✧Sasuke✧

Running is something that I do when I need to clear my head. Of course, I can’t really do that when I’m in school, but after school and especially in the summer if something is bothering me, it’s a good way for me to get my blood flowing. It’s almost like I’m running away from my problems at the same time. I know it’s a terrible way of looking at things, but it’s a way to make me concentrate on something else other than what’s bothering me.

Slowing down to a jog when my house comes into view. The car is still gone so mom isn’t home. I know that dad normally walks unless it’s really bad weather. There's no point in slowing down and coming home. If dad finds out I left school then he'll probably think that I came home. Then I'll get a butt ton of questions and dad will probably do the thing he did yesterday on me and have a look at my day. I really don't want to deal with that…I'm just going to keep going. It should help. Jogging past the driveway I continue on. Maybe I’ll go to the cemetery, it’s been a good while since I’ve gone.

Eventually, I slow down to a walking pace than a stop breathing a bit heavier than usual as I look up at the gateway that arches over the entrance to the cemetery. Calming myself down a bit I walk in. This cemetery isn’t exactly big, but that’s always a plus when it’s a small town that you live in. Even with it being a small town the school is actually a private school but thankfully we don’t have to wear uniforms. There’s a lot of students who are in the dorms that have scholarships to the school. It’s mostly the sports teams. The school itself is on two floors and it's the middle school and high school put together. Middle school is upstairs and the high school is downstairs. I still have a study hall or two upstairs, but I usually try to get a pass to go to the library during those periods because I don't like sitting in a classroom that smells of body odor. But thankfully, the fact that it’s a private school isn’t something that has really affected the size of the town. But if the school keeps winning championships that might end up changing.

Taking a deep breath and I wander off the path and through the headstones. I stopped at a particular set of headstones. Two were of my grandparents on my mother’s side. I was never able to meet them from what I remember. Mom and dad told me that when I was born I met them. They were so happy they got to meet me and that they were proud of mom and dad and they knew that they would raise me right. But they died when I was two so it was before the time that I started to retain any memories. Mom told me that they loved me more than anything and would spoil me. Soon after my grandparent’s died Ava was born. Ava…Ava is, well was my little sister.

Ava Kaisai

January 3, 2001- February 14, 2001

I heard the occasional bird chirp close by as I silently gaze down at her gravestone, "Ava…mom and dad miss you. They try not to show it in front of me, but every time your birthday comes around they don't seem to really talk to me all that much." Sitting down in front of her gravestone I wrap my arms around my knees, "I wish I could ask how you were doing, but I know that you can't answer…there have been a lot of strange things happening in just the past few days. You know how everyone thinks that there not special in any way although no one is alike? Well, yeah now I'm so confused about just what I am." Sitting here silently in front of her grave I sigh quietly and look up at the sky, "I don't know what to do anymore… if you were here I think that I wouldn't feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. Liz joined the varsity volleyball team. I met a new kid his name is Toshiro. He’s really cool, kinda mysterious but I think I can figure him out the more I talk to him. Sean’s also back… but he’s changed a bit. We got in a fight and we didn’t even recognize each other..." Leaning forward I brush some of the leaves and sticks that had fallen on her gravestone since the last time I visited, “You know it kind of makes me wonder what type of elemental you would have ended up being. Maybe you would have been a fire elemental like mom. Or a moon elemental like dad and.” I can’t help but laugh lightly as I pull my hand away from her gravestone and wrap my arms around my knees once more, “Of course, I’m not entirely sure what elementals are in the first place. Since my accident mom and dad haven’t said anything about elementals until yesterday. You would think that they would want to try and jog my memory.” I sigh and then fall silent once again just listening to the crickets and birds on this hot and humid day.

After I don’t know how long I finally stand back up and brush off my pants and butt, "I guess I'm going to run a bit more and clear my head, I don't know what to really think anymore," I mutter to no one before looking back down at my sisters gravestone, "I miss you, Ava. I wish you were here with me, mom, and dad. I hope that grandma and grandpa are taking good care of you.” I place my right hand on the top of the gravestone and then walk back to the path and start running again.

I run the small maze of the cemetery a couple of times and finally look at what time it is on my phone as I’m breathing heavily from the humidity. My pockets are deep so there’s no worrying about things falling out of my pocket like girls usually have to worry about nowadays. I missed the rest of the day of school…it’s already four-thirty. Oh, it looks like I missed a couple of calls and some text too. Unlocking the screen I go to missed calls first and see that it’s dad and Liz that called me. Backing out of that I see that I have a text from Liz. Tapping the messaging app it opens and one is from Liz and the other is from a number that I don’t know. I tap on Liz first.

Sasuke, where are you??

