Chapter 17: Party of Secrets - Part TWO
"Grandmother!" Tamaki said, walking up to greet her. She mumbled something, looked at him with an irritated glare, and walked past him. I raised one eyebrow a bit shocked at the scene.
'What was that all about? She just snubbed him, isn't she supposed to be his grandmother? I thought they were supposed to be more - affectionate - than that.' I thought, turning to Matthew.
"Why did she just do that?" I asked, but he didn't reply, which only confused me more.
"We'll wait for her to be seated at a table, then you'll sit with her and attempt at having a conversation," Matthew said.
I watched her quietly as she talked with a few of the others in the room. Eventually, she sat a table, and no one dared to sit with her, for her expression seemed sour. Matthew then escorted me towards her.
"Mrs. Suoh," he greeted, and she looked up.
"Why Mr. Billings, I didn't know you would be here this evening," she said half-way sounding delighted.
"I just got into town this morning, and I'm afraid I'll be leaving in two days," he replied.
"Oh, that's too bad. Perhaps we could have a chat when you're free," she said; he nodded. Then her eyes landed on me, and I saw a familiar hint of dislike in them, very close to the hatred my mother had for me.
"You must be Ayami," she said in a sneer.
"Yes, I am. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said, bowing to her very respectfully. She didn't seem impressed.
"Miss Ayami, why don't you sit here while I get you a drink, you must be tired," Matthew said. My new grandmother looked as if she could see through his scheme but said not a word.
"Only if it's alright with Mrs. Suoh," I said, and she gave me an interesting look.
"Suit yourself," she said, taking a sip of her drink. I took a seat, and Matthew left us. All was silent between us until she spoke again. "Why do you not speak? Is there nothing you wish to say to me?"
"Nothing comes to mind, nothing of any importance that is," I said, trying to keep a good sitting posture. "Is there anything you wish to say to me?" I asked, and she looked slightly interested.
"I do have a few questions," she said.
"Then please ask them; I can not answer any question until it is asked," I said. It was annoying to have to use such proper language, but it was necessary for this occasion.
"Why did you call me Mrs. Suoh just now? Are you not going to call me, grandmother?" she asked curiously.
"No," I said, and she looked even more curious.
"Do explain," she demanded.
"I would never assume that you would allow me to enter into your life, calling you a member of my own family when we have not known each other but a few minutes." I nearly bit my tongue trying to say that. I felt like I was speaking old English only in Japanese, but my instructor forces me to learn this proper speech for this type of conversation.
"Also, you did not address me as your granddaughter, so I would think that you do not wish for me to be such," I finished. She looked amused at my logic.
"You have an interesting thought process, and you are correct in your assumptions. I do not wish for you as my granddaughter," she said.
"Then we feel similarly about this," I said, and she pressed her eyebrows together, "I have never had a grandmother and am not particularly fond of the idea of gaining one who doesn't want me for a grandchild." She looked a bit surprised.
"Your wit impresses me; that someone of your background should have such proper speech and manners is also interesting," she stated with a tinge of spite in her words.
"Thank you," I said flatly even though the "someone of your background" part irritated me.
"So then, what are you hoping to accomplish here tonight?" she asked, and I looked at her, confused.
"I don't understand," I said, and she studied me.
"Surely you must have some ulterior motive," she said.
'What does she think, that I'm a gold-digging little brat? I wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for my father and his scheming or my mother and her scheming. Does she think I chose this? Like hell! I would almost rather live on the streets; almost.'
"I'm only doing what has been asked of me," I said coldly.
"And who asked you to do these things?"
"My father, your son," I said, and she looked very irritated but did not reply. She then took another sip of her drink.
"Please leave me, I have more important people to talk to, and you're keeping them from me," she said stiffly.
'More important people, seriously? What the hell is up with that? She thinks I'm less important than all these other people!'
"Of course, Mrs. Suoh. I'm sorry if I have upset you," I said, standing. "It was a pleasure," I said uncomfortably but bowing respectfully once more. She didn't say anything as I walked away from her; Matthew met me half-way to the drinks table.
"How did it go?" he asked, handing me a glass of punch.
"I think she hates me, and I feel about the same about her. Her attitude needs some work," I said, taking a swig of the punch. "Please tell me this is spiked," I said, and he looked at me, shocked.
"You're underage," he said, taken back.
"I don't care," I looked around the room, "I'm gonna talk up one of these older guys until one gets me a drink," I said, beginning to walk away, but he grabbed me by the arm.
