A/N: sorry about this short chapter! Finals are here!! _''

chapter III

"So…" The Jerk drawled casually. "What are you doing in my place?"

"Your what?"

"It's my place." He repeated slowly to me, smirking. I bristled at his mocking tone.

"Well I don't see any sign that says 'this is the place of the most pompous boy ever to walk the earth. Stay away'" His crimson eyes darkened a fraction when I talked back to him. Ha, he's probably never been talked to like that by a girl.

"You haven't answered my question, Strawberries. Shouldn't you be at that meeting?"

"Meeting..? Oh wait! What time is it?" How did you know I was meeting Hotaru here? Crap, where is she anyway? Maybe she's trying to find me right now and she forgot all about our meeting or something! The Pervert looked at me with an incredulous expression, as I fretfully plucked at the hem of my skirt and bit my bottom lip. He sat down a few feet away from me, folding his arms behind his head, and stared up at the blue sky. I could sense his hesitancy to continue speaking with me, and my impatience was about to reach its breaking point when he spoke.

"School just ended." Oh, thank goodness. After a beat, he proceeded on. "You should leave now, while you still can, Sakura. People like you can't handle the truth." He turned his head towards me, and his eyes had a sincere tint to them. I gazed at him with a shocked expression. He actually said my name?

In that moment, as I gazed into his tainted eyes, I received a plethora of emotions; anger, resentment, loneliness, frustration... It all came to me, and I realized that Hyuuga's life is a story of darkness. I couldn't even begin to comprehend what a tough life he went through, and I pitied him. But at the same time, I admired his courage to continue on through the darkness, looking for a way out, with his head held up high and his shoulders firm. I want to get closer to him... I finally snapped out of my reverie, reminding myself that he was a pervert. Unfortuantely, I discovered that my face was unbearingly close to his. I hastily pulled back, and said the first thing that came to mind.

"Are you trying to get me to stop going to this school?" At first I was horrified with myself as I watched his expression change from sincerity to him attempting to keep his anger in check, but then I became amused. I would have never imagined myself being in this school, having a conversation, with someone I hardly know, that's going nowhere. He looked at me like I was a freak, and slowly backed away from my large grin. "Well, sorry Buster, but it isn't happening."

"Err... so you're not an Alice then? And what's with that stupid smile on your face? You look ugly, Strawberries." My smile vanished. Cocky little...

"I have no idea what an Alice is, Jerkface." An Alice? Is that a bad word here or something? Right at the moment the Pervert opened his mouth I saw Hotaru running towards me. I got up from my place and ran towards her joyfully. Hotaru! My savio- My thoughts were cut off when a large ball slammed into the side of my head.

"Moron." Hotaru said, holding what appeared to be a smoking paintball gun. "You ran off in the middle of lunch, and you didn't even tell me where you were going." Ugh, that thing hurts as badly as the time someone hit my face with a rubber ball. I held my head pitifully. "Oh, by the way Mikan, Mr. Narumi wants to talk with us right now." I saw Natsume stare meaningfully at me. So this is the meeting he was talking about… I distantly felt Hotaru grabbing my hand and purposefully led me away from him. Strangely enough, his face held something similar to regret and loneliness. What is up with that guy?

After we walked out of earshot, Hotaru spoke. "What was Hyuuga talking to you about?" Her voice sounded too calm, like she was trying to hide something.

"Oh, nothing much, he was just yelling at me for being in his 'place.'" Hotaru gave me a searching glance, and then reverted back to her old position. What are you hiding from me, Hotaru?

We finally reached our destination; Mr. Narumi's personal office. I gulped audibly as I pushed the door open cautiously. He's probably going to yell at me for skipping school today… But why is Hotaru here?

When we entered his room, Hotaru and I saw him sitting at his desk, looking at a folder. He looked up quickly; his lavender eyes met mine as I hesitated at the door. Why was he looking at me with a guilty expression in his eyes? The thought quickly faded, though, when he abruptly got up from his seat.

"Ah, Hotaru and Mikan! I was expecting you two!" He quickly ushered us into a pair of plump armchairs. "So, how's the first day of school?" I answered by shrugging nonchalantly. He hurriedly cleared his desk, and I got a glimpse of what was on the folder. It could've been a trick of the light, or I was still tired or something, but it said "Sakura, Mikan." Narumi cleared his throat and my attention slipped back to his face. "So you are probably wondering as to why you are here, Mikan. I'm aware that Hotaru knows, am I correct?" She nodded silently. My eyes darted between the two. What on earth is going on? Narumi continued on, "well, how should I put this…" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "…your coming here was not a coincidence."

"What?"

"Well, meaning that the school has wanted you to come here ever since we found out about your… special talent."

"Are you trying to find a more delicate word to describe my bookworm-ish studying habits?" I was creeped out by the school. How do they know about my study habits? A pale hand covered my tanned one. I turned my head to the side to see Hotaru, who was still facing forward, her face alert. I instantly knew that this conversation was going to be a life-changing one.

Narumi ran his hand through his dirty blonde locks. "Do you know anything about Alices?" Natsume's conversation with me ran through my mind. "So you're not an Alice then?" Narumi understood my confused look. "There are special human beings out there who happen to have special abilities that are called 'Alices.'" My confusion deepened.

"You mean, talents like being able to be unearthly beautiful and handsome without having any plastic surgery?" Narumi chuckled tightly.

"No, Mikan. Alices are the abilities of the supernatural." Hotaru finally interrupted. I quirked an eyebrow at her while she placed her hand on mine. This action was only making me even more confused. What are they talking about? Things like Alices can't exist, I don't believe it. Hotaru continued on with her ridiculous explanation. "There are Alices out there that can harm one, or be beneficial to one; they come in many forms. For example, I have the Alice of invention."

"And I have the Alice of human pheromone." Mr. Narumi added in. My breathing began to increase along with my pulse. This can't be true. I must be dreaming... Hotaru and Mr. Narumi have Alices? Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this? Is the government aware of this? Who else around me have Alices, but never told me? A picture of Natsume Hyuuga flashed through my mind, which caused my anger to flare up.

"Why are you telling me this, now? Is this some practical joke set up by the Pervert?" Hotaru held a pitying face as Narumi shook his head.

"I know this may seem surreal to you," I snorted loudly. "But everything is true. Why do you think you were chosen to come to this school?

"Because I studied hard and I applied to this school." He shook his head.

"You were chosen, because you have an Alice." My already quickened breath stopped. I could feel my migraine coming again with full force and suddenly, I felt nothing but my own rapid heart beat. It was as if my whole body became numb and my brain stopped working. I licked my dry lips.

"I have… an Alice?"

"Yes, Mikan, but we're not aware as to what your Alice may be. We can help you find out what your precious Alice is, but you must agree to stay enrolled as a student in the Alice Academy and to cut off all ties with the outside world; including your family." Narumi quietly murmured. He realized that I wasn't handling this revelation too well, and Hotaru must have realized too, because she gave my hand a comforting squeeze, but it didn't help.

Everything was just too much. Leaving my home, entering this absurd world, giving most of the student population an extremely terrible impression of me, and then finding out about this? Not being able to see Grandpa or Nana, and everything else was all too overwhelming. My body didn't know how to cope with all of my stress, so it did the only thing it knew how to do.

My world became black after that.

A/N: thanks a lot to Mikiramen for telling me about the comma thing!!