Hole In The Earth
Gaara watched the purple octopus dance with the orange starfish, spinning her like the wonderful lady she was. They swayed with one another in equal tempo, cradling one another like the only people in the room were themselves. They weren't alone though.
The pink seahorse grew jealous that the orange starfish had the purple octopus. The octopus was known to be quite a gentleman and kind-hearted. The pink seahorse tromped in rage. She deserved to be treated like a princess. Instead, she was stuck with the clown-fish that made fun of her tail and had poor manners while eating. It hurt her so to see the two sea creatures together, lost in their own world.
Then there was the red crab, hidden in the corner of the ball. He would gently spin himself around, imitating the actions the other sea creatures made. Neither starfish nor seahorse understood his loneliness. He too longed for a companion, yet he couldn't bring himself to find one. He was deathly afraid of expressing himself for he never understood himself most of the time. He evaded social situations, concerned only for himself. He couldn't bring himself to speak, to eat, to do anything in front of others. It was a dangerous matter to the poor, lonely crab.
As he watched the starfish and octopus pirouette, the seahorse mad and the clown fish joking, and all of the other creatures of the sea circle the ball, he felt hollow. Hollow like his shell.
A poke to Gaara's elbow pulled him out of his fantasy. He blinked a few times, realizing he had been staring at the Sea Life baby mobile on the ceiling of his parenting class. He looked around the room, noticing everyone's bored, lifeless faces as the teacher spoke about making a baby burp. It was apparent he was brought out of his fantasy for no reason whatsoever.
It irritated him when people did such stupid things. Unless it was something dire relating to Gaara's life, he wasn't to be disturbed. Of all the times he'd ever want to talk to people, it'd be only to make that phrase a law. In fact, it'd be such a regarded law that if people broke it, he'd take it back to the old days and give out lashes as punishment. Not personally, of course. No need to sully the king's hands.
The king's hands. Yes, he'd be king of Sunaville, wearing a large, gold crown a top of his redhead mop, held on a pedestal to look down at his townsfolk. They live by his words, his demands, including his preservation of his personal fantasies that grab hold of him every few minutes. He drifts from realm to realm with no cohesive ending as his servants grow concerned with their king's glazed eyes. Someone has the guts to touch the king. They reach out to touch his elbow.
He's pulled out of his dream world to his disappointment, having to experience real life instead of walking among the figments of his imagination. He calls the guards to imprison the law-breaker. He cries that he has a family, he has children, he couldn't die. Gaara informs him that he will not die, but lashes will do the trick.
Come Friday afternoon, all the townsfolk are called to the arena to watch the lashing of law-breakers. Lined up one by one in chains and shackles, they're rudely prodded to the center of the stage. They're unchained and bound to a tiny stage. Their hands are tied above them to expose more flesh. They each receive ten lashes. Ten lashes for every time they've awaken the king from his daydreams. The pain would be riddled on their faces, anguish pouring from their mouths. The crowd would watch in horror as friends, family members, even neighbors were scorned-
The bell rang abruptly, jerking Gaara from his thoughts once more. He sighed in frustration. Once again, another perfectly good daydream was ripped away from him. Students around him stood up and jabbered their usual nonsense. Gaara held his eyes to his desk, waiting for their exit.
He felt bound down whenever he came out from his daydreams. When he dreamed, it was freedom. His world was everything he wanted from the way it was colored in rich jewel tones, to the architectural detailing resembling the Baroque-era full of extensive, fantastical ideals, and even the way people behaved. They were spontaneous, impulsive, exciting. They didn't sit around planning details of a risky move, they did it whether or not severe consequences fell upon them. Caution was thrown to the wind and thrills were brought into their arms. Then he'd been shaken away from his magical world to enter reality. Everything was simple, plain, boring. Fun was ordinary along with the personalities of the people he used to interact with.
Maybe it was the reason Gaara made nice with this 'Neji.' He was new territory, unexplored lands. He could be someone worth spending time with or a colossal waste of his time. He sighed, not wanting to think about it anymore, resigning to the exit of his parenting class.
xoxo
Neji flicked one of the glitter stars hanging off the tree branch. It spun around, glistening in the sunlight. He could admit that it was pretty, but it still seemed unnecessary.
The redhead boy, Gaara, he seemed very strange, but in a good way. Quiet, a bit intimidating, yet he looked vulnerable himself, as if he held a secret pain like Neji did from the world. It was a possibility. He was very thin and his eyes were devoid of life except when he looked at the completed tree. Neji saw a glint of happiness reside in them like all that mattered in that moment was that tree. Then when Neji interrupted him, it faded away just as fast.
"Stay here until lunch." That's what he told him. Neji appreciated the gesture, but when he asked if he was sure, the kid lashed out on him and scurried from the picnic area. What was up with that? He was nice at first, then when asked about it, he turns the table as if he hadn't proposed such a thing. Kindness was not a trait of the redhead.
Neji sighed, hearing his stomach growl. He hadn't ate enough for breakfast since he was being tended to by Hinata for that boot hit. At the same time, he was trying to fight down the urge to go after his dad, distracting him from the french toast on the table. Now since he couldn't be in the school, he wouldn't even be able to have lunch. He groaned to himself, taking a place on the picnic table. His stomach was going to consume itself by the time he returned home. While eating properly was rare, even a scrap of food would satiate the stomach at a time like this.
