CHAPTER 11: Weirdness, the party and a hasty exit.

As the teacher drones on about the chapter on Areas of some lousy graphs, Naruto finds himself peculiarly staring at someone sitting on the opposite end of the room.

The boy's head is resting on his palms in a gesture of boredom and yet, Naruto cannot understand why he has been staring at that for close to ten minutes. On a tangent, he thinks: why hadn't he noticed?

From experience, Naruto finds that if someone stares at him, he'd, somehow, feel the eyes on him. It's like some hidden energy that burns when focused too intently on something. He remembers the time when he caught the same boy looking at him during classes. Of course, after a while he didn't bother trying to meet the gaze. What was the point when the boy's head always turned before he ever got the chance?

Perhaps that boy was used to being stared at.

He looks at the hair; the jet-black colour that was contrasted to his skin tone. He looks at the eyes –or the remains of the eyes since it's always hidden beneath the layer of fringe. And he vaguely wonders if that is the reason why the boy seems so cold. Everyone says that eyes are the windows to a person's soul, so when covered, does that mean that the soul is covered too? Does that mean there is a thick layer of whatever it is surrounding the only part that makes them human?

Naruto stares at him, at that lazy posture, at that effeminate face and wonders: Why is he so cold?

He shakes his head then and tries to refocus on the teacher. He thinks back to the scenario in the morning and promises himself not to ever think of that damn boy again.

There I was trying to apologize and what does he do? He tells me to die, calls me annoying, kicks a table towards me, leaves a bloody wet jacket on the floor and gets me into trouble for it. Fickle bastard.

He lets out a sigh. Outside, the rain has stopped but the clouds had yet to clear. Unconsciously, his hands reach for his stomach and he thinks of ramen. And when he hears the bell going off, he is happy, but then is not.

It's only lunch.

He walks out, ignoring everyone –because everyone pretty much ignores him- and walks to the cafeteria. He waits patiently in the usual table that he and Shikamaru occupies with his tray of food.

As a form takes the seat opposite of him, he looks up. But it is not Shikamaru.

"Yes?"

Sasuke looks directly at him and he feels unnerved by this. Without knowing, he shifts in his seat.

"Yes?" he repeats again.

"Are you going Chouji's party?"

"What's it to you?"

"Don't," came the smooth voice.

"Why?"

"'Cause."

"'Cause what?"

"If you think that going to these sorts of outings will give you friends you are very wrong."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't go."

"Look, okay. I'm not going there to make friends. Shikamaru wants me to go with him so I'm coming. Sorry to burst your bubble." He stands up then, deciding to move to another table, but a hand grabs his wrist.

"Listen to me."

For some inexplicable reason, he feels burned by the touch. He knows that it isn't the usual burn; it's something more. It tickles his skin slightly, providing that numbing feeling, and surges through his body with incredible speed. His stomach goes funny then, like the description of those million butterflies occupying it or the insides doing somersaults. He doesn't know why and suddenly realizes that it's the first time anyone's ever touched him like this.

Then it is gone. Sasuke drops the hold.

What the hell? He hears himself breathing heavily.

"Yo, Naruto! Ey, Sasuke? What're you guys doing?"

He turns to see Shikamaru and wills himself to forget whatever that happened before.

"Hey."

Shikamaru gives him a quizzical look and he tries to quickly explain. "Ah! He just came over to… Oh yeah, he told me not to go Chouji's party."

"Why?"

"Dunnoes. He's weird."

"Oh."

"Hey man, lets go somewhere else to eat."

"Er… okay."

They both walk away from Sasuke towards another table far away from the latter. Naruto doesn't know why, but he hears his mind telling himself not to look back at the boy. So he doesn't. He doesn't ponder, either, on that strange emotion from before. He walks with his tray in both his hands and decides to ramble nonsense to Shikamaru because that is his way of occupying his mind. It never fails him, so why should it now?

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.

A week later, on the day of Shikamaru's friend, Chouji's, birthday, Naruto finds himself pretty much doing the same thing as he does in recent days: looking at absolutely nothing.

