Ready To Fall
Disclaimer: I do not own Alice Academy, and I certainly did not create it. But I respect and adore those who did. Also, I do not own the songs found in the entire story. If you want to know where it is from, the titles and singers are written at the bottom of the verses.
Author's Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction, so go easy on the reviews, guys. But I would really appreciate if you leave some comments on what I have written so far. Good or bad, I won't take it personally. I promise to take it as something that would help me improve my art.
'Ready to fall' is a song by Meredith Edwards. It was actually used as a soundtrack in the movie 'On The Line.' I'm not stealing this song from them. It just so happen that this song fits my story very well (at least that's what I think). Plus, I have a habit of using songs as an inspiration. Also, you would find that the chapter titles are actual songs. Again, so not because of having no originality. The idea is to give you an overview of each chapter through the verses quoted at each start.
Five years have passed since Mikan first set foot on Alice Academy. It has been five years since she first saw the boy who they call as the Black Cat. He was then trying, every chance he gets, to escape the Academy. No one could seem to stop him from trying, except for Mikan – the girl who has his favorite tree for a surname.
So five years, and Natsume is still in the Academy. But things changed since then. They really did. He did not only witness change around him, but he experienced it in him. And it's constantly surprising him.
Okay, okay, enough with my blabber… Here it is. Ready To Fall.
Chapter 1: She's out of my life
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She's out of my life. She's out of my life
And I don't know whether to laugh or cry
I don't know whether to live or die
And it cuts like a knife
She's out of my life
-'She's out of my life' by Michael Jackson-
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Everything is very quiet in the Alice Academy.
At this time of night, students and faculty alike would be in their own rooms either in deep slumber, trying to prepare for the next day's lessons or doing their nightly routines. No one is expected to be wandering outside the dormitory buildings.
Just like Hotaru. She is in her room doing some final tweaking for her latest invention. On her bed, Ruka and his rabbit are comfortably sitting while reading a magazine about cars. Occasionally, he calls her attention and share to her ideas for her next inventions. If this was four months ago, Ruka could probably make Hotaru throw him out of her room just by opening his mouth. But within those months, she got accustomed to his presence. She even finds it comforting.
Iinchou is also in his own room fussing about their next lesson in chemistry about atoms and molecules. He secured a canister of coffee before he resigned to go upstairs. He's probably the only one from their class doing this.
This is proven by Mochu, who's soundly asleep in his own bed, dreaming of a date with Anna.
Anna, however, is dreaming of something else – a food festival. She's now in her fantasy of whipping the best food recipe that would knock the judges out of this world with just one taste.
Nonoko, who's in the room next to hers, is lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling. She has been thinking of what Kokoro might be doing at this hour. Is he sleeping? What would he be dreaming about? Could she be in it?
Oblivious to her, Kokoro is having a hard time sleeping, because someone from the other room is pacing and thinking out loud. Even without his Mind-Reading Alice, he could hear the person next door. It would have been bearable if they are thoughts.
Five rooms from Kokoro, just down the hall, Sumire is still not done with her regimen. She's applying stuff to her face to keep it smooth and spotless. This is very important before she goes into her nice beauty rest.
In the Northern Forest, the little brown stuffed toy known as Mr. Bear would be resting in his cabin, soothed by the burning wood in the fireplace – which he chopped as part of his everyday routine – with a cup of tea by the table beside his recliner. Sitting by the fire, it reminds him of his master. When Andou Tsubasa, his master's bestfriend, graduated almost a year ago, the shadow manipulator left him at the custody of a certain brunette and her close friends. They have all been nice to him, but still he misses the warmth he receives from his master's hug.
Somewhere between the Middle School Dormitory and School Building, a certain Sakura tree is also missing the warmth it receives almost every night. It misses the nights full of exchanged stories between two certain students, who have made it a habit to meet under it after dinner time. It was not all it heard. Yes, it heard arguments and even silence. But not the barren silence it hears now. It used to be always full of warmth and comfort, but tonight it is empty and quiet. It's lonely. It's cold.
Cold. That's exactly what the boy standing under the tree feels. He feels cold, but it has nothing to do with the breeze of the evening air blowing his raven hair to his face. The coldness comes from deep within, and it's so strong that he could sense himself tremble.
Empty. He has never felt emptiness for more than five years now. There's always that something – someone – who fills those blanks in his life. He has known what it feels like to be happy, really happy. Now, after five years, it feels like it's slipping away again from his hands. The happiness that he was starting to get use to has all of a sudden been replaced with condemn and hatred.
Condemn and hatred. She has never looked at him with condemn and so much hatred. It's old news that they fight. They fight like their day won't be complete without an argument. But she never gave him that look. Her eyes has reflected a lot of things – of emotions, mostly happiness – but never condemn and hatred. He never believed it possible until fifteen minutes ago, when he not only witness it, but has received it.
And he knows he would never forget it.
"I thought you never want to talk to me again?" He asked when the owner of those eyes met him under the tree.
He didn't expect her to be there tonight. He thought for sure, after their encounter that afternoon, she would not come. But she did. He knew she probably came to try to patch things up. She never could stay away, even after they fight.
But the night did not go well.
"From now on, stay away from me, Natsume," he remembers her saying. She did not yell. He would have preferred for her to yell. He was used to that. But instead, she said it in a calm tone – the kind that throws shards of ice to the person spoken to. "Don't pretend like you care at all. I'm tired and I've had enough."
No tears. She did not cry when she turned her back and walk away.
She has walked away from him before, but she always came back. She insisted of not giving up on him, no matter how he tried to push her away. Tonight, however, he knows. He knows that she would not come back. He really did it this time. He lost her. He lost her even if he was not trying to. He lost his warmth. He feels like his flame is dying out.
And now it's cold and empty.