!$%^%&*()\]!
The Playlist Records
~x.BodyElectrik.x
`-/=+][\]~$%^&!
When life gives you lemons,
make grape juice, sit back, and let the world wonder how you did it
note/ / i had fun writing this. and i hope you guys like it
disclaimer/ / i do not own anything but the plot
inspiration/ / Music Listography by Lisa Nova
When I'm Small
"Sakura Marie Haruno!" screamed her mother from the tip of the stairs. Clad in her signature apron and oven mitts, she stomped up the stairs to bang on her daughter's door.
"Wake up or you're going to be late!" And with that, she stomped back downstairs to let her muffins out of the oven.
Sakura jolted awake -like most of her mornings- hair strands everywhere and a drop of drool oozing out of the left side of her mouth. With a moan, she stretched her arms and swatted last nights homework off her cheek. Her eyes widened as she noticed the clock's red numbers. 7:15. Ten minutes before school started.
"OH SHIT!"
Like a tornado through a field of houses, she tore through her room in search of her things that she needed for school.
Sakura Marie Haruno. Age 17. Junior at Konoha High School. A chronic over-sleeper and extreme music believer. Seriously, she loved music okay? She wasn't exactly normal, in a way, (compared to all of the kids that attended her school) with her eccentric style like, the solid black streak through her light pink hair. Or maybe the way she wore vintage clothes instead of the kind of name brand stuff that everyone wore.
It was only recently that she changed from her quiet and shy exterior. Let's just say that once her dad left, a lot of things changed. Like, how her mom was now constantly in the kitchen coming up with new recipes to get keep her customers at her café. Or maybe the changes such as relocating to Konoha in the past year and into a smaller house. And the change like befriending the most popular girl in school, and somehow becoming her bitch after what happened at a single party. But we'll get into that later.
Now dressed in skinny jeans, vans, tank top and leather jacket, she pressed play on her musical device and stumbled down the stairs.
Her phone then buzzed.
Sent at: 7:19 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
Hurry the fuck up. Im outside
Sent at 7:20am
From: SakzFeet
To: LazEBum
Im comin douche
Sakura breezed through the kitchen, grabbing one of her mother's delicious muffins and rushing out the door. All the while ignoring her mothers shouting about her sleeping habits.
In front of her stood her best friend Shikamaru Nara. A genius at the same high school who was probably the laziest one in its history. Seriously, he never studied nor did his homework and even slept in most of his classes. But somehow he managed to pass every single test and even, all of his AP tests that he'd ever taken. And that pissed some people off, but he didn't care.
"Well this is a surprise!" She motioned to her friend who leaned on the gate to her driveway. He was dressed in his usual attire: green hoodie and brown cargo pants.
"What?" He drawled.
"Well for one," She paused to take a bite of her muffin. She offered some to him which he couldn't turn down because Sakura's mom was like a Chef God. Really. So he snatched a piece from the opposite side and chewed as they walked.
"You're awake and on time!" She said incredulously.
"That's only because my mom installed this loud alarm thing in my room now. So every school morning it like, blasts and halfway blows my ears off." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I fucking hate it."
"Well, that's what you get for being three hours late everyday for like, the past year."
"Yeah, yeah. Finish that Trig homework?"
"Nope." She answered quickly. Busy touching the screen of her mp3.
Now Playing: 'When I'm Small' by Phantogram
"Yeah, I think I can see the ink of it on your face."
Sakura's eyes widened. "Dammit." Her hands flew up to her face to attempt to rub it off as they now entered the parking lot. Filled with numerous brands of sports cars, the parking lot was meant for those who could afford such things. Too bad her mom or dad couldn't buy Sakura one. But she wasn't complaining.
It's not like Sakura didn't like walking. It was either that or the subway further downtown. Her and her mother weren't poor, really. They lived in a small two-story house. She had a small yet comfy room to herself free of any siblings. There, in that sanctuary of hers was where she stashed all of her music. Music of all kinds.
Anyway, to Sakura, it was the fact of Konoha's Elite ostentatiously showing off their shit that kind of irked her. A little. Okay, well maybe a lot.
"You know," began the pinkette, casting her eyes over to Ino's car - the purple leopard print convertible- parked to her right. Her friends (well, old ones actually) Karin, Hinata and Tenten got out with Ino, all of them looking beautiful, as usual.
