Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or Sprite.
Chapter 1: Surprise
Life is full of surprises. It could be the new gift your significant other secretly bought you. It could be the nerve-racking pop quiz the professor announced on a dull Monday morning. It could be the stinky, little present your new dog left you at the bottom of the staircase, smeared all over the mahogany planks. Surprises were hidden in every nook and cranny of natural life. However, there were no surprises in the Yukihira residence this morning.
As usual, the sizzle of fresh batter on a hot skillet occupied the air. Yuka Yukihira was humming away in the kitchen, flipping pancakes and brewing coffee. Besides the musical murmurs and hissing of the pan, the house was quiet. A small Scottish terrier was sound asleep under the dining table. His fluffy ears would twitch occasionally if Yuka placed a plate or mug on the table, but would fall back into a slumber almost instantaneously. It was practically the same upstairs.
In a pink bedroom on the second floor, a sixteen year-old teenager was sprawled on a big mattress, snoozing away in polka-dot blankets. Her name was Mikan Sakura.
She was ordinary, but extraordinary. An everyday porcelain doll. She was of average height at a fine 5'5'' and her build was small and petite. Mikan had pale skin and long chocolate locks that cascaded like a smooth waterfall against her back. Thick lashes lined her eyelids that opened to reveal big, expressive hazel eyes, glittering with specks of gold. A thin, straight nose and soft cheekbones. Her plump pink lips were slightly open, deep breaths being pulled in and out. Her face was always open; it showed naivety, a girl who hadn't seen much of the world.
An alarm clock started to trill, the familiar ringing echoing along the walls. Mikan groaned and pulled her blanket above her head. After a moment of blaring noise, the grouchy girl shot up and slammed the off button on the clock. She mumbled for a second before slowly crawling out of bed and into the bathroom. When she finished, Mikan opened her door and sat down at her desk. She picked up a mint brush and started to untangle her hair. When her hair was smooth and shiny, Mikan left her room and started to shuffle down the stairs. All of a sudden, she tripped and crash-landed on the floor.
Yuka peered over and caught sight of Mikan face-planted on the floor. She shook her head, a small, knowing smile on her face. That investment on carpet in the living room instead of wood was a good choice.
"Good morning, Mikan."
"Good morning." Mikan yawned, getting up like nothing happened and walking over to dining table. She plopped down on a chair just as Yuka placed a heaping stack of pancakes in front of her. Mikan's mouth watered as she picked up the little bottle of syrup and started to drown her hotcakes. Yuka grinned and walked back to the kitchen counter, picking up a mug of piping hot black coffee before walking back and settling herself down on a chair. Mikan took a sleepy glance around the table before asking:
"Where's Youichi?"
Yuka took a sip of coffee before answering. "He's still in bed. He's running a slight fever."
Mikan frowned and creased her eyebrows. "Is he okay?"
"Of course, honey. I'm going to the pharmacy to pick up his medicine soon."
"Oh, okay." Mikan answered, resuming to demolishing her pancakes. When she finished, she cried out "Thanks for the meal!" and bounded up the stairs. Mikan turned to face the bedroom on the left, the wooden door painted a sky blue. She grasped the handle and slowly pushed in, peeking her head in.
The room was painted sky blue, as well. Posters of superheroes and manga characters were plastered randomly on the walls. Mini glow-in-the-dark stars and planets formed mysterious shapes on the sparkling ceiling. The room was fairly tidy; smooth wood planks with the occasional toy on the floor. The closet held many crisp uniforms that sported "Alice Academy" on the collar. Bookshelves were lined with manga volumes, comics, small stories, and stuffed animals. But the most beloved stuffed animal was in the middle of the room, held in the arms of a seven year-old boy named Youichi.
Mikan gave the boy a soft smile and walked over to his race-car bed, kneeling down next to him. "How are you feeling, Youichi?" She tested his forehead with the back of her hand. "You're a bit warm."
He didn't answer and his face was blank, but as Mikan withdrew her hands, he clasped on. Mikan only grinned and started to brush back his grey bangs with her other hand.
"Mikan, you better get to school soon!" Yuka called from the kitchen, draping a purse over her shoulder.
"Okay, mom!" She leaned over and gave Youichi a quick kiss on the cheek. "Bye Youichi! I'll be back later, okay?"
As she was leaving the room, she heard the little boy mumble, "Of course I know that, idiot."
Giggling to herself, Mikan grabbed her schoolbag and bounded downstairs. "Mom, I'm going to school."
"Okay, honey, be safe." Yuka appeared next to her, pulling on a pair of flats. "I'm going to the pharmacy. Study hard!"
