The street lights where dimly lighting the dirty concrete walkway, and the graffiti covered walls would make any normal girl feel uneasy, scared that someone will take their purse, or their jewelry which would be a legitimate worry, if Sakura Haruno had anything worth stealing. She sighed at that thought and rubbed her neck. She'd just gotten off from her first job, and had about 3 hours before going to her second one, which she would have to leave an hour before her shift ended to make it to her first class at 7 o'clock. All in all she only spent about 6 hours in her tiny apartment throughout the she used that time to sleep, since she managed to get her homework done in class.
Slowly she climbed the grimy staircase to her apartment "heh, more like a shoebox than an apartment" she scoffed. Turning the key in the lock to her door, she opened it and walked in. Doing the same routine she always does, quickly she begins heating water for ramen (she really hated the stuff, but it was cheap and about all she could afford) then, while that was heating she made her small futon out into a bed and climbed into her tiny shower. Careful to only spend 2 minuets, she quickly scrubbed her body and her short pink hair, which was lackluster due to the fact conditioner was deemed unnecessary. 'Man I knew leaving the orphanage and striking it out on my own was going to be tough but...' she sighed. Suddenly the ramen cooking on the stove began to boil over, making her realize she'd spent 3 extra minuets in the shower. 'Shit! Damnit-all!' quickly she turned the water off and wrapped a towel around her. She ran over and moved the pot her ramen was in. 'Sakura you idiot! that'll be a whole other dollar on the water bill! fuck! it was already going to be high enough because of the day I strained my ankle and decided to soak it in hot water!'
She groaned and sat down on her bed where she ate her ramen in silence. She didn't have a tv to watch, not like she'd waste the electricity on one anyway. Money was just too tight to have luxuries like that. Soon she was through eating, she washed and dried her bowl and put it on the countertop next to her other dishware. She only had one of everything, she only had one friend and they always ate out somewhere, his treat of course, plus it's not like she had the extra food to feed him if he did come over. 'sigh' she turned off her lamp and flopped backward on her futon/bed 'just a few more years, then I won't have to live like this anymore.' She looked out her window and slowly drifted to sleep.
Bright sunlight streamed in on her face, groaning she sat up and stretched. She looked around groggily, the it dawned on her. "FUCK! What time is it?!" she hopped out of bed and grabbed her watch, it read 7:32. "GYAH! FUCK FUCK FUCK!" hurriedly she threw on some pants grabbed her bag and ran to her class, desperately wishing she had a cell phone so she could call her work. Obviously she was in big trouble, she did miss a whole eight hour shift. 'Shiiit i'm so fired!' She managed to make it to her school within 20 mins, a great accomplishment seeing as it's 10 miles away.
"Sorry I'm late! Shizune-sensei!" She exclaimed as she took her seat in the back of the class, luckily they where doing a direction, so her tardiness wasn't really noticed by the class. "It's okay Sakura." Shizune said. All of Sakuras sensei knew about her situation, and where very lenient with her. Once class was over, Sakura used what was probably the only payphone in existence to call her boss. She dialed the number, and waited. Three rings and then "Hello?"
"Ah yes, Mr. Orochimaru, this is Sakura Haruno. I'm calling in about-"
"You missing your whole shift? You shouldn't have even bothered. You're fired. -click-"
"uh..." Sakura could only stare at the phone in her hand. The world began to crash in around her. What was she going to do? She needed that second job! Med school, no living itself was impossible for her without that job! Tears began to slowly descend down her face. Her sense of loss was overwhelming. She sank to the ground and began to weep. Now she wouldn't be able to make rent in time, let alone buy any food. She remembered when she had first told the orphanage workers where she was going on her eighteenth birthday.
'I'm going to medical school! I will become a doctor!' she had said.
'heh, you a doctor? bahaha! don't make me laugh! How could a useless simpleton like you even make it out in the world by yourself?' they had said. But she'd gone out and tried anyway. Stupid mistake right?
'They where right... I am useless' She thought. It was so hard just to survive, and now her dream would never be realized.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed when he found her, but Naruto sure was a sight for sore eyes.
"Baka... what are you doing out here, it's pouring rain. You're going to catch a cold Miss. Doctor." he said with a smile on his face. That sent her back into a crying fit. "W-what?! Whats wrong Sakura?! Is it that guy again? I'll kick his ass datebayo!" He said fiercely.
"N-no, Naruto... I got fired from my job!" she sobbed. "N-n-now I'll be kicked o-o-out of my apartment and and and..." She was close to hyperventilating.
"Shh, shh calm down. It's okay." He reassured her. By this point he had pulled her into one of his famous hugs. "Baka, thats what you're worried about? Haha why didn't you say so! Move in with me and Gaara! It'll be okay!" he said cheerily. She thought about it. It's not that she was ungrateful, it was just that she was prideful. She wanted to do this on her own and be able to look back and say 'I didn't need help from anyone!'
"You don't have to answer now, why don't you come over and get cleaned up, then you can decide!" Naruto exclaimed. They had been friends for many years, both growing up as orphans. But Naruto rarely asked her over, something about his roommate not liking people or something.
"Okay.." she said. He smiled, which reminded her oddly like the sun. Infectious warmth spread and she found herself smiling lightly with him. He lifted his umbrella over their heads and they walked to his car, which was an unholy shade of orange. She almost never missed a chance to make fun of him for it. They got in and Naruto started the car, then he backed up and drove out of the school parking lot, to the opposite side of town as her apartment. Naruto lived on a decent side of town, completely different from her dangerous neighborhood. They pulled up to his apartment complex. They where more like townhouses than apartments. All arranged with care, and by the looks of it they had an amazing gardener. They walked up the side walk, still under the umbrella, and stopped at the door. Sakura stared at it with apprehension. It was a big decision she needed to make, but life seems to have not given her a choice. She knew, weather she wanted to or not, she'd have to take him up on his offer.
"Welcome to your soon to be home! Well, that is if you want it!" Naruto said as he opened the door.
Wellp theres the first chapter! I warn you now, with art school, procrastination and other such shit I won't update very often. Also, another fair warning: I absolutely suck at spelling and grammar but I can't find a beta reader :( review please!