What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

Chapter Two

Haruhi cast a menacing stare towards the hosts, a horrid glow casting around her, she was pissed, and everybody could see that.

"Umm, Haru-chan? You don't look so happy..." Hunny gulped in fear. Haruhi walked over to Kyoya, who had his shadow king aura progressively getting darker and more sinister every passing second; he was going to make sure all hell was going to break loose.

"I had a scholarship, a scholarship to the most prestigious school in the country, and you dumbasses messed that up." She growled, he hair blocking the hosts view of her face, though none of them wanted to see it, it could probably scar them for life.

"We're... sorry?" Tamaki whimpered from behind everybody. Haruhi stayed still for a moment, then walked up to Tamaki and kicked him as hard as she could in his manliness. The cry of pain could be heard shaking through the entire school, but no one came for help since they all knew Tamaki had a history for over-reacting. Haruhi slowly walked out of the building, taking precaution not to turn around and see the shock on the hosts faces', and as soon as she was a distance away from Ouran, she started crying. The tears were streaming down her face, and she was ashamed of them, but she couldn't hold that in; her dreams of becoming a lawyer seemed to have all washed away in an instance, all because those rich bastards couldn't think for themselves for once.

She sat on the hard, cold pavement; thinking about how much of a failure she felt like, when it started raining.

"Oh fuck it!" She yelled at the sky, picking herself and he stuff up; at least this way no one could see that she was crying.

"Haruhi?"

Haruhi snapped her head to the side, astonished to see a girl with straight blonde hair that reached her waist, and bright green eyes. She was wearing a red girl's uniform, the hem of the skirt reaching just above her knee, and the sleeves a bit puffed out. There was a bow meeting her cleavage, almost masquerading it instead. In an instance, she ran over to Haruhi and smiled at her.

"Asaka?" Haruhi asked, perplexed at the sudden arrival. Asaka nodded her head sweetly.

"Yep! Long time no see!" She greeted back. Haruhi didn't respond, only staring at her. When Asaka noticed this, she tilted her head to the side a bit, confused on why Haruhi was so mute. "Is something wrong, Haruhi?" She questioned, putting her hand up to her face to check for any sign of left-over food. Haruhi shook her head.

"No, nothing's wrong, I just didn't expect to see you here."

"And I didn't expect to see you, especially not in a male uniform."

Haruhi almost blushed.

"It's a long story, want to come over for some tea?" She asked, motioning in the direction of her apartment. Asaka checked her watch that she kept on the underside of her wrist.

"I'd love some, is your dad still working until night?" She started as Haruhi and her commenced their walking home. Asaka had taken out her umbrella that she was carrying, so Haruhi eventually started to dry a bit.

"Yea, I don't see him much anymore, especially not since I arrived at Ouran." She hissed at the mention of the school. Asaka widened her eyes in surprise, not expecting that reaction from such a prestigious school.

"Is there something a matter with Ouran?"

"Only everything!" Haruhi shouted in frustration, Asaka looked at her short friend, slightly amused at what was happening, but at the same time she was a bit frightened, something bad must have happened.

"I'm guessing that this is part of the 'long story'?" She laughed a bit. Haruhi nodded her head, opening the door as she walked into her apartment. "I've got time, I would love to hear it, especially considering that everyone is missing you back at school."

Haruhi almost banged her head into the wall, but walked into the living room, set down the tea, and proceeded to tell her the now infamous story of how she broke what is now commonly known simply as 'the vase'. Asaka listened, and in the end, laughed. Haruhi gave her a look to tell her how serious she was about not liking the hosting gig, but couldn't help but smile a bit at it too; after all, the story was ridiculous.

"So is that why you were swearing at the sky earlier?"

Haruhi groaned. "No, that's a different story, it involves all six of the idiots from the last one though." Asaka perked her ears up, eager to hear the rest, though she never got to hear another word as their was a knock on the door. "That's probably my dad." Haruhi answered while getting up, though Asaka beat her to the door. She always liked Haruhi's dad, he was a kind, funny man, and he liked her back, their mutual love of bows and girlish shoes put them on the same page about Haruhi's distasteful fashion sense.

Asaka opened the door, fully expecting to be glomped by Mr. Fujioka, but instead received two confused stares from the men outside.

Haruhi, poked her head from the side of Asaka, who was quite a bit taller than her, and almost slammed the door when she saw the twins standing outside.

