Author's Guide: You MIGHT want to consider glancing over these phrases and stuff. Just a suggestion...

'Thoughts'

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The yellow taxi cab sped away, leaving a large plume of dust in its wake. The person it recently ferried coughed, waving the dust away from her face before sneezing. When the dust had settled, she turned around and stared in awe at her new high school.

Ouran High School.

To say it was 'beautiful' would have been a gross understatement.

The lawns were endless, perfect, and a healthy shade of green while tall trees were strategically dotted on the campus. The light pink buildings reminded the American transfer of a church or monastery, one of the older churches. There even was a pond with lily pads and a fountain. Beautiful definitely did not do the campus justice; the word didn't even begin to cover it.

'You've got to be freaking kidding me,' the freshman thought, 'this can't be a school! It looks like a medieval castle or palace!'

Thin, delicate golden gates only separated her from the utopia...and the horde of students gazing at her, the horde that had literally appeared out of nowhere. In the blink of an eye.

She didn't move because of her exhaustion from hours of flight and severe jet lag. 'Ugh, new-kid jitters!'

They didn't move because she hadn't. The two stared at each other, the wealthy Japanese students and the American freshman.

Conscious of the many eyes focused on her, the American realized how her attire differed from the sea of white undershirts, blue jackets, black ties, sable pants and shoes of the males and yellow dresses of the females. Her white sneakers felt passé and lumpy in comparison to the polished black Japanese ones. Her black baggy pants with chains dangling and many pockets felt all too baggy. The pale pink shirt which had seemed so cute earlier that day felt inappropriate for the setting.

It only got worse. She decided to forego make up, her black jacket was currently unzipped, and her pregnant-looking backpack…she wouldn't even go there.

Two identical students with brownish-orange hair and brown eyes strode up to the shut golden gates that warded the American from the Japanese people.

'Why did I come here again?' a part of her mind whispered in terror, the part that feared stage fright and people staring.

'I came to study and speak fluent Japanese,' muttered the less confident bookworm.

"Welcome to…Ouran High School," greeted the twins in unison with phony smiles, throwing open the gates. The American was in awe of the fluency in which they spoke their native language.

"A-Arigatou," she thanked them, scurrying nervously past them.

All this unwanted attention was eerie. One would think they'd never seen an American before...then again, maybe they hadn't. But they were rich, right? Hadn't any of them traveled to America before? What was the big deal?

One of the students in the front –a tall blond with purple eyes and a handsome body—stepped forward with a smile the teen could tell was soap opera dramatic. "Greetings, fair, wild American hime." He took her hand and kissed it, purple eyes focused on her astonished face. "My name is Tamaki and I am king of the Host Club here at Ouran, rare scholarship student. You have exotic tastes." Tamaki released her hand. "Am I to know your name, fair maiden?"

Mentally noting to avoid this 'Tamaki-san', the faintly unnerved American mumbled something unintelligible while staring at Tamaki's black polished shoes. "Hm? Would you care to repeat that again?" When Tamaki lifted her head, his face was awfully close to hers.

Geez, hadn't the Japanese ever heard of 'personal space'?

Rearing her head back, she automatically took a step back to distance herself from this young man who quickly advanced on her like a thief to a gem. "My name is-" The American stopped as everyone leaned in with anticipation and eagerness. "Good grief," she murmured to herself in her own language before saying louder in Japanese, "My name is Alexis."

A great cheer arose from the present student body. Alexis almost felt like a female Alexander the Great, but one that hadn't conquered anything. The private school, Ouran, was about pedigree, wealth, and wealthy people with too much free time. The only way for commoners or "poor people" to enroll was through scholarship like Alexis; Ouran only allowed one scholarship student per year. Apparently rich people were fascinated by those less fortunate as they, Alexis quickly discovered.

"Tamaki-san, why is everyone cheering?" Alexis whispered.

The blond smiled genially. "You are a hero, Alexis-chan!"

"A hero?" The female Alexander the Great feeling returned again, and she tried to imagine herself wearing the Greek hero's armor. Her imagination couldn't do it.

"You and Haruhi-kun" –Tamaki gestured toward a feminine-looking student with large doe brown eyes and equally brown hair wearing a male's uniform - "are the top students and yet are the poorest."

"That's because you rich people slack off," Alexis replied, rolling her eyes. "We commoners have to work our butts off to fulfill your star-high standards." A sweatdrop formed as she saw Tamaki huddled with his back turned to her and the twins began laughing.

"Th-that's not true…Is it Haruhi?" Tamaki gave the boy puppy eyes.

"It is," Haruhi responded flatly, sending Tamaki back to his depressed huddle.

Alexis smiled and shook the boy's hand enthusiastically. "Ouch, thank you."

Hold the phone.

'His hands…everything is too feminine about him, even his voice. Is this the Haruhi I was told about?' Alexis mused. "Would you happen to be Haruhi Fujioka?"

The effeminate student blinked. "You know me?"

"I do now," Alexis grinned. "I've decided, Haruhi-san, that I like you. Not in an affectionate way, mind you, but perhaps as a friend if you wouldn't mind."

