A.N.- Hello! This is my first public attempt (I have practiced a few times) at writing a Naruto slash fic! I'm so excited to see how this goes! :D I love both Naruto and Gaara and Sasuke is just awesome (I don't care if people hate him...) so with that in mind I am writing this to be an AU school fic type story. There will be several twists and turns and cliffhangers most likely but at the end of it all I'm hoping I give you guys a good yaoi fic :) I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

High school.

It is the ultimate stage, the ultimate test, the ultimate cocktail of people. Shaken, not stirred.

There are constant wars and trials. High school is an obligatory journey each person must partake in. Though the experience is different for each person in the world similarities can often be found. The pain, while often superficial or shallow, is completely real. It is real for everyone. It may be felt differently by each for multiple reasons but it is there in some way or another. Then there is also the pain that could cripple any adult and leave them frozen in fear; the pain of feeling like a reject, going through the hardships of feeling lonely and unwanted, experiencing the humiliation of being mocked and ridiculed for something that is just inside you and out of your control. Things completely uncontrollable like being irrationally afraid of clowns, liking cheap robot movies even when they're out of style, or having to doodle on any open space. Or the uncontrolled could be something deeper like whom you love and how you naturally behave as a person. People can't always control who they are, not in every aspect. It may not always be a choice to be known as a goofy class clown, a quiet loner, or an unnaturally outspoken person and it also may not be possible to control being in love with the school bully though you're the quiet library aid or to be crushing on the nerd who gets thrown in dumpsters every lunch period even though you're the most popular person in your class or falling for the guy you've sat beside since the start of high school...though you're a guy too.

Some of life's details can be decided:

I want to be a blonde this year.

I want to get a better GPA.

I want to lose weight.

I want to be stronger.

I want to have sex tonight.

I want to live in an apartment.

I want to wear nothing but black.

I want to get a dog.

I want to be a vegetarian.

But there are also those things that determine our life that we are born with and that can't just be decided or chosen.

And those are the things I want you to keep in mind as you go about your life. Don't be so fast to judge another because of a personal choice, for it may not really be a choice. While some people may have the strength inside to go against their own grain and change their inner workings, others have to fight so much else that they just don't have any fight left in them to fight something as natural as who they are inside.

They're not weak. They're not freaks. They're just people, who were made with a different blueprint. Should they be persecuted for how they were created? Would you want to be if you had been made with that blueprint? High school is a trial we all must face, and it is difficult enough without having our peers make it harder. High school is about education and self discovery. Both are tasks difficult enough on their own. Why make it harder by being judgmental and unnecessarily cruel?

Judge not, lest ye be judged.

Naruto sat back from his desk and sighed, stretching his arms high above his head. His electric blue eyes flew over the words on his computer screen. With a weary huff the seventeen year old blonde slouched onto the cool surface of his desk, pressing his cheek against the black faux wood. What the hell was he thinking? What kind of teacher would accept this as a paper? It wasn't long enough…hardly over five hundred words. Still, with a prompt like: "As a senior, give a motivational speech to the next generation of students to follow your footsteps."

Naruto huffed once more. Like anyone would actually listen to him. He was the class clown no one took seriously. Feeling discouraged he opened a new document and typed out a different paper, one befitting his high school identity. Rereading his second essay Naruto accepted it as better for this assignment. And while it was also short it held less risk and less true emotion. It was the epitome of a safe answer for someone such as him. His only consolation was he knew himself well, and though he was the class clown in school, he was confident that one day whatever dream he aspired to achieve he'd reach it. He may like a good laugh but he was no idiot. Not really.

With a sad expression he stared at the first essay. He'd thought so hard on what he'd want to say… it felt almost like a betrayal to his efforts for him to just delete it because he was too much of a coward to turn it in. He saved both of them using the document titles Senior Essay and senior essay. He could remember that the capitalized one was the real one easy enough. Standing from his desk chair, Naruto stretched again and switched his lamp off. He changed for bed and was just sliding in when his cell phone vibrated on his tiny bed side table. Glaring at the little illuminated screen Naruto saw who it was and answered, the forming crankiness instantly gone.

"Hey." He greeted.