Mikan nodded and pushed the front door open, reveling in the warm sunshine as it hit her face. Another good day. She started the ten minute walk to school, her shoes clinking on the concrete sidewalk, bag swinging at her side, and a tune dancing on her lips. Along the way, she would say hello to everyone, pet any dogs or cats that passed by, and beaming at passing cars. It was no mystery why she was known as one of the nicest, sunniest girls at Alice Academy.
Mikan skipped happily into her classroom, greeting the first face she saw. "Good morning, Yuu!"
"Good morning, Mikan." The class president greeted back.
Mikan skipped to the back of the classroom and set her bag on her desk, seating herself on the wooden bench next to a raven-haired boy. "Good morning, Natsume! Good morning, Ruka-pyon!" Natsume ignored her, his face buried in a thick manga.
"Good morning, Sakura-san." Ruka replied, smiling as he stroked the ears of the bunny sitting in his lap.
Mikan started humming to herself again as she pulled her notebook and pencil out of the bag.
"Why are you early?"
Mikan looked up and turned toward the boy on her right, staring at her with crimson eyes. His manga was closed in front of him on the desk.
"What, I can be early!" Mikan pouted jokingly, earning a knowing glance from Natsume. "I didn't walk Youichi to his class today." A simple raise of his short eyebrow had Mikan explaining everything. "He has a fever so he stayed home today. But my mom's picking up medicine right about now so he'll be fine." Despite her words, no one could miss the look of worry on Mikan's face.
Natsume didn't say anything. He turned away from Mikan and looked ahead with almost a thoughtful look on his normally scowling face. After a moment of silence, he crept a hand into his schoolbag and pulled out another manga. He lazily pushed it toward Mikan.
She picked it up wonderingly. "Is this for Youichi?"
"Tch. Who else."
A huge smile popped up on Mikan's face. "Thank you so much, Natsume! He's been wanting the next volume! How did you know?"
"Hn." Natsume crossed his arms and closed his eyes, automatically closing off the conversation. But Ruka had a soft smile. Natsume wasn't one to buy gifts for others.
"He's going to love it." Mikan watched the boy fondly for a second before putting the book into her bag. She started to flip open her notebook and reached a page that read: Lab 21: Hotaru and Mikan. Her lip started to quiver and Mikan moaned loudly, "I miss Hotaru!"
Ruka watched her. "When is she coming back?"
"I don't know!" Mikan cried, pounding her fist noisily on the desk. "She only sends me postcards of her eating different types of crab! She never answers any of my questions and won't tell me when she'll come back."
"I'm sure she'll be back from her trip abroad soon, Sakura-san." Ruka reassured her.
Natsume scoffed.
Mikan glared at Natsume and studied him carefully. "Is he ridiculing me in his sleep?!"
Two eyes lazily drifted open and he muttered. "Let the ice queen stay in Europe."
Mikan gasped dramatically. "Don't say that Natsume! Hotaru is the best person on Earth and she's so smart and so nice and I love her so much! She needs to come back! I can't graduate without her!"
This coming from the person who got hit with Hotaru's baka-gun daily.
Natsume scoffed again. "Come back just to blackmail Ruka." He muttered under his breath. Ruka choked as he started reliving the moments of chasing Hotaru, demanding that she stop selling personal pictures of him.
Mikan shot another dirty look at Natsume before resuming to flip through her notebook.
"Mikan-chan, are you okay?" Anna asked as they walked out of the gym.
Mikan groaned, rubbing the newly-formed bruise on her arm. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Nonoko chuckled at the grimace on her face. "How do you even hit yourself with a bat?"
"I accidentally let go, okay?!"
They all were laughing as they walked into the cafeteria.
"Mikan, you packed a lunch, right? Nonoko and I are going to go buy some pizza."
"Okay!" Mikan walked over to the edge of the regular table and sat down.
"How's your arm?" Yuu asked across from her, taking a bite out of a cheeseburger.
"It's nothing." Mikan sighed, rubbing it. She zipped open her lunch bag and pulled out a bag of apple slices. As she nibbled absentmindedly, someone grabbed her arm and nearly pulled her out of her seat.
"What's this?" Natsume demanded, glaring at the pale purple spot on her arm.
"Nothing! Why is everyone asking?" Mikan exclaimed, pulling her arm away and crossing them. "I just got hit in PE, okay?!"
Crimson eyes narrowed. "By who."
"Herself." Koko snickered, setting down a plate of pizza and can of soda. "You should have seen it. She swung the bat so hard she hit her own self."
Natsume looked at Mikan for a brief moment and sat down, sighing.
