Teenage Wasteland

by Jasmine Starlight

Full summary: Sasu/Hina. He was Uchiha Sasuke, he attended Konoha High, as a junior outcast(that's how he prefers it) whacked out punk, he has a brother who's a dick and is also dating his English teacher(they're contemplating moving in together), parents who confused him for said brother and a garage band that seemed promising. He works in a book/convenience/pornography store (which his teacher and his brother's friends just have to frequent constantly) and help out at a children's center (Inari was like a sponge, a sponge that needed purple highlights) just so he can pay for his new guitar because his father refuses to pay for anything band related (honestly, who wants to play the cello? Or the lute? Or the viola?). She was Hyuuga Hinata, popular, pretty and pleasant (she was also several other 'p' words, had a speech impediment, was too demure, and really pissed him off, only sometimes though). But she has problems of her own to deal with, another sucky father who places value in his other offspring, constantly belittling and looking down her achievements, academically and socially. If only she could be prettier, smarter, classier, wittier, like her younger sister Hanabi. It was no wonder she didn't have suicidal tendencies between her snot-nosed father and her superficial friends who insisted on treating her like she was retarded because she used to stutter (smiling was getting harder and harder, it was also getting harder and harder to hide her scars) and her over-protective cousin (whom her father would gladly trade her for) who had the best of intentions but when it came down to it didn't really know her or her tastes for that matter. Really, the two of them coming together had really not been expected...tortured daughter and tortured artist? I mean where's the attraction there?

This is another AU…I swear I have to start writing more normal fics…

It's also another HS AU…at least I almost finished my other HS AU…can't have too many of those without seeming like an idiot. But I don't have many Naruto HS AUS ………mmmmmm……interesting. Being forced to water my mother's plants birthed this…voila.

I have to start finishing things…T-T.

This was inspired by an excess of Bleach fanfiction and manga……if Ishida shows up don't be surprised.

Hinata's psychological problems are inspired and drawn from the character Harumi Chono on Paranoia Agent. Which isn't mine, just letting you know.

CHAPTER TWO

DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS

"So, what do you like to do for fun?"

"I don't know, read? I used to play tennis."

"Used to?"

"I couldn't concentrate properly anymore."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I'm not sure." Hinata shifted uneasily in her seat, trying to avoid the piercing stare of her psychiatrist, or "youth counselor."

"Hinata, do you think we've made progress?" Umino Iruka asked.

Hinata gulped, she was suffering from a case of serious dry mouth, "Can I have a glass of water?" she asked politely.

"In a minute, you're avoiding the question."

Maybe you should back off then…

Stop, he's only trying to help…

Help? You think he's trying to help us? No one has ever wanted to help US! Just because he pays a little extra attention to you doesn't mean anything! Do you hear me!

I'm incapable of not hearing you.

Lucky you, eh?

I wish you'd stop.

No.

I never did anything to you! Why can't you leave me alone!

Didn't you hear me before? You and I are the same person.

Go away.

Now, now, we can't always have what we want…

N-No!

Yes.

It's m-my mind!

Our. It's our mind.

Get out! Leave me be!

I told you, I can't do that.

Hinata licked her dry lips nervously, "Am I?" she replied apprehensively.

"You are, but we don't have time to get into that today, you can get that water now." Iruka said as he leaned back in his leather chair and pondered contemplatively.

Hinata had started coming to him a year ago because her focus in school has seemingly disappeared, Iruka had spoken with her teachers, coaches, employers, no one really seemed to know her, each one told the same story of her demeanor, but beyond that they hadn't known her bad days from her good.

Iruka held off on speaking with the girl's friends, specifically because Hinata never mentioned them, nor did she even imply that she had friends.

After briefly speaking with her younger sister, Iruka was somewhat closer to the root of Hinata's psychological problems, but not that much.

He had spoken with her cousin, Neji, but to no avail while he seemed to have a deeper insight into her "issues" he still left much to be desired.

How was it, that this girl had kept everyone in her life at arm's length without any of them realizing it?

Logically, Iruka had spoken to Hinata's parents first, her mother pleasant and quiet, like Hinata, her father was her complete opposite in every way. If it wasn't for the family resemblance Iruka would have been hard pressed to believe that they were related.

£¤§¤§¤§¤§¤§¤£

School was useless and hypocritical, the PA announcements every day might at one point have been of interest to somebody but not to anyone Sasuke knew.

After hearing it for so long it felt like there were bees buzzing in his ears, which made him want bee repellant.

Nevertheless, Mondays were good days only because of the fact that he did not have English last period.

That was pretty much the only reason he came in on Mondays.

…maybe for lunch too…but mostly for the first reason.

Honestly, whoever did the programming had serious issues; Sasuke had History first period with Maito Gai.

Will the catastrophes never cease?

"AND THEREFORE MY SHINING PUPILS THAT IS WHY WAR IS WRONG!"

Ughh.

"Thusly, forcing millions of people into concentration/labor camps is also wrong. Very wrong; as is the forced genocide of those millions of people. VERY WRONG! Never attempt this flourishing alumnus of this school!"

