Here's the new version of my old story "A lot Like Love". It has a similar plot-line, but I'm taking it to a different approach. Why? The original was plain crap. Yes, I don't like that story anymore. Now I will re-write it in a better...clearer way. Yes? Yes. Okay, I lied in the last Author's note in "A Lot Like Love". This is actually the prologue, but seriously,this is important.

IMPORTANT!! Some of you are concerned of me deleting the other story so I will tell you this. I am NOT deleting the old story at all. It will still be there while I write this one, no updating at all on "A Lot Like Love", but I will update with this one. As for my other story, "Arranged by Love", I will update it sooner or later!

Disclaimer: If I owned Gakuen Alice, I would have made Natsume wear leather pants in the series, but since I don't, that's not going to happen anytime soon! :D

Warnings: Is rated for teen for harsh language and suggestive comments.

Chapter Dedication: To all my crazy friends and lovely, amazing reviewers/readers. I love you all. :)

Summary:

Nothing ever disturbed her peaceful, yet exciting life at the gifted academy.

From lab explosions to failed dates, nothing ever got her this unsettled.

Not even death.

They're only dreams, her best friend said, but why

does it leave her sick to her stomach?

Only the new boys could answer that.

From their sexy looks to their dark past,

they're the new school's heartthrobs and

just plain sexy, bad boys.

But why would they move in the middle of the school year when they

can stay in a place where they are pampered from head to toe?

Why does his blood-like eyes stare right through her as if

he knows every good and bad bone in her body?

He makes her shiver with dangerous delight.

Was he dangerous?

She doesn't want to find out.

"Just lie to me like you did many other times."

"I will lie to you over and over again, you know that."

"Tell me everything will be alright. Lie. Lie to me always. Lie to me, Natsume."

Prologue

The Unforgotten

"Pinky promise?"

Chuckle.

"Pinky promise."

Nothing ever ruined her life, not even the darkest, sorrow-filled days. Did that even make sense? A small empty laughed came from her lips. She lived. She breathe. She cries. Like any other human in this world.

She let out a trembling sigh, her eyes staring at the letter.

She didn't want to believe it.

"Mikan...," a low whisper said her name in a soothing manner. The brunette's sad, brown eyes stared at her best friend with a broken smile. "H-Hotaru," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. A small frown tugged on the inventor's lips.

The violet-eyed girl wrapped her arms around her, as if she was nothing but a infant.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, placing her head on Mikan's shoulder. The brunette trembled, trying to restrain the choking sobs. She felt so suffocated, so robbed. Lightening flashed across the windows, flooding the dark dorm room with it's sudden light.

Nothing ever made her upset. Not even when she hoped that her parents would come through the doors with open arms. Not even when every single day disappointed her.

"Just cry, Mikan," Hotaru said softly, ignoring the howling winds.

Choke. Whimper. Sob.

Her body shook with heavy sobs as she held onto her best friend as if she was the life line. "He's gone...Hotar-ru...H-he's gone," she cried, letting her go to drop onto her knees. She held the crumpled, tear-stained letter against her chest.

It hurts.

"No..." she whispered, denial flooding into her mind.

"Mikan, it's going to be okay," Hotaru kneeled in front of the broken teen, her eyes soft. Mikan's head shook, forcing the words out of her mind. "N-no! He's g-gone! He's gone!" she cried, pulling her locks with her shaking hands.

Hotaru grabbed her hands. "Stop. Don't do this to yourself, Mikan. He doesn't want this. Not for you," she said sternly. The teenage girl thrashed against her best friend's firm grip.

"No...No...No!" she screamed.

Lightening flashed again.

Hotaru tightened her grip on Mikan's wrists. "Shhh, shhh, Mikan. Don't do this to yourself. Things happen," she whispered. A sob tore from Mikan's lips. "Ho-Hotaru...," she whispered in a pleading tone. Violet eyes soften, holding the crying brunette in a pair of warm arms.

"Don't read it anymore. Read it again when you're ready to let go." Hotaru whispered, rocking her best friend like a mother would.

Mother.

Mikan sobbed harder in the inventor's arms, dropping the letter onto the floor.

Dear Miss Sakura,

We are sad to inform you that your honorable grandfather passed away in his sleep

on October, 13. He died with a smile. You made him happy.

Your grandfather is in a place where he can rest and relax

for eternity.

He always did care for you.

He will continue caring for you,

in life or in death.

You are a loving, dear granddaughter, he said to me one day.

He died with peace.

Please, understand, Miss Sakura that now that

you are the only one left, you are to receive your inheritance.

Your grandfather would want you to.

He's proud that he was your grandfather.

He has you in his heart.

And you will always have him in a place

in yours.

Remember that.

