Sorry for spelling mistakes, I literally wrote this right before bed.

She wasn't elated, but she wasn't depressed with the fact either. The fact that Ino had finally returned to her life. Hinata had barely realized she was gone at all. She had gone away with a lot of other students for the music program, suddenly a lot of familiar faces began to pop up and once again she was greeted and tackled by the bright and friendly faces she knew. Kiba had run up to her, thrown her arms around her, and practically dragged her through the school with tales of his wild week in Suna.

She sat with them at lunch rather than spending her half hour at her usual spot, she felt too confused about what had happened between them and like most bad things that happened to her, she thought about it until it made her physically ill. She chewed on her fingernails while Ino prattled along about all the handsome boys she had met in Suna and how many phone numbers she's gotten, trying to make Shikamaru jealous. He indifferently flicked through college rock songs on his ipod.

"Hinata, why aren't you sitting with your boyfriend?" Ino poked playfully at Hinata. Her head flipped up instantly.

"He's not my boyfriend." she stated, looking around with the most suspicious look upon her face. She was completely oblivious as to who Ino was talking about.

"Not yet." Ino smirked, tapping her plastic fork against the paper plate full of questionable food in front of her. "I think you and Neji make a cute couple."

Neji. Just Neji. She released her breath, so relieved. She rubbed her forehead, almost a bit annoyed that she'd scared her like that. "Ino, you know how I feel."

"I know, I know." Ino replied playfully. "I don't know what you're so upset about, he's hot." Hinata grimaced. Ino was a catch but her opinion of 'hot' was a bit strange. Shikamaru was probably the only descent guy she'd been with in a long time although they were always an on and off pair.

"He's my cousin. He looks like he could be my brother." she tried to explain as if it wasn't point blank obvious. Ino's mind worked a lot slower than Hinata's in some areas. Hinata just sat there, carrying on her look towards Ino, waiting as she calculated a conclusion.

"But he's hot." Ino shrugged. Hinata couldn't help but giggle. It was just another reason why she loved being around Ino, no matter what the situation was, she could unknowingly turn it into a joke. It aggravated her at times, but it was a practical ability. "Are you going to go to twirp together?"

Hinata raised a brow. Twirp? Is that even a word? "Twirp, Ino?" she grinned sarcastically, attempting to hint that Ino possibly used the incorrect word once again.

"You know, Twirp." Ino waved her hands in Hinata's face.

"No, I don't know." she gripped Ino's flagging hand in order to properly see her face.

"It's a dance, where the girls ask the guys." Ino explained. "Like Sadie Hawkins."

Then why don't they just call it Sadie Hawkers... "Oh..." Hinata lowered her head, feeling defeated. "Are you going to Twirp with Shikamaru?" she asked innocently with a desperate need to change the subject.

"Of course we're going." Ino giggled as if what Hinata had just asked was the most amusing question anyone had ever asked her as she nudged Shikamaru's shoulder gently. "Aren't we?" she smiled at him, he didn't seem to be paying much attention since he seemed to be caught up in the status if his now playing song.

"Suuuure..." Hinata mentally giggled at how long and drawn out the word was. He didn't really care, in all truth he had no idea what she had just said, he was just watching her mouth move. She shot him the most threatening glare before returning to Hinata.

"Hey Hinata." Hinata twisted, looking around in an attempt to find the person that had spoken her name. She then returned to her position. Shikamaru spoke without hardly looking at her, seemingly entranced with his iPod. "You're in first lunch, correct?"

"Yes." she nodded hesitantly.

"I haven't seen you around." He stated without saying another word to her for a moment. She almost became angry, she wanted to know what the back and forth was for. Shikamaru was an interesting character, an upperclassman who was seemingly annoyed by everything. She was surprised he could tolerate the incessant notions of Ino. Opposites attract.

"Ino, I'm leaving." He suddenly got up from his seat, he wasn't eating anything now that it caught her attention. He rarely ate which was why he was so skinny. Hinata then became unsettled. She watched every move he made.

