Disclaimer: although I did my research, I cannot even begin to fully comprehend how hard it must be to live with any form of cancer and I apologize if any of the following story is inaccurate or comes across as insensitive.

"Sakura Haruno," I tell the pasty teenage girl in the dim lit mirror before me, "you are going to be fine."

Her lips are chapped underneath her coat of soft pink lipstick and not even her concealer can hide the dark circles under her eyes. She looks terrible...I look terrible. The pounding in my head mixes with the thumping in the walls and I rub a hand across my face, doing my best to ignore it. Why should music ever be this ungodly loud? Prom night or not, I'd like to keep my eardrums intact.

I find myself clinging to the edge of the counter, not wanting to leave my relatively quiet sanctuary. This is my second bathroom break tonight and we've only been here for a half an hour.

I hear the bathroom door swing open and I whip my head around to look at the intruder, terrified that a pair of sharp blue eyes will be glaring at me.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I see that it isn't Ino, but a slightly drunk senior who stumbles into one of the stalls, mumbling to herself. I know that a group of girls must be following close behind her because it isn't like a teenage girl to go anywhere alone. They always travel in packs.

I will my bare feet to move and they comply. My hand grabs my high heels by the straps and sweeps them off the counter. It's gross to feel my feet slap across the cold bathroom tile, but I'd rather brave the germs than have to put on those damn heels. I push open the bathroom just as a wave of girls tumble in, like I had expected. I patiently wait my turn to exit and I do my best to ignore the pitiful looks some of the girls who recognize me throw my way.

I step out into the hallway, feeling the deep thrumming of the bass vibrate up from my feet. I look to my right, where pulsating light spills into the hallway from the ballroom. This years prom is taking place in an art museum with four large ballrooms. We rented two, one for jackets and food, really more of a lounge, and another for the actual dance itself. They're tall and ornately decorated, great crystal chandeliers dangling from the domed ceilings.

Everything is so nice and expensive that people are beginning to wonder if principal Gai sold both of his kidneys and a foot to pay for it. He's so passionate and intense I wouldn't even have a hard time believing it. There are other whispers around that Vice Principal Kakashi's Japanese Mob connections are paying off.

Whatever it is, it's impressive.

After a moment of deliberation I decide to turn left and follow a sign that says "ART EXHIBITS THIS WAY." It looks dim and quiet and a little bit like heaven. A bored museum associate sits in the entrance, I stop when I get to him and fumble for my ticket, but he just yawns and waves me through.

I head through the doorway and am delighted when my bare feet glide against a smooth hard wood floor. The walls and floors still vibrate slightly to the music, but thankfully now all I can hear is the rumble of the bass. I follow the white, artistically lit hallway as it bends around a corner.

I pass a couple making out in the shadows and smile. They're so going to get caught.

I finally make it to some actual art. Large paintings hung with simple frames cling to the wall and I stop in front of the first one. It's obviously a modern piece, geometry and symmetry making up a big portion of this painting.

I stroll down the hallway, taking time to look at each one. It isn't long before the paintings change from modern to classical. And it isn't long after that until I find a familiar looking pale boy sitting in front of a large, colorful painting. Sai must've escaped Ino his first chance as well. I can tell he needs some space too, especially with the whole Naruto thing still circling through our heads.

I know he hears me come up because he scoots over on the bench, leaving me some space. I sit down and cast him a glance, wondering why he hasn't insulted me yet for not wearing my shoes or for my fading makeup. But he's not looking at me, he's gazing up at the massive painting before us.

I follow his gaze. I hadn't realized how much detail had been put into it when I had first glanced at it. It's a stunning action portrait of what looks to be a fire in ancient greece, the life-like citizens rush around, rescuing those in the homes and trying to put out the flames. I squint at the small engraving on the bottom: "A print of: Fire in The Borgo (RAFFAELLO Sanzio, 1514)"

"It's just a copy?" I ask.

"It's only temporary. Until they find a new suitable submission."

"Where's the real one?"

"The Vatican," he says and looks at me as if it's the most obvious thing.

"Oh."

