A/N: Yoooooo! So because I did exceptionally well for two of my long tests, I've decided to get this one out. ^_^ Next chapter will probably (probably) be out in three weeks? Could take longer... or shorter. :p Can't really say for now but I hope this satisfies you all until then. :D
Thank you to those who took the time to write what they thought about the last chapter :D Can't tell you how happy enough to know that you liked it. THANK YOU (little shout out to SweetHunniBunni who's giving out compliments that make me ever so happy)! (bows head repeatedly)
To mastercurrytail: Thanks! ^_^ Worry not. I won't damage your brittle heart too much. :D Oh also, I wanted to apologize in advance. Errr. You'll see why I thought it better judgment to do so by the end later. Aheh.
To MV: Yeah. She has the most awful timing. Total c*ckblocker, that one (please do forgive the vulgarity just now... but, plainly speaking, that's what she was in the previous chapter). But really, she ain't all that bad... sometimes. Haha! Oh, you'll definitely get a good serving of feels once I get to the end ;D but that's still quite a number of chapters away. Hope to keep you entertained until I reach the end :D
To Sora: Heeey! ^_^ Always glad to hear from you. And I think it's about time I personally thanked you for the support. THANK YOU! If I can recall correctly, you were the one who suggested I wrote oneshots while I was still doing Fast Car, right? (unless that was a totally different Sora and I just embarrassed myself. Aheh) Anywho, hope you like this next chapter. Hopefully it eases your prolonged anticipation for a confession (I somewhat doubt that though. Hehehe.) Enjoy!
Note: Self-proofread. Like that's anything new. Couple of slips and typos are probably still in there even if I checked it a handful of times. Sorry in advance :D
*DISCLAIMER APPLIES*
BEFORE THE WORST
We'll Never See What We Were Meant to Be
Part II
It absolutely baffled Naruto how Sakura could have possibly escaped. The blonde had been chasing after the other at top speed yet here she was, already having lost sight of the older girl. Her cellphone had been ringing on and off for more than half an hour. It was, as she predicted, Sasuke who was trying to contact her. No doubt the boy was greatly confused regarding the circumstances. Naruto chose to ignore the calls since she was currently tied up with something more important. Where had Sakura gone?
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted despite her knowing that it was futile. Why would Sakura choose to respond to her anyway? She was a traitor and she probably just ruined a great friendship. "Sakura! Please! We need to talk!" Another attempt on her end. The girl aimlessly walked around, in obvious search for her friend. Naruto was getting desperate; with every second that passed that she didn't get to have the inevitable conversation with Sakura, the more their relationship was cracking away.
She walked around the park where they all used to play as children for the third time in a span of less than an hour. Her legs had gone tired yet did not put a damper on her determination. "Sakura!" She called out, catching a few by-standers' attention. A part of the park where she noticed she hadn't scoured before came to her attention. It had never occurred to her to search there as it was the part of the park that all the adults forbade them to go to years ago. This particular area was surrounded by thorny bushes and tall trees which clearly had vines falling from their trunks. The ground was littered with roots that could easily trip, sprain and hurt anyone that dared to set foot in the vicinity. She scanned the inner part of the area with her eyes and saw nothing of particular interest. What was Naruto thinking? Of course this would be the last place Sakura would run to. No one would even think of going in this part of the park! Just as she was about to leave, she heard a small gasp coming from a few metres away from where she was standing. The sound made her halt all motion. Had she just been hearing things? Naruto waited for the sound to reemerge.
. . . !
There it was again!
And it was followed by a strangled crying noise. There was no doubting it. Naruto knew Sakura's voice and it was definitely her somewhere in that pseudo-jungle. She created her own path by pushing aside a small patch of thorny bushes. The scrapes and pricks she acquired hurt, but that wasn't important right now. Once she had finally cleared a path, she took a step and set on out in search for Sakura. Each step she took was exceptionally cautious. One wrong move and she'd most definitely fall and break something. At some point, she'd found a very small clearing; enough for a handful of people to let their heightened senses loose. And at the edge of that clearing was Sakura leaning against one of the moss-covered trees. The sound of rustling bushes and crunching leaves alerted the pinkette of the presence of another person. Immediately, she snapped her head from its lowered position and looked for the source of the noise.
