Hey guys! I'm back! And guess what? I gots a new story! :D

I couldn't get this one out of my mind since… well, since I've seen this guy that I know. Yes, this story is based off of real life situations. Well, not all of it. I'll let you know that I knowing this guy who is in the same situations as Natty here but all the other stuff… well, not so much. It's just that… he inspired me. And I really do want to befriend him (since he doesn't talk to anyone much) and help him out as much as I can. I'm just too… shy. Or, the days when I find the courage to approach him, he hadn't made it to school and he goes missing for, like, another two weeks.

Yeah, now I'm starting to ramble. So, that's the situation. This is very loosely based on my life. Some of the stuff that happens to Mikan has happened to me. But, most of it is fake. Unreal. Made up.

Welp, hope you enjoy! ;)

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters. They all belong to Tachibana Higuchi! I only own this plot line and everything that is made up in this story! :P

Selfless

~Chapter 1~

She's been watching him for a long time; but, not in the stalker-ish, creepy way. Could you imagine it? Cute, innocent Mikan Sakura acting like some sort of creeper? No, that's not even close to her. Mikan doesn't do that. She was merely…curious about the lad; interested in his story. He was like a mystery waiting to be solved.

But that mystery's going to be difficult to dissect.

And this is because Mikan only knew the obvious facts about him. His family was uber poor. Her teacher had explained that to her classmates. She heard that he and his parents were living in a cheap motel that was located near the highway of the small town. She knew that he wouldn't be able to make it to school a lot because of transportation and possible illness that he may or may not have contracted. He didn't have the best immune system someone could wish for. She knew that, sometimes, he and his parents would be thrown out of the hotel because they were unable to pay the rent.

She didn't know why, but Mikan found herself wanting to know more about this unfortunate soul. Everything about him drew her in. His silky black tresses that widely contrasted to his pale white skin, his uniquely colored eyes (a mesmerizing crimson red); he captured her attention wholly. And don't forget his god-like features and that mysterious, cold aura that surrounded him. She couldn't help but wonder.

He didn't come to school a lot. Mikan, at first, found it weird. But when she asked her teacher, Narumi-sensei, she learned that his family needed him a lot to work and such. When Mikan learned this, she sighed and thought that his life must be really tough. If she were in his shoes, she didn't know if she'd be able to survive that way.

On the days that he was at school, she'd find herself staring at him. She didn't know why, but she'd just watch his actions from the sidelines and wonder what he was thinking. She found that he never talked to anyone, always stayed quiet in class and ate alone during lunch. She wondered why he never tried to talk to anybody. Why didn't he try to make any friends? There were so many times when she wanted to approach him; so many times she wanted to say, 'hello'. But, for some odd reason, she never had the courage.

And now, it's her first year in high school. Ever since seventh grade, she's had these thoughts. And she believed that she'd never see him again, never think of those things again. But, she decided something. If she ever saw him again, she'd approach him and make friends with him, no matter how much he pushed her away.

Yes, that's exactly what she'd do. She'd get to know him no matter what. If he ever showed up, that is. After all, you never know with Natsume Hyuuga.

Mikan ran into school, looking behind her back to see if anyone (more like a fan boy who had just confessed to her the day before through text messaging) was following her. She sighed in relief when she found it was just random peers she had yet to figure out the names of.

"Mikan!" A masculine voice called, a teasing edge to it.

She turned to see her best friend of 3 years, Kokoro Yome (Koko for short), making his way to her side as another one of her close friends, Sumire Shouda, followed.

"So," Koko teased, flinging his arm around Mikan's shoulders, "how did the confession go?"

Mikan gasped. "You're the one who gave him my number?"

"Haha! Yeah, wasn't it great?" Koko grinned evilly.

Mikan glared at him, trying her hardest to be angered by his actions. But, no matter what horrid thing he did to her, she just couldn't bring herself to be mad at her crazy best friend. She sighed and gave him a small smile before walking away from him.

"You're such a jerk!" She yelled over her shoulder, making her way to her first class of that Tuesday morning: Choir.

"Aww, I was just having fun!" Koko called as Sumire laughed at the two.

Mikan shook her head, grinning. "Don't get too overboard, now." The sarcasm was oh-so evident in her tone.

Sumire snickered at Koko before catching up with the auburn haired girl. "You're so lucky you're close to him!" Sumire gushed. "He's so cute!"

"Eww, please don't say that. He's like a brother to me. Pointing those things out will just make me puke," Mikan said, her nose scrunching up cutely. "And if you like him so much, ask him out."

"No way!" Sumire practically screeched in Mikan's ear, attracting attention from anyone walking in the out-door halls of the school. "That's the guys job! And I am most certainly not a guy."

Mikan chuckled beneath her breath. "No one questioned your gender," she muttered.

Unfortunately, Sumire heard her. "Hey, don't sass me!"

Mikan giggled as she held the music room's door open for her friend before walking into the room. And as she made her way to drop off her bag at the soprano section's area, she was met with someone she'd rather not see; especially since it'd be so awkward to speak to him after he confessed to her last night.

"Hey, Ruka-pyon," Mikan chirped, putting her bag down carefully while thinking that it was best to act like nothing weird happened between them.

