Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.

C H A P T E R 1 2- DO I?

It was amazingly warm in the restaurant as I sat comfortably in my seat. The view from the right side of the restaurant made me pity those who were out shivering in the cold. The restaurant wasn't full today, and I wondered if it was due to unpopularity, or maybe it was just ridiculously expensive. I thought it was the second one since the food didn't taste too bad, and neither was the area a less crowded one.

I had a few bites, but every few minutes, I'd look at stare at his direction. To my annoyance, he didn't utter a word the whole time. I was about to chew on a bit of pasta when-

"I thought you were hungry," Natsume said, shattering the silence. I blinked in surprise.

"I am," I said, taking another bite. Actually, he was right.

I barely touched my food, I just realized. The silence just a few minutes ago was driving me crazy, but I was scared. He was probably angry, so that's why he kept silent the whole time.

The restaurant was classy too, only a bit too classy for my taste.

"No," he contradicted. "You'd have finished it by now if you were," he observed.

"Natsume," I finally said, not able to take it. Bottle up my feelings one more time and I'd explode.

"What?"

"Haven't you been listening to what I was saying? I... The letter... I'm really sorry, Natsume," I said earnestly. I didn't want to cry again. Not in here.

"It's finished. You don't have to apologize about anything," he said as if dismissing the matter as something inconsequential and unimportant. If he didn't care, well, I did.

"Natsume, I don't think you were listening..."

"I already know everything. Koko told me," Natsume said with slight impatience.

"What? When?" I asked. I wonder what my expression looked like right now, because he really looked amused.

"Just before my mission. Been thinking about me a lot, have you?"

I felt my face turn red, and then he cracked up a smile.

Koko. Of course.

I crossed my arms.

"I was worried sick for days and you're making fun of me," I said, miffed.

"Can't help it, really."

Oh boy, this was going to be a long night.

"You really didn't have to do that. I could pay for it myself," I snapped. Natsume actually paid for both our orders, much to my annoyance. After everything, I really didn't want to owe him any more.

"You're wallet doesn't seem to say so," he smirked, looking at the wallet I was clutching. Why oh why did I have to spend on too much Fluff puffs last week?

"My money is just enough, thank you very much," I said, chagrined. I did spend a lot, but I had enough money to pay for it.

"Just," he emphasized. "Mine's covers much more."

"Oh just boast all about it, Special Star," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Special Star? Mr. God Almighty? How many nicknames do you intend to give me?"

"Very funny," I said, taking my purse. We headed towards the exit when it started to rain heavily.

Oh. Wonderful. Looks like I was going be soaking wet.

"Um..." I halted.

"Use an umbrella, idiot."

If I even had one. He mindlessly dragged me all the way to some fancy restaurant without giving me a chance to grab anything else, and he's telling me to use one?

"I don't have an umbrella."

I saw him take out a black umbrella and he held it up, keeping both of us dry.

"You brought one," I said stupidly. I would have smacked myself right in the head for saying that.

"Yes. And I watch the news," he said dryly.

I rolled my eyes. He was making fun of me.

"The last time it rained I was crying," I blurted out as we were walking. Well, it was true. Natsume had brought up the past after our confrontation and it was raining.

"You always cry," stated Natsume.

"And you always somewhat become the reason why I do," I thought silently. Strange guy. He could just utter a few words and I wouldn't want to talk to him for a whole week.

My mood lightened. Things were almost back to normal now. Not that I missed his relentless teasing or anything.

"Polka."

"Can't you call me by my name for once?" I just don't get him. How the hell am I supposed to know how his mind works?

The door was already in sight. I knew what would soon follow. I expected an endless string of taunts or even the slightest provocation, which was why I was taken aback. Then again, the nickname itself was one. Natsume never missed a chance to annoy the heck out of me.

"Good night," he said briefly, almost whispering to me ear, and left before I made a reply.

It only took a few minutes before I stumbled down the stairs in my clumsiness and dusted my jeans as I walked my way up the stairs to reach my room. When I looked up, I had an unexpected visitor.

I saw Sumire impatiently waiting for me at the door, arms crossed, wearing an unmistakable scowl.

