Chapter Eight

For a little while Sakura and Naruto walked together, and while they hadn't spoken to each other it was anything but awkward. He would sing to himself a little and she giggled as she listened, noticing how off key he was. He would glance at her and smile, sing a little louder and a little more off, and finally she burst into full-out laughter.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized, though her insides weren't feeling like apologizing in the least. "You just sound . . . so . . ."

"Awwww," he said sarcastically, though his baby blue eyes drooped. "You didn't like my singing?"

"Sorry, sorry . . ." she said, calming down a little. She thought she was fine when he tried to prove himself by singing louder, making her giggle louder. She noticed people in the neighborhood would look at them awkwardly, and he even earned a few looks from people looking out their windows. Suddenly she was curious of something. "How does Sasuke sing?"

"Oh him?" Naruto stopped his outlandish resonating and looking up at the sky. The sun was setting early, so it was almost as if a giant, shiny orange was sinking into the earth behind the homes. It was getting a little dark and she unconciously paced her walk. Finally he shrugged. "Dunno. I've known him a long time, but I don't think I've heard him- wait!"

Sakura jumped at his outburst but he didn't seem to notice. "Yeah! Sasuke's parents have made him sing in choir when he was little."

"Cool!" Sakura said with a cheeky smile. "Is he in it now?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"He stopped when they died. Sasuke's parents are dead."

A shock resonated through her entire body when she heard Naruto speak. She couldn't believe it; Sasuke was an orphan? His parents were dead. Her eyes began to water; she felt so terrible, and even though she didn't want to ruin the make-up Ino had helped her with it didn't compare. She covered her face with her hands so Naruto wouldn't see. She hadn't even realized they stopped moving.

"They're . . . gone?" she said in a small voice. "Here I was, complaining about a divorce and his family is dead! I feel like . . . I feel . . ."

"Hey." Naruto wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a comforting hug. She was surprised, but she didn't feel threatened like she did with the boys in first period. Even though Naruto was shorter, somehow he felt so powerful holding her. "It's okay; it was years ago. And don't think it's bad to feel how you feel."

"But . . " she protested, her voice muffled in his chest. His shirt was wet with salty water. "I can't even imagine losing my parents. I . . . I should be happy that they're alive."

Naruto held the back of her head, his fingers intertwining a little with her cherry colored hair. His lips were at her forehead, and he was tempted to kiss it. Girls liked that sort of thing, right? It made them feel better . . .

But he didn't. He had a feeling Sakura wouldn't be so pleased; she was different. He gently held her back, his hands on her shoulders. The two were face to face, and he grinned widely. "Now, let's turn that frown upside down!"

Sakura couldn't help but giggle again, wiping away her tears. She looked silly with smudged make-up on her face and felt awful inside, but at the same time she couldn't help but chuckle; Naruto really was something, that was for sure. 'Entertaining, to say the least!'

"Okay, see you tommorow!"

Watching as Naruto stepped up the stairs of his own house, Sakura stared deliriously as if she wasn't sure what was going on. She hadn't noticed they were right by their homes. He gave her a quzzical expression as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, then he shrugged and smiled. "Awww! Miss me already?"

Sakura snapped out of her trance and stuck out her tongue playfully. "You wish!"

He gave one last laugh before opening the door and closing it behind him. She had waved till then, but somehow, putting it back down was a problem. She honestly didn't want to leave that spot on the sidewalk; she wanted to stay there and wait for him to open the door again, just to flash a healthy grin.

'This is stupid,' she thought, frowning inwardly. She ignored the darkness for only a moment, contemplating within herself before turning to go in her own house.

All night Sakura was struggling to sleep through a loud, screeching voice. Her mother's shrill screams as she shouted into the phone ripped at her ears, even when she squeezed her fluffy pink pillows over them. She bit down on her lip and shut her eyes, trying to hold back tears and working her hardest on getting some sleep.

'I won't cry,' Sakura thought, blocking out the noise outside of her small, dark room. A vision of Sasuke flickered in her mind and she felt tainted with guilt. 'He must have a horrible life . . . Being alone . . . I should be happy I even have parents . . .'

But for some reason, she wasn't happy at all.

