A/N: HEY GUYS! This is actually the first time I've written and decided to post an Ouran High School story. It's the usual, I make up an OC and put it into the world scenario. There's a lot of background and story clarifying. I'm not THAT experienced with the Ouran world, actually. I'm not such an intimate fan that I know exactly where my OC falls in the storyline, if it be the manga or anime. I have watched the anime and that's why I'm grown to love the show. I watched it a couple or more years ago, but this'll be my first story! I tried writing previous stories, but I sadly lost those files.
I hope you guys enjoy this. I'm not exactly sure how the characters address each other, so I end up going back and forth from usual Japanese mannerisms to English mannerisms. However, if the language changes, it'll either be changed or I'll say, 'they are speaking English', in some sort of way within the story. That's about it! And this story was started through a 100 challenge I restarted, #78: candles. ENJOY THIS! I HOPE YOU GUYS DO! And if you like it like and comment. I actually finished this story so I'll have all the chapters posted eventually, but a continuation of the story? I don't know yet. We'll see.
! #$%^&*()
You held in a deep breath as you looked up, staring at the label indicating the classroom name: 1-A. You weren't looking forward to this introduction, but… do you have a choice in this? Nope. You sighed, deeply, pouting at your annoying bright yellow dress. Why must it be yellow? You never liked the color at all. Shaking your head you looked back to the door, hoping for the best. You let in another unsteady breath before raising your hand, knocking on the door and awaiting the teacher to open it for you.
"Class. We have a new student today," the woman spoke as she opened the door for you and you walked in, your pretty black dress shoes clicking against the floor as you stepped into view, seeing your classmates. Their eyes turned to you, probably noticing your messy black raven wavy hair, which reached down your back, stopping below your shoulder blades. It's not like you would normally be able to afford this attire, but your uncle expected you to go to this school so you'll have to comply to his wishes. "This is Underwood St –"
"I am Beatrice W. Underwood, niece of Mr. Starr. I grew up for most of my life in England, but I'm attending this academy because my uncle wishes for it."
"T-that… Alright," the teacher sighed, turning back to the class with a disgruntled look on her face. "Due to her transfer examination Ms. Underwood here has been transferred to Class 1-A. Even though it's the beginning of the second term the president instructed me to have Ms. Underwood attend the class. Japanese is not her first language so please keep this in mind," she stated, pointing to a spare desk in the back, by the door. "You may sit back there."
"Yes ma'am," you responded, walking briskly to your seat and sitting down, watching as eyes turned around and you could hear your peers mumbling, but then they settled down as the teacher coughed to get their attention. The moment the gaze was off of you, you let out a soft sigh through your lips, relieved that nothing went too badly. However you weren't exactly prepared for today, only with a notebook and pen in hand, but you wrote down what the teacher went over in class along with other items you will have to gather. You may be enrolled in this school, but that doesn't mean you have a free ride. Your uncle was kind enough to let you into the same campus as his son, but you haven't seen him all day. Plus this was a bit overwhelming.
You weren't used to the pompous attitudes, the wealth being thrown away like candy. You were in charge of your own finances, now, with your uncle keeping an eye on what you were spending, but you mainly were in charge of your own money, your inheritance. You didn't want to spend it all and you were careful, so seeing money being thrown down the drain just made you… irritated.
You may be from England, but you did spend some time in Japan. You used to come here every few years, your cousin coming over the other times, but now that your father is dead you have no reason to stay in England anymore. Your uncle had to take care of you until you were eighteen, or at least sixteen, but he insists on eighteen. Your uncle is a kind person, sure, but… you don't know about this. You didn't feel right here. You didn't feel like you belonged. Sure you scored high on the test, but you did try. If you hadn't you would have failed for sure. You just… didn't want to be here in such an unfamiliar, foreign place is all.
Relieved that it was finally lunchtime, you glanced at the map you had in your backpack, your eyes realizing that most of these students had briefcases or pretty little bags to hold their school books and supplies. You shook your head and silently stared at the map, finding your classroom and seeing where the cafeteria is. You needed something to eat and you didn't pack a thing. Lucky you. You know the food here may be expensive, but you have to eat something or else you'll get crabby.
The cafeteria was on the bottom floor, on the other side of the high school. You stood up and walked out, ignoring anyone who may have wanted to talk to you, hastily walking down the hallway with your head held high, confidence in your strides, for you weren't in the mood to be talked to or pushed around. You just wanted to be left alone.
