So this has been bugging me for a while now.

This happens without the discovery of Mikan's Stealing and Insertion Alice. So the events are staged as if Gakuen Alice was set in the modern time, and the ESP was still alive.

Mikan and Natsume are 17 in this fic (Juniors in High School).

Songfic/fanfic

Song is "The Story Of Us" by the awesome Taylor Swift. (DISCLAIMER: THE SONG WAS NOT WRITTEN BY ME, NOR AM I CLAIMING OWNERSHIP OF THIS SONG)

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN G.A AND I NEVER WILL.

xoxo lexi1989

THE STORY OF US

xOneshotx

NATSUME's POV

It's that damn song again. Why did that Swift girl have to be so articulate with her feelings? And why does the universe punish me by playing it everywhere I went? Central Town, the cafeteria, even some kid was singing it while passing by my spot near the Northern Forest.

~I used to think one day, we'd tell the story of us~

~How we met and the sparks flew instantly~

~And people would say "they're the lucky ones"~

We met the day I tried to escape the academy. And boy did sparks fly when I blew up that wall near the entrance. Literally. Sparks flew even more when we were acquainted. I hated you so much for coming here willingly when we would trade anything we have here for a life like you've lived outside these walls. I hated the fact that you always had a stupid smile on your face, no matter how much I or the others bullied you. I hated how I thought you looked beautiful, even though I said the exact opposite. I hated how I could never say it out loud.

I used to hate you with a passion. You and your stupid smiles. I hate the way I looked at you as the light in my darkness. Because you stuck with me in the most difficult of times. Even if, at the tender age of ten, you were convinced no one would marry you because I took off your panties. But even after then, you never doubted, you tried your best to befriend everyone, especially me and when I somehow relented, you never wavered, no matter what life threw at you, against all odds; you were still at my side. I loved you for it. And even if I showed it to you in a peculiar way with all the bickering, teasing and bullying, everybody seemed to see it. And they said it was what made our love special.

~Now I'm searching the room for an empty seat~

~Coz lately I don't even know what page you're on~

I walk alone now, searching for you. I head to the cafeteria and I don't see you. The tables and seats are full. People are looking at me all weird, maybe because I'm not with you. I walk away with my hands in my pockets, thinking hard to myself on where you could be. I think of the last time we talked. We had argued about my missions. You told me to stop pushing myself. I told you I couldn't stop because I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. You told me you don't understand. I couldn't tell you he would get you and use you against me. He would hurt you to hurt me. I didn't want to scare you away. I needed you too much. I pushed you away instead. I told you to forget about me. I thought I could live just by seeing you safe.

~Oh, a simple complication~

~Miscommunication lead to fall out~

~So many things that I wish you knew~

~So many walls up I can't break through~

I spot you inside the classroom, surrounded by our peers. Your eyes are all puffy and red, and they're swollen like you cried all night. I hate seeing you like that. I wanted to go to you, but I couldn't. There was too much at stake. Instead of going to my seat beside you, I opt to just stand in the corner. I'm dying inside to tell you how much I'm sorry for making you cry, but I can't. I bet you hate me right now and I can't blame you for doing so. I can't do anything to make you happy and safe at the same time. I'm such a failure.

~Now I'm standing alone, in a crowded room and we're not speaking~

~And I'm dying to know, is it killing you like it's killing me yeah~

~I don't know what to say since the twist of fate~

~When it all broke down and the story of us~

~Looks a lot like a tragedy now~

~NEXT CHAPTER~

MIKAN's POV

~How'd we end up this way?~

~See me nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy~

~And you're doing your best to avoid me.~

I sit and fidget with anything I can get my hands on. My hair, my clothes, my pen, my notebook. I panicked seeing you walk into the room. With what happened, I was a hundred percent sure you would skip class like you always do. Looks like I really didn't know you that well enough. I distract myself by talking to the others, trying to get them to explain a random problem I already know how to solve. You taught me how to do it. Ugh. Why does everything have to relate back to you? What happened to us? I look at you, sitting at the desk next to mine as you nonchalantly read your stupid manga like you do everyday. The only difference is you pretend I don't even exist.

~I'm starting to think one day I'll tell the story of us~

~How I was losing my mind when I saw you here~

~But you held your pride like you should have held me.~

The bell rings and the teachers announce a free day. Everybody but the usual few cheers out loud. They stay in the classroom yet oddly enough we are left alone at our desks. Even our best friends know better than to distance us given we are already miles apart even if we were sitting just next to each other. I want to talk to you but I don't know where to start. You already make it so clear that you don't want to be with me. Even if I don't understand your reasons for leading me on, I want to.

"Natsume, can we talk?"

