A woman with large brown eyes stared in disbelief at her daughter; the little brunette with her hair in pigtails was crying her eyes out, and repeatedly screaming,

"I hate you! I HATE YOU!"

"Mi-Chi you don't mean that..." The woman name Yuka was trying to hold back the tears... 'I'm too young for this... I didn't ask to be a mother... Mikan please stop crying! You can't hate me more then I hate myself... You're all I have left....'

"Mama always lies! I want papa!" The little girl was still crying, rubbing her eyes with the back of her balled up fist. Yuka fell on her knees in front of her daughter.

"Mi-Chi, you know papa is in the sky watching over us… Come on now stop crying... let's go get something to eat. How about some sushi?" Yuka tried to comfort little Mikan.

Mikan shook her head and lay down on the floor. Her mother smoothed back her hair lovingly, and then slowly stood up.

"I'll be right back with the sushi, okay? I love you Mikan." Mikan ignored her mother. Little did she know that would be the last time she would ever see her mother. The last time her mother would ever say those three words. Mikan didn't know she would never get to say them back and she would regret everyday for the rest of her life.

Mikan Sakura is now 15 years old and that memory still haunts her. She lives with her best friend Hotaru Imai in an apartment above Hotaru's shop.

"Baka." Speaking of her best friend Hotaru stood in the doorway. The girl had a short jet black hair and Amethyst eyes. She always wore a blank expression on her face.

"You have mail Mikan." Hotaru said throwing the letters on the table then sitting down on a chair. Mikan jumped out of bed and plopped down next to Hotaru.

"…magazine payment… Alice Academy?" With a confused look on her face Mikan turned the envelope over and opened it, pulling out a letter that read:

Dear Miss Mikan Sakura,

It is to my deepest pleasure to welcome you to Alice Academy.

The video you sent is absolutely mesmerizing. We expect great things

From you this fall here at Alice Academy School for performing arts.

See you soon Miss Sakura.

Sincerely,

Narumi-Sensei

Mikan POV

Eh? I never sent in a video. Then I looked up at Hotaru and saw the evil glint in her eyes.

"Hotaru!? You? Did you? EH!?" I couldn't finish any of my questions; I couldn't stop my mouth from dropping.

"You look more stupid that way, baka close your mouth." I listened.

"Hotaru why did you send in that video I wasn't even serious! I can't go to Alice Academy!" I put my head in my hands and groaned.

You're a good singer Mikan, and I'm a great piano player it's only common sense that we go to the most prestigious elite musical school." Hotaru stood up and walked to the door leaving me to think to myself.

'Ugh, she actually complemented me. Wow, she's right though Alice Academy for the Performing Arts is the best in Japan. Almost everyone that goes there becomes famous.'

Well I only have two weeks before we leave for Alice Academy. I mentally groaned. This can only be a disaster waiting to happen.

Normal POV

"Hotaru, I'll go. But I don't think I'll go as a singer, maybe I'll go as an actress I need to develop my acting skills." Mikan said as she stared at her dinner.

"Don't be stupid. Of course you're going to sing." Hotaru said as she took out the infamous Baka Gun. Daring Mikan to contradict her. Mikan gulped an audible gulp and took her napkin raising it like a white flag.

"I surrender." She said waving her napkin. Hotaru smiled a small smile.

Hotaru POV

This baka, she is so dense, stupid, and naïve. But if she was anything else she wouldn't be Mikan. I listened as she told me about an argument she had with a boy at the park. I kept up the bored façade. Of course only Mikan would get mad that he took the last swing.

"How old was he?" I asked.

"Hmm… I think 9?" She thought?

I could only try to hold in the laughter that bubbles inside. She smiled at me and laughed out loud. It felt as if she took the laughed that bubbled inside and laughed for me. This baka, she has been through a lot I still hear her cry at night. But she acts as if she's okay. I know that when she is ready and wants to talk she'll talk to me. I mean I am her best friend.

Normal POV

The two girls settled into bed, our little Mikan stared at the ceiling lost in her thoughts.

'Oh Kami, I hate sleeping. It's the same torturous thing over and over. I need to let it go it's been ten years.' She closed her eyes and willed herself to a peaceful sleep.

Mikan woke up with a stifled scream.

'Oh Kami it was worse this time.' She shook her head and jumped out of bed. She went to the bathroom to do her hygiene duties. Then she put her long brown hair up into a high ponytail. She put on an orange skirt and a yellow top. She grabbed her dream journal and ran down the stairs.

"Hotaru! I'm going to the park, see you later." Mikan called over her shoulder and ran into the sun.

When she got there she found her favorite place the secluded trees that sat at the bottom of a hill. She lay in the shadow of a giant Sakura tree. She hummed to herself and opened up her dream journal. And began to write a fantasy, her favorite day dream.

Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep and it was almost dark.

'Uh-oh Hotaru is going to be angry.' Mikan ran back to the store and slipped into the apartment unnoticed by the busy girl.

"Oi baka, you need to stop day dreaming and start thinking of the song you're going to sing when we get to the Academy."

Mikan looked up and bit her lip.

"B-but we already s-sent in t-that video." Mikan pouted.

"Well how do they know it isn't fixed? So you and I and everyone else have to perform in front of them when we get there." Hotaru stated matter of factly. She pulled out her composition book with all her music pieces inside.

'Which song should I use?' They thought to their selves. They were both lost in thought over this new challenge. Then they both decided to compose a new piece for their audition.

"Baka leave. I need complete silence while I compose my next piece." Hotaru shot her a glare the clearly read If-you-mess-me-up-I'll-kill-you. Mikan sweat dropped and grabbed her guitar and notebook then left the apartment. She walked to the park back to her favorite spot among the trees.

She loved the park, everything is so beautiful. When she reached her spot she saw how the setting sun casted a shadow over the trees and it took her breath away.

She sat on the grass and hummed a beat. She had words burning within her begging to come out. She inhaled and let the feeling consume her. Then she grabbed her notebook and began to write furiously. Picking up her guitar to strum some chords to make sure it sounded good. When her song was done she gathered her guitar and notebook then walked back to the apartment, humming the beat.

'Maybe Alice Academy won't be bad, maybe it'll actually be fun.' She giggled and smiled to herself.

Little did our brunette know that it was going to get very complicated.