Next Day Mikan's POV
I walked into homeroom and all of my friends, including Misaki were all there crowded around Hotaru's table. No wonder they weren't at the lockers when I arrived.
"How did it go? Did the witch catch you?" Misaki whispered.
"I slipped out of my dress and shoved it in my room, put on the maid dress and made it just in time to meet her at the door. It was damn close. And Amanatsu did a great job." I said. The bell rang and Misaki sprinted out with a goodbye. Just then Hyuuga walked in. I was already making my way to our seat and he and Nogi were right behind me. I slid in and looked at the window. That is, until I saw a twinkle of light to my side. I turned and saw Hyuuga dangling my locket in front of him. I snapped my head back to the window and my eyes widened. Oh my gosh. He has my locket. How am I supposed to get it back without telling him who I am? It's my prized possession. And if one of the witches caught hold of it, even though they are dumbshits, they would be able to tell that it belongs to me. Crap. I can't look suspicious though. Narumi jumped in.
"Class, Natsume-kun has an announcement to make." He said. Hyuuga stood and walked to the front of the class.
"Yesterday this girl I met left the ball without her locket. If the locket belongs to anybody, come and tell me the name of the songs you sang and sing them. Spread it around the school about this, because I'm going to find my Cinderella." He said with a smirk at the end.
Lunch
My friends all sat around the table with me as I had my head laying my head on the table. They approached with their lunches.
"Mikan, what's wrong?" Anna asked.
"Hehasmylocket." I muttered, my voice sounding muffled and not lifting my head from the table.
"What?" Permy asked. I lifted my head.
"He has my locket!" I said, but not loud enough for somebody at another table to hear. Misaki winced.
"Ooh. How do you plan to get it back?" she asked.
"You should tell him." Nonoko said.
"That is the last thing I'll do. How disappointed and upset do you think he would feel knowing that he almost kissed a geek?" I said.
"HE ALMOST WHAT?" Permy screamed.
"Kiss?" Yuu asked.
"Yes. Yes. Hard to believe, yes." I said.
"You have to tell him though." Anna said.
"No!" I said.
"Mikan, despite how disappointed he might feel, you want that locket back more than anything, correct?" Hotaru asked. I nodded.
"Then tell him. You have no other option." Misaki said.
"Can't I just break into their house while they're sleeping?" I asked.
"You don't even know where they live." Permy said.
"Yes I do. They're my next door neighbor." I said.
"NEIGHBOR?" Permy screamed.
"You have to stop screaming, Perms. You're attracting attention to us." Misaki said. Permy began inhaling and exhaling. We heard crying and turned our attention to where the noise came from. There was a girl walking away from Hyuuga's table. A line of girls were trying to claim to be his Cinderella. Hyuuga sat staring at each of them with my locket in his hand.
"See! He has my locket and every girl is trying to say it's hers." I said.
"Mikan. Nobody will be able to get the locket. Those songs are originals, made by you. Nobody knows the lyrics but you." Hotaru said.
"I guess you're right, but to get it back, I would have to tell him the lyrics and then he'll know it's me." I said.
"Whatever, Mikan. While you think of a way to get the locket back without telling him that it was you, you are winning me thousands of dollars with your pictures. Even Hyuuga bought one." Hotaru said.
"You're selling pictures of me?" I said. She ignored my question and walked away to her already set up booth. All of the guys scrammed there and we were the only table with people still populating it. Then my friends got up.
"We're just gonna buy one of your pictures. Who knows the next time we'll be able to see you like that?" Anna said. They began walking away.
"Traitors!" I called after them. My head fell back to the table.
Natsume's POV
"Traitors!" I heard. It was the geek named Sakura who was yelling. Her head fell back to the table.
"And Natsume! I love you!" Luna Koizumi sang.
"I give up. Everybody away from the table. That's it for today." I said. They all walked away with
depressed looks. I let my head fall on the table like Sakura's.
"This girl really doesn't want anybody or you to know her identity." Ruka said.
"You're not helping me feel better, Ruka." I growled.
"It's alright, mate. How about Sunday we go to the skate park to get your mind off of it?" Ruka asked.
"Yeah. It always used to get your mind off of things!" Koko said. I nodded.
Sunday Natsume's POV
I woke up around midday cuz Andou woke me up.
"Dude, you have been sleeping all morning. We're already ready to go to the skate park. Get ready and grab your board." He said. I nodded and sluggishly got out of bed as Andou left the room. Once I was done getting ready, I walked down to where everybody was sitting in the living room.
