Title: Intruder Alert
Author: Haze
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne so don't sue me…
Chapter Dedication: fireangel, Kat-Tastrophe, me, MysticalDreamer, esca chick, Atlantis Angel, Divine Discontent, Sarina Fannel, Shinnonu, khayee, Rina
Chapter 1: The Start of a Good Life's Backflow
A honey brown-haired youth walked down the corridors towards her classroom. Students smiled and waved at her while others simply greeted her and moved out of her way. She was busy smiling at one of the cuties when someone bumped into her.
It was a guy. Surely a newbie since he didn't bother to step out of her way. I mean, whether she was watching her way or not, no one would and should bump into her. That was the rule.
"I'm sorry," the guy muttered.
"Well you better be," she said, with a slight irritation in her voice.
People in the corridor laughed at the guy. And she merely smiled amusedly at him as if he'd been the greatest joke of the day.
The guy blushed with embarrassment and scooted away from her and the laughing students in the school corridor. She watched his back amusedly for a while and then continued to walk to her class.
"Yow, Hitomi!"
"Hey, beautiful."
"Good morning, girl. Heard a newbie geek bumped into you."
"Oh? Really? Someone BUMPED on her? What a JERK!"
Hitomi smiled and let them talk amongst themselves as she plopped on her seat for her Math class. She didn't bother to say anything when she was greeted. And she didn't bother to partake in the talk about the bump thing. It was normal to be talked about and be sided.
This day sure would be good like her other days.
What could go wrong? She had a close family and not to mention a rich one. She was the star in their track team together with her friend Amano, she was one of the brightest students, and most important of all, she was one of the 'in' crowd in school. Most talked about and most admired and spoiled to her whims by the school people. That's what's popularity is for anyway.
What more could she ask for?
"Hey, babe," Allen greeted as he pecked his girlfriend on the cheek.
"So, what's the game plan after the practice?" Yukari, her best friend asked excitedly. "Allen, is your twin coming?"
"Yup, I'm coming," interrupted Amano, Allen's twin brother. "I wouldn't miss hanging out with you guys."
"So, Allen, where do you suggest we go?" Millerna asked, looking straight at Allen as he cuddled Hitomi nearer.
"I don't know with Hitomi," he answered, shrugging.
"People, we're supposed to be having lunch right now," Gades reminded as he plopped down on the seat on the other side of Allen. "So, what's the game plan?"
"You know what? For someone who's reminding us, you sure do go back out on your word the next sentence around." Hitomi smiled, reaching for her salad. "Man, science sucked. I never did like that class. But I can't wait for computer class."
"You always did like that class and you always did profess saying you love it. I wonder why." Gades shrugged. "I hardly understand the programming things."
"That's exactly why I like it," Hitomi explained. "I mean programming and hacking is just so challenging."
"Careful, Hitomi. You just might end up as a nerd."
"That, my dear Gades, will not happen in this lifetime or in any succeeding ones I'll ever have."
"Hitomi is right. You think one of us could end up as a nerd?" Amano asked with a smile that sent a dozen fan girls swooning. "Be for real."
Laughter ensued and the 'in' people just continued their bonding and chatting when their chatters were disturbed by a scene in the cafeteria. It was from the geek section of the cafeteria. Apparently, one geek was having a quarrel with one from the punks from the scary people section.
"Give me your money, geek!" Sneered the punk with a couple of his groupies near him.
"My mom works hard for this," the geek reasoned.
"So what?"
"Money doesn't grow on trees, you know."
"Yes it does!"
Laughter filled the cafeteria.
"And how might that be?" The geek threw back, knowing well that the people were laughing at him.
"Money comes from paper, and paper comes from where?" The punk smirked. "From trees. I thought you knew that since you're a geek."
The people laughed at the poor geek who had been shamelessly insulted by the punk. But then, that was the way things were in their school as in most other schools. The popular people are the untouchables but unfortunately are uninterested in rescuing others. The scary and tough ones provide entertainment at the cost of others' feelings. And the weaker ones are the one trampled.
"Hi, everyone," Hitomi greeted as she sat down for dinner. "Guess what, Allen just asked me out to another date."
"That's but natural, dear. Allen is your boyfriend," Mrs. Kanzaki said, smiling at her daughter.
Hitomi's brother, Hiko, frowned. "I don't like him. Why do you have to be that jock's girlfriend anyway, Tomi?"
"Don't call him a jock!" Hitomi snapped. "My Allen is the most gorgeous and most chivalrous guy in the school."
"Not to mention the part that says he is the greatest playboy."
