Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year

Author's Notes: HOOOOOLY COOOOOW :moo: It's been longer than I wanted since I updated this. As a fair warning, it's kind of sketchy, and not everything is in full detail, because there will be scenes where it will have more importance later.

I belive I said in the last chapter that this one would be a little more about Ayame and Kerianne's relationship as daughter and mother. I like how it came out a lot. But we'll see.

As always, reviews are always welcome. Flames will get you no where but an early grave.

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"How was your first day at the Ouran Academy?" My mother, Kerianne Zendnao sat at the kitchen table and gulped on her American Pop, Mountain Dew. Her lips were curled into a smirk, and her eyes glinted of questions.

I returned the same look. "It's everything I hate and I love it anyway." I said in the most annoyingly cute voice I could muster without laughing at my mother's reaction. She stood from the miniature table to embrace me, which I recieved lovingly.

"What about you?" I asked. "How was the first meeting at the hospital?"

"The Ohtori family head is a very powerful, straight-business man. I daresay he was intimidating." Kerianne replied.

I saw her face change as she stepped away from me, going to the oven to check on dinner.

"Mom?"

She turned to face me, now with a smile on her replacing the earlier blank look.

"How was the Host Club?" Mom couldn't hold back the giggle in her tone, and I couldn't refrain from rolling my eyes.

"If you must know, Mother, it was the most ridiculous experience to ever have to live through."

III

"Hikaru!"

He had turned in the nick of time to catch the other boy in his arms, lifting him to meet his eyes and caressing his face.

"Kaoru, love, what's wrong?"

Kaoru pouted cutely. "I turned and you were gone. I thought I might have done something to offend you..."

Hikaru kissed his temple. Their clients sqeauled in pleasure and delight. The other Host Club members rolled their eyes, if they paid any mind at all.

I found myself so obnoxiously aroused that if I hadn't been keeping my attention on Hunny, I would have been sure to be doing unmentionable things to myself in the nearest ladies room. To play it off, I took a sip of tea, which, by the way, was disgusting. I don't get how people can drink that crap, and offered another plate of sweets to Hunny as I conversed lightly with Takashi.

"Why do you let them call you Mori? Doesn't it bother you?"

Takashi shook his head. "I only let people I find myself drawn to call me by my first name."

This had taken me aback. "And you find yourself drawn to me?"

All he offered was a tilt of his head before Hunny rambled on about cute things and I was subjected to more entertainment from the twins.

III

"Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin?" my mother asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "Their mother is a fashion designer. Real famous supposedly. I'm not sure what their father does for a living."

My mother smiled. "Seems like you know a lot about them already,"

"I suppose I do." I replied. "Thanks to Kyouya's letters, I know more about them than they ever wanted me to know." I smiled a bit sadisticly when I remembered Haruhi's true gender.

"Sounds like you had a good day though," my mother broke into my thoughts and brought me back to the modernly designed black and white kitchen where dinner was starting to smell like eggplant parmasan, "And you thought it was going to be some 'tight-assed preps'". She quoted what I had said when we went on the tour of the school.

I gave her a small smile and shrugged. "Guess I was wrong. There's a first time for everything." I started walking up the spiral staircase to where all the bed and bathrooms lie. "I'm going to change out of this hideous thing," I picked at the yellow dress with disgust. "Call me when dinner's ready?" My mother nodded and kissed my forehead before I bounded up the circle of freedom to my bedroom.

From the stairs, take a quick left to face the east wing. Don't go west, because my mother's room, office, and studio are there. Staying on the east side, go passed the first set of doors, as they lead to my guest bathroom and my music studio, and skip to the second door on the right at the end of the hallway. Make sure to pass the one on the left, because that's my 'I'm having a party and it's going to be loud and obnoxious' room, complete with game systems, two huge televisions, and a mini bar that includes a little kitchenette.

Open the door on the right at the end of the hallway to reveal my room, covered from head to toe in a numerous array of anime, bands, both japanese and american alike, and video games. Decorated in mostly black, each wall was a different part of me. The anime wall was currently featuring Tsubasa RESVERoir Chronicle, surrounding it were other animes and picture of previous cosplay and conventions. That's on the wall the doorframe is carved into. To the wall with my bed and my personal bathroom attactched, was my music side. Conveyed through a series of VS-like displays, the center was of Kinya Kotani and Adam Levine, the front man for Maroon 5. My bed spread is that of a tie-dyed rainbow, with stuffed animals to match. The far wall was my video game wall, showcasing the Final Fantasy timeline. I took me forever to complete it, but finally it's been done, and it's a very proud work of art. The wall is split in half by a doorframe, a sliding glass door to a balcony that floated above the massive pool in the lushious backyard. Finally, the final wall is my wall, respectively called 'The Graffiti Wall'. Painted black, metallic sharpies covered a small portion of the space with small drawings, poetry, and quotes. There's a lot to fill, but I'm sure I can manage.

I set my belongings on the floor next to the door, sitting myself at a small chestnut vanity to the left. I look at myself deeply. This experience was going to be long. Long, but temporary, only until my mother's unit was completely esablished and things had run smoothly for a time.

And I had no clue how much time I would have here.

Going into this, I told myself I wouldn't get attatched, that I would just be a free spirit.

I took the lavender wig off carefully, setting it among the rainbow assortment I had collected and brushed out my strawberry gold hair, watching it fall dully to the end of my chin.

The vibration of my ohone had scared me so much that I knocked over the chair I had been sitting in. I rushed to pick it up and missed it, the annoyling little ding telling me so.

I flipped it open to see that Hikaru had called and left a voicemail.

"AYAME!! Umph! Kaoru, what the heck? Ahh!"

"Hi Ayame, this is Kaoru Hitachiin. I'm calling to invite you and your mother to our house for dinner Friday evening. Our mother will be in contact with yours in a short while."

"Bye Ayame!!"

I couldn't help but giggle as I rolled my eyes. Dinner? With the twins? AND my mother? Call me crazy, but that's a little much, isn't it?

Of course, I didn't have time to ponder this thought. Dinner was served.