Teardrops on My Guitar
Her fingers were poised above the guitar strings and itching to start moving. Her sea-foam green eyes studied the song on the stand infront of her.
It had been hard to find the notes to this particular song. Naruto had to dig really deep into the system for it. Well, with the help of a very weathly lover that is.
Her lips quriked into a small smile at the thought of Sasuke and Naruto. They we're probaly sitting in the office down the street, arguing or making up.
She strung the first note, then stoped. No, it needed something else.
A specific feeling. Music need passion, heart to make it sound real. Narutral. Entertaining.
She had a concert in two days and she had just gotten the song. Practice needed to be cruel and heartless and into late hours of the night.
Her lips formed a thin line as she studied the notes again, then began to play slowly. Her fingers moved like they were soldiers.
Green eyes narrowed as she stopped the piece again set the guitar aside. Her fingers tapped at the music sheet, then at the lyrics.
Mabye she could sing too?
It was a school talent project for the needy children. Raising money for homeless shelters. She would have never agreeded if he hadn't insisted on it. Him and the girl that hung all over him.
She shoved the image of the two out of her head and picked up the guitar again and hoped mabye she had the passion.
But if she kept the anger up, she might snap the strings.
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Hinata dropped the banner again, for the 6th time that day. She let out a pitiful whine as Kiba picked it up and smiled at her.
" You won't me to do it?" He asked.
She nodded and started to climb down, " If it's no trouble?"
" None at all." He laughed, grinning wolfishly at her and taking her place on the ladder. " Have you seen the Ice prince and his sunshine?"
Hinata shook her head with a smile, " Last I saw they were sneaking off to the closet for props."
Kiba rolled his eyes and snorted, " Oh yea. I bet we'll get plenty of props. " He pinned the banner up beautifully and slide down the rungs of the ladder. " Where's you cousin, isn't he supposed to be here to tell me the damn banner's crooked?"
Hinata let out a giggle, " He's with Tenten in the student council office, they're gathering up the talent forms."
" Hey, isn't Sakura going to be in it?" Kiba gasped, his smiled cracking wide, " She plays a mean guitar!"
" Yes, she called me this morning to tell me she's be running late. It was a hint that she wants to be the last act." She smiled.
" Will everyone still be awake by that time?" Kiba snorted, folding up the ladder and leaning it against the wall.
" Oh they'll wake up. Choji and Ino are entering as the sqauking duet." Hinata winced, she could almost hear the high tones and screeches.
Kiba could see if too, " Man, I'm glad Shikamaru isn't dating her for her singing. She sucks."
Hinata started laughing just at Rock lee and Gaara walked in arms filled with streamers and unblown balloons.
" Remind me again why I volenteered to do this?" Gaara asked, teal eyes narrowing at the happy-go-lucky boy in green.
Lee smiled at his lover and shoulder him, " Stop whining Gaara, It'll be fun."
" Fun?" Gaara snorted.
" I belive you're doing this beacuse Neji said you'd get a free ticket in." Kiba pointed out, helping them let off thier load.
" Not willing to help the homeless?" Came a cool drawl from behind them.
" Yo. Sasuke, Naruto. Glad you two lovebirds decided to join the party." Kiba greeted with narrowed eyes. " Where are the props."
Naruto gave a sheepish look and scratched behind his head. A nervous habbit of his. " Sorry. We...er..forgot?"
" Nice try moron. Go get them." Kiba snapped.
Naruto grummbled and stormed out of room, a chuckling Sasuke behind him.
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The papers were long and he needed to be approved and the talent called. He looked down at the enrollment sheet infront of him.
The smooth print of a delicate hand that could play the guitar with a steady hand. She didn't write down the song she was doing. But Hinata had mentioned that she wanted to be last.
Less people in the place.
He put his cheek in the palm of his hands as he ran his fingers over the paper. For a breif moment, he wanted to call her. But Tenten wouldn't want him to. She was afraid he's go back to talking with her at all hours on the phone.
She had been his best freind, Untill he had fallen in love with Tenten. Things changed, he's grown out of her childish ways. She's moved onto being a mature musician.
He moved his pen in a signiture so she would be an official conestant and he marked her to be last act. The paper was set into the pile and he gave it a last slow look before going to the next one.
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The auditorium was filled with kids, teens and elderly people. All running, gossiping and making the room a large echoing mess.
Kiba stood behind the curtian hands over his ears. " Do these people come with off switches?"
