Shikamaru: You let something slip last chapter.
Me: Intentionally. Besides, it wasn't me, it was Sasuke. He didn't mean to though, his thoughts were in turmoil.
Shikamaru: Yeah, I knew you'd say that.
Me: Hrmph. Brainiac.
Chapter 2
Tuesdays. I hate them. One should think Mondays are the worst days of the week. But no, not with a goddamned caring mother hen of a brother such as mine. Tuesday is our vegetarian day. So it's no animal products whatsoever. Which means muesli with soy milk for breakfast. And I hate that stuff. And he knows that I hate it. But he still insists. It's only for your best, Sasuke. I can still hear his kindhearted words ringing in my ears. Same business as every Tuesday, so what. It can't be helped. I'm stuck with a kindhearted natureloving corporationleading mambojambo of a brother. With a new age hippie as a girlfriend. I still love him though. Maybe he can get the nice soft little white room on the other side of Gaara's. Would deserve him right, for getting me a hybrid car on my birthday. Pah!
But I still have the issue with the awful taste in my mouth at hand. Really, can it get any worse? Tofu in a muesli? So sloshing water in my mouth in the boys bathroom sounds like an awfully good plan to me. Whoa, what was this little blond fluffball that ran past me? Right into the boys bathroom. Oh great, the looser. Hooray, and here I was, thinking that I don't have to think about him anymore. No such luck for poor Sasuke. Boo hoo. I'm pondering shortly if I should let it be but the taste in my mouth is really awful so against better judgement I go into the bathroom shortly after him.
He stands at the sink, scrubbing furiously at a rather large pink splash on his shirt, muttering under his breath. Must've been a water bomb filled with paint. A rather low prank in my opinion. At the sound of the door closing he looks up. As his little brain registers who is standing in front of him, his eyes get large and he freezes on the spot. Great, just yesterday, after dinner, I decided to ignore him for the rest of my time in school – or better yet, for the rest of my entire life – and now he is standing here, looking at me like a lamb that has just gotten its death sentence and is blocking the only fucking functioning sink.
"You're in my way." I growl. Immediately he jumps back, mumbling a soft "Sorry." I take my time washing the taste out of my mouth. Better, much better. But still, I can feel him staring at my back. I look at him through the mirror, not even bothering to turn over. "What." He flinches at the sound of my voice. His voice is very soft as he answers, almost a whisper. "Thank you for yesterday. Yo-you know, in the cafeteria a-and in the art room."
God, this gets worse by the minute. What does he want? I glare very hard at him. "That was no proposal for friendship,… looser. I just wanted to eat my lunch in peace without a fucking circus going on. So stop wasting my time with this. And don't talk to me again!" He lowers his head, letting wisps of his blond hair fall in front of his face. "I-I supposed that much. A-anyway, thanks." God, how much I want to pummel him right at this moment. With a growl that almost turns into a yell I leave the bathroom before something really bad happens.
"Oi, Sasuke!" Oh great, Kiba. I look at him, a mask of indifference perfectly in place on my face. "You seen that little piece of shit?"
"Hn. No." What the fuck? Again? Why? Arrgh, am I becoming a saint?
"Fuck, I can't find him. Well, class starts soon. Think I have to wait for him at lunch again. See ya."
"Whatever." I take a look at the disappearing Kiba, than at the bathroom door, at Kiba again, shrug and walk off to my first class.
(Narutos POV)
Perfect Uchiha bastard! Friendship proposal my ass! I hate you. I just wanted to thank you. Why the fuck am I crying again? What the hell is wrong with this bloody paint! GEROFF DAMMIT!!
"Oi, Sasuke!" I freeze. Oh no, Inuzuka. Please no. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. I start to shiver, cold sweat running down my back.
"You seen that little piece of shit?" God, please no. He's so pissed he will tell him. I can feel my tears flowing freely over my ruined face.
"Hn. No." I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the bathroom door to open…WHAT? My eyes almost fall out of my head. HE SAID WHAT?
"Fuck, I can't find him. Well, class starts soon. Think I have to wait for him at lunch again. See ya." I can't believe it. I fucking can't believe it. He saved me. He lied to his friend. Uchi-Sasuke SAVED me.