Imagine her great surprise to find Naruto.
"We need to talk." To avoid Sakura immediately lashing out at her, she quickly stated her purpose.
As expected, Sakura gazed at her with such iciness that quite nearly froze her in place. "Talk about what? How you were obviously seducing Sasuke? Nah. I'll pass. I don't talk to double-crossers anyway." The last sentence made Naruto wince.
"Let me explain." She didn't want this. She didn't want this to be happening between them.
"You know, all this time I thought you were supportive of me when I tried to pursue him. There were times when you even cheered me up after Sasuke would turn me down. You'd say he was a jerk and you'd tell me to just keep going for it because maybe one day Sasuke would notice how I was such a great girl." Naruto remembered those times. It was way back when she didn't even understand her own feelings for Sasuke. Back when she thought she was dying of a sickness she couldn't comprehend. Back when things were relatively simpler. "So you were just mocking me all that time? You were stringing me along because you knew I didn't have a shot with him? I bet you were even laughing at me behind my back!"
"It's not like that!" Sakura had it completely wrong! To have Sakura's friendship was one of her biggest achievements. She would never give her false hope. The last thing Naruto wanted to do was to laugh at Sakura's expense. Hell, she had beat up those who did laugh at Sakura. "I would never do that to you, Sakura. Please believe me."
The soft hum of Sakura bitterly laughing brought a sense of dread to Naruto's heart. Sakura didn't believe her. "I'm having a hard time buying your crap, Naruto, when you were this close to sucking face with him." The Haruno girl put an inch-wide gap between her right index finger and right thumb to prove a point.
"Sakura-chan, I didn't know, okay? I didn't know I was already..."
"What? That you liked him too? Oh come on, Naruto! You expect to buy that?" Sakura almost snarled due to her anger.
"I'm sorry." If there was ever a moment when the ground could swallow Naruto whole, now would be the perfect time.
"Whatever. Just go. You're the last person I want to see right now." Sakura averted her gaze elsewhere as a show of her brushing off the younger girl in her presence. The pink-haired teen had nothing more to say.
"I really wanted to tell you. I was supposed to tell you after today! I swear it, Sakura. Believe me. I spoke with Kakashi about it and I just realized what had to be done." Sakura wanted to believe her. Lord knows she did. But it was hard to listen when you had a scorned heart and broken trust. Whether Naruto was telling the truth or not, it didn't matter and it was beside the point. The fifteen-year old girl had found out about Naruto's growing affections in the worst possible way and there was no going back anymore.
"That doesn't matter now, Naruto. I know already. There's no use in explaining." She removed herself from the tree she was leaning against and brushed of the moss that had stuck to her clothing. Sakura walked towards and past Naruto, but stopped to give a few parting words. "You go do what you have to do, and I'll go do what I have to do. Everything we do from now on is fair game. But know this: we're rivals of the highest degree. I won't go down without a fight." She said her piece in such a frighteningly calm tone that Naruto couldn't help but shiver. The blonde remained in place even as she heard her companion leaving the area. The rustling leaves and bushes were soon no more, signalling that Sakura had officially left. It was at that time that Naruto's phone resumed another set of ringing.
It was Sasuke again and Naruto willingly refused to answer the call.
llllllllllllllllllll
The week following the incident was the most awkward week Naruto had the misfortune of experiencing. Sakura had been blatantly avoiding and ignoring her despite all her attempts of apologizing. All contact with Sasuke was kept under wraps. Somehow, between Naruto and Sasuke, it became an unspoken rule that the episode that day had become taboo. No one talked about it and no one even passingly mentioned it. It was as if that day never happened. A week had passed and a new week had begun. The day was October the first, nine days before Naruto's fifteenth birthday, and the situation between her and Sakura had not gotten better in the least.
