Anna

Damn it. I didn't want to lose my temper. But I'm so furious with him it's not even funny. He doesn't know how to act around people that much is clear. I'm sorry, Haruhi. I just can't do it, I think, remembering the promise I made yesterday.

"Seriously though," Haruhi says, after she finishes berating Maria for her all Asians look the same comment. "If you really got him to talk to you, like actually tell you things, that's impressive."

"Well we didn't talk much," I say. "A lot of times he would make sarcastic comments to Karou, even though he wasn't there. I don't think he realized I could hear him, but I did. I was just sort of trying to make him feel better, or get him to relax and then all of a sudden he just kept talking."

"That's unusual for him," she replies. "Even with the girls-"

"Girls?" Maria asks.

"It's kind of a long story, anyway he was most comfortable when his brother was there. And with Arai-"

"Arai?" Maria asks.

"Another long story, anyway he was such a jerk to him. Neither he nor his brother really know how to think about other people. Or how to act around them. Unless they're doing their show, or their with us. I just, do me a favor, will you Maria? Try to help him out. Show him how to be a person. Be his friend. Because he needs to learn how to expand his social group. Just try it would you? It'll be hard but I think it might help."

"Yeah, sure I'll try."

"Promise me?"

"Yeah I promise."

But who thought such a promise would be so hard to keep.

I call her during my fourth period study hall, because I know she has lunch then.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Anna. Look I tried I really did but he is such a dick."

"I was kind of expecting this."

"Wait what? Why?"

"Hikaru just texted me something along the lines of how much would you guys kill me if I left school again. What did he say?"

"He said it was all my fault that everything went so badly for him yesterday and that I didn't have the right to worry about him and all sorts of other terrible things." And just like that I'm crying.

"Uh Anna? You okay?"

"No, yes, I don't know. I don't even know why I'm so upset, it's not like I know him or anything. I just can't believe he doesn't understand that we were worried about him."

"Yeah well that's Hikaru for you. It's ok, I understand that you don't want to be friends. I won't force it on you." Of course this made me cry harder.

"Now what's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just now I feel like I've failed you."

"Don't worry about it. It was wishful thinking, I should've know Hikaru couldn't make a friend on his own so easily. Look I gotta go, don't feel bad okay. He was rude and there's no excuse for that. I can understand why you don't want to talk to him. But any time you want to talk to me I'm game okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks, I guess. You're a really nice person Haruhi."

"Oh. Thanks." And she hung up. I clean myself up and try to calm down. I still don't know why I was so hurt by what Hikaru said. I mean angry I can deal with. I've been angry all day. But what I feel now...something's different. And I don't know what.

"Where were you yesterday?" my friend Chelsea asks at lunch.

"Something came up," I say.

"Something to do with the new kid you keep staring at."

"Yeah-wait I'm not staring at him."

"Uh yeah you are. You haven't taken your eyes off him since the beginning of lunch. Do you have a crush on him? He is kind of hot."

"What?! No I don't have a crush on him. He's an asshole."

"If you say so. But why do you keep staring?"

"I didn't even realize I was okay?" I snap. "I'll stop." But I can't stop. Throughout the rest of the day I find myself with my eyes on him. Each time I jerk my hear away, afraid that he'll catch me staring. But he never even looks my direction. I keep on thinking about him all afternoon. For some reason I feel bad for what I said to him. He didn't realize that what he was saying. I almost want to apologize. But at the same time I'm still furious with him and so my desire to apologize often disappears in an instant.

Haruhi

"Oh good lord."

"What is it this time?" Maria asks. We are on our way to lunch when my phone buzzes with a text that is so melodramatic that I can't help but get annoyed. I show her the text.

Can I go back to Japan?

"You're friend, the one that we chased through the city the other day?" Maria asks.

"Yes," I sigh. "He's behaving ridiculously. Honestly you would think the fact that his younger brother is handling this better than him would be a motivating factor to improve, but nope he just goes on being idiotic."

"Why is he so antisocial anyway?"

"It's just his nature. And how he was raised and stuff." I quickly send a text back that says No idiot! Please tell me you didn't run out of school again.

"Oh. Well moving on to more important things, we didn't get to talk much yesterday but tell me more about this boy toy of yours."

"Boy toy?" I glance down as my phone buzzes again. Why does everyone keep asking me that?

"Boyfriend whichever you prefer. He is very attractive. Actually all of your friends are very attractive."

"Oh please. Don't encourage them." Maybe because you ran off the other day. And then insulted Anna and got so upset that you almost left again. You really hurt her feelings you know.

"What? You don't find your boyfriend attractive?"

"No I do, of course I do, it's just that they're all already full enough of themselves. They don't need Americans fawning over them too."

"Too?"

"It's a long story."

Whatever. I didn't like her that much anyway. And I'm just bored of school and stuff. There's nothing here in America that's not in Japan. We should go back.

"Well I will not deny that they look fine. Can I come over later?"

"Why exactly? So you can admire my fine looking friends."

"No. Well maybe. Plus I need help on the calc homework. I have no clue what I'm doing."

No, okay. You didn't have to come in the first place. This is my opportunity and you're ruining it.

