My words from me to you: Chapter 4 of this story is finally completed! Now just started on a new story entitled: Ballad with pairings of Itachi and Sakura. Hope you guys can actually give it a try and review of course. And how can I ever thank Shujouteki Kumo. You are always the first few to read my stories and reviews. I'm so honoured. :D Right now, I think I better had enough of the talking. Without further ado, my chapter 4!
Chapter 4
(Neji)
Sakura and I went into 'cold war'. She refused to even look at me, let alone talking. Times weren't so bad when we actually get to see each other everyday in the same class.
You know at the very least, I get to see her.
But then, the streaming exam came. It is whereby we had to sit through an exam and get into a course with different combination of subjects depending on the outcome. But we get to choose also of course.
After that few long tiring weeks of exams, results finally came.
I entered the first class and Sakura? She entered the second.
Given with Sakura's ability and usual results, she would be able to go to the first class.
I thought I would like to find out from Hinata. So I asked her. This was her reply.
"Oh. You mean Sakura? I don't know either. Now you had mentioned it. I find it funny too. She has been always dying to go to the first class and her results of the streaming were very good too. Maybe they made a mistake in the posting." She said.
"What's her position in the entire level?" I asked hurriedly. Fearing the fact that she actually did this to avoid me.
"It was on the notice board. She came in third." Hinata answered me without hesitation. "How about you?"
"I came in eleventh." I told her. My heart sank.
She did this to avoid me.
(Sakura)
Like I asked for, I got into the second class. I thought, with this, I could gradually forget and let him go like this.
I was so wrong.
There wasn't a day spent without me thinking of him.
It hurts.
(Neji)
I never gave up on her. Not even once. Although we're separated, I still hope to see her everyday.
A look, a glance or even a glimpse.
I don't ask for more.
Not as long as I can see her safe and warm right before my eyes.
I'm satisfied. Really.
(Sakura)
So, we spent three years without talking in school till we graduated from school. But I have the best and worst night ever after graduating… and that was the prom night… a bit of irony I know…
But I doubt I'll ever forget it.
(Hinata)
We were supposed to dress formally for the prom night and everyone was excited about it. That was when you can find Ino dancing around, thinking about what to wear with a smile spread across her face.
She maybe annoying sometimes…
But she can be adorable too.
Right. The whole point isn't about her.
Anyway, Ino, Sakura and I decided to go together after dressing up. Ino came to my house first. She was pretty. She wore a navy blue short dress and high-heeled fashioned boots.
She let her hair down and was kind of 'twirly' too, but they fall on her shoulders nicely.
As for me?
I wore a dark maroon tube dress, a black shawl wrapped around my shoulders and black high-heeled shoes.
Ino said I should wear more things like that…
Whatever.
We set out together from my house to meet up with Sakura. When we saw her, our jaws dropped.
She wore a black tube dress that had a skirt that was short at one side and long at the other. You know, from being short at one end and gradually longer at the other.
And it really shows her body very well…
She wore the same shoes as Ino just that it was black as well. She wore a dark red beaded strangler as well.
She was stunningly beautiful.
(Neji)
Everybody were scattered everywhere in the ballroom. But Kiba, Naruto, Shikamaru and I and the rest of the guys we knew hanged around in a group.
We were talking busily among ourselves when I heard some other guys said something.
"My… She's really hot today!"
Shikamaru, Naruto and the rest of us turn in their direction.
All of our jaws dropped.
Sakura was… was… beautiful.
Then, Kiba nudged me from the sides.
"What?" I shot angrily at him for disturbing me while I looked at her.
"Don't they looked… special tonight?" he asked, feeling rather unsure of himeself.
"Sure do! I gonna ask Hinata to dance with me later!" Naruto grinned when he heard our conversation. "What?!" Kiba exclaimed. "What's wrong with asking her?" Naruto asked, nonplussed. "Nothing! Just wanna tell you, you've got competition. Let's see who got her first!" Kiba challenged. "Like I'm afraid of you… DEAL!" Naruto smirked.
"Idiots…" Shikamaru muttered, shaking his head.
They chose to ignore and instead they asked him.
"Who you're going to ask to dance with you later on then?"
Shikamaru blushed. "C'mon… Just tell us. We won't laugh…" Kiba teased. Shikamaru nodded, took in a deep breath and said, "Ino." Kiba and Naruto grinned at each other.
"You said you guys won't laugh!" Shikamaru muttered angrily.
"We did not… We only grin. That's a big difference."
That was when the teacher-in-charge asked everyone to settle down to our dining tables and eat, while some of them can dance on the dance floor if they want.
I saw the three girls settling down at a nearby table.
"Hey, Neji. Thinking of asking her to dance with you?" Kiba asked.
"I…I…" I stuttered. But before I could finish, they cut in.
"We'll let you do the call first. You two can go and be the first to dance. We won't steal your limelight. Don't say we're not buddies…" Naruto whispered to me with a smile on the face.
"Just go… This is not the Neji I know…" Kiba urged.
I looked at Shikamaru. He just gave me thumbs up and a wink.
Great. Some kind of friend…
Before I know anything, they pushed me towards her table. I stumbled. But I gathered my courage together all the same.
I walked towards her, though fearing she would reject me with the fact that she had not been talking to me for such a long time.
I stood beside her while she looked at me. I could see Hinata and Ino giving me thumbs up from behind her back too.
I streteched out my hand.
"Will you dance with me, Sakura?" I whispered softly.
I was feeling so tense all over.
(Sakura)
Neji asked me to dance with him. I blushed and was feeling unsure whether to take his offer or not when Ino pushed me forward and I accidentally grabbed Neji's hand. I shot an angry look at Ino. Hinata and her just gave me their grins.
I turned back to look at Neji.
"Okay…" I smiled.
(Neji)
She said YES!
Thank God…
I smiled back at her and led her by the hand to the dance floor.
(Kiba)
We punched into the air when Sakura said yes. We were happy for our dear friend you see.
They were the first to dance and all eyes turned to look at them.
Neji hugged Sakura closed to him while they swayed to the music in a gentle waltz.
I felt…happy for them… I guess. For a thousand years, this was the only time I've seen Neji so happy.
(Neji)
Her eyes held mine for a long time and I enjoyed every second of it. But good times never seem to last long.
We stopped when the music ended.
Though feeling a bit disappointed, we bowed to each other nevertheless. She smiled at me once more and it instantly comforted me and made me felt better.
I turned to look at my buddies, they smiled at me and were clapping as hard as they could.
(Ino)
The guys and us shared a table and we ate and talked happily. I had a great dance with Shikamaru too. He was cute that night.
Hinata too! She blushed so deep when Kiba and Naruto asked her at the same time to dance with her. But she chose to dance with Kiba first then with Naruto later.
Amazingly, the guys don't seem to be too bothered bout it.
(Hinata)
The prom ended rather late. We went on our way while the guys on the other.
Ino, Sakura and I were walking home when I noticed Sakura crying silently, tears flowing down her face.
"Sakura! What happened? Why are you crying?" I whispered to Sakura worriedly. Ino turned to looked at her. "Is she? My… Sakura, tell us… what happened?"
"I'm afraid… I'm afraid I won't be able to see Neji again… we'll be going on different paths then…" She sobbed and cried on my shoulders.
I hugged her while Ino patted her head.
Poor girl…
She went through too much…
