A few minutes later, i somehow found myself holding an ice pack to my face while Honey ate cake next to me and Haruhi harshly rebuked Tamaki in the background with the twins cackling away evilly at the scene. How did this happen again? Oh right…
I'd stepped out of the room a moment after Kyoya and had gone searching for Tamaki only to find him freaking at the twins for some reason. Not noticing me, he'd been swinging his arms around trying to make a point, and somehow a baseball bat had appeared out of no where in his hands. As he pulled it back to soundly thwack the twins with it, I had tried to leap back but hadn't been fast enough and had been wacked right in the face. As i watched, Kyoya walked over and said something quietly to them both which caused Haruhi to sweatdrop and Tamaki to somehow end up in the corner growing mushrooms.
"Say Honey-kun...is that normal?" He swallowed loudly before turning to me.
"What's normal Nal-chan?" It made me smile inside having him call me by the endearing term not even an hour after knowing me.
"What Ootori just did, he's obviously highly skilled at manipulation but is it normal for it to be such a daily occurrence...and does no one else notice that Tamaki is growing mushrooms?!" Honey laughed,
"Kyo-chan? He always does that, he likes Tama-chan but he also likes order." He leaned around me and giggled at the sight of Tamaki. "Tama-chan is in his corner. He does that when he thinks Haru-chan is being mean, or when someone says something he doesn't like." I nodded sagely at Honey's words, and opened my mouth to speak when a sudden voice at my shoulder caused me to jump five feet in the air.
"Kyoya doesn't want you stirring up trouble for the club either,"
"He'll be watching you since you seem like the type."
Identical voices on either side of my face left me no room to turn my head and address either speaker. So I opted on looking straight ahead while snarkily replying,
"Well you see it's not like i planned to almost get raped, sorry for causing you any inconvenience. Besides in my defense I did offer to leave and if i do remember correctly your own club member wouldn't let me." The sudden stillness of the room and its members caused me to freeze. Crap! I need to learn to keep my mouth shut. The twins pulled away from me and i took a breath i didn't know i'd been holding. Swiveling on my seat, i caught them exchanging a keen glance and before i was able to move anymore they jumped over to me and grabbing me under the arms began to pull me to another side room.
"That explains her appearance," the one on my left murmured to the other.
"We can't just have her going off in public like this can we." The twin on my right responded.
"Oy! I'm right here ya know!" Squirming i tried to pull out of their grip but they refused to release me causing nervousness to bubble up inside me.
"You can't go out in public looking like this, people will start to ask questions before you can make it to the police station. I'm sure you don't want that." Kyoya's voice spoke from behind me. And i'm sure what you meant to say was that 'we' don't need this. I scowled at him over my shoulder,
"Fine that makes sense but can you not have your lackeys drag me around right now? I don't know these guys and as much as Haruhi will vouch for them I have to go by my own instinct right now, and something tells me being alone with these two won't end well for any of us."
"Sheesh we're just trying to help," They spoke in unison on either side of me. "Stubborn."
"I'm stubborn? You guys are ones to talk! Especially if all the stories i've heard are entirely-*hiccup*." I froze.
"What,"
"Was that?" Yanking myself out of their grip, i could feel my face going bright red and i spun to face them waving my hands around "N-nothi-*hiccup*." I must've looked like a mad woman standing there, face flaming, waving my hands around with a look of stark horror and embarrassment on my face. One of them let out a snicker, and a moment later they broke down laughing.
"Oy! Don't laugh at my precious daughter! You shady twins!" Tamaki pulled his, from what i could already tell, regular stunt of appearing out of no where and started shouting at them. Glancing from them on the floor, to Kyoya standing by writing in his little black book pretending to be oblivous, to Honey on Mori's shoulder's eating cake with a childish smile, to Haruhi who stood there shaking her head and sweatdropping, i felt something in my chest. It was a strange feeling, like something clicked into place. The little click was followed by a soft, warm rush through my body and i felt like i'd been enveloped in a big, snuggly, soft blanket. My mind seemed to empty for a moment before filling back up with a new knowledge of what i needed to do, and how i was going to do it.
