A/N: This update was written and posted later than originally planned so I apologize but thank you SO much for all of the wonderful reviews. I'll be sure to give you all a special treat at the last chapter. ;)
Special thanks to Pilar Ann, the most dependable and creative reviewer ever!
The G-Series
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"I am pumped, WHOO!"
Sakura rolled her eyes at her best friend's tactics. Attracting track guys with her "interest" in the sport—so Ino-style.
"Oh, Saku, I wanna be there for moral support," Sakura mimicked in a squeaky voice she saw resembling to Ino before going back to her regular voice, "moral support my ass."
Ino glanced over at the pinkette with a grin before rolling her head back over to the groups of stretching guys on the track fields. Her beach blonde hair was styled into its regular high ponytail but delicately curled only to be combed through so it looked more natural and slightly messy like that "sexy bedhead" she was always ranting about. Ino went for the more natural make-up look that day and wore a baby blue hoodie that brought out her ocean blue eyes, a tight fitting black skirt and black heels Sakura was positive were humanly impossible to walk in—somehow Ino made it look natural though.
"This is morale support," Ino explained, eyeing a particularly yummy looking piece of man-meat, "seeing all of these hot track guys increases my morale."
Sakura shook her head in disapproval and left the bleachers to head to the Blossoms' section of the meet.
Ino made a point to wolf whistle at her best friend playfully and shout "nice ass runner number four!"
Sakura immediately flushed and adjusted her bags to clasp her hands over her backside, practically feeling the curious glances at her, runner four, backside. She made a mental note to embarrass Ino at school on Monday. She had a whole weekend to plot, oh the joys of Leaf High's schedule.
She reached her destination where the bulk of her team was chattering and stretching and tossed her bags carelessly by the lockers. If anyone were to steal anything all they'd get was a T-shirt and jeans—and maybe an outdated cellular device.
Sakura took deep breaths and bounced on the balls of her feet in attempt to shake the nervousness she felt suddenly brewing in the pit of her stomach. The All-Track Meet was one of the more important meets for track because the member with the best time would go to the Fire County competition and if they passed they would move on to the Honshu competition, then National competition, and the rarest would be in the International competition.
Leaf High was known to have the best soccer team but their track was pretty iffy. In fact, Leaf hadn't had a track member make it to International in about twenty years. Might Guy (the Blossoms' track coach) said he saw potential in this year's group though.
Maybe I can be the one to make it to International, prove all of the other schools that badmouth Leaf's track wrong...
"Oi," Sakura turned around at the oddly familiar voice and smiled softly when she recognized the bright orange and yellow.
"Hey, Naruto," She greeted, briefly noticing Sasuke wasn't with him… not that she cared of course.
Naruto just stood grinning at her with a suggestive look in his eyes.
"Sooo, rumor has it, number four, you're pretty packed back there if you kn—"
Naruto was promptly punched in the jaw.
"OW!"
"Ignore him. He's an idiot."
Sakura looked to her left to see Sasuke standing there as emotionless as usual with a black button-up top with sleeves scrunched up to his elbows, black skinny jeans (that luckily weren't too skinny 'cause that'd just be gross), black converse, and a white cast over his right arm.
Sakura immediately perked up at this.
"What happened?"
There was a pause.
"I fell off my roof."
…
"Um, what?"
Naruto finally seemed stable enough to speak and switched sides to stand by his best friend.
"Teme was totally being a creeper and watching people in trees but he's uncool so he tripped and fell."
Sasuke huffed.
"Only after you pushed me, dobe."
"I told you I thought you were my neighbor's evil squirrel!"
"Whoa, hold up," Sakura interrupted, preventing a fight with hurried hand motions.
"You're not running today?" She asked Sasuke.
Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"Well obviously not."
Sakura shot him a glare that read "don't be a smartass" before guilt took over her conscious. She didn't like seeing anyone injured, especially not people she knew—even if she didn't particularly like him. He was okay she guessed. But the point was if he didn't run today, and he had proved to her yesterday at lunch he was the whole school's best runner, then he wouldn't have a chance to place for the Fire County competition.
Then it dawned on her.
She was the second best runner, right after Sasuke.
And if Sasuke wasn't there the pressure was on her as Leaf's only chance to win.
Sasuke seemed to notice her mood change and hesitantly stepped forward to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder with the non-broken arm.
