A/N: Hello All, unbetaed again so "head's up." :)

Chapter 9: Sleeping Beauty, Waking Ugly

The week passed in a haze. Natsume wandered around, entertained Youichi, (being a part of the DA, Youichi was limited to the supervision of either the teacher from Class A or Natsume, and Natsume didn't trust adults as a rule), avoided the DA members where possible, and above all else tried to get his rest while he could. Slowly, he was feeling better, which was a relative statement, but it was impossible to deny he felt weaker on the whole since blowing up that warehouse. He was out of breath quicker, and the smallest tasks would seem to exhaust him at times. Still, he was able to glare at anyone in the immediate vicinity which kept them away and from asking nosy questions. He figured things could be much worse. The best thing about the week was Mikan did not bother him especially. She hung out with her friends, and Lucas, who he supposed now fell into that category too. However, she made no effort to befriend him. She was cordial; she was polite, but she didn't go out of her way either. Natsume found himself simultaneously relieved and disappointed. To be left alone was precisely what he wanted, of course, but still...some people just can't make up their mind. Mikan Sakura was clearly within that category. That was all he had to say.

The connection to Mikan, and therefore Imai, through Lucas, had proven useful on just the one count though. It gave him the inside scoop, providing him with some interesting information about Imai's elder brother. It seemed they'd never even been introduced before the Alice Festival. It certainly gave Natsume something to think about. Imai had claimed her brother had become an Alice elitist after being taken from his parents and brainwashed when he was only about five year old. It had been before she was even born. He wrote no letters, and never visited, despite his prestigious position. The Imais bitterly regretted letting their son go. They'd thought they'd been doing the right thing. When their daughter was discovered to have an Alice too, they knew better and fled from place to place to keep her with them. Natsume found himself sympathetic. His parents had done much the same. It certainly explained why Hotaru Imai had been unable to keep in touch with her best friend when she'd finally attended the Academy, and her attitude in general. It also confirmed every nasty thing he'd ever thought about her older brother. Subaru Imai was a nasty, ass-kissing, sycophant to Kuonji who believed in superiority- so much so he did not contact his parents even though he was in a position to, and had avoided association with his little sister, but at least it also meant Natsume didn't have to worry about conspiracy on the Imai siblings part as he had feared when Mikan had entered the school. It was a huge burden off his mind, so much so he found himself rather jumpy. It wasn't wise to feel even slightly safe, yet safer he somehow felt. All in all, Natsume was in as a good a mood as can be expected of miserable confusion by the time it came to see Lucas play Snow White.

Lucas was quite the opposite. While Permy pranced around giving away flyers and tickets telling everyone to come see her in her leading role, Lucas was futilely, vehemently, telling everyone not to come. To Natsume's distinct amusement, this only guaranteed it. Following the path of least resistance, he found himself swept up in the crowd of schoolmates all heading to see the play, because in the words of Mind-Reader, "There's no way we're not going." Natsume was never going to let Lucas forget this. He also knew he'd burn anyone who gave his friend trouble over it. He had two motivations in going.

The theatre was packed, and at least a third of the audience were animals, which was absolutely ridiculous, and so like Lucas; Natsume almost found himself sniggering, as he joined Mikan, Imai, the Chemistry Girl, and Mind-Reader backstage.

"It's Snow White!" All the girls shrieked and started cooing over Lucas who flushed red all the way down to his neck when he saw them. Imai drew her camera.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME!"

"No, we came to see you out of loyalty!" Mind-Reader quipped with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"No way! He's crossdressing?" Someone else shouted from behind as Narumi came along.

"What are you all doing here?" He queried.

"Oh! We've never been backstage before. It's amazing!" Mikan squealed at him, not really answering the question, but somehow it was good enough for Naru, who let it go and told them all to just be gone ten minutes before the show was to start.

Lucas had meanwhile resigned himself to his fate as Imai took innumerable pictures, and every female in the vicinity hovered over him in delight. You'd think he'd be more grateful.

"You're so cute, Lucas-Hop!" Mikan giggled.

"Isn't he just." Naru concurred. "The role of Show White is just so suited for Lucas I absolutely insisted he take part." Bastard.

