Sasori sat in the back of the class, as usual. He really wasn't all that social with anyone else other than the small group he always hung out with. But none of Sasori's friends took art but him, and it that really pissed him off. Two of his friends we good at art, too: Konan-sama was greatly talented in the art or origami, and Itachi-san could take any piece of art and copy it to perfection. So why weren't they in the class with him? Now, he just started feeling lonely.
Sure, the other students greatly looked up to him, and always asked his advice, but that's all they ever wanted. They never stopped to make a conversation about art or anything else for that matter. Art class was just dull and boring without someone to talk to. Of course, Sasori loved art. It was his passion. He loved it more than anything else in the world. But he just couldn't bring himself around to enjoying the class.
Sasori was lost in his own thoughts until the door to the room closed very loudly. He looked over to see a young girl with long blonde hair standing in front of the door, with a startled expression on her face. Even with her face a bit twisted and shockingly blue eyes opened wide, he had to admit, she was beautiful. At least this little interruption wouldn't bore him to death. However, they were quite a distance away from each other, so he couldn't make out her features that well. One thing was for sure, though. She was a scene kid, just like he was, so maybe they would get along.
She hesitantly walked over to the teacher's desk and handed him a pink slip of paper. Mr. Ugusaki stood up and faced the class.
"Everyone, listen up. Today we have a new student in our class, and I would like you to listen as he introduces himself." Mr. Ugusaki gave the floor to the boy.
Wait…Holy crap! It was a guy! Sasori mentally slapped himself as he physically slammed his hand to his forehead. Now he just felt twisted and stupid. Just because the guy had extremely long--and not to mention really shiny--hair, he had called him a girl. Sasori just hoped he never would have to tell the guy that.
"Hello, un! My name's Deidara Iwanii, I'm a Freshman and I just moved here to Tokyo from Susono, which is a small rural city in Shizuoka. It's not that far from here, but it was a drive, un! Anywho, I'm aiming for a degree in art, so one day, the beauty of my work can be professionally recognized, un!" the blonde stood there for awhile, with a big grin on his face.
"Thank you, Mr. Iwanii. You may take any seat you wish." Mr. Ugusaki gestured to Deidara to find himself a spot. A young girl up front with an empty seat next to her pulled out the chair and told the blonde to sit next to her. Sasori was rather thankful that the kid didn't have to six next to him--since the seat next to Sasori was the only other vacant spot available--for the reason that he did not want to sit next to the guy he just called a girl.
And, so, the class began. Today's project was sculpting. Sasori was the best with wood--he made his own wooden puppets--so shouldn't clay sculpting be the same? Sasori figured he could give the new guy a good first impression of himself. Sasori wasn't the bragging kind, but he did love to feel needed and be the top of the class; he was, after all, the smartest in all his classes, and he didn't want to falter in any subject. So he began to work on his new clay creation, he intended on making a dolphin jumping out of the water, and, as expected, the others came to him for help on their projects.
On the opposite side of the room, Sasori saw the blond working all by himself in a corner, bent over his lump of clay, hands working fast. Sasori shrugged to himself. The kid probably just was getting all worked up because nothing was coming out right for him. Sasori laughed a little inside. What a fool, he could always ask for help, but instead he worked on his own.
"Alright, class! Time for evaluation. Please stop working and step away from you work as I come by and I will grade you accordingly." Mr. Ugusaki brought out his clipboard with the grading sheet on it, and began walking around the room. Sasori, of course, was always graded last. This was another reason he sat in the back: Mr. Ugusaki always walked in a certain pattern, from front to back, and Sasori wanted to be last to flaunt his amazing work. However, it seemed today he walked in a different pattern. It looked almost like he was saving the new kid's project to the near end. But Sasori would still be last, so it really didn't matter.
Mr. Ugusaki made his way around the students, giving out the appropriate grades--F's, D's, and the occasional C's--and made his way around to the blonde. "Hmm… what do we have here?" he asked the kid.
"Well, un, I was aiming for a visual representation of my concept of life, Sensei." the blonde replied. There were three things Sasori hated about that sentence. First: "visual representation of my concept"; what kind of smart-ass would use such big words like that? Second: the theme of the concept of life; Sasori couldn't imagine ever choosing "life" as the idea of art. Life was always too short. Never long enough. It wasn't eternal. He liked eternal things. Like vampires. Sasori liked the idea of vampires quite well. And lastly, Sasori didn't like that the blonde called the teacher Sensei. It was too formal. Such a kiss-ass.
