Warning: I was in a depressed/bad mood while writing this chapter, so if it turns out badly... Yeah. My brother left to America for college this week and I took it pretty hard. It's been awkwardly silent since he left. It's weird not hearing him playing the guitar or singing around the house. He won't be back for another three years... HE'LL MISS MY SENIOR GRADUATION! DX
Speical thanks to mommy of two: BlackBlossom101, who beta'd this chapter. ^_^ I don't know what I'd do without her...
DEDICATION: THE SEVENTH CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO young-love FOR BEING MY 500th REVIEWER! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
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Chapter Seven: Jealousy
XXXXX
KIBA'S P.O.V. (Wednesday: After school)
Soccer practice had just started and Gai-sensei assigned us some weight training. The weight room was located at the upper level of the gym. Below, I could hear the cheerleaders yelling out chants to get the audience pumped up, practicing their routine for Friday's game.
I set my dumbbells aside and gulped down a bottle full of water. A loud pounding sound got my attention and I turned my head to watch as Sasuke beat the stuffing out of the punching bag that Gaara held in place.
"Dude, I think you should ease up a bit," I commented, throwing away the plastic bottle in a nearby recyclable bin. Sasuke ignored my suggestion and continued with his hard jabs.
Naruto stopped bench pressing and came over to us. Shikamaru stopped working out as well and trailed after the blonde idiot.
"Whoa, what crawled up your butt and died?" Naruto teased, but obviously concerned about Sasuke's violent behavior. The seventeen-year-old Uchiha said nothing, pounding on the punching bag.
"Did something happen during your tutoring session?" questioned Shikamaru, using the towel around his neck to wipe off the sweat from his chest. Naruto continued, "Yeah, is this about Operation G.S.T.T.S.S.H.C.F.T.H.H.H.F?"
Sasuke responded by landing a particularly hard punch on the bag. Gaara let out a loud grunt, using the soles of his black high-tops to keep himself from sliding backwards. The fifteen-year-old boy appeared to be irritated with the Uchiha.
Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged knowing looks. The lazy genius shook his head and muttered, "Mendōkusei..."
I inquired, "What happened? Sakura—"
"—says the thought of me liking her is stupid, extremely unrealistic, idiotic, moronic, and dumb," Sasuke finished in a monotone, pausing his workout. The three of us winced and mumbled, "Ouch, sorry man." Gaara reached across the punching bag, patted Sasuke on the shoulder once, and resumed his former position.
'I really need to teach that kid about comforting a person when they're down...'
"So what are you going to do?" questioned Shikamaru.
Sasuke just shrugged and reached up to touch the ring on his silver necklace. "I have a plan. I just need to make sure that Sakura will be free during lunch tomorrow." After a while, he seemed to calm down and started punching the bag at a more moderate pace.
"Hey, guys!" greeted Tenten. I noticed that she wasn't wearing her "boy" wig since this was a private practice and we weren't outside on the field where people could see us.
"What's up?" I asked, holding out my fist for her to bump. "Nothing much," Tenten answered, giving it a quick pound before saying, "Gaara, you have a visitor."
The red-haired sophomore raised an eyebrow, confused. He let go of the punching bag, took a step forward, and opened his mouth say something, but was cut off by the sound of the weight room's door slamming shut. We turned to find a familiar brown-haired eighth grader.
"Hey, Gaara-kun! Sorry to bother you at practice. I just..." Matsuri trailed off and made a weird squeaking noise, her eyes going wide. We stared in confusion as the thirteen-year-old girl dropped the pink package she was holding to cover her eyes; her face turned bright red.
I scanned the weight room, trying to pinpoint what caused her reaction. Then, I looked down at myself and it hit me. I bursted out laughing, causing everyone's attention to focus on me.
"Dude," I called to Gaara, "I think you should escort your little girlfriend out of the gym. She might faint from the sight of a room full of half-naked guys."
Everyone looked around to find that all the guys in the weight room were shirtless. Most of us guys on the soccer were more comfortable working out without feeling restricted by a shirt. The only one would worked out fully-clothed was Tenten (for obvious reasons). She had grown accustomed to seeing us shirtless and remained unfazed. Though, I did notice her drooling over Neji once in a while...
"She's not my girlfriend!" the fifteen-year-old denied in a panicked voice, appearing unusually flustered by my insinuation. It was so… unlike him. Gaara glanced at Matsuri then peered down at himself. He crossed his arms over his bare chest, his expression hinting that he felt uncomfortable.
Tenten studied Gaara for a while, and then her face lit up. With a teasing smile, she cooed, "Gaara, there's no need to be self-conscious in front of your girlfriend! With a six-pack like yours, I'm positive Matsuri-chan finds you hot!"
"Tenten-senpai!" Matsuri breathed out, horrified. Gaara's ears burned red and his cheeks tinted pink. Never in my life had I witnessed Gaara blush before. You have no idea how badly I wished I had a camera to capture the seen and use it as blackmail!
"Aww! Is wittle Gaara-kun blushing?" I teased. Gaara glared and passed by me, smacking my head on his way towards his stuff he had tossed on a bench. Gaara, acting as if nothing happened, slipped on his maroon t-shirt and slung his bag over his shoulder, walking over to Matsuri. He picked up the pink package she dropped and carried it for her.
"Oi, didn't anyone ever teach you to respect your superiors?" I screeched in outrage, nursing my aching head.
