Authors Note:

YAY! I finally figured this thing out! Thanks for all your lovely reviews, they sure mean a lot to me! Also thanks to those of you who gave constructive citisim (looking at no one in particular xD)! I REALLY appreciate it! Anyway, here's the story :)

Chapter 3: Secrets

That night, I found myself dreaming about Hikaru. I dreamt that he learned my secret, and that he was disgusted in me. Then Kaoru began crying in the background saying he was the one in love with me. I found my dream self crying on the floor, begging for everything to go back to normal.

It wasn't the best dream anyone's ever had, I can say that much, and then it began plaguing me the next day.

It was a school day again, so I was forced once more to sit between Kaoru and Hikaru, trying to shake the dream away. They were both livelier than ever, chatting away with each other and everyone else in the room whatever chance they got.

"Haruhi," Hikaru asked me suddenly. "Could you help me with this question?"

We were in the middle of our foreign language class, something I was somehow managing to ace, so I was quite happy to help.

"Sure Hikaru, which question's stumped you?" I asked.

"Number nine," he sighed. I leaned over to explain it to him when my chair fell from beneath me and I landed face first on Hikaru's desk, missing his sharp pencil aimed upwards by millimetres.

Everyone stopped and looked at us, and I felt myself go red.
"Are you okay Haruhi?" Kaoru and Hikaru asked. I pushed myself up, rubbed my head, but managed to smile at them.

"I'm fine. I've just got a little bruise is all," I shrugged.

"Do you need to go to the infirmary?" they asked. I shook my head.

"As I said, it's just a little bruise."

Some of the girls that spent time with me often began to swoon, saying how brave I was.

"You really should be more careful you know," they both said softly. I felt myself go pink.

"Sorry," I mumbled, rubbing my head. This was killing me.

I managed to keep my emotions in check as I helped explain the question to Hikaru, and then Kaoru when he had trouble with the same question.

"Oh, by the way," Kaoru said quickly to me as the bell went. "Tamaki came and saw me today. He said we won't be entertaining tonight, but to still attend the Host Club, okay?"

I nodded my head, before rushing off to the dining hall. Hunny and Mori had both asked me to join them for lunch, although what for I had no clue.

Once again, as I got to the grand dining room, I was breathless at the beauty. Tables that seemed to be made of solid gold, meals so grand that a king himself would be stunned, and the loud chatter that filled the room.

Compare that to me and my box lunch, and it's pretty pathetic.

"Haruhi!" Hunny called from across the room, gesturing for me to sit with him. I sprinted around tables until I got to a surprisingly small table, set only for three.

"What's that?" he asked as I sat down, beginning to unwrap my lunch.

"Leftover sushi from last night," I shrugged, beginning to dig into my meal.

"Haruhi, we just wanted you to know that the others all tried to get the truth out of us, but we didn't tell!" Hunny laughed. I smiled.

"That's great!" I smiled. "Thanks a heap!"

"Tell her the rest though, Hunny," Mori said. I sighed. Of course there was more.

"Well, Kyoya may have mentioned that he thinks he knows who it is. When we asked who, he guessed right," Hunny said guiltily. "But don't worry! Mori and I are great actors, so we convinced him he was wrong!"

I sighed with relief. If Kyoya knew, then Tamaki would know, and then I would have to confess. I couldn't... not yet at least.

I couldn't help but notice how many eyes were on us. It was like the rumours from yesterday and Hunny, Mori and I sitting together made us the newest love triangle, which we defiantly were not.

"Haruhi?" Tamaki called from across the room. "What are you doing here?"
And suddenly, the entire Host Club was gathered around us, trying to find out what we were whispering about. I blushed, knowing exactly what they were thinking.

"So, you like the young, cute and innocent type?" the twins teased. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't like Hunny... not like that anyway. He's like a little brother to me," I grinned, ruffling his hair to emphasise my point. Hunny smiled brightly, hugging his bunny close to him as I did this.

"Well then who is it?" Tamaki asked. "It isn't daddy, is it?"

"No," I said bluntly, watching as Tamaki went and coiled himself up in a little ball as if that offended him.

"Well, Haruhi," both twins said, leaning in a little closer than I would have liked. "We know you'll tell us soon enough."

"What makes you think that?" Kyoya asked.

"Well, because Haruhi tends to speak her mind, a bit too much," the Kaoru said, shrugging like it was obvious.

"I DO NOT!" I defended, crossing my arms. I had completely forgotten about my lunch until one of my arms knocked it to the floor. I felt myself go red with anger.

"That, was, my, LUNCH!" I cried. I wanted to slap the two of them. I nearly did, but then my feelings for Hikaru bubbled up inside of me again. With clenched fists, I stormed out of the room.

Why were they all being so persistent? I liked somebody, big deal! It wasn't like they had never crushed on somebody before!

I was glad that my classroom was nearby, because otherwise I don't think I would have made it without anyone coming after me. Unfortunately, Hikaru and Kaoru would be seeing me in class, which just meant more pestering and annoyance. If they didn't give up soon, I might have to give in, and I wasn't prepared to do that because it was forced out of me.

If I told Hikaru I liked him, it would be because I wanted to. Not because the club bullied it out of me.

As I sat in class, I began to find myself accidentally looking in Kaoru's direction, blushing, and then looking back at the board. I felt myself go even redder when Hikaru began to notice, but he just looked back, smiling slightly to himself.

Focus Haruhi, I told myself, forcing my eyes to stay on the teacher and to listen for the rest of the lesson.