Chapter 2 - How they First Met

"Aww man! How are we suppose to play now?" the little girl with the ponytail in her hair groaned. Gaara was watching some children play kickball from a distance. Just as he was about to leave one of the children kicked the ball on the roof of a building.

The children stared in amazement as sand crawled up the wall of the building. The sand wrapped itself around the ball and slithered down the wall. All eyes were on Gaara as the sand placed the ball into his hands.

"Ahhh! Stay away from me you freak!" a little boy yelled as the children ran away.

"No! Wait!" Gaara yelled out. He extended his right arm. The sand moved swiftly after another little girl and wrapped around her ankle. The sand drugged her back toward Gaara.

"Let me go! Let me go!" the little girl screamed trying to move forward, scraping her arms and knees instead.

Gaara pulled his hand back to his chest and the sand retreated. The little girl got up and ran after the others crying. Gaara put the ball down and walked away clutching his chest sobbing to himself. When he made it to the park, he sat on a swing and started bawling aloud. Gaara cried for ten minutes before he heard someone walking towards him. He opened his eyes and everything was all blurry, but he still saw a pair of bare scared feet. When he looked up he saw a silver haired girl with a big goofy grin on her face, showing all her teeth.

The girl opened her eyes and they were a dark yellow color. She reached out and grabbed my writs away from my face and pulled me off the swing. "What're you doing sitting here crying?"

All Gaara could do was sniffle. His eyes were red and puffy. And his nose was running. He looked down at the ground and clutched his chest and spoke "Do you want to play kickball or tag?"

"Sure" the silver haired girl said.

Gaara smiled as the silver haired girl pulled him away from the swings. She stopped so quickly Gaara ran into her before he could stop himself. "Two things. One, my name is Sheoshe Ewasuge. Two," she poked Gaara in the chest softly "tag! You're it!" Then she spun around on her heel and ran away from Gaara.

Gaara let out a little laugh as he reached out his arm. Just like before, the sand moved faster than the girl and wrapped around her ankle. The sand caught her right before her foot could touch the ground. It dragged her back making her face hit the ground with a hard thud. When she got up she had a deep cut her face. Blood was dripping everywhere.

Gaara looked at her in total shock "I'm . . . I'm . . . so sorry."

Sheoshe looked up at Gaara and walked towards him. He closed his eyes and waited for a scream or even a punch.

"Open your eyes." Sheoshe said. " Accidents happen." She smiled as blood dripped into her mouth.

Gaara grabbed Sheoshe by her hands and pulled her towards his home.

"Where are you taking me?" Sheoshe inquired.

"To meet Yashamaru. He'll get you cleaned up," Gaara said looking back, giving her a reassuring smile.

"That should do it," Yashamaru said putting the first aid-kit away.

"Thank Mr. Yashamaru," Sheoshe said hopping of the chair.

"Just call me Yashamaru" Yashamaru said smiling.

Sheoshe nodded as she fixed her shirt that she just got. Yashamaru gave her a new pair of clothes and some shoes.

"Come on Gaara lets go play!" Sheoshe said already pulling him out the room.

"Have fun and be careful," Yashamaru called after the two.

Gaara and Sheoshe played together everyday all day long for the next year. Sheoshe was Gaara's best friend and only friend. When the day came for Sheoshe to leave it tore Gaara apart.

"What do you mean you have to leave?!" Gaara yelled close to tears.

"I'm so sorry Gaara, but I have to go," Sheoshe said close to tears herself.

"But why?!" Gaara yelled grabbing on to Sheoshe's shoulders.

Sheoshe put her hands on both of Gaara's cheeks, wiping away a few tears with her thumbs, stood on her tip toes and kissed Gaara lightly on the lips. "I love you Gaara. I love you more than a friend. This pains me to say I have to leave." Sheoshe said tears pouring down her cheeks. Gaara's hands fell from her shoulders. Sheoshe took a step back and a strong wind blew throwing sand everywhere. When the wind was gone, so was Sheoshe.

"Sheoshe!" Gaara yelled into the empty street. "I love you more than a friend too! Sheoshe please come back!" He dropped to his knees and cried harder than he ever has before. Shortly after Sheoshe left Yashamaru tried to kill Gaara but failed. So Yashamaru killed himself instead.

* * * * *

Gaara opened his eyes to a bright bedroom with Sheoshe staring at him smiling.

"Were you having a dream about me?" Sheoshe asked giving Gaara a good morning kiss.

"I was dreaming about when we first met," Gaara said sitting up wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Well, come on time― AHH, OUCH!" Sheoshe said getting out of the bed slipping on her ripped skirt.

Gaara laid back down and turned on his side. "I see you're still as clumsy as the day we met."

They both shared a laugh as they remembered the past.