Chapter four: Sleep deprivation and kisses

It took me forever to change from my "Aine" get-up back to my normal clothes. It also took forever to scrub off the pink lip stick and gloss, which were practically melted onto my lips. As soon as I left the change room back in my gothy outfit the twins pouted.

"Awwwh, cwute lil' Aine-chan's gone."

I glare at them.

"You guys have no idea how hard that was… Those guys hate my guts when I'm 'Celeste' and drool all over me when I'm 'Aine'. I don't get how they can like someone like that."

Hikaru stares at me in shock.

"Are you crazy? Who couldn't love Aine? She's so…cute…"

I stare back at him.

"Aren't I cute?"

Hikaru and Kaoru blink at each other for a moment before laughing so hard they start to tear up.

"Boss! Let's do a vote! Who thinks Celeste looks better as Aine- chan?" They yell at the same time. How the heck do they do that?

"I do! You're pretty just like that Celeste-chan, but too dark!" Hunny says in his girlish voice.

"I agree 100% with Hunny-sempai Aine-OOPS I mean, Celeste-chan." Tamaki remarks.

"The lighter look does suit you…" Kyoya answers.

"Kyoya- sempai does have a point. You do look good in black but you look super sweet in pink." Even Haruhi admits.

Mori is the only one left to vote. Everyone stares at him, waiting for an answer.

"I think Celeste looks fine just the way she is. Don't you think she should wear something that expresses herself rather than something that others want her to wear?"

I peer at Mori through my bangs and blush.

"Uh…um…thanks, Mori-sempai."

"It's the truth" he says with a smile as he comes towards me and ruffles my black hair. I blush even deeper.

"I have to go back to my grandmother's house now. It's nearly five o'clock and I'm supposed to be back by six or she'll be mad."

"How far is her place from here? It can't take you THAT long to get back." Hikaru wonders.

"My grandmother's house is across town. It takes two hours to walk, about 45 minutes to drive I guess. Maybe an hour long bus ride?"

The twins stare at me.

"You DO drive here right?" Kaoru asks, concernedly.

I sigh. "Nope. My grandmother doesn't drive and I'm not allowed on the bus. I don't have spare money for bus fare either."

I see Hunny's eyes widen.

"WOW, Celeste-chan! You walk two hours every morning?"

"Yup."

"If school here starts at nine o'clock, and it's a 2 hour walk, and it take you an hour and a half to get dressed…" Kyoya begins to calculate.

"I get up at five thirty AM" I answer.

"WHAT?" Tamaki, the twins, and Hunny yell at the same time.

"I know it seems early, and it sucks, but it's my only option."

"Are you sure you get enough sleep though Celeste?" Tamaki asks.

"According to my calculations, no she does not. By the time she gets home it is already seven PM. After eating, watching a few minutes of television, doing homework, studying, and going to work she is left with five hours. Even then she probably spends two of those reading and the other three sleeping. Teenagers who go on schedules like this do not get the required amount of sleep and will eventually collapse." Kyoya tells the club.

Wow, his accuracy scares me.

"Celeste, you shouldn't be straining yourself like that." Haruhi warns.

"You'll only end up getting hurt or sick"

"Well you know hard it is to get along here when you aren't rich, Haruhi. I'm not smart OR rich so it makes it even harder. I also have no money so I have to work."

"I thought it was against school policy to work?" Hikaru points out.

"Because Miss Sky was accepted for a special reason and she is not, in fact, rich, she is an exception."

"That doesn't mean she should be working herself to the bone! From what I've heard the host club is her only escape from this hideous world that she calls her life!" Tamaki yells dramatically, falling onto his knees.

"There isn't much I can do about it is there?" I ask.

Everybody glares at me. Well, except Mori, he just kinda…stares.

"FINE! I'll do something about it!" I yell as I head for the door.

"At this rate I won't be able to get my show in!"

I slam the doors behind me and hurry off the school campus.

My clock flashes "5:30" in bold red letters and plays "Na Na Na" by My Chemical Romance at full blast. I moan and am about to press the snooze button before I stop myself. I MUST get up or I'll be late for class. That over- whelming feeling of wanting to stay in my fuzzy black blanket comes over me and sticks me to my mattress like super glue. I almost slip back into sleep before jumping up, yawning, and hopping out of bed.

I leave the alarm playing to motivate me and continue to run about my room pulling out a black dress, skeleton tights, a long-sleeve fishnet undershirt, new underwear, and various accessories. Then I shut off the alarm and run down the hall to the bathroom and lock myself in there for about 45 minutes. I leave the bathroom showered, in new clothes, hair brushed, and makeup done. I dart downstairs and prepare myself a bowl of Count Chocula and gulp it down as quickly as possible.

I throw my dishes into the sink and run back up to the bathroom to scrub my teeth with my tooth brush smothered in minty paste. I go back downstairs, stuff a bag of grapes and a small juice box into my purse, and shove a pair of boots onto my feet. I glance at the clock which reads 6:40, grab my back pack full of books, clutch onto my purse, plunk my headphones on my head and charge out the front door.

I arrive at my locker around 8:50 and marvel at the giant locker. One locker at this is school is the width of THREE lockers at a public school. I hang my back pack on one of the many hooks and take out my homework books and drop them onto the floor of the locker. I take the books for my first three classes and shove them into my back pack then neaten up the others that lay on the floor. I wind up my head phones and place them on the shelf. I grab my stuffed back pack and my purse then lock my locker.

First bell tolls at exactly 9 AM and I strut off towards my 2nd year math class. When I slip through the door I notice Haruhi, Hikaru, and Kaoru all seated in the back row, all wearing boys uniforms. I sit next to Haruhi in an empty desk and wave hello to the three.

