Don't Tell Me
by White Dragon
Chapter 1
Summer Days
Van, Merle and I were sitting in the stable that hot summer day. Everything was dry and humid. Van had sweat beads on his forehead. Merle was fanning herself with a big leaf. I threw my blazer aside and untied the ribbon of my uniform. I was sweating just as Van and Merle did.
"Agh! Why is it soo hot?" Merle cried, her arms limp form fanning herself. Van removed his red shirt, which was wet with his perspiration. "This must be the hottest summer in my life!" I stood up from the hay and went out the stable door. "Do you have a beach in here? I WANT TO SOAK!" I yelled, my voice echoeing towards the barren plains.
Van seized my idea. "Hey," he went beside me. "There IS a beach here somewhere... uh, I mean, waterfalls." he grinned. Merle jumped up excitedly, throwing her leaf down the floor. "C'mon! Let's go for a swim! I think I should melt ANY minute now!" she clung to Van's sweaty body. "Ew, Lord Van, you really need a swim!" I laughed. "Yeah, so maybe we should go now, and--" Then I remembered something. "I don't have a swimsuit!" Van looked at me strangely. "A-- what?" I paced up and down. "A swimsuit! Clothes to swim in! I mean, duh! Do you mean I'll swim with my clothes on?"
Van looked confused. "Of course you won't!" he began. "I mean, people here swim naked and--"
My eyes widened. "WHAAT!?"
Merle nodded in agreement. "Yup, we SURE swim naked. Why, Hitomi? You afraid to show your bod to Lord Van?" she looked silly.
I flushed red. "I'm not! It's just that it's different in the Mystic Moon! We think totally DIFFERENT!" I glanced at Van, who was turning red also. Then he spoke quietly. "Merle, I guess you did cast up to her a little bit." He turned to me. "You can swim in your clothes, if you want. I guess your world is really different from ours,"
I sighed. "I guess." Van walked ahead. "So that's setled. Let's go!"
We walked on for quite a good while. I was already jumpy and itching to get in the water. When we reached the upstream, Van began to take off his pants. I squeezed my eyes shut. I peeked from the slits of my fingers-- Van was actually naked! He was waving to Merle. "Hey, I'm gonna jump! See you downstream!" With that, he jumped off the cliff. "YAHOOO!" A splash followed. I looked down and saw Van rubbing off the water from his face. Merle followed suit, (but she still wore her clothes) screaming, "LORD VAAN!" She hit the water with a great splash.
Now, I was the only one left upstream. What should I do? Swim in my uniform? Then I remembered-- I actually have a swimsuit in my duffel bag! Then I slapped myself. I had left it in Millerna's castle.
Van's voice rose above the water. "Hitomi! Jump off! Now!"
I removed my shoes and socks, careful to leave them dry. I stepped back a few paces. Running tothe tip of the cliff, I jumped... high. I thought I almost beat the track record at school.
I shut my eyes as I hit the water. Van and Merle's voices were laughing. When I opened my eyes, Van slapped me at the back. "Great jump, Hitomi!" I looked at him with a smile. "Thanks." Merle was babbling in the water. Van swam a backstroke, and I tried hard focusing myself on his face. I won't look down, I reminded myself. I was in trance when Van splashed water in my face. "What are you thinking about?"
"Uh- nothing." I stared at Van's chest, and my heart beat faster. Van gave me a litte squeeze. "Is it Allen?" I shook my head. "No... I was just thinking of home." Van circled me. "Do you want to go home?" His voice sounded far away.
"My brother and I-- used to have times like this." I blurted out. Somehow, it was not the reason.
Van gave me a big, tight hug. "D'you want me to be your brother-- just for this time?" He hugged me so tight I felt squished. But it did felt nice to feel Van's arms around me. "Okay." I said quietly.
Merle swam over to us. "Heyy-- what are you two doing?" she said, a hint of malice in her voice. I quickly pulled myself away from him. "It's none of your business!"
Merle had asked me this rhetorical question again: WHICH DO YOU LIKE BEST, VAN OR ALLEN?
Van and I reddened, but I decided to be sarcastic. "I like Van better than Allen, you know. So he's mine!" I put my arms around Van. Van blushed all the more.
Merle's eyes widened. I decided to continue. "I LOVE VAN, SO DON'T YOU DARE COME NEAR HIM!" Van was actually ready to explode like a tomato. Then I did what I never dreamed of-- I kissed him. On the cheek, of course.
"Ooh!" Merle looked ready to cry. Van was shaking and blushing harder than I thought possible.
I looked at their faces and laughed. "Hey, chill out! That was only a joke!"
Van looked kinda disappointed and Merle breathed a sigh of relief.
Once they got out of their shock, they went after me, splashing water in my face. But deep inside, I thought: DON'T I REALLY MEAN IT?
***
The sun had set. I was dripping wet and sunburnt to a crisp. Van and Merle walked beside me. I had my tired arm around Van's shoulder. He was surprised at first, but then, he put his arms around my waist and leaned his head on my hair. Merle looked up in the glowing orange sky. "I wish everybody is happy like just as we are."
"Amen to that, amigo."
