Lol sorry for the odd tone of the last chapter. I feel like it was kinda..not sad, and not so bad that it's heart-breaking, but just kinda…oh, I don't know. I'm crazy. But I hope you liked it anyway. Because this one is even worse.

Also, filipinochick - I didn't say that ;) You'll just have to wait and see~

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!~


"So we're going out now."

"Yes."

"When were you planning on telling me this?"

"Are you mad?" Sasuke glanced over at me as he said it.

"Ah—just—well…no," I finally decided, sighing and leaning back in the seat. Sasuke smirked and then leaned over to kiss me quickly.

"See you tomorrow," He said, putting his hand on the stick-shift. I smiled.

"See you tomorrow."

Naruto and I were sitting in silence in my car. WERE. I miss it now.

"So you and Sasuke are dating now?" He said, looking at me as I drove. I nodded.

"Yep."

"Sasuke and you?" He said, now looking back out the window.

"mm-hmm."

"Um…why?" He said, now turning his face completely not facing me so he could look out the side window.

"Because—" I stopped abruptly. What did he want me to say?

Here's the dirty little secret—Naruto was in love with me. And I knew it. I pretended not to notice the somber looks, the jealous gazes, but they were there. And it wasn't easy ignoring them. So I had to realize it, eventually.

I could just tell the truth. He was confident, cocky when it was hot (and sometimes not), had ambitions, took charge…but all of that would crush Naruto. Because he would know once and for all that I was head over heels for Sasuke Uchiha, and not him.

I felt bad. But I don't know what else to do. What am I supposed to say, 'I'm not really, because I'm actually in love with you'? But then I'd be lying, and crush him more.

Naruto looked back at me, stared for a few second, then back out the front window. He knew what I was thinking, we'd been friends for a long time. And the look on his face betrayed his words.

"I'm happy for you guys, really. Hope it works out."

"So you're dating Sasuke."

"You know, you are the third person to say that to me today," I said, turning my head to face the red-head behind me. First being Naruto, second being Ino. How we became the gossip of the school, I fail to understand. But that's what the high school grapevine is, I guess.

"Really? So everyone else believed your little lie?" She said slyly, leaning on her desk so she was closer to me. She pushed her glasses up on her nose.

And as the comment was intended to, it caught me off guard. What kind of rumors are going around, anyway?

"W-what? No. I'm not lying. I didn't even say it! Sasuke did!" I defended, although words were pointless. I knew these type of girls. I wouldn't have classified myself as one, but in retrospect, I probably was freshman year.

"Sasuke told the entire student body that you two were dating?" She said, twisting her smile into that of a cocky grin. Actually, that was already there. She just made it more intense. Which started to piss me off, but I'll pretend not to notice it.

"Well, not simultaneously, no. Just Naruto. Then it got down to you," I said, still trying to defend myself.

"DOWN to me? You think I'm further down in the social ladder than YOU?" She whispered angrily. We were still in class, after all.

"Well, considering I didn't even know you existed until yesterday, yes," I said confidently, trying to turn my head back around to focus on the lesson.

"Maybe I'm just too important to talk to LOW-LIVES like you." The girl's cocky smile came twisting back up (I know she just told me yesterday, and Suigetsu mentioned it to, but for the life of me, I can't remember her name.)

I'm really not good at pretending not to notice things. Because my eyebrows lowered as her grin grew. I know I'm falling into the trap. But I can't help it.

"Okay, since clearly you're too stupid or so desperate that your blind, I'm going to lay the facts out for you straight," I said matter-of-factly, twisting in my seat to face her more for emphasis, "Sasuke likes me. Not you. Scratch that—Sasuke LOVES me. He only knows your name because you're the hostess and the manager forces him too. And I LOVE Sasuke. I don't fan-girl after him, like you do. The difference between you and me, other than a brain and a sense when enough is enough, is that I'm capable of carrying on a conversation with Sasuke without taking in his 'scent' every four seconds, plotting how to steal his hoodie, or batting my eyelashes."

Karin didn't look taken aback, or like I had laid any truth on her at all. She just continued to squint her eyes.

"Girls? Do you have something to share?" The teacher asked, now spun around and staring directly at us. I turned back around in my seat.

"No, ma'am," I replied. I learned a long time ago not to smart off to teachers. She turned back around.

The fact that Karin said nothing to me after that and bolted out of the class before I could even say 'bye' means I hit the mark I wanted to.

Naruto wasn't at lunch. I looked for him around the cafeteria, but was unsuccessful. I sat down somberly at our usual table.

"Hey," Sasuke said, sliding down across from me. My turn to nod in his direction.

"Where's the dobe?" He asked casually. I closed my eyes.

"We kind of had a rough discussion this morning. I don't think he wants to be near us," I answered, now looking down at my apple. Sasuke scoffed.

"What did you tell him, we were gonna have sex on the lunch table?" I looked up at him, astonished.

"What the hell, Sasuke! No! Why would you even—no! God!" I said, flustered. I glanced up at him and attempted to hide the red creeping up on my cheeks. He was smirking.

"Chill. I'm just messing with you. But seriously, what did you say?"

I just shrugged. If he didn't have to answer, neither did I.

"Hey, I got in a fight with the hostess over you."

"Oh yeah? What'd she say?"

"She thinks she's the queen of the school and wants to take you as your king."

"She used those words?"

"Close enough."

Sasuke scoffed again, but still looked up with a smirk on his face.

"You and Sasuke doing okay?"

"Suigetsu, it's—ugh, yes," I said defeatedly, desperately trying to read the white-board and understand.

"Ugh?" Suigetsu said, looking over at me and smirking. Who invented smirking? You should have to get a permit. And Sasuke should be the only one in my life with one.

"Yes, Ugh! Because it's none of your business!" I said, exasperated. I copied random numbers into my notebook, completely unaware of their meaning.

Now, SUIGETSU scoffed. This day has gone from bad to worse. I've had this conversation at least 5 times. I'm wondering if Sasuke's having the same trouble. Ah, I'm being too conceited. Of course not. First of all, Sasuke doesn't have trouble, and secondly, I don't have a school-run fan-club cascading under the name "sewing club".

"You alright?" It wasn't a concerned 'you alright', it was an understanding 'you alright'. Because he knew it was a no, and that I would never say my thoughts to someone like him. But he still looked over at me.

"Not really," I admitted, looking at the ceiling. He said nothing else to me the entire class period.

Okay. This morning, I was happy. Yay, Sasuke and I are dating! Now, I'm disappointed. The classic, 'I'm not good enough for him' crap. But that wasn't why, because I knew I was good enough for him. I've been one of his best friends for 4 frickin' years, I think that's proof enough.

But I'm not good enough for the stress. All I wanted my entire high school career—no, all of middle school too—was to have a healthy relationship with Sasuke Uchiha. And I'm just now taking into account Naruto and all of our other friends that would think he was just in it to humor me.

And they were starting to convince me.

"Oh. Um. Okay. Good luck."

"I guess you two are good together. Hope he's not a jerk."

"Didn't see that coming. Oh well, I'm sure it's fine."

"Hm. Never saw him as a romantic. Well, hope he's alright."

"I'm happy for you, really. Hope it works out."

It wasn't their good luck wishes. It was the way they said it. The unsure, 'man this girl doesn't deserve what he's gonna do to her.' Or the, 'she's so naïve, poor girl. Well, let her be happy while she can' tone to their voices. It was not helping my self esteem.

So I drove to Sasuke restaurant. What a better way to validate myself then to show-off in front of the girl I told-off, you know? I realize I'm a bitch. I had too bad of a day to care.

The bell rang above my head as I entered the joint. Karin looked up from her list with a fake-smile, expecting a guest, then quickly looked down in frustration and contempt.

"Is uh, er—where's Sasuke?" I asked, drumming my fingers on the hostess stand.

"Working," She said bluntly.

"Yeah but um, where in the vicinity?" I said, trying to maintain my head. I already went off at her once today, no need to traumatize the poor girl.

"He's at the back section tonight. Go sit yourself," she said bitterly, glaring at me above her clipboard. I widened my eyes and walk towards the back.

"Hey, I'm Sasuke, I'll be your—oh, hey Sakura," He said, realizing it was me and stopping his rehearsal. He looked around and slid into the booth across from me.

"My managers in the back," he explained, "What're you doing here?"

I bit my lip. "Just had a bad day."

"Well, uh, how bad?" He said hesitantly. Sasuke wasn't the comforting type. He was the cold, 'I'll stand here and then walk away before I hurt you more' guy.

"I just—I feel like nobody believes in me. I don't know. I'm insane. Go back to work," I insisted, sitting back in the booth. Sasuke didn't move. Why did I even come here if I didn't want to talk? Oh yeah. To be a bitch.

"Believes in you? What do you mean?" I looked out the window for a moment after he asked, pondering whether or not to answer and wing it or ignore him. I guess I am bothering him at work, so I chose the former.

"Like, that I have my own brain and I can see through things too. I don't know. Even if you were dating me to be polite, I'd still date you simply because I'm unavoidably in love with you," I said, looking directly at him, then quickly added, "Sorry for the spontaneous confession."

"If I were in it to be polite I wouldn't initiate kisses or tell Naruto we were dating. That seems like a dumb thing to do. And I'm not a dumb guy," he said, leaning back in his booth and keeping my gaze.

"You are definitely a modest guy," I said sarcastically, raising my eyebrows and smiling. He shrugged.

"I am what I am."

"Yeah, okay. Go get me some sweet tea," I said, shooing him out of the booth.

"Do you have money?" He asked, scooping the empty glasses he was carrying off of the table.

"Nope," I said, smiling at him. He put a 10$ bill in front of me and put his hand on my cheek before placing his lips on mine.

"Now you do. You said sweet, right?"

"And a straw, please!" What? I'm bad with drinking straight from the glass. I always spill it on myself.


Longen' this time (: I'm sure you're shaking with excitement. I guess it wasn't as bad as I said it was going to be. That was just kind of an explanation.

Sorry for the personality switch with Suigetsu. The 'you alright' was not just a courtesy, but it wasn't like a, 'OMG YOU'RE BLEEDING SANDNESS ARE YOU OKAY?'. Idk, it's hard to explain. I hope you got the jist of it.

Reviews are super awesome!