A/N: Hopefully this chapter explains alot of stuff. It reveals somethings from Sakura's past. Expect more of that in upcoming chapters. Thanks to all who reviewed. And yes, we want to kill Kenji too (but then there wouldn't be much of a plot).

On a different note, we think it's horrible what happened at Virginia Tech. Those 33 students and teachers shouldn't of been shot, especially by a psychopath with mental issues. It's gotten so out of hand that our school had a lockdown cuz some guy called the police and said he had a hit list and was gonna fire away, shooting everybody in sight. They arrested him of course, but it was still scary.

Chapter 3- Killing the Pain

"Whoa Sakura! Finally you start wearing a fitting outfit!" Ino said when she saw me at school the next day.

"Tell me something I don't know," I said. By now I got fourteen comments from guys, eight glares from girls, and a few wolf whistles. I was wearing the least revealing shirt and skirt with tights underneath that ended a little below my knees. Obviously I don't have to tell you who forced me to wear my new clothes.

"Oh my god Sakura, you actually have a figure!" Tenten said. For once, I dressed exactly like how my friends did and it felt like old times.

"Looking good!" some random guy I don't know hollered at me. I started to blush and it didn't go unnoticed by my friends.

"So, why the sudden change?" Tenten asked.

"I...I wanted to start a new leaf," I said. And for once, I think I actually meant it.

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It was awkward entering my math class with so many people complimenting me. They used to do that before...when I was popular. I guess I still am, but only by association. You see, Ino, Tenten, Hinata, and I used to rule the school. We were known as the Fabulous Four, but as the years passed (and I changed) we kind of turned it down.

Ino is the most popular and well known out of all of us since she's a cheerleader. Everyone thought that she and Sasuke would look cute together, but Sasuke wasn't interested in her...or anyone at all. Then there were rumors that he was gay or he was in an arranged marraige. I chose to believe none of them.

As I sat down next to Naruto, I noticed that he was smiling and blushing. "What are you so happy about?" I asked.

"That I'm sitting next to the prettiest girl in the classroom," he said. I know I should of been happy, but this was Hinata's crush. I didn't want to lead him on when I wasn't even interested in him.

What really bugged me is that Sasuke kept glancing at me every now and then when he thought I wasn't looking. There was a gleam in his eyes that hinted he was disappointed, I think. I don't know, I'm not really good at reading people's expressions, especially someone as emotionless as Sasuke Uchiha.

By seventh period, I was asked out on three dates but I kindly rejected them all. Dating was so not an option right now. Kenji would never allow it.

"Class, be ready tomorrow to start painting your first artwork of the year. The topic will be emotions. Paint whatever you're feeling and let it all out," Iruka said. The bell rang and we all packed to leave. Sasuke was waiting for me at the doorway.

"Come on, my limo is waiting for us in front of the school," Sasuke said impatiently. We walked in silence although I was jumping inside. A limo! I've never been in a limo before! Especially not with a cute guy! Err, never mind.

Sasuke's limo was a long, black one and he even had his own chauffeur! Oh, it reminded me how much I hated spoiled, rich boys.

"Maxwell, this is Sakura Haruno," Sasuke said. Well, at least he was nice to introduce us to each other. I shook hands with Maxwell, who had a british accent and looked to be at least fifty. We got into the car and the inside interior was made out of leather. There was even a T.V. there, a stereo, and a mini-fridge!

"So where to Master Sasuke?" Maxwell asked. I almost laughed at what he called Sasuke. Master? Well, someone thinks very highly of themselves.

"Uh, Sakura, where do you live?" Sasuke asked. I gave Maxwell my address and we arrived there in about eight minutes. I got out my key and unlocked the door.

"Your house has a very homey feeling to it," Sasuke said when he entered. Maxwell stayed in the limo.

"It better because we actually live in it," I said, leading him to the living room and offering him a seat on the couch. "Where should we start?" I asked.

"First of all, we should make a list of all the supplies we need so I can buy them," Sasuke said, taking out his binder from his backpack and a pen as well.

"Makes sense, but why do you need to buy it? It's not like I can't afford it."

"I'm trying to be nice. Most people I know don't like to spend their money and I have a lot of it."

