The Athletics Scholarship Student
Chapter 1
A Pink School
Disclaimer: Clearly, I don't own Ouran based off my awful attempt at the anime's style for the cover photo. Pandora is my bitch tho.
*Italicized words are in English
The prestigious Ouran Academy offered three scholarships every year in an area of focus. There was the obvious academics scholarship, this year taken by first year Fujioka Haruhi. An artistic scholarship that no one had met the criteria for this year. And finally, an athletics scholarship. Soon to be first year Jones Pandora received her letter of acceptance several months before the school year.
A week later, Pandora was in an accident.
The school was an unsightly shade of pink, Pandora found when she stood in front of the front hall after being dropped off by her host mother. Recently transferring from America she was glad to find the school was very European inspired in architecture and it was a very culturally mixed school. She wouldn't be required to change into indoor slippers for one, which Pandora was especially glad for.
Pandora was a bit out of place despite the many cultures featured in the school. Her hair was a bright fiery red shade and her eyes a somber shade of gray-green, and while there were certainly more redheads Pandora also stood out because of two things.
She was short. Pandora was only, in American terms, 4'8. She was four feet and eight inches tall, and she was absolutely not happy about this. Ever since she reached middle school she waited for her growth spurt. When it never came and she realized she wasn't going to get any taller, Pandora was outraged. But she learned to live with it because there was certainly nothing she could do to make herself taller. Despite being a legal midget, calling her such would not end well.
Entering the school Pandora went about seeing the headmaster and setting up her timetable. Her Japanese was still a bit rusty and she fumbled over some words but the headmaster was very understanding and encouraging. He was a very polite and friendly man with a large smile that could nearly ease Pandora from her constant guarded state.
"Regarding your disability, Jonzu-san." Headmaster Suoh stumbled over Jones.
Immediately, there was a change in the girl's eyes. The somber tone her eyes had immediately turned stormy and bitterness took in the headmaster. Her eyes were a gateway to her soul and as she clearly had a mental battle, her eyes reflected it perfectly.
Defeated, Pandora quietly said, "Allow me a five minute pass, sir. I'd rather not be in the hallways for passing periods."
The school was an interesting mix of Japanese and American. The school day began at eight in the morning and classes ended at two, clubs then went on until about four. Classes were about forty five minutes and for the mandatory classes, math, Japanese, science, and history, the students would remain in class and the teachers would move. There was lunch for an hour following these before electives. Electives included a mandatory gym class with your class, a language, and two free spots. The electives could be for a full year or be on a rotation schedule throughout the year. Electives required the students to move to specialized classrooms thus Pandora's request for a five minute pass.
"Of course. And, what about gym?" Headmaster Suoh inquired.
"I'm not up to that level quite yet." Pandora admitted, her eyes lowering to the floor, "Hopefully by mid-year I'll be able to participate in low level activities."
As Pandora left the headmaster's office, she wanted to break her cane over her leg. It wasn't that tough and she could do it without even thinking, she bet.
Pandora's accident left her nearly crippled. Her left arm couldn't grip a pencil so she was slowly transitioning to writing righty and the fingers twitched on their own accord. Pandora's legs were the problem. Both, she were told, would never be back to where they had been. She had a thick metal brace on her right knee and her ankle that connected. She was lucky they hadn't amputated it but not being able to move much faster than a hurried stumble pissed her off. Her left leg was unsteady and like her left hand, she couldn't control it and it twitched and spasmed on its own will.
Her accident was a tragedy. The famous and undefeated kickboxer and mixed martial arts master Jones Pandora would never be able to fight ever again.
Left bitter and small, Pandora was left to the world's devices. The prideful and naturally aggressive fighter who could toss men outweighing her by two hundreds pounds like they weighed nothing was reduced to a somber and spiteful little girl.
Pandora leaned against the wall to observe her schedule. She was in Class 1-A as all scholarship students must be in the top fourth of their class in academics. Then she was taking English-3, pottery, traditional culture, and instead of a gym class she had a free period.
Tears nearly leaked from the corner of her eyes as they became suddenly glossy. Forcing them away the proud girl used the map that accompanied her schedule to start towards her class.
She passed through the athletics hallway. She hobbled slowly and the brace on her right leg made noises as she moved. It was the only noise in the hallway until she reached the club rooms. Many martial arts were practiced here and her eyes lingered hungrily on the board.
Pandora imagined herself walking through this hallway. She once walked with purpose and strength in her gait. Her back was always straight and people moved out of the way for her despite her short stature.
It was painful to come out of the reverie when she heard footsteps. Not wanting to be seen gazing so intently at the club listing, she turned to look at the award case that lined the other wall.