"Only Mikan could do such a thing." Sumire chortled, placing a salad down next to Koko. As she primly sat, Koko swung an arm around her, his other hand grasping a Sprite.
"You would've seen it if you went to class, Natsume." he grinned, ignoring Sumire rolling her eyes at him.
"I was busy."
"Yeah, busy sleeping." Ruka answered, carrying two plates of pizza. He hovered one above Natsume's head before the grouchy teen grabbed it.
"Natsume, you were sleeping instead of going to gym class? You're going to get fat." Mikan stated, chewing on another apple wedge.
Natsume scoffed again. But so did everyone else.
"Natsume get fat? As if."
"That's like saying Mikan will stop tripping over her own two feet."
"And we all know that's impossible."
"Hey!" Mikan protested as everyone burst into laughter.
Anna and Nonoko approached the table and sat down next to Yuu and Sumire. "They were all out of pizza." Nonoko complained, poking her fork moodily into the tray of pasta.
"Good thing I love spaghetti." Anna replied, slurping up a few strands of noodle.
"So Mikan," Nonoko said as she examined the noodles warily. "When are we going to do that project."
"Ugh, the one for Jinno?" Sumire asked, shaking her head. "I can't believe he didn't let us pick our own partners."
"I'm just lucky I got someone I know," Nonoko sighed.
"We can probably work on it next week? I don't have practice on Wednesday." Mikan suggested.
"Narumi let you guys off?"
"Yeah, since that last kid collapsed, he decided we should get a day off every week. I love Narumi-sensei! He's such a great teacher." Mikan sighed dreamily.
"That gay teacher sucks." Natsume muttered, taking a bite out of his second slice of pizza.
"No he doesn't!"
"Stop screeching, strawberry-print."
Mikan's jaw dropped and her face flushed red. "W-why you . . .?! Quit looking at my panties, pervert!" She slammed her lunchbox shut, but Natsume was three steps ahead of her. By the time Mikan stood up, he was already strolling out of the cafeteria, pizza abandoned, hands in his pocket, and a small smirk etched on his face.
Mikan walked begrudgingly home, dragging her feet. "Jinno gave us so much homework. Serina-sensei gave us an essay. Narumi wants me to memorize the next page of the play. I have so much work to do."
The walk home took two times longer than usual since Mikan was walking at a snail's pace. She slowly opened the white gate to her house and walked up the steps. She tiredly pulled out a keychain with two keys attached and stuck it in the lock, turning it. She stepped inside and locked the door behind her, kicking her shoes off.
"I'm home."
When Mikan got no response, she went upstairs. She quietly crept into Youichi's room and found him playing with his stuffed animal, Mr. Bear.
"Hey You-chan, I'm back. I have something for you. Do you remember Natsume?"
Youichi nodded.
Mikan reached into her bag and pulled out the latest volume of the manga. She handed it to Youichi and his face lit up as he started to flip through pages of the book.
"Are you feeling better?" Mikan tested his forehead, only to find it warmer than this morning. Frowning, she asked, "Have you taken your medicine?"
He shook his head and Mikan was puzzled. Hadn't her mother gone to buy some? "Where's mom?"
"I heard her. Someone's with her." He answered in a low voice, eyebrows knit. "I don't know who it is."
What? "Hold on, You-chan. I'll be right back. I'm going to get your medicine." She gave Youichi's hand a small squeeze and stood up to leave the room. Mikan shut the door quietly behind her and glanced around. Nothing was out of the ordinary.
But then she heard laughter coming from downstairs.
She started to descend the steps and poked her head around the corner. In the living room, she found her mother talking animatedly with a strange man. He had long, dark hair swept back into a ponytail. Several piercings adorned his earlobe and a small, black cross was tattooed at the corner of his eye. He was dressed in a simple, white coat.
"Mom?"
Yuka's head popped up and she grinned when she saw Mikan. "Oh, Mikan! I didn't know you were home!"
"Um, I just got home. Do you have the medicine for Youichi?"
"Oh, yes! I'm sorry, honey. I forgot to give it to him; I've been so busy. Do you remember the man I've been telling you about?" She beamed, her smile radiant.
Mikan took the medicine and watched warily as the stranger stood up from her favorite chair. His eyes were dark and a small, knowing smile graced his face. "Nice to meet you, Mikan. I'm Rei Serio."
Hi guys, I haven't written in so long. It's been a couple of years and I'm kind of rusty, so forgive me. I had another account but my pre-teen stories were so ridiculous that I had to start a new account. I've been thinking of writing one for Gakuen Alice for so long but I couldn't find the right storyline or plot. Hopefully, I figure this out as I go and make a worthy story.