CHAPTER 2:

TALENT SHOWS AND LIVING SPACES

(Addiena and Red Heads With Chocolate: We Own Nothing. Sadly enough…)

(Ash's POV)

Anyways, back to the club full of mind blowing, drop-dead glorious, unbelievably hot Japanese boys…

Kyoya Otori walked with me from our shared limo into Ouran High School. He kept glancing at me, which made me a little nervous. "Will you quit that?" I asked.

"Quit what?" He replied, annoyingly pushing his glasses up his perfect nose.

"Look, I don't know what about me is pissing you off. In all honesty, I don't care. I'm just a as stuck with you as you are with me."

"In all actuality, I was thinking of whether or not you and your friends would be willing to do something for me…" He said as we got into our limo.

"Depends," I replied. I was starting to think coming to Japan was turning into a huge mistake.

"I've been discussing this with Tamaki for a while now. In our preparation for your arrival, we were aware that two of the exchange students would be female. We were considering that (given you met our standards) we would initiate you and your classmates into the Host Club as our first female members. Well, not today obviously, but you and Danni and of course, we still want Jody to join… By the way, why do you hit on him? I mean, he's obviously…"

"Please don't finish that Question, Kyo…by the way; does your father know you have a thing for Tamaki?" I shot back.

"I'm not gay, and even if I was I would not be interested in Tamaki Suoh."

"If you say so…" I said. In the 10 days I had known Kyoya, I'd analyzed him to a 'T'. Kyoya Otori had a daddy complex from Hell; also an irrational fear of being thought gay. After all, while the Host Club's profits would prosper, he would most likely be disowned by his father.

(Danni's POV)

We had to wait a week before it was official and the initiation was a pain. I won't tell you what we had to do. All I'll say is that the twins were in charge. You want the juicy details, you should just ask Ash.

Seeing as me and Ash were the 'first' female Hosts, we were given special privileges that the others didn't have. For one thing, our feminine ways made us the ideal information gatherers.

After all, I knew almost everything that happened that possibly could, would, or should surround the Club. Whatever got past me certainly didn't get past Takashi. He was a special friend of mine, and he was just as skilled in information gathering as I was. Needless to say, nothing got past the two of us.

I got a lot of great tips and pointers from the other Host members. Haruhi was the greatest help of all since she really was the first female Host member. Yeah, Haruhi was a chick. It was easy to figure out. But it was still a little weird when I confronted her and she admitted it. It really didn't help that she was changing and couldn't have denied it if she wanted to. Seriously, I saw the evidence with my own dark eyes! Unless she was a tranny, there was no other explanation for it. At least, that's what Jody said. Yeah, he was with me when I caught her.

Renge was fighting Ash for Haruhi's affections, but I just didn't have the heart to tell them they were fighting over a girl. Plus, Haruhi asked me and Jody not to. Nothing against Ash, or anything, just certain things should remain unsaid.

Since boys were now allowed into the Club, I was put to work as the main information hound. For some reason, I was the best at getting what I needed out of the lovesick puppies that requested me. I often told the others what I learned.

One such bit of information I worked out of a foolish boy was that a talent show was going to be held. It was child's play to get all the details. I got more from the other guys. They told me that everyone was allowed to either participate or observe, and Ash wanted to participate when I told her and Jody about it.

On a lighter note, everyone figured out where they were going to stay. Well, sort of, anyways. Ash was staying with Kyoya unless something better came along or until something bad happened. Personally, I think she just wanted to understand how any human teenaged guy could be so hard to read. Jody was chilling at his cousins' crib until more permanent plans were made.

I was supposed to stay with the twins, but that just didn't fly. Those boys were crazy, and I was better off on my own anyways. The thing was that I didn't like staying in one place for any long length of time. I'm sort of a wanderer, if you catch my drift. I don't like to really be tied down for long. Nothing can hold me.

So I decided to just drift through like I did with everything else. I'd keep my stuff with me and just crash wherever I was for the night, or two. Seeing as I liked the way Takashi was looking at me, I'd probably be at his place most of the time.

The thing I didn't like was that Kyoya wouldn't tell Tamaki how he felt about him. I mean, it was so OBVIOUS from the get-go that the dude was in love. Why do guys have to be so annoying when it comes to expressing their feelings?

