Finally, here is the second chapter. It took me long enough. I'm actually much happier about this chapter than the first one, because I feel as though it's going somewhere. Hopefully I'll have the third one done a lot quicker than the second :D
Enjoy, and please Review. Thanks!
The next day after school, Gaara found himself walking down the east wing hallway towards the door to the weight room, wearing Kankuro's old track pants and a black t-shirt. The pants made a dreadful sound when he walked, a sort of swish-swish-swish. His steps echoed a little in the empty hall, and Gaara couldn't help but notice how big and imposing it looked without the bustle of students. The walls were clean, without graffiti, and the floors shone, freshly washed by the janitors not ten minutes ago. Any dirt accumulated during the day was always gone the following morning. The school was much cleaner and richer than the school Gaara would have been attending in Suna.
When at last he got to the door, he didn't know whether to knock, or walk right in. He stood there a few minutes, unsure and nearly unmoving, clutching the strap of his school bag with one hand and simply looking at the fogged up window. Luckily, the door was soon opened.
"Oh! Hello Gaara!" Said a Green Thing. " I was beginning to wonder whether you were coming. Please, follow me, Mr. Gai said we can use the gymnasium…"
Gaara didn't even bother to reply. He followed a few steps behind Lee, past the men's changing room (Gaara had changed in the bathroom near his locker. He had not even realized he had the option of using the changing room, though he noticed now the place may be an easier and more hygienic choice) and through a set of doors to the gymnasium. The redhead, looking at the tall boy's back as he followed him, couldn't help but wonder if all the clothing Lee owned was green (orange sneakers didn't count). Today, he had on a different jersey, still green because Konoha's colours were green and yellow, darker green shorts than the day before, and what looked to be the exact same green headband.
Lee stopped, and turned towards Gaara, saying, "You can put your bag in the locker room if you like, Gaara, or you can just leave it by the door, not many people are around here on Thursdays…." He gestured towards the double doors they had come in, then smiled a brilliant smile. "Alright! Ready to start?!" He extended his arm, his hand in a thumbs-up. His grin was so bright it rivalled Mr. Gai's, Gaara noted.
Gaara said, "Yes." It was the only thing to say in that situation.
Lee immediately knelt down and starting untying the laces of his orange Nikes. "Most martial arts are practiced barefoot," he explained. Gaara nodded and started untying his own (actually Kankuro's) runners. Lee stuffed each of his socks into a sneaker, and placed them by the wall. Gaara neatly folded the top of one sock over the other, then placed the shoes, socks, and bag by the wall near the door. They both stood up, and the martial arts class began.
Lee started off by explaining that before doing any moves, they had to warm up. He set Gaara to doing ten of the exercises called "burpees"; do one push-up, bring feet forward into a squat position, jump high in the air, jump feet back into a push-up position, repeat. By the tenth, Gaara could feel the sweat in his hair dripping onto his face. Perhaps he should get a headband like Lee's. Only preferable not green.
Once he made sure Gaara had completed the exercises properly, the new "instructor" had Gaara pull his arms first one way, then the other, touch his toes ("Gaara, you are flexible for not having done this before!" exclaimed Lee) and pull each leg, one at a time, behind him to stretch his thighs. Then came the first real lesson.
"Punches," explained the black-haired boy, " start with a good stance." He proceeded to gently place Gaara's legs in the proper position. He had him curl his fingers into a fist, making sure his thumb was on top. This was very important, Lee told him, because if he left his thumb underneath his fingers, he could wind up breaking his own thumb when he hit his target. Then, he indicated that Gaara turn his fist upwards, thumb to the ceiling, and rest it near his hip. "In Karate, when you go to punch, your wrist starts to twist as soon as your elbow passes your body. You turn your body towards the punch, and this, along with the twist, is what gives the strike power. If you had a target, you would try to strike it with the first two knuckles." Lee demonstrated each point of the lesson, and Gaara listened intently. "Go ahead and try a punch, Gaara." Another smile was aimed in his direction, but Gaara was concentrating on remembering everything that Lee had said to him. He curled his fingers, then shot his arm forward, exactly how Lee had described.
