Red and white. The colors of a crest that is all that's left of his parents. When he was young, the crest was the image of pride to him. Now it's a solemn image that hangs on the wall behind the portrait of his once-happy family.
Sakura got up early in the morning, determined to make the best impression she could for her first day of school. At breakfast, she reviewed her mental map of the school and which ways were the best routes to get from her locker to her classes. The image of the two boys she'd met yesterday flashed in her mind, and she couldn't help but smile. Even though one had been loud and boisterous, and the other quiet and uninterested, she couldn't help but enjoy their company.
Suddenly, she remembered the uniforms they wore. The burgundy red pants and white shirts with the school logo (some sort of leaf or snail-looking thing) etched into the front pocket. She doesn't remember picking up a uniform yesterday, nor does she recall her parents inquiring about one at the office.
She finished breakfast and headed upstairs. The house was new-looking, with only a few boxes lying around. Her parents had made quick work of unpacking after the movers settled all the furniture in. Opening the door to her room, Sakura couldn't help but feel it was bit...impersonal. There wasn't anything you'd expect in a regular 17-year-old's room. There were no posters or photos of friends. Her desk was tidy and with nothing but a lamp and a cup of pens. She strides over to the closet and pulls at the sliding door. Sakura can't help but think her mom might have used her hospitalization as an opportunity to get rid of some of the clothes she didn't approve of, because her closet looked so empty even though she'd unpacked everything already, and Sakura could swear she should own more clothes than what was there.
Sakura sighs and starts shuffling around, trying to find something to wear. She's in the middle of a stare-off with her shoe rack when her mother knocks on the door. Her mom is already dressed and ready for work, but instead of a brief case in her hands, there's a clothing bag that looks like it just came back from the dry cleaners. Mrs. Haruno sets it on the bed and tells her daughter to hurry and get dressed before she strides out of the room.
Inside the clothing bag is a neatly pressed Konoha High School uniform. There's a burgundy skirt, blazer, sleeveless vest, and tie, with a white collared shirt and knee high socks. Even though she was certain she'd never seen it before, she couldn't help but feel that it was too familiar to be new after she'd put it on. She slipped on a pair of black flats and grabbed her bag. She took one last glance in the mirror and pushed her hand through her short pink hair. Then it was off to the car so her mom could drive her to school.
Naruto bounced on his feet impatiently as he waited by the front gate. Sasuke leaned against the fence, hands in his pockets as usual. The eager blond had dragged Sasuke out of the house early that morning so they might be able to walk Sakura to class, but the October air was frigid that particular morning, and after watching the dobe dance around in the cold for too long, he'd had enough. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm and started dragging him towards the building.
"You'll see her soon enough, dobe."
"Aw, Sasuke, don't you want to see her too? I have homeroom with her, but you won't see Sakura-chan until writing class!" Naruto half whined, half teased. He knew Sasuke would be a bit jealous that Naruto would be the first to spend time with Sakura. He knew that Sasuke wanted to see her just as much as he did.
And that's how Sasuke ended up sitting in Naruto's homeroom ten minutes before the bell. Sasuke could hear girls murmur in confusion and glee as he sat in a class he wasn't assigned to. Sasuke scanned the room and noticed that he didn't know many of the faces here. Konoha High was a big school, but Sasuke kept a mental record of whoever was important. No one here was really significant. They'd all see Sakura as just another new girl when she walked in, which he guessed was a good thing, since none of them would bother Sakura on her first day about memories that she didn't have. This situation was fine.
Until a certain platinum blonde made her way into the room. "Oh shit, I forgot Ino's in this class." Naruto said under his breath and he shot Sasuke a look. Sasuke stared back at him with a bit of panic.
Ino and Sakura were childhood friends turned sworn enemies in middle school. The two hated each other, as Sasuke recalled. Ino Yamanaka had followed the trio into the same high school freshman year and the two continued to torment each other, but she left sophomore year, months before Sakura's accident. She'd returned this year, still full of gossip and pompous flare. Ino's attitude had improved since back then, even if by a bit, but there was no telling how she would react to...
"Sakura!"
Naruto and Sasuke jumped out of their chairs in a rush of panic. Their looks of nervousness twisted into utter confusion as they watched Sakura and Ino squeal as they threw their arms around each other in a friendly embrace.