"Don't do anything rash! Surely the conversation wasn't that bad," he said, and I tugged away from him.
"She's a pompous old hag who obviously wants nothing to do with me. She demands that we pay her respect yet shows no respect for others. She's rude and bitter, and I don't like her," I said, and he tried to calm me.
"Shh, please keep your voice down," he said, looking around to see if anyone was listening. I sighed and began walking away.
"Uh, Miss Ayami, where are you going," he said, following me.
"I'm going to the ladies room," I said, and he stopped following me
Once in the restroom, I flipped out, trying to let out my frustration and anger without breaking anything; I felt so annoyed.
'This is so stupid!' I thought, trying not to pull out my hair.
"Okay," I told myself looking in the mirror and taking a deep breath, "Calm down, you can't beat up an old lady, what would that look like? You're just going to have to deal with it, Ayami!" I commanded myself, but I was still bubbling inside.
"Errrr," I groaned, shaking my head.
After I brought my boil down to a simmer, I headed back out to the ballroom. I looked around for Haruhi and found her talking with some girls by the punch table. I hurriedly weaved my way through the crowd to her.
"Haruhi," I said, and she turned to me.
"Aya," she said, smiling, but her smile disappeared when she saw my frown.
"What is it?" she asked. I glanced at the girls.
"Could you give us some privacy?" I asked.
They looked at Haruhi, who nodded at them, and they reluctantly left.
"What happened?" Haruhi asked.
"You don't know?" I asked, "Didn't you see me talking with granny?"
"Well yes, but it looked like it went fine," she said as I got myself a cup of punch.
"Fine? She pisses me off," I said, and Haruhi sweatdropped.
"Oh is that so," Haruhi said, "I've never really had much interaction with her myself."
"Well, don't, she's a pill," I said, taking a drink of punch.
Haruhi watched me as I fumed.
"Do you want to dance?" she suddenly asked, putting her hand out to me. I looked at her and blinked, then I burst out laughing.
"Oh my gosh!" I said in between laughs. "You're not serious, are you?"
"You told me to save you a dance," she said, and I giggled some more.
"But I wasn't serious," I said with another laugh.
"Well, I am," she said, still offering me her hand.
"Okay, but this is going to be awkward," I said, placing down my cup and taking her hand. I was still snickering as we walked out on to the dance floor.
"You're right," she said as we started dancing.
"This is awkward; you're very tall." I was already about two inches taller than Haruhi, and my heels added another inch-and-a-half. I snickered some more.
"Told ya," I said, looking over Haruhi's head at several of the girls from the club, who watched us in jealousy. They brought the thought of another young girl from our school, who I had yet to see.
"Hey, where's Shiori?" I asked, searching the room.
"She's visiting her mother in France over the holidays," Haruhi said.
"Oh," I said, looking back down at her.
"So, who was that man you were dancing with before?" Haruhi asked.
"My dance instructor," I said, and Haruhi nodded her head.
"Well, he's done an excellent job, you're a wonderful dancer," she said. I jokingly stuck my tongue out at her, and she smiled.
We danced until the end of the song then ventured towards the table where Mori and Honey sat, eating cake, of course. Mori was staring at me funny, and it made me feel weird.
"Aya-chan! You're a great dancer," Honey complemented.
"Thank you," I said half-smiling.
"You want to try some of this cake!" Honey offered.
"No, thank you," I said, feeling more pain at how childlike and similar to my siblings he was. He shrugged and finished the last bite of his cake.
"Haru-chan," he said, bouncing out of his chair, "Let's go get some more cake!" Haruhi nodded.
"Hey Mori," Honey said, and Mori looked at him. "You should take Aya out for a dance!" he said with a grin, then he grabbed Haruhi by the arm, and they skipped off.
I looked after Honey surprised, and Mori seemed to be just as shocked. I glanced at him tilting my head down and blushed slightly. I stood in the same place, and Mori stayed sitting, both of us feeling awkward, as the currently playing song came to an end.
"You don't have to dance with me," I said, smiling. Mori was silent for a bit, then stood and bowed towards me.
"I would be honored to dance with you," he said, offering me his hand. I blushed a little bit more but took his hand.
Mori's point of view:
"Hey Mori, you should take Aya out for a dance!" Honey said with a grin, then he grabbed Haruhi by the arm, and they left. I looked at him, shocked, then looked at Ayami, who looked like she felt awkward. She then turned to me and blushed a lovely light pink hue.