Staring at the message for a moment I back out and then go to the number that I don’t know and click on it. Sasuke, it’s Shiro, where did you go we’re worried? Did something happen? I asked Sean and he told me what happened in class this morning. Please give me a text or call when you get this. I guess I really worried them… Clicking on Shiro's number I save him in my phone and then lock the screen and slip my phone back in my pocket. I guess I should go home…I'm getting a headache anyway.

I slowly walk out of the cemetery and towards home. Of course, it's easily a forty-five-minute walk home from here. I feel like I’m going to be in a fuck ton of trouble when I get home…mom probably already knows, since I haven’t called or text anyone they are probably worried…but I don’t want to get yelled at…As I walk my headache starts to get worse. The heat isn’t really bothering me but it’s how thick the air is when I breathe in. That alone is making my headache worse. And now my mouth is stupid dry and my throat is starting to hurt. I have about fifteen minutes to get to the park if I keep walking. Then from there, it's another fifteen minutes to get home…I should pick up the pace and make it to the park so I can get a drink from one of the fountains. Why was I so stupid to not grab some water. I went right past the house too. Taking a deep breath I take a longer stride and force my muscles in my legs to move faster. Just move body we can do this. I jog at a good pace for a bit, “Faster,” I mumble to myself and pick up the pace from a jog to a steady run. Moving out of the way of people walking as I make it into town.

I see the park insight as I turn the corner, “Almost there.” I mutter to myself and suddenly I feel dizzy and my legs give out mid-stride. A burning sensation races through my knees as I collapse on the concrete and hit the ground hard. I skid across the ground and roll a few times before coming to a stop. I blackout for a moment and I hear high pitched ringing in my ears. The darkness only lasts for a moment and when I can see again I get up everything burning and aching. Ow…son of a bitch… I push myself up turn around so I'm sitting. Looking at my knees there are stones stuck in them along with long brush burns that run down my shins. My arms are scuffed up along with them. Of course, this happens because I like wearing shorts to school. "Damn it," I mutter my body shaking and I pull my shirt off so I’m in my tank top. Ripping my shirt into strips I wrap my knees so it will stop the bleeding and very painfully I get up. Stumbling and falling a couple of times I make it into the park and I lean against a tree and practically collapse as I'm panting. I close my eyes and lean my head back against the tree with my arms in my lap.

“Look at who decided to play hooky after we had a little spat.” I open my eyes and am instantly hit with a dizzy spell but I look over to see Sean with his hands in his pockets and walking over to me.

“What do you want Sean?” I ask my voice cracking and I go back to just looking up at the leaves instead of closing my eyes.

“Are you alright?” That cocky tone he had just a moment ago is completely gone when I hear him pick up the pace and then come into my field of view.

“It’s not like I haven’t fallen before,” I respond looking down at my lap, “I’ll be fine."

“You’re obviously not fine. Did someone trip you or did you trip over something? If you were sprinting like an idiot in this heat you could have not seen what tripped you,” He sounds genuinely concerned and see him kneel down and he reached over to me and grabs my chin and makes me look at him. His light brown eyes searching all over me for all of my injuries. Brushing his thumb over the lower part of my chin I flinch and he sighs.

“Sean…” I mutter staring at him in utter shock.

“Don’t get the wrong idea Sasuke…I just don’t want to see someone else hurt ya,” He grumbled, but he also kinda has a joking tone as well. Are we still friends but he doesn’t want to say anything to me? Do I ask him about it??

“I just fell. I was stupid and didn’t think of bringing water with me,” I answer as he lifts my tank top to see if I have any more injuries on my body.

“Geez you really are a child sometimes ya know,” Sean sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t have any money on me to go and get you a drink either. At this point, you need more than just a drink from the fountain. I’m assuming you don’t have any money on you because if you did I’m sure that you probably would have already bought a bottle of water.”

“Are we still friends Sean?” I ask wanting to change the subject

“Can you not fucking change the god damn subject, please? Son of a fucking bitch Sasuke,” He sighs heavily again bringing his hands to his face and pulling down before looking away from me, “Ya still live at the same place? I’ll take ya home.”

“Yo Sean where are ya?” I think that was Nick that yelled.

“Go with your friends. I’ll be fine. The park isn’t too far and I already told mom and dad that’s where I was going to be.” I lie smiling at him.

"Don't be fucking stupid Sasuke, I'm gonna take you home," Sean says with a deadpan expression.

“Seriously Sean, I’ll be fine. Just go be with your friends, everything will be okay,” I continue to smile at him as my stomach turns in knots and they move up my throat.

The deadpan expression turns soft and the look he’s giving me is more so an apologetic look. It’s as if he doesn’t want to leave me alone or say something. Hearing him swallow and bite on his bottom lip he stands up and puts his hands in his pockets, “Be careful getting the rest of the way home alright?” He sounds as if he’s scolding me a bit before he turns around and walks away from me.