Hi guys! Finally updated on this story...

School's already got me on work overloard. Actually not really - I just do it so late and it takes so long so... yeah. That's my excuse.

Actually that's not all my excuse. I've vinally learned how to actually skate, decently anyway. Here I have myself writing a story about skaters and one day I just said, eh, I'll give it a shot.

I sucked. Point blank. No hope.

Until last week. I gave up on skateboarding last year because I didn't have enough time to really practice. Well now me and my best friend go to the park all the time to practice skateboarding. I rode down my first hill today! YAY FOR NOOB SKATING!

Anyway yeah, hope this is a good chapter. I'll update sooner hopefully. Nighty-night!

UPDATE: 2015
Also working on a comic version, with original characters and everything. Proj. in progress
Come and support!
Tumblr: sammakesamess
DeviantArt: MemorySoul


Step 2: THE 'ANNOUNCING' Pt3

Now that Sakura and Sasuke are fake dating, it's time to let everyone in school know - And what better way than going together at the upcoming Spring Dance? It sounds easy enough, but for Sakura, acting the part is super hard. Meanwhile everyone's still getting off on the wrong foot. Ino still thinks Sasuke and his guys are perverts from hell, and Sakura's mom's still as skeptic as ever. Will Sakura have the will to keep up this fake relationship?


"No way..." I uttered. As I tried to angle my view, which went unnoticed from the conversing others, Sasuke was staring straight at me through the blinds. Realizing that, I snapped my head back forward, hoping he didn't notice my sudden lack in confidence.

"Oy, Sakura," Naruto called. I turned my head right, downwards. "You okay?"

"Hm? Oh! I'm fine! I'm fine!" I nodded continuously. "I'm uh, just going to go use the toilet."

"Your room doesn't have one you know," Ino said as I sat up from the folded bed.

"Oh no I'll just use the one down the hall. Don't worry, I know my way around." She helped me up and with a dizzy view at first. I forced myself to remain focused and stood up - gown and all. At the same time, I noticed Sasuke walk away and disappear from the window's view.

"You sure you don't want me to walk with you?" Ino asked.

"No no I'm good! Honest!" I grinned. I could see the guys' unassured or unconvinced faces. I blame the dress. "Be right back! No fighting alright?" Opening the door, I held the hem of my gown to make sure it wouldn't get caught in the door. It had happened once, when I was eleven at one of my mom's parties. From then on, I was always cautious about going through doors when wearing poofy dresses.

I slid the door quietly behind me, ending with its almost hushed click. I noticed the air outside my room a bit colder, barren too. Not a single doctor's footsteps echoed through the hallway as they did previously.

"So she walks."

A few feet away Sasuke stood against the wall, on the same side as my room. Finally letting go of the doorknob I walked along in his direction and out of view from the windows. My pace slowed as I neared him. He was supporting himself on one leg, one of his hands tucked away in his pocket while he texted something into his cell phone, his attention appearing to focus on that at the moment. I noticed the ring of his cell phone charm, swinging ever so slightly as it sparkled in the dim hall lights. It was a tiny red and white fan shape.

"Nice dress," he said first, not taking his eyes away from his phone, though he had stopped texting. Despite him saying that, I knew he didn't mean it. It was just to strike off the silence.

"Nice tie," I said back with the same lacking meaningfulness. Once he gave me a glance at the corner of his eyes, I finally felt I could express what I've been holding. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't think I'd come, too?"

"Um, yeah." Wasn't it obvious what we both thought?

Sasuke put his phone away. "Walk with me," he ordered, trailing down the hall again. My face distorted into one of disbelief. He was ordering me around again? Not hearing the sound of my footsteps following, he turned around with a half annoyed look. "Aren't you listening? I said come on."

"Still the same," I whispered, following nonetheless. He opened a door and didn't bother to hold it open for me. 'Rude' was the word I was thinking, but what distracted me more was the place he led me to. It was a dark stairwell. A side fire escape? The only lights entering the tall stairwell was from the front windows, a few rectangles shattered and tinted here and there. I swallowed, leaning against the now closed exit.

Sasuke meanwhile walked down the six steps and towards the small landing that faced the window wall. He leaned against the rusty railing, hiding his phone back into his pocket. Wasn't he going to say anything? What was it with him and his gang always dragging me to places I didn't know about? Was I supposed to be happy or angry he came? "Wanna tell me now why you decided to break off the deal?" I held my head up. "Because of you I went to the Spring Formal alone and my ex girlfriend ended up latching onto me."

