"I has a bucket! anD J00 dOn'T!!1!" was the most unusual thing that could be heard echoing throughout the school halls. And I must say, it WAS pretty unusual. Students and teachers alike poked their heads out into the corridors; the teachers to reprimand whoever had shouted out the rather strange remark, the students to cheer on their brave and daring comrade in the fight against the evil fiends from hell(the teachers).

As I myself was just stepping out of the bathroom, hall pass clutched firmly in hand, I saw the one who dared to taunt the teachers in such a fashion come hurtling around the corner at me, racing for his life against the facility's burly and short-tempered gym coach. Eyes widening at the sight of me, the troublemaker attempted to skid to a halt, only to have it backfire as he crashed full-force into me and we landed in a jumbled heap, right back into the room I had just exited. The irate coach ran straight past us without even sparing a second glance.

The troublemaker sighed in relief as he saw his pursuer pass him by, and then laughed nervously, unnerved by the steady glare I was giving him. "Hi, uh, sorry about that, un." The blonde boy (who was currently entangled with me as a result of our crash) got up and offered me his hand with a sheepish expression. I took it and pulled myself up. His palm seemed rather...wet...and slimy...and there was something weird moving on it that I was pretty sure didn't belong there...

"WAAAAAAAAAGH!!" I screamed in shock, springing back from him and frantically wiping my hand in the wall the first chance I got. The walls of my school were probably much more unsanitary than whatever had made me jump back in the first place, but at the moment I didn't care: I just wanted whatever had made its way onto my hand OFF.

The boy just stared for a full five seconds before he suddenly burst out laughing. I stared at him in bemusement, and he showed me what had caused my surprise: There on his both his palms were two odd-looking slits, one on each hand. I observed the him cautiously. Without warning, the slit on my right parted and a genuine, saliva-coated tongue poked its way out. The strange boy smiled FONDLY at his hands as a second tongue made its way out of the slit on his opposite hand.

I stared at the spectacle with a sort of morbid fascination, the other beaming with pride.

"Aren't they awesome, un?!" he squealed, seemingly oblivious to my train of thought. His face lit up as he seemed to realize something important. "Hey, wait, I still don't even know your name, un!" He looked towards me expectantly.

I nearly physically smacked myself in the forehead at the other's stupidity. The only reason I didn't was that I regarded such actions as moronic. It didn't stop me from smacking myself MENTALLY, however.

"My name's Sasori," I stated in a monotone voice. I didn't want to start a fight, but that was still no reason to make this weirdo believe that I actually LIKED him.

Sadly, he didn't catch the hint. "My name's Deidara, un!" he said cheerfully, thrusting his hand forth like wanted to shake mine. I eyed the proffered body part with distaste.

He laughed at my expression and withdrew his hand. I thought I felt my eyebrow twitch slightly.

How is it that he can read peoples' expressions just fine, yet he can't catch even the most blatant hints that those same people don't like him? I thought, the strangeness of this situation just starting to set in.

I had a bad feeling about this at the time. It was a feeling that I would never be able to shake off the blonde. It felt like no matter how hard I tried, I would be forever cursed with him as a "friend".

As it turns out, I couldn't have been more right. Two years later when we had earned the right lord over the other students as eighth-graders, Deidara was still sticking to me like an over-zealous lapdog.

I remember our graduation ceremony clearly. It was just an indistinct blur as I passed by the other people, getting up to receive my certificate and walking across the stadium to the exit as was expected from us (actually, I think the teachers expected us break through the wall with a tank or something and go mass murderer on them all, because I swore saw at least twenty poorly concealed policemen on my way out, and as far as stadiums go, the place wasn't even that large).

As soon as I made it out, a felt an arm slung over my shoulders as a happy voice called out, "We've finally graduated, un! And guess what?"

"What?" I ground out. It took all of my self-control not to kill Deidara right then and there. He should have known by then that I didn't like being touched, yet there he was in all his blonde glory, arm slung over my shoulders and leaning on me like I was the only thing keeping him up.

"I'm going to the same school as you, un!" he nearly shouted excitedly.

I fought to keep the expression of utter horror off my face.

"That's...great," I said weakly, trying to sound a bit enthusiastic... Just a bit, mind you.

Inside, my mind was whirling with thoughts. Why am I so unlucky? Do curses actually exist? Will we have the same homeroom? Will we have the same lunch period? What classes will we have together? How can he be dense enough to still think I actually like him? Will I have to spend time with him after school? How can I avoid him? What's for dinner?

All of these thoughts (save for that last one) pretty much summed up my feelings about this– and they weren't pretty. They haunted me throughout the summer, all the way up to the first day of school.

Deidara had been away all summer traveling with his parents, so I hadn't had to see him the whole season. But, on the less fortunate side I hadn't been able to transfer schools. I didn't even know if we had the same homerooms, due to his being away.

It would be difficult, but I just had to put up with the obnoxious blonde for another few years. I'd managed so far. It couldn't be too hard...

Right?