"Ino, I had no idea you go here! How've you been?" Sakura beemed. Familiarity and happiness shined in her emerald eyes as the two broke apart.
Ino squeezed Sakura's hands in her own, "This is crazy, Sakura! You should have told me where you where going to school! I haven't seen you in F.O.R.E.V.E.R. And look at your hair! It looks so much better now!"
The two girls laughed and smiled as they caught up .They seemed like the best of friends and continued chatting for a couple of minutes. Sakura turned her eyes for a second and caught Naruto and Sasuke gawking at them. She gave a friendly wave to them then turned back to Ino, "I'll be right back!"
"I'll save you a seat!" Ino's steps were practically skips as she made her way to her usual desk.
"Sasuke-kun, I thought you were in a different homeroom class? N-not that I'm complaining about you being here or anything like that!" her voice was still sweet and happy.
Just as he was about to respond, the first bell rang. Sasuke wanted to stay, but it was already abnormal that he wasn't early to class. He didn't want to make it worse by showing up late. "Later." He said as he made his way against the crowd of students entering the room.
Naruto decided to sit behind Sakura instead of his normal seat. At first, Ino didn't like the extra company, but eventually she was able to ignore his presence.
The class was halfway over and Naruto had barely gotten to say a word to Sakura. He waited and grumbled and he listened to the two girls have their own hushed conversation amongst the rest of the quiet chatting in the room.
"Ooooh so that's what was wrong with that Gaara kid. Y'know, when I first heard about him, I thought he belonged more in a jail than a hospital."
Hospital? Oh yeah, that's right. Naruto had heard the rumors but he hadn't cared enough to ask. So it was true then that Ino was hospitalized over the summer.
"Well, he's changed now! The way he's going, you can tell he can be a great leader, Ino." Sakura defended all the friends she'd met during therapy.
"Okay, okay, I believe you! Let's move onto something more interesting. I mean, it's great that they're doing great, but I don't always like to relive my hospital days." Ino pretended to shudder, but Sakura understood.
"Alright then. How's the love life going, Ino-pig?" Sakura grinned and propped her head up on her hands.
"Well, as a matter of fact, there's this guy-" Ino beemed and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
Naruto made a "blargh" sound and tuned his ears out. Great. Girl talk.
Sasuke had walked in just before attendance for his first class. He was determined not to have to same happen second period. He sat at his usual spot in the writing class. Iruka was writing page numbers and instructions on the chalkboard. Just as Sasuke was about to open his textbook, he heard a familiar giggle followed by that unmistakeable sweet voice.
"I can assure you Naruto, my hair is one hundred percent natural! You saw my father yesterday, didn't you? I don't think any business man in his right mind goes and dyes his hair any shade of pink!"
"I don't know, it could be a pretty convincing business strategy if you're in, I dunno, a bubblegum business or something like that!" Naruto was making stupid remarks with his usual stupid grin. Sakura gave another short laugh.
It's not like Sasuke was craving to be included or anything. He just wanted the two to stop talking so loudly in the middle of the room. "Oi, dobe, over here." Sasuke called their attention. Sakura gave a polite smile, but Sasuke still kept his cool guy facade. Feeling a bit unwelcome, she was about to turn to sit somewhere else-
"Ne ne, Sakura-chan, sit here with us! I know he looks mean, but I swear he doesn't bite!" Naruto pinched Sasuke's cheeks in an attempt to turn his scowl into a smile, but Sasuke shot the blond a glare full of daggers. Naruto gulped "At least, he doesn't bite MOST of the time, hehe." He released Sasuke's face and motioned for Sakura to take a seat between the two of them.
Halfway through the class, Naruto was asleep. The words of Shakespeare didn't enthrall him in the least. Sakura, however, was taking attentive notes, while Sasuke scrawled something important down every now and then. Iruka sensei took a look at the clock and put down the book he'd been reading to the class.
"Alright, that's all we'll cover for today. You can use this time to work on you're projects. Remember, the deadline may be two weeks away right now, but keep telling yourself that and soon enough the due date will creep up on you!" Iruka eyed several students slumped over their desks. He walked over to Naruto's desk and slammed a hand down on the surface, forcing the blond to jolt awake in surprise, "And let me remind you all that working in pairs is a privilege. Don't let me catch you guy slacking off!" Naruto grumbled to himself and yawned.
