Forgive me for I have sinned, it has been eons since I updated my other story. I'm having writers block with that one. But then I got bitten by the writing bug, and this story was born. Hope you enjoy! I'm going to try to have it done by Christmas :)
I have a problem. My problem is a person. This person is sitting on the other side of the science lab.
Somehow Mr. Dilemma is really rocking the plastic safety goggle look. Little jerk. How is it that some people can turn such a hideous thing into something so adorable?
You may be wondering why this guy is such a problem. It's because he's been getting in my way.
This morning I ran into the school's front door because I was looking over my shoulder at him and his friends. People gave me strange looks. A week ago I didn't hear the literature teacher assign a new book, because I was listening to his hushed chuckle float from the back of the room. Now I'm behind on my reading schedule. Last summer I blew all my money buying tickets to see his stupid baseball games. And in seventh grade I lent him my favorite pencil with the eraser that looked like a gummy bear. I still haven't gotten it back.
Naruto is such a jerk.
At the moment, I'm eschewing him with a firm hand. Because all he's ever brought me is trouble and I don't need that anymore. I'm eschewing him. I'm eschewing his nice face. His mischievous grin. His eyes. Glittering like sapphires. Sapphires that are looking at me…right at me.
I quickly averted my stare towards the ceiling. But that's weird. So I adjusted my safety goggles and added some more baking soda to the beaker on the counter, earning a dirty look from my lab partner. I glanced across the room again.
Naruto had his chin propped on his fist. And he was staring at me. He wiggled his eyebrows at me (he's one of those people who can wiggle their eyebrows really well and make it look super hot), held my gaze for a moment longer and then swiveled his stool towards his bubbling experiment.
"Hinata. Hinata. Hinata. Hinata. Hinata. Hinata," a monotone voice drolled behind me.
"What?" I hissed to my best friend Karin, who was leaning on the counter next to me and giving me a bored death-glare.
"I saw exactly what you were doing. I saw exactly what was going on," Karin smirked at me. "This morning you told me that you had given up this little obsession of yours. Looks to me like you changed your mind. Again."
"Karin. Go back to your own table," I said. I had tried to stop liking Naruto multiple times, but it's hard to give up on someone you've liked for so long.
There are so many times I've almost told him. So many times. Then I think to myself, "What if I creep him out? What if he doesn't like me and I end up ruining the friendship we have?" then I remind myself that, oh wait, he has a thing for Ino. I'm sure of it. She's gorgeous and talented and super nice. Who wouldn't like her? I don't have any concrete proof for this Ino and Naruto thing, but one day I came up with it, and somehow reminding myself that he probably likes someone else and not me helps me get over him.
For an afternoon. Then I start being an obsessed stalker again.
Karin says I need to be checked into a mental institution.
I need to be checked into a mental institute.
At lunch I sat in the cafeteria with Karen as we moaned about our lives.
"Mr. Kakashi lowered the grade on my report because I forgot to double space it. Can you believe that?" Karin said as she opened her carton of milk.
"Well…double spacing was in the requirements," I said. "Look, can you believe that? Ino is sitting next to Naruto again."
"Oh my God. They're friends! And if they do ever date, it will be short term, I promise you. No guy lasts long with Ino."
"Yeah. But you gotta hand it to her. She really knows how to reel them in," I said.
"You could reel guys in if you tried," Karin adjusted her glasses.
"Pfft. I try."
"No. You don't. You never talk to them. You never make any moves, and you dress like a bum."
"I do not dress like a bum…" I trailed off as I looked at my oversized hoodie and grey cargo pants. "Wait, look!" I hoisted my foot onto the table. "I'm wearing flats today. They have little bows. Cute, huh?"
"They'd be cute if you could see them. Your pants are too baggy. Get your leg off the table. Naruto's watching."
"What?" I quickly pulled my leg off of the table and glanced around. Naruto was grinning at me. He tilted his head as if to say, "What's goin' on?" I looked down at my lunch quickly.
"Shit, Hinata. There you go again. You could at least wave." Karin laughed and grabbed my arm, flapping it around in the air. I pulled it out of her grasp.
"Stop," I hissed. "Oh well he's not even looking any more."
Suigetsu sat down next to Karin.
