warning(s): use of alcohol, smoking, swearing
Prom. The one dance where student council members weren't required to have duties.
Which, was both a blessing and a curse.
A blessing, because Sarada could spend as much time with Metal at the dance and not worry about being in charge. She just got to enjoy herself and their time together.
A curse, because the moment her, Sumiere, Wasabi, and Namida walked into the day date activity, she realized she was in the same group as Boruto. And would be spending all dayin the same vicinity.
The stupidity. The more she thought about it, Sumiere was going with Iwabee. Namida was going with Denki. Wasabi was going with Inojin. Himawari wasn't old enough to attend, or else she definitely would have gone with him.
Mitsuki asked Chocho, Boruto asked Leila, and Shikadai asked Chocho's other friend, Allison.
Literally how did she not see this coming?
"Wassup bro," Boruto pulled Iwabee in for a hug. Iwabee grinned.
"You guys ready to get your asses kicked in laser tag?!"
Shikadai yawned with a cup of steaming hot coffee in his hand, Denki laughed nervously, Inojin was pumped, Mitsuki simply observed, and Metal grinned.
Sarada wanted to disappear in the shadows. Oh god. Forget about her and Boruto – talk about her, Boruto, and Metal and Chocho thrown into the equation. This was a disaster waiting to happen.
They were at their town's fun center, so the options were endless. Mini golf, laser tag, bowling, arcade games, obstacle courses, foam pits, rock climbing, wave riding, and there was a trampoline park right across the street. It was about noon, and the dance was at seven. So there was plenty to do.
Sarada tried to stay close to Sumiere, but Iwabee kept whisking her off in some direction, while Wasabi and Namida went straight to the arcade. Sarada stood there awkwardly. She didn't want to hang out with Chocho, Leila, and Allison, but now she didn't know where everyone else disappeared to.
"You okay?" Inojin approached her from behind. Sarada jumped in surprise.
"Oh! Yeah, I'm good. I just, uh… um–don't really know who to hang out with."
Inojin pursed his lips. "Well," He glanced around, only to see Chocho and her friends laughing loudly, and no one else in sight. "I'm sorry."
Sarada shrugged. "It's okay. I just don't know where Namida and Wasabi went..."
Inojin let out an awkward cough. "I guess in the meantime... me and the boys are going laser tagging first if you want to come."
Sarada gave him a doubtful look. She was completely out of her element here, but what else was she supposed to do?
"Sure." She said reluctantly, and followed him to the laser tag area.
The group loitered around waiting for the current game to end before being brought into the first room to be strapped up. The first pack she put on was red, and Metal's was blue. They were on opposing teams.
"Red team will kick your ass!" Boruto exclaimed, pointing his fake plastic gun to the other team, and Sarada suddenly felt nervous. How did her and Boruto end up on the same team? This had to be the universe slapping irony in her face just to play tricks.
Metal hadn't necessarily been overly friendly towards her all morning – he was complacent – but seemed annoyed with something. He, too, also noticed her and Boruto were on the same team, and turned to the entrance without a word.
Gripping onto the plastic gun, Sarada felt a rush of adrenaline. Laser tag for some reason was always so much fun. The arena, the fog, and the black lights made it all so mysterious and amped her up. She wasn't the best, but she'd at least try.
Iwabee and Boruto were doing some weird chant to get them psyched up before the door opened, meanwhile Denki, Inojin, and Metal stood on the other side blandly, waiting patiently to start.
Finally, the door opened and they all filed in. They had ten seconds before their vests were activated, so Sarada darted to the right, observing where the opposite team ran to. The loud voice on the speaker counted down, and Sarada hid behind a wall. They had about ten minutes of playing time.
"Three, two, one, go!"
Once the timer started, the red vest lit up and gave Sarada instructions. She stayed put to watch everyone else's moves first, but someone from the other team snuck up behind her and shot. The light on her vest died, and she huffed. Guess she'd have to move around to do some good.
Searching for the blue team, she looked through a crack in the wall up at the tall tower. She saw blue lights lingering, and Iwabee went barreling in and shot all of them before running back down the slope. He whooped loudly, then screamed when someone shot his vest.
She went in search of Metal, even though it was dark and quite hard to see. She was turning a blind corner when someone crashed into her. He gasped and held her arms to balance himself as the laser gun fell to the side.
"Ow!" She exclaimed.
"Sorry!" Boruto said, the look on his face somewhat shocked, as he was so into the game he'd forgotten Sarada was in there with them. He looked down at the score on her vest. She hardly had any points, and he laughed. "Damn, you suck."
Sarada was about to retort, but Boruto's vest suddenly died, and they both swung around to see Metal had shot him. Sarada tried to aim quickly, but he took her vest out as well. He didn't even seem hesitant, either, and Sarada watched as he quickly dashed off without a word. Her expression fell, and Boruto didn't know what to say. It was awkward as they parted without a word.
The game ended minutes later, and they all filed out of the large arena. They came out to see Iwabee had the overall highest score, but the blue team had won. Boruto snapped his fingers.
"We were so close!"
"Yeah, look, Metal kicked ass!" Iwabee said.
His name was in the second place spot. Sarada was obviously at the very bottom since she had only shot one person but then proceeded to be shot at the rest of the time. She could hardly focus, though, with Metal acting all weird like this for no reason. She needed to talk to him.
Approaching him from behind, Sarada softly touched Metal's arm. He turned around and smiled, and Sarada let out a breath. He didn't seem mad for her and Boruto's interaction earlier...
