This story has been reposted from my other account and has been edited slightly.
This story is basically a narration of my life. Basically. I hope you enjoy it (and I won't be offended if you don't; life isn't always enjoyable).
Everyone I'm friends with now, I met in the last five. . .how many years? If I moved here in third grade, never really talked to anyone until sixth. . .
My first friend was this girl in sixth grade. She was shy, and could never look me in the eye.
Her name was Hinata.
She worked up her courage (it must have taken days) and walked up to me in class one day.
"I-I need to talk to you. C-can you meet me in lunch?"
And so I did. We hid off to the side, behind the stage, folded up in the curtains, hidden from the world.
"O-one of my friends says. . .says you. . .like me. . ."
The statement hung in the air.
"I don't even know you. Sorry."
And that was that.
In World History one day, she was reading a book. She looked up at me and offhandedly said:
"You might like this stuff."
I peeked at the book. It was about ninja's and their weapons.
I reached into the neck of my sweatshirt and took out the dulled, miniature version of a shuriken that hung around my throat, putting it into plain sight.
"Beat you to it."
And then she giggled.
From that day forward, all I could talk about was me and my friend Hinata.
0o0o0
In my Study Hall, there was this little dark haired boy. He was always hunched over, drawing or writing, or something like that. He never really paid attention to what was going on.
"Hey, what's that?" I finally asked one day.
He looked up, distracted. "Picture. . ." he said vaguely, before bending over it once more.
All throughout Elementary school, I'd been the best artist around. But he was amazing. My work was pathetic.
As we packed up at the end of the period, he glanced up at me, and saw I was still staring at his picture. He carefully signed his initials on the bottom and held it out to me. "Do you want this?"
Gratefully, I took it, getting a better look. The initials read:
S. U.
0o0o0
I found Gym class to be exceptionally boring. There was basically no point to it. Why force unwilling semi-teens to run in circles or throw and hit balls?
We played baseball one day.
I was way out in center. The little dark haired boy who I didn't really know, whose initials I couldn't quite remember now, stood somewhere to my left, only a few feet away.
I stared at the sky, at the ground, my shoes, I counted all the blades of grass I could distinguish. . .There were only a few clouds that day. Mostly it was just a blue, sunny sky.
I heard the crack of a bat and then a whoosh of air and a thud.
I turned my head as fast as I could. There, on the ground, was that dark haired boy. He was curled in a tight ball, and I heard him whimpering.
"Hey--are you alright?" I hesitantly stepped towards him.
The whole class was suddenly surrounding us. The coach shoved his way through the crowd.
"Out of the way! Let him breathe!" He knelt beside the boy, trying to get him to sit up. "You all right?"
The boy had been hauled up and his eyes were tearing because of whatever pain he was in. He slowly shook his head.
"Alright." The coach looked around and pointed at me. "Walk him to the nurse. Everyone else, get back to your places."
Slowly, we walked towards the school building.
The boy who I didn't know was weaving about, hunched over slightly, face pinched in pain.
I kept glancing in his direction, at his face, hoping for some suggestion as to what to do.
Should I touch his arm?
Talk?
What should I do?
In all honesty, I was scared. I wished I knew him, because then this would be less awkward. People get brought to the nurse by caring friends, not total strangers.
We entered the building, slowly made our way through the locker room, the boy still weaving about.
He held his belongings loosely as we made our way to the nurses office.
I left him at the door, and then headed back outside to gym, without saying a word.
0o0o0
We went on a grade wide trip in sixth grade.
On the trip, you went away to a camp site for an entire week.
Hinata's parents wouldn't let her go, although they let her sister.
I had no friends with me, and would have really enjoyed the time if I had some.
I sat on my bunk during the free time, after I'd showered, right before dinner.
The dark haired boy who I didn't know sat a bunk away, reading.
0o0o0
Seventh grade, first period English Language Arts.
In front of me sat this boy.
Choji.
In front of him was this other boy. The dark haired one from last year.
Sasuke.