Anyways, I promised Ash and Jody I'd get the two of them together when I figured out what I was going to do for the next year. Jody had laughed at me.

I say screw him.

(Ash's POV)

(NOTE: THE FOLLOW WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF HARUHI'S HOSTING DAYS!)

"Ma-a-a-a-ma," Tamaki sang out. I always got a bad feeling whenever he did that.

"What is it now, Daddy?" Kyoya asked with a lusty voice Tamaki didn't notice, but Danni and I did. We exchanged glances that pretty much said 'Tamaki is so stupid'.

"Mama, I want to host a masquerade ball! With everything: costumes, masks, flowers, a cute outfit for Haruhi…"

"I won't wear it!" Haruhi chimed from a corner while I tried to no avail at suppressing a laugh.

"Sorry, but we don't have room in the budget for a party right now," Kyoya was artfully hiding his flushed appearance (after he saw Danni and I snickering) from the Host Club's King behind his glasses and black "Demon's Book" notebook.

"But Haruhi would look…"

"No." said Kyoya and Haruhi the same time.

"But I want…"

"No." Kyoya looked at me with a 'see what I'm dealing with here?' look. Tamaki started to pout dramatically.

"Wow," I said in a stage whisper to Danni and Haruhi. "Looks like 'Mommy' wear the pants in this relationship," as I air-quoted the word 'Mommy' I heard the entire Host club burst into laughter, even Danni and Mori showed their amusement in their own bazaar way. I suddenly caught sight of Tamaki, and joined the others in their hysterics… because … wait for it…: He was in his "Emo corner" sprouting mushrooms.

(Danni's POV)

"Wow," Ash said in a stage whisper to me and Haruhi. "Looks like 'Mommy' wears the pants in this relationship,"

I looked at Takashi with a smile and a wink. He returned the look with a chuckle I barely heard. I caught a total 'OMG! Are they dating?' look from Jody to Ash.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Club was frozen in time. Honey had been eating cake at a table a few feet away, but after what Ash said, the forkful of carrot cake didn't make it to his open mouth. Haruhi was trying not to snicker, although it was a sad attempt, at best. The twins were hanging off Ash's neck laughing their heads off. They were totally crying rivers!

Kyoya stood unfazed, save one cocked eyebrow. Only I saw the faintest hint of a smile tweaking the corner of his mouth. I was most amused by Tamaki: He was sprouting mushrooms in what Takashi and I liked to call his "sulking corner".

"Anyway, wouldn't that be pointless," Ash asked matter-of-factly. "There's a masquerade the night of the annual talent show."

"A masquerade…?" Tamaki perked up.

"Talent…" Kaoru started, standing up.

"…Show?" Hikaru finished as he leaned heavily on his twin's shoulders.

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" The boys shouted.

"I thought you knew!" Ash shrieked back. "You guys go here every year! I'm just the exchange student! After all it is the ANNUAL Talent show and Masquerade! As in it happens EVERY GOD DAMNED YEAR!"

"Now, that's just sad," I muttered as I shook my head at my fellow Club members. I took note at the shock of Ash's tone that went across Kyoya's face before going back to his usually guarded expression.

"Tell me about it," Takashi replied. I giggled as he started smiling. He offered me his arm and I took it. I sensed everyone behind us staring as we walked away arm in arm.

"What's with them?" I heard Jody ask.

"You know, I don't know. But they are a lot happier then when you first got here." There is a reason we call him the King Baka you know…

"How astute, Tamaki." I heard Ash say with a note of sarcasm that only Jody and I would have been able to notice.

"Wait, you don't think that they…" Hikaru began… I didn't hear the rest. We walked down the hallway, leaving them all behind for the rest of the day.

(Ash's POV)

Okay. So I'm sure Danni will tell you I stayed with Kyoya with a hope of something better coming along. She'll probably also tell you I thought Jody was straight AND that I thought Haruhi was a guy… Puh-leez, people; I'm spacey, not clueless (honestly, I just really liked to mess with Renge…seriously; it was too fun to pass up).

In reality, I decided to stay at the Otori Mansion because I wanted to work some McArthur magic on Kyoya. There was some obvious crushing on his part and it was my duty as an outsider to do what I could to help.

The best way for me to do that, of course, was to be on the inside. You know…doing a little digging prior to formulating my master plan. Of course, I would most likely discussing the matter with Danni and Jody before the said was put into action.

