Warnings: underage drinking, drug use
Bright and early, Sakura took Sarada to her hair appointment and left to run errands. As the extensions were removed, Sarada noticed her real hair had surprisingly grown significantly past her shoulders, now reaching between her collarbone and chest. She supposed it was because she had been focusing so much on making the extensions look good that she'd hardly touched her regular hair. After a fresh trim, it looked thicker, healthier, stronger, and her stylist spritzed her hair with some spray to add a volumizing touch.
Once Sakura picked her up and took her home, she finally took a good look at Sarada's new hair.
"Beautiful! You look so grown up." Sakura said, lightly touching the ends. Sarada really did look older, the hair complimented her nicely and wasn't an awkward length above her shoulders, nor was weighing her down. She beamed. She loved it.
That night, Boruto had to cancel their volleyball practice, which was both surprising and disappointing, but she figured he probably needed a break. And not to mention, he probably felt like she was stringing him along again. They were practically inseparable yet no real progress has been made in their relationship after the park incident; at this point it was stagnant. After all, she did friend zone him, and though he only threw a sarcastic jab back at her in response, she knew that was his way of coping with it.
Straight, plain, and honest, Sarada just wasn't ready. She wasn't about to impulsively jump into another relationship, no matter how hard she'd been pining over Boruto. It was all she could do to remain level headed, calm, and collected throughout their endeavors together and not get in over her head by being swept off her feet by his grandeur. Friend zoning him was the only way to momentarily keep the brakes on for now, mostly to put boundaries in place for herself. Processing emotions was not on the top of her list of speedy qualities she possessed.
Sighing, Sarada looked at herself in the mirror of her vanity. The ruby necklace gleamed magnificently in the sunset lit room, and she pinched it between her fingers. No wonder Boruto had been going full speed ahead — this necklace was a clear green light. And to be honest, it wore so delicately on her neck that she forgot she had it on more often than not, but obviously Boruto didn't. He had to see it on Sarada's neck every time she looked him in the eye and told him they were just friends, how confusing was that?
If she took it off now, though, it would only make things more confusing. Her words would no longer mean, we're just friends for now until I'm ready, they would then turn to, we're friends permanently with no room for convincing. And she didn't want that.
With an annoyed sigh, Sarada fisted her fingers through her hair. God, how was she supposed to keep up this "friendzone" until she was ready? She had really strong feelings for Boruto, but it just didn't align right now with her life. And she needed to wait until it did.
A break tonight was probably best for the both of them, so instead decided to spend the night with her dad and uncle Itachi and listen in on their boring business talk.
XxX
Sarada woke up feeling refreshed with her new hairstyle still in place and jumped out of bed. As she was surfing through her closet, she realized that she most definitely did not have any new outfits, fun plans today, nor hardly any friends that would want to make them with her… then she was sad.
For a moment, she was really missing Chocho's friendship. Days like today were a big deal, and her friend always had been sure to make it so. They weren't good enough friends anymore for Chocho to extend the same gesture. What kind of birthday girl would she be if she had to plan her own party? Maybe Sarada was too cynical about it. On her birthday especially, she wanted to see who cared enough to reach out and say something, or even extend an invitation to do something. Usually Sarada was always the one doing everything for everyone else, so now, she wanted it to be her turn to have something nice done to her.
Yeah, Sumire, Wasabi, and Namida were her friends, but enough to throw her a surprise party? She couldn't say. So her expectations for today were severely low.
"Sarada, are you almost ready?" Sakura asked on the other side of the door.
"Ready for what?" She questioned.
"Your uncle wants to take us out for breakfast!"
Oh, well, that was thoughtful. Lately, he had been staying at their house in their guest bedroom, so it was nice having him around more often. Before, Sarada had always gone to his giant mansion every day to play with his obscure pets. He had two dogs, guinea pigs, snakes, frogs, a chameleon, a tarantula, and even hermit crabs, and probably even more now. It had been a while since she'd been to his place.
"Okay, I'll be down in a minute." She chose a white top, shorts, strappy sandals, and called it good. Running downstairs, she greeted her parents then they went to the restaurant.
It was fun, but in the back of her mind she still felt kind of lame that she was spending her birthday with all adults. Was this what growing up was like? No more RSVP'd party sleepovers, blowing candles out on a big cake with a bunch of friends around, and girl talks and painting nails while they gossiped? Growing up sucked.
The breakfast was great, and it was nice to have her family around. They asked Sarada about her academics, sports, and everything in the like. But, once they were done and Itachi paid the check, him and Sasuke stood up promptly.
