Chapter Twelve-
I'm not looking forward to today. No, really, I'm not. Goddammit, why couldn't I just tell Hinata that I didn't need a dress that badly. I mean, asking Yamanaka is a bit extreme. Now that I think about it, I could've just asked Temari. She probably would've had something. But, nooooo, I had to be stupid! Arggh. Stupid, fucking, Yamanaka…
I told Konohamaru that I probably wouldn't be back from school as early as I usually do, because I doubt that Yamanaka will bring stuff to school, meaning I'll probably have to go to her house. Someone stab me, please. Maybe I'm overreacting a little. Maybe. Okay, Yamanaka's not that bad, but she's just really, really…touchy…Like literally…touchy.
Okay, steering away from those wonderful flashbacks…
--
The first few classes are…enlightening. In each one they keep going over our options after graduation and if we're going to university or a specialty school. It's makes me kind of nervous to hear that, and I feel kind of paranoid that someone will find out about me and ruin my chances of ever getting a job. Right before lunch, Sannin makes an announcement over the P.A. telling the students that rehearsal for graduation is on Thursday and if we're not there she'll make our lives hell. Such a kind and understanding principal…
During lunch, I try not to look at Yamanaka and desperately hope that either Hinata didn't ask her or that Yamanaka forgot, but to no avail. Damn my bad luck.
"Hey, Sakura, Hinata told me that you need a dress for graduation."
I look up and then suddenly look away again, feeling embarrassed, "Yeah," I mutter.
Yamanaka doesn't seem to notice.
"Gods, Haruno are you really that cheap?" Inuzuka asks me.
I feel myself flush, "Yeah," I say trying to laugh it off, "I guess so."
Part of me wanted to yell at him and say that, yes, I'm poor and that there's nothing I can do about it, but that would've been extremely stupid and I would have probably gotten in trouble.
Inuzuka, surprisingly, doesn't say anything.
"Well," says Yamanaka, apparently not noticing the tension between me and Inuzuka, "Since graduation's really close, you should probably get it as soon as you can. Wanna come over today after school?"
I knew it, "Uh…sure," I say. Then feeling a little ungrateful, "Thanks."
She flashes me a brief smile. I stare.
It's not like I've never seen her smile before, it's just sorta that… I dunno. It's hard to describe. Just for a second, the way she looked. It, well…it gave me shivers. I'm suddenly reminded back when we were on that school trip. When she was helping me out with that whole harness thing and said my name. Except she said it in this really weird husky way. It's the kind of soft sound that makes your ears tingle and feel weird, but a good weird. It must be some sort of odd frequency that your body reacts to, I think intelligently.
It takes me a moment to realize I'm my hands are fists and they're sweating and I'm still blushing. I immediately sit up straight and look anywhere but Yamanaka. I wipe my sweaty palms on my pants and continue eating.
--
The rest of the day is filled with more lectures about what will happen after graduation. Sometimes I think they do it on purpose, just to freak us out. Whether it's purposeful or not, it sure is scaring the 3rd years. Already a boy in my class had a complete mental breakdown and had to be sent home and a girl started sobbing hysterically in my Biology class when the teacher mentioned our last test of the year.
Finally, the day is over and I'm not exactly sure where to meet Yamanaka. I wonder how we'll be getting to her house. Hardly any high school students have cars so we'll probably take the train or maybe her mother will pick us up. I end up waiting in the main entrance where less than 24 hours ago I was talking to Hyuuga about Tenten. I feel a pang when I think her name and immediately try to think of something else. I doubt the fact that she's dead will never stop hurting. It's depressing to think of it like that, but it's most likely true. I'm stopped from getting even more depressed by Yamanaka's voice. "Oh, you're here! I thought you would be by your locker is," she says cheerfully.
She appears to be out of breath.
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize," she says, waving her hand like she's trying to block the apology from getting to her.
"How are we getting to your house?" I ask, wincing inwardly at my bluntness.
"My mom's gonna pick us up," she says, "I usually take the bus, but I told her I might have someone over so…"
An awkward silence. I stare out the window looking for a car pulling up.
"So," Yamanaka says, drawing my attention back to her, "What kind of dress are you looking for?"
I blink, "Anything's fine," I say, "I really don't have many options at the moment."
She looks at me scrutinizing. I bite my lip and feel awkward.
