~Escapism~

When deranged, image-obsessed parents are deciding your fate for you, and you're engaged to an Uchiha.

Journal entry 086: Monday Morning

My first inclination, upon finding myself sprawled on the ground and covered in the groceries of my assaulter, was to emit a dainty scream for help. However, I discovered my mouth covered by aforementioned assaulter's hand, and therefore I could only issue a pathetic, "Mmmf! Hrfm nnng!" To my dismay, the assaulter pressed heavily down on my ribs, and I began to feel an uncomfortable wetness as the assaulter's orange juice (I hope) seeped through my thick sweatshirt. I couldn't understand who would want to attack me with their groceries, or why; I was the Hyuuga clan heiress, but if anyone decided to kidnap me, I'm sure they'd simply make due with my younger sister and move on with life. The chances of their actually paying a ransom to have me returned were slim, and I would be sure to inform my assaulter of that as soon as he or she stopped crushing me.

Times were hard, and no one in town knew it yet, but we were feeling it in our pockets as much as anybody. Everyone knew one of the clan elders had a fetish for gambling, and it was beginning to take its toll on us, finally. Everyone had hoped, though, that Kana-baasama would be deceased and rotting away in her grave by now. But, no such luck--excuse the pun.

Returning to my assaulter: I gulped a shallow breath, my nose aching as it pressed into the dirt. My eyes and nostrils burned with a heavy layer of dust settling over me after the small scuffle. I couldn't quite see, and the man…or woman…on my back didn't appear willing to let me go anytime soon. Relaxing, I decided this wasn't the worst thing that could've happened to me today, resigning to let my assaulter determine what he or she wanted to do from here. Maybe being kidnapped would be a nice change of pace. I already felt like a prisoner at home.

After several elongated seconds of lying on the ground, I heard a deep, somewhat familiar voice ask, "Are you going to scream?"

Shaking my head, I felt eager to have full control of my body again. The man sighed, releasing his hold over my mouth and slowly lifting his body off of mine. My joints screamed from having been pinned down at an odd angle, and I began to shiver a bit once the chill of the juice reached my skin. A pasty white hand reached down to help me up, and I grasped it, letting him pull me to my feet with ease.

I coughed, my voice a little too delicate, and wiped the dust from my eyes. I wanted to get a good glimpse of my assaulter…even if it meant so that I could keep my distance in the future. However, I couldn't believe it when I did get a glimpse.

Uchiha Sasuke, the younger son of Uchiha Fugaku. He brushed the dirt from his once-white shorts, his eyebrows furrowed in the classic Uchiha frown. With a frustrated sigh, he bent down to gather up his groceries, and I found myself assisting him.

"I'm terribly sorry, Uchiha-san. I wasn't watching--"

"Don't," he interrupted, snatching his things from my arms and storming off in the opposite direction. Glaring after him, I felt a wave of confusion sweep over me.

Beside me, I heard a voice that brought a hot flash of pink to my cheeks. "Hey, Hinata-chan. Are you okay? Did Sasuke-teme hurt you?"

"Uh…I…ergh!" With that articulate masterpiece, I fled from the area in absolute horror.

Journal entry 090: Friday Afternoon

I ran into Uchiha Sasuke this morning.

Well, not in the literal sense as I did Monday, but let's not bring that up before that wound has time to heal.

I meant that I was asked to deliver a "top secret, super important" message to the Uchiha police department from one of the elders. This is what I had been reduced to lately: errand girl. If I were my haughty, arrogant older cousin, I would probably be incensed at the idea of deliver messages to Uchihas, but as it was I couldn't stand to be in the house longer than a few hours at a time anymore. If I ran into a single person in the hallway, I would be subjected to various interrogations about my future college choices, my desires in terms of career, and to explain why I wasn't currently in my room studying for some upcoming test. College entrance exams were the focus of my nightmares as of late, and I wasn't certain I could handle any more talk about them. Fortunately, I had been given a task to perform, and I would happily oblige my father anything so long as he forgot about the fact that I hadn't yet been accepted to a single structure of higher learning.

The simple act of glancing at one of those horrible applications set my stomach on fire.

As I tiptoed through the Uchiha compound, I examined my shoes, gliding along the ground at a modest pace, slightly worn from the past year's use. Staring at my shoes is a nasty habit I've fallen into over the years, one that never ceases to get me into trouble. However, a voice interrupted my scrutiny before said trouble could find its way to me.

