My Hockey Incubus
My Hockey Incubus
Chapter 8:
Ryo came to my apartment this morning to drive me to school. Or so I thought, he wanted me to walk with him to school so that we can talk. So I had my chauffeur cancel his morning shifts of bringing me to school. Ryo came with a brown bag so he didn't ask for any food like yesterday. So I was wondering what had made him want to walk me to school. A good deed to a friend, I suppose.
I was telling him about the concert when I realize what happened yesterday. I blushed, remembering Gaara and my kiss at the night before Hanabi came. I didn't tell him about it though. I was supposed to ask him about his identity, but I chickened out. So instead, I asked, "Ryo, do you smoke?"
"Do I smoke?" Ryo was startled. Then he smiled and ruffle my hair, "Nah, it damages my lungs and makes me die sooner."
"Oh." I was distracted with trying to arrange my hair back to its order.
Ryo stopped and stared down at me and said, "You know, Gaara has a higher possibility of smoking than I do."
"Gaara smokes?" I asked more to myself than him. I hadn't tasted any cigarettes yesterday.
"He used to." Ryo was standing up straight and walking forward now, and his face was serious. "His mother died giving birth to him. She cursed the family before she died. Do you know what 'Gaara' means? It means 'One who loves oneself'. Gaara thought of that more like a 'Look what you did to me, if you weren't born, I could have been alive. You just wanted to kill me didn't you?' but I think of it more like that his mother loved him a lot, but hated her husband because he wanted to abort Gaara. I'm not all that sure of what happened, but his dad experimented with some science chemicals to kill Gaara. While she was sleeping, he would inject the fluid into him. When she found out, she was furious. The chemicals hardly affected Gaara though, but it killed his mother. Heh, it's kinda weird, like Gaara's mother loved him so much that it's just nature for her. Her own body, recognizing the poison coming into the system that would kill her beloved child, sacrificed itself to save that baby."
"T-that is weird. It's like he's from a TV drama." I said, not sure how to react to what he just told me.
Ryo sigh a deep sigh, "Yeah. . . ."
"But that still doesn't cover the Gaara smoking part." I said.
"Oh yeah, when he was about I think 10, he encountered a guy in the streets selling cigarettes for money. He was in a pretty bad mood that day, so he bought it. He never smoked before that and wanted to try it. And he liked it. It was soon later that he became addicted so much that he has to stand outside to smoke for at least an hour each day. But one day, his sister, Temari, couldn't take it anymore and forced him to give it up. He went crazy without it. He wanted to get revenge on her, but somehow went through Kankurou, his brother's, CD, and ended up liking it. So then he got into music and forgot all about his addiction and his mother.
"But 2 years later, his dad, who despised Gaara because he thinks that he's the reason his wife died, was murdered. The police was able to find out who it was, but wasn't able to arrest him. So then Gaara started smoking again. Because of his violent reputation and the uproar about his father, Gaara was expelled from school and put into some other school. And that's when he met Naruto, who was, by the way, an orphan. Nobody knew his parents. He just, like, appeared, and they couldn't find any DNA matches either. I think he lives with Kiba, but I'm not all too sure.
"Anyways, so Gaara meets Naruto. They got off on a bad start and were always in fist fights. But later on, Naruto changed him, and Gaara became more open and nicer. Then Naruto introduces him to Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino, et cetera. I think Gaara and Sakura started dating around that time."
"What, really?" I exclaimed, an overpowering emotion of envy and jealousy swarmed in my body.
"I think so, but it's just a rumor. Sakura says that they didn't, Gaara said the same thing. Shikamaru told me from Ino that Sakura did like Gaara once though."
"Oh. D-did they kiss?" I asked. I wanted to know everything about this.
"No, BUT I don't want to talk about this. So shut up and let me continue. So anyways, Gaara was at his, um, club--or you would probably call this a gang but whatever—one day and he met me. We got closer as 8th graders and then we became like best buddies. And then just few years afterward, you came. And VOILA comes the present time.
"Oh lookie here! We're at school already." Ryo said. Then he grabbed my hand and we walked to the school together.
