Say you're talkin' to me honestly
But you're lyin' to me constantly, oh
All the bullshit, I don't need it
And honestly, I don't believe it, nah

-Honestly; by Gabbie Hanna

"Ouran Academy?" Gianna's brows furrowed, her heart speeding up. She felt her blood run cold and the palms of her hands become clammy. Was she starting to sweat? It felt like she was. The sixteen year old had been told stories about Ouran Academy. It was a prestigious private school. Located in Japan. An entirely different country. For Gianna, that was a complete nightmare.* She'd spent her entire life in Italy; all she knew was Italy. Why would she want to go to Japan? She'd never been there before! Fiddling with the blankets on her bed, the sixteen year old tried to wrap her mind around the situation.

"Yes." Gianna's mother, Hisae, nodded. There was a soft smile on the older woman's face. A nice, warm, motherly smile; one Gianna was familiar with. But in that moment, a whirlwind of emotions were attacking the teen's insides. "It's a very good school," Hisae went on. "I went there when I was a teen. Only the wealthiest families in all of Japan could afford to go to Ouran. . ."

"You do realize I'd have to travel all the way to Tokyo, right?" Gianna asked, her voice trembling a little. "I'm not good on airplanes, Ma. I've never been good on airplanes."

"I understand, but it's important that you go to Ouran."

"Why?"

"Because in order for you to qualify as an heir apparent to my family's company is for you to finish your education in Japan."

There it was. That reminder. That damn reminder. From the moment Gianna could understand spoken language, she'd been reminded of her duties as the heir to her mother's company. On top of that, her father was constantly reminding her about her place in the family business, as well. Gianna felt as though she were at a crossroads her entire life. Her Japanese family expected her to claim her birthright, being the eldest of the grandchildren. Her Italian family expected her to follow in their footsteps, considering it was tradition. But never, not even once, in Gianna's life did someone ask what she wanted to do. She felt as though her entire life had been planned out, before she was even born. It was a terrible feeling.*

"What if I don't want to take over the family business?" Gianna sighed. "Why can't any of my other cousins do it?"

"You're the eldest grandchild, Gigi." Hisae's voice became sharp, authoritative. The kind of tone that only came out once in a blue moon. "You have a duty to your family."

"That's the problem, though," Gianna grumbled. "It's always what everyone else wants, it's never what I want."

"You inheriting the business is what keeps our family's reputation intact. If you refused to take your birthright, then the Watanabe family will be looked down on."

With a frustrated sigh, the sixteen year old crossed her arms over her chest. She understood the importance of taking over her mother's business, but that was something she didn't want to do. It felt. . .wrong. Hisae always made a point to bring up how the family needed Gianna's full contribution and obedience. But because of the teen's stubbornness and inability to listen, "contribution and obedience" seemed almost impossible.

"Who cares about what other people think about us?" Gianna stated. "What we do is none of their business. All these other people you're talking about? They don't matter."

"They could be potential business partners," Hisae snapped. "What they say and think about us will always matter."

"That's the problem here!" Throwing her hands up in the air, the sixteen year old let out an exasperated laugh. "People are so concerned with what everyone else thinks of them! Why can't we all just mind our own business and stop making things so difficult for everyone?!"

"Life isn't that simple, Gianna. There either people who look to us — to our companies — in their most desperate times, or people — our competitors — who look to us in hopes that we'd make a mistake." Hisae's eyes glittered with emotion, her mouth pursed and her jaw set. "The Watanabe family, our family, has been successful for generations. We can't just shut everyone out and hope the judgment goes away. It will always be there."

~ ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ

Gianna had a lot of conflicting emotions over her family's successes. She couldn't understand the need to be constantly validated in the wealthy community. Who cares what a bunch of snobbish rich people think? Their opinions, their views on everyone else, shouldn't impact people so much. But, of course, whenever Gianna brought that up, it was immediately put down. Hisae didn't want to hear it. She'd grown up in one of Japan's elite families. The need to have validation by other elite families, the desire to know others' opinions on her and her family, was part of how Hisae was brought up. Gianna would like to think that because she was born in Italy, she didn't have to be exposed to that. But she was.

Giovanni de Angelo was a wealthy Italian businessman and a member of a special organization. For him, he tried to keep his home life and work life separate, but sometimes the two managed to find a way to intersect. In Giovanni's case, his family, particularly his children, were held at a certain standard. His older kids from his first marriage were very much aware of their father's involvements and loyalties, and made sure to support him the best they could. Gianna was a bit on the fence about it. She knew how important work was for her father, but she wasn't sure if she really wanted to be as involved or dedicated as her siblings were. But, of course, Giovanni was sure his only daughter would come to her senses and see the wonders of his work.

Besides, the last thing the de Angelo family needed was a child who couldn't be 100% involved.

(A/N):

Hey, guys. Sorry for the wait on the chapter and sorry for how poorly written it is. I wanted to write something better, but this was what I ended up with. So I guess just leave constructive criticism where you think it's due, okay? That's all I can really say.

Do I own OHSHC? No. No I don't. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the laptop I'm typing on. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.

If any of you guys have a random fact you'd like to leave in the review section, be sure to do so. It could be on something or on something new; it's up to you guys, really.

Thanks a bunch, guys!

Fernie Jamison