On the Surface

Chapter One:

*Pilot*

I sit on the creaky bed and stare out the dirty window. Someone should really clean it, and I know that it will probably be me. Ino Yamanaka, my best friend and dorm roommate, is out for the day. She has a new boyfriend, and it's taking up most of her time. I feel a little lonely, because she's my only true friend. We used to spend all of our time together, cooking meals and almost burning down the house, talking about boys and how annoying they were, and sometimes getting drunk as hell. The works.

I guess she won't be talking about annoying boys anymore, huh?

I groan and place my elbows on my legs and my head in my hands. I think of the voice in my head as my conscience or my inner self. She's a bit more dramatic than I am, but I guess that's the part of me that needs to let off steam sometimes. My conscience helps me through tough situations and whatnot, but I think of her as my gut feeling. She usually knows what the right thing to do is, and I try to listen.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and check for missed calls or texts. There aren't any. Feeling desperate for something to do, I stand and walk over to my laptop and check my emails. Nothing new. There was nothing in the mail, besides a bill for my graduation cap and gown, but I'm not going to graduate with my degree for another three months, so I've got some time to procrastinate.

It figures, though, that the only thing I receive from the outside world is a letter from someone who wants my money. I pull out my phone again and look through my contacts. Maybe there's someone I can call to get myself out of this hole of desolation.

I find Hinata, my shy friend from the first semester, and think about calling her. I know she doesn't mind my company, but I have no idea what she's been up to; we haven't spoken in about five months. I set that idea aside and move on down the contacts list. I only find one other person that I wouldn't mind calling, and it's Lee. We grew up together, spent preschool through high school together as friends, and even kept in touch throughout first two semesters at separate colleges. It's been way too long since I've called him, and I settle. He certainly won't mind hearing from me. This I'm sure of.

I hit send and press the phone to my ear. It rings five times before I get the voice mailbox. I sigh and listen through my old friend's familiar voice for the beep.

"Hello. This is Lee. Sorry, I can't get to my phone right now. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you when I can." The beep sounds and I begin my message.

"Hi, Lee. It's Sakura. I know, right. You're so surprised to hear from me? Well, I was recently thinking about the past, and I decided that we need to see each other again. I miss your company, and we should really keep in touch. Call me back when you get this. Okay, thanks. Bye."

I hang up and slouch into one of the small chairs next to the round table in the dorm's makeshift kitchen. Boy, do I hate leaving messages. My mother used to tell me that I sound like a man on the phone, and when I didn't, it sounded like I was in pain. Sometimes, she said I sounded like both.

I stand up and walk over to the refrigerator, opening the door and searching for some food. I find an almost empty carton of milk, a half a stick of butter, a few slices of American cheese, and a half-full container of sour cream. I run a hand through my long hair and scrunch my nose in distaste. I walk over to the lone couch that seats three in front of the small box-television and grab the remote out of the crease in the couch where two pillows meet the arm. I then turn on the television.

It's all static at first, as usual. I think the entire building just has horrible reception. But soon enough, the static clears and I'm looking at the news channel, going over the weather for the next few days. I scan it quickly and see a lot of sunshine and a little bit of rain later on. I'm not interested by the weather at the moment, though, so I change the channel. More static, and then I'm on another news station. The news lady is wearing a red cocktail dress and her shady blonde hair is in an artfully messy up-do. It looks like she used chopsticks to put it up. I groan again. My straight pink hair wouldn't stand a chance.

I admire her beauty for a split second more before changing the channel. When the static clears, I'm looking at something familiar. It's the oh-so-dazzling face of Sasuke Uchiha, well-known billionaire and successful self-employed businessman. He's doing some sort of interview, and it's live.

Ino and I used to drool over him every day when we ate our usual ramen-in-a-cup dinners. I would boil the water, and she would search the television for his glorious face. He was always on, so we never had trouble finding him on the news or a talk show. He is the "face of the future", as everyone called him on T.V.—twenty-five years old and probably the richest man on the planet. He's as successful as a person can get.

Just seeing him makes me miss my best friend, though. Ino used to say that she was going to find him and make him fall in love with her. I never doubted her when she said that. She was stunning. She was a perfect match for the gorgeous billionaire. Her hair was naturally blonde, straight, and glossy as hell. She had hair that female models would die for, and she didn't even have to try. One flick of her head and her shiny hair lit up an entire room. Also, she knew her stuff when it came to makeup. I thought she was pretty without makeup, but when she put it on, her eyelashes grew an inch, her eyes sparkled like the sun, her cheeks flushed, and her full lips attracted every man that could see them. There wasn't an ounce of doubt in my mind that Sasuke Uchiha would fall in love with her if he ever laid his beautiful dark eyes her.

I glance back at the television screen. The handsome man is currently in Paris, in some meeting with an allied company. I sigh. What it would be like to live a life like that… To have everyone give you what you want and kiss the floor at your feet. Inside, the idea is nice, but I can assume that he's a stuck-up bastard.

You can say that again. All that money probably went to his head long ago.

