Tales of the Stars

Book 1: Homecoming

Chapter 8

Staria was still feeling a little under the weather the next day at school. She could function though. Since she and Tamaki had been talking about her dreams, she'd started to sketch out things she'd remembered. Tamaki had the silly notion that they were repressed memories from another life, since they were so vivid. It was silly, but he'd talked her into drawing to help get them out of her system. She thought he just secretly wanted some new costume ideas for the club. He'd already taken a shine to the royal guard uniforms she'd sketched out the night before. Heck he was already picking out different colored trim for each of the members. It was bad, she kept finding herself doing more drawing than paying attention in class. She was far to distracted and knew it.

No matter what she dreamed, there were always hints of a brother and she was going to be meeting up with a young man who shared his face. It was unnerving. Yet curiosity was poking it's naughty little head out. She kind of wanted to ask him if he'd been having weird dreams, since her own started after bumping into him. She didn't really want to come off as a nut job though. He could take the whole thing in a very wrong manner.

"Staria it's lunch time." Tamaki said. He and Kyoya were standing by her desk waiting. She hadn't even heard the bell.

"Care to join us or would you prefer to stay in your haze?" Kyoya asked.

"Sorry." she gathered up her stuff still feeling vexed.

"Give her a break she's still got a small fever." Tamaki explained.

"Then why come to school? That's highly irresponsible. First you should be looking after your own health, and secondly you could get everyone else sick as well." Kyoya frowned.

"I'm fine. Tamaki's exaggerating." Staria stood up, trying to not get angry over being scolded. Kyoya didn't believe her though and stopped her in her place. He placed a hand on her forehead. She was proud of herself for not blushing, but she knew she was still going to feel warm to him. It was a low grade fever but a fever none the less. "Yes I do have a fever. Big deal. I stayed in bed all day yesterday at Tamaki's insistence. If I miss class I'll fall behind, and I don't want to have to try and play catch up. Besides I made a promise to the twins that I have to keep today since I already broke yesterday's promise."

"You're more worried about helping that guy find the chairman's office than your own health. You are a stupid girl. You should still be resting. Can't you see the obviousness in that?" Kyoya was pissed, and he wasn't fully sure why. It was a trivial matter. He shouldn't have cared, but he did. Maybe it was from living with multiple doctors.

"My brain isn't fried Kyoya." She all but hissed back at him. "I don't like breaking promises. It's called having integrity. Yes it's a stupid task but I said I'd do it and damn it I'm going to." With that she stormed off ahead of the boys.

"What was that all about?" Tamaki asked. He had an idea, but wasn't fully sure.

"I don't know. I just started before I realized it. I've been hanging out with you too long I think." Kyoya took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

The blond smiled at his friend, "Good if you're getting that upset over something so little it means I'm right."

"Shut up." Kyoya pushed Tamaki away by the face and started down the hall. "We're making her go to the nurse after she eats, whether she likes it or not."

"Why are you being so mean!?" Staria flailed as Kyoya carried her, over his shoulder, into the nurses office.

"You're sick. Act like it a little." he set her down on one of the open beds and went to find the nurse.

When she refused to go to the nurse after eating Kyoya just looked at her and within seconds hoisted her over his shoulder. Once again, he called her stupid and a list of other insults. It had been highly embarrassing, being carried like a sack of potatoes. Yet she had enjoyed the attention he was giving her. Even if it was negative. Her crush was getting worse.

"Maybe I'm becoming a masochist…" she mutter under her breath after he was gone.

"Yes she has a fever and hasn't really been paying attention all day. Please keep her here until the end of the day so she doesn't spread her illness to the rest of us." Staria could see clearly the host club smile that Kyoya was displaying for the young nurse. He was rich and handsome. She'd do as asked of her. Staria finally gave up and crawled under the blanket. Stupid Kyoya.

He came back over to the bed before leaving, and sat down on it beside her. "That's a good girl." He smiled.

"Don't pull your host act on me now. I'm resting ok. Happy?" she had to work hard to not just glare at him.

"This is for your own good. If you rest now you can do your job after school. Please just humor me on this. Focus on getting well and we'll work on getting you caught back up on what you miss." She wasn't sure if by we he meant Tamaki and himself or just her and him. Even though she was mad, she still liked the later better.

"Alright. Alright. I guess it would be pointless if it get's worse and I fall behind, break my promise and chance missing the party this weekend."

"Now you're using that brain of yours. Tamaki or I will come get you at the end of the day." He gave her a calm smile as he stood. "So rest up."

Staria watched him go and thought, 'These rich boys will be the death of me…'

Kyoya left picking up their stubborn duckling to Tamaki, and headed to the club room after class. They had a little prep work still before opening. When he walked in the twins were already there. They were setting up a dress dummy in one of the out of the way corners.

"What's that for?" He asked getting his notebook out to review the guests for the day.

"We brought Star's dress for her. She came to school today right?" Kaoru asked pulling a mass of forest green fabric out of a garment bag.

"Yes she should be on her way to the main gate to wait for her brother."

"Wait we know it's for sure?" Hikaru perked up. Kyoya nodded.

