CHAPTER 7: CRAZY DAY OF UPS AND DOWNS

The two-hour chemistry period with Jinno-sensei felt like eternity. It was like I had my own clock ticking inside my head. Crazy. I was definitely going crazy. I admit that chemistry is not my best subject – well, I certainly don't get a D+ in it for no reason at all. I mean – with Jinno as your teacher, you would probably be praying to all the forces controlling the world for you to get an A. Hotaru's the only exception though. She doesn't even need to listen to get an A+. I wish God bestowed upon me insane gifts too. Was I that bad in my previous life?

Ugh. My gaze travelled to the empty seat on my left – for the hundredth time. C'mon, Mikan. Get a life. He doesn't care about you. Why should you be concerned whether he's dead or not? I'm really, really trying my best to not give a damn about that bastard. But –

I know. I'm failing at it. Please, don't shove it in my face.

"M…s..Sa…ra?"

Natsume Hyuuga is not important to be worried about. Psh. He's just your ex-bestfriend.

"Miss Sakura?"

Okay. I'm really imagining things now. I hear Jinno-sensei calling me. Now, that would be oh-so weird. Why would he be calling me?

"Idiot, stop smiling to yourself and answer the damn question on the board," Hotaru whispered loud enough for me to hear.

What question? My gaze landed on Jinno who was now a meter away from me and holding out the marker for me to take. "Miss Sakura, I assume you know the answer to the problem presented in front since you have been occupied with other things earlier," he stated sardonically.

Gulp. I gripped the marker in my hand and clumsily made my way to the front. At the back of my mind, I wish I knew how to solve this. But, let's face reality, shall we? When I finished reading the problem, my mind went emptier than ever. What the hell was molality and molarity? What the hell is Methyne and Butane? What on earth am I supposed to do with this question?

Before I even knew it, I was going to have detention this afternoon.

I don't know what his problem with Jinnotalyne Sulfuric Acid is. Isn't that the purpose of nomenclature in chemistry? To name chemicals to whatever you prefer?

"Mikan-chan! That was really hilarious. Thumbs up!" Mochu bellowed before he exited the room with Koko.

Anna, still giggling, approached Hotaru and I. Really. Why the hell did I get detention?

Hotaru's cellphone began to ring non-stop. I saw her hesitate upon seeing the screen; but, she excused herself and went outside because the signal inside this room is as crappy as Jinno's unreasonable decision of sending me to detention.

"Mikan-chan, you forgot about Jinno's ten commandments didn't you?" Anna asked with a laughing smile.

"Were there any?"

"Yes! One of it stated that you shall not use my name – Jinno – in any practical joke or laughing stock!"

Okay. I really did deserve that detention. But, hey, at least I thought of a cool chemical name. But then again, detention is next to Chemistry on my hate-forever list. Oh, boy, what a long day this would be.

"Isn't it weird, Hotaru?"

I settled my tray on top of the table and occupied one of the chairs. It is now lunch time and the thought of Natsume's absence still kept bothering me as if my life depended on it. It must be because I think that it's absurd for him to reason out his family for this. Why not tell the truth? That he wants to get out of here and stay away from me.

"What is?" Hotaru's cold, unconcerned voice channeled me back to the real world.

"Natsu – what I'm trying to say is –"

"Hello dear ol' friends!" Nobara greeted as she and Nonoko came to sit down two of the vacant chairs surrounding the table. Soon enough, Anna and Sumire took their places as well. My mouth went dry and I held back the words I was about to say.

"Nobara, do you have the thing I asked you to buy?" Hotaru asked, seemingly to overlook my previous statement which was abruptly cut because of the arrival of the other members of the Anti-Natsume committee. Yippee.

"Oh! Yeah, I have it right here." Nobara went straight for her backpack and fished out a large can about the size of Pringles' tall one. It certainly piqued my interest – all of us as I could see the rest eyeing the thing as well.

"Crab Brain Chips?" Nonoko read, her head slighty tilted to the right.

"Give me that." Hotaru hurriedly snatched the can and slid it inside her bag. Afterwards, she looked at each of us and raised a brow.

"…"

"What?"

