Misunderstood Cherry Blossom
Chapter 7:
Sakura closed the door and flopped down on her couch, burying her face in the soft cushions. "Yu-u-u-ki-i-ie!" Sakura called her sister in a muffled voice. After a long delay, Yukie walked in lazily, her eyes were droopy and dry and her freckles sit still on her nose. Her hair was braided as usual on top of her head, making a swirl of color. Her eyes were currently grey, and didn't seem happy to see Sakura.
"Don't look so down-in-the-dumps Yukie! Cheer up!" Sakura said and rolled onto her back, revealing her tanned face.
"Sakura, you woke me up. And you know I don't like it when people wake me up." Yukie said as she glared at her sister.
"Well, why didn't you tell me you were sleeping?" Sakura said and frowned. The two stared quietly at each other, and Sakura thought of her sentence once more. "Let me rephrase that… How was I supposed to know you were sleeping? It's only seven-thirty." Sakura said.
"Baka… I'm doing a big test tomorrow, and I need some sleep."
"No, you need beauty sleep."
"At least I don't have a forehead the size of a mountain!"
"Fine- Don't ever bother asking again because i all /i your outfits make you look fat!" Sakura said and stuck out her tongue. Before Yukie could retort, the phone rang. The sisters shot each other glares and lunged for the phone. Sakura was closest and had almost gotten it, but Yukie shoved her foot in the pink haired girl's face and picked up the phone.
"Moshi Moshi." She said and smirked evilly to Sakura.
"Konban wa Yukie-chan, can I talk to Sakura?" Yukie heard Sasuke's voice over the phone.
"EEEK!!! Sasuke-kun, how are you?!" Yukie squealed happily. Sakura groaned and grabbed Yukie's leg, waiting for the right moment to pull.
"Uh... Good, I guess." Sasuke said.
"Well I –AHH!" Yukie screamed as Sakura pulled her sister's leg off of her face and made the short thirteen year old fall to the floor.
She stole the phone and said, "Hey Sasuke, sorry about that… Hehe… What's so important that you must call me so soon?"
"Well… Itachi managed to win our bet, now I own him fifty dollars." Sasuke sighed.
"I won't be of much help, I'm in a financial squeeze right now. I spent all my money on new video games! So, what was this bet about?" Sakura asked him.
"I bet him that he couldn't act nicely to a girl for a month. He did, and now… I owe him the money." Sasuke sighed.
"Which girl?" Sakura asked, and began to get jealous once more.
"Hmm, He said he just came back from his walk with her on the beach." Sasuke said, "Why do you ask?" Sakura's mouth dropped. Has Itachi been fooling me this whole time? She wondered shakily.
"Sakura? Are you there?" Sasuke said over the phone. Sakura dropped the phone to the ground, her mouth still wide and her eyes still bulging. Yukie jumped for the phone and spoke once more to Sasuke.
Sakura dragged herself to her room and jumped onto her bed, face-first. She rolled onto her back and sighed. Sakura, you're hopeless. She thought. A voice suddenly immerged from her desk, "You've got mail." It said robotically. It was coming from her laptop. She frowned, Who turned on my laptop?! She jumped onto her chair and spun to the computer. She read her new e-mail.
Hey Sakura-chan,
It's Itachi, I just got home and decided to ask you now. I was just too shy to ask you before… Can you meet me at that new restaurant near your school? You'll know which one I'm talking about once you see it. Please try to be there, I had to make up a bet with my brother to get enough money to treat you there.
Gomenasai, didn't mean to bother you,
Ja ne.
Sakura sighed, Am I supposed to believe this? Should I go…? Well, I might as well try. She suddenly blushed, He's just so sweet, and he seems so sincere! She giggled as she thought that. Yukie suddenly burst into her room with the cordless phone in her hand.
"He wants to talk to you." She told her older sister.
"Tell him I fell asleep." She said.
"She fell asleep… Uh-huh… No… Ma-y-y-ybe… Wait let me ask," Yukie put her hand on the phone, "He's asking if you're just sitting at your computer and are telling me what to say."
"Tell him I am."
"Yep, She is… Yeah, I know… Hai! Jan e!" Yukie said and hung up. She smiled before leaving. Sakura raised an eyebrow at her sister's foolishness but shrugged off the thought.
It was burning hot on that Monday morning, Sakura walked to school in short jean shorts and a blue T-shirt with white trim, on it was written 'Recycle Bottles, Not Boys'. She entered the school early and filled her locker with her books. She then took out a novel and filled the empty space in her locker with her bag. After closing her locker, she made her way to the nearly empty cafeteria and started to read. But before even finishing the fifth page, someone was standing over her.
