Ooooooooooooookay!! Right-I is soooooooooooo sorry for leaving it there!!! But, because I lurve you guys so much, I'm gonna be nice and give you a big long chapter! Aren't I adorable? This gives me a nice excuse for LOTS of reviews. Well, you guys BETTER give me reviews, and if you don't, you might just wake up in the morning with either disfigured faces or no faces! ^_^ Ummmmmmmm....I'm really sorry for my choice!! Most of you will kill me, and never review me again!! But know this-I LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT. Right..moooooving on......

Chapter 14 - Iodine Hurts-A LOT!!!

The bottle began to slow, and eventually came to a stop, one end at Hitomi, and the other pointing at......

Daniel smirked, then burst out laughing. Folken silently laughed, his eyes moving from one of the people to the other. Dryden wasn't being too un- noticeable. He was laughing at full blow, making Hitomi blush even more. Millerna was giggling and Allen was doing the same as Folken.

Hitomi bit her lip, and turned her head towards Van. He was staring at her. Hitomi looked down.

'Great!' she thought.

Van thought hard.

'What am I going to do? He'll mock me for ages.'

In the corner of his eyes, Van saw Dilandau get up and rub his hands together.

"Well!" he said, "Lets get this show on the road!"

Hitomi wished she could die.

All Van could do was sit there and stare at the floor.

"Come on!" said Dilandau, smiling. "Get up! We're all waiting!"

Hitomi scrunched up her face and rose from the floor.

She looked at the others (Daniels laughing annoying face caught her eyes) and then her face lay on Van's for the longest.

She then looked up again to Dilandau's smirking face.

She walked towards him, ready to meet her doom.

She closed her eyes, and lent him to kiss him. (A/N. Ha!! I bet you all thought that she was gonna kiss Van!!! Mwhahaha!)

When she kissed him, his tongue immediately went into her mouth. She could hear the others in the background, laughing and jeering.

'Well, this isn't too bad,' thought Hitomi. 'At least he's not trying to eat me.'

When she needed air, she tried to pull away, but Dilandau's hand quickly went up to the back of her head. She didn't want to embarrass Dilandau in front of everyone, so she kept on kissing him.

Dilandau, mean while, was having the time of his life. Not only was he kissing a girl who was pretty fit, but he was also kissing the girl that Van fancied.

He opened his eyes, and looked at Van.

He was staring at them both, while everyone else was having fun. His usually happy and cheerful eyes were now filled with sadness. But when Van's eyes met Dilandau's, they suddenly filled with something else-anger.

Pure hatred.

Dilandau saw this, closed his eyes, and deepened the kiss even more.

Hitomi then stopped kissing him, and drew away. Everyone was laughing and shouting, which made her blush lots.

Everyone was talking to Dilandau, not really noticing her.

She looked over at Van, who was still sitting at his original place. His head was bent low, so no one could see his face.

Hitomi walked over to him.

"Van?" she said.

No answer.

"Van?" she said again.

Van rose from the ground, turned his head away from Hitomi, and went into the kitchen.

Hitomi stared after him, not really knowing what to do. Biting her lip, Hitomi went after him, and closed the door behind her.

Van was cutting up a packet of strawberries, his back to her.

"Van?" Hitomi asked again.

Van sniffed.

Hitomi couldn't take it any more.

"What did I do Van, huh?" she asked in question. "Why are you being like this towards me? What did I do?"

Still no reply.

Hitomi felt a bit of anger go through her. She marched up, and stood next to Van.

"Van? Tell me what I done."

He was cutting the strawberries with so much force; anyone would think he was trying to cut metal.

He sniffed again.

"Right," said Hitomi, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her. "You are going to tell me what I have done, or you will be very sorry."

Van just stared at her. Hitomi noticed that his eyes were a bit more watery than usual.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He stared at he for a while, and then turned back to cutting his strawberries. He gave a violent sniff, and ended up slicing his hand with the knife. Blood immediately flew freely from the cut.

"Hey," said Hitomi, trying to be nice. "You cut yourself. Here, let me clean and bandage it for you."

She reached out to touch is hand, but he just turned completely away from her, and leant on the area around the sink.

'Right,' thought Hitomi, 'That does it.'

"Just listen Van!" she shouted, a bit of her bitchy attitude coming back. "I don't know what I'm supposed to have done wrong, but you're really starting to piss me off!"

Van snorted.

"As if you don't already know!" he said bitterly.

"Well, no Van, I don't know!" shouted Hitomi. "So feel free to tell me any time soon!"

Van wiped his nose with his sleeve, and ran the tap to clean up his cut.

Hitomi heard shouts of laughter from the other room, indicating that she and Van had not been missed.

"Look," she said, softening up a bit. "Please let me just clean up your cut."

Vans eyes shifted over to her, even though she could not see that, as his hair was covering his eyes.

"Fine," he muttered, and moved to get the first aid kit from the cupboard.

He shoved it into Hitomi's hands, and scowled a bit.

Hitomi coughed slightly, and ordered Van to sit on the work-surface.

