Here's Chapter 10! I 'm glad I have a lot of time to update now that the science fair has passed… Anyways, hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 10: Just Like Foreigners

Breathing softly, Sakura found a place on the roof where she could sit down comfortably. The night sky was dark and scattered with random, twinkling stars. The big, pale moon looked so much bigger from up on the roof. Just then, Sakura felt a familiar pattern of chakra. It was Gaara.

"Oh. Hey Gaara…"

"Hey," Gaara sat down next to Sakura.

A dreaded silence stretched on for a few minutes until Gaara decided to break it with a matter he regarded as important.

"Sakura… We need to talk."

"Talk about what? We don't need to talk about anything at all."

"No… We have to. Do you remember the time when we were best friends?" Gaara asked.

"Yeah… And we still are," Sakura said.

"It doesn't seem like it. Ever since that… glitch, everything seemed…" Gaara tried to find the right word.

"Awkward?" Sakura suggested.

"Yeah… It's like we turned from best friends to foreigners. Like we're complete strangers or something. What happened?"

"Strangers… Foreigners… I suppose our relationship has changed…" Sakura said slowly.

"It has…a lot. Is anything wrong?" Gaara asked.

"Ummmm…No… Nothing at all. It's just that, well, I feel that I've… It just doesn't feel right to be closer than we already are," Sakura lied.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course… Why?"

"Oh, nothing. But why would it feel wrong? I mean, we're just friends, nothing more," Gaara pointed out.

A sharp pain coursed through Sakura's heart and a tear threatened to spill.

'That's what kills! We're just friends!' Sakura wanted to scream.

"No.. You wouldn't understand. It's not that."

"Then what?"

"I told you, you wouldn't understand," Sakura snapped but Gaara wasn't about to let this go.

"Sakura… I'm not stupid. Just let me know and I can try to fix the problem," Gaara said, determined.

'Nothing can fix my broken heart,' Sakura thought sadly.

"That… glitch changed everything ok? It doesn't feel right to be friends. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I'd feel like I'd be depriving you from Mai. It would be… just plain wrong!" Sakura chose her words carefully.

"Look… Sakura, you don't have to be that way. I still love you, just as a sister," Gaara confessed (A/N: Or so he thinks)

"That's exactly what makes it feel wrong!" Sakura said.

"But I want to be friends, not strangers. When I look at you, it's hard to resis the urge to talk… Please, Sakura. Just give me one more chance. I'll make it up to you. If I did something wrong, then I'm really sorry," Gaara practically begged.

"No matter how much I want to try to be friends again, I can't ok? I'm sorry. I'd probably just get in the damn way and mess everything up, just like I messed up my own life. I don't want to hurt you or Mai," Sakura sighed.

"You won't. Mai and I will be happy!" Gaara encouraged.

"I don't know…" Sakura fumbled unsurely.

"Ok. Who are you and what have you done to Sakura? I want an answer," Gaara demanded.

"Huh?"

"The old Sakura used to be happy-go-lucky, cheerful, optimistic, and full of life and bliss. She always had a good sense of humor, could make anyone smile, and enjoyed my company! The new Sakura is all sulky, sad, sometimes pessimistic, and drowned in sorro. She avoids me, doesn't smile as much, and has dropped the humor!" Gaara stated.

"I'm not the old Sakura anymore, Gaara. And I can't change the fact that I'm not her. I'm sorry I can't be more perfect but I've changed and you'll have to accept that. Not everyone stays the same. I cannot be the little girl that you used to love anymore. Now, I'm me, and that's how it'll stay."

"So that's how you want it, huh? Is it really how you want us to be?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura frowned.

"Is this how you want our relationship to be lie? Just like foreigners?"

"Please… Not now," Sakura shook her head.

"Oh. Ok, fine. I guess we'll stay like this," Gaara sighed and left the roof.

'Why does it hurt so much? They say love is like heaven, but hurts like hell. I guess it's true…' Sakura held her head in her hands and cried out the stinging tears she had been holding back.

'My life is just a lie. I've already messed up twice, and look what it lead to! First I had to let my dad die and second I had to say no to Gaara's confession of love! I'm such an idiot!'

Sakura wiped away some of her tears hastily, wishing there was such a thing as a third chance in life.

'A failure like me probably doesn't even deserve a third chance,' Sakura hiccupped softly and closed her eyes to feel the small, cold breeze.

There, on the rooftop, she cried herself to sleep.

'Just like foreigners…' was her last thought before dozing off.

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There you go! Chapter 10! Chapter 11 will be updated soon! Anyways, I'm hoping that you enjoyed it so far. Sorry for the long wait for Gaa&Saku fluff. It's coming in Ch. 12, like I've said in the beginning of Ch.9, but Gaara needs time to recognize his true feelings, and Mai's kinda in the way…Srry Mai!