Yamanaka Ino (Iris)

She'd been up here for hours. Tucked away, knees drawn close to her chest, and in a small corner where no one could see her, seedling trays lying--almost forgotten--on the ground in front of her.

Ino knew, in a quiet distant way, that she'd need to apologize to Liir for ditching him. But she hadn't wanted to talk. Or let anyone see her cry.

Now though, her head was fuzzy and her throat parched, and she really should be heading back down but...

She didn't want to.

Wasn't like it mattered anyway. She wasn't first priority to anyone here. They could do without her. Even Liir. He had Andrew. She was just... Ino.

Not as important. Okay. Okay. She was okay. Really. It was fine, she was fine and it didn't really matter, right? That she wasn't, that she didn't ever get to come first, right?

That thought though just made her eyes sting again.

[Establishy, yes. And Liir totally ditched with permission.]

Her wrist hurt from when he'd grabbed her, and Ino darted across the hall to her room. Getting inside she slammed the door behind her and leaned against it. Her breathing was ragged, like there was a weight pressing down making it impossible to get enough air, and her eyes burned with unshed tears.

Shoving herself away from the door, she stumbled over to her bed. She'd been seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses, had she? And it was all just a lie... Ino sniffled. It hadn't felt like that to her.

Tugging her blankets up around her tightly, Ino buried her face in her arms. She'd been so stupid, letting him fool her like that. She'd thought they'd had something... thought... it had been real.

And it had just been a game to him. She'd be angry soon, but right now...

Slowly… painfully… Ino began to cry.

[Establishy.]