"Oh hell no! Go away!" She yelled, almost succeeding in her former thought. Hikaru stuck his foot into the door way, stopping the impending slam, cursing under his breath when it crushed it.

"Haruhi! We just wanna apologize!" Kaoru rolled his eyes.

"I should make some popcorn, this is gonna get interesting..." Asaka murmered.

"Hey! Don't take pleasure from our pain!" Hikaru complained through the door.

"You hypocrites! You do that to everyone, but when it happens to you it's a big 'no-no'?" Haruhi shouted, trying her hardest to close the door, though failing since two twins are stronger than one girl. Hikaru and Kaoru made their way inside, and just waited there, staring Haruhi down until she started paying attention to them again; she had tried to make conversation with Asaka again, but her attention was averted by the two handsome red-heads standing there. Her face blushed a bright pink at the thought of them, but when they were standing right behind her, she flushed to a deep red, one that she couldn't conceal.

"Hey, Haruhi, if you don't listen to us, we'll get to your little friend here." They chorused together. Asaka tried her best to move inch-by-inch away from them, but they rooted her in place as they placed arms around her, one above her shoulder, and one around her back.

Haruhi rolled her eyes, took Asaka's hand, and tried to pull her out of their grasps, though failing. Hikaru propped his head on her left shoulder, while Kaoru proceeded to do the same on her right.

"Isn't this sexual harassment?" Asaka wondered out loud.

"Only if you don't like it," Hikaru answered.

"And be honest, you know you do."

Haruhi scoffed at that.

"Don't be such inconsiderate assholes, Asaka would never-" She stopped when she saw how red the girl's face was, causing a facepalm on Haruhi's part before releasing a deep sigh.

"Fine, I'll listen to you two, just let her go." Haruhi said. This time when she tugged on Asaka's hand, they immediately released her, and she practically stumbled into the door. She checked her watch, mumbled something that Haruhi thought was a goodbye, and then exited the house.

"Great, you managed to run her off." Haruhi muttered.

"Yea yea yea, who was that anyway?" Hikaru asked. After Haruhi contemplated telling them, she opened her mouth to speak.

"That was my best friend in middle school, Asaka Noro."

Kaoru pulled the curtain back and peeked out the window to see the blonde walking down the street, talking to herself. He tilted his head a little when he remembered how she was standing in the door frame, arms held open as if she was expecting something from them. Since Kaoru lost himself in thought, he almost ended up missing the entire conversation.

"... I said we're sorry though!"

"Sorry isn't going to get me back into Ouran!"

"It's not that bad for you! You get to go back to school with all your friends!"

Haruhi's ears perked up a little. That is true, and she totally forgot, she's going back to her old school. Inside she was having a celebration for that occasion, on the outside, she was fuming.

"That means nothing!"

"It does to us! You're gonna be the only friend that we know there!" Hikaru shouted back at her. Once again, Haruhi's world crashed, she was also going to have to continue putting up with... them.

"God help me..." She mumbled under her breath.

"C'mon, Hikaru, let's go." Kaoru said quietly, tugging on Hikaru's jacket. Hikaru gave his twin a bewildered and slightly mad look, but then let him lead him outside. Kaoru made note to say good bye to Haruhi though.

"What was that about, Kaoru?" Hikaru asked. Kaoru smirked, kicking a rock on the road, he had dismissed the limo driver and he and his twin were making their way down the street.

"Have you thought that maybe this is actually good for us?" Kaoru asked Hikaru, who had successfully avoided a water puddle.

"Never!" Hikaru persisted. Kaoru shook his head at how obstinate his twin is.

"But think, this could be a good opportunity to try something else, experience commoner life; we do it with Boss all the time, this wouldn't be different."

"Yea, but this is long-term, it's longer than a couple hours in a street fair!" Hikaru yelled, walking ahead a little to kick a rock.

Maybe long term is what you need, Kaoru thought, staring at his brother.

A:N: Ello! I'm back again! I have finals this week, so I've been studying a lot, but I think I'll be able to update a bit faster until December, then I have MORE, LONGER finals. But anyway, thanks for the reviews! Hope to see more! (Even if you don't like the story, I'm totally fine with that.) And yes, I do know who Kelly Clarkson is, and I have heard the song, but I meant that the title is used in a more ironic way, but anyway, R&R!