Black and White
Chapter 3
"Hey, Itachi?" I say, walking up to him as he sits at the small island in the kitchen. The scent of coffee is thick in the air, especially around the coffee maker on the counter near the sink as it works harder than it should at 6 in the morning...
"Yes?" he asks, setting his book down face down on the table to keep his place.
"Is it alright if I go out for a quick walk?"
"It's fine," he chuckles, "Why would you even have to ask?"
I look down, the real reason dancing through my mind as if taunting me to put it into words.
"No reason," I reply, then walk swiftly out of the kitchen and clear out of the house for some fresh air.
"Kai, you stupid girl!!!" my father's voice boomed loudly even over the loud roar of the washing machine.
"Wh-What did I do?" I asked fearfully.
"I never gave you permission to leave the house, dammit!!! So disrespectful!!!"
"My my," my mother had cackled, "You sure are a rude little bitch, aren't you? If it weren't for your father and me, you wouldn't even be alive!!! It's time you start giving us the respect we deserve!!"
I shake my head violently, nearly loosing my balance and running into one of the trees as I do.
"Woah, watch your step there," says a voice to my left.
I turn quickly, nearly falling again.
There stood a boy with spiky black hair, wearing black cargo pants and a black short sleeve shirt over a long sleeved white shirt.
"Right," I mutter, walking past him with my head down, embarrassed.
"Why are you so far out in the woods?" he asks, following me, "I mean, I've never seen anyone out here besides my cousin, Itachi, and occasionally, Sasuke..."
"Y-You know the Uchihas?" I ask, looking up at him.
He chuckles at my stupidity. I don't blame him.
"I AM an Uchiha," he says, "Uchiha Obito, at your service."
"Hmm..." I grumble, "They never mentioned anything about having any other siblings besides each other... or any of their family members, really..."
"Well, they aren't exactly... close to the rest of the family. They're the two who rarely ever make it to family gatherings and stuff, you know?"
"I know all too well," I reply, "I'm that kind of person myself."
He gives a small grumble in reply, then we walk in silence for a while, the cold, brisk morning air stinging my face like small needles penetrating my skin. I'm tempted to lift my hand up and run a finger across my cheek to check for blood...
But that's just because I'm me.
"Not to seem rude," I utter, "But why are you following me? Weren't you on your way to Itachi's house?"
"Nahh," he says, waving his hand in front of his face, "You're much more interesting than those two... Sasuke's over there at the moment, I assume. I wouldn't think of you to be Itachi's friend, but rather, Sasuke's..."
"That's a pretty accurate estimate," I respond quietly, "We have English together... We sit next to each other."
"Oh," is his response.
"Are you two together?" he smirks.
"No!!" I respond, shaking my head, "No way!!"
"But you wish you two were, don't you?"
"Wh-What makes you say that?"
"The fact that you're getting so defensive."
"I don't... hope for stuff like that," I mumble.
"And why not?"
"I don't... deserve stuff like that. I might as well not tease myself with fantasies like that."
"Sometimes fantasies can become reality," he smiles warmly at me, "if you work hard enough."
"I've never been very industrious..."
"What's with all the big words?" he pouts like a child.
I shrug.
"So, how have Sasuke and Itachi been doing?" he asks me after a couple more minutes of silence that brought us closer to the city.
"They've been... alright I guess. I haven't known them for very long, so I'm not really sure how they usually act."
"Well, Sasuke's usually cold and closed off to the world..." Obito states, looking up as he touches each of the fingers on his right hand with his left pointer finger every time he lists something else about Uchiha, "He doesn't like talking to people... When he and Itachi fight, it's usually him that initiates it..."
"Well, that's basically how he's been acting over the past couple days that I've been living with him and his brother... How does Itachi usually act?"
For some strange reason, all of this talk about how the Uchiha brothers usually are interests me...
"Well, he smiles a lot, but when he doesn't think anyone's looking, there's a really faraway look in his eyes; like he's deep in thought or something, you know?"
"I haven't seen that look... But then again, I don't usually like looking into people's eyes. It makes me feel uncomfortable..."
"I know the feeling. I used to be like that too, but I've changed a bit. Well, did Itachi call you and Sasuke 'kiddies' when you first met him?"
"How did you know?" I ask.
He throws his head back and laughs.
"He's always wanted to call Sasuke that. He enjoys annoying his little brother..."
"I've noticed."
"Hnn."
We continue walking and walking until we finally reach the city.
I turn promptly on my heel and start walking back to Itachi's house.
"That was quick," Obito says.
"Well, I didn't mean to be out for long. Just long enough to catch some fresh... unprocessed air."
My fingers fly up to my mouth. Did I really just say "unprocessed" while describing air... to another person?