"Karin." I hadn't meant to say that out loud. My face scrunched up in confusion. "Wait, why aren't you at the dance with her?"

Sasuke scoffed, as if it were some hilarious joke I just told. "You seriously think I want to get back together with that? As if." Though, it was clear on his mind what had happened at the dance. The public making out, the holding, the heat, he searched for that and he found it. Yet, here he was. "... Naruto... might have mentioned you were at the hospital."

So, it was Naruto. "And you came to see me?"

"I didn't come to see you," he denied almost instantly, turning around to face me. His tone was loud, upsetting. I flinched actually but I kept my composture. Calming himself down, he leaned his back against the rails. Well, if he didn't come here to see me, then what? I was about to ask him that - corner him, but I knew it would only lead to another pointless argument. And somehow I knew he came here for something. There was something he wanted to say.

"What is it, Sasuke?" I stated at last, unconsciously hugging my arms. "I am cold, and I am tired. If you just want to lecture me about dragging all the guys over here then I don't need to s-"

"Tell me why you broke off our deal," he interupted, stepping forward onto the first few steps, looking up at me. The moonlight reflected off my dress. He saw beauty, but like he was going to say that. "I said tell me why."

Suddenly previous unsure feelings of fear began to flood from the recesses of my mind. I closed my eyes and tightened the grip around my goosebump-covered skin. "I'm going back to my room."

"No you're not." Sasuke's hand again had grabbed a hold of my arm, holding me from leaving. My gasp caught my breathing as I was about to yell. But I bit my tongue and shut my eyes, unmoving, frozen. My fingers twitched I think, and my knees buckled a bit, too. Nonetheless, Sasuke's grip didn't loosen. "Go on, tell me to let go of you. That's what you want to say right?"

I said nothing, and I looked at nothing. With all the emtional pressure added to my body I felt the urge to just drop, but I couldn't. Not in front of Sasuke. "Please..." I uttered in a barely recognizable volume. "Please... don't touch me... let go please, I'm begging you..." I hated how I sounded like I was on the brink of tears. My eyes were watery yes but I wasn't going to allow myself to cry or anything.

As if finally heeding my plea, his fingers let go and I pulled my arm back to me, almost hurting myself in the process. As discretely as possible I wiped my eyes with my forearm and turned around. I wanted to prove I wasn't about to fall into some mental break down, but it was too late. He caught on.

Almost guilty, or ashamed, I walked past Sasuke down the stairs, holding onto the banister. My hold on the cool metal railing was constricting. That's what the tension had done to me.

"I've seen many girls in my day. I've seen girls like you," Sasuke started at the edge of the first step. "Those who hate to be touched, 'sensitive' to touch, 'shy', 'hesitant'." His eyes softened three stairs above me. "You're the first I've ever seen 'afraid'."

"I am not afraid of you, Sasuke Uchiha."

"Would you like me to hold your arm again?"

"No!" I snapped, nearly tripping down the stairs. I was turned back around in his direction, one arm held close to my chest it was crushing my lungs. The other arm held desperately onto the railing to keep me from falling, and my breathing was suddenly shallow and counted. One of my hospital slippers had slipped off my foot and fell down the last few stairs, echoing through the fire escape. When I looked up at Sasuke past a loose strand of my hair, I saw something like...like question. Confusion. Curiosity.

Finally he closed it all off, giving a short breather through his nose. He made his way down the stairs to retrieve my shoe apparently. Rather than slipping it back onto my foot like a cliche movie scene, he walked right up to me and held my shoe casually in his hand.

With a pout I grabbed the shoe back, carefully sitting myself down so I could put it back on under this long skirt of a gown. 'He won't leave me alone until I talk, will he.' Unfortunately, Sasuke seated himself next to me too, making my guess right. Of all times.

