Chapter 62

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~Annas POV~

I sat in the school with Emily. The teacher had just distributed the checked quiz paper and I got everything right. The bell rang and Emily and I, exited the class for the recess.

"How do you even study? I tried my best but still got a few wrong." Emily whined as we both walked.

" I don't know. I just do everything like a normal kid." I shrugged.

" You're not a normal kid."

" I am."

" Every normal girl likes to grow their hair longer but you just have them too short."

" They just get in the way and it takes more time in the shower. By the way, your mother helps you take care of your hair. My mom just let's me be so they get all crappy."

" You're such a tomboy-" She was cut off by a boy's voice.

" Girl!" We both turned to see a boy from two grades above class who had hair almost the shade of black and eyes the colour of copper.

"Which one?" Emily asked. He pointed towards me and I sweat dropped.

What does he want?

" I have a name you know." I always disliked it when people did this.

"Anna."

"I'm gonna go, charger. You can handle things here I think." Emily grinned and left. I huffed and faced the boy. He went by the name Jacob.

" Yes?" I asked him, wanting this to get over with.

"W-would you- like to b-be my-y g-girlfriend-?" I just stared at him plainly. If bluntness could go another level, he would be the one to do it.

" No." Or maybe, me.

" W-why?"

"I don't even know you, let alone I'm not even your friend. Besides, I'm not looking for a relationship this early in my life." I told Jake, whose expressions changed to one of a sadness.

" O-okay. But, if you get to know me then?"

"To be blunt like you, I don't like you." I spoke what I wanted to. The vibes this kid sent were like he was going to kill somebody any time and I didn't like that. I walked off before he had anything else to say. When Emily came to know upon what happened, she picked on me for a whole month.

~

" Come on honey! You're gonna be late!" My mom called out for me from the car outside the house.

"One minute! These shoes are not getting on!" I kicked the ground, giving up on the laces and walked to my mum like that.

"Come here, I will help." I nodded grinning like the child I was and headed to the car with my untied shoes.

" See! They're not tying!" My whining ended up causing my mother to laugh.

" When will you learn how to tie your own shoes?"

" I'm ten. Ten year olds have their mums to tie their shoes." I grinned widely and my mother shook her head. Soon we were both off to the camping site. This year, mum enrolled me in the scouting program, hoping it would feminize me a little. It wasnt like she disliked my tomboy nature but she just wanted me to know better and then develop myself in my own brand.

Once there, the grown-ups went through some arrangements and soon mum left. The head scout shouted for all of us to form a line in the alphabetic order of our surnames. Consequence of which, I was in the very back. As I stood in the line, I glanced here and there to see if I knew anybody, I only knew Jacob, but I would never talk to him. Since Emily wasn't around, I couldn't make friends on my own. Besides, these people are going to be competing with me so I don't need friends. The head scout went somewhere to get something, meanwhile, I noticed every kid was with his/her friends. I wished I had Emily with me but then I observed that the kid standing in front of me was alone as well. He was just plainly standing waiting for the thing to start. I thought I could strike a conversation with him since I was getting bored and well let's just say, patience wasn't my best quality.

"Umm, what's you name, kid?" I was unsure what to ask or how to start a conversation. Because Emily always was the one who would speak first, I never ever picked some lines from her. The boy turned around and I could see in his eyes that he was equally bored.

He looked at me for a moment then answered," Itachi." His voice was a lot mature for a kid this young. It wasn't mature in aged sense but as in it showed that he had more knowledge, awareness and humour than the rest of the world.

"I'm Anna."

" Hn." Talk about a quiet boy.

"So, Itachi, is it your first time scouting?" I tried again, hoping to make a friend on my own.

" Yes."

" Mine too! So what school do you study in? How many siblings do you have? Why are your hair this long? Why-"

Do you always talk this much?"

" Geez, I'm just trying to start a conversation and make a friend while I'm at it but you're not co-operating."

" You do talk too much." He sighed and turned around to his previous position.

" Grumpy kid." I mumbled under my breath but apparently he had heard me.

"You do know you're talking to yourself, right?" He turned around and spoke.

" Well I'm not talking to you!" I crossed my arms and faced the opposite direction.

" Fine by me. The less you talk, the more I'm at ease."

Humph. Whatever. I don't need a friend. They are just going to get in my way of the competition.

In my time of scouting, I was first in everything. That grumpy Itachi kid was always second but didn't seem too much offended by getting beaten by a girl. There was only one thing I wasnt good at and it was swimming. I was a little scared of water since the day my brother almost got drowned, maybe that's why he acts like such a retard. I never tried swimming when my father was teaching because I was afraid the same thing will happen to me. I was afraid of waters and most of all I was afraid of dying without a fight. So when I started learning to swim, every single time I failed. I hated myself for that. Swimming was the only thing I was not good at. Other than that, tying knots, carving wood, making fire, gathering edible plants and other stuff like that, I always came on top.

