School, feeling sick to my stomach, and having really bad headaches is only the least of my problems...
-Me
When you're faced with a challenge, take a moment to decide if its worth it.
Opposite side of the tracks-10
"Tenshi eh? So your name means Angel..." Mikan said softly and the green eyed girl beside her grinned.
Mikan and Angel, or Tenshi if you wanted to stay traditional, had been getting to know each other for the past 2 hours seeming as Angel's schedule matched Mikan's for the most part. Angel had proved to be really funny and intelligent. Though she seemed to be overconfident as well.
Proof of that was when Angel humiliated their history teacher when he noticed Angel was daydreaming and told her to answer a question they hadn't even studied yet. Angel had smirked and had stated the victories of the Meiji emperor with ease, surprising not only the teacher, but the class because she had given off the vibe that she was...well, an airhead.
Mikan would take note not to make assumptions about Tenshi, er Angel, anymore.
"What's your next class?" Angel asked as they strode down the hall, arm in arm.
Mikan noticed that people were starting to stare, and realized that she hadn't told Angel about her reputation. Biting her lip, Mikan wondered if she should keep quiet about it. She had just gotten a new friend, no offense to Hotaru, and she didn't want to lose her so quickly.
But at the same time Mikan didn't want Angel to fall victim to Natsume because of her.
"Mikan~," Angel drawled, nudging Mikan's shoulder playfully, and Mikan flinched.
"U-um, sorry Angel-chan...It looks like I have art next and then gym..." Mikan groaned when she realized this.
She hated that class. Not only did she share it with Natsume and Luna, her arch enemy, but for some time now the real gym teacher had been sick, so the science teacher; Jinno, had taken over.
He had made it very clear he wasn't fond of Mikan. At all.
"Mikan, you've been drifting off a lot for quite some time..." Angel once again broke through Mikan's thoughts, and the brunette blushed.
"Yeah, sorry. Um, Angel chan-"
"Just Angel,"
"Oh, well then. Angel, I forgot to tell you-"
"Well, look who it is girls, Mikan Sakura is still roaming the halls. How stupid of her."
Mikan and Angel both looked up to see a tall, thin, blond girl staring at them with raised eyebrows. She wore the school uniform yet still managed to make herself look seductive, and Mikan instantly recognized the beauty mark under her bottom lip.
Luna koizumi and her entourage, Sumire 'permy' Shoda, and most impressively; Nobara Ibaragi, stood in the center of the hall, blocking the two girls from leaving.
Mikan met Luna's icy blue eyes calmly before glancing over at Nobara, who refused to look at her.
Mikan sighed and sidestepped Luna, fully prepared to run with Angel in tow if things got out of hand.
"Not right now Luna, go bother someone else." Mikan muttered and avoided looking over at Angel, who looked uninterested and nonchalant, seeming as it was obvious at first glance that Luna wasn't something to be trifled with.
"Not until you introduce me to your friend, I mean she must be very brave if she hangs out with you of all people."
Mikan paled once she realized where Luna was headed and glanced out the corner of her eye at Angel, who was now frowning at the tone of Luna's voice. She was getting suspicious, Mikan realized.
"What are you talking about? Mikan's the first girl I met here, of course I'd hang around. Besides, its none of your business who I am." Angel muttered, her dark green eyes glancing at Mikan oddly before narrowing at Luna.
The blond looked Angel up and down in disapproval and stood still for a moment. Obviously not liking what she saw, the next thing Mikan knew, Luna had grabbed hold of Angel's collar and jerked her head up, nearly strangling the taller girl.
"Luna!"
Both Mikan and Sumire stared surprised at the blond's sudden change of attitude and Nobara quickly stepped closer, grasping Luna's arm. Luna didn't even spare Nobara a second glance and only tightened her grip on a frozen Angel, who stared down at her blankly.
"Let me explain something to you sweetheart," Luna hissed, venom very evident in her voice.
"You don't question me. New or not, you're about to learn why Mikan's a bad friend for you to have!"
Now people were really staring, and a crowd had surrounded the 5 of them.
'Oh my god, is Luna going to start a fight!?'
'She must have insulted Natsume...'
'No, idiot! She's with Mikan Sakura!
'How stupid of her..."
'Poor girl, being dragged into Mikan's business.'
