The Twitching Game
Chapter Four: This Ruined Puzzle
By :SeraphAnaesthesia
This ruined puzzle is beige with the pieces all face down so the placing goes slowly. The pictures of anything other than it's meant to be. But the hours they creep, the patterns repeat. Don't be concerned; you know I'll be fine on my own. I never said "Don't go." (Don't go) I've written a note. It's pressed between pages that you've marked to find your way back. It says "Does he ever get the girl?" But what if the pages stay pressed, the chapters unfinished, the stories too dull to unfold? Does he ever get the girl? This basement's a coffin, I'm buried alive. I'll die in here just to be safe. I'll die in here just to be safe. 'Cause you're gone I get nothing and you're off with barely a sigh. I never said "Good-bye." (Goodbye) I've written a note, it's pressed between pages that you've marked to find your way back. It says, "Does he ever get the girl?" I've written a note. It's pressed between pages that you'll read if you're so inclined. It says "Does he ever get the girl?" But the hours they creep, the patterns repeat. Don't be concerned; you know I'll be fine on my own. I never said "Don't go."
Does he ever get the girl?
The Best Deceptions Copyright 2001 Dashboard Confessional
Summary: His smirk resonated through her like cheap fluorescent lights, only much lighter and more handsome. Her eye twitched in obvious annoyance and she yelled the only thing that had come to mind. "GurTHUNK!" V/H
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne, or the song Screaming Infidelities By Dashboard Confessional.
Last Time On: The Twitching Game….
The Diary of Quarries
Do you see what I have to put up with? That Van-boy is sooo frustrating. Okay, so he's not that frustration. And he didn't say anything mean. I was kinda the mean one. But did he have to kiss me in the restroom? Did he have to be partnered up with me in Home EC? Did he have to ask me to be his girlfriend for that stupid Millerna? I go back to my original point: I'm cursed. I, Hitomi Kanzaki, fellow rocker to all and friend to none, member of no Pretty Girl Society and poet till the end, am cursed. How did I get this curse, you ask? Another statement that shall be repeating itself: The dropping of me as a baby. I was so fortunate as to land on my head. I was cursed by the devil himself, I swear it! And if anyone tries to tell me otherwise, I am going to rip off their arms and feed them to the person intravenously. Or maybe just give them a wedgie.
Being me is just great, ain't it?
(Hold on, the microwave just beeped. Why am I telling you to hold on? Once again, I'm drawing a blank…)
Top Drawer's The Silverware: EAT YOUR HEART OUT
Dear Diary That Should Be Burned,
I have absolutely great news, and I bet you're just dying (even I'M convulsing, and that's saying something..) to hear it. I come from school, the one-way trip to my downfall (and Hell, let's not forget.) In that lovely facility, I started my Home EC project with Van Slanzar de Fanel. It was painful. It was excruciating. It was… fun. Oh the terrors and tremors of fun with Van Fanel. Two words I never thought I'd hear in the same sentence. Maybe 'Van Fanel is only fun if you like jerks,' but that's a different story. Or a different book… Maybe someday I'll write something like that. 'You Know You're Turning Into Hitomi Kanzaki If…' Never mind. Where was I again? Oh yeah! The fun part of the project.
The project went real… swell. (coughing is heard) We were given a worksheet. (Oh, the Holy Grail of all assignments.) Then we were told to question each other from the worksheet and write the answers down. Oh em gee. The story of my life. NOT. For career choices and how many children we were aspiring to have, we got to choose. I wanted two kids. Twins. Two boys named Jay and Jafar. I mean… how cool is that? Jay and Jafar? Gotta love the whole 'I'm a-psychopath-with-a-goatee-thing.' But nooo, Mr. Finicky SPOUSE wanted a little girl to shower with praise and spoilment. Oh damn. There I go, making up words again. Appraisal! But other than the arguing (I like to call it 'Marital Discussions of the Household.), we had a good time. When we were done, we ended up throwing paper balls and watching them get stuck in Millerna Aston's perfectly styled perfect hair-sprayed perfect blonde head. So all in all, the class was productive. I also actually managed to save myself the embarrassment of having to call Van. Instead, we communicated face-to-face about Millerna's little 'dance off.' Is that what you young people call it these days?