Sitting beside Kyoya during our limo drive home, I turned to him. "When we get to your house, I'm changing my clothes," It was all I could do to avoid throwing up on my hideous yellow dress.

"If you insist," I wondered for a moment if Kyoya hated me. Then thought of what Kaoru had told me early on.

"Don't mind Kyoya, even when he's being a complete jerk. Most of the time, he's unhappy. I think it has to do with the fact he doesn't know how to express his true feelings for anything."

"You don't have to be such an ass about it, you know." I told him, wondering, momentarily, if he would even care.

"Oh, you have my apologies, McArthur-san, if I came across wrong."

"Quit call me that; my name is ASHLEY," I told him. "Use it… And like please with the formalities, you're in high school for God's sake! Quit talking like a businessman, you're 17!"

"As you wish," Honestly? This guy needed nothing more than a miracle worker to whip him into shape, let alone to help him learn how to express emotion… something much needed when confessing your love for someone, even when they already feel the same way.

"May I ask you something?"

"No, Jody's not gay. Sorry," I replied automatically.

"I wasn't going to ask that,"

"Ah… sorry, it's just that was the first thing the twins asked so I assumed…"

"It's quite alright," He replied. "I was going to ask why you seem so lovesick over him,"

"It's… complicated…" I said. The limo pulled up a long driveway to the Otori residence.

"That's not an answer," He said as we got out of the limo.

'I know' I thought inwardly before replying out loud, "What does it matter?"

"I was just curious…" He replied.
"Would it offend you if I said I don't feel I know you well enough to answer that yet?"

"Not at all," He probably picked up that I wasn't planning on giving an answer even if he'd said yes.

Don't go thinking I'm some sort of Romantic now because I've been following a gay guy around waiting for him to ask me out. God, when you put it that way I sound so desperate! But I swear if you knew Jody… if you knew Flash… it wouldn't seem so bazaar.

As I changed from the vomit yellow Ouran uniform into skinny jeans and a baggy T-shirt, I thought about how I first fell for Jody Flash Callahan. But first, I suppose, I should tell how I met Danni. Because, really, she's the one who introduced us.

~It had been in 4th grade (a long jump from here, but still vivid in my mind). At the time, I wasn't quite the way I am now: I had been in shorts and a T-shirt, my blond hair cropped to my shoulders. At the time, I had been no one, unpopular, and rather average really. I don't know if you knew this, but there were times when I was the only one who knew Danni was a girl. That was before Jody came into our lives.

You see, by 4th grade, Danni and I were the world's most extreme case of fraternal twins. Different skin, eyes, hair, parents… you see, despite the fact that we were so different (so not meant to hang out with each other) Danni and I were best friends.

Something had come between us in those years, though. Between 4th grade and her meeting Jody, we'd stopped being friends. In all honesty I blame myself. I suppose now that we're friends again, it shouldn't matter to me whose fault it was… but it does. It had been a typical day. Danni being Danni, me being me. I'm not sure quite what happened, myself; but I remember having agreed to go somewhere with a 7th grade boy who liked younger girls (like 4th graders) because he said he knew how to make me popular.

I don't remember seeing Danni show up. But even then, I was used to her mysterious ways. "Leave her alone!" That's what I remember a 4th grade Danielle saying to the 7th grader. Somehow, I doubt she'd remember.

The fact that Danni had shown up in the first place had scared the guy so badly that he blacked out. "Are you OK?" She asked because I was crying. "Ashley? Did you get hurt?"

"You… You… You are such a big MEANIE!" I remember screaming at her. "I was finally going to be popular, and you went and ruined it! Why can't you let me be happy, Danielle? Why? Are you that bitter? Do you hate me that much?"

I hadn't realized yet what she'd just saved me from. But I don't think she'd cared. She must have felt that I had betrayed her. I saw that 7th grader again a few years later. He was a senior and his face was all over the news when he got arrested. I had too much pride and forgotten memories to make amends when that happened.

As I got older, people still thought Danni was a guy. Girls continued to need extensive therapy after asking out the 'Emo Dude'. I think we both forgot why we hated each other so much. Or, at least I did. It never registered that we'd hated each other before a certain time. I thought we'd always hated each other.

