~Chapter Five~

Introverted

Girl,
You Wanted
To Shut It All Off and Make a Run for the Door.

But There is Always So Much More Distance;
Can't But Feel It Somehow.
But You Have Never Felt It Like You Feel It Right Now.
I'm Closing Off Inside and I was Only Just Starting,
But You Can't Be Close Enough Unless I'm Feeling Your Heartbeat.

~All of Your Love, by Hellogoodbye

Disclaimer: Me No Own; You No Sue.

Sammy-chan…

I had not forgotten the new student; there was no chance of that ever happening. But I was trying my hardest to ignore my growing interest in her. Why? Because I was intrigued by the small blonde.

And it scared the hell out of me.

Takashi's P.O.V.

The blonde girl cautiously peeked over the pages of the book she'd been reading. She had apparently taken a seat on a nearby couch during all of the commotion. This did not surprise me; she didn't seem to be that fond of crowds.

"Oh, finally, they see me," she dryly stated. "I was beginning to wonder if I was having a Sam Wheat moment or something."

The Twins stared at her, expressions blank, before drawling, "You know… We really don't get half of your American references. You are aware of that, right?"

She stuck her tongue out at the younger boys. "I know! But I did, however, expect you to remember the name from a movie we watched together only two nights ago!"

Well, she obviously knows the Twins…

"Right…" Kaoru snorted in amusement.

Hikaru rolled his eyes heavenward. "We'll make a note of that."

Together, they said, "Immediately!"

Sammy huffed at this series of responses. "Excuse me for liking Ghost!" Flipped another page in her book and resumed reading.

"Wasn't that movie out, like, before we were born?"

Her nose turned a light shade of pink as she blushed, burying her face further in the novel.

She's cute when she blushes. I thought in amusement. After the thought had been processed, however, I began to worry. …cute? What the hell am I thinking?

Sammy remained hidden behind the book, using it as a shield as she protested, "Nothing wrong with liking the classics!"

"Whatever, grandma," the Twins teased. Laughter danced in their eyes and they seemed generally happy.

Still, I was surprised. Teasing. The Twins weren't ridiculing her; they were teasing her. How…odd. The only real reason for that teasing, I supposed, was that they'd known each other for quite some time then.

Kyoya pinched the bridge of his nose, a brief sign of annoyance flashing across his face. "Honey-senpai, Mori-Senpai. Miss Samantha Steel is in your class, is she not?"

Honey replied cutely (I smiled slightly at his enthusiasm), while I merely nodded. Although, I had to admit I hadn't paid much attention to her in our classes. I was too tired to focus on our schoolwork, let alone a new student.

"Tell me," he demanded, "what do you know of her?"

Because I'd been keeping an eye on Mitsukuni – he was incredibly hyper after his breakfast of three large cakes – I had no clue, so I stayed silent. Mitsukuni would explain.

"Well, she's really smart!" Mitsukuni said thoughtfully, then proceeded to explain, "She answered every single question that the teacher asked correctly; she wasn't even paying attention!"

Quite a feat, I'll admit. Even I had to pay attention in order to learn new material. Mitsukuni, on the other hand… Let's just say that he was a very quick learner.

My eyes drifted to the couch, but Sammy had vacated it and was now leaning with her back against the door, digging her shoes into the ground and shoving against it. Making an escape, I suppose – and not a very good one at that. She was smart, but apparently lacking in common sense. I felt the urge to sigh. Maybe someone should remind her that the door opens this way…

The Twins tutted. "Guess we'll just have to take her iPod away again."

A hint of mischief colored their voices and I instinctively knew that they were plotting something. I made a mental note to hide Mitsukuni's bunny from them. Facing my cousin's wrath was not on my list of things-to-do today.

Sammy paused in her (please insert: pitiful) escape attempt to scowl at them. "Touch my electronics…and die!" she hissed, a feral expression on her face.

She resembled a wild cat at that particular moment. I cocked my head slightly to the side, amused at her reaction. It was like watching Pome and his fruit. The twins were going to pay dearly if they took something so precious to her; one should never steal from a hungry animal.

Tamaki continued to pester Haruhi as Kyoya jotted this information down in his notebook. "Anything else?" Kyoya questioned, pen poised to take more notes.

"Um…Sammy-chan is really shy, but she's nice once you get to talk to her. She helped me with some schoolwork I didn't understand," Mitsukuni sweetly added.

