Edit 12/10/17 I made some changes and some fixes to miss spellings throughout the whole story.
This fic is really old written back when I was in middle school so about 8-9 years ago and yes, I know it's bad but it's here more for me to look and see my growth than for readers to tell me it sucks. That's all I have to say to that.
Here I was crying into Sakura's arms. Why you might ask, well it all started when I had six buckets of paint poured on my head, my desk scribbled on, and my bag thrown into the school's pool, but the last straw was when I nearly got shoved out the window on the second floor. Yup, it was officially the worst day of my life, and why was I crying on her shoulder, well not that long ago she and I finally found the ability not to hate one another.
She was a great friend; she could put up with all my random problems and was really sweet. I never really saw her as a girlfriend but I always admired her.
She was wiping my blond hair out of my face to try and clean off my tears, she treated me the best she could. Sakura was doing her best to calm me down she even told her boyfriend, (Rock Lee how I still shiver at that!) she would be late for her date. Only Sakura and a few people really knew this side of me; the crybaby and broken pieces that I hid from everyone else.
I don't even think my older sister knew. Namiko was so busy that I tried not to bother her with my problems. Namiko and I lived with our godfather. She often stayed long periods of time at her job which happened to be a secretary at the mean old Hyuuga family. Well there was one girl from that family, who was in my class, her name is Hinata, and she is the sweetest person I ever met.
"Naruto, come on," Sakura said as she gently pulled me to my feet. "Don't worry if they try it again, I'll beat them into a pulp. So please don't cry anymore."
I used the sleeve of my school uniform to wipe at my tears. "I-I'll try," I sniffled, sounding like a child that just scraped their knee. She took me into a big hug and whispered into my ear, "Just go home and rest for now. I'll find out who tried to push you out the window tomorrow."
"Thank you," I said hugging her back. She let go quickly enough and raced to the class room door. Looking back at me one more time she smiled reassuringly and left.
Looking out the window I could see her racing off to catch up with Lee. Sighing I placed my chin into the palm of my hand. When she was out of sight I grabbed my bag and calmly left the classroom. Luckily because she was probable already far away now she wouldn't try walking me home now.
My walk home was pretty uneventful, not that it bothered me. Nearing my home, I could easily see that my sister Namiko was already back from work.
She often got off early because she couldn't stand her employers.
Opening the door, I announced my arrival. "I'm home!" "Okay! Hurry up and get cleaned up diner will be ready soon!" Namiko's voice called out from the kitchen.
Sighing I started off for the stairs but I felt pressure on my shoulder that made me 'eep' in surprise.
"Hey there Ruru." When I felt that my heart had calmed down enough I looked to see where the deep voice had come from. And sure enough, that red hair that gave him away, with his ever so devious smirk you couldn't mistake him. "Sasori-nee," I said in a disapproving voice.
"Sasori get your butt over here, UN!"
"He's here to?" I ask not exactly wanting company today.
"Yes. Coming give me a moment," he called down the hall. He turned around eyeing me again and came face to face with me. "Your eyes are red you know."
"Oh shut up!" I said in a low hiss.
"I won't tell Namiko." He said as he waved his hand at me and started walking back to the kitchen.
I quickly ran up in to my room, and shut the door tightly behind me. Tossing my bag over to my queen-sized bed I tapped into my personal bathroom. Switching on the knob to the shower I started to strip off my school clothes.
I reached for my contact case and gently took them out and grabbed my glasses placing them where I could easily get them after my shower. Now you are also most likely thinking 'why would a guy like me need glasses' well that's just the thing I'm not stupid at all. In fact, if I wanted to I could have straight A's but I don't want the attention; and I don't have much of a choice on the glasses because I can't see a thing without them.
Stepping under the spray of water I reached over and grabbed my sponge and soap bar. Rather quickly I lathered my body getting rid of the remains of paint that I couldn't get out in the bathroom at school. As I got down to my wrists I could feel the small scars that I often covered up with long sleeves or wrist bands. I had stopped cutting myself when one-day Namiko had come into my bathroom and found me passed out from blood loss. She then spent three whole days sobbing at my hospital bed for me to never do that again. I promised her I wouldn't and I don't break my promises so I have yet to do it again so far.
Grabbing my strawberry shampoo, I quickly made good work of getting my hair clean, and used my conditioner to make sure it would stay soft. With that I shut off the spray of water and reached for my towel. I stepped out and grabbed my glasses and looked into the mirror. Yup there I was, my blond hair I often would comb in a weird way but now it laid calmly down just barley touching my shoulders and hugged softly to my face. My thin rimmed glasses lay on my nose. My face had lost all of its old baby fat and was now thin while my blue eyes were a mix between what you would call sharp and chibi. I was short for boys my age, the same height as Sakura without her heels to be exact but that doesn't matter I think. Oh, and then there was my scrawny body, it looked like I never ate right, but in truth I ate just fine. And my hair had started getting lighter as I got older so I was more of a pail blond, and though my skin was once really tan it had become lighter like my hair because I began spending less time outside in the sun.
