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 8: Left in Pieces

Aoi gripped onto the railing; her eyes were glued onto the two people that were sitting awkwardly in the living room. Her heart was beating rapidly and her palms felt sweaty.

A woman with fair black hair had her index finger wrapped around a porcelain cup. Her eyes remained closed as she took a sip, "I'm very surprised you accepted my invitation, Natsume."

Natsume's lips curved into a deadly scowl, "You threatened me to come, you son of a-"

"I thought I taught you as a child to watch your language around your elders," the woman interrupted rudely.

Natsume clenched his fist; he was this close to beating the woman to the ground. "I don't want to waste my time here any longer, what do you want?"

The woman gazed at the tea that was reflecting the chandelier light from above, "I'm curious… about that little girl at the party a few days ago."

Natsume arched a brow in annoyance, "What girl? I don't know what-"

"That girl that you held back,"

Natsume scoffed, "Out of everyone you're curious about, you're curious about her?" He rolled his eyes discreetly, "You've got to be kidding me."

"On the contrary," the woman smirked, "Why did you held her back? If I remember correctly, you aren't the type of person to butt into other people's business. Unless, it involved someone you care about."

"I'm surprised you know so much about me," Natsume spat.

The woman took another sip, "I am the woman who gave birth to you, Natsume."

"I have never acknowledged you as anyone." Natsume hissed, "As for you, I know that you have never acknowledged me as your son."

The woman placed her cup down onto the matching plate, "Why so serious, Natsume? For once, your mother wants to know what's happening in your life and now…you're pushing me away?"

Natsume's lips twitched, "You've always pushed me away."

"Stop it."

The two turned their attention onto the new voice that entered their conversation. Igarashi Aoi stood at the doorway, her eyes bloodshot and a few tears streamed down her face.

"Aoi," the woman gasped.

Aoi made her way inside and stood in front of her mother, "I thought you called Natsume here because you wanted him to come back home. But no, you called him here to ask about a girl?"

"Aoi," Natsume placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. Aoi shrugged Natsume's hand off; her gaze never leaving the woman.

"Aoi, why are you crying?" The woman's finger grazed her daughter's cheek, wiping a few running tears away.

"You've hurt him enough!" Aoi cried. Natsume's eyes widened at his sister's sudden outburst.

"Aoi, I thought I taught you more respect than this." The woman stood up. "Is this how you respond to a woman who has cared for you her whole life?"

Natsume pulled her sister back.

"Don't act all tough, Natsume," the woman spat angrily. "You and Aoi…are here in this world because of me. You should thank me, not despise me."

"I would rather have never been born than to have someone like you as my mother," Natsume muttered.

The woman crossed her arms and shook her head in disappointment, "This is why I never considered you as my son. You're unapproachable and disrespectful. No wonder people avoided you. Of course, that Nogi boy was an exception."

"Aoi, let's go," Natsume said, completely ignoring his mother's comment.

Aoi nodded and followed her brother towards the door, "You're a strange one, Natsume." The woman continued, "I'm finally showing you the love that you have longed for so long, yet you're not even accepting it."

"Your so called' love'," Natsume turned to face his mother one last time, "I never want to experience it ever again."

Mikan had her chin placed onto the table. Her droopy eyes watched the marble roll slowly off the table.

"Are you ready to order or what?" Sumire huffed.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm ready," Mikan replied as she caught the marble before it hit the floor.

"You're acting strange today, Mikan. Is something wrong?" Nonoko placed her menu beside her and took a sip from her large glass of water.

Mikan slapped her cheeks, "Just a bit tired, nothing to worry about!"

Hotaru lowered her menu a tad and eyed the brunette. If there was anyone that could see through her façade, it had to be Hotaru. She could easily piece the puzzle pieces together as to what was on the brunette's mind.

"Is everyone ready to order?" a waitress with dazzling teal eyes appeared at the table.

"Yes," Nonoko beamed, "I'll have spaghetti with meatballs."

