Disclaimer:
Me: Yes, Yes! YES! Listen up world, I own GAKUEN AL-*Sam hits me on the head with a tree branch*
I fall to the floor as Sam puts her foot on my head and addresses to the readers, "The idiot is disillusioned and lies, all rights belong to Tachibana Sensei, this loser owns nothing but another beating to the head," Sam grins at me like a maniac with her eyes sparkling.
I gulp.
~(0)(0)~
"Stop! It's me. It's me Hotaru, Mikan." I tell her. She reels back and I see her form go rigid and her arm turn stiff in my hand.
Have you ever heard the sound of the wind blowing? The sound of leaves rustling? Or how about the sound of the millions of cicadas chirping? You hear it all the time, the sounds have always been there, but you get so accustomed to them that you no longer pay attention to them.
But try putting yourself in an oppressive silence and you'll realize just what you've been missing all this time. Makes you wonder if the earth ever really has peace and silence.
I start a mental countdown. Ten, nine, eight…
Ok, maybe that wasn't the right way to tell someone that your best friend has come alive and crept into the body of a comatose patient. Seven, six, five…
But then there really is no better way to approach the subject. Four, three, two…
Silence just may be the loudest sound in the world. And now I'm not even making any sense. One, zero…
"Right."
I snap my eyes to her, what? 'right?' what does that mean?
She agrees? Well that was easy, I should've just told her earlier. "Yeah, I wanted to tell you earlier-"
"And I'm actually the lost soul of Ghandi." She cuts me off. I see her fold her arms and narrow her eyes at me.
"What? No no. Hotaru, I'm serious." Of course she wouldn't believe me. Stupid Mikan, why'd you even try?
"Look, I may seem like I don't care and have an aloof face but that doesn't mean that you can throw crap at me and expect me to ignore it. I still have a heart, and who you just brought up is someone I really loved. I'd appreciate it if you would shut up and mind your own business, if not; realize that I can make your life very miserable." It was the most she had said to me since I tried to befriend her, but her words just made me want to cry and shake her shoulders until her head bobbed.
She started walking away, "Stop walking so fast, you leg's injured Baka!" I yell after her retreating figure.
Great, I'm being ignored, should I just blurt out her secrets? I'm not a really good friend…"You love eating crabs!" I yelled desperately.
"Anyone with eyes can tell." She continues walking briskly.
"You cried every night for a month after I died," she doesn't stop but her pace tones down.
"You've had a crush on Ruka since fifth grade!" That makes her stop. She turns ever so slowly and her face looks murderous.
I walk up to her ignoring the daggers she's throwing at me with her eyes. "You're Hotaru Imai, you live in this neighborhood and you were my neighbor. We played in this park before you transferred to Alice Academy and I followed you there. I made you promise you wouldn't forget me when you were transferring schools."
If Hotaru has ever really wanted to burn me to ashes with her eyes, then that would be now. "This is your last warning. That information is worth nothing. I know the power and resources that the Koizumi posses may even rival those of mine. All this proves is that you researched me thoroughly." Anger laces into the stoic girl's monotone voice.
"Hotaru," It was only a whisper and my voice cracks at the end. There's nothing more I can say, there are no words that will change her mind now. I should've known if there's one person more stubborn that Natsume, it's Hotaru, once she makes up her mind, she'll never change it.
"You've made your stalker ways very clear. If you have anything more to say to me, I'll see you in court." She turns around, but not before I see her eyes sparkle with the familiar glint of tears.
Guilt gnaws at me as I make my way back to the picnic spot. Hotaru leaves in a car I didn't even see until she was off the road and the silver car comes zooming in.
"Hey, what was that about?" Mochu asks, taking a bite out of the turkey sandwhich I packed for anyone who doesn't like the cuisine.
"She…she's being difficult," I answer lamely, I don't want to lie, and that is the truth. Besides Natsume says I'm a horrible liar and as transparent as glass when I talk. You can imagine how shocked he was when I tried holding a surprised birthday party for his thirteenth birthday. Not at all, he figured it out the moment the thought came to my mind, I had to beg him to act surprised. I was amazed he actually listened.
"Well now there's a surprise," Koko snorts.
I reach for a juice box, "Here," Anna hands me one. I smile thanks in response.