"You don't have to dance with me," she said, smiling slightly. I looked into her eyes, the song that was playing ended, so I stood up and bowed.
"I would be honored to dance with you," I said; she blushed a little bit more but accepted my offer.
We walked out on to the dance floor, and the next song started; a slow dance. She looked a bit irritated at the musicians' choice but placed her hand in mine anyway. I was a little surprised that she could reach my shoulder even just barely. I placed my free hand on the small of her back, and she looked up at me expectantly.
I took us into a step, and she followed without misstepping. I continued into another step and another, keeping in time with the music and swaying in circular motions; she followed my lead with ease.
It was much more comfortable dancing with her than her friend from before. Her steps matched mine and, since she was taller than most other girls, her long legs accompanied mine well.
I found it very enjoyable dancing with her and stepped closer so that the movements would be more fluid. She did not protest when I drew her in or when and gave her a little spin. The pink blush never left her face though her expression seemed somewhat blank emotionally; her eyes never lingered far from my own. Of this, I was glad; she did not spend much time looking into the face of her other dance partners.
This was the moment that I realized what I had been doing. I was admiring her. I had been doing it for some time without even knowing it.
'Thinking of her as cute and enjoying the look of blush on her cheeks, getting lost in her eyes.' I thought this, and she looked at me curiously.
"Do I have something on my face?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"No," I replied.
"Then why do you keep staring at me?" she asked, blinking.
"You're wearing contacts," I replied, saying the first thing to come to my mind, and she looked lost. "I like them better than your glasses."
"Why?" she asked, "I think I look about the same either way."
"You have pretty eyes. I like being able to see them," I said, not thinking it through before saying it. She blinked a few times, and her blush grew. She looked away from my face, embarrassed, and I blushed a little myself.
I was going to apologize for it when she looked over my shoulder, and her expression changed dramatically; she glanced downwards, looking very distressed.
"What is it?" I asked. Our dancing slowed to a stop as the song ended. She stepped back from me and turned to walk off the dance floor.
"It's just... I'm nervous," she said, fiddling with her gloves.
"About what?" I asked, but she did not reply. Her expression was troubled, and I was both curious and worried about what it could be.
Ayami's point of view:
Embarrassed by Mori's comment, I looked over his shoulder at the stairs behind him, and my eyes met with my father's. I looked at him as he glanced at the microphone that was being set up on the landing of the staircase. Then he nodded at me, signaling the approaching doom.
I quickly looked down; Mori was confused.
"What is it?" he asked, and we slowed to a stop just as the song ended. I stepped back and didn't reply until after we were exiting the dance floor.
"It's just... I'm nervous," I said.
"About what?" he asked, concerned. I looked up at Haruhi, who was sitting with Honey at the same table again. I bit my lip and hurried to meet her.
She looked up at me curiously as we approached, then her expression turned into confusion and concern as she saw my worried look.
"What is it?" she asked, standing up.
"It's-" I started, but I was interrupted by Tamaki.
"Good evening, everyone, and Merry Christmas," Tamaki greeted into the mic, and everyone quieted, turning to him.
"Ah, Tamaki's already changed," Honey said.
Tamaki was wearing a Christmas red suit with a white shirt and a green and red striped tie.
"As have I," Kyoya said, stepping our way wearing the same ensemble.
"We'll go change in a bit," Haruhi said as Tamaki continued.
"I'd like to thank all of you for joining us for this party. It wouldn't be this fun without all of you here." He paused.
"I hope you all have enjoyed this event as much as us hosts, and I would like to thank you in my own way," he said, skipping down the stairs to a waiting grand piano. I felt a bit relieved that I had a little more time before my "introduction." I let out the breath I was holding, and Haruhi looked at me, confused, but I shook my head.
The lights dimmed all except for a spotlight on the piano. Tamaki placed his hands lightly on the keys and started playing. My jaw dropped in shock, and my eyes widened as his fingers danced over the keys.
It was a medley of seven different Christmas songs put into one song. They flowed together so well, and I found myself too shocked to stop staring.
'I would never have guessed... that he could play so well,' I thought, 'Didn't I at one time wonder if he played an instrument? But that was before I met him, and when I did meet him, it never occurred to me that a person like him could actually play.'
Eventually, I closed my eyes and listened to only the music.
