Chapter 33

Kei's lips; she knew for a fact they'd never kissed anyone…Anyone but her.

And now he was staring into her eyes…Silently…Expectantly.

"What do I do?" She wondered, looking back at him.

She needn't have bothered. He pulled away, wiping the lip-gloss off on his sleeve. He then gave her a sad grin.

"My bad…" he muttered, running his fingers through his hair while looking away, "…Go see him."

She slumped down to the floor in shock. She wanted to leave but her legs refused to move.

"Oh my gosh…Oh my gosh….Kei just kissed me…"

Miyuki pushed open the door and immediately felt as though a two ton weight had been dropped on her shoulders. She shut the door and locked it, now surveying the 'crime scene' before her.

"Kei? Jacarra? What's going on?"

He glanced over at her but made no attempt to reply. He looked towards Jacarra. What would she say?

"I'm feeling ill…" she told Miyuki. "Will you take me home?"

"No can do. I have Biology next period…I'm sure Kei can though, can't you Kei?"

Kei's eyes fixed on Jacarra. "Yes…"

Inita was pulling a book from her locker when all of a sudden, Sasuke appeared next to her.

"Boo."

"Huh?" She span around, shocked. "What is wrong with you?"

"You and Jenei…What's going on between the two of you?"

"…Well…" she shifted nervously.

He slammed her locker shut, "Answer the question."

"Nothing!"

"Are you kidding me?" he snarled, "Do you really think I'm crazy enough to think nothing is going on?"

"But I…"

"All of a sudden you two become closer than ever, and nothing is going on?"

She shrank back. "Oh no…"

"Don't test me, Inita…"

"I don't understand you. One minute you're worrying about me and the next you're furious about something I don't know about."

"…" His eyes widened.

"I…" she wiped the tears that were beginning to fall. "I don't think I'll ever understand you."

Before he could stop her, she ran off.

"Damn it!" He punched the lockers. "Why is she so difficult to read?"

Moments later, not far away~

She drew in the dirt with her finger, constructing an elaborate abstract picture. With the back of her other hand she dried the tears still dripping from her face.

"I hate him…" she whispered, "I hate Sasuke."

Why did he treat her like this? He yelled at her, only to whisper into her ear. He'd call her names and then act kind. Worse yet, he'd taunt her with sexual advances and seconds later kiss her with genuine compassion. Inexplicably, her heart jolted.

"Teme…" she whispered.

"Who is?"

"Huh?" she looked around, "Yuki…"

"I am?" he immediately became shocked, "What did I do?"

"…"

"I'm so sorry, Inita. Whatever I did, I'm sorry!" Yuki's eyes locked with hers, causing her to blush immediately.

"Stop it!" she cried, turning away abruptly. "You're not the person I meant!"

"…Oh…" he smiled, "I'm glad."

"He still a playboy…He's still a playboy…" she tried to convince herself.

"Hey…" his voice lowered, "Did I ever tell you why I left downtown Konoha?"

"You never even mentioned you'd lived here."

"I'm sorry…But, you wouldn't have listened back then either."

"Good point." She muttered.

"Well…" he began.

My mom and dad were having a rough time together…Dad was always at work. He never called. He never sent flowers. He never left notes. He wouldn't take time off to see me graduate from middle school. He didn't come to any of my races…I never saw him except in pictures which he would send once every year.

He didn't come to my birthday parties personally. The same with Christmas. Any presents I got were always delivered by maids.

Every year I'd tell my friends how cool my dad was, and every year I'd wait for him to show up and surprise me. Mom said she'd be surprised too…But I didn't understand her then…And as with every year…He never showed.

My friends would say things like:

"It's ok. We're here."

Or:

"Let's just have an awesome party."

But they were only saying that to my face. Once they left all sorts of rumors started. My dad was dead. He was a crime boss. He didn't love me…It hurt.

When I turned 14, my mom got a letter in the mail from him. At first she was excited, but when she read it, she started to look pale. I asked what was wrong but she just waved me away, and said it was alright. Then she started doing research on him.

