Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. There would have been romance by now and I would have been rolling in money instead of typing a story on FF.

Need You Now by Lady Antebellum

"Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor
Reachin' for the phone 'cause I can't fight it anymore
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.
For me it happens all the time."

Chapter 6:

"I still can't believe that she's living with us. And why didn't she pack any clothes from America?" Hikaru was a little frustrated, to say the least. Not only was his brother inviting a complete stranger to come live with them, but she needed clothes, too?

"I know, I should have asked you about it first. But... she's in a bad situation. She only has the clothes on her back and the IPod that she still had in her pocket. Don't you agree with me?" Kaoru implored Hikaru to reconsider. Kaoru began biting the sleeve of his dark green shirt, not bothering to hide his nervousness. Hikaru angrily snatched a dark blue sweatshirt from the closet and threw it on himself in an attempt to stay warm. They both had matching shorts of different colors.

Halley and the twins had gone their separate ways that night to change into something more comfortable and rest for the night. Halley, left with no other option, had to choose between the twin's mother's clothes that she had recently designed. Her room was down the hall, but considering how large the mansion was, she would still get lost just going to the bathroom.

Hikaru thought silently to himself, aggravated. Hikaru could not understand why his brother was so trusting. He had a sinking feeling that there was something weird about this girl. He was sure of it! Hikaru's nostrils flared as he slammed a nearby table with his fist.

Not having any of the necessities to live like clothes and such was really suspicious. Could it be that she was trying to con them?

"I need answers, Kaoru! Couldn't she just call her parents or something?" Hikaru demanded after the awkward silence.

Luckily for him, Halley had told Kaoru exactly what to say right before they left the classroom a few hours prior to the conversation. "She can't." Kaoru countered. "She and her parents aren't exactly close, Hikaru. Her parents are usually away, like us. I feel bad for her; at least we had each other! She's an only child. Not only that, but she got into an argument with her parents right before she got here. How can Halley just come crawling back to them for help?"

Kaoru wasn't completely lying. Halley was an only child, that much was true. And her house often felt empty without another person to share it with, but she didn't mind being alone. They did get into an argument, but it was over something trivial. How would she contact them, anyway? Her chances of that actually happening were slim to none.

Long story short, those were not lies. They were just... half-truths.

Hikaru looked at his brother's earnest face, begging for him to see yes. He finally surrendered to Kaoru's plea. "If I see that anything's missing, though, I'm calling the police!" He grabbed his IPod and stormed out of their bedroom, leaving a happy but confused Kaoru.

MEANWHILE...

Halley had chosen a black V-neck shirt and designer jeans. It fit her perfectly, and Halley smiled softly to herself while looking at herself in the mirror.

Her room was large and had pale green walls, along with a queen-sized bed with a green and brown comforter. The large windows and balcony gave her a view of the night sky. A breeze from an open window pushed the off-white curtains ever so delicately.

Needless to say, Halley liked her room very much. She still had this voice nagging in the back of her mind, though, saying it still was not like home. What was that saying? "Home is where the heart is?"

It may have only been about a day, but Halley had already begun to feel a little homesick. Something inside her was going to snap soon. Her friends, family, and home were all gone. Halley clutched the IPod in her hand tightly, as if her life depended on it, and felt the purple cover protect the IPod from her grip.

Where were they now? Halley was the girl in her circle of friends that kept the group together. There could be chaos without her there. Did her parents even realize that she was gone yet? Halley pondered this as she walked out the door and slowly walked down the hallway. She was not sure where she was going, but she did not care.

Halley untangled her black ear bud headphones and put them in her ears. She had a 64 GB IPod Touch with over 3,000 songs. She had no doubt that there was enough songs to describe what she was feeling at any time.

Rock, Blues, Pop, R&B, Rap, and Alternative, along with many other genres, were packed into a tiny package that fit into the palm of her hand. For every genre in that IPod, there was at least one other emotion that matched up perfectly with the way she was feeling. The teenage girl had always gone to her IPod as a form of escape because she could block out other people's voices and be left with the music and her thoughts.

Halley scrolled down the list of artists (seeing as how there were too many songs), and found the artist that she was looking for: R.E.M. She couldn't help but think that their song, Everybody Hurts, fit perfectly with her mood. Halley pressed the play button, and let her mind wander freely.

IN THE MEANTIME...

Hikaru, like Halley, had left with his Ipod, as well. Rather than a purple cover, like Halley, Hikaru had opted for a black one. He had stereo headphones covering both ears completely, blocking any noise from the outside.

Hikaru was rushing down the hallway, as if he were being chased. The song I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace was thundering in his ears. He was busy bouncing his thoughts back and forth between Halley and Kaoru, his brother.

He was willing to bet that Kaoru really liked this girl, since he was doing all of this for her. Or maybe Halley brainwashed him. That was the more likely option in his eyes.

Hikaru couldn't help but think badly of her. Was he the only one who noticed things always went her way? He swerved to the right, entering another hallway. He looked down the hallway he was headed, only to notice Halley walking in the opposite direction he was.

Wandering around our house? I knew it... Hikaru thought to himself with a smirk, until he did a double take, and his smirk disappeared: He had never seen her like that before. Why did she look so... lost?

Halley had yet to notice Hikaru's presence. She was too busy staring at the floor, thinking about what she would usually be doing at this time back home. She would probably be helping one of her friends with homework over the phone. She began to miss their voices...

Halley zoned out, and then she felt someone grab her shoulder, shaking her. Feeling endangered, she jumped and prepared to punch whoever surprised her. However, when she turned around, she only saw Hikaru Hitachiin, who caught her punch, though he was caught off guard. His eyes had widened, and she noticed that he had an iPod in his pocket and that his headphones were hanging around his neck. This reminded her of when he wore them in the rain in one of the episodes of the anime.

"Oh! Sorry, Hikaru." Halley apologized as she withdrew her punch.

"Geez, I check to see if you're okay, and you decide to attack me. Thanks." Hikaru complained, somewhat angrily.

Halley had a confused expression on her face: She slightly tilted her head as her eyebrows began to furrow. He was checking up on her? Did she look upset? Halley forced a smile on her face. "Thanks. And, yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for asking."

Hikaru could tell that she was lying. Anybody who makes a face like the one she had before is not fine. "What were you thinking about? I was almost yelling your name."

"Oh? Well, I had my headphones on, so I couldn't hear you."

Not wanting to press the matter, Hikaru retreated. He didn't really care, anymore. "Alright, then. If my brother starts looking for me, tell him I went for a walk." Hikaru said this somewhat forcefully, as if he were enraged.

"I was going for a walk, too. Can I—"

"No." He snapped. He then proceeded to flinch at the harshness in his tone. "Uh, I mean, I'd rather be alone. I have to go." Hikaru's face reddened. He distracted himself by putting his headphones back on and pressing play on his IPod. Without a moment's hesitation, he ran past her.

Well, that was awkward.