Sliding backwards i snuck out of the host club while they were all distracted but leaving a small note on the table with a piece of paper and a stub of a pencil i pulled out of my pocket. As soon as i was back in the hall i ran. I flew down the halls again, except instead of being filled with determination, i was full of determination. Haru is right. I'm gonna go to the police right now..before i lose the motivation. A small smile slid over my face but slipped away almost immediately. I shouldn't be happy about this..but, somehow i can't find it in myself to be upset over it. I glanced longingly at the banisters but ran down the stairs instead of sliding like i would've preferred. If i'm going to enroll i can't be goofing off in the school. Finally arriving outside the doors of Ouran, i went to pull out my phone only to not find it. After checking all my pockets, i paled a little, I must've left it at home..shit..can't go back now...Sighing i looked up at the bright, blue sky muttering,
"I'll call Haru from the police station." and started walking.
*Timeskip brought to you by the one and only Usa-chan because scenes about walking are….ehh*
It had taken me some time, but i'd finally arrived at the police station. Taking a deep breath and bracing myself mentally, i pushed the doors open and entered. At first no one noticed the small, green eyed girl standing by the doors as they rushed about their business, but after a moment of me standing there, an officer behind what appeared to be designated as the main front desk.
"Hello there miss, can i help you? Are you lost?" I flicked my eyes over him warily, he was a heavy set, pot bellied man, with a greying beard and deep set grey eyes. His face was covered in wrinkles and his hair was cut short, but what prompted me to answer his query were the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. He had so many of them he almost looked like he was smiling even though he wasn't. It made me think of an old friend of mine's stories about her country's Santa Clause. Directing my eyes to meet his, i felt my courage waver, but swallowing heavily i almost whispered,
"I'd like to report a case of domestic abuse and the attempted prostitution of a minor." His eyes went wide and he spun suddenly bellowing,
"We've got a live one! Someone call Maria!" Turning back to me, he frowned heavily but not at me, it was for me. Speaking soothingly now he rumbled in a deep. gruff voice,
"Do you feel safe coming with me to the conference room so we can take your statement? Or would you prefer to have a female officer with you?" I looked down at the ground feeling my bravado slip away now that i was actually here and doing it. "I..uh.." Coming over to me from behind the desk, he gently placed a hand on my shoulder causing me to flinch. He instantly retracted it. "That's all the answer i need miss. Please wait here with me for a female officer to come escort you to the conference room." Even as he spoke, a hassled looking young woman came sprinting through the office.
"I'm cccooommmiinnnnggg!" Her wild blond curls were everywhere, and her glasses almost slid off her nose as she skid to a halt in front of me. For some reason, her wild state of disarray, and the contrast it supplied to the uptight looking men and women who were scattered around the office, instantly calmed me down. She held out a hand to me, "Hello! I'm Detective Maria Fernello. I work with the kids who come through here on our cases." Hesitantly reaching a hand out to her, i placed my own scratched up hand into her calloused one and gave her a firm handshake. She smiled down at me. "Come along dearie and i'll take you to the conference room and we can chat there away from all the stuffy blue collars around here." A couple of people around us grumbled while a few, including the nice man who'd originally helped me, laughed.
Following her silently to the small room, i watched her from behind, pondering the strange lady that she seemed to be. She didn't seem to care too much for her appearance as her wild, seemingly untamed, blond curls would attest to, but she was dressed so smartly that you couldn't quite tell. She probably looks like a supermodel next to me, her suit looks so neatly pressed and here i am in leggings and an old sweatshirt that almost brushes my knees. "Take a seat darling," she waved to an empty chair at the long conference table before pulling a small notepad out of her pocket. Sitting down across from me, her baby blue eyes were soft as they assessed me in return, taking in my clothes, tangled hair, and scratched hands. "Is there anything i can get you before we begin? Coffee? Tea? I'm not from Japan so i can't say i fancy the stuff. Back in the states i always drink coffee but it's your call dear." The corner of my lip quirked up, but i looked down murmuring,
"Nothing for now, thank you." She nodded, her eyes sharpening as she pulled out a pen from her coat pocket.
"Can you tell me your name please?"
Fuyumi Nala, but please call me Nala." She nodded and started writing.
"Alright Nala, then call me Maria. Now, can you please tell me what happened and who did this to you?" I flinched,
"M-my father." I almost choked on the words, a deep sense of shame filling me up at them. "I'm 16 years old, my mother passed away when i was 9. After she died my father…" I paused for a moment, but at her soft look of encouragement continued, "My father changed. He'd always been a distant man to me growing up, but this? This was different. I soon found myself fending for myself. He would disappear nights, even days at a time leaving me to take care of the house, food for myself, getting back and forth between school. When times got really tough i'd stay with my best friend Haruhi-
"I'm sorry i have to interrupt you there darling. Who is your friend Haruhi?"