"Hey!" Hitomi prepared to defend her boyfriend once again.
"You know, dear, I agree with your brother that I don't like that Allen. His twin, Amano, could have been much better," their father said, already in the mood in beginning his cons against Allen. "Although you could snap and get nasty when you reach your temper's end, you used to be more patient. But since you became that boy's girlfriend, you're more temperamental than before. Besides…"
Hitomi sighed. It sure was going to be a long dinner with her father's usual cons on Allen and her brother's support of cons of his own. Of course there's comfort as her mother is on the pros on Allen. But then, it was getting more frustrating.
"Why can't you see that having that jock of a boyfriend is not going to be good?"
"Yeah. Dad's right."
"Allen is nice," Mrs. Kanzaki defended. "Although he's a bit more on the playboy side, I think he found his match in Hitomi."
"Yeah right," her brother countered sourly. "The next thing we know is that he has a dozen more girls hiding somewhere. You know playboys. They always have so many girls for reserves."
"Could we just change the topic?" Hitomi asked, not being able to withstand the assault on her Allen.
Her father and brother looked at her, as if knowing that she intended to save Allen once again. But then, a miracle had happened. Her father actually changed the topic for the first time.
"That reminds me, Tomi. We're going to have a vacation in Japan. You know how it is with business and all. But don't worry, dear, it will be after this semester's end."
Hitomi frowned slightly. "Japan? But that's too far."
"Cool," Hiko interrupted.
"What's so cool about that?" She asked getting annoyed already. "Cool because I wouldn't be seeing my friends AND Allen for some time?"
"Of course not. It's cool because I wouldn't be seeing YOUR Allen for some time."
"What is your problem with him anyway?"
"He's a playboy, Tomi. Besides, my best friend's older sister got dumped by him and he plays around with girls."
"You don't know ANYTHING."
"Enough, kids," Mrs. Kanzaki interrupted. "Your father's decision is final. We're going to Japan on a vacation while he attends on the business there."
"But, mom, couldn't I just stay here?"
"And where would you stay?" Mr. Kanzaki asked sternly. "At Allen's?"
"No. At Yukari's."
"You know, I really hate to break this to you sister," Hiko said with a hint of sarcasm. "But you hang out with stuck-up, stuffy people. I mean sure that's typical with popular kids here in America but HELLO! You need to learn that you can't get away with everything."
"You are just jealous because you're NOT popular," Hitomi countered.
"Well, at least I'm still human. Not like someone I know."
"Oh yeah?"
"You know, Tomi. It's alright to be popular. But you should remember that you're not everything to everyone. Japan would do you good. At least popular kids there are not as stuck-up as the usual popular kids here are. Not to mention not as uncaring."
"And how do you know that?"
"Dad tells me stories. But you wouldn't know that because you're always too busy with your 'in' crowd. You wouldn't even care if there are people bullied. As long as it's not you."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. I was there in the cafeteria this lunch time, SISTER. And you and your friends were merely laughing at the poor guy that punk just made fun of."
"He was a geek."
"So? He's still a person. And there was also this event in the corridor. He was a transferee and he bumped into you accidentally and what happened? He got humiliated because you really are a typical uncaring popular missy. I hope someone does that to you."
Hitomi was about to retort when their father interrupted calmly. "Alright, that would be enough arguments between you two for tonight. Tomi, I'm afraid that I would not allow this family to be separated. You are going and that is FINAL."
"Aw, dad."
"No, young lady. Don't give me that 'aw, dad' line of yours. You are coming with us to Japan."
"Relax," Millerna soothed. "It's not like you'll be gone forever. And Allen is not going anywhere."
"I know that. But I have a very bad feeling about this."
"I'll watch my brother for you," Amano offered. "I'll make sure no girl messes around with your boyfriend."
"We'll be here." Yukari also tried to soothe her best friend.
"If you don't trust Amano on his promise, I can keep it." Gades winked.
"That's not what I mean. It's just that what if my dad decides something so not cool for us? I mean, what if he says that we're going to live there?"
"Live where?" Allen asked, as he sat down beside Hitomi.
"Here we are," Mrs. Kanzaki announced as the limo stopped at a big house just outside Tokyo.
"Oh, jolly," Hitomi murmured in a voice with zero enthusiasm. "This is absolutely exciting."
Hiko rolled his eyes. "You're just sulking because Dad didn't allow you to stay with your stuck-up, stuffy crowd of whatevers."
"Why you brat!" Hitomi hissed.
"Wow!" He looked at her with mock excitement. "That certainly is what my friends and I call speedy-change of moods."
