Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Those

Silver

W I N G S –

By darkXblossom

.

I see you

Standing there

Watching with

Gentle eyes as I

Turn

Away

The girl who wrote the poem bit her lip, contemplating.

"No…" she muttered. "Too… freakin' unemotional."

She crossed some words out and edited it a bit.

I stand there

Seeing your

Gentle eyes

But it hurts

To

Keep gazing

Chapter One

Soft, long brown hair cascaded down her pale, small shoulders. Her slightly small lips sent into a content smile. Exotically bright, apple green eyes looked at herself from the view of her full-length mirror.

The white and pink summer dress she wore clung perfectly to her body. She watched as the skirt twirled up and down at her knees.

She whispered to herself. "Haruno –

Haruki."

XXX

I pulled on some skinny jeans, red Converse, and my gray Yasu Academy sweatshirt over my black shirt.

"Hey there," I murmured, winking playfully at my reflection. I tucked a lock of stray hair back, and then began to brush my teeth.

Knock. Knock.

"Sakura! You done?" a voice asked from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, you can come in, Sayuri." Quickly, I spat out the minty foam and rinsed my mouth over with water. I pressed a towel between my lips, patting it to make sure I was dry.

The door creaked open just a bit, and then swung out all the way. The girl, Sayuri, my roommate clutched onto my lime green suitcase.

"Shit, Sakura! What do you have in here?" she demanded, letting go immediately. "It's heavy!"

"Shit." I replied, grinning. "It's all the necessities for surviving boarding school." I paused, flickering a glance back to Sayuri. "And well, surviving you." I grabbed the suitcase and hauled it back to our room, setting it on my bed. Sayuri followed suit.

I couldn't believe it. I plopped onto my bed, smelling the aroma, trying to make it imprint in my brain forever. Because starting today, I wouldn't be sleeping here anymore.

Well, starting today, my life was over.

"Wow…" I breathed. "A whole two years and a semester at Yasu Academy and it's finally over for me."

"God, Sakura, you sound as if the world is ending." Sayuri commented, smiling lightly and laying down on the same bed I was.

I smirked bitterly. "My world atleast."

"You have to call, always. And email and text me." Sayuri changed the subject quickly, on to lighter priorities.

"I will." I promised firmly. I would.

"Haruno!"

We both shot up, annoyed. In the doorway stood the dean's assistant, Mayu. "Let's leave, Haruno. The airport won't wait for one girl."

I sighed as I got up, trudging towards the door slowly, savoring my last moments. Sayuri hugged me tight, kissed my cheek, and then let me off, to my own doom. Mayu motioned the way.

"Hell awaits." I grumbled.

As Mayu assisted me out the gate of the academy, the orange cab waiting impatiently outside the gates, I tilted my head to sky, prayed to God I would survive.

XXX

"Damn it, where are they?" I demanded, as if asking myself would totally give me an answer. So, okay, let's see. It had been about forty minutes after my plane arrival at Konohagakure, and my parents were not here – well, at least I could'nt find them. I decided to go to the Baggage Claim Area alone to get my suitcases, and now I was roaming around section B-14, where my mother stated to be.

"I might as well go home on a taxi if –"

"Sakura!"

My body swiveled around, trying to detect where the voice was.

"Sakura!"

My eyes landed upon my mom, Sasame, who was scurrying to meet me, frazzled but delighted. Trailing quite far behind her was a girl, mouth tight and frowning, and arms crossed around her chest.

Haruki.

I almost laughed inside my head. She was different.

Though I could barely recognize her with the fact that she had dyed her once pink hair brown. Of course.

Arms wrapped around me, entangling me in a warm embrace. Behind, Haruki huffed.

"Hey, Okaa-san," I greeted lightly, smiling and wrapping my arms around her. "It's nice to see you."

"Oh, Sakura, I missed you so much!" Okaa-san replied, letting go. She beamed with the sight of me. Well, I kind of hope that was what she was doing. "Wow, and you cut your hair, too."

"It's only fair," I said, smirking at my twin sister, "because she got to dye hers."

"Yeah, nice to see you, too, Sakura." Haruki bit in, faking a warm smile. Heh, BITCH!

"So where is he?" I asked her. Haruki shrugged. "Who, Otou-san? Work."

"Oh."

"Oh dear, you'll love your new school. Haruki does." Okaa-san said. I rolled her eyes, but not when Okaa-san could see me. Great. A school loved by Haruki? I'll hate it. Instead of saying that though, I decided to go with a more decent question. "Cool. What's it called?"

