A/N- Hey guys! So this is my first fanfiction that I am completely serious about. I've spent forever writing this chapter so here it is.
Cause and Effect
Chapter 1- How it Started
"Bye Hinata!"
"See you later, , thanks again!"
She ignored me as she drove away. I sighed and shook my head. No matter how many times I tried to thank my favorite teacher, she always brushed it off. She was the closest thing I had to a mother since my mom died four years ago. Trying to push down the grim memories that resufaced, I walked up to my destination.
Hidden Leaf Laundry. My first(and current) job. I just started a little over a week ago. Before, I wouldn't have even considered getting a job. Not because I'm lazy or spoiled, I used to help the maids at the Hyuuga mansions clean and cook for the whole house, and while I didn't like to use my fathers' money it would mean taking a job someone else would need. But now I needed it or by next month I'd be sleeping on the street.
I sighed again, thinking about my sudden financial problems and the events that led up to them. The tinkle of a bell pulled her out of her pity party.
"Oh, Hinata, I wasn't expecting you today."
"Hi Mr. Sarutobi, I needed the overtime but if you don't need me I'll go," I said to Asuma Sarutobi, my boss.
"Not at all, Hinata, you know your always welcome here," he replied, with a warm smile on his face.
"Thank you, ," I said, bowing my head. Just like , I was blatantly ignored. I swear they have a conspiracy on me. He just took a lighter and piack of cigarettes from seemingly no where and lit one up.
" Be warned, there are a ton of clothes today." he said, gesturing towards the back room. Of course there was, it was Friday, which meant that all of the main customers (students) wanted to get "clean the clothes" off of the to-do list as soon as possible. My school? The Hidden Leaf Acadamy for the Gifted. It should be called The Hidden Leaf School for The Rich and Cocky. On children who are considered "prestigous" come here A.K.A. filthy dirty stinking rich. It caters to teens in grades 9-12 and has an option to live on campus for a "cheap monthly fee", which includes almost everyone, people from all over the world come to my school. I thought about my unique friends as I quickly sorted through the dirty clothes. My best friend, Kiba Inuzuka, I had known since the third grade, when we were paired up for a group science project, along with my other best friend Shino Aburame. Though I tried to reveal as little as possible about my life, they always knew when something was bothering me. My friends that happen to be girls, Sakura, Ino and Tenten were a little less observant. Only Tenten had once asked if I was okay, probably since my cousin(her boyfriend) told her I was going through some . . . . personal issues.
"Hey, Hinata!"called Sarutobi-sensei.
"Yes?" I said, runnin to the front desk where he was often stationed.
"I have swim team tryouts today, so I'll need you to lock up."
"Sure thing" I looked at the clock, only 4:25. Did he really need an hour to get ready for tryouts? You might be thinking, why a grown man wants to watch high school boys try out for swim team, but he kinda has to. He's the assistant gym teacher at H.L. The other gym teacher is Kakashi Hatake, who also taught AP Chemistry.
The bell dinged as I watched him leave. While this wasn't my first time in the shop alone, I really hoped nobody from school came in. Sarutobi-sensei usually handled all of the customer interactions. No one at H.L.A. had ever had a job. High school was hard enough without being a poor girl in a school filled with rich snobs.
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I was halfway done with the massive pile of laundry ,but if I worked anymore I would collapse. I pulled out some Gatorade from my backpack and sat at the front desk. I zoned out for a little while, thinking about the calculus homework and five page waiting for me at home, due tomorrow.
"Ding!"
I jumped off the stool.
"Hey, sorry, didn't mean to scare you," said a concerned face from the other side of the counter. A very familiar face. A very handsome face. I blushed when I realized who was standing in front of me.
Naruto Uzumaki, wearing cargo shorts, a plain white T, a gray hoodie and three overstuffed bag of clothes. I internally groaned( at the thought of more laundry) and sighed( except dreamily this time)
"N-No! I'm fine, just zoned out for a bit," I said while shaking my head. Naruto Uzumaki, my crush since 1st grade, has just seen me, Hinata Hyuuga, stinky and sweaty and dirty, working in this, admittedly crummy laundromat. Maybe he won't remember me?
"Hey, your Hinata right? I haven't seen you in a while."
I paled. There goes that idea.
"Yeah, um, what can I do for you?"
"Oh no, I'll just wait for the worker to come out . . ." his blue eyes looked behind me towards the back room.
"Um, I can take these from you," I said, thoroughly embarresed, and pretty sure it showed on my face.