"You've been sighing a lot." Sasuke's voice came from just ahead of her. Odd that she hadn't noticed him approach. It was also odd that she didn't even realize she'd been sighing. From where she sat on the bleachers, Naruto looked around to see if there were any notable people on the outdoor field that could get the news to Sakura that she and Sasuke were with each other at that moment.
"There's no one around." He said bitterly. So it would seem that Sasuke noticed Naruto's exercise of caution. No reply came forth from the younger teen. At first he was concerned. Sakura was acting clingier than usual while Naruto assumed a very robotic disposition. He was concerned, yes, but now it was just getting highly frustrating to deal with drama of unknown causes. "Naruto, what the hell is going on?" Finally he asked. It was a vague question and it was purposefully made to be indistinct. It was to ask what was going on between the three of them. It was to ask what the rift between her and Sakura was all about. And lastly, it was to ask about what had happened between her and him; that day on the balcony when the light was hitting Naruto just right and she was all he could see.
The question had Naruto on edge, and oh how she wanted to escape such a question. So she did; she stood up and slung on herself one sleeve of her backpack. "I don't really wanna talk about it, S'uke. Just... just let it go for now." Although there was lack of eye contact, Sasuke knew that her beautiful blue eyes looked gloomy. In his opinion, misery never suited Naruto. It would never suit Naruto.
Naruto began moving from her place to leave the bleachers. Once she arrived at the steps, Sasuke called out to her. "Hey, let's walk home together after school lets out." They stopped walking home together a week ago. Naruto came up with the most ludicrous excuses. Sasuke didn't believe a single one yet he let it pass. But no; not this time. He would not take no for an answer.
A look of indecisiveness came forth from her. It was so clear that she wanted to, yet something was holding her back. "Uhhh. Can't. I gotta go straight home. Jiraiya wanted to –."
"I'll be at the lobby. I won't leave until we leave together." He walked towards where she stood and briefly paused in front of her. A pointed look was shot her way which made her turn away her gaze. Then something she hadn't felt in quite a while hit her.
It was a tap on her forehead.
Sasuke just smirked at the confusion evidently displayed on Naruto's pretty face. "I'll wait, got it?" He then let her be. There was no room to second guess it because Sasuke knew Naruto would be there at the lobby after school.
llllllllllllllllllll
This was a mistake. A big big biiiiiig mistake. She shouldn't be seen with Sasuke right now especially when things with Sakura were so unstable. It was perfectly obvious to her that going home with Sasuke was the wrong thing to do. So why the hell was she still heading for the main lobby when there were other school exits in the building?! God, was she stupid. Even she had to admit it.
"I really am an idiot." She muttered to herself. Although to her defence, school had let out about an hour ago. Naruto purposefully waited it out in the hopes that maybe Sasuke wasn't serious about waiting for her at the lobby; but she highly doubted he was bluffing. Sasuke rarely bluffed anyways. Might as well do as the bastard says and get things over and done with.
As she stepped onto the empty lobby, she saw something that she wasn't expecting to see at that moment. It was Sakura, and she was speaking in somewhat hushed tones with Sasuke. They stood physically close to each other nearly at the centre of the area. Luckily for Naruto, she hadn't been spotted yet. Now would have been the perfect time to turn back and go out the other way but noooo. She stayed.
She stayed and she just had to listen in.
She needed to listen in.
"Sakura, now's not the right time for this." Sasuke looked as if he was about to move away but Sakura stopped him by holding onto his wrist.
"Please. You need to listen to me." She lightly pulled him back so he could hear her out. "I've been gathering up the courage to tell you this for the longest time. I can tell you now, Sasuke, and I need to make my intentions clear."
The silent spectator, at this point, had trouble breathing. She was shaking. What the hell was wrong with her? Her chest was hurting so bad! But, for some odd reason, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of her own pretty blue eyes.
"I love you."
Those three words echoed the walls of the lobby and down the halls in the most chilling and tormenting way. For the briefest of moments, Naruto's world seemed hazy yet overpowering. All her senses had shut down save for her sight. Despite this, she continued to watch as if she was rooted to her spot. She was an audience that found herself with the inability to listen, to feel, to utter a sound. Naruto was unable to leave until the final blow had been made.
