Well, here it is! Chapter 2! Gosh, I am so tired. I didn't get any sleep last night. Of course, this was my fault. You see, dear readers, I am a coffee addict. I love it. It is my most favorite drink in the world. Have any of you ever tried mango juice before? It's darn good. Try it sometime! Wait, why did I bring up mango juice all of a sudden? Maybe because I was talking about good tasting drinks… Who knows?
On with the story!
Disclaimer: Pfft. Me? Own it? Yeah, right. If I owned it, I wouldn't be here typing a fanfiction, I would be making Mikan fall in love with Natsume in the real story… xD
Oh yeah! One more thing: Happy Reading!
Don't Forget
By Tsuki's Angel
~Chapter 2~
-Kisses and Pies-
~Mikan~
It has been officially a week. I haven't seen him since that night and thank goodness for that. Ever since that unfortunate little encounter, I had been thinking to myself: I let this guy ruin my life. I shouldn't care! He moved on, and I need to too. So that's what I've been trying to do. I was just there for his entertainment. I knew he was a playboy. I knew he was one of those guys who just date girls just for the knack of it, but then why did I think that I was different? I thought too highly of myself. I am twenty years old and I have a full life ahead of me. I could date whoever I wanted to.
The perfect opportunity came up just this evening. There was a huge party that all of New York's elite were attending. I was obviously invited. It was going to last all night. I have to admit, though, I wasn't too excited. I mean, would you want to be surrounded by a bunch of bachelors who think they are the kings of Manhattan? The only perk was that all of them were good looking. Really good looking. But, as always, I wasn't interested. No matter how much they try to woo me.
We were currently at the penthouse. I was lounging on the sofa reading Death Note. I think Natsume rubbed off on me. This was his favorite manga, too. But I'm not reading it just because he did! I seriously want to find out what happens to Light! I turned a page and Hotaru came in holding up a dress.
"What do you think of my dress?" she asked. I looked at it. It was a black, spaghetti-strapped cocktail dress that looked as if it'd reach her knees. It had a black sash that blended in with the dress and it was tied up at the side with a midnight blue rose pinned to it.
"It's beautiful, Hotaru. You have such good taste in clothes," I said.
"I have your dress, too. I want you to see it," she said.
"You picked out my dress, again?" I said.
"What? Do you think I'd let you pick out your own dress?" she questioned. I shrugged.
"Not really. I want to see my dress for tonight," I said, getting up off the sofa and setting my manga down on the coffee table. I walked into Hotaru's room. My dress was set up on the bed. I gasped. It was the most beautiful thing ever. It was a silky red halter cocktail dress. The left side of the dress was really short. It was cut at the waist and got longer as it ascended to the right side. It had many folds and ruffles along the edges. The dress also had a deep 'V' for the halter part, and showed most of my back. It also had a sash, except it tied into a small poofy bow at the left side, where the dress was cut so that it covered some of me that shouldn't be shown to wandering eyes.
"It's beautiful, Hotaru!" I gushed. It was truly wonderful.
"Glad I made you happy," she replied. "Now, we have to get ready. The party's in 2 hours. It's 2 hours and a half for us though. We need to be fashionably late."
"Right. I'm going to need that extra half hour. I need to take a shower," I replied. I took the dress and went to my room. I took a shower, lathering and rinsing. It was relaxing, but unfortunately I had to get out. I took my robe and put in on, wrapping my hair in a towel. I walked into my room, set up my blow dryer, took the towel off of my head and started blow drying. Once I was finished, my hair was its usual, perfect curly self. I put it into a messy half-ponytail with my bangs curling in elegant curls down the side of my face. I pinned the ponytail with a red rose pin that looked surprisingly real. I also put on my special silver necklace with a diamond heart that omitted the faintest pink shine. I wore this necklace everywhere. I put on silver hoop earrings, and a silver anklet.
Once I was done, I put on my dress. It fit perfectly, of course. I still had my makeup to do, but that will be for last. I went to the shoe section of my closet and pulled out my strappy red heels that I never wore before. I put them on and went back to my dresser to do my makeup. I made that perfect smoky eye effect for my eyes. I put medium blush on and to top it off, I glossed my lips with bloody red lip gloss until they shined. Finally, I painted my fingernails and toenails a sparkly red color, splashed on some fruity perfume, and I was done. I looked at myself in a full length mirror. I was perfect.
I walked out of my room and into Hotaru's. She was done too. She looked beautiful, from her hair that was let down, to her silver heels. In her hand she held a midnight blue clutch. I forgot! Where did I put mine?
"I put your clutch on the kitchen counter. I picked out that silver one," she said, walking past me.
"Thanks," I said. I walked over to the kitchen counter and picked up my clutch. We were ready to go. It was hard to believe 2 hours and a half went by just like that. Hotaru had called a limo to pick us up. We went into the lobby and out the door to the waiting chauffeur. He gave us a quick tip of the hat and opened the door for us. We stepped into the limo, took out seats, and sped off.
