Chapter 1: Lies

Mikan's POV

Today is a brand new day. Nothings gonna go wrong. I'm outta that school, everythings gonna change. I'm gonna be fine. I'll make new friends. There'll be no more bitches in this school. Studying. Studying.

"Mikan Sakura!"

I gulped and entered the classroom, hoping to see a different scene from my different school. True enough. It was indeed different. The room, was warm… Everyone was SMILING, there were no more cold glares, but eyes that burned with passion. That's right, I knew it, Grandma's judgment was never wrong, coming to Gakuen Alice was indeed the right decision.

I stood with my new found self-esteem in front of the class and greeted, "Minna konnichiwa! My name is Mikan! I wish to make friends with all of you! Nice to meet you guys! "

"Ok. You guys may ask some questions, then, after that, free period!" our homeroom teacher asked.

"Why did you transfer schools?"

I froze. That was a question that was hard to answer, I could not possibly tell them that I was bullied in my old school right?

"Ano… my father was transferred to the main office in Tokyo, so I had to transfer!" I faked a bright smile on my face.

"What is that heart locket that's hanging from your neck?"

I looked down and held the locket in my palm.

"It's something to protect me…"

"How many people are there in your family?"

"Six…"

And I can't believe I told three lies in a day.

"You take the bus to school?"

"Erm… yeah!"

"Hotaru-chan! There's another person that takes the bus too!"

I moved my eyes over to whom they called Hotaru. It was a girl with lovely lavender eyes, raven black hair, simply put, she's pretty. However, her face was emotionless, that was when I saw her scowl curve into a smile, as if telling me, "Hey Mikan, it's a start of a good relationship, nice to meet you."

And of course, I smiled my pearly whites back at her.

After all the self introduction, it was science taught by a teacher called Jinno sensei. Anna-chan told me to call him Jin- Jin, but that's such a cute name, it doesn't even fit his personality!

"Ring~~~~" the recess bell finally rang.

"Ok, end of class, remember to do your math workbook, page 7, 8, 9!" he hit his stick on the table before waving his hand. He's weird, he even has a pet frog, wonder what it's called… croak croak?

I wandered into the canteen, it's gigantic, and crowded.

"Hey, are you a first year student?"

I turned around and saw two third year prefects staring down at me.

"Erm… no…"

"*laughs* are you serious? You're uniform is so new!" the guy prefect laughed. He made me feel at ease.

The girl prefect knocked his head, "Baka." And turned to me, "Are you a transfer student?"

I nodded my head vigorously.

"Oh… you're cute, by the way, I'm Misaki Harada and this idiot here is Tsubasa Andou, if you need any help just drop by the student council room, we'll definitely help you."

"Ok. Thanks!"

And I made my fouth and fifth friend.

But, for a school that only caters to high school students, it's rather big… eh? It even has a hill…

I climbed up it and finally reached the top. Woah, the school really is huge if you see it from up here…

Suddenly, something fell on my hand, I looked down, sakura petals? Then, this must be Sakura trees! I looked up and as a wind breezed by, petals dropped. How pretty, I thought I'd never get to see a sakura tree in urbanized Tokyo.

"I, MIKAN SAKURA, SWEAR I'LL DO MY BEST HERE!"

Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw a full flower dropping, I reached my hand out to catch it but my hand's too short…

"Here…" another hand reached out to me.

I looked up and saw this really cool guy with raven hair and crimson eyes looking at a book and handing me the flower I was trying to catch.

"Thanks…"

"…"

"Erm… I said thanks."

"You're welcome."

And all these while he was just staring at the book.

I plopped down beside him and realised he was reading up on diseases.

"So… you're gonna be a doctor?"

He stayed silent. What a quiet boy…

I looked up towards the sky and heard the bell ring from the distance and it suddenly struck me, how do I get back to class?

I turned to ask the boy, but he was already gone, I didn't even ask for his name… I have to look for the math room!

~10 minutes later~

I finally found it!

"SENSEI! I'M HERE!" I shouted while slamming the door open.

Everyone looked at me like I was some mad women that charged out of the mental hospital.

"Sakura-san, take a seat."

