Chapter Twenty-two: Outburst
Merle quietly pushed open the doors to the café, hoping not attract anyone's attention. The usual crowded after school hangout was almost empty. The tables by the window were all vacant, and some late coffee addicts took the comfortable sofas at the back. A rich scent of fresh beans and soft jazz music filled the air, giving the place a casual yet classy atmosphere. Merle walked over to the counter and ordered herself a small cup of French Vanilla. She quickly scanned the room as the waitress went to make her drink. It was obvious that nothing big was planned for tonight. Every student had their heads plunged into a big book. They looked like they were lost in their own world of English literature and science fiction.
The waitress came back with the drink but immediately returned to wiping counters. She didn't bother to say one word or even look at her costumer. 'My, aren't we friendly tonight,' Merle thought as she took a sip of her coffee. There was no point in staying here all night. The possibility of Folken being here tonight was even smaller than the possibility that Allen Shezar actually has a heart. (A/N: Sorry Allen fans, but I think I made it pretty clear by now that he's not one of my fav. characters.) But there was still a little 'what if' keeping her from leaving. Finally, Merle decided to ask Miss Cheerfulness if she had any ideas about the performances. After all, their nametag did say 'We're here to serve your needs' with a happy face that would make Julia Robert's smile look depressing. And plus who wouldn't want to help a girl in need?
"Um, excuse me," Merle cleared her throat, trying to get the girl's attention.
The tall slender blond answered without bothering to look up, "Refills are a buck."
Merle shook her head, "that's not what I wanted to know. I was wondering if you had a list of performers and what nights they played."
"Who are you looking for?" the girl asked, suddenly interested.
"Folken," she answered right away, "He's tall-"
"I know who he is," she cut in, "But he's not playing tonight. You can try your luck again tomorrow or Saturday." And with that, she left Merle to finish her drink in silence.
***
Folken jumped out of his jeep and locked the door closed. It was getting late but he didn't feel like going home just yet. He walked into the café and sat down at his usual place by the window, by the corner. He immediately saw a familiar female and gave her a half a smile as she approached him.
"So wait will it be?" Tory asked returning his smile. (A/N: haha, I bet you guys thought it was Merle didn't you? ^_^)
"Same as usual." He answered and watched her walk away. No matter how many times he saw her, he still couldn't believe how much she resembled her sister. The shiny blond hair, the big eyes, the long legs, they all reminded him of Sora, his Sora. Of course, they did have their differences; Tory's hair is straight, while Sora's were a little curvy and paler. Sora's features were most soft, probably due to the difference in age. His friends used to joke about how he could date Tory since they practically looked like twins, but he would never do such a thing. Dating Tory would be like trying to replace Sora. That was out of the question, for no one on this earth could ever replace her.
"Someone was looking for you today," Tory's voice snapped Folken back into reality as she sat down across from him.
"Yeah?" he tried to sound interested.
"This one actually knew you're name."
"Probably from school."
"She's a pretty one, big eyes, short hair…short pink hair."
Folken's eyes light up as he heard the words 'short pink hair'. It couldn't be her. There were many girls around here with pink hair…at lest he thought there were. Know way would she actually come looking for him. He only mentioned that he played, he didn't even say which café in particular. Nah, it couldn't be her…
"So I guess you know her," Tory said, unable to keep herself from smiling.
"No, what would make you think that?"
"Your eyes light up, I haven't seen that in a long time."
Folken reached over for his drink and tried to ignore the comment. 'Damn, why did I left myself get all excited over that?' he cursed at himself. Just a second ago, he was thinking about how life used to be like with Sora around and now, his mind was racing 90 miles an hour just because of something he wasn't even sure of.
"There's no use pretending you don't care," she interrupted him again, "last time I checked, it was normal for an 18 year old guy to be interested in girls. If you don't, then that would be a problem."
"I never said I was interested in her, I don't even know who you're talking about." Suddenly he felt like a stubborn 12 years old under Tory's gaze. They sat in silence for a while until she slowly reached over to touch his hand. "You know, it's okay if you like her."
