The original author of this story goes to Aileria. Everything plot-wise and anything else necessary goes to her.

Gakuen Alice owned by Higuchi Tachibana

Summer Madness

Chapter 2: A Little Dispute

The screech of the tires gave Mikan quite a scare. Her nails dug into her seat and the color had completely drained from her face. Her chocolate colored eyes were widened with shock and regret. Since when did Hotaru turn into such a reckless driver? Hotaru had both hands on the steering wheel and her face still remained cool and calm. On the other hand, Mikan didn't look too pleased.

"S-Slow down, would you?" Mikan shouted while trying to calm her racing heart.

Hotaru took a quick glimpse at her watch. "We're going to be late," she stated calmly.

"Late? Late for what? I thought you were just dropping things off," Mikan replied, raising a brow.

The stoplight flashed to green. Hotaru slammed on the gas pedal and it felt as if the car flew to the opposite end. Mikan desperately tried swallowing the lump that was growing rapidly in her throat and trying not to yelp.

"Don't bite your tongue," Hotaru warned while turning a sharp corner.

The brunette darted her eyes away from the front and towards the window on her side. Various high class buildings flashed by and a bunch of pedestrians were glancing at the speeding car. Hotaru was attracting more attention than she thought.

"W-Why are you in such a hurry anyway?" Mikan stuttered.

Hotaru shifted the gears and the car sped forward. "Because- my boss is a very impatient person," she informed.

"I'm pretty sure he values your life more than a few bucks," Mikan yelped as she slammed her hands over her eyes.

"You'll get used to it," Hotaru smirked while turning one last corner.

The brunette separated her fingers. A six-story tall building could be seen in the distance and it was flooded with glass windows. It looked very modern like, considering the color scheme was black and white. Was that where they were heading?

"A-Are we almost there?" Mikan asked timidly.

"Sure, you could say that," Hotaru smirked.

When the car finally came to a stop, the brunette felt like she was about to empty her stomach contents. Instead of a relaxing car ride like she thought it would be, it was like going on a rollar-coaster five times in a row with all the sharp turns Hotaru took. While Mikan tried to catch her breath, Hotaru unbuckled her seatbelt and twisted the key out of the ignition.

"Well, are you coming or are you going to sit here looking like you're going to pass out?" Hotaru asked in her usual monotone voice.

Mikan shot Hotaru a dangerous glance. "If you would drive more carefully, I wouldn't be feeling sick to my stomach! You're not the only one in the car here!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes; she pulled on the handle and the door swung open, "Like I said, you'll get used to it." On that note, Hotaru slammed the door and proceeded to the back seat. While digging out a variety of inventions from the back seat, Mikan's heart managed to slow down. From the rear mirror, the brunette saw Hotaru stuffing all of her used inventions into a medium sized cardboard box.

"I'm surprised you never got a ticket," Mikan muttered while stepping out of Hotaru's fancy car.

"Oh, I have. A variety of times," Hotaru replied calmly while picking up a medium-sized cardboard box.

Mikan smirked, "Oh? I'm surprised you aren't crying over all the money you lost."

When Hotaru had a firm grip on the box, she poked her head out from the car and used her foot to slam the door shut. "It was only once," Hotaru informed. "I talked my way out of it."

The brunette shook her head while her expression showed a state of disbelief. How could you talk your way out of a ticket? Well, I guess you could but it wasn't easy.

"W-What-H-How?" Mikan stammered as she trailed closely behind her best friend.

Hotaru shrugged. "I have my ways," she replied.

The alluring marble quickly lured Mikan's gaze away from the young inventor. It was extremely tall and more or less had a captivating vibe to it. The marble tiles glistened, easily catching the eyes of people with ADD and pure white granite tile flooded the walls. Quite a ways away, Mikan could see a girl with wavy rose colored hair chatting eagerly on the phone. She used her shoulder to hold the phone in place while scribbling on a white piece of paper.

"I-Is this where you work?" Mikan gasped. Of course, she wasn't too surprised; Hotaru was a famous, well known inventor in Tokyo. Her fabulous inventions have even been receiving stunning ratings in Japan and in foreign counties.

Hotaru nodded. "Much better than your secretary job back in Osaka, eh?" she teased.

Mikan narrowed her eyes. The brunette knew that she wasn't the brightest girl out there, but she was quite proud of her secretary job. Hotaru's heels clicked against the marble floor; Mikan watched anxiously as Hotaru approached the girl at the receptionist desk.