FIVE FOUR THREETWOONEBLASTOFF!
Put on clothing. That's the first thing she did on Friday morning. Friday night, she changed out of that clothing and put on a dress that really couldn't even be considered clothing. It was so form fitting, it could have passed as skin. Green skin, but you get the jist.To be specific in a situation such as this, one must list details from top to bottom. It helps to categorize. Honey blonde hair was combed to look messy and tousled, windblown and flushed. (Hitomi was humming One Two Step in her head as she danced around in her room.) Two small green clips added flair and made her bangs fall into her eyes. Ah, the eyes. That was where everyone would've messed up. And that was what she was planning on. She'd be at his arm, everyone cooing, "Who is that girl?" or "She's beautiful! How'd he snag one like that?" Her emerald colored eyes were rimmed lightly with black eyeliner, but not too much. Pure gold that contrasted with her tan skin had been mixed with forest green to create a shimmering color on her eyelids. Teeth with white as snow, lips decorated with pink shining lip-gloss.
Ah, yes. Now back to the dress. I keep losing myself…
A tank top like dress with thick velvet green straps. The neckline was squared, and cut a little bit low. The dress stayed a dark green velvet, but stopped beneath her bust line. The empire waist style fitted her wonderfully. Lighter green satin flowed down to her knees where the dark green stopped. It was tight at the top, loose at the bottom. Fabulous legs. Green strappy heels had been added to complete the look, along with a satin green purse. If Hitomi was going out, hell yeah, she'd be goin' out with style. And flair. And sexiness. And pizzazz. And…and…Gimme a minute.
Checking the mirror once more (Us vain girls like to do that.), Hitomi made a smile to herself. Amano would be at the party. She couldn't wait to floor him with her entrance. Maybe going out with Van wouldn't be so bad. Van knew that Hitomi would only do this to get Amano, so he wouldn't mind if she ditched him for a few minutes to converse with Amano. Yeah, that was her plan. The masta plan! And you're getting' on down at the discooo…Nuh uh. Hitomi was snapped out of her musings by the doorbell. Rushing downstairs, she grabbed her purse. Millerna's parties were famous for their martinis ('Apple martini, very dry.' Hitomi had been practicing her lines.) and dancing. They were also just plain famous. Millerna's parents were loaded, so Hitomi was forced to dress to the occasion. It never occurred to her that when she opened the door; Van would be wearing an open black blazer with a silk maroon shirt underneath, slightly unbuttoned. Black slacks made him look taller. He turned around to face her, and gave Hitomi the most brilliant smile she had ever seen.
Van's eyes clouded over when he saw her. "You look great." (Oo, did she sense… Attraction? Nah, couldn't be!) Hitomi, who had never been complimented a day in her life, smirked lightly. One piece of ego-stroking praise, and she worked that outfit like no one had eva seen! Maaaan. Van chuckled. "So do you." Hitomi gave him her best reassuring smile as he thanked her for going through with this. Van was a complete gentleman, helping her into the back seat of the rented limo. (A limo? A LIMO? Hitomi felt like a porn star. I mean movie star. …What's the difference, these days?) Van took a seat next to her, and the driver was called to take them directly to the Astons' party. Hitomi hummed quietly to herself. '…When you one-two step.' Back, and step! Oh, she was going to bag it, bring it, and flaunt it.
Well, at some point, they actually step out of the fancy limo. Okay…here comes the best part! The Astons' house was white, with large pillars in the front. No bodies could be seen bumping and grinding from the windows, no boys spewing beers and clanking cans out on the front law. Wow, this party was classier than she thought. Or maybe she only got invited to the crummy ones… Oh well! This was no time to ponder on thongs, her social status, and the ups and downs of having a zebra-print bedspread. Time flies so quickly when you're having fun. Hitomi and Van stepped up to the front door; a fancy dude with a mustache, I mean 'moustache,' guiding them inside after opening the door. No one was passed out on the couch, no one jacking off in the corner. But people could be seen tittering around in conversations, dancing, and drinking aged wine. Oh, how di-vine.