This same thing happened every night, her mother always arguing with her father downstairs while Sakura tried to sleep. But when she was in school, she felt bubbly. Sasuke was also becoming sweeter, while Naruto stayed ever-so-cheerful. She was proud to call them her closest friends there. She hoped they were proud to call her theirs.

"Sakura . . ."

"Yeah?" She turned as she shut her locker, looking over to Sasuke. They didn't talk much, even after two weeks of her being there, but they were often together because of Naruto. When he did talk, however, he wasn't nearly as cold as when he acted with everyone else.

Sasuke turned his head and looked towards the ground as he leaned his shoulder against his own closed locker, his long bangs covering his face as he lightly scratched the surface of his nose. She didn't really understand what he was doing . . . his posture seemed a bit rigid compared to usual. She had quickly learned he was one to care for appearances.

She noticed him open his mouth only slightly, then closed it. This confused her more, but in an eager and excited way. She wanted to hear what he had to say.

"I . . ." he started, his voice sounding oddly nervous. She bent her knees a little to try and see his face and gasped as she saw him, thankful the crowd chattering around them was so loud. He was blushing! "I . . . I wanted to know if we could . . . go-"

"Hey guys!" Naruto shouted, making the both of them jump out of their skins. Sakura also had come to learn how modest Sasuke was an how . . . well . . . not so modest Naruto was. He jumped on his best friends' back, his arms wrapped around his neck. Before Sasuke could get a hold of the weight on him he fell to the floor right before Sakura.

"Whoops," Naruto muttered, though it sounded a little sarcastic. He grinned. "Sorry Sasuke. I couldn't help it!"

"You dumbass . . ." Sasuke muttered in a cold voice. At first Sakura was intimidated by him when he spoke in such a manner, but she knew now how the both of them worked. He sounded angry, ice cold, but Naruto's smiled melted that snowstorm in a second. He had the effect on her as well.

"What were the two of you talking about anyway?"

Remembering the red tainting his cheeks made Sakura blush as well and she turned a bit, not sure if she wanted the two of them to see. 'First of all, if Sasuke saw he would know that I knew I saw him . . . And if Naruto saw, he'd get the wrong idea and never stop teasing me!'

"Ah, well, don't tell me." Sakura turned around again when she felt the heat in her face fade and saw that Naruto had finally gotten off of his friend. Sasuke was standing up, still looking rather angry. Usually people with such cold expressions weren't handsome in the least bit, their faces so stiff from being so emotionless. But Sasuke . . . He was gorgeous no matter what.

"So," she started, getting the attention from the both of them. She pulled a bit of her hair behind her ear as she smiled. "Shall we go?"

Naruto of course was the only one walking with her by the time they had reached their houses. For once she'd like to have Sasuke come with them, or she'd like to go to his own home to see what it was like. But it wasn't boring at all when he wasn't there. It was just as entertaining.

"So yeah, I got a detention slip because from Kakashi because I cheated on the science test." Naruto gave a wide smile. "But now I know all the answers thanks to Sasuke, so I can write them on my arm before I do the retake!"

"And how do you expect to outsmart Mr. Hatake?" Sakura asked, giggling.

"Ancient Chinese secret."

"You dork!"

"Not as much of a dork as you!" he said, jumping behind her and tickling her sides. She started laughing and squealed protests as she tried to pry his fingers off, but it was no use. He was bonier than her, but he was much stronger.

"Okay, okay," he finally said, stepping in front of her and holding up his hands as if to show he stopped. She was still laughing, her arms wrapped around her front to hold her stomach in. She had long dropped her book bag on the sidewalk. "I don't need to tickle you to get you to laugh anyway. You're a regular giggle box!"

She still couldn't reply, and they hurried over to sit down on the steps in front of Sakura's house. When she had calmed down enough, she smiled. Her sides were sore, but she didn't mind in the least. "You . . You're so funny, that's why!"

"Say . . ." Sakura perked up her ears but stared forward. For some reason, this tone sounded much like Sasuke's from earlier. It was unusual hearing it from Naruto. "Sometime later, do you . . . wanna go somewhere? Like, to a movie or something?"

Sakura's face for a second time that day turned a dark red. 'Is Naruto . . . Is Naruto asking me out?'

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Oh, dear . . . The conflicts are starting! XD