Chapter Six: Could it really be him?

It's been awhile since OHSHC opened and I swear I've gotten recognized by people outside of school. Like two weeks ago, I was shopping for groceries and eight people stopped me and asked about the members. Some of the guys even said they're coming because they want to get to know me better. I just can't believe it's almost the end of the year already...

   "Alright mom! I'll get..." I glanced at the list and scrunched my eyebrows. "IT'S ALL BREAD!" I heard my mother snort. "I'VE GOT A THING TONIGHT AND IT REQUIRES BREAD!"

   "THIS MUCH?!"

   "YES! DON'T QUESTION ME. THERE ARE REASONS TO MY MADNESS!" I laughed and closed the door behind me. "Oh and Amani?", my mother said, poking her head outside to look at me. She kissed my forehead and smiled. "Quand il pleut, cherchez des arc-en-ciel."

"Quand il fait noir, cherchez des étoiles.", I finished and she closed the door. I practically skipped down the road, smiling at people as they passed. I shouldered this girl and I gasped. "I'm so sorry.", I said, helping her pick up her school things. She wore a middle school uniform and she had long brown hair with a fringe straight across her forehead. Her big doe brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight and her smile was light. "It's no problem.", she said in an almost a motherly tone.

Suddenly a small boy ran over to her and stuck gum in her hair, making me screech in fear for my long locks. "Oh my god! HEY!", I yelled, standing up before she grabbed the bottom of my dress. "No it's fine. I need to cut it anyway.", she stated and I almost fainted.

"B-But it's so long and beautiful.", I said with a pout. "It'll grow back.", she said and I hummed. "Fine, but let me pay for it. I want to help out some how.", I said and she went to protest. "Ah! Ah! Ah! Nope! No debating! I'll pay!" She sighed and we walked to the barber shop to get her hair cut.

I wanted to cried watching all those long locks get trimmed to practically nothing. It was cute short and seemed to match her personality better but... Those long beautiful locks of hair.

   "I'm Haruhi by the way.", she said and I smiled. "Amani. Well, it was nice meeting you but I've gotta get a butt load of bread for my mother. See ya!"

   She waved goodbye as I took of running as fast as I could towards Levine's. He's got the best bread in town! My mother goes there so often that Levine normally give us a discount on all the bread we buy. "Levine! I'm back!", I called and the tall, lanky, pale, gray haired man poked his head around the corner and smiled. "Amani! What can I do for you?" I handed him the list and he chuckled. "Right away Amani."

   Waiting for the bread, I went to the piano in the corner of the room and began to play an old song my childhood friends mother would sing to us. This and the key are the only things I can clearly remember.

   As I played, more people came in and watched or listened. I close my eyes and hold back the tears that threaten to spill as I played, the memories washing over me.

   "Amani-San! Cmon! Let's go climb the tree!", the boy called and we raced to it. I climbed up it fast, but misplaced my foot and went falling to the ground, screaming all the way down. I landed and it knocked the breath out of me, leaving me gaping like a fish out of water. To calm me down, the boy would sing this song to me.

I heard humming go along with my playing and I glanced up to see Tamaki looking through the opened window at me. He seemed fixated, almost in a trance. The corners of his eyes were moist and his hands trembled. I stood up and grabbed the bag from Levine. "Thank you!", I called and opened the door. I stopped once I was face to face with Tamaki, who's hand was clenched tightly around something on his neck. "Amani? Where did you learn that song?", he asked and I looked down at my shoes.

"This boy and his mother taught me. He was special to me." I took out my necklace that held my key and smiled sadly. "Ten years ago I made a promise to that boy that we'd meet again. That once we do, we'd get to see what's inside the locket I gave him."

A sad laugh left my mouth as my hands trembled. "I don't even remember what he looks like, what his name was, or what was inside the locket. I don't even know if he still remembers." Tamaki stopped me by grabbing my hands and squeezing them.

"Amani, I was taught that song by my mother. She made up that lullaby for when anytime I got hurt....also." He pulled out a locket and I gasped, stepping back. "I was also promised something really dear to me. But then she got into an accident." I wasn't in an accident.

Sudden flashbacks came.

"PAPA! PAPA WAKE UP! PAPA PLEASE!", I screamed as my father laid helpless in a pool of his own blood on the streets. "SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME! MY PAPA WONT WAKE UP!"
I ran to the only place I knew could help. I slammed on the doors hard and a small blonde boy opened the doors and immediately screamed at the blood on me. "MOMMA! AMANI'S HURT!"

"NO MY PAPA IS! YOU'VE GOTTA HELP HIM PLEASE!" The blonde woman call the ambulance as I ran back and held my father's bloodied head in my hands, crying harder and harder.

"DON'T TAKE PAPA AWAY! NO! LET GO OF PAPA!" I screamed as the ambulance took him away, the blonde boy held onto me am tightly, not caring that I was covered in blood. His violet blue orbs swelled up with tears as I painfully called after him. As I screamed, he hummed the song.

"Amani? Amani, what's wrong?", Tamaki asked, wiping away the hot tears that I didn't even know had fallen. "Um...I-I have to go. I-I'm so sorry Tamaki.", I said, before running towards my house, clenching onto the bread tightly. Could Tamaki be the boy from long ago?