"We have to go, but I'll see you later tonight Sarada." Itachi said, beckoning Sasuke to come. Sarada eyed them curiously.
"Where are you going?"
"To run business errands." Sasuke said, and they left. Sarada sighed.
"Do you want to go to the mall?" Sakura asked.
Spending the day with her mom wasn't the worst thing in the world. Sakura had picked up a lot more shifts lately so wasn't home as often, or was sleeping when she was. So one on one time would be good for them.
Sarada nodded with a smile.
XxX
When they got home, it was a little past five. Sakura had given Sarada a small budget so that was enough for a new pair of jeans and a top, then after they had headed to the DMV. All her hard work had paid off and she had passed her written and drivers test, so she was able to get her license today on her birthday.
Still, pretty uneventful for a sixteenth birthday, but at least she still had presents to look forward to. Itachi and her father still weren't back, and she really wanted to wait for them, but Sakura insisted she open the few presents first as she was putting up decorations, and they could save the rest for later. She thought it was weird her mom was just now decorating when the day was almost over.
Pursing her lips, Sarada started with the smallest one, making her way to the biggest. Funnily enough, it was the lightest, and she reached in the large bag and pulled out a pair of keys. Her mouth dropped.
"Wait, no."
Sakura smiled. "Go look outside."
She quickly shoved her chair back and ran out the front door. Sasuke and Itachi were standing by the car, and suddenly all her friends jumped out yelling "surprise!"
"Oh my god," Sarada gasped.
Her parents got her a car! And here was Boruto, Himawari, Inojin, Mitsuki, Denki, Shikadai, Iwabee, Sumire, Wasabi, Namida, Chocho, Allison, and all the volleyball girls here to celebrate with her. Seyner even showed up with Lana. Sarada felt elated.
"Happy birthday Sarada." Sasuke said. She ran to him and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you thank you thank you!" She exclaimed, bouncing up and down. Wow, her very own car. She didn't know what kind of car it was, but it was red and it was cute.
From far away, Chocho sighed.
"Is this really the best they could do?"
Boruto cast a glare at her. "What's your problem?"
"You of all people know that car is shit." She said. Everyone looked away awkwardly.
Boruto was taken aback because… well, a car was a car regardless. It didn't matter if it was old, rusty, new, shiny, as long as it worked. Although Boruto loved his car, he almost couldn't believe he and his friends' parents got them such nice cars this young. It came with the legacy, of course, so why didn't Sasuke get Sarada a nicer car? Was he trying to be conscious of the fact that they were so young, so the probability of wrecking this car was a higher percentage so he didn't want to invest too much up front?
It just didn't make sense for the time being, but they were there to celebrate Sarada's birthday, not scrutinize Sasuke's income.
"A car is a car, it shouldn't matter." Shikadai said.
Chocho folded her arms. "Okay mister I-Drive-A-WRX, you don't have room to talk, none of us do. I'm just saying her dad drives a Challenger, her mom drives a Cayenne, so why did they go and get a car that's older than her?"
Everyone went quiet very quickly as Sarada bounded over with pep in her step.
"You guys are the best!" She exclaimed, enveloping Sumire in a big hug. Thank you so much for coming!"
"No problem–" As Boruto turned around, his words were lost in the air. He wasn't expecting her to look so… good.
When she'd walked out and they surprised her, he hadn't gotten a good look. But now that she was closer, she obviously did something different with her hair. He didn't know what particularly, but it suited her so well. He was speechless.
"Y-You…um," He stuttered, and Sarada's arms slid from behind Sumire's neck, and she dropped back to her feet. She tilted her head to the side in confusion. Boruto then noticed the look Mitsuki was giving him from the side, and snapped back to reality.
"Y-You're just as cool as us now! Happy birthday!" Boruto threw his arm around her shoulders, and Sarada looked at him weirdly.
He chuckled nervously. This… was new. Interacting with her in front of his friends. No one had really seen each other since the last day of school, and no one knew except Inojin and Mitsuki that they were hanging out regularly. He didn't know how to act.
She laughed awkwardly, then went and gave everyone a hug one by one. "Thank you guys so much for coming! It made me really happy!"
"Sarada!" Sakura called from the doorway. "Bring your friends inside, we have cake!"
"O-Okay!" Sarada responded, and everyone followed.
It made sense now why her mother had started decorating when they got home. They had invited all her friends over to celebrate! It warmed her heart. Her parents were so thoughtful and generous. And having everyone here just showed how many people did care. It was a nice feeling.
