AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those of you who read the previous chapter, make sure you review!
A week later, Beatrice and Melody found themselves juggling 5 suitcases, two backpacks and one laptop case at the baggage claim of Tokyo Airport.
"Remind me again why we had to bring your piano? It's big and heavy!" Beatrice complained as she tried to grab one of the two remaining heavy suitcases dedicated to her best friend's clothes off of the carousel.
"Because when they shipped it to us in Spain, they broke half my stuff!" Mel reminded her cheerfully, as she easily lugged the bag off the claim.
"Well what are we going to do with it now? We can't exactly fit it in the cab, and I don't think the bus will take us with all of our stuff!"
The reality of Bea's words hits Melody dumbstruck for a moment and she instantly zoned out as she tried to come up with a solution. She was so zoned out that she didn't even notice when one of their bags came out, immediately followed by another three large bags blocking it in.
Knowing Melody is completely lost in her own head, Bea sighed exasperatedly as she went to grab the bag. She was quickly stumped by the weight of the other bags on top of it.
"Can I help you with that sweetie?" A male voice says from over her shoulder.
"Yes, that would be amazing Mr. Uh–" Bea's words caught in her throat when she turned around and beheld her savior.
The voice of the person she originally thought to be male, turned out to be a woman... She thought. Her savior had a head full of long red hair and a beautiful face accentuated with makeup. They were wearing a stylish hat and a royal purple maxi-dress was wrapped around their frame. That wasn't all that surprising since it was 79 degrees outside.
"Oh please dear, call me Ranka!" he said as he easily grabbed their last suitcase from the baggage claim. "Where are you and your sister headed with all of these bags?" Ranka inquired before realizing they weren't accompanied by an adult. "Are you meeting your parents here?"
"Actually," Bea said apologetically, "according to the American legal system, my friend and I are joint emancipated minors who rely on each other. We don't have parents."
"Oh, my dears! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! Your Japanese was so good, I didn't even realize," Ranka exclaimed in embarrassment. "If you're from America, whatever brings you two to Japan with all of these bags?"
"Oh! Melody and I were just accepted into Ouran Academy! We start with the new term on Monday, but we were planning on moving into our apartment today. The reason why my friend has had such poor manners right now is because she's trying to figure out how to get these bags there. I'm afraid we don't know what to do since we can't fit it all into a cab and we only have enough yen on hand for one taxi since we haven't stopped by the currency exchange yet."
"Oh my goodness! Well that won't do! Where is your apartment located?" Ranka exclaimed.
"Oh! We'll be moving into the Guadalupe Apartments Complex."
"What a coincidence!" Ranka exclaimed. "That's where I live! You girls must be the two who are moving into the 3 bedroom next door to me and my daughter, Haruhi. You look to be the same age as her. Am I right in guessing you're a first year high school student? Please allow me to welcome you girls to Japan by giving you a lift! I have a van rented for the day, as I was accompanying my friend to the airport!"
"That would be quite lovely! Wouldn't it Melody?!" Bea said as she elbowed her friend in the side.
"Huh, wha–?" Melody said, looking around startled, but still not quite present in the conversation. "Oh yes, nice to meet you!" She bowed to Ranka using perfect etiquette with fluent Japanese. "Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out a small problem of ours," she said before zoning out again.
Bea sighed before turning back to Ranka. "Thank you so much! That would be a huge help!"
"Wonderful!" Ranka exclaimed as he grabbed the keyboard and one of the largest bags, full of Melody's stuff. "Let's go!"
That's all it took to bring Melody back to planet earth.
"A cross-dresser just stole my stuff," she said dumbfounded.
"Yes, Melody," Bea said as she threw her book bag over her shoulder before grabbing her two rolling suitcases.
"You found a random cross-dresser on the street and let him touch my stuff!?"
"Yes! He's going to help us get your stuff to our apartment complex! His name is Ranka and he happens to live in the apartment next to ours!"
"Wait Bea! Did you see any proof of this? How do you not know he's some crazy kidnapper who wears women's clothes?!"
"Do you have any better ideas?" Bea snapped back.
"Well, not presently," Melody conceded, "But he took my stuff!" she whined in a childlike tone.
"Oh, come on!" Bea groaned as she followed Ranka out of the airport. Melody quickly threw her book bag and laptop case over her shoulder before chasing after her beloved piano, giving up on coming up with a better idea.
The entire way to the apartment complex, Ranka babbled on and on about his beloved daughter, Haruhi.
