Chapter 2: Key; Friend
The second school bell rang, but nobody in class 3A was planning to sit down, Hakate-sensei was late again.
The door slid open and someone walked in. Girls at a nearby table waved and the shyer ones giggled, but he ignored them.
Naruto was the first to greet him, "Yo Sasuke! What happened yesterday? We heard you and Sakura got into an accident?" He looked back at Shikamaru, "That's what we heard, right Shikamaru?"
Shikamaru tilted back his chair and set his feet on his desk, ready for a nap. He opened an eye and said, "Whatever." But the one eye he had opened showed curiosity.
Sasuke brushed past him to get to his seat and got out his books.
Naruto wasn't ready to give up yet, "No, seriously? Did you really save her? And why wasn't she moving when the cars beeped?"
That was what he wanted to know. Why didn't she move? It was something about that house. She remembered something. He could sense it. And whatever she saw, it must have been horrifying.
"Com'on Sasuke, tell us!"
He didn't answer.
"Hah! Bet it didn't happen! No way someone as lame as you could save her! Too bad I wasn't there to really save her!"
He clenched his fist underneath the desk so that Naruto wouldn't see. Shikamaru saw this and saved him, "Naruto, feel lucky you weren't there, or we would've lost two lives instead of just one injury."
Naruto started to argue with Shikamaru again, insulting him in everyway he could.
He's right though. I couldn't really save her. In the end, she was still hurt. What's wrong with me now? Why am I suddenly so...
Weak?
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It seemed quiet without anyone to fill in the silence in between class breaks. But Sasuke didn't want to admit it to even himself. He hated to think that he couldn't handle being alone anymore, only after a day of being harassed by a girl.
By biology, he was losing all his attention. The only reason why he was taking notes so carefully and precisely was that in his unconsciousness, he felt the need to make sure Sakura didn't miss a lesson when she returned. But even though he told himself she was nobody all the time, he found himself doing it anyway.
He started staring at the clock, 20 minutes and 39 seconds until lunch...
"Uchiha-san."
"Hai." He answered, snapping out of it.
"Please give us a brief overview of last night's text."
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Finally, it was lunch. But Sasuke had nothing to look forward to there either. No, I never had anything to look forward to, not even yesterday. He told himself, but his mind still wavered.
He swapped his books for his lunch at his locker and headed outside. But instead of going towards Naruto, Shikamaru, and Neji by the tree, he decided to sit alone at the top of the building.
He sat against the wire fence and opened a prepackaged bento of onigiri. But before he took a bite, he called out. "I don't enjoy being followed."
A quiet "whoops" whispered and a girl with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail with sky blue eyes walked up from hiding behind the staircase door.
Sasuke looked at her for a moment and then continued eating his onigiri.
The girl seemed a bit stumped by his rudeness but wasn't about to give up, "So...you're Uchiha Sasuke-kun!" She gave a smile, "I've heard a lot of great things about you!"
She walked over and joined him. Sasuke expected that most guys would've died to have her sit next to them, but he didn't really find anything special about her. "I'm Yamanaka Ino." She offered a handshake but he gave her a look.
"What's the point? You already know my name."
She looked around, "Hey, what about that girl that was following you around yesterday?"
Now she got his attention. She noticed her without an introduction! But how...? She didn't look and act any different than the other students. In fact, she seemed like the person to never notice Sakura at all. With her use of dark mascara and flirty lip gloss, she appeared to be one of the highly popular, gossip girls who would be too busy living the life a dramatic high school (life-wasting, as Sasuke would add on) romance to notice a girl like Sakura.
"You noticed?"
"Of course, I notice a lot of things." She smiled. "It was cool how you rescued her. You must be really brave." She flashed him another winning smile.
He didn't fall for it, "Where did you hear that?" He was going to kill whoever started it. Even if it was true.
She shrugged, "You know, rumors get around fast in the school."
Damn the rumors.
"Well...Are you going to visit her?"
He could sense the eagerness to know in her voice, "Why would I?"
He saw her brightened up at his answer, but she stayed relatively calm. "I don't know...I mean, she seemed like a close friend. I could give you her address if you want; all I have to do is look it up."
He felt something snap inside of him. He was ashamed that he wanted to actually visit her. Damn it! This is so stupid! What the hell am I thinking?!
"No, she's not a friend. She's nobody." And he walked off.
He was unable to see the small, victorious smile on Ino's face. But she quickly wiped it off in disgust at herself, as if reminding herself something.
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A girl he doesn't know walks out of a toy shop, with a music box in her hand. She opens it, a bell-like sound chimes a beautiful tune- a ballerina's melody- and a small fairy spins in circles. The box was adorned with crystal cherry blossoms and sparkling vines, and the side held locks for two keys.