I didn't know where the party was. So when we got there, I was a bit surprised. The place was huge. We went inside the building and took the elevator to the top floor where the party was held. We opened the door to the party. The room was absolutely huge. It was amazing. The theme was 'Midnight Moon'. There was a dance floor in the middle of the room. The floor had black tiles that gave an ominous glow. All around the dance floor was tables with lavender tablecloths and dark blue chairs. In the middle of each table was a midnight blue candle that gave off a lovely scent. We had a table reserved for us. We weren't in the back, like I had hoped. We were smack dab in the middle of tables full of conceited bachelors who kept eyeing me and Hotaru. Anyways, there were glass walls that showed the beautiful city of New York. There was also a chandelier that hung in the middle of the dance floor. The room wasn't lit too much. It was faintly lit by lavender lights that gave the room a dark, yet comforting feel. There was also a mini bar in the corner of the room with a black counter and black stools around it. People were sitting there, holding their martini and wine glasses, chatting while drinking. This definitely fit the theme 'Midnight Moon'.
We were sitting at our table and I was scowling the whole time. The bachelors all around me kept eyeing me. They thought that I didn't notice, but I noticed all right. They were beginning to push my little angry button. I took a sip of my martini.
"Some party, eh?" I heard a voice say. I looked up, knowing who it was. I dreaded the very thought. Have you guessed who it is yet? Of course you did. Everyone knows how much bad luck I have. Natsume and Luca stood there in front of us. Luca was dressed properly in a tux while Natsume maintained his playboy look. He had his jacket open and his shirt was not tucked in with the first few and last buttons undone.
"Lovely. What brings you here?" I said as if his very presence didn't send my mind running. I said it as if I didn't even care. I said it so calmly, so serenely, I was surprised myself.
"I am invited since the host of this wonderful party is my father," he said. I mentally choked.
"I see," I replied, bored. "And might I ask why you are here talking to me? Wait. Let me guess. You are seated here with Hotaru and I. Yes, that must be it, and since that is so unfortunately so, I'm going to go and dance so that you won't be in my presence."
I got up and I walked past him. As I walked to the dance floor, I met a devilishly handsome man who asked me to dance. I smiled inwardly. Perfect. I have my dance partner.
"Would you care to dance?" he asked, bowing slightly and holding out his hand. He had messy brown hair and a boyish face. He was wearing a tuxedo the way you were supposed to. Overall, he was pretty cute.
"Sure thing," I said, taking his hand. He looked up, smiled and led me to the dance floor. Currently, the waltz was playing.
"Do you know how to waltz?" he asked me. I scoffed.
"I own it, babe." I said. He chuckled. We started to waltz.
"What's your name, by the way?" I asked him.
"Daichi Hanazono," he said. I was about to introduce myself but he but me off. "I already know who you are. You are the famous singer Rose. I saw you on television. I loved the song you performed. It had potential."
"Thank you," I said. He thought my song had potential? Is that supposed to be a pickup line? It didn't sound like one. It sounded…sincere. We continued to waltz as we talked more about each other.
~Hotaru~
Hyuuga was standing some distance away from our table. He was looking at Mikan with amazed eyes. Of course he did. I dressed her up to look hot for that very reason. Mikan sat elegantly, surprisingly. She was probably annoyed though, seeing how every bachelor in the room was staring at her. I saw them walking towards our table. I didn't say a word. If I said something now, Mikan would run off. The cold-hearted cat walked up to our table.
"Some party, eh?" he said. I glared at him. He was obviously smirking. Stupid brat.
"Lovely. What brings you here?" Mikan replied. I was astonished at how calm she sounded. She should be crying now, but she was keeping her cool. Was she seriously moving on?
"I am invited since the host of this wonderful party is my father," he said. I rolled my eyes.
"I see," Mikan replied, bored. "And might I ask why you are here talking to me? Wait. Let me guess. You are seated here with Hotaru and me. Yes, that must be it, and since that is so unfortunately so, I'm going to go and dance so that you won't be in my presence."
She left the table. I laughed inwardly. She totally owned him. Hyuuga even looked surprised. I have to tell Mikan how awesome that was later. Hyuuga and Nogi sat down. This should be interesting.
~Natsume~
I sat down along with Luca. Imai was glaring at us. I looked right past her to look at Mikan. She seemed to have notice this. She turned around, took a look at Mikan, and then turned to face me again with a smirk. I ignored her and devoted my full attention to Mikan. She was absolutely stunning tonight, and if I had it my way, I'd have her all to myself. I'd dance with her all night. Mikan was walking elegantly to the dance floor. Then I saw some dude with brown hair walk up to her and hold out his hand. I scowled. Who was he? What does he want with Mikan? Believe me, the second I find out his name, he will be banished from the party, heck, the country!
"Jealous, Hyuuga?" Imai said, leaning on her elbows over the table and twirling her wine in her glass.
"Hell no. She has terrible taste in men," I replied, a bit peeved.
"You're a bad liar. Plus, you just insulted yourself. She dated you, remember? That is, until you broke her heart," I replied menacingly. "But your right, in a way. She does have terrible taste in men to have dated a retard like you."
"You don't get it. I had to break up with her," I replied. She set her wine glass down and leaned back into her chair, crossing her arms.
"I know the whole story, Hyuuga. Your dad told you to break up with her because you had an arranged marriage. I get it. All I'm saying is that shouldn't have stopped you from staying with her."
"I didn't go through with the arranged marriage. I told my dad no, okay? I came back here–" I started before she cut me off.