Year 12 syndrome was getting on where, like most other students, he'd not really pay attention in classes anymore. He was glad that Kiba didn't go to school these days –something about an injury and is now in a hospital- so his life at school was pretty much non-dangerous –if such a word exists.

He thinks to the party tonight and his insides well in anticipation. He's never really attended rich kids parties so he was really looking forward to it –how it is, what it was. At first he was worried when Shikamaru told him that they weren't going together (him having to go earlier because their parents were close friends) but is not anymore. Stop acting like a faggot.

It is the last lesson of the day and it is Chemistry. Naruto doesn't really like Chemistry but he is good at it so he does it. He looks to his partners: Hinata and Sasuke. To him, they look quite good together.

"You know," he decides to say. "You guys should go out."

The two look up at him. He smiles. But something in his smile doesn't feel so natural to him. And when he sees Sasuke's expression –an eyebrow raised, visible through his now semi-parted fringe –he somehow feels bad.

"W-what m-makes y-you s-say t-that?"

And he can't find himself justifying it.

"Ha ha ha! Just a thought," he manages. He looks down to the report he is doing and tries hard not to look up, not to say a word, not to do anything but concentrate on the number of moles each reaction has. But it fails. And he thinks: something is wrong with me.

When the bell goes and the teacher finishes writing the homework down, Naruto quickly makes for the door. There is something in the area his group occupies and there is something about how they are positioned today that makes Naruto find it so difficult to breathe. And it is weird because, behind them, there is a window. Opened. Naruto shrugs it off.

He reaches his locker in no time and grabs for his weekend homework. It takes a while for this because Naruto needs to fit everything in his bag. He decides to do homework for all his subjects. In the midst of his packing he almost forgets about the party he has to attend tonight but does not when someone reminds him.

"See you Chouji's," a classmate shouts to their friends. He doesn't even have time to ponder on this when he feels another presence near him. When he turns around and sees whom it is, he smiles.

"Hey Hinata-san."

"H-Hey N-Naruto-k-kun. I w-was w-wondering if y-you w-were b-busy on S-Sunday."

Why is she always stuttering?

"Nope, why?"

"M-Ms s-said t-that w-we s-should f-finalize o-our r-reports l-lest w-we f-forget and h-hand it in l-late. We've d-decided to go S-Sasuke-k-kun's h-house to do it. I-is that a-alright with y-you?"

He thinks on this then asks: "Why Sasuke's house?"

"B-because his h-house is f-free. M-my p-parent's are inviting g-guests o-over, un-unless y-you w-want it at y-your place?" She begins twirling her fingers but Naruto doesn't notice.

"That's cool. I don't have his address though."

Hinata quickly grabs for something in her bag and hands it over. It is a strip of paper with writing on it and Naruto thanks her as he closes his locker and puts it in his bag. "Thanks. See you then."

He leaves not bothering to ask if she is going to the party tonight. He thinks: Why wouldn't she? It's a rich kid's party and she's rich.

Rounding a corner, he exits the school and heads home.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.

At about 9:00 when Chouji's parents had left the house as expected the party that all were talking about really started. Music was pumping, people were dancing and drinks and other 'goodies' were being shared around.

A girl, whose long blonde hair was waved for the special occasion, stood next to her pink haired friend. There were others around them, joining them, because there was something going on. Setting up cameras, grabbing markers and preparing drugs. For them, this was a special mission. One that involved taking revenge and making the sufferer remember the night forever. They were determined to succeed.

Moving along with the loud music, they passed around tablets and swayed to the rhythm of the beat. They loved parties and went to one nearly every week because, hey, it wasn't like anyone stopped them.

When all was done –the preparations, the set ups –the pink haired, Sakura, grew impatient. "When's that idiot coming anyway?"

"Chill," replied the blonde. "Just wait."

She handed over a tablet to her friend and the other quickly swallowed it down. When 10 minutes passed and there was still no sign of the person whom they waited for, Sakura asked again.

"Where's your friend, Ino?"

The bunch stormed towards a dark haired boy lying blissfully on the couch.