By the time 9th grade rolled around, Jody and Danni had become joined at the hip. That's when I started to miss my old friend. I remembered what had happened that day when we drifted apart from each other. I guess seeing her replace me with someone else without a second thought jogged my memory.

Seriously; almost the next day after we stopped being friends, Jody came out of no where and started following her around everywhere. At first I was jealous of him. But then I just wanted my best friend back… with or without Jody. That's when I planned my All Night Midnight Extravaganza! It had been an excuse to regain her friendship.

After a week of convincing everyone it was well worth it, I had the entire popular populace desert the party. That left only and a handful behind. They seemed in a rush to leave, and I realized they hated the party. That pissed me off; but worse was that it was a mass desertion. I didn't know who all left and who all stayed. Then I saw her sitting by the bonfire remains.

Sighing in frustration, I sat beside Danni and her friend Jody. "Hey," I said softly. Danni said something nice and mean at the same time. I flinched at her words and cold attitude, but I tried again. "I hope you're having fun,"

Danni remained distant, but her friend was actually thrilled to be at my bombshell of a party. "Thanks for inviting us!"

"Sure! I mean… ya know, it's no trouble,"

"Yeah, we're having a great time. I'm not sure why so many people left, though." Then he smiled at me. Good Lord, his smile was stunningly gorgeous.

That's when I realized; looking at him over Danni's hunched shoulders (she was leaning on her knees looking into the dying flames) that this boy was not only extremely cute, he was also extremely gay. 'Maybe,' I thought to myself, 'I can persuade him to change sides…'

Meanwhile, I was babbling like a brook, and I tried to steer the conversation into what most guys would think pleasurable waters.

"So, uh, I bet your girlfriend wishes you'd left, too. Am I right?"

"No, no girlfriend. I'm waiting for the right girl. You understand, right?"

Oh, yeah! Hot single guy at my party! But he shot me down with such skill and grace… I almost thought he was complementing me.

"Well, maybe you'll find the right girl… here… ya know?"

"I don't think so, but thanks for understanding," In all honesty, I hadn't noticed Danni leaning over her knees until she sat up with such energy I almost fell off the log we were sitting on.

"Yeah, figures…" I muttered, looking into the fire. The embers danced in front of me, stirred up by the sea breeze. I could see I flash of hurt in his hazel eyes (God, they were beautiful!) and I could tell I needed to clarify. I'd really, royally screwed up here… big time. "Oh, don't feel bad," I told him. He looked slightly distracted, but I continued without noticing.

When Danni looked at me, I saw a mirrored confusion shinning out of her eyes like Jody. "Why do you think you're not good enough?"

"Simple, Jody. Not everyone's as nice as you and Danni. Some people tell you flat out that you'll never be good enough for anyone… that's why I said you shouldn't feel bad. I'm actually used to worse."

"No one should feel that they're worthless, Ashley." Jody said softly. I continued to look into the glowing ash from the bonfire, refusing to listen.

"He's right, Ash." I looked up at Danni. She was looking into the embers, too, but I could tell she was really looking back through the years to the person she remembered long ago as being her best friend. She was looking into my soul.

"No one should feel like they are worthless. Especially not you; you aren't 'worthless'. You're my first best friend, and you kept me steady when no one else would. You put up with my strange habits when an ordinary person would have called it quits. As far as I'm concerned, I'm the one who was worthless." She turned and looked at me, the smile she used to smile just for me on her face.

"You, Ash, are the most important person second to none. You showed me that a girl like me could really have friends while being completely insane in the process. And for that, I am truly grateful. So, thank you. And, I'm sorry it took so long for me to say it,"

After that, we three were pretty much inseparable. Of course, I spent a lot of that time trying to drag information out of Danni. Mainly, it was either an admission of them dating or if he ever talked about me. But after awhile, the fact that Jody was gay and could not be turned settled into my mind to live. But even so, I still fell in love with him. Damn his sweet attitude and smoking body…~

Suddenly, there was a knocking on my door. My room pulled me back into the present, though for a minute I couldn't remember where I was. "Come in," I stated, pulling my multicolored hair into a thick ponytail.

"McAr-" I shot him a death glare. Danni had showed me how to make the perfect death glare on the plane. She said it was in case I met someone at a party who wouldn't leave me alone. "I mean, Ashley-Chan; I was thinking that since you just arrived in Japan you might like to see Tokyo or Kyoto."

