Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Alice Academy's Elites.
Good morning Central Tokyo-lites, Gossip Girl here, and I've got news to share. Earlier today we caught a glimpse of poor R with a terrible scarlet red blush leaving the dorms on his way to the orientation. What could have happened to him? Better question: Who could have happened? Hmmm. I'll know soon enough. Today also marks the official start of the student orientation and the star-placement exams. One of my sources: CURLYHAIREDCATGIRL08 sends me a tip that good ol' M was once a no-star and the only reason she is currently rooming with the certain wealthy tech-genius, H, is because she's scared of sleeping alone in the dark. How terribly tragic. Will she continue to "free-load" off of her so called "best friend" or can she finally hold her own ground in this year's exams? Spotted: N sitting on the ground alone looking dumbfounded as a certain brunette left him at the scene of crime with her head held high. Aw. That's too bad. Looks like you'll have to try harder than that to get her back. Better lock it down with M now that she's returned looking hotter than this season's Chanel Paris Collection because hot commodities run out…fast.
You know you love me.
xoxo
Gossip Girl
Mikan's POV:
Everyone tells me that when life throws you lemons, you gotta throw 'em back. Well. I threw 'em back all right. At stupid Natsume, that jerkface two-timing pervert on the loose. How was I supposed to remember his "special star" dorm room was down this hallway. I was only trying to get to me and Hotaru's room as soon as I could cause I was already later than that bunny rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. What was his name again? I don't know…Jeez. Just 'cause someone was in a bad mood this morning doesn't mean he has to take it out on poor innocent people. Oh well. At least Ruka-kun was nice. Oddly nice…
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously as I tugged my jumbled around bags and suitcase down the hallway flashing back to what had happened earlier…
FLASHBACK #1:
Me and that bozo brain were yelling at each other at the top of my lungs when all of a sudden…
"Uh..Natsu-tsu-me…" Ruka's voice interrupted abruptly but it was strangely tense and his words seemed all choked up.
"Oh…RUKA-PYON!" My face lit up at the sight of that friendly animal loving boy and I gave him a huge smile plus a teensy wave. But he didn't wave back…He just stared at me with the widest eyes I've ever seen him make and looked down onto the ground, hiding his expression behind his blonde bangs. Then, he mumbled something and dashed off. What a strange reaction. Maybe that jerk had done some secret signal to make him leave or something. THAT NATSUME PROLLY TOLD HIM BAD STUFF ABOUT ME AND NOW HE DOESN'T WANNA BE MY FRIEND ANYMORE! I glared at Natsume and kept yelling.
Then I remembered I was terribly late. Or wait? MAYBE I WAS REALLY LATE AND RUKA WENT TO THE ASSEMBLY ALREADY? Without a word, I grabbed my stuff curtly off the ground and zipped away down the hall as fast as I could away from that fart brain and towards Hotaru's room.
Natsume's POV:
That girl was the same old Mikan alright...on the inside. However, there was definitely something different about the outside. Something had changed and it was difficult to process entirely. Her hair had gotten longer...but that wasn't quite it. Maybe it was her height? No. Losing weight? Nah. Then just what the hell can it be? It's always stupid things like this that end up bothering the fuck out of me for no particular reason. Why did we even have to collide like that? Stupid girl always getting lost, always going the wrong way... My mind trailed off on such thoughts then flashbacks from the past began forming. No. Stop. What the fuck Natsume. Stop thinking about those stupid useless memories that meant nothing. It was all over.
I got up from where I had been sitting on the ground stupidly in that daze and dusted my pants off. Now where did Ruka run off to again? He had such a weird look in his eyes when he saw Mikan. Like he had never seen her before...but in a good way. It was kinda freaky. I hope I never see that on his face again.
Suddenly the stupid annoying intercoms in the empty European styled hallway blasted to life.
"WILL ALL ALICE ACADEMY STUDENTS PLEASE START REPORTING TO THE GREAT HALL FOR OUR OPENING CEREMONY? WE WILL BE STARTING IN 10 MINUTES. DO NOT BE LATE."
I rolled my eyes and glared nonchalantly at the nearest one right above my head blaring away with its nonsense. It instantly set on fire.
