My end of year tests are over, and they totally sucked! But hey, I know I passed. No doubt about it.
I don't have much to say, but I really hope you people will enjoy this chapter. (And you night want a tissue or two for later reasons. ;;wink;;)
PG-13
Ino's POV
Chapter 13
I awoke before the sun had begun to rise. Still a bit tired, I tried to go back to sleep. A couple times I felt Sakura shuffle on the other side of the bed. I heard her breathing, calm and easy. She seems so peaceful in her sleep; unlike the way I've seen her before with that sadness hidden under the smiles.
Sighing to myself, I turned on my back to stare at the plain ceiling, attempting to fall back asleep. Luckily, sleep soon came.
Not long after I woke, I heard Sakura speak my name. I guessed she had awakened and was talking to me, so I answered her. But when I saw her face, she was still asleep. She must be sleep talking.
"Ino… did you kill them? Was it you, Ino? …They were your parents. You didn't, did you? Ino? Answer me!"
"Sakura, what's wrong?" I was about to shake her out of her sleep, but her words began taking an effect on me. I killed my parents? Is that why they aren't here? Is that why her mother hates me?
"You know what's wrong! You killed them… That's the reason why they're not here and you live in a shack, stealing your food. Why!" Tears formed in her sleeping eyes. I tried to ignore what she was saying and wake her soon before she said anything else that might affect me.
I shook her shoulder lightly. But she began yelling, "Why! I don't want to believe you! I can't believe you! Do you know why I can't believe you!"
I didn't want to hear anymore. "Sakura! Wake up!" I shook her shoulder violently.
Her voice cracked and came out slowly, "Because... I lo–"
"Ino, WAKE UP!" Sakura yelled in my ear. I jumped up with a start. Was I dreaming all that? Sakura gave me a weird look. "You were yelling 'Sakura, wake up' and, of course, woke me. What were you dreaming?"
I turned a shade of red as I was about to tell her, but I couldn't remember it. The dream, or nightmare, had disappeared from my memory like most everything in my life had. Maybe it was for the best I didn't remember the nightmare.
"I can't remember," I said hesitantly. Sakura smiled.
"Well, it seemed you were having a nightmare so maybe it's better you didn't remember. But I usually remember my nightmares, just not the dreams. Hm, oh well. Let's get ready for school." Sakura began cheerfully.
I agreed and followed Sakura in her morning routine. She had some clothes that fit me, but most of them were pink and didn't look very great on me. Sakura told me that I looked lovely. I still didn't agree.
Sometime on our way to school, I remember what I had done late last night. I had kissed Sakura. I did, and I confessed that I loved her, but was she awake? Did she hear me? I really hope she was asleep at the time; I don't want to ruin our friendship. Our being friends is hard enough to her mother, I can't imagine what being girlfriends would do.
School began simply and things passed by all to fast for me. Between two of my morning classes, I bumped into Gaara, the creepy guy who followed Sakura in school before. He looked very much on the edge of killing someone but he held the eyes of a depressed and lonely child.
"Hey, aren't you the one who followed me and Sakura around? Why did you do that?" I asked in the most casual tone I could.
He glared at me, but lightened a bit, "I was following Sakura to understand why my beloved had interest in her. But it turns out, my beloved was not truly interested in Sakura and had his heart stolen by that Sasuke. I will destroy Sasuke for this."
I backed away, "Ookaayy."
At lunch I sat with Sakura again. We watched the new couple, Sasuke and Naruto, eat together in the corner of the cafeteria. They smiled at one another and were completely in their one world. And the air full of bloodlust didn't faze either of them. The bloodlust came from most every female in the cafeteria, glaring at the two boys, or mostly they glared at Naruto.
I laughed with Sakura as we had been one of the first to know and the shock had already passed. Soon, Hinata came to sit with us. And behind her, followed the girl Tenten.
"Hello, Sakura. Can we sit here?" Hinata asked, with her shyness less noticeable than usual.