No matter, I enjoy watching him from the confines of my apartment. He's certainly a sight for sore eyes, and I don't have to feel like I'm doing something wrong by just looking at him on T.V. Here, by myself, I can imagine that he's a caring, compassionate guy that actually gives a damn about the people around him. And it's a nice feeling.

Don't fool yourself, Sakura. He's just like the rest of them.

That's not really the point, so I ignore my inner self and take a deep breath, enjoying the sound of the television and the static as I close my eyes. I lean down and place my head on a pillow. It's about as comfortable as a cardboard box, but I find myself drifting to sleep anyway, dreaming of used-to-be fun times with my best friend.

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I wake up and look around. The first thing I notice is that the television is off. I sit up straight, yawn, stretch, and rub my eyes until I feel awake. The sun is out, so I don't know how long I've been napping. I stand and yawn again, making my way to the bedroom. Ino is fast asleep under the covers, breathing lightly. I assume that she came home late and turned off the television for me. I turn back around.

And gasp. Holy shit!

There's a man bending down in front of the refrigerator, scanning the contents, facing away from me. From the look of it, I think I can see a slice of American cheese in his mouth. He turns when he hears me gasp, looking like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"Hi," he mumbles through the slice of cheese. The first things I notice are his gorgeous blonde hair and the amazing bright blue of his wide eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" I make sure to make my voice loud enough so that Ino will hear, and hopefully wake up.

"Me?" he asks, pointing a finger at his wild, spikey blonde hair. No, stupid. I mean the other person rummaging through my refrigerator. "I'm Naruto. Who are you?"

"Naruto… Uzumaki?" I ask, feeling like the stupid one. "You mean Ino's boyfriend? That Naruto?"

"That's me," he says jokingly, standing up and closing the refrigerator door as he faces me. He swallows the slice of cheese and gulps it down without chewing it. I mentally reel with disgust. "Sorry. I didn't know you were awake. I didn't mean to scare you… Ino told me she had a roommate," he adds apologetically.

"Sakura Haruno," I say, trying to be polite. I hold out my hand and he takes it.

"Hi, Sakura," he smiles.

His hand isn't large, but his grip is powerful. I get a good look at the decent-sized muscles that go up his arms and agreeably cover his whole body. It's no wonder Ino thinks she's fallen in love. Her boyfriend looks like a male model.

Our handshake ends and I can feel an awkward moment of silence coming, so I make up something to say so I don't feel uncomfortable.

"Ino spends a lot of her time with you." I know it's a stupid thing to say, but it's all I can think of.

"Yeah, I'm crazy about her," Naruto mutters shyly, his face flushing pink.

Well, that's good news. I don't want anyone hurting my best friend. Not on my watch.

"I think she feels the same way," I add. I'm starting to feel like I should have gone with the awkward silence at this point.

Naruto smiles at me, but I think he feels the same discomfort that I do right now.

Stop butting into other people's business. How would you feel if Ino started talking to your boyfriend about your relationship with him?

I roll my eyes at my conscience. I've never had a boyfriend, I mentally bark at her, so how would I know?

"Hey," Naruto says suddenly, looking over my shoulder. I can guess what he's looking at by the way his face lights up and a wide, bashful grin appears on his face. He shoulders past me rudely to get to her, but I can't blame him "Morning, beautiful," I hear him say, and Ino giggles sleepily, rubbing her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

I turn around and force myself not to hold my breath. Ino is in a baggy gray sweatshirt that barely covers the bottom of her butt. I can see her pink Victoria's Secret panties underneath. Her sleeves cover up her fingertips by a few inches. I mentally scowl. She's never worn such things to bed before. She must be trying to impress him.

Or worse.

"How did you sleep?" Naruto asks politely, and I feel like I'm watching something that I shouldn't be. Ino mumbles her answer as she stretches up on her toes to kiss him on the lips.

Oh, God. Get out of here while you still can.

I take my own advice and make my way back to the couch. I grab the remote and turn on the television. It isn't long before I see Ino dragging her blonde boyfriend of almost two weeks into the bedroom. I turn up the volume on the T.V. and try to fall asleep.

Yeah, right. You won't be able to fall asleep when you know what they're doing in there, my inner voice shouts at me, purposefully trying to keep me awake. I cover my ears and roll onto my front, stuffing my face into the cardboard pillow and stifling a groan. I listen to the television as best I can with my face in the pillow and drift into some level of unconsciousness.

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I wake up again feeling groggy. It was never a good idea for me to sleep right after a long nap, but I didn't really have another choice at the time. I sit up and rub my eyes again. I stand and walk over to the kitchen area. Remembering that there isn't any food in it, I sigh and turn back around. The door to Ino and my shared bedroom is still closed, but I don't hear anything. I hope that they're asleep or playing a game of cards. It's my bedroom, too.

Like Ino was thinking about whose room it is when she took Naruto in there. Yeah, right. You're too innocent, sometimes.

I roll my eyes and look down at myself. I'm in light blue jeans with a large rip on each of the knees, and the tan t-shirt that I slept in. I look acceptable. It's not like I plan to go to a party or anything. I just want to go to the deli down the road to get some food to fill the fridge. I don't like not having food in the apartment, and ramen cups are getting old.

