Midnight

Chapter Fourteen

She ran to her house jumping from the roofs. She entered the compound, forgetting to slow down. The guards looked at her surprised when she passed by them not acknowledging their presence. She stormed inside the house, banging the door of her room. She was furious. And for the first time not with herself. She breathed heavily from the anger that boiled her blood. Now Kiba wouldn't stop asking questions, and when Shino was back he would definitely know. Even if she hide or lying, even the smallest hint of it they probably would turn to their sensei for guidance. And when Kurenai would know, she wasn't sure she could fool her. All because of him. He kept messing with all the plans she had laid out for years. She thought, she saw amusement on his face when chaos broke. She couldn't understand what he was hoping to achieve. Maybe that Sakura would scold Naruto, maybe to drove them apart. Maybe he was just a bad person, enjoying others misery. She groaned loudly. This day started like any other. She joined Kiba to their sensei's house so they would take Mirai to school. She knew Kiba would want to hang out later, since she avoided him most of the times. Then she would come back like always. Away from everyone. But he... A knock on the door brought her back to her senses.
"Not now Hana."
The door slightly cracked and her father's face revealed.
"Can I come in?"
She lowered her gaze, ashamed.
"Yes father."
He never came here. If he wanted something, a servant would come to call her to his study. It was embarrassing and awkward to have him seating on her desk.
"Hinata is everything alright?"
She looked herself in the mirror to be sure she wore her jacket. Then she saw Neji's things at the open closet door. He has seen them too.
"Everything is great." It came to her natural. She had said many times and the words were only sounds that held no meaning.
"Why is Neji's things in here?"
Hiashi Hyuga was an efficient man. He got straight to the point.
"I...I took them." She hoped that was enough.
"Why?"
"Because they... would..they would throw it away." The last part was said in one breath.
"I know. I ordered them too."
Her eyes looked up. Two icy orbs replaced the usual kindness.
"Why?"
"Because he is dead."
A suffocating feeling came and shut on her heart. How could he be so cold. He loved Neji. He..
"Hinata. He is not coming back."
Her eyes watered.
"Why are you here father." She spoke holding back the tears.
"I heard the commotion and saw you running inside. I..." Her father, the emotionless man who took pride in his stone face, hesitated.
"I'm fine. Don't worry." The tears replaced by the previous anger. He was at fault. She forgot how she supposed to be and she made father worry. The white eyes had shut upon the boxes on the closet. She had to distract him before it was too late.
"I..I was angry with a boy." Her cheeks blushed and she saw the horror on her father's face.
"I see."
"I don't want to talk about it."
Her father breathed when her lips let out the words. He got up to escape the embarrassment.
"I will go back to my work. Behave better next time." He tried to scold her to regain his composure.
"Of course father. I'm sorry."

_____

Kiba and Shino came after two days. She offered them drinks and waited for her friends to start the interrogation. She sat on her bed and Akamaru soon joined her. The dog  was always fond of her but the recent years it seemed like he always stayed close not leaving her side. He curled in her lap as he was trying to keep her warm from a non existent cold that was present at all times. She buried her face in the white fair gently kissing the loyal companion. Akamaru let a small cry and rest his face on her lap. He did that sometimes as to inform her that he knew. Kiba didn't look like he noticed. He took a deep breath and felt like he didn't plan on breathing for a while and started saying all the questions he had in mind.  She relaxed her back on the wall and dugged her hand in the thick fur. She would even close her eyes because Kiba didn't seem like he wanted an answer. It would take a while before he let all his troubles out. But Shino's behaviour troubled her. He was standing still, his head almost at the end of the window. He had grown significantly tall over the years. His glasses hiding his eyes but she was sure he was looking the small yard with the sakura tree throwing the pink petals on the back street. She didn't know if he waited for their teammate to stop or he didn't care at all about what he was saying.
She had heard pieces of what Kiba was saying. When did this all happened, why she didn't tell them, how he felt they had drifted apart, did he do something that made her reject him. When the air run out of his lungs he finally stopped but he wasn't the one she was looking. As in cue her head and Akamaru turned to Shino. Yet he remained silent so she turned on the one who expected her answer.
"You see..Kiba-kun...I'm not sure anymore..and Naruto..well..he probably said that in a whim."
"You are not sure? Since when? Why is it the first time we hear about this?" Kiba spoke passionately. "Shino did you know about this?"
The tall man finally averted his gaze from the garden but his eyes didn't rest on the fellow man. She felt them on her even under the glasses.
"Is this about Neji?"
Unconsciously she looked at her closet only to find it closed. She had moved the boxes deep inside for noone to see.
"Hinata." Shino spoke again his face serious. She looked at Kiba for support only to find him worried. No, this wasn't supposed to happen. She had been so careful.
"What do you mean Shino-san?"
His expression that of disappointment.
"If you don't want to tell us, I won't say anything else. But don't lie. Why? Because it taints our friendship."
She throwed her head in the front, her bangs covering her eyes.
"Let's go Kiba."
The other man tried to protest but Shino was already at the door.
Don't leave. When was the last time she wanted them there?
They left without another word. The carefully designed construction she had built began to collapse each day.
She took a bath to wash away her worries. First father, now her best friends. No first it was him. He was the one that started to pill out the pieces to expose the rotten fruit.