"Konoha High," Haruki answered mechanically, like it was so obvious. "Uniforms and everything."

"Uniforms?" What the hell is up with that! Ugh, I hate the school all ready.

"Yeah." Haruki smirked. "Got any problem with that?"

"A few," I grumbled quietly, but to Haruki I smiled. "No. None at all." I can't let her win.

Haruki rolled her eyes and threw a key at mom. "C'mon, Okaa-san, let's get moving."

XXX

"Nice car," I commented as we exited the airport and started driving home. "When'd you guys decide to buy yourself a Lexus?"

"It's mine." My sister said smugly as she drove. "It was my present from Otou-san when I turned sixteen."

"Ah," I said, looking out the window. Otou-san's favorite was always Haruki. When I turned sixteen, Okaa-san had called and asked what I wanted, but stupid me just declined a car. In boarding school, there was no need for cars and all that crap. I had bought myself an electronic scooter with the money Okaa-san gave me for that birthday.

With the silence filling the car, I eyed my sister as she focused on the road. Haruki had changed her outlook, which was definitely noticeable. Her hair was now a kind of dark chocolate-y color, with honey highlights. Her green eyes were covered with white-rimmed Oakley's and dark lenses. You could tell by the way her skin looked she put on heavy makeup occasionally. All in all, she looked like your average fashionable teen. Quite a transformation. Gag.

As Haruki pulled into the driveway, I sighed in relief. I would drag my stuff up the stairs and into my room, and after a quick snack fall right to sleep, hopefully. It was annoying to be jetlagged and drowsy from an hour on a plane.

"Home sweet home," Sasame murmured, opening the door. She offered to carry a bag, which i obliged with gratefulness. As WE trudged up the stairs of this house where I had not been for about two years was all coming back, memories, familiar and happy and hard and bad all came rushing back in to my head. The Victorian vase that sat directly under the staircase on marble ledges, the white bookcase that stood tall and proud with books dangling off from each corner, the way the kitchen smelt whenever Sasame was cooking chocolate surprise, the black leather couches and loveseat, still there, waiting silently to be claimed, and that small pink stain slightly behind the portrait that T. Hayes painted while we had vacationed in America, the second, pink cushioned house for Miss Kuddles Kat, Haruki's obese kitten.

I passed by her sister's room, and then the bathroom, and then the guest room, and then…

My room.

The area smelt plain and like Fabreeze. It was what to expect, after all since no one probably ever came in it besides to clean.

I lifted my bags onto the top shelf inside the closet and closed the door of it, smiling slightly. I remembered when I first painted the walls white, with the top and bottom pieces black. I jumped onto the bed, the wrinkles coming back. I stuffed my nose into the pillow, burying into the scent of lavender, slowly closing my eyes and succumbing into blissful peace.

My eyes opened slowly, ears anticipating the sounds of Sayuri's soft, gentle snores.

I heard nothing.

Panicky, I zipped straight up, searching around, trying to pull on the lamplight. My hand bumped into the digital clock, which was not supposed to be there but on…

Oh, ha.

Right.

Slowly, my body sank back under the covers, letting my heartbeat restart itself. I chuckled softly at how dumb I could be. What time was it anyway? I asked myself, bending down to look at the clock that lay pitiful on the floor. 1:32 a.m., everyone must be asleep by now.

"I'm home," I muttered wryly, trying to convince myself that it was true. "Home."

I twisted onto my side, listening to the sound of my quiet breathing. I lay like that for a few moments, and then heard the churn and rumbling of my stomach.

I was sooooo hungry.

Gingerly getting out of bed, I put on my robe and exited the room, lightly treading down the stairs into the kitchen, where I opened the refrigerator, examining all the food inside. There was a Tupperware thing-y at the very top, and I reached for it, looking inside.

O Em Gee.

Mangoes!

I sat myself on the counter, popping the sliced mango piece into my mouth. Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum…

CRASH!

"You bastard! God, I don't even know why the hell I married you!"

"It was a mistake, Sasame."

"Yes, a freakin' mistake! God, why are you always so negative with Sakura?! What's so horrible about our daughter?"

"Sakura was not raised as she should have been. She was a complete disgrace and it the best idea to send her to Yasu. Sakura is a misled girl."

