The Best Friend
KeepItLEGIT
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Chapter One
"Brick by Boring Brick"
-Paramore-
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A/N: Last chapter, I forgot to mention that "Don't Trust Me" was by 3OH!3; my fault. On to the story, yes? YES!
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Haruno Sakura, a girl aged sixteen, a sophomore this year in high school, lay across her bed on her stomach, cutely shaped nail polish containers on the comforter, bright purple, pink, orange and green making a funky rainbow of colors on her finger nails. Her toes were separated by cotton, swinging in the air to the beat of the song stuck on repeat on her iPod dock.
As per usual every Saturday, she was getting dolled up for her weekly date with her wonderful, amorous, extravagant, loving, deep, poetic, artist, any other amazing adjective in the world you can think of boyfriend. His name was Sai—just Sai. She sighed dreamily; that was just another reason why he was so mysterious and plain old hot.
He was one of those tall, dark and handsome types with his lean physique—sure, he wasn't the most athletic of the bunch but he wasn't Choji—ghastly pale skin—okay, let's move on, he's healthy and that is what matters here—and dark, smooth silky hair that always just was. His eyes were just like his hair, black and penetrating, never ending. Just as wishing wells, your wish would always be granted with him; or at least that is how it is in Sakura's case.
An outfit was hanging on the circular handle of her closet by the curve of the hangers, a cute white baby doll fit shirt with stitched detailing, dark wash jeans with oh-so-loved distress and an acutely noticeable low-rise, and, to showcase her beautiful toes, a pair of white heeled flip-flops. Usually, though, she would've just worn a skirt or maybe a pretty dress, but, it was getting colder, which would be expected in Konoha.
The weather cooled down right when school would begin. And, it began in, like, a week.
Sakura layered one more coat of orange onto her pinky nail, added a satisfied grin and giggle, and then flicked on her miniature fan with her drier of hands, letting them bask in the breeze for a super-fast drying time. Her date is in an hour! That leaves her, literally, no time to get ready if you add in shower time, hair time, make up time, meditative time (?), snack—
Every time we touch, I get this
The rosette squealed, hopping up in the air before stumbling not so gracefully onto the ground, where she had thrown her phone after someone sent her a text talking about a hot guy asking about her. She has a boyfriend. She has no time for 'hot guys' besides him. Che, you'd think people would know and understand that aspect of things. It's just rude.
She flipped the top of her phone up before pressing it between her shoulder and ear. With a cheery voice, she chirped, "Moshi moshi, Sai-kun!"
"Hello, Sakura."
His usual dry response…it almost hindered her all too hyperactive happiness, but she swallowed down the hurt, that unexpected gut feeling that something she didn't want to happen would happen.
She shook her head clear. There's no way something like that would happen. "You weren't at the party yesterday. Were you busy or something?"
There was silence on the line, until he cleared his throat. Sakura could almost see him bite his lip in hesitation.
"I—….yes, I was busy."
"Doing what?" Sakura said quickly, both interrupting him and easing the salty taste filling her mouth.
He paused again, "Nothing. I—Sakura, would you be upset with me—"
She exploded, the tears flowing from her eyes like someone turned on a high-pressure faucet. Finishing his sentence for him, Sakura whined, "If you cheated on me, like hell I would! It makes it ten times freaking worse that you don't have the balls to tell me to my fa—"
"I didn't cheat on you." Sai said calmly, though there was a pinch of disgust in his tone. As if he didn't expect her to jump to conclusions. He added, "My stepdad, he's on a business trip in Ame. He took me with him."
Feeling stupid for crying, she wiped the salty tears with the back of her hand. "Oh. When will you be back? How long have you been gone, actually?"
"We left last week—" Why is he just nowtelling her, then? Hm? "—and she doesn't really know when we'll be back. So, um…"
Sakura couldn't help the level of attitude and sarcasm that laced her tongue. "So, um. So, um what, Sai? You wouldn't be all hesitating and all that other shit if you didn't have something else to say, so spit it out."
A few beats of silence past, and Sakura let out a small growl. He had better not—
"Sakura, I, um, don't think it'll work out anymore."
She was lost in denial, swimming in disbelief. Her mouth fell open, preliminary lip-gloss shining. "W-what—you mean us won't work? You found some skanky slut in Ame or something you man-whore?" So, she was a potty mouth when she got upset. Who doesn't?
