"Do you like Nekozawa-senpai?"
It was after customer-serving hours and now only the club members remained, but they all wanted to know what the Black Magic Club President and I had been talking about for the remaining ten minutes before his time was up.
I shrugged at Haruhi's question. "He's pretty cool, I guess."
Tamaki took this as a bad thing and flung himself at me. His hands captured mine and, tearful expression in place, begged, "Please don't go over to the dark side, Alexis. You will be cursed! They will ruin your reputation!"
I grinned and my eyes met with Kyouya's. "Maybe that's not such a bad thing…"
Tamaki gaped at me, backing away, while the Shadow King hurriedly scribbled a note on his clipboard. I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder and another wrap around my waist. "Why would you want to join that boorish club?" the twins snorted, and I felt the urge to squirm with their arms hanging on me.
"I never said I was joining," I frowned, "I said I would consider it."
"That's just as bad," one of the Hitachiin brothers commented. "They are a joke anyway."
The other brother shrugged. "The school is considering shutting down their club soon what with the poor income they make from their merchandise and how few members they have."
"If they don't do something before New Year's Eve," Kaoru and Hikaru said in the same creepy tone, "then the Black Magic Club will be no more."
"Wow, can a club really be shut down?" I breathed in horror.
"Look what happened to the Newspaper Club," Hikaru said.
"They wrote garbage in their papers and no one bought anything," Kaoru finished.
"Shouldn't you guys help the Black Magic Club?" I frowned, glancing at each member. "I mean, how would you guys like it if the Host Club were disbanded?" Tamaki got a sympathetic passionate look on his face, but the twins rushed to pop his fantasies of assisting one of their rivals.
"Our club won't be disbanded," Kyouya said with certainty.
"Obviously not," I retorted sarcastically before taking on a nicer tone, "but you have to place yourself in their shoes sometimes to understand why they do the things they do." Kyouya seemed slightly surprised by my slight outburst, but before I could continue a tug at my black shirt made me look down.
"Don't you like our club?" Hunny sniffled, eyes watering and holding his Usa-chan (bunny) in an irresistible fashion. This dirty trick aroused my usually latent maternal instincts.
I picked Hunny up, balancing him on my hip with one arm wrapped around his back as I wiped one of his eyes. "It's not that I don't like the Host Club," I said softly, "but that a group of friends are being split up and no one seems to care." I noticed Mori hovering closer than usual, alert. "Mori, relax. He's light and I promise I will not drop him." This earned me a small smile, but Mori kept watch.
Kyouya came up with a solution to prevent me from joining the Black Magic Club. "I will pay you to be a hostess," he offered.
"Speaking of paying, may I have my money now?" I asked him. Grudgingly, a healthy-looking amount of yen was given to me. Now I could move out of the school's abandoned third chemistry lab where I had been camping out for the past two and a half weeks. With this money I could rent an apartment room or buy that stupid uniform the annoying secretary had been nagging me to get when I had the money.
I smiled thankfully up at the Ohtori. "Arigatou!"
With that, I skipped out of the Third Music Room, an odd spectacle—a cheerful goth skipping down the halls.
O-o-O-o-O
I sat in the abandoned third chemistry lab finishing translating my homework to English when a knock on the door startled me. I froze in fear before sliding my backpack and homework into a cabinet quietly. The knock repeated again causing me to start badly and nearly knock over a chair that rested on top of a black long table. With all my things hidden in various places, I opened the door fearfully.
Kyouya stood there and I wasn't surprised he knew I would be here. He knew practically everything if he got access to your files or the information was fed to him. I eyed the Shadow King warily. "May I help you?"
"Yes, you may," he nodded, inviting himself into my temporary home. "We have some unfinished business to attend to. First, I would like to know why you are living in the third chemistry lab." He glanced over his shoulder at me.
"Is that not obvious?" I arched an eyebrow, speaking in English. "I have got nowhere else to go in terms of places to live. My dad's apartment is too far away and we do not have the money you rich people do."
"Living on school grounds is not allowed."
"I realize that. I might have to get a job."
"School rule number nine: taking a job is not allowed," Kyouya recited in my own language, crossing his arms.
