Disclaimer: I do not own Alice Academy or the characters related to it. But the rest, I do.
Author's Notes:
Here's the new chapter two! You guys may think that Mikan's a bit out of character, but I wanted to deviate a bit from the Mikan that was portrayed in the Anime/Manga because she was grade school, then. The setting's high school and I think this is the Mikan that would be in high school, but of course you will see some similarities from the Mikan we know as the chapter progresses! Just a bit of a disclaimer. Haha!
Hope you guys enjoy the story!
Thank you for the new reviews and new followers!
Spread the love!
~dancedaze
Chapter 2
The smell of cherry blossoms always intoxicated me. It had this sweet aroma that tickled my nose that relaxed my senses. This was my drug.
When I first found the Cherry Blossom tree in campus, I was still in grade school back then. I cut class by myself that day and I ran away from the teachers that tried to chase me. I had scratches from the bushes and leaves stuck out of my hair. I stumbled upon that tree when I was looking for a place to relax and sleep. Its beauty put me in a daze, in a daze like no other. I found myself gawking at a tree. How stupid, right? But I was amazed at how my eyes could see something beautiful in the midst of all the horrible events that these similar eyes have witnessed.
This tree was my serenity. This tree was my solitude. This tree was my comfort.
I borrowed a book from the library days ago and requirements have prevented me from reading anything. Thank God there were two consecutive free periods that gave me a chance to jumpstart my reading again. My hands slid down on the book cover and my eyes trailed on the letters that read "Lost in the Funhouse". As I was about to open it, I spotted a brunette walking towards me. When she realized that I was already looking at her, she froze and turned around. She was fidgeting and she seemed annoyed. Her small frame tightened as she took a sharp intake of breath. She turned around again and walked towards me. These were the looks that girls had in our school when they were about to confess, and it was about time she did. Or so I thought.
She bent her knees and hugged them as she stared at me. She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and inhaled once again. "I really hate doing this but…"
I raised my eyebrow, curious as to how she was going to go about with this confession. Well, it didn't matter because I was prepared – prepared to say the usual, "No, my feelings are not the same" statement. But I was definitely caught off guard with her real intentions.
"I know we're not exactly friends but I need a favor and that's lending me that book." Her eyes squinted while waiting for my answer.
She wanted the damned book. If she knew what I thought she was about to do, I would bury myself alive. But of course she didn't. She was too dense of a girl and I was too good of an actor. "And why would I do that?" I asked her uncaringly.
"I've been looking for that book all week and the librarian remembered that you were the one that borrowed it. So can I please borrow it? I need it." She refused to show any signs of submission towards the person she was asking a favor from. Instead, she pouted. She was trying to get the book by using ridiculous facial expressions.
I peered in closer and I whispered to her ear, "You know, pouting won't get you the book, Panda Bear."
"Panda Bear? Oh, you did not! You're such a pervert." She flinched away as I smirked and opened the book to read on.
Normally she would stomp away and leave me alone, but she did not this time. She intently glared at me, hating me for seeing her underwear and waiting for me to give in. But I was apathetic.
"Please don't make me beg. I need it for my job, okay? Will that open your heart to lending me that book for a day?" She was on her knees, legs spread to the side. Her hands were on the middle of her legs and a little more push, she would be begging.
"What kind of job?" I closed the book and I was interested to hear.
"It's none of your business!" She looked away and squinted her eyes in frustration.
"Oh, I think it is." I waved the book to remind her that I had something she wanted.
She looked at me and stuck her tongue out. I had to admit that was quite adorable. I peered in closer and when she realized the nearness of our faces, she flinched. Her glasses fell off and she backed away.
"What are you doing? You are such a pervert. I'm not even kidding! No wonder Hotaru's…" Her voice drowned my thoughts as her eyes distracted me.
I noticed the darkness of her brown eyes. Her glasses made her eyes seem like they were lighter, but, in fact, she had gorgeous dark brown eyes. They were like hardened swirling chocolate syrup. I found myself staring, gawking in fact. It was more than beautiful, it was alluring. Of course I would dare not to admit that, not even to myself.
