My Heart is Broken
"You have to do this, Akemi" Sakura pleaded to her best friend through the bathroom door of Scarlet, the hottest music venue in all of Konoha. A low nauseated groan was the only response the pink haired konouchi got.
"Listen…your brother is going to be here any minute. This is my first night off from missions and the hospital in weeks. Ino is already hammered and she keeps slapping Choji when he suggests they go home so she can sleep it off. Everyone is dying to see you on stage because we know you deserve it! All those years of hard work you put in…I won't let you throw all that away simply because you're scared of seeing him."
The girl on the other side of the bathroom door pulled her head out of the toilet. She had puked every last ounce of anything out of her system. She had peeked from behind the stage and had seen her ex-boyfriend Yori sitting down at the bar with his new bimbo. He knew Akemi was performing tonight. He made sure to sit in plain sight, letting his date run her tongue up and around his ear. It was now 5 minutes before the show and she had to make a choice, either hide in the bathroom until the bar closed, or get out there and perform her years of hard work.
"I'm not leaving until your ass is out on that stage singing his lying balls off." Sakura wasn't kidding. She'd break down that door if she had to, Akemi had seen her do it.
Akemi flushed the toilet and stood up. The reflection she saw in the mirror was almost a stranger. Her dark purple hair was now stuck to her sweaty face and her eye makeup had started to run. Her light grey-blue eyes were bloodshot and her breath was sour and reeked of sick. She turned on the cold water at the sink and rinsed out her mouth. She grabbed a piece of toilet paper and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, mopping up what streaks had started to form. She took a deep breath, digging her black nails into the edges of the sink. She sighed and opened the door to greet a smiling Sakura. She smiled and pulled the purple haired best friend into a tight hug.
"You're going to blow this place apart tonight, with him in it." Sakura giggled at her own sadistic thought, as did Akemi. She was so grateful to have a best friend like Sakura. She had become like a sister to her over the years. Sakura's skirt pocket vibrated sharply. The friends pulled apart and she clicked open her cell phone.
"Your brother is here," Sakura cheered, "I almost thought they weren't going to make it in time!" The girls raced to the edge of the stage and peeked around the corner. Sure enough, there was Akemi's older brother Naruto sitting down at the table with Ino, Choji, Sai, Shikamaru, Rock Lee, Tenten, Neji, Hinata, and Shino. He was followed by Gaara, Kankuro and Temari. Naruto leaned down and kissed Hinata on the cheek and took the seat next to her. Temari threw herself into Shikamaru's lap and kissed him senseless.
Gaara and Kankuro settled into chairs next to each other. Akemi had never met the two male sand ninja before. She had heard all about them from Naruto, so she knew who was who. The redhead was the Kazekage, Naruto's best friend since Sauske. The tall brunet was Gaara's older brother Kankuro, a talented yet hot-headed puppet master. Akemi had met Temari many times during her travels to Konoha to visit Shikamaru. Gaara was more handsome then Akemi had imagined him to be.
The lights went down and everyone began to clap and cheer. The scantily clad bartender bounced up onto the stage and flashed a seductive smile into the spotlight as she announced the evening's entertainment. She encouraged the crowd to welcome back "the violet rose of Konoha" from her 3 year hiatus from the music scene. Naruto's whoops and hollers could be heard above everyone else in the place, obviously very proud of his twin sister. All of a sudden Sakura's elbow met Akemi's ribs and she stumbled out onto the stage as the curtain was raised. The band began the intro to the first song, and there was no turning back now. She took a deep breath.
I will wander 'til the end of time, torn away from you
The bar crowd was dead quiet. Akemi locked eyes on Yori as the drums crashed down.
I pulled away to face the pain
I close my eyes and drift away
Over the fear
That I will never find a way to heal my soul
And I will wander 'til the end of time
Torn away from you
Yori pried his lips off of the nape of his date's neck as the words began to flow from Akemi's mouth. Her emotions had flooded every word and every note. His eyes began to grow wide in horror as realization began to hit…Akemi wasn't just singing about him, she was singing directly AT him. Sakura, who had been swaying to the beat on the edge of the stage had stopped; she now watched with great pain as her best friend proceeded to gracefully fall to pieces right in the spotlight.
My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us from sorrow's hold
Over my heart…
Gaara's eyes lifted from the table in front of him, and looked upon the girl on the stage. Her voice had a strange power over him. It was beautiful, but it simultaneously pained him. As if he could feel what she was feeling, right there in that moment. He couldn't stop staring at her.
I can't go on living this way
But I can't go back the way I came
Chained to this fear
That I will never find a way to heal my soul
And I will wander 'til the end of time
Half alive without you
Akemi closed her eyes before launching into the chorus.
My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us
Her voice became more and more powerful as the song continued. The sadness in her eyes grew into pure rage. She gripped the microphone so tight Yori thought it might break. Betrayal burned through her veins like a poison. A tears formed in Sakura's eyes. Gaara felt a heavy weight settle on his heart as he watched and listened to the girl practically rip her own heart out on stage. How she had the courage to do such a thing was beyond him, but he could tell she was struggling with something much larger than just stage fright.
Change - open your eyes to the light
I denied it all so long, oh so long
Say goodbye, goodbye
Akemi inhaled deeply before the final chorus. She closed her eyes briefly, and when she reopened them, she raised her left hand out in front of her and pointed right at a terrified Yori and his now very confused date. He glanced nervously in Naruto's direction, knowing full well that he was no match for the over-protective jinchuriki. Luckily for him, Naruto hadn't quite caught on yet.
My heart is broken
Release me, I can't hold on
Deliver us
She channeled every last ounce of strength she had into the last few lines of the song. Every emotion erupted into words, like a poetic volcano.
My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us
My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us from sorrow's hold
The song was over and the instruments died out as Akemi lowered the microphone. The crowd erupted into applause and whistles of approval. Yori stood abruptly, grabbed his date's hand and turned to run out of the bar. He avoided all eye contact with Naruto and his table of friends as he made his way to the door. It wasn't until they were outside that Naruto started piecing together what was going on. One look at his sister's face confirmed it. Fury burned behind his crystal blue eyes. Hinata squeezed his hand tenderly. Akemi gave him a sad smile and shook her head, silently begging him to let it go. The fury in him grew colder, and Hinata gave him a reassuring kiss on the forehead. He stroked her hand with his thumb and half-smiled. He wouldn't move a muscle if the two most important women in his life told him not to.
Akemi looked to Sakura and gave her a small nod. She was signaling that she was ok and ready to go on with the show, but Sakura knew that wasn't completely true. Her best friend was the furthest thing from ok. At least Akemi was feeling better and was ready to do what she came here to do…to knock Konoha's socks off. She turned back to face the crowd and gave a wicked smirk.