EDIT: just adding my links...

Warnings: major use of profanity, religious implications. Heavily modified words, too, to imitate a course speaking pattern. If you don't know what it's saying, read it aloud, and you should be able to catch it.
Disclaimer: the only thing I can claim is the plot. I own no Narutos, Sasukes, or anything like that.

Author's note: I'm done with the rest of this (hah, it took forever, all 80-some pages of it…). All I need to do now is edit…if I'm lucky (and don't get much homework), this fic should be all wrapped up within a week or so.

Reach.
a tale
of
falling higher
and
rising lower

Chapter Two…by Taes

You know what sucks about class, 'sides that it is? You probably do, if you've ever been.

It's long. It's boring. It's stuffy. It's cold.

And I'm too damned tired to do anything more than sit there, to stare at whatever's around me, damn it, like stupid dry erasers that squeak and make a more annoying distraction than anything I can do with nails on brimstone…and you know what? The things smell, too.
Hell, I've been living around the orders of the underworld for my 'tire life, but nothing gets me like that god-damned awful smell of markers…

Ugh. It hits me before I even get into the room.

I think I've just barely missed my Psychology class…er, the start o' it, anyways…but he's already usin' the board?

Great…he's that kinda teacher.

I sigh and run my hand through angel-like blond hair. I have to grin 'fore stepping inside. My dad sure did give me some good stuff, I'll tell you that! Unlike most of the demons I know, my hair's soft. And, what's better, it goes with everything, and makes even the most icy babe go goo gah over me an' my brilliant, stunning, and oh-so-fetching eyes.

I ain't shittin' ya.

It's the truth, and that's all…

Man, it sure is cold in these school buildings…I bet they're thinkin' they can keep me awake, with the frigid air and stale, stale air conditioning blowing fake wind on my face…fuck everything, man…

Hehheh, I can think of a few good fucks, myself…something with sweet cheeks and a head full a dark, black—

"Hey, Naruto, wha'cha tryin' ta do, leave us behind 'er somethin'?" dammitdammit, stupid Kiba's got outta hell by himself? The shithead, I bet Kakashi let 'em out with equally stupid (maybe stupider) Shikamaru or something.

Whaddaya know. Shikamaru, standin' at the door, already half through with his eyes lookin' straight into the teacher's. Fuckass. Shikamaru don't have no fear of anything, sure thing…not some teacher with eyes o' glass or something like that…

Kiba attacks me from behind, fluffin' my hair and takin' his place at my side, like some kinda watchdog. Like he's supposed ta, the teach don't even see my demonic friends, and the only thing people can see is me wincing and nothing at all, and pro'lly thinkin' I'm nuts 'er something. But whadda I care, huh?

So I'm all grins and wide, blue freakin' eyes when I open the door myself, ignorin' Kiba's hound-like yips in my ear. The creep has a habit of talkin' HoundSpeak ta me, just 'cause he knows I inherited the angels' gift o' tongues…but that don't include made up languages, or Gifts that run in families like his damn ability ta talk ta stupid pups!

I lift my head slowly—fuckin A, Kiba, the dog, is still pullin' down real hard on my hair—and I look at the teach.

I say, "Hey."

He just looks at me, like I'm some kinda bug 'r something, you know? He's just like, 'dude, what are you doin' in my class, fool?' but he says, you know wha? He says, "Yes?"

And I says back, "This is psyc, isn't it?"

Half the class laughs at that, and the other half looks incredulous. The teach, too, he looks kinda exasperated an' all, like he's fed up with me 'fore I even get ta know 'im. Good thing he can't see Shikamaru or Kiba, too, or he'd be even more pissy, I know that for'a fact!

"Yes, ever since August," the teach quips, a half smile on his lips and unbelieving eyes wide with determination.

I laugh a little, and say, "Good. I'm Uzumaki Naruto." I shut my eyes and grin at him like a good kid. "Uh, transfer student."

He looks at his podium, leaning on it more 'n a little. His hair's kinda this red yellow color, faded from age and too long teachin', I bet. He sighs, fusses with his mustache, and proclaims, "Yeah, well, that's nice, Mister Nah…roo-toe, wasn't it?" he doesn't wait for my reply, and doesn't really look at my bemused, irritated expression, or he'd'a asked what's the matter 'r somethin'. "Listen, you can't enroll in this class—"

I curse under my breath. Goddammit, they didn't screw with my fucking information…

Desperate, an' thinkin' of the damn angel fag I met earlier, I think on the computer system. Everything they need to know, random numbers and dates and shit like that, and most importantly, my name, and the classes attached to it…so, real casual like, I put my book on the desk next ta me, and act like I'm gonna fix my hair. But really I'm not.