Mikan glared at the crowd, hushing some of them in the process, before turning towards Luna, who seemed to be very satisfied that she had caught attention. Hardening her glare, Mikan vaguely noticed that she was choking the girl! Angel's face had turned bright red and she looked like she was trying to say something, but couldn't.
Memories flooded Mikan's head. Anna Umenomiya, the first girl to even smile at Mikan when she'd entered the school. Shared lunches, sleepovers, overnight movie premieres. All of that ended when Luna got ahold of her.
The pinkette had slipped into a coma for 3 months and when she finally got better, Anna had refused to look at Mikan, ending their friendship silently.
Nonoko, Tobita, Yura and lastly Nobara. They had all been warned away or punished for being with Mikan after Natsume declared war on her. Hotaru had been the only one who was out of their league to touch.
That day when Mikan had opened her locker, and saw that red card hanging down, and the single black rose. She hadn't known that those two things, those two dreadful things that were guaranteed to change your life for the worse, were going to put so many lifes in danger because of her.
Mikan had learned quickly that these kids were serious when they wanted you to know your place.
Realizing what Luna was trying to do, Mikan stepped towards them in panic.
"Luna, don't!
Building B: Hidden storage room/balcony
"Its cold in here..." Aoi muttered, and shivered after her comment, proving her point.
Tsubasa laughed in response and slid off his jacket, tossing it to the younger girl before walking towards the outdoor balcony outside of the small room.
The room was dark and almost gloomy with its gray walls and faded white carpet. A large counter topped with several empty dusted bottles and containers stood on one side of the room, and a coffee table with 3 chairs stood on the other. The only thing Aoi liked about the room was the balcony, as it was the only source of light for the room, and it also faced the large garden display and a lake.
Aoi wondered if Tsubasa came there often.
"Do the teachers know about this place?" Aoi asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.
The blue haired teenager turned his head to the side, not moving from his spot against the gate of the balcony. He almost looked surprised that Aoi had spoken, and Aoi dismissed it, assuming he had been thinking about something.
"No, they don't. No one does actually. Thats why I come here when I need to be alone..."
Aoi stared at his back for a moment before slowly lowering herself to the floor and leaning her back against the wall.
"Then, if its a place you wanted to keep a secret, why did you bring me here?" She asked, her tone casual but her eyes were literally boring into Tsubasa's back.
His answer surprised her. So much that she didn't say anything the whole time they were there afterwards.
"Because I can see right through you Aoi Hyuga. You're not the innocent little girl you want everyone to think you are. You took Misaki from me."
At that very moment the bell rang.
Building B: Cafeteria
"Hey, have you seen Aoi?" Ruka suddenly asked as the bell sounded throughout the school and students began emptying out their food.
Natsume looked up from his position between his younger cousin Yoichi and a girl who was leaning way too close for comfort. Glancing at the seat where Aoi had been sitting before, Natsume's eyes narrowed when he realized Tsubasa was gone too.
Even though Tsubasa and Natsume had a long, very tense, and bitter relationship, they had managed to call a truce this year.
But that didn't mean Natsume liked him.
"How should I know..." The raven haired boy muttered and pushed the girl beside him, who was now literally blowing in his ear, away from him.
God, his fan girls were annoying.
"Well, shouldn't you be, you know, looking after her? Don't you know how many enemies you have?" Ruka replied anxiously, and Natsume blinked twice at his best friends sharp tone.
'What's up with him?'
"You may think Aoi's fragile, but she's a lot stronger then she lets on Ruka." Natsume said softly before taking Yoichi by the hand and walking towards the exit.
His next class was gym and he wasn't going to be late. Jinno apparently had it in for him these past few weeks. Just because it was september and the year was just starting, didn't mean that the teachers were going easy. It didn't help that last year Natsume had not been the best student...
Ruka stared after Natsume for a moment, his blue eyes frustrated, before letting out a groan and trotting after the two.
No one ever took him seriously...
Building B: Nurse's office
Mikan stared in disbelief at Luna, who was literally moaning in pain on a medical bed in the nurses office. She still couldn't wrap her head around the events that had occurred in the hallway and honestly, any normal person wouldn't be able to.
One minute Luna was strangling Angel in front of tons of kids, and then the next minute Luna was kneeling on the ground, clutching her stomach.
It had taken Mikan 5 very long seconds to realize Angel had kicked Luna very hard in her abdomen, and Mikan couldn't help but pity Luna because Angel just happened to be wearing sharp heels.