"You came back for her?" she scoffed, getting up. "Have you ever considered the fact that you might've been too late? That you might've driven her off the edge? I've seen her this past year, Hyuuga. She isn't doing so hot. She never eats anymore and she's always quiet. Hear that? Quiet. Not like the old Mikan at all. She indulges herself in work until she collapses! She does it all to forget about what you did to her. She doesn't even smile anymore."
I sat there, dumbfounded. What have I done? And the fact that she doesn't eat surprised me. When we were together, Mikan ate until she threw up. Not literally of course, but she ate a lot. Imai turned on her feet and left me there in pure silence.
"You screwed up big time, Natsume," Luca whispered. I scowled.
"I know that," I replied. "But I didn't come all this way just to give up on her."
~Mikan~
Daichi was a cool guy. We finished up our dance. I gave him the most genuine smile I could muster, which was not much. Hotaru was standing near the edge of the dance floor, giving me a crooked smile. I walked over to her.
"Want to get another martini?" she asked me. I nodded and we went to the mini bar set up in the corner. Hotaru and I took a seat.
"Two martinis please," I said. The man nodded and started pouring us glasses. I took mine, as Hotaru did.
"Cheers," she said.
"Cheers," I echoed, clinking my glass with hers. We both took a sip. I was sitting in a seat near the glass wall so I had a perfect view of the city. It was beautiful at night. I sighed as I looked out at it.
"Hey, Mikan, I'm going to the restroom real quick, okay?" Hotaru said. I merely nodded. She left me in peace. I got up and moved to the other side of the room, with my martini glass at hand. I sat down on a very high stool that faced the glass wall that looked out into the city. There was a ledge connected to the glass wall, so I leaned onto it, setting my martini glass down. I heard footsteps behind me. Guess who?
"What do you want?" I muttered, nonchalantly.
"You knew it was me, huh?" he said, smirking that evil little smirk of his.
"Of course. Who else would sneakily come up behind me like that?" I said, angry now. Why was he here? He took a seat next to me and stared out into the city as I did. He had a glass of wine.
"So…who were you dancing with?" he asked, trying to sound uninterested, but I knew him better than that.
"Why do you care?" I replied.
"Just tell me," he ordered. I couldn't keep the words from coming out of my mouth. I just said them without thinking.
"He's my fiancé," I replied. He choked on his wine.
"W-what?! You're engaged?!" he said, coughing. This was fun.
"Pfft. No, you retard. I was just messing with you," I replied. He glared at me.
"Well, don't," he said obviously pissed. I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever," I looked out into the city again and sighed dreamily. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah, you are," he replied after a very short pause. I snapped my head around to face him. His whole body was facing me. He had one elbow on the ledge and he was leaning his head on it, staring at me with the softest, most sincere expression. That feeling started bubbling up in me again. The feeling of sadness and wanting him. I turned my body to face him too, and put my elbow on the ledge, leaning my head on it. I looked into his eyes for any signs of lying and couldn't find any.
"Stop messing with me," I whispered, closing my eyes.
"I'm not," he said. I opened my eyes and he was playing with a loose strand of my hair. I tilted my head so that his hand was cupping my face. I took my free hand and held it there. I inhaled the sweet scent of him. It brought back so many memories. It hurt and it felt good all at the same time. I closed my eyes again.
"You really do look beautiful tonight, Mikan," he said. I didn't answer. I didn't know what to say. Why was he doing this? His hand moved to the back of my neck, and he pulled me a bit forward. I opened my eyes, just to close them again as he leaned forward and kissed me.
I was flying. I felt so…whole. I knew it would hurt later when he left me and I remembered this, but nothing was worth missing out on this. After a few minutes, we pulled away for air. He leaned his forehead onto mine. His thumb rubbed my cheek.
"I really did miss you," he whispered. Why was he doing all of this? Then I realized it. He was only here because he needed to use me for something. It all made perfect sense. He didn't really miss me or love me or anything like that. He just needed me for some selfish reason. I gently pulled away from him.
"I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here with you like this. I don't want to get hurt anymore," I replied, barely audible. I picked up my martini glass and got off my chair. I mustered up all of my strength and then…
Then I simply walked away.
~Luca~
I saw them. I saw Natsume and Sakura sitting on the stools. I stared at them in disbelief. Natsume really does know what he is doing. Somebody tapped my shoulder. I felt chills run down my spine when I turned and saw that it was my ex-girlfriend, Imai. She nodded towards them.
"I'm not surprised, but I know that Mikan won't give in so easily," she said bluntly. I looked back at them. She was right. Sakura was already pulling back from Natsume and leaving.
"See?" she said. "Just goes to show you that–"
"Imai… are you pretending?" I asked. I was just as surprised as she was when I asked the question. She snapped her head back to stare me straight in the eye with a glare.
"Pretending what? That I still don't love you? That I lost all feelings for you? That I don't spend every waking moment of everyday indulging myself in endless paperwork and phone calls to forget your very existence? I'm not pretending, Nogi. I know when I pretend. Trust me."
"Are you sure about that?" I asked, taking a step towards her. She took a step towards me.
"Sure about what?" she questioned, more like dared me to answer.
"That I can trust you on all of that…" I replied. She glared at me again.
"Of course. I would never pretend to love someone, or pretend to not love someone. Got it?" she said. I sighed. She can be so stubborn.
"Got it," I replied.
"Good," she said, flicking my forehead and walking away to Sakura, who was sitting at the table alone.
