~Chapter Seven~

Everyone Knows It's Slinky!

My heart is on my sleeve;
Wear it like a bruise or black eye.
My badge, my witness.
That means that I believed
Every single lie you said.

Loaded words and loaded friends
Are loaded guns to our heads.

~Chicago is So Two Years Ago, by Fall Out Boy

Disclaimer: Me No Own; You No Sue.

In return, I gave her a tiny smile, but said nothing. Instead, I followed after Mitsukuni and offered my help in setting up our table. I knew that, in doing so, I had hurt her feelings. But at this point, I was only acting out of a desire for self-preservation. As the first son of my parents, I had a duty to adhere to, and marrying such a strange girl would not bring honor to my family – only disgrace. So my instincts were urging me to leave the taming of this wild creature to another man.

Because falling for her… That would only bring me heartache.

Sammy's P.O.V.

My heart fluttered in my chest and it was like, for the first time in a very long time, I was home. I hadn't had such a feeling in years, despite being welcomed into the lives of the Hitachiin family. Fortune had smiled upon me when the Twins urged their mother to adopt me. After all, I was one of the lucky few at Red River's Orphanage to be offered a chance to live with such a wealthy family. And – at the urging of the other orphans – I'd accepted.

But this feeling…

It was similar to the feeling of love that I shared with the Twins. Yet, at the same time, it was beyond any other feeling of acceptance that I had ever experienced. It had taken me over two years to feel comfortable around Hikaru and Kaoru, but I was instantly at ease around Morinozuka Takashi because it felt as though I had known him my entire life.

I knew that it was cheesy, but I couldn't help it! I mean, seriously – just look at the guy! Hell, I was certainly doing so.

As a matter of fact, two beautiful eyes were currently focused on my face, as well. The iris of each eye was a dark shade of gray, almost black in color, and the pupils were encircled by a small line of silver. Dark lashes touched his cheeks as he blinked in what appeared to be confusion.

Wow. He's absolutely gorgeous! I gazed at him in an openmouthed stupor. And his eyes… They're so dark, and mysterious, and…looking straight at me? My mouth snapped shut with an audible click the moment I caught myself staring at my classmate.

I blushed furiously, silently cursing my own stupidity as I squeaked my greeting. "Um…hi?"

Takashi said nothing in response. His lips twisted upwards in a grimace and he turned away, following our fellow classmate, Haninozuka Mitsukuni, to a fancy table by one of the windows. He ignored me completely and it was obvious that he was annoyed with my gawking. Not that I blamed him or anything – I probably resembled a fish out of water at the moment; not attractive in the least. But just because I understood his reaction didn't mean that I could stop the tears that welled in my eyes…or the ache in my heart.

God, I'm such an idiot! I mentally berated myself. I always do stupid shit like that! Although… It shouldn't surprise me that Takashi is acting like that; he is a Host, after all.

With a sad smile, I watched my two classmates talk and chat with the girls that had just arrived, flooding the room like a tidal wave. A quick glance to the Twins table told me that they were just as busy and there was no way in hell that they would bother with the likes of me at the moment; they were having too much fun. Fidgeting, I wondered if maybe Haruhi would like to join me in my search for the exit. But she too was preoccupied with the antics of her senpai – Suoh Tamaki, if I remembered correctly.

And what would a Host – a tall, handsome one, at that – want with me?

I bit my lip, feeling out of place among such a pretty group of girls. My blonde hair was tangled and fighting against the red barrette that I'd clipped into my hair. Blue eyes were rimmed with red, an obvious sign that I was about to cry. Not to mention that the clothing that I was so fond of was vastly different from the uniformity of the ugly dresses that these girls had chosen to wear. I was just a crow, and they were a flock of beautiful canaries.

While I was okay with being different, I was not okay with being teased, so I decided to take my leave before any of the freakin' harpies noticed my presence. Wouldn't want to infect them with my avian influenza.

"Are you leaving, Sammy-chan?"

Though the words had been spoken quietly, they still managed to effectively snap me out of my pity party. I smiled at the younger girl and nodded, not quite trusting my voice at the moment. Haruhi cocked her head to side, frowning at me as she adjusted the shopping bag in her hands. Once again, I offered her my help and, once again, she declined – just as I'd expected. She certainly was independent. I secretly envied her for that strength, but I would never admit it to anyone else.

"You shouldn't let him get to you like that, you know," Haruhi said, bluntly volunteering her advice.

I stared at her, startled. How could she possibly know…? And then it dawned on me: she thought that I was still bothered by what Steve had said to me earlier.

"Don't worry about me, Haruhi-chan," I chirped cheerfully. "I'll be right as rain after I trip him in the hallways a few times!"

Haruhi sweatdropped before nervously shooting a glance in Kyoya's direction. "Um…are you quite sure that you're capable of handling his reaction? He does seem to have a bit of a temper…"

"Truthfully? I'm not prepared in the slightest for another one of his temper tantrums!" I leaned back, slowly rocking (back and forth, back and forth) on the balls of my feet. It was a nervous habit that I'd picked up at the orphanage.

The younger girl sighed. "Sammy-chan…" She shook her head in exasperation, to which I offered another of my famous sheepish grins.

I hummed to myself as I continued to daydream. "Maybe, if I'm lucky, he'll even fall down the stairs!" I grinned evilly and I couldn't stop the dark laugh that escaped my parted lips.

