Sasuke sat there for a moment before he stood up," Alright then."
Sakura smiled," Alright. I have to get changed before we go to the dance studio, so you'll have to wait a little more."
Sasuke shrugged as they made their way towards a change room.
Sakura opened the door and went inside; Sasuke leaned against the wall, waiting for her.
He ran a hand through his hair again.
Shouldn't this be the other way around? He thought to himself. Shouldn't I be the one giving her a ride home after practice?
Sasuke smiled to himself, Oh well, it's not like it really matters anyway.
Sakura emerged from the bathroom and Sasuke had to prevent his eyes widening by sheer force of will.
Sakura was wearing white pantyhose, a black bodysuit, and her ballet slippers. She was currently pulling her hair into a bun on top of her head, exposing her long neck.
Sasuke swallowed past a lump in his throat, he had never seen so much of Sakura. The tight bodysuit clung to her every curve and left her arms and back bare. Not only that, but it was also mostly backless. The pantyhose accentuated her muscular legs.
"Sasuke?"
Sakura's voice brought him out of his daze.
They began walking towards the dance studio, both teenagers a little pink. Sakura hadn't missed the way Sasuke's eyes grazed over her body; she was both flattered and a little self conscious.
Sakura pushed open the door to the studio and walked right in, setting her things down. Sasuke stood by the door, a little unsure as to where to sit or put his things.
"Sasuke? You can sit over here if you want," Sakura said.
She gestured to a chair along the wall, Sasuke took a seat. He had a perfect view of the dance floor and, more importantly, Sakura.
As she walked over to the rest of the class, he realized that Hinata Hyuga was also in this class, as was Tenten Saitama. Many of the other girls he recognized from around school, except a certain red head in the back of the rows of girls.
At that moment, the teacher, Mrs. Ishikawa, waltzed into the room, telling the girls to pair up for stretches.
Sakura walked over to Tenten and they took a place at the long bar at the mirrors.
Sakura took a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach, Tenten noticed.
"What's got you all worked up?"
Sakura looked up at the brown haired girl. She and Tenten had never been close when they were in elementary school, since she was a year older, but they had shared a few dance classes throughout their high school years and were now good friends. She had even developed a crush on their friend Neji Hyuga, Hinata's cousin.
Tenten was one of Konoha Music School's most talented cello players, and she had a very sweet singing voice.
"I... I don't know Tenten," Sakura said as she began stretching.
They stretched one at a time. Sakura went first, and then Tenten would go.
She placed a hand the metal bar and lifted her leg straight up, Tenten holding it in place for a count of ten.
"Is it Sasuke?" Tenten asked, glancing at him.
"Kind of," Sakura put her leg back down, turned around, and then lifted the other one," this music assignment is kind of stressing me out."
"Why?"
"Because Iruka-sensei paired me up with Sasuke to write a love song!" Sakura whispered fiercely.
Tenten gasped," No!"
"Yes!"
"Well I never heard of this little predicament."
"Yeah, well he told us all our partners one at a time."
"One at a time?"
"Yeah," Sakura put her other leg down and lifted her arms above her head, facing Tenten once more," he called us all up to the front of the class and told us our partners."
"Wow."
Sakura sighed," I know."
The whole time they were talking, Sasuke never took his eyes off of the pink haired ballerina.
Sasuke was completely mesmerized throughout the entire ballet class.
He never thought that Sakura could be more beautiful than she already was, until he saw her dance. She gracefully spun across the dance floor and held herself very well.
At the end of the class, Sakura let her hair out of its tight bun, letting it fall in rippling waves down her back. She also put on a pair of tight black yoga pants and a school sweater from the volleyball team.
She said goodbye to the girls she knew in the class and then, with her heart thumping in her chest, walked over to Sasuke.
Oh my god, oh my god, I'm driving Sasuke home!
Yeah you are! Go for it girl! Her inner voice cheered
But... what if he thinks I'm some kind of loser? I mean... I'm not a rich kid like most people at this school...
Oh don't be ridiculous! Who cares if you're not rich? No one needs to know about what happened, so just walk over there and drive him home!
Sakura sighed, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked the last few steps to where Sasuke sat.
Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand on his shoulder.
His head turned quickly to look up at her.
She smiled," Ready to go?"
Sakura had no idea how much her smile affected Sasuke.
He could feel heat begin to rise up his neck and his heart beat sped up.
Since it seemed as though his vocal cords were out of order, he just nodded dumbly and stood up.
He followed close behind Sakura as they walked out the door, both teens oblivious to the pair of furious red eyes watching them from across the room.
Sakura's heart beat erratically in her chest as she made her way across the parking lot to her car.
