Chapter 7
~Time Skip~
A month later
Eva's POV
Ugh…What time is it?
I looked over at the clock and it only said 10:00 am. I got to sleep in, without anyone waking me up. That was a rare moment with this crazy group that I lived with for my 17 years of life. Thank God it's Saturday! I am getting used to having Keiko in my life, as is everyone. Haley is gone, and we are going to have to get used to it. I love Keiko without a doubt. But I do miss my ex-sister. I can't even talk to her, without getting into trouble with Grandpa.
I am envious of my ex-sister Haley, because she is unafraid of the consequences of the world. I wish that I could be like that, but I know I can't. I can't stand up to Grandpa like she can, because I don't want to be abandoned by him (like my parents, 9 of my siblings, and most of my father's family did) as well as lose the chance to take over the family company.
Chrissy-Tia knocked on the door. "Evangeline, we have to go to the courtroom to support Keiko."
"Coming". I hastily threw on a pair of khakis, some flats, and a simple black shirt.
I came down to the kitchen and grabbed an apple.
I walked to the foyer and saw that only Alex, Emi, Chrissy-Tia, Nicole and I were going to the courtroom. As long as Nicole and I avoided each other, we would be fine for the day.
We arrived at the courtroom. That day the jury was going to reach a verdict.
"Has the jury reached a verdict?"
"Yes, we have your honor. We find the defendants guilty on the account of sexual abuse. We find them guilty on the account of physical abuse; and guilty on the account of endangerment of a minor. They are sentenced to 25 years of prison".
"Court dismissed."
We left the courtroom immediately.
"Are they serious only 25 years? I outta go in there and show them how many years they should put on those two", huffed a bitter Nicole.
"Yeah, let's go and show them how many years they deserve Nicole", backed Emi.
"What are you two doing? This is how the real world is, so you guys need to chill out…You don't think I'm angry about the length of sentencing…But this isn't about us…It is about Keiko; let's not worry about our feelings. Let's worry about how she feels", I said. Nicole was about to retort.
Keiko stopped her by saying, "Guys, I feel freer than I have in all of my life. I am beyond happy. Thank you for helping me find the courage to stand up to them…But don't worry Nicole, they will get cursed by someone who wields Black Magic. Anyway how about we all go eat lunch out somewhere, and Nicole and Emi get to pick".
They smiled at her, and we all headed off to a small diner to enjoy some lunch.
We were having a grand time. We stayed way past lunch, and stayed there to have dinner as well.
"Did you hear about the one where the pushover gets hit by the short bitch?" Nicole asked me.
"No did you hear the one about the angry midget who got ran over by a truck?" I retorted.
"Girls, calm down…" intervened Chrissy-Tia.
"Excuse me. Are you Reiko Manger-san?"
"Yes I am. What do you need Officer?"
"I am here to inform you that both your parents were killed by an inmate upon their arrival to prison."
"Thank you Officer", said Keiko with a slight saddened expression.
The officer nodded his head, then exited the diner.
"What's wrong Keiko?" asked Emi.
"Is it wrong that I feel sad that they were killed even after everything they put me through?" she asked.
"No, it isn't because they were your parents. Even after all the pain, they inflicted upon you, you still feel an obligation to love them", responded Chrissy-Tia. She always goes all philosophical…It's amazing.
"But I still feel some hatred toward them…I don't think I can forgive them or myself", she confessed.
"…Keiko, forgiving both yourself and your parents is the first step to moving on with your life. You don't want to be caught up in the past in order to live in the present", Chrissy-Tia said in her wise way.
"Then what's the second and third step?"
"…Talking about what happened to you to someone you trust or even writing down what happened to you. This is equally as crucial as the first step. Because it will help you face what happened to you and make you stronger. It also will allow you to be able to love and trust others. And one day form a healthy relationship with the person you love".
Wow! Chrissy-Tia, you are amazing!
