"Ah, i see, it seems the screw up fairy has decided to visit us again."
I stiffened at Ayonokoji's words. Between my lack of sleep for the past week, and everything that had happened the the day before, between Maria's call, and being in Kyoya's subsequent vision the night before, i was worn down, and not in the mood to sparr. But, i glared at her, we don't always get what we want do we? So, in my typical fashion, i retorted with sarcasm.
"Look, i understand you want to prove your worth and manliness, but you will never be the man your mother is!" She snarled back at me, and this time, for the first time since i'd met the nasty girl, i stood up from my seat and snarled right back. "Fuck off Ayanokoji. I am not in the mood today for you and your little annoyances. Go sit in the corner or something."
She snorted, low, cynical, totally bitchy.
"Yeah, as if. Like i'd listen to a failure like you."
"Oh Ayanokoji," i began to gush, "You're such a beautiful, wonderful intelligent person," i could see the confusion at my words growing on her face as i spoke until i finished with, "Oh i'm sorry i thought we were having a lying competition."
With a low gasp, she shoved me back making me stumble into my desk. It hurt like a bitch, because i rammed my hip right into the wooden part of it and almost fell over. I somehow ended up sitting in my chair, which i was extremely glad for because it saved me the embarrassment of landing on my butt on the floor in front of the class. However, it didn't stop the slow burn of anger that pulsed through me at her dirty move, and i slowly stood up, moving a little stiffly because of my hip, i took a step towards her, my fists balled and ready to fly. Just a few more steps and i can deck her for good, gosh that little-
"Nala!"
The sharp voice snatched me out of my mini out for blood phase and i jerked my head around to see Kyoya standing at the door with an impatient look on his face.
"What do you want Ootori?"
His narrowed eyes slid between Ayanokoji and I, and he must've detected the low simmering rage in my voice, because his answer was calculated.
"Just come with me, i have something for you to see."
With one last dirty look at Ayanokoji, i exited the room to go with Kyoya.
"I'm not supposed to be out of class, I don't want to get in trouble over some grand scheme of yours Ootori."
He shrugged, glasses flashing as he glanced at me.
"You should know well enough by now Miss Fuyumi that i'm already five steps ahead of you there."
"Right," i rolled my eyes at his back as he made his way over to the dreaded stairs. "Now where did you say we were going again?"
He smirked, his dark eyes glimmering in the light as he stared down at me.
"I didn't, now follow me."
And he began making his way up the stairs. As he walked, i couldn't help but watch him. There was always this..tension in him, He acted like he couldn't let his guard down for even a minute, and it irked me, because the few moments of real joy i had seen him have, never lasted long. It's like he doesn't allow himself to feel happy for long. I narrowed my eyes on his back, and was still contemplating it, when he suddenly stopped, and turned around catching me watching him. A blush worked it's way up my face, and i began dramatically waving my hands as he smirked at me.
"Stop looking at me like that!"
He cocked an eyebrow
"I beg your pardon, but i do believe i caught you looking at me first."
The blush got worse, i knew i was bright red by now, but i attempted to save myself.
"I wasn't looking! I was thinking!"
As soon as i spoke that i clapped a hand over my mouth, that didn't come out right, and oh gosh he knows it. If his deepening smirk was any indication of that, Ugh i messed up again..this is awkward.
"Whatever you say Nala. Now, c'mon."
He turned and began to walk up the stairs, and i scrambled to follow him. Scrambling up stairs proved not to be the greatest idea, because my foot caught as i stepped up, and with a small cry, i began to pitch forward. Right into Kyoya.
Speaking of awkward… My quick reflexes had saved me, but put me in a perilous position. I was leaning with one foot barely on the stairs, my hands caught in Kyoya's jacket, and all my weight pulling him back because it was angled towards the front of my body due to the awkward position and lack of balance.
"Uhhhh, give me a second to, um, get my balance back and i'll let go...sorry…"
I was muttering, but he heard me.
"It's fine Miss Fuyumi, but i would request for you to not tear my shirt in the process."