"Whatever." THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!!!!!!!
I sit down gracefully next to my dozing best friend. "What, no 'ploff' today?" Okay, scratch the best friend.
"And why do you insist I should fall on my seat with a 'ploff' this morning?" I try to ask with as much sugar in my voice as I can. He snickers again, than continues his trademark arm mumbling. "Because you lied to Kiba about the whereabouts of his little blond punching ball?"
"How come you know this shit almost sooner than me?"
"Dunno. Must have something to do with me being a genius."
"Brainiac."
"Mannequin." Ouch, that hurt. Okay, I may not have his IQ but I definitely have the better grades. I playfully swat the back of his head. He only grunts.
"Mr. Uchiha, no manhandling in my class." Oh great, Asuma-sensei with as perfect a timing as ever. My so-called best friend snickers again.
"And no sleeping either, Mr. Nara." Now it's my time to snicker.
"Oh, what a drag."
It's almost twenty minutes later that the looser makes his entrance. I swear, he's always dead last. Always. Now it comes. The class is already laughing because of his wet shirt that still has some pink stains on it. Between the laughter words like 'Gay boy' and 'Fag' can be heard. Asuma-sensei looks at him sternly, shakes his head and motions for the looser to take his seat. He carefully avoids Kiba or any of his goons. That means he has to pass me to get there. Shika only looks at him, raising an eyebrow. Just as the looser is about to slip past me, I start to whisper. "You know, you really are a dobe." He stops, looks at me, his head a bit tilted to the side with a puzzled look on his face, gives me a shy smile and rushes to his place. Last row, at the window. Every classroom, every year. From the corner of my eye I could see Shika eying me from the corner of his eyes. "Am I right or am I right. You just gave Uzumaki a new nickname." It was more a statement than an question, the conversation tone a low whisper since Asuma-sensei hates talking in his class.
"Well, looser tends to get a bit old." And a bit too harsh. But I'd rather disembowel myself with a fruit knife than to admit that to anyone, thank you very much. Shika smirks. Oh well, scratch the knife, he really is a genius after all.
Lunch Break
I hate Tuesdays. I really do. I know I sound like a scratched record but, please, give me a break. Celery and carrots? And what is this? A TOFU BURGER? WITH MATZO? (Authors notice: Don't get me wrong. Personally I like Matzo. Really, I do) Shit, I'm fucked. Not even Chouji's gonna eat this! And no snack machine either today because somehow Itachi will know. I don't know how he pulls this stunt off but he will know. Sighing in defeat I grab a carrot and start to nibble on it. "Oh Sasuke-kuuun, so cute. You so look like a pouting little fluffy-bunny with this." Yeah right, I just needed that. On my left Shika's trying very hard to suppress a laughter. Across from me sits Chouji, his hand frozen in midair, not even chewing anymore. Slowly I turn to my right. I knew it. Here comes Miss Forehead, with her pink hair and her oh-look-I-am-just-soooooooo-cute-and-adorable fake smile. I suppress the sudden urge to throw up all over her and decide to ignore her. Great, really great. All I need now is…
CLANG PONG
"Hey looser! Lost your lunch!?"
I close my eyes in frustration. The dobe really is that dense. Shika isn't laughing anymore. To my surprise, neither is Sakura. In her eyes I see something akin to…sympathy? Wow, that's rare. And I thought she hated his guts. I refuse to turn around. Instead I focus on my carrot. It's orange. Like the dobes T-Shirt. Ugh! No, bad thoughts! The whole of the cafeteria is cheering Kiba on again. There comes the impact. SMACK! There comes the outcry. AOUUHAAAH! I can't stand this any longer. This voice crying out in pain. I stand up and turn around. I'm in shock.
"Kiba, did you really just hit him with a telescope baton?"
The dobe just lies there, whimpering, holding his left arm. Kiba towers over him. He doesn't even turn around.
"Yeah, Sasuke. It's a new toy. I have to try it, ne?" He raises his arm for another strike, aiming at the head this time. Before I even think about it I rush towards my friend and grab his arm.
"Kiba, don't! You're gonna be expelled!"
Kiba laughs. "You think the principal's gonna throw me out because of this looser? This piece of shit? Me? The star quarterback?" Shit, he's right. Think Sasuke, think fast. I can see the dobe lying there, looking at me with those god damn big blue eyes, with tears in it and… hope?
