A/N: I am very sorry it took me so long to update! I'm such a bad person (everyone comes and beats me with brooms)! Yea! Take it out on the girl who resembles a piñata! Anyways, on with the story!
Chapter 6:
Riko's eyes widened but quickly narrowed. "What the hell do you want?"
Gaara rested his elbows on his desk, his fingers clasped as an emotionless glare took over his face, but he said nothing.
"Look. I told you I never wanted to see you again. Why would you call me here?" she asked loudly.
He continued to stare at her, not opening his mouth to say anything.
She crossed her arms and shook her head looking over to the side. "I don't even know why you called me here for a mission; I don't even belong to Suna anymore…"
Riko paused, waiting for him to talk and then put her hands up and dropped them back down in a gesture that clearly said 'WTF?'
She quickly turned around and headed for the door.
"How long has it been…?"
Riko stopped in her tracks and froze. "What?"
"How long has it been since that day?"
She fidgeted in her spot, still not turning around to face him.
"Riko-chan?" he asked.
He heard a slight mumble come from her mouth.
"What was that?" he questioned once more.
"It will be nine years next week!" she shouted shakily.
Gaara stood up out of his seat and pushed in the chair.
"My birthday…" she whispered longingly as she played with her fingers and looked up at the ceiling. "It was two days before my birthday. A nice warm afternoon at precisely 3:30…" she trailed off and then paused.
"Is that why? Why you despise me? Why your eyes are filled with pain and tears now? Because I left to train for the chunin exams "
"No, Gaara!" she yelled as she turned around to face him, eyes full of scorn. "It's because you betrayed me! You said we would always be together! I would have understood if you had told me. But you just left!"
Gaara's eyes widened; what had he done?
"You confused me, dammit! Made me question myself! 'Am I good enough? Am I strong enough? Am I beautiful enough?" she screamed. "You didn't only leave me…you left my heart…I cant love you anymore, Gaara."
She shook her head. "Not with a broken heart…"
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Is that why you broke our deal?" he inquired as he gazed down at her.
She was so petite. Riko had grown up plenty enough but she was only at the size of 5"3' in a half. It was a huge contrast to his size of 6".
Riko's hand went up to her eyes as she felt tears streaming down her face. "Every time I see you, I can't help but think of that day…" she whispered. "You've killed me inside, Gaara…"
(Flashback)
Riko jogged through the village in search of her friend, a happy smile adorning her face. "Gaara! Gaara-kun!" she called.
She ran past many villagers as they suspiciously whispered amongst each other.
"That's Masako-san's youngest?"
"Not very wise is she?"
"Playing with the Kazekage war project will get her killed one day…"
Riko didn't hear or mind a word they said as she kept up her search.
She saw a blotch of red hair gleaming in the blazing sun.
She squinted her eyes and ten giggled lightly. "Gaa-chan!" she yelled as she ran towards him.
Riko finally reached him. "Gaa-chan, I finally found you…" she rested her hand on his shoulder. "I've been looking- AAGHH!" screamed Riko as she tried to pull away.
There around her wrist was Gaara's sand (hence the arm protectors she wears today)
"Don't ever touch me again," said Gaara through greeted teeth. "…or I'll kill you…" he threatened .
"Gaa-chan!" she cried as she tried to pull her hand away from the sand's grasp. "It's me, Riko-chan!"
The sand tightened around her wrist as she fell to the ground, tears falling from her eyes.
He picked her up as sand covered her whole body from her shoulders down. He slammed her against the wall as she coughed up blood, her eyes closed and filled with warm, salty tears.
"My name is Gaara of the Desert and I shall be referred to as that!" he ordered as the shell of sand around her stuck her to the wall.
"Wounds hurt…" whimpered Riko softly.
Gaara's eyes widened as he twitched.
"Isn't that what Yashamaru told you? Isn't that what I told you?!" she cried, her voice rising.
"Why would you want to hurt a friend, Gaara!?" she yelled. "You said to me…" she coughed and began to take short, fast breaths; she was suffocating under the weight of the sand. "You said to me that your uncle once told you that wounds of the heart hurt more!"
Gaara growled.
"Hurting your friends will soon lead to the hurting of yourself! I don't want you to feel hurt, Gaara! I love you!" whimpered Riko as she started to lose oxygen.
Gaara grabbed on to his head with a groan. Riko fell to the ground along with Gaara's sand and began to breathe deeply.
"Gaara…" she said just audible enough to hear. "You are my best friend…we're…best friends…"
Riko fought for consciousness.
"No. You are not my best friend…" stated Gaara.
Riko closed her eyes as another tear dropped. …No…
And as darkness devoured her, she heard one last thing. "You are my only friend…"
(End of Flashback)
Riko looked into Gaara's eyes. They weren't wide but they were staring at nothing in particular. They were taking on a dull color of blue instead as if he were totally out of it.
If Riko were happier, she probably would've laughed slightly. His face right now, to anyone else, would've seemed normal. But not to her.
She wrapped her arms around her stomach and looked down, sadly.
Riko then whispered something that could be heard as, "I've gotta go now," as she began to walk out the door.
She didn't want to think now. She couldn't think now. Her mind was a blank slate.
As she opened the door, two people came in, a woman and a man. Not noticing who they were, Riko quickly bowed with a small smile and walked out the door.
The man and the woman's eyes widened as they gawked at each other and then at Gaara.
The young woman's bluish-green eyes became curious as she quirked up a blonde eyebrow. "Was that…M-Masako Riko-chan?"
Gaara closed his eyes with a sigh.
The two looked at each other with worried expressions and then back at their brother.
The man had a smirk on as the woman had an uneasy yet sweet smile on.
"Go get her, nii-kun…"
Riko's eyes were flooded with tears as she ran through the village.
Not home, or to the oasis, or to Miyoko and Jiro's bread stand. Not anywhere.
She just ran and ran, not caring if she used most of her chakra.
After about an hour of running, when the sun began to set, she slumped against a building and fell to the ground heaving for breath.
Riko bumped her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, her sun kissed face dry because of tears that were no longer there.
She hugged her legs and then released them, resting her elbow atop of them
Gaara-kun… She laid her chin on her arms. It's my head that keeps on saying that I can't love you.
She sighed making her reddish-brown hair blow off and then back on her face. But to my heart…that is just a silly command.
Her big, green orbs shimmered in the retreating sun. Because even though my mind tells me I can't love you…
"Pinky swear we'll be best friends forever, Gaa-chan?"
Gaara looked at her outstretched finger and then smiled.
"Pinky swear!"
Riko smiled slightly. "I do love you…Gaara."
Her eyes widened as she heard a snicker to the left. "Watcha thinkin' 'bout girly?"
"No…" she whimpered to herself as she slowly looked over.
It was those same guys that had chased her the other day, except there were about ten more added to the gang.
He smirked. "'Cuz I think you know what we're thinkin about." His smirk quickly turned upside-down. "Nobody beats us up…"
A/N: Oooh cliffy!!! Hope u enjoyed! REVIEWS KEEP ME ALIVE!!! Luv u and laterz!