Mori's point of view:
While Tamaki was playing, instead of watching him, I looked at Ayami; she was completely absorbed in his music.
Soon she closed her eyes, listening to it, and grinned slightly.
'I guess she does have feelings for Tamaki,' I thought painfully, for this meant that she probably did not like me.
I looked at her almost wishing I could forget how cute she was when she blushed, and stop liking her deep ocean blue eyes that held more emotions than you could think possible, and just live on without wanting to hold her or touch her hair, but all this almost. Almost because even though she may never like me in return, I would enjoy liking her for as long as I could.
As the music came to an end, she opened her eyes again. Everyone applauded Tamaki's performance.
Ayami's point of view:
'It's beautiful,' I thought with a slight grin, 'I guess I was wrong about him.' The music calmed me a bit, and I looked back up just as he finished playing.
Everybody applauded his phenomenal performance, and he stood and bowed.
He quickly walked back up the stairs and looked off to the side; I followed his eyes to my father.
They nodded at each other, and I knew.
"It's time," I said quietly, my nerves starting up again. I glanced at Haruhi, and she understood; her expression became serious. Mori and Honey, however, still looked very confused.
"Time for what?" Honey asked. I didn't answer and looked up at Tamaki as he grabbed the mic.
"Time for everything to change," I mumbled, and they were even more confused.
"Now, our exceptional host would like to say a few words. Please welcome, my father and your host, Yuzuru Suoh," Tamaki said this, everyone clapped, and I watched in horror as my father stepped up to the mic.
"Welcome, all of you!" he said, smiling. "I'd like to personally thank all of you for attending this event, and a big thank you to my son and his club for the wonderful job they did preparing all the food and entertainment." He said, smiling at Tamaki, who smiled back; people clapped again, mostly club attenders.
"Actually," he said, glancing my way, "I have a very special announcement to make." I felt my heart speeding up. I was very uneasy, even queasy feeling. 'I hope I don't get sick,' I thought as I looked down at my feet. I took several deep breaths, trying to calm myself.
"Ayami," my father said, and a spotlight landed on me. Those nearby turned towards me, Mori and Honey both looked equally shocked. I took another deep breath as I looked back up to face my father. He motioned for me to walk towards him.
'Keep a straight face,' I told myself.
"Would you please join me?" My father asked.
I swallowed as I started making my way through the crowd of people. They parted in front of me as I walked towards the stairs. Things seemed to go in slow motion, and I noticed several people turn to their neighbors and whisper, probably criticizing my father or me. I kept my eyes on my father, trying not to look into the eyes of the tall blonde who stood dumbfounded behind him.
'Stop looking at me so strangely,' I thought as I reached the stairs and walked up them as gracefully as I could manage in heels. My father put his hand out towards me, and I took it, looking into his eyes, begging him as best as I could without speaking. 'Lie, tell them I'm your niece or the daughter of a friend. Anything, please don't tell them the truth!' I pleaded mentally, but he did not respond to my telepathic cries. He smiled at me then turned back to the waiting crowd.
"This," he said, and I closed my eyes, fearful of their reaction, "is my daughter, Ayami Suoh."
Tamaki's point of view:
'I-' I thought, staring at the girl in the midnight blue gown.
"I have a sister," I stated in shock.
Mori's point of view:
Immediately, the room burst into murmurs and whispers.
"How disgraceful!" a lady near to us said.
"Yes, another bastard child," her neighbor added, "and to think she's so close in age to the first." Their ill-willed references to Ayami upset me, but I was frozen in place and could not do anything about them.
'I guess that makes my theory wrong,' I thought. I heard Honey drop his fork beside me, and it fell to the ground.
"Ayami," he said, shocked, "is Tamaki's sister!"
"Of course! How could you have not seen that?!" Kyoya said, reprimanding himself.
I did not look at either of them but watched as Ayami stood, eyes closed, next to her - father.
"I do hope you will take good care of her and treat her with kindness," Mr. Suoh said, then he turned to Ayami; she opened her eyes as he talked to her. She shook her head, her expression uneasy. He smiled and turned back to the crowd.
"Thank you all, again, for coming, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas," he said, putting the mic away.
Ayami's point of view:
"I do hope you will take good care of her and treat her with kindness," my father said, then he turned me. "Ayami," he said quietly, and I looked up at him, "Would you like to say a few words?" I shook my head profusely. He smiled and turned back to the crowd.
"Thank you all, again, for coming, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas," he said, putting the mic back on the stand.