"You busy?" came a familiar gruff voice.

"Nah, not really. Why?" Naruto answered leaning back into his pillows, resting one arm behind his head.

"We had another fight. I'm goin' out. Wanna come?" his friend asked in a voice that sounded the least bit interested in Naruto's answer. But Naruto knew better. He'd actually called, meaning he cared, he wanted Naruto's company, he just didn't want to ask for it. Too proud and what not.

Grinning like a little boy Naruto replied, "Sure. Come pick me up. I'll be ready."

"Alright." Was the only thing said before the connection was cut.

Naruto took the cell phone from his ear and stared at the picture he had as his phone's wallpaper. He stared at the smiling chibi monkey spanking himself with a banana until the light faded away and his room was enveloped in darkness again. He was worried for his pal. Naruto was very much aware of how bad those fights could get and how hurt his friend always was afterwards; though he'd never admitted to it, Naruto knew because he'd known him for many years. He hurried to get dressed after wasting so much time just sitting there like a doofus.

The sleepy blonde was just pulling on his hoody when he heard the car horn. Smiling he shook his head, of course the asshole couldn't come to the door and use the bell like civil folk. Nooo, he had to honk the horn at three in the morning and wake all of Naruto's old, and mostly grumpy, neighbors. Stuffing his phone and wallet into his pockets Naruto headed for the door. Cursing he turned back as he reached the front door and strode back to the thin table in his short hallway where his keys lay. Swiping them Naruto turned on his heel and hurried out.

In the street, pulled a little out of the way, sat the dark blue sports car his good friend drove.

Naruto climbed in and turned to his dark haired comrade.

"Where to?" he chirped with a big grin.

Sasuke shrugged as he pulled back onto the road and drove away, not minding the speed limit at all. It was more of a suggestion than a law to the angry teen.

Naruto didn't ask about the fight. He knew Sasuke enough to know that if he wanted to he'd talk about it and if he didn't talk about it he wasn't ready to.

Sasuke drove to Taco Bell and pulled into the drive-thru lane.

Naruto reached for his back pocket where his wallet was kept but Sasuke stopped him saying, "I got it."

Naruto relaxed back into the leather passenger seat and smiled at his friend. "Thanks, man."

Sasuke shrugged. "I called you out. Least I can do is get you a Frutista."

Naruto's smile grew, "I hear they have a new orange and cream flavor…"

Sasuke gave a slight smile, which Naruto took as a personal victory, and nodded, "Sure, you can try the new one."

"Sweet!" Naruto fist pumped, but hit his hand on the ceiling of the car and cursed, withdrawing his injured appendage sulking deep into the car seat.

Sasuke smiled a bit more and shook his head, "Idiot. Do you ever think about your actions?"

Naruto shrugged and replied with a chuckle, "I'm only thinkin' about that delicious frozen treat beverage in my very near future."

Sasuke rolled his window down and carried out the task of ordering, frowning at the irritated tone on the other end of the speaker box.

As he pulled forward he grumbled, "You'd think people would try harder to do their job better…"

Naruto laughed lightly, "Yeah, like you're one to talk. You can't hold a job for more than a few months!"

Sasuke smirked at Naruto with a brief side glance, "As if I need to."

Naruto waved his statement away saying, "Yes, yes oh mister richy-pants-bottom-sir, you and your old money can suck it. For I, the mere commoner, must work to keep what I have."

Sasuke smiled a little more, gradually his anger was fading. "Yeah, but you love your job."

Shrugging, Naruto shot back, "Doesn't mean I don't need it."

The cashier gave them their order and Sasuke drove away.

Naruto slurped happily on his Frutista. It truly was delicious! Like a dream-cicle.

"How is it?" Sasuke asked, starting to feel more like himself now that he was in the company of his closest friend.

Naruto turned to him with shimmering eyes and sighed, "It's heaven in a see through cup."

Actually letting a quiet chuckle escape Sasuke reached for the cup. Naruto, never minding to share with him obliged and let him take it. Taking a long draw from the straw Sasuke handed it back to Naruto, making a face as he forced his throat to swallow that…gunk.

Naruto laughed, "What's'a matter?"