"Why? Where are you going?" Ino whined as if she had been talking to him this entire time.

"Nowhere, don't worry about it." Nowhere? How can you be going nowhere? He saw her mouth begin to open and very smoothly pressed his lips against hers for the briefest moment.

"I love you." she whispered into his mouth, Hinata could almost feel her breath brushing the side of her face. She was embarrassed for them. It wasn't a terrible thing. It was just difficult watching two people who love each other embrace that way, when you have nothing.

"Yeah." he replied, walking away. Yeah? That was hardly a reply at all. It definitely was 'I love you too' or 'see you soon'. Ino sighed delicately as she watched him go.

For a moment, they both just sat there. Hinata attempted to pry into Ino's head. She wanted to figure out what made her face flush red whenever they touched, what made her eyes glaze over and a feeble smile stretch upon her face. What made her stare into her plate? Just thinking about their times. What made her instantly miss him although he was merely feet away?

"Guess what?" Ino suddenly came up and asked after a long, throaty groan(It's origin was unknown to Hinata)

"Hmm?" Hinata replied barely thinking.

"Sakura's going to ask the new teacher to Twirp." Ino half-laughed as she licked the tip of the spoon that barely touched her food and instantly regretted it. Her laugh resembled what Hinata normally thought about Sakura. It was tinted with the phrase 'yeah right.....'

Hinata heart was pounding out of her chest. A million thoughts ran through her head, her eyes searched for something on the table to focus on so that she would not faint on the spot. "Oh really?" she attempted to say without panic as her voice shook mercilessly.

"Really. Do you think he'll say yes?" Ino asked.

"Not at all. Sakura is so immature and besides why would he want to date a student, isn't that illegal? He's old, she's not thinking, she could have any guy she wanted." Hinata meant to think all of that but it was out now like a stream of consciousness.

Hinata anticipated Ino's answer but it was as it usually was. "But......he's hot."

Hinata knew she wouldn't understand nor would she pay any attention to what she was trying to say.

"That's not the point Ino." Hinata was going to expand with some long speech about how Mr. Uchiha was far too mature for Sakura but the bell began to ring and it stung her ears. She had quite enjoyed the lunch she spent with Ino, it was quite conversational. It was much better than those silent and uncomfortable lunches with Mr. Uchiha. Sadly, she had an entire hour with him next.

Now the thought of Sakura asking him to Twirp made her sick. Sakura was easy, easy easy easy. Simply simple. Physically. She got everything she desired only because she was so facile to manipulation. She wanted to be dominated as long as it was by the person she had in mind. She could surely get Mr. Uchiha. Hinata doubted she was his type but she roped Shino for a few days. Her abilities were limitless. However, there was a huge age difference. She was bold enough but was he? No one wanted to be caught on the fence of being "involved" with a child even a very willing, seventeen year old child.

She silently prayed for the most quick and simple class ever and the need became more desperate and longing as she waled up the stairs. The world around her ask she knew went a mile a minute, everything became silent and time was reduced to the minute and a half it took her to make her way up the steps. She was oblivious to the other students around her and allowed herself to be bumped and nudged and shoved. It didn't matter anymore, if she could get over this dead part of the day, everything else would be simple.

She didn't realize how hard that would be until she bumped into him, he coming from the roof and herself from the stairs. They had crossed paths and now, he had his hand reached towards her-in her face and she was on the floor. She glared at it before grabbing up her books and scurrying into the room.

She dropped her books where they were, at the first desk as usual although she realized she should have sat in the back to avoid any eye contact but she was too dazed over for that. Instead she cut her losses and popped a squat right there. The class seemed brighter that day, he had been decorating...There were now posters and things littered around the room, Hinata found it surprising that Mr. Uchiha took interest in the same music as her. The only thing really different about the start of class was that she wasn't thinking about Naruto, who usually filled her mind from the hours of 3:15 to 4:20.

