New story –insert clapping here- It's funny, but I always get nervous when starting a new story. You just get these feelings of 'will it fail? What if I get 0 reviews? What if it really sucks?' and stuff like that. I guess it's pretty foolish since I should just write for myself anyway. But then when I DO write for myself, I usually get bored halfway and start a new story, hence me not finishing any original works even though I have a friend who is in the publishing business. Woe is me.
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, do you honestly think I'd be writing fanfics? You must be high.
There are some days when everything goes right, and other days when you just wish that you could jump off a cliff and get it over with. Sakura's day leaned more towards the latter.
It all started when her alarm clock went off an hour early. The stupid thing never went on time anyway. She really needed to buy a new one. As she stumbled up in a sleepy haze to shut it off, she effectively stepped on Kyo, her cat. Kyo yowled and ran off, startling the clumsy pink haired girl into wakefulness. Monday's were never her day anyway.
After smashing the cursed clock and crawling back into bed she realized that it was an hour early. "Well since I'm up already, I might as well get a head start." She said cheerfully.
Rubbing all sleep from her eyes, she climbed out of her queen sized bed and stumbled towards the kitchenette section of her small apartment that she shared with Kyo. The morning sun was blinding, even in it's faintness.
"Good morning Mom!" she smiled and waved at a portrait propped up on the miniscule counter. The portrait displayed was a somewhat recent picture of her mother. She was wearing a green t-shirt and had her short hair clipped back by two rhinestone studded bobby pins. She was smiling brightly and had one arm wrapped loosely around her also smiling daughter's shoulder.
The picture was taken a year, only a few weeks before her mother's untimely death. Emerald eyes dulled at the mere memory. That was probably the worst day in her entire existence. She remembered everything clearly too. She had just came home from school, and was in a relatively good mood, when she came face to face with a grim looking man. Screaming in shock, she blindly attacked but was quickly pinned down.
"Haruki Sakura?" he asked in an authoritative voice while at the same time flashing a badge.
Sakura shook her head quickly, breaking herself out of the binding memory. She was not going to think about that now. She would not spend her life crying over that fateful day. Her mother wouldn't want it for her, and she would live her life to the fullest. That was the only thing she could cling to.
Moving into an apartment and living by herself was hard, but became relatively easier after the arrival of Kyo on one rainy morning. He was only a tiny little kitten back then. Now he was the size of an average bowling ball. Almost as if he could read her thoughts Kyo meowed.
Sakura gave a tight smile before closing the bathroom door behind her. She turned to face her reflection. "Hello." She said shakily.
The person in the mirror stared back at her curiously.
Sakura smiled.
The person in the mirror did the same.
Flashback"Hey, Mom?" Eleven year old Sakura tilted her head up to meet her Mother's gaze.
"Hm?" Haruki Kaori snapped her book shut and looked down at her daughter. "What is it?"
Sakura blushed lightly and fiddled with the hem of her shirt from where she sat on the living room floor. Her mother sat on the couch directly behind her. "Do you think…" her voice trailed off in embarrassment. Mentally chastising herself she tried again "Do you think that anyone could… well ever fall in love with me?"
Her mother blinked, obviously not expecting that question. She thought over the question for a moment. "Yes, of course. Why do you ask?"
"Well it's just that… the boys make fun of me. They always say that I have a big forehead, and weird hair… but they always pay extra attention to Ami." She frowned bitterly at the thought of her ex-friend "It seems like I'll never find anyone for me. All the guys will like her."
Kaori surprised her daughter by chuckling. She shook her head lovingly. "The boys may like her now since she developed early, but just you wait. They'll notice you. One day you'll find that special person who will love you for who you are. That person will see no other woman as long as he's with you. That young man will rush home every evening, just to see your smiling face. One day you'll find the person who will fall in love with your smile."
Sakura blushed at the thought. She wished that she could find that person soon! "Do you think so?"
"Sakura…" Kaori ruffled her daughter's hair fondly "I know so."
