Author's Notes: I hope you guys are okay with me calling Sasuke by just his last name, Uchiha. I find myself really wanting to call him "the Uchiha" because I've read that a million times in other fics. But I think in this one, since it is an AU school setting and I am treating them more as Americans (I know, I know) I think it's more natural for Naruto to call him simply by his last name. It sounds fine if I were to have Sasuke call Naruto "Uzumaki," but for some reason when the tables are turned it feels a bit awkward. Sorry about that! As always, I appreciate any and all feedback, and enjoy!

-CJ

X

All night, Naruto tossed and turned on his old, lumpy mattress, unable to get a wink of sleep.

He glanced at the clock which told him there was at least another hour and a half until it was time to get ready for school.

Naruto sighed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and shaking off the sleepless night. He had been awake since that dream. He tried, then failed to remember anything more about it.

Suddenly, a major headache began to form. What a marvelous way to start off the worst day of the week, Tuesday. It had always been his least favorite. On Mondays you were still numbly happy about the weekend, but by Tuesday, the true nature of the ever endless week really sunk in. You still had to suffer four more days until another blissful break from High School Hell.

Naruto slowly shuffled out of bed and into the shower, taking as much time as he pleased. As the droplets dribbled down his back, he allowed the refreshing water to wash away all his tension.

He had plenty of time afterwards to carefully and artfully pick out an outfit and do his hair. Okay, well, he picked the first shirt he saw and put on the crumpled jeans in the corner, and then looked at his hair in the mirror and shrugged. But still.

By the time Naruto would have normally woken up, he was settled on the couch, eating some cheap, off-brand version of Froot Loops. If ever asked to testify, Naruto would truthfully describe them as tasting the way wet dog smells. But he was on a budget, and it was all he could afford with what earnings he made at his job at the local diner.

Once Naruto finished his bowl of shitty wet dog cereal, he carefully and quietly peeked into his parent's room. They were sleeping like rocks, too careless to ever make sure if he made it to school safely.

Naruto sighed again and stepped outside into the cool air, clutching his backpack as he left. The school bus wouldn't be there for at least another 45 minutes, but he decided to stay out anyway. It really was a beautiful day, after all. The clouds seemed exceptionally fluffy, and the sun was barely peering out from behind them. It created the beautiful effect of "heavenly" rays shining down to the earth. The grass and the trees were extraordinarily green, and the sky unbelievably blue. Naruto smiled softly despite himself. Not bad, for a Tuesday. The exquisite nature was incredibly reassuring that something wonderful was soon to happen.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a brash voice interrupted his peace from behind.

"Why are you smilingly so stupidly?"

And there was his headache rearing its ugly head again. It was, after all, still a stupid Tuesday.

Annoyed, Naruto closed his eyes and rubbed his temples before wheeling himself around, diverting his attention from the peacefulness to glare at the owner of the comment.

"Beautiful day today," Naruto said, but he spat as if it were an insult.

Naruto eyed the man up and down. He looked to be about his age. He had pale skin, dark eyes, and dark hair that stuck up like a duck's butt in the back. He also appeared as if he had a stick lodged up his ass.

Naruto murmured, "Not like you'd care or anything..."

The snooty guy was silent behind Naruto, so he turned back to gaze at the empty street before him.

There was shuffling, and soon, Naruto could feel a presence beside him.

The guy turned to him and asked in an unapologetic tone, "What's your name?"

Naruto could almost snort at the weak attempt to make amends.

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto turned the slightest bit, so he could see the other man's face.

He nodded slowly, then said with a smug smirk, "Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha," mocking the way Naruto had introduced himself.

Uchiha sat there with icy eyes trained on Naruto like he was expecting him to say something revolutionary.

So Naruto decided to have a go at him. He gave him a funny look, and smirked.

"Why are you staring at me like that? It's a little creepy."

Uchiha's strange expression morphed into a hint of a frown. At that was Naruto's interpretation, really. This guy's facial expressions were practically miniscule.

"You don't know me?" he asked, after a long pause.

Naruto restrained the urge to roll his eyes. After the beating his ears had taken the previous day at school, Naruto wished he didn't know who Sasuke Uchiha was. Still, it was fun to mess with him. Besides, how many times does one get the chance to tease a celebrity in their lifetime? Naruto couldn't not take advantage of the moment.

Naruto shot him another weird glance, and asked with fake confusion, "Uhh... should I know you? Aren't you the new kid?"