"Enough kids," Mrs. Kanzaki said, stepping out of the limo.
Hitomi and Hiko followed their mother inside the house while their father stayed outside to take in the garden surrounding the house. He had always liked the place and he missed it terribly. After all, he did grow up here before he got married and stayed in America. And after more than twenty years, he's finally home, although it was going to be just for the meantime.
"Not bad," Hitomi murmured as she was shown in her room.
She dumped her sling bag on one of the easy-chairs and sat on her bed. While sitting down, she surveyed the place which was almost the same as her room. Sighing, she laid back and stared at the ceiling, thinking of her friends especially her boyfriend.
"I wonder what they're doing now," she said to no one in particular.
"Probably the usual like parading everywhere and insulting people who have the guts to point out their mistakes and flaws."
Hitomi sat up in bed and glared at Hiko who was standing at her door, frowning at her.
"You know, Tomi. Not that I hate them but they're not good for you. And I take what I said earlier." He then paused dramatically before continuing. "I do hate them. Those kinds of kids deserve to be humiliated none stop. You're beginning to be like the characters I hate in the movies."
"Like I care."
"See? You're like the stuck-up popular kids in the movies."
"Thanks for the compliment," Hitomi mumbled sarcastically.
Hiko rolled his eyes heaven ward. "I wonder who could insult you without so much as sweating."
"No one."
"I'm beginning to think so."
Hitomi looked at her brother and smiled. "You better. So, come here. It's been so long since we actually had talked about something not revolving around Allen's flaws or why I shouldn't be his girlfriend."
"It's probably because if I'm not inclined to pointing out his flaws, I point out your groupies faults as a whole." He smiled back as he walked towards his sister and sat beside her on the bed. "Do you think you'll be able to find a cute guy here?"
"Doubt it. Allen–"
"You could try someone refreshingly new. You know, instead of swimming pool eyes like your boyfriend's, why not brownish red or even fiery, exciting red. It's pretty cool right?"
"Yeah whatever. But come on. As if there is someone like that."
And so they continued their sibling bonding for the following weeks not exactly knowing what awaited them or more likely, what awaited Hitomi.
"Catching up on old times?" Mrs. Kanzaki smilingly asked as Hitomi and Hiko entered the dining room.
The two looked at each other and shrugged. For the past weeks that they've been having sibling times, they still haven't settled their differences yet about their social status in school and the people they move around with. So technically, it wasn't like the old times.
Mrs. Kanzaki just smiled even more. Her children may have their interests set in each others' flaws and faults including their friends' but underneath the banters and insults were the concerns they had for each other.
"So, where's Dad?" Hitomi and Hiko asked in unison.
"He'll be a bit later for business or so he said when he called."
"Oh," the two again said in unison.
The discussion over dinner moved to their unusually long vacation in Japan and as usual, the dinner discussion had swayed to Hitomi's boyfriend and her friends. But this time, it was different for there were two pros and only one con. And as expected, Hiko was losing the 'discussion'.
But before dinner ended, the discussion was cut short because of Mr. Kanzaki's entrance in the dining room. He was looking very tired and so not wanting to disturb him, the dinner pursued peacefully after their greetings of welcome.
Just as the dinner was ending however, Mr. Kanzaki had an announcement.
"Kids, I don't know how you'll take this but I hope you understand the decision. I have been pushed to this for days and it seemed like the best one to make under the situation," Mr. Kanzaki began.
Hitomi and Hiko looked at him with mixed dread and anticipation.
"Fire away, Dad," Hiko encouraged.
"Yeah. Just straight to the point," Hitomi agreed although a bit hesitantly.
"Alright. Here goes," Mr. Kanzaki said, pausing for a time. "Because of the complication and length of the business settlement, we would most likely have to stay here in Japan longer than expected."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hitomi asked, dreading the answer.
"The vacation is permanent."
The effect was instant. Hiko looked happier to stay than sad for leaving his friends. Hitomi looked like it was going to be the end of the world the next minute. And Mrs. Kanzaki was just happy. She had expected this after all and of course she knew that her husband would be happy to stay in where he grew up.
"Cool, Dad. You're the greatest!" Hiko exclaimed.
"That's nice, dear," Mrs. Kanzaki agreed.
Hitomi struggled to control her temper, but it was not exactly that easy. "How could you?!"
The three other occupants of the table looked at her.
~*A couple more weeks later*~
A honey brown-haired Hitomi bounded out of the limo and started to walk through the school gates and the crowd of students who were probably waiting for their friends. She wished that she was still in New York with the rest of her friends but of course no amount of wishing would change the fact that she's here in Tokyo – friendless and not to mention lost.