I'd finally learned his name.
Choji's locker was the one directly to the right of mine. I talked to him on occasion, while packing up.
"He's mean," Hinata said one day, watching Choji walk to the bus.
"You know him?"
"Ahuh. I have to go, or I'll miss my bus. Bye!"
The next day in class, I tapped Choji on the shoulder when I was passing him papers, and then the second time, I said his name to catch his attention.
He wasn't mean. He was actually very sweet.
From that day forward, I had two friends.
Hinata and Choji.
0o0o0
"Hey you. Blondie. Sit with me at lunch. You look lonely. I don't like lonely people."
I stared at the back of that red head of hair as it walked away.
Gaara.
Huh.
I knew him pretty well. He was in some of my classes.
Maybe just French, actually. . .
Was it odd that I didn't sit with my friends at lunch?
Maybe I should?
But I don't even know where they sit. . .
From that day forward, I had three friends.
Hinata, Choji, and Gaara.
0o0o0
Hinata was in my Home Economics class, but no seats were open near her.
I sat across from this girl with brown hair, and, for the life of me, can't remember her name.
She saw me in lunch two days after she met me, and she sat with me. She did that for a while. Then she said I should go sit with her other group of friends.
After a week of her asking, I followed.
And what do you know?
There were Hinata and Choji, surrounded by all the people they knew.
The girl moved later that year, but I didn't notice. She was just a bridge.
From that day forward, I sat with my friends.
0o0o0
I don't know when it started, but I talked a lot with Sasuke.
I can't remember any important conversations.
I just know that by the end of seventh grade, we knew one another very well.
From that grade forward, I had four friends.
Hinata, Choji, Gaara, and Sasuke.
0o0o0
"I don't like that guy."
I couldn't help but frown at Gaara. "Why not?"
"I don't know."
Shikamaru was someone I knew from Band.
All my other friends knew him.
0o0o0
Eighth grade.
I had first period Math with Sasuke, and this girl I knew last year from the lunch table.
Sakura.
Second period English was fun. It was with Sasuke, Sakura, and Choji.
I had third period Tech with Hinata.
Fourth period French with another girl I'd met last year, Temari.
Fifth period Earth Science was with Sasuke, Sakura, and Choji, once again.
Every other day I had Study Hall with Hinata at sixth period. On those other days, I had Band with Sasuke.
I didn't really talk to Shikamaru.
Seventh period was lunch. Everyone was there.
Eighth period was History. I was with who I had dubbed 'the class people'.
Sasuke, Sakura, and Choji.
Last period was music or art for three days and then gym for three more days, in alternating cycles.
It was also with 'the class people'.
My friends.
0o0o0
Choji moved about two months into the school year.
I still talk to him.
We call each other on the phone, and talk for hours.
I've even called out of the blue and asked if he was free and could come over.
Three hour drives make no difference. He comes every time.
Because he is my friend.
0o0o0
"If you are in Honors World History, do you know what you are?"
The whole class stared at the teacher.
"You are a nerd. Got that? You are a nerd. Get over it. Now, you also are joined up in a club. It's complimentary. It's also mandatory."
And so began National History Day preparations.
I grouped myself with Sasuke and Sakura.
For months, we researched our particular topic. Marjory Stoneman Douglass. She's the woman who saved Florida's Everglades.
Besides that, you can't find any information on her.
But my friends and I stuck with it.
0o0o0
"Swing dancing. Any questions?"
Once again, the whole class was staring. This time it was at our music teacher.
"Either pick a partner, or you will be assigned one. And remember, they'll be your partner for a couple weeks."
A quiet murmur filled the room.
"Hey Naruto?"
I turned my head.
"I know we're both guys and everything, but if we're allowed, do you want to be my partner?"
I considered for a moment, before nodding at the dark haired boy behind me.
"Alright, Sai."
From that day forward, I had seven friends.
Hinata, Choji, Gaara, Sasuke, Sakura, Temari, and Sai.
0o0o0
National History Day.
After months of preparation, we were going to the contest.