Why do I clearly remember that thing?
But one key slips into a small crevice of a tree stump root, and a dog runs over to burry it even deeper.
She cries and he reassures her, "I'll get it for you, I promise, so don't cry!" Seeing her so miserable made him sad.
She stops and looks at him with grateful, big, tear filled eyes as he started to spend hours digging and pawing at the rough dirt. It was sunset when he finally retrieved it.
Ignoring his torn fingernails, scratched hands, and dirt covered face, he smiled, "I got it!"
In his hand was a necklace holding a small gold key.
I've seen that before!
The girl's eyes brighten a look that made him feel proud of himself... She hugged him, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Who are you?
He was flustered, "Oi, hey, hey. I don't even know you're name yet, and you're hugging me!"
She automatically drew back and blushed, ", I'm ."
Why can't I remember your name?
He grinned and replied. "Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke. Let's start off by being friends first, okay?
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His alarm clock woke him up earlier than it was supposed to. It was only 4am. Goddamned clock, he might've been ableto find out who that girl was if the stupid thing hadn't set off.
Instead of just getting up and jogging like he always did, he stayed in bed pondering. His thoughts were on the girl in his dreams, and Sakura.
Who is she? Why don't I remember her? How important was she to me back then? Why does she keep coming up?
Sakura...is she her?
No. He told himself firmly. Now he was being delusional. He knew he was trying to find an excuse to still hang out with her, and hated himself for his own motive. Look how low you're falling, killing your pride.
He was here to regain everything. Sakura was getting in his way. HE should ignore her, like everyone else. Then everything would go back to normal, including himself.
She was nobody.
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He walked to school alone that day and felt somewhat unguarded, with all the girls giggling at him. This time, he had no one to keep his mind off of how much he was being watched.
Why does it matter? They're just normal kids, who know nothing. I'm not one of them. I'm different. He told himself to snap out of it. Right now, he had bigger things to worry about.
Like how he was going to avoid Naruto's big talk about the accident.
"Sasuke!"
Sasuke flinched inwardly at his obnoxious voice. Why must he be so annoying?
He quickly made up a string of excuses in his head to shield himself.
"I challenge you to an arm wrestling match!"
"Huh?" This wasn't what he was expecting from Naruto
"He's on a rebellious strike; he refuses to cloud-watch with me, so now he's killing time by doing this." Shikamaru lazily explained.
Wait, why isn't Naruto mentioning the accident all of a sudden? He called me 21 times yesterday about it.
"Oh yeah? Well didn't you just get a better partner yesterday?"
And wasn't Sakura his new cloud partner?
Shikamaru looked confused, "Funny, that's what I thought, but when I think about it, it's only been you."
"We must be really off today then, 'cuz I knew I had something about someone to bother Sasuke, but I can't remember what..."
What's going on? They just met her yesterday, how could they forget? Why does this happen with her?
"Okay, time to get to your seats class..." Hakate-sensei walked in, 10 minutes late like yesterday.
But the class was in a chatty mood even in their assigned seats. The teacher had a glint in his eyes as he threatened, "Quiet, I'm doing attendance...unless you want a detention with me."
That silenced everyone. Kakashi went through the list and then looked up, "Looks like nobody's absent."
Nobody said anything about it, but there was an empty seat next to Sasuke. He missed Sakura's name, but he didn't want to mention it. That would seem like he cared too much about her. But still, he wondered what was going on.
"Unless you accept existence in his heart, she will remain forgotten to the world..."
His mother's voice was in his head now, but he couldn't believe what he just heard. It was impossible; this wasn't some sort of fairytale.
"Only you control her existence."
He was not knight in shining armor, she was never the princess.
Why do I remember some stupid fairytale?
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At lunchtime, he decided to go sit with Naruto, Shikamaru, and Neji. All three proved to have had their memory of Sakura blurred. They seemed confused every time they came to a subject that was supposed to include Sakura, feeling like they've forgotten something. But Sasuke didn't speak up. It was that same fear of the possibility that Sakura was only a hallucination.
Plus, he had promised himself. She had nothing to do with him.
Ino skipped along, trying to join the conversation that Sasuke wasn't paying attention to. "Yooooo! Watcha up to?" She winked at Sasuke.
Shikamaru groaned, "Oh god, it's the monster that kills eardrums!" He clamped his ears from her high voice.
Neji sighed inwardly and automatically shut up; he knew how Ino could blab off rumors everywhere to anyone.
"No." Naruto said bluntly, even if Ino didn't ask him anything yet.
