Hinata really wasn't ever the best talker. Especially in socially awkward situations, very much like the one she was facing now. One of the boys in her class had pulled down her pants as she walked in, leaving her to be the center of attention, many noticed her underwear were a bit lacy. Her face was beet red, almost purple, and tears were streaming down her face as she yanked her jeans up and ran out of the classroom and into the lavatory, absolutely mortified. She sat there and cried for a while, afraid to show her face, for fear of the leering stares of people she did not want to see as much of her as they saw. She didn't even like taking off her thick hoodie bearing her clan's symbol on it.

After a half-hour or so sitting in a stall, sulking, Kurenai-sensei, Hinata's main mentor, was combing the secretive areas of the school for the indigo haired girl, who was banging her head against the dirty, tiled wall of the public bathroom.

"Hinata! Are you alright?" The calming scarlet eyes of the professor helped Hinata control her speech, even with her slight impediment. "I-I, t-they…" She lowered her head, long silky tresses falling in her face. Kurenai drew the young woman into her caring arms, comforting her and leading her out of the restroom and to the office, upset that the sophomore boys were so mean and immature as to do something like this to sweet, quiet little Hinata.

The black haired lady instructed Hinata to sit down while she spoke with a man known as Umino, Iruka behind the front desk. He spared a sympathetic glance at the Hyuuga heir. He was treated about the same when he was her age. He scratched a deep scar that ran from cheek-bone to cheek-bone, altering the bridge of his nose as he carefully picked up the phone. Usually, the only reason he had to call Hinata's father was when she fainted or something as bad. This was the first cruel act… That she reported, of course.

Hinata was offered a ride home and was asked if she'd like her cousin to pick up her assignments. She shrugged and began twiddling her fingers nervously, thinking about how long it would take everyone in her class to forget what they saw and immediately began dreading the next day.

She received a passage home and approached the apartment building the Hyuugas lived in and owned, gulping from anxiety of what was to come. When she dropped her book bag on the floor, she looked around, frightened. Where was her father? What was going to happen to her when he showed up? She knew these answers already, but couldn't help the fear of the punishment she was bound to face, the scarring intensity of it. She briefly considered walking back to school, which wasn't that far away, but this notion was replaced by the feeling of being prey to something far worse that extreme embarrassment…

Just as she turned around, a hand struck her cheek, harshly, sending her sprawling on the floor.

* * *

Neji Hyuuga was always concerned with his academic welfare and hardly noticed when his younger cousin went home early, leaving him to pick up her homework that accumulated while she was absent. Then, Tenten, someone who shared the same required mentor as him, approached him in the cafeteria where he usually sat alone.

"Hey Neji. Where's Hinata?" She was innocently curious, cocking her head to the side to fix one of her perfect sphere-shaped brunette buns. Neji's classmate looked at him for answers. She was kind of fond of Hinata's shy, child-like stature and considered them friends, even though Tenten was more a tomboy and had more guy friends than female friends. She didn't really have a preference, she just seemed to get along better with guys than girls.

"How am I supposed to know?" The teenaged boy's face was fixed in an indifferent mask, his voice held a disinterest in the topic. Tenten rolled her eyes and huffed as Lee, a black haired boy with a bright smile, whisked her away, explaining his day excitedly to her. She listened enough to eventually get him to shut up, but smiled kindly at him as he professed this information to her. He was the other person who shared their mentor, and looked just like him.

Neji pondered the reason for Hinata's absence briefly, cracking his joints as he stood up. He also played many sports in addition to being the class genius. He played mainly baseball, but dabbled in other recreational activities outside of school. He was the pitcher or shortstop in regular games, and invaluable to the team, the Fire Foxes, their colors, orange, black and white. Entertaining the idea of her early dismissal, he shook his head clear of the notion and decided to ask her about it when they got home.

The bell rang and he dumped his nearly empty tray and strode out of the mess hall, heading to his next to last class, equations from the previous day playing through his head. He sat down in the calculus classroom and tuned into the teacher for the next hour and a half.

After school, he drove home in his sleek, black BMW he bought with collected birthday money and drifted home, the occasional bystander stopping to ogle his car, mostly other motorists with less-than-satisfying vehicles.

Neji let his long hair fall down his back once he entered the building. Instead of heading to the branch wing, to the main wing, to Hinata's room. He knocked softly, and shoved his way in when he heard whimpering from a small voice. His younger laid on her bed, lavender spread under her. He felt kind of blind-sided, she was wearing a black tank top and short, black shorts, revealing much of her shapely legs and cleavage, which, thankfully for her, was shrouded by her indigo locks, flowing down her back and front. She was holding a pillow close to her face which was a tear-stained porcelain, large eyes watching Neji warily as she tried to cover herself, blushing furiously. Neji averted his gaze and walked slowly towards her, unsure of how to comfort her, also tomato red. He sat down on her bed and looked at his lap, wondering what would be best, then he noticed how battered and bruised Hinata was and his eyebrows knitted with worry.

"Hinata-sama… What happened to you?" He questioned, attentive to her every action, expression and twitch. "I-it's n-n-nothing… D-d-don't worry, N-neji-niisan." She murmured, barely loud enough for him to hear. She turned away, scared that he'd figure out the damage done. He silently let it go and stood up, promising himself that next time, he would force her to tell him. He was almost certain there would be a next time, but he didn't know why.

"Goodb-bye, Neji-niisan." She whispered before he left the room, shoving her face back into the pillow, thankful that she had her own room. He nodded in acknowledgement and departed, saying a small prayer for her as he closed her door.

* * *

Hinata sat sulking in the hot shower for an hour, the hot, steamy water bliss after her day. She pondered Neji's sudden concern, then realized that he is her cousin and is entitled to care for her, even if he hasn't before. She sighed and sat in the shower, legs curled up in front of her face. She leaned tiredly against the tile in the bathroom and let the water pour down her soothingly and thought of her childhood.

Her mother was a sweet woman, kind, caring and patient. She always made Hinata smile when she had a bad day and ignored her own problems when Hinata had a conflict. The young Hyuuga missed her mother dearly and, although she loved her father, despised his actions. She never wanted to be around him and was ashamed of herself for it. He always had the family business to run, always working. Whenever he was home, he was irritated and was disappointed, always yelling and torturing Hinata, telling her 'Why can't you be like your cousin or your sister? You're a worthless waste of space, you pathetic cunt.' Of course, no one else heard these words, if they had, she'd be whisked away in an instant. Or ignored, either one could happen, seeing as her family was very edgy. She just wanted those hurtful things to stop, and decided a way to cope with her pain.

The heiress climbed out of the shower and toweled herself off, pulling her damp hair into a bun, loose strands of hair framing her fallen face, beautiful and depressing at the same time, those glassy eyes dead or full of fear. She pulled on a light lavender blue nightgown and went into the bathroom once again. She took the cover of the mirror off to reveal a medicine cabinet with several remedies to various problems. Hinata, the innocent little Hyuuga, opened the Valium and let two pills slide down her throat with the help of some water from the sink in her cupped hands.

Hinata Hyuuga, popping pills. Who would of thought?