Hikaru POV:

We picked up Esme at the hospital; she looked even more weak and frail the last time we saw her. Her sunken white eyes stared out the window as we drove somewhere to eat. We were sitting quietly, even Honey decided not so speak.

"You guys are awfully quiet." Esme spoke. Her hands fidgeted, her white eyes glazed with resentment. "W-Well, how are you? Do you want some cake?" Honey spoke. Esme looked at the 3rd year for a second before giving him a small smile. "No thanks Honey." Honey just smiled.

"We have a change of clothes here for you." Kyoya gave the girl a small brown bag. She was wearing her clothes from last week, so we thought we'd give her some fresh clothes.

"Thanks." We then sat again in awkward silence.

Esme would glance at us once and awhile before looking out the window. Her eyes looked at the dark scenery as we drove through the jungle of concrete. "Do we have water?" Esme asks, breaking the unbearable silence. We then gave her a bottle which she chugged quickly. She let out a small sigh as she placed the cap on the empty plastic bottle.

"Where are we going?" Esme asks. She takes our silence as a way of saying that it was a surprise. The radio was on, playing some American music. Soon, the music had stopped and there was a person who spoke about a recent car accident. Esme seemed to understand since she was from America. Her eyes widened as the man spoke with the sound of grief.

Kyoya seemed to be paying attention. He does know English. "That's odd." Kyoya mumbles. Esme was busy peeling the wrapper off the water bottle nervously. "What happened?" Honey asks. He noticed Kyoya thinking. "Nothing much, just a car accident that happened not long ago." Esme ripped the wrapper harshly. "It's not just an accident, someone died." She spoke defensively. Kyoya looked at her briefly surprised before plastering on his cold face.

"Accidents happen every day, we can't grieve over them, we learn to let go." Esme furrowed her brows. "That's a harsh way of dealing with problems. You have to face them." Kyoya looked at her. "And you're one to talk, running away from every problem that comes up in life." Esme's lips were in a thin line.

"How can the dead person's loved one just 'let go' easily?" Silence took over once more; Esme looked at Kyoya, waiting for an answer. She mumbled to herself. "You can't just let them go, not when they've made such an impact in your life."

"You take this topic seriously, you won't mind if I ask you if you had a similar experience." I looked at Tamaki surprised; I hardly heard him talk in a way where he didn't sound obnoxious. Esme glanced at him before playing with the bottle in her hand silently. "It's in the past." She spoke after a few minutes. Tamaki just smiled. "I'm sorry." Esme looked up at him. Kyoya was still silent.

Soon we've arrived at the restaurant, stretching as we got out the limo. The fresh air was overwhelming. "I want steak." I said to no one in particular. Esme walked past me. "Then get some." She shrugged at me. I raised a brow. "What are you getting?" I walked next to her, my brother beside me. He was grinning. "I'm not hungry-" Tamaki bursts in our conversation. "You must eat! It's unhealthy for someone to not eat!" We looked at him unamused. "I'm not hungry though." Esme mumbles. Tamaki went on about nutritions, which we ignored.

Settling in our booth, we each opened a menu to look at. Esme looks at hers bored. "Nothing here is worth eating." She placed the menu down.

"Are you ready to take your orders?" A young man asked. He glanced at Esme. His amber eyes looked at us. His hair was pulled back with a headband as he waited for us. He looks like our age.

Everyone took their order. The man looked at Esme. "None for you, young lady?" He asked with a smile. He looked at Esme with a soft gaze. Does he know her?

Esme looked away. "No thanks." The waiter just smiled sadly and walked off.

"You sure you don't want anything to eat?" Tamaki asked. Esme shook her head, staring off. I sighed, running a hand in my hair. "I'm going to change." Esme stood up, holding the bag of clothes we provided her. Without even glancing back, she walks away.

Esme POV:

I changed out of my dirty sweater, taking it off and setting it down on the floor. I looked down at my flat stomach, outlining my ribs with my fingers. The wraps on my wrist tickled my skin. I put on the shirt that the hosts gave me. It was a nice flowy blue top with pretty laces decorated. I changed out of my old pants to the ones that were in the bag.

I still had on my converse and I was ready to leave. I looked at myself in the mirror.

My hair was brushed out before I left the hospital, so it didn't look bad. My eyes were sunken; the white orbs that I was cursed with looked shattered. My freckled, pale skin looked ill.