End Flashback
She hadn't even realized till now, but her eyes had filled with tears while she dressed. Quickly shaking the unwelcome items away she put on her round glasses and forced a smile. "Someday, someone will fall in love with your smile." She whispered.
It wasn't just something that her mother said to be kind. It was a promise.
"Well, well, if it isn't the nerd." Ami Watanabe sneered, her posse giggling in the background.
Sakura kept her gaze lowered as the threesome blocked her path. "Please let me by."
She wasn't even going to get upset or flustered over this. It was a routine thing now. Mornings wouldn't be the same without Ami and her little gang picking on her as usual. Afterwards there would be the usual scathing comments from random people and then finding spitballs in her hair after almost every class. School was definitely something to look forward too.
"Hey Sakura," one of Ami's friends, a girl with poofy hair said, "I just LOVE your t-shirt. It's so… you."
They snickered. Today Sakura had chosen to wear her dark faded jeans, old white Nike's, and a blue t-shirt with a picture of the earth saying 'Save the planet. Go green.'
"Thanks," Sakura's head tilted defiantly "I like it too. I think we should all put in our best efforts to protect this planet before it goes into ruins. Using energy efficient light bulbs are one of the few, easy ways that you can put forth your-"
"You know what," Ami cut in "Whatever. Go on and do your dumb nerd thing. Just leave us out of it."
The pink haired girl sighed. "I was planning on doing that." She mumbled.
"Excuse me? What'd you just say?"
Sakura couldn't believe their persistence. It was like they were looking for an excuse to pick on her and be catty. "I didn't say…"
"Hey," a new voice joined the conversation "Just leave her alone already. Go polish your nails, or get your lips waxed, especially you Ami. It looks like a werewolf just molted on your lip."
Ami and her friends whirled around to face the newcomer. The girl smirked down at the girls who were a good three inches shorter than her. Her long brown hair was pulled, clipped, and sprayed up into two perfectly spiked pigtails. She wore a black tank top and black cargo pants with two dark belts hanging loosely around her trim waist and boots. On her arms were multiple bangles, a single charm bracelet. Her ears were double pierced with a hanging shuriken earring and a silver stud. A dog tag necklace, and a choker were the only decoration about her neck. Ami's posse visibly twitched at the sight of the girl.
Sakura smiled at the new arrival, despite the dark appearance. "Good morning!"
"Ugh!" Ami shuddered disgustedly "Disgusting. Let's go girls. We don't want their bad fashion sense to wear off on us."
"Yeah!" the new girl cried out at their retreating backs "If I need a hooker costume for next Halloween, I'll just borrow your clothes okay?"
The pink haired female watched the girl and giggled. "Good morning Tenten. You're wearing all black again."
"Yup. It's more comfortable. Besides, you don't have to worry about matching."
"I like your hair." Sakura complimented kindly "Although I miss the twin buns and your Chinese blouses. Those were so cute."
Tenten gave a crooked smirk at the shorter female. "Yeah they were nice, but they got tiresome after a while. Did you catch up on the Math assignment?"
The pinkette whipped out a notebook from inside her book bag. "Yup! Already got it done! What about you?"
"I'm still on page one."
"WHAT?"
Tenten grinned. Her friend was always better doing schoolwork than her. The fact was, that kind of stuff just bored her. Doing physical stuff like playing soccer or dodge ball, now THAT was exciting. She could never sit still for long. "Wow Saku. You're amazing."
Sakura blushed at the compliment. "No, I just use my free time."
"Don't you have that job though? How do you do it?"
She shrugged "If you work hard enough, you can do anything. I want to make good grades and I work at it. I'm sure you could too!"
Tenten threw back her head and laughed, a sound that scared several surrounding students. "Yeah right. I'm awful and always will be."
Sakura laughed and grabbed her friend's arm, effectively dragging her along. "Come on! Class will be starting in any minute!"
P.E. The worst classes in the history of people like Sakura. People like Tenten were the kind that you hate. Those are the people who pass P.E. with flying colors and make you look like a lazy idiot. People like Sakura are the kind you ace everything in school except for P.E. and in the process still look like idiots. Especially in gym clothes.
