[Alice Academy][fanfic] A Clockwork Tangerine, Chapter 3.
By Henry J. Cobb

The Gakuen Alice characters and situations are the creation of Higuchi
Tachibana and this parody is not intended to cause any damage to that
property.

Chapter three: Lap Dog.

Yoichi wanted the window seat on the bus to Central Town so I had him sit
on Mikan's lap.  I took the seat next to her so she'd have no quick escape.

He waited a few minutes then pointed out the window, "Look, a deer."

"Where?"  Mikan looked out the window to her right.

Yoichi looked over Mikan's left shoulder and summoned a ghost right next to
her left ear.

She looked to the left, "Yii!", tighened her grip on Yoichi and banished
his ghost, "That wasn't very nice Yo-chan."

"It's my alice."

"That doesn't make it right."

When we got off the bus Yoichi grabbed my hand, "This way."

Mikan followed us to Talking Pictures store, "They make movies?"

"Something like that.  Every shop in Central Town has a bit of Alice to
it," I held open the door for both of them.

Yoichi walked up to the counter and stood on tiptoes, "I want of picture of
me please."

"Sure, that will be 35 rabbits please," Mr. Edogawa, the old man who ran
the shop, replied.

Yoichi counted out his 30 rabbits and seemed to be at a bit of a loss.

"Thirty five", Mikan put her five rabbit coin on the counter.

"This way please," Mr. Edogawa pulled out his special camera, "You get one
minute.  That's the same amount of time it takes that narrow hand to go
completely around on that clock, ok?"

"I understand."

"Ready?  OK, start now."

Yoichi smiled, "Hi mommy!  I'm doing very well at school.  I've made lots
of friends and they even gave me a star," He held up his collar, "I'll see
you soon."

Mr. Edogawa went back to his darkroom and returned a few minutes later with
a photo of Yoichi in a frame.  As he held it up the photo came to life and
repeated Yoichi's message, "Is this the way you want it to be?"

"Pwerfect."

"Shall I wrap it up?"

"Here's the address to send it to," I wrote out a mailing slip then showed
it to Yoichi.

"Yeah, that's it."

After we left the shop Mikan turned to me, "He gets to send packages to his
family?"

"Yeah, he isn't considered as dangerous as you are.  It'll be checked
before it's shipped but I doubt they'll stop it."

"Why didn't you send a picture?"

"I don't have anybody to send anything to anymore.  Say Yoichi, would you
like some lunch?  I know of this cafe around the corner."

"OK."

"You're paying for both of us?"

"Yeah, it would ruin Yoichi's lunch if he had to look at you starving
there."

Anna Umenomiya, the cooking alice from our class, brought three menus to
our table then took out an order pad, "Hi, can I get you three something to
drink?"

"Sure," Mikan flipped through the menu then put it down, "Anna, why are you
taking our order?"

"She's helping out her folks," I skimmed through the menu.  There were no
changes from the last time I'd been there, so I put it down.

"Your parents work here?"

"Yes," Anna pointed at the Cafe sign that matched her own last name, "They
own the place."

"You get to see your parents?"

"Most weekends."

"Natsume!"  Mikan clutched at my hands, "You've got some sort of influence.
You can get my grandad a job at the school!"

"Sure, what's his alice?"

"He hasn't got one.  I would have known it somehow if he did."

"Too bad," I yanked my hands back.

"Mikan, I'm so sorry."

"No Anna, it's not your fault.  So your parents are alices?"

"Yes, they both have cooking alices.  It kind of runs in the family.  Only
they've got much better control than I do."

"Go back and see your folks.  I'll have Mikan read the menu to Yoichi and
we'll call you when we're ready."

After lunch Mikan wiped the corners of Yoichi's mouth with a napkin.

"I can do it myself," He stared up at her but didn't push her away.

A lady carrying some packages said, "Oh, what a cute little family."

I glared at her and she decided to walk away, but she wasn't going to get
away that easily.

"Yoichi."

"Yes Natsume?"

"Teach her what happens when she taunts a Dangerous Ability student."

"Don't you dare!"  Mikan pulled back.

"Stop him then, if you can."

Yoichi watched the lady as she walked away, without visible effect, then he
turned towards Mikan.

She looked down at him, "Don't start with me."

The two stared at each other for a minute and nothing seemed to happen then
Yoichi looked across the street at the Hawalon sweet shop, "Natsume can I
have some?"

"Sure, you've been a good boy all day."

"This is good?"

"He does what I ask him to do, without complaining."

Yoichi offered me a piece from the box I had bought him then he teased
Mikan with a piece, but finally tossed it into her gaping maw.

On the bus ride back Yoichi fell asleep in Mikan's arms.

I lead her to his room and she tucked him in.  On the way back to the
Elementary school dorm she asked, "Now what?"

"You're grounded, remember?  Go to your room No-star and stay there until
Monday morning."

Sunday at noon I knocked on Mikan's door.

"Natsume, How did you get past Takahashi?  She's been watching my door all
day."

"Third law of robotics."

"Do you usually go to girl's rooms and have your way with them?"

"I brought lunch," I held up a sack.

"Oh, gimmie."

"I didn't say whose lunch and it isn't free."

"I guess I have to starve then.  I'm broke."

"Not rabbits stupid.  I'm not Hotaru.  You've got to earn your lunch."

"More training?  You're not going to start a fire in my room are you?"

"This big," I sprouted a candle sized flame from my right index finger.

Mikan looked at the sack, "What's the test then?"

"Just tell which of my hands is holding up the flame."

"And?"

"Blindfolded."

"I knew it," She sat down on her bed and put on the blindfold I had given
her previously.

I pulled up her chair and sat in front of her, "Now which hand is holding
the flame?"

"Left."

It was my right.

I repeated the test nineteen more times, "Ok, we're done."

She took off the blindfold, "How did I do?"

"You were right sixty percent of the time.  That beats random chance, but
just barely."

"So I get lunch?"

"Is sixty percent a passing grade?  You get an apple, that's all."

Why had she done so poorly?  Was it the small size of the flame or my lack
of intent to harm her with it?