"Nice casting, Mr. Narumi. You're totally adorable Lucas-Hop. Just like a real girl!" Lucas looked like he was about to die at this point, and Natsume sympathised. If he liked a girl, he would not want her to think he looked like a "real girl." It just wasn't conducive. Thank God it wasn't him. He would have burned anyone who suggested it. As it was, Lucas got up and stormed away at Mikan's commentary much to her confusion and hurt.

"Lucas sure is in a bad mood. Perhaps he's nervous." Mind-Reader commented with surprising tact, for him.

"Oh no, he's been like that ever since I suggested the role. He's barely spoken more than a sentence to me." Naru said with a flighty wave of his hand.

"Oooh, snitty."

Narumi explained, completely ignoring the humiliation he'd just put Lucas through, that he'd also forced him to play alongside Permy as Sleeping Beauty. His manipulations didn't end there. He'd made the Middle School girl with the female pheromonal inclination Alice to play the role of Prince, on the grounds that it was time she stopped being ashamed of her Alice, and frustrated about being popular amongst her sex for no reason, and just embrace it. At least Imai saw how disgusting Naru was being when she asked him if he wasn't just trying to force her to like girls, (even ignoring the implication that these girls were being coerced into attraction no less.) All Naru replied was that, "Grown ups have their reasons." Ugh. He'd rather hoped Mikan would now see what a perv their teacher was, but she had the attention span of a fruit fly, and that was too much to hope for. She was already on the next subject.

"Hey, Mind-Reader! What're those?" She pointed at the box in his hand which Mind-Reader dutifully opened up to show the contents.

"They're powerful slime balls. I bought them at the Technical Class Prank Shop. If you add a bit of heat and physical impact, it'll explode and the stuff will stick and won't come off for about an hour." He shrugged. "I thought it could be fun to throw them at people who tick me off."

"Wow."

"Want one?" Mikan chuckled in a rather fake manner, and rubbed her hand across the back of her neck sheepishly,

"Seriously? I don't have anyone I'd want to throw it at even if I did take one." But she took one even as she said it, and Natsume knew Mind-Reader wouldn't have offered if he hadn't seen an image of someone in her head, and an intent to use it. He also saw exactly who Mikan's eyes had glanced towards.

"What are you looking at me for?" He glared at her, even as Imai came to the same conclusions.

"I note you took one anyway." She pointed out.

"LOOK OUT!" Someone shouted before the conversation could progress. "The drop curtain!"

Shit. The curtain above them was falling along with a couple of bright lights. Everyone scattered; the balls flew everywhere; people screamed; Natsume noticed there was some kid in a elf-like costume standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. By instinct, Natsume leaped forward, grabbed the boy, and dragged him out of the way. The chaos lasted no more than a few seconds, and soon everyone was shouting out asking if everyone was okay. Natsume didn't even need to listen to know things were not. His hand and the little boy's were stuck together by Mind-Reader's sticky balls that had exploded in the melee.

"I'm stuck!"

"Me too."

"I can't get it off."

Natsume tried yanking his hand away, but stopped when he saw it was hurting the kid. He looked around and found others in worse dilemmas. Some had books stuck to their hair, and others were stuck flat to the floor. Who knew, maybe Lucas would be lucky enough to get out of playing Snow White? It was clear the wicked stepmother and the prince were going to have to be replaced. It would be an hour until the goo wore off and there was no way they could postpone that long. Where was Lucas anyway? He glanced around. Oh, right, Lucas had left in humiliation, and was now condemned to it. Poor bastard. A couple of nervous looking Somatic class members, a high school girl, and middle school boy it seemed, approached him.

"What?" He asked brusquely.

"Umm...We just thought maybe we could try and help you get unstuck?" The girl mumbled as if she were waiting to catch Hell for talking to him.

"Hn." He nodded his head as he grunted in agreement. The Middle School guy looked like he might fall over in shock. They grabbed a hold of the little boy who was stuck to him and pulled as Natsume walked backwards with all his might, but it was no use. The sticky balls had not been poorly advertised.