"Okay, he may not be a kidnapping rapist," Melody muttered into Bea's ear after 15 minutes in the car. "But he sure has one hell of a daddy complex."
"I think that it's sweet that he cares about his daughter so much," Bea smiled brilliantly at Ranka.
"Suck up," Melody muttered to another jab in the ribs.
"Thank you again for driving us Ranka! We truly appreciate it!" Bea beamed.
"Oh! After we get your keys and bring your stuff to your apartment, you both should join my daughter and I for dinner!" Ranka said animatedly.
"We wouldn't want to impose!" Melody quickly cut in.
"Oh please! We'd love to have you!" He said as the van pulled out in front of the complex. "Here, I'll take these bags upstairs, and you girls go over to apartment 101 over there to grab your keys!" Ranka said cheerfully as he grabbed Melody's large bags again. "That's where our lovely building manager lives."
"My stuff," Melody said in a sad puppy tone as she started to mindlessly follow after her beloved belongings.
"Seriously Mel? Come on," Bea sighed in exhaustion as she dragged her best friend to the building manager's apartment with the rest of their bags.
5 minutes later, the girls had been poked and prodded by their new landlord and building manager, but they had their keys. They were walking up the stairs, joking about their exuberance, to be welcomed halfway up to the sound of Ranka's terrified cry of "HARUHI!" The girls were running before he was done screaming her name. When they burst into their new friend's apartment seconds later, they saw Ranka draped over a girl? The Haruhi they had heard so much about apparently didn't know much about fashion, since her hair was cut straight into a bowl-cut.
"Hey dad," the girl greeted her wailing father. "Did you get Misuzu to the airport safely?"
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR?!" Ranka wailed, as the two other girls relaxed at the lack of danger.
"The boy down the street put gum in my hair, so I cut it off. It'll be easier to take care of this way," she said in a practically monotone voice.
"But it was so pretty!" Ranka wailed in grief.
"I don't really care what it looks like, I just didn't want to deal with the gum in my hair," Haruhi told her father honestly.
"Well, I might be able to help," Melody tentatively stepped in.
"And... Who are you?" Haruhi asked the two strange girls in confusion. The taller girl who had just spoken stood at five feet and eight inches. She had long wavy hair that fell just below her shoulders. Her layered and balayaged color faded seamlessly from a natural brunette at the roots to a vibrant honey blonde that framed her face and continued to a slight rose gold tint at the tips for a very stylish look. She was wearing a black t-shirt with an animated nine tailed fox that had the caption "I give zero fox". She had paired it with a stylish black leather jacket and ripped skinny blue jeans. She finished off her look with a couple rings, an assortment of necklaces, and black high-top Vans. Her makeup looked plain and natural, but with a slight artistic flair from her cat's eye black eyeliner and pink lipstick.
Haruhi wasn't sure if she'd call the shorter girl's hair purple or brown. It had a lovely burgundy color and was twisted up into a high tight bun, with strands left free to frame her face. Her long sleeved, knee-length blue dress had a modest old-age European feel with laces tying up the front bust. Her makeup had a very natural feel to it that accentuated her natural features. Haruhi was shocked to realize that this girl was barely taller than her, at five feet and two inches.
Their facial features and their mannerisms gave them away as American, although both girls were speaking perfect Japanese and had remembered to take off their shoes.
"I'm Melody," the girl in the fox shirt said in perfect Japanese.
"And I'm Beatrice, but you can call me Bea," the shorter one replied. "We met your father at the airport, and it seems like we're going to be next door neighbors. I hope we can be friends?"
"And I hope you will let me fix your hair," Melody said in a no-nonsense tone.
"Sure, if you can make my dad stop weeping on the floor, go ahead," Haruhi said, gesturing to her father who was still crying prostrate on the floor.
"I don't blame him," Melody replied with a smirk. "It's so uneven, it almost makes me want to cry. I'm just going to give it a little TLC and layers to frame your face better."
"Do you mind if I whip up something for all of us to eat for dinner while you two do that?" Bea asked.
"Sure, Let's get your stuff into your apartment, and then you two can make yourselves feel at home," Haruhi said to her two new friends.
To anyone who read this before: yes, I changed Melody's hair. I figured giving it more color would bring out her character's spunk more. Also, since I needed her to still become a part of the host club, but not be a music producer and still keep this scene, I gave her a piano.
Also, the fox shirt I mentioned exists and you and buy it on TeeTurtle's online store. It's super cute!