Hey guys. I realise that I haven't updated in ages. Sorry about that. I'm not going to bother with spluttering excuses. All I will say is that I've been updating my other fanfics so if you want to read them then check out my profile and well you guys know the drill.

No flames.

Disclaimer- I do not own.

Chapter start.

Chapter 2- Stalked

Mikan POV.

The shrill distant clanging of the bell made me jump away from my place by the window and look dazedly round my room. I hadn't realised that I have been standing by this window rethinking the past scene for the past half hour!

I shook my head slightly, trying to focus at the task at hand-, which is getting to school instantly- and not about the fact that I have a possible stalker.

I hurried round my room, getting dressed, brushing my teeth and pulling my hair up into its usual style and pretty soon I was out the door on my way to class.

I had missed breakfast, but I really didn't have the capacity in my brain to think let alone worry about that right now.

I rounded the corner into the classroom swinging my rucksack onto my shoulder, my brain bussing with slightly irrational thoughts about the current situation at hand. My thoughts came to an abrupt halt as I hit the floor, my bag swinging hard into my back and someone's foot digging into my calf.

"Mikan…" and exasperated sigh echoed close by.

I glanced up and stuttered out a reply at Rukka who I must have collided with.

"S-s-sorry Rukka." I picked myself up off the floor and soothed my skirt down.

"Hey," he peered into my face. "Are you okay? You seem a bit…distracted."

Before I could say anything, an angry voice whipped out, "She is always distracted!"

We both turned to look at the person who had spoken it. it was no other than Sumire.

Ugh.

I sucked up my range and headed to the back of the room to my seat, beside Natsume and two seats across from Rukka. I collapsed into my seat and tugged my pencil case out of my bag and onto the table.

A foot hit mine gently under the table. I glanced down and saw that the foot belonged to…oh hell, Natsume.

"What?" I mouthed at him.

He just kept staring at me, expectantly.

I was half expecting him to snap at me about last night but his eyes were…worried…maybe? I turned away from him and heaved up my walls that had always protected me. They were like a part of me now. They didn't feel false or full of lies anymore.

They felt…normal.

I whipped my head round to fully face the window. My eyes quickly zoomed in to see the masked man.

Oh hell!

I watched him carefully, tactfully, trying to find out his intentions.

"Mikan!" a voice thundered loudly from the front of the room.

I swung my gaze round to focus on the teacher standing, hands on hips, at the front of the room, by the white board.

"Uhhh, yeah…?" I asked, only half focusing on the conversation.

"Am I boring you Miss Sakura?" he demanded.

Yes. "Um…sorry." I said, trying desperately to stay in my 'Mikan' façade.

"Come out here now!" he shouted, flinging his hand out so that it hit the white board with a sharp slap.

"But_" I protested. I couldn't leave my spot. I had to keep my eye on the masked man.

"Now!" he bellowed, slapping the board for emphasis.

Reluctantly, I rose from my chair and made my way down to the front of the classroom. I took the board pen off the teacher and stared miserably at the math question on the board.

I had a fierce burning desire within me to prove him wrong- prove them all wrong- and answer the question correctly. But I knew that I had to keep up this act. Of me being all happy- go- lucky and completely ditzy.

Of course, this was the rational part of my brain thinking. Against my will, I allowed it to smother out the irrational prattling bouncing round my mind.

"Come on!" he snapped. "Answer it!"

I raised my hand and pretended to think hard about what I was supposed to be doing.

"You haven't got a clue, have you?" he gloated.

Yes, I wanted to scream at him. This is easy! But I couldn't. Concealing the burning hatred within me, I shook my head.

"Sit down. And pay attention!" he yelled, giving me a shove back up to my seat.

I didn't need to be helped there quicker; I was dying to run back there as it was.

I stomped up the isle and threw my self into my seat; chewing up some words that would definitely get me a trip down to the head teacher's office and then swallowing them back down again. They felt as if they were poison, burning the back of my throat.

I soon forgot about this annoying situation when I remembered the masked man. Casually tilting my head towards the window, I glanced out.

No one was there. For now anyway.

Which I suppose is good, until you think about when he will be back…

I let my head fall into my hands as I cursed myself for not being able to march up and talk to him. Find out what the hell is going on and then setting it straight.

*Time skip- almost break time*

The morning periods dragged on and on and no matter how hard I tired I just couldn't focus on my math or English work.

I just kept remembering the man…and the night before…with Natsume.

Natsume.

A stupid bolt of heat flooded my cheeks as I glanced up from my work to look at him. Of course, he had already finished his work so he was casually lounging back in his seat, and what really riled me was the fact that the teacher let him!

Not that this was anything new. In fact, this is a pretty ordinary day so far- as long as you forget about the creepy man- I guess I was just so het up about everything that even the normal, little things were getting to me.

A leg hit mine under the table and I was pulled out of my reverie as I realised that I was staring at Natsume. Oh, and he was staring to. Right back at me!

Embarrassing much?

He looked a little freaked out to, if I might add.

