I heard this song yesterday and I feel in love with it. Of course my mind began to think of the fanfic potential, and I came up with this. I choose Tenten, because I feel she doesn't get enough attention, and we know nothing about her past or her family.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the song Alyssa Lies.
Tenten Lies
My little girl met a new friend,
just the other day,
on the playground at school
between the tires and the swings
Sakura's green eyes widen, as she looked at the elementary school building looming over her. The grip on her father's hand tighten, the new place did not look inviting to her eight year old mind. She would have much rather be back at her old school with her old friends. Not this new place where she knew no one.
"Daddy, do I have to go?"
Her father nodded his head, "Yes sweetie you have to."
"But I don't know anybody."
"Well you haven't introduced yourself to anyone," he said. "If you say hi to someone then you'll no someone."
Sakura pouted, but decided to give her father's advice a try. She scanned the playground looking for someone. Her eyes landed on a girl sitting on the tire swing by herself. She let go of her father's hand, and walked slowly to the new girl. As she got closer, she noticed the girl had brown hair pulled into two buns, her eyes focused on the ground so Sakura couldn't tell what color they were. She clutched a Raggedy Andy doll to her chest, as if it was life itself.
Sakura stood infront of the girl who hadn't taken notice of her yet. "Hi I'm Sakura."
The girl looked up, reveling brown eyes. Sakura was taken back. Something about her eyes, was that sadness she saw? Or was it a trick of the light? She had never seen a person with such sadness in their eyes.
"Hey," the girl said, caution in her voice.
"I was wondering if you wanted to play with me and Anne," Sakura said, putting a smile on her face. She held up her Raggedy Anne doll for the other girl to see.
The brown hair girl looked surprised by Sakura's suggestion. Most people avoided her, and she avoided most people. When had she ever been able to trust someone without getting hurt? But this Sakura person, there was something about her. Something that told her that she could trust her.
The brown hair girl smiled, "All right then, lets go!"
"Yeah!"
Sakura grabbed her hand, and they started running towards the slide. They were out of breath, but somehow managed to laugh in spite of it. It was like in that short time they had shared a secrete that no one else knew.
"You still haven't told me your name," Sakura said when she got her breath back.
The other girl sat up. "It's Tenten."
Across the playground, Sakura's father watched his daughter and her new friend talking and playing. He smiled, thanking whatever higher being made his daughter and her new friend meet. He knew she would be okay, as long as she had a friend.
A week past, and the friendship between Sakura and Tenten became stronger every passing day. The second day they knew each other, Sakura bought Tenten home with her to introduce her to her father. Her father found Tenten an sweet, innocent, and interesting girl. He told her she was welcomed when ever she wanted. It wasn't long before Sakura began to ask about Tenten's family. Whenever the topic of her family would come up, a terrified look would take over her face, and she would change the subject to something else. It puzzled Sakura to no end, but she didn't bother to ask Tenten about it. That was until...
The slamming of the door, alerted Sakura's father that his daughter was home. He sat at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper. In a minute Sakura would come into the kitchen smiling and telling him about her day that day in full detail. How wrong he was.
But she came home with tear-filled eyes,
and she said to me "Daddy, Alyssa lies"
Sakura came into the kitchen, tears running down her face. In a flash, her father was by her side.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
"Daddy, Tenten lies."
Well I just brushed it off at first,
'cause I didn't know how much my little girl had been hurt
or the things she had seen.
I wasn't ready when I said "You can tell me"
Relief rushed rushed over his body. When he had seen his daughter crying, he had thought that she had been seriously hurt. If only he had realized that she had been hurt more then he thought. He decided to humor her by asking what Tenten lied about. He thought she lied about cheating at a game or on a test. He wasn't ready for what he was going to hear.
and she said...
"Alyssa lies to the classroom
Alyssa lies everyday at school,
Alyssa lies to the teachers
as she tries to cover every bruise"
"Tenten lies about her bruises."
Surprised by her answer, her father asked "What bruises?"
"The ones on her arms. She hides them under her sleeves. But when Iruka sensei asked her about them, she lied and said she fell. And when he asked if her mommy and daddy hit her, she said they didn't."
"Sakura," he was know concern about what his daughter was saying. "Did you see Tenten get hit?"
She nodded her head. "We walked to her house together, and when we got there her mommy came out yelling and screaming at her. Then she hit Tenten across the face and told her to get inside."
My little girl laid her head down that night to go to sleep.
