Naruto's eyes widen a fraction, and he looked from Sasuke, to Sakura, and back to Sasuke.
"Sakura-chan, you know teme?" he inquired.
The rosette sought to Ino for help, hoping her mouth could get her out of this one. For once in her life, the blonde was speechless. She sat there with her jaw dropped and eyes locked on the raven-haired man standing in front of the group. Naruto may have known about her suspicion of the portrait, but never saw her art project personally. Neither did the rest of the girls, so they didn't think much of Sasuke, besides the curiosity created due to the fact he was a new comer. The guys had obviously already met him so they were passive. Sakura slowly turned her head back to her 'work' and cleared her throat.
"No, lucky guess?" it came out as more of a question.
"Oh." Naruto glanced back at Sasuke from the corner of his irises, noticing the intensity when he locked gazes with the pink haired female's emerald eyes. "Everyone, this is Sasuke."
Everybody gave a tiny greeting in return, as was mandatory when meeting somebody you haven't known prior. Sasuke nodded in acknowledgment.
"Sasuke-teme, this is 'everyone'."
"Aa." he said. The raven haired male's eyes were still fixed on the rosette.
Sakura could barely breath, let alone utter anymore than what she had earlier. This was either a blessing in disguise, or a cruel trick being played by God. What if he was some sort of curse? She immediately crossed that idea off her list. This is what she hoped and wished for, wasn't it?
She knew nothing of the man before her, besides his name. What if he was taken? Or worse, gay? She muttered under her breath, cursing the young man in front of her. Hasn't even been in her life more than five minutes and he already has her stressing over the slightest things.
She looked down at her cold coffee, and suddenly losing her appetite for caffeine, pushed it to the middle of the metal table.
"Well, this is kind of awkward." Naruto whistled, and pulled another chair up in between himself and Hinata for Sasuke. (Only the girls noticed the downcast stare she gave at this.)
"It doesn't have to be." Tenten started, and turned to the new addition. Jokingly, she continued. "Where have you been all our lives, Sasuke?"
"I just moved here." he started, his voice a rich velvet that sent Sakura over the edge.
"Oh, how does Naruto, of all people, know somebody like you? No offense, but you guys kind of seem like opposites."
Was Tenten the only girl ballsy enough to say anything?
Well, Sakura and Ino were practically thrown into shock. Hinata is naturally a shy and quiet girl, so she would obviously be silent around new people. So yeah, that basically left Tenten. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but Naruto beat him to it.
"So, I finally convinced Neji and the rest of the guys to go to the CD Shop, because-"
Oh, Lord. How is this even possible?Sakura screwed her eyes shut in frustration, only to open them again to avoid attention to herself.
"-I really wanted this new album my favorite band came out with like a week-"
What is going on here?
She completely tuned out the babbling blonde, and noticed Ino finally got movement back in her face. Shikamaru looked a little pissed, probably thinking his girlfriend was checking another dude out right in front of him. The blue eyed girl shot her a look of confusion. The rosette shrugged and turned back to the mystery man, sitting there in all his sexy glory.
The spikes in his hair looked messy, but stylishly so. (Not to mention soft and silky.) His face was an exact replica of Sakura's portrait, and the outlines of his fit physic was evident through his black tee and dark jeans. The navy blue jacket and black sneakers added to the look. The pink haired artist was face to face with an animated, full sized version of her work.
Every time she looked at him there was a weird sensation in the pit of her stomach and a nagging feeling in the back of her mind.
"-and I told him how freaking awesome my friends were and if he wanted to meet new people, this was the group to be around." Naruto wrapped up his story, nodding to himself.
"Oh."
Those were the first words Ino had said since Sasuke walked over. She found this as hard to believe as the rosette, considering the hairstyle was even spot on, and it had been a complete accident (thanks to a certain blonde). This was supposed to be completely impossible!
"Are you going to be attending Konoha High?" Kiba asked.