"Let's go!" they said. They all had their skateboards and gear. We decided to walk to the skate park instead of drive or skate. When we arrived, we immediately hit the ramps and rails. Skating got my mind off of most everything until I heard a commotion coming from the half pipe.
"What's with all the ruckus?" Ruka asked as we made our way there. The park loudspeaker came on. They had one for when they held competitions.
"Woah! I don't think I have ever seen a girl skateboard like that! She has just beaten the king of skateboarding! Who is this girl? Who is this new king of the pipe? Or should I say queen?" the announcer said. I looked to the person who just reached the top of the pipe and held her skateboard under her right hand. With her left hand, she removed her helmet and then shook her hair out. I recognize that hair anywhere.
"That's the girl!" I said.
"It's her!" Ruka said.
"Hey!" I called. The girl looked towards me and then her eyes widened. I was about to reach the steps to the half pipe until she jumped off from the top, and landed safely!
"Come back!" I called. She kept on running, looking back at me every once in a while. She looked back at me one more time, when a guy pushed his skateboard in her path and punched her head on her way down. She fell to the ground unconscious. I ran up to him.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Kaito Ryuchi." He answered.
"You'll be hearing from my lawyers, asshole." I said. I bent down beside the girl. There was blood coming from her head. Andou checked her pulse.
"She's alright. Just unconscious." He said. I pulled off her shoe and looked at the foot she tripped on. It was purple from what I guess was a sprain.
"Let's check her at home." Koko said. I nodded and carried her all the way to our house.
"Where are we going to put her?" Kistuneme asked. I was already walking up the stairs and entering my room. I lied her down on the bed.
"We should get a doctor to examine her head and her foot." Andou said. I nodded and Ruka called the doctor. Everything checked out alright with her, luckily.
"Where are you going to sleep tonight?" Ruka asked since it was late.
"I'll sleep on the couch." I said, walking to the couch in my room. He nodded and they all left the room, turning off the lights on their way.
Next Day Mikan's POV
I woke up early in the morning, I guess. I'm not in my room, am I? What's with this headache? I touched my head and felt bandages. I looked at my foot which also had pain in it. I got up from the bed, wincing when my foot felt a pang of pain. I limped around the room…and then I spotted Hyuuga. Now I remember. Holy fuck. I know I'm going to have to leave but I guess I could at least leave a note. Once I was done writing it, I left the room through the window and climbed down a tree. Don't ask me how I did it. I just did. I got ready and left for school seeing as I was going to be late. I got to school and found my friends at the lockers.
"Mikan, what the fuck is with the hat? Why are you limping?" Permy asked. I was wearing a baseball cap and I removed it just a little so that they could see the bandages and pulled down my socks a bit.
"What the hell happened?" Hotaru asked.
"I was at the skate park and Hyuuga saw me. He started chasing me and I ran. A guy that I beat in a contest tripped me with his skateboard, explaining my foot, and punched me in the head. I guess Hyuuga took me to his house cuz I woke up in his room today." I said.
"IN HIS ROOM?" Permy said.
"Perms, your voice." Misaki said.
"How did you get out?" Nonoko asked.
"Through the window and climbing down a tree." I said.
"T-through a w-window?" Yuu said. I nodded.
"I really don't believe you're my best friend." Hotaru said.
"So what are you going to do about him in class?" Anna asked.
"I guess I'm just going to have to pretend I'm not limping, even though it will hurt a bit." I said. They walked with me to the classroom where Misaki departed from us. I sat and all of Crimson Abyss was there but Hyuuga. Narumi came in and began class without him after taking attendance. In the middle of class though, the door slammed open. Hyuuga stomped through the door and to our bench without a word and with the worse aura possible.
"What's with the mood, mate?" Ruka asked. Hyuuga slammed a piece of paper on the desk and I immediately recognized it as the note I left.
"She left and I couldn't even get her damn name! Damn fucking shit." Hyuuga growled. I felt kind of bad, but it is better that he doesn't know.
"The rest of the class is free period!" Narumi said jumping out.
"Can I read it?" Ruka asked. Hyuuga nodded and the rest of his band gathered around.
"Hey Hyuuga. Um, thanks for taking care of me. I really wasn't expecting to wake up in your room so I, of course, need to apologize for being a bother. And also I apologize for kind of looking through your things to find my locket. You come up with good hiding spaces, cuz I failed in its retrieval. I'm also sorry for using your things without asking, being rude and leaving without a word, and not telling you my name. I know that you really want to know but I have my reasons for not telling. Thanks and sorry again and make sure you don't lose that locket. If I ever do tell you my name, I want you to know that is my prized possession and I won't lose sight of it." Ruka read. It's a really lame note, I know.