I seemed to struggle with the shoe, trying to get past the poofy part of my dress. "When I was little, I went out at night," I began, trying to focus my mind on the white shoe more. "I was passing by somewhere to get home, and I ran into these muscle heads." I almost had my foot in my shoe, but I got distracted and it slipped. "They grabbed me in all these places. They played with me, toyed with me. And I had no idea what was going to become of me then..." I didn't know if Sasuke could understand me with how low I was whispering this story. I didn't bother to ask him, or look at him. "I get scared now when guys hold me a certain way. I snap or something. My step-dad jokes I should have a therapist to talk to about it." Finally I got my shoe on. I held my leg forward, acting proud of my accomplishment as I shook my foot. "It's not you personally, though it'd make a bit of sense if it was personal."

Sasuke fiddled with his fingers in the same manner I had before in the hospital room. I noticed the light reflect on a ring on his finger, though. "Is that why you broke off our deal?"

After some contemplating, I nodded. "Mhm." I lowered my leg back under the warmth of my dress. "Let's face it, Uchiha. You don't exactly have the most comforting reputation for me. I mean think about it. Imagine how difficult it was for me to even agree with this arrangement in the first place. Fake-go-out with the biggest player in school? I must have been out of my mind when I agreed to that coin flip." I tried to keep my voice sounding high and mighty. It kept my nerves calm. It kept me calm. "Then I started to realize what couples are supposed to do... Touch... make out... be intimate."

Finally I turned my head to Sasuke, who did as well upon seeing me do so. "I, am a protected, innocent, rich heiress who has never even once kissed a boy a day in her life. I've learned to control my fears even before our agreement. That's why you probably don't see me freak out as much. I used to all the time back then. But...when Ino swore you guys to make sure you wouldn't lay a finger on me, I honestly thought that'd make things easier for me. But instead I think it just made me more paranoid of you."

Hearing so, Sasuke turned back forwards, feeling as if maybe even looking at me was scaring me.

Somehow I didn't feel so scared at all anymore. It was great, free. "Honestly, Sasuke, I do want to go on with our charades about us dating. And I'm sorry for not be-" Being there for you? "... for not holding up my end of the deal," I self corrected. "I hope you can forgive me."

"Forgive you?" he stood up. "First you break it off with me, then you ignore me. Now you give me this sob story and expect me to forgive you for that?" I tried to avoid his eyes, probably starring down accusingly at me. It was a long while until he said something, but it wasn't something I was expecting. "...What happened to your arm?"

"Huh?"

"Your elbow."

I looked down, remembering the small bruise from before at our last skateboarding session. I never did tell him. "Oh. This? It's nothing just a bruise. It's, why I had to go to the hospital."

"Didn't you say your fever got you here?"

Crap. "Insert big sigh here uh, okay see remember when we were skateboarding the other day? You were teaches me tricks on the ramp." His face said 'be more specific'. "...The day I kept falling?"

"Ah." So now he gets it. He eyed my bandages one more time before looking back at my eyes. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Knowing you, you wouldn't care and just boss me about on that stupid skateboard some more," I said with a wave of my arm. Sadly he knew I was right. "Besides, it's not all that bad. I'm not that weak of a girl you know, or are you 'men' not used to bruises like these?"

"Heh." He laughed, amused a little. "Even in a situation like this you still have the nerve to use that big mouth of yours." I didn't change my facial expression, though he did take a second look at my bandaged elbow. He seemed to be contemplating something before he turned his back on me again. "I'm not going to force you," he said, not looking at me. Then he laughed again "But, believe it or not, I may even be reduced to begging."

"What is this?" I asked wryly.

"I want us to continue our agreement." He turned around face on, looking and sounding totally serious, and sincere. I didn't hold my mouth open, nor did my eyes widen. I just starred, wondering where exactly this was going. "Face it. You still need a fake fiance and I still need a fake girlfriend."

"Why would you need a fake girlfriend? You had your chance with Karin at the dance why didn't you-?"

"You actually think I want to get back together with that sleazy bitch?" Sasuke smiled. I hated it when he smiled like that. When he saw me glance down, his smile turned smug. "Oh, does the injured princess not like cursing?"

Ignoring his snide comment I knew was meant to get me high strung, instead I adverted my eyes back down to my dress. "... I want to, too," I admitted to him. I didn't look up see his reaction, but I could picture something of at least a little surprise. "But, I don't know if I can do that without feeling too-"

"I promised your blond friend didn't I?" Sasuke cut off, making me look up, he had a different kind of smile, one I don't think I've been able to see before. "I know what I am. I'm a guy who loves women. Women with glossy lips and big big tits who knows how to entertain a guy." Is this supposed to be some deranged way of making me feel better? "But I also hate annoying girls," he mentioned with a convincing nod. "And it'll take me a while until I can find someone like that - sexy and not annoying."

