Disclaimer: I don't own GA

LAST CHAPTER RECAP

"Mikan-chan is studying abroad!" Narumi answered cheerfully hands clapping together.

"Class, I'd like to introduce you to your new classmate!" Mrs Harrison beamed and clapped her hands at a rate Mikan could not keep up with.

"I'm Mikan Yukihira. I recently came back from Japan. I hope we can become good friends" she smiled

"you'll be seating in the back, right next to Mr. Collins." Mrs. Harrison grinned

"I'm Amara Evans. This is just a warning." she commented crossing her arms, eyes hardening as she looked down at her "Do anything to harm Anthony, or even distract him from his studies, and you will regret it."

"Did you tell Mikan about the bet?" Imai asked bluntly

"And what if I did" Ruka admitted

Ruka watched Natsume walk away from him. Walking straight into the darkness he had once been in, and walking far far away from Ruka's grasp.

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Chapter 5 - The Phone Call

ScarletMidnight19

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Natsume

Two Unread Messages

Mikan stared at her screen. It had been two months since he had sent her the messages and she had yet to open them. In truth she was scared to see what she would find. She knew that Narumi would've eventually told her former classmates that she was studying abroad. She just hadn't expected Natsume to message her that quickly.

She wondered what he must've thought when he finally found out she was no longer in the Academy. Was he relieved at the fact that he no longer had to go through with the bet? Or perhaps that he no longer had to fake that he truly did like her? He could finally be with Luna, or if not Luna some other girl that he probably had his eye on. He no longer had to worry that she would ever find out. He could just continue to live his life pretending that she never knew about the bet.

Looking back at her screen she sighed. She was just itching to open his messages, however, she steeled herself and locked her phone. At the same time the bell rung, indicating the end of her class. Placing her phone in the front pocket of her backpack she stood and headed out of the classroom making her way towards the lunchroom.

On her way out the classroom she saw Nobara, Kosuke, and Bella leaning against the wall opposite her classroom.

She rolled her eyes at them. They only grinned.

Over the last month and a half they had stuck to her like gum. It was irritating to say the least. She had most classes with the trio which made avoiding them even that much harder. They always chatted animatedly amongst them always making sure to involve her into conversations, which she appreciated. They would even ask her to hang out after school which she always declined in favor of spending her afternoons with her brother as they were in different parts of the campus and rarely got to see each other that much anyways.

However just like everyday they would wait for her before lunch and head down to the cafeteria together. Which she greatly appreciated, and if she was being honest, always looked forward to.

Reaching the cafeteria and sitting in their usual table they began talking furiously about their current dilemma...

...end of quarter exams. Oh the horror!

The group of friends were currently in a heated discussion over what would most likely be in the exams, and what they would need to study specifically, as their teachers hadn't given them any hints and just told them to revise their notes. The possibilities were endless.

This was the scene Anthony came upon after entering the cafeteria.

"...no I'm telling you that wouldn't make sense! Mr. Alctus covered that in the beginning of the school year there is no way he would even put that into the exam!" Nobara said looking frantically over her notes

"It's precisely why he'll put it in the exam" Bella reasoned, Kosuke nodding right next to her "It was at the beginning of the school year so I imagine that half of our classmates, if not more, have already forgotten what we've covered then. Not to mention Mikan wasn't there to begin with, so he'll definitely put it on the exam!"

"What's going on?" Anthony questioned sitting himself to the right of Mikan, which peculiarly became his usual seat after the brunette decided to sit with them after much begging from Nobara's part, with the bluenette sitting on Mikan's left, and Bella and Kosuke sitting across them.

"They're discussing on what material Mr. Alctus will undoubtedly put for the exams" Mikan answered him pulling out a fruit salad, which she acquired from a classmate in her previous class, from her bag. The plastic black circular container was still cold to the touch. How her classmate managed to keep them cold she didn't know.

"Oh? And what's the general consensus at the moment?" he asked looking from Mikan to the still debating trio.

"Pending" she answered absentmindedly grabbing the circular container and shaking it. Once she was satisfied that it had been mixed thoroughly she removed the plastic lid and grabbed two plastic sporks -she had asked for an extra one- handing one to Anthony, who grabbed it without hesitation, placing the container right in between them and without wasting a single second more scooped up blueberries and blackberries. She hummed in delight at the bittersweet taste of the fruits.

"UGH!" Nobara groaned as Bella and Kosuke wore identical smirks.

Mikan with the spork still in her mouth raised an eyebrow at her before shaking her head and going back to her fruit salad. Anthony merely snickered at Nobara's scowl.

"You just don't want to study your notes that far back, right Nobara?" Mikan asked innocently, to which Nobara flushed at that statement. She looked at Mikan in utter betrayal.