"Sure," replied Sakura as she moved her crutches aside for the other two to sit.
"Thank you for the help yesterday, Sakura." Hinata said with a smile as she sat herself down. I noticed the two were holding hands.
I felt slightly jealous inside for that I had not confessed to Sakura that I loved her. Well, not while she was conscious. Maybe I would be able to gather enough courage and tell her that night before we would go to sleep. Yeah, I'll do that.
The four of us chatted amongst ourselves peacefully. The sun shone through the clouds, bringing life through the windows of the cafeteria. But of course, it can be quite calm before a storm.
We left the school the very second the bell rang and began our walk home. Sakura pointed out to me where Haku was being picked up in the carpool lane. I just barely saw through the window of the car a tall man with very thin eyebrows and dark skin. As Haku got in the car, he looked around to see if anyone was looking and leaned into the man for a short kiss. Ah, so that would explain where he got the hickey.
I decided not to say anything and tried to show off to Sakura.
"Hey, I know the way back home now. I don't need to follow your every step anymore."
"Oh?" Sakura said with a tone of sarcasm. I walked in front of her.
"Yup."
She laughed aloud, "You know that you're beginning to sound like a child." I turned back and glared at her.
We walked home and talked about Sasuke and Naruto, and we talked about the almost sudden happening of Hinata and Tenten.
I stopped before crossing this one street. Sakura stood leaning on her crutches behind me, waiting. This was getting into rush hour and lots of cars passed by, giving us little a chance to get through. But we were in no hurry to get home and do homework. I sat on the curb and pulled a water bottle from my bookbag. I offered some to Sakura.
The cars seemed to never end.
Out of nowhere, a small child came towards us. He was playing with a toy ball, a big one nearly the size of his head. Sakura spoke to the child first.
"Are you lost, little guy?"
He shook his head and pointed back behind him, "I know where my home is." I gazed in the direction of his finger and saw that he pointed to an old house with a porch. On the porch, in a rocking chair, sat an old lady knitting something. How cliché. "That's my grandma, she's watching me."
"Oh, ok," Sakura said kindly.
Finally we were given a break in the cars enough to run across the street. Once we made it across, I heard a yell and a scream. I turned to see the kid in the middle of the road chasing the ball that must've slipped from his possession. He didn't see the car coming up behind him. The old lady was running as fast as her old body could to get over her, but there was no time.
Before I could take in what was going on around, I saw Sakura drop her crutches and run in the middle of the street. She pushed the kid out of the way, but she didn't get the time to escape the car.
Many sounds were heard, but they were followed by absolute silence, or so it seemed to me as I had finally swallowed what had happened.
"Sakura….?" I said barely over a whisper. The kid had a few bumps and scrapes on him as he cried loudly, but I didn't hear him. The driver had stopped his car and was in the street standing over Sakura saying things, but I didn't hear him. The old lady finally made it over here. She talked her grandchild down, but I didn't hear her.
I ran to Sakura and held her in my arms. "Sakura?" I asked again.
But she didn't hear me.
TBC…
OH MY GOD! This came out sadder than I had planned. I was literally crying as I wrote the end. (Don't worry, it's not over. But this is an awfully tempting way to end it.)
Sorry the chapter seemed a bit choppy.
Ok, review replies:
Alana-StarSugarCat: ;;Laughs;; Don't worry, Naruto is with Sasuke, and I plan on writing a SasuNaru fic next and I'm open to any plots and storylines you might have. Just e-mail.
Motomoto: Yeah, well, if only the person I based her on would lighten up more. Thank for the compliment.
Yugi-obsessed: I know, it was so cute, and yet so sad. (But of course, I know what's going to happen, so it's sorta spoiled for me.) No duh her mom has issuses! ;;laughs;;
Nejisaku4ever: That chapter made you cry? I wonder what this one did to you? Of course love conquers all! Sasuke and Naruto are together, aren't they? Ino and Sakura will be together, right?
Ok, just a couple more chapters. See ya!