My Happy Ending Chapter 25: Before The Storm, a gakuen alice fanfic

Disclaimer: Omgomgomg! Type in, "Norwegian Recycling Soul of Fireflies" on Youtube! Love it so much! And no I don't own Alice Gakuen!

My Happy Ending
by Little Miss Giggle

Chapter Twenty Two: Before the Storm

I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,
to try and save the day for me.
Why can't he just let me be?

Ryo,

Sorry to say, but I'm afraid to report that I think Mikan is never going to tell our friends. I can tell sometimes when Hyuuga comes up in the conversation, she wants to tell them all, confess to them about him, but then a second later, it's as if she remembers all the fun she has with him, and believes that Hyuuga is completely worth all this mess. Maybe he is, I don't know, nor do I want to know, to be frank. All I'm saying is, I think you should give Mikan a ring soon to try convince her, as obviously I don't seem to be doing much at the moment. This lie is getting out of hand, and for little reason too.

Hotaru Imai.

"Hey Mikan, have you thought about your song for the Fourth Round yet?" Aoi asked, as she peered her head into Mikan's room one night in late March. Mikan, who was sitting cross-legged on her bed, listening to her iPod, looked up and shook her head. Aoi gasped, before she made her way into her room, glancing her red eyes from side to side, observing what Mikan kept in her room. "You haven't? I mean—Mikan, it's nearly April! Usually you finish your song by the first month, leaving the rest of the weeks to practice!" Aoi narrowed her eyes by the slightest as she asked, "Why haven't you? And why does it feel like I haven't seen you at all this month? . . . Where have you been?"

Mikan bit her lip, as she paused her iPod and turned to look at her friend. "You know . . . just around. And about my song—I dunno, I mean, I want to write, I really do. But a song about the truth? It's just . . ." I haven't been truthful in the slightest way recently. So how am I supposed to write a song about the truth if I'm a liar? She finished off in her head.

"You were writing a few days ago, Mikan." Aoi pointed out, as she sat down on Mikan's bed, beside her friend. "You were working pretty hard on it—want me to check it out?"

"Uhh, naah. It's fine. I mean, it's not a song . . . you know to share. It's more of a song for myself. Like . . . a diary. But in a song." Mikan answered rather unexpectedly, causing Aoi to blink in bewilderment. Usually Mikan was totally up for showing her things, let alone her songs, to everybody! Like the time when she got new underwear, she was showing the whole female population it! Not to mention, Mikan looked like a kid who just stole candy when she said it—her hazel eyes were darting all over the place and she kept opening and closing her mouth and then pressing her lips together. Not to mention her cheeks were a bit pink.

Something was fishy.

"Alright then." Aoi replied as she shrugged and stood up. "But tell me when you've got it, because I need to make something for you, for the Fourth Round!—I was thinking just a white dress though. It'll make you look like an angel or something, and you know how angels don't lie! They're so pure! It'll make your song sound more truthful, I thought!"

Mikan smiled, "Yeah that sounds perfect! I can so imagine me coming down the stage with . . . with wings!" Aoi laughed and Mikan joined, before she added, "Thanks, Aoi. I really appreciate it."

"Mm, no worries. Oh and Anna wanted me to tell you, dinner in thirty minutes." With that, Aoi started to make her way to the door before she looked back, "Hey, there's something good on TV. We're watching it—d'you wanna join?"

"Yeah sure, in a bit?"

"Of course!" Aoi smiled. Aoi was just about to disappear into the hallway, but before she could, she looked back at Mikan. Mikan saw the expression in Aoi's eyes—unlike Hotaru's disappointed look (which she had been getting a lot these days), Aoi's eyes showed nothing but an empty lonely feeling . . . "Hey Mikan . . . is there something I should know?"

This was it. Mikan knew herself for once this was it—there were no distractions, and to be honest, she felt sick of lying—what kind of friend does that? And Aoi didn't deserve not knowing—the guy she was seeing was her brother for Chrissake. Not to mention, recently, probably thanks to Hotaru's rather cold distant looks, she was having dreams of actually being a snowman; and somebody pushed her down, down, down a hill and—bam!—she had fallen to pieces. Hotaru's words of her lies being a great big ball of snow really was scaring Mikan now, at least, when she was distracted anyway.

