I wrote this so long ago.. Completely forgot about this story in the whole transitioning to University thing. :P
4 \(* ³ *)/
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"Oi- you!" The boy mopping the school's entranceway called in an effeminate-sounding voice. Gaara sighed inwardly and turned but stayed where he was. He'd only wanted to return the school's book but seemed to attract delinquents wherever he went.
Not that he normally minded, but today Temari had decided to drive he and Kankuro to Suna for another 'friday family outing' which would invariably turn out to be shopping and the zoo. It would not be a good idea to be late, Gaara thought, remembering the clumpy gruel Temari had taken to preparing for Kankuro's dinners the last time he'd delayed them.
The boy who'd called out crooked a finger in Gaara's direction and, though it was dificult to tell through the sunglasses he wore despite their being indoors indoors, appeared to be glaring. When Gaara still didn't move, the boy scoffed at the ceiling and dragged his mop along the floor to where Gaara was standing.
"Who told you to track mud all over my clean floors? Huh? Think I don't have enough work to begin with? I need more, right? Not Like I have anything else to do!" The boy was speaking rather too quickly for a reply. "Well so what if I don't? Does everyone need to be busy? Why? Oh, my poor floors. Say something!" If Gaara had to guess, he would say the boy was agitated about something other than the smattering of dirt Gaara's shoes had left on the entrance mat. Perhaps he wasn't a delinquent after all, just terribly overworked with a bad temper.
"Defend yourself!" The boy berated him, looking as though Gaara had committed some great personal wrong against him.
"Please calm down." Gaara said simply. Even in stressful situations he spoke politely, partly because Temari had long ago nagged the habit into him, partly because he thought it might convince normal people that he wasn't dangerous if he had such great self-control. This last part had largely backfired on him as 'normal people' thought it eery and inhuman, but he didn't know about this.
"Calm down!" The stranger scoffed again. He opened his mouth to add more but the words never came and the two of them ended up staring at each other in silence. "Puh." The boy turned without looking at him and went back to mopping the clean floor.
Gaara watched him for a moment before continuing to the library, which he found closed with a sign hanging from the doorknob that read 'out for lunch' even though it was just past 4 o'clock.
Most other students were weary of him- reasonably so, to be honest. He didn't hold back during a fight and he was born with cold eyes that gave him the appearance of constantly glaring at something (or someone). He was naturally quiet and tended not to share interests with his peers, contributing to his image of 'unfriendly loner'.
Delinquent or not, however, Gaara was still vaguely offended by the students who seemed downright terrified of him, cowering and shrinking back when he walked past them in the halls. On the upside, though, he never had to wait in a long line-up at the cafeteria.
Angry Boy didn't seem to have any trouble talking to him. Perhaps he ought to take this opportunity to interact with someone who was neither Sasuke nor related to him- just in case the librarian planned on coming back.
ii
"... integer multiple of an infinitesimal is still infinitely small and therefore cannot satisfy the Archimedean property."
"And this is supposed to help me with high school calculus?" Sasuke asked his tutor in irritation as soon as the other boy paused for a breath. "I already know how to differentiate."
"In Leibiz notation? I think not." The prematurely silver-haired boy answered from his spot on the Uchihas' living room couch. He looked quite comfortable with the Uchihas' orange tabby curled up in his lap.
"I'll never need Leibiz notation!"
"That doesn't doesn't mean you don't need to know it. Inside. and. out." Kabuto's glasses flashed and he pushed them back up the bridge of his nose. "Now finish that problem set."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, 'infinitely' annoyed with the lecture, but picked up his pencil. His legs ached a little from kneeling so he stretched them out beneath the coffee table. Patric, as Sasuke's older brother had named the cat, took this moment to stretch his wide girth and leap down heavily. He wasn't as young as he used to be and though Itachi had taken to feeding him a low fat diet, didn't seem to have lost a single pound since Christmas.
"From this point of view, calculus is a collection of techniques for manipulating infinitesimals. But this approach fell out of favour in the 19th century..." Kabuto continued to lecture, brushing cat hair off the front of his impeccably ironed trousers.
Everyone else my age is out having fun on a friday evening.. Sasuke thought sourly. I'd be at the top my class even without this crap.
ii
The boy hadn't been there when Gaara returned but he hadn't gone far. Gaara found him outside staring at a skillful portrait of Harriet Tubman that had been painted directly onto the brick wall.
Gaara set the iced tea he'd bought from a vending machine at the boy's feet and stepped back to examine the painting with him. It hadn't taken as long as the lake scene had, but he liked the shading it better.
"The hair looks a little discoloured, are you trying to remove it?" Gaara asked in a monotone, trying not to reveal how pleased he was that this varnish had turned out to be just as good as the crafty-looking old woman who ran the painting supplies store had assured him it was. Harriet Tubman now looked more bleached-white than black but her features were still perfectly intact.
