Who ever thought Mondays were a good idea?
I dragged my feet as I gathered my books. Mondays always felt so slow to me. It felt like I had already gone through whole day when it was just barely lunchtime. I sighed and ran a hand through my dark curls ruffling them slightly. Which garden should I eat lunch in today? I pondered, making my way out into the hallway. I tried to avoid the cafeteria like the plague. Avoiding conflict was getting harder as snide remarks had spread from just my classroom to other classes as well. When the schools motto is "Lineage counts first; wealth a close second" its easy to see why I would cause some students to dislike me. My family didn't have the lineage history that most in my class did but we did have enough wealth to just barely make it into 'B' class.
I leaned back against the tree, my yellow dress fanning out around me as I sat on the ground. The rose garden was quiet and serene. Some bird chirped happily in the nearby trees adding to the nice atmosphere. I held open my ancient history textbook with one hand and armed myself with chopsticks in the other, my bento resting carefully on my lap. The teacher had hinted on Friday that there would be a pop quiz today and I wanted to brush up on the lesson. I absent-mindedly brought a mouthful of rice to my lips, my eyes never leaving the pages.
"Senpai, what are we doing out here?" My eyes darted toward the voice, my flight instincts starting to kick into full gear. The small brown haired boy from Friday looked very annoyed as he turned the corner. His eyes were a warm dark brown with long lashes, very feminine features and smooth skin. Before I could continue my observations of him any further, the rest of the group rounded the corner. The tall blonde's eyes lit up when he saw me.
"To have lunch with this lovely princess of course!" He rushed over and grabbed my hand holding my chopsticks. His violet eyes bore into mine as if searching for something.
"Please don't call me princess." I mumbled, slowly taking my hand back. I could feel my ears getting warm from the attention. I need to get out of here, quick.
"Oi! You're the one that stood up to Kyoya-senpai." I couldn't help but let out a little yell. Somehow the orange haired twins had snuck up on me and were on either side of me. Their arms snaked around my shoulders, my ears felt like they were on fire. I looked between them; their amber eyes had the same look of mischief. I nearly missed Kyoya give a quite 'huff. I ducked under the arms of the orange haired twins and started to gather my things.
"Sorry, I'll just move." I mumbled.
"Hikaru, Kaoru, leave her alone." The brown haired boy scolded them and handed me my ancient history books with an apologetic smile. I hesitated before returning it with a small one of my own.
"Kusumoto Mami, Class 3B, new transfer student, her family owns 80% of animal hospitals in Asia, several veterinary schools, and various animal rehabilitation centers." Kyoya pushed his glasses up causing the menacing glare to happen again. I paused, shooting him a glance. My heart began to race as I came to the realization of he knew all about me and I just barely knew his first name. I shut my eyes trying to organize the racing thoughts in my head.
"Are you going to come to the Host club, Mi-chan?" A voice asked as I felt a sudden weight on my shoulders. My body had acted on it's own. I opened my eyes at sudden gasp. The dark blonde boy was now on the ground looking up at me with his brown eyes with a mixture of hurt and confusion. The rest of them stared at me shocked. My voice caught in my throat, no words would come out. I stumbled as I backed up, trying to get away from their gaze, gaining my footing. I did what I did best, I ran.
I spent the rest of the day on edge, looking for any sign of boys. I couldn't bear to face any of them now. News of the incident hadn't spread or else I'm sure the girls wouldn't hesitate to take things into their own hands. I could almost cry with relief when the last bell rang. Almost home free. Please be here. I bolted out the door, toward entrance of the school. My eyes darted around until I spotted my driver waiting patiently by the door. Thank god!
Settling into the seat, I finally caught my breath. What am I going to do? Why did I have to react like that? I'm a terrible person. I brought my legs up to my chest and buried my face into the plush fabric of my uniform. I stayed like that until the car stopped. Slowly dropping my legs to the floor, I crawled out the back. I mumbled a thank you to the driver and made my way to the already opened front door. I glanced at the butler holding the door open.
"Are my parents back?" I asked even though deep down I already knew the answer.
