Hey guys (: This is for May Madness. Don't know what that is? Check out my profile. It's under the links.

It'd be much appreciated if you could check out my other stuff. I'd especially love some feedback on The Malevolent Bane of Her Existence and Nobody's Home. Ooh, and vote on the poll in my profile, too (:

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Anyway, let's get this show on the road!

Disclaimer: I own this story. Tachibana Higuchi owns Gakuen Alice. Oui, oui? (:

Dedication: All you lovely people. But most especially this . pen . is . red (no spaces), aka Maria, though, because I read her fic Electron Configuration and for some reason it inspired me to write this O-o. By the way, she's an awesome author. If you haven't checked her out, DO IT. NAO.

Necessary Measures

You open your eyes and stare at the ceiling of your two-star room. The plain white color never used to bother you, but staring at it now you feel utterly disgusted by how innocent it looks. You wonder if that's how people view you – innocent and unknowing. You wonder how today's going to be like. Humourlessly, you laugh, taking note of how idiotic you would look if someone happened to storm into your room right at that moment. You're spread eagle onto the bed, sheets wrapped around you, your pillows strewn everywhere. You're Anna Umenomiya. Today was going to be the exact same as every day. It wasn't as if you were ever the center of attention.

Not that you wanted to be, right?

You quickly convince yourself that you are perfectly fine. You're average. And you like it that way.

You pick yourself up off your bed. Your sheets and pillowcases are as equally annoying as your ceiling. They're pink, with roses printed on it. Everyone expects that of you. After all, you're Anna Umenomiya. They expect you to be outgoing and nice and full of sunshine. They expect you to be as sweet as your alice is. Now that you think about it, they practically expect you to be Mikan.

Except the thing is, you aren't Mikan. And as much as you sometimes wish you were…You never will be.

It's not because she's dating the second most feared in the school or that her best friend is the ice queen. Oh, no. You've got your sights set on someone, someone with slanted eyes and a kind face, that you would never replace for misunderstood bad boy Natsume Hyuuga. And your best friend is Nonoko Ogasawara, chatty and helpful and full of energy. You'd never put Hotaru Imai over her.

That isn't the issue. Maybe it's because Mikan never seems to work for anything and yet has it, unlike you. Maybe it's because you're both so alike and yet people treat you both differently. What is it? Is it just the difference in looks, perhaps? It's obvious that she's a lot prettier than you. It's a no-brainer.

You think for a moment. The difference physically is probably why they all treat her better. Better, you think bitterly. Better? It shames you that you ever thought of that. Of course she has problems! How can you even take that fact out of the spotlight?

Then you're angry at yourself. How can you be so selfish? Mikan does a lot for this hellhole, falling in love with Natsume, taking Ruka out of his shell, making the ice queen feel friendship. She befriends everyone, and as much as everyone thinks you are kind, she is the kindest person anyone could ever meet. Mikan deserves all the attention she gets and all the kind words she receives.

The fact that you'd ever think you could be up to par with her disgusts you. You aren't even close! How can you compare yourself?

You're fuming and upset as you open your closet to take out your freshly laundered uniform. I'm completely ridiculous, you think. I should just suck it up. My problems are nothing.

You then realize you have another difference from Mikan. Something your alice does show about your personality, but everyone overlooks. You can't blame them, because it isn't obvious.

I have an inner demon.

You press your palms against the wall, trying to restrain yourself. What the hell was happening to you?

It'll be fine as soon as I get to class, you think. I'll be happy, smiley Anna again.

I'll be the Anna that will forever remain a pathetic piece of trash worth absolutely nothing.

"Anna," Nonoko starts tentatively. You take a deep breath before turning to her, pasting on a fake smile even though you know it won't work. You think the lonely atmosphere is overpowering. Or maybe that's just you.

"Yeah, what do you want?"

Nonoko's next words hit you with their bluntness. "You've been a bitch all day."

You retreat in surprise, eyebrows knit together in confusion. "I've been what?"

"Anna, I said that you've been a bitch all day." Her words sink in, and your response surprises even you.

"So what," you retort rudely. "Honestly, who the fuck even cares if I have, Nonoko?"

It's quite apparent she's taken aback by your words as well. "I do, Anna. I care." She interrupts you as you open your mouth, probably aware of the comment that was about to come out of it. "Maybe that's not enough, but I'm pretty sure being a best friend comes with telling your best friend what's wrong."

You purse your lips, looking cross. "How sure are you that you're my best friend? Even my friend, for that matter?" Your hurtful words make you want to cry. Noko, you think weakly. I don't mean any of it, please…

Nonoko swallows and for a moment you're positive she's going to cry or renounce your friendship, maybe even slap you and spew out some colourful words. But she doesn't.