"Hmm," she says finally, walking up closer to me, "I think I might have one that would look good on you, but you'll definitely have to try some on. And then there's makeup and hair and nails…"
"Wait…er…I don't need like makeup and stuff," I say.
"If your going to wear a dress you might as well finish the job," she says, slightly absentmindedly, "Besides I think you'd look good in makeup. You do have a very pretty face and with mascara I can bring out your eyes."
She says it in that voice again. That soft, husky voice with something else in it that I can't quite identify.
Holy crap, did Yamanaka just call me pretty? I feel my face burn and I can almost see how red I am right now. I become acutely aware that she's wearing a very tight tank top, a slightly puffy skirt that goes down to her knees and those weird things under it that Temari calls 'leggings.' She's also wearing a pair of very delicate and detailed looking sandals and I'm wearing baggy, old, and very plain clothing complete with worn, duct taped basketball shoes.
Pretty, I think scathingly, yeah, right.
She interrupts my thoughts again (she has a habit of doing that, doesn't she), by grabbing my hand and inspecting it closely.
"Wow," she exclaims, "You have really nice fingers. I wish you had longer nails, though. More to paint."
I look at my bitten down nails and wince. She grabs my wrist now, so she can look at the rest of my hand and her fingertips brush again the underside of my wrist. It's a weird feeling, mostly because that part of the body is extremely sensitive. For a second, I wonder what it would feel like if she put her mouth there. I flush again and distract my mind from thinking even stranger thoughts by wondering what the hell is so interesting about my hand that makes her hold on to it for so long. But before I can say anything, I hear the noise of a car behind me.
"Oh, that would be my mom. C'mon."
She drops my hand, which feels strange, and we exit the building and walk up to Yamanaka's mother's car.
Yamanaka's mother is surprisingly young. She gets out of the car and says hello to Yamanaka. She's extremely soft-spoken and petit and I'd have to guess that Yamanaka takes more after her father.
"So this is your friend," she says softly, smiling at me, "Pleased to meet you."
I bow my head in politeness, "Pleased to meet you," I echo.
I'm not really sure why, but I'm kind of shy. Most likely, because Yamanaka's mother has a nice car and nice clothes, just like her daughter, and I feel very, very, inadequate.
"Let's go, Okaa-san," Yamanaka says.
"Alright, alright, Ino," her mother says, "Be patient."
For a second Yamanaka looks angry. More than the usual person would be if someone told them to be patient, but then the look disappears and we all climb into the car.
On the way to Yamanaka's house her mother asks me a sorts of questions. Like where I live, what my parents do, what classes I'm taking, what I am planning to do after high school; all these things that don't really concern her. I try and answer as politely and ambiguously as I can but after a while I just want her to can it.
Yamanaka saves me by starting to talk to her mother about some person from school that I don't even know, leaving me sitting awkwardly staring out the window. After a while I start to notice that the houses are getting bigger and bigger. Oh, crap.
"Here we are," Yamanaka's mother says, pulling into the driveway of a gigantic house with a beautiful garden in front.
I stare in horror for a second and then decide it's probably a good idea to close my mouth. Oh, fuck. This is not fair. I mean, c'mon. Of all the houses Yamanaka could have lived in it had to be a fucking mansion! We get out of Yamanaka's mother's car and I'm suddenly feeling extremely poor.
"Alright, girls," Yamanaka's mother says softly, smiling at us , "Dinner will be ready at 6:00, so have fun."
I start to protest, saying I don't really need dinner, but Yamanaka's mother insists. I step into the house and feel my stomach turn. This is not going to be fun. Yamanaka's house looks like it's mostly styled after the West, though to my left there's a room that has tatami and a Buddhist scroll in it. There is a wooden staircase with a fancy railing with leads up to what appears to be bedrooms. I take off my shoes and put on the slippers that Yamanaka hands me, thanking any deity I can think of that the socks I'm wearing don't have holes in them.
"Sorry, about that," Yamanaka mutters to me after her mother disappears into the kitchen leaving me staring at the lavishly decorated hallway, "She's really nosy sometimes."
At first, I don't know what she's talking about but then I remember the car ride here. I'm not really sure what to say without sounding rude, so I don't say anything at all.
"C'mon, my room's up here."