Sakura smiled uncertainly as she attempted to smooth her shorts down. They were a little well… short for her liking. She would've preferred something more modest. Unlike most of the girls in school, Sakura had really nice legs, which tended to draw the attention of males and make girls like her even less… if possible.
"She's not only a nerd, but a total slut." Ami scoffed as she went past, bumping Sakura with her shoulder in the process.
Tenten growled as she tied her tennis shoes. Hearing those girls make fun of Sakura really boiled her blood. What right did they have to judge her so? She glanced at her best friend to see her give a weak smile and keep on moving. If there was one thing Sakura was good at, it was moving on.
She had thought for sure that the death of her mother would've been her undoing. Much to Tenten's surprise she held her head high and kept smiling. Okay enough with the smiling. Sometimes she wondered if her friend had Red Bull for breakfast. It made sense. No one could stay that smiley.
"Alright Tenten!" Sakura punched a fist into the air "Let's do our best! Uh… what sport are we playing anyway?"
Tenten's eyes lit up with a demonic glint "Dodge ball." She said the revered word in a half-whisper.
"Eh? Dodge ball?" The shorter girl squeaked in surprise "But I can't play dodge ball! I have bad coordination and I trip over my feet more than I dodge!"
The brunette smiled down at her friend and patted the top of her long silky mane. "Don't worry about it, it'll be fine. Just stay in the middle of the crowd and don't get hit. You can do that, right"
"I guess…" Sakura looked down uncertainly. Her clumsiness usually got the better of her, leading to a natural disaster. She remembered the one time she was lighting candles for a 'romantic dinner' at the old restaurant that she worked at. She had accidentally knocked over the candle and the rest, along with her job, was history. To put it short, this girl was a walking disaster.
The loud piercing whistle cut their conversation short. "Alright everyone! Let's play some dodge ball!" Their gym teacher, a woman with long blonde hair, cried enthusiastically. The rest of the students cheered with equal enthusiasm. Well all except for one who stared like a deer caught in headlights.
'I really hope that I won't get too many injuries!'
"Wow!" Tenten stared down at her friend in amazement "You really do suck!"
"I could've told you that." Sakura mumbled wearily from her seat in the nurse's office. Her face and body were covered with various purple splotches.
"Hey, are you going to be okay? Will your boss mind the marks?"
"Oh these?" she lifted a mottled arm "I'm sure he won't mind! These don't seem too bad anyway! They'll probably fade by evening time! You'll see!"
"Okay whatever."
Sakura stared down at her arm. She was just like her mother. Both of them bruised a little too easily for their own good. She had asked about that several times, but there was no real answer to her questions. In the end she had to play more carefully than other children to avoid looking beaten up. Something as simple as a small slap could leave a purple splotch on her face for a few hours. She could only pray that the bruises disappeared when she had said, otherwise she'd be in trouble. Her boss wouldn't want girls who looked like they were abused.
She gasped. She still had work this evening! Her mother's life insurance wasn't enough to cover any of Sakura's expenses, so the girl found herself going to work. Fortunately there was a job opening at nearby Chili's.
The job wasn't bad, except for the occasional loudmouthed tourist who always asked the same question. "Well, we're in sunny California! Have you met any celebrities here?"
Usually a patient person, Sakura would force a smile and chuckle saying that she's seen a few but never met any. Honestly, if she heard that question one more time she would freak!
Blinking up at her closest friend she forced a smile. "I guess I should get changed and get moving, eh?"
"Yeah."
"I'll see you tomorrow. Who knows, maybe we can go out tomorrow night." She volunteered cheerily, her smile still intact. She knew that Tenten did not like her working on school nights, but it couldn't be helped. Especially if the bills needed to be paid. Still sometimes Sakura wondered what life would be like if she had been adopted. Maybe she would have the free time to hang out with friends, or study, or even get a good night's sleep instead of studying till 2am just to catch up with the rest of the class. "Okay?"