Well, I had known about Hotaru's uncanny craving for crab brains when we were around second grade. I remember her encountering this exotic dish during our field trip in one of the provinces around Hokkaido. The moment the old lady placed down the crab brains for us second graders to eat, Hotaru's eyes went from blank to ravenous. She devoured all of it like it was the tastiest food in the entire universe. But, the others – me included – either sputtered or reluctantly swallowed the spoonful we ate. Truth be told, I never want to experience eating that stuff again – ever. And now, here comes the Crab Brain chips. Seriously, has the world gone mad?

"Never mind," Nonoko said as she took a bite out of her Cheeseburger deluxe.

After that, the whole committee fell silent except for the sound of Hotaru's fingers hitting the keys in her laptop. The silence was deafening. I was so not used to it. Usually, they would talk endlessly as if we don't have enough time before the world starts to come down. But, today, they're all paying attention to their own meals rather than ranting about random stuffs.

"Okay" – I took one last sip from my Cola and placed it down gently – "What's with the sudden muteness?"

They all turned to look at me. I saw Nonoko give Anna a small nudge on the side while Anna shifted her gaze towards Sumire, who then gave Nobara a knowing glance. As for Hotaru, she just continued to type.

"It's just that…we heard about the Dev– I mean Hyuuga's leave of absence," Sumire clarified with a hidden tone of mirth. Of course, she is secretly rejoicing. No more bastard for them – at the least.

"We figured out that you're going to freak out again if we talked about it," Anna said. "So, we all agreed to shut up." She did a gesture as if to zip her lips shut. I wanted to roll my eyes at her but – well – I can't. It was the truth after all. I might go berserk if they did. But, somehow the silent treatment isn't much of a help too.

"That's brilliant of you people." Hotaru had stopped typing away in her laptop and she was holding her chopsticks up as she pointed at each of them. It's unlikely of her to commend people; however, this one was not even close to a neutral greeting from her. The sarcasm in her pitch was gravely marked. Emphasizing the word 'brilliant' gives way to that thought.

"But, haven't you ever thought that this idiot won't charge at you like a wild bull if you stay eerily quiet like that?" Her right brow rose, mocking them.

Hey! I don't act like a bull. I may be hot-tempered, clumsy – but, I'm no bull. How can she compare me to some aggressive animal like that? How can my one and only best friend say that?

"And you" – one of Hotaru's chopsticks pointed at me – "don't pretend like nothing's going on with you. I adamantly thought this morning you were going to be okay. But, no, things happened this way and you're still bothering me with your Hyuuga problems. He isn't even worthy to be your friend in the first place. Are you trying to live your life like you're in hell?" she said – still with no trace of emotion except the hint of concern and exasperation pointed out in her tone.

"…"

Silence.

Three pairs of chopsticks hit the canteen floor. And, one of those is mine. As shocking as it may seem, Hotaru just said the longest sentence she could ever devise since I've come to know her.

Nobara, Sumire and I scrambled down to pick up our chopsticks. We exchanged glances and we know that Hotaru's acting weird again. Something must have happened. Definitely.

When I sat up, I could see Nonoko and Anna staring at her.

Ooohh. Something's on. And, Hotaru didn't even tell me.

"Hotaru, what's wrong?" I asked, trying my best to sound like I was not the object of her nuisance as of the moment.

"You and your frantic concern of someone who likes to think you don't exist," she replied deprecatingly. That hit the spot just right there. It was straightforward – too much, I suppose.

"Hotaru-chan, it's not Mikan-chan's fault, you know," Anna claimed.

"I know." Hotaru gathered her things, stood up and walked to the direction of the exit.

Okay. Something's really going on that I don't know about.

"What the hell is up with Hotaru?" Sumire immediately asked as Hotaru finally made her way out of this crazy, jam-packed canteen.

"Haven't you guys heard?" Nonoko questioned.

"Obviously not. Will we be asking you if we knew? C'mon, Nonoko." Nobara rolled her eyes as she huffed her bangs away from her eyes.

I would be laughing now if only the topic wasn't so serious. It's as if I don't have problems on my own. I obviously have a lot on my shoulders right now. Those baloney dilemmas I have been dealing with. The last time I saw Hotaru like this was when, was when –

No. Is this about him?

"Is Yuu coming back?" I suddenly blurted out. I just had to.

Sumire and Nobara snorted as they looked at me as if I was out of my right mind. On the other hand, Nonoko and Anna just exchanged glances. I was right, wasn't I?