"Hyuuga-san, what are you doing here?"

A greeting so charming and considerate as that could only come from one person: Uchiha Sasuke. My suspicions were confirmed as I glanced up into the cold black eyes, an unmistakable Uchiha signature. His thin lips were slanted into a frown, and his eyes were examining me as if I were an insect on the tip of his finger. It was a rather unnerving feeling, one which I found it difficult to shake as an awkward silence ensued his question.

"Fine, whatever." With that, he turned an about face and made to stalk off to some unknown location. At this precise moment, however, I remembered my mission.

"Wait a minute, Uchiha-san! I have a message for you."

Halting in his path, he glanced over his shoulder with moderate disinterest, unspeaking as he awaited my message. However, I could no longer remember what it was. Not wanting to appear as an idiot to an Uchiha, I cast around my brain frantically for something relevant to say.

But instead, I said, "They want to know if, um…your family wants to have dinner with us tomorrow?" Why these words were issued from my mouth, I will never know.

Several minutes passed, where he stared at me with a strange expression, and sweated beaded my brow from the stress of awaiting his answer. At long last, he responded, "Yeah, okay." And then he walked away.

As soon as he was out of sight, I remembered that the message had been to tell Chief Fugaku that a dog had been eating our garbage at night, and that Konoha's leash law should be more properly enforced.

Same thing, right?

Journal Entry 91: Saturday Evening

After the reprimand I received from my parents this morning, I am almost inclined to pack my things, crawl out my window at three A.M., and run far, far away.

Let me summarize it by recording the fact that it was quite brutal, and I never wish to mention it again.

Moving on from that, I would like to detail the horrible events of the dinner that followed such a strong chastising from my parents. Wait, that's not the right word. I would more or less likely describe it as the demons of Hell ascending the fiery stair steps into my living room to ignite fire and gloom and death in my poor, pathetic heart. But as I said before, I never wish to speak of this again. (Yet another thing this week to add to the list of things I wish I could erase from my memory.)

The Uchiha family arrived at precisely seven o'clock as Uchiha Mikoto rang our dainty doorbell, announcing their arrival. A maidservant responded to their appearance, guiding them to the den where my mother and father chatted amiably with one another. The family of three (missing Itachi, who is currently away at college) found their places on the polished blue sofa across from where I sat with my parents and Hanabi. At once, a thicket of tension flooded the room as my father Hiashi met Fugaku's gaze, and the two engaged in a discussion of their children. Naturally, Sasuke had many more accomplishments than I could imagine, but my father began to pull things out of the air that I didn't even remember--apparently I had been in thirty pageants before the age of six, had won several notable awards for my essay writing skills by fifth grade, and was now currently working on my application for Harvard.

If only, if only. What a ridiculous notion.

By the time the two older women in the room tired of this nonsense, another maidservant announced that dinner preparations were complete, and the seven of us moved to the dining room to make awkward chatter over appetizers and wine.

Despite my father's need to outdo everything with a--well, a you know--the evening continued on with a lovely ambiance over our entree of baked fish and vegetables, with little to know dialogue issuing from Sasuke's mouth except for "Hn." or "Meh."

…That is, until IT happened.

And by IT, I mean the most horrible of all horrible happenstances to occur in the history of all things sane, period.

Somehow, after our parents discussed colleges and sports teams and gas prizes and the withering state of affairs in our goverment...the topic of marriage came up.

Oh Kami, why have you forsaken me?

I won't bore you with the dirty details from that miserable point onward, but after all was said and done, both sets of parents had pretty much agreed that Sasuke and I were to be married, end of story.

And with that, I bid you farewell. Because after that decision came to be, I hyperventilated and proceeded to pass out.

To be honest, I have no idea where this came from. It just IS. It manifested itself, and I, being the writer, brought it out of my brain and made it reality. This is multi-chapter of course. As always, if you wanted something continued, then review. After I receive ten reviews, then I will post the next chapter. That's how things are done around here. *Smiles* That said, I hope you enjoyed it! I really like Hinata's character, probably because she and I have a lot in common, so I hope you like my interpretation of her. If not, then just tell me and I'll accept your criticism with a smile. All reviews are good!