"What?" asked Shikamaru as they traveled up the steps.
"I'm waiting for this stereotypical high school hierarchy to end. Twenty years from now watch the nerds run the school."
The boy next to her shook his head and leaned against the locker beside Sakura, his hands tucked in his pockets. "I'd like to see that."
Konoha High School. Home of the Panthers. The principal being Tsuande, a fifty-something year old milf with huge boobs. Well, okay her being a milf is supposedly a rumor. Anyway, being the big and bad leader that she is, she stressed punctuality and excellence. "Always be on time and strive to be the best!" Her booming voice always commanded the attention of anyone in the room…and speaking of the devil….
"ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS!" The intercom's static began to fade. "WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A CLEAN SWEEP THIS MORNING! MEANING, THAT ANY OF YOU STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO GET TO YOUR FIRST PERIOD ON TIME WILL BE SENT TO THE CAFETERIA WHERE FREE DETENTIONS WILL BE GIVEN!"
Sakura rolled her eyes. Free detentions. Funny. She checked her watch. 7:25. Five minutes left.
"Clean sweep? Where are they getting these names from?" She asked, facing her friend. He shrugged.
She reached inside her locker, past the picture of her dad that she didn't have to guts to throw away and the piles of CDs that threatened to fall from their haphazard positions on the shelves.
She grabbed her notebook.
It was always a tradition for her every year to buy a private notebook, decorate it and fill it with anything on her mind. She loved to write. But not just poems and stories but her inner thoughts and feelings, song lyrics, quotes, ideas, lists and her theories. She stuffed it in her bag.
Now Playing: 'Sunlight' by Bag Raiders
"See ya at lunch." And her and her best friend separated.
At a slow pace, she turned the corner to the 500 hall to her first period. Creative Writing 1 with Kakashi Hatake. Sure, before she'd signed up for the class she'd heard her fair share of rumors. A teacher who was always late and barely ever taught and how he read Playboy magazines (in the open!) and how he was on a contract so that he couldn't actually get fired.
As she walked in, she noticed, like always, how crowded and chaotic is was. Instantly, she noticed Ino, the former friend, sitting precisely in the middle of the class room surrounded by her friends. Ino was sitting in very close proximity to Sai, a former sort-of boyfriend to Sakura.
As if noticing her presence, she flipped her blonde ponytail and laughed even louder. Why was she in here? Sakura knew very well that Ino hated writing and reading for that matter.
Sai stared at her for a few seconds before reverting his eyes back to Ino's busting cleavage. Surrounding the two were all types of kids, including Lee, the freakishly athletic and energetic guy with the bowl cut. Shino, the creepy guy tat spent his lunch observing ant hills and Kiba, the really hot tan one and Suigetsu, the one with the toothy grin and the hyper kid Naruto, who used to have a crush on her and Neji and Hinata and Karin and Tenten.
Everyone was up and talking or sitting on the desks, of which Tsunade strongly discouraged. Sakura found her seat near the back of the class.
Now Playing: 'Kids' by Sleigh Bells
She'd thought that she'd be used to the class by now since it'd already been a month since school started. But still. The way that most of the class looked at her was quite awkward. Sure, she had that drama between Ino, Hinata, Karin and Tenten and maybe even Sai but was it really the whole school's business?
Absolutely not. But that doesn't stop people from spreading the gossip. That's why you gotta love high school.
As a matter of fact, it really wasn't that surprising. Ino was the gossip queen. Finally the bell had rung. And still no teacher.
So, Sakura decided to write. Usually she needed to have certain circumstances in order to write such as:
1. A class period where you didn't either know anyone or talk to anybody
2. Sitting a good distance away from any nosy on-lookers (Yeah, it happens.)
3. A nice black ink pen that writes smoothly and several other multi-colored pens.
4. And music. Of course.
October, 3rd. Monday
7:35 am
I realized that today is Day 135 of Ino's cold shoulder treatment. It's as though I'm Public Enemy 1 now.
And it's alright.
At least they haven't started with the usual, like putting frogs in my locker or the traditional and dashing 'Kick Me' sign on the back. (They've been a bit more creative than that.)
I think I walk with even more confidence now. But still everyday's the same with all the glaring, Tsuande's bullshit slogans, the gross school lunches and the piles of homework.