"Turns out the chairman blabbed to his son about knowing the Chiba's parents back in the day." He watched the boys put the dress on the dummy. It was mostly a dark forest green satin, with a sweetheart cut top and full skirt. Pale sea foam green chiffon accented it in off the shoulder sleeves that met at a gold star broach in the center of the heart. A bustle like trim at the waist that came to a small fall in the front was the same pale green and edged with some kind of gold trim that had smaller gold stars dangling from it. A golden star sash brought it all together at the waist. There were also matching forest green arm sleeves with no gloves, just a band to slip over the middle finger to hold them in place. A matching choker was also in the dark green and a little hair band was made from the chiffon and two more gold stars. The whole thing looked a little like a mix of Cinderella and Belle's Disney princess gowns. "Looks like you're mother hit the nail on the head."

"Who cares about that right now." Hikaru said.

"Yeah, if the chairman knows then they'll find out today." Kaoru added.

"We should totally go ease drop!" They said as one and shared a high five over the dress.

"No we have clients today. You can get all the juicy details from Staria after the fact. Though it might make her care less about that gown as well."

"We're fine with that."

Kyoya kept looking at the dress. It couldn't be helped. In his goody bag, from the fashion show, had indeed been an identical pair of earrings to Staria's. Though his had been gold with emerald inlays. He was going to make them an auction item for the girls, but it would be shame to not have them go with such an obvious match. It seemed as though Staria would be getting her green pair after all.

Staria rocked back and forth on her heals, wrapping her coat closer to her. The fall weather was getting colder faster than expected. She hoped that their guest wouldn't be too long. She was after all still kinda sick and standing outside in the cold was rather dumb of her. Last thing she wanted was to be scolded by Kyoya twice in one day. She had been a bit disappointed when Tamaki showed up to get her, but she expected it. It was a club day after all. Kyoya would be going over the guest list and making sure everything was in order.

She smiled a bit. It might be amusing some time to go as a guest and request Kyoya to throw off his game. As she mused a red motorcycle pulled up to the gate. The guy pulled off his helmet, revealing it was the model from Saturday.

"Sorry I hope you weren't waiting long. Staria right?" He smiled. "Sorry again about running you over on Saturday."

"It's ok…." she paused cause she still didn't know his name.

"Just call me Mamoru."

"Well it's nice to meet you Mamoru. Shall we go in?" She started leading the way without him answering.

"Guess the campus is bigger than I thought." Mamoru commented as they made their way to the main building.

"Tell me about it. I still feel like I get turned around if I have to go anywhere other than the main building or the high school."

"So you're not in the same class as the twins?"

"No I'm a year ahead of them. They're friends with the chairman's son. The Suoh's just happen to be my host family. I'm here on an exchange program at the moment."

"So you're foreign elite?"

"Not at all." Staria laughed, "Trust me I'm a fish out of water here."

"Then why apply for it? If you don't mind my asking that is." He knew he was probably crossing the line, but he had a habit of pushing when he shouldn't.

"I wanted to get away from home. A little extreme I know, but it's serving it's purpose. The chairman's office should be just down this hall."

Mamoru felt oddly comfortable around his new girl. Like it would be almost nothing to talk to her about all of his issues and insecurities. That scared him just a little bit. He never opened up to just anyone, not completely. They stopped outside of a large white double door.

"This is it. If what Tamaki told me is right his secretary will be just inside then his office is just beyond the next door. If you want I'll wait till you're done and see you back out."

"Oh I don't want to hold you up."

"It's no big. The boys have club today and Tamaki's my ride home so I'm here for a couple of hours any ways." she smiled.

"If you don't mind, then sure." They went into the next room and Mamoru walked right up to the middle aged woman at her desk. "Excuse me Ma'am. I'm Mamoru Chiba, Chairman Suoh should be expecting me."

Staria had to fight to keep her face neutral when she heard her own last name.

"Yes, he's on the phone at the moment, please have a seat and he'll be right out." The kind woman said directing them to the chairs near by. Before Staria could ask Mamoru anything the chairman came out of his office, a big smile plastered on his face.

"Mamoru sorry to make you wait. You look well my boy." He shook Mamoru's hand as he stood up.

"Thank you for taking the time to see me." Mamoru made sure he keep his own grip firm and meet the older man's eyes. He wasn't about to show any weakness.

"We have much to talk about." The older man turned when he noticed Staria. "Ah Staria what a surprise. Tamaki and I missed you at our lunch last Saturday."

"Good afternoon chairman." Staria bowed slightly. "Sorry about that I had a previous engagement."

"I know." He winked and elbowed her a bit. "Have a good time with the Ohtori boy?" Staria blushed bright red. Tamaki had been blabbing and she could completely see where he got his actions from now. Yuzuru Suoh smiled at the girl's embarrassment. "Come onto my office you two we have much to discuss."

"Oh I don't want to intrude, on Mamoru's time." Staria was even more flustered at being invited in on what was probably a private matter.

The chairman's eyes went serious. "Miss Chiba this concerns you as well." He walked back into his office waiting just inside the door for the two confused students. Both of the Chiba children shot the other a quick look and followed as asked.