1ST PLACE ISN'T EXACTLY THE BEST
-CHAPTER TWELVE-
My last shred of hope…gone
"Sasuke-kun,I'm sorry."
"No you're not."
"I am.I swear it."
Tears streamed down Sakura's eyes and she did nothing to stop them.
"I really like you,Sasuke-kun.But I couldn't stand it if you…were mad at me."
"You're so annoying."
Sasuke broke free of Sakura's embrace and walked off.Sakura didn't even bother to run after him,but only a single sentence escaped her lips.
"You're…you're just like me…"
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Sakura wiped away her tears and entered the arcade again.Most of the gamers who hadn't been paying attention to her before were looking at her with a keen interest as she made her way through the crowd of gamers.Among them,she could hear whispers of 'So,do we need a new arcade prince?' and 'I guess the arcade prince is a princess now.'Sakura almost burst into tears when she saw Naruto looking at her through bewildered eyes.Sakura sat herself down beside him at the bar.
"Eh?Sakura-chan?Why'd you dress up as a guy just to beat Sasuke?"
Sakura sighed heavily.Truthfully,she didn't even know the answer herself.
"I guess that it started out as just avoiding the guys that would stalk me.But now,I just think that I needed to beat him in his only known redeeming feature to impress him."
Naruto patted her on the back,
"Don't worry,Sakura-chan.Things'll turn out…I guess."
Sakura wiped away a new batch of tears and tried to force a smile.
"Hey,I'll buy you a soda."
"Thanks,Naruto-kun…"
Naruto got up from his seat and asked the bartender to give them two sodas while Sakura pulled off the sweater and oversized pants so she could move around easily in her normal clothes ((she wears clothes underneath,so don't get the idea that she's running around buck-naked.))She couldn't help but bury her face in the clothes as she took in the scent.
'Dammit…still smells like Sasuke-kun…'
-Hey,cheer up.At least the scent washes out when you put it in the washing machine.Or maybe we could burn it…-
'No,I'm not burning anything.Too busy brooding.'
-Alright,you go ahead and be a lazy bitch!-
'I will…'
Naruto came back with their drinks and took another stab at cheering her up.
"Hey,Sakura-chan!Look at me!"
"Yes,that's a very entertaining funny face,Naruto-kun."
Naruto looked even more puzzled at Sakura's sarcastic expression.
"Why are you being sarcastic at a time like this?"
"No reason."
"Then let's play a game!Why go to an arcade without playing any games,huh?"
"Yeah sure."
'Why would I want to play arcade games a time like this?I"m so stupid…'
They both played ddr and Sakura suddenly found herself happy again.It was like Naruto wasn't the necessary pick-me-up,but the thing that had caused Sakura and Sasuke to part ways was just about the right cure.After their 10th round,Sakura checked her watch,It was almost quarter to 9.She looked over at Naruto,who was looking dumbfounded that a girl had beaten him, and smiled.
"Thanks for meeting me here,Naruto-kun.I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah,I'll head back home after I beat this kid.Do you mind walking home alone?"
"No.Bye."
As Sakura was walking home,she noticed Sasuke near the door of his family-owned condo bulding.His car was even parked right in front of the building.He was leaning on the door with his nonchalant demeanor that annoyed her so much.As she neared the door,he didn't even act like he had noticed her and just walked on past her as she pulled the door open.
"Jerk."
"Big forehead girl."
'How the hell did he hear me when he's all the way over there!'
-Don't know and don't care.Just go to sleep!I'm tired,aren't you?-
'Yeah,I am.'
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Sakura sat up in her bed in the middle of the night.
"Why was he at the condo building?"
-Well.he owns it,so I don't think that he needs a reason to be loitering right in front of the 'no loitering allowed' sign.-
"That's right,but for some reason,he was meeting someone there."
-Whatever!Just go to sleep!-
"Fine…"
Sakura's head hit the pillow and she instantly fell asleep,
The next morning…
The pink haired girl sat up in bed and yawned.
"I better get ready for school."
-I thought that you wouldn't want to go to school after what happened yesterday.-
"Yeah,well,I shouldn't let some gut-less jerk ruin my studies!"
-That's my girl!-
Sakura put on her uniform and reached the school in record time.It should've been record time since she beat her fanboy club there.
"Whew…I thought that I'd never lose them!"
As Sakura caught her breath,TenTen and Ino approached her.
"Hey!Sakura-chan!"
Sakura looked up and saw her friends
"What is it?"
"Sasuke has a new girlfriend and she claims that she knows you!"
"WHAT!"
Sakura ran in the direction that TenTen and Ino had pointed out to her.
'I wonder who it is,don't you?'
-What kind of bitch that Sasuke picks up can know us!-
Sakura stopped dead in her tracks as she fought to the middle of Sasuke's fanclub of girls.There was Sasuke with a smirk on his face…and his arm was around some girl who's face was covered by a big hood.