The brunet stared at the sky for a moment. The clouds were small and scattered instead of large and fluffy like the previous day. Sometimes he liked it like that. Small clouds were underrated.
xoxo
Gaara fiddled with the hem of his sweater, waiting for his math class to end. Everything dragged so much longer than usual. He shut his eyes and tried to let his mind drift again. Back to the lonely, red crab, watching the ball.
Ah, yes, the lonely, red crab in the dark corner of the room. Everyone was so full of bliss and happiness. They had no idea how the crab felt. They didn't care. Why should they? He wasn't anything special.
But who's this? A light colored fish swam into the entrance of the ball. The others paused their dance to look at the newcomer. He was an angelfish, pure white with the slightest tint of lavender. He gracefully swam across the dance floor, gaining strange looks from the other attendees. He didn't stop at the dance floor like they had expected. He continued his path towards the lonely red crab. The crab didn't notice his arrival specifically as he continued to dance by himself, spinning round.
The angelfish placed his fin on his back, pausing the crab's solo dance routine. The crab spun around in surprise that someone approached him. The angelfish placed his hand on the crab's head, asking if he may dance with the crab. The lonely red crab was astounded that someone wanted to dance... with him? He nodded, placing his claw into the angel fish's fin. He led the crab to the floor-
The bell rang, causing Gaara's fish tale to fizzle out of his head. The redhead felt himself blush at realization of his daydream. Introversion had its downfalls.
xoxo
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Neji was nervous. He looked at his watch and saw it was lunch time, meaning the boy would be coming by. He hadn't even explained what Neji would end up having to do after lunch. Neji assumed it was sit in the forest and wait for the redhead to visit again, or walk home and say they got out early. That wouldn't work though. Hinata would have to be there with me, he thought.
Shutting his eyes, he tried to think of other things to distract him. He had already completed his history class work, read the first few chapters of Lolita, and doodled in his notebook. It was bothersome to not have anything else to do. He hoped that the redhead would have some ideas to remedy the situation.
He sighed and laid down on the picnic bench, dropping one leg to the floor. Maybe a nap would do him some good? Yeah, a nap sounds nice, he thought. He shifted his body around until he found a comfortable position and let himself drift away to his best abilities.
xoxo
Gaara stared down at the unconscious body sprawled over the picnic bench. Neji had a trail of drool running down his cheek, breathing lightly. The redhead pressed his lips into straight line, unsure whether to wake the boy from his slumber or keep watching him sleep.
The redhead didn't mean it to be creepy when he watched people sleep. It was something both fascinating and frightening to see someone sleep. Sleep is supposed to be something to recharge the human body. They're completely relaxed and vacant from their daily stresses. Peace read across most people's faces as they let their bodies succumb to slumber. It was amazing to see the harshest face fade into a soft expression. At the same time, sleep could be misconstrued with death. A dead body is just as numb, except paler. They're contorted from however their death method and usually only register a blankness to their face. They weren't alive to experience the peace, they just were. It was scary to see someone sleep and think-
The thought was shoved aside as Gaara reached for the brunet. He gave him a quick shake of his shoulder, hoping for a reaction. Neji mumbled something before continuing his sleep. Gaara rolled his eyes and gave him another shake, only a little rougher. He responded immediately, throwing his arms up, and falling off the bench. The redhead bit his lip to stifle the possible giggle. Neji was clearly awake now, probably wondering why he was laying on the ground instead of on the bench.
"You fell," Gaara supplied the answer. He took a place on the table top and reached for the cannoli on his lunch tray. He took a bite, allowing the sugar tantalize his tongue. Why are sweets so amazing?, he thought, taking another bite. Neji stood up at some point and wiped at his clothing, getting off any other pieces of dirt from his body. He looked at the table then to Gaara. Gaara rolled his eyes again. "Sit. Eat."
Neji took his place on the table top with the boy at the other end of the table and asked, "Isn't that your food?"
Gaara nodded, staring at the stars.
"Why would you offer me it?"
Gaara shrugged and asked, "Aren't you hungry?"
Before he could answer, Neji's stomach let out a loud rumble. Gaara gave a tiny smirk and looked at him. The brunet tried not to blush, but failed miserably. Gaara pushed the tray towards him, taking another bite of his cannoli. Neji shook his head. "I couldn't. You're probably hungry too."
The redhead shook his head. "Only eat sweets," he explained, holding up the cannoli to emphasize his point. He gave one more push to the tray, saying, "Eat." Neji looked uncomfortable with the matter, but took the tray. He held up the burger to his mouth and took a big bite. Gaara looked away. He hated watching people eat. It reminded him of the disgusting way humans had to eat. Saliva, mastication, more saliva, mush, more saliva, swallow. It'd just be easier to eat mashed potatoes or soup. At least that's a liquid, he thought.