"Shikamaru!" cried Ino. "Is he coming or what?"

The boy's lids flew open and, upon seeing the bunch of girls, winced. How annoying, he thinks.

"You told him 9:00 right?"

"Yeah, wait."

And that was all because they hear a scream from the front. ("Why the fuck is Naruto here!")

The girls smile.

Shikamaru looks away.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.

So much for a nice welcome, thinks Naruto as he enters the grand double story house he spent ages finding. The whole street had just about looked the same and Shikamaru's address and descriptions weren't exactly helping.

He walked inside ignoring the drunks and the shrill noises to find his friend. He really felt awkward entering like this but what can he do? He walked through the hallway registering the expensive décor, the antique paintings but something about it didn't make his heart fill with envy.

Maybe it was his mood…

Music was too loud for him and it took him a while to find who he looked for. The boy was lying on a leather couch and he approached him and woke him up. The latter did, but it seemed he wasn't exactly sleeping at all.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey."

"Want a drink?"

He nodded.

The boy stood up and went to –what Naruto suspected –the kitchen. He continued sitting there amongst the large crowd and loud music. It is his first ever party but he's already concluded that he didn't like it. This sucks.

After what seemed like forever, Shikamaru came back, holding a bottle of already opened drink. He eyed it curiously and his friend immediately said, "I opened it for you. Save you the hassle." Naruto shrugs it off and takes it. He takes a swig and decides that he likes the drink. It tastes a bit different from the one he usually has perhaps because it is more expensive. Not long, he finishes the bottle.

"So what's there to do?" he shouts when the music muffled his first try.

"You can dance if you want," came the response. "You want another drink?"

Naruto nods again but declines the dance. When Shikamaru passes him another bottle, he gulps it down as fast as the first. He doesn't understand why and soon, without knowing, he begins drinking more. And more. He begins to feel a bit tipsy as the room starts spinning around him. The colours dance in his vision but, peculiarly, he feels good.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.

Sasuke lies in his bed trying to sleep. But he doesn't even come close.

"Naruto will be begging for mercy!"

"I know! When the tape gets around he'd lose so much face. Let's see if Sasuke-kun likes him then."

"Fuck, Ino-pig! Don't say that. I refuse to think Sasuke-kun like this."

"Me too. But you know, like, in case. Besides, it's probably nothing serious."

"Yeah."

"So you getting it, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Get some extra. I haven't done them in, like, so long."

"Sure. I still can't believe his coming though."

Sasuke rolls in his bed before lying upright and facing the ceiling. Just because I like him doesn't mean I have to do anything, he thinks. He's old enough to take care of himself. He nods. Yes, that's right.

"Naruto will be begging for mercy!"

He lies there again, restless, and the line before echoes in his head. A moment later he gets up and walks briskly out. "Takuya!" he calls while descending the stairs. The man stops talking to the maid when he hears this. "Get me to Chouji's."

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.

Sakura grabs a camera ready. The boy is reacting to the drugs and she smiles along with her friends. They laugh, a most shrilly laugh, and she looks through the screen of her digital camera. Just a bit more, she thinks.

On her other side is Ino, holding the video cam. Of course, Sakura wanted to be in charge of the video camera first, but heck! Who cares? It's still the same. Just drink a bit more, she thinks, just a bit more…

"Wow, I can't believe his reacting so quickly to speed," says a girl and Sakura twists her neck back.

"What did you say?"

The girl looks at her innocently. "You told me to spike it."

"I was supposed to spike it," she says.

"Really?" asks Ino. "Wasn't it supposed to be me?"

They look at each other for a moment, shocked of what they heard. Then they look back at the still drinking blonde. "What did you give him?" she asks carefully.

"X, what about you?"

"Acid."

"Um, weren't we supposed to make him sleep?" asks another and the three spin to her direction. The girl looks away. "I had extra, so I put some in."

Sakura looks at the girl then turns to her two other friends. "Shit," they say in unison. They look back at the blonde wondering what the hell will happen now. But, when the situation finally reached their senses –after one shared look –they begin to laugh.

It is quite funny.

TBC…