Wait, don't go! Oh shoot!"

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"Hey is that Tifa I see waving at us to come back?" Reno asked as he stared at the car's side mirror.

"It doesn't matter! I don't want to have anything to do with her," Cloud replied tersely. He was so mad that the bitch toyed with him when he was at his most vulnerable! That good-for-nothing slut!

Reno became silent after noting his friend’s silent fury. He tipped his cap to the side and calmly suggested the idea that suddenly came to him, "You know man...for a minute back there I almost thought that maybe Tifa likes you."

Cloud snorted and shook his head, "Yeah right!"

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After some time…months to be exact…

Tifa saw Cloud come out from one of his classes with Reno. They were both laughing jovially. She was happy to see that after some weeks, Cloud seemed to have pretty much recovered from his break-up with Aeris.

Suddenly, he gazed towards Tifa's direction. He smiled and waved at her.

Tifa was surprised. She looked from side to side to check if he was greeting someone else.

She found no one and so, after much hesitation, meekly waved back at him.

Cloud's boyish grin widened even more after this. He balanced his backpack on his left shoulder and slowly walked towards her.

Her heart stopped right at that moment. Was Cloud actually coming up to her?

Once he was near he said, "Hello there!"

Her mouth opened to say 'Hello to you too'. But she was stopped in her tracks when he continued to walk by until he completely passed by her. He didn’t even seem to notice that she was there as he headed towards Vincent Valentine- another of his buds. She whirled around to see them slap high fives and then quickly disappear to the next corner.

Her cheeks grew hot when she realized her mistake. Did anyone saw her stupidity back there?

She turned away to go back to where she was headed to, but to her surprise Reno was blocking her way with a goofy grin plastered on his face.

"Will you move!" she snapped at him. She didn’t want to deal with the arrogant chauvinist right now.

"I saw that! You thought Cloud was walking towards you!"

"Shut up!"

"Keep that up and MAYBE one day he MIGHT finally notice you!"

"Shit!" she cursed. Tifa tried to sidestep to escape him, but Reno quickly blocker way once more. She wanted to hit him for making her go through this embarrassing ordeal!

He was obviously not finished insulting her, "You like my bud don't you?"

"Fuck off!"

That only earned her another round of derisive laughter coming from the red-haired moron. Reno passed by her, all the time laughing his stupid head off. Tifa stood there for a few minutes silently fuming. From then on, she promised to stop looking like a jerk in front of Cloud! It was not good for her self-esteem! And if there was something Tifa prided on above all others, it was her abundant supply of self-confidence.

She swore upon her mother’s grave that she would make Cloud look stupid in front of her for a change!

She gripped her books and patted her black miniskirt in place she trotted away with that plan in mind…

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"Okay is everyone belonging to the Social Studies Society club present?"

Cloud, the club president, stared at his club members for affirmation. When no one reacted otherwise, he shuffled the papers in his hands and spoke in a moderately loud voice. "Okay, today's agenda would be the debate over Birth control against the Catholic belief of not using contraceptives, specifically the human resources group. Now may I call on the representative of the human resources side? Ms. Lockheart?"

No one reacted once more. "Ms. Lockheart?" Cloud frowned as he called her again. Everyone just stared at each other, but no Tifa came up.

Typical of that girl. Cloud thought in disgust. He cleared his throat and began to speak once more, "Well then I guess we should start even without her. Human Resources group, please pick another representative."

"Here I am!"

Tifa banged against the door as she hurriedly entered. "Sorry I'm late prez!" she slapped Cloud at the side. “Professor Elena kept me late. She was discussing my grades.”

Cloud was annoyed with her boisterous arrival and didn’t bother to mask this, "Ms. Lockheart, first of all don't call me prez! And second of all, if you’re going to be late then please have the sound mind to tell us beforehand."

"Oh stop being uptight! All work and no play makes Joe a dull boy," she joked, putting her hands to her hips to add emphasis. Because of the comment, the stone-cold and silent club members suddenly burst into a giggling fit.

Cloud, not to be outdone, retorted, "Remember Tifa, all play and no work makes Joe a faggot!"

The shrieks of laughter echoed in the room. Tifa blushed a little out of embarrassment but the pinkish shade soon disappeared anyway. She laughed at his feeble attempt to insult her as she replied, "Cloud that's so pathetic. Everyone knows that a little fun is a-ok! In fact instead of getting on this stupid debate, why don't the Social Studies Society club go out for a day of fun in the sun," she sneered. She turned to her classmates now as she exclaimed, "Right group?"