"Are you okay now?" Nonoko asks from beside Anna. She's eating the cuisine and sitting cross legged in the grass.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I take a bite out of the sandwhich. Wow Kitsuneme is amazing, it's probably the best sandwhich I've tasted in my life…no, that doesn't sound right…existence, yes in all of my existence it is the best sandwhich I have tasted.
"So do you guys think there'll be school tomorrow?" Koko asks leaning back on his elbows.
"Why would they cancel school?" I ask.
"Because of the fire," Mochu says stretching his body in the sun.
"They're not going to cancel classes just because a fraction of the school was damaged." Anna mutters taking a sip from her juice.
"Yeah, no way, they're that kind," Sumire says with a yawn.
I stare at them, their relaxed faces turned to the sun, Sumire looked more at peace then I'd seen her look at home or in class.
"So," Koko drawls looking at me with a strange spark in his eyes which I know from experience can't be good, "Are the rumors true?" He asks.
Anna and Nonoko throw glares at him while Mochu punches his arm hard, I hear Sumire hiss at him as I ask, "What rumors?"
"Koko shut your mouth," I hear Sumire say in a dangerous voice; I look at her, perplexed.
Koko ignores her and addresses me, "you know, about you jumping from that window…" he winces at the end probably wanting to word it in a different way.
"Oh," Well that wasn't so bad, although I don't feel right answering since its Luna's story and well her…solution to her problems.
"Never mind, you don't have to answer, it's just that the rumors are getting wilder and I started getting annoyed so I wanted to stop them and maybe spread the true story…" Koko looked lost again, while the rest of the group looked like they wanted to murder him.
I can understand, this is probably the awkward subject and so far, my relationship with everyone had been good, or as good as a stranger who eats lunch with them can get.
And again I wished to tell them that I wasn't Luna Koizumi, so I didn't know what she was thinking jumping from a building. I wanted to tell them to not feel awkward or strained because it was me, Mikan. The girl they knew since elementary school and middle school…but I had seen how well that had gone with Hotaru and I really don't want to have to repeat that. No one believes in fallen angels or guardian angels anymore.
"You don't have to answer this idiot's question, Luna." Nonoko says throwing her leftover scraps at Koko's head.
"Hey! I know you guys are all wondering about it, I'm the only one who has the nerve to actually ask." Koko says brushing Nonoko's garbage away.
The air around me gets tenser; Koko's digging himself a grave.
"Well, actually at the time I was sleepwalking." I say the first words that pop into my head.
"What?" Sumire says. Of course she knows that Luna's suicidal but there's no way I'm telling Koko that.
"Yeah, I was dreaming that I was flying and suddenly I felt like I was falling from a building." Wow, that has got to be the worst excuse in the world.
"Oh! I know what you mean; I have dreams that I'm falling from high places all the time except for me when I wake up I'm still in bed." Mochu says.
What?
"Oh, so that's what happened." Koko says with understanding in his grim expression.
I repeat, what?
I nod my head anyway and with that the topic gets closed. That went way too smoothly, it's probably one of those things that come and bite you in the butt later. Oh well, I guess I'll just worry about it when it comes to bite then.
~(0)(0)~
The next day at school is uneventful. I eat lunch with the gang except that Hotaru leaves the minute I sit down and everyone ignores this action making me feel ten times worse. Now I've taken her lunch spot too.
I try talking to her in English but she pretends as though I don't exist, for the first time, I find myself wanting her to hit me with her baka gun, at least then she would be doing something to me.
So I trudge my way to last period. As soon as I get there I slump in my seat and put my head in my arms.
"Oi."
Go away.
I want to say the words but I'm too tired and burnt of rejection to even try.
"Oi baka."
Ok Karma, I get it, its annoying when I talk to him like this.
"Earth to ugly." I hear the annoying idiot say, and I have a sudden urge to slap him across his pretty face.
Thunk! A crumpled peace of paper hits my head and falls to the ground. I look up at Natsume taking in the irony.
"Seriously?" I ask, and I'm rewarded with an arrogant smirk.
I pick up the piece of paper and unfold it.
Don't go around stealing my look, being broody doesn't suit you.
I read the note and grin. Leave it to him to make my problems somehow related to him.