~Mikan~
Hotaru took a seat next to me. I was sitting with my elbows on the table and my legs crossed. I was leaning over the table, my hair falling to one side showing my bare back, and I was twirling what I had leftover of my martini. I glanced at her.
"Can we go home, now?" I asked her quietly. Her expression softened from a scowl, which I had no idea where it came from, to a gentle smile.
"Tired already?" she asked. I nodded. "Well, let's stay for a little bit longer. I want to eat some dinner."
I rolled my eyes. Hotaru and her food. "Okay," I replied. She sat down and we watched as all of the lights in the rooms dimmed into so that the room was lit by candlelight from the lovely scented candles in the middle of each table. The chatting of the guests stopped as the spotlight was shown on a man standing in the middle of the dance floor. The man had jet black hair and ruby eyes. It was Natsume's father, Takumi Hyuuga. He began speaking into the wireless microphone.
"Welcome honored guests, to the Midnight Moon party that I am hosting here tonight. I am hoping that you are enjoying yourselves. Tonight, I want to introduce to you a very special guest. She was invited here by my son, personally," he said. I wondered who the young lady could be. "My son here will be introducing her."
Mr. Hyuuga stepped out of the spotlight and gave the microphone to the one and only Natsume Hyuuga. Natsume stood there with one hand in his pocket and the other holding the microphone. He began to talk.
"As my father stated, welcome on and all to the party. I would like to introduce all of you to a very special person tonight," he said. I rolled my eyes. Who is this girl anyways? Suddenly, another spotlight clicked on, and was wandering the crowd, obviously searching for that special girl. The spotlight wandered over me and then back. I gasped inwardly. Could the girl be…me? The spotlight wandered over me once again, and then stopped. On me. I put down my martini glass, and leaned my head on my right hand, with my other hand resting on the table. I stared at Natsume. He was smirking that smirk at me, just like old times. He managed to make me feel like I had butterflies in my stomach.
"Will the lovely lady please come and accompany me up here?" he said. I lifted my head off my propped up arm and shook it. This guy was impossible. I uncrossed my legs, got up, and walked elegantly to the waiting Natsume. He smiled at me when I stood in the same spotlight as him. I didn't smile. I just stared at him with that same blank expression.
"You called?" I said, placing my hand on my hip and shifting my weight to one leg.
"Yes, I did call, but you never picked up," he whispered softly, not into the microphone, but to me, so that nobody else could hear it.
"I wonder why?" I whispered back. He smirked, again. I sighed. That was getting very old.
"Would the beautiful and talented Rose sing for us tonight?" he asked. I bit my lip. It felt weird when he called me by my stage name. And why was he acting so gentlemanly? Oh yeah, I forgot. He was in the midst of several important people that could cause him his reputation.
"Of course," I said. He grinned. I reached towards his hand and took the microphone.
"What song do you want to sing?" he asked. I smirked.
"Surprise me." I replied. He raised his eyebrows.
"As you wish," he said, and walked over to the man at the stereo station, or whatever you want to call it. DJ system? Whatever. The man nodded and shuffled through a couple of CD's and found one. He ticked the CD into the stereo and the music began blasting through the speakers. I winced at the song he picked. It was my first number one single. Why? Why did he have to choose that song? I kept my composure and began walking as I started to sing, my heels clacking on the sleek dance floor.
When You're Gone
(Avril Lavigne)
I always needed time on my own
I never thought I'd need you there when I cried
And the days feel like years when I'm alone
And the bed where you lie
Is made up on your side
As I began singing the next part, I was walking towards Natsume, slowly and elegantly. I stared him directly in the eye.
When you walk away
I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now?
As I sang that last stanza, I walked in front of Natsume, placing a balled up fist over my heart and as I began singing the chorus, I turned sharply away from him, leaving him in the dust and walked towards the middle of the dance floor.
When you're gone
The pieces of my heart,
I'm missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day
And make it ok
I miss you
As the piano played in the background, I backed up to let the couples at the party slow dance. There were only a few at first, but they gradually grew as the music progressed. Even my new friend Daichi, found someone to dance with. I stood on the mini stage behind the in front of the dance floor. It was basically just a couple stairs ascending to a higher level. It wasn't that high up, though.
I've never felt this way before
Everything that I do,
reminds me of you,
and the clothes you left, that lie on the floor
And they smell just like you
I love the things that you do
When you walk away
I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now?
When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
And When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
And When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day
And make it ok
(I miss you )
We were made for each other
Out here forever
I know we were
Yeah yeah
And all I ever wanted was for you to know
everything I do I give my heart and soul
I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me Yeah...
When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
And When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
And When you're gone
The words I need to hear, will always get me through the day
And make it ok
I miss you...
The piano drifted off and the song ended. There was a loud applause. I placed the microphone back on the stand and walked back to my seat. Everyone that was dancing stayed on the dance floor, dancing to the next song the DJ put on. As I walked back to my table, I went passed Natsume. He stopped me by grabbing my arm.
"Did you mean that song?" he asked as if he knew who I meant the song for.
"What do you mean?" I asked. He stared at me.
"You know what I mean, so don't act dumb. I know what I did to you was wrong, Mikan. I know that song was meant towards me. Now answer my question, did you mean it or not?" he asked, totally serious. A sudden burst of anger rushed through me. If he knew it was wrong, then why in the name of God did he do it?! WHY?!