The other boy looked at him in silence then slowly reached down to take a swig of the drink. "Trying." He said gruffly but added, "Damn bastard's not making it easy." in a more friendly tone.
"I suppose the artist is still at large. Any idea who it might be?" Gaara asked casually. It was unlikely that anyone would think to suspect him, but he couldn't help wondering if the principal had released the names of some 'potential culprits' to the newspaper club. When Tsunade'd had trouble finding the person who'd pulled the fire alarm last year, she'd started accusing people at random until the eleventh grader responsible had been exposed by his own friends. She had created an instability where any student could be suspended at any time that could only have been righted by the real culprit coming forward.
It wasn't the newspaper club's fault that their publication had so many misprints- they got their information directly from the office.
The dark haired boy laughed without humour and shook his head. "Well we know he's not from the art club." In answer to Gaara's questioning glance he continued, "Tsunade 'interviewed' them all personally." Then he laughed more normally. "Honestly though, it was already obvious- none of them are this good."
Gaara's glance grew even more questioning and the boy laughed again, looking slightly surprised at himself. "Not that I have any sympathy for this guy. I hope he gets expelled. Good or not- he's making my job a real pain in the ass. I'm Hiro." The boy held out a hand to shake and Gaara took it, almost feeling guilty about being the reason for Hiro's troubles. Almost.
"Gaara."
He hadn't intended to start this paint-and-dash routine. It just somehow happened that one night outwalking his insomnia he'd come across a half-full can of spray paint lying at the base of a trash can and a blank wall. At first he'd done only the typical calligraphy, random words and phrases that came to mind, but eventually segued into more painting-like art. The fact that whatever he threw up was erased within days of doing so made it into a sort of game, a fondness for which Gaara apparently shared with Kankuro.
Only now he appeared to be winning.
"Well good luck getting rid of it." Gaara said honestly, raising an arm in farewell. What fun, after all, is a game that is too easy to win?
"Thanks." Hiro looked at him thoughtfully before venturing back inside.
Perhaps the Dalai Lama next..
ii
"Hahaha!" Hinata cackled in triumph. Harriet Tubman could no longer be recognized as human thanks to about a truckload of baking soda and vinegar. "Haha! Ha.. Ha?" Hinata blushed, feeling a bit stupid.
After talking to the vaguely familiar redhead from earlier she had been feeling in much better spirits. Hinata was so used to being invisible living with her cowed personality at St. Benedict's and working a quiet job with no colleagues that having someone just come up and talk to her had been a pleasant surprise.
But that was no reason to go crazy. And being unreasonably happy about some stranger talking to you, especially one that gave the feeling of a vicious dog behind a fence, most certainly was crazy.
Hinata cleared her throat and got back to work taking off the last remnants of paint. Happy days, happy days...
ii
Naruto frowned at the time on his cellphone, checking it for the umpteenth time. Why wasn't Kiba texting him back? He was almost positive that basketball practices were on Sundays.
If Kiba didn't show up soon, Naruto decided, he would move forward on his own. The plan was deceptively simple: the two of them would knock on this guy's door and ask him to hang out. They would go to ichiraku's and the arcade (no places Sasuke frequented) and win him over with their charm. Once they were bosom buddies, they would all go sit on the steps outside Konoha Prep School where Sasuke would see them chatting and laughing and realize how silly he'd been to not introduce them.
The only problem right now was that it might look a little weird if just Naruto went, as if he were asking the other boy out on a date or something.
Whatever's holding Kiba better be important... Naruto scanned the horizon impatiently but saw no one running over to him shouting apologies. Well.. no use being bored. Naruto tapped back to angry birds and picked up from where he'd left off a few seconds ago.
It was a long while before he saw movement from the corner of his eye and realized that the boy from the other night (definitely red hair) was already walking down the steep concrete steps leading to the apartment door- along with two others. Even Naruto could tell that they weren't related- the girl had stylishly choppy blonde ponytails and the boy had.. brown hair (not much else to say). Their faces looked nothing alike either, except for the redhead and the blonde if you squinted. And had bad eyes.
So. It seemed that Sasuke had more than one secret friend. All the more reason to win them over, Naruto grinned. Wait, why are they getting in that car? Naruto looked around the same bushes he'd hid behind with Kiba in panic. The three strangers were now pulling out of the parking lot, the girl at the wheel.
None of them seemed to be looking in his direction except- yes! The brown haired boy happened to look directly into his face, which was poking out of the bushes. Naruto waved like mad but quickly realized its futility as the car rounded a corner and was gone.
Naruto let his arm drop. This wasn't how the day was supposed to go.
ii
Hanabi casually flicked the store's Hours of Operation sign and heaved a sigh. Konohamaru grabbed hold of the windowsill nearest the door and pulled himself up for a fraction of a second, attempting to peer inside.
"Here, hand me that box- the plastic one." He said, pulling himself back up for a second look. "Hey, this is pretty good exercise." Konohamaru grinned impishly at the girl beside him. Hanabi stared back at him with what most people would mistake for boredom but he knew to be defiance. She had always hated being told what to do, even when they were children.