Gaara paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Don't you mean elders?"
"Why you little—"
"What's going on over here?" Neji cut in. The five of us acknowledged our soccer captain while Gaara used the opportunity to slip out the door with Matsuri.
"Nothing, we were just teasing Gaara," Tenten supplied. Neji merely nodded.
"So are you guys ready to kick some Sound High butt?" joked Naruto, referring to the game on Friday.
"Heck yeah!" I cheered, high five-ing the blonde idiot. We all went back to our different stations, but stayed relatively close together so we could converse. Neji replaced Gaara and held the punching in place for Sasuke.
"I heard their goalie is recovering from a sprained ankle, so always aim for his right," advised our soccer captain, "He'll react slower due to his injury. Use it to your advantage."
We spent the next half-hour strategizing a fool-proof game plan. We weren't undefeated for nothing.
"What time is?" Naruto asked out of the blue. I checked the time on my cell phone. "It's five-thirty."
His blue eyes budged out of their sockets. "Crap!" Naruto jumped off the treadmill, clumsily throwing on his orange t-shirt and grabbing his bag. He sprinted towards the door.
"Where do you think you're going, Uzumaki?" Naruto promptly ran into Neji's outstretched arm, causing him to stumble backwards. "Practice isn't over yet. Get back on the treadmill," ordered our seventeen-year-old soccer captain.
"But I'm late!" argued Naruto, arms flailing wildly.
"Late for what exactly?" Neji inquired suspiciously.
"I have a date w—!" Naruto froze his face pale. He smacked his forehead and started cursing.
"Date? With who?" Tenten's face alit with excitement. Naruto muttered a strange answer that sounded like, "Hirpphma..."
"Who?" I cocked my head to the side, eager to hear his answer. I had a pretty good guess on who it was already, but watching Naruto squirm and blush was hilarious. The seventeen-year-old blonde glanced at the Hyuuga towering over him and winced. Scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, the blue-eyed boy confessed, "Hinata and I are sorta... going out."
"FINALLY!" I screamed, throwing my hands up in victory. Tenten let out a high-pitched squeal and jumped up and down, clapping her hands. Never had I seen her act so girly. Sasuke and Shikamaru appeared highly amused and somewhat proud, smirking at the blond.
Neji's reaction, however, was drastically different from ours.
"Oh, okay," he shrugged. Then he grabbed Naruto by his collar and shoved him hard against the wall. "But I swear, if you break her heart..." Neji inched his face closer, his voice lowering to a threatening hiss, "I will break your tiny little neck... "
Neji's demeanor changed back to normal as soon as he let out of Naruto's shirt and took a step back. "Got it?"
Naruto gulped, looking like he was going to piss in his pants. "G-G-Got it!" he squeaked, nodding his head frantically. He quickly picked up his backpack that had fallen when he was knocked against the wall and bolted out of the weight room, nearly knocking down Juko—one of the younger soccer players on the team.
Neji went back to holding the punching bag in place for Sasuke.
"I can't believe Naruto and Hinata are together! That's sooo cute!" gushed Tenten. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Yeah. Cute."
Sasuke delivered one last punch before removing the black fingerless gloves and bandages. He gestured to the punching bag as if to say 'It's your turn.' The teenage Hyuuga shook his head. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and Neji lifted his right hand to Sasuke's eye level.
"Daaanngg! What happened to your hand, Hyuuga?" I shouted. The knuckles of his right hand were bruised and battered. The skin was a horrible purple color and it was slightly bleeding.
Tenten was by his side in an instant, grabbing his large hand in her smaller ones. She brought her face up close to his injury, examining it. Neji jumped as if a jolt of electricity shot through his body. I smacked a hand over my mouth when I saw Neji's cheeks turn pink. The bun-haired girl didn't seem to notice.
"Hyuuga Neji," Oh, crap. She used his full name. "What happened to your hand?"
Neji scoffed, "If you think that looks bad, you should see the other guy's face."
"WHAT?"
'Wrong move, Hyuuga...'
"Hn."
"Jerk," Tenten huffed, taking a handkerchief from her pocket and using it as a bandage for his injured knuckles. She pouted and glared at him. "Will you at least tell me who you used as your personal punching bag?"
"Just drop it. It doesn't concern you," Neji grumbled. While Tenten was preoccupied with wrapping his hand, Sasuke—who was standing behind Tenten—raised an eyebrow and mouthed,
"Who?"
Neji peered down at the Tenten to check if she was watching him. When the coast was clear, he mouthed back, "Nagio." (1)
The seventeen-year-old Uchiha smirked and shook his head. Shikamaru brought a closed fist to his mouth to muffle his snickers.
'Who in the world is Nagio?' I thought, completely lost.
SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Thursday: Morning)
"Haruno-sama," called one of my maids from the doorway of the living room.
"Yes?" I set my book down beside me on the couch and gave her my full attention.
"Your friends are waiting for you outside."
"Ah." I nodded, putting on my backpack and grabbing my books. "Thank you."
The elderly maid bowed and went back to her duties. I walked to the doorway and put on a pair of sneakers. Going over my mental checklist, I made sure I had everything I needed before slipping out the door and making my way into Ino's car.
"Ohayou," I greeted, folding my body into the back seat of Ino's convertible. Hinata replied with a quiet, "Ohayou gozaimasu."
"Hey, Sakura." Tenten turned around in the passenger seat to smile at me. "Ready for school?"