0o0
Ryo came up to me again when I was at my lockers, "Hey, Hina-chan. You have any plans tonight?"
"Uh, no." I wasn't sure if I should say no or not, but it really is boring at night when there's no homework to do, which is when I sleep. I always wake up early because of this.
"Good then. Did you know that Gaara and your best friend Ryo plays Hockey?" He didn't wait for me to answer his rhetorical answer like I always do for everyone and everything, "No, of course you don't. Anyway, the rink's open for us tonight and I was wondering if you would like to come."
"I'll go," I said, "But I've never skated before in my life."
"Good, you'll leave with us right after school."
"Wait, what about homework?" I asked. "I don't want to wait 'till late at night to do them."
"Oh, I'm sure you won't get any today." Ryo said with a mysterious smile.
"How do you know?"
"Even a man like me has to be right once in a while." Ryo said casually.
"That doesn't make sense." I took out the last book from my locker and walked to the direction of our class.
"Even a man like me has to be right once in a while. Don't worry, I'll be right. You can bet on it." Ryo said, his arms reached upward backward around his neck.
"You're weird."
0o0
Sure enough, Ryo was right, I got no homework so I was completely free tonight. It's so weird how Ryo knew this 'Even a man like me has to be right once in a while' doesn't cover this psychic insight. How did he know this?
I told my chauffeur to drop my bag in my house. So I rode on Ryo's motorcycle all the way to the City Center Rink or otherwise known as CCR. The ride was very relaxing as it always is with the wind blowing in my hair and the exhilarating speed Ryo drives at. Though it's nothing compared to Gaara's driving. He's been emotionless the whole day, hardly bothering to look at me or even acknowledge me. I feel like I was invisible around him. But I didn't care much, Ryo was keeping me busy and I was having fun. I still didn't return him his poster though.
The rink was huge, like the size of a football field, and the hockey skaters on the ice were skating with such speed and skill. Their scraping of the ice from the skates sounded like music to my ears. And when the players stop, though they hardly do, there would be a big wind of snowflake flying off into the side. When they do those sharp turn crossovers their body would go so low it looks like they were gonna fall.
I wondered what Ryo and Gaara would look like skating with that skill. It looked so fun. It's such a shame I can't do that.
Ryo and Gaara brought me to an empty locker room and helped me put so many pads on me I was exhausted before actually skating. Then he tied the hockey skates so tight I couldn't move my ankle in any way but keep it straight. It was hard to walk on skates on the ground but Gaara and Ryo steadied me. While it took me half and hour to get dressed, it only took Gaara and Ryo 10 minutes. And they actually looked professional when wearing their hockey gear, while I look somewhat like a bulky robot.
The first step I took on the ice made me fall on my back immediately, "Ay ya ya, Hina-chan, you suck." Ryo teased.
"Thanks." I tried to stand and to my surprise I did, well that is before I rocked backwards and landed on Gaara, who by the way didn't fall, and instead carried me to the far side of the rink and set me down there. I walked over to the wall to get balance. "You never skated in your life, but you skill in skating doesn't match with that excuse." Ryo teased me again.
"TAKARAI!" The coach of the school team yelled, "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND START PRACTICIN'!!"
Ryo skated to the coach and said, "But I'm helping a beginner skate."
"You haven't shown up at practice this past week, and the championship is coming up. You are practicing."
"Well, coach, I'm afraid that will be a problem. As you see my potential in playing Hockey is roughly horrible when my heart is not in it. But as you can see if I were to teach that beginner over there, I will be able to skate with full heart and at the same time teach and improve as I go on. Were I to start practicing now, I may not improve. So what do you say coach? I do need to teach that beginner. And you can't leave a poor unprofessional skater all alone on a rink as dangerous as this."
"Sabaku will take your place; he's been at practice this whole week. You however have not so quit yapping and get your ass over there and start fucking practicing!"
"Now, now coach. It's not good to swear. And do I have to remind you of what happened when--"
"Shut the fuck up!!" The coach screamed, "Either you start practicin' or you and your friends leave!!"
"Fine, jeez!! But you know what? I will play with no potential because you just ruined my happy day, Old man."