I follow her up the stairs and we walk down a narrow hallway with a single picture hanging on the wall. I look at the picture on the wall as I pass. Yamanaka's younger self smiles back out at me. She's looks like she's about twelve. She, her mother, and a man I suppose must be her father are all sitting on a cliff holding up their rock climbing gear. I briefly remember someone saying that Yamanaka did a lot of rock climbing, but before I can think more on it, I realize that Yamanaka's gone into the room at the end of hallway. I follow her into what I suppose is her room. At first I'm confused, but then I realize that Yamanaka's walls are covered, literally covered, in pictures. I see Uzumaki's bright hair shining out at me and see a picture of him and Inuzuka sticking out their tongues and making rude gestures with their hands. I wrinkle my nose. Lovely. I turn away and examine the rest of Yamanaka's room.
She has a twin sized bed with a light purple comforter and a tall, dark, wooden dresser. Yamanaka grabs a few magazines and a bottle of nail polish off the wooden floor and stuffs them in one of the drawers of a small desk covered in more magazines, paper, and books squeezed in a corner.
"Sorry about the mess," Yamanaka says rubbing her hand on the back of her neck.
"It's fine," I mumble.
"So," she says, apparently not noticing my embarrassment. She walks to the other side of the room and opens a closet that I didn't see at first. I crane my head, too shy to do anything else and see what looks like a bunch of dresses and other fancy clothes.
"Here," she says rummaging through the closet, "How about this one?"
I look closer and see that she's holding a sleek black dress with a set of shiny things around the waist. It has no sleeves or straps of any kind. Oh no, it's one of those tube top dress…things.
"Er…it's nice…" I say uncertainly.
"Let's see," she says and holds it up against me. I feel a blush flair up in my cheeks as her curled fingers make contact with the cloth of my shirt just below my neck.
"Hmm, I don't know," she says, pulling the clothe of the skirt right up against my outer thigh, "I think you'll have to try it on."
"Right!" I mange to blurt out looking at her eyebrow rather than looking her in her eyes.
"The bathroom's down the hall on the left," Yamanaka tells me, pointing out her door.
I nod, not trusting myself to speak and hold the dress tightly to my chest. I turn and make my way out of her room and down the hall. I see a room, but when I reach it it's an empty bedroom. There's nothing in it but a bed and dresser so I'm guessing it's just a guestroom. I turn away and the next room turns out to be the bathroom. It's a really strange bathroom. The walls are a light blue and there's a counter with a sink covered in toothpaste tubes, all kinds of makeup, face wash, candles, and what I can only assume is a bunch of lotions. There's a half open cabinet that looks like it has towels in it, but there's no shower in sight. I see a translucent door next to the high-tech toilet (1). I open it and almost trip over the step that leads up to…a shower.
Holy crap, that's not just a shower, it's a shower room. I stare at the expansive white-tiled floors, walls, and then to the Jacuzzi in the right-hand corner. I close the door, remembering the reason I'm here in the first place. I pull off my shirt and pull the black dress over my head. I push down the straps of my off-white sports bra into the folds of the dress and slip off my baggy pants. I look critically at my reflection in the mirror. It's too big and the front is way too low for my liking. It makes my torso look a lot longer than it is which doesn't look very attractive. I frown wanting to take it off and put on my old clothes. I'm still deciding what to do when I hear a knock on the door.
"Oi, Sakura, are you done yet?" comes Yamanaka's voice.
"Yeah," I say without thinking.
I open the door and hold back the reflex to wrap my hands around my shoulders defensively.
Yamanaka frowns, "I don't know it looks kind of…bare."
Tell me about it, I think.
"Maybe with a necklace…" she trails off and thinks for a few seconds, "No…I don't think so. Here try on this one."
She holds out a hanger and I see that it's another black dress, however, instead of a tube-top it's a V-neck. It's down to my mid-thigh and has slits almost all the way up. It looks really small. I gulp.
"Err…I think it's a little much for graduation…" I say nervously, not looking into her eyes.
Yamanaka laughs.
"This too much?! You've got to be kidding!"
"Huh?"
She grins at me, "You should see what I'm wearing."
Oh, I don't even want to know, do I?
She hangs the hanger on my finger, "Just try it on," she says as she closes the door, leaning down lightly, "Believe me, this one will look good."
I stare, slightly red in the face as the door shuts, blocking her from view. I really did not need to see that much of Yamanaka's chest. Or the color of her bra. That too.
Eventually, I get over that…er…interesting moment and clumsily attempt to put the dress on. Wait…it's not fitting over my head. Maybe it's too small! Haha! Maybe now I can actually wear something that doesn't show more skin th…Oh, wait, there's a zipper, never mind.
