Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ The Cold Rain Falls ❯ Questions And Answers ( Chapter 4 )

 

TCRF-4

Questions And Answers

 

Summary: Music Can Heal, But Also Hurt. Because After All, Music Is The Window To One's Soul...

 

 

She walked to the bottom of the bleachers like one who was just condemned. Her head hung low and her shoulders were slouched. She could try to talk to the teacher, but what good would that do? Surely she wouldn't change her mind. Even if Hitomi had told her she already had plans for the next night she wouldn't budge. Their teacher was known for sticking to her decisions. She walked out of the gymnasium; gloom was evident all around her.

 

“Hey! Wait up!” The new kid called out to her. She had been so busy being depressed, that she hadn't noticed that she walked right by him. Once again he was wearing the sunglasses he had on the day of their first meeting.

 

“Oh, hey. Sorry about today. I didn't mean to drag you into that. But at least I now have someone to talk to.” She paused. A look of sudden horror crossed her features. “I just realized I don't even know your name yet! I'm Hitomi Kanzaki.” She held out her hand for him to shake. He grabbed her hand and responded with “Van Fanel”. Van Fanel………why does that name sound so familiar? She dismissed the thought from her head and they walked a little ways until they came to a window. Hitomi looked out and seen the baby blue sky had once again turned to a horrible murky grey and warm rain was falling, soaking the earth. A groan escaped her lips as she realized she had to walk through that…….again.

 

“So, where do you live Hitomi?” A look of confusion crossed her face as she stared at him and his pretty forward question. They had just learned each other's name and he was already asking her where she lived! Had she just befriended a stalker/psychopath? As if reading her mind, he explained that the least he could do was drive her home since it was raining out. They walked to the front doors and opened them, but when they did, they were bombarded with people screaming standing under umbrellas and flashes going off in her eyes. She was in a daze from said flashes and couldn't do anything until a strong arm pulled her back inside the school. She gathered her thoughts and asked what just happened.

 

He gave a quick look over his shoulder and began to pull her back into the school. Quickly. She then seen a huge mob of people bombard the doors and enter the school at an alarming rate. He wasn't just pulling her now, he was full on dragging her while he did his best to sprint away from the people chasing him.

 

“You watch TV right?”

 

“Uh……yea……..why?”

 

“You watch MTV?”

 

“Yea, sometimes?”

 

“Did you know that a pretty famous band was going to be attending your school this year?”

 

“Umm………I…….think so.” She scoured her brain looking for the necessary information, but could only recall Yukari talking non-stop about a band. The name? She couldn't remember if you paid her a million dollars. He pulled a sharp right down the next hallway and stopped dragging her. He turned around to face her.

 

“You're looking at the lead singer.”

 

Her jaw dropped down to the floor. So these were guys Yukari was talking about. Well, one of them anyway. She looked him over. He was really cute but nothing that screamed rock star. She wondered how someone so ordinary could climb the ladder of musical success so quickly. It probably had a lot to do with the other band members.

 

He asked her if she was okay because of her momentary space out and faraway look. She responded with a meek little yes and he grabbed her hand and began leading her again. She flushed a bit at the contact; after all they had just met. She knew it was stupid to think like that. He was just leading her away from that mob, that's all. He led her out the back doors and out of his pocket, he grabbed his cell phone and made a call to someone. She couldn't understand why he was bothering to make a phone call when they were trying to avoid a huge mob of fans. It wasn't until a stylish little black car pulled up in front of them, that she realized he had called his driver. His driver. He opened the door and gave her gentle push into the back seat. It would have made her feel classy...had there not been a mob of screaming fan girls and paparazzi on their tails. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Hitomi in complete shock, and Van, she thought, completely understood that she needed a few minutes to collect herself. The driver was first to speak.

 

 

“This your first paparazzi experience?” He winked at her through the rear-view mirror. She noticed he was an older man of about 60 years of age. His snow-white hair and his face full of laugh lines and wrinkles. He reminded her of a Japanese version of Mr. Clean. He seemed like a nice man and Hitomi couldn't help but answer his question.

 

“It was definitely………interesting that's for sure.” She turned to Van. “Is this really what it's like for you everywhere you go?” An amazed look adorned her face. She was in complete awe that someone would go through this more than once. She only experienced it this one time and never felt like doing it again.

 

“Not everywhere we go, but definitely most places.” A small chuckle escaped his mouth and Hitomi found herself chuckling along with him. Van's demeanour changed and he put on a false proper attitude. His voice became tinged with a British accent. “How completely rude of me. Hitomi, I would like you to meet my chauffeur. Jeeves.”

 

Hitomi was once again in complete awe. Not only did he have a driver but his name was Jeeves? How cliché was that?

 

“Acutally, my name's not Jeeves.” The driver gave a hearty laugh. “Van here thinks he's being funny when he tells people that that's my name. My REAL name is Shinji Mikuyura. Nice to meet you….Hitomi was it?”

 

“Oh, yes. Hitomi Kanzaki.” She said answering the old man's question.

 

“Where to Van?”

 

“Hitomi's house please. Where was it you said you lived?”

 

She looked at him with a smile on her face. “I didn't. I was about to when we were swarmed.” The smile didn't leave her face and a blush soon joined as she thought about his strong arm around her waist. She tried looking into his eyes but his shades prevented her from doing that. She noticed how well they hid his eyes….was there something else hiding in his eyes? A secret? She knew in that instant that she was going to be in for an interesting year.

