I looked tentatively upward to peer at the bottom of the car just above us that held a positively fuming host. I heard my ride buddy clear her throat and I returned my gaze to the girl sitting across from me with a rather disgruntled look marring her features.

"Why are you mad? It's not like you were the one that broke his stupid laptop."

"Kaeden," she groaned, "I don't think you understand what you just did."

"I broke the idiot's laptop. Granted, it wasn't on purpose, but it's not like that was a terrible outcome on my end either." I let myself seem more confident and nonchalant than I was feeling in that moment. I think I could physically see the dark aura radiating off the car above us, and despite my leap-without-looking bold attitude, I was honestly slightly intimidated.

Scratch that. I was incredibly intimidated.

"Kaeden, I was almost quite literally pushed into a vase and it wasn't even really anyone's fault (unless that 'anyone' is Tamaki and those damned twins)," she muttered under her breath, quickly returning to the conversation, "but I'm still being made to pay all eight million of it off. Although the laptop is probably not as expensive as an antique vase, it's Kyoya's and something he obviously holds some sort of attachment too. Plus it's exceedingly obvious that he already strongly dislikes you."

"But-"

"And furthermore, it's not like it was an accident his laptop broke; you messed with him and used him as a target for your stuffed animal target practice, resulting in it being thrown from the top of the Ferris Wheel." I sighed in defeat while she continued. "That laptop is not broken Kaeden; it's annihilated!"

"Yes, thank you Haruhi for depicting just what condition my laptop is in right now," a slightly (very) irritated voice yelled from the car above us. Simultaneously our eyes widened and our mouths audibly snapped shut at the thought of him hearing our entire conversation.

Please God, Jesus, anyone, let Tamaki go back to arguing with that damn operator so I never have to leave the safety of this ride.

To my utter despair, the ride was over just moments later and we clambered off onto the loading platform. Even from here I could see the shattered metallic remains of my Ferris Wheel misadventure.

I cringed at the thought of my oncoming punishment. Like, I definitely am gonna get kicked from the park permanently, that's a no brainer. 10/10 should not throw things from the top of the Ferris Wheel. But what about Kyoya's personal wrath? What was going to happen to me? I hadn't even talked to Tyler or his family since I'd left; maybe, if Ootori was feeling generous, (which I seriously doubt) he'd let me call them to say goodbye before he kills me. But how would I die?

Would he throw me off a bridge with a bunch of cinderblocks tied to my ankles? No, that's how the mafia does it, but what about rich kids? They'd hire an assassin to make it look like an accident.

Guess who's never leaving the house again and is going to sleep with a shotgun?

If you guessed me then you're right and I await death with a loaded double barrel.

As Kyoya stepped off the car, I braced myself for whatever would happen next. Perhaps some good strong verbal abuse, a slap or two probably wouldn't be out of line, but instead he brushed right past me without saying a single word.

Not

One

Fucking

Word.

And that was the most terrifying of all the scenarios I had imagined.

Just what was he plotting?


The rest of the club sensed the tension and unease within the group and decided to go home instead of sticking around any longer.

I nearly opted to walk home rather than be crammed into a limousine with two pervs, an alien, a giant, an idiot, and someone who is most likely planning my imminent death, but I was given no other choice when the only normal person I knew in this god damn country reminded me that we were an half hour drive from our apartment complex, and that was on a highway.

The limo was crammed. The limo was stuffy. The limo was awkwardly dead silent.

In conclusion, the ride home was nearly twice as long and suffocating as the one here. And that's saying something.

Haruhi and I were dropped off first much to my relief, and as I made some mad haste to get out of the cramped limo I decided it would be best to book it up to my apartment, lock the doors, and bar the windows rather than sit around and risk bodily harm.

My "new life" officially started only yesterday and I'm already anticipating my death.

Oh joy.


The next morning as I walked to school with Haruhi, I had dark circles under my eyes and was about ready to embrace death with open arms at this point.

I had come to a few realizations, one of which was that I thankfully wasn't dead. Yet. (I definitely didn't wait up all night to see if I would actually be killed. Nope. Didn't happen at all.)

I also realized that I was in some serious shit. I had spent the entire night (other than waiting for death), waging an internal battle. To be sorry or not to be sorry.

I wavered back and forth all night, and right about now, as I was heading head on into the fucking nightmare, I was feeling pretty sorry.

Sorry for me, sorry for him, sorry for his laptop sitting in pieces in the bottom of a trashcan in an amusement park. Sorry in general.

But a part of me still felt entirely justified in what could probably be considered my revenge plot.

Laptops are replaceable, relationships are not. And Kyoya is a mean motherfucker who needs to be taught a lesson about how people should be treated.

I don't know man, but if a hitman decided that right now was the time to target me, I'd be A-Ok with it because then at least I wouldn't have to face the day. Or Kyoya.

