Chapter Two- She's a strange girl

I grabbed my hand bag out of my locker and slammed it shut. "Later Trick" Ino's voice made me turn around on my heel. Her back was facing me as she walked away. I made my way to her side "Where do you live?" I asked her shifting the strap of my bag onto my left shoulder.

"Just moved into the trailer park about 2 blocks away from here" She answered without looking at me and just stared straight ahead with intense blue eyes. Ino was strange, it didn't take much more then looking to tell that much. Her eyes were intense yet her lips were relaxed and so it was hard to read her emotions.

"Hidden Village?" I said with a tone that made it a question. She nodded and turned her head toward me "You know where it is?"

"I Live there. Trailer 182"

"I Live right beside you" she said with one of her odd smiles.

"Ummm would you maybe…wanna stop by the play ground and hang out for a little while?" I asked her hoping she'd say yes. I was never in a hurry to go home. She said "Sure why not"

Kohana park was close to Hidden village so it didn't take us long to make our way there. Ino seated herself comfortably on the merry-go-round and I took a seat next to her "So what's your family like?" I asked looking down at her where she laid on her back with her arms folded behind her head in a relaxed manor. Her pale face was relaxed and her clear blue eyes were closed, her lips were graced with their usual relaxed curve.

"It's just me and my older brother" She said and paused a short while "He's 21 and our parents died in a car crash awhile back. He pretty much raised me"

"What's he like?"

"He's alright." She mumbled keeping her eyes closed and her expression passive "He taught me how to play piano and took good care of me after Yukino died so I suppose I'd have to say he's a good big brother"

"Yukino?"

"The woman who gave birth to me" Audrey's tone was slightly annoyed. I nodded understanding conflicts with parents.

"What's your home life like, Trick?" She opened one blue eye and looked up at me.

"Uh...it's just mom and me" I found myself chewing on my lower lip.

"Tell me about your mom then"

"She's hardly in her head" my voice came out slow and quiet "She's always passed out on the couch or drinking or sleeping around…..My dad died a couple years back and well…she took it hard…..she's only 29 ya know?"

Audrey sat up and looked at me, her blonde hair was slightly staticy and messed up. "Just make sure to remember that you and your mom are not the same people, just because she chose that life style doesn't make it yours" her gaze held mine, such intense blue eyes.

"Thanks Ino" She was the first person in my life to ever say something like that to me. She simply offered me one of her strange smiles in response.

"Hey, Trick" She said looking off at the swings to the left. I looked up "Hm?"

"My brothers taking me camping on Saturday. Wanna come?"

I nodded with a gentle smile "Sure, sounds fun"

"Your mom won't mind?"

"Not at all" I said shifting my weight into my hands to look up at the orange sky. "It's getting kind of late" my voice was quiet. "Let's stay a little longer" Ino stated quietly lying back down on the merry-go-round.

I responded with a quiet "Alright"

"Lay with me" her voice was quiet, sweet, and almost hard to hear. Slowly I moved so I was lying down in the center of the playground toy, my head rested near hers and my feet were pointed toward the south and hers toward the north.

My eyes stayed focused on the sun as it slowly set, though out the corner of my eye I saw Ino's still passive face and her eyes were closed. She began to hum the tune to her song. The one she'd been playing when I met her earlier in the day.

"D…Did you ever think of any lyrics for it?" I asked gently.

She shook her head "I'll think of something eventually" and she went back to humming. My body relaxed and I fell under the spell of her beautiful voice. The world wasn't cruel anymore. For those few seconds...while she hummed her song...the earth felt still and it was peaceful, not cruel, not bitter, not a contest for popularity...just a moment in time where a person is a person and not one is better then the other.

A gentle gust of air broke the spell and her humming came to a slow stop. I turned my head to the side to look at her. We were nose to nose. I felt my breathing come to a slow stop and my face went red. To be this close to her was nearly binding. Ino's eyes were so intense. I forced myself to sit up. "It really is getting late"

She stood up and held out her hand for mine. I took it and she pulled me to my feet. "Let's go then. Naruto is probably worried about me" She muttered.

"Your brother?"