"Good game, huh?"
"Yeah, good job." She said, turning back to the board. The scores reset as the new team was shuffled in. "Hey, um, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Hm? Oh, sure."
Sarada led him away to a more secluded hallway in the building. Metal looked at her curiously as she fiddled with her fingers.
"What's up?"
"I feel like something is wrong." She said. "Like, are you okay?"
"Me? Yeah, why?"
"I don't know, you just seem… off."
"I feel normal," Metal shrugged.
"Like, you seem mad at me or something."
Metal blinked. "Oh, I see. No, I am not mad at you."
Sarada furrowed her eyebrows. "Really? Are you sure?"
Metal nodded with a smile. "Mhm. I promise I'm not! I am actually having a great time. I am glad we came with a big group!"
Sarada's anxieties were softened. Okay, he said he promised he wasn't upset, so he meant it. Just their interactions all day had seemed so off, but maybe Sarada had been overthinking it. Truly, he had nothing to be mad about, so yeah. They were good.
"Sorry if I made it seem like I am mad." Metal squeezed her hand.
"It's okay." Sarada said. Even though he gave reassurance, it still didn't seem quite convincing...
But, Metal smiled back, and suddenly leaned in to kiss her. It took her by surprise, and it started as quickly as it ended, so she didn't have time to bask in it.
"Do you want to go bowl?" He asked.
Sarada blinked. "S-Sure!"
Many hours, pizzas, arcade games, and tickets later, Sarada and Metal walked out of the building with matching small stuffed animals. Things were definitely good now, and now she had to go home to get ready for the dance. Metal was going to pick her up a quarter to seven. The building they were having prom in was in the next city over at an event center, so it would take a bit longer. She was told they'd be riding with Iwabee and Sumiere over to Chocho's house to take a large group picture.
Perching the stuffed animal against her pillow, Sarada dove into her mother's makeup drawer to pull out the basics. She knew nothing of makeup; just some concealer, mascara, blush, and lipgloss would do the trick, but curling her hair was what took the longest.
The extensions were beginning to come undone. Sarada made a face as she tied half her hair up to look at them. She needed to redo them. All that running earlier tugged them out of place.
Once her hair was fixed and curled, and her mother helped zip her dress up, she was all ready. Itachi had come over to see her dress and was very impressed.
"That dress looks great on you." He said, sitting from the lounge chair in the corner. Sarada did a twirl, the lavender beads reflecting light with every small movement.
"Really? Thanks!"
"Okay, let me take a couple pictures." Sakura said, pulling out her camera. Sarada posed with a smile, and Sakura nodded. "Perfect, then when your friends get here we'll take more pictures!"
Sarada was so excited. Her very first prom, and the first dance she wasn't in charge! This was going to be such a great night!
Except then she remembered Metal wanted to wear green. And her dress was lavender. She suddenly wasn't sure how well that would go over, or how mad he'd be. She'd almost completely forgotten about that debacle from earlier this week. Would something so small and insignificant as the color of her dress ruin the entire night? There's no way.
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she almost resented the dress. It was so beautiful, but why was she having so much apprehension about it being the wrong color? Why had it been such a big deal anyway? It was all completely stupid, and now Sarada had anxiety.
Sumiere called Sarada moments later to let her know they were out front. Sakura followed her daughter outside with the camera as her friends stepped out of the car. Sumiere exclaimed and dashed towards her friend.
"Oh my God you look so pretty!"
"You do too!" Sarada squealed.
Iwabee had cleaned up nice — he finally wasn't wearing a hat for once, and Metal's suit was crisp and neat as he readjusted the lapels. Sumiere and Iwabee had chosen black, while Sarada's dress was lavender, and Metal's tie was green.
"You look good." Sarada said nervously as Metal walked up to her. He gave her a stiff smile.
"Here." He held out the boutineer, and Sarada held her wrist out. He slid it on without much thought, and Sarada could only think how disappointed he was. She was hoping he would've seen the effort she'd put in to get ready and compliment her, but she got nothing. Not even a longing gaze.
"Okay guys, get together for a picture." Sakura said. The four friends squished together with a smile, and Sakura took the photo. She held a thumbs up.
"Now be safe! Sarada, be home by midnight, or call me if your plans change!"
"Okay!" She said, and they all got back in the car. Her dress was so bushy it almost got caught in the car door, but Sumiere laughed as she helped Sarada tug it into the vehicle.
Iwabee turned on his blinker and once he pulled out of the neighborhood, he picked up a case of glass bottles beneath Sumiere's feet. He handed one to Metal, one to Sarada, one to Sumiere, and took one for himself.
"Cheers to a good night!" He exclaimed, then popped open the cap. Metal did the same, and Sumiere and Sarada paused.
"Wait, what is this?" Sarada asked.
"Mike's." Iwabee said.
"What is that?"
"Beer."
Sarada just about had a heart attack. "Wh-What?! Iwabee!"
"It's fiiine, I've been doing this since I was fourteen! Besides, this little beer isn't gonna do anything to me."
"Iwabee..." Sumiere hesitated. She hadn't been aware of what the bottles beneath her feet were, that's why she had paid no attention to them.
"We'll only get in trouble if we get pulled over." Iwabee laughed. He clicked his and Sumiere's glasses together. "Now cheers!" He gave her a look.
Slowly, Sumiere looked at the bottle. Hesitantly, she took a sip, then made a face. Iwabee laughed.
