XxX

The next Monday at school, Sarada walked in with a fresh conscience, ready to face whatever trial came her way.

Yes, Metal and her kissed.

No, she didn't want to, but it happened anyway.

Yes, Boruto saw, and that crushed his soul. Hurting him was never something Sarada wanted to do, and she felt so guilty, but she couldn't change the past. What happened happened. All she could do was offer an explanation, but if he didn't accept it, then she had to move forward and focus on what was important: her grades and being the best student council member she could be.

"Sarada!" Chocho ran up to her, a posse of girls behind her Sarada vaguely knew. "Oh my god, you and Metal are together!"

This was news she hadn't heard. Sarada loved walking into school hearing things about herself she didn't even know. All the other girls squealed along with Chocho.

"Oh my god, you two are so cute together." The first girl said.

"Your anniversary is on Valentines Day too, that's so cute!" The second girl said.

"You have to tell us everything." Chocho demanded, and Sarada held her hands up defensively.

"U-Um, no, we're not dating." She laughed nervously. "He just kissed me, that's it!"

"But you guys have been hanging out for forever, stop lying to yourself." Chocho threw her arms around Sarada's shoulders. "Besides, I know he's been dying to date you. He tells everyone."

"Really?" Sarada asked. The girls nodded in unison.

"He talks about it all the time," Chocho continued. "And all your romantic ice cream dates after school, and you always watch him run the track after student council. That's so cute he was your first kiss."

Sarada felt a wave of dread. He wasn't her first kiss, Boruto was! And it made her angry that Chocho seemed to know that and was provoking her. It was also weird Metal talked about her so often, too, since she never talked about him to anyone. It didn't coincide well..

"O-Oh. Yeah, he's really nice, I like spending time with him." Sarada said. Chocho scrutinized her closely, and her eyes trailed down to the ruby necklace.

"Did he give you that as a Valentine's present?"

Sarada's hand instinctively grabbed it defensively. Oh God, what was she supposed to say, the truth? Or lie and just go along with it? What would be the easiest, least drama-causing solution?

If she said no, Chocho would prod a name out of her until she was lying in her grave. If she said she got it from a friend or a family member, Chocho still wouldn't believe it and pry the truth out of her one way or another, so that was futile. If she said Metal gave it to her, there was the possibility Boruto would hear through the grapevine and would be hurt.

But, Boruto completely understood how Chocho was. So Sarada would explain to him later her reasoning, so she went with option three.

"Yeah." She put on her best smile. "Isn't it pretty?"

"I love it!" One of the girls said. "He's so cute, can he be my boyfriend?"

Chocho sent her a glare then looked back to Sarada. "He's adorable, Sarada. And definitely more your type than Boruto."

The last part was said quiet enough that the other girls didn't catch it, but Sarada definitely heard the passive-aggressive jab. She thought they were over that already, that had been so long ago. She stared at Chocho wide-eyed, unable to come up with a response.

"U-Um, excuse me." She swiftly exited from the group.

She had to find Boruto immediately, and searched for him everywhere as she headed towards their home room. Putting this off any longer would only cause more problems for them. The thought of having to finally face him was making her anxiety shoot through the roof, but she had to find him and explain.

There, Boruto was already writing on the chalkboard, blazer placed on the back of his seat, white sleeve cuffs rolled to his elbows. Sarada's heart raced at the sight of him.

"Hey! I really need to talk to you." She said. She had to tell him about the situation with Metal and the necklace before he heard it anywhere else.

When Boruto hardly even glanced at her, she frowned. "Boruto?"

"What do you want?" He grumbled. Sarada approached him slowly.

"What's wrong?"

"None of your business."

Sadness washed over her. Reaching out slowly, her hands tremored. "Hey, don't be like that–"

"What do you want me to do, Sarada?" He whipped towards her and she flinched. "You shut me out first. You rejected me. You say I'm the confusing one, when I was nothing but transparent with you and then you said I can kiss you, but then that same night you went and kissed Metal. I'm not stupid, I know when I'm being played."