I brace myself for impact, knowing that soon enough he'd make fun of me just like the other kids at my school.
"How old are you?" I ask him, through almost gritted teeth.
"26," he smiles, "And that makes me 10 years older than you, no?"
"That would be correct."
"Alright, well... Wait a minute, where are we?"
"Um... forest? Somewhere? I don't know..."
"That tree looks too familiar," he says, pointing to a tree, "Did we pass it already?"
"...Nooo...?"
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Are you sure you know where we're going?"
"Sure."
"Alrighty then..."
We keep walking, me sending strange glances over at the Uchiha, him smiling forward cluelessly.
This Uchiha was different from the others. Too... unobservant to be like Itachi, too happy to be Sasuke... Too free-spirited to be Uchiha's parents...
I sigh and shake my head. How could someone be so out of it...?
When we finally get back to Itachi's house, I knock on the door quietly.
"Oh please," Obito snorts, "You won't catch Itachi's attention with that."
He pounds on the door loudly and yells, "Itachiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"I'm not buying anyth-!!!!! Oh hi, Obito, Kai. How was your walk?"
"...Interesting, thank you."
"Hi, Itachi," Obito smiles.
"Come on in," he says, "You look cold."
"Psh," comes Uchiha's voice from behind him, "Like you can actually see them with your terrible eyesight..."
"Oh shut up!!" Itachi yells, throwing the pillow that was in his hand at him.
He catches it and throws it back, and soon enough, Obito and I are watching them fight again.
"You retard!!!" Uchiha yells, "You just HAD to throw the stupid pillow at me, didn't you?!!!"
"Yes, I did!!!" his older brother yells back.
"Alright, kiddies, time to stop messing around..." Obito says, patting Sasuke's head.
"My word," Itachi growls.
Obito sticks his tongue out at his younger cousin.
And I start to question his sanity.
Obito sleeps over that night on the couch, which forces Sasuke to either sleep in the guest room (if I don't mind), in Itachi's room (if he doesn't mind), on the floor (which would probably be the best choice), or in the bath tub (which just sounds suicidal to me).
"You... could sleep in the guest room," I say, struggling to keep my cheeks from flaming up at the sight of Obito smirking like crazy.
I give him a look that clearly stated, "Shut up or I'll hurt you," but he, being the weird insane Uchiha that he is, just didn't get the message.
"Are you sure you're alright with that?" Sasuke asks, looking me straight in the eye.
"Positive," I reply after hesitating a bit.
"Alrighty then..."
Back in the guest room, Sasuke won't let me give up the bed for him too, so he sits defiantly on the floor, refusing to move.
"You're being unreasonable," I state, "Get up..."
"Alright, fine," he replies, "But don't you dare try to give up the bed again, alright?"
"Alright," I smile warmly at him as he stands, towering over me as he usually does...
He looks down into my eyes.
"Why don't you smile more often?" he asks, "I'd give anything to see that smile more..."
My eyes open wide, and I just stare at him in shock.
"Really, Kai," he says, bringing his face away from mine, embarrassed, and turning away, "Smile and keep your head up... Just like Itachi says... You know, he sees you almost like the little sister that he never really wanted but got anyway... But he likes you. He used to always tell me to 'keep my head up' and 'smile more often'... It's just the way he is. Sometimes, though, I question his sanity..."
"I'm more worried about your cousin, Obito..."
"Oh, I don't question HIS sanity."
"Yet you question your brother's?"
"Yeah. I already KNOW that Obito is insane."
I giggle a little and Sasuke smiles down at me.
"Are you tired at all?" he asks later, at around 11.
"No," I reply, "You?"
"No, I'm used to staying up late, anyway. I've had insomnia for a while..."
"Oh, that sucks..."
"Ehh, I'm kinda used to it now..."
"There was one week when I didn't get even an ounce of sleep at all. It was hell."
"Oh... I've just had too much on my mind."
"Yeah... That's how it was for me too..."
"Hn."
Later that evening... or more... early the next morning, Sasuke and I are still up, sitting on the floor and leaning against the side of the bed, looking at each other and occasionally saying something like, "Are you tired yet?" or "Is it just me, or is it getting cold?"
"Hey Kai?" Sasuke asks, "I have a question..."
"Yes?"
"Why do you talk to me, but not many other people...? At school, you never talk... unless addressed by a teacher."
"Well, you're different from the others. I like that about you."
"There are plenty of other people at school that are different. Take that Uzumaki guy for instance... He's pretty much a freak."
"Yes, but he's different being he's loud and obnoxious, not because he seems to always be thinking about something important or symbolic."
"'Symbolic', huh?"