"…Can I talk with you about some of it…after I accomplish the first step?" Keiko asked hesitantly.
"Of course!" exclaimed Chrissy-Tia without a moment of hesitation.
"Thank God, you have finally stopped talking. You went all Oprah on us", joked Nicole.
"It's good to have you back Chrissy-Tia", added Emi.
"Guys, leave her alone", I huffed.
"Whatever, party pooper", they said and started to throw napkins at me.
~Time Skip~
Monday Morning
It's my final week of my punishment! I only have 5 more days of having to deal with goofy girls, the pangs of jealousy, and holding back around Nicole.
I couldn't wait to go on a date with Kyoya.
Oh I miss him! Is that what I have become some crazed fan girl? God please end my misery as soon as possible!
"Hey Eva" breathed a voice behind me. I jumped 2 feet off the ground from pure shock.
Once, I got back down, I saw it was Kyoya. I felt so ashamed of myself…
"Hey Kyoya. You kinda startled me." I said sheepishly.
He started to laugh. A real laugh!
His laugh is so beautiful! I don't understand why he hides it.
"I am glad that I could make you laugh", I cheered. With a laugh like that, I could be just fine with being an absolute fool…
He cocked an eyebrow at me while still laughing at me wildly. "Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, I love your laugh. It's really beautiful!" I exclaimed.
With that, he stopped laughing all together…Huh. I guess he still doesn't trust me enough to remove his mask around me.
"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go on a date with me."
"Yes!" I answered much too excitably and loudly.
He cocked another eyebrow at my reaction as if questioning my sanity. He was probably trying to tap into the reasons behind my crazy reactions.
"Sorry. I've been drinking a lot of energy drinks lately and I've been staying up really late…" I rambled on like a loon. He was smirking at me.
He bent over into my ear and whispered, "You're cute Eva".
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
I was so grateful that he did that. Otherwise he would have seen the burning sensation on my cheeks. I was probably as red as a fire truck!
I heard a click. I saw Kyoya with a camera, and a satisfied Cheshire grin on his face.
"This is going in your file of all the dirt I've collected from you," he joked. Oh really? Well that smile of yours is going straight into my memory banks Kyoya baby.
~Time Skip~
Friday
Before Afternoon Hours
Eva's POV
Last day of my punishment! I will never wear something like this again, or any of the cosplay for that matter. I remember the time when I had to wear that Princess Leia costume and Kyoya's jaw dropped to the floor. Or even the time, I had to dress up like Pocahontas, Kyoya looked like he was going to combust…Though I will never admit it to anyone else…I enjoyed seeing his reactions to me in skimpy (well my standard of skimpy) outfits.
Suddenly, Maria burst into the room with the triplets, Makenna, Carlos, Jeremiah, Ryder, and Jasmine. She came over to Chrissy-Tia, and begged, "Chrissy-Tia, please watch the kids for me. I have to take an immediate flight to see my mother in the Miami Hospital in Florida."
"Maria, go and take care of your family. Family is the most important thing." Chrissy-Tia philosophized.
"Thank you! Just remember to put them to bed before 10:30 pm".
"Maria, I know. Go! Be with your Mom!"
They quickly hugged. She waved to everyone, before dashing out of the Club Room.
"Bye Maria!" cried everyone.
Then chaos erupted. The kids started running around the Club Room like animals.
"Stop you wild devils!" commanded Tamaki.
"No!" they shouted. To make matters worse, the twins were egging them on to rile up Tamaki even more so than usual.
Honey and Makenna were sitting down eating cake together. Mori was supervising Honey. Kyoya and Haruhi were getting aggravated at the crazier than usual chaos. B.J. and Keiko looked like they wanted to go home, because it was Friday. Nicole looked anxious (most likely she wanted to have this day go by quicker, so she should be done with being the Host Club Maid forever). Alex was amused. I was annoyed that we would have to deal with these devils.
