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When Tifa extended the invite to Aerith to go out on a night drive, alongside with Zack and Cloud, she was beyond thrilled. Not only had she not experienced this kind of outing before, but she also wanted to see what the night sky was in Midgar; renowned for being able to see every speck of star when you look up from an open car roof. Not to mention, Cloud would be there, which is half the reason why Aerith glammed up a bit, but nothing too flashy, especially since she still had to go through her obstacle of a helicopter mum.
To be fair, Aerith did give Elmyra a heads-up on this evening outing with her friends, and that was probably a week ago from now, which was plenty of time for Elmyra to get used to the idea. She also made sure to give out small comments that related to the outing, along the lines of “I can’t wait to see what car Zack is gonna’ drive us in!” or “I wonder how big the sky would be on the highway…”. Plenty of time, Aerith made sure of it.
But much to Aerith’s surprise, Elmyra still said no just when she was about to head out the door. As much as she would want to complain and fight to get her way, her rightful way, she could start to feel her mood deteriorate by the minute, and she didn’t want to affect her friends given that she somehow did find a way to get out of the house.
“I said no, Aerith. You don’t even know much about these people at all!”
“But I do, mum! I go to Seventh Heaven almost every time I do my flower drop-offs, and that’s heaps of time to get to know them!” Aerith retaliated, her knuckles beginning to turn white around the handle of her purse.
“And you think a bar, out of all places, is a good place to know people?” Elmyra retorted, letting out a breathy laugh in disbelief, shocked to see how much her daughter had begun to ‘change’.
“Mum, seriously, I’m almost 21. You really think you’d be surprised to see your daughter to go to a bar?” Aerith questioned rhetorically, starting to lose grip of her last nerve.
“Yeah, 21 and living under my roof.” When Aerith was about to snide another comment, Elmyra quickly shushed her with a finger in between their figures, “Enough. Go back to your room. I’m not letting you out with these types of people. Not at this hour.”
Aerith couldn’t express her anger in any other way besides to groan and stomp her way back up the stairs, but she didn’t want to have the last word in this unreasonable argument. “Just so you know,” She leaned over the railing, not expecting for Elmyra to look up to her, “These ‘types of people’ are the kindest people I have ever met!”
Slamming the door behind her and making sure it had been locked, Aerith tossed her purse to the floor and threw herself sideways onto her bed, not wanting to get her soft makeup on her pillow covers. Her eyes threatened to spill out tears but she tried holding them in, her stubborn trait enabling her to not feel as much as she did when she was downstairs.
Her mind drifted back to Tifa who was twice as excited as she was, knowing that her usual night drives with the guys would now include another girl, then at Zack who was thrilled to have another passenger inside his ‘baby’, and then at Cloud. Sweet Cloud, although not wanting to admit it, he was containing his joy when he found out that Tifa had invited Aerith to the drive, and she could’ve sworn that his eyes lit up at the thought.
Still wallowing, Aerith grabbed her purse from the floor and pulled out her cell, going down her short contact list to call Tifa’s number. The ring didn’t go for too long when Aerith first heard the revving of Zack’s baby in the background as Tifa greeted her.
“We can’t wait for you to come, girl!” Tifa exclaimed, making Aerith even more upset that she’d be the one to let down the party tonight.
“See… that’s the thing…” Aerith started, “Uhm… I can’t go anymore. My mum isn’t letting me.”
“What? But you told her weeks ago! Didn’t you say that she needed prep time?” Tifa questioned, and on her side of the phone, Zack and Cloud shot her a look of concern as they brought themselves closer to hear the call. Cloud only remained at a distance whereas Zack literally sandwiched Tifa’s cell with his own ear.
“And I did give her prep time!” Aerith exclaimed, but held herself back with a gasp, not wanting to make herself too loud for her mother to potentially hear. She stayed silent on her side of the cell before continuing, now in a hushed voice, “But she just… changed her mind, all of a sudden. It really ticks me off that she could just… betray me like this!”
“And I agree!” Tifa supported with Zack agreeing with a huff, a smile creeping up on Aerith’s mouth when she imagines Zack reciprocating Tifa’s own feelings on the matter. “Don’t you worry. We got you.”