She frowned as she searched for the school head's office. When she couldn't seem to find it, she reached for her hand phone in her sling bag to complain for the umpteenth time that she would really be better off back in America.
In the middle of her tirade however, she came crashing into someone who was either not watching his way or was just plain stupid enough not to evade her. Her lessons in ballet did not come in handy at this precise moment. However good her sense of balance is, she still ended up on the floor --- butt-wise. So it's obvious that whoever crashed into her was really going to get it.
But then, she's a newbie here and could not afford to have an enemy on the first day of school. And there's always the fact that her father would repeat his tirade about her being influenced by her jock of a boyfriend as her father put it and influence by her stuck-up, stuffy crowd of whatevers as her brother calls her friends.
She would have to make this pass. She had no choice. So muttering something to herself, she stood up to apologize, irritated that her offender was rude enough not to offer her a hand.
When she looked up, she caught the amusement in the red eyes of the guy who was standing in front of her. Not only that. When she looked around, everybody was looking at her with hilarity.
That made her blood simmer. First day in a new school and she's already humiliated in front of the student body.
She couldn't help it and so she glared defiantly at the guy in front of her and walked off trying to control the urge to kick everybody's butt as she heard girls giggle.
'Morons! Who cares about them anyway?! Argh!' She fumed silently.
On the other hand, the guy she bumped into or the guy, who bumped into her or whichever, was staring at her retreating figure amusedly as he noted that the Pacific Ocean of student bodies parted to let the burning star pass.
Shrugging, he turned around and walked towards his destination and was later met with a couple of his friends.
When Hitomi finally found the principal's office, it was way past the bell. But like she cared. It wasn't her fault that she wasn't able to attend her first class. She didn't even know what it was or something.
"I'm glad that your father, Mr. Kanzaki had decided for you and your brother to study here. He was one of my friends here in school. And I can assure you that this school will give you everything you would need," the principal continued.
Hitomi was sure she had missed another subject. After all, the orientation was taking so long and it seemed that Mr. Balgus Ganesha, the school principal is very, very proud of this school that he'd probably continue till lunch time. But then again, it's better that they show their loyalty unlike the people back at her school who kept insulting the school for giving them a low position or something.
Wait. That wasn't right. She should not begin to like this place. She should hate it. She wasn't home. Where was home? America. With her friends and her precious boyfriend.
"So, ready to go to class, Miss Kanzaki?"
"I guess so, Sir Ganesha."
He smiled. "The students here call me Sir Balgus. And since you are a student here now, you should call me by that, too."
She almost said something close to wow. A principal who actually tries to befriend the students and not boss them or scare them around by suspension or expulsion for the worst part. Wait, rewind. No. She's not going to like the place.
"Uh, sure," Hitomi mumbled.
Balgus opened the door and waited for Hitomi to step out before closing it and proceeding to personally take her to class.
"I'm terribly sorry if you missed your other classes but I would like very much to orient you about the place. Your father had been one of the top here and from your records you are a very promising youth. And as the principal, I do not like to waste such a youth as you thus the very long orientation."
"I understand."
After turning in many places, they finally stopped in Hitomi's class for the time being. When they entered the room, the students were looking at her strangely by the minute. Then she noticed that smiles began to form on their faces like they were reminded of a joke by the mere sight of her.
Just then, it clicked. No wonder she felt like she'd seen some of the faces. They were there this morning at the corridor when she had her most embarrassing moment. By everything living, she's really going to make whoever that jerk is, pay dearly for doing this to her.
'I. Hate. Him.' Her mind screamed.
~tbc~
Author's Note: First Chapter. Check. It's what I have finished so far without necessarily rushing the story too much. I know. It's outrageous in a bad sense. I'm sorry for how I made the characters. But please tolerate it as much as you can coz they'd fit the story and the events I have in mind. And as I said, this is an alternative universe fic.
I don't hate Yukari and the others. It's just that some of the cast needed to be like that and they happen to be convenient enough. I'm really sorry about it. Please do not hate me for it. I don't know the name of Hitomi's bro so I made up a name. And I altered his age here so he'd have more guts to go against Hitomi at some instances. Anyhow, I'm making the next chapter a bit longer so that Dilandau and Hitomi would finally have THE brush-off.
I'm thanking all those who had so kindly told me what they thought about the summary thing I posted before this. As my thanks for them in helping me to produce the chapter, I dedicate this one to them. Thanks for the inspiration.
Once again, tell me what you think. Give me the inspiration for the next chapter. Have a nice day everyone ^^