"Yup."
Ino started the car and pulled out of my driveway. "Sakura, you remembered to leave your schedule open for Tuesday, right? My stylist is a very busy woman and that's the only day she's free."
"Yeah, don't worry. I remembered."
My cell phone vibrated and I flipped it open. It was a text message from Sasuke.
Sender: Uchiha Sasuke
"Meet me at the soccer field after fourth period. I need to show you something."
I tapped out a quick reply of "okay" and pressed send.
We reached the Juizo Bridge—which connected my town to the city where KPHS was located—when Tenten decided to reveal some startling news. "Hinata, I've been thinking about something to ask you for our game of truth or dare and I came up with the perfect question." I glanced at the rear view mirror to get a glimpse of Tenten's reflection. My brows furrowed when I noticed a mischievous smile spread across her face.
"What i-is it?"
Tenten's smile widened. "Is it true you're Naruto's girlfriend?"
Screeeeccchh!
The blonde seventeen-year-old banged her foot against the breaks, causing the car to come to an abrupt halt in the middle of the bridge. "Oomph!" My body flew forward, but was immediately yanked backwards by my seat belt. My glasses were unceremoniously knocked off of my face. I rubbed my jaw, hoping I didn't get whiplash.
Hinata picked up my glasses and handed them back to me. I placed them back in their usual position.
"Ino, have you gone insane?" yelled Tenten, "We could have gotten into an accident!"
Ino completely ignored Tenten's scolding, choosing instead to whip around and give Hinata the third degree. "YOU'RE GOING OUT WITH NARUTO?" The question caused Hinata to blush and fiddle with her index fingers, sinking down into the backseat.
"Y-Y-Yes," Hinata confessed her face a bright red color.
"That's great, Hinata!" I placed my hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Ino broke out into a fit of giggles, flapping her hands excitedly. "Eek! Ohemgee, this is sooo cute! So have the two of you gone on a date yet?"
Hinata burrowed herself further into her seat, obviously shy. "U-Umm... I'll give you t-the details during l-lunch." The blue-eyed senior shot her a look that said 'You better!' before easing off the breaks. We reached school after ten minutes.
"Later!" I called as I hopped out of the car. I walked through the gates, up the stairs, and into the high school. It was nearly time for first period to start and the hallway was packed with students rushing to get their books from their lockers.
Suddenly, someone collided roughly with my shoulder, causing all my books and folders to be knocked out of my grasp. I steadied myself and looked at the culprit, groaning in irritation when I found Wantabe Ami and her little posy standing before me. (2)
"Want do you want this time, Ami?" I droned, crossing my arms.
The president of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club flipped her purple hair over here her shoulder and stepped forward, invading my personal space. Her brainless followers mimicked her movements. "Stay away from Sasuke-kun," she hissed, glaring.
In actuality, Ami was a really nice person. She always used to share her cookies with me in second grade. But if you became an obstacle in her quest to become the future Mrs. Uchiha, she'd make your life a living nightmare. Hence the reason she's been annoying me these past couple of days.
I rolled my eyes. "Even if I wanted to, I can't. I promised I'd tutor him in calculus. Besides, they're nothing going on between us."
"Oh please," she sneered, "We can see the way you look at him. I know you like Sasuke-kun." I stiffened. 'Was I that obvious?' Ami continued, "I bet you're just using this opportunity to try and seduce him," she inched her face closer, "But let me tell you something: Sasuke-kun would never fall for a pathetic, ugly nerd like you."
And as much as I didn't want to admit it, her comment hurt me. A lot. I knew that my chances with Sasuke were slim to none, but actually having someone say the fact aloud was like a stab to the heart.
Disguising my hurt with indifference, I smirked. "And I'm pretty sure Uchiha-san would never fall for easy, STD-infected trash like you."
Several gasps broke out amongst her group. Her pale face contorted into pure, unadulterated rage. I winced when Ami quickly raised her hand, ready to strike.
"You little b—!"
"That's enough."
Slowly, I pried open an eyelid. The scene before me caused both of my eyes to shoot open and my jaw to drop.
Neji stood there, holding Ami's wrist. Her hand was a mere inch away from making contact with my cheek. I noticed that Neji's hand that he used to clutch the girl's arm was bandaged. The seventeen-year-old soccer captain yanked Ami's hand back down to her side.
"Leave," Neji demanded in his deep voice, his face excluding no emotions whatsoever. Ami and her cronies didn't need to be told twice; they practically sprinted down the hallway and into their classroom. A small part of me felt sorry for Ami and her gang. Neji was a very intimidating person.
Sighing, I crouched down and gathered my fallen books into my arms. After they were carefully stacked, I stood and pushed up my glasses. "Thanks... for stopping Ami. You didn't have to."
The long-haired senior shrugged his broad shoulders. "If I didn't, Sasuke would have my head on a sliver platter."
"Huh?" I cocked my head to the side, confused. He shook his head and muttered, "Nothing."
Brrriiinnggg!
'Crap!'
"C'mon, Neji. We might be late for calculus."
Neji smirked, appearing to be entertained by my statement.
"What?"
He halted in the middle of the hallway, causing to me pause as well. I moved my unruly fringe out of the way to see him turn towards me and say, "It's amusing. You call me—a person who knows only the bare facts about you—by my first name, yet you address Sasuke as if he's a stranger." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked me straight in the eyes.
