Predator and Prey
Threat
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I find myself backed into a dark corner...
where is the sunlight to guide my path?
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The morning rays of the sun slipped through the blinds of the window and hit the sensitive layer of her eyelids, making her see red as she stirred awake from the short slumber she had managed to get from an uneasy attempt to sleep. Her drowsy state prolonged her thinking as she opened her eyes slowly with difficulty. Almost instantly, she shut them as an arm curled out from the warm blankets to cover half her face, blocking the unwanted sunlight.
She stayed in that position until the loud beeping of her alarm clock startled her minutes later. Pressing the off button automatically, she turned away from the window and sat up while rubbing her eyes. The action irked her temples, which hinted a headache, and she lowered into a slouched position. The faint sounds of bird chirping barely went noticed as she tried to ease the upcoming tension around her eyes. Dropping her arms, she turned towards the window and reached for her glasses on the nearby drawer.
It's just another day. The thought despondently echoed in her mind and she didn't make an effort to get up from her warm bed. Softly sighing, she put her glasses on and hoped this headache wouldn't last the entire day. Finally, she slipped from the bed and stood.
She entered the small bathroom and caught a glimpse of her reflection. The skin around her eyes was slightly darker due to the sleepless nights, but that wasn't what caught her attention. A new blemish had appeared on the side of her chin. She inspected it, not happy that this one was rather big and proceeded to pop it. She winced slightly at the pain and soon enough, it became another red, irritated spot on her face; at least it wasn't that disgusting looking anymore. Sighing to herself yet again, she began to undress for a shower in hopes to shake off her drowsiness.
After her shower, she proceeded to dress in a long sleeved shirt and slipped into a pair of jeans, still not feeling much better. At times, she spaced out during her morning routine and had to silently reprimand herself for wasting time. Before she headed down to prepare a small breakfast and lunch, she looked out the window once more. Sometimes it wasn't worth getting up in the morning.
Even with all the unexpected spacing out, she managed to leave the house at the same usual time. She wasn't that hungry but ate half a cereal bowl and quickly made her lunch. Her walk to school was at its exact pace yet she felt so tired. The bags under eyes were noticeable even with the large glasses. As she entered the school building, she still couldn't figure out why she couldn't sleep.
Of course, thoughts of him were constantly on her mind, but she hadn't had another nightmare involving him. How could she if she barely had any sleep? She thought back on yesterday's events. He had been acting strange, almost, dare she say, nice. Her eyebrows furrowed as her thoughts on the dark-haired became further complex. It still didn't mean she felt safe, regardless the real reason to why all of this was occurring. She didn't even feel safe anymore coming this early to school when there hardly was anyone in sight.
But it wasn't like he would be here. He didn't seem to particularly like school or anything for that matter and was always late for class. As she thought about this, it became more evident that she didn't need to worry about being here alone. However, there was still an uneasy feeling in her stomach.
Minutes later, she took a seat in the deathly silent library and set a textbook on the table. The strong lights of the large room burned her eyes. Shaking her head slightly while rubbing her forehead a bit, she tried to ease the tension of the headache from earlier this morning. After blinking repeatedly, she finally opened the book and attempted to read. It proved to be futile as she kept reading the same sentence over and over again.
Time was progressing slowly, in contrast to the previous days she spent in here. The silence was interrupted by an unexpected noise, which startled her immensely, causing her to jump and turn her head towards it. The librarian had dropped a pile of books and was silently cursing. On instinct, she stood and without a word, helped pick them up.
She had helped librarians before when it was needed, especially when no one else was available, but her mind wasn't really in it. Half listening to the librarian's murmurs, she finished picking them up and placed them in the cart. The phone that suddenly rang also made her jump. The librarian curiously looked at her before hurrying to answer it. The librarian's voice and laughter echoed through the empty library. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to read after all, she proceeded to alphabetize the books before taking the cart to the various aisles.
Absentmindedly, she placed the books in their correct place and completed the small task easily. She took the empty cart back to the front where the librarian was still speaking on the phone. A few students had entered and were furiously studying for exams at the last minute. After that, she returned to her small table and tried to read the text once more. Just when it was starting to make sense, it was time to go. She walked out the double doors.
She felt a bit jittery walking through the chaotic halls. Students were crowding every space possible with a few empty spaces in between that soon were filled as people headed towards their destination. When walking these halls, it was wise to have a quick pace without managing to bump into anyone. She hadn't fully mastered this despite it being her last year of high school. But being so short in stature, she didn't really stand a chance. A feeling of claustrophobia began to suffocate her as two bigger boys tackled each other in a headlock and tumbled in front of her. She avoided it but got in the way when a girl sprayed large amounts of perfume, unaware of the people walking by.
She coughed into her sleeve, fighting the fruity fragrance that seeped into her mouth and kept walking. Other than that, the feeling of routine returned. She truly hoped it would be a normal school day, but then again, when was it ever normal?