I shrugged. "I will get money, one way or another," I began to hum a song in English, "one way or another, I'm gonna find ya. I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha. One way or another…gomen."
"This brings up our second point of business: the Host Club's offer to you to be a hostess and get paid. For every customer you successfully entertain, you will receive two hundred yen. You may quit at any time but only after the club has finished entertaining customers."
I kept a straight face, eyes boring into Kyouya's black ones. "And?"
"Since I have blackmail material on you, I won't need to pay you," he told me.
I glared at him. "Then I quit. Simple as that, Ohtori. No money, no pass go and collect two hundred dollars for you either."
"Finally, we have to arrange a schedule for the tutoring. Do you have a cell phone?"
"Iie," I answered shortly in Japanese, dashing off to a cupboard to search for the kitty calendar I had somewhere. Yes, I loved felines and called them all kitties whether they were kittens or full blown cats.
"I will buy you one and pay for it, but you will pay me back every cent," the Shadow King told me with a menacing smile, still speaking in English.
"Damn, I knew there was a catch," I scowled as I came back with the calendar. "What if I decide not to be a hostess?"
"What if the school finds out you've been living in here?" the evil Shadow King countered.
I glared at him and said scathingly, "Fine, I'll join but don't expect me to ecstatic about it. Blackmail and debt are your favorite chains aren't they?" I was pissed off that he had worked me into a corner and now I had lost my freedom to do what I wanted afterschool. Not only that, but any free time I had, I would be with him.
I had chained myself to the Shadow King.
Kyouya raised his eyebrows and leaned back slightly—the only signs of surprise. He ignored my comment, pushing up his glasses so that the dim lights reflected off of them and gave his glasses an evil-looking glint. "Hai, genki desu." He took my calendar and began marking dates and times for tutoring.
"Nani?"
"Hai, genki desu means 'good'."
"Oh." 'I thought it sounded familiar...'
Kyouya gave me a phony sincere smile as he set my calendar on a table. "I'm glad you have decided to join us, Alexis."
"The pleasure is mine, kono yaro," I returned, arms crossed and refusing to look at him.
"I see you have already picked up some of the fouler language," he chuckled faintly before he left.
"Soo desu, baka ka," I verbally lashed at him. After Kyouya left, I waited five minutes before dropping the tough act. I slumped to the ground with my eyes beginning to water. That tense meeting with the Ohtori had begun to bring out the worst in me, including memories that were better left buried. I felt mentally drained from the intense battle of wills with that raven-haired beast.
"What have I done? There goes moving into an apartment or getting a blasted uniform to satisfy the nagging secretary lady." I sighed heavily, rubbing one of my tearing eyes. "Why? Why me? Why did my parents have to do that? Why is everyone so fascinated with me in Japan? There's nothing frickin' special about me! I'm as frickin' plain as frickin' porridge and…damn useless too."
I choked down my sorrow. "Why can't I ever get a moment of tranquility? Even to read a page of a book? Why won't the spotlight leave this shadow alone? Why?"
"I kept everything inside and even though I tried/it all fell apart
What it meant to me/will eventually/be a memory/of a time when I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter…"
-Linkin Park
O-o-O-o-O
Luckily, that had been Friday and today was Saturday. I had nothing to do, homework finished, having taken a shower in the girls' changing room under the gymnasium. Since everyone knew how badly the security stunk at Ouran, I decided to test that theory. I took the emergency exit stairs and strode out to the front golden gates. I climbed over them with ease and decided that the security did, indeed, suck.
But I would have been busted if the security had been good, so I didn't mind the lack of.
I pulled out a photocopy of the area around Ouran I'd gotten from one of the four huge libraries. I paused a moment to survey the weather. A bright sunny day with blue skies and a few clouds scattered here and there. Birds chirped and nature thrived, relishing the day.
"I think I'll check out this huge park," I told myself optimistically.
Surely rich brats didn't do such trivial things as play at parks.
O-o-O-o-O
"Kirimi," Kuretake, a female family servant of the Nekozawa family, called. "Kirimi, would you like to go to the park?"
