A Twin's Love

Chapter 10-- Jenna

Rounding the corner, I ran into the closest open classroom. I held my hand against my pounding chest and tried to regain my breath. Leaning against the wall, I hid away as Karou's running steps echoed through the hall. My heart throbbed at the sound of his almost desperate call for me. What have I done? I ran away again! What's he going to think of me now?

I waited until his footsteps disappeared, then finally emerged from the classroom. I knew that I shouldn't try to avoid him again, and that I shouldn't have just run away like that. But I didn't know what else to do! I've never fallen for anyone before, so I have no idea what I should do. Sure, I've read a lot of books about similar things happening, but I still just don't know how to do it myself. I can't just confess my feelings for him- the words get caught in my throat and I can barely speak, let alone breathe.

"Hey, is that her?"

"Yeah, it's her alright."

"No way!"

It suddenly occurred to me that I wasn't alone in the hallway, and there were whispering voices swirling through the air. Sure enough, I recognized some Host Club clients watching me. I sighed to myself before turning to face them.

"If you have something to say, then let's hear it." I demanded aloud. Suddenly, a few girls gathered around me, and started calling me names, all speaking at once. I could only make out a couple of phrases, but I gathered that they were accusing me of stealing Karou from them and the club.

After about five minutes of listening to their ridiculous claims and annoying insults, I tried to explain myself calmly. "Look, there's nothing between me and Hitachiin. He's just an old friend asking me to do a favor for the Host Club. If you're going to keep harassing a friend of a host, do so at your own risk. If I recall correctly, they said you'd no longer be welcome if they find out what you're doing."

Suddenly, their glares became more intense, and my heart stopped in fear. Oh no! They look like they're about to kill me, I know it!

It's been three weeks since Emma publicly asked Karou if he was in love with me. Since then, I learned that even in high-class academy schools, there are bullies. In the girls' restrooms, my hair would be pulled on, and water would be splashed onto my dress. The hallways were turned into an obstacle course as others tripped and pushed me around. I stopped eating in the cafeteria after food was "accidentally" spilled on me a couple of times.

Can't say that I didn't see this coming when Karou and I started hanging out. I tried keeping my head down and reduced my run-ins with the Hitachiin, but I couldn't completely avoid him without causing concern. He still asks me if I want to go out, and I find myself making up excuses not to go.

"You can't reject him forever, Jen," my sister pointed out after I explained my new bruises once I came home. "You can't let what others think or say control what you do in your life."

"I'm fine, really."

"That cut on your forehead says otherwise." Emma pointed at my forehead, handing me a small mirror. Looking at my reflection, I found a red, barely bleeding line close to my hairline. Wow! Someone pushed me hard enough today; they actually managed to draw blood when I hit a wall.

"It's nothing. I can take care of myself."

I was about to go down the hall to my bedroom when our butler, Shinichi, cleared his throat. "Pardon, young mistresses, but this young man insisted on seeing you immediately."

I looked over the older man's shoulder to meet a pair of brown eyes. "Haruhi? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you needed any help with the latest costumes. I had some free time, and just thought that I'd help out." The classmate explained politely.

"Oh. That's very kind of you, but we've already finished them. I was going to bring them to you all tomorrow."

"I see. Well, as long as I'm here, I can take them off your hands."

"Sure. Thanks." I led Haruhi into our sewing room and started grabbing the costumes in their garment bags.

"Now that we're alone, I guess I can tell you the truth," Haruhi said after a minute. "I actually came here to check on you, on behalf of Karou. He wanted to come himself, but asked me to, since he respects that you don't really want to see him."

"Oh. Okay." My heart wrenched in my chest. I wanted to see Karou, but I also knew that we couldn't be seen together so frequently. So, he sort of understands. . . "Well, can you please reassure him that I'm doing fine, and that I have no intention to go on a date with him at this time."

"Sure. Hang on, I never said anything about a date."

"I know, but he did. He's been asking me if I wanted to go out with him sometime, but I have say no," I turned around to face my classmate as I continued. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but none of the club members have had a serious relationship with anyone before. And the Hitachiin twins are popular by request for the 'Loving Brothers' package. Should one try to separate the pair, it could cause a lot of trouble for and/or from your clients. And in the end, it could be bad business for the Host Club."

Haruhi stared in confusion for a moment, then began to speak sincerely. "I don't know all that much about the Host Club's business or reputation, but I do know that it's always our job to make our guests happy. And when it comes to it, we should put ourselves before others. I've never seen Karou so happy since he met you. I'm pretty sure you already know this, but he's only ever cared about himself and his brother, until they joined the Host Club and came out of their shells. But even after that, he didn't really care about girls. He was only ever concerned about the other members."

A smile crept onto my classmate's face. "Karou is really happy to have you in his life, and I would definitely say that he's fallen for you. Maybe I'm out of line here, but I think you should at least tell him what's going on. And if you're ever worried about someone coming after you, the Host Club will personally look out for you. It's what we do."

I chewed on my bottom lip thoughtfully. "I just don't want to cause any trouble. And I can handle my own problems by myself."

"It never hurts to ask for help when you come across something you can't do alone, though. And trust me, I know it's not easy to ask for help after doing everything by yourself."

"I suppose. . . Thank you for your concern. I will consider your advice."

"Of course. Just remember, you're always welcome at the Host Club."

Haruhi gathered the costumes I made and began walking away. "Thank you, Haruhi." I said softly.

"Anytime."

***************************************************************** So, school is coming up soon! I'm going to have to manage my time a little, but I promise to try and post a new chapter each week. What do you think should happen next? Seriously, I'm open to whatever your thoughts are. Thank you for reading!