"What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?" George Eliot, Middlemarch

"To make war all you need is intelligence. But to win you need talent and material." Ernest Hemingway, For whom the Bell Tolls

Chapter 2

"I really hope that you aren't planning to look like that every day because you will stick out like a sore thumb!" Mei scolded when she opened the door and saw the coke bottle glasses and unkempt hair.

"What does it matter?" Haruhi defended as she stepped in the apartment. "I'm supposed to look like a boy and boys don't care what they look like."

Haruhi was secretly enjoying the nonchalance that she attributed to the male gender. It was a lot easier to let your hair dry when it only met your ears rather than past your shoulders where it would get tangled. It was with a manic curiosity that she held the sharp scissors to her long hair and snipped.

Her father cried when he saw her and collapsed onto the floor of the bathroom. She justified it to him by saying that a child put gum in hair. It did not appease Ryoji but she patted him on the head and kept walking.

"Have you ever met a guy?" Mei groaned dramatically before cleaning up the mess which was her hair. "I stole some uniforms from my brother and tailored them to fit you. I also googled how to bind your chest but I forgot you have nothing to hide."

She knew she should be offended but it was the truth.

"Be careful not to draw the attention of my brother since you'll be riding the same train," Mei told her while buttoning the light blue jacket. She stepped back and whistled appreciatively. "You're a cute boy."

"Thanks," Haruhi answered hesitantly.

She barely had time to grab her back pack before Mei was pushing her out the door and telling her she had a long train ride.

Haruhi finally understood why Kiyoshi was able to write so much in his notebook on the way to and from school. She began reading his diary-oops journal-when she caught his eyes above the rim.

Mei's whole plan was being undetectable.

Nothing about Haruhi was exceptional. She was short, with brown hair and brown eyes. She would fade into the background. She could watch Kyoshi from a far and see him interact with his peers. Haruhi would take notes and report back to Mei. The plan was simple.

Haruhi liked the plan because she didn't have to do much. To any self-proclaimed lackadaisical student like herself, it sounded like heaven.

She did not account for brightness of the Ouran uniform.

He was sitting down the compartment, his eyes still trained on her. He looked a lot better than she remembered. His cast was off and was replaced with a boot. His face wasn't scratched and he wasn't heavily medicated.

Haruhi stuck out in the muted gray business suits of the morning especially to the other student in the same outfit. She shut it before she could be any more obvious and shoved it back into her bag. She tried to mold herself into the seat and disappear.

She waited until the last possible second before getting off the train.

Haruhi realized this was a bad plan too late when she had to walk slowly to stay behind a kid with a boot. Gathering her courage, she speed past him and looked the other way.

Even though she had seen the school before, it still took her breath away.

The building was imposing and it loomed over her. It made her feel insignificant and lost, almost like a child.

"Do you need help?" A male wearing the Ouran uniform asked slowly. He was attempting to look helpful but he could not mask the disdain in his tone.

"Um no," Haruhi exclaimed, before scurrying toward her first class.

Haruhi forgot what it was like to be new so she was surprised when the teacher called her up to front.

"Would you like to introduce yourself to the class?" The teacher, Mr. Itou, asked.

Refusing to would be a bad way to start the school year so Haruhi trudged her way up to the front.

"There's not really much to say." She said unenthusiastically. "Besides that I'm a scholarship student."

After a few uncomfortable seconds Mr. Itou graciously allowed the new student to sit down. The damage was already done. Whispers enveloped the class before she plopped down unceremoniously in her seat.

The whispers followed her in the hallway. They were apparent in the bathroom where she had walked in and walked back out. She decided that a bladder infection would be well worth avoiding the urinals.

The constant attention would have affected lesser students but Haruhi barely noticed it.

She was perfectly fine sitting alone at an empty table and pulling out her lunch. She had settled in and pulled out one of her books from her morning class when she was interrupted.

A throat cleared in front of her.

She turned the page, engrossed in the text.

The throat cleared itself again.

Haruhi took a bite out of her lunch, her eyes never straying.

Two hands slapped down on the table in front of her and she jumped.

A tall male stood in front of her. He ran a hand through his blond hair and he smiled impressively. His violet eyes sparkled as he announced loudly, "Welcome to Ouran Academy scholarship student!"

If Haruhi cared about looks then the vision of the beautiful man in front of her might have been remarkable. She didn't, therefore it wasn't. In fact, it was downright annoying especially if one included his statement. Could she be anymore ostracized? She could literally feel the eyes of the entire cafeteria.