Chrissy-Tia whistled and all of the kids stopped running around. Everyone is stunned by her (except Nicole, Alex, B.J., and I). When will these friends of ours realize that there is more to Chrissy-Tia than just the happy-go-lucky girl who loves to bake and laugh?
"If you guys continue to misbehave, I will not make any of my famous 'Forbidden Brownies'", she threatened.
"No! No! We promise to stop misbehaving as long as you promise to make us 'Forbidden Brownies' after dinner tonight!" they cried.
"I will make them only if you behave." She vowed.
"What's Forbidden Brownies?" asked the Hosts
"Only the most delicious brownie ever made!" cried the kids.
Before anyone got the chance to elaborate, the customers came.
Everyone did their acts. The customers took notice of the children and cooed over their evident cuteness.
A light bulb seemed to go off in Kyoya's head, and he quickly jot down something in his notebook.
"Having any new ideas for the club Kyoya?"
"I'm thinking about using the children to bring in more customers".
"Always out for profit." I teased.
"Of course", he said while he grinned.
"You're despicable", I imitated Daffy Duck.
We laughed together.
We failed to notice all of the customers and the Hosts were watching our closeness and our flirty behavior (I only knew of this, after Chrissy-Tia told me later that day).
The customers were looking on with starry eyes and hearts circling their bodies; and screaming, "True Love".
The Hosts blinked in confusion. Then the twins got a mischievous look in their eyes. Tamaki became extremely happy and spouted out true love speeches. Haruhi smiled contently. Honey started rambling on about wedding cake. Mori looked at Chrissy-Tia and smiled a smile that said "I'm glad that they found their significant other". She giggled and nodded to him.
~Time Skip~
The Club finally ended. I was excited to get back into my normal clothes. After I changed into my normal clothes, I was dragged by the twins over to a couch where Kyoya was sitting.
"What are your plans for this weekend you two?"
"We have a date tomorrow", we answered.
The twins and Tamaki's eyes glinted mischievously. I sweat dropped. They were probably going to follow us. Honey smiled happily at us. He might be sweet, but he probably wants to follow us too…which means Mori will follow and Haruhi would get dragged along.
My phone went off:
"Hello, my name is Elder Price
And I would like to share with you
The most amazing book
Hello, my name is Elder Grant
It's a book about America
A long, long time ago
It has so many awesome parts
You simply won't believe
How much this book could change your life…"
"Hello?" I asked.
"Hi Eva! How are you? Please don't shout my name to the others! I am already at the house. I want to surprise the others…" Grandma! I can't believe that she is here in Japan!
"Don't worry, I won't say anything…But I'm sure that a couple of people will notice something is off", I promised.
"So I heard about this boy. Is it true that he's cold-hearted?"
"No not at all. Said person is amazing and is super cool."
"Surely there are more than just those qualities". I blushed.
"Well we'll talk more later darling", purred my grandma. God, why does my grandma always do this whenever she ends the phone call?
"See you later", I purred back. She would always mad if we didn't play along with her…Sometimes she does things that make me question her sanity.
I turned around to see the Hosts regarding me strangely.
"So who was that?" asked the twins.
"No one special", I answered. Though it was my grandma, it wasn't like it was Kyoya on the other end. Then it would have meant something.
Kyoya was hiding behind his glasses for some odd reason.
"Yo! I'm out for the weekend! I am so happy that I don't have to do this Hosting gig any more. Good luck with taking care of the darling children this weekend C.T.!" shouted Nicole before sprinted out of the room.
"C.T.?" asked the Hosts.
"It's another nickname for our dear Chrissy-Tia", said Alex. Wow! That's her first sentence in three weeks…Damn her selective muteness!
Chrissy-Tia looked perturbed at being left behind with the kids.
"Do you want me to curse her?" asked Keiko.
"No!"
"…But you can do it next time." Keiko smiled.
"Let's go guys!" shouted B.J.