"How said anything about liking her?" Folken pulled his hand away from her and practically snapped. "You spend one year in college and you turn into Miss. I-know-it-all ?"
"This isn't about me Folken, it's about you!" this time Tory raised her voice, "I'm not the one acting like a little kid." She let out a long sigh and switched back to a softer tone, "Sora's gone, you and I both know that she's not coming back." Folken could hear the hurt in her voice as she said those words but he couldn't stop the rising anger, "I didn't come here to hear you lecture me on how to run my life! I can't just forget about everything! My girlfriend's life was taken away by some jackass who couldn't control his own damn car! I don't just forget things like that, but obviously you do."
Tory was completely taken back by Folken's outburst. He never spoke to her like that before. She couldn't believe it. Who was he to judge how she felt about her sister's death. "You're not the only one who's hurting! I lost a sister! I lost a best friend! I lost the only person I thought who would always be there for me. Don't you think I'm hurting too?" She rose and slammed her hands onto the table. "I act the way I do because I don't want mom and dad to see me cry! They have already enough pain to deal with."
Folken sat there speechless. He felt like such an asshole for saying what he said. Of course Tory felt bad, her whole family was devastated by the incident. She spent her time trying to make everyone feel better while he just sat in a corner and felt bad for himself. He opened his mouth to apologize but she stopped him, "look, I'm not telling you how to run your life," Tory said running her hands through her hair, "I just think it's about time that you moved on…I know Sora would have wanted that." She gave him a sad smile and walked back to her job.
***
Hitomi nervously walked up to her French teachers office the next day. She wasn't able to get much sleep last night because she kept on thinking about the play. Should she or shouldn't she accept the part? Hitomi decided to give him an answer early in the morning so she didn't have to go through the trouble of constantly changing her mind. She arrived to school half an hour earlier than usual. As she stood in front of the closed door, she felt her confidence drifting away. They were replaced by more nervousness and uncertainties. She knocked on the door right away before totally chickening out. Within a few minutes, the doorknob started to turn and the door slowly opened. To her surprise, the person standing in front of her was not a 50 years old man but a young handsome guy with dark raven hair.
***
"Um, hi" Hitomi said pushing a strand of lose hair behind her ear. This was not who she expected to see at 6:45 in the morning. Though she was surprised, Hitomi couldn't help smiling at the look on Van's face when he saw her. It reflected a brief moment of shock but it was quickly replaced by a warm smile. As usual, he looked great. The sleeves of his white t- shirt were rolled up revealing his well-formed arm muscles, and his wide hair-which he tired unsuccessfully to push back with his hand-fell directly in front of his eyes.
"Wow, hey..." He said. "Sorry if I look all dumb folded, it's just I didn't expect to see you."
"Me neither," she returned his smile, "I came to see Mr. Lafortain."
"Oh, he's not here, he went to get coffee or something. He let's me use his room in the morning to practice my lines." He raised his hand to show her his script. "Why don't you come in and wait for him."
Hitomi accepted the offer and walked into the room. The a small office looked somewhat like a big storage room. There were no windows so the room was light by bright florescent lights. Hitomi walked over and took a seat by the desk, "So how is the play coming long?"
Van let out a small sigh and ran his hand through his hair once more, "If you mean my part, it's going really well, but if you mean the whole play altogether, it's not going too well."
"Why, what wrong?"
"I don't know if you heard but we don't have a Roxane anymore." He was about to continue to explain but Hitomi cut him off. "Yeah, that's actually why I came to talk to Mr. Lafortain. He offered me the role."
"Really?"
"Yeah…" she waited for him to say something but he never did. "Aren't you going to say how crazy I must be fore actually considering it?"
"No," Van answered simply. "I'm sure you already got enough of that from your friends and family," he joked and then turned serious, "plus, I'm sure whatever you decide to do will be the right choice."
Hitomi smiled at his comment and studied him closely as he began to practice his role. She was glad that he was facing sideways; this way, he couldn't see her staring at him. It was weird how Van barely even knew her but somehow always managed to know what she needed. She felt a strange sensation within as she watched him recite his lines. It was like a mixture of pure joy and pain. She couldn't explain it. Van must of felt it too for he suddenly stopped and turned to face her. They stood (A/N: actually he stood and she sat ~_~;) there, gazing into each others eyes for what seemed like a really long time until Hitomi finally pulled away. She could still sense his eyes on her as she began to look for something in the room to divert their attention.
