NOTE: Okay… So here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. Please give me reviews and comments. They will be highly appreciated.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of the characters mentioned I the story.

Chapter 4:

OKAY SOMETHING WEIRD IS GOING ON HERE

Hotaru sat up as the first rays of sunlight entered her room. She wasn't able to sleep that well the night before. Aside from the fact that she just set up Ruka and Mikan together against her will, she can't shake the feeling that she forgot to tell Ruka something important.

I wonder what it is I forgot to tell Ruka. I can't remember… something to do about the potion.

Hotaru got out of bed and began to pace back and forth.

Hmmm… What is it? What is it? Did I mention the side effects? Hotaru stopped. No.. Even I don't know the side effects since I didn't have the time to test it.

Hotaru sighed. Oh well, what the heck. I'll remember it eventually.

Hotaru took a quick shower and dressed herself in a white dress. She stood in front of her full length mirror and looked at herself. She studied her reflection attentively. Her black hair was of medium length reaching just beneath her shoulders. Her hair was straight. She wasn't like the girls in her class who spends time styling or treating their hair. She wasn't also one of the fortunate ones who have some kind of in – born hair style like Mikan. Mikan's hair was wavy a bit curly at the end. Most boys in Hotaru's class find Mikan's hair quite cute. Ruka thinks Mikan's hair is cute. Her complexion was pale. She wasn't really white as a ghost but she was paler than most the girls of the class, paler than Mikan. Hotaru was tall and thin. She wasn't really a skeleton, but compared to Mikan who is cute and petite, Hotaru looked an amazon. The only thing that Hotaru liked about herself are her eyes. Her velvet eyes that sparkles so bright even when she doesn't want them to. As Hotaru studied herself in the mirror, only one word came to her mind to describe herself.

Plain.

"Oh well, this is as good as it's going to get." Hotaru sighed. She picked up the book she threw in the trash can before and put it inside her bag. I forgot that this belongs to the library. I have to return this later.

Hotaru felt her stomach grumble. Right. Breakfast first.

Hotaru made sure that everything is neat before leaving her room. She made her way down to the common hall. She was still on the stairs before the ground floor when she noticed the paper and packets scattered on the steps.

Those guys. I can see they partied all night. They didn't even bother to clean up. When I get my hands on those little runts…

Hotaru tried to ignore the trash on her way down but she couldn't help herself. She quickly looked for the broom and began and cleaning.

Why party if you can't clean up your mess? Yes, sure we do have a janitor who cleans for us but that isn't an excuse to just leave the mess behind for everyone to see! And another thing, this is the lobby! What if the teachers get here? It would be really troublesome for us they find this place like a pigsty.

Hotaru swept the floor. Once she was satisfied that the lobby was clean, she made her way to the living room. The room wasn't all that different from the previous room. Perhaps, it was even messier than the lobby. Bottles, packets and chips were scattered all over the floor. Just as Hotaru was about to pick up a bottle, she noticed a person sitting on the couch. The curtains were still drawn close so the room was a bit dim. She couldn't make out who was sitting on the couch. She took a step closer.

"Oh… It's Ruka. Better get out of here before he wakes up." Hotaru said as she started to go to the opposite direction.

Wakes up? Hotaru stopped walking. Oh yeah! Now I remember. He has to make sure that he's the first one Mikan sees after drinking the potion.

Hotaru walked towards the couch again and waked Ruka.

"Hey! Wake up!" she said as she shook Ruka violently. "WAKE UP!"

Ruka gave a little moan but kept on sleeping.

Hotaru's right eyebrow twitch again. Wake up you stupid fool!

Hotaru looked around and spotted a glass of water on the table. She grabbed the glass and quickly splashed Ruka with water.

Ruka woke up with a start. "What? What?"

"You have wake up dummy! We have to go to Mikan's room before she wakes up." Hotaru said as he pulled Ruka up and started pulling him as they walked towards the stairs.

"Excuse me, miss, but do I know you?" Ruka asked confused.

Hotaru stopped walking and quickly turned around. She stared at Ruka for awhile. Ruka stared back at him. Hotaru couldn't even begin describe Ruka's expression. He was disoriented when he woke up. Then he was confused when she was dragging him towards the stairs. And now.. now that they are staring at each other. He looked..

Dazed. What is this dummy being dazed for?

"What are you talking about? I'm Hotaru."

Ruka blushed upon hearing her say her name.

"Hotaru. What a beautiful name." Ruka said. "I'm Ruka. Ruka Nogi."

"Huh? What did you just say?"

