The gifts started early.
Sakura started school excited and happy, jabbering away to her mother about the new friends she would make and the stuff she would learn. By lunch on the first day, she was almost in tears. Nobody had talked to her. She felt like they all were already friends, and were avoiding her. What was wrong with her? Nobody had ever said anything to her saying that something was wrong.
Several other children were also having trouble. A little girl with short dark hair and pale pupil-less eyes was much too shy to talk to anyone. An older boy with a black braid ran crying away when the other children laughed at his inability to do ninjustsu. And a small boy with big blue eyes and a dirty face stood at the edge of the playground, staring out at the other children, and wondering why he was always alone. But Sakura didn't notice these other children. She only saw the girls laughing and playing together, a confident blond girl, and a pretty girl with purple hair.
Sakura walked home alone, dragging her schoolbag behind her. As she walked into her room, she started crying. Why didn't anyone like her? Did everyone already know each other? Maybe she was too shy. Maybe she had a stain on her dress. She walked over to the mirror. And. Then. She. Saw. It.
Her forehead. It was much too large. That must have been the problem. She was hideous. Who wanted be friends with someone so ugly? No wonder nobody wanted to talk to her. She flung herself down on her bed and cried herself to sleep.
xXx
Author Current Note:
Hi guys. This story was pretty popular way back in the day and a couple people have asked me where it went, so I'm putting it back up for you. Unfortunately, I wrote it years ago and when re-reading it, it kinda makes me wince. However, I have kept it in the original form, complete with the overly chatty author notes and melodramatic language I thought was so lovely at the time. Just so you know, when you read it, cut me some slack. I was very young.
Everything else from here on out was written by me at the original time of writing, including author notes