"Is that yours?" she asked, pointing to a duffel bag.
"Yeah, we have a swim meet today."
"Oh right, I forgot that you're on the school swim team."
"No prob., it's not very popular around here anyways," he said with a small laugh, "did you notice how cheerleaders never cheer for the swim team or anything like that?"
"Not really…"she admitted. "You mad?"
"No, I was just wondering why." The look on his face made Hitomi want to do something to cheer him up. It didn't seem to bother him but it looked like he was a little bit disappointed. Without thinking, she blurted out, "Well, if you want I can come and cheer for you guys today." She blushed as soon as she realized what she just said.
"Really?" he asked walking towards her with a smirk on his face.
"Well…I mean…" she stuttered, "I can get my friends to come…and…we can cheer for all of you…you know…support the team and stuff…"
"Will you be wearing a mini-skirt and holding pomp-pomps?" he mocked.
"No." Hitomi laughed.
Van pretended look hurt but soon join in on the laugher.
All of a sudden, the door swung open, relieving Mr. Lafortain who was holding a cup of coffee and a newspaper. Hitomi and Van straighten up their postures and greeted him with a smile. Mr. Lafortain looked at Hitomi and then to Van, as if trying to find out what just happened between them. "Well I'm glad to see that you two are getting along so well. If all goes as planned, you will be seeing a lot of each other." He walked over to his desk and sat down onto his chair with an amused look on his face.
"Actually, that's why I came here sir." Hitomi said, "to talk to you about the play."
"You have made a decision?"
Hitomi nodded and Van said, "Well, I'd better leave so you guys can talk." He picked up his bag and walked towards the door, "Thanks again for letting me use your room,"
After Van left, the teacher motioned Hitomi to sit down. "You know you can always wait until tonight to give me your answer. It will give you more time to think about it. I do not want you to regret your decision."
Hitomi took a deep breath and answered, "I thought about it all night and I'm afraid that if I think any longer about it, my brain will explode."
The gray haired man laughed, "Very well then. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that it is now safe to declare you as our new Roxane."
***It's me again! How did you like this chapter? I tried to make it a lil longer for those who have been asking me too write more. So what do you think about Folken? Will Hitomi actually go to Van's swim meet? Find out in the next chapter!!! Btw, I was really touched by those who spend the time to review (or email or im, me about) my story. Thank you guys ssssooo much! I've replied to your reviews so look under for your name. ^_^ R&R!***
Ali: hehe, Merle reminds me of myself sometimes. I try to make them like normal teenagers. Thanks!
Teardrop Niki: Allen is a pain but without him who will we make fun of and watch get humiliate? Hehe.
Soprano Songbird: I'm waiting for it to arrive. When the piano does come, you'll be the first to know. ^_~
T_bunny0: I'm writing, I'm writing. Lol.
TigerWolf: Thank you! I'm glad people like it.
Red Ninja: I thought it'd be cool for Merle to have someone of her own too. I'll try to work on the corny part.
Goatman: I'm working on that. ^_^
dancegoddess: *Blushes* Thanks! I'll keep writing if you keep reviewing.
Pyja: hehe, suspense gets me more reviews.
Ryan: Yeah, I try to surprise my readers. I'm glad you like it so much.
Rinny: I'm don't plan on abandoning this fic anytime soon so no need to worry. ^_^
lol-: Sorry, Allen isn't exactly my favorite character. I'm sure you noticed that already. I do remember warning Allen favs a few chapters ago. I'm still glad u continued to read!
Magicman: I feel the same way about him. Lol.
Miyoshi: I guess this is the chapter for you, there's a lot of coffee in it. I'm really into coffee too. ^_~
Ti-TiKutie4ever: I'll keep updating and you keep on reviewing! hehe
Sereneblaze: Guess you'll have to wait to find out. Hope you liked it!
