My Imaginary Friend
written by ejo

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Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas to one and all!

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Summary: I have a friend. I really like him. Too bad, he's not real.

Author's Note: For Sophisticated Elegance of Team C. Mikan aged 7. Natsume aged 27. Er, not a pedophilia story. Rushed, I know.

I couldn't remember how I exactly met him. One day, he just appeared out of nowhere and I enjoyed his company. We would normally take walks together, go past bedtime together and even share our secrets. He was my best friend. My one and only best friend. I believe that would never change at all.

As we waited for mom to come home, we passed the time watching a movie in the theater room. Mom specifically renovated this room to match a theater house as a gift for me during her constant absences. I never appreciated it since it was never fun watching a movie alone... not until I met Natsume. Natsume preferred books over television—a complete total opposite of me, but that didn't stop him spending his time with me. While watching, he would always stick by my side. It was a regular occurrence. It was better than being alone in that room.

"Hotaru cried today," I told him. "She scraped her knee while we were playing in a field of flowers behind the school."

"She's the one who always bully you, doesn't she?" he confirmed. He closed the manga he was reading and turned to me with a smirk plastered on his face. "Serves her right."

I frowned. "Hotaru's my friend, Natsume."

"Has the definition of the term 'friend' changed throughout the years? Friends don't attempt to hurt their own friends." he said.

I smiled at him. "We're best friends, you and I, right?"

He rested his feet on the table and slumped onto the couch. I leaned my head on the armrest. "Of course." he replied, stretching my smile wider.

"Your mom's still not home?" he asked, glancing at the clock, seeing that it was already eleven-thirty in the evening. It was normal though. Mom would normally come around one o'clock from work (at least that was what she tell me). I shook my head and reached out to the popcorn bowl.

"She should take better care of you." he commented. I patted him on the head, much to his annoyance, but he didn't struggle. I guess he liked it.

"My classmate, Mochu, mentioned a word I have never heard of during break time," I said, after munching a couple of popcorn, attempting to open another topic. Talking about family was never my thing. Like a reflex action, I would often leave the topic at peace. "He said 'asshole'. What does it mean?"

Natsume scratched his head. His expression looked troubled. Last time I saw him like this was when I asked him where babies come from. "Well, uh," he stammered, dismissively. "Asshole is a word that, uh, defines people who break promises."

I cupped my chin, letting the new discovery sink into my mind. "Mom's an asshole then," I concluded. "She breaks her promises with me." In the corner of my eye, I saw him slapped himself. Did I say something wrong?

"Um," he broke the silence. "What kind of promises did your mom break?" I figured he asked this to keep the conversation going. Natsume was like that. He liked asking questions and I liked answering them.

"A trip to the zoo once," I counted. "Then to visit grandma, eat Chinese food together and a couple of more others." I glanced at Natsume, our eyes meeting. "You won't break your promise, right?"

The memory started to blur. I couldn't recall what he replied back then, he was mouthing his words and the scenery started to be fuzzy.

A soft thud came from the main door. Mom arrived barefoot, her high heels hanged on her left hand and in her right was her shoulder bag. Her hair was pretty messed up, but she still looked beautiful. She owned a production company that star actors and actresses. She raised me alone for seven years. I never got to meet dad. Mom said I was better off not knowing him.

"Still not sleepy, sweetheart?" she leaned down and gave a peck on my forehead. She threw her bag and shoes on the floor and dumped herself beside Natsume.

"Your mother rinks of alcohol." he said as he pinched his nose.

"Shhh." I hissed.

Mom looked at me and patted my head. "Darling, you have to stop talking with your so-called imaginary friend. If people see you like this, what would they think of me?" She noticed the bowl of popcorn on the table and took a bunch of them. Nobody but I could see Natsume. It was like that for two and a half years ever since he arrived on my house's doorstep. He told me he would make me happy. My doctor told my mom that it was natural for me to develop an imaginary friend, said it was due to my loneliness, but he was wrong. Natsume couldn't be made out from loneliness, rather I believe he was from my buried happiness.

"Natsume said he smelled you." I told her, looking up at her.

"Oh, did he? What else did he say?" she asked, wobbling on her spot.

"You smell of alcohol."

Her eyebrows furrowed, her nose twitched. She grunted before saying, "I think it's time for you to sleep, young lady."