"Hi Anna," Hotaru greeted nonchalantly.

"Good afternoon Hotaru! How are you?" The pink haired girl flashed a charming smile.

"Not bad, yourself?" Hotaru replied.

Anna's gaze drifted towards the brunette who was quite a ways from the inventor. Anna watched with amusement as the brunette anxiously glanced around at her surroundings.

"Is that a friend of yours?" Anna chuckled while pointing slightly at the amusing brunette.

A heavy sigh escaped Hotaru's lips. "Yeah, you could say she's a friend," Hotaru mumbled.

"Is she visiting from somewhere?" Anna asked.

"Mikan," Hotaru called, raising her voice slightly.

Mikan's ears perked up to the call of name. Her chocolate colored orbs drifted towards her best friend. "What is it?" Mikan asked while rushing over.

"This is Anna, my secretary," Hotaru introduced.

Anna bowed to show politeness. "Nice to meet you. My name is Umenomiya Anna."

Mikan was quite shocked by Anna's greeting. After all, no one has ever bowed to her before. The brunette cheeks flushed as she also leaned over. "N-Nice to meet you, my name is Sakura Mikan," Mikan grinned childishly.

"Are you a friend of Hotaru's?" Anna asked cheerfully.

Mikan couldn't help but notice how blue Anna's eyes were. They looked so lively and bright. "Y-Yes, I am. I came to visit from Osaka this summer," Mikan smiled.

Anna gasped, "Osaka? I have a few cousins there."

"Really?" The brunette chuckled. "Do they like it there?"

Anna tapped her chin with her index finger, "They say it's alright. But then again, they only moved there a few days ago." She laughed.

"Oh." Mikan chuckled. "They'll get-"

Before the brunette could continue, she was rudely interrupted by Hotaru coughing into her hand that was rolled up into a fist. Anna cleared her throat slightly and picked up a bundle papers. Mikan merely gave Hotaru an annoyed looking glance.

"I was-" Mikan started.

"Come on Mikan, Anna is really busy with her work," Hotaru replied as she started strolling towards the elevator.

Anna gave Mikan a playful look. "She's always like that," Anna chuckled.

"Yeah, I know," Mikan frowned. "I'll see you later, Anna!"

"Nice meeting you, Mikan," Anna grinned.

The brunette sprinted towards the inventor and managed to reach the elevator before she did. As she eagerly pressed the up arrow, the elevator let out a small ring. As the elevator doors slid open, Mikan stepped towards the side, letting the people pass by. A neatly dressed man with tousled raven colored hair had his left hand stuffed neatly inside his pocket. He had dark hazel orbs that could be mistaken for crimson and his skin was tanned quite nicely. Around his neck hung a golden necklace with the initials: HN nearly touching his chest area.

Mikan couldn't help but feel intimidated by his presence. The brunette hung her head low but managed to sneak another peek at the man. However, she wasn't prepared to see those icy hazel orbs glaring right at her.

"Hyuuga." The sound of Hotaru's voice managed to calm Mikan down.

The brunette watched as the boy stopped right in front of her best friend. Did they know each other? Once again, Mikan wouldn't be surprised; Hotaru knew a lot of people but for some reason, this guy felt different than all the others.

"Imai," the boy acknowledged. "Took you long enough to get here."

Hotaru sighed softly, "I ran through a stop sign and three yellow lights. I practically had a child screaming for her dear life beside me. Cut me some slack."

Mikan's face scrunched up while she placed her hands on her hips. What did Hotaru just say about her? The man ran his fingers through his disheveled hair.

"Forms are upstairs in my office," he mumbled while stepping to the side to continue on his way.

"And, where might you be headed?" Hotaru asked as she turned slightly on her heel.

"Lunch," he replied bluntly.

As Hotaru strolled up towards the now-closed elevator, Mikan stepped up beside her. "Who was that?" Mikan asked.

Hotaru gave the brunette a stern stare. "Why are you so curious to know?"

The brunette bit her bottom lip. The menacing glare that she received earlier was still sending shivers down her spine. His eyes looked lifeless and dull.

"J-Just wondering, that's all. Do you work with him or something?" Mikan replied.

Hotaru pressed the up button again and the elevator door swung open. "Sure, you could say I work with him."