Instead of relying solely on your map, you managed to follow chattering high schoolers to the cafeteria, stopping in front of the menu that was against a far off wall, by the door, close by to where you could retrieve your meals. Your eyes narrowed as you stared what seemed like hours at the menu, your lips turning a bit of a pout. The choices seemed to be something you'd eat at a fancy dinner party! An appetizer, a soup/salad choice, and then the main course, but then there was desert as well. You felt a bit sick to your stomach. "It's too much," you shook your head. There were no options to separate what you wanted either, like just a soup or something.
"… Hey," you heard someone from behind you and turned curiously, raising an eyebrow as you stared at a… man? Woman? You thought you couldn't wear the male uniform, but maybe you're wrong? "Or hello," he/she smiled at you. "You're the new student in our class, right? Underwood-chan?"
"Ah, right," you chuckled, turning your attention to the he/she. "You don't need to call me by my last name. I go by the name of Trixie."
"Trixie?... Okay," he/she smiled, holding out his/her hand to you. "The name is Fujioka Haruhi. We're in the same class."
"I noticed," you smiled as warmly as possible, shaking her head. "Ah, you're a girl right? Or a guy?"
Her eyes widened for a moment before she smiled to you. "Yes I am. How could you tell?"
"You just look like a gal who cut her hair short," you shrugged your shoulders as you let go of her hand, giving her a devious smirk. "I just thought that a woman couldn't wear the male uniform. Am I wrong?"
"A-ah that," she chuckled, scratching the back of her neck slightly. "See I was kind of mistaken for a boy my first day here," she told you, shrugging her shoulders and letting her hand fall to her side, "but I have to wear this nice uniform to pay off a debt."
"Debt?" you raised an eyebrow and she sighed, nodding her head.
"It's horrible. I broke this expensive vase and now I owe the Ouran Host Club a lot of money. So they're letting me work off my debt by being a host member," she tried to explain, but you just looked at her a tad confused.
"Huh… That's interesting," you decided to say, giving her a light smile. "You don't seem too mad about it."
"Why should I be? It's kind of fun," she told you, her eyes now turning to the menu. "Are you thinking of buying something?"
"I-I don't know," you pouted, turning back to the menu and the numbers, reaching up to ten different choices and you noticed that it depended on which day as well. Since it was Monday you had to look at the A category. "It's expensive and a bit much to eat for lunch."
"I know," Haruhi frowned as well. "I couldn't eat lunch my first day of school."
"If you couldn't afford this how did you get into the school in the first place?" you asked and she smirked.
"I got into the academy on a scholarship during my entrance exam. I scored the best in the class," she told you and you widened your eyes.
"W-wow. That's impressive."
"Thank you," she smiled lightly, turning back to the board. "What are you going to get then? Or will you skip lunch –"
"Are you going to eat something?" you asked back and she held up her packed bento box, you think it's called.
"I packed my lunch for today."
"Hmm… lucky. I should have done that," you snorted, a tired sigh leaving your breath as you ran a hand through your long, thick black hair. "Ah… Maybe the third option? Do you think they'll let me only have the soup or something?"
"I tried that. They won't let you," Haruhi told you.
"Crap. I don't think I can afford a ¥6,000 lunch. I only have ¥2,000 on me," you groaned, looking to Haruhi. "Though I could use my credit card, but I don't really want to if I have to eat all of this."
"You can have half of my lunch if you want," she decided to say and you shook your head.
"No, no. I'm fine. I don't need to eat from your, ah… box," you chuckled nervously, looking back to the menu. "… I just don't want to eat all of that either… or use up all my money from my wallet. Say, do you know if there's a vending machine somewhere?"
"Outside the school, out those doors," she told you, pointing to the other side of the academy were you noticed some students were walking outside to enjoy the fresh air and the courtyard. "There are about five vending machines."
"I guess I'll use that," you smiled happily, turning to walk over to the door. You crossed the cafeteria, noticing your classmate was following you. "Ah… you're coming with me?"
"Sure. You seem to need a friend today and we're classmates, right?"
"Right," you chuckled nervously, opening the door and holding it open just slightly for the woman to catch it before noticing that, yes, there were vending machines to the left side of the double doors. You walked over to the machines, glad to find that everything was priced decently. Though everything wasn't food and drink you're used to, you were too hungry to care. And this is part of the cultural emersion… and heck it's not like you haven't tried some of these products.
