The End of Forever
Chapter 1
A/N: this is my second Naruto fanfic and I'm thinking of discontinuing the first one entitled "Who's Girl?!" if ever you're reading it give me suggestions for the next chapter.
This story is also based on the book.
"where's Ino?"
"Late as usual." Haruno Sakura didn't even try to hide her annoyance.
Her best friend, Tenten, heaved a sigh and sprawled across a bench in the deserted studio.
"Honestly Sakura, you're sister's gonna be late on her own funeral."
"Not so." Sakura muttered adjusting her leotard and stretching her right leg over her head.
"I'll be in charge of taking her to the funeral so I'll know she'll be on time for that."
Tenten giggled.
"Maybe you really wish you were an only child like me.
Sakura rolled her eyes , hating to admit that she'd often wished that very thing and with only 15 months between her and her sister, Sakura realized that she'd never had the luxury of being the one-and-only.
"I just think Ino's being a pain," she said. "she knows how much this dance number means to me."
"Come on, sakura. You know Ino's not like that. She never forgets anything on purpose."
Sakura began to pirouette across the polished dance floor in wide sweeping circles. She forced herself to concentrate on her form instead of her anger on her kid sister. She'd have thought that being a sophomore at Konoha Academy for Young Women this year would have matured Ino.
Instead sakura found herself constantly making excuses for her, covering for her tardiness and irresponsible attitude. It was embarrassing but sakura couldn't seem to stop. Ino always managed to rope her in and get her own way, while still being sweet, outgoing and likable.
As a junior and the president of the dance troupe at the academy, Sakura felt she had a reputation to maintain among her peers. Ino's lack of seriousness really annoyed her but she didn't know what to do about it.
The door of the dance studio flew open.
"Am I late?" ino called as she skidded across the oak floor.
Sakura stopped spinning, caught her breath and walked over to where Ino was, all big blue-eyed innocence.
"3:15 ino. I said be here by 3:15 because we have to knock off by four today. Tenten made it on time. I made it on time. But you? Well, as usual we're both standing around waiting for Ino and you're so late that we're not going to get any serious rehearsing done today. The recital's in March-- four weeks from now."
Sakura knew she was wasting valuable time but she was determined not to let Ino off too easily.
"Only 4 weeks. Yikes! Time's slipping by all right but just wait til you see what I've got."
"this had better be good, Ino. -sensei is counting on the 3 of us to make this number the high point of the show. I'm beginning to wish I'd never ask you to do the dramatic readings."
"Oh come on. When I'm a famous actress, you'll look back on this and laugh. Here take a look at this."
She handed Sakura a large leather bound book.
"Won't it be perfect on the podium for me to read from? I won't have to use that dorky library book. I can just tuck copies of the readings inside. It'll look so much more elegant, don't you think?"
Sakura eyed the old leather embossed volume, struggling inwardly to stay angry. She had to admit that Ino was right. The book would be so much nicer and would really contribute to the overall effect.
"where'd you get it?"
"It's Sasuke's grandmother's."
Sasuke, the name alone made Sakura's pulse skip a beat.
"Did he loan it to you just for the recital?"
She stroked the rich leather cover imagining that Sasuke had held it.
"sure"
Sakura felt her resolve weakening. Her sister was irrepressible and no one could stay mad at her for long. That's probably why she attracted friends so easily—as well as the undivided attention of Konoha Academy Prep's cutest senior, Uchiha Sasuke.
"It's a nice touch," Sakura admitted. Ino grinned and bobbled on the balls of her feet. "But I really wanted you to be on time," she added sternly, not wanting Ino to think she was off the hook entirely.
"So what are you waiting for? Let's get started."
Sakura signaled Tenten, who started the music on a cassette player and began to sing. Soon she was lost in her art, nothing else existed. Not even aggravation with Ino.
"Sakura! Come help me get dinner on the table." Mrs. Haruno called.
Sakura wandered around the kitchen. "I thought it was Ino's turn to help with dinner tonight," she said. "Where is Ino, anyway?"