“H-Huh?”
“Zack! You think Baby can go on a little detour before the main event?” Aerith hears Tifa’s voice fade from the microphone, possibly pulling the cell away so she could have Zack’s attention.
“Oh, you know she can!” Zack’s voice, while muffled on Aerith’s end, still conveyed the same drive and thrill.
“Wait for us, Aerith. You have a balcony at the front of your house, right?”
“Yeah. It’s pretty high, though-” It clicked to Aerith. “Wait a minute. You’re not thinking of sneaking over here, right?!”
“Relax,” Tifa dragged, her tone being a somewhat assurance to Aerith’s heightened worries, “We’ve done this plenty of times! Just hang on tight, Aerith. We’re not letting your night end so easily.”
Aerith could only smile gratefully, wondering how in the world she scored such golden friends, even if they were quite intimidating and misleading by their appearance at first sight. “Thanks, you guys.”
The line came to an end as Aerith stared at her cell’s screen, displaying Tifa’s name with a heart next to it before she flipped the phone shut. Her eyes began to drift to the void as she imagines how the evening might play out; being able to sneak out of the house without detection, blasting the group’s favourite pop rock music on the radio, sitting at the back seat with Cloud on her side…
No time to dilly dally, Aerith thought as she shook her head. She was going to make this night as memorable as she can, and she was gonna’ have to sit tight and wait for her rescuers!
Ten minutes have passed since the call ended and Aerith made sure to keep busy within the confines of her room. How do people prep when they sneak out of the house? She remembers the stories that Tifa and the guys shared when they were at the bar, recalling one particular moment when it was Tifa’s first time sneaking out. Aerith wasn’t the only one who had to deal with her share of strict parents, and Tifa was an expert in this field.
“You gotta’ make sure that you stuff the pillows underneath your blanket as natural as possible, to make sure you’re actually mimicking yourself in bed.” Tifa advices, a glass of wine in her hand as she leans over the bar counter. Aerith and the guys sat on the other side of the counter, all sharing the same wine in Aerith’s consideration.
“Oh, and make sure your room isn’t as messy as you would usually have it.” Zack adds, “If you have it too messy, then your parents will have the obligation to clean your room since they feel bad about the argument you guys’ had.”
“I think your room is just messy in general.” Cloud retorts, sipping his own glass, earning himself a rowdy Zack as he tries to defend his name and honour, allowing for that moment to fade into memory as Aerith took into account their advice.
She placed her stuffed animals inside of her blanket, tucking it into the frame of the bed to allow the shape to be more curved. By examining her work, Aerith also took into account her curtains and decided to shut it when she usually has it open; maybe when her mum goes in, it shows how she just wants to be fully contained in her room, when in reality, it just shows less visual for her mum to look at. Genius, she thought, as pride filled her face.
Aerith took one more look of her makeup and smoothed out the crinkles of her dress from kneeling on her bed when she felt her cell vibrate within her purse. She flipped the device open and saw one email sent to her, excitement running through her veins as it all clicked to her; she was going to break the rules, well, house rules, for the first time, and it was exhilarating. A necessary evil, in fact.
From Tifa: Outside and out of sight! Go to ur balcony now
With one last breath, Aerith took off her shoes and opened her door carefully, making sure that it doesn’t click from behind her when she closes it. When she was in the clear, all she had to do was calculate which part of the floorboard wouldn’t creak and alert her mother from downstairs, climb up to the balcony, and be in the clear.
It was as if she wasn’t breathing the entire time up to the balcony; when she made one wrong move on the middle of the stairs, she paused and stayed silent so she could clearly hear if her mother was moving from below. After a few moments of nothing but the muffled sounds of their television, she continued her way upstairs.
Finally, freedom was just one door away, and when she was greeted by the cool evening air, the whispered greetings of her beloved friends came from down below as they waved their arms frantically in excitement. Except for Cloud, who only looked up to her. Aerith reciprocated back with a quick wave of her hand as she pointed to her shoes in her right hand. Tifa seemed to understand the assignment before she slapped Zack’s arm and signalled him to catch her shoes.
