The Club Room
Naruto stares at Ino, surprised to hear that she is the leader of this club. Thinking back at the rumors he heard in the hallways, not one mention Ino being in a club or running it. Also, the fact there isn't a huge line of people wanting to join her club. Then again, remembering what Sara told him that this club is new this year. This would explain why no one is talking about it.
"You sure he is qualify to join this club?" Ino ask Sara with a concern look.
"Hmm, I think so.." Sara said, looking at Naruto. "His reaction tells us all"
"What reaction?" Naruto asked confused.
"Nothing" Sara said in a cheerful tone, taking a few steps more viewing their new club room. "So this is our room now"
"Ya.." Ino said softly, shifting her eyes away from Naruto. "But we need to clean the place a little.."
"Alright, Naruto help us clean-" Sara said turning to Naruto.
"I'm not going to join" Naruto tells her.
"Hm?" Sara replies being surprised that he didn't want to join.
Ino is too. She didn't think anybody would decline since she is in the club. The popular girl in the school. Herself, the beauty no one can resist. Is what she keeps hearing from everyone she meets in this school. Which is why, she wanted to keep this club secret. She didn't want members that only wanted to be around her instead for the club itself. She wants members who are serious and want to help this club grow. So, she can reach her true goal.
"Why not?" Sara asked. "You do know...you need to join a club or a sports team if you want to graduate"
"He does" Ino thought then thinking back at how Naruto is in class. Most of the time, she sees him sleeping on his desk or staring at the window all day. He doesn't participate in class or talk to anyone. An introvert who doesn't care about learning. If Naruto did join her club, it would be worse than having fanboys. Having someone not put any effort while other people do, is the type of people she doesn't want around.
"It's fine...we don't need someone like him" Ino said turning back to cleaning the window behind her.
Naruto felt a sting. It sounded more of a insult. He didn't know what she thinks of him but something tells him, it isn't good. However, she isn't forcing him to join so he will take it and leave. Until he hears cards being shuffled causing Ino to turn around.
The two looks directly at the cards being shuffled like a pro by none other than Sara who had a smile on her face yet frightens them a little. She stops shuffling and clamps the cards in her hands. Sara can feel a tension between them. She can't let Naruto leave. Hearing him say that he didn't want to join, she knew he is the perfect member that Ino needs in her club but Ino didn't want him. It confuses Sara so much that she needs to take this matter in her own hands.
"I'm not going to let you both let this opportunity go" Sara said in a serious tone. "We will have a card game to decide...whether or not Naruto joins"
"Sara...there is no reason to play-" Ino said until meeting her eyes.
"You do know what we talked about during the break" Sara tells her. "So.."
Sara places three cards on the table face down. The green cover is face up to them.
"The game is old maid" Sara said.
OOO
Ino had the three cards in her hand. She was staring at them deeply and looking at their colour, number and symbols. The order of the cards:
Ace, two of hearts, joker
"He has two chances to win...but we want him to lose so he can join right" Ino thought shifting her eyes to Naruto. She exhales quietly feeling a little nervous about this. There is one part of her that doesn't want a slacker to join but he fits the requirements which would be he isn't one of her fanboys. She's getting frustrated unable to decide what she wants causing her palms to sweat. The joker card slowly slides from her fingers but she grips it tighter.
"There is no reason for me to do this" Naruto tells Sara.
"Yes there is...you need this club" Sara said pointing her index finger up.
"There is other clubs I can join" Naruto replies.
"So why haven't you..already" Sara said with a slight smirk. "I bet you would have visited this club if we never met"
Naruto thought she was the shy type but guess he was wrong. Though, she is telling the truth. In the back of his mind, it was either the gardening club or this club he would have joined. However, that was until he found out the hottest girl in the school is in this club. Should he let this card game decide his decision or should he just go. That decision became easy when Sara spoke again.
"Or i might as well tell the whole school you pinned me down on the ground and about to make a move on me" Sara said looking away from him hoping that he would take the bate.
"He did what!" Ino screams looking away from the cards and feeling one card slide rapidly off her hand.
Ino looks at Naruto who was shaking with the card in his hand that he has not seen yet. It takes all of his will to restrain himself to defend himself from Sara's comment. He shifts his eyes to the card. Ino is surprised to see the third card on her right is gone.
"Naruto..whats the card?" Sara asked.
Naruto sighs and flips the card over revealing the joker. He got distracted and pick the card at random. There was away for him to pick the right card. A slight movement from Ino's right fingers told him it was the joker. She was getting nervous before he took a look at her.
"Seems like we have a new member" Sara said with a smile.
