3.
She looked at him with one eyebrow raised. She laughed then said, "Okay, I lied. I don't have stage fright."
"You think?" he sid.
"How did you know?" she inquired.
He said nothing but pointed to her bag. There was displayed a picture of her on stage performing ballet.
"Little girl, transparent bags aren't the best idea. Besides you just sang on stage few minutes ago." he looked her in the eye. "Tell me why you don't want to sing on stage."
"I have tonsillitis?" she tried.
"No you don't. And you can't say that you don't want to be with me. Because that is definitely a lie." he smirked.
"Has anyone ever told you that you are the most arrogant person I've ever known?"
"No." he stated.
"Well, you are. But just to be clear, I didn't say you were wrong" she said in a low tone. Then she gesticulated for him to go into the kitchen.
They both went into the kitchen. I got a glass before standing outside the kitchen doorway. Put one end of the glass on the door the other on my ear and listened.
"Start talking." and he folded his arms cross his chest.
She paced around the kitchen trying to find the perfect words to use.
"I can't. I just can't. It brings back memories."
"What memories?"
"Bad ones." she looked at him pleadingly.
"Alright, I'll share with you one of my memories then you have to tell me yours." Natsume said. "When I was 3 I ran around the mall ... naked."
Mikan laughed. Then turned serious. Natsume said, "Now, yours."
"When I was 14 me and my brother were taking a road trip." she began.
"Go on." Natsume urged.
"My brother was an excellent singer. We would sing all the time in the car and even dance."
Then Mikan hesitated. "We were singing a duet that time. I didn't sing my part. I wanted to play a joke on him, to see his reaction. But then he turned to look at me. Then there was another car. We crashed into each other, my brother covered me. So I was left in a critical state and he..."
"died." Natsume finished for her. "Look, I'm sorry about your brother but you've got to get over it."
Mikan was surprised with Natsume's reaction. Thought about what he said. Then the words slowly came out of her mouth.
"Will you help me?"