*OWARI*
___
Authoress' Note:
Heheheeh! I was all out of sorts when I wrote this story. I was listening to 'Sobakasu' on my Winamp player-- what could I do? The song was catchy! There are more chapters coming, but right now... I'm going to fry fish for lunch! JA NE, minna!
by White Dragon
Chapter 1
Summer Days
Van, Merle and I were sitting in the stable that hot summer day. Everything was dry and humid. Van had sweat beads on his forehead. Merle was fanning herself with a big leaf. I threw my blazer aside and untied the ribbon of my uniform. I was sweating just as Van and Merle did.
"Agh! Why is it soo hot?" Merle cried, her arms limp form fanning herself. Van removed his red shirt, which was wet with his perspiration. "This must be the hottest summer in my life!" I stood up from the hay and went out the stable door. "Do you have a beach in here? I WANT TO SOAK!" I yelled, my voice echoeing towards the barren plains.
Van seized my idea. "Hey," he went beside me. "There IS a beach here somewhere... uh, I mean, waterfalls." he grinned. Merle jumped up excitedly, throwing her leaf down the floor. "C'mon! Let's go for a swim! I think I should melt ANY minute now!" she clung to Van's sweaty body. "Ew, Lord Van, you really need a swim!" I laughed. "Yeah, so maybe we should go now, and--" Then I remembered something. "I don't have a swimsuit!" Van looked at me strangely. "A-- what?" I paced up and down. "A swimsuit! Clothes to swim in! I mean, duh! Do you mean I'll swim with my clothes on?"
Van looked confused. "Of course you won't!" he began. "I mean, people here swim naked and--"
My eyes widened. "WHAAT!?"
Merle nodded in agreement. "Yup, we SURE swim naked. Why, Hitomi? You afraid to show your bod to Lord Van?" she looked silly.
I flushed red. "I'm not! It's just that it's different in the Mystic Moon! We think totally DIFFERENT!" I glanced at Van, who was turning red also. Then he spoke quietly. "Merle, I guess you did cast up to her a little bit." He turned to me. "You can swim in your clothes, if you want. I guess your world is really different from ours,"
I sighed. "I guess." Van walked ahead. "So that's setled. Let's go!"
We walked on for quite a good while. I was already jumpy and itching to get in the water. When we reached the upstream, Van began to take off his pants. I squeezed my eyes shut. I peeked from the slits of my fingers-- Van was actually naked! He was waving to Merle. "Hey, I'm gonna jump! See you downstream!" With that, he jumped off the cliff. "YAHOOO!" A splash followed. I looked down and saw Van rubbing off the water from his face. Merle followed suit, (but she still wore her clothes) screaming, "LORD VAAN!" She hit the water with a great splash.
Now, I was the only one left upstream. What should I do? Swim in my uniform? Then I remembered-- I actually have a swimsuit in my duffel bag! Then I slapped myself. I had left it in Millerna's castle.
Van's voice rose above the water. "Hitomi! Jump off! Now!"
I removed my shoes and socks, careful to leave them dry. I stepped back a few paces. Running tothe tip of the cliff, I jumped... high. I thought I almost beat the track record at school.
I shut my eyes as I hit the water. Van and Merle's voices were laughing. When I opened my eyes, Van slapped me at the back. "Great jump, Hitomi!" I looked at him with a smile. "Thanks." Merle was babbling in the water. Van swam a backstroke, and I tried hard focusing myself on his face. I won't look down, I reminded myself. I was in trance when Van splashed water in my face. "What are you thinking about?"
"Uh- nothing." I stared at Van's chest, and my heart beat faster. Van gave me a litte squeeze. "Is it Allen?" I shook my head. "No... I was just thinking of home." Van circled me. "Do you want to go home?" His voice sounded far away.
"My brother and I-- used to have times like this." I blurted out. Somehow, it was not the reason.
Van gave me a big, tight hug. "D'you want me to be your brother-- just for this time?" He hugged me so tight I felt squished. But it did felt nice to feel Van's arms around me. "Okay." I said quietly.
Merle swam over to us. "Heyy-- what are you two doing?" she said, a hint of malice in her voice. I quickly pulled myself away from him. "It's none of your business!"
Merle had asked me this rhetorical question again: WHICH DO YOU LIKE BEST, VAN OR ALLEN?
Van and I reddened, but I decided to be sarcastic. "I like Van better than Allen, you know. So he's mine!" I put my arms around Van. Van blushed all the more.
Merle's eyes widened. I decided to continue. "I LOVE VAN, SO DON'T YOU DARE COME NEAR HIM!" Van was actually ready to explode like a tomato. Then I did what I never dreamed of-- I kissed him. On the cheek, of course.
"Ooh!" Merle looked ready to cry. Van was shaking and blushing harder than I thought possible.
I looked at their faces and laughed. "Hey, chill out! That was only a joke!"
Van looked kinda disappointed and Merle breathed a sigh of relief.
Once they got out of their shock, they went after me, splashing water in my face. But deep inside, I thought: DON'T I REALLY MEAN IT?
***
The sun had set. I was dripping wet and sunburnt to a crisp. Van and Merle walked beside me. I had my tired arm around Van's shoulder. He was surprised at first, but then, he put his arms around my waist and leaned his head on my hair. Merle looked up in the glowing orange sky. "I wish everybody is happy like just as we are."
"Amen to that, amigo."
*OWARI*
___
Authoress' Note:
Heheheeh! I was all out of sorts when I wrote this story. I was listening to 'Sobakasu' on my Winamp player-- what could I do? The song was catchy! There are more chapters coming, but right now... I'm going to fry fish for lunch! JA NE, minna!