"You alright?" Haruhi asked me worriedly. It was no secret that I was worn out.

"Nope." I said popping the P.

"Yeah, I don't blame you. Do you know what you're going to say to him when you see him today?"

"I don't know? Sorry I was a dick? Sorry you're a dick? Sorry you're dickishness brought out my dickishness and resulted in a broken laptop?"

"That doesn't sound quite right."

"Yeah yeah I know. I have no fucking clue. I mean I feel bad but not really? He's kind of rich as fuck so he can just buy a new one but I do realize I was messing with him when all he wanted was peace and quiet but also he's an ass?" Here we go again.

"That's a tough place to be in Kaeden. But you got yourself in, I bet you can get yourself out," I wasn't nearly as confident in my skills as she was, "why don't you start with an apology though." I groaned, despite my gut feeling telling me that was probably best.

I did not want to give up anything to that shitwad, but I kind of forfeited my ability to steer clear of that when I decided to be an impulsive dick yesterday, huh?

Fuck my lifeeee…


I watched the joyous canary marshmallows excitedly bounce around the entrance hall (which was the size of our entire damn apartment complex thank you very much) as they reunited with friends after the agonizing day of separation.

I winced at the high-pitched squeals emanating from every direction and was immediately reminded of the host club.

"Hey, you don't mind if I don't show up to the host club today right?"

"Not at all. I honestly didn't expect you to come back after yesterday's shenanigans."

"Yeah, I think it'd be best if I lie low for a while." She half-smiled at my statement and commented something quietly that faintly sounded like "You've got that right." I chuckled at her response.

"I don't know how you stand it there, but I'll walk home with you again for sure!"

"You really don't have to, I don't want to delay you or anything or force you to deal with anymore of this pointless drama than you already do. Although, I did hear that you punched a kid on Monday. Is that true?"

I sheepishly gave Haruhi my best I'm-sorry-but-not-really grin. "It might be."

"Always with the violence." She sighed exasperatedly and as the bell rang we parted ways to go to class, promising to meet out front by the pond after the club.


My first classes went by quickly without an issue, and, surprisingly, Honey was completely quiet and focused on the lecture the teacher was giving on superlatives.

Seeing as I basically had this language down to a "T" (I say tentatively against my 47% quiz test grade), I took the day off from learning in that class (as I will probably do everyday) and instead opened up my trusty notebook.

It felt like forever since I had cracked it open, but in reality it hadn't been as long as I'd thought it'd been. If you leave out last night when I was writing my (very short) last will and testament in it, the last time I'd seen it was on the plane ride over on Friday.

I'd never really let anyone see inside my notebook, but it's not like I write all of my secrets in there or anything. It's a notebook not a fucking diary.

I turned to a new page and sighed as I titled the top of it "Kaeden's Fuck-ups vs. Kyoya's Fuck-ups" and divided the page into two columns. I began by writing "Dick at fair – broke laptop" on my side and "Dick forever – broke family" on his. I thought that making a list would help me sort out my feelings, but staring down at the nearly empty page just made me more confused and less likely to regain hope for living.

I frustrated closed the book and put my head down on my desk, resigned to recover some of the sleep I lost last night.

As the bell rang, releasing us, I quickly groaned as I realized just where I was heading:

Class 2A – Math, European History, and a whole slew of other bullshit.

Which, if that's not tough enough, I had to endure the entire period in front of Blondie and Glasses. Maybe Glasses got amnesia and forgot all about yesterday; maybe (hopefully!) he forgot about me altogether.

One can only dream.

Now that I understood just what (who) the girls in my second year class were always swarming and ogling before class, I opted to instead talk with a few of my penis (and brain) bearing classmates that I recognized from P.E.

The conversation was mostly centered on how I knocked out Akira and then subsequently pummeled him into the ground during football, which was pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

They all made it abundantly clear that they didn't share his stupid sexist views and that I was welcomed in class.

On the other hand, I made it abundantly clear that I was going to make him pay at every given opportunity and that they'd better help or stay out of my way unless they wanted to lose an eye.

I'm not sure if they sided with me out of fear or respect. Nonetheless when it comes to revenge, how your allies came to be is a rather insignificant detail.

If only I could punch the rest of my problems in the face and have it turn out this okay.

As class came to a dragging start, I lumbered over to my chair at the forefront of the classroom, despising my teacher in that moment for his poor seating arrangement system. I plopped down in my chair and contemplated how to spend my class time.

I could pay attention today (Lord knows I need it; European History is almost a foreign language to me when it's literally in a foreign language)

Or

I could listen to sad Elliot Smith songs until I died, forever putting off confrontation.

I weighed my options and decided that I could brush up on European History at a later time. And by "brush up" I mean I could binge watch Hetalia at three a.m. because that's totally historically accurate, right?