Yeah well, sometimes you just get tired of being happy all the time.
He takes a long time to respond.
What happened?
Well that was unexpected; I would've thought he would run around in circles a little while longer before asking me.
My friend is mad at me. I realize I sound like a first grader but at this point I could care less.
Since when were you friends with Imai?
Ah, so he isn't as aloof as he looks. For a long time now, but she doesn't remember me.
What is this, a one-sided love?
I stifle a smile, It's two sided but the other person doesn't remember.
Then just make her remember.
I scrunch my eyebrows, How?
You said you were friends right? Someone once told me that you can't ever forget or break a friendship fully.
I smile as I remember how I told him that when I was trying to befriend him when we were kids. My heart warms up at his words, I can't believe he remembers.
Its good advice, I write back.
Yeah, too bad it was from an idiot.
The imaginary vein in my forehead pops but I try to keep control, and to think I expected something from this self-absorbed jerk!
I run as soon as the bell rings, I have to find Hotaru. Natsume (for once and probably the last time in his lifetime) is right, she was my friend, my best friend, she has to believe me.
I find her sitting by the water fountain scribbling furiously in her notebook, her face in a tight grimace.
I sneak up behind her and to my surprise she doesn't notice. She must really be concentrating on whatever she's doing.
I look up at her notebook from behind and watch as she makes designs for what looks like an atomic bomb but will probably turn out to be some fancy pencil sharpener.
She can't get a convenient form, I notice. Hotaru's an inventor and anything that she builds is to make life easier but she can't get a good grasp on the handle and the switch button for whatever machine it is that she is making.
I've noticed her struggle with projects many times; she doesn't sleep or eat until she's done.
The problems seems simple this time though, if she puts the switch next to the handle compartment so that the person can turn the machine on with their finger once they get a hold of the handle with their hand, won't everything be fine?
Too immersed in Hotaru's work, I point to the picture without thinking about it and say, "draw it there."
I can tell I've caught her off guard but she doesn't make a move except for the slight tension in her shoulders. She does as I say and the machine is complete.
"That wasn't so hard; I'm surprised the genius inventor had a problem with something so simple." I say lightly with a smile.
Hotaru doesn't respond and instead gathers her things with blinding speed. I catch her wrist before she runs out on me again.
"Wait, please Hotaru. Can't we talk?" I beg her.
"Don't address me so informally, and besides I have nothing to say to you." She says in her icy voice. Her cold demeanor is breaking my resolve but I square my shoulders and try again.
"But I have something to say to you, and you owe it to me to listen." I say.
"Owe you? What do I owe you?" She spits out.
"Your life, I ran into that burning building for you."
"I don't remember asking you to that; you did that out of your own free will."
I'm at a lost for words, I should've known I can't beat this girl with words.
"Then how about this, you give me one hour of your time, and I promise that if you aren't convinced I won't ever look your way."
Yes Mikan, yes, bargain, it's the only thing that gets to Hotaru.
"How about you stop coming to eat lunch by my friends too." She says.
Of course she would turn it to her advantage, "fine," I say anyway.
"And NEVER tell ANYONE about what you know about me." I could tell this was what was bothering her. So she doesn't want anyone to know about her little crush on Ruka.
I sigh, "Ok Ok, now can we go, I only have an hour, or do you want to sign a blood contract?" I say and start dragging her.
"Don't tempt me Koizumi, and release my hand, I'm perfectly capable of walking by myself." She says taking her slim hand out of my grasp.
I ignore her glare at the back of my head as I think. How do I make her believe me? Ok, first thing, I need to get out of the public eye as shady as that sounds.
I ignore Hotaru's protests as I grab the stoic girl's hand a second time and make a beeline for the playground we had the picnic in yesterday.
I gasp for air as we finally reach the swings. I sit down on the dark blue swing and motion for Hotaru to do the same.
She makes a face and then takes out some kind of sanitizer which she sprays all over the swing. I try not to laugh remembering our situation but it's hard with Hotaru acting so…Hotaru.
I get straight to the point, "Ok, to begin with, I'll tell you that I am an angel in training in heaven right now but humans can't see us so I had to take a mortal body."
