Chapter 3
Hinata honestly didn't run very far as her emotions fully started to take over. The familiar ache of sorrow bubbled up in her throat just begging for her to relieve it. Hinata honestly hadn't shed a tear in years, and she promised herself that she wouldn't start now. She forced herself to a stop and anchored herself to a stop sign. Her clammy hand grasped her throat as she willed herself to swallow all the emotions and hurt. There was no way that she would break down like this. Her breath shuddered as her unshed tears slowly began to recede back to whence they came.
Both hands on the stop sign now as she collects herself from what could have been an ugly episode. Her eyes stared down at her scuffed up Converse as she mentally counted down to one. It has only been a day. One whole day, and she's already made an enemy with the apparent queen bee. The only thing she tried to do was keep to herself, but that plan didn't seem to go well. No matter what, drama and misery just seems to always find her.
Finally letting go of the sign, she rubs her palms onto her denim clad thighs. She closes her eyes for another deep breath before standing to full attention. The intersection that she's standing at is vaguely familiar from this morning, but she can't really be sure which way is home. Using her woman's intuition, she just takes a left hoping that she's right this time.
About three blocks down, the street is getting more obscure. 'Have I seen that park before?' Hinata asks herself already knowing the answer is no. She has never seen that park in her life. The neighborhood is nothing like her own. These houses are a little more upscale than her middle-class residence. The houses have gates around them, extravagant cars, and even the people seem more refined than where she lives. Dread creeps up on her when she realizes that she's completely lost. She stops on the sidewalk across the street from the park as her mind races. Where should she go? Does she turn around and go back, or go to the school and wait for her mom? Or does she sit right here and wait for someone to find her?
Although the last idea was unconventional, Hinata drops her bag on the ground and sits down right next to it. She crosses her legs and just sits in the middle of the sidewalk. She grabs her bag and reaches inside for a scrap of notebook paper and a binder to write on to pass the time. Usually when her thoughts are racing, she writes a diary entry or two. Of course, her diary is tucked away at home. Sighing gently, she begins trying to capture her emotions on paper with no clear directions.
The writing ended up into a drawing. A woman with dark hair with arms outstretched screaming as a majestic knife slices up her arms spilling roses and lilacs for blood. She was just touching up the hair on the woman when she heard a honk. Hinata immediately tensed up remembering that she wasn't in her home. She had lost herself in her art forgetting that she was in unfamiliar territory. A minute seemed to pass until there's another honk.
"Hinata?" Although she had only been in his presence for an hour at most, she'd recognize that voice from anywhere. Her head snapped up in response as she coolly glanced at the speaker. She evaluated him slowly. Naruto never seemed like a person that would have a fancy vehicle. A Cadillac coupe at that. Her eyes slowly found their way to his and she could swear they beamed. "I thought that was you." His voice had a laughing tone, but she could tell he was picking his words carefully. He didn't want a repeat of earlier.
She nodded slightly to his words and her eyes glided to the ground. What is it about him that makes her scared, angry and awkward all at once? She could hear him clear his throat.
"Um...you need a ride?" He was obviously sheepish with his words. He scratched the back of his neck while he plastered on a lopsided grin. Hinata's lip twitched into a small half smile as she nodded yes. She wasn't going to take him up on the offer at first, but how else would she get home?
000
Naruto eased into a sop right in front of Hinata's house. She raised her eyebrow in question of how he knew her address. "I saw your schedule." His voice shocked her a little since the whole ride getting there was silent. "Your address was on there." She nodded a little and slowly began grabbing her things. "Um.."
"Hinata?" Her mother burst out of her home and came trotting up to the car. Her eyes filled with worry. "Hinata, I'm so glad you made it home. It turns out that Hanabi's meeting got canceled, I realized that you probably wouldn't remember how to get home, and I really got worried when I noticed you were an hour late. I'm sorry next time I will-" Her incessant talking suddenly stopped when she noticed a teenaged boy was in her presence. Her eyes glided from Hinata and Naruto and a smile crept onto her face. "Well, I guess I shouldn't have worried too much. Looks like you've already made a friend." Her emphasis on "friend" almost made Hinata hang her head in embarrassment.
"I'm Naurto Uzumaki. Pleased to meet you." He grinned. Hinata watched as her mother flipped her hair to the side and giggled. Good Lord.
"Well hello. I'm Keiko*. I'm pleased to meet you too." She strode over to Naruto's side and shook his hand. As they were getting acquainted, Hinata chose this moment to make her escape. She grabbed her bags and got out of the car. Neither o them noticed she was leaving until just as she turned the doorknob to the house. "Hinata! Don't be rude! Invite your guest inside. He's staying for dinner."
000
Hinata picked at her spaghetti as her parents and sister grilled Naruto. They asked everything from his address to if he was seeing anyone(her mother's doing). He just laughed off their questions and answered them honestly. Hinata chewed slowly on a meatball as they asked him about school. It was then that they finally acknowledged her.
"It's weird for Hinata to find a friend so quickly." Hanabi stated. Her sister in question nearly choked on her food. She had been tuning them out, but she became aware once she mentioned her name. Hinata glanced at Naruto and saw his eyebrow raise. His curiosity was obviously peaked. "I mean, she never talks too much. Especially after the accident." All the clinking of silverware seemed to stop at that very moment. It was then that Hinata wished even more that she could crawl into herself and cease to exist. She didn't dare look at anybody. She found that her lap was much more interesting anyway.
"Well..." Her father, Hiashi, was at a loss for words. "I think this concludes dinner." Everyone seemed to silently agree as they dropped the subject and began to clean up.
Naruto waited for Hinata by the door because it's only common courtesy to see your guest out. She reached past him ignoring the closeness of their bodies and opened the door for him. They stood their awkwardly and Hinata thanked whoever was listening that her family was distracted by cleaning. "I've had a good night." He looked at her as if she were going to answer, "Um..thanks and goodbye." He still stands there another minute staring into her. A strange warmth fires up in Hinata's belly as she stares into his eyes. "I'd really love to hear your voice." His hand lifts up as if to caress her cheek, but just as fast he drops it. He settles for a small smile and takes his leave.
That feeling she felt at the stop sign begins to well up again. He had no right to try to touch her, but why did she want it anyway?