The room buzzed with people's whispers.
I looked down to my right and saw Mrs. Suoh, my "grandmother." She looked pissed, livid in fact.
I quickly looked away from her, and my father spoke to me again.
"I would like to have that dance now," he said.
"M'kay," I said, nodding. He grinned and led me down the stairs. I was trying to keep calm on the outside, but on the inside, my heart was beating a mile a minute. Not to mention, I hated this.
'All these people, they're going to treat me differently now... all of them.' I thought, sadly.
Mori's point of view:
Mr. Suoh then turned to Ayami and asked her a question, to which she nodded, and they began walking down the stairs.
Ayami looked... dead, expressionless on the outside, but you could tell something was wrong. Her eyes looked sad, in fact, she looked almost as bad, if not as bad, as the day she said goodbye to her family.
The mutters and whispers grew louder as the father-daughter pair made their way on to the dance floor. Mr. Suoh then snapped his fingers, the music started, and they began dancing.
I didn't move from my position until the others started talking behind me.
"Did you know about this?" Kyoya asked Haruhi. I tilted my ear in their direction but still watched Ayami.
"Does it matter?" she replied.
"This is good, right?" Honey asked unsurely, but no one answered him. "Mori," Honey said, worriedly. I reluctantly turned back to him. "Are you alright? You look - upset," he said. I checked my expression and reconstituted myself.
"I'm not sure," I replied, looking back at Ayami.
They were the only two on the dance floor; no one else dared to join them. They finished their dance relatively quickly and when it was over...
"You're going to ask her to dance," I heard a man say, and I turned to look at him.
"What?" his son said, confused.
"That girl is the ticket to a lasting partnership with the Suoh family. You will dance with her and try your best to win her over." his father commanded. His son sighed in irritation but agreed.
It was appalling to me that Ayami was thought of as a tool to be used to get closer to her father and his company. I nearly expressed this frustration when Honey interrupted my thoughts.
"Look," he said, pointing at Ayami. She and her father stopped dancing, and Mrs. Suoh walked up to them. Mr. Suoh talked with her, then bowed and left with Mrs. Suoh, leaving Ayami alone at the edge of the dance floor.
She stood there for a short bit, looking at the random judgmental faces in the crowd, then three young men approached her. I looked at them all, irritated that they were treating her better now only because of her title.
Ayami's point of view:
"See that wasn't so bad," my father said as we danced.
"I guess so," I said indifferently.
"Cheer up. This means that you'll be recognized as a Suoh now," he said, smiling.
"Yeah," I said unenthusiastically. 'No. I'm not a Suoh... Who is Suoh? Not me. Never,' I thought painfully.
We danced to the music as everybody stared at us. Nobody joined us in dancing, and when the music stopped, the room grew deathly silent.
"Yuzuru," we heard a woman say, and we looked over to see Matthew and Mrs. Suoh, who still looked very angry.
"Yes, mother?" he said with a smile her expression became more irritated.
"We need to talk," she said.
"Of course," he said, then he turned to me. "This was a lovely dance. You are an excellent dancer," he said bowing.
"Thank you," I said. He stood back up straight and walked off with his mother; Matthew followed them.
I watched after them feeling very bare and defenseless.
I slowly glanced around the room; the faces seemed to blur into one big scowl from the adults and the look of astonishment from all the girls from the club.
I blinked a few times, took a deep breath, and started to walk off the dance floor when three men walked up to me.
"Would you like to dance?" the one who got to me first asked. I looked up at him, shocked.
"Sure," I said, blinking. He smiled, and we started dancing.
'I was right,' I thought as we danced, 'everybody is going to treat me differently now.'
Kyoya's point of view:
'How could I have been so blind?!' I thought, shaking my head at my stupidity and slowness.
"We had better go change," Haruhi said, walking off to the backrooms; Honey and Mori reluctantly followed her.
"Kyoya," I turned in the direction of who had called my name, already knowing who but not why. It was my father; he stood off a ways off with my brothers. I walked towards him.
"I want you to do something," he said when I reached him.
"Anything father, you know that you only need to ask," I replied, and he glanced at the dancing couple.
"I want you to get close to Miss Suoh, as you have with her brother," he said, then he turned to me. "Her value is high no matter her background, and the others here will soon take notice. Her title grants her with a unique quality, the possible heiress to the Suoh estate," he said, I knew where this was headed.