"Are you cra –"

"Yes, Yuu's Aunt called her earlier," Nonoko said.

It was all I needed to know. I should have known. Was that the phone call Hotaru was hesitant to answer? Haven't Yuu made it clear to his Aunt about their relationship yet? Oh, God. This is so not happening.

"When?"

"Next semester."

With that, I grabbed my backpack and sprinted out towards the exit. Before I did, I looked back at them. Sumire and Nobara seemed to be assaulting Anna and Nonoko with questions which the bubblegum duo answered calmly. I realized I have been selfish all this time. I never even bothered asking my friends of their own problems. I just kept on bombarding them with my own.

I can never imagine Hotaru angry at me. And, I cannot afford to lose anymore of my friends.

I was tired and my breathing was getting edgy. I've been running for about twenty minutes now and still no sight of Hotaru. Where could she have vanished off to? I've checked her laboratory, her room, libaray – everywhere!

I slumped down the nearby bench as I tried to catch some air. Why is finding Hotaru this difficult? Or is it that I'm just bad at everything I do? It must be the latter.

"Mikan?"

I looked up and saw Tsubasa standing in front of me. "Oh. Tsubasa, have you seen Hotaru?" I asked.

"Nope." He took his seat next to me, ruffled his hair and sighed. "Why are you looking for her? Aren't you two like – uhm – glued together?"

"It's because of something."

Silence enveloped the atmosphere. It's funny how people nowadays prefer silence over laughter. It's getting overrated and I presume it's not a good thing. Before, I never felt this awkwardness between Tsubasa and me – that is before Hotaru told me he was the one who told Natsume that I like him. I would always feel light-hearted and good whenever I talk to him. But, not this time around.

"So, heard about Natsume's – you know. I know you heard of it." He turned to look at me. His eyes filled with unanswered questions I can't seem to understand.

"Yeah, funny how I am still concerned with that bastard." My hand impulsively covered my mouth. I just didn't say that. Please, no.

Tsubasa scoffed and covered his mouth with his left hand, controlling his laughter. "Bastard?" He stopped laughing and a wide smile surfaced on his face. "So, your best friend slash Raven Guy is a bastard now?"

"Well, things change. Don't they?" I retorted in a soft murmur. I still can't accept this truth but I must face it. Things change – slowly or not. Sometimes, they do. I sound like an adult.

"Woah. Ran yourself into a wall and cracked your head? Really, Mikan, you're becoming a realist now," he replied mockingly. I swear a vein popped in my head. Just when things are getting serious for once, Tsubasa's juvenile side kicks in. Or was it just me thinking we were in a serious conversation in the first place?

"Yeah. I cracked my empty head and made it emptier." I heaved a heavy sigh and was about to stand up and leave this non-sensible person when he spoke.

"Now, that you've realized that."

Another moment of awkward silence passes by.

"Can you – how do I say this – possibly like someone else besides him?"

My heart stopped for a moment there. It seemed like everything froze in time. I wasn't looking for Hotaru anymore. Instead, I was wondering what could have hit him to say that or if I was dreaming. There are so many questions he could've asked. Yes, there are practically tons of them. But, why this one that made me think other things?

"I don't know. I mean –"

"You must," he intervened as I felt a light squeeze on my left hand. When I turned my head, I saw him looking straight at me. "Just tell me when you know the answer. Okay?"

He stood up and brushed off the invisible dirt on his pants. He took a few steps forward and, suddenly, turned around and smiled at me. I was feeling wobbly again. Somehow, he reminded me of him. No matter how hard I fight that thought it just stays like that. He reminds me of Natsume.

"Don't be much bothered by Natsume. I'm sure he has his reasons. He's not that kind of guy – you know. Even if I don't like him that much. I'm sure now you know why I don't."

He flashed me another warm smile before turning on his heels to the direction of the hallway. He was waving his right hand up in the air – not as a goodbye but more of a see-you-later. He actually said the exact thing Ruka said about Natsume. That he has his own reasons. I'm actually getting sick of that line.

I seriously thought that was weird back there. Tsubasa acting all kind and understanding. It must all be my hallucination. And, Natsume's signature move – the turn-around-and-then-smile action that always seems to catch me off guard. Did he just do that? Or is that part of my illusion too?

RINGGGG!

The bell as deafening as it always is. I snapped out of my daze and ran to the lockers. I haven't even picked up my books yet. How can I get any more stupid, dwelling so much on simple things? Gah. I forgot. I need to talk to Hotaru too.

I reached the classroom just when the second bell rang. I wanted to flail my arms up in the air and bellow a victory cheer; however, Serina-sensei was just right behind me and I just needed to sit down on my seat.

Serina-sensei's our teacher for Social Studies. And, I find it quite interesting. Just interesting. I don't excel in it or anything. But, C – is still better than a D +. I don't hate Serina-sensei. Her subject's the thing that's hard. Imagine taking into memory all of those dates and information. One word: information overload. Though I cannot argue that it's a fun subject, it still is one of the hardest.

"Hey Mikan."

I looked on my right side and saw Anna. Right. This is the only class wherein we have a different seating arrangement. And, this is the class Hotaru has been excused from. She practically knows everything needed to know in this subject. That's why she's taking up the higher year's Economics class rather than world history. How can I find her now?

"Yes, Anna?" I whispered back.

She pointed at my blouse and I raised a brow. I looked down and saw a blue-colored sticky note attached to my left sleeve. I removed it from my blouse and read it.

HEARD JINNO GOT A NEW ELEMENT NAMED FOR HIM. I GAVE HIM A NEW FORMULA FOR JINNOLITY. I GUESS WE DIREGARDED HIS COMMANDMENTS. SEE YOU IN DETENTION!

TSUBASA

Oh. That explains the wave.

"Miss Sakura, who wrote the Gettysburg Address?"

I immediately slipped the note in one of my notebooks and stood up afterwards. I don't want another detention, do I? Now, let's answer the question. Wait. Ugh. I don't really remember who did write that speech. Blame me for having a weak memory consistency.

"Uhhh. One of the presidents of the United States?" I said – more like questioned.

"Name?"

Shit. I don't know. My eyes landed on Anna for help who just shook her head while smiling and shoved a note on the side of her table which has letters big enough for me to see.

"Uhh….. Abraham – I cannot – I mean" – the note accidentally fell and was luckily retrieved by Anna – "Abraham Lincoln."

"Very good."

I sat down and sighed in relief. That was lucky. I mouthed a 'Thank You' to Anna who just gave me a small wink and continued to jot down notes. I'm really grateful I have such wonderful friends. God blessed me so much in that category.

Now, I just need to talk to Hotaru and face Tsubasa again in detention. And, last but not the least; try to find Natsume's reasons for suddenly avoiding me. What a hectic life I have.

I only have thirty minutes before my detention starts. And, I will find Hotaru within that span of time. It's now or never. As soon as the bell sounded, I gathered up my things, waved a goodbye to Anna and rushed out of the room.

I wanted to fire a missile at every person I heard talking about their plans to Central Town before the curfew time to go back to the dorms. They'll be having all the fun they want while I rot in detention with Jinno for an hour and a half. But then again, Tsubasa's there which I doubt to be a good thing.

By the time I reached Hotaru's laboratory, I was already panting and holding onto the post near the entrance before I clumsily entered the code. And, then, find out that my genius of a best friend changed the code when the screen projected a large 'X'.

"Ugh," I grunted as I slumped down the cold, cement ground. I should've known.

"Hotaru! Let me in!" I screamed and there was no response. I tried to call her several times; but, still not a single noise except for the gush of wind slowly giving me chills as it came in contact with my skin. I know that summer's finally coming but the spring air still lingers in the air especially now that the day is closing in.

"Hotaru! Let me in or I'll freeze to death!"

Not a sound.

"Hotaru, I'm not here to talk about Hyuuga! Please, just let me in."

To my surprise, I heard a few metals whirring and, soon, the door cracked open. When I looked up, I saw Hotaru's pale complexion and her oh-so-captivating amethyst eyes which seemed to stare down at me. Her goggles dangled on her neck and her gloves were both held in her right hand in a tight grip. What could she be doing inside?

"What do you want then?" Her indifferent voice cut through the air like a dagger slicing one's throat. I just had to gulp. I do it when I'm feeling uneasy.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Would you even bother?"

I can't believe this. She's acting like she's not my best friend. I know she's shocked and probably furious at Yuu. But, is this really necessary? I get it. When she's mad, she throws her satirical comments at everybody – and everybody, more often than not, implies me.