Sarada was taken aback. "What? Well what was I supposed to think when you took the time to handpick me a necklace, deliver it, kiss me, then I found out the next day from Chocho you made out with everyone?! I'm not playing you, you're the one playing me!"

"That's different," He muttered. "And it wasn't true."

"How is it different? I don't understand why you're getting upset that he kissed me!"

"I told you how I felt straight up. Then you said there was nothing between you two, you're just friends, you just enjoy his company. I know what I saw at the dance, and it didn't look like just friends." He snapped, rolling his sleeves back down to his wrists. "If you're gonna be with him then stop playing around with me. You can't have both of us."

"Are you joking?" Sarada followed hot on his heels as he retreated to his desk at the back of the classroom and flung on his blazer in one swift motion. "You don't know anything, you can't tell me who I'm allowed to have feelings for!"

"Oh yeah? Then who do you have feelings for, Sarada, because it sure as hell can't be both of us."

"I–" She took a step back. She was unsure of what to say. Boruto stared at her expectantly, and she clutched onto his necklace. At the sight of it, his face softened to a very sullen, sad expression.

"You can't wear that expecting it to just magically fix everything. Either wear it and mean it, or take it off. Not just because it doesn't match your outfit."

Grabbing his satchel, he left the classroom. Sarada stood there defeated.

After a few moments, she remembered. Wait, she had gotten so caught up in the moment she didn't get to tell him about–

"Sarada?" Metal poked his head into the classroom moments later. "Hey! I have been looking for you!"

"H-Heyy..." She said, mustering the most convincing smile she could. He gave her a hug, and Sarada only felt cold against his body.

"I am sorry if I was too forward on Saturday, my intention was not to scare you away." He said.

The fact that he was openly apologizing in case he took it too far was a nice sentiment, Sarada at least appreciated it. But it still didn't help.

"It's okay." She said. It wasn't, though, because now everything had become a mess.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure." He smiled.

It made Sarada feel tingly inside. Dwelling upon the moment they kissed made her heart thud. She was suddenly nervous around him; it was a different feeling. They stared at each other for a moment before he clasped her hand.

"See you at lunch?"

"Yeah." Sarada said quietly, her mind drifting. Metal leaned forward and kissed her cheek, and while it filled her stomach with butterflies, it just didn't feel the same. He never asked permission to kiss her, he had just done it. Meanwhile Boruto had...

No matter how hard Sarada looked for Boruto, he was avoiding her at all costs. It wasn't until she found Mitsuki and asked where he was, that Mitsuki responded Boruto had left for the day. The empty desk across the room during French class was like a haunting reminder that this was all her fault. Mr. Aburame excused her from her after school duties due to Boruto's absence, so she went home early.

Sarada was staring at her ceiling, long hair splayed in different directions, hand over the necklace, listening to her own heartbeat. The sound was so calming and soothing, she would fall asleep to it but her thoughts were keeping her awake. There was an antsy feeling in her chest that she couldn't shake off. Once it became unbearable, she hopped up and walked to her vanity desk, examining herself in the mirror.

The necklace looked so good on her, there wasn't a day since besides the dance that she'd taken it off. It kept her connected to Boruto. Though maybe what he said was true. It had meant to be a reminder of how he felt about her, she was special to him. He said so himself.

But now, it was only a game. For both of them.

By holding onto Boruto, it was interfering with progressing with Metal. As long as she wore the necklace, she was showing Boruto there was still a chance for them to work out. Sarada didn't know if she wanted that anymore – all the lies, distrust, fights, secrecy, and social reputations to deal with. Boruto had already taken up so much time in her thoughts, what was left for Metal, or anyone else? How much time had she wasted only catering to what Boruto wanted and needed? How much of herself did she let go of just to fit Boruto's idealisms? How much time had she spent in a haze after their fights pining things to go back to how they were before? Did she truly want to date Metal, or was it just because he was an easy love?

These questions plagued her mind. She scowled.

