AN: I'm sorry for the late update! I haven't really been working on my fics because everything for me has been busy I'm really sorry! I just looked and saw all the reviews and asks for this story, and so many of you like it that I can't leave it unfinished. I love this story, and I'm glad you all do too. So please enjoy, favorite, follow, and review! Thank you so much for the support!
My dancing is awful; I don't think I have danced in such a weak and lazy manner ever. My mind is too cluttered with all this Ino and Sasuke drama that it seems to even be affecting my physical being. All I can worry about and think about is what happened last night. A part of me is dying to know just what exactly occurred between the two, than the other half of me wants to stay in the dark. It kills me that Ino, once again, somehow got what she wanted. Ever since we were children that girl has been adored, loved, and praised for everything and anything, while I struggle to even stand in a room. I guess a piece of me is deeply jealous, I guess I always have been on some level, but as we mature I don't grow out of it I become more wrecked by it. Envy is such a disgusting thing and I hate that it has hit me for my whole life and somehow I have always had a blind eye to it.
Who is she to be prettier, nicer, funnier, and everything I can never be? I know I sound petty, but really the only thing I have compared to her is my dancing which never gives you anything in life besides cramped feet and aching back pain.
Another thing that hurts me is, in all of this, she got the most desired man of our generation. He told me he doesn't like her, and still she caught him without any trouble. I will just have to move past this; being wrapped up in someone else's life is no way for anyone to live. I don't want to think this way; it's had its moment and now it is time to stop.
My dancing ended and I tried, I really did, to focus on having a bright attitude and maybe just a glimpse of enthusiasm for Naruto's second party. I picked a decent dress, one that shows absolutely no cleavage or really anything to avoid the problem I had last night. I did my hair, did my makeup, and most importantly forced a smile on my face so I at least look happy.
I leave my room through the back door; I want no extra attention or forced socializing so going through the backrooms should prevent any unwanted conversations. I finally reach my destination to see the room filled with the same people as last night's event. The same music, the same people, the same conversations, even the same food was present as last night; the only difference is the location. I quietly tiptoe my way into the party trying to find the closest and most comfortable group of people possible. All I can find is Hinata and Tenten, the two always stick together, they are like Ino and I but much more calm and equal.
"Sakura you made it! We thought you were going to ditch the party." Tenten welcomed as I came closer to the group.
"Really? What makes you think that?" I ask trying to start conversation.
"You just seemed a bit out of it earlier today." Hinata added softly to the discussion.
"I was very tired, I'm sorry if I came off as distant." It is a part of the truth I guess.
"Oh it's ok, we are just glad to see you are with us now." Tenten giggled. For a few minutes Hinata and Tenten make me happy. We laugh and talk until I hear Ino's high pitched laugh near me. I don't bother to look back because I feel a finger tap my shoulder.
"Are you planning on ignoring me the whole party?" Ino mutters next to me, making me feel guilty. I feel awful that whenever Ino is brought up or present in anyway I cringe, this is making me an awful person and I am sick to my stomach with myself.
"No, I was just busy talking to someone else." I banter back, I wish it is the truth, but what can you do.
"Well now you have to come with me. This party is so boring and I need you to make it through." Ino says as she pulls me with her away from Hinata and Tenten who are in the middle of their own private discussion.
"Why? Don't you have Sasuke to focus your energy on?" She does have him; I don't see why she needs to bother with me.
"I think you have this whole thing wrong Sakura, you are my means of communication. Sasuke follows Naruto and Naruto talks to you; Sakura Haruno you are my way in." Ino declares and she pulls us close enough for us to be in Naruto and Sasuke's sight. That is simply brilliant, gee Ino, I'm so happy I could be a pawn in your love story. Why is she even bothering me with this strategy? Does she lack the intelligence to start her own conversations?
As Ino flaunts herself in the middle of the party pretending to be engaged by me, I come to the realization of how horrible all my thoughts are. Who am I to judge how Ino acts, and certainly I have no desire to continue thinking this way. I am becoming terrible. Simple. I am becoming the jealous friend who is unhappy with everything; I can never become that person, I'm so sorry for even heading near that direction.
Ino began to wave to the approaching herd of boys; the group of course includes Sasuke so she locked her sights. I don't know what to do so I stay frozen until they reach us.
