Blossoming Burnt Petals

By Ayesha Raees

Chapter twenty One

Fuming ice

Even the ice

So cold and laid back

Is vicious and dead

Anger bubbled inside me and I felt my face crunch in a scowl. I could feel my body heat up and adrenaline was making my negative emotions touch their peak. I could feel bile rise up onto my throat and I swallowed it thickly but, uselessly, it failed to compose itself.

As I swiftly walked down the corridor, the heels of my shoes making clattering noises, I was thankful that nobody had come near me. The expression on my face was twisted so badly and hatred was flowing from me in such thick layers that I was repelling everybody away from me. For once, random girls didn't come up to me, chatting away nonsense. Hell… not even Sakura walked over and I had inwardly labelled her as a plague.

I stalked and banged open the door, the cold wind of late autumn hitting my hot face like ice on fire, but the effect didn't help my anger issues.

I eyed the deserted basketball court with a hard glare and gritted my teeth. My hands clinched in anger, the nails digging into my palms and drawing blood without my notice. I slightly flinched; not with the pain of the fresh wound but because of the chilly wind that seemed to cut through me like a sharp knife. Feeling slightly useless and even more depressed than I usually felt, I relaxed and allowed the wind to sweep away the heat of my anger to wherever it wanted this time.

Slightly composed, I eyed the deserted basketball court again and regarded it with hatred full of glance.

That bastard was extremely lucky.

I turned around to get back to my classes when I stopped abruptly, coming face to face with the blond who called himself my 'best friend'.

Naruto regarded me with a curious yet calm look as he watched me with his deep azure eyes. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and I tried to keep my glare fixed at his direction. Slowly, his eyes left my face to travel down to my bleeding hands. I quickly pushed them in my pockets too, not wanting him to securitize me anymore. The action at once raised his eyebrows, a gesture he sometimes did when he noticed something uncharacteristic, and than sighed loudly… breaking the building silence between us.

Another blow of wind and some scattered leaves made my glare to minimize and I was about to walk past him to get to my next class when he, as though nothing had happened, grabbed my upper arm.

"Let's go to Mc Donald. I am starving," he said, giving me a slight nudge down the stairs. I didn't budge.

Irritated, he gave me a sharp look.

"Sasuke teme…"

"You can pig out at lunch, you know," I muttered in a low tone and wished I hadn't after that.

Shock came over the blond boy as he, gapingly, stared at him as though he had sprouted another head. His eyes were as wide as saucepans and he blinked several times at me.

"Did you… Did you just talk?" he asked disbelievingly.

Feeling as though I couldn't play the 'ignoring' game anymore, I gave him a bored look.

"Did you think I was mute? Dobe," I scoffed and started walking down the stairs. Suddenly I didn't feel like going into the class and sitting in the middle of random girls; the very idea of it all made me feel suffocated. After all… the girl I wanted to sit beside me always kept her distance far away from me… unable for me to even reach out towards her.

I was well out of the school gates when I turned around to see Naruto still rooted at the door, staring at me. I give him in an irritated look which made him snap out of his trance and jump down the stairs to run up to me.

I shook my head and started walking again.

I seriously needed to talk to someone about a certain someone.

Err... well yeah... i know this is pretty late even when i promised quick updates. It's because of computer trouble. Laptops gone and my desktop also got busted. The only working thing in the whole mess was my brother's mac book and as it is a MAC book, he doesn't let me use it. :/. Blagh. Stupid brothers.

And it took longer because I shifted to another house and the mess just got piling up. My exams are next week but I knew I had to put something in for you guys.

Thanks for those who have been waiting patiently and still reading this story. I AM going to explain the Neji and Hinata incident and ALSO the Sakura incident. I haven't forgotten it so rest assure. :3

And thanks everybody! I hope you like this chapter (even though it doesn't tell much! :p). Look forward to the next chapter next week! ^^