"Didn't you even listen to my song? Everything I do I give my heart and soul. What the heck do you suppose that means?" I said jerking my arm away from him. "Figure it out, Natsume."
And for once, when I walked away, I'm the one that left him utterly and completely speechless. It felt good.
Dinner was served a half hour after that. It was and French dish that I didn't quite get the name of. I took a bite out of it and almost gagged. I couldn't hold it down. I took a sip of water. It helped a bit. I felt woozy as I stared at the dish full of whatever it was. Worse, Natsume and Luca were sitting right there with us at the table. The tables were all circular so the seating arrangement at our table was that Luca sat next to Hotaru and Natsume at his sides, Hotaru sat next to me and Luca, Natsume sat next to me and Luca, and I sat next to Hotaru and Natsume. Curse my bad luck. I gently placed the fork down. I gave Hotaru the 'I can't eat it' look. She just nodded and went back to eating. I continued to sip at my water. It had a sprits of lemon in it so it was really refreshing.
"Aren't you hungry, Sakura?" Luca asked me out of nowhere. I looked up at him and then back down at my still full plate, whereas everyone else's was almost empty.
"Not quite, but thank you for your concern," I said. He nodded and went back to finishing his meal. Hotaru was the only one who knew of how my eating habits changed over the year, I know, but then why was Luca staring at me like he knew? Hotaru, Luca, and Natsume were exchanging knowing glances. I was beginning to feel left out. Whatever could they be talking about?
~Hotaru~
I stared at the two boys sitting near me. I gave them the 'See what I mean?' look. They just witnessed it. How much Mikan really had changed because of that. Hyuuga just sat there, acting like he didn't notice anything, but I saw right through his little façade. He was playing with his food, and had the most pained expression in his eyes.
"Mikan, what do you want to eat?" Natsume asked all of a sudden. She stared at him with suspicion.
"Why does it matter? I'm not hungry," she said. I rolled my eyes. That was a big fat lie. She was hungry, but she wouldn't eat anything.
"You must be hungry. Don't try and fool me, Polka." He said. She scowled. I muffled a laugh. He used his old nickname for her. How cheeky.
"Don't call me that, nasty fox," she spat. His mouth twitched. He was getting mad.
"Why, ugly?" he said through his teeth. I sighed. It was starting. The insult throwing contest. That's what I thought at least, until Mikan just sighed and quieted. She didn't argue back. Even I was surprised.
"You haven't changed a bit," Mikan whispered. Natsume's expression hardened.
"On the other hand, you changed more than I could have imagined," he said. Mikan shot him a glare.
"I know that, thank you very much. I do not need to hear it from some self-centered, arrogant, dumb, dim-witted, jerk like you!" she said, stabbing the chicken on her plate. She was lucky that this room was full of people who were busy with their own conversations so that they wouldn't hear ours. She leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, grumpy.
~Mikan~
"Okay then. I have a question to ask you," he said leaning on the table just like he did when we were sitting on the stools and has that little…scene. I leaned on the table the same way.
"And whatever might that be?" I replied, curious.
"Do you want some pie?" he asked, smirking. For the first time in forever, I felt heat coming to my cheeks. You see, when Natsume and I were still going out, and happily may I add, we always used to do everything together. On every Sunday, though, when we were free, Natsume would either come to my house or I would come to his and we could just sit down on a bed with a pie box between us and eat. Hotaru and Luca were the only ones who knew about 'Pie Sunday'. It would be a different pie each time. My favorite pie was still the lemon meringue pie. It was so much fun. We used to talk about everything those days. One time, he even brought up naming our future children. We decided we would only have one child. For some reason, Natsume thinks I smell like strawberries. Maybe it was because of my strawberry shampoo? Anyways, he said if it was a girl, we would name her Ichigo and since Ichigo means strawberry in Japanese, I thought that was the sweetest thing in the world. I said if it was a boy, we would name him Daisuke. He asked me why. My answer was that it rhymed with his name. He laughed at me. So there is that mini-memory of me and some pie.
"What makes you think I would want pie?" I asked him, fighting the urge to bite him.
"Aww, don't be like that," he said, fake pouting. "Ichigo or Daisuke wouldn't like it." I'm not allowed to bite him. It wouldn't look lady-like.
"Who's Ichigo or Daisuke?" Luca asked totally innocently.
"Nobody! They're nobody!" I yelled, angry.
"Oh? Don't be mean to our future children," Natsume said, smirking. I twitched.
"There won't be any future children! Not now, not ever!" I spat at him.
"Then do you still want pie?" he asked. I slapped my forehead. This guy…is utterly impossible.
"Who cares if I want pie?" I replied.
"I do," Hotaru said. She crossed her arms and looked at me. "Do you want pie?"
I stared at her and bit my lip. I did want pie. Really I do. It's strange, I know, but I it's the only thing I could think of that I want to eat.
"No, I do not want pie, Hotaru," I answered. She smiled deviously. I winced. She had something planned.
"Let's go get some then," she said, throwing her napkin on the table and getting up.
"What? I just said I didn't want any!" I argued. She smirked.
"That's exactly why we are going. When you want something, you don't tell anyone. I know that for a fact," she said. I sighed. She knows me too well.