Her eyes slid back to her book, dismissing him without a response.

Tamaki slumped over and shuffled back to his table. He looked over his shoulder at the impassive new student and bit back a cry. He only let it out when he was back at the table.

"I told you not to go over there," Kyoya scolded before turning his attention to the folder in his hands.

"It's okay Tama," Honey handed him a piece of cake while patting his back soothingly. "Eat this; it'll make you feel better!"

"He hates me!" He whined as he pushed the cake away, too upset to eat.

"Maybe if you didn't insist on introducing yourself to every new student," Hikaru goaded.

Tamaki puffed his chest up. "As president of the Welcome committee it is my duty-"

Karou cut him off. "There is no organization like that."

Hikaru put his hand up and said as an aside. "It's more like Tamaki is desperate to make new friends committee."

Karou nodded his head solemnly. "It's sad that he's the only member."

The twins began snickering loudly.

Haruhi glanced at a particularly boisterous table and saw the blond jerk from before sitting there. He was surrounded by laughing friends.

He perked up as he caught her eye but wilted as she blatantly glared. Damn rich people having a joke at the expense of the scholarship student.

She glanced at her watch before packing her stuff up and leaving the cafeteria, the snickers following her out. She was a bit early for her next class but decided that it would make a good impression on her teacher. She had opened the heavy oak door when she caught Kiyoshi's eye.

Unprepared to be alone with him in the classroom, Haruhi jumped back and the let the door shut. She decided that the ten minutes before the end of lunch could be spent in the library and began turning around when she slammed into something.

Her books clattered to the floor and she looked up to the culprit.

It was him!

Haruhi could barely contain the urge to scream in frustration. "Are you harassing me?" She burst out. Maybe Mei was right…

His face turned red as he bent down and struggled to gather her books. He opened his mouth to apologize profusely when she grabbed the books from him and bent down to get the rest.

She paused before standing up and met his beautiful violet eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"D-doing what?" He sputtered, confused at the proximity and the question.

Haruhi huffed. "Just leave me alone."

She left him on his knees and hurried to the library. She hoped she would be able to remember the way from the tour but didn't dare to stop and ask for directions lest she get into more tiffs.

Tamaki just stared after him still unsure of what transpired.

Maybe it was wrong to follow him out of the cafeteria.

He thought that maybe if he could approach him without an audience and explain that he was the headmaster's son and took it as his obligation to welcome any newcomers. He did not mean to harm or embarrass him in any way.

It was understandable that the scholarship student was intimidated into silence. He was, after all, a very striking vision. His light hair color was extremely agreeable with the blue jacket. He was tall especially compared to the scholarship student.

He was surprised at how small he was.

He had gotten up to follow him as soon as the doors shut. He ignored his friends' questions and darted after the tiny figure. Sure, he was taller than Honey but most people were. Maybe it was because he knew what Honey could do that made him seem taller than four foot nine.

The scholarship student seemed much more fragile.

He was excited when his father told him of another scholarship student over summer break.

Tamaki envisioned their initial meeting quite different.

At first, he was upset because he wasn't in his grade. Tamaki didn't think it was fair for the 10th grade class to get two scholarship students. Were the only smart commoners in that grade?

But Tamaki bounced back and anticipated a grand lunch meeting. He imagined they would be instant best friends and he would fit seamlessly into his group. He had his cook make an extra special meal so he could bring it for his new friend on his first day. He only told Kyoya his plan because he feared ridicule from the twins. Kyoya told him he was ridiculous.

As Tamaki kneeled dumfounded in the hallway and surrounded by milling students, he realized that Kyoya was always right no matter how much he wished he was not.

"We have to get to class."

Tamaki looked over his shoulder to see Kyoya.

"We'll be late if you do not stop this insipid moping." Though his words were harsh, Kyoya bent over to grab the discarded lunch.

"You're right," Tamaki finally muttered. He stood up and joined the moving crowd.

"You'll try again won't you?" Kyoya asked Tamaki.

Tamaki did not answer until they had reached their seats.

"Yes," He announced with grim determination before turning the page to the one written on the board.

The ten minutes was almost up when Haruhi reached the library and she was forced to turn around and head for class. She reached her classroom a few minutes after the lesson had begun. All eyes were on her as she was reprimanded but she only noticed one pair.

It was the first day and already she had broken the only rule.

How was she going to survive seven more months?