Deidara kept running down the sidewalk, even though he passed the car they were driving out of town. Sasori followed him slowly on the road, letting Deidara run to his heart's content. Sasori rolled down the window. "What happened?" he called out. "I told her we were leaving! And I said the worst thing to her before I ran! I'm awful!" Deidara scolded himself, not letting himself slow down. "What did you say?" Sasori asked. "I told her I wasn't her sensei anymore! Who the hell says that to the person they love? I fail at being a boyfriend!" Deidara clenched his fists, speeding up and exerting himself to his limits. "You should stop running, or you'll die." Sasori said casually. "It doesn't matter anymore! I left Hinata in the clutches of Itachi Uchiha! I deserveto die!" Deidara cried, tripping on a sudden lift in the sidewalk. The car stopped abruptly, and Sasori stepped out.
He walked to Deidara's side, watching as he beat himself up on the ground. "I... should've... been... there... I... should... BE... there...!!" he panted, making sure his face scraped against the pavement. He'd never felt like this before. He'd never felt so... empty. So guilty. "She needs me now the most, and I left her!" He shouted, almost letting a sob escape his lips. Sasori pulled him up and dragged him into the car. "You know we have to do this." he said. "If you get enough money, and grow up some, you'll see her again." Deidara stared blankly at him, something resembling a tear falling down his cheek. He felt so heartbroken over something he chose to do. "I'm going to miss her, Sasori. I love her." he mumbled as Sasori slid into the driver's seat. "I know, I'll miss her too. But we have to move on. We have to trust that Hidan will take care of her and that Itachi will lay off."
Deidara groaned and fell onto the back seat. His cheek stung where he let the pavement scratch it. "He's going to get her. I just know it. And it would be my fault, because I wasn't there to take care of her. It would be my fault!" Deidara pulled his hair in frustration. "Take care of her? Pshaw, Deidara. With the way we are now, we can barely take care of ourselves!" They drove out of the city limits, and Deidara stared at the headlights along the highway.
"If we come back, I'm killing Itachi."
-:-
Hidan took Hinata back to her house and followed her to her room. He helped her out of her jacket and get ready for bed. She was silent the entire time. So was he. He lay beside her over the covers, while she wrapped herself in the warm sheets.
"You know?" He started. She didn't reply, but he knew she was listening. "I have to be honest now. I'm not Thirty-four." Hinata scoffed. "What are you, then? Twelve?" He laughed. "You wish you met a twelve-year-old as sexy as me." she stifled a giggle. "I'm in my twenties. I think." Hinata turned to face him. "You think?" she repeated. "I stopped keeping track at twenty. I don't remember. How old do I look?" He poised his thumb and forefinger under his chin and smirked at her. She thought a moment. "Twenty-three?" She suggested. "Hmm... I don't quite feel 23. Try again." He tried another version of the pose, this time wiggling his eyebrows in a flirtatious motion. She almost laughed out loud. "25?" He smiled. "That's better, I guess." he tapped her nose.
After a couple minutes, she hugged him. He put a hand on the back of her head and pressed her against his shoulder. "Thank you, Hidan-sensei." she whispered. "What for?" he questioned, looking at the few posters in her room. "For cheering me up when I was down. It helps so much more than you realize." he smiled at this. "Well, that's what friends are for, right?" He rested his cheek on her head, closing his eyes. "I'm tired. Let's sleep." he yawned, bringing his other arm around her. She was already asleep. Despite being tired, he got up and walked around her room.
From the door to his left, there was an entire wall dedicated to posters, drawings, and random pictures and cards that she stuck on with tape. Then there was the closet which was wide open, revealing a drawer and on the hangers dresses and other formal clothing. Beside the closet was a door, which he was too curious to ignore. He tip-toed over to that corner, pretending to be interested in the vanity mirror's matching brush. You know, just in case someone was watching. Then he opened it, walked in, and closed the door behind him. It was dark at first, but as he walked down the stairs, lights flashed on. When he reached the bottom, he found a basement-like room that wasn't basement-like at all. It was kept very nicely, and along the side walls were ceiling-high bookshelves. At the center wall, or the one right in front of him, was a computer, a smaller bookshelf with little figurines on the top, and scattered around were piles of books and among them bean bag chairs for comfortable reading.
