Hitomi woke to the warm sun on her face and little golden droplets on her windowsill. She grinned and stretched lazily, her sleepy limbs feeling heavy and weighed down, but her mind was fully awake. She was excited to tell Yukari, her best friend, about Van. She just wasn't exactly looking forward to Celena's questions.
Celena was Allen's younger sister and she and him were extra close. When Allen and Hitomi were first dating, the two girls had become best friends, sure that the older brother and the green eyed girl would stay together forever. Now that Allen and Hitomi were no longer together, would they still be friends? Hitomi doubted it, and shook her head to free herself of those thoughts.
Her red numbered alarm clock blazed to life and made Hitomi nearly jump out of her skin. It was almost 7:15 and she had to be at school by 7:45. A quick glance in the mirror told her she wasn't going to be able to shower before then.
She slipped out of her PJs and into her school kimono, wrapping herself in Van's jacket. She was headed out the door, when she realized there was a note on the kitchen counter. It was written in her mother's perfect handwriting and Hitomi shoved it in her pocket before racing out the door.
The rain had left one nasty dent in the city streets. The sidewalks were near to being flooded by the rising water as the stream made its way to the gutters to be dumped into the sea. Hitomi smiled as a leaf dared to race her as she walked past it and she found herself running to catch up with it. She stopped only because people passing her by were giving her funny looks. Cheeks flushed, she picked up her pace as she finished the rest of the way to her school, head bent so no one would notice.
"Nice jacket, Hitomi." Yukari teased when she saw Hitomi rush to the front gate of Gaea High School just as the bell was beginning to ring.
"Not now, Yukari." Hitomi growled, running to the library before the bell finished and the campus guards came out to make sure there were no loiterers. She made it through the doors, huffing and puffing, Yukari trailing in behind her just as the bell gave it's last call.
They slid into seats at the only empty table in the library and Yukari nudged Hitomi pulling on the girl's new jacket. "Tell me where you got that jacket, Hitomi." The pink haired girl whispered, getting a glare from the ancient librarians on the other side of the room.
Hitomi couldn't help but blush as she remembered Van, and she didn't take off the coat, even though it was very hot in the library. Not wanting to get sweaty in the very nice jacket, she peeled it off and laid it on the tabletop, the best she could fold it without wrinkling it. "It's a friend's when mine got thrashed." She explained as plainly as she could, but could not keep bad thoughts filling into her friend's head.
"Oh my god, Hitomi! You've been less that 24 hours away from Allen and you already have a new guy!" Yukari leaned in and winked. "Who's the lucky guy?"
"Yukari! You are totally and completely rude beyond belief." Hitomi growled, opening up a folder from her bag.
"I know. That's why you love me." The brown eyed girl giggled, getting a rather harsh shush from the old brads in the back. The two girls giggled softly and pretended to study.
"I'll tell you after school, Yukari. I'll tell you everything after school." Hitomi giggled before returning to her book, glancing up at the coat every once in a while when her mind would stray.
School dragged by with each ominous tick of the school clock. Hitomi could not wait for the day to end and she could run home to see if Van had dropped off her clothes. As her mind played with that thought, she prayed that he hadn't just dropped off her clothes but also stayed around to hang out. She grinned to herself all through English and only saw his face as she watched the skinny arm ticking closer and closer to the twelve.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
And with one she was the first one out of her seat, racing down the halls, ignoring the text books waiting for her in her locker. If she missed one night of homework, it wouldn't kill her. She had solid A's, and new everything that was happening in all of her classes. She was safe.
She, along with the small groups of junkies that ditched 7th period, practically jumped out the door and ran away from the school, but what Hitomi saw down the crowded street stopped her dead in her tracks.
"Van?" A new black convertible Mercedes Benz was being used as a post for Van as he leaned against it, dressed to impress with black slacks, black silk shirt that flashed a bit of toned smooth chest, and a leather jacket to top it all off, Hitomi felt her heart skip a beat.
He grinned and walked towards her, arms open in welcome. She accepted those arms and let him hold her tight. "I have your clothes." He whispered and drew back so as to show Hitomi a little pile in the passenger seat, all wrapped up in that clear plastic the dry cleaners use to keep the clothes fresh. Hitomi found it funny to see her jeans and dress shirt cleaned up like that, but Hitomi thought it was sweet that he had gone through with it anyway.
"Thank you Van." She hugged him tight and grinned to herself as he hugged her back. She was really starting to like this guy.
Hitomi pulled back to slid off his jacket, but Van reached out and wrapped his arms around her. "Two things, Hitomi. One. You can keep the jacket. Two. We're not alone." With his eyes he pointed behind them and Hitomi heard a small gasp. She spun around and saw Yukari staring at the Benz, a hunger in her eyes that Hitomi had only seen in Yukari.
"This is where the jacket came from?" The girl asked, slowly moving her eyes to the couple.
Hitomi blushed and nodded. "Yup. I told you I'd tell you after school, Yukari." She felt really awkward being in Van's arms with Yukari right there.
The pink haired girl walked up to them and stared Van square in the eyes, as if challenging him. Whatever she saw must've impressed her because she turned back to the car. "What exactly do you do, sir?"
Van cleared his throat and wrapped his arms around Hitomi's stomach. On reaction Hitomi leaned into him, spooning comfortably into him. "Van. Call me Van and I'm basically living off of my father's money." He said, nudging Hitomi in the back gently. She got the hint and kept her mouth shut.
Yukari looked back at the two and offered Hitomi her hand. "Van, will you excuse us for a minute. I've got to talk to Hitomi."
Van nodded his head and Yukari dragged her out of hearing distance of Van. "That's your little secret, Hitomi?" The girl said, and Hitomi could tell her best friend was jealous.
"He's not my secret, Yukari." Hitomi growled. "I was gonna tell you about him later tonight when I got home. I met him last night, so how on Earth could he be a secret?" She suddenly felt defensive.
"Whatever Hitomi." Yukari snapped. She turned and started walking away. "I'll call you, ok, Hitomi?" But what the silence said as Yukari kept walking was simple. Hitomi shouldn't wait up for that call.
Hitomi growled at Yukari's back and took in a deep breath to keep from doing something stupid. She felt tears starting, and fought to keep them back. She didn't like fighting with Yukari, but it was her friend's fault.
"Coming, Hitomi?" Van called from his Mercedes. She put on a somewhat forced smile that melted when she saw him.
He had taken off his leather jacket and rolled up his sleeves, showing oh so perfectly toned arms that one gets from labor and not body building. Hitomi felt her jaw drop and she had blink a couple times to get her wits in order and headed towards the car.
She slid into the front leather seat and settled into the cushion and let out a sigh. "What's the matter? Why'd your friend leave so suddenly?"
"She thinks you're my boyfriend." Hitomi whispered and she saw Van grin out of the corner of her eye. She sighed and shook her head. "I hope it'll blow over by later today." She said to herself and leaned against the door as Van pulled out from his spot by the sidewalk and headed towards her house.
A/N: sorry it's so short. This chapter is to basically introduce Yukari into Hitomi's life and how she has usually been jealous of Hitomi, winning Allen (who in this story takes the role of Amano) whom she'd have a crush on for a very long time. Just thought I'd explain that since I didn't exactly understand the whole thing as I wrote it. Lol. R&R please. tell me what u think of Yukari.