It's the same at home, mom's crying at night, dad's silent treatment and unknown location. And me staring at the picture of my sister, Sayuri and acting as though she's still here even though she's long gone.
Is it too much to ask for something or someone to change? Or to at least be interesting? I guess so.
-Love and Music, Sakura
She set down her pen and rested her chin on the palm of her hand. Everyone was socializing and texting and whatever. She stared into the back of Ino's head and began to wonder what the last words she'd said to her was. Oh yeah.
It was last Wednesday at lunch when Sakura grabbed her usual green apple canned drink from the lunch line. Like everyday, she'd grab it and head to her usual table with Shikamaru. Ever since she discovered that hair in her creamed corn, she pretty much refrained from buying lunch. Anyway, she'd been walking, her signature yellow earphones in her ears as she passed Ino's table.
At first, she didn't hear anything. But she felt as if someone called her name. So, she turned her head and immediately felt a huge glob of something hit the top of her forehead. And then there was laughter.
Stiffly, she calmly headed back over to her spot (not without muttering several obscenities) as Ino and her grouped shouted. "WHORE!" And of course, she could hear Ino's voice over everyone else's because she probably meant it the most. And of course, she knew that Hinata would never shout it. And of course, maybe Neji might have muttered it. And of course, Naruto probably thought twice before saying it. But the majority of them did.
Shikamaru's face was a cross between a grin and a frown as his troubled friend sat down before him.
"I'm so getting tired of this." mumbled Sakura. She fiercely grabbed a napkin and whipped the mess from her forehead.
Shikamaru reached over a snagged the fork sticking out of the stuff on her head. He studied it for a moment, sniffed it and threw it behind him. "Mashed Potatoes."
"Urgh!" growled Sakura, turning back to glare at Ino but she was already laughing on another subject.
And that was the last word said by Ino Yamanaka.
Now Playing: 'Stars' by Starkey
Her phone buzzed, startling her a bit.
Sent at 8:00 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
this psycho chick Anko just brought in a live snake for biology class
Sent at 8:01 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
srlsy? Is that even legal?
Sent at 8:04 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
xactly and now she wants us to pet it
Sakura laughed softly to herself. She could see Shikamaru's face in horror as Anko brought a ten foot snake closer to him. She was about to ask him if he could send her a picture, but the door to the class burst open; revealing a very tired Kakashi.
"Okay! Okay! Everyone get in their seat and shut up."
Kakashi Hatake. Age 30? Creative Writing teacher at Konoha High School. Also a chronic Playboy reader, smooth talker and consistent late arriver.
The rumor was that Kakashi was always late because he spent his nights with different women from strip clubs. (Which was pretty believable)
The silver-headed male adjusted his eye patch (which he said was from an accident, in which he saved an old lady….uh bullshitbullshitbullshitcough.)
"Okay, you menaces. Today I want you to write about…." he tapped his chin thoughtfully and sat in his comfy rolly chair. (he didn't let anyone else but him sit in it)
"Cabbages."
The room went quiet for a few seconds.
"Huh?" shouted Tenten. "You mean to tell us that you want us to write about a…vegetable?"
"Uh…yeah." He said as if it was completely normal. And it was kind of getting to be normal because he always threw weird topics to write about. They always thought it was because he never actually created lesson plans. So they seemed to be right of the top of his head.
When all of the other English teachers wanted the class to write about our summer break on the first day of school, Kakashi makes them write about our opinion of the drink Vitamin Water. And on that first day of school he said:
"Yes, write about what you guys think about this here beverage." He picked the one up off of Ino's desk that day and twisted it in his hands.
"Well can you give us an example?" asked Naruto as he seemed to be confused.
"Uh…well…" he began to pace back and forth. "I think it tastes like watered down Kool-Aid and that they lie about really having such vitamins inside the repulsive drink. There."
And that was that. Every class it was the same, they'd write about the topic and turn it in on his desk.
"Come on!" cried Karin. "Like, you can't express your thoughts and feelings when writing about a stupid vegetable!"
"Do you have some kind of hostility towards cabbages?" questioned the teacher curiously as he drifted towards her.
"No.." she replied skeptically.
"Good. Then you'll have no problem." He snapped around and wrote on the board 'CABBAGES'.