She couldn't help but fiddle with the pencils in her hand and her eyes wandered around the room as they met with the desperate eyes of Sakura. Hinata shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she saw them talking, privately. And she was sure Sakura didn't need the bathroom pass. She recorded in her mind every detail of Sakura's expression. Her face first contorted with laughter which meant she pointed out some minuscule fact about him that she had no true interest in to start conversation. She then popped the question playfully by interweaving her fingers and smiling immaturely to persuade him with her innocence......'innocence'.

Her heart pounded, she could not see his face to determine a reaction but when she saw Sakura's expression, she nearly died. She smiled, nodding her head frantically and clapping. Hinata suddenly hated her. She had less than no interest in her teacher, she was simply aggravated, definitely not jealous. He kissed her against her will, then accepted an invitation to a dance with a girl half his age. Did he help her this entire time to take her, then give up after getting sick of waiting? She broke her pencil against the desk as she watched them both come into the room. Sakura skipped happily, giving Hinata a thumbs up, for what she didn't know. Sasuke glanced at her for a moment before returning to the lesson, looking quite serious.

To her surprise, their class went by quickly. It was really over before it started and she spent the entire class doodling in her notebook. Not really pictures of anything, just scribbles. When the bell rang, her head snapped up, she had no idea class was over. Others seemed like they had been waiting for that moment their entire life and shot up from their seats faster than an instinctual animal. Hinata gently eased from her chair, looking around. Sakura sped by, waving at the teacher, then walking off.

Hinata grimaced, she was so unappealing(This thought may have been brought about by her....'aggravation'). What did he see in her? She couldn't see it.

"Hinata, can I see you after class?" Mr. Uchiha asked sternly, more demanding than everything.

"It is after class." she contorted rudely although her voice was so soft she was sure he barely heard it.

"Now." he restated but for some reason at that moment, she didn't feel threatened. She felt invincible at the most vulnerable time of her young life. She continued to pack her things away into her bag, ignoring his demands.

"Sit down." he growled, his eyes shooting up at her and she instantly dropped into her chair, her body doing this out of fear. She mentally scolded herself for doing the exact opposite of what she really wanted to do. She sat, quietly as her heart thumped in her rip cage. "We have four hours of tutoring."

Damn....

He pulled up a chair and sat in front on her so they faced each other. She didn't look at him, instead her eyes remained glued to the paper in her hands. He tapped his fingertips against the surface of the desk. She didn't care, this four hours was going to have to go by faster today. She was not in the mood for his sarcasm or witty exclamations.

"Was it your first kiss?" And she froze when she heard it. Luckily for her, she didn't seem so surprised. Her head didn't snap upward and her face didn't flush like she normally did.

She shook her head, that was all she was going to pay him. It was. She wasn't going to say that.

"Hinata, you're attractive." Here it came, the flush and the shake. Still she managed to completely dodge his advances by pretending to be reading her paper. She didn't know why he was stating these random facts but she felt her body temperature rising.

"Why would you say that?" she asked softly doing well in the act of pretending not to care what his answer was.

"That's the only question you ever ask." he said. It was probably true, she did feel the need for him to explain everything in detail. "I kissed you because I think you're attractive, not because I felt sorry for you."

A wave of satisfaction brushed over her, she didn't know why that was the one thing she truly wanted to hear, that was the one thing that was going to make this day alright. "Oh." and that was all she could muster to say at the moment.

For a few moments, she looked at the wall. Just thinking and gathering her thoughts, things were less awkward but at the same time they were confusing. She could feel the confusion in his breathing and she was sure he could feel hers.

"Will you be going with Sakura to Twirp?" with this she didn't bother to look at him either. It disturbed him slightly but it wasn't something he felt as though he had to respond to negatively. "She seemed very happy about something."

She couldn't mask how much she cared but by now it no longer mattered. "I don't think so."

Her eyes snapped up to him and as it seems, he anticipated this as his own eyes bored into her head, just waiting for the moment they would make contact. He would never let them go.