I eventually pull the thing over my head and sip up the zipper. I look in the mirror and unconsciously try to flatten my ruffled hair. Wow, it actually doesn't look that bad! I'll have to wear that other bra that Temari made my buy, but otherwise…I turn and scowl at the length. If only it was a bit longer…oh well, I shouldn't really complain. It's better than anything else I could get.
I nervously unlock the door and open it to see Yamanaka leaning against the wall next to the bathroom. I expect her to say something, but she just stares.
I fidget uncomfortably for a few seconds waiting for her to say something.
"Yamanaka?" I say uncertainly, wanting to shrink into the floor.
She doesn't say anything. Why-
Why is she staring at me like that?
"T-that bad, huh?" I say nervously, trying to break the silence.
"O-Oh, sorry! No, no it's really good!" she says, grinning sheepishly and blushing slightly, "Sorry, I spaced out for a second there."
"Right," I say, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.
"It does look good though," she says, winking at me.
I feel my face go red. I've never been really sure how to take compliments. Even with things that I'm good at like school and stuff. I always end up sort of ducking down and muttering a quick 'thank you.' Not to mention nobody's ever complemented me on my looks before. Well, not like she just did.
"You'll have to wear a different bra though," Yamanaka says, staring at my chest.
She reached out and for one wild second I think that she's going to touch me there, but she just adjusts one of the two straps that are tied together on the back of my neck. The scary part, was, that just then, just for a second, I don't think I would have minded. I shiver suddenly, and draw my arms closer to myself. What's wrong with me? I've been feeling strangely lately. I don't like it. Thinking things I shouldn't be thinking, feeling weird, twisted feelings that I don't want and I don't lik-
"Sakura…? Earth to Sakura!"
"W-What?"
"You spaced out for a second there," she says and then looks down at my arms, "You're not cold, are you?"
"N-no."
"Right," Yamanaka says not looking convinced, "Now about your makeup an stuff…"
"Wait," I blurt out, "I really don't need…I mean, I don't want to waste your time…"
"Waste my time?" she laughs, "Believe me, it's not a waste of time, you'll look gorgeous! All I need is some mascara and eye shadow…maybe some eyeliner too…hmm, maybe lipstick, because it is graduation after all…and I'll have to do something with your hair…"
I sigh and resign myself to my hour and a half later
Whoa. Seriously, whoa. I stare in the mirror.
"Like it?" Yamanaka asks me.
I nod, not really sure what else to do. I look…like someone else. There's gel and hairspray in my hair, I'm wearing dark red lipstick, tons of eye makeup, and something Yamanaka calls foundation all over my face. I look like one of those people in those stupid fashion magazines, especially since I'm still wearing that dress of hers. I tense as Yamanaka puts her chin on my shoulder and looks at my reflection in the mirror.
"I told you you'd look hot."
I feel my faces reddening for what seems like the thousandth time today. I avoid her eyes, even their reflection in the mirror
It's strange I never thought of makeup as something you could really be creative with. I mean, sure you can wear tons or none, but that (at least I thought) was it. But the way Yamanaka did it made it look like an art or something. I briefly wonder how long she's been wearing this stuff.
Yamanaka wraps her arms around my waist and all coherent thought leaves my head.
"Y-Yamanaka!"
"Oh, don't be such a prude," she says softly into my ear, "And call me Ino, alright?"
I shiver. God, she's really warm. There's a funny feeling in my stomach that makes me want to turn around, look her right in the eye, put my hands on her shoulders, and press my lip-
"Oh, I have to take a picture of this!" she says, and I can see her reflection in the mirror grin again.
She unwraps her arms from around my waist, lifts her chin from my shoulder and digs in one of the pockets of her skirt, probably for a cell phone. My eyes follow the movement and I stare at her perfect, slender legs and turn away looking distractedly at my reflection in the mirror.
What's happening to me?
--
I don't sleep well that night. At work, Temari and hell, even Jiraiya asks what's wrong with me, but I don't tell them anything, 'cause to tell the truth I'm not even sure myself. It partly has to do with Yamanaka…or Ino…or whatever, but the other, bigger part has to do with me. I don't know what to think really it's just I've been feeling…strange lately. I've been thinking about things that I wouldn't have a year ago, things that are just weird (2).