"It's ok Maria-sama. But her name is Fujioka Haruhi. Our mothers were good friends and both worked in the same law firm that's how we met. She and her father don't know a lot of this though i never let them get the worst details. They know my father would disappear but i never told them how long he'd be gone for and they knew he brought his women home but i told them not to say anything because at the time he wasn't directly harming me." She nodded, frowning heavily,
"I understand. please continue." Taking a deep breath i plunged headfirst back into the details of my childhood.
"Right. Umm...oh yeah. I'd stay with Haruhi when it got bad. By the time i was 11 he was bringing his whores, drugs, and alcohol home with him-" She let out a soft gasp and i heard her pen drop. My eyes whipped up to look at her from where i'd been studiously studying a scratch on the table's varnish. Her own baby blues were full of sadness. Standing up from her spot across the table she moved around it and enfolded me in a hug.
"I'm so sorry." Her whisper was full of anguish. "I don't care how many times i hear this tale and others similar to it i will always ache inside for you children. Knowing there are people in this world who would do such horrible things? It sickens me. I promise i'll help you Nala. I promise." I smiled and wrapped my arms around her,
"Thank you Maria-sama. I know you will." Pulling back, she wiped her teary eyes on her sleeves then did something that quite surprised me. Instead of moving around across the table like i'd expected she leaned over, dragged her notebook to her, plopped into the chair next to me, and picked up my hand in one of hers.
"I have a younger cousin," she murmured to me, "I'm going to help you the same way i'd do for her. You're family to me now Nala." Tears sprung to my eyes at that and i hastily raised my hands to wipe my eyes dry before smiling at her in thanks. Placing my hand back in hers, i continued my story.
"Well...that continued for the next two years or so, but when i turned 13 Haruhi and i started worrying for real. I started to develope a more...feminine figure. It was the eve of my thirteenth birthday when my father commented on it saying i 'might be able to be put to use for him after all'." Her hand tightened around mine. "I was so scared at that, because by then i was old enough to understand what he meant, that I ran and stayed with Haruhi for 3 days. When i dared to venture back home he seemed entirely normal, and i hoped and prayed with all my might he'd forgotten about it and me. Things proceeded as so for the last 3 years until this morning. I was on the phone with Haruhi, and had just gotten up because i was going to surprise her. I stepped out into the hall and heard my dad arrive. At firsts i assumed it was just him and his floozy, but then..then he called to another person in the room."
Here i faltered again, but after a moment of silence i pushed forward. "He...he told the person where my room was….but demanded he pay him first before he went and...took me. My own damn father's greed for money was what saved me. if i'd even had a second less...i don't think i'd have made it. Even so he almost caught me. " I held up my free hand as proof. "I fled and went to Ouran Academy and went straight to Haruhi and her friends. They helped me calm down and one of them, Tamaki-kun, he's Haruhi's significant other, told me that Haru's friend's were the club's friends. They are going to help me put my father away." Green eyes met blue and blazed with determination. "I refuse to have my father continue doing this. It's time i take charge of my own life. I'll admit it was a smack in the face that brought me to my senses, but i can do this now that i know what needs to be done." I clasped her hand in both if mine and leaned closer speaking quietly, yet fervently. "My father needs to go away Maria-sama. Somewhere far enough away and secure enough that i can feel safe." She nodded, her eyes just as determined as mine and full of righteous anger.
"We'll put him away fro a long time. Before you call whoever it is you need to call though, can you describe to me the man who you're father brought with him?" Opening my mouth to do so, my gaze strayed over her shoulder at the sight of some commotion at the front desk, and i went pale. I felt the blood rush from my face and a cold wave seemed to descend over my body as i shakily raised my hand and pointed to the man standing at the front desk with my father, dressed in full police uniform. "It's him."
**Author's note**
Dun dun duhhhh Cliffhanger! So i wanted y'all to get her background story sooner rather than later. I prefer that than to have the 'mysterious' background drag on...and on...and ooonnnn. Anywho let me know what you think of this chapter i stayed up past midnight trying to finish it up for y'all! :D Also! speaking of updating, school days will be sketchy for me. Most of my updating will probably be done on weekends but i'll try my hardest to update as much as possible! Again constructive criticism is always great and let me know what you guys think of Nala's character so far..ooh and Maria to hehe gotta love foreshadowing for those of you who picked up on the subtle hints in this chapter...anyway i'll leave you guys in peace for now sayonara!