Stillness Creates Silence

Sasuke sat impatiently in the waiting room as he waited to find out if Sakamei was okay.

They had made him sit through the last half of school, monitoring his every move. They found out he had been skipping class, with the help of his friends answering role for him. And oh, the trouble he got in when a teacher found him carrying an unconscious girl down from the roof.

As soon as school let out he and Naruto had gone straight to the hospital, hoping they could find out what had happened.

"Sasuke." Said boy looked up, only to see his elder brother, Itachi with Sakamei's brother Jux.

"What are you doing here?" Itachi sighed.

"The school called me and told me that a teacher found you coming down from the roof with Sakamei, who was completely unconscious. What is going on?" Sasuke didn't feel like explaining. He tried to collect his thoughts silently. Itachi took this as disobedience.

"Sasuke, do you know how lucky you are that mother didn't answer the phone? Or better yet, father?" Sasuke placed his melded fists to his lips, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I know that, Itachi." His thoughts were on Sakamei. He didn't care about his father at the moment.

"Just tell me what happened." Naruto had been curious too. He hadn't asked, but Sasuke had told them on his way here. Of course, he had been upset with Sasuke for saying what he did, but he would make sure Sasuke apologized.

"I had skipped my day classes, and during lunch Sakamei came to find me. I don't know how, but she found out I was on the roof. We had and…argument and she had a panic attack or something. I hadn't realized what was happening until she started coughing, and I regret the cruel things I said. I hadn't meant for that to happen, just to get her to leave me alone. I didn't hurt her physically. I swear. I just-" Sasuke knew he sounded like the worst person in the world right now. He just wanted to get the thoughts out of his head.

"I don't believe you would do anything to hurt her, Sasuke," Jux said. Sasuke had never spoken to him before. "Sakamei, she has a strange...disease that was passed down from our mother. It's ruined her vision, and her coughing isn't something that doesn't happen regularly. My father worries about this, and wants to remove her from the school. If he thinks he doesn't trust her friends she'll be taken out, and we don't want that." Naruto nodded.

"Is he taking her out?" Jux sighed.

"He doesn't know that she's here. It seems that he forgot something very valuable. He's going to be gone for a few more days. I've never been able to keep anything so important from my father, but I guess this will be the first time for my sister's happiness. Do you two want to see her? She should be awake now."

Sasuke and Naruto both looked up at the same time, nodding. Jux led them to her room. Sasuke had to take a deep breath before following Naruto into the room.

Naruto was already at Sakamei's side. "Sakamei," he said quietly, sounding like a small child as he smiled down at her.

Sakamei returned Naruto's smile, though she looked paler than usual. She looked…unhealthy. "Naruto-kun, you're here." Her voice sounded weak.

Naruto answered her, his smile growing. "I had to make sure you were alive so I could copy your chemistry homework," he whispered very loudly, making her laugh. Sakamei's eyebrows furrowed.

"That homework was due last week," Naruto laughed.

"Pft, I'm too cool for homework. They have to schedule an appointment to be turned in." Sakamei smiled at Naruto, placing her hand on his. Naruto ran his fingers through her hair. "Hey, Sasuke's here too," he said, not noticing the way her eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in wariness. He must have thought she was tired.

Naruto looked back at Sasuke, who still stood by the closed door. Sasuke slowly made his way to Naruto's side. "HI, Sakamei," he said slowly. The girl was looking away.

Naruto remembered what Sasuke had told him about their argument on their way to the hospital. "I'm gonna go wipe out the food court now. Sasuke," he mumbled to the dark hair boy. "Make sure you fix this problem. I can't believe you did something so stupid." Sasuke's eyes widened at Naruto. He was usually the one saying this to Naruto.

Once Naruto left the room, Sakamei and Sasuke sat in silence for a few minutes. Sakamei hadn't looked at him once.

"Sakamei, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said, and if I could I would take back everything I said. Most of it wasn't true at all." Sakamei was still silent. Sasuke began to panic. He couldn't lose her comfort.

"Sakamei, I overreacted when you…you made your mistake, and I've realized that I've made an even bigger one. I did always look down on people, especially Naruto, and he was supposed to be my best friend. I've never paid attention to my own mistakes, always watching what others have done. I've realized that I don't deserve the praise I get from people who think I'm better than another person. I've noticed that the people who care about me, like Naruto and my brother, Itachi, they've never compared themselves to me, yet I've always strived to do better than them. I don't deserve their friendship, and I would have never realized this if you hadn't shown me how vain I was. I understand that you don't want to speak to me." He hadn't noticed that Sakamei was watching him now.

"I wouldn't want to take that burden either." Sasuke realized that he had been so vain until now. He had always believed that he would have everything he had now: his family, his friends, and the many girls who gave their all to get next to him only to have their hearts shattered by his indifference.

He turned to leave her, but a hand clasped weakly around his wrist. Surprise registered on his face as he turned to look at her. She closed her eyes, then opening them once more.

"It wasn't true?" Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. He shook his head, deciding to elaborate.

"Not with our friends. It's the guys that we aren't around as much. Those are the ones who try to do things like that. But our friends, Naruto, they would never do anything like that to you. I-I would never…do that…to you." Sakamei was silent for a few seconds.

"Do you forgive me, Sakamei?" The girl was silent for a few seconds.

"I forgive you, Sasuke." He released a relieved sigh.

"Thank you, Sakamei." He hadn't known that she was holding his hand now, though her grasp was weak.

A nurse came into the room, saying she needed to give Sakamei her medicine. Sasuke began to leave the room, and only then did she realize that she had been holding his hand.

Naruto had been ease dropping on Sasuke and Sakamei the whole time. He had been looking forward to them getting together. Now it was time for him to decide on what he would do next.

He jumped back when Sasuke exited the room, being told to leave by the nurse. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him, but did not question him.

"Guess what! The doctor says Sakamei can come back to school Monday. Jux says we can't visit her during the weekend though, but we can call.

Sasuke listened to his best friend ramble on and on, going from Sakamei to School to Hinata and how she always turned red when he tried to talk to her.

His friend was clueless, but he was his friend.