Merle quietly pushed open the doors to the café, hoping not attract anyone's attention. The usual crowded after school hangout was almost empty. The tables by the window were all vacant, and some late coffee addicts took the comfortable sofas at the back. A rich scent of fresh beans and soft jazz music filled the air, giving the place a casual yet classy atmosphere. Merle walked over to the counter and ordered herself a small cup of French Vanilla. She quickly scanned the room as the waitress went to make her drink. It was obvious that nothing big was planned for tonight. Every student had their heads plunged into a big book. They looked like they were lost in their own world of English literature and science fiction.
The waitress came back with the drink but immediately returned to wiping counters. She didn't bother to say one word or even look at her costumer. 'My, aren't we friendly tonight,' Merle thought as she took a sip of her coffee. There was no point in staying here all night. The possibility of Folken being here tonight was even smaller than the possibility that Allen Shezar actually has a heart. (A/N: Sorry Allen fans, but I think I made it pretty clear by now that he's not one of my fav. characters.) But there was still a little 'what if' keeping her from leaving. Finally, Merle decided to ask Miss Cheerfulness if she had any ideas about the performances. After all, their nametag did say 'We're here to serve your needs' with a happy face that would make Julia Robert's smile look depressing. And plus who wouldn't want to help a girl in need?
"Um, excuse me," Merle cleared her throat, trying to get the girl's attention.
The tall slender blond answered without bothering to look up, "Refills are a buck."
Merle shook her head, "that's not what I wanted to know. I was wondering if you had a list of performers and what nights they played."
"Who are you looking for?" the girl asked, suddenly interested.
"Folken," she answered right away, "He's tall-"
"I know who he is," she cut in, "But he's not playing tonight. You can try your luck again tomorrow or Saturday." And with that, she left Merle to finish her drink in silence.
***
Folken jumped out of his jeep and locked the door closed. It was getting late but he didn't feel like going home just yet. He walked into the café and sat down at his usual place by the window, by the corner. He immediately saw a familiar female and gave her a half a smile as she approached him.
"So wait will it be?" Tory asked returning his smile. (A/N: haha, I bet you guys thought it was Merle didn't you? ^_^)
"Same as usual." He answered and watched her walk away. No matter how many times he saw her, he still couldn't believe how much she resembled her sister. The shiny blond hair, the big eyes, the long legs, they all reminded him of Sora, his Sora. Of course, they did have their differences; Tory's hair is straight, while Sora's were a little curvy and paler. Sora's features were most soft, probably due to the difference in age. His friends used to joke about how he could date Tory since they practically looked like twins, but he would never do such a thing. Dating Tory would be like trying to replace Sora. That was out of the question, for no one on this earth could ever replace her.
"Someone was looking for you today," Tory's voice snapped Folken back into reality as she sat down across from him.
"Yeah?" he tried to sound interested.
"This one actually knew you're name."
"Probably from school."
"She's a pretty one, big eyes, short hair…short pink hair."
Folken's eyes light up as he heard the words 'short pink hair'. It couldn't be her. There were many girls around here with pink hair…at lest he thought there were. Know way would she actually come looking for him. He only mentioned that he played, he didn't even say which café in particular. Nah, it couldn't be her…
"So I guess you know her," Tory said, unable to keep herself from smiling.
"No, what would make you think that?"
"Your eyes light up, I haven't seen that in a long time."
Folken reached over for his drink and tried to ignore the comment. 'Damn, why did I left myself get all excited over that?' he cursed at himself. Just a second ago, he was thinking about how life used to be like with Sora around and now, his mind was racing 90 miles an hour just because of something he wasn't even sure of.
"There's no use pretending you don't care," she interrupted him again, "last time I checked, it was normal for an 18 year old guy to be interested in girls. If you don't, then that would be a problem."
"I never said I was interested in her, I don't even know who you're talking about." Suddenly he felt like a stubborn 12 years old under Tory's gaze. They sat in silence for a while until she slowly reached over to touch his hand. "You know, it's okay if you like her."