Sarada was dumbfounded. She looked to Metal to back her up, but he was halfway through his drink already. She was so shocked.
"Are you kidding me?!"
"What?" He mumbled. Sarada was completely dismayed. Now this, on top of the anxiety she'd had about her dress? Who even was she dating anymore? She didn't even know Metal drank!
Sarada was shaking. "Stop drinking that! We could get in so much trouble!"
Iwabee rolled his eyes and let out a dramatic sigh.
"Jesus, woman, take a fucking chill pill! God," He looked at her in the rearview mirror. "I'll finish it right now."
Sarada gasped as he chugged the rest then set the bottle in the lower section of the door. He looked back in the rearview mirror.
"Look, it's gone! So relax!"
He instantly turned up the music so Sarada couldn't speak, and she looked to Metal completely in shock. He was looking out the window, occasionally sipping on the drink. Sarada looked to the front, and Sumiere was doing it as well. Wait, was this really not as big of a deal as she was playing it out to be? Was she really overreacting? Wasn't drinking underage bad?
After what felt like a very long car ride, they arrived at Chocho's house. They were the last ones there, and seeing Boruto smiling at his gorgeous date with her perfect waterfall curls just made Sarada feel even worse. Once they were all bunched together taking the group picture, Sarada tried her best to fake a smile the entire time, but really she wanted to go home and curl up in a ball.
The drive to the building that was hosting prom felt even longer. She didn't wait for Iwabee's car to be completely parked before she jumped out. She was so upset. She didn't even want to go to the dance anymore, but she felt too embarrassed to call her mom. Hiding in the bathroom claiming she didn't feel good was the only option.
If she called her mom, Sakura would never let her hang out with her friends again, and she had just finally started to fit in somewhere. She didn't want to be labeled as the tattle, but she knew it was wrong. They were all underage, Iwabee had actually been driving, and she was pretty sure open-containers were illegal.
Rubbing her arms to comfort herself, Sarada held back tears. She was so conflicted and so embarrassed for reacting the way she did. She was making such a big deal out of it when it really shouldn't be. Everyone was doing it, even Sumiere, but why did it seem so wrong? What was even right anymore? She didn't want to lose all her friends by not fitting in.
Metal came up behind her after discarding the bottles in the nearby dumpster. "Are you coming?"
Sarada bit her lip. It was obviously she was already ruining the night… being a baby and crying over her friends drinking wasn't cool. She had to suck it up. It was known that the whole friend group drank; she didn't know why she expected any differently. They always showed up to dances drunk – obviously she'd dealt with Boruto on more than one occasion. She supposed she'd never really seen the process of them getting drunk, though, and that's what had thrown her through a total loop resulting in an outburst. Never in her life had she been around recreational alcohol.
Not wanting to smudge her makeup, Sarada dabbed her fingers at the side of her eyes and shook away her emotions. She had to get over it if she still wanted her friends to like her. She had come this far and wasn't going to ruin it over something this small. If not, well…
"Come on," Metal urged, as Iwabee and Sumiere had already walked across the parking lot, and Sarada followed along begrudgingly.
Entering through the doors, the music became louder. Some popular songs from the radio were being mashed together, but there weren't a ton of people there yet. Iwabee clapped his hands together, and walked up to the table, giving the girl his money then guiding Sumiere into the dance hall. Metal did the same, but less enthusiastically.
It was about ten minutes later everyone else showed up, very obviously drunk. Chocho was louder than ever, Mitsuki even had a dopey smile on his face, and the other girls were giggling and screaming how pretty the other was. Sarada was sitting at a table when she saw all of them walk in, and Iwabee and Metal greeted them cheerfully. They chatted for a while over the music while the girls made their way over to Sarada.
"Is this our table?" Chocho asked. Sarada shrugged, specifically eyeing Boruto's date, Leila.
"I guess so."
"Perfect," Chocho plopped down into one of the chairs with a sigh. "God! These shoes hurt my feet!"
Her other friends agreed, and they all laughed. Sarada had an anxious feeling in her stomach. They looked like they were having such a good time and didn't care, meanwhile she was overthinking everything. Maybe she really should try it so she wasn't such a loser…
"Oh my God, you guys, doesn't Mitsuki look so hot?!" Chocho exclaimed as Wasabi, Namida, and Sumiere came to join them at the table. "He's literally so perfect!"
"He is for you," Leila said, her long, elegant nails clicking on the table. Sarada pursed her lips. She was so pretty with her long, dirty blonde hair pinned back. Blondes were definitely Boruto's type, for sure. No wonder he asked her.
Chocho glanced at Sarada. "Boruto looks pretty good in pink though, don't you think, Sarada?"
"H-Huh?" Sarada snapped from her stupor. All the girls were looking at her, and she stuttered. "U-Um, I guess?"
Chocho stared at her then flipped her long hair behind her shoulder. "Metal doesn't look too bad either, but why doesn't his tie match your dress?"
This is what Sarada had been worried about. She had no explanation, and now Chocho was going to bully her about it. This truly was miserable. Sumiere, Wasabi, Namida, Allison, and Leila looked at her expectantly.
"Yeah, that is kind of weird. And your boutineer doesn't even match." Allison said, tilting her head.
Sarada curled further into her seat. This was her worst nightmare. All she could offer in response was a halfhearted shrug, and Chocho gave her a look. Surprisingly, she dropped the topic, and continued blabbing about Mitsuki.