Ino flipped her ponytail and looked at him annoyed, "No what?"
"You can't hang out with us; we can't have girls in our chats." Naruto answered simply.
She flicked her blue eyes at him, even more irritated by his response as she slid closer to Sasuke, "What? It's not like I've never heard about porn before."
"Oh, I can definitely believe that." Shikamaru lied down and muttered.
Ino slapped him by the head.
"It just...de-manifizes us!" Naruto explained.
Ino laughed in a high-pitch, "That's hilarious! You're kidding, right?"
"Anyway, back to the point. We never have had any girls in our gang and never will."
Ino argued, "Yes you have! Just yesterday, she was with you guys!"
Sasuke looked at her for the first time since yesterday, surprised. She still remembers her!
"Yeah right."
"Yeah! Her name...it was...um..." Ino began to get that confused look on her face everyone else was.
Sasuke realized she also could remember Sakura correctly, only just a bit more than others.
"Only your acceptance can control her existence."
No. No way.
He walked away without thinking. Hanging out with the others only made him think more about her.
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History was Sasuke's last class, and yet again, the teacher missed Sakura's absence.
"And as you can see here, the Edo period..."
"Iruka-Sensei!" Naruto raised his hand.
"Yes Uzumaki-san?" The he asked, clearly surprised Naruto was paying close enough attention to ask a question.
A couple of the students knew that Naruto was off to no good and sniggered at their teacher's stupidity.
"May I use the bathroom?"
He sighed, "Yes...But Sasuke has to go with you." He wasn't going to take any chances with Naruto.
Naruto didn't seem bothered by this and began dramatizing, "Okie-dokie then! Come on Sasuke; let's hold hands just in case a monster gets us! Iruka-sensei doesn't want that does he? And then, you have to help me go tinkle tinkle!"
The class stifled their laughter while Iruka glared at them as they walked out the door.
The moment the door was shut, Naruto whispered. "Here's your chance to see the great Naruto Uzumaki in action."
Sasuke definitely did not want to waste his time with this. Especially if it meant giving his family a bad name by failing in school. He started to walk back to class.
"Woah woah! Hey! I know you're going to tell on me, but can you wait after I'm done blowing up the toilet?" Naruto called out.
"I'm not going to tattle-tale like a loser, if that's what you're asking." Sasuke stopped and turned around, "I'm just not going to waste my time with an idiot like you."
Naruto snorted, "You're just going to waste more of your time in class."
"Whatever do what you want and be a loser. You don't know anything about life." Sasuke shrugged, his face dark, and he walked off.
"I know that you've definitely been through some rough times. And I know enough about life to say that it's too short to become perfect."
Sasuke stopped to listen.
Naruto continued, "So why should I be miserable trying to be perfect when I can make my life enjoyable? You can never be happy when you're perfect. Try having some fun for a change."
"No. You know nothing about me." Sasuke shook in anger and stormed away.
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11:00 pm. whatever, it was Saturday tomorrow anyway. He was still awake, lying down on his back and staring at the ceiling. But instead of thinking of nothing, he was thinking of a lot of things.
"I know that you've definitely been through some rough times"
Just thinking about what he said made Sasuke clench his fists. He knows nothing!
Nothing.
Nothing about having his family murdered.
Nothing at all.
"Try having some fun for a change."
Fun? How could he have fun? He had been alone for years, without anybody to care for him. Fun was something he couldn't have. It wasn't going to help him get revenge.
Revenge was what was going to let him enjoy his life.
Not Sakura.
Definitely not her.
He fell asleep thinking so much, he lost track of his thoughts and his mind went blank.
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"Mommy! I want a story! I can't sleep!" He walked into the living room where his mother sat on the sofa knitting.
She held him in her lap, "Which story?"
"Ninja! Ninja!" The little boy demanded.
She smiled gently, "How about a new story?"
He nodded excitedly.
"It's a tale that has been carried down in our family for a long time. It's about a goddess."
"Is she nice?" He asked curiously.
"Oh yes. Very nice. In fact, she's the goddess that the legend said will someday save our clan. "
His eyes widened, "From what?"
His mother continued, "She can grant whatever you are in search for. But she has a curse. Concealed as an ordinary girl, she burdens two souls: a concealed goddess with hope even through the darkness, and a fallen angel that holds all sadness."
"But mommy, how can she be two things at once?"
"Oh, but everyone has two souls. You just have to look deep inside yourself, and decide which soul you chose to see with."
"Her curse is that her feelings must be hidden, and her existence is concealed. Only the person she is fated to help can control her existence by accepting her place in his heart. If he refuses to acknowledge her significance, she will start to disappear."