'Permy', Mikan's nickname for Sumire because of her curled hair, stood beside Luna's bed and looked pale and nervous. Mikan couldn't blame her really. The ESP, a very strict principle who ruled over the entire school but only watched over elementary, had been paying a visit that day...
And just happened to run across the misfortunate scenario.
And now he was lecturing a very bored looking Angel in the corner of the room.
"Sweetheart, you've got to get up now." An elderly nurse whispered softly to Luna, and Permy immediately bent down to help.
Luna winced as she slowly sat up and lifted her legs over the bed, but her face hardened when she saw Mikan close by. Before she could say anything though, the ESP and Angel walked over, both of their faces blank.
The man, who Mikan had deemed as handsome when she first saw him, had a steel grip on Angel's arm and his face was like calm before the storm. Mikan, Luna, and Permy watched him silently, all of them evidently nervous.
"You three," He began, referring to everyone except Permy, "Will have detention after school. But for now, I'm letting you go."
Mikan sighed in relief and looked to Angel, hoping to see her smile. Mikan stilled when she saw the cold look on Angel's face and still stared uncertainly when she replaced it with her usual calm, happy look. The ESP continued and Mikan averted her gaze to look up at him.
"From the files I've been given, it seem that all four of you have physical Ed next. Hurry along and don't get into anymore trouble..."
His voice lingered and Mikan could literally hear the 'or else...' vibe he was giving off.
'I don't care if he's handsome, this guy is scary!'
Building D: Gym
"Okay, so today we're going to be doing a set of dodgeball but...Oh, it seems that we have some latecomers today!"
Narumi sensei and the entire class turned to watch Mikan, Luna, Sumire, and...some other girl with weird hair, walk into the large gym. Natsume looked up from his place beside Aoi, who he had just scolded for disappearing, to watch Mikan.
She was holding the hand of some girl with a weird haircut who would've been pretty if she didn't have a sour look on her face. He barely even glanced at Sumire or Luna, which would have broken Sumire's heart if she wasn't so focused on helping Luna stand upright.
It was really a sight to behold; Luna and Mikan within 50 feet of each other and not clawing the other like pissed off cats.
Turning to whisper something to Ruka, Natsume raised an eyebrow when he saw the blond was muttering angrily to himself about...
Red eyed baka's?
Smirking in amusement at how odd everyone was acting, Natsume faced forward once more.
Luna was fuming on the inside and who could blame her?
Some freakish new girl had actually laid hands, or feet, on her! Not only that, but she had stood up for Mikan Sakura in front of everyone. If this wasn't a breach of her authority, then Luna didn't know what was.
Pulling Sumire's arm off her shoulder, Luna walked near the back of the gym to listen to Narumi sensei, who explained that Professor Jinno had to make an errand that day, so he was going to take over. Luna drifted off in the middle of the bishie looking teachers droning.
She was sick and tired of Mikan Sakura walking freely around the school like she owned the place.
It was a blow to her pride when Luna had realized who Mikan's mother was, but she was literally seething when the girl captured Natsume's attention! The man may have acted like he hated her, but Luna knew better. His eyes said it all.
Nobara had said a long time ago that Luna liked to make something out of nothing, but Luna was for real this time.
She was going to make Mikan Sakura wish she were dead.
"Alright, you all will form a circle and count 1,2,1,2. Ones will be on the first team, Two's on the other!" Narumi instructed, his usual grin adorning his face.
Most of the students beside Natsume, Aoi, and Luna rushed towards the center of the room, kids pushing and shoving and shouting chaos.
It literally took 5 minutes for them to make a perfect circle.
Mikan realized with dismay that she sat nowhere near Angel or Hotaru, who hadn't even glanced at Mikan since entering the gym.
Instead, she was squashed between a girl with green hair tied into a bun and a girl with blood red eyes who looked a lot like Natsume Hyuuga.
Mikan suddenly remembered that the girl had bumped into her when she was running out of Natsume's mansion, along with some blond girl who actually looked like a high school student now that Mikan thought about it. Glancing out the corner of her eye, Mikan noted that she was gorgeous.
'Just like every other snobby rich person.'
Sighing, Mikan buried her face in her hands after saying her number, which was 2, and didn't notice Aoi glancing at her in recognition out the corner of her eye.
'That girl from before...'
3 minutes later...
"Angel chan! Hotaru chan! We're on the same team!" Mikan shouted in astonishment and happiness.