"Sakura, where are you going?"

I turn around as I'm reaching for the keys. Ino is poking her head out of the bedroom door and glancing at me. I can't read her expression.

"I was going to go down to the deli to get some food," I reply, motioning to the refrigerator.

"Oh, well, Naruto and I wanted to go get something to eat. Since you're going to the deli anyway, do you mind waiting for us so we can come with you?"

I shrug and toss my keys onto the counter, giving her my answer. I hope she can read my impatient expression.

"Thanks so much," she says with a perfectly straight, white-teethed smile. Her lips are red and shiny even without gloss or lipstick. I wonder what else could make them so red before realizing my thought process and quickly thinking about food again. "We'll be right out." Then she closes the door again.

I stand in front of the exit for about ten minutes before the bedroom door opens again. Ino and Naruto step out, hands clasped together, and Ino smiles at me. She looks so happy.

"Thanks for waiting. We're ready to go now," she says, hugging one of Naruto's arms. I force a smile and turn back to the door, keys in hand.

What a pest. Ten freaking minutes and she said they'd be right out… Ugh!

We make our way to the deli, and I think I'm the only one who feels awkward. I'm the third wheel, and I can feel it pushing down on me like a lead weight. I'm walking ahead of them, by about five feet. I can hear them giggling and laughing behind me, and I know they aren't laughing at me, but I can feel my face heating up. My self-consciousness is kicking in, big time.

You know Ino just asked you to come to be polite. And because you were already on your way out. They just want to be alone, you know.

I know. Of course I do, but I still have to get food for the refrigerator. I have to go to the deli, and they're going there, too. It's inevitable. Maybe I can leave them there when I'm finished shopping so I don't have to deal with them on the walk back to the apartment.

Third wheel, my conscience taunts me as we arrive at the end of the block and enter the deli on the corner.

It's always been a nice place, despite its small size. The tall shelves are close together, leaving room for a single-file line between each one. The meat section is all the way in the back, and the counters are in the front, so Ino and Naruto walk past me, still holding hands. They head to the ordering counter and I make my way to the back of the deli. I order pork, chicken, and slices of provolone cheese and turkey, and take my bag from the man. It's about ten pounds, and I suddenly wish that the walk back wasn't so long.

I get back to the front of the deli and there's a scene at one of the counters. I notice Naruto's unruly blonde spikes above the short line and push my way forward. When I break through the small crowd, Ino is hurriedly reaching into her small Coach purse, desperation written all over her face.

"What's the matter?" I ask, placing my hand on her shoulder. She looks up at me and smiles politely.

"Sorry," Naruto says sheepishly, but he's not talking to me.

"What is it?" I ask Ino again, a bit more forceful this time. I want an answer. I can hear the annoyance from the line behind us. Not to mention the young woman behind the counter.

"I don't have any money on me," Ino whines, "And they don't take a credit card unless you spend over twenty dollars. Our bill only came out to seven."

I raise an eyebrow at Naruto. I'm a bit appalled. Isn't the man supposed to pay for the woman's lunch?

"Naruto only has credit cards, too," Ino says stiffly, obviously desiring to stick up for him against my glare, "And one hundred dollar bills. And they said they don't have change for that."

My eyes widen. What kind of a guy only carries around credit cards and hundred dollar bills in his wallet?

"Here," I say, embarrassed, and I quickly slide a ten onto the counter. I can almost feel the waves of relief from the line behind me and the woman behind the counter.

"Oh, thank you so much, Sakura," Ino says gratefully, and I notice a bead of sweat on her forehead. I lift a curious eyebrow. Ino never sweats when she's nervous. I wonder if Naruto being here made her this anxious. Jeez. I wonder how much she really cares about him. That's got to be a scary feeling after knowing him for only a week or two.

How would you know? My inner self snaps heatedly. She's been bugging me to get into a relationship for a while. I'm not planning on listening to her about that, though. Relationships just aren't my thing. That's become quite obvious after living through college and only having perverts and old men hit on me. I'm just not cut out for it, I guess. Hot guys tend to ignore my existence.

We finish up in the deli, and I pay for the food. On the walk back, it's a little better than the previous walk, but I still feel like the unwanted third wheel. I walk next to Ino this time, instead of in front of the happy couple, and I'm even forced to participate in their conversation. I think it's only to be nice, considering that I paid for their lunches.

"So, you've got a lot of money?" Ino asks, and my jaw drops. Wow, she's straightforward.

Naruto lifts an eyebrow and shrugs. "I guess so," he replies.

"Well, you carry around large bills like that, so I just assumed that you were wealthy."

He shrugs again. "You could say that."

Ino obviously wasn't getting the message that Naruto was uncomfortable talking about his money. I wonder why.

"You should always carry around smaller bills," Ino continues, and I roll my eyes when I know she isn't looking. Then a sharp ringing noise cuts through a split second of quiet.

"Oh—I'm sorry," Naruto says suddenly, fishing his phone from his pocket. He opens it and puts it to his ear. "Hello?"

He listens for what seems like almost a minute. I can hear a voice on the other line, but it's too quiet for me to make out any words or tones. I glance at Ino, and her expression shows that she's in the same boat as me. Clueless.