"I'm glad you actually came Sakura nobody thought you were going to show, but you proved them wrong eh?" Naruto proclaims happily. He does have a point; I didn't even think I would show up for the party.
"Well I'm here so no need to worry." Was my only response, I'm not really in the talking mood clearly.
Ino, once my voice cut, shoved her way to Sasuke. No need to worry if she was polite or sly, no, she just stomped right to him in front of the whole group of boys. That is something I will give Ino, she does what she wants without giving a damn of what it costs or how it comes off. Ino just slithers her way next to Sasuke and begins talking about anything. I can't hear them, or should I say her, but he smirks as the words leave Ino's mouth. It makes me worried and mad all at the same time so I just saunter gracefully away. Naruto and the boys were in the middle of a very deep and thought provoking discussion about breasts so I could slip away without anyone really caring. I slip away to the outside garden, I know I really shouldn't be here, but inside feels like a fish bowl.
The outside is dark but everything is visible so I can maneuver myself around just fine. I walk as far as possible without being in danger of being caught through someone's windows. King Minato said I can't go outside, but that is only a rule if you get caught. By the time I choose to sit down the music and laughter of the party is faded. I don't want to go back so I just spin around for a bit; my dancing has been terrible today but out here it really doesn't matter if my twirls are at a certain degree.
I do this for a while until I hear feet and Ino's voice. I look to see Sasuke striding away from her while she scurries after him desperately. I stay behind and I choose not to watch them, I will not look but I can't help hearing them from here.
"Sasuke where are you going?" Ino yells after Sasuke, I'm assuming he is walking away from her.
"Go back, you aren't allowed out here." Sasuke demands. Finally I choose to look and I see Sasuke building distance between him and Ino. Ino's face looks smeared and puffy; her eyes look like she has been crying for hours. Sasuke looks normal, which for him means he looks spectacular.
" You can't just leave me like this! I don't understand everything was going so well." Ino cries as Sasuke just points back to the party, telling her it's time to leave him alone. Ino drags herself away while Sasuke just stays put and watches her leave. Once she is gone he starts walking in my direction.
"Now what are you doing out here?" Sasuke asks as he finally catches me. I didn't mean for him to see me, now he is going to think I was spying on them.
"I-I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to eavesdrop I was out here before the either of you came. I had no intention of hearing any of that." I confess, it's the truth but it still sounds sneaky.
"I know. I saw you leave the party." Sasuke explains.
"Oh...well...I don't know what you are doing with my friend but please respect her. She has no clue what she is doing, she is as clueless as the rest of us." I explain, I may be annoyed, but someone needs to protect Ino. Sasuke smirks from my words. I wouldn't have the courage to say this if we were in the middle of a party, and this might be the only time I see him alone.
"You really think this is her first time getting around?" Sasuke asks while the smirk on his face grows. How dare he question Ino's character like that, especially after what he just did.
"I know it is." I proclaim back, but his smirk just drops.
"Is that what she tells you? She is an innocent girl just flaunting around for fun?" Sasuke asks as he backs me into a tree. This is all too familiar; he really knows how to scare the living daylights out of me. This is like the other party when he cornered me and then tugged my dress.
"What do you mean Sasuke?" I demand. I need to know what he is talking about, even if he puts me in this awkward position.
"I don't think you understand that there can be subtle middles to when you wear clothing. This dress makes you look like a prude." Sasuke says as he looks at the bust of my dress. Is he trying to make me have a panic attack? He can't leave me hanging after what he just said about Ino. I don't even have the attention to focus on his clothing comment; I just want to get to the point.
"Sasuke please what do you mean Ino isn't innocent? What do you know that I don't?" I plead. At this point I will go on my knees if it will make him explain. Sasuke is harder to talk to than someone who lost his/her voice. This is ridiculous.
"Why are you so wrapped up in Ino? She isn't a virgin, and she wasn't when I met her. Now will you explain to me why you have this need to protect her?" Sasuke just looks me straight in the eyes like he didn't just tell me my best friend has lied to me. Ino not only distresses me, but her future could be risked by her careless actions in regards to her nightly affairs. I am disappointed in her; I am greatly disappointed in her.
