Naruko woke up to her alarm clock and rubbed her eyes gently allowing her body to adjust waking up. Iruka called for her making her aware breakfast was made. She put a bra on and went downstairs to a big plate of mashed potatoes and eggs, her favorite. She devoured the plate and muttered a Thank You to Iruka and trudge up the stairs to get ready. She threw on a pair of jeggings, her red Toms and a red v-neck. She curled the bottom of her hair and put mascara on and left the house waiting for Iruka to get in the car.
When she arrived at school she hurried to first period and realized she was getting funny looks. Then it hit her. She was wearing all her new clothes. Everyone had been used to her wearing baggy pants and baggy shirts with an old pair of beaten down Nikes. No one had really seen her in tight clothing that flattered her body. She let out a small smile to herself and walked into her Psychology class that she had with all guys, including Sasuke. She was literally the only girl.
As she walked in she noticed the stares. Even the teacher was staring. She sat down and opened her book shifting uncomfortably due to the height of male attention.
"You look pretty today Naruko." Rock Lee said with a smile on his face.
"Thanks Lee." Naruko replied, also smiling.
For the rest of the class period she would catch each guy taking a glance at her and then looking away. At the end of the period she found her and Sasuke being the last ones in class. As she got up Sasuke grabbed her arm and turned her around so they were face to face only inches apart.
"Lee was right, you do look pretty today." Sasuke said and he left the room not even giving her the chance to thank him for the random and rare compliment. Now that she thought about it, she had never heard Sasuke give any girl a compliment. She brushed it off as the new clothes and walked to second period.
The day seemed to pass quickly and before she knew it Naruko was sitting in fourth period.
"From now on you'll be sitting next to you partner." Kakashi said and everyone moved next to their partner.
Naruko closed her eyes in frustration and got up and moved next to Sasuke who gave her a small smile. She took her seat and the class began our new lesson. The period went by just as fast as all of the other ones and then the bell rung. It was by far the quickest school day Naruko had experienced. Everyone got up out of their seats and left the classroom in a hurry for various reasons. Again it was just Naruko and Sasuke at the end of class.
The raven turned around so quickly that Naruko bumped into him and fell to the ground embarrassed. She frantically started gathering her things and Sasuke bent down to help only getting his hands shoved away.
"I've got it. Sorry I bumped into you." Naruko said harshly. She knew it was useless being nice to someone who looked at you in disgust every day of your life.
"It was my fault." Sasuke whispered.
Naruko looked up at him in wonder why he whispered and found herself locking eyes with him. They stared at each other for what seemed like years but in reality was only a few seconds but it's like when they both saw each other, they really saw each other. She saw the pain in his eyes and the inner battle he was fighting. He saw the sadness and loneliness in her eyes and all the hate he built up inside of him for her washed away in that instant.
"Uh, anyways. I better get going." Naruko shot out, breaking the silence and the lingering gaze the two held. She got up off the ground and speed walked out of the class only to trip and fall before she even got to the hallway.
Sasuke walked over to the pouting girl and held out his hand. Naruko saw the kind gesture and raised her hand to his. He grabbed hers gently an lifted her effortlessly off the ground. She smiled and quickly ran to Iruka's classroom.
"Why are your cheeks all red?" Iruka asked.
"Nothing!" Naruko shouted and turned around blushing even harder.
"Oh okay. " Iruka said being completely oblivious to teenage girl language.
"Hey Dad, I think I'm going to walk home today." Naruko said knowing she needed thinking time.
"Okay, just be home in time for dinner. I'm cooking ramen." Iruka said with a smile.
Naruko nodded and walked out of the school inhaling the freshness of the mountain air. She walked over to the local coffee shop knowing she had about 5 hours to spare and knowing it was only a 20 minute walk home. When she arrived she saw Ino and Sakura sitting down drinking strawberry smoothies. The girls noticed Naruko and waved her over to where they were sitting.
Naruko slowly walked over to them fearing ridicule but only getting polite compliments.
"You look really cute Naruko! Why the sudden change in style?" Sakura asked with a bright genuine smile across her face.
"I didn't want to look like a guy anymore." Naruko stated and heard the girls begin to laugh.
"That's definitely a good reason." Ino giggled out.
Naruko smiled and took a seat at their table.
"You know I never really thought you had any potential but obviously I was wrong." Sakura said.
Naruko winced at the harsh words but simply just nodded.
"You should definitely hang out with us more." Ino said and then the two gave Naruko a small hug and left exchanging numbers.
Naruko grinned to herself and found a funny feeling begin to rise in her stomach. It was the feeling she's strived for years now to achieve. Acceptance. It was the best feeling she could've asked for now that she was nearing her senior year in high school. She pulled out her 500 page packet and started the last of it. She sighed knowing that the only contact her and Sasuke would ever have again from now on is the exchanging of their packets. It sucked.
"Naruko?"
Naruko looked up at the familiar voice calling her name. It was no one other than Sasuke Uchiha.
"Hi." Naruko said in a weird childish voice.
"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.
"Oh I just didn't feel like going home yet. What about you?" Naruko asked pleasantly surprised by their ease in holding a conversation.
"No one's at my house anyways so it's not like it matters whether I'm there or I'm here." Sasuke sighed.
"Oh." Naruko said understanding exactly how he felt. She remembered the days before Iruka adopted her in the foster home. She cringed and left her past in her past and returned back to the present.
Sasuke looked at the sky and closed his eyes relaxing his face making all the stress leave his face. The hardly noticeable bags fade away and his tense posture completely diminish.
Naruko examined his entire body that very minute and realized how beautiful the sacred Uchiha really was. She stopped herself from developing an even bigger crush on the raven and looked back at her packet.
"Do you want to work on it together?" Sasuke asked, slowly opening his eyes to see the blonde hard at work with her pencil in her mouth looking intensely at the problems obviously deep in thought.
She looked up at Sasuke and saw him looking at her and blushed. "No, we can just exchange it like you said yesterday." She said knowing not to cave to the sudden niceness.
"Oh okay." Sasuke said a little surprised she turned him down. He had never been turned down before and found it a bit awkward.
The two sat there, not talking, for another hour and Naruko barely noticed Sasuke leave. He hadn't even said goodbye and she honestly didn't care. She finished her part of the packet and left straight for home just remembering how beautiful his face was.
