Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while! My fanfiction app where I type all the chapters glitched and deleted everything I had written for chapter 3! (Sobs) I was almost done and now I have to retype the whole thing! Ugh.

Anyway I am determined to finish it ASAP so I'm chaining myself down and forcing myself to write! Lol. Luckily I'm off of work today so I have no excuse to get distracted!

Without further ado here's chapter 3!

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Chapter 3: The Sohma Curse

Erin was almost dozing off in her algerbra class. Why was it so boring? Suddenly, the loud bell jolted her awake.

She looked at the clock, 2:30. She packed up her bookbag and got ready to leave for the day. It was Friday thankfully. This week had flown by. She felt like she had so much make up work to do. She had been staying up late still trying to finish it. And Hatori wasn't around to help her. Not that she would ask him for help.

She rubbed her eyes. She had to stop sleeping in class. As she walked out she got nervous. Hatori was going to be there to pick her up as usual. He was never late. She sighed. Driving with him was so awkward. She never knew what to say and he was very intimidating.

Maybe she could think of a way to get out of riding home with him. Maybe make up an excuse to stay after school. Or maybe say she has to pick up pads. That always makes men squirm. Yes that was a great idea. She snickered to herself. Besides it's not like she needed a ride home, her ankle was fine now.

She ran into Tohru on her way out. "Oh Erin-Chan! Hi!" She said happily and Erin smiled. She listened to Tohru babble about dinner and going to work and needing more rice. "Oh I'm going to the store I need.. some stuff I'll get rice." Erin offered.

"Oh no! I couldn't possibly make you do that!" Tohru said going pale. Erin smiled "I'm already gonna be there." She said.

Eventually Tohru caved and gave Erin Shigure's card which she used to buy groceries. As Erin walked out she studied the gold card. She knew this was one of those fancy cards you got at those private banks. How much money did the Sohmas have? She shoved it into her backpack and tried not to slip on the many ice patches outside.

Erin saw a group of girls giggling and whispering. And she saw what they were looking at. Her heart stopped when she saw Hatori leaning against his black car in a full suit. He was smoking a cigarette and had his cell phone flipped open.

He was extremely handsome. He made Erin's heart race. But she refused to get a dumb school girl crush on him. He was like 8 years older than her. Plus he was weird. Enough said. She walked up to him boldly. She stood next to him and looked up at him. Why'd he have to be so tall? She was tall or so she thought but he was still taller.

Upon seeing her he closed his phone and stomped on his cigarette. "You ready?" He asked flatly opening the door for her.

"I actually got errands to run" she said shrugging and he raised a brow at her.

"I'll give you a ride, what store do you need to go to? My afternoon is clear." He said matter of factly.

"Nah you don't have to I need to get Tohru rice and then I also need pads and stuff..you know girl things." She said inwardly laughing. She couldn't wait to see him get taken aback and awkward. Hatori blinked. "We'll stop at the grocery store they have menstrual supplies there. Get in." He deadpanned.

Erin sighed and got in. She rested the back of her head on the seat. How could she forget he was a doctor! Of course period stuff wouldn't gross him out. She thought mentally cursing herself. "Menstural supplies" who in their right mind called it that?

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Erin stood awkwardly looking at the pads in the grocery store holding the bag of rice. She would need some soon but she didn't want to buy them in front of him. She rolled her eyes. And grabbed some small boxes. She threw them into the basket Hatori was holding her face tomato red.

"What's wrong?" He asked without moving his gaze from reading the back of a vitamin bottle. "Nothing." She mumbled. She looked up at him reading the bottle of vitamin C. She noticed he was holding it up to the right side of his face, instead of in the center where people normally look at things.

"Do you need glasses?" She asked tilting her head slightly. He looked up surprised. "I do have them." In a tone that seemed he didn't want to continue talking about it. He thew the vitamins into the basket.

"I don't need those." Erin stared.

"I do. And you should take some. Don't you take vitamins?" He asked and Erin shook her head. "Well you should." He deadpanned. Erin rolled her eyes.

"Did you get everything you need?" Hatori asked and she nodded before eying a chocolate chip muffin. She gasped "these are my favorite!!" She said happily. She reached into her bag counting the spare change she had. Hatori reaches around her and grabbed the muffins and put it in a bag.

"I'll get it for you. All done?" He asked. Erin's has almost hit the floor. "You don't have to" she said quietly but he was already in line checking out.

Seeing Hatori in a grocery store was quite weird. She couldn't really imagine him doing mundane everyday chores like grocery shopping. He wasn't dressed like he should be at the grocery store. She saw a bunch of women eyeing him and smiling as they walked past. He didn't even notice.

Erin looked at her reflection in the glass of the front door. She was ugly with pale skin and freckles. Her brown hair was too long and always tangled no matter how many times she brushed it. Erin knew a guy who looked like Hatori or the rest of the Sohmas was way outta her league.

Hatori handed her the small muffin bag as he walked out the store. She accepted it and followed in his wake. "Thank you" She said bowing her head. He smiled slightly.

As they walked to the car, 3 girls on their phones laughing and gossiping walked past almost bumping into Hatori. Erin was about to tell him to watch out. However, it was like he was already aware of their presence and quickly stepped out of their way.

"That was impressive." Erin laughed slightly. She looked up at him to him standing rigidly, like he just had a near miss with a bus not a group of 14 year old girls.

Before Erin could ask him what was up he snapped out of it and continued loading the groceries into his trunk. Erin shrugged it off. However, the more time she spent with Hatori she realized he had odd mannerisms. Like how he drove a western car, or the vitamins, his manners, and how he maneuvers around people. Were all the Sohmas like this?