"Iie," the little girl shook her head. "I want to hear more stories!"
"I'm terribly sorry, but I have no more to tell," Kuretake apologized to the girl as she frowned, "but why not play at the park? It is a gorgeous day with clear skies and singing birds. There is even a playground."
"Can brother come?" Kirimi asked eagerly.
"Your brother is preoccupied with his studies," Kadomatsu lied. He was also a Nekozawa family servant. The truth was Umehito Nekozawa had a terrible case of photophobia or fear of light. Five minutes in direct sunlight would cause him to pass out. He couldn't even bear to have a flashlight on him.
"But I like being with brother," Kirimi sniffled, glancing longingly up at the large portrait of a handsome blonde gentleman smiling gently with a cat puppet on his hand. Because Kirimi feared the dark and cats, the portrait hung on the wall was how Kirimi thought her brother looked. She wanted to spend time with him, but feared the dark he loved.
"I'm sure you will see him later," the maid, Kuretake, assured the little mistress. "Let's go to the park."
"Okay," Kirimi said unhappily with one last look at the portrait.
O-o-O-o-O
Kirimi bolted out of the car as soon as the engine had been switched off. She headed straight for the playground, thoughts still on her busy brother. It was silly how he watched her from around a corner thinking she didn't notice, but Kuretake had said that was because Umehito was shy.
Kirimi heard Kuretake and Kadomatsu yelling for her to stop, but she ignored them. The butler and maid would catch up eventually. Kirimi wanted to go on the swings.
She skidded to a halt when she saw someone was sitting on the swings.
This someone was a female with layered dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders. She wore a maroon t-shirt that said something not Japanese in curly white words. The swing-stealer wore black khaki shorts and white shoes. No jewelry, no make-up.
"Gariben," Kirimi told herself. Although there were two more swings, they were on either side of the stranger and Kirimi didn't want to approach this foreigner alone. She could now hear the footfalls of Kuretake and Kadomatsu. They would help her get rid of the stranger.
The girl swung back and forth, higher and higher into the air with a look of peace and ecstasy on her face. Her gray eyes glowed with fire and life. She laughed out loud. Kirimi watched this weird girl who laughed to herself swing. As the swing glided forward, the girl jumped from the swing.
Kirimi gasped as the girl hung in the air as time froze.
She envied the pure bliss and breathless expression on the foreigner's face as she floated to the ground. The girl landed hard on her feet but took off running, laughing joyously. The flying girl vanished into the woods, her laughter echoing.
"Wow," Kirimi gasped as Kuretake and Kadomatsu, huffing and puffing, arrived behind their little charge.
Kirimi took off after the flying girl much to the dismay of the maid and butler.
O-o-O-o-O
An adrenaline rush possessed me.
Wind surged through my hair and streamed past my body as I ran to the music playing in my ears courtesy of my red iPod shuffle. Jumping off the swing had seemed a foolish idea until I felt myself suspended in midair for what felt like five seconds but in reality was only one or two.
And then 'Sandstorm' by Darude had come on.
I loved loved loved that song! I considered most of the songs I had to be 'hyper songs' because they induced a musical high in me, but 'Sandstorm' was the ultimate buzz. It was a running song in my opinion. The song began slow and quietly with hints of hyperness and then BAM! I compared the experience to downing an energy drink like Monster.
I panted, lungs burning but my legs refused to quit. I needed more speed, more velocity!
My brain switched on random and suddenly I found myself doing cartwheels on a grassy football field. Although I wasn't in the right state of mind at the moment, I wasn't crazy enough to attempt front or back flips. I ran and jumped from things until the song ended and I was utterly exhausted. Four whole minutes of madness.
I fell back on the autumn leaves in the woods amongst the trees with a satisfied, exhausted smile on my face, pocketing my iPod. 'There,' I thought, feeling light-headed from dehydration. 'I've done my exercise for today and then I can filch some food from the cafeteria. After that I'll take a shower in the girls' changing room…' I shut my eyes, planning the rest of my day.
"You're cr-crazy," a young girl's voice coughed, "f-fast, but cra-azy. Why were you d-doing all those jumps a-and cartwheels?"