"Fries, Karin? Once on the lips, forever on the hips," He shook his head in mock disappointment.
"Shut up, jackass."
Karin always argued with me when I brought it up, but I could totally tell that Suigetsu liked her. He dragged a hand through his dyed blue hair and took a bite of her cheeseburger. Karin threw her hands up in the air.
"Did I say you could get your germs all over my food?" she said.
"Just making sure it's not poisoned."
"Jesus."
"So Hinata," Suigetsu turned to me. "Still pining over Uzumaki?"
"Shhhh." I widened my eyes at him. "Don't talk about that so loudly."
"The whole damn school knows," Karin shrugged.
"Gahhh."
"Anyway, my pulchritudinous friends, my band and I are going on tour next summer and we need roadies. Wanna come?" Suigetsu was a member of a crappy punk rock band that had formed last summer and was still lacking a name. So far the only gig they had was at homecoming earlier in the year (the only reason the school hired them was because they were super cheap). The band only got halfway through their first song before they blew a fuse and the power went out, due to the amps being turned up too high. The dance was canceled and everyone had to go home. Some people still won't talk to Suigetsu for that.
Karen and Suigetsu argued about the purpose of a roadie for the rest of the day.
"You look especially dead this morning, darling," Karin sat down next to me in homeroom the following Tuesday morning. I was about to make a witty reply when someone interrupted me.
"Hey everyone!" Sakura was standing at the front of the room. "As you know, last week everyone who wanted to signed up for the Secret Santa. I'm happy to say that everyone in our eleventh grade signed up. Besides Suigetsu, but I went ahead and put your name in to make the number even."
"Aw, hell naw," Suigetsu groaned from the back of the classroom.
"In a minute you can come up and grab a name from the basket. You must give your person at least three little gifts throughout this month. You can leave them on your person's desk, slip them into their locker, or give them to Mr. Kakashi and he will distribute them in homeroom; or of course you can give the gift some other way, just make sure it gets to the intended person and your identity stays secret," Sakura wiggled her fingers for emphasis. "On December twentieth– the last day of school before winter break– you give and receive your last gift, and figure out who your Secret Santa is! Now please come and grab a name from the basket," Sakura said.
"I hope Sai doesn't get my name again," Karin whispered to me. I laughed. Last year Sai, clueless as ever, got Karin a book about how to make friends. The note taped to it read, 'I think you could benefit from reading this.' We got up and crowded towards Sakura.
"In a line people! One at a time! Please," Sakura yelled. I got shoved around until I somehow ended up in line behind Naruto. The line shuffled forward; I stared at Naruto's broad shoulders. Naruto looked over his shoulder at me.
"Crazy, it's already December, huh?" He smiled at me.
"Yeah... and I'm still fat from Thanksgiving!"
Uhhhh. I'm not good at making conversation with attractive boys. I heard Karin stifle a laugh behind me.
"Yep, I know the feeling," Naruto said sympathetically and turned back around. Karin kicked at my shoe from behind.
"Nice job, rock star," She said lowly. I turned around and wrinkled my nose at her as I flared my nostrils and crossed my eyes. A classic look of not giving a damn. Sadly, Sasuke, Naruto's best friend caught the look too. He raised his eyebrows. Great, I'm sure he'd pass on to Naruto that I look like a dying moose on ugly pills.
"Hinata."
I looked up to see that I was next in line to get a name for Secret Santa. Sakura was beaming at me.
"Choose wisely," she said as she shook the basket at me. I was near the back of the line, so there were only a few names left. I quickly grabbed a piece of folded paper and made my way back to my desk.
Please be Karin. Please be Karin. Please be Karin.
I opened up my fist and slowly unfolded the slip of paper. I stared at the paper for a moment and looked across the room. Naruto was looking out the window, smiling. I glanced down at my paper again. Yep, still there in big bold print:
Naruto Uzumaki
Well that sums up chapter 1. Did you like it? If so please favorite, follow and comment! If you did not enjoy it, voice your dislikes and I shall try to work on making the story better :)
-Harri The Celery
P.S. I'm quite trying to come up with a better title. Therefore I'm holding a title contest. PM me your ideas and I'll chose the winner!