"Ah," I nodded, slowly trying to wrap my mind around his world. His girl with his ideal appearance and ideal personality. Now that he says it, I can't say I know any one like that. A female who looks and acts like a prostitute yet is a serious mature woman. It sounds almost as impossible as a living princess from a fairy tale.

"And until I can find her, I need a cover up so that I can at least filter out any annoying girls who might come my way," he finished. "Like Karin for example. If you'd just gone to the dance with me she wouldn't have come up to me in the first place, that bothersome girl." He laughed again. "Well what do you know. I'm starting to sound like Shikamaru now."

I cracked a tiny smile I tried to hide, but with this obvious lighting it wasn't that easy. He said nothing after, so I guessed that was my cue to give my answer, whatever it was supposed to be. "I know I want to do this," I stated. "And I know you won't hurt me, but... there's just to way of completely assuring myself."

"Then we'll just have to test that won't we," he said positively, walking up to the step right below me. "Now, don' t slap me because if you slap me I swear I'm going to push you down these stairs you hear me?

I made a face. "What are you getting at?"

Suddenly his arms shot around my entire upper torso, around my arms and his hands behind my back. His head rested over my bare shoulder while mine rested upon his. I could smell the scent of his hair as I inhaled quickly, deeply. In the midst of frozen panic I began shaking, and he only hugged me harder. "W-What are you doing?" I asked, trying not to sound as petrified as I really felt.

He locked his hands so I couldn't get out. "If you trust me, you won't push me away," he said seriously. I could feel his breath on my skin, which only made me even more tense. "So stop shaking."

"I'm trying," I retorted, yet I did nothing else, unchanged. 'Get a grip, Sakura. He's just testing you, he won't hurt you, so stop . shaking!'

Before I knew it, my shaking turned into sobbing, and unable to wipe my tears they started to fall down my face. My shuddering of whimpers were held back as much as possible as I bit my lip down. It didn't do much, either. Memories of that fateful and vague night began to cloud my thoughts as I linked them to the present. Those men, what they did was unforgivable, and I couldn't even remember clearly what had happened.

Sasuke managed let go of me, yet he still stayed in front of me. He must've figured out I was crying from the way my held-in sobs echoed down the stairwell. "Don't tell me you're crying now," he said with a lost and pissed off look, like he had done something he wasn't supposed to.

"Am not," I denied stubbornly, getting a hold of my body and quickly wiping at my eyes with my palms and knuckles. I forced myself back up, feeling a wave of dizzying nausea hit again, but I knew I'd get over it in a few seconds.

"You sure you're good?"

"I'm fine, honest," I responded quickly, trying to put as much enthusiasm behind my voice as possible. It was strange, hearing Sasuke ask that kind of question. I started my way up the stairs, still trying to dry my eyes. "Okay um, the deal's back on so I'll just head back to my room okay? The doctor wants me to stay overnight to make sure my fever doesn't get higher so I'll just see you in school okay?" Was that believable enough? Did I say convincing things? Did I sound okay? I was about to open the door until Sasuke called me again.

"Hey!" His demanding voice echoed off the concrete walls, and I froze in place once more. How I hated myself for being so tense.

Without so much of a choice I turned around, my face now covered in rivering tears. The outside window light reflected off my face and shone my red, tired eyes, overused from crying. My lip almost quivered open and my heart thumped against the surface of my chest.

Looking up at me from below, I couldn't tell what he was feeling. His face was in the shadows, and he was so far away. At the bottom of the ten steps, me at the first.

I sniffled once, and just like that he ran up the stairs two by two and hugged me again with much more brute force. And this time, I wasn't trembling with fear. No fear at all. It had all been replaced with overcoming sadness, and trust. My arms were folded up between my chest and his and I cried into his dark blue shirt, trying to muffle them seeing as it would probably echo, loud enough for the others to hear.

"I hate this!" I cried, no longer afraid of being held by anyone, even Sasuke. "I want to take that day out of my life! I hate it! I hate them! I hate myself for getting caught! I hate that I let them do what they did! I hate them I hate them I hate them!" I didn't take the time to wonder what Sasuke was doing. He just stood still there with his arms wrapped around me, actually just being there.