No, she wasn't superficial like that. Her feelings for Metal were real. She was overthinking everything and trying to push them down because of Boruto. Love wasn't meant to be difficult, it was supposed to be easy, and that's what Metal did. He was simple, straightforward, and never made her question herself or her feelings. He was driven, had goals, and did what he wanted to do, not what others expected him to do.

If she took the necklace off, all of this would be done for good. She wouldn't have to worry about explaining to Boruto why she said the necklace was from Metal, no one would ask her about it, and it would metaphorically sever hers and Boruto's connection. She would take it off, and it would be over for her. Mentally, emotionally, physically.

With one swift decision, she took the necklace off and dumped it into her top drawer. It clattered against the wood, and she stared at it, her heart pounding. Truly, it was a magnificent ruby color. It held so much history, passion, and meaning. But she couldn't keep holding onto the past.

Logically, her and Boruto were walking down two separate paths. It wasn't worth all the stress and heartache to try and have either of them mold to the other. Sarada had to start focusing on the here and now and on herself.

She just hoped she wouldn't regret this.

Reaching for her cell phone, she quickly dialed a number and held it to her ear. It rang three times before it connected.

"Hello?"

"Hey, can I see you?"

XxX

Boruto was enjoying – or at least trying to – his morning back at school on Tuesday. He felt so drained yesterday he couldn't take all the rumors flying around. Was that how Sarada felt about New Years? He gave her mad props. She was mentally tougher than him and had hardly let it show it bothered her.

No one seemed to pay attention to how off Boruto was acting, or they just didn't care. Either way Boruto was grateful none of them were commenting on it.

They were all huddled around his locker, and Iwabee was rambling mindlessly about his Fortnite streak when he suddenly went silent.

Shikadai, Inojin, Denki, and Mitsuki's gazes all trailed to where he was looking, and instantly Boruto knew. He had a nervous, sinking feeling in his gut, and felt the wind being knocked from him. Mitsuki glanced at Boruto, then back at the main entrance to the hall. Boruto slowly turned his head.

Everyone's eyes were already on them. Sarada and Metal were there, hands interlaced together, talking in a way that only they seemed to smile about. Boruto literally felt like cold ice water had been dumped down his back, his feet were knocked from beneath him, his heart felt like it stopped. Time stopped. Everything around him went frozen.

The necklace was missing from her neck, too.

"They're dating now?" Iwabee leaned to Shikadai. He shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.

"Guess so."

"Damn, he caught and reeled her in real fast!"

Boruto couldn't tear his gaze off the couple. They were walking past everyone like they didn't have a care in the world. Smiling, laughing, and holding hands.

Resentment. That was the only thing prevalent in the front of Boruto's mind, his fists were trembling with fury, his stomach was sunken with regret, and his heart was heavy with sorrow.

Sarada chose Metal. She fucking chose Metal. Metal fucking Lee. And there was nothing he could do about it.

There was no proof of history to show that they were a thing besides the necklace Sarada no longer bore on her decollete. Not even the short amount of time her and Metal had been a thing stopped them from being together.

When Boruto told her to pick, he hadn't really meant it in the way she'd taken it. He'd meant, pick me, because I'm choosing you. Yet Metal had still won.

"Oh my God! I can't believe they're actually dating now! They're so cute." Chocho suddenly popped into the circle of friends. Iwabee and Shikadai were nudged to the side, and while Shikadai looked irritated, Iwabee was gaping over Chocho's body. Her three friends slowly caught up behind her. Boruto scoffed indignantly, adjusting the shoulder strap of his knapsack. He was going to leave.

Chocho noticed, and wiped away a fake tear. "Who would've thought my little Sarada would get a boyfriend before me? Shocking, I know." Her devious gaze flicked directly up to Boruto, who had already taken a step out of the circle. "Did you guys know Metal gave her a necklace when he asked her out?"

Boruto stopped dead in his tracks.

Mitsuki looked at her confused. The only necklace he knew of was the one Boruto gave Sarada.

"He did?" Mitsuki asked.