Why was eating so horrible? It was grinding soft solids into slop that you had to swallow. He'd rather an IV of the basic nutritional needs of it meant not having to experience eating. While he liked his cannoli, he knew it was just because of the icing. He didn't have to chew it, his mouth's heat would melt it, making it easy to swallow. It was the cone that was harder and thicker, making it feel like sugar-covered cardboard. All the things he'd do to never have to chew, it was limitless.
Neji must of noticed the disgusting facial expression Gaara been making thinking of eating when he asked, "I'm not grossing you out with the way I'm eating, am I?"
Gaara shook his head and looked at the tray. The vegetables were half gone, the banana was half consumed, and when Gaara looked up at Neji, all that was left of the hamburger was small quarter that he held between his fingers. The redhead raised his invisible eyebrow, unsure if he really had consumed all that food in less than a few minutes.
Neji frowned at Gaara's stare of his tray and explained, "I don't eat... much."
The redhead replied, "Neither do I."
"Do you... choose to not eat or you can't?" Neji stammered with soft eyes towards Gaara.
Gaara felt odd once again to have the attention on himself. It was sort of frustrating. It also wasn't Neji's business how he ate. He grunted, "Both," and shoved the rest of the cannoli into his mouth so he wouldn't have to answer anything else.
The brunet mumbled an "oh," before popping the last part of the burger in his mouth. They chewed their food in silence, staring at the stars in the trees.
xoxo
Now I think I understand why he wanted these stars, Neji thought. It was more distracting than Neji originally thought it'd be. At the same time, it gave Gaara an excuse not to talk to him. The way his eyes followed the twirling stars, he was captivated by the paper ornaments. Maybe it was Gaara's way of putting himself in a trance. Hypnotism is a source of psychological tricking to remove one's self from the present. Their minds were put on neutral, awaiting a command of some sort. Possibly can be treated as a mental reboot button. Maybe that's what the redhead was doing, trying to reboot his mind. That would be silly though. Paper ornaments, no matter how glittery, couldn't substitute a basic hypnotizing tool. It doesn't hurt to try though.
Neji pulled his eyes from the tree and stole a glance at Gaara. He was very skinny, even for a short teenager. He had admitted that he doesn't eat, out of his own choice and out of force. Or at least Neji interpreted it that way. He had the signs of being abused if possible. Frail and thin, empty eyes, paled skin, hardly ate, hardly spoke for that matter. While it wasn't a good predicament for either Neji or Gaara, Neji was glad that he found a companion who possibly understood his plight of a dysfunctional family life. It was almost like having a kindred spirit, even if he wasn't very kind.
That'd be understandable. Years of abuse can really lower trust levels among strangers, he thought. He remembered when he was ten when the alcohol-induced beatings started. A few months after, he still had trouble being around adults that he used to trust because he kept thinking of his father's quick change. What prevented his teachers or neighbors from taking an 180 and treating him different? Absolutely nothing but their will.
He finished the banana on his tray, scooting a bit closer to the redhead who continued to space out. Neji pouted, a bit insulted that the redhead invited him to stay in the picnic area for him, but didn't pay him the slightest attention other to eat his food. He knew he had to appreciate the gesture, but isn't it common courtesy to at least talk? Just in the slightest? Neji wouldn't verbalize that thought though. He'd didn't want to piss off the only companion he made that seems to share a common ground with him. If he could call Gaara a 'companion.'
"I'm skipping today."
Neji blinked, registering that the redhead had actually said something. He looked towards Gaara. He hopped off the picnic table, stretching his arms above his head. "What about your classes?" Neji asked.
Gaara pulled his arms down and replied, "So?"
"You really don't care?"
"No."
"Don't you think anyone will notice?"
"No."
"Aren't you going to get in trouble?"
Gaara looked at Neji and asked, "Are you?" Neji stiffened at the redhead's harsh tone. He wasn't sure how he could go from uncaring to serious in so few words. The redhead shrugged off Neji's reaction, mumbling, "I want to show you something." Neji tilted his head in confusion. This kid had to be bipolar or something. Uncaring to serious to nice once more? Something was up.
"What is it?"
"I'm not telling," answered the redhead, turning around and walking to the pathway that lead to the other picnic areas. He stopped just before it and said, "Follow or stay."
Neji followed. He didn't want to be by himself until the end of the day, but he had no idea what Gaara was going to "show" him. It couldn't be anything bad per se. The only thing in the forest were animals, plants, and dead animals and plants. Maybe he was going to show Neji something creepy like a dead deer. Or maybe he was going to DO something to Neji.
He gulped, and tried to joke, "You're not taking me into the woods to have your way with me, right?"
Gaara didn't stop walking, but turned his head enough to look at Neji. "...maybe," he stated.
Neji felt a shiver go up his spine. He assumed the redhead was joking like earlier, but reminded himself that he was taller than the boy, he could take him if he had to.
"Do you like to make people uncomfortable?"
Gaara turned his head once more and replied, "At times..."
"Why?"
The redhead reached some bushes and paused. He pushed them out of the way and gestured Neji to walk through them. Neji did so, waiting for Gaara to walk through also. He stood beside Neji, murmuring, "People hurt."
People hurt. That was one of the things Hinata said when their abuse started. Unintentionally, people would say things that reflected Hinata and Neji's pains.
'You look so skinny, have you been eating?' Of course, we have fast metabolisms.
