Sakura was feeling cheerful since she had on a new outfit. As she looked in the mirror while getting ready for school, she struck a model pose and winked. Then she giggled – too silly. But still, everybody would have to like her better now; her forehead wasn't even that noticeable! And maybe she would even make a friend! Smiling, she walked to school with her head whirling with pictures of friends and giggling.
Although no present was found today, Sakura didn't take it personally. She justified to herself that since there was a lot of homework last night, the gift-giver probably just didn't have enough time. She prepared to walk home, but was cornered by Ami. Ami was furious that the teasing appeared to affect Sakura less and less. "You think you're great, don't you?" she yelled at Sakura. Sakura flinched like she had been slapped.
"No…" she whispered looking frantically everywhere but at Ami. She reached into her pocket for the gift of the day to grab, but nothing was there. Ami continued, her face twisted with anger.
" You better not! You're nothing! Nothing but an ugly horrible teacher's pet! Yeah! Don't think everyone doesn't notice how you always want to answer all the questions! Well nobody will like you anyways! Because everyone hates you! You will never have any friends. Ugly forehead girl! Why don't you just go and die!" Sobbing, Sakura pushed past Ami and ran through the playground to the park when she tripped. Curling herself up into a little ball she could only replay the scene time after time. Why? Why did everyone hate her so much? Maybe she should just go die. Then everyone would leave her alone.
"You always get called forehead girl and get picked on, huh?" Sakura started and looked up. There was the confident blond girl Sakura always wished she could be like.
"Who are you?" she asked, wondering more why the girl was speaking to her, but not wanting to ask in case the girl realized her mistake and left Sakura.
"I'm Yamanaka Ino, what about you?"
"I'm…" she didn't want to say, in case the girl, Ino, had mistaken her for someone else. If she told, maybe Ino would realize that Sakura was the ugly forehead girl. But Ino kept looking at her expectantly. "… Sakura," she whispered.
"Huuuuuhh?" The girl asked. Sakura's heart fell. Her worst fears had come true! The girl just figured out who she was! Then the girl finished, "I can't hear you. Speak up."
"Haruno Sakura!" Sakura almost shrieked, closing her eyes and preparing herself for doom. Then something touched her forehead. She opened her eyes to see that the girl was tapping her.
"I see. So your forehead is wide. Which makes you forehead girl," Ino said, smiling and pushing Sakura's forehead back with her finger. Sakura's stomach lurched and tears gathered in her eyes again as Ino put her hand on Sakura's forehead. " That's why you hide your forehead with your hair… Just like a ghost." Sakura's shoulders heaved as she tried to swallow her sobs unsuccessfully. The girl smiled again and asked, "Sakura, right? Come here tomorrow too. I'll give you something nice."
"What?" Sakura asked, looking up.
xXx
Although all her instincts told her not to come, it was a trap; Sakura slowly trudged to the park after school. The girl jumped out, surprising her, and she shrieked and fell to the ground. "Sorry!" the girl said, laughing. "Come here and close your eyes!" Feeling certain doom was approaching, Sakura slowly stood up and closed her eyes. Something was twisting around her head. Then the girl announced, "Ta da!" Open them!"
Sakura opened her eyes and blinked. The world seemed much clearer. She realized her bangs were no longer in her eyes. "See? You're cuter this way, Sakura. I'll give you that ribbon." Ino stepped back, grinning at her handiwork.
"Thank you," Sakura slowly answered, trying to understand what had just happened. Then it struck her. A ribbon? In her hair, tying back her bangs? But then everyone could see her forehead! She tried to impress upon the girl the importance of her bangs. "But…" she started, wondering how to refuse the gift without offending the girl.
"But what?" Ino asked, sounding confused, apparently people didn't argue with her much.
"My forehead…" Sakura stammered.
The girl frowned, and pointed her finger to lecture Sakura. "You get picked on because you hide it."
Sakura started. That had never occurred to her.
"You're cute, so don't be afraid." Sakura stared at her. Cute? Was Ino blind? But the idea still wriggled into her thoughts. Maybe, maybe she could be cute. With Ino's magic ribbon, Ino's cuteness could spread to Sakura.
"Ino-chan…" Sakura whispered.
"Come on, meet my friends!" Ino said laughing. She had to grab Sakura's hand and practically tow her, as Sakura's legs were numb. They walked into a clearing where two boys and a girl waited.
"Who is that, Ino-chan?" the brown-haired girl asked.
"She's Sakura," Ino announced. "Come on, say hi to them," she whispered to Sakura, smiling. Shyness struck Sakura. Inching behind Ino, she plucked up enough strength to finally whisper.