But she couldn't.

Even if she tried so hard. Even if she wanted to.

She couldn't tell Aoi.

"No." Mikan replied with a forced smile on her face. "Nothing at all."

"This is delicious." Permy commented, as she licked her spoon, fishing the cream into her mouth like a cat. "I mean, normally I hate cake. Because all I think is 'you're making me fat, stupid cake.' But Anna—oh la la! It's incredible! Strawberry Shortcake is officially Sumire Shouda's favourite cake!"

Anna laughed and replied, "The strawberries in Japan are so good though! They're massive compared to the one's I've seen around the world!"

"Oh gimme another piece, Anna!"

"You sure, Permy?" Anna double-checked nevertheless taking Permy's plate and putting another piece of cake on her plate. "You sure you're not going to regret it in an hour's time?"

"Come on, we have to celebrate! I mean Anna and Nonoko, my chums, you've finished your piece for the Fourth Round! I, on the other hand, am struggling with my violin piece—"

"Oh my God, same!" Mikan interrupted, putting her hand up. "I just have no—"

"Inspiration!" Permy finished off for Mikan, as she nodded in agreement. "Exactly! I have no effing inspiration what so ever."

Nonoko grimaced, "I'm not too confident on our piece though. Anna and I don't think we're going to get through this Round. Dunno—country music is very honest . . . but what's there to write about? A song about the truth is so hard to write strangely and surprisingly . . . Hotaru, what's your piece about?"

Hotaru who was sipping her ginger tea, put her teacup down and replied, "My love for money." The girls all laughed. "What?" she shrugged. "It's true. I'm being serious. I'm not in love with anything else."

"What about crab?" Mikan giggled, teasing her best friend. "You can play a song about a crab . . . which you end up eating."

"No, what about Ruka Nogi?" Permy asked, her eyebrows dancing maliciously. "He seems rather smitten with her, no?" she asked the table, which the girls all agreed laughing.

Hotaru scoffed, almost in what looked like disgust before she spat, "What about you and Yome? And Aoi and Youichi? Stop being so immature, all of you."

"Hey!" Aoi cried. "Don't categorize Youichi and I into the same category as Permy and Koko! That's insulting!" this caused all the girls to snort, and Hotaru to mockingly reply, "Oh my bad, Aoi. I apologize for my obvious stupidity."

Permy had her arms crossed over her chest, and her green eyes narrowed as barked, "Don't put Koko and me together at all! There is no chance in this life I would ever get with someone like him. I go for the cooler guys."

"Oh come on, Koko is so much cooler than my brother." Aoi answered, with a bit of a roll of an eye. "And he makes people laugh."

"I don't think Hyuuga's that bad anymore," Anna remarked, as she lazily shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, Nonoko and I even spoke to him today in the hallways—you should have seen that cow Koizumi's face! Anyway, he was alright. A bit ape-ish with his grunts, but alright."

"Baah." Permy scoffed, as she dismissively shook her hand. "Still don't like him . . . although God he is hot. To think I used to date him!" she dreamily sighed, causing the twins to giggle into their puddings. "No offence, Aoi. And I hope I didn't make it awfully uncomfortable with that lustful sigh!"

Aoi smiled at Permy, telling her with her eyes that it was fine in a glance, before she returned to turn her gaze back on Mikan. Throughout the whole conversation about her brother, Mikan had become completely quiet, and seemed to be painfully avoiding eye contact with anyone—especially her and Hotaru, doing this by playing with her cake on her plate.

. . . But when Permy spoke, her hazel eyes . . . just narrowed. Which shocked and surprised her, because it was totally unlike Mikan to glare like that. Mikan almost looked . . . jealous. Or angry. Maybe both? If she didn't know any better, she would've said that Mikan was keeping a secret. There was something she didn't know about—she could tell; feel it in her veins—and honestly, as curious as she was, Aoi was more upset to think that Mikan couldn't trust her and tell her what the hell was going on.

Aoi then suddenly sadly smiled. She really couldn't talk in this case . . . after all, there were some things that her friends didn't know about her . . . like what happened three years ago, on the 27th of November. Her scars on her back started to tingle in thought of the memory and she couldn't help but shudder ever so slightly.