"I'll have the smoked mozzarella chicken," Koko ordered.

Hotaru closed her menu, "Shrimp Scampi Fritta."

"And I'll have the Bruschetta." Sumire spoke.

The waitress directed her gaze onto the troubled looking brunette, "And what about you, dear?"

"Stuffed Mushrooms, please and thank you." Mikan replied.

"And do you want anything to drink?" the waitress asked as she looked around the table.

Everyone shook their heads, everyone except for Mikan. "Can I get a strawberry smoothie?"

"Certainly," the waitress quickly jotted it down and whisked the menus away.

"Ah, it's so nice to get out of the office!" Nonoko sighed, "Don't you guys agree?"

Koko grinned, "I agree."

Sumire pouted slightly, "I still have a lot of work to do when I get back though."

"You aren't the only one," Hotaru replied.

"Mikan, what are you planning on doing after lunch?" Nonoko asked eagerly.

The brunette's hazel eyes seemed to be fixed on the once again rolling marble. It didn't look like she was paying much attention to anyone. Hotaru frowned; she leaned across the table and flicked the brunette's head painfully. Mikan jumped out of her seat which earned her a few strange stares. She clamped both of her hands onto her now red forehead and cussed under her breath.

"T-that hurt!" Mikan cried, "What did you do that for?"

Hotaru calmly sat back down, "You're being rude for not answering Nonoko's question."

"H-Hotaru…you didn't need to go that for," Nonoko chuckled hesitantly.

"What's wrong with you?" Sumire asked hotly. "You're so out of it."

Koko stood up and placed his hand onto Mikan's forehead, "You don't seem to have a fever…are you not feeling well?"

"I'm fine," Mikan muttered as she sat back down. "Sorry Nonoko, I didn't mean to ignore you."

Nonoko laughed, "Oh, don't worry. Not a big deal."

The bell that was hung above the entrance door rang loudly throughout the restaurant. A girl and a boy with the same shade of hair strolled into the restaurant. Koko leaned over and grinned upon seeing the customers.

"Natsume, Aoi!" Koko shouted, waving his hand in the air.

The girls turned and saw the two siblings approaching their table. Mikan noticed the troubled looking expression on Natsume's face as he walked.

"Fancy seeing you guys here," Sumire grinned.

"Yeah," Aoi smiled.

Nonoko shifted over and patted the empty seat, "Come sit," Aoi didn't hesitate to sit beside the cheery girl.

Mikan awkwardly glanced at the older Hyuuga. His eyes looked so lifeless that it sent shivers down her spine. Everyone seemed to be staring at her. Why did she decide to take the outer seat again? The brunette shimmied over; her gaze leaving the troubled looking Hyuuga.

Natsume's eyes shifted downwards at the empty seat beside the brunette. "Sit, Natsume," Aoi encouraged.

Hotaru watched with amusement as Natsume hesitantly sat himself down beside the shy-looking Mikan. Aoi took a sip of Nonoko's drink as a waitress brought two menus to their table.

"What are you planning on getting, Natsume?" Koko asked as Natsume opened the menu.

"Don't know," Natsume replied bluntly.

"I think I'll get the Calamari, it looks so good," Aoi said, her eyes scanning down the menu.

As the group fired up a conversation about all the mouth-watering dishes on the menu, Mikan shot Natsume a look. "You don't look so good," She said quietly.

Mikan was not expecting a response back.

"You've noticed?"

The brunette slowly looked up, "W-well…yeah."

Natsume scoffed, "Funny how someone like you would notice these things."

Mikan frowned and shot him a dirty look.

The delicious aroma of shrimp and spaghetti travelled to Mikan's nostrils. Her mouth started to water as a waitress placed the meals onto the table. She also took the time to take Aoi and Natsume's orders. Nonoko grabbed her plate and Hotaru grabbed hers. Mikan leaned her elbow onto the table as she watched her two friends dig into their food.