"Sakura is choosing to live her life the way she plans to, not by reading 'Daddy's List of Expectations' and following them out! She has her own mind and spine, something which Haruki lacks with you."

"Be quiet. I'm not having this discussion."

"But you are! Itsuki, stop acting like a child."

"Sasame, I said for you to stop."

"No!"

"Sasame!"

I closed her my, unwounded. I knew my parents played favorites with me and Haruki, and I definitely understood that Otou-san's favorite was never going to be me. My fingers fumbled for my iTouch in my pockets, inserting the earphones in my ears. I went to the playlist I had created a couple months ago called 'Peace', and listened to rock/metal songs, ones that drowned out my parents' loud screams. To me, that was peace.

XXX

A small, twelve year old Haruki laughed as she threw the plastic play shovel at Sakura, giggling madly. It dropped when Sakura failed to catch it, but she laughed along anyway.

"Sa-chan," Haruki called out excitedly. "Sa-chan, come here, come here!"

Sakura lightly skipped to where Haruki was, watching over her sister's pink head curiously. "What happened, Haru-chan?"

"Look at it. See the ladybug? Her wings are all whacked!"

"How do you know it's a girl?" Sakura huffed. "It could be a guy."

"No, it's a girl. It's a ladybug, –"

"Haruki."

Both girls looked up to see their father, looming tall before them. He was in his business suit and black tie, curt and formal.

"Come on. Were going."

Hesitantly, Haruki stood forward and started to follow their Otou-san, but then Haruki looked back at Sakura. Sakura's eyes widened when she saw her face change. She was older, her hair was brown and had grown more. Her face was full of scorn.

"What are you looking at, Sakura?" she demanded coldly, making her step farther away. She laughed. "You're pitiful. You can't even take Otou-san and Okaa-san's fights!" She smirked. "C'mon, Sakura, wake up from your fantasy. Our faults will ­

never be erased. We're screwed and I know it, so you should, too. Wake up. Wake up!"

XXX

"Sakura, hon, c'mon, wake up! Wake up!"

I woke with a start and gasped, the earphones in my ear still loudly blasting music. I looked around. I was in the kitchen…??

"Oh, shit, Okaa-san, what the hell's the time?" I asked in horror. Sasame smiled lightly.

"Didn't know you slept here last night, you know? Good thing I came down here when I did." She lightly touched my ruffled hair. "Go get dressed into your uniform, okay? I put it in your bathroom. And it's six-forty-two. School starts at seven-fifteen."

"Shit!" I shrieked. I ran back up the doors and barged into the bathroom, looking around for the uniform. It hung on the bath rack. Sighing in relief, I stripped out of my pajamas and took a shower, letting the cool water run off my skin, and then quickly changed into the uniform. I twirled in it, frowning slightly. Okay seriously, why red? Everyone knows red and pink clash, and that's just not cool.

I was wearing a black and red skirt that – in my opinion – was way too short. Skanky. I tugged on it like, every few minutes, whirling my head back just to check if you could see my butt, and then tugged on it more. My white shirt – thank God – clung perfectly and didn't squeeze me. She adjusted the red tie perfectly and smiled. It was okay, given the circumstances. But…

I reached into my bag of accessories and pulled out a ruby-stoned choker.

There, I thought to myself, perfectly satisfied. This isn't really overdoing the red and pink thing –

"What are you doing?" a voice demanded. Haruki watched with cold eyes as I raised an eyebrow.

"Uh… getting ready for school?" I offered coyly. Haruki shook her head, huffing.

"Get out of my bathroom!" she shrieked, totally pissed. I shrugged, curtsying in front of her and obliging her demand.

"Of course, princess. I wouldn't wanna watch you piss on your royal throne or anything. I can't anyway, even if I wanted to. The coronation happened while I was away, so obviously, I'm not worthy. Aww, too bad." With a sly smirk, I closed the door behind my dearest twin, feeling totally on the upper hand. I could hear Haruki fuming on the other side of that door.

XXX

"Look." Haruki said flatly as she started the engine of the Lexus. "Let's get one thing straight, okay? At school, I am not your sister. I don't know you, you don't know me. Got it?"

"Of course, You're Highness. That would explain why you're driving me to school." I replied, rolling my eyes and inserting the iTouch into my ears again. It was kind of my painkiller. Without it, I'd be dead. Music was my soothing therapy.

"I'm being very serious, Sakura. I have a reputation at school. I am an important person. I mean, what if Uchiha Sasuke saw me walking around with you around campus? God, that would be embarrassing."

