FOR THE LOVE OF CALORIES

By A-Maru

Author's note: This is my first fanfic so please excuse my errors and everything.

IMPORTANT! I have made certain... renovations on this story. I reread it recently and almost puked at its atrocity and execution. I'm surprised people even bother to read it. No, seriously. It's improved, definitely better than before but not necessarily good. Then again though, aren't we all here to practice?

As for my year long disappearance... Ahem. Igotlostontheroadoflife...?

Disclaimer: Like all of you, I do not own Naruto.

April 30th, 9.45 a.m.

What have I ever done to deserve this? Seriously, what? I'm a good girl. Really, I am. I am an honour student, I've never touched alcohol nor do drugs, never even been to a wild party, I don't tell lies (okay, sometimes. But only when necessary), I don't even know any boys to ever kiss one what more to do anything naughty and I never negate anything my parents say.

Well, except during times when they're being annoying.

And unfair.

Like now.

I mean, I just was at my study table, studying, when they had just suddenly barged into my room 5 minutes ago and said oh-so-ecstatically, "SAKURA! We got the deal! They agreed to sell Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital to us!"

I was only half-listening to their ravings up until the point they casually added, "Oh, and by the way, you should start packing because we're moving to Tokyo the day after,"

I didn't even get a chance to react. As soon as they came in, they were gone to tell Ami, my cousin, the impending doom.

This just shows how inconsiderate parents can be. I mean, did they even stop for a second to consider the tribulations a teen like me have to go through to adapt to a whole new environment?

Mom and Dad had actually accepted the offer to move without my consent. What kind of an atrocity is this? This is an abominable act of treason, I tell you! I refuse to comply and move to Tokyo. There is no way anyone can get me to leave New York.

Not. A. Chance.

April 30th, 10.30 p.m.

I hate packing.

Mom said we have to pack now since we're getting all the bric-a-bracs there first. That way, the maids there can get it all sorted out while we just carry nothing except ourselves and the clothes on our back.

Pssh. Like that will abate my hate for the place...

But seriously. Why do they need to buy that hospital in Tokyo? WHY? We're already well off with the current Haruno Hospital chain. The family totally doesn't need another branch if money is concerned.

I WANT TO SCREAM AND THROW A TANTRUM RIGHT NOW!

But I can't. Because then the neighbours will come and throw a hissy fit like the other day. And mom would probably cut off my already pathetic sum of allowance which, if you ask me, would totally get them in serious hot water if I report it to the social service. But then again, that would really be a good way to get back at them.

UGH! I HATE PACKING!

May 1ST, 11.30 a.m.

My last day in Manhattan...

And I'm spending it with packing the remnants of junk I own. Can this get any lamer? Really, life, really?

I tried to start another debate about this whole conspiracy. Only this time, I got Ami to back me up. Of course, I would have much better luck in getting a herd of sheep to pole dance. I mean it. My parents are just beyond impossible.

May 1st, 3.00 p.m.

I would totally get why Ami would want to remain here. She had to really (and I mean really) claw her way up to get to the top of the social ladder.

But then she just had to ask me why a 200 pounds nerd with weird pink hair is adamant on remaining to a place where she is obviously a social faux pas...

Erm, Ouch much?

And I'm quoting it verbatim.

When she decides to drop dead, I'm throwing a party. There'll be enough happiness choke the hobo on the streets.

May 2nd, 2009, 8.30 p.m. (though I don't know if its Japan's time or US's time)

Okay, I know I should be excited with the prospect of finally coming back to my birth country. And I know I should be rejoicing with the fact that I would be there to kiss the country's terra cotta earth in less than 4 hours.

I know I should but I can't.

I can't because I'm worried I can't fit in. Heck, I only have (had) 1 friend at my old school and even that, she is (was) a total user.

I can't because I will feel lost and everything is going to look alien and I HATE feeling that way.

I can't because I will have to explain all over again to every single person I meet that my pink hair is natural.

And the biggest reason I can't be happy is because I am probably going to be considered as stupid because I have heard from people that Japanese students take cramp classes like crazy and are super smart and I can't have that because my brain is the only thing which I can rely on because we all know my colossal forehead and my fat-infested body is definitely not the epitome of pretty.

Why won't someone just kill me now?

May 3rd 2009, 1.00 a.m. (Asked Mom. She said its Japan's time)

So here I am...

In Japan...

Waiting for our chauffeur at 1.00 in the morning who has yet to arrive because the limo broke down after running down some cat on the stupid highway.

Fuck that chauffer.

Fuck the freaking limo.

Fuck that damn cat.

Sighs...

Don't get me wrong. I am a 100% animal lover and I really do feel sorry for the cat and all. I do. Really. But when you are forced to stare at the ceiling in the middle of the night, hungry and bored, you just can't help but curse it for deciding to go and flash itself in front of some random car (WHICH HAPPENED TO BE MINE, by the way) and play Mr Macho with the tool of steel only to die a fateful death.

Fuck my life.

I tried telling Dad that it is a sign enough that things will go awry here. In return I was admonished because of my lack of patriotism for my birth place. Then he chucked 3000 yen at me and told me to give his mind some peace and quiet by buying some snacks at the airport shops.

Told him I was not that cheap.

He sighed and gave me another 7000 yen.

After much analyzing (for 2 seconds) and weighing down my options (WHAT? I'm a fast thinker), I took the money and gave the old man so peace and quiet.

...

Sakura's POV

I rubbed my eyes and yawned loudly as no one was around so What. The. Hell. We had arrived at 12.30 a.m. at Narita airport and I barely got much sleep because I was too busy getting upset with my parents. My Dad said we had to be patient but, seriously, who can be patient at- I looked at my watch -1.07 a.m?

Honestly, how long were we going to have to wait before I could find a decent place with a bed to sleep in? After taking the 10 000 yen I had just got from Dad, I went to the nearest store to buy myself some snacks while Ami went to look for her shoes.

While grabbing some potato chips and cookies, I thought about life in the US of A. Looking back, I guess I didn't really have such a great time in the States. But at least things looked familiar and I knew how to counterattack the airheads' tauntings but here...

It's a whole new world. And I had never really been one to take risks.

Sighing, I paid my purchase at the sole counter in the small shop. The cashier was so nice and all-smiles, I actually felt slightly better. She even gave me a free candy and wished me for a pleasant stay here in Tokyo. I had never had anyone do that to me in New York. Everyone would just grunt and ignore my existence.

Perhaps...

Perhaps things weren't going to be so bad after all...

In fact, the person behind me even game me a warm smile when I passed by her. Gosh, people are very friendly here...

You know what? I think I might give this place a shot. Like, you know, a fresh start. Hopefully one free of bullying and jeering. Yeah, I'd like that a lot, actually.

Haruno Sakura. All set to take Tokyo by storm.

With a newly positive mind, I stepped out of the store with my bags of purchase into the airport's huge arrival hall.

That was when I heard the screeching noises of tyres to my left.

When I looked towards that direction, I saw an airport buggy about a metre away from me and the next thing I knew, I was flying. I never knew my body could resist gravity all that much but there I was, soaring through the air perhaps about five metres.

Five metres later, however, gravity decided to end my reign on the air and a loud THUD rang the air, followed by what sounded like a 'CRACK'.

A sharp pain surged through my head. I could hear the vague panicked voices of people and blearily saw the silhouette of the crowd. That was the last thing I could remember before my world turned black.

So much for positive thinking...

TBC

R&R!