"I'm up for pie," Luca said all of a sudden. I looked at him.
"Eh? You too?" I said. He smiled sheepishly. I then understood. He was only going because Hotaru was going. They make such a good couple, and Luca was loyal. Hotaru should have stayed with him.
"Actually, I really want pie right now. So, Mikan. What about you?" Natsume asked, obviously contented that his plan was working.
"Fine," I grumbled, getting up.
We all left dinner early. Nobody seemed to notice we were gone. It was fine with Natsume's dad for us to leave temporarily since the party was to last all night, so we were good to go. We left the building and started to walk to the nearest pie shop which was about a block away. Not too far, if you ask me. Hotaru, Luca and Natsume talked about stupid things like business. I stayed quiet. Once we reached the pie shop, I stared at it in disbelief. It was the same exact pie shop that Natsume and I always used to go to. I looked at him from the corner of my eye. He was staring at me.
"Are you cold?" he asked. I didn't reply at first. Why did he care?
"No," I replied after a pause and I walked into the shop.
As I stepped into the pie shop, I was surrounded by the sweet aroma of cinnamon apples and pie crust. I inhaled the sweet scent. It brought back so many memories. The shop was not very crowded, but there were some couples enjoying pies and tea. I took a seat at one of the small tables which was suited for only two people. I wanted Hotaru to sit next to me, for I was not going to sit next to Natsume.
"Aren't you going to order anything?" Luca asked me sweetly. I shook my head.
"I said I would come. I never said that I would eat anything," I replied. I had too much pride to give into what Natsume wanted. Me to eat pie with him again. Luca nodded, understanding my dilemma. After a few minutes, Hotaru came and sat down, but not with me. She sat down with Luca at another two seated table. Then somebody sat with me. I was hesitant to turn my head. I already knew who it was. It was Big Foot. Pfft. Yeah right. I would be lucky if it was Big Foot. Instead, unfortunately, I was stuck with Natsume. I really didn't talk to him. I just sat there quietly. I pretended that it didn't bother me that he wasn't Big Foot. I was surprised when he set down a single plate of pie in the middle of the table. Lemon meringue pie. I looked up at him. He was leaning forward on the table, as I was, and staring at me.
"What?" I asked. He smirked.
"Eat. It." He said. I tilted my head.
"What makes you think I want it?" I replied. He sighed and lifted a forked. He took a piece of pie and held it to my mouth.
"Eat it," he said.
"No," I replied. He let out a breath of air.
"You used to be so much fun. Come on. It won't hurt you to eat just a bite," he said, leaning closer. I stared at him in disbelief. Why did he care so much?! Forgetting him would so much easier if he would just go on! A lot of girls would want him! A lot of girls would be lucky to have him! Wait, no! Nobody would be lucky to have him! He's a disease! He hurts you! NOOOOO!!! I stopped arguing myself, realizing that it was utterly stupid.
"Come on," Natsume repeated. I leaned my head forward and put my lips around the fork, eating the piece of pie. I chewed slowly and swallowed as Natsume looked at my every move.
"Happy now?" I asked. He just smirked. Yup, that's the only Natsume all right. It was then I realized the pie was darn good. Why did I give it up again?
"Yes, I am happy," he replied, eating some pie himself. That was called indirect kissing. I pulled that fork away from him and gave him the unused one.
"No indirect kissing allowed," I stated. He smirked.
"Why? I have directly kissed you before," he said. I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever," I said. "That was when we were dating, remember?" He winced. He remembered.
"We could still be dating if you want," he said, apparently trying to be persuasive. I didn't buy it.
"No thank you. I'd rather not take my chances," I replied. He cocked his head to the side.
"Take your chances on what?" he asked. I didn't reply. I sighed instead. I was the one who was supposed to be dense. Not him. He's supposed to be the smart-arse arrogant jerk he is.
"Nevermind," I finally said. He didn't let it go.
"No tell me," he urged. I shook my head.
"No way," I replied.
"Mikan Sakura, if you do not tell me what you meant I will tell Imai and Luca who Ichigo and Daisuke are," he threatened.
"Blackmailing, eh? Has Hotaru rubbed off on you?" I mocked. He glared at me. "Aw, what is it? Is the big bad playboy mad that he can't know everything?" I gave him a fake pouty face. He scowled.
"I'm not mad," he replied through his teeth. I was beginning to annoy him. I smirked. This was going to get fun.
"Yes. Yes, you are, kitty," I said, using my nickname for him. I gave him that nickname when we were going out. He didn't like it at first, but he grew used to it when he realized I was never going to quit calling him that.
"Say what?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow. I smirked.
"You heard me," I said.
"Fine," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Fine," I said, doing the same.
"Good," he said.
"Good," I said.
"Then I guess we really are over," he said, slamming his fist on the table, getting up and leaning over to look at me.
"I guess we are," I replied, doing the same, except not slamming my fist on the table.
"Fine!" he said.
"Fine!" I replied, louder.
"Good!" he replied even louder.
"Good!" I replied back. Then what he did was so sudden I didn't have time to prepare myself for it. He leaned over and kissed me, holding his hand under my jawbone. It took me a second to find out what was going on. I pulled back and picked up the plate of pie. And guess what I did?
I shoved it in his face.