Hmmmph. Today was gonna be shitty. I could already tell.
Ruka's POV:
Get a hold of yourself Ruka, I ordered myself trying to calm my racing heart after I dashed away from the scene of crime. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. No, come on please stop it. I know it was stupid to talk to my heart but still...anything to keep it from beating at such an irregular, frenzied pace. What was wrong with me? Why did I freeze up and run away when I saw her? Why did I think Mikan Sakura was so...was so... beautiful all of a sudden? It's only been a couple of months since I last saw her. A girl can't change that much in a summer can she...? Did Natsume see me blush? Did I run away fast enough? All these questions began pouring in my mind as I clutched my rabbit while running down the hallway and stairs towards the main building for the opening ceremony.
Ruka, you old joker. It's time for you to stop kidding around. Who am I kidding? Mikan really isn't all that pretty, you prolly just ate something bad earlier... I mean her hair just got longer and fuller and shinier and softer and...NO. BAD RUKA.
I shook my head and squeezed my eyes tightly. Please let this be a bad dream.
"Ruka..." A crisply familiar, robotic feminine voice slamdunked me back to reality.
"I-Im-Imai-san!" My voice blurted out in shock from seeing the slendar black haired girl I once had a tiny crush on in the past lightly step off of her goose scooter that eerily hovered a feet above the air.
She slowly sauntered over to me and shot me with her piercing violet eyes that gazed suspiciously at me. Holy shit. She's...hot. I realized as I noticed how nicely her form fitted into her new middle school uniform, the short blue checkered skirt showed off her milky white legs though her hair was still cut short, it was actually kinda stylish and sophisticated looking. And woah... she had...boobs?
"Snap out of it you big perv Ruka..." I accidentally whispered out loud stunned by her mesmerizing prescence before noticing and turning the brightest shade of red.
"Ruka. I don't want to know what you are thinking nor am I flattered at such a remark." Hotaru smirked cooly and hopped back onto her scooter. "I was going to suggest you to stop choking your bunny while running with your eyes closed but I can see you have other problems that are far more concerning than what I just mentioned."
I was sure I was even redder than a tomato at this point. I couldn't even utter a peep. She gave me no room to talk let alone even think of anything to say back that would match her witty lash out. You are a useless piece of shit Ruka. I told myself over and over as she sped away chuckling in a monotone voice.
First Mikan...now Hotaru? I need a reality check.
Mikan's POV:
I finally arrived at the Great Hall ten minutes after I heard the announcements and quietly entered the open giganticnormous double-door entrance. My muscles tensed up as I scanned the amiable chattering rows of students in the 3 different varieties of uniforms based on age, desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of Hotaru and the others. But I failed. Awww...Why do these unlucky things always happen to me? Grrrr...Suddenly my eye fell on Tsubasa-sempai and his gang of seniors in the corner laughing loudly about some random thing. It was probably hilarious too knowing Tsubasa-sempai. I always felt comfortable with them. I smiled widely remembering our fun times in the Special Class during the past festivals and began skipping over to them excitedly, anticipating catching up with some old friends on life and summers.
"...So then I made that stupid asshole do 30 indian squats in front of a group of hot chicks!" I heard him exclaim wildly to his guy pals as another burst of laughter went around in the crowd.
"SO THEN... MIKAN MISSED HER SEMPAI!" I announced teasingly in an attempt to enter the conversation.
"An-wait...MIKAN-CHAN!" Tsubasa and his seniors whipped around and stared at me for the longest time. His mouth gaped open and he kept opening and closing it at a loss for words.
I frowned slightly...worried that I had some booger under my nose or something embarrassingly gross.
"Erm...are you guys okay? Is something wrong?" I carefully asked after the long awkward pause still continued.
"Ehhhhhhhhhhhh-ehhhhhhhhhhh Of course not guys...Right? Right?" Tsubasa finally mustered in a too high false tone to his buddies. "It's just that...HOLY COW SHIT. MIKAN. YOU'RE ALL GROWED UP."
His friends all nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Oh..." I narrowed my eyes a little then shifted my glance from side to side. Their eyes were still on me.
