Summary: When people see Natsume Hyuuga, they see someone who is pure perfection, they see someone they envy, hate, love and admire. But when Natsume Hyuuga looks at his own reflection he sees someone who is imperfect, someone who will never be loved, never accepted and never cared for. However when Mikan Sakura sees Natsume Hyuuga she see's someone who is an imperfect perfection.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or its characters.

"She's up to something, and I don't trust her, so what if she's my sister, I know her better than anyone else, I know what she's capable of" I repeated those same words over again in my head, until hopefully I could finally understand them, but no such luck. This is no good, I can't focus on anything, I thought.

I stared down at the test paper in front of me. What did Natsume mean? I asked myself. Lately things felt strange, and because of that I was avoiding Natsume. "Mikan what did you get on your exam?" I blinked a couple of times and looked up at Anna startled. "What?" I asked her "There you go again, staring off into space, you don't even know what I asked you, do you?" Anna asked me, I looked at Anna with an apologetic smile "Sorry" I said simply "What was it that you wanted to know?" I asked Anna trying to make up for my simple-mindedness. Anna looked at me, no doubt trying to decide if she could possibly forgive me. She's over thinking things, I thought. "Fine. I wanted to know what you got on your English exam" Anna told me.

I looked back down at the paper that was lying limp in my hands. I felt my sweat drop, I read the score to Anna "Twenty-five" I told her. Anna looked at me, bewildered "Are you serious?" Anna asked me "As a heart attack" I replied to her, while Anna took the paper out of my hands in the process, probably to verify with her own eyes, to make sure that I wasn't kidding "Mikan with grades like this, you'll never make it to your senior year, you'll have to repeat" Anna explained to me "Maybe" I said, standing up in the process and grabbing a hold of my school bag.

I headed for the classroom door, deep in thought. What should I do? I asked myself. I was at a lose and I couldn't possibly ask Natsume, now could I? After all I had been avoiding him for two weeks now. Sooner of later he's gonna catch up with me, and I'd hate to see it when he does.

I stopped in front of my locker, and put in my combination, completely forgetting Anna's presence "I don't get it" I said aloud, while placing my English notebook into my locker "Why would Natsume go as far as to say something as harsh as that?" I asked myself again. "Am I over thinking things in this matter?" I asked again, I shook my head in the process "No, I have every right to be curious of his reasoning" I said convincing myself. "Mikan are you having a conversation with yourself?" Anna asked me, I looked up suddenly, startled "Huh?" I asked "Are you having a conversation with yourself?" Anna repeated her question.

I blinked a few times "Was I talking out loud?" I asked her. Anna just simply nodded. "I thought I was thinking everything I just said" I said, still somewhat talking to myself "You're doing it again" Anna told me "Did something happen between you and Hyuuga-san?" Anna asked me.

I looked down. If only you knew the half of it, I thought. I shook my head "What makes you think that?" I asked Anna, not quite meeting the gaze of her sky blue eyes, knowing that I'll be like an open book for her to read. "Three reasons. First: You won't make eye contact with me, you always make eye contact when you're speaking to someone. Second: You've been avoiding Hyuuga-san, don't think Nonoko and I haven't noticed. And third: you've been spacing out since the day you came back after you fell down the stairs" Anna explained to me. She's become more observant of her surroundings, I thought, closing my locker in the process. But…I shouldn't involve her in this, I thought. I looked at Anna, this time sure to make eye contact, I smiled even though the smile didn't reach my eyes, as hard as I could try, I made the smile look tender and genuine as possible "I'm fine, see" I said.

I watched as Anna stared at me for a moment. Her eyes searching. I have to change the subject of the conversation quick before Anna starts to suspect, I thought. "Yesterday you mentioned that you wanted to go somewhere fun, right?" I asked Anna. Anna's searching look disappeared as she suddenly looked at me with delighted eyes "Yeah, I wanted to go to the beach" Anna told me.

I looked at her "That's somewhere fun?" I asked Anna. Anna looked at me displeased by my sudden reply "Of course" Anna told me. "You'll come won't you?" Anna pleaded with me. "I don't know how I feel about the beach" I explained. "Come on Mikan, it'll be fun, and you won't have to get in the water, and I can guarantee that Hyuuga-san won't be there, so you wouldn't have to worry" Anna said to me, no practically begging, I don't know what came over me but I ended up caving in to her "Fine, when?" I asked her.