"Any man who marries her will be lucky indeed even if she does not become the heiress; she will still carry with her a great deal of importance. She will forever come with the security of a permanent business connection between her family and the family of whoever marries her. This stability is exactly what our family needs to keep our company and the Suoh's involved in business for the foreseeable future." I nodded understanding, but the thought of marrying the girl did not seem very appealing to me.
"I understand, father," I said.
"If you fail, it could scar our relationship with the Suoh's more than I would like; be careful." my father warned.
"I will," I said, and my father turned away, leaving with my brothers.
"You two," he said to my brothers as he left, "If it Kyoya's attempts show ineffective, then you will both have to take your turns."
"Of course, father," my elder brothers both agreed. The thought of having her for a sister-in-law was also not very appealing.
'But...' I thought, looking at her as she stopped dancing with one boy and began dancing with another. 'My father is right; she has a sizeable amount of value.' I walked towards the table, which held the drinks and waited for her to stop her dancing.
Eventually, she stopped, tired, and walked off the dance floor. I then grabbed two glasses of punch and headed her way.
'The best way to approach? Casual, she would not like any more men fawning over her.'
"Thirsty?" I asked, offering her a glass; she looked at me curiously and confused.
"Yes, thank you," she said, taking it from me. She stood next to me, and I decided to start a conversation.
"I must congratulate you," I said; she looked irritated.
"On what, being the illegitimate child of a rich man?" she said cynically. I grinned.
"No," I said, trying to decide on something else to say, then something came to mind. "On beating me. I would never have guessed that you were the daughter of the Chairman." She looked doubtingly at me.
"Truthfully, this is something you should be proud of; no one has ever been able to do this before," I said, taking a drink, but she still looked at me oddly.
"Thank you, I think," she said, sipping on her drink.
"Would you like to sit?" I asked, offering her a seat at a table nearby. She raised one eyebrow but followed me to the table and sat. I sat in a chair directly in front of her. She looked at me like she was trying to figure out what I was doing, and I smiled at her.
"Okay, I'll bite," she said, putting down her glass and crossing her arms; I tilted my head to the side.
"What do you want?" she asked, I laughed.
"Do I have to want something?" I said, smiling, "I am a host; this is my job."
"I know, but you've never looked at me twice until now," she said.
'She's smarter than people give her credit for,' I thought. We both sat quietly, then she sighed.
"I was right," she mumbled, looking into her drink.
"About what?" I asked, and she looked up at me.
"Everybody is going to treat me differently now," she said, and she stood up.
'So she doesn't want to be a Suoh,' I thought as I stood with her, and she handed me her glass.
"I don't want your flattery simply because you know who I'm related to now, Kyo," she said, annoyed, and she turned to leave.
'Well, she saw right through me. It looks like I'll have to go the long way around,' I thought as I watched her walk away.
"Figures you'd be the one to try and get on her good side," said the twins, who had apparently been spying on our little conversation, and I looked at them.
"I don't know what you mean," I said, feigning ignorance as I walked away.
Mori's point of view:
'I wonder what she's feeling right now,' I thought it over as I dressed. 'She looked upset. She's probably near her stress limit.'
"Takashi," Honey said.
"What?" I asked.
"Are you alright?" he asked. I looked at him, confused. "I know you already answered that earlier, but I'm really curious because," he said, pointing at my tie, "your tie is backward." I looked down at it, surprised. "Are you upset about Aya?" he asked.
"I guess so," I answered as I untied the tie and sat down in a chair.
"Takashi, do you like Aya?" he asked, and I looked up at him surprised. "I just ask because I know that you've talked with her before, and I catch you smiling when you stare at her sometimes. Then while you two were dancing, you looked really happy." I just sat there shocked that he had noticed all that.
"I think I do like her," I said, being honest; Honey smiled and patted me on the shoulder.
"I thought so," he said, grinning, "But why are you upset? Does Ayami's title and status really matter all that much?" I stared at him.
"I mean, we kind of already talked about this the day she lost her family. We weren't going to treat her any differently because of the change in her last name, even though we didn't know what it was at the time. Now we do, does that mean we should treat her like a stranger?" he asked this, and I saw that he made a lot of sense. "Of course not!" he said with a smile, "She's still our Ayami, the only thing that's changed about her is her last name." I smiled, realizing he was right.
"Your right," I said, putting my hand on his head. He smiled widely.
"Now, let's go out there and show her that she's still our friend," he said.