As Hotaru stepped into the elevator, Mikan felt somewhat irritated. Why couldn't Hotaru give her a straight answer? The brunette stomped inside and Hotaru ordered her to press the button for the fifth floor.

"Why can't you just tell me?" Mikan sighed. "Yes or no?"

"Answer my question first," Hotaru started. "Why are you so anxious?"

Mikan bit her bottom lip. "W-Well- Don't get the wrong idea but he looked-"

"Uninviting?" Hotaru finished.

The brunette's eyes widened slightly but she nodded in response. "His eyes looked... so... so-"

"Lifeless," Hotaru finished again.

"W-Well yeah," Mikan sighed.

"His name is Hyuuga Natsume, my boss," Hotaru informed.

Mikan's jaw nearly dropped. "Y-Your boss?" she gasped. "B-But he-"

Hotaru closed her eyes and tilted her head downwards. "Stop with the questions. You don't need to concern yourself with him."

"I'm not-" Mikan started. "H-He gave me a really scary glare when he came out of the elevator."

"He's always like that to strangers. Don't worry about it," Hotaru advised.

Even though it wasn't a big deal to begin with, Mikan couldn't help but feel a sense of uneasiness. That stare wasn't like any other stare.

The elevator came to a sudden halt, signalling the passengers that they had arrived at the fifth floor. As the doors swung open, Mikan noticed that the floor was now covered in a 3D checkered carpet. It looked like an optical illusion which amused the brunette easily. Hotaru stepped onto the carpet and started to walk forward. The brunette noticed that the floor was unusually empty. A few doors here and there but there was practically no one here.

"Hotaru!" Mikan called. Instead of answering to Mikan's call, Hotaru turned the corner, as if she heard nothing at all.

The brunette narrowed her eyes. By now, the brunette was already used to Hotaru's strange behaviour. After all, she's dealt with it ever since elementary school. Instead of following Hotaru like she normally would, the brunette strolled towards the abnormally tilted window that was welcoming the sun's rays. Her eyes scanned the city; Tokyo was much more busier than she remembered. A large traffic jam was flooding a street and a sea of pedestrians were occupying the sidewalks.

"Excuse me? Do you need to see someone?"

A warm, gentle voice echoed throughout Mikan's eardrums. The brunette turned swiftly, only to be greeted by a pair of warm cobalt orbs and a sweet looking complexion. Her face was quite pale and her long navy blue colored hair reached until her waist.

"Oh, no. I'm waiting for someone," Mikan replied with a smile.

"Mikan," Hotaru's usual monotone voice echoed throughout the area. Both girls turned to see Hotaru's hands completely empty.

"Ah, Hotaru," the girl greeted warmly. "Is this a friend of yours?"

Hotaru nodded. "Yeah. What are you still doing here?"

The girl shrugged, "I finished the work Natsume left me. I was just about to head down for lunch. Care to join me?"

Hotaru gave Mikan a curious look. "Sure, we'll be happy too!" Mikan grinned widely.

The three girls strolled towards the elevator. Not including Hotaru, the two girls eagerly discussed which restaurant they should head too.

"Brewsters is pretty great," the girl nodded. "But, Mikado is definitely one of my top favorites."

"I love Mikado too! I used to go there all the time," Mikan grinned.

Hotaru watched the two girls chatting happily with one another. She had to admit, it was like watching two kids talking back and forth. They were so giddy and too excited. The elevator doors swung open and a harmonious ring followed soon after. The brunette extended out an arm and the other two girls stepped inside. When Mikan stepped in, Hotaru pressed the button for the lobby floor.

"By the way, my name is Nonoko. Nice to meet you," the girl grinned.

Mikan's eyes shifted towards her, "Nice to meet you too. You can call me Mikan." Inside, the brunette was quite shocked to see the number of people she met on her first day back. First, there was the charming blonde on the train, the lively pink haired girl named Anna, the mysterious and cold Hyuuga Natsume and now an energetic young girl who went by the name of Nonoko.

Soothing elevator music started to fill the silence. Hotaru had her back leaned against the wall while Nonoko twiddled her thumbs. Mikan had her gaze glued to the descending flashing numbers. Once the elevator reached the lobby, the door swung open and all three were quite surprised to see a charming young blonde at the receptionist desk.

"Ruka!" Nonoko gasped as she sprinted towards him.

Mikan's jaw nearly dropped one hundred feet. It was him, the boy who she met on the train. Could this day get any better?