 

~*~

 

The ride to her house had been quiet, a thing Hitomi found unusual as Van did not seem to be the quiet type. From the little time they knew each other, Hitomi deducted that he seemed to be the type of guy who would raise hell for the fun of it. Nothing extremely bad…….Just good old trouble. Mischief.

 

They pulled up to her house and she thanked each of them for the ride home. She stayed in her seat for a moment, deciding what to say next. `See you in detention?' No that sounds stupid. Her thoughts were interrupted when Van asked her if he could have lunch with her tomorrow as she was the only person he had met that day.

 

“I'm the only person you've met? How is that possible? You had a mob chase you down the hallway this afternoon! People must have been swarming you at lunch and in the hallways!” She shook her head in disbelief.

 

He looked at her full on, taking off his sunglasses. She finally looked straight into his eyes. They were ruby coloured and sparkling. But a small part of the tiniest corner seemed dull. How could one part of your eye seem dull when every other part seemed to shine with life?

 

“Sure I've met people. But I never got the chance to talk to them for more than 5 seconds. There's a difference between meeting people and becoming someone's friend. So how about it? Meet me tomorrow for lunch?”

 

She couldn't look away from his eyes. She couldn't even speak. The look in his eyes made it impossible for her to. She gave a quick nod of her head. She turned to get out of the car but he grabbed hold of her arm. She looked at his hand holding her arm and then his face. There was a smile on it.

 

“What's your phone number? I want to call you later. You know, ask you a few questions about school. Which teachers to stay away from, what people to stay away from…..that sort of thing.”

 

She took a piece of paper out of her schoolbag and a pen. She quickly scribbled down her number and exited the car as quickly as possible. She didn't have a coherent thought as she raced up the driveway, trying to avoid being drenched. She didn't stop to say hello to her parents as she ran right upstairs to think about what had just happened. But she didn't have a chance to as the phone rang and her father called up that it was for her. She picked up the extension in her bedroom and said hello.

 

“I told you I would call you later.” She couldn't believe it. He must have barely been out of her driveway before calling her. She couldn't hide the smile that had begun creeping its way onto her face.

 

“Later usually means much later. Not five seconds.”

 

“Hey, it's been at least ten. So about those teachers?”

 

Their conversation lasted for hours. They talked about everything from previous schools, to life on the road versus being stuck in one place. They stayed on the phone until Hitomi was called to dinner.

 

~*~

 

“So who was that boy on the phone?” her father inquired as they sat down to dinner. She new this question was coming because she knew her father a little to well. And he was nothing if not protective. Make that over-protective. And he absolutely hated the music industry. She never knew why it's just the way it's always been. From the time she was two she was never allowed to listen to the radio in the car and grew up on classical music. She remembered when she wanted to take up a musical instrument like guitar or drums. They signed her up for classical piano lessons. Can you say boring?

 

“No one. Just a new boy from school.” She couldn't tell her father he was part of one of the biggest bands out there right now. He would blow a gasket.

 

“A new boy? You should invite him over for dinner one night. Let him get to know the type of people that live around here.” Her mother had joined the conversation. Hitomi's mother was a generally nice person who never passed up the chance to show someone her extraordinary culinary skills. “What about one night next week?”

 

She dropped the food that was on her fork. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her parents had never taken any interest in meeting any of her other friends. They didn't meet Yukari until four months after she had been hanging out with Hitomi. Her parents never met one of her girlfriends until at least a few months after hanging out with Hitomi! `Ahhh, but that's it isn't it? They didn't care when you were hanging out with girlfriends, did they?'

 

“Uh, sure. I'll ask him if he's free.”

 

~*~

 

After dinner, Hitomi went upstairs to her room to start the math homework she had been given. She sat at her computer first and searched through her iTunes© music list and put on some Kelly Clarkson. She loved listening to English music. It was just so passionate. Even if she didn't really understand what she was singing, she could feel the mood of the music and she didn't have to know the words. She knew that the song must have been about heartbreak and sadness. She strode towards her bed and opened her books. She was about halfway done when the phone rang. Hoping it was Van, she raced to pick it up for fear of her parents doing it. She didn't need them inviting him over without her at least talking to him about it.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey Hitomi!” She knew that perky voice anywhere.

 

“Hello Yukari. To what do I owe this wondrous call?” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. Hitomi knew that Yukari hated talking on the phone and only called when Hitomi was late…..or when she needed something.

 

“I am appalled by the way you think! Do I need a reason to call my best friend?”

 

“Yes. Yes you do.”

 

“Why are you always right? I'm stuck on #14. I just can't get it.”

 

They spent the next half an hour on the phone helping each other with their homework. When they were done, Hitomi finally took a glance at the clock on her desk. It read 11:00 pm. `Oh man! It's way late! I'm going to be so exhausted tomorrow!' She quickly changed into her pyjamas, set her alarm, and headed off to bed. She soon fell into a dreamless slumber….

 

 

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I do not own any of the characters aforementioned in the story above, nor do I own any mentioned in the upcoming chapters.

 

--> WingsOfAsh: Phew! It has taken me long enough, but the next chapter is finally complete. I have many ideas that are always changing for this story but finding time to write them down is what is taking so long. I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer vacation!

 

D/N: Well you're definitely doing better than I am. I get so excited about my future chapters I totally neglect my current one. It's sad and I'm losing fandom over my laziness. Hopefully I'll get into a good routine when school starts up. Anywho I'm liking where this story is going. I'd also like to add that I READ IT BEFORE ANY OF YOU!! SO HAHA!