The swimming pool was open, so some people had jumped in and were doing tricks off the diving board. Sarada sat with her feet dipped in as she socialized with her friends in the shallow end, meanwhile all of the boys were playing an intense game of chicken fight.
Boruto and Shikadai had paired up while Iwabee and Mitsuki got together. The four battled for dominance, and only did Boruto and Shikadai reign supreme as Boruto yanked Mitsuki off Iwabee's shoulders.
Iwabee resurfaced for air, his brows furrowed in anger.
"You cheated!"
"Did not!" Boruto exclaimed, and Shikadai dumped him off his shoulders. He yelped as he went crashing into the water, and the splash hit Sarada, Sumire, Namida, and Lana. Sarada scowled.
"Hey! You splashed us!"
Boruto shook the droplets out of his hair. He raised his eyebrows challengingly. "If you don't want to get splashed then don't be near the pool!"
Sarada huffed, though it was in good nature, and Boruto got a devious idea. He exited the pool from the stairs, and then approached Sarada from behind. Unsuspecting, he whisked her up into his arms, and she screamed. She twisted and turned against his hold, but was laughing.
"Boruto! Nooo, no, no, no, don't throw me in! Please!"
"Too late!" He laughed, dragging her across the cement to the deep end of the pool, and resisted her attempts to get free in a circle before catapulting both of them into the water. They landed with a large splash, and Sarada emerged, spluttering for air. When Boruto's head popped out of the water, she splashed him.
"You ruined my hair!"
"Wah, wah, cry about it." Boruto retorted, and Sarada couldn't help but smile and splashed him again.
With one threatening look, Sarada feared for her life. Quickly, she tried to swim away, but he grabbed her arm and dunked her head under water with one hand propped on her shoulder. She struggled against him, and finally he let her back up. She pushed her sopping wet hair behind her head and pushed him off.
"Okay, okay! Stoppp!"
Boruto only laughed and Sarada swam to the nearest ladder, latching her grip onto the metal poles and hauled herself up. Well, her clothes were all wet, and she would have to redo her hair later. But still. She was having a lot of fun.
Running to the patio, Sarada grabbed a towel and wrapped herself in it. Luckily it had been warm today so she wasn't freezing, but she wanted to shower and get all this chlorine off her skin.
A couple minutes later, Boruto joined her at the patio table, and she offered him a towel.
"Thanks," He said, and she snorted.
"I can't believe you ruined my hair."
Boruto rolled his eyes and sat down on the chair adjacent to her. "I can't believe you actually care."
There was a nervous air between them. Sarada had no idea why Boruto had cancelled their volleyball practice nor how he was feeling about being friendzoned. It probably felt shitty, to say the least. But by being here for her birthday he was being supportive regardless of where their relationship stood.
Moments later, Iwabee jogged up to them.
"Are you guys ready for your birthday party later?"
"What party?" Sarada and Boruto echoed. Iwabee threw a fist in the air.
"Me and Chocho invited the whole grade! It's later tonight!"
Boruto pressed a hand to his temple. Dear god. They threw a party for the girl who hated parties. Sarada looked flattered.
"Oh, that's really nice of you, but parties aren't really my thing–"
"You're lame!" He exclaimed. "It's not every day that you turn sixteen. C'mon, you can't not show up to your own party!"
She let out a halfhearted laugh. "Y-Yeah, I guess so. What time is it at?"
"Nine, but everyone will probably show up around ten." Iwabee said, flinging his hoodie over his body. "So we'll see you there?"
Sarada fiddled with her fingers. They were nice enough to plan a party for her, so she had to at least go for a minute.
"Yeah, for sure."
Iwabee held a thumb up. "Perfect. I'm going home to shower and get ready. Boruto! You think you can snag a bottle?"
Sarada glanced at Boruto, and he felt a nervous knot form in his throat. "Yeah, I can do that."
"Perfect. I'll see if my bro has something other than tequila this time." He slapped Boruto on the back, then made his way through the door into the house. Sarada gave Boruto a wary look.
"Is he talking about the type of parties you guys usually throw?"
"Mhm." Boruto leaned back in the chair.
Sarada's brows furrowed. "So how do you buy alcohol then? We're all underage, you can't buy it until you're twenty-one."
Boruto kept his gaze fixated on the pool in front of him. He didn't want anyone other than his close friends to know where he got it – and even then he lied a little – but he couldn't lie to Sarada. Especially now after everything, and since she was asking him outright.
He hesitated, but then spoke.
"Remember how I said my dad is a raging alcoholic?"
