Alright, so I updated late…….Weds. is ok though, right?? My fam got in a huge fight on Monday and working out those issues took some time. Then…I had a sorta date on Tues. haha (went putt-putt golfing, ate at Arbys). Hope you'll forgive me. Don't have many notes for today…although I did find out I have a giant-me!!! *giggle fits* Long story……enjoy this chappie! Oh, and check out MT's new story Come Home To Me, it's a twist on the normal happy go lucky Hitomi life story;) Also, I updated my Whispers of the Mind fic…please consider reading it, I spent a lot of time on it, haha. *waves bye*
***Esca-lover
**********
November 10, 1994
Van…
You were right about everything. I can't believe I was so stupid…I just didn't see it! This past week was the worst ever. I was so humiliated. Please let me get this out, I need to vent.
Everything was going great for me. Well, almost everything. Schoolwork was getting lighter, no major projects due, I've been getting along with my brother, Treena is walking…but my relationship with Dryden was really confusing. Sometimes I got the feeling that he didn't really want to be with me. It was weird. We'd go shopping together, eat out, laugh, have a good time, and then when I went to work I'd get ignored or passed over. I had no clue what was going on. Then it happened.
Our store was throwing the Holloween party I was talking about. Dryden told me that he'd meet me at the designated place at 7. Cool, nothing wrong there. I actually thought this would be better, then I could surprise him with my costume. It was gorgeous. I dressed as a pixie. The emerald green bodice was studded with rhinestones, and my hose had an embroidered ivy pattern. I wore tiny, green, satin slippers, and shimmering makeup. My hair was left down, but it sparkled with glitter hairspray. The final touch was my favorite. Large, iridescent wings that seemed to shine…for once I felt truly beautiful. I arrived at the party around 6:30, I wanted to get there before Dryden. There were people everywhere, and I chatted with several of my friends. They all made so many compliments! I was having such a good time…until my boss came up and comforted me. I was slightly confused to say the least. 'What are you talking about, Marc? I haven't lost anything, no one's died, whats up?' I laughed. Suddenly all the co-workers around me got really quiet. 'She doesn't know,' they began to whisper. My mind was swirling with nightmares. My family, were they safe? Did something happen? 'Marc! Tell me what's going on!' I stared at him, my whole body shaking. 'It's about Dryden…' I froze. 'Is he alright??? Did he get in an accident?? What??' Marc shook his head sadly. 'Why don't you ask him, he's over there.' What? That wasn't right. He wasn't supposed to arrive until 7. Confusion swept over me as I pushed my way into the other room.
Pain.
Betrayal.
Sadness.
Anger.
All of these emotions hit me like a wall, as tears began to cloud. There he was. My perfect, nerdy boyfriend. The guy who shared his secrets with me. Plain as day, in front of everyone…making out with a blonde. 'What…' was all I managed to get out. The two broke apart and stared at me. Dryden started stuttering. 'Hi-Hitomi…what…what are you doing here so early? I…I can explain,' he balked. I recognized the girl to be Millerna Aston, a cashier I worked with. She smiled slyly and slipped onto Drydens' lap. 'He's mine now, Hitomi,' she glared. 'Why don't you just run along and let us big kids have some fun.' I was on the verge of tears when she added coyly, 'Oh, by the way…nice costume, try growing into it will ya?' That was it, I was done for. My vision blurred as I burst out of the room. I went outside for some air. The nerve of her! Now, not only did I feel cheap and used, but I felt ugly. Girls are horrible Van, don't ever date again…you'll be better off, trust me.
I sat alone on a bench outside my bosses home for quite some time. People were having too much fun to notice me. Besides, I was still the new girl. Half of them didn't even know my name. It was beginning to get chilly out, and I cursed myself for forgetting a jacket. My wings were drooping, my satin slippers ruined, my make-up a mess from my outpour of tears, and I was cold. Life couldn't get any worse.