"She is not a skank and I am not a man-whore."
Sakura didn't even feel the tears rolling down her cheeks and plopping onto the ground with a small splash. He was her first everything. Her first crush, her first boyfriend, her first kiss, her first love, her first-almost-time. How could he just go over to some other country and tell her a week later that he has some other woman? Has he ever heard of long-distance relationships?
The wilting rosette whimpered, little cries escaping. "No, you're just a mistake, Sai. Don't call me ever again."
She slammed the top of her phone down, not even bothering to listen to whatever excuse he was going to throw out next, not bothering to throw it in upset like she normally would. She just stared ahead, at the picture hanging on the wall in front of her, of herself and the boy she thought she loved.
….
"Sakura!" Mrs. Haruno called from downstairs in the kitchen, cooling food sitting on the table. "Get down here! I have someone I want you to meet!"
There were certain times when she wondered if her Mom was related to the devil. She somehow knew when she was having a shitty moment—okay, so, yeah, she put a sign on her door—and she still makes her life worse. Doesn't she get those parental mind message things that tell her that she is having a moment? No—yes—no? Obviously not…
She wiped her face with the back of her palm. "I. DO. NOT. CARE!"
Her mother sighed, running a hand through her fiery red hair, putting an apologetic smile on her face. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-san. She doesn't seem to want to come down."
The boy just shrugged, chasing a single green pea with his fork around the plate. "It's no problem. I'll go and get her, if you'd like."
How charming…The mother thought, only saying, "That's not necessary," aloud. She honestly wanted to get to know the boy more, if he was going to be staying in her house for the majority of the year. "Tell me some things about you, Sasuke," She said conversationally, sitting in the chair directly across from him at the table.
"I'm sixteen years old, and, uh—I'm sure you've been wondering how I could possibly be able to go to your daughter's school." Sasuke started, going over the back-story in his mind once more while holding back a gag. He should've and would've backed down from this mission if Naruto hadn't said he could complete a mission of the same level before him.
The dobe will be the death of him.
Mrs. Haruno grinned, nodding in agreement. "Actually yes I have."
He rolled his dark eyes, subtly, just so that he was releasing his own annoyance. "My father, Fugaku Uchiha, owns a business that' s pretty popular in Ame. Do you know of it?"
"I do. It's quite successful actually and, wow, that's just amazing that you're his son and you're here—"
Sasuke stared blankly at her before continuing, clearing his throat. "Anyway, the way it goes in the family is: the oldest gets full right to the company. Now, before I had nothing to worry about; I have an elder brother, Itachi," an almost sick smirk twisted onto his face, "and he's homosexual."
The woman's dark green eyes widened. "Oh, dear, don't tell me your father decided not to give your brother the business because of his sexual orientation!"
Sucker…
Sasuke put on a sad face, "Exactly so, I'm afraid. Itachi has his own preferences, and my father would rather not have the tabloids raging about him having a gay son. It's bad for the image, apparently. That left me to have the CEO position at the business; only problem is…," he weighed his hands like a scale, "I'm—"
Just then, steps hunkered down the stairs, a girl with red and puffy pastel eyes, depressed paled skin, and pink hair that was so disoriented he had to wonder what was going on in her room. Nonetheless, she wasn't ugly. Actually, very pretty, even if she managed to look a tad bit better throwing up the other night, she wasn't an eyesore—even with the pink hair. She was dressed in a robe, bunny slippers on her small feet when she scuttled straight to her mother, a pout on her lips.
"Yes, mother?" She mumbled, arms hanging desperately at her sides. Sasuke then noticed the array of smudged nail polish on her finger nails, the black mascara running down her face. She had been crying about something.
Mrs. Haruno acted startled at the appearance of her daughter, then ashamed. "S-Sorry about Sakura, Sasuke-san. She must be upset about something, why don't you guys just introduce yourselves and, um, then I'll show you to your room."
Sasuke nodded, standing up and sticking out his hand. "Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke," he introduced.
Sakura took his hand weakly, "Hi. I'm Sakura. Don't think I'm being rude but why are you here?" She stared at him with analytical eyes, wondering where he had seen him before, or at least why he seemed so familiar.