I huffed and went to respond as i wiggled the foot that had tripped me back towards one of the stairs to anchor myself, when i heard,
"Nala?"
Freezing, i oh so slowly turned to my head find Kaoru standing at the base of the stairs, a few feet away from where Kyoya and i were. An awkward grin crept over my face.
"Uh hey Kaoru….um, i slipped…" Well that sure sounded convincing… wait...why do i even feel guilty for him seeing me fall over? Gosh i'm losing my mind. There was this look in his bright golden eyes, this numb, dull, sad look. It flashed through for a moment before disappearing, but the sight of it put an awkward hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Care to help me up?"
With a nod, he stepped forward and slipped up behind me, putting an arm under me around my waist to pull me up and back towards him.
"Thank-"
I broke off in confusion at the look that was passing between Kyoya and Kaoru. It came from Kaoru, but Kyoya didn't seem phased by the challenge in our friend's eyes. His smirk merely deepened as he stared at the twin holding me against him, as i glanced between the two. Did they have a fight outside of school or something? This isn't normal for them... A low growl rumbled in Kaoru's chest, and he took a half step forward. Why is Ootori keeping eye contact with a clearly stressed out tiger!? Isn't that like fighting for dominance!? I shot him a glare. The boy behind me seemed intent on going all the way as he took another step, until of course, i jabbed my elbow into his side.
"Stop it! Both of you right now! You, Ootori, stop jerking his chain, and Kaoru stop relying on what i'm assuming are your animal instincts." I jerked away from both of them to stand in the middle, with my hands on my hip. "This is ridiculous. No more fighting! You guys are friends, and it's getting very annoying, especially," I turned my scathing green glare onto the twin, "When you treat me like a possession, and when you," It was now on Kyoya. "Rattle my friends chains and screw with their heads! We're family, and i know fighting happens in families, but this? This is freaking ridiculous and i won't have any more of it between you two. Do you both understand? I'm sick of the dirty looks i catch you guys sending each other's way during the day."
They both seemed a little shocked at my outburst, and stern lecture, but i ignore it. Instead tapping my foot on the ground while crossing my arms.
"I'm waiting for an answer guys." There was a mumbled yes from the twin, and Kyoya merely nodded his head as he pulled his regular blank look. "Good, now," I turned to Kaoru, "Shouldn't you be in class?"
"Yeah, i was headed to the bathroom when i thought i saw you and the shadow lord and followed."
I nodded and turned to Kyoya.
"And you Ootori, where the hell are you taking me? After yesterday and last night you should know i'm not in the mood for surprises."
Actually, since last night, i'd decided i never wanted to bother with surprises again. After we'd gotten out of the vision, I'd spent the night freaking out, and Haruhi had had the hosts stay over with us at her house for extra protection. There had been no more talking last night when i came to screaming, just hugs, and soft words of comfort. Now today, with Ayanokoji and now this, my temper had been riled up, and i was almost at the tipping point.
"Trust me Nala."
Kaoru was glancing between us, and again that hollow expression flickered in his eyes before disappearing.
"I don't really have a lot of trust to go around these days Ootori."
I placed a hand on my hip, cocking my head at him. Kyoya lifted a hand and held it out to me palm up, fingers unfurled.
"Do you trust me?"
Gosh he's relentless. My green eyes slid over his face taking in all the familiar nuances in it, and i let out a small sigh. Of course he knows i do. With that in mind, i lifted my hand off my hip, and slowly, my eyes holding his, i placed my hand in his outstretched one. That was all the answer he needed. Suddenly Kaoru turned and stormed away from where he'd been standing at my other side only moments ago, and with my heart pounding in my chest, i knew i had made the decision of who my loyalties were to, and he knew it if the misery on his face was anything to go by.
I'm sorry Kaoru. Please forgive me.
My eyes slid from his retreating form to look again at Kyoya's dark eyes.
"Now Ootori, what did you have planned?"
He smirked, his glasses flashing.
"You'll see."
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-
"The beach?"