But then again what was it her business. What could she compare to against the wealthy Sohma family. She was homeless. She got into the car and took out her muffin.

"Would you like some?" Erin asked as he got into the car. "No, thank you though." He said curtly. Erin nodded and took a bite.

"You didn't have to get me this." Erin said quietly. Suddenly feeling like a free loader.

"I think I can afford a muffin." Hatori stated. "I didn't think you couldn't." Erin mumbled. Why did he always state the obvious like that? She rolled her eyes for the millionth time it seemed as they drove home in silence.

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When they arrived at Shigure's house Erin quickly stuck her bag of stuff into her backpack. And walked inside following Hatori.

"Oh you're back!" Shigure said excitedly. "Hello Shigure-San" Erin smiled. Shigure and Hatori continued to talk but Erin tuned them out. She sits and takes an orange off the kotatsu and begins peeling it while watching tv. She should start her homework so she's not up late again.

Hatori and Shigure walked over to the kotatsu still talking. "You worry to much Ha-San. Everything will be fine." Shigure reassured. Hatori made a small noise and rolled his eyes.

"Erin-Chan! I had something I wanted to talk to you about." Shigure said sitting at the table.

"What is your plan now? Where are you going to go?" He pryed slightly.

Erin paused her mouth going dry. She hadn't really thaught much about her next steps. She had gotten too comfortable living here. She forgot she was nothing to them but a charity. She bowed her head.

"I'm sorry to be such a bother. I can leave today. Right now actually. I'm suppose I can drop out of school and work. Then get some place to live." She said holding back tears.

"I'll go pack up my things." Erin said flatly getting up. Shigure started laughing.

"Hold your horses Erin. I'm not kicking you out." He said through laughing fits. "If anything the plan you told me is awful and you should seriously reconsider." He said again suddenly serious.

"Huh?" Erin said taken aback. Was her plan that bad? She thought it was reasonable at the least.

"Well since you have no better ideas why don't you stay here?" He said with a smile.

"Stay here? Like permanently?!" She yelled shocked. "I couldn't! I mean I can't impose on you like that and I-I-I" She stuttered her mind racing so fast her mouth couldn't keep up. She started scratching at her hand as she tried to slow her mind down and find words.

"Erin please it's not an inconvenience. We want you to stay. We can't just let you out on the streets. What kind of men would we be if we let you do that? Well I wouldn't be able to like with myself." Shigure said sadly clutching his chest.

Erin studied the two men in front of her, remembering when she first woke up here a little more than a week ago. It's been a really short time and they were just able to invite her to move in? She had never dreamed of getting out of her aunt and uncles house. And now that she was free from there she could finally choose where she wanted to be. She wanted to be here. She liked it at Shigure's house. But she didn't want to impose on them. They didn't even know her.

"Well I'm glad that was decided." Shigure smiled as Erin's mouth gaped. She didn't even answer yes yet! He just assumed! Erin slumped. "Are you sure it's not too much trouble?" She asked. Almost no one wanted to take her in after her parents died in that accident. So she couldn't imagine someone so willingliy invite her to stay.

Shigure just smiled and started eating an orange. Erin glanced at Hatori who was silent during this discussion but he avoided her gaze. Erin went back to her orange thinking about her situation.

"Oh that reminds me I have some personal matters to take care of. Excuse me." Shigure said bowing his head and leaving the room.

Erin looked at Hatori again. He met her gaze and Erin dropped it. He looked angry.

"Erin. Shigure, well he's irresponsible and doesn't understand consequences. He's always been like that, ever since he was a child. He's always been pushing boundaries. But trust me when I say this the Sohma's are not a family you want to interfere with. Before you come to regret coming to us, leave." He said very serious.

Erin stared at him blankly. And saw the pain in his eyes. Did he always look so hurt? What did he mean by the Sohmas aren't who you want to interfere with? What's wrong with them? Why couldn't he tell her?

"I don't understand." She said quietly.

"You can't and won't. It's best if you go back to your family. You'll be safer there." He said flatly.

Erin grew angry. She swore she would never go back there. And they weren't her family. She hated them.

"I'm not going back." She said quietly looking up slightly at him. Tears stung at her eyes "I can't." She looked out at the cold winter afternoon and sighed, trying to compose herself. Hatori's face softened slightly.

"Then please excuse me. I should be going home now." He said bowing his head slightly and getting up to leave.

"Wait! Please I don't understand." She asked, quickly getting up confused. She went to walk towards him and grab his arm. However she tripped over her school bag causing her to fall forward.

It all happened so fast. She crashed into Hatori's back and went to grab onto his suit to catch her self. But the strangest thing happened he just vanished and she crashed onto the floor, her head smacking the floor. Her ankle screamed in pain as it wasn't fully healed and she yelped in pain, while rubbing her head.

"Thanks for just letting me"- she started to say but realized Hatori was gone. She looked down at her hands and realized she was still clutching his suit jacket. She looked on the floor and all of his clothes were laying there crumpled.

"Hatori-san?" She said quietly looking around. She heard a rustling noise. She looked at his pile of clothes and saw them moving slightly. She pulled his dress shirt out of the way to find a tiny brown seahorse.

Erin screamed.

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Alright that didn't take too long!! I started that on Tuesday and now it's Friday lol. You know I'm actually glad I had to rewrite it. It's so much better than what I originally had!!! I really hope you guys enjoy it! Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think! See you in the next chapter!!