I really wanted to take off the makeup that Ino put on me, because I didn't want to answer questions about it, but I felt it would be rude. The lipstick kind of rubbed off after we ate dinner (Yamanaka's mother made me stay) which I was glad of, but I knew I couldn't get rid of the other stuff with out smearing it all over my face, so I didn't even bother. Temari and Konohamaru both asked who did it and I told them truthfully that a friend did. Temari said something interesting though. She said that whoever did it was really talented and she wanted to know more about them. I distracted her by tentatively asking if I could have Saturday night off, nervously fingering the envelope in my pocket. I ended up not having to tell her anything, but it made me remember my first impression about Yamanaka's crazy makeup skills. Who knows, maybe she wants to be a makeup artist (is there such a thing, anyway?)
The dress is folded lightly and is laying on top of my books in my bag. There's no way I could have left it in the alley and I didn't want to ask Ino if she could bring it in for me like she's bringing half the other stuff, makeup, hair crap etcetera. Hey, I didn't ask her for it!
The next few two days go quicker than I want them too and suddenly it's Friday morning. It's a dreary, foggy day and Konohamaru and I wake up early and take the subway back to the alley where all my stuff is. I stare sadly at the mostly empty crate. I sold all my school books to a used bookstore last night like I usually do but this time I know that this crate will never be full again. After all, I'll be leaving in a few weeks (3). My backpack is empty except for the dress and my work clothes.
"Hey, hey," Konohamaru says sleepily, "Aren't you going to be late if you stay here longer?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."
Then, in what seems like less than a minute, I'm sitting in homeroom listening to Umino give a heartbreaking last-day-of the year speech and hearing Uzumaki wailing in the background. For god's sake he lives with him, doesn't he? Ibiki spends the entire class telling us how hard university or our new jobs are going to be and we are not to come complaining to him. How typical. Right as I'm going to the cafeteria I hear my name being called.
"Oi, Sakura!"
I turn around to see Ino.
"Hey, c'mon we got to get ready!"
I blink, "Doesn't it start in two hours?" I ask her.
The sheet we received made it clear that we'd have enough time to change for graduation after lunch today.
"Yeah, but I'll need that much time to do both our makeup."
Two hours? I think skeptically. I mean, on Tuesday it only took long to do because Yamanaka was experimenting with all sorts of different things…oh well, I guess I can eat in the bathroom.
To my surprise, we're not the only one's in the bathroom. There's a whole gaggle of crazy girls in their and we have to wait in line to get in. Ino chats with a bunch of her friends who stare at me as if to say: why the fuck are you here? I ignore them.
By the time we get into the bathroom there's hardly anyone there. I change quickly into my dress in one of the bathroom stalls, too embarrassed to change outside like everyone else. The few girls left in the room stare at me when I walk out of the stall and I'm infinitely glad that I shaved my legs and under my arms yesterday. Yamanaka's already done changing and I raise an eyebrow at what she's wearing. It's…pink. Well, more like magenta, but still…
"A-Are you even allowed to wear that?" I ask.
"I'll guess we'll find out," she says with a carefree smile.
She straightens her dress (which I might add, there isn't a lot of) and looks down at my feet.
"Oooh, I like your shoes!"
I follow her gaze and look down at one of the pair of shoes Temari bought me for work. They're sparkly and the heels are extremely high.
"They're my mom's," I say without thinking, trying to come up a good excuse for why a person like me would own them.
She stares at me.
"Oh, no" I say realizing my mistake, "I meant my mom bought them for me."
"Oh," Ino says starting to grin, "I was wondering…"
"No," I say, smiling a little at the image of someone Yamanaka's mother's age wearing these.
Yamanaka starts to snicker and I grin despite myself.
"Okay," she says after a while, wiping her eyes, "I'm okay."
But then she burst into laughter, holding onto the sink. By now the bathroom's empty except for us and I can't help wondering what her other proper friends would think of her if they saw her like this.
It take Ino a while to calm down, but eventually she does and she puts on my makeup and her own. The nail polish she put on me on Tuesday has chipped a bit and she touches it up quickly. She puts gel and hairspray in my hair and then brushed hers back in a messy bun that somehow looks attractive.
"Right," Yamanaka says looking over her and my reflections in the mirror, "I think we're good."