'Your youngest sister is very tiny for her age.' She was born premature, that's all.
'What's with that bruise? Rough housing? You know you shouldn't hit girls.' I know, but Hinata annoyed me. I won't do it again.
It was the beginning of their downfall of lies back in Konoha. They could have also easily supplemented their injuries from getting jumped. They hadn't lived in a nice area to begin with. It also helped explain why Neji and Hinata walked into middle school with no lunch. Out of pity, the teachers would give them parts of their lunches. They were surprised the way they wolfed it down, but did nothing. One day, Hinata lashed out at someone at school and got in trouble. When Neji asked why she did it, she replied, "People hurt...
"So, you hurt them first," Neji unintentionally finished. Gaara snapped his head towards Neji, possibly shocked that he guessed why. Neji tried to hold onto the sea, seeing the waves in his eyes crashing together, but Gaara looked to the ground.
"Yes," he mumbled, walking forward down a jagged pathway through some dead trees.
Neji frowned, but followed Gaara through. The forest seemed to grow denser with every pathway they took. At some point, it felt like they were walking in pitch dark. Neji sped up his walk and asked, "Do you even know where you're going?"
"Yes," was the response. Neji sighed, trying to take in the view, but there wasn't one. Just trunk after trunk of dead trees with tangled limbs above them. Rocks jutted from the ground, causing him to trip every so often. Neji would have turned tail if he knew the landscape. It seemed like an endless trail they were following and only Gaara knew the way.
They remained silent as they pressed through the last few feet of dense forest. Gaara stopped at almost a curtain of down-falling vines from a high tree branch. It blocked most of the pathway like it was a curtain. Gaara reached his hands around a part and said, "We're here." He pulled it back and stepped through it and held it open for Neji to walk through.
Neji's patience was wearing thin from the stupid walk, so he hoped whatever was behind the vines was worth the trip. He stepped through and looked up to see another large clearing, surrounded by tall trees. There was a rusty gate in the center with a heavy chain wrapped around. Neji wasn't able to make out what sat behind the gate before his arm was grabbed by the smaller teen.
Gaara tugged him to the gate, stepping through piles of dead leaves. Neji gulped. He wasn't sure if they were supposed to be in a place like this. There was a lock for Christ's sake. Heavy chains and locks usually means 'keep out.' When they reached the gate, he peered through the open gaps. He saw metal statues that looked sort of like, animals? He looked down to see the redhead messing with the lock, giving it a few hard shakes before it opened. He handled the lock and tossed it to the side. He started to unwind the chain from the gate when Neji asked, "Are we supposed to be here?"
"No."
"Then why are we?"
"Because."
"Shouldn't we leave something like this alone?"
Gaara looked up from the chains to Neji and asked, "Are you always so scared?"
Neji frowned and rubbed his hands together. "I'm not scared... I'm cautious."
The redhead didn't blink when he stated, "You're a coward."
The brunet got a bit mad at Gaara's assumption. "I'm not a coward. Just because I don't want to get in trouble doesn't mean I'm scared. It's just a clearing with a gate," he explained, waving his hand at the rusty entrance.
Of course, he wasn't scared... of the place itself. He honestly didn't want to get in trouble for something ridiculous like breaking into some random place. The police were the last people he needed to be confronted by. That was what he was scared of. The questioning of various things: his weight, the bruises, or why his father was slurring on the phone. The place? Not at all.
"Then stop whining and help," the smaller teen demanded, handing an end of the chain to Neji. He growled at the redhead's command, but took it. Who did the kid think he was? Making assumptions of his character and treating him like some servant? He could at least ask 'please.' He unwrapped the chain from the bars and dropped it onto the ground. Gaara did the same with the other side. Once the gates were free, he pushed the gates open.
"Welcome to the Majestic Forest," Gaara dryly greeted Neji, motioning him to step inside.
Neji stepped forward, able to see the metal statues up close. They were animals, mainly bears in different positions towering at seven feet. They had hollowed out stomachs that were small enough for kids to stand inside. They were spread out along the clearing.
He walked over to the nearest one and ran his hand over part of it. "So, what exactly is this 'Majestic Forest?' " He asked.
Gaara pulled his sleeves over his hands, saying, "Used to be a play place for the kids."
"What's so fun about giant bears?"
"It was supposed to encourage kids to use their imagination with interactive play pieces instead of relying on typical rides," he explained.
Neji was surprised that Gaara willingly said more than six words to him in one sentence. Then again, he DID ask what this weird, animal place was. He walked around the statue, looking at the metal plating, then peeked aside to see the empty cavern in the bear's stomach. Inside was an old wooden bench, then a ladder that lead up to a hole on top of the bear's head. Why would there be a hole there?
Gaara read his mind once more. "There used to be a tiny platform that kids could sit on. Usually, the kids brought binoculars so they can look around."
Neji stepped away from the bear, briefly looking at the other bears he could make out. One was on all fours walking, another was on it's haunches holding a fish above it's head, and another was on it's back with a baby cub on it's stomach. It was sort of endearing to imagine kids playing inside of the bears.
"So, how do you know so much about this place?" Neji asked, walking towards a large, odd-looking tree with a hollowed out trunk.
