Please R&R. I really need it. Sighs and prays

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"Inkunata!" a voice yelled from downstairs. "Inkunata! Hurry up and get down here! You're going to be late!"

I pull my covers from over my face. No. I HATE Mondays. MONDAY?! "What?! Eight o'clock?" I push the blankets away and try to get out of bed…

"Waaaaa!"

In my haste I fall and landed on my seat. "Baka," I chide myself as I crawl groaning across my room to my dresser. I pull the draw and it comes out too quick.

"Owww!" I cry as it hits me in the face. I reach over and grab two white ribbons and with them tie my dark blue hair into two. "Stupid!" I say again. "Why are you always late?" I pull my uniform on and try to pull my skirt further down my thighs. No use. I growl and quickly wash my face.

"Inkunata!" a quieter voice calls. "We're leaving!"

"Iie!" I yell. "No! I'm coming!"

"Inkunata!" the first voice says. "We're going to miss our train if we wait!"

"Hey! That's my train too!" I whine.

"Inkunata!" Father's voice booms. "Let your sisters go. You will have to catch the next bus and be half an hour late."

"No Father! That's not fair!"

"Stop whining! It's your fault for being late."

I hear the front door close.

"Oooohhhh nnnooooo!"

I stuff all my books in my bag and start to go into the hall…

Oops! My history book! I run back into my room, grab it, then run downstairs. I grab the juice from the table, spill half of it while trying to drink it, before handing it to my very annoyed father and run out the door.

"Sore dewaFather!"

"You're going to get expelled!" he yells after me. "And that skirt is too short!" But I have no time for lectures.

My name is Hyuuga Inkunata. I have two sisters, Hinata and Hanabi. Hinata has classes in the block where they teach martial arts, and Hanabi just started going there, too. I find learning to fight a waste of time, so I stick to normal classes. We all go to a private school, because Father is afraid I will hang out with 'lazy, rebellious girls who will be bad influences' on me. Phhaaa!

I reach the train station and my heart sinks. I need to wait another twenty minutes for the next train!

"Iie!" I yell, and everyone stares. I don't notice. "Why am I always late? I do my homework and sleep early…but I never wake up and I don't even have a boyfriend or anything!" I stop and look around. People look at me with weird expressions and I blush. Oh no. Again I'm making a fool of myself! "G-Gomennasai," I say. "Sorry."

I walk over to the bench and slump. This wasn't going to be good. I really could get expelled if I kept being late.

Twenty sllloooooowwww minutes went by. I can't remember how many times I call myself stupid.

I sigh, close my eyes and stretch out my legs. Just as I was about to cross my ankles…

"I was about to trip over your legs."

My eyes flew open and I almost start to gush about how cute he is. It was a young guy, maybe a year or two older than me, with the most adorable face I had ever seen…his hair was navy and spiked up, with two bangs on either side of his face. His skin was pale but looked soft and smooth, and the strangest part was, he wore the same uniform as I - which meant we went to the same school! I can't speak, much to my embarrassment. My cheeks turn red and my eyes are wide. I pull my legs back under the bench without taking my eyes away from him. His expression did not change! He was serious, annoyed, bored, I'm not sure…but he definitely scares me and intrigues me at the same time.

"Maybe," he begins. He keeps his hands in his pockets and doesn't move. "You should be more attentive to the people around you and stop being careless." Ouch! Why is he so harsh?

"Gomennasai," I almost whisper. "I didn't mean to."

"Hn."

The train arrives and he turns only his head to look at it. I watch him. He looks back at me and I blush again. He waits."Well?"

"Huh?" I ask.

He sighs as if he has just made a long speech and I had asked him to repeat it. "Are you going on?"

I nod rapidly - a little TOO rapidly. I grab my bag and stand. "Hai."

He grunts again and I walk towards the train and he follows. My face is hot because I can feel his eyes on me as I climb on. I sit down and I am happy . He's sitting next to me!

"I'm Inkunata," I say. He is silent. "What's your name?"

