Handsome, well spoken; his heart can't be broken
Still REALLY mad I deleted it. Oh God I just want to Grrrr! Well,I finally found it. Thanks for reviewing again if you did. I appreciate it. So um here's the second chapter. The third will come soon, I think.
She had been completely on her own for nine days, since her brother last left her food, since her brother last saw her, since her brother left. She's not angry, really. She couldn't blame Ryusuke. He didn't have the key so for now he couldn't get her out but she believed him when he promised her he'd come back with a way out for her that he had things to do first. It couldn't have been easy for him to have to hide who he really was for so long, having to pretend to be a girl, his own sister.
So she found herself sitting on the basement floor, debating with herself on whether she was evil or not - if that was the reason she wasn't allowed outside, in the real world. She held these conversations in her head; she never let them come out aloud.
You're an animal, that's why you're in a cage, so you don't escape and hurt people. Can't you see, Sakura? You are evil.
You're evil.
Same thing, love. If I'm evil you are too. And this conversation just proves you're crazy as well.
No I'm not, stop being mean.
If you think I'm mean, wait until you get out into the real world again.
You think I'll ever get out?
Stop being so oblivious and listen properly. There are people up there.
But Ryusuke left - he left me here by myself, without food, and we're so hungry now.
Yes we are.
Do you think I can get those people up there to help me?
Try. Try and maybe we'll be free again soon.
She looked around her 'room'.
What was there really to get people's attention?
The chair.
And that's how it all started. It started with a voice in her head telling her what to do and a chair. She banged on the door with her soggy-but-nonetheless solid chair for over an hour until they noticed her. And that's why Neji and his friends were huddled around the basement door trying to talk to the strange person behind it.
"Can you help me get out?" The voice repeated.
Neji gulped, "Yeah. I think I can."
Half an hour later, now sitting on a chair Shikamaru had brought down for him; Neji had coaxed the person in the basement into talking to him enough to know some basic things about her. They knew now that her name was Sakura and that she was the same age as Naruto.
For a while now though she'd been quiet, since Neji had asked carefully why she was down there.
"Sakura?" When he got no answer he figured that meant he could go on, "talk to me. You want us to get you out right?"
"Yes," she answered smally.
"Well, then you've gotta talk to me so we can help you, okay? So, I noticed you never asked. Do you want to know our names?"
"We guess," Neji heard the reply come from the other side of the door. Sakura was sitting on the side opposite to Neji, her knees held up tightly to her chest and her arms locked around to secure the position, as she eagerly listened to him speak. She was so excited to have someone so close to helping her out that she hadn't even thought of the names of the guy talking to her and his friends, who she could occasionally hear talk amongst themselves in the background. They seemed nice.
"Okay. I'm Neji Hyuuga. It's a pleasure to be speaking to you." The way he patiently talked to her, Sakura began to wonder if he was always so gentle. "Have you always been here, Sakura?"
She shook her head and then, remembering he couldn't hear her, said, "No, we haven't."
Neji raised his eyebrows, wondering if she always referred to herself as being more than one person. He looked back at Naruto, Shikamaru and Kiba but all they did was shrug helplessly, so he returned his attention to the enclosed girl. "You haven't? How long have you been in there?"
"About seven years now." Sakura suddenly started emitting little, gasping giggles. "That cockroach died three weeks ago. He stopped running around without his head attached two weeks ago. Maybe that spider will scuttle over sometime soon and eat it...or maybe I should feed Mr. Cockroach to Mrs. Spider."
Kiba stared at the locked door from his place on the second last step. He whispered to his friends, "She's nuts. Do you think anyone else is in there?"
Neji turned back around. "Sakura, are you alone in there?"
"I'm not by myself. Oh heavens, no, never alone. I have insects down here like spiders and ants and cockroaches and moths. And I have," she started giggling again, "and I have myself. Though, to be brutally honest, I'm not always a very nice person. No, sometimes I'm quite horrible to poor Sakura."
"Seven fucking years with nobody but bugs," Naruto hissed. "We've got to get her out of there."
"I know that," Neji whispered back. "Sakura, do you have any family?"
"Of course I do! My mom killed daddy years ago and Mom only died a little bit back and then there's my little brother Ryusuke - he's only gone temporarily. He swore he'd be back soon to let me out - as soon as he's done something he needs to do. Or something like that." She broke off in giggles yet again.
"Uh-huh and how long ago did Ryusuke swear this?"
"I'm not sure but definitely over a week ago."
"Fuck!" he exclaimed loudly. Damn, Santa! He probably knew she was in here. That was probably the reason he sold it so cheap! Those real estate agents, they talk like a whole different language. Neji heard him say 'affordable'. Neji heard him say 'attractive'. Neji heard him say 'historic'. There was one thing, however, Neji did not hear him say, 'used to be owned by an insane woman who just recently passed but killed her husband and locked her daughter in a basement for 7 years, who happens to, by the way, still live down there.' Yep, Neji was pretty sure that minor detail, of a person locked in his basement never came up in the contract. Unless it was in the fine print. Although, Neji did watch Cat in the Hat several times I guess the valuble lesson learned just never sunk in; read the fine print. His name was Dr. Seuss for a reason, you know.
