For the first ten years of my life I always imagined myself as a princess.
Pretty cliché, right? Most girls at that age think of themselves as princesses; some of them locked inside towers with ferocious dragons guarding them, others living under the ruthless reign of an evil step-mother until their knight in shining armor comes to their rescue. It is a pretty typical dream for a girl to have. It is uncomplicated, pretty specific about what it entails and always has a happy ending.
Every girl has her own dream-version of the outcome of her fairy-tale. For some it is love at first sight, for others it takes a long and dangerous adventure through a haunted forest. Others only need a bit of dust from the Fairy of Forbidden Love. But no matter what the version, all fairy-tales share a common factor: the prince charming. Even my fairy-tale had one. A mysterious prince, a bit broody but kind and totally in love with me.
What kind of fairy-tale would it be if I didn't end up with a charming blue-eyed prince with luscious blonde hair and a body to die for? Oh! He also had to have a horse. What kind of prince would he be without a horse to put me on and ride off to the sunset? It had to be a proud white steed with a long mane and golden reins. That's the kind of horse princes usually have, right? Tall and stunning and magnificent and pawing at the ground, ready to carry us-my prince and I-to a big castle with many windows and many peaks where we were supposed to live the rest of our lives with half a dozen children and twenty dogs. Happily ever after, right?
The thing is that life is not a fairy-tale, big castles only exist in amusement parks and I sure as hell am not a princess. If by any chance I am, I can certainly see why my royal parents dumped me in Konoha because boy, I have to be the saddest excuse of a fairy-tale princess…..like ever.
Princesses are kind and patient. They have great voices-really, those chicks can sing-and most of them share some kind of sad past. They are very pretty-like, ridiculously so-and apparently, they can make men fall in love with them with a single glance or a swish of shinny long hair. I mean, really? I'm not a die-hard feminist or something but either those birds utilize some kind of magic or those men are pretty damn stupid. Who in their right minds would just risk their lives fighting dragons, facing god-knows-what kind of atrocities and then marry a girl they have known for two days at best? That's just too much. My parents taught me to always think things through and have a level-head without unnecessary exaggerations. And to an extent, that's kind of where things went a bit downhill. But we'll get to that later.
Despite all that, there was a time in my life-the aforementioned first ten years of it-that I believed I was a princess and that I would eventually get my happy ending. Of course, that was merely a child's naivety taking over my mind. I'm not one to complain though. I always remember those years fondly. I have some pretty good memories from back then. Everything seemed exciting and much, much less complicated. I wish things were as they used to be back then….
Reality came crashing down on me when I was eleven or twelve and a boy in my class called me a hag. It was at that point that I realized that I was definitely not a princess and that life was definitely not a fairy-tale. I was appalled by how easy it was for childhood dreams to die and for a while, I kept trying to reassure myself that Judar was just being a prat. But once glass is broken, you can never make it whole again. I don't blame Judar-though at times, I do wish I could curl my fingers around his neck until he turns a lovely shade of blue. Perhaps he was the wake-up call I needed. It wasn't the nicest of ways to make the transition between girlhood and early adolescence but it was a way. I don't know if I should curse Judar for destroying the innocence of my childhood dream or thank him for snapping me out of a daze that would have led me to nothing but disappointment later on. A bit of both, I guess. Well, we are cool now-as cool as Judar and I can be-so it doesn't really matter. I dare say that we are friends. Good friends. I know, it's a pretty bold thing to say when it concerns that dark-haired git. We've been told that we make for a very peculiar and clashing duo but that prat knows how to make me laugh and has that special way-that usually involves lavishing me in insults-of getting a reaction out of me even when I am at my lowest so I guess you can say that I like his company. Please, do consider keeping this information between us otherwise I'd have to kill you. Seriously….
