When I woke, something inside of me jump-started my blood instantly. Alice Academy. Narumi. Natsume. Hotaru. It all came back, and I leapt out of bed onto the cool, hardwood floor. The colors exploding all over the scenery outside of my window made my heart race with anticipation—this was not the view I'd had in Evergreen.

I changed into clean clothes, but still felt grungy and battered from yesterday's events. Opening my bedroom door a crack, I realized it was pushing against a breakfast tray and brown parcel that had been left on the floor in front of it. I eagerly accepted the toast and banana, bringing the package to my desk so I could shove the carbs in my mouth.

When my stomach was somewhat satisfied, I ripped the brown paper off the package to reveal a set of three school uniforms. Narumi had jotted me a note, tucked into the folds of a dress shirt.

I sent a school service employee to drop this off. We're still developing a test that will evaluate your potential Alice, but until then, this is your class schedule. Laundry is in the basement for your uniforms and street clothes. There is a bathroom on the third floor for your convenience.

Good luck!

Narumi

I didn't even look at the schedule—"bathroom" meant "shower," and I didn't care whether or not I had time before class. I was starting to smell.

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Besides being obscenely luxurious, Alice Academy was more or less what I thought a boarding school would look like. As for the people who attended… they were another story altogether.

I didn't see anyone out of the ordinary on my way to class—only uniforms and friend groups migrating together, a seemingly normal surface appearance.

I'm glad I knew better.

Finding the room number that matched my schedule, I took a deep breath and opened the door, preparing myself for homeroom.

Did I say that this school seemed normal?

Because what met my eyes on the other side of the door shouldn't have been possible.

There was a girl at her desk drawing things that were coming to life right off the page.

A boy was floating in the air, closer to the ceiling than he was the floor.

One girl was making her thoughts appear physically in the air to communicate.

A boy was levitating his textbook over a girl who was doing some kind of spiritual dance.

Was this ordinary? To them? Because I could barely catch my breath. And then, it all faded away. Every last bit of it. Because I spotted her.

"Hotaru." It came out firmer than I thought it would, but then again, I barely had time to process her face, her blank expression, something I hadn't seen in over a year. Her physical appearance looked the same, but her demeanor was different. I didn't know how, but this place, these people, had changed her. Students were looking at me, not only because I was new, but also because I had zeroed in on Hotaru almost immediately.

"Mikan. Why are you here?" Hotaru's voice was cold and soft.

"I came here to see you." Tears sprang to my eyes.

Suddenly, miraculously, Hotaru gave me a small, kind smile. "Come here you dummy." She stood and opened her arms. I ran to them.

"I missed you so much," I whispered, hugging her tightly and letting the tears fall. "I heard what you did from your parents."

She sighed. "Of course you did."

The entire room had fallen silent, eyes on me. When I released Hotaru, I looked at all of them and my face reddened. "Um, my name is Mikan Sakura. I'm on kind of a trial run here, so I'll be with you for a little while. Nice to meet you!"

No one said anything, and I couldn't meet any of the eyes probing me. After a few seconds of awkward silence, someone in the classroom stood.

"I am class president of the seventh graders, Yuu Tobita. We are very pleased to have you."

His smile was genuine, his huge doe eyes framed by thick lashes and round glasses. I relaxed at the sight of how open he seemed.

I began looking for my own seat, but the only available one was at the back of the class. It was a window seat beside a boy who had fallen asleep under his book.

"Hi, my name is Mikan. I hope this seat isn't taken."

The book fell from the boy's face as he stirred and I recognized him before he even opened his eyes.

Natsume.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered. His long lashes fluttered open, his red eyes recognizing me immediately.

"You're still here?" he asked, bored. He looked less sinister in uniform, but had a mature air about him, as if he had outgrown this classroom years ago. The gold clasp on his ear was still in place, but he had a red ball dangling from a gold hook in his other ear.

I sat down in a huff. "Disappointed that burning me to a crisp didn't have me running for the hills?"

"The new girl is mouthing off to Natsume?" I felt the sensation of something tugging at the back of my collar, and without any warning, I was lifted into the air, by, well, nothing. I grabbed at my neck, my tie choking me. I thought of how much I hated people who controlled others, like my foster father, and the school that took Hotaru from me. Anger surged through me, and it seemed to break the boys' hold on me. I fell to the ground, crashing into my chair and yelping from the fall. I can't seem to stay in once piece here, I thought, rubbing my side and getting to my feet.

"I… didn't do that," the boy who'd been levitating me stated with awe.

"I'm kind of a special case, I guess," I said, dusting myself off.

A girl with two black curls walked towards me. "What is your Alice, anyway? What did you mean by 'trial run?'"

Everyone looked at me expectantly.

"She doesn't know what her Alice is."

I spun around to find the source of the voice. Someone here can read minds?

"Someone here can read minds?"

"She doesn't even know what her Alice is?" scoffed the girl in front of me. I winced at how shrill her voice was.

"That's kind of why it's a trial run," I said. "Why are you so surprised? Doesn't that happen from time to time?"

The girl shook her head, glaring and crossing her arms.

"It's too dangerous. We're national treasures. They don't let anyone in unless they're certain."

Her smug face and the other faces around me told me that I was not normal, that I was weird and threatening. Their arrogance made my blood bubble.

"Just because I'm not sure I have an Alice doesn't mean you can treat me like dirt. Having an Alice doesn't make you better than people who don't."

The girl stepped toe to toe with me. "Let's get this straight right now. Having an Alice makes you the closest thing to a God. We are better. If you don't have an Alice, you'll end up making us look bad."

I looked her straight on. "I was told I might have an Alice. I have every right to be here."

I looked around the room at their astounded faces. My eyes landed on Natsume's. His eyes were on the scars on my palms. I looked at Hotaru. She wasn't even paying attention, facing the board and distancing herself from the commotion.

"You'll never be one of us," Perm Head whispered.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, Permy. Whatever you say."

The girl looked like she'd swallowed a cockroach. "MY NAME IS SUMIRE SHOUDA, HOW DARE YOU—"

"Now now, everyone, we all need to settle down!" The teacher had finally entered the room. He looked more nervous than I was, already trying to keep the class in line and failing miserably. He did nothing to diffuse the tension, and only succeeded in diverting the negative atmosphere towards himself. Kids started throwing things at him, losing interest in me and migrating back to their seats. Sumire was the last to go, her face red and her eyes daggers. I sat back down next to Natsume and gripped the desk with my hand, my knuckles white.