Pretend

My twentieth birthday.

I am sitting in the garden by myself, wondering if anyone has noticed, but not much concerned. I know now that it doesn't matter if one year, or twenty, goes by and no one ever notices. I am content to sit here and be silent.

Kiba interrupts me, breaks my silence. And I don't mind one bit. He's come to get me and take me away. He hasn't told me where we're going, but then, I never expected him to tell me.

He says: "We'll get Shino first." And jumpsoff the balcony, sure I'll follow him.

Shino and I follow Kiba out of the city, through the forest, until we reach a waterfall with a small pool at the bottom. It's a beautiful spot, with strange, almost blue rocks and fern growing over the edge of the water. The air is cool and crisp; the kind that you almost feel you could bite. I wonder for a second how Kiba found this place, but it doesn't last long. He probably just used his nose, I tell myself, and what does it matter anyway?

"Happy birthday!" Kiba yells and pushes me in the water, jumping in after me. I swim across and under the waterfall. I'm a good swimmer now, I know I am.

Akamaru tries to swim out to me, but when he gets close to the waterfall the current pushes him away. I soon stop fighting it and let myself be pushed back to the edge where I climb out and sit on the rocks.

Kiba stays in the water. He watches me for a little while and says, "Maybe I should have brought some alcohol?"

I shake my head.

Shino gives me a scarf. I am about to laugh when Kiba yells at him.

"What is your problem? Don't you realize that every year we celebrate her birthday you give her a scarf? Don't you have any imagination?"

Shino says nothing. I tell Kiba to stop. He glares at Shino, gets out of the water and walks away. I watch him leave, look quickly at Shino, who still says nothing. He shrugs. I smile at him and go after Kiba.

"Why did you say that?" I ask when I catch up. He doesn't stop.

"Because he can't pretend like that."

"You shouldn't have yelled at him."

"He acts like nothing has changed."

"It doesn't seem to me that much has changed for him." It's true, Shino has not changed physically or emotionally it seems. Shino is, after all, stone.

He stops. I nearly run into him. "I don't want us to pretend like nothing happened, and nothing has changed."

I smile, relieved. "Good, because I don't want to pretend either."

He keeps walking. He is smiling; maybe I am too.