A Rose Hidden by Shadows
Chapter Eleven~ It's All I'll Ever Be
I walked down the halls of Ouran, lost in my thoughts and the music blaring in my ears. I was walking with Kyouya, talking about the next theme for the Host Club, but he had left shortly before. I looked around after my music stopped, hearing the other students talking. Some of the girls were glaring at me, making me wonder what I had done to anger them. I pulled my mp3 player out of my skirt pocket and started to browse through the songs I had saved on my it, some saved to the small SD card conceled in the slot on the side. Suddenly I felt someone grab my wrist, holding it tightly to the point of pain. I yelped slightly, dropping my mp3 player to the ground.
"So you think you can just waltz in and join the Host Club and take away my Kyouya?" A girl said, her voice seeming familiar to me.
"I didn't steal anyone or anything from anybody." I said, trying to get the person holding my wrist to let go, I felt nails dig into my skin and moisture run down my arm.
"Who are you trying to kid? If I catch you near the Host Club anymore you won't have to worry about that little commoner friend you have. I would think wisely if I were you." I looked up at the girl, trying my best not to cry from both pain and the thought of causing anything to happen to my friends. I noticed that it was another girl in the same class as me, Akane Tanashi. She was actually a very pretty girl, long gentle curled hair that reached her mid back, lightly tanned, and a curvy figure. I nodded, hoping that she would let go of my wrist.
"Good, now get out of here, freak." She shoved my arm against me, causing me to tumble back and fall to the floor. I quickly grabbed my mp3 player and took off, running to the girl's bathroom to clean the newly aquired cuts on my arm.
I walked into the bathroom, tears already falling down my cheeks. I tried to take a breath, trying to stop the crying, but let out an odd high pitched sob. I walked over to the sink and started to run water, pulling my sleeve from my wrist. I noticed that the light blue sleeve was stained a bit and blood was dripping down my hand into the sink. I ran water over the cuts, wincing at the water.
"I should've know this would happen. Something always happens. I guess I should never be happy, at leat then it wouldn't cause any trouble for anyone else." I sobbed out, grabbing some paper towels to wrap around my cuts till I could properly care for them. I walked out of the bathroom, knowing what I was going to do now.
"Chouko, why are you late?" I heard Haruhi ask as I walked into the club. They hadn't opened yet, but everyone was already dressed in today's cosplay. I shook my head slightly before heading over to Kyouya, trying not to cry again thinking of what I was getting ready to do.
"Kyouya?" I said softly, not wanting to think about the Host Club that was watching me as I spoke. Kyouya looked up from his laptop and looked over to me. "I'm quiting the Host Club. I'm sorry, I won't come back here anymore." I bowed slightly to him and turned to bow at the others.
"Chouko why are you leaving like this?" Haruhi asked, stepping in front of me to stop me from leaving. "You love it here, I know you love it here. Why are you suddenly leaving?"
I shook my head giving Haruhi a sad smile and started to head out of the room. "My daughter is leaving? Why are you leaving so suddenly?" I heard Tamaki yell, making it harder for me. These people felt like family to me, even if not by blood then by bonding.
"Tamaki please, don't." I said, trying not to let the tears gathering in my eyes to fall.
"Then why are you leaving?" Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison, both of them standing behind Haruhi, all waiting for my answer. I shook my head again, feeling the tears start to slip down my cheeks, and walked around them. Once I was clear of the twins and Haruhi I broke into a run and ran out of the Host Club.
~With the Host Club, Third POV~
The entire club looked out the double doors, wondering what had come over Chouko. Then Haruhi looked back at Kyouya and asked something.
"Did you notice the blood on her sleeve?" She asked, thinking that either he or Mori would've noticed the red on the light blue.
"Yes I did notice it. I wonder what happened to cause that and more then that, what caused her to suddenly drop out of the club. I don't think it was of her own will." Kyouya said, the light glinting off his glasses and hiding his eyes.
"Well I know when we were little Chouko was being bullied most of the time. It was an odd thing that I was younger but stuck up for her. It seemed to be the first time anyone had stuck up for her too." Haruhi said, thinking back on when they were younger.
"Do you think she is still being bullied, Haru-chan?" Hunny said from beside Mori.
"I'm not sure, she seemed to have changed in the time that she and I ahd lost contact. She may have been bullied inbetween those times and may still be bullied." HAruhi said, concern showing through for her friend. Each of the members of the Host Club then began talking about different theroys that may explain Chouko's sudden quit.
~With Chouko~
Chouko walked down the hall, trying to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. Suddenly someone started to laugh, a shrill laugh that cut the quiet. Chouko looked up and saw Akane and some other girls that she didn't reconize.
"So you left the Host Club? That's a good girl, now we may leave that commoner alone. Maybe." She laughed again, the same shrill laugh.
"Please, don't do anything to her. I'll do anything, please just leave Haruhi out of this. He has nothing to do with this." Chouko pleaded with the girl.