Reaching her locker, she immediately noticed that there was a group of people in the way. She had to wait until they moved on. She shifted her large book to her other arm as she turned the knob to her combination. When it clicked open, she pushed the handle up while using a little force to open it. It was orderly inside and she switched her books. Suddenly, she stiffened as every fiber of her body gave off a warning alert. She felt like someone was watching her every move. Not accustomed to this feeling, she turned to the passing students clad in various colors and found nothing out of the ordinary.
Slowly, she returned to her task, the feeling didn't subdue; but increased ten fold, so she quickly took what was needed, closed her locker, and hurried to her classroom. That strange feeling lasted afterwards, preoccupying her thoughts and caused her to miss the direction where onyx eyes were previously located.
She never had a problem with concentration in her classes; yet it was difficult as her eyes were constantly drooping and all she wanted to do was to lay her head down to relax. This never happened to her before. She was always fully alert in class and couldn't afford to get low marks. What would that say about her? Not to mention she still possessed that chilling, unusual feeling from the hallways.
It was a strange combination, feeling sleepy and cautious at the same time, but most importantly, she didn't understand why she was panicking again. He wasn't in her morning classes and she hadn't seen him at all. Still, he wouldn't leave her mind. His image filled her mind: his dark hair, his cold eyes, his pale yet smooth features and that all too knowing smirk…
Uncomfortably, she shifted in her seat as she remembered his cruel actions at the rooftop. He was a cold person like his hands…
The students reacted before the bell as they began talking and putting their things in their bags, signaling the end of class. Surprised, she looked around her and then the clock. It really was time for her next class. Sighing, she tried to concentrate more in her other classes and did. It also got rid of the feeling, yet there was something still whispering in the back of her mind. By the time she got out of her third class, she felt even more tired than before.
She lost her concentration when she headed for P.E. The course is compulsory for all students during a particular day of the week and was only cancelled during the rainy season. So as expected, it was hated by the majority of the student body. That, and it was taught by Maito Gai. It was reason enough to skip that period daily and most did, although they were caught and were required to attend another physical class as part of detention with the evil Mitarashi Anko. She was literally merciless when demanding them to continue under hot weather conditions.
At least in the normal physical education classes, they didn't force the students to go at a certain speed as long as the exercise was completed before the period ended. Slightly jogging, she found no trouble in the situation, except for the fact that she chose to wear sweat pants rather than the customary gym school shorts. The sun beat down on her face and she began to sweat, making her glasses slip. Her glasses were a nuisance but there wasn't anything she could do about it. Eventually, she was the last one to finish.
"Haruno, that wasn't your best. The power of youth is in you, I know it!" Gai gleamed, the brightness of his teeth blinding her for a moment.
Sakura tried to smile back but failed. It took too much energy and it didn't matter if one smiled or frowned at the man clad in green, he would still smile widely anyway. It wasn't that she wasn't physically active; she walked to school and back since she was twelve but she obviously couldn't keep up with anything today.
Her panting lessened and she gradually regained her normal breathing pattern as she walked back to the changing rooms. Since she was the last one to head back and it was time for lunch, she figured it was probably empty. A noise caught her attention, though she didn't think too much of it while entering, she froze at the sight of purple hair. Ami was pushed up against the changing lockers by a guy whose hand was up her skirt. Ami was giggling and the guy started kissing her neck. With a red face, Sakura tried to leave before being seen. In the next second, Ami looked at the entrance and there was a brief eye contact.
Turning even redder, Sakura avoided Ami's stare and backed out of the room. She waited a few feet away from the door until they came out ten minutes later. The guy didn't realize she was there and headed off to wherever he was going. Ami was smoothing down her skirt and ignored her as well. What she had seen rushed back to her head. How could someone do that at school? Weren't they worried that the teachers would catch them? She shook her head. It wasn't any of her concern.
She changed back into her clothes and checked the time. She had forty minutes to eat her lunch instead of the usual hour. And this time at lunch, she was going to take her chances with the other nerds since she was never going back to the rooftop. Nipping at her lower lip absently as a habit of nervousness, she walked into the swarming cafeteria. No one paid any attention to her as she entered, although someone almost bumped into her as he yelled out to his friend, "They ran out of pizza!"
"Fuck!" said an angry student and slammed his fist hard on the table.
Instantly getting out of their way, she hurried while searching around, having a bit of trouble remembering where certain types of groups sat. After a few minutes, she spotted the table with a few students that were quiet at the far end of the room. She approached them with butterflies in her stomach.
"Hi," she said softly, which was probably unheard due to the level of noise in the cafeteria. However, a few heads to which it was said to turned to her in surprise.
"May I sit with you?" she continued in a louder tone and hoped that they wouldn't refuse.
