Disclaimer: I do not own School Rumble or any of its characters. And just like my other fictions, I just love to play with the characters and make what I want to happen, happen.

This story will be somewhat AU, but not totally, for I'll still use the anime as reference for some events…but, I might be changing a lot as well, especially post san gakki. Anyway, this is entirely anime-based, I haven't read the manga. But I am starting to… hehehe

I hope this story works out…

Please Read and Review. Thanks

Weeee! Another update! HAHAHAHA

And I apologize for the long update

Now to the tenth chapter! :)

Our Lives

Chapter 10

"I'm calling him back." Eri said, her voice close to inaudible.

"Eri, what did you just say?" Mikoto asked her, putting down the manga she was just holding. She stood and walked over to where Eri was now pacing back and forth. Eri's eyes were close to tears, her brows furrowed so deep, that she looked like she lost someone so dear to her.

"Eri, please, talk to me." Mikoto begged this time, and gently lead Eri towards the couch.

"I'm afraid, Miko…" she said. During this whole time, Eri was staring at her phone. A number was displayed on the screen, and her thumb was resting on the call button.

"Afraid of what Eri?"

"Of what he'll say…" this time, tears started to fall from Eri's eyes, and Mikoto couldn't help but hug her friend. She had no idea what really was happening.

"I need to talk to him. I need to meet him. I need to get out of here!" Eri said, then stood and headed towards her closet, took out a bag and started to pack her things.

"Eri, wait!" Mikoto yelled. "You can't go out now, I mean, the press is just outside, and where will you go?"

"I don't know! I have had enough!" she then fell to the floor, and broke into heavy cries. Mikoto knelt and faced Eri.

"Eri," Mikoto said, "Please, don't do anything rash. Just stay here for the moment. Let this die down."

"Look! You don't understand. This," Eri said, and took the manga from where it was left, and pointed to the title. "This 'rich girl' is me!"

Mikoto responded with a very confused expression—eyes wide, with creased browns and tensed face.

"Do you know who KH is?" Mikoto simply shrugged and shook her head, still worried for Eri.

"He is mystery man! He is Harima! Harima Kenji!" Eri seemed to be having a nervous breakdown, but given her situation, it would also seem understandable. When Eri noticed that Mikoto was shocked by all this, Eri started to calm down. "I'm sorry." Eri waited if Mikoto would say anything, but seeing that she was speechless, she continued. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Mikoto replied. "I'm the one who should be sorry for not understanding the whole picture before. But, you should really just stay here. For your own good."

"That's just it, isn't it. Everyone says I should do what I'm told for my own good. I've been doing that for 19 years, and look where it lead me. Look at me. I'm a mess." Eri said this in a very composed manner.

They remained sitting there on the floor, both not knowing what to do. A few minutes later, Eri returned her bag and things in the closet.

"Well, I think I shouldn't just worry, right?" Eri said, putting up a mask of being okay with everything, and this is not much of a big deal.

"Eri, you can't pretend to be fine forever." Mikoto knew Eri enough to tell that this was one of those masks she was used to acting on whenever there were troubles in her family.

"Well, at least for another month or so, I have to. I am indeed meeting a prince next week," she replied, now sitting by her boudoir. She looked at her red, puffy eyes, and the stress on her face. She dried her face, and started to put some make up on.

"Eri, what are you doing?"

"Nothing. I just thought I have to look pretty from now on." Eri was in an emotionless state as of the moment, wherein Mikoto had no idea how to respond. "Look, don't worry about it anymore. I'm sure once my parents get home from the business trip they will hold a press conference, so 'til then, I have to keep myself well, right?" she glanced back at Mikoto.

"I guess." Mikoto thought about what just happened then decided to speak. "Eri, you can't go on like this forever."

"It's not like I have a choice, Mikoto."

Their conversation was then interrupted by the ringing of the home phone. The ringing stopped, so it may have been answered by Nakamure. A few seconds later, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Mikoto opened the door.

"Ojo, your parents are on the line." He said, then closed the door and left the two.

"See," Eri said, heading towards the phone in her room, "just in time." She now spoke very clearly and as if nothing was bothering her. It was shocking even to Mikoto to have watched Eri from such a devastated state to a suddenly worry-free heiress. This might have been how Eri has been living for the past years. She was always putting up this act. Mikoto was saddened by this realization.

"Hi!" Eri said over the phone.

"We'll be holding a press conference once we come back. Prince Sean Preston will be with us then. Tomorrow's our flight. So, we'll be there the day after tomorrow. Make sure to look and act your best that day."

"I already knew that was your next step."

"And I know this would be hard for you, but, it is about time we told the truth about your story four months ago. Make sure to visit the doctor again, so he can hypnotize you, and you can recall."

