Chapter 2

The still air. Silence. The sea calm gently comforting me for the sadistic storm ahead. Pushing me to shore before the raging tides pull me out to drown in despair.

We talked on the phone for a few days and each word he said and every laugh he breathed, I felt myself steadily love him more. He told me had a girlfriend in the beginning of the summer cause he knew her longer and she was there first. Another rain on my love parade was that I was getting rezoned to Sora Middle next year and we would never get to see each other. On the phone (still so happy he calls me even though I'm not the best girl out there) I would say, "Yeah Nana I…I k-kind of like th..is boy but he has a girl, so sad right." And I laughed sadly and he said, "I know how you feel Hina, I like this girl but you know I got a girl." I could hear his seductive grin over the phone. Jesus help me I think I'm in love. I couldn't even say his name or think about him without a blush caressing my face. "Awww, I giggled acting all shocked, you playboy!" "Bad Nana you go..nna get it," I can't believe I said that please don't think I'm weird. But in a reassuring voice that made butterflies throw a damn party in my stomach he cooed, "Sorry Hina… I'll fix it."

But to what I thought was unexplained luck (which later would be my nightmare) they broke up. I felt so exhilarated I was on air and lovin it. He was gonna pick me! Me! The plain lil girl next door! He likes me! Just me. A few days later he asked me out and (a total shocker) I said yes. He didn't know I almost fainted from excitement. I hate when that happens it makes me look weak and all caught up, even though I am. All was well for a few weeks. We would argue and have our mushy-gushy moments but all was good.

One day we decided to 3-way our bestie Amiya on the phone. She was the first person to except me at that god-forsaken school. Like me she was a "stacked" teen and hormone powered boys loved to harass us. So to avoid those gut-wrenching lustful stares (yeah, me and a lot of attention don't go well together) I would wear more loose and baggy clothing. Then they tortured me about dressing like a boy, yay middle school. With her long hair and never ending optimism I was always a little jealous of her.

Anyway they were talking about so super top secret on the phone and they wouldn't tell me because they knew it would make me mad. Everyone knew I was nice 'cause hardly anyone had seen me mad, but those that have know my wrath. Now my anger level and my blood pressure was rising. Any girl would get mad if any pretty girl had a secret with your boyfriend and you didn't know about it. After much yelling and suffocating silence they told me. Naruto had a crush on Amiya but she didn't like him (mostly because he went out with some of her friends before me). I after I felt something that to this day I don't know if it was anger, hurt, jealousy, or a mega combo of all of them, but it started to tear at my sanity and cracks started to form in the worst place… my heart.

I hung up on them and I refused to pick up the phone when he called back. Crushed… yea crushed is what happened to me. I didn't feel special anymore I was just another girl, he traded me that fast. I moped in my own self-pity, except when I went outside to let the summer breeze rinse my worries away. A day later my family and I got tired of him blowing up my phone, so like any other love sick low confidence teenager I picked up the phone. I answered, we yelled, he apologized and said that this happened in the past. "Listen to me Hina I love you and…. I don't wanna lose you hime." He loved me more, is what he pleaded to me. I cried. My heart, my soul, and my whole being wanted to believe him. So like any blinded-by-love teen I believed him. Something told me not to fall into that trap but the sound of his voice washed all my doubts away. All was good once again until we broke up before school started 'cause of the stupid separation thing. I wanted Sora Middle to get struck by lightning, to flood, or burn to the freakin' ground! I wanted to be with the guy I just fell in love with and fate was keeping him away from me. To me my short lived life was over. He went out with a couple of girls and I went out with Kiba.

He was this very cute tough but gentle guy that would always find a way to make me smile. We even went to the same elementary school and as in the same class. But I didn't love him as much as I loved Naruto. But he was very special to me and I never wanted him to get hurt by tainting himself with me since I couldn't give him my heart…. Naruto had it. Well Nana had Sakura, Yuki, and Karin to keep him warm at Konohagakure Middle. That all ended badly but I was there to help him pick up the pieces like a best friend is suppose to do. Even though each and every smile he made for another girl, laugh, and especially his coming-of-age experiences chipped small pieces of my heart and any hope of us getting back together.

In February I had to take an exam to get into a communication program at Kohona High and to torment us they had to do it on a Saturday.

Naruto came to see me. During the break we walked and I couldn't stop blushing. This was the first time I'd seen him since seventh grade. He was sexier than I remember. We raced and when I fell, cursing my clumsiness, he picked me up bridal style and of all things… he dropped me. Claiming I was squirming too much but in reality he was embarrassing me. With my hair full of leaves and my face ten shades of red he smiled at me. I checked my watch and I WAS LATE!!!!! We flew back to the testing site and I looked back. He saw me and said, "Hina I will be here when you finish." Blushing I grinned and ran to my test.

I was the first person finished and after I opened the door to the lobby I was greeted by the smile I love so much. Then we went back to normal and he stole my food and I beat him up. Once we went outside I stole his favorite orange coat for revenge. I thought he was going to kiss me! His eyes were starring into the depths of my soul and he leaned forward….. HONK! My dad had drove up. Flustered I hugged him and ran to the car smiling like there was no tomorrow :) But back at my house I thought to myself, "He must never know. Without him realizing it during our eighth grade year he was slowly torturing my soul, slowly and painfully killing me." I was fading away. Without him ever realizing it.

The wind before the storm predicts how strong it will be. Hurricane winds bring typhoons.

Maybe that's why I need you,

You and,

Standing in the middle

Of a

Dark, raging thunderstorm

(The power making me tremble),

Riding in a

Fast, sleek convertible

(30 over the limit),

Absorbing the

Sensation of the

Largest roller coaster

(Seat belt discarded)

And

A 180-foot parachute free fall

All

Somehow

Give me the

Unexplainable

Thrill

Of delighting

Something so

Terribly,

Wonderfully,

Out of control.

Erika Banick