Disclaimer: Sis didn't own Naruto, only her story plots and her OCs.
7—His Gentle Touch
Sakura looked up from her studies to the invitation she'd received in the mail. Every year, the student council put on the Winter Dance and Festival. Gaara had already asked her to go with him. But would her parents allow her to go? It was a tradition she'd never participated in due to the fact her parents found it took away from her study time. The festival was put on for the entire week, and the dance was the culmination of the entire event, taking place on Friday. But this year, she really wanted to go.
She bit her lip and turned back to her studies. Maybe if she aced the mock exam, her parents would let her go. She looked at the picture she had taped to her desk and she smiled. It had been taken at the Halloween party. All the girls were lined up in the front row, the guy they'd come with/danced with right behind them. She smiled as she noticed that despite the picture, Gaara was still staring down at her as she'd hugged the other girls laughingly. It had really been more fun than she'd ever had.
She bit her lip and looked over her shoulder. She had the perfect dress to wear to the Winter Dance. Now it was just a matter of being given permission to go. She turned back to her test and took extra care on it. When she was finished, she took it downstairs for her parents to check it over. She stood there nervously as her father eyed it. When he looked up at her, it was his usual expression…a frown.
"You missed three questions." He stated. She felt her heart twist and she looked at the ground. Why couldn't he ever be happy about the other ninety-seven questions she'd gotten right? She steeled herself for a lecture, but her mother's gentle voice stopped it.
"Honey, that's the best she's done on the mock exams since she started high school. She takes them every year, twice a year, just to make you proud. At least smile at her and let her know you're proud of her." Sakura looked at her mother from the corner of her eye and thanked the heavens above her mother understood her…at least a little bit. She heard a noise and looked up to see her father still frowning.
"When she gets them all correct, then I will smile." He said and threw the test results back on the table. He stood and stalked off, leaving Sakura there near tears. She closed her eyes and clenched her fist. If not for her father, she'd never try so damn hard on these tests. She just wanted to be a normal teenager. Despite her stringent control, a small sob escaped her. She felt her mother's gentle embrace for only a few seconds before she let go.
"Don't run yourself ragged sweetheart. You know your father just wants the best for you." Sakura couldn't even look at her mother. It wasn't about her…it was about their reputation. Both her parents were geniuses, so it was only natural that their daughter be one too. They pushed her and pushed her, almost to the point of breaking. She couldn't take it anymore. She let out another sob and pushed away from her mother, running to the door and grabbing her coat. She threw it on without a word and was out the door before her mother could even call her back.
She ran and ran, no clear objective in mind. Tears were falling down her cheeks. Before she knew it, she was downtown. She could see couples walking around, talking about what presents they would be getting for Christmas for those they loved. Sakura felt empty inside. She didn't have this…this affection. Her parents only ever gave her tools to make her smarter. A chemistry set when she was five…a calculus set when she was eight…she'd never gotten a present that she wasn't expected to use to further her parent's reputations.
She stood there and stared up at the sky. She wished she could disappear; just vanish. She gasped when she felt something touch her. She jerked away, only to find jade eyes and red hair before her. She blushed brightly and scrubbed at her face. She didn't want him to see her this way. She gasped when she felt him grab her arm and pull her tightly against him. He wiped her tears away and she just looked up at him.
Before she could stop herself, she threw herself into his arms and sobbed. He held her as she released all her inner turmoil…all the pain that had built up inside. He held her while she cried and he never once asked her what was wrong. He just held her and told her things would get better. When she was in a semi-calm state, he tucked her under his arm and walked with her. Before she knew it, she was at Hinata's house.
She didn't know how he knew where Hinata lived, but she was thankful. When she walked up to the door, she noticed he stayed on the sidewalk. His eyes bored into her and she gave him a slight smile. When she knocked on the door, she noticed him walking away. She was about to turn and call out to him when Hinata's mother answered the door. The older Hyuuga woman started making a fuss over Sakura's appearance and dragged her inside. The last thing Sakura saw before she was shut off from Gaara was him waving at her and then walking back towards the city.