I do not own Ouran!
The bell rings signaling the beginning of the last class, but I'm in the Music Room 3. I honestly don't know why I asked my foreign language teacher if I could have a free study period. I certainly didn't go to one of the libraries like I said I would. I could be pushing my luck, but since that teacher loves me I think I'm safe.
I open the doors cautiously as if I'll disturb anyone. After I see the empty room, I realize that I'm being stupid because no one is here. My flats make soft sounds against the marble floor and I feel myself being drawn to the back room where Stephen took me to a week ago.
We're still hosting and I still don't enjoy it. Expect when Nozomu comes to drag his sister out of the room- which has been happening more and more often. I think that Susanna was wrong about him liking me.
Not that I care because I don't. 'Crushing' on someone is a complete waste of time. At least I think it is.
Why is this so confusing?
My pace quickens as I pass the couches where we sit. I'm growing more upset with every step but then I see the door to the back room. The memory of the instruments behind the door causes me make slow and quiet steps until I can't take it anymore and I break into a run. I don't stop until I reach the door which I fling open. I turn on the light and I swear that the instruments start glowing.
I have no idea what I am doing. I don't care for now. No one is here to see me act foolish.
A rush of giddy excitement fills me up as I pick up the guitar I saw last week. I strum a few notes and feel a wave of relief crash into me. It feels so good to play again. I start playing the notes to a song that I learned when I was in America. Just humming the tune makes me feel really happy. Not just relaxed, but really truly happy.
I play the last notes of the song. My hand rests on the guitar's strings. I forgot how much I've missed playing. Now it feels like I can't stop. I put down the guitar and go to the covered piano. I start playing scales to get back the feel of the keys before playing my favorite song.
I close my eyes and sing.
We're eight years old and we're meeting in our secret room. The day has just been awful, as it usually is after an activity day. Today's was dedicated to physical activity. Father's latest scheme requires that we all do each other's activities but there's a special reason we each picked a different activity to be talented at.
Because we deplore all the others.
"I hate soccer! And Karate! I hate it I hate it I hate it!" Suzette cries tearfully.
Susanna hugs her, "Don't worry. Soccer season will be over soon." She's doing her best to comfort her, but it's obvious that she's not happy either. Sakura is pressed up against my shoulder crying softly. She was teased again for being slow.
Stephen looks heart-broken, "I love soccer…" He looks at me hopefully, "How about you, Sara?"
I smile half-heartedly. I hate seeing him so upset so I assure him by saying, "I like the martial arts better, but soccer is okay." He smiles back.
"But…I don't want to do that anymore." Susanna whines, "Suzette and Sakura got pushed in the mud again today. And they broke Suzette's bracelet."
"Well, I don't like those art classes but I'm not complaining!" Stephen tells her rudely.
Suzette sniffles, "Then don't go." She crosses her arms and turns away from him. "
"But then you two won't be able to go." I point out. "Mom and Dad said that at least three of us have to be interested or else we can't do it."
"Sakura, please tell me you like the art lessons!" Susanna pleads. Sakura shakes her head.
"She likes those cooking classes better." Stephen reminds her.
"Well I like them too," Suzette proclaims.
"I could go to art classes with the both of you," I offer.
Susanna and Suzette grin hopefully, "Really?" I nod. They cheer and jump around in a circle with excitement.
"But what about me?" Stephen whines, "I need two more people to like sports!"
"I will." Sakura says. She tolerates sports so she'll be fine.
I nod, "I'll go too."
Stephen hugs the both of us, "Thanks!"
We hug him back. Sakura raise her eyebrow, "Cooking and baking?"
Suzette raises her hand, "I want to!"
They look at Susanna and Stephen who both shake their heads, "No way."
I sigh, "I'll do it." Why am I so willing to do everything?
"Yay!" My sisters yell.
I look around, "I…I still want to do music…" I look to the ground because I know that my siblings hate music lessons.
"I'll do it." I look up at Stephen and he smiles. "You're doing sports for me."
"Me too." Susanna grins, "I know that you don't like art that much." I hug the both of them.
But when we go to our Dad with our requests, something we didn't expect happens...
"So let me see if I have this down correctly…Sara, Sakura, and Stephen do sports. Sara, Suzette, and Susanna do art and design. Sara, Suzette and Sakura do baking and cooking and Sara, Susanna and Stephen do music."He looks up from the sheet of paper and looks at the five of us. "Whose name was said the most?"
I raise my hand meekly, "Mine."
He stares at me, "Are you trying to bring attention to yourself?"
I feel like I've been slapped, "No."
"Drop one of these activities. It will be too much for you to handle. Come back in five minutes with your decision." He turns his attention back to the computer on his desk. My siblings and I file out of his office. I refuse to look at them. I will just make me feel even worse.
"Sara…" I feel Stephen's hand coming closer to me so I run back inside my Dad's office and tell him, "Music."
He nods, "Very well. Did you discuss this with your siblings?"
I nod, "Yes. And they said if I wanted to I could do it by myself…"
"You can't. I won't pay for something that only one of you is interested in. It's bad enough that you all aren't doing the same things. You may leave now."
I nod curtly and walk to the door and open it. After closing it I run to the music room and lock the door behind me so my siblings can't come in. I curl up into a ball and cry as quietly as I can.
I finish my song. I was really good at music. I could play any instrument very well after just a few lessons.
I scoffed when I remember the amount of praise I recieved. They called me a prodigy, but the real reason I could play so well was because I would practice until I fell asleep or I got the notes right. Whatever came first. I remember sneaking to the maid's quarter to practice the flute with one of the daughters of a maid.
