Chapter 18

The drive to Karin's apartment was not that long. When I parked my car, her apartment was actually close to the front gate for the residents who lived in the compound, making her place easy to find. I knocked on the door and immediately I heard her voice, screaming "MOM! I GOT IT!" Shortly the door opened, with Karin leaning in the door frame.

"Well, hello, handsome!" she said smirking and taking off her glasses.

"Hey, Karin," I said with a sigh. "Let's just get this over with."

"Come on in. Would you like something to drink? Water, soda . . . or some sake?"

"Aw crap. She's trying to get me drunk. I got to be careful now," I thought. Aw crap! I was supposed to text Hinata! I pulled my phone and texted her without Karin noticing. "No thanks. So where are we going to go over lines?"

"My room, c'mon this way," she said, ushering me toward a small flight of stairs. Someone was shouting from another room. Obviously, it her mother.

"KARIN! WHO IS THAT?!"

"MOM, IT'S A JUST A FRIEND FROM SCHOOL! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU ALREADY!"

"NO YOU DIDN'T!"

"DID TOO! JUST- GAAAAAH!"

"Jeez,bitches be cray," I thought to myself.

"Sorry about that," she said massaging her temples. "My mom is such a pain in the ass. Well, here we are," she said, opening the room to her small room. I was surprised t what I saw. I thought that her room would be filled with pictures she had taken of Itachi, Sasuke, and I. I sure wrong. It was just a typical girl's room. A few posters of some celebritites, a dresser with a mirror right above it , a desk and chair, and a bed on one side. "It's not much, but it's all I have . . . well what I can afford, " she said sitting on her bed with her script ready. Something caught my eye on her desk. It was a framed picture of Karin and her mother. I picked it to have a closer look. Karin looked nothing like her mother!

"Y-you were adopted?" I asked. She shot up from her bed and snatched the picture from my hands.

"The hell are you doing with that?! I don't go through your shit!" She sat back on her bed, furious and embarrassed.

"Look, I'm sorry. There's no need to be upset." I sat next to her and I reluctantly put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at me in the eye, pissed off. "It's okay. I know how you feel?"

"No, you don't," she said through gritted teeth.

"I was adopted too." Upon hearing this, her eyes widened.

"R-really?" she asked shocked. I nodded.

"I know that feeling that you have. Always being angry with the one that adopted you," I said looking away. I felt her shaking and I looked back at her, she was tearing up. I was shocked as well. This girl that makes other kids at school hate her is like . . . me. Alone. No real parent in her life. "Karin . . . was your mom . . . there for you growing up?"

"N-no. What about Sasuke's uncle? Was he t-there?"

" . . . No." She started crying.

"At least you life is better than mine!" She said covering her face with a pillow. "You live in a nice house! You have siblings! In a relationship! And she's so damn pretty, damn it! And most of all, you have real friends!" I was completely taken aback with this. I feel . . . I feel so sorry for her.

"KARIN! I'M GOING OUT AND WON'T HOME 'TIL LATE! BE SURE TO-"

"OKAY, MOM! WE'RE WORKING HERE, DAMN IT!" she screamed. She was still crying after her mother had left.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I thought. "Hey. There, there," I said, helping her sit up. She still covered her face with her pillow. I took the pillow from and she sobbing, her eye liner all messed up. I removed her glasses and wiped her tears and put my hands on her shoulders. "Hey, you're not the only adopted kid at school, okay? I'm sure there are other kids at school who adopted as well. If you need to vent, you come talk to me, okay?" I said smiling.

She just stared at me. "W-why are you being so n-nice to me?" she asked between sobs.

"Well, in my perspective . . . we are somewhat alike." She draws closer to me, looks me in the eyes I feel her lips against mine. I pull away, blushing and shocked.

"I gotta go," I said getting up and headed out. "I'm sorry, Karin, but . . . we can't rehearse like this. We'll go over lines at school during lunch in the library."

"Rakuya, I'm sorry I didn't mean to. I don't what-" The door slammed. She was alone. "I have to tell you something," she said looking down. "I . . . love you . . . Rakuya . . ."