Rejected // H.F. ✔

CH. 1// Never Again

"Is that Maria?!"

"She's back from America!"

"Do you think she remembers me?"

    The once familiar school now felt so foreign to me. I grew up here, from commoner to certified aristocracy. The school was still as big and pink as I remembered, and the uniforms were still a monstrosity - which is why I will be out of dress code for the whole year. The last memory of when I was here still played clearly in my mind, reminding me of why it took so long for me to come back.

    Today is the day. I'll confess to Kaoru before I leave for America, and everything will be okay. The note was placed on his desk and I ran off to the courtyard to wait for him to find it. I just hope he returns my feelings. . .

"Hey, you're the one who wrote the note?"

I turned around to look at Hikaru, his only slightly deeper voice telling me the difference. He held the note I wrote between two fingers so causally, like it meant nothing.

"Um, yes but t-that was for Kaoru," I said nervously. Wait, what if this is Kaoru? Oh no, can I really tell the difference? He'll be mad if I'm wrong.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru likes someone else."

Kaoru likes someone else.

The words replayed in my mind over and over as I let my bangs shadow my teary eyes. My heart panged with hurt, but I tried my best to hold it together.

"I was just wondering if you would be willing to date me instead?" Hikaru asked, and my head shot up to look at him with surprise.

They're not the same, Kaoru is gentle and thoughtful, Hikaru is childish and very tsundere. I don't mind Hikaru, maybe if I didn't see so much in his brother it could be him, but my feelings just aren't for him. I'll just decline politely and leave, no harm in that. I don't want their to be two heart breaks, the one I'm feeling is enough.

"That would be lovely, Hikaru-"

"Kaoru, you hear that? She'd be fine with either of us."

Kaoru came out from hiding and walked towards us, and I was left in shock. He didn't even let me finish, plus this was all just a trick. They just wanted to humiliate me for their own fun.  . .

"That's sick, you know? How selfish to think you can have both of us."

What people say is true, they are mean. .  .

"You aren't cute enough to even be with either of us."

Their alone because they want to be, and it's a waste of time to try with them. . .

"Oh and next time, do better on the letter."

They have destroyed my self confidence just to prove a point. . .

"I never thought I could have either of you. . . I learned the difference between you two because I knew who I liked. . . I poured my heart out in a letter to you just so you'd notice me, and this is what you do. They were right, I shouldn't have even tried."

With those words, I ran away crying harder than I ever cried before. My first and last heartbreak, and the last time I put my heart on the line in fear of rejection. Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin had ruined me emotionally, and I don't think I'll ever forgive them for that. My only loves were anime and food, leaving dating completely out of the question. Now with my modelling contract finally ending, I have no plans to change this.

I walked into class and took a random seat, almost instantly having people whispering about who sits next to me. A small sigh left my lips, the weirdness of the kids making me just a tad uncomfortable. In the end, a doe eyed boy sat next to me, his adorable face catching my eye and I smiled at him.

He smiled back and introduced himself, "I'm Haruhi Fujioka."

"Maria Chika. Nice to meet you, Fujioka- san." I held out my hand and he took it, shaking it gently instead of firmly like most boys do.

He's giving me girly vibes in a boyish way, but it's not like either one bothers me. I shrugged it off coming to the conclusion that it didn't matter.

"So, why is everyone being so weird around you?" He asked, and I laughed nervously.

"Well I went to America for a job, and now they treat me like I'm some sort of celebrity." I leaned in close so no one else could hear before whispering, "it's getting really creepy."

He burst out into fits of laughter as I giggled, laying my head on the desk.

"That is-"

"Hey Haruhi." Two voices spoke in unison the name of my new friend and I flinched at the sound of their voice.

"Oh, hey guys. Have you met Chika- san yet?"

I looked up to see the faces that caused my stomach to knot up for months, and by the shock in their faces, they remembered me too. It took only a second of looking at their faces to change my mood, so I turned away and said not a word to them. They're probably still as sick and twisted as the last time we saw each other.

"Um, is something wrong?" Haruhi asked innocently, and I smiled softly at her.

"Nothing at all," I answered before the demons could and laid my head back on the desk, this time facing away from Haruhi since the demon twins decided to take the seat next to him.

The rest of class went smoothly, the twins didn't try to talk to me and I only spoke to Haruhi when he decided to ask me questions. At the end of class I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder, giving Haruhi a hug before I ran to door.

"We should become close friends, Fujioka-san!" I said just before I was out the door, not missing the small blush that dusted his cheeks. A few friends that turned into fans glared at him, making me feel just a bit bad for poor guy.

I ran down the halls in search of the libraries that I knew would be filled soon, hoping I would be the first one there. Running through the third year hallway, I turned a corner and bumped right into someone.

"Watch it!" I looked up to see a girl and her friends glaring at me like I was some sort of pest.

"Whatever," I said. I stood up and brushed my skirt off, moving past them until one of the grabbed the back of my sweater.

"You're that girl that just moved back from America, right? You know, it's rude to not apologize for bumping into someone. Wouldn't want to ruin your reputation, would you?"

I took a good look at the three girls, already knowing how this was going to end. They were all pretty, but that's most likely where the good traits stop. Most rich kids were dense and felt entitled, and I'm the kid that brings their ego back down to Earth.

"I don't have a reputation, and I don't care to apologize to disrespectful brats like you. Now, if you'll excuse me I have a library to get to so leave me alone." I gave them a dead stare as they looked in utter shock before turning around and continuing on my way.

Maria Chiba doesn't care for bullies just as much as she doesn't care for the Hitachiin twins.