Gaara stepped along side of him and grabbed Neji's wrist, ignoring Neji's question. He sped up his walk, tugging the brunet along for the ride. When they reached the tree, Gaara pushed him inside. Neji stumbled, but gained his footing. He looked around to see the dark walls of the trunk and silver handles attached to one side of the tree leading up to the top.
"What's a ladder doing here?" Neji asked. He was once again ignored when Gaara started to climb up the ladder. He didn't look back once at Neji, going higher and higher. Neji felt a bit nervous. It looked old, the handles could snap. "Are you sure you should be climbing?" He asked.
Gaara turned his head and asked, "Are you sure you're not scared?"
Neji pressed his eyebrows together in frustration. "I'm not scared."
"Then climb."
God, this kid is annoying, he thought, but followed him. He carefully wrapped his hands around the bars, trying to jiggle it to make sure they were sturdy. When he made sure they were, he started to climb up at a fast pace. He didn't want to stay on them longer than necessary. When he reached the top of the ladder, he saw Gaara crouching outside of a hole Neji didn't even notice was there. He reached his hand out for Neji to take. Neji frowned, but took it, pulling himself out from the trunk of the tree. The two sat on a tiny wooden ledge that appeared to wrap around the trunk. They could see the bears from atop of the ledge.
Neji was still confused on how the redhead knew of this deserted place. He probably wouldn't answer him, but he asked once more, "So, how do you know this place?"
"Read the town history books. It's mentioned in them," Gaara answered, staring down at the bear statue that was fighting with another bear.
"Then how did you figure out where this place is? It's pretty secluded."
Gaara shrugged. "A map. Memorized it."
Neji shifted on the ledge, a bit uncomfortable with the width of it. It was clear it was made for little kids because there wasn't much rear allowance to sit. However, Gaara and Neji were thin, but still had adult-like bodies, only providing a few inches of solid sitting room. He scanned over the land. The bears appeared smaller from the height. He counted ten of them spread out over the small area. He even saw legitimate play pieces like monkey bars and jungle gyms along the edge of the clearing. It must of been a really fun place to be.
"I assume people don't come here anymore?" Neji asked.
Gaara pulled a knee his his chest and replied, "Shut down in '73. Kids wanted actual rides. Stopped showing up."
Neji looked over the clearing. He kind of felt bad that a place like this was closed. It was true, kids these days relied more on television and other machines to be entertained rather than use their imagination to think of fun stuff. The moment kids find the tv or a handheld device, the imaginations seem to drift away. It would be nice to see Hanabi play in a place like this, he thought. She could probably find something fun to do with the crazy looking bears. Like pretending she was a bear herself, romping around the forest.
While it felt nice to be shown this deserted land, Neji was curious. "Why did you bring me here?"
Gaara didn't say anything for a few seconds. He just stared down at the metal bear in silence. Neji rolled his eyes. He hated being ignored. It was just as bad as when the redhead made assumptions about his character. Gaara slowly stood up, pressing his feet closer to the tree trunk. Neji raised an eyebrow, unsure of his next actions. He continued to ignore the question and gave Neji a look that read 'follow me.' Neji wasn't sure when he turned into such a follower, but he did as the silent action told him to. He stood up cautiously, bringing his feet as close to the trunk as he could.
The redhead walked one foot in front of the other around the ledge until they reached the side of the tree. A small bridge was constructed, connecting to a hole on the opposing tree. Gaara was about to step on it when Neji touched his arm.
xoxo
Gaara instinctively tore his arm from Neji, a bit wigged at the physical contact he hadn't started. When he looked up at the brunet, he looked surprised at Gaara's sudden movement. He opened his mouth and Gaara cut him off.
"What?" He asked.
Neji gave a small frown, asking, "Is that bridge safe?"
The redhead almost groaned at his question. Everything that has left the guy's mouth has been concerns. Was it so hard to just to do something carelessly? Apparently so.
"Yes. I've crossed it before," Gaara slowly explained before turning back around. He stepped onto it, listening to the squeaks in the old wood. Just because its old doesn't mean it's dangerous. It has character. He walked across, hearing the extra squeaks of Neji walking behind him. After five seconds, they reached the big hole in the tree.
Gaara read about the hole. It was called a "tunnel" before since that was what it was supposed to be, but the tree wasn't wide enough to make it longer, so it was more of a tall hole where you stood before participating in the next part of the Majestic Forest 'Airways': the glider. It has a forty foot line double wire connecting to the opposing tree's "tunnel" at a fifteen degree angle. You'd hold onto the glider handles which had wheels attached to the wires for a smooth glide across.
The first time he laid eyes on the glider, he wanted to do it. As much as he liked being careless and doing things for the sake of doing them, the glider was something he opted out of without an extra eye. He didn't care if he had to go to the hospital for broken bones, he just wanted someone who'd be able to call 911 if he was knocked out cold. And now he had that extra eye.
Neji tried to get a look at the glider from the cramped 'tunnel.' "Is that a zip line?" He asked, taking a peek over Gaara's shoulder.
"Yeah," Gaara answered, tugging at his sweater sleeve.