"Fine, I'll get it." Konohamaru jumped down to pull the overturned produce crate he'd nodded towards a moment ago closer. He had one foot on top of it when he felt a tug on the sleeve of his shirt.
"Let me." Hanabi commanded.
Konohamaru blinked in surprise, then smiled, stepping down to help her. "You're certainly enthusiastic today. Something good must have happened." He teased, knowing Hyuugas were expected to be calm, emotionless creatures that struck their enemies like sharks. Surprise attacks when they least expected it, or something like that.
"So." Konohamaru stared up at the black glass with his hands in his pockets, feeling a little dizzy as he inhaled the scent of her perfume. "Anyone in there?"
Hanabi wiped a small circle of dust away from the glass with the handkerchief she never left home without and shook her head. Inside looked to be a claustrophobically small room with long wooden tables which were all completely bare. A chair had been placed next to the door but the sickly-looking man who'd been slouched over in it the first night they'd peeked in was long gone. "Unsurprisingly, no."
"Hmm." Konohamaru frowned. "They have to come back sometime."
"You've been saying that for two weeks. They've almost certainly moved on." Hanabi drew an 'X' in the dust and held out a hand for assistance in getting back down.
Konohamaru wasn't about to give up that easily. "How could they just ditch their headquarters?"
"You think they'd just stay in the same place forever? Your information is like, old, Kono-chan. Time to start over." Hanabi pretended to huff, invoking the childhood name she'd given him years ago.
Konohamaru turned toward the industrial area, mouth set. The sun was setting and the factory shapes of chimneys and blocky buildings looked less ugly than usual in its glow.
"Earth to Kono-chan?" Hanabi asked, hand still out. "I'm getting old over here."
"Oh. Right-" Konohamaru finally answered, taking it. "Alright fine, let's get out of here."
"Yeah."
ii
"I'm not religious but it makes me wanna pr-ay~ Wanna pr~ay~ayay~ay" Temari sung along to her Madonna CD, expertly swerving to avoid a pothole in the road, and the car in the next lane over honked at her angrily. "Nothing fails~" Gaara looked deep in thought staring at the trees passing by.
Neither seemed the least bit disturbed. Kankuro rubbed his head. Could it have all been an illusion? He'd assumed it had simply been the neighbourhood kids having a bit of fun sneaking around old Mcgruber's failed strawberry patch yesterday, but he was starting to wonder. He hadn't been able to recognize any of them but chalked it up to the half-light of that annoying street lamp the city refused to fix. Who was the blond kid? Kankuro thought he looked like their leader or something.
And why did he wave? To say hello? Yeah, right. A threat? Who'd be crazy enough to threaten us?
It didn't make sense and things that didn't make sense tended to gnaw away at him until he found a suitable explanation. There was only one thing for it..
"Ahem." Kankuro cleared his throat, trying to get his siblings' attention. When neither paid attention he coughed again. And again and again until Temari offered him a cough drop and Gaara looked at him, head tilted in concern.
"Oh- no thanks, I think I'm good now." He wasn't sure how long their attention would hold so he talked fast. "You don't think we have a stalker do you?" Fuck. He'd been meaning to work up to that.
"A what?" Temari laughed incredulously, reaching over to turn down the music. Gaara's concern now looked like furious rage, though it was tough to tell with him. Could've been confusion.
"Why would anyone want to stalk us?" Gaara's voice sounded less monotone and Kankuro decided he would go with confusion.
"Well- ah.." Kankuro felt his cheeks growing hot but figured that may as well see this through to the end. "I take it neither of you saw that guy in front of our house."
Kankuro saw Temari raise an eyebrow at him in the rearview mirror. "What, you mean Joe Carpenter? His car broke down and he had to wait for a towtru- fuck!" A deer darted out into the middle of the road and Temari slammed on the brakes. "God that scared the shit out of me. I say we move to Arizona- I wouldn't mind running over some lizards. Ha ha!"
Kankuro sweatdropped. Might wanna get those moodswings checked Scary Lady. "No, uh, not Joe. Younger."
"Crazy deer.. Well it's not like he's the only person out there. You do realize that other people live in our building too, don't you? Haha!"
"He wasn't from- He had blond hair!"
"My brilliant brother, you're right. Only 50 or so people around here have blond hair. Nice reasoning there, university boy."
"He was wa- Ah! You know what, just forget it." Kankuro slumped back in his seat and tried to push the kid from his mind.
"Quit mumbling back there- here, I'll even stop at Timmy's for you." Temari grinned while Kankuro continued to frown out the window, trying not to feel happy about it.
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You should now review this chapter so I know if people like where the story's going. ~(￣ A ￣)~ Or, you know, If my readers have all died off or something. :)
Lost the Hinata-centricity again but c'mon, the other characters are fun too. Plus writing from the same perspective all the time gets so monotonous. ;)