The coach and Ryo argued more after that, but I didn't try to listen. I looked at Gaara, who seemed just about as uncomfortable as I am. Suddenly I feel embarrassed of the kiss. We stood there in silence, finally I said, ". . ." because I was interrupted by Gaara who said, "Wait here, I'm going to go change." And then he skated off all show-offy.
When he said he was going to change, I thought, does that mean he's leaving. No it can't be. Because he told me to wait here, and he and Ryo went through the trouble of bringing me here, he wouldn't just leave.
As time went by, doubts started and continued to grow, until just when I thought he wasn't going to come, I tried to skate to the exit, only to fall face down on my stomach on the ice. "…Ow…" I winced. The helmet was slightly bigger than my head and my forehead had hit it hard when my head hit the ground.
"How can you fall while just standing?" Gaara asked. He had changed out of the Hockey jersey and pads and was now wearing sweat pants and a jacket.
I tried to stand back up but I kept wobbling and my legs threatened to make me fall again, "Whoa!" Just when I thought I was going to fall again, Gaara got hold of me and held me up. I feel like I was suffocating with him holding me like this: Both arms around my neck. "I never thought anyone could ever be so bad at skating, but I guess I was wrong." He joked. I thought he was uncomfortable with the kiss. Then he smiled, and because of that, I had to smile too. My facial muscle just made me do so.
"OK, I'm going to help you here. You obviously seem to be able to get back up when you fall, so I won't bother with that." Gaara said, "Hockey skates are not the same as figure skates. Figure Skates' blade goes behind you foot, but Hockey skates' blades are rocking, if you rock backwards, you fall backwards, and if you rock forward, you fall forward, so be careful with that. Try taking some strokes." He demonstrated by skating forward with four long strokes that brought him very far. Then he skated really quickly back to my side, and it was as if he'd been there the whole time. I try to make the stroke, but I wasn't moving forward. Then Gaara told me, "if you try to skate with your skates parallel to each other, you don't get anywhere. You want to push with the side." I did just as he said, but ended up falling on him. He tilts me back upright and said, "Before you start to skate, make you feet at an angle of a 'V', like this. Then you push with the side of the foot." I made my feet in a 'V' angle but I kept tilting from side to side and kept wobbling. Gaara took hold of my shoulders and told me to skate. I did as he said, and it worked. I was skating forward. "I'm going forward! I'm going forward!" I said with glee.
"Good, now do you know how to stop?" He asked me.
"…No…" I kept skating while he said, "Well, um, I've been wanting to do this for a while, and after seeing you on ice for a while, I don't think it should hurt you all that much, and I think this should work, so…" He pushed me forward right at the wall, "SORRY IF IT DOESN'T."
"Waaah…!" My arms were swinging all around me and I was headed for the wall. Following my natural instincts, I forced my arms to come forward and stop me before I hit it. It kinda worked: I didn't hit the wall because my arms caught me before it. But then I started tilting backwards on my skates and ended up falling on my butt again. "…Ow…"
Gaara skated next to my head and looked down at me with a smile. It seemed to me that his Blue eyes shined in his shadow face. "It worked." He concluded.
"Not very well," I added, "…Ow…"
"Not on you, yeah, but on someone else who has a better sense of balance, it would. Thank you for helping me with my experiment." Gaara joked. I don't know if it's because of the rink or because he's skating, but he seemed so much happier here on ice. Much more positive.
"You're…very welcome," I groaned, "It really hurts though." I complained.
"Yeah, well," He pulled me up with no problem with falling down at all, "It happens. Did you know that Hockey is the fastest sport? Some people believe it's the most dangerous, but I don't believe that."
"Dangerous for me," I muttered. Gaara laughed, and it made my heart skip, "Is that how I should stop?"
"Yeah, for now, I think that's best. Do you think you can turn while skating?"
"…No…"
"Well, try anyway." At the other side of the rink, I see Ryo waving at me, I waved back. Then he returned to his mini game. His movements were so fast, it seemed like the whole game was revolving around him. The small puck that he has seems to pass from player to player until they scored. It looked like it was fast forwarded, but realer.
