Disclaimer; I don't own Gakuen Alice. I shoo wish I did.

Note;Here's the third chapter to "This Time, Forever?" Im running out of ideas, so HELP! This will be a very long chapter, I don't want to make so many SHORT chapters, so here. Enjoy.

Special Thanks: Kirarin Revolution This is an anime series. I used some of the scenes and add in here. Kirarin Rev. Episodes 22-25; I used some scenes from those.

Chapter Three: My Uneasy Heart.

"Why is it that she's so hard headed. I try everything to be with her, I change myself, just for that brat, and she doesn't even. Damn.. What's her feelings.What does she think inside her head." Natsume thought to himself. Natsume walked to class and took his seat. Sumire sat besides him. Then Mikan came in and sat next to Ruca.

"You're in my seat." Hotaru told Mikan. Mikan stood up and sat back down.

"I don't see you're name on it, Imai." Mikan replied.

"And plus, the teacher told me to sit there." Mikan barked, and then Hotaru looked at the teacher, and he simply nodded. Hotaru became furious and took a seat somewhere else.

"Class, it's time for the Winter Ball. This is tradition, because at the every end, you have the last dance, and the names called will pick someone to give their hearts to, and if the person that was called agrees, their hearts are given away.." Narumi told his class.

"Tangerine (Mikan means Tangerine in Japanese.)" Natsume called Mikan. Mikan turned around.

"No Natsume. Im sorry but I want to try something new." Mikan told him. Ruca heard Mikan and took the opportunity to speak.

"Uh, Mikan-chan, meet me outside after class, please?" Ruca asked Mikan. Mikan nodded and Natsume was eavesdropping.

"What would Ruca want? Oh.. noo way." Natsume thought to himself.

"Oh AND, any second we will shout "action." and whoever you choose will go backstage and put on a wedding costume and marriage roleplay. Whoever did the best will receive the prize of choosing the last dance partner first." Narumi told the class.

(A/N Before I continue, don't worry. Im just putting Ruca in the picture to make things more drama-full. Don't stop reading because you think that Mikan and Natsume are history, keep going, it gets interesting.)

"Alright class, dismissed." Narumi told his class. Natsume went out first hiding behind a wall as Sumire did. Mikan grabbed her stuff. As Ruca walked out waiting by the door. Mikan followed.

"Uhm... Mikan, would you like to go to the Winter Ball with me?" Ruca asked Mikan blushing. Natsume exploded, he wanted to go up to them and knock Ruca's lights out, but instead he concealed it inside him and just watched for Mikan's reply.

"Umm... okay Ruca, sure." Mikan replied. Mikan smiled as Ruca gave her a kiss on her cheeks, Tsubasa came rolling in.

"Don't touch my sister!!!!!" He yelled chasing Ruca.

"Onii-chan! Calm down!" Mikan shouted chasing the two boys. Natsume clutched his chest. He didn't know where his heart was.

"After everything, wait, no.. I should be happy for her." Natsume told himself aloud.

T H E N E X T W E E K : W I N T E R B A L L

"Natsume? Why are you here? If you're here, im scared." Mikan told Natsume. Natsume had just walked into Mikan shopping for her dress.

"Im looking for my outfit too. What could you possibly be scared about?" Natsume asked her. Natsume was over her. He wanted to move on too. Mikan tried on a short gold dress and came out to show Natsume.

"Boring. Too sparkly." He replied. Mikan sighed. She went back to the changing room and picked out something else that was blue and pink.

"Un-matching." Natsume told her. Mikan got mad, she went back in and picked out something red and long.

"Are you planning to go meet the president? That's too elegant and not you." Natsume told her annoyed. He looked around and saw a nice white dress and he took it.

"Here, baka. Try this." Natsume handed her a white dress that was cute and matched her personality. Mikan grabbed hold of the dress. She walked into the dressing room and put it on. She came out. The dress was ordinary until she tried it on, it was cute yet elegant and great for a winter dress. The color was just like snowflakes, it went above her knee by an inch, and the back went down to her ankles. Natsume stood in shock.

"So, what do you think?" Mikan asked him. Natsume blushed and just looked the other way.

"It's cute." Natsume said, not trying to look at her. Mikan bought the dress and a pair of white shoes, and went out the door with Natsume.

"Natsume? You're going with Sumire, ne?"Mikan questioned. Natsume looked at her awkwardly.

"No.. I'm going alone." Natsume replied. Mikan laughed.

"Good luck, about a million girls are going to ask you to go with them." Mikan replied. They laughed as they went back to the academy to get ready for the ball.

M I K A N 'S D O R M

"Okay, I just have to put my dress on, lace the shoes, make my hair correct, put the bow on, and then, go to the ball with Ruca." Mikan said trying to get ready. She started with her dress. She put her feet in, and zipped it up.

"Dress; Check." Mikan told herself. She then laced her shoes, and slipped them on gently as she stood up trying to break it in.

"Shoes; check." Mikan told herself once more. She aggressively pulled out all materials to use for her hair. From hair ties, to curling irons. She tied her hair into a bun and let go some of her hair to curl.

"Okay, I tied my hair into the bun, I let some hair out of the bun and curled it, I look okay, right?" Mikan said aloud.

"Yes you do, Mikan-chan."someone said by the door. Mikan turned her head quickly and smiled.

"Thank you, Onii-chan." Mikan thanked her brother. He just looked at her smiling.

"Who are you going with?" Tsubasa asked, over-protectively. Mikan just smirked.