"Now write about anything that involves cabbages. Like, what color it is or what it reminds you of or how it makes you feel." He said this dramatically of course, poking fun at Karin, who just huffed.
Then, like everyday, he sat back with his favorite magazine and his daily coffee.
And Sakura, dutifully attempted to write about the dreaded vegetable. She always did what was assigned of her, well she tried at least. It was just in her instinct. So, she pulled out a green pen and began to write:
Green. Green. Green.
Or are you purple?
A plant which grows,
And feasted on at dinner tables
And despised by popular snobs…
A smile crept upon her face as she wrote. Sometimes, she felt as though she had too much fun writing.
Now Playing: 'Miniature Disasters' by KT Tunstall
It had been ten minutes since Kakashi's arrival. And Sakura had already finished but decided to hold her paper until the end of class to turn in. She didn't want to get tripped up by Ino and her goons or something. So she just listened to her music and watched the classroom and what was happening outside.
Like, how Sai squeezed Ino's hand every minute or how Tenten ignored the assignment and watched wrestling on her phone and how outside, a lady left her household with her kid to probably drop him off at day care.
She'd gotten lost in her surroundings until the door opened and the class stopped.
In walked, (to put it mildly) the hottest guy with a tall figure and lean body. He wore these dark grey skinny jeans and a t-shirt with the word 'Monday' on it. His hair was extremely dark, along with his eyes, above which his perfect eyebrows furrowed. Sakura's green eyes stared at the perfect male specimen as he approached Kakashi's desk. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Ino let go of Sai's hand.
"Oops, my bad guys. I forgot to tell you that we were getting a new student today."
The male god's eyebrows rose slightly once spotting the magazine Kakashi was holding. And then he faced the class. Thus, revealing a clear and perfectly constructed face. Damn, Sakura thought.
Lyrics ran through her mind to describe the moment:
Am I dreaming or are you beaming out? You're just like sunlight….
Cheesy? Yes, she knew that. But still.
"You guys this is…" he took the schedule that he'd handed him. "Sasuke Uchiha."
In that moment, the class seemed to 'Ooh' and 'Aah' at him like he was a rare creature off Animal Plant or something.
"And where are you from?"
"The Sound." He voice was smooth and sexy like….like velvet.
"All right then Sasuke from The Sound. You can take a seat anywhere you'd like and begin to write about our topic today."
The guy Sasuke stared at the board and then turned to survey the room. And then he walked towards Sakura.
She looked at him then, only for a quick second before averting her eyes back to her paper. She'd noticed that, his hair was spiked in the back and had a blue tint to it. He had a full-set pair of headphones around his neck. And that, on his shirt the word 'Monday' seemed to be faded as if it was homemade. She then found out the irony of it. Today was Monday. Duh…
Anyway, Sasuke ended up sitting in the seat directly behind her. Everyone's eyes were now staring in Sakura's direction. But then she had a thought. She'd ought to make a move before anyone else.
What some people didn't realize about Sakura was that she was very clever and competitive. And that was what made her smirk then as Ino turned her head to gawk at the new kid.
Poor Sai. It was likely for him to be cheated on soon.
The pinkette sat up straighter and twisted around to face the new boy. She smiled. And held out her hand.
"Hi, I'm Sakura."
Sasuke hated school, in general. But more than anything he hated new schools. Because that meant that everyone wants to know where you come from, how you got here. Who? What? When? Where? And Why?
All of that jazz bugged the hell out of him. He didn't like meeting new people or teachers. Sometimes he just liked to be left alone and fend for himself and that's why he stared at the pink-haired girl in front of him. With her small arm outstretched and that bright smile. He winced.
Because he had that fear. He'd met girls and guys like this before. The Welcoming Committee. They would ask all of the already mentioned questions. He scrutinized her. She was fairly pretty, he guessed. With green eyes and pink hair with a black streak on the right side. It provided a little darkness to her image. Just a bit.
Slowly, he shook her hand and realized how small and soft her hand was. He pulled away quickly and braced himself for the chatter.
"For this class, all you need to know is that we just call him Kakashi. No matter what Tsunade says, punctuality isn't stressed here, because the teacher's practically late everyday. And all we do is write about these weird topics he assigns us. And don't ask about his grading policy….just don't."