I ignored her, assuming that Uchiha Sasuke was just some kind of boy she really liked. Poor dude, I thought, pitying him.

"Oh, yeah, and here's your stupid schedule." She said, throwing a piece of small paper at me. "If you don't know where your classes are too bad, okay? 'Cause I'm not helping you."

I remained quiet, deciding not to waste energy on her. She wasn't worth it, seriously. Instead, I pushed the paper inside my gray messenger bag, with all the other heavy textbooks I needed.

As they pulled in to the school parking lot, I began to reopen my eyes. Konoha High wasn't that big of deal. In fact, it looked fairly like Yasu Academy, except a deal smaller. Like, way smaller. Haruki pulled into one of the back parking spaces, sighing.

"Sakura, get out." Complying swiftly, I did. I wanted to put as much distance as I could between us. So, I swung out of the car, slamming the door shut, and strode in quick paces towards the school.

"Hey, pinky, watch out!" a random person yelled. I stopped in my treks, frozen, looking around.

"What?"

VREEERRRR!

The sound was deafening and fearful. I was locked in place as I saw the incoming car speeding right towards me.

I couldn't move.

"Holy fuc –"

Words died in my mouth, I squinted my eyes shut, praying. And then suddenly palms pushed my stomach roughly, a body collided with mine.

Like ouch.

"Oomph!" we groaned. I landed on the sidewalk, my elbow scraped up against the hard cement. I rolled around until I could get in a position that wasn't awkward, and then, sluggishly, stood up. My head thudded softly, I hadn't hit it that hard, that dude's arm was in the way.

All around me, I think a frenzy was going on. People were cursing at the car driver, and then just gawking at me. Like, what the hell? I need your help not your stares.

"Crap," I croaked, rubbing the side where that guy had pushed me. My stomach felt freshly slapped, it hurt really bad, and that after sensation, the one that you get after you high-five someone really hard? Yeah, I felt that on my stomach. Then I looked at the guy who had saved me. He was still on the ground, curious eyes looking up at me.

"Hey, um… thanks," I murmured, smiling. He gave a small smile as well, taking my outreached hand.

"Yeah… don't –" he winced slightly, but then continued "–mention it. I'm Nara Shikamaru, if you wanted to know."

"Haruno Sakura." I replied. "New girl."

He watched me slightly, looking up at my hair. "Ah," he said. And I tried hard to ignore his curious staring.

"HOLY FUCK! SHIKAMARU, IS THAT CHICK ALL RIGHT?!" a loud voice yelled.
I whipped around to face an anxious blonde. He sprinted maniacally to see my face, just to check my condition. I eyed him with slight annoyance. I hated how loud his voice was. I also hated him because he almost ran me over.

"Crap –pant–… sorry, lady. I didn't –pant–… catch you there." He offered a bright smile. "So, um… you okay?"

I nodded sharply. "Yeah, I survived, right?" And he smiled at me again, so I couldn't help but doing the same thing. I tried to cover up my bleeding elbow with the other hand. I sneaked a quick glance, it wasn't that bad. "That was a killer stop you tried to make there, though. What kind of car did you have?"

He gave a sheepish grin. "It's just this old crappy one. But it's a Toyota Corolla."

"Cool car." I stuck out my hand. "Haruno Sakura, by the way. Just think of me as the girl you almost killed."

The blonde boy's grin widened. "Uzumaki Naruto, the guy who almost killed you!"

"What?"

"Naruto, what did you do now?!"

"Freakin' dobe."

The threesome looked over to find three girls and two guys all ogling at them.

Naruto scratched his head, chuckling. "Ah… well, umm…"

"Long story short," Shikamaru said lazily, "the kid almost ran over Haruno Sakura here."

At that, the three girls glimpsed at me. A blonde tried to touch my hair… She had really pretty eyes though…

"I'm so sorry! Naruto can be a bit of a…"

"Idiot." A girl with brown hair finished, grinning.

The blonde girl smiled. "Yes, an idiot! A big one. By the way, I'm Yamanaka Ino, and these are my friends, Kita Tenten, Hyuuga Hinata, Hyuuga Neji – they're cousins – and Uchiha Sasuke."

Tenten, the brown haired one who insulted Naruto, grinned. "Heya," she greeted.

And then I noticed Hinata, the girl who took it all in but didn't talk. She smiled shyly at me. "H-hello, Sakura-san."