"I believe so." Sasuke said, observing the expressions of everyone's face.
"We'll look for you in our class." Ino smiled, but the rosette knew it was somewhat fake.
The raven haired male seemed to see right through it as well. The table sat in stiff silence after the blonde had clearly cut off the conversation. It was getting awkward.
Kiba let out a long, low whistle as he looked at the clock on the cafeteria wall.
"Look at the time." he stood and stretched dramatically. "Better get home to the folks before I get another grounding."
Sakura knew he was probably just trying to escape the atmosphere that hung around the group of friends.
The collective mass of persons blurted out a chorus of 'Good-Bye's, thinking the same thing. After Kiba went Neji, who offered to take Tenten since 'her house is on the way' (everyone knew this was a lie, but they didn't say anything). Naruto, seizing the opportunity for once, offered to take Hinata (who accepted, red faced but giddily). Shikamaru had to take his car home, and Ino was stuck with Sakura seeing as she had no other mode of transportation.
This left Ino, Sasuke, and Sakura sitting at the table by themselves. It seemed as if everybody in the building had slowly fanned out, except for a few stoners who always hung in the back until the mall officially closed.
The rosette stared at Sasuke, who still sat emotionless across from her. She narrowed her eyes, mind boggling for some answers and a way to get them. She decided a simple questioning would be most effective. He is new, so it may be able to pass for curiosity instead of accusation.
"When are you starting school?" she began, wanting to start out simple.
"Monday. That's when all my papers are transferred officially."
The pink haired gal beckoned, justifying that she would have preferred it that way too. Starting at the beginning of the week always gave better opportunities.
"So, when did you move here?" she asked politely.
"A few days ago. Around Friday."
Sakura sucked in a breath and peered over at Ino, who nodded in return. Friday was the day she had painted the portrait, so the time of his move was linked with the time of her work.
"Sasuke is such an amazing name." the blonde gushed, playing along and the raven haired man seemed to cringe at her bubbly voice. "What's your last name?"
Annoyed by the interrogation, he grunted. "Uchiha Sasuke. Of the Uchiha clan?"
He ended his last answer in a slight question, as if the last name was enough of an answer to who he was. Sakura jutted her head forward slowly, as memory started to seep through her mind. The Uchiha clan was the clan Kanazawa had belonged to. The clan had been a noble family, highly respected. Now that she recalls, the onyx orbs he had were almost identical to the legendary swords man... She snapped out of her thoughts to find those very eyes burning into the side of her face. She'd have to look into it later, when he wasn't here to stare at her like she was an idiot for going off into her own little world.
"How are you liking Konoha so far, Sasuke-kun?" the pink haired artist mentally slapped herself for adding the suffix to his name.
He quirked an inky brow at her oddness, but ignored it.
"Fine. It's quiet." he said.
"Well, that must be a good thing, seeing as you don't talk very much yourself." Ino huffed, earning a pinch from the rosette underneath the table.
"And you talk too much." he smirked.
Ino glared at the handsome boy in front of her.
"Wow, hasn't even been here a few days and he already figured you out, Ino-Pig!" The green eyed girl snickered, and her heart thumped in her chest abnormally when Sasuke smirked again, but at her. "Where did you live previously?"
"In Oto. My family runs a chain of Police Stations, and our corporate office is stationed there."
"Oh?" the blue eyed beauty began. "Why move here to this boring ol' town from somewhere as exciting as the great cities of Oto?"
"We're having a Station built off Leaf Avenue. I'm going to train and eventually work there as a leading Officer when it's up and running."
Sakura mused in her mind that the raven haired man was fully answering their prying question with as minimum words as possible. Despite his intimidating icy stature, she continued being the nosy gal she is at nature.
"And your family is staying in Oto?" He nodded at this. "Must be hard, having your family so far away."
"Not really. We were never close to begin with." he added coolly. The rosette must have hit a nerve and she sensed it, so she didn't continue with her blabbing.
