AN: Ooh! I'm taking a stab at more A/U! XD This time... High school style! Please review! ^-^ Oh, and I have this thing with music... Which is why in my last fic I made Hitomi a singer so I could put in lyrics, to show how she felt. I thought this time I'd just put little blurbs of lyrics here and there, sort of like a soundtrack for the fic. XD Oh, and to please all those Allen fans I didn't make him evil in this story. Happy? Allen's 'good' in this story. LOL Warning, there's a TINY bit of language ^^;;

Van stared at the ground as his coach lectured him. Fingering the hockey stick in his hand, he listened as Coach Grava continued.

"Your grades are dropping Van. You're the best player on the team, but if your marks don't pick up soon, I have no choice but to kick you off the team. I know you're smart Van. You just have to try." he told the disgruntled boy in front of him.

"Try." muttered Van sarcastically.

"Van, do you even love hockey anymore?" asked Coach Grava exasperatedly. Van felt anger boil up in him, and he flung his hockey stick to the ground.

"Dammit! You know I love hockey! It's one of the few things I treasure!" he yelled, standing up.

"Then open a damn textbook for once, and stick something in your head other than strategies!" snapped Coach Grava.

"But I can't learn French! You can't just magically understand that babble language!" Van slammed his fist into the wall.

"Then get a tutor! The school has peer tutors Van! Apply for one at the office!" Van muttered something about spending 2 hours a day with some pansy French nerd, and picked up his stick.

"Yeah, I'll do that" he remarked bitterly as he left the change room. Coach Grava shook his head in frustration and went back to the arena.

***

Van made his way to the cafeteria and spotted Allen, Gaddes and Dryden sitting at a table. Hockey stick in hand, he made his way over. He ignored the lustful stares from several girls, and sat down.

"Hey Van, what's up?" asked Dryden, taking a bite of his burger.

"I have to get a peer tutor for French" he muttered. "That means TWO WHOLE HOURS a day with some sort of stuffy French geek" he complained, twirling the length of his hockey stick in his hand. He let it go and it fell to the ground with a crash.

"Hate to say you're wrong, but the French peer tutors are supposed to be really hot this year" Allen grinned.

"Really?" Van looked up brightly. Allen nodded, and Van cheered up slightly.

"I guess it's not so bad then" he concluded, and he reached over and stole a french fry from Gaddes. "So how was your date with Merle?" Van grinned. Gaddes blushed deep red, and Van's jaw hung as Gaddes refused to look up. "You didn't..." he started. Dryden and Allen looked at Van in confusion, but Van kept his gaze on Gaddes.

"YOU DID! GADDES GOT LUCKY!!" Van yelled, and Allen and Dryden had big smiles on their faces.

"Shut up!" Gaddes groaned, pulling the hood of his dark gray sweater up over his head.

"So how was she?" asked Allen, smirking. Gaddes looked up, trying to smother down a smile.

"She was perfect" he said seriously, "I think she's the one".

"Gaddes, big ladies man, has finally found love" Dryden grinned, and Gaddes, who usually had a confident smirk on his face had his head buried in his lunch.

"Are you too in love to eat?" asked Van hopefully, eyeing Gaddes' untouched burger and fries.

"Never" smiled Gaddes, and Van flopped back into his seat.

"Do any of you have money?" he tried. They all shook their heads, and he stuck his middle finger up at them. "Greedy bastards" he grinned, and he got out of his chair.

Merle, Hitomi, and Millerna chatted over their lunch, and didn't notice Van come over.

"And he was so cute, I could just grab him and kiss him to death" they laughed, and a voice interrupted them.

"Please, there's enough Van to go around" he smiled, seating himself down on the one empty seat at the table. Millerna elbowed Van in the ribs, grinning.

"We were talking about my baby cousin, not you" Millerna said. Van pretended to pout, but a smile eventually appeared on his face.

Van knew Merle and Millerna since he was a baby, and they were great friends. Hitomi, however, had only come to the school that year, so he hadn't had many opportunities to talk to her.

"Any of you want to spare the poor little boy some food or money?" he whimpered, and Millerna rolled her eyes, trying to hide a smile.

"You already owe me money" she teased Van, and he gave her a puppy dog look.