"Do you need me to call someone?" Naruto asks, and then another period of silence follows. Ino and I swap glances once more. "I can have him send it to Paris right away if you—" Naruto is cut off, and the voice on the other line gets a little louder. I look over at Ino again, but she just shrugs. We're still clueless.

Naruto nods once, but doesn't say anything. Another moment of silence. It's getting awkward. His expression doesn't even change as he listens.

"No, don't be sorry," Naruto says, suddenly sympathetic. "Really, it's fine. I don't mind at all… No problem… If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call. You know I don't mind helping you out… Yeah… Sure… Of course… Okay. I'll call you later and give you an update…. Bye."

"Who was that?" Ino bursts out as soon as Naruto closes his phone and puts it back in his pocket. Doesn't she know not to be so intrusive?

"Just a friend," Naruto says nonchalantly.

"Is everything okay?" she asks him worriedly, "It sounded like there was some kind of trouble."

"Oh, he's fine," Naruto says with a light smile. It's not convincing. "He left for Paris last night for something involving work, and he forgot something here that he needed. He asked me to have it delivered before Saturday." He let out a heartwarming laugh. "He overreacts sometimes. He thinks the sky is falling every time it rains, if you know what I mean."

Ino laughs at the joke, but I don't see how it's funny. My mouth stays shut, but I can feel something probing in the back of my mind. Something is bugging me, but I can't quite place my finger on it. But then it hits me.

"Paris?!" both I and my conscience shout at the same time. Naruto and Ino both look at me like I have ten heads, so I continue. "What's your friend's name?" I ask him steadily.

Naruto eyes me for a second before answering hesitantly. "…Sasuke… Uchiha." My jaw hits the sidewalk.

Holy shit.

"What?!" Ino shouts at the top of her lungs. "You mean to tell me that Sasuke Uchiha calls you when he needs something? The richest guy on the planet asks you for help when he needs it?"

"Y...Yeah," Naruto stammers. He's obviously hesitant about giving up such information. "We grew up together. We've been friends for a long time…" He trails off, probably scared by Ino's and my expressions. Ino is in awe of her boyfriend and I'm just plain shocked.

"No wonder you have so much money!" Ino says, as if a revelation just hit her. She's anything but subtle, and I flush. I'm embarrassed by her sometimes.

"He doesn't pay me," Naruto says quickly, "If that's what you mean. I worked hard to get where I am. Sure, he helped me a little, but he never gave me any money. Now, we're also business partners, in a way."

"How come you don't get as much publicity?" Ino asks, crushing herself to his side with affection. I try not to stare. "You're much cuter. Why have I never seen you on television?" She smirks and nuzzles into his bicep. I manage to look away this time.

Yeah, right, Ino. Little does Naruto know how many hours you and I spent in front of the television, drooling over the sexy billionaire and coming up with a bunch of crazy things that we'd do to him if we were ever given the chance. You're not talking whips and chains now, are you, honey?

"I never really liked the spotlight," Naruto responds shyly, and I guess that he approved of Ino's change of subject. I could tell that the famous multibillionaire wasn't a common conversation topic for the blonde man.

Oh, admit it. You're curious about Sasuke Uchiha, too!

Of course I was curious, but I didn't want to butt into Naruto's business. And besides, it wasn't like Sasuke Uchiha was a topic I wanted to discuss with him. What did it matter to me? I just saw him on television, probably like everyone else in the world has, and daydreamed about him with Ino. It wasn't like no one had ever done that before. He was gorgeous, so girls probably fantasized about him all the time. It was kind of cool that my friend was going out with his friend, but what were the connections, really? I was getting excited over something that never happened.

But if Ino and Naruto stay together, and Naruto is long-term friends with Sasuke Uchiha, then you're bound to meet him sometime, right?

And the idea of meeting the wealthy "face of the future" made my insides knot in a nervous bunch. What would I say to a guy like him? He wouldn't be interested in someone as boring as me.

My thoughts were running away with me, and I noticed that I had fallen behind the happy couple. I picked up my pace to catch up to them again, but I remained a few steps behind. They were having a moment, looking into each other's eyes with love and care. But what did I know about such things? I look away as Naruto leans down to kiss my blonde, glossy-haired best friend on the mouth. I hear her giggle and look up to find her holding him tightly, both her arms wrapped around his fine-looking frame.

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We get back to the apartment and, after they have their late lunch, Ino and Naruto say their goodbyes at the door. I put away the food I bought from the deli so I'm not in their way. The food should last Ino and I about a week or so. I really need to get a part-time job. I'm running out of money. Again.

"Love you," I hear Naruto whisper, and then Ino closes the door.

As soon as it shuts, she whips around to face me, a look of serene pleasure on her face. She presses her back against the door and slides to the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs and smiling like she just had the best day of her entire life.

"Isn't he so amazing?" she asks me, and I look over at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know, Ino. Isn't it a little early for him to be saying that he loves you? I'd be careful." I finish putting everything away and close the refrigerator door, turning to her and giving her my full attention. Her expression has changed dramatically, and she now looks at me with displeasure on her face.