After my outburst, I took deep breaths in between my sobs, trying to regain stability in my mental barriers. I still cried nonetheless, but I had enough consciousness to say what I wanted. "Why are you doing this?" I whispered, my head still leaning under his chin. "You don't even like me. Why are you being so nice to me?"

Sasuke wondered why himself. Comforting a girl, I could tell, obviously wasn't something natural to Sasuke. He felt lost at what to do, and knew the only thing that I would allow him to do was hug me, so that's what he did. And I didn't push him away. He held my back with one hand, using the other close to the back of my neck. This was so unlike his person, to comfort a crying girl, to just hold them and nothing more. Instead, he replied, "No one's going to hurt you anymore."

I don't know how long it lasted, or how that simple message had managed to calm my entire being down to a close, but we stayed like that. For a long time, actually. For the first time, I believe, I felt comfortable in the hands of a guy. Even though it wasn't visible to him, I mouthed a thank you.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Late late late late!" The chant was almost the death of me as I skateboarded as fast as I could towards school. I meant to leave the hospital early in the morning, but when I woke up I had found myself in my 'elegant' bedroom'. When I went to find my mom downstairs eating breakfast, she said she took me home from the hospital instead so I could sleep the day away and rest up.

Hell no.

Along the rising horizon of the straight end street I saw my high school rise up in the distance. "Aha!" The school bell must have rung by now, but this was the time most students made it to school. It's late for me but, at least it's not official. My skateboarded slowed to a normal pace as I skated along the school grounds. Just as I expected the normal glares and dirty stares, instead I received smiles and subtle waves.

"Hello, Sakura," a girl greeted that I passed by.

"Uh, hi," I replied, confused beyond wits. I received more greetings like that along my way into school, not one going unnoticed. I could only wonder what had come over the entire school over one night.

Just making it through the door I already had Ino running up to me, an even widen grin on her face it was almost scary. "Sakura! I didn't think you'd make it today!" she exclaimed, practically buzzing with happiness.

"Yeah uh..." I blinked my eyes, trying to comprehend this odd morning. Maybe it was just a weird dream. "Ino-"

"Come with me!" she grabbed me and dashed off for the depths of the school. Once again I wondered what was up with people loving to drag me places, again. I ran with my skateboard under my arm, hoping I could keep up with her unusually fast pace. And still I received off-nice greetings from people I barely knew. It was either the school or the world; something's wrong with one of them.

We neared a gathering near the central section of the school, where the bulletin boards were. I assumed this must have been the cause of my wide-spread popularity, and I gulped. What could possibly be there that suddenly caused these teenagers to go from hating my guts to being their best friend?

"Excuse me! Make way! Best friend of Sasuke's girlfriend coming through!" Ino bellowed.

My head jumped, stopping trying to resist her dragging. "What?"

"Just look!"

Right after she said that, we had made it to the front of the crowd. Opposite of Ino's proud and grinning expression, my arms and shoulders slumped and my face distorted. My eyes had bulged from their sockets and I felt gravity pull on my jaw all at the same time. "EUEH?"

All over the school bulliten board were different neon color fliers, each with the same picture. It was a close up, of Sasuke and I when we were at the hospital. I recognized the top part of my dress just covering my chest and his figure standing close to mine. But the most noticeable, and obvious, feature of the fliers weren't just of our close ups, but of us kissing. Kissing.

"T-T-That - H-How - INO!"

"Pretty slick eh?" she whispered to me in the most unsuspecting low voice possible. I held in my anger to prevent me from pummeling my best friend. Yet she still had the nerve to keep on whispering to me. "The guys and I got worried about you being gone from your hospital room until we found you and Sasuke on the staircase talking."

The hairs on my neck stood on end. "Y-You saw us?"

She nodded vigorously, whispering, "Naruto tried listening in for us but the door was too thick. Then Kiba wound up taking a picture from the door's windows! He thought it would make great black mail one day."

"Now where have I heard that statement before," I muttered, Kakashi's smug face appearing in mind.

"I knew you guys never got to announce your 'going out' thing and you may never make up, but I thought it'd be better for both of your situations if I doctored a little visual gossip for the school! Pretty neat of me huh?"

