Involuntary Parents

Sakura sat up quickly as her alarm went off. Looking around her room, she frowned as she didn't recognize it. Blinking rapidly, her memories came flooding back. A sigh escaped her lips as she hopped out of bed. Grabbing her towel she marched to her bathroom down the hall.

Washing her short mess of pink hair slowly, she tried to distract herself from her bothersome thoughts. She didn't want to think. She didn't want to remember nor to feel. Her eyes burned with unshed tears and her throat seemed to be closing on her. Going limp under the hard spray of the shower, she squeezed her eyes shut to prevent her tears from flowing.

"Pull yourself together," her inner self spoke. But what good was that? How could she be strong, how could she go on? When she had just lost both her parents to a severe disease.

The warm spray of the shower was her only comfort. Memories of her mother waking her in the mornings surfaced. Breaking down her already brittle walls. How could she be strong when she was alone now? She had no one.

A sob escaped her lips as she turned the knob and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing the towel, she quickly wrapped herself in it and faced the mirror. Dark circles from sleepless nights, rimmed her tear filled eyes. Her nose was pink from all the crying and her cheeks were puffy. Her lips trembled as she saw the damage done.

What was she going to do?

"Alright Sakura, time to pull yourself together," she said as she wiped away a few traitorous tears. "Today is a very important day," she reminded herself. The fact that today was the day they'd be assigned their life partners gave her little motivation. Forcing a smile, she brushed her teeth and left to get ready.

Before long she was out the door and in her car. Taking a few deep breaths, she drove off.

...

"Sakura!" Ino squealed as she saw her.

"Hey Ino," Sakura waved at her approaching friend.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

Sakura gave a half smile, "better."

"That's great!" Ino exclaimed. Luckily for Ino, her father was still hanging in there. That was the strange thing about this disease, it's only target was the adult population.

The bell rang just then and Sakura quickly got her books from her locker. "Ready?" Ino asked.

Sakura nodded as she walked down the hallway. Not only was she headed towards her classroom...but towards her future.