Sarada kept her steady gaze on Boruto. She had a feeling she already knew where this was going. He looked at her, "Well, he has a safe in the basement where he keeps all of his bottles. I know the code, so I just steal half empty bottles from him."
Yeah, that's about what she expected. She couldn't try to justify that it was ethical stealing from his dad by any means because there was a lot wrong with that. But, Boruto had to navigate his relationship with his dad on his own. And if stealing liquor bottles from his safe was placating their relationship for now, then there was nothing she could say.
"It's probably good for him anyway. I take bottles he gets shitfaced off of so he forgets how much of it he drank. His liver hasn't burst yet so I'm doing him a favor." Boruto stood up and the towel slipped to the ground. Water droplets beaded at the ends of his hair before plopping onto his cheeks, and he wiped them off. He smiled, but it was forced. "I'll see you tonight, right?"
Sarada's eyes trailed after him as he rounded the table to pick up his phone. He typed something quickly, and then set it down.
"Oh, also, I have a present for you." His expression now was sly, and Sarada's heart thumped.
"Really? You didn't have to do that!"
Boruto shrugged. "I can pick you up tonight, so I'll bring it to you then."
Sarada beamed.
XxX
After everyone had gone home, Sarada hopped in the shower to wash everything and after she got out, blow-dried her hair. As she looked in the mirror, she cursed Boruto. The hairstylist had done her hair so cute and he'd ruined it! She whined internally but then picked up her mother's curling iron and began an attempt to curl her hair.
It didn't turn out too shabby, so she doused it with hairspray and ran a brush through it. Picking an outfit was the hardest part – but thankfully she had gone shopping today and bought some new clothes. She picked the new shirt, paired it with some jeans, and then finished it off with sandals. If she was like Chocho and had more resources and confidence, her birthday outfit would be overly-extra. But, unfortunately, she was nowhere near the Akimichi in terms of that, so a plain boring outfit would do. At least she looked decently cute.
Boruto texted her that he was outside, and her heart raced at the excitement. She bounded down the steps and grabbed her purse, and was sure to lock the door behind her. Her mom had to work tonight, so her dad would still be home and she was sure her Uncle Itachi was staying the night. So she'd see them when she got back.
The Mazda rumbled softly on the street, and Sarada took a breath of fresh air as the summer breeze rolled by. There was still barely any light outside. The sun was beginning to set behind the horizon, but the temperature had no intention of lowering. It was the perfect night for a birthday party.
Once she got in the car and her seatbelt was on, Boruto handed her a small box. Sarada eyed him curiously. He looked embarrassed the way he refused to look at her.
"What is this?" She asked.
"Open it." He said, an awkwardly, giddy smile creeping its way onto his features.
She opened it delicately, and inside was a magnificent silver bracelet with a circular charm dangling from it. She gasped.
"Boruto! These bracelets are so expensive!"
"I saw you looking at them once." He shrugged indifferently. "I-It's your birthday, so I wanted to get you something nice."
Sarada's mouth was dropped wide open. She didn't know what to say. Lowering the bracelet in her hands, she looked at him. When their gazes met, electricity sparked between them.
"I love it," She said with a genuine glisten in her eyes.
Boruto swallowed the lump in his throat and smiled. With a squeeze to her knee, he pushed on his brakes then began driving to the party.
XxX
The party was already loud, rambunctious, and at Iwabee's house. Meaning: old crotchety neighbors who would call the cops. Boruto definitely wasn't risking taking a single drink tonight, and it looked like his friends felt the same. They all had the same cautious expression as they stood at the front of the driveway.
"Why didn't we go to Mitsuki's house?" Shikadai whispered to Boruto.
"That's a good question." Boruto replied. Truly every party that took place at Iwabee's was always a disaster. Just hopefully tonight wouldn't be.
"Because my dad is home." Mitsuki said as he walked up behind them. Boruto looked at him surprised.
"Really? For how long?"
"Until tomorrow afternoon."
He gave Mitsuki a look. "Why are you here then? Go home."
Mitsuki raised a brow. Shikadai nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, bro, it's not often your dad is home. And it's gonna be like every other party, you won't miss out on much."
Mitsuki blinked. "I'm not as worried about missing out on a party as I am taking care of both of you guys and your messes."
Boruto scrunched his face in displeasure and Mitsuki cracked a grin. He pushed Mitsuki away with a huff.
"Go home, daddy's boy."
Mitsuki chuckled.
"What are you guys talking about?" Sarada popped into their group. Boruto pushed her forward towards the front door.