"HOW THE HELL IS THIS BETTER THAT'S US KISSING!"

"Duh?"

So much. Never in my life had I so much wanted to strangle Ino. Ever. Instead I ran up to the board and began plucking as many of the fliers as I could. But no matter how many I ripped off, there always seemed to be more underneath, like endless layers of horrible lies. Lies that were all the same just in different color print. "This can not be happening. Wake up Sakura wake up!"

"I knew they were going out."

"No wonder Sasuke left the dance! He wanted to meet up with her!"

"Were they secretly going out?"

"They're so cute together!"

"SASUKE NOOO I LOVE YOU!"

Suddenly thinking beyond the situation, I stopped jumping for the higher fliers, my body slowly freezing. And for the first time since I entered the school building, I actually thought about Sasuke beyond this photoshopped picture. "Oh crap," I uttered. Voices behind me began to fade away from my ignoring. Everything turned dark, and my imaginary dim spotlight shined overhead. "Does Sasuke know about this?..."

Elsewhere at the same time...

A crumpled red paper ball flew across the abandoned office room above on the fourth floor, just barely hitting the trash bin near the door. Sasuke sat at his usual seat at the desk, the others in their normal abodes as well in the room. "I can't believe this!" Sasuke yelled, obviously angry off again.

"Why are you so hung up on this?" Neji spoke up from the worn out leather sofa. "Wouldn't you normally be proud about things like this?"

"Who's responsible for this?" Sasuke glared, ignoring the Hyuuga's accusation.

"Ahegmhmpgm!" Kiba coughed noticeably, staring directly at the distant and non-facing Naruto by the door frame. The spiky blond scratched his tan cheek, trying to not grab any attention from the clearly angry Uchiha. Too late for that.

"Hey Kiba give me your phone!" Ino whispered, grabbing the thing despite not receiving an answer. She typed into it's keypad with remote speed. Having had years of training when it came to texting on her constantly changing phones, this was where it paid off for her. Shikamaru and Neji exchanged unsure glances for the girl.

"What are you gonna do with that?" Shikamaru muttered in suspicion.

"Sush, I'm sending!" Ino grinned. The light from the phone reflected darkly under her face. A silent ping went off and she threw the phone back to Kiba, only to take her own out from her purse. Flipping it open she grinned, seeing the sent picture on her own monitor. "Aha! Gotcha!"

Naruto leaning low against the bottom of the stairwell door snickered to himself. "Heh, a picture of them together is one thing, but if a picture of them kissing ever got out, that'd definitley be something."

Sasukue's glare was obvious, even behind Naruto.

"WELL I DIDN'T TELL HER TO MAKE THE FRICKEN' PICTURE LET ALONE POST IT IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE DAMN SCHOOL!" Naruto defended, glaring intently at Kiba for ratting him out.

On the contrary, Neji had been right. Normally Sasuke's pride would take over at times like these. He'd feel victorious, powerful again now that he was the proper head of the student population. No longer socially single was the Uchiha, nor was I. However the image of him kissing me for some reason displeased him. He felt, wrong. Guilt? It was an undefined emotion to the Uchiha. And at the same time he felt annoyed at the thought of him ever kissing the girl he felt somewhat hateful towards.

"Well what's done is done," Shikamaru shrugged. "You two may still be fighting but at least your single-title is cleared."

"Unless you and Sakura were actually making up on those stairs..." Kiba grinned, showing off his natural fangs. He was easily holding off Naruto who was charging at him yet going no where. "So, did you make up? We couldn't exactly hear you guys when we were trying to eavesdrop."

All eyes were on the Uchiha, and for once the head of their gang was left cornered, speechless. These kinds of moments very rarely ever happened to him, much less within his own circle of friends. Instead of answering Sasuke stood up from his ripped leather chair and walked around his desk. "I'm gonna go take a piss," he stated, leaving calmly and leaving the question open ended.

A red anime vein thumped over the temple of Naruto's head, his face scrunched up into an annoyed pout. "This guy..."

Elsewhere, again...

'Go Sakura go Sakura go go go go go don't look up!' I paced quickly down the hall to make it to my locker. Everywhere I went, even in the bathroom, I overheard comments about me and Sasuke and our 'kiss'. What is the matter with this school? It's like they have nothing to do as a whole except gossip and judge just me and my private life. Me. Only me. WHY ME.