It was literally a miracle!
Hotaru glanced at Mikan, looking thinner than usual in her gym uniform, and much to Mikan's disappointment, didn't reply.
Angel walked up to Mikan, brushing past Luna who was also on team 2, and smiled a forced smile.
"Hello Mikan...who's this?" Angel nodded towards Hotaru, who gave Angel a once over.
Mikan did not notice the way Hotaru's eyes narrowed.
"She," Mikan corrected while walking over to the violet eyed girl, "Is my bestest friend Hotaru!" Mikan hugged Hotaru's arm to herself, only laughing brightly when Hotaru tried to get away.
Luna scoffed at this and went over to the line of balls in the center of the room, observing the opposite team in disgust.
Team 1# apparently consisted of several boys, the only girls being Aoi, Sumire, and a girl with blond braided pigtails. Luna spotted Natsume beside his sister and Ruka, and her cheeks flushed when he glanced at her.
Natsume stared blankly at Luna for a moment, his red eyes bored. Wasn't she that girl who lied to the whole school one time, saying she was his girlfriend? Aoi nudged Natsume, distracting him, and Luna sighed before walking back over to her group.
Narumi nodded approvingly when he saw the two teams were formed, and stood to the side of the room, horn in hand.
"We will only go three rounds today. Natsume will be the leader of Team 1 and Anna will be the leader of Team 2." He called out, shocking most of the students.
Anna Umenomiya blanched at the announcement and flushed when everyone turned to look at her.
Mikan and Hotaru glanced at each other silently and Luna smirked as Anna and Natsume faced each other. Natsume barely even acknowledged the blue eyed pinkett and instead smirked at Mikan, who glared at him with venom.
'You'd think I was his opponent right now instead of Anna. What's his deal?' Mikan thought angrily to herself as she stood silently beside Hotaru.
Everyone braced themselves, Angel and Luna both taking positions the closest they could to the balls. Hotaru seemed disinterested and only stared blankly ahead while Aoi and Ruka both stood beside each other stiffly on their side of the gym.
"Ready...begin!"
Mikan pushed Angel out of the way as the next dodge ball shot past, knocking a short girl with glasses down in her place.
"Thanks, but I could have dodged myself," Angel muttered grumpily but smiled softly afterwards to show Mikan she was grateful.
Dusting off her plaid gym shorts, Mikan leaned down and pulled Angel to her feet, both of them realizing at the same time that they were the last ones, besides Luna, standing on their side of the gym. Hotaru and Anna stood silently beside the rest of their fallen team mates.
Which meant...
"Mikan, look out-" Angel called, and tried to push Mikan out of the ball's path. Mikan tried to turn her head to see but was suddenly shoved out the way.
A sudden pang erupted through Mikan's skull and she fell to the ground, her pigtails flying and her breath caught in her throat.
'Ow...'
Slowly opening her eyes, Mikan glanced up cautiously, expecting her to be disqualified. But what she saw made her jaw drop.
Luna had pushed both Mikan and Angel to the side and caught the ball in her hands, a grim frown on her face.
'What!?'
"Ouch!" A boy with mousy hair shouted as Natsume's ball hit him right in the face.
Rubbing his nose, the purple haired boy muttered curses and walked defeatedly to the back of the room as Narumi's bell sounded.
This was bad.
There were 15 students on each team, and Mikan had thought that her team would have a chance. But now even Anna had been knocked out and there were still 10 people standing on Natsume's team, while there were only 6 on hers. They would be toast by the time this round ended.
Not to mention it was the last round.
Mikan hated to admit it, but besides Hotaru and Angel chan, Luna had knocked most of their opponents among the 5 defeated on Natsume's team. Mikan decided that despite their differences, she needed Luna's agility and iron fist to win.
"Narumi, I call time out!" Mikan shouted just as Natsume's sister Aoi knocked down another one of Mikan's teammates.
The whistle sounded and Natsume caught Mikan's gaze, a smug look on his face.
Mikan didnt give him the satisfaction of glaring at him though, instead she smiled brightly back as if they were the best of friends.
Natsume's smug look faltered as he watched Mikan saunter towards the remains of her team.
"You okay bad boy?" Aoi teased when she saw Natsume's bewildered look.
She had decided to let her hair down since her head was killing her, and she noticed that she was getting alot of cat calls.
