One month... That's exactly how long I'd been apart of the Ouran High Host Club. I didn't think I'd survive so long at first but now... after my first fight of the school season... I knew I wouldn't.

If I can just make it through first hour without the twins freaking out about my face, I thought. I had a big purple bruise on my chin and a fat, split and swollen lip. Maybe I'll have a good lie by the time we get to the host club.

I kept my head low as I stepped onto the campus. I didn't wave or say anything to anyone. I took my seat between the twins and laid my head down. I had class with the Hitachiins all day so I had to figure out a reason to have my head down.

"Hey, Rikku," Kaoru said from my right.
"Is something wrong?" Hikaru asked.

"No," I said slowly. "Just a headache."

The didn't say anything for a moment. I almost tempted to peak to see if they were staring at me but just as I was about to, they started speaking again.

"We don't believe you," they said flatly.

That was the craziest thing I'd ever heard. "Why not?" I asked, not even bothering to hide my irritation.

"You don't get headaches," Hikaru said.

Scratch that last. That was the craziest thing I'd ever heard. "Are you stupid?" I cried jerking up but I gasped remembering myself and ducked my head.

Kaoru grabbed my arm. I yelped. I had a bruise there too. Hikaru managed to get his hands on my face.

"Stop!" I whined. It hurt for them to touch me. I was covered in bruises.

"What happened to you?" Hikaru breathed, his hands slipping away from my face.

"Nothing."

"That's a lie," Kaoru said flatly. Like his twin, his eyes were huge with worry and fear.

A lie hit me. Just like that. "It's kind of embarrassing," I said looking down. "Last night I was going down my fire escape to pay my rent for the month and I fell down. I rolled down like two flights of stairs."

They almost didn't buy it. Actually, they weren't close to buying it but they thankfully didn't press it any longer... probably because they didn't even know what a fire escape was. Much less to the fact that I didn't have one.

I pimped that story around the rest of the day. Stupid rich people. They believed anything. As the day drug on, my heart began to work over time, my chest hurt, and it felt like I was drowning for air.
It seemed like the host clubroom was a million miles away but I finally managed to stagger in weakly, gripping my chest. The pains had gotten worse.

Honey, not aware of my situation, tried to get me in one of his usual kill someone tackle hugs. We both went rushing to the ground because I didn't have the strength to catch him. I flinched, preparing for impact but it never came.

Mori caught us. There was a surprise. He was like the dark scarey protector of Honey. Thank god for reflexes. Honey instantly dropped to his feet. Mori swung me up and carried me to the couch.
I was gasping for air.

"What happened to my poor little baby?" Tamaki cried, attempting to fling himself on me. He was blocked by Mori.

"You don't look so good, Ri - chan," Honey said, his fawny eyes filled with worry. Reminded me of how the twins looked at me.

"She's hurt," Mori said. that was probably the longest sentence he's ever said in front of me. He didn't talk to much.

"What happened to your face, Rikku?" Kyoya asked. Again with that stupid demon knowledge book. I wanted to demolish it to watch him cry...

But that would have to wait until I could breathe again. I gripped my chest tighter. My world had little black star bursts dancing across it.

"Um, Kyoya - sempai," Hikaru said.
"We think something's really wrong," Kaoru said.
"Would it have anything to do with your fall down the fire escape?" they asked, leaning in.

I shook my head furiously.

"We know what a fire escape is by the way," Kaoru said.
"and we know you wouldn't have one." Hikaru said.
"So what really happened?" they demanded.

"Not now," Mori insisted. He was sure talkative today. "She can't breathe."

"We should take her to the nurse," Honey said, holding Usa - chan tightly. "She really looks bad."

I shook my head again.

"No choice," Mori told me, picking me up again. "Mitskune."

I didn't have the will power or the strength to fight off Mori or wiggle away. I just wanted the pain to stop. It did. Once I passed out.

When I woke, I was in a nice soft bed. So I knew i wasn't mine. The linens were nice and soft too. Wait. What time was it?

I jerked up, making my head swirl like a blender.

"Whoa," I gasped.

"Slow down," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses. "According to the nurse, you had an asthma attack. Were you aware you have chronic asthma?"

"No." another lie."What time is it?" I asked.

"Four o'clock," Hikaru answered.

Damn it, I thought, jumping up. the world danced and I almost fell forward. Mori caught me, with a warm arm in front of me.

"You're sick!" the twins cried.

"You don't need to move so much!" Tamaki wailed.

"I - I have to go," I choked, feeling weaker than when I woke up.

"I'll be happy to call for a car to take you home," Kyoya said. He really didn't sound to happy.

"I - I'm not going home," I said as Mori sat me back down. My voice was shaking as much as my hands were.

"Then any place you wanna go, we'll take you," the twins insisted.
"You're sick," Kaoru informed me. Like I didn't know.
"And injured," Hikaru agreed. Again, talk about a news flash.

"The nurse did express concern about your injuries," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses again. That was an annoying habit of his.

"It's nothing," I said standing, more slowly this time, to gain some bearings. I had to get half way across town and fast but I couldn't get a ride with the,. "I have to leave."

"Ri - chan" Honey said trying to use his puppy dog eyes to sucker me into staying and explaining. "We can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong."

I smiled and patted the top of his head. "It's nothing. really. Just a bad couple of days. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

With that. I squeezed past their objections and out cries, ran down the hall and street. To face yet another day in my double life. I wondered how much longer I could hold out.