"For Gods sake!" he said aggressively. "I don't have concussion or anything!"

Hitomi just rolled her eyes and violently pulled his hand towards her so she could tend to it.

While Hitomi was tending to Van's cut, however, all Van could do was complain or insult her, which Hitomi found very annoying.

"If you don't want to let me do this, then I could just leave it and let it get infected!"

"I'd rather that," said Van under his breath, although Hitomi heard it.

There were a lot more arguments while Hitomi was cleaning Van's cut, and she paid him back, by 'accidentally' spilling iodine on his cut.

Van screamed in pain, and began hopping and running away from Hitomi around the kitchen.

The others didn't hear, as they were playing loud music.

Van was on one side of the small work-surface/table in the middle of the kitchen, while Hitomi was on the other.

"Van!" said Hitomi, holding bandages and iodine. "Just let me put some on! Stop being such a baby!"

Van stared at her.

"I'm not being a baby!" he said, clutching his poor hand with his other. "It's not my fault you're a psycho and a klutz when it comes to first-aid!"

"I am not a psycho!"

Hitomi ran around the left side of the counter, and Van ran away from her. They were running around the counter, both shouting stuff at each other.

"Van Fanel!! Get here right now, or I'll shove this bottle in places you don't want to imagine!!"

"Oh yeah?! Well I'm gonna tell our Science teacher you love him, and that you pose nude for a living!!"

It carried on like this for some time, until they heard the front door slam.

Van stopped abruptly, and listened carefully. Muffled voices could be heard in the next room.

Hitomi took this opportunity to sneak up on Van, and snatch his hand. She slammed it onto the counter, and poured the iodine all over the cut, for the second time.

Van screamed out, and this time, everyone heard.

The kitchen door burst open, and Mrs. Fanel stood there, looking alarmed.

"What's going on in here?!" she asked.

Van was the first to speak.

"My..hand!" he whimpered.

Mrs. Fanel stared at her son.

"Well, Mrs. Fanel," started Hitomi. "Van cut his hand while cutting fruit. I was merely trying to put iodine in his cut to clean it out. It might have stung a 'little' bit, but it's for his own good, really."

Van quickly turned to her.

"A little?!" he asked disbelievingly. "A little? Are you crazy?!"

"Van!" said Mrs. Fanel. "Don't be rude. Hitomi was trying to help you!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Fanel," said Hitomi, smugly.

"But what about my hand?!" said Van, waving his hand in his mothers face. " She almost KILLED me!"

"Van!" said his mother. "That's enough! You're overreacting! Hitomi done the right thing! She obviously knows her medicine! You should be thanking her!"

Hitomi smiled smugly at Van. She was really starting to like this woman. She raised her eyebrows at Van. He just glared at her.

"Now Van," said Mrs. Fanel. "How have you and Dilandau been getting on? I remember the last time you met, it didn't end very well."

While Van and his mother were discussing things, Hitomi looked over into the corner, and noticed Dilandau being told off by his parents in the corner.

"You are being unbelievably rude!" His mother was saying.

Dilandau just rolled his eyes at them, and said something under his breath.

"Don't give your mother that attitude!" said his father.

"Oh give me a break!" he said. "All you two ever do is talk crap, so what the hell is the point in listening to you?"

His mother looked like she was about to faint, whereas his dad looked as though his head was about to explode.

"Give us that cheek again, boy, and they'll be no supper for a week!"

Dilandau pretended to be scared, and grinned as his parents walked off to talk to the Fanel's.

Dilandau saw Hitomi in the kitchen doorway, and walked over to her.

"Bet your parents don't rag on at you like that," he said.

"Well," said Hitomi. "They wouldn't do, seeing as they're dead."

"Oh, shit! Sorry!" said Dilandau.

"That's okay," said Hitomi. "You didn't know."

While she and Dilandau were talking, Van looked over at them while he was talking to his parents.

"Yeah," Van replied, to something his mother was telling him about. "Sure."

Varie looked at her son, and leant forwards to see what he was looking at.

She saw Hitomi and Dilandau talking, and Van leaning back to watch them as they walked away.

A slight smile came to her lips, as she realized that this girl had caught her son's eye.

She decided that she would get her husband to talk to him about it later.

"So, I'll see you later Van," she said.

"Whatever," he replied.

She decided to go, as she realized her son was still staring at this girl, and hadn't listened to a word she had been saying.

"Hey mum!" shouted Folken from the next room. "Done with your little check- up?"

"Yes!"

Mr. Fanel and the Albatau's were heading out the door, when Varie decided to talk to Folken about something.

"Folken?" she said, walking up to her son and making sure that no one else could hear their conversation.

"Yes?" he said.

"I've noticed that Van has taken a certain liking to Hitomi. Make sure that she and Dilandau don't get too friendly. Van seems to like her a lot."

"Too late, mum" he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Well, we were all playing 'spin the bottle' earlier," Folken started, "And lets just say that Dilandau and Hitomi ended up playing 'tonsil hockey'!"