Suddenly Anna's aura became light and happy "Tomorrow, since it's going to be early release, you don't have to dress up, just where a t-shirt and some shorts" Anna told me taking her leave. "Are you riding with Hyuuga-san today?" Anna asked while turning and looking back at me in the process. I looked at her, my eyes perhaps distant, I shook my head "Then Nonoko and I will be waiting to take you home, but don't be late you know how Nonoko gets when she's kept waiting she might just leave you" Anna said running off completely this time.

I watched Anna's retreating figure. Why did she suddenly want to know if I was going to catch a ride with Natsume? I asked myself. I turned and headed for my class, but suddenly stopping when I got in front of the classroom door. I shifted my eyes to the plaque that was on the wall next to the classroom door. This…is biology, I thought. I can't come to this class, I thought with a pause. I seat next to Natsume in this class, I thought. While quickly turning, I bumping into another figure, fearing that it was Natsume I was spitting out words that made no sense, while keeping my head turned towards the ground "Listen I can explain why I've been avoiding you" I said "You've been avoiding me?" the figure in front of me asked. That voice…that's not Natsume, but… "Aoi!" I said. Aoi looked at me and smiled "Hi Mikan-chan" Aoi said to me "Sorry did I hurt you when I suddenly bumped into you?" I asked her, Aoi shook her head "No, I'm fine…what do you mean you've been avoiding me?" Aoi asked me, I shook my head, embarrassed because of the misunderstanding "No I haven't been avoiding you, I've been avoiding…" my voice trailed off. I wonder if I should tell her? I asked myself, biting my bottom lip in the process.

"You've been avoiding Natsume" Aoi said to me. I looked up at her "How did you know?" I asked her. "Well maybe because this is the only class you have together, and you usually catch a ride with my brother" Aoi told me, I watched Aoi carefully "You noticed all of that?" I asked Aoi, she simply nodded her head "He's been acting strange, I wonder did something happen?" Aoi said looking away from me, her eyes somehow distant "I don't like it" Aoi murmured. I looked at Aoi "Is something wrong?" I asked her. Aoi looked at me, suddenly taken aback and shook her head, smiling at me "No…I gotta go, I'll be late for class" Aoi said bidding me goodbye. Strange, I could have sworn that she said something, I thought.

I turned and made my way away from the classroom door. That whole day rather than going to any of my other class, I continued to play hooky. At the end of the day, I found Anna and Nonoko waiting for me out in the schools parking lot. "You're late" Nonoko said pushing herself from off of her car. "Am I?" I asked her, while Nonoko in return slapped the palm of her hand against her forehead. "Just get in the car" Nonoko said in a wary tone.

When I got home, I went straight to my room, and took a nap. I must have been really exhausted because I didn't wake up not once throughout the entire night. Instead of catching a ride with Anna and Nonoko, I walked to school. Even though it was early release, time seemed to drag on forever, but when the school bell finally rang, I caught Anna and asked her to give me a ride home so I could get ready for the trip to the beach, that I didn't really want to go, but ended up caving instead.

I met Nonoko, and it was apparently decided that she would drive me to the beach. "Where's Anna?" I asked her, not quite taking my gaze away from the passengers window "Already at the beach" Nonoko explained to me "We're the last ones that'll be arriving" she explained further. "Last ones?" I asked finally turning in her direction "Well, yeah, Anna invited everyone that we know, or at least everyone that we're on good terms with" Nonoko told, while stopping the car in the process, I hadn't realized that we were at the beach.

I got out of the car first, while Nonoko made sure to roll up her windows and lock the doors. I watched as Nonoko went to the trunk of the car, she seemed to be lifting a heavy bag "I'll help you" I insisted, while giving her a hand. "You're late" I turned from what I was doing and saw Natsume standing in front of the car with Anna behind him "Natsume? Why are you here?" I asked dropping the bag that was in my arms. Natsume looked at me and smirked "Why am I here? I was invited" Natsume told me nonchalantly. "I…Invited?" I asked, I looked past Natsume and at Anna, who in return looked at me with a devious smile, I turned back and looked at Nonoko as well who looked at me as if what is happening as of this moment meant nothing to her. I can't believe it…they tricked, I thought.

To Be Continued…