There was a short silence amongst the few nerds while they looked at each other to come to an agreement. The nearest girl to Sakura nodded and she quickly took the empty seat next to her. The rest didn't utter a sound to her as she took out her homemade lunch from her backpack.
"My name is Hitomi," said the girl a short while after.
The pink-haired girl finished chewing what was in her mouth before answering, "Mine is Sakura."
"That's a pretty name," replied Hitomi, which caused Sakura to pause in her eating, not expecting the compliment. No one cared about her name because of her appearance.
From what she could tell so far, they were friendly despite their silence. Jade eyes wandered from one person to another. Some were lost in their own world, others had shifty eyes and a few were muttering under their breath. She knew they were not usually like this and tended to be more open alone or with someone they trusted. She ate her rice quietly, occasionally stopping to use her tongue and make sure the tiny grains didn't get stuck between the metal of her braces.
No one else spoke after a while; excluding a boy who offered her some of his food, which she refused politely, and it soon became awkward, at least in her case. The awkwardness was nothing bad and she began to think it would be possible to find companionship. A small smile appeared on her lips, a rare occurrence, and it quickly faded when the bell rang. She suddenly didn't feel so well.
There was a strong discomfort swirling in her stomach, threatening to throw back out the food she recently ate, when she reached the class she had with him. It was inevitable and it was slowly shattering her hopes of a normal day. Taking her seat, she didn't dare to look anywhere else as the rest of the students settled in. She wasn't ready to give up the hope that he would not be here. Her breathing stopped abruptly when she heard the squeals of girls and she shut her eyes in realization that not all hopes are meant to come true.
A part of her didn't understand the extreme expression of infatuation demonstrated by all females in the class. Of course, this wasn't the first time that it happened; not with someone like him, but she had always seemed to be somewhat oblivious since it died down when class began. And soon enough, everyone quieted down when the teacher entered. It was highly uncomfortable and she wasn't listening. She wanted to flinch. Eyes, his eyes, were boring holes onto her back from the time when he had sat down in the back. Even from that distance, it was distracting and her feet started to fidget.
Stop it. Stop it.
"Today we will be conducting a short group activity. Groups will be chosen at random," said the teacher disapprovingly at the dissatisfied faces of the students.
With a soft gasp, she froze and stared at the teacher who picked up the attendance sheet and called out names. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until her name was called along with Inuzuka Kiba and Nara Shikamaru. So it was groups of three and she was relieved that she wasn't paired with—she must have not been paying attention again because there were sounds of chairs being moved in the classroom. Everyone was sitting next to their group members, forcing her to stand and find a seat by them, knowing they wouldn't come to her.
She sat down next the Nara genius while Kiba took his time in getting there. She was ignored and none of them spoke even after the instructions were given. Her eyes glanced up to the teacher but something else diverted her attention to find him sitting indolently with two females, his uncaring face didn't betray his usual attitude. Her gaze shifted to his group members and widened. One of them was Yamanaka Ino.
Sakura had forgotten the popular blonde was in this class too, but it wasn't like someone with that status would bother to notice her. And with the recent incidents, there were other things on Sakura's mind. She continued watching the smiling Ino as she fearlessly talked to the dark-haired male while the other female stared at him lovingly. Sakura averted her eyes once she realized she was staring, only to see the rest of the girls looking at them as well with jealous faces.
She was just glad she wasn't grouped with either of them, each for different reasons. Her attention was brought to her own group when Kiba complained besides her, "I'm not doing this. It's boring."
Shikamaru yawned and propped the side of his face on his palm. "Troublesome."
As usual, whoever ended up in a group with her in any class expected her do all the work. It wasn't a surprise. In fact, she was expecting it and eased all feelings as she busied herself. Sure, it wasn't fair for one person to do all parts of the assignment, but she was perfectly capable with experience.
While she worked, Kiba made paper airplanes and threw them across the room to several of his buddies when the teacher wasn't looking. It was a childish act but he had the reputation of being one of the class clowns since freshman year and planned on keeping it that way. Only when the teacher came to check on each group's progress, he pretended to read. Shikamaru would occasionally read what she had so far and nodded his agreement before closing his eyes again to resume his nap.
Due to her hard work, her group was one of the few that finished within the class session and was given a good grade for the day. She had to personally hand over the assignment to the front, much to her discomfort, and avoided anyone's gaze. She headed back to her group to take her backpack when Ino approached with hands on her hips.
"Hey, lazy ass! Have you seen my hairbrush anywhere around here?" she asked, not noticing the people around her.
"No," replied Shikamaru without bothering to open his eyes, irking the blonde girl.
She huffed. "I was sitting next to you! You must have seen it somewhere!"
As the two kept arguing, Sakura looked at the door, but saw him standing by it with girls around him, telling him what they thought of his amazing qualities. She didn't want to go near him at all so she opted to wait until he left. When he did, the rest of the remaining people, all fan girls, followed suit. The teacher walked out as well, presumably to the staff room.
Finally walking down the row that would lead to the door, a glimpse of something white stood out in her peripheral vision and she turned to find that it was on her desk. Unsurely, she looked around the empty room before her legs took her there. Coming closer, she realized what it was. She stopped in front of it and looked down at the sheets of paper.
It was her notes. The ones he asked for yesterday afternoon. She glanced at the door in case someone was there but no one was in sight. She picked them up, noticing the sheets were a bit crumbled but still in good shape. Staring at them for a few moments, she couldn't believe he returned them to her as if it were nothing. He had demanded them from her and she thought he would not give them back.
This was another eccentric piece to the ever-growing puzzle.
She walked down the stairs after her last class, ready to go home. Sometimes, she would stay a bit longer after school to finish some work that required the use of computers in the lab since she didn't have one of her own; but the exhaustion from the morning caught up with her again. It would be best if she went home and rested.
The halls after the last class were more hectic as students wanted nothing more than to get off the campus so they could do what they wanted. She reached the parking lot where several cars sped down the lanes and into the streets. She stayed on the sidewalks and walked down the busy streets; she had the chance of taking the metro or a bus but her house really wasn't that far. Besides, she didn't bring spare change for the commission and any extra money was saved for the cost of other things, such as university.
The air wasn't chilly compared to the usual times she walked home. She was only half looking at where she was heading and the other part was just lost. Attempting to gather a coherent thought only caused another headache. She stopped with a group of people that were waiting to cross the street.
Absentmindedly, she watched the people in front of her: many were talking on their cell phones, some teenagers had earphones listening to loud music, some elderly people carried grocery bags, and children that clung onto their parents' hands. The children were what stood out in the crowd with their happy and excited smiles. From their small eyes, there wasn't a worry in the world. It has been so long that she felt that herself. When a little boy started staring at her back, she looked away.
She sighed but stopped midway when a familiar sweet, bitter stench percolated her senses. Her head jerked to the side and at once found the source, only to see a man in a business suit lighting up a cigarette as he waited to cross the busy street. She relaxed but was reminded of the acrid taste, which was followed by the grip of his fingers on her chin as he blew the cigarette smoke into her mouth—she looked away from the man to see the crowd beginning to move forward.
She entered her small home, slipped out of her shoes and went up the stairs. Dropping her bag by her door, she removed her sweater and proceeded to clean the house that had not been touched in days. There wasn't much of a mess yet she felt the need to do it because it was after all one of her responsibilities. She washed the dirty dishes, wiped some surfaces, and went to do the laundry. Once that was done, she hung the wet clothes on a clothesline outside in the small back yard.
Finishing with the chores, she headed towards the bathroom for a shower, hoping it will relax her. She spent more time in there than necessary and hurried out when she remembered there was quite a bit of homework to do. Sitting on her bed, she worked on her assignments until she finished it and made something quick for dinner.
At night, she headed towards the living room with a blanket and turned the television on. It was too quiet in the house and it was scary since she was alone. Hopefully the sounds of the nighttime shows would ease her to sleep. Not long after did she discover that it was futile because the brightness from the screen greatly disturbed her eyes. Tired and frustrated, she turned the television off and stared at the dark ceiling.
Why was it so difficult to fall asleep? She let her mind wander to random things and to events in her past, which added onto the insomnia. At last, she finally wandered off to sleep despite the fact that it was nearly four in the morning.
When the alarm went off, she couldn't believe how fast the time passed; it was already so much later than what she usually woke to. She still had time to get ready to arrive at school in time yet she panicked when she saw the hour. Hurrying to school, she felt slightly better, even though her back ached. Perhaps yesterday's extreme exhaustion was caused by stress. A voice in her head thought otherwise. You know it's something else.
She was short of breath from running when she heard the first bell ring outside the school building. Her destination was her locker and she managed to get in through the crowds of students. When she got what she needed, she continued to walk quickly to her first class. Just as she turned a corner, she almost bumped into a few people and had to stop. Out of politeness, she stood aside to let them walk by first and when she was free to pass; she froze when she glanced forward.
There he was. It was just the side of him with his hands in his pockets, bag over one shoulder, and dressed in black again. He looked bored as he apparently listened to someone speaking. Jade eyes darted from his indolent form to two figures. One was clad in a white overcoat and wore shades. He looked unfriendly. It wasn't that bright in the halls to be wearing sunglasses.
On the other hand, the other one, a tall blonde boy, was vastly different from the two. He stood out with his orange jacket and yellow hair. Yet there was something amiable about his whole persona. His whiskered face and azure eyes gave that impression as well. He was also the only one of the trio talking, which seemed to be too much, and making several of gestures.
In a brief instant, his head moved in her direction.