Four-year-old Sasuke gasped in sympathy.
"But the two go long back, to the time before the girl was either goddess or angel and he will not be able to rid her from his mind. She will become a dear one to him, although he won't admit it till the end. But even if the two may grow close, once that person does not need her, she returns to the fallen angel she once was before."
"But he gets what he finds, right? That's happy!" Sasuke insisted.
His mother smiled sadly, "Everything has two sides."
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White blankness. It took Sasuke a moment to realize he was awake and staring at the ceiling. He got up, not bothering to pull the curtains; he liked it better dark.
It was as if the memory had exhausted him, for he wasn't thinking about anything as he brushed and showered. Only when he washed his face 'till he said out loud, "A tale passed down the clan for years, huh?"
He made his decision. After making his bed, he went to the phone in the counter and dialed.
It only took one ring. "Hello?" A girl's voice answered.
"I need directions to Haruno's place."
He hung up and started to walk past the living room to his room again. But he stopped at the fireplace, where sitting on the top shelf were pictures of his family- when they were still alive.
But he looked at his mother's single picture; next to it were her favorite candles, knitting needles, and keepsake box. There was also something else- a book of tales.
Sasuke flipped it open, ignoring the stains of blood- he was already used to that. There was no story titled with an angel or goddess.
Seek the cursed girl who lives and lived two fates- for she can aid you in your journey.
Although it was just a story, it was what his mother's last words were about. This was his mother's will
The mother he had lived without for years.
The mother who loved and left him.
The mother who passed this down to him. He was going to let her live by finding the girl.
This is for you and you only. He silently vowed to the photograph of his smiling mother. She could be the girl I use to get what I want. So I must stay with her. And that will be the reason for his meetings with Sakura. Merely just an item, a key to unlock what he needs. That was what she was.
"Have some fun in your life."
No. This was not for himself. He did not need friendship, he was never lonely. Never had he shed a tear since that day for anything.
Sasuke denied it all inside.
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He dressed himself in a plain, navy blue polo and simple white shorts, despite the fact that it was winter already. Realizing that he was out of onigiri and tomato juice, he went downtown to buy some.
As it turned out, he had bought all of the market's stock of onigiri and anything tomato two days ago. So he was going to have to have something different today.
As he went down the aisles for something that looked appealing to him, he found sweet toast bread. Getting a bag for Sakura, he got himself slices of sugar-free sticky rice cake.
This is only to gain her trust so she can help me. He told himself. Although he knew she like amnitsu, he had a feeling she'd like something sweet like what he bought her.
He met up with Ino at a magazine stall one block down. She was reading the new issue of a fashion magazine. She saw him and immediately put it down.
"Morning, Sasuke-kun!"
He only nodded his greeting and replied with, "Don't call me by first name."
She pouted teasingly, "Why not?"
He was planning to say: Because only people who are friends do that. And I don't have nor want any. Surprisingly enough to himself, he didn't want to seem harsh and only endured her flirty chatter as she led the way.
Sakura's place was a tiny cottage that was caught between both the edge of the forest and city. The building was small compared to Sasuke's huge apartment as would've stood out against the towering structures if located downtown or neighborhoods.
Ino double-checked her directions when she saw their destination's appearance and saw that she was right. She hesitated and said; "Well, here you are..."
Sasuke walked onward without a word of thanks, leaving Ino standing behind. He no longer noticed her behind him.
She sniffed her feet as he rung the door, for once; she had no clue what to say. She uncertainly called out to him, "Um...well, I've got to go now. Sorta busy...so yeah, see ya." She ran off appearing to be in a rush; popular people are always expected to have tight schedules.
If Sasuke had heard her, he made no motion to show it. However, if he looked back, he would've saw Ino run off and, instead of back to the city to meet up with friends, hide behind a stone wall nearby, loathing herself to have to save herself from choking in jealousy.
Nobody answered the door when he rung the bell. After waiting for a minute, he knocked and walked in. "Hello?"
"I'm here." He heard her voice upstairs.
The staircase was small, and the whole house seemed fragile, so he carefully walked up towards the steps. In a small room, Sakura sat up in her bed.
She had the same distant look as before, except this time it didn't seem frightened, it was nostalgic. Her eyes were dulled in memory and her face was slightly blushing as she stared at Sasuke at the door like a long lost brother. She tightly clutched something in two hands, pressing it to her chest like it was precious to her heart.
"Ahem." Sasuke coughed to break the uncomfortable moment. He knew Sakura was thinking about something, but her gaze embarrassed him. "Are you okay?"
She snapped out of it and looked at him with the normal energetic eyes. She laughed sheepishly and awkwardly, "Ahaha...sorry about that. I was acting weird and all."