"Well maybe, but you need to do somethings for me." Akane said, smirking at the other girl.
"Sure, I'll do it." Chouko said, not seeming to want to do anything for this girl.
"Okay then, follow me. I'll tell you what I need from you as we walk." Akane laughed again before leading Chouko down the hall, already having ideas on how to get rid of the seemingly scared girl.
~Skip a Week~
Chouko followed behind Akane, carrying more books then she needed due to having to carry Akane's books. She wore a fake smile on her face, covering the sadness behind a mask. Akane hadn't let her talk to any of her friends in the past week, even taking up her weekends. She had stayed up all night doing both her homework and Akane's. Finally exaustion had taken her and Chouko stumbled, falling over and dropping all the books. She yelped in pain and looked at her ankle, which a twisted in an odd way.
"Chouko if you aren't more careful you'll fall on me you freak. Do you want me to pay a visit to Haruhi?" Akane said irratably. Chouko just sat there, nursing her ankle. "Fine then, lets go see your little commoner friend." Akane spat angrily before walking off. Chouko looked up, worried for her friend. What had she gotten Haruhi into now?
~At The Host Club~
Akane walked up to the double doors, noticing that Haruhi was standing outside them getting ready to head in. "Haruhi-kun! Can I talk to you?" She called to him, smiling her sweet smile. Haruhi nodded before headng over, Akane's smile turning to a smirk. She reached out to grab Haruhi's arm when something hit her and caused her to fall to the ground.
"What was...?" Akane went to say before being cut off by someone punching her in the side. She rolled over, groaning in pain as Haruhi gasped.
"You leave my friends out of this! If you want to hurt someone hurt me! I'm the one you have a problem with, right?" Chouko yelled angrily at the girl on the ground. "I'm tired of you holding the threat of hurting my friend over my head! If you were going to pick a fight then pick one with me! Not someone a year below you! That's the cowardly way to go about things you bitch!" Chouko shouted again, not noticing that the Host Club had wandered out of the Third Music Room and into the hall.
"You shouldn't have stolen him from me!" Akane yelled, standing up and holding her side. "If you hadn't come to this school everything would've been fine you little freak!" She yelled before reaching out and grabbing a fistfull of Chouko's hair.
Chouko yelped in pain and punched at Akane, missing her. Akane smirked and went to hit Chouko, hitting her cheek and causing Chouko's glasses to come off and slid across the floor. Chouko yelped and swung wildly at Akane, hitting her in the stomach and neck. Once she was free from her grip she stood straight, facing Akane. Akane glared at Chouko, getting ready to hit her again, before someone stepped in front of Chouko.
"Thank you, Mori-senpai." Kyouya said, Chouko noticing that the person who stepped between her and Akane had indeed been Mori-senpai and he was hotlding Akane's wrist. "Now that we know, we would like to say that you, Miss Tanashi, are hereby banned from the Host Club. If you are seen messing with any of our members again I won't hesitate to call the Headmaster." Kyouya stated. Akane was about to fight it, placing the blame on Chouko, when Mori grabbed her shoulders and led her away from the club.
Chouko smiled slightly, glad to be rid of the girl who tore her from her friends, when she remembered the pain in her ankle. She collapsed to the floor, holding her ankle and putting a hand to where Akane had hit her, noticing that it was wet there. She was concentrating on willing the pain away before she realized that someone had picked her up and was carrying her into the club room.
"Chouko, are you okay?" Kyouya asked as he placed her down on one of the couches within the Third Music Room. Chouko went to say something but just shook her head and wrapped her arms around Kyouya's chest, sobbing into his shirt. She was suprised when she felt him gently wrap his arms around her. The two sat there for a bit before Chouko leaned back and wiped her eyes.
"I'm sorry Kyouya." She said, looking to the wet spot at the front of his shirt then noticing a crimson splotch. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to stain your.." She was interupted when Kyouya pulled her into a hug.
"Don't ever do anything stupid like that again." Kyouya said into Chouko's hair,making her nod slightly. He let go of her and smiled slightly. "Let me go get the First Aid kit." He then stood up and walked off, soon returning with a small white box and went to work on Chouko's cut and ankle.
"Thank you, Kyouya." Chouko said, as Kyouya wrapped her ankle. "Thank you for everything."
A/N
Chouko is 5'5" Kyouya is 5'11" and Haruhi is 5'0" Chouko is 6 inches shorter then Kyouya and 5 inches taller then Haruhi. Gah, I wrote this bit before I actually finished the chapter cause I knew I would forget. Wow, that had no relevance to the previous chapter at all. I just had an idea while listening to Take it Off by Kesha. Most shown by the freak thing but yeah. Anyway please tell me what you would like to see in the story and/or any idea you think would make this story better, I have basicly written myself into a corner T_T Anyways please ignore the grammer or spelling errors that I may (probably) have made, I'm on a different computer that doesn't have the same software as my desktop, meaning no spell check.