Naru came flouncing back. Over in the corner Mind-Reader and co were apologising left, right, and center, to reassurances that it was not actually their fault. It was just an unfortunate accident. Still, Naru reasoned, they could use their help because even some of the understudies were stuck so it was going to mean some creative planning. He jumped right in looking to all concerned like he was actually enjoying himself as he said he would have to alter the script a bit, and would take over the role of the huntsman, while his TA could play the role of the wicked Queen. The girl who had tried so unsuccessfully to try and unstick Natsume rushed forward,

"Teacher, one of the kids playing the seven dwarves...He's, um, well, he's stuck to Hyuuga."

"What?! Really! There were more victims?" Natsume did not like how that sentence was phrased.

"Yes, and our class doesn't have any more kids! We can't unstick them!" Natsume was left with the feeling that their first instinct was never to even approach him to try and help if they could have found another kid to play a dwarf. Typical.

"Seriously?" Narumi came over to look at Natsume and the increasingly close to tears four year old. "Well this is a problem." Narumi rubbed his chin contemplatively. "I suppose we could try actually putting Natsume on the stage with him as the dwarf's forest animal friend."

Natsume lifted his chin defiantly, and glared. "No way. I'll knock you into next week." He was not going to prance around stage for one man's perverse pleasure.

"Whaaat?" Narumi whined like a toddler. "Why not do it? Think of it as an act of mercy."

"Moron! Why should I help you?"

"Meanie!" Someone shouted from the sidelines.

"Hah," Naru sighed dramatically and shook his head like a diva. "You're so cold! We have no choice then; we'll just have to change it from the seven dwarves to the six." The little guy gasped in dismay, and Narumi got down on his knees and ruffled the little boy's hair. "I have no choice, and you worked so hard. I'm sorry."

Natsume couldn't believe the nerve of the man, making him look like the bad guy, as he dashed off to deal with the next crisis. Damn him to Hell. He looked down at the little boy whose hand he held, and saw the lips quivering, and knew he couldn't be responsible for the waterworks. Truly, truly, there was no reward to a good deed. Fuck.

"Come on, kid," he muttered dragging the boy over to the changing rooms. There was bound to be some over-enthusiastic female who would humiliate him appropriately.

"Oh my God, it's Natsume!"

"He's stuck!"

"He's going to be in the play."

Natsume said the bare minimum as they swirled around him. This was just what he got for ever laughing at Lucas. They put cat ears on him and whiskers. So original. Then he was wrapped in leopard print and send out as some kind of wild cat. He wished he could bleach his brain. Someone was getting burned for this. If they said anything … He walked out just as Naru was trying to sort out the situation with the Prince.

"Natsume! WHY ON EARTH ARE YOU DRESSED LIKE THAT!" Funnily enough it wasn't Polka Dots but Permy who was shrieking like that. Narumi looked thunderstruck-so there-but it almost didn't seem worth the whispers.

"Natsume? Whoa! What are you wearing? You're a wildcat." Now, that was Mikan. Around the stage people kept commenting on the shock of seeing the Natsume Hyuuga like that, a couple said he was cute, but the prevailing sentiment was "don't laugh; he'll murder us". Good. Naturally, though, of course, Mikan had to be the exception. She didn't stop after her first exclamation of shock. She doubled over laughing mockingly at him as she pointed,

"Ah HA HA HA, it looks so good on you. I never would have thought."

"Idiot," Natumse heard someone whisper. "Don't say that. He'll hear you."

"Isn't this great," Narumi was kneeling down talking to the dwarf-boy again. Mikan was still laughing as she skipped up to him and starting tugging on his cat ears. Natsume reached for his Alice reflexively when he remembered. Great, and he couldn't even burn her. He kept forgetting that. Damn her too.

"Oh look, he's wearing cat ears. Too cute." That's it. He flicked her forcefully on the forehead.

"Hey, that hurt."

"Don't call men cute, cow."

"Stupid cat! That seriously hurt. There's no reason to suddenly flick someone's forehead!"

Hmmm, he disagreed. She shouldn't dish what she can't take. She shoved him; he grabbed her in a headlock. This was kinda fun, and it was getting out of hand. He was pretty sure this crossed some kind of line. Behind him he heard Naru talking to the girl who was playing the Prince that there was no understudy and that could they do? Perfect!

