Chapter Eleven

"So, it's okay to keep secrets from me, right?"

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, his best friend. They were standing by the lockers, getting ready for the new school day. But something was different; for once Naruto didn't seem happy or excitable like usual. His eyes looked truly livid. Sasuke thought back and remembered what he had said yesterday, and suddenly he felt panicky, though he tried his best not to show it.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke replied, turning his back and opening his locker. Lying was the only idea he could come up with on such short notice. He spoke cooly, but on the inside questions were racing. 'How did he know? Who told him?'

"Don't lie," Naruto bluntly said, speaking while also opening his locker. "I heard you and Sakura yesterday, through my window."

Great. He was caught.

"Well, it's not like we're stuck together," Sasuke retorted, becoming annoyed. He pulled out a book and put it in his bag. "I have my own life too. It doesn't always involve you."

"Then why didn't you say that? You didn't have to say it like you were keeping some sort of secret. Besides, what kind of spot would that put Sakura in? She's stuck between us. I . . . I really like her a lot, and I don't want to see her cry like the way you made her yesterday."

"Cry?" Sasuke snapped, turning his face. Now he felt no need for distractions. What did Naruto mean when he said he made her cry? And he liked her? Since when? This was starting to really run through his head for some reason. Since when did he feel so short-tempered so quickly? "You know, you're acting even more of an idiot than usual."

"And you're acting more like a jerk than usual," Naruto muttered. Both slammed their lockers at the same time. Instead of walking together they tried to walk separate, and the two were so wrapped up in whatever small feud they were having that they didn't even wait for the last one involved.

Sakura rushed to her locker, panting a bit as she hastily opened it. She was late. Really late! She spent almost half the night talking to Ino, and now she was really paying for it. She was having so much fun, just talking and laughing and joking around with another girl that she never even noticed what time it was when she hung up. Now this morning she was feeling the pressure, a little distressed and out of schedule from it. She was hoping this wouldn't happen often.

"Come on," she muttered. She kept spinning the dial to open it, but the quicker she moved it the more it didn't seem to work. Was it trying to make her late? She really didn't want to have any tardies; if she did, her mother and father would both question her responsibility, even if it was just once. Ever since they started fighting a year ago, they never paid attention to her unless she did something wrong.

"I'll get it for you," a voice behind her said, and she turned to see Kiba standing there with a grin on his face. Her body tensed and she unconciously stepped closer to her locker until she couldn't get any more near it. He had the same smile from yesterday, and because of those events she was rather intimidated by him. He suddenly averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his head out of habit. "Look, Sakura . . . I'm sorry about yesterday. Really, I am."

"You . . ." she began to say. Of course, no normal girl would be convinced so easily that she would already be feeling calmer, but seeing such a brutally honest expression on his face made her think otherwise. She was almost reminded of how easy it was at times to read Naruto. "You are?"

"Yeah, so . . . can we start over or something?"

She wasn't exactly sure what to say, and she barely noticed as other students were filing into their classrooms when the late bell rang. The events from yesterday filled her mind, and that made her unsure. But at the same time, Kiba looked like he really meant it. If he did . . . Sakura held out her hand and he grinned as he took it, shaking. "Haruno Sakura. But, you know that already."

"Yup," he replied as she stepped out of the way of her locker. He quickly asked her for a combination and he started to work on it, all while talking. "Inuzuka Kiba. But, you know that already too. And I mean it, I'm really sorry."

"It's . . . It's okay, really. Forget about it." Not exactly true, but at the same time why start off this sort-of new friendship on the wrong foot? The only way to make it better was to forgive and forget. Besides, it's not like he got that far anyway. She smiled, glad his back was turned. 'He didn't even steal my first kiss!'

After only a moment Sakura's locker was open and she could finally get her things, though she wasn't so worried now that she was actually going to be late. Worrying about what's already come sounded a little pointess to her. She thanked Kiba, and his smile widened. But at the same time, now it felt a little awkward.

Where do two new friends start off? Especially when the way they really started wasn't really a good way to start? Plus, they were both breaking the rules and standing in the hallway during class. Not that it was too troubling; Sakura skipped class already a few times in the past couples of weeks to go to the roof, something she never would have done before.

Finally, Kiba broke the awkward silence. "Anyway . . . do you wanna hang out after school? As friends. I work at an animal shelter, and girs love to the come there." Sakura's eyes lit up at the thought of being after to see little animals. No doubt, he was right; baby puppies, kittens and bunnies were too cute! "But it won't be a date! Seriously. Hinata and Shino'll be there too."

Sakura vaguely caught the two names but dismissed them among the excitement of going to an animal shelter. But at the same time she frowned, knowing full-well she had other plans. After all, she and Ino didn't just talk about nothing all night. She saw Kiba's disheartened expression and smiled, trying to make up for it.

"I really want to go!" she started, hoping to make him feel at least a little better. "But, I'm supposed to meet Ino and Shikamaru. They're supposed to . . . help me with some problems."

"Oh, about Sasuke and Naruto? Those jerks."

Sakura remembered how Kiba seemed to aboslutely hate Naruto and Sasuke very much during their last encounter, but with the way he guessed things so quickly almost seemed unreal. It was like something bad was going on now and he knew every detail of it. Perhaps he was just one of those oberservant people. Sakura giggled to herself at the thought. 'Kiba just doesn't seem pretty smart!'