It seemed like a sound plan to me.

As I pulled out my phone to begin my unhealthy procrastination ritual, and light tap on my shoulder distracted me. I twisted around quickly and prayed that it wasn't who I though it was.

To my surprise, it wasn't.

"Something you needed?" I asked Tamaki. Without a word he slipped something out of his pocket and gave it to me. Kyoya looked up from his class notes to watch the exchange, his curious but emotionless gaze quickly dissipating into a withering glare that matched the cold stare I gave back.

It was a folded piece of notebook paper. I gave Tamaki a confused look and quickly opened it to reveal a note.

What happened yesterday? Kyoya seemed uncharacteristically angry yesterday at the park. –Tamaki

I shot the blonde a look of sheer exhaustion. I did not want to do this right now, and my annoyance at having been forced into thinking about the situation showed.

Kyoya? Angry? Shocking. Basically, shit hit the fan Kyoya dropped his laptop off the side of the Ferris Wheel.

I don't know if you were too busy in Idiot Town to see the thing smash into the pavement ten feet from your face or what not.

He threw me a look of surprise as he replied to my answer.

That was rude.

I rubbed my eyes and groaned before writing my response.

You're right; it was and I meant it to be. You and I aren't friends, and I'm extra not in a good mood. I don't want to deal with this right now.

He looked at me, crestfallen, crocodile tears leaking from his puppy dog eyes. I rolled my eyes and wrote another note following the first one.

Okay you're right whatever. I'm sorry.

He seemed to accept my apology and continued passing me notes.

Why did you do to make "stuff hit the fan?"

I let out a small smile at his censorship. A prince through and through.

Well… Kyoya dropped his laptop because I was pelting him with stuffed animals. I shouldn't have been throwing things at him, he shouldn't have been standing up or being rude to me, and he probably shouldn't have brought something that valuable to an amusement park. It takes two to tango etc. etc.

I flicked the triangularly folded paper back at Tamaki. He read my answer before penning his response in neat cursive.

Well, are you going to apologize to him? It seems like the right thing to do. Even though you're poor and cannot afford such luxuries as a laptop, you can afford sincerity.

I read and reread his response before putting my head down on the table to think.

Kay… thanks for the shot on my socio-economic class. Really makes me want to apologize.

He grimaced and mouthed 'sorry.'

And here's my problem. I don't know what to do. I feel bad, but not really. I get that I haven't been the nicest to everyone, and I do apologize for that I guess. I don't mean to be a rude fucking bitch all the time, but he and I go back, and we don't have the prettiest backstory. He kind of high-key ruined my life. I feel pretty entitled to ruining his laptop.

This time I formed a paper airplane and aimed it at his chest. He scanned it before starting his own reply.

An eye for an eye makes the world go blind.

Ugh, he wants me to be the bigger person here, doesn't he? I have four months of rent before I'm broke and he's a multi-millionaire, why should I have to be the bigger person?

I'm petty! I don't do this bigger person shit!

And when the hell did he get so contemplative and mature? Every bit of Tamaki I'd witnessed so far was childish and overdramatic, and had about as much logic as a car without seatbelts.

I unconsciously began to clutch the paper so tightly it began it tear.

He ruined my life, isn't this just payback? Besides it's just a laptop, get over it. He has enough money to buy an entire warehouse full of them! He deserves every bit of what he got!

I turned to say this to Tamaki, but the look he gave me made me stop. It was like that look that parents give their kids when they're "not angry. Just disappointed."

Honestly, it broke my heart a little bit. This isn't who I want to be. I'm not a mean person, just a stubborn girl with bad company I guess. I just want to put this all behind me. Be done with it.

I sighed. Dammit. I hate being moral.

After a rather prolonged silence, Tamaki was surprised to see a new note on his desk (I had accidentally crumpled the old one). His eyes visibly widened as he read my response:

You got me. I'll apologize. To everyone. I was wrong, yada yada, I'm sorry for being childish, yada yada, the whole bit. My attitude towards Kyoya, and the host club in general was uncalled for. What I did was wrong and I'll do what I can to right it. Happy?

He looked up at me and nodded, beaming. I received his next note in a matter of seconds.

Thank you. I think that's for the best.

I turned around to ask when the hell he got so serious and mature, but was met instead with him sticking two pencils under his upper lip to resemble a walrus and a disassembled pen on his desk, the ink cartridge visible on the floor across the room.

There goes my praise, right out the window, just like my hope for the future of humanity with kids like this in charge.

I turned back around and stared out said window where both praise and hope escaped out through and contemplated just how in the world I would approach a still red-hot pissed Kyoya.

Good thing I still had another 15 minutes of not learning in Euro to think up something good.

Fan-fucking-tastic