"Polka Dots, you play the Prince."

"Huh?"

He turned her around to face Narumi.

"Yo, she's gonna play the Prince."

"What are you saying?"

"Shut up. You're my slave aren't you? Pipe down; we don't have time to keep arguing."

Mikan looked around for some support, but Natsume knew how to deliver the final nail into a coffin.

"Do what you've got to do. The show must go on." He stared her down. "You're certainly not going to make me wear this costume for no reason."

"But-But I can't!"

Vengeance was sweet.

"Please do it in my place." The original Prince-Yuri was it?-begged Mikan grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her. "You're my last ray of hope."

The girls who were under the influence of her Alice rushed Mikan and begged her to please play the part for the sake of their beloved Yuri, even Imai and Permy fell under her spell, and Mikan capitulated in the face of such an onslaught. Natsume couldn't help smirking at his success. Take that Nullification girl.

Narumi rushed forward and explained to her they would use cue cards to help prompt her lines, and, before he knew it, Mikan was being dressed as the Prince.

"Sakura," Lucas nervously approached her. "Don't worry if you're in trouble out there. Let's just do our best, okay? We'll all cover for you."

Mikan looked relieved and offered him a sunny smile, but Natsume felt cold. Lucas really owed him.

"Lucas-Hop!" Mikan came dashing out from the dressing room when she was done. "Hey, do you think I look okay? I'm all antsy with my hair down. I hate it! I'm freaking out."

Lucas blushed crimson and stammered, "You're, you're hair's down. I've never seen it like that."

"That's not what I asked you!" She wailed, and Natsume could have face-palmed. That's not what you say to a girl, when she asks you how she looks, but he could see what had Lucas so confused. Mikan with her hair down had a mysterious, pretty look to her that was somewhat more gentle and mature than when it was in pigtails. Around him others chuckled, and muttered that what he should have said was that she looked cute or pretty or beautiful. Clearly he was not the only one to have noticed his best-friend's rather debilitating crush. Natsume turned around and walked away.

"Hotaru! Do I look weird?"

"Yep!"

"No!"

Imari smiled softly. He'd never seen such an expression on her face before. "I kid. You look cute. Just be more confident in yourself, okay?"

Mikan nodded frantically, and the pheromone voice choir went out to sing the narration, absolutely terribly, and it didn't matter because their Alice overwhelmed you. Whatever else Narumi was, his use of Alices in the play was genius as were his casting choices. Permy played the Sleeping Beauty who was cursed to laze around and always sleep, getting her servants to do everything for her: Very in character. Fearing she would never wed, the Prince from the neighbouring kingdom was to be forced into marrying her lest his kingdom also be infected by the curse, but went to the wrong kingdom were he met Snow White. Lucas played his part magnificently. He walked out onto the stage and the animals in the audience swarmed him and started dancing and cooing in unison to his singing. Every girl in the audience must have sighed. Then came the cringe-worthy part where Sleeping Beauty sent the huntsman to kill Snow White in revenge. Naru being the Huntsman had to make some stupid show about how he couldn't possibly kill such a beautiful girl and instead he would steal her lips. Fucking pedophile. Fortunately, Lucas had taken pheromone suppressants beforehand, wise of him, and was able to use his animals to attack and claw Naru as he fled the stage. He wasn't even acting. This school really was a shit-hole if a teacher could do that in front of an audience so brazenly.

Snow White fled deep into the woods where she was rescued by the dwarves who were all named for their Alice's like "Super-Strongey." Natsume could barely refrain from rolling his eyes at that, as he was made to walk on stage.

"And dis is my fwiend, Mr. Widecat!"

"Meow." He said tonelessly.

You could've heard a pin drop in the audience. At least it was now over with and would never be discussed again. Ever. This day was turning into an absolute Hell.

The final scene of the play came when the Prince found Snow White dead from a poisoned apple in the woods after having been found by Sleeping Beauty.

"Let me give her a farewell kiss." Mikan read of the script, and then did a double take much as did the rest of the cast when the cue card added, "On the lips so that the audience can see it."

"Teacher, that's not in the script!" Someone whispered.

