Sorry. It is kind of short. I'm sorry for taking like a year to update as well. Merrr...

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Sigh.

It was hopeless.

The nicest dress I had on this boat was something that looked like I'd go to church in-which is exactly what I used this dress for. It was a dark grey dress. A simple, dark grey dress. It reached above my knees and made me look like dull church girl. I turned around to look at my side-nope, not flattering.

I turned around even more to look at my backside to see if that angle offered any hope.

Nope.

Stupid dress. Stupid party. I bet they wouldn't even notice me even if I were there. Why did I have to go to this stupid thing? It's not like the twins even liked me. I threw the dress onto my bed and sat down, glancing at the timer on the nightstand. About 5 more minutes until the cake finished baking.

Right, forgot to mention. To top it off, I was the one baking the birthday cake for the twins. And since it was for numerous people...I had to bake multiple cakes to make one giant one.

Bullshit. That's what this was. Bullshit.

What would Haruhi be wearing? Since there were customers of the Host Club going there, would she be in a boy's outfit? Or a girl's? If she was going as a girl, what kind of dress would she be wearing? I would bet that it would be a beautiful dress...maybe a bright red one. Red always looked really nice on Haruhi.

Ding ding ding.

I quickly turned off the timer and changed back into my jumper shorts, trying to not think about how it was probably the most unflattering outfit I owned. Oh well, there was no one to impress at this point anyway.

In the kitchen I felt more comfortable, putting together all the pieces of cake to make one large one. I had been at this all day. My oven could only fit 2 pans of cake batter at a time, so as you can guess, I hadn't really left the area much. But you know, I was pretty content here, and as I carefully smoothed out the icing on top of the cake it felt therapeutic to see such a smooth surface produced by a normally lumpy medium. I contemplated drawing a giant penis in frosting on top of it. Would the twins have a sense of humor about it? Or would they throw a little shitfit?

I'd put at least $20 that they'd throw the shitfit.

"Aiiiyeeee what's that!? What a stupid little commoner! they'd say" I mocked them, waving my froster in the air at the imaginary situation.

"Can't even get a cake right, she must have been dropped on her head as a baby ey Kaoru?" I wagged my froster again, putting my hand on my hip and scrunching my face up to imitate their stupid, smug, little faces.

"And then Kaoru would go 'eyyy...it's not nice to make fun of disabled people Hikaru' and Hikaru would go 'how right Kaoru, it's not nice to expect anything from somebody so disabled anyway blah blah blah I'm so handsome and rich and I can say whatever I want and I'm amazing at everything because I'm rich and shit blah blah blah-"

"Good to know you think so highly of us." I heard the unmistakable voice of one of the twins, but it wasn't until I turned around in embarrassment that I could guess which one it was.

"Where's Hikaru?" I asked, my face heating up as I put my froster behind my back, shuffling my feet a little and looking at my shoes like some kid who had just been caught sneaking through mom's purse. Kaoru crossed his arms and leaned against the kitchen wall, smirking at me mischievously.

"What makes you think I'm not Hikaru?" He asked and for a moment I doubted myself, but when I looked back up at him, I was pretty sure about my guess.

"Lucky guess." I mumbled again and began returning to the cake that I was making for him to begin with. Kaoru had walked over, his arms still crossed and inspected my work so far and suddenly I felt self-conscious about the state the cake was in. I was only on the first tier and the second tier hadn't been trimmed yet, leaving it to be ugly and naked without its frosting or decorations. I was about to stammer out about how the cake wasn't done yet yadda yadda ya, until Kaoru took a spoonful of frosting and ate it, tasting it in his mouth thoughtfully before putting the spoon back down.

"You seem to have a lot of lucky guesses. Why don't you just tell me what gives it away?" He pushed the question, taking the spoon he just had in his mouth and putting it back into the bowl of frosting for a second bite. I frowned, thinking about how gross it was that he was double dipping. He seemed to notice the look on my face before shrugging.

"It's my cake anyway, I can do whatever I want."

Of course. Silly me.

"Okay." Is all I found reasonable to respond with. But still, the less dickish twin hung around, as if he were waiting for something more from me. I paused my movements for a moment, holding off on frosting the rest of the cake to look at him.

"Hitachiin-sama, is there something else I could help you with?" I was hoping he'd hear my question and take it as more of a rhetorical question. I was hoping for a 'no' or a 'no'. Or maybe even a 'no'.

