Hinata POV

"Ew, look it's that Riuzi girl," I overheard Karin say. I looked over at the loner girl, Harima Riuzi, and she was reading a manga called Peach Girl. I guess she could relate to that story. Karin was whispering among her groupies, Kin and Tayuya. They glanced over at Harima and laughed as if they were so much more desirable.

"They're so mean to that girl," my best friend Sakura commented. She was observing the whole thing too. "I mean do they even know anything about her?"

"Do we?" added another one of my best friends, Temari. She had a point. No one really knew anything about the new girl. She came as quietly as she stayed. She spoke less than me and kept to herself. In fact, I doubt anyone had ever heard her speak. "I mean while we're reprimanding Karin and her clones about talking about her behind her back, we're just as bad."

"I mean, we don't talk talk to her,"added TenTen. She looked back at her just as she turned a page in her manga. Other than that, she didn't move a muscle. That was what Harima did all day so it was kind of strange that she was the second in class.

"M-maybe we s-should start," I piped up. Temari, Sakura, Ino, and TenTen looked up at me. I hated when they did that at the same time like that, but these were my best friends so I kept talking. "W-we're b-b-better than K-karin, right?"

It was Ino's turn to look at Harima, who was still lost in her book. I noticed how she was on that page for quite a while. It made me wonder if she was listening to our conversation. I highly thought she was. "Hinata…" she started. "You are absolutely right. We are gonna welcome her into our group. You know take her under our wing like we did with Hinata."

Thank you, Ino for your subtlty.

"I agree with you. She's very pretty," agreed Sakura. Harima finally turned a page. She was done listening to us. Good thing to because her fate at Konoha High school was sealed.

We all got up and occupied the desks surrounding Harima's desk. The desks used to be occupied by Karin, Kin, Tayuya, and another girl named Renge but they all moved when she first sat there. Those superficial bimbos.

"Hey, Harima," started Sakura. Harima looked up suddenly. Eyes wide and scared, hair a wild long messy mane and nose ring glinting in the flourescent light.

"W-what did I do? You aren't going to swear red lipstick on my face are you?" she said, sounding ten times more scared than she looked. Temari glared ferociously at Karin, Kin, and Tayuya, looking ready to kill them. Feeling her pain, I put a comforting her hand on her shoulder. She flinched when I did just like I did when Sakura put her hand on my shoulder.

I swear this was like a repeat of history. I totally understood wear she was coming from.

In that instant, the guys pass us. The hottest guys in class, Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, Kiba, Neji and Shikamaru jumped over desks and made noise as boys do. I caught Naruto's gaze and I had to turn away quickly. Naruto-kun was the ringleader of the whole popular guy scene. Sakura, TenTen, Temari, (and now) Harima and I were just a small time group of friends.

"Hinata," Ino mused. She gestured to Naruto who was giving an annoyed looking Neji a noogie. "I do believe Naruto just gave you that special look." I felt my face radiate in 3 different heats. It seemed everybody knew about my crush on Naruto except Naruto. Actually, to avoid getting my heart broken, I prefer it if he didn't know that I was in love with him.

"Ino," I whispered, hoping she would catch the hint to whisper as well. "They'll hear you!"

"Let 'im here!" Ino said confidently. She turned around to face the guys and inhaled. I thought for sure she was going to tell Naruto my secret.

"Sai, baby!" she yelled out confidently. "I love ya!" Harima and I sweated. Sai smiled warmly and half-waved at Ino.

Ino was the only one who was brave enough to ask Sai out. That's why she is the only one with a boyfriend. A sad thought.

"So Harima," started Temari with her wide smile. "We aren't trying to scare you ar make it seem like we're like the Plastics, but we really want you to hang out with us." Thaat was the way Temari worked. It was like ripping off a band-aid as she so decribed it. Unorthodox, but it was better than stuttering over every word or in Harima's case, saying nothing at all.

"Completely red lipstick free," added TenTen, hoping to keep her from thinking we were like another Karin crew,

Harima paused for a minute. She looked puzzled. I could understand why. I said no at first too.

Then she nodded. She said nothing, but nodded.

"Is that a yes?" Sakura urged, poking her shoulder. She smiled broadly, adding to her friendly misdemeanor. Sakura raised Harima's gaze to hers and nodded. Harima followed her nod, eyes still wide and scared, but somehow, more relieved.

"So you'll come with us to the mall after school?" Ino suggested, starting to gather her hair up and play in it. "We can introduce you to Reno's."

"Reno's is this punk warehouse in the back of the mall. You'd like it," TenTen explained. Sakura flicked the silver hoop from on her nose playfully and the side of Harima's mouth twitched upward. We'd hooked her. I couldn't believe it but we actually hooked her faster than they hooked me.

