Chapter 4
I locate Kiba and Shikamaru by a tree near the library's entrance. Gaara and Neji appear to have joined them, eating their bentos silently. I wave and call out to them. "Hey, guys! Miss me?"
They all look up at once, like a hive mind. The effect is kind of creepy. However, the spell is broken as I sit down next to them because everyone bombards me with questions. (Well, it's mostly Kiba, and Neji doesn't say anything at all, but the effect is the same.)
"How did it go?" Kiba asks demandingly, "Shit, that makes it sound like a date or something. Ew."
"It went fine, Kiba," I reassure him, since he sounds and looks slightly worried, "I admit I almost punched him in the face a couple times, but otherwise nothing happened.
"Okay, good. He didn't try anything, right?"
I sigh. "No, Kiba. My virginity is intact."
"Even better."
The group and I spend the rest of lunch chatting, with Shikamaru occasionally making a witty remark while Neji observes silently and still, like a sentinel. I eat my instant ramen in peace, only disrupted by the occasional question from Kiba or Gaara.
After the final bell rings and school ends for the day (it all went smoothly, thank the kamis), I head towards the section of the school where the principal and counselor offices are to tell Tsunade-baachan that I'm leaving. (She's actually my legal gaurdian. Long story). I don't have a phone, or otherwise I'd just call or text her instead of walking halfway across campus.
I wave like an idiot in front of her office window until she notices me, and then she smiles and waves back to signal that she knows I'm leaving. Flashing a thumbs-up sign, I turn around and saunter off.
The walk to my apartment is only a few blocks (I'm lucky to have one so close to campus), and I trudge up the driveway and three flights of stairs, fumbling for my keys. I live on the third story of the apartment complex, and there's no elevator, which is annoying. My own apartment kind of small, and the carpets are a hideous shade of beige, but I make it work, and my neighbors are quiet, for the most part. Half of the rent is paid for by Tsunade-sensei, while I work a part-time job to pay for the rest.
I let myself in, the hinges of the red front door squeaking, and immediately allow my heavy backpack, laden with binders and textbooks, to fall to the (ew, beige carpeting!) floor. My living/dining area is austere in decor and furnishing, but it's functional and not too messy. An empty ramen container sits on top of the low wooden coffee table in front of my worn but cushy sofa. I enter the kitchen to the left to boil some water, then exit and follow the short hall to my tiny bathroom and single bedroom. My double-sized bed is unmade and has a strange brown stain on the comforter from the time I accidentally spilled ramen on it while eating in bed. My (admittedly cheap) laptop, which is charging at my desk, bleeps, so I open it and check to see what it is. It appears to be nothing important, so I ignore it, but, since the computer is already on, decide to speck my email to see if Sasuke has sent me my assessment results yet.
After logging in, it appears that he has. Once opened, the message reads,
"Hello Naruto-
I have graded and looked over your assessment. It appears that you are a more visually-inclined and kinetic learner; thus, I will utilize this information in my tutoring methods. Please meet me in the library again tomorrow at the same place and time for your next session.
- Uchiha Sasuke".
It all sounds so formal that I can't help but laugh. So, I reply with a succinct, "Okay, thanks," but add a P.S. at the end of the message.
"Okay, thanks.
-Naruto
P.S. You don't need to type so formally, teme! It sounds all forced and prissy."
I hit send and peruse my other emails, of which there are two. Kiba has sent out a group message to me and several others about homework. Gaara has already replied, but I ignore it for now.
The second one is from Haruno Sakura. She's a close childhood friend of mine. I've known her since second grade, and back in junior high I used to have a really huge crush in her. Like, mega huge. However, after repeated (but polite) rejections, and the fact that she only had eyes for the Uchiha, I was kind of forced to get over it. So now, in high school, she's almost like a sister to me.
Her message reads,
"Hey Naruto~. Sorry I haven't seen you at school the last two days; I've been sick. But whatever. I've heard through the grapevine that Sasuke-kun is tutoring you? Please reply. ^^"
I smile, and respond to her request. "Yup. More information to follow when you get better."
I send that message too, and am about to log out of Kmail when I notice that Sasuke has replied to my message. "I write like that because I want to, usuratonkachi. P.S. You look cute when you smile."
Wait what.
Sorry for the shorter chapter, but I just HAD to end it there.