"Hi…" she murmured, smiling.
xXx
It was an entire new world from that day on. In the mornings she had someone to talk to before school, she could giggle and whisper during class, she could eat with someone. Her friends. The word was like magic to Sakura. And there was one thing she knew. Nothing would be more important than having friends. Nothing.
The day after she met Ino, Ami was set to torment Sakura yet again, when Ino stepped in front of Sakura. "What do you want to say to my friend?" she asked in a steely voice. Ami was shocked. "Your friend?" she asked, testing the waters. Everyone knew Ino and Ami were the two most popular girls. If Ami picked a fight with Ino, it would be a fight she might not win.
"Yes. My friend," Ino said staring Ami straight in the eyes. Ami backed off.
"Nothing right now," Ami said in a nice enough voice. It was ruined, however, by the way she glared at Sakura. Both of them knew that as soon as Sakura was away from Ino, Ami would have something to say to Sakura. Sakura gulped and pledged to stay as close to Ino as possible.
She may have overdone it. Everyone, including the teachers, noticed. There was almost never a second that she was apart from Ino. To her credit, Ino handled it pretty well, only telling her occasionally that she needed to back off a bit.
One person who did not take Sakura's puppy impersonation well at all was the mysterious gift-giver. Another note soon arrived.
"Ar yoo still my frend? Do yoo still want preznts?"
Lov,
(frowny face)
Sakura stared at the note in amazements before scribbling back,
"A corse I am still yor frend! I luv presnts!
Hav a smiyall fase!"
Luv,
(flower)
The next note arrived was even more sulky.
"Yoo look lik yur Eno's frend. Not mine. If I am yur frend, y do yoo need Eno? Yoo onlee need won frend."
Lov,
(Half-smiling, half-frowning face)
Sakura sighed. Why couldn't everyone be happy together? Now that she was happy her gift-friend was sad. She wrote another note, and attached the candy her mother gave her as a snack.
"Yoo ar my frend too. I wont stop bing yur frend beecuz Ino is my frend. I hav a presnt 4 yoo so yoo will hav a smiyall fase."
Lov,
(flower)
No more notes arrived, but a drawing of a smiling stick figure holding hands with another smiling stick figure soon arrived. Sakura grinned. Everything was going perfectly now.
xXx
Sakura was at the park with the brown-haired girl, who's name she soon learned was Umiko, (A/N) as they waited for Ino. As they walked through the paths, they heard lots of noise coming from in front of them. They came into the clearing and saw lots of children clustered around what appeared to be a fight. Several boys, one who looked to be a couple years older than them were fighting with a small boy that Sakura thought she might have seen in school, but she wasn't sure. The little blond one appeared to be losing badly, understandably since he had three opponents. As he was thrown out of the scuffle onto the pavement, Sakura asked Umiko whom he was. "Oh, that's Uzumaki Naruto," Umiko replied. "He's a bad boy. That's what my parents say. So it's good that he's getting punished." This made sense to Sakura, so she nodded and turned back to the fight.
Eventually the other boys lost interest and left the blond boy gasping on the pavement. He looked like he was going to be pretty bruised, but he didn't cry, he just looked angry. Suddenly he turned and met Sakura's eyes. Remembering he was a bad boy, Sakura stuck out her tongue and frowned at him. She didn't want anyone to think she was a bad girl like him. His face, previously so tough and strong looking, immediately crumpled, and his eyes filled with tears. He turned around and ran off, but Sakura could hear muffled sobs.
Wide-eyed, Sakura turned to Umiko. "Why did he cry?" she asked.
"He was getting beat up," Umiko supplied helpfully. Although the boy didn't start crying until he looked at her, crying when you get hurt made sense to Sakura, and she didn't think anymore about it.
"Ino-chan!" she shouted, seeing Ino, and they ran off to meet her.
xXx
Only Umino Iruka noticed the little blond boy was absent the next week, and though he heard rumors of a fight, he was too swamped to go check on the boy.
xXx
No presents came for the next few days, which upset Sakura. She shrugged it off finally, explaining to herself that since she had new friends now, she didn't really need anyone else. Even all the other students treated her normally now.
As Sakura was packing up to leave, her eyes hit upon something amazing. Across the room was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. "Hey," she asked the girl next to her, "who is that?"
The girl looked at her strangely. "Don't you know?" she asked. "That's Uchiha Sasuke."
xXx
Author's Notes:
A/N: I made that name up, I didn't find anything that said her name. If you watch ep 32 it shows the girl, and I found that name on babynamesworld(dot)com which is an awesome website.
Other than that, I thought it was a little awkward to have Iruka's POV in the middle of this Sakura POV chapter, but I didn't know how else to mention Naruto was absent, since Sakura doesn't notice him. So yeah.
As usual, please review, constructive criticism welcomed, don't worry about being to harsh… etc.