Disclaimer: Don't own Gakuen Alice and don't think I ever will. Yes, life is sad. :'0

C H A P T E R 3- C O I N C I D E N C E

He could not be here. He could not be here.

I didn't understand why it was necessary to repeat the words, but I found myself thinking of them over and over again.

Of course he isn't here. How can he be? This is Alice Academy. He's a normal human being. Perfectly Aliceless.

I scowled in annoyance. Because of him, I was making up my own words now. Great.

So what was I doing right now?

Waiting for Hotaru to go test out her invention. I didn't quite catch the name, but it was meant to do 'miracle cleaning'. Or something like that. I didn't know where the inspiration came from. I just hoped it wasn't from something stupid or idiotic. But then again, even then, her inventions were still great.

Her invention turned out to be some sort of giant scissors, that when used, it goes on by itself with a cutting motion, and goes around the whole preferred area, that everything was clean. Place cleared of dust, stain, or any form of dirt. When I asked about her inspiration, she replied "The spread of idiocy."

It appears that it doesn't only cut clean places and objects, but it cleans a person or area from all the baka germs. Amusing.

This morning's incident did not exactly leave my mind, which was why I needed other things to do. Spending my time with Hotaru seemed like the best thing to do, so I seized the opportunity once she asked me.

"Hey," Hotaru said, once she finished experimenting with her invention.
I was sitting in her couch, the one I sat in on my very first day in the academy.

"Ho-hotaru!"

"You're thinking about him," it was not a question, it was a straight out assumption.... And she had assumed right.

"You still remember..."

"I wasn't likely to forget the first time you came crying to me because of a guy," she said with an evil grin.

"Hmmp. You haven't changed at all," I said, slightly annoyed.

"And he wasn't just a guy," I added, "He was my best friend."

"Friend," Hotaru snorted.
"Well, he was."

"Why the past tense?"

"Does that really matter?" I asked, trying to think of ways to end the conversation. Natsume was not someone I was eager to talk about right now, let alone, think about.

"Apparently, my best friend head is invaded by him, and she thinks it doesn't matter," Hotaru teased.

"Hotaru. I don't... I don't want to talk about him okay? Please let it drop."

"You know issues left alone won't get solved."

"Oh no, it's not me who needs to leave the issues alone. Issues seem to hunt me, so I'm pretty sure it would get solved soon," I answered after careful consideration. I was pretty sure I'd have to face these issues sooner, which meant I had to solve it.

"Be sure when it does, it won't take you by surprise," said Hotaru, and I thought of these words, repeating them in my head. For some reason, I had a dreadful premonition that it would come true.

I returned to my room (which Narumi-sensei showed me early this morning) when I realized I was feeling even more tired than I was willing to admit. I went straight to bed, and yawned. I looked around the room for the last time in the day: It was enormous. Everything was just so neat and tidy. It had a nice hotel-like look. I liked it.

The library incident as well as having a new room was too much to absorb for one day.

I closed my eyes, trying to block all things out. Not that it worked. Rather than helping me fall asleep, the blackness only made me think of more things. It was too easy to think of anything when your eyes were shut. It didn't really make things any easier. It was better than having your eyes open, though. Having them open only meant that there was nothing to stare at but the plain ceiling. But then again, what was the difference anyway? Both plain and inviting a cloud of thoughts to enter my head.

The most irritating thing about sleeping, was that when I tried to concentrate on sleeping, thoughts of the day just kept crashing down on me. Like missiles that shot non-stop. There was no escape.

So many thoughts. So many things to look forward to. The thoughts entered my mind like a slideshow. Screenshots of everything that happened in the day. The week. The course of 3 solid years.

Hotaru. Koko. Sumire. The life in the Academy.

And the very last thought that entered my mind… Natsume.

He spoke those words again. The ones that got me every single time, nearly drove me to insanity. The ones that just never failed to construct hope to the heart I've fought to be kept frozen for months. 'Don't worry' he said, so clearly I almost nearly believed him. I wish it was that simple. Right now, hope is just an unwelcome visitor I have no desire to invite. Not anymore. Not when you know it's just about to be shattered. So what was the point?

