Alright! Chapter five! Excitement! So it occurred to me that I could probably reply to all of my reviews on the review page but after a little thought I decided to keep doing it this way. Then when you read the story its like you're in it! ...well not really but hey. So much thanks to ERidg17, As-The-Fire-Blazes, PridePredjudiceandCake, and thythylove for your awesome reviews! Anyway, Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Ouran High Host Club. I do, however, claim ownership of my OC(s).
Eyrie leaned forward to rest her head on the back of the passenger seat of the car.
"Already dreading school Mistress? Its only your second day!" the driver said, laughter ringing in every word. She looked up and met his eyes in the rearview mirror.
"You don't know what this school is like Bear. All those damn rich people..." she groaned. Bear laughed low in his throat.
"You wont want to say that to any of them. You're rich too. The only difference is that you didn't grow up that way." he glanced at her in the mirror again. She was leaning back in her seat, staring out the window with her nothing expression. "And just so you know...the rest of the house is rooting for you. They would be mighty disappointed if they found out you didn't even try to make friends..."
Bear gave a satisfied smile as he saw a determined look cross her face.
Amazing. I've only known her for a year and not only have I adopted the nickname she gave me as a regular moniker but just the thought of her spending lunch alone gives me a knot in my chest, Bear mused. His thoughts turned to the first time they met.
She was being introduced to the household staff. They had decided to line up according to age, simply for the sake of order. He was the last one she met. He had tried not to laugh as the petite girl craned her neck to look at the 6'5" man. She had taken in his extremely broad shoulders and salt n' pepper hair and instead of being intimidated like most she simply smirked and said, "May I call you Bear?"
After that he went out of his way to make sure she was comfortable. Something about those big brown eyes and the way she stubbornly refused to conform to society's idea of a rich girl made the 50 year old man's heart melt.
"Alright. Have a wonderful day Mistress!" he called as the car pulled up to the front of the school. Eyrie patted his shoulder before climbing out. He chuckled.
I swear. That girl. You'd think going to a rich school was a punishment.
This is my punishment. It has to be. Eyrie thought as soon as she walked into her classroom building. The sight that greeted her was a frantically waving Tamaki who was the center of a sea of girls. He has calling out to her, alternating from princess to Miss Omorfie. It doesn't look as if hes getting out of there anytime soon. I should just slip away...
"I wouldn't. He may look stuck but Tamaki has been dealing with crowds like that for so long, he knows exactly how to get out of them." said a voice to her right. Kyoya Ootori gave a small smile as Eyrie looked at him with a raised brow. Just as he predicted Tamaki was already free of his adoring fans and was bounding over to them.
"That knowledge could come in handy..." Eyrie said in a voice only Kyoya could hear. This time it was him that raised a brow.
Was that a joke? he wondered. Before he could say anything Tamaki was there.
"Miss Omorfie! Good morning! I trust you had a good nights sleep? You didn't have any trouble with the homework did you?"
"Good morning . Yes I did and no I did not." Eyrie replied with a vacant expression. She glanced behind him to find the majority of the girls who had been fawning over him had left but a few had stayed to give her the death stare. "And you?"
"Oh I had a wonderful nights sleep! My dreams were so splendorous they rivaled even my own beauty!" he said, clasping his hands under his chin. Kyoya rolled his eyes.
Idiot.
Eyrie suddenly turned to him and said, "And you ? Were your dreams splendorous?"
Kyoya felt surprise bubbling within him but was careful to let his face show only amusement. "Oh they were nice enough."
She shot him a quick look of amusement before turning to walk in the direction of the classroom.
"Hey! Were you two making fun of me? Wait!" Tamaki cried, trying to catch up, mentally and physically.
How odd. She went from being cool and polite to making small jokes. Kyoya mused as he walked, tuning out Tamaki's usual chatter. What changed?
Eyrie's face was blank but on the inside she was frantic. Tamaki was probably offended and doesn't want to say anything because I'm new. Gaahh I shouldn't have teased him like that! No. Pull yourself together. Your staff is counting on you to make friends!
She thought about what Bear had said not long ago.
"They would be mighty disappointed..."
She gave a slight cringe. The three classmates walked into class as the bell rang.
Today looks like it'll be interesting. Kyoya and Eyrie overlapped.
Eyrie stood and stretched her back. The teacher had just given the first break, something they had skipped yesterday because the teacher had a special announcement in the morning and he was trying to make up for it.
"I don't understand why you have these breaks." Eyrie said after finding the stare Kyoya was giving her unsettling. Her statement only made his stare more intense.
"They are here because the time we are in class is so long." he stated. "This gives students a chance to refocus and relieve themselves if they must."
"Ah. I see. Do all the classes have the same break time as well?" she asked.
Be friendly. Don't think of them as arrogant snobs...
"Why yes they do. In fact you may go visit other classes during your break." Kyoya said with the warm smile that he used on customers. She looked at him with no expression. Suddenly they heard a childish giggle.
"Faster Takashi! Faster!"