You showed off your research.
Our group made this huge display.
Sai made a research paper all by himself. If we'd have been as good of friends earlier this year, we would have loved to have included him in our group.
"Your project sucks, Sakura." Ino said with a huge grin.
She liked to tease Sakura.
Sakura's only response happened to be in the form of mental torture as she slowly ripped away Ino's confidence in her own project.
At the end of the day, my group came away with an award for the best use of pictures and sources.
"I guess printing the bibliography one hundred times paid off. . ." I had commented.
Sasuke and Sakura laughed, but I knew they saw how serious I was.
Just me and my friends.
0o0o0
Sasuke just wasn't getting the hang of Earth Science this year.
He switched out of the class.
Now our schedules had changed a bit, but he was still in most of my classes.
I had Sai to make up for it, though, so that helped fill in the gap.
One friend for another. . .
0o0o0
Band day trip.
Out the door early in the morning, sit on the bus for hours. . .
Sasuke was my partner, and we passed the time with aimless chatter.
Throughout the day, he tried to get me to go on a ride, something that went way up into the sky, but I wouldn't go.
I was afraid.
After the day had gone by, we sat in the dark on the bus, listening to my cd player.
Sasuke fell asleep on my shoulder.
And I let him.
I didn't mind.
He was my best friend.
0o0o0
End of the school year.
Next year we'd be in High School.
It was the formal dance.
Everything was dark, and the world pulsated with loud, pounding music.
I didn't dance a lot, despite my friends, who tried to get me to.
Surprisingly, Sasuke danced well.
This random guy ran up to us in the middle of the dance. We talked for a while. Seems we knew each other.
His name was Lee.
From the end of Middle School forward, I had eight friends.
Hinata, Choji, Gaara, Sasuke, Sakura, Temari, Sai, and Lee.
0o0o0
Gaara moved that summer.
I haven't seen him since then, although we have exchanged a few e-mails.
0o0o0
First day of High School.
We're all over the place now.
Hinata is on my bus. So is Temari. But she rarely comes to school as it is.
Class wise, I only have Band and lunch with Sasuke.
No one else.
Suddenly, I find myself really missing my friends.
0o0o0
In lunch today, this guy by the name of Kiba shows up.
We know him from Middle School lunch.
From that day forward, Kiba sat with Sasuke and I.
I now have nine friends.
Hinata, Choji, Gaara, Sasuke, Sakura, Temari, Sai, Lee, and Kiba.
0o0o0
It turns out that Ino is in a lot of my classes. I enjoy her company, but I feel like I'm just using her.
She's someone I somewhat know, because I hate being alone.
I wish she was really my friend, but she's not
0o0o0
I finally struck up a conversation with Shikamaru the other day during band.
Sai and Sasuke joined in.
Shikamaru's actually a lot of fun to be around.
I don't care what Gaara said way back then.
Another friend.
0o0o0
Global History.
No one's in my class, but my teacher assigned a video project, and he says we can get together with people in his other classes.
I don't even need to be asked.
I get put in a group with Sasuke, Sai, and these two other people I don't know that well, Tenten and Shino.
All in all, the making of this project was one of my most valuable memories.
Who knew you could make such a hilarious parody out of the Black Plague?
0o0o0
Lunch.
Kiba started talking about the Mayan predictions for the end of the world.
2012.
This was the most interesting conversation I've ever participated in.
I'd never trade the memories or inside jokes it's given rise to.
They only make sense to me and my friends, though.
0o0o0
Second Band Day Trip.
This year, Sasuke managed to get me on a whole bunch of rides.
And not just kiddie rides. Actual rides. Rollercoaster's. Three or four of them; I can't remember now.
Last year, I was afraid of the idea of getting on a rollercoaster.
Jokingly, I said that Sasuke was my rollercoaster therapist.
The name stuck.
My friend is a rollercoaster therapist. . .
0o0o0
End of the year.
Freshman Formal.
I called Choji up and invited him to come. He showed up, which went without saying.