The blonde kid stepped back to show the teacher his finished piece. Sasori looked over the crowd of people and stared with his mouth open in amazement. It was beautiful! The boy had created a one-foot-tall bird with its wings spread wide, flying in the wind. Sasori didn't even know how the heck the kid was able to keep the thing upright with such a thin post and small base; must have been perfect balance. Nevertheless, the sculpture was gorgeous; it looked so magnificent and elegant. The blonde had true artistic talent, he had to admit.
Mr. Ugusaki looked from the sculpture, to the smiling boy, and back to the artwork again. "You said that this piece had significant meaning? Would you care to explain?"
Deidara nodded, "It's my representation of how I see life, un. Graceful, like a bird, yet delicate and fragile, un; as you can see, I made the base small so that it looks like it could fall over and break at any second, but all the weight is focused to the center, so it really won't fall all that easily, un. Also, beautiful and fleeting, like a wild bird that migrates: it isn't there for long; always leaving and moving to new places, un."
He had the entire class mesmerized; including the teacher. Sasori stayed in the back of the room as the rest of the students crowded around the blonde, giving him praise for his skill and marvelous creation. Sasori analyzed the meaning of the kid's piece. It was official. He hated this guy. Not just because he was a kiss-ass to the teacher and more talented than he, but because he called life fleeting. That was probably his least favorite word in the entire world. He hated that life was so short; so fragile. He wanted things to stay the same. Forever. He wanted life to be eternal. He wanted eternity so bad, he even had his cat stuffed when she died; like she was curled up and forever sleeping on her kitty bed, never getting up or leaving. It was an unhealthy obsession, sure, but he had his reasons for it.
Without any second thought, Mr. Ugusaki gave the blonde a straight-up A+, 100%. He finally made his way over to Sasori and examined his creation. "Akasuna…85%." And with that he walked away.
Sasori stared after the teacher in shock. He gave him a B. Never in his life had Sasori received anything below an A-. It was all the new guy's fault. He just had to come in and steal his grade and reputation from him. Sasori was extremely pissed off. He may have just as well received a failing grade. He really started to hate the blonde.
Class ended soon after they cleaned up, but it didn't seem soon enough for Sasori. Before the bell had even rung for half a second, Sasori was up and out the door before anyone else had their stuff together.
Deidara watched the redhead bolt out the door. He wondered why the guy was in such a big hurry. He turned to the girl who had let him sit next to her. She was already done packing up, while Deidara still wasn't ready. "Hey, Chiherah? Who was that redheaded guy, un?"
The girl turned towards him, "That was Akasuna no Sasori. He's the top of every single one of his classes, except he's pretty distant and a social outcast. He always gets praise for practically anything, yet hangs around with this small gang called Akatsuki. They chill over near the back of the school. All punks and scene kids…who knows? You might like them. But they usually don't let anyone near their territory."
"But why was he in such a bad temper when he left, un?"
"That's probably because you stole his limelight with you amazing work today, Dei-kun!"
Deidara blushed a little with the praise and the honorific. "No, un. It wasn't amazing. I didn't even put any true effort into making that…un." He began to pack up.
"Well then Sasori's really going to hate you! He hates anybody that's better than him. Oh, well. Just let it go and ignore him. It's not worth to get all fussed up over Akasuna. He's not one to punk with unless you want to deal with his ex." Chiherah and Deidara got up and left the class, walking down the hall to their last class.
"Oh, is she the possessive kind, un?"
"He was just an ass…the weren't really together, Sasori hated the guy…but Orochimaru-sama was completely in love with the guy. You know where this is going, right?" Chiherah looked at Deidara expectantly.
"Yeah, I know, un. So what happened to him?"
"Story goes Oro tried to get him drunk so he could get to him, but Sasori doesn't get affected by liquor, and put up a pretty damn good fight. Word got around; the dean, Tsunade, found out; things were explained; and Orochimaru was expelled."
"Oh. Well that's good for Sasori, un."
"Not really. If anyone messed with Akasuna, they get jumped. Don't ask me how Oro finds out. None of us know, anyways."
"Huh…Ok, well thank you for the story, Chiherah-chan! I gotta get going to my class, un!" Deidara stepped back a bit, holding up his hand to wave goodbye.
Chiherah waved back. "Alright, Dei-kun! See ya tomorrow!"
"Bye, un!" Deidara cried as he ran away. When he was almost to his building, he slowed to a walk. I hope he doesn't hate me for stealing his spotlight, un. I didn't mean to. Its not like I'm great or anything like that, un. Deidara thought to himself. Now he probably wouldn't have the chance to make friends with the redhead and his scene group. Deidara sighed and walked into his last class, praying the rest of the day would speed by so the next day would come and he'd be able to talk to Sasori.