"Mikan! You're supposed to be on my side!" Nobara whined. The rest only snickered while Mikan sported an amused smile. They just laughed even harder as Nobara went on a whole rant on why she hated studying.

Just then Mikan felt her phone start vibrating. Mikan, ignoring Nobara's rant, took her phone out of her backpack. Antony who was munching on some strawberries also felt something vibrating, curious he turned to look at Mikan as she held her phone in hand, face going blank.

Curious about why so suddenly her emotions had changed he leaned over and saw the caller ID a IMAI was calling.

"Who's Imai?" he asked quietly imagining she wouldn't want the others to find out as she had rejected the call as fast as she could without the others noticing.

"No one important" she replied blankly closing her backpack and swinging it over her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Bella asked looking towards Mikan as the brunette was getting ready to leave, Kosuke raised an eyebrow at the brunette silently asking the same question.

"Ah. Well I'm g-" whatever she was going to say was cut off as her phone started vibrating again and this time all her friends heard as all of them looked down at the phone. Mikan inwardly swore.

"It's Imai again" he mumbled towards her. Mikan shot him a no-shit look, he just ignored her and went back to enjoying the fruit salad that his friend had neglected. She sighed removing her bag and settling it atop the table once more. Her friends looked at her weirdly before shrugging and going back to their previous conversation. Anthony offered her, her spork back to which she accepted with a sigh. He rolled her eyes at her dramatics.

Kosuke meanwhile rummaged through his bag as he tuned out Nobara's and Bella's bickering. He made an ah-ha! noise as he found what he was looking for. A stack of cards was then placed in the table.

"Who wants to play?!" He asked excitedly

"What are we going to play?" Bella asked in turn, turning to look at him

"How about speed!" Nobara suggested

"How about something that more than two people can actually play?" Bella countered

"Go fish?" Nobara supplied hopefully

"I'm in" Kosuke said grinning as he took the cards out of the box. Bella hummed and nodded. They then looked at the duo who hadn't said anything yet only to see them huddled together whispering back and forth.

"Ahem!" Kosuke coughed successfully getting their attention. "We're going to play go fish. Wanna join?"

Mikan and Anthony both shook their heads. "No thanks" Mikan replied. Kosuke nodded and went on to shuffle the cards. Mikan and Anthony looked at the trio a moment longer before going back to their discussion.

"Just answer" Anthony growled as the phone lit up for the fourth time, the screen showing an incoming call.

"No" Mikan replied firmly glaring at the blond boy

"They're going to keep calling you know! Just answer" He whispered harshly at her

"Then I'll just keep ignoring it then"

"How long are you going to ignore it? You're going to have to answer sooner or later" The screen soon died out, showing her lock screen once again as it notified four missed calls all from Imai.

"I'll ignore it as much as I want to" she sneered "I don't have to answer today! You never know, maybe i'll call them back once I'm in my room"

He snorted "Yeah right"

Her phone lit up once again and he groaned before sending her a glare which she returned in full force as well. He, frustrated with her, swiped her phone from her grasp before sliding the answer icon, not even registering the caller ID different than the last. Mikan who was very irritated at him tried to get her phone back but to no avail, he just kept scooting farther down the table away from their friends, fruit salad forgotten, with Mikan following. Nobara, Bella, and Kosuke were too engrossed in their game to even pay attention to their two friends.

"Hello" Anthony answered

"Collins give me my phone back" Mikan growled, Anthony merely waved her away

Natsume who had called her stopped in shock. After Imai had been pestering him to call the brunette so she could confirm that Ruka, sorry Nogi, had actually told her about the bet, he had disagreed at first leaving the stoic inventor to call the brunette instead to no avail. After her fourth attempt he conceded, trying oh so desperately to not get hopeful as she had still to answer his last messages, which had been sent almost two months ago. So when he realized his call had actually gone trough he was more than delighted but that feeling soon crashed down as a male voice answered instead. Confused he was about to hang up under the impression that maybe the brunette had changed her number, however that was when he heard her voice. That voice that he missed oh so much. He felt his heart skip a beat at the sound of her sweet melodic voice.

He really had missed her. More than he cared to admit.

"Is Mikan there?" he asked, praying to any superior being that was out there that this boy spoke Japanese and made his life easier.

His prayers were answered when the boy responded in Japanese "Mikan? Yeah." a pause "Though I don't think she'll want to speak to you, she's been ignoring your calls for a reason, Imai-san"

Imai? Natsume snorted "I'm not Imai. I'm Hyuuga." He could feel Imai's prodding gaze from behind as soon as he uttered her name. Obviously hurt that, even though not Mikan, they answered his call. And he hadn't even had to try four times. 'Such a pain.' He thought

"Oh. Right. Sorry about that" he heard the boy give an awkward chuckle "I'm Collins by the way. Just give me a minute to speak with Mikan"

And so Natsume patiently waited while hearing muffled voices through the other end.