Just about everyone went.
It took some coaxing, but I managed to dance a bit.
By the end of the night, I wanted nothing more than the planet to stop spinning on its axis.
Everyone felt it.
We were friends, and didn't need to say it.
0o0o0
This summer went by too fast.
Everyone got together all the time, though.
As often as we could, we would have somewhat impromptu 'parties'.
Meaning that ten plus people would show up randomly at a selected house.
This was the Summer of Fun, between us friends.
0o0o0
Kiba has a crush on Sasuke.
I bothered Sakura just enough after she said she knew who Kiba liked, and she told me.
Weird as it is. . .I saw it coming.
0o0o0
I got the surprise of my life last week.
Sasuke and Sakura have a thing for one another.
Supposedly.
But Sasuke won't tell his parents.
He's afraid of what they'll think.
I'll help him keep it a secret, because he's my friend.
0o0o0
Sophomore year.
I have first period with this guy I met last year.
Neji.
I'm not too sure about him yet.
Sometimes Shikamaru and Sai are there, but only on certain days.
I have English second period with Sakura and Sai.
Third period Math with Ino.
Fourth period Chem with Tenten.
Fifth period Band (my retreat period) with Sasuke.
Sixth period French. No one is in my class. Almost literally. There are only ten kids on a day when everyone is there; and that's including me.
I have Global with Lee.
Last period is my mix period. I have gym, or Chem lab, or Study Hall, with Tenten and Lee.
I didn't know these two very well, but now I'm getting to know them very well.
I guess you can say we really are friends now.
0o0o0
Sasuke and Sakura announced that they were dating yesterday.
Sasuke still won't tell his parent's, though.
I can't help but smile when I see them together.
They look happy.
0o0o0
About two days after Sasuke and Sakura made their announcement, I got another shock.
Neji and Kiba.
They were dating.
No one has a problem with it.
It was just kind of. . .surprising.
0o0o0
Study Hall.
Sai was writing, when he suddenly looked up. His face was thoughtful. "You don't think Kiba's dating Neji to try and make Sasuke jealous, do you?"
I couldn't even reply.
I just let the idea roll around my mind.
What happened to my friends?
0o0o0
I was sick for a day last week.
One single day.
And everyone was worried.
I never get sick.
When I came back in on Thursday, everyone ran up to me and hugged me.
I guess they had worst case scenarios running through their minds.
Because they are my friends, and they care.
0o0o0
On Friday, I was waiting for everyone to pack up after school.
I felt a tug on my sleeve.
"Naruto."
I turned my head.
Sasuke was looking about worriedly.
"Yeah?"
"I need to talk to you."
I nodded, and he met my eyes.
"I think I'm going to break up with Sakura."
I know I had this totally clueless, deer-caught-in-the-headlights look on my face. "Oh."
At this point, Sakura came up beside us.
"What are you guys talking about?" she asked.
"Nothing." Sasuke muttered quickly, starting to walk to the bus.
Sakura chased after him, grabbing at his hand. He casually folded his arms across his chest. I hurried to walk between them.
"You were talking about me, weren't you?" she asked with a pout.
Sasuke looked terrified of telling her what he thought.
So I did the only thing I could do. "Yes, we were. Your forehead is huge. Why did you put your hair up like that?"
Sakura was hurt by this.
Sasuke was relieved.
I lied to one of my friends to protect another.
0o0o0
'Okay, so here's what's going on.
I think I'm going to break up with Sakura. . .
I mean, sometimes I regret becoming her boyfriend.
I really wish we had just stayed friends.
My feelings are kind of ebbing away, pretty much. (Just a crush, I guess?)
I don't really feel a connection there. She's not that type of person, and unfortunately, I have only just realized that.
(I see her differently now than I did before. . .)
And. . .frankly, she annoys me sometimes. . .
I was talking to Temari about it, and she said to list the pros and cons. The thing is, the cons outnumbered the pros. Like, by a lot.
I feel really bad about hiding it from my parents. I can't do it anymore. It's painful.
