Bravado

"Sasuke!"

"Sasuke!"

"You can sit next to me, Sasuke!"

Their whiney voices penetrated his ears as soon as he entered the room. He glanced around the classroom- all of the girls were looking at him adoringly, the guys glaring as though he had done them some wrong. Only one of his classmates did not spare him their attention. The pink-haired girl had her nose buried in a book, green eyes rapidly gliding over the text.

As though he was oblivious to all in the room, he made his way to the desk diagonally behind hers. She gave no indication that she was aware of this at all. It annoyed him, though he did not show it, that all of the girls in this class made a constant bid for his attention and the only who had his happened to be the only one who didn't seem to take any notice of him.

He spent the morning trying to think of how he could make her take notice. When the bell sounded for break, she was the first to gather her things and leave the room, eager to prepare for her next class. He immediately followed.

"Hi," he spoke from behind her locker door.

She looked around the door and her brows furrowed slightly, "Hi."

"So, Sakura," he looked away from her as he spoke, playing it cool, "I was thinking that you and I, maybe we should go out some time." Turning back to her, he was surprised to find her looking angry.

"Are you mocking me?" she demanded, one eyebrow raised.

"Wha- no!" he answered, baffled. 'What on Earth would make her think that?' he wondered.

"You're so full of bravado, Sasuke!" she spat. "You've gone out with almost every girl in our class. You're not adding me to your list!" With that, she slammed her locker door and stormed away, leaving Sasuke absolutely stunned. He frowned. It looked like in order to prove himself to her, he would have to sacrifice his reputation, or bravado as she had called it. He would have to show her that he deserved her attention.