"Sasuke knows you better than you know yourself. It's about time you acknowledged that."
With that said, he walked away, leaving me deep in thought.
Gymnasium (Thursday: Fourth Period)
'He's staring at me... He's staring at me... He's staring at me... Why is he still staring at me?'
I lifted my head a bit and peered across the gym. He smiled at me and winked. Quickly ducking my head, I returned my gaze back to my book. I could literally feel his gaze burning a hole in the side of my face. What was his problem? Didn't anyone ever teach him it's not polite to stare?
My eyes drifted back up to check if Sato Shou was still watching me.
He was.
'Are you kidding me? He's been staring at me all day!'
I shifted on the bleachers uncomfortably, unnerved by Shou's watchful gaze. Trying to distract myself, I lowered my book slightly and glanced around the gym, looking for my best friends. Tenten was kicking around a soccer ball with Neji. I looked to my left and saw Ino chatting with another cheerleader. Hinata was using the bathroom, so she wasn't inside the gym.
I continued to study my surroundings and noticed that Naruto, Shikamaru, Takehiko, Kiba, Gaara, and Sasuke were playing basketball. Almost all of the girls in the gym swooned as Sasuke shot an impressive three-pointer. I rolled my eyes. 'Stupid, typical fangirls... Wait. Did I just call myself stupid?'
Sasuke glanced my way. When our eyes met, I blushed, embarrassed to be caught staring. I hastily jerked my book upwards and pretended to read. After all the red had faded from my cheeks, my attention drifted to the area where Shou and his friends. My brow furrowed when I noticed he was no long—HOLY CRAP! HE'S HEADING TOWARDS ME!
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest and I prayed that I wouldn't vomit or something equally embarrassing. I fiddled nervously with my glasses and tried to hide behind my book. Hopefully, he'll just walk past me and hit on the group of girls from the debate team that were sitting a few rows above me.
"Hey, Sakura-chan."
I winced from behind the protection of my book. He just had to approach me. Hesitantly, I lowered my book and placed it on the bleacher. "Hello, Sato-san," I greeted with the best fake smile I could muster, hoping he'd leave soon.
Shou gestured to unoccupied spot next to me. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" My mouth opened to make up some sort of excuse, but he cut me off by saying, "You promised that we'd talk later, remember?"
...Dang it.
"Err... Sure. So what did you want to talk about?"
"Us," he answered simply. The eighteen-year-old brunette sat down very close to me. Our hips and thighs were touching. I tried to scoot away, but he just scooted closer every time I attempted to retreat.
"U-Us?" I sputtered out, dumbfounded. What was that supposed to mean?
"Yeah, I've always liked you, Sakura-chan," Shou stated in a seemingly shy voice, but I could see right through his false facade. He was faking it. "So I was hoping you'd go out with me," the silver-eyed teenager whispered in his wannabe seductive voice. 'What do girls see in this guy?' I nearly gagged, then paled when his words finally registered. My jaw dropped and my head spun. An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of my gut.
"Oh, umm... Wow, I'm flattered, but I don't like you that wa—"
Shou quickly raised a hand, demanding silence. His expression was hard to decipher. It appeared to be a mix of disbelief, anger, and pure shock. "Are you rejecting me?"
"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call it rejecting..." I trailed off while fiddling with my glasses, feeling horrible. Sure, Shou was a jerk, but I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty by turning him down. I wasn't used to saying 'no'.
He scoffed, looking like he'd been slapped in the face. Apparently this was the first time he got shot down. The eighteen-year-old basketball player was quiet for a while, plotting. Then, his face lit up as if he was struck with a bright idea.
"I think I know what I can do to change your mind." Shou smiled deviously. Suddenly, his hand grasped my chin, turning my head towards him. He leaned forward, his intent written all over his face.
'Oh. My. Gosh. HE'S GOING TO KISS ME!'
My first instinct was to hurl. My second instinct was to run. Far, far away.
Shou's lips were a mere inch from mine when I jerked my head out of his grasp and whipped away. With wobbly legs, I bolted upwards and attempted to make a mad dash away from Shou.
"Hey, wait!"
A hand lashed out and grabbed my wrist, yanking me back to Shou. He used more force than necessary, causing me to fall forward instead of merely turning to face him. Shou tried to stop me from falling, but my wrist slipped from his grip. I closed my eyes and spread my hands out in front of me, preparing myself for the inevitable pain.
"AAAHHHH!" I screamed before my body finally hit the gym floor. My outstretched arms had taken most of the impact, but my forehead had banged against the floor during my fall. Gasps from students resounded throughout the gym. Groaning in pain, I slowly turned to lay flat on my back. I brought a hand up to nurse my aching head, absolutely sure that there would be a bump.
The fall wasn't that bad. I was thankful that the bleacher I had fallen from was only the second from the bottom. Any higher and I would have broken something.
My unoccupied hand blindly searched for my glasses, which had been knocked off during my fall. My fingers finally found them and curled around the object, placing them back on my face. I breathed out a sigh of relief when I noticed them weren't damaged.
Shou was by my side instantly and helped me stand up. One of his hands rested on my hip, the other was supporting me by my elbow. He apologized profusely. "Sakura, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean t—!"
BAM!
A soccer ball came flying out of nowhere and hit Shou in the face! The sudden impact caught Shou by surprise, knocking him down. The sound of his body slamming against the hard floor echoed throughout the gym.
