The Twitching Game

Chapter One: The Brilliant Dance

By :SeraphAnaesthesia

This is odd, the painful realization that all has gone wrong. And nobody cares at all, and nobody cares at all. So you buried all your lover's clothes and burned the letters lover wrote, but it doesn't make it any better. Doe it make it any better? And the plaster dented from your fist in the hall where you had your first kiss reminds you that the memories will fade. So this is strange, our sidestepping has come to be a brilliant dance where nobody leads at all, where nobody leads at all. And the picture frames are facing down and the ringing from this empty sound is deafening and keeping you from sleep. And breathing is a foreign task and thinking's just too much to ask and you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights. This is incredible. Starving, insatiable, yes, this is love for the fist time. Well, you'd like to think that you were invincible. Yeah, well weren't we all once before we felt loss for the first time. Well this is the last time.

The Brilliant Dance 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 The Brilliant Dance By Dashboard Confessional.

'Dear Stupid Diary That Should Be Burned Within The Flames Of Hell,

It's like God hates me or something. Am I really that despicable? I've always assumed, since birth, that I was the absolute perfect example of a Goddess. I mean... I adore punk rock, have each ear pierced 4 times, and get horrible grades in gym. (But doesn't everyone?) I am a fantabulous teenager. Most definitely... Well, until THAT happened. Must I be tortured with the amity of Christ? Anyone that is convinced that I, Hitomi Kanzaki, have the perfect life (Although I may be a perfect girl...), does not know the tremors and terrors of having Van Fanel as their Home Ec. partner. Nor do they know the horror of having him kiss them in a public women's restroom at the Third Avenue Dubois Grocery Store. No, one cannot be so lucky. NOT.'

I Heard It Through The Grape Vine.

Hitomi Kanzaki was in a rut. No, not a screw. We're talking about rut as in an actual problem. Yes, that one. She was totally confined to a small apartment, andthe most social interaction that she recieved was with the crazy neighbor lady's cat, (Even though they didn't ALLOW cats.) named Mutty. And at the shallow age of seventeen, one needs more than Froot Loops and Shojo Beats. One needs a life... But of course, Hitomi Kanzaki had yet to obtain that fleeting creature. Suffering with whole moving-out syndrome, she was slightly happy to get away from the loving family of a Nazi mother, a sadistic little brother (Who very much so enjoyed throwing pudding at her at her lowest states.), and a never-sober father who spent more time inhaling chocolate laxatives and drinking cheap booze than he would ever considerusing to find a decent job, or to clean himself up a bit. But no, Hitomi also had to deal with having a whoop-di-doo playboy for a lab partner in the eleventh grade Home Ec. cladd. Oh yes, life was keen, peachy keen almost. And Michael Jackson is also the Queen of Sheba. And don't even get me started on how emotionally scarring THAT would be... Let's take the readers back to when Hell had first decided to freeze over, a rough estimate of two weeks ago.

Elderberry Wine.

Randomly throwing things (Mostly junk food and mango-flavoured Propels) into her shopping cart, Hitomi snatched up a cardboard box of heavenly delights, also known as Nutrigrain Bars, in strawberry flavor, of course. Hitomi rolled her laid-back green eyes as she noticed yet another old lady staring at her oddly (Don't they have anything better to do? I mean... Come on, people. Your life does not revolve staring at teenage girls in grocery stores. Let's face it! But alas, I digress...), as she brushed an imaginary piece of dust off of her yellow T-shirt. It was only then that she noticed that she was the only one in the grocery store carrying around a red portable CD player while mouthing the words to silly teenage hormonal angst-music. Oh... So that explains the elderly chicks. Hitomi wandered on, pushing the cart with one hand. When she knew she was alone (Hiding behind the rack of Tampax and Secret varieties), Hitomi took opportunity by the lapels and danced around on her tip-toes. Pretty soon, the emerald-eyed girl was belting along to the words with her mouth open wide. It WAS in the far corner of the store... And Hitomi dearly hoped that no one would hear her. If anyone should so happened as to catch a smidget of her extremely off-key voice... Then may they rest in peace. Away from the music.