She and Sasuke hadn't said a word to each other since they had left the dance studio. Sakura didn't talk because she didn't know what to say, Sasuke didn't talk because he couldn't get the image of Sakura dancing out of his head.
He never thought that anyone could be so graceful.
The sound of Sakura clearing her throat brought his out of his daze. He looked up; they were standing in front of a red 1968 mustang.
Sakura was very proud of her car. She had bought it herself when she was 16. It was a total piece of crap when she first saw it in the dealer's lot, but she knew people in the auto class who were more than eager to get to work on it. And she knew a few things about cars herself.
She looked over at Sasuke; he was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking at the interior of her car. She walked up beside him; he was so absorbed in her car that he didn't even notice.
She bent at her hips so that her face was level with his before saying," You know, you'd get a better look if you actually went inside."
Sasuke stood up so fast that he and Sakura bumped heads.
Sasuke blushed (he blamed the heat) and Sakura laughed.
"Come on, get in," Sakura said, laughing and rubbing her head.
She unlocked the car and went around to the driver's side. Sasuke opened his door and sat down.
He noticed that the interior of the car smelled like Sakura, like cherry blossoms. He smiled to himself.
Maybe I should not get a ride from Itachi more often.
That is a great idea, his inner voice agreed heartily.
Sakura started her car and pulled out of her parking space. Within a minute, she was on the main road.
"You'll have to give me some directions to your house. I don't know exactly where you live," she said.
Sasuke didn't look away from the window.
"Hn."
Sakura reached over to turn on the radio. A song had just finished at the host was talking at a lightning quick pace.
"Gooood afternoon Konoha! It certainly is a beautiful day. Today is July 11, and I don't think our town has ever looked so beautiful..."
Sakura gasped," Shit! Today's Friday?"
Sasuke quirked an eyebrow," Yes."
Sakura gripped the steering wheel and let out a breath.
"Is something wrong with Friday?" he asked her.
Sakura hesitated," N-no, I just have to... work today."
Sasuke continued to look at her.
"You work?"
Sakura nodded.
"Where?"
"Do I turn here?" Sakura asked.
"No."
Sakura could feel Sasuke's eyes on her as she drove; he was still waiting for an answer.
"I... I work in a... bar."
"You're a bartender?"
Sakura refused to look over at him," No. I... sing."
"What do you sing?"
"Just, songs I've written. I also sometimes do requests if I know them."
"So you sing... at a bar?"
Sasuke couldn't imagine Sakura singing in some low-class bar.
"Well, I guess it's more of a club actually. I sing, and sometimes dance, and people can go out on the dance floor or sit at their table and have a drink."
Sasuke nodded," You can turn right here."
"Alright."
They sat in silence for a minute, and then Sasuke said," Where exactly is this club?"
YES! Sakura's inner self cheered.
What? Why are you cheering?
Because! If he's asking where the club is, it means that he wants to go and see you perform!
Sakura felt herself begin to hyperventilate. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. She didn't want Sasuke to see her perform. She sang and danced at that particular club because she knew that none of her friends would go there. She couldn't let them know that she had to actually work to make her money, especially her best friend, Ino. Her family had been rich since long before she was born. Her father owned an airline company.
Not only that, but tonight's theme was cabaret. Which meant that she had to wear some pretty... sassy costumes, to say the least.
Sakura chewed on her lip nervously as she drove, contemplating whether she should tell him or not. Sasuke stared at her, patiently waiting for an answer.
A full minute passed before she spoke again.
"Okay, I'll tell you where I work, but there are conditions."
Conditions? Sasuke thought.
"... Alright."
Sakura swallowed," First, you can't tell anyone that I work there, or that I work at all, okay?"
"Hn."
Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Second, what happens in the club stays in the club. Everything you hear, everything that happens, and especially everything you see cannot leave that club do you understand?"
I wonder what our little cherry blossom is trying to hide, inner Sasuke said mischievously.
Sakura pulled her car to a stop in front of Sasuke's house.
She turned towards him and looked him dead in the eye.
"Deal?"
She extended her hand to him.
Sasuke regarded the girl in front of him for a moment.
She's so serious about not letting anyone know about this.
He paused for only a moment before taking the hand extended to him and shaking it.
Sakura smiled radiantly and Sasuke's heart skipped a beat.
Sasuke opened the door and turned towards Sakura," What time does the show start?"
Sakura looked surprised for a moment," Oh, um, it starts at 8, and it's kind of semi-formal, so... Dress nice okay?"
Sasuke didn't reply.
"What's this club like anyway?" he asked instead.
Sakura smiled wickedly," Have you ever seen Moulin Rouge?"
Sasuke's eyes widened, Sakura laughed.
"I'll come get you at 7:30 okay?"
And with that final comment, Sakura drove away, still laughing.
