I look down at the piece of paper with the address on it. Then back up at the two story apartment building. If the address is correct then I shall be living in the apartment right next to my awesome bestie. I wonder if she will remember me after all these years. I hike my bag higher on my shoulder before walking up the stairs to the second story. I want to knock on her door, but it will be more fun to surprise her.
The apartment is bigger than I honestly thought it would be. It is a two bedroom, and for now empty of furniture. The place comes with a refridgerator and oven. The moving van will be stopping by tomorrow at some point, but I will be in school already. They have a key though so it should all be ok. For now I place my bag on the kitchen counter, and pull out the clothes that I had shoved inside. I have to hang everything up soon or they will wrinkle, and I can not show up to such a prestigeous school with wrinkly clothes.
A knock on my front door draws me away from my task however, so I go and see who it is. A very familiar looking brunette is standing there holding a steaming pan of food. "Hey there, my father told me that we would be getting a new neighbor today and I thought I would bring this over to welcome you to the building," she says with one of her biggest smiles.
"Well thank you Haruhi, but I half expected you to be sitting in front of my waiting for me. Though it has been many years since we last saw each other," I tell her, and watch as her face lights up with recognition.
"No way! Ebi-chan!?" she gives me the best one armed hug I have ever had. I laugh at her antics.
"Do you want to come put that down?" I ask her indicating the still very hot pan of food almost touching my arm. She nods excitedly and follows me into the apartment. She says nothing about how empty everything is. She just places the pan down on the counter and launches into my open arms properly this time. I hug her as tightly as she is hugging me, and it just feels like coming home.
"How come you didn't let me know you would be arriving today?" she asks. I hear the watery tone of her voice, and move back anough to wipe away the few tears that are leaking down her cheeks.
"Because I wanted to surprise you of course. I was going to come over after hanging up the clothes I will be wearing tomorrow, but as usual you beat me to the punch," I tease her. She just rubs the back of her head with a bashful smile.
"Will your parents be living here as well?" she asks hopefully.
"Sadly no, they are still very displeased with my lifestyle, and so have disowned me," I tell her.
"But then how can you afford to live here?" she asks now with concern filling her eyes. She is so expressive.
"Man you have really not been keepig an eye open for me huh? I have released several record labels and just from that have made enough money to live here till I die if I wanted," I tell her. Her eyes get so big and round.
"So you followed your dream of singing huh?" she asks.
"Yeah I did. I even wrote a few songs about you, even if you didn't end up hearing them," I tell her. She blushes a bright red, and I smile at her.
"I am so sorry!" she says covering her face in embarrassment.
"Haruhi, it is very much ok. I understand. It would have been different if you knew what I was doing, but you didn't," I assure her that I am not upset by this turn of events. I wrap my arms around her again, and just hold her.
"Haruhi, dear is everything alright? I thought you would have been back already?" I hear Ranka's voice, and I turn to face the still open door.
"Well now, Haruhi you did not tell me how beautiful your father has become. Mr. Fujioka you seem to be aging like a fine wine," I tell him with a smirk.
"Is that my little Ebi!" Ranka rushes in and wraps me up in his arms like I wish my own father would do. However I have admittedly given up on that wish several years ago.
"Yes it is. I'm going to be your new neighbor!" I tell him happily.
"Oh thank goodness. Where will you be attending school?" he asks pulling back so he can look me up and down.
"Ouran High School," I tell them both.
"That is absolutely perfect dear, Haruhi goes there and I will feel so much better knowing thereis someone there to keep an eye on her for me," Ranka says with a flurry. "May I also say dear that you have developed a very awesome sense of style over the years," he says with a wink. I glance down at what I am wearing right now. Combat boots, mid thigh length frayed jean skirt, and a mid riff cut tank top.
"I was running a little low on clothes when I got dressed this morning," I tell him with a shrug.
"No, no, it looks really good. It is still very tomboyish, but in a girly way," he says.
"Yes well, sometimes I had to wear skirts so I had to get used to the idea," I tell him.
"Anyway, you should come over and eat dinner with us," he says. Then he loops his arm with mine, and drags me outside and nextdoor. "Haruhi dear, can you bring that pan of food back over here?" Ranka calls over his shoulder and I can only laugh at the scene we must make.
"I have missed you so much Ranka," I tell him fondly.
The three of us sit down and enjoy a very happy meal together, and I end up curling up with Haruhi to sleep. I hold her close, as the crappiness of my own family life stings. She has always been a safe haven for me, and it is apparently still very true. I fall asleep faster than normally, while listening to her deep breaths.
The next morning I wake up before she does, and I stare down at her face. She is still so cute, and cuddly. I stretch as best I can without waking her up, before easing out from under the petite brunette. Once I am free, I head back over to my place, and jump in the shower. Two minutes later, I am dressed and drying my hair. Haruhi knocks before coming in.
"Hey there, you were gone when I woke up and I just wanted to make sure that you were ok," she says.
"Yeah, I just wanted to shower and get dressed for my first day. How do I look?" I ask her. I hold my hands out from my sides and give her a small twirl.
"You look like you don't want anyone to know that youa re in fact a girl," she says with a chuckle.
"Well, have you seen that Female uniform? No way in hell am I going to wear that horrible yellow marshmellow," I tell her and shudder in repulsion.
"Other than that though you look like you normally do. You look great," she says with a shrug. I smile at her, and follow her back to her place. I cook the breakfast while she gets ready for school. I make sure to make a plate for Ranka. I heard him leave last night for work, and no doubt he will be back soon.
We eat quickly before heading out. Since the two of us are walking (for now), we have to leave earlier than most of the other students that attend the same school. Me and Haruhi laugh and joke and catch up on everything we have been missing out on over the last six years. As we approach the massive pink building I can feel someone watching us very closely. Haruhi doesn't seem to notice though so maybe she is just used to this kind of attention?
"Haruhi!" two voices yell. We both stop and turn to face a pair of red headed twins. Though I can not figure out why they are both glaring daggers at me.
"Hey guys this is my best friend in the whole world, Ebira Minako," Haruhi introduces. I watch as one of the twins gets wide eyes, and starts to blush. So that one there is a fan huh? "Ebi-chan this is Hikaru (she indicates the one that does not seem to recognize me) and Kaoru (the bright red one) Hitachiin. They are in the host club with me," she says.
"The pleasure is all mine. May I just say thank you for taking such good care of my adorable little Haru-chan," I bow my head to them, and Kaoru gets even redder.
"Well I have to show him around the school before the first bell, I will catch up with the two of you later," Haruhi says, before grabbing my hand and pulling me away. I hold the eyes of Kaoru, and give him a wink. I smile happily when he almost feints. I still got it!
"Say Haruhi, are you aware of the fact that Hikaru is crushing on you?" I ask her as we walk.
"No way, I think you must be mistaken," she says with ease. So she is still so very clueless about how other people see her.
"He was so angry because he perceived me as a threat. He does not look like the kind of person to just except the whole friend explanation," I try to tell her.
"But that is exactly what we are! There is no way that I would ever be in a relationship with you," she says easily.
"I know that, you shot me down years ago when I had asked you out," I tell her. She blanches a little, but doesn't say anything back after that. She takes me to the headmasters office, so that I can collect my class schedule and she gets happy again when she sees that we are in the same class.