:D

-:-

"In detention, you are not allowed to speak." Deidara and Sasori, not being in detention very often, were surprised that they replaced the aging teacher in charge. It was now a middle-aged, probably-divorced, irritated and angry volcano of a man standing before them, already beet red and yelling. "In this room, you have no permission to: Talk, walk, laugh, cry, mutter, whisper, cough, sneeze, wheeze, breathe, read, draw, write, and think under any circumstance." he glared at the two, since no one else was stupid enough to get detention on the first day of school. "And especially, no homework. Detention is supposed to teach you a lesson, and that lesson is that if you do something wrong, you get the worst hour and a half of your life." Deidara and Sasori gulped in unison. "Is that clear!?" Mr. Volcano (Impromptu name) demanded, making both of them yelp a small "Yes sir!"

"NO TALKING."

It was going to be a long hour and a half.

--

Deidara and Sasori walked home with stiff backs and sleepy legs. "Good GOD who was that guy?" Sasori groaned, rubbing his legs as they walked. "Satan? The Anti-Christ?" Deidara suggested as they turned to walk to their house. "And we have two more weeks of that guy. No breathing, are you serious!?" Sasori scoffed. "What an asshole."

The rest of their walk continued with bad-mouthing the detention teacher. Neither of them remembered to check if Hinata got home safely.

-:-

"Cheat?" Hinata inquired after their few minutes of silence. "You know, dating someone else instead of the one you're going out with." Itachi explained, a bit surprised that she didn't know. "Oh." she thought for a little. "Why would you date someone else?" she asked, perplexed. "I don't know. Complicated reasons. Like, to get back at the person, or you don't love them anymore..." He looked at her. She nodded slowly. "That's weird." She said after a few minutes. "I suppose." Itachi agreed.

Hinata thought more and more about love and dating and cheating, and marveled at how much she didn't know. And how much Itachi apparently did.

"Have you ever cheated on someone?" she asked. Itachi scoffed. "No way. Not yet." he glanced at Hinata once before standing up. "Maybe I should go." he said, heading for the door. Hinata followed him with her eyes. "Oh. Okay." she stood up and waited as Itachi slipped his shoes on. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Hinata." In an almost automatic fashion, he leaned down and kissed her. Realizing what he did, he pulled away quickly and turned red. Hinata stood still, eyes wide. "Um..." She started. "Uh, yeah. Bye." Itachi hurried out the door, and Hinata watched him leave. She stayed at the door until he was out of sight, then retreated back to the living room.

Itachi just... she thought again about love and dating and cheating, and marveled at how close she was to doing just that.

-:-

I wonder where Maylene went. Melinda (Deidara's mother) was standing on the corner of the block where she and Maylene (Hinata's mother) went to work. She was running rather late today, since the two usually met at 4:30 to walk back home. Maybe she's staying overtime and forgot to tell me. Despite this thought, she stayed where she was, just in case.

Melinda sighed, then leaned forward a little to see if Maylene was walking her way down the sidewalk. She looked at her watch. 4:45. Where could she be?

Suddenly, a very loud siren went off, and down the road she saw cars driving on the side to make way for an ambulance to go through. The white car slowed to a stop on the next corner of the same block she was standing, and she ran to check out the commotion. There were already a lot of people at the scene, most of which were in uniform; the same uniform as the one Maylene wore to work. Maybe someone got hurt?

Finally turning the corner, she realized that that it wasn't just anybody who got hurt. There was a little blood on the concrete of the sidewalk, and hunched over on the ground was a familiar frail figure, coughing and shaking as the doctors took her onto the stretcher.

"M-Maylene!" Melinda dropped her bags and ran towards Maylene, pushing through the crowd and helped the doctors take her to the van. "Miss, are you related to this person?" One of them asked. "Er… Yes, I'm her sister." Melinda said without thinking. The doctor studied her quizzically, since they had almost no similarity whatsoever, but shrugged it off.

"M… Melin…" Maylene weakly reached out to Melinda with her clean hand. "C-Call… Hina…ta…" she fell unconscious, and the ambulance roared on down the road.

--

The doctor said that Maylene had been sick for a few weeks without telling anyone. It was a cough and a headache that got worse over time. Melinda felt terrible for not knowing, and not telling her to stay home when she looked ill.

Even so, she felt that calling Deidara was a more… responsible… person to call. He would know what to do in terms of notifying Deidara, and could get things done more efficiently.

"Hello?"

"Deidara, Hinata's mom is in the Hospital."

A pause.

"What do you want me to do?"

Melinda thought a moment. "Get Hinata and take her to our house. Tell her where her mother is and… well, maybe stay home until I call you back."

"Um… Okay. What do we do for dinner?"

"…"

Melinda hung up the phone and slid it into her pocket. She awkwardly sat beside Maylene, who was still sleeping.

-:-

Deidara looked at his phone before putting it back into his pocket. Sasori decided to go back to his own house, and Deidara was already at his front gate. He sighed, then slowly gathered up the courage to get Hinata. Her house was almost exactly like his house, so he hoped that she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

Hesitantly, he knocked on the door. There was no immediate response, like the sound of footsteps or rustling from inside, so he knocked again, louder. Again, no response. He went around the house to where he thought her bedroom was.