Haruhi paled drastically, olive skin turning a ghostly shade of white. "But that's awful!"

Shrugging, I chose to ignore that little comment. Instead, I decided to impart a bit of my (this word should definitely be added: cynical) wisdom to the younger girl…

"You know," I said thoughtfully, "Some people – like our dear Ootori-san – are like slinkies."

"…slinkies?" Haruhi murmured, a question mark visibly floating over her head.

"Yes, slinkies!" I declared. "You see… They aren't really good for anything; however, you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs!"

She snorted into her hand, clearly amused with this observation. A pair of steel gray eyes flickered in our direction and we couldn't help but giggle as Steve shot us an annoyed look; it was clear that he knew we were talking about him. Oh, well.

"Well, speak of the devil!"

Haruhi and I both cringed at the sound of Tamaki's voice. It wasn't unpleasant, just…unwanted.

"You did well, my little piggy. Congratulations on successfully completing your first mission!" he cheered, waving in her direction.

"Be careful, Suoh-san," I murmured darkly, "Your epidermis is showing…"

Somehow aware of the fact that I was discretely picking on the boy's French ancestors, Haruhi rolled her tawny eyes. "Says the American."

"Shut up, Pearl Harbor," I muttered, playfully swatting at her arm.

Another snort, and then a sigh as Tamaki continued questioning her.

Haruhi-chan really needs to see a doctor about that; sounds like the beginnings of bronchitis…

I nudged her shoulder. "Go see what the French Fry wants," I suggested, nodding in his direction.

I chuckled as she walked away, mumbling to herself about racist Americans and condescending Frenchmen. Haruhi was many things, but she was not subtle. And I liked that about her. It made it much easier to talk with the Japanese girl, despite the differences in our two cultures.

As I was leaving, Haruhi turned in my direction. I smiled at her and waved a small slip of paper with my phone number in the air, mouthing the words: "Call me!" as I slipped it into one of the many books that sat by her backpack. She grinned and nodded, which I took to be a good sign. I really did want to be friends with her.

Squeals erupted to my left and I laughed quietly to myself upon seeing the reason for the noise – Hika-chan and Ru-chan were deeply involved in another one of their 'Twincest' moments. The girls may have believed it to be real, but I knew that the other members of the Host Club did not.

Boy, are they in for a surprise! I thought – rather gleefully, I might add.

One hand closed around the doorknob, turning it silently, and I left the Third Music Room. My thoughts, however, remained with those that were locked behind the large white doors. I continued pondering on the mystery that was the Host Club as I navigated the empty hallways of Ouran High School.

Such an interesting group of people… And none of them are stupid, not by any means.

It was only a matter of time before the Host Club discovered Haruhi's biological gender, just as they would eventually discover the truth about my younger brothers' sexual orientations. But I wasn't worried; not at all. My only regret was that I probably wouldn't be present for either of the discoveries.

Although, it was probably better that way. After all, what could I possibly have to offer to these people? It certainly wasn't my looks! Not that I was ugly… But with a somewhat cute face, a few curves, and a petite frame, I was simply average. Nothing special.

Brains, however, were another matter entirely. But that was a card that I was planning to play at a later date. Steve would not, under any circumstances, be placing a leash around my neck. This little doggy enjoys her freedom, thank you very much.

I squinted, eyes burning at the sudden burst of sunlight. Not that I cared; I'd finally managed to find an exit! Honestly, I was beginning to wonder if I should've brought a care package with me or something…

After digging my cell phone out of my purse (and grinning stupidly at the little Pikachu charm that was dangling from the case) I called my chauffer. His number was on speed-dial. After all, I had to play the part of the weak, defenseless rich kid, didn't I? And at times like this, I played it very well.

A horn honked in the distance and there was a screech of tires as the limousine came to halt. He had parked right in front of the entrance, so I made my way over to the long, white vehicle. I slipped into the door furthest to the back, not bothering to wait on RJ to open it for me; that would just be a waste of time.

I tossed my backpack and purse to the floor, stretching my arms to the ceiling afterwards.

RJ smiled at me in the rearview mirror as he opened the window that separated his compartment from mine. "Good afternoon, Miss Sammy."

"Hey," I said with a grin. "What's up, Casey Meadows?"

The Japanese man rolled his eyes, before turning to glance at me again. "Seriously, Mr. Witherspoon?"

My lips twitched behind my hand as I stifled a laugh. "Oh, my God! You've seen My Chauffeur?" To put it simply, I was ecstatic! I smirked; yet another successful conversion to the American pop culture.

"Yes, Miss Sammy. I have seen My Chauffeur. As a matter of fact, I believe that it is one of the many prerequisites in my job description," RJ drawled. With a derisive snort, he turned the wheel, continuing on our route home.

"Kudos!" I cheekily quipped. "I'm glad that you are educating yourself on the finer parts of my culture."

Annoyed now, he shook his head at and asked, "On the subject of education… How was your first day at Ouran High School?"

"It was…interesting, to say the least. One thing is certain: I'll never be bored."

With a smile, I turned to glance out the window. The sky was overcast and the clouds were graying in color; it would most certainly rain tonight. My eyes closed as I leaned backwards in the seat, thinking on the magnificent thunderstorm to come.

I was looking forward to it.

***Author's Note***

Symbolism, man - symbolism! XD

Um...hi. I updated! :D Go, me! So...have at it, guys!

And please, let me know what you think!

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