She puts in some cereal on her bowl, with very keen eyes as if counting every piece. Slowly, she poured some milk on it, making it sure she did it carefully to avoid spilling.
"Hinata, do you have a clue that our school bus might come anytime now?" Unlike his sister, he had already finished breakfast. After standing up, he went to the kitchen to place his bowl for washing.
"Please have a clue. EAT FASTER, will you?" Neji, after placing his used bowl on the sink entered the dining room again. Surprisingly, his long black hair is tied now, but as usual, his eyes were white and expressionless. In spite of that catchy and funny phrase, he had no idea he had his words in rhyme.
Hinata, on the other hand didn't recognized this as she continued staring on her bowl of cereal. She slowly dipped her spoon on her breakfast and absent-mindedly followed her sight to its movement. Like a totally curious toddler, she stared at the spoon with glistening eyes.
This spoon just reminds me of someone I know… … …"Hey Hinata!"
"Oh!" Hinata gasped out of shock. She didn't recognize Neji was already so close on her face, perusing her unusual facial expression. He looked so puzzled yet so analytical.
"What's with the cereal?" Neji looked closely to the bowl then back to Hinata. "Sometimes, I think you are scary. We could never really read what you are thinking."
"Oh." Hinata blushed. She can't even understand herself nowadays. She had just become so dreamy that she kept on relating everything to this certain someone. Yesterday, she was silently observing the ants on their garage's wall, particularly to this one specific ant leading the other ants to the breadcrumbs.
And yesterday, just like this spoon today, that specific ant reminds me of someone I knowNeji, not understanding any single part of it, stood straight from his stoop and pulled a chair next to Hinata. He just sighed and looked at his sister, trying again to figure out what was it with her now. For him, it was really strange for Hinata to act weirder than usual. He knows Hinata is naturally quiet… but this weird? Staring in to space or to random things like the ants? The spider on the web? The tree branch? And now, the cereal and the spoon? Heck, that is really disturbing.
But Hinata seems to forget again that she was with her brother, who is now watching him intently. She just can't help it. The spoon is so just like this certain someone. So independent, so strong… leading those little innocent cereal flakes to one single destination. To a place were it is warm and safe for them- err… where? To her mouth? At that point, her mouth definitely doesn't suit to symbolize this certain scenario she is relating to. But the spoon, it is just so perfect to remind her of him… of how he leads them to one single goal/destination. With his humble exercise of authority and strong character, he is heroic indeed.
Just then, a loud honk broke the silence of her symbolic analysis, which also made her drop her spoon.
"Oh. Gomen." She shyly picked it up from the floor and placed it on the table. Somehow, she felt worried over this. She hoped it meant nothing bad about to happen to that guy he remembered with it symbolically.
"Oh, come on Hinata, get over with that goddamn, uhm... Spoon!!" Neji grabbed Hinata's arm and pulled her with him towards their door. Feeling Hinata's touch, he could feel Hinata's hand cold sweating. He knew Hinata is often weak hearted, but what is it all about now? Her first week in school was doing fine, it was even a lot better than their previous school where Hinata was bullied and picked by other kids. Because of this, he cannot think of anything Hinata should be afraid of. Everyone is friendly with his sister, and to his dismay, it seems that now, it was rather him having a hard time getting along with some of their schoolmates.
…………………
Outside, Hinata just let herself be pulled along by his brother… more of dragging. Neji is actually already running, his other hand clutching his brown bag, the other, her hand. She feels her palms starting to turn numb, as the two of them came nearer and nearer to their yellow bus service. She even felt blood rushing towards her cheeks, making it feel slightly numb too.
Now, they had finally arrived on their bus service's entrance. Through brotherly instincts, Neji could actually feel Hinata's heart thumping wildly. He wanted to comfort her, but he himself has also some matters to take care of, and so he stopped running, let go of his sister's hand, and immediately wore his bag on his back. He then swiftly combed his hair and tightly pushed the ponytail higher to make it more intact.
Now, you'll see. I'll have my time someday… and I hope it's this time.
Neji fixed his hair while saying those words to himself. Now, both of them sighed looking on the bus entrance. Hinata looking at it as if it was a dream, her sight floating like waves of mirage or something. To her, the bus looks colossal, and drowning. Neji, however is very attached to reality, looking to the bus entrance dead straight, thinking of what he is going to do after entering this school bus this time.
Now, you'll see. I'll have my time someday… and DEFINITELY I hope it's this time.
The bus door suddenly automatically opened. Neji jumped off into the most impressive jump he could. His ponytail rode the air like waves, so graceful and astounding. He then turned his back and offered Hinata his right hand with his most impact-making expressionless face.
