Sorry that it took so long for this to come up, but I've been having problems so it might kind of affect the time the chapters will be up. Though, I wouldn't worry much if I were you since it's I've been trying to write bit by bit everyday. So everything will come and go.

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

Disclaimer: If I owned Gakuen Alice, I would have made Natsume wear leather pants and completely overpower Mikan with his drop dead gorgeous sexiness, but that's not going to happen anytime soon!

Inspired by: "I'm still Breathing" by Katy Perry.

This chapter is dedicated to all those who lost a loved one. :(

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."


Chapter One

I'm still Breathing

"Every little thing is sad. Even this rock."

Blink.

"That doesn't make sense,"

Brown eyes watched the leaves quiver under the cold breeze's touch. She tuned out the teacher's lecture, not caring if she would get punished for not paying attention. There was no joyful smile on her lips, only a smile of emptiness.

Two months.

It has been two months since her grandfather's death and it still hurt. Two months since those dreams started. Two months of undeniable pain. Though, the pain dulled, leaving her somewhat numb. It was as if she can't feel the warmth on the sunniest days or cold wind at night.

Something wet rolled down her cheeks. She lifted her hand to catch the escaping tear, not caring if anyone saw. It all seemed like an eternity before a voice brought her back from her void.

She lifted up her tired eyes, staring into a pool of bright eyes.

"Mikan-chan, let's go to Central Town together!" the blond grinned, only to receive a small shake of her head. She refused to go anywhere besides the canteen and her dorm room. A small pout appeared on Koko's lips.

"What about Mr. Bear's house?"

Again, she shook her head. The mind-reader sighed at his friend's stubborn behavior, but then again she has been like this since that happened. Always refusing to go anywhere besides class, her dorm room, and the canteen. His expression looked grim at the thought, but it disappeared quickly as it had when it came up.

"Then let's go on a date."

"Wait, wha?" she said, taken by surprised. A grin spread on Koko's lips at his friend's reaction. "Ahaha! Kidding, kidding!" he laughed, slapping her back. Mikan gave him a weary smile. "I'm okay, Koko. Go on ahead. Anna is waiting for you," she said, pushing him slightly.

Koko blushed.

A small smile tugged on the corners of her lips. With pursed lips, Koko tugged on her hand, pulling her out of her seat. Her eyes widen at the sudden movement. Koko grinned a cat-like grin. "C'mon chika! The world is fresh! See, oh, oh! Look!" he yelled out in an excited tone, pointing out the window.

Mikan followed his pointed gaze, only to see falling leaves. "There's nothing there," she said in a tired tone. Koko shook his finger at her. "No, no! You're being too closed-minded....Look closer," he whispered.

Mikan squinted her eyes, trying to see an image that her friend was telling her to see. She sighed.

"Like I said, there's nothing there. Only leaves falling," she said with a small frown. The blond mind-reader 'tsked' at her. "Well, I see a girl standing right here," he pointed at her reflection.

"A beautiful girl with a big smile....Lots of friends....Funny...Loving....."

A small smile tugged on the brunette's lips.

"Oh, not to mention a bit dumb," he laughed. She gave him a light punch on the arm. "I resent that!" she exclaimed, smiling. Kokoro smiled down at her, pointing to her heart. "I see a girl who needs some girl time, now c'mon!" he said in a dorky fashion, tugging her out of the classroom.

"But you're not even a girl!"

~xXx~

"Honestly Natsume, you didn't have to yell at the flight attendant!" a blond teen grumbled, searching his pockets for some change. The boy that stood next to him rolled his eyes. "Well, what was I suppose to do? Tell her that I don't want my fucking crotch to be touched?" he asked incredulously.

A mother that stood next to them gasped, covering her child's ears.

"Don't use such language around children!" the woman scolded, stomping off with her child.

Natsume rolled his eyes.

"Women," he grumbled. The blue-eyed boy next to him shot his friend a small glare. "One: You didn't have to say that out loud, two: well, you still didn't have to yell at her, and three: where's the bathroom?"