“Why me?!”
“You’re the one with the better eye coordination!”
Aerith giggled silently at their mini interaction as she waited for Zack to position himself just below where she was from above. After a few breath-holding seconds, she dropped her brown combat boots as everyone sighed in relief upon Zack’s successful catch. No surprise to everyone, Zack jokingly brought her shoes close to his face and wrinkled his nose, with everyone having to hold in their giggle while Aerith only shook her head in embarrassment.
“Alright. Now it’s your turn!” Tifa whispered loudly, her hands cupping around her mouth.
Aerith nodded as she hooked her arm into her purses’ handle and placed it on her shoulder, giving her more freedom with her hands as she gently hoisted herself onto the railing and carefully lifted her legs over, being extra mindful of her dress. She assumed that Zack would be the one to catch her when she falls given that he was the one who caught her shoes, but when Aerith saw Cloud walk towards where Zack stood previously, she suddenly became more conscious of herself.
With a flush over her cheeks, Aerith subtly placed the fabric of her dress in between her legs so that her shorts underneath wouldn’t be as visible from below, making Cloud blush over the small gesture as he cleared his throat and briefly looked elsewhere.
“Trust me.” Cloud whispered loudly, his arms ready to catch her as determination filled his eyes. Aerith didn’t feel the need to doubt Cloud’s ability nor feel scared on whether or not she would fall on her butt from two stories high; with the amount of time she had spent with Cloud with the rest of the group, she had learnt that he was a man of his word.
With a firm, mutual nod, Aerith held in her yelp as she pushed herself off the railing and closed her eyes in anticipation, and as she opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was mako-infused eyes meeting her own, now acknowledging his hand placement on her body. His gloved hands, one that she would catch herself admiring one too many times, had been strategically moved from her bottom to the small of her back, while the other was hooked underneath her knees.
For a few moments, Aerith and Cloud didn’t say anything to one another, only admiring each other’s eyes as Cloud carefully placed her on the ground, meeting gravity once more. That was the first time they had ever been so close to one another, not to mention the sort of hand placement that would make Aerith go mentally crazy over.
Zack cleared his throat mindfully, snapping Aerith and Cloud from their own world as they face him and Tifa who seemed to share the same knowing look.
“While we would love to give you guys your moment, I think it’s time to get this show on the road.” Tifa teases, her arms crossed over her chest, earning herself a quiet ‘Shut up’ from Cloud and a breathy giggle from Aerith as she ran to her side and wrapped her arm around hers. The girls giggled their way towards the car which was parked just outside Aerith’s front garden while the guys merely walked a few steps behind.
“Bro, could you be any more obvious?” Zack whispered. Not out of consideration for Aerith’s mum to potentially hear them since they were well away from the house, but to make sure that the person in question wouldn’t hear.
Cloud only blushed profusely, hoping that the overlooking moon didn’t shine on his face, “I don’t know what you mean.”
Zack let him off in quiet agreement, though his tone wasn’t believable enough as Cloud slapped the front of his chest, and he earned himself a loving headlock as they arrived where Baby was parked. Tifa quickly hoisted herself over the door to the passenger seat just when Cloud was about to enter.
“Oops! Sorry. This seat’s taken.” Tifa exclaims in sing-song, her hand over her mouth to demonstrate just how shocked she was over this sudden discovery. Cloud rolled his eyes as she stuck her tongue out, winking in implication, “Looks like you have to sit in the back where Aerith is.”
Cloud quickly turned his head where Aerith had already made herself comfortable in the seat just behind the driver, her pale pink purse sitting politely on her lap as they made eye contact. She shot him a toothy smile before he cleared his throat, wondering how cute she could be and the evening hasn’t even started yet.
“Thanks.” Cloud quietly murmured for Tifa to hear, earning himself a loud gasp of excitement from the girl as he widened his eyes in alert. His hands shifted from the door handle to gently hitting Tifa’s forehead with the side of his hand, “Be quiet! What if we get caught?!”