"Oh," said Varie, looking hurt for her son. "So that's what you all do when parents aren't around."

"Um.well," stuttered Folken. "That's not what I mean."

"Ah, I see!" said Varie. "Well, me, you father and the Albatau's are heading out again. Keep an eye on things here."

She pecked Folken on the cheek and walked through the door.

On her way out, she gave Van a small smile, and caught up with her husband.

"I want you to talk to Van about something later."

"Oh!" said Goau. "And what about?"

"Well, " said Varie with a smile. "I think he has a crush on Hitomi."

"Oh," Goau groaned. "That talk."

Varie laughed as they all got into the car and drove off.

Back in the house, everyone had divided into groups.

Folken was talking with Millerna, Dryden and Allen. Dilandau was talking with Hitomi. And Daniel was talking with Van, who kept on sneaking glances at Hitomi.

Folken noticed this, and smiled to himself, feeling sorry for his little brother.

"So," said Dilandau. "How much do you hate teachers?"

"A lot!" said Hitomi. "I've been suspended 4 times by them."

"No kidding!" said Dilandau with a smile. "I've been suspended 4 times too- except mines 5!"

"Cool!" said Hitomi. "Yeah, my head teacher, Mr. Umpa-Lumpa I like to call him. He has it in for me."

"Well," said Dilandau. "We'll have to look out for him."

"What do you mean?" asked Hitomi.

"Oh, didn't you know?" asked Dilandau. "I'm gonna be transferred to your school! Now we can torment teachers together!"

Funnily enough, everyone stopped talking at that moment, and heard what Dilandau had said, and all thought the same thing: Oh, Jesus!!!

Folken sneaked a glance at Van, who's face seemed unreadable.

Folken looked at the time.

"Right!" he said. "It's pretty late. We should all go to sleep."

Everyone went into the porch to get their things, when Folken stopped Van.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," said van. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Folken smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

He bent down and whispered in his ear.

"She'll choose you. Don't worry. She'll soon see that."

Van turned to stare at him, a puzzled look on his face.

"Mum noticed it too. You never know," said Folken. "Dad might even give you the girl-talk. I can still remember mine-God, what a disaster!"

Folken laughed, while Van prayed that his dad wouldn't give him a talk. He would probably die of shame.

Everyone came in with their things. Folken said goodnight to Van, and he, Millerna, Allen and Dryden went into the dining room. Van, Hitomi, Dilandau and Daniel stayed in the living room.

Everyone set out their things, and got into their sleeping bags.

It ended up in the order of Daniel, Van, Hitomi, and Dilandau.

Dilandau was grinning from ear to ear.

When they all decided that they weren't tired, they all got out of their bags. Dilandau challenged anyone who dared to a fight, and Daniel stupidly accepted.

Van and Hitomi were left watching.

"Um, Van?" she asked.

Van turned to look at her

"Well..um.you said that I could..um.read a few of your stories if I came. And I was..um.wondering if.."

She looked up at Van.

His face broke into a grin.

"Sure!" he said. "Come on, we'll go and get them."

They both climbed the stairs to Van's room, Hitomi looking around at all of the pictures.

Van stopped at a door with stickers and weird things all over it.

He opened it, and Hitomi saw a room with dark blue walls, lots of books on the bookshelves, a computer, and LOTS of posters covering the walls.

Hitomi grinned when she saw clothes all over the floor. Boxers were lying in unusual places, e.g. on top of his computer, on top of his TV, a few fell on them while walking through the door meaning they were on top of the door.

Van walking in, and began searching in his desk and on the bookshelves.

He looked up at her.

"You can come in, y'know!"

"Oh!"

Hitomi blushed and walked into his room.

She had never been inside a boy's room before-especially a boy like Van's. She loved the smell of it, the look of it.

She wandered around, looking at the walls.

On his desk, she saw a notepad with a small tear in it, showing a bit of the writing. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Van was busy looking for the stories with his back to her.

She looked back at the pad, and saw her name written in Van's messy handwriting. Her heart skipped a beat, and she opened the front cover.

She read through the writing on it.

21st February 2003.

Hitomi phoned me up earlier today. I couldn't believe it. I don't think I'd ever been so nervous about going on the phone.

She sounded so nervous, asking if she could read a few of my stories. MY stories. My mum said she'd noticed me smiling a lot more lately. Daniel's noticed I sort of smile a lot when Hitomi's name is mentioned.

I hope they don't suspect anything. I want everyone to know. But most of all, I want her to know. And I want her to feel how I feel. More than anything.

Hitomi was shocked.

She looked over her shoulder at Van who was still looking for the stories. He looked up at her and smiled. Hitomi smiled back.

Does he.......
Snazzy, ne? A long chapter (for me, any way) for you guys. I spent extra time with my sister. Do any of you know how much torture I went through?! You SHOULD be soooooooooooo grateful. Anyway, read and review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and LOVEWITCH, now it's your turn to update! Mwhahahahahahahaha!!!! And get your sister to update She's all That, Esca-Style! That fic rocks!!!!

~PrincessCool~