"Whatever," I said. Just as long as I don't waste any money, I'm fine. We came up with a list that was half a page long. "I think we deserve some sodas for all our hard work," I said sarcastically. "So, Sasuke, you want a coke?" I asked as I made my way to the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Hn," Sasuke said.

"I'll take that as a yes." I said as I took out two coke cans and walked back to the living room. But Sasuke had to leave his backpack on the floor near the couch and I tripped on it. Maybe Gaara is right and I really am a klutz. I am just lucky that Sasuke was there to catch me. He was holding onto my waist and we were so close I could see that the color of his irises were actually a dark gray, not black. The only thing between us were my hands (still clutching the sodas) against his chest.

"What the hell is going on?" Kenji asked, standing right in front of us, taking in the scene. I can see how the situation looked and it was not a good outcome. Me and Sasuke immediately pulled apart.

"It's not how it looks. Nothing's going on between us," I said, although Kenji wasn't listening. He and Sasuke were too busy glaring at each other.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Sasuke said, breaking the gaze. He got his backpack and left.

"I see you're home early," I said.

Who was that guy?" Kenji asked.

"S-Sasuke Uchiha," I answered. Here I go with the stuttering again.

"What was he doing here, especially without my knowledge?!" Kenji said, beginning to yell.

"He was here for a p-project," I said.

"You little tramp! You think you can fool around in MY house?! What, you sleeping with this boy?! Huh! Answer me bitch when I'm speaking to you! Who else you sleeping with?!" Kenji yelled. SLAP!

I felt a burning sensation on my upper right cheek and eye. I put my hand to my face, my eyes tearing. The whole right side of my face felt swollen and it stung when I touched it.

"I HATE YOU!!" I screamed at him. I wanted him to hear the pain in my voice, the same pain that he gave me. That coward didn't say anything and just walked out the front door, slamming it shut. That's when I knew it was safe to shed my tears.

I ran towards my bathroom and grabbed my razor. I slowly put it towards my wrist on my left hand. I quickly did two slashes, not too deep, but enough to rid myself from the pain and feel the scream inside. A scream of pleasure. Cutting always made me feel high and like all my problems could vanish away. The sight of blood used to make me uneasy, but I got used to it. Now I always expected blood, especially when I saw it go down the drain in the sink.

I dabbed my skin with toilet paper and flushed it down the toilet so there was no evidence. The bleeding slowly ceased to stop and the scars showed red.

Then I caught sight of my face in the mirror. My cheek ws a deep pink and I had a small black eye on the bottom of my right eye. "Sakura, how are you going to hide these ones?" I asked myself.

I went to my room and checked the clock. It was 4:37. Kenji would probably come back by six to eat dinner, which he expected me to cook. I grabbed my wallet, put on my jacket, and left the house. The nearest pharmacy was fifteen minutes if I walked fast. I entered the store and ignored the stares people were giving me. They could think whatever they want.

I went to the aisle that had cosmetics and went to the concealer section. I found one that was in my shade and went to the cash register with the shortedt line. When my turn came, the lady at the counter looked at me with concern.

"Child, what happened to you?" she asked.

"Oh, I got into a fight with some of the girls at school," I lied.

"I remember my school days too. Was the fight over a boy?" she said, ringing up my item.

"You could say that," I said, paying her with a ten dollar bill and getting $4.75 change. She put my cover-up in a small bag and I left the store. Just as I was walking out the pharmacy, I bumped into Shino. Is it me or do I seem to be bumping into a lot of people lately? He was looking at my bruise and I wished I could just shrink so no one could see me.

"My advice, wear sunglasses to cover your eye," Shino said before walking away.

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By the time I got home, it was almost 5:20. That was when I realized that I was starving! I looked in the fridge andsaw some leftover lasagna and heated it up in the microwave. When I was almost finished eating, Kenji arrived home and he was walking with no balance towards his room. I could smell the horrible stench of alcohol after him.

After I finished doing my homework three hours later, I slipped into my pajamas and looked at myself in my vanity mirror. I went under my covers, drifting to sleep. The last thing I remembered was thinking that my mom was going to arrive some time tomorrow.