Hitomi's favourite color was always, and always will be, Quiggle. It was sort of a dark purple, with an iridescent hue of blue and green mixed in with it. But the color did absolutely nothing for the girl standing next to Millerna. It was Merle, Millerna's little henchchick. Yukari also came up behind Millerna and tapped her on the shoulder, pointing to Van and Hitomi. Oh boy, The Three Stooges gone Girl. Hitomi glanced up wearily at Van as if saying, 'You'd better hook me up with Amano for this, 'cause I don't do charity.' He smiled reassuringly, and then pulled on his famous smirk. It was almost as famous as Allen Shaezar's hair, and Millerna Aston's boobs.
Van grabbed Hitomi's hand like a couple would do, but the act still looked a little suspicious. Hitomi sighed mentally. If she couldn't get paid for this, the next best thing was that Van was going to hook her up with Amano. But if Hitomi was so interested in Amano, than why did she so easily notice the texture of Van's hands? How rough they were from art and painting, even the tips were roughened. Probably from playing the violin. Hitomi had heard Van's solo waaay back in grade school. The boy could draw, paint, sing, smile, and play the violin. Rumor was that he played the drums, too. And this said boy's hand was holding hers. Hitomi smiled at the irony. Ah, Irony. Her liquid source of nutrients in life.
Millerna sauntered, I mean walked, over with her little posse and pretended to act disinterested. She cast an approving eye over Van's form (Her eyes lingered on his abs through the maroon shirt.), and a jealous, dare I say it, one over Hitomi's. Hitomi inwardly smirked, scanning the room. Maybe Amano hadn't come, after all. But of course, she was having way more fun right now anyway. She knew she looked good. She knew Millerna was shocked. And she knew that she was playing her cards close to her chest. Exactly the way she liked to do it. Yukari twiddled with her hair and spotted a boy waving at her from the back, and waved back. She cast a pitying look at Van and Hitomi before prancing (And I mean 'prancing.') over to her boy toy. Millerna noticed the way Merle eyed Van with adoration. "Merle, take a walk." The shorter girl 'hmph'ed and left crossly. And she had come to this party why…?
"So, Van, this is your girlfriend? Hitomi, right?" Millerna sneered at the honey-haired girl. If Hitomi were an animal, her hackles would have been raised. In this form, it was easy to see by tense shoulders that at least her defenses were up. She nodded firmly, and only once, and glared hard at Millerna. She looked particularly revealing tonight. A strapless black top fitted her form so tight that a little flub hung out from under the edge. Millerna was a skinny girl, so Hitomi couldn't even fathom how tight the shirt was. She had on a pink mini that was way too short to be good taste, black leather high-heeled boots that went to her shins, and few pink bangles. Van was still smirking that same smirk. Hitomi idly wondered how he could keep such a straight face in front of Millerna, when he was naturally so expressive. And yet… a complete mystery. Only Van Slanzar de Fanel could pull that one off.
"Yes. This is Hitomi Kanzaki. Hitomi, This is Millerna." Hitomi smiled a bit flakily at the introduction, trying to fit in with the crowd of classy, preppy, and stupid people chatting away around her. She easily knew that none of them had two brain cells to rub together. Nope, no spark there. "Nice to meet you." The words rolled off of her tongue like candy cigarettes and the aged wine that Millerna was serving to her guests. First of all, they were underage (but only by a few years), and second, nobody really even likes wine. And people here shouldn't have even been drinking it! Wine makes you seem smarter, but in this case it only served to stupefy a few people into trying to be intellectual. Key word: Trying. And failing. Miserably, no less.