One hour and fifty four minutes.

That was how long Mikan and Natsume had been on the phone for . . . so far. Mikan groaned, "Ugh, my brain feels like it's been cooked I've been on the phone for so long! And you're the reason my credit is disappearing!"

She heard Natsume let out a short raspy laugh slash snort, before he replied, "Hey Polka, what's the date today?"

Mikan blinked, and paused for a second in thought. "The date?" she repeated, trying to get her brain to function. "The date is . . . ooh, the 3rd of April. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's right!"

"Want to go to Ueno Kouen tonight?"

"Tonight?" she checked the clock on her wall, to see it was still only four in the afternoon.

"Yeah. I mean, it's a Saturday and . . . wait, you've never had a spring in Tokyo, have you?"

Even though she knew she couldn't see him, she shook her head anyway while answering, "Nope! Why?"

"So you're free tonight?"

Mikan guiltily thought of her friends for a moment. Mikan had promised them that she would go to the movies with them tonight (her friends were currently all in the living room, watching MTV's 16 and Pregnant) and treat them all for ice cream. She was sure her friends—especially Aoi wouldn't buy her excuse for bailing tonight, and almost certain that Hotaru would not help her anymore with her lies.

But she really wanted to see Natsume.

"Yeah—hey!" a smile crept on her face, and her worry disappeared as quickly as it came. "Let's busk tonight! Oh please!" There was a pause, but then the line crackled and Natsume replied, "Sorry, Koko has shit reception in his room. Anyway, busk? What song?"

Mikan thought for a second before a peachy glow came across her face and she proposed, "I-I wrote a song. Recently. I could always sing that."

"You have music for it?"

"Yeah—acoustic guitar."

"Alright, bring it along—I'll play the music, and you sing."

Mikan blinked, surprised. "Seriously? I mean—really? You'll busk with me?—Wait, wait, don't answer that; just in case you've changed your mind!" She started to laugh before she continued, "Oh my God, I can't wait now!"

"Meet me outside on the benches at 6:00pm, alright?"

The front door clicked shut, and the girls held their breath to check if Mikan was actually still in the room or not. When they heard nothing, Permy rounded her head back to her friends, and asked, "Did any of you believe that, or was is it just me who doesn't believe that Mikan just left to go to the gym? I mean, she blew us off for the gym?" She crinkled her nose and scoffed, "That's complete bullshit."

"Yeah, I have to agree with you there." Anna mused. "I mean, remember when you," she looked over at Aoi, "got Mikan to go on that diet and exercise? She hated that!"

"There is no way Mikan just bailed out on our plans for the gym." Nonoko concluded.

"Hey," Aoi said, "does anybody actually . . . know where Mikan goes these days?" Even though the question was directed to all her friends, Aoi's eyes were on the amethyst beauty, who looked extremely irritated, and had her lips thinned down into a hardly visible line. "I mean, I hardly see her these days."

Permy's eyes fell down to the floor, in thought, before she replied, "Now you mention it . . . you're right. I've hardly seen her either!"

Hotaru, even though her face was masked completely with an expressionless unworried look, inside she felt her insides churning. Unconsciously, her fists were balling up beside her on the couch . . . Hotaru had a really, really bad feeling about tonight.

"Come on—this way," Natsume declared, as he turned back his head slightly, grabbed a hold of Mikan's hand, and lead the direction to the famous Ueno Kouen. Mikan couldn't help smile, and laugh as together they ran hand in hand towards the entrance of the park. Mikan thought, as they ran, how bloody strong Natsume must be, as he was carrying a guitar on his back, but he somehow still managed to run faster than her. Maybe, she thought sheepishly, she's just incredibly weak and slow.

Having lied to her friends she was going to the gym, Mikan was currently in a pair of sweatpants right now, and a simple tank top, which hugged her body. Her hair was tied up into a sloppy bun and once they reached the entrance, she pulled the elastic out, and let her hair fall down in place. And that's when she looked up.