"Hinata!" he called. This time, he heard a chair screeching on the floor. A few seconds later, Hinata's head leaned out the window. She first looked at the window across from her; His room, then from side to side before looking down at him. "Oh. Um… Deidara?" She said, puzzled. Deidara turned a light pink. "Y-Yeah… Um… Are you home alone?" He asked, already cursing himself for asking such an obvious question. Hinata laughed - apparently he made an odd face in his self berating. "Yes. Why?" She relaxed a bit, resting her elbows on the window pane.

"Well… The thing is…" It didn't feel right telling her about her mother with such a huge gap between them. "I heard from my mom that your mom was coming home… late. And she said to invite you for dinner…" Was that a lie? It sounded more like the truth with a sugar coating. Hinata thought it over for a few seconds before saying yes. Then she retreated to her room, where she was probably packing her backpack with her homework.

He met her at her front door, then the two walked over to his house.

They sat at the dining table, even though it was too early for dinner. It was awkward, since neither of them knew what to talk about. Well, Deidara did, but it still didn't feel right. And he was beginning to think that there wouldn't ever be a good time to tell her. A bunch of scenarios ran over in his head, each one ending in disaster. If he told her over dinner, she might choke on her food or something. If they somehow ended up watching a movie in the living room, she'd stop the movie and yell at him. If he somehow got her to sleep in Sasori's bed tonight in his room, she'd leave and go back to her house and leave him very, very disappointed. It made him laugh that it sounded like she was breaking up with him when they weren't even going out.

"Deidara?" Deidara looked over at Hinata, who looked at him quizzically. "Yeah?" He straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. "What isfor dinner?" she asked. It dawned on him that he had nothing planned for dinner. Not even a microwave meal. "Um… Actually, Hinata, there's something I want to tell… you…" Better now than never, he thought. Hinata leaned forward. "Well…" He paused. How should he say it? Quickly? Slowly? Looking sad? Worried?

"Your mother… she's in the hospital." he scooted closer to her in case she needed someone to cry on. But he was just wishfully thinking. Hinata sat still, as if registering the information. "…Oh." It was as if she didn't know how to react. "Should I… be there? With her?" she asked softly, not lifting her head to look at him. Deidara thought a moment. "I don't know how we'd get there. My mom's already there with her, so you don't have a lot to worry about." He felt a little insensitive, contemplating whether touching her would better or worsen their relationship.

There was silence for a little while, then suddenly he heard Hinata say something. He looked at her and realized that she began crying. "Oh! H-Hinata, what happened…" Another obvious question. He stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. She leaned on him and cried into his shirt. He blushed, then gently stroked her back. "I don't know what to do…" She sobbed, wrapping an arm around him. He slowly stood up, and she did too. "It's… alright. Let's go sit in the living room, okay?" he led them to the couch in the next room and sat down. She curled up, resting her head on her knees.

Deidara studied her for a few minutes. Her shoulders shook with every sob, and her hair made a curtain around her face. Her cute, lovely face…

Cautiously, he let his arm wrap around her shoulders. Nothing bad happened, so he let his cheek touch her head.

"Can I tell you something?" Hinata whispered. Deidara lifted his head, and so did she. "Uh… Of course." he replied. Hinata adjusted herself so that she was facing him. "Do you know what… 'Cheating' is?" she asked. Deidara coughed, then nodded. "Why? Do you think Sasori's cheating on you?" he inquired. Hinata furiously shook her head. "N-No! I think… I cheated on Sasori." she mumbled. Deidara's eyes widened. "What? With who?" She bit her lip. "I… Itachi…"

There was an awkward silence after that. They'd been having a lot of those tonight.

"What did you do with him?" Deidara asked after a while. Hinata took a deep breath. "Well Itachi and I were best friends when we were kids and we used to do everything together and he walked me home and stuff and he just suddenly got very weird and when he got ready to leave he kissed me accidentally and I'm afraid that I cheated on Sasori because you're only supposed to kiss your boyfriend on the lips and not your best friend…" She stopped herself and started breathing again, and Deidara took a minute to register what she just said.

"It shouldn't matter if you really love Sasori." He said after a moment. Hinata stared at him. "You love Sasori, right?" Slowly, she nodded, then stopped. "I… I'm not sure… anymore." She whispered, looking surprised. Deidara was surprised as well. "And… Now, I need to ask my mother for advice, and she's in the hospital…" Ah. That was why she suddenly brought her love life into the situation. Deidara supposed it made sense. It was a little sad, too. He hoped his mother had a way to get them to the hospital - or, better yet, that her mother got out of the hospital alright.

There was a sudden rumbling noise. It was soft, but you could still hear it. If you were sitting right next to the source.

Deidara looked at Hinata, who blushed, covering her stomach self consciously. He almost laughed - she looked cute like that. "Wh-What was that?" She asked. "I think you're hungry." Deidara chuckled, standing up. Hinata looked horrified. "But… But only poor people get hungry!" She gasped. Deidara shifted uneasily towards the kitchen. "That's a little mean, don't you think?" he said as she entered the kitchen after him. She flinched.