Nevertheless, it happened and I was taught to face whatever situation was presented to me so it didn't really take me long to adjust. I've always been a rather adaptable being. The thing is, that life has that annoying tendency of throwing you in situations that you can't just adapt to. It's the kind of situations that hit you like a brick on the head, turning your up-until-then pretty simple and boring life into a great big mess, throwing you in turmoil. Trust me, those are the kind of situations you want to avoid. They tend to mess with your head. Now, that can turn ugly…
As luck would have it-or rather, lack of it-I was the next unsuspecting victim of a situation of the aforementioned kind. Lovely just lovely! Just when I was finally getting somewhere. I had my life in a line, you know? It was that time in life that I was starting to realize what I wanted to do with myself and was actually planning a future. I used to be bullied during my early years of high school but even that had been reduced to a minimum of a snicker here or there when I passed. I suspect that had to do with the odd friendship I struck up with Judar in Tenth Grade. Really, that guy can be pretty scary when he wants to. And he's insanely possessive. A total wacko when it comes to marking his territory! I guess the moment he called me a hag and I decked him was the moment he started seeing me as his territory. I don't particularly like being thought of as an object but this is Judar we are talking about so I'm gonna let it slide.
Be that as it may, that situation I was talking about earlier was presented to me at a time that I absolutely did not want it to. I had expectations and if my teachers' words were anything to go by, the required qualifications and power of will to move forward and achieve my goal of getting in Med School. Yep, things used to be pretty easy and straightforward then. But then everything-and I mean it-took a U turn. When I met him…..
And of course, that change couldn't have just come easily. Why would it? Nothing in my life was ever particularly easy.
No, that change just had to hit me in-between the eyes when I least expected it to. Literally…..
XxxOxOxOxxX
Sakura walked inside the school grounds with slumped shoulders and a huge yawn. She had barely gotten any sleep last night due to a Chemistry essay due today and she couldn't really say that she was in the mood to put up with whatever this Monday morning was about to throw at her. She walked over to an unoccupied bench and flopped down ungracefully. She set her school bag aside and relaxed her head back, closing her eyes and hoping for some peace and quiet-
"Hey, hag. What the hell happened to you? You look like shit."
-that she probably wouldn't be getting. Sakura groaned at the sound of that voice, though she instantly knew that her boring day had just gotten a bit more interesting.
"Good morning to you too, Judar. I'd say that I am happy to see you but that would be lying."
"Someone's in a good mood today." he commented sarcastically and sat down beside her, drawing a deep breath from his cigarette and blowing rings of light grey smoke.
Sakura scrunched her nose in distaste and waved her hand around to keep the smoke away from her. "When are you going to abandon that foul habit? It's bad for your health, you know. Does lung cancer ring a bell?"
Judar rolled his eyes at her like he always did every time she brought up this subject. "Yes, mom."
Sakura huffed. "Whatever. Can you at least not do this when I am around? I absolutely abhor the smell of smoke. Not to mention that it makes me look bad. What would the teachers say if they saw me surrounded by a cloud of smoke?"
The dark-haired teen rolled his eyes once more and purposely blew a ring in her face but extinguished the cigarette immediately after that. "So, what got your panties in a twist?"
The girl glared at him. "Don't I have the right to a bad day?"
"You are always a bit moody in the mornings but it seems that your bipolar disorder is a bit worse today."
"Oh shut up!" She smacked his arm but it was more playful than anything else and he didn't seem fazed in the least.
"All jokes aside, what's wrong with you today?" asked the boy and it was at moments like this that Sakura understood why she was friends with him. Judar had that incredible ability of being able to see right through her and know exactly what to say-despite denying it vehemently-to make her feel better even though he was brash and rough around the edges. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind-quite the contrary, actually-and because of that, he came across as completely inconsiderate towards other humans' feelings. The truth was that Judar's childhood hadn't been the easiest one. With his biological parents murdered during a burglary gone wrong when he was but a baby, his childhood and early teens had been scarred by an alcoholic-and Sakura suspected abusive-stepfather and a stepmother that could do nothing but watch no matter how much she loved him. Judar no longer lived with his adoptive parents but he made sure to visit his stepmother at least twice a week. From what he had told Sakura, his stepfather was rotting in some state prison due to unpaid debts and drug dealing.
