This chapter's quite a bit longer than the usual ones, but there was a lot I felt that needed to take place, so I just went with it.
Also, a heads up to you all that this will be the final chapter before I graduate high school. Yes, you should be applauding right now. ;D Hahah. But really, it'll be a few weeks or so before I can post another chapter. . . So enjoy this. :)
hatakevan: There's more this chapter. :) Thanks.
manateeface: Thank you! It's a pet peeve of mine when people don't spell right. :) And . . . I don't use spell check. . . I'm just kinda awesome. ;D Just kidding.
applesandtea: Yeah, trust me it's from personal summer night experience. I love those kinds of easy, non-rushed conversations. They really are the best. :) Well, a few more weeks and it will be! It is definitely in sight! Hahaha. Thanks muchos for the review. :)
funky_squirrel: Thank you, and thanks for finally reviewing! :)
gytech: :D Thanks.
kimiss: This one's fairly long, so hopefully it'll make up for last chapter. :) You will meet Sasuke . . . eventually. :)
Aquaknite: :) Thanks.
PsychicRocker: Aw, thank you!
Baker92: Thanks.
Daimyar: I second that emotion! Haha. Thank you.
Disclaimer: I'm borrowing M.K.'s idea, alright?
Twelve.
At around two in the morning I woke up, stirred awake by crashing thunder outside my window.
I groggily ran a hand through my hair; it was sticky and damp from the water of the pool. I hadn't bothered to shower before I got in. I smelled like chlorine.
I rolled to my feet and tread sleepily over to the window seat.
Outside, the clouds tumbled low in the dark sky. Electricity was practically visible in the air. Lightning cracked the otherwise silent night.
I'd never seen an electrical storm before. There weren't many back where I lived.
Despite the danger they presented, there was something . . . mystical about them.
The mixture of the thunder, lightning, and the electricity made me curious about how the ocean would look.
If I were the same person I had been six months ago, I would have snuck out to chase my impulse, consequences be damned. But now . . . I couldn't help worrying about other things, like my parents waking up and freaking out, or getting struck by a freak bolt of lightning.
I frowned.
No, I wouldn't be going out tonight.
Somehow, a change had taken place in me, and something told me that it wouldn't be changing back.
It rained all day.
Luckily, it was my day off and I didn't have to venture out into the cold, windy, raining weather.
Unfortunately, with my decision to stay inside, it meant I had to endure my parent's arguing.
By lunchtime, I was so incapacitated I didn't even hear the doorbell ring. I only became aware of someone's arrival when my mom entered my room, her face masked against the strain arguing usually put on her.
I stumbled out of my room and blearily found my way to the living room.
Unsurprisingly, Naruto was standing in the living room, his hair dripping wet.
"Hey," he greeted, waving shortly.
"Hey," I responded.
With a quick glance to my dad, who was standing irritably in the kitchen, Naruto gestured to the door.
I followed as quietly as possible, silently picking up my sandals as I walked out the door and shut it softly behind me.
I looked at Naruto once we were safely outside. His focus was behind me, staring at the door.
"What?" I asked him.
"What's the deal with the parents?" Naruto inquired, his blue eyes confused.
I crossed my arms and shrugged, aware all the time that Naruto probably didn't believe me.
He sighed and leaned back against the railing.
"So, the game's tomorrow."
My forehead creased.
"What game?" I asked.
Naruto grinned one of his wide smiles.
"The baseball game, of course! Remember? The one you had to agree to before TenTen lent me that money?"
Truthfully, I'd completely forgotten about the baseball game. And truthfully, I was hoping the others would have forgotten it too.
"Naruto," I began, pleading, "you don't know what you're asking. Really. I don't play sports. . ."
Naruto waved all this away and easily settled an arm around my shoulders, beginning to guide me down the stairs.
"Sakura-chan, I'm telling you that that doesn't matter. TenTen's the only one who's physically inclined, and she plays enough for the rest of us anyway. It's just fun. . . But . . . it wouldn't hurt to practice a little before tomorrow."
I looked around.
The cold wind was pressing forcefully against the spines of the palm trees, and rain was still torrential.
I felt a need to point this out to Naruto, who remarked, "Sakura-chan, it's just a little rain!"
"Fine," I replied tartly. "When I die from a freak accident with a palm tree, it will be all your fault."
Naruto just grinned.
When we arrived at the practice field (AKA, an abandoned ballpark), I realized this wasn't chiefly a Naruto and me practice session.
I saw Shikamaru, Ino, and TenTen, along with several other people I didn't know.
Naruto must have looked over at me and seen my face because he grasped my shoulder and said, "Come on; it'll be fine."
Reluctantly, I got out of Barbara Ann and followed Naruto across the field to where the group was standing.