"Yes, I know, but we lost some of our sizzle because of the accident; it's an emergency addition."

Natsume could see the anticipation in the audience, as Mikan hesitated. Natsume felt a riptide of fury rush through him when he saw Mikan lean down to do the deed cradling Lucas's head in her hands. Natsume grabbed the nearest object, a block of wood, and threw it at the pair. It hit Mikan's head. Next to him, Imai switched all the lights off causing a blackout. Looking down at his hand he could hardly have believed he'd done that. Of course, Mikan shouldn't have been forced, and Lucas had seemed tense and wouldn't have wanted his first kiss to be forced, and public, probably, but still...Natsume hadn't been thinking about that. He'd just been really mad. He hadn't wanted to watch Mikan kiss someone else. Period. Fuck. No. So this was what had changed. This was unacceptable. The narrators' wrapped up the play explain the kiss had awakened the Princess and everyone went to take a bow. Natsume couldn't get out fast enough.

"Hyuuga!" He whirled around.

"What!?" It was Imai.

"Just stay away from her, okay? She doesn't need your kind of influence. She has enough to deal with."

"Believe me," he snarled stepping forward, "I want nothing to do with that loud-mouthed, overbearing, invasive little parasite!" It was a lie, and he felt somewhat guilty saying it.

"I'm sure." She spoke dryly holding his gaze, one of only a handful that could. Of all the people to see him get jealous, why did it have to be her?

"Good." Despising the disbelief in her eyes, her self-assurance, he added. "What I do, I do or Lucas." That he meant to be true.

"And what I do, I do for my friend." She replied. "I know the Academy makes you do a lot of their dirty work. I'm not stupid. I know more than you think, and I have eyes everywhere. I don't care. If you want to take it out on the world, that's your business. I can't stop it, and I can't change it, but I will keep Mikan out of it." When she saw the glint of understanding in his eyes, Imai nodded once, almost regally, and walked away.

That she dared to turn her back on him said everything. He wished he didn't admire her for it, however grudgingly. Worst still was the knowledge she was right; he didn't do anyone good. He wondered if Imai had told Mikan about his missions, or if she had shielded her from the knowledge, as much as he tried to shield Lucas. He stormed off only to backtrack; he had to pick up Youichi. He huffed, feeling for a brief moment the resentment of responsibility. He was way too young to basically be someone's godfather, but who else did the tyke have? (But the unfairness was crushing; who was ever there for him anyway? Lucas. The thought echoed back like a taunt. It didn't matter how he felt; he wasn't denying his friend anything.)

Lucas had picked up Youichi when Natsume made it back to the theatre. The young boy reached out towards him and Lucas transferred the toddler into his arms.

"You okay, You?" Natsume asked, and the boy nodded sleepily. He probably needed a nap. Natsume felt like he could use one too.

"So what did you think of the play?"

"It was alright. Naru was a prick, but all things considered it went rather well."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too." Lucas looked relieved it was all over. "Poor Sakura though, getting hit on the head like that."

The guilt overwhelmed Natsume. He'd really had no right.

"They think it was angry fans of Yuri's or mine. Sakura seems alright now, so…"

"That's good." He can't believe he just got compared to mindless fans. What a shit day this was turning out to be.

"I'm going to go put Youichi down for a nap. Actually, I think I'm going to join him."

"Yeah, I've got to help clean up anyway." Lucas smiled sheepishly. "Thanks for not mentioning the Snow White thing."

Natsume snorted. "I don't have to. Everyone else will."

Lucas grimaced like he'd swallowed slime and headed back inside.


Natsume woke up early next morning with rather intense abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing. He inhaled his medication, popped a couple of pills for the pain, knowing at his point it wasn't worth the fight of endurance, and sucked on a Halls as his breathing eased. He could taste blood in the back of his throat. The side-effects of the drugs made him woozy and exhausted him further. For a moment Natsume tried to remember why he was even here. Ahead of him lay...what? When he thought of the future his shoulders felt heavy and his vision almost went black. Why was he here again? ...Aoi. Yes, Aoi. He felt guilty every moment he forgot her. It had been two years since he'd seen her. Two years. Fuck. He fumbled out of bed, and reminded himself to grip tight to the cliffside he clung to. Somehow, somehow… He sighed deeply as he remembered today was the last day of the Alice Festival. His last day of reprieve. It was no wonder he felt like crap.