I feel bad about breaking her heart like this, but I'm really considering breaking up with her. I'm not going to stay with her if I wake up in the morning and am not happy.
Hopefully, she'll still want to be my friend. I really don't want to lose her as a friend, but I don't think I want anything more than that.
What's your opinion?
Your distressed friend,
Sasuke'
I reread his e-mail time and time again.
I'd never dated anyone. What should I say?
After a while, I started writing.
'I suck when it comes to this kind of thing. . .
If you want to call it off, call it off.
If she really cares about you like she thinks she does, she would understand, and as clichéd as it seems, she'd let you go.
In my mind, anyway.
Were you ever really together? Or did you just say you were boyfriend and girlfriend, and that was it?
Anyway, I'm a fan of the direct approach (as always). . .just flat out tell her that you think you had a crush on her and it's going away, but you still want to be friends with her.
I wish I was better at advice!
I'm going to have to think about it. . .
Always willing to listen and help,
Your best friend,
Naruto'
0o0o0
The weekend has passed.
Sasuke is scared of how Sakura will react. He still hasn't told her that he wants to break up.
She still thinks they are going strongly.
Now that I know what's going on in Sasuke's mind, I can see things that I didn't notice before.
That slight roll of his eyes every time Sakura grabs his hand, or arm, or even his leg if they're sitting. The way he hesitates before giving her a hug. How he stopped giving her a kiss on the cheek at least two weeks ago.
He's been thinking about this for a while.
I can only hope that my friends come through whole, and that I don't lose any of them.
0o0o0
Late last night, before going to bed, I was thinking.
This thinking turned itself into a poem.
It sums up my feelings, and I wouldn't have it any other way. . .
A Friend To You
Have you ever stopped to wonder just what a friend was?
Who do you consider a friend?
The person you talk to on the bus?
The girl you met in first grade?
That one person who sits across the classroom that you talk to,
the one you 'like'?
Your brother? Sister? Mother? Father?
Your teacher? The dog that sleeps at the foot of your bed?
How often has someone asked you who you were friends with?
Do you rattle off a long list of names? Does that list number more than ten?
Or can you count these friends on two hands? How about one?
Do you know what makes them your friend?
Do you talk to them on occasion?
Meet out of school?
Always make sure they're your partner for a project?
Do you gossip? Tell jokes?
I can tell you what a friend in a perfect world would be.
They are those people you want, need, to talk to every day.
They are the people you always notice when they are there,
when they are not.
Without a word, you know what they think,
what they feel.
You will always tell them what's on your mind,
because you have nothing to fear.
They are the people who you don't want to see,
and as soon as you see them, you don't want them to leave.
You can rely on them, because no matter what height you fall from,
you know that they will always catch you.
They don't feed you the lies they think you want to hear;
they give you the truth, no matter how bitter.
You care for them so much it hurts to try to fathom it.
You will defend them,
no matter what the toll.
You never argue or fight, you never decide you're finished,
because you know one another so well that fighting is simply pointless.
They accept you and you accept them,
despite the faults everyone has and everyone hides.
You want time to stop,
because years are going by and you don't want them to disappear.
You may like your solitude from time to time,
and you know they will be there to offer silent companionship.
Whether you're hurting, crying, angry at the world at large,
they know exactly what to do.
That sympathetic shoulder to lean against,
the smile to chase away fears,
the hug meant to cheer you up or just plain say 'Hello',
are all simple actions that help maintain your balance.
Because in a perfect world,
that is what a friend is.
They provide the sanity,
and the little bits of insanity,
the exact recipe to keep you whole.
Does your definition come close?
Are you whole?
I know I have my perfect world,
so how about you?
This oneshot was dedicated to my Hayya; My friends.
Mostly, it was for my Sasuke, who was having some trouble, as you can see.
Update: Sasuke and Sakura did in fact break up with one another. As of when this was written, they were back to being just friends.
There is also another chapter to this in the making. Let's just see where life ends up taking me. . .