“Ouch!” Tifa exclaimed, “The only thing you have to be worried about is how painfully obvious you are!”
“Who’s obvious?” Aerith piped as Cloud quickly turned his head to her with the same widened eyes as before. Tifa turned her head backwards to shoot a playful look at Cloud, his same hand threatening to hit her forehead again before she quickly retreated. Aerith was, as always, confused with their interactions.
“Don’t worry about it.” Cloud reassures, his nearest hand to Aerith going towards the top of her head and giving her a soft ruffle, his face not meeting hers as he looks over his right side. Aerith only sat in shock, her face quickly going up into flames as she looks down on her lap and tighten her hold on her purses’ handle.
“Alright, lovebirds. You buckled safely back there?” Zack’s voice exclaimed from the drivers seat, his door slammed shut as his keys jingled into the starter. His eyes looked towards the front mirror where he saw Cloud and Aerith giving him an agreeing look before he started up the engine, giving Baby a few revs to kick the night started. Tifa whooped from the passenger seat as her eyes creased in happiness. “Aerith! You ever been on these kinds of rides before?”
She met Zack’s eyes through his front mirror, a smile visible on her glossy lips as she quickly applied just then, “Mhm! Whatever you guys have done is my first time.”
“Oh, out of all of your firsts with us, you’re gonna love this one.” Zack retorts in confidence, his left hand on the wheel as his right hand moved the handle on the dashboard to ‘Drive’. Aerith’s body jolted forward as her back quickly met the back support of her seat, an excited yelp coming out of her mouth as the view around her blurred. Tifa exclaimed as loud as she could with her arms raised high, feeling the wind hit her face as Zack focused on the road, and Cloud remaining stoic in his seat.
Aerith’s assumptions were right; this was gonna be her most memorable night to date. Zack didn’t hesitate to drive quickly to Midgard’s highway and was intentional in entering the longest highway in the city, prolonging their evening by shouting their favourite pop rock songs all while having the beautiful starry sky just above their heads. With much time spent with them, Aerith quickly adapted to the lyrics of their playlists as they frequently played it at Seventh Heaven, mindfully banging her head and stomping her feet to the rhythm of My Chemical Romance.
I am not afraid to keep on living,
I am not afraid to walk this world alone,
Honey, if you stay, I’ll be forgiven,
Nothing you can say can stop me going home!
In the midst of all the excitement, Cloud couldn’t help but find himself admiring Aerith most of the time as she beams with happiness and joy. To think that Cloud was once in her position, a place where he was stuck and had little to no freedom in an isolated town like Nibelheim, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride washing over him when he sees Aerith experiencing something that he’s been through so many times ever since he met Zack and Tifa. Truly, the group was each other’s gateway to the world’s suffocating responsibilities, and Cloud found himself embarrassed for even thinking such a sappy thought.
But that didn’t matter now, Cloud dismissed, as he pulled out his digital camera from one of his many pockets of his favourite cargo pants and began to record the entire moment. The three of them hadn’t noticed the camera for a few moments before Aerith turned to her right to see Cloud hiding behind his lenses, making her more smiley as she waved to the camera. That didn’t stop her from screaming the lyrics though, making her more endearing to Cloud’s eyes as he continued to record her.
These bright lights have always blinded me,
These bright lights have always blinded me, I say!
Cloud shifted the camera to Tifa as she quickly grabbed Aerith’s knee from the passenger seat, the song now building up to its climax as they shared a knowing look. It was now when Tifa had finally noticed the camera as she winked at the lenses, making Cloud shake his head with a smile as he knows it was her go-to gesture when the camera was on her.
I see you lying next to me,
With words I thought I’d never speak.
Awake and unafraid, asleep or dead…
The build-up of the song continued as Cloud then shifted his attention to zoom the camera to where Zack was, his hands firmly on the wheel but didn’t stop him from screaming the lyrics alongside the girls. He sensed someone’s attention from the back of his head as he looked up his front mirror, shooting the camera his signature flashy smile as Cloud only grinned.
Cause I see you lying next to me,
With words I thought I’d never speak
Awake and unafraid…
Asleep or dead!!!
