Ch4 Letters From Home

I went over to the next class, Gym, and wondered who would want to sweat on a hot day like this? They must be used to this. We must be used to this. After all, I've been living in Suna for quite a while now. 11 years at most. I think I should probably visit Konoha, was it?

I reach the boys' locker room and I see that the other boys are already there. I greet them and I unlocked my locker and changed my school uniform into my gym clothes with a purple shirt with the school symbol on the right part of the chest, right on top of the heart. At the back in silver letters was my school year level, Sophomore. And some gym shorts. Ending around an inch below the knees. This one a dark shade of purple and the school symbol, yet again, found on the bottom left corner of the shorts. I must look irritating.

I fold my clothes neatly and put them in the locker nice and neat. I wear my rubber shoes and run towards the gym. For the whole period, I played basketball and some chess with my classmates and by the time I went back to the locker room, I was sweaty. Good thing I kept an extra bottle of perfume there.

I opened the locker and a note fell off. I picked it up.

Someone asked me to do this and I'm not telling who: 'Shikamaru, I'm sorry I only told you about it today but forgive me. The letters you received from Konoha, I kept them all in the box. I didn't want you to see them but now I realize it was all a big mistake. I hope you'd forgive me. I put the box in the bush next to your apartment door. It has your name on the lid. I'm sorry.' That's all there is to it I guess. See ya.

-Kankuro

"What's that? A love letter?" asked Gaara. "Eh, it's from Kankuro."

"Yeah," I breathed. "Not a love letter though."

"Oh," he said doubtfully. "Kankuro's gay, you know?"

I look at him, with his smirking face. It was what girls would describe as cute, I guess. Not that I'm a girl! "A sorry letter, in fact." I say as I tuck it inside my pocket after changing clothes. "He didn't say who."

"Yeah?" he asked. "We should head back."

"Yeah," I said, spraying perfume on myself. Gaara grabbed my arm as I watch my locker close.

"We'll be late for next period," he said. "I got French, you?"

"Same."

"Cool," he said slowing his pace. His eyes widen slightly as he saw a familiar figure. "Oh, shit! Prefect!"

"Run for it!" I called to him, dragging him with me past the prefect with unbelievable speed. As we reach the door to our French class, I whisper, "Safe!"

We hear the door swing open and a deep voice say, "Late, Mr. Nara and Mr. Sabaku."

I bow my head and nudged Gaara so he would bow, too. "Sorry, sensei," we said in unison and we were permitted to enter. We scrambled quickly to our seats which were luckily next to each other. Mine was next to the window, again, but I didn't complain since I like it like that. For the whole period, we conversed in French and such until the bell rang, announcing dismissal, and I was relieved to speak normally again, go home, see the box, read 'em letters and find out who wanted to pass the message (or not since I don't really care).

I wait for Temari near the school gate with Gaara and she soon comes walking beside Kankuro. We greeted each other and parted ways, Gaara and Kankuro towards the left and Temari and I to the right.

"So," I say, breaking the awkward silence as she drank her bottled water. "How was your day?"

"Mostly boring," she said once she finished drinking. "But fun anyways with the girls and my brothers and you." She smiled and the awkward silence was back again.

As we reach the door to our apartment, Temari and I saw a white object peeking from under the bush. She pointed at it and asked if it was mine. I said it was and I went over to pick it up as she unlocked the door and went in.

Silently, I went up to my room carrying both my bag and the box. I locked the door and lay on my bed. "Troublesome," I said. I smirked as I thought, Well, at least there would be some kind of thrill in my life other than the same old boring routine.

I changed my clothes and fixed my bag. I also went over to do my homework while staring from time to time at that white box.

I finished my homework, at last, and put my stuff back in my bag. I picked the box up, put it in my lap and removed the lid. The first thing that I saw was a computerized note, probably used to hide the identity with handwriting.

Hey Shikamaru! I'm really sorry and I hope you would forgive me. Anyways, the letters are arranged by date starting from the year you came. In other words, the last letter you would be reading is the latest one. If there is something really important in here that you would have read, I'm sorry and I didn't know. The reason for this...

It ended there. How suspicious. Anyways I put that note aside and started reading the first letter.