Title: Intruder Alert
Author: Haze
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne so don't sue me…
Chapter Dedication: esca chick, Moonbeam020290, fireangel, Kat-Tastrophe, aoao, Divine Discontent, mel88, Faraday, Princess Neptune, , =), anime_luver, mishy, MysticalDreamer, khayee, GldDragnSR
Chapter 3: A Day of Moody People
It was a good thing that her first subject in the afternoon is computer. She so loved computer class. Unfortunately yesterday, the first day of school, the instructor was absent. But now, hopefully, their instructor would show up. At least the subject would help ease out her upset mood.
She was the first person in the computer room, or so she thought. For when she entered, she saw a tall, beautiful woman.
"You're a bit too early, young lady," the beautiful woman said.
Hitomi shrugged. "I have nothing to do."
"I see. That's new. Students always have something to do during breaks."
"Actually, I want to break somebody's neck," Hitomi mumbled irately.
The woman smiled. "Children these days. Well, to keep you away from such thoughts, why don't you start on one of the computers?"
Hitomi hesitated. What if the teacher catches her? Unless of course this woman is the teacher --- "Are you the computer instructor?"
"Yes, I am."
"Oh. I'm Hitomi Kanzaki, ma'am."
"Nice meeting you. My name is Aston Eries. And as I have just answered earlier, I am the computer instructor."
Hitomi walked down the corridor in a better mood during the day's final dismissal. Computer class can do that to her, even if she had it a couple of hours earlier. There was solace in school after all.
There was her first subject in the morning --- science. Sure she didn't like the subject matter, but she liked the teacher. And that could be reason enough for her to try and like the subject.
Then, there was her first subject in the afternoon --- computer, the subject matter she had absolutely felt challenged with.
The only problem she'd have to deal with is the student body. She didn't have that problem before, but now, it's a major pain on her.
If only she'd have something to keep her preoccupied. Maybe the school had a track team.
So setting her mind into it, she walked towards the principal's office to ask Sir Balgus about it since it was obvious that she can't ask the students because of her current status with them.
Minutes later, she was on her way to the oval of the school where the track team would be. She was smiling happily. At least things were beginning to turn up again.
"Alright, people! Break's over!" The coach yelled. "Where is Fanel?!"
The rest shrugged. The coach looked at the captain. "Where is Fanel?!"
"Probably helping out with some school activity. You know, like usual."
"Do not act cool around me, Albatou! Even if you're the captain of this team, I still have my eyes on your previous school record along with your friends!"
The handsome captain just shrugged. The coach always did get grouchy around them. So this was just normal. Well actually, today was a milder attack of grouchiness since the coach wasn't insulting them like there was no end to it.
"He'll catch up. So chill out."
"Don't chill out, chill out me, Albatou! If you and your thugs weren't good in soccer, I'd kick you all out!"
Viole and Dalet both looked at the coach like they were planning to bloody murder him. The soccer coach did hate them for being one of the school's number one group of delinquents before. But they changed and the coach should put that through his thick skull.
The coach still had his full attention on the captain, oblivious to the looks Viole and Dalet were giving him, and the frowns of the rest of the team. "The moment that you slack, you are OUT!!!"
Dilandau shrugged. "Okay."
The Dragon Slayers, which was the school's soccer team, looked puzzled. Their captain never would say that whenever their coach would threaten him to be removed from the team. Usually, their captain would be in a foul mood after such a threat and he would have to be in his intense guard not to punch the coach. But now, he just said 'okay'.
"Tell you what, coach, if our star goalie isn't here within ten minutes, I'll personally find him."
"Fine," the coach replied grouchily. "But resume practice now!!!!!" He yelled once more.
Celena was sure that Van had a soccer practice.
"Van, are you sure that it's alright if you'd help me tidy up the music room?"
Van just grinned. "Of course. Besides, I'm sure that they're already practicing there."
"But Van, you know that Coach Sakima would always try and find faults in the soccer team. And you happen to be the star goalie. So ---"
"If the great star scorer Dilandau." Van smirked. "Comes looking for me, that would be the sign that the Coach had got it bad today."
"I think he never forgot that you and Dilandau had broken his car's windshield during Junior High when you two were still after each other's throat."
"Well, he should learn to forgive and forget."
"Like you and Dilandau?"
"Like me and Dilandau."
With a powerful kick, the ball went whizzing past the goalie and into the goal.
