I'll find more ways to say I love you but until then enjoy this chapter!

-RoboArrow

I'd love to say my day got better from there but that would be a lie. I felt like a leper as I walked through the halls, I could feel people pointing and whispering as I passed. And why wouldn't they? I was wearing frolicking slugs on my damn chest! And I'm sure there wasn't a soul in the school who hadn't now heard of the old hag taking on Neji Hyuuga.

I tried using my cell phone to call Kiba (at least his stupid voice would calm me down) only to have it confiscated by a teacher who told me that here at Konoha High school, cell phones needed to be kept in lockers until the end of the day. I tired sneaking out of the school to buy a new outfit, only to be stopped and told there was no open campus here. It probably could have been worse...but I'm not sure how.

After what seemed an eternity, the final bell rang.

I retrieved my cell phone from the main office then caught the early bus home. Walking through the front door I was greeted by my mom, smiling excitedly at me, I sighed as she approached me.

"How was your first day?" she asked, her Cheerful expression not completely masking her tired eyes, her bangs shifted in front of her eyes as she looked down at the Frolicking slug display on my chest..."That's a new look for you." she Smirked.

I opened my mouth to tell her about how dreadful it had been, but quickly snapped it shut as the old hag came into view, lurking down the hallway behind my mom, successfully using my mother as a human shield as she tried desperately not to burst out laughing at my pathetic face. Scowling I passed by my mom, "Fine." I muttered instead. "I've got homework." I grunted as I sprinted up the steps three at a time.

"Fine?" she called after me. "That's all? Naruto..what did you think of your teachers? Were the kids nice? Did you make any friends? Naruto? "

Anger burned in my gut at her questions, I slammed my door shut ignoring her altogether. I knew she had no idea what Hell I had just been through, but I couldn't help but blaming her for asking. After all she was the one who forced me to attend this miserable school to begin with. To leave all my friends behind.

I ripped the door back open and yelled back down at her, "Ohhh suuuuree", I said my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Tons of friends, In FACT, I'm a shoo-in for homecoming King!" I closed the door once again a loud bang echoing after my words.

"Naruto, come down here and talk to me!" she called after me her voice losing it's cheerfulness replacing it with concern and confusion.

I ignored her,effectively face planting my bed with a groan, the frame shook a little,then nothing but silence as I suffered in flashback humiliation. i sat up and ripped off the stupid slug sweater and mom jeans and kicked them as hard as I could at the door, I ran my fingers through my spikey blonde hair pulling it in frustration. I laid back down on the bed in my boxers, and sighed into the silence. I probably would have stared into space for the rest of the night had I not needed to talk to Kiba.

"Hello?" My friend answered a moment later, out of breath and laughing slightly.

"Hey dog breath." I said, somewhat tiredly.

"Fox Face!" he cried,"how's it going..Oh ,wait hold on..." I could hear him talking in the background. "Okay sorry.." he laughed, "How was the first day man?"

"Dude, it was horrible!" I moaned as put my arm over my eyes, " First grams made me wear this sweater that had slugs on it and then-"

"Sorry Naruto, hang on one more time." more muffled conversation and laughing. then he came back on the line. " Sorry me and Shino are at B.J. Licks and we're trying to figure out ice-cream flavors."

A pang of loneliness shot through me. I should have been there with them eating ice cream and laughing. Probably flirting with Diedara the guy behind the counter that I had a slight crush on. But no! I was stuck in the middle of nowhere in a house that was more like a freakin' museum than an actual home, and after the worse day of school in my entire life...

"It's okay," I replied. A Total Lie. "I'll wait."

"Actually, can I just call you back later?" Kiba laughed slightly, "like tonight or something? Or...umm tomorrow morning?"

"yeah.." I said Glumly.

"Cool, later fox face." And with that the phone disconnected, before I even had a chance to say good-bye and Somehow I knew in my heart he wouldn't call me back later... I was out of Suna, out of their lives. Forgotten Already.

I was totally and utterly alone.

A knock sounded on my door, I rolled onto my side away from the door trying to ignore it. But my Mother was never one for respecting personal space. She barged in and sat down on the side of my bed, I sighed and looked at her knowing she wouldn't just go away now. she stared at me with pitty in her eyes. My frown deepened as I looked back at the wall.

"Bad first say?" she asked, Sympathetically.

"why do you care?" I snapped at her.

"Naruto, of course I care...Don't be like that.." she touched my arm softly.

"If you cared, you wouldn't have dragged us here to the middle of nowhere and let that old hag humiliate me." I clenched my jaw as my eyes started to tear. I would not cry if it was the last thing I did.

The Red head let out a sigh, "I'm sorry about that, Naru-chan." she said leaning down to kiss my forehead. I jerked away from her and scowled at her. "I didn't realize she'd take it upon herself to dress you and bring you to school. But she does mean well. " she shrugged her shoulders softly.

"Umm, great. Is that suppose to make me feel better?

"she's old and she doesn't understand kids fashions...but she had a good heart and she loves you, you know that."

I looked up at my mom, "Mom, she embarrassed me in front of the whole school and I wore embroidered slugs all fucking day!"

she frowned and sighed again," I'll have a talk with her...It won't happen again, I promise."

"Don't you see? Its too late! The damage is done."

"Quit overreacting, I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad."

" you weren't there, you wouldn't know."

"What do you want me to do, Naruto?" she asked, defensiveness creeping into her voice.

That was easy."Don;t make me go back there, let me go to my old school."

she shook her head, "not possible."

Please... it wasn't possible only because she was too selfish, Because she decided to take off on my dad and refuse to try to work it out, we all had to suffer for it.

I sat up a little smiling at her gently...

"I'll wake up early and take the commuter train in," I suggested. "I don't mind."

"It's not the commute, Your old school costs a lot of money and I can't afford the tuition."

I give up! I flopped back down on the bed and faced the wall once again," Fine. Whatever." I growled.

"Naruto..."

"I'm tired. I want to take a nap." I knew I was being Childish, but at the moment, I didn't care. "Go ruin someone else's life for a while."

Mom sat there, unmoving.

I could feel her piercing stare at my back then very slowly she got up and left the room.

Once she was gone. I rose from my bed and pulled out my sketchbook out of my bag I sat down at my desk and started drawing. It was the only thing sometimes that could pull me out of a bad mood. When I picked up a pencil it was like i entered an alternate universe...all of life's problems faded to the background and I lost myself in my art.

I was especially fond of Japanese-style art and had been creating my own manga. A graphic novel, if you will. I'd been writing a fantastical story about a man who gets sucked into an alternate reality and has to fight demons and monsters. But today I found it had to work on...maybe because my own demons kept coming to the surface, and so I turned the page and started sketching a scene from school. Walking into school with Grams, wearing the Frolicking slugs shirt. Neji mouthing off, and me looking...mortified.

I sighed, staring down at the drawing. I really should have done something... Told him off, Threatened violence, Showed him he couldn't intimidate me. But no, I was a coward. A fucking COWARD.

Inspired, I ripped off a new sheet of paper and sketched how the scene should have gone.

This time, instead of me slumping my shoulders and playing the coward, I stood up to Neji. Pushed him back, Told him to leave me alone. I drew in the other kid's faces Impressed, Awed, They'd never seen anyone stand up to Neji before. I was their Hero.

I laughed as I looked down at my drawing. It was silly, For sure, But in a weird way it made me feel a tiny bit better.

Who knew maybe I would stand up to Neji the next time I saw him.

Happy update Thursdays, where I slowly seduce you with my words... do you want more? (;

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