My hand touches the middle of my forehead, and then as it travels to my navel, I twist it in a quarter turn. I draw my hand closed and will the work to be done. Grinning, it occurs to me that the teach's gotta list of students…a roll that he's been keepin' track of all along. So I add my name on that, too, with a neat mark for excused absences up 'till now.

Hell yeah, I'm good.

"Check it." I dare 'im. "I'm enrolled." I grin real big, and shoot a smirk at Shikamaru. He's not paying attention, though, 'cause his eyes are locked on somethin' else. Even Kiba's moved, I see, an' both of 'em aren't even payin' any mind to me.

I look past 'em, and see—

fuck.

Mister Angel Fagot.

Just great…what's that asshole doin' here?

"Mister…?" teach asks.

"Uzumaki. U-Z-U—" I start, and go back to studying the angel-fuck.

He squints, and checks the paper. "Aah, right…" he blinks. "Funny. I don't remember ever marking you absent…" his brow furrows and he looks up at me in baffled amusement. "So, ah, you might need to get your records cleared up, Mister Oozemahkey?" he glances at me, and I make a face.

"Uzumaki. My first name's Naruto."

"Nah dooh toe?

"No, Naruto. It's Japanese. There're no hard r's. If you can flip—" I thought it's best to explain, and ignore any angels nearby.

But teach's got other fuckin' ideas, rather 'n getting' my name right. "No, See, Nah-rue-toe,"

"Naruto."

"—whatever." He shuffles through his papers to hold up a print out…of student information, including student numbers, date of enrollment, other notes and shit like that. I thought he'd like to have a copy, so wrote over one of his grade sheets.

That should amuse some students…heehee, changing grades is easy as anything.

Anyways, he was obviously readin' that while I bothered to explain my name, and not paying attention worth shit. So he says, "But it has on my records that you're a girl. You might wanna check into that." He laughs wholeheartedly, the shithead.

I glare at him, but he only turns red.

"Oh, I'm sorry…I just assumed you're a boy—" his laughter broke the words off, and I hear the rest of the class laughing.

Laughin' right along with Kiba, Shikamaru, and the teach.

"Are you really a—" the teach starts to ask.

"No." I growl. "Absolutely not."

Even fagot boy's smirking at me, the asswipe…fuck all of 'em…

"And what are you lookin' at, huh? Keep your eyes straight, angel." I snarl, but it's way too much effort to keep up the bad move. So I plunk down in a desk—next to the enemy to keep an eye on 'im—and run my hands through my hair.

My cheeks sting with the heat of embarrassment, and I realize only then that I've forgotten my book by the door. So while I get up to get it, the teach starts again with his lecture 'n s'mthin', and then I get to sit down.

It's cold in the fucking classroom, and damn boring, listening to theories of human behavior…uhhgh, I dunno why m'dad wants me to learn 'bout fucking shitheads like mortals…they're useless unless they're dead.

…stupid souls…hmph.

…gah, gonna fall asleep…

Kiba snerks beside me.

I glare at him and realize he's havin' a staring contest wi' the angel. Perfect. I sigh. Shikamaru seems to be lazily paying attention. Hmph, now if only I could get 'im to help me with my homework later, eh?

Even though the bloody demon never helped me learn to fly…

…asshole…I was stuck learning that on my own.

So the teach goes on and on about crap and the devil knows what while I mentally practice magic, techniques, and shields. These things'd blow these kids away…all of it, stuff they've never even dreamed of…

"Okay, let's take a break. Be back in fifteen minutes." Teach says.

Yes! Break time…I've been meaning to have a word with my ol' classmates…

I glower irritably at Kiba, first. "You're the one who messed up my info, weren'cha? Ya creep, you al—" I'm still talking, but I can't even hear what I'm saying. It's just words, ya know?

He laughs, but doesn't reply vocally. He swirls his finger in a circle-ish-spiral-thing just near his temple.

I shut up real quick. He's here to protect me, after all. Not that I need guards but shit, dads're screwed in the head…no fucking way Uzumaki Naruto couldn't handle somethin' on his own that these two clowns together can do…hmph.

See, Kiba was remindin' me not to speak ta 'im, yeah? Only 'cause most mortals can't see demons on this plane…not u'less the demon's been summoned, hey?

Sasuke laughs at all of us. The prick stands up.

I notice right away. His outfit compliments mine, too…he's wearin' a red top and black bottoms. Me, red bottoms, black top.

"Heh!" I laugh. "We must've been made ta be rivals, eh, Prissy Pants?" I grin, and let my eyes rove up and down his slim form…just ta give 'im a hint, yeah?

He stiffens. "And what, may I ask, gives you that presumption?"

His crisp, smooth voice gets on me real quick…I lean sideways in my desk and reach out. I flick his forehead good 'n hard, 'fore tracing his black eyes.

He catches my hand, holding me too tight to be able ta get out of 'is grip…

"Well," I start, actin' like his hand isn't cutting off my circulation and making my bones ache, "Your eyes, freak, almost bring you to my level," I purr.