Tenten nodded begrudgingly. "Okay. I gotta go, I'll see you later."
"Bye!"
Sakura's grin faded as the door closed tightly behind her best friend. Well, that was that.
"Hi! Welcome to Chili's!" Sakura chirped, feeling for all the world like a broken record. Saying the same line a couple thousand times can do that to someone, especially when the restaurant was really crowded like it was that evening. Seriously, she had no idea where all these people came from. It was like all the people from the east coast migrated to California and suddenly had a craving for Chili's. She couldn't understand why though, she was more of a Wendy's person.
The current group, a family of four, smiled at her wearily. She could tell that they were travelers from the fact that the Father was wearing a Celtic's cap. Almost everyone in this region wore Lakers or was considered a social pariah. Yeah, rivalry isn't always healthy. The children, a girl around age eight and an infant boy, were both making enough noise for a herd of banshees. The mother's hair was frazzled and she looked on the brink of suicide.
Sakura put a little more charm into her smile, more out of pity than anything else. "How many?" she asked, even though she knew the number.
"Four." The father coughed out tiredly.
"Smoking or non?"
"Non."
"Alright!" she clapped her hands "We'll get you a table soon! Sorry, things are a little crowded around here, but we'll do what we can!"
The mother smiled a genuine smile "Thank you."
"No problem."
After greeting fifty-billion people including a group of frat boys who spoke only in innuendo, she retired for the evening. "Good night Mr. Warren!"
"Goodnight Sakura!" her manager called out before turning to a complaining customer. The person was whining about how they used American cheese in his salad. Sakura sighed. If only people read the menu instead of taking it out on the manager and employees. Still through it all, she managed to keep an upbeat attitude which had earned her 'Employee of the Month' several times before.
The walk home was long, dark, and frightening, but thankfully the manager's son who happened to live near there escorted her. He frequented the restaurant which meant that she would often have him as her personal escort, something she was eternally grateful for.
Despite his kindness, he was very silent. Slightly unnerved, Sakura hummed nervously on the way home. "Thank you again!" she cried as she reached her door.
"No problem."
Once inside, she locked the door tight and flicked on the light switch. The fluorescent bulb took a few seconds before it lit up the entire room. She heard a faint meow before she felt Kyo rub his face against her shoe. Sakura placed her purse on the floor and scooped her cat into her arms. "Hello Kyo, did you miss me?" she cooed.
She was one of the few people in the world who loved cats better than dogs. Dogs were wonderful, but a little too attention starved for her taste. She preferred something more low maintenance so at least that way she wouldn't feel too guilty leaving her pet home alone for a few hours.
"Kyo, I have to do my…" she paused to let out a large unladylike yawn. "Whoo! I should get some sleep eh? But I can't. I have to do my… history homework… Maybe a cup of coffee will do…"
"Sakura, is that you? You look like you were fending off vampires all night!" Tenten cheerfully remarked.
Sakura yawned in response. Rubbing her eyes from behind her round glasses, she gave a small smile "Yeah I know, I just HAD to get my paper done though otherwise…"
"An F." The brunette finished.
"Yes."
Tenten frowned. It was so unfair how everything went against Sakura. There was no way possible that she could plead her case to the principal, because then she'd be questioned as to why she was living alone in the first place. Since she didn't have any known relatives to care for her, she would be put through foster homes and up for adoption, a process which Sakura knew that she could no handle. It was a lose/lose situation for the pink haired girl. Tenten only wished that she could find a suitable solution.
"It's not fair." She bit out angrily as she slammed her books into her heavily abused locker.
Sakura turned to her friend with a surprised expression on her face. The brunette was always somewhat negative, but she of all people should have known that life was never fair. "Well, that's not how I think of it."
"Huh?"