"OH TRUST ME MIKAN. IT ISN'T A BAD THING. HAHAHAHA!" Tsubasa yelled in an overly enthusiastic voice while getting up and putting his arm around me. "Come give your favorite sempai a hug!"
My thoughts finally relaxed as I wrapped my arms around him enjoying that familiar feeling I had whenever I needed Tsubasa-sempai and his hugs to calm me down and comfort me in the past.
But he was squeezing a bit harder than before...
Oh well. People are compassionate. I grinned after he pulled away and stood in front of me smiling.
"Mikan, Mikan, my Mikan-chan. You have become a BEEYOUTIFUL young lady." He winked at me and sat back down. "Come...wanna sit in my lap?"
It was gonna be just like old times again.
"Sure!" Without thinking, I hopped onto his lap and smiled around the circle at all the familiar seniors.
His friends all hooted and cheered as if Tsubasa had just scored a goal or something... and started nudging and winking at Tsubasa all funny.
"Oh come on guys, shut up. She's my little girl."
"Dude, wait till Misaki finds out." The guy with glasses with the possession alice stuck his tongue out jokingly, "She'll have a fit."
The pun alice guy smirked slyly and cut in, "Yo. He isn't with Misaki anymore remember what happened? Our lil Tsubasa is a naughty boy."
"That's right. You sure know how to get 'em and win 'em," Another guy tossed out as he winked at sempai.
"Uh..HUH?" I dragged out awkwardly while blinking rapidly trying to understand what and why the guys were saying all these strange irrelevant things.
"Mikan-chan, these boys think I'm in love with you honey." Tsubasa spoke into my ear in an unfamiliar low, smooth way. Kinda like the way those guys in the movies before they pull the yawn and stretch move.
"WHAT?" Things were suddenly starting to feel uneasy. Tsubasa was breathing heavily onto my neck and his eyes were not looking at my face. Where were they looking at? My shirt buttons? I couldn't tell. Tsubasa had never acted like this around me before. This was all new. And I didn't like one bit of it at all.
"Mikan... Could I borrow you for five minutes..." Tsubasa mumbled in again in that drowsy masculine voice I started becoming suspicious about.
"Erm...Sure...but why?" I wrinkled my eyebrows and raised 'em as high as they would go in last attempts of hoping to bring back the old Tsubasa who would kindly ruffle my hair and say I was adorable no matter what I did.
"Woah dude...she wants it!" squealed the pun guy in pure awe.
"What? What do I want?" I desperately wanted to find out what was happening. Everything was starting to become confusing.
"Just let me borrow you okay Mikan-chan? It's really important. It's about the star tests later on this afternoon. I wanna...help you...prepare ehhh prepare p-properly for it. Hahaha." Tsubasa gave my waist a short squeeze than got up while holding my waist almost too tightly for me to breathe and finally set me down on the floor. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. THE STAR TESTS? I could REALLY use some help on that so I don't have to impose on poor Hotaru anymore..
I glanced into Tsubasa's eyes to see if he was being honest but I only saw my reflection in his pupils... His eyes were completely not focused on star testing...
"Al-Alright I guess sempai...but only for 5 minutes 'cause I wanna see my Hotaru!" I reluctantly let him grab hold of my hand and pull me towards the entrance door of the Great Hall. His hand did not feel warm and friendly.
I gulped.
WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS GOING ON?
Natsume's POV:
I stood outside the empty entrance of the hallway before the Great Hall and leaned up against the wall. I hated going into a roomful of annoying gossiping students and I hated public events. How the hell can people have so many things to talk about? I don't get it. The buzz of voices coming from the grand room drifter louder and louder into the lobby. Where were the damn teachers when you needed them? At least they could shut these fools up. Looks like the teachers themselves were late. Suddenly the last person I wanted to hear with her loud distinguishable voice faintly became audible. Probably cause she was sitting near the door.
"Uh...I don't understand. Why are you staring at me all weird?"
"Because you're just so beautiful. I can't help myself when girls like you become too sexy for your own good."
Wait... no. The voices were coming from further down the west wing hallway. I paused trying to make out who the strangely familiar male voice was.
