Where should I go?
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi. I own the plot and the OCs.
Summary: Completely AU. She wanted to quit. She attempted to kill herself most of the time. She wanted to have real friends. She wanted to know what real love is. But could it be possible even if she didn't know where to go?
PrologueThe world will never stop even if there's so many people had died. And that's why people said life is short.
How short could it be?
I don't know. Who knows how short our lifespan could be? There are some people who died at the age of eighty, some less and worst is when one child was just born yet wasn't able to survive. And to that, some would say that life is cruel. Most people agreed to that saying.
Life would only be cruel if the person does not know how to manage his own life. That he always asks for somebody's help, that whenever he's in trouble he knows where to go. You need to be smart to be able to survive, but not just intelligence alone. One must be brave like a warrior to face the truth, the reality and the life itself.
If you were just a chicken who would commit suicide just to avoid the harshness your own life, then you're nothing but a coward. You're useless. A worthless breathing human being who cannot defy the trials of life.
But… what if… you want to have somebody with you just to be sure that you're safe?Because you've tasted the downside of what really life is…
Is it okay if you need someone to depend on?
One or more that would help you?
Tell me… tell me how would you cope up with this life…?
Shattered innocence…
Tears of sorrow…
Darkness of people…
Betrayal of friendship…
Family feud…
Broken heart…
Fear of the future…
How can you help me… how can I help myself?
--------------------------
Haruno Sakura, a four-year-old pink haired girl, was sitting beside the driver's seat. She was pretty excited because she will start her school today. She can't help but ask her grandfather, who was driving the car. Her grandfather seemed to like Sakura, not just because she's the first granddaughter he'll even have, but she's really sweet and cheerful.
"Ne, Ojii-san, you said there will be kids in school. Do you think they will become my friends?" Sakura asked while smiling happily to her grandfather.
The grandfather glimpsed at her, then back to the road. "Yeah. And you might have someone you can call best friend."
That made Sakura smiled wider. "Really!! That's cool!! Okay! I wanna go there now!! Hurry up, Ojii-san!!"
When they arrived at the school grounds, Sakura feel tensed now. She didn't know why, but when she looked at the kids around her age, she couldn't help but hide behind her grandfather's legs. Her grandfather smiled at her and slowly pushed her to the front where the kids were starting to get excited to know her. When they approached her, they asked her name and even tugged her arm to play with them. Sakura smiled. She loves to have friends. When some kids were tugging her, she looked back to her grandfather who was but waving at her with his lips curved into a smile. Sakura smiled at him and turned her head to the new path that she thought she would never look back.
After the first day of classes, which was the orientation, Sakura took her bag and arranged it on her back and waved her friends good-bye. Dashing out of the classroom, she already met the gaze of her grandfather who was sitting on a bench waiting for his sweet granddaughter.
"Ojii-san!!" She yelled cutely that caught her grandfather's attention.
The old man stood up and Sakura immediately jumped to his legs, hugged him in the process.
"How's school Sakura-chan?"
The little girl looked up to him and grinned, "It was fun!! Really, really fun!!"
"Okay then, go to the car. Your grandmother cooked something for you." He added while gently pushing the girl to walk towards the car.
"Really! Okay, okay let's go home fast!!"
A trip back home was quick which made little Sakura happier when she greeted her grandmother and was offered to eat the sweet snacks. She happily agreed and took a bite on it. Everything… everything seemed to be in the brighter side of life.
But…
Not all the time you would be experiencing the brighter side of it…
Because from this day on…
Everything will turn out as what one wouldn't expect to happen.
--------------------------
It was just another day to start with, just because school will start after few minutes. Sakura was still in bed sleeping soundly as her dreams continue to plague her mind. She was used to stay late at night that made her wake up late. An alarm from alarm clock suddenly buzzed inside her room. Crankily, she extended her hand on the side table and pressed the button to shut up the noisy clock.The clock says five thirty in the morning.
She rolled again and continued sleeping. But as a minute had gone by, she expected what she been expecting to happen.