He observed her closely as he saw her clumsily throw the thing in her hand in a keepsake box. But he was only able to catch a glimpse of the flash of sparkling pink. There was also something else in her eyes as she did it. Sadness?
Flashback
He was finished painting his key and dangled it in front of the girl, "I'm done with mine!"
She smiled lively, "Me too! See?" She bent over the table to show him a key painted in pale pink and decorated in sparkly flowers.
End of Flashback
He frowned. What does that girl have to do with the girl in the story? Or is she just a random friend from my past?
He heard Sakura's stomach growl.
She guiltily laughed when he looked at her, "Ahaha...I forgot to eat today..."
He sighed at her and pulled out the bread. "Here."
She shook her head fast and insisted, "No, no, no! It's okay; I've got snacks in the drawer..." She pulled the drawer and realized there were only leftover wrappers, "Umo..." Now she was speechless.
In the end, she was forced to eat the bread. Even though she tried to seem upset about it and hate it, Sasuke could easily tell that she liked it.
When she finished it, she looked like she was about to lick her fingers, but she caught herself and said in an obvious fake voice, "Blegh."
"You liked it." He simply stated.
She dropped the act, "Aw...how did you tell?"
"It's too obvious." He could tell from her eyes. There was something in his mind that could read what she was thinking by just the mere glow in the green.
The two were silent for a while and then Sakura asked, "Are you getting around well here?"
"I'm getting used to it."
"I'm glad then." She smiled, seeming genuinely happy for him.
"I got notes for you on biology, math, and language arts." He handed his notebooks to her.
She looked at him with grateful eyes, "Thank you!" The look on her face made him feel like he wished he did more for her, but he denied it.
But her eyes had a look in them that he noticed. She was hiding something from him.
"You need something else." He stated, knowing it without asking her.
She squirmed, "Ah...no, no, of course not!"
He recalled Naruto said that there was an assignment in art and Shikamaru said that there was a project in writer's workshop. Sakura was in both their classes.
"I'll call Naruto and Shikamaru for them."
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It was like the two suddenly remembered everything they did with Sakura when Sasuke mentioned her name on cell phone. Naruto insisted to go over and help her (although Sasuke was aware that he probably needed help himself) and convinced-or harassed- Shikamaru into going with him.
The four spent the whole day at Sakura's, not minding their Saturday being spent inside. Naruto ended up being assisted by Sakura in the art project, and Shikamaru watched clouds and gave Sakura bits of tips on writing her book essay. Sasuke joined in too, but slightly conscious about the whole thing.
Those two have really only hung out with her for a day, and yet, he thought in wonder, they seem like they're best friends.
He knocked away the longing inside of him with annoyance. But once and awhile, he found his guard down as he felt himself smile or a laugh slipped out of him. Without him noticing, it wore away bit by bit.
By the time the three guys decided it was late, and Sasuke was firm on Sakura getting rest, he completely forgot about staying cold and expressionless. For once, it seemed like he had something else to live for besides revenge.
"Will you guys come back?" Sakura looked at the three with hopeful eyes. But then she looked down, "But...I guess you guys have your own friends to be with..."
Naruto openly reassured her, "Hey! You're our friend too! Of course I'll be back!"
Shikamaru yawned and said before walking off, "Sure, saves me from doing homework, and you have a good view of the clouds here. Oh yea, and you're Naruto's only friend."
The two walked off arguing again.
"My place is that way." Sasuke pointed the other way and started walking off.
"Okay." She waved, "Thank you for everything today."
Halfway to his apartment, he realized he left his trigonometry workbook in his desk; he headed back towards the school. He walked through the quiet halls all the way to homeroom 3A, sliding open the door.
But he wasn't the only one in the building.
Standing in from of the classroom was a short, black haired girl with lavender white eyes.
"Welcome to the night class."
A/N: Yay! Second chapter through! I'm a happy person! So, lets give it up for my dedications...
To my almost-twin Michelle! The girl I've known since 3 years old and even though she's shorter and hours younger, she's almost like a sister.
And to Kaydreams and Sillystringdancingqueen; the two users on here to first comment and review!
Vocab:
Hai- Yes
Characters
I'm only going to introduce the new ones, and I'll review the old after each arc. But if I did every time, then it'll get long and I'm too lazy to do that.
Ino- A student of Konezuku High, she's the popular girl that everyone knows. (Pay attention to her; she'll become a main character later...)
Iruka- The history teacher that, of course, is sick of Naruto's stupid pranks.
And the girl you saw at the end of the chapter, well, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter...
Stay tuned (yea, I know, that's cheesy and lame.)!