'Didn't understand,' my ass. Mitsukuni loves our Advanced Calculus class. There was no way that he was confused about any material in that class – hell, any class! And I was willing to bet my favorite shinai that he had instigated that little conversation as some sort of reconnaissance mission. How very sneaky of him.

"But everyone was pretty mean to her 'cause of the way she was dressed. And how she acted," Mitsukuni's voice trailed off and he frowned; a rare sight.

I felt myself frowning in response. Yes, Sammy was dressed in a rather…different manner. Her shirt and bag were black and, based upon the logo, probably popular merchandise for one of the many animes she watched.

It read: "Team Alucard – Because Real Vampires Do Not Sparkle," and Alucard seemed to be the vampire. If I'm not mistaken, Alucard backwards is Dracula. And while vampires were incredibly popular among Ouran High School girls, I doubted that this was one of their preferred reads. The design incorporated a rather large amount of blood. I honestly expected someone of her kind to mingle with those in the Black Magic Club.

And yet… Though worn and torn in places, her jeans were obviously designer brand. They were apparently used quite often, but they still appeared to have cost several hundred dollars. Her shoes were brand new, as well. So she came from money, unlike her friend, Haruhi.

And as for the way she acted…

"Acted?" Kyoya asked, obviously thirsty for something else to add to his file. Probably hoping for blackmail.

"She made all sorts of funny references – to books and music and plays and movies and anime! Not everyone got them, especially since a lot were from American stuff," Honey chirped, before adding. "And she's pretty independent; she likes to be alone. But I think she should have some friends too! Ne, Takashi?" He twirled around with a happy smile on his face.

"Ah," I mumbled absentmindedly. My mind was already on another train of thought.

Thinking back, I hadn't really paid her any mind, but I could tell she was definitely a loner. But she had watched us form groups in class with an almost wistful expression on her face, especially when she had no one to work with her on the assigned project. Yes, it was clear that she liked to be alone, but not when she was lonely. The girl appeared to want friends, but no one wanted to be friends with her.

Which left to me to wonder after her relationship with Haruhi-san and the Twins.

"I see," Kyoya murmured as he jotted the information down in his notebook.

I looked over to the blonde, curious about her lack of response. I almost wished that I hadn't. She was just standing there with a stunned expression on her face. Her eyes were suspiciously bright and I knew that she was close to crying; poor girl. My arms twitched and I realized with a jolt that I had the strangest urge to hold her close – to stroke her hair and wipe away her tears. To comfort her.

I must be going crazy. I thought to myself, before reconsidering. But… I do want to comfort her. Her sad blue eyes haunted me. She looks like Mitsukuni, but with blue eyes. The same hair color, the same expression on her face when she's sad… That must be why I feel like this.

Kyoya glanced at me curiously, smirked, and jotted something else down.

What the hell?

"Steve…" Sammy warned him, her voice low and angry.

The pen stopped writing suddenly and Kyoya scowled at the girl. "You know my name perfectly well, Miss Steel. I suggest that you use it." And judging from his expression, he was completely serious. Nothing was mysterious or fake about him right now.

She grimaced. "…whatever." Her gaze remained focused on her feet and it was clear that she was ignoring him now.

"Takashi?"

I looked over at the speaker curiously.

"Why is Kyo-chan being so mean to Sammy-chan?" Mitsukuni whispered. His brown eyes narrowed (I shuddered slightly at this) as he turned to glare at our underclassman.

I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head in the negative. I really didn't know. But I had a feeling that we would figure it out soon enough. Mitsukuni was quiet after that and he seemed to be thinking about something – plotting, more than likely. I decided to just let it go for now.

"Hey, Sammy-chan. Calm down… You don't have to cry," the Twins murmured. They shoved passed the Shadow King and quickly made their way over to their friend.

Sammy swiped a hand across her eyes. "Hika-chan… Ru-chan…" she mumbled, sniffling as she did so. "Missed you guys."

I watched in amazement as each twin wrapped an arm around the small blonde, pulling her in between their taller bodies, where she relaxed, oddly enough. And I wasn't the only one. Because suddenly, it made sense. She was the tape, the glue, the strength that held them together. The three of them – Hikaru, Kaoru, and Sammy – fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

And she was the missing piece.

Crash!

***Author's Note***

I know, I know. I'm still in the first episode. But I plan to make this a longer story (but with shorter chapters) because...

I HAVE A PLAN!

I have decided to make this a character study and I really want to work on developing my muse (AKA Sammy).

...Yeah, I know. You don't have to say anything.