"No Kusumoto-sama." He bowed his head and didn't offer anything else as he closed the door behind me. Sighing, I made my way down the hall to my safe place. As soon as I opened the door to my bedroom, I was almost knocked over by a streak of black and a streak of tan. I couldn't help but giggle as the two dogs tried to jump over each other to get my attention. Oso, the three-legged black haired shepherd, started to lick my hands while Besos, the tan Staffordshire terrier, was wiggling her tail so hard she could barely stand up straight. I pushed past them to set my bag on my desk before sitting on the ground letting them jump on top of me. I instantly felt better; the anxiety from the day just rolled off my shoulders and nothing seemed to matter. Eventually they settled down and we just lay together on the floor while I stroked Besos's velvet like ears as she rested her blocky head on my lap.
Sadly, the feeling of relief didn't last long as my mind began to wander and that sinking feeling came back. My chest felt tight, it felt as though my stomach was doing flips and my mind was racing and I couldn't get it to slow down.
I had pushed a stranger to the ground for no good reason and I didn't apologize. The look in his eyes and those of his friends were burned into the back of mine. I saw them every time I closed my eyes. What am I going to do now? I don't even know his name. He and his friends probably hate me anyways. I wouldn't want to see me if I were him either. My heart began to race again. I looked to the pictures hanging on my wall and felt and sense of comfort surround me.
My eyes moved over to the older picture on the right. A young Japanese man (my Ojiisan), with black hair that looked like it hadn't seen a comb in ages was hugging a beautiful Mexican woman (my Abuelita), her long dark hair fell in delicate curls around her face. They both had smiles on their faces as they stood in front of a sign that said Guadalajara Animal Rehabilitation Center.
Next to it was the same couple but much older. Wrinkles were apparent on both of their faces. Ojiisan's hair was cut short and streaks of grey were poking through the black. Abuelita's now silver hair fell around her face in light curls. They were holding me between them; I couldn't have been older than two in the picture. Even as a little girl I looked like my Abuelita, though I had my Ojiisan's eyes.
My favorite photo was in the center though. It was taken almost a year ago. My Ojiisan was standing next to me, arm wrapped around my shoulders. His hair was now mostly white with streaks of jet black making an appearance. His caramel eyes were crinkled as a huge smile crossed his face. He looked so proud of me. I stood next to him with the same goofy smile on my face. I held a huge pair of scissors in my hands getting ready to cut the red ribbon next to me. It was the first shelter I had opened by myself. He took me out for all-you-can-eat ice cream after to celebrate. My heart swelled looking at it, the sense of comfort slowly being replaced by sadness. Tears started to sting my eyes, threatening to fall. No. I'm not going to cry.
A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I slowly got up off the floor and opened the door. A maid silently handed me a covered tray and bowed before leaving me along again. I mumbled a thank you to her back. I set the tray next to my bag on my desk. My stomach was still doing flips, my appetite was non-existent. I was afraid I would see the food again if I tried to force myself to eat it. I sat on the corner of my bed, patted the mattress inviting the two dogs up on the king sized bed with me. Pulling my phone out, I pulled up the school website and found the host clubs page fairly quickly. There was a place to request an appointment in advance and a pre-order sale on this year's calendar along with some other host club themed merchandise.
Eventually I found the tab with the brief profiles of each host. I scanned them thoroughly, trying to commit everything to memory. I could see why the girls liked them so much; they were all quite handsome in different ways. I was a little surprised to find out the blonde I had thrown was the same age as me. He looked and acted so young in the brief time I had been with him. His profile stated that his favorite food was cake. That explains why he smelled like Ojii-san. I clutched the locket around my neck as a lifeline, my chest tightening again. I stood up suddenly, dropping my phone on the bed sheet and startling the two dogs that had just fallen asleep. I knew what I had to do.
I thanked the girls as I gathered a few fresh eggs from their coop, placing them safely in the basket. They clucked around my feet, seemingly thanking me for the seed I had thrown on the ground for them. I scratched one of the chickens under their chin before closing the enclosure behind me. I grabbed a bucket on my way to the barn and called out for Haru. I couldn't help but smile as the happy heifer trotted over to me right away. I nuzzled my face into her neck as she rested her head on my shoulder. After a minute, I grabbed the stool against the wall, setting it down next to her; I rubbed her side with one hand while placing the bucket under her udders with the other. I talked to Haru in a soothing voice as I keep a steady rhythm pulling at her udders. Once I got enough fresh milk, I thanked her one last time, offering a fresh apple in return for her time.