"Hunny?" the three classmates said in unison. Tamaki had been sulking since the usual swarm of girls that kept him company were gossiping amongst themselves. He didn't realise that the reason they stayed away was because of Eyrie. Then the third years waltzed in, Hunny being carried piggy back by Mori.
"Hunny-sempai? What are you doing here?" Tamaki asked in surprise. Hunny hopped off Mori's back and hugged Tamaki around his neck.
"We wanted to play with Eyr-chan! Right Takashi?" Hunny giggled. The tall third year, who was towering over Eyrie on her left, simply nodded. "We didn't get to play yesterday! Usa-chan was sad!"
Hunny held up the stuffed rabbit he carried with him everywhere. Eyrie looked at it for a moment then bent down to get a closer look. Realising everyone was looking at her she cleared her throat and straightened.
"Cute." she said simply, looking away, as if she was embarrassed. Hunny and Tamaki looked at her with wide eyes and mouths in the shape of Os.
So. She has emotions after all. Kyoya thought.
"Eyr-chan! Do you like cake?" Hunny asked suddenly. She looked at him with that nothing expression of hers.
"When the mood hits I suppose. Though I'm guessing you like it anytime correct?" she said.
"Yup! How did you know?" Hunny ask with a smile. With no expression at all she lifted her hand and placed it on his top lip where a barely visible line of dried blue frosting sat.
"If you're willing to eat it in the morning, you're willing to eat it anytime." she stated before leaning on the desk behind her. Mori quickly took out a handkerchief and leaned close to Hunny to wipe it away. All the girls started squealing and swooned. Eyrie pretended she didn't notice but she privately wondered of all the girls here were a little simple-minded.
"Where were you when you met Chika Eyr-chan?" Hunny asked suddenly. Eyrie looked at him with a raised brow.
"I was in the library. Why do you ask?"
"Oh its nothing!" he said with a sweet smile. "It seems like...he really likes you a lot is all."
Eyrie looked at Hunny's sweetly sad expression. She chose not to comment.
How did he come to that conclusion. Yasuchika was polite to me but I didn't notice any signs of him being overly fond of me.
Hunny brightened. "Satoshi too huh Takashi?"
"Yeah." the big guy said. Eyrie used her right arm to hug her waist then placed her right index finger on her bottom lip. She looked at each host in turn. Suddenly she started pointing.
"Boy-Lolita. Stoic type. Cool type. Princely type. My, your club is more organized than I thought. You chose each man for his individual characteristics."
They all turned to her in surprise. She gazed of into the distance, now talking more to herself than them.
"Thats why your fans are more hostile towards me than the others Tamaki. Your character causes you to be more intimate with them. And of course every girl dreams of her prince charming so anything that they think is threatening that they will naturally lash out at." she mused not noticing the two stunned faces and two blank ones. "Huh. Fascinating."
Tamaki regained his composure and said, "Well they're loyal of course but I wouldn't go so far as to say hostile."
Eyrie and the other three all turned and looked at him with unreadable expressions.
Hes forgotten yesterday's incident already I suppose, Kyoya mused.
"Hunny-sempai. Mori-sempai. The break is almost over. You don't want to be late." Kyoya said while pushing up his glasses. Hunny gave him a cute smile and climbed on Mori's back.
"Are you coming to the club after school Eyr-chan? We can eat some cake!"
Eyrie looked at him with no expression. "I'm not sure."
The third years walked briskly through the halls of Ouran, trying to get to their classroom on time.
"Takashi?"
"Yeah?"
"I like her. She's nice. And she's cute! Don't you think?"
"...Yeah."
The rest of class leading up to lunch was a blur. Kyoya and Tamaki both noticed that Eyrie hadn't once opened her notebook to take notes.
"Miss Omorfie?"
"Yes ?"
"Will you have lunch with us today?" Tamaki bowed slightly. "You hurried away so quickly yesterday...we never got to ask."
Eyrie looked at him with a raised brow. She had planned on slipping into the library for lunch, like yesterday, but not because the idea of eating with them repulsed her. It just hadn't occurred to her that they might want her company especially considering how much trouble her presence had caused yesterday.
"Ah. Well. I...wouldn't want to impose." she said, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.
"Oh not at all! Princess would you grace us with your presence?" Tamaki asked while waving his arms elaborately.
Aaaand the one moment of seriousness is gone. I'm beginning to see why the twins pick on him.
Eyrie slipped on her expressionless mask and nodded. "Alright. Lead the way."
After getting their food they heard a cry of "BOSS!"
Eyrie looked over to find the twins waving them over to a table. The rest of the hosts were already seated and Hunny already had cake crumbs dotting his mouth. They went over and sat down in the three seats saved for them. The twins immediately pounced on Eyrie.
"So you showed up today. Is it because you realised the boss is just a harmless idiot?"
"Hey! Don't insult me in front of our guest!" Tamaki whined. "Mama! Hikaru and Kaoru are being mean!"
Eyrie turned to look at Kyoya with raised brows. He simply ignored her and rolled his eye, focusing on his food. She bit her lip to keep from smiling.
"So Eyrie why do you..."
"Wear that boys uniform?" the twins asked. Kyoya heaved a mental sigh.
