Nobara's POV

I watched Mikan as she left the room. She did hear what he had to say but… I went backstage to talk to Natsume.

"Did she listen," he asked when he saw me.

"She did but she left after. So what score did you get?"

"16."

"You can do it again. Next time you'll be able to tell her."

He sighed. "You're still helping me."

"Why wouldn't I?"

The next day Mikan's POV

I barely got any sleep last night. Too busy thinking about what I should do.

"Mikan? Why are you so tired," Nobara asked.

"I just couldn't sleep last night. It's nothing to worry about. Really."

I glanced over to Rou who looked unconvinced. Then Nobara said," Oh yeah, it turns out there really is a theme to the next round."

"What is it," Rou asked.

"Um… it's to tell someone something through song. The next round's in two weeks."

"Simple enough, I've already got something," I said.

"Is it about your parents," Rou asked.

"You'll find out. Nobara have they confirmed the date for the concert we're suppose to do?"

"Yeah, it's next week and Hi-sama sent us these," she said as she held out a few tickets and back stage passes. "She said we could each invite anyone we want."

Wonder why she would do that? "I'm not planning on inviting anyone so you can invite two people Nobara."

"Thanks Mikan."

"Come on we'd better get to our next class."

We started to walk out but a green haired girl can up to us. I think her name was Permy or something.

"Get out of the way," I said.

"Not until you say why your boyfriend and sister hurt Natsume-kun."

Really? Now she asks? That happened a couple of weeks ago. "No. Get out of the way."

"Make me."

I smiled evilly and hit her pressure points to make her fall to the ground.

"What-?"

"You asked for it Permy," I said interrupting her.

We then left the room. Really, it's so annoying to deal with people like that. But I was like that before. Something similar at least but I'm not any more. That girl's gone and what's left is what I am.

Natsume's POV

"Natsume, you've got to get over Yukihara-san. I know you two were friends but that's over," Ruka said.

Ruka doesn't understand what's going on with me. Nothing makes sense lately. I just can't think unless I'm thinking of her. Which I am every single second.

"Why don't you get a girlfriend?"

"Does it look like I want a girlfriend?"

"Hotaru and I are perfectly happy together."

"Your girlfriend makes you pay just to kiss her."

"Well, I don't care about that. Look over there," he said while pointing at a girl. "That girl over there stares at you a lot, why don't you ask her out? If I remember she's from Toudon Mashiro Megumi-san."

She had long white blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Sure she's pretty but she's probably nothing like Mikan. There I go again! She then walked up to me.

"You're Hyuuga Natsume aren't you," she asked me.

"So?"

"Well, rumors were right you are hot maybe even better than Rou-sama."

Is she a fan girl? I could do without another one. No matter what no one is Mikan, no one can be her and, no one can replace her.

"Natsume-kun? What are you doing," I heard someone asked. Nobara.

"What are you doing here," Mashiro asked while looking at Nobara with eyes filled with hate.

"I'm here because your teacher said that class started and you're half and hour late. So start walking or Hi-sama won't be happy. Not to mention Koizumi-sensei and we both know what happens when Koizumi-sensei gets mad," Nobara said in a sweetly evil voice.

Mashiro's eyes got wider and then she ran away. What was that about?

"None of your concern," she said as if reading my mind. They probably just hate each other.

" Anyway here Natsume-kun," Nobara said as she handed my two slips of papers. One's a ticket to some concert and the other's a backstage pass.

"They're for a concert that we're going to perform at. Anyway, I think you should see how Mikan's music um… changed," she said answering my confused look.

"What do you mean by changed? She's better than she was before I can hear that."

"Well… That's not the only thing that changed and you wouldn't really know about it yet. I can't really explain right now, just come, and if anyone asks where you got it say that you brought it or something, just don't tell anyone that someone gave it to you."

I was gonna ask why but the look in her eyes was begging me not to.

"Fine."

"Good. See you then," she said as she waved good bye.

I looked at the ticket in my hand. A concert huh? Wonder what she meant when she said that Mikan's music changed. Probably how hard she made the songs through. Since I've got nothing to do next week I'd guess I'll go.

Nobara's POV

Give Natsume the ticket and backstage pass check. Now what to do with the one Mikan gave me… There's no one else I could give it to. A sudden image of that boy I met flashed in my head. What am I thinking about him for? I don't even know anything about him!

"Faded is what it's gonna be called," I heard Mikan say.

"It is the most repeated word," I heard Rou say. Oh, I just realized that I'm next to the music room. Are they talking about the new song?

"Faded, hated slipping away as I disappear in the dark. I'm faded, hated so far away from who I was at the start," She sang. Hated? Different from who she was? Her parents turned her into someone like that? That must have been horrible to go through that. Someone needs to tell her parents the truth. Hopefully they'll be at the concert next week.