"Tsubasa-sempai, I only agreed to come out with you so we could work on star tests..."
Something snapped inside my mind and an electrifying sensation began surging throughout my body. I did not like where this was going. What the fuck was that stupid shadow bastard trying to do to that idiot Polka dots? I began slipping down the hall in the direction of their voices as stealthingly as I could my fists clenched ready to land on that fucking pervert.
I was now just right around the corner from the action my ears pressed to the wall waiting for the right moment to pounce.
"Mikan...you're mine." I heard a slight rustling sound and then the sound of lips smacking... A kiss...
Then,
"SEMPAI! PLEASE STOP IT!" Her voice was the only thing I heard for the next 5 minutes, ringing in my ears over and over again.
OH HELL NO YOU FUCKED UP APESHIT. I instantly whipped around the corner my fists ablaze with my fire, the adrenaline pumping through my veins and in my blind rage I began wildly flinging my weaponed flames down the hall and the walls. I didn't care what happened as long as it would just stop this pain. Stop the hurt. Stop reality. My eyes snapped open, I had missed like crazy.
Tsubasa was pinning Mikan up against the wall and barely just stopped kissing her neck to notice I was there. He turned and finally noticed the charring walls and burning european wood surrounding him and Mikan. Mikan's amber eyes were ablaze with shock like innocence similar to that of a doe in headlights as she stared directly at me trying to take in and process what had just happened.
"Natsume. Why are you interrupting our little chat...?" Tsubasa sneered and finally let go of the horrified Mikan, who slowly slumped down in a tranced sitting position continually staring back and forth at the two of us glaring at each other with all the hatred in the world.
"Could it be? The Black Cat has feelings? Jealous much?" Tsubasa suddenly reached out and caught the shadows of the incoming fireballs I had hurled at him the instant he starting talking smack. The fire froze in midair and I quickly realized the reason for its behaviors and stopped, slipping my hands into my pockets and letting my bangs cover my expression. I smirked and chuckled a curt laugh, returning my cool back to calm level 0. I had been stupid to act so violently in the first place. This had to battled out in words as well.
"Hmph. Looks like you've finally improved. Guess those star test trainings of yours do work after all."
He grinned back and leaned against an unbroken section of the wall, "Guess it has. Cat boy. Mikan was just about to experience some action."
"It seems as if you had other plans in store for her Shadow Shit, let me take a wild guess? Trying to seduce her into having sex with you, some fresh freshman sex?" I chuckled again coldly. "Pedophile much or should I say...Desperate much?"
Tsubasa didn't reply but continued to smile slyly.
I continued firing my words like invisible knives straight at him, "Misaki didn't satisfy your needs? Or maybe...you didn't satisfy hers?"
He flinched slightly and his smile froze.
Looks like I hit home. Score one: Natsume.
"Guys...please...can you both just stop." A quiet enduring voice piped up as Mikan slowly stood up, calm enough to finally speak. "This is getting old."
"Natsume..." She looked me straight in the eye seriously, "Even though Tsubasa-sempai was doing that to me, you didn't have to come charging in like some angry bull destroying school property so recklessly." Then she looked out the window as if thinking back like I had. "It's not like I'm still yours."
The last sentence of hers hit the side of my skull like an arrow. That ungrateful little bitch. She doesn't know anything at all. She doesn't know what I have done...for her.
I furiously shifted my glance to the ground and tightened my fist.
"You...Mikan. You don't know a shit about anything. So shut the fuck up. You have no right to talk to me like you're any better."
I couldn't believe I had just said that.
Shit. Natsume. Control your damn anger.
"Natsume, now you've really done it you fucking basta-" Tsubasa's interjected voice was cut off brusquely.
"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING 'CAUSE YOU DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING."
Mikan's voice rang out in the hall silencing anything that was making any bit of sound. The birds stopped chirping and the trees stopped rustly. Me and Tsubasa shut up and stared.
The lil girl's voice scared me...I had never heard her do that odd raising thing like a teacher did.
It was a serious thin voice that had to hint of joy to it and it kept repeating and repeating in my head. Why the fuck do I pay so much attention to her shit.