Neji nodded curtly, but Sasuke just stared.

And then it clicked. Ah, he's the guy Haruki's so madly in love with. I observed his profile and shrugged. Well, he's hot but… he looks more emo than hot to me.

I waved. "Hey, I'm Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you." I cocked my head to the side for sec, seeing my sister gawping and glaring at me from the other side of the parking lot. I smirked; I knew what she was thinking. Then, mockingly, boldly, I decided to wave. "Hey sis," I called loudly enough for her to hear.

Haruki, flushed and furious, turned her head immediately, trying to get back into conversation with a cluster of girls that surrounded her. This gave me a satisfying laugh.

Ino eyed me curiously, gasping. "Sis? Haruki?"

I smirked. "Yeah. She's gonna get all pissed off that I told, but I don't think I really care. I'm Haruno Haruki's younger twin."

Sasuke smirked back at me, an unbelievably sexy one. I turned my head away from him quickly.

"Haruki has a twin… Unbelievable." Tenten murmured to herself. I cocked a brow.

"What's my sister like, anyway? I mean, I know she likes –" I pointed directly at the Uchiha, which caused his smirk to widen – "you. And I know how she acts around the house, but… what about school?"

"She's a bitch." Ino replied firmly. Ha.

"I-I-Ino-chan!" Hinata scolded, horrified. I laughed it off. "No, it's okay. Haruki is one. I was just checking if the comparison was the same."

"Whoa," Naruto said, perplexed beyond reach of logic. "But… how come you just burst into the picture all of a sudden? And you have pink hair. She has brown."

"Our natural hair color is pink, go take a look at our Okaa-san. Haruki wanted to fit in so she dyed it. And why I just suddenly came? I went to Yasu Academy over in Wind. It just appealed to me more than… normal school. I came back because my mother wanted me back here." I said swiftly and bluntly. Huh, I was a good liar when I wanted to be.

The bell began to ring first period, and Naruto invited me to walk alongside them.

"It's the least I could do, you know." He chuckled. "After, well… almost running over you."

I, on the other hand, was looking over at my schedule, eyes glued to the piece of paper. I was going to take advantage of these people and find out where all my classes were. Well, at least where my homeroom was.

"Naruto?" I asked. He turned to me, rapt in attention. "Uh, yeah?"

"Where's building B?"

The blonde scratched his head, thinking. "Building B…"

"We are in Building B, Sakura," Tenten answered, pushing Naruto out of the way. "Don't ask him any of that. He won't know."

I giggled. "'Kay." I handed Tenten the schedule. "Please lead me to Kakashi-sensei's homeroom."

"Kakashi?" Shikamaru questioned. "I have that dude, too. He's a hell of troublesome."

"We all have Kaka-sensei," Ino corrected, rolling her eyes. "God, Shikamaru."

Tenten wheeled around the corner, with me following short on her heels. "Just a little 411 for you, Sakura," Tenten said, pausing. "Kakashi-sensei's a bit of a… nut, compared to other teachers here. He's usually really late and pretty much doesn't deal with new kids so you basically can choose your seat anywhere like the rest of us."

"Okay," I nodded. "Cool, thanks." A slacker teacher. Awesome.

The gang entered the classroom, which was basically everyone sitting at their desks talking and conversing and playing around. Off to the very back of the classroom the seats were all vacant, and I found that pretty odd. I held back as the rest of um, well my newfound friends claimed the back seats.

Ah, I get it, I thought, amused. I just made friends with the popular people.

Ino, the blonde, patted a desk in front of her. "Hey, Forehead girl, take this one!"

I smiled as I took my seat, but then frowned at the new nickname. "Ah, so now I'm Forehead girl?"

Ino smirked. "Hell yeah."

I liked her spunk. It was nice to know we had something in common. "Okay, then, if I'm Forehead, you're pig."

Ino's mouth twitched for a second, but then resumed its normal, sweet smile. "Whatever you say, Forehead."

I smirked. "Right back at ya, Piggy."

And for a moment, I thought that this could work. Maybe I would like it here. But then I looked up and saw the rest of the classroom, all eyes drawn towards me. And that feeling of belonging sunk in my chest.

A/N: Hey, Dax here! I edited the story, so ha! Way way way better now!!!! Please read and review!!!

If I don't get reviews, I don't write… Make my day and please review, will you? :)

Arigatou. :)