The class seemed to rearrange itself as project partners moved desks and picked up on yesterday's work. Sakura looked around the room and then to her teacher, "Ah, Iruka sensei?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry Sakura! I forgot you just got here. Hm, I don't want you to not be included... who shall you work with..." Iruka looked around the room and put a hand to his chin.
"She can work with us..." Sasuke volunteered.
"Well, I originally wanted only groups of two..." Iruka glanced over at Naruto who still had drool left on his face from his nap, "but I think I can make an exception. I'm expecting good work from you guys!"
Iruka walked back to his own desk and Sakura turned happily to her new groupmate, "Thank you, Sasuke-kun!"
"Hn" Sasuke's mouth was expressionless, but somehow, Sakura could tell his eyes said "No problem" and this made her all the more happy. "Okay, so what are we working?"
"Yeah, what ARE we working on?" Naruto asked, still a bit dazed. Sasuke and Sakura sighed.
The next two weeks passed without incident. The faculty had made it clear to the students about Sakura's condition, and no one had caused much fuss about it. It wasn't too difficult, accounting for the fact that only about nine people in their grade knew Sakura before high school. Aside from her noticeable rosy pink hair, she blended in with the rest of the student body.
As much as Naruto and Sasuke (though he'd never admit it) tried to keep Sakura by their side at all times, they were helpless when Ino pulled her away for their regular girl talk. It annoyed the two boys, but seeing Sakura's happy smile made them unable to steal her back.
The due date for the trio's project came and went. Sasuke and Sakura's efforts were displayed in a well-written essay, as well as a performance by Naruto (he'd acted out various characters from the plays the his groupmates had researched) which left the class in a riot of laughter.
Days passed after the project, and Sakura noticed a group of girls glancing at her as she waited in the cafeteria line with Ino.
"What's with them?"
Ino followed Sakura's eyes, "Oh, that's Sasuke's unofficial fanclub." The line moved and the two girls slid there trays along, "Hey Sakura, you gotta be careful, okay? Sasuke Uchiha is a very popular guy around here, I'm sure you noticed. Watch your back around his fans. The whole lot of them are pretty irrational."
Ino was serious, and it made Sakura serious too. Sakura nodded her head and took one last glance at the group of girls before continuing to slide her tray down the line.
Study hall was always very quiet. There was no Naruto jumping about, and no Ino giving her the latest gossip. Sakura sat down and started flipping through her notebook. She saw out of the corner of her eye black hair as someone else settled into the seat next to her.
Sasuke made no sound nor afford no greeting, but he was always sure to be at her side whenever it was just the two of them and no Naruto or Ino around. He took out his own books and started on some assigned reading.
Sakura really did enjoy his company, even if he seemed distant and a bit moody. For the life of her, she couldn't comprehend why such a popular guy would make such an effort when he hadn't even known her for that long. She watched his face as his onyx eyes fixed themselves on the page in front of him. His bangs hung over his forehead. The rest of his hair was naturally spiked in the back of his head. Each raven strand seemed to fall perfectly into place as they framed his face. Sakura marveled a bit. His parents must be proud of their work on this one.
"Do you need something?" Sasuke looked up from his book. Green eyes met black, and Sakura couldn't keep her heart from jumping inside her chest.
"Ah, I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean t-to stare um..." She took a breath and tried to restrain the blush that had already began to creep onto her face, "Er, Sasuke-kun, I really do appreciate you being so kind to me and keeping me company, but you don't have to force yourself to stick around me..." She really did like it when he was by her side, but for some strange reason, the thought "annoying" rang in her mind whenever it was just them. And she really didn't want to be annoying.
"Is there a problem?" He'd put his book down and now his full body was turned towards her.
"Ah no, it's just-"
"Do you not like me being around?"
"No not at all! I just don't want to bother-"
"Well, you're not, so stop worrying!" The look on his face was different from usual. It wasn't just his eyes that expressed his emotions this time. His mouth was bent in a frown that said not to doubt his motives.
At the sight of his genuine emotion, Sakura couldn't help but feel a bit honored, and a small smile crept onto her face, "Alright. Thank you, Sasuke-kun."
Author's notes
I'm not too good with dialogue ergh...At least it's moving a bit. I'll keep working at it...