I walked out the bathroom and threw my old clothes away.

Walking back to our table, I noticed the waiter was looking at me. He seemed a bit older than me, but definitely around my age. He seemed to have dyed his hair black, but you could see his honey blonde roots. His amber eyes looked at me. He saw me looking at him; he looked away.

He looks awfully familiar…

"Thanks for the clothes." I spoke, sitting back down next to one of the twins. "Why do you have wraps on your wrists?" He asked. I didn't look up. "It was where the IV was inserted. They accidentally put one on my other arm too." I lied. The hosts ate as I sat silently. The feeling of being watched was so strong that even the twin next to me feels it.

"Man I'm stuffed!" Hikaru yawned. We all filed in the limo.

"Wait!" Someone called as I was entering the limo. I turn to see the waiter boy who kept staring. I looked at him as he pants slightly. "I was wondering if it was you." He smiles. I frowned.

"Should I know you?" I asked a bit too rudely. He smiled sadly, looking at the ground with a disappointed face. "Promise me… you'll try…. To live…" He whispered, making me freeze.

Suddenly, the boy in front of me wore a purple hoodie spilled with his own blood. His honey blonde hair was tainted with the horrible crimson liquid.

He smiled at me, yet his grin never reached his eyes.

"F-Flynn!" I yelped. That horrible day kept replaying. I never knew that my uncle spoke the truth when he said that Flynn was still alive. I looked at my old friend. "I didn't think that you would move on that quickly." He chuckled sadly. I looked up at him with tears brimming. Anger bubbled in me.

"I never did! I can't believe you made me think that you were dead that day! I was going to kill myself because of you! After all these times?" I cried. Flynn pulled me into a hug. This warmth was so foreign.

"Why did you make me believe that I had lost everyone that I loved?" I whispered. Flynn's shoulders started to shake; he buried his face in my hair. Was he crying!? "Why are you crying?!" I yelped. He laughed a bit before letting me go. "Haha, sorry Princess." I rolled my eyes at that nickname he always call me.

"Esme, what's happening-" Kyoya looked at Flynn. "Am I interrupting something?" He asked. I shook my head. Flynn hung his arm over my shoulders. "Nah, just resurrected from the dead is all." Flynn joked. I nudged him in the stomach. "Oomph!"

"Who's this, Esme?" Honey asked. He and the rest were already off the limo. "This is my friend from America, Flynn." Flynn pouts. "Aren't I your best friend?" He asks. I rolled my eyes at his childish antics. "No." He laughed. "Blunt as always."

Flynn looked at the hosts with amused eyes. "You've got some weird friends, Princess." He eyed the twins. "Hey Esme look, they have the same unamused faces like the Nelson-" I nudged him harder. "ah well we should go." I spoke louder than usual.

The twins looked at Flynn with one eyebrow up. "What was he going to say?" They asked me. I looked away. "N-Nothing…" I mumbled, imagining those twins. I shuddered.

"Aw Esme I wanna hang out with you guys… my shift ends soon." Flynn pouts, looking down. "Hm?" He looked at my wrist. The white wristband was still on.

"Did you get out of the hospital?" He asked me. I nod. "What for?" He asked. I looked at the hosts with pleading eyes.

'Don't tell him.' They nod.

"Oh it was nothing, just a check-up." He looked at me before smiling. He grabbed my hand. "Alright, well I'll check out! Don't ditch me!" He winks before entering back into the restaurant.

"That guy is something." Tamaki spoke. "You're not one to talk…" I mumbled. "I've never seen you so relaxed with someone before; he must be a very close friend to Esme-Chan." Honey smiles. I looked up at the sky, the stars weren't as bright as they are in America.

"Yeah… He was kinda my only friend." I looked at the hosts.

"Alright! Shall we?" Flynn came out. As we walked to the limo, I pulled Flynn's ear so he would bend down to my face. "You need to explain everything once we have the time." I spoke seriously. Flynn looked at me straight in the eyes. "Fine, but you aren't gonna like it."

"What can we do at 6:00 PM?" I asked. We are all in the limo, including Flynn. He was holding my hand like how we used to. It was more of protection than affection, so we held hands often. He looked out the window before starting a conversation with Tamaki. The twins were butting in their conversation here and there while Kyoya was careless as usual.

Everyone ignored my question.