"I'm your best friend, Hotaru. Of course, I care about that."

"…"

"Hotaru."

"I didn't tell Anna and Nonoko. They heard it directly from Aunt Ria."

Anna's a close relative of Yuu and, well, Nonoko is a family friend of theirs since I don't know when. Yuu's Aunt most likely contacted Anna after she called Hotaru. And, Nonoko must've heard it from Anna and decided to keep her mouth sealed.

"I know. I'm not here for that."

"Good. Now, why?"

This is unbelievable. I took in a deep breath and stood up to face her. And, I just had to be a little bit displeased because she's actually two inches taller than me. I had to tuck my tummy in and straighten my back to look all righteous. "I'm concerned – that's why. Don't go all furious over that simple matter. Please, Hotaru. He's not worth getting all Ice Queen now, okay? And, besides, there's still a few more weeks before he comes back. Could you at least hold back your anger?"

"Says the girl who spends her days crying because of some guy who suddenly avoids her." She raised her brow and I could see that hidden smirk beneath her face. I know the comment is hurtful on my part; but, it's her way of comforting me, remember?

"Whatever. We're all clear now, huh?"

"Sure."

She turned around and was about to enter inside her laboratory again. "I'm creating a new invention and it would probably be finished by next semester. Aren't you supposed to be in detention right now?" She asked as she stopped in her tracks to eye me.

I forgot. Oh no.

Horror struck my whole body. "What time is it?"

"5:45."

"Jinno's gonna murder me! I'm 15 minutes late!" I yelled as I repeatedly cursed in my head.

I broke into a fast sprint as I beckoned a bye at Hotaru and disappeared down the slope. Jinno's going to go ballistic. Surely, he will give me a few extra hours of promised detention. Oh God, why oh why?

"Miss Sakura, you're quite early. Can't wait for a fun time in detention?" Jinno-sensei remarked sarcastically the moment I arrived in the empty classroom where detention was to be held at exactly an half an hour past five.

I bit my bottom lip as I sat down the seat Jinno pointed. I looked up to see the clock on the wall. And it read 5:20. Hotaru really likes to play with me. She's such a kind friend – telling me I'm late and all that. The noisy screeching of the chalk, as Jinno takes his own time writing on the blackboard, really irritated me. Detention's room assignment is in one of the old classrooms where they still have blackboards rather than those slick, dainty whiteboards. As if we'll be using those. Detention is just like a stare down game with your teacher until one of you gives up. But, this is intolerable. Can't he write quietly?

When the clock striked at 5:30, Tsubasa – ignoring Jinno-sensei's scowl – entered the classroom and sat down the seat beside me. The room was enveloped in an eerie cloth of tranquility. A few minutes passed by and the silence ticked me off. Luckily, a woman entered the room, walked towards Jinno and whispered incoherent words to him. I saw Jinno's eyes spark with irritation. He trudged outside and asked the woman to keep an eye on us. As if we'll be going anywhere.

After that, Tsubasa kept on playing with his pen and spinning it in different circular motions. The woman who seems to be a new staff here in this academy fell asleep 15 minutes after she came in. Me? I was counting the leaves falling down the ground. I have about thirty of them and still counting.

"Psst. Mikan."

Tsubasa's smiling at me and he seemed to look so carefree like he wasn't in this hellish detention. Well, Jinno's not around so this detention won't be that torturous. Maybe. "What?"

"So, what's your answer?"

"To what?"

"My question earlier? Don't tell me you forgot about it that quickly."

Ohhh. The can-you-like-someone-else-besides-him question. I haven't really thought about it. And, he's asking me for an answer that quickly. Didn't he tell me that I just let him know when I realize what's my answer?

"Why are you asking me anyways?" I asked, tilting my head slightly to the right like I just spoke intelligently.

"Uhhh. For no reason. Just something that came into my mind," he replied as he shrugged and lifted a brow. "I knew it. You can't, can you?" He teasingly said.

"I can! Are you trying to test me?"

"Just admit it that you can't. Natsume's probably your life line."

I grinded my teeth. He is not. Never in this lifetime.

"I don't live to please him. I can like someone else besides him and I'll prove it to you."

"Really? How?" He gave me another teasing smile.