Natsume seemed to have taken notice of Mikan's disturbed expression. His lips curved into a small smirk, "It seems like I'm not the only one that seems 'troubled,'" he whispered faintly.

Mikan's heart leapt at how gentle he sounded. "I-I'm not," she muttered.

Sumire eyed the two suspiciously, "What are you two whispering about?"

"Nothing," Mikan and Natsume replied simultaneously.

This just caused the suspicions to rise even higher. Koko leaned over slightly and analyzed their faces, "You two seem to be getting along quite nicely."

Natsume scowled, "Mind your own business."

Hotaru placed her fork down and stood up. "Mikan, I need to talk to you."

The color seemed to have drained from the brunette's face, "M-me?"

Aoi and the others exchanged a nervous stare. Mikan stood up and followed Hotaru towards the back, where the washrooms were.

"Yesterday night, did you go into my room?" Hotaru asked, getting straight to the point.

Mikan bit her bottom lip. Should she lie? No, that would make things worse. Plus, Hotaru would be able to see right through her anyway.

When Mikan didn't respond, Hotaru crossed her arms over her chest, "You saw it…didn't you?" Her voice was quiet and if you listen closely, you should hear it shaking.

The brunette clenched her fists; her cheeks were turning a bright shade of red. "W-why didn't you tell me? This is such a big deal, why didn't you tell me anything!" Hotaru's bangs hovered over her eyes. Some customers who were sitting nearby turned their attention to the supposedly arguing friends. Mikan grabbed her best friend's shoulders, "Hotaru! Don't stay quiet! Answer me!"

"Keep it down," Hotaru hissed harshly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Natsume caught the two friends exiting the classy restaurant. He arched a brow as the rest of the food arrived at the table.

"Natsume, your food is here," Aoi pointed.

Natsume stood up without a word and made his way towards the exit. Sumire and Koko exchanged a curious stare. Aoi and Nonoko watched blankly as Natsume pushed open the glass double doors.

"Why did you go into my room?" Hotaru asked. Her back was turned.

Mikan could feel her cheeks flush, "Your light was on,"

"And that's what gave you permission to enter?"

"That is not the point." Mikan muttered.

It was quite chilly this afternoon but neither of them felt the breeze whip against their faces. "You probably hate me now, don't you? For not telling you,"

Mikan grabbed Hotaru's shoulder and forced her around, "Why would you have a snapshot of an ultrasound?" Mikan's voice was low.

"Why else?" Hotaru replied unexpectedly calm.

"'Why else,' what kind of a response is that? Take this seriously, Hotaru!" Mikan shouted slightly louder than her usual voice. However, it wasn't enough to draw attention to the passerby's.

Hotaru slapped Mikan's hand off her shoulder, "I am taking this seriously. Why would I have a snapshot of an ultrasound? You're asking a question that you already know the answer too."

The wind ran through Mikan's hair, making the ends touch Hotaru's skin softly, "I want to hear it from you," Mikan's fingers were intertwined. "I'm only making assumptions."

Natsume leaned his head upwards against the large pillar.

"I was pregnant," Hotaru whispered softly.

"'Was?'" Mikan muttered softly, "You're using past tense."

"I'm surprised you aren't screaming and yelling in my face," Hotaru replied, "This is very unlike you."

"Do you want me to be screaming in your face?" Mikan cried. This caused a few stares to shoot their way.

Hotaru closed her eyes for a brief second and placed her hand on the brunette's shoulder, "I didn't want to hide this from you."

"Then…why did you?" Mikan grumbled, "You could have easily told me this over the phone or even sent me an email! I would have rushed here to congratulate-"

"I didn't need any blessings," Hotaru interrupted.

"You're confusing me even more!" Mikan shouted angrily. "Can you at least give me a proper explanation?"

Hotaru turned, her back now facing the brunette. "That happened during a very frustrating moment of my life. Mikan, I really don't want to talk about it."