Ruka, seeming as if he were pleased that their relationship didn't change although Mikan felt really awkward around him now, smiled and replied with a polite, "Good morning."

"So, are you going out with Kenta?" Ruka asked, making Mikan stop in her tracks of going towards the others to begin setting up the risers.

Stiffly, Mikan turned to look at Ruka. Kenta was the one who had opened Mikan's eyes to see how many admirers she really. Before Kenta had confessed to Mikan earlier that year, she had no idea that so many guys liked her. Because once he was found out, Mikan took a look around her, questioned her friends and acquaintances, and observed the boys around her and found out just how dense she was: she had many admirers watching her every day. And she didn't even know it! And now, Ruka was the second guy in 12 weeks to ask her out. Mikan held back a sigh. Things really were getting complicated for her, now that she was in high school.

"Ah, no," Mikan finally replied. "We're just friends."

"Oh, good- I-I mean, alright!" Ruka stuttered, turning a bright red.

"Ahm, right! So, let's help with the risers," Mikan replied, playing with the bottom of her school uniform's skirt awkwardly.

"Ah, lets!"

Once the bell rang, Mikan grabbed her things, captured Sumire and her purse, and high-tailed her way out of the music room. She couldn't even think about how awkward it would be if she were stuck with walking with Ruka to P.E. It would be absolute torture! Especially since they both have that subject next. Luckily, they have different teachers.

Mikan ignored Sumire's complaints as she dragged her friend into the girl's locker room. And once they got in front of Mikan's locker, they both sat on the benches, panting from the quick pace they had used.

"What the heck was that?" Sumire growled, glaring at Mikan.

"Y-you know what Koko and I were talking about earlier?" Mikan asked, her breathing already normal.

"Yeah."

"Well, Ruka was the one who confessed."

"Oh my gosh! You mean that really cute guy with blond hair and blue eyes?" Sumire squealed as Misaki Harada, Anna Umenomiya, and Nonoko Ogasawara entered the locker room. They immediately joined the conversation.

"So, Mimi, got a hot guy chasing after ya?" Misaki teased, opening her locker which was located beside Mikan's.

"But, the thing is, I don't like him!" Mikan complained as all the girls started to get ready for P.E.

"So you turned him down?" A voice asked behind Mikan.

Mikan jumped, spinning around to look at the newest addition to her friends' and her clique: Paula. She was a small Filipino girl that came from America a few weeks ago. Ever since Mikan took Paula under her wing, she's been the newest addition to the group.

"Hey Paula, didn't notice you there seeing as I was wallowing in my own misery," Mikan said glumly, pulling her quite short friend into a tight embrace.

"U-um, do the Japanese always hug people when they only have underwear on?" Paula asked, beet red.

"Nope!" Misaki chirped, joining in the embrace. "Only us!"

Paula laughed awkwardly as she decided to hug the two half naked girls back.

"Leave the poor girl alone," another friend of theirs said as she entered the locker room.

The girl who spoke, Tricia -another American, went to her locker on the other side of Mikan while laughing hysterically.

"You know you wanna join," Misaki grinned, giving Tricia a playful look.

"Wow, Misaki, you're such a pervert!" Tricia laughed.

Mikan giggled at her friend's antics. She loved them all dearly. She couldn't even imagine how life would be without them. Crimson eyes flashed in her mind and Mikan sighed, putting on her shirt. She wondered just how Natsume Hyuuga felt when he watched people walk around with friends. Was he lonely? Is he sad that he can't have that kind of friendship? Where was he… where was he now?

The huge group of girls walked down the sidewalk, passing the tennis and basketball courts to get to the schools gigantic track. But, before they could even start on walking across the courts, Mikan heard her name being called out by her P.E teacher. Telling her friends to go on without her, Mikan trotted towards the woman, fixing her black spandex shorts and baggy white P.E shirt with the school's insignia on it.

"Yes, Fujisaki-sensei?" Mikan asked politely when she was at a close enough range.

"You did a great job in showing Paula around the school and showing her how everything works. So, I want to know if it would be alright to add another addition to your group of friends." Fujisaki-sensei said.

Mikan smiled as she heard the gym doors behind her open up. "Sure, that'd be absolutely fine!"

"Good to hear!" Fujisaki beamed. "Mikan, please meet your new classmate."

Mikan turned around to take a look at the newest addition to the class and her heart immediately started to flutter. It was the guy who she could never seem to get out of her head. The boy with the silky black hair and those piercing crimson eyes that had an extreme contrast between his pale skin. The boy who never ceased to strike her interests and always seemed to work his way into her thoughts, no matter how dire or how un-unique the conversation seemed to be. The boy whom she hadn't seen since the middle of her eighth grade year at middle school:

Natsume Hyuuga.

~Chapter 1 End~

So? How was it? Interesting enough? I have a whole lot of stuff planned for this story. I can't wait until I put it all into words! Ahhh! Well, you tell me what you think of this. Please, drop a review to tell me if I should keep this going! Thank you all! Oh, and I already have the next chapter typed up. I'll just post it when I get some positive feed-back.

~xXPaintingRealityXx logging off! :D