[b] I'LL MEET YOU BY THE STORE [/b]

Sayuki smiled with relief as she read the short text. Gaara had shortly left after bringing them to Sayuki's house and making sure they were okay. He planned to follow Karin around with her friends to see if they'd do anything suspicious. He told her everything as though to relieve her of any stress or terror of them coming. Karin had gone home; just not quietly as they did. They had gone to her house though. So far he hadn't seen them leave and they both knew he couldn't stay out there all day waiting.

It was when Sayuki mentioned going to drop Sakura off he insisted on taking her back. He warned her and told her to repeat the words to Sakura that they shouldn't go off alone. They all knew Karin had her short fuse easily lit. Sakura hadn't simply lit it either. She had doused it in gasoline and flicked several matches at it. Sayuki knew that clearly so his offer lifted a huge weight from her tiny shoulders.

"I'd invite you in, but I'm just really worn out from today..." Sakura excused herself with a weak smile. Sayuki grinned to reassure her and nodded in understanding.

Inside Sayuki's heart shattered as she witnessed her friend's smile. While she grew and learned to force a smile, her friend's smile grew weaker and weaker as she watched. Ever since they had been together and Sakura had helped her out she had noticed it. So how else was she to expect anything except the fact that it was all her fault? If she hadn't started and brought Sakura into her war with Karin, she would probably still be smiling brightly.

"Hey, be careful on the way back, okay?" Sayuki broke from her train of thought and looked up at the worried Sakura. Sakura was biting her lip as she thought. She looked directly at Sayuki. "I just feel really... uneasy." Sakura seemed to be conflicting with herself, but she sensed her love for her and worries. Sayuki nodded.

"Gaara said he would meet me at the nearby store." Sayuki reassured the pink haired girl chipperly. Sayuki watched as Sakura's expression changed from her worry, to horror and shock. It was only for an instant before it changed back. The only remaining evidence was her reddened face. She quickly spun around.

"I'm not feeling so good. I'll see you tomorrow though." Sakura whipped the words out as she headed through her yard's gate and to the door. Sayuki opened her mouth to ask if she needed anything, but stopped as she heard a sudden rustling from behind her. She looked back and searched around, but saw nothing. She chastised herself for spooking herself. She looked back to Sakura, but where she had been was empty now. She sighed.

She bit her lip and stared at the yellow panelled house. It had a sweet, warm, and inviting look to it. She had only seen it from outside but she was sure inside would be just the same. It comforted her to know it was where Sakura lived. Her thoughts were stopped again as she heard another sound from behind. She turned around completely now this time. Nothing. Sakura lived in a quiet neighbourhood. It probably just spooked her out because there was absolutely no one there. School was still on. Still it didn't feel right and against her chastising, she ran.

She didn't really think, but instead kept looking around as she pumped her legs to gain speed. Her breathing grew heavier as she wasted her energy to take these looks around her. She didn't know why she felt so uncomfortable; she just knew she wanted to run away from the feeling. Nothing could get the feeling of something watching her. It was probably just the wind. She repeated that to herself, but she didn't care. She was too scared. Another irrational feeling; nothing new to her.

The store became clearer in her vision and with each step hitting the ground she felt more and more at ease. Her place slowed as she panted. She was only a few steps away now as she slowed down. She promised herself she would only look one more time. There were people and cars on both sides of the street. Yellow, black, white, red cars. Mother and daughter. Two boys who were probably skipping class. She let out a long sigh of relief.

"Sayuki." A low voice growled as she felt her arm being grabbed by the darkness of the alley way between the two buildings. Sayuki shrieked as she got roughly pulled into the dark. A hand covered her both and she instinctively bit it. Her abductor growled and let her go. "It's me!"

Sayuki blinked and her mouth dropped in surprise as she recognized the voice. "Gaara?" He shuffled around and moved closer to the light. The sun twinkled brightly against his red bed-head. She could now make out half of his face as his green eyes looked at his damaged hand. Panic had blinded her, and now she felt incredibly ridiculous. "I'm so sorry!"

"Why were you running?" Gaara asked as he wiped his hand aggressively against his pants. Her heart was still racing crazily and she could feel her eyes widened. She must have looked like a lunatic escaping their cell. "You're even sweating... Her house isn't that far."

"I was... I didn't want to make you wait and I'm sort of out of shape..." Sayuki lied poorly with a slight grin. His emerald eyes showed he clearly saw through her. She knew he wouldn't force her to talk though and she appreciated it. She also knew that he would expect her to tell him eventually. She felt good and bad about the fact he was worried about her.