It takes him a while, but he finally replies, "Uchiha Sasuke." Uchiha? I had heard Father talk to Mother about that family. Now I wish I had listened in.

We get off the train and board our school bus at the next station. I am surprised he sits next to me again. Why isn't he with his friends? Then I remember. He is probably late, too, and his friends weren't.

"Are you late?" I ask.

He is staring straight ahead. I think he hasn't heard my question.

"Are y-"

"I heard you the first time."

Hmm. I am starting to get annoyed now. Why is he so anti-social? I wonder. I'm becoming more comfortable around him now, but I'm still nervous.

"Well?"

He turns to look at me and I feel myself go red again. "Obviously."

"Did you sleep in?"

Another pause.

"I don't 'sleep in'."

"Then what was it?"

He grunts. "I was training late last night."

"For what?"

"Martial arts."

"Oh, is that what you do?" I say. "So, what happened?"

"So I was too tired and woke up late."

"So you slept in."

He grunts, more angrily now. "No, I-"

"That's sleeping in."

"It's not the same."

"Arrreee yooouuuu suuuurrreee?" I drag. He stares at me. It doesn't scare me anymore, but he is so adorable when he is annoyed.

"You act like a child."

A CHILD?

"WHAT?"

"And you have a childish voice, too," he adds, and I think I see a smirk.

"I DO NOT!" I say loudly, and everyone stares again. "I-"

He covers my mouth and I struggle to get him off. He leans close and I can feel his breath on my face. "Damaru, or I will have to hold your mouth shut all the way." He lets go.

"Don't YOU tell ME to shut up-"

He covers my mouth again and I try to pull away, but he is strong. I can't bite him, so I stick my tongue out and lick his hand. His eyes are wide and he pulls away, staring at his moist hand in horror. He is SOOO kawaii when he shows emotion!! I smirk and blush. I wonder who saw me do that?

"You're so immature!" he cries, and now everyone stares at him.

The train stops at the school and I giggle as he wipes his hand desperately on his pant leg and tries to compose himself while standing proudly. I watch in amusement. He is so kawaii, I think to myself. So cute… He's also so arrogant and I HATE him! Then I pause as he steps off the train. But I like him so much, too… I watch him stalk off in awe. He acts so superior and perfect, but he seems…I try to put my finger on it, but I don't know what it is in his eyes. Sadness, maybe?

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I rush into the classroom, out of breath. The teacher glares and the classroom stares. (Hey that rhymes!) I blush a deep red and slink quickly down the aisle and sit in my desk.

"Ohayō gozaimasu,Inkunata-san," the teacher says through clenched teeth. Some of the boys in my class make 'ooh's and girls snicker in amusement. I am so embarrassed.

"G-Good morning," I manage, and the teacher grunts.

"See me after class, Inkunata-san," he says, turning to resume teaching on the blackboard.

I can feel everyone looking and talking about me while I try to sink into the floor.

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"Inkunata-san."

My escape plan fails. I sheepishly turn from the doorway and walk to my teacher, gazing down at the floor.

"I will be blunt. This is the sixth time you've been late this month. What's your excuse this time?"

I say nothing. I have no excuse. Mr. Teacher sighs.

"I am giving you one more warning. If you are late again - to ANY class this month, I am sending you to the martial arts complex."

THE MARTIAL ARTS BLOCK?! And yes, I do say that out loud.

"THE MARTIAL ARTS BLOCK?!" I cry.

"Yes, Inkunata-san."

No! I am thinking. I can't go there! All my friends are here! I will never see them again!

I am almost hyperventilating. I can't go to a martial arts class block. I will die! I will do difficult and strenuous exercises which will make me red and sweaty and I won't be allowed to get out of it like I would gym class! Iie! School stinks!! WAAAAA!!

"Did you hear me?" he asks. I awake from my nightmare…or day-mare, whatever.

"Yes."

"Good. You can go."

So I leave the classroom with my head down. I will be thrown out of this block sometime this week. I can just picture it. No way I will make it to school on time every day of this month.

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"Inkunata! Wake up!"