"Yeah there is. I have a few questions to ask you and you owe me a few answers." I tensed up, mildly terrified of what he could possibly need to know from me. Out of all of them, including Kyouya, the twins intimidated me the most. Out of all of them, they were the most unsettled, the most volatile, and the ones who were most emotionally raw and simultaneously guarded. Kaoru leaned down, narrowing his eyes at me and bringing his face uncomfortably close to mine.

Despite what it may sound like, there was nothing romantic about the situation. There was no sexual tension, no hot breath to make me gasp-there was nothing but the most uncomfortable tension. It was the kind of tension where you're wondering whether your school bully is about to beat the shit out of you, or just rob you of your lunch money..

"What's your deal?" He asked.

"W-what?" I guess I was right to be afraid. He asked questions about things I had no clue about. What was he even talking about? I leaned backwards, trying to create more distance between us as I felt more and more uncomfortable with each passing second. He just leaned forwards even more, making sure that I would be as uncomfortable as humanly possible.

"I said, what's your deal?"

"Hitachiin-sama...I-I...I don't know what you're talking...about..."

"Sure you do." He finally leaned back away from me and turned around, putting his hands on his hips as he paced from me to the fridge a couple times before turning back around and pointing a finger an accusatory finger at me.

"You have been messing everything up. You have been changing the dynamics."

What? The dynamics of what? What have I been messing up? They are the ones who stomped into my life, my boat, my summer, and fucked with my life.

"Excuse me? What are you-what-just what?" I was getting flustered and frustrated, wanting to snap that stupid finger in half.

"Kyouya's acting weird, paying less attention to Tamaki and actually letting him run free with his stupid antics now because he's bothered by you. And Mori-senpai, I haven't seen him this bothered since Honey-senpai got a cavity and threw him across the room. He's quieter than usual which is a feat in itself. He's distracted and is paying less attention to Honey. Do you know how difficult that is to do? So I am asking you, what, is your deal? What are you doing that's screwing up my friends?"

"I-I..I d-don't know...I...what you're...I don't...know.." I was terrified. I didn't know or understand what I was being accused of. The menacing twin was getting up in my face, not allowing me any breathing room and his finger was still wagging at me. I took a step back, not really knowing how to respond in this situation. Kaoru seemed to ease up when I did that as if realizing just how threatening he seemed to me. I stood still, hoping that less movement meant less confrontation. Maybe if I didn't move at all I would start to blend in with my surroundings.

"Calm down I'm not going to hurt you." He said in attempts to reassure me, but the damage had already been done. I now knew that another one of the Host Club was unhappy with me. Now I had to worry about the things he said and worry about him as well.

"I have to go. Excuse me." Is all I could think of saying. Quickly I brushed past him and out of the kitchen, walking as if I were on a mission while having no actual destination in mind.

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I had read somewhere that there was a reason why chocolate was so appealing to people.

There are three main ingredients in chocolate and had I a sharper mind I would have remembered the chemical names.

The first ingredient causes the brain to produce large quantities of serotonin, causing the feeling of extraordinary happiness. The second ingredient stimulates the brain's pleasure centres, causing us to have feelings of bliss, euphoria, and giddiness-probably releasing dopamine or something. I've already forgotten. The third ingredient is the psychoactive ingredient which directly affects our mental process, causing us to crave more chocolate almost to the point of addiction.

As I sat huddled in the darkness of the linen closet, I didn't really feel the effects of my Hershey's bar on me. I was currently enjoying its sweetness and the way it melted in my mouth if I didn't chew it right away, but it definitely wasn't giving me any feelings of euphoria or bliss.

Maybe it's because I haven't eaten enough chocolate yet. Is how I justified it as I unwrapped my third chocolate bar of the day.

The calories weren't going to do me any good. Oh well.

I closed my eyes and leaned back on the cleanly folded sheets which filled the closet. We used a very fresh smelling detergent and really nice fabric softener, making the scent of the closet even more enjoyable. It was a comfortable place really. The silence and lack of light comforted me like an all-encompassing hug which neither smothered me nor put any pressure on me. In here I felt like I was drowning in a quiet dream, floating in place, unafraid of crashing to the ground or being pulled into the sky. I was just comfortable.

How did I end up in the linen closet you may ask?

Well by the time Kaoru had burst in to wag his finger and accuse me of being the devil, I had finished the cake. After walking out of the kitchen I had alerted Haruhi to the fact that the cake was done and to arrange for it to be delivered. I told her that I would be out on errands for the rest of the day and would meet her at the Hitachiin's birthday party.

