Chapter 2

Seven years later. Marki was now 16 and in her second year of high school. She had attended the public school near her hometown, but it wasn't very… educational. She wanted better. So, like any sensible teen, she turned toward the Internet. There she saw a school named Ouran Academy. And to make matters better, they already had an honor student. Maybe, just maybe, if she was good enough, she, too, could get in. So she took the test and she got in. She was now living with her Aunt Suze in an apartment. Aunt Suze's apartment was small. Like the-size-of-her-old-bedroom small. But Marki didn't complain, for she was grateful to her aunt for letting Marki live with her.

She has been attending her new school for a while now. One day she was looking for a quite place to study. She saw a music room that looked deserted, so she twisted the handle. As she did the door swung open and a light momentarily blinded her while flower petals danced around her.

Inside she saw seven figures. "Welcome," they all said.

The random light dimmed and the flower petals started to disperse.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, amazed. "How did you do that flower petal thingy?"

She looked around the room, looking for a hidden fan. Only then did she realize that she was standing in the midst of… boys?

"Welcome, Princess," the tall blond one with a serene expression adorning his face said, "I don't believe you've visited us before. I would remember someone as beautiful as you."

"Hey! Who're you calling princess?" Marki asked indignantly.

"Huh? All girls love being called princess," Blondie said.

"Well, I don't!" she huffed.

A pair of twins started snickering. "Oooh, boss. Looks like she's playing a little hard-to-get."

"I'm not playing anything! I just want a quite place to study!" she protested.

They were good-looking, she could see that plainly, but her old school had tons of boys who loved making girls fall for them only to dump them. She had become immune to basic flattery.

"…Who are you?" Blond Boy finally asked.

She paused to think. "I'm an honor student."

Everyone gasped simultaneously. Then they all turned to look at a short boy with feminine features.

"Haruhi!" The Blond One exclaimed, "You are no longer the only honor student! You have another one of your kind with you!" Then he, inexplicably, began to cry.

"These commoners are multiplying," the twins said, "Soon we will be overrun by them."

The one called Haruhi rolled his eyes. "Two doesn't really count as being overrun." Then he smiled a friendly smile at Marki. "Trust me, these rich people are really annoying at first, but then they become… no, actually they're always annoying. But you'll learn to love 'em."

Marki smiled back at him. The more I look at him, the more he seems like a girl… but I don't want to insult him. After all, if he's the only other honor student, he'll be the only one I could truly relate to. And besides, my old school had tons of cross-dressers. I'm used to it.

The really small one who was sitting on the really tall one's shoulder finally spoke. "How come you didn't tell us about a new honor student?" his innocent voice questioned the one with glasses.

Marki tilted her head at seeing the boy with glasses. He look really familiar… a pile of memories started to come to the surface.

"I saw that a new student had enrolled, of course, but I didn't see it as beneficial information, so I disregarded it."

Marki slowly stepped forward. Her face was one of confusion. Everyone looked surprised when she stopped right in front of glasses boy.

She appeared to be thinking hard. "…Kyoya?" she finally asked.

Kyoya blinked before his eyes widened. "Marki?"

She finally smiled. All the hosts stared as her smile grew and her eyes started twinkling. "You remembered!" she said happily.

Then, as if to overwhelm the other hosts even more, she threw her arms around him.

The twins sighed. "First Renge, now her. Why do random girls show up and insist on knowing you?"

"Actually," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses, "We do know each other. We met when we were young."

He explained the story. "Ohhhh," everyone said.

"Hey, Blondie, why are you crying!?" Marki asked.

"Because, that story… was… soooo… cute!"

"You're an emotional one, aren'tcha?"

"And why did you call me Blondie?"

"Because you're blonde."

Kyoya chuckled lightly. "Allow me to introduce you to everyone." He told her everyone's names.

"It's nice to meet all y'all."

"All ya'll?" Tamaki asked incredulously.

"Sure," she shrugged. "It's fun to say."

Haruhi smiled. "I think I might like you."

Tamaki gasped. "Daddy likes Marki too, Haruhi! All of us likes Marki, right men?"

"Yes, sir!" everyone said.

Hunny hopped forward. "I really do like you, Marki-chan! We can be great friends! Would you like some cake? It has strawberries!"

"O-okay…" Marki said, a bit uncertainly. She took a bite of the cake and nearly dropped the fork. "Wow… this tastes… amazing!"

"Yay!" Hunny yelled. Then he hugged Marki really tight. "I'm glad! Usa-chan likes cake too!" He held up a stuffed bunny.

"Hey… that's pretty cute," Marki said. She was charmed off her feet by Hunny.

"What?" Tamaki said, "How come you like Hunny so much but you don't like me?"

"Oh, I like you alright, I'm just not charmed by you."

Tamaki went and sat in the corner.

"Hey, don't overreact. Jeez, I'm sure any other girl would be charmed."

"No." Tamaki said, "I have no luck with commoners. They just don't like me. What am I doing wrong?" He started mumbling to himself.

"Ummm…" Marki really didn't know how to react to that. "Listen, I just don't like false compliments, that's all."

Tamaki came up to her. "You know," he said, his voice suddenly low, "No girl has ever disregarded me like that." He grabbed her chin and stared deep into her eyes, "Maybe I should punish you…"

Marki sighed irritably. "You know, I liked you better as a dweeb. And I'll give you exactly 3 seconds to get your filthy hand off me before I rip it off, understand me, wise guy?"

"Wha…?!"

"3… 2…"

Tamaki hastily dropped his hand and took a step back involuntarily.

The twins looked extremely impressed. "You are amazing when it comes to dealing with His Highness, but can you tell us apart? There's only one other person who is able to."

"You're Hikaru and you're Karou."

"Wrong!" the twins said gleefully.

"Actually, she's right." Haruhi said helpfully.

"I know I am," Marki agreed.

The twins looked depressed. "There is something wrong with commoners," they mumbled to each other, "They are immune to Tamaki and can tell us apart."

Haruhi shook his (her?) head. "Not all commoners. Just the ones that pay attention."

Kyoya picked up some teacups and moved to the other side of the room. Marki went with him, leaving the other hosts. "Hey, Kyoya?"

He glanced back at her, expecting her to say some sort of sentiment. But, as always, she surprised him.

"Is Haruhi a girl?"

He hid his surprise well, "My, you do have a good eye, don't you? And yes, Haruhi is, indeed, female." He then proceeded to tell Marki the story of how Haruhi became part of their club.

"I see…" Marki mused.

"…You're wearing your thinking face." He informed her.

"Am I?" she asked distractedly.

He knew this face well. She was currently planning something. Making connections, forming a plot. In some ways, she was almost as calculating as him.

"Ah!" she exclaimed at last, "I know just how to do it!"

He looked at her a bit wearily. "Do what?"

He half expected her to say something like 'how to steal 8 cookies from Grandma May without getting caught' or 'how to get our ball down from the roof using only gum and grass'. However, that was seven years ago, so of course she wouldn't say something like that.

"How to stay in this club." And with that she grinned, turned around and marched right over to Tamaki.

As he watched her retreating back, Kyoya whispered so no one can hear, "I'm glad to have you back… Marki."