Before I even realise it, I open my mouth, tongue faster than my brain. "Stop it Kiba. The piece of trash's not worth it." I snap my mouth shut. Shit! What have I said? I turn my head to Naruto and the reality of what I've said and done comes crashing down on me with full force as I see him. His eyes are dead, totally and absolutely devoid of life. On his face I can clearly see hurt… and hopelessness. Before I can say anything to him he scrambles to his feet and runs out of his hellhole, the cafeteria. Kiba laughs heartily and slaps me on the shoulder. "HAHAHAHAHA! You're right, Sasuke. Could've broken it on that thick skull of his!" From my table I can hear Shika groan and I can see Chouji slowly shaking his head, averting my eyes.
That's when I snapped. I take a step back and yell at Kiba. "What the hell is wrong with you? You could've killed him! I just wish you could give him a break for once!" I turn around and run after the dobe. I don't even listen to what Kiba yells back at me.
FUCK!! Where is he? He wasn't in the art room. He wasn't in the bathrooms. Wait a minute. Bathroom! Gaara used to have a hideout in the defunct teachers bathroom on the third floor, smoking and doing whatever else little reheaded psychos are doing in their hideouts. I run upstairs, taking two or three steps at once until I reach my destination. There I stop to catch my breath. I can hear sobs from the inside and water splashing. Slowly, as not to frighten him, I open the door. There he stands, tears flowing down his still rather boyish face, dripping down his chin to mix with the cold water he uses to cool his left arm. He tenses a bit as he sees me but other than that he chooses to ignore me. At this point I will my rather stubborn Uchiha pride to go away and stick its head up somewhere unpleasant and approach him slowly. Hn, is he really about two inches smaller than me?
"Hey look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said back there…" At that he jerks around and screams at me.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I know you meant it! Every single word! You're the same as them! NO! YOU'RE EVEN WORSE! One day you act decent, even nice, this morning you save me! But it was all JUST SOME CRUEL JOKE! Give the looser some hope, then take it away AND BREAK HIM COMPLETELY!!" He takes a step back to the wall and slides down, a miserable little heap on the floor. His eyes are closed but the tears still run down. "God, I hate you. I hate you all. What have I ever done to you? What did I do to deserve this?"
Shit, what do I do? I'm no good at this. I can't comfort people. My brother's the expert in this.
So I open my mouth. Bad choice. Again. "Look, if I haven't stepped in, he could have killed you."
"So what? You should've let him. At least then it would've been over. Everything's better than this life."
You know what? I opened my mouth again. Obviously a bad choice. Again. But I didn't care at this moment because I was furious. I turn to the side and punch the wall with all my strength. The pain is rippling through my hand but it is welcome. I turn back around and scream at him. "Don't give me this bull! Every life's worth living! Every single one! And it's definitely NOT YOUR CHOICE WHEN TO END IT!!! God damn, think about your parents before you say crap like this!" At my words Naruto jumps up again.
"You know nothing about me!!! My mother died giving birth to me and my father couldn't stand the thought of being one day without her and shot himself. I'LL BE GLAD TO DIE SO I COULD SEE THEM AGAIN!! The only reason why I'm still here is my one and only friend who is in the mental ward for SAVING ME from having my face completely cut into stripes! You have your perfect life with your perfect brother in your perfect house! I HAVE NOT! I'm having one meal a day to save money to pay the train ride to visit my friend ONCE A WEEK! Now go away! Go back into your perfect world Uchiha because I don't need you in my hellhole of a life! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
I'm in a loss of words. Without saying anything more I stumble out of the bathroom. Fuck. I didn't know any of this. Compared with this me losing my parents at the tender age of 13 was like a piece of cake. And I still have my brother, a lot of friends and a lot of money. Shit. My whole little Sasuke-world was just flushed down the toilet. Ugh, I think my conscience just broke free.
I definitely don't know how but I managed to get to my English classroom. When I look like just how I feel at this moment than I am positive that I look like hell. I'm glad that I'm one of the first today. Well, at least Shika's here. He actually looks concerned. Not his hell-I-am-bored-out-of-my-mind-but-I-still-try-to-look-concerned-look but really concerned. Now I'm absolutely positive that I look like hell.
