The Troubled Boys
Chapter Three

I've never been one who's payed much mind to their phone but ever since I gave you my number I've been anticipation of your call wondering if your okay and if your remembering to not only priorities your rest but also your studies since exams aren't that far off. Now that you're not around i noticed how empty the school feels I mean I could count the times you'd come charging down these hallways in a hurry to class or when you're helping out a fellow student or teacher. I hated how friendly you were even when we were in middle school but i guess it wasn't really hate i guess it was more like jealousy. I wished i was more like you i mean people talked crap about you yet you didn't care you kept on being nice despite all there venomous and hateful words towards. Now since I've discovered these new feelings it's like all the things i used to find annoying about you are the things I admire and love about you, its funny how these things work.

"Are you just going to keep ignoring me? I've been apologizing for going behind your back for weeks now, how long are you going to give me the cold shoulders for?" Sasori said, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood at the foot of the bed i was resting on.

I sighed for the millionth time today staring into my phones screen just waiting for a text or a call from him. We were currently at our usual hang out spot which was some rundown old factory building that with a little effort we managed to turn into our little hang out. Kiba and the rest of the boys were playing a rather lively game of cards in the main room while Sasori was trying to get back on my good side, and failing.

"You know I don't even know why you're so pissed off at me, it should be the other way around you should be happy I did what I did." Sasori said, sitting down at the foot of the bed.

"I should be happy that your pride is more important than someone else's future?" I questioned.

"When you say it like that it makes me feel like an asshole but what I am saying is that if you let that Lee guy go without any sort of repercussion word would have gone out that you've grown soft and weak." Sasori said, rubbing the back of his head slightly.

"God can't you ever just take a little bit of responsibility for your actions?" I said, raising my voice slightly at him standing up from the bed and tossing my phone on to it.

"Well I am sorry Gaara but you're not exactly a saint either so I don't know why the fuck you're getting on my case about bushy brow. All I did was look out for your reputation." Sasori said, standing up from the bed to face me.

"My reputation? Sasori we've already establish that you did this for yourself so don't play that card with me, and since it seems were being honest here I think that maybe we should put a stop this whole gang thing were not kids anymore were going to be college students soon so maybe it's time we stop."I said, letting my gaze fall to the bed were the phone was.

There was a rather long pause between us. Neither one of said anything the only sounds that were being made in the whole building was the loud laughter coming from Kiba and the rest, and of course the leaky pipes. I watched Sasori balled up his fist glaring at the ground below before he kicked the bed making it move with a loud scrapping noise. I watched as the rest of the guys entered the room in a panic wondering what was going on.

"I don't know what the hell that Lee guy said to you but I am going to bury he's ass six feet under. Why the hell are you talking about disbanding our group like it doesn't mean anything? What gives you the right to do that? We formed this group for outcast like us who've been label by the world as delinquents it's so that we could have place we're we can belong forever. Now all these talk about college and adulthood Bs; where do we fit into this? How will we survive out in the world when we've got nothing to look forward too?"

I watched as a single tear escaped his eye but he quickly wiped it away fixing his composer so that the others don't see how upset he really was.

"We all just kind of assumed that after High school we'd all drift apart because of colleges and jobs, new friends and lovers. If you think about it were not going to kids for long were going to be adults in a year or two and we can't keep doing all of this and expect to get away with it all the time. Right now we just get off with warnings and detention but if we do that shit as adults there would be mad consequences. To be honest we think it's time to stop with all the shit we're doing too, and just hang out as friends I mean isn't that also why we formed this group?"Kiba said, inserting himself into the conversation.

"What you want to get rid of all the blackmails and go around apologizing for our behavior?"Sasori questioned while he glared at the ground clench his fist so hard that his knuckles were turning red.

"Yeah, is that so hard to believe? We have to own up to our shit eventually."Kiba said, placing a comforting hand on Sasori's shoulder.

Sasori brushed Kiba's hand off of his shoulder and the next thing I knew Sasori has Kiba pinned to the wall breathing in and out rather aggressively.