"Yeah!" the assembly cheered, much to Cloud's frustration. Tifa just happened to be the vice-president of the club and had an almost equal authority. Why she was nominated and voted vice-president seemed to have something to do with her appeal with men- and majority of the club members happened to be all straight, hot-blooded males.

But Cloud couldn't help admitting that, though Tifa fails academically, running the organization was something she was very good at. In fact, it was rumored that Tifa wished to become a lawyer someday.

A lawyer? Yeah right! Cloud scoffed inside his mind.

"Anyone who wants to have fun, follow me!" Tifa shouted. And to Cloud's utter dismay, many (if not almost all) of the members joined Tifa- and most of those who went after her were the guys of the club. Only a handful of geeks, dorks and a few girls stayed behind.

"Oh brother." he muttered under his breath.

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Tifa was happily skipping towards her locker later that night. She forgot her favorite nail polish and came back to retrieve it. She smiled to herself as she opened her locker. She definitely shamed Cloud in front of the club earlier that day and it felt so good that she wasn't the one who looked like a fool for once.

As she flipped over her stuff to find the aforementioned nail polish, her hand stopped; she could hear voices from a distance… She frowned and then looked at her glow-in-the-dark watch. It was already 7:30 pm. Was it possible that some students are still here at school at this late an hour?

Her ears perked up suddenly when she recognized one of the voices. She couldn't be mistaken for one of the voices belonged to Cloud! There was no way she could be wrong because her heart had recorded that beautiful sound for the last 16 years!

Tifa crept closer to the distant conversation and pressed her body next to a pillar to keep her concealed.

"She did that to you man? Boy oh boy I can just imagine your embarrassment." She concluded that the one who just spoke up was Reno.

"Yeah! Damn that woman!" Cloud this time. "Why can't she just leave me alone!"

"You know Cloud ol' buddy...me thinks that Tifa has a crush on you."

"What!"

Tifa bit her lips to keep herself from shouting at Reno. That good-for-nothing blabbermouth!

"I'm serious man. Don't you notice the way she looks at you dreamily even when you and Aeris were still together?"

"I think your imagination is running wild again Reno," Cloud replied peevishly. He was not in the mood for any of Reno’s wild conspiracies. And the idea of that irritating brunette always watching him was giving him the chills as well as sheer aversion.

"Why? Do you think it's impossible?" his friend just wouldn’t let go of the subject.

"Yeah, exactly!"

"Why?"

"Because…"

"Because?"

Tifa held her breath in anticipation to the answer.

She heard a piece of wood being kicked, though she didn’t know who did it. "What can she possibly like in me? I'm not exactly playgirl material," irritation was clear in Cloud’s voice now. He wished his red-haired friend would just drop it already!

"Who knows? But just in case my suspicion is correct, will you take her as a replacement for Aeris?"

"Yeah, will you?" she murmured hopefully. Unfortunately, Cloud’s next words were like daggers that pierced her heart as he laughed sarcastically, "Bro' are you nuts? Of course not! You know what I like in a girl."

"She must be smart, naturally pretty and most of all-" Reno answered without saying the last word.

"Not a slut," the blonde finished matter-of-factly.

"And she is not that, huh?"

"Yep! I can bet you my good man that I can take her to bed without having to lift a finger! You know why? Because she’d offer it to me herself- for free!"

Reno shook his head, "That's a bit harsh don’t you think?"

“That’s the truth my friend.”

Slowly, they walked away from that place until their forms were only tiny dots in the distance. They were still talking about something but Tifa wasn't listening anymore.

He really thought that she was THAT terrible…?

As the drops of rain slowly descended on earth, she hugged her knees close to her and buried her head in between to keep her tears from being seen.

'Not a bitch...'

'Please love me...'

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A/N: Whew! So what do you think? Is Cloud too harsh or is he just telling the truth? CloTi fans please don't hate me since you very well know the outcome of this story. The ‘slut-girl’ thing is just for the story and doesn't mean that in the game Tifa is actually a bitch (--;) You're a CloRis fan? Hey! How about that, I'm a CloRis fan too! But then why are you reading this story? Maybe you're the type who appreciates any love team (like me, except for Vincent/Yuffie love team- eccchhh!). Well please R and R anyway, thank you! (-- ;;)