"Alright!" Dalet yelled happily.
Dilandau just smirked. No one can stop him with the exception of Van. But too bad for the other schools that he and Van are in the same team.
"Albatou!!!!!!!!"
The captain smirked more. Their coach was really going to fry Van alive. So, looking at his teammates, he informed them to continue the practice without him and trooped over to their coach.
"Albatou!! Where is Fanel?!"
Dilandau's mind answered 'How should I know? He's not tied to my body.' But he held his tongue. He changed for the better and he's not going to make the hate of their coach on him heighten more.
"It's been past that damn ten minutes and he still hasn't bothered to bring his ass here!!"
'Well I know for one that he hates your ass.' Dilandau's mind mumbled almost happily. "I'll go find him, coach."
"Well, what are you waiting for?!"
Dilandau smirked. "Your permission. You did say that WE need to learn manners and wait for your approval."
The coach glared at Dilandau and shouted his approval.
"Alright, Kanzaki. Show us what you've got." The track coach said, smiling hopefully.
Hitomi smiled. "Yes, sir."
Without bothering to change, she positioned herself on the start of the track. When her signal came, she sped away like one national level athlete.
The coach was amazed at her speed. It was almost like she had been in a track team competing for the nationals.
Everything was going well for Hitomi. Well, almost everything.
Hitomi glared as fiercely as she could. Goodness! How she hated being in Japan! Actually it's more like how she hated having to always have an encounter with the people she so hated!
"I'll leave you two for a moment," the nurse informed, leaving the room.
When the nurse had left, Hitomi stared at her sprained foot. Now she couldn't run for a time meaning she can't enter the track team. She stared intensely as if it would make the sprain go away. But to no avail.
"Your foot is going to melt if you keep on staring like that," an amused voice drawled.
Hitomi diverted her gaze from her foot to the reason why this happened. How she wanted to wring his neck at that moment!
"Now I'm the one that's going to melt," he said amusedly.
"Ah shut up!" Hitomi snapped. "Who cares anyway if you'd melt?"
"I don't know. But for sure I care about myself melting."
Hitomi just glared and went back to staring at her foot, all the while falling into her sulking mood and suddenly recalling what had happened to make her end up in the school clinic with this red-eyed troublemaker.
She was running smoothly and with the speed of one national level athlete but then, a soccer ball hit her on the head. She was a bit dizzy but she kept on running the little more distance to the finish line. But this silver-haired boy just had to make a stupid pass on the track thinking that he'd make it before she reached the spot.
Arrogant idiot! Who does he think he is underestimating her like that?!
And because of that underestimation and her dizziness, she slammed on him hard and they both went rolling on the track field. Unfortunately for her, she had sprained her ankle when they tumbled, and he had hopefully broken his leg.
With that thought, she felt herself smile. HOPEFULLY, he DID break his leg. Then they're even on this area. But of course, she still hasn't gotten back on him for putting her in this state with the student body. She had never forgotten that he was the guy who she had a brush-off yesterday. And she never forgot the fact that he was one of the guys with that Lavariel person who had made her the object of some dare! They thought she didn't know about it? Well, she did. She had been popular.
Minutes passed and Hitomi could feel eyes on her. And since there was only the two of them there in the infirmary, she knew that her only observer could be her hated person.
"What?!" She demanded, eyes narrowing at him.
"You amuse me."
"What?!" She exclaimed, very much outraged. "Do I look that funny?!"
He laughed. "Of course not."
"Then what's so damn amusing?!"
"I don't know."
Hitomi rolled her eyeballs. Why does she have to end up having a sprained ankle and inside a room with the person she so wanted to kill?
"So you remember yesterday?"
Her attention snapped back to the amusement in the tone of her red-eyed offender. "How can I forget?!"
"Maybe you had amnesia from our tumble earlier." He smirked.
"Hah! And maybe you had brain damage," she retorted. 'Damn! He looks as if he's enjoying this! Stupid moron!'
He just laughed. "By the way, I didn't catch your name. You never did bother to answer Miguel the way he had expected you to answer."
"Why should I tell you?!"
"Because I am asking. It's only proper that you tell me."
"Well sorry to inform you mister! I don't want to be proper as of the moment."
"Suit yourself," he said, rising and limping slightly towards the door.
Hitomi smiled evilly. 'Yes! He DID break a leg. This is definitely something to celebrate about.'