She looked up surprised at the gesture from someone like him. He still look stoic, though a slight pink tint dusted his cheeks and he avoided eye contact.
"Don't worry about it."
And with those simple words he left, Naruto literally skipping behind him giddily.
Sakura stood dazed for a moment, confused. She then shook her head and began bouncing on the balls of her feet again, this time for a different feeling in the bit of her stomach. A feeling she really wished she didn't have with Sasuke involved.
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Guy patted his student on the back supportively as her name was called.
"Make me proud, Haruno."
Sakura nodded and took her place in the line-up numbly. On the inside she didn't feel scared, nervous, excited, anything. She felt completely blank and void of all emotion as well as oblivious to the world around her yet so aware. So aware of the excitedly cheering fans, Ino and Naruto's loud "go Sakura-chan" chants, the stares from other track members, Guy's nervous lip biting behind her. She was blank and numb but aware on the inside, her outside, however, was not in such a state of shock. She was unconsciously shaking, knees weak, organs feeling light and airy as if they didn't even exist, her heart was thudding blaringly loud in her ears, and her palms were sweaty.
"Make me proud", what a terrible thing to say. That adds so much pressure…
Sakura vaguely realized she was in starting block position and vaguely realized a few moments later she was running.
Everything seemed to be in slow motion and the cheering of the crowds were a light buzz in her mind. Hurdles are a breeze when you're too nervous to realize you're doing them and muscle soreness doesn't seem so painful when you're too scared to notice you're running.
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"Great job, Sakura-san!"
"We knew you could do it!"
"You didn't let me down, Sakura."
Sakura blinked dumbly at the hoards of team members and even members of other teams she'd never talked to pulling her into a huge group hug.
The world was normal though a bit jittery from excitement but Sakura was still in a slight shock from winning. It took a full ten seconds of continuous compliments for something to click in her brain saying "hey, you won".
When it did click she finally grinned so wide it put Naruto to shame and managed to return a high-five from Rock Lee before blonde and blonde attacked her and knocked her off balance.
"SAKU-CHANNNN~!" Ino shouted dramatically, using those cheerleader lungs to permanently deafen anyone in a ten foot radius. Naruto wasn't much better with his "SAKURAAAAA-CHAN~".
Ino and Naruto scared most of the crowd away and Ino pulled Sakura over to the lockers to get her stuff while Naruto held on to Sakura's other arm like a vice singing "Sakura-chan is the best runner ever~".
Sakura giggled, feeling giddy and bubbly all over as she pulled her bags over her shoulder and followed the blabbering Ino to the parking lot.
It was dark by then, probably ten at night, but everyone was wide awake and buzzed as if they had just done crack.
"That was so cool how you jumped over that last hurdle!" Naruto said excitedly.
Sakura grinned again.
"Really?"
"Mhm," Ino interjected, "and you looked freakin' hot all sweaty and stuff hen you finished and omg those nice thighs and calves of yours without even wearing heels, I'm jealous."
Sakura laughed and practically skipped over to where Ino's baby blue Toyota Camry sat next to a shiny black Mercedes. Sakura felt a little envy for whoever had enough money for such a pretty and clean car with amazingly cool rims.
"Oi, teme!" Naruto called, walking over to the nice car while dragging Sakura who's arm he was still clutching.
Sasuke looked over from her spot leaning on the tree next to said expensive vehicle and nodded in greeting. He looked over Sakura for a moment while Naruto blabbered to him animatedly about the game and Ino backed him up with unnecessary details like Sakura's "sexy sweaty hair".
The two blondes then began to argue with each other over which move Sakura looked coolest doing and Sasuke took the distraction to step forward to Sakura and pull something out of his bag with his left arm and hand it over to Sakura.
The label on the bottle made her brighten instantly and she gratefully took the Lemon-Lime Gatorade, popping open the cap and drinking it immediately.
Somehow the sports drink was still cold which only made Sakura all the more cheerful.
"Thank you," She gasped out between gulps. A hundred meter hurdles can really wear a person out…
Sasuke nodded and motioned to his (freakin' awesome) shiny black car.
"Need a ride?"
OMG YESSS! With a car as freakin' awesome as that! Your family must be the rulers of Mars or something to give their teenage son such a flippin' awesome-sauce car!
"No thank you, Crippled," Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the nickname, "I came here with Ino so I'd hate to just di-…"
Sakura blankly stared at the Camry speeding down the road with two laughing blondes inside. In place of where the car used to be, aside from skid marks and exhaust was a small sheet of paper.