Her body gave a jolt of panic when those unforgettable dark eyes stared directly at her. Usually something this unpredicted would not give her a chance to react, however, her feet moved without her complete knowledge while her heart beat at an uneven pace. When she was a safe distance away from his gaze, she repeatedly told herself to calm down. There was a chance he didn't see her. Maybe he was looking at someone else that happened to be where she was standing. It was still on her mind even minutes later while she sat in class.
But why was he acting like this? He hadn't approached her at all, not that she wanted him to. She didn't think she would be able to cope with it. Was it some sort of sick game to confuse her? If that was the case, then he succeeded. And there was something else preoccupying her mind. Days have passed since her mother left and still hadn't returned. Anxiously, she tried not to think of the worst. Yet what if…?
She shook her head at the oncoming thought. She shouldn't be pessimistic, but it was the first time her mother had to go out of town. Sure at times, her mother came home very late due to her demanding job and she had stayed up to wait for her. It was times like this that she wished she had someone to talk to. There wasn't a single person in her life that she could do that with because she didn't have friends.
Almost reaching her classroom, a door opened and she saw a student coming out of Hatake-san's office. A surge of hope filled from within once she realized that she wasn't alone as she thought. Hatake Kakashi was the school counselor. He was nice and the only one who didn't really ignore her. She supposed it was his job to do so, but he didn't have to go out of his way to safely take her home. The guilt that she lied to him stopped her and lessened the sincere hope she felt in weeks. What would he say?
And she also didn't want to risk it after remembering a certain threat from him.
Shaking her head, she went into class. If it was difficult concentrating yesterday, it became worse today. Her eyes were itchy and red, which she had to continuously rub them to keep awake. It was a miracle she made it to lunch without falling asleep in any of her morning classes. She arrived at the cafeteria earlier than before and avoided much of the chaos. She sat with the new people she didn't really meet personally and began eating.
Hitomi showed up moments later and gave a soft smile to the pink-haired girl before it faded automatically once she sat down. Sakura chewed her food and watched the others in hopes that someone would make conversation so she could get to know them better. However, they ate their homemade lunches in silence—no one went to buy food in line for they were pushed to the side or bullied; and it disappointed her. One boy she was previously looking at had difficultly chewing his fish.
Even though they were in the same predicament, Sakura still didn't feel at ease with them. She wasn't being judgmental because, after all, they were human beings just like her, but something did not feel right. It was only her second day sitting here. Perhaps it was because she was used to being alone all the time.
Taking a napkin to wipe her mouth, she halted when she saw three people coming their way. A bad feeling arose after recognizing them from the past school years. Their names were Dosu, Zaku and Kin.
The three were known to bully whoever they didn't like, which was the entire student body including the teachers; and were constantly suspended for their extreme fighting and rude behavior. It was rare to see them alone, as they tended to stick together, although it was rumored that they themselves didn't trust each other. All of this crossed her mind as they came closer and closer.
It happened quickly, even though she witnessed it with her eyes, and a random boy eating was lifted up by his neck collar, causing him to choke on the bite he took. The rest of the nerds immediately looked up in bewilderment. Zaku was the first to speak, "And how are the ugly rats doing?"
No one dared to say a word or look at Zaku directly in the eye in case he decided to hit someone or take it out on the boy he was harshly gripping. He leered at them all. "Give me your money."
Many gasped while some instantly reached into their pockets and emptied what they had on the lunch table. Sakura, along with a few others, didn't have any money yet checked their pockets anyway to not receive attention by sitting down and doing nothing. Zaku was impatient and dropped his hold on the boy to pick up the money.
"That's all you got? I can't buy anything with this shit!"
"They're all poor, stupid. What did you expect?" said Kin, rolling her eyes.
Dosu sighed at the idiocy of both and then he grabbed a girl's arm in order to teach Zaku and Kin how to handle these types of losers. The girl made a noise of protest, worrying the rest until the boy next to her stood courageously though he was visibly shaking. The rest had their heads declined with the struggle to tell him to sit back down.
The amusement of the boy's action was also evident in Zaku's eyes. "Going to do something, ugly asshole?"
The boy looked at the girl with a torn and faltering expression. No one else in the cafeteria was paying attention until Zaku sneered and the boy was given an unexpected blow in the face. He fell backwards with a loud crash. Now, that got everyone's attention and students hurried to where they were, eager to see what was going on. Not long after, a majority of students began chanting, "Fight, fight!"
"What are you saying?" said a nearby jock and scoffed, "It's a fucking nerd! He isn't going to do anything!"
While some agreed, almost pitying the geek, Dosu turned to Kin. "Deal with the rest. They need to be reminded of their place."
Kin smiled wickedly as she glared at the girls. Then her arms stretched towards them, causing the females to stiffen in fright, and grabbed two containers of food to dump them on the nearest girls, Sakura and Hitomi.