Meanwhile, the boys snuck off to the bathroom to take shots. There, they crowded in the handicap stall and passed the flask around. When it got to Boruto, he took a gulp, then cringed as the bitter tequila went down his throat. He almost gagged.
"That shit is nasty!"
Iwabee cackled then took the flask from him, took a shot, then handed it to Shikadai. He took a shot, and cringed just like everyone else, then passed it to Metal.
"Why tequila?" Shikadai asked.
"Because that's all my brother would buy for me." He complained. The flask was passed to Mitsuki. "I did all his chores for him and that's the most he would do for me!"
The flask was passed to Inojin, and Boruto shook his head. "I'm sooo glad I don't have older siblings!"
The flask was passed to Denki. Iwabee scoffed. "I mean, he bought me a couple bottles so I'm not complaining! I have them in my trunk."
The flask was passed back to Boruto. He took another shot, and god, it burned. They were getting a different type of fucked up tonight.
Iwabee took a shot, and it went around the circle one more time before Boruto made a cutthroat motion.
"I'm tapped out, guys. Three shots in a row would kill me."
"Bro, but we're at prom! You're supposed to get fucked up!" Iwabee said.
"Hell nah, you guys have fun." Boruto waved at them, and Shikadai followed in suit. Once exiting the bathroom, they both blinked as the alcohol settled into their systems. Tequila definitely hit differently, and quickly, so there'd be some debauchery tonight.
Boruto and Shikadai stood in the doorway, slightly dazed at all the movement around them. They were both already feeling it, and they spotted all their dates sitting down at the table talking like complete chatterboxes. Shikadai squinted.
"How are Chocho and Sarada within five feet of each other and they haven't killed each other yet?"
"Bro, I couldn't even tell you." Boruto said.
"Isn't it awkward having her around all the time? Like, 'cause her and Mitsuki are a thing now, and you guys talked for a while?"
Boruto shrugged. "Honestly, we don't talk about it. She likes Mitsuki and he likes her, so it doesn't matter."
Shikadai's head lolled to the side. "Isn't it kinda funny how you ruined hers and Sarada's friendship, and now both of them are dating your best friends?"
Boruto gave Shikadai a look. "How about we stop playing twenty fucking questions?"
Shikadai snickered as Boruto cuffed his head lightly. The Nara definitely was feeling it. He may be a coffee addict, but alcohol was something he didn't indulge in frequently. So when he did drink, it hit him hard.
Catching up to Boruto, Shikadai grabbed his sleeve to gain his attention.
"Bro, on the real though, I'm sorry. I was just messing with you. I know you still like Sarada."
Boruto avoided his gaze. "Well, that doesn't matter. I'm here with Leila."
Shikadai pursed his lips. "C'mon."
Boruto let out an annoyed sigh. "As far as Sarada's concerned, she's way moved on from me and happy with Metal."
Shikadai pointed at him. "Yeah, but you're not happy."
"You know, I kind of hate when you're drunk." Boruto twirled his friend forward and pushed him towards the table of girls. "Just shut the fuck up and go lose your virginity or something!"
Shikadai cackled as they got closer to the table. Allison noticed her date definitely was more ragdoll than before, and she stood up as Shikadai fell into her grasp.
"Oh my God you smell like tequila!" She exclaimed. Chocho stood up.
"What? Were you guys taking shots in the bathroom without me?!"
"Go find your mans, then." Boruto laughed, and Chocho stormed off with an attitude in search of him.
Eventually, everyone appeared back at the table, and Iwabee threw his arms around Leila and Allison.
"You guys are so laaaame sitting over here by yourselves!" Iwabee exclaimed. "Come dance!"
"Let me put on more lipgloss real quick!" Chocho exclaimed, and dug through her purse. Iwabee mocked her.
"Well hurry up!"
Everyone began making their way to the dance floor, but Sarada still couldn't move. Her body was so drained and depressed there was nothing in her to propel herself to her feet. Metal frowned.
"Do you want to come dance?"
Sarada shook her head, and Metal glanced at her before joining everyone else. Boruto had helped Leila stand from the chair, and glanced from Metal to Sarada. He told Leila to give him a moment, then patted Mitsuki on the shoulder. His friend nodded in understanding and followed after her.
Boruto plopped right next to Sarada and threw one leg over the other. Sarada hardly glanced at him.
"Aren't you gonna go dance with your date?" Sarada muttered.
He shrugged. "Later. First, I wanna know what's up with you." He shifted so both feet were planted on the ground directly facing her. She felt uncomfortable with his undivided attention.
"Nothing. I just don't feel good."
Boruto's brows furrowed. "Why?"
Bringing up the memory, Sarada's emotions began to surface again. She was getting teary eyed over nothing. Viciously wiping her eyes, she willed the tears away.
"Nothing."
Boruto's posture went lax. Obviously it wasn't nothing, it was plain as day that Sarada was upset. He could only assume Metal was the cause of it, because Miss Uchiha had not shut up about prom since the first day of student council, there was no way she wouldn't ensure her health was up to one-hundred percent the week leading up to this night. Boruto noticed the couple had seemed kind of awkward during the day date, but something else must've happened to really push the wedge in deeper. He hated to see Sarada sad, and even though it wasn't his place anymore, just standing by complacently wasn't his style.
With vigor, he stood up and rounded Sarada's chair and held out both hands.
"C'mon raccoon eyes, you look like a hot mess. You're really gonna let yourself look like this at prom? Isn't this supposed to be the best dance of the year?"
