Ugh…. So tired… been busy with moving haven't even gotten a chance to enjoy my summer yet… X.X Anyways, I thought I would update this story a little since so many people seem to like it. By the way, I fast forwarded to the last day of school before summer… cause… well I can. XP Thanks to those who have reviewed and uh…. Enjoy!

Chapter 10: The Start of Summer

I sighed as I looked up at the painted sky over the theatre stage remembering the theatre's last performance for the term the other night. I absently stroked my hair that had already grown so long in only a few short months. I felt so tired. I could almost drift off into sleep…

"Nami… oh Nami… Hey, Namine! Wake up!" A growingly aggravated voice said. I opened my eyes to look up at Koaru and Hikaru and sighed.

"Baka, didn't you hear us?" Hikaru said.

I shook my head and sat up. "No, I usually don't hear idiots when I'm deep in thought," I replied coldly as I slowly stood up.

"Psh, we're not the ones falling asleep on a stage when school's out for summer!" Hikaru countered.

I glared back it him. "That still doesn't prove that I'm an idiot and you're not," I replied.

"Yes it does!"

"Does not!"

"If anyone's an idiot it's definitely you!" Hikaru shouted.

"Well, if I'm an idiot, you must be the king of idiots!" I snapped.

"I know you are but what am I!?" He countered.

"An idiot AND a child for using that line!" I countered.

"Well, it takes one to know one!"

I smirked. "Ah! So you admit you're an idiot!"

He turned red. "NO! You are! You're just a stupid little girl!" he shouted.

Koaru sighed as he watched this encounter. "HEY! Both of you knock it off!" he shouted. I was furious and had my mouth open to say another comment but instantly closed it.

I let out a sigh and smiled. "You're right Koaru, arguing is just childish and stupid." I stretched. "Well, I have a hair appointment at five and after that I'll be catching a late flight to New York. See you guys later!" I said hopping off the stage and walking away.

Koaru stared at his brother. "What? Don't give me that look. You saw what happened. You saw how she acted. I can't believe her," Hikaru stated defensively.

Koaru sighed. "Yes, and you weren't much better. Why can't you just try to get along? Maybe be the adult for once? All you do is just give her more to use against you," he stated boredly before walking off.

"NAMI-CHAN!" came a familiar voice just before the blond blur was launched into my arms.

I chuckled. "Hunny-sempai! What are you doing silly?"

"I'm going to miss you Nami-chan! Are you really going to New York for the WHOLE summer?" he asked cutely.

I nodded. "Yep, I haven't seen my mom in a while and there's no way I'm going to my father's," I replied before smiling again. "Why? Did you want me to give Usa-chan a kiss goodbye?"

He grinned and held his pink bunny up before pouting. "I'm gonna miss you!"

I smiled softly and gave the bunny a kiss before giving him a peck on the forehead, too. "Aw, me too, Hunny-sempai. Have a good summer, mkay?" He nodded before hopping down and running over to Mori. I waved goodbye with a chuckle before walking over to the limo. "Bye, Haruhi! Call me ok?" I said with a last-minute wave.

. . .

"Are you sure you want to go to New York for the summer?" Papa asked uncertainly.

I nodded. "Yes, of course. I miss mom and I'm sure she's missed me and has all these stories she'd like to tell," I said with a short laugh.

He nodded and gave me a peck on the cheek. "Call me if you need anything."

I nodded again. "Ok, Papa. I love you," I replied before getting on the plane.

I gave a short sigh of relief as I sat down and looked out of the window. "Ah, don't worry mom, I'll be home soon," I said aloud and touched my hair. The back was cut back to the same shortness but I had left the side bangs long so the dangled down and framed my face. As for the main bangs, the hairdresser thought it would be cute to style them in a sort of swirled side cut. I had to stop myself from fidgeting with it some more. I just needed to get used to the new cut again. Still, I couldn't help but nervously mess with the hem of the pale blue dress…

. . . . .

"MOM!" I yelled as I knocked on the door. "LET ME IN!" I sighed and banged my head against it. "Where the heck is she? She never leaves the house at this hour…" I mumbled. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the landlady of the small apartments. I smiled and waved her over.

"Excuse me, Ms. Norton, but where's my mother?" I asked politely.

She looked at me for a moment as if trying to remember something. "Namine?" she asked. I nodded. "Sweetie, your mother hasn't lived here in over a month," she replied.

I gave a confusing look. "Heh? What do you mean she hasn't lived here in over a month? She never told me this in her letters…" I trailed off realizing I hadn't received any letters in about a month. "Um, do you know where she might have gone?" I asked trying not to choke.

Ms. Norton shook her head. "No, she never said where she was going. But that reminds me. She left me something to give to you if you ever came back…" she said walking away. I watched as she dug through some drawers in her own apartment before finally pulling out a white envelope with my name in that beautiful script my mother always had. I opened it cautiously and pulled out some old stationary…

Dear Namine,

I don't know how to explain this to you but I'll try. You see, back when I first left your father, I never had any intention of anyone knowing I was leaving or for anyone coming with me. However, since you snuck into the limo without my knowing, I had no choice but to bring you with me and take care of you. Although your father was fairly bitter and may have not been the best towards you, at least he never lied to you like I have. Unfortunately, I can't explain everything here and it's not fair for you to hurt or worry about any of it either. I won't be living in this apartment any more and you will never see me again. I'm leaving and this time I won't be taking you with me. I'm sorry…