" 'fraid not Kiba." Naruto shrugged heaving the piano lip up onto it's stick. Sasuke sat at the instrument and played a few scales to make sure it was in tune for Gaara's act. Yea, Gaara could play the piano. Really well in fact.
Kiba let out a grummbled and looked down at the checklist in Hinata's hands. Her hair was framing her face as she started checking off props and people. Silver eyes glancing up to double check every few seconds.
He breifly wondered why he hadn't asked her out already. Well, that was easy, her cousin was very over-protective of her. Well boo-hoo for Neji, after tonight, Hinata wouldn't be under her cousins watchful eyes.
" When is Sakura suposed to be here?" Came Tenten's frustrated voice, " We need her to pick on of the school guitars."
" Oh, she's gonna be running behind and she's bringing her own guitar." Gaara stated firmly, his lips twitching upwards at the anger in the girls face.
" She never brings her own stuff!"
" Not everyone has expensive tastes." Naruto shrugged. " She's a simple girl with her old guitar, give her her fame."
Tenten huffed, " Well, if she's second too late before her act, i'm canceling it." Then her high-heels dissapeared down the back stairs.
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Sakura smiled softly as she enter the large auditorium. She spotted Gaara at the piano on stage, head bent over the keys, fingers gliding over them like ivory petals.
As cold as he acted, the music he played was warm, inviting and something to listen too on a cold winter day with hot coco and a warm fire.
His eyes lifted and met hers across the room and nodded slightly, returning to his peice. It was his silent way of telling her that Neji was sitting in the audience and watching carefully.
It was also his silent way of telling her everything would be okay.
She smiled and was glad she had him as a childhood freind. A few people greeted her as she passed them to get to the door that lead to backstage.
She was enveloped in a big hug as the light made her wince. It was a large diffrence from the dark room behind her.
" Well shoot, " She hissed, " Did you rent the sun for the night?"
Naruto laughed, " No, but Hinata had to make sure there were enough lights."
" I can tell. " Sakura blinked a few times to adjust to the light and then let all her freinds give her hugs.
" Did you get the piece down?" Lee asked, he'd once had a very large crush on her. As flattering as that was to Sakura, she didn't really see him as boyfriend material. She's introduced him to Gaara a month and a half later...and...well. The rest is self-explanitory as Lee glomped the poor red-head as he left the stage with applause behind him.
" Nice job, Red, " Naruto smiled, clapping the boy on the back.
Gaara gave a silent nod, then looked at Sakura. She smiled at him, " You play like an Angel, Gaara."
" And you look like one." He smirked, tugging at her short pink locks. She was the best freind he'd ever had the pleasure or honor of having.
" You the next act after..." Hinata began, but the loud screeching and the crowds gasps were Sakura needed to hear.
" Neji let them onstage?!" Sasuke asked, peering out the curtian. " Jeez!"
" Ear...plugs!" Kiba and Naruto groaned, fingers plugged into their ears.
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The stage was quiet now and the breif sound of fighting backstage was heard, then a girl steped out. Pink hair barely brushing her shoulders, that were clouthed in a soft blue shirt and that complimented her faded blue jeans.
She pulled up and stool and microphone, then took a seat, her guitar in her lap. A small, hesitant smile graced her lips. " Um...Hello everyone. I'm Sakura."
A few people nodded, and the judges, that consisted of a kid, a teen and a teacher waved her on.
She cleared her throat, " This song is for an old freind of mine and I decided a day ago that I would sing with it. The music was hard to find, but I got it. Thanks to the Uchiha's."
Sasuke's parents and brother waved to her from the middle row.
" So..." She poised her finger over the strings and sighed, " I hope you all enjoy."
The notes came slowly, drifting into a smooth rythm that began the song. She hesitated at the mic, then took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and began to sing:
'Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see
That I want and I'm needing everything that we should be
I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about
And she's got everything that I have to live without'
She played the notes, matched the tone to a Tee. The audience captivated at the strum of the first note.
Some were swaying with it already.
'Drew talks to me, I laugh cause it's so damn funny
That I can't even see anyone when he's with me
He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right,
I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night'
'He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do'
She spotted Neji in the front row, Tenten dressed up beside him, her hand linked with his own. He looked as proper as he had brought up to be.
All those days she had told him to throw it all out the window and have fun. How many times had they done that?
Thrown sanity out the window?