"She is my best friend I have grown up with her...It's my job. She is the life of the party and I am the one who just stands and makes sure everything is ok." I explain. He doesn't seem too satisfied with my answer, but I don't know how else to phrase it. If I am to put our relationship into words that's it; Ino is the hero and I'm the sidekick.
"You make it sound like she is superior compared to you. Don't worry about her in regards with me, I have no interest in perusing her." Sasuke now is no longer looking at me, but the plants behind me. He, in simple terms, just seems done with the conversation.
"I...Did you sleep with her?" My curiosity is the only thing left I have left to satisfy. Sasuke no longer, from the looks of it, wants to talk with me and I want to leave this whole thing behind me.
"No. We didn't do anything serious and I certainly didn't sleep with her." Sasuke states with a blank face that holds no emotion. His whole demeanor or interest just shut off, like he blew out a candle. I'm glad at least Sasuke respected Ino and didn't do anything with her that was too serious. I just nod my head to give a simple response to end this encounter cleanly. Sasuke just stayed planted in his spot continuing to keep me caged in.
"You don't have to stay here, you can go if you want. I don't want to hold you here if you desire to go." I say trying to express my approval that he can leave. I don't want him to think he has the obligation to make sure I'm ok.
"You are so oblivious to everything aren't you? I can't comprehend how you could have gone through your whole life in this manner." Sasuke mutters under his breath. Honestly, as superior as Sasuke Uchiha is, who is he to quickly summarize my character in such a way? I, for one thing, have no clue what he means by such a comment. What is he talking about? Am I doing something wrong? He just put me in a deep cave of anxiety, stress, and confusion.
"I don't understand what you mean...did I do something wrong?" I'm confused, if I am missing a piece if the story I want to know it. What am I oblivious to? Am I oblivious to something around us? Was he getting up and I rushed him?
Sasuke just looks at me with his typical blank expression, but the longer he looks the darker his features become. I don't want to push him further so we just stay this way for a few minutes with the simple sounds of the party surrounding us. Sasuke, after an awkward pause, pushes himself away while he starts to chuckles. This is the first laugh I have ever heard Sasuke Uchiha make and I can tell you it is a revelation. His laugh might be the most thrilling but dark thing I have ever heard. It is like a gunshot or canon, you are scared but you want to hear more.
"Why are you laughing?" I ask as I try to catch up to him. His back is facing towards me and his steps are large and fast so he is a world away. His speed doesn't slow down, but suddenly he stops abruptly and turns to face me.
"Sometimes being too innocent is as much of a sin as being too experienced." Sasuke proclaims. His face is stern and angry; I almost feel guilty for all of this. His words are beautiful and I love their meaning, but clearly they are directed towards me.
"I'm not too innocent." My pride comes into play, and even though I know he makes a valid point I can't let it go.
Sasuke just stands shocked in place, like my words were darts flying at him. He smirks and starts walking towards me until finally he reaches me. His hand grabs my arm and pulls me up so we are eye-level of each other. My body starts to shake; his energy is dark and much more menacing than his regular mysterious self.
"S-Sasuke what are you doing?" I ask nervously.
Sasuke didn't answer me; instead he throws me against the floor. My body hits the grass with force so I just stay in place. Sasuke moves my legs apart with his foot, my dress is still covering them but they are pulled apart in manner they should never be. Quickly after he kneels on his right foot in between my legs, all this body weight is crushing my dress and all my ability to move. My heart starts pounding; what on Earth is he doing?
"You don't even have a clue with what's going on do you?" Sasuke asks while he moves his second knee in between my spread legs.
"I do." It is a lie of course, but again my pride comes into play. I think Sasuke is just trying to scare me, what else would he be doing? He isn't trying to flirt with me or be physical with me; Sasuke put all his energy into Ino and never thought of me. This sudden amount of attention is confusing and out of nowhere, especially from a guy like Sasuke.
Sasuke pushes me back so now my whole body is lying on the ground and I am flat against the grass. He moves himself on top of me and now I realize what's going on. I can't let him play with me like this; he is just being disrespectful and mean. Sasuke doesn't want anything to do with me; all of this is to make fun of me. Sasuke would never want me; if I tried to catch his attention like Ino I wouldn't succeed like her, even if she only had a moment of his very filled time.
"S-Sasuke stop." I push Sasuke off and I get up from the floor. Grass is all over my dress, hair, and arms. I only wanted to be alone and protect Ino, I never asked for him to assume my character then play with me because he thinks it's funny.