No tact at all, he thought to himself. Eyrie's face remained unreadable as she leaned forward on the table and replied in a soft voice.
"Why does Haruhi?"
The twins and Tamaki all sat up straight, as if they had been electrocuted. Suddenly they were all gathered around Haruhi.
"Wow Haruhi you're looking extra manly today! Have you been working out?"
"You're so buff! You must go to the gym every day!"
"We should go to the gym together! Ya know! Manly bonding!"
Eyrie leaned back in her chair and watched as they poked and prodded Haruhi.
"Idiots." Kyoya said softly. Eyrie looked at him and bit her lip.
I can't disagree...
Suddenly Haruhi exploded and turned on them, giving them the third-degree. All three stood with their heads hanging looking dejected.
"So how'd you figure it out Eyr-chan?" Hunny asked around a mouthful of cake. She shrugged.
"First I saw it in the way she held herself but I wondered if it was just coincidence. Then I saw the way those three fawn over her and I became certain."
Tamaki suddenly stood practically nose to nose with her. "You wont out my daughter will you?! She has so much to live for!"
Eyrie looked at him with her nothing expression. "You act as if it's a matter of life and death. But no I will not 'out' your 'daughter'...Daddy."
She said the last part without looking at him and bit the corner of her lip to keep from smiling. Kyoya raised an eyebrow in her direction.
Three jokes in one day? My, my. Could it be she actually wants to be friends with us?
"Well anyway sitting with us isn't helping your popularity." the twins said, completely recovered from their little episode and back in their seats. "We usually don't let other people sit with us during lunch so we don't show favoritism."
Eyrie glanced around the room to find quite a few girls looking at her with murder in their eyes. Most of them were girls she recognized as Tamaki's customers. She gave a light smirk and touch her knuckle to her lips.
"This doesn't seem to bother you." Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up his face.
"Not at all." she said. "I've done nothing to them, they have done nothing to me, and besides that I have no interest in being their friend in the first place. Therefore I have a clean conscious and there is nothing for me to lose sleep over at night."
"What? Everybody needs friends!" Tamaki said, baffled by her way of thinking. Eyrie calmly sipped her tea then turned her unreadable eyes to him.
"I never said I didn't have any. But I firmly believe in making lasting friendships. Besides I can't see myself getting along with them. Our personalities are too different."
"And yet you seem as if you are enjoying our company on some level. And you seemed taken with Satoshi and Yasuchika." Kyoya said cooly. Eyrie's expression changed from that of nothing to a soft sadness.
"That's because...they would be disappointed...if I didn't at least try." she said softly, looking down at her lap.
"Wait are you trying to say you don't see any of us capable of lasting friendships?" Hikaru asked.
"How rude." Kaoru added.
"Well at first no I didn't. But then I saw the way you got along with Haruhi. It made me wonder if you all weren't as arrogant and proud as other rich people I know."
"How does our involvement with Haruhi..."
"...have anything to do with how arrogant and proud to perceive us?" the twins asked. The confused looks on the rest of the host club's faces showed that they didn't see the connection either. Eyrie kept her face blank and looked each of them in the eye, one by one.
"You lowered yourself enough to take the time to learn about Haruhi and ended up becoming friends with her based on what you learned. Do you know how many rich/poor friendships there would be if the rich simply let go of their pride and stopped thinking themselves as to important to go beyond niceties with a 'commoner'?" she watched as they made the connection.
"We are different! We are going to prove to you that we are worthy of a lasting friendship!" Tamaki cried, a determined look on his face.
"That isn't exactly what I..."
"Here! We can settle this with a game!" the twins suddenly pulled out two caps from their back pockets and twirled around each other. "If you can guess which one is Hikaru then you can disappoint boss by telling him you only want to be acquaintances. But if you can't you have to give us as much time as we need to become your friends!"
Eyrie turned to Kyoya who was writing something down in his black notebook. "Are they serious?"
"Quite. They seem determined as well." he replied without looking up. Eyrie turned back to the twins who grinned widely at her.
"Wellll?" they said.
"The one on the left is Hikaru." she replied immediately, her face the same nothing mask as before.
"Nope! You lose!" they laughed. She slid out of her seat and straightened her jacket. When she was finished she looked up at the twins and gave a slight smirk.
"Nice try but I have too much experience with twins to fall for that. I was right. I win."
With that she strode out of the cafeteria.
Waahhh! Why'd she have to guess right?! (Says the writer -_-...) So Tamaki, Kyoya, and Eyrie...the new second year trio? (the other trio being the first years, the twins and Haruhi) ERidg17, I totally do that too! I'll pick my favorite character and decide that they should be the one picked because they're perfect. But I'm trying not to do that with this story! I want whats best for my baby ;-;. As-The-Fire-Blazes, tell your laptop thank you for me! Its good appliances like that that keep people like me happy! PridePrejudiceandCake, Thanks so much! I look forward to the times you review! thythylove, this story...loves YOU. Lately I've been posting everyday and I'm hoping I can keep that up! Anyway, Thanks for reading!