A/N: Glad to know there are other people who like having Natsume work his way up. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: As always I don't own Gakuen Alice blah blah blah… Don't you suing guys get it already?

Chapter 2 Deal

(Natsume's PoV)

Oh god… I can't believe I actually came here. I've been waiting for like an hour now, is she really coming? -Sigh- Maybe she was just mocking me, she made me come all the way here and wait like an idiot for her to show up even though she probably wasn't planning to come from the start. Well, I'm not waiting anymore I'm going home.

(Mikan's PoV)

Well it's been enough time already, I guess it's safe to come out now, no one is gonna see me talking to him. Huh? He's leaving? Geez, that guy has no patience. I'd better stop him, if someone sees him and comes this way I'll lose my chance to talk to him without being noticed…

(Natsume's PoV)

"Wait up Hyuuga-kun!" it's her, about time to show up. "I'm sorry I'm late I had some very important business to attend to and I couldn't-." Blah, blah excuses… I don't really care…

"Cut the crap Sakura, I know you don't want to be here talking to me, and I sure as hell don't want to waste my precious time talking to you so just cut to the chase… What could you possibly want to black-mail me for?"

"Hey! Don't be so mean Hyuuga-kun, I'm trying to be nice here!" she pouts, does she think it makes her look cute or something? It looks stupid, and besides what's nice about black-mailing people?

"Whatever, just hurry up and state your business…" I answer coldly. I hate her, and I'm not gonna pretend to like her as everyone else does, that's the only good thing about being the school freak.

"Fine then, Kazume I… Can I call you Kazume?"

WHAT!? Who on earth is Kazume? Does she mean me? She thinks that's my name?! SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW MY FIRST NAME??!!

"No…" I don't even want to bother explaining why not…

"Eh? Why not? Come on, aren't friends supposed to call each other by their names?"

And aren't friends supposed to know each other's REAL name? Seriously how self-centered can a person be? We've been classmates for almost two years now and she doesn't even know my name… AND BESIDES SINCE WHEN ARE WE FRIENDS?

"Fine, then following your line of thinking I can call you Minako, right?" let's see if her small brain can take a hint.

"Huh, Minako? Why would you want to call me that?" she blinks and cocks her head to one side. She seems to be completely oblivious to the fact that my name isn't Kazume -sigh- she's stupider than I thought. Well, if hints don't work I guess I'll just have to tell her, I don't want the rest of the school's student body to start calling me Kazume.

"I don't know. Why would you want to call me Kazume?" okay if she doesn't get it now I'm seriously gonna start doubting whether or not there actually is a brain in her head.

"Well because it's your name dummy! But I think you got mine wrong, I'm Mikan, I'm surprised you didn't know that! Everyone knows my name at school. I thought a social dropout like you would know too…" I'm just gonna ignore that last part for now. She sounds really surprised, and is probably still completely unaware of the fact that it's HER who doesn't know MY name.

Without noticing my right hand slaps my forehead, I rub my eyes with my finger tips and sigh yet again. I can feel a headache coming. I mean I had the suspicion that she was a brainless person, but I would have never imagined her stupidity came to this extent.

"You know… I must admit you really amaze me sometimes…" yeah well I don't mean it in a good way but if I were to say exactly what I'm thinking right now… I'm afraid all hell might break lose…

"Really? Well many people say that but, I mean I don't like to brag but-..." she just keeps talking nonstop. Oh God please kill me now… Or better yet KILL HER! Why can't she stop babbling for a while! Geez!

"I…" if she doesn't shut up on her own… "I don't mean it as a compliment you know…" I'll do it myself.

Her annoying proud face suddenly turns into a frown. Great at least now she'll get to the point…

"You know if you're gonna be like that maybe I won't help you then…" Did she just say help? With what? "I come all the way back here to meet you, I try to be nice, even friendly calling you by your name and you just-." She still hasn't realized my name isn't Kazume.

"Yeah right… Just so you know 'nice' people don't black-mail other people. And I just came all the way here to tell you that I don't like Imai so you're wasting your time with me…" I wonder if she'll buy it. I mean she's pretty dumb so I guess she will…

"Black-mail? I'm not here to black-mail you! I wanted to make a deal with you but seeing how you're not interested in Hotaru at all I guess-." She thinks she's very smart with that sarcastic tone… Hold on… deal? She couldn't possibly mean... it's insane; she wants to sell off her best friend to ME… but why?

"Wait… by deal, you mean Imai in exchange for something?" she wouldn't, would she? I mean what kind of friend is she?

"Exactly…" she smirks "Well, actually… yeah it's pretty much that…" huh?

"Define pretty much…" I don't accept vague answers.

"Well I can't hook up my best friend with... Umm well YOU… no offense but-." What's with the tone!? Bitch…

"None taken…" yeah right…

"Anyway, here's the deal…" she pauses…

(Normal PoV)

"Go on…" he tells her very intrigued.

"I can't let Hotaru be seen in public with a guy like you… So my plan is to turn YOU into the most popular, hot guy at school. That way it won't be embarrassing for her or ME to be seen hanging out with you…" says Mikan as everything she was saying was a given thing and there was no way around it.

"Oh now I get what you meant with 'help'. Sorry but I don't need your help, I'm comfortable enough being who I am. I'm already used to it, I don't think I could tolerate having to be like you and your little minions…" he was about to walk away when…

"Really? Are you really okay with it?" he stops, her words echoing inside his head. "Being rejected I mean. I know what it feels like, and you can't possibly be fine with it, no one can." Mikan shouted to make sure he heard her.