"Yeah sure fine come over. As long as Hikaru doesn't lose it and run away again we'll

be fine."

"Don't you think you're being a little hard on him? After all this is his first time in America."

"It's mine too," I reply. "And Karou's, and Tamaki's and Kyoya's and Mori's and Hani's and we're all fine."

"Yeah I guess. I just feel kind of bad for him. He obviously has trouble adjusting."

"Well he's going to have to learn to adjust because we can't pick up after him forever."

"Yeah I guess. I mean I don't really know him like you all do. I just think you should cut him some slack."

"Perhaps once he learns how to behave."

"Ok, ok, relax. So see you later today then?"

"Sounds good." The bell rings and we head off in opposite directions, me to world cultures and Maria to economics. At the end of the day Maria and I meet so we can walk to my apartment together. When I open the door everyone except for Hikaru is sitting there spread out on the couches and chairs.

"Um how did you get in?" I ask glaring at all of them.

"Kyoya has keys to all of the apartments," Tamaki replies.

"Of course he does."

"Is this some kind of intervention?" Maria asks.

"Oh hello Maria," Tamaki says. "No, what exactly is an intervention?"

"You know what, never mind."

"So why are we all here?" I ask. "I mean Maria came over so I could help her with homework and you all will be kind of distracting."

"This is far more important than homework."

"It's about Hikaru." Karou says before I can protest that nothing is more important than homework.

"So we are having an intervention," Maria exclaimed gleefully.

"We wouldn't know considering you haven't explained to us what one is yet," Karou said.

"Anyway I'm assuming he texted you too? About wanting to go back to Japan?" Tamaki asks. I nod.

"Well he texted all of us too. He's really upset and it's kind of worrisome."

"It's bothersome, really," I say annoyed. "I didn't ask for all of you to follow me here. But now you have and its created a lot of trouble just like I thought it would."

"That's mean, Haur-chan," Hani said.

"Oh yeah well it's the truth."

"And that's why we're trying to figure out a solution to the problem," Tamaki says smoothly, trying to avoid the tirade he knows is coming.

"What's your brilliant plan?"

"We're going to start an American Host Club."

"Oh no Tamaki that's such a dumb idea."

"I think it will help," he says simply.

"Help? How?"

"The Host Club is where Hikaru felt most comfortable. It will give him a connection to Japan."

"But but but..."

"It's not like we will make you dress up like a boy again," said Karou.

"Yeah actually Kyo-chan suggested we have a couple of girl hosts, to mix things up," Hani says. "We'd have boy guests too of course."

"Ack, alright fine. I will participate in your stupid host club again. But what other girls were you going to ask."

"Well Maria for one. That's why it was kind of convenient that she was here. So how about it Maria, will you join the host club?" Tamaki asks with his most charming smile.

"Just one important question," she says. "What the hell is a host club?"

"I'm glad you asked," Tamaki says, grinning widely. "The Host club is where the school's handsomest boys with too much time on their hands entertain young ladies who also have way to much time on their hands."

"That clears things up. Not."

"Basically the guys here just sit and flirt with a bunch of pretty girls," I explain.

"That's not true," Tamaki says indignantly. "We do lots of things to increase cultural knowledge too."

"But you basically just sit and flirt with a bunch of girls."

"I'm starting to understand a lot of your comments regarding these guys," Maria says.

"You talk about us?" Tamaki asks.

"Of course I do but that's not relevant. Are we really doing this thing or not?" I ask.

"Oh we're doing it," they all assure me. "But will Maria join?"

"Fine. But I honestly think that no one in America will go for this kind of thing. Just so you know."

"What do you mean?" Tamaki asks, sounding hurt.

"I think a lot of people will either think that sitting and flirting or increasing cultural knowledge or whatever is either really weird or they'll take it way too seriously and become super attached. But by all means, try it."

"All right," says Tamaki, excited once more. "We'll give it a try."

"What other girls were you thinking of inviting? Or will it be just me and Maria?" I ask.

"Well the original plan was to ask Anna too, but we're thinking of having her as a guest instead."

"Why?" I should've known better than to ask that, I think to myself as Tamaki whips out a diagram.

"Well it's all part of our plan that we concocted while you were still at school. You see, Karou pointed out that based on Hikaru's behavior he has a crush on Anna. A bit inexplicable seeing as he barely knows her but that is irrelevant. Anyway we figure if we can convince Anna to come and be a guest and request Hikaru then they'll obviously hit it off and everything will be perfect. Hikaru won't want to go back to Japan and everyone will be happy."

"What if Anna doesn't like him? Or if they don't hit it off? Or if you're completely wrong and he doesn't like her? Or-"

"These problems have never stopped us before. I have great faith that we will succeed again."

"Again? When have we ever succeeded?"

"Lots of times. Trust me. This will work."

"They're doomed," I say, quietly to Maria.

"But it'll be fun," she says. "I just love interventions."

I'm baaaacck. Did you miss me? I've been super busy lately with school, etc. and writers block is acting up again. Hopefully I'll be more regular from now on. I know where I'm going with the story just not how to get there...anyway enjoy! As always, reviews are appreciated!