WHEN LIFE SUBTRACTS, ADD REVENGE

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CHAPTER TWO

I WON'T GO

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"Emma." Caitlyn said, watching me anxiously play with my fingers. I paced back and forth, feeling another panic attack coming my way. I tried to even out my breathing but my hands were shaking too bad to really focus. "Emma!" She said standing and stopping me where I stood. My eyes widen and tried to pull away, "Calm down!" She reached down and pulled my hand away from its partner, tapping the promise ring on the said hand with a slender finger. "Would you want Itachi to see you like this?"

My shoulders slouched down and my breath left my lungs. "I…You're right." I sighed, relaxing. Caitlyn smiled, reassuringly. I dragged my free hand down my face. Caitlyn patted my arm, "You need something to distract you. Maybe you should get another cat or invite Speed over for like a month again." I smiled at the thought of my little brother then my light blue, almost green, eyes widened in realization. "Cait, you're a genius!"

"What?" She asked, confused. I just smiled and pulled out my rarely used phone, dialing my dad's phone number. "Hello?" A voice called after the first three rings.

"Daddy? I'd like to have Speed over again."

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I hummed along with the radio as I pulled into the driveway of my childhood home. The red bricks were starting to fade and the soft yellow walls had faded to a crème. The gravel had been replaced in the driveway; the grass freshly trimmed. My old swing set still sat in the yard, the slide white from years of exposure and wear. The neighborhood was quiet, per usual. A new rush of nostalgia hit me in a sudden wave.

Cats still littered the front porch, the outdoor/indoor kitties chubby from years of spoiling. I hopped out of the car, knocking pieces of gravel as I walked up to the porch. I didn't wait for Caitlyn. I smiled as I opened the screen door, sliding my spare key into the deadbolt. I pushed open the door, stepping inside and breathing in the scent of the familiar house.

"Daddy, who's that?" I heard a small voice say from down the hall. A curly mop of brown hair peaked out of the furthermost door in the hallway and Speed came dashing out of the room. I squatted down, catching the little boy in my arms. I smiled as the green eyed boy cheered in excitement. "Moo-Ma! Moo-Ma!" He cheered as Dad walked down the hall, scratching his grey beard.

"Hey, Daddy." I said, hugging him with one arm since I held Speed with my other arm. He smiled, ruffling my hair. "You got all your stuff, buddy?" He asked and Speed wiggled out of my arms, running back down the hall. I looked at my father, "How's Kyndell?" He shrugged, awkwardly saying, "Always on the go. You know she's-uh-dating Neely now?"

"No way!" Caitlyn gasped, walking into the house. Dad nodded, shifting awkwardly. I rolled my eyes and looked at Caitlyn, "Sorry about leavin' ya back in the car." She just shook her head and looked around the house. "It looks just like it did when we used to spend the nights here." She was right. The green couches still sat in the carpeted living room, the large TV tucked in the corner. The dining table sat in the middle of the kitchen as it did when we were kids.

The kitchen tile was slightly dirty and little cobwebs sat in the corners of the walls, most likely from the long summer full of spiders. Crickets and birds sang, their melodies floating into the room like they used to. I walked down through the kitchen to the hall, turning and pushing open a door with old, princess stickers scattered on it.

"Remember all the times ELLA spent in here." I said, walking into the room. The walls were a deep purple now, furniture rearranged and the walls covered with posters of famous singers and actors. I blinked and for a moment, my old childhood bedroom flashed around me. Green and brown walls and Speed's cradle in the corner; an old 2008 Naruto blanket covered up some of the wall. White spots on the walls from where I would pick at the paint in boredom. A Twilight calendar and small collage, an Akatsuki poster, a miniature grandfather clock, paper fans, the tab from my first energy drink, the medal from my 6th grade graduation, a few dream catchers, and motivational posters covered the walls. My bed sat in the corner unmade and mugs covered the nightstand.

I saw myself sitting on the bed, giggling with Mattie, Denver, and Caitlyn surrounding me. My old laptop sat in my lap and we watched the laptop in humor. "Pizza's here, girls!" I could hear my mom yell from the kitchen. I could remember all of us darting up, leaving behind the laptop with the video still playing.

"Yeah." Caitlyn said, snapping me out of my memories. My dad peeked into the room my sister now used, "Speed's ready to go." I looked over my shoulder and nodded, "We'll be there in a moment." He nodded and walked off. My eyes water slightly and I smiled, exchanging a look with Caitlyn. We were both feeling the same thing at the moment, the feeling of nostalgia and remembrance.