~Oh, I'm scared to see the ending~

~Why are we pretending this is nothing~

~I'd tell you I missed you but I don't know how~

~I never heard silence quite this loud~

I'm answered by your silence. Not even a simple 'Hn' like you would retort with before. I want to understand. But at the same time I don't know if I even want to. I miss you but I know telling you will do no good. It's killing me inside to not be able to talk to you. Of being oh so near, but yet still very far. I steal a glance at you and our eyes meet and lock briefly. I see regret swimming in your crimson pools but I wasn't sure what it was for. If it was regret for ever being involved with me, or regret that we fought. Everything is confusing to me. And I feel like I'm going to burst into flames any moment now. I was never the smartest in our group and I never will be. As quickly as I saw that flicker of emotion in your eyes, it goes away, and your expression turns stoic and cold. I stand up and go talk to our other friends in the corner. I give up and leave you be.

~Now I'm standing alone, in a crowded room and we're not speaking~

~And I'm dying to know, is it killing you like it's killing me yeah~

~I don't know what to say since the twist of fate~

~When it all broke down and the story of us~

~Looks a lot like a tragedy now~

This goes on for the next few months. We avoid each other. We ignore each other and eventually I pretend I don't care anymore. I smile like I used to. The only difference is that I smile with my mouth curved upwards yet my eyes are always dull and glassy. They never notice. I had gotten better at hiding my real feelings now. I may not be a good liar but I'm good at masking my feelings. I must have picked it up from being around you for so long. Everyone believes I am back to normal. It's usual teenager romance-break up stuff. Everyone believes I am back to the usual Mikan. The happy, smiling Mikan. I let them see the Mikan they want to see. The Mikan that was happy when she was with you. Nobody sees the broken and lonely Mikan tucked away deep inside me.

You revert back to the silent, loner introvert who barely acknowledges anyone's presence unless it's your best friend. You're back on that pedestal that you put yourself on. It's higher than ever, with walls of titanium around it. Unreachable as always. You go back to your uncaring ways.

~This is looking like a contest.~

~Of who can act like they care less~

~But I liked it better when you were on my side.~

It's been a year. Life is normal-ish. I'm used to your non-existent yet very acknowledgeable presence next to me. If that even makes sense?

Of course the universe is a torture machine. It just had to put us in the same class every year and our teachers even more so, making us sit together in every class, Stupid, right? Soon, our break up became one of those academy legendary breakups. It must go into the Academy's history as the only two people who never spoke to each other after breaking up, even when it's already been a year and they're about to graduate and lead separate lives. There must be an award for that.

Soon enough, when they felt they could safely approach me, guys began to ask me out. I would always decline, feigning focus on my studies and brush them off completely. If they ask if I still loved you, I would always just say "No" with my eyes downcast.

It was on one such occasion that I was surrounded by a group of guys, edging out one of their own to ask me out when the offending question was brought up.

"Why won't you go out with my friend? Don't tell me you're still in love with that jerk Hyuuga?"

"N-No!" Again, I vehemently denied my feelings without looking at them.

You suddenly step out of the shadows and grab my hand, dragging me behind you. Nobody reacts and leaves us be. You take me to our spot, our Sakura tree. It's been a while since I have been here. We stand in its shade, facing each other, an arm's length away. Lips unmoving, but eyes filled with the emotions we dare not say.

~The battle's in your hands now~

~But I would lay my armor down~

~If you'd say you'd rather love than fight~

~So many things that you wish I knew~

~But the story of us might be ending soon~

NATSUME's POV

I don't know what possessed me to grab her hand like that and bring her here. That damn song has been stuck in my mind since last year and I couldn't stop thinking about it. How I didn't want us to end up like it. And here I am now, throwing all my restraint for the last year out the window. I didn't keep tabs on her like I usually did today, I was just walking towards here when I heard my name.

"Why won't you go out with him? Don't tell me you're still in love with that jerk Hyuuga?"

I took a step back into the corner that I was about to turn to and waited for your answer. She was the only one always being asked that, as I've been told. I would be hearing the answer personally for the first time today. My heart was skipping madly and I didn't realize I was holding in my breath.

"N-No!" Funny how I can no longer tell if you're lying or not.

And I felt all the emotions I had kept bottled up burst from inside. Just like what you see with those experimental videos where you place a Mentos into soda. That kind of burst. I had acted impulsively. And now I didn't know what to do. She didn't complain when I took her here. She didn't say a thing and didn't look at me either. Her bangs were covering her face, and she was looking at your feet.

"Is it true?" My voice is barely a whisper but I knew she heard me because she stiffened slightly.

I grow frustrated as every waking minute passes in silence. Silence that engulfs the both of us, deafening as a sonic boom.

"Answer me Mikan." She looks up as I say her name.

"No."

