look i updated fast! Yay me! please enjoy the story, and remember this is a timeskip! I thought I should speed things up a bit. and sasuke makes an appearance. Forewarning, i hate sasuke so don't expect any sympathy for him in any story i write. ENJOY!


Chapter 9

Control was the one priority on my mind at all times. For the last two months I had practiced that. I had put myself through a lot of things to earn that control. I had slip ups of course, I'm only human. I had forced myself to hold down the blush, nosebleeds, and lightheadedness that seemed to take charge when a certain person was close to my vicinity. But I was better. I didn't almost go into a panic attack when he had his shirt off or when he just got out of the shower. Though my heart went a mile a minute, I was steadily getting calmer.

I was getting good grades in all of my classes, and actually enjoying it. I've always hated school with a passion, but here, it was different. Maybe it was because I had real friends, and not the kind that obsess over what shirt goes best with their shoes, or what makeup will make them look fat. Here, all the guys were. . .well guys. They didn't hold anything back, they were always blunt, and best of all, they accepted you the way you were. You could probably have an arm sticking out of your head and they would welcome you all the same, or better yet, tape a fake arm to their own foreheads. That's just the way they are.

I looked out over the sea of male heads sitting in the courtyard for lunch, and tried to spot a splash of bright blonde. It had been this way for a while now. For lunch, we would all meet under the big oak tree, and the guy's girlfriends would drive over from their school to spend the hour with us. We would just hang out untill the bell rang, then we would pack up and go in. And the girls would leave back to their school.

I loved the feeling of fitting in, and relished in it whenever I could. To have friends like I did, I felt like the luckiest person alive. But sometimes, I wish that the girls would stop being so helpful. I can't even begin to count how many times they tried to set me up with a girl from their school. It was awkward, but I dealt with it. After each and every date I would just tell the girl I had someone else in mind. Which I did, I just couldn't pursue what I wanted since, well since I was a guy for the moment.

Other than that, the girls were alright. Somehow I found being friends with the guys easier. Hinata was a quiet thing, and seemed to back down a lot. But when Kiba was around, it seemed like she had a confidence booster. Sakura. . .Well Sakura had a short temper. I now know why Naruto lowers his head to her when he walks up to her. He loves her so much, he submits to her. And it looks like he loves every hit he endures, as long as it's her fist hitting him. And then there's Tenten. Hardcore, ruff and ready. Doesn't take shit from anyone but will sure as hell deal it out when needed. Though she was softer around Kankurou, but only to him. She was content with him.

Then there was Gaara. Over the months here, I had finally got him to open up a little bit. It was harder than you can imagine for me not to try and comfort him with contact from the tidbit of his past he had shared. I knew of his father, the owner of a booming company, had neglected him as a child. Because of his mother. I had noticed when Gaara spoke of his deceased mother, his jade eyes would sadden, and seemed to show regret. A pleading type of regret. She had died shortly after giving birth to him, and his father blamed him for her death. A tiny child was then beaten, hated, avoided, and shut off from the world.

He had told me of how his brother and sister were terrified of him when he was thirteen. The age he finally rebelled. He threatned with death to anyone that so much as looked at him. Even his siblings. And none of it was a bluff, and strangley they knew that. They knew he had no family ties, and that nothing would stop him if he decided to kill them. Fear was the constant companion in that family. And hate was a shadow for Gaara.

I had wondered what had happened to him to change him, make him who he is today. But he had gone silent, and wouldn't speak again that night. I understood that was to private for me to know, but I was still a little. . .curious. Wouldn't the turning point in someone's life be something they told to everyone? Why wouldn't Gaara tell what changed him?

"Mat, come on! We're all here!" a voice broke me from my thoughts.

I looked over to my right and saw Kiba and Naruto walking toward me. Both had grins stretching across their faces, and their school clothes looked slightly rumpled. Their ties were loose and shirts where untucked and a few buttons undone revealing the white shirts underneath. I prayed Gaara wouldn't look like this, because though it did nothing for me when Kiba and Naruto where in it, I was positive I would have to do my calming breaths if Gaara was in this same state.

"Hey guys. Sorry. I got a little sidetracked." I said as I walked over to them, pulling my tie loose from my neck and untucking my own shirt, and letting a few buttons come undone. I felt happy again.

"We were playing tackle football. Do you want to play?" Naruto asked as the three of us started for our trademark tree. I could see Kankurou hanging off one of the limbs near the bottom, hanging upside down, hands outstretched to Tenten who was laying on the ground smiling up at her lover. Sakura and Hinata where in the little clearing beside our tree where we played games at, looking like they were working out a strategy. And Gaara was in the tree on one of the higher limbs, staring at the clouds and light shining through the branches.

A warm feeling spread through my body, but didn't cause a blush. This feeling had replaced the crazy desires I had at first. Though they were the same, but different to. When I looked at him now, I felt pride. I was proud he was so strong and was able to survive what he had to suffer through. When I was near him at night, and got the chance to see him sleep, I wanted to cradle him in my arms and protect him from the world. Because when he slept, his face was pure innocence, untainted by the cruel world surrounding him. And the urge to touch him was fire coarsing through me. That would never leave, I knew. I would always want to touch him. It was a disease.

"Hello?" Naruto asked in a drawn out voice as he waved a hand in front of my dazed face.

"Huh?" I said startled as I shook my head.

Kiba gave me his wolfish grin before he said, "You spaced out again Mat."

We all laughed as we reached the tree, and regrouped with everyone. They all looked so happy to be together, and I realized that in a way, I had a family. It felt nice.

"Okay, so the teams are me, Naruto, Kankurou, and Gaara verses Sakura, Hinata, Tenten, and Mat. Sorry Mat, but the girls want you on their team." Kiba shrugged with a smirk, but a warning evident in his slitted eyes. Though we were all friends and trusted each other, their was still that need to protect what we felt belonged to us. But I knew I wouldn't steal Hinata away from Kiba, because for one I was really a girl and two, even if I was a guy, I wouldn't do that to a friend.

"Yeah, Yeah. Where's Shika?" I asked as I looked over at the place where him and Temari would lay under the shaded branches of the tree.

"Heh, they went to pick up 'something'." Naruto said with air quotes. A hiss of angry breath came form Gaara and Kankoruo in sync, and everyone bust out in a fit of laughter. That was probably something that the brothers would rather be kept in the dark about.

We were to busy laughing to notice someone walk up to us. Their shadow stretched across the grass and came to a stop in front of Gaara. Immediatly the air around us changed. Anger radiated from Gaara as I rose from my kneeling position and stared at him. His eyes were dangerously narrowed, in such a way that made a shiver run down my spine, and his fists where clenched at his sides, the skin stretched white against the bone while his smooth lips were set in a grim line.

I glanced at everyone as I turned to face who had caused them to act like this. They seemed to mirror Gaara's expression, but in a less fiercer way. Naruto had his hand clenched on Sakura's shoulder and was half standing in front of her. Kiba stood in front of Hinata, his sharp fangs peeking out of his lips. And Kankurou was standing with his fists ready for a fight, and a half step ahead of everyone else. Tenten stood at Kankurou's side, gripping his arm in her grasp.

Whoever was standing behind us, they must really hate him. I turned the rest of the way around and came face to face with a boy our age with an arrogant smirk on his face. Immediate dislike coarsed through me, and my facial expression hardened. His smirk widened.

His raven hair spiked in the back with bangs framing his face. I had the sudden urge to call him chicken ass. Because that's what he reminded me of. And so, without giving it much thought, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Hey kid, Clucky the chicken called, he wants his tail back." I said as I pointed to his hair.

The entire grounds seemed to grow quiet after my comment, and time seemed to freeze. I glanced sideways at everyone, and they all looked a little shocked. Amused but shocked. Then, it was as though the world erupted . Laughter emitted from every tight corner and crevice, off of every stick and stone around us.

The courtyard was filled with laughing people, even a few teachers joined in. A smile spread across my face and I turned to my friends. They stared at me with happy smiles and amused faces. Gaara had half his mouth upturned that I took as the closests thing to a smile I could get.

"ITS NOT A CHICKEN'S TAIL!" The kid next to me screeched before he turned and ran.

I stared at him for a minute before I asked Kiba, "Is it just me, or did that guy sound like a mouse on helium? That was squeaky!" I crowed.

Kiba doubled over with his laughter, followed by everyone else besides Gaara who just gave me a nod of approval. I smiled back and made my way back to the tree and to my spot on the highest limb. Well, the one below Gaara's.

Our afternoon was spent like that. We didn't bother going back to class, it was healthy to skip every now and then. Besides, the teacher's said that it was just study week anyway. I learned Chicken ass's name was Sasuke. Gaara's old roommate and the one he had put in a coma. It didn't seem so horrorific now, as it had seemed when I first got here. I actually was happy that Sasuke had been put in a coma by the red headed angel.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, we split up and headed for our rooms. I walked with Gaara in that comfortable silence I was getting used to, and found it peaceful. Once in our room I grabbed fresh clothes and said I was going for the shower. This was the time of night where everyone just went to bed and didn't bother with showers. Everyone usually just took their them in the morning anyway.

It felt nice when I felt the warm water cascade down my back, and rinse out the shampoo I had lathered into my brown locks. The steam swirled around the open stall I was in, and fogged up the mirrors and made the tiled walls and floor slightly wet with condensation.

With a sigh of contemptment, I stepped out of the shower and reached for my towel that was on the sink. I ran the towel through my hair first, slightly drying it. Once that was finished, I held the towel in front of me, preparing to wrap it around my body, when I froze.

A creaking noise echoed through the room, and I felt my blood run cold. My black eyes widened as I tried to run, but found myself immobile. I could hear footsteps coming my way, and they sounded slow and steady. Carefree. Weren't they about to get a surprise.

I saw a foot come around the corner, and I held my breath, waiting for the yells and shouts that would bring my world crashing down. My secret would be out, and everyone would realize that I was just one big lie. I didn't want to lose them. Not now. I couldn't.

A body stepped into my view, but I was to dazed to take into consideration of who it was. The male halted immediatly, and a startled yelp escaped his mouth. I could feel the surprise and shock radiating from him, and all I wanted to do was curl up and disappear.

"Mat?!" the voice whispered in shock.

I snapped my onyx eyes to the face of the witness, and wanted more than anything to die. I would have been a little less worried if it had been some random guy in the school. But no, it had to be someone I was close to. Someone I considered friend and family and brother all in one. It had to be the dimwitted Kiba, of all people.

And how he reconized me right off was beyond me.

"Hey Kiba." I said in a nervous voice. I wrapped the towel around my small frame and took a step towards him, however I stopped as I saw him pass out on the floor. What a reaction. Here was thinking it was going to be World War III and he goes and passes out! What the hell is wrong with him! What the hell is wrong with me!

I huffed out a breath of air and walked over to Kiba's side and crouched beside him.

"Well buddy, I guess it's time to put that blackmail to use, huh?"

well there it is! oh poor kiba, i hope he didn't hurt his head. And ha to sasuke. screeching bastard. mmm maybe i should make him have a little fling with chinchilla or hamster or something like that. oh how i like to make duckbutt suffer. anyway tell me what you think! oh and i don't own naruto. for some reason i keep forgetting to do that... anyway please review!!