He now had his own little flat near the school grounds and made a living by tutoring children that had problems with math and physics. Despite his not-always-appealing character the git had a brilliant mind. He had also won one of the scholarships their community often offered to children and teenagers that came from troubled backgrounds. Sakura was sure that Judar would one day achieve something great. Not that she'd ever admit this to him. No need to stroke his already more than adequate ego.
Sakura leaned her head on his shoulder tiredly. "I'm a bit confused, I guess. And a bit…"
"A bit?" he prompted her.
"Scared. I mean, we are in our last year and then we are off to college. I already know what I want to do with my life. The thing that scares me is that I'm going to have to leave all this behind and that's too sudden of a change." she confessed, hiding her face in the crook of his neck.
Judar raised an eyebrow, though slight concern was not absent from his scarlet eyes. "You? Admitting that you are scared? Now, this is something that you don't see every day…."
"Hey! I'm not Haley's Comet or something!" she protested. "I'm a human being too!"
The boy snorted. "Kind of hard to believe. And if by 'leaving everything behind' you mean me as well, guess again. You are never getting rid of me. I'll continue to haunt and torment you until the day I die. Or until the day you die. Or both. Whatever."
Sakura glared at him but she couldn't hide the smile that rose to her lips. She knew that was Judar's peculiar way of telling her that he would always be there for her. Despite the constant exchange of insults, she really couldn't begin to tell him what his presence meant to her. He was her best friend and she valued his friendship above all else.
"There is a thing call restrictive measures, you prat." she retorted playfully, pinching his arm, but didn't move her head from his shoulder.
Judar smirked and was about to utter something undoubtedly witty but was cut off by the sound of the bell that signaled the start of the school day. Sighing heavily, Sakura picked herself up from the bench, threw her school bag over her shoulder and turned her expectant gaze to the boy who was still lounging calmly, seemingly unaffected by the need to get to class.
"Oi, move your ass, you lazy git. We need to get to class before Kakashi-sensei throws a fit. You know how he gets in the mornings."
"Chill out, hag. Aren't you a teacher's pet? We know that you are that old pervert's favorite. He's not going to say a thing even if you get to class an hour late."
"That's not true!" she said heatedly. "Kakashi-sensei simply respects me because I, unlike some people I know, happen to be a responsible and diligent student."
"Meh, teacher's pet."
"Argh! You are unbelievable!" she fumed. "Whatever, I'm going to class. Stay here, for all I care. But don't expect to get any notes when class's over!" She glared at him and turned around making a show of angrily stomping her feet.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, before Sakura-or anyone else, for that matter-could react. The girl never saw that football spiraling towards her. Judar's voice shouting at her to 'Watch out!' reached her a second too late and the ball hit her right in the face, making her fall to the ground. The last thing she saw before blackness consumed her was a pair of incredible golden eyes staring down at her in worry….
XxxOxOxOxxX
Yeah…Needles to say that at the time, that had to be one of the most terrible days of my school life. It took half a week for the headache to pass and I couldn't stand up without a wave of dizziness hitting me every single time. Certainly not the most pleasant of experiences.
The first time I woke up I thought I was dead. I wasn't, obviously, but I was so disoriented that someone could have asked me for my name and I would have answered 'a blue pig wearing a polka-dot sweater.' It took ten full seconds for me to faint again and I didn't wake up for another two hours or so.
The second time I woke up things seemed a bit clearer...
XxxOxOxOxxX
Sakura opened her eyes lazily and it took her a couple of seconds to remember what had transpired. She was in the infirmary she realized, mostly by the sterile smell that lingered in the air of the place at all times. It was oddly comforting. She turned her head to the side slowly, grimacing at the explosions of pain going off in her head, and noticed Judar lounging in a chair near her bed, reading a copy of last November's 'Metal Hammer'. He appeared to be rather absorbed in what he was reading because he only realized she was awake when she groaned due to the headache.
His scarlet eyes snapped up to meet her slightly dazed emerald gaze and he quickly threw the magazine aside, focusing his attention on her.
"Hey hag, how are you feeling? You look like shit."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks, you git. It's so nice to have friends like you."
Judar smirked. "I try. Seriously though, how are you? Do you want me to get the nurse?"
