Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto only my OC, her family, and the storyline of the AU belong to me.

"You need a friend." My older sister, howls at me as I sit at my desk, my homework half-finished and my will to do it going out the window with it with each word out of her mouth.

"I have a friend." I argue, and she rolls her eyes.

"Naruto doesn't count." She shoots back.

"Why not?!" I ask, honestly confused.

"Because he lives a town over and you only see him a few times a month." She reminds me.

"and I'm fine with that." I counter.

"I don't care, Write." She demands and hands me a notebook.

"This is stupid." I grumble as I take it and open it to a random page and jot down a few random thoughts before tearing it out and folding it. "Here."

"Thank you." She smiles, having won the argument and whisks away from my room leaving me in peace.

"Now then." I utter as I return to my homework.

"You have a letter for you." My sister calls as I enter the house.

"Thank you, Haru. I got the cookies you wanted." I call as I head down the stairs and open the door to our room.

"I am starving, and this homework isn't easy to focus on over the sound of my grumbling stomach." She takes the foods and hands me the letter.

I walk over to the old desk in the corner and open the top window to allow light in on my side of the room. I take a seat and open the letter.

Dear Nobody,

I am being forced to write this letter by my overbearing sister who feels I am in need of a friend.

She won't let me finish my homework.

I don't know what else to write.

Sincerely,

Frustrated

I find a smile and soft laugh as I pull out my stationary and reply.

"I'll be right back!" I call as I hurry out of the room.

"Be quick, mother and father will be furious if you're not here when they return."

The practice game was going as I expected, perfectly with me on the bench. Boy did I hate being on the basketball team but, once more my sister took on an active roll in my life and signed me up, without my consent and dragged me to tryouts.

I should object more but, since mom died I know she only wants the best for me, so I feel like I just can't tell her no.

"Come on lil bro, get up, and join the game." My older brother pesters me and I look at the clock.

"Can't," I gesture and sure enough the coach blows a whistle. "Saved by the whistle." I grab my bag and head out the door. It wasn't long before he caught up with me and he yammers on about the big game coming up against our rival school.

"Yeah, go Raccoons. Boo Foxes." I utter, and he huffs at my lack of school spirit.

The cities got along fine, but when sports were involved the rivalry was intense. It was just one of those things I never cared to understand.

Finally home I head up stairs and clean up before grabbing the food left by my sister before she headed out for her shift. I head back to my room and curl up with a book in hopes I might sleep some tonight.

It took finishing the book and listening to my brother's growling snore echoing out for me to force myself to turn out the light and close my eyes. Who knows how long I had laid there praying for sleep only to find it out of reach once again.

I sit up and toss my blankets aside and climb out of bed. Taking a seat at my desk I sigh and rummage through my bottom left drawer in hopes of finding the sleeping pills I had tossed in there a few months ago.

It had made home near the back of the drawer behind a few old books and worksheets and I fish it out and head down for a bottle of water. I down two pills and screw the lid back on before noticing the mail on the counter, tossed haphazardly. I file through them and pause at the one addressed to Frustrated.

I take it with me as I head up stairs and debate opening it, honestly surprised someone had even written back, it's been about awhile since my sister bugged me about writing the first one. I open it and the letter is short.

Dear Frustrated,

I am sorry for your predicament, but I am still excited to have received your letter.

Did you do well on your homework?

Is that too weird to ask a stranger?

Well, if you ever write back I hope you find something you'd like to talk about.

Signed,

Nobody.

I feel a smile tug at my lips as I read the names, well played Nobody. I yawn as I lay there and before I can even decide on replying I am whisked away into a deep slumber.

I startle awake to my alarm clock shouting that it was time to get up. I yawn as I get up and the scent of breakfast drew me down stairs and I take a seat.

"Couldn't sleep?" She probes, and I stare at my food.

"I slept well, thank you for asking sis, How's the long distant relationship Temari?" I respond, and she sighs.

"It's going well, Gaara. I was in a hurry and sort the mail yesterday, did you get a letter yet?" She changes the subject and I shake my head. She's always been perceptive.

"Just bills." What she doesn't know won't kill her.

"That's not possible the website said no more than a few days till a potential reply." She huffs.

"Website?" I ask between bites.

"Yeah, a friend of a friend let me look at it off her phone and that's how I got the mailing information."

"Do you even know anything about this person you made me write to? They could be a serial killer and you gave him our address." I finish my food and take the dishes to the sink.

"You're too much, go get ready for school and tell Kankuro to get up just cause he has a few months till graduation doesn't mean he can oversleep." I shake my head and return to my room and get ready before opening Kankuro's door.

"Wake up before Temari throws water on you again." He groans and rolls over. "Your funeral." I tell him and gather my things and head back downstairs. "He's all yours, I'm going to get some early studying before my exams." Before she could say anything else I left the house.

Arriving at school I enter the library and get to work studying. It was easiest to ignore people by burying myself in work, but it didn't stop them from talking or cowering around me. I spent awhile in the library before deciding to head to class to somehow make it through another day.

Sitting at the local café sat my sister as I serve another customer before my break and I sit beside her, two hot chocolates in hand as I offer her one.

"Mother and Father will go bananas if they catch you working again, Hana." I shrug.

"Christmas is right around the corner and I am saving up." I tell her and she smiles as she takes my hand.

"We should just run away." She sighs.

"Let's do it." I tell her.

"When?" she inquires.

"Why not now?" I respond, and she smiles.

"We can see the world, eat whatever we want," she fantasizes.

"Sleep under the stars and make real friends." I add and we both sigh.

"But it costs money." She sips her drink and I look out at the soft snow fall.

"And we aren't supposed to be working." I say as I look at the clock.

"Have you gotten a letter back yet from the potential pen pal?" she asks for a change of mood.

"Frustrated hasn't written, probably never will." I tell her and shrug. "It was stupid to even sign up for that website, but we don't exactly have phones to text people either."

We drink our coco in silence before I have to get back to work and she heads home. I get paid under the table and tuck the money into my boot and proceed to make my way home too.

It is late, but I somehow just beat our parent's home and stash everything.

"Why isn't this house clean?!" The shout makes Haru flinch and I grab her and push her into the bathroom.

"Stay." I whisper.

"But," she protests.

"You know the drill, stay." I order and head upstairs. "I forgot, we have midterms before winter bre-" the grip around my upper arm sends pain through my arm as I am pulled forward and thrown backwards at the counter.

"I don't care about your exams, we have guests coming over and the house is a mess, where is that other child of mine?" he asks and I hold my side as I will myself up.

"She got a fever and is throwing up all over the place." I lie and look beyond him to mother as she stomps into the kitchen.

"I swear I have to do everything in this house myself, why did I even bother having you two when you're both so useless." She shoves me aside and I watch as father shakes his head.

"You're disinfecting everything she touched now." He orders and walks into the living room and takes a seat as I begin disinfecting perfectly clean handles and walls before helping reclean the spotless house and preparing food for their guests.

After being sent back to our ce, uh, room I check on Haruhi as she waits in the bathroom relief in her eyes as I open the door.

"Did they hurt you? I don't see anything." As she reaches for the hem of my shirt I stop her hands.

"Nothing happened this time, but they think you have a fever and are vomiting. So, crawl into bed in case they come down." She hugs me and stop from wincing as I sooth her fears and wait for her to fall asleep.

I change in the bathroom to avoid her from seeing the bruise on my side and I crawl into my own be jumping as my hand slides under the pillow and I hit paper.

"What in the?" I pull it out and smile at the name on the letter.

To: Nobody.