Concrete Angel

"It's hard to see the pain behind the mask"

The final bell rang at the school and students filed out in a crazed stream. Girls clogged the halls, slowing the already congested halls as they traded phone numbers and e-mails in preparation for the first weekend of the new school year. Boys shouted to one another, describing the times for the basketball, baseball, and football games they were going to play together over the weekend. Sasori edged through the chaos, ignoring the cacophony that surrounded him. The sky was bright now that the rain had stopped, the sun shining cheerfully in the lapis lazuli sky, now completely clear of clouds. The short red-head stepped out of doors and glanced into the sky, shading his eyes as he headed out on the trek to his house when he heard a voice from behind him, calling his name.

"Sasori-kun! Sasori-kun, wait, please!" The aforementioned teen stopped in his tracks and turned to face the flustered brunette calling for him. "Oh, thank you, I didn't think you could hear me, Sasori-kun." She smiled shyly up at him as he continued to stare at her in confusion, his mind only vaguely recognizing that this girl was in a few of his classes.

"Do you need something?" He didn't blink at the abashed look on her face as he coldly questioned her. She grabbed his hand and Sasori flinched as his broken wrist was wrenched away from his waist.

"You never called me back about coming over tomorrow…" Rusty red-brown eyes blinked as he remembered that short phone conversation he had had a few days ago.

"Oh yeah…" She looked up at him hopefully and he cringed as she tightened her grip on his wrist, "Who else is going?" She made a face as if she wasn't actually pleased with who was going.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. They're great guys by themselves but the moment they're together they're either fighting or kissing, it's really quite embarrassing sometimes." She looked thoughtful for a second and then added, "Plus I think Sakura and Ino might be coming." This time Sasori cringed, the two cheerleaders had been mooning over the pale Uchiha every lunch since school had began.

" I think I'll have to pass, my older brother's burial is this Saturday, sorry. Maybe some other time…" Hinata's face went from disappointment to sympathy to downright pity as he talked.

"Your brother died!" Sasori sighed and pulled his wrist gingerly from her grasp. She pulled her hands back and bowed politely. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea." She nodded vigorously. "Yes, we will simply have to go another day. My blessings to your family." And with that she darted off into the crowds. Sasori sighed in relief and returned to his previous mission of getting off of school grounds, once that was accomplished he would decide where to go.

Meanwhile, just fifteen minutes up the road was an old, worn house standing proudly out of a field of glass and dying grass. A cracked concrete walkway led up to the flimsy door, the hinges rusted in such a way it would be easily broken down, if there were anything inside to steal. Within the house was a state as sorry as the outside. A sagging green couch took up the majority of the small living room, on the other side was the kitchen, no table, and a grease stained oven. The countertops were covered in empty bottles and cans, but this is not where the attention is automatically drawn. Not to the obvious neglect on the lower floor but rather to the upstairs. From up the flight of stairs came a faint, continuous drip, something that could be put off as a leaky faucet if not for the fact that there was gentle whimpering accompanying it.

Indeed, upstairs, huddled in the darkest corner, was Deidara, nursing the wound on his shoulder. The blood dripped steadily down his bare back onto the flattened, grungy carpet. The blonde's blue eyes drooped as he focused on staying conscious long enough to get out of the house and stop the bleeding from the wound. Rising from his position, the thin boy hobbled out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door, heading towards the park, school was just now letting out, he figured, so most kids would be heading home to nag their parents into letting them go to their friends houses for the weekend leaving the park empty and quiet enough for him to clean himself up there.

When he reached the park, he found it was empty, except for the desolate red-head seated on one of the swings, the same red-head who was the cause of his current injuries. Deidara's sapphire eyes narrowed as his gaze set on the pale boy who looked up as if feeling the stare.

"Dei…dara?" The previously mentioned buy started to walk towards him. "Deidara? What's wrong?" Deidara reached out a pale hand grasped Sasori's collar, and, with surprising strength considering his injuries, lifted the smaller boy off the ground.

"This is all your fault!" He screamed into the other boys face, his voice high and rough from over use. "You little cunt! If it weren't for you none of this would have happened!"

"Wh…what! What happened!? Let me go Deidara! Put me down!" Sasori kicked at Deidara, but missed terribly as Deidara continued to scream at him.

((A/N: Okay! Sorry for the abrupt ending but I felt like getting this up sort of within the month. Thank you to all of my reviewers and a special thanks to Skilled Defense! Deidara and Sasori loved their gifts, they asked me to give you this puppet and explosive bird…no sure if you want the bird…Thanks! As usual, constructive criticism always welcomed and flamers will be laughed at, because if you're so pathetic that the only way you feel good is by insulting someone else I'm not the one with the problem. Also! I'm taking pairing ideas for a one-shot I'm planning so any ideas you have are good! Doesn't have to be Naruto based, or even anime/manga! R&R!))