Sparklingly amused red eyes turned to her. "By the way, just to break your wishful thoughts, I didn't break a leg. I just sprained my foot."
She glared at him, face telling him that she was now thinking of ways to beak his leg. He laughed at her dilemma. She obviously hated him but like that's a bother. She wouldn't be able to do anything to him but just glare and snap although he didn't like that in a way.
He should be in full power. And no one should be able to do that to him. But for now, he'd have to allow her those little things that only she can do to him. He'd tame her some other time. For now, he's going to be fried along with Van if he didn't deliver the raven-haired enemy turned best friend to the grumpy man they called Coach.
"See you around," he drawled, smirking to annoy her before he left.
"Damn him! Damn him! Damn him!" Hitomi muttered angrily to herself not aware that Dilandau was smiling evilly as he heard her curse from the other side of the door.
Hitomi had just given him the perfect idea to get even.
"What happened to you?" Hiko asked when Hitomi sat opposite him in the limo.
"I got hurt, obviously," Hitomi answered sourly.
"Oh. What happened?"
"Get off my case, Hiko."
"Oh just tell me, Tomi. I'm your brother."
"You may be sixteen but that doesn't give you permission to go asking like some parent."
"Fine," he said resignedly. "I was only concerned."
Hitomi rolled her eyeballs. "Uh, yeah, sure, whatever."
"What happened to you?" Mrs. Kanzaki asked, very much concerned.
"She got hurt," Hiko replied casually. "And Mom, don't even ask. She may have just tumbled on the track. You know, like she always did before she got good in running."
"But Hitomi had reached the national level in America. It's not likely for her to just tumble."
Hitomi frowned. "It has something to do with some jerk."
"Oh," Hiko and Mrs. Kanzaki both said.
"I'm calling Allen," Hitomi announced and hopped away.
"That playboy? He couldn't do anything but make you feel worse."
"Shut up, Hiko!" Hitomi yelled.
"Hiko, dear, why don't you just leave your sister alone? You know how touchy she had become ever since your father announced that this is a permanent vacation."
"But Mom, Tomi has always been so touchy about things even before this happened. She just happened to have been MORE moody."
"Well, she does miss her friends and Allen."
"She could always make friends here. Plus, there are a lot of good-looking guys in school. There was even this group were all of them were good-looking. And you know what Mom? I found this cool boy who---"
"Hiko, your sister has had a crush on Allen since middle school. You can't expect her to just make a new boyfriend after she had her major crush as her boyfriend. These things take time."
"Then, why doesn't she stop being such a prick and start spending time with others. That way, before the semester ends, everything would be okay."
"Hiko, let's just leave her alone. When it worsens, I promise that your Dad and I will personally do something. As for you, leave Hitomi alone as of the meantime. Why don't you just go and find yourself a girlfriend?"
Hiko grimaced. "And pay for her lunch? Spend time with her all the time? Glue my cellphone and my room phone on my ears to talk to her? Be her devoted whatever? Come on, Mom. I don't even plan of being a love-sick puppy anytime soon like Hitomi."
Mrs. Kanzaki laughed and just shook her head. Hiko and Hitomi did have their differences.
Hitomi limped towards her first class hoping that she wouldn't have to meet ANY more bad luck like in the past two days.
On the way, some girls were giggling at her state. And as early as morning was, her blood was beginning to simmer. But she can't but swallow all her increasing anger. Just before she reached the corridor to her first class, she detoured towards the rooftop sure that the jerks of yesterday were still not there.
To her utmost relief, no one was there at all. Sighing, she slumped on the middle of the rooftop pulling out her Discman from her bag. Her back was turned away from the door so she'd see more sights. She did have at least an hour to kill before first period. And she could either thank or blame Hiko for that since he was to meet new friends this early.
While the soft music drifted to her ears from her headphone, she thought about her boyfriend. Sure, they talk on the phone and e-mail each other, but that was that. Nothing more, but could be something less.
She trusted him but others didn't. Sometimes she wondered if he'd break that trust. She also wondered what she would do if he did. Allen was her major crush. And as much as she dated other boys before him, she still had her heart reserved for him. So she was in cloud nine when things between them started to turn up.
But now, she is stuck here in Japan – so far, far away for him and from everyone and everything she had learned to value. Could she find something valuable here?