Natsume sat up on the front stage for the closing ceremony as he was required to, slouching in his seat in exhaustion and apathy, as speeches were made and awards handed out. There were only two brief moments that shook Natsume from his stupor. The first was the recognition of Hotaru Imai as a bright, upcoming mind, and the recognition of the Special Ability Classes exceptional contribution this year to the Festival. Natsume couldn't help but note the success of Imai and Mikan. Imai's warnings rang in his ears, and he felt distantly the similarity between he and Lucas and them, but Lucas was wrong, they were not the same. Imai was capable of protecting her friend, and had an older brother who could protect her. Mikan for all she was targeted was blooming where she was planted. He though, was the failed older brother, who was dying, and dragging his friend down with him. That was the difference. Imai took it all in stride like she didn't even care, because she never worked for trophies. He envied her. He was a trophy. He stepped off the stage when the last speech was done and pointedly avoided the Student Council in case they had some pithy words of wisdom for him. He sat down on a bench, waiting for Lucas to come join him. They would have homeroom again until it was time for the after-Festival dance. He closed his eyes and laid down letting the sun warm him.

"Hey, Natsume!" Natsume blinked and rubbed the sleepy out of his eyes as he saw his friend sprint up to him. "Natsume, you won't believe what happened!"

"What?"

"Sakura's got a letter from her grandfather."

"What?!" The exhaustion was held at bay by the shock of the revelation. He sat right up. "How is that possible? It couldn't have been because she went after me that they're suddenly allowing her letters? Not after all Jinno said about the last Nullification Alice."

"I know! I know!" Lucas shook his head animatedly. His cheeks were flushed with excitement and his eyes were shining like he'd been let in on some big, overwhelming secret. "It was Naru. Can you believe it? He actually went to Sakura's grandfather and delivered her letter to him, and then personally brought one back for her, uncensored. He apologised that it too so long; apparently after her whole escape attempt thing he promised her."

Natsume felt a wave of cold fury roll through him at the revelation. How was it fair that his attempt to get a letter to his father was met with a whipping? But her attempt to get a message out results in Naru's personal involvement to help her? He felt guilty feeling it, but it really wasn't fair. It seemed a season for jealousy. And why now? Naru had never done that for anyone else before. What was going on? What was he up to?

"What does he want going about doing things like that?"

"I don't know, but it makes me wonder what Reo was going on about thinking Naru could've once been against the Academy." Lucas shrugged and pet his rabbit. "Either way, he seems to have a soft spot for her."

"So it would seem." Natsume spat out bitterly, and abruptly stood to walk to class. "Come on. We don't want to be late." He was glad for Mikan. He really was, but he didn't want anything to happen to her, and nothing in this place was free, and it was so damn unfair. His emotions were a confused mess where she was concerned and he hated that too.

"Whoa, Natsume, wait up!" Lucas called after him. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You're not upsetting me Lucas. It's just the double standards I hate. This place is such a joke."

He felt guilty for killing Lucas's mood now too. Great. Could he do nothing right?


Natsume wouldn't get the opportunity to sort things, because it turned out that the play they'd been roped into participating in had more consequences than anticipated. By the time Natsume and Lucas had gotten to homeroom girls had flocked around them all asking if they would like to dance the Last Dance tonight. Natsume had glared at them, but hadn't risked burning them given his exhaustion, and he rather wanted to avoid Mikan screaming at him. Lucas had tried to refuse everyone politely, but had eventually given up and he and Natsume had sat down in silence steadfastly trying to ignore the siege.

"Hey, Natsume have you decided who you're going to dance the Last Dance with?"

"Get lost; you're annoying."

"Oh, you!"

"Ooh, I am a bit scared."

"Ugh! What is with these girls they're shameless," He heard Permy, of all possible people, declare loudly. "Natsume has always had some closet fans. They were all scared of him up until a while ago, so they just watched the two from the shadows, but they say the air around Natsume's softened lately, and suddenly there's this groundswell of tramps! And on top of that there was the play yesterday." She threw her hands up into the air in disgust. "Ugh! Natsume's stupid new appeal. There are even some girls form the junior high division saying "I wanna be your girlfriend," she taunted in a high -pitched voice, "I've had the hardest time wrangling them all."