Sasuke gave a curt nod and stared at the teacher. He could work with that. And Tsunade? Who the hell was that?
"So…yeah. That's it. If you have any questions then feel free to ask."
And she turned back around. Okay, so it wasn't that bad. He thought. But she turned around again and added
"Oh and cool shirt."
Sasuke's lip tugged only slightly, into a small smirk. It was unintentional, he told himself.
"Thanks." he muttered lowly.
But then her back was facing him again.
Sakura had to calm herself down. She just saw his perfectly white teeth. And was that a dimple on one side? She wasn't sure. But she was definitely pumped. Wait, until she told Shikamaru.
Ino was looking the entire time. And glared at the pink girl.
Sasuke refused to write about cabbages. Because that was just stupid. He looked down at his schedule and stretched his long legs so that they could reach the back of Sakura's chair. He glared, realizing that he had no clue how to get to his classes. But he had too much pride to ask for help. So, he'd just have to wing it.
That's when the bell rang and first period ended.
Sent at 8:25 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
thank Buddha im out that class. Dude, she kissed the fuckin snake. she kissed it
Sent at 8:26 am
From: SakzFeet
To: LazEBum
Wowww. But guess what?
Sent at 8:27 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
Wha
Sent at 8:29 am
From: SakzFeet
To: LazEBum
Ah, nvm ill tell u lunch
Sent at 8:30 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
Just tell me now dammit
Sent at 8:32 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
Sak just tell me now
Sent at 8:34 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
Sak
Sent at 8:38 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
Sak this isn't funny
Sent at 8:41 am
From: LazEBum
To: SakzFeet
fuk it. fine
Now Playing: 'With You' by Linkin Park
There was one thing that Sakura truly disliked. Abhorred. Detested. (Whatever word you want to use) And that was unfairness and obvious bias. As a kid, like everyone, she was taught to believe in herself and stand up for her beliefs.
But obviously, once teenagers reach high school that urge no longer exists. And that's because the question is always raised: What's the point?
And that was Sakura's attitude since Ino banned anyone from being her friend. Well, beside Shikamaru.
The voice of the girl that hated her guts (to put it kindly) came on the intercom as the lunch period began.
"Hey it's BlueEyedBeauty and CandyAppleRed! Good afternoon students! And as the selected music DJ's of your hour long lunch period, we've come to bring you the best music out in the world right now! We'll start today with Brittany Spear's new song 'Hold It Against Me'!"
Sakura tried not to vomit as the ditzy pop music spread throughout the hallways. It wasn't so much the musical artist but the fact that this was all they played. Pop. Mainstream Pop. She extremely disliked how their musical taste was so shallow. How did she become friends with her again?
Anyway, for now Sakura would just have to deal. So she turned up the volume to her music and entered the cafeteria.
"Okay, so what's the deal?" drawled Shikamaru. He was laid out on one of the tables outside and looked up at the sky. Their table was a little secluded from most and had the best view of the clouds (picked out by Shikamaru, of course). Every nice day that they had here, (which was quite often) they both watched the clouds. And they'd come equipped with ear plugs to block out Ino's and Karin's playlist for the day.
Now Playing: 'Control' by MuteMath
"All right so in first period today we get this new kid…" Sakura began. At the corner of her eye, she noticed Ino and Karin entering the outdoor lunch area stage right.
"And he's the hottest dude ever. His name is Sasuke Uchiha."
Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed. "Really…that sounds kind of familiar."
"And he's from The Sound. And he sits directly behind me. And he was wearing this shirt that said 'Monday' on it. And I was like, why? And then I realized that today is Monday. Ironic, isn't it?"
"Just the word 'Monday'?" asked Shika.
"Yup."
"Funny."
"I know right? And I turned around and introduced myself and he smirked!"
"Aah."
Sakura pouted. She'd forgotten sometimes that Shikamaru was a guy and he didn't care about this stuff. But she had to let it out somehow! And sometimes she needed to speak of it instead of writing so much.
"And…dude, he's right there!" Sakura hit her friend so that he could sit up and see.
And surely enough, to their left, Sasuke was leaning against the brick wall, headphones on and feet stretched out. He was facing away from them and of course, everyone noticed him because he was just that good-looking.
"Wow." mumbled Shikamaru and he rested his head back on the table.
