[ 4 ] the beginnings of love

"So, why did you join the Host Club, Kennedy?" One of their guests asked, taking a small sip from her cup of warm tea. A polite smile graced her lips, her eyes were full of anticipation, waiting to see what the new host would answer.

I broke an $80,000 vase. Kennedy wasn't allowed to say that out loud.

But an annoyed thought definitely crossed the thoughts of Kennedy Lynn.

"Uh," She began, "I broke-"

"Be careful what you say, Kennedy." Calum said from behind her. She turned to him to see there was a cold smile on his face. "Remember that we can add more to your debt."

She gulped. 

Turning back towards the girls, she thought up something to tell them quick. "The truth is, since my mum died, I haven't had many people to talk to. I was always busy with school things and then chored around the house. So I thought it was about time to make some friends."

"And the Host Club boys are your friends now, how cute!" One of them squealed.

From the other side of the club room, the other boys watched Kennedy closely, hiding behind their couches while sneaking peeks at her.

"Why is he so good at this?" Louis asked.

"He's a natural." Calum nodded.

"All the girls love him." Luke commented, the rest nodded in agreement.

"Is it okay if we request to sit with you tomorrow?" A girl asked Kennedy.

Kennedy smiled wide. "Sure, I'd love to share your company."

Only 97 more requests to go, she thought happily to herself.

"Hey Kennedy," The club president called her over. She walked over to see him sitting with the same girl again, the one who disliked Kennedy. "I want you to meet our most honored guest, Princess Agatha Worthington."

Agatha? Kennedy thought, That sounds more like a witch name.

"Its so nice to meet you, Miss Worthington." Kennedy faked a smile.

Luke got up from his seat in a flash and pulled her into a tight embrace, praising her. "That was great, Kennedy. You have really learned from the best."

"Let go of me, I can't breathe!" She yelled. "Someone help!"

From out of nowhere, Niall appeared and pulled her out of Luke's arms easily, lifting her up in the air with his hands slid under her underarms. At that very moment, his hands felt two things he knew that classified her as a girl.

He set her back down on the gound as Luke said, "You really didn't have to go that far."

Pulling a bag of cookies from his blazer pocket, he shrugged. "I was asked for help, so I helped."

"Here, come to daddy, pumpkin." Luke grinned.

"I already have a father, I don't need two of them." Kennedy told him.

The next few hours at the club, strange things happened to Kennedy. In one instance, she had taken a break to go study a little and there was a blade inbetween the pages of her book which cut her finger, in another instace, there was a marking needle stuck to her school blazer that poked her in the neck.

Somehow, she had a feeling those things weren't accidental.

"But I don't have any proof." She muttered to herself.

She was looking for her backpack when she finished entertaining a round of clients. It had been on one of the couches before she left it for a few minutes. 

As she walked past a window in the club room, she saw her backpack. It had been thrown out, its contents floating around in the pond of the south lawn. "Why would someone do something like this?" She sighed, "I didn't think there were bullies at this school, but I guess they're everywhere."

Kennedy raced out of the clubroom and down the hallway, hoping her things wouldn't be ruined by the time she got there.

On the way, she passed Agatha Worthington, who was walking back towards the clubroom.

Agatha stopped her. "Oh, aren't you that peasant who joined the Host Club? Don't think that because they gave you a make-over and Luke is suddenly doting on you that he'll fall in love with you. He's into girls, not boys."

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Kennedy searched the pond for her wallet. 

It seemed that she had gotten everything out of the water and it was drying on the side while she looked for the most important thing. Without her wallet, she wouldn't have money to eat that week.

"It was probably that Agatha girl who did this." Kennedy muttered to herself. "But that doesn't matter anymore. What I really care about is finding my wallet...I have my lunch money in there and my bus pass..."

"Hey, commoner!" She was interrupted by the annoyed voice of the club president. "Why are you out here when you have guests waiting for you inside?" His expression completely changed when he saw her wet schoolbag and belongings on the floor. "Why is your bag all wet?"

"Oh, don't worry about it." She told him. "You can go back to the club room, I'll be up there in a bit. I just need to find my wallet."

Luke shook his head, rolling up the sleeves of his school blazer and kicking off his shoes. Soon he was in the pond standing next to her. "The way to search for something in water is to do it dramatically. Don't be afraid to get wet." He said, thrashing his arms around in the pond water, makin splashes that soaked his school uniform.

"Stop, you'll catch a cold if you get wet like that." She warned.

He scoffed. "Don't worry about me, Kenny. I'll be fine. Besides, people are always telling me that I'm dripping with good looks."

Kennedy watched him in awe as he continued to search the pond for her wallet, her heart thumping quickly. He noticed the look on her face and grinned, saying jokingly. "What's with that face you're making at me? Are you falling in love with me?"