"Wow! You eat a lot of cake!" Flynn was in awe as he stared at Honey eating his 4th slice of cake. Mori was watching Honey as he took another large bite. "Are you and Esme-Chan a couple?" He asked, looking at our intertwined hands. I deadpanned at Honey while Flynn laughs. I could hear the hurt in his laugh.

"Huh? Did I say something?" I shook my head at the small boy. "Nah, I was rejected by Esme already. We are just close, that's all." Flynn cleared things up. I pouted. "You make me sound bad when you added the fact that I rejected you."

"3 times, might I add." I rolled my eyes. The twins and Tamaki comforted a flustered Flynn. "My my! This poor boy has been rejected by Esme! At least he has a strong heart!" Tamaki cried while the twins patted Flynn's back. "It's fine. I respect Esme and her decisions." I looked out the window. "Loyal! Kyoya he should join the host club!" Kyoya lightened up at the thought of all the profit he could make. I rolled my eyes.

"H-Host club!? I'm not fit for those…" He laughs. I nod in agreement, knowing this idiot can't even entertain his mom, let alone another girl.

"Where are we going?" I asked again. "If we told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" Hikaru teased. I looked at him. "Fair enough."

"Ah we are here." Kyoya spoke, checking his watch. I looked out the window to see-

An aquarium?

"Why are we here? Don't they usually close at around this time?" I checked the time, 6:47 PM.

"Yes, but I pulled a few strings and rented the place for the evening." Kyoya spoke while the door was opened for us. We each walked out before another car parked behind us. Out came Haruhi.

"Ah Esme!" She ran and hugged me. I hugged back, letting go of Flynn's hand. "I see you also found Flynn." She greeted my friend. "How did you…?" I looked at the two slyly. They grinned. "Unlike Kyoya, I too can pull a few strings and begged your uncle for him to come here!" Haruhi smiled, proud of herself for manipulating the Devil himself (his nickname I call him).

"Haru-Chan knows Fly-Chan?" I held in my laughter at Flynn's nickname. "Yup! We've met before when I was in America visiting Esme. That was about, what, 9 years ago?" Flynn nods. "Yeah, it's been awhile." I spoke.

"C'mon! What are we waiting for? Let's go inside!" Flynn pulled me and Haruhi towards the large building. I glanced at Tamaki, who was glaring at Flynn. 'Must be because of Haruhi' I thought.

"Woah! It's so pretty!" Honey cooed as he looked up at a large tank full of tropical fish and such. I looked at a small tank that reached my chest. There was starfish and other small creatures that you can touch. I bend over, my mood necklace slipping out of my shirt.

"It's reassuring to know that we didn't waste our money." One of the twins spoke beside me. I looked at the necklace. "It was given by a friend, so it would be rude not to wear it." He looked at me surprised. "Are you bipolar?" He asked me. I gave him a look. "No, why?" He shrugged and walked off.

I then went to aquarium that was overstretched. It was like an arch and you can walk through (A/N: you know what I'm talking about, right? Ok cool).

"Pretty." I murmured as a large shark swam over my head. Then, my ultimate favourite of them all appeared and swam over as well. I stared at it in awe.

"That's right huh, you love rays." I never took my eyes off the sting ray that swam over. I looked at Flynn. "Where's everyone else?" I asked him. He shrugged, looking at the fish with his hands in his pockets.

"Now that we're alone, you should explain just what happened." I crossed my arms, looking up at the 6'1 boy in front of me. He frowned. "Ahh… well your uncle just wanted you to suffer by thinking that I was dead. I don't know if you know, but he asked Haruhi's dad to adopt you so that you would be out of the country." I looked at the ground.

"Where were you the whole time?" I asked quietly. "At Daniel's house. Margaret and he were paid to keep me from contacting you until your uncle said so." Daniel and Margaret are Flynn's foster parents.

"I see, so the Devil just wanted me out of his hair." My uncle is the person who owns the orphanage I lived in. My parents left me at his orphanage since he was also abandoned by his family. He must hate me because we have that one connection of never having a family.

"So what you did was all an act?" I asked. He shook his head. "I actually passed out. I woke up at the hospital and your uncle was there. I was asleep for 3 days. You were long gone by then." He pulled his shirt up, revealing a long scar where all the blood was. I ran my cold fingers over the scar.