"How did things go so wrong?" I whispered before turning on my heel and leaving my old bedroom.

I exchanged my goodbyes, hugging my dad tightly before walking out the door. The cats at my feet rubbed their heads against my legs. I patted the cats then began walking up the driveway to Caitlyn's bug, tucking Speed in the backseat. I slid into the front seat, cranking the car as Caitlyn got in the passenger seat. I backed out of the driveway and began heading back up the gravel road, leaving my childhood home behind with tears stinging at the back of my eyes.

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"Where's 'Tachi?" Speed asked after running around the house in search of any the Akatsuki members. I squatted down to his level, Caitlyn watching apprehensively as if waiting for me to burst in a ball of tears. I held his hands in mine and looked him in the eyes, "Itachi and the others…left. They're going to be gone for a very long time. You probably won't remember them by the time your my age." Speed's lower lip trembled and he began to bawl, clutching his little jellyfish and toy phone in his hands.

"And w-where's Mattie and Denver?" He asked and I hugged him to my chest. "It's only me and Cait now, sweetie." I winced as he began to sob into my shoulder. I picked Speed up off the ground and walked down the hall into the kitchen, setting the six-years-young boy on the island.

"Listen, if I promise that you get to see all of them one more time before you're my age, will you stop crying?" I said, softly. Speed puckered out his lip and pointed at the plastic toy ring on my ring, "Promise on your ring?" I nodded, "I promise." Speed sniffled and nodded in agreement, accidently pressing a button on his phone making it ring. He stared at it for a moment and handed it to me. I grinned and answered that shit.

"Hello? Mom? Where are you?" The curly haired boy jumped up and down on his butt, smiling. "You're on top of a mountain? How did you get up there?"

"Lemme talk to Mommy!" Speed requested, giddily. I set him on the ground, phone still in hand. I began to run away at a pace Speed could keep up with, saying random things in the phone as I let Speed chase me around the house.

I giggled, stopping at the staircase. "Okay, Momma. I'll tell him. Bye now. Love you, too." Speed pouted, "I wanted to talk to Mommy!" I smiled and sat down in front of him. "Mommy couldn't stay long so she told me to tell you," I poked his chest. "that she's safe and sound and she loves you bunches."

"Tell Mommy I love her too!" He said then took the phone, running off down the hall. I smiled, sadly.

"He does know that your Mom is…" Caitlyn hesitated, walking down the spiral staircase. "…dead, right?" I shook my head. "None of us ever had the heart to tell him she had died. We'd always pretend she was away traveling."

"…You'll have to tell him eventually."

I clenched my fist, shaking my head. "Itachi never told Sasuke."

"But you're not Itachi. He'll find out eventually." Caitlyn said, sitting down beside me. I set my head on her shoulder. "I know. I know. He'll find out eventually just like Sasuke did."

"But you don't want to hurt Speed, just like Itachi-"

"Didn't want to hurt Sasuke." I finished. "Yeah, I know."

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"Some say I'll be better without you but they don't know you like I do…I can't beg this time; it drags on as I lose my mind, reminded by things I find like notes and clothes you left behind. Wake me up; wake me up when all is done. I won't rise until this battle's won, my dignity's become undone but I won't go, I can't do it on my own...I won't forgive me if I give up trying. I heard his voice today, I didn't know a single word he said; not one resemblance to the man I met just a vacant broken boy instead…will he... will he still remember me? Will he still love me even when he's free or will he go back to the place where he would choose the poison over me? When we spoke yesterday, he said to hold my breath and sit and wait. "I'll be home soon; I won't be late"

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A/N: This chapter made me cry a bit for some reason. Whatever though.

I highly suggest glancing at the lyrics at the end of the chapters twice. They have hidden meanings that will help unravel the plot~

Chapters will be coming slow. Me, being the idiot I am, started…four stories at the same time. Three completely different stories that mix me up every time I write. I decided to put out a new chapter every Monday to brighten my reader's moods. The X Files (Outtakes from When Life Gives You Kittens) should come out every Tuesday. Grass, Titanium, and the Girl I Killed (if you read it) will come out on Thursday and Melting Moon (Twilight fanfic; Jasper/OC) will come out on Fridays.

Thanks for reviews!

I made a cover for WLGYK if you want to check it out.

The next chapter will be longer; this one is a little shorter because I don't think mushing together the next chapter and this one together would really work out. This one came out better than I thought it would.

Please review.

Disclaimer: I no own Naruto.

I bid thee ado.

Yours Truly,

Veila