"Oh! Sorry, I forgot to mention," her mother said interrupting Sakura's staring session, pulling her away and around a corner. "Remember when your father said that a student might be staying with us, and they might be going to school with you?"
The rosette nodded, sniffling. "Yeah, but, he's a guy and my school is an all-girl school."
"Sasuke-san is gay."
….
Sakura spooned some soup into her mouth while she watched 'Sasuke' carry his bags into his room, the one across from hers, and next to the bathroom. She watched him walk, looking completely normal, not an extra switch of the hip or anything un-guy-like. She analyzed him carrying the luggage, how heavy they obviously were and how easily he was lifting them, not a drop of sweat rolling from his brow. He, whenever he talked, sounded if anything monotone, not a girlish hint in the deep baritone.
The only thing that even remotely related him to gay was his sense of style and his hair. And most straight guys took care of their hair and knew how to dress anyway!
"Are you really gay?" She found herself asking out of nowhere, once Sasuke had finished making his bed with dark navy sheets. Even his favorite color was complete male.
Ugh.
Sasuke glanced at her, "Why would I lie about that?"
She watched when he sat on the bed, and how he lied down, pulling a Sports Illustrated from off the nightstand and flipping through it. This was really the guest room, and the last guest that was here was a big sport head. He left the magazine.
"I don't know. Why wouldn't you?"
He closed the magazine momentarily, eyeing her with narrowed obsidian eyes. "I don't know. Why would I?"
Sakura huffed. "Fine. You're innocent until proven guilty so…listen." Tears brimmed her eyes, "My boyfriend just broke up with me and tonight is usually our date night, so, since you're my new housemate, and I always wanted a gay best friend, do you want to hang out?"
"No."
The rosette frowned. "But it's Saturday."
"And tomorrow it'll be Sunday."
She turned on her heel, heading toward her bedroom. "Whatever. I'll be right back."
….
Sasuke stared at the pictures in the book with as much interest as he could possibly muster. Which was absolute zero.
The girl had a scrapbook of her memories with her ex-boyfriend, whom she was only with for three-months. The woman was crying over every single picture, recalling the memories shared with each.
She pointed at one, where she was at a carnival with this Sai person, a huge teddy bear in her hands, a smile painting her face.
"You look beautiful," He said absently, mouth working before his mind could process. As soon as he completed the last syllable he regretted it, for she grinned through her tears, the same bright smile.
Sasuke averted his gaze from the picture, and to the window, looking at the falling sunset.
"Really, you mean it?" Sakura asked, poking his shoulder. "You swear on the life of all the gummy bears in the world? I look better than butt-Sai right?"
He almost said, "What do I look like judging other boys?" but then he remembered. He was supposed to be judging other guys.
He sighed, "Sure you do."
"Thanks! You just made me feel so much better because I once had a friend, not really a friend, but, whatever, that said that Sai was so out of my league, and, well," She blushed, "it just feels good to hear someone else say that that's not true. That I was beautiful, even if they're not into girls. So, um, thank you, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke nodded, closing the album for that was the last page anyway. "Don't mention it."
Sakura smiled again before she yawned, grasping her book again. "Wells, I'm tired, so I'll see you in the morning, I guess."
...
It was nearly four in the morning when Sasuke's phone finally rang. He answered it, quickly awaking and grabbing the black iPhone.
"Hello?" He answered with a slightly groggy voice.
Kakashi's laugh filled his ears. "How was the first day, Sasuke?"
"It would've been nice to know that it was the same house from yesterday. The girl isn't stupid."
"Oh, no?" Silly sarcasm laced his tone, and Sasuke glared into empty space. "Shut up, Kakashi."
"Don't throw a fit, Sasuke!"
"Fuck up."
"Before you bust a nerve in your spoiled-Uchiha-boy upset…did you get any progress today in finding anything?"
The teen smirked. "Yep. The Dad is out doing house calls all this month and I found out that his daughter is—"
"Hot?"
Sasuke hung up the phone. It's not even worth it.
A/N: First, Itachi isn't really gay, it was part of Sasuke's lie. Second, I know it offends some people, and, seriously, being so stereotypical hurts me, too! But, I wouldn't know. I don't know that many gay people, LOL.
Um…that's all, then!
Review!
~KeepItLEGIT (Ryan)
