Neji'sTrueLover: Sorry that I was gone. My mind decided to go on vacation without me –cries- and even though it is still not back, I knew that I couldn't leave you all!!
Neji: Never stopped you before
Neji'sTrueLover: Well I never had this many people read my story before!
Hinata: That's right Neji niisan! Just look at all the visitors!
Neji'sTrueLover: And reviews! Don't forget about them!
Sasuke: Neji'sTrueLover doesn't own any of the characters except Hinata's mother
Neji'sTrueLover: Sasuke! What are you doing here?
Sasuke: You kidnapped me
Neji: Then put your unconscious body in a bag, tied you onto a chair, and watched gleefully for you to wake up
Sasuke: -growls at Neji who glares back-
Neji'sTrueLover: ding ding –rings wrestling match bell- Let the glare off begin!
Hinata: Somehow it isn't as intimidating when they're strapped to chairs…
Chapter 9In a world that she can't rise above…
Hinata's P.O.V.
I am at a loss for words. Fear surges through me when Sasuke reveals my arm. He must have seen my pain-filled face when he touched my arm, because he immediately loosened his grip.
"Some of these are fresh," he whispers as he looks into my eyes. I see that his coal black eyes are filled with pain, just like this morning, and tears enter my eyes at the sight. I turn my head so as to hide the salt water and Sasuke lets go of my arm. I stand frozen to the spot as my arm drops down to my side. Sasuke is staring at me intently and I see that the pain that was in his eyes is gone and the coldness that he always has once again engulfs them.
Sasuke looks deep into my eyes as he says, "Hinata, tell me who did this to you."
He steps closer to me and I know that there is no escaping from him now.
Tears are streaming down my face as I think of what to do. My first instinct is to back away since the only person that has ever come close to me was my mother, and all she ever does is hit me. But, instead, I stay where I am. I don't move. That is, until Sasuke raises his hand towards me. I close my eyes and wait for the pain that always came to me after I do something wrong, but I don't feel any slap. Nor any pain for that matter. What I do feel is his soft hand rubbing against my cheek to wipe away the light stream of water.
My eyes shoot open and I look once again into his dark eyes, for the… forth time today? I lost track. But it feels wonderful to look someone in the eye and not have fear running though ever fiber of my being.
I can easily see the softness his eyes held under his dark stare as he continues to wipe my tears away. When he stops, That was too short! he steps back and asks the same question that he has been asking me all day.
"Hinata, please," his voice is so soft compared to all the other time he has talked to me, "tell me what happened."
Even though it is a command, his voice sounds almost pleading. Like he was begging me to tell him. Like the Sasuke Uchiha cared about me.
I am tempted to tell him, I really am, but I know the unavoidable truth. If anyone found out the brutal secret about me, Mother would be sent away and I would have to go to a foster home and leave here. Even though this village is my living Hell, I've grown accustomed to this place. All the familiar faces I have to see every day at school and outside have implanted themselves within me. They give me the hope that, if I just handle it for a little longer, everything will become okay. Because of that simple fact, I can't tell him.
"Sasuke, please don't make me tell you. Even if I do, you won't understand. No one can."
And with that, I turn and run. I vaguely know that I am forgetting to get the supplies that I so desperately need, but I don't care. I'll get that stuff later on. But right now, I need to get home.
My heart beat quickens when I see Mother's car parked out in the front. I figure that I can probably run away, but I have to come back sometime. And if I do run away, Mother will find me and there really will be Hell to pay then. So I take a deep breath and walk forward. The old, familiar door I know so well opens to reveal Mother standing there with an expressionless face. She comes closer to me as I freeze to my spot.