"But I paid you back with the ever lasting, loving friendship I shower you with each day!" he twinkled devilishly. Millerna laughed, and pulled the hood of Van's black sweater over his reddish brown eyes.

"I can't see the light! Where am I??" he cried, and he removed Millerna's hands from his sweater, widening his eyes in mock surprise. "Millerna! Darling! Haven't seen you in decades!" he said in a mock English accent, bringing her up in a painfully tight hug, squishing his face against hers.

"I'll tell you, Millerna, I was lost for the LONGEST time in this dark, scary place! There seemed to little white cotton bits of fluff flying around though... And I SWEAR I saw this one piece of lint somewhere. Oh, Millerna, but when I saw you everything was RIGHT again! Don't you just LOVE Millerna?" he asked Hitomi, and she grinned at him with her lively green eyes. She's pretty he mentally noted, but he kept tightening his grip on Millerna.

"Alright! Alright! You can borrow five dollars, just let go of me!" she laughed helplessly, and he let go of her. While she got her purse out, Van leaned towards Merle.

"So... Gaddes really likes you" he whispered confidentially, and Merle thwacked Van on the head, but her face turned a slight shade of pink. She tried to stutter something out, which made him laugh even more. Merle was always quick with a retort, and had a sharp tongue, but now she looked like a blubbering fool. They really are in love Van smirked.

"I....I.....L-l-l-l-lo-lo-lo-ve-love h-h-h-h-him" Van mocked Merle, and she hit him hard on the shoulder. Van laughed, and gently hugged Merle. "I'm happy for you guys" he said seriously to her.

"I know" she said softly. "Thanks for introducing us" she smiled.

"They don't call me Dr. Love for nothing" he joked, and Merle laughed, rolling her bright blue eyes. Millerna shoved a five dollar bill into Van's hands.

"Now leave us be!" she commanded, her violet eyes twinkling.

"I know when I'm not wanted" he grinned. "Thanks, 'lerna" he whispered quietly behind her into her ear, and she patted his arm.

"No problem" she smiled, and he headed towards the lunch line.

***

Appetite satisfied, Van headed towards the office. He noticed a large yellow sign with the words "Peer Tutors! ^_^" written in glittery green letters, and he looked closer at the sign.

PEER TUTORS! ^_^
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO REQUEST A PEER TUTOR!
PLEASE SPEAK TO MRS. COSTELLA FOR DETAILS.

Van opened the doors to the office and sat down on a chair. A few moments later, a secretary came bustling to her desk.

"How may I help you?" she asked.

"Um... I was wondering where Mrs. Costella was" he mumbled.

"Mrs. Costella? She'd be in her classroom right now. Drama room, room 206"

"Okay, thanks" he replied, and headed to the 2nd floor. 202...203...204...205....Here we go. 206 Van thought. He knocked cautiously on the painted door, and opened it. A woman, about 35, sat at her desk, dark auburn hair in a loose bun, sharp hazel eyes concentrating on her paper.

"Mrs. Costella?" The woman looked up, and placed her pen on the table.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to apply for a peer tutor, if that's possible" Van said politely. She opened one of her heavy metal desk drawers, and took out a clip board.

"For what subject?" she asked, eyes frowning slightly at the clip board.

"French"

"Okay, we have a spot for you. Name, and home form?" she looked up at him.

"Van Fanel, 11B" She wrote something on her paper.

"Okay, Van. Your peer tutor is Hitomi Kanzaki, her homeroom is 11G. It's your job to find her and set up a schedule. Two hours at least 3 times a week is necessary, but we find it to be more helpful to meet everyday." Hitomi's a peer tutor? Well this will give me a chance to get to know her.

"Thanks" he told her, and left the room.

***

Somehow, Van lasted the day without dying of boredom, and he walked over to the area where Merle, Millerna, and Hitomi kept their lockers, backpack slung over his shoulder. He leaned against her locker, headphones blaring, and he watched the hallway. After about 2 songs, he saw Hitomi coming down the hallway alone, and he straightened up.

"Hey Van" she said, surprised.

"Hey 'tomi, guess what?" he jumped up and down after removing his headphones.

"What?" she asked, slightly amused.

"You're my peer tutor!" he smiled broadly.