I set the basket of eggs and bucket of milk down on the counter next to all the other supplies I had pulled out before. I stared at them. It had been months since I had baked anything for anyone but Ojiisan. I let out a shaky breath and tied the apron I grabbed off the hook on the wall around me.
I using the back of my hand I wiped the sweat off my brow as I finished shaking the strainer filled with powdered sugar over the chocolate cake. I couldn't help but smile at the two perfect looking cakes in front of me. I carefully packaged them both in separate boxes. Setting one aside for my peace offering tomorrow, I grabbed the other one and asked the butler to call the car for me. Before I knew it I was at Yushima Estates. It was the best-assisted living home money could buy but apparently not all the money in world could mask the telltale smell of a hospital. I lightly knocked on my grandfather's door before letting myself in. He was sitting at the small table in the corner of the room near the kitchenette.
"Pollita." His caramel colored eyes were bright as his eyes immediately focused on the box in my hands. "Is that what I think it is?" A smile was growing on his face as I set the box closer to him. Ojii-san slowly opened that box before clasping his hands in front of him. "My favorite. Granddaughter, you spoil me."
"Nothing but the best for you, Ojiisan." I gave him a peck on his wrinkly cheek. He had changed so much since that last picture was taken. His hair was pure white now, the wrinkles on his face had deepened and he looked so frail. But his smile made me feel like everything was going to be okay.
"So tell me, have you made any friends?" I nearly dropped the plates but recovered quickly. The warm brown eyes full of confusion and hurt flashed before my eyes. I shook my head and forced a smile on my face before turning back to Ojiisan.
"I've met a couple people." He looked at me knowingly.
"You can't fool to me, Pollita. What's wrong?" With a sigh, I sat the plates and silverware on the table before taking a seat myself. I laid my head on the table in defeat while he served us both a generous slice of cake. Ojiisan knew me better than I knew myself. Not only had he raised me and taught me everything I know about animals but he was also my best friend.
"I messed up Ojiisan. I freaked out and pushed someone. I'm sure he and all his friends hate me." He lightly tapped my head. It was his way of scolding me for over reacting; it helped ground me back to reality.
"You worry too much. He'll forgive you once he has a bite of this cake." I watched his hands grip his fork with some difficulty but he still smiled after taking a bite. He finished his slice of cake quickly but he stopped me before I could serve him another slice. "We have to save some for your grandmother, she'll be back any minute. I know she'll love a slice." My heart fell to my stomach as I gently patted his hand.
"Of course, Ojiisan. I'll put it away for now." I realized by now that it hurt him less if I didn't try to force him to remember. The only plus side was it was easier to lie to him when he was in one of his 'episodes' as the nurses called it. Abuelita passed away when I was four. She wasn't coming back. I stand up and place a kiss on his cheek. "I have to go now Ojiisan, it's a school night."
"You're going to make friends soon, Pollita." He pulled me into a hug. I buried my head into his chest, breathing in the comforting sweet smell. Somehow he always smells of baked goods. I pulled back and make my way to the door. "I'll make sure to tell your Abuelita you stopped by." I nodded my head without turning around. I didn't trust myself not to break down if I looked at him again. My heart had taken all the beating it could today.
Author's note:
I hope you are enjoying the story so far! A huge thank your for those who have followed the story and have taken the time to review.
I haven't decided on a pairing for Mami yet but it'll be a while before I get to any romance. I want to focus on building her friendships within the Host Club first before jumping into any romantic relationships. I'm taking some liberties with Japanese school culture, for the sake of the story the school week will only go from Monday-Friday. I'm going to keep the Japanese and Spanish to a minimum, while my character is fluent in both, I am not but I'm going to try my hardest to be correct in the terms I do use.
Also this story will deal with Anxiety, Depression, Alzheimer's, Bullying, and Panic Attacks. If you want warnings before each chapter let me know.
The symptoms of Alzheimer's can vary, I am personally using my own experience of both of my grandparents who were effected by the disease.
Pollita- 'Little chicken' a term of affection in Mexican culture.
Abuelita- Grandma
Ojiisan- Grandpa
My goal is to update once a week most likely on Sundays