"Mean?" She questioned, as if the word had a whole different meaning if applied to her.

--

"Mean?"

Hinata thought about this. She had never been hungry, and she most certainly has never been called 'mean'. Things really are different when you downgrade to middle-class. Deidara noticed her sad look and turned to her. "Don't dwell on it; I didn't mean it!" And he turned around to look for dinner. Things got really different in middle-class.

She watched as Deidara sifted through his fridge for something to eat. Eventually he found something in a Tupperware container and put it in the microwave. Hinata cringed at the thought of aged food. Everything she got at the mansion was freshly cooked, seasoned with the freshest of spices and vegetables. The meal he was preparing had been freshly cooked… some time ago. Still, she tried to look thankful for the food as he laid it out in front of her. Apparently, she didn't try hard enough, because Deidara gave her a concerned look.

"Uh.. Sorry it's not the fanciest thing around…" He began. She shook her head, but he continued ."I could order take-out, if you like." He stood up and walked toward the kitchen phone, but Hinata got up and stopped him. "I-I'm okay with… that." She said softly. Deidara gulped. She actually touched his hand.

They ate in silence. Hinata took small bites out of her food - cautious, even. She wasn't sure what she was eating, but it held a resemblance to what she thought to be Spaghetti.

"So what are you going to tell Sasori?" She heard Deidara ask as he finished his plate. He ate quickly. Or was she just eating slow? Feeling rude, she began to quicken her pace. Softly, he told her it was alright to take her time - or not eat it at all. Well, of course she was going to eat it. He was being so nice to her.

"I don't know. What should I tell him?" Hinata took a small break from eating. Deidara thought a moment. "Honestly, you should at least tell him about the kiss." She stayed silent, letting him continue. "But you shouldn't break up with him, I think." He held a thoughtful look, staring her in the eye. "I mean, Itachi only kissed you today, right? Maybe your feelings for him only last until you sleep on it." He shrugged, then took his plate to the sink. "Are you finished?" he gestured to her plate, and she hastily handed it to him. The spaghetti (she presumed) was good, but she wasn't so hungry after knowing where it came from.

Deidara opened the window in front of the sink and scraped the leftover food out onto the yard. Hinata gasped, surprised. "Wh-Why are you just throwing it out there?" she asked. "It's biodegradable. It'll either decompose, or a lucky raccoon will get a nice spaghetti dinner." He laughed a little, washed his hands, and turned to her. She stood up and walked into the living room, letting him follow her.

Hinata leaned her head back and stared at his ceiling. Her thoughts filed into her head, one by one. Why was her mother in the hospital? Was she hurt? Sick, even? Should she go to her? Her poor, poor, mother. Having to spend nights in a hospital when she could be taking care of her daughter.

How many nights, exactly?

Deidara made a less-than-quiet entrance to the living room, bumping into a side table and making the lamp clatter a little. Hinata snapped out of her thoughts, watching him sit beside her. "Deidara…" She started, then bit her lip. "Yes?" He urged her to continue. "I… don't want to sleep alone. In my house." She saw how his cheeks changed color. "Um… There's an extra bed in my room… if you want." He offered. "Thank you, Deidara." Hinata stood up and looked to her side. "I need to get my things. Can you set the bed up, please?" She gave him a small smile, and immediately, he stood up. "O-Of course! Before you come back, it'll be ready!" He promised.

Hinata smiled at him again and left to get her things.

-:-

"Melinda…"

Melinda sat straight in her seat. She was getting sleepy, and she almost fell asleep if it weren't for her friend calling to her. She went to Maylene's bedside. "You're awake. I'm glad!" She said to her. Maylene coughed, a hoarse, cringe-inducing cough. "I'm sorry to make you stay here… you can go home… and watch Deidara…" she apologized. Melinda shook her head. "He's fine. Hinata's with him. They're both very worried about you." She held Maylene's hand.

Maylene closed her eyes. "I shouldn't be here. I have to take care of Hinata." Melinda saw a tear run down her cheek. "I can't leave Hinata alone while she needs me. She doesn't know how to take care of herself." She weakly brought a hand to wipe her tears away. "I have to… be there for her. Guide her through life until she can take care of herself…" Melinda felt herself crying a little as well. "You don't have to worry about that. You will go back to Hinata. You can take care of her!" she said softly. Maylene shook her head. "I need to tell you something, Melinda."

Melinda nodded. "A couple weeks ago, I went to the doctor to check my cough. He said… He said that I had a horrible infection that was growing from my throat to my lungs. I couldn't let it distract me - My husband just died and it was only Hinata and I to take care of ourselves. I knew I had to keep working to make ends meet and…" Maylene coughed. "…I forgot about it after a while… and now… I think the infection has spread beyond my lungs…" Melinda bit her lip. "Melinda… Please take care of Hinata. She needs a mother now, more than ever."

And then, the hand in Melinda's hand went limp and cold.

-:-

Uh… I'm sorry.

For not updating in a while.

Lots of things happening, yup, yup.