'Drew walks by me, can he tell that I can't breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly,
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
She'd better hold him tight, give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky cause'
She noted as she sang the chourus again, that people were crying, holding the one's they loved close. Kids holding onto thier best freinds, teens holding onto their first loves.
Older couples were stroking each other hair. Knowing and feeling the pain, the sadness in her words. In the notes.
'So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light
I'll put his picture down and maybe
Get some sleep tonight'
'He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only one who's got enough for me to break my heart
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do
He's the time taken up, but there's never enough
And he's all that I need to fall into..'
The last notes were strumed slowly, turning into a slow melody that reached out to the one she hoped would reach back.
But he only stared back at her, eyes holding the same thing it always had. Respect and freindship.
'Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see'
As the song ended, people began standing hands coming together in a loud, roaring applause. Sakura stood up and bowed, setting the guitar on the stool.
" This concludes the Konoha High School Talent show. I hope you all enjoyed and know that all the money is going to the childrens orphanages around the state."
She lifted a hand and motioned for the talents and stage managers to come out. " I'd like to thank Hinata Hyuuga, our stage manager and her assist Kiba Inuzuka. Our prop and the strong men that got that huge piano on stage. Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. And to our Student Council President, Neji Hyuuga for making this event possiable."
The crowd cheered, then slowly started making thier way out of the large room. The noise and ruckus following them out the three large double doors.
Hinata gave Sakura a big hug, " You did a great job Sakura."
" Amazing." Kiba grinned, throwing an arm around her shoulders.
" Better than Gaara." Sasuke smiled, setting a hand on her shoulder. He ignored the playful glare from the red-headed teen.
" Good job Haruno." Neji's monotone stated at he and Tenten got onstage.
" Thank you." She nodded, wondering why he had started to call her by her last name.
Tenten held onto the Hyuuga's arm, " That was a beautiful song. What freind was it dedicated to?"
I think we all know that one. The other thought silently as Sakura's anger went from lethal, to cool in seconds. Where do you think Gaara learned to control his?
" A very old freind Tenten." She replied, picking up her guitar. " One that knew how good it felt to be free, even if only for a moment. And knowing full well who gave him those moments."
She gave Neji a curt nod. " I'll call you later Hinata, Gaara. I won't even bother with Naruto and Sasuke."
Naruto's protests followed her off the stage.
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The cold october wind made her shiver, knowing she had been stupid to forget her coat. She had been in a hurry, Hinata had called to tell her about Tentens threat.
Oh yea, that girl had some diabolical things up her sleeves...no matter how short they may have been tonight.
She walked up to her blue truck and dug in her pockets to find the keys.
" Sakura?"
The hesitant voice made her look up from her rummaging and almost faltered. " Neji?"
He'd said her name. After almost a year of hearing her name in honorifics...and he'd said her name. He cleared his throat. " You did well."
" You already told me that." She said, lifting an eyebrow, " Do you need something else." She found her keys and loaded the guitar case into the backseat.
" Actually...yes." He muttered, leaning aginst the side of the car.
" And what would that be?"
" Was that song about me?"
Her heart sped up. He had really listened to the song? To the words...the music? She climbed into the drivers seat and put the keys into the ignition. " Yea. Why?"
He let out a weary sigh.
" Do my feelings burden you?" She whispered, ice lacing her tone. Her words.
Neji lifted his head, then started around to her door, opened it and snatched her wrist as it went to shut the door again. " Do you think I didn't know?"
" Your sure acted like it." She snorted, using her other hand to start the car. " let go of me Hyuuga."
He winced at her cold tone, " You're really just going to let me go like that? Just drop me like glass?"
" Didn't you do that to me?"
That made him let go. He steped back, hand on the door ready to let her shut it again. His eyes studied her as her fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter.
" Go away Neji." She whispered, " I don't need you anymore."
" You never needed me." He said, " I was the one who needed you."
" Well, " Sakura let out a snort, " You obviously don't need me anymore."
He balled his hands into fists, closed his eyes and backed away as she slammed the door shut, started up the truck and took off out of the parking lot.
Owari
Angel: Wow. O.o it's amazing what a song can do to you at 11 o'clock at night. Sad ending, I know, but hey, the song didn't end good either. She didn't get the guy. So, it's sad, but hey, I think I did a great job on it. When it comes to music, my writing is ten times better. Now, nobody steal this plot, it's being put in a book i'm publishing...XD
Blessed be,
Angel