"Nothing! Let's go take a shot!"
Shikadai folded his arms, pursing his lips. "What's up with those two?"
Mitsuki's expression stayed neutral, but there was a hint of a smirk behind it. "Who knows. I'm leaving."
Shikadai patted him on the shoulder before he left.
Inside the house, there Sarada was, watching the pros take shots of who knows what without gagging, coughing, or spitting it back out. Even a small whiff of clear alcohol and she wanted to throw up. Boruto laughed as he set a shot glass down on the counter.
"Do you want to try this? It's beer. You really don't have to if you don't want to." He cracked open a blue can and held it out to her. Sarada eyed it suspiciously as it fizzled, looked at him, then took the can. She smelled it and recoiled.
"That smells nasty."
"Yep." Was all Boruto said, "Don't worry, I'm not pressuring you into drinking anything tonight. Just know that since you're the birthday girl and they'll probably convince you to drink something so I'm just preparing you."
Sarada honestly didn't know how to feel. He was giving her a calming, reassuring smile, but her nerves were pulsating through her body. She was nervous. One, for being around Boruto with this awkward energy, and two she didn't want to become an alcoholic. But everyone else her age was doing it, right? And it was her birthday, she deserved to go a little crazy once in a while.
"Sarada, my girl!" Iwabee approached her with a beer in hand. "We're taking shots tonight, right?!"
Sarada was like a deer in headlights as she looked at Boruto. He covered his cackle with his hand as Iwabee held up the shot to Sarada. She took it with disgust.
"I-I don't know…"
"C'mon, it's your birthday. You only turn sixteen once!" Iwabee clinked their plastic shot cups together. "And my boy Boruto gotchu. Cheers!"
With one fluid motion, Iwabee threw back the shot. Sarada watched in awe, and Iwabee followed up the liquor with a sip of beer. He handed the can to her. "Your turn!"
Sarada hesitated. Swapping her gaze from the shot to Iwabee, she finally set her eyes on Boruto.
"You swear on your life you're not drinking tonight? And you're driving me home?"
He held up his hands. "You're the birthday girl — I'm completely responsible for you tonight. I swear on my life. Cross my heart and hope to die."
Sarada had never drank before. She'd get in so much trouble if her parents found out. But, Boruto was here and she trusted him. So slowly, she brought the small cup to her lips, and copied what she had seen everyone else by throwing her head back. It burned her tongue and throat and the taste was absolutely unbearable. She almost spit it back out, but Boruto held her arm securely and held the beer up.
"Here, drink this."
With lots of disgust and desperation, she took gulps of the beer to help wash down the clear liquor.
"God—" She stammered, wiping her mouth and coughing after, "Ew! That was so disgusting!" She exclaimed, "How can you drink that?"
Iwabee let out a whoop, and gave Sarada a hardy pat on the back. Her face was still contorted in disgust, and Iwabee only laughed as he marched away to find another poor soul to torture with a shot.
"Well, welcome to the club." Boruto said, "You might feel a tiny buzz, but if you feel sick let me know."
"I feel fine." Sarada said curtly, her voice shot and eyes were still watering from the alcohol. Damn, seriously how could people drink that?! It burned like hell, it didn't even taste that good, and it caused them to be inebriated and act like fools. Alcohol was stupid.
Soon after, true to Boruto's words, she did feel a little tingly inside, but not enough to completely change her personality. It almost made her feel relaxed to the point where she could understand why people would put up with the pain to feel this way. She never realized how uptight she was until tonight. The music was loud, blaring, and Sarada found herself bouncing to the beat. Boruto had been talking to someone but turned to check on her and smiled, amused.
"You wanna go dance?" He asked, holding his hand out.
Usually, Sarada would've said no, but she grabbed his hand and followed behind. A surge of thrill overcame her body and she ended up being the one dragging Boruto to where everyone was crowded together dancing. She couldn't keep the smile off her face.
Some song with a raunchy beat was playing, and Sarada felt herself letting more loose with every bounce. She couldn't comprehend Boruto's expression due to her own internal blissful vacation, but he looked happy. They got closer and closer and Boruto grabbed her hand, twirled her around, sending her mind in a flurry, and pulled her close when she lost her balance. He smiled.
"Still hate parties?"
"Shut up." She giggled, falling into his chest, the bracelet dangling against her wrist. He felt so warm. It was such a good feeling to be in his arms. She was well aware of how idiotic she probably looked being taken down after only one shot, but Boruto said he'd stay with her all night, so he'd vouch for her.