"Oh my God yes! It's a ruby pendant, literally gorgeous. She said he gave it to her that night to ask her to the dance as his girlfriend, then they kissed! Can you believe it?"

Oh.

So she was telling people Metal gave it to her, not Boruto.

Now even the necklace meant nothing.

His hands trembled. The chatter between the friend group had now picked up, asking questions and throwing around theories, but Boruto couldn't hear a single thing. Chocho smirked from behind him.

"Oh, Boruto, remember Mr. Aburame wanted to see you?" Without missing a beat, Mitsuki dragged Boruto down the opposite way of the hall.

Boruto felt himself propelling forward. He was in a complete haze. Was this real life? Would this be happening right now if he'd spoken up sooner? Why...

That should be him and Sarada making their appearance in the senior hall, hand in hand, smiling and talking in only a way they understood each other. He should've been her first kiss, her first boyfriend, her first love, her first everything. But he wouldn't be. It was all sinking in now.

Mitsuki stopped once they were in a secluded part behind their school. The weather was warming up, but Boruto still felt cold. Never in his life had he ever felt like this before.

"Are you okay?" Mitsuki asked, his expression mirroring the mood for once.

Boruto didn't know. His mind told him to say yes, but his heart was clearly telling him no.

He fell against the brick wall. He didn't know what to think, he didn't know how to feel, he didn't know what to say. How embarrassing that he felt so strongly towards someone when deep in his mind he knew the whole time it would result in this outcome. He got played. Big time. He was an idiot to think things would end up differently, just because Sarada was a sweet, genuine girl. That didn't mean shit. Boruto Uzumaki did not have happy endings.

He was supposed to be tough, expressionless, indifferent, unreadable. His walls were built high, so how did Sarada break them down so quickly?

Boruto sank to the ground in deafening silence. Mitsuki sat next to him and said nothing. They missed homeroom and their first class, but Mitsuki didn't mind.

XxX

Admiring the pretty blood red sunset was all in vain. It didn't calm or seemingly help Sarada's nerves at all walking down the long stretch of hallway. The red and orange shadows cast across her worn-down Mary Jane's as they clicked against the tile softly. Her peers were outside running track, playing baseball, lacrosse, or simply just enjoying the sunset. How lucky to be them, blissfully unaware of what was about to transpire.

She knew what she did. And now she was about to come face to face with the consequence.

Slowly, she slid open the door to homeroom. There, Boruto sat slumped over in his seat, his hands laced tightly through his disheveled hair. She stood in the doorway, unable to move forward.

Eventually, Boruto turned his head, revealing his deep, angry expression and bloodshot eyes. Sarada matched his look with the same amount of intensity.

"I'm surprised you're here." Sarada said.

Boruto narrowed his eyes, "I could say the same." He stood up, his chair squeaking against the old flooring. "Metal gave the necklace to you when he asked you out, really?"

"I tried to explain everything to you yesterday morning, but you walked out on me again. So I'm not taking the fault for this one. You always run away when things don't go your way!"

Sarada took a couple steps forward and set her bag on the desk, sitting in the chair adjacent to Boruto. She kept her mind focused on taking her supplies out while Boruto only glared at her. Their interlocked gazes were fiery and angry. Boruto stood up and threw his bag over his shoulder. Sarada whipped around.

"What, you have nothing to say?"

Boruto snorted. "No, actually, I don't."

Sarada rolled her eyes and threw her hands out. "See, you're just gonna avoid it and run away again like every other time! You never change!"

Boruto turned around. "Seriously? I'm the one hurting here! Remember how you said you were done with all this uncertainty because it was confusing you? Well, I told you my feelings, I gave you the benefit of the doubt, and you went and played the shit out of me. You don't know what you want, and you're just dragging me through the mud while you try to figure it out. That's heartless."

Sarada's whole body trembled with anxiety. He...really felt that way? She never meant for this to happen, she didn't think he felt so riled up and angry about it. She wanted to cry, she wanted to run away, but she also wanted to sit here and hug him and not let go until everything that had gone wrong the last few months was fixed. She just wanted their normal back.