A tall manly student with sweat glazing his face and dripping from his dark hair passed by her. His steely eyes noticed the glassy look in her eyes and he clearly, very obviously, could see her cane and the brace over her leg. But he said nothing and only walked towards the shower room while rubbing his face with a towel.
Not wanting anyone else to see her Pandora left the hallway with a last wistful glance towards the club listings.
When she reached the classroom the homeroom teacher greeted her politely. Pandora explained her five minute pass as well as the reason she was wearing an odd rendition of the uniform. Due to her leg brace Pandora had to wear the male's uniforms pants but Headmaster Suoh requested she wear a specially tailored unsightly yellow blouse that somewhat resembled the top part of the female uniform. Pandora could honestly say she was glad she didn't have to wear that ugly yellow dress that was straight out of the eighteen hundreds.
Class began at eight on the dot and Pandora effectively blended into the background despite some odd looks she got for her disabilities and different uniform. Pandora slipped out unnoticed when it was time for her to leave and she made it to the lunchroom before the hallway was crowded with people.
She didn't dare order the expensive lunches and instead had a healthy bento her host mother had packed for her. She sat alone in the corner with many glances sent in her direction. Pandora did see the tall student from the athletics hallway and when he looked at her she glared back as fiercely as she could.
English was an opening where they just introduced themselves in English and went about trying to discuss their likes and dislikes. Pandora had a stilted conversation with the clear slacker who sat in front of her. Pottery was spent with the beginning of year lecture about how to use the equipment and etc. Finally, traditional culture looked like a promising elective although a bit of challenge due to Pandora being American and being here all of a week so far.
When the day ended, Pandora found herself in the athletics hallway after club had started. She stared at the club lists and her right hand made a fist. Her arm started to shake as her anger boiled over.
"Fuck!" she swore, slamming her cane into the floor. She seethed and took deep, angry breaths to calm herself. When she went to grab her cane someone else beat her to it.
Pandora glared at the offending offer of help as a boy hardly any taller than her held her cane out for her to grab it. Pandora snatched it and leaned on it while giving the boy a nasty look.
He was small and blonde with big, emotional honey brown eyes. He carried a pink bunny under one arm and he tried to give her a smile but it was clear he had an agenda for talking to her.
"What do you want?" Pandora hissed after reciting what she would say in her mind to make sure she didn't have to stumble mid angry snarl, "Here to pick on a cripple!?"
"I saw you looking at the club lists. Were you thinking of joining one?" the boy asked, turning to join her in peering at the club listings.
Pandora snarled, "Don't patronize me!"
"I'm not." the boy smiled and Pandora found the genuine smile made her take a step backwards.
"Tch, yeah right." Pandora turned away from him, "You'd be sorry if I wasn't like this."
She stumbled into an abdomen that felt more like a brick wall than part of a human body. Looking upwards and taking a few steps back Pandora found the tall, gray eyed student standing there.
He crossed his arms, "Apologize."
"I'm sorry?" Pandora sputtered.
He gestured to the smaller boy who was giving Pandora a good show of crocodile tears, "Apologize."
"Why should I?" she scoffed.
"Mean to him."
Pandora narrowed her eyes, "What is this? Pick on a cripple day? He's the one who, eto, fuck, patronized, there we go, patronized me."
"Apologize." repeated the giant.
Pandora spun as quickly as she could to the blonde, snapped a hurried, "I'm sorry!" in English, then hobbled off, snarling under her breath, "You'd all be sorry if I wasn't like this. Every single fucking person in this goddamn world would be."
As Pandora disappeared around a corner, Haninozuka Mitsukuni, more commonly referred to as Honey, looked up at his much taller cousin, Morinozuka Takashi, also more commonly known as Mori, and said, "Ne, she seemed kind of familiar, Takashi."
"In our English class." grunted Mori and Honey smiled a big smile.
"That must be it. She seemed kind of sad, didn't she?" Honey remarked.
Mori nodded, "Hidden behind her anger was sorrow."
"We should be friends!" Honey beamed, "We're the same size too!"
He hugged his rabbit to his chest and Mori lifted him onto his shoulders before leaving the athletics hallway to attend their club.
Pandora left the school without looking at any clubs and was left sitting on the steps until her host mother arrived and picked her up with a happy greeting and a hug.
AN:
I actually have a story about an art scholarship student but I like this one better. Prepare for character development all the way! Gogogo. I actually love Pandora's character even though she is a complete asshole most of the time.
I have like, eight chapters of this done. I'll probably do monthly updates because that's typically my time frame due to how busy I get and inspiration and yada yada.
I'm going to be mixing manga and anime stuff since whatever I get from the wiki I trust.
The pairing in my mind for now is Honey, but depending on where Pandora takes herself it can also possibly be either Mori or Kyoya. My goal is Honey though.