"Holy shit..." He whistled, then walked around the perimeter of the room. There were books that ranged from elementary to college level on both shelves. There were books in different languages and books imported from different countries. The collection was incredible. But among the dark, leather-bound books, there was one brightly colored spine on the very top shelf. Always curious, he climbed the roll ladder and took the book out , flipping through the pages lazily. Pretty soon he realized that it was a diary. He quickly closed it, slipping it back into place among the books. That's not what best friends do. That's not what best friends do. That's not what friends-
He spotted another brightly colored spine. Subconsciously, he slid down to where it was, reading the first entry. It was an earlier date than the previous diary. He kept looking at all the sporadically placed diaries, each one earlier and earlier in dates that he got to the very first volume by the door. This... isn't what best friends... do... the thought perished the second he read the first word of the diary.
Dear Diary,
It was my first day of high school. It's so crowded in the hallways! I got lost on the way to my locker, but this guy helped me. He said his brother worked at the school. I think his name was... Sasuke? He's a senior. I met some other people too, at lunch. Sakura, Ino, TenTen... mostly girls. The only guys I met were Sasuke and the guy friends of the girls I met. I can't believe I made such a big group of friends on the first day!
Our teachers are all so young-looking. It's a bit unsettling. I mean, at my middle school, the teachers were older. Here in high school, they look like students! Well, I'm not exactly complaining... but it's a little weird, don't you think?
Oh! And my last class is Language Arts. The teacher there is so... sigh... The best teacher ever! But he gave us a 500 word essay that's due tomorrow! Oh well. I'm sure I can pull it off, I mean, it was free writing.
I'm tired. G'night!
Hidan, realizing that he was still suspended on a ladder, he slid down and landed on a bean bag chair. He continued reading.
Dear Diary
Deidara-sensei is my LA teacher. Did I mention that?
I wrote about what I was worried about in high school. When I handed it in, he smiled at me. I swear, I melted right where I was. He has such a handsome smile! My goodness, now I know why they keep teachers old and creepy. I'm going to be distracted for the rest of my high school career! Oh, you should have seen it, diary, he is so... I think I'm in love! Haha...
Hidan skipped to the next entry.
Deidara-sensei wrote a note on the side of my paper.
'Hinata - wonderful paper! I have to say, I went through the same thing while I was in HS. Scared me to death! I'm glad I'm not alone here, haha!'
I swear to god, he is AMAZING!
Hidan chuckled. Deidara was such a liar. He skipped a few entries.
I heard some yelling down the hall. Was it a teacher? I hope the kid's okay...
He skipped another entry.
Ino says that she has the biggest crush on Hidan-sensei. I'm not quite sure who he is, but she says he's our school's councilor. It's gotten a bit annoying, too. She talks about him all the time, and I haven't even met the guy! Gosh, what a pain...
He smirked.
Dear Diary...
I'm finding Deidara-sensei disturbingly attractive.
Dear Diary,
I can't stop thinking about him.
Dear Diary,
Dear Diary,
Dear Diary,
I think I love Deidara-sensei.Hidan closed the diary, standing up to put it back. He noticed that the ladder was gone, so he looked around for it. It was somewhere on the other side of the wall, and on its rungs climbed the girl who was supposed to be sleeping upstairs. He quickly sat back down to hide himself and the diary, but he sat on a book and yelped out in pain. Hinata swerved around on the ladder in surprise, losing her balance on the ladder. "H-H-Hidan-sensei!?" she yelped, as tried grabbing for the ladder. Hidan ran to catch her, and right before she could smash her face into a Stephen King, she landed in his arms. He sat her down on one of the bean bag chairs and sat beside her, sighing.
"Are you okay?" he asked, checking her face and shoulders. She nodded shakily, blushing. "What are you doing here?" She whispered. "Why do you have that?" Hidan looked at her in confusion, then noticed her diary still clutched tightly in his fingers. "I-uh-I... Well, you see..." he stammered, fiddling with the cover. Hinata gave him a death stare. She grabbed it from him and stomped to put it back. He turned red in embarrassment.
"I thought you went home." she spat, walking back toward him. "No, I didn't. Sorry." He watched her pace around the room, checking to see if everything was still there. "Why would you go and read someone's diary? Have you no conscience!?" she yelled. Hidan stood up. "I'm sorry! Really!" Hinata faced away from him, wiping a tear from her eye. "How would you feel if someone read your journal?" Hidan huffed, angry, and stomped toward her. "I don't need to be lectured by someone younger than me, Hinata. Please remember that I am still your elder." he growled. Hinata turned to face him. "You were my friend first! And friends don't to that to friends!" She shouted, sobbing once. Hidan scoffed, crossing his arms and turning away from her. "You're just sour because Deidara's gone." he spat, walking a few steps away. Hinata stomped her foot on the floor. "Hidan-sensei! You're such an idiot!" She cried, shoving her most recent diary in his face. "Why don't you read the rest of my secrets, huh!?" she ran back up the stairs, crying.
