Chapter two: Ino's birthday party

Sunny morning, academy

"Hi, Sasuke," a cool voice went on, and I was sure it's never gonna be Sakura's. I looked at eh voice's source, and saw a confident girl, Ino. "Ino," I murmured her name. She smiled, and gave me a light blue envelope. "An invitation," she explained shortly. "Ah…" then I accepted that and looked at the envelope for a while. "Invitation? Your party?" I asked her again and curved my eyebrow up.

Ino nodded. "Yes, that's for my birthday party. You have to come. It would be better if you come with someone as your partner," she continued. "Come with someone?" I uttered again. Ino wrinkled at the corners. "Oh come on Sasuke, it's not difficult for you to get a partner. Every girl in this academy wishes to be your girlfriend. Choose one, the most beautiful. Take her to my party, there will be a dance floor. That's why you have to find a partner," she said.

"I…" "And don't say you're not interested to come, or I'm gonna sue you," she warned me dangerously. "I mean…" "About finding a girl? Oh God, it's not that hard, Sasuke," she pleaded, even I could recognize a weird tone in her voice. She didn't really mean it. "Okay, I have to go now. There are so many to do. Bye bye," she talked, waved her hand, and ran to the other side, gave the invitations to the others.

That time, the problem had begun.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun," a cheerful voice greeted me.

This one was Sakura's. I glared at her, and kept walking as usual.

"Okay, I don't understand why you act like this. But by the way, have you heard about Ino's birthday party?" she asked me happily.

I nodded.

"Great! Oh, that's your invitation, right? The light blue envelope that you clutch. I got it too," she showed me her envelope. I just nodded, without looked at her.

"Well, what do you think about that?" she asked me, still with her beady eyes. "Nice," I answered her shortly. I didn't want to remember about anything related with party. It was enough there, when she was crying because of me. And I didn't want to make her cry anymore. Half of my heart said because I didn't want to stand there, just watch a crying girl, and must try to cheer her up. And the rest said because I didn't like to see her sad. But I think the number one was stronger.

"A…how about…" she stopped her words when seeing my cold expression. I looked not interested and annoyed that time. She almost said something, before she closed her mouth and held her urge. She seemed afraid of my coldness.

"What?" I muttered while walking.

"Um…." she look anxious. "Nothing. I have to go now. See you later, Sasuke-kun," after saying that, she ran from my side, left me.

'Hah, good, she wasn't talkative this morning,' I murmured in my heart.

Was that really good?

I still didn't realize it until I found the fact.

Sakure and Naruto were sitting together below a big tree. She didn't look happy.

"Naruto…" Sakura called the boy. That's the start I began to watch them.

"What is it, Sakura-chan?" Naruto replied her. Then, he stared at her sad face. "Why do you look so sad?" Naruto asked her again, carefully and warmly. "I am confused now, Naruto-kun," she answered the boy. I was behind a big wall, kept watching them. 'Confused? About what? Such a dumb girl! Sharing your problem with Naruto wouldn't solve it, it will make it worse instead,' I spoke to my self in my heart.

"Why are you confused?" Naruto paid attention to every word she said. That fact made her smile. "Well…you know Ino's birthday party, right?" she said, still with a sad voice. Naruto nodded. "Because of that party?" he tried to make it sure. Sakura nodded.

"Well, what's wrong with that party?" he didn't understand and asked her again. Actually, I didn't understand too that time.

"Do you want to be my partner there?" Suddenly, Sakura asked him for something impossible and shocked everybody who listened.

Naruto looked surprised and shocked for a while. And her words made me choked. It could give me heart-attack. She asked Naruto to go with her…even before she….asked me? I didn't understand why, but I didn't feel happy for that. I supposed to be happy because she wouldn't disturb me anymore…but…why didn't I feel happy? I tried to change my mind. 'Come on…come on….she didn't disturb you, she wouldn't force you to dance like a kangaroo, she wouldn't make you wear the tuxedo…what can be happier than that? She wouldn't warn you every day before the party to come, she wouldn't inform you if there's any dancing school, she wouldn't ask you to help her choosing the present for Ino'' I still tried to focus.

'Goddamit, Sasuke. Think the positive things! No one would wait for you and blame you if you're late, no one would cry on your shoulders like showering your clothe, no one would sob in front of you because of your lateness, no one would be sad if you…don't come…'

My words started to trap me. Yeah, confess it Sasuke. You wanted to be with her, but you were too arrogant to show her your true feeling. You were happy if she asked you to go to the party, and not to ask somebody else…a voice spoke confidently in my brain, annoyed my concentration to hear their chat.

"Yes, I mean, why not?" Naruto answered. And that answere made her smile again, while her pink hair was played by the breeze. Her lips curved beautifully. And all of sudden, I realized that she was beautiful, and how lucky Naruto, got her as the partner. Her eyes were beautiful as jade, her hair was pretty as Goddes', and her voice was cute, like a kitten.

"Thank you, Naruto," she said happily.