"Sakura, don't be such a sour patch girl!" she shouts at me, and my one eyebrow rises higher at her attempted insult. "I think it's wonderful that he loves me so early in our relationship. I mean, who wants a guy who's undecided for the first year, and then decides that he's not interested? Now that's a way to break a girl's heart!" She pauses, her serene expression returning. "I think I love him, too, Sakura," she says dreamily, rocking herself back and forth happily.

"Oh, Ino, don't sit on the floor," I say, turning and heading for the bedroom. The first thought that crosses my mind as I turn isn't a pleasant one. I look back to her. "You didn't sleep with him on my bed, did you?" I ask. And I hate to do it, but I've got to know before I lay down on the creaky mattress.

She looks at me as if I just destroyed her perfect day. "Sakura Haruno! You really know how to ruin my good mood. And, no, I didn't sleep with him on your bed! We didn't even go near your bed, billboard-brow! Who the hell do you think I am?"

She's not denying that she slept with him.

My conscience always has to add something that I don't want to hear. But what the hell do I care? Why put effort into caring about something that I don't give a damn about? Ino is my best friend, and I'm making her upset. And what for? Because you're jealous, my inner voice snaps. You've spent the last year and a half with this amazingly beautiful girl, and all the boys that she brings home, and all the attention she gets when you would go out to a bar or a party. Just face it, you're jealous of her because she gets more dick than you.

Oh, shut up. I don't care about that.

I'm so angry at myself as I walk back to the bedroom and curl up under my sheets. I just pissed off my best friend after she had a wonderful day with a man she says that she's in love with. I feel like crap. I shouldn't have said those things to her. I'm such a horrible friend.

And with that thought, I drift off; back to sleep for the third time that day.

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I wake up and bolt upright. What time is it? Do I have class?

I uncomfortably find my phone in my pocket and pull it out, feeling where it indented into my skin while I was asleep. I sigh with relief when I see that it's Friday. I don't have any classes on Friday. I feel like going back to bed, but I force myself to get up and wander into the kitchen area.

I find Ino asleep on the couch. The television is on, but the volume is off. Jeez. She must have been so mad at me that she didn't even want to sleep in the same room. Already knowing that I'm not going to find anything, I open the refrigerator door and search for breakfast. I close it when I'm satisfied that my intuition and memory had been correct. I only bought food for lunch and dinner at the deli.

A beeping sound makes me jump, and I turn toward Ino, expecting her to be awake and quickly coming up with an apology. But she's still lightly breathing, fast asleep. I notice that the beep came from her phone, on the coffee table between the couch and the television. I walk over and pick it up.

It's Naruto. What a surprise. I open the text.

'Hey, baby. How did you sleep?' it reads. I set it back down on the table and walk away. I shouldn't be looking at her messages. But my naturally curious behavior got the better of me, as it usually does.

Curious? You're just nosy.

I mentally roll my eyes at my mind's response to my inappropriate snooping in Ino's business. Whatever reason it was, I promise myself that I won't do it again.

I realize that it's a Friday, and I have absolutely nothing to do for the entire day. In fact, I have nothing planned for the entire weekend. Lee hasn't called me back yet, either. I hope he wasn't ignoring me because we haven't spoken in so long. But nevertheless, I'm bored, and I know that I'll be bored for the entire weekend, too, if I don't find something to do.

But Ino is always who I went to with my constant boredom. And now she's mad at me. I decide that I'll apologize to her once she wakes up.

"Sakura?"

I look up from my studying. Ino is in the doorway to our shared bedroom. Her face is unreadable, but I notice that she's clutching her cell phone in her left hand. I assume that she's been texting with Naruto.

"Ino," I begin, uncrossing my legs and placing them on the hardwood floor off the side of my bed. This is it, my dramatic apology. I've been preparing for this. But she holds up a hand to silence me before I have the chance to say a word.

"I'd like to go out tonight," she says, and I tilt my head to one side. "We should drink. A lot."

"Ino, what's wrong?" I ask, and she holds up her phone. My mouth opens in shock. "He didn't…" I say threateningly. "What did he say to you, Ino?"

"We were just texting back and forth…" I can see tears welling in her eyes. I feel like punching Naruto, and I don't even know what he did. "I told him how I felt, and he said that he… he said he needs some space." The tears start to flow down her face and I raise my eyebrows.

"Ino. I told you already, it's only been two weeks." I pause, trying not to remind her of yesterday. "What did you tell him, Ino? You can't tell a guy that you're desperately in love with him after only two weeks."

"I rushed things, I know!" she sobs, and I stand. I walk over to her and embrace her. She hugs me back and her tears soak through my shirt and hit the skin on my shoulder. "I've just never felt like this about a guy before, Sakura! I've never cared about someone like this before, and I don't know what to do. I'm so afraid of losing him, and I think he's gone forever!"

Boy, does she have it bad.

I feel for her, but I can't help but agree with my own point of view on the situation. She barely knows Naruto, and he barely knows her. Even if she did feel so strongly towards him, she should have never told him. She should have waited until he gave her some idea that he felt the same way.

