Well, really. What can I say? It's been a while. Nothing I say can really excuse what I've done… ugh. About 130 days of no updates. You guys are angels, thanks for sticking with me. Next will be here much sooner though, because I have to finish this before September 8th! If you have it in your heart to forgive me, drop me a review. THEY MAKE ME FEEL SO MUCH BETTER!
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Miss Trouble Magnet
Chapter 18:
I knew I shouldn't have said it. I should've kept my mouth shut and just forgotten about it. Now, of course, there was no going back. Hinata would come looking for me soon. I sighed and pushed the bucket aside, sliding down to the floor. It was dusty and dark and disgusting, but I found odd comfort in the small Janitor's closet. I sighed. I was no longer able to hear voices outside, so I guess it was near curfew.
I opened my cell phone, checking the time. Hinata was probably still packing, not that I cared. I then closed it and stuffed it into my pocket. I covered my face with my palms and let out a huge breath.
"What is that…?" I muttered, staring at the screen of Karin's phone. It was blurry, and hard to make out the figures in the 5 second video, but I could make them out immediately.
"That's right," Karin sneered, looking just about ready to burst out in laughter, "Can you believe it? Your beloved Sasu-chan and Hina-chan. Aren't they just so adorable together?"
I felt my heart pick up it's pace, and for a second I forgot about the people surrounding me. I kind of tripped over my own feet as I fell back to lean against the wall. The smaller figure, who I believed to be Hinata, looked as though she was hugging Sasuke. She let go quickly as Sasuke whispered something to he, and her head shot in Karin's direction. Karin's giggles could be heard now, and Hinata got on her toes to tell Sasuke something discreetly.
They were walking away now, and the video stopped abruptly.
The video had only been five seconds long, but I felt as though I could've just watched a two-hour movie. So little could mean so much. I ran my fingers into my hair, and clenched the soft strands tightly, forcing my head into my knees, pulling on the roots just enough to make myself cry.
"Come on, let's go! Let's go!" Naruto yelled as we all hurried into Itachi's van, our ride. We could hardly all fight in. Hinata had to sit on Naruto and share his belt, and I as well, except I sat with Sasuke.
"You got all your stuff?" Itachi asked calmly, adjusted the mirror above his head.
"Yes… Now, let's go, we're late already." Sasuke complained.
Itachi sighed, turning his keys and starting up the engine. "Got your passports?" He asked.
"Yes." Hinata squeaked.
"Camera?" He asked.
"Jesus! Let's go!" Naruto blurted out.
Itachi rolled his eyes, but quietly obliged. We were lucky to arrive in less than half an hour; the highway had been fairly deserted, and we got our tickets checked early. "So…" Itachi said as we stopped at the gate, where we were forced to separate, "I guess I'll see you in a week."
Sasuke sighed. "It's not a week it's… five days." He said.
All I could do was give Itachi a quick hug. I looked at Hinata, expecting her to do so as well. She awkwardly wrapped her arms around him, glancing at me as she did. I made sure to keep my eyes from her. As she let go, Itachi watched us slowly walk away, waving at us silently. I knew I'd see him soon, five days, yet I found myself trying to fight back tears as I turned back around and pushed through the doors.
Our first obstacle to pass had been the metal detector. First went Hinata, then Naruto, then Gaara, then Sai (who had to hold onto his pants as he passed because of his lack of belt) and then Sasuke. I was last to go through. I hated Metal detectors, I'd heard Itachi ranting about them when he came back from his trip, and something always had to go wrong when you went through them. I stared up at the cursed metal detectors for what seemed like hours, Sai bringing me back to reality at the last minute and urging me forward.
BEEP
"Shit." I muttered. Sai snickered at me, having obviously hoped for this, as I cautiously stepped inside a tiny square thing, blank sheet-like walls covering all sides.
There was a woman who stepped in, her dark brown hair tied in a bun. She closed she curtain-like door behind her and revealed her little metal detecting device. I raised my arms and she passed it over me a few times, but not a sound came out. She frowned at it and tapped it against her thigh. "Stupid machine…" She muttered. She jerked it around, and suddenly the low fizzing sound was heard. She passed it once more, and declared me safe.