Haruhi and i spoke in sync as the car that we'd been dragged to, her by the twins, and me by Kyoya, stopped and we were let out. We had barely stepped out of the car when the twins started frowning and squinting.
"So, why Okinawa?"
Tamaki rolled his eyes af it should've been obvious.
"Kyoya's folks have a private beach here."
Honey pranced over to Haruhi and i as we stood a little to the side to take in the gorgeous beach. The soft, stormy blue of the ocean was the same color of Maddy's eyes, and i smiled ruefully. It had been a long time since i'd been to a beach because of that reason. But, i pushed my melancholy thoughts away, She'll be here in a few weeks so i don't have a reason not to go the beach anymore! Honey must've sensed my mood, because he smiled up at me, and spoke cheerfully.
It's a beautiful place, huh?"
"Yeah!"
Surprised, i blinked over at Mori who'd spoken in sync with me in response to Honey's query, but i shot him a grin. The twins ruined the moment however, by complaining.
"But, as long as we're going somewhere, why not the Caribbean, or...Fiji?"
Kyoya rolled his eyes, his glasses flashing.
"Do you honestly think Nala, and Haruhi have passports?"
Uhh….of course i have a passport...not that it's been updated recently, but i have one…
"Ahhh."
The twins nodded in understanding, and i turned to Haruhi to make a joke about their short insight on 'commoners', only to be stopped dead in my tracks when she thanked Kyoya for his thoughtfulness.
"You actually don't have one!?"
She blinked big brown doe eyes at me, and shook her head ruefully. Wow…
All of twenty minutes later found the twins playing volleyball, Honey running up and down the beach while Mori watched over him, Kyoya being the typical shadow lord sitting under a beach umbrella, and Tamaki out on a rock…...with one of his regular host club customers.
Haruhi didn't look happy, and while i doubt she noticed her eyes kept straying to a certain blond boy sitting on a rock, flirting up a storm with the line of girls that stretched out behind it. Jealously briefly flared in her eyes before she looked away towards the twins. Alright, looks like it's time for me to employ my best friend tactics. So, in the name of friendship, i delicately stepped over a crab that had placed itself between our two beach towels, and plopped down next to her.
"Alright mental twin of mine, speak and i shalt listen!"
She gave me a blank look, and i rolled my eyes poking her in the arm.
"C'mon dude what's bothering you, you're practically radiating discontent."
She shrugged, but she couldn't hide the sadness in her eyes as they flicked back to Tamaki, before resting on me again.
"Why are we conducting host club activities here at the beach?"
There's my girl! Straight to the point! I cocked my head, and gazing out at the vast expanse of ocean, began to swirl designs into the sand with my fingers.
"Well Haru, i can't really answer that for sure, i don't think Ootori had planned on it either, i'm pretty sure the tenacious pests...er, i mean girls caught wind of the scheme and showed up here. So don't go blaming Tamaki for planning this or something, you know how hard it is for him to keep his mouth shut. I would just focus on the fact that yeah, the girls may be here, but your friends are all here to. Speaking of friends look at Honey-senpai running over here!"
He was grinning widely, his eyes lit up and sparkling as he stopped in front of us. He just ran across the beach...and he's not even winded….I stared up at him in awe. What super human priest power is this!? Cause sign me up!"
Before he could speak, shadows fell over us from behind, and three of Haruhi's regulars were smiling down at her.
"Haruhi-kun, aren't you going to swim?"
She seemed flabbergasted for a moment, before catching herself and smiling back up at them.
"I really prefer to look at the water than be in it."
"Oh! In that case, can we join you?"
My eyes flicked over the three girls, but it was the one who was talking that caught my attention. Mainly because she looked eerily like me. With her long brown hair, and dark green eyes, we even shared a similar face shape, and to be honest it was slightly disturbing. How have i missed having a look a like at school? Especially if she comes to the host club!? Haruhi saved me from having to step away by staring up at the girls with a another soft smile.
"How come? Go ahead and swim, you're wearing such cute swimsuits and all."