"Stupid Sasuke," I muttered, figuring I could just take my anger out at him for a minute. I held my textbook angrily under my arm, my fingers clutching dangerously arounds its bind. I hated when I talked to myself like this but it was how I vented. I'm sure by now you can understand why I can't vent to Ino. "Dammit, Sasuke. It's all his fault. Why'd he have to come to the hospital anyway? To lecture me? Argh I can't believe a guy being like him even exists!"

Closing in on my locker with the dirtiest look I could make at the moment, it all washed away when I saw Sasuke there, standing outside my locker and homeroom. The scene mirrored when I left my hospital room and found him waiting outside in the hall, against the wall. Was he, waiting for me again?

He wants to kill me.

'Turn around Sakura just turn around- RUN!'

"Hey Haruno," he called calmly. I resisted the urge to arch my eyebrow.

"Y-Yeah?" I replied. Nice...

He began to walk up to me, and mentally I contemplated what he was going to do. For sure he had found out about the bulletin board fliers by now and of our infamed kiss. Were we going to fight? Yeah, most likely. Okay Sakura this is it. No time to be a cry baby. Just take off your bag and put down the AP book and put up your fists. You can do this. You can do this.

Sakura you're not moving...

Everyone present in the hall had appeared to be watching the two of us and our upcoming 'scene'. The nerve.

Through the crowd came the guys, too. Naruto had rushed to the front of the thin crowd with Kiba, Neji, and Shikamaru behind him. "Oh man, he found her," Naruto panicked.

Sasuke was now one foot away from me, my eyes starring directly up at his. He appeared to avoid my gaze somewhat. Was he, nervous? "Give me your book," he ordered, almost difficultly. "Let me walk you to class."

Me. "..."

Everyone in the halls. "..."

The gang. "?"

And that was how Sasuke Uchiha made it clearly official (not counting the fake photograph) that we were a couple. Most of the students watching had gasped. The guys in the background watching had their own specific reactions to the Uchiha's swallow of pride, too. Shikamaru's usually tired eyes broke open, and Neji's usual calm expression had distorted into one of pure confusion. Naruto's, well : blank white eyes and open mouth.

"Well this is new," Kiba stated, ironically the only one with a decently calm face, a cocked eyebrow at most.

I searched the Uchiha's face. Offering to hold my books? Walk me to class? The questions only reminded me that there were two types of couples. Type one: the kind Sasuke and Karin/previous girls had been. Type two, sweet classic old school. Was he trying, with me, to be type two?

"Is that a joke?" I smiled, not bothering to hide my free laugh. "No way would someone like you ever ask a girl to hold her books. Haha, this is new - you joking."

A vein appeared over his head. "Wanna say that again, Haruno?"

This time the guys had simultaneously changed their facial expressions into the same, mirroring, embarassed look. Sweatdrops hovered over each of their right sides a they stared at Sasuke and me in disbelief. "She doesn't get it," the four said.

"You heard me. I said you're too much of a jerk to offer to carry my books."

"I can't believe this! You should feel honored I even asked!"

I made a sound with my throat. "How arrogant. Idiot."

"Feel like taking more punishment, rich-girl? You don't think I'm beyond hitting girls."

"Bring it on, Uchiha!"

Our actionless-remarks fired back and forth as we forgot our current audience, not that it mattered anyway. We even failed to hear their clear and not so secretive comments.

"They're definitely like a married couple. I told you from the start they were together."

"I bet they're really into each other outside school."

"Sakura-chan's so cool!"

"They're totally the biggest couple in school. Haven't you heard?"

"They're perfect for each other aren't they?"

Questionable looks washed over the guys this time. "And they actually believed it," they said in unison once more.

It's kind of funny how things had gone down to this. From the coin flip to now, you'd think we've come a long way. Lots of work, too. As if. Everything seemed to happen in accordance to something beyond coincidence. The accident at the skate park caused this to happen. And for a quick second I wondered what would have happened if that never occourred. Would I have my fake boyfriend? Would I still be engaged to a stranger? Would I still be the same, invisible, happy-go-lucky heiress who thought she was normal?