"Oh my God." She gasped, absolutely amazed. In front of her, in the park, there were rows and rows of beautiful cherry blossom trees all lined up, all blowing peacefully in the wind. Many people were gathered there; there were food stalls everywhere too, selling yakisoba, takoyaki . . . and many, many more festival foods. Lights were hanging up from the trees—lighted up ever so magically. "They're . . . I mean, everything . . . it's so beautiful."

"Park's pretty famous for it's Sakura trees at around Easter. And the festival here too. It would have been better if we came in late March, but this year unlike usual the trees are lasting longer." Natsume explained, as a small smile crept on his face, when he looked down and saw her big hazel eyes gazing at the trees. He held onto her hand tightly and added, "Instead of gawking at them from here, let's go in the park, no?"

Mikan looked up at him her eyes brimming with excitement as she asked, "Can we please go get some of those Sakura Mochi's?" she pointed to the direction of the stall selling them. "And how did you know I love Sakura trees?"

Natsume shrugged, "A girl who constantly whines that Tokyo doesn't have enough nature and your surname. Go figure."

Mikan laughed, before she pulled Natsume into the park with her, "Come on, come on!" she trilled as she laughed. "So little time, so much to do!"

After having a portion of takoyaki to share and a piece of the famous sakura mochi, Mikan was sitting under a Sakura tree, Natsume beside her, looking up at the cherry blossoms. Every time one fell close by her, Mikan picked it up, and admired its heart like shape and pale pink colour. "This tree is my favourite tree." She announced, as she threw a handful of cherry blossom petals at Natsume, laughing as she watched them twirl down onto his hair.

He simply shook off the petals, before he asked, "Why?"

"Because it's beautiful."

Natsume snorted, "They're all exactly the same, Mikan."

Mikan turned to look at him. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "You called me Mikan!" with that, she rested her head on his torso, a smile playing on her face. "You know it's strange how I get excited when you call me by my name—I mean, everybody does! But . . ." she shrugged chuckling to herself a bit, "I don't know. It's special when you say it!"

Natsume grinned, looking rather pleased with the statement before he answered, "Maybe you like my ridiculously raspy voice."

Mikan responded, "You're way too full of it, Natsume. And besides, your ridiculously raspy voice is thanks to your horrible habit of smoking—"

"Oi, you know I'm trying to cut down, hopefully quit. So don't remind me of it."

"Oh!" Mikan squealed, as she shut her mouth shut. Then she smiled and said, "I didn't know you were actually trying! I thought you were kidding when you said that before! Thank you, Natsume!"

"Why you thanking me? I'm not doing it for you, stupid. God Polka, you're waytoo full of it." He smirked at her, as Mikan raised one eyebrow at him, her eyes twinkling with both irritation and amusement. He put an arm around her and squeezed her tightly after that, with a stoic look on his face. But one could tell he looked enormously impressed with himself. Natsume knew how much Mikan couldn't stand the smell, and even remembered her telling him about her Uncle who smoked like a chimney, and she would hate it whenever she had to kiss him on the cheek because he stank so bad.

If he ever wanted a kiss from her, he knew then and there he had to quit—or at least cut down. It was easier than he expected—cravings came and left, but at night sometimes, when deep thoughts haunted him, he couldn't help but get a fag out and smoke. It was ironic; after the fire three years ago, he should have been scared of fire, hated it, but instead, he had a weird fascination for it. Maybe that was one of the reasons why he started to smoke. He never knew, he couldn't even pin-point when he started.

"Hey Natsume?"

"Mm?"

"What are we?" He looked down at her; his eyebrows furrowed, and saw her big hazel eyes waiting for his crimson eyes to meet hers. "What are we?" she repeated, a bit louder.

He couldn't tell if she was trying to be all philosophical by saying that (in the sense: what are we humans doing on the earth—dun dun duun!) or if she was talking about them, their relationship, on what they were. But he could guess she was talking about the later option—and honestly, he didn't know the answer himself. It wasn't like he asked her out, but it seemed like she was his girlfriend anyway, even if he didn't do things he normally did with his usual past girlfriends—which he was glad about. His past girlfriends . . . all they did was physical (LittleMissGiggle: HAHAH. Sorry. So immature.) stuff. But with Mikan . . . he actually spoke to her, enjoyed her company and even hoped it would be like this forever.

