Hannah flopped onto her bed in her pajamas. It was near noon and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep because of her crazy manager. She closed her eyes, lulling, when a knock at the door jolted her back into the cruel, cruel world.
Hannah slouched over and creaked open the door. A thin man with intense, small piggy eyes wearing shabby clothing stood there, wringing his hands. "The rent," the weasel named Arnol wheezed, holding out an eager hand.
"How much?" yawned the sore, fatigued girl.
"Ten dollars. Five for yesterday and another for today."
She practically threw him the money and slammed the door. If any other idiot disturbed her, they would pay dearly. Ten hours of grueling work for thirty bucks… She slid to the floor, sagging on the door, mercifully closing her eyes.
Knock, knock.
Glaring, Hannah threw open the door and snarled, "I already paid you!"
A surprised, pregnant girl with four yellow ponytails blinked in surprise. "What?"
"Never mind," growled Hannah, struggling with her murderous aura.
"You have competition. There are other village girls and twenty others coming from around the world." Temari came in and crossed her legs as she gingerly sat on the beat up velvety couch. "They will be arriving in another month. Business is keeping them. This gives you the advantage to-"
"Can't this wait until morning?" groaned Hannah.
"It's the afternoon, you fool," snapped Temari, going through a mood swing. "The time limit ends two months after I give birth. That's five whole months. I mean, seven."
"Love doesn't happen that fast, Temari-san," sighed the shut-eyed girl. Even mentally and physically drained, she could be annoyingly philosophical. "By the way, you shouldn't be traveling around as much. The baby might throw your back out."
As if feeling the pain, Temari's hands went to her back and she grimaced. "I'll keep that in mind, but-" she began to sob "you don't have to be so rude about it!"
Hannah patted the pregnant female's shoulder and whispered consolingly, "Don't worry, Temari-san. If it is your wish, go home, drink plenty of water, and rest. This will help you and the baby."
"How do you know so much about being pregnant?" Temari roared, leaping to her feet.
Hannah, wide awake, eyed the ninja's fists. "I read to prepare myself. Now go home and rest. I'm sure the baby is very heavy."
A dazed expression spread over Temari's features. "Yeah." Her hands floated to her rotound belly. "He is kinda heavy…" The sister of Gaara dazedly wandered out her door and down the hall. Hannah sighed with relief and locked the door.
Temari had scared the sleep out of her. Hannah dragged the couch against the wall adjacent to the television and left for power tools. Taping newspapers to the ground, the American began to smash the dry wall with her fists and feet.
It was the most fun she'd experienced destroying something.
Hannah smashed invisible dry wall bosses and ripped them viciously from their lodgings. She smiled, covered in a thin layer of white dust, collarbone length auburn hair in a ponytail with her bangs free.
On her Spongebob boombox 'Get This Party Started' by Pink played as a sandstorm raged outside. Hannah drilled in the new dry wall for the wall and saggy ceiling. She mouthed the words as she filled in the gaps with white gunk and sanded it down.
Concurrently the sanded gunk hardened, leaving Hannah to work her magic on the bathroom. She set a box under the mirror and punched the reflective circle. It shattered, leaving shards in her hand. Hannah picked out the slivers, deciding that wasn't such a genius move.
Bandaging her hand, Hannah replaced the mirror with a bigger, circular one with a painted flower in the top left corner. She tore up the tile and replaced it with mosaic glass pieces, melting the edges together with a torch.
Next she melted a layer of glass on top to protect her work. The plumber arrived at four and replaced the sink, toilet, and tub with a shower stall.
Promising she would pay him if he came back every three days, Hannah paid him the left over ten dollars. For the next month, Hannah remodeled her room, half starving herself.
P-p-P-p-P-p-P-p-P
Gaara allowed himself to be dragged around by Temari today. The brothers trailed after her grumpily, ignoring their sister's chatter about spending time together as a family before she left for Konoha.
They spoke with citizens, their simple conversations ranging all over. Gaara spotted an auburn-haired female with her hair pinned in a messy ponytail, wearing paint spattered overalls. She seemed familiar…one of the newer citizens…
"Hannah!" Temari called. The girl had a ladder on her shoulder. She turned to identify the source of the voice, causing the ladder to knock over a shinobi. Hannah heard the ladder impact and whirled around.