'Are you alright, miss?' a soft, gentle voice spoke to me. I gazed up and swore I had to be dreaming. There he was, my knight in shining armor…literally. A tall, completely gorgeous guy with long blonde hair was dressed in a suit of armor from head to toe. He had removed his dark blue cape and was offering it to me with a look of concern spread across his beautiful face. (I swear Van, this guy was HOT.) All I could do was blink at him, confused. 'Are you talking to me?' I blurted out. He laughed lightly saying, 'Well, you do look like a damsel in distress. Anything I can help you with?' I didn't even know this guy, but in a matter of seconds I was crying on his shoulder. I told him everything. From the blah kiss to the ho-bag Millerna. None of the details were spared. After I was finished ranting and sobbing, I was quite exhausted. Suddenly, Dryden and Millerna were seen leaving the building. The stranger saw my gaze and asked, 'Is that him?' I nodded dully, fighting off a fresh batch of tears. Without warning the knight strode over to my ex and angrily punched him in the face. Needless to say I was in shock, along with half the witnesses. 'Wha-What was that for?!' Dryden sputtered. 'You call yourself a man,' the blonde seethed. 'Look at what you've done to this lovely creature! (he was pointing at me!!!) She's been nothing but loyal and kind, and yet, you decide that slut is more important then your girlfriend!' Dryden hung his head and sighed. 'I deserved that…thank you.' He glanced in my direction, his eyes full of guilt. 'I'm so sorry Hitomi…I didn't think. I've had a crush on Millerna for so long, and when she came up to me at the party and started whispering things in my ear…I-I lost control…Please. Please forgive me.' I was so hurt Van. I couldn't trust him anymore. 'I forgive you,' I managed to get out. 'But…it's over between us. Over.' With that I stood up and walked to my car, still hugging the knights' cape. I turned to walk back and find him, but he was there next to me. 'Oh.' I said, startled. 'Thank you…thank you for standing up for me. It was really sweet,' I whispered and handed him his cloak. He simply smiled, nodded, and began to walk away. 'Wait!' I shouted. He turned, and gave me an unreadable look. 'What's your name? It's only fair, ya know. You know mine,' I laughed nervously. With that, he knelt down, took my hand, and kissed it. 'Allen. Allen Shezar.' I blushed like mad, and gazed into his eyes. 'Will I ever see you again?' I asked, my eyes never leaving his. 'As sure as night follows day,' he said softly. With that, he rose, and bowed slightly. 'Until then, fair lady,' he smiled, and disappeared into the night. The whole thing was like a fairy tale!! It was truly mind-boggling. I still haven't been able to determine if it really happened, haha. One thing is for sure though, Dryden and I are finished. It's been really strange at work, but I'll get by. It's just a job.
Well Van, I feel better after writing all this down, thanks again for bearing with the drama. I hope you're doing well in school, and in life. I'll let you know if I find out more about the mysterious knight, Allen. Have a good one!
Your friend,
Hitomi
P.S. Happy B-Day Van!!! You'll be 16, right? Good luck with your drivers test, I'm sure you'll take it right away, haha. No wrecks!! *crosses fingers!*
**********
November 25, 1994
Dear Hitomi,
Wow, I'm sorry about what happened with Dryden. As much as I thought he was a nerd, I never would have pegged him as a cheater. And don't worry about what Millerna said, I'm sure you looked beautiful…ummm, anyways. Thanks for the birthday card, and you were right on with the drivers test. I took it last week. Yes, I am now have a license, but that's a story in itself.