Sincerely,

Boltaire Caines.

So blunt.

So real.

Moonlight flooded into the dark room, outlining the two boy's silhouettes, making them dangerously angelic than ever. Eyes of ice looked at the boy's figure that stood beside the opened window. The cool, salty breeze ruffled his raven locks.

"You don't have to go," the ice-eyed boy said with distaste.

A smile tugged on the other's lips.

"It's a promise, Maxwell," the other countered, still not facing his friend. Maxwell frowned at his friend's response. "It's always easy to lie to someone, but it will always be difficult to keep a promise. Especially an empty one as this," he muttered the last bit.

Though, the raven-haired male still heard it.

"It's a promise that everyone will benefit from," he snapped. Maxwell's lips thinned at his words. "Everyone except her," he said harshly. Maxwell knew when to stop his words before upsetting his friend any further, but this whole thing was ridiculously stupid!

A sigh was ripped away from the raven-haired boy's lips.

"You don't know that," he whispered, listening to the calming rolling waves. Maxwell offered his best friend a smile. "I don't know that, you don't know that, and not even the rest of them. But to risk everything again is silly, no, just plain stupid!"

The other male glared at him.

"It is not!" he snapped, slamming his hand against the stoned wall. Maxwell knew his friend better than most, but he knows that he was stopped by one of his friend's many barriers. It hurt, but nothing could break them down.

"It is stupid and you know that, William!" he hissed. He tugged at his locks with frustration. "If you knew anything, anything that-" "My dear lord, Will! Would you just shut up and listen to yourself? Can you honestly risk everything, our lives, the secrets, and..and, well, everything!" he shouted.

A scowl appeared on William's lips, but he did not dare to say anything back at the fuming blond. Silence took over between them, only the sounds of his friend's frustrated sighs and ground teeth could be heard.

"Yes," William said, licking his lips before glaring at Maxwell. "Yes, I will risk everything, even you." he said in an honest tone. Maxwell's eyes soften at his words. He knew that everything was like a tool to his best friend.

Even him, the most worn-out tool of them all. Though, he didn't mind. He knows that this was the closet thing to caring to his friend.

With a sigh, he stared at his friend in a pleading manner.

"Fine. Go back to repeat the same mistake, but this time, I'm coming with you to see you make this mistakes and rub it in your face when this whole thing is over," he said, knowing he lost this battle. A soft smile tugged on his best friend's lips.

An empty smile, but a smile none the less.

"Thank you, Maxwell."

"It's all for the better."

"That we end this?"

Silence.

"Yes. That we end this here."

Cry.


She sprung up with a heaving chest and even a heavier heart. Dull pain ached in her chest, making her place her hand against it as if she were trying to protect it's shattered pieces from the world. As if she was pretend.

Mikan laid her head against her knees, staying silent in her dorm room. With every movement she made, it was like another piece of heavy lead being added onto her heart. Ever since the funeral, she cannot stop the cycle.

Sleep. Eat. Work. Cry.

It has been two weeks since the funeral and the wound is still open. Still fresh. And it hurt so much. She let out a shuddering sigh, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. For the past week, she has gotten better.

Until these little snippets of these...these...

"Nightmares," she whispered, clutching her head in between her hands.

Nightmares of something painfully familiar. With a sigh, Mikan laid her head back down the pillow, her blood-shot eyes heavy. She was tired, both mentally and physically. She held onto her blankets tighter, letting her pain dull. Only time will make her forget. She can't stand surrealism. She lived into Alice Academy too long to even feel real life.

Everything here was out of the ordinary. Light. Humorous.

She always loved life's dreamlike sense, it was an easier way to deal with things. Things that she didn't want to deal with. Things like this. Her brown eyes stared at the digital clock on her nightstand, but before she could read the numbers, she closed her eyes.

"It will always hurt," she whispered.


"It's better if you smile."

"I can't. It's too sad."

Author's Note: Seriously I didn't intend on making this chapter so angsty, but I have to start with somewhere, don't I? Now before you start yelling at me for making Mikan sad, I have a reason to!

Now, as for William and Maxwell, you have to wait who they are. They're not who you're expecting them to be, trust me...Or should you trust me? Anyway, just have fun with weaving with your thoughts on what's going to happen in the next chapter! Aha!

Aha! Well, anyway, this is just a note for everyone to read so they can take this into consideration.

If anyone is a beta, I'm in the need of a beta. I'm not good at proofreading and all, so the fact that having a beta would be just...amazing... Ahaha, well, the offer will stand here and all. So if anyone would like to beta this story for me, just notify me!

Also, I will be very grateful and thank you a thousands of 'thank you's'!

Well, that's about it! I'll update soon as possible. Wink wink, nudge nudge Reviews are welcomed!