Part XI: The Rumors Spread

That afternoon, as I got on the bus, I found that I had many stares directed at me. Most of them happened to be glares, because they were from girls. I took my seat next to Sasuke, like normal, and I asked him, "Hey Sasuke, what's going on?" and he replied, "I'm not sure. It's happened to me all afternoon." I just shrugged and we both pulled out our music and rode until we got to my stop, but Sasuke held me down again and had me go to his home. When we reached the Uchiha household Sasuke and I got off and headed towards his room. But today, something was different. Everyone was…awake…and functional. The first person to greet us was Sasuke and Itachi's wonderful mother, Mikoto.

She wrapped her arms around Sasuke and said, "Happy birthday Sasuke. I'm glad I got to see you this time. Normally, your father won't wake me up for this kind of thing. So I end up missing out on my own son's birthday." Sasuke just laughed lightly and replied, "Thanks mom. If you don't mind, I'd like to go to my room for now." Mikoto nodded and let Sasuke go. We went back to his room and plopped down on his bed. Sasuke grabbed his laptop and sat it down in his lap. When he opened up the internet browser he typed in something on Google™. When he clicked on a link a weird website popped up and it was all about the Uchiha. Sasuke copied and pasted directions of some sort and put them into a document on the computer. He then handed his computer over to me and I read the directions. They were directions for…a…wedding ceremony.

Sasuke said, "I know it's complicated, but that's why mother wanted to start training you early. We're marrying at your age of 22, which is a little early, but mother insists." I nodded shyly and talked with him over what each step meant. Apparently, he knew quite a bit about this kind of thing. He said that the royalties are supposed to attend each wedding, and there are a few each year. I don't know how much time had passed but Sasuke jumped up and told me to grab my stuff and he'd walk me home. When we were getting ready to go Itachi came in for just a moment and asked if he could borrow me. Sasuke nodded in defeat and told me he'd be waiting for me outside. When Itachi had me for a moment, he said, "If there's anything you need help with, just come to me. It'll be better that way. Sasuke really doesn't need to know about this so let's just keep it as our little secret, okay?" I chuckled lightly and replied, "Fine, I'll come to you then."

I walked up to my driveway and thankfully, didn't see any cars there yet. Quickly, I gave Sasuke a hug and pinched his cheek before I left into the house. I left him standing there rubbing his cheek. I thought to myself, "Must've pinched a little too hard. Oh well…" I went to bed before my parents got home and had a nice little dream.

The next day at school, I got more glares than ever. But what really shocked me was that one of the girls in my science class came up to me and asked, "Are you and Sasuke…you know…going out? It's going around school like wildfire. So I just want to know the truth." I was really…taken back by that question. Well, Sasuke went crazy over Kira catching us so, I better tell her, "No, we're not going out. He's just a good friend." She was apparently disappointed that we weren't so she walked off and I just went on to my classes.

I finally made it to science and Sasuke was already there. I took my seat next to him and asked, "Do you have any idea what I've been through today?" He nodded and said, "Questions about you and me going out, evil glares, etc…" I smirked and started on my warm up and review. I finished quickly and sat my head down in my arms. Sasuke mirrored my position and his onyx eyes were shining as he stared out into space. Normally, I would've expected them to look lost…but they were focused. Soon Mrs. Yuuhi clasped her hands together and said, "Okay! Today we're going to be practicing the Heimlich maneuver on a fellow classmate. I will allow you to choose your partners. But this time the gentlemen choose the ladies. Now, go." Right after she told us to go Sasuke grabbed my wrist and made sure nobody came near us.

When we all had our partners she said, "Okay, gentlemen, place your hands together on top of each other about three thumbs up from your partner's belly button. That should be right below the diaphragm." I felt Sasuke's cold hands through my shirt when he placed them in the proper position. After everybody had been directed properly Mrs. Yuuhi said, "Okay, we're only doing this once. This will leave a bruise. Make a quick, sharp angled movement and it should create a burst of air. It sound's like a hiccup when you don't have something lodged in your throat." Sasuke pressed on my stomach sharply and I felt the hiccup come.

I thought to myself at lunch, "Science was…awkward today. Why did she pick an activity like that when we had already passed the body's functions?" "Hey. Is there something wrong?" Gaara snapped me out of my thoughts and I just shrugged. "Nothing, just science class was a little weird today." Again, both Sasuke and Gaara had prison food, or whatever it was, and Sasuke's looked like…meat this time. It was semi-normal! That's something new! Wow! This time he ate it without cringing. I just sat there and chewed on my bologna, cheese, mayonnaise, salt, and ketchup sandwich. Gaara looked at me and asked, "How can you stand to eat that stuff? It smells weird." I just chuckled at Gaara and finished my lunch break.

During seventh period in art we had another assignment. It was to do a self-portrait of what we want ourselves to look like. I decided to draw me as I am now. My teacher questioned me and I told her, "I left it as I am right now, because I wouldn't want to be any other way." She nodded and told me that there aren't that many people that do that today. Once I reached eighth period I played against Neji. He and I chatted for the majority of the time we played and he brought up the rumor that was spreading around. "Akiza, are you really going out with our young lord?" Because it was Neji I nodded lowly. I replied, "Sasuke's a great person, really. But he seems so mean when you don't know him. I love his family, except for Fugaku. He's a bit rough. Neji, tell me, what are you?" Neji muttered softly, "Shape-shifter. Hinata too. Naruto, Kiba, Hana, Kakashi, and Shikamaru are werewolves. Did you know Sasuke's the first Uchiha to love a human?" I shook my head and Neji laughed quietly.

At the end of the day I quickly got on the bus and waited for Sasuke.