The shrill voice of her mom from the first floor…
"Sakura!!! Wake up!! First day of classes!!"
The girl grunted from her bed and started shifting position, finding a way to comfort her so that she could continue to sleep. Into her dismay, she couldn't. So she slowly pushed herself up and rubbed her eyes. She checked the time in the clock and noticed that it's too early. Even so, she made her bed and brushed her hair.
When she walked downstairs, the aroma of her father's coffee and the smell of fried egg greeted her. She looked over to the kitchen only to see her mom making their breakfast.
"Good morning…" Sakura said and then yawned.
"You sleepy-head. I told you not to stay until midnight. You know very well that you have classes the next day."
"Hai hai…" She turned around and went straight to the bathroom.
As anyone expected from her, she consumed thirty minutes inside the bathroom doing God-knows-what. But her mom already thought that maybe it was another girl's morning ritual. Well, that's because her daughter had finally grown up, though a little immature. Sakura was just fourteen years old and yet she was able to enter high school, third year to be exact (1). She was included in the star section of their school and one of the topnotch from the batch. She least expected her daughter to be an MVP from the Volleyball team, but who knows? Anyway, she's also part of the Cheerleading Squad. In her school, it was traditional to have intramurals every October, mid or the last weeks of it. Additional to that, she also joined the art club. Ever since she was born, her grandfather was fond of her art skills, so he decided to teach her more for basics like stick figures and basic shapes.
"Sakura, I'm gonna use the bathroom next! Hurry up!!"
"Okay mom! Just drying!!"
After a few moments, a door revealed the toweled Sakura. A long white towel covered her slim, white body and her hair, too, was bundled up. The pink haired girl walked back to her room to change for her uniform that leaves her mother entered the bathroom.
Sakura's mom was working in advertising agency. But the worst habit of her mom was coming late to her office. She didn't know why and how. What's good about her mom's job is she was able to meet some stars. Since it's advertising, what else would you expect? There would be some models, artists and such. Oh well, business industry, who cares about it? She's just a normal third year high school student anyway. Then there's her father who worked as an engineer. One time, her mother told her that he went to abroad and stayed there for four years and she told her that's why she wasn't able to see her father for four years… But what's best was when her father came back; he gave her an electronic keyboard, lots of books and tapes, and new clothes.
"Sakura!! Don't forget to eat breakfast before you leave!!"
"Yes mom!!"
When she came back downstairs, she immediately sat on her chair and started eating her breakfast. While doing so, she was also watching a morning program. She was, actually, waiting for the TV horoscope. Tired of waiting, though, she finished her meal and placed the utensils in the sink. Soon after, she heard the gate being opened. When she peeped through the window, she smiled.
It was her grandfather.
She opened the front door of the house and greeted her grandfather.
"Hey ojii-san. You staying here?"
"Aa, as always. Say, aren't you going to school?"
"Yeah. I'll just brush my teeth."
Her grandfather mused her hair for a while and continued walking. When Sakura returned inside, her mother had gone out of the bathroom. The girl immediately took her toothbrush, put the toothpaste, and brushed her teeth.
"Sakura! Sakura!"
Oh my… That's Ino!
Hurriedly, she spit out the remaining liquid in her mouth and washed her toothbrush. She wiped the remaining bubbles in her mouth with the use of the towel that was hanging behind her. She placed her toothbrush on the medicine kit above the sink of the bathroom and headed towards the chair where she last placed her things for school.
"Sakura-chan, I'll leave the money to your ojii-san. If you need to buy something, ask him ok?"
"Alright. I'm going now, mom." With that, Sakura kissed her mother, waved at her ojii-san and dashed outside the house only to be greeted by Ino, her high school best friend, who was grinning at her.
(1) In Philippines, students can reach high school after graduated at Grade 6 (elementary level; Ages 12 or 13). In Sakura's case, it's the same. So when she entered first year high school she's around 12. Reaching second and third year would probably be ages 13 and 14.