Another song came on, and Sarada slowly began bouncing higher and higher. Boruto laughed and let her go out on the dance floor by herself, watching with amusement from the sidelines. Shikadai approached him with a cup of punch in his hands.
"When did you guys start dating?" He asked. Boruto's gleeful expression dropped to indignation.
"We didn't. She friendzoned me. I'm just responsible for her tonight 'cause it's her birthday."
Shikadai gave him an obviously stupid look.
Boruto gave him a look back. "What?"
"All this is unlike you." Shikadai probed, pointing at him. "Letting her ride in the front seat of your car with you to a party, and you're always getting off Live to go hang out with her, and don't think no one knows about that necklace. It's common knowledge you got that for her. That girl wears that thing every day. Someone who really friendzoned you wouldn't do that, she would've taken it off."
Boruto was feeling uncomfortable.
"Do we really have to talk about this right now?"
Shikadai shrugged. "I'm just sayin'. Anyone with eyes could see how stupid you are for each other, you guys just don't see it yourselves."
Boruto rolled his eyes. "She told me she just got out of a controlling relationship. I tried to move too fast so she friendzoned me. It sucks, but now we just hang out. There's nothing going on between us now."
Shikadai swirled his cup. "Any guy who gets friendzoned by a girl but still hangs out with her every day isn't really friendzoned."
"Who's ready to sing to the birthday girl?!" Iwabee suddenly shouted into the microphone, after dragging Sarada up to the speaker with his arm curled around her shoulders.
Boruto sent Shikadai a glare, then turned his attention to Iwabee. He hadn't even noticed she'd been snatched up there. She looked cheerful and without a care in the world being surrounded by Iwabee and a bunch of drunk people. Most everyone was faded, so they all sang off key and as loud as they could. It was hilariously entertaining.
Everyone was singing happy birthday when Boruto noticed half of the group nearest to the door promptly stopped singing. There was a bright light that flashed across the room, and his body went cold. He quickly grasped Shikadai's sleeve.
"Shikadai—"
"What?" He looked to the right and almost dropped his drink. "Shit."
Someone rushed up to the front, grabbed the microphone from Iwabee, and yelled, "Cops!"
Immediately, there was a commotion. All the kids who were furthest from the door started jumping out of windows, running to the back door, and hiding in any place they could. The whole room was a frenzy. Boruto shoved through the crowd, not caring whether he pushed people over or not, his only goal to reach Sarada. She was standing there completely frozen, mouth agape, until she saw Boruto. He quickly grabbed her wrist and yanked her away from her frozen spot.
"Boruto?"
"C'mon!" Boruto shouted.
Shit, he was supposed to protect her, and now half of the house was already contained. The cops had been monitoring the party for a while, then. There was no way they could get out of here unscathed. He prayed to God they wouldn't get in trouble, mostly Sarada. Boruto hadn't drank anything, so he'd be fine. Worst case was Sarada had – though hardly anything at all, but he didn't want to risk the chance of her getting caught. She could get in a lot of trouble if she was breathalyzed.
Goddamnit, this is why he only went to parties at Mitsuki's house.
There were cops in the backyard, catching any kids they could and rounding them up back into the house. Boruto came to an immediate halt, causing Sarada to run into him. She was hysterical.
"What are we gonna do?" She asked.
Boruto shushed her. He was thinking. Their best bet was to sneak through the bushes and jump the fence to the front yard then run straight to his car. If he were alone, he would hop the fence and book it. But since he wasn't, he had to be more tactful since Sarada wasn't completely in her right mind. And shit, where was everyone else?
As another cop appeared from the side gate Boruto had planned on escaping out of, he quickly ducked into the large bushes, pulling Sarada with him. She whined as he pulled her waist to his body with one hand over her mouth, sticks and tanbark poking cuts into their skin. He felt her hot breath on his palm with her hand clasped on his wrist. He was so uncomfortable, but he'd rather get out of here with cuts and bruises than a record. Another thing, too, is he could feel everything with how close they were. But this was hardly the time.
Sarada was shivering with anxiety and her eyes were wet with tears. Boruto cursed himself. He had felt this wasn't a good idea, but told Sarada everything would be okay. There's no way this was an ordinary noise complaint if there were this many cops. Someone snitched, and Boruto was going to find out who. He swore on it.
Once Boruto didn't hear any movement in the yard, he slowly released Sarada from his hold and craned his neck above the bush. It looked like the commotion outside was clearing up. He turned back to her and whispered.