Sakura kept watching though because Ino and Karin waltzed their way over to the attractive male. She couldn't exactly hear them though. Sasuke took off his headphones and nodded his head. And then he was up and following them back to their table. And he sat down with Neji, Tenten, Hinata, Naruto, Suigetsu and Kiba and everybody. He fit in perfectly in Sakura's old seat in between Naruto and Tenten and across from Ino.
"And now Ino and Karin have dragged him into the group."
Shikamaru didn't look. "Why do you care?"
She took a moment because she was slightly taken aback by the question.
"I…I don't."
Shikamaru decided to leave it at that for now. Because he already how she felt inside. And it really didn't need to be addressed. Sure, he had his differences with a certain blonde over there. But it was over. He didn't need to dwell on it like Sakura was doing. They were over. He was over it.
At that table everyone was in pairs. Well, the majority was.
Suigetsu and Karin. (They always fought and made fun of each other. And their fights were bad. Like, seriously. And they'd cheat on each other all the time. But within the next hour or so, you'd see them making out somewhere.)
Tenten and Neji. (They were…well, confusing. Tenten was practically crazy and competitive and hyper. And Neji was just so calm and collected. The rumor is that Tenten man-handles him. Yeah, and it's believable. Poor Neji.)
Naruto and Hinata. (The world's cutest couple. They even got Best Couple last year, even though they were both sophomores and only in the relationship for two weeks.)
Ino and Sai. (They're together and….yeah, that's it.)
Kiba and EveryGirlInTheSchool. ( Okay, so he was a player. But he enjoyed it. Obviously.)
Sasuke and…? (Does he have a girlfriend? Well, everyone in the school would want to know. Especially Sakura. Yeah, especially her.)
The people at this table ran the school. And they knew it. And now that Sasuke was a part of it. It'd be harder for Sakura to get a hold on him. Or maybe not.
Sakura was close to being hurt about Sasuke's secession into The Clique. But she tried to put on a happy face.
School was out. Thank Buddha.
Like everyday, she stood a distance away from the exit of the school. Avoiding traffic. She was waiting for Shikamaru because his lazy ass was just so slow. Today, she was going to head to the café to help her mom out. Because her mom was just under so much stress and whatnot.
Now Playing: 'Substitution' by Silversun Pickups
So there she stood patiently. That's when she noticed The Hotness. Okay, Sasuke coming out of another exit. He finally got into a hot, all black Camaro. Sexy car for sexy man. Yum. Sakura thought. Ino and Karin waved happily as he zoomed out. Sakura rolled her eyes. She knew Suigetsu and if he was there, he'd flip shit. But whatever.
And then that's when she felt something bump into her. Her arms flew up to push whoever it was off of her. And then she smelt it. And her hands stayed right there on his chest, frozen. The scent that he gave off. So familiar. She knew it like the back of her hand.
It was Sai. And he was practically backing her up against the wall, caging her with his body. And that made her feel uncomfortable, yet comfortable at the same time. Because what they had used to be like this. Close.
But what happened next, shook her up inside. He was looking at her face, but more directly at her lips. His eyes were scorching her and she felt like she couldn't breath. And his eyes slowly, traced her frame. Down to her chest and back up to her face. He didn't smile or smirk or anything.
Sakura bit her lip. Was he bluntly checking her out? She thought he was apparently. But he was pushed away by Naruto, who didn't look at her. And he was followed by Suigetsu and Kiba. Kiba smirked at her, only because he'd previously hit on her a few times. And Suigetsu gave her a dead look.
And they strolled away. She could hear them.
"I can't believe you, dude! Ino's gonna kick your ass!"
Sakura would have just dismissed it then. And probably would get him back later for it, but when her eyes drifted back over to the parking lot she couldn't help but notice one figure looking her way.
It was Ino. And she was looking directly at her. And she looked mad. She definitely saw that.
Oh Shit.
Luckily, Shikamaru stepped out at that moment. Because Sakura grabbed his wrist and they were out.
"All right, so let me get this straight." Shika sat in front of her at a booth at her mother's (and used to be father's) café. The Leaf Café. Yes, very …. Unoriginal. But try saying that to Sakura's mom.
Anyway, her mother was currently working. Probably in the back doing inventory or something.
