CHAPTER ONE

(Gaara POV) Another sleepless night… Damn, dad's not leaving for another hour still. I'll just have to stay quiet and… Oh feck! I need to pee! God I wish he would just leave! Maybe I can sneak into the bathroom. No it's way too risky, but I really need to go!

I rolled out of bed nearly tripping over a pile of clothes. I quietly walked across the blood red carpet to the black door that matched my walls. I slowly and patiently turned the handle, opening the door slightly to peek through; it looked like the coast was clear. I silently tiptoed across the carpeted hallway, past the top of the staircase and Temari's bedroom till I got to the bathroom. Dad wasn't in there so I was the luckiest Gaara in the world. I did my business and washed my hands. I opened the door as quietly as I could, but dad was already waiting in the hallway for me. He had a pissed off look on his face just from seeing me, I knew I was in deep shite…

- - - - - - - - - -

(Normal POV) Gaara dragged his feet as he walked to school. A purple/blue mark was coming up around his eye. 'What a great way to start year ten' he though miserably. Gaara had no friends at school or anywhere else and he knew nothing would change this year. He was an outcaste. Only the other outcastes associated with him, but they still weren't his friends. He hated everyone and thing. He also had a dark secret that only his family knew about, and that's why they hated him so much and were so scared of him…

Gaara walked towards the front doors of the school, past all the groups of people, some of them looking at him in disgust at his crimson red hair, to his baggy black, long sleeved shirt, to his black, baggy pants with many pockets and tears. They were also probably looking at his thick black eyeliner, that he re-applied everyday, contrasting sickeningly well with his bruised eye.

"GAARA!" Naruto (another outcaste) was running up to him with a huge over-enthusiastic smile on his face. Naruto had jumped at least 5 feet in the air about to give Gaara a huge hug, but Gaara had already known what was coming and had instinctively stepped out of the way, leaving Naruto to fall flat on his face.

"Don't touch me, you know I don't like being touched" Gaara mumbled in his monotonic voice, empty of emotion. His voice is one of the things that freaked people out about him.

"Hey, what happened to your eye?"

"I tripped" he started walking towards the front doors again, only to be stopped again by Naruto.

"I wish you would be more pleasant, hey what class are you in?"

"Mr Hatake's"

"Oh damn, we're not in the same class."

"To bad, see you" and with that he strode into the school.

Gaara walked down the hallway, pushing past all the people chatting, crying, laughing, panicking, and the new people trying to find their classroom. He turned a corner and walked straight into a raven haired boy, Gaara being the smaller one fell to the ground with the horrible sound of all the things he had neatly crammed into his black (of course) bag spilling across the not so clean floor.

Gaara was pissed, "WHAT THE FECK IS YOUR PROBLEM!"

The raven haired boy looked taken aback by this and didn't know what to say without sounding like a moron, "umm uh sorry, I'm a bit lost, I'm new here"

Gaara glared at him, what a retard, I don't care if he's new or not he's… his eyes are so beautiful. Agh why did I just think that? I must be out of it today, I just need to ignore everything and everyone today until I stop feeling like I want to punch someone… or kiss them, agh it happened again, ok, I'll just stop thinking…… God dammit!

"Hey? HEY? Are you ok?" Sasuke was kneeling on the ground in front of him.

Gaara looked up confused, oh, whoops, I must've dosed out. "Yeah, I'm fine!" he replied stubbornly. He started grabbing all of his things and stuffing them back in his bag. Once he was finished with that he stood up and started walking to his classroom again without saying a word.

Then the raven haired boy came after him and asked, "so, what class are you in?"

Gaara gave him the stare of death, but answered as calmly as he could "10KH".

"Oh me too", Sasuke smiled.

Wow, he has such a good smile, dammit! I can't be gay! I'm just tired that's all, yeah that's it.

"That's a nasty bruise, how did you do it"

"I tripped"

Sasuke gave him a quizzical/concerned look but though better of trying to get a proper answer off him.

They walked into their classroom, surprisingly it was still empty. The tables were doubled so they were in pairs; each table had two names on them. Gaara walked around until he found his name. He slumped his bag on the table and sat down to check what he had first and to get ready. He looked to his left and saw he was sitting next to someone called Sasuke Uchiha. Hmm maybe it's a new person because I don't recognise the name. Just then the raven haired boy walked over, pulled out the chair next to Gaara and sat down, putting his bag on the floor.

"Are you Sasuke?"

Sasuke smiled and nodded.

(Sasuke POV) This boy is so cute; I really want us to become great friends… or more. I know Itachi would hate it if I went out with a boy. I wish… where is his name? Ah, I wish Gaara, would show a bit more emotion, he looks so mad and sad all the time. That's it; I'm going to do my best to make him like me. Maybe he feels the same way about me! I wish I could read his mind, or at least his face.

- - - - - - - - -

(Normal POV) People were piling in now as the bell was going to ring any minute now. The teacher, Mr Hatake walked in just as the bell rang.

He looked around the classroom with bored eyes and waited until everyone was in their seats before he spoke.

"Hello, I am your home teacher for this year, as well as your science teacher. My name is Kakashi Hatake, but you can call me by my first name. Today's lessons are Maths then double science then double English and then double S and E. See you in lesson two then, have fun"

Oh great, maths… damn I suck at maths Gaara thought miserably as he folded his arms on the table making a comfortable pillow for him to nap on.

"Gaara, please don't sleep in my class. Wait until Kakashi's" Iruka, the maths teacher, complained. "Now, most of you probably know me, but for those who don't, I'm Iruka Umino, now let's get started…

- - - - - - - - -

After school, Gaara thought back to earlier that day and wondered how the hell that Sasuke guy persuade him to give him his number.

(Gaara POV) I wonder if he likes me then, I mean more than friends. That would be great, I really like him, but I hardly know anything about him. I guess I'll learn more by calling him…

What was I thinking? I can't call him! I'll look ay to desperate! And anyway, dad will kill me if he gets a bill. I'll just leave it and talk to him tomorrow. I have work to do.

BRING! BRING!

Gaara practically ran to the phone and grabbed it off its place.

"Hello?"

"Hey, sorry if this is a bad time. I just wanted to say that umm… well… I.. think it would be great if we… were really good friends. I mean, because… well you were the first person to really talk to me and I was never really good at making friends… and… umm I really like you! I mean… uh I'm sorry"

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Gaara stood there in shock for a minute then hung the phone back up and dragged his school bag up the stairs and into his room. He did his homework in silence half-heartedly and then lay on his bed thinking. I don't know what I'll say to him tomorrow… I'm so happy even though it was really shocking. I didn't think I would react this way. I know. I'll just tell him exactly what I feel for him tomorrow, but I can't let people thing I'm getting weak now or they will start beating me up again. But I really like him so I'm going to do my best at being tough and liking Sasuke. I feel like I can't wait to see Sasuke again, I wonder if I love him…