"Don't worry," he spoke, as he reached out for me… But the gap never closed.. He never came any nearer… Instead, he seemed to go further away. Away from me.

That was when I woke up.

"Another dream," I said, shaking my head. I looked at the clock in my bedside table. It was 5:13am now and I laid back down in bed. I tried to make myself sleep, but I just couldn't. The figure I saw yesterday kept going back to me again and again and now I felt certain that I did see him. There was no other way to explain what I saw. I couldn't possibly be mistaken. I wasn't the type to make those kind of mistakes, either.

But Natsume in Alice Academy? How is it possible that Natsume was here? He wasn't. He couldn't. Was he? Destiny and fate was too small to cover me. It only covered princesses in fairy tales and main characters in shoujo mangas- but not me.

But Maybe...

The unfinished thought invited a ton of other thoughts, and suddenly everything was spinning around, thought after thought...

I laid back down in bed again, but I kept tossing and turning for a long time, until I realized that it was bright enough inside my room. The brightness alerted me that I should get out of bed because it was time for me to get up. I spent hours trying to sleep. I fixed my bed neatly, in no hurry to prepare. It was still too early.

I did everything slowly, but I still had 30 minutes to spare.

I used my 30 minutes to go to the library, which was always open very early in the morning. I had borrowed a third book by now. I haven't even finished two of my other books. They weren't thick books, though, they were fairly reasonable in length. I spent 10 minutes of just walking around the library, and 20 minutes of reading in my third book. Nothing magical was dull anymore.

By the time I finished reading, I quickly went to my classroom.

When I opened the door of the classroom, I was shocked.

The last time I've been to class, every student was quiet and sat obediently in their seats. The class that faced me now was the complete opposite. Noisy and disorderly, the classroom was in complete chaos.

Students were recklessly using their alice and playing with them, the class president was bullied...

"What… What is going on?" I asked Koko in horror.

"This is the how the class is, normally."

"But last time…"

"When the teachers are around, we have to act the model students."

"Oh."

I sat on my seat, only to find that the seat next to me was now taken. This guy must've been the one absent last week, so I didn't get to see him. This guy was my partner.

Too bad I already toured the school. He didn't have much to do.

He had a manga laid open on his face. He looked like he was sleeping, so I didn't introduce myself to make unnecessary noise. I took the first book I borrowed out instead, since books in this school were fascinating to read.

I was halfway flipping a page when I was distracted by screaming and non-stop squealing of what seemed like 99% of the girls in the class.

As if the loud noises weren't enough to hold my attention, on top voice, they mentioned a name that struck a chord. They said his name. It was the name I grew used to for years, yet it felt so distant… But I knew it just couldn't be true.

"NATSUME-KUN!"

A Natsume in class. Coincidence?

"I WANT TO SIT NEXT TO NATSUME-KUN!"

"No way, didn't you hear? The new student's sitting next to him!"

"NO, I'M GOING TO SIT NEXT TO HIM!"

"NO, ME!"

"You know, last week was really boring," I heard a girl said. The voice was familiar… I turned to see that it was Sumire Shouda.

"Yeah, it was dreary. Natsume-kun was absent," Sumire said with a sigh.

"KYYYYAAAAA- Natsume-kun, choose me!"

"Baka. Don't you understand? Natsume doesn't get the choice, teachers do."

"NO, I WANT TO SIT NEXT TO- WAAAAAAaaaa!!! My clothes are on fire! PUT IT OUT!! PUT IT OUT! I'm BURNING!"

Haha... Hearing the conversation over this "Natsume-kun" was actually pretty amusing. The fan girl was literally burning. All because of-

I turned to my right and saw him. It was the same familiar face I would be able to recognize anywhere. The familiarity brought comfort, and the feeling of relief. In many ways he was so different, but he was also the same person I used to know.

If I was not so surprised I would have asked him how he was all these years, what he had been doing, where he has been... But the most I could do right now was gape.

It washim, right now, sitting right beside me.

Yay! They've met. They've met. xd

Anyway, at last. Finished the 3rd chapter. Now off to the next...