TenTen turned to us as we got closer, hands on her hips.
"Finally!" she exclaimed.
Naruto shrugged.
"There was no set time, TenTen," he called out. "Therefore, we are excused from lateness."
TenTen rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, Naruto. Hey, Sakura."
I smiled in hello.
Naruto stepped a few more feet forward and clapped his hands, getting the small group's attention.
"Introductions!" Naruto exclaimed.
Someone snorted.
"Everyone," Naruto said, gesturing towards me, "this is Sakura. Sakura, everyone."
There was a jumble of unenthusiastic hellos and grunts of acknowledgments. Usually, I would take something like that personally, but seeing as how it was still drizzling cold rain and we were all soaked, I didn't blame them.
TenTen took this as her time to step in and quickly got to work in teaching us un-athletics the high points of baseball.
It was clear from the get-go that I wasn't coordinated enough for this game.
I don't know what the creator of this game was thinking when they invented this. Who in their right mind thinks that bats and speeding balls at people's faces is a good family game?
Not. Me.
About an hour into it, Naruto took pity on the several people I'd managed to injure and led me a little away from the group.
"I suck," I said flatly, handing him the bat I'd been given.
Naruto grinned.
"It takes guts to admit that kind of stuff, Sakura-chan. Good for you," he commented.
I glared at him.
"I told you that I couldn't play sports!" I retorted, crossing my arms.
Naruto laughed and replied, "I can't either . . . but then again, I've never actually hit someone while trying to be athletic. . ."
I punched Naruto in the arm, which didn't even faze him.
"It was an accident!" I hissed.
"Alright, Sakura-chan. Whatever you say," Naruto said, still guffawing.
I grumpily waited for him to finish.
Naruto obliged after a few seconds, and held the bat out to me.
"I guess I should give you some pointers. . . at least enough to keep you from taking someone's eye out next time," he said, arranging my hands on the baseball bat.
He stepped clear of me about ten feet and instructed me to swing.
I did. Naruto winced.
"Okay. . ." he paused, as if unsure of what to say about my poor display.
"It's hopeless," I sighed loudly.
Naruto smirked a little.
"It's not hopeless," Naruto contradicted, moving towards me again.
Naruto moved behind me and grasped my hands, which were still gripped on the bat.
"When you swing," Naruto started, his voice in my ear, "don't do it so loosely. That's what gave Kiba that bruise. You're in control of the bat, not the other way around."
I bit my lip, trying to ignore Naruto's close proximity and his measured breathing on my ear and cheek.
Instantly, I was reminded of the previous night and the change that had transpired between us. I was still trying to figure that out. . .
"Before you swing you should tense, just a little, so you're ready for whenever the pitcher decides to throw the ball."
Naruto's left hand circled around my waist, lying flat on my stomach.
My face immediately heated up; I was embarrassed. Why did Naruto have to be so damn close?
I could feel Naruto's chest pressing into my back just slightly. I thought I could detect the faint beat of his heart.
I swallowed past a growing lump in my throat.
"Oi, Naruto!"
Naruto and I both jumped, as if we had both been focusing on the same things.
My breathing was coming out quick. I made a mental effort to calm down.
Naruto released me and took the bat from my hands, shooting me an apologetic smile before trotting over to rejoin the group.
I watched him walk away, trying desperately to get some control over my crazy, confused emotions.
Naruto dropped me back off at the resort a little before five.
He claimed we could have hung out longer, except he had to go cover a shift for someone at work.
"I'll see you tomorrow, though," Naruto said as he inched out of the driveway. "Three, okay?"
I nodded and waved, waiting until he was out on the street to go up the stairs to the condo.
When I entered, it was quiet.
I slowly shut the door, anxious.
"Hello?" I called out.
There were some muffled footsteps, and then my mom poked her head around the hallway corner.
"Sakura," she said, as if she were surprised to see me.
"Mom," I responded, trying to figure out her expression.
I glanced around the living room.
"Where's Dad?" I ultimately asked.
My mom emerged from the hallway, crossing her arms.
"He went out for a little while," she responded, her tone clearly noncommittal.
I swallowed, slightly nervous.
"Where did you go?" Mom inquired, forehead wrinkled. "I don't remember seeing you leave."
"I went out with a friend," I answered. "Remember? Naruto?"
"Oh, yes," replied Mom after a moment. Her expression was faraway and sad.
"Mom, are you okay?"
She looked at me, seemingly confused.
"Yes, of course. I'm fine."
I wasn't convinced, but I let the subject drop.
My dad didn't come home that night.
The next morning, I found Mom bustling around the kitchen. She looked up when I came in.
"Sakura, we have barely done anything together our entire vacation! What do you say we hit the beach?"