Ino doesn't feel that happy about it. After hearing what Sara said before Naruto pulled the joker, really got under her. She glares a hole in Naruto who couldn't stop feeling like his world was crushed.
OOO
Time as passed and the new club room is left clean and empty. The sun slowly sets in the arise, colouring the sky in shades or orange and yellow. Naruto is seen walking feeling tired after all the cleaning he did. The energy he wasted in that room did a number on his soul. However, it was quiet. After the card game, the three just cleaned the room all day without saying a word to each other. He wonders if it would stay that way because he joined.
Now, Naruto has another problem. The person walking next to him. The one that caused this day to become a nightmare. He shifts his eyes to the right of him and sees Sara walking next to him. He walks a little further ahead and pretends she isn't there. It wouldn't be long until she turns or waits for the bus. Sadly, it didn't turn out that way. She followed him all the way to his apartment building. He already felt anxiety walking near her and now she is at the place where he lives.
"Interesting how you never spoke once during our walk here" Sara states with a smile.
"Was she expecting me to talk to her?" he thought then sees her entering the building.
"To assure you..I'm not following you" Sara said over her shoulder. "I happen to live here"
"Wait..you do?" Naruto said surprised.
"Yes.." Sara said chuckles at his reaction. "Surprised we haven't encountered each other for this long...but I think we will have a lot more walks like this"
"Heh" Naruto said with his hands starting to shake a little.
"Well, see you tomorrow at the club room Naruto, Uzumaki" Sara said walking away from him.
Naruto waited a few minutes in front of the doors then entering. He begins walking up the stairs to the second floor. He walks down the hallway and stands in front of his door with his last name printed on it. He unlocks the door and enters. He drops on the couch and rests on his back. He stares at his ceiling.
It happened so fast that he couldn't have found a way to avoid it. The end of his stress free life. He shifts eyes to the right where his living room table is. There was a deck of cards with a orange cover on it along with oddly shaped rocks and book next to the rocks.
Items he kept from his childhood. A time where he enjoyed company of others. He stares at the ceiling again, with his eyelids slowly closing. He forces them open and begins to have pictures flash in his mind.
Flashback
5 years ago, the sun shines brightly over the cliff. The fresh green grass sparkles and the fresh winds push the tree's swifty. Four kids can be seen running with smiles on their faces.
"How much further!" a raven haired boy said feeling exhausted from the run.
"Uh...probably a few seconds" Naruto states with doubt in his expression.
"You said that a few minutes ago!...and we still aren't at the place!" said the short haired girl with an angry expression.
"Naruto...are we lost?" another black haired boy asked with a chuckle.
"No!..." Naruto said feeling offended with his eyes widening seeing something familiar. "There it is!"
Naruto yells with excitement but soon trips. He begins rolling down the hill. The tree trunk stops him causing some leaves to fall on him. The three came running to Naruto, worried about him. Thankfully, Naruto just has a bump on his head.
"Be more careful!..do you want to get killed" the girl yells.
"Ya, we could be in serious trouble if you end up getting a mark on your face" the raven haired boy tells him.
"Good thing your hard head broke your fall" the other boy said with a grin.
"Ya, ya.." Naruto rubs his bump. "But there it is…"
Naruto points his finger to the tree stump shaped like a distorted circle. Trees were around it that were moving by the wind. A fresh smell enters the four noses bringing smiles to their faces. Naruto gets up and walks to it.
"This is a perfect place…" Naruto said rubbing the tree stumps surface. "..for the four of us"
Flashback ended
A knock interrupts his dream causing him to open his eyes and sit up. He looks at the door and sighs. He gets up and twist his body, causing a crack to echo in his apartment. He reaches the door and opens it. He looks down at a square box package addressed to him. He bends his knees and lifts the box up. He uses the side of his foot to close the door.
OOO
Ino sits at her desk, tapping her pencil. She has her left cheek rested on her left fist with her arm bent on the desk. Her lamp was on along with her cellphone right next to her. Sara's name is seen in the screen along with the speaker button selected.
"Urgh...help me out Sara..what else should we add?" Ino asked looking at her list.
"Read out what we have again" Sara answers through the phone with a splash in the background.
"Well, we have the clubs name, the members in it, when our meetings will take place which is after school...and that's pretty much it" Ino said seeing so much blank lines on the paper.
"How about club activities?" Sara suggest.
"Obviously, card related games.." Ino said leaning back on her chair.
"Your going to have to be more specific" Sara said with a sound of water in the background.
"Hmm...I was thinking crazy 8's, president, and maybe war" Ino said tapping her pencil against her nose.
"Those games sound fun but...they lack something" Sara tells her and a pop is heard in the background.