Right on time to when the drums kicked in and the guitars blasted their strings, Zack loudly revved the engine and pumped the accelerator, zooming across the now-empty highway as they entered a zone where most of the cars had already went to the previous exit they had passed by. A euphoric feeling entered everybody’s core as the wind hit harder than before, and a memory was formed once again.
Aerith couldn’t handle herself and just screamed her lungs out, not bothering to sing along to the lyrics anymore. Tifa looked behind in shock and amusement as she laughed lovingly over Aerith’s childlike excitement, her arms even way up into the sky and closing her eyes to feel the wind hit her eyelids. Her smile was contagious as everybody grinned like there was no tomorrow, and the camera focused solely Aerith as Cloud admired her with all his heart, even if it was through the lenses.
Truly, it was a night to remember, and even though it was just like every other evening drive for the three of them, seeing Aerith made them feel like as if it was their first time sneaking out of their parents’ house all over again, silently thanking the girl from the backseat for reliving their cherished memories once more.
The evening continued as laughter and chatter filled the air between them, their outing sadly coming to a slow end as Zack entered the very last exit. There was always free will to loop around the highway again, but that would mean an extra hour on the same road, and the magic of evening drives had already ended for the group, even Aerith, who was desperately trying to balance herself with Tifa’s water bottle to lubricate her dry throat.
The first house they stopped over was Aerith’s. She had insisted for the three of them to just drop her off and go to their next stop over so that they could go home quickly, but Cloud insisted that if she were to get caught, then the four of them would be caught altogether.
“We were the ones who helped you sneak out. It’s only fair, right?” Cloud asked reassuringly, a small smile creeping up his mouth which reflected his honesty. Aerith only reciprocated his smile as she watches them exit the car and walk her back to the front yard.
As much as they tried to hold it in, they couldn’t keep their giggles in as adrenaline and excitement still ran through their veins. Cloud was quick to shush them as Aerith and Tifa walked in front of the group with linked arms, but seeing them giggle off each other just made it worse, and it even made Zack start to quietly chuckle too. He tried holding it in, but even Cloud was beginning to crack a smile.
But their happiness didn’t last long when Aerith quickly snapped back from reality and stopped in her tracks, making the rest of the group stop as they face the problem right in front of them.
Elmyra, in all her terrifying glory, had her arms crossed over her chest and a stance that Aerith knew that she was on her very last straw. Her knees almost turned to jelly when her eyes pierced into her, making her seemingly shrink back to when she was a little girl.
“I think you’ve had enough fun for the night.” Elmyra scolds, only focusing her gaze to her daughter as she watches her slowly unlink arms with Tifa and drag her way back to where she stood. When she was finally at her side, Elmyra quickly pushed her back and placed herself forward, as if to protect Aerith from her friends. “You low-lifes have no idea what you have done to my baby girl!”
“Mum-!”
“What were you thinking?!” Elmyra yells softly, both of her hands roughly resting on her shoulders as she furrowed her eyebrows, “Do you have any idea how worried I was when I saw your stuffed animals on your bed instead of you?!”
“See, I told you that method doesn’t work anymore.” Zack jokes quietly to Tifa who stood in front of him, earning himself a hard slap on the chest which almost made him whine in pain.
“And you three!” Elmyra sharply exclaims, now releasing her grip on her daughter and walking a few steps in front of them. Her index finger roughly pointed towards Tifa’s front side, “You think you can just convert my innocent daughter into one of you?!”
“Excuse me?” Tifa could handle disrespect from anyone, whether it was from a drunk customer or a client from an odd job when she would accidentally not do as she was told to do. But to be accused of doing something she wouldn’t dream of, especially to her dear friend? That was where she drew the line. Tifa was quick to activate her fight or flight mode as she cracked her knuckles and reached for her hanging leather gloves from the hemline of her shorts before Cloud interjected with a protective arm in front of her.
“Easy now.” Cloud mediates, his moving figure to physically shield his friends was enough to make Elmyra stumble back in sudden fear, “We didn’t mean any harm, really. All we wanted was to take our friend out for a drive.”