Sasuke reached for his soda to rinse the taste away before answering, a disgusted look still firmly on his face, "It's too sweet. How do you stand that shit?"

With a grin Naruto gave a half shrug and said, "I'm just good like that. How do you not love it?"

Sasuke shot back playfully, "I'm just smart like that."

Naruto pretended to be crestfallen, dropping down into a dramatic pout.

Sasuke smiled a little more freely and shook his head, "You're an idiot."

Naruto popped back up, miraculously healed from his inner wound, "You're an idiot."

Rolling his eyes the raven locked boy shook his head, "Good come back, genius."

Naruto grinned like the moron he was playing to be. If it made Sasuke relax and feel better, he'd gladly play the fool. That's what friends were for after all.

Naruto waved goodbye to his pal and watched the car disappear into the night. Sighing, Naruto yawned and headed into his small but comfortable house. It had been his parents' house. It was the only home he knew, and basically the only thing he actually had left of his parents. Therefore, even though it was small, cramped, and a little leaky he cherished it.

After locking the front door he headed back to his bedroom where his sweet lovely bed waited for him.

As he changed back into his sleep clothes he wondered how Sasuke was. He'd probably made it back home by now, since he didn't live too far away. Naruto wondered if Itachi was there now. He usually managed to keep the peace between his younger brother and their father. The problem was his father wanted things for Sasuke that Sasuke didn't want. He made plans and decisions for Sasuke without asking his opinion on any of it. Which, of course, angered the boy; as it most likely would anyone.

Naruto did his best to support his friend, though he had little to no experience in dealing with parents seeing as his died when he was rather young. An old friend had moved in to take care of him but a few years later just as Naruto was turning 12 he too died of a severe heart attack. Naruto lied to child services, speaking of an uncle who would be moving in to take care of him. And since they had other more pressing cases to deal with accepted this. A year later they'd sent an agent to check on him but he'd prepared for such an event and made it look as if two people lived there, and had simply told the person his uncle was at work as a traveling salesman, freelance of course so that it'd be more difficult to find his records. He had knew that the more difficult the information was to find the less likely they were to actually look for it. Besides, a nobody child living alone was the least of their worries.

Shaking his mind free of memories Naruto returned his thoughts to Sasuke and reached from where he had collapsed on his bed to his table for his phone. Texting a message to him Naruto said: Hey you ok? He still in a sour mood?
He hit send and watched the little envelope slowly fly from one phone image to the other. Message sent.

Laying back into his mattress Naruto waited for a reply. While he waited he moved from where he lay with his feet still touching the floor to a more comfortable position where he was laying on his side curled around a pillow, where his head rested.

He was very tired, his eyes kinda burned from exhaustion, but he wanted to know Sasuke was ok before going to sleep.

His phone vibrated and he quickly checked it.

Yx2.

That was Sasuke shorthand for yes times two. So he was ok but his dad was still angry.

Naruto frowned. Glancing at the clock he worried neither he nor Sasuke would be sleeping tonight.

Sitting up so that he didn't accidentally fall asleep he sent another text: Gah! Algebra! Hissss. Sasuke speaka da engliss meh brain nos.

He sent it, smiling to himself, he knew this would get a grin if nothing else. Sasuke always shook his head with a bemused grin when Naruto acted like an idiot. Which was the main reason the blonde had become the clown he was today. Through the years he had learned the tricks of the trade and now knew exactly what to say or do to make people laugh or smile, or what to say to cause a scene; a useful skill for stalling class to avoid pop quizzes.

His phone vibrated and Naruto checked it.

U R A Moron.

Naruto chuckled at the sarcastic reply and sent another text in return: And you know you like it. :p

After pressing send he glanced at the digital clock on his bedside table. It was almost five in the morning. In about an hour he and Sasuke would have to start getting ready for school, and at the very least it would be an acceptable time for Sasuke to leave his house without conflict. Naruto went to grab a soda hoping the sugar and caffeine would keep him going. He received another message from Sasuke as he plopped back down on his bed. Smiling Naruto didn't care one bit he would not be sleeping tonight. Lack of sleep was nothing if it meant he was useful to Sasuke.