If I lay here... If I just lay here... Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

The words rang in my head. What was she trying to say? Maybe she knew... and she...

I don't know. When I heard the words come out of Imai's mouth, my heart dropped and my eyes hurt. My throat was sore and as much as I swallowed, the food I consumed had no flavor.

I felt nothing at all.

"Aw... it smells good. We should get something to eat!" I heard a girl squeal as she pulled her mothers sleeve. I wondered what she smelled exactly that got her craving food. Sadly, I put my head in my hands and continuously ran a hand through my hair to calm my nerves down but nothing was working like it should have. I took deep breaths but they eventually came down as short. I shook my head but I just couldn't stop.

Why her?

I was surprised at my own thoughts that I couldn't help but sigh.

She didn't deserve it... no one did.

"Natsume?"

I shook my head as I face-palmed. It's almost as if I could hear her voice.

"Natsume!"

I whip my head back and find myself gazing into a pair of pure hazel eyes.

"Mikan..." the words come out smooth, I don't even notice them. She gives me a small smile and I notice that she's sitting up. Although her hair is kinda messy, its actually put down instead of in a braid or ponytail. She's not wearing her glasses and she looks completely different with her shoulder length hair. She looks beautiful...

"Natsume?" I shake my head and give her what seems like a smile.

"How are you feeling?" I look away because for some reason... I'm embarrassed. That and also, I can't really face her without thinking of what she has...

"I'm sorry... I must have... caused you so much trouble..." Her face filled with tears and she hid her face as she noticed my concern, "I shouldn't have done it! I just... I just... I was careless. I won't do it again..." She kept repeating over and over again. I didn't know what to do so I stood up, causing her to look up at me again. I leaned over and wrapped my arms around her head. I pulled her against my chest and I looked at the wall as I spoke. She returned the embrace.

"It's okay, I'm here. Cry all you want..." I didn't know what to say so I just caressed her head like a child. I wanted her to calm down. She sobbed against my chest and she didn't stop for quite some time.

"Are you sure you're okay now?" I asked after she told me she was done.

"Yeah... I won't do it again." She muttered bitterly to herself. "Never."

Silence filled the air. I gazed at her, but she never looked me in the eye. I searched her face to see what expression she held. Nothing. She expressed nothing.

"You're voice is beautiful." I blurted and her face lit up for two seconds and dimmed again. I blushed at my own comment and looked down at my tapping feet. I was counting my toes when she made me look up at her at the sound of her own voice.

"Thank you." She smiled, the real kind of smile you saw on a vivacious person. It totally caught me off guard because she turned her head at me. Waiting for an answer as to why I would be looking at her. I chuckled as I remembered Youichi's words.

["...you like her..."]

"I heard you... in the room" I mumbled with a cracking voice. I was acting all shy, suddenly and I decided to stop this stupid side of me and I looked her in the eye. For once... I was going to be honest with myself and I wasn't going to tell anyone about it. If I did... then surely I'd regret it.

I took Mikan's hand in mine and I wrapped the other one on top. I was gonna spill everything.

"Mikan... I-" The door opened and a certain blond entered the room abruptly. I sighed and let go of her hand.

"Ruka..." Mikans eyes darted towards the blond and he returned a smile in greeting.

"Hey Mikan. How are you feeling?" He gave me a nod and I did the same. We were friends but right now I felt... betrayed, because he interrupted the moment me and Mikan had. I was going to tell her everything and the absolute truth. Now it had to be postponed.

"Fine as I'll ever be." Today, I seem to find the floor really interesting to look at. Especially since I can't look at Mikan the same way anymore.

"I brought you... uh..." He pulled a bouquet of white lilies from behind him sheepishly. He had the biggest grin anyone could have. I guess... he didn't know about her either, huh?

"Ah... you shouldn't have Ruka-pyon...! Oops... that came out on accident." She giggled as she brought the flowers to her nose. She took a deep sniff and she gave out a exaggerated sigh. "They smell nice."