"Nata-chan," Gaara called. It startled me and I lost my balance, I was falling to Gaara again. My hands automatically reached up and grabbed his shoulder for support. It was broad and strong. He hardly budges. Then I reposition my feet so that it doesn't make me fall when I let go of Gaara. I slowly let go of his shoulders. I was about to ask 'Why do you call me Nata-chan?' but then I saw his face. His cheeks were red, and I thought he was sweating. He looked uncomfortable and I could almost hear his heart beat quicken: the quick faint thumping. I don't know why, but this flattered me, like it proves that he loves me too.
Then I asked, "Why do you call me that?"
He didn't answer. So I asked again, but he still didn't respond. "G-Gaara?"
His eyes searched around the rink to see who it was that had called his name. Then it landed on me. "W-w-what i-i-s it…?" He stuttered. He looked so…cool… doing that.
"Why do you call me Nata-chan?" I asked again, for the 3rd time.
"T-t-that's your name isn't it?"
"Yeah, but nobody called me Nata-chan."
"Yomi did."
"Yomi? Oh yeah!! The vocalist for Naitomea."
"Yeah, he called you Nata-chan."
"Then why don't you call me Hina-chan like Ryo?"
"…I like to be different…especially when it's Ryo"
"Then why not just Hinata?"
"'cause that sounds plain, and plain doesn't suit you."
"It doesn't? I always thought I was pretty plain."
"You're wrong, you're everything except plain." Then he stopped, and then he continued in a different direction. "F-for example, look at your eyes, no one has those eyes except for you Hyuuga."
"Oh."
. . .
Silence passed us and continued. It was getting really awkward. The air seemed to get denser.
"Um," Gaara scratched his neck, "well, try turning."
I turned.
"I mean while skating."
I took a deep breath and position my feet at the right angle, then I took one stroke after another. Before long, I could feel the wind in my face as I skate forward not fast, but faster than usual. It felt so nice and I feel like I'm gliding in mid air. I started to relax myself and skated around. But then I caught sight of Gaara and remembered what I was trying to do. I turned, and it worked pretty well. I didn't fall at all. I was amazed at myself. I didn't fall! I didn't fall! Gaara skated up to me in his skillful way and complimented me in an odd sarcastic way. "Nice job, you didn't fall. I think you're improving well."
"Uh, thanks." I said. Skating is really fun, I wonder why I never really got to do it. The world outside the Hyuuga laws and etiquette is so amazing and fun. I'm suddenly grateful for Ryo. He brought me here and gave me the great opportunity to experience this; he was the reason that I was able to meet Gaara; I feel so much lighter when I'm here—no burdens or stress, just good times. When I'm with Ryo, I feel like I could fly high up in the sky.
I continued to practice as Gaara coached me for about an hour. I was able to learn how to skate forward and backwards, brake immediately, and glide on one foot. But I still couldn't do those crossovers and those things where the players would fall and get up within the next second and continue to play without disturbance.
"I'm so proud of myself," I said out loud, "I can skate so much better now. In the beginning I was falling at every step."
"And at everyone around you." I turned to look at Gaara. I can see him more clearly now because my helmet was off and we were resting on the bench. He didn't seem tired, just me, my short hair was so full of sweat, it was sticking to my face. "Well, mostly just me." We laughed in unison. I took the team's water bottle and aimed it to squirt the water into my mouth. But instead, it had to go to my nose. I started coughing. Gaara turned to me, "You OK?" I choked out a 'yeah' and continued to cough.
When I was finished, I told Gaara what happened, and he started laughing again. "That used to happen to me all the time. You gotta aim it just right so it goes in your mouth. Here." He took the bottle from my hand and pointed it at my face. "Open." I opened my mouth, and the water automatically came into my mouth. Then I closed it. I was about to say something, but water splashed at my face. Wiping the water away, I looked at Gaara, who was guiltily holding the bottle. "Sorry, I thought you wanted to drink more."
I smiled, "That's OK." Then my smile grew wider and I took another bottle and squirted it at Gaara's face. I laughed.
"Hey! That's not funny."
"Then why am I laughing?"