"That's just fucking Bullshit!!" Sasori said, shouting into Kiba's face his eyes hinting the amount of rage he was in right now. "Do you expect an apology to fix everything we did? To make people forget what assholes we were to them? You think this won't follow us down the road as we grow older? What then? Who can I turn to when I practically have no one else left in this world?" Sasori said, gripping on to Kiba's collar fighting to stop the tears but they were already coming out whether he liked it or not.

"First of all; let Kiba go."I said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Sasori let out a shaky breath as he let Kiba go wiping away his tears with the back of his sleeves before he faced me once again.

"It's true that an apology won't make up for the stuff we've done to people and they might hold grudges against us for it but that doesn't mean we have to keep living our lives in fear of that. People forget...as time passes by people will forget or just end up laughing it off, some don't but time is capable of healing some wounds. Apologizing and owning up to what we did is a key factor of growing up because we can't go throwing tantrums and expecting things to go our way. It's not too late for us to turn over a new leaf." I said, smiling at them for the first time ever since I've been with them.

They all stared at me in disbelief, they probably believed that I wasn't capable of showing such emotions since I always have this blank expression on face but they keep forgetting that I am human just like the rest of them born with emotions. I let out a sigh as I took the upset Sasori into my arms hugging him.

"There's no reason for you to cry anymore. I am not turning my back on you guys; like it or not you're the first people I was able to make friends with so there's no possible way for me to abandoned you guys just like that. In heart and in mind I'll always know that I'll be an outcast but just like you guys I know I am going to meet people in the world who'd accept me like you did and so will you. I suggest we make a new pact one were we promise each other to never forget each other." I said, expressing my happiness with a wider smile hugging Sasori tighter letting him know that I was always going to be there for him.

I returned home later that evening after seeing everyone off and immediately retreated to my bedroom. I fell down on the bed on my back closing my eyes briefly before staring up at the ceiling lost in deep thought until there was a knock on the door the person who entered my room was my brother Kankuro.

"Mind if I borrow your dictionary for a bit?"He asked, pointing towards were it was on the shelf.

"Yeah, it's fine. I told you many times before you don't have to ask" I said, watching him as he went over and grabbed it from the shelf. Kankuro was about to leave when I randomly blurted out. "I love you brother."

"Whoa that came out of nowhere; is everything okay?" He said, stopping at the door with his hand on the doorknob. "You're not in any trouble right?" He asked, sounding concerned.

"No, that's not it. I've been doing a lot of thinking the last few weeks and I've realize that I don't show how grateful I am to still have you two in my life. I know I can be quiet the handful but you two still stay by my side despite it all and I should be a little more grateful towards you and Temari. I am going to change that I can promise you." I said, my gaze fixated on the floor.

I heard chuckles escape from my brothers lips. When I looked up I saw him smiling at me. Kankuro walked over to me and ran his hand through my hair tenderly and at the same time he pulled my head close to him hugging me with his free hand.

"I love you too little brother." He said, combing his finger through my hair.

We would stay like that for a little bit before he broke away from me plopping down in the free space next to me on my bed.

"I can tell there something on your mind; what is it?"He asked

"What's a good time to call someone? You know me I am not one that pays much attention to his phone but there is a person I want to know how there doing but I don't want to call and end up annoying them nor do I think that a simple call will do it for me." I said, taking my phone into my hand from the nightstand.

"Well it depends on how much you care about this person. Have you stop and wondered if this person might be feeling the exact same thing as you? There's never truly a good time to call someone but if you want to make a grand gesture why not go see them in person I mean it's not too late that you can't go see them." He said, with a small smile plastered on to his face.

"Thank you..." I muttered.

He chuckled light placing a hand on top of my head before he left me alone to think but I wasn't really making any progress at all. All I was doing was going around in circles in my head on what to do and what not to do. Every time I'd pick up my phone I'd get nervous and whenever I think about going out to see him I am filled with so much anxiety that it's crazy. I took a deep breath in and went to get a hoodie from my closet to head out. As I was making my way towards the front door I ran into Temari who just got back from work who looked exhausted.