As I approached my seat, I found myself sitting beside… that crimson eyes guy.

"Hi! I didn't know you were in my class!"

"…"

"*laughs coldly*"

"HEY! Mikan-chan!" a guy with dirty blonde hair pushed me back onto my seat. "Name's Koko, nice to meet'cha." This guy seems nice…

"Forget about Natsume, he's always this cold."

I glanced over my shoulder to the boy who was sleeping and giggled. He opened his eye and closed it again…

~THE NEXT DAY…~

"Ok. Now, I'll be arranging the pairings for the assignment, you have to find out more about your partner and present it to the class later okay?"

"Anna and Yuu"

"Nonoko and Kitsuneme"

"Mikan and Natsume"

"Ruka and Hotaru"

The whole class quitened down.

"Mikan-chan, if you want to change with me, I wouldn't mind." Nonoko asked.

"It's okay!"

I made my way to Natsume's seat and stood in front of him, when he said, "I don't understand why we have to do this, it's stupid, why do we have to tell others about ou personal matters?"

"Natsume! You'll hurt Mikan-chan!"

"It's okay sensei."

Then, he got up and went out of the classroom after saying that he was going to the toilet, but anyone could tell he was just gonna skip this lesson.

"Sensei…" I pointed towards the door and ran after him after sensei nodded his head.

"Natsume-kun!"

"…"

"Do you really hate talking to me?"

"…"

"Is it because I'm a transfer student?"

"I allow you to cook up some lies about me."

"Natsume-kun!"

"Stop following me!"

I stood in my tracks and watched his back view get smaller and smaller.

"But… that's not acceptable!"

He turned and walked back.

"Hmm… then, you'll not be able to pass it off without lies."

I blushed. The him now, is so cool and not to mention… hot.

He walked away again and I realised… I don't know anything…

~15 minutes later…~

*clap clap*

"Next, Natsume and Mikan!"

I stood up, expecting him to stand up too, but in the end, it was just me alone.

"Natsume-kun and I didn't really discuss but for me, I'm not very clear of what I want to be and do in the future, I guess I'll decide when im in third year."

Then, I looked around the class room. Everyone was staring at me. My heart pounded. All eyes were on me. I couldn't stand it, I bowed and walked back to my seat. My heart… it hurts… I'll hold on till the end, come on Mikan you can do it.

"OK! You're dismissed for the next class." I ran out immediately to the back yard where there was a water cooler. My medicine. I open my heart locket and gulped down the tablets along with the water. There… much better. I've held long enough for today, I think I'll apply for leave of absence and get home.

Natsume's POV

"That girl's gone long enough to the toilet." Ruka came over to my side.

"Yeah…"

I don't feel good about this… I went out of the classroom and went around the school looking for her.

As I turned the corner leading to the backyard, I saw someone humming a lullaby. It was her, Mikan… Sakura.

"Ey, trust you to be slacking out here…"

Mikan's POV

"Ey, trust you to be slacking out here…"

I snapped my heard around. Natusme Hyuuga…

Could he have found out? No, he could not have. Impossible.

"Hurry on back. Hotaru will launch a search party if you don't go back soon."

"… I want to go home now, please help me tell her that."

"Oh really?" he came up to me and took my hand and started dragging me towards the classroom blocks.

"What are you doing?" I hit his hand.

"*sigh* just shut up will you?"

He carried me princess style. I blushed. His hands and body were warm. I could feel his heartbeat.

"You… are really good at hiding stuff huh?"

"Huh?" I didn't get what he meant.

"Your reason to transfer schools and the number of family members in your house were lies right?"

He knew?

"how did you know?"

"Please, my mum's a psycologist, your actions revealed everything."

"Sorry, I really don't feel like going back to class…"

"And the promise you made on the hill was a lie too?"

He heard?

"…"

"If it wasn't a lie, then get back into the classroom again," he put me down in front of the classroom and opened the door for me. I took a step in and was greeted by the same warm smiles.

"Mikan-chan! Where did you go?"

"Sakura-san! I demand an explanation from you."

I, MIKAN SAKURA, SWEAR I WILL NO LONGER STAY IN THE SHADOWS OF THE PAST.