The entire rest of the day was spent thinking about Haruhi. She seemed so normal and happy when I saw her talk to her guests. We sat alone in the music room. Even Tamaki had left. "Haruhi, would you like a ride home?" She looked up at me from the book she'd been studying from.
"You know how I feel about limos." She went back to her book.
"I actually drove my own car today." She looked back up.
"Wow, you guys actually do things for yourselves?" She said kind of half laughing, half serious, and it was kind of cute. I smirked, picking up my bag, then hers.
"Let's go, Haruhi." She stood up, and followed me out the door, reluctantly. This actually surprised me. I really thought that would take more convincing. She probably just didn't want me to ask her more questions about what happened.
The car ride was pretty normal. We chatted about the Hosts, and some of the weird things that they had done that week. It was a nice little chat. She seemed a lot more normal after finally getting sleep. Maybe she was telling the truth about falling. But that still didn't explain why she had been sleeping in the music room. There were so many questions left unanswered, yet so few I really wanted to ask the poor girl.
We arrived in front of her apartment. She thanked me for the ride, and I decided I would wait to drive off until she was safely in her apartment. When she got to the door, she looked back at me, then slowly opened her door, looked inside, back at me, then walked in. She almost looked nervous. She had been home a little late, and she was probably worried that her dad was home and would scold her. I drove off a ways. It was still bothering me that she looked so afraid to walk into her own home. I pulled over, and got out my phone. I called Ranka. Maybe he'd know why she was asleep at the school at least.
"What-yya want, booyy!?" He answered. He sounded angry. Angry and drunk. Which wasn't too unusual. The man did work at a bar.
"Ranka, do you know why was Haruhi sleeping in the school yesterday? Has she been sleeping alright at home?" I asked him, hoping he was sober enough to understand what I was asking.
"Well she hasn't been sleeping here." He replied, his words slurred. This shocked me a little bit.
"Why not?" I replied. I heard a door open. He must have just arrived home. He began shouting. Very loudly. I heard a thud. He dropped the phone. I could make very few of the things out that he was yelling.
"I TOLD YOU TO NEVER COME BACK HERE." I heard Ranka scream. I heard a crash, like something fell. I could kind of make out Haruhi's tiny voice. She sounded scared. I finally dropped the phone and turned my car around as fast as I could. I drove back to her apartment. It all made sense now. Why she was sleeping in the music room, why she had the bruise, why she looked so afraid to walk into her own apartment… I had to go get her. I didn't know what I was going to do when I did, but I needed her safe. Safe with me.
I pulled up to the apartment. The first thing I saw was Ranka holding Haruhi by collar outside their door. He looked so angry. Why wasn't anyone else doing anything?!
I jumped out of my car and started to run to where they were.
Ranka saw me. He started pushing her closer to the stairs leading up to her apartment. I knew what he was about to do. I ran faster, but it wasn't fast enough. He pushed her. She screamed as she fell down the stone stair case. I tried to catch her but it was too late. She hit the bottom, screaming in pain. I ran to her side. Ranka started walking back into the apartment, grumbling and stumbling along the way. I quickly grabbed my phone and began dialing for help. She grabbed my wrist.
"No…No hospital. No cops. Not here, not now…I'll…I'll tell you everything…if YOU help me…please…" Her voice grew thin and weary. She was obviously in so much pain. I've never seen her so…vulnerable. I picked her up, slowly and carefully. I sat her in the back of my car. I'd bring her to my home, get her looked at, and talk to her when she's in a better condition.
"Haruhi?" I called from the front of the car. She made some kind of noise. Kind of an, "I'm listening" noise. "Just making sure you're still alive." She groaned, in pain and annoyed. "We're almost home Haruhi." That's when I knew what would happen to Haruhi after all of this is over.