We leave and as I look at my watch before stuffing it in my bag (Ino made me take it off) I'm shocked to realize that we have ten minutes before the ceremony starts. We quickly get in the east door of the gym and Mitarashi glares at us angrily and mutters something about 'teens these days.' Though considering what she wears to work, she should hardly complain. I see Hinata a few people behind me, and she smiles at me. She's wearing a dark, dark, blue dress with a intricate hair piece in her hair. Hyuuga nods at me looking extremely formal in his suit. In the back of the line Yamanaka waves and I hold back a smile. Sannin stands up in front of the parent's (mostly mothers) and says a few 'welcoming words' as she calls it.
The band begins to play some classical music and we all march up to the front of the gym. There are green drapes on the wall and on the doors, and out of the corner of my eye, I see the 1st and 2nd years looking bored. Sucks for them. We all sit down (in alphabetical order) in front and Sannin gets up again and explains the history of out wonderful school, then says a bunch of stuff about the past year and all that fun stuff. Then Sannin and a few other teachers take turns calling out all out names and we all have to stand up and say "Hai!" very loudly and stand there until all they names are called out. This takes about twenty minutes. Then we sing the school song and national anthem which I am annoyed to find out I actually know all the words to. Those brainwashing teachers.
And now I have to get up. I gulp and stand up and walk all the way in front. At first I lean to close to the microphone and sound blares though the gymnasium. A few of the 1st and 2nd years laugh. I ignore the urge to glare at them and continue to read the address that technically I was supposed to write but Sannin doesn't trust students (even the head of student council) so she wrote it herself.
After I'm down talking about how great my experiences were at Konoha High School and that hard work and patience got me through all my years here, I step down and go back to my seat while Sannin gives another big speech about the same thing. God, how did I survive this last year? Oh, yeah, I forgot, I slept thorough it. After Sannin done bullshitting about how great this high school is, she starts reading out all the 3rd year's ID numbers and names and then one by one the graduates all walk up and receive their diploma.
"Haruno Sakura!"
I get up, careful not to trip, and walk quickly up to the podium. Sannin looks tired and irate as she hands me my diploma, but I don't care. There's a feeling in my chest that words can't describe and it only intensifies as I reach out with both hands and grasp my ticket out of hell. I raise the thick paper up into the air slightly, bow respectively to Sannin and march back to my seat, holding back the urge to yell in sheer happiness.
Now I want to get out of here. It's been three long years and I'm finally done and I want to leave. The rest of the people seem to be walking incredibly slowly to reach their diploma. I want to yell out to them to hurry up. But I don't, of course. After all the 3rd years have finally gotten their diplomas there's a bit of confusion and after about two minutes a teacher who's name I don't know tells us that there was supposed to be a representative from the city government speaking, but there has been some mix up and they won't be coming. I roll my eyes, how typical. Well, I'm not complaining. Classical music starts almost immediately and we all stand up and are dismissed for the final time by Sannin. YES! Now to get out of here!
I weave though a bunch of parents and students who have all started to talk to one another.
"Sa-Sakura-san!"
I look around and see Hinata smiling shyly her diploma clutched tightly in her hand.
"Hey, Hinata," I say smiling at her.
"It's s-strange, isn't it," she says softly, looking around the gymnasium, "To think I won't be coming b-back here next year."
"Yeah," I say softly, "Weird."
"Is your mother h-here?" Hinata asks, changing the subject suddenly.
"No," I say, "Both my parents have to work."
I don't even bother asking if her father's here because I know the answer.
"He stopped you know," Hinata says.
"Huh?"
"Stopped trying to get me married. I told him so, and he did."
"You did? Wait, he listened?"
She blushed, "Well, I did tell him r-rather loudly…"
I laugh, "Wow, nice job!"
I'm happy for her. I really am.
"T-Thank you," she says softly, "You really did he-help a lot, Sakura-san, and I n-never really-"
"It's fine," I say, "Really."
"We'll keep in t-touch, right?"
I hesitate for a second, "Well," I say, "I don't really have a cell phone or an email address…"
She frowns slightly, "You don't?"
"No, I'm computer retarded," I say.
Yeah, right, far from it!
"Oh," she says, looking disappointed.
"But I'm going to get one," I say quickly, "For university, you know?"
She smiles and gives me her address and tells me to email her when I make mine.
"I'll see you on Saturday at Ino-san's, right?" she asks softly.
I smile, "Yeah, sure, see you."