Ino, as always, never knew when to shut up.
"But aren't you like, the heir to the family business? So shouldn't you be up in the office, learning the ropes on how to run the whole operation?" she inquired.
Immediately the emerald eyed beauty noticed the stiffening of the male's shoulders, and the clenching of his strong jaw. He narrowed his eyes at her and it was enough to make Sakura shrink back in her seat warily (Not that she would ever tell anybody. She was too stubborn and prideful.); yet at the same time, it got her a tiny bit turned on. She cursed at her own depravity. Ino was proving to be the bad influence, not Kiba.
"My older brother is running the business. I'm more of a 'on the field' type of guy." he said, still cold.
Before the girls could question further, a loud screech from the intercom had drowned out their conversation.
"Shoppers, the mall closes in ten minutes. So if you would, please file out to your vehicles and have a nice day." the nasally voice called out.
Ino faced to the raven haired man. "Need a lift?"
"No, thanks. I rode my bike." he stood to leave.
Sakura giggled at the mental image of Sasuke riding a bicycle, but she knew that would cramp his style. It was most likely a slick new motorcycle, probably fresh off the line considering his family history. And money.
"See you at school Monday?" The rosette added hopefully. He raised a brow at her, but nodded his head.
"Hn." And with that he retreated to the parking garage, giving them nothing but a small wave as he receded.
"Well, he is a character, I'll give him that." The blonde said.
"Just as I imagined him."
"So you still think he's linked to your picture?"
"No. Ino, I know he is."
"How do you know?"
"I don't know how I know, I just know."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Class, this is Uchiha Sasuke. Please take care of him." Kakashi-sensei said, and then he turned seriously to the snickering blonde at the back of the room. "And I swear to you, Naruto, if you pull another one of your annual 'new student pranks' you'll be scrubbing these tilled floors for weeks, do you understand?"
The blue eyed blonde boy threw his arms over his chest and sunk down in his desk, muttering something along the lines of 'perverted...old fart...he wishes...".
"Care to introduce yourself to the class, Sasuke?" The silver haired man's lazy smile returned, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
That was the only way you indicated he was smiling because he always wore a black mask to hide the bottom half of his face. A lot of the students entertained ludicrous ideas out of sheer boredom, such as he was a wanted fugitive so he had to hide his face from the law at all times, or he was horribly disfigured and ashamed of the way he looked. One kid even started a rumor that the man was deathly ill with a disease that could be contagious if he breathed on anybody. The pink haired student just thought of it being a fashion statement.
"Not really." Sasuke said in his baritone voice, and looked outside the open window.
Immediately, all the girls in the class squealed and began to whisper simultaneously to one another about how calm and collected the new kid was. Sakura rolled her emerald optics. It was only homeroom/ English-Lit. 7/8 and the annoying fan-girls had begun forming. She almost pitied him. This boy is going to have it rough trying to fend off almost the entire female population in Konoha High.
"Ok?" Kakashi-sensei began, and looked down at his seating chart. "Uchiha...Uchiha...yes, you're right in front of Uzumaki, next to Haruno and Hyuga."
Since Sasuke had already met the loud blonde at the mall last Wednesday, he had an idea of where he was to go. That, and there were only two seats available in the entire room. One in the front, where Choji Akimichi sat (who was absent today for some reason), and the one next to her. The rosette grinned, wondering if Choji didn't go raid the vending machines and spend his first period munching on junk food on the roof. He was a loveable guy with a bit of pudge and was constantly chewing on some kind of snack. The kid was nice, but more Shikamaru's best friend than anybody else.
The raven haired male slide into his new seat silently, and took out a new notebook and an expensive looking pen. Sakura mimicked his actions and flipped to the first page that didn't have writing or doodles on its surface. The class began shortly and the green eyed girl took as detailed notes as possible, being the straight A honors student she is. Every once and a while, she'd peer over at her seat partner to see if he was looking at her.
