Hi!! I've written so much in so little of a day and I'm proud of myself! Plz review and happy Thanksgiving!! Remember the lives of the turkeys!!

Hinata is slightly nicer in this chapter, but just slightly ;)


The period before lunch. It's pure torture.

I sit in the farthest seat in the back, and try to ignore the dire warnings flashed by my stomach. No one's in this class that I know except Sasuke. Take that back. I don't know him. And I probably never will.

A boy with two red marks down each of the sides of his cheeks stares at me, as if surprised. There is a dog on his head. I wish I could be surprised but I'm just not. School and the remnants of my life takes that out of me.

The class is called Weaponry. The teacher, a short, slender woman with short black hair, a nervous personality, and tall high heels, takes attendance. When it's my turn I raise my hand. The others raise their eyebrows.

Everyone belongs to something, a family, a clan, a person who loves them. Or friends. Or even a pet.

I'm alone.

The words skim across my brain like a beetle in water and I use my mental power to drown it.

"Get out a kunai and start practicing," she says, pointing to the targets outside. She opens the window – not fully, though, as if she expects us to have at least some small amount of accuracy.

I have to hand it to her, she's delusional.

I take out a weathered kunai and aim. I haven't practiced since three months ago. And even then I was far from perfect.

Without much enthusiasm I throw it. The tip grazes the glass just before it's caught by a hand.

"Nice catch, Kiba," says Shizune, a bit too relieved. Then I see the glass that it barely touched. It was stained glass, a picture of the Hyuuga clan.

That's ironic, was the last thought before tears started sliding down my face. I wipe my tears away roughly, unforgiving myself.

God, am I weak. I can't even throw a kunai and that's the basics.

I will be acing this class!

As I pack up my books, ready to rush out for lunch, a dog yips plaintively.

From the boy's head.

Does he live there or something? Where does the dog…? (A/N: ...)

The guy called Kiba meets me at the door, he and his doggie pal eyeing me. I don't mind. Everyone does. The only thing to do is stare back until they look away.

Except they didn't.

"Akamaru smells tears," the boy explains, as if that will evoke me to talk. Nope. He peers at me. "Were you crying?"

It's embarrassing and true. What to do?

"No," I return, glad my voice is strong. "I haven't."

"Hm." I can't describe his expression; he turns away before I do, having the last word.

Inwardly I sigh and roll my eyes.

It's finally lunchtime and it's all I can do to not scream like a maniac and cut in line.

Instead I wait, choosing sushi. Plain and rather expensive here. The blond guy in the front gets three plates of ramen topped with narutos.

Does he enjoy eating things called his own name?

By the time I get out of line lunch had already started – ten minutes wasted, in fact.

Where to sit?

Usually, in sixth grade, I'd sit in the empty seat by the window. However, this was a new school, a smaller lunchroom, a new predicament.

Three lunch tables.

Largest table: Naruto, Sakura, a guy in a huge coat, two guys, one skinny, one fat, Neji, and Kiba. Possibly. Last resort. But…

Creepy green guy with bug eyes and bowl cut, one other guy, a girl, Gai-sensei (I thought teachers weren't supposed to sit here?) Heck no.

Sasuke, the blond girl, a red-haired guy, another guy, and a girl. No. I don't know any of them.

There were no empty seats, no reservoirs of refuge.

I sigh and walk my way through the trashcans, then as quietly as possible and possibly, place my tray on the far end by Sakura. Thank god in heaven Neji was sitting on the other side of the table.

I pick up my fork and start to eat, trying to be imperceptible and barely noticed. Quiet. Shy.

Invisible. Never existing.

Never…

existed.

Sakura notices me straight away. Crap. "Hi," she says, smiling. "Hinata, right?"

Idiot, right? I nod to get her off my back. She takes the hint, with a steely look. "Don't be that way." She sighs. "Everyone acts like that sometimes. You know, mood swings?"

I force a gulp of water down my throat, nearly choking.

Mood swings? MOOD SWINGS?!

"I don't have mood swings!" I snap loudly, trying to look as intimidating as possible.

Oops. Half the table turns to stare at me. I blush and look down.

What's WITH me?! I never blush. I have. Never. Blushed. It's only because it's the first day. I hate it, I hate itIhateit!!!

Naruto hears, grinning. "You can just let go, you know, Hinata," he says, quiet compared to my tone before. "Sakura's right. It's school. Stressful but manageable. It's okay if you act that way, though." He stretches, seemingly proud of his speech.

Poignant. Manageable must've been the longest word that has escaped his mouth.

I can't let him get away like that, feeling too good. "You eat a lot."

"I love ramen!" he proclaims, his cerulean blue eyes bright. His grin is wider, and he studies me, watching for the reaction to his profession of love.

Ugh. Happiness for some food? What a waste.

"How were your grades last year?"

God, there has to be something that irritates him.

"Fine. I barely passed." He grins meekly at Sakura. She hits him.

"Barely passed, right!" (A/N: The first thought crossing my mind was Sakura saying "Barely passed, my foot! or Barely passed, my butt!" But...)

"The only reason you passed the genin test was because of me and Sasuke."

I notice his blush. He likes her.

Brilliant. A not-too-subtle weakness.

I'm just about to talk when I realize that I want to talk, to express myself. That's scary. I'm changing. Why can't I just cling to myself?

The only person you can trust is yourself…everyone else is liable to lie or backstab you.

For the rest of lunch I stay silent.


How's that? Even Hinata is prone to explosion.

It's only a little while before Neji is in the picture. (Neji MUST be in the picture! It's LAW!!)

Lumberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry