The Girl with a Broken Smile
I asked her if she'd stay awhile…

The streets were dark with the night's haze, but it didn't faze me as I walked down the dangerous streets of New York City, too engulfed in my own self pity to pay any heed to my surroundings. I had just been kicked out of my boyfriend's apartment after he found another man in my arms. It hadn't been like that; it was my friend who had just been dumped, so I comforted him. But, blind with rage, he threw me out without hearing what I had to say.

So I walked alone on the cold streets, and I walked, I thought. About my past, about what I've been through. My mother had died when I was three, leaving me with my mostly-drunk father, who wanted nothing to do with me. Once I graduated high school I left to new York to attend a fashion college, but dropped out after I became pregnant with my boyfriend's baby…but then, it died. Inside of me. It was like I could feel its heart stop, feel the life leave my stomach.

I was in tremendous mourning. My boyfriend helped me, and I stayed home most of the day until I got a job at a well-paying host place. Nothing naughty; just smiles and forced laughter. Then this happened, and I was alone again, broken and crying as rain began to fall down, as if God was crying with me.

Silence was on my side. Usually, even at night, cars screeched down the streets, and people walked by talking loudly or having sex in alley ways. But tonight, it was oddly calm as the rain fell down, dripping into my hair, mingling with my tears that dried up.

I was too busy mourning over my broken life to care about the fact I had nowhere to go. My father, who had died in a car wreck (he was the drunk driver.) the house was sold, leaving me homeless. And Kiba refused to talk to me.

I was alone again. It reminded me of years back, when I was an innocent four-year-old. It was my birthday, and I was excited, bouncing around the house, expecting my father to have a present and give me kisses and love me. Like he did before mom died. I was disappointed, and he left me in the backyard waiting for cake and presents and all my friends to pop out and scream "surprise!" and I would laugh and everything would be perfect.

I never expected much after that. Every birthday or Christmas, I wouldn't bother getting my hopes up. And even when I made my dad a special breakfast on his birthday or fathers day, he would just call me stupid and laugh at my face.

I stopped trying. And I was relieved when high school was over, so I could leave that horrid place with the stranger who only knew me by the blood we shared. But that was all.

College was amazing, and fashion was my life. I loved every second I spent there, making up new designs and meeting other people, and getting many chances to make it big. But I blew it with one mistake, one night where somehow, I became pregnant. And after the baby I never head died, I lost all desire to try. I gave up.

And now look at me. Walking on the lonely streets and pitying myself, thinking about things I tried not to think about. My head hurt. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I didn't want to go on. I lost all hope.

Then I saw him. He was standing on the end of the street with an overly-large map stretched out in front of him, beautiful blue eyes squinting in concentration as he scanned the image in front of him. I instantly thought 'tourist' and almost laughed at his confused expression. He was standing under the bus stop, so he was protected from the pouring rain, as was his map.

"Hey," I found myself speaking as I lopped towards him, suddenly cold from the rain that had been hitting me for the past couple minutes. "Are you lost?"

Which was a stupid question, because it was plainly obvious he was. But he looked up and only smiled at me as I stepped into the shade and looked up at him, waiting for his answer.

"Ehh," he replied, squinting at the map again. "Heh, I am."

I smiled. "Here; let me help…" I gently took the map from his hands and inspected it, seeing a green pen had been used to draw a line from around where my old apartment was, to the local, nicer apartment up north.

"I see it." I said. "Here, I'll take you there. But, do you want to wait until the rain stops?" I looked up at him as I asked this, smiling politely. He smiled back, and I almost stepped back at how beautiful he was when he smiled.

"Sure, good idea." He agreed, taking a seat on the bench. I just stared at him, clutching the map in my sweaty hands. He saw me staring and pat at the spot next to him, and I awkwardly sat down, folding the map into a tiny square as silence overtook us. The rain poured on.

"I'm Naruto." He said suddenly, starling me out of my brooding thoughts. I looked up at his smile, and blinked. The name, for some reason, didn't fit him. I expected something more exotic. But Naruto was cute, too.

"I'm Hinata," I finally found my voice, smiling at him nervously. "Nice to meet you. So, what're you doing wandering New York City?" I leaned against the bench casually, pressing my thumb on the tiny folded map and licking my full pink lips.

"I'm visiting my girlfriend." He said, stretching. "She attends a fashion college here."

Upon being slightly disappointed after hearing 'girlfriend' I perked up in surprise at the mention of Fashion College. What a strange coincidence. I didn't say anything, but nodded and smiled at him. I was rewarded with that brilliant smile again.

"What about you?" he asked, pushing his blonde hair from his face as he turned to the rain. I listened to the soft 'pit pat' it made as it hit the shield above us as I thought of a reply. I settled with a soft, "I don't know." and left it at that. We both fell silent again. I flicked the map and bit the inside of my cheek. I was relieved when he spoke again.

"Actually," he said, and I looked up at him curiously. "I think Sakura is going to break up with me. She told me 'you're too clingy!' and would hang up on me." He laughed dryly, and I wondered what kind of girl would call someone like Naruto clingy. "But, that's alright. This long-distance relationship wasn't gonna work anyway."

I didn't say anything, not sure what I was obliged to say anyway. So I settled with tugging at my scarf and staring at the folded map in my lap, forgotten, my hands occupying themselves by running my fingertips across my scarf. It was soft, and warm.

"Actually, I was kicked out of my apartment." I admitted, breaking the silence. Naruto looked up at me, but I avoided meeting his eyes. "My boyfriend thought I was cheating on him. But, whatever. I guess it was bound to happen." I pursed my lips and fell silent. I felt him move closer to me, and I looked down blankly at his hand, which rested on my knee. A comforting gesture. Yet my heart jumped into my throat.

"I'm sorry." He said. But I only nodded, and he pulled his hand away, and I was able to breathe properly again, left to wonder how someone I just met could make such a huge impact on me.

Then I saw the rain had died down and was a mere drizzle. I stood, and he followed suit, as I stepped out of our shelter and looked at the sky, the sun peeking through the grey clouds, sending filters of golden rays of sunlight onto us.

"Let's go." I said, and he followed. We walked in the drizzle which finally died down into nothing, the sun shining down shyly on us, puddles following us as we walked down the sidewalk. He was a head taller than me, so when he slightly walked to the side, his shoulder bumped my head slightly, but I didn't mind.

The apartments weren't too far away, and when I saw it, I almost stopped and begged him to stay. But I didn't, and only pointed at it with what was probably a grim look on my face.

"There." I said. "That's it."

He stared at it, then turned to me and smiled. "Walk me there?"

I obeyed. We reached the front of the building, and we both stopped to look at one another. His expression was the same; happy, polite, adorable. I wasn't sure what I looked like, but I didn't mind because suddenly he was kissing me and nothing else mattered.

He pulled away and whispered against my lips, "Goodbye, Hinata." Then he pulled away and walked off into the fancy building, leaving me damp and dazed, and surely dreamy-looking. I stumbled away from the building, still light-headed from the kiss, and I felt something I had missed long ago rise in my chest, bubbling in my heart and making me want to sing and dance and laugh.

I felt hope.