But he did say that he loved her yesterday, and he texted her this morning, asking how she slept. Doesn't that mean something?

"Ino, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you should just give him some space for now, and he'll come around. He obviously cares about you. Even I can see that."

"That's not the problem!" she cries, shoving away from me. I stumble back and look at her in surprise. "I told him to leave me alone!" After she says that, she bursts into a fit of sobs and cries again. "I was so afraid that he'd hurt me, and I shoved him away! I was rushing things, and we both noticed it, and I got scared... I didn't know what I was doing."

"Just call him and tell him that you're sorry," I offer, but she scowls at me.

"I just told the man I love how I feel," she cries, "and he said he needs some space. So, then I told him that he can pretty much go to hell. How the fuck am I supposed to tell him that I'm sorry after all that?!"

I wanted to ask her why she told him to go to hell, in so many words, but I didn't want her to cry anymore. Instead, I took a different approach.

"I don't think that getting drunk is going to solve your problem."

"I don't want to solve my problem! I just want to forget about all this! I want to forget about Naruto! I just want to get over him!"

She runs out of the bedroom and I follow her. She flops down on the couch, face-down, and continues to cry. I walk to her side and place a hand on her back. She doesn't seem to notice, but I keep it there anyway.

I've never seen her like this before. I've seen her bring home all sorts of boys to spend the night with, but she always told them off and got over them in a split second. No one had ever had an effect like this on my best friend. I always thought that she was immune to being in love, but I can see that I was wrong. I wonder if Naruto is really the guy for her.

"Okay," I say, my voice soothing but determined, "Come on, Ino. Let's go get drunk."

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"What the fuck is that?!" Ino calls out, and then bursts out laughing. I look over at where her less than subtle finger is pointing and find that she's looking at a man that just walked into the bar. His hair is shaved on both sides of his head, and he has a row of two-foot long green spikes down the middle of his head. I can't help it. I burst out laughing, too.

My inner self is quiet. She never has anything to say once I start pouring down the booze. My tumbler is filled to the rim with scotch and ice once more, and I tip the bartender. Again. I don't remember how much I gave him so far, but I can tell that he's taking advantage of my drunken state. He just loves to keep shoving alcohol in my face.

"I don't know why I even went out with that dickhead," Ino says to me, turning around on her stool and downing another Sambuca. According to her, it's a lady's shot. I usually try to avoid the heavy stuff, though. "He's such an ass. Who does he think he is, anyway?! I told him how it was. I liked him and I wanted him to like me back. If that's too much for him, then he can go f—"

"Ino!" I cry, placing my hands over her mouth across the space between us. She almost falls backward, and we both start laughing like a couple of maniacs.

"Really, Sakura," she says, "Did I ever tell you that you're so lucky? I'm jealous of you. Did I ever tell you that? I wish I could be you sometimes." Now this is something I've never heard before, and I'm all ears. "You don't have the drama of dumb boys gathering around you all the time. You don't have to worry about what you look like or what you say to your date when he tries to make a move and you're not interested. You just don't have to deal with men and all their bullshit. You're so lucky, Sakura. I wish I was you right now. Naruto would have never asked me out in the first place."

I know that I've just been insulted, but I can't be mad at her. Not after what happened and how dopey I feel right now. But I hear what could be my conscience, and she's yelling at me to do something about the obvious insult. I ignore her and gulp down my scotch. The bartender walks by to fill my tumbler and I slide him a tip.

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I feel like hell.

Ino and I are back at the apartment and she's busy throwing up in the toilet. My headache is peaking at its worst intensity and I really wish she would give me a few minutes with the toilet, too. I just know that I'm going to throw up. I can feel it in my gut.

What a stupid idea. You know you can't hold alcohol very well. Why did you do that, you moron?

My inner self is back. I sigh.

Ino needed me, and a hangover is the least I could withstand for her. She's my partner in crime, and I'll fight my way through crowds of Narutos and boys like him for her. She deserves better than Naruto if he's going to walk away from her. He doesn't know what he's giving up.

The doorbell rings and I cover my ears, the noise piercing my eardrums like icicles and rusty nails. I'm standing by the window, and I catch a glimpse of a crowd outside, down below near the entrance. They're all huddling around a vehicle that's illegally parked in front of the main door. I'm not a car person, but it looks like something very new and very expensive.

The doorbell rings again and I shout. "I'm coming!" It makes my headache worse, but at least my anger has been dulled. I rub my temples and walk to the door. Before I open it, a fist pounds on the other side, loudly and insistently. Fury filling each and every fiber of my being, I grab the doorknob and swing open the door.

"What the hell do you want?!" I scream, and my conscience screams back as my headache makes the blood pound in my head. It's so painful. But when I see who's standing in front of me, I want to throw up for a whole other list of reasons.

Holy… freaking… fuck.

"Um… Excuse me? …Miss Yamanaka?" he asks. And it's none other than Sasuke Fucking Uchiha, live and in the flesh. I do a double-take. He's in dark blue jeans and a gray t-shirt—something I've never seen him in on television before. And, hot damn, does he look good. His eyes are even darker in person, and his hair is unruly, but it still looks sexy. I realize that I'm staring and I shake my head a little to stop myself.

