Finally I'm back. Alright then, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it :)


"Why are you home so late, Hinata?"

I tried to answer, but it was as if my tongue had turned to lead. Even my throat and mouth had gone dry.

"I asked a question." My father's frown never wavered. The dangerous tone of his voice was enough to send little kids to tears.

"I . . . I-I

"Hurry up!" he snapped. I gulped down, my hands shivering.

"I-I was a-at a friends house . . . f-finishing a p-project." I clenched my hands, hoping and hoping he would believe.

"That does not give you the excuse to come home late now, does it?"

"N-no . . . it does not." I have learnt from personal experience that when caught in situations like this, the best thing to do is just agree.

"I expected more from you Hinata. You are the heiress of the Hyuga clan. Showing a good example is your duty." His words felt like weights being added to the burden I was already carrying on my shoulders.

"Y-yes. I-I understand, father."

"I don't ever want to see this happen again. From now on, you are to be home by 10pm." He turned and made his way towards the staircase. Before going up, he turned to glance at me once more. "Disobey me and face the consequences."

A bead of cold sweat dripped down my face. Without another word, my father looked away and went up the staircase. My body remained rigid, not daring to move. Every stride my father took echoed, getting softer and softer with every step. Finally, the faint thump of a door closing was heard.

I breathed a deep sigh of relief and my entire body loosened. I could feel my heartbeat racing like a wild horse on the run. That was close. Especially when I told him my excuse, which of course was all untruths. Every word I had spoken was like treading on thin ice.

Recollecting myself, I toddled upwards on the staircase. My knees still shaky, I heaved myself to my room, slowly shut the door and locked it tightly. A feeling of security washed over me. However, there was also some uncertainty. Somehow, even if my father had let me off the hook, I just had that hunch that he did not believe a single word I had said. The fact that he did not voice it out was terrifying.

Brushing the feeling aside, I washed up and threw myself into bed. It had been a long day and I was absolutely drained. Curling up into covers, I glimpse through what had happen through the day. Just before I fell asleep, it dawned on me that that was the first time I had openly lied.

oOo

It was the end of winter break. Even so, it did not mean that winter itself was over. The snow continued floating down and merging softly with the white carpet that covered the earth. To me, they looked like downy, white feathers, drifting aimlessly to wherever the wind took them, so carefree without a worry what so ever. I pained to be like them.

"Misaki-chan!"

Jerking out of my thoughts, I turned to the source of the sound. It was just my tablemate, Misaki and her friend, Yuzu. They seemed to be talking about something. It wasn't like it was my business to know what it was about. I was about to get back to my pastime at gazing out the window when-

"Cat-kun's voice was so dreamy. I almost melted."

Wait a second. That was Sasuke she was talking about. Intrigued, I tilted my head a little and stained to listen.

"I know right. That concert was the blast. I love how awesome Swan-san's voice was. It was so soothing. Made me forget about everything else."

"Speaking of soothing, did you listen to the new member playing. I think they called her Sparrow."

"O. M. G! Her flute was awesome. The tunes just made me feel like I could just screw gravity and float away."

I felt a prickle of heat coming to my cheeks. My lips automatically broke into a grin. I couldn't put a word to what was I feeling right now but it just made me feel tingly all over.

"Err . . . Hyuga-san. What are you smiling at?"

I blinked. Did they just speak to me? They've never spoken to me before. I turn towards them. Both Misaki and Yuzu were staring at me curiously.

"O-oh. N-nothing really. Was j-just thinking of something." I shifted my feet, feeling a little shy.

"Oh," Misaki said briskly before turning towards Yuzu. She's so weird, I heard Misaki whisper. Ouch. The funny thing about alphabets is that they can arrange themselves in such a way that they actually hurt. And that word was sharper than the frost when it bites you.

Dejected, I turned back towards the window. Soon, chatters were heard from behind me, as the girls picked up from were they had left off. Ignoring them, I watched the snowflakes fall. Yeah, I really wished I were a snowflake now.

"OHAYO, HINATA-CHAN!"

This time, I nearly got a heart attack. The voice had been loud enough to literally send the whole class into a shocked silence. I glanced up. Naruto was waving at me from the doorway of the class, his cheeky grin forever etched onto his comical face. From the looks of it, he had been handing over handouts to the class monitor when he spotted me.

It soon occurred to me that the whole class was eyeing me intently, waiting in anticipation for me to answer.

"O-Ohayo, Naruto-kun," I gingerly called out. It would be rude not to answer after all. Satisfied, he hands over the pile of paper to the class monitor and charged of down the corridor.

The moment he left, hush whispers buzzed about the classroom. "She speaks!" "What's Naruto doing talking to a weirdo like her?" "How come he only greeted Hyuga-san?" Jeez, they spoke like I wasn't even here.