"Now, my dear little sister… there's nothing to be afraid of… here take my hand…" It was a very sweet spine chilling voice, a baritone, but concerned tone. Neji managed to do two things at once. Express his honest concern to her sister's unusual self, and try to impress their schoolmates at the same time.
Now, you'll see. I'm having my time today… and I hope it's really this time.
"Now, my dear little sister… there's nothing to be afraid of… here take my hand… yada yada." A pause then a sarcastic laugh. "huh. Sissy." A boy looking by the window on the first two-seater seat imitated Neji's words in a mocking manner. It was the same boy, one of the two, who kept on making fun of Neji for the whole week since their first class had started.
Another boy by his side was laughing in a very low tone, as if trying not to laugh hard. He was mumbling about something like Neji being so pathetic, trying to look manly by tying his hair this time.
"hahaha, yeah, he still look feminine to me, he is so unbelievable." The raven-haired one by the window muttered in a whisper to his partner in crime. His arms are crossed, his feet up on the metal railings by the driver seat, making it appear that he is confident with himself. His seatmate however tousled his red hair and played with some of the strands. He looked at his own blood colored hair, then to Neji, who was staring to him dead straight.
"Sasuke, my hair looks so manly, how about, putting a hairclip on this side? Wouldn't it be nice? Too bad I could not tie it. Hahahahahaha!"
"Yeah Gaara, putting a flower-designed hair clip would enhance the red color of your hair!!! It would be more of alive and bouncy that way!" He said in a loud shrieking exaggerated voice, doing his best to make his voice higher, imitating a girl's animated voice. He did some exaggerated hand movements, just like how gays do. "It would just add life to it! But hey, hey hey sis.." He stopped trying to put all his hair together. "lookie here, I think I could tie my hair into a pony, but… I might just look…" He stopped to look at Gaara as Gaara look at him too.
"TOO SISSY!! ahahahaha." They said it at the same time, their point fingers pointing at the other at the same time as well. Now they had came back to their original self, laughing too low like two evil men. Their low toned laughs are much more mortifying to Neji, as he just sighed and pretended he heard nothing. Surely, it is not his time to take a simple revenge to those two today. He just simply wanted to show the two he was more than what they thought of him, but truly, it is not this time. He was now too embarrassed to think of a line to give them a taste of there own ridiculing.
Instead, he just concentrated his attention to Hinata who was now holding his hand, and making her way to the bus. She was looking down the floor. He can't look straight to anyone inside the bus, especially to that certain someone who wouldn't quite get out of her mind.
A boy somewhere in the back suddenly shouted calling Hinata. Although their school prohibited pets, this guy always brought his white dog with him. But Hinata didn't pay attention to that guy. Not that she did it intentionally, but rather he can't quite concentrate well.
"SSHHhhhhhhh. Hush it down you big mouth!" A blonde guy sitting beside a pink haired girl by the opposite front seat, shouted irritably. His arms were around the pink haired girl who was sleeping on his shoulders. "You might just wake up my girl friend!!! Oh why haven't this bus get on moving already????!!!'
It was then when Hinata stopped breathing. She was looking on eye level already, moved to reality by his classmate, Naruto.
"My spoon…" she said almost like a whisper. She was trembling a little bit.
"Your what?" Neji asked.
"My so-sp-spoon…" It was like she was about to cry anytime now.
Neji just traced his sister's sight. He found out that she was looking dead straight to the empty driver seat. But, he can't still figure out the logic, the reason why Hinata is acting like this. He hated it that those two bullies still haven't gave up on picking on him, but its no reason to let his sister deal with her own problems.
"My spoon… My spoon. My spoon!!!"
"Your spoon? Are you referring to your spoon? You left it on the table Hinata. Come, the driver is not yet here, maybe had gotten out of the bus when we are preparing inside the house. So let's just get back first in our house to get it for you." Neji caressed his sister, stroking her head to comfort her. He is indeed worried with Hinata's actions, and besides! He wanted to breathe in outside for a while, some seconds more of fresh mocking-free air. Or else he might just box those two.
…….
Walking outside the bus, both of them were silent but their thoughts were talking however.
My spoon. My spoon. My spoon.
I'll have my time someday… maybe not now… but ill definitely I'll have one.
And so, they strode away from the bus for a while, totally different from a while ago… walking and not running, not fast… but rather, very slowly. Both of them thinking of how bad the first minutes of their morning in that yellow bus service was. Not knowing too what to happen the next time they step on it again which will happen just few minutes from that time…
From that time…