I thought Naruto could feel something strange. "Um….Sakura. May I ask you something?" he inquired. Sakura turned her face and looked at him. "Yes, of course, Naruto," she replied sweetly. "Actually, I don't want to ask you about this, but it feels weird. So, I think I'm gonna ask it to you. Um…" Naruto tried to find right words.

"Why don't you ask that snobbish raven-haired and pale-faced boy to be with you?" finally he asked it to her, even though his face seemed unhappy and lazy, but he wanted to know the answer. Good job, Naruto. You asked the question that I wanted to know. You had transferred my mind, and given me the answer easily. Sakura smiled, a painful smile.

"I wanted to…" she murmured softly. That answer made Naruto pouted his lips. But I didn't know why, I was happy when I listened that words came out from her mouth.

"So…what made you didn't do that?" Naruto kept asking like a little boy. Sakura smiled again, and stole a glance at Naruto. "I was such a looser, Naruto," she answered slowly.

"Looser?" Naruto didn't agree with her statement, but Sakura nodded.

"Yes…I didn't dare to ask him…I was too scared…I was a chicken…Oh God, I'm such an annoying girl for him, right? I kept disturbing him. And this morning, I realized that…that he didn't like me…he didn't like me at all…he just sees me as the disturber," she explained to Naruto.

I couldn't say any word while hearing her words. How could it be?.! How could it be…she could tell Naruto everything in her heart, but she didn't tell me?.!

Naruto sighed. "You like him, right?" he asked.

Sakura nodded.

He sighed again. "Then why don't you tell him?" he asked her again.

"I've told you Naruto-kun. I am a jerk, and I don't have enough courage to do that. However, he will refuse me, and I'm just gonna break my heart. Don't you understand, he doesn't like me. I even cannot ask him to be my partner for dancing, how can I show him my true feeling?" Sakura protested.

That time, I saw Sakura's weakness….her heart….

"Why don't you try? At least it will make you feel better," he suggested.

Sakura shooke her head. "How many times I have to tell you, Naruto. He doesn't like me…And I'm just gonna hurt my self if I still hope to get him," she pleaded.

"But, how do you know that he doesn't love you?" asked Naruto.

Yeah, right. How could you know, Sakura? I just couldn't understand her choice. She even didn't want to try. She ran when we were talking about the invitations. It's her fault…it was her fault…wasn't it?

"I'm not blind, Naruto…I could see…I could feel it….he doesn't like me. I could know it from his coldness to me, his glance at me…the way he talks to me…the way he always tries to ignore my appearance nearby him…I just know it…." she explained.

"So…What's wrong those things?" he mused.

"They show that he hates me, he never likes to be with me, and he always wants to kick me if I get around him. He seems uncomfortable if I am besides him. His heart is cold for me…he didn't like me…" Sakura didn't try to hide her desperate and stressed tone from her voice. Naruto just smiled and listened carefully. "Then…at least you can go to the party with me…"he spluttered. She smiled again.

FUCK! FUCK NARUTO! You're such an asshole to get that chance!

"Thank you, Naruto," she responded and clutched Naruto's hand. They both were smiling each other.

Oh shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit SHIT! SHIT!

Why couldn't I show her more feeling, and why did she decide so fast?.!

No…it's none of her fault. It's yours. You never treat her well, so she started to hate you know….and she found Naruto, the one who treated her better than me…oh SHIT!

Then, I kicked the wall, after that, I let my body slipped down. I sat on the ground, let my back against the wall.

"I'm gonna pick you up at 5 o'clock. Just wear your most beautiful dress, okay?.!" Naruto blinked his right eye and pointed his thumb to Sakura. She nodded, smiled and said happily, "Okay, and you mustn't be late!"

FUCK YOU, NARUTO! Don't you ever ever try to STEAL her heart or you're gonna face your WICKED destiny made by this UCHIHA!

My heart was burnt by the fire of anger, my sweat spread out because of the flaming sun in my brain, my body felt hot and out of control, I couldn't manage my expression because it seemed there were nine bombs burst on my face, and my soul looked like caught and trapped by the tempest of fear…

fear….

fear to lose her….

fear…if the fact was she started to like Naruto…

she started to try to forget me…

she started to realize that Naruto was warmer and kinder than me…fear…

that she would stop disturbing me with her annoying greeting every morning…

fear that if she stopped following me wherever I went…

fear…if she finally knew the way to throw me away from her heart.

Fear…

that she would treat me like the others, just like what I wanted

But I didn't want it anymore. And the stupidest thing was…how could I be that dumb to know it that late…

Author's note:

It took a very long time for me to make this chapter, right?

Hehehe, I just finished it after I got my report. Oh gosh, my scores are getting worse than before. I like this chapter…but somehow, I think my description about situation is so bad and out of control. And the language too! Well, if there is any grammatical fault, and the poor vocabularies here, the awful phrases, or something related to English, please forgive me….Gah, English is not my native language….I just cannot realize the mistakes soon. But I'm gonna try to make a better story every day. Wuehehehe….so, see you soon.