The brunette tilted her head downwards. It looked as if she was carefully analyzing the lines that were melded together on the pavement. "I was never supposed to find out in the first place, right? You wanted to keep this all a big secret." Mikan's tone had never been so harsh and so cold. Even Natsume, who was eavesdropping nearby was quite shocked. "I assume this has something to do with the incident at-"

"Stop!" Hotaru cried. Her sudden outburst took the brunette by surprise.

Hotaru took a deep breath; she eyed the brunette one last time before walking back into the restaurant. Mikan closed her eyes and clenched her fists. With Hotaru's leave, this gave Mikan some time to recollect her scattered thoughts.

Natsume stepped out from behind a large pillar and approached the brunette slowly and quietly.

"Smart of you to make that connection,"

Mikan's eyes shot open by the voice. She turned around and found herself staring into the eyes of Hyuuga Natsume. "W-what are you doing here?" She stammered.

"I had a gut feeling that this would happen," Natsume ran his fingers through his unruly hair.

Mikan approached him hastily, "You…You knew about this?"

"I'll leave that for you to decide," Natsume replied.

The brunette grabbed Natsume's shirt collar, "You already knew about this! That's why you didn't want me to mention the party incident to Hotaru! I'm right, aren't I?"

"Why did you ask me if you already knew the answer?" Natsume asked as he grabbed onto Mikan's cold hands.

The warm touch of Natsume's hand made Mikan blush ever so slightly. But right now, it was not the time to be feeling all fluttery and what-not. "Why would Hotaru tell someone like you and not me?" Mikan scowled.

"Best friends don't need to tell each other everything," The brunette slowly released her grip and swallowed the lump that grew in her throat. "For you who have seen Imai as someone so important, that's a difficult concept to grasp. Isn't it?"

Mikan squeezed her eyes shut. She recalled the numerous times that she shoved her problems onto Hotaru's shoulders. That was an unpleasant way to put it but the brunette knew that whenever she had a problem, she would consult Hotaru. And, Hotaru was always there for her. No matter how bad the situation, how idiotic the problem was, Hotaru was always there.

"Since when…?" Mikan muttered. Natsume arched a brow. "How long was Hotaru pregnant?"

"Does it look like I know?" Natsume hissed.

Mikan attempted to punch Natsume in the stomach out of pure anger. However, her fist was blocked swiftly by Natsume's palm. His face lingered close to hers which made Mikan's eyes widen.

"Don't assume things," Natsume whispered. His breath tickled her earlobe. "And, I would suggest you don't make such reckless actions. You're going to get yourself hurt." Natsume pushed the brunette against the pillar, "Got it?" Mikan's cheeks were turning a bright pink. She forcefully tried pushing him away but she wasn't even close to even budging Natsume a little. "You have a lot to work on."

"S-shut up," Mikan scowled as she turned her gaze elsewhere.

Natsume released the brunette's fist, "Now that you know part of the story, I advise you to stay quiet about it."

"Who can I possibly tell?" Mikan grumbled under her breath, "It's not like Hotaru and I will be discussing this anytime soon."

Natsume smirked, "You have a point."

With the blush still distinguished on her face, Mikan watched Natsume walk back into the restaurant with his hands in his pockets.

Evening

Water was cascading into a small, round vase that was lying on a purple cloth. A blond woman was humming to herself as she placed the half filled jug of water aside. Her long fingers tore the paper that was protecting a bunch of roses that resided inside. She carefully placed them into the water-filled vase one by one.

"Ruka, you don't need to stay quiet. I know you're there," the woman's sing-song voice echoed throughout the large dining room.

A male blond emerged from the kitchen, his face looked pale and he was clutching a small white rabbit. "Are those roses from dad?" he asked.

The woman nodded as she placed the last rose inside, "Beautiful, aren't they?"

"Breathtaking," Ruka replied.

The woman threw the paper into a nearby garbage can and turned to face her son, "I heard what happened at the party."