But one day something happened and music was the reason for it. At first I tried to convince myself that it wasn't my fault and that music could still be enjoyable but I couldn't. I wasn't with my siblings because I was selfish and I wanted to play music. What happened that day was my fault.
I lean on the piano keys and feel tears threatening to streak down my cheeks. The keys make a moaning sound and I am reminded why I should have avoided this place. I push myself up and force myself to cover the piano once again. The feeling of betrayal is impossible to shake off as I gather my things and put everything I touched in the place they were in before. I shut off the lights and leave the room.
I shouldn't have gone. From now on I'll stay away from that room.
I might as well stay here. I told the teacher I was going to study so I might as well do so. I walk to Stephen's and my station and place my computer on the table. Once I'm settled comfortably at my station, I turn it on so I can start working on some files my Dad sent to me to look over.
There must be a million waiting to be reviewed. I blow my bangs up, already feeling tired. This is going to take a while.
After twenty minutes of working I hear the doors open, but I don't look to see who it is. I have to finish this last paragraph.
"Yes, I understand. No I won't be late. Yes, Father. Good-bye." I hear the speaker shut his phone and sigh. I finish typing and turn around. Kyoya took off his glasses and he looks stressed. I shrug and turn my attention back to the document I was typing.
"This is hard." I hear him mumble. Hard? What's hard? I thought that this guy was sort of a robot. He seems to do everything with ease. I only hope that I appear as calm as he does even when I'm stressed. He may be a thorn in my side for getting me involved in this club but he does work hard and hardly shows any fatigue.
I realize that it could seem like I was eavesdropping with me standing quiet, but I'm sure that he can hear me typing. 'Besides,' I smile to myself as I think 'This is sort of payback for the other day.'
"Kyoya! You're early!" I hear Tamaki shout. At the sound of the loud exclamation, I roll my eyes. I can't believe that I thought he was cute. He's just annoying. "Miss Kobayashi you're here too?"
"Who?" I hear Kyoya ask in surprise.
I save my work and turn around, "Oh hello there."
Tamaki grins, "Why didn't you greet us?" Kyoya looks a little peeved.
I point to my computer, "Sorry, I was distracted by what I was doing."
Kyoya crosses his arms, "You could have said something so we knew you were here."
I bat my eyelashes innocently, "But isn't it your fault for not noticing me in the first place?" Eat your words, Otori.
"Haha! I noticed you though!" Tamaki points out happily. Kyoya seems to register the fact that he failed to notice me and the King of Obliviousness aka Tamaki did.
"May I have a word with you, Sara?" I can tell that he's holding back some kind of emotion. My guess is that he would like nothing more than to kick me out or grill me on what I've heard. That's what I wanted to do that day.
"Sure, let me just send this document to my Dad." I press a button and a ding alerts me that my message has been sent.
"Haruhi!" I hear Tamaki shout excitedly.
"Does he do that all the time?" I hear Suzette say. Suzette is here today?
"Tamaki-sempai! You're squeezing me too tightly!" I hear Haruhi gasp.
"Red flag, Boss!" I hear the twins announce.
I hear someone giggle, "You better let her go." Susanna?
"Sara? Today please." Kyoya's right in front of me.
I jump up, "Sorry. I was distracted."
He doesn't look convinced, "Like you were distracted when I first came in?"
I roll my eyes, "Please spare me the interrogation." I look at him with a bored expression, "I didn't hear anything important so you have nothing to worry about."
"Why is it that I don't believe you?" He asks.
"Because you aren't trusting." I tell him. "Anyway, my sisters are here and I'd like to speak with them."
"You'll be able to soon enough." He informs me with a knowing smile.
I freeze, "What do you mean by that?"
"They requested you and your brother."
"More time on the computer for me then." I say feeling relieved. I thought he was going to say they were joining the Host Club.
"You can't use the computer during Hosting hours." He says.
I raise my eyebrow, "And why not? You do."
He looks tongue-tied for a moment, only a split second really. I'm surprised I even caught that. "Because you aren't doing anything club related and I am."
"I'm part of the club and I have work to do. If I can't finish that work I will no longer be part of the club. See how that works out?" I explain. "I believe that my work relates to the club because it relates to me."
He doesn't say anything. He just appraises me for a moment as if he can't figure out what to make of me.
"No one argues with me." He finally says. "They might protest, but they don't argue." Is that admiration I sense from the cold eyed host?
I shrug, "No one used to argue with me either. Seems like we both have something to get used to." I pat his shoulder and say softly, "Because if I don't like what you're saying I'll argue."
Then I walk toward my sisters and call, "What are you doing here?"
"Brianna!" Suzette and Susanna yell before running over and hugging me. The impact nearly knocks me down. I see Sakura calmly walking towards us.
"First, ow. Second, why are you here?" I look at Susanna, "Don't you have an art club meeting today?"
"Crap…" She mumbles, "I've gotta go!" She takes off like a rocket and runs to her meeting.
I shake my head, "What will she do without me."
"Oui! That's exactly why we are here!" Suzette tells me. She looks around before leaning into me and whispering, "We are going to sneak you out of here."
I raise my eyebrow doubtfully, "And how do you suppose you'll accomplish that?"
"Easily. Watch and learn." She straightens and walks over to Tamaki who is now speaking with Kyoya.
"Tamkai~" She sing-songs before speaking in rapid French. I only catch bits and pieces of what she's saying. Something about me and needing to go somewhere? At least I think that what she's saying.
Next thing I know both of them are smiling widely. This cannot be good.
I finally finished my book report so I celebrated by writing a new chapter! It's been brought to my attention that the other Quints haven't been seen for a while so next chapter expect to see a lot more of them.
