The Flowers of Romance

Disclaimer: A lengthy 3-shot about growing up and coming to terms with life, love and choices that eventually have to be made…ok-I don't own the characters but I do own the idea for this story.

NOTE: It jumps between present and past tense. This is a huge flashback from a 27 year old Sakura stemming from the age of 13 through 17. So try not to be too confused.

High school is like the turning point in ones young life when you've all but given up childish things. You're done with puberty just about, you harbor feelings for the opposite sex and your outlook on life drastically changes.

The building was big and white, and I remember that it seemed like a tomb. I was not happy to be coming here at all and I remember how much I missed middle school, it felt like every thing was changing, maybe it was-everything would become harder.

"Spacing forehead?"

"Shut up!"

Back then Ino would tease me about everything-it's strange to think about it now. Ino was never the selfish person I thought she was when we were growing up, she was strong and beautiful, narcissistic and hard-headed but, she was the first to give you her last cent if you needed it. Thinking on it now, it was wrong of me to throw away that friendship for my first crush, unfortunately, in the years that followed high school she and I would lose contact and I would never apologize for it.

"So are you nervous about starting high school?"

I would never see her again.

"Just a bit." I said staring at her long hair which had been cropped close to the nape of her neck like it had been when we were kids. "Maybe I should have cut my hair too…"

She ruffled my pink hair, smiling.

"No way! Your new pink do looks fab, that's really the only statement you need anyway."

"You think?"

"Of course!"

I had always envied Ino, her modern chic clothing that stemed from vintage punk rock and 20's designer clothing that she picked up from here and there. Ino was never one to turn down hand me downs from her grandmother's young days-on the first day of high school in a retro styled black 'flapper' dress with yellow trench, complete with coal rimmed eyes and red lip stick she looked like a star. I envied her uniqueness and her way to get away with the strangest of clothing.

"So what do you think about the outfit? My great grandmother wore this get up, minus the trench of course." She smiled at me. "Am I a Colleen Moore double or what?"

I smirked.

"More like Joan Crawford."

"Mommie Dearest I am not!" She said linking arms and dragging me up the steps of K High School. I felt vaguely awkward in my black leggings, frilled black skirt, tight Sex Pistols t-shirt and Doc Martins but Ino had said "That's so Jake" when she'd raided my closet and dressed me so I must have looked fine. "Aren't you excited Sakura?"

I nodded, staring at the seasoned schoolmates walking here and there opening lockers, shifting books in there hands.

Making out, talking, laughing.

"Are you sure I look ok Ino?"

"Of course!"

I did look good. It was Punk and something else that was all Ino's and I hated that.

I hated that she had made me wear the outfit that she'd gotten me for my birthday-it was all Ino-the pink hair was the only thing that screamed "Sakura" and even then Ino had had a hand in helping my with the dye.

"Sure."

Then again, I was utterly hopeless in fashion. If I were left to pick out my own type of clothes it would be something reminiscent of a librarian-big glasses would have been included if not for the fact that Ino had made me get contact lenses.

"So what class do you have first?"

"Uh…algebra."

She looked at her own schedule and frowned. "Damn I have English…aw well." She removed her hand from my arm and fixed her messenger bag. "I guess I'll be seeing you in the halls or lunch! What lunch do you have?"

"C."

"Well that settles it! I'll see ya at lunch." She waved before sprinting towards that stairs where I assumed her English class was.

"Now to find my locker."

-

I was late to my algebra class by ten minutes because I was trying to find my locker, with little success. If it hadn't had been for the shy blue haired girl I might not have ever found it.

"Well, young miss, late for your first class on the first day of school? Will you be trouble?" The teacher asked. He was nice, I remembered, but had a bored quality about himself and the toothpick that he held between his lips was annoying to look at.

"No I wont be trouble."

He was also the first male teacher that I had ever had that wore a baggy shirt, faded jeans and flip flops. He looked like a hippie with his long hair too-it reached his neck. "Well then, if you'll take a seat next to…" He scanned the faces of his students. "Sasuke Uchiha."

That's when I first laid eyes on him. Sasuke.

"Ok…"

He was pale in an almost sickly kind of way, contrasting with the black of his hair which stuck out strangely at the back while the front was framed with long bangs. His eyes were almost pitch black, adorned with long feathery lashes, his nose was narrow and perfectly straight.

Strong chin, full lips.

I was in love.

I meandered to the back row trying to ignore the stares of how strange I was dressed, I still don't know how Ino managed it, and sat next to Sasuke who didn't even look in my direction. I felt myself blush.

"Hello."

He nodded in greeting, eyes on mine. "Hello." Then he turned back towards Mr. Shiranui, whom preferred us to call him by his name Genma, thus ignoring me the rest of the class.

I was captivated by his cool persona, his dark hair and eyes and snow white skin. He was so regal and so out of my reach and I adored him the moment I saw him. Then I thought of Ino and he together-how much they would fit by looks alone and that made me sad.

Don't get me wrong, I was not going to get them together, if I could have made it so that she never laid eyes on him I'd have done that-it was just that, I figured he would only go for girls like Ino. Pretty, Popular and Perky…the three dreaded P's.

I was none of those.

I took notes for Genma's class hurriedly-trying to impress Sasuke into thinking that I was a good listener I guess, and when the bell rang and he collected his things I smiled at him and wished him a good day.

He nodded and left.

-

Social Studies wasn't as great as algebra had been, for one Sasuke wasn't in my class, and I was made to sit in the very back with who people would call the rebellious type.

I sat in between a blonde boy with bright blue eyes and scars on his face that looked like whiskers. He had a lip ring that had a loose chain that connected to the earring on his ear. He wore a white tight tee with a long sleeved black shirt underneath, his jeans were just as tight as the shirt. He looked cool, I'll admit-especially with his knee length buckled boots. I also liked the thick silver ring that he wore in his middle finger.

The boy that sat on me other side wore something similar only his t-shit was baggy and green, he had too many piercings on his ears and red marks on his dark cheeks. He seemed like a dog with his pointed canines.

"So Pinky, what's your deal?" The Dog boy asked.

"My name is Sakura."

"Ok…Sakura, what's your deal?"

"Deal?"

"You look pissed."

I blushed. "It's nothing."

The blonde smirked, he was pretty cute. "That's her default face, eh Kiba?"

"Default?"

He nodded. "Yeah, a pretty girl like you with an angry face just doesn't fit unless it's a default."

"Pretty?"

Kiba nodded. "That's what he said."

Then social studies got a lot better.

-

I would tell you about the rest of that day but then, that would be boring right? Just the normal firs day of high school, meeting new people and the well, lets skip to six months later, because that's when things started to really change.

-

That's the first of two more chapters. I have it all done but I just wanted to see how you liked part one if at all. No flames please just reviews. If you like it I'll put part 2 and 3 up. Funny isn't it? This is my first pro Sakura fic. REVIEW!