"Say goodbye to your fiancée Eva", said Emi.
I went over to him and kissed him on the cheek. He tensed at my touch…Why is acting he like this? I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
I waved goodbye and left.
~Time Skip~
Saturday Evening
No one's POV
Kyoya was waiting outside Eva's front door. He wanted to demand her to tell him who she was talking to…He really didn't want to lose her to someone else he loved her. I love Evangeline Manger! I need to tell her, before I lose her forever.
The door swung open, and there stood Eva. She was in a sparkling black ball gown. Kyoya was never going to get used to seeing her in a dress…God, she is always so beautiful and elegant.
Why is he staring at me like some kind of attraction? I'm just a girl in a dress…But I'm so glad that he's here…He looks so angelic in his tux…He is such a classy gentleman!
"Are you ready to go to dinner Kyoya?"
"Of course", he drawled. However both of them felt immense tension between them…Little did they know it was romantic tension.
Eva tried to ease the tension with some goofy jokes and antics, but it only made Kyoya more suspicious and angrier.
"So…how's the weather over on your side of the table Kyoya?"
"Gloomy".
"Oh…How about the one about the bald man and the gum and feathers, and what happens to him?"
"Not interested". Why is he acting this way? He never acts like this…why tonight?
Why is she trying so hard to cheer me up? Is she trying to cover something up?
'What is different about tonight?" they both thought.
The Host Club was watching their date. They assumed that they were doing a good job at hiding (but they were failing epically).
Eva and Kyoya went to dance on the dance floor. Once they stepped on the floor, a tango song came on. They danced together like they were made for each other.
Eva wrapped her right leg around Kyoya's waist. He grabbed her by the small of her back and dipped her around. He pulled her up slowly and brought her into him. Eva put down her leg and extended it behind her back, and Kyoya brought his left leg into her body. He then picked her up as if she weighed as light as a feather. He swung her around and placed both her legs on his left leg. They circled each other as if they were enemies. He yanked Eva into his chest and ran his hands down her back. Eva wrapped her right leg around Kyoya's left leg. Kyoya spun her once more. Eva slowly draped her arms around Kyoya's neck. They came together and began to rapidly throw their legs around the floor in precise synchronization with the music.
The Host Club's jaws dropped at their dancing abilities.
"How does Kyoya know how to dance the tango?"
"He looks like he has been practicing for…"
"…years".
"They look great together don't they Takashi?"
"Yeah".
"Guys, can you please remind me why we are stalking Kyoya-Sempai and Eva-Sempai?"
The young couple slipped out of the ballroom and decided to go for a walk, hoping it would ease the tension. It didn't. The Host Club, of course, followed after them.
Kyoya pulled out a slender box and gave it to Eva.
"What's this?"
"Just open it and find out"
She opened and gasped, "It's beautiful". She stroked the silver necklace that held a rare purple diamond in the center. Kyoya, it was so sweet for you to get a purple diamond! I already have 3, but I love purple…it reminds me of you. I love you!
For Kyoya, it seemed to trigger his anger. He let it all out, "So now the beautiful gold-digger decides to show her true colors! I knew that you were only after my wealth and my position in society you little user! I bet you can't wait to show your boyfriend your sparkling jewels that your fiancée gave you, so you can obtain millions of dollars off of it! So go and spend all of my money you little two-faced 'lady of worth' with your precious lover!"
Eva glared at him, "What boyfriend?!"
"The one who called you today during the Host Club and made you blush and smile!"
Eva released all of her frustration at him, "That was my grandma! You dunce! She likes to me end the phone call in weird flirty ways. FYI. I'm not using you for anything. We were FORCED on one another…You are such an arrogant bastard if you think that's all I would ever want from you! I was born into money, do you really think I would care about your money! You are a selfish human being! Here take back your stupid necklace, since money is all you think I care about". She shoved the necklace box back in his chest and sprinted away with tears falling from her face.