I know she thought I hadn't noticed, but I noticed how ever so slightly she sneaked a couple of glances at Kiba Inuzuka. And suddenly, I had my contribution to Harima's shell-breaking.

Harima POV

I didn't understand it. Why were they just now talking to me? I mean they were the only ones who smiled and said hi to me in the halls, but they've never actually spoken to me. Now here I am with plans to go to the mall after school. It's not like it was conflicting with anything and I'd give anything to be as far away from Rayito as possible.

One of them truly seemed to know where I was coming from, despite the fact that she never said a word to me. I came to the conclusion that she was the new girl before me. Not that there was a problem with that. I was just lucky to have people to hang out with.

"Harima," Ino said. She was playing in my hair and a suddenly felt self-conscious about it. It was always a mess and never seemed to want tobey me. "You don't have to worry about Karin or her cronies."

"Yeah," added Temari, grinning wide again. "Because if they even look at you wrong, I will personally make their lives a living hell, okay?" Temari was so confident with her self. Ino was too. I mean Ino could do something as daring as yell out "Sai baby, I love ya!" across a room full of students. Ino probably had the guts to ask Sai out himself....whoever Sai was.

"And your hair is so pretty!" exclaimed Ino changing the subject. "I wish mine was as naturally wavy and shaggy as yours."

Believe me, I thought dryly, you don't.

After school, I was the first one out in the courtyard where we were to meet after we got changed out of our school uniforms. I wore my regular style of clothes...a red and black striped skully with an ironed-on skull on it, my Yui band shirt, black skinnies and red hightops. And for all you guys reading this, I AM NOT EMO!!!

"Harima!" yelled a voice. "Harima-chan!" It was Hinata. She looked really out of breath. She wore ripped jeans, black slip-ons and the same Yui band shirt I had on. I smiled within myself at the choice of clothes we had. She noticed my shirt and giggled.

"G-great minds think a-alike I suppose," she said with a genuine smile. Huh, I thought, I dont get a lot of those nowadays.

"Have you been here long?" she asked, taking a seat beside me on the wooden bench. I scooted over to make room and shook my head furiously. In honesty is twenty minutes considered long?

"Oh good!" she said smiling again. "So what town did you come from, Harima-chan?" She was striking up conversation with me, I registered. Meaning I had to talk.

"Nara," I said briefly.."

"Oh, that's good. Are you excited about today?" she asked. She was awfully chatty at the moment. Not that it was bad, but did she feel more comfortable around me than she did with her other friends? Not likely, but a possiblity, still.

I nodded. "Then I should tell you that Ino invited Sai and Sai invited his friends."

It's official...my life is so totally over.

Kiba was one of Sai's friends and someone like Kiba wouldn't give a girl like me the time of day. He's popular, energetic, and loud. Me? I'm Harima Riuzi, unpopular, quiet and I get tired just watching Kiba be a goofy boy, but I liked that he was never tired not even in the least bit. It was cute to me.

"Uh Harima-chan? Can I ask you something before the others get here? I don't want to embarrass you." Well if it was going to embarrass me, I'd rather it be Hinata and not Karin. I shuddered when I remember the red lipstick incident.

"Mmhmm," I hummed.

"Do you like Kiba?"she blurted out. I paused. I paused just long enough for my coloring to go from pale tan to cherry red. She knew! Oh but what could she do about it? Kiba probably liked popular girls like himself and I did overhear Kin bragging about a picture with her and Kiba on her cell phone. My eyes widened and I covered my face with my cold hands, embarrassed. I mentally slapped my head when I realized my reaction just confirmed any doubt she had about my liking Kiba.

She giggled at my reaction and rubbed my back, reassurringly. "That's fitting, Harima-chan. I love Naruto." She didn't have to tell me that. I knew that on my first day when she kept blushing when he looked in her direction. That is what love looks like I guess. Not like I've ever experienced love.

With that, Temari, Ino, Tenten, and Sakura showed up and announced that they were meeting the guys at the mall.

"Oh, you'll just love 'em, Harima," TenTen said linking her arm with mine. "They are a laugh riot."

"More like lazy overgrown kids if you like that sort of thing," Temari complained. She rolled her eyes at the thought. We began to walk.

"And you do, Mrs. NARA," Sakura teased as she pulled one of Temari's four ponytails. I chuckled to myself at that. Temari and the lazy one with the ponytail....I could see that.

I began to feel the brick in my stomach. Suddenly I cared how I looked and if I had something in my teeth. I mean I couldn't let Kiba think any less of me than he does. Not that I know what he thinks of me.

I guess I'll get a glimpse today.