"Hitomi Lynn Kanzaki, the girl who dances behind the rack of sanitary napkins... This is a sight I'm sure to remember well into my early eighties... This is such a Kodak moment." A voice spoke behind her, the last sentence uttered in a precise impersonation of a girl. Blue-black hair fell into laughing wine-colored eyes as the creature of Hitomi's most utter hatred chuckled lightly to himself. Hitomi paused the CD player, annoyed only that her dancing had been interrupted. "Pfft. If you live that long, Fanel." It was her turn to smirk as he stuck his tongue out at her. What a child. (Not that she was any better...She was busting a groove behind the Women's Feminine Care section of the store.) Before Hitomi could protest,Van had grabbed her CD player with a sudden grin, his expression wild like a three-year old on Rockstars. Van momentarily considered opening the device, but then decided not to lose her place on the soundtrack. He was far too polite for that. Heh.Van grabbed an earphone, holding it up to hear the sound of the music. "But I've hidden a note, it's pressed between pages 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 story's too dull to unfold…Does he ever get the girl?…"

Hitomi merely sighed as she noticed her favorite song was no longer playing, but instead playing number four, This Ruined Puzzle. Van looked at her quizzically she snatched the player back, but he held on. Van ran his rough hands over her smooth ones, grinning lightly at her expression of annoyanceat his flirty antics. Until he decided to give her a Milky Mouse, pushing one of her fingers down until it hurt. She smacked him away off-handedly, and he laughed. Hitomi suddenly felt the urge to beat him until he was black and blue, and yet share the same Mountain Dewas him, at the same time. The headphones were left playing and hanging from her hands. "But you smile like a saint and you curse like a sailor, and your eyes say the joke's on me… But I'm not laughing, you're not leaving, just who do I think I am kidding?" Stupid Van. Stupid boys! God, how she loathed anything with a penis. Hitomi muttered to herself, rubbing her abused hand.

No...! She would not give him the satisfaction of having her fall deep into his red-wine eyes. Hitomi wasn't some cow (Like the ones at Kiseki... Ew.) and she wasn't about to go all damsel at his feet. His eyes were so playful that they almost held a drunk quality to them... Hell, if asked if Van Fanel was stoned or not, she probably wouldn't be able to give them an answer. Hitomi knew that Van Fanel was the biggest playboy at Kiseki Highschool, and that was no joke. He had a new girl for every day of the week He changed whores more than he changed underwear! And for all she knew, the guy didn't even change his underwear. Before Hitomi knew what was happening, she was pushed into the completely empty women's restroom, so conveniently located in the corner, the firm hands of Van around her waist. Pushed against the wall, which was probably crawling with cobwebs, warm lips ascended onto hers, and she opened her emerald eyes into the maroon eyes of Van Fanel. Kissing her.In a public restroom. The women's restroom, no less. And that was that.

Fight For Your Right To Party.

"Now, students. I WILL be picking the partners, so… SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU. CAN YOU NOT SEE THAT I AM TRYING TO TALK?" Mrs. Walker screamed the last part, yet a pleasant smile still remained on her plump, and somewhat hairy, face. Hitomi idly pondered how she managed to get her vocals to reach such a high pitch. Smirking with sick satisfaction as the students shrieked, before realizing Mrs. Walker's statement and emitting a groan, Hitomi just continued doodling things like, "Mrs. Amano Watanabe" and "Amano and Hitomi forever." all over her notebook. It was an ordinary process, something done on a daily habit... Then, the last person Hitomi would have ever expected to think about, came running rampantly across her mind. She scowled subconsciously at the thought of Van Fanel stealing her first kiss. And of all places, in a restroom, in the grocery store! How unromantic. Oh well. Things happen, right? Hitomi tried to moralize the situation, but came to no conclusion as to why he even kissed her anyway. Her face reddened a bit at the thought of his lips on hers, and she only caught the last pairing that Mrs. Walker was babbling on about. "And Van Fanel and Hitomi Kanzaki…"

"WHAT THE FUZZY?" Hitomi shot out of her chair completely, almost knocking the orange plastic seat onto the floor. Her emerald eyes lit up with a flame rivalling that of a bonfire, while Van, on the other side of the classroom, simply smirked and pretended to file his nails. Oh yeah, this was what HE wanted! This was HIS doing! Mrs. Walker just ignored her and went back to writing the requirements of the project on the blackboard. It was then that Hitomi finally took into consideration what the project actually was. She…She had to act like she was MARRIED to the son of toaster stroodle for three weeks? This could NOT be happening. No. Not on her life, or anyone else's...But according the the fat pig that she called her teacher... It was happening. And in the worst way. Hitomi growled low in her throat, finally sitting down in her beat up chair, recognizing the four words on the board that were going to turn her entire good day against her: 85 OF YOUR GRADE! No death threats could help her out in this situation.

Return To Sender.

Dear Effing Retarded Diary Which I Will Someday Bury,

Do you now see what I have to put up with? I'm serious. I may not have had a life before I came to Kiseki, but this whole freaking deal is going to destroy what little of a life I have now! Why can't God just kill me now? Hm? I just don't know... Speaking of unsolved mysteries, why DID Van kiss me? Did he just wake up and think 'I'm going to kiss that silly Hitomi girl today.'? Did heget akick out of it? It couldn't be possible. Van Fanel does not likeme. At least... I hope so.I dunno why anyone would like ME anyhow...It's not probable, not even possible. After all, there's nothing sexy or cool about me. I do not have a fake chest made by Doctor DiLeo out of plastic and silicon. I do not have fake, bouncy blonde hair that turns green in chlorine water. I do not have overly tanned skin that looks orange under fluorescent lighting. I am no model, and there will be snow on the hills of Hell before I ever get an actual date.Man, I hope he doesn't like me... What an ass. Oh, hold on, my telephone is ringing.(Why am I telling you to hold on? You're a stupid book of paper… You know... Of course you don't. I really do worry myself sometimes. ...Okay, okay. ALL the time.)

Walk That Boy Around.

"Hitomi Kanzaki speaking. May I ask who's calling?" Hitomi shuddered slightly at her own politeness, trying hard not to gag at how sweet and innocent she sounded. ...It must have been an inborn talent. Maybe she could become a voice actor! It was plainly obvious (Except to the caller, of course) Hitomi didn't give a flying frick about the person on the phone. She just wanted them to talk and go away so she could get back moping, eating, and self-pitying. Ah, the finer things in life. What a pleasant way to start the evening off, eh? Hitomi nearly dropped the device as she recognized the smooth and manly voice (Or at least, that was how the cheerleaders described it.) on the other end of the receiver, and nearly dropped the phone again when she realized that he had her number. She wasn't stupid... Just a little slow on the uptake. Blame it on The Fox and the Hound. That movie made Hitomi's heart slow down and brought her to tears every time! Her heart, at the moment, would not stop its furious beating, and it felt like it was going to fall right out of her chest. If only she could be so fortunate.

"Hitomi, this is Van, from school."

Thump.

Here Comes The Sun.

"Yo, Van." Play it cool, man. Cool... Like beans. Like cool beans.

Thump.

"Are you busy?" Yeah, Van. You caught me right in the middle of slitting my wrists. Now I'm not going to make it to the hospital on time. Thanks.

Thump.

"I'm watching a movie... But I guess I could always finish it later." But that doesn't mean that I WANT to finish it later.

Thump.

"Meet me at the Éclairs Café in twenty minutes. Please Hitomi." Why so desperate? Did you break a nail? Sorry, Van, but I've got no experience with stuff like that.

Thump.

"Fine... But I am NOT paying for whatever you buy. So don't even ask."

And with that, Hitomi hung up the phone.

So much for that idea about never having a date. Hitomi growled lightly, her right eye beginning to flex lightly in annoyance.

And so begins "The Twitching Game."

A/N: Revised. Any better?