"Gomen nasai!" apologized the flustered non-Japanese girl.
Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari ducked as the long weapon whistled over their heads. "Hey! Watch it!" Kankuro shouted.
The siblings ducked as one when the ladder came again, felling another shinobi. This time Hannah's red face rotated and called, "Oops, gomen nasai! Ah! G-gomen!"
Wordlessly, she hurried off with her face hidden by the ladder. The clumsy girl must be mortified, reflected Gaara, judging her quick jog and rushed demeanor.
"Geez, what was with that girl?" Kankuro muttered, staring off as Hannah's ladder disappeared.
"She's one of the newer citizens. Very timid and closed off, but dedicated to her work," Temari said, being well informed.
"And cute if she wasn't wearing those baggy overalls," Kankuro threw in, grinning wolfishly. "She is one nice chick."
"She's okay," Gaara told them indifferently. The girl was a klutz, and withdrawn like the Hyugga girl- nothing too special. A little boy and girl holding their mother's hand waved to him enthusiastically and he responded with a small wave. They smiled and began tugging their mother's arms.
The Kazekage was adjusting to the small greetings. The villagers accepting and respecting him was a breather. The females, however, were not. He noticed more than one single female's eyes on him. He was the Kazekage, a princely figure, a trophy.
"Gaara-sama!" Said owner of the name resisted cringing at the pitch of his assistant's voice. Rin seemed to relish saying his name like a good taste. Her black hair bounced wildly in the wind and her jade eyes gleamed.
"Hn?"
"The computer broke again," Rin pouted, twining a strand of black hair around a finger.
A passing young man paused. "Hannah updated the library computers. They have Internet access. She showed me where to position the satellite dish, Kazekage-sama."
Rin opened her mouth but another tall male –burly and brawn, head and shoulders above everyone nearby- interrupted her. "Actually, Hannah-chan is my top technician. She works two jobs around the clock. Never saw a more dedicated or diligent worker who spreads herself like butter."
"Send Hannah over immediately on her shift," the Kazekage ordered. The shinobi, Ralph, nodded once and continued loping to who knows where. Rin's tan face flushed darkly and her manicured nails bit into her palms. Kankuro watched the envious assistant stalk off toward the tower.
Kankuro spoke up, "Hannah seems popular. She is familiar with technology which is a bit suspicious considering technology is rather new and only a genius can fix it. I'll send some nin to scope this mysterious girl out."
Temari's lips quirked, "Someone that well-liked should be greeted by the Kazekage or the villagers will suspect you are jealous, Gaara."
"I am not jealous of a klutz," the offended brother retorted, retreating to the Kazekage tower. "Kankuro, come with me." The puppet master gave a quiet exhale of relief. Temari glared at their backs.
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"Hannah-san, you are to fix the computer in the Kazekage tower."
Ralph was a big man with hair mowed akin to grass. He had a square jaw, kind eyes, a nose slightly crooked from breaking it in his childhood, and a muscular body. Ralph wore tight muscle shirts and black army pants with brown boots- the classic G.I. Joe.
His headband was tied on his forearm because there was no where for it to be adorned. The huge man smiled down at his tired, top technician and patted her small head with his large hand. "You have tomorrow off as a token of my gratitude," he grinned.
Hannah flushed modesty, her eyes widening in horror at the prospect. "Oh no, sir, I couldn't-"
"My workers are no good to me half dead," her second boss pointed out. Hannah bit her lip and fell silent, eyes falling to the floor. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Even after half a month, she was shy and reclusive around her second employer.
"What is our motto?" Ralph barked.
" 'When life gives you lemonade, make grape juice, then sit back and watch as the world ponders how you did it?' " Hannah tried. He gave her a playful reproachful look, causing Hannah to giggle and recite- "The customer is always right."
"That's my girl," Ralph said, fondly patting her head. Hannah's hair was soft.
