Disclaimer: Don't own nor claim to own Escaflowne.
Author's Notes: Sorry. Umm, laziness combined with stress and end of school causes me to not feel like writing. I'm glad if you're still reading this. Enjoy. Oh, and don't try to understand what Yukari says. Even I don't really understand.
Chapter 6 – Cinematography Class
The morning classes went by quickly. Soon it was already lunch hour. Van was tired of the school faculty stopping him in the middle of the hallway to ask where was his uniform. Couldn't a guy just be too busy to go shopping? He told every single person the same thing; he was going to get one that afternoon.
Van released a sigh as he sat underneath one of the few trees that were scattered over the school's grounds. All morning, she had ignored him, acted as if she had never met him and didn't care to. For some reason, that disappointed him. He'd been hoping for any remark, friendly or not. His life didn't allow much socializing. It didn't seem there were any friendly people.
A shadow fell over Van. At first he didn't notice, but a cough brought him out of his reverie. He glanced up to see a familiar face staring down at him.
She extended her hand in greeting. Van shook her hand awkwardly as he stood up. The girl smiled at him as she pleasantly asked, "It's Van, isn't it? I didn't know you went to this school."
"Yes. Van Fanel," he replied. "You're... Millerna..." He broke off, not remembering her last name.
"Aston," she supplied for him. "It's nice to meet you again."
"A pleasure." Well, maybe there were some friendly people here.
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"Allen Schezar asked you out on a date?" Hitomi's best friend squealed.
"Yukari, calm down," Hitomi said. "Yes, he did, but not with those actual words. Never once did the spelling D-A-T-E come up."
"But it was hinted," Yukari said as she brushed off Hitomi's nervous vibes, "and that's the same thing. So what are you getting worked up for?"
Hitomi looked at the ground while twisting her hands. "Well, the conversation pretty much started out talking about Celena. I mean, he said that he was glad I was her friend, so what if this is just a thank you type of thing?" she rambled. "I'm not that pretty or smart or nice. A dog just bumped into me with his owner and... and... we just sort of started talking. There wasn't much need on my part to become friends. We've known each other for, what? Two, three days? People probably can't have that good of a friendship that your friend's brother would ask you out, unless that friend was totally alone, which Celena hasn't really said so, but not many friends at least, that they'd ask them for a gratitude meal. That's probably all it'll be. Celena will most likely be with-" Yukari saw that Hitomi was just saying anything that popped into her mind. Half of what she said probably wasn't a real worry she had, anyway.
"Stop!" Yukari waved both her hands in front of Hitomi's face wildly. Hitomi promptly shut her mouth. "Now," Yukari continued. "This can only be narrowed down to two things. A: You're actually elated that he asked you out, but you're in shock because you've been dreaming of this moment for years and it happened other than you imagined and so you're sub-consciousness is creating all of these negative thoughts and trying to make you believe them when you actually don't, meaning you need help or b: You actually don't like Allen anymore. Since the latter is impossible, we'll go with the former and the help you need is with Doctor Yukari Uchida. Oh, what help you need if she is the only one with the ability to help you!" She finished dramatically by placing an arm to her forehead while throwing the other arm out to the side.
The only thing Hitomi could do was stare at her long-time best friend. Finally she replied the strange speech by saying, "Did you understand half of what you said?"
Yukari just smiled and shook a finger at Hitomi. "Just you be quite and let Dr. Uchida solve all of your love problems," she stated.
"I have love problems?"
"Of course you do! Don't you ever look in a mirror? It's written all over your face. Now be quite quiet so I can think of the solution." Yukari looked off into space in the position of The Thinker. She looked absolutely hilarious doing so that Hitomi had to laugh out loud. It was great having a friend like Yukari. Sometimes she was fun and goofy, but she still cared deeply about her friends, putting their feelings and needs before her own often at times. The only thing that bugged Hitomi was that Yukari didn't take enough things seriously.
"Ah ha!" Yukari shouted when she heard Hitomi laugh. "Laughter is your cure! That will fix everything." Satisfied with herself, Yukari nodded her head.
"Thanks, Yukari," Hitomi said, "but some of my fears are real and I don't think I can laugh them off."
"Well then, the last thing I have to say is why don't you try a tarot reading? You used to love doing that back in junior high. I don't know why you ever stopped, but hey."
Hitomi closed her eyes, trying to shut out unbidden memories. Yes, she used to enjoy doing tarot card readings, but that was before...
No. She wouldn't think about. That time had become past and so it would remain. Never would she bring it back to the present.
"No, Yukari," Hitomi finally said. "This is silly. I don't need any help whatsoever, especially a reading." With that said, Hitomi stood up from the bench they'd been sitting on and started to walk back into the school.
###########
"So who's your homeroom?" Millerna asked Van as they walked around the school grounds.
"Mrs. Takani," he replied.
"Mmm. I don't have any classes with her personally. What's your next class, by the way?"
"Uh, I think it's cinematography." Van glanced at his schedule just to make sure. "Yup, cinematography."
"That's taught by Mrs. Takani also. I'm not in it. Did you know that class was only started this year?" she remarked.
"Did it? I chose it merely because I've never actually seen a class of cinematography before. Clubs, yes, classes, no."
"I can't tell you much about it, but I know," Millerna stopped when she glanced a familiar green-eyed girl. "Hitomi can tell you about it. Hey! Hitomi!" Millerna started calling.
Hitomi stopped to turn and face the two. Millerna waved to her and she waved back.