The annoying sound of my alarm clock woke me up and ruined my dream. Too bad, I was dreaming of how to kill Kenji. I got up and dressed mysef in denim capris and an orange shirt with my blue hoodie. I walked towards my mirror and started to puy on my cover-up. It took me a good seven minutes to conceal my bruises. All you could see was a faint blueish color around the bottom of my right eye. I took Shino's advice to consideration and brought my sunglasses and placed it on top of my head.

Kenji was still asleep from his hangover from last night, so I grabbed a bagel and decided to leave before he could wake up. As I was walking to school, I met up with Gaara who took the same route as me.

"Hey," I said, finishing my bagel.

"Hey. What's up with the shades?" he asked.

"It was too funny sunny outside and I have really sensitive eyes," I lied. I'm not even sure if you can have senseitive eyes. Gaara just nodded his head. "Look at this!" I said, lifting my hoodie's sleeve and showing him my cuts.

"Impressive, although you shouldn't be too loud in telling me. People can hear," Gaara said. I remember the first time Gaara saw my cuts.

FLASHBACK:

"Can I borrow a pencil?" Gaara asked. We sat next to each other for HIstory and he needed a pencil to take notes.

"Sure," I said, extending my hand for him to take the pencil. He did, but he also saw the faint scars on my arm. His eyes widened adn I quickly put my arm down.

"You shouldn't be too obvious," he said to me. Then he started giving me some tips on how to hide the marks without anyone seeing them. "Here, look at mine," he whispered, lifting his sleeve. He had about eight lines, all of them intersecting each other. Some were old, but some were fresh. "I did this one last period," he told me, pointing to one.

"I do it because I love to feel the pain and see the blood come out," he said. "Okay, I told you my reason, now it's your turn to tell me yours."

"I don't knoe, I guess I cut because I deserve the pain," I replied.

END OF FLASHBACK

That's kinda when Gaara and I became friends, ever since three years ago when Kenji first abused me. That was when I first started cutting myself. As we got closer to school, we slowly parted ways. Although we were good friends, we didn't hang out at school since no one would understand our relationship.

"Hinata!" I yelled, spotting her at her locker.

"Hi Sakura! Why are you wearing sunglasses?" Hinata asked, confused.

"You don't know? Sunglasses are all the rage in Paris," I said, lying again.

"Really? Then I guess I should wear my sunglasses too," Hinata said, getting hers out of her locker and putting them on.

"Is this a new fad or something?" Ino asked, coming with Tenten.

"Yup. Everyone in Paris is wearing them," Hinata said.

"And so am I," Ino said, putting on her Guuci shades.

"Me too," Tenten said.

"You look fabulous!" we all said in unison and then we laughed.

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It was like an epidemic that was slowly spreading to the whole school. Everywhere I walked, I saw people wearing sunglasses. And to think that I was the one that started it, thanks to Kenji.

Today in Iruka's class, we began to work on our paintings. Emotions, that was such a complicated topic for me because I was feeling so many things. I felt hurt, hated, empty, like I was missing something. I picked up my brush and dabbed it in the black paint. I painted the entire canvas black, while all my friends were choosing to paint theirs different colors.

"Mine is gonna have a pink background, then I'm going to paint gold pom-poms and add glitter to it," Ino said, painting her canvas pink. So she was going to paint her school spirit.

"Well, I'm going to have rainbows, a purple sky, and orange clouds. It's going to be my imagination," Hinata explained. I liked her idea, it was so much happier than mine. Complete opposite.

"You guys are so immature. For my painting, I'm going to paint all the disasters in the world like poverty and world hunger in symbols. It's gonna be a masterpiece, I'm sure of it," Tenten said. She's a true activist, I'll tell you that. If there's a protest, she'll sure be there with posters and a megaphone.

"I'm painting the pain that everyone had gone through at some point of their lives," I told them. They were a little surprised upon seeing all black on my canvas, but then continued working on theirs. The bell rang five minutes later and we all washed our hands and put away the supplies.

"We'll finish these tomorrow. Have a nice day," Iruka said, dismissing us.