He takes a step back and looks at the number on the door. He nods once to himself. "Are you Miss Yamanaka?" he asks again, placing the full force of his deep, onyx eyes on me.

Holy fucking shit.

I manage to shake my head.

"Oh… Well, is she available?" he asks. "I'd like to speak with her."

Talk, you moron! My inner voice screams at me.

"She's, umm, throwing up right now." I mentally slap myself as the words slur out of my mouth. The stunningly attractive multibillionaire looks at me like I'm insane, and I would have agreed with him if I had the ability to continue speaking.

"Excuse me?" he asks, obviously not believing what he just heard. And he's so much hotter in person. I would have never believed that he could get hotter than he is on T.V., until now.

"We got drunk," I spit out, and I'm not sure why I'm telling him about one of the poorest decisions of my life. I know it only makes me look even more like a babbling idiot.

"Oh…" he says, and I can tell that he really thinks I'm crazy now. He must. "Can I come in?"

What? Sasuke Uchiha, in my shitty apartment with only three rooms, food that will only last for about five days, extremely dirty windows, and a horrid stench of puke lying stagnant in the air? What do I say to that?

"S-Sure," I stammer. What else could I say? It wasn't like I had the nerve to tell him no. How could I leave the famously gorgeous billionaire out in the hallway of a dorm building for people who couldn't afford an apartment? He looks like a movie star in a dump. And, oh, how realistic that crappy metaphor is. He is a light in the shadows of this bleak building.

"Thank you," he says, taking a step forward. But he stops and his expression is unreadable. What's the matter?

You're in his way, you idiot! Take a hike!

I quickly take a few steps backwards, feeling like I shouldn't put my back to him, just in case I might miss something. An expression on his face, or even a chance to hear him speak again. And to me, of all people. I feel like I'm dreaming.

"Had a rough day?" he asks, looking at me again, and I hope he isn't asking because I look like I just got hit by a garbage truck. I wasn't expecting company, much less him, to come to the door. But I feel like I'm going to come apart at the seams every time he places those deep, dark eyes on me.

"Where is Miss Yamanaka?" he asks, after a period of silence. I can help but notice how polite he's being.

It must be your insanity. He's probably afraid that you'll attack him if he isn't nice.

"In the bathroom," I say, and I flush bright pink when my voice takes on a high note from my conscience's comment. I had a different form of attacking in mind.

Sasuke Uchiha cocks his head to one side in confusion and I quickly point to the door on his left. It's closed, and I don't hear Ino's barfing anymore. Maybe she's feeling better. I'm glad. Maybe now I can get my chance at the toilet. I still feel nauseous and it's not going to go away until I throw up all the alcohol in my system. I'm sure of it. Frankly, I'm surprised I've managed to hold out this long.

"Let me do it," I say quickly, before he can even reach for the doorknob. I just know that my glossy-haired friend will freak out and have a hysteric meltdown if Mr. Hot-and-Sexy-Billionaire-Uchiha walks in on her unexpectedly.

I knock on the door gently with my fist, careful not to make it too loud for my own benefit. "Ino," I say quietly. "Are you okay? Can I come in?" When I don't hear a response, my breathing picks up. I know he's behind me, watching, waiting—patiently, I hope. "Ino, I'm coming in now, okay?"

When I don't hear a response again, I turn the knob and open the door. I can feel the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, so I know that he's right behind me.

It figures that he's here to see Ino and not you, my conscience spits out, and I mentally frown. Well, of course. It isn't like I would ever expect anything different than what's happened all my life. Even if it is Sasuke Billionaire Uchiha. That doesn't change anything.

"Sakura…" Ino says, and she's clutching her stomach on the floor, curled up into a ball. "Ow, it hurts. Can you get me some Tylenol—?" Her words stop short and her mouth opens as she looks over my shoulder. Clearly, I know what she's gaping at. And I must say that it is very unladylike, especially for Ino. She ogles no man, as she likes to tell me sometimes. I relish the moment. Ino, man's best friend, is staring with her mouth open. What a Kodak moment, and I don't even have my phone on me.

Her face gets paler—if that's even possible—and she forces herself to sit up straight. I watch her flatten her hair in an attempt to make herself look presentable. Personally, I think she could have fallen into the toilet and she's still look great. But that's just my biased, best friend point of view. She'd probably kill me if I told her that.

"Oh… wow… Jeez, this is embarrassing," she finally says with a girly giggle. "Can I help you with something, Mr. Uchiha?"

Mr. Uchiha?! What the hell! It's as if she's already getting to know him on a different level. Why didn't you call him that? Oh, that's right. You were too busy being an idiot and giving him the impression that you need a trip to the nuthouse.

I tell my conscience to be quiet for once in my life.

Sasuke Uchiha walks right by me to Ino, brushing my shoulder as he passes. My breath hitches in my throat at the contact and I make a gagging noise. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to notice. I flush pink anyway. He might have just decided to start ignoring me, like all the other hot guys in my life.