As I stepped out the room, I heard her say a prayer so soft and sweet
Sakura's father tried to get his daughter's mind off of Tenten. But as he played with her, his own mind kept drifting back to the brown hair girl. The way she smiled and acted, like nothing was wrong. How could she manage that? How could child so young deal with what she was going through?
He stepped outside Sakura's door, ready to go to his own room. He paused, hearing his daughter's soft voice whispering something through the darkness. Straining his ears, he listened to his daughter's words.
"God bless my mom and my Dad
and my new friend, Alyssa
ohI know she needs you bad
"God bless my mommy and my daddy and all the people in the world. And bless my new friend Alyssa. I know she needs you, so please protect her from her mommy and daddy."
Because Alyssa lies to the classroom
Alyssa lies everyday at school,
Alyssa lies to the teachers
as she tries to cover every bruise"
I had the worst night of sleep in years
as I tried to think of a way to calm her fears
I knew just what it was I had to do I knew exactly what I had to do
He abandoned any hopes of sleep, settling himself with his forgotten newspaper. He had opened up to the article he had been reading earlier; Two Little Angles Dead. An eight year old girl named Hinata Hyuuga, and her four year old sister Hanabi Hyuuga were found dead in their home. They were beaten to death by their father. No one had known for sure that the girls had been abused. They had tried to hide it.
'Just like Tenten.'
He knew what he had to do. Cutting a number from the newspaper, he decided he would call child services the next day. He would alert the school about her situation tomorrow. The next day, he told Sakura he was going to drive her to school. She was excited and asked if they could pick Tenten up if they saw her on the way. He nodded his head, thinking it would be best for him to see her before going to the authorities.
but when we got to school on Monday I heard the news
They never saw Tenten that day on the drive to school. Sakura brushed it off, saying she took the bus. Her father on the other hand feared the worse, and he was right. Police cars surrounded the school building, their red lights blinding. Iruka sensei saw the two pull up, walking over to their car.
His usually cheerful face was gone, replaced with one of sadness. Her father didn't have to ask to know what happened.
"Tenten."
Iruka nodded his head.
My little girl asked me why everybody looked so sad
the lump in my throat grew bigger
with every question that she asked.
"Daddy was is everyone so sad? Why are they crying?"
She looked around at the parents hugging their children, the teachers telling them what had happened. Children realizing what had happened cried their own tears. Two boys stood off on their own, crying by themselves.
"Daddy where's Tenten? What's wrong?"
Until I felt the tears run down my face
and I told her that Alyssa wouldn't be at school today
He stared at the steering wheel, the tears running down his face. How could he bring himself to tell her that Tenten was dead. Killed by her own parents.
"Sakura," he said. "Tenten won't be in school today."
"Is she sick?"
"No. Sweetie, she' not sick."
"Then where is she?"
"She's gone sweetie."
'Cause she doesn't lie in the classroom
she doesn't lie anymore at school
Alyssa lies with Jesus
because there's nothin' anyone would do
The rain fell, mourning the lose of the young girl who lied in the coffin, almost as if she was asleep. But Sakura knew better. Her best friend was with Jesus and her mommy up in heaven. She clutched her father's hand, the other holding her Raggedy Anne doll, and Tenten's Raggedy Andy doll. Next to her sat Lee and Neji, two of Tenten's other friends from school.
All three kept their heads down, listening as the teachers went on about their friend, as if she had just went away verses lying in the coffin before them dead. They all wished they had done something to save her from the fate she was forced to face. They all knew, so why didn't they do anything?
Tears filled my eyes when my little girl asked me why
Alyssa lies
"Daddy."
She let go of his hand, choosing to stand in front of Tenten's grave.
"Why'd she lie?"
He walked up to her, hugging her from behind, the tears filling his eyes once again. She felt the mixture of anger and sadness take over her again, knowing he would not give her an answer.
Oh Daddy, oh Daddy tell me why
Alyssa lies
Sakura whirled around, tears falling freely from her green eyes. "Daddy tell me why!"
Tenten lies
Every year 40 million children are subject to child abuse. Four children die everyday as a result of child abuse. Three out of four of these children are under the age of four. A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds. Child abuse occurs at all ages, sexes, minority, etc. It's one of the things in life that we wish we could forget, but we can't. There are thousands of Alyssa's and Tenten's out there, and they can be as close as a family member or friends. If you think that someone you know is being abused please alert the police or child services. Don't let them become another statistic. Don't let them become another Alyssa.