"What happened?"
Hmm, how do I say this? "We… talked."
"Yeah, right."
"Look, I just got a lot of information. Very heavy information. I need to process this input, okay? Oh, by the way, what did Kiba say after I left?"
Shika grins. "He said quote Hey Sasuke, take your holier-than-thou-attitude and stuff it in your bratty little rich-boy arse end quote."
"So he's mad."
"One could guess."
"Oh well, bad luck for him." Have I mentioned yet that I'm a natural born actor? This little chit-chat was only for changing the subject. Inside I'm really worried about the little dobe. And deep down I know it's all my fault.
One by one the other students are filing into class. Then Kiba comes in. I sigh. With his usual cocky grin he strides directly towards me.
"Oi Sasuke. I thought about what you said earlier. I'm going to let the looser get a bit of a rest."
"Really? Great."
"Hell No!" He laughs. "Just going back to fists and boots again so that little sissy won't get his scrawny little neck broken."
"Please Kiba, just let him alone."
"Fuck you, Uchiha. You his mother now or what?" With that he waltzes back to his place, nodding towards his girl, Ino. The rest of the class just watched our little argument, silently, most of them slightly amused about my sudden change of hearts. Or speculating about some elaborate and devious ploy of mine. Fuck them all. Still no sign of the dobe. Huh, oh great, here comes Sakura, my number one fangirl. I frown at her. As always she chooses to ignore it.
"Sasuke, have you found Naruto?" She really sounds worried. So once and this once only I choose to answer her. "Yes. And I talked to him. I think he will be back soon." I manage a reassuring smile. She nods, smiles back at me and walks back to her place.
Damn, 15 minutes and still no sign of the dobe. I hope he hasn't done something stupid. Mind, I don't break a sweat for Kakashi being late but I'm growing a bit restless. Shika grabs my arm and nods towards the door. I'm letting out a little sigh of relief. He hasn't done something stupid. He was waiting for Kakashi-sensei before walking into class. Said teacher ushered him in with some ridiculous shooing motions. I know why. To keep the class from making fun of the blond boy he instead makes them laugh at him. Hmm, he's wittier than I thought. I watch the dobe. He is still holding his left arm. That doesn't look good.
"Hey Uzumaki!" That was Ino. I look up surprised at her use of his given name. The dobe looks up too, even more surprised. And he keeps on walking. I see Kiba leisurely stretching his left leg out. Before I or anyone else can shout a warning the blonde tumbles over Kibas leg and falls down. Hard. Because he was holding his left arm with his right he wasn't able to catch his fall. Most of his bodyweight lands on his left arm and even worse his head connects with a hideous sound with the edge of the stairs. Immediately the whole class starts laughing again. But before I can even stand up to help him he rises again and hurries, albeit limping slightly, to his place, head low and wincing.
"Funny, Mr. Inuzuka, Miss Yamanaka. Very funny. Now that you have enjoyed your little prank and your laugh I'm sure you will enjoy your two weeks of detention just as much." Man, I've never seen Kakashi-sensei that pissed in my entire life.
"But Kakashi-sensei, it's not my fault that the looser's too dumb to look where he's walking."
"Enough!" Shit, the ice in this voice would make a fully grown grizzly turn tail and run whining to its mother. "Now it's three weeks. And one more word from any of you and you will face more dire consequences. I will not allow any attacks on another student in my classroom or in my vicinity. Is this understood." All and everyone of the students are nodding their affirmative. Except two. The dobe is too busy clutching his left arm. I'm too busy staring at the dobe. He starts shivering. Shit, the pain must be getting worse. He just sits there, clutching his arm, staring at it, watching it swell. And is shivering. I can only watch. Then I see it. A small red drop disconnecting from his chin and falling towards the floor. I watch its descending and its landing. It lands in a… "SHIT! He's bleeding!" I rush towards him and manage to catch him just as he starts to fall from his chair.
TBC
ME: I know. I'm very mean at the moment. Don't panic. It will get better. Eventually.
…
ME: Shikamaru is still sulking somewhere. Well, I have to go find him and apologize for earlier. So, Reviews please.