"Now my shirt's gonna get all wet. Why you…!" He squirted the bottle of water he was holding at me, and we fought in a big water fight of water that's meant for the hardworking team that's practicing right now and yelled at by their annoying coach.
"OK, OK. Stop." I said I wiped the water out of my eyes. Then I put on my helmet and gloves. "I wanna skate more."
"OK," Gaara said casually, and set his weapon down. Just when we were about to go on the ice, I shot some water at his face and ran off onto the ice. Gaara skated after me, and within very soon time, he caught up. I screamed. He took me by my shoulder pads and carried me up.
"What are you doing?" Ryo asked, I see him standing in front of us now, "I just came back from practice and I see Gaara chasing you."
"YO, SABAKU, TAKARAI, YOU GOT 10 MINUTES BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!"
"Aw, man, I only get to skate with you guys for 10 minutes that's totally not fair." Ryo complained, "We are definitely coming back here, and I am going to play with you guys."
We chased each other around, and pulled each other. Ryo even jumped on Gaara's back once, which caused Gaara to be soaking wet, and he didn't even fall. In fact he skated around the whole rink. There was also this one time where I would sit on the ice, and I would grab on to Ryo's hockey stick, and he would pull me around the ground.
"Let's play tag!" Ryo suggested.
"No," I whined, "I'll be the slowest." I had already taken my helmet off because Ryo and Gaara thought it was safe enough for me to not wear it.
"1…2…3…" Ryo said.
And then there was silence. Gaara whispered in my ear, "Say 'not it'."
"Not it?" I asked.
"Oh ho ho, Gaara looks like you're it. buddy." Ryo said
"Not it, I believe you're it Ryo. You never said it."
"Yes I did."
"No you didn't."
"Yes, I did."
"No, you didn't."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Hina-chan, make the mean man stop!! I so did say 'not it'. You believe me right, Hina-chan?"
"Um," I thought about which side to choose. "No, you didn't say it."
Ryo pouted and then mumbled something under his breath really fast. Then he glared at Gaara with big evil creepy eyes. "Run!" Gaara said in my ear before he dashed away. Ryo passed me in a flash and was now chasing after Gaara. I saw them skating back and forth around the ice very quickly. And when they would pass by me real close, I would be able to see their faces with their hair blown back and their eyes wide, smiling wildly as they would skate all around the huge ice and not be bothered.
Suddenly, I felt myself flying and enjoyed it for a moment. But then I realized Ryo was carrying me, "W-wha--?"
"Stay back, stay back." Ryo chanted. And I realized he had tagged Gaara. "I'm willing to compromise, if you tag this girl, then neither of us will possibly be tagged. Then everyone wins."
I see Gaara thinking about it. "Hm, deal," He reached his hand out for Ryo to shake it.
Ryo shook his head, "Uh-uh, that ain't gonna work this time."
"OK, Plan B then." Ryo dropped me a second right before Gaara tagged me. "…Ow… That's not fair." I called out to the two hockey players who are already skating away.
I chased after them. They skated all around me, zigzagging around on the ice. On the corner of my eye view, I see someone, I don't know who, about to come from the side. I leaped in that direction and caught Gaara. "How'd you know I was there?" Gaara groaned, for I am sitting on top of him.
"I have good eyesight." I said simply.
"Wo-a-a-ah, nice job Hina-chan, you caught Gaa-chan!" Ryo reached his hand out to help me up. I took it and Gaara immediately jumped up. Just as he was about to tag me back, the coach yelled for us to leave the rink. We did as we were told. And again, Gaara and Ryo both helped me with the pads and skates and helmets. Both of them took a shower after. I waited outside. It was pouring; the rain just kept coming and coming, and there was about half a foot of water over the whole parking lot. I'm glad the way to the entrance of the rink is uphill, or my feet would've been soaked by now. By the time Gaara and Ryo got out of their warm showers, I couldn't stop gapping. Here I was, standing with 2 extremely attractive guys both of which have kissed me on the cheek and on the lips. I couldn't help but feel so proud to know that I have 2 friends as good as Gaara and Ryo who had both went their way in helping me skate..