"Yeah," I said, putting my tie on; correctly this time.
Ayami's point of view:
After my little encounter with Kyoya, I went back to the bathroom and stayed there longer than I should have. When I exited, there was a small line, mostly girls from school. I blushed and tried to walk past them quickly, but they stopped me from escaping.
"Ayami, we had no idea!" one girl from my class said, stepping in my way.
"Uh," I said as another girl stepped forwards.
"Yeah, we would have never guessed," she said, "but when you were standing up there next to the chairman, the resemblance was obvious."
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah, you look a lot like your father," another girl said.
"Thanks, I guess," I said uncomfortably.
"So, does this mean you're going to come by the club more often?"
"Will you and Tamaki be coming to school together now?"
"Oh! Are you two going to be living together?" they all asked. When the last question was asked, and the girls gasped.
"Living. With. Tamaki." I stated. 'Day in and day out with HIM!' I thought, felt sickening. "If that happens, I think I'm going to die," I said, rubbing my head like I had a headache.
"I know, I could faint," one girl said, and they all giggled and chattered.
"I have to go," I said, dodging around them and rushing away.
I re-entered the party room and was going to get myself a big piece of cake and find a corner to eat it in when I saw a familiar-looking man walking my way. It was Mr. Ootori, Kyoya's father.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Suoh. I'm Yoshio Ootori," he said, greeting me with a plastered-on smile.
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Ootori," I said with a slight bow. I looked at him, awkwardly waiting.
"It seems you have caused a great deal of stirring. Many of the party guests have already left," he said, turning to look out at the room. He was right most of who was still around were guest of the host club or their parents.
"You said I caused this, but in fact this was all my father's doing," I said, he looked at me and laughed even faker than his smile.
"I suppose you right," he said with a sigh. "Well then I'd better get going, I have other things to do. I hope to speak with you again." He said, turning to leave, I bowed.
"En," I said, and he left. I blinked, confused at what had just happened, but put it in the back of my mind and headed for the cake table.
Just by chance, I glanced at the stairs where I saw Tamaki still standing in the same place. A few girls were standing around him, trying to talk with him, but he was frozen in shock.
'Should I do something? Nah, I don't care,' I thought as I grabbed the biggest slice of cake I could find. I started eating it as I watched the twins and Kyoya assemble on the stairs next to Tamaki.
"Aya-chan," Honey said, skipping to my side. I looked at him, expecting him to treat me differently than before, but he just hugged me like normal. I stared at him in disbelief as he smiled up at me. "Do you like the cake?" he asked, and I look from him up as Mori, who looked concerned.
"Yes," I said flatly. Honey just smiled and turned to look at Tamaki and the others.
"It looks like it's almost time for the big finish!" he said excitedly, looking up at Mori. Mori nodded at him then looked back at me. He looked like he was trying to determine my mood. I looked away from him and back to Honey.
"What big finish?" I asked, and Honey giggled.
"It's a secret," he said, sticking his finger over his mouth too cutely. "I'm gonna go see what they're doing," he said, then he skipped off towards the others. I watched him leave then looked back up at Mori, who still looked concerned.
"Are you alright?" he asked, looking very serious. I shrugged.
"I've been better," I said, poking at my cake.
"How are you feeling?" he asked curiously.
"I don't know," I said irritated. He watched me intently as I ate a bite of my cake.
"You don't have to worry, you know," he said, and I looked up at him. "We don't care whether you're a Sohma or a Suoh," he said, looking into my eyes. "You're still the same person," he finished. I blinked a few times then blushed.
"Thank you," I mumbled, feeling a bit moved, "but I didn't expect everything to be the same." He stayed quiet for a bit.
"I-" he started, then stopped. I looked up at him curiously.
"What?" I asked.
"I need to go join the others," he said, but his expression made me think there was something else he wanted to talk about.
"Okay," I said nodding. He paused a bit before turning and walking off.
Just after he had left, my dad came out from his talk with his mother.
"How'd it go?" I asked as he stood beside me.
"I think it went over pretty well," he said, smiling. I looked at him doubtfully. "It appears many of our guests have decided to leave," he said, sounding disappointed.
"Not my fault, you did it," I said, shoving a large piece of cake in my mouth.
"Perhaps so," he said, grinning as he joined me in a slice of cake.
"Where's Matthew?" I asked, looking for him around the room.
