Note: bold is Shakaku, bold italic is the sand.

Chapter 2, First Day.

The nanny arrived a little after sunrise. Her name was Sarah Kaki, an older woman in her late forties. She had long brown hair with gray streaks done up in a bun, almost always wore a long sleeve floor length dress of a plum or maroon color, the same desert sandals in the color gray, gray gloves clutching a large gray tote bag, and all hidden under a large gray hooded cloak. (I dunno… I don't think she likes the color gray a lot. LoL!)

On her way to her office at the end of the hall on the second floor, she would steal a peek in each room, and wake the sleeping occupant to get ready for the day, a lock step routine. She found a sleeping Gaara in an open windowed room, next to her office, covered with sand. This was normal, Gaara always had his windows open, and sand gets blown in all the time.

Today was a day that she had to yell to wake the peaceful Gaara and his two dead asleep siblings.

(This is a happy line. Say, Hello, to the wonderful readers Happy Line. … Please? … Fine! Don't!)

Gaara shot up in bed to find sand all around. His quick movement caused the sand to sluggishly bounce up to protect him, almost like the sand was just waking up.

The first thing he saw was the partially opened door, he then noticed the sand. Memories of last night flooded back to him.

He held out his hand and all the sand came and moved up his out stretched hand, under his cloths, and settled just as it did last night.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of that…" he trailed off, whispering to him self. He rolled out of bed and onto the wooden floor, and walked over to the tub in the corner of his room. He stripped of his small shirt and loose cotton shorts and climbed into the cool water. When he stood up to dry off, the sand that was on his skin ran down his body and into the tub.

Gaara looked down through the water to see the sand sitting on the bottom all around his feet. Humm…so water makes it weak. Gaara swore the sand heard this thought, because right after, the sand in the tub flared up dangerously around his feet. No, he thought again, it's just a small weakness, and the sand settled.

Gaara climbed out of the tub wrapped in the towel, and walked over to his cabinet. He picked out a tan shirt and brown shorts, put them on, then went to the trunk at the foot of his bed and threw on his cloak.

He was about to leave when he remembered the sand at the bottom of the tub. He walked over to it, and put his hand in the water. The sand swam up and started to climb up his arm, and moved to the rest of his body. When it settled it had a different feeling against Gaara's skin. The damp sand instantly cooled him from the every day heat of the desert. I wonder how long this sensation will last.

It was about 9 A.M. when Gaara and his siblings were all gathered at the table for breakfast on the third floor. It was Sarah's job to cook breakfast, she did that every day except on weekends when they were forced to eat Temari's cooking. Today was Thursday, so there was a hot, edible meal awaiting Gaara.

Soon the table was cleared and they headed down to the first floor. Today was their relaxation day, no training for Gaara. Gaara decided it would be a great day to go to the playground, completely unaware of the person following him in the shadows.

Gaara went to the swing set first, for it was his favorite, but decided against that and went to the sand box instead. When he looked up after completing his amazing sand castle, and saw some kids playing ball. Pass, kick, pass, pass, kick, swivel-pass, steal, kick, head butt, kick, GOAL! Gaara was amazed by their skill, I wish I could play that good.

He continued watching them from the sand box, hiding behind he creation, and eventually the ball was kicked out of bounds and into Gaara's sand castle. Yes, his castle was ruined, but now he had the perfect chance to ask to play. Tentatively asking, "Can-n I paly?" and holding out the ball to them, he just smiled. Gaara was disappointed when then children started as one saying things like, "look, it's Gaara", or "you can keep it", and "we were done any way", and "I think I heard my mom calling", while slowly backing away from him.

He took a step forward, and half the kids ran, another step and all the kids were running. "No! Please don't go. Please come play with me!" poor Gaara was hurting very badly inside and crying on the outside. Why! Why? Does this always happen to me?!

The sand came then, and went running after a girl with brown hair and a band aide on her cheek. It caught her ankles and her momentum took her face first into the ground to land with a large thump. Two young boys turned around to help her get free and run, but the girl was flung up and out of their grasps landing this time with a crack. Struggling, she was being pulled painfully toward Gaara.

"Stop it! Let go of her! Can't you see you're hurting her?!" he screamed at the sand, effectively scaring the kids even more. The boys ran.

"Cowards!!!" the little girl screamed through tears at them while Gaara began screaming at the sand. The person shadowing Gaara took note of this and began to intervene.

The sand gave up and fell to the ground like it was never up in the first place. The girl immediately tried to get up and run, but as she braced her self on her left arm to push up, she was stunned into place from the intense pain of a break. Silent tears poured down her face as Gaara walked over to help her up. Fear still present, and pain aside, she pushed herself up any way and began to run away.

"No! Wait! I'm sorry!" he shouted, but she was already fading from sight. Gaara's shadow, shocked for a moment at what really happened, tripped and fell down the backside of the steep cliff he was spying from. If one listened very closely they could hear the soft muttering of a long chain of curses.

"Gaara? Ready to go home?" A bruised and beaten Yashamaru asked a now solemn Gaara sitting on the swing. Gaara just nodded silently, and placed the ball back on the makeshift field and started the long walk home with a lot on his mind. (A Note to the Dense: Yashamaru = Gaara's Shadow…)

I really hope she's all right. I don't know why the sand did that, I wasn't in any danger, if there was any they were in it. Humm… I wonder how I could make it up to her, or at least help her get better... That's it! Gaara had thought of the perfect way to help make it better. I could ask for a jar of high concentrated healing balm tomorrow at training, and give to her for her arm.

Walking home still in his thoughts, Gaara realized something, Huhh… the sand has left my skin. I wonder where it went? Probably when I yelled at it. I couldn't of hurt its feelings, I mean its just sand… isn't it? Well I guess I might try apologizing, uncle always said that's a good place to start. .

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