Sarada sniffled and looked up at Boruto. His eyes were gleaming genuinely, that soft expression on his face he only showed her, and his hands outreached looked so warm and inviting.
Well, she supposed, why not…
And slowly, she took one hand, and he pulled her up with a smile.
Guiding her to the bathroom, Boruto waited outside for her to gather her composure. She returned, then swished off her dress and fixed the layering before he extended an arm. Pink and lavender meshed well together as they followed the muted sound of the music and the bass thumping through the walls.
Walking through the doorway was like entering a different dimension. Colorful lights were flashing and shooting in different directions, the bass was loud and prominent now, kids were screaming, singing, laughing, and all around having a good time. Sarada still felt out of place, but she felt her spirits lift as she watched wondrously. Boruto lightly nudged her.
"Well? You wanna jump in?" He asked.
For a long moment, Sarada watched the crowd. Parties weren't really her thing; she was a buzzkill, a rule follower, too book smart for her own good and less of street smart, kind of lame when it came down to it, and had a hard time letting loose. Her life had always been so straightforward since the beginning; do good in school, be a good person, follow a routine, be kind to others around her, and do what made her happy.
Now, standing here in front of a crowd she hardly related to, next to someone who was part of that crowd, but actually cared enough to get to know who she was deep down, really was eye opening. She was taking life too seriously, and not allowing herself to be her age. Everything was always so black and white for her, but now she realized that sometimes it was allowed to be gray. Just because her friends were drinking didn't mean she had to. Just because they were making bad decisions didn't mean she had to follow suit. She could still have friends that made different decisions than her, and it was okay.
If they were truly her friends, they wouldn't pressure her.
If they truly cared, they wouldn't leave.
And she knew, without a doubt, that the person standing next to her was both of those things.
Looking at Boruto, he was patiently standing by her side waiting. With a small nod, Boruto grinned, grabbed her wrist tightly, and pulled her into the crazy crowd of dancing kids.
At first, Sarada was unsure of what to do, she bounced up and down to match the beat, while everyone was jumping and singing, girls were on the floor twerking alone or on each other. But, watching how everyone was just living in the moment matching the vibe of everyone else, she realized no one cared. No one was watching her, no one was judging her dancing skills, no one was expecting her to do something outstanding, she was just simply a part of a large crowd all connected to the same wavelength.
Boruto was having a good time, his pink tie bouncing around as people were shoved left and right, but he was laughing. He saw Sarada still looking uncomfortable, so he grabbed her waist and yanked her close. She gasped, her face heating up bright red, and he laughed. She must not be used to being touched like this, which was crazy to think. If Boruto was in Metal's place, he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of her.
Boruto held onto Sarada's hands tightly, and they jumped around to the upbeat song, everyone dancing around them, occasionally bumping into them, but they laughed together. Boruto felt Sarada's body begin to relax, and her movement became more fluid. Right before his eyes, she was blossoming; like a sunflower after having been stuck in a storm for weeks. Her smile was bigger, her eyes were brighter. She hadn't seemed this carefree in a very long time.
Soon, the series of songs slowed down, and a lot of kids fled off the dance floor to grab some water, or to take a break. Some couples stayed on the dance floor for the slow song, and once the big crowd broke, Metal spotted Sarada and Boruto a couple meters away. Sarada beamed at the sight of him, and broke from Boruto's grasp to bound over to him.
Boruto's arms slowly fell to his side. He watched as Sarada grabbed Metal's hands, and they started slow dancing. Metal seemed a lot happier with Sarada in his arms, and they chatted away excitedly, leaving Boruto by himself on the dance floor. His heart sank with the realization.
No matter how many times he chose Sarada, she still wasn't going to choose him.
"There you are!" Leila exclaimed, running up to Boruto. She grabbed his wrist. "Let's dance!"
Forcing himself to not look over at the other couple, Boruto nodded, putting one hand on Leila's waist, and the other clasping her small hands. Right. Leila was the one he asked to the dance, and here he was dancing with someone else. Leila smiled.
"This is fun, thanks for asking me!"
He smiled. "Yeah, no problem."
Metal and Sarada were practically inseparable from that moment on, and it seemed all their issues had simply dissipated. They spent every song together, every break, every cup of punch, and slowly it started to take a toll on Boruto's mood. What could he expect, though? Just because he turned Sarada's mood around didn't mean she was going to magically realize that he was right there just waiting for her to be ready. Every time Boruto helped Sarada, it was just pushing her and Metal closer.
His heart was hurting. He needed a distraction.
"Hey," He leaned over to Iwabee once back at the table, "you have your vape?"
"Yeah, dude, which one?"
"I don't care."
Iwabee handed him a yellow one, and Boruto excused himself from the table. Leila asked him where he was going, but he didn't respond.
Coming out into the fresh air was nice. It was helping clear his head, and once he was sure he was out of eyesight from any chaperones, took a long hit. It was only nicotine, but the habit was comforting. His throat constricted, and he coughed unexpectedly. Fuck, was that really a regular puff bar? Boruto wiped his nose. Usually when he was drunk he could take a drag with no problem. Damn, that shit was either strong or he'd lost tolerance.
"Boruto."
Boruto panicked and threw the puff bar into his pocket, only to turn around to see Metal. His shoulders relaxed.
"Oh. Wassup dude? You want some?" He took the puff bar back out. Metal shook his head.
"No, I don't smoke."