Ruka turned himself around and saw two girls rushing towards him. It felt like high school all over again. "Hi Nonoko," Ruka greeted. "Heading out for lunch?"

Nonoko nodded, "You're just in time! Care to join us?"

The blonde's gaze shifted to the sprinting brunette behind her. Well, what a coincidence. "Sakura... Mikan, right?" Ruka chuckled as the brunette came to a halt.

"Ruka! I never thought to catch you twice in one day!" Mikan beamed, feeling extremely excited.

"Me either," Ruka chuckled. "What are you doing in a place like this?"

Hotaru's heels clicked as she walked across the marble floor. The blonde took a small glimpse at the young inventor that was strolling towards them. Her face darkened while his remained casual. It was quite a shock to both of them to be seeing each other twice in one day. Ruka gripped onto his black bag that was tightly swung over his shoulder.

"I think I'll pass. Thanks for the offer though," Ruka responded to Nonoko's invite. "I'm having lunch with Natsume later on."

"Oh, maybe we can have lunch together," Nonoko suggested. "The more the merrier, I always say."

The brunette clapped her hands together. "Yeah, I totally agree. What do you say Hotaru?"

Hotaru merely gave her a small shrug, "Whatever." The young inventor strolled towards the entrance of the large building. Mikan placed her hands on her hips, not liking Hotaru's attitude towards Ruka.

"She's always like that towards him," Nonoko whispered as she leaned closer towards the brunette.

Mikan narrowed her eyes, "She's like that towards everyone," she muttered. "Wait-" The brunette took a quick glimpse at her best friend and then back at the blonde. "You two know each other?"

Ruka's cobalt orbs shifted towards the corner of his eye. A small chuckle escaped Nonoko's lips, "Well, they are both familiar with Hyuuga Natsume, I guess you can say that he was the one who introduced them to each other." Nonoko replied.

Deciding to shrug it off, Mikan started to push the two individuals towards the entrance. "Well, what are we waiting for? I'm starved!"

"This wasn't exactly what I meant by walking together," Mikan huffed as she glanced awkwardly at the two individuals. Hotaru's pace was far quicker than anyone else. There wasn't a time where she turned back to chat with the others. After a while, Ruka started to trail behind, lost in his own thoughts.

Nonoko took a quick glimpse at Ruka, "I'm not surprised." She sighed while scratching her head.

"What do you mean?" Mikan asked while giving Nonoko a curious stare.

"Well-" Nonoko started. "There was this one time where the five of us were having lunch together. It was the most awkwardest thing ever."

"Five of us?"

"Hotaru, Anna, Natsume, Anna and I," Nonoko informed. "Hotaru absolutely refused to sit at the same table as the boys."

Mikan frowned. "Why? That sounds like something an elementary student would do."

Hotaru quickly turned herself around. "You've got a big mouth for someone so brainless," she snapped, shooting Mikan a cold glare.

Nonoko's face turned slightly pale while Mikan was merely speechless. She didn't mean to offend Hotaru that badly. Still, what was the big deal?

The harmonious ring of a bell echoed throughout small cafe that the group stepped into. The floors were wooden but extremely polished. The warm auburn curtains were tied to each end of the window with a golden string. Dim lights were placed all around, giving it a homey feel. Arches were placed separating each area so it wouldn't feel too crowded. As the group navigated themselves throughout the cafe, Mikan noticed that the wooden chairs were slightly arched outwards. Of course, for those tables placed near the wall were complemented by hazel colored sofas.

"Do you see him?" Nonoko asked the blonde.

"Ah-" Ruka's eyes caught the silhouette of a young man sitting by a table that was placed near the large window. He was sipping what looked like coffee and a piece of uneaten cheesecake was placed on another small glass plate.

"Is that-" Mikan started, pointing slightly.

As Ruka rushed over, Nonoko scooted herself closer to the brunette. "Hyuuga Natsume, our boss. He looks kind of intimidating, huh?"

Kind of? Yeah, sure. Let's go that. The three girls strolled over towards the two boys. This time, it was Hotaru that was trailing behind.

"Fancy seeing you here, Natsume," Nonoko chuckled while plopping herself down at a table not too far from them.

Natsume's dark hazel orbs quickly shifted towards the corner of his eye, giving Nonoko a stern look. "Having lunch too?" He asked quietly.