Colette

I sighed. "Well…" I started, but when it got right down to it, what could I say? I couldn't think of a single silver lining. Does this mean she doesn't love me anymore? Did she ever love me? Did she care at all? She said she was sorry, but that word is so overused these days. She didn't even have the nerve to tell me herself. She just left a letter for me to find one day. What did that mean? I sighed and shook my head of these thoughts and stuffed the letter in my bag. "Uh, anyways, thank you, Ms. Norton. I'll see if I can find a hotel or… something," I mumbled before walking out. Maybe I should go shopping…

"Thank you, sir. This is a big help," I said to an airport attendant after my interesting encounter, a small shopping spree, and a stressful explanation of my situation and why I needed to exchange my plane ticket back to Japan to a sooner flight. I just needed a few books, some video games, and a couple swimsuits to clear my mind and the coffee at a nearby starbucks certainly helped. In the end I knew I just had to go back to Japan… It was all I could do…

"Hey, Papa?" I asked on my cell. "Um, well, I'm heading home, so could you make sure there's someone to pick me up when I get there? Mhm… Uh, yeah I'm about to get onto the plane now… What? Oh, ok. Yep, I love you, too. Bye." I let out a sigh of relief and went to go on yet another incredibly long flight…

. . . . .

"So explain to me why you came back so suddenly?" Papa asked when I walked through the door that afternoon.

I shook my head. "I really don't want to talk about it, Papa," I said handing him the crumpled piece of paper. "I'm going to bed," I stated. He took the paper and read it over with a sigh.

I plopped onto the yellow bed and looked at my phone. "Ten missed calls and four voice messages… Who the hell was calling me already? Tamaki, Tamaki, Tamak, Koaru, Tamaki, Hunny-sempai, and Tamaki… well these should be some interesting voice mails…" I dialed my voice mail but immediately had to hold my phone as far away from my ear as possible with Tamaki's yelling. "Ah, he's looking for Haruhi… didn't she say something about a job?" I redialed the number.

"Hello? Tamaki, seriously, I've been on a plane for the better part of the last three days, did you really need to call me that many times in your search for Haruhi… Uhuh… Really? You actually found her there? Mkay… Oh… REALLY?! OH! Sounds like fun! Ok… Yeah yeah yeah… ok bye, Tamaki!" I said hanging up on him. "Oy, that boy's going to give me a headache… Well, I suppose I could always pay them a surprise visit," I said with a smirk.

"Woah! Wait, where are you going all of a sudden?!" Papa exclaimed as I bounced down to the front door.

"To Karuizawa! I'll be back some time later," I shouted as I hopped into the limo.

"Haruhi!" I cheered as I rushed up to give her a hug. "Are you ok? The idiots didn't, I don't know, do something incredibly stupid did they?" I asked. She nodded. I sighed and sat her down. "Ok, tell me what happened."

"Well, I was beginning to enjoy my time working here, but while I was hanging up some sheets Sempai came in yelling in a helicopter and they decided they should stay here with me and apparently I'm not allowed to get a summer job and now they're having a "refreshing" contest for the last room here," she spilled out.

I busted out laughing. "Nice! Damn, they're idiots. Oh, hi Misuzu!" I said waving when I spotted him. "I haven't seen you in years!" I exclaimed.

He rushed over happily. "OH! Namine, right?! How have you been, child!? Oh, can you believe these wonderful boys? Helping out around here, so refreshing!" he chimed.

I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, they can be handsome. Too bad they're not always the brightest bulb in the bunch…" I trailed off when I heard the piano playing and smiled softly. "Ok, even I have to admit that's very nice," I whispered. Misuzu nodded. It was a lovely scene and customers even started to fill the room to just stop by and have tea. It was, well, refreshing, until a loud crash was heard outside and I realized Haruhi wasn't anywhere near me anymore.

Well, what do you know. There she was. Haruhi was sitting down, a little scared looking next to a broken pot of flowers, and there were the twins, just beginning there "brotherly love" routine. I let out a sigh. So typical…

"Haruhi you ok?" I asked kneeling down. She nodded just as Misuzu started to prance around and gushing about how refreshing the boys were. I chuckled. "Poor Sempai, looks like he didn't win."

Haruhi gave a small smile. "Uh, congrats you guys."

They grinned with a rather creepy expression. "Oh, it was nothing…" they replied as Haruhi started to freak out.

I rolled my eyes. "You bakas, leave her alone already," I stated.

They stood up and blinked. "What are you doing here?" Koaru asked.

"And what did you do to your hair?" Hikaru asked.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "I'd rather not talk about that, Koaru, point is I'm here. And as for my hair, I only got it trimmed you jerk!" I snapped, hitting Hikaru with a piece of paper.

"YAY! Nami-chan came back!" Hunny cheered before giving me a big hug.

"Wait a minute, how did YOU get here? I didn't tell you where Haruhi was, just that we found her working," Tamaki stated giving me a peering look.

I rolled my eyes. "I knew where she was from the beginning, bakas. I promised her and Misuzu if I got back in time I would help out, too. Honestly, I'm not surprised she didn't tell you about her plans, though…" I stated blankly. He went and pouted in a corner.

"Wait, you knew Haruhi was here the whole time?" the twins asked.

I nodded. "Uh, yeah. And that reminds me, I should hit all of you! Giving Haruhi crap about getting a job, honestly! It's technically not a summer job since she's not getting paid you idiots! JEEZ! I'm going home before you all give me a headache!" I snapped. I turned and gave Misuzu a sweet smile. "Oh, and since I had a bit of change in plans, I'll be here tomorrow morning to help you, Misuzu. Have a nice evening," I said before walking away.

Haruhi sighed. "You know, she has a point," she stated before going inside.

Meh, I can't think of anything else for this chapter… I'm going to bed. Next chapter will be up soon, I promise… (X.X)