Chapter Five
Written by: Jhoeydagger
"Next week is the summer vacation. I've already arranged the car we're riding. I'll just stop by at your house."
"I'm sorry Amano but I've decided not to go."
"No. You're coming I'll wait for you in front of your house." Then he left.
"I don't want to come." she whispered.
Hitomis' room…"So what happens now?" Yukari asked.
"I'm not sure. I don't want to come, Yukari, you know that."
"But Amano told me…"
"I know! But I still don't want to go!" she lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"Is it because of Van?" Yukari asked. "Oh! Don't bother to answer! Of course its Van!" she continued.
"I'm sorry. I just can't help it. I do want to go but…"
"I understand, Hitomi. I just want us to have fun, that's all. But if you'll feel uncomfortable with Van there how could you have fun, right?"
"I'm really sorry, Yukari."
"No need to be. Will think of other plan for summer. Hmm…. How about on your grandmas' house?"
"I'll ask mom about it." Hitomi answered.
At school…She sat down, wondering where Van is. It's most unusual that he come to school late. She looked around; he's the only one missing. Where is he? She thought.
"Where is he?" She heard Yukari asked her.
"Who?" she asked.
"Who else? Van."
"Oh! I don't know." She answered looking away.
"Where do you think he is? Isn't it weird that he's late?" Yukari said, looking at the door.
"It's better this way. I have a free time with him not around."
"Well, you're right about…" before Yukari could finish; they saw Van entered the room with a girl trailing behind him. The girl has fair coloring and have a pink shoulder length hair.
"Who is she?" Yukari whispered. Hitomi stared. Merle… its Merle. she thought, staring at her.
"You better go to your room, Merle." They heard Van said.
"But I still have ten minutes before class time. Come on, please let me stay for a while." The girl pleaded, as she looked around them. Her eyes stopped when it reached Hitomi.
"So, she's the girl." She said. She walked towards Hitomi.
"I'm Merle. I'm Vans' fiancé." She announced loudly. All girls gasped but Hitomi just stared at her. As always, you want Van for yourself. But he's not Van! But with Merle here… Can it be? She looked pass Merle and stared at Van Can it be? No! Then it means he doesn't remember me. He doesn't remember me at all. She pulled herself together. She stood up and smiled at Merle. She held out a hand.
"I'm Hitomi and I congratulate you on your engagement. Don't forget to send me an invitation, okay." Merle stared at her and accepts her hand.
"Good! At least you now know that Van is not available and you should always remember that."
"I will." Hitomi said, sitting back at her chair and looking outside the window. Am I going crazy? Is this, another sort of vision? Is this…. she stopped thinking. She could feel her hearth starting to pound, her throat constricting. She tried hard not to let tears fall from her eyes. She then heard Van said.
"You will stop this nonsense, Merle. You're not my fiancé. Your parents made it all up. I don't want to get married any time soon, so you will seize this nonsense of me being your fiancé."
"But Van…."
"Go to your room, Merle." Hitomi watched Merle leave. She looked at Van as he took his seat.
"She's not my fiancé." She heard him say.
"I don't give a damn whether she is or not. But I was hoping she is so you would seize bothering me." She answered back.
"Well, she is not. So you'll just have to accept that I will continue with the bet."
"Fine! But I'll win the bet and you'll regret ignoring being her fiancé." She stood up and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going, Hitomi." Yukari asked.
"Out." She said.
At the rooftop…She cried. She was sitting at the floor with her back against the wall and her knees drawn together against her chest and her face on her knees. Why is this happening to me? Why me? Have I not suffered enough back on Gaea? Is the pain back then not enough? Why now? Why now, when I'm starting to live a normal life again? So many questions but no answers. She wiped her face and looked heavenward.
"Why now! What have I done to deserve this! Why me!" she shouted, as tears started falling again.
"Damn you Van! Why do you have to come back!"
"What?" she heard a voice and slowly turned towards the door. There he was standing, looking at her with disbelief in his eyes.