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Chapter Eight – Nothing Changed

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Mikan slowly fixed her black backpack and was ready to slump out her mother's car. Well, she wanted to do it.

"Darling, how about 'bye bye' kiss?"

"Mom, you know that I'm sixteen years old."

"But darling," she leaned closer to Mikan and gave a kiss on her cheek, "now, it's done, I wish you luck at your English test."

'Oh fuck, I forgot about it.'

'Yeah," Mikan tried to be calmly but inside her everything was screaming. 'How could I forget this?'

"Oh, greet Nat from me."

"Yes, mom, I will greet Natsume from you, anything else?"

"No darling," she smiled and Mikan closed car's doors. Soon, it drove away and she was left there, in front of her school.

'Here comes another looong day.' She sighed and took her English notes from her bag. Hey, at last she wanted to get a C at the test.

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"Honey, honey," Hotaru heard her mother calling. Slowly, opening her eyes, she saw white ceiling, moving her eyes away from it, she saw white walls.

Oh great, she was still in hospital.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" She mumbled feeling really tired; just now she started to feel that her back was hurting.

'Great, how am I going to walk?'

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Her mother asked, looking really worried.

"I would feel a lot better if dad and my sister would be here too."

"But darling, you father had to work and your sister is having a school and…" Hotaru didn't want to hear the entire stupid and fake story. She knew that her mother was lying. Mr. Imai never worked that hard. He loved to drink and be at the pub.

And it was all thanks to the money and popularity.

"Mom, I get you, you can stop telling me it."

Her mother only nodded and impulsive hugged her daughter, making some pain coming from Hotaru's back.

"Mom, that hurts."

"Sorry darling, I'm just too happy to see you here, all fine and alive, of course, why did you do it? Am I such a bad mother?"

Hotaru only sighed, "No mom, you're the best; I don't remember what happened with me before the accident."

"Oh, my little, poor daughter," her mother hugged her harder, making Hotaru wink in pain.

"Sorry," her mother apologized.

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The class was quiet, well; of course it was because it was middle of English lesson and Mikan Sakura couldn't guess one exercise right.

'Damn, I knew this thing so well. Brains, work!'

Suddenly, she stole a glance at the free spot in our class. Only one person from our class was missing at this person was Hotaru Imai.

Mikan had heard gossips that she got into car accident.

Mikan was feeling really down because she hasn't acted really nice toward Hotaru at the last time she saw her.

'Ugh, shut up, English is much more important then Hotaru Imai.'

And so she did, starting concentrate on her test, not thinking about Hotaru Imai.

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Finally, English was over. Mikan Sakura could breathe free again.

'I will never forget about any other test." She repeated in her head. Not caring if someone would think that talking with herself would be stupid.

But in the same time, she saw Natsume walking by the same hallway. Talking about Natsume, she hadn't talked with him for awhile now. Well, expect last night.

Would it be bad if she would talk with him for awhile? Probably not, she still needed to give her mother's greetings.

Walking closer to him, she stopped one meter away from him.

"Hi Natsume," she tried to say it calm but, of course, she failed at that task.

"Hi," he looked up from his book to see her.

"Um, what's up?" She knew that her question was lame but nothing come in her head.

"Nothing much, how about you, will you come to party tonight?"

"Probably," she smiled and looked at Natsume's book, "what are you reading?"

"Some shit, my father told me to read it because it will gave something to my career."

"And, is it giving something?"

"Only a handshake," he smirked and Mikan smiled. Yep, nothing was wrong with them, right?

The bell ringed

Right, everything was just fine.

"Oh, I almost forgot, my mother said to greet you from her."

"Say that I said thanks to her." Natsume closed his book and walked away from Mikan to give a handshake to Ruka.

She smiled at the scene, not knowing that Sumire walked closer to her from her back.

"About what are we thinking?" She asked, sawing how Mikan turned around to face her.

"Hoping that I didn't fall my English test." Mikan smiled at her and they both walked in class, chatting.

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~LCG