"Maybe I will!" he yelled after her, throwing the diary on the ground. It opened to the most recent entry.
Dear Diary,
I'm glad Hidan-sensei's my friend. I don't know what I'd do without him.
Hidan growled, guilty. "Fuck you, diary!" he kicked it at the wall and ran upstairs.
-:-
The next day, Hinata felt terrible.
She knew full well that Hidan was her elder, and that she shouldn't have yelled at him like that. Not only was he her elder, but he was her friend. And friends, despite what she said, didn't yell at each other over a diary. That night, when he emerged from her secret library, she heard him mutter a small good night before leaving. Immediately after that, she couldn't sleep because of the guilt she felt.
So, she was guilty, sleep-deprived, and depressed. What more could a girl never want?
Hidan wasn't doing much better.
He knew full well that Hinata was only a student, that he shouldn't have forrced his elder authority upon her so abruptly in their friendship. Not only was she younger, but she was his friend. And friends, despite the constant thoughts he had that night, didn't read each other's diaries without permission. That night, when he left the secret library, he muttered a soft good night to try and get them on talking terms. It left him feeling even more guilty than before.
So, he was guilty, tired, and at threat of losing one of the only girl friends he had.
But, it was a Saturday, and neither of them had planned to meet that day. Not that they were incredibly busy, they were just too prideful to apologize to each other. This was their first ever friend fight, mind you. In a way, they were savoring it. But they wouldn't want to stay like this for long.
Without Hidan's friendly reassurance, Hinata felt even more unprotected than she was without Deidara. She constantly felt Itachi breathing down her back, ready to take her the minute her guard was down. She was scared without her friend to tell her it was okay, and that Itachi wasn't there.
Without Hinata's friendly presence, Hidan felt a bit more insecure than when he was in high school. He constantly heard his high school peers snickering and making fun of him, which didn't really bother him until now. He was uncomfortable without his friend to tell him they were wrong, and that she supported him all the way.
Well, I did yell at him.
Well, I did read her diary.
--
Hinata was walking home from school, alone, since she was still fighting with Hidan. She was on her way home, generally, but her conscience kept tugging her back to Hidan's office, where she knew he was yelling at that one kid who did Pot. But she kept going on, which was a big mistake.
Itachi followed her, every step.
However, he wasn't doing this because he was stalking her. Oh no. He thought about this, and thought hard. Beforehand, he called Hinata's parents, and told them that he would visit the house to discuss an important matter. He was going to discuss an arranged marriage with Hinata. With Deidara gone and Hidan away from her thanks to their quarrel, she was wide open for him to take. And take her, he would.
"Hinata." He greeted when they were at the front door. She froze on the porch, fear crawling all over her body. She slowly turned around to look at him. "I-Itachi-sensei," she stuttered. "Wh-Wha-What are you d-doing here?" He stepped toward her, and she stepped backwards, against the door. Eventually he pinned her against it, bringing his face close to hers. "I'm visiting your parents... to discuss... our marriage." he hissed out the S's so that his breath would tickle her face. She shivered. "M-Marriage!?" She asked, confused. He kissed her cheek sweetly. "Oh, Hinata. Our love has not yet developed. Once we're married, it will all become clear." Hinata shook her head. "I-I don't love you, Itachi-sensei." she whispered, afraid he would hit her. He frowned. "That will change soon enough."
The front door opened, and Hinata's mother stepped out beside them. "Itachi-sensei! Welcome, welcome. Please have a seat in the living room." Hinata gave her a look. "Thank you, Mrs. Hyuga. Will you be joining us?" Itachi asked smoothly. "I will; I need to run a few errands, but I'll be back in a jiffy." She smiled at him, acknowledging Hinata with her attention after Itachi went inside.
Hinata burst out crying, falling into her mother's arms. "He wants to arrange a marriage with me! I don't love him in the slightest, no matter what he says, mother! I love Deidara-sensei!" She sobbed, clinging to her mother for dear life. Mrs. Hyuga stroked her daughter's hair in understanding. "I'm sorry, dear. But it's not my place to choose who you marry. It's your father's choice." she rocked her child back and forth soothingly. "I'm sure your father knows that you don't want to marry him." Putting her faith in her father was the last thing Hinata wanted to do.
At this point, it was hopeless. Itachi had won, and she lost both her love and her precious friend.
-:-
Hrmm...