"I think that life is very fair. In a way, it's just testing to see how strong you are. Therefore, if I just try to stay afloat for a little while longer, good things will happen. They already have! I have you as a friend after all! Things will work out, you'll see." Her eyes dulled in memory "Even though sometimes I just want to curl up and cry, I remind myself that things were never meant to be perfect. And when you think about it, you'll realize that I am pretty lucky. There are people far worse off than me, like those poor earthquake victims in Asia."
Tenten nodded "Yeah I know… it's just…" her voice trailed off as she struggled to find the right words. She jumped slightly as her friend laid a gentle hand on her arm.
"Don't worry about it. I'm not worrying. Hey, I know what will cheer you up." The pink haired girl grinned as the taller girl's eyes lit up in interest "Let's go out tonight! We'll hit Fusion and you can dance to your heart's content! I'll bring some schoolwork in case I get bored."
"You mean it?" Tenten leaned forward eagerly, all gloomy thoughts aside. If there was one thing she loved doing, it was dancing. Ever since she was small it had been one of her greatest passions "You won't be… well busy?"
Sakura stuck her tongue out "Tonight it's just you and me!"
The heavy bass reverberated through every bone in Sakura's body. The feeling was both frightening and soothing at the same time. Something about music calmed her in a way that nothing else could. She owed it to her Mother's somewhat musical background. Kaori Haruki had always been a wonderful singer, even though she was never really recognized for her special talent.
Blinking rapidly Sakura glanced up to see a man around the age of 23 join her at the table. He attempted a charming smile. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"
It took her a few moments to catch what was going on. This somewhat handsome man… was hitting on her… Sakura Haruki, outcast and nerd. It was unbelievable. She continued to stare at him in shock "H-huh?"
"I said," he bellowed "Do you believe in love at first sight?"
"Um…" she took a moment to think about it. As she recapped her Mother's anger at her father for deserting her when she was pregnant, she shook her head. "No. I don't."
He smiled. She obviously gave the right answer "Then do you mind if I take a second look?"
He was using a pick up line on her. She wondered if he'd still hit on her if he knew what a total pariah she was at school. He must've been half blind, couldn't he see the humongous glasses or the textbook?
Almost as if he could read her panicked thoughts he said "Hey, relax, it was just a line. I kinda noticed you from across the room. You're one of those quiet, bookish types am I right?"
Sakura blinked again. He was kind of right. She wasn't exactly that quiet, only at school. "Yea…"
"Cool. I love girls like that. It means you have something up here." he tapped his forehead in example "You know if you took of those glasses I bet you'd be really cute."
She blushed as the words struck her. Someone called her attractive. A GUY who she never met before thought she had the potential of being cute. This had to be the most shocking day of her life.
"Let's say you and me go get a drink."
She shook her head "No thanks. I have to study."
"Are you in college?"
"Well…"
He leaned over before she could stop him. "What kind of crap is this? I studied this junk when I was in high school…" he slowly trailed off as his eyes met with hers, understanding slowly dawning.
"Um… um… I GOTTA GO!" Sakura quickly grabbed her books and raced through the teeming masses of pulsating bodies. She could hear the guy's outraged cries from behind her. Panicked, she began screaming "TENTEN! TENTEN!"
"WHAT?" a voice bellowed in her ear. She whirled around while clutching her over palpitating heart.
"A GUY… DISCOVERED…!" she panted.
That was all the brunette needed to know. She heaved out a giant sigh and snatched her best friend's arm, dragging her through the crowd. "Alright. We're leaving!"
By the time Sakura stumbled through the door, she was suffering from extra weakened limbs. Running was one of her stronger points, but not running for three miles without stopping. It was a surprise that her heart was still beating properly. She had thought that it was going to burst. Tucking a strand of pink hair behind her ear, she unlocked the door and came face to face with a serious looking man in a suit.
She couldn't hold it back. She screamed.
-End Chapter-
-Dramatic music-
So that's it for Chapter one. I'm trying not to rush things, but at the same time I'm trying not to go too slowly. I hope it'll go at a nice snappy pace, but not TOO quickly. Oh forget it. Just review okay?
Is anyone else sick of Naruto fillers?