"You work here?" he said, the look of surprise on his face priceless,''most people who go to our school are to lazy to even tie their own shoelaces," he said staring at me.
"Yeah, well I need the money . . ." I said, his intense gaze making me feel uncomfortable.
"I know what you mean," he said, looking away.
I was my turn to look surprised. But then I remembered. Naruto was basically a publicity stunt. One of a group of orphans, accepted to show the "generosity" of the school. The reason he got scholarships into Hidden Leaf Elementary and Middle was because of Principal Sarutobi and Dean Tsunade had a liking to him. He used to b horribly bullied, because of his second-hand uniform and scrappy shoes. He wasn't exactly the brightest bulb back then,he always made me smile. Even when he wasn't trying to. Two boys were mad at me. My father just fired two associates, their fathers. Even though we were in the middle of the playground, during recess, Naruto was the only one who protected me.
"Well, these are kind of heavy, show me where I can put them," he said, his face flushed.
"Sure," I said, startled out of my reverie. I quickly showed him to the backroom. He whistled.
"Looks like you've got your hands full, is there anyone else here that can help you?"
"No, just me."
"Hmm, I can help you, if you-"
"No!" I cut him off, "I'm fine" He turned and gave me a long calculating look.
"If you say so. . ." he said nonchalantly.
I led him to the front, so I could give him his ticket(to pick up his laundry). I watched his retreating back as he left.
I blushed as I realized I'd have to wash Naruto's underwear.
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My brow furrowed as I walked away from Coach Sarutobi's little laundromat. Hinata looked really tired in there, maybe I could help her out before-
My phone interuppted me before I could finish that thought. I pulled it as I reached the school gates.
Alarm 1-Swim Practice in 5 minutes
All thoughts of Hinata vanished as I blindly raced towards the gym.
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"Swimmers, take your mark," Coach Asuma stated.
I began to regulate my breathing and started my pre-swimming routine. Instead of chlorine water below me, I pretended the pool was filled with warm miso pork ramen. Yummmm . . .This was always the hard part. I didn't want to jump in before Coach blew the whistle, or I'd lose. So I'd have to think of someone that I'd feel bad about hurting. Well . . .every female I knew can (and has) beat me up. Oi, what about Hinata! I've known her for years and she's never hit me.
"Get set,"
The thought of Hinata's arms around his chest, holding him back, made his cheeks get warm.
Phhhhhhiiiiiii! The whistle blew.
Splash!
At least the lukewarm ramen removed the evidence of his thoughts.
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"Good work today Naruto!"
"Thanks Coach," I replied, exhausted. I began my long trek to my dorm room. I won the three of four races I competed in, duckbutt making me drop to second in one race. But my thoughts soon turned to a different direction. Hidden Leaf Laundry, or rather, it's one worker.
Well, she was pretty. My face scrunched up at that thought. Pretty, well it fit her, but I could think of others too. Kind, smart, generous, pretty, and no to mention, hard-working. Wait, I said pretty again. While I knew my friends who happened to be girls weren't ugly, I never thought anyone but Sakura was pretty. . .
Well it's not as if I thought it was bad that she was pretty. I actually quite liked it. That's not weird at all. Guys are allowed to have pretty friends. Right?
I remember when we were six, five fourth-graders beat me up after-school. It hurt so much, I couldn't even breathe without groaning in pain. My vision was blurring but the last thing I saw before I blacked out were kind Hyuuga eyes. When I woke up, I was propped in a stool at Ichiraku's. Bandages and sticky stuff were all over my body.
"Oi, Naruto, you're finally up!" said Ayame, the daughter of the resturaunt manager.
" Hey Ayame, did you do this?" I asked, pointing to my body, when I had orientated myself.
"Kick your butt or put you back together again, cause you know I could do both." she said with a wicked grin on her face, pounding her fists together. I just rolled my eyes.
"Neither," she replied," your friends brought you like that . . . here the girl asked me to give that to you." She handed me a huge jar filled with sweet, lavender sticky stuff, like the stuff under my bandages.
"Who was it?"
"Hey, are you gonna let you ramen get cold?" she said, trying changing the subject. And suceeding.
Since that day I thought it was Hinata. She was the only Hyuuga without hard, uncaring eyes. I had used the ointment for years until it ran out. It had taken away my pains more than I can count. I never even thanked her, I thought as I changed into my pajamas. I'll make it up to her, was the last thing I thought before I fell into a restful, solid sleep.
A/N- Ha ha ha. . . sorry for the longness. I've put a lot of work into this and I'd appreciate if you reviewed! Come on now you want to! ; )
'Till next chapter!