"..Where are you Sara?" Ino asked curious at the sound she hears through the phone.
"In my bathtub" Sara states in a relaxing tone.
"Really, you bring your phone in the bathroom" Ino said raising an eyebrow.
"What, this day in age..its normal..plus phone is waterproof" Sara said in a cheerful tone.
"Hmhm...getting back to the activities...we need a more competitive kind" Ino said feeling that she has an idea.
"Competitive..that is true..for what you plan for this club-"
"In order to make this club popular...I need to build it from the ground up...instead of doing it the easy way" Ino said beginning to write. "If I'm able to do this...it just proves, I'm not just a pretty face"
"I'm surprised that you thought of this idea...creating a card club...using this to make your goal come true." Sara said with a soft chuckle.
"I have other reasons behind that.." Ino said staring deeply at what she is writing.
"Oh, well.." Sara said getting up from her tub causing the water to splash rapidly. "Time for bed...we have work ahead of us"
"Ya, goodnight..I'll stay up a little longer" Ino said with a small yawn.
"Don't push yourself too much...queen of hearts, by the way who came up with that name anyways?" Sara asked with a curious tone.
Ino stops writing. It took a few seconds to have what Sara asked to sink in her mind. "Queen of hearts" she thought remembering hearing most of the school calling her that. She didn't give it too much thought on who gave her that name.
"Hello, helloo..are you there?" Sara calls out.
"Oh..yaya..goodnight Sara" Ino tells her breaking her train of thought.
"Ok..goodnight" Sara replies back ending the call.
Ino stares at her phone until returning to her sentence.
OOO
The new day has started and everyone is in class, taking notes that Iruka has written on the board. However, like always, Naruto isn't doing no such thing. Ino is bothered by him and put all her anger through writing the notes which are darker than usual. Sakura can feel her wrist ache. It would be easier for her to type her notes. Which reminds her. Pulling her cellphone out slowly and looking to see if Iruka is watching. Thankfully, he is sitting at his desk at the left corner of the class, on his laptop. Sakura opens her messenger and begins typing.
Ino can feel a small vibration near her leg where her bag is resting against. She looks at Sakura already knowing that she texted her. She pulls her phone out and views her message.
"Help me...my hands are suffering!" Sakura texted causing Ino to chuckle a little.
"I know what your feeling...I feel like ripping a hole in my paper" Ino types with a smile.
"..sounds more like an anger problem" Sakura types.
Ino thinks about what she typed then looking back at her notes. It wasn't her best work or her neatest. Sakura might be right but between the two of them, Sakura is more in need of anger management because when she gets angry, causes her to shiver.
"Speak for yourself Xp" Ino types with a smile.
"-w-...girl, don't make me come at you" Sakura types back and chuckles a little.
"Class.." Iruka spoke, breaking everyone from their thoughts. "Tomorrow we will have a test..please be here on time"
The lunch bell rings and everyone gets off from their seat.
OOO
Ino and Sakura begins walking down the hall, heading toward the outdoor lunch area.
"So, how have you been?" Sakura asked.
"Fine" Ino replies. "And you?"
"Good, but do wish we hae sat next to each other" Sakura states.
"Ya me too.." Ino said with a slight sigh. "Don't really have anyone to share notes with"
"Oh, so that guy sitting next to you wouldn't share his notes with you?" Sakura asked knew that Naruto is a slacker.
"I think it's more that he doesn't take any...a slacker" Ino states shrugging. "Not sure whys in school"
"Really!..well then..you think he's going to fail the class?" Sakura asked her.
"Probably..unless he changes his way" Ino said and shifts her eyes to a yellow blob at the edge of her eye.
While walking with Sakura, she sees Naruto walking up the stairs that leads to the club room. "Is he going to the club room?" She thought curious. Her attentions moves back to Sakura.
"Moving away from the slacker…" Sakura said coughing a little and a small blush appears on her face. "Are you seeing someone?"
"Hm? What do you mean?" Ino asked tilting her head a little.
"You know…" Sakura said getting close to her ear. "..a secret lover~"
"What!." Ino shouts with a big blush. "No,no,no...i-i dont"
"Oh...and here I thought you got yourself one during the break" Sakura states.
"What gave you that idea?" Ino asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Yesterday at lunch...being a little mysterious" Sakura answers.
"Oh, well I can assure you...I don't have a boyfriend" Ino said walking further ahead and exit out the hallway and can see Neji and Sai sitting at their
"..well that's good" Sakura said in a kind tone. "There's a chance then"
"Hm?" Ino replies looking over her shoulder at Sakura who hums.
Neji and Sai notice the girls coming. One of them stares directly at Ino with a smile.