I couldn't deal with this anymore. I turned around and began to leave. "You're too idiotic to understand anything I'll ever have to say. I don't need any of this from you right now. Have a nice life fucking your sempai." I knew my last words were harsh but I didn't care anymore. I had no reason to be nice to her. None.
The next few moments happened quicker than I thought. All I can tell you is that it involved some brightass light and alot of pain.
Mikan's POV:
Watching him walk away like that, my vision blurred slightly with his last words echoing in my mind. How could he be...such a...such a RUDE JERK? I was so angry but so sad at the same time. Angry was good. But why sad? Why was I so tramatized? My grandpa didn't die or anything so why did it feel like something did? Our friendship was dead. There was no going back. No Natsume because he never gave second chances. That was the Natsume I knew and I had tried to hard in renewing our friendship because he was such a special person to me...I didn't want to lose him. I couldn't. It was strange. He was like my best friend Hotaru...only it was different. I couldn't really explain it. I had almost called out after him, wanting to call him back, apologize profusely, say it was all my fault, and start over again, but no. My pride held me back, held my tongue back on a leash. Kept me staring like a loser, with tears nearly brimming at the corners of my eyes. Why couldn't this be simple like me and Hotaru?
But I didn't have time to keep dwelling on those thoughts much longer because in the next instant, Tsubasa-sempai did something incredibly sly and sneaky that I didn't know he had in him. Thinking about what he just did to cause all this, he would at least cut some slack, but no. He was ruthless, just like Natsume. Just like that ignorant moron. I snapped back to reality just in time to see Tsubasa sprinting behind Natsume to step onto his long shadow that trailed behind him due to the lazy morning sun leaking through the windows. Before Natsume could react, he manipulated the shadows raging fireballs that Natsume had released beforehand, unfreezing them, and sending them back hurling at the frozen Natsume who couldn't do anything.
...Fire?
It finally registered. I couldn't let him get hurt. I couldn't. Without thinking of anything else, I ran as fast as I had ever run in my life, racing to get in between the fireballs and Natsume, speed was the only thing I could think of. I stared at the fire and Natsume. Suddenly everything became slow motion, like I was walking through jelly to get to the fireballs. It was all so slow yet so fast.
Please. Mikan. Run. Just Run. Don't think. Just do it.
I leaped into the air and jumped right in front of Natsume, my arms outstretched, ready to use my Nullification if it would even come out.
Please. Alice. If there was ever a time I needed you to work, to save people, to benefit others. Please work your magic now. Please I really need to stop this. Natsume can't get hurt because of me. Don't let him. I pleaded as hard as I could, my eyes closed, ready to brace the impact.
SLAM. The impact came all right. But it wasn't the impact I expected. Instead of the white smoky light that usually popped out whenever I used my Nullification, a strange icy, minty blue dust exploded into the air freezing everything for a whole second.
Then I gasped in horror as the dust slowly sizzled as if it were burning, popping into gold glints then slowly deteriorating into black smoke. The whole room filled up instantly and without another warning. It wiped out the light. Complete darkness. I couldn't see Natsume or Tsubasa-sempai. No air to breathe. Nothing. I I reached out into the darkness blindly trying to grab onto anything I could to steady myself. My head pounded with pain and my chest nearly burst on not inhaling the black fumes. My insides were choking with the suffocation. The black room tilted and spun out of control in my mind. I twisted around and slipped to the ground. Hard. Then everything went blank.
Hotaru's POV:
I had been sitting with Anna, Nonoko, and the others from our previous Class B at one end of the fourth table in the Great Hall for about 15 minutes, glancing up from my crab brains breakfast jar every 2 minutes to check for any signs of that idiot. But nothing.
"Mikan-chan sure is late..." Anna had a slightly worried look on her face as she pulled out some cookies she had made and wrapped up in some pink fluffy decorative bag with hearts on it. "I made her favorite..."
"Don't worry guys, she's just being her usual self!" Nonoko smiled cheerfully at the restless Anna and reached for a cookie. "I'll try one!"
"Hotaru-chan, want one?" Anna's turquoise eyes sparkled kindly as she offered me the bag. But I just shook my head blankly and stared at the doors then at my watch then back at the doors again.
