Disclaimed
=pRiCe RaNge=
Mikan
I woke up on Monday to the sound of 8 alarm clocks. I was up immediately. I mean who wouldn't? I had extra time to get ready. I even had time to have breakfast! I was really excited for this new day. I felt like today would be a success. I wore a light blue floral micro dress under my comfy old blue jeans and a pair of my white 3 inch wedges. I was in front of the mirror trying to figure out what to do with my hair. Hmm... I wasn't in an imaginative mood so I just let it down so it naturally curled at the bottom. I walked out the door and was on my way to face the new day.
Natsume
I was sitting at my desk reading a manga as I usually would when the noise in our classroom became too loud to bear.
"Did you see that girl?"
"Yeah! I didn't know we had girls that HOT here!"
"Maybe she's an undercover spy!"
"You idiot she's probably a super hero in disguise!"
"You guys are all wrong she's an angel..."
'Sigh'
Another one of those superficial girls? I returned to my manga their conversation went on and on. I decided to go to the Sakura trees.
...
...
...
"Natsume-kun?" I opened my eyes to see Mikan's face inches from mine. She smiled and it was like the skies silver lining was a halo on her head. "What do you want." She looked like she was thinking really hard. "Well, was thinking if you want to go to the beach with everyone this Friday since its the start of summer break?" I wasn't one to go to public places. "It's going to be in Hotaru's private beach." It figures. That Imai doesn't like public places much either. "Hn." She sat down beside me. I closed my eyes again. I could hear her pen writing, her hair lightly brushed the side of my face. I wanted to... "Hey, don't sit here if you're going to make me eat your hair." I said with a sharp edge to my voice. I thought she would cry again or something. Instead she took a rubber band and tied her hair. "Hn." She resumed her writing. A few minutes of sleep later she woke me up. "Natsume can you try to run these lines with me. I'm writing a script for class later."
She said handing me a script. "Start from that part." She pointed out.
"Suki, how can I prove my love?." I said in a dead voice. I thought Mikan would make me stop but she didn't.
"Hioshu, you don't need to prove anything but we can't be together. I'm sorry." She acted so well I could see the tears in her eyes.
"But there must be a way! I won't let you marry Subaru!"
"It is my father's wish. I can do nothing but abide by his words. I may be marrying him. But my heart will forever belong to you. So please let me go. Please."
"Never."
"Please." She begged. "I can't bear to see you this way," The tears then fell. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall. She looked so hurt. So real.
I went back to the script.
"If you don't want to see me this way then don't leave me."
"You know I don't want to leave you." She said clutching my shirt. "But I have to." She said letting go.
"You're a pretty good actor Natsume-kun." Mikan said with a lopsided smile.
"Hn." Her acting was so real. So emotional. Maybe...
"Thanks Natsume-kun!" Mikan said as she got her bag and left.
Mikan
"So what are we going to do there guys?" I asked excitedly. They all stared at me in a weird way. Even Hotaru. "Mikan-chan are you sure you want to go?" Anna asked hesitantly. "Why wouldn't I? It's been a while since we went to the beach." They all seemed to agree with Mikan's perspective. "There are a lot of rooms in the vacation house on the beach so that's not a problem." Hotaru said continuing with the planning.
...FRIDAY...
"Three hours of being cramped in the van guys!" Anna announced. Poor Ruka was carrying all of Hotaru's luggage to the other car. "I feel sorry for him." I heard someone behind me say. There were about 3 vans. One contained our group, the other filled with other friends and the other filled with Hotaru's stuff. I was squeezed between Tsubasa-sempai and Natsume-kun. The trip was a quiet one, except for the radio and the usual humming. No one seemed to want to start a conversation. I fell asleep at one point I just don't remember what part of the trip.
When I woke up we were in front of a HUGE MANSION. It was twice the size of Hotaru's home in Tokyo. 'Gulp'. "Hotaru-chan I know that I've been here before but has this 'house' gotten bigger?" I asked. "Yes, my mom hosts parties here and this is where dad's business partners from abroad come for a vacation of some sorts." Hotaru informed me. Everyone was as surprised as I was, well except Ruka. Hotaru required him to come with him to her mother's parties. Which happens every so often. In the luxurious living room Hotaru announced something. "Guys will be staying in the left wing and the girls on the right. I just have to say that I don't care if you follow it or not. For example, I will be in a two bedroom quarters with Ruka. You guys have a choice. And there is a gameroom, theatre, bowling alley in the basement. Outside there are also a lot of stuff you guys can do besides the beach. There is also a tennis court, a private hot spring, a basketball court and a beach volleyball net set outside. Breakfast will be at 8, Lunch will be at 12, the staff serves tea in the courtyard in the afternoons and dinner will be at 7:30. Everyone clear about what I said?" All the heads bobbed up and down like robots. "Good." Hotaru said and left pulling Ruka by the arm and three butlers following them with their luggage.