"How said anything about liking her?" Folken pulled his hand away from her and practically snapped. "You spend one year in college and you turn into Miss. I-know-it-all ?"
"This isn't about me Folken, it's about you!" this time Tory raised her voice, "I'm not the one acting like a little kid." She let out a long sigh and switched back to a softer tone, "Sora's gone, you and I both know that she's not coming back." Folken could hear the hurt in her voice as she said those words but he couldn't stop the rising anger, "I didn't come here to hear you lecture me on how to run my life! I can't just forget about everything! My girlfriend's life was taken away by some jackass who couldn't control his own damn car! I don't just forget things like that, but obviously you do."
Tory was completely taken back by Folken's outburst. He never spoke to her like that before. She couldn't believe it. Who was he to judge how she felt about her sister's death. "You're not the only one who's hurting! I lost a sister! I lost a best friend! I lost the only person I thought who would always be there for me. Don't you think I'm hurting too?" She rose and slammed her hands onto the table. "I act the way I do because I don't want mom and dad to see me cry! They have already enough pain to deal with."
Folken sat there speechless. He felt like such an asshole for saying what he said. Of course Tory felt bad, her whole family was devastated by the incident. She spent her time trying to make everyone feel better while he just sat in a corner and felt bad for himself. He opened his mouth to apologize but she stopped him, "look, I'm not telling you how to run your life," Tory said running her hands through her hair, "I just think it's about time that you moved on…I know Sora would have wanted that." She gave him a sad smile and walked back to her job.
***
Hitomi nervously walked up to her French teachers office the next day. She wasn't able to get much sleep last night because she kept on thinking about the play. Should she or shouldn't she accept the part? Hitomi decided to give him an answer early in the morning so she didn't have to go through the trouble of constantly changing her mind. She arrived to school half an hour earlier than usual. As she stood in front of the closed door, she felt her confidence drifting away. They were replaced by more nervousness and uncertainties. She knocked on the door right away before totally chickening out. Within a few minutes, the doorknob started to turn and the door slowly opened. To her surprise, the person standing in front of her was not a 50 years old man but a young handsome guy with dark raven hair.
***
"Um, hi" Hitomi said pushing a strand of lose hair behind her ear. This was not who she expected to see at 6:45 in the morning. Though she was surprised, Hitomi couldn't help smiling at the look on Van's face when he saw her. It reflected a brief moment of shock but it was quickly replaced by a warm smile. As usual, he looked great. The sleeves of his white t- shirt were rolled up revealing his well-formed arm muscles, and his wide hair-which he tired unsuccessfully to push back with his hand-fell directly in front of his eyes.
"Wow, hey..." He said. "Sorry if I look all dumb folded, it's just I didn't expect to see you."
"Me neither," she returned his smile, "I came to see Mr. Lafortain."
"Oh, he's not here, he went to get coffee or something. He let's me use his room in the morning to practice my lines." He raised his hand to show her his script. "Why don't you come in and wait for him."
Hitomi accepted the offer and walked into the room. The a small office looked somewhat like a big storage room. There were no windows so the room was light by bright florescent lights. Hitomi walked over and took a seat by the desk, "So how is the play coming long?"
Van let out a small sigh and ran his hand through his hair once more, "If you mean my part, it's going really well, but if you mean the whole play altogether, it's not going too well."
"Why, what wrong?"
"I don't know if you heard but we don't have a Roxane anymore." He was about to continue to explain but Hitomi cut him off. "Yeah, that's actually why I came to talk to Mr. Lafortain. He offered me the role."
"Really?"
"Yeah…" she waited for him to say something but he never did. "Aren't you going to say how crazy I must be fore actually considering it?"
"No," Van answered simply. "I'm sure you already got enough of that from your friends and family," he joked and then turned serious, "plus, I'm sure whatever you decide to do will be the right choice."
Hitomi smiled at his comment and studied him closely as he began to practice his role. She was glad that he was facing sideways; this way, he couldn't see her staring at him. It was weird how Van barely even knew her but somehow always managed to know what she needed. She felt a strange sensation within as she watched him recite his lines. It was like a mixture of pure joy and pain. She couldn't explain it. Van must of felt it too for he suddenly stopped and turned to face her. They stood (A/N: actually he stood and she sat ~_~;) there, gazing into each others eyes for what seemed like a really long time until Hitomi finally pulled away. She could still sense his eyes on her as she began to look for something in the room to divert their attention.
"Is that yours?" she asked, pointing to a duffel bag.
"Yeah, we have a swim meet today."
"Oh right, I forgot that you're on the school swim team."
"No prob., it's not very popular around here anyways," he said with a small laugh, "did you notice how cheerleaders never cheer for the swim team or anything like that?"
"Not really…"she admitted. "You mad?"
"No, I was just wondering why." The look on his face made Hitomi want to do something to cheer him up. It didn't seem to bother him but it looked like he was a little bit disappointed. Without thinking, she blurted out, "Well, if you want I can come and cheer for you guys today." She blushed as soon as she realized what she just said.
"Really?" he asked walking towards her with a smirk on his face.
"Well…I mean…" she stuttered, "I can get my friends to come…and…we can cheer for all of you…you know…support the team and stuff…"
"Will you be wearing a mini-skirt and holding pomp-pomps?" he mocked.
"No." Hitomi laughed.
Van pretended look hurt but soon join in on the laugher.
All of a sudden, the door swung open, relieving Mr. Lafortain who was holding a cup of coffee and a newspaper. Hitomi and Van straighten up their postures and greeted him with a smile. Mr. Lafortain looked at Hitomi and then to Van, as if trying to find out what just happened between them. "Well I'm glad to see that you two are getting along so well. If all goes as planned, you will be seeing a lot of each other." He walked over to his desk and sat down onto his chair with an amused look on his face.
"Actually, that's why I came here sir." Hitomi said, "to talk to you about the play."
"You have made a decision?"
Hitomi nodded and Van said, "Well, I'd better leave so you guys can talk." He picked up his bag and walked towards the door, "Thanks again for letting me use your room,"
After Van left, the teacher motioned Hitomi to sit down. "You know you can always wait until tonight to give me your answer. It will give you more time to think about it. I do not want you to regret your decision."
Hitomi took a deep breath and answered, "I thought about it all night and I'm afraid that if I think any longer about it, my brain will explode."
The gray haired man laughed, "Very well then. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that it is now safe to declare you as our new Roxane."
***It's me again! How did you like this chapter? I tried to make it a lil longer for those who have been asking me too write more. So what do you think about Folken? Will Hitomi actually go to Van's swim meet? Find out in the next chapter!!! Btw, I was really touched by those who spend the time to review (or email or im, me about) my story. Thank you guys ssssooo much! I've replied to your reviews so look under for your name. ^_^ R&R!***
Ali: hehe, Merle reminds me of myself sometimes. I try to make them like normal teenagers. Thanks!
Teardrop Niki: Allen is a pain but without him who will we make fun of and watch get humiliate? Hehe.
Soprano Songbird: I'm waiting for it to arrive. When the piano does come, you'll be the first to know. ^_~
T_bunny0: I'm writing, I'm writing. Lol.
TigerWolf: Thank you! I'm glad people like it.
Red Ninja: I thought it'd be cool for Merle to have someone of her own too. I'll try to work on the corny part.
Goatman: I'm working on that. ^_^
dancegoddess: *Blushes* Thanks! I'll keep writing if you keep reviewing.
Pyja: hehe, suspense gets me more reviews.
Ryan: Yeah, I try to surprise my readers. I'm glad you like it so much.
Rinny: I'm don't plan on abandoning this fic anytime soon so no need to worry. ^_^
lol-: Sorry, Allen isn't exactly my favorite character. I'm sure you noticed that already. I do remember warning Allen favs a few chapters ago. I'm still glad u continued to read!
Magicman: I feel the same way about him. Lol.
Miyoshi: I guess this is the chapter for you, there's a lot of coffee in it. I'm really into coffee too. ^_~
Ti-TiKutie4ever: I'll keep updating and you keep on reviewing! hehe
Sereneblaze: Guess you'll have to wait to find out. Hope you liked it!