"About time she says that." Natsume piped in.

Mom didn't bother turning the lights off, she knew I was scared of the dark. After tucking me in, she kissed me goodbye and left silently. I couldn't sleep at all.

"You're not going to grow tall if you don't sleep early." a voice spoke. I glanced at my side and saw Natsume sitting on the edge of my bed. I wished Natsume had blue eyes. His flaming red eyes glowed in the dark and it was scary. It was as if I was looking at a… a… devil.

"That's what every grown-up would say." I snorted. I studied Natsume's face again. He had this striking aura emitting from him. There was this one time that I attempted to draw him to prove to everyone that I really know him. Too bad I never really had a knack for drawing. I just draw a human stick figure, only to gain nothing but laughter from the adults.

"Natsume," I called, my hand reaching to his sleeve. "Stay with me forever, won't you?"

He looked at me first before turning to the ceiling and then to me again. He smiled this time. I didn't know back then that he made an expression of a parent who was about to leave its child. "I will, Mikan." he assured.

I smiled widely. I patted the space beside me, inviting him to sleep beside me. He crawled over to my side and lie on the bed with me. He ran his fingers through my hair, waiting for me to fall asleep. I was scared of falling of asleep actually. I was scared of the fact that the moment I wake up, he might leave.

I didn't want him to go.

Natsume promised and I believed him.

"Happy Birthday, Sweetie!" my mother greeted, a cake on her hand and a party hat on her head. She had this ridiculous smile etched on her face. She ushered me to sit up and taste the cake she baked. I stuck my finger on the chocolate frosting and gave it a taste. It was… okay.

"I made your favorite spicy Thai curry downstairs." she said.

I glanced at my side and didn't see Natsume. I started to panic. "M-Mom, I can't find N-Natsume." I stuttered, scared.

She flashed a comforting look. "It's about time for him to leave you."

With that I started to cry and ran outside of the room. I was almost stumbling when I was going down the staircase, but I didn't care. I wanted to see him. As I was about to turn to another hallway, I accidentally hit myself over a porcelain jar. Broken shards of glass surrounded me, some of them got into my feet, but the pain was nothing compare to not seeing Natsume.

"Mikan!" a voice cried from behind.

I turned around and saw Natsume who looked at me with a very horrified expression. He dashed to my side and carried me and transferred me to the couch. He ripped his own white shirt and wrapped the bleeding wound in a fast speed. "What do you think you are doing?"

I hugged him. "I was scared. I thought you left me."

He broke the hug and gave out a wistful sigh. "You foolish child."

I smiled, not knowing a tear escaped from my eye.

He pressed his back against the rim of the coffee table, his eyes downcast. "Mikan," he let out my name like an exasperated sigh. "I have something to tell you."

"W-What?" I croaked.

"I can't stay any longer, I need to go," he told me, his eyes fixated on the Persian rug under him. "Once a child reaches their 8th year, I and my kind need to leave. It has always been like that."

"But you promised me!" I cried.

He went still. "Sorry."

I pounded my fists. "You're an asshole, Natsume!"

The gap between the two of us closed, he reached out his hand and covered my eyes. I slapped him away, but he didn't budge on his spot. "Sorry, Mikan," he whispered at my ear. "Once you open my eyes, you'll forget about me. You won't remember anything at all. Children have been like that. They tend to forget us. Sorry, Mikan."

How could I forget someone who gave me so much to remember? I can't forget about him—not Natsume. "N-Natsume, I won't forget about you s-so don't go!" I begged.

The moment stretched, it could have been complete silence, if it weren't for my endless sobbing. "Goodbye, Mikan." I couldn't feel his touch anymore. As soon as I opened my eyes, he was gone. I glanced at my feet and noticed that even his alternate bandage had disappeared. I started to cry louder. My mom came afterward, asking me what was wrong.

Her arms wrapped around me, calming me even though she didn't know why I was breaking down.

I couldn't stop crying at all. The pain piled up. I don't want him to go. I don't want him to leave. I want him to stay.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"N-Natsume's gone!" I sobbed.

Natsume was wrong about one thing: I still remembered him.

End

A/N: Merry Christmas to everyone. :) This story is for the exchange gift event in Team C of AoGA. I hope you enjoyed reading this. Do review. Winks.