We sit in silence for a little bit.

"Do you wish your drawings would make it up there?" I ask and lean back on my palms, tilting my head upwards.

"No, I don't really," he says, voice empty. I look at him and I feel my eyebrows furrow. He seems even more detached than usual.

"What do you wish for?" I ask. My question lingers in the dim light around us and the hushed atmosphere that could only come from a museum after-hours. It's obviously an invasive question, one that catches both of us off guard.

I'm about to apologize and tell him to forget it when he answers me.

"I wish everything would turn out okay," he tells me.

"Everything?" I whisper. I just want him to keep talking.

"Dick-less' brain tumors, your cancer, my memory-loss," he lists off, gaze still sweeping across the painting, as if he's soaking in every last detail Mr. Raffaello could have squeezed in 500 years ago. "You know, everything."

"Three wishes," I snort. "We could really use a magic lamp right now."

He nods. "Yes, a magical genie would be very helpful."

I smile at him, a little proud. "You understood that reference?"

"I understood that reference," he nods. I could swear that he's smiling as well.

It's a nice moment, one that hasn't been brutally interrupted with awful news or an insult or a punch. And in all honesty, even though I left the dance floor to be in solidarity, it feels good not to be alone. My head slowly falls to the side and rests on his shoulder.

We're wandering the halls together silently when Ino finds us, a whirling vortex of grumpy blonde.

"Oh my god I should have known you two were in here the entire time! You're missing the whole thing," she grabs Sai's hand and my arm and she tugs along, babbling angrily.

"We came here to dance and have fun, not sit around and be sad! Naruto or no Naruto!" She pulls us out of the quiet sanctity of the exhibits and into the sweaty, thrumming mess that is currently the dance floor.

Ino elbows her way through the sea of grinding teenagers, a chorus of "hey!"s ringing out behind us. People stop once they see who she's dragging behind her. Their anger turns to somber pity. I want to melt into a puddle and evaporate.

After what feels like ages of pushing and shoving we finally make it to our friends, a paradise island of grind-free fun.

"Look who I found!" Ino shouts over the bumping music and throws us forward. We stumble right into Chouji's arms. He envelopes us in a warm, slightly damp bear hug.

"You missed it, Sakura-chan! I beat lee in a competition to see who could eat the most appetizers!" He says and then releases us, chuckling. I rub my neck and smile, scanning the group for Lee. I see him doing the running man with Tenten and looking a little queasy.

I laugh when I realize that Tenten and Lee aren't the only ones awkwardly dancing, our whole group is one big hot mess full of cha-cha slides and Disco Fingers and awkward swaying. Sai and I are lulled into the fun and the next thing we know we're sweating and laughing.

We're doing the robot when the obnoxious club song ends and Principal Gai takes the stage, ripping the microphone from its stand.

"It is truly beautiful to see all of your youthful selves getting 'turned up!'" He cries into the microphone and holds up a thumb in the dim spotlight, people laugh at his incorrect usage of the slang saying and cheer at his enthusiasm. "I'm honored to be your principal! I'm SO HONORED! I love you all... So much! YOLO!" Tears are streaming down his face now and Vice Principal Kakashi steps into save the speech.

"Now is time to crown the King and Queen," he says in his deadpan voice, but the crowd still goes wild.

Chouji claps me on the back and my friends surround me, a chattering, excited wave.

"Your nominees for Prom King were," Hatake says and fumbles with a crumpled paper in his hand, he squints at it in the stage light. "Rei Matsuoka, Rokuro Soso, Takayuki Iwate, and Sasuke Uchiha." Feminine cries erupt at the sound of my ex boyfriends name. We all clap politely, not really having a hope for who wins.

"And the winner is," Kakashi opens an envelope and squints at the slip inside.

Everyone in my circle mumbles the name at the exact moment as Mr. Hatake: "Sasuke Uchiha."

The dance floor erupts with the screams of a hundred fan girls as Sasuke cooly makes his way to the stage. He doesn't even look surprised, he actually doesn't look like anything. Like he's above it all.