At this time, to Mikoto, she saw Eri clutch her left fist, which wasn't holding the phone, and she saw Eri's muscles stiffen. Which was then followed by the words.

"There is no need to contact the doctor, I can handle it on my own. I remember everything, except the last parts."

"Make sure to be ready the day after tomorrow okay. This should be your final arrangement."

Eri then put the phone down, and laid down on her bed, facing the window.

"You're really not okay," Mikoto said to Eri sitting beside her.

"I know. But, I just have to keep up this act."

"Maybe you should really call him."

"Who?"

"Harima."

"What for?"

"You say he wrote that, right?" Mikoto said and continued, "well, he may be able to tell you a part of the story that you can't recall."

"But I'm afraid of what he'll say. I don't even know who took me four months ago. All I recall is I was held, threatened and beaten." She paused, she was able to hold back tears now. "what if he was the one who did that to me?"

"He couldn't have, right?"

"That's something I don't know. I mean, when we had that late-night meal at the curry shop, I didn't fear him, and he seemed protective, too in a way. I guess that may be why he was acting weird, seeing me alone at night."

"Just give him a call. Hear what he has to say."

"And what, tell him to come here and tell me everything?"

"Why not? If you are afraid that he was the one who did it, you have me and Nakamura with you, no one can harm you."

"Okay." Eri sat up from her bed, went over to get her cell phone, and looked once more at the number displayed on the screen. "Just one push, and I can call him." It was only by this time that Mikoto also realized Eri's feelings for Harima. It really is difficult for her now.

Eri kept on staring at the screen of her phone, when it rang. Caller ID says its Harry.

"Harry."

"Eri, I wasn't able to stop the press from releasing the photos. I'm sorry."

"You knew about all of this all along didn't you? Why wouldn't you let me know that you already knew? You acted like you had no idea at all…" this time, Eri felt a bit disappointed. Maybe if they all just told her what happened, and how it happened, she may have been able to get over everything quickly, and not be dealing with the press like this. She wouldn't be as shocked as she was now if she saw those photos before.

"I'm sorry. It was for your own good."

"But you could've told me, too. For my own good. I have every right to know what happened to me, right?"

"We can't talk like this over the phone, I'm coming over."

"Wait! I need you to get someone for me."

"Who?"

"Harima Kenji. Please. I know he is somehow involved in this, and I need everyone to just be honest with me."

"Okay. But I see no need to bring him over to your house, the press might see him. And I know he is the man you were with last night."

"No. please, Harry. You owe me this much. Bring him over, he says he has something to tell me, and I need to hear him out."

"Okay. I'm sorry again, Eri. For lying to you."

"Explain everything to me later." And with that, Eri pushed the end button.

"Did I just do the right thing?" Eri said, facing Mikoto.

"It was your own decision this time." Mikoto said, in a way that was reassuring to Eri.

"Thanks Mikoto, for being here. I may have stormed off already, with nowhere to go if you haven't been here."

"I'm always here for you, you know that."

"I'm heading to the bath. I need to relax for a bit. You can feel at home here," she decided to take on a lighter mood and said, "Plus, I need to freshen up. Look at this face, it's a mess. And I'll be having visitors soon."

When Eri was inside the bathroom, Mikoto realized that Eri wasn't really okay. She just put some make up on her face to look okay, and now she was taking a bath to fix her appearance. "She is just so out of it." She thought to herself, but then, was glad that she could be there for her friend. She recalled she still had to call her house, and she did. Saying she was sleeping over Eri's, assuming her parents were well-informed with the news and celebrity gossip. She was right, and they immediately allowed her and understood why she had to stay over.

Mikoto decided to call Harima from Eri's phone.

"Harima?"

"Yes? This isn't Eri, who is calling me?" he sounded worried.

"This is Mikoto. I am over at Eri's. She wants to hear you out. And I think Harry McKenzie will be picking you up, maybe in a few minutes."

"why are you telling me this?"

"With the way you're speaking, I'm now sure you are not the aggressor. Also, make sure you tell her everything when you arrive, okay?"

"Okay."

"And one last thing, you wrote 'Rich Girl'?"

"Yes."

"Okay, that's all I need to know for now. I just have to make sure my friend will be okay if she is meeting with you."

Mikoto then ended the call. She still couldn't see the whole picture, but she suspected that Harima's involvement was not in the bad part of the story.

I'm leaving this chapter up to this part. Creative juice is running low. Hahah XD

Anyway, I hope it was still a good read. The next chapter may take long again to be posted. So, I apologize in advance.

The next chapter would be the confrontation between the three! hahaha

Please Review!

Thanks for reading. :)