"Are you actually considering going on this thing?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"...it looks fun," Gaara replied, becoming annoyed at Neji's constant questioning. Perhaps he took the wrong person with him to the Majestic Forest. However, he was already here and the zip line was calling out to Gaara to go on.
"It's old. Those wires could snap," Neji continued to nag.
"There's a one-fifty pound limit. I'm light enough." Gaara turned his head to Neji, taking a quick glance over his body. The navy shirt clung to his chest, showing off the faint remnants of his ribcage. He looked down to his hands with clung to the strap of his messenger bag. They were the tiniest vein-y and just a bit bony. Neji had admitted that he didn't eat much himself, so it was understandable to be bony.
"You look like you could too. How much do you weigh?" Gaara asked, almost shocking himself when he asked such a question. He usually never cared about other people, but then again, for the sake of zip line ride, he didn't want someone heavy to pull it down.
"Oh..." Neji started, a bit off put. His face faltered a bit as he replied, "A hundred-eight last time I checked." He rubbed his hands together which Gaara assumed was a nervous habit. "I'm five-six, so, I'm underweight technically."
Gaara nodded, quietly adding, "I'm ninety pounds. Five-one." Gaara was surprised how easily he turned from well-nourished to scrawny in three years just by cutting out everything but sweets. He did have the advantage of being a premature baby which made him smaller naturally, but he didn't think not eating would affect him so severely. Not like it made a difference in his day to day life. He lived it the same, ignoring everyone and getting lost in his head, just with an occasional hunger pang.
Neji widened his eyes, stating, "Wow. That sounds so unhealthy."
The redhead flashed back to the nagging of his sister who calls him 'unhealthy' all the time. The last thing he wanted was stupid statements from some other skeleton.
"Who are you to talk?" Gaara snapped, making it clear he didn't want comments from the peanut gallery.
Neji looked taken aback for a moment before furrowing his eyes. Instead of taking off or snapping back at Gaara, he asked, "When did you start not eating?"
Gaara felt the wave of awareness through him. He didn't want the attention on him, he just wanted to go on the zip line already. The only way that was going to happen though was if he was to play nice with Neji.
"Freshman year," he replied.
"That's sort of impressive considering guidance counselors could take one look at you and say you have issues."
Gaara had almost laughed out loud. The thought of adults or anyone concerning his well-being was hysterical. He gave a small smirk, claiming, "Believe me, guidance have no say in my life... what about you?"
"Sixth grade," Neji stated, sounding sadder than Gaara's response.
"I would have thought you'd be smaller."
"It was a gradual process. Less food every year until now when it's just enough to get by. At the end of this year, I'll probably be a skeleton," Neji informed him, absently running one of his hands over his ribs.
Gaara caught sight of them, the way they protruded from the cotton layer. He could count two faint rows along the bottom of his ribcage. It was interesting to look at. Besides himself, he never seen someone with a similar body type to his. It was intriguing to see what his body might have looked like from the outside. To be able to count the bones jutting out. He bet that he could see more if the shirt didn't stand in the way.
He might have stared too long when Neji tugged his jacket over his chest, looking away from Gaara. The redhead stepped up to him, hand extending towards him. Neji slunk back a bit, probably unaware of what Gaara was going to do.
Gaara stared up at Neji, feeling himself being pulled in by the Moons. How they stared down at the redhead with a curious wonder, radiating a soft glow that seemed only viewable by ones close to the brunet. (When did I get so close?)
xoxo
Neji looked down at Gaara, watching the tide in his eyes ebb on and off the shore of his pupils. It was peaceful to see the water at work, changing hues depending on it's depth.
He felt a cold hand slip under his shirt and the soft question, "Can I see them?"
The brunet snapped back to reality, seeing the redhead pulling up Neji's shirt. Neji put his hand over the hem of his own shirt, pulling it back down. He had bruises from his father's attack the previous day, there was no need for Gaara to see them and ask questions.
Gaara gave him a strange look, but withdrew his hand. "What is it?," he asked, tilting his head.
Neji sheepishly rubbed his hands together, looking at the walls of the tree trunk. He admitted, "I... have marks. I don't want you to see them."
The redhead gave him an unimpressed stare, stating, "You're scared of me seeing them."
"I said I don't want you to see them. I'm not scared to show you!"
Gaara smirked at Neji's statement and mumbled, "I doubt it's as bad as this..." He started to turn around, arms crossing over one another to grab the bottom of his sweater. When his back was to Neji, he pulled up the gray sweater, showing the bottom of his black t-shirt. The redhead's fingers groped for the hem of that shirt and pulled it upward, exposing his pale back.
Neji stared at what could have been the biggest advocate example of child abuse. A large healed scar shaped almost like a block sat on his back, along with two raised lesions of skin that looked like had been in stitches previously. Besides the mark, Neji was shocked by the way Gaara's spine practically rolled under the block, making the scar even more twisted. Neji never felt more guilty for eating someone else's food. It was obvious the redhead needed it more than Neji.
His eyes fell down to the ribcage that also played under the flesh. Neji may have had two rows of clear ribs, but Gaara had three and two more faint rows off his back. It was sort of nauseating to look at. He could be the poster child for negligence and starvation.