Of course I did no such thing.

I made a stop by our room and grabbed a bag of chocolate bars, a book, and a pillow, and made my way to the one place I knew nobody would ever accidentally stumble upon.

How was I so sure of this?

Well, you see, the linen closet was in the back of the boat in the area where all the supply closets were. Bathroom cleaning things, kitchen stock things, and the linen closet. I had never seen any of those boys once take a step towards these closets because why would they? They had me to change their bedsheets, to clean their bathrooms and to scrub the kitchen.

I planned on camping out in the linen closet all night. It was roomy enough.

My only mistake was forgetting to bring a flashlight. It was really difficult to read my book in total darkness.

But that's okay. Just a small mistake. I could do without reading anyway.

The warmth of the dark was more than enough.

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"Hmm..I don't see Momoku. Do you think she's running late with her errands?" A concerned Haruhi piped up next to me, I didn't glance away from my ipad, still coordinating a few things on it for the party.

"Possibly. You should be more concerned with the twins though."

"Eh? What do-"

"LAAAAADIES AND MORE LADIES! PLEASE WELCOME YOUR HOSTS FOR TONIGHT, THE HITACHIIN BROTHERS!"

The deafening screams of the crowd drowned out whatever response Haruhi had tried to give me. The lights went off and were replaced with a singular spotlight focusing on the two twins who stood at the top of a red-carpeted staircase. They were dressed in very princely outfits, golden tassels hanging from their shouldercuffs and everything. They bowed dramatically and slowly began to descend down the staircase to the sound of the audience's applause. As they took their slow steps, the golden confetti began to slowly shower down onto the crowd below, making it all feel like a scene from a movie.

None of this moved me.

I wasn't surprised that Momoku hadn't arrived, and yet I still somehow expected her to show up. How could she be so disrespectful not to attend the birthday party of two of the host members? Disrespectful child.

But on the other hand...

I recalled the look in her eyes when panic overcame her back at the boat a few days ago. The overwhelming presence of the host club had sent her reeling into a panic attack and as I looked at the excessive party, I imagined that it was for the best that she didn't appear here. She probably wouldn't know how to handle extravagance like this anyway, being a commoner and all.

I glanced up at the cake which sat upon the table. It was pretty grand looking. The lazy child had left it in such a bland state that I had a couple bakers come up to decorate the cake last minute. She was just going to leave the cake at just having chocolate frosting. She didn't even think about how ugly it would look sitting upon such an elegant table. She obviously didn't think much.

"Waaah. Look Takashi! It's Momo-chan's cake! Did she do that whole thing by herself?"

Of course she didn't. How could a commoner have such elegant taste?

"Ah."

I flicked away a piece of confetti which had fallen onto my screen, feeling the slightest flash of anger at the sound of Mori's voice. I had far from forgotten the incident that had been shared between us a week ago. I paused over the file on the screen, having lost my place in reading for a moment, wondering just what I had been looking over for the past few minutes. Something was distracting me.

Excited screams erupted again as the twins started to dance together on the dance floor. The girls started bustling even more, ecstatic to see the incestuous love brothers dancing to the tango.

That was it.

This place was just too noisy and too distracting.

Quietly, I stood up and loosely held my ipad to my side, walking away from the party without drawing attention through the side door. The cool summer air greeted my face as the faint smell of the sea drifted through from a reasonable distance away. The twins had insisted on not having the venue at the beach. Apparently they were beginning to get tired of the sea.

After hailing a cab, I directed him towards the boat. The boat would be a quiet place at this time of night.

That's how I rationalized it at least.

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I always liked to think that if Hogwarts were real, that I'd be sorted into Gryffindor; Loyal and brave next to my friends. But after some honest deliberation, I think the house I'd end up in would be Hufflepuff, or perhaps Slytherin. I most certainly wasn't clever enough for Ravenclaw, nor did I care about schooling in the least bit. I was obviously not brave or loyal, cowering and hating the people I called my friends in secret. I think Slytherin would be a bit of a stretch though. Would I really ever betray my own friends? Hate them, yes, betray them though...would I do such a thing as that? I liked to think I had some morals to my character.

No, I was too much of a coward to betray my friends. I wouldn't be able to handle their hateful gazes or their muted anger. It would be too stressful to handle that sort of backlash.

