Arashi: Here is the next chapter of Highschool Sandbox. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far. ^^
Disclaimers- Still don't have Naruto.
Fingering the bandage around his head, Gaara gave a nervous sigh. He was standing outside the school, roughly 10:00 am. When Deidara had found out he was going to stay home for another day, he blew a gasket and dumped his ass here. He wanted to run home, but he didn't have a key, and their neighborhood wasn't exactly the best neighborhood on the planet. Meaning there was a whore and a drug dealer on every corner. It was awkward to be hit on by strange 62-year-old-botox-inflated-blonde-women when you were gay and 15. It was either disease-ridden woman or school.
Gaara opened the school door with a slight push. They were heavy, large gym doors that hung heavy on the hinges, making a creepy squeak. He walked down the deserted hallways, attempting to find the office. He had only been there once before and it was for fighting. In Gaara's defense, the guy brought it upon himself by picking on the creepy guy that sits in the corner. You don't mess with that kid. Common fucking sense. Gaara sighed, turning down a hallway that was unfamiliar to him. Littered down the hallway were kids smoking joints and making out, not Gaara's crowd- if he had one. Gaara sighed and made his eyes cold and empty, usually nobody was dumb enough to say anything to him when he had his look of death.
"Hey! Freak!" A voice echoed down the hallway. Idiot. Gaara turned slowly, making a disturbing effect. Pinning the unfortunate boy with a glare Gaara crossed his arms, awaiting an explanation from this asshole. The asshole in question took a long hit from his joint before flicking the little stub of burnt paper on the ground. He pushed his slumped self off of the wall and stepped on the still smoking addictive substance. Slouched stance, baggy jeans, and a dirty tee-shirt was what the guy was made of.
"Come with me."
"No." Gaara's instant reply was. He began to turn his back on the high teenager before he was grabbed about the shoulders and smashed into a locker.
"I didn't ask if you wanted to." He responded as if speaking to a little child. He took Gaara's arm and dragged him down a much cleaner hallway and then rammed him into a locker. Gaara was pissed. He glanced down at his gourd, still proudly strung around his hips, and narrowed his eyes at the unfortunate teen. Spotting Gaara's gourd strung on his hip, the druggies eyes widened and he took a step back.
"You still carrying that shit around? The whole school knows about you're freaky shit, man! That teacher still got that sand on her mouth, man! You won't get away with it, dude!" Gaara sighed. This guy was so high he probably didn't even know his own name.
He was just about to walk away from the floundering teen before he heard a ripping noise and a tug on his hip. The bastard had ripped his gourd off! Before he could protest, he was shoved into a locker and locked in.
"Sayonara, Sand-man!" He heard a fragmented voice call. Gaara's eyes narrowed. He tried feeling for the sand, no-use. It was out of range. Cursing loudly, Gaara hit the locker door from the inside. He started to shake. Gaara was scared of the dark and he was claustrophobic. Lockers trigger both fears. Gaara slid down, clutching his knees to him, going silent.
Neji sighed. He wondered where his pet had gone, he had been missing for two days. Not a literal pet, no. His cat was fine, but his pet however, was missing. Ever since Neji had laid eyes on his pet he had been smitten. He had caught Neji's attention by accident at P.E. one day…
FLASHBACK!
"You! Red-head! Get your skinny self over here and climb this rope without using your feet. Touch the top if you can." The large P.E. teacher had said in a mocking tone. The boy was very small. He was the shortest in the class, and the skinniest in the class- including the girls. He had messy bright red hair that stuck out in different angles, his hair stood out even more because of his green eyes. His eyes were beautiful. They were rimmed with a thick line of black, making him seem even smaller somehow.
The boy nodded and stood at the bottom of the rope. He sighed before grabbing the rope with delicate hands. People began to laugh at his delicateness with the rope, claiming he'd never be able to climb the rope. Suddenly, the boy shot up, climbing the rope faster than most of the football, tennis, and soccer teams had. Within seconds he was at the top, staring down at them all, his feet dangling below. He lifted a hand, letting his whole body be supported by one arm and touched the ceiling. He gave the teacher a blank stare before letting go of the rope. However, instead of falling, the red-head had alternated his hands in grasping the rope and turning around it in a very meticulous and calculating way- slowing his falling rate. He was holding the rope delicately as he pseudo-fell. Landing with a small thud, the red-head gave another blank stare to the teacher, before heading back to the stunned crowd.