As you can probably tell by now, bickering with Sasuke Uchiha was something normal, and something that would, if not already, become a part of a daily basis. From this moment on my skating lessons would continue. I would continue to lie to my mother about my upcoming 'engagement to our neighbor Sasuke Uchiha', and Ino would continue to be my unofficial school bodyguard. Maybe I can get used to this. It won't last forever, and I had to admit it's actually fun, despite all the grief I've gone through the past few days.

"You're a real hard-head you know that?"

"And you're not? You're the most difficult girl I've ever met you should be begging me to be seen with you!"

"Sasuke Uchiha you are UNBELIEVEABLE!"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I'm home Mom, Kakashi!" As I walked onto the Haruno grounds I found in the front yard on the northeast portion of the garden Kakashi sitting at one of our white glass tables, under the fall shade of a fancy looking umbrella. He appeared to be reading a book with a tea set by the middle of the table.

"Your mom's out," Kakashi informed me. He took a look at me. Lugging around my worn jean back and my skateboard under my arm, he's noticed my sluggish and tired appearance. However what stood out was my surprisingly confident and calm face. "Something happen at school? You're late."

"Just detention," I lied, making my way to the giant white double doors. It's true I had detention once, but I'd rather he not know my little episode with Sasuke and the fliers. I'll tell him about it one day, but now now. "I'm just gonna drop my stuff off and take a nap. Mind bringing my dinner up later? I might wake up late at night."

"Not going to Sasuke's today?" he noticed. "I heard you two had a moment together at the hospital."

"Don't tell me you were spying on us, too."

"There was something to spy on?"

My straight mouth frowned, and my eyelids dropped in estrangement. "Bye, Kakashi."

Just as I opened the door he called for one more thing. "Oh, someone dropped something over here earlier. I left it on your desk."

"Eugh," I replied in a groan, shutting the front door behind me. Kakashi laughed a little before returning to his novel, turning a page. I dragged myself up the grand staircase to my lolita bedroom. Throwing my skateboard and my heavy bag onto my regal bed, I practically sleep-walked towards my closet door to my little bedroom. I plopped down onto my mattress, falling asleep mere seconds later. "School's such a hassle now..." I whined as my last words.

I practically forgot Kakashi's last message, about how someone left something for me at the house while I was in detention. I didn't bother to go look now, despite my curiosity, since I would just find out later. But outside my closed closet door in my real bedroom, on the writing desk rested a small plastic case, a pale orange flower with a ribbon inside it. It was the corsage Ino told the guys to get me for the day of the dance.

Kakashi answered the door, seeing a raven-haired boy standing on the doorstep. He was vaguely familiar, but the masked man couldn't quite put his finger on it. Nonetheless he gave a warm welcome. "May I help you, stranger?"

The Uchiha gave an odd look, seeing the mask, but quickly shrugged off the thought. He held out the plastic box with the orange corsage inside, it's ocean blue ribbon still perfectly tied around the subtle stem. "This is Sakura's. Would you mind giving this to her?"

Kakashi took the light box, starring at it for a minute. "Wouldn't you rather give it to her yourself? She's not here yet but you can wait inside."

"No I'd rather I just leave it here," he politely denied. "Thank you." And just like that he turned around to leave, not even stating his name to the mysterious masked man.

And this, part one of our deal, is how Sasuke Uchiha and I became an 'official' fake couple... Kill me now.


Tumblr: sammakesamess
DeviantArt: MemorySoul

PREVIEW:

Out of them all, Naruto was probably the most awestruck. "Sakura... lives here?"

"Why else would we be standing out here, dobe."

"Don't be too surprised," Neji said, probably the closest in similarity to Sasuke at the moment. "I did mention a while ago that Sakura was the heiress to her family's fortune. It's not unlikely for her to live in these conditions."

"Conditions?" Kiba repeated, stepping in front of the group. "Neji do you not see this place? They have naked-cupid-doll-peeing fountains on their front yard! That's rich people status and Sakura's-"

"Not rich looking?" Sasuke finished.

x-x-x-x

"Oh my God..." Clearly annoyed bast boundaries, Sasuke ran his hand through his hair. He's lucky I hadn't punched him yet. "You, are so aggrivating."

"Yeah says the guy who pick-pocketed his way into my bedroom!" I retorted with wild arm exaggerations. "And speaking of which, get out of my room!"

x-x-x-x

What just... happened.

Reality happened.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"