"Wow." I said as I drove up the driveway to my future step-mom's house. Except it wasn't really a house, it was a mansion. As I was parking, my dad opened the front doors and waited patiently for me to get out of the car. Taking a deep breath, I unbuckled and jumped out of my precious, beat up old truck that I had lovingly christened Merde, since I'd built it myself out of spare parts.
"Hey daddy." I called as I straightened the dress my dad had insisted I wear. It was pink, had way too many ruffles, and showed WAY too much cleavage. He smiled and enveloped me in a tight bear hug.
"Hello Princess! I missed you." my dad said as he released me. I'd been in Dublin, Ireland for the past six months working as an intern at a car manufacturing company as a mechanical engineer. It had been heaven, until I got the call that I had to move to Japan to live with my soon-to-be step-mother and step-brothers.
"I missed you too, Daddy. How do I look? Like I belong in a mansion like this?" I asked him, stepping back.
"Perfect." he said, brushing my bangs behind my ear. They stayed there for less than five seconds before falling back in front of my face. I had dark brown hair that fell past my waist. My bangs constantly fell in front of my face and curled around my jaw line. Usually I pulled my hair back in either a braid or a pony-tail, but today I'd brushed it out and let it hang loose. In contrast to my dark hair, I had rather light skin, thanks to always being inside my garage, the library or work. I had the same emerald eyes that my father had. Unlike my father, who was a giant at 6'10", I was a munchkin at 5'2".
Taking my hand, my father led me into the mansion. The hallways were elegantly decorated, and each room looked fancier than the last. How was I going to fit in here? Me with my oil stained jeans and addiction to potato chips?
"Here we are." My dad said, stopping in front of a large set of doors. I smiled nervously at him. "Don't worry," he said. "They're going to love you." Here's hoping, I thought as my dad pushed open the doors.
We were in an elegant dining room, with a ceiling at least thirty feet high. There was a long, oak table in the middle of the room, with a glass chandelier hanging above it. Sitting at the table, there was a woman about my dad's age. She was really pretty for a women her age, and she had a kind face. Sitting across from her there were two orange haired boys. They turned around when we opened the door and I saw that they were twins.
"Hello!" the woman said, standing up and walking over towards me. "I'm Yuzuha Hitachiin, and these are my sons, Hikaru and Kaoru. It's so nice to finally meet you Arianna. Your father has told me so much about you. Come, come. Sit down." she said, guiding me to a seat next to one of the twins. They stared at me as if I was a new toy, curiosity and excitement in their eyes.
"Hello. Nice to meet you." The twins said in unison.
"H-hi." I said, stuttering a little. This place was so overwhelming. "Which one of you is Kaoru and which on is Hikaru?" I asked them. They smiled a little, but it seemed a little rueful. As if they were used to it, but it hurt a little bit each time someone asked.
"I'm Kaoru." said the one sitting next to me.
"And I'm Hikaru." said the other one.
"It's nice to meet you." I said, making a mental note of difference between the two I could use to keep track of which was which. Like how Hikaru's hair was parted to the right side and Kaoru's hair was parted to the left. Or how Hikaru's voice was just a shade deeper than Kaoru's.
"Well, who's hungry?" Yuzuha asked. The boys nodded and my dad smiled widely at me. I managed to reciprocate with a small smile. Yuzuha rang a bell that was sitting beside her plate and three servers carried in tray after tray. I looked at all the food on the table and felt a little sick. There were steaks, a huge platter of shrimp, clams and oysters and what looked like caviar and calamari. Fortunately for me, there was a large salad bowl, some asparagus spears and a loaf of french bread. I took some of those and started nibbling on my bread. After looking down at my plate, I felt a slight sense of despair. There were at least four forks and three different types of spoons and I had no idea which one I was supposed to use for what.
"The one farthest from the plate is for salad." Kaoru quietly whispered to me. I smiled my thanks and began to eat.
"Arianna, you hardly have anything on your plate. You aren't on a diet or anything are you? You have a beautiful physique darling, you can eat as much as you want." Yuzuha said. I felt myself blush as I tried to explain.
"Oh, no, I'm not- I'm just, um, I'm a vegetarian." I explained rather ineloquently. They stared at me for a minute before Hikaru broke the silence.
"Why?" he asked, as if there was no fathomable reason not to eat meat. I turned an even darker shade of red.
"My best friend's grandpa used to live above a butcher's shop. Every day after school I'd go with him to visit his grandfather and we'd have to walk through that shop. One day we saw the butcher decapitate a pig. Most disgusting thing I've ever seen. Haven't eaten meat since." I explained. Dammit! I thought. Not the best dinner conversation.
"I'm sorry, if I'd have known that you were a vegetarian I would have selected a more suitable menu." Yuzuha said.
"Oh, it's fine. I'm used to it. You don't have to plan meals around me being a vegetarian. Really, it happens all the time. I always find something to eat." I tried to calm her, but she'd already rung the bell and requested something vegetarian be prepared.
"Thank you, but that's not necessary." I said a bit loudly.
"Oh but-" Yuzuha started.
"Thank you, but it's not necessary." I repeated firmly. She nodded and we all sat there quietly for a moment.
"So, your father tells us that you were in Ireland for the past few months. How was it?" Kaoru asked, filling the silence.
"It was good. I was interning at a car manufacturing company as a mechanical engineer." I said. Their blank stares prompted me to continue, "I helped desigd the car engines. It was fun." I explained.
"What about school?" Hikaru asked.
"Arianna's already graduated." he said. He loved to brag about it, though it made me uncomfortable.
"I graduate last year. I'm planning on taking a few college courses here while I apply for a new resident internship." I said. My dad cleared his throat.
"Ari, I was thinking you could actually go to Ouran High School with Hikaru and Kaoru this year." he said. I stared at him in disbelief. "Not for a full year, not if you don't want to. It's just that, well, this school has so many amazing oppertunities and clubs and activities. Just try it for a few months. That's all I'm asking."
"Okay," I said, "But only for a month. Then I get to do whatever I want?" I asked. He nodded.
"Don't worry," Kauro said. "I think you'll like it at Ouran High School."