nodus tollens | t. morinozuka

Chapter 17

"We got her!"

Those words annoyed Arashi even more. Was reading peacefully in the garden too much to ask for?

It was the Hitachiins' voice that uttered those words. Despite the brown bag over her head and the exaggerated firm grip on her arms, she didn't panic. She already heard their obnoxious whispering when they were 'kidnapping' her and Naoki's voice hesitantly trying to convince them that it was not a good idea and not so good for her health either. A cinnamon roll he was.

She was dramatically but with some caution thrown on a soft material she guessed was a couch after she felt around with her hands. Most likely in the music room the Host Club's using.

The bag over her head was suddenly snatched away and she winced, blinking until her eyes adjusting to the abrupt attack of bright torchlight. She wasn't tied and was grateful they thought through she had to use her hands to sign if they ever want anything out of her. She kind of had an clue to where this was going and her pounding heart disapproved.

"Now, Arashi."

Everything was dark and she couldn't see anyone since they decided to go as far as making it seem like an interrogation was going on. She kept a blank face and easily distinguised that voice as Tamaki's.

"Takashi told is everything." He sighed. "Or at least what he knew and saw."

Arashi closed her eyes, holding in the urge to scream and pull at her hair. As if she wasn't depressed enough, she had to deal with panic attacks. They tired her out emotionally and mentally. She always felt drained after them and like she could sleep for days with no appetite.

"We nave a lot of questions, Ara," Kieran murmured softly as though he was afraid she would snap. Heck, Arashi was afraid she would snap. She whimpered and nodded reluctantly. "We're your friends. We care about you and that's why we want to know everything about you."

Arashi nodded again and exhaled shakily.

"How old are you?"

His questions started out simple and mild but Arashi knew it was a tact to get her ready for more sensitive and shocking topics.

Sixteen

"How long has your father been abusing you?"

She felt confused, lost and anticipation rang through every breathe she took in. She did not understand why they were asking about her father. She thought they'd be asking about her depression which was related to her father but still.

For as long as I remember. But I don't get it. Father said this was normal. That every parent hit their child to discipline them.

She heard a high-pitched gasp and guessed it was either Haruhi or Honey. She remembered when he told her that. It was when he hit with his stick after she tried to report child abuse and was caught by one of his right-hand men. It calmed her down a little at that time but she couldn't wash away the feeling of something wrong.

When she told her father that there was something wrong with her emotionally and mentally, he refused to take her to a therapist until Inazuma persuaded him otherwise. She wouldn't say a word to the therapist because by then, she knew that hitting children to discipline was different from hitting children to abuse just for the heck of it. The therapist gave up and prescriped antidepressants but insisted to have a session with her weekly. Of course, those sessions never happened and her father claimed she would be satisfied with just the pills.

But here, surrounded by friends who cared for her and worried about her, she was touched to the point she wanted to believe what she used to believe. That this was normal and she should just deal with it. She wanted to fool herself again.

"Arashi!" Haruhi cried, wrapping her thin arms around her friend.

Arashi gave up smiling and let a tear fall.

Haruhi calmed down after they turned on the lights and sat infront of her on the couches across. The brunette settled next to her refusing to unwrap her arms from around her waist but she didn't mind. Naoki sat on the other side with his hand on her back.

"Arashi-chan," Naoki said. "The pills were because of that, right? You felt so confused to why you were treated like this yet you went on with your days feeling empty. You didn't eat and you didn't want to do anything, right?"

Arashi nodded. She felt like Naoki was speaking as though the same thing had happened to him before and he felt pain for another who dealt with depression as well.

She spotted Takumi gazing sadly at his brother but the short blonde got them back on their track.

"What about your scar?" Honey had left Usa-chan on the couch and was looking at her solemnly.

I accidently walked in on him and another woman I didn't know. I saw them and he told me I had to pay for it. I can't see from that eye anymore. Neither did I see that woman ever again.

Her hand brushed her hair away from her eye so she could show them the scar as if proving it was actually there. Her eye stayed closed. She lost feeling in it and could barely feel its presence.

He mostly lets me do whatever I want right now but I know that he was waiting until I reach the age when he could marry me off to someone.

"God," Kaoru breathed into his brother's chest who quickly pulled him into his embrace once he saw his tears.

"Your mother?" Haruhi asked hoarsely in a way that made it seem that she didn't want to know the answer.

They were already divorced by the time I turned one. I visit her every month to spend a weekend and sometimes I stay with her all the summer vacation with her.

They stayed silent after that, letting their thoughts settle as they processed what had been said and done.

"I'll be contacting a lawyer but I need to speak to your mother first," Kyoya said his first words since the beginning of those loops of questions and answers. His eyes were filled with determination and motivation.

Arashi couldn't even argue anymore. The pills' effect dulled after all those emotions she had went through. She didn't even notice that Takashi didn't say anything (which was normal) or that he was looking at her in some incomprehensible way.

She just wanted to sleep.