Gaara dropped the shirt and sweater, adjusting it back into place. He turned back to Neji and asked, "Yours aren't as bad now, are they?"
Neji thought of the yellow and green bruises along with the fresh red one that decorated his abdomen. They were miniscule compared to Gaara's back. Instead of answering his question, the brunette took a gulp and asked, "How'd you get that?"
"Got pushed towards the fireplace. Tripped before reaching it, scraping my back off the edge. It was stone."
It surprised Neji how clinical Gaara said it. Most kids who tell stories like that have some form of emotion that follows it. Gaara, he recited it as if it he read it from a book. Maybe he's more messed up than I am, he thought.
Gaara stepped towards Neji once more, fingertips dancing at the hem of Neji's shirt. He slipped them under the shirt, feeling for the brunet's ribcage. He stiffened at the contact of his ice cold hands, but adjusted once they found their destination. The redhead didn't look up at Neji as he caressed the bones. Neji was glad because he was sure his face was pink. It had been a while since he was touched in such a way, even if Gaara wasn't doing it to be suggestive.
He felt the redhead's small fingers glide between the spaces in his ribs, then dipping down to run over the ridges, and running back up again. They traced the underside of the cage before settling his whole hand on top of the stacked bones. His hands were so gentle despite the harsh behavior he portrayed to Neji. He almost wanted to close his eyes. It just felt nice to have such a reassuring touch to his body instead of a punch or a kick. His nerves practically danced under the redhead's small hands. He wished the comfort would never end, wanting to get lost in the sensation of light caresses.
He did for a bit, barely making out the redhead's soft words. "I think you're light enough." Wait, what?
Gaara pulled his hands from under Neji's shirt, reaching into his back pocket. He pulled out his gray cellphone, sticking it into Neji's hand. He turned off and grabbed hold of the handles, saying, "If I fall, call 911," before letting himself skim across the wires.
xoxo
The bones felt great under Gaara's hands. It was a shame that the brunet was too stubborn to let him lift his shirt so he could see the ribs in their true nature. Instead, he had to feel them out and imagine what they'd look like in his head. They were thick, strong, but the flesh stretched across was thin and brittle. Sometimes Gaara wondered why genetics even bothered to place skin over the ribs. A cut half an inch deep could penetrate the bones with ease.
Gaara wasn't sure if it was him or his sick, twisted mind, but there was something about bones that always made him tick. Even before he started his restricted diet, he'd see the taunt bones that stuck out from his parent's wrist. It was fascinating to see how the bone maneuvered beneath the skin. It was mechanical, but natural. Every bone has a position to fulfill and they did that job. Now Gaara had a handful of ribs, enjoying the way they stretched out for Neji to inhale and how they pulled back when he exhaled.
At the same time, there was something addicting to the proximity of Neji. His hands petted his ribs in curiosity, but being so close to the boy, it was heart-pounding for some reason. It had been a long time since Gaara had physical contact with someone, usually escaping the wraiths of Temari's sisterly hugs. Perhaps it was just the rush of feelings he once experienced in a past life. He had almost forgotten how warm people's bodies where. Neji's ribs felt on fire which made him want to touch them more aggressively.
However, there was a point in bringing the boy to the Majestic Forest, for letting him into Gaara's secret realm where reality truly met fantasy. He wanted to take the miniature zip line to further his exploration of the play land and needed the extra eye in case he was out like a light upon falling to the ground. No matter how independent and spontaneous he was, sometimes rationality had to make way for function.
"I think you're light enough," he murmured to Neji's chest, pulling his hands away.
He didn't bother to look up at Neji's face which he assumed was a mixture of confusion and worry. He reached into his pocket to pull out his cellphone and tucked it into Neji's hand. Gaara turned to the metal bars and grabbed hold of them, making sure his grip was tight enough. In the past, there was a safety net at the bottom of the zip line just in case, but now, it was just a thirty foot drop to the ground. It made Gaara's heart pound harder knowing he could easily break a bone if he fell the wrong (right) way.
Gaara told Neji, "If I fall, call 911," and pushed himself off the ledge.
Immediately, the wires dipped from Gaara's weight, jiggling the handles, but he skimmed across, looking around to see metal bears zipping by below him. He liked the feeling of the air whipping across his face and hair, and looking down to see the potential death hazards below him like a jagged rock or a lumpy tree stump.
He loved the feeling of his heart bursting through his chest, his blood pulsing faster, the adrenaline just causing chaos inside of his body. It always made him feel truly alive. It may have been the only way he reminded himself that he wasn't a ghost, but a human.
Gaara lost himself to the feeling of flying in the air before realizing he was coming up to the tree. He readied his feet to land on the tiny platform that hung off the next 'tunnel.' The handle reached the end of the wire and jerked, flinging Gaara forward. He let go on the impact, landing square on the platform. His knees wobbled a little, but he stuck it. God, he wanted to do that again, but there was no way of returning to the other tree without restarting the course.
He sighed and reached for the pulley that brought the handle back to the starting point of the zip line. He unwrapped it from the ceiling and tugged the rope down. The handle slowly backed up with each pull until a minute later, Gaara got a hard stop from the rope. He knotted the rope back into place and leaned out of the tunnel, faintly making out Neji's shape.