"Mhm"

The walk home was pretty short seeing as we weren't too far away from Hidden Village. When she walked up the steps to her trailer she said "Won't you come inside for a little bit?"

I thought about it for second. If I planned on going camping it made sense to meet Naruto. I walked inside with her.

The trailer was clean and had fairly nice furniture. Above the polyester couch hung a picture of a young blond man, who I assumed was Naruto and next to him stood Ino. "Ino where the hell were you?" Naruto walked into the living room. He was a handsome man with blue eyes and tan skin, made up of broad shoulders and a muscular chest.

"With a friend" Ino regarded him with a calm tone.

"I see" he looked at me, assessing me with his blue eyes. He and Ino had a similar eye color but his gaze was not as intense as hers, not at all.

"Hi, I'm Hinata Hyugga. I live next door and I go to school with-"

He cut me off "Nice to know Ino made a friend." He seemed to smile for a fleeting moment, there was no doubt in my mind he'd heard of my family and was just being a good protective older brother.

"She's going camping with us" Ino interjected.

Naruto stared at his little sister for a short while "Fine. I suppose you'll be less bored if you have a friend along"

She offered him one her signature smiles. The sound of something falling next door made me cringe "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow Ino" I turned around and ran toward the door.

"Later Trick!" Inocalled after me as the screen door slammed behind me.

I sprinted into my yard and shakily made my way up the 3 porch steps. "MOM?" I yelled as I flung the door open and ran inside. The sound of running water told me she was in the kitchen.

A puddle of water peeked from behind the counter. Red rose petals swam around in it with broken glass. I darted around the counter. Mom sat there, her back against the base of the sink. Her long blue hair was wet and stringy. I knelt down beside her, soaking my skinny jeans in water "Mom?"

She turned her dazed blue eyes on me "Hina?" she asked sounding unsure. I nodded and helped her stand up. "Com'on mama" I said gently leading her into the bathroom. She held herself up by placing her hand on the bathroom counter.

The sound of running water broke the silence when I filled a bath for her. It had been this way ever since I can remember...

"what's wrong mama?"...I was six

"Get the fuck away from me you worthless little shit!" the sound of her hand against my face echoed all throughout the trailer.

Tears formed in my blue eyes "I'm sorry mama"

"My life would so much easier if you'd never been born" she hissed.

I shook the memory from my head and helped my mother into the tub, soaking her long hair with my wet fingers. "You gotta be more careful when I'm not here mom. Your gonna hurt yourself one day"

She didn't really respond, she just stared down at the water slightly dazed. I poured the shampoo into my hand and lathered her scalp with it "Mama, I'm going camping with my friend on Saturday and I'll be gone for that night so I'm gonna call Uncle Hizashi to come and watch you for that night. Alright?"

"No." She said softly "Leave Hizashi alone" She didn't like when father's brother came over. Mostly because he was sober and actually had a job. There was no way in the hell of it I was leaving her alone for a night. With a light sigh I finished washing her hair.

"Sorry Mama but I'm gonna call him. You can't be here alone"

"Damn it, Hinata I'm a full grown woman. I dont need my brother-in-law to baby sit me" she said throwing her clenched fist against the side of the tub.

"I'm calling him over mom. That's that" I said walking out of the bathroom to go find her a towel. The laundry basket was in the middle of the living room. I grabbed a red towel off the top and walked back into the bathroom.

She shifted and got up so I could wrap the towel around her body. Her ability to talk was coming back but by all other standards she was still intoxicated. I helped her put on a clean T-shirt and let her lay down in her bed to get through the rest of her hang over.

I walked out into the living room and picked up the phone. It rang 3 or 4 times. "Hey"

"Hinata?"

"Yeah Uncle Hizashi..." I stated quietly "It's me"

"Hey baby girl, how are you?"

"I'm fine...I need a favor"

"Sure what's wrong, Hinata?"

"I'm going camping on Saturday"

"And you need me to watch Hyama for that night"

"Yeah" I said gently

"Who are you going camping with?"

"My friend Ino" I answered just above a whisper.

"I'm off work Saturday night. I'll come over and stay until you get home"

"Thanks Uncle Hizashi"

"No problem sweetie. You deserve a break" and with that the phone went silent until it merged into an irritating dial tone.