He smirked, "We're just two crazy teenagers about to busk of course." And with that, Natsume stood up, pulling Mikan up with him. Picking up his guitar, he said, "Get the music out, Polka." to the very startled looking Mikan. She blinked, before she smiled, and pulled out two pieces of crumpled paper from her pocket.

"There!" she said, as she handed him the paper holding all the chords of her song.

He took it from her, and scanned it quickly. Then, he sat back down, with the guitar in his lap, and the music sheets spread out in front of him under the Sakura tree. "It'll be easier for me if I'm sitting down, so I can see the music."

Mikan nodded, as she dusted her sweatpants around her butt, before she looked back down at him. "I don't have microphone!"

"That's the beauty of busking." Natsume answered. "You know the lyrics?"

For some reason, Mikan's face glowed a bit pink, before she turned away from him. "Y-Yeah." She answered, sounding a bit flushed. "Ready when you are, Natsume."

Immediately, as soon as Natsume started to strum the chords she had written down, people all around them, turned their heads curiously in their direction. "Busk!" somebody excitedly announced, and like a chain reaction, people started to gather around them. Not many of them though, only twenty or so, and Mikan was used to singing to bigger crowds. But she was feeling nervous anyway. Because of her honest, honest lyrics . . . about Natsume.

Fall to Pieces

Cover by JordanMcCoyTV on Youtube

/watch?v=OJjp-ptQ0zo
Originally and rightfully belongs to Avril Lavigne

I looked away
then I looked back at you,
You tried to say
the things that you can't undo,
If I had my way
I'd never get over you,
Today's the day
I pray that we make it through.

Make it through the fall,
Make it through it all.

And I don't wanna fall to pieces
I just wanna sit and stare at you.
I don't wanna talk about it
And I don't want a conversation
I just wanna cry in front of you.
I don't wanna talk about it

'Cause I'm in love with you.

People were swaying and clapping along to the beat of the music (one girl, who was wearing big Gucci sunglasses, was filming the busk, with a rather malicious smile on her face), which abruptly stopped when Mikan said the last line in the chorus. Gingerly, Mikan looked back, knowing that Natsume had probably paused because she had just said the L word. She expected the worst when she looked back but she was surprised to see him first looking as shocked as hell (well yeah), but then, a smile crept on his face and he continued to play the chords. And honestly, after that, she couldn't stop smiling. If there was a word to describe her it would along the lines of ecstatic, jubilant, triumphant and . . . floaty. Floaty with happiness!

Telling somebody you love them (even though in her case, it was indirect) is harder than it seems.

You're the only one
I'd be with till the end.
When I come undone
you bring me back again.
Back under the stars,
Back into your arms.

And I don't wanna fall to pieces
I just wanna sit and stare at you.
I don't wanna talk about it
And I don't want a conversation
I just wanna cry in front of you
I don't wanna talk about it

'Cause I'm in love with you.

I'm in love you with

I'm love with you

I'm in love . . . with you.

Natsume had never seen anything so beautiful. When he finished the last chord and looked up at Mikan, and saw her brightly smiling down at him, call it impulse, but that was when he knew he had to kiss her. He blinked, before he put the guitar down beside him and stood up. Mikan was furrowing her eyebrows rather in a confused manner but squeaked in surprise when Natsume had hugged her all of a sudden. "Natsume—" before she could finish her sentence, Natsume kissed her.

Mikan had never expected to receive a kiss from him after her song, and so her eyes were wide open for the first four seconds. When he pulled away, she looked up into his eyes, saw the way he was looking at her, in such a gentle manner . . . she smiled and kissed him back. The crowd was all cheering in favour of the couple, commenting on them, such as, "They're soo cute! I wish my boyfriend and I would do that! . . . Wait I don't even have a boyfriend!"

Natsume suddenly stopped kissing her, and looked down at her, "That song was written about me, right?"

Mikan laughed, "Of course, dumbass!"

"Just checking." He replied, before he smiled and continued to gently kiss her.

