Disclaimer: GA isn't mine.

In the Margins

"In art as in love, instinct is enough."
-Anatole France

Chapter 2: Hooked

"…News?"

"Persona and I are talent scouts from Alice Academy. I assume you've heard of us, considering how much you draw." Narumi smiled at the shocked look on Mikan's face.

"Hold up. How do you know I like to draw?" Mikan never told anyone how much she enjoyed art, seeing as her classmates were less than appreciative of the few required fieldtrips to the art museum.

"We have our sources," Persona said, "We've come to take you to the Academy. You have potential, and it's our job to recognize that. Along with helping to nurture your talent."

"Talent? I'm sure you've got the wrong idea, Black-san." Narumi grinned at the tribute to Persona's nondescript black clothing. "I've got no potential, or talent, or whatever you call it. You must have the wrong person… I'll be going now." In all truthfulness, Mikan would have needed to live under a rock to not have heard of the Academy, and felt honored to be approached by the men. Alice Academy boasted the title of most prestigious Arts school in all of Japan, which scared her. Mikan prided herself to be mediocre artist at best, not Academy material. She was sure the second these 'talent scouts,' as they called themselves, saw her actually drawing, they would blanch send her home immediately.

Mikan had experienced enough disappointment in her life to know it was usually best to play things safe. Going to Alice Academy was most certainly not safe. A few years ago her best friend, Hotaru, transferred schools and left her alone. Mikan didn't want to subject her remaining friends to that sadness.

"I'm afraid you have no choice," Narumi said kindly. "Your principal and parents have already approved the transfer. In fact, your parents have already packed your bags. So you see; everything has already been taken care of."

"Wait, I'm not good enough at drawing. This is all too sudden!" Mikan protested weakly.

"Have faith, Mikan. You're better than you think, just trust me on that," Narumi assured her.

Persona looked at his watch. "Narumi, we're running late. The principal won't be happy."

"Okay. Mikan!" Narumi clapped his hands. "Ready to go?"

"No." she said sullenly.

"..." Persona stared at Mikan in an intimidating manner.

"Of course I am! Let's get going!" she smiled with fake enthusiasm. Mikan always knew when she was beaten.

And thus, Mikan Sakura became a student at Alice Academy....

"Well, here we are!" Narumi beamed as Persona navigated a shiny black Lexus through midday Tokyo traffic. Mikan looked out the tinted window, feeling quite insignificant. She had never been to such a big city before and felt cowed in comparison to the towering buildings surrounding her.

Narumi, who was sitting next to Persona in the front, twisted in his seat to face Mikan. "Welcome to Alice Academy!"

Mikan smiled faintly and continued staring out the window, watching as huge gold-tipped iron gates swung open to admit the Lexus. Persona rolled down his window and held a card out to a uniformed man who scanned it briefly, nodded, and motioned for him to pass.

Persona drove up the winding gravel road through a small forest. Mikan was amazed. A forest in Tokyo?

The car came to a stop just as a clearing emerged amidst the trees. Narumi walked around the car and opened Mikan's door. She stepped out, shielding her eyes from the sun.

"It's huge." she muttered to herself in awe, looking up at the Academy. Stone buildings towered around her; an outdoor auditorium stood to her left. Everything was absolutely immaculate, from overflowing gardens to sparkling windows. Ivy twined up the buildings, giving the Academy and almost "Old World" feel. Tendrils wound around marble sculptures decorating the entrance.

"Mikan, I just got a call from the Principal. Apparently a meeting came up at the last second, so he'll be unable to meet with you right away. He wanted me to apologize for him and tell you, once again, welcome!" Narumi lead Mikan through the grounds and to a large building on the campus outskirts. "This will be your dorm; you have room number 117. Unfortunately I teach a class that begins in the next two minutes, so I can't walk you up. Your schedule should be sitting on your bed. Good luck!" With that, Narumi walked away without waiting to hear Mikan's 'thank you.' She turned to Persona and then realized he wasn't there. Odd…

She enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her face before taking a deep breath and braving the dorm room. The second she stepped inside the cool air conditioning of the foyer, she was assaulted by noise.

"What is your problem, Anna?" An athletic girl with permed, seaweed colored hair stood, hands on her hips, before a cowering girl.

"I'm sorry!" The pink haired girl, apparently called Anna, looked as if she was about to burst into tears at any second.

"You always do this, I'm so sick of it!" Seaweed-Hair scowled.

Mikan stood awkwardly, not quite sure what to do.

"I'm sorry," Anna apologized. "I'll change the toilet paper next time!" Mikan backtracked; this was all they were arguing about? Toilet paper? It was all she could do to not start giggling.

"Good. I'll hold you to that." Seaweed-Hair turned to Mikan. "Hey, what're you looking at?"

"Nothing..." Mikan trailed off. She didn't know anyone here, so she needed to make friends. But she wasn't sure she wanted to make nice with this girl.

Anna smiled at Mikan. "Don't pay attention to Sumire; she's just mad I didn't buy her father's brand of toilet paper. You're new, right? What Department are you in?"

Mikan smiled back, relieved there was at least one nice person at the Academy. "Department?"

"Jeez, don't you know anything!?" Sumire interjected snobbishly. "Department. Your area of expertise. The different Departments are," she ticked them off on her fingers, "Painting and Drawing, Band, Orchestra, IT - Industrial Technology, Home EC - Home Economics, Sculpture and Theater. Anna here is in Home EC, I'm in Theater."

"Oh." Mikan's brain was beginning to hurt, so many divisions! How many students were here? "I suppose I'm in Painting and Drawing."