I would be in Hufflepuff. Doing whatever it was I did, put-putting around the school and trying not to get on anybody's bad side.

I think Tamaki would be Harry Potter, the stupid but brave and loyal leader to the end. Haruhi would obviously be Hermione Granger, the most brilliant witch of her age, fearless and always on the path of good. Of course, the Hitachiin twins would be the Weasley twins, who else could they possibly be? The trouble-making twins apparently translated very well into the world of Harry Potter.

Now Mori-senpai...who would he be? Maybe Mori would be Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff Prefect who was perfect in every way...athletic, tall, handsome, smart and kind...or maybe I was just being biased. I smiled to myself, blushing lightly as I thought about it. Mori would make an excellent Prefect. I couldn't even think of a character to fit Honey-senpai.

Now Kyoya...

Well that was an easy one.

He'd be Draco Malfoy.

Evil, conniving, rich, handsome, and not afraid to remind you at every turn how much more inferior you were to him.

Of course you wouldn't understand my refined tastes mudblood.

I giggled to myself and stood up to open the closet door. It had been long enough that everyone would be in the middle of the party by now.

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Her shoes are still here.

Her cell phone was sitting on her bedside table and her coat was hanging on the door. I knew she didn't have another coat on the boat. Her shoes were still sitting neatly on the floor mat.

She was still on the boat somewhere.

The little mouse was hiding.

It amused me to think that she hid on the boat somewhere, rather than go somewhere out in town where it would be much harder and less likely to find her. I grinned, imagining the look that she'd have on her face when I disturbed her quiet night. It was mildly funny to think about it.

Not in the kitchen, not in any of the bedrooms. She wouldn't hide in any of those places, it was too easy.

Now where would she think would be the last place any of us would ever look?

Supplies.

I walked over to the back of the boat where all the supply closets resided, careful to make sure that my dress shoes did not make noise with every step I took. I barely noticed the smirk which had grown on my face, knowing that I was about to dismantle whatever cleverness the commoner had thought she achieved. Stopping in front of all the closets, I paused, wondering if I'd be able to guess which one she was in without having to try more than one door.

A giggle came from the one on the left.

Of course I didn't need more than one guess. Closing my hand over the brass knob, I quickly twisted it and pulled the door open.

The only thing I hadn't expected was her body stumbling into mine.

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When I put my hand on the doorknob to leave the safety of the closet, it was like an immediate curse, the knob turned of its own accord and the door flung open, pulling me with it and sending me crashing into something-correction, somebody.

I don't think he meant to catch me. From what I knew of him, had he been able to react quickly enough, he would have preferred to let me crash into the floor. But I had caught him by surprise as well. He had caught me against his chest, his hands on my back, stiff, frozen, and uncomfortable as it seemed that he was also unable to react immediately.

I was in shock about several things.

1. Why was he on the boat?

2. How did he know where I was?

3. Why was he on the boat?

4. Why was he on the boat?

5. What was I supposed to do now?

"What are you doing in the linen closet?" He was the first to speak, but he hadn't moved. He was still holding me against him.

"What are you doing on the boat?" I asked in return, the uncomfortableness of the situation only beginning to be realized by my brain.

In all honesty, he had probably only been holding me for about 45 seconds before he abruptly let go and started walking away without another word, but it had felt like an hour. His body had been warm, his hands which had held my back felt like they had branded their print into my skin, his chest which my face had laid against smelled of his cologne and for just a few seconds when my thoughts blanked and my body relaxed...I had felt...good. For that brief period of time, I had seen Kyoya Ootori as a human being. He had warm flesh, a beating heart, a soft touch, a nice smell, and for that one moment he made feel like a human as well.

But as the cool ocean breeze sped past my face it was as if somebody had grabbed my ankles and thrust me back onto earth, reminding me of reality. I was thrown at the speed of sound, my heart crashing and my mind exploding upon impact. I felt numb as I tried to process a simple hug. Something about it was so foreign and so unnatural to me. It seemed cruel and unusual to have happened to me now of all times. Now that I knew what it felt like to be held by a man like Kyoya.

I knew that it was wonderful.

And I understood that it would never happen again.

Ugly girl. Ugly. Poor. Stupid. Talentless. Useless. Commoner. Mudblood. Girl.

Slowly, I walked to my room on the boat and laid down on the soft mattress, my eyes staring up at the top bunk but seeing nothing.

How did something so insignificant, affect me so drastically?