"Ruca-pyon." Mikan replied. Tsubasa stood in confusion. He did, the fright stand.

"Ruca? I thought you and Natsume were... I mean, I saw what Ruca did, but Natsume and you... " Tsubasa asked his sister confused. Mikan just laughed.

"I told you, me and Natsume are nothing anymore. We're just friends. I like Ruca now. Get it?" Mikan said. When she said this, she felt her heart skip a beat.

"Huh? Even though I said I like Ruca, when I said Natsume and I are nothing.. my heart feels uneasy." Mikan thought to herself. Tsubasa just waved goodbye.

"Have fun, i'll see you at the ball!" Tsubasa shouted as he ran off. Mikan waved back and nodded. She went to the mirror and looked to see if she looked okay. She nodded at the mirror and went off to the ball. Then suddenly, two people stopped in front of her.

"Mikan-chan looks kawai (cute)." One of them said. The other just folded his arms and looked a opposite direction.

"Whatever." The other person said. Mikan stopped and looked up. It was Ruca and Natsume.

"Umm, thank you." Mikan said awkwardly. They made their way to the ball.

"Mikan-chan, would you like to dance?" Ruca asked her. Mikan nodded and they went off dancing.

"Why is it that I feel like dancing with Natsume? I like Ruca, that's why im here, right?" Mikan thought to herself. Ruca took Mikan's hand as they danced. Suddenly, Mikan tripped and fell slowly.

"Mikan!" Natsume shouted and caught her. Mikan blushed.

"Why? Why is my heart beating so fast? I think... I... like Natsume-kun." Mikan thought to herself.

"Are you okay Mikan-chan?" Ruca asked. Mikan nodded. She brushed off her dress.

"ACTION!!" the teachers yell. Mikan stood frozen. She looked at her choices, Ruca and Natsume. Natsume knew she liked Ruca so he spoke up.

"Mm, Mikan should go with Ruca-pyon. Since you like him, ne?" Natsume suggested. Ruca smiled and looked at her. Mikan's heart pumped as she looked at Natsume.

"It should be fine, right?" Mikan thought to herself. "Even though... why does my heart feel this way..." Mikan looked down, having her bangs cast a shadow over her eyes.

"I'll go with fangirl over there." Natsume told them. Sumire heard Natsume and smiled. Sumire rushed to his side.

"Mmkay, we will win this for sure!" Sumire shouted. Natsume looked at her awkwardly and just followed waving goodbye at Mikan and Ruca.

"I gotta win this, at all costs. Even if it's with stupid fangirl." Natsume thought to himself.

"Eh, Mikan-chan. Do you have any ideas what to do?" Ruca asked. Mikan cast a shadow over her face. She looked at Ruca and shook her head.

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"Okay, first we have Mikan and Ruca!" Narumi announced. Mikan walked to the stage as well as Ruca. They curtains went up and the spotlight hit Ruca and Mikan.

"Kawai!" someone says.

"They look like they're in love!" another person says.

"Damn it.." Tsubasa said to himself. Mikan heard everyone and blushed.

"Neh, Ruca-pyon? We didn't think of anything, what do we do?" Mikan whispered to Ruca. Ruca just looked at her.

"Lift your left hand up." he whispered back. Mikan did what she was asked, and Ruca placed a ring on her finger. Mikan looked at the ring then an Ruca. Ruca smiled at her. The curtains went down leaving the audience in complete shock.

"Ruca, you thought of that? Thank you." Mikan told Ruca. Ruca just smiled at her.

"Now, here is Natsume and Sumire!" Narumi announced. The fans were left in shock The curtains went up, and there they were. Sumire and Natsume in their costumes.

"Wahh! Natsume looks so kawai!" fans shouted. Sumire smirked and made a corner glare at Mikan. Mikan saw and kept her eyes on them. Sumire then, wrapped her arms around Natsume's neck and Natsume carried her bridal-style. Mikan's jaws dropped letting a few tears in, she had her hand over her face. Sumire then moved Natsume's face towards her and she moved her flowers over their faces and kissed him as the curtains slowly went down.

"Ruca.. im going to go umm.. get a drink." Mikan told Ruca and ran as far as she could.

"What's this feeling? Why is my heart tied in knots.." Mikan thought to herself. She ran as far as she could and finally dropped. She fell into the shadows and cried.

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"Neh, Ruca, where's Tangerines(Mikan)?" Natsume asked Ruca. Ruca just shrugged. Sumire smirked.

"I don't know, after she saw you and Sumire kiss, she just ran out." Ruca replied. Natsume stood in shock, his crimson eyes glistened, his raven colored hair stood up, his heart broke, and his knees weakened. As his bangs covered his eyes.

"I'll be back." Natsume told them and ran off to look for Mikan. Sumire just laughed.

"She ran out because of jealousy." Sumire said. Ruca just taped her mouth.

"Shut up." Ruca told her and left.

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Natsume ran in search of Mikan until he ran as far as he could. He saw a Sakura tree in the shadows and ran there.

"Neh, isn't this where i'm suppose to be all the time?" Natsume told Mikan. Mikan didn't look up, she just looked to the floor with her fists clutched on her legs.

"Natsume likes Sumire, I should be happy, right? But... I can't say it.." Mikan told him. Natsume sat next to her.

"I don't like her, I didn't kiss her, the prop made it more realistic, but it was just acting." Natsume explained. Mikan's heart pumped, she was relieved.

"Hn, you're so naïve." Natsume told her. Mikan took his hand.

"Natsume... I- I.. I"...