"Try that again, you complete idiotic imbecile!" I yelled and stormed out of the shop. I don't care if there is a party I have to be at. I want to go home and finish my manga. I want to be a couch potato for the rest of the day! How dare that fool do that to me! He knows that I hate him! He totally knows and yet he decides to do those kinds of things! Dumb-arse!
"Mikan! Mikan, you idiot! You didn't wait for me!" I heard Hotaru's voice yell behind me. I stopped and let her catch up. She stopped by my side.
"I'm sorry, Hotaru," I said, sniffling. Oh great. More tears. Exactly what I need. Note the sarcasm, folks.
"Don't worry about it. Jeez. Just don't let your nose run in public. You're lucky that didn't happen at your concert," she lectured. I kept quiet. She sighed. "Mikan, don't worry about what he did. You know he's an idiot like that."
"I know that. I know I shouldn't care, but…"
"But what?"
"I wanted to, Hotaru! I really did!" I said.
"Then why didn't you! Stupid!" she yelled.
"Because I have pride!" I yelled back.
"What pride! Look, even though you've changed a bit over the last year, you're still the same stupid girl I've known since forever!" she yelled louder.
"Thanks, Hotaru! That's exactly what I want to hear at a time like this!" I said.
"Well, you're welcome," she said, lowering her voice. Oh no, I made her mad.
"H…Hotaru…?" I said, tapping her shoulder.
"Yes?" she said. I sighed.
"I-I'm sorry," I said. She smirked and shook her head.
"What for? Don't worry about it, okay?" she advised. I nodded. "So…do you want to go back home or can we stay a bit longer at the party?"
"We can stay a bit longer at the party…" I said, knowing that's what she wanted. She nodded, and we both walked back to the party, ditching those two nincompoops.
Once we arrived back at the party, dinner was over. The party was really picking up now. The music was blasting. Everyone was dancing and having a ball. I decided that I was going to enjoy myself. I was going to make this a night I wouldn't forget. I was going to dance, sing, drink, and party like a rock star.
"Mikan!" I heard from behind me. I turned around. It was Natsume.
"What?" I asked coldly.
"Mikan, about what—" he said before I cut him off.
"Oh, shut it, you user. I'm going to have fun tonight. Don't bother me anymore," I spat. He twitched.
"What makes you think I would want to even be with you tonight?" he asked, smirking. Stupid playboy putting up his acts. I whispered something in Hotaru's ear. She smiled a devious smile. We both faced Natsume and Luca, and stuck our tongues at them, leaving them dumbfounded. Then we simply walked away.
-Two Hours Later-
I felt dizzy. I think I had one too many. My vision was becoming blurred. I was sitting on the sofa in the corner of the room with Hotaru. She looked a bit dizzy herself. I dunno. I was too messed up to think.
"Hotaruuu," I said. She looked at me.
"What?" she said perfectly. Nope. She wasn't drunk.
"Ooooh, nothiiing," I said, getting up. I walked over to the mini-bar to give the bartender my empty glass. I was done for the night, after this one last drink.
"One…lemon drop…please," I said, hiccupping. He looked at me uncertainly, but gave me a small glass with my drink.
"Thank…you," I said, hiccupping once again. I faced away from the counter, leaning against it with one elbow, my drink in my other hand. I took a sip.
"Polka? Are…are you drunk?" came a voice. I looked up. It was…who again?
~Natsume~
She was flopping all over the place. I walked over to her. She set her glass down and started slipping and started to fall over. I caught her just in time, though.
"Oi, Polka. Get up," I said, lightly patting her cheek. She was beginning to faint.
"Nat…suuuu…me," she slurred between hiccups. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me. I stiffened at her touch. Then she began to drop in my arms. I caught her before she fell, though. "Take me somewhere we can be alone," she said as I scooped her up into my arms. She rested her head on my shoulders, and her arms were still around my neck.
"We need to get you to somewhere you can sleep…" I said carefully. She was drifting to sleep. I took her out of the party room. The building was a hotel. The Plaza Hotel to be exact. It was where we were staying because we came all the way from California. We had a room rented, so I took Mikan there. She needed to sleep. I took the room key out of my pocket with one hand, holding Mikan with my other. Then I put her back in both of my arms and unlocked the door. I walked in, shutting the door behind me. I tried to set her gently on the black leather sofa, but she wouldn't let go of me. I tried to pry her arms off of me, but then she started talking.
"Natsume…" she said, speaking a bit clearer now.
"What?" I asked her, hesitant about what she was going to say.
"Why…why did you break up with me?" she said. I took in a sharp breath. She wasn't supposed to ask that. But she had the right to know. Drunk or not.
"My father set up an arranged marriage for me…and I left you, I know that, but—" I started before I was interrupted by Mikan crying. She bent her head down so I couldn't see her face, but I can hear the sobs coming from her. They weren't loud, but they were big enough to shake her fragile little body.
"Don't you…love…me?" she asked pitifully as she looked up into my eyes. I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't care if she wasn't conscious of what I was doing anymore. I took her into my arms and hugged her. I buried my face in her hair, inhaling the strawberry scent of her.
"You have no idea…" I whispered. She was shaking all over, but that didn't stop me. Mikan pulled back from my hug and planted one on me instead.
And guess what? I kissed her back.
