1ST PLACE ISN'T EXACTLY THE BEST
-CHAPTER FOUR--
The Renatch
Sakura found that her eyes were dampening as she walked home,not caring if she played any games in the arcade or not.She checked her watch.It was only noon and she decided to spend the rest of her time just kicking back in her apartment unpacking.There was no point in her shopping for more clothes if she wasn't even finished unpacking any of her clothes.
-Smart move,Sakura.-
She grinned.
'Thank you.'
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The walk home was pretty stressing for the pink haired girl.All day,she had been through things that brought back truly painful memories that she kept on trying to forget.She tried everything to cheer herself up,but to no avail.The least that she did was make the snide remarks from her childhood stick in her head,after it took so many years to erase them.
"I can't believe that I'm going to go to the arcade looking like this."
She said as she looked in the mirror of her bathroom.She looked like a mess.Her hair was ruffled up a bit and her eyes were kind of red and puffy.
-Look ,all you need to do is straighten up your hair and stop rubbing your eyes.The redness from crying usually doesn't stay for at least 10 minutes!-
"Yeah…you're right…"
Sakura hastily took a shower and blow dried her hair before any signs of frizz appeared.By that time,her eyes were back to normal and she was feeling better.
"I'm ready to kick that baka teme's ASS!"
-That's my girl!-
She decided to unpack some of her clothes so she could kill some time.She had already gone through 10 of the boxes before she found one that looked familiar.It probably wasn't one that she had loaded into the moving truck when she was helping,so her father and mother probably put it there.She opened it and found all of her old journals and diaries in it.
"This is starting to get interesting…"
She poured out the contents of the box and scooped up the latest updated journal in the pile.It was one that she had started in grade 9 and she had stopped writing in it when she had moved to Osaka.
"I think I remember who gave this to me.I think it was one of my old friends that was a guy…hm…"
She opened up the book to find tons of pictures of her and her friends just fooling around.At the back of the book,she saw one picture of her and some boy that she couldn't remember.He was wearing a cap which hid most of his very vibrant red hair.
"I can't remember who this person is…I think that he used to go to my old school.What was his name again?"
Sakura looked at the picture in hopes that it would spark a memory.Unfortunately,the red hair and broad smile didn't really give her any clues.
-Hey…isn't that Sabaku no Gaara?He was the one that you had a crush on until he moved in the middle of grade 9.-
"Yeah,you're right!Didn't he move to Osaka too?"
-Yup,at least I remember that he did-
"I had a crush on him since pre-k .I can't believe that we've been best friends for so long!"
-Yeah,but then what about Temari?I thought that she was your best friend!-
"She was,but she's all the way back in Hong Kong…((None of the Sand Siblings are related in this fic))"
She put the old journal away and cleared the rest of the boxes left in her living room.By the time she was done unpacking everything,it was already 4:40.
"I'm going to be late for the whole rematch thing!"
-I knew that you shouldn't have spent all your time ogling Gaara's old picture!-
"Shut up okay?I only remembered him right now and I needed to ponder some things!"
-Humph-
Her inner self felt content about her excuse since her thoughts were kept short.It took Sakura 10 minutes to get ready and leave her condo building in the direction of the arcade.
'Why is that bakayaro even mad that I beat him and got that stupid 'arcade prince' name?I mean,it's just one stupid little title…but then,I'd be really pissed too if someone beat my sole redeeming feature!'
-Nice little joke…NOW JUST CONCENTRATING ON BEATING THAT BAKA!-
'Thanks so much for the encouragement…'
She pushed open the doors of the arcade and could not see the slightest trace of the boy's raven hair.She looked throughout the arcade and found that not even the bully from last time was there.It seemed like it was practically empty,except for a bunch of older gamers in the corner of the arcade playing pool.
'I doubt that he's going to show…'
-No,ya think!-
'Shhh….I seem him right there!'
Apparently,the boy was not late,but exactly on time.He had the same emotionless face that he had last time and his eyes were even more colder than she had remembered.
'GREAT!JUST GREAT!I completely forgot to warm up!'
She made sure that ever single aspect of her disguise was in place as she approached him.Her hair was secure in a bun and her slouch was perfectly executed so that no guy would look at her chest.
"So,it looks like you actually showed,arcade prince…or rather,princess."
"Shut it!Look,I do have a sister,so just stop calling me a freakin girl!"
Sakura anxiously looked at the raven haired boy's face for signs of disbelief,but none of them showed.
Inner Sakura: he's giving me such a hard time already!
"Alright fine,only if you beat me in this game will I believe your stupid story."
Sakura nodded and he sent her in the direction of a shooting game.
"We'll play two player on that,and the person who wins gets to be the arcade prince.Also,the loser has to buy the winner a smoothie!"
"Fine."
Sakura nodded hesitantly and she accidentally let her thoughts slip out of her mouth.
"Why does this matter to you anyway?It's just about a stupid title!"
The boy looked at her and said,"I told you before,no one beats me at anything.So get that straight!"
Sakura nodded as they each pulled out one of the guns lying adjacent to each other at the target shooting game.They started out,yet again,with a tie.It kept up for a long time,neither of them talking or even breaking their concentration.Their points kept on rising to 100,200,300…until they reached 1000.by that time,yet another crowd had developed and they were cheering for either side.Most of them were cheering for the now reigning arcade prince,Sakura.But some of them were still cheering for the other boy.
'God…these people know that I'm going to kick his ass and yet their still yelling for that other baka to win!'
They had been playing for over an hour until the other boy had missed a target,then missed another.It seemed like for every 4 targets,he was missing one.Sakura started relaxing when she noticed that she was reaching 3000((the person who reaches 3000 first wins)) faster than he was.When she shot the last target and finally reached 3000,the raven haired boy sighed heavily.
"Looks like you won,but I'm not giving up!"
"…Lucky me…"
"Like I said,no one beats me!"
"Yeah,right."
Inner Sakura: Ha!I beat him again!
Sakura yawned and said to the obviously angry boy,"Since you're all pout-y and shit,you don't have to buy me that smoothie,okay?"
Inner Sakura: Hey,I might as well try and make friends with this guy or else this whole thing might happen again tomorrow…
The boy looked at her even more colder,"Don't pity me.I will buy you that smoothie!"
To her,the boy seemed a lot less mature when he was beaten,but at least he looked cute…She nodded and he kept his mouth shut when Sakura chugged down the smoothie,as thirsty as ever.After she wolfed down the smoothie,she turned to the raven haired boy and said,"You put up a really good fight.I'm pretty tired from all that concentrating and stuff…"
"Whatever…"
Inner Sakura: So…when he's not being beaten,he automatically adverts back to being cold and emotionless eh?How convenient for me…
Shee stayed sitting there as she ordered another smoothie.And surprisingly,the boy stayed there too.
Inner Sakura: I thought that he'd leave once he finished ordering me a smoothie…He's pretty weird (grin)
"What are you grinning about,huh?"
"Nothing."
"Well,just stop it,people will think that I'm actually talking to you."
"Oh,and you're not right now?"
The boy kept quiet and the only thing that could be heard was Sakura slurping her smoothie.
"Why are you still here?"
"I'm waiting for my girlfriend."
"Really?"
"Yeah,and don't slurp your smoothie so loud.It's so annoying."
"Whatever."
Inner Sakura: He has a girlfriend!
Sakura started to laugh at this thought as she finished up her smoothie and walked towards the exit,Before she left,the boy looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"Why the hell are you laughing."
"No reason."
She started walking and heard the boy mumble,'Crazy bitch' under his breath and Sakura fought the urge to beat him up.
'Well,at least he didn't comment about my forehead!'