Seriously, I thought he was not this immature. Where the hell did the previous Tsubasa fly off to?

"I – uhh – I'll like someone else. That's for sure. And, you'll be the first one to know who it is."

"Ohhh. Is that a dare?" He jerked his head sideways to make eye contact with me. I can see the amusement within his eyes. He's actually entertained, huh? "What if you lose, Mikan? What's the consequence?"

"What if you lose, Tsubasa?" I snapped with a proud smile.

"I don't know. Maybe, I'll tell the girl I like of my feelings."

My guard went down and I blurted out the question. "You would tell her? You mean 'summer girl'?"

Summer girl is the code name Tsubasa gave his long-time crush. As sad as it is, I don't know who this summer girl is except for having a sunny smile. Yeah, what a clue. We exchanged these information when were in our first year. I did not tell him who Raven guy was. I'm not that stupid. It's just that he's that smart. He guessed right away that it was Natsume. Of course, I denied it. But, the more he teased me about it, the more he gained evidence to his allegation. Tsubasa is – miraculously – good at reading people's actions. Even though, he looks like he's as stupid as me. He's got that insane gift. Now, where's mine? I forgot that I don't have any.

"Yes." He propped up his right elbow atop his table and rested his chin on his palm. "Isn't that such great news for you? You've been tracking down this girl since freshman year."

"Ha. Yes, and I tell you now" – I moved in closer to him – "I won't lose." A triumphant smirk spread across my lips. "Now, what's my consequence. Maybe, I should tell –"

"You tell Natsume that you like him."

I froze. The smirk was swept away from my face. No. "What? Are you crazy? No way. The guy hates me," I said as I gave him an intense glare. "I won't participate in this dare anymore. Get your own fun out of something else." I spun my head to face the window so that I could continue counting the leaves falling from the tree once more.

"Really? I was serious with the summer girl thing."

"I was. But, telling him that is another thing – a thing I won't ever do in this lifetime."

"You participate in this dare or" – he paused for a moment and I felt all fearsome. He's definitely up to something that I can't refuse – "I'll tell him."

Victory.

That spelled victory to Tsubasa. I just can't let that happen. Knowing him, he would really do it. And, I'll be avoiding Natsume for the rest of my life. I now know that he didn't say anything to Natsume about me liking him. Yes, I know now. Still there's this dare that was involve between them before Natsume avoided me. But then again, Ruka said that it's nothing of relation to that.

I turned around and gave him the most severe glare I could give. He was just smirking at me which really infuriated me. He looked so pleased with what he is currently doing. Entertainment. He's getting so hiked up just to get some fun out of my problems. Is he my friend or not?

"Fine! I will. But, I won't lose. That's for sure."

"Then, it's a dare. You'll prove it before Natsume comes back."

He pulled something out of his pockets. It was his phone. He lifted it up for me to see. It was on record mode and he just hit the stop button. God. There's no way out of this, right? I mean – there's proof. That sneaky jerk!

My reaction basically insinuated distress. "Are you trying to worsen my problems?"

"No, I'm trying to help you solve it," he replied cockily as he gave me one of his famous, prizewinning smirks. He rested his back on the chair's support and produced a short laugh before Jinno barged in the room.

Jinno scolded the new teacher and dismissed us after having us memorize his ten commandments. As I walked back to my dorm room, the things that happened today flashbacked inside my mind. Yes, it's been quite a crazy day. Natsume's leave, Hotaru's rage at Yuu's awaited comeback, Tsubasa's uncanny behavior and his acerbic dare – they're all happened for some kind of reason I don't want to deal with right now. This is going to be a crazy month.

I know I promised to update this earlier. But, I had to make the chapter longer. And, I had review classes in between so yeah. It's sorta hard to update fast.

So here it is, is it okay? Suggestions please. Hahaha. Please do review! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.

Ellixx: Haha. Thanks for the review! Here's an update. Yeah, it just struck me a few days ago. I might change it if I have the time to proofread the whole story. =))

anim3gurl: Thanks for the idea! :)) I'm glad that you suggested something like that.

Akahane-Scarlet-Feather: Maybe. :)) I cannot disclose that for now. Hahaha. It's part of the twist in this story.

Shimahiko4ever: Thanks! :)

16 APRIL 2011

10:37 PM

(:nineprincess:)