Don't worry. I am completely alive. My computer crashed though, and my parents wouldn't get it fixed until we had enough extra money. (According to them. They just didn't want to fix it). I don't own Ouran High School Host Club. Feel free to review this all you want.

Chapter 8

I woke up in a brightly lit room in a chair. It was like a lamp was being shined right into my face. Then the bright light was gone, and I learned that someone had been shining a lamp into my face. I tried to get up. Whoever brought me here had tied me up.

There wasn't much in the room. Except for me. The door was wide open and then it closed revealing Benibara.

"Haruhi Fujioka. You stole her again. You stole Azami again. She is a Lobelia student! She will remain a Lobelia student! How dare you keep her away from us?!"

Her voice made it seem like there was more to this than what she was letting on.

"Could you untie me?"

"No! Why the hell should I untie you after you stole Azami?!"

"Why do you care so much about Azami?"

"Why do you care so much about Azami? We've been keeping an eye on her since she left. We've been trying to find a good time to take her back. And when she left you, we thought it would be perfect. None of us suspected that you'd have your brainwashed fangirls attack us so you could steal her again. That was a clever plan Haruhi, but it wasn't clever enough. We may have lost Azami, but we have you now. And it's just a matter of time before Azami tries to take you away. Then we will have both of you."

"I'm not an object, and you can't have me. I just really want to go home. Or go to the supermarket. And… my dad's coming home today. He'll panic if I'm not home. He'll call the police."

She smiled at me, like I was an oblivious child.

"Haruhi, you're not leaving."

"Can you at least untie me?"

She shook her head and left the room, closing the door behind her. I was left in an empty room. I was tied to a chair. This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out. We were all supposed to get out.

I don't know how long I was there. I lost count of the minutes. I lost count of the days. Why hadn't anyone found me? I hadn't eaten or drank anything at all whilst being held captive. Maybe Azami had figured out Benibara's trap and decided not to come. That would be smart.

Kyoya probably had figured it out, but god knows he wouldn't tell anyone. Damn. He knew it wouldn't work. He knew something would go wrong.

But I knew that too and still chose to do it. Why did I do it? Was I stupid? Why would Kyoya allow us? It couldn't have been good for business. But all those girls so willingly sped to get her out. I don't understand. It's so confusing.

Finally some girl came in with a tray of food. She untied me and apologized for Benibara's cruel behavior, but then she made a face like she wasn't supposed to say that. She let me eat the food but then said she had to tie me back up.

That happened for days. Maybe weeks. She would come in quietly, untie me, let me eat, and tie me back up again. She clearly wasn't supposed to be doing that. She never talked to me. She never looked me in the eye. And her blonde hair looked like it didn't belong on her head.

More weeks passed, and even though she didn't say anything, I looked forward to the girl's arrival. But I was always afraid of what might happen to her if Benibara found out.

The girl showed up again, but this time she didn't have a tray. Her fists were clenched tightly like she didn't want to do this. She raised her left hand.

"Sorry Fujio- Haruhi." She brought her fist down and made contact with my head. The world went black. Then I was being shaken awake. The girl had blindfolded me. "Don't say anything."

Then she untied me and pulled me to the ground. She then had the nerve to drag me across the room. I heard the door open. Then she continued to drag me. I don't see the point in blindfolding me though. I heard another door open and I was being dragged more.

Then the door closed. She took the blindfold off of me and hugged me.

"What-?"

"Damn it Haruhi. I'm so sorry. It's my fault."

"Who-?"

I pushed this girl away and looked at her again. Her hair wasn't blonde, but black.

"Pretty good disguise huh? Even Benio didn't recognize me."

"Azami?"

"In the flesh!" She smiled widely. "Miss me?!"

"How?"

"Grabbed my old Lobelia uniform, took a blonde wig from those twins and showed up here. Taken in immediately."

"That's…"

"Pretty stupid on Benio's part for not recognizing me. We should leave now. You take the wig." She shoved the wig onto my head and looked at me like an artist looks at a piece of their work. "That'll have to do."

"You're joking, right? They'll realize it's me immediately."

"Relax Haruhi, I figured that part out already." She walked out of the closet. I swear she's going to get herself killed by these people. "Hey! All of you! Haruhi's escaped and is going up to throw herself out the highest window! Lady Benibara is going to kill us all if we let her!"

I heard a stampede come this way.

There were also various, "No!"s and "Stop her!"s. I'm surprised that it worked so well. Azami was yelling hurry repeatedly. The strange thing is that we hardly know each other really. Yet we're willing to risk pretty everything to get each other out of this school.

It doesn't really make sense. A few months ago, Azami was ready to curse someone to death. That same time, I was trying to make it through high school. And not get crushed by a million guests. I got her out of here, and now she's getting me out.

She pulled me out of the closet and down the hall. We could hear the cries of the Lobelia students as they searched for me. You'd think they'd recognize Azami since she wasn't wearing the wig. She looked back at me and tore the wig off my head.

"I can't take you seriously with that thing on."

"Good. I couldn't stand it anyway."

She took my hand and pulled me through the courtyard. We made it out without any trouble.

"Where now?" This was her escape plan, not mine. Why is she asking me?

"My house."

"I don't know how to get there from here."

"Just follow me." We ran to my house, but had to stop a few times. Her endurance really hasn't improved at all.

"Wait." My hand was just above the handle. Why did she want me to wait? "I- uh… it's hard to explain really."

"Maybe you can explain inside."

"But that would completely destroy the point in waiting."

"Then get to your point."

She looked at her feet, almost as if she was ashamed of what she was going to say. I looked at her curiously. What was it that was so hard to explain to me? What did she have to explain to me?

"I- I." She looked up to me and pulled me into a kiss, and then she pulled away from me. Her eyes were full of fear. And she ran off. I opened the door numbly and went to bed immediately.

I woke up to my father leaning over me. When I focused, I realized that behind him was the Host Club.

"Haruhi, it is you! I was so scared! Daddy loves you, you know!" He hugged me tightly. I'm surprised he let them come in and see me.

When he let go of me, I also realized that Azami was not there. Where'd she go? Where could she go? Perhaps that "nice alleyway"?

I was numb to all their questions. I waved my hand to silence them, which for some reason worked. I must seem quite out of character. Next thing I know, Dad was stepping on Tamaki's head, calling him a bug again.

I ignored it. I wanted to leave, but I didn't want to risk being found by Lobelia students. I laid back down and fell back asleep.