The Scars Unseen (OHSHC)

Chapter 3- Downhill

As I slowly floated towards consciousness, the first thing I noticed was voices whispering above me.

"Takashi, is Ri-chan going to be okay?"

"Yeah"

"What did you guys do to her? She was just fine when we were together!

"What the heck happened to her I mean-"

"One second she was fine, and the next she was out."

"How could anyone pass out when Honey-senpai was being so sweet, my poor daughter must have been so scared!"

"Calm down everyone, it appears as though Miss Soretzu has had a minor panic attack then passed out, if we all stand back and give her room to breathe, she should be just fine."

Wait... They were talking about me? Why? I mean I'm perfectly okay, so what happened to make them worry so much? Oh wait. that's right, I passed out. I groaned and everyone gasped. As I opened my eyes, I saw the whole host club and Haruhi standing over me looking very concerned.

When I sat up, Honey cried, "Ri-chan are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Please come have cake with me, that always makes me feel better and I'm sure that that will help you too!" He was standing in front of me like I was a skittish animal who could bolt at any second. In fact, with the exception of Mori and Kyoya, they all looked very unsure about how to approach me.

"I'm okay, I promise. Though I might have to ask you for a rain check on the cake Honey-senpai." I said with a cough, "How long was I out for?"

"Only a few minutes," Haruhi said when none of the other guys answered, "Are you sure you're okay? What happened?" She moved closer, looking like she wanted to give me a hug and I flinched away, scared as always at the idea of her hugging me.

Before I had a chance to answer Kyoya jumped in, "That's enough Haruhi, give her some room to breathe. Though I would like some information on what just happened as well, Miss Soretzu. I looked at your medical records and they don't indicate any history of panic attacks, but when you woke up you showed no indication of surprise at what had happened, which leads me to believe that this isn't the first time something like this has happened." I sighed as he continued to stare at me from over his black notebook.

Of course there would be no indication of my "little problem," as my father liked to call it. He has always been so concerned with making sure that our family looked perfect to everyone around us, and when my mother and brother died, he got so much worse. It was around then that my panic attacks started, and he went to great lengths to ensure that there were no records of anything happening. Personally, I think that he is paranoid that if people find out about this and his other "habits," his reputation would be lost and he would be judged by the people he employed; which is basically death for him.

"You're right, I have had these before, but not often, and it's never severe enough to go to the hospital. " I said nervously, "I have a fear of being touched, and I'm pretty sure that's what causes it. " Kyoya looked ready to continue his interrogation when the blond "prince" decided that right then was a perfect time to give a dramatic monologue.

I jumped as Tamaki shouted out, "Oh my poor daughter, forever deprived of the joy of human contact! This is unacceptable! Everyone should be able to appreciate the hugs of the ones they love. My heart aches for you Risa, and seeing as how it is my mission to make all women happy, I have decided that we must help you! Men, we will now begin operation 'Help Risa like hugs,' which will begin immediately!"

The reaction of the host club was rather comical and very diverse. The twins stood straight and shouted out, "Yes sir!" while saluting Tamaki. Honey giggled and turned to Mori saying, "We get to help Ri-chan not be scared anymore? This will be fun; don't you think Takashi?" While Mori just nodded and said, "Yeah." Kyoya simply sighed and pushed up his glasses, scribbling something in his notebook while Haruhi just blinked rapidly, looking very confused.

As for me, well I was beyond lost. Obviously, Tamaki wanted to help me get over my fear, but why? What does he gain by doing this, and why in heavens name is everyone so excited? And there was also the factor that my father would kill me if he found out that other people knew about my panic attacks.  "Um, guys? I'm sorry, but you really don't have to help me with this, I've dealt with this for a while and I have it mostly under control."

Tamaki turned to me, looking scandalized that I would say something like that. "Nonsense princess, being able to hug someone is one of the greatest joys that life has to offer, so in order to fulfill the purpose of the host club, we will help you to learn how wonderful this simple thing is!" He smiled at me radiantly and swept into a low bow, holding a white rose.

'Where in the world did that come from?' I wondered as I hesitantly accepted the flower. Tamaki jumped back up and continued to plan this new operation with the other hosts as I looked at the time.  'Shoot, how did it get so late? Father would excuse me being a few minutes late coming home, but he hates anything out of place, so the longer I'm gone, the worse it will be for me when I get home.'  "Tamaki? I'm sorry for pulling you away from this, but I really have to go, my ride is waiting for me."

"Yes, and the Host club opens soon, so we really need to be getting into place." Kyoya said, also looking at the time as if it had personally offended him. "I'm afraid your plans will just have to wait until after the host club has closed for the day."

The boys obediently did as Kyoya asked and I stood up to slip out of the room, hoping to escape unnoticed, but the blasted shadow king once again ruined my plans. "Miss Soretzu, I will be getting in contact with you about what your role in the host club will be. You do, after all, owe us for that little accident with the vase."

"Kyoya, I will only say this once more, I will never join the host club. I could care less about your petty threats and coercion. Please understand that I am simply trying to keep any sanity I have left, and if I ever want to be admitted to an asylum, I will gladly accept your 'generous offer.'" With that I walked out of the door, not giving Kyoya any time to respond.

As I walked toward the entrance I pondered what had just happened. I showed more confidence than I had in ages, and it felt really good! There was just something about that group that made me feel at ease, which is something that I rarely felt since that day. Perhaps I could take Kyoya up on his offer; I mean, Father would be ecstatic if he knew that I was making friends with the sons of so many influential families. No matter what he did to me, I knew that he would always put his business first, which I could use to my advantage to escape the house more often.

When I exited the school, the family limo was there to pick me up. 'Always have to keep up appearances, don't we?'  Our family had never been extremely wealthy, but Father always wanted to make sure we came off as being 'first-class,' whatever that meant.

"Miss Risa, I'm glad you're finally here, your Father was concerned about where you were; he called several times, in fact. " The chauffeur opened the door for me with a sickly smile and I got in. He, like all the other people my Father employed, was fully in my Father's pocket. He never hesitated to rat me out to his boss, and he took pleasure in letting me know that he was doing it.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, I was studying for one of my classes and forgot the time." I replied as he slid into the front seat. The car ride home was silent as usual, and when we arrived, I got out and went inside where a maid was waiting for me.

"Your Father was asking for you ma'am, he is in his office and told me to send you up as soon as you arrived." She said with a small smile on her face.

I tried not to let it show, but when she said those words the blood began to drain from my face. I nodded, not trusting my voice and handed my bag to her. As I approached the door, I did my best to prepare myself for what I knew was coming, and with one final deep breath, I entered my Father's study.

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A/N Wow, 1,553 words? That is the longest chapter I have written! Next chapter should be out soon, so don't worry, although my next update will be an OC description. I realized I didn't do one of those, and thought it might be nice for you to be to know Risa a bit more! Let me know what you guys thought of the chapter, and Peace out!

-klypso01