"I understand why you would be pissed, man." Mochu said. I decided to go to my friends then, to not hear anymore.
Natsume's POV
I'm so angry! Why won't she tell me her name? If it's her prized possession then she should do anything for it.
"What reason would she have for not telling her name to the leader of Crimson Abyss?" Kistuneme asked. I sighed and looked around the classroom. Sakura's walking pretty slowly today. And what the hell's with the hat? I didn't know she was a hat person. Damn though! How the hell did that girl leave?
"How did she leave? The door sounds whenever somebody enters or leaves and Ruka never misses the noise." Koko said.
"There's no way…" I said with wide eyes. Then I sighed.
"There is a way. Of course a girl that can jump down from a half pipe wouldn't be scared to climb down a tree outside of the window with a sprained ankle. I don't recall having my window open last night, either." I said.
"Dude, you fell in love with a crazy acrobat chick." Koko said.
"I think I did. Who leaves a ball rushing out and tells me that giving me her name would beat the entire point in the masquerade?" I said.
"Well, she is right. You did break the first rule and it would beat the point of the masquerade. So I guess she's not crazy in that sense." Ruka said. I glared at him and he chuckled.
"Listen, you know she's in this school and she won't lose sight of it. Just never transfer until she gets the
guts to confess." Ruka said.
"But what if she never confesses?" Mochu said. I glared at all of them.
"You guys are a useless group of friends." I said. They all nodded with a smile.
"But you know that whatever you need…" Koko said.
"We'll be right behind you." Kitsuneme finished.
"We kind of understand where you're coming from too." Mochu said. I raised an eyebrow.
"We miss the partners we had that night too." Ruka said.
"I guess so. But if you do find them, you probably won't have to worry about her jumping out of a window to get away from you. Without her name, it's like she doesn't exist. The only evidence of her is this picture." I said throwing down the picture I bought from Imai.
"She really was a beauty. We got pictures of our partners too." Mochu said. My friends all put down pictures of the girls they danced with.
"Remind me never to attend a masquerade again if it's going to leave me like this." I said, rustling my hair.
"I'm going to find out who she is, though. I'm not giving up even if she wants me too. Cuz Natsume Hyuuga is not a fucking quitter." I said. My friends nodded and laughed.
"This girl will probably do you a lot of good. Look how much you have been talking since you met her at the ball." Ruka said.
"That's because she's got me fucking frustrated! She's driving me up a wall and I want to know who she is." I said banging my head on the bench desk. Luna and Serah came up.
"When will you admit to yourself that I am your Cinderella?" Luna asked.
"No! I'm his Cinderella!" Serah yelled. They kept arguing.
"Shut up! Neither of you look like this!" I said holding up the picture of the girl I danced with.
"You should know about a girl's secrets. Hair dye and extensions!" Luna said. Serah agreed with her eagerly.
"Tell me." I said. They nodded quickly.
"Have you ever jumped over a car?" I asked, resting my chin on my hands.
"No! Why would we do that? We could die!" Luna and Serah yelled in unison.
"Then get out of my face. Cuz unless you know how to rollerblade over a car, we're done talking here." I said. They wept and walked away.
Mikan's POV
"You rollerbladed over his car?" Perms whispered.
"I was J-skating and he was speeding. The only options I had were to jump over his car or die. Which would you choose?" I whispered in argument.
"Die then!" she whispered.
"Listen. Can we talk about this with Misaki, at lunch, where we can talk normally?" I asked.
"Fine. Every detail will be told." She said with a warning finger.
Lunch
"So all in all, I just want my locket back." I finished explaining.
"You went through his stuff and couldn't get me a pair of boxers to keep?" Permy asked. I shook my head.
"That's not the point. I went through his stuff and still couldn't find it. I need to find out where he keeps it." I said.
"I can help for a fee." Hotaru said.
"How?" I asked. She held out a hand. I took my wallet and handed her about 1500 yen.
"I'm his cousin." She said. My jaw dropped.
"You could have told me that a long time ago!" I yelled.
"Now it's you attracting attention, Mikan-chan." Nonoko said. Since I was standing from the outrage, I sat back down.
"You never really needed to know until now." She said. I tried to keep my cool.
"I'll see you tonight at 8." She said.