With the usual screaming and whining routine I get up the next Monday morning and manage to get to breakfast on time. Snatching my breakfast - pudding - I dodge my father's criticism of my uniform and follow Hinata and Hanabi to the train station.

I am pissed off for the seventh day in a row when I reach the stupid station. No Uchiha Sasuke! Yes, I still remember his name. I wish he had slept in again, but no. I shouldn't have made fun of him last Monday. Baka, I scold myself.

"Wait!" I say to my sisters. "It's too early to get on! And it gets so stuffy in therrreeee…"

"Stop whining, Inkunata," Hanabi rolls her eyes. Hinata offers a smile. She's my favourite sister.

"Come on, Inkunata. We need to find good seats."

"You find good seats. I want to sit here for a while and breathe air while I can."

They nod and get on the train. I sit for a while, and then after a few minutes I think I see someone familiar running this way. It's Sasuke!

I am filled with excitement. He is soooo cute! I think. He is close enough to hear me now.

"Sasuke-kun!" I yell. He stares at me like I'm from another planet and points to the train. I'm confused.

"Huh?"

"The train! The train, stupid!"

I gasp and look at the train. The doors close and Sasuke has given up running.

"Iie!" I whine, stamping my feet. I slump in the same bench and forget all about Sasuke for a second, despite the fact I had missed the train for him. Tears come to my eyes and I try to hold them back. I would have to start a new school, with new friends, and to learn something I'll hate. Why do I always have to be so stupid?

Just then he grabs my wrist violently and, with apparently no effort at all, pulls me up to face him. I stare in his face with terror. I had never been grabbed like that before, and it startled me. And it hurts. He tightens his grip with each word he spoke through clenched teeth.

"What's wrong with you?" he demands. "Why'd you miss the train like that? You were waiting right there!"

I begin to cry. I think he didn't expect it, because he lets me go and I can bury my face in my hands. I hear him sigh. "Come on. Don't cry like a child. It didn't hurt that much."

I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.

"I have to move now!" I yell at him, taking my hands from my face and stretching them down near my sides in fists. "From my block! I have to learn in the…m-martial arts…ahhhhh!" I scream into my hands again, and not only is he staring at me, everyone else is, too.

"Stop it. It's not the end of the world."

I continue to cry. He grabs my wrists again and looks me in the eyes. I want to kiss him. But I don't dare lay a finger on him by my own will.

"Stop it," he growls. "You're making a scene."

I had heard those words so many times. I wipe my eyes and look at him, waiting for a solution. He looks confused now. "What?"

"Well, you seem to know everything, right? What do I do?"

"What do you intend to do?"

"You tell me what I should do!"

"Me? I'm not in charge of your life!"

"Arrreee yooouuuu suuuurrreee?"

He growls in exasperation. "You were better when you were crying." While he says this, I reach into my bag and pull out my breakfast. He stares at me while I eat my pudding and I look expectantly back at him.

"You're horrible. Beyond my level of toleration."

I decide to make happy comments. "Does that mean we're friends?" He growls and sits beside me, staring at the railroad. He didn't say no.

I dirty my tie. "Oh noooo…"

He looks at me, notices my clumsiness and chuckles. He chuckles!

"What are you going to do now, Pudding?"

"It's not funny!" Then I stare. "Pudding?"

"Pudding. Head in the clouds."

"Hey stop it!"

He shakes his head. "You're such a child."

I look at my shoes and look at him and stick my cup-shaped plate right under his nose. "Do you like pudding?" He crinkles his nose and pushes it away.

"I'll pass," he says.

"I don't know anything about fighting," I sigh.

"It's not fighting, it's-"

"Whatever it is, I don't know it. And I'm going to stink at it."

"You'll live."

I scowl at him and he stands up in front of me and bends down. He flicks me under the nose and I clamp my hands over my face. "Ow! Stop that!"

"Don't cry, Pudding."

The train arrives and I cringe softly as we board.

And there it is! The childish shy-loud cross of Ino, Hinata and Sakura! Tell me what you think! PLEEEEAAAASSSEEEE? Arigatou… )