Stupid of her, because he never did, but she couldn't help the girl side of her. All the rest of the females in the room would quietly hiss at her for being so lucky as to get a seat next to the 'Hottest Guy in School'. I guess poor Neji got knocked off the number one spot on the girls Most Wanted list. Not that Tenten would mind.
The bell rang, and Sakura gathered her things into her black bag and waited on Hinata to get hers together. She glanced down at her fingernails and played with her chipped paint whilst she waited. That is until a tanned arm threw itself over her shoulder and pulled her into a solid pectoral.
"Naruto!" she said, muffled against the fabric of his uniform shirt.
He should be doing this to Hinata, not her!
"Hey, Sakura-chan! Tell teme that he should just stick with our group of friends." he whined.
Without questioning, she looked into his onyx optics and repeated the phrase in hopes that the hyperactive blonde would let her go.
"You should just stick with our group of friends."
"See? We'll take care of you! Ya know, show you the ropes? We all hold titles around here. Sakura-chan and Shikamaru are the smartest people in school!"
Sakura blushed at that, hating when people brought up her nerd habits. She may be proud of her smarts, but a lot of guys found her intellect frightening. That explains why she is so popular but can never seem to get a date. She makes the guys feel stupid, and they absolutely hate that. Thus when the blue eyed boy told this to Sasuke, she almost freaked out on sight. The only other male, that she knew of, that could even understand an intelligent conversation was Shikamaru. He was like a brother to her though, not to mention dating her best friend. She didn't know about the onyx eyed male in front of her, but if she hopes right, he may pose to be a challenge.
"Ino is really popular and is Cheer Captain, and Sai is just an ass, so we won't talk about him much. Kiba and I are in football, soccer, and basketball! If you want, you can join. It's not too late to try-out." The babbling boy almost gave Ino a run for her money.
"And Hinata is an amazing cook, especially when she makes me ramen, best in Home EC! And not to mention pretty, and really nice, and she's an awesome writer, and-"
Hinata's face looked as if it were about to burst with the blood that rushed to her cheeks at his words. Sakura pushed him off her and found her place beside the flushing girl.
"We get the point, Naruto. She's wonderful!" The rosette giggled. "Now stop before you make the poor girl faint!"
He let out a sheepish grin at the two girls, and they all four began to walk to their next classes together.
"Anyways, even if you say no, we're going to cling to you like koala bears. Us good looking people tend to migrate towards each other."
"Then why are you still here, Dobe?" The raven haired man finally spoke with a crooked smile.
"What was that, teme? You want to die?"
Sakura grinned at the two, knowing immediately they were going to be the best of friends.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The rosette groaned and kneaded the back of her neck, bubbling the last answer to the Health and Nutrition Review Quiz. Why must Gai-sensei always give long, uncalled for 'Quizzes of Youth' when they're so easy? Read:
Question 17: What is more youthfully nutritious in the glorious hour that is morning?
A) The tantalizingly evil slice of sugary cake.
B) The beautiful golden deliciousness of a banana.
C)The nasty piece of unyouthfully fattening pizza.
She rolled her eyes, and turned in the mini test. Sakura knew you could figure out the answer just by reading the first adjectives the overly excited teacher used. She never complained though, because it made the job of answering them that much easier. As she went back to her seat to read the next chapter in the massive textbook that was assigned for homework tonight, she found her eyes wondering over to a certain Uchiha. Next class period was Art, then lunch, and they were getting back their projects today. What would the class do if they saw her painting? It would make her seem like an overbearing stalker!
The pink haired artist flipped open to the designated page, and fiend reading. Next period was not going to be fun and she knew it.
"Psst. Hey, Sakura-chan, psst." Naruto whispered, and she turned towards him knowing he wasn't going to stop until he got an answer.
"What, Naruto?"
He grinned dumbly. "What's the answer to Question 17?"