"Don't be like this, Anna. I'm sorry if it's me you're…mad at. I…I just want to help, alright? I don't like seeing you like this." She bites her lip and then all of a sudden you feel like hugging her.

But this sudden change doesn't want you to. This change wants you to veto any help. This change wants you to hate and destroy. It wants to be rebellious. It doesn't want you to be Anna. At least, the Anna they're all aware of.

"Fuck that," you say spitefully, turning away from her. "Nonoko, as if you actually want to help. I know your type. You don't even care. You never care. You just pretend to listen to my problems but you don't even think they are. I know they aren't, but it would be nice to have someone to listen. But no, my 'best friend' doesn't like to."

From the corner of your eye, you can see her standing up and turning the brightest shade of red you've ever seen. From anger and embarrassment, you note.

"You…How can you even say that, Anna?" She retorts lividly. "How can you tell me I don't care? How can you do this? You've been a bitch before, Anna, even if it was only once, but you've never gone so low. And how can you tell me you 'know my type'? What the fuck does that even mean, huh? Why don't you take your fucked shit and tell me something useful like that?" She looks like she wants to punch you, and you're hoping she does. Of course, the change doesn't. It's making your knuckles white from clenching them so hard. It makes your cheeks burn from fury. "You know what, fine. When you're man enough to admit how irrational you're being, then talk. Until then I won't be bothering you. Apparently that's all I am, right? I'm nothing but a burden?"

"In fact, you are. You're a bother and a freak. Get used to it." You want to punch yourself now, but you don't go through with it. Nonoko grits her teeth and sits back down in her seat, thoroughly irritated.

You only just notice how everyone in the class, including Narumi, had been staring at the two of you with a variety of startled faces.

And the expression that hits you the most is the disappointed look on Kitsuneme's.

It's been a while, and you've been going around, pissing people off. Your unexplained anger hasn't diminished. It's as if you were a Natsume replacement, almost. People are starting to be used to your illogical ways. It's been three weeks since you last talked to Nonoko, and inwardly you miss her. Your change, of course, forces you to suck it up. Mikan's the only one now who makes an effort to talk to you, other than Koko and Kitsuneme. Again you recoil inwardly. It hits you every time you think of when you tried comparing yourself to Mikan.

Mikan…Koko…Kitsuneme…They're good people, you think. Everyone else has left.

It hurt knowing Nonoko did too.

You quickly shake that feeling off, entering the classroom. In the three weeks announcing your change, you've only come to class thrice, which includes this time.

Mikan immediately greets you with a grin and a friendly hug that you don't return. "Hey Anna, I missed you! Were you sick?" Everyone knows you weren't, but it was better to act like they didn't know anything concerning your weekly disappearances. With your new, unpredictable self, it was hard to figure out how you would react.

Unpredictable, you try it out for size. You like the sound of it. I'm Anna Umenomiya. I'm unpredictable.

This is who I am.

All of a sudden, the things you did the past three weeks strike you like a pile of bricks.

This is who I am, you repeat in your head. This…This is who I am!

You're filled with unexplained joy. A grin breaks out onto your face.

"Yeah, I was, actually," you reply gleefully. Mikan releases her hold on you in shock, and you quickly leave the classroom and go back to your dorm. You slam the door open, taking note of your other enemies besides yourself. Right in front of you was the plain white ceiling and your pink, flowered bed. They were the things that revolted you on the day you decided to change.

There was nothing wrong with you, you realize. This was why people treated you different. This was why you thought they didn't care. This is why you thought you let something else change you. It was you. It was your own fault.

Frantically you search your dorm for something, anything.

This was why, you think. They treat me this way because this is who I've made myself out to be, when it's not.

At the end of your search, you take a deep, content sigh and dust yourself off, looking at your room.

The ceiling was painted turquoise, and the pink, flowered bed now had lilac-coloured bed sheets with a cookie-printed comforter.

Cookies described you more than flowers. Purple showed your inner demons more than no-conflict pink.

It's perfect.

It's you.

Now you can say it. My inner demons have stopped fighting with me.

We're on the same side now.

I'm putting this story on complete, but I might add an extra chapter or two, about some things that happened in the three weeks and Anna's make-up with Nonoko. It all depends on if I want to separate it in two chapters or just have it together. And if I have enough discipline to do so :P

So…yeah. Hope you guys read author's notes. It annoys me when people don't. GAH.

And yes I know the story kind of moved fast…I did work hard on it, though. I swear, I really did (:

Review? :3

-r-r.p