Typical Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club

Chapter Three: Challenges

Michelle and Kyouya were now on their tour of Ouran Academy, her new school.

Kyouya asked her what classes she was taking and instead of fumbling with the schedule, she simply handed him the list of her classes that the head of the school gave to her about an hour ago. Upon looking it over, Kyouya made a mental note that she was basically in all his classes.

'She's also taking a full load of honors and AP classes' he thought with a slight hint of admiration for a fellow studious student. She was in all of his classes with one exception.

Instead he noticed that during the time frame of his AP business class, she was enrolled in the elite girl's choir that the school had. He remembered hearing somewhere that only exceptional voices were admitted into that choir and that they were world famous.

'That's not too surprising she was admitted due to her beautiful voice.' He thought as he handed the strawberry blonde back her list and thought of the best route to use in order to show her where all her classes were.

Engaging in small talk, the tour around the school went very smoothly. Michelle found herself actually enjoying the distant and emotionless Kyouya's company.

'He's not like anyone I've met before. He seems to have this aura of loneliness and falseness around him.' She thought while remembering that she also was being untrue with the host club members.

'I guess it takes a fake to spot a fake' Michelle thought to herself as she tried her best to match her small steps with the longer strides that her guide was making.

Making mental note of all the places that she could study, but then realizing how loud all of them were, she asked Kyouya

"is there any place in this school that is quiet, I mean is there a place that someone can go to study around here?"

Secretly applauding that he was right in his previous assumption about her being a serious student, Kyouya told her

"I'm afraid not. This school caters to the rich and privileged of Japan. Due to that, all of the students have large studying places at home and solely view the school as a social environment during their free time".

Frowning at the thought that she would only be able to really study at the place that she now called home, Michelle simply said "I see" and continued to follow Kyouya as he turned down yet another hall.

'Thank goodness that I'm extremely good at getting around the inside of buildings. If not I would get so lost so easily here. I'm quite glad I'm not…' she paused in her thoughts again. 'I wonder how she's doing' Michelle thought as she recalled her best friend back home in America that she was about to compare herself to.

Realizing that his companion wasn't paying attention to him as he pointed out the cafeteria, Kyouya stopped walking. Since she was so lost in her thoughts of her life back in America, Michelle almost plowed right into the dark haired boy. Luckily her peripheral vision worked well and she caught herself before she collided with her guide.

"Did I lose you somewhere" Kyouya coolly asked in an attempt to make her realize that he didn't like being ignored.

"I'm so sorry Kyouya" Michelle said in an overly sweet and apologetic voice. "I didn't mean to stop listening to you. I just was…'quick think on your feet' trying to memorize the layout. Let me see if I remembered right. If we turned around and took a left, we would be back at our home room right?" she asked even though she knew that she was incorrect.

Again noticing that she was covering up what she was really thinking, Kyouya replied

"Michelle, I know that you are well aware that you would not take a left to get to our home room, but a right".

Caught inwardly off guard that someone actually could immediately tell that she was good at directions, she smirked and said coyly

"Hmm, you're right. How did you know that?"

Kyouya merely said that he noticed she recognized turns that they had made before when they approached a hallway from another way.

"And', he added with a smirk as he tilted his head so that she couldn't see his eyes due to the glare, "you had no problems following my directions to the host club. I know that they were not easy to follow".

"Wait" she said inquisitively and this time visibly thrown off by what the tall boy just said to her, "You purposely gave me hard to follow directions to the music room? Why?" Kyouya merely adjusted his glasses with his right pointer finger, inwardly happy that he was able to throw her off.

"You have your secrets and I have mine" he replied with a smirk.

'Halleluiah, a challenge' Michelle thought to herself. 'I love a good challenge and I have definitely found one in Kyouya'.

"Touché" Michelle coolly said in response as she allowed Kyouya to continue their tour.

After the tour was done, Michelle wanted to prove that she wasn't a bumbling blonde, so the girl stated that she had a wonderful sense of direction. In order to show her guide that she remembered everything he told her, Michelle insisted on Kyouya not telling her how to get back to the music room. Knowing that they were the furthest they could possibly be from their destination and that it would confuse any brand new student, and even several first year students, Kyouya accepted this small 'challenge'.

On the way back to the music room, Michelle engaged Kyouya in a discussion about the teachers that she would be meeting the following day. Absent mindedly, Kyouya answered all her questions while he watched in amazement as she was making turns and using short-cuts he never even walked down with her. In no time at all, they soon found themselves in front of the familiar light maroon double doors.

"Told ya I could do it" Michelle said as she smugly turned to open the door.

Before she had her hand on the door handle, Kyouya reached out for it first. Not reacting as quickly as she would have liked, Michelle found her hand on top of his. For a brief moment, she felt his cool skin beneath her warm hand.

She immediately retracted her hand and feeling a slight blush creeping over her cheeks. Michelle allowed him to open the door for her.

'It's funny how much this place already feels welcoming' she thought as she stepped into the only familiar room in the building and completely dismissed the brief awkward moment outside.

Tamaki rushed to her side and started to bombard her with a million questions. Most importantly he wanted her to assure him that Kyouya was a perfect gentleman and didn't try anything while they were on their tour.

"Idiot, like I would do anything inappropriate" Kyouya said as he whapped his best friend over the head and continued back to his precious notebook and laptop.

"Yeah Boss-" Hikaru said.

"He's not you" Kaoru finished.

"NOW ENOUGH OF THAT!" Tamaki screeched as he said "You two are worse than I am".

"So you're-" Kaoru started

"Admitting that you are perverted" Hikaru finished.

As the evilly grinning twins ran away with Tamaki in hot pursuit, Michelle turned back to Kyouya and thanked him for a lovely tour. He nodded in response while his fingers were quickly flying over his keyboard adding all the details he learnt about Michelle during their short walk.

"Well, if that's it for today" Michelle said as she reached for her folded clothes that were on the sofa nearest to the door "I'll be going to my aunt and uncle's house".

All the host members looked up at the blue eyed girl and bid her a fond 'see ya tomorrow!" with the exception of Kyouya.

He merely said while looking down at his laptop "don't forget that school starts tomorrow promptly at eight o'clock". Smiling as she told Kyouya that she knew that already, Michelle reached for the door and walked out.

'Thank You God for letting me get through that and with the result I was looking for" she prayed as she leaned against the door that she had just closed behind her and pulled her clothes to her chest. 'Please continue to be with me on my first day tomorrow and please, look over all my friends back home. I miss them so much'.

With that, Michelle walked out of her new school building.

Hey everyone! Since the holidays are coming, things have already started to become hectic, but here's the newest post. Please let me know what you think so far! Thanks once again to those who signed up for updates, it really lets me know that someone's interested in this story, like me :)