Her jaw dropped in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"Naw, I may be stupid, but I'm not that stupid." The rosette sighed in relief. "But what's the page number for tonight's homework?"
"Page 167."
She had opened her mouth to speak, but she knew that was not her voice. She swiveled her head to where she had heard the reply and saw Sasuke leaned back in his chair right behind Naruto. She didn't even know he was in this class until now. She thought all the girls' usual whispering was because Neji was in this class.
"Oie, thanks teme."
Sakura gulped, and peered back down to her book. Her eyes widened and a small blush crept to her twitching features as she read.
"Today in this section, we focus on the male anatomy. Everybody has their own body, but the man's is very similar yet very different to a females..."
She felt like she was nine again, when they first introduced Sex Ed. to her fourth grade class. The boys had a tinge of pink to their baby faces, but joked about it and stared at their first (But not last, because the green eyed beauty knew that most boys in this school were perverts.) picture of a naked lady. The girls had turn every shade of red in the color spectrum, but still listened intently, curious. Not Sakura.
She slapped her tiny fingers to cover her wondering eyes when her teacher first set up a picture of the male genitalia. She thought it was the most horrendous thing she had ever seen and she vowed she'd rather die with no kids than have to touch that 'alien'. Ino then teased her at recess, calling her a big baby and how she would touch it if she gave her a piece of her cotton candy bubblegum. At the age, the poor blonde didn't know what she was talking about and now it's Sakura who does the teasing about the incident. How time flies.
She read on, eventually finishing the chapter on the topic that came up every year since then. She still had to look out the window and tried thinking about something else so that her cheeks could cool and Naruto wouldn't call her a wussy. Then her heart nearly stopped, thinking that by sometime this week, Gai-sensei would be talking about this. With Sasuke right next to her. She could have died right then and there, with no kids, like her former nine year old self had predicted.
Luckily, she was saved by the bell and gathered her things as she walked down the hallway to the Art wing of the school. It was nestled in the very back of the upstairs, near the Science Department. As she walked in, Deidara-sensei smiled at her. He may be creepy when you first meet him, with the whole talking excessively about art, but all in all he was a good guy who got really excited about the topic. Talk about commitment to his work.
She took her seat, always towards the front whenever she had this subject. This would allow the rosette to get first dibs on all the colors and supplies so she wouldn't have to dig through the rejected stuff that was left over. The pink haired artist took her outlining pencil and started the assignment that was on the dusty chalk board: Draw an object that represents how you felt over the weekend.
Easy enough... she thought.
The rosette started with slow, hesitant strokes of her hand. The pencils lead barely brushed the parchment paper she had picked up at the front desk. The more she ran the writing utensil over the surface the more sure she became with her work. After she put the finishing shades on her drawing, almost everybody was in class and working on their own. She assessed her art, satisfied with the results.
There on the page was a side shot of a beautiful girl. Her lips parted and eyes hooded, but instead of a pupil, she had swirls of scribble inside the irises. Her hair fell in tumbles along her petite neck and there were piercings alining along the side of her face. How this related to her emotions, she had no idea. It just came out.
"I like it." The emerald eyed girl jumped at the voice in her ear. She turned to look at her grinning teacher.
"Huh?" she blinked stupidly.
"Your emotions, they're interesting."
"I don't..."
He caught her drift, and launched into explaining the deeper meaning of the drawing.
"You see," he pointed to the eyes. "there's obviously a big picture to your life. And with them hooded means that you know there's a bigger picture, but you don't know the full jist of it. Only a small portion is available to you at the moment."
Sakura's eyes widen as she thought of the raven haired man she met. He didn't notice the change in her demeanor, and continued with his interpretation.
"The swirls in the pupils represent confusion, so with the little bit you do know, you're confused about. The piercings along her face mean that you have obstacles in your life, or adding it with the 'bigger picture' theory, unanswered question." he finished with a single nod of his head.
"Wow, how do you know all that from a single picture?"