"she's working on a history paper that's due tomorrow and I'm running behind." Her mother rattled pots and pans.
"Honestly I don't know why I ever thought owning my own boutique was a good idea. Customers are so scarce that I should just shut down the place until spring comes."
"Doing a paper! What about my homework?"
"Your father and I have the faculty party tonight at Konoha Academy. I didn't I'd ever get out of the store. Thank goodness Temari could stay until nine and close the place up."
She paused from her task of measuring water for rice and pinned Sakura with a glance.
"You are working this Saturday aren't you? I'm counting on you to hold the fort all day since neither Temari nor I can come in."
Sakura almost exploded.
'I hate her.'
'as if I don't…'
'who are you?'
'your inner.'
'my inner'
'yup, I'll stay with you anytime.'
'ok….weird'
"But it's Ino's turn to work. I promised -sensei I'd help the freshmen dancers for the Tepsicord recital. And speaking of the dance recital, Ino was late again today for our rehearsal. We're never going to get it together for the show if she can't show up on time for practices."
"You've got plenty of time before the show," Mrs. Haruno said. "Besides I think I gave Amy permission to go do something with the drama club on Saturday. Some car wash, I think."
"But it's her turn to work! Just like it's her turn to do dinner."
"Amy's filled in for you plenty of times, Sakura. All last week in fact, while you took those extra dance classes."
"But I traded with her 2 weeks ago so that I'd have last week free."
"Sakura, I really don't have time to quibble over how you and Ino keep scorecards over chores. I need help now. You know how your father hates to be late and don't forget if he wasn't on the faculty at Konoha Academy we'd never be able ot afford to send you girls there."
Sakura held her breath and counted to ten. She didn't have to be reminded that she wasn't in the same league as the rest of the school body, which included Konoha's richest and most elite families. Nor was it having her sister and father at the same school with her.
Sakura was grateful that e thought computer science which wasn't part of her liberal-arts curriculum, so their paths never crossed in the classroom. Perhaps that was another reason why Ino irked at her. It never seemed to bother her that they were different from other girls.
"Sakura?" Mrs. Haruno said. "Are you going to stand there into space all evening?"
Sakura started. "All right I'll help tonight," she grumbled. "But it really is Ino's turn and I swear this is the last time I get roped in doing her chores. You let Ino get away with murder."
'you're exaggerating.'
'I don't care'
'sigh you're stubborn.'
'and you're not sticking on my side.'
'fine what you said is right'
"Don't be so dramatic." Mrs. Haruno paused from chopping vegetables. "you know how it is with Ino. Sometimes it seems as if we let her get away with too much. But Sakura you've always been the dependable one. I can always count on you."
"Thanks," Sakura muttered, not feeling at all as if she'd be complimented.
Later sitting at the dinner table, Ino entertained them with stories about her day at school and Sakura found it impossible to stay mad. Ino did have a dramatic streak and she smiled at Amy's accurate imitation of a teacher's high-pitched nasal voice.
"Miss Haruno," Ino mimicked telling a story on herself. "If we are going to read Edna St. Vincent Millay aloud, it would behoove us to have read her poetry silently first, now wouldn't it?"
Mr. Haruno chuckled deeply. "That's exactly how she sounds at faculty meetings too."
"You two are awful," Mrs. Haruno said. "She's just a lonely woman whose whole life is wrapped up in school and you kids."
"She does donate a lot of her time to charity work," Ino said. "And I'm not knocking her. I just think she's funny."
Sakura half listened to the rest of the dinner conversation. She wished she could make her parents laugh the way Ino could. Why couldn't she be less serious about school, her dancing and her whole life?
Why did she always feel so out of sync? She looked across the table at Ino. How could two such different people come from the same family? How could two such different individuals coexist in the same house until the day Sakura would leave for college?
Sakura began to count the days until she would be on her own and free of her pain-in-the-neck, easygoing sister, Ino.
That's it !
I'm not yet sure with the pairing since I can't find the right guy.