Natsume cringed at her assessment that held a few too many uncomfortable truths.

"It's disgraceful." Mikan, ever-opinionated, naturally had to give her input. "They want to be Natsume's girlfriend? What's the world coming to when a molester who steals girls panties is popular?" It probably stung so much because he agreed with her.

"Well, a child like you probably doesn't understand Natsume's charm, is all." Permy flicked her hair back superciliously and went to yell and scare off the hovering girl's for which Natsume was mildly grateful, were it not for the fact that they didn't leave but just bickered with each other. At least it took their focus of him, mostly. Mikan looked hurt by Permy's reply and went to cuddle into Hotaru with little-sisterly affection that made Natsume's heart ache.

"Hey, who are you going to dance the Last Dance with, Mikan?" Anna asked.

"Could it be Lucas?"

"Well, I mean you were the Prince with Snow White yesterday." More and more people chimed in and suddenly there were two camps. Those who hovered around Mikan and those who hovered around Lucas and Natsume. "And you even kissed!"

"We didn't!" Mikan flushed and turned around in her seat angrily. "It wasn't like that."

"Hey, is that the girl who played the Prince yesterday?"

"The new student who's Natsume's partner or something, right?"

"Oh, right."

"Could she be going out with one of them? Don't tell me they arranged to dance with her? They've turned down all of us."

"She's just a little kid." Natsume rolled his eyes at that. They were the same age. If she was kid so was he. Idiots. Maybe he turned them down because they were aggravating as all Hell and he didn't want to dance? Did that ever occur to them?

"She's not as cute as everyone says."

Natsume watched as Mikan, becoming increasingly overwhelmed by all the comments directed at her and about her, finally snapped.

"Gyaar!' She stood up and roared, waving her arms indignantly. "What did I do to deserve people saying stuff behind my back? Set your fans straight." The last comment she directed specifically at Natsume and Lucas to Natsume's immense amusement. Regrettably the emotion didn't last. "I would never ever, dance the Last Dance with Natsume, never mind Lucas-Hop for now, let alone go out with him!" She took a deep breath, huffed, and concluded. "I mean, he's super annoying."

"Isn't that my line?" Natsume glared back at her. They both stared angrily before writing the other off as a bad job and pointedly looking in the other direction. Natsume wished he could sort himself out where she was concerned, but it wasn't looking very promising. She was just...a very aggravating presence. She was impossible to be indifferent to, or neutral about. She was like his personal tormenter. The classroom was now utterly silent.

"All right everyone," Narumi burst in the door. "It's about time to get ready for the after party. Please go to the dressing room and change into your formal attire." He looked around the classroom as if only just noticing not everyone was as peppy as he was. "My, what's with this atmosphere? I hope you'll cheer up." Mikan huffed and stormed out, and Mind-Reader chortled in the background. Natsume didn't dare think what at.

Her mood towards him hadn't much improved when they all met up around the bonfire. The moment Mikan saw Natsume she glared at him, and insecurely Natsume wondered if Imai had told her who had thrown that block at her. Maybe she blamed him for interfering with her and Lucas? Of course, that was probably silly; she had far more reason to hate him than that. She'd been needling him every opportunity she could since he'd flipped her skirt in the Haunted House. Oh, why couldn't she leave him alone? He noticed Lucas looking longingly in her direction as if trying to work up the nerve to ask her to dance, and Natsume took pity on him and shoved him in her direction.

"Huh? Natsume?" He cried out, but then he bumped right into Mikan as the dances were starting and used the opportunity Natsume had afforded him wisely this time.

The two of them seemed to quickly overcome any awkwardness and danced around happily, laughing and smiling. They looked like they were having fun. Natsume wondered what it would be like if he danced with her. It probably wouldn't look like that. Even if he hadn't already screwed everything up, he wasn't the way Lucas was, he couldn't make light conversation easily. He'd probably say the wrong thing in ten seconds and offend her.