"Unlikely." Kennedy replied.

Picking up something he spotted in the water, he asked, "Is this your wallet?"

Kennedy sighed in relief. "Yes, thank you!"

Before handing it to her, he smirked, "I believe I get thirty percent of whatever is in this wallet, since I did find it."

She snatched it from his hand. "You're rich. You don't need my money."

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When she got back to the club room, her guests had gone home. So she walked around the room, watching the other boys. There was one of them, who also didn't seem to have guests at the time, so she went to join him.

"I don't think I've met you." She told him.

But he was distracted clicking away on his videogame controller. "Hey." He said, without turning to look at her.

"Geez, you're so indifferent. Are you like that with your guests?" She asked him.

"No," He shook his head in response, his eyes glued to the screen. "I give my guests my full and undivided attention. But you're not a guest."

"What are you playing?" She looked at the television.

"Grand Theft Auto." He said.

"Cool. Can I play?" 

He nodded, pausing the game and handing her the controller. "Sure." He handed it to her and as she took it from his hands, he observed, "Wow, you have some girly hands mate."

"Uh," She said, not knowing what to say. "Maybe because I am a girl?"

His eyes widened. 

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Calum called her over. She handed him the controller, not having been able to play and walked off.

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"Oh, so your bag fell into the pond by itself? How sad." Agatha said, taking a sip from her cup of tea.

"Yes." Kennedy nodded.

Why did she request me when its obvious that she hates me? Kennedy thought.

"Don't you think you went too far though?" Agatha asked Kennedy, "Making Luke search that dirty old pond with you. You do realize he isn't a commoner like you. Right? He comes from a family of wealth. So don't flatter yourself by thinking he likes you because he's interested in your commoner ways."

"Ah..." Kennedy began as the realization hit her. "I see why you're acting so mean towards me. You're jealous."

Agatha's eyes widened. But in one final attempt to get rid of Kennedy, she reached out and pulled her forward, knocking over their table along the way. Kennedy fell on top of her in a compromising position while Agatha screamed. "Get this commoner off me. Someone help!"

Everyone in the club room had their eyes on them now. 

Harry and Louis walked over to them and dumped a bucket of water on the two of them. Agatha asked, "Why did you do that? You're supposed to help me."

Harry shrugged. "Our hands slipped."

Calum walked up to them next, a knowking smirk on his lips. "Do you think we're stupid? We know this was all you."

Luke helped her up, but said to her, "You are beautiful, Agatha. But what good is beauty when you're rotten on the inside? I'm sorry to have to say this, but you are now permanently banned from this clubroom. You are not welcome here if you are going to treat any of my mates badly."

Her eyes pooled up with tears and she pushed past him yelling, "Fuck you and your host club, Luke."

Louis sighed as they watched her go. "We have that kind of drama queen customer every so often."

Turning towards Kennedy with a smirk as he got an idea, Luke hummed, "How am I going to punish you? Because it was your fault, after all." He pointed his index finger at her, "Your quota is now one thousand requests before you can leave this club."

"One thousand?" She repeated. "But that's gonna take me my entire high school life."

"Then you better enjoy it." He said.

He turned back, walking towards his customers, but stopped when he saw an ID card on the floor, but it was faced down. 

Picking it up in his hands, he turned it over to see it read: 

Empire Academy.

Kennedy Marie Lynn.

Year: 9.

Age: 14.

Class: 1-A.

Gender: Female.

"Kennedy," He called.

"Yes."

"Are you a girl?" His jaw dropped in shock.

"Biologically, yes." She explained. "But I don't really care whether you recognize me as male of female. Like I told you earlier, I think that what really matters is on the inside. I'm sorry, I thought it was obvious. Every other host club member seemed to catch on fairly quickly."

"The boss finally figured it out." Louis commented, standing on the sidelines with the other boys.

By now, all of the guests had gone home. 

"But he probably knew by instinct." Michael added, mulling it over. "Nobody would go through all that trouble for a guy."

"I knew it from the start." Ashton grinned.

"But I was the first to know." Calum reminded them.

Luke turned towards his mates. "Why didn't any of you tell me?"

"I could be wrong," Liam began, "But I think we're witnessing the beginnings of love here."

"But if my secret gets out," Kennedy thought it over. "How will I pay off my debt?"

Zayn suggested. "Maybe she should continue pretending she's a boy."

"Right." Niall agreed. 

"But how would I do it?" She muttered to herself. "I've got it! I'll just call everyone dude and bro from now on."

-

SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG.

I JUST WANTED TO GIVE ALL OF THE BOYS A CHANCE TO TALK, EVEN IF ITS ONLY ONE LINE CAUSE SOME OF THEM HADN'T REALLY TALKED YET.

ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU LIKE THE UPDATE.

I LOVE YOU.

-CLARY xx