"Wow, really? You'd take me sightseeing?"

"Of course. I need to get to know you better before we fully determine how you could best assist Host Club profits… and of course, I've nothing better to do."

"Ah. Well, doesn't that make me feel all kinds of special? But that does make more sense. And to think, I actually thought you cared about what I wanted to do!" I gave him my playful glance and then, laughing, I ran to the front room of the house.

Kyoya ran after me as he finished pulling his leather jacket on over his baby blue turtle neck. If I wasn't trying to hook him up with someone else, I would totally have considered this flirting. Maybe it still is…

Although we packed a lunch, Kyoya ended up treating me to world class sushi (the real kind, not California rolls) at a place he knew in Kyoto. The kid so far had started referring to me as 'Ash' the way Danni and Jody do.

Our discussion of the Host Club went from how I can assist best to what he enjoyed about it to what events were mandatory for members to attend. I carefully didn't mention or show that I saw two members currently affectionately feeding each other sushi in the corner of the bar.

Kyoya was less uptight, it seemed, the more time we spent together. It was almost as if he was slowly relaxing back to the 17 year old (that he wouldn't normally act like) out on a date (which wasn't a date) with a girl (who wasn't his girlfriend). It made me think how totally Danni-like that sounded in my head.

"You remind me of Tamaki when I first brought him here," Kyoya suddenly told me.

"It's because I'm a dumb blond, right?" I teased.

"No, because you're a dumb foreigner," He replied. He laughed and then smiled slightly as he looked out the window.

"You know, Kyoya, sometimes you act like you hate everything. I think that's because you're afraid that someone might hate you. Because you're afraid of rejection," I told him. "Like, when you spoke about Tamaki. You said his name with such respect, yet you proceeded to insult him."

I half expected him to tell me to shut up or something. But what he said threw me. "You're right," He said softly. "You know, you're the first person who just told me I was being foolish," He looked lost staring out the window.

"It's not foolish to fear rejection. I'm scared everyday that someone is going to see past the neon highlights and short skirts and see… well, see me." I told him. "Not Ashley McArthur, not Ash. I'm talking about the real me that no one ever sees. The only one who ever saw that deep inside me was Danni, but I think she saw only what I once was, not what I am now,"

I looked out the window as well. When he thought I couldn't see it, I saw a sense of comfort dance across his face before going back to his guarded expression. "How do you do it?" He asked.

"How do I do what?"

"How do you suppress your fear of rejection?" He replied. "How do you hide that your inner-self is guarded?"

I was honestly more shocked at my answer then at his question. I answered without thinking, "I associate with people who won't care who the real me is."

"How do I know if I have?"

"You won't have to ask that question anymore," We returned to eating sushi in silence before returning to the Otori house. His sister, Fuyumi, was waiting in the main entrance for him.

"Kyoya, where have you been…? Oh! Why didn't you tell us you had a little girlfriend? We wouldn't have been so worried!"

What was she talking about saying 'Girlfriend'? Now who was… oh, she's talking about me. Well I couldn't have any of that now could I? "Oh, I'm no his girlfriend. Nothing personal," I said to him. He nodded gratefully.

"Oh, then who are you?" Fuyumi didn't seem too thrilled at my presence.

"McArthur, Ashley; exchange student from AMERICA." I said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot the exchange student lodging wasn't set in stone until you got here…" She saw Kyoya's eyebrows go up a fraction of an inch. "I'm sorry. It's just that I don't think Father will…"

"I've informed Father, Fuyumi and he wants to know what McAr- sorry, ASH is like."

"I swear… It's like a 3 letter name! Seriously, even Danni can remember it, how do you manage to fail so miserably?"

"How do you know so much Japanese slang?" Kyoya's sister asked, relaxing visibly.

"I learned it from my friend, Jody. His cousin lives in Japan. They speak Japanese on the phone. That's why Jody's so fluent, so I tried to learn. From what I've heard, Jesse always needs a good telling off."

"You know a man named 'Jody'?"

"Well, yeah." I said. "His parents wanted a girl." They both looked at me like I was crazy. While rolling my eyes, I saw a glimpse of blue and mocha hanging from a crystal chandelier. I would have to have a talk with that girl later…