"What do you want?" Sakura asked as she looked up to Emi, who was glaring down at her.
"I want an apology, Haruno." Emi Hoshi told her with aggressiveness in her voice. The pink headed girl only glared back, "I'm waiting Haruno."
"The only person I know who deserves an apology is your poor little dog, he's not a dress-up doll."
"There you go again, it's all about the dog now, isn't it? Can't you find anything else to say?" Emi asked as she grew more and more frustrated.
"Well actually, there are a lot more things to say about you. But if I did say anything else, you'd probably go crazy and attack me again." Sakura said and re-opened her book, continuing her reading. Emi didn't want to get into anymore trouble, so she walked off, slammed the cafeteria door behind her. Sakura smirked.
After school, Sakura walked to the new restaurant that had just opened. Itachi was right when he said that she'd know it when she saw it. The place was painted bright yellow and lime green; pretty hard to miss on such a sunny day.
She took out her cell phone and dialed for home. No one answered so she left a message. "Hey, Mom, I'll be eating out so don't bother cooking me supper. I'll be back later today." Sakura sat outside the restaurant. After about 10 minutes, the restaurant's manager came out.
She leaned on the wall, "Hey hon, what'cha doing out here all alone?" she asked, "You can come wait inside If you like, we have air conditioning." Sakura was about to refuse, thinking Itachi wouldn't see her inside and would leave, but it was too hot outside for her.
"Arigatou gozaimasu." Sakura said and walked in, it was freezing cold inside, but it was better than being extremely hot and sweaty. The place was half-filled, and every one was going about their jolly ways.
The manager showed her to a seat next to the window. The window was tall and wide, Itachi would be able to see her very easily. She became hypnotized by the passing cars outside. The manager swung the chair so the back faced the table, and she sat down.
Her arms were crossed and rested on the back of the chair. "Hey there, my name's Kannah. Nice to meet you, hon." The manager said and held out her hand. Sakura snapped out of her daze and shook the girl's hand, not really paying attention.
Kannah was chewing a straw as she studied Sakura's face. "Would you like something to eat?" She asked. Sakura politely refused, she had no money.
"Don't worry, it'll be my treat." She said. She wandered into the kitchen and came back with a hot bowl of soup, "Its chicken noodle." She told her. Sakura nodded her head and thanked the manager.
"Who're you waiting for, hon?" She asked in her Texan accent, although she didn't look like she had come from Texas, she looked like an average 30 year old Japanese manager.
"Oh, just a boy I know."
"Oh, a boy," Kannah said, stretching the word as if she had just discovered the most interesting thing, "Is it your boy friend?" She asked casually.
Sakura blushed, "Eh-I-Iie!" She said quickly. Kannah cocked her head to the side, not seeing why the girl was so embarrassed. Sakura quickly shook her head, and continued drinking her soup.
The two talked and talked for the following two hours, completely forgetting about the Uchiha. "Hey, what about that guy you said you were going to meet?" Kannah finally remembered.
"Kuso!!" Sakura suddenly yelled and stood up. Where's Itachi? He stood me up! How could I believe that loser!!! She thanked the woman in front of her one last time before running out of the restaurant.
She ran blindly; although she knew her way home, and she was almost there. She ran and ran with her eyes closed, using only her imagination to guide her. She rammed into two people and fell to the ground.
"Ku-s-so…" She groaned and held her aching head, the head she had rammed into someone's elbow. She opened one watery eye and look up, it was Itachi. But he wasn't alone; with him was Emi Hoshi, who was, just a few seconds ago, making out with the jerk.
Sakura's eyes went wide. She swore under her breath, "Teme…" she could almost feel sorry for Emi… almost. She got up to her feet and clenched her fist. Emi, who held her aching elbow, looked into her eyes, they were full of rage and sadness, Emi frowned.
"Sakura-chan, why so upset?" She teased her. Itachi's expression was one of slight shock, he had one arm over Emi's shoulder, and he stared at Sakura, waiting for a reaction. Sakura walked up so close to Emi that the girl could feel her breath, she shook slightly, thinking Sakura would hit her.
But the pink haired girl was at her limit, her face scrunched up, and a tear fell down her cheek.
She pushed through the two and continued to run, her anger rising more and more, sided by her sadness. Emi looked back at her, running and turning around the corner, "What's her problem?" She asked obnoxiously. Itachi grunted and turned his head from her, smirking.
Sakura lay on her bedroom floor, her door locked, her pillow soaked, her body wrapped in her blanket. She sniffed and wiped all the tears that fell from her eyes. I'm not losing this fight. She suddenly stopped crying and her face turned into a sharp glare. She closed her eyes and thought about the whole situation.
That bastard… He's going to pay for this.