Eventually you bought a bag of apples, you were surprised to find that actually, a plastic bottle of green tea, and you were told this particular green tea drink was light on the processed sugar, and lastly two almond crunch pocky snacks, something a bit familiar that you glad to find. Eventually you had to pay ¥1,210, but it was a small price to pay for your hungry stomach. It'll hold you over till you get something more filling in your gut and certainly less expensive! At least reasonably expensive. "I only have ¥790 left… that's reasonable I guess."
"I'm surprised that you're keeping count of your cash," you heard Haruhi say and you gave her a curious look.
"Oh? Why?"
"At this school no one seems to care how much money they are spending, but I am always having to keep track of what I pay for," she told you and you smirked.
"Well I'm on a budget. My uncle paid for my tuition, but I have to buy books and other supplies for our classes. I was also given an apartment close by and even a bus pass, but my food and other expenses will need to be paid for by my own money," you sighed, deeply. "My uncle may be rich, but I'm certainly not.
"You actually live in the city?" Haruhi asked, surprised, and you gave her a curious look.
"Why yes I do, but I actually don't know where yet. I was at my uncle's estate before I came here and I had just flown into the island yesterday. I barely had time to even prepare myself for school. I'm supposed to be shown my apartment room at the end of the day."
"Oh. So you don't know where you live?" she asked and you shook your head.
"I live, ah… well I was told, like, in Block 15, house number 4, apartment room 501."
"That's close to the academy," Haruhi decided to say, "and the train station and even a department store."
"Really? I didn't realize that," you chuckled nervously. "I-I'm still getting used to this map. It's not like how maps are in Britain."
"That so?" she asked and you nodded your head. She gave you a kind smile. "I have to walk across town to the school. I've begun to use a bicycle to get here. I live in Block 8."
"Oh. Okay. I bike as well," you smiled to her lightly, "but actually I have a motorcycle I'm waiting for from the isles. Since I'll probably be here for three years I figured I should have it with me."
"The housing in Block 15 is quite secure so I don't think you'll have a problem keeping a motorcycle there… but I'm not sure if you can bring it to the academy," she decided to say, but you flashed a smirk.
"I already filled out the forms. I'm just waiting on its arrival," you told her as the two of you walked back into the cafeteria.
"That's good! Do you actually have room in a small apartment complex for all of your belongings? –"
"I'm not rich," you told her bluntly. "While my uncle is, I'm not. My father and I lived within our means. I actually have a decent inheritance, a mansion that'll be in my name once I'm of age, but I've learned to not live frivolously. I'm just average, which seems to indicate poor around here," you pouted and she let an irritated look come across her face.
"I understand your pain –"
"Hey! Haruhi-chan~!" you heard someone calling and you turned your head to see a table full of boys looking over at the two of you, the blonde with blue, almost purple eyes waving to the he/she.
"You're being called," you commented and she sighed.
"That's the Host Club I told you about," she stated, a whimpering look crossing the boy's face, you noticed, when the girl didn't immediately go over to them. "I should probably sit down with them so they don't start causing trouble."
"Okay," you grinned, holding out one of your pocky boxes. "I want you to have this before you go though."
"Eh?" she stared at you confused, accepting the box. "You're giving me this? Why?"
"You helped me out Haruhi. We're classmates, right? So you can have this. I actually bought two so I can give one to you," you smiled happily to her, holding up your hand slightly. "Ah, so, I'll see you in class I guess."
"Thank you Trixie-chan. Goodbye," she smiled, looking at the box with a content smile on her face as you walked out of the cafeteria, just seeing her being grabbed by that pretty blonde boy as you left, a tired sigh leaving your breath. You looked at the clock on the wall. You had about twenty minutes to eat. Geeze… that's a lot of time. Like an hour? You think so.
You managed to find refuge back in your classroom, noticing it was actually empty for now. You ate your snacks and left just a couple of apples in the bag, glad you didn't have to eat something too hearty, and you were happy that the green tea actually tasted delicious. Just to your liking, but nothing beats your black teas at home. At least you managed to bring some with you from Britain, but you'll need to find a good tea shop and some great coffee here as well, or else you won't have a good time. Not at all.
)(*&^%$# !
You got through your first day of school without too many problems; in fact this was your first day of high school. You really wish you were in England with all of your friends, but… at least… some of these people seemed nice to you. You were internally glad no one knew of your titles. They just knew you as this foreigner from England with an uncle who owns a very successful corporation across the globe.