"Sasuke-kun!"
Sasuke looked in Sakura's direction and laughed.
"So I see that you heard about my new girlfriend.It seems that she's an old friend of yours."
"Who the hell could it be!"
"Sakura nee-chan?"
"TEMARI!"
True enough,her best friend from Hong Kong was right in front of her and Sasuke's arm was wrapped around her waist.
"Yeah,it's me!I met Sasuke-kun while I was waiting for you in front of your condo.He said that you guys were really good friends."
Sakura glared at Sasuke with rage.
"Yeah,we're the best of buddies."
Temari must've been taking happy pills because she didn't even notice the increasing tension between her boyfriend and her best friend.The bell rang within minutes and Sakura rushed inside the classroom,but hesitated as she took the set beside Sasuke's.
"I hate you."
Sakura felt a tear stream down her face but wiped it away hurriedly.
"Th-that's nice Sasuke-kun."
"Don't call me that anymore."
"Whatever."
Her seatmate had appeared to be even more pissed off with her ever since yesterday.
'Do you think that he heard the part about me liking him yesterday?'
-I hope not.-
'Yeah…me too.'
Everyone's attention adverted to their teacher,who was about to introduce their new student.
"Class,this is Temari.Apparently,she's friends with our little fashion model."
Some of the guys wolf whistled at Sakura as she turned a deep red.
"Temari,why don't you take a seat beside Sasuke?"
"But,sir!I'm sitting beside Sasuke!"
Kakashi looked up at the pink haired girl.
"Hm…that's what it looks like...Sakura,you'll have to sit beside Naruto for now."
Sakura's jaw dropped.
'How could Kakashi-sama move me!How will I ever get Sasuke-kun to forgive me now!"
Sakura picked up her bag sadly and looked over at Sasuke.His regular cold face was now housing a very wide grin.
"Finally,I get a seatmate who isn't so annoying!"
Sakura slapped Sasuke before she walked over to Naruto's table.
-He so deserved that.-
'Oh hell yeah!'
"Hey!Sakura-chan!"
"Hi,Naruto-kun!"
Sakura pretended to act even more ecstatic as she took her seat beside the blonde haired boy.
"Alright,class!We'll begin with the usual solving of equations!"
As the teacher turned his back on the class to write on the board,Sakura couldn't help herself from looking over at the stupid Uchiha's table.He and Temari were staring at each other intimately and Sasuke almost caught her staring at him.
"Hey!Sakura-chan!What are you looking at?"
"Nothing much…"
Sakura tried to concentrate on anything but Temari and Sasuke,but her attempts were rendered useless.No matter how much she tried,her gaze would automatically turn to Temari…who was basically eating Sasuke's face by now.
'(sigh)I'm so stupid!Why do I want something that I can't have?"
-Because,my dear,you're just like that!-
'But…I'm never usually like this!It's just in your imagination.'
-Oh?It is?So that's why Sasuke loving you is in my imagination too?-
'…shut up…'
-Will do!-
Their first period passed and Sakura hung back at her table as everyone got up from their seats.
"…what's wrong with me?"
"A lot!"
Sakura turned around and saw Sasuke with his arm around Temari.
"Hey,onee-chan.You wanna play darts with us?"
Sakura hesitated at accepting Temari's invitation,but decided that she shouldn't let Sasuke ruin Temari's visit.
"Alright,fine.Who am I playing against?"
"My sweet Sasuke-kun!"
Inner Sakura: Oh hell!Make me feel worse why don't you!
Sasuke threw half of the darts to Sakura without saying a single word or even glancing at her.
'Boy…does this guy hold a grudge or what?'
Sakura started out getting her darts right in the middle,while Sasuke started out with less luck.His darts were scattered all over the board,but Temari still beamed with pride at Sakura.
"That's it,Sakura-chan!You can beat him!"
"Temari?"
"Yeah,Sakura-chan?"
"Root for your own boyfriend.It looks like he needs it more."
Sakura looked over at Sasuke and glared at him as he looked at her with his well known 'I'm so annoyed' look.
"You're so annoying."
"So what?At least I'm not sooooolosing."
"Shut up!"
"Why don't you!"
"Because I'm not so annoying!"
"Yeah,but you are so monotone-ish!I mean like,who wants to hear someone talk in the same voice all the time?"
Sasuke grinned even more widely at her.
"At least my forehead isn't as big as yours.Well,I'll give you credit since it is an attempt to cover up your slut-like nature."
Sakura snapped.She hated being ridiculed for the size of her forehead or being called a slut.What she hated the most was being called both at the same time.Sakura threw the last dart as she turned around and sped out into the hallway.The dart had hit the center of the dart board.
"Sakura-chan!"
"Just leave her alone Temari-ko…she won anyway."
Sasuke's head: Yeah…she already won the game…and my affection…what!What the hell am I saying!I have Temari-ko…so who cares about big forehead!