Nonoko nodded, "Ah- This is Sakura Mikan, a friend of Hotaru's in case you were wondering."

Mikan gave Natsume a small bow, showing her politeness. However, Natsume didn't even bother to look in her direction. Hotaru pulled up a chair beside the brunette and hastily glanced at the menu that was located under the glass that covered the table. Feeling slightly irritated, Mikan directed her attention towards the menu as well. To be honest, the brunette felt slightly glad that Natsume hadn't looked her way. She could still feel the chill that crawled up her spine when they first met.

"What are they doing here?" Natsume muttered while glancing at Ruka.

Ruka cracked a hesitant smile. "It's just for now."

Natsume sipped his coffee nonchalantly. His gaze was glued onto the scenery outside the window. When Mikan finally decided on an order, Hotaru was already munching away on a chocolate muffin and Nonoko was taking cautious sips on her Apple Cider.

"Ruka, what are you planning on ordering?" Mikan asked. "Wait, don't tell me-" The brunette trapped her chin with her index finger. "Pudding!"

Ruka chuckled lightly, "Yes, totally." He replied sarcastically. "What about you? I bet you're going to order something with strawberries."

Mikan flashed the blonde a cheeky smile. Both failed to notice the annoyed looking glance Hotaru was shooting out of the corner of her eye. "They do have strawberry cheesecake," Mikan grinned.

"You had one already though. You'll get fat." Ruka teased.

"By the way, it's not surprising that someone like him would order something so childish," Hotaru interrupted.

Natsume, Nonoko and Mikan shot Hotaru a curious glance. Ruka cleared his throat and placed his arms on the table. "Well, it's not surprising that someone like you would rudely interrupt other people's conversation," Ruka informed bluntly.

"It's just like you to argue in an unnecessary argument," Hotaru fired back.

Ruka's brows furrowed. "At least, I wasn't the one that started it," he muttered.

Hotaru sipped happily on her hot cup of tea, "What a childish thing to say. What are you? In elementary school?"

The blonde flinched. "Ruka, just drop it," Natsume mumbled, trying to calm the tense atmosphere.

The brunette gave Hotaru a worried glance, "Hotaru, what's wrong?" Nonoko bit her bottom lip, not enjoying the ruined cheery atmosphere one bit. Instead of replying to the brunette's question, Hotaru stood up and wiped her mouth with a small napkin.

"I'm heading back home." Hotaru informed while quietly making her exit.

"Hotaru!" Mikan shouted, standing up abruptly.

Nonoko glanced at the various stares they were receiving from the other customers. They must have put on quite a show. A heavy sigh escaped Natsume's lips as he watched the young prodigy push at the door hastily. Without thinking, Mikan dashed after her, leaving a concerned Nonoko, an extremely irritated Ruka and a drowsy Natsume behind.

The echo of the harmonious bell echoed throughout the area as Hotaru stepped onto the sidewalk. A chilly air embraced her, making her shiver slightly. She couldn't wait to get back home and work on her blueprints for her future inventions.

"Hotaru," Mikan's sweet voice echoed throughout Hotaru's eardrums. The young inventor turned slightly, only to be greeted by Mikan's worried expression.

"Oh, you're coming too?" Hotaru smirked.

"What's gotten into you?" Mikan asked while stepped up beside her.

"Nothing," Hotaru replied bluntly. "I just thought I would go home and do something productive."

"That's not what I meant," Mikan huffed. "I mean- why did you act like you did towards Ruka?"

Hotaru shot Mikan a dangerous stare, "That's none of your concern now, is it?" She snapped.

"But-" The brunette started, feeling awfully frightened of her friend. Before Mikan could utter another word, Hotaru had turned away and started to stroll down the busy streets of Tokyo. "Hotaru!"

Mikan started to jog after her, keeping her gaze fixed on her best friend. When the brunette finally came up beside her, she realized that Hotaru had no intention of talking to her. Getting absolutely no answers, Mikan was left to wander in her thoughts.

Muahaha Chapter two! I couldn't bring myself to change how it originally went XD I tried, but couldn't |D; Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did!

Xxkim14xX, spica14- Haha to answer your question, I don't intend to rewrite the story. Since she wrote it up until chapter 10, those chapters will remain the same. The moment chapter 11 comes is when I'm going to write it out :) No worries though, I won't stray from the original plot :D I love the idea! Oh and thank you both for being daring and posting a review! XD