Chapter 11- The one that was never invited

Haruhi Fujioka was mostly independent. She could do anything by herself and was glad to do so. Hard work didn't faze her. She was practically fearless! (Okay there' that thunderstorm thing but she's getting better.) So people usually thought she was okay. People usually thought that she didn't need them in her life and that they were kind of just there, useless in her story just background characters. How could she not be the heroine, pretty, strong, hard working and independent? How could everyone else not feel unnecessary? Her father felt that way. Like he was just slowing her down. It hurt him but there it was. If she needed him wouldn't he get invited to school things and such? She practically ran the house. Ryoji, "Ranka" was okay with her running the house. He saw that working made her happy. Working made him happy too. Being able to provide food and shelter for his daughter when there wasn't much else he could do for her. He enjoyed sitting down and eating dinner with her. He cherished each second with her because he knew one day she'd move out and have a life of her own and she would do wonderful at it. So he cherished the time he had. He loved his daughter, even if she was embarrassed of him and didn't invite him to things.

Haruhi was NOT embarrassed of her father. The way he was made him happy and relaxed him. He deserved to be relaxed. He was always so stressed out working hard to provide for them. Running the house was just her way of thanking him, besides she liked hard work. She could tell her father liked hard work too, but he was pushing himself too hard, stressing himself out worrying. So she didn't invite him to things. He didn't have time, didn't need to worry about remembering and getting there on time and apologizing if he missed it. He'd only missed one thing of hers before she decided to stop telling him about them. It made him feel so guilty and besides, it hurt a little when he missed it. She would rather him never know than feel the hurt of him knowing and not being able to make it. If he knew and didn't make it she'd have to pretend she was okay and accept the apology and be brave little Haruhi. Him not knowing made pretending easier. Besides she had the host club, and they acted as second family. They couldn't take the place of her real father, but she never had to protect them from stress or guilt like she did with him. So she didn't invite him to things. She left him out of her life almost completely, not realizing that her father didn't realize how much she loved him. Never realizing that he didn't know that she WAS proud of him.

She never got the chance to tell him though. Not about how much she loved him or how proud she was. And she fully intended too, one day, when things weren't as complicated at school. Except one day... Well it was a Saturday. She was washing dishes. They didn't have a dish washer so she did them by hand. Tamaki would probably find that so quaint and commonerish. The phone rang. Her hands were wet, so she ignored it the first time. It was probably someone from host club. It rang again and she dried her hands picking it up.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Miss Fujioka?"

"Yeah?"

"Ranka's daughter?"

"Yeah."

"I'm so sorry... He's dead. He had a heart attack." Haruhi dropped the phone, and it landed accidentally in the sink, the sink that was full of soapy dish water. She didn't move to fish it out. She just freaked out. How could her dad be dead?! Her mom was dead hadn't she lost enough? She never thought like that before but suddenly now she did. She was mad at fate and life and everything for her dad's death. She cried. She never cried but now she did. She just cried. All through Saturday. Most of Sunday. She barely composed herself Monday to go to school.

"Haruhi! What happened? We couldn't reach you? Did you lose your phone?" The host club was concerned.

"I dropped it in the sink." She mumbled, her eyes red, her voice hollow, and unnatural frown on her face.

"What's wrong? You look sick. What happened?" Tamaki asked.

"She's been this way all day." Hikaru told the rest of them, sounding worried. Kyoya hugged her.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"What do you know?" Tamaki yelled at Kyoya, mad at Kyoya for always knowing EVERYTHING and never telling them.

"My dad died." Haruhi choked out. Everything fell silent.

"Do you need help Haruhi? Have you been living alone this whole time?" Haruhi didn't answer so they immediately knew she had.

"You don't have to be alone Haruhi. You're not okay you need help let us help you. Let us be there for you." They said.

"No, guys, I'm fine... I can take care of myself."

"You're too young to live alone, its illegal. Besides you're in no position to be able to take care of yourself right now. You look like you haven't eaten since he died." Kyoya deduced, speaking gently so as not to hurt her.

"When did he die?" Tamaki asked.

"Saturday."

"We'll find someone to take care of you and find a way you can stay at Ouran. We're not going to let you be alone. We're ALWAYS going to be there for you. We'll get you a new phone and-"

"No. Stop it you're being too... I don't deserve this! I deserve to be alone I can take care of myself he'd want it that way."

"No he wouldn't. He wouldn't want you just to survive he'd want you to be happy too. You're not going to be happy if you push us away and live alone. Please let us help you you've helped us so much. Please."

"okay..." She said, breaking down tears finally falling in front of them.

"Okay. please... help me." She finally asked for help. She'd been afraid too but she needed it now more than ever while guilt washed over her. She felt like she should've invited him more. But she knew or at least hoped he was watching over her now.

"I loved him..." She mumbled as they hugged her.

"We know. He did too."

"No. No he didn't."

"Yes, yes he did. You might not have said it out loud, but everything you do shows people how much you care for them. And you did so much for him."

"Not enough. I never invited him."

"You did that for him too." She sighed and wished she had just one more chance to invite her father into her life. Just one. But she didn't. She had to survive. And be happy. For him.

I like this one.