"You're name is beautiful." Ruka said as he blushed.

What? Did he just say what I think he said. Hotaru shook her head trying to convince herself she heard Ruka wrong.

"Stop fooling around Ruka. We have to hurry." Hotaru said as she went back to dragging Ruka towards the stairs. "I forgot to tell you how the potion works."

"Potion?" Ruka repeated. "What potion?"

"The love potion dummy." Hotaru answered with a hint of irritation in her voice. "The one you asked me to make."

"I asked you to make something for me?" Ruka asked.

"Stop acting stupid Ruka. Are you still half – asleep or something?" Hotaru said. "You asked me to make a potion because you wanted to make Mikan fall in love in you. You kept bugging me to these past few months about it. You won't even give it a rest."

"I wanted someone to fall in love with me?"Ruka asked again.

Hotaru stopped climbing up the stairs and faced Ruka once more. She slapped Ruka's forehead.

"Stop doing that! It's getting irritating. Wake up!" Hotaru said.

"What exactly am I doing?" Ruka said.

"Acting stupid." Hotaru answered as they began to climb once more. "Anyways, in case you're still asleep, let me brief you on what you seem to have forgotten. You are Ruka Nogi and I'm Hotaru Imai. We're studying in an exclusive boarding school called Alice Academy. Only gifted children on different fields are accepted here. We've been classmates since fourth grade. And since fourth grade, you fancied yourself in love with my best friend Mikan Sakura. You have a best friend. Natsume Hyuuga. Natsume and Mikan are always fighting so you didn't really saw Natsume as a treat. But during the start of freshman year, you noticed that Natsume liked Mikan and Mikan seems to like Natsume as well."

"Is that so?" Ruka said as he stumbled on a step.

"I said stop acting like a dummy. Do you want me to hit you again?"

"No ma'am. Sorry ma'am."

Hotaru turned around and glared at Ruka. Ruka's eyes snapped shut as he braced himself for the incoming smack from Hotaru. It didn't come. Instead, Hotaru continued climbing and went on the brief summary of Ruka's life.

"Anyways, you couldn't bear the though of Mikan and Natsume dating so you started to get desperate. You don't want to feel left out so you started this absurd plot of trying to make Mikan fall in love with you." Hotaru said as they got on the third floor landing and walked along the hallway.

"You tried being the sweet friend but that didn't work. You dropped hints here and there but that didn't work either. Well, it's a given since Mikan is really dense. So when you finally realized that doing things your way wouldn't work, you tried making love potions and each time you try, you fail." Hotaru said. "I took pity on you and I decided to help you. I made a love potion in my lab and gave it to you just yesterday."

Ruka's frowned. "I think I remember something like that. Give me a minute."

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "So were you able to give her the potion last night?"

"I think so.. Is Mikan the cute girl with the brown curly hair?" Ruka said.

"Yes." Hotaru said with more irritation in her voice. "The potion is disguised as a coke. Do you remember giving her coke last night."

"Yes. But I think the potion didn't work. She didn't have any sort of reactions after drinking it."

"Well yes, that's because it takes some time before it takes effects. Usually 8 – 12 hours. I put some sedatives on that potion so it will make the person who drank it sleepy. When that person wakes up, he falls in love with the first person he sees."

"I see." Ruka said as they stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. He glanced at Hotaru's face and watched her as she explained more things about the potion.

"I made it that way as a safety precaution. We wouldn't want people falling in love with the wrong person right. So.., assuming you did give Mikan the potion last night it only follows that you need to be the first person she sees when she wakes up. We wouldn't want Natsume to be that person. So, before anything else, let's get you inside Mikan's room" Hotaru said as she opened the door.

Hotaru peeked carefully inside the room and saw that nobody was there except Mikan who was sleeping soundly on her bed.

"Okay. Good. Now's your chance. Go in." Hotaru said as she stepped aside to let Ruka passed.

When Ruka didn't make any movement, Hotaru felt more irritated than ever.

"Ruka look if you're not going to - Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" Ruka inquired.

Hotaru stepped back to put more space between him and Ruka. When she looked up at him, he had this dazed expression again. He was looking at her with a slight blush on his cheeks. And what was worse, he was looking at her with much intensity, it made her heart jump.

Hotaru cleared her throat. "Nothing. Go inside. Wake Mikan up. Make sure she sees your face."

"Okay." Ruka said.

"I'll leave the two of you alone." Hotaru said as she closed the door. She leaned back on the door and took a deep breath.

What is with Ruka today? Why was he looking at me like that? Something weird is going on here.