"Mikan..." Ruka sweat-dropped, "I told you not to call me that!"

"Oh... please it's just Natsume here. What's he gonna do? Roast you?" I let out a nervous laugh at her 'joke' which really is the truth. I could roast him with my Alice of course.

"AHAHAHA! Roast... ha... that's funny." I pretended to wipe a tear. "Good one Mikan."

"Yeah..." She narrowed her eyes at me and went back to bubbly talking to Ruka like she wasn't the sobbing girl a couple minutes ago. "Thanks Ruka. These are my favorites! What would I do without you?" She boasted about how awesome her best friend was. I just stared into space.

"So why do you call him Ruka-pyon??" I uttered in curiousity, honestly... I just needed something to distract myself.

"Because... when he was little..." She held a finger to her chin, thinking, "When he was little he always held a stuffed bunny, he'd bring it to class and I'd always tease about it. Back then I could only call him Ruka-pyon. It's my nickname for him." She smiled at the thought and she shook her head, "What about you...? Do you have any good friends with funny nicknames?"

"No..." I thought and no one came to mind. I didn't call Youichi by any nickname and Imai was just Imai I never called her by her first name because that was plain weird.

"Then who was that girl I saw a little while ago?" Ruka whistled. I narrowed my eyes at him and shook my head in disapproval. "What?"

"She's just a... friend." I muttered with a finger rubbing at my forehead. Me and Imai could not be a thing, I repeat... Not.

"Oh really? Why was she in here?"

"How would you know she was in here?" I argued. We both ended up an inch away from each other. Our breaths against our skin and our eyes glancing at one another.

"I saw her visitor sticker and the same uniform as you wore another time." He rolled his eyes, "Why are you getting all defensive...?" He glanced outside the window in anger, he let out an exasperated sigh. I did too.

"Sorry... it's just she's my... uh... ex-girlfriend." I looked away and rubbed the back of my neck uncomfortably, I hate talking about these kind of topics.

"Oh..." Is all Ruka could say. The air got heavy, I mean really heavy and Ruka finally sat on the other side of Mikan's bed. She was still smelling her flowers awkwardly and she didn't look at either of us in the eye, much less at us at all. It kinda pained me to sit here in silence. It probably did to her too.

"What did the doctor say?" I decided to cut the thick air that surrounded us three.

"He said I could walk in like two days or one if I'm lucky." She tugged at one of flowers and twirled it with two fingers. She gazed at it in admiration and she loved to admire them. She was like a granny looking at coupons, but I couldn't help smiling at her. "I can't wait to get out of here." She muttered through one of her flowers. I grinned a little at her comment.

"Me too." Whispered only loud enough for me to here. "How did he say your condition was?"

"He said I was fine... I just needed to take a few pills with me and drink plenty of water daily. It'll be a pain but it's not the first time..." She slapped her mouth and let out a barely audible cough.

"Mikan... are you sure you're fine?" Me and Ruka questioned. She closed her eyes and with a sigh, she gave us a thumbs up.

"Really guys... I'm fine. I just need a little rest and everything will be okay. You guys worry too much." I shook my head.

"Mikan. I freakin saw you cough out blood and your body lay limp on the ground when I saw you! You're head was also burning with fever, I couldn't believe what was happening to you! How do you expect me to react?" I stood up with fists at my sides. I was angry... because she acts like it was nothing! She has a life-shortening Alice! An Alice that limits her life span and she perfectly knows it.

I can see it in her eyes, and her personality that she's trying her hardest to ignore it completely, but I'm not dumb.

I've only ever seen that before and I never thought I'd ever see it anywhere else.

Me.

She's just like me...

Only it's worse, she's trying her best to act tough when she knows exactly whats going on.

Meanwhile I'm trying my best to act calm for my sister when I know her life depends on every move I make.

It's the same... our situations are the same.