Something was definitely off. She's never this late... I reached into my skirt pocket and pulled out the secret cam I had installed in the stuffed turtle in our room and examined the recent tapes. I sighed in relief as the image of the perky brunette tumbled into the room and began tossing her bags everywhere.
Typical Mikan. I smiled slightly. Yes... well, Mikan did manage to get inside and settle in, but... she left the room exactly 12 minutes and 33 seconds ago. So then where was she? Suddenly as if on cue, everyone's phones in the room started going off. I heard beep beeps, boop boops, and all sorts of strange and different ringtones from about all 700 students in the room. It was like a warzone. Phones were allowed on campus now once you entered high school. It was a convenient yet annoying rule, but necessary. I pulled out my self-invented duck shaped phone and touched a few buttons on the touch-screen to unlock the keypad. A new text message...from an unknown number?
I looked up to see everyone else looking just as confused as I was. That's really weird. Did everyone get the same text from the same person?
I stared down and clicked open the message:
Welcome to high school Central Tokyo-lites, and a new school year. Funny how it hasn't even officially started, and yet trouble has already plagued the air.
Spotted: Everyone's favorite brunette, M sneaking away from the Great Hall with an older senior classmate, T to the West Wing Hallway. Does he really just want to help her study or help himself study? Be careful little M, everyone knows that T and his newly developed bad boy reputation cheated on his ex-girlfriend Doppelganger Girl this summer. Scandalous, but not as scandalous as it will be if he gets done with you. And what's this? One of my sources, MINDREED3R, sends us this report. N spotted, heading in the direction of that very same wing, looking pissed and fired up. Do I smell an all-natural classic boy brawl Alice style? But oh, we all wonder why our infamous Black Cat is all worked up over M? Weren't they more over than Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens? Apparently there's more to this mystery than everyone thought. Wait till I get my hands on this case. There's nothing I love more than uncovering the covered.
Who am I? That's a secret I'll never tell.
You know you love me.
XOXO
Gossip Girl
I blinked rapidly, trying to process the information I just read...who's this "M" she's referring to? And what's with all the other initials? Black Cat? Wait... "M?" Everyone's favorite brunette... Could it be...? No... All of the sudden it fit perfectly. I knew exactly what the message was about and who it was about.
I nearly dropped my duck phone onto the floor. Who the hell is this girl and what business does she have here? I thought Alice Academy was only for insiders...
I stood up and dusted my skirt off.
"Where are you going Hotaru-chan? What does this text message mean?" Anna crinkled her perfect brow at her phone in utter confusion.
Nonoko nodded in agreement and kept rereading the message trying to decode it.
I looked around and saw the same reactions from nearly everyone in the room except for the corner near the door, where a group of Tsubasa's friends were loudly snickering at the text and glancing at each others' phones, exchanging loud hoots. Obviously they got it.
It all clicked. I knew immediately where I had to go.
"I'll be back later to explain...I need to clean up a mess." I started directly for the doors with my book bag filled with all my handy gadgets I needed.
Even as bitchy and snobby as she is sticking her nose in people's businesses, I knew she was right. This could get messy.
Just as I was about to exit the Great Hall, someone grabbed my shoulders and pushed me gently back into the Hall.
"Imai-san! Please don't go wandering off in the hallways. We are just about to begin." Jinno-sensei and his bullfrog stared menacingly down at me followed by Narumi-sensei, Misaki-sensei, and Serena-sensei. A group of other new looking teachers and staff followed them and ushered into the room.
Before I could say anything, the Great Hall's entrance slammed shut and locked automatically.
One of the teachers had the Lock Alice and stood by the doors sternly keeping watch.
Oh crap. Mikan's screwed.
A/N: Soooooo guys? How was it? :) Did ya'll like it? I wrote extra more this time so hopefully it was enough to keep you guys satisfied for a while… Spring break just ended so now it's time for school…Plus I haven't been getting that many reviews on this…I don't know if I should continue. So I decided I'm gonna go on a hiatus until I get 10 reviews, I won't write the 3rd chapter. Sorry guys XD
XOXO
YAC