"I don't," shrugged the cross-dressing female.

"Sweetness."

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Lunch had arrived and Alexis was nearly dead on her feet.

Possessions safely secured and locked in her 'exquisite' quarters, Alexis sat at the lunch table with her head down, eyes shut, unconcerned. The cafeteria was spacious. The tables were long and the benches were attached to the tables; the tables folded up in the middle. Every time she flew, jet lag was the result. It didn't help she hadn't slept in hours; Japan had about or a little over fourteen hours ahead of United States time.

Alexis had begun to drowse when a hand shook her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

'Daijobu something …' Her sleep-clouded mind grinded its wheels slowly, beginning to spin. 'That means 'are you alright?'

"Hai." The foreign language began to come back to her. "I just need some sleep, that's all."

"Why not go to bed?" suggested the familiar voice of Haruhi.

"Tempting, but this is the only way to adjust to this time zone. I'll just grin and bear it until I can go to sleep at the same time you guys do," Alexis murmured sleepily, stretching and rubbing her eyes before she fell asleep. Remembering to speak in a different language was difficult, especially with her feverish mind; Alexis swore half of what she had just said had been in Japanese before it switched to English.

"Oh, school gets out at three," Haruhi informed the transfer, whose lower eyelid twitched with irritation. The American was conscious enough to notice when the twins, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, sat down on either side of their cross-dressing friend. She gazed at them, wondering which was Hikaru or Kaoru.

"Why are Alexis's eyes bloodshot?" began one of them, frowning.

"And her expression so empty?" finished the other, his countenance mirroring his brother's.

"Sleeplessness," replied Haruhi, opening her packed lunch. At the sight and close proximity of food, Alexis's stomach lurched and she suddenly felt violently ill.

"Now her face is green!" exclaimed a twin excitedly.

"Eh?" Haruhi glanced in alarm at the American. "Are you ill? Do you need to go to the nurse?"

"Iie, jet lag," Alexis groaned, leaning her head on the table before protecting it with her arms. She recognized the word 'nurse' and that had been her only clue into what the three had been yammering about.

"Ouch," Hikaru or Kaoru said.

"Jet lag?" Haruhi repeated slowly, confused.

"When some people fly on airplanes, they get jet lag," explained one twin.

"Some don't get it, but those who do experience mild vertigo, exhaustion, and other problems," continued the other Hitachiin brother.

Alexis figured out Hikaru picked up on Koaru's explanation. "The reason is because Alexis's body is still in her time zone."

Haruhi blinked. "Nani?"

"Her mind knows it is day time and where she is, but her internal clock hasn't adjusted to Japan time yet because it is struggling to stay on American time," Kaoru informed. "By the way, how did you get your scholarship if Haruhi is first? Usually you would lose your scholarship."

"My father discussed that with the school board and they agreed that as long as Haruhi and I were first or second that we could keep our scholarships because there is no way we could tie for first. Even though I didn't know Haruhi, I didn't want her to get booted out of Ouran because of my selfishness," Alexis clarified, pinching her arm to remember the correct words in Japanese.

The three froze. "Her? Don't you mean 'him'?" Hikaru asked with a shaky laugh.

"Hai, manly Haruhi," Kaoru backed up his brother uneasily.

"Haruhi is a girl. The school board already told me her true gender," snorted the American.

"That makes sense," Haruhi said without much concern, munching on rice.

Kaoru leaned forward and whispered, "Just keep her gender a secret."

Hikaru mimicked Kaoru's leaning position. "There's a reason she is a host, but we don't feel like explaining it to you right now in the middle of the cafeteria."

"Ah," Alexis nodded, rubbing one of her eyes.

"You really shouldn't push yourself," Kaoru offered after the twins exchanged a glance. "Go to the nurse."

"Where is the nurse's office?" Alexis asked, propping up her head with her hand, and muttered in English, "I swear I'll never find my classes what with the campus being so dang big."

"It is in the basement," both twins answered at the same time, "of the north building at the innermost corridor."

"Uh…I can't tell directions," Alexis admitted sheepishly.

The doppelgangers pointed behind her. "That building."

"Arigatou."

The three Host Club members watched the American leave. Haruhi frowned at the twins. "The nurse's office isn't in the basement, guys."

"You are right, Haruhi," Kaoru smiled. "It isn't."

"But the Black Magic Clubroom is," Hikaru smirked as the brothers high-fived.

"Why did you two trick her?" Haruhi's eyebrows arched in surprise. 'The Black Magic Club has a clubroom?'

"This is her punishment for knowing your gender," the deceitful doppelgangers shrugged.

"You should not punish someone for being informed!" Haruhi objected. "Can you imagine Alexis's reaction to such creepy people?"

The Hitachiin brothers chuckled wickedly. "Hai."

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Translations for those who are con-fuzzled:

Arigatou- thank you

Hime- princess

Daijobu desu ka?- are you alright?

Hai- yes

Iie- no

Nani/nano- what?