I chose to follow what Hotaru said and sleep at the right wing, in a single room. Although the room was twice the size of my room. As I unpacked I realized I picked an all too perfect room. I had a clear view of the magnificent ocean. I promised myself I would be up at sunrise. 'Knock, knock.' "Come in." I called. Misaki-sempai came in. "Mikan-chan were heading to the beach everyone's coming want to join us?" She said so bubbly. "Sure just let me get dressed." I said. "I'll wait for you here."
I was torn between the two. A gorgeous one piece or a showy bikini? Hmm...The white one piece was a gift from Anna-chan a few years back and the bikini is my own design. I decided to wear the one piece first, I would just wear the bikini when we went to the beach tomorrow.
When I came out I felt Misaki-sempai scanning my entire body. "Wow Mikan, I didn't expect that sort of body from you." I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The thin cloth hugged my curves beautifully. "It's all thanks to Anna-chan." I told her. "She gave it to me as a birthday present last year." I put on a wide hat, cream flip flops and a new towel. "Let's go." I motioned.
When my feet touched the sand it was so perfect! I ran to where Hotaru and the others were. "Guys let's get in the water!" I said happily. They all stood there looking at me. Did I have something on my face? "Guys is something wrong?" I asked confused. They all shook their heads. "Let's go swimming Mikan-chan!" Misaki-sempai said as she pulled me towards the tides, the others following us.
RUKA
Mikan seemed to be oblivious to the attention she was getting these couple of days. It was like déjà vu. Like sophomore year. She was the innocent, sweet and pure girl that captured every guy's heart. When she came out in her bathing suit, everyone seemed to be focused on only her. "She keeps changing." Was the one thing Hotaru and I noticed about her. If she's changing for the better than that's great.
Every little word that came out of Mikan's mouth seemed to be like hypnosis to all the guys that were with us. Well that is except Natsume. I think he's glad that Mikan isn't clinging to him anymore. "I love the beach, don't you? " All the people around her just nodded and smiled at her. "Let's play beach volleyball." Misaki-sempai said while setting up the net between two perfectly placed palm trees. "I want Mikan, Anna, Hotaru, Sumire and Nonoko on my team." Misaki-sempai announced. "Its boys vs. girls." Then the other team was formed and were, Tsubasa-sempai, Youchi, Subaru, Inichou, Hoshio and myself.
After an hour of playing, the boys lost. It was all because they were all staring at Mikan the entire game. Well that and Hotaru was playing so it freaked everyone out. I think the guys were still happy that they lost because they could see Mikan smile, laugh and they could hug her congratulations. I didn't know if I should laugh or not at what I saw. Mikan was too innocent to recognise the stares and the sudden admirers. What if it was more than an admirer I wonder if she would be able to handle herself?
At the dinner table everything seemed back to the way things were before. Mikan seemed to be glued to Hotaru but she was staying at a distance with Natsume. Natsume wasn't the type to speak his thoughts. I already know what he's thinking but I don't think the others do.
MIKAN
I was in Ruka-kun and Hotaru's room. I was speaking to Hotaru while I had the chance. "I know I've made things hard for you guys again. But I'm trying to improve myself. I was really trying to be my own person and to find someone who actually deserves me." I smiled at her, at the happiness of being able to open my thoughts with someone. She hugged me, without charge, she hugged me. I could feel the comfort she was trying to give me. "I missed you, a lot." She told me. I nodded in agreement.
"I'm making sure you make the right choice in a guy this time or else." Hotaru said smiling mischievously. "O-okay" I said shakily.
After our talk Hotaru pulled me out onto the stair case that descended to where everyone was. On top of the stairs, where EVERYONE could see us she announced something, "There will be a ball tomorrow evening. We will be looking for a prince." She said, and then looked at me. "For this princess." I think I blushed the entire colour wheel. "Hotaru-chan this isn't necessary." I whispered loud enough so only she would hear (There were butlers beside us). "Did everyone bring a formal dress?" They all nodded their heads.
End of chapter.
Oh. Can you guys guess what will happen? Even I'm excited. Thanks for the reviews but one of them was a bit umm... surprising. I just want everyone to know I will never stop writing even if it isn't on the web.
-arielletracy03