He smirked, chest puffing out with pride. "Of course an art blind person would think like that. You just have to be open to the art, and it speaks to you."
With that, he walked to the front of the class and leaving a still puzzled rosette in her chair. She turned the picture in different angles, and even squinted her optics, trying to be suggestively 'open to the art'. She had no luck at all.
Deidara-sensei cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the class.
"Ok. Turn your work into the basket in the front and please take your seats."
They all obliged and listened closely to the next set of instructions.
"Now, I have finished grading your art projects from the previous week. Come up to the rack and claim your masterpieces."
Sakura nearly sprinted at his words and her chair wobbled from the sudden action. She could not let any of the girls in class see her painting. They'd think she was an obsessive stalker. Which she wasn't.
She filed through the canvases and was almost thrown into a panic attack when she couldn't find hers. Looking up from her desperate attempt at saving her dignity, she walked back to her sitting teacher. He glanced up from grading their morning work.
"Sensei?" she began, biting her lip.
"Yes?"
"Where is my painting?"
"Oh. Well I enjoyed it so much I thought that I would hang it up in the hallway for the rest of the student body." he smiled, expecting to her to be ecstatic at the news.
Sai only ever got his work put up in the hallway so she was proud to some extent, but she did not want the entire school to see the portrait of Sasuke.
"No!" she involuntarily shrieked.
"What...?"
She cringed, because she knew she had probably just hurt the man's feelings. The emerald eyed girl didn't want to damage his good intentions, but if Sasuke caught word... she was quite bluntly screwed.
"I-I want to keep it for myself. You know, hang it in my own personal gallery. My cousins are coming in to town and I want to be able to show them."
Okay, she knew she had just lied through her teeth to the man but she was desperate. The pink haired female knew nobody who had their own personal gallery, but he must have one because he bought the unlikely story.
"Oh, ok. Let me just go get it from my back office."
With that, he got up and strolled to the back of the room to retrieve the desired object. The rosette sighed in relief and went to go sit in her seat like everybody else. She looked at everyone as they gushed over their projects and grades, some smiling and some frowning. Sai, of course, didn't have one. It was already hanging in the hallway.
"Hey, Hag." The dark haired boy said as he walked to Sakura.
"Oh geez, now what Sai?"
He quirked a brow. "Where's your ugly project?"
"Deidara-sensei is getting it."
"From the trashcan?"
The pink haired girl swiped at his arm, but only her slender fingers brushed his side. This kid was getting too good at dodging her attacks.
"No! He was going to put it in the hall, but I asked him not to."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because I don't want people to see it."
"Are you ashamed at your lack of talent?"
"Just shut up and leave." she growled.
"Whatever you say, Hag. But seriously, what's so wrong with it?"
"None of your beeswax."
"I have no beeswax, just a question."
"Sai, it's a saying." she groaned at his social awkwardness. Nobody knows why the boy is so sheltered, but he was and it made him an oddball when it came to interaction with other people.
"Oh. Well are you going to give me an answer?"
"No."
"Why-"
Before he could finish, Deidara-sensei brought in the portrait and Sakura nearly ran to meet him at the back. She did not want Sai looking over and seeing her project. He was weird when it came to people anyways, so he wouldn't be able to keep a secret like that. He would eventually get tricked into telling, or let it slip.
"Thank you so much Sensei!" she gushed as she looked at her perfect score. "Do you have have a bag? I don't want it to get ruined throughout the school day."
He grinned, and picked up a bag from the back table. The green eyed artist took one last glance at the piece of work, before she sucked in a quick breath. It looked the same, but different. It didn't have the warmth to it anymore. Nor did it have the smoldering eyes she was so attracted to. It was just a regular paint on canvas item. Could it have something to do with the fact Sasuke is in her life now?
She ran possibilities through her mind all rest of the period, torturing herself with her unanswered questions. When the bell rang, she picked up the bag containing the mystery object. She walked to her locker and crammed it in after she swapped textbooks. She slammed the metal door and walked to the lunchroom.