Sasuke pondered what it would be like if this was an AP course, then he quickly banished that idea as Gai was winding down, "Sadly, this period is drawing to a close my noble youths, so for your homework on this night: PLEASE READ THE THIRD CHAPTER IN YOUR INFORMATIVE HISTORY TEXTS!"

£¤§¤§¤§¤§¤§¤£

Just as Sasuke finished taking out his frustrations on his locker, he was approached by Ino and Sakura.

"Yes?" he asked as he groped through his book bag for a textbook.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura trailed off.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, Sakura never called him that anymore, unless… "What do you want and how can I make you stop breathing my air?"

Ino, who had much less anxiety than Sakura and not nearly enough intelligence, went straight for the kill. "You know that kid? Naruto-kun?"

Sasuke blinked.

Ino used her most pleading eyes.

Sasuke remained unaffected.

"Ye-es." He replied slowly.

"I am in love with him and one day hope to have his children and live in a house in the suburbs with our four children, our cat, and a parakeet."

"And you're wasting my time with this because?"

"What's his number?" Ino demanded bluntly.

"What makes you so sure that I even have his number?"

"You're like friends aren't you?"

"What if we're like not friends?"

"But aren't you?"

"…"

"Answer my question!" Ino decreed sourly.

Sasuke, that sick twisted freak, began humming under his breath, as he studiously ignored Ino and Sakura and shuffled away toward his next class.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"You keep trying to market this feeling. I heard what you said, and no were not the same, No were not the same." Sasuke persisted as he continued his shuffle.

£¤§¤§¤§¤§¤§¤£

"Where were you yesterday?" Tenten asked as she dispatched a stray eyelash.

"Around." Hinata said quietly.

"Couldn't find you at that Uchiha kid's party. Kiba told the most unbelievable story about one of his old girlfriend's. I wanted to kill that sick fuck."

"…"

"C'mon let's go, Kurenai'll flip if we're late."

£¤§¤§¤§¤§¤§¤£

Hinata stared at her friend blankly, "Who?" Tenten asked distractedly as she picked through the racks of the glittery boutique they frequented so often.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Ino exclaimed enthusiastically.

"You should see him, if I didn't already have Neji-senpai I would totally go after him!" More inane giggling.

You don't have Neji, because he'll never be stupid enough to date you.

Hinata hung back to make sure she wasn't going to start gagging on the sheer idiocy of the conversation. "Have you talked to him yet?" Hinata asked blandly.

"Well, I tried to get his phone number but that weirdo Sasuke wouldn't give it to me." Ino exclaimed.

"Why not?" Tenten asked aptly, enraptured already by Ino's harrowing tale of lies, deceit, and injustice.

"Like I'm supposed to know why he's such a freak." Ino declared disgustedly.

"What did he say?" Hinata asked, veiling her miniscule interest.

"Starting humming some song, he's such a freak. Something about not being the same." Sakura piped up.

"And markets." Ino added smugly as if talking about how Sasuke was a freak made it true.

Market this feeling. I heard what you said, and no we're not the same. No we're not the same.

Hinata suddenly felt sick.

"Does this make my thighs look big?"

£¤§¤§¤§¤§¤§¤£

Gaara, Sasuke, Naruto, and Shikamaru were sprawled in their usual places in Shikamaru's garage, which after many years of disuse had become a safe haven for angsty teenagers.

Chouji had to go grocery shopping with his mother.

"Ino asked me for your number today." Sasuke remarked snidely as he twisted copper wire into funny shapes.

"What number?" Naruto asked as he studied his abstract porno mags,

"Your phone number, moron."

"Huh."

Shikamaru shifted in the tiniest way, Gaara noted this with slight amusement.

Naruto set aside his magazines for a moment to stare at Sasuke incredulously, "If this is your idea of a joke then it's not funny Temee."

"Why would I want to joke about you and Ino?"

Shikamaru's left eyebrow twitched, "…I don't like blondes." Naruto declared after a moment of silence.

"You're a blonde." Sasuke pointed out as he fashioned the wire into a noose.

Something in Shikamaru's eyes changed.

"But Ino is too bossy for me, man…Sakura-chan and I have a much more promising future."

The chances of that happening were about the same as…well Ino liking Naruto, Gaara noted sourly.

END

Quile-……um…thanks…I have trouble with too much parentheses and adding too much information at one time…I should stop doing that.

Lunarangel- really long review…thanks…nothing much happened in this chapter…very disappointed to note that…thanks for the input.

Anime/Manga Lubber-…I like revamping Sasuke's image…makes him easier for me to like him.

Lun-…short and sweet.

mUcHaChAnGiStAriRaY- here you have it…

kenshinlover2002- thanks.

Soulcollector- well…some people can only take so much before they crack, you know?

Fractured wings01- Hi. …Do I victimize Hinata?

Onna- I surprised that no one else has done it, I might do it just to see how well I can write it. I have a lot of imagination to spare.

Ed-chan-………thanks

Firewindgurl-…heh

Dark-wolf-soulX-…teeehee.

shikaruTo- I have uploaded it. This Is How A Heart Breaks is its title. I wrote an absurdly long summary for that one too.

Momo-sama-…thanks