She...regretted her decision.

"I-I...I didn't mean to–"

"It doesn't matter if you meant to or not, you just did." Boruto snapped, his voice breaking. "We're never on the same page. And I'm tired of dealing with it, Sarada, and I can't do it anymore. So I'm done."

"Done? Done with what?" Sarada whispered, but Boruto quickly left the classroom. "H-Hey! Wait, Boruto!"

He was already in the hallway when Sarada dashed after him. The sound of hasty clicks of the soles gradually grew closer as she threw herself onto him, grasping his elbow desperately. He tried to yank from her grip to continue forward with determination, but she only held on tighter. She couldn't let him go. If she could go back in time, she would change her decision. She didn't want things to end like this!

"I'm sorry! I told you I was sorry! I tried to tell you about the necklace before someone else told you. I know you gave it to me, but Chocho would've started rumors if I had said that!"

Boruto stopped fighting against her. "Oh, so now I'm supposed to forgive you for the same thing you got mad at me over? Being afraid of Chocho starting rumors? I don't give a fuck about the necklace anymore, throw it away for all I care."

Stunned, Sarada's grasp loosened, and he continued down the hall, and Sarada yelled at him to stop. It was a long three flights of stairs with Sarada begging him to stop so they could talk, but finally, they arrived at the teacher's lounge. Boruto slid open the door and marched right up to Mr. Aburame's desk.

"Mr. Aburame, I would like to be permanently removed from the student council position."

Mr. Aburame blinked, readjusting his glasses, and set his pencil down slowly. Swiveling his chair to the side, he took a moment to assess the current situation.

Here, Boruto and Sarada stood in front of him. The two teenagers were obviously frazzled, and it was very like Boruto to make hasty decisions, so he didn't think anything of it, but the fact Sarada looked so distraught and there were tears in her eyes made him question what was going on. These two had discourse earlier in the year, then had started to get along, but now it looked like they were fighting again.

And this time, it was way more intense than before.

Folding his arms, he cleared his throat and folded his arms.

"May I ask why, Boruto?"

Boruto's face contorted from the many emotions running through his mind. "I just can't stand it. I want to resign."

Sarada kept wiping her tears, and it looked so badly like she wanted to speak up, but since they were in the teachers lounge, all the other teachers and professors were finishing up the last of their work before they went home, so it was a quiet atmosphere that would be very easy to cause a ruckus in. Mr. Aburame pursed his lips.

"Walk with me."

The two students followed him out into the hall, and he waited until they were in the stairwell to stop and face them.

"Now, please explain."

"Boruto is just upset with me because he misunderstood something I said!" Sarada harped. Boruto glared at her.

"Why do you always have to butt in? He asked me, not you."

"Then separate your emotions from work and realize you can be mad at me but don't take it out on the student council!"

"Separate emotions from work? You're the one leaving student council early to go watch someone run around a field."

"Me?!" Sarada exclaimed. She suddenly was angry with all traces of tears gone now. "I've never missed a day of school in my life! Or cheated on a test, or gotten put on probation, or skipped class, and I've picked up all the work from your slacking, you think I'm the problem? I'm always sticking up for you and getting myself in trouble! I ruined my reputation for you!"

Boruto turned away from her.

Sarada clenched her fists. "You—"

"That's enough." Mr. Aburame interjected. "Sarada, Boruto, we are going to communicate like adults. You'll never get anywhere speaking to each other the way you are." Sarada and Boruto glared at each other. "Boruto, why do you really want to resign?"

Boruto's eyes quivered as he looked at Sarada. After a beat, he said, "I'm just done."

Mr. Aburame let out a slow breath. "And Sarada, do you want him to resign?"

Sarada looked away indignantly, and she started crying again. No, she didn't, she had tried to explain, but he wasn't accepting her apology. At this point, as heartbroken and angry as she was, it might be most beneficial if he did. All he did was distract her and hold her back.

"I don't care. He can do whatever he wants."

Mr. Aburame observed his two students.