"Sarada, listen to me. We're going to crawl to that gate over there, okay? And then we're going to run as fast as we can to my car. It's unlocked."
"N-No, Boruto, I-I can't," She said, panic very obvious in her tone. She was clearly disoriented. Boruto hated himself for putting her in this position.
"You need to. I'll be right next to you. I know you can do it."
Talking to her seemed to alleviate some of her distress, for he could feel her visibly relax. Still, she seemed so frightened, and he pressed his cheek to her temple.
"Please. It'll be okay. We won't get caught. I promise."
Sarada nodded, and slowly Boruto let go of her. It seemed so cold outside now that they were apart, but they couldn't stay there forever.
Boruto crawled, Sarada right behind him, and peeked his head out the side. There were cops still catching anyone trying to run, and one of them talking into his speaker, but they weren't looking to the side gate.
After what seemed like hours of waiting for the coast to clear, Boruto flicked his hand, and he and Sarada took off sprinting.
For being only the slightest bit inebriated, Sarada was holding herself together relatively well considering the stress they were under. As if a miracle had happened, they reached his car and Sarada hopped in the front seat, crashing into the seat loudly. Boruto snorted despite the serious situation and pulled out from the street.
He drove tentatively as if they hadn't just escaped the biggest cop hotspot in the neighborhood. It had been a while since he had to run from a party – probably since his early freshman year at some senior party. He'd done it completely shit-faced and slept up in a tree the whole night, only to return home the next day. His dad caught him sneaking through the side door and asked where he had been, which had caused a huge argument and Boruto being grounded for three months.
Good times, he thought, but only when it was by himself. Having to be responsible for someone else brought on a completely different onslaught of stress. The adrenaline was pumping through his veins in double time and his hands felt cold as ice. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his erratic heartbeat.
Finally, he looked over to Sarada.
"Are you doing okay?" He asked. He heard her let out a shaky breath.
"I feel sick."
Boruto frowned.
"I'm so sorry." He said. When she turned to him, he saw how pale she looked. "I'm taking you home, okay? So just hang in there a little longer." He set a hand on her leg and she gripped it weakly.
Her favorite Coldplay song was playing in the background so hopefully it made her feel more comfortable. His bluetooth had automatically connected to his car so it was ironic that was the last thing he had been listening to.
Pulling up to the side of Sarada's house, he parked gracefully. Sarada's newly gifted car was still sitting in the driveway where it had been when they left, with Sasuke's car strangely missing. Boruto rounded his car and opened the door, and he picked her up bridal style. Her head rested in the juncture of his shoulder and he shut his car door with his hip before making his way up to the front door.
Opening it slowly, he peered inside to make sure Sasuke or Itachi wouldn't be there to have his head. The door squeaked shut as he pushed it closed with his foot, and immediately headed up the stairs.
Right as he was about to open her door, she jerked from his arms and raced to the bathroom, falling to the toilet. Boruto slapped a hand to his face. Shit, there's no way her parents didn't hear that. Well, he supposed having their help was better than only him, but he was afraid of the repercussions. Sasuke might forbid them from ever going out ever again, let alone being in the same vicinity.
Boruto pushed the door open and went and sat on the side of the tub, pulling Sarada's hair back. She was crying and sick, and Boruto wasn't quite sure what to do. He'd never stuck around this long with someone after a party unless he was in bed with them. This setting was… weirdly intimate in a grossly strange type of way. He kept his eyes averted as he kept all her hair back.
Suddenly, the hall light flicked on, and his stomach dropped. Oh shit.
The door opened slowly to reveal Itachi standing there, his hair tied back in a low ponytail with a loose t-shirt and cropped pajama pants. He eyed them curiously, but his gaze fixed on Sarada.
"What happened?" He asked, his voice low.
Boruto was at a complete loss of words. Itachi seeing this was almost worse than Sasuke, he protected and cared for Sarada more than anyone. Boruto stammered for words.
"She–u-um, a lot happened tonight," He congregated pathetically. Itachi blinked and shut the door behind him.
"Is she okay?"
"I-I think so…" Boruto furrowed his brows. It was a state of panic and shock that had finally caught up to her, plus alcohol probably didn't sit well in her system, especially since it had been her first time. So a mixture of high stress and vodka was never a good outcome, Boruto knew this first hand.
Itachi seemed to catch on, and he retreated from the bathroom before returning with a box of crackers and a water bottle.
"You can leave now." Itachi said, and Boruto couldn't quite place whether it was a suggestion or a demand, so he slowly loosened Sarada's hair from his grip and stood up. Sarada grabbed the fabric of his jeans.