"What?" he mouthed, frowning at me.

Unable to say anything, I just shook my head and turned away from him.

Finally the bell rang, and I flew out of the classroom, completely ignoring Rukka and Hotaru calling me.

I charged through the corridors, barging through groups of kids milling round, tossing apologies over my shoulder, until finally, I reached the small gathering of trees that the man had been by.

There were only a few trees and bushes in this area, so if I couldn't see him- which I couldn't- he wasn't here.

"Goddamnit!" I snapped under my breath, as I turned to leave the area and head back inside I slammed into something. Or someone.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" I grumbled, exasperatedly. I looked up at the person and gasped.

Crap.

Natsume.

"What's wrong Natsume?" I asked, working hard to get my happy-go-lucky façade back up.

"What on earth is wrong with you?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" I replied, raising my eyebrows innocently.

He shook his head. "Don't even try it."

My eyebrows rose further.

"I know you better than that. You can't fool me." He explained, crossing his arms over his chest.

At this I had to laugh. Little did the boy know I had been, and still am, fooling him. I burst into giggles.

He looked at me- a look, which clearly asked if I was crazy.

Maybe I was.

But now really wasn't the time to be worrying about my sanity.

"No, you really don't." I informed him, moving to walk round him. "You don't know me at all."

Hi hand shot out and caught my skirt, pulling me sharply backwards.

"Hey!" I complained, turning to face him…

…and freezing at how close our faces were. How close our lips were. All he had to do was lean down slightly and then they would touch!

He pulled me flush against his body, and I barely contained a gasp as my hands pressed against his defined abs through the fabric of his shirt.

He backed me up farther into the small gathering of trees until I trod on the roots of a tree. He then bucked his hips forward into mine, causing me to fall back into the tree.

I blushed insanely at his actions.

He caged me in with his arms on either side of the tree and smirked knowingly at me. "You were saying…" he whispered in my ear, his soft black hair tickled the side of my face and I had to force myself not to reach up and twine my fingers into it.

Twine my fingers into it and drag his face closer to mine…his breath brushed my cheek and I jarred myself back into reality, blushing like a fool.

He obviously knew that his actions would make me blush as his eyes glinted playfully at me, giving me a look that clearly said, are-you-sure-I-don't-know-you-that-well?

"That would make anyone blush!" I yelled, outraged. "It doesn't prove anything!" I struggled feebly against his hold.

"Oh really? I was under the impression that it proved everything." He retorted, smirking wider at my squirming.

"Well it doesn't! So yar-boo-sucks-to-you Natsume!" I retorted childishly, while trying to ignore the tingles shooting through my body at the fact that his body was pressed against mine.

Suddenly, a loud snap of a twig exploded through me like gunfire, and my eyes quickly averted themselves to the general area of the sound. A prickly feeling crept over my arms and neck as I had the horrible feeling that we were being watched. If it was Hotaru and her damn camera then I will seriously kill here!

But a niggling feeling at the back of my mind had me thinking it wasn't Hotaru. An unwanted idea surfaced in my head. It was him.

The masked man.

My new possible stalker.

Great.

I must've tensed or something- or maybe Natsume had just heard the sound- as he twisted to follow my gaze and then look quickly back at me.

"He's gone now, you won't see him." I sighed, letting out a breath that I hadn't realised that I'd been holding.

"Him?" he asked, his voice sharp and slightly concerned.

Realising what I had just said, I quickly shook my head and dragged my trusty protective walls up even higher.

During Natsume's…abnormal behaviour…I had felt as if I had been lulled into a peaceful place. One that I didn't want to wake up from, and I had let my walls drop slightly.

But that 'slight' amount could end up causing me some serious jip.

He studied me a moment, his bright crimson eyes thoughtful.

"Why are you being like this?" he asked, dipping his head low so that his lips were close to my neck.

Do you think he would notice if I just moved my neck forward slightly?

I swallowed-loudly- and muttered, "I well, I…" which seemed pretty inadequate even to my own ears.

He pulled back, far enough so that he wasn't touching me anymore and looked at me, almost disappointedly.

I felt this fierce urge to reach out and grab him. Too pull him close to me and…well, never having to let go.

Unfortunately, the ringing of the stupid freakin' school bell soon destroyed that fantasy!

Who the hell came up with that stupid annoying loud contraption?

But the noise seemed to shock us both back to ground zero as Natsume's eyes seemed to loose their fire and I slumped back into the tree.

Without another hesitation, he turned on his heel and briskly started strutting back towards the building.

'Almost disappointedly…'

This fact registered a little too late as Natsume had already reached the main flow of students by now but, determined not to let it slide I yelled after him, "You have no right to be disappointed!"

If he heard me, he showed no sign of it.

I huffed angrily and marched after him, heading to our classroom. Sliding into my seat after a brief conversation with Hotaru, I tried to focus on our next two lessons.

Someone was definitely there…twigs just don't snap for nothing, and you don't feel as if you're being watched unless you are being watched.

Chapter ended!

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