Note: First of all, I have nothing against Sakura, Ino, or Ten-Ten. I just thought they'd make good villains.
Hinata gasped as she stared into the girl's emerald, cat-like eyes. They were a beautiful green color like the sweetness of spring, yet intimidating and it became unbearable for her to make eye contact.
She turned away in embarrassment.
"I-I beg your pardon?"
The pink-haired girl sneered.
"Don't you act coy with me, slut."
Hinata gasped again and turned, her face burning with anger.
A blonde girl behind the pink-headed one placed her hand on her shoulder.
"That's enough, Sakura. She's new."
Sakura shrugged her hand off and glared at Hinata with increasing aggression.
"I don't give a damn," she yelled. "This bitch does not have the right to say his name like that! Did you touch him?"
The blonde girl chuckled as the one behind her, with hair tied into two buns, rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Sakura, we're going to be late again. Let's just get out of here."
Hinata's lip began to twitch and she grabbed the corners of her skirt, head wilted and humiliated. She then heard Sakura snort and say "Ino, Ten-Ten, go. I doubt anyone would want to waste time with a twig like her."
With that, she left, slamming the door behind her.
And Hinata, the poor girl, grew weak in the knees and slid down to the floor, gazing at the stalls. How long she sat there? No one knows. It was a long time before she was able to stand and walk out.
She didn't cry, yet her heart felt like bursting. It was strange and painful to endure.
With trembling hands, Hinata reached into her notebook and retrieved her schedule.Advanced Music is next. All right, Hinata, collect yourself and make this day right. You still have time. Please don't cry, please, please, please, please…
So she ambled down to the room D-47, agonizing over the mess she was in.
The girl pushed back her bangs and sank her nails into her palm to hold back the tears.
She knocked once; knock, and the door sprung open with a tall, white-haired man at the threshold.
"My goodness, Hinata Hyuuga?"
"Yes-s."
The man beamed and with a booming, jolly voice, said,
"Everyone, look up here!"
He grabbed Hinata by the strap of her bag and pulled her into the room of students.
"This is miss Hinata Hyuuga. She's new and I want to applaud her for making it all the way to her last period!"
He began clapping and giggled in a quite perverted manner. The class chuckled heartily.
Everyone must really like him.
"I'm Hatake Kakashi, your director. I'm very glad to have you here today."
Hinata smiled and peered into his handsome face. Although his hair bewildered her, he seemed pleasant and she resumed her normal way of breathing.
She examined the room and caught something in the corner of her eye.
Red…red hair. Oh no…Gaara?And if things couldn't get any worse, she spotted the same girl who confronted her earlier. Sakura.
She was sitting in the back near Gaara with her two followers. Hinata felt her burning gaze and tried to ignore it, but it was impossible.
Kakashi looked down at his watch and sighed with a tsk, tsk.
"Hinata, you're late by 7 minutes. However, I won't count you tardy today. Come on time tomorrow, alright?"
She smiled shyly and nodded, taking a seat in the back where Kakashi directed her.
By Gaara.
Next to him?As Hinata gently placed her bag on the desk, she noticed Sakura glaring at her.
I don't understand…why is she so daunting? What did I do to her?Even with the director's thunderous voice echoing through the room, Hinata was distracted with the boy in the next seat, who paid no attention to her.
Gaara had vivid red hair, which glowed with intensity, like fire. His eyes were an exquisite green color, tinted with black, making him seem fierce and stern. And despite the boy's lack of aesthetics, a grimy uniform, his features were charming.
Hinata, for some odd reason, could not stop staring at Gaara. Perhaps it was his 'bad boy' look that fascinated her.
All her life she had been bombarded with pictures her mother showed her of 'good boys'. These were the kind her mother liked her to marry: reserved, firm, with black suits and glasses. Like Neji.
Hinata shivered at the thought of wedding someone like her cousin. It was not that she didn't like men who were well dressed and polite, but the thought of marrying a Neji-clone was quite disturbing. Gaara, on the other hand, was like an exotic flower. Although he was classified as a delinquent, he had style and Hinata nodded unconsciously with that thought.
It was 2:49 and the sky was gray. Not a gloomy, somber gray, but an ominous shade that filled the atmosphere with an unusual, chilly feel. Class had ended and Hinata was placing her books back into her locker when she noticed a boy running for her.
It was Naruto.
"Hinata-chan!" He said in a singsong voice.
"Hello, Naruto-kun."
"Hey, I was just wonderin' if you wanted to walk home with me today."
That's awfully strange. Is he merely trying to be nice?"A-ah, well, I actually wanted to go h-home by myself…"
Hinata's heart sank as she saw the disappointed expression on Naruto's face.
He swung his backpack over his shoulder and mumbled.
" Heh, sorry…that was pretty sudden. I just wanted to know if you needed some company."
"O-oh…"
"I mean, a small girl like you walking alone…that's kinda' sad."
"Thank you, but I-I'll be fine."
As Hinata quickly headed for the main door, she heard Naruto calling after her.
"Hinata! If you ever need someone to talk to, just tap me on the shoulder."
With that, he grinned and waved goodbye.
Going home alone was something Hinata did everyday for six years and she loved it. The breeze and trees gave her a sense of freedom. However, she wasn't alone today. Someone was following her and she knew it.
There were rustlings in the bushes and quiet, barely audible footsteps on the gravel road. The clouds began rolling with the wind and Hinata finally stopped in her tracks. The noises were scaring her and she decided to face her stalker.
Then, in a blur, out jumped three girls from behind. Before Hinata could identify anyone, a pink haired girl sent her to the floor with a stinging smack.
She looked up, spat out dirt and sand, and soon grew dizzy. She gasped for air as tears poured down her cheeks.
"Wh-what?!"
Her attacker, Sakura, then grabbed her red bow and spat on her face.
"You're awfully cunning, you bitch."
Hinata trembled violently and stared down at her muddy hands to avoid eye contact.
"So, how did you manage to get so close to him?"
No answer.
"Girls like you won't last long with us watching. And if you think you can outsmart us, better forget about it. I will never forgive someone who looks at Gaara like that. Do you understand?"
No answer.
" I have been in love with him for years and I'm not about to let some fake whore take him from me. Do you understand?!"
Hinata bit down on her lip until it turned bloody. She had never been so frightened and humiliated before and wished for death. Anything to get out of this mess.
Summoning the little dignity she had left, the tearstained girl nodded and fell into the mud as Sakura pushed her away.
The trio smirked and walked away, haughty and proud of their success: degrading an innocent young woman.
And so she sat there; cold, alone... tears streaming down with the rain.
