She walks to school with a lunch she packed

Nobody knows what she's holding back

Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday

She hides the bruises with the linen and lace

oh

The loud school bell rung through the halls as a pink haired girl ran to her class. Her parents had made her late again today, she knew that she would get in trouble for being late everyday this week. Not wanting to be any later than necessary, she ran faster, her long summer dress creasing, its three quarter length sleeves slowly creeping up her arms. She grabbed hold of her classroom door to stop herself. In doing so, she made it swing open quickly, the class staring bewilderedly at her.

'Sorry I'm late miss. I got...caught up at home,' the girl panted.
'Very well. Sit down quickly please,' said the teacher, looking at the top of her arm curiously. The girl didn't noticed her teachers stares following her as she sat next to her best friend.
'Hi Neji!' she said, almost too energetically.
'How come you're late again Sakura?' Neji asked her, also looking at the top of her arm.
'I just┘you know, lost track of time?' Sakura said shyly.
'Ok.' The two sat still as their teacher took the register. Neji was still worried about the mark on her arm. She always has so many, he thought. I'll ask her what it is this time though.
'Sakura,' he whispered.
'Yes?'

'How come you've got a bruise on your arm?' he asked.

The teacher looked up from her documents, using a jutsu to listen to the conversation.

The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask

It's hard to see the pain behind the mask

Bearing the burden of a secret storm

Sometimes she wishes she was never born

'I...I just...erm...I just fell over,' she answered, tugging her sleeve down quickly.
Again? thought her teacher. I better not pry.
thought her teacher. She looked back at her papers, continuing with the register.

Sakura sat quietly for the rest of the day, only talking if she had been asked a question, only making a noise to pretend to laugh at the jokes that Neji made about Sasuke Uchiha.

Through the wind and the rain

She stands hard as a stone in a world that she can't rise above

But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place where she's loved.

Concrete Angel

On the way home from school, she daydreamed about the rain washing away her life, taking away the pain. Although she was walking with Neji, she didn't talk at all. She was just caught up in a pretend world, a world so different from the one she was in at the moment.
Neji left her at her house, giving Sakura a sad look, obviously trying to show her that he was worried about her. She didn't notice though. She just turned away, opening her door slowly.
'I...I'm home dad,' she shouted.
An angry voice answered her.

'I KNOW THAT, YOU STUPID GIRL! DO YOU THINK I'M DEAF? DON'T SHOUT AT ME LADY!'

'I'm...I'm sorry,' replied Sakura.
'SO YOU SHOULD BE!!! NOW, GO MAKE ME MY TEA!'

'Sure dad.' Sakura ran into the kitchen, not bothering to change out of her school clothes. She got straight to work, putting on her dad▓s tea, not bothering to make anything for herself.

When she had given her dad his food, she ran upstairs and shut herself in her bedroom, to once again be lost in her own little world, one where she had no father. A world where her mum was still alive.

Somebody cries in the middle of the night

The neighbours hear but they turn out the lights

A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate

When morning comes it will be too late.

'GIRL! GET DOWN HERE NOW!'

Sakura was woken from her sleep. She didn't even realise that she had dozed off, but now she knew that she shouldn't have. Her dad was angry at her.
'I...I'm coming dad,' she said shakily.
'HURRY UP!!!'

Sakura ran down the stairs, making as little noise as possible.
'I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU NOW, YOU STUPID LITLE GIRL!!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE? YOU LEFT A FOOTPRINT ON THE PATH! A FOOTPRINT! YOU STUPID GIRL!'

'I...I'm sorry dad...I...I won't do it again,' she whispered.
'NO! NO YOU WON'T. BECAUSE THIS IS IT! I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU!' Sakura's dad drew his hand back and hit her in the side of the head. She began crying, the pain in her body immense as her father kept hitting her, over and over again.
'PLEASE! Please dad! Stop it please! You're hurting me!' she sobbed.
'I'M GOING TO DO A LOT MORE THAN HURT YOU, YOU STUPID FOOL. I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!! YOU'LL NEVER ANNOY ME AGAIN!!!'

Sakura tried to run, to get away from him, to get out of his grasp, but he gripped her wrist. Next to him was his favourite pen knife, the knife which he had used to cut her before. He moved closer to the table, taking Sakura with him. With a murderous glint in his eye, he picked up the knife and flipped it up. Sakura screamed.

Through the wind and the rain

She stands hard as a stone in a world that she can't rise above

But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place where she's loved.

Concrete Angel

Everything around her faded into darkness. In front of her stood a glowing figure. A small smile spread across Sakura's face.
'Hi mum.'

A statue stands in a shaded place

An angel girl with an upturned face

Her name is written on a polished rock

A broken heart that the world forgot.

Neji Hyuuga stood in the schoolyard, staring at a grey statue. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. I should've done something! I should've known what he was doing to her! There were so many little signs, all the time. But I never guessed!
'WHAT KIND OF FRIEND AM I!?!' he shouted. The tears kept pouring from his eyes, his mind started to go blank. He felt so alone. His mind plunged into darkness. Nothingness surrounded him. Neji was scared. Is this what you felt like? Are you lost in darkness?

'No Neji. I'm in the light, with my mum. So I'll send you back. Don't worry. I didn't want you to know. Don't feel bad, not even I could stop him. So don't worry. Live your life to the full. And be happy, for me.'

Neji shot up, still in front of the statue.

'Sakura,' he said. 'You don't worry either. He won't do it to anyone else. They got him. I'm sorry that you had to go, but I'm glad that you are happy. One more thing. Thank you.'

The rain began to fall, as if weeping for the fallen girl. Neji smiled as he began to engrave words into the stone in front of him.

Through the wind and the rain

She stands hard as a stone in a world that she can't rise above

But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place where she's loved.

Concrete Angel

In memory of Sakura Haruno

She was a beautiful girl, a loving friend to me

I never told you, but I truly love you

I know that you will always be looking over me, over all of us

Rest in Peace Sakura

My Concrete Angel