"No, what? No, you don't want to answer? No, what you said isn't true? Or No, you really aren't in love with me anymore?" I see her trembling and she suddenly clenches her fists and takes a swing at me that I easily dodge.

"DAMN IT! YOU ARE SO SELF-CENTERED HYUUGA! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? THE WORLD DOESN'T REVOLVE AROUND YOU, YOU ARROGANT, SELFISH BASTARD!" She turned and started to walk away.

It was now or never.

"But my world revolves around you." She stopped abruptly and turned towards me.

"What did you say?" I hated myself for making her cry again. Her cheeks were wet and stained by her running mascara.

"I said, My world revolves around you Mikan."

She laughs and I stare at her with a dumbfounded expression.

"That is so typical of you Hyuuga. Is this your idea of a joke? You break up with me then say things like that to me after a year of ignoring me while I wallowed in misery trying to move on? You have such a sick twisted mind."

"I'm sorry." The word feels foreign when it leaves my lips. I figured, that wasn't enough so without thinking, I told her how I felt.

"I got scared. Scared that if they found out about the person that I loved, they would do something to you."

"Who?" Her expression is unreadable. Her guard was up.

"Persona, the ESP, the academy, the AAO, the people I've hurt during missions. They all have the power to take you away and hurt you just to get me, get back at me, or hurt me. I couldn't and wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you because of me. I would rather you live your life without me, than for you to get hurt because you chose to love me."

"It wasn't your choice to make Natsume! It was mine! You said so yourself. I chose to love you. And I would think you know me enough than to make those choices for me. You've already pushed me away numerous times before we even became a couple! After all we've been through, do you really think I could just walk away from you like that? I couldn't! Because I freakin' love you dammit!"

I couldn't say anything more. I took two steps and wrapped my arms around her, tight. She struggles at first, a weak attempt of showing she was trying to resist, but then she just dropped her hands and sobbed on my chest.

"I'm sorry." I said as soon as she stopped crying. I wiped the tears from her cheeks and brushed away the hair that was a wet clumpy mess on her face.

"What now?" She looks at me with those beautiful brown eyes, and the ice around my heart melts. My mind however is running into overdrive.

"I don't know." Uncertainty taints my voice. And it's true, for the first time, I have never felt so unsure in my life.

"That's not enough, Natsume." She broke off from my embrace. She turned to me one last time before she whispered the last words I ever heard from her ever.

"Don't bother letting me know the answer. I'm tired of this. Goodbye Natsume" Then she walked away.

We were never alone together again. Senior year came by in a blur and she was still my seatmate. Just that. A seatmate. I see her everywhere, with her friends that were also my friends, but I never joined them.

~Now I'm standing alone, in a crowded room and we're not speaking~

~And I'm dying to know, is it killing you like it's killing me yeah~

~I don't know what to say since the twist of fate~

~When it all broke down and the story of us~

~Looks a lot like a tragedy now now now~

We graduate today. I look at her across the room and she never lets her eyes meet my gaze. I want to talk to her but I remember the last words she said to me and I just shrug off the aching in my heart. When the ceremony ends, I walk away from this prison finally, losing a lot more than when I first came here. I came here with my best friend, now I walk away alone. My heart, and my life lost the day I pushed her away.

~And we're not speaking~

~And I'm dying to know, is it killing you like it's killing me yeah~

~I don't know what to say since the twist of fate~

~Coz we're going down and the story of us~

~Looks a lot like a tragedy now~

THE END

Silence envelopes the room and something or someone is poking my shoulder.

"Ne Natsume?" I rub the sleep away from my eyes and I see Mikan looking at me with a funny smile on her face. I'm confused. Why was she in my room? Didn't we break up?

She holds up something in her hand and my eyes widen as she gives me a triumphant smirk.

"I was knocking on your door for twenty minutes. You were supposed to take me out to Central Town and buy me Howalons! I entered using the spare key you gave me. Imagine my surprise to find you listening to this on your phone! I didn't know you were a fan of Tay-tay Natsume!"

She shows me the screen on my phone where my earbuds were dangling from.

Now Playing: The Story Of Us – Taylor Swift

On Repeat

I discreetly wipe off the sweat on my body and notice that we are wearing the uniform for Juniors.

"Polka?"

"Yes Natsume?"

"How old are we right now?" She looked at me like I was crazy but answered nonetheless.

"17. Ne, why are you asking weird questions right now?"

"No reason." I pulled her into a tight hug and sniff her hair that smells like strawberries.

'It was just a damn dream.'

Didn't really want to end it on a sad note.

So there you go.. another oneshot by moi!

ADVISORY: 'The Guy Next Door' will be updated soon. Thanks for bearing with me ;)

Enjoy!

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Ja Ne!

xoxo lexi1989