Ch2 In a small hill

"Yo, Shikamaru," greeted Kankuro, a boy with a hat with cat ears and face paint. I nodded at him.

I turned to the redheaded guy on his right and lifted my hand as a small greeting, "Yo, Gaara." He replied with a nod.

Kankuro cut in, "Temari, how's life been living with this guy?"

"Fine," she shrugged. "Better than living with you, that is."

Kankuro snorted and pulled Gaara with him. "See you two around Shikamaru, Temari," Gaara managed to say before he was gone.

I sighed as Temari turned around and we started walking towards our class, "Same old greeting from your brothers."

Temari nodded in agreement, "Yeah, since its same old them, same old school, same old students, same old me," she paused for a moment and looked at me, "same old you."

She looked away and so did I, suddenly taking an interest on the school bulletin boards. I heard her, in the softest voice she could ever muster, speak, "I just wish you would change all your laziness for me." After a while of walking, I also her heard murmur, "I wish you'd love me like I do and I wish you would love me more than her." Then, she sighed.

We reached our homeroom class eventually and we went over to our seats. Our first subject was Mathematics with Professor Baki. I heard him say that the lesson was in the book so I didn't bother listening. I brought out my sketchpad and started to draw.

In a small, green hill on a bright and sunny day, approximately 11 years ago, there was a short-haired blonde girl with stunning cerulean eyes and a dazzling smile and a lazy boy with a pineapple ponytail, small brown eyes and a bored expression known throughout the village were kneeling next to small patch of bright red flowers.

Math passed and I went over to next period, History. It was pretty boring, really. The morning passed with me dozing off on top of my drawing.

"Hey! Shikamaru! It's lunch, wake up!"

I woke up and peeked at the person shaking me. My eyes widened in surprise, "Principal!"

I stood up in alert. The principal's eyes wandered to my table. I looked at what he was looking at, "Ara?"

The principal chuckled, "Oh, Shikamaru! You have talent! Why didn't you tell anyone?"

I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly, "A-ano, I found out just now." Lie.

"Oh, how nice," the principal stated. "Uh, you better go and have lunch now. Can't draw anything on an empty stomach, ne?"

The principal walked out and I was left on my own. "Troublesome," I sighed as I looked back at my drawing. It's not so bad, I guess. I tuck my stuff in my bag and head out to the cafeteria.

As soon as I got there, I looked for Temari but, seeing that she's with her girl friends, I decided I'd rather eat alone in the back garden. The back garden was an empty place during lunch. Most of the students prefer the front rather than the back for its far from the cafeteria.

I fell in line so I can buy my lunch, which consists of a small disposable bowl of beef ramen and some canned coffee milk tea. I went on a 3-minute walk towards the back garden, can in pocket and bowl in hand. There was a picnic table I usually go to on the right and I went over and sat there, placing my food on the table. There, I started eating peacefully and a bit of contemplating.

After eating, I brought out my sketchpad and pencil and started continuing on with the sketch. A few lines here and some there. A curve for the eyes brows and a slightly bended one for the flower stems. Soon, it was done and I inked it and erased the pencil sketch. Not bad, I thought. I hesitated between coloring it or not until I saw a shadow over me.

"'Awesome,'" a deep voice, worthy of someone older than me, spoke. I glanced at the owner of the voice. I smirked. "At least, that's what my sister says," he added, sheepishly.

"Gaara," I smirked. "I need to ask you something."

He raised an invisible eyebrow, "And that is?"

"Ano" I blushed, resting my hand at the back of my neck. "Should I color it or not?"

Gaara closed his eyes, thinking. Soon enough, he opened them again and said, "Are you capable of drawing it again?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Well if you draw another one, you can color one and not the other."

"Thanks, Gaara!" I smiled, "It helped a lot!"

He nodded and went his way while I grabbed my pencil and started to draw another one. At the ring of the bell, announcing that lunch break has finished, my other drawing was finished and what was left was the first one, which I should color.

I cleared up and put my stuff in my bag and threw the trash to the waste bin. I traveled a minute-and-a-half walk towards next period. Art with Sasori-senpai and Kankuro. I can color my drawing, then.

I reached the door to the Art room and gently pushed it open.