Ah, yes. Metal's tone said absolutely everything Boruto needed to know. He had an inkling something like this to happen eventually – Metal was an insecure guy who had a small weiner and a complex over Sarada's past choices. So of course he was going to try and pull some type of power play against Boruto, especially since they were both tipsy off tequila at their sophomore prom night. Taking shots in the handicap stall together was just a move to get his guard down. Well, it didn't work.
It was basically inevitable, the universe had practically been begging them to start drama. Boruto's life had been a little bland lately; and this was just the perfect dose of spice he needed in the boiling pot. He was up for a small banter. It was a fun challenge.
He sucked on his teeth, raising a mocking brow.
"You don't drink either." Boruto said as a matter of fact. "I heard about the car ride over. Are you a total smooth brain or were you just trying to impress your out of league girlfriend? Be honest. Because I'm betting it's both A and B."
Metal clenched his fists. "That's none of your business. I am just here to tell you to leave Sarada alone! She doesn't have feelings for you anymore. We're happy, and you need to accept that."
Boruto dropped his head in disbelief. "Wow, really? I could've sworn she was alone at the table earlier crying because you hurt her feelings, but maybe I'm wrong. I guess I know nothing."
"You don't, so stop getting in the middle!" Metal took a step closer. "Stay away from her."
Boruto laughed. "You're being deadass right now? Dude, stick to your nerdy haircut and comic books, the controlling boyfriend doesn't look good on you."
"And the redeemed bad boy doesn't look good on you," Metal retorted, "you only want Sarada because you can't have her! You're trying to act like you've changed but you really never have."
Boruto blinked, suddenly feeling uneasy. "You–You're joking, right? Like, you're totally just playing right now?"
When Metal's expression didn't budge, that gave Boruto his answer. And phew, he wasn't having it. His irritation grew exponentially.
"You serious bro? You really wanna go there?"
"I am very serious. You never change, and Sarada chose me. She does not want you anymore, so you need to leave her alone."
Boruto was dismayed. "Chose you? Don't even get me started; the only reason she chose your dumbass is 'cause I couldn't get my shit together, and then you go and don't even try to be nice to her." He scoffed. "Like dude, I know your girlfriend better than you fucking do, how does that feel? How does it feel knowing that when she has a problem, she comes to me, because you treat her like shit all the time and she doesn't trust you?"
Metal obviously took offence to that by the way his brows furrowed deeply. "Y-You're wrong! From now on I'm done being nice. Just stop interfering and leave her alone!" He turned around to leave, but Boruto rolled his eyes dramatically.
"We're still on student council together, you idiot, we see each other every day after school!"
Metal sent a glare back his way. Boruto was feeling fired up. He was just itching to beat the living crap outta this guy. Metal really was rubbing Boruto the wrong way lately – and not just from the way he'd been treating Sarada. Boruto had thought this whole behind the dumpster confrontation was a joke at first, but upon finding out Metal was being serious, it was absolutely corny and pathetic. He was livid that this was even happening right now.
"So what are you gonna do then, huh?" Boruto continued. "Try and take her out of my life? I dare you to try, it won't work."
"That's what you think, you cocky bastard. You do not know her like I do! You haven't heard the things she's said about you!" Metal exclaimed. Boruto kept an even gaze.
"Yeah, like what?"
Metal's eyes quivered. Having an elaborate plan to expose Boruto ended up being futile because now standing here in front of him… Metal was speechless. He had nothing. Absolutely no bullshit to pull out of thin air and claim truth. Sarada honestly was dead silent when it came to Boruto. She had never said anything other than her frustration with the student council, but never anything directly about him.
The only information Metal knew came from rumors and Chocho's blabbermouth. And putting two and two together, he had come to a couple concrete conclusions. Sarada and Boruto had dated. Briefly, but they were involved. How deeply, he wasn't sure, but he was aware about all their after school dates. He didn't stay so long after school running around the track for nothing.
He hadn't been completely unprepared going into a relationship blindly with someone who had fraternized with an Uzumaki. He had a plan to take Boruto down by beating him with his own game, and had everything lined out perfectly.
But… now that he was here trying to claim what was rightfully his, he was absolutely tongue tied. Things didn't seem so perfect after all. Metal had always allied himself with Boruto due to seeing the aftermath of what became of his enemies, but now that he was on the other side, it was truly terrifying. No wonder people were so intimidated by him — the mere power he held in a simple look could sweep someone straight off their feet. Even his energy was horrifyingly threatening; how Sarada saw anything good in him was insane.
"Yeah, see, you got nothing." Boruto spat. "You don't know Sarada. And don't fucking come starting shit with me if you have nothing to back it up with. Fucking pussy."
Boruto pushed past Metal without another word, and Metal trembled with rage. How was he so unable to defend himself, even after rehearsing so many times in his head, yet Boruto kept his intense demeanor the entire time, not once stumbling over himself? He was so stupid to think he had a chance of beating Boruto at his own game. Metal truly had nothing in comparison — if he didn't keep Sarada wrapped around his finger tight she would slip away in an instant.
For once, Metal had something Boruto wanted, and he was going to grasp onto it as tightly as he could.
XxX
Later that night, Metal had dropped Sarada off and left her on the doorstep with a kiss. She had had such a lovely night, even though it hadn't started as great as she wished, the ending felt perfect. Once Metal had come back from his fresh air, they had slow danced, and he'd apologized for how he acted. Sarada forgave him, and everything was okay.
Sarada slept peacefully, and meanwhile, Metal headed to the after party.