Sasuke remained silent and unmoving. It was obvious that as each second passed that the young Uchiha wasn't responding, Sakura's tension exponentially grew. When he finally did answer, it was one that crushed her heart.
"Go home, Sakura." He turned to leave her presence. Sakura had just been rejected and now he was leaving. How could he have brushed off her confession so easily when just the thought of telling him how she felt gave her years of sleepless nights? Sasuke was her dream and she'd be damned if she didn't at least try for him one last time.
Her desperation move involved pulling Sasuke back in place. She stood on her tip-toes as she wrapped her arms over his shoulder. In one fluid motion, she swooped in for a kiss.
The blow had been made and it was Naruto's go signal to finally leave the vicinity.
The kiss, if one could call it a kiss, was definitely one-sided. Sasuke had kept his lips shut tight while Sakura attempted to get the boy to respond. As soon as he had found his bearing, Sasuke pushed his avid admirer away. He took a few steps back to maintain a good distance from her and proceeded to wipe his mouth with his sleeve.
"Sakura, it would be best if you went home. Now." He glared at her with so much distaste that the sight of it brought Sakura to tears.
"Why?! Why don't you like me?! You don't even want to try!" Tch. Tears. Sasuke hated tears. They were physical proof of weakness. Sasuke hated weakness.
"Sakura, just drop it! I don't see you in that way and I never will! So just..." Sasuke tried to reign in his booming voice. He had to calm down because with every angered inflection of his voice, Sakura only cried even more. Although he hated the sight of tears, Sakura was a friend. And he had already hurt her enough. He had to calm down. "Stop crying."He said as he offered the handkerchief in his pocket. Thankfully, Sakura had managed to settle down to some degree. She was hiccupping as she wiped her face with the offered cloth.
"I can't return your feelings." Sasuke said with finality. It was his absolute decision and it was irrevocable.
"There's someone else, isn't there?" She asked as if she didn't know the answer to it already. And as she predicted, Sasuke did not reply. That was as good as confirming her query. "It's Naruto, isn't it?" Surprisingly enough, Sasuke looked shocked to hear that name coming out of her mouth. Yet again, the boy refused to reply. Knowing full well that the conversation had hit a dead end, Sakura smiled at the young Uchiha as she finally took the hint. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Sasuke. I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused." She just wanted to go home by this point. She wanted to be in her room so she could sulk and cry and wallow in her heartbreak. She wanted to eat tubs of ice cream because she had deprived herself from such a luxury to try and make herself attractive for Sasuke. All that effort was to no avail. And she just wanted to sleep and forget.
"Sakura..."
She stopped in her tracks. It looked like her plans of self-comforting had to wait.
"Whatever is going on with you and Naruto, just try to fix it. She cares about you and the thought of losing your friendship is screwing her up. She's been avoiding me too, you know, and ... and it's screwing me up as well. Talk to her." Sakura wasn't stupid. She saw how Naruto looked the past week. The blonde physically looked ill and Sakura would be lying to herself if she said she didn't feel the least bit guilty for making the younger girl that way. "I know this is a bastard move but if you won't do it for her, do it for me. If you really do claim to love me then do it for me."
Sasuke didn't have to resort to that in all actuality. Naruto was a part of Sakura's life and truthfully speaking, the past week was screwing the pink-haired teen up too. Heh. So all three of them were basically a hot mess the last few days. Now that Sakura had received closure, she found herself ready to make amends with Naruto.
"Yeah. But I won't be doing it for you." She pocketed the handkerchief as she finally stopped all form of weeping. "I really just want to fix things with Naruto now. I'll talk things out with her tomorrow. I promise." The Haruno girl left after that, not bothering to look back.
It was incredibly fortunate that things had ended on a good note. Everything would be back to normal come the next day. Thank God. He didn't know if he could take any more of the drama! There was only so much teen angst a person could take. Now that the more pressing matters had been dealt with, there was one thing left to do. Sasuke crossed his arms as he resumed his waiting.
What was taking that lug nut so long?