Gaara's hair was still damp, and Ryo had a towel around his neck. They were both staring at the rain in agony and astonishment. "Shit." Gaara muttered. "Hinata, you live pretty far from here, don't you?"
"Yeah. . . ." Where is he going with this?
"My place it is!" Ryo proclaimed.
"WHAT?!" Gaara and I screamed in unison.
"Well as you two slow peoples can see, the rain is causing a flood up to like 1 foot. The safest thing is to go to my house—'cause it's the closest home outta all of ours—and stay the night and wait for the rain to stop.
"What's wrong with my house?" Gaara asked.
"You lived at least a block farther. Plus, your sister's a bitch, and your brother's a pervert." Ryo said.
Gaara gritted his teeth and said, "Your house is a dumpster. The last time I went there, I had to borrow Temari's perfume for a week to hide that stinkin' odor of your hell's bedroom."
"I cleaned it," Ryo said simply. "Now quit whining and hurry up, we need shelter before the rain gets harder.
The crackling of thunder pierced my eardrums and I jumped. "Eep!"
"Fine." Gaara said. Each of them took out their motorcycle and rolled it on to the sidewalk.
"Sorry the seat's wet, Hina-chan." Ryo said, "Why don't you ride with Gaa-chan this time? I'm not as careful as Gaara when driving."
I looked at Gaara for his permission. He nodded without looking at me. I felt bad for riding with him because I know he'll have to shower again since I'm wet, but then again, so do all of us. We were forced to drive on the sidewalk because the road's water got way too high. I looked at Ryo's house; it was the red apartment I had seen yesterday morning. We parked the bike in the basement, and Ryo let us into his house. It wasn't really as bad as Gaara had said. Maybe Ryo really did clean it, but then would that mean that he was already planning on me staying here.
I concluded that my answer was a yes, when Ryo pulled out a 2 person mattress. "I'll set your bed up, while you shower. You can wear some of my clothes. And don't worry about your underwear, I'll wash it." He smiled. Gaara scoffed.
"I don't think--" I started but couldn't finish because the thought of sleeping in wet underwear doesn't sound very pleasant in my ear.
"Just clean it at the bathroom sink," Gaara said. "Ryo, give her the soap." My face turned pink as I realized both of these 2 eyes have seen my underwear. And one has actually touched one.
"Aw, fine." Ryo grumbled.
0o0
I put on the clothes Ryo had given me, and got out of the bathroom. "I'm finished," I announced. "Gaara, you can take the shower now." I looked at him, but his eyes were completed fixated on me. Wide and big and blue. I looked down at my chest and realized the black shirt Ryo had given me to wear says RYO'S NUMBAH ONE FAN.
I sighed; I don't have the energy to say anything, "Gaara? I shook his shoulder, and he broke out of his trance, "Shower's ready."
"Oh, um, yeah, thanks." Then he got up and went to shower.
I looked at the mattress Ryo had spread out for me. It looked comfortable enough, and I'm tired. I lay down on my stomach to sleep.
Gaara was out of the shower quicker than me, but he didn't sleep immediately, I think he put a blanket over me, because I suddenly felt warm.
I didn't even know Ryo went to the shower until I heard him and Gaara arguing about who should sleep next to the bed besides 'Hina-chan'. I heard my name being called, and I think Ryo asked me something like, "Ryo or Gaara." I said 'Gaara' automatically and went back to sleep. It was surprisingly more comfortable than I thought.
0o0
I know this chapter was pretty bad, but like it needed to be for the story to, idk, move forward. Yeah i kno gaara wuz really OOC im trying 2 make Hinata more Hinata ish and now all girly n stuff. But it's been really annoying since my brain has been really slow lately and my contacts as really been bothering me.
i promise to make the next chapter better, n somehow 4 me, the story seems 2 be like a month already and not just a week. But I can't seem to make the story go on interestingly enough without having a special thing going on each day. Anyway, i'm an amateur in writing, so it shouldn't really matter much righ tnow. I'll improve as i go.
R&R plz!!
im gonna update quicker n mor now, just cuz i feel like it.
TOSHI