"Don't." She said, holding a bunched up piece of toilet paper to her mouth. "I'm fine."
"Sarada–" Itachi started.
"I want him to stay." She said resolutely. Itachi held his even gaze with her before setting the crackers on the counter. His expression softened significantly. His posture shifted.
"Okay. If you need anything come get me."
He left the bathroom, and Sarada leaned against the bathtub. Whatever just went down between those two must've been some telepathic family bond, Boruto didn't know. He left her in the bathroom to clean up and compose herself, and a few minutes later she came into her room with the water bottle and crackers in hand. She sat next to him and he caressed her cheek softly.
"I'm sorry." She said. Boruto almost laughed.
"You're sorry?" He grinned, and she mirrored his expression of a lessened state. He then turned solemn. "No, I'm sorry. I should've known better."
"Known what?" She asked.
"That something like that would've happened. We both would've been fine if you hadn't drank anything, but I pressured you."
"Boruto, you didn't pressure me." She said, "I chose to do it, and besides, I trusted you. And look, we both got out of there fine."
Boruto let out a dismayed laugh. For her to trust him that much was scary – Boruto didn't even rely on himself that much. He was hesitant to initiate any physical touch between them, but he just couldn't help but pull her closer to him.
"I'm just sorry. That probably ruined your birthday."
"No, actually, it kind of added a thrill to it." She smiled through droopy eyes, and Boruto looked at her like she was crazy. This right here was an adrenaline junkie in the making. What had Boruto gotten himself into? "It was really scary at the moment but now it's kind of funny now that I think about it. We ran from cops."
He shook his head. "Yeah, but don't think it'll work every time. From now on we'll just avoid any shady parties, okay? That was a mess waiting to be cop crashed anyway."
"Why, though?" Sarada asked. "Is it because it was at Iwabee's house?"
"Partly." Boruto said seriously. "Another part is I think someone snitched. I don't know who though, but I'll find out."
His tone was quiet and reflective; Sarada hardly saw this side of him anymore. She was embarrassed Boruto had to witness her getting sick like that, but he hadn't shown any remnants of disgust or embarrassment himself, so she was now more stuck on the fact that this was the latest he'd ever been in her room and her uncle knew about it and didn't force him to leave. Her heart was thudding.
"Who knew you'd make such a good partner in crime?" Boruto gave her a cheeky look from the side. "If I'd known you had the balls to run from cops I would've invited you to more parties earlier."
Sarada laughed, and it was relieving to hear. He knew she was feeling better now, the color was coming back to her face and she didn't feel cold to the touch.
As she put her hair up in a bun, her skin glowed in the soft moonlight from the window. They laid next to each other gracefully staring into each other's eyes.
"Does your stomach still hurt?" He asked. She shook her head.
"No. Just my head"
"Drink more water." He handed her the glass of water, and did as he said. When she was done, she handed the glass back to Boruto, then laid back down with a sigh.
"Can I officially be considered a badass now?"
The comment was so out of nowhere that it made him burst into laughter. She raised her head to glare at him.
"What, I'm tired of everyone saying I'm lame and nerdy 'cause I never do anything fun!"
He spoke between stifled laughter. "I like that you're lame and nerdy."
Her cheeks felt hot, so she avoided his gaze and stared up at the ceiling. "I still want to be a badass."
"Sorry, that's impossible for you." He grinned, and she puffed her cheeks out.
"You're rude."
"At least I live up to that."
"Shut up." Sarada muttered, turning away from him.
Fighting against the butterflies in her stomach was hard. Maybe she was overthinking the whole thing and was trying to enforce boundaries that weren't necessary. Who said moving on from a relationship was linear? What if she was already moved on and ready to go forward with someone else, did that make her a bad person? Why was she trying to postpone something that she had been wanting? Was it all to save face?
Tonight had shown her a lot; one being she really did care about Boruto and wanted to be with him but she was holding herself back, and inevitably hurting him. She had built a wall between them for the sake of appearing like she wasn't rebounding onto him because that definitely wasn't the case. Boruto Uzumaki had been a contender long before Metal came into the picture. If anything, Metal was the rebound. Quite a horrible one at that, but details.
She supposed, if anything, she was scared of moving on too quickly and what people would think. That was what it really came down to.
But, laying here with Boruto was so comforting. She couldn't even imagine why she would care so much about what others were thinking, especially when she hadn't before.
Clutching onto the ruby necklace, she sighed.
She had changed her mind. Now she just had to undo everything she put in place.