"She's a bit....immature." Hinata knew he would say that, it didn't surprise her. "She's certainly cute but, what's the word?.....Generic? She reminds me of a small animal, seeking attention. She feels as though she's too cute to go with a student and that she'll become more desirable if I take her but I'm not feeding into that insecurity."

Hinata nodded, it was all true. But how did he know this.

"Will you be going with Neji?" the tables were flipped and now the spotlight was on her. She wanted to say something complicated and intelligent but it wasn't with her at that moment.

"You know I won't." she replied.

"You really should, it may be beneficial to you." at that second she turned away from him. Those were the most disgusting words she had ever heard. She shook her head, why would he say that? Her eyes shifted upward. She didn't want to even think that he was here at this moment.

"It's hard to have a conversation when you're stating at the ceiling." He said.

"I don't love Neji, I don't like him romantically, I don't like him physically, I don't like him in any way at all." she spoke through gritted teeth. "I get enough romantic advice from my father."

"You have a phobia of happiness." he stated like it was news. "You won't stop hating everything until you're completely miserable."

"How does that make any sense?" Hinata snapped sarcastically.

"When you're happy, you think you can never be happier so you choose to be miserable so you'll appreciate common joy more. It's very unhealthy." was he a psychologist now?

"Why are you lecturing me?" she sighed in desperation.

Nothing was said and she suddenly regretted asking.

"Hinata." he spoke her name softly just to get her attention and she flinched as his hand gently covered her own. She was relaxed while at the same time, didn't have the strength to move. "You know why."

Her jaw dropped softly, just a bit but she soon picked it back up and shut her eyes, just to think for a moment. What exactly was happening? She was now tangled in an entirely different jungle from high school. But she had sight of what was wrong and what was right. Mainly that she was young and he was old. Just the thought of them having any type of relationship other than professional would ruin his career and she could possibly lose everything. She didn't seem as though she had a lot going for her at the moment but she could have much less.

He read the look on her face, whatever she thought wasn't any good for him. The only thing she could think of was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. What she was doing was wrong, if she was doing anything at all. She couldn't live with herself if that happened. She couldn't.

"Hinata." he called her name softly again as she shook her head in response to the question he had yet to ask. "I'm only 21."

Her gaze drifted up to him. "21?" she repeated like it was another language and he nodded. "That's still a long way from sixteen." she said although she still assumed he was much older. He was quite handsome and very youthful but had mature features and in every way, had the aura of someone of atleast thirty.

"It's not bad." he said softly. "It's not wrong."

"This is all just so.....fast." she found it hard to gather the words.

Releasing her from her moment of displeasure was a constant rapping on the door. The door was open but someone politely tapped on the threshold. They both turned and made space between themselves quickly.

"Come in." Sasuke asserted after clearing his throat.

Naruto. Hinata instantly began to blush and ignored Sasuke's eyes as they seemed to roll right out of his head. "Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting anything." his voice was innocent and boyish and Hinata drank it all in.

"Not at all." Sasuke sighed, irritated but politely.

"Could I borrow Hinata, just for a minute?" Sasuke rubbed the back of his head, coughing into his arm. To Hinata, he was the most charming man ever but to Sasuke, he was a pig. He was disgusting and immature.

Sasuke groaned inwardly but waved the girl away reluctantly. He thought she would be more suspicious, slow and cautious. Contrary to his beliefs, she seemed to float out of her chair. She stood next to him in half a second. Her eyes were stuck to his face. He regarded how much of a pervert she really was. She imagined him naked in the most compromising positions, he assumed.

Now they were talking so low and short breathed that he could barely make out what they were saying. He could have heard correctly but didn't want her to confuse him with someone who cared whether or not she was speaking to an idiot or not. They turned away from him as he sat there feeling quite stupid.

"Hey." Naruto spoke as soon as he was sure Sasuke couldn't hear them.

"Hi." Hinata replied quickly, very mousy.

"This is...untraditional." Naruto began as he scratched the back of his head as if he were being invaded by some type of vicious animal. "But could you ask me to Twirp?"