"It's someone called Hyuuga that wants to speak with you" Anthony informed his friend

"Well why don't you give me my phone then so I can speak with them?!"

"Are you actually going to talk to him or are you going to hang up?" he asked her, an eyebrow raised for emphasis

Mikan glared at him and crossed her arms "You're an ass"

he ignored her comment and continued speaking "Just talk to him so he can stop bothering you. Or do you want to be getting calls from him everyday?"

"That doesn't make it better Collins"

"It'll be better. Come on" he coaxed.

Mikan chewed on her bottom lip weighing the pros and cons. Pro, she won't have to speak to them after this. Con, she's going to have to speak to them. Pro, She will be able to hear Natsume's voice one last time. Con, she's going to have to talk to Natsume. Groaning she slump her body on the table, sighing in defeat she nodded.

"Fine" she mumbled "I'll speak to him"

"Good" he said handing her, her phone back.

Mikan inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly easing her nerves. She knew Anthony was still looking at her, observing her every move. He hated him for that, he knew how to read people very well, and she hated that she was like an open book.

She hesitated "Hello?"

An sharp intake of breath was what she heard for a minute "Mikan?" he wavered. And just with that one word, just with his voice, memories of them together resurfaced to the forefront of her mind. Of when she thought Natsume actually loved her. Of the many times he had given her a gift just because he felt like it. Of the many soft caresses and gentle kisses. Of the many loving murmurs. Of the many times they bickered. Of the many late night talks up in the roof of her dorm. Of the many-. She shook her head willing those memories to go away and steeled herself.

"What do you need Hyuuga?" she asked coldly.

Unbeknowst to her on the other side Natsume winced at her tone of voice. He grimaced. "I...you...um" Natsume sighed he actually had no idea why he called her, at first he wanted to know if Ru-Nogi had actually told her about the bet, but the more he thought about it the more probable it was that he actually told her. So honestly he didn't need her to confirm his thought because he already knew, even if Nogi had already confessed as well. Maybe he just wanted to hear her voice one last time, he just knew in his gut that this would be the last time they ever spoke to each other, and he couldn't bear the thought of that, so just hearing her voice right now, even if it was cold and unforgiving, he would take it.

"I repeat what do you need Hyuuga" Mikan's voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"I wanted you to confirm something, but I already know it's the truth and know that you know as well" a pause "I think I just wanted to say sorry"

"What's this? The great Hyuuga actually saying sorry? What has the world come to" she replied mockingly

"Mik-"

"No! You don't get to call me by my first name, not anymore. You and Imai lost that right after what you did" she snapped

"I see. You're right" He replied blankly staring ahead and ignoring Imai's glare that he knew she was sending him from where she sat.

"I can't believe you and her would ever do something like that. I trusted you, and that's my fault. So whatever you were going to say just don't. I don't want to hear excuses"

They stayed in tense silence each willing the other to break it, to say something, to just laugh and say it's a joke, but both knew that wouldn't be. "I really am sorry, for everything. I shouldn't have played with you in the beginning like that" he whispered so quietly he was sure she hadn't heard him, but she did.

"No you shouldn't have. And for that I will never forgive you, unlike you I was actually serious"

That struck a nerve deep within him. Unlike you? What? He was serious about her that was the whole reason why he put an end to the bet, he didn't need a damn deal so he could stay with her. He actually liked her. Hell he was pretty sure he loved her, but he was only fourteen so what did he know of love. Nothing.

He snarled "Unlike you? Really polka? If you hadn't left you would've known how serious I was"

"Oh! Don't turn this on me" she seethed

"Then don't talk about things you don't know!"

"What do you mean don't know?! I'm talking about it because I know it's true!" she half-yelled. At this point the rest of her friends were looking at her in concern. Curious about who was making the usually composed Mikan Yukihira to loose her cool.

"It's not damn it!" Natsume was starting to loose his cool as well, Hotaru merely looked on with interest, she had a feeling to where this conversation was heading to.

"Then please enlighten me on what is true"

"I LOVE YOU DAMNIT!" He yelled, she inhaled sharply at his revelation "I love you so fucking much, it actually fucking hurts" he sighed running his fingers through his hair and making it an even greater mess than it already was "I love you Sakura Mikan"

She hung up right after that. His heart never hurt as much as it did then.

Rejection.

He never felt such an emotion before, and he hated it.

Hated it with a passion.