"Hey! Wait just a second! If I may ask… will you join our gymnastics team? Please buddy?" The teacher sputtered out, calling after the boy. The boy stiffened and stopped. He turned slowly around and pinned the teacher with a cold glare.
"Don't talk to me as if you have always respected me. Your fake charade sickens me." His voice rang out in a raspy low tone that chilled the spines of the other students.
END FLASHBACK!
Neji sighed. His pet was so adorable. He always had this dazed and slightly post-sex aura about him. Neji even thought Gaara's sand was adorable. It was like his pet's pet. Neji could spend all day just watching his pet play with his sand. Whenever Gaara played with his sand he always wore a soft, sad, barely there smile. Neji knew how happy the sand made Gaara. It was all his pet had.
Neji also found it adorable that Gaara had always made small innocent things with his sand. Like ballerinas, small foxes, children playing, other such childish things; it made Neji happy that Gaara found such pleasure in those things. Neji also liked to protect Gaara. His pet didn't know it, but Neji had curbed many insults and physical attacks from jealous people. It made Neji happy that he could protect his pet. Too bad he couldn't protect Gaara from himself.
Whenever Neji saw his pet, he thought something, then would say the exact opposite, thus aggravating or hurting his pet. His pet hated him. And the worst part, Neji couldn't blame him. One time, the soccer team had ganged up on Gaara and beat him up. They were constantly on him, 7 or so against one. It was sick. All of them were aiming for the face. They beat his pet till his poor pet cried blood from the blows to his face. Gaara didn't cry out once. It was just sick. All Neji did was watch. He stood back and watched his "friends" beat his precious pet senseless. He didn't help Gaara or his teammates. That night, Neji could be found throwing up in his bathroom, so nauseated by his own actions, it made him psychically sick. He couldn't look at Gaara for days afterwards. In fact, Neji was slightly nauseous from just remembering, even though he paid his due to his pet for that incident.
FLASHBACK!
"Hey. Uhh who do you wanna see?" Temari asked Neji, letting him in.
"Gaara." Neji barely whispered. Temari nodded before screaming at Gaara to come down. Neji was in the living room with Gaara's older brother, Kankuro, and two older males, one blonde and one red-headed. Neji heard light footsteps walking down the stairs. About halfway down the stairs Gaara had stopped and looked at Neji.
"Get out." Gaara said roughly, closing his eyes in rage.
"Gaara… I…" But before Neji could apologize, Gaara's eyes had flared open. His eyes spelled terror. He walked slowly down the stair, animosity rolling off of him in waves. He stopped about two feet from Neji before pulling back his fist and punching Neji in the face as hard as he could. Neji flew backwards with a loud cracking noise. Blood blossomed from Neji's nose.
"Gaara!" Temari yelled, shocked.
"No… I deserved it…" Neji said weakly, standing up slowly, facing his pet, ready for the next blow. Gaara took advantage of the opportunity and tackled Neji, pounding him anywhere he could reach, blind with rage.
"Where. Are. Your. Friends. Now. Bitch?" Gaara asked, punching Neji in between words. Neji let him. Not defending himself. Before Gaara could succeed in killing Neji, his older brother pulled him off of a bleeding and bruised Neji. Temari suddenly kneeled by Neji, asking if he was alright.
"Of course I'm not okay. But… let him continue if he wishes. I deserve it." Neji stated, before attempting to stand up. He swayed on the spot, an eye swollen shut, blood everywhere, and numerous bruises. The two older males went over to help Neji stand.
Neji slowly looked up at Gaara before saying:
"I'm sorry…for everything. Accept my apology. Please forgive me."
"Don't ask for my forgiveness to ease your guilt." Gaara spat at Neji, trying to still get to him.
"I could care less about myself. It's you I worry about." Neji replied, coughing up blood.
"Then why didn't you stop them if you worry about me so much? You just stood there and fucking watched!" Gaara growled, anger flaring again. Neji was caught. He didn't know the answer to that question.
"I… I don't know…" Gaara shook his brother off of him.
"Just leave." He said pointing to the door. Neji looked up at his pet and nodded slowly, pushing off the two older males, walking out the door.
Later that night, Neji got a phone call. He looked at his phone tiredly before answering.
"Hello?"
"I accept." Gaara's voice rang out, before a dial tone was heard.
END FLASHBACK!
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Arashi: Please read and review. ^^