Gakuen Alice Fan Fiction ❯ I Love You, In My Own Way ❯ Mikan's Worst Nightmare ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 1 - Mikan's Worst Nightmare

“Hotaru?” called Sakura Mikan running towards her best friend. She just came out of the girls' bathroom and went out to breathe some fresh air, when she spotted, Hotaru heading to the direction of her lab.

Hotaru didn't even glance at Mikan, let alone wait for her to come. She resumed walking her way. Mikan frowned. It was typical of Hotaru's behavior and Mikan was used to it.

“Ne, Hotaru, would you come with me to central town?”

“No. I am busy,” replied Hotaru coldly.

“Please…” begged Mikan.

“I said I am busy, you can take someone else,” repeated Hotaru.

“Demo, Hotaru, I want you to come with me,” muttered Mikan pouting.

“Baka. `Till when are we going to go everywhere together?” snapped Hotaru. She turned around to face the stunned Mikan. “Tell me, Mikan, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I…I…Hotaru…” strutted Mikan, dropping her gaze on the floor. That was a sudden question and Mikan didn't have an idea, yet, of what she really wants to be in the future.

“I want to make great inventions. Inventions that no one ever thought of. I want to be independent, on my own. If we stay together like this forever, depending on each other, neither of us will reach his dreams.” Hotaru sighed, noticing the familiar tears in Mikan's amber eyes. “Mikan, you have to depend on your self. Someday will come, when you'll regret not doing things on your own." Hotaru paused. "I am late, I'll see you around. Ja.” With that, Hotaru left Mikan standing alone, with tears threatening to fall.

All Mikan wanted was for her and Hotaru to go to central town and have fun together. However, her best friend rejected her in her usual cold ways. She has to depend on her self. Mikan felt like a fool, always depending on her best friend for everything.

“Demo, Hotaru could be very mean sometimes…”mumbled Mikan to herself, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

“Talking to yourself again, polka-dots panties,” said a cold voice, coming from the direction of the garden.

Mikan snapped her head to the direction and formed a fist, glaring at Natsume, who was reading Manga under a tree. “I told you million times not to call me that,” fumed Mikan.

Natsume looked up from his book and lingered his scarlet eyes on Mikan, who was frowning deeply at him, “then why are you flashing your pants for the world to see?”

Mikan froze and glanced at her behind. She screeched loudly. Her skirt was hitched up to her pants and her polka-dots pants were bare for anyone to see. Mikan exploded in fury. Mikan realized she has a strange habit of flashing her pants at Natsume, not that she intended to.

Mikan looked at Natsume who was blankly staring at her, and then he turned back to the manga he was reading. Mikan couldn't be more embarrassed than this. Her cheeks turned scarlet. How many times did she flash her pants to him so far? That's it. She will definitely not get married.

Mikan sighed and walked up to Natsume. She dropped next to him under the tree and crossed her legs, sighing loudly.

“Polka-dots, you're too loud, go sit somewhere else,” snapped Natsume in annoyance.

Mikan moved an inch.

Natsume let out a heated breath and glared at Mikan, who smiled innocently at him. It took him great control not to burn her piggy tails this second. After some time of glaring, Natsume flinched and Mikan looked at him in cnfusion, but he retrotted his gaze back to his book.

“What is it you're reading?” said Mikan snatching the book of Natsume's hand. She flickered through it and looked at the animation. “You sure do read a lot of this stuff, ne?” asked Mikan glancing at Natsume.

Her breath was caught as she stared, with fear, at Natsume's scarlet eyes flashing dangerously at her.

“Give it back, before I burn you alive,” said Natsume treacherously.

Mikan gulped and slowly handed the book to Natsume's waiting hand. “God, you're so mean,” she muttered under her breath.

Natsume snatched the book. Mikan noticed it again, Natsume flinched and closed his eyes tightly. He opened his eyes, gave her one more glare and continued reading his book.

“Ne, Natsume, would you come with me to central town?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Why would I want to go with an ugly girl like you?”

“You…” said Mikan dangerously, raising her fist. Her cheeks puffed up in fury and her eyes glazed in anger. “Because I am your partner.”

“So?”

Mikan sighed in defeat.

“Ne, Natsume, can I ask you a question?” asked Mikan, gathering her knees to her chest. Mikan, sure, talks a lot.

“No.” Natsume said with a flat tone.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” asked Mikan, gazing at the blue sky.

Natsume snorted.

Mikan sighed. “I don't know what I want to be. Hotaru knows what she wants to do in ten years time, whereas me, I don't know. I am so stupid,” said Mikan in a soft voice.

“Baka,” muttered Natsume softly. He can tell that in a second, she'll release her annoying tears and cry. No matter how long he knew her, she always was strange to him. Never in his life had he met someone like her, worrying about nonsense. “You're still young. You have a long time for you to decide what to do in the future,” stated Natsume in a low voice.

“Natsume…” uttered Mikan surprised. She never expected him to say those words

“You don't have to know everything. It's ok to be stupid sometimes, although you are all the time,” continued Natsume, still looking at his book.

Mikan stared at Natsume with wide eyes. “That's right," she exclaimed. "I have time to think it over and never have to rush it. How come I didn't think that?” she knocked her head softly and giggled.

“That's because you're stupid.”

“Thank you, Natsume. You're a great friend.”

Natsume glanced at Mikan and saw her smiling at him brightly. Great friend? Since when was he her friend? Then again, he was glad that she was smiling again. He didn't like her to see her upset and she always gets worked up in little things. She could be very annoying; then again he liked her cheerfulness and selfless personality. Natsume snapped out of his thoughts and returned his gaze back to his book, what is he thinking about? Natsume felt his cheeks burning slightly.

Mikan, now a smile plastered on her face, stared at the sky, when suddenly she felt a weight drop on her shoulder. Confused, she turned her head to see and gasped.

Natsume's head was on her shoulder.

On her shoulders.

Mikan froze.

She didn't know what to do. Natsume never pulled stunts like that, hell, she never thought he'll ever do. She stayed still staring at the horizon and blinked rapidly. Mikan could hear that Natsume was breathing heavily.

Mikan heard something dropping on the ground. She glanced at it and saw it was the manga, Natsume was reading. Now, Mikan was really confused. She couldn't see the expression on Natsume's face, so she didn't know what is he exactly doing...or thinking about.

“Ne, Natsume….” Said Mikan hesitantly.

Silence.

“Natsume…?” called Mikan again. Now, this was strange.

Mikan shifted slightly causing Natsume to drop on the ground like a piece of paper. Mikan gasped. She turned Natsume around and saw that he was unconscious. Sweat formed all over his face and he was breathing with difficulties.

“Natsume? Natsume, wake up,” said Mikan with concern in her face. She shook his shoulders but there was no response.

Mikan could feel her heart speeding with fear and concern.

Mikan snapped her hand on her mouth, when she noticed his blooded shirt. Natsume was bleeding and she didn't notice. How stupid can she be? The whole time he was in pain and she was stupidly blabbering about her stupid concerns. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Natsume, don't die!” wailed Mikan loudly, tears streaming down her eyes.

To be continued…