Definitely Not Haruhi

Chapter Eight

I Will Never Do It - Again

"You know," I start, picking a piece of cake off my plate with my plastic fork, "You didn't have to do all this. I could have just had the birthday lunch I made." I take a bite of the cake, and my eyes get big. Agrin spreads across my face as the soft bread dissolves in my mouth, "Okay, I take it back. I shouldn't have said anything when you said I needed a cake; it's even chocolate~!" I could barely keep myself from trying to hug my plate of cake, "My favorite~!"

I look at what remained of the cake in the box, and remember the blue flower that had decorated the top, "Hey - what was the blue flower for? I mean, yeah, I like the color blue... but the flower looked kind of like a rose...?"

"Each host has a certain colored rose 'designated' as their flower." Kyouya begins, "Tamaki has white, Hikaru and Kaoru have blue and orange -"

I stop Kyouya before he could continue, "Wait, why would my cake have a blue rose, then, if Hikaru has a blue rose? Surely you wouldn't want two completely different hosts to have the same colored rose?"

Kyouya's glasses flash menacingly as he pushes them lightly up the bridge of his nose, "Yes, well, it seems the bakers of the cake did not have an aqua colored icing to use, so they used the next closest thing. Your rose is not blue. It is aqua." He explains in a monotone voice.

"Oh. Okay, continue, then." I say, waving my hand as dismissing a little child with a dumb question.

He sighs irritably and continues, "Honey has a pink rose, Mori a dark blue, and I, myself, have a purple rose." He finishes; acting as if that was the hardest thing to explain in his life - even though he was one of the smartest students at the academy; and certainly the smartest one in the Host Club.

I look at Hikaru and Kaoru as they begin trying to balance plastic-ware on each other's face.

Point proven... I think, trying hard to keep myself from face palming or slapping them upside the head as hard as I could.

I feel something - or somebody - tug on the side of my sleeveless hoodie, and look over to see Jack - who was stil holding onto my hoodie, "What?" I ask.

She stares at me a few moments more, and then her eyes dart quickly over to the Hosts and then back to me. I realize what she wanted, and sit down my plate before standing silently, "I'll be right back." I tell the guys, then help Jack to her feet before leading her away from the group - out of earshot, "What is it?" I ask.

She stays silent for a few moments before finally saying, "I want into your club."

I blink, then crack a smile, "Haha good joke, Jack."

She stares at me - her eyes hard, but there was no trace of a glare, "I'm being serious. If that's the heir of the Suoh fortune - the single most powerful family in all of Japan - you may need some help." She states with no emotion.

"No." I say, "Help with what? The only reason I'm in this freaking mess is because I don't have the money to pay off some stupid vase I broke!"

"What do you mean you 'don't have the money'?" She asks, her voice raising just an octave higher, but not loud enough for the Hosts to hear, "Haven't you been doing any jobs? Are saying you haven't taken a single a-?!" I slap my hand over her mouth.

"No. I have not." I hiss, "And I won't." Her eyes widen, and I could tell she wouldn't argue anymore, so I remove my hand.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T?!" She shouts, "DID YOU FORGET WHAT THOSE RICH BAS- THOSE RICH PEOPLE DID TO US?!" She contains herself from cursing, but she had still yelled that very loudly.

Man, I don't think I'd ever been more wrong about Jack, before. I let my gaze sweep around us; we were getting some looks and stares - including some from the Hosts - but there wasn't that many people in the park since it was still school hours, "Shh." I hiss, "Jack, I do NOT want to have to run for the rest of my life!" I throw my hands into the air as if it would prove my point, "I just want to stay in one place! I want to go to school, get a degree, and get a LIFE. Living in the shadows is NOT a life." I say, "We're through with this conversation. I don't want to talk about it, anymore. I turn briskly and stride back over to the guys; plopping down bitterly in the spot I had been sitting in originally.

"You seem upset." Kyouya states in a cool, monotone voice. I glare at him, my eyes burning with some unknown emotion.

"Don't start with me, Ootori. I don't want to - since you all brought me cake - but I will punch you if you push me." I state coldly. I could practically see the color drain from everybody's faces - excluding Mori and Kyouya, of course.

Jack makes her way over, and sits down beside me - seeming even more distant now than before we had talked.

After a long, uncomfortable silence - that was filled only by everybody eating, and the Hosts occasionally glancing at each other,silently willing each other to speak and break the tense, uncomfortable atmosphere - I see Jack glance at Kyouya nad catch his eye.

She makes a small - almost unnoticeable - jerking motion with her head, and silently stands before walking away; Kyouya following just as quietly after a, "Please excuse me."

"Where are those two going?" Kaoru breaks me out of my thoughts as I watch them walk away to the spot Jack and I had been standing in not even a half-hour ago.

I turn and look at the calmer of the two mischievous twins, "I don't know... but if I know Jack, I have a pretty good idea of what she's doing..." I grumble.

The twins look at each other and shrug as I turn back to see that Kyouya and Jack had finished their quiet conversation, and were now heading back over, "And what, pray do tell, were you two speaking about?" I say monotonously as Jack takes a seat beside me, and the Hosts stare between Kyouya and Jack.

"Nothing that concerns you." She states coldly. I sit my plate down, then stand.

"Well, if that's the way it's going to be... I think I'll be on my way, now. I've got things to do, and it doesn't concern any of you. I will be on my way, now. I will see you all tomorrow." I say just as coldly as Jack had when she replied to me, "I thank you greatly and all. Honey, you can take what remains." I turn and walk off briskly; still peeved with everybody even though it was really just Jack who'd angered me.

I feel something slide into my hand, and glance down at it. I see a neatly folded piece of paper that Jack had slipped into my hand when we were eating, and the Hosts weren't paying attention.

My eyes open, and I am lying on my bed - on top of all the sheets, "What the hell..." I mutter, "Did I just dream of what happened earlier...?" I sit up, and realize I'd fallen asleep in my normal clothes.

I reach into my pocket, and press my fingers lightly against the paper. It seemed to burn against my leg - through the material of my pants - pressuring me to take it out and and look at it.

The pressure wins me over, and I clasp the paper before pulling it from pocket. I carefully unfold it - as if it were going to explode.

I stare at the page as I register the numbers, 375-467... It's a phone number! I stand silently, and look out my window, and into the night. I could've sworn I saw a shadow-figure flit away from my line of sight, but I ignore it and turn away, drawing the curtains close.

I strip off my jeans, shirt, and sleeveless hoddie, and then replace them all with some flowing, black pants, a black shirt, and a large black hoodie.

I pull the hood up over my face, hiding my appearance under the baggy clothes and shadows, "Well, I guess it's time to make a call."