Disclaimer: I just own your mommm. Oh, burn. -shotkill'd-

"You always get called forehead girl and get picked on, huh?"

"Who–who are you?"

"I'm Ino Yamanaka. What about you?"

"I'm... Sakura..."

"Eh? I can't hear you. Speak up!"

"Sa-Sakura Haruno!"

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Life's Like This

by Strawberry Raindrops

Chapter One: Fireworks

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The first time I met Sakura Haruno is still a vivid memory even though it was a gazillion years ago (okay it was just eight years ago but what, gazillion and eight – same thing). She had her knees pulled up to her face and it was clear that she was crying by the way her shoulders were lightly shaking. I had only seen this girl from afar back then and I had heard other kids exchange gossip about her – "she's the forehead girl" "her forehead's huge" "she's always crying! Ha, what a loser" – but other than that, I had never really talked to her before.

So I decided to walk up to her and make friends with her, and help boost up some of her confidence since obviously, this girl seemed very much so vulnerable like she could break at the slightest tease. I guess I wasn't really thinking much back then. All I knew was that she was crying and I was there, and I just felt the need to help her which was strange since I was never really the helping type.

But I was glad I did. The moment I saw her lift her head up slightly from her arms and stare at me with her large jade eyes, something in me kind of gave off sparks and I guess from the back of my mind I kind of already knew that this girl would play a huge role in my life – and she would be the closest person I could ever meet.

And it was true.

Our friendship at first was kind of weird to the eyes of other people since I was known to be pretty loud and outspoken and confident and here I was, befriending a girl who was shy, quiet, and so fragile. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, I began to see her progress. Ever since I had given her that ribbon to pull her hair up, she had slowly begun to become more confident. Her smile seemed to get wider and more genuine and sincere every day and her eyes gleamed with hope and confidence. She started to talk louder and more and she began to associate with other kids more.

She seemed happier.

And I was glad for this strengthened our friendship as she realized what I had done for her. We began to hang out a lot and laugh about stupid things and share secrets.

We were the closest of friends but we never told this to each other. Those kind of things were already stitched into our hearts. We already knew what we were to each other. We didn't need reminding. Our smiles and laughter already screamed our friendship out to the world and people didn't need to ask us for confirmation. They already knew. We already knew. And that was all that mattered.

I thought that our bond was strong and unbreakable.

I thought that nothing and no one could break and cut through it.

But I was wrong.

- & -

"I wonder who has the locker beneath yours this year," Sakura muses as an amused smile adorns her lips. She then glances at me and we exchange goofy smiles for a moment before we burst into a fit of giggles.

The reason we are laughing is because every year ever since seventh grade – the first year of middle school and lockers – I have been blessed with a top locker. Unfortunately, I'm not exactly the neatest person – okay, really, my locker is always messier than ten jocks' lockers combined. It would always turn into a jungle by the end of the first week of school!

And so because of that, things always seem to fall out of my crammed locker and drop onto whoever is unlucky enough to have the locker beneath mine. Sometimes, if he or she is lucky, it would only be a piece of paper. Other times, if he or she isn't so lucky, it would be the gigantic math textbook.

Yeah, I'm not so good at keeping things neat and tidy.

"Hopefully some jackass," I say, "then I wouldn't feel so guilty."

Sakura roll her eyes and smile at me.

"Honestly, Ino. I have to teach you how to not mess up things. Your locker is always messier than the guys and that's definitely saying something."

I merely shrug as I play with the lock on my new locker. "I think you'll have to. I heard that once in this high school, the teachers check your lockers and they grade you on how neat your locker is. If that rumor is true, I'm toast."

I then look around me and see the crowded hallways filled with anxious, excited freshmen as they chatter with one another and compare schedules. The atmosphere is light and casual but I can sense a slight tension in the air for after all, it's high school we are talking about – where our grades actually begin to matter, where the teachers throw a month's load of homework at you and expect you to finish it in one night, and where drama is chaos.

"Well, I better get going," Sakura says as she turns to me and sigh. "I wish we both had the same first periods. I'm a nervous wreck right now. I need someone by my side at least during the first period!"

I pat her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Besides, you have Naruto."

She gives me a sarcastic look and I grin innocently back.

These are the differences between Sakura and me. She is the neat, tidy and clean type and the one who sweats over the petty things (especially about school work). I am the messier, laid-back type and I really can't care less about anything. I think it's because I'm slowly becoming more and more influenced by Shikamaru, a lazy yet genius friend whom I've also known practically my whole life (he's so lazy and smart that he actually had the option to go up a few grades but he declined the offer, saying that it was 'too troublesome').

Of course, I'm still pretty fussy over little things – just not the same things. Like my weight and how I look, for one. I'm pretty self-conscious and at the slightest hint of fat, I would begin exercising like crazy and at the smallest pimple, I would begin washing my face a million times a day.

Yeah, I have my psychotic moments too.

"Well off you go," I say as I make a little hand wave motion that signals her to go along her way, mockingly.

She rolls her eyes playfully at me again as she waves and disappears into the crowd of people.

I then turn back to my locker and open it as I shrug off my backpack and push it into my locker as I zip it open and take out my notebook and pencil case.

Just as I do so, out of the corner of my eye, I see someone crouch down below and open the locker beneath mine. I quickly turn to see who it is and see a boy around my age shrugging off his backpack and pushing it into his locker. He has dark raven hair and pale alabaster skin and a good build with broad shoulders. I can't see his face properly for he's looking the other way but even from the side, he looks handsome.

The boy then closes his locker and suddenly stands up, books in hand, as he walks past me as if I'm not even there but I hardly even notice for I caught a glimpse of his face.

And oh my God, he puts celebrities to shame, period.

I never really believed in love at first sight. I always thought that those things only happened in movies and soap operas since it seemed so stupid and naïve. I always thought, who could fall in love with someone they just saw? And when people said that they believed in love at first sight, I would immediately judge them and inwardly roll my eyes at them. I wasn't sure how you could just look at someone for the first time and think, Yes. You're the one – the one just for me.

But just for a millisecond, when I saw him pass by me, I felt like something in me was sending off fireworks and I felt like my stomach was doing somersaults. It was only a glimpse of his face I caught but a glimpse was all I needed for my face to burn up and my mouth to hang open slightly and stupidly.

And just for a moment there, I thought that maybe – just maybe – there was such thing as love at first sight.

A/N: Ohmygod, the last thing I need right now is another chapter story I have to worry about updating and yet, here I am, submitting this. Sigh, I'm hopeless.

Btw, this fic is sorta based on the song "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne. You won't be able to sense it in the first few chapters, but as the story progresses, you'll definitely be able to see it. Sooo, props to that!

Oh and my first chapters are always short. Get used to it.
...Okay, fine, my chapters always seem to be pretty short, but my first chapters are always shorter!

Review please? They'll be used to boost Ino's stupidity to a smarter level!