"So Hitomi? Do you know about the bet? Do you know that Van is using you?" Well, Millerna certainly got to the point. (Quickly, it seems. And harshly. But that didn't bother Hitomi. After all, she came here to whoop some serious ass. She came to shock, impress, and impose on.) Hitomi decided to drop the act of being a sweet and shy girl. She put on a smirk nearly identical to Van's, (They were a couple, after all. Two of a kind.) and cocked her head to the side. "Bet? What bet? Oh, you mean that ignorant bet you made about Van not being able to keep a girl longer than two weeks? That bet? Yeah, I've heard a few things." Millerna didn't really look impressed, but she did look a little angry. Or maybe just PMS-y. That girl was a little off up in that perfect blonde head of hers.
"So you do know. Hmm. How long ARE you going to stay with Van? Are you going to help him win this bet?" Hitomi figured Millerna might've tried to keep the bet a secret, but apparently she had thought wrong. Hitomi changed her approach entirely. In a world where your environment is constantly changing around you, you must learn to adapt to certain situations. Hitomi was adapting wonderfully. Her cynical side cackled. Maybe this party wasn't such a bad idea. She got to go with a hot guy and verbally kick one of the most popular girls in school in the shin. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
"I'll help him win. He seems to deserve it. I'll go out with him. Maybe two weeks, maybe longer." Hitomi glanced up at Van, noticing how his red-brown eyes visibly widened at this statement. Good. She wanted to shock not only Millerna, but her partner as well. Millerna once again sneered at her… Hitomi blinked mentally. That girl changed expressions fast. First she was sneering, and then smiling, sneering again, and now she's… Snarling? Maybe she really is a bitch. A female dog, I mean. With the snarling and such. And another thing Hitomi didn't understand… Why did people say that arguing was pointless? In Hitomi's world, arguing was the only way to get anything done. And what could be more intriguing than negatively commenting on people's intellectual ability and educational standards, as well as weightiness and originality. Now raise your hand if you didn't understand a word of that sentence. Good, good. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.
"Hmm… So, Hitomi, you know that Van is only using you to get back at me… and yet to still continue to stand by and act as his girlfriend? And what would that make you? A slut or a whore?" Hitomi now had a problem. Millerna was getting on her ass, when that stupid frilly blonde girl was the one getting it down in a tube top and a mini? I don't think so. No one got away with calling Hitomi Kanzaki a slut. Or anything other thing than that, by the way. So don't try it. You might reach out an arm to slap her, and come back with a bloody stump. It happened to Bob once… Poor, unfortunate Bob… (Sad sighs are heard all throughout the room.)
Millerna smirked mentally. (Although it was hard to believe that she evn had the ability to do anything mentally.) Nobody knew about the bet except her, Yukari, and Merle... Everyone else had already gone back to dancing and ignoring the little spat going on. But oh, did she have a plan.
Not a very good one, alas. But it was STILL a plan.
"Millerna, take a look at what you're wearing before you go pointing fingers. I'm an angel. I help people. I'm helping Van out. No why don't you help ME out? In fact, help ALL of us out, and take a fatal overdose of your medication." Hitomi smiled sweetly at the blonde girl in front of her. Millerna's blue eyes widened and she nearly growled at Hitomi. If her snappy little voice would have allowed her to do so, I'm sure she would have. "Now that's just taking it too far, Millerna!" Van's voice cut in on their little spat. "Don't you dare call Hitomi a slut! I only see one slut in this entire room, and I'll give you a hint: She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and a plastic chest. Your flub is hanging out of your shirt, by the way."
Dear Diary That Should Be Burned,
Seeing Millerna's mouth fly open like swinging door was really the highlight of my night.
It brought me splendor and delicious satisfaction. The rest of the night was pretty uneventful. There was the whole mandatory process of me walking away with Van's hand in mine, the smiles on both of our faces. Then the shared laugh of victory that sprouted upon our lips as we both practically ran out of Millerna's house. I may not have gotten to see Amano, but I did get to see the look on Millerna's face when I took the last plunge and quoted Shakespeare before leaving:
"As I told you always, her beauty and her brain go not together!"
Tee hee.