I watch Hotaru's expression remain stoic as I tell her this, right. Ok, moving on. "I had to come back due to certain circumstances but I will be going back in less than 100 days." I realize I sound completely absurd. But I get no response from the girl next to me.
After what seems like a lifetime I hear her say what sounds like, "fly."
"What?" I ask, thinking I might have heard wrong.
"Prove that you're not human, go and fly." She says looking at the setting sun.
Great, of all the things she could ask, she asks for the one thing I can't do even in Heaven with all its magic and glamour.
"Yeah, you see, I'm an angel in training, so I can't exactly do that yet." I tell her.
"Ok, I've had enough; this really is a complete waste of my time." She says and gets up.
"Wait!" I yell and block her path. "Anything, ask me anything else, I'll do it." I beg.
She considers this for a moment. "Then get out of this body and let me see Mikan's face." She says looking at the ground.
"What? I just told you that humans can't see angels." Why is she asking for the impossible?
"It's either that, or I'm out of here." She says and starts to leave again.
"Ok wait, wait. Let me think." I say and watch her fold her arms across her chest as she looks at me expectantly.
Ok, think, think. Maybe there is a way. Man, where is Kitsuneme when you need him. It's not possible for angels to reveal their actual forms to living humans because they won't be able to see anyway with the millions of curtains that mortality invokes in front of their eyes.
Wait! That's it, it's because Luna wasn't living or dead that she was able to see me. But that means I'll have to take Hotaru's soul out of her body. And there is so much danger in that. Is it really worth it to put Hotaru's life in danger for this?
I look at her solemnly, "There's a way but it'll put you in danger." I look deep into her eyes as I say this.
She doesn't waver as she replies, "If you really are who you claim to be then prove it even if there is a risk for me."
So she's okay with it? I say a quick prayer as I take a deep breath and leave Luna's body like Kitsuneme showed me. I can't stay out of Luna's body for too long since only Kitsuneme knows how to preserve it, and without life support or a soul inhabiting Luna, her body will disintegrate.
I look for an opening in Hotaru's body and spot it as I mimic Kitsuneme's action to separate the soul from the body. Hotaru is looking at Luna's crumpled form on the ground as I pull her soul out and her body falls to the ground.
I move out of the way of the soulless bodies so that I'm not tempted to go back to Luna's body. I look around to see Hotaru's soul but I can't spot her anywhere. I search frantically putting more distance between me and the unguarded corpses even though I know it's a stupid thing to do. I shouldn't have separated Hotaru's body and soul. I'm such an idiot, I don't know of the consequences or laws behind this. In my haste to save my boyfriend I think I ended up killing my best friend.
Tears form at the corner of my eyes as the situation starts sinking in but then I hear a soft whisper from behind me. Slowly, I turn around and see Hotaru or rather Hotaru's soul standing before me. She looks transparent in the fading sun and I find my unshed tears rolling down my cheeks as I whisper her name and take a tentative step forward.
In all of my wildest dreams or far-fetched fantasies about Hotaru I would have never imagined her reaching out to hug me. But she did. I go rigid as she wraps her slim arms around my shoulders and buries her head into my neck. I hear her choke and say my name as I snap out of it and hug her back. I feel moisture on my neck as I hold her in my arms. Baka Hotaru, now you believe me?
My heart aches as feelings and memories jump behind my vision and I see myself six years old playing in this same playground with a six year old Hotaru.
We stay locked in that embrace until the sun goes down and Hotaru's one hour time limit finishes. I transfer Hotaru's soul back into her body and step into Luna's body. Her body's turned cold and I feel tired but other than that everything is ok. Hotaru seems to have turned back to normal as she wraps her arms around herself, probably feeling chilled for leaving her body inhabited.
We walk down the road in the direction of Hotaru's house in silence. It isn't awkward or tense like before. Just quiet, there was nothing to say and I knew that Hotaru's open act has probably left her stoic self exhausted along with the shock of finding out the truth.
I walk her to the porch steps and bid her goodnight as I walk back to Luna's house but not before a "you too baka," from Hotaru.
A/N: Yes it was short and I haven't updated in forever. I know. I'm sorry, I have no excuses other than the fact that I got lazy. But to anyone who cares and is for some reason still reading this sorry excuse of a story I will be updating every week. I want to finish before summer so be it APs or Final Exams, I'll be here.