I was surprised by her slightly perkier attitude, but I agreed, telling her I'd have to check and see if it was all right with Ino and Shikamaru.
I found Shikamaru rearranging a display when I walked up to the snack bar's window.
I leaned on the counter and said, "So, I need an extra day off."
"Why?" Shikamaru flatly queried.
"My mom wants to go to the beach. We haven't spent a lot of time together since we got here, so. . ."
Shikamaru glanced around, noting that there weren't many people around or in the pool area.
He sighed.
"Fine, you can go. We're closing early anyway because of the baseball game. You're still going, right?"
"Yes. Thanks, Shikamaru."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't make a habit of it, Haruno."
I smiled and trotted back upstairs to meet my mom.
"The sand's a little hot," Mom commented as we sat down underneath the sun.
I smiled and rolled my eyes.
"Mom, it's a beach. It's going to be hot."
My mother didn't reply, running her fingers through the deeps sand.
"So, tell me about this boy you've been spending so much time with," she murmured after a while.
I drew my legs to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, resting my chin on my knee.
"There's not much to tell," I replied vaguely.
Mom swatted me playfully.
"Come on, Sakura. What is it that you do together?"
I sighed and shrugged.
"We just . . . I don't know. Run errands?"
Mom glanced at me, forehead wrinkled.
"Errands?"
"Yeah. . . And today's their annual baseball game. . ."
My mom raised an eyebrow at me.
"Sakura, since when do you play sports?"
I shook my head, smiling a little.
"I know! I tried telling him, but apparently skill isn't really required in their version of baseball."
I looked back out over the water, aware that my mother's similar green eyes were still on me.
My mom shook her head.
"Something about the beach makes me nostalgic," she muttered, mainly to herself. "It's a little crazy to think my only daughter is sixteen. . ."
I blinked, squinting a little.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my mother's expression was troubled.
"Bathing suit?" I queried.
"Yes. Bathing suit," Naruto replied, slowly circling my room.
"Why?"
Naruto sat down in the window seat, folding his legs.
"Because. The baseball game is always held at the beach."
I sighed, but went to the bathroom to change.
Naruto was still sitting in the window seat when I came out, pulling a sleeveless shirt over my head.
The sunlight outside had caught his hair, making it brighter than usual. His skin glowed a warm bronze.
I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry. My heart beat fast.
Naruto turned to me, apparently sensing my emergence.
"Ready to go?" he asked, moving out of the seat.
He studied my expression for a moment, blue eyes curious.
"You okay, Sakura-chan?"
I nodded quickly, avoiding his eyes as I gathered my purse and put on my shoes.
When we reached Barbara Ann, Naruto tossed me the keys.
"You drive," he said, already settling in the passenger side of the cab.
I hesitated, but reluctantly opened the rusty driver's side door and got in.
By the time we arrived at the beach, it was clear I hadn't gotten any worse with driving a stick shift. On the other hand, I hadn't gotten any better either.
"Work in progress," Naruto said on the matter as we walked in the sand. "You really weren't that bad this time around."
"Gee, thanks," I replied.
Naruto smirked.
Naruto and I were the last members to arrive, and unfortunately, the teams had been picked prior to our getting there.
Naruto would be on a team with Neji, Shikamaru, and their friend Kiba. I would be with TenTen, Ino, and Lee, another one of their friends.
Personally, I was glad TenTen was on my team, since she was the only one who seemed to know what she was doing. Everyone else just kind of followed her lead.
We flipped a coin to decide on the team who would bat first. Heads would bat; tails would be outfield, in the ocean. We called Heads.
Since we weren't on an actual field and were playing mostly in the ocean, we had to improvise bases.
First base was around twenty feet from home base, which was conveniently placed where sand met the incoming tide. Second was on the sandbar, and third was opposite first, just on the left side.
Easy enough. At least, if you weren't fighting crashing waves while trying to swim before you got tagged. Which we were.
Ino batted first.
She succeeded on sending the large, neon ball out a few yards, where it floated on the surface of the water. Ino ran out into the ocean, waiting until she was waist deep to dive below and swim to first base, which was currently manned by Shikamaru.
Ino didn't reach the base in safety. Kiba, who was the pitcher, had retrieved the ball and thrown it in a large arc to Shikamaru, who caught it before Ino reached him.
Ino let out a sharp cry of frustration, splashing Shikamaru.
His hair deflated, and his glare was penetrating.
"Ino, stop being a bad sport," Kiba called out.
Ino rolled her eyes but returned to the sand and sat down with a loud sigh.
TenTen smiled at me and took up the bat Ino had dropped when she'd run out into the water.
"Back up!" Kiba called over his shoulder.
TenTen grinned.