Anyone with a brain would see Haruhi was just stating a fact, but the three lovestruck...or would that be host struck? girls danced away with hearts in their eyes to frolick in the water.
Sudden coughing from nearby had me spinning to find Tamaki doubled over with a major nosebleed as the twins began chanting about him being a perv.
"Oh, he's just being creepy again. I bet he was having another weird brain theater movie in his head starring you and him, and judging by that nosebleed, it was less than clean."
Haruhi nodded solemnly as she glared at her somewhat boyfriend vampire as he bled all over the beach, but a blush burned over her face as his eyes flicked up to meet hers, and she hastily looked away.
A soft smile slid over my face, but i turned to Honey rather than teasing Haruhi about it.
"Hey there Honey-senpai! Sorry to keep you waiting cause of those girls, but thanks for being patient!"
He beamed down at Haru and I.
"Let's go hellfish hunting!"
He danced around in place with a merry smile and i couldn't help but grin at his exuberance. He's like a little blond leprechaun. Haruhi sweat dropped.
"I think you mean shellfish hunting, and i've never heard of someone going shellfish hunting...anywhere like this…."
I whacked her on the back, forcing a cough out of her and whispering under my breath,
"Shh let him have his dreams...WWWAAAA!"
I promptly burst out screaming, and leapt up the pole of the umbrella as hundreds upon hundreds of shellfish creatures came crawling up the beach.
"WHAT IS THIS!?"
Haruhi was screaming her words in shock as they crawled around her further up the beach. I was just glad we had pitched out stuff close to the water because there was a good distance between us and the other girls and hosts up the beach. They crawl, they crawl, they crawl, they crawl. My repeated mantra had me shaking in fear, causing the umbrella under me to shake.
Haruhi was brimming with happiness as she and Honey started to rapidly converse in low tones. Wait, I looked around in confusion. In a matter of moments, Honey and Haruhi had rounded up the crabs crawling up the shore and had them in buckets practically bigger than they were. I slowly allowed myself to ease of the umbrella and tiptoe closer to them to sit on the edge of the massive rock formation that stretched up like a small mountain above us, but it seemed a safe place to sit to avoid the shellfish.
"Ya know," i spoke to Haruhi and Honey. "I think i like Honey's term of hellfish better than shellfish. Cause i swear they crawled out of the depths of hell."
Before she could respond however, Tamaki himself was their making crab puns, but what he failed to notice on his crab, was the massive centipede crawling over it towards his hand. UNtil…
"Cen…"
"ti…"
"PEDE!"
Cue the screaming from all parties. Granted i would've been screaming if it had been me holding it, but since it wasn't anywhere near me, i didn't bother. I watched with the interest of someone who, well, isn't interested, but it slightly worried the culprit of everyone's fear would be thrown at her. It had happened before, because Haruhi had a bad habit of throwing the bugs in my direction when she took care of them. I snorted. Some people are chick magnets, but then there's me, the bug magnet.
Sure enough, a moment later found me leaping off the rock with a muffled shriek as Haruhi unconsciously chucked it in my direction to get rid of it.
"HARUHI!"
I gave a muffled shriek as it crawled away deeper into the rocks, and secretly sent the creepy bug a death look. Turning back, i found the twins with their arms around Haruhi, and the crowd of girls slowly creeping closer to my cousin with hearts in their eyes.
"Haruhi-kun is so manly!"
The words of one girl, set off a chorus of shrieks from the others, and the twins began to creep away as the girls swamped my cousin.
"Nala-chan!"
I turned to find my regular Kana standing with two other girls, one of them being my look a like, and the other being a quiet looking blond girl with gentle lamb eyes that were trained on me in expectation.
"Hai Kana?"
I grinned at the girl i couldn't help it, i had liked her ever since she helped me out by getting her friend to confess to being abused.
"We're going for a walk down the beach, would you care to join us?"
I smiled happily, so far no one had asked me to perform my hostly duties today, but this looked like it would be nice since it was just a small group with the one girl who attended the club that i could stand.
"That sounds awesome! Lead the way!"