I gasped in shock as Shou slowly sat up, groaning in pain. His fangirls rushed to the scene, forming a circle around us. He shook his brunette head, supposedly trying to shake off a dizzy spell.
His silver eyes landed on the soccer ball and realization dawned on him. "WHO DID THAT?" he roared and stood up, face red with anger and embarrassment.
"Hn."
My whole body stiffened when I heard that familiar grunt coming from directly behind me.
'Oh you have got to be kidding me!'
I spun around to see Sasuke standing right in front of me, death-glaring Shou. He looked like he was ready to rip Shou's head off. "U-Uchiha-san?" I stuttered out, bewildered. Sasuke momentarily removed his heated gaze off of Shou to glance at me. He did a double-take, frowning when he saw me clutching my injured forehead.
Suddenly, Sasuke grabbed my shoulder and pulled me towards him. I could have sworn my heart stopped beating. My cheeks turned pink from our close proximity. His right hand reached up, gently prying my fingers and brushing away my bangs to get a look at my forehead. His calloused fingertips grazed the bump lightly, causing me to pull back sharply and hiss in pain.
"Who the hell did this?" Sasuke demanded through clenched teeth. I gulped when I noticed Sasuke's expression. His jaw was clenched and his hands curled tightly, forming fists.
'What's wrong with him?'
"S-Sato-san pulled my arm and acci—"
Before I could finish, Sasuke whipped around and marched up to Shou, socking him in the face. Then Sasuke tackled him to the ground.
Shou was unconscious before he hit the floor.
SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Thursday: Fourth Period)
'Seriously. Is this guy purposely trying to piss me off?'
"Teme, pass the ball!" called Naruto. I reluctantly tore my eyes away from Shou, who was ogling Sakura. Grumbling under my breath, I passed the ball to Naruto and immediately resumed my glaring session. I barely paid attention to our basketball game. My mind was too focused on coming up with reasons to justify beating Shou into a bloody pulp.
'First offense: He's been staring at Sakura. All. Freaking. Day.'
"Hitting him will only get you detention and benched for Friday's game," I mumbled to myself.
I brought a hand up to my mouth and bit my knuckles, trying to keep calm.
The way he was leering at her had my hands itching to crush something and my blood boil. At least he kept his distance; he and his friends remained on the bleachers on the opposite side of the gym.
'Yeah, you better stay there you little fu—'
"Uchiha!"
I turned back just in time to catch the ball Takehiko threw my way. Gaara lunged in an attempt to steal the ball, but I dodged him. I positioned myself at the three-point line and shot the ball into the hoop. Heh, nothing but net.
"GO SASUKE-KUN!"
"YOU'RE AMAZING, SASUKE-KUN!"
"WE LOVE YOU, SASUKE-KUN!"
While refraining from cringing due to my fangirls' high-pitched squeals, I couldn't help but think how unfair life was. The one girl I actually wanted to call me 'Sasuke-kun' was the only girl in the whole school who addressed me with a formality.
My dark eyes scanned the bleachers when they landed on Sakura. She turned red when I caught her staring at me. The sixteen-year-old girl buried her blushing face in her book, embarrassed. I smirked, but it was instantly wiped off my face when I noticed Shou stand up and approach Sakura. Then that little punk sat down next to her.
'Second offense, he's within a fifteen root radius of Sakura.'
A strange burning sensation filled the pit of my stomach. I was about to sprint over to them, but Naruto and Kiba quickly latched onto my arms, holding me back from running over there and beating the crap out of Shou.
"Let go!" I ordered, struggling in their hold.
Neji came over to us, pausing his little soccer game with Tenten. "Uchiha, relax. They're just talking. Geez..."
I struggled to be rational and keep a level head, but I just... couldn't. An overwhelming, foreign emotion ate at my insides, banishing all rational thought. I've never felt like this before. I tried to assess my feelings, but what gripped my stomach was far too uncomfortable. All I wanted to do was rip Shou apart.
"Yeah, Sasuke," Kiba agreed, "There's no need to overreact. They're just talk—oh crap..."
Kiba and Naruto immediately turned me around, preventing me from seeing Shou and Sakura. I glared darkly. "What? What's going on?" I bellowed, trying to twist my head around to look at them. "Let go of me, you idiots!"
"AAAHHHH!"
I froze. My blood ran cold when I heard Sakura's scream, followed by multiple gasps.
Taking advantage of Kiba and Naruto's shocked states, I wrenched myself out of their hold. What I saw caused an intense surge of anger to rush through my veins. Sakura and Shou were standing at the bottom of the bleachers (how did they get there?), one of his hands on her hip, the other on Sakura's elbow. His face was way too closefor my comfort.
'There's no way I'm letting that jerk get close to mygir—Um...Uh... I mean... My tutor...'
Immediately, I stole the soccer ball out of Neji's hand and aimed it at Shou's head.
BAM!
With mild satisfaction, I watched as the soccer ball slammed into his face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Stomping over to the small crowd formed mostly by Shou's fangirls, I stood directly behind Sakura
'Third offense: He. Touched. Her.'
"WHO DID THAT?" Shou yelled, jumping to his feet.
"Hn." I grunted in response, not trusting myself to say anything. I was too pissed to form logical sentences. Sakura stiffened before turning to face me, but I was far too intent on burning a hole through Shou's head with my glare.
"U-Uchiha-san?" Sakura stuttered in a confused voice.
I spared her a quick glance. Then did a double-take.
'What the...'
Immediately, my hands shot out and pulled Sakura towards me. A scowl spread across my features when I noticed how she was clutching her forehead. My right hand reached up, pulling her tiny fingers away from her forehead. My fingers combed aside her annoying pink bangs in order to examine the area.
The bump on her forehead wasn't necessarily that bad, but it looked pretty painful nonetheless. Hesitantly, I grazed the bump gently with my fingertips. Something inside me snapped when Sakura jerked away and cried out in pain.
"Who the hell did this?" I gritted out, absolutely murderous. My jaw clenched and unclench while my hands curled into fist. It was a bad habit I did whenever I was insanely angry.
"S-Sato-san pulled my arm and acci—"
That's all I needed to hear.
Something very dark shifted through me. My chest felt hot and heavy.
'Fourth offense: He hurt Sakura. He caused her pain. That bi—SCREW THIS! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!'
Without thinking, I lunged.
Principal's Office (Thursday: Fourth Period)
"A black eye, fractured rib, broken nose... The list could go on and on!" exclaimed my principal. "I have never seen such violence in all my twenty-five years of being principal! Young man, how do you expect to make up for your inexcusable behavior?"
Silently, I handed him a check. He choked and his eyes bulged out as he read the amount.
"T-That could work..."
Nurse's Office (Thursday: Fourth Period)
"What's wrong?"
"..."
"I did you a favor. Why are you mad at me?"
"..."
"Sakura. Answer me. Now."
"..."
Frustratingly, I ran my hands through my hair and glared half-heartedly at Sakura. The said girl was staring blankly at her sneakers, holding an ice pack to her forehead. She wouldn't talk to me at all and it was beyond annoying.
'Is this supposed to be some sort of pay back for all the times I gave people the silent treatment?'
I scowled while leaning against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest in a defensive manner. The fact that Sakura wouldn't even talk or look at me didn't sit well with me and made me completely irritated
"Sakura, tell me what's wrong."
She didn't even glance at me. I wanted to scream.
"Please?"
'Great, I can't believe this girl has me begging her to talk. I've stooped so low...'
"You didn't need to hurt him," Sakura mumbled, fiddling with her glasses. Her voice was so quiet that I barely caught her statement. I felt my jaw clench and my back stiffen.
"He was all over you and that jerk hurt you. You should be grateful instead of giving me the silent treatment," I spat. A foreign, unknown feeling started to settle in the pit of my gut. Why would she care if he's hurt or not?
Sakura exploded. "No he wasn't! Sato-san was just helping me up. And it was an accident! He didn't mean to hurt me. You didn't even let me finish talking before you decided to bash his face in! You could've got expelled for fighting over a stupid misunderstanding! You need to learn how to control that stupid temper of yours!"
I blinked at her. Well, that was... unexpected.
The pink-haired girl sighed tiredly as shifted on the end of the hospital-like bed that she was sitting on, lowering her head. Guilt hit me. Hard. I felt as if I disappointed her. Pushing myself off of the wall, I took a few steps to stand directly in front of her.
"I'm sorry."
Sakura's head snapped up at break-neck pace. "W-What?"
"I said I am sorry. I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me," I grumbled, annoyed that I had to repeat myself. For goodness sake, I was Uchiha Sasuke. I don't say sorry.Ever.
The sixteen-year-old shook her head. "You shouldn't be apologizing to me."
"Hn?" Sakura raised her free hand and pointed to the blue dividing curtain. Shou was occupying the other side of the nurse's office. My eyes narrowed, figuring out her intent.
"No."
"..."
Sakura pouted.
"..."
"..."
"Fine..."
Cursing under my breath, I marched up to the curtain and pulled it back. There laid Shou, sporting a broken nose, black eye, and several other bandages. I almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost.
"Sato," I called. Shou's eyes snapped open. When he realized I was in the same room as he was, he panicked. "NURSE! NURSE!"
Acting quickly, I slammed my hand over his mouth. Detention was the last thing I wanted to receive today. Shou misinterpreted my actions and flailed wildly, assuming I was trying to smother him to death. I rolled my eyes. No wonder this guy was voted 'Class Drama King' during our junior year.
"I'm sorry."
My basketball teammate immediately stilled, paralyzed with shock. "Waaft?" he said, his words muffled by my hand. I pulled my hand back, letting it hang idly to my side. The two of them looked at me expectantly.
"I apologize," though my expression said otherwise, "I misunderstood and overreacted." Shou appeared absolutely stumped. After a few minutes of exchanging words, it seemed like Shou had somewhat forgiven me (probably out of fear).
"We cool?" I held out my hand for him to shake. Very reluctantly, he raised his uninjured hand to grasp mine. Then I pulled him close. "But if you ever go near Sakura again, I won't hesitate to put you in a full body cast. Understand?" I whispered in a low voice so Sakura wouldn't hear my threat. The brunette nodded dumbly, terrified. Good.
I pulled back the blue curtain, allowing Sakura and I to have some privacy. Staring at the fragile girl, I sighed. Great. Now she has me apologizing. I didn't mean a word I said, but I figured it was the only way to get her to stop being mad at me.
Running a hand down my face, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. My ego had never been this bruised before in my entire life... But it was definitely worth the heart-stopping smile Sakura graced me with. Her eyes that were looking directly into mine twinkled with happiness.
She gently placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"Thank you," Sakura whispered.
I flushed when I felt her small hand through the material of my gym shirt. The heat of her touch spread all over my body, making me fidget and look at anything but her. Sakura lowered her hand and placed it back on her lap. I leaned back on the wall again and forcefully crossed my arms, trying to put some space between us.
There was an awkward silence.
"Umm..." she started, obviously uncomfortable with the lull in the conversation, "I've been wondering... Shou only gave me a small bump on the head by accident," she stressed, glaring at me from behind her glasses, "And you nearly broke his ribcage... along with other things. Wasn't that a little too extreme? Why were you so pissed at him?"
Huh. Good question.
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. I tried to come up with a logical answer but my mind was frustratingly blank. All I knew was that I didn't like seeing any guy besides me getting close to Sakura. When I saw them together, confusion and anger seemed to be overriding my system. Confusion because I didn't know why I was upset to see Shou with Sakura, which just made me even more angry. I knew Sakura didn't like Shou whatsoever, but the more I looked at the two sitting together, the more my chest burned.
'It's because you were jealous...' a small voice from the back of my mind whispered. I scoffed at the thought.
Me? Jealous?Tche, Uchihas do not get jealous. It was a stupid and pathetic emotion that was beneath us.
...Right?
Momentarily, I closed my eyes and tried to envision her with another guy. Just to test my own limits. The thought of another guy being with Sakura in any way, shape or form made my stomach tighten into knots. I felt like I was about to explode. A lump started forming in my throat as a hot, angry, intense emotion built up in my chest.
My eyes snapped open.
...I was jealous.
SAKURA'S P.O.V.
I sat patiently on the nurse's office bed, waiting for Sasuke's answer.
"Hn."
'Why am I not surprised...' I rolled my eyes.
Brrriiinnggg!
"Looks like gym class is over," I muttered to myself, placing the ice pack on the bed and standing up. "We should change out of our gym uniform and head to lunch."
Sasuke blocked me from leaving the room. "Get dressed and meet me in the soccer field."
"Huh?"
"I thought you received my text this morning?"
"Oh, that," I remembered, "Okay, see you in a bit."
The seventeen-year-old nodded slowly and sauntered out of the nurse's office. Adjusting my glasses, I strolled over to the girl's locker room and changed into my black capris and loose, green hoodie. I slung my pink, bunny backpack unto my shoulder and proceeded to exit the back of the school. I had to pass by the quad, track, and the Science Club's green house to get to the soccer field.
'Stupid huge campus...Why does this place have to be so big when there's only two-hundred students?'
I spotted Sasuke leaning against the metal support beams of the bleachers. My eyes ran down his form with female appreciation. He was wearing a black button up shirt with the sleeves folded up to his elbow. The shirt was unbuttoned to reveal the white wife beater he wore underneath. The silver necklace he was never seen without gleamed in the sunlight. His jeans hung low on his hips and partially covered his black high-tops. A blue and black backpack was hanging from his left shoulder.
'My gosh... Is it even legal for him to look that hot?'
"So..." I dragged as I slowly approached my crush, "Why did you want to meet me here?" I inquired.
"You'll see." Sasuke made a hand motion for me to turn around. Furrowing my brows, I hesitantly did as he silently asked. A hand appeared in my peripheral vision and all of a sudden my glasses were taken off of my face. Then my sight was blocked by two large, warm hands.
"Uchiha-san? What are you doing?" I questioned, beyond confused. Why was he covering my eyes?
"Just trust me," Sasuke said from behind me. "Now start walking." The varsity basketball captain urged me forward, leading me. I tripped a couple of times, but Sasuke steadied me and continued walking. After what seemed like forever, he stopped and made me sit down on something unsteady. The object I was sitting on moved slightly. By that time, I was even more confused.
"Open your eyes."
Sasuke retracted his hands from my face and placed my glasses back where they belong. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Realization sunk in as I gasped and broke out into a big, goofy smile.
"You remembered!" I exclaimed, holding back tears. Sasuke came to stand right in front of me, looking oddly shy.
Sasuke had brought me to the Konoha Private Elementary swing set. The swing set was just like any other you could find at various playgrounds throughout Japan: brightly colored, could accommodate two people, and made entirely out of metal. But this particular swing set was special. This was the exact spot where we first met in kindergarten. During our elementary years, Sasuke and I used to swing all recess and talk when our friends weren't around.
Sasuke smirked and poked my forehead, careful not to touch my injury. "Hey! Stop it!" I giggled, swatting at his hand. He merely chuckled and stuck his hands into his pockets.
I glanced at the large, brick building. All the students were still inside the cafeteria, so the playground was completely empty. "How'd you get us in here?" I asked. Sasuke jerked his head to the left, indicating that he used the gate between the high school and elementary.
"Oh." I nodded my head in understanding. The two schools were separated by a fence, but since the principal's office resided in the high school building, they created a gate so misbehaving children could easily enter the principal's office and be dealt with.
"I haven't been here in ages," Sasuke stated. He took a seat on the swing to my right, the same swing he used throughout elementary. Using the soles of his high-tops, he gently rocked the swing back and forth.
"Me too." I ran my hand over the metal chains. We sat in a comfortable silence for a couple moments before I remembered something. "I wonder if it's still there..." I mumbled. The seventeen-year-old Uchiha shot me a confused glance when I suddenly got off the swing and picking up the seat. I turned it over to look at the bottom of the seat. The sight almost made my eyes water.
"It's still here!" I exclaimed, feeling emotional. Sasuke got up from the swing and came to stand behind me. He smirked when he saw what I was talking about.
At the bottom of the seat, 'SAKURA' was written in my first grade hand-writing with a pink, permanent marker. It had faded over the years and the 'R' was barely visible, but it was still there.
..Just like my feelings for Sasuke.
SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Thursday: Lunch Period)
I continued to stare at Sakura's little discovery, a sense of nostalgia washing over me. Being here brought back many memories from when Sakura and I were kids. We were so carefree back then.
Slowly, my hand reached up and enclosed around my silver necklace.
'But now things have changed. I have responsibilities to uphold...'
The swings were the first place where we met. It also happened to be the place where I first decided to start ignoring Sakura... But most importantly, it was where we had our first—
Start Flashback
"Higher! Make me go higher!" screamed an eight-year-old Sakura.
"I'm trying!" I yelled, annoyed, as I my arms pushed on Sakura's swing. When she was high enough, I stepped away and came to stand in front of her swing. I smirked when I caught sight of that big, bright smile on her face.
The smirk instantly vanished when the pink-haired girl pulled her legs towards her chest to place her feet on the seat. I paled when I saw her start to stand on the moving swing. "Sakura, you're going to fall! Sit down!" I ordered, panicking.
"I wanna jump off!" Sakura giggled.
"WHAT?"
Correction: I wasn't just panicking; I was having a full blown heart-attack.
"Don't worry! I've seen Naruto do this millions of times. It looks like he's flying! I wanna try!" responded the pink-haired fourth-grader, oblivious to the dangers of the stunt. I opened my mouth to talk her out of it, but it was already too late. Sakura had already launched herself off of the swing. Her small body went flying through the air. She was heading straight towards me.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
Acting quickly, I spread my arms out and tried to catch her as she slammed into me. The impact caused me to lose my footing and fall backwards. Pain shot through my back and head when they banged against the hard ground. I saw Sakura close her eyes, preparing herself for the pain of our foreheads colliding. Her nose hit mine and time suddenly came to a halt.
I felt something soft and wet against my lips. My eyes nearly budged out of their sockets when I realized Sakura's mouth was connected to mine.
I was kissing Sakura.
My whole body went numb and I couldn't move. Sakura's eyes open to reveal her beautiful emerald orbs. Our eyes locked. My heart started pounding in my chest, faster than ever before. Then I realized something: I was blushing. Frantically, I shoved Sakura by her shoulders. She got the message and hoisted her off of me. I sat up slowly, the back of my hand to my bruised lips and staring at her wide-eyed.
"I-I'm sooo s-s-sorry!" Sakura stuttered, her face bright red.
'I'm not.'
The blush on my face increased ten-fold when I realized that I wasn't sorry at all. Groaning, I bowed my head in embarrassment, wanting to rip my hair out. Sakura continued to ramble out apologies. Taking a deep breath, I forced down the blush. I stood up slowly and glanced at Sakura, making sure my face didn't reveal any of my turbulent emotions.
I fought back another blush that was threatening to make its way up to my face when my eyes landed on her soft, pink lips.
'Don't look at her... Don't look at her... Don't look at her...'
"Hn, whatever. The bell rang so we should head to class," I said in a monotone, grateful my voice didn't crack.
"Umm... O-Okay..." Sakura mumbled, slowly backing away and walking towards the classroom. As soon as Sakura was out of sight, I turned around and started to bang my head against a nearby oak tree.
'I... (bang)... am... (bang)... so... (bang)... STUPID!'
End Flashback
—kiss.
Sakura let go of the swing and twisted around to face me, pulling me out of my musings. Her thin arms wrapped around me, catching me off guard.
Sakura smiled and whispered, "Arigatou... Sasuke."
My eyes widened.
'HOLY SHI—!'
"Thank you for bringing me here," she pulled back and gazed into my eyes. My stomach flipped. I felt a pain in my chest, and realized that I had stopped breathing. Trying to be as subtle as possible, I took in a shallow breath.
'After all these years... She finally called me Sasuke...' The corners of my mouth turned upwards, a light feeling residing in my chest. My arms wrapped around her small waist, pulling her closer.
"Eww!"
Sakura and I suddenly flew apart, tripping all over the place.
The two of us whipped our head towards the origin of the sound. We found a bunch of first-graders staring at us, their chubby faces scrunched up and tongues sticking out. They were obviously grossed out by witnessing us hug. Their teacher—an elderly, gray-haired woman—rolled her eyes. She shook her head in disappointment.
"Teenagers these days... They're all so eager to get into each other's pants."
To my utter mortification, heat crept up my neck on onto my face.
I blushed. I, Uchiha Sasuke, friggin' blushed.
'Second Attempt To Seduce Sakura... Status: ...'
Don't even ask...
End of seventh chapter
XXXXX
(1) Refer to chapter 6.
(2) Everyone thinks Ami's an OC, but she's actually a real Naruto character in the anime.
Author's Note: UGH! I JUST—OHSA! Yeah, I know... This chapter is completely OFF! If you don't like it, I don't blame you. :/ *bows head in shame* It doesn't seem "Teddy-ish" at all. Sorry to disappoint... :(
My first day of school tomorrow... Finally starting my junior (11th grade) year. I'm nervous.
God bless,
Teddy a.k.a. TeddyBearHugs