"Alright you maggots, quit your yapping. Time to get on with the lesson!" a commanding voice bellowed. Instantly, everyone zipped their lips, straightened their backs and turn to face the Math teacher, Mitarashi Anko. She has always been ruthless and terrified every student she taught. "Get your textbooks out and turn to page 95!"

I complied, yanking out my textbooks from my bag. Throughout the entire math lesson, glances and stares would be directed at me every time Anko-sensei turned her back. Some just looked at me weirdly. Others, especially the girls, would be staring daggers. I tried ignoring them, but I couldn't help feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable. Sighing inwardly, I had a feeling my day was not going to go smoothly.

oOo

Recess. Finally, I get to escape the stares in my class and head to the canteen. I wasn't hungry in particular but eating gave me an excuse to relax and think. Sitting in my usual spot at the lonesome corner of the cafeteria, I slurped on a cartoon of chilled green tea.

Through the din of recess, I spot Itachi sitting at his table, alone as usual. I wondered at times why he was always alone. He was notably one of the most popular students in school for his looks, grades and athletic achievement. Everyday I would hear Misaki and Yuzu yap about how god-like he was. If so, why was he always alone?

Maybe, it's because he's so god-like that he seemed unreachable. So distant, so perfect, that he's untouchable. Maybe that's what everyone's perspective of him is. Was he really? The Itachi I know is a lot different from that. I wonder what's he really like? I questioned inwardly, casually slurping on my carton of green tea.

My train of thoughts was disturbed by a clatter of trays on the table. I looked up. Ino and Sakura plopped down beside me, flashing broad smiles.

"Alone as always, eh." Sakura unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite out of it.

"You mind if we sit here?" Ino sweetly asked.

A little stunned, it took me a few seconds to respond. "No, not at all." Satisfied, Ino opened her bento and happily tucked in. While they ate, I scanned around the cafeteria, counting the number of heads that had turned towards my table. You could say that the whole cafeteria was staring. And the usual whispers came. "Now Ino and Sakura are sitting with her?" "Why's that weirdo so special all of a sudden?"

.

I looked down at my hands, trying to tear away from their gaze yet I could still feel the thousands of eyes boring into me.

"Don't let them get to you," Sakura said, her emerald eyes gazing at me. "Their just jealous."

"They are not jealous, they are just confused," Ino says glaring at Sakura. The pinkette barely flinched. She then turned to me, smiling. "You've entertained a crowd of a more than a hundred. This should be nothing to you."

Somehow Ino's words soothed me a little. I almost-almost-felt better. I harshly sucked my carton dry of green tea, crumpling it in the process. The tension was building up.

To ease it up, Sakura began talking about random things that crossed her mind. Soon, the both of them were chattering merrily. I simply observed.

Eventually, the stares stopped as people returned to their own affairs. Almost immediately, I felt at ease. I continued watching Sakura and Ino converse, responding whenever they asked me something and giggling occasionally to their jokes.

Sometimes, I would glance over at Itachi. I didn't know why but I felt like I could relate to him somehow. The way people judged him and me, it was different yet in a way, similar. Soon, the bell rang, signaling the end of recess. Waving goodbye to the two, I made my why down the corridor, towards my class.

oOo

I ambled down the long hallway. Not really looking forward to class, I lagged along. By now, everyone had already overtaken me, leaving the vast hallway empty.

All of a sudden, I felt a sharp tug on my arm. Before I knew it, I was dragged and thrown into a storeroom. Hurriedly I got up but the door slammed shut in my face. I tugged at the handle but it wouldn't budge. I was trapped.

"Freely talking to the popular ones now are we?" a voice spoke from beyond the door. It sounded strangely familiar.

"Why is it that Naruto-kun, Ino-san and Sakura-chan simply come and talk to you? What makes you so special?" Wait, I know those voices. It was Misaki and Yuzu.

"Why are you doing this? Let me out!" It was the first time I had raised my voice in years. Usually I was as timid and meek as a mouse.

"Ah, so you can actually speak. Anyway sweetie, here's the thing. We saw you giving an eye at Itachi just now. Although Naruto, Sakura and Ino are an exception, Itachi's off limits," Misaki uttered sweetly.

Sheesh, she spoke like he belonged to her.

"You'll be staying here for the rest of the day. Think of it as a lesson one gets when they get too chummy with people who are way out of their league." Yuzu giggles at her statement. "Don't worry. We'll let you out after school when you've learnt your lesson.

Then, the pattering of footsteps is heard before, silence.

The storeroom was dark and gloomy. And I hated being in the dark. The lack of colour without the light draws images from within my head. Images that are almost forgotten yet when drawn out bring pain.

Knowing I had to get out somehow, I tried my hand at ramming against the door. After a couple of tries, it was clear that the door was too hard to budge. Sighing in defeat, I flopped onto the floor. It was going to be a long wait.


Hope you guys enjoyed it. Though, i seem to notice that my characters seem a little ooc. Ok, then, until next time.