"Are you listening to me? Earth to, Hyuuga?" Her hands waved in front of me, trying to bring me back from my daze.
"What?" I pretended to be annoyed and hid my embarrassment.
"You spaced-out. Can I borrow the book now, please?" Her eyes showed speculation and wonder.
Before I gawked again, I caught myself and picked up her glasses. "Here, before you hit a wall with your bad eyesight."
"What? I don't have bad—right! Thanks." She swiftly took her glasses and wore it. "The book, please?"
I gave up. I felt that if I didn't give her the book now, she would pester me the rest of the day. "Give it back to me by sundown, okay?"
"Thank you, thank you!" She grabbed the book, bowed her head, and dashed off.
So what was I going to do during the free period? I dialed Ruka's number and waited for him to pick up.
"Hey, Ruka. Where are you? Let's go to Central Town."
"Oh, sure. Sumire and the others are going there to. We're at the entrance of the high school department. Meet us here? Wait. I thought you were reading? What happened to that?"
"Something came up. I'll be there in ten."
"Okay. If you say so."
I put the phone down and I sighed. I couldn't believe I sacrificed my reading time for some girl. If I had told Ruka, he would've made speculations, which was something I really wouldn't appreciate.
Central Town was my only option left.
I walked down the halls that led to the library. Classes were over and I figured that maybe I should borrow another book in case that little girl didn't return me the book. I scanned my ID and the glass door opened. As I scanned the shelves in the fiction section, I saw the little girl on the far end of the library. Doing her work, I guessed? I left the shelves and walked towards her. She was tinkering with her MacBook and I quietly approached her. I hovered over and tried to read what she was writing. The same mix of tangerines and strawberries emitted from her hair and her small pale fingers quickly typed on the keyboard. As my eyes trailed on what she was writing, I discovered that she was writing a review on "Lost in the Funhouse".
"So you write reviews for what publishing company?"
She jumped in her seat as she closed her MacBook in shock. "Hyuuga, what are you doing? You scared the hell out of me. Don't ever, and I mean ever, do that again!"
"We're in the library, little girl." I reminded her of library policy of No talking loudly inside the library.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't sneak up on someone in the library knowing that they may scream out of fright." She was definitely picking up Hotaru's sarcasm. "And it's not a publishing company, smarty-pants. It's an online company that needs reviewers for books, okay? So scram! I need to continue with my work."
This girl was really fun to pester so I pull a chair and sit down beside her. "Well, you were so sweet awhile ago and now you have a horrible temper. You know that it's bad to wear glasses while using your laptop. Your eyesight will get worse."
"Gosh. Mind your own business, Hyuuga. And it's fine."
She continued to type and I grabbed the book. I read the first few pages while she remained focus and unmoved. This was a really good book. I wondered what kind of review she was making. "Are you bashing the book, Sakura?" I teased her.
She suddenly looked at me. Her eyes were filled with surprise. "You actually called me by my name. Well, not my name, name, but you get me. And I'm not bashing the book! I actually like this book."
"Hn." I continued reading and in the peripherals of my vision I had realized something strange, something I should've noticed since this morning, and something I should've known earlier than today. "Why are you wearing glasses when your eyesight is normal?"
She froze. Her fingers stopped typing and her eyes swiftly looked at me. "W-w-what are you talking about?"
I was about to discover something that day. And let me tell you, that day was the mark that changed my life forever. I did warn you, right? I warned you that there will be times that you might laugh, but I also said that there will be times when you might cry. What happened that day led me to things that I never thought I wanted for myself, things that I thought would never happen.
Your tear-jerking moments may begin now, because I, too, thought that I would never cry.
Author's Notes:
I hope that you guys liked this chapter as well! Please leave a review for me, as always! :)
More chapters to come. I was glad that I even had this bit of free time to make and upload this chapter. School is full of stress.
'Til the next chapter!
~dancedaze