As icily as it seemed like he could, Uchiha retorted, "Sasuke Uchiha? As in, Uchiha. Famous singer, songwriter, actor? You really don't know me?"

Laughing softly to himself, Naruto smiled, keeping up the act.

"Hmm... Ohh! You're that guy that all the girls are crazy for. I guess this is what you look like after all..."

Naruto trained his eyes on him and made it clear he was surveying the other man.

"I guess I don't know what I was expecting…" Naruto trailed off, purely teasing him.

Naruto turned his back once again, keeping his composure to elongate the joke. With such a big ego like Uchiha's, Naruto seriously doubted that his comment really put a dent in the celebrity's feelings. Still, Uchiha glared at him, his features stern as stone.

Suddenly, the bus rolled around the corner, and was about to come to the stop.

Uchiha turned around surprisingly gracefully to face Naruto.

"At least I'm a step up from you. What's a poor, dirty little dobe like you got on an Uchiha?" he bit out.

Naruto dropped his jaw and his eyebrows knitted together in surprise. He expected that the guy might be rude, but not that rude.

As the bus pulled to a stop, he sneered and said to Naruto, "And you better find a way to keep that shut," gesturing to his mouth. He shoved passed Naruto, and while climbing the steps of the bus, he murmured over his shoulder, "because it looks like you're ready to blow the next guy who's willing."

Naruto shut his mouth begrudgingly, rolled his eyes, and scrambled in after him.

"Teme," he muttered.

X

As Naruto made his way over to his usual seat next to Sakura, he locked eyes with a surrounded Sasuke Uchiha, who flashed Naruto another icy stare as he passed. The whole bus was crowded towards him, desperately trying to make their impressions on him. Girls batted their eyelashes that were over-coated with mascara, and seemed to hike up their skirts a notch. Guys crowded around him too, hoping to gain popularity by kissing his ass. Naruto could not roll his eyes enough.

He shrugged it off until he noticed that Sakura was one of the many girls crowding around Uchiha. Annoyed, he flung himself down on their seat without her.

Naruto bitterly watched his best friend from behind. At least she had the sensibility to dress with normal attire. But there was no way Uchiha was paying a cent of attention to her. Why would he, when there were plenty of sluts in the sea for the bastard to go after? Sakura was not at all his type, and it made Naruto a little angry to see her throwing herself at him anyway.

Naruto tried to grab her hand to pull her away from the madness, but she couldn't spare a second glance to him. He sighed and sat alone near the back of the bus until they finally showed up at school.

The bus pulled to a complete stop, and Naruto was growing impatient as no one got off the bus. Everyone was eagerly insisting that Uchiha should be the first to get off. It was ridiculous! After at least five minutes of fake chivalry from the students, Naruto finally angrily pushed through the crowd and jumped off the bus. He could feel curious eyes tracing his back, but continued towards the school. This might just be the longest year of Naruto's life.

X

Later, at lunch, Naruto again had to play savior as he pulled his two best friends away from a growing crowd of Sasuke Uchiha fans, not allowing them to hover over him, just like everyone else.

The guy was a giant ass, but he still needed some space just like any other human. Then again, his ego was so big that it probably wouldn't matter. Still, Naruto didn't want Sakura and Ino falling all over him, knowing that it would only end in heartbreak.

Sometimes he wished he had someone real to talk to… someone who didn't just talk about cute guys and clothes all day. Nevertheless, Naruto loved them and wanted them to be different from all the other girls who forced themselves on Uchiha.

As he finished another bite of his ramen, Naruto said, "You guys should probably stay away from this Uchiha guy… I think he could be trouble," using his chopsticks to point at them.

They both raised an eyebrow at him.

"I mean, look at the growing stampede over there! One could get seriously injured," he teased, giving a little chuckle.

Ino and Sakura shared some kind of knowing look, and they smirked at me. "That's not what you really think. How are you still sold on Sasuke being such a big jerk? All the magazines like, ever, say that he's sweet, and caring… and not to mention hot!"

They both giggled, really tipping Naruto's iceberg. If they had only been there while Uchiha and he were waiting at the bus stop.

"Well, talk is cheap," Naruto offered as a polite alternative to repeating the crude words Uchiha had spit at him earlier that morning. "There's no sense in falling head over heels for someone that you don't know. I just think that he's superficial. And the last thing I want is for one of my two very best friends in the whole world to get hurt."

The smile that stretched across Naruto's lips was forced and he hugged them almost halfheartedly. His friends pretended like they bought it, but it was obvious that they were not soaking up a single word that flew out of his mouth.

X