"Why in the world would you ask me where the hell the bathroom is, Ruka? Ask one of those..people who work here!" the dark-haired male waved his hand, rolling his eyes. Ruka, his right-hand man and forever, loyal best friend sighed at his words.

"It was a rhetorical question, Natsume," he said with a small sigh.

With a frustrated sigh, the crimson-eyed boy ran his hand through his hair.

"Sorry about that, Ruka. I don't like changes, especially this one," he said with a sigh. The blond bit his lower lip, restraining himself to tell his best friend the truth. The awful truth about this trip, but he can't.

He wasn't allowed.

~xXx~

"-he so did! And then you know what he said to him? 'I rather bite you when you're awake'! That's so cool and suave! And then he-"

Mikan didn't pay much attention to the conversation, though she did catch a few words here and there, and it was very interesting if you catch bits of her friends' conversation.

She was dragged to Central Town by her mind-reading friend and soon enough her other friends helped Koko drag her along. Though, it was nice to sit with her friends, but somehow, she didn't have enough energy to keep up with her friends' friendly banter. Though, it has been awhile since she had the energy to do anything at all.

"And I have some juicy news to tell all of you!" Anna said in a sing-song tone, catching everyone's attention, including hers. The pink-haired cook smiled at them, knowing that they're dying to know what she found out this time.

She was, of course, their unlimited source of juicy, yet true, informative gossip.

"Okay, there's about four-thousand, three-hundred sixty-five students here. Now, if you add two, how much is that?" Anna asked, smirking behind her tea cup.

"Two?" Koko answered, raising a brow while he held up two fingers.

Anna looked at the blond with a 'Can't-You-Be-Serious-At-Least-Once?' kind of look.

Koko, who was currently grinning sheepishly at her, scratched the back of his head. "Well, you said how many and that's two!"

The violet-eyed glanced at her best friend, who was currently smiling at the two casual, but cute banter.

Sometimes, you just wonder when two people will jsut shut up and realize.

"So you're saying that two new students are coming here? Big whoop. There's nothing special about that," Hotaru said, who was currently taking a sip of her tea. Anna pursed her lips at Hotaru's comment. Mikan, who smiled, shook her head at them all.

"But these students aren't just NEW students! They're new .HOTT. MALE .TESTOSTERONE-DRIVEN students!" Anna screamed out the words 'hott, male, and testosterone-driven' for effect.

Mikan had to check if she could still hear.

Silence.

"Oh jee, I'm excited. Why don't you just add some more jackasses here, it's not like we don't have enough, but we do!" Hotaru's blunt, yet sarcastic reply interrupted the awkward quietness, which brought the whole group to stomach-clenching laughter.

'It's good to laugh,' Mikan thought.

~xXx~

"That will be the last time I'm going to ride a taxi in Japan!" Natsume grumbled underneath his breath, his eyes tired and slightly blood-shot from lack of sleep. Ruka chuckled, shaking his head as he paid the cab driver.

The one-eyed cab driver counted the bills and with one last puff of smoke, he drove off.

Ruka coughed.

'Very polite,' he thought.

With his luggages at his side, he faced his new home with a hopeful grin.

"I guess we're home," he said with a sigh. Natsume rolled his eyes at him before walking up to the guards to show their ID and information.

"Another place to live and crap," he muttered, ignoring the guards' glare. Ruka shook his head at his friend's words, but he knew that Natsume was content to be finally here. Just take away the sarcasm, the jackass-ish-ness, the cold glare, and you'll probably get a half-sincere comment from him.

Just half since that's all he can give right now.

"Well, I'm here."

"So you are,"

"What? No hug?"

Smile.

"Nope."


Here goes my ranting!

I liked writing this chapter even though it took me a long time to find the right inspiration to write it. So this doesn't really make them meet each other automatically, but we have to live on something don't we?
But what made me finish this chapter? Well, maybe because of the song 'I'm still Breathing' by Katy Perry, the trouble I'm having right now in life, and maybe a new harboring crush.

But, shh! The author needs to lay low!

Well, I hope you liked the new beginning of this plot that I took out of my old, yet...not very well-written story, 'Alot Like Love', but it's still up for reading. Oh, and do review, alert, or whatever!