'SHE knows what it feels like? How could SHE Miss. Popularity know what it feels like to be hated by everyone?' he thought clenching his teeth.

"You know nothing! Stop pretending to be nice! Stop pretending to understand and care! You don't give a shit about anything that isn't you!" he yells at her.

"You don't even know anything about me, so don't speak as if you know everything twerp! I'm not here to be friends with you, and you're probably right, truth is I really don't care about you; you're just another one of my classmates, big deal! I'm here giving you the chance of your life, you can either take it now or go back to being you. I can get someone else to help me anyway…" She retorts yelling almost as loud.

Natsume just stays quiet for a while. Her words shocked him a little. He knew she didn't really care but he never expected her to admit it.

"So let's just hypothetically say I accept this 'deal'. What do I have to do? What's the catch?" he asks her. She can clearly see the fear in his eyes through his thick glasses as she smirks at him.

She clasps both her hands together over her head. "You have to help me pass math!!" she says with a pleading look in her eyes. His eyes widen, he surely didn't see that one coming.

"That's it?" he asks, confusion written all over his face. "I only have to teach you math?"

"Yup" she answers with a sweet smile.

"I don't believe you… You're lying." He starts walking away again.

"I AM NOT!" she says pouting "Look I'll be honest with you… This is something no one else knows so don't tell anyone." He suddenly becomes interested and stops to listen. "If I don't pass math this year Jinno-sensei said I would have to -gulp- repeat the second year!! I DON'T WANT TO! Do you have any idea how bad for my image that would be?!" The boy just looks at her really puzzled and finally decides to answer.

"'I'll think about it…" he says.

"WHAT?! What's there to think about!? It's a really simple matter! Come on you just have to say yes and we'll get started right away…" she grabs his wrist and starts pulling him, but he doesn't move.

"I said I will think about it… can't you understand a simple five word sentence?" he says pretty angry taking his hand back.

"FINE! But I want your answer first thing tomorrow or I'll take my proposition to someone else, I'm not gonna wait forever you know Kazume!" she answers frowning.

He turns around and says "Yeah, yeah… I'll give you my answer first thing tomorrow morning then master Minako-sama…" he says sarcastically, bows down and continues "By the way… My name isn't Kazume; you should try to find out people's real names before calling them out." And then he walks away.

'Crap… I get the Minako thing now… Oh well no matter… But I still have to find out his real name by tomorrow…' she thinks as she heads to the parking lot.

(Natsume's PoV)

I don't think I can trust her… I mean come on! She just wants me to teach her math? She can't be serious, go through all that trouble to get me to teach her math? It can't be… She can get anyone else in the world to do it, why me? And why not just ask for it as a favor, or pay instead of doing all of this?

I should do it anyway. I've got nothing to lose anyway. It's not like I have a reputation to protect or anything. In the worst case scenario I'll just go back to being my former self.

(Mikan's PoV)

AH! I can't believe it! It's the first time something like this happens to me. I can't wait until tomorrow! It's so not fair!

I come all the way here for this just to be told to wait until tomorrow! Stupid store, I'm gonna sue them for not having a skirt my size; this is discrimination against thin people! I shouldn't have to wait a full day to be able to buy my skirt! Geez, if only it wasn't such a cute must-have-skirt. Plus it really goes with that new strapless top I bought yesterday to match those gorgeous shoes I got the other day!

(Normal PoV – The next morning)

Natsume is on his way to school. Like everyday he leaves his house one hour before class starts, cause he goes walking, and he likes to take his time. He walks although his dad always insists that he takes one of the cars, but he always answers that it's a waste of money and time considering school is just about eight blocks away.

He's minding his own business, stopping at the edge of the sidewalk checking if no cars are coming and when he's sure it's safe, he starts walking across the street, when suddenly out of nowhere a pink Volkswagen Beetle comes at him at full speed, almost running him over and parking right in front of him. Natsume falls backwards to the floor panting and shaking.

One of the car's front windows opens revealing Mikan sitting on the driver's seat, wearing sunglasses. (A/N: Talk about Barbie Girl...)

"WHAT THE HELL? ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!?!" He yells at her while standing up.

"Relax… I wasn't gonna run you over..." she answers calmly looking out of the window and lowering her glasses with the hand that isn't holding the steering wheel. "More importantly… What's your answer?"

"You came all the way here just to ask that?" he dusts his clothes and picks up his bag from the floor.

"Yes, you said first thing in the morning and I'm planning to hold you to your word. So… what's your answer? I don't have all day you know…" her voice starts sounding rather irritated.

"Fine…" he says as if he were spitting the word.

"So you'll do it? No turning back? Word of honor?" she asks unbelievingly.

"I guess…" he sighs.

"Great! Get in then…" she opens the door to the passenger's seat. Distrustfully he gets into the car and buckles his seatbelt. He starts scanning the interior of the car and when he turns around to look at the back seat he notices three people.

"Who the-?" He starts talking as Mikan starts the car and drives away at full speed.

"Ah… I forgot to tell you I've brought some of my closest truthful friends to help me out. Don't worry, they agreed to keep all of this confidential and found it pretty amusing too…" she explains smiling and not taking her eyes off the road.

Mikan takes a sharp turn to the left a couple of blocks after that. Natsume doesn't seem to mind about the three persons sitting behind him anymore; right now he's worried about something much more important.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!! SCHOOL IS THE OTHER WAY!" he yells pointing to the opposite direction the girl's driving to.

"Who said anything about going to school?" she answers plainly as a tiny smirk forms on her lips.

A/N: Who are the people sitting at the back? Where are they going? Well with Mikan's driving let's just hope it's not the hospital…

To be continued…