A/N: And the new project begins. Oh dear.

These will be ficlets, short and sweet. I am double-dog-daring myself to update at least once a week, if not more. Mostly SasuSaku, occasionally other characters popping in. It will mostly be AU. Lots of symbolism, perhaps linear. I will be most definitely experimenting on style with this. Whee.

blue periwinkles

She turned six a day ago.

Her mother bought her brand new shoes, Mary Janes with small flowers on the sides and buckles that shone in the sunlight streaming from the window. Her father gave her a lollipop, a huge one that turned her tongue blue as she sucked on it. Everyone in her father's restaurant hugged her and said she looked lovely in a pretty dress that billowed out as she spun in circles.

She went to the park down the street, the one with swings that creaked and a huge wheel that older children spun until the world, as seen from within the protective bars, was a blur. Her mother told her that she would be there soon, just give her about fifteen minutes, so she stood watching the other children playing, waiting quietly.

It had been about five minutes, and as she turned towards the swings, a boy knocked her down into the gravel.

She sat there, dazedly gazing at her knee, which was bleeding through the pretty dress, staining it an ugly red. Tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes, but she was too stunned to bawl, merely staring at the scarlet tingeing the hem of her dress.

"Do…do you need some help?"

She looked up, and found herself staring at a dark-haired boy who was glancing down at her, almost unconcerned. Shaking her head, her pink, short hair falling into her eyes, she tried to lever herself up, only to not make it.

The boy frowned. His eyes were grey-black, like the cool silk dress that her mother wore for special occasions, and his forehead furrowed as he considered her. Finally, he stuck out his hand, and, when she didn't immediately take it, grabbed her own and hauled her onto her feet.

"Thank you…" She frowned, and then said, rubbing her eyes, "I don't know your name."

"…Sasuke." He was still frowning, messy black hair stuck up in the back, and he shuffled his feet, turning around to run down the pathway.

She stood there, staring, her knee bleeding sluggishly. As he rounded the corner to a place that was out of sight, she shouted, "Thank you, Sasuke!" He turned around for a fraction of a second, and she smiled at him, before he took off again.

Her mother walked up to her, and immediately asked who that had been. The girl shook her head, and her mother saw the scraped knee and the stained hem. As her mother carried her back to the restaurant, asking questions and promising to clean up the cuts, she looked her feet, sticking out between her mother's arms.

Her shoes were scuffed and dirty, but the blue periwinkles, near her shiny silver buckles, were untouched.

-early-

FIN

-friendship-

Review. Please. Thank you muchly.