"Are you going somewhere?"She asked while she took off her shoes. "Don't stay out to la--." I could see her eyes widen through the reflection in the window as I hugged her from behind holding on to her tightly. "Gaara..."is all she could muster in her current state.

"I won't be long I promise I just really have something I have to do."I said.

I quickly put on some shoes before I hurried out of the house leaving her there dumbfounded by what just happened. After a rather long bus ride I finally made it to Lee's neighborhood; it didn't take long for me to find his house which was only like two houses down from the bus station. I stood there in front of the front door losing my mind while I held my finger against the door bell and after much contemplating I pressed the door bell. I heard footsteps coming towards the door and I think I heard his voice as well which made my heart beat quicken every second I was standing here waiting for him to answer the door. The door finally flew up and there he was standing in practically just some shorts, and when he muttered my name in surprise my face turned completely red and I immediately crouched down covering my face from him. I heard his mother ask who it was from somewhere inside the house but he didn't reply but just closed the door behind him as he stepped outside by the support of his crutches of course. I heard him chuckle slightly at my behavior and I couldn't help but glare up at him.

"Thank you for—."

"I thi—no I know that I like you too and I can't really explain why but I just do because whenever I am around I just lose all focus and whenever you're not around I can't stop but think about you." I confessed while looking away from him too embarrassed to look him in the eyes.

There was a long pause between us and it scared me so I looked up to meet his eyes there he was face red as a tomato as he looked back at me. I couldn't help my blush as I stared into his eyes getting lost in them. Lee let his crutches go as he wrapped his arms around me holding me close to him all while standing on one leg; he pulled me away from him keeping me at arm's length before he leaned in capturing my lips with his in a rather intimate and passionate kiss. We pulled away after some time to catch our breath and so he can sit down.

"I've always had my eye on you since before high school. I didn't know why I couldn't stop looking at you but you were constantly on my mind and what I was looking at. I wish I wasn't such a coward back then; maybe I could have done something about the bullying. I am sorry I stood by and did nothing while they treated you like absolute crap, but then you change and you were no longer the cute Gaara I had my eye on and so I thought I could move on but then when I saw you smiling I was falling all over again." He said, as he sat there with my hand in his playing with my fingers.

I didn't know what to say I was too flustered to think or do anything so I just rested my head against his shoulder enjoying all of him before I had to leave. I heard a chuckle escape his lips as he rested his head on top of mine squeezing my hand briefly.

"But it's not just because I think your cute but because of how talented and smart you are things I believe I am not. One great example of this is the effort you put into your school work you excel at it but me I barely get by; I was kind of jealous of that but then whenever you would try your hardest on something it made me try even harder during workouts or practice. You became a rival to me in some way pushing me to do my best; now I know I am not the smartest but I can make up for that with my excellent physical capabilities which are first rate." He said, a huge grin on his face.

I couldn't help the chuckles that escaped my mouth after that. Once I've calmed down a bit I cupped his face into my hands planting a kiss on his lips; He'd deepen the kiss which I welcomed very much savoring ever last bit of him. We finally pulled away after I broke the kiss feeling that things were getting a little bit too dangerously hot between us.

"I sometimes struggle with my school work too and I get sort of tired of it myself but I am doing it all to make my sister proud and not just her but my brother too both who are working hard to make sure I live comfortably. That's why I put in the extra effort so I can get into a good university and get a good high paying job to help support them in any way I can. I am not asking anything from you all I wish for is to be love by you to the fullest because that's what my heart desires." I said, resting my head back on his shoulder closing my eyes enjoying the warmth of his body as we sat there.

We didn't talk much after that and just sat there enjoying the tranquility of the night on his front porch. I must of dozed off a little cause when I came to it was really late and I promised my sister I wouldn't be out to late, so I shared one finally kiss with Lee making a promise to come back tomorrow and left for the bus station with a satisfied smile on my face of course still blushing like a fool.