Boruto Uzumaki, son of Naruto and Hinata, both former classmates and childhood friends of his. Quite popular with the student body, a loudmouth, got decent grades, but citizenship markings were low. He had improved since being on the student council since he had been given more responsibility and had stepped up to the task swimmingly. Confidence came naturally. A leader, fiery, opinionated, but easily distracted, got in over his head a lot, and was swayed by peer pressure.

Sarada Uchiha, daughter of Sasuke and Sakura, also former classmates and childhood friends of his. Very intellectual and book smart. Seemed to have a small consistent group of friends, but was very bright, bubbly, and had brilliant ideas. The execution of those ideas sometimes fell short due to lack of confidence in leadership skills. A girl with her head on straight that didn't listen to the opinions of those around her and walked in her own path. Phenomenal grades and attendance, but could be very stubborn and was convinced her way was the right way.

Sarada and Boruto together made an incredible team. They made up in the areas the other lacked. When they harmonized together they had created a perfect setting, both inside and outside of their homeroom class. They both made a powerful impact no matter where they went, together or separated.

But as Mr. Aburame had observed their interactions throughout the school year, it seemed as if the two were constantly vying for the other's acceptance. And when one of them did something out of the expectations the other had already planted in their mind, it caused them to fight. They were so blindly infatuated with each other just hoping to impress and they didn't even realize it.

Mr. Aburame had known most of his students in passing growing up, since it was a relatively small section of town. So having known these two in particular, knowing their background, their parents, and their environment, it wasn't a stretch to say they were both spoiled, stubborn, and both always wanting things to go their way. They constantly pushed each other out of their comfort zone but could also push the completely wrong buttons. He vaguely wondered if their relationship would always be hot and cold, or they could settle somewhere in the middle. It would take a lot of humble maturity for them to acquire that, but it wasn't an impossible feat.

After a long silence, Mr. Aburame nodded, all points considered and compartmentalized.

"If that is what you truly want, Boruto, I will take it up with headmaster Tsunade and we will discuss our options. But just know, this is a permanent decision and you will be excluded from running for student council the rest of your years here. This has to be a decision you're making because you simply are unhappy, not because you and Sarada are not getting along."

Boruto looked to the floor, his thoughts running in every different direction.

"There is always a solution to a problem. Give it a week to think about it. Talk it over with yourself and each other, and give me an answer next Monday." Mr. Aburame said, then turned on his heels. He stopped when he had another thought pop to mind.

"Oh, also, I should remind you two that you are examples for our homeroom class and our student body. You are in a leadership position, and the people you'd least expect are watching you." He looked over his shoulder. He smiled. "Just remember that."

Mr. Aburame left without another word, leaving Sarada and Boruto alone.

There was a long, deafening stretch of silence that was only broken when Boruto heard Sarada's muffled sniffles.

"Do you ever stop crying?" He muttered.

"I...I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that!" Sarada looked at him through her teary, glassy eyes. "I–I don't want you to leave the student council."

Boruto looked up at the ceiling. Well, he didn't necessarily want to either, but the picture of Sarada and Metal walking in the school hand-in-hand was engraved in his memory. It made his body run cold. He was angry. So incredibly angry. He couldn't handle seeing those two together. And whether Sarada strung him along intentionally or not, it still hurt. Very bad. Metal was the root of all their disagreements and issues. As long as Metal was currently in the picture, Boruto couldn't be. And wouldn't.

With a sigh, Boruto closed his eyes. He didn't want to yell or fight anymore. Raising his voice, being angry, and arguing would do nothing to change Sarada's decision. All the hope inside him had finally been broken enough that it was shattered. He was so tired of yelling. So tired of fighting. He had officially given up.

"Let's just go back and get some work done."

With that, Boruto stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked. Sarada slowly shuffled after him, and they got through some paperwork before they went home.

As Boruto got into his car, he watched from the parking lot as Sarada climbed into Itachi's Mercedes from the front entrance. She cast him one look before getting inside and shutting the door.

XxX