Everyone took me for the happy go lucky blond guy but that's not who I am at all it's just a façade I put on so people wouldn't hurt the really me.
I walked into my room and went to my closet and pulled out my orange boxers, a black turtle neck, and long blue-jean pants. I grab an old blue clip and placed it in my hair to hold back my bangs. The clip was my mother's so I like to use it a lot. When everything was on I went over to my bed and pulled out the latest book I had been reading, and yes, I read books in fact that was all I did all day read or study for school.
Plopping down next to my bag I opened to page two hundred and seven. Just as I was getting into it I heard Namiko's voice call up to me. "Naruto come down please!" She was probably just calling me down for dinner. I ignored her and went back to my book.
"Uzumaki Naruto get your ass down hear this instance!"
Groaning under my breath, I calmly put my book down and walked to the door.
"Naruto don't make me come up there and get you!"
"I'm coming already, geez you would think the house was on fire the way you're screaming. And where the hell is Jiji! He's supposed to pick up my new book for me today!"
"He's at the book convention, and don't you have enough books?"
"No, I read those already," I said walking into the room but stopped at the sight before my eyes, right in front of me, was my friend Shikamaru. I stood frozen in my spot. While it looked like Shikamaru had no clue who I was in front of him. "Naruto?" I nodded just slightly.
"Are those real?"
I nodded again. "Hey Ruru who's the kid?" Deidara asked walking into the room.
"O-one of my friends," I say in a hesitant low voice.
"Really? The only friends I've ever seen you with are that pinket and that boy that looks way too much like Sasori."
I look up at him and growl as though saying 'go away' which he does. Namiko tapped over to me a hugged me lightly and walked away after Deidara.
Mustering up the only bit of courage I have, I look over to Shikamaru and smile lightly at him. "Would you like to come up to my room?"
He raises an eyebrow but nods. As we walk up the steps I look over to him for a split second. "So, what do I owe the honor?" I say in a low voice.
"I had something to tell you since you missed the last class of the day." I wince at the thought it was during that class I was clinging to the school walls for dear life. "I see, but how did you know where I live?" I ask to change the topic.
"I asked Tsunade-sensei," he says calmly. "I see." I make a mental note to yell at her later.
I look up and see we have reached my door. Calmly I open it and allow Shikamaru to go in before me. When I look at him and see his eyebrow razed again. "What?" I ask him calmly sitting down on my bed.
"Well its a few things, one since when did you have a sister?"
"Since before I can remember and she's not my only sibling I'll tell you before you ask. I have an older brother to; he's just… not here anymore."
"Well then, two would be your room is surprisingly clean, and I don't think I have ever seen so many books in my life." He was right some would think that soon I would start making furniture out of books at the rate I was going.
"Well if people ever bothered to ask I would easily tell them the truth; I'm not a messy person and I don't intend to live in filth. And about the books well I love to read so it's expected."
"I would have never guessed that you read more than a ramen cup label." I scowl at his words.
"I'm not an idiot Shikamaru I do read and I do study people just don't ask me about it so I just don't talk about it, and the grades are because I don't want people to bother me about them."
"Can I ask you one more thing before I get to the point of why I came here?" I shrug. "Ask away."
"Is this the real you?" should I change this sentence? No, it's fine the way it is I stared at him before cracking out in my soft real laugh. "Shikamaru, this is all I am!" I manage to get out between my giggling.
Shikamaru calmly sat down at the seat in front of my desk while I wiped at a tear.
"Well then I'll now get to the point of why I came here," he says calmly. I look to him giving him all my attention. "Naruto if you don't mind me asking where were you during class," he says with a serious face.
'I wonder what he'll do if I tell him the truth…' "I was attempting not to fall out of the second story window." I say with a bone chilling calmness.
I waited for a reply but the air seemed to be pregnant with an unusual silence. But finally, he spoke. "Are you telling the truth?" he asks stunned. I smirked at him.
"I wouldn't lie about that Shika." I say calmly. "I…"Before he could say more I broke in. "Don't worry about it, but I think there's more to say so please do continue." With a small moment of pause he then began talking again.
"Well during class, we decided on what we would be doing for the cultural festival, it's a play called Cinderella… and you got the lead role with Sasuke as the prince…" I stared at the boy in front of me completely baffled and unable to talk.
"The class voted on you being the girl because they felt that any other girl would end up stilling 'their' Sasuke-kun, and well you're the most girly looking guy in class…" I was still at a loss for words even when the door opened and Namiko came in caring drinks but she must have seen my face because she rushed to my side in a flash. "Is something wrong?" she asks. I look to her and open and close my mouth a few times trying to find my voice.
"I…I have to play Cinderella," I finally manage to say. Which yet again caused the air to be pregnant with silence until Namiko broke it with what she was best known for.
"WHAT!"