The sound of running water in the washrooms was combined with Hitomi's sniffling; she had burst out crying at the scene. Unfortunately, the two girls were stuck with the same problem. The others had stayed put, accepting the taunts and pushes from Zaku and from other students that had joined in as well. It wasn't until some teachers came to see what was going on that Dosu, Zaku, and Kin finally disappeared. When the victims were questioned, most kept silent and assured them nothing had happened.
The food dumped onto them had gotten on her sweater and it was the first thing she tried to clean, resulting in multiple wet splotches she had rubbed with a paper towel. What worried her most was what landed on her head. Her hair was sticky and she didn't have a brush or anything like that so the only option was to comb it out with her fingers. The better choice was to dip her head under water; then again her hair was too long. If she unbraided it, her hair would not only take much time to dry, but had to be braided once more. There wasn't much of the lunch hour left to do all of that.
While she debated what to do in her mind, she looked at Hitomi through the mirror, who was still crying, and suddenly felt the need to say something to lessen the humiliation they experienced in front of the school. Assure her that it wasn't the end of the world. Opening her mouth, the words of comfort failed to come out when she spotted faint red lines on the girl's wrists as she dried her hands. Viridian orbs were glued to the scars that contrasted on Hitomi's fair skin. All of a sudden, the crying girl turned, ran to a stall, shut herself in, and resumed crying. Biting her lip, Sakura stared at the closed stall in deep concern. Hesitantly, she slowly recommenced the task at hand.
She managed to get all the food particles out of her almost wet hair when the bell rang for class. What she couldn't get rid of was the smell that begun to linger on the top of her head, a garlic-like odor that came from someone's lunch. Grabbing her backpack, she looked back towards the stall Hitomi still hadn't come out of, which worried her greatly, before leaving the room. She will be all right.
That comment of reassurance was also directed at herself as her inner thoughts attempted to keep her calm. Feeling extremely self-conscious, she entered her history class and sat down in time. She concentrated on the lesson and not on the smell that became stronger with each passing minute. Taking a deep breath, she told herself to relax; it was probably her imagination. It wasn't until someone raised his hand impatiently halfway into class, interrupting the lecture, that she realized she had every right to be worried.
"What is it?" snapped the teacher, annoyed.
"Something fucking smells in here!" the boy announced with a scrunched expression. Soon enough, more people agreed with the one who spoke and the teacher had to open the window in response to their complaints. Sakura kept her head down to avoid looking at anyone and prayed that it wouldn't be too obvious of where it was coming from.
The interruption was enough to cause most of the students to curiously locate the source, truthfully finding the search more entertaining than the subject of history, and also encouraged them to start their own conversations. It didn't last long until someone pointed towards the front. "It's coming from her!"
As soon as that was spoken, she knew it was pointless in trying to hide and mentally prepared for the mean remarks that would surely head her way.
"Ugly bitch doesn't shower?" said a girl in the back, scoffing.
Everyone knew who the girl was inferring to and automatically turned their attention onto her. A nearby boy held his nose as he stated aloud, "You smell like shit."
An uncontrollable, burning irritation initiated in her eyes and throat. She felt utterly exposed and ashamed when both laughter and sounds of disgust emerged from her peers. She knew this was going to happen and yet she desperately wished the floor would open up and eat her whole.
Meanwhile, Sasuke hid a smirk behind the clasped hands that rested against his chin. He had seen the whole incident in the cafeteria from his table, and though he usually didn't care what other people did to show off their supposed authority, she was there among the terrified nerds. So he watched the ridiculous bullying, keeping his eyes on the pink-head. He knew she had been staring at him that morning in the hallways, having seen the distinguishable hair from his peripheral vision, and for his own amusement turned to her direction, only to see her immediately scurry away in anxiety.
He found it even more amusing when people started complaining in the classroom and lazily waited for the imminent situation to occur. When it did, he watched her slouched, humiliated form as she tried to keep to herself and almost wished he could see the mortified expression on her face.
She sensed what felt like a hundred eyeballs ogling her in repulsion at that moment. The teacher had difficultly commanding the class to pay attention so after some detention warnings, all reluctantly did as they were told. However, it took a while for the tears of sheer embarrassment to stop gathering in her eyes; that was when she noticed a pair of eyes continuing boring familiar holes into her back. The peculiar sensation she felt yesterday returned and it confirmed her suspicions that it had been him who had been watching her when she was at her locker. Why didn't it click the same day when he had been staring at her before?
Strangely, this time the staring didn't last long as the previous incidents. After gathering herself and attempting to return her focus onto the lesson, an unwanted curiosity filled her being. He was somewhat ignoring her and, though it was confusing, it was also certainly relieving. It was like he lost interest. If that was true, then all she had to do was stay out of the way, his way, as usual and not be stupid enough to meddle with things that are none of her business.
