Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Deidara

Sasori was a freak. And way annoying. It was my first day here and he was already snooping around in my business. With him hovering over my shoulder, I'd get in way more trouble that needed. I had a low patience level and a very short temper; Sasori was not on my "top ten people I wanted to be friends with" list. He was more on the "top twenty people I should avoid so I don't get in trouble" list. But something told me he wasn't going to go away if I just snapped my fingers. I'd have to be more creative in shaking him off. I didn't need another shadow, thanks anyway.

My ex-boyfriend had peeled me off of him easily. When I told him I was moving to this hellhole, he'd seemed unfazed. But then he'd smiled and told me he was glad I was leaving. That I had been just another game to play. Of course, even though I had been the one to flirt with him first, he had been the one who used me. I was an expert at flirting…since I had been flirting my way to information when I was in his gang. He had been way too easy to get with though, and I should've caught it. Thought about it first. But I hadn't. And he laughed in my face at the end.

Hey. Whatever works, I guess. And I needed Sasori off my back. I never even noticed how close my plan was to Master's.

I'll just pick him up and then dump him. I doubt he'll come back after that.

(last period)

Art. Why is it last period, for god's sake? Sad.

I glanced around and saw Sasori. Alright…I walked over to him and sat down in the seat next to him. I didn't want to start my plan yet. I liked art too much to ignore it.

The teacher announced free art and I grinned. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my bag of handmade clay.

"You like art?" Sasori asked quietly. I glanced up at him and noted that he was watching me work, and then looked back at my clay. "Yeah. I do," I muttered. "You?"

"I love it," Sasori whispered.

I paused and looked up at him again, a bit surprised. I was too busy with the thought that maybe I'd found someone who liked art as much as me, to realize he was whispering. "Hm," I muttered. "We'll see." I returned to my work, starting to wonder what the odds were that he had the same definition of art as me.

After a few minutes, I heard some clinking noises and looked at Sasori again irritably. My jaw dropped when he pulled out a bunch of wood that was starting to look like…erm…something, and string.

"What's that, yeah?" I asked, staring at the crumpled pile of something.

Sasori looked up at me with a kind of surprised look. "Art."

I scoffed. "No it's not, yeah."

His expression changed to infuriated. "Oh? And that pile of play dough is?"

"It's clay. And not yet, yeah," I retorted.

"What're you talking about, Brat?" Sasori sighed.

"It hasn't been smashed yet, yeah," I explained.

Sasori blinked a few times. "What?"

"Fleeting. Art is fleeting, yeah. So this isn't art yet."

"That's retarded."

You're retarded! So much for fellow artist. "So what…exactly…" I looked pointedly at the pile of wood. "…Is art to you, yeah?"

"Everlasting."

I blinked twice. "You mean, to keep it, yeah?"
"That's what everlasting means – forever lasting."

"Now that's retarded, yeah."

"No. Why work on something if you're just going to wreck it? It's pointless and not art."

"You know nothing then, yeah."

"I know that you're being retarded."

"Whatever. What exactly are you making, yeah? And don't say art," I gestured at his pile of wood.

"A puppet," He answered simply.

"A puppet, yeah?" I asked, feeling really stupid.

"Yeah. You've seen one, haven't you?" He looked surprised when I shook my head. "Hang on. I think I have a finished one." Sasori dug through his backpack for a minute. When he sat up in his seat again, he dangled a miniature wooded doll in front of my face. The thing had a face and a painted on blue t-shirt, gray pangs and no shoes. Its hair was brown and messy. It took me a second to realize that the hair looked freakishly real.

"Is that real hair, yeah?" I asked in an accusing tone.

"Sort of. It's like the hair you get off of Barbie dolls," Sasori answered, chuckling.

I grabbed the puppet out of Sasori's hand and examined it. He made a face, but didn't try to take it back.

Its mouth wasn't fully connected. It looked something like a nutcracker's mouth. I slid my fingers down the strings and found five loops at the end. I slipped my fingers into them and clumsily moved my fingers a little. I almost fell out of my chair flipping out when the puppet started moving according to how I moved my fingers.

My mini-freak-out must have shown on my face, because Sasori started laughing at me. I scowled and moved my fingers with a little more confidence.

"Can I please keep this one, yeah?" I asked Sasori after a few more minutes.

He hesitated before he smiled weakly. "Sure, I've got others."
I grinned. "Thanks!" Then I made my face mock serious. "But I still won't call this thing real art, you know, yeah."

Sasori smirked. "Okay."

I played around with the puppet a little more, then set it down – out of Sasori's reach – and started sculpting again.

"And I still won't say that your 'smashing art' is true art," Sasori said quietly.

I smiled. "I get it, yeah."

'Kay. He gets a few points right now. But I'll steal them back.

3 Months Later

I guess after that, Sasori and I became as close to being friends as we were going to get. Although, at lunch we never sat at the same table. The way Sasori's friends looked at me, told me I wasn't welcome. But that was alright. The less I had to do with them, the better. Then I wouldn't have anyone out to get me.

Everything was going well enough. But everything has to fall a little sometime…right?

We were outside the lunchroom when Sasori stopped me.

"Hey, Deidara? Do you want to come and sit at my table today?" He asked quietly.

I felt my face loose its happy façade and fall into its emotionless expression. "No," I said coldly. At his surprised face, I quickly smiled warmly. "I'm not good with large groups of people, yeah." Lie. "'Sides, I don't think your friends like me much, yeah. Let's keep you on their good sides, 'kay?" Truthful enough.

"Okay." Sasori smiled weakly.

I smirked, leaned down and kissed his cheek. "See you after lunch, yeah," I whispered in his ear. Then I stood up straight and walked to my empty table. Once I was sitting down, I watched Sasori go to his table. The first thing he got was a slap upside the head by his green-haired neighbor. Everyone at the table seemed to be trying to talk to Sasori at once.

"Hi Deidara-senpai!"

What the fuck?! It's not… I turned around and saw a very obnoxious orange mask in my face. SHIT!

"What're you doing here, yeah?!" I hissed, standing up.

"Tobi got transferred," He said in a rather loud voice.

I stared uncomprehendingly at him and asked, "What?"

"Tobi got a transfer from your old school to here. It was too boring there without you," Tobi said a bit softer.

"Really?" I perked up at this thought.

"Yeah. The whole school was all blah blah blah when you left," Tobi said, moving his hands like mouths when he said the "blahs".

"Cool. What about him, yeah?" I narrowed my eye suspiciously.

"Oh…Um…" Tobi turned his head a little. "He was trying to find your replacement when Tobi left. He never really said anything about you and Tobi thinks he's started going out with someone else now."

"Bastard!" I cursed. Mentally shaking my head, I looked back up at Tobi. "Are you staying here permanently then, yeah?"

"Yep! Unless they choose to transfer Tobi again. But he hopes they won't. Because now Tobi's with Deidara-senpai again!" Tobi threw his arms around