Kyoya was left alone on the sidewalk.
The Hosts having watched all of this decided to pick her up and take her home.
Once they got her in the limo, she started to spill her guts.
"Why can't he believe that someone cares about him for more than just his wealth and position? I love him, but he will never love me.-All the Hosts are shocked by her proclamation-But we're stuck together, so I will have to deal with his lack of feelings for me…I will never attempt to stray from my wedding vows. Because I never want him to walk out that door and leave me…" Her voice cracked in pain. Her tears came down her face in rivers.
They had reached her house and that point she bolted out of the car.
The Host Club chased after her.
"Wait Princess!"
"Eva-chan, slow down."
"Eva-Sempai, be careful you could trip".
"When-pant-did-she-pant-get…"
"…so-pant-fast?"
She collapsed on her door step. The front door flung open, and stood a tall older woman.
"Eva, darling, I had no idea my phone joke would have you end up with a broken heart."
"What!" All the Hosts paled and sweat dropped.
Eva only continued to choke on her sobs.
"You see I make each of my grandchildren end the phone call in a weird way, just to imagine their reactions to saying it. I find it rather amusing…But that's beside the point, we were talking about her fiancée Kyoya. She loves to talk about him, in fact that's all she seems to talk about."
The Hosts looked at Eva with empathy.
"I better get her inside, she's no good like this…Once she starts crying this hard…It's really impossible to get her to stop. She will see all of you on Monday." The grandma quickly led Eva inside and shut the door.
'Poor Eva', they thought.
Meanwhile, back where Kyoya was. He had just been given the results of the identity of the caller (he traced) and the name was Aurora Hawking…Eva's grandmother. He really screwed up and he knew he needed to fix his error, and he planned to on…Monday.
I need to tell her immediately, so I don't lose her…
~Same Time~
Nicole's weekend of fun
Ritsu's POV
Her light mocha skin is beautiful. Her hair is so soft and curly. Her brown eyes are so bright and intimidating. Her cheeks are so soft and youthful. I love her 4'6 height! I appreciate her brutal tongue and her have no mercy attitude…Not to mention her untamable lips. I love her anger, as well as her tenderness. I love everything about her…She is my light and I need her in my life…And it's time that she knew how I feel…
She was humming a song, while I was playing with her hair. I loved touching the softness of hair. I looked at her and said, "I love you Nicole".
She abruptly looked into my eyes and said, "I can't believe you stole my thunder! I wanted to tell you that first!" She pouted.
I was surprised. It must have shown in my face, because she said, "What? You didn't think I would love you Ritsu".
"Truthfully…no"
She looked at me incredulously.
"Growing up…I wasn't the handsomest kid and girls would be so scared of me…and I thought you would too".
"I am not afraid of you! I love you more than my reputation!"
I chuckled at her.
"C'mon, I'm being honest here!"
"I know…You know that's one of the things about you that made me love you along with your beautiful lips…Nicole, I've always been told by my father that if I ever find a woman who can put me in my place…Then she is the ONE to spend the rest of my life with and stand at my side to guide our Yakuza group…Will you marry me after we graduate this May?
Nicole seemed to have lost her ability to speak altogether. She however nodded vigorously, and threw her arms around my neck.
She regained her voice and started shouting, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
I chuckled at her cuteness.
"So do you think we should do it before we marry?" I love my fiancée's blunt tongue.
I blushed at her statement. I wanted to feel her body against mine, but didn't want to destroy her purity by doing so.
"I actually wanted to wait until we marry", I said sheepishly.
Her eyes widened and she whispered, "You're the cutest guy in the world…It's funny how we the Yakuza couple are waiting until marriage…to do it, but that's fine by me, because I'm waiting for you…After all you are a very special guy".
I blushed deeper.
She chuckled. "I love it when you blush".
She grabbed my neck and we kissed each other passionately.
I can't wait till we finally tie the knot, and I can finally have her as my own.