Of course, at Mitsuki's house.
Boruto was already inside pouring himself a drink while Chocho was taking up all of Mitsuki's attention. Boruto scoffed. The host wasn't even able to host properly with her hanging all over him like that. Pft. What a weird couple, he still didn't understand it. But hey, they were happy. So fuck it.
Leila was loitering around too as she had gotten a ride with Chocho, so she had to stay with her all night. Their group had kind of fizzled out once everyone left the prom. Iwabee had dragged Sumiere to the after party and definitely was trying to sweet talk her, and Boruto was about to walk over and beat his ass if he didn't quit it. Sumiere was not going to sleep with him, and he was an idiot if he thought she'd crack.
Wasabi, Inojin, and Shikadai were all hanging out on the couch with drinks in hand. They weren't engaging much in terms of sociability, but at least were present and would keep Mitsuki's house from going up in flames, so that's all that mattered.
Boruto took a sip of his drink when he looked over and saw Mitsuki and Chocho in an intense lip lock at the other end of the counter. He choked. Oh god. No wonder it got so quiet, the loudmouth finally had something better to put work into than talking.
"So Boruto, how long have you and Mitsuki been friends?" Leila asked, perched on the barstool across the counter.
Oh yeah, Boruto forgot Leila didn't really know them, she had transferred in new this year from a different state, and somehow got roped into being friends with Chocho. Though Boruto supposed it was her free will to be friends with such a raging bitch – but to each their own.
"We've been friends basically since we were kids, I don't really remember how we met. We've just always kinda known each other." Boruto said, thinking back.
His dad's old high school homeroom teacher had been Mr. Orochimaru, and then sometime after he graduated he adopted Mitsuki as a baby. A couple months later, Boruto was born, so they were kind of destined to be friends from the start. Thank the lord, because Mitsuki was the only real friend who knew how to deal with his crazy ass. Shikadai didn't care enough about anything to put as much effort as Mitsuki, but he was equally as good of a friend just in a different way.
"That's so cool, that must be nice growing up with the same people." Leila said.
Boruto tilted his head back and forth. "Ehh, it has its pros and cons. It's such a small town mentality here. People still remember the weirdest tiniest details of something you did from elementary school, so it's hard to change your reputation around here."
Leila nodded in understanding. "Oh yeah, that makes sense then. I've just moved around a lot so I always have to find new friends!"
"That has to suck." Boruto drank the rest of his mixer. Whew, his head was getting extra fuzzy. "But be glad you didn't grow up in this town, I swear everyone stays here their whole life. I can't wait to leave."
"Where do you think you'd go?"
Boruto shrugged. "Maybe more south, I don't think I'd leave the state though. I like it here."
Leila smiled. "I like it too, so far. Back where I'm from it was so humid!"
"Yeah, I definitely could not deal with that." Boruto blinked to help his vision focus, and when he looked back over at Mitsuki, they were still going at it. He scowled. "Get a fucking room!"
Mitsuki flipped him off, then pushed Chocho towards his bedroom. Boruto rolled his eyes.
"Fuckin' weirdos."
Leila laughed. "Chocho really likes him, though. She talks about him a lot."
"Really? They're so mean to each other." Boruto stumbled over his own feet. Fuck, guess that meant he should drink more!
"He's honestly really nice to her but like not in a noticeable way." Leila said. "Like he'll compliment her in weird ways, but it works for her."
"Well good. It's about time she got over me." Boruto poured more vodka into his cup, then threw some orange juice in after. Leila laughed awkwardly.
"How much are you drinking tonight?"
Boruto shrugged. "I'm staying the night, so I guess until I black out."
He burst into laughter, and Leila laughed too.
"Can I try some?"
Boruto pushed his cup towards her, and she took a sip. Immediately, her face contorted in disgust.
"Ew, there's like no orange juice in there!"
"Then make your own fuckin' drink," Boruto sassed back, and gave her a cup. She giggled and poured a minuscule amount of alcohol in the cup, then put some orange juice in after,
"You're funny. I see why Chocho liked you."
"Hm? Well you shouldn't, 'cause I'm an asshole." Boruto flicked his hand.
Boruto couldn't quite decipher the look on her face, his eyes were too hazy, but it looked like she was trying to figure out what to say. Finally, after a forced laugh, she spoke.
"You don't really seem like it though."
Boruto stared at her. The look she was giving him looked very familiar, but it could've been the alcohol messing with his brain. She was a very pretty girl, she had a cute laugh, and seemed nice enough. Their time at the dance together had been exceptional – she was an easy person to be with.
But, he wasn't over Sarada. That was a big thing. And he didn't want to start something with anyone because he was still hurting inside. Especially after today, even to this moment. It really had taken a toll on his emotions.
Leila kept looking at him, though, and the one stupid brain cell left in his head got an idea.
Well, he supposed...
The only way to get over someone was to get under someone else!
"You wanna go talk in the room?" He nodded in the direction of the hallway, and Leila suddenly seemed nervous.
"O-Oh, sure!"
Boruto gave her a cheeky look, handed her his glass, and pointed towards the couch.
"I'll meet you there."
Leila nodded vigorously, and Boruto marched over to Shikadai with a big devious grin on his face and a plot. Sitting right on his lap woke Shikadai up quickly, and he scowled.
"You're so heavy," He groaned. Boruto cackled.
"Dude, should Leila and I smash?"
Shikadai gave him a look. "Right now?"
Boruto nodded eagerly.