The girl shook her head. "My head hurts and my muscles are sore but other than that I'm fine." She tried to sit up and gladly accepted the boy's help in doing so. "Thanks." She surveyed the room and saw that she was the only patient here before shifting her eyes to the dark-haired youth. "Why aren't you in class?"
"Just wanted to make sure that you didn't die or anything. It would be such a bother to find another victim to torment."
The girl smacked him playfully on the arm but smiled widely. She knew that was just the teen's way of telling her that he was worried. She had become surprisingly good at seeing through his seemingly harsh and insensitive remarks.
"Well, I'm fine so you can go now. I'm sure you are delighted to be able to get back to class." she teased, giggling at the despair that appeared on his face.
Judar pouted. "You are such a party-pooper." he said as he stood up. "Just so you know, I'm taking you home today so don't you even dare think of going alone."
"Alright, alright, jeez." she said, holding her hands up in mock surrender. "Keep some notes for me in class, will you?"
The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes and sighed. "You are such a nerd."
"Pretty please?"
"Oh, fine. Just stop looking at me like a kicked puppy."
Sakura smiled. "You are such a softie deep down."
Judar glared at her but it was clear to her that he was trying hard not to smile. "Say that to anybody and I'll personally see that you get hit by a truck."
"Sure, sure. My lips are sealed." She passed her fingers over her lips, imitating a zip closing.
"Good. Should you need anything, send someone to fetch me. Immediately." he demanded. "See you later, hag."
"See you later, prat!" she called after him as he left the room, closing the door behind him.
She lived through five seconds of solitude before the silence was broken.
"He must have weird taste if he calls you a hag."
She whipped her head around, ignoring the slight dizziness that followed, to find the source of the voice and fought down the urge to gape. Standing there with a glass of water in one hand and a charming smile on his face was probably the handsomest boy she had ever seen. He appeared to be her age with long purple hair tied in a ponytail and scintillating eyes the color of molten gold. He seemed to be around 6'0'' tall and had broad shoulders and an incredibly built body, from what she could tell. Realizing that she was staring, she coughed in her fist to clear her throat and looked up at him again.
"I don't want to sound rude or anything but…..Who are you?"
"Oh! You're right." He smiled sheepishly at her, scratching the back of his head in awkwardness. "I'm Sinbad. I just got transferred here." He struck his hand out and she shook it hesitantly.
"I'm Sakura."
"Sakura, huh? It suits you. Much more than 'hag', I must say." He smiled at her cheerfully and she found herself blushing.
"Umm….Thanks, I guess."
"So, listen." he started and run a hand through his hair. "I just wanted to say sorry about before. I didn't mean to hit you with the ball and I certainly didn't mean to send you to the infirmary."
She looked up at him in surprise. "You are the one that hit me?"
He looked to the side in shame. "Unfortunately, yes."
The girl stared at his face for a few seconds before smiling. "It's alright. It was an accident. No hard feelings, honestly."
He sighed in relief and smiled back at her. "That's such a relief. The last thing I wanted was to make a mess, on my first day here nonetheless. I wasn't very successful at that but….."
"You must expect retaliation, of course."
He stared at her in surprise before laughing. "It's settled then." He smiled at her. "So, I'll be going now. You need to rest and I need to take care of some last-minute paperwork. Here, the nurse told me to have you drink this." he said and handed her the glass that probably contained some kind of painkiller.
He turned to leave but stopped when he reached the door and smiled at her. "So, see you around?"
Sakura returned the smile. "Yeah, see you around."
XxxOxOxOxxX
Needless to say, that was the moment of my doom….
TBC
So, I'm taking a break from studying for the exams and I thought I'd write something to ease my mind. The people that have been following my stories have probably realized by now that Sinbad and Sakura are by far my favorite anime characters and it's been a while since I last wrote something about the both of them.
This chapter can stand alone but I will probably add another chapter, perhaps two. This one focuses more on the friendship between Sakura and Judar but there was some SinXSaku at the end. I really like the way Judar and Sakura's relationship came out. I just couldn't have him be a bad guy but I do hope that I didn't make him too OOC.
So, tell me what you think! Until next time, READ AND REVIEW!
Lots of love!