She walks off and I smile sadly staring at her back. Poor Hinata. She doesn't deserve to live in a world so cruel.
I make my way quietly through the throngs of people still in the gym. I pass by a distraught looking Umino, Uzumaki, and a man that going by the rumor mill must be Uchiha's uncle. Uchiha himself who looks like he wants nothing better than to throw himself off a cliff. It's one of his more rare looks. Not. As I walk I crane my head in their direction, unconsciously loving the annoyed expression on Uchiha's arrogant face and predictably bump into someone. Hard.
I raise my hand from my stinging head to see Inuzuka.
"Oww, what the hell? That hurt…Haruno?"
"Obviously," I say glaring at him, "Will you watch where you're going?!"
It really was a stupid thing to say because, after all, I was the one that wasn't looking where I was going. But Inuzuka doesn't call me on it.
"Oh," he says, a strange look on his face, "Sorry."
With that he walks away, leaving me staring after him. Okay then, that was…weird.
I shake my head and leave the gym quickly and walk down the stairs to my locker. There's no one down here and it's really quiet. I can't even hear all the yelling that's going on in the gym. I open my locker and change my shoes. I unlock the lock, but leave it on the locker. I stare at my empty locker for a few seconds and then close it.
I'm done with high school now. I'm moving on. Just like you would've wanted me to do, I think, Tenten.
--
I change out of my dress, fold it carefully, and put it on my bag. I walk the halls for the very last time and slip out one the doors farthest from the gym. I only get so far before I hear a voice calling my name. Well, not really my name, but…
"Nee-san! Hey, wait up, nee-san!"
I turn around angrily, "What are you doing here? How did you know where my school was?"
"I looked through your stuff," Konohamaru says unabashedly, "It wasn't that hard."
I'm too tired, suddenly, to get mad at him and so I only roll my eyes.
"Are you done now?" he asks, "I've been waiting here forever."
I smile and act on impulse, combined with a sudden affection for this ragtag boy that has become my friend. I reach out a rumple his hair, laughing as he scowls.
"Yeah, let's go."
(1) Japanese toilets are scary. They're either a hole in the ground (a high tech hole, but a hole none the less) or they're Western style with all these crazy buttons on them (public ones don't have that much but the ones in houses usually have tons.)
(2) Okay, you've probably guessed what Sakura's been thinking about and I just want to say something to make it clear. Sakura isn't homophobic. She just thinks it's weird for her to be thinking things about other girls. She doesn't hate or fear gays, she just thinks it's strange for herself. Welcome to Sakura in denial. Please read A/N 'cause there's going to be a bit more about this.
(3) Just in case you forgot, Sakura's going to college in a few weeks. The Japanese school year starts in April.
A/N: Grr…it's midnight. And I'm tired….I really wanted to get graduation in so that's why this one is so long. Not that that's really a bad thing, but I have to babble about something here, so why not? Before anyone asks about Kiba, I'll just tell you what's up with him. Basically, he feels like an asshole after he asks Sakura (bluntly) if she's poor and she tells him yes. I would too. It's also saying that while Kiba's a bit…insensitive, he's not really that bad of a guy. VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: Right, you've probably noticed that in the last few chapters Sakura's beginning to notice things about herself that she didn't know before, mainly that she finds other women attractive and not in the 'oh, her dress is cute' attractive. We are entering the part of this fic called "Sakura in Denial." Welcome. Anyway, I'm only going to say this once so listen (read?) up. I'm not gay. I've never had to go through the whole sexuality identity crisis. I have gay friends, but, I'm not about to go up to one of them and ask, "So, how exactly did you figure out you were gay?" Sorry, I'm blunt, but not that blunt. So, please don't yell at me 'cause I'm pulling this stuff out of my ass. Also, while there will be no lemons in this fic (first person lemon would be awkward to write…) the fic is going to get very sexual, especially in the next few chapters. Mostly fantasies, nothing real. If you don't want to read graphic stuff I will put up warnings, so don't worry. Anyway, (what you've all been waiting for) I'm really, really, really, sorry about the wait, but I've had tons of work to do. The next chapter might be a while (not as long as this one, I assure you) but a while. Thanks for everyone being patient (or not) with me and please review! p.s. (yes, this is definitely letter) the alternating between Sakura calling Ino, 'Ino' and 'Yamanaka' is intentional. p.p.s. Please excuse my sarcasm. It's late and I'm an early bird.