Sakura sighed and squatted to pick up the little white sheet.
Have fun with Sasuke in his awesome car, you can thank me later.
-Ino
Sakura groaned and turned to the passenger's side door a smirking Sasuke was already holding open with his good arm.
"Such nice friends you have." He said sarcastically as he got in on his side.
Sakura shot him a glare.
"Naruto is your friend, thank you, and I'm not above dying just to wreck your pretty little Mercedes in a ditch, Rich Boy."
Sasuke shrugged and backed out of the crowded parking lot with ease.
"Mother would just buy me a new one anyway."
"You suck."
"...heh."
"Not like that!
Sakura flushed at the implied statement and glared out of her door window, missing the small smile Sasuke gave her before asking her address.
"It's just past the Matsumoto park," Sakura explained watching for the familiar oriental park.
"Ah," he replied.
Sakura shot him a glare.
"Is that an affirmative 'ah' or a 'I-don't-understand' 'ah'?"
Sasuke smirked at her before countering with a "hn".
She pouted childishly and crossed her arms before being jerked forward with a sudden slam of the brakes. Sakura barely missed knocking her head painfully against the dashboard by Sasuke's arm held over her chest like a seatbelt (she thought she lived too close by to really need one). She numbly registered that Sasuke was twisted in an awkward angle to save her with his only fully operational arm.
Nearly two inches in front of the car was another car, though an older and trashier one with an obviously drunken driver that had somehow managed to crash into a tree and still be half in the street, causing almost another accident with Sasuke's car. The small Honda driver ahead was not so fortunate and and managed to be flipped over on it's side from the sudden turn the driver attempted to not crash into the drunken man full on. The man in the drivers seat of the Honda was now quickly hopping out from the door that wasn't against the concrete and helping an injured woman from the passenger's side, most likely his wife.
"I don't think I trust being in a car with you anymore," Sakura announced. "you tried to kill and molest me."
Sakura pointed to the chest Sasuke had finally moved his arm away from as proof.
Sasuke sent her a death glare and Sakura almost flinched at the intensity.
"You should put your damn seatbelt on."
Sakura rolled her eyes.
"You're sounding like my mother."
"Seatbelt."
"No."
"Now."
"No."
"Sakura, I am not joking, put it on."
"I'm not joking either, my house is only like two streets away."
"I don't care, put it on."
"No."
Sasuke silently veered the car to the side of the street just past the crash site and kept his eyes forward and hand gripping the steering wheel tensely. His patience had just about ran out.
The sudden fear he'd felt when they'd almost collided dead on with the car was something he wasn't used to at all. He didn't feel many emotions and when he did they were minute. But witnessing Sakura almost getting injured or even dying sprung something in him and the fear and need to protect he overwhelmed him. He was positive if he were by himself in the car he'd be dead right now without much remorse.
"I will not repeat myself Sakura, stop being childish and put the fucking seatbelt on before I use force." Sasuke ordered in a low but somehow all the more dangerous voice she'd never heard before.
Sakura sat still defiantly. Her house was only a measly two streets to the left and the ride had been smooth thus far (minus the trivial car thing), there was no need to put the stupid thing on. Besides, she inwardly snickered at this, Sasuke could barely drive with one arm she doubted he could pull of some real hardcore force on her with it.
"Why does it even matter? It wasn't even a real accident."
Sasuke sighed, mentally telling himself to take deep breaths.
"Because I don't want you to die, okay? So just put on the seatbelt and we can leave."
Sakura groaned but pulled the seatbelt and clicked it in place giving Sasuke a "viola".
Sasuke ignored this and continued to her house silently, secretly relieved beyond words and driving noticeable slower.
A/N: Aw, that got a little fluffy at the end there (if you read it right)! Sasuke concerned for Sakura's health equals win!
Anyway, back to the main point: Gatorade.
THERE IS A SECRET SUB-CHAPTER TO THIS FIC TITLED "I.S.S. Naruto Style" FOR CHAPTER TWO.
The fic is separate and can be located from my profile or just type in the title in the Search.
The fic is Naruto's thoughts on detention after he was sent there by Anko in chapter two.
There is implied SasuSaku mentioned quite a bit as well as a little ShikaTema.
Please check that out if you're curious on what happened in the unmentioned parts of chapter two.
ありがとございます