DISCLAIMER: Gakuen Alice is not miiiinneee weee (huhu)

A/N: YAY! New followers! (hearts hearts and more hearts!)You guys are my inspiration to keep on writing! (Even thou I suck at it huhu I'm sorry)

Thank you PureSakura1999, RenneX, and special THANK YOU for fangirl-mode-on who, not only followed this story, but also favorited it. THANK YOU SO MUCH! You don't know how happy I am right now! (cries)

Chapter 7: Childhood friends

It was Monday once again and as per usual, I sat beside Natsume.

"Good morning!" I still greeted him as brightly as I could. Well, if I want to be friends with him, I should, right? It wasn't like I had a choice.

"You're early." He said as he nodded, a sign of recognition of my presence.

"Yeah. Hotaru wake me up." I sighed remembering it.

.

"Mikan." Hotaru called my name and shook me lightly.

"Five minutes."

"Mikan." She did it again yet shook me a little harder this time.

"Five..." I sleepily replied.

Then I heard her footsteps moving away from me.

I thought it was over but nooooo. It was Hotaru after all.

"Mikan!" As she said this, she poured cold water onto my face.

.

I sighed again.

"Problem?" Natsume probed.

"No. No. There's none." I gave him a small smile.

Or maybe there is. You... I thought and I couldn' help but bit my lower lip.

"You're biting your lips." He commented.

"Oh. Sor—"

"MIKAN-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" Koko arrived with Sumire.

"How dare you leave me!" Sumire ran towards me and shook me vigorously.

"Wanna have lunch later?" Natsume offered and Sumire stopped the shaking.

Phew.

"SURE NATSUME-KUN!" She giggled.

"Mikan?" Koko asked my answer.

"Hotaru?" I called her out, wanting to know if she would come. If she won't, I would definitely not go too.

"Sure." She just shrugged.

"Then it's on!" Koko declared and we all chuckled. (Well, of course, except for Natsume.)

.

"Hmm, I'll have... carbonara!" I ordered at the smiling waiter of this Italian restaurant.

"Lasagna." Natsume coolly ordered and Ruka ordered the same.

The rest said their orders too, and as the waiter went away, our chitchat started.

"Mikan, how long have you known Imai?" Koko grinned at me.

"Oh! Since I was a baby!" I giggled, remembering some of our memories. "She was my bestest best friend. She was a newcomer that time when she asked me to be her best friend!"

"You asked me to be your best friend." Hotaru defended.

"No, I didn't!"

"Hotaru did." Natsume interrupted our little 'fight'.

Everyone gazed at Natsume.

"And how did you know that?" Ruka asked his best friend.

HIS BEST FRIEND!

I laughed very hard until they all gave me the are-you-crazy look.

"What?" I said as I tried to stop my laughter.

"What's wrong with Ruka-kun's question, huh?" Sumire asked, her bitch side was showing up again.

"I'm sorry." I giggled. "I just don't know why you don't know." I continued as I wiped my eyes. Tears evident due to laughter.

"They were childhood lovers." Hotaru provided the answer for the 'commotion'.

"Hey! Friends! What lovers?!" I laughed again.

Hotaru looked at me. She knew it. She saw right through me. She knew that that laughter was a fake one.

"Ohhh! So you guys knew each other since you were kids?" Sumire cleared things up.

"Yes yes!" I grinned at her.

"So tell me, how bad ass is our little Natsume?" Koko grinned, showing off his beautiful teeth.

"I tell you, they were lovers." Hotaru started it again.

"Childhoon friends, Hotaru! FRIENDS!" I laughed again.

And I saw it, from my peripheral vision, that Natsume was also staring at me. He knew that this laugh was also a fake laugh. I inwardly sighed. They knew me too well – my childhood... friends.

"Natsume?" Ruka asked Natsume's opinion.

"Hmm." He paused, "I agree with Mikan. We're just childhood friends."

I looked at him, stared at him.

.

(Hotaru's POV)

"We're just childhood friends." Natsume said emotionlessly.

Mikan looked at him intently.

I saw it.

Hurt, pain and betrayal. Those things were evident in her eyes.

Natsume, you're crossing the line.