"-And if I don't get the prescribed quota of one thousand girls-" "ONE THOUSAND!? How many damn people are in that school anyway Haru?"
My best friend and adoptive sister sighed softly on her end of the line.
"A lot Nala, have you been listening to a word I said?"
Although I knew she couldn't see me i started fidgeting nervously,
"Uh..wellllllll…."
"Nala!" I sweatdropped, brushing my long brown hair out of my face.
"Ok fine, i admit i zoned out when you started talking about your French class, but i'm listening now!" I could picture her shutting her big, brown eyes and shaking her head with a grimace at my scatterbrainedness. "Honestly though Haru, can't you just cut and run? Go to another school or something." She sighed again,
"You know i can't do that Nal. Ouran Academy is the best of the best i have to finish out my highschool years here. Besides even though they may not have started as friends, the host club members are now…..perhaps even more…." she whispered the last part but i jumpedon the opportunity.
Perhaps even more? What does she mean by...oh. OHHHH!
"Haruhi likes a boyyyyy! Haruhi likes a boyyyy!" I sang the words out, jumping up and down in excitement causing my long hair to swish around me.
"Naaalllaaa!" She groaned over the phone, "Cut it out. I'm not even sure about it, so let me figure it out before you go jumping to conclusions." I cackled.
"You think i'm letting you live this one down? This is your first crush and as such I have bestfriend rights to not only help, but tease you about it as well. Mwahahaha."
She snickered at my attempted evil, witchy laugh.
"Fine, fine do what you want but good luck meeting him through me."
Of course, being me, a brilliant idea popped into my head.
"Who said i need to meet him through you? I'll see you soon Haruhi!"
Before she could convince me otherwise to what i knew she knew i was planning, i hit the end call button and ran out of my bedroom. I got to the middle of the hall, almost to the stairs, mind giddy with happiness at being able to see my bestfriend and tease her. Only to freeze when i heard the front door open and loud, raucous laughter filled the house. I went pale. Normally when my dad came home drunk with whichever new fuck buddy he had, i'd hightail it to Haruhi's house and stay with her until he came to some semblance of soberness. This was how it had always been, but now with her move to the otherside of town and attendance to the prestigious Ouran Academy i'd been forced to learn a new way to defend myself from the things that happened in my own house when he came home like this.
My mother had been good friends with Haruhi's mom which was how the two of us had met, but when our moms passed away in a car accident coming home from a court case life had changed drastically. Her father found his true inner calling as we jokingly called it, and my father? My father had turned to drugs, alcohol, and whores.
Upon hearing the high tittering sounds of feminine laughter, and the deep chuckles of my father i knew i had to get out of the house. Fear turned to horror though when my father's loud voice called to some third party in the house,
"She should be upstairs. Turn left down the hall and it's the second door on the right hand side. Before you go up though give me the money now."
A low murmured assent followed by heavy footsteps heading towards the stairs almost caused me to pass out there and then as my heart practically stopped from shock, and fear. My own father had finally taken a turn Haruhi and i had feared happening ever since i'd turned thirteen and started to develope a more mature body. He was whoring me out for money. Darting to my room, i slipped into my well worn sneakers, grabbed an oversized hoodie, and my wallet before wrenching my window open and jumping out of it.
My door was just opening as i swung my legs over the sill and dropped onto our neighbor's porch roof. An angry shout and the sound of someone scrambling across my room, snapping and breaking the window pane in their haste to come after me sent me sprinting across the roof. This was an escape route i'd been using for years but never in such haste, tears of pure fear dripped down my face blinding me, and i slipped on one of the smooth tiles on the roof. Crying out when i landed on all fours, I skinned my hands as they slid over the not so smooth tiles. Suddenly, someone grabbed my hair yanking me to my feet causing me to let out a blood curdling scream, the pain in my hands momentarily forgotten.
"Stupid bitch." A dark voice snarled at me, "I paid too much for you to get away. 'A pretty, hapless, biddable, girl' hah! You're father lied but it doesn't matter now. This will be all the more fun."
I got the impression of tall, dark, and handsome from my quick glance at him as before my head was jerked to far back for me to see him,, but it was ruined by how his lips had been curled up in a feral snarl, and a menacing light flickered in his eyes.
"No! Let me go!"
I scratched and clawed at the hands holding me by my hair and with a curse he dropped me when my sharp nails dug into the tender part of his hand. Using the opportunity to escape, i leapt to my feet and with new determination sprinted across the roof. Somewhere during his speech, my panic had faded, replaced with an animalistic urge to survive.
I'd lost too much and this bastard wasn't going to take the only pure attribute about me by force. Fear faded out of my mind and instinct kicked in. Years of running, and the ingrained memory of each and every step across the rooftops filled me, and i flew.
Never had i run so quickly, i could hear the angry shouts of my pursuer fading away as i ran with the speed of a cheetah. In a move of total insanity i leapt off the rooftop where it was sloping low. If i'd been in my right mind at the time i wouldn't have ever dared to do that, because it was a good ten foot drop, but adrenaline does strange things to a person's body, and a landing that any other day would've left me with at least one broken bone if not more, only left me with bruises and a few scrapes.
Standing i sprinted down the streets not completely sure of where i was going, still moving on instinct. I could feel the tears falling as i fled through the streets, my long hair whipping behind me, my green eyes scanning constantly for signs of my pursuer. I didn't stop until i found myself in front of a tall, looming, pink building.
"Ouran...Academy…" i panted to myself, even with the hysteria building in the back of my mind i felt my corners of my lips turn up a little. Ironic that I was going to come here anyway. Oh Haruhi I'm sorry you're gonna see me like this.
Climbing up the front stairs rapidly, i flipped my hood up before stepping inside the building. I didn't take the time to admire the surroundings like i would've any other day, no on this occasion i just headed straight for the stairs. Remnants of old conversations with Haruhi were what directed me. Yeah Nala it's up three flights of stairs crazy right?...I don't get why it's in a music room Nal! It just doesn't make sense….Who even has so many music rooms they need signs saying 'unemployed music room #3'. It was the little things like that that soon found me standing outside the doors to none other than Music Room #3. Brushing the sleeves of my big sweatshirt over my still teary eyes, i fisted the ends of the arms in my hands and shoved the door open with one goal in mind. Find Haru.