Luna Koizumi wasn't just your typical skank. Skanks were usually girls who threw themselves at boys; girls with no self-respect at all. But Luna Koizumi wasn't exactly one of them. She may have no self-respect, but she was smart, clever, manipulative. Bitchy. Not to mention all the gossip in Tokyo—well the important gossip, reached her ears somehow—she was, what she called 'connected'. Or she was just an avid reader of Tokyo's Gossip Girl Blog. Especially when it had to do with her ex-boyfriend, Natsume Hyuuga. Any gossip to do with him was generally heard by Luna Koizumi. It wasn't like she loved him . . . she just thought they looked good together and believed that the hottest guy in the school should obviously date the hottest girl at school . . . She brushed her blonde hair as she looked at herself in the mirror, "I'm the hottest girl in the Alice Academy." There was no self-doubt as she inspected her beautiful reflection; just like the way the Wicked Queen did in Snow White.

Her iPhone, which was on her table suddenly buzzed, and she made her way towards it, picking it up. One New Message . . . her blue eyes narrowed as she read it, and again.

"What . . . the hell." She hissed, her voice low and raspy, under her breath. Her clutch on her iPhone tightened, and then on impulse she shrieked and threw her phone down onto her bed. She was breathing heavily, her nose flaring and her blue eyes filled to the brim with rage. Her phone, on the bed, still faced upwards, the message clear . . .

-:-:-:-:-:-

Spotted: Crimson Abyss' yummy lead singer NH and beautiful brunette singer in Ueno Kouen busking. We know who he is, who is she? A new girlfriend? Someone from the Alice Academy? Either way, sorry fans but it looks like the lead singer of Crimson Abyss has hearts dancing in his eyes. Not to mention after their busk they shared a sweet, sweet kiss. Check out the video of them busking (and snogging) that I posted up on Youtube. Link's at the bottom bitches! You'll heart it . . . unless you're LK. Hah.

You know you love me
xoxo
Gossip Girl

Link: .com/watch4567890239876543456789

-:-:-:-:-:-

(LittleMissGiggle: This link is fake by the way, for all of you who didn't clock it.)

Immediately, after she had calmed down a bit, Luna Koizumi rushed to her Mac, and swiftly and quickly moved the mouse to get the screen back to life. Rapidly, she went onto Gossip Girl's site, and clicked the link, which directed her to a Youtube video. Her mouth opened in horror as she saw . . . Mikan Sakura. With Natsume Hyuuga. Luna winced at her voice, knowing deep inside that Mikan had a good voice but as if she could admit that. She couldn't stand it anymore and refused to see the 'sweet, sweet kiss', and with that, she quickly closed down the Internet . . . and shrieked again.

"This can not be happening!" she cried, as she clutched her hair in frustration and anger. She had never heard of any whisper that they were going out—fine, she had heard that they were once seen together but she merely though Natsume was trying to kill time! Was their relationship kept a secret? Who knew about it? . . . But then, she lifted her face, whilst a plan was whizzing in her head. She could do anything; she was Luna Koizumi, the hottest girl in the Alice Academy.

A malicious smile lit upon her face. It came to her, the memory of her and Sumire, when they were still friends. "I don't read Gossip Girl," Sumire had stated, a snort evident in her voice, "it's just for lame people who have nothing to do in their sad lives but read other people's gossip." Now that Luna thought of it, it might have only be her that read Gossip Girl in her year . . . meaning that she was probably the first person who had seen this. And now she thought of it, she knew Sumire would still hate Natsume for what he did to her.

. . . What if Sumire didn't know about this Natsume-Mikan get together? Now she thought about it, this possibility was totally possible.

Opening her email account, she pressed New Message.

To: Sumire Shouda
From: Luna Koizumi

Thought you might want to check this out.
.com/watch45678902398765434567890

And with that, she sent the message. "Ooh, Luna Koizumi you are bad." She laughed to herself. "The cat is out of the bag."

Hotaru,

That sister of mine! I call her—and she tells me, 'Oh everything's fine!' blah blah blah! Fine my ass! If you think you have no effect on her, you should hear her with me. Even worse I tell you. It's like I'm speaking to a brick wall! Please tell me she has told her friends in your next email! I hope for good news!

Ryo

P.S. Your parents told me to tell you to turn your phone on, and unblock your brother off your email, as they have no other way to get to you. And also for you to get tickets for them for the Fifth Round.

End of Chapter Twenty Two