He cupped his hands and yelled, "YOUR TURN!" Gaara turned his head and coughed, not used to being so loud. His voice probably cracked too. He tried to think of that cannoli he ate to salivate a bit as he waited for a response.
"NO!" Gaara heard.
He rolled his eyes, replying, "COWARD!"
Gaara imagined the pissed off look in Neji's face as his response. Neji didn't seem like the type who put up with people making fun of him. He waited for something along the lines of 'FUCK OFF' or 'AM NOT!' Instead, he saw the wires pull taunt. Gaara's eyes widened, surprised Neji actually took a chance on the zip line. He figured he'd just turn tail and wait on the ground for Gaara to finish up the course.
He backed up and waited for the boy to arrive onto the platform. Neji suddenly appeared, letting go of the handle, and landing on the spot. Unlike Gaara, he was tall enough that he didn't have to rely on the impact to swing him over. Gaara slightly resented it, but gave Neji a respective nod for actually doing it.
Neji looked pissed though. He rubbed his hands together and hissed, "Don't call me a coward," before walking to the next part of the course.
xoxo
Why did I freaking take the zip line? That was horrible! That thing could have snapped and I would have plummeted to my near death or just death. Fucking Gaara. I swear he purposely uses reverse psychology on me or something.
Neji groaned at his thoughts, stepping down the metal stairs that spiraled around the tree. Gaara remained a few steps behind, stopping every so often to stare at something. Neji would pause and look back at the redhead until he started to move again. He didn't understand his fascination to stare at every single little thing. Gaara really was an odd one.
They finally reached the end of the staircase which led to the next obstacle: a rope maze made of a giant tangle of ropes and plastic cords. They were twisted each and every way, making it harder to pull them apart and step (or crawl) through to reach the next part.
"Are we really doing this? It seems a bit childish," Neji asked, pulling at a cord.
Gaara asked, "'We'? Thought you were just following me."
Neji frowned, not liking the tone the redhead was using. It was almost snobby.
"Besides, it IS childish. It was a children's play place. Don't do it if you don't want to," Gaara added, stepping through the first tangles. He wedged his head through and started to pull his arms through when he quipped, "You're just mad because I'd beat you at it."
Neji really wasn't going to do it. He didn't want to. It looked ridiculous for two grown teenagers to be crawling through colorful ropes, but he challenged his pride. He may have to bow down to his father's whims, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let a redhead runt make a fool out of him. Besides, they were in the middle of a forest where nobody apparently seemed to be in for years. He could act like a kid if he wanted to.
He smirked and entered the tangle of ropes, saying, "We'll see about that."
"I'd like to see that," Gaara replied, untangling himself from a green rope that wrapped around his foot.
Several minutes of frustrated grunts, snapped cords, and quiet 'ouchs,' they collapsed out of the rope maze with Neji as the victor. He laid on the ground, staring at the tree tops, secretly celebrating in his head. Gaara laid down beside him, eyes on Neji instead.
Neji felt Gaara looking at him, but didn't want to acknowledge it. "Showed you, didn't I?"
"Sure."
"Sure? You're not the least bummed?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I did it for fun, you did it for competition."
Neji turned his head and met Gaara's eyes. "You were the one who challenged me."
"You could have said no," the redhead said, starting to stand up.
Neji furrowed his eyebrows, sitting up. "Then why did you-?"
"Because you found the competition fun," he said, wiping off the dirt from his sweater and jeans. "I'd challenge you again, but we broke most of it."
The brunet was confused by his motive. He purposely challenged Neji just so he basically didn't have to do it alone? Or did he want Neji to have fun himself instead of standing and watching? Gaara was a convoluted puzzle. Neji couldn't even decide whether to dignify Gaara's answer with a question or just shake the boy by his shoulders and ask what's his deal.
Neji opted for silence and stood up with Gaara, brushing off the leaves that got stuck to his butt. He waited for Gaara's next move, but he didn't move. He stood still and just stared at the bears. Neji was going to ask if there was another part when Gaara said, "We killed enough time. Let's go."
"What do you mean?"
"We're done here for now."
"For now?"
"Yes."
Neji faintly smiled to himself. Sure, Gaara was weird and space-y and rude, but the way he said it 'we're done here for now?' That surely meant he had a companion to be with instead of sitting with Sasuke and his loud friends during lunch.
"We're coming here again?" He asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.
Gaara pulled his sweater sleeves over his hands and looked to the ground. "I... There are more things to do... so, yes." He turned from Neji and started walking towards the gate, muttering 'follow or stay' again. Of course Neji followed. (He had no clue how to leave.)
They walked back to school in silence, separating ways at the picnic table. Neji was left with one hour to kill, so he shut his eyes and slept on the bench.
Whatever, I still showed him.
xoxo
They say the moon controls the sea, but sometimes I think it's the other way around.
A/N: And that's the end of chapter four. More things are to come as usual. I hope I'm maintaining a good flow of the story here. I know it's different, but different is good haha. It's very different than the original plot I had in mind, but that's okay. I'm starting to like this one better. Reviews are nice.
Next update will be sometime in March.