Last week my dad took me to the DMV for my drivers test. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, I was sitting in the waiting room, staring off into space when I hear my name called. No, called isn't the right word. Barked. I heard my name barked from the opposite side of the room. My head turns, and standing there with a clip board is the biggest, crankiest looking older man I've ever seen. He was a giant, I swear, with salt and pepper hair, and a huge scar through his left eye. I walk over to him, too terrified to say anything. 'You alright son? Not scared of me, are you?' he said gruffly. I gathered my courage tried to sound confident. 'No sir,' I lied. Ok, you might laugh at me 'Tomi, but I was totally freaked by this guy. He was probably old enough to be my grandfather, but was strong enough to lift a semi. Hmmm…maybe not that strong but still…he was big. The old man laughed roughly and told me to lead the way. After he checked all the turn signals and break lights, he got into the passenger seat. I almost lost it, he barely fit into the honda civic. 'Van, was it?' I nodded. 'I'm Officer Ganesha, but you can call me Balgus or sir, whichever you prefer. This test is a piece of cake if you've practiced. Have faith in yourself, you'll do fine.' I couldn't believe it. The big guy was actually trying to calm me down. 'Thank you, sir,' I said, relaxing bit by bit. I went through the maneuverability with no problems. Didn't hit a single cone. Balgus looked impressed. It's not over yet, son. Pull out onto the street over there.' I did as I was told. The rest of the test was actually pretty simple. You'll even be able to do it, hahaha. I'm kidding, 'Tomi! I went over the 25mph speed limit once or twice by accident, but it's all good. He just looked at me sternly and said, 'Make sure to keep it slow on these back roads, boy, they can get people in a lot of trouble.' I passed with flying colors, haha, and the big guy even gave me a pat on the back (I almost fell over). 'Nice job kid, good luck,' he said proudly. It's funny how we judge people, ya know? I thought Officer Genesha was going to be this mean, crabby old man when in reality, he's a pretty nice guy. Learn something new everyday I guess.
My dad had a really bad headache the other day, but he's feeling better now. My mom was getting worried, but when it cleared up she decided he was fine after all. She gets so jumpy when dad feels badly. I think she's still worked up from that time he collapsed a few years ago. I keep telling her that the doctors removed the tumor and said he was cancer free, but you know moms. How's your family? It's good to hear that Treena's walking. Tell Kohaku I said hi.
About this Allen guy, did he really say 'as surely as the night follows the day'? Wow. Talk about a real winner. What is he a poet? Ok, ok, I'll stop. I'm glad he punched Dryden in the face, at least he's got guts. Long blonde hair, huh? Where do you find these guys, 'Tomi? I thought I was the one who lived in LA., haha. Just be careful, alright? You did just break up with someone. You wouldn't want this guy to be a rebound, would ya? Sure, you say he's hot, but make sure he'll treat you right before you go out with him. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you…I mean…that is, uhh, you know what I mean. Oh, and about not dating girls, thanks for the warning but I think I'll take my chances. All girls can't be that bad. Look at it this way. You're a girl, and probably the best friend I've ever had. Whenever I've needed someone to talk to, you've been there for me. I appreciate that…a lot. So, if there are girls like you out there, I'm sure everything will be fine. You'll see.
I went surfing yesterday, even though the water was pretty chilly. It was about 67 degrees outside, and I'm lucky I didn't catch a cold. It was nice though, I hadn't gone in a while. The waves were perfect, and the sky was really blue. It was nice having some time to myself, ya know? Just me, the water, and my new surfboard (got it for my birthday). Talk about peaceful. I could really concentrate on my form and technique, and when the waves died down, I just sat on my board and let my mind wander. Talk about a good day. What do you do to escape, Hitomi?
Well I better go. Thanks again for the card, it was hilarious. I put the ten bucks in my trip jar. (I'm saving up cash for when I graduate. I've decided to celebrate by traveling someplace with my friends. We haven't decided where yet. Possibly the mountains in Colorado.) Hope you're enjoying all that snow in Indiana!
Your friend,
Van
**********
There ya go everyone, hope ya liked it! A lot of you have been asking when our two pals will meet…that's top secret info I'm afraid! You'll just have to read and find out! Be patient, it'll be worth it I promise;) My other fic, Whispers of the Mind, will take longer to update. It's a little more complex, LOL. God Bless!