"Miss Yamanaka. May I have a word with you?" He doesn't wait for her answer. "I'm here as a favor for a friend…"

"Naruto," Ino breaths silently, and Sasuke Uchiha nods once.

"I don't know what he wants me to say to you, and to be honest, he should really do it himself. But, I owe him, so I'm here. He's also a bit incapacitated at the moment. Actually, he's in much the same situation that you are. He spent all of today getting a little too drunk. You should really call him." He rolls his perfect obscure eyes in an "I-can't-believe-I'm-doing-this" kind of way, but then his tone is serious again. "He misses you."

Wow. Sentimental much?

I'd pictured him speaking much differently in person. And although it's obvious that he dislikes being here, like an errand boy, it's clear that Naruto means something to him. I can almost hear how much he dislikes his friend being in whatever states he's currently in. And, looking at Ino, I can do more than just imagine how he's been feeling. But something is off. Sasuke Uchiha sounds… almost desperate. Is that all because Naruto is upset?

Ino doesn't reply, and I watch Sasuke Uchiha stand and turn back around. HHHHe's about to walk past me to leave, and a sheen of sweat appears on my forehead. I can feel something churning violently in my stomach, and my esophagus begins to swell and warp. I can taste what's coming in the back of my throat.

Oh, no. Not here. Not now. Oh, please, don't let this happen now. Please. Oh, no. Shit!

I know it's coming and I bend down to the right, vomit spurting out of my mouth like a waterfall. I try to be careful, but I think it hit the side of the sink. I convulse, dropping to my knees as I vomit, again and again, all over the tiled floor of the apartment's bathroom floor.

"What the fuck?!" His voice sounds like angels, even as he uses profanities.

I hear Ino squeal in fright, probably of being hit. But as I feel another round coming on, something is around my waist, and it hauls me to my feet. I am dragged on my knees over to the toilet, where I don't have to make a mess on the floor.

But as I feel a firm hand on the back of my neck, holding my pink hair out of my face, I instantly know what's going on.

Holy shit. Sasuke Uchiha has his arm wrapped around me as I'm uncontrollably throwing up in front of him. Could this be any more humiliating?

I tense each time I puke, my fingernails digging into his arm around my waist as I flinch in agony. I can't help but admire his strength as I retch, as surprising as that is to me. I can feel the powerful muscles in his arm around me, and it's as if he's made of solid rock. I don't move him as I continue to quiver and throw up into the toilet. I can feel my stomach empty itself of alcohol, and everything else that was in there, but a round of dry heaves leave me gasping for breath every time it subsides for a moment or two.

I'm panting, and I don't know how long it's going to last, but all I want is for it to go away. After a few moments of nothing, I can feel Sasuke Uchiha loosening his hold on me. But as he begins to let me go, another spasm of dry heaves racks my body and I jerk forward, unable to breath. I feel him quickly grasp me again before my chin slams into the toilet seat painfully, but I think that it's over now.

He holds onto me for another minute or so before a tissue is shoved at my face. I tilt my head up to find Ino, the entire tissue box in her hands, and a sympathetic look on her face.

"You okay?" she asks me, and I nod, snatching the tissue and wiping my mouth and chin. I let out a few loud coughs, doubling over again and quickly grabbing for another tissue. But the only thing my mind registers is that Sasuke Uchiha is still holding me in an iron-like grasp. I don't want to move, but I have the feeling that I wouldn't be able to, even if I tried.

But I'm so afraid to move again. I feel like another round of vomiting could happen at any moment if I move too quickly. My head is spinning and my headache comes back, stronger than before from my constant spasms and dry heaving. I feel like passing out, it's so painful.

I hear a low, moaning noise, and it takes me a few seconds to realize that it's me. I can feel my own consciousness slipping, but I can still make sense of the things around me.

"Here, help her into the bedroom," I hear Ino say, and I feel Sasuke Uchiha's other arm wrap around me and hold me upright as I'm half-dragged into the other room.

I can't believe how easily Ino talks to the gorgeous billionaire. Her voice doesn't waver. She doesn't flinch or stammer. Her words are perfect, not slurred. It's as if she's talking to me, or anyone else for that matter. She's so calm and cool, even right after barfing and probably dealing with the next stage of her hangover. I feel like such a loser right now.

Watch Sasuke Uchiha fall in love with her, my conscience says sadly. You never stood a chance.

And I know she's right. I know that I've probably made a horribly negative impression in his memory forever.

Oh, no. What if he mentions you on television? You're going to be known as the loser who barfed in front of Sasuke Uchiha, beautiful, gorgeous, hot and sexy face of the future. You're going to be marked for life as a drunken, babbling little girl that belongs in a mental institution.

"Put her down slowly. I don't want her throwing up all over her bed."

My brain registers that I'm being gently placed down on my familiar creaky mattress in the bedroom. I groan after I feel strong arms letting me go. I feel like I'm on clouds, but my headache is just getting warmed up. My eyesight begins to double and twirl and I whimper.

Please, don't throw up again. Oh, God, please no.

"So, about Naruto…" I hear Ino say, but her voice trails off into nothing as I slip under the veil of unconsciousness.