"...You can't come here to be with my friend then be... rude to me. I know you might think it's funny to come and press me for laughs, but it hurts me and I won't allow it. I know that's your humor and every other man's; make fun of the 'other girl'. I have gotten it my whole life, so trust there is no need for it." My tone is weak and the words come off much more pathetic than I hoped. I wanted to sound strong, not like a sad fairytale character.
"You aren't the other girl Sakura." Sasuke says with what sounds like disgust in his voice. His features shift into a different pattern, a pattern that looks offended and confused. I'm so embarrassed; I should have never shared any of that. I just can't do anything right. I couldn't even hold a normal conversation.
"I'm sorry for telling you that, you should not have heard it. I...I have to go. Good night Sasuke." I am so embarrassed that the only thing I can think of is running away. I take slow steps at first, but then my feet start moving on their own. Before I know it I'm inside the castle and a few doors away from room. I didn't even get a chance to look at Sasuke before I sprinted off, he must think I am so pathetic.
I go to my room straight after when I realize where I am and I just look out the balcony. I watch the outside from the balcony in my nightgown, the same way I did when I saw Sasuke for the first time. Sasuke Uchiha, the notorious ladies man that jumps bed to bed, is of course the man that I confess my pathetic life story to.
Not to mention Ino must be heart broken; she can never find out about what happened between Sasuke and I tonight that is for sure. I wish I could have behaved differently, maybe ask some more questions. Why was Ino crying? I know I need to talk to her about her actions and reprimand her but how can I confront her without giving up the fact Sasuke told me everything? I know I have to keep this little encounter a secret from her, so there is no way I can bring it up without giving everything away. So Ino isn't a virgin, I don't know how I didn't figure it out before it is so clear. I know I don't have the right to judge her, but someone needs to warn her she is playing with fire. The other woman never get's to keep the man's love and she just wastes her life away waiting for a man she can never have. I don't want Ino to go down that road, so the least I can do is warn her.
Now when I look back I didn't even have time to realize that he said I'm not the other girl. What does he mean I'm not the other girl? It would be too much of a dream come true for him to mean I'm equal with Ino. Sasuke is so thrilling and perfect that I hate to admit that I am finally, like every other girl, starting to become drawn to him. I can't, and I won't, act any different than I did before. I will just continue with my strategy of staying in the background. I know he isn't on his balcony daydreaming about me, so I have to settle with being happy with the way it was before. Besides the whole encounter before was him making fun of me he would never have gotten on top of me to actually do something.
Earl Sasuke Uchiha came into my life with so much force that I fear the way he will leave it.
I leave my balcony and go back to my room to see a letter by my door; the owner must have slid it under the crack of my door. The letter doesn't say whom it is from; the letter just talks about how he/she knows I was outside with Sasuke. I can't think of a single person who was outside the same time we both were, Ino was out there for a tiny two minutes but she didn't see me. This is not only dangerous, that encounter looks really wrong to someone on the outside, but its scary to think someone would bother to send me a letter like this. The complete letter says this.
Dear Sakura Haruno,
I am aware you were outside without a guard with Earl Sasuke Uchiha. I don't know if you are aware that a woman, especially a woman of your stature, is not allowed to go outside unless she is instructed to by King Minato. You and Sasuke look to be very close, I wish you the best of luck with an Uchiha. I hope you have realized the dangers of being with a man of such...caliber. I dearly hope no one finds out about the two of you, it would be a shame for people to know of your dishonorable behavior.
The letter almost seems like a threat. I have no clue who would bother to write something like this to meddle in someone else's life, but here is evidence that people like that exist. I have to tell Sasuke about this, I have to show him the letter; it would be devastating if our stupid conversation got leaked as an affair. Maybe Sasuke has a clue to who wrote the letter. I thought this night couldn't get any worse, but this just made things so much more extreme. I never wanted to show my face to Sasuke again but now I have to tell him about this, he has the right just as much as I do to be aware of our current situation. I hope this all works out, if not I am in deep...shit.
AN: I know this chapter wasn't the most progressive, but I needed to write it so the main plot can really start. Poor Sakura she is so confused she just can't get a grip on Sasuke. I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for reading and please review, favorite, and follow. Thank you!