When the ball came toward TenTen, she swung hard.
There was a crack and the ball soared out to second base, where Neji was waiting.
He dove quickly to follow after the ball, leaving his base open.
TenTen swam quickly past Shikamaru, heading steadily for Neji's base.
Neji, for his part, was trying desperately to beat his girlfriend.
"They are very competitive, for such a quiet couple," Ino commented to me as we watched.
I smiled and shook my head.
TenTen beat Neji by a foot or two, though that didn't stop Neji from colliding into her, knocking her onto her back in the water.
"Neji, watch it!" TenTen scolded, barely stifling a laugh.
The ball was thrown back to Kiba, and I took up the bat, since Lee seemed less than enthusiastic about going next.
I was nervous, and missed the first throw Kiba launched at me. I got lucky with the second.
The ball arced at an angle over Kiba's head. Before it'd even hit the water, TenTen was swimming fast for third base.
Ino and Lee were yelling at me to run.
I took off through the sand, charging into the water despite the coming waves.
I reached first base in safety, grinning, though I had no idea why I was so happy.
Despite everyone's (except TenTen) lack of athleticism, us girls still dominated against the boys.
I mainly attributed it to the fact that we had TenTen on our side. But it was also because the boys were just . . . idiots.
Shikamaru was too lazy to even try, so every ball he hit usually didn't make it farther than the sand. Naruto was too much of a klutz to even make it to most of the bases, and Neji and Kiba just tried to do the best they could with TenTen's awesome pitching.
We finished up the game at around five, when the guys got tired of trying to defend their honor. We sat in the sand for about an hour, all of us in a row, until everyone drifted off to do their own thing.
Naruto and I were still sitting on the beach when the sun set.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto quietly murmured.
I was curled up in the cab of Barbara Ann, my head leaned against the door.
I don't know when I had drifted off, but I felt disoriented and dazed.
I wiped my eyes and turned to Naruto, who was leaning so close to me I could smell the sea salt still on his skin mixed with his aftershave.
I inhaled deeply; I liked that scent. It was so different than what Sasuke's had been—a mix of tobacco and bitter mint.
"Yeah?" I responded sleepily.
Naruto cocked his head at me, his slow smile spreading across his mouth.
"I have to run up to my apartment for a few things before I take you home. I didn't know if you wanted to come up or not."
I hesitated little, but eventually nodded.
I groggily got out of the truck and followed Naruto up a flight of stairs of a neat-looking apartment complex.
Naruto's apartment was surprisingly tidy for a boy who lived by himself.
The living room was fairly spacious, which downsized the space of the kitchen considerably, but Naruto didn't seem to mind.
Some sort of game system lay on the floor, plugged up to the TV. I wandered, taking in my surroundings.
The single hallway led to a small bathroom that split two moderately sized bedrooms. One of the bedroom doors was closed, but the other was open.
It was clear this room belonged to Naruto.
I don't know what it was about his room, but it was . . . comfortable.
Naruto was padding around in the kitchen, opening and shutting cabinets.
I forced myself to pass the doorway into Naruto's room.
The first thing that struck my notice was that Naruto did not have a bed, he had a futon with a blanket thrown over the side.
His walls were covered with posters and a dart board.
A cluttered desk with odds and ends was crammed into a corner.
"Like it?" Naruto asked me, his voice in my ear.
I turned, startled.
Naruto was leaning against the doorpost, blue eyes indecipherable.
"Uh, yeah, I guess," I responded, glancing around again.
Naruto smiled crookedly.
"So. . . did you get what you came for?" I inquired, trying to forget the awkwardness between us.
"Oh, yeah. Yeah. See, Jiraiya's flying home tomorrow and I needed to get some cash for groceries before he gets back."
"Are you excited for him to come home?"
Naruto half-shrugged, his smile wry.
"In a way. He said on the phone that he's coming back to get more 'inspiration'. Which means he'll spend a few weeks holed up here eating nothing but ramen and writing. Then he'll jump back on a plane to God-knows-where and call a few days later."
I smiled.
"Do I get to meet this godfather of yours?" I queried.
Naruto's eyes changed for a half-second into something deeper and more intriguing. Somehow it looked familiar, but before I could remember, it was gone.
"Sure. Dinner?" Naruto offered.
I nodded in agreement.
We headed back down to Barbara Ann, and Naruto drove me to the resort.
Before I got out of the truck, Naruto said my name.
I turned to him, curious and anxious at the same time.
He stared at me, his eyes running over me carefully.
"Never mind," he said, removing his eyes from mine and staring straight ahead, his forehead creased as he tapped the steering wheel. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Confused and (admittedly) a little disappointed, I jumped out of Barbara Ann and trudged up to mine and my parent's condo.
:)
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