With that thought in mind, it calmed her considerably. Things could go back to normal and this whole situation will soon be forgotten.
At the end of class, she waited until everyone else left. It was Friday so students started talking about their weekend plans, even with one more class period left of the day. She heard some of their plans and there was the weekend to look forward to, although she didn't have any special plans, nonetheless, it was a weekend of not having to be here at school. Time passed by more quickly that way and this was the last year to look forward to. All of this wouldn't last much longer.
She still had to determine exactly what to do after high school with the entrance exams coming up in a couple of months, but there would be time for that. Packing up at her own pace, she was again the last one to leave. When she slipped on her backpack, she froze once she realized there was another presence behind her. She panicked. Please don't let it be...
Someone cleared their throat and she looked to the front to see the teacher expectedly waiting for the classroom to be cleared. She moved until the door came closer in range and refused to see who was following behind her. She didn't have to see to know it was him. The faint smell of cigarettes reached her sense of smell and was agitating to a certain extent.
The next thing she knew, he had neared and was quickly invading her personal bubble; the same bubble that he already broke into without effort. Her heartbeat started to increase while she was subconsciously aware that her hair leaked awfully and he smelled clean, almost fresh out the shower with a hint of peppermint.
Momentarily distracted by the distinct whiff of mint, a low voice spoke in her ear that made her shiver and remember the last time he was behind her with his cold hands, intent on removing her clothes. Her heart was pounding so hard that she felt it in her throat, eventually making it difficult to breathe.
"Meet me on the rooftop after school."
It was said in a strict tone and implied that any argument would be out of the question, not that she would dare to protest aloud anyway. Time stilled as she let his statement sink into her understanding, eyes widening, before he roughly pushed past her to the door. Her movements became shaky as she breathed in the last traces of peppermint and cigarettes while following him out. Did she hear him right? She watched his back after they exited until the two boys from earlier joined him and headed off to a different hallway.
Instead of heading towards the third floor like she did during the small break between classes, her legs took her to the nearest restrooms to avoid any further confrontations. Yet as she entered the restroom, she immobilized at the sight of the familiar person; Ami was looking at herself in the mirror and talking on her cell phone. Almost instantly, Ami turned towards her and glared. Sakura prepared to leave, knowing her presence was causing a disturbance, but Ami suddenly called out to her. "Come here."
Though she was sure that there was an intention of foul play, she couldn't help but to obey. Was Ami angry for what she had seen happen in the changing rooms? She honestly had no idea that someone would be there during lunch. It wasn't her fault, yet there was a high doubt that Ami would believe her.
"My shoes are dirty. Clean them," ordered Ami, giving her a look of distaste before resuming to her conversation on phone.
For a moment, she stood dumbly, feelings hurt, before slowly nodding and accepting the unkind demand. Walking towards the sinks, she took some paper towels and drenched them a bit with water. After that, she awkwardly stood a few feet away from Ami, but the purple-haired girl did not seem to take off her shoes anytime soon; instead she inspected her smooth face in the mirror while listening to her phone.
A few seconds passed by until she comprehended the task completely. Slowly, she lowered to the not so clean floor nearest to Ami's shoes and began scrubbing. The shoes weren't dirty at all she quickly noticed and stopped momentarily. Ami paused from her phone to look down and tapped her foot threateningly, which Sakura took the warning seriously. Wiping the invisible dirt, a movement from the bottom of the restroom stalls caught her notice.
There was someone else in the restroom as she stared at the girl's shoes. Who could it be? It was embarrassing to be seen like this, on her knees cleaning like a worthless maid. Her head jerked back to Ami's shoes. Was Ami waiting for this person? If so, then was Yamanaka Ino in there? Instantly she remembered the blonde was in her history class where she was humiliated. What must she think of her now? She was momentarily frightened when the lock on the door clicked and started to open, she stopped in her movements, which Ami didn't even notice.
The door opened to reveal someone else: a brown-haired girl, one of Ami's lackeys, gave her both a confused and disgusted look before walking towards the sinks.
"—of course she doesn't know. She's too much of a ditz to notice!"
The girl who was washing her hands sneered along with Ami's laugh. Sakura wondered what she was talking about but then Ami finished her conversation and walked towards a stall. The action indicated that her job was done and she stood up to wash her hands as well. The other girl was waiting for Ami, reapplying her lipstick in the mirror. Her brown eyes glanced over to the pink-head.
Sakura was somewhat used to this. People would sometimes stare at her without an apparent reason; the looks directed at her were not of pity or repugnance, rather in straightforward curiosity. As if some had trouble believing that such a person exists with pink—
"So, is like your hair color real or what?"
Green looked up to brown, not surprised by the question asked since she heard it so many times from all types of people. In the past, and even now, something always forbade her to answer as memories began to stir up in her mind.
The girl sighed when a reply wasn't given. "Pink is wasted on the likes of you."