The male blond hung his head low as if he was ashamed. "I-I'm sorry, I never thought that inviting her would cause a big fuss."

Ruka's mother pulled him into a tight embrace, "It wasn't your fault, Ru-Ru. I should have warned you."

Ruka buried his head into his mother's shoulder. "It wasn't her fault," he muttered softly.

"Your father just needs some time…"

"Hey mom," Ruka's mother released him and gazed into Ruka's dazzling blue eyes. "Do you hate Imai too?"

The woman ran her slim fingers through Ruka's blond hair, "I don't hate her. But…"

"You don't like her either," Ruka finished.

"I'm sorry, Ru-Ru,." The woman wiped a tear from her eye, "You loved her so much and…"

"That's in the past," Ruka interrupted. "It's not like I love her now, we're just…friends."

The woman stood up and grabbed a tissue. Ruka's bangs hovered over his eyes. He wasn't very good at hiding his feelings and if you look closely at his tormented expression, anyone would know that what had just been said was indubitably a lie.

Mikan threw herself onto her queen sized bed; she buried her head into the fluffy pillow and screamed.

"Miss Sakura?" Sebastian's muffled voice came from behind the door.

Mikan groaned hauled herself upwards and unlocked her bedroom door, "Yes?" She asked drowsily as she opened it.

"Miss Imai would like to speak with you," Sebastian replied.

"Hotaru…?" Mikan asked uneasily.

Sebastian led the brunette down the hallway. When the two stopped in front of Hotaru's bedroom, Mikan clenched her fists.

Sebastian knocked softly on the door, "Madam, she is here."

"Let her in."

Sebastian opened the door. The only light that was on was Hotaru's small desk lamp. The inventor was sitting patiently on her chair with her photo album open. Mikan hesitantly took a step inside. Behind her, Sebastian shut the door.

"W-what do you need to see me for?" Mikan asked. Her voice came out in nothing more than a whisper.

Hotaru pointed towards the floor, "To clean up the mess that you've made in my room yesterday night."

Mikan frowned and gazed upon the pretzel shavings that were still lying on the floor. "That's it?"

"That's it," the brunette scowled, "There's a broom to your left."

"Didn't you invent something to clean up your room?" Mikan huffed as she grabbed the yellow broom and dust pan.

"Yes. But you made the mess, not me."

Mikan could feel her blood boil. But, she had to keep calm. Getting angry at a time like this would be useless. The brunette walked towards the 'messy area' and started sweeping the shavings into a small pile. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Hotaru flipping through the pages in her album.

"When were those pictures taken?" Mikan asked, simply out of curiosity. Hotaru should at least tell her that much, right?

"Back in high school," Hotaru replied in her usual monotone voice. The brunette swept the mess into the dust pan and glanced around the room for a garbage can. "Behind you,"

Mikan turned around and found a small garbage can beside the abnormally large window. She strolled over and dumped the contents into it and placed the broom and dustpan down.

"Your high school days look fun," Mikan commented. She walked over and wrapped her arm over her best friend, "You looked so happy."

In a photograph, a girl's arm was wrapped around the younger Hotaru. Hotaru was holding up a trophy with a considerably large smile on her face. The evergreens looked like they were dancing to the wind's tune as Mikan pictured them swaying back and forth.

"Hotaru, can I see the next page?" Mikan asked.

Large droplets fell onto the photo album. The brunette's eyes widened as she directed her attention onto her now crying best friend. Hotaru's amethyst eyes were somewhat bloodshot and tears streamed down her face rapidly.

"H-Hotaru…?" The brunette turned Hotaru around so she could face her.

"If I only told you…" Hotaru started. Mikan couldn't make out the rest of the words as Hotaru covered her whole face with her hands.

Without any hesitation, Mikan wrapped her arms around Hotaru. As Hotaru cried uncontrollably into the brunette's chest, Mikan tightened her embrace.

The stars that night were beautiful. They were arranged in a way that looked like they were cascading from the twilight sky.