"Hey Sakura, over here!" Tenten called out with a wave. Around her shoulder was none other than Neji Hyuga's arm. That was fast.
Sakura made her way over to the table, but first tucked a stray piece of hair behind her pierced ear and straightened out her clothes. The raven haired male sat at the table, right in between Naruto and Sai. The former had a chunk of cheeseburger tucked in his bulging cheek and the other just sat there quietly.
"Hey guys!" The rosette smiled as she sat down her belongings across from Sasuke. "I'm going to go to line, and I'll be right back."
The green eyed beauty stood in line patiently to get her food. Shikamaru appeared behind her but never said anything. It was a slow day for the cafeteria staff because it was taking longer than it normally did. She turned around to face her friend, deciding talking would pass the time faster than staying in silence.
"How Gai-sensei's class?" he asked before she could.
"Well, we're learning about Sex Ed. tomorrow. That should be explanation enough."
"I am so sorry for your loss."
She giggled at that, because it honestly was a loss. A loss of a chunk of her sanity.
"Going to Neji's party Saturday?"
"Wasn't it supposed to be over last weekend?"
"No, it got moved to this Saturday. Neji's parents moved their Jamaica trip to this weekend, so yeah. But I'm guessing that since you didn't go when you thought it was, you're not going?"
"I'll think about it. If I don't show up, my girlfriend would mutilate me. But parties are so troublesome. They're loud, annoying, drunken idiots when they go to such events."
"True."
"Are you going?"
"I don't know. If I show up, your girlfriend will mutilate me." The rosette smiled at her words.
"Looks like you and I are one in the same, Haruno."
They finally reached the front of the line, and Sakura put a chicken sandwich, soggy tatter tots, and a Vitamin Water on her tray. She purchased her items and walked back to the table with the lazy boy.
"Sakura-chan!"
"Yes, Naruto?"
Said girl sat down next to her book bag and glanced up from her lunch at the raven haired boy adjacent to her. He peered back over at her, and when they made eye contact she could have shivered. But didn't, because that would make her look about retarded.
"Can I have your tatter tots?"
She mumbled and slid the tiny plate over to her friend. Ino got up from her spot and went over to her boyfriend. She plopped onto his lap and scanned the table to look at everybody else, obvious she wanted their attention.
"So, who's all going to Neji's party this Saturday?"
"I am!" Kiba cheered.
"I suppose I'll go to this so called party. Is it normal for teens to attend?" Sai asked.
"It's my party, so duh." Neji said.
"Neji is my boyfriend, so I'm going." The brunette said and gave a light squeeze to his hand.
"So troublesome..." This earned Shikamaru a small slap to the back of his head by none other than his violent girlfriend.
"You are too going!" Ino hissed. "And so am I!"
"I-I would love to go." Hinata peeped in.
"I am so there!" Naruto grinned. "And so is teme!"
"Don't I get a say in it?"
"No, you're going and that's that."
"I guess I'll go..." Sakura trailed, taking a glimpse at the boy across from her. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.
"Then it's settled. Everybody's going!" Ino chirped.
The rosette bit into her sandwich and nodded. The party was going to be fun, she could just feel it in her veins. She did, however, dread when her friends would get to drinking and she'd have to play babysitter all night. She did not need another 'Ino taking her shirt off in the middle of the freaking group of party goers' incident again. Sometimes the parties they went to was worse than Spring Break at a college frat house.
She finished her food and got up to throw her trash away. When she came back, the bell that signaled the end of lunch rang and everybody in the crowded cafeteria filed out. All she had to do was get through the rest of the week, and then she could party all she wanted at Neji's house. The green eyed girl could hang around the raven haired male and further investigate the whole portrait situation, and would have a likely excuse if questioned.
All she had to do was get through the week. That was easy enough, right?