Of course, Sakura heard worse remarks from females, yet it didn't stop the familiar feel of hurt. Why couldn't anyone just accept—? A forced sound echoed loudly in the room, stopped for a second, and continued at a louder altitude. Blinking in confusion, she had recognized that sound. Someone was retching in the stalls and the only one currently in there was…
"Get out now. You're not needed." The girl snapped at her while she took out her own cell phone.
Out of habit, she nodded before retreating, but the stall opened with a bang. Ami came out of the cubicle, wiping her mouth with a cloth, and with a minor stagger, walked towards her. Sakura was distracted by Ami's watery, red eyes, she wasn't prepared for the swift slap that connected harshly with her cheek.
"That's what you get for being so nosy. Heh, I don't exactly blame your curiosity," smiled Ami wickedly, "since I'm sure that no guy on earth would want to touch you, filthy bitch."
The slap stung and brought hot tears. One of her hands had reached to palm the cheek. The brown-eyed girl had solely gaped, not understanding the reason behind Ami's action. Ami returned to the sinks to check her reflection. "Get out."
Not wanting or needing to be told twice, Sakura ran from the room and into the hallways, cradling her cheek while withholding her tears. It was the first time that someone had given her a direct hit. The injuries she received in all her school years were minor; from feet tripping her to pushes from people so she would get out of their way, and with her poor balance, she was defenseless.
Ami never liked her. She knew that from when Ami first saw her, but she still didn't understand why the purple-haired girl hated her so much. What did I ever do to make her hate me this much? Refusing to let the tears fall in public, she hurriedly reached her last class. She didn't want to be there anymore. All she wanted was to go home. As the incident ebbed away minutes later, concentration was still difficult to accomplish when another predicament took its place.
The grip on her pencil slackened when she thought back on his command. What did he want? She hadn't wronged him; in fact, she fully intended never to cross paths with him. Her teeth pinched at the skin of her lower lip in anxiety. She looked at the clock, dreading the time, and the sickening feeling returned. He told her to go to the rooftop, the same place where he touched her against her consent. Throughout class, she repeatedly glanced at the clock, alarmed that it seemed that each time she did, time progressed rapidly.
What did he want? What did he want? The same question ruminated countless of times and she was nowhere close of finding an explanation.
"All right," announced Kurenai, "Homework is due at the beginning of the next class. No excuses."
As the class groaned and complained, her eyes widened. It was already time to go? All around her, students were talking as they picked up their things and headed out submerged in their own lives. But—she suddenly remembered to copy down the assignments written on the board. In the haste, her usual neat handwriting was shaky and sloppy. She zipped up her bag and carried her book.
With the book against her chest, she walked to the stairs. Each step was harder to make than the previous as conflict invaded and battled in her mind. Her feet took her from the steps leading down to the ones that headed up. Certain flashes of that incident also emerged: the uncontrollable anger shown in his actions, the smoke fogging her vision, the taste of it and the feel of his hands on her body. She hesitated when she reached the last flight of stairs that lead to the roof.
A voice in her head responded to the dilemma she was faced with. This isn't a good idea. Leave before he realizes! He was probably waiting up there and she had a feeling he wasn't very patient. She didn't want to anger him but why was she even listening to him? She was sure he would try something cruel again. Shaking her head, she made her decision and was ready to run like her conscious advised. Quickly, she swung on her foot and turned around, barely taking two steps when she unexpectedly slammed into something.
Her backpack contributed to her poor balance as the weight pulled her forward. Out of surprise, she had dropped her textbook, which fell down, nearly hitting her feet. Her eyes snapped shut, prepared for the pain from the fall. However, an arm snaked around her waist and strongly halted her body from surrendering to gravity. Time froze when it settled into her comprehension, but it was not enough to react before she was pulled up and pushed against the wall. Her backpack took most of the impact and she tried to maintain both feet to stay firm on the ground albeit on different steps.
The hands that had pushed her to the surface let go, only to pin both her arms at her sides as hot, cigarette breath filled her nostrils. She choked on the air she inhaled, the main reason being that she was caught by him, and became motionless.
"Going somewhere?"
Even in that monotone, his voice caused terror to rouse within and was shortly accompanied by her racing heart and trembling lower lip.
"Were you running away from me?"
She turned her face away at his hard tone, not able to take the equal hard stare from those black eyes, especially at this proximity. In turn, he continued to intently gaze down at her, knowing that it unnerved her to a maximum.
He had been walking up the stairs when he spotted her at the top, clearly troubled with what to do. Curious, he waited silently with his hands in his pockets to see what she would do. He didn't think that she would flout his order, yet when she shook her head, his hands clenched. She stood no chance against him.
His fingers tautened around her arms and a smirk appeared on his features when she unwillingly gave him a defeated expression.
"I didn't think so."