Our second obstacle? Right. Our flight had been delayed. Why? The god damn weather. Mother Nature, this seriously wasn't the time. I sighed as we walked out of the airport, the next flight scheduled to arrive the next day.
"What do we do now?" Naruto asked, yawning.
Hinata sighed, zipping open her purse. "We find a place to stay," She told us.
"What'd you mean?" Naruto asked, stretching his arms.
"Exactly what you think it means. There's a hotel connected to the airport we can stay in until tomorrow afternoon. It wastes less time then going back home." Sasuke said.
I felt my stomach flip in jealousy. He just sided with her so easily. I shook my head. What was I saying? There was absolutely nothing going on. Karin was tricking me. I groaned, feeling the rain begin to pour down on me and the wind biting my skin as soon as we got outside, "I'll never sleep through this thunderstorm." As if on cue, the sound of massive thunder echoed throughout the sky.
When we arrived in our hotel, we were barely awake. Hinata and I shared a room while the boys shared their own, neighbouring us. I yawned as I dumped my luggage bag on the ground and then myself on one of the beds. Hinata was lying on her stomach and dialling a number on our telephone. I watched half-heartedly as she spoke to her mother on the other line.
"Mom…." Hinata said softly into the phone, "Mom…. Mom, listen to me." She spoke so quietly now that it was almost a whisper, "Mom, please." She said again.
I tried my best not to move, to act like I was asleep. Her bed creaked a bit, turning to look at me, I suppose, and then she turned around again.
"Yes, I know… I'm with Sakura right now." She said, her voice faltering a bit. There was a long pause. "What are you talking about?" She asked, pausing again. "Mom, just listen… Please, stop yelling, let me explain... How do you know that…? I am not raising my voice, mom."
I felt my face pale. Was something happening? Something I hadn't noticed? I took in a deep breath and the bed creaked.
I heard Hinata moving around before she spoke again. "I've got to go, now." She quickly said, "No, I've got to go. Bye." She quickly put the phone back down on the receiver.
I bit my lip.
"Sakura?" Hinata whispered.
I breathed silently.
She let out a sigh and slid out of the room.
I woke up in the middle of the night. It must have been around four o'clock in the morning when I awoke. I was hot in my jeans and sweater, the clothing I'd worn for the cold airplane. I turned on the lamp on my bedside table and found the room to be empty. Where was Hinata? I groaned at the sudden feeling of my aching back. I had woken because of the soreness from my bad sleeping position. I stumbled to my feet and put on a loose fitting light blue T-shirt and grey track pants. I ran my hands through my hair in an attempt to free the knots in my hair, but quickly gave up, shaking my head and letting my hair set in by itself instead.
I walked lazily out of the bedroom, spotting Hinata at the desk with her laptop plugged into the internet outlet. What had last night been about? What had her mother been saying? I sighed and reached for the Nutella sandwiches I spotted beside her. Only when I approached did I realize that she was asleep, her chin resting perfectly in her palm and her other hand lying lazily on the mouse. The screen of her laptop was on screensaver mode. I was reaching for the mouse when she suddenly awoke.
She blinked a few times, spotting my hand first, and made a weird noise in her throat. "Sa… Sakura?" She mumbled. Her head nearly hit the keyboard when she moved her hand and realized it had been supporting her head. She turned to look at me, and suddenly she looked frantic.
"What're you doing?" I asked, grasping the mouse to move it around and wake up the snoozing computer.
She quickly closed the laptop and turned the chair. I pulled my hand back. "What're you doing awake so late?" She asked me.
I smiled, despite the tenseness of her voice. "I asked first. What're you doing on the computer?" I asked her quizzically.
"Oh, nothing," She quickly said, and then slowly added, "Just… stuff." She smiled.
I hesitated at first but ended up pushing my thoughts aside. "Well," I said, "I'm just going to go to the vending machine downstairs and get some junk. What'd you want?" I asked her.
She shook her head, as if returning from a daydream. "Uh… just chips. Chips." She said, rubbing her eyes.