This café was a constant place in Sakura's memory. In fact, she met Ino and her friends in this very place. When Sakura and her mother moved here about a year and a half ago, they opened this shop. And it was a hit. Plus, she got to work here up to three times a week for extra cash.
It was cozy here. And the coffee was great. And the people were nice. Now, her mother needed to find another manager and come up with new meals and hopefully expand to other places. And she had to do all of this without her husband.
In front of the two friends, was a set of the café's best muffins, some cookies and coffee. (Which Sakura had to pay for because her mom no longer allowed freebies.)
Sakura took a sip. "Mhmm."
"So, you were just sitting there, no standing. And Sai just runs into you and checks you out."
"Yeah, it was so weird. And then Naruto, Suigetsu and Kiba just pulled him away. Ino was watching and she pretty much threatened me with her eyes. Then I saw you and we ran."
Her lazy friend took another muffin in his hands. "Hmm. So you think that he still likes you or something?"
"He's go to! That look wasn't like 'Oh snap you look good.' it was like 'Oh yeah, I wanna see you naked.'" She paused.
"And tomorrow Ino's gonna roast me in first period in front of The Hotness, I mean Sasuke….I'm a goner."
Shikamaru sighed and crossed his arms. "It's not like she's gonna slit your throat or something…"
"Really." She kept a straight face.
"Yeah…"
"Okay so, when the 'Sai Situation' happened and she vandalized my book bag and locker and desks, plus subjecting me to public humiliation and kicked me out of her clique, that wasn't at all bad?"
"….Well, It's-
"And when you broke up with her after a two year relationship, she did the same thing to you. So, I'm screwed. Tomorrow she's just gonna-
"Calm down….Ino's just….she's…" Shikamaru looked out the window and placed his chin in his palm. They remained silent for a minute and Sakura sipped on her coffee. Decaf, btw.
"She wasn't always like this, ya know."
"Yeah, a revengeful, psycho mad-woman...bitch."
And that's when Sakura looked him right in the face. And she noticed her best friends 'extremely-troubled' look. And she knew.
"…You still love her."
His eyes widened, showing the white around his chocolate brown eyes. "N-No I'm not." See, and that was the thing that gave it away. Shika never stuttered. He never did because he was such a slow and calm talker that it was impossible for him to trip up on words. Sakura knew, that any time when Shikamaru was really uncomfortable or nervous or caught-off-guard, he would stutter.
"It would explain everything. That's why you broke up with Temari."
"…She moved back to Suna and I don't do long distance relationships."
"So…break this down for me." Sakura interrupted, ignoring his statement. "Why did you break up with Ino in the first place?"
"I…mean, we were good, but Temari was being persistent. And I didn't hold back from it and I broke up with Ino before I got too involved with Temari. There."
Sakura shook her hand and sat back. "I remember that day too. I was still close with Ino and she plotted to egg your house and shave your head when you were asleep. I used to feel sorry for you, because you were the first to get kicked out of the group and all. But I ended up just like you." She laughed.
"We're the rejects." He sighed. She laughed.
They were silent again. Her phone buzzed. It was an email.
Sent at 2:45 pm
From: SoichiroHaruno4639
To: Sakz_Muse360
Hey, it's me. Your father. I know it's been a while. I want to talk to you. Call me 871-478-8544
I hope to hear from you.
- Dad
Her mouth dropped. Her dad just spoke to her for the first time in a year and a half. He didn't even saw good-bye or anything. He was just gone.
"Who is it?" asked her friend, noticing her reaction.
"It's-
"Sakura!" She snapped her phone shut.
She looked to see her mother. Still clad in her apron, and her long red curly hair pulled into a ponytail, her mother stood before them with a bright smile. Although, if you looked closely you could see the bags under her eyes.
"Hey mom, what's up?" She gave Shikamaru a look.
"A lot. Oh, hello Shikamaru. How are your parents?"
"Good."
"Ah, what was I gonna say? Oh, right. I've got to run over to the storage place so I need you to close the café for me tonight. Okay?"
"All right. Sure."
"Great. And dinner will be ready at home. I'll cook some pasta or something."
"Cool. See ya later then, mom."
"Bye!" And like always, her mother was in motion. If only she could get a car and a license and then she could help out. But when it came to driving, Sakura had a specific kind of fear. The fear of getting in a car accident and well, dying a tragic death. So, in order to finally get her permit (she was late) she had to conquer that fear.
