Sorry for the late update I just got a new computer after a bad crash.
Mikan's P.O.V
The car ride home with Hotaru was quiet, I had missed her so much but at the same time I couldn't quite understand what caused us to lose touch for so long. Was I that much of an annoyance to her? This day had been so exhausting, so much for my normal life, and what's with this Natsume guy? Was he the one I had been having those terrible nightmares about?
"Hotaru why are you back? I thought you had to stay in the academy until graduation." I broke through the awkward silence. Hotaru glanced over in my direction and stayed silent for a long time, almost like she was deciding what lie to feed me. I sighed, "Tell the truth, I know that look."
"I ran away." She stated bluntly.
"You ran away!?" I emphasized the 'ran', as far as I remember the Hotaru from elementary school was not a runner. "You didn't drop out did you?" I asked in disbelief.
"No of course not, I'm not an idiot like you." She snapped, her fingers gripped the steering wheel aggressively and I could see the stress building in her features. "It was a terrible school, I wasn't allowed to leave. So I left on my own, so I could come back and you could know the truth about your past."
"My past? How do you know anything about that. I haven't seen you since we were nine Hotaru you aren't making sense." My mind reeled as I tried to recall memories that didn't exist in my mind. Hotaru looked at me from the corner of her eye before pulling down a back road, and parking the small car on the curb. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to look at me, determination in her eyes.
"Mikan, you need to know about your memories. They have been feeding you lies to protect you but now that Natsume, Ruka and myself are out of the academy it is time for us to take you away from here and get your life back."
I looked at her dumbfounded, "Natsume!? What does that creep have to do with this, I have never met him in my life! Also, who is Ruka? Hotaru are you sure you are feeling okay?" I reached my right hand out to feel her forehead but she slapped it away so quickly I didn't have time to blink. "Ow.."
"Would you listen to me you idiot." Her eyebrow twitched as she leaned over the front seat to grab her black purse, she tore the zipper open and rustled around the small bag before pulling out a picture and throwing it on my lap. My eyes travelled over the image carefully, and I could feel my throat start to close up. The picture showed me, maybe eleven years old in a room with Hotaru, a young boy with dark hair and crimson eyes, and many other children all dressed in the same uniform.
"Ho-how is this.. how is this possible?" Tears stung the back of my eyes and fear bubbled up my stomach. "Those are Alice Academy uniforms... and there we are." I looked up at her expectantly. I was definitely ready to listen now.
"This may be too much for you to handle at once, so I will give you the cliff notes version." She sighed and adjusted herself in her seat, "Shortly after I left you followed me to the academy, which is a school for children with.." She trailed off, "Er, powers." I starred at her and waited her her to continue, after the day I had I wasn't about to question anything, even a crazy school for super powered kids. "It turns out you held one of those powers, the ability to nullify another's power. So you were enrolled and attended school for almost two years with us. Something happened and you lost your abilities.. so you were kicked from the school along with your memories."
"What happened?" My voice cracked, my throat was so dry I felt like I was going to pass out. What kind of place would take someone's memories. How could my grandpa lie to me for so many years?
Hotaru looked at me sympathetically and sighed, "I think that's enough for today Mikan." And as much as I wanted her to keep going, my head was pounding from information overload. I nodded and she turned the car back on, "Don't be angry with your grandfather, he really didn't have a say in the matter." I didn't respond, just starred blankly ahead the rest of the ride home.
It had been three days since I attended school, I convinced my grandpa I had the flu. I couldn't get the nightmares from my sleep, couldn't stop the sickening feeling in my stomach that something wasn't right. My entire life was a lie, all my memories were erased. I felt so scared and confused I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. So I didn't, I stayed home. On that particular morning my grandpa was running errands when I heard the knock on my front door. I groaned loudly in frustration as I literally rolled out of bed, put my slippers on and angrily walked down the hallway to the door, without looking I swung it open.
My heart stopped. In the doorway stood the last person I ever wanted to see, Hyuuga Natsume. "What the hell! How do you know where I live?" I screeched forgetting how loud my voice could get.
He winced and covered his ears, "Calm down ugly, Hotaru gave me your address." He shoved his hands in his black slack pockets and smirked at me, I regrettably admitted that he was indeed gorgeous. I hated myself immediately.
"Ugly?! Did you harass my best friend for my location, stalk me down, disrupt my nice day off just to call me lame insults? What are you doing here, have you come to stroke my face again?" I spat at him, I wasn't supposed to move out of bed today, he ruined everything.
"I know Hotaru quite well, thanks, she gave me your location willingly. Also, I would say you are cute when you're angry.." He drawled and inched slightly closer, "However the care bear pyjamas are ruining it for me little girl." I felt the blood rush to my face as I realized I was in my nighty, which I hadn't changed out of for two days with my hair that hadn't been washed in just as long. "Are you going into hibernation?" He teased, "Why haven't you been to school?"
"Why do you care?" I looked at him quizzically, "I don't even know you. I know that I am supposed to but I don't."
A look flashed through his eyes and he drew close to me, before I knew it I was backed against the door frame, his face just inches from mine. "Because I know you, and I remember you, so I am allowed to care about your well being." He reached his hand up and brushed strands of hair from my face, I felt my blood rush through me and my heart beat was racing. He was too close, I couldn't breathe, couldn't think straight, "No, I don't know you!" I pushed against his chest and he stumbled back.
"Yes you do Mikan," His eyebrows knitted together, I could tell he was frustrated, but so was I.
"No I don't! I don't know you! I don't remember you! So get away and leave me alone!" I turned around to run into the house but he grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me back forcefully. I could barely meet his gaze but his face was filled with such hurt I could feel the guilt bursting out of me.
"You don't get to just forget me! I had to live without you for years, maybe it is painful to not remember, but think of what it's like to be forgotten!" His voice boomed through the cool September day and tears sprung to my eyes, before I knew it I was crying uncontrollably and Natsume was hugging me so tightly I couldn't function. For some reason I felt safe with this stranger. This someone I used to know. For a moment I felt okay.
"I'm sorry," My voice squeaked quietly against his school shirt, I didn't know what else to say. I had no idea what the terms of our friendship were, no idea how close we were, what kind of things we shared. But I could only imagine what it would feel like if my grandpa or Hotaru had forgotten me. "I'm all sorts of messed up right now."
"You were always all sorts of messed up." He stated coolly, I shoved him away for the second time.
"What is wrong with you? One second you are making me feel guilty and wishing I could remember our time together and the next you are insulting me! You are the messed up one!" I waved my finger at him, raising my voice higher than necessary.
"Whatever you say care bears, just wait until I get your memory back for you." He patted my head like I was a five year old that won a spelling bee.
"How do you plan on doing that?" I raised an eyebrow at him and shook my head.
"I'd like to know that too." A familiar voice came from the yard. I looked up at there was Akito, standing 6 foot tall, sandy brown hair spiked up and matching eyes looking at me full of confusion. "Who's this Mikan? And where have you been, you haven't answered any of my calls or texts." He crossed his arms over his chest and shot Natsume a rather nasty looking glance.
"Uh, this is Natsume. He's a, um.. childhood friend." I looked over at Natsume who was starring at me blankly, "Natsume this is Akito, my boyfriend."
His face went pale.
Hope you enjoyed, review!