I nodded my head and walked out. As soon as I was out, I looked both left and right, examining the hall. It was empty, with the exception of the sock lying by one of the doors. It was nearly pitch black, but tiny night lights illuminated part of the hall. I walked to the end of the hall, stopping at the top of the staircase. I reached into my pocket, coins jingling as I reached for them. I walked down the stairs as I counted them. I had just enough for a jumbo bag of chips and a can of coke.
I sighed as put my foot down on even ground, immediately spotting the vending machine beside the empty reception desk. I began my stride towards it, my eyes to the ground. Once in front of it, I slid in a bill and some coins. I suddenly heard loud breathing behind me and jumped, whirling around violently. I struggled to hold back my scowl when I realized that it was Sasuke standing behind me. He smiled a little, his eyes droopy and tired.
"Sasuke, you scared me." I said, turning back to the vending machine and pressing the right combination of numbers.
He only grunted and continued to watch me. He held the coke for me as I straddled the bag of chips in my arm. I let him take my hand as we turned to walk back to the staircase. "No one's here?" He asked quietly, glancing towards the reception desk. We stopped and stared.
The light at the desk was still on, as well as the computers. I felt an eerie feeling in my stomach. I knew what it was. The last time the feeling had been too strong to be able to forget. I bit my lip hard and ducked my head. Someone else was in the room. "I'm sorry, Sasuke." I choked.
I distinctly remember the day the doctor had told us the news. Five years wasn't that long a time. At least, not to me.
We're so sorry to say this, but you have been diagnosed with cancer.
I was only twelve. Why hadn't they isolated me from the room? Why hadn't they kept it a secret? And at first I didn't understand.
But Mommy doesn't use her cell phone that much.
But Mommy doesn't smoke.
But Mommy doesn't stand near the microwave when it's heating.
Why does she have cancer? How does she have cancer? I just didn't understand. The first thing I'd done was sit down on a chair, curl up in a ball, and pinch myself.
Maybe I'm just dreaming a really, really, really bad nightmare.
It was kind of surprising to see that I hadn't woken up yet. And then Mommy and Daddy just stared at the doctor. I couldn't read minds, but I knew what their faces said.
… Really?
And then the doctor said he was sorry. I could hardly speak, because usually doctors just said that to make you feel better, even if it didn't work. But he was young and he was.
I'm really, really sorry.
I still remember when Mommy was feeling fine. She felt fine physically but you could tell by her face that, inside her, in her big, big heart, that she was not fine.
I'm not okay.
And every night I heard Mommy crying from her room, and for the first month, Daddy tried to console her. It didn't work.
It's okay, honey. Everything's going to be fine.
… Fine.
It wasn't fine. And Daddy had to stop trying and ignore her crying and just sleep, because he had work the next day and we needed him to work so Mommy could have her surgery. That's all the doctors would say.
If we remove the tumour early enough, you can be saved.
Really? Mommy could be saved?
… But if it's too late, the tumour will spread.
How could we have known it was too late, anyway? The doctors didn't know. I didn't know. Mommy didn't know. Even Daddy didn't know. Nobody knew.
Somewhere, somehow, someone had made a mistake.
Daddy was next. Not really next, though, he had been caught in the middle. It got to me and Mommy and the news too fast for us to accept it.
One loyal policeman and loving father gets into fatal car accident.
Mommy had still been sick. She had her hospital bed in the house, and the doctors came all the time to check on her. Daddy and I had helped her eat and walk and bathe and keep smiling. Now it was just me, and even while I could do the first three, Mommy hardly even smiled again; because her smiles came from mine and they were on the verge of extinction.
When can we visit Daddy at the hospital?
They say it was a fatal car accident but that no one died. But someone did die. My father's soul died, and my mother's soul died and my whole life just fell apart.
I wish Mommy and Daddy could get better and that we'd be a great family again.
It had been too hard to cry at that moment. Only when Mommy had died did I realize how much I'd just lost.
Daddy will wake up soon. Daddy will wake up soon. Daddy will wake up soon.
Daddy hasn't woken up yet, but for some reason I wish he won't.
….Because when Daddy wakes up he'll face a dead family and this hole in his chest; where his heart used to be.