Sighing once again, she shook her head and was surprised to notice a pair of pants she recognized as the school uniform, standing in front of her. Removing her headphones, she trailed her gaze upwards and was met with the pair of eyes she didn't even want to see this early.
His sexy lips curved upwards and his eyes began to twinkle with amusement.
"Well this certainly is a good morning," he said, still looking down at her from her sitting position. "Looking for Miguel?"
Hitomi frowned and had to reign down the instant surge of thoughts which were all about one thing – pummeling this guy to death.
"Why would I look for him? He's not my type," she said with controlled anger.
"Oh, so it's true that you're choosing among the rest?"
Hitomi rolled her eyes. "If you want your morning to stay good, get the hell out of my sight."
"That wouldn't be possible," he said plainly and sat in front of her. "This happens to be my territory."
She scowled at him. "You don't own the school."
"Whether or not I own the school, this is still my territory. At least be thankful that I'm letting you in here," he said, implying the fact that she's ungrateful.
With that, silence chose to settle between them as they looked at each other. Red eyes laughed while green eyes seethed for the next minutes. When she couldn't take it, she didn't even know that she spoke her thoughts.
"I hate you," she said, and limped out of the rooftop.
Dilandau just shrugged. So what if she hated him? He just wanted to annoy her for being so defiant around him.
"Hitomi?"
Hitomi looked back at the owner of the familiar voice. Recognition lit in her emerald eyes and she smiled slightly. "Hey, Celena."
"What happened to you? I didn't get to see you yesterday and here you are with an injury."
"Just some jerk causing me bad days both literally and figuratively."
"Need help to your first class?"
Hitomi shrugged and allowed Celena to help her.
"So, what exactly happened?"
"Do not even ask that. It pisses me to no end to remember."
"Oh." Celena muttered. "Okay. So, care to join me for lunch? Just you and me. You know, to have a little chat and get to know each other. Besides, it'll help you forget."
"Alright. So, we'll just see each other at the cafeteria entrance?"
"Hey, people," Van greeted as he sat down beside the Dragon Slayer Captain.
"Where have you been to?" Gatti asked impatiently.
"Let me guess." Van grinned. "Coach Spitfire drilled you all to death?"
Chesta sighed. "Yeah."
"Dilandau had himself sprained and the Coach went ballistic," Viole announced in a voice containing laughter.
"You've got sprain?" Van turned to his red-eyed captain best friend. "No wonder girls were murmuring something about sprain."
"Well, I'm not the only one though," Dilandau said, grinning.
"What do you mean?"
"Green-eyed ogre had a sprain, too," Miguel interrupted, eyes narrowing at the cafeteria entrance.
They all looked at who entered and saw that the 'green-eyed ogre' was with someone they know and in friendship terms with.
"Hey look, Miguel," Guimel said in a teasing voice. "Celena is hanging out with the girl who told you off."
"Like I care."
"So she's the girl you mentioned to me about, Chesta?"
"Yes, Van."
"She doesn't look vicious to me."
At this Dilandau smirked. "Try talking to her after she discovers you have a connection with us and see if she'll actually answer you politely."
Van raised a brow. "Let me guess. You both had an unpleasant brush with each other resulting to the sprain?"
"More than that actually. I remember bumping into her the first day of school and the look she gave me was telling me that she'd eat me if she can."
"Oh?" Van laughed. "Then don't you think you should keep Celena away from her then?"
Dilandau smirked. "You know Celena. She'd tell me to shove off. Besides, if you want to keep Celena away, why don't you tell her? She seems to have this 'little' crush on you."
Van blushed and Dilandau's smile widened.
~tbc~
Author's Note: That's about it for the third chapter. My comment on it is that it's blueprinted enough to be boring. But heck, that's what my sleepy head can do. It's already almost five am and I still have a class. About Dilandau, well, deal with him. And Hitomi, deal with her, too. It's how it should be in this one.
Anyway, I fixed the jumbled thing on the chapters. Sorry for the inconvenience. Thanks to all the reviews. I was so happy when I read them and it helped their day and that they enjoyed it. Thanks for the positive feedbacks. It inspired me more than obvious. Thank you so much.
By the way, I once again remind that this is an AU fic so please bear with the characters new character. Jeez, I know I'm not making sense. Sorry about that.
As ending to the rant, thank you very, very much for all those who reviewed. I know this sounds clichéd but please read and review people. ^^