"Only Painting and Drawing? That's odd..." Anna mused, "Usually people are in multiple classes, like I specialize in Home EC but I'm also in Orchestra."

"Well, I'm not quite sure; I haven't even gotten my schedule yet."

"You just got here? That means you haven't met anyone! I'll have to take you around and introduce you." Anna bubbled enthusiastically.

"I suppose she should meet everyone else, which means I won't have to hang around her." Sumire smiled to show Mikan she was kidding. Although, the girl was still a bit of a mystery. Mikan couldn't tell if she was nice, or a total jerk.

Anna dragged Mikan down long, luxuriously decorated hallways, Sumire trailing behind. "We have uniforms here. Don't worry, though, Mikan. They're totally adorable. They're decorated depending on the Department you belong to. Yours should be ready for you in your room."

Sumire decided to speak up. "And, even better, we get free dress. Although, most people like their uniforms so much they don't participate."

"Are the dresses ugly or something?" Mikan asked innocently.

"What?"

"The dresses. You said we get free dresses but most people don't take them. Are they ugly?"

"You are such a moron!" Sumire crowed, while Anna giggled quietly. "I said we get free dress days. Free dress as in you can wear whatever you want that day."

"Huh." Mikan once again felt rather cowed. Anna was still laughing as she knocked on a room door.

"This is Hotaru Imai's room. She's a bit cold, but she's one of my best friends. I'm sure you'll like her!" Hotaru, Mikan wondered, No…it can't be…although the description 'cold' sounds pretty like her. Stop! It's not her. I'm not going to do this to myself.

A purple eyed girl with short-cut black hair opened the door expressionlessly. "What do you want?"

"Hotaru, this is Mikan Sakura. You know, the new girl Narumi told us about yesterday? I'm introducing her to all of our friends!"

Hotaru's eyes widened infinitesimally. Mikan, on the other hand, couldn't control the blatant look of shock on her face. "H-Hotaru? Is that really you?"

"Dummy. Close your mouth, a bug's going to fly in there."

"It is! I missed you!" Mikan jumped on the black haired girl, smothering her.

Baka Baka Baka

It was nice to see that some things hadn't changed.

Anna and Sumire stood looking confusedly between the ecstatic brunette and seemingly unaffected black haired girl. Hotaru decided to clue them in, "This is my idiot of a best friend from elementary school. I haven't contacted her since I transferred here."

"Oh." Sumire and Anna chorused, former glaring at the latter.

A whirlwind of introductions followed shortly after Hotaru's unsociable retreat to her room, along with names Mikan could hardly keep straight. Sumire grudgingly introduced her to a rather snooty girl named Luna. Apparently there was no love lost between the two. She also met Nonoko, Anna's blue haired long lost twin.

Sumire grinned wickedly, Luna banished from her mind. "You can't go to your dorm room 'till you meet the guys. Especially Natsume!" She fake swooned; even Anna looked taken by the idea.

"He's the campus heartthrob," Anna elaborated. "All the girls want him, and all the guys want to be him."

Mikan scowled. "Guys like that are always jerks. I'd probably be better off not meeting him."

"Not even an option!" Sumire sung, "He's the 9th wonder of the world, you'll get it once you see him." She then proceeded to drag both Anna and Mikan across campus to the open-air auditorium.

Mikan heard faint music drifting from the stage. It sounded loud, but sad at the same time. She had never heard such contradicting music before…

Sumire lead Mikan and Anna through a crowd of girls standing on the seats, down to the front of the mass. A band stood on stage.

"That's him!" Anna sighed dreamily, pointing up at the lead singer.

Four teenage boys stood playing before them. The drummer was brown haired, with warm-looking brown eyes. Sumire saw Mikan looking at him, "That's Koko. He's pretty cute." She proceeded to name the rest of the boys. "They're all in the Band Department. The bassist is Tobita Yuu; he's also the class representative. That," she sighed," is Ruka Nogi, the lead guitarist. He's gorgeous!" Mikan had to agree, the sweet, open look on his face combined with blonde hair and blue eyes was completely adorable.

"And that... that is Natsume Hyuuga." Mikan looked up at the lead singer in wonder. He was, in one word, stunning. Black hair partially obscured his deep crimson eyes. His pale skin was unblemished, and the look in his eyes was wild. Like he wanted to tear the world to shreds. Angry, but somewhere deep in the recesses of the red hid a glimmer of soft, almost boyish feeling.

As much as Mikan had wanted to hate him at first sight, she just couldn't. She knew guys like Natsume were bad news, but for whatever reason she felt drawn to him, connected somehow. Whether it was because he shared a first name with her childhood friend, or because he was undeniably gorgeous, she was irrefutably attracted.

Mikan stared up at Natsume in awe as Sumire and Anna traded knowing glances.

"She's hooked!" Anna giggled. Mikan didn't notice.

Just then, Natsume looked down at the cheering crowd, crimson eyes locking onto Mikan's face. She couldn't look away. His eyes devoured her hungrily, taking in twin pigtails and warm brown eyes.

And then, just like that, Mikan knew. This was Natsume. Her Natsume. In a way, it made sense - the teen before her looked just like a godly version of her childhood friend.

Natsume smirked down at Mikan, winking knowingly. He must have known I was coming. Mikan thought absentmindedly as the band struck their final chord.

Mikan watched as the singer took a mocking bow, his crimson eyes never leaving hers. What? Mikan was dumbfounded. This wasn't the Natsume she knew. The look in his eyes, while hot, most definitely did not belong on the face of her childhood friend. It was callous, uncaring. He did look like a jerk.

What happened to him?

.tbc

Author's Note: Review and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism only, please, no flames...Revised September 27, 2009

~SL~