Shikamaru had his license and all but hasn't come into a car yet. And his parents actually want him to work for it. Yeah, that's funny. Right?
"What was that?" Hassled Shika.
"…what?" she played dumb.
"The hiding of the phone."
"Uh…it was my dad."
"…really? Didn't you say that he was M.I.A for like a year?"
"Yup. These are his first words to me in a year and some months. And my mom used to always ask if he'd tried to contact me….but I don't think I'm going to tell her about this."
"Why?"
"Because he's gonna try to weed his way back into our lives."
Shikamaru opened his mouth to speak but the beep from his phone interrupted him. He looked down.
"Looks like I gotta go. See ya later."
He got up from the table and looked at his friend.
"So I think I have a solution for your dilemma in first period tomorrow." He smirked.
"What?"
"Just skip it." And he left.
Sakura pondered on that. First, she knew Shikamaru said that because he that she'd never have the guts to do it. Okay, so she was a goody-goody that followed the rules. And she'd never experienced that thrill of skipping class. It's weird because Shikamaru did it all the time but, Sakura never agreed to it. Yet, he'd still had better test scores than her.
In fact, she kept pondering on it. And went back and forth in her mind so many times that she didn't even realize how fast the day went. Now, the last employee for her mother's café was leaving. A middle-aged woman who was loyal to her mother. She waved and signed out before walking out into the darkness. And Sakura was the only one left.
And then there was silence. Complete silence. Except for the buzzing overhead in the lights. Then she did what she always did. Blasted her own music. She dragged out the huge boom box her mother kept in the back and plugged up her musical device.
Now Playing: 'Tighten Up' by The Black Keys
She swept the floors and nodded her head, whistled, and danced. And then she ate some of the muffins in the back. And then she sung along. Then she wiped down the countertops and made sure all of the food was ready for tomorrow's opening staff. Then she whistled. And then she was finally done.
She was gathering all of her stuff and still contemplating the idea of skipping. But there were things that could still happen. She'd even made a list in her head.
Pros To Skipping First Period:
1. Dodging Ino's Psychotic Wrath
2. Not being embarrassed and or being pranked in front of The Hotness
3. Uh…not getting stabbed
4. Or shot?
5. Yeah, that's it….wow, that's not a lot.
6. Oh, and avoiding Sai's grossuglyprettysexy face. Yeah.
And then there were the Cons, of course.
Cons To Skipping First Period:
1. It'll make me look like a huge coward
2. Not being able to see The Hotness
3. Being counted as tardy. :(
4. Possibly getting caught and getting detention
So, there they were. The options. If she did skip she'd make sure to take Shika with her. Because Sakura would have no idea where to go. Skipping class would be a whole new world to her. And she really needed guidance. She kept stressing about it as she gathered her stuff and turned out the lights.
She stepped out into the night and looked up. In front of her was an old gymnastic studio. It looked old and abandoned. Which wasn't different from the other creepy looking buildings downtown.
That was in her younger days, though. Her dad was a big supporter of it. And she really hadn't got into it once he left.
And she noticed that to it's left was that Akatsuki Auto Shop. Once, when she'd been walking with Shikamaru she noticed a huge crowd of hot guys around that area. And not just hot as in like, Sai. But like a billion Sasuke's all looking sexy near the tons of cars over there.
She tried to remember the features about them but she heard a huge CRASH! And then there was a sound of glass hitting the concrete. Sakura was so startled that she threw herself against the brick wall to her right. She then saw a shadow sprinting through the maze of cars in the Akatsuki Auto Shop parking lot. And then it disappeared.
Sakura had her hand on her heart and tried to calm down. But she just remembered that her mother left the cans of pepper spray at the house. So, she was extremely vulnerable right now.
After the silence eased in and the footsteps stopped. She slowly continued to her household, while checking her behind her every five seconds.
Sasuke was panting. And sweating.
He was currently behind the old gym studio watching the pink-haired girl walk away. God, that was close. He thought.
He looked down and saw a huge cut on his right arm. Blood was dripping. And it stung. He really needed to be more careful. He held on to the crow bar in his left hand tightly. And then when the girl was out of sight, he threw himself back into the darkness.
note: be prepared. there's plenty more :\
~x.BodyElectrik.x