"Dunno why'd you hang out with Ino though," Kiba continued on, and she was feeling a little annoyed on the inside about how he seemed to hate all of her friends. "Thatpig is such a snot, especially when it comes to Sasuke; if any other girl likes him she'll practically kill 'em."

'Really?' Sakura thought. That was interesting at least. Never once had she thought of Ino as a bad person; it was really fun to be with to her. But then again, as Kiba said, she would only supposably go after girls who were in love with Sasuke, just like her. She heard rumors, but how he said it made it seem definite.

Kiba shrugged as he turned around, though his head was still turned to talk to her for just a bit longer. "Shikamaru's cool though; he lets me copy off of his papers in math when Shino says I can't." He flashed another grin and waved. "See you later!"

'Oh well,' Sakura thought as she waved a small goodbye herself, closing up the bookbag she had open to put her things in. Kiba was without a doubt someone who was a lot of trouble. But at the same time, he was sort of cool. She remembered the two names he said before. 'Shino and Hinata . . . I wonder what his friends are like.'

For the whole day in all of the classes she was with Sasuke and Naruto, she noticed something strange between them, something she'd never seen before with the two; they actually looked . . . angry at each other. And she wasn't the only one who noticed how when they glanced in the same direction their heads would turn in the opposite, or how they seemed to refuse talking to each other. Then there was the fact that she didn't know what in the world had happened.

And even worse than that was everyone thought she knew. People she didn't even know, some outside of her classes were approaching her and asking her what in the world was going on between them. It became so much that she was tempted to skip one of her classes to hang out on the roof again, but she decided against it since she already missed a class yesterday.

Still, no student stood out as much as one in particular. It was mostly girls who asked him and the occasional boy, but this guy . . . he just plain scared her. Everything about him creeped her out, from his sudden out-of-nowhere approach to just his feel, his aura. He came from behind her in the library during her lunch period when she was looking at a few books.

"What happened to Uzumaki and Uchiha?" a dark voice said behind her, making her freeze just as she was putting a book back on the shelf. She didn't even want to turn around with this one; it was barely half way through the day and she was just annoyed with how many people were coming to her instead of Naruto and Sasuke, but something said that if she didn't comply she would be in trouble.

When she turned she saw a boy who was at least a head taller than herself with all-over-the-place but short red hair, and ghostly pale skin. His eyes were cold and ice blue, standing out magnificently with the thick eye make-up he wore. He dressed in all black, his fingernails painted the same color and chains and zippers plastered everywhere one could look on his shirt and pants, more for decoration than anything. What was most noticeable was the tattoo on his forehead, which read 'love'. She wanted to giggle, but at the same time she didn't dare.

"What happened to Uzumaki and Uchiha?" he repeated, his face staying exactly the same. He was practically emotionless, unreadable. Sakura really didn't want to give him the same answer she had bee giving everyone else, but . . .

"Y-You see," she started, laughing a little in a nervous sort of way. How to word it? "I really don't know myself . . . I haven't been able to talk to them at all-"

The boy slammed a hand onto the shelf, startling her and cornering her. His eyes became angry, but he stilled looked the same. She could just feel it. "Liar. What happened?"

"I really don't know!"

"You-"

"Gaara!"

Both turned their heads to see two more students, a girl with blonde hair, some parts of it bound up at the sides and the other a rather big-boned, strong looking boy with dark marks on his face like tattoos. They both dressed the same way as the boy named Gaara did, only it seemed just a little less extreme for some reason. It was the girl who spoke, and Sakura was thankful.

"Temari . . . Kankuro," Gaara said softly.

Temari approached the both of them, almost ready to pry Gaara away when he swung his arm at her; she backed away, giving him an expression that begged him to stop while trying to look strong at the same time. With that he complied and backed away from Sakura; she wanted to heave a sigh, but she also didn't want attention drawn to her.

"Gaara, stop threatening people when it's not needed," the girl said. He gave her a strong glare, but she continued. Sakura was surprised the two seemed so familiar with him, yet by their expressions they were obviously just as afraid. "There wasn't any point to that."

"We can just see Naruto or Sasuke," Kankuro said, turning to walk away. "She isn't a part of your stupid obsession."

"Stupid?" Gaara repeated. Now that Sakura wasn't part of the focus and only a viewer, she didn't feel nearly as intimidated, though she knew she should. It was almost silly. Just how dark could this boy be? Sakura noticed Gaara reach into one of his baggy pockets to pull out a small knife, something just tiny enough that the teachers would never know. "Shut up or I'll kill you both."

Sakura gulped, her heart beating quickly. 'This guy . . . he's serious!'

Kankuro helped up his hands, trying to smile while giving up any argument they were having instantly. "Sorry, sorry . . . We'll go now, alright?"

"Fine."

Sakura didn't dare move until the three were out of the library, and when she did move she trembled. It was just something. 'Gaara . . . who is he? And what connection does he have with Naruto and Sasuke?'

X x x x

Yeay, Gaara! The last chapter I wrote before going on hiatus, and I'm pretty proud of myself. :D Well, Gaara's cool! I'm glad people liked him this way.