"Sorry." I mumbled. He pulled his shirt down. "For what? I should be the one saying sorry for lying to you." I shook my head.

"No, I'm saying sorry for pulling you into my life." He growled. I looked up at him surprised. "You didn't pull me in; I made the choice of being your friend. Don't apologize for something you didn't do." I nodded.

"Let's go meet the other, 'kay?" Flynn grabbed my hand. "Wait, how did you come here and how long were you here?" He lifted his index finger to his lips with a grin. "That's a story for next time. Let's just have fun tonight okay?" He pulled me off to where everyone else was. He blends in so well with these idiots.

I stood there, feeling more like an outsider.

"…I also want you all to know that I never regretted trying all these times to kill myself, but there was always a problem in the way; and this time, it's you guys." I inhaled deeply as I looked at each host.

"That was very nice, thank you Kyoya." I looked at the raven haired boy, who just nods. "Thank the others, they thought of the idea." I blinked, looking at the band of idiots and Haruhi. Flynn still held my hand until we were at the apartment. "Can we come in?" Tamaki asked. Haruhi was too good of a mood, so she actually allowed them in for tea.

"Ah can I take a shower?" Flynn asked. "Sure. The bathroom's down the hall, last door to your left." Flynn nods, walking off. I helped Haruhi make tea.

"Sorry." I blurted. Haruhi gasped at my outburst, nearly dropping the tea kettle. "What for?" She asked, composing herself. "For uncle putting me in your burden." She frowns. "Esme, dad and mom wanted to get you when they found out about how your parents treated you all those years ago. You aren't a burden ok? I was more than thrilled when your uncle asked us to pick you up. I was glad that you are finally out of those horrible people's hands." I smiled at Haruhi before hugging.

"Thank you." I whispered. She laughs softly. "No problem, sis." I smiled, helping her hand out the tea.

"Ohh! Tea!" Flynn entered the room. A towel was wrapped around his neck. His hair was back to that honey locks I remember.

"Wah! Fly-Chan's hair is different!" Honey jumped. "Yeah, that was temporary dye. This is my natural hair." He ran a hand through his hair. "Although I need a haircut though…" The twins grinned. "We'll cut your hair!" They had scissors in their hands. I jolted.

"Hah really?!" Flynn jumped. The twins nod. "Any friend of Esme's is our friend." Tamaki smiled, his violet eyes were brighter than ever. Flynn smiled. "Yush! Let's go in the bathroom!" The twins escorted Flynn. "Don't make a mess!" Haruhi yelled.

"Won't make any promises!" Kaoru yelled back. Haruhi sighed.

"Esme." I looked at Kyoya. He was stern. I gulped. "W-What is it?" I asked. The others in the room also looked at me with hard faces. "When are you planning on telling Flynn why you were at the hospital?" Mori asked. "I don't know. I don't want to tell him." I answered.

"Clearly he cares deeply for you. You have to tell him; otherwise if he finds out from someone else, he will feel bad." Tamaki voiced.

"Well he would be a hypocrite then." I mumbled. "What?" Haruhi asked.

"I said that I'll tell him at the right time." I lied.

"Tada! Doesn't he look so much better?" Hikaru and Kaoru walked in with Flynn. His messy hair was now neatly cut and much shorter. I smiled. He blushed.

"Now how does it feel getting dressed up for once?" I teased. He stuck his tongue out at me. "Well do I look nice or what?" He asked. Tamaki clapped and so did Honey. "Great job Hikaru and Kaoru." Tamaki suddenly lit up.

"Idea!" I cringed at that word. "What about I ask my dad if you can attend Ouran?" Tamaki looked at Flynn. He looked shocked. "W-What?!" I looked at Tamaki surprised as well.

"Yeah! That way he can be with us all the time!" Honey added cheerfully. "Ah well… I dunno…" Flynn mumbled. "Flynn can't, he has to back home." I spoke. Flynn gave me a weary look. "Why are you giving me that look?" I asked. He grinned.

"I kinda ran away from home and asked Haruhi to stay here!" He spoke fast. My head was dizzy.

He looked at me, ready for an answer.

I bit my lip. "Fine." He clapped his hands. "Yes! I'll be going to school with Esme!" He smiled.

And just like that, my life was starting to feel better, thanks to a group of idiots, my sister, and my best friend. And I thought for a small moment:

'Thank god I didn't die.'