A/N: Please go and vote in the GARCAs! Link is on my profile. I haven't updated in ages because I haven't had time, I found it more fun to do challenges, and because I ran out of ideas. I'm not too happy with this chapter, but never mind.
Children
They are not children anymore, and Alice Academy is not really for them now. Sumire and Natsume are among the older of the children in the Higher School, and they will be leaving the school in a day or so along with half of the sixth form - most of the others in their friendship circles have another one or two years to wait.
XXX
"I can't believe you're going," says Luca while they are standing in the lunch queue.
Natsume merely grunts, while Sumire says, "I'm probably going to miss this place ..." and resists the urge to say 'you' instead of 'this place'. That ship sailed too long ago.
"Seriously, Curly? I'm just happy that I'm finally out of this sh-"
"Don't be rude in front of all the juniors," Luca interrupts.
"And don't call me that," says Sumire, glaring. Stupid Mikan and her stupid nicknames.
XXX
"I can't believe you're going," says Mikan tearfully. Sumire isn't sure how much of the tears are for her and how much is for Natsume, but that doesn't matter.
"Yeah, well, I can't bully you for ever," she replies. She's going to miss Mikan and her never-ending optimism, which she is sure that she is not going to find in anyone else out there. Apart from maybe that idiot with the smile.
XXX
"I can't believe you're going," says Koko somewhat teafully. Somewhat. The smile does tend to distract one from the generally depressed attitude that Koko was wearing today.
"Shut up and cheer up," snaps Sumire, peering under her bed and using her whiskers to search for lost socks. "You're going to make me get depressed too!"
"You should be depressed! You're leaving the school! Not to mention me ..."
Sumire sniffs, deactivates her Alice, and gets up. "As if that would depress me."
"Doesn't it?" Koko grins wider, looking more like his usual super-happy self.
"Yeah," says Sumire quietly. "... though maybe it's only because I'm leaving Natsume and Luca as well," she continues, watching for his reaction.
"Obviously I'm only sad because Hana-chan's going." There is a hint of laughter in his voice.
"If she catches you calling her that, you're gonna be too unconscious to be sad anymore." Sumire pauses - where did she leave that nail-polish remover? Is that why it smelt so funny under the bed?
"Wait, was I meant to be depressed? I forgot what my point was," Koko says, looking a bit confused.
"Whatever, I don't care. Seeing as you're in here, can't you at least help me pack?"
Koko looks at the mound of clothes, books and various toiletries heaped up in the middle of the room. "You know I'm not good at packing or anything that needs organisation and skill," he says by way of an excuse.
"Yeah, I know, but stuffing socks into a bag doesn't require skill!"
"Ew, why would I want to touch your socks?"
"Shut it," says Sumire angrily, but Koko can hear her laughing in her head.
Something rings and Koko pulls out a alarm clock from underneath a stray pillow. "What's this for?"
Sumire glances up. "Oh right, the girls are having a party 'cos me and Hana are leaving," she explains. "Sorry, I gotta go now, and no you can't come."
'The girls' always refers to the ex-Fanclub members, and somehow Mikan - although she could be counted as a female friend of Sumire's - doesn't fall under the category of 'the girls'. Koko has never quite understood why; the politics and cliques of the female population have always been a mystery to him.
"Not even if Hana-chibi-chan's there?"
"Seriously, don't call her that. Even if you do hate her - and don't say that to her either," Sumire mutters absent-mindedly. She's back to sock-searching.
"Fine," says Koko, shrugging (happily). "See you this evening then?"
"Yeah," says Sumire, smiling for once. She ushers him out of the room, gives him a quick kiss, and sits down. She starts to get ready for the party.
"You do know that I am actually going to miss you," says Koko through the door, his voice muffled. Just in case she hadn't got the message before.
Of course I know, idiot. And you know that I'm going to miss you too, even if we do see each other every weekend like we said, and if you know there's no need to read my mind now, is there?