Days passed like seconds and I hadn't made a single friend. Hell! I didn't even speak to any girl who tried talking to me after they all ganged up against me, accusing me of cheating and stuff. My only conversation had been with that Itachi kid only that day and not again.

Over the month, I was almost devoured by a grizzly bear, as the head scout put it. But when I was staring at the bear to scare him off, I noticed he kinda looked like that Itachi kid. Pointed hair, black beady eyes, less or no words and most of all the way he growled or whatever bears do when I talked too much in front of him. The head scout had to come to save me but I had it handled. Besides he didn't want to eat me, he was after the fruits we were all ordered to gather. Other kids were with me too but they ran off at the very sight of the bear. I didn't understand what was there to fear him? He was so cute and fluffy. After that one incident, I made a mental note to call that kid Grizzly and not by his name. That would slightly piss him off and maybe he would talk more. He was the only person I liked to talk to out of the whole camp.

One night in camp, after losing to Itachi for the fifth time in swimming, I made it my goal to learn how to swim by the next competition. So, I stood on the arched ground above the lake and tried convincing myself again that I have to do this.

If I don't do this, I would end up losing to him again! And I can't bear with another defeat! I have to do this!

I faced the lake with a determined look on my face but turned around immediately when I heard rustling in the bushes. Everyone in the camp was sleeping and I had sneaked out of my tent to learn. I couldn't completely see who they were but when the clouds got out of the moon's way, it all got clear. I glared at the person and he noticed it.

"Now now. Don't give me that look. What are you doing here all by yourself?" He asked.

" None of your business." I retorted.

" I came to ask you for being mine again."

"I'm just ten! I'm not looking for a relationship Jake! Just leave me alone!" I yelled not caring if anyone heard me or I'll get in trouble if my voice was too loud.

" That was the final time." He had this look on his face which told me something was going to go wrong. And it was beginning to prove correct because his friends James and Ronald appeared from behind him with smirks on their faces.

"W-what are you gonna do?" I asked hoping to get a hint and formulate a plan but curse my stutter! It got in the way!

" Awwh. You're stuttering dear. If I can't have you then no one can!" He lunged forward and in an instant I felt myself being pushed into the lake.

All my fears had reawakened. My hopes, denied. I couldn't swim. I couldnt call out to anyone because there was no one. I started kicking in the water but my breath was escaping me. I was engulfed with darkness of the water. My vision blurred as I hit the lake bed and a mixture of blue and black was the last thing I saw when my eyes shut tight.

Opening my eyes, I immediately shut them because of the pain shooting from my lungs as I coughed out water. I was panicking. I was getting scared. I felt lost. I didn't know I was crying until someone's voice spoke.

" Stop crying. I sat up because I had been laying and found out that Itachi kid speaking to me.

" W-what-"

" That boy pushed you in the lake but now you're safe and well, soaked." He said with voice so gentle, it made me cry more.

" Why d-did you save-e me?" There were better questions to ask but I had no idea why I chose this one.

" I had to. I can't just sit by and watch a friend drown."

Ok, now my tears were flowing endlessly. He called me his friends. The girl who had so many problems making friends finally made one on her own.

" T-thanks." I grinned widely while crying. I was cold and soaked but Itachi's warm smile made all of that go away. Who knew he was such a caring boy? " Grizzly."

~

So that was where you picked my nickname. Itachi mused.

Yeah. I still owe you for saving me back then and also for helping me overcome my fear of drowning.

You dont owe me anything. I rolled my eyes and before I could insist, he spoke, you were such a crybaby. I laughed.

And you were such a stuck-up kid.

To this day I get surprised how you didnt get eaten by that bear.

I must have confused it by talking too much. Itachi chuckled.

Of course. Thats your specialty.

Hey! I punched his arm playfully. Before I could say or do anything else, my phone rang. Shit.

It was Timothy, as usual. He wanted to scold me but let it go when I told him I had Itachi with me. I dont know why but my brothers were too cool with me hanging out with the Uchiha, even at such hour. So as per Tims orders, Itachi and I left the fields in another five minutes and accompanied each other home.

The rest of the days till the start of the new term, I had been occupied in debating with myself and with Konan and Amalie, that should I or should I not, talk to Itachi. I realized that I really enjoyed being with him and whenever I did something small or big, he was the first person who I wanted to tell about it. When all was considered and thought out, I came to the conclusion that:

I must tell him first thing when the term starts.

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Enjoy Reading~

Thank You~

Itachi_Warrior desu~ ^/_\^

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