Everyone has been trying to get to know you, especially in your class, but at the end of the day you have decided that the girl Haruhi Fujioka was the kindest out of the bunch and seemed to actually care about what you said. She was the type of friend you'd have back at home, so the two of you exchanged numbers before you left the building to walk over to the elementary school part of the campus. You were told by the principal that you had to find a club for after school activities, something you didn't really care for, but you had a week to find a place. After that, if you don't find a place to belong, you'll have to spend your time studying or doing something else in the building, but you had to spend at least two thirds of your semesters in a club.
You weren't looking forward to finding one, but… you did have your backpack full of information from the academy. You just had to read through everything and figure out what to do from there. It's always hard to start a semester and it's even harder when the curriculum has already started from last semester, but you'll manage. You just have to. You have to make a life here, until you graduate, and once that's done you can move on to do something else, something that you'd rather do with yourself.
You noticed that the time was past 2:30pm. You learned that after school activities continue till 4:00pm. That means about an hour and a half of club time until you can go home. That sounds… sucky. More time in a club then actually doing school? And homework… when will you have time to do that? You sighed. This is going to be difficult. It'll take you a while to get used to all of this, but hey. At least you can give this all a try. This isn't Britain, but you can get used to this.
"Oneechan!" you heard a familiar voice call out and you turned to the building, smiling contently as a boy in a green uniform ran out of the doors, grabbing you in a tight hug. "You made it!"
"Hello otouto," you chuckled, holding him tightly before setting him down. "I said that right, right?"
"Yep! Your Japanese is better than I thought," he chuckled back.
"Well I prefer calling you Leone. All this formal stuff is a bit weird," you told him and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Whatever you say Trixie-san –"
"Master Starr. Lady Underwood," you heard from a butler standing outside of a limousine, a tired sigh leaving your breath as you turned, walking over to the car.
"This is still too frivolous for my tastes," you stated as you stepped into the back of the car, after Leone did, looking to your uncle who was giving you an unimpressed look.
"Child, if you are going to be living here you must accept our ways. I know your father frowned upon the rich life, but understand that I need to keep up reputations. I am your parental guardian, now that both of your parents are… gone. Please respect my wishes."
You paused for a moment, your cousin sitting in the car, unsure of what to do at this point. The tension in the back of the limo was high, but after a moment you sighed, setting your backpack down on the floor. "I don't feel like I really fit in. Why can't I go to a private school – I mean public school?" you asked and he snorted.
"You are my niece so you will be in this prestigious academy. I let you live on your own, did I not? And I have the belongings you have shipped from England in your apartment. I will let you live on your own and pay for your living expenses, but I expect you to call me once a week, at least, and keep an eye on my son while you're in school. Understand?"
"I do," you nodded your head before pouting. "I do, but this place is so… unfamiliar for me. I know I've been to Japan before, but… living here? I don't know."
"Think of this as a fresh start," he smiled to you lightly. "You don't need to worry about your duties as an Underwood. You can just be a normal girl here. I do hope you keep up your grades. I don't know what you'll plan to do after you graduate, but after you do then you can go off on your own and do what you wish with your life."
"Thank you oji," you smiled before sighing tiredly. "You didn't have to take me in and I thank you for that, but just… I still haven't stopped grieving over my loss."
"I know," he nodded, "and you're welcome. You're my family, Beatrice. If I hadn't taken you in your mother would be giving me a long lecture," he chuckled before smiling lightly to you. "Think of me as you wish, Trixie. I understand it'll be hard here, but I know you're a strong young woman. You can handle yourself."
"… I was wondering," you began softly, pouting as you tugged at your yellow dress, "if there was a way I could wear something different then… this disgusting yellow thing."
"Maybe if you ask the principal, or probably in this case the vice-principal," he chuckled at your discomfort, your cousin happily giggling as well, "but if there is an alternative you have to pay for the new uniform."
"I understand oji. I get it," you grinned at him, sighing as you sat back in your seat.
There was a calm pause in the air until Leone decided it was the best time to talk to his father about his day, your eyes watching the scenery go by, excited to finally sleep on a warm bed… or in this case a mattress on the floor. Isn't that how the Japanese sleep around here? Something like that. Regardless, you have a lot to get done. You'll be having problems for a while, getting adjusted, but at least you know enough Japanese to get by. You just wish you could speak English with other English speaking people. It's different now that you know you won't be going back to England for a long time… You just want to go back home.