Chapter Twenty-Six 

My hands trembled in the pockets of Naruto’s over-sized jacket. It was true, how frightened I was. Promise left me. Why had she suddenly come back? And, more importantly, why had she decided to take me with her?

The wretched woman had made it clear, nine years ago, that she could very well live without me. And, it worried me. Not the fact that a mother could so heartlessly abandon her child. No, I had come to terms with that years ago. 

What bothered me was the fact that she had come back, only to steal me away from developing friendships and my one shot at actually belonging somewhere. Promise’s motives confused me. And, all in all, made me feel as if I were missing a bigger picture. 

Perhaps, I was merely over-thinking things. But, I was with Promise, now. And, in meaning, anything was virtually possible with that woman. 

“Keep moving.”

The sound of her voice made me jump, the monotony of it having caught me off guard. It was the first time she had spoken to me since her unexpected visit to Sakura’s. Nonetheless, I nodded, running a bit to catch up. “Yes, Mama.” 

She merely grunted out a reply, which I took as my queue to be silent, again. 

I took small steps, but quick, wrapping Naruto’s jacket closer to me. It wasn’t particularly cold outside, but still, I kept it on. For even though there had been a small amount of perspiration gathering on the back of my neck, the jacket made me feel safer than I probably was. 

And, in being with Promise, I was going to need all the security I could get. 

The woman took longer strides than me, and although it probably could have been considered a run, Promise still somehow seemed to look elegant; her feet clad in four inch heels, and her legs in a knee-length skirt. 

Evil really did come in the most beautiful of forms, I suppose. 

Which was true for Deidara, as well. On first impression he seemed to be nothing more than your average, a-rated asshole. And, once you go to know him, well…not much changed. 

Promise suddenly stopped, dropping the suitcase she had been carrying. I watched her fall into a nervous pace for a few moments, her index finger lightly tapping on her crossed arm. 

“Promise-”

“You will address me as your mother, or nothing at all.” She snapped, not even bothering to look at me. I swallowed. 

“Are you okay?”

The woman vigorously shook her head, still pacing. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. 

“You know, I tried to be a good mother. What did you expect? I got pregnant at fifteen, the age you are now. I didn’t want a kid, and I sure as hell didn’t know how to handle one.” Quietly, I stared at her. Where was she going with this? 

Shaking her head, Promise continued, “You’ve been a baad girl, baby.”

~      ~     ~

It had been almost an hour since we’ve been here. Yet, Promise still nervously paced; every once in awhile twirling her orange hair, or playing with her lip-glossed lips. But yet, no matter how many times I asked, she would never exactly tell me why we were here. 

“They’ll be here soon,” she would mutter, or: “Where are they?”

“Just go sit down,” she would say, “stop asking so many god damned questions. 

And, then she would even periodically remind me that this was all my fault. Like everything always was. 

“Mom,” I tried, eventually, “I thought we were going home?”

Promise seemed to almost twitch as I called to her, not used to the title, I guess. But, she had been the one to insist I use it if I were to refer to her as anything. But, still, it seemed to have caught he woman off guard. 

Slowly, she walked to me, bending slightly so that we were on eye level. Stone ambers burning into my liquid gold. 

“Home is not with you, child.”

!~*~*~*~*~*!

Well shit. Isn’t she just a peachy bitch. 

Oh hai guise. Sorry for the delay :c school started again. But we had a three day weekend c: and I was up all night with boy troubles. So, inbetween tetris games, I wrote c: aaaand, wallah! A new chapter. I’ll write more tomorrow, perhaps. If im feeling down again which will be a definite.