After that she got worse and worse. One day she left the house to go to work, thinking I'd go to school, but I snuck up to her room and looked for the letter. I didn't find it immediately but what I found was her computer, still on. She had been reading a news article that said my dad had attended a function with his wife a week ago.

I was devastated. The woman in the picture wasn't my mother…I began digging around for the letter, which I found, crumpled in the trash.

And what was written there hurt to my very core. He demanded that I, as his son, should live with him from now on and that she should make no attempt to appeal to keep me. I was his heir and should be treated as such.

I was angry. How could he hurt my mom like that? How could he tear me away from her?

When mom came home a few hours later, she told me to pack my bags. I was in shock, but thought it best not to hassle her just yet, even if she was preparing to leave me with my dad.

The next thing I know, she pulls two large suitcases out of the closet and runs upstairs to change her outfit. She comes back down in a jogging outfit with her hair cut to her shoulders and green contacts. Moments later, a moving van pulls up and she tells them what to load, and where to take it.

She hands me one of the suitcases and tells me to get into her new car, licensed to one Sorai Tizu and tells me to call her Tizu-chan from now on…At least until we've skipped town.

It then dawned on me why she wanted me to pack…She wasn't giving me up; far from that she was devising a way to keep me.

To help, I dyed my hair this color, to match hers. I even changed my name to Sorai Yuki. I got my ear pierced before we left town, which she disapproved of by the way.

As we drove her phone rang…It was dad. She let it go to voicemail, then played it. He was sending people to pick me up soon, he said, so I should be ready. At that point mom looked at me and smiled, then tossed her phone out of the car. When I asked why, she said:

"So he can't track us."

"Hold it!" Inita stopped him. "Is that how you knew to track me using my phone?"

"…Kind of…" he smiled sheepishly.

"How come you told me your real name? Yuki Aikato?"

"All my life I trusted people who let me down. Even my friends… I wanted someone to trust in again…I wanted to trust you."

Her heart raced a mile a minute. "W-why me?"

"I don't know…Maybe you reminded me of my mom, suffering so much yet saying nothing; relying only on yourself…"

"Enough!" she shifted away from him a little, "Continue with your story."

"That was pretty much it. You know most of the rest except maybe that mom was upset because I wanted to come back here."

"…"

"She tried to hide it by acknowledging how much she approved of you…But I could tell…"

"Why did you come after me then?"

"My dad left my mom. I don't want to be anything like him…I will make you mine, and keep you happy, no matter what."

"Uh-oh…" she thought, "Am I feeling impressed by that? Snap out of it! It's just Yuki…Just Yuki!"

He scooted closer to her. "Inita." He whispered her name in a seductive tone, "I love you."

"Yuki…"

"…I still owe you that kiss. Can I?"

"I'm not going to give up; I'm not letting you…" His smile shattered her thoughts. She nodded weakly.

Sasuke, who had been watching for at least 5 minutes, thought to interrupt them.

However, the second their lips touched, a stern voice reached their ears.

"Yuki Aikato, I presume?"

"Huh?"

"Your father has sent for you."

Inita stood quickly, "That's not fair to him! Shouldn't he decide what he wants?"

They ignored her.

"Hey!"

"Back off, little girl." A guard pointed a gun at her.

"Stop it!" Yuki stepped in front of her. "Leave her alone, and I'll go, ok?"

"Yuki…"

"Fine…Hurry up and get to the car."

"Yuki!"

He looked back sadly and walked towards the limo.

"…Why…Why would you do that?"

He made no attempt to reply, eventually leaving.

She sank to her knees, feeling weak for the first time in her life, "I couldn't help him…I couldn't save him…"

Tears dripped into the dirt. "Why, Yuki?"

Her phone played her message tone. From Yuki, it said. She opened it…

Why? Because, I love you and never want to see you cry.

"Yuki, you idiot…" she murmured, before erupting in tears.