I said I wouldn't be posting roday. I lied.
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I released a huge sigh as I walked down the hall, past the kitchen, where Jack sat at the table. He didn't say anything- he didn't even look up.
I sighed again, loudly, entering the kitchen and circling the table once, as I often did when I was distressed. Again, he did nothing.
I pulled three chairs outwards and laid across them, sighing long and loud.
Jack twitched. "You're not going to stop sighing until I ask you what's wrong, are you?"
I just sighed dramatically in answer, and he put his pen down, stopping writing.
"What's the matter?" he asked in forced concern, and I sat up and frowned.
"Jack-y.... you... you don't think I mis-treat my friends, do you?" he blinked at me, and then honest concern filled his expression, with slight anger.
"Oh, Charlie, no!" he exclaimed, "What made you think that?!" the tone of his voice suggested that he thought it wasn't a 'what' and more a 'who'.
I shook my head, "No, no, nobody said it to me... in reality, anyway."
His yellow eyes softened in understanding. "The dream?"
I nodded. "It's the place that I went to... sort of..." I didn't really want to tell Jack about the Naruto and Sasuke part of the 'dream', but I desperately needed reassurance. "I was sent to a place that looked like the rooftops of a bunch of high rise buildings... and... Naruto and Sasuke were there..."
Jack stared at me, then frowned. "So that's why you've been avoiding them..." he smiled softly at me, "You're being silly. It was a dream, they don't really think that of you. I happen to know that Naruto especially thinks the world of you, he's been coming to the flat to try and see you for days."
I blinked, "He has?"
Jack nodded, "I've had to send him away each time. And it's obvious that it's hurting him." he stood, and placed his hand on my shoulder, "You should talk to him, Charlie. Tell him about the dream."
I stared at the floor, then nodded. I looked up at him, "But before I go... I need to talk to you about something else."
He guided me to sit down on the couch, and I did. He sat down next to me as I folded my legs.
"So?" he encouraged, and I bit my lip.
It was hard to say what I did next. Because, if what I suspected was true, it would put both of us in danger, or worse. Make us the danger to everyone else.
"My dream... I'm not sure that it was a dream. I think... I think I was trapped in a genjutsu."
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I pulled in a deep breath as I stood in front of Naruto's apartment complex. My hands were shaking from my discussion with Jack, since it had only further solidified my theory, rather than falsifying it like I had hoped. I thought back, and laughed bitterly at memories of the time when the worst thing I had to worry about was the math test on Tuesday.
I shook my head to clear it; what had happened to me? I used to be so light and bubbly. Fun. And now I'm such a downer! What happened to enjoying life to the fullest?
'Losing a love, family, and two best friends tends to do that to people.' a snide little voice in my head pointed out, and I snarled.
"Shut up!!" I growled, and a woman walking by with a child glanced at me and started to usher the kid along quicker. I growled at her, too. "What, lady?! You never seen a crazy girl tell herself to shut up before?!"
She soon disappeared around the corner of the street, and I sighed, and turned back to Naruto's front door. Forcing a smile, I rang the bell labelled 'Uzumaki', and waited.
And waited, and waited, and waited...
I was making a beat with the buzzing sound of the bell when I finally snapped. Backing away from the door so that I had a clear view of his balcony, I cupped my hands around my mouth and screeched, "NARUTO IF YOU DON'T COME DOWN THIS INSTANT I'M GOING TO THROW A CARROT AT YOU!! DON'T MAKE ME DO IT!!"
There was a thud, followed by a series of scrambles, which I labelled as Naruto, coming down the stairs. Sure enough, the scrambles stopped, and the door was thrown open with a clack. Next thing I know, I'm being bombarded by however-many-pounds of rambunctious blonde.
"Charlie!!" he yelled into my stomach, hugging me around the waist as we lay toppled on the floor. I glanced around, pulling weird, mental patient faces at anyone who stared.
"Naruto, get off, people are thinking we're up to something dodgy." he shot straight to his feet, blushing, and scratched his head.
"Ah, s-sorry, 'ttebayo..." I couldn't help but smile at how adorable he was, as I took his offered hand and he pulled me up.
"It's cool. I enjoy pulling faces at nosy-parkers, anyway." I said, brushing myself down, then looked up at him, "But seriously, d'you think that next time I decide to be emo for a few days, you could try not to bulldoze me when you see me?"
"Sorry." he apologised once more, "But I just haven't seen you in ages, 'ttebayo. I got... excited."
I laughed at his embarassed face, "You're such an idiot, Naruto-kun!"
"N-nani?!" he exclaimed, angrily, "I am not!!"
But he smiled.
After a moment, it faded. He looked at me worriedly, and I could see just how much I had hurt him, "So... are you okay now, Charlie?"
I rubbed the middle corners of my eyes tiredly; I was aware of the dark bags under them. Was it okay to tell Naruto? I didn't want to unload my problems on him. He had enough turnoil of his own, without me adding to the pile. I then looked at him and gave a forced smile, "Yeah. I just... I wanted to get outside and have fun, and you were the first person I thought of."
At this, Naruto grinned, "Well all right!! I'm going to make sure that today is the best fun day ever, dattebayo!!"
Within a few hours, I was laughing and joking like nothing had changed between now and when I first came to the Naruto world. We played a hilarious game of 'pin the chestnut on the teacher' and followed Iruka-sensei' around for an hour, pelting him with the spiky nuts, and then raced across town. We had then stopped in Ichiraku's for ramen, and now laid, panting, on a patch of grass by the roadside.
"You were... right. This day... was pretty... fun." I wheezed.
"Only... 'pretty' fun..?" Naruto panted back, "Not 'the best fun in the universe'? I might just... have to get you... for that..."
He suddenly sprang at me his fingers raking against my ribs and stomach, tickling me. I kicked and screamed, tears welling in my eyes from laughing, as I scrambled to stop his hands.
"Ahh!! Stop it, you beast!!" I shrieked, unable to stop laughing as I rolled around, curling in on myself in an attempt to get away. My wrists were grabbed and pinned above my head on the grass, and my eyes were suddenly met by Naruto's. They were bright blue, alive, warm. I think I could be content just surrounded by that colour. It was a happy, peaceful colour, undarkened by misery but lightened by joy.
"Why do I feel as though this happens a lot?" I muttered, then grinned mockingly, "Again, Naruto, you can get off of me now."
Just like last time, Naruto quickly got off of me, stammering and blushing. I rolled my eyes and sat up.
"It's okay, jeez. I was just teasing." I said, folding my legs and resting my elbows on my thighs. I watched the red fade from his face, then smiled sadly, finally asking something that I had been trying to work up the nerve to ask all day.
"Naruto... you don't... you don't think I'm a bad friend to you, do you?" I gazed at him as he reacted to my question. An array of different emotions playing across his face; sadness distress, shock. Mostly shock.
"Don't be stupid, Charlie!!" he cried, "No!! You're my best friend, 'ttebayo!! My bestest friend in the whole world!!"
Despite the cheesy, somewhat playshool-ish line, my heart stopped squeezing and relaxed. As long as I had Naruto on my side, it would be okay.
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