An' you know what? I've got this killer sense for stuff like that—I'm good at finding people's strengths. Not so much their weaknesses, but strength I can do.

Anyways, I go on. "I'm the strongest guy you'll ever meet, hey?"

He laughs, and twists my wrist.

I hiss with irritation and finally break away when he loosens his grip.

"The strongest, was it?" he murmurs, low an' silk-like. "My brother could best you without pause, Naruto." He tilts his head a little, so I can see underneath his face, and his eyes seem smaller. "As can I, fool…"

I get up, snarling. I'm ready as ever to kick his shiny white ass—

But 'fore even my friends can say anything, teach is stepping between us.

"Something the matter, kids?" he asks, old an' annoying voice tight with controlled anxiety.

I smile, making nice-nice and lean away from teach. "Nah, we're buds, kay?" I grin, and snake my arms around the dude to pinch angel-boy's cheek.

He frowns, and pushes my hand away.

I settle back into my chair.

"I believe that this fool should be removed from the class, professor…" Sasuke smirks, thinkin' his word alone'll sway a guy.

Pathetic.

"Now, Sasuke..." teach clears his throat. "He's given no reason for—"

"He is dishonest."

I snort. Does the lil' shit think that words hold that much power? I laugh quietly to myself.

"I'm afraid that doesn't cut it." Teach sighs. "Now, why don't you two separate yourselves?"

I decline, smirking and laughing as Sasuke turns stiffly away, hiding his mouth behind steepled hands.

He's a pretty piece of ass…despite being a jerk.

So teach goes back ta lecturing and all that shit, with me not paying attention and everyone else scribbling notes furiously. Ahgh, I'm so bored…

So I doze off again, and the whole place is just surrounded by daydreams of a bored me. Everyone else's goin' off about some pyramid of needs or what the fuck. I steal a glance at angel-boy, and he's just listening, hands clasped over a full, pretty mouth. Damn it, he probably does remember things just from hearin' 'em…I bet he's like that if he sees stuff, too…it's freaky, the sorta memory angels've got…

Heh heh, I wonder if they remember stuff like how many times their so-called saints've had orgasms or what? Now that'd be worth recalling!

"Don't forget, boys and girls, you've got a quiz at the beginning of class…read the chapter." He folds up his papers, and everyone starts getting their stuff together.

Bored, I lazily stand up, nodding towards Kiba and Shikamaru to get the hell outta there…

The girl behind me snickers most annoyingly. She kinda reminds me Sakura—the lead kid in our classes—with her long blond hair and blue, blue eyes. Before Sakura-brat cut her hair in a fit of irritation with her then-boyfriend, Kiba.

…no idea why everyone liked Sakura, anyways…she was way, way too bossy to be a good girlfriend…behind that cutesy, 'ohh, I think you're the best!' attitude.

Yeah.

Like that's a good thing, anyway…

Hmph.

Anyways, the blond girl's hair isn't near as vibrant as mine, see? It's all pale and flat, like a Swiss girl's, not like an angel at all. So she says, "Hey, are you a girl?"

I flush. Sputter.

She giggles—chortles—covering her pale lips with a hand. "You'd be a hot boy!" she grins and collapses into laughter for a bit.

I've gone red as anything.

Kiba and Shikamaru laugh.

The girl can't seem to keep her mouth shut. "And you know what? I know you're crushing on Sasuke." She sneaks a look at him. "Everyone is! But, I knew him first, girl, so you'd better get in line!"

I don't know what to say.

She continues, and pets my hand sympathetically. "We'll get you some less boyish clothes, and with some good makeup you'd be absolutely adorable, huh, Naru, wasn't it?"

I'm about to die.

And the bitch Kiba is gonna die with me, dammit all…I dunno what he did, but he's gotta've learned a spell of influence… guh, those subtle kinda spells aren't his specialty! Why's it working so well?

Hmph. Sakura must've helped him figure it out…stupid girl…

"I'm Indigo, by the way. But all my friends call me Ino! I'm sure we'll be the best of friends, huh?" she giggles prettily, and I can see, out of the corner of my eye, Kiba and Shikamaru falling over with delight.

Fuck them.

Sasuke, to his credit, doesn't laugh foolishly. He laughs darkly, coolly, and with a hint of malice. What a stupid fuck…and he smirks at me like nothing else.

I stand up then, holding my textbook loosely to my side. Ino has pulled out a cell phone, and is punching buttons as she waves at me to wait. I roll my eyes, and nod at the teacher.

I grin.

I wink in Ino's direction.

Heh heh…she might be useful…I smile to myself, and ponder how I can manage to get one of the Blessed to Fall.

My laughter climbs the walls. "See ya in hell, fairy."

I'm gone 'fore anyone even notices.

tbc…
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