~Mikan~
-The Next Morning-
I woke up to a searing headache. I had forgotten all about last night's events. I looked around to check my surroundings. I was in an unfamiliar room, but I was strangely comfortable. So comfortable, you have no idea. I groggily got up, only to be weighed down by something. I looked around my torso. An arm. I looked to see who that arm belonged to. Natsume. I picked up the arm off me and—wait! What?! NATSUME?! I shakily turned to see his sleeping figure. What the hell happened last night?! Where's Hotaru? Where am I? I turned and saw my dress from last night on the floor. Then I screamed. Natsume shot upright, covering his ears.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" I screamed. Natsume looked annoyed. He always is in the mornings.
"Shut up, will you?! I was sleeping!" he said, ruffling his hair. He wasn't wearing a shirt. I knew what happened last night, now. I just didn't want to think of it anymore. I got up and picked up my clothing. I saw a black silk robe. I took it and put it on.
"That's mine, you know," he said, lazily getting up and putting on a pair of plaid pajama pants. I didn't reply. I was too angry with him. I was even angrier with me, for getting into this mess.
"I'm going home," I grumbled. Natsume smirked.
"You better not. Luca spent the night with Imai," he said. My jaw dropped. Hotaru was with Luca? AT OUR PENTHOUSE?! Now I can't go home! There was no way that I was going to bother Hotaru after all she did for me, but…that means I'm stuck with…Natsume… I mentally screamed. I slumped to the floor. My headache was worsening. I grabbed the sides of my head.
"Oi, are you okay?" Natsume asked, coming to crouch next to me.
"Y-yeah," I said, wincing at the pain. He wasn't convinced.
"Get in bed. I'll get you some warm tea," he said. I nodded. At this point, I was too tired to care. "Oh and you can borrow some of my clothes. That dress can't be too comfortable," he said, leaving the room. I nodded again. I went to his dresser and pulled open the drawer, and picked out some black sweatpants and a long-sleeved, black and white layered shirt, with the torso part of the shirt was white and the sleeves were black. I put the clothes on. They were way too big. I tightened the sweatpants to fit, but the shirt will have to do. It annoyed me how it kept slipping off my shoulder, though. I dragged myself to the already messed up bed and buried myself under the covers, curling up into a ball. I was drifting off to sleep before I knew it.
~Natsume~
I walked back to the room, with Mikan's tea at hand. She always liked green tea with lemon, so that's exactly what I made her. I walked into the room and found Mikan asleep. I rolled my eyes. Some things never change about a person. I sat next to her on the bed and set the tea on the bedside. I gently shook her awake. She opened her eyes and she slowly sat up, rubbing her eye with the oversized sleeve in the cutest manner. The shirt was slipping to show her skinny little shoulder. She seriously hasn't been eating.
"Here," I said, giving her the cup of tea. She took it and sipped. She then sighed.
"I haven't had this in forever," she said in complete bliss.
"Really?" I said, leaning forward and brushing some of the loose hair out of her eyes and placing it behind her ear.
"Yeah, really," she whispered. She blinked sleepily. "I want to sleep."
"That won't help you," I said. She pouted.
"I'm sleepy! I want to sleep!" she whined.
"No," I said firmly. I wasn't going to give into what she wanted now.
"Then order cake!" she demanded.
"C-cake?" I asked, confused by the sudden mood change. She shook her head.
"Nah. I don't feel like it anymore," she said. I raised my eyebrows. She was acting weird. "Actually, can I have an orange and a bottle of water?" Then someone opened the front door. It was Luca. I knew it. I got up and walked over to the door. It was Luca alright, but he was with Imai.
"Where's Mikan?" Imai asked blankly.
"Hotaru!" Mikan yelled, running to Imai and giving her a hug.
"What's up?" Imai replied, hugging her back.
"Hooottaarruuu…Natsume took advantage of me in my drunken staaate," Mikan tattled pointing a perfectly manicured finger at me. I twitched. She was tattle tailing on me? Imai gave me a death glare that even I felt uncomfortable under. I looked down, running my hand through my hair. Mikan smirked. My jaw dropped. She had this planned, didn't she?! That little—
"I'll have you know, that if Mikan is hurt at all, you will be held responsible, moron," she said. That did it.
"You're the one that left her here! You could've picked her up! And it wasn't my fault! She started it!" I yelled, and then quieted, realizing I sounded like a five-year-old.
"Nuh-uh! You did!" Mikan said. "C'mon, Hotaru! Let's go!" Mikan took a step forward, then winced. She still had a headache.
"I have a limo waiting outside," she said. Mikan nodded. "I have a reason that I left Mikan here, okay? So don't question me." Luca helped Mikan out of the hotel, y'know, so that she doesn't fall down the stairs or get caught in the revolving doors or whatever. I envied him. Mikan was not wearing any shoes, I noticed. Imai helped Mikan into the limo. They closed the door, and Imai rolled down the window.
"You can throw away Mikan's dress and shoes. It doesn't matter," she said. I smirked.
"Then Mikan can keep the sweatpants and shirt," I replied. She nodded, rolled back up the window, and they left.
Wowwie wow wow! This is around 9,200 words not including the author's note. Well, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!
REVIEW AND I WILL GIVE YOU ALL A NATSUME DOLL! (Not sold in stores. Other Gakuen Alice dolls sold separately. xD)
REVIEW~! Oh one more thing…How many of you like dancing?
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