Sakura started letting out more giggles. "Neji Hyuuga just swore, yes he did. He said 'fuck'. We-"
"He says that quite often." Naruto said plainly.
Sakura frowned, not quite placing the voice with a name, her hands and her left ear pressed against the door. 'Who was that?" she demanded.
"Oh sorry," the person spoke again, "its Naruto, Neji's friend."
"Oh...okay. Hey, Neji Hyuuga's friend, do you like ramen?"
"HELL YEAH!...Why?"
"Well, I heard through the grapevine good home made ramen is quite expensive these days but I was going to ask you anyway. Since we both like ramen - meaning I like it and you like it too - I was going to ask you , if it's not too much trouble or not too costly, because I by no means want to put you out of your way, if you could perhaps buy us each one if one day I'm out of my basement."
Naruto smiled softly and walked over to sit next to Neji, on the floor. "It's a deal, Sakura."
"Why thank you, Neji Hyuuga's friend."
"Call me Naruto."
"Okay…Naruto." This made her giggle insanely as well. "We think we like you Naruto."
"I think I like you Sakura," Naruto replied, giving Neji a smug look, as he does oh so very often.
"Well gosh, of course you do. You're talking to the nice Sakura, there's no reason for you not to like her. Neji Hyuuga are you still there?"
"Just 'Neji' please," he said primly.
"Why 'Neji'? Why not 'Hyuuga' or Neji Hyuuga? Or maybe NeHyuugaji...No, I don't think that's appropriate...Tell me... Neji, how big are your feet?"
"Why?" He wanted to know as Kiba, Naruto and Shikamaru laughed.
"Why not, hm? Just tell us please."
"Er...Size 12."
"Ah we got ourselves a little one. What do you say to 'Hyuu-chan?"
"What do you say to 'Neji'?" Neji said, irritated.
"This is exactly what I'd say to this Neji fellow : 'Hello Neji, I'm Sakura- parts one and two. Nice to meet such a man with small feet'."
"Small feet..." Kiba snorted with laughter.
"Now, who are you, stranger? I don't recognize your voice." Sakura squealed.
"I'm Kiba. Damn glad to meetcha!"
"Hello Kiba, I'm Sakura and I know Hyuu-chan and his friend, Naruto, just like you do. I like your name very much -"
"Thank you."
"- it's very pretty."
Kiba spluttered. "Pretty?"
"Yes, very. Now, is there anyone I haven't met?" Sakura asked, obviously over her shy phase and perfectly comfortable around them.
"Yes," Naruto answered. "Chouji, who's not here, and Shikamaru, who's right behind me."
"Hi Sakura."
"Hello Shikamaru. So, do you fine boys think there's any chance of me getting out and about of my basement today? I do believe there are two bowls of ramen with mine and Naruto's names on them and we really should get to them soon, as it's hard to keep communicating with the two over such a large distance."
"Sakura, do you really think you can communicate with ramen?" Naruto asked excitedly
"Of course I do, Naruto."
"Well good on you," Neji said, slightly grinning. "But, here's the thing Sakura: it's getting dark pretty soon and we still have to get full electricity working at my house yet so it's going to be pretty hard getting you out if we can't see a thing we're doing. So, do you mind if we leave you to get a good night's sleep and come back in the morning to get you out?"
"It's okay, I've lived here by myself for ages down here, and one more night won't kill me." She still was a little disappointed.
"Okay. Well, we'll see you in the morning." Neji said as he got up to his "small" feet.
"Bye Sakura," Everyone chorused as they followed after Neji up the stairs.
Sakura crawled away from the door she'd been staring at and talking through for at least an hour and up onto her falling apart bed. She curled up and watched as the slight amount of light that managed to creep into her basement dimmed out before her eyes.
She repeated Neji's words over in her head.
Sleep. Heh. I guess I could use some rest.
He didn't know.
He might have and might try to hurt me.
That's preposterous. We'd totally beat him to it. Kick his ass before he'd even think about it.
Really?
Yes.
Stubborn.
Hey, if I'm stubborn, you are too.
Neji sighed. He'd never been so patient with someone in his life.
Naruto smirked slyly, "So she's insane?"
Neji glared at him. "Naruto, she's not insane. She's been locked up for years in her family's basement. She's lonely."
Naruto grinned wider. He knew Neji pretty well. And whenever Neji said: "Naruto, she's not insane. She's been locked up for years in her family's basement. She's lonely" as far as he knew, it meant "Naruto I think I like her as a friend and maybe, in the near future, possibly even more. Hook me up!" Naruto suppressed his giggles, at the thought of Neji saying "Hook me up!" Because, truth be told, Neji was pretty much a prude. He was just another preppy, unjustly rich, snob graduate from St. Stuck Up's school for young Christian students. But then, you can't choose a book by its cover. Besides, he didn't have such a bad cover anyways. His pages were rather spiffy. Okay, enough with the book metaphor. To cut to the point, Neji was single, and Naruto decided, also desperate. So Naruto also decided that ever since he decided Neji was desperate for a girl it would call for desperate measures.
