AMBER & EMERALD

Author's Note:

Here comes the 5th chapter! Is it soon enough? Well, I kind of having a little writer-block, but I think it won't last long. Pray so, readers, if you do want to see the next chapter being posted.

And thank you for all of your reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne. Thank you very much. If I do, I will…. (rambles about how the story should be)

CHAPTER 5: CLOSER

Hitomi watched as Yukari took her seat. The red head was still pale on the face, and she looked a little horrified. "Are you okay, Yukari?" Hitomi asked.

"Hitomi, did you just slap that new guy?" Yukari demanded in reply.

"Well, I did," Hitomi replied, baffled. 'He is new. No wonder that I haven't seen him before.'

Yukari stared at her blankly. "That was one good slap," she admitted at last.

Hitomi grinned in satisfactory. "Why, thank you."

They both burst out laughing, and everything went back to normal once more.

Hitomi walked out of the class, her books on her hand. She was not paying attention as she walked to her locker. Her old habit of daydreaming had been coming back lately.

Unfortunately, it didn't increase her coordination while walking.

She walked right onto Van, and they crashed on the floor because of the impact, Van on top of her. It was Van's great reflect (formed because of his part-time job as Amber the Thief) that prevented him from falling right on the top of Hitomi.

Hitomi—who had been closing her eyes in fear of what would come—opened one eye slowly, a bad thing to do—which she realized a second later.

She was lying on the floor, while Van was right above her, with his hands supporting him not to topple down on her. Their faces were less than fifteen centimeters apart, and Hitomi could feel Van's warm breath on her face.

They were both aware to the watching students, yet neither was willing to move.

Hitomi took nearly whole five minutes in that 'position' to realize that her head, ankle, and back were throbbing painfully. She immediately winced because of the pain—especially her ankle, something which Van's sharp eyes didn't miss.

Realizing what he had been doing, Van quickly got up and offered a hand to Hitomi, mumbling a quick sorry. There were a few catcalls, yet the two teenagers ignored them.

Hitomi looked up at Van, and saw that he was blushing furiously, and she was aware that her face had to be the same. She accepted Van's hand gratefully. Van pulled her up. She nearly let out a hiss when her right ankle objected, yet she put up a neutral face and mumbled back, "It's okay. It was my fault, anyway."

Hitomi was going to kneel down and pick up her books, which were lying on the floor, but Van was quicker. "It's okay," he said. "Let me do it."

She looked at him weirdly, yet then said, "Thanks."

Van stood up, handing her books to her. "You are welcome," he said, shrugging.

Hitomi nodded and began walking to her locker, hoping that she wasn't limping. Her ankle throbbed with each step she took, and she felt her eyes began to water when she reached her locker at last.

'Yukari will scold me to death if she knows that I just sprained my ankle,' she sighed inwardly. 'I hope it is better tomorrow. There is a hundred meter race which I can't miss on Monday. Oh yeah, and I have a meeting with Amber this night. This is going to be a horrifying week.'

Van watched Hitomi from the corners of his eyes. 'There was something wrong with her,' he thought, frowning. 'She walked awkwardly. Did she sprain her ankle?'

Van slung his backpack over his shoulder and ran to catch up with Hitomi.

Hitomi didn't head to the gate as most students did. She knew she wouldn't survive walking home with the condition of her ankle. 'Stupid ankle,' she growled in her mind.

She sat down on a bench in the school backyard, resting her ankle. No one was there, most students had gone home. No wonder, it was Friday, the last day of school. Yet there she was, sitting on a bench in the school backyard all by herself.

'What am I gonna do?' she asked, looking up at the sky.

"Hey."

Hitomi averted her gaze from the sky in surprise. And, with eyes staring at her, there stood Van Fanel.

TO BE CONTINUED TO CHAPTER 6

Critics are welcomed (grimaced). I think Hitomi and Van are getting OOC. What should I do? Oh yeah, chapter 6 will be out very soon (hopefully).

R&R, please!

Celon Ierith