Shikadai let out a heavy sigh. "If you want, bro. I have a condom if you need one."
"Yeah, go get it for me!"
Shikadai shook his head, and with a mighty shove sent Boruto off his lap to the ground with a loud thud, and he cackled. Shikadai couldn't help but snort. "You're such an idiot. Fine."
"You're a real one!" Boruto gave him a thumbs up, and laid his head against the coffee table. The sheer irony: the one virgin in their friend group carried the condoms.
"Oh Metal, you came!" Wasabi suddenly exclaimed. Boruto's eyes shot open, and he flung upwards.
Metal smiled. "Yep, here I am!"
"Where's Sarada?" Inojin asked, glancing at Boruto, who was still seated on the floor between the couch and the coffee table.
Metal had informed Inojin about their… disagreement, so Boruto was probably less than pleased to see him here. Inojin couldn't see Boruto's face, and he didn't want to make it obvious by looking, but assumed it was something akin to pure disgust. When Boruto was drunk, he had a really hard time hiding his emotions.
"I dropped her off, she said she did not want to come." Metal took a seat on the couch, and Boruto's expression contorted into an awkward anger.
His stomach was lurching with nausea. If Metal overheard about his and Leila's little planned escapade, Sarada would definitely hear about it and would ruin all chances of them ever rekindling… but why was he worrying about Sarada right now? Why did his reputation suddenly matter so much? He was sixteen, horny, and drunk. So why did anything else matter?
"That's surprising," Wasabi tilted her head. "Why not?"
Metal laughed nervously. "She was tired. We– well… she is just wonderful. That is all I can say."
Boruto clutched onto the coffee table. Wait, was he insinuating he and Sarada...
Inojin raised an eyebrow, and Wasabi gasped.
"What! Metal, for real? Did you guys do it?!"
Metal scratched his head, and didn't say anything.
Boruto felt frozen. Nauseous. Absolutely sick to his stomach. He stood up, wobbling away from the couch and stumbled to the kitchen. Shikadai had been coming back at that moment, condom in hand, but watched in confusion as Boruto went to the kitchen. He needed water immediately, or he was going to throw up.
Shakily, he grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it up from the water dispenser attached to the fridge. He looked pathetic from afar as Shikadai rubbed his back soothingly, Inojin shook his head, then turned to glare at Metal.
"Dude, seriously?"
"What?" Metal asked. Inojin gave him a look.
"You know. Stop it. You're taking it too far."
Metal tilted his head. "Taking what too far? I did not do anything."
Inojin frowned, and Wasabi was confused.
Metal pursed his lips, then suddenly smiled brightly. "What a great party! Where is Iwabee and Sumiere, didn't they come too?"
"Actually banging," Inojin muttered.
Metal kept his bright smile, but now there was a threatening gaze swirling behind his eyes. "Where is Himawari at?"
Inojin's hair stood on the back of his neck. "Dude, are you fucking serious right now?"
"Guys, what the hell is going on?" Wasabi exclaimed.
Both Inojin and Metal jumped at her outburst. And finally Metal let out a long sigh and stood up.
"Nevermind. But Inojin, I came here to pick you up. So are you ready or not?"
Inojin scoffed, then begrudgingly followed after him. Wasabi let out an exasperated sigh and went in search of a shot glass.
XxX
A forehead plastered against the cold toilet seat with Stay by Post Malone blasting from a phone speaker was definitely a sight Mitsuki was able to behold as he opened his bathroom door. The light from the morning sun streamed in intensely, but Boruto was unbothered as he muttered along the words. Mitsuki almost laughed.
"How hungover are you?"
"Don't break your back for me…" Boruto continued to mutter. "I'll put you out of your misery…"
"Oh my God, has he lost it?" Chocho popped over Mitsuki's shoulder. He let out a thoughtful hum.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Tell me that it's all okay!" Boruto flung his head back. "I've been waitin' on this all damn day!"
"Jesus," Chocho rolled her eyes. "What the hell happened last night?"
Boruto sniffed and let his head rest back on the toilet seat. "Metal said he and Sarada smashed."
Both Chocho and Mitsuki were shocked, but then Chocho shook her head.
"No no no, I know Sarada, she's not stupid. Seriously, she's not as basic to lose her virginity on prom night. She doesn't even know what sex is."
Boruto continued to mumble the words to the song, and Chocho barged past Mitsuki to pause the music.
"They didn't sleep together, Metal is a big fat liar! I can already tell you that. Now get your pathetic ass up and stop laying on the toilet, that's gross!"
"That's easy for you to say, you got laid last night."
Chocho was in disbelief. "What happened to Leila? Didn't you take her to the room?"
"Yeah," Boruto grumbled, "but we didn't have sex."
Chocho rolled her eyes. "You're so stupid, she's been all googly eyed over you since you asked her to the dance! Why'd you ruin it?"
Boruto cast her an indignant glare. "Because."
"Oh wow, call the doctor, he needs some viagra." Chocho folded her arms, unimpressed. "Get up you big baby and go eat something before you make yourself more sick."
Boruto grunted as he stood from the floor, and shuffled down the hallway into the kitchen. Chocho glanced at Boruto's phone and saw it was close to nine-thirty AM and his battery was about seven percent. She looked at Mitsuki.
"Do you really think they slept together?"
Mitsuki shrugged. "I really couldn't tell you."
Chocho frowned. Downgrading from Boruto to Metal? Good god, she sure hoped her ex-friend wasn't that stupid.