Title: Spokes

Pairings: Gen; character introspection

Setting: AU

Summary: They wronged her in life. Now they'll come together for it. "Hinata was like a monarch butterfly; like pinwheel spokes in a harsh breeze. Too fast- too fleeting- to keep." 5 people- Ino, Sakura, Naruto, Neji, Sasuke- remember her after her death.

Notes: At the time of the narrations: Hinata, Ino, and Sakura are all 16 (or 16 1/2), and in the same grade, 11. Naruto, Neji and Sasuke are one grade above, 12, all about 17 or 18. Sorry if this causes some confusion, but I didn't want all my characters to coincidentally end up in the same grade.

**This is a COMPLETED fanfiction. The total word count is about 14500-15000. I wrote this for the Naruto Bang challenge on LiveJournal. I loved writing this. It took almost a month of my time to finish it. Thus, that's why Fifteen Stitches and other WIP's have been neglected, and I apologize for that. Now I will continue my others works because the challenge is over.**

::SPOKES::

::::

:Prologue:

1::

Everyone notices the empty seat in class.

October 15. First period Pre-Calculus.

Everyone hurries to their desks, trying not to be late. They discuss what they did on their three-day weekend. The teacher Kakashi Hatake hands out their graded math exams. It's only ten of eight. A television is on in the corner of the room showing the high school's morning announcements. The school's two newscasters, the cheerleading captain and the student council vice president, are promoting the upcoming track event.

His students look over their grades. Some, as they always do, compare their grades with others, while others hide their failures nonchalantly in their text books or binders.

Hatake's already written the daily assignment on the board. But he stands at his desk, silent. Class has not yet begun.

Someone throws a pen in the back of the classroom. There are giggles. Idle conversation. But soon they notice it - that vacant desk in the back row. Hinata Hyuuga's desk. It's empty.

A friend casually asks about her.

Where's Hinata? It's the first day back from the three-day vacation. Hinata has never been absent after a break is over. She'd won the Perfect Attendance certificate in junior high.

Hatake walks forward and clears his throat, uneasy, wringing his hands - this is where it begins.

(Because she's dead.)

2::

The teachers met that morning, before all the buses filed in and the students that drove cars parked them. At the meeting in the library, they'd all been told. How were they expected to tell their students about this? A tragedy?

Some teachers stood at the front of their desks, absolutely somber and serious, demanding silence to deliver news that would shake them. (Mr. Shiranui.)

Others explained it in rushed and almost tearful voices, because they were still unable to comprehend something so horrifying - so real. (Miss Yuhi).

Hatake was not sure how to explain. He signed up for the job at this school just three years ago. But he hadn't signed up for something like this. Life's curveballs always hit him hard.

Yet somehow he manages to struggle through all the key words, heavy as lead. Serious – illness – wake – counseling. He manages to avoid entirely using a word that seemed taboo – d-i-e-d.

All their reactions are different, just as Hinata's teachers had all reacted differently.

Some are shocked, mouths open, hushed. A few girls gasp, out loud, and it feels like this is staged, some movie or TV drama. Some are too surprised to do anything. But in all the classrooms, when it's announced, each quickly becomes silent.

Grief counseling would be available next week. The wake was this Friday; anyone could go, the teachers explain wearily when some students ask them about it after the bell rings. It's meant to help them cope.

But the truth is bittersweet, especially after death's touch.

3::

When they see each other a week later at three in the afternoon, they are surprised at the faces they recognize in the semi-circle in room 205-B.

Tsunade, their school counselor, sits at the head of the classroom in a wheeling chair, clipboard in her hands, tapping it with a pen. Even death seems all business.

They will have to go around the room, say names like they're at some summer camp or a real talk therapy session. This is unnecessary - they all know each other in some way already. And they all came here to this grief counseling – from confusion, sadness, anger, regret, guilt - to face something they never expected they'd have to.

Some girls from drama club who had known Hinata show up too. Sitting together, their chairs pushed close enough so their arms touch, all dressed in black teeshirts they'd decorated with her name. A few of her friends – the No Name kids, the wallflower girls – sit together too, sharing a box of paisley Kleenex.

But the others...

They wronged her in life. And now, they'll come together for it.

4::

Confessing is hardly simple.

The sign on the door written on card stock with red pen says GRIEF COUNSELING. It sends shivers up arms; it makes others looks away - those who attended the wake.

Are you willing to admit your deepest, darkest fears? Are you able to say the name of the person you hate most aloud to everyone? Or maybe the name of your love?

It's safe to say that not many would ever have courage to do that. And why would they confess to everyone here, in this room, about what they did to Hinata - the dead girl - when she was alive?

Offender #1 - dumped her.

Offender #2 - hated out of jealousy.

Offender #3 - laughed in her face.

Offender #4 - cut off all ties.

Offender #5 - never said one word when she needed it most.

Tsunade begins the counseling session, clearing her throat. "We'll go around the room and say our names. And then, we will discuss how to cope. Death is a very difficult part of life, but we have to face it."

(Easier said than done.)

And now they'll all feel like they are staring her ghost - Hinata's ghost – in the face, as they remember.

Thanks for reading! Reviews = love 愛.