Mini-cliffhanger at the end of this chap. I know you love them :)

Next chapter is going to be another filler one, and then 26 is the huge one, featuring the mystery name! Please keep on suggesting...

50 reviews for next chappy? Pretty please? I really won't post it if I don't get 50...

The Meepsta :)

Chapter 24- Strictly against the rules

Mikan POV (Walking to class)

At last! It's been three whole days lying in that hospital bed, at least one of them completely useless to me. You don't know how many times I tried to persuade them I really was OK, but they wouldn't even let me get out and have a walk around to stretch my legs. At least being in hospital is useful in one way: they gave me permission off all gymnastics lessons for a whole week! Yippee!

I just can't wait to see my new room this evening, and I hope it has a pretty view. I've never been in the Middle School dorms before. I really hope I'm staying close to Nobara or any of my other Middle School friends. They're really kind, and they'll also stop me from getting too lonely for the next week or so. I hope the ESP keeps his promise... if I'm good and obey his two rules, maybe he'll let me go back to my old lifestyle a day early! That would be good, as I'm starting to miss it already... a bit weird...

I've decided that I'm going to be good, and do what they say, even if it means ignoring my friends. It feels so cruel to me, so unnatural. The looks they give me hurt me deep down, the way they desperately try to cheer me up, talk to me, help me. But they don't understand. They can't ... don't... know anything about it. If only I could have one minute... just one minute... to tell them a little about what is going on, and we would all feel much better. We would all understand. But I can't have one minute with them, I can't tell them.

Because it's strictly against the rules.

Ruka POV (Outside the Homeroom classroom)

Isn't that Mikan, out of hospital already? Well, I shouldn't really be surprised; it has been a full three days since she was admitted! I'll go over and give her a hand with those books; she's probably still very tired and shouldn't be carrying heavy things. I wonder what was wrong with her, and why she collapsed. I hope she's OK now...

Silly Ruka, of course she is! Stop worrying... stop worrying...the hospital wouldn't discharge her if she wasn't 100% better! However, she does look a little pale and dejected though... maybe I should go and get Hotaru to cheer her up... surely she wouldn't use her Baka gun on her at a time like this!

Is that really Mikan? Yes!

So why isn't she smiling back?

Mikan POV (Outside the Homeroom classroom)

Oh no!

Ruka's seen me here, and is now smiling at me with a huge grin on his face. He doesn't smile that much, still more than Natsume though, so he must be very pleased to see me back. But what should I do to avoid hurting his feelings?

Answer: I can't do anything.

I just walk on straight past him, steering a wide circle around him in the busy hallway. It's harder than you would think, resisting the temptation to smile back or approach him at all, and is taking a lot of my self-control to do it. But I've managed it.

I'm strangely pleased with myself.

I walk inside.

Sumire POV

Mikan's back!

I have to admit that she's not one of my closest friends. She annoys me by spending way too much time with my sainted Natsume and calling me Permy, but I am glad she's better now. When I heard she went to the hospital, I did get quite worried! She's a cute girl: cheerful, bubbly, and the whole spirit of the class! I think everybody missed her a bit. Especially Narumi-sensei. Ugh.

Hotaru POV

Mikan? She's back? Huh?

I assumed Natsume was wrong when he said in his text that she would be coming back to school today. My conclusion is that he could have simply misheard it last night, or had a bit of wishful thinking. We all wanted her back of course, even Natsume was showing it a little!

Knowing Mikan, (And believe me, I have for 6 years...) she would always have come and told me personally that she was coming to school as soon as she came out of hospital. Her behaviour recently has been quite un-Mikanish, if you ask me.

If that is even a word. Sigh.

OK then. Her behaviour recently has been weird. Is that a better word?

Koko POV

Haha. My Alice is the best at occasions like this...

Natsume POV

She's pale, silent, and unsmiling. Everybody is very happy that she's 'better', but I think she's actually got worse. Just because you've come out of hospital doesn't mean you're necessarily 'better'. It just means there's nothing more the hospital can do to help. I know this from personal experience. Trust me. Some wounds, wounds in the heart, don't heal fast. Some never heal.

I made a mistake last night. She isn't OK, and there's no sensible voice in my head to tell me what to do this time.

Aha! I've got a plan...

Narumi POV

Deary me!

Mikan doesn't look that happy this morning, does she?

That rhymes! This doesn't. Hm.

I wonder what's wrong with her though... the hospital said she was better...

Normal POV

"Good morning, my lovely darlings!" Narumi danced around the classroom in a pink tutu. Everybody groaned. They were in for a treat this morning... "Today is a very special day! As I'm sure most of you know, we're having some Easter fun. We're all going to stay in our Ability Groups for the whole day..." Some groans from the DA class members, and cheers from the others... "And have a wonderful time! Enjoy..." He frisked out of the door, bumping into many items of furniture on the way. Sigh. Typical hyper Narumi...

Everybody made their way out of the classroom, Mikan going first. She headed towards the Northern Woods.

The training ground for the DA class...