"It's fine. You didn't need to strain yourself." Gaara spoke slowly as he examined her further. She shook lightly, afraid he would see how scared she had truly been. If he only knew, he wouldn't hold back to respect her wishes. She felt more stupid now for feeling that fear and she hoped it would show more than the fear. "I knew you would though, so I didn't exactly walk. Thirsty?"

He walked towards the sidewalk. She followed after she grinned and nodded. She was glad he had stuck to the norm and not pestered her. She just wanted to forget her foolishness. She genuinely smiled to make up for it and followed him to the sidewalk. She looked back and snapped at herself. No one was there. It had probably been a cat she kept hearing or something equally cliché.

"What's wrong?" Gaara asked again for the second time that day. Sayuki shook her head. She hadn't realized that against her will she had still been looking.

"Nothing, just wondering what I'm thirsty for..." He simply nodded and she forced her stare towards the store. She walked into the cool conditioner of the small store.

She had actually grown thirsty from her run and simply bought a nice cold bottle of water. As she did so Gaara quickly grabbed several items from the shelves. He seemed distracted as he decided so she walked up to the counter and paid for her beverage. She quickly undid the lid and chugged the refreshing liquid down as she patiently waited.

As she grew bored though she felt her eyes wander to outside. She bit her lip and quickly looked at the nearby magazine rack. She read and gawked at the covers of the pretty teen girls, and a practically nude girl from a magazine she had never hoped to see. She cursed the teen boy who had probably lazily put it in plain sight as a joke. She sipped on the remaining water in the bottle after hiding the magazine.

"You must have run quite a bit." A shiver went up Sayuki's spine. She didn't dare turn back. All of her paranoia came rushing back at full speed. She attempted to ignore the voice from behind and swerved to her right to make a quick exit. She heard a low dark chuckle but she didn't let it stop her as she left through the door.

"What did she say?" Gaara's angry voice asked as the tiny bell dinged from the opening of the door again.

"It was nothing." Sayuki insisted.

"That's what you've been saying all day!" Gaara shouted aggressively. Sayuki flinched at his sudden outburst. She was used to his calm side. He seemed to notice her reaction and his voice calmed. "Sorry, but when I saw Karin prance in... and you just left... I have to assume she did something."

"It was really nothing!" Sayuki spoke honestly for the first time that day. "She just commented on me running... I guess I still look sweaty and gross..." Gaara looked doubtful for a moment as he weighed her words. He must have seen some truth in her for he just nodded and said fine.

"Let's just go before they come out." Gaara suggested after a hard look at the strikingly similar hair color to his own. He looked away and Sayuki snuck a look at the girl. She turned at the same time to look at her. Karin's smile was visible even through the dirty glass. Sayuki's mouth twisted in a grimace as she looked away from the girl's smug look.

"Okay," Sayuki agreed. They began to walk, quietly at first. After a minute or so, Sayuki couldn't keep her question to herself any longer. "Wasn't Karin at her house?"

"She was supposed to be." Gaara admitted. His expression showed he had been asking himself the same thing. His face was frozen in a hard scowl. Had she noticed him and taken the chance to follow him as he left? Her paranoia grew crazy.

After that neither spoke during the short trip to her house. Soon they arrived though. She thanked him with a small smile and invited him inside. He declined, lost in his own thoughts to even really listen. She looked up at him worriedly in exchange. He noticed and his lip twitched in an attempt to smile. She waved and walked to her door and opened it. Her keys jingled as she unlocked the door. The entire time Gaara stood watching her. She waved again and walked inside.

"Hello?" Her voice echoed throughout the house and she closed the door. No one answered in response. She realized how dumb she had been for thinking someone would be home. She shouldn't even be there. She sighed, both relieved and frightened. Her fear reminded her of tomorrow and the thought of going back alone.

"Gaara!" Sayuki called out as she ran and quickly opened the door. Her pace didn't stop until she slowed at the front of the yard. She couldn't see him and she walked out further, leaving the door opened. No sign of him. She didn't remember him ever being so fast.

Something else caught her attention to the side. A black, slick car with a thin, red stripe across it. She had seen it earlier. It had caught her attention as she ran. It had also been across the street in front of the small hair salon. That wasn't the only place. It had also been parked at her school.

Fear suddenly washed over her entire being. It was pure instinct. She stepped back and twisted her body to turn. She reached to grab her phone from her pocket as she slammed into a hard, yet soft surface. Her phone dropped with a scatter to the ground as she looked up.

"Hello!" Two voices rang in perfect simultaneously as she felt her arms being grabbed and her mouth muffled with some sort of cloth. Her screams grew to nothing, but her eyes grew as she saw the two identical faces smirking. Her arm was twisted in pain as she was shoved towards the black car and forced in.

She saw two heads of red.