"Hey, we should do something on the weekend," Ino said, readjusting her sunglasses.

"Like getting makeovers," Tenten said sarcastically.

"Yeah, it'll be awesome!" Ino said, happy.

"And maybe this time we can get Tenten to let her hair down," I whispered to Hinata. She just laughed, quietly.

"Hey, I heard that!" Tenten said, holding her two buns protectively. That's when I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to come face-to-face with Sasuke.

"Let's go," he said.

"Go where?" I said skeptically. Who did he think I was, his follower?

"To my house to work on the project. Or did you forget already?" he said, like I was stupid.

"Fine, but I haven't called my parents to let them know," I said.

"You can use my cellphone, now let's go," Sasuke said.

"Bye guys!" I yelled over my shoulder as I walked with Sasuke towards his limo. He handed me his cellphone (which looked expensive) and I called home.

"Hello?" my mom answered. Thank god she came back and picked up.

"Hi mom! Welcome back!" I said smiling.

"Sakura, hi sweetie! Why are you calling me? Where are you?" she asked, starting to get worried.

"Ma, I'm fine. I'm going to a classmate's house to work on a project," I said.

"Okay, but be back by seven," my mom said.

"Bye," I said hanging up. I gave Sasuke back his phone. We arrived at his house, more like a mansion. It was huge! "This is where you live?"

"Yeah, let's go inside," he said opening the wide doors and we entered his "mansion." The floors were made out of marble and there was expensive-looking furniture everywhere! He led me to the study room/ library. There were like thousands of books on the shelves. I wondered if they even read all the books.

"Wow," I said like an idiot.

"You get used to it," he said. He walked over to a box and brought it over to where I was sitting on the chair. Inside the box were all the supplies, mostly syuff made from styrofoam.

"Oh, you even got a sphere-shaped styrofoam ball. We can use this for rhw atom," I said, holding it up.

"That's why I got it dum-dum," he said, smirking. Was he mocking me? "Why are you still wearing those sunglasses?" he asked. That totally caught me off guard and I didn't know how to respond.

I closed my eyes when I saw his hand approaching my sunglasse. My make-up sweated off during P.E. so he would obviously see my bruise. He took off my sunglasses and his eyes widened a bit but then returned to their normal, stoic expression.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"I hit my face on the door," I answered, lying. He wasn't fullt convinced, but he didn't ask any questions. Then he left to get his hot glue gun. A few seconds later, the door opened again, but it wasn't Sasuke. It was a more older (and hotter) version of him.

"So you're Sasuke's partner. I'm his brother Itachi," he said, sticking his hand out.

"Sakura Haruno," I said, shaking Itachi's hand.

"What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl," Itachi said. I blushed. Then he sat down next to me and gently carassed my cheek. For an instant I felt a spark between the two of us, unless I imagined it. "It's such a shame that a beautiful face like yours was tarnished," he said.

"What are you two doing?" Sasuke asked with his glue gun in his hand.

"I was jsut talking to Sakura-chan and enjoying her company," Itachi said. "Don't get out of line with me Sasuke. Don't forget who's in charge."

"I think you should leave Sakura," Sasuke said.

"Why should she leave? Sakura, you stay here and I'll leave," Itachi said, getting up and pushing Sasuke to the side with his shoulder when they crossed paths. Afterwards, Sasuke wouldn't really talk to me unless it was about the project. We only got like one-fourth of it done before Sasuke said I should go home. He was kind (I know, I find it hard to believe too) enough to offer me a ride home, but I decided to walk.

"Bye Sakura," Itachi said as I opened the front door.

"Bye Itachi. See you some other time," I said, leaving.

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"Sakura, who did this to you?! Why didn't you tell me?" my mom said when she saw me. I looked over at Kenji who was threatening me with his piercing eyes.

"I smacked my face on the bathroom door," I said, making up the same excuse. Kenji seemed to feel more comfortable.

"Try not to do that again," my mom told me.

"Yes ma'am," I said.

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A/N: Sorry for the suckish ending, but it was the only way we could think of to end the chapter. Next chapter will be better.

Jessica: Today's my Birthday! Woot-woot!

Don't forget to review!!! NO FLAMES!!