"Come on," Millerna said to Van.
The two walked towards Hitomi while she walked towards them.
"Hey, Hitomi," Millerna greeted.
"Millerna, hello," Hitomi greeted in return. She was nervous about talking to Millerna. After all, she was Allen's last girlfriend. But luck on her side since that was not what Millerna had come to talk about.
"Hitomi, this is Van Fanel, a friend of mine. Van, this Hitomi Kanzaki. She also takes cinematography," she introduced the two.
"Van?" said Hitomi with a surprised look on her face.
"Hi." Van did not want to be there. She did not look ecstatic to see him.
A slight silence followed which Millerna cut into by saying, "So you two know each other already? That's great! Makes my job so much easier!"
"I've got to go," Van suddenly said, before taking his much-wanted exit.
"Okay," murmured Hitomi after him. "Well, Millerna, I guess I'll be going also. See you later."
"Wait, Hitomi," Millerna stopped her. "I heard the news. You're going out with Allen, right?"
Hitomi nervously laughed. "How did you hear that?"
"Oh, you know Allen. He always keeps everyone posted on his latest girlfriends." It seemed odd to Hitomi that Millerna sounded so cheerful. She even looked perfectly happy, with no underlying hurt. "I'll just give you a little advice. Don't hope for too much. Allen always needs change, even more so than the position of the Earth."
"Millerna? Do you still like Allen at all?" Hitomi mentally kicked herself. How could she say such a thing. They were an item just last week. She didn't even know what happened to cause a split, or even when it happened. She was so insensitive!
The comment caused Millerna giggles. "Me? Still like him?" The amusement died down. "Do you even know why we're not together anymore?" Hitomi shook her head. "I broke up with him, not the other way around. Because I met someone better. Someone who is worth spending a whole life with." Millerna turned around before she continued. "Hitomi, enjoy your time with Allen. He really is a good person." After finishing, Millerna left.
She may have thought she had hidden it, but Hitomi had caught it. That little evidence of a sob in her voice. Of the grief of losing the one you loved and not being able to do anything about it. Of only being able to watch them from afar when you used to be close. And it hurt Hitomi to hear that in Millerna. Sadness and Millerna were not supposed to be used in the same sentence.
###########
The bell had only a minute left to ring. The classroom held barely twelve students and no more were coming in. The class was composed entirely of third-years, being the only ones allowed to select the semester long course.
The class had originally been proposed by Meiden Fassa, former member of the district school board, due to a close friend's wish to have an actual class, instead of a mere club, that his eldest daughter would be able to attend to further her chances in her career goal. The issue was debated for a few years before being dropped when Meiden Fassa left the board. Eventually, a new member retrieved the documents of the issue and succeeded in having the class run for a trail year. Meiden, by that time however, did not care since his friend's daughter had already graduated some years before and his youngest daughter wished to go into the medical field.
So Mrs. Takani had been offered to teach the class, since she had taken certain such classes in college herself, which she accepted.
This left Van and Hitomi to unintentionally become partners in this not quite needed cinematography class. Mrs. Takani assigned a project that very day and had chosen everyone's partners for them.
The project was this: create a short film, no longer than 10 minutes.
The instructions were simple since the students would be able to make the film what they wanted, as long as it was appropriate.
"So, do you have any ideas?" prompted Hitomi.
Van just sat at his desk with his eyes closed for several minutes. "What about... a... some type of animal... that..." he finally began.
"That..." Hitomi continued, "goes on some type of adventure?"
"Nah," Van replied. "Too common. What about... some kind of... job oriented story?"
Ideas were thrown left and right. The two blossoming moviemakers had completely forgotten the day's uneasiness.
"...And there's these mechas called guymelfs or something like that if you don't like the name. Well, anyway, the king and the girl travel across the countries trying to rally help to defend the king's country. The king has this mecha that's," Van was rambling off.
"Hold it," Hitomi stopped him. "That's way too complicated. Who would act in it? And remember, this is only supposed to be ten minutes max."
"Umm... Us? Friends? Have it animated?"
"Animated? That'd take way too long. Besides, could you draw the whole thing? I certainly couldn't." Hitomi shook her head despairingly. Nothing was going to work.
They continued to discuss ideas that sounded at least possible until the very end of class. That left them with nothing.
They agreed to meet the next day in a nearby park after clubs. Hitomi was supposed to teach Van everything that they had been working on in class.
###########
Van wandered into the foyer of his apartment building. He had things to do yet he didn't want to do anything. He was depressed, he knew, and he hated it. Vaguely, he headed towards his room.
"Hey, Van. Why the long face?"
Van turned back to see the apartment manager replacing a light bulb. The man irritated Van, but he was possibly the closest thing he had to a friend. He must have passed him without noticing him.
"Nothing, Dryden," Van replied and went into his room.
Dryden Fassa just grinned and started whistling. Barely three minutes had passed before Van emerged again. He stared at the whistling man for a second.
"Isn't that taking you an awfully long time to replace one light bulb?" he asked.
Dryden shook his head. "You don't understand these things, do you? I think your brain's turning into a fly's brain. Or maybe just a cat's." Teasing Van was a favorite hobby of Dryden's.
A frown and glare met the other man's grinning face. "Shut up."
"Where're you going?"
"Out." With a slam, Van left the building.
'Out,' Dryden thought. 'He's always out.' Dryden gave the bulb one last turn, returned its covering, and left for a meeting with one special girl.
The light bulb flickered into life.