Prompt # 14
Native
"Well well well. Look at what the cat dragged in."
Sakura sighed inwardly as she heard the familiar and most unwelcome voice. Fixing a smile on her face she turned around. "Ami."
It was just like high school, with the purple haired girl flanked by Kasumi and Fuki – the only difference now being that they were all grown women.
"Little cry baby Sakura." Ami smirked. "I didn't think that you were even coming back for this reunion. I was on the planning committee and I didn't see your name on the guest list."
"It's on there." Sakura said simply.
Ami glanced around. "No date, Sakura? I'd have thought ten years would be a long enough time for you to have found someone to take pity on you."
Sakura's lips twitched in to an amused smile. She had changed a lot since high school, both outwardly (she knew she looked damn fine thank you very much) and on the inside. Where once Ami's comments would have reduced her to tears, she now only found the woman's juvenile antics pathetic.
"You haven't changed at all." Sakura noted.
That wasn't quite true however – Ami's tendency to frown and scowl had left a few lines etched in to the skin of her forehead and she was wearing a lot more makeup than she used to (and wasn't that saying something?)
"Oh check out holier-than-thou Haruno." Ami sneered to her friends. "You ran off so soon after graduation. Where did you go?"
"University." Sakura said simply. "Then medical school."
Ami blinked. "You were always so focused on learning." She said it like it was a dirty word. "No wonder you've ended up alone."
"And what about you Ami?" Sakura asked pleasantly. "How have you been in the last ten years?"
"I married a very successful man." Ami sniffed.
Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Is he here? I'd love to meet him."
Ami's cronies shifted uncomfortably and Ami shrugged. "No he's not here."
Sakura understood. "I'm sorry it didn't work out."
Ami scowled. "I don't want sympathy from yoju. Besides, he left behind a lovely little divorce settlement for me. Worth it in the end I suppose."
Sakura was unimpressed and looked for a reason to escape.
"It's all worked out for the better." Ami continued. "Because a certain Sasuke Uchiha has come to this little gathering."
Sakura paused at that. "Sasuke?" Her voice was curious.
"Oh come on, even a nobody like you must remember him. He was gorgeous." Ami sighed dreamily. "I've waited ten years for him to come back to this town and I'm making sure he doesn't slip through my fingers again."
"He was so mysterious and quiet at school." Kasumi whispered.
"So cool." Fuki agreed.
"It's just a shame he took off after graduation too. He moved out to the big city I hear." Ami smiled nastily. "I think a more luxurious lifestyle in the city would suit me well."
"Um, Ami?" Fuki started nervously. "Don't forget, he put 'plus one' on his RSVP."
"Well of course he did." Ami scoffed. "You can't expect a man like that to come without a date. Even Forehead here must realise that."
Sakura did indeed remember Sasuke Uchiha from high school. She remembered how annoyed he was with the constant harassment from the female population and how he would take refuge in the library... just like she did to hide from the bullies.
This place brought bad memories back unbidden, but Sakura's mood was brightened from the depressing thoughts by a voice behind her.
"There you are."
In front of her, Sakura could see the three girls straighten up and puff their chests out before their expressions dropped in shock.
Grinning, Sakura turned around and faced her husband who was holding a wriggling bundle in his arms.
"One baby boy all clean and changed."
She took her son in her arms and smiled. "Thank you Sasuke-kun."
"What the hell!?" Ami screeched as Sasuke slid his arm around his wife and tucked her close to his side.
"You remember my husband don't you Ami?" Sakura couldn't stop the glee that bubbled up inside of her as the purple haired woman spluttered nonsensical sounds.
"But how-?"
"I suppose that we have you to thank for it actually." Sakura grinned, looking up at the man whose onyx eyes were dancing with amusement. "After you and the other fan girls chased him like rabid dogs, Sasuke-kun decided the library would be his safest place to hide – I mean I don't think you even knew our school had a library." Sasuke snorted and Sakura continued. "Of course I spent a lot of time in there too, also hiding from you Ami."
Sakura's smile stayed in place though her eyes were hard. "We eventually started talking and as luck would have it ended up at the same university... the rest is history."
Ami shook her head. "This must be a joke. I mean why would he choose you?"
"Grow up." Sasuke snapped suddenly. "You carry on like we're still little kids. If you could see further than the end of your own nose then you might have realised that no one cares how popular you were at high school."
Ami gaped like a fish and Sakura rubbed her husband's arm. It was most unlike him to show such emotion in public but she knew how much anger it had caused him when he realised that the girl he had fallen in love with had spent her school years in fear of bullies.
"It's okay, Sasuke-kun."
"Hn." He grunted and kept his fierce glare fixed on Ami. ""My wife is intelligent, beautiful and a compassionate human being. All of which you still do not understand how to be."
The baby in Sakura's arms gave a small cry and drew the attention away from the ashen-faced Ami. Sakura bounced the baby lightly and gave her husband a grateful smile.
"Come on, I still want to say hello to Kakashi-sensei."
Sasuke nodded and led her away, arm still wrapped firmly around her shoulders. The sound of Ami's friends trying to console the now bawling girl made Sakura smirk.
Maybe she would visit her old home more often.
You go Sakura!
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