Gai, no longer an emotional wreck, has to take the mic from Kakahi and use his own booming voice to announce the next winner. My friends titter around me excitedly, all too ready to hear my name.

And despite everything, despite losing my hair and losing my health, despite having more life-threatening odds at stake, my heart still flutters at the sound of my name for a nominee. Part of me, the new part of me that has realized that the hope of being Prom Queen is superficial and fleeting at most, wants to tell myself that I'm being stupid. It's a harsh, angry whisper in my head.

'A plastic crown isn't going to make your odds 100%. It's not going to save you.'

My friends cheer around me as they list off the names, although it's not just them, it's the whole dance floor. I tear my gaze from the stage and look around, practically all eyes are on me.

They're all rooting for me. I squash the acidic voice telling me I'm shallow. I've decided that I'm not going to deny myself this pleasure.

"ARE YOU READY KHS?! ARE YOU READY TO KNOW YOUR QUEEN?" Gai shouts, fist out and in it: a crumpled paper with a name on it.

Maybe my name, a different voice whispers in my head.

Everyone's attention is turned back to Principal Gai, as he's doing a much better job pumping us up than the straight-forward, all business Kakashi.

My heart pounds in my chest as he makes the band drummer play a drum roll. The crowd joins along, stomping their feet or patting their legs.

I feel a hand close down on my wrist urgently. "Sakura." Says a strained, familiar voice.

My head snaps around and the magic of the moment melts away when I see who it is.

"Temari?" Her eyes are worried and focused. She leans in close enough so that she can speak softly in my ear.

"It's Naruto."

. . .

"Sakura Haruno!" Principal Gai screams and the crowd erupts into applause, but when everyone looks back to watch her step forward to accept her award, the applause ceases.

Sakura Haruno is nowhere to be found. Her name tumbles throughout the space, heard to everyone's ears but her own.

Karin Uzumaki swears she sees Sakura running out of the museum, a sandy blonde and a pale teen rushing after her.

. . .

"What do you mean he 'didn't want to tell me'? He should have known I would have been there for him no matter what." I say breathlessly as we rush to Temari's batmobile. The sun has set and it looks like it had rained a little bit ago, the natural musk of rainfall greeting us. We splash through puddles to get to her car, my heels in my hands.

"That's exactly it. He didn't want to tell you because he didn't spoil your night, he wantedyou to be there when you won Prom Queen," she says, jamming the unlock button on her keys. We all pile in, Sai taking his respective seat in the back.

"Oh my god," I say and slam the door, "he's so hard-headed sometimes."

"So what is it exactly that the surgery is for?" Sai asks from the back as Temari backs out of her parking spot and tears out of the lot. I hold onto the door handle and get buckled with my other hand.

"Tumors," she says bluntly, "they had to go in for an emergency removal, as some were immediately effecting his nervous system."

"They just showed up overnight or something?" I ask, turning up the heat and shivering, wishing I had thought to bring my jacket.

I breathe into my cupped palms, trying to heat them up. It takes me a moment to realize Temari's not answering me. I look over at her. Her lips are pressed together in a tight line.

"What?" I say leadingly.

"He's," Temari starts but has to take a shaky break, "he asked us not to say." Her voice is thick. "He asked us not to tell you. He made us promise. I'm so sorry, Sakura."

My chest turns icy. Just how bad is this? If it's got Tough-as-Nails Temari almost crying...

"Not even me?" Sai asks from the back. "I wasn't running for Prom Queen."

"I know Sai, I know," Temari says. "Tsunade will explain everything."

(A/N:)

Hello friends! Long time no see! Hehehe (sweats because I'm the worst at updating pls forgive me) Anyways I realize that this chapter is shorter than the other ones, and it may be disappointing, but I really wanted to crank it out there before stuff started happening in my life again. Right now I'm in a sort of a lull. It's after school ends, I'm working part time but I have a lot of time on my hands, but in a month I'll be in Italy again.

I hope I'll be able to update again before I leave, but I can tell this story is starting to get 2 the sad parts. (ALSO DOn"T GO SEE ThE FAULT IN OUR STARS DON' T DO IT u will CRY)