Hannah hoisted a fire engine red tool box onto her shoulders and began the trek to the Kazekage's. Temari was angry with her. Or more specifically, her inactivity. Hannah hadn't even been trying to wrap Gaara around her finger, for that reason the female was upset.
Hannah had seen her competitors. They had arrived recently. All were beautiful, gorgeous, intelligent, and sophisticated as the feminine breed came and the American lost all hope. She was leagues behind these models. Hannah knew, deep down, she stood no chance.
Instead, Hannah was working toward a different goal- recognition among Suna. Already, she was known for her technician and artistic skills, hard work, and pleasant manner. It was enough for Hannah. She felt vaguely bitter about being outdone by the other twenty females, but she accepted it. Hannah knew she had lost and that was that.
She plastered a customary smile on her face, saying "Hello" to people who greeted or nodded in respect at her. It seemed like the Kazekage tower had materialized out of nowhere.
It took little time to enter the lobby and find the blocked off computer. Immediately Hannah set to work, inspecting the wires. "Konnichiwa, Hannah." Said Hannah jumped, dropping her screwdriver.
She flashed the Kazekage a smile. "Konnichiwa, Kazekage-sama!" Hannah pressed the power button, hauling herself into the office chair. The ring lit red and the technician poked the monitor button, igniting another red light.
After ten minutes of mouse clicking and silence, Gaara asked, "What is wrong with the computer?"
"You're assistant overloaded the system with a virus or two. Her pictures are wasting necessary memory space, too," Hannah muttered.
"Delete the pictures."
"Yes, Kazekage-sama." Hannah felt no small amount of satisfaction as Rin's pictures were flushed into cyberspace, never to be seen again. Within half an hour, Hannah eradicated the fifteen viruses with the leader of Suna gazing over her shoulder.
"Thank you," the Kazekage said, face emotionless.
"'Praise is no substitute for achievement'," quoted Hannah from a children's book, picking up her various tools.
"Is there any advice you would have for me?"
Hannah turned her head to see if he was serious. Gaara seemed earnest, especially in the blue and white Kage robes. She flushed at the attention and, from the same book, quoted shyly, "'Be open to changes.'"
He was silent, observing her as she locked the bright box. "'Don't work for other people when you can work for yourself,'" he recited.
Is he challenging me? Hannah shrugged. "'Fake it till you make it.'"
"'Don't count your chickens before they hatch.'"
"'There's no voice on the outside that can tell you more than the voice on the inside.'"
"'There's more to you than the job you do,'" Gaara parried quietly.
Hannah soaked in the truth of his words, feelig a heavy blow from that quote. "'When you do what you have to do, it helps other people do what they have to do.'"
The pair stared at one another, each one's face masked by no emotion. Her eyes gleamed mischievously as if daring him to contradict her, while his glowed with curiosity and grudging admiration. This and more were noticed by them as a staring contest ensued.
Gaara held out one of his arms, hand covered by the robes. Confused, Hannah thought it was a fighting stance and mimicked him. The Kazekage scowled, "Close your eyes." She did and felt something pressed into her hand. "Itterasshai, Hannah."
Take care, he said. She opened her green-grey eyes and saw no one was there, yet felt the eerie sensation of being watched. Doing a three-sixty glance, she saw nothing and opened her hand. There was a wad of bills in her palm.
Hannah sucked in her breath, biting her bottom lip in astonishment. He shouldn't be so generous with her! It struck her why the Kazekage had ordered her to close her eyes. Diabolic bastard. Hannah felt a grudging respect for Gaara. Even if, against all circumstances or her hopes, Hannah became friends with Gaara, the Kazekage would be slow to trust, reluctant to voice his thoughts, naturally reserved and wary. But so would Hannah.
She sighed. Inside her apartment, surrounded by luxury, eating three meals –or more, if she was hungrier- Hannah was not happy. It was like a cage. So she spent her time outside the cage as often as she could spare.
It was lonely.
Hannah stopped outside the tower and stared into the sky. Another sandstorm was coming…
Disclaimer: don't own 'Get the Party Started' by Pink
Gomen nasai- sorry
Konnichiwa- hello
Itterasshai- take care