Lee was ecstatic. "The punch was very good! Excellent for a beginner!" Out came the grin and the thumbs-up. There was, however, something Gaara had forgotten. "You lost your stance, Gaara, so you lost some of the power available to you. Here, place your feet here, and here, and make sure your hip rotates when you strike…" Without thinking, Lee stepped behind Gaara and placed his hands on Gaara's hips. "Now, try again."
Gaara tried again. His mind though, was on the hands lightly guiding him through a proper punch. He was more aware of Lee's breathing than he thought he rightfully should be. When had someone last dared touch him? His siblings never did, never a pat on the shoulder, no tickling or noogies, and definitely no hugs. He never had friends, other than Naruto, who didn't really count. No one wanted to be friends with Gaara. Everyone knew the story of how his mother died because of him, when he was a baby, not to mention the failed attempts at his murder by his father. Even though his family was not from Konoha, both Gaara's siblings had attended the high school before him. Gossip spread like wildfire in this school too. It also didn't help that Gaara had a glare like no other. The look he gave anyone who got too close was normally enough to keep away anyone but Naruto.
But Gaara had let his guard down this time. He must have, otherwise how would Lee have gotten past his defences and actually touched him? This train of thought was thankfully interrupted by Lee's voice, saying, "That is much better! Try some with your left arm now, but I will be watching to make sure you do not lose your stance." The hands responsible for Gaara's mental debate were removed, and Lee walked around the shorter male so that he could check Gaara's feet from a better angle.
The remainder of the two hours passed without any other noticeable incident. Lee had Gaara try high, middle, and low punches ("For now, your imaginary opponent is also your height. For a high punch, you want to aim for where your chin would be. When you actually spar with someone, you will have to adjust, of course…") and also taught him high, middle, and low blocks with both arms. There was a lot of information on tactics to learn that Gaara had not even thought of when he'd chosen martial arts. When Lee told him, "Now, if I were to attack you with a middle right punch, a good option for you would be to block it with your left. This leaves my body open for you to counter-attack." Gaara realized that Karate could be a match of not only brawn, but brain as well. A martial artist would have to predict and react to his or her opponent's actions. It was like a high-speed version of chess, something Gaara was good at.
The last fifteen minutes were spent doing more exercises. Lee was adamant that the only way to improve Gaara's punches and blocks was to increase his strength. Soon, Gaara knew that there were a lot more ways to strengthen the body than push-ups and crunches. One of the worst, in Gaara's opinion, was something Lee called "boat". From lying down, Lee had Gaara raise his legs and his upper back off the ground, then hold the position. When the clock finally read 5: 30, Gaara was exhausted. He collected his things from their spot by the door, resisting the urge to wipe the sweat of his forehead with his neatly folded socks. Instead, he retreated to the locker room, where he changed into his school clothes and washed his face with cold water. Looking up from splashing the cool liquid on his forehead with his hands, he saw his reflection in the mirror. He wasn't bad looking, he supposed. Maybe even good looking, if he smiled. He tried a smile. Not a Mr. Gai- or Rock Lee-smile, just a small lift of the corners of his mouth.
No, he decided, a smile did not suit him at all. It looked wrong, because it made him look almost normal. If he smiled, it would be like lying to the world. He wasn't normal, he was a scary person with a terrifying past. No one wanted to be friends with him. No one, it seemed, except Naruto and maybe, possibly, one track star and martial artist, Rock Lee.
Rock Lee chatted animatedly to the gym teacher, Mr. Gai. "…he learned the punches and blocks even faster than I did! I had no idea he would be this good a student."
The tall man stood up from his desk, strode over, and gave Lee a manly pat on the back. "Oh ho! Or maybe he has a very good teacher!"
"I hope it is both."
"I know it is so! Now, you must be hungry. After you have showered and changed, we will go have power shakes! My treat, for my youthful student who has successfully taught his first lesson!"
"Yes Sensei!" And Lee left the office with a grin and a nice guy pose, mirroring his teacher. However, he did not rush into the locker room, but waited for Gaara to exit before entering himself. With a quick, "Goodbye, Gaara! See you tomorrow in TOK class!" Lee allowed himself in to shower and change. He wasn't sure exactly why he had made himself wait, but he knew it would not have been in his best interest to see Gaara changing. The mere thought, strangely, made him go a little red around the ears.