"Celeste, you haven't purchased a girls uniform yet?" Haruhi asks.

"Oh, no. I don't have enough money for one. Plus, I think they're ugly."

The girl seated in front of me in her yellow uniform dress gives me a dirty look. I stick my tongue out back. She gasps snobbily and turns away to face front. Hikaru laughs and Kaoru chuckles lightly. Haruhi turns to me.

"Eventually one of your teachers is going to report you're attire to the head master and then you'll have to wear one of those 'ugly' uniforms."

"No she won't" Hikaru argues.

"Don't forget that we're friends with the headmaster's son. There's no doubt he's explained Celeste's situation to his father already. He'll stretch the rules for her for sure."

"Oh yeah… I forgot about that…" Haruhi admits.

"Quiet class!" our teacher declares as he walks in the door. He stands in front of the class and begins to write equations up on the board.

"The first to solve all of these correctly will have no homework for today."

I stare down at my notepaper then back up at the equation-filled board. I can't even understand the first question. How am I going to do all of them? I look over at Haruhi's paper which is already full of equations and circled answers. Her hand shoots up as soon as I look up.

". Would you mind writing your answers up on the board for the class?"

"Of course I wouldn't mind, sir" she answers and heads toward the front.

"Ahh~ Haruhi-kun's so smart!" I hear girls coo.

I laugh silently and stare up at the answers Haruhi writes up.

"Two X to negative six multiplied by seven X to positive 5 is equal to fourteen X to negative one." The teacher reads aloud.

"Correct Haruhi, next one?"

"Nine Y to the negative second power multiplied by seven Y to the fifth power is equal to sixty-three Y to the positive third power"

He nods.

"Haruhi, you may take your seat. Good job."

She sits next to me and smiles at all the adoring girls clapping for her.

"Thanks very much ladies"

"WOAH HARUHI, DUDE! HOW DO YOU DO THAT?" I yell.

"MISS SKY, VOICE DOWN! THIS IS MATHEMATICS CLASS NOT A ZOO!"

"Sorry sir" I apologize briefly before turning to Haruhi.

"It's quite easy. You would take nine multiplied by seven like this 9X7=63 and add -2 and +5. Adding a negative is just like subtracting a positive. 5-2=3, see? Therefore the answer is 63Y cubed! Do you understand?"

I stare at her blankly.

"Uhhhhhh, sort of."

"Good! Do the next problem on your own then."

"Uhm 8X3=24 and 4+2=6. Therefore the answer is 24X to the power of six?"

"Correct!" Haruhi says.

I smile.

"Haruhi, you'd make an awesome tutor!"

I can hear some of the girls swoon.

"Well then, I can tutor you after the club if that's okay with you and your grandmother."

"That would be awesome! Thanks Haruhi!"

When I turn back I can see a class full of jealous Haruhi fans glaring at me like they're trying to shoot lasers into my brain.

Second block I have drama with Hikaru and Kaoru, which is probably like every other day in the host club, so I've heard. The twins are the only boys in the class, all the rest are girls who took the class just to see their over-dramatic relationship. I personally took drama because of my interest in acting. Something tells me I'm the only student in the class who took drama with good intentions, not just to drool over boys.

Our teacher, Mrs. Chai comes into the theatre and shushes our class.

"Girls, GIRLS. Yes, we all know how cuuuute the Hitachiin brother's forbidden love is, but we are here to study drama! Now partner up!"

"Let's split up today!" Kaoru says to his twin.

"I'm going to ask Celeste to be my partner"

"I thought you guys thought I was demon spawn" I mumble.

"I want to be with Celeste!" Hikaru yells back.

"GUYS. DEMON SPAWN."

But they don't listen.

"Hikaru, if you'd like I'll be your partner next class. Kaoru did ask me first today."

I'm getting MORE dirty looks from other girls.

"HEY GIRLS. HIKARU-KUN NEEDS A PARRRRTTTTTNEEERRRRR"

A stampede of fans attack him, and after five minutes he survives with one girl on his arm.

"Now, that we're all in pairs I will assign a small acting task to each of you."

She points to Hikaru and the girl- Yumi.

"Yumi and Hikaru will be acting as if they are brother and sister."

She moves on to a group of girls.

"You two will be jealous twins fighting over a man"

She continues to go around giving insane assignments until she gets to us two.

"Kaoru and Celeste. You're assignment is the most advanced of all. I want to see a true, lust full, passionate, and heart-melting kiss."

My jaw drops. Kaoru stares at me like he just swallowed a bone or something and he's choking to death.

"I find that inappropriate !" I shout.

"Well, I find your CLOTHES inappropriate, . But there's nothing I can do about that either is there- oh wait! I can tell the head master, unless you kiss your partner!"

I growl.

"THIS TOTALLY ISN'T FAIR"

"I know, all of the other girls are probably imagining killing both you AND me right now."

EEK.

"Let's just get this over with…" I mumble to Kaoru.

He softens his look and gazes into my eyes.

"Okay class! These two are going first! Girls! Prepare your weapons!"

I notice death glares appear upon several of the girl's faces as Kaoru and I lean in.

My eyes are closed and my lips are quivering, closer and closer to his.

Just as we're about to kiss I feel weight knocking me down. Hikaru.

I open my eyes, lying on top of Kaoru. I lean in and kiss him slowly and passionately so every one could see. I pull away and Kaoru starts gasping.

"Hikaru! What the hell!" I yell at him.

"Ten out of ten! Good job you two, take a seat!"

Kaoru is still lying on the floor out of breath; girls are passed out from the shock. Hikaru is bright red.

"I wanted to be the only one to kiss Kaoru but you ruined it!" Hikaru stomps his foot.

"Hey, either my grades got squashed or his lips."