"What were you doing out there with Natsume-kun?" she interrogated. I didn't the like the tone of her voice; it sounded almost bitter and resentful. I wasn't used to seeing Sumire like this.

"We had dinner and he walked me back here," I explained.

"You had dinner and you didn't tell me?" she sounded indignant. I didn't expect Sumire's outburst. For some reason, this made me angry. What did she want, really? A report of the things I do each day? She wasn't my mom. I didn't become her friend to give her a fully detailed report either.

"Permy, I didn't know where he was going to bring me to," I tried to reason instead.

"Don't talk to me," she hissed, and turned to face the opposite direction.

"What's wrong?" I asked, worried. Sumire didn't bother replying, and she remained silent, chin held up high. I swear, Sumire and her pride.

"Okay, suit yourself," I said, trying to act indifferent.

I filled my glass with water and watched as the water rose and the glass was eventually full. I sat down in the wooden chair in the kitchen and laid my back on the stone cold wall. My feet ached in these shoes, which I wasn't meant to be wearing anyway. If things ran their usual course, I would've changed and then went back to the library. I was about to take them off, when I remembered I had to ask Sumire first. She didn't like other stuff being put on her floor, and I didn't want to anger her more.

I almost opened my mouth to ask Sumire, when I thought about the whole no-talking thing. I heaved a sigh and took off my shoes one by one and placed them in the hard granite floor. Maybe it's OK to just put it in the side... Sumire saw this and from the look on her face, she may as well have blown off.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she growled. That did it. I got Sumire talking, only she was infuriated.

"I thought you weren't talking to me," I said, unable to think of a more proper excuse.

"That was 10 minutes ago."

"Alright Permy, what's up?" I finally said.

She hesitated before speaking.

"I like Natsume-kun and you knew that. You were supposed to be my friend. Friends don't steal guys their friends like."

Steal? I could hardly believe what I was hearing. It made me look like I was the one who organized everything. It wasn't even organized and I wasn't the one who set that dinner thing up.

"Permy, I don't like him in the first place."

There it was again, that odd feeling. I said that the second time now. Still, it didn't give the feeling as if it was right.

"You say that, but it's perfectly obvious what you feel."

What I feel? Right now I feel accused for some serious crime. Did she find that obvious as well? I hope so.

Sumire didn't look like she would listen, and I didn't know what would make her.

"Look, I went to see him to apologize. I was hungry and he decided to get me dinner. Out of courtesy, I accepted. That's it. If there was something wrong with that, then I'm sorry. But don't accuse me of not being a good friend when I didn't even do anything wrong!"

I was tired. I was angry. Before I could stop it, tears had already fallen. My friend decided to hate me because of one dinner.

Slightly mollified, she left the room, and as she turned, I thought I saw something sparkle- a tear trickled down and Sumire stormed out of the room, upset.

The classroom the next day was oddly quiet. The usual class would have consisted of non-stop chattering, the occasional wreaking of havoc and students who come crying to the very unhelpful assigned teacher, which mostly wasn't there anyway. They'd either leave the class screaming for help or jump off the window. Okay, maybe not jump off, but something around those lines. The disorderly class today was nowhere in sight.

I turned to face Ruka-pyon.

"What's everybody so quiet for?"

"If it helps, look on your right," Koko said from my left, grinning. Natsume was lying down, just like the first day I saw him, manga resting on his face. He looked like he was sleeping, but if it was Natsume, there was really no way of knowing.

"They're quiet because of him?" I said, almost appalled.

"Happens after every mission," Ruka said with a laugh.

"Can't you be a nice little girl and shut up?" Natsume said aloud. So much for the idea of sleeping.

"And be like the rest of your overly obsessed fan girls? I don't think so."

"Jealous, Polka?" he asked, with what I imagined, a smirk.

"No!"

Which brought me back to the thought that had been bugging me...

Sumire told me I like him. I told her I don't. From what happened in the past week everything didn't make much sense... All I knew was, he infuriated me, and it was the same likewise.

I don't like him. I don't.

Do I?

The chapter looks long in a word processing document, but it's actually less than 2000 words. Still, I'm pretty happy with this chapter.

I'd love to hear some reviews. ^^ Thank you!