Natsume walked away to where the refreshments were, and observed Mikan enjoy dance after dance. She was a naturally gregarious person and seemed to be having a blast, but Natsume couldn't help but notice she only danced one dance with Lucas, and immediately felt guilty for feeling any sense of vindication. When there was a lull after several dances, and he and Mikan made eye contact once again, (which reluctantly Natsume admitted only happened because he'd been watching her so intently), he made a point of glaring at her. Remembering her angry words from earlier he turned his back towards her, and asked an older girl to dance. He relished the offended look on Mikan's face.

The dance was unremarkable. Natsume hadn't even known the girl's name and had made no conversation. By the end of it, the simple exercise had left him out of breath, driving him home a brutal reminder: He had no future in this, no stake. He was being childish. He stalked off of to hide in the forest to sort himself out, and take in the fresh air. What was he playing at? All this dancing and celebrating. He had nothing to celebrate, and no business at all toying with Mikan, or feeling any kind of wounded pride over how she reacted towards him, especially after what he'd done. There was no hope in any of this for him. He was a shadow cast by the life he could have been, and any pleasure he felt at her wounded pride had long since diminished. Why was he getting bent out of shape when he had nothing to offer anyone anyway?

Did he like Mikan? At this point he had to reluctantly admit yes. How much he couldn't say, but you don't get jealous if you don't like someone. He had never imagined liking someone to feel like this. There was an overwhelming need to know her. To ask what it is that makes her chase her best friend down to a dubious Academy? Why did she go back for him? Why does she not give up? What's her favourite colour? What makes her keep standing back up? To know the nuances of her strange thought-processes. It's admiration and curiosity and attraction. He wants to know her more, and the idea of it almost seems to give him an eager adrenaline rush. She scares him, and thrills him, and drives him really, really mad. He wants to poke and prod and play and what was he supposed to do with it all? He could never pursue her even if he wanted to. He couldn't do that to Lucas, and he couldn't risk it with Persona and Kuonji. He just didn't know how to lay the boundaries with a girl who was so very bold. She broke every rule. Defied every logic. He was reasonably certain if she got offended at his rudeness in not asking her to dance, a part of her had expected the courtesy. She laid firm boundaries, but kept giving the benefit of the doubt, however that was possible. What do you do with that? It wasn't like he could tell her the truth. He breathed in, and let out the breathe with the reminder that he could and would let it all go. She was nothing but a could-have-been of a different, better life.

"Ah!" He heard someone shriek. How long he'd sat there embracing his quiet he couldn't say, but when he looked over his shoulder it was the very person he'd been contemplating. She looked uncertain in his presence, and very much put out with him. He was too tired to be angry. It felt like forgiveness, but he was the one who needed absolution.

"It's all so stupid."

"What?" Her angry expression slipped away into curiosity.

"This stuff...never had anything to do with me"

"Didn't you have fun at the festival?"

Did it matter? A charade to hide the truth of this Academy. Was there joy in that? He looked over at her, and saw the concern in her eyes. She'd never quit poking. She needed to be more careful. How could he explain to her? Apologise? Say he didn't want to hurt her, and protect her, and give nothing away?

"A naive girl like you should stay in the light, and out of the dark."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind; just go away."

"Huh?"

He sighed. It pained him to do it. He would be happy if she just sat down next to him in peace. He was so tired of fighting. "Hurry up and get lost, Ugly." He donned the facade like a well-worn coat.

"Look, you, same old routine, huh? Well I'm not falling for it a third time." She clenched her fist and fumed. "And would you quite calling me Polka Dots, and Strawberry Fields, or Ugly, and just learn my name already!"

Vulnerably, he looked up at her and met her gaze. "Mikan." He whispered her name. It tasted strange on his tongue, sweet and sharp, like a tender vow made manifest. It felt good to say it. "Mikan," he said again, this time more firmly, allowing himself, just once, the privilege of calling anyone by their proper name. It was strangely intimate. He could tell he shocked her. The ire had left; her body had slackened. "Now get lost. No back talk. Don't complain about what I call you anymore. That's my third command."

In the distance he heard Imai and Mikan would be dancing the last dance together and something inside ached as he smiled for that pair of best-friends.