菖蒲 is how you write Ayame in Japanese. Just thought I'd share that.

We parked back at the school and I saw my mom's car parked at the front.

I got out of the car and paused, thinking about the man who had slipped the candy and money into my stocking… Why did I freeze up? Why didn't I just walk away? And why was Gaara so upset? He was pretty quiet on the way back…

"Aya are you okay?"

I looked at Gaara with tears in my eyes, "I-I don't know what happened… I froze, I-I didn't know what to do… I was scared…"

He pulled me into a hug, "It's alright Aya. Please don't cry."

I smiled, tears still threatening to spill over. "Gaara…"

He leaned down and placed his forehead on mine. "Aya."

Our faces were inches apart; I could feel his warm breath on my face. I was between him and the car, the distance between us slowly started to shrink…

We heard a tapping noise and I turned to the car window; Emi gave me a funny look and she stuck her tongue out at me. "Come on, mommy's waiting!" She opened the car door, grabbed my hand, and started dragging me towards the front office. Gaara followed behind us, I gave him an apologetic look, and he just smiled and shrugged.

Emi continued to pull me and I remembered I left my purse back in the car. "Gaara, can you walk her up to the office? I left my bag in the car."

He nodded and Emi kept walking a short distance ahead of him.

I walked back to Neji's car and unlocked the door. My black and green GIR bag was sitting on the passenger seat right where I left it. I looked towards the school, Gaara and Emi had just gotten through the door. I leaned against the car door and let out a heavy sigh, I wanted to kiss him, I wanted him to hold me, why did I fall in love with a demon? I guess it really doesn't matter now… I smiled to myself and started walking back to the building.

Before I got two yards from the car I heard something… footsteps? Oh, damn please don't tell me that creep followed me back!

I started to panic, my heart rate accelerated and I started to run. The footsteps kept getting closer; I wasn't going to out run whoever was chasing me. We were still too far from the school. I felt I hand grab my hair and was about to scream but another hand covered my mouth.

"I've been watching you for awhile now Ayame. You are quite the strange one aren't you? I like that." He wiped me around and I could see his face. His hair was black and red and his eyes made me shutter. It's the exchange student from the field trip! I knew he was a creeper but not a psycho! Oh, no what does he want?

He pulled on my hair again and started dragging me away from the school. I thrashed and tried to pull away but he was stronger that me. Oh, hell no! You are not taking me without a fight. I kicked him in the knee and bit his hand. I ran but he caught up to me and I screamed as loud as I could. Tears were streaming down my face. He hit me across the face and I fell to the ground crying. He hit me again with something harder, a wrench or something. He hit me a third time striking my head. I felt dizzy and my eyes were closing… I saw someone coming and I tried to call out for help but it was just a whisper… I felt myself losing consciousness…

I was falling… down a tunnel of light… I could hear voices but they were only whispers … the light was so bright… I wanted so badly to just fall… fall away from everything… this again?

"Aya… Aya… no… please…" I tried to open my eyes but the light was too intense… Gaara?

I felt arms wrap around me… warm lips creased over mine…

"Please Aya, Wake up, Please! I can't lose you!"

Clank! Whack! Ssssshhhhh… AAAAAHHHH!...

I slowly opened my eyes… everything was so bright… I felt so numb… everything was white…

"Aya… Aya! Are you awake?" Naruto?

I turned and saw him there sitting in a chair next to my bed… hospital bed…

"Where's Gaara?" I asked.

Naruto frowned and looked at the floor. "He's in the other room… the punk that jumped you had a knife and snuck up on him when he ran out to help you."

My stomach clenched and my heart felt like it shattered. "Is he okay?" I asked my voice cracking.

Naruto continued to look at the floor, "He hasn't woken up yet and he lost a lot of blood…"

The moisture that was threatening to fall from my eyes spilled over and streams of tears ran down my face. Naruto helped me sit up and gave me a hug.

"You shouldn't blame yourself."

"How can I not! He's hurt because of me!" I continued to cry for a few minutes and Naruto tried to comfort me. He kept telling me it wasn't my fault but I felt responsible for what happened, if it wasn't for me he won't have gotten hurt…

After I had calmed down I asked, "Can if see him?"

Naruto put his hand on his chin and stoked his nonexistent beard in thought, "Well I'm not sure if you're allowed to leave the room."

I sniffed and wiped the tears from my face, "Can you ask for me?"

He nodded and left the room, but a second later someone knocked on the door. "Aya?" If he is planning on telling me that I should have stayed away from Gaara and that this wouldn't have happened if he was there I am going to strangle him to death!

"Come in." I said.

Kiba walked in with Akamaru and sat down in the chair Naruto was sitting in a moment ago. "I brought something for you." He pulled out a little stuffed dog from his jacket.

"Thanks Kiba." I said hugging the dog. "I could really use some cheering up right now…"

Kiba smiled and put Akamaru on my bed, "I saw what happened last night. They showed me, Naruto, and Neji the security tape."

I looked at him a little curious; I didn't know what happened after I passed out…

Kiba sat back in his chair and ruffled his hair, "Well we saw the exchange student beat you with a wrench, Gaara heard you scream and came out to see what was going on, and the jerk ran off…"

I leaned closer a little anxious, "And?"

He sighed, "He ran to you and pick you up saying stuff like, 'No Aya wake up! Please!' he kissed you and kept saying 'I can't lose you.' he was crying. The jerk came back, got him in the back, and…" he stopped.

"And! What!" I asked almost yelling.

I smirked, "I just think Gaara should tell you what happened. It's best if you hear it from him…"

I narrowed my eyes in confusion but just shrugged and figured I asked Gaara later.

"Aya I get it now." Kiba said while I was still in thought.

"Okay I give, what do you get?"

"I get why he was acting like he was… I just always thought he was cold and heartless and only thought of himself… but when I saw how he reacted when… he really cares about you Aya."

I sat on my bed shocked… I never, I my wildest dreams, would ever imagine Kiba saying that. Never! "Kiba…"

He looked up at me, "Yeah, don't think I'm gonna go easy on him though."

I shook my head, "Wasn't planning on it."

A nurse walked in and asked Kiba to leave. She gave me my lunch and told me what's what basically. "You had a concussion and we thought you might have gone into a coma from how your tests were showing up."

I shivered, "Being asleep for several months? No thanks!"

The nurse smiled and replaced to bandage on my head. "That boy… Naruto was it? Asked if you could see Gaara."

I nodded, "Yeah, I want to see him."

The nurse sat down in the chair, "Well you can go see him but he's unconscious and you need to eat your lunch first."

I smiled and nodded, she left the room and I ate my turkey sandwich and celery sticks with ranch. Not a very filling meal.

After I was done I pressed the call bell and the nurse came to take my tray away. "You want to go see him now?" she asked.

"Yes." I answered plainly.

I followed her out the door and she pointed to her left, "Two doors down."

I nodded thank you and we walked in opposite directions.

I walked into Gaara's room and sat down in the chair next to his bed. His chest from his collar bone to his waist was covered in gauze, his cerulean blue eyes were hidden behind his pitch black eye lids, he hair was messy and he looked paler that usual. He was more like a painting than a real person. I held his limp hand and tears started falling again.

Okay! Sorry if the wait was too long for you! I undertand if you aremad at me for this chapter. A lot of my friends were... :'c but anyway it's going to get better I promise!

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-Johnnygirl777 3