"So you like her, huh?" Naruto sing song-ed happily.
"I haven't even seen her." Neji said grimly, still glaring.
"So? That doesn't matter to you. She sounds really quirky." He looked at Neji tauntingly, but Neji just stared back at him emotionlessly. "You know what, Neji? I don't think you're following your heart." Naruto said in a taunting voice.
Kiba walked in casually and sat down on the couch to observe the argument brewing about Neji's love life. Kiba liked to kick back and enjoy this because he didn't do it often. He was usually in the arguments so he liked to take advantage of the situation and observe one every once in a great while. "Naruto, following your heart? That's only on T.V. This is real life."
"Yeah," Neji agreed, "plus, you've tried to set me up with almost every breathing thing you've seen. You even went as far as J-mates."
"You need a girl, Neji. And J-mates is what we had to resort to." Naruto scoffed, after all Neji was the one in desperate need of womanly company even if it had to come from an internet dating service or a girl who neither of them had seen in their entire lives and lived in a basement, and a basement in a morgue at that.
"Wait, Naruto, you tried to set him up on J-mates! As in the place where Jewish people hook up with other Jewish people?" Kiba said.
"That's the one." Naruto nodded happily.
"He's not Jewish, Naruto." Kiba reminded him.
"It was worth a shot."
Neji huffed loudly, "I'm going to bed. You idiots better get some sleep too." He grunted. Neji was just frustrated that his friends thought he was that desperate.
"Neji! Where are you going! Neji," Naruto whined as Neji calmly left the room not paying Naruto's pleas any mind, "geez. I come to his creepy ass house to help him fix up the place for a week, no charge or anything, try to set him up with someone and this is the thanks I get!"
"Yeah!" Kiba agreed.
"All I'm asking for is a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T." Naruto sighed.
Kiba thought about it for a moment. "Reece's?" He paused a little more before adding brightly, "As in peanut butter cups? I brought the cereal."
THE NEXT MORNING
As soon as everyone woke up they rushed down to the basement. And for once, it wasn't to check if Naruto ate the all emergency rations again, like he had in Neji's old house. Besides, winter was a great deal away and the basement was locked plus, they were all pretty sure even in it's locked state no preservatives were in there. And there was always Foodland.
Everyone followed an excited Naruto who, when reaching the door at the end of the stairs to the basement, handed Shikamaru Sakura's bowl of ramen and pulled out a bobby pin from behind his left ear. They all leant forward, all anticipating what would happen when the basement was accessible. Kiba heard the click of the lock and patted Naruto's shoulder. Naruto had experience. How else did he get in to his house those bazillion times he forgot the key?
"It's open. Good job." Shikamaru said.
Naruto hesitated in turning the knob. "Wait! What if Sakura is some seven foot Frankenfreak?" Everyone glared at him. "Well, I'm just saying."
"Well then stop 'saying' and open the freaking door!" Neji said angrily, losing his patience.
"You did not just say that, Hyuu-chan!" Naruto cried.
"Call me that again and I'll rip your face off. Open the damn door." Neji growled in his cocky little manner.
"Yeah, the three minutes is up, penis fungus. So stop stalling and open up." Kiba snapped at Naruto.
Naruto's eyes widened. He was probably a couple fries short of a happy meal but he wasn't retarded. If two guys were ganging up on him and one was a Hyuuga whose name was Neji, and the Neji Hyuuga, the Neji Hyuuga who hadn't had a date since high school. Naruto was always a bit homophobic and thought that Neji might release his sexual frustration on him if angered enough. Yes, gross and completely false, but such was the thoughts coming from Naruto's mind. But he was half right: it was always safer to pick a fight with the guy who's not Neji. Even if his name happens to be Hulk Hogan.
"What was that, Bitch-boy! Say it again! I dare you! Say it again and watch me kick your sorry ass!" Naruto screamed, walking over to Kiba, grabbing him by his parka type thing.
"I'd like to see you try, Blondie." Kiba growled, trying to brush Naruto's hands off him.
Meanwhile, Neji cooled down and simply pushed open the door. Time stopped. Everyone was quiet again. What they found inside they hadn't expected. Not at all.
I really hate school. Like, my only solace is knowing what would happen if I were alone with a couple of kids I hate with a chainsaw. Around some kids I'm a bitchy but quiet little asian girl who could potentially bring a gun to school and kill them. Around other kids I'm just another happy go lucky peppy person. It depends entirelyhow I'm feeling, who you are, what you look like(I'm superficial, deal with it), and if you're nice to me. And if I take my pills. I'm one overmedicated asian. Prozac, lunesta, you name it. I hate my life. And not just in that normal, teen angst/emo way either. So uh reivew?-Lauren
-Preview for next chapter-
The door was opened for ten minutes and still no one moved, or even made a sound. Finally, Shikamaru said something,
"Wow." He said emotionlessly.
"Holy shit!" Kiba exclaimed.
But I think Naruto best described the mood when he screamed,
"GOOD FUCK! IT SMELLS LIKE BIG FOOT AND HIS FAMILY DECIDED TO TAKE A HUGE FAMILY SHIT TOGETHER IN THIS BASEMENT