'Boy attention was a lot more amusing then girl attention.' Aoi mused.
"Dont call me that Aoi," Natsume muttered and turned to give his team instructions.
Aoi stared at his retreating figure as the team surrounded him, and smirked. Glancing over at Anna's team, Aoi saw that the girl Natsume had been watching was whispering something to a tall blond girl with a beauty mark and an even taller girl who's eyes held something dark, Aoi realized. Dismissing it for the moment, she saw that the girl had long hair on one side and short on the other. Odd...
A girl with short black hair and purple eyes stood beside them but looked bored out of her mind. A second later Aoi saw the girl look up and meet her gaze. Aoi's eyes narrowed when she saw the girl stare at her as if she could see right through her, as if she could read her like a book. Her face heated.
She hated that look.
It was the look her mother gave her.
It was the look he used to give her.
Aoi clenched her fists before averting her gaze from the girls cold violet eyes and turning away. Forcing herself not to look back, Aoi walked over to where Natsume and Ruka stood among her team.
"Hotaru, are you listening?" Mikan called to the inventor after she managed to get Angel and Luna, much to her surprise, to call a truce with her.
Hotaru looked up from her place on the ground in confusion. She had been to busy thinking about the girl she'd had a staring match with earlier, who Hotaru recognized from Natsume's photo's she'd acquired. Her name was apparently Aoi, and Hotaru mulled over how she'd returned to Japan if she'd been isolated by the most powerful woman in asia.
Hotaru had clearly seen blood thirst in the girls eyes and when she managed to catch her gaze, the girl seemed angered for some reason.
'Interesting...'
"Hotaru!? Didn't you hear the whistle, watch out before they-" Mikan's voice stopped abruptly and Hotaru looked up.
Only for her face to be hit with brutal force by a dodge ball.
Hotaru knew before she even fell down who had thrown it. She may have not been aware of her surroundings for a moment, but Hotaru's sharp wit was always at attention. Who else but Natsume's sister would do it.
5 minutes later
"...She's not like that you know." Mikan looked at Luna, surprised at the girls deep voice interrupting her raging thoughts.
She had not quite finished cursing the Hyuuga family and she didn't want to stop from glaring daggers into an indifferent Aoi's back.
"What?" Mikan snapped angrily before blushing when Angel glanced at her in surprise.
"I mean...what?" Mikan asked more calmly, noting that Luna didn't seem bothered at all by Mikan's tone.
"Natsume's sister. She isnt usually like that."
"Like what." Mikan asked, annoyance lacing her voice as she glanced over where Hotaru sat beside Anna and the rest of their team.
Hotaru looked so calm, so lost in thought, and so damn relaxed despite the fact that Natsume's bloody eyed sister had nearly broken her neck!
"You know...heartless? No, careless is the right word. She only does that when someone pisses her off." Luna replied, dodging a ball easily as she spoke.
Mikan picked up a rubber ball and glanced at Luna in confusion before aiming at a plain looking boy on Natsume's team.
She did not miss.
"Hotaru didn't do anything to piss her off. But I'll say it right now, I'm pissed off, and thats enough."
Mikan dodged another ball and ignored the blond, obviously forgetting their truce and obviously hoping to forget their conversation as well.
Luna glared at Mikan silently, obviously annoyed.
"You never think Sakura."
Needless to say, the game ended with Luna and Natsume as the last ones standing.
The two had hit each other at the same time, so it was a draw.
No one on team 2 seemed satisfied though, and of course Luna and Mikan went back to being enemies straight after.
Mikan was definitely not looking forward to the next class.
This is without a doubt the most energy zapping chapter I've written...
But I did a good job right? XD
I can't do a sneak peak for this chapter, because I've only written the outline so...guess it'll be a sweet surprise!
Q and A
When will Natsume and Mikan have another long encounter?
Most likely next chapter, but I cant promise anything.
Luna isnt going to be a huge bitch is she?
It depends really. She was kinda nice in this chapter...
Is Angel going to be good at acting?
Very much so. But dont judge too soon...
Are Tsubasa and Aoi going to date?
Maybe. Maybe not :P
Does Natsume and Aoi's mother treat Natsume as harshly as Aoi?
No. Mostly because he's a son and a heir.
Will Aoi be a complete villian?
Depends...do most villains like strawberries and forcing their big brothers to dress up? XD
~.~
And thats it for today! See you next time!