My eyes flew open and I sat up. There was a little girl with honey-blonde hair done in two pigtails, a sweet face, and bulbous blue eyes wearing a white shirt and peach orange skirt. Even her shoes were matched and her socks had frills. She sat beside me, face flushed from running, and waiting for my answer.
"I-I heard a s-song I l-liked," I croaked in Japanese before clearing my parched throat, "i-it made me want t-to run…so I r-ran."
"W-Why would you d-do that?" she breathed.
"Some songs make y-you cry, some make you hap-py, others m-make you want t-to dance," I replied breathlessly. "A-Ask yourself: wh-why do people dance to music?" The Child of Many Questions had no answer to that which allowed me to catch my breath quicker.
"By the way, w-why did you follow me?" I suddenly asked, realizing that this kid's parents were probably tearing their hair out with worry.
"Come h-home with me!" she smiled brightly.
"Where are your parents?" I inquired further. This was rather…bizarre. A random girl follows me because she thinks I'm crazy and then tells me to go home with her. Hasn't she ever heard of stranger danger?
"On a business trip," she answered.
I frowned at the little adorable girl. To-die-for-cute munchkins like this didn't wander around alone and yet her parents are on a business trip. Who was watching this kid? My gray eyes widened. "Don't tell me you have a bodyguard or someone shadowing you," I said in alarm. In my mind, a burly bald dude wearing a black suit with sunglasses and an earpiece was cracking his knuckles.
"I don't have one bodyguard. I have two."
"WHAT?" I yelped automatically in English, scrambling to my feet. "Where?"
"They were right behind me," the scary kid said, glancing from the direction she had come from.
"Ahhhhh!" I took off running in the opposite direction. Yes, I felt wary about leaving the kid alone but she had frickin' bodyguards who would think I was holding her against her will and then get the crap beaten out of me. Worse, it suddenly occurred to me that only rich brats had or could afford bodyguards.
I doubled my speed, bursting from the forest at a breakneck pace. No wonder the blonde girl was so bold and unafraid of strangers, she had damnable people guarding her and they probably had weapons!
"Matte!" I heard her small voice call from far behind.
Thinking she was in trouble, I skidded to a halt, kicking up grass. She was following me! Frick! I squeaked in terror, paling, as I saw a tall bald dude in a black suit with a scar running down the left side of his face. Not far behind was the female bodyguard in a maid's suit with her hair done in two pigtails. They were yelling, "Kirimi!" as they chased after the little blond girl who ignored them.
I hit the ground running for all I was worth, thinking only of not getting beaten to a bloody pulp. Away from the park, I ran on the sidewalks of the streets, heading for the commoner market to keep a low profile there for an hour. Then that rich man's daughter couldn't find me and neither would her bodyguards who were hot on her trail.
My day got even better.
I saw Kyouya Ohtori sitting in a black limousine with the window down, staring at me with disbelief. "Not you too!" I yelled in my native language before sharply turning down a street to escape the Shadow King. As luck would have it, the street looped back to the park. Coming out of the street, I saw the little blonde girl crying by a black limo as the bodyguards tried and failed to comfort her. I skidded to a halt, dismay written on my face.
I prayed to God that she wouldn't see me.
The Devil got wind of my prayer first and the little girl happened to glance in my direction. She seemed surprised. I was about to pass out from dehydration and hyperventilation. If her bodyguards came after me, there was no way I would be able to pull off another run.
Her hand lifted, four fingers curling and leaving one index finger in a condemning pointing gesture.
"Get her!" the girl commanded.
The bald dude in the black tux and scar running down his face took one look at me and charged. I did the only thing I could do—screamed and ran like hell's hounds were after me.
O-o-O-o-O
Disclaimer: obviously I don't own Ouran High School Host Club if you haven't figured that out already.
I also do not own: 'In the End' by Linkin Park, 'Sandstorm' by Darude (LOVE THIS SONG!), but Alexis is mine.
Hai, genki desu- good
Nani/nano- what?
Kono yaro- bastard
Soo desu- that's right
Baka ka- asshole
Gariben- someone who studies too much; nerd