50 Reasons Why

Chapter Twenty-One

                  I found myself walking down the familiar hallways of the tower. The events from my brother's conversation played in my head.

"Gaara," he called. He stood in the office staring as I gathered my paperwork. "That's it? You're not going to go see her after everything?"

I only ignored him as I collected the papers in my hand.

"After all that time together, you are just going to let it all go. Just like that?" His voice grew irritated and I only sighed.

Once everything was gathered I took it all in my hands and began to make my way towards the door.

"So that's it then?" He shouted as I walked passed him. "You are just going to go to your house and act like all this shit never happened? I thought you cared about her, Gaara. I thought you truly liked her! I thought-"

"I do, damn it!" I shouted back. The papers in my arms flew in the air and fell one by one to the floor. I stared at my brother as he stared back. His eyes urging me to go on. "I do care about her, Kankuro. I care about her a lot, but she deserves better. She deserves him, not me. I can't make her happy like he can."

Kankuro only closed his eyes while bringing his thumb and index finger to grip the bridge of his nose. He sighed loudly while shaking his head.

"Gaara, do you really believe that?" He stepped forward and the sound of crinkled paper followed. I winced at the thought of that paper possibly being important. "When you left, she stared at the same spot for like a minute afterwards. That can't be your last good-bye to her. She really feels something towards you, Gaara. Hell, I even believe she may love you." He sighed while placing his hands on his hips. He looked down at the ground then at the wall, before looking straight back at me. "She loves you, Gaara. You can't let this be your final good-bye. At least not like this."

So here I was now. I left the papers on the ground of my office with Kankuro standing there bemused. I walked down her hallway towards the room that seemed isolated from the rest of them. I made my way down the final hallway and stood by her door. I breathed in deeply as I brought my hand up to knock.

Before my fist connected with the door, I heard two muffled voices behind the door.

"What's up with you and Temari?" A female voice shouted accusingly. I could hear a loud sigh in reply.

"Ino, why does it matter?" A male voice responded that belonged to Nara.

"Exactly then. Why does it matter about me and Gaara?" She shouted and I froze.

The response wasn't audible to my ears.

"Same here, there's nothing going on." She stated and I felt myself become numb. Is that what she thought?

I walked away from the door no longer interested in hearing the conversation further. Kankuro was wrong, completely wrong. She doesn't love me. I felt anger boil up inside me as I made my way back towards my office.

As I neared the door, my anger began to overfill me. I could hear my gourd rattling on the other side of the door. When I busted through the door, the gourd flew open and soon sand was flying everywhere in the room. Pictures, books, and plants were knocked off the shelf and sent hurdling around the room. The empty shelves now gave way to the strength of the sand. Anger fueled the destruction that came over the room.