"He left, and so did your grandmother," he said. I nodded and stared at the hosts as Kyoya stepped up to the mic, for Tamaki was still in shock.
"Well, it's almost time for this evening to end," Kyoya said into the mic, "but, before you all go, there is one last thing we have to do."
Then the twins spoke into another pair of microphones. "The Mistletoe Kiss!" they exclaimed together, and the girls all squealed.
"Was this your idea?" I asked my father.
"Nope, it was Tamaki's," he said with a smile.
"Each girl's name was written on a piece of paper and put in this bag," Kyoya said, and next to him, there was suddenly a large Santa bag. "We will draw one name from this bag randomly, and that girl will receive a kiss from the Host King, Tamaki," he said, and I think I saw some girls swoon. "Haruhi, would you do the honors?" he asked her, she nodded and stepped forward and pulled out a slip of paper.
"Let's see," she said as she unfolded it. She looked at it and froze.
"Who is it?" the twins asked, looking over her shoulders, and they did the same. Honey then wiggled his way in.
"Ah!" Honey exclaimed, "It says Ayami Suoh!"
"Eh," I said, and I dropped my cake. "EH!"
All the girls in the room screamed as I stood there mouth hanging wide open my face covered in blush. Tamaki snapped out of his coma then he looked at me when another spotlight hit me.
"Well, would you look at that," my father said seemingly innocent. I now suspected him to be the culprit.
"YOU..." I said, turning on him. "You did this!" I shouted.
"I may have slipped a piece of paper in there with your name on it," he said, "Maybe a couple hundred or so."
"A couple hundred?!" I shouted.
"You'd better get up there before you're dragged," he said, pointing at the crowd. I looked at all the other girls who all looked like they were about to attack me.
Mori's point of view:
Ayami looked embarrassed as she stiffly walked towards the stairs.
Tamaki stepped forwards standing under the mistletoe that dropped from the ceiling.
She quickly hurried up the stairs and stood next to Tamaki.
"I-" he started, but she interrupted him by putting up her hand, pointer finger up, to his face.
"One. One peck, on the cheek," she said sternly. "Try anything else, and I will send you to an early grave." Her threats amused me. Tamaki nodded, and she crossed her arms and turned her head to the side, waiting. The found the amount of blush on her cheeks was surprisingly adorable.
"I'm honored," Tamaki said, and he smiled as he leaned in. He placed his lips on her cheek lightly, and the girls shouted in joy.
"How sweet!" they screamed.
"Alright," Ayami said, pushing him off. "There you've had your fun. Now I'm going home." She turned toward the door and began walking away.
"Uh wait," Tamaki said with a pause. "Little sister!"
Ayami froze solid on the stairs.
"Ah! NO!" Haruhi gasped, putting her hand over her face. Tamaki looked at her confused then back at Ayami.
Ayami's had her hands clenched into fists, and she was shaking.
"Don't - you - dare - call me that," she said. Then she turned around quickly, her face more angry and livid than any of us had ever seen. "Don't you dare call me that! Only one person gets to call me that, and you're not him! Do you understand?! Don't you dare ever call me that again!" she shouted at him harshly.
The room had fallen silent, and she stood there glowering down at Tamaki, who was shocked beyond words; we all were. Her breathing was ridged, and her eyes looked like they were tearing up. I stepped towards her instinctively, and she turned around quickly, practically running from the room.
After the doors shut, the room filled with whispers.
"Oh my," one girl said.
"That was strange," another said.
Tamaki stood speechless, staring at the doors.
"I'm sorry, Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi said, and the rest of us looked at her. "I should have warned you about that," she said, shaking her head. "Remember what I said about Ayami's brother? Well, I remember one time when a kid called her that as a joke and she beat him so bad, he had to go the ER for the broken bones," she explained.
Tamaki stood still looking after her, and so did I.
'I want to run after her and comfort her, but I know she will only push me away in the state she's in right now,' I thought as I stared at the doors.
Ayami's point of view:
I threw myself into the car; Chris didn't even have a chance to get out.
"Miss Ayami?" he said, shocked.
"Drive," I commanded.
"Uh," he said, still unsure.
"Just drive!" I shouted at him.
"Yes, miss," he said, and he started up the car.
I pressed the button for the little divider screen, and it went up. I then threw my face in the seat next to me tears running down my cheeks.
'He is not my brother! HE IS NOT MY BROTHER!'
Aya! Do you need a hug?!
~Please review and thank you for reading~
~MiraCarpathia