“A drive?” Elmyra started, “A drive to where? Somewhere where you could deal drugs and influence my daughter into becoming an addict?!”
“That’s enough, Mum!” Aerith shouted, seemingly quieting the atmosphere around them, even shutting Elmyra from her scolding. Her combat boots shuffled underneath the stone pavement as she walked towards not her mother, but towards her friends as she stood beside Cloud’s left side with a determined look. “You can’t just outright accuse my friends over something that they clearly aren’t doing!”
“But… but honey-”
“No! I’m tired of your… your disrespect!” Aerith exclaims, earning herself a sharp intake of breath from Zack and a small mumble from Cloud as he looked away from the mother-daughter squabble. Tifa, Zack, and Cloud knew that she wasn’t a person to raise her voice over someone so easily; she was someone who always tried to see the good in people. To think that the first time they experience her raising her voice was towards her mum, it was something of shocking.
“All my life, I have never had a solid friendship with people until these three. These… lovely, caring people who only want the best for me, to experience things that I never got to experience,” Aerith confesses, “B-Because of you.”
“Me? Aerith… I only want the best for you. I only want to protect you-”
“Mum, I’m 21!” Her daughter interrupts, “A 21 year old who still lives with her mother, yes, but a 21 year old who has to live! To experience mistakes, failure, but to also live!”
Elmyra only stood silent.
“I was ready to just sit in my room and wallow in my feelings when you shut me inside your house once again,” Aerith began, her hands now clammy, but the words just keep pouring out of her mouth like a spilled bottle, “But when they helped me sneak out from the balcony and took me on the drive? I think that was the most alive I’ve ever felt.”
“Wait a second, you snuck out from the balcony?!” Elmyra couldn’t grasp the concept itself considering that the balcony was two stories high. Worry struck within her as her eyes scanned over her figure.
“Yeah, with their help!” Aerith looked to her friends as they sheepishly exchanged glances. Her eyes glanced back at Cloud before clearing her throat, “Well, it was Cloud who caught me- but that’s besides the point!”
The mother and daughter were faced eye-to-eye, and Aerith didn’t back down from her gaze. “I may have been caught, but I don’t regret anything. And if that makes you livid, then- then get used to it!”
Elmyra gasped in shock upon her statement, her hands over her mouth as well as Tifa’s.
“But not unless you allow me to go out with them.” Aerith adds, “Mum. I hate lying to you, I really do. But… if I have to lie to you to experience just a shred of freedom, a freedom that my friends allowed me to taste, then I won’t regret anything.”
The air stilled as Elmyra and Aerith stared each other off, neither of them breaking eye contact. Zack and Cloud even found themselves holding their breath as Tifa clenched her fist over her chest in anticipating. Elmyra was the first to back down.
“Just get back inside.” Was all she said, and Aerith loudly exhaled, holding herself in attempt to comfort the fact that this was her first time going against her own mother. She was about to follow through her mother’s instructions before realising the fact that her friends were still here, watching the entire scene unfold. Aerith looked behind her and quickly ran up to the group, hugging Tifa tightly before pulling away and shooting them a grateful smile.
“Thank you.” Aerith quietly mouths before walking herself back inside her house with Elmyra following from behind.
After a mouthful of harsh words and a grounding set in stone for Aerith, the girl walked back upstairs and was about to enter her room when she realised that she hadn’t hear the far-away revving of Zack’s car, meaning that they were still waiting outside her house for her. Upon that thought, Aerith quickly dropped her purse and removed her shoes before climbing up the same stairs again and went out into the balcony, seeing her friends wave in smiles.
“Did ya’ survive momma’ bear?” Zack retorted from down below, earning himself a hearty laugh from Aerith as the group smiled at her.
“Barely. I got grounded, but…” Aerith leaned closer to the railing and cupped her left hand over the side of her mouth, “I couldn’t care less.”
Her friends below silently cheered at her rebellion, a necessary evil needed if she wanted to experience more of those evening drives with them. Maybe next time, it would be more than just a drive.
Cherishing their smiles forever into mind, Aerith only grinned at the mere thought of making more memories with them.