11. After Party

"Whoa!" Mikan said to herself as she opened her eyes and smiled. Her usual sunny smile had an unusual shine that morning. She didn't want to raise her head from the pillow. "It was a wonderful dream! I wish it was real!" Mikan added to her amusement. She forced her eyes to sleep again: seeing that dream over and over again was her sole intention now.

"Please! Oh please Kami-sama! I wanna see the rest of it!" Mikan pleaded as she kept her eyes tightly closed, hugging another pillow with her arms all around it.

"Just when did you arrive darling? Oh! I'm the most reckless mom on earth! I couldn't even stay awake last night! I slept like a total pig!" Mikan heard her mom's voice coming out from nowhere. There she opened her eyes, only to see a half crying Kaoru Hyuuga.

"Oh momma… What're you talking about…?" Mikan asked, still hugging her pillow, in a dreamy state. Hearing that, Kaoru's sweat dropped.

"Mikan! Are you alright? Did somebody give something bad to you last night? Why don't you remember anything?" Kaoru asked as she rushed to Mikan's beside and sat in the corner of the bed. Hearing what mom had said, Mikan tried to recall what had happened last night, pouting at the ceiling. Seeing her trying hard to recall things, Kaoru's fear reached its climax.

"Why on earth you don't remember about the party last night! I think we'll need Hotaru to come over and sort things out for you." Kaoru said, worried to death. Her crimson orbs examined Mikan from head to toe. Still, no sign of danger. Seeing her probing eyes, Mikan started to get annoyed.

"Momma… I'm alright… But I just can't-" She was cut off by her own mind. "Wait! What! Last night! Party! Whaaaaattt! Does that mean? No NO NO! It can't be! It just can't be! He and me? NO NO holy GOD!"

There, things started to flow into her mind; forgotten memories from last night. Unbelievable, yet true. Mikan's eyes had widened in horror which Kaoru noticed and winced.

"There! I knew something wasn't right! What's going on Mikan! What happened to you last night?" Kaoru asked as she pressed Mikan's hand in terror. With this, Mikan raised her upper body, bringing herself to a sitting position. She still had that horrified look in her eyes, much to her mother's dismay.

"So was that true! Was that really true! So it wasn't a dream! I really… I mean… we really… I and Kaname?" Mikan whispered to her heart as she focused her horrified eyes on nothing.

"You gotta tell me Mikan…" Kaoru said, breaking her dreamy shield into pieces.

"Umm… Momma… I was just sleepy… It was a long night after all… I do remember everything about the party… Umm nothing bad happened to me momma… I assure you!" Mikan said, making Kaoru sigh in relief.

"Okay then honey… I think you should sleep a bit more. I'll call Hotaru and tell you won't go to school today. You definitely can't go like this." Kaoru said in a relieved tone and left the room, leaving Mikan alone with her racy heart.

She could feel butterflies starting to celebrate Christmas inside her belly. She couldn't believe a thing about last night. Her hands had already started to shake. Her lips didn't know how broad her smile should be right now. Her fingertips were numb. In simple words, she wasn't sure if she was dead or alive.

"Kaname-senpai? Danced with me? And- and… he even… Kissed me? And… we… OMG!" Mikan thought as a drop of sweat rolled down her face. Sorting things out gradually, Mikan searched for her phone, reaching for it under her pillow. She took it in her hand and checked the messages. One from Hotaru and none from Kaname?

She had expected at least one single text from Kaname, after that long night they had had. But no! Nothing at all! Feeling sad, she opened Hotaru's message.

"Get dressed and come out at once!" It read. But Mikan didn't feel like going to school that day. She was terribly exhausted.

"Nay, Hotaru…" She said in a fatigued tone. She had slept only for a few hours the previous night. How on earth could she go?

But some sudden urge made her do so.

After 20 minutes, she was in the living room, dressed in her uniform; perfect. She could see no one there in it. She could smell Natsume had already left. She wondered what had happened to her mom. No trace of her could be seen in the house. So she stepped into the kitchen, just to find a note on the refrigerator.

"Mikan, honey… take the key with you if you wish to go outside." Mom had written in her beautiful handwriting. Mikan took it off and stepped outside the house, taking the keys with her. Within a few minutes she was in front of Hotaru's house and was relieved to find their car still in the garage. She walked through the gates and entered the house, only to find Hotaru sitting on the couch, busy with her schoolbag as always.

"Morning Hotaru…! Looks like I'm early today…" She said out in a cute voice, making Hotaru look up at her face.

"I'm surprised." Hotaru answered, although her voice didn't sound surprised at all. The usual monotony was there in her violet eyes.

"Whoa! I never thought I'd make it today!" Mikan said cheerfully as she jumped on the couch, joining Hotaru.

"I knew you won't miss it today." Hotaru said, emotionlessly; still focusing on her schoolbag. Hearing her cool remark, Mikan blushed and looked down at her clasped palms.

"Thought you'd left already. With your frog prince." Hotaru added, still not looking at Mikan. Hearing her statement, Mikan's sweat dropped.

"Uh! F—frog P—prince? Who do you mean?" Mikan asked, stammering. She knew exactly who she had meant. Maybe she wanted to verify it.

"Who else. No need to talk about that. Let's go." Hotaru said as she stood up, uninterested. Mikan automatically followed to suit.

They walked to the car and waited for Mrs. Imai to drive them to school.

The rest of the conversation had nothing to do with the current situation, but Mikan, kept praying the whole time.

"Please Kami-sama! Make me bump into him today!"

She hoped, she prayed but nothing came in her way. Half of the day had gone, yet nothing of him had startled her for the day so far.

It was really hard for Mikan to exist in school that day. Everyone was staring at her as if she were a criminal out of jail. It was slightly different with her friends as they showed their happiness for her achievement last night. Yet she didn't feel really comfortable even with them. She felt as if something was missing.

Something was actually missing. And it was Kaname.

Kaname wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Mikan-chan… Why be sad? Look! We all saw your dream come true last night!" Nonoko said in a soothing voice.

"Yes, Mikan… It all happened like a miracle! We couldn't believe our eyes!" Anna joined, completing what Nonoko had said.

"How could she be happy when there's no trace of that baka today." Hotaru's cold voice joined the conversation from nowhere.

Mikan had already had enough of it for that day. She was fed up of being the topic of the school conversations. She wanted to go home right now. But how… The bell hadn't rung yet. She had to wait. She was fed up of waiting as well.

Whoa! Guess it was my shortest chapter ever! Haha! :-D

I'm back with my story people! *wave!

On to the next chapter! Don't get confused, I'll explain everything at the right time!

Kisses!

-Awful Nightmare-