"Well, you always have a look on your face like you're trying to grasp a new concept that you just thought of. Like, some sort of metaphor that just makes everything seem so much more simple in the world."
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm always thinking of something as poetic as that," he chuckles, putting his hand on my head, "I'm just usually thinking of..."
His voice trails off, and he gets a faraway look in his eyes. I just stare at him blankly.
"'Thinking of'...?"
"Nothing," he says, snapping back to reality, "Just some stuff that's been... troubling me lately."
"Oh... okay."
"Actually... it's been on my mind for years now... Since way back when Itachi still lived with me and Fugaku and Mitoko..." ((Gahh!!! I'm an idiot and forgot what Sasuke's mom's name was!!! slaps self Sorry!!))
"You mean... your parents?"
"Yeah... Yeah, that."
"O-Okay."
"I just don't like thinking of the two of them as my parents, is all..."
"Oh... What age was Itachi when he moved out of the house?"
"13."
"Holy crap!! Why?"
"He just got really mad at my parents one day and said he was gonna go off and live in the woods and that he'd live off of minimum wage for the rest of his life. They, of course, didn't believe him."
"So, him moving out here was to prove your parents wrong...?"
"Yes."
"Sounds like something I'd wanna do. But of course, my parents would just be happy that I was gone, so it wouldn't matter anyway..."
"Why are you and your parents on such bad terms?" he asks, shifting his weight a little.
"Well... My dad is an alcoholic, and my mom only cares about her image. Neither of them really cares about the family. The only reason that they're still together is because my mom wants the money, and my dad wants someone to fuck."
"...Whoa. That must... really suck."
"It does. My mom told me that before, when they were young, they actually loved each other. But all of that changed when they got married. My dad started drinking, and... I was born."
"You said your dad was an alcoholic. How does an alcoholic make so much money that your mother wants to stay with him?"
"I don't know. I don't know what either of my parents does for a living... They never told me. I don't want to know. I want to have as little to do with my parents as possible. I hate them with a passion, and they hate me back."
"At least they're not trying to force themselves on you like they actually love you, though."
He slaps his hand over his mouth; even he can hear how harsh that sounds.
"I'm sorry," he says quickly.
"It's alright," I smile at him, "I know they never loved me. They've told me time and time again that I was nothing but a mistake."
"That's not true!!" he gasps, taking his fingers away from his mouth, "'A mistake'- that's just cruel!!"
"Whoever said that my parents weren't? If they met you, they'd hate you too. And your brother. And your cousin. And your parents..."
"Your parents are fulla bullshit."
"I know. That's why I hate them."
He lets out a loud breath and closes his eyes.
"Are you tired yet?" I ask.
"No. You?"
"No... But I'm bored."
"Me too... Maybe we could go downstairs and watch some TV."
"Obito's down there."
"Does it look like I care?"
"No," I giggle.
"Then let's go."
I smile and follow him downstairs, where he plops himself down onto his cousin's sleeping form and turns on the TV.
"Not the evil shloogarghs!!!!" Obito yells, suddenly waking up when Sasuke sits on him, "I MEAN. Umm... um... cough."
I giggle, and Sasuke just rolls his eyes, hiding a smile.
"Alright, kiddies," says a voice from the stairs, "What're we watching tonight?"
"Shut up, Itachi," Sasuke snaps, "Why are you up?"
"To watch a movie with my family."
"What about Kai?" Uchiha asks, confused.
"She's like a chisai-nee-chan to me," he grins, plopping himself down next to his brother on Obito's lap.
"Need I remind you that I'm still here?!" he yells, "I can't feel meh legs!!!!!!"
"Get over it, Obito," Itachi orders, "I feel comf- WHY IS MY ASS SUDDENLY WET?!!!"
"Heh heh... I just came."
"EWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!" Itachi screams, standing up.
"I'm just kidding!!" Obito laughs, "Seriously!!"
"Then what was that?!"
"I don't know. Probably just you pissing yourself like you used to when you were three."
"Oh, shut up, Obito. You would still piss yourself at five years old!! That's depressing!!"
All the while, Sasuke is over by the TV rifling through a box full of DVDs. I walk over to him, not knowing if I'd be able to stand another minute of Obito and Itachi yelling random crap at each other.
"What're we gonna watch?" I ask.
"The Ring; is that alright with you?"
"Sure, why not?"
As we watch the movie, I come to a conclusion about the Uchihas: None of them are all the way sane, but they're all great people...
"Want some popcorn?" Itachi asks his brother.
Uchiha glares at him for a second, then softens his expression and says, "Sure."
"Alright," Itachi smiles, "I'll go get some..." He gets up and walks away to get popcorn, and Sasuke shifts a bit so Obito can sit right.
...Yes. I smile to myself. They're all really great people.