"Oh, I remember Mrs. Costella telling me you were my student now. Aren't you lucky you have me as a tutor and not Nadine?" she grinned. "She requested to tutor you, but Mrs. Costella said she should save her talents for students who really need her help. She had such a fit" she added, laughing.

"Who could not want to tutor me?" Van joked, gently nudging Hitomi. She gently hit him on the head, and he smiled. "Want to grab a cup of coffee? I could really use some" suggested Van.

"Sure" she smiled, and they headed to Starbucks after Hitomi grabbed her purse from her locker. They both got a regular sized coffee, and sat down on a chair.

"So, having trouble with French?" she grinned slightly.

"Yeah" he admitted bashfully, ruffling his black raven hair. "If my marks don't improve, I'm getting kicked off the hockey team. I think I pretty much grasp the whole English, Math, and Science deal, but it's French I have trouble understanding" Hitomi nodded slightly, blowing the steam gently across her styrofoam cup.

"I almost forgot you were on the hockey team" she admitted.

"Yeah, most of the school's support goes to the football and basketball team" Van remarked bitterly, saying the words football and basketball as if they disgusted him.

"I'm sorry" Hitomi said quietly. "I'll try to come to watch you sometime" she promised, and his reddish brown eyes lit up.

"Really?" he asked. Hitomi nodded, grinning, and Van smiled broadly.

"Thanks, that means a lot to me." Hitomi blushed, and drained her cup.

"Okay, so when are you free?" she asked.

"Um... Mornings are better because hockey practice is usually after school"

"That means we have to meet at 7" she groaned, slumping down in her seat.

"You know I'm worth it" he grinned, and her green eyes sparkled.

"Fine, fine" she surrendered, lifting her hands up in the air slightly but smiling. "So do you want to start tomorrow?"

"Sounds good" nodded Van. "Oh, I've always wanted to know. What do the peer tutors get in exchange for tutoring people?"

"They get a credit" replied Hitomi. "I really need it for my university application"

"Oh? And what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"A sports doctor" she blushed. "Just watching all those killer injuries on TV, I want to help those poor guys out" she grinned. "Plus they're cute"

"Maybe you'll be helping me out then" Van grinned. "I want to be a hockey player when I grow up, and we all know that I'm cute" he winked, and Hitomi threw her napkin at him.

"What?" asked Van innocently. "I'm sexy, I'm cute, I'm popular to boot!" he started to sing loudly, and Hitomi laughed, putting her finger to her lips.

"Shush! People are staring!"

"Stifling the student?" Van asked, pretending to be shocked. "And what kind of teacher are you?" Hitomi was about to reply when Van interrupted her. "I'm bitching, great hair, the--" he continued, until Hitomi reached over the table and clamped her hand firmly over his mouth. Van removed her hand, and laughed, his eyes twinkling.

"If you want me to kiss you, Hitomi, just ask, because I can't do much justice by kissing your palm." laughed Van devilishly, as Hitomi's green eyes widened, and she thwacked him on the head.

"You're impossible" she smiled, and he moved his eyebrows up and down as he drained his cup of coffee.

"Not impossible, merely difficult" he grinned, and she shook her head. Suddenly there was a beeping noise, and Hitomi looked at her pager.

"Uh oh, I've got to head home. I'll see you tomorrow morning.... Where?"

"Um, how about..." Van thought. The thought of the library brought shudders to him, and he thought of a possible place to meet that would be quiet, but nice to work in. He suddenly perked up. "The hockey arena! It opens at like 5 in the morning, no one's ever there, and we can sit on the bleachers, and it will motivate me to work because what I'm working for will be right in front of me!" he concluded, pleased with his brilliant idea.

"Freezing cold at 7 am" muttered Hitomi. "The things I do for you" she groaned, and he gave her the same squishing hug he gave to Millerna earlier.

"You're the BEST, Hitomi!" he twinkled.

"Gotta go now" she choked out from his strong grip, and he let her go.

"See you tomorrow" he waved, and she smiled at him as she left.

AN: So... What did you think? *cowers* Muahaha, Van's quite the cocky one in this story XD No lyric blurbs yet, but once those "feelings" start bubbling up I'll add some *grins* Anyways, tell me what you think! ^-^ I know this fic is very bubbly right now, but it WILL thicken! ^_________________________^