Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice is not mine in any way but the storyline is.

Lingering Darkness

Chapter 2: Something New

Hotaru's eyebrows arched into a thin line, "What?"

I crossed my legs then glanced over the window. I told her what happened when they left the restaurant yesterday, it's not like it's a big deal after all. It's merely an absurd game I agreed into. A gust of wind blew then I sighed in defeat. She has a point but why is she freaking staring at me like I'm some porkchop she wants to swallow wholly.

"Okay hands down. Now, stop that." I groaned then shifted my gaze to her, only meeting a pair of bland lilac eyes.

She crossed her hands over her chest, "Not until you turn that bet down."

A vein popped out from my head. She's so stubborn.

"You know very well that I'm never doing that. It's just a harmless game." I stated like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

She chuckled humourlessly, "You don't know who you're dealing with."

I direct a grunt on her direction then rolled my eyes in frustration.

"He's the one who doesn't know whom he's dealing with." I retorted at her but she hardly changes her expression nevertheless. My eyes scanned the entire room then focused on the glass closet which holds most of her tiny inventions. The closet is huge and wide; there maybe hundreds or thousands inventions in there but only one thing caught my eyes. It's a robot, an auburn pigtailed robot. The one Yuu is talking about, it actually looks like me, just years younger. Its attire is the one I wore when Hotaru and I first met. The ugly red jumper.

"Of course, of course, Mikan Sakura." She stated rather sarcastic and casual. I shifted into my seat, she's doing it again. She always includes my whole name whenever she fully disagrees with me and whatever I am saying.

"You are so—" I scowled at her, stopping mid sentence because I don't know what precisely to call her. How can she think I'm afraid of that Hyuuga guy? I simply agreed because I'm bored. Can't she get that? For Christ's sake.

"I honestly don't know what that guy saw in you." she commented dryly, not averting her fiery glare at me.

I crossed my hands over my chest, "Off topic."

"He is the number one popular in this school, for starters." Hotaru ignored me then just kept on. Now, she sounds like his fangirl. Great.

"Are you just saying that because you're one of his fangirls or it is connected to this story?" I voiced out, earning some grunt from her like I'm some idiot from another planet.

"The latter," she responded, evenly put.

I try not to meet her gaze and just turned my head to anything... except her.

"So spit it out. Your explanation as to why I should back out that stupid bet." I challenged loudly.

"You don't know his fangirls. They are obsessive and would do anything just to get him and he doesn't just talk to a girl randomly because they are alone. He talked to you and to top it all? He made a bet with you. Once his fucking fangirls knew about this, you will be strangled hard." Hotaru explained then rolled her eyes to show disgust for the fangirls she's talking about.

His fangirls; I've seen them, almost all of our classmates belong to that category, especially the green haired one. The way she's rolling her frog-like eyes at me whenever she sees me, it's really irritating. I'm only his friggin' seatmate and she is glaring at me like a jealous girlfriend? So mature.

"Let me make this clear, Hotaru. It's a stupid bet and why would they want to strangle me? I hardly do anything and if he talked to me, then what's the biggie about that? It's not like he barely spoken a word to any girl before. He speaks to you and why wouldn't the creepy fangirls throttle you?" I debated, resulting to make her feel more heated. She broke her stare at me then sits down on the floor like I'm doing.

She sighed incredulously then I turned to her.

"Surrendering now, bestfriend?" I mocked.

"Scarcely. About your question earlier, they do not want to mess with me. I wouldn't have my eyes on Hyuuga, otherwise I'm just plainly blind. He. Doesn't. Normally. Talk. To. Other. Girls. Except if it's his sister or his bestfriend's girlfriend or someone who wants to ask a proper question." She emphasized every word, pausing between each letter to make a desired effect.

"What are you pointing out now?" I said as boringly as humanly possible. It's just so ugh to talk about Hyuuga and the mere image of him made my veins popped up.

"I think he is interested in you." she replied subtly and clearly for me to not ask any questions.

"For such a genius as you are, Hotaru, you are incredibly ludicrous." I grunted then narrowed my gaze at her in complete displeasure.

"We'll see tomorrow at class. Now, get back to your room." She commanded forcefully, then stood up and opened the door of her dorm. So much for a bestfriend. I walked down the pathway then headed for my room afar. The Academy is so dead, they are most likely asleep. The crickets were humming loudly, and it's all that I could hear. My footsteps were barely audible as I marched down, I don't make a sound, I'm used to being quiet and I hate it when some people make noises on their slippers like they couldn't get their feet up off the floor. I directed my look ahead; though I really don't give a shit about my surroundings. It's just pure brick and all.

"Fancy seeing you here," the voice sound quite familiar. I glance over my shoulder then saw a smirking brat. I shrugged my shoulders then resumed my pace. He is on the girl's dormitory, what a pervs. And to say that Hotaru said he never talks to girls. Hypocrite.

"You only talks to Imai," he muttered coolly which I pretended to not hear and just continued heading to my room. It's only couples of room 'till I get there. Good. I don't like being stuck to this bastard.

One moment he is few meters away from me and next he is in front of me? Unbelievable. I give him my will you fucking leave me alone glare and freak, he didn't budge. Why does my glare do not affect someone?! I looked at him intently but he just stared back with his expressionless and stoical face. I rolled my eyes then pulled out the pen and paper from my pocket.

"You're not a wall. Move." I wrote down then flashed it in front of his face to keep his bloody eyes off me.

"You're not a newborn. Talk." He imitated sarcastically. He is determined to win the bet, maybe he finally realized to save his dignity at the least but none would do. It's my choice to talk or not but I would rather not, I'm this and he can't do anything to change me.

I raised one of my brows cockily, "You have a month. Don't exaggerate things, you're not winning this thing." I composed in my notebook then added, "Move. I might use my alice on you."

"What can you do? Nullify me to death?" he retorted, amusement lit up in his crimson orbs.

You don't know me.

A flash of wind blew then throws him on the wall rather forceful.

So don't you dare have the courage to mess with me.

I walked further, passing him on the way then I heard him mutter under his breath, "Cheeky."

"You're more intriguing than I thought and you have more alice than I thought." He credited then smirked again. That bloody smirk never fails to piss me off.

I unbolted the door open after putting the key inside the doorknob and magic did the work. I scrambled inside the room then opened the window to watch the stars. Typical day, just, there are people who actually talked to me without saying my nickname: Murderer. They don't know about it, that's why. I sit on the chair then hugged my knees and just stared at the night skies intently. I'm quite unsure what brought on the sudden change but the sky here is clearer than the one before. For the first time since seven years, I feel like I really belong to a place. I thought that all the people are the same, now I know I'm wrong, or rather, I guess I'm wrong.

"Good morning, my lovely students~" Naru greeted, as happy as ever. He twirled around, his blonde hair swivelling as he does. All the students acknowledge him with a mere grunt, growl or rolling of their eyes. He didn't care, though. He just kept doing his gay movements like any other day.

"What is it this time?" growled some green haired permed girl from the other row of chair, somewhat glaring at the teacher in obvious irritation. She is bored, her hand is on her chin and she is yawning, the other hand is playing with her pen.

Naru stopped and raised his pointing finger on the air just above his head.

"Excellent question, Miss Shouda." He pointed out, then laughed. Like a madcow.

The girl Shouda rolled her eyes at him again but clearly directed to him this time.

"It was not a question. It's an expression for God's sake."

"Well, well. Let's just get to the announcement, shall we?" he squealed in such a girly tone which earned lots of scowls from every student on the room.

"Why doesn't he just announce the God knows what right now. I'm this close to punching his gay features." Hyuuga muttered darkly from beside, looking plainly boring as he always is.

He twirled again then clapped his hands, "We Are Having A Festival!"

All the people in the room said what? (Minus you know who).

"Yes yes yes yes!" He answered to them boisterously.

"But it's so early. The festival that was held last year was on February something, right?" A cherry haired girl asked, quite oblivious on what was happening. Naru looked at her then snickered which brought on the curious look of the girl more.

"I can agree to that but there is already a talk in the faculty this morning and it's actually happening!" he answered, can't help but to flash us his most excited expression.

The girls squealed in evident delight, except Hotaru and me. They are murmuring things to one another and giggling silently. The other guys punched their fist on the air and the other are nudging someone close to them. I can't help but think that this festival thing is pretty absurd but the others—mostly everyone thinks otherwise. Festivals are not fun. It's just utter noise and stuffs. I've never gone to a festival before and no one can make me. It's the same with Hotaru; she doesn't go to festivals either, if she did go, then that festival includes money. Money that she would surely get.

"When is it? When is it?" Shouda asked excitedly, urging the teacher to answer her question abruptly.

Naru blinked a few times before responding, "We decided that it will be three weeks from now."

Shouda stood up, outraged. She scrutinized the teacher from head to toe then scoffed, putting her hands on her hips.

She scrunched her eyebrows then gazed at Naru,

"So basically, you announced the whole thing then made us go gushy gushy and now you are saying that IT WILL BLOODY HAPPEN ON THE NEXT THREE WEEKS?! All my excitement will be washed off when that happens!" Shouda shouted angrily, evidently losing her temper. Her short temper for that matter.

Naru scratched the back of her neck guiltily then smiled nervously at the raging permed girl. He can be taken down with just Shouda? Hell, what is this school really? It seems like a sick joke.

"You can say that but at least you will have some time to prepare and I'm not yet finished discussing the parts of the festival!" He beamed enthusiastically which made Shouda sit on her chair and calmed down. Clearly thrilled to hear what Naru has to say about the festival. Everyone shut their mouths up as well, the same reason with Shouda, I presume.

"The festival consists of several parts; first, the booths (Photo booth, food booth, and the likes), then the Alice Competition (This is an RPG game that one of the senior students suggested and approved by the teachers), the play." He paused then sent Nogi a devious snicker. Nogi's eyes widened then quickly narrowed. He waved his hand in disagreeing at Naru who seems to have a plan in mind that includes humiliating Nogi. Naru shrugged then grinned widely again.

He faked a cough before resuming, "Then lastly, the dance!"

That confession of his made the girls mad and they are all squealing about their prince charming, in other words, Hyuuga and his gang. Damn fangirl lunatics, they're making my ears yelp in pain. I looked at my side and noticed that he had a sinister aura again, probably because of the girls that kept shouting his name and drooling or fainting: either way, it's just completely disgusting. He is rolling his eyes and gritting his teeth to control himself from ripping some girl's head. His feet were over the table, comfortably resting.

Cocky.

I averted my gaze then saw the guy population teasing each other then I suddenly heard my name.

Someone said, "You're asking Mikan Sakura for your date? You must have flipped. You'll be dead bef—" he didn't managed to complete his sentence because he saw me glaring at him hard. The guy hid his head behind some other guy's back to prevent me from seeing his face. I can't help but to roll my eyes. Coward.

"Heard that, Polka dots?" Hyuuga stated then added, "I wonder why he's so afraid of you." then he looked at me. I caught sight of his crimson orbs from the corner of my right eye.

"Wait! There's more!" Naru shouted again, stealing the attention of the students. All heads were shot right to him. All with broadened eyes.

"When I said dance, it's not actually like the dance that Alice Academy held last year. To be exact, it's the first time that this will happen in this school. Can you believe that?" he chirped then raised his eyebrows at us.

Shouda was the one to interrupt again with her impatient temper.

"Just say it, I'm bloody thrilled right now, if that is what you want us to feel by uttering nonsense things." She protested, just earning some frown from the teacher.

"Okay, okay. Here it is," he stuttered then made a drum noise like dun dada dun then continued. "It's a masquerade ball!"

He finally blurted it out. I hardly care if it's some masquerade or not. I just want him and his gay voice to get out of this room as immediate as humanly possible.

There's that cheering and whooping again, louder this time.

"It will be interesting. Me in a mask. I just can't picture it, it will be fucking perfect." Some girl voiced out cheerily, much to my despise.

"Narumi-sensei!" Nogi called out just as Naru was about to leave the room. I looked at Nogi, ignoring Hyuuga and just focused my eyes at Nogi.

"Yes, Ruka?" Naru responded, directing Nogi a grin.

Without hesitation, he said, "I'm not gonna play again."

Naru frowned when he heard the statement.

"Why not? You are brilliant last year." He complimented.

"I'm not playing again." Nogi repeated, knitting his eyebrows at the teacher.

"We're not sure of that, are we? You did great last year, no one could ever do that other than you."

He is showering him with compliments; this gay is indisputably determined to have Nogi to join. Hotaru doesn't care, she's just staring at the two as they talk. To think that she is his girlfriend.

"Oh! What if we make Hotaru your partner in the play?" Naru teased, then Hotaru glared at him darkly. Before Nogi could even complain about that matter, he was interrupted.

Bang!

Hotaru shot the wall near Naru on purpose then he took a few steps away.

"Or not." He smiled at Hotaru then Hotaru just nodded.

"Put this in mind, you will not get me to play Snow white. Not again." Nogi cleared out.

Naru laughed at that, "Who said that the play this year is Snow white?"

"Then what is it?"

"It's Cinderella!" Naru announced.

The girls now were chatting on how Nogi will look adorable when he wears the Cinderella outfit. Yeah, fangirls.

Nogi shook his head, "That's just as embarrassing as playing Snow white."

"Let's put it this way then. Mikan Sakura there will play the other lead role. No hard feelings, right? She's Hotaru Imai's bestfriend so it's alright." He assured in such a calming tone.

Wait. Did he just say that I would play the other lead role? What the heck is going on in this gay's mind?

I seized the pen then wrote,

"Back off. Don't drag me into that play." Then I raised it on the air for Naru to read.

"Yes. She hardly talks." Nogi sympathized then rapidly mouthed an I'm sorry on my direction.

"I heard her voice on the park! And it's so angelic that I can't forget it." Naru mused which raised my intensity to ten degrees and before I and Nogi could say any word, he is out of sight and trotting on the hallway.

Screw him and his fucking play.

"Don't worry, Sakura. He's just out of his mind right now." Nogi said.

I only nodded at him.

"I can't wait to see you in a play." Hyuuga mocked then I darted my head on him, then saw his blood red eyes dancing in obvious enjoyment.

"If I'm gonna be on that ridiculous play then so are you." I wrote, rolling my eyes.

"Scary. I could almost see the sarcasm through the notebook." He smirked, squinting his head slightly.

I will wipe that freaking smirk off your face, I wanted to write but then faltered myself from doing so.

"Don't underestimate me." I composed on my notebook instead.

"I'm perfectly warned." He responded evenly but the delight expression on his face was perceptible.

Bloody bastard.

I groaned then the bell rang, scrambling all my thoughts at once.

[End of Chapter 2]

Author's Note: I'm sorry if this chapter sucks. It's not well thought of. Anyways, share me a piece of your mind? Thanks for the lovely reviews by the way. (:

-AnneHyuuga13, signing out.