Twicelight

Chapter - 4

"Oh, okay." The thought of sitting in women's clothing stores for any period of time immediately put him off.

"Thanks." Sana smiled at him.

"Will you be back in time for the dance?"

Only in a town this small would a father know when the high school dances were.

"No - I don't dance, Dad." He, of all people, should understand that - she didn't get she balance problems from her mother.

He did understand. "Oh, that's right," he realized.

The next morning, when Sana pulled into the parking lot, she deliberately parked as far as possible from the silver Mercedes. Sana didn't want to put herself in the path of too much temptation and end up owing him a new car. Getting out of the cab, she fumbled with her key and it fell into a puddle at her feet. As Sana bent to get it, a white hand flashed out and grabbed it before she could. She jerked upright. Tzuyu was right next to her, leaning casually against Sana's truck.

"How do you do that?" Sana asked in amazed irritation.

"Do what?" Tzuyu held her key out as he spoke. As Sana reached for it, he dropped it into her palm.

"Appear out of thin air."

"Sana, it's not my fault if you are exceptionally unobservant." Tzuyu's voice was quiet as usual - velvet, muted.

Sana scowled at his perfect face. His eyes were light again today, a deep, brown honey color. Then she had to look down, to reassemble her now-tangled thoughts.

"Why the traffic jam last night?" Sana demanded, still looking away. "I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not irritating me to death."

"That was for Chan's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance." Tzuyu snickered.

"You..." Sana gasped. She couldn't think of a bad enough word. It felt like the heat of her anger should physically burn Tzuyu, but he only seemed more amused.

"And I'm not pretending you don't exist," Tzuyu continued.

"So you are trying to irritate me to death? Since Chan's van didn't do the job?"

Anger flashed in Tzuyu's eyes. His lips pressed into a hard line, all signs of humor gone.

"Sana, you are utterly absurd," Tzuyu said, his low voice cold. Sana's palms tingled - she wanted so badly to hit something. She was surprised at herself. She was usually a nonviolent person. Sana turned her back and started to walk away.

"Wait," Tzuyu called. Sana kept walking, sloshing angrily through the rain. But he was next to her, easily keeping pace.

"I'm sorry, that was rude," Tzuyu said as they walked. Sana ignored him. "I'm not saying it isn't true," he continued, "but it was rude to say it, anyway."

"Why won't you leave me alone?" Sana grumbled.

"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me," Tzuyu chuckled. He seemed to have recovered his good humor.

"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?" Sana asked.

"You're doing it again."

Sana sighed. "Fine then. What do you want to ask?"

"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday - you know, the day of the spring dance -"

"Are you trying to be funny?" Sana interrupted him, wheeling toward him. Her face got drenched as she looked up at his expression.

Tzuyu's eyes were wickedly amused. "Will you please allow me to finish?" Sana bit her lip and clasped her hands together, interlocking her fingers, so she couldn't do anything rash.