Yo peeps. Okay, I know it's been a while and I'm really sorry about that. I really actually have no excuse (do I ever?) for not updating. Anyways, I'm currently on vacation and am writing this chapter for you people so you'd better enjoy it!

I don't own Naruto.

"Alright guys," Sasuke said as he pulled over to the side of the highway, pulled out a map of the U.S. and laid it out flat on the dashboard, "where to next?"

I pulled out the post-it's from my pocket in quick succession and quickly skimmed its contents (yeah, yeah, I know. You would think that I would have already memorized the post-it's down to the very last finger smudge- I'm guessing my mom smudged some of the ink while she was writing- seeing as how something as traumatic-mom's death- and exciting-this road trip- has just happened to me in the past two weeks, but no. I've been too busy thinking about other things to take the time to sit down and memorize 12 simple tasks left to me by my dead mother- what a lovely daughter I am don't you think?) "Uh…we're going to Raleigh, North Carolina next, 'to watch the 4th of July fireworks with the one you'- meaning me-' love the most.'" I said, directly quoting the post-it.

I couldn't help but blush a little bit. You're probably wondering who I'm gonna take with me huh? Yeah well you and me both! The one I love the most. Argh mom! Why'd you have to put that? Does she mean that in a romantic way or something?

Sasuke nodded. "Right…the one you love the most…got it." He said a bit tongue-tied as he buried his nose in the map in front of him.

"So Sakura, who ya gonna take?" Naruto said with an overenthusiastic grin. "I mean you can take me if you want-but it's nothing romantic or anything."

I blushed harder- wouldn't you!? I mean, one of your best friends-who you've known for like…ever- is clearly hinting that he wants you to take him on this "supposedly" romantic fireworks show where it'll be just the two of you…with no one you personally know around…in the dark…the perfect time for said friend to make a 'move'-ACK! And when I say "ack" I mean "eew", "gross", "No way Jose", "Hit the road Jack, and don't you come back", "N.O. Nada, rejection, no freaking way is that ever gonna happen". Get the picture-or in this case colorful vocabulary and well known phrases? And the worst part is that I have ABSOLUTELY NO ROMANTIC FEELINGS FOR NARUTO AT ALL!!

If I did like Naruto like that I would have been all like, "Sure, okay Naruto! You can come with me!" in this really high-pitched, chipper sounding kind of voice…but I don't like Naruto like that. 

And that's why my response came out like this: "Uhh…maybe I'll take-" I couldn't help but notice Sasuke clench the map a little harder than he was a moment ago-"…I'll take…all of you!"

"Huh!?" was what my reply was.

"Yeah," I said with nod. You could totally tell that I was making this up as I went. "That's what I'll do-take all of you with me to see the fireworks."

"But it said you have to take the one you love the most, not the ones" Naruto pressed as he crossed his arms and sulked.

"Yeah Sakura." Ino said with a highly annoying smirk as her eyes just happened to land on Sasuke. "I thought you had a special someone in mind too."

I blushed-again. I really don't know why everyone- and when I say everyone, I mean everyone- thinks that I have a crush on Sasuke. I most certainly do not! It's really annoying when people say that I do when I don't. And when I correct them they just laugh and say "good one Sakura". So yeah, it's true that I liked him when I was a little (back then Ino liked him too and we almost stopped being friends because of it. Eventually Ino stopped liking him and said that I could have him, but by then I was totally over him) kid-like 9 or 10 years old. But now I'm completely over him. Sure there are times when he looks at me, or I look at him and I get all tingly inside (how corny this must sound) and butterflies float around in my stomach (we're getting cornier by the second) and I can't help but wonder what my name would sound like attached to his last name (and cornier, and cornier…), but then those moments are over as quick as they come (finally! Some sanity returns!) and all thoughts of me liking him are over and done with and Sasuke goes back to being my closest guy friend, not some secret crush to fawn over from afar (are we going back to Cornyville?),never to tell him how I truly feel (yep, we're definitely back there) always to pine over him (can I get a one-way ticket back to Sanitylane please?) day after day, night after night, (Huh? What's that? No trains going to Sanitylane at the present moment!?) until I finally die of heartache and longing after many years of being a lonely spinster with 16 cats (Are you saying I'm stranded in Cornyville!? NOOOOO!!) and even as I die, I'll think of all the opportunities I missed at love (la-di-da-di-da! Ho-hum-di-lum-lum) all because of a certain Sasuke Uchiha…Wow. I am one messed up little kid. (And I love how I'm having side conversations with myself as well!) Come to think of it I'm not actually little…or a kid…or a little kid. So how about, "I'm one messed up big teenager?" No. That sounds weird and retarded…man! I have really strayed from the topic at hand.

Let's backtrack shall we? Aha! There we were, talking about how I don't like Sasuke. Yeah…okay. There's not much more to say on this topic so let's rejoin the world of the people outside my head.



"I don't know what you're talking about Ino." I said curtly (wow. I don't think I've ever actually said anything curtly before in my life.).

"Oh I think you do." Tenten said joining in on the fun as she nodded in Sasuke's direction.

See what I mean? Everyone thinks that I like Sasuke. I. DO. NOT. LIKE. HIM! Gee whiz! (Here we go again!) Besides those occasional random moments which I explained to you before, I feel nothing but friendship and that sort of brother-sister kind of love towards Sasuke. And I'm pretty sure that those feelings are mutual.

"No, I'm pretty sure I don't." I said, starting to get a little annoyed.

"Whatever you say Sakura." Ino said with a tiny shrug as she and Tenten dropped the subject.

After that it was quiet. (…too quiet-Dun dun dun!...sorry, I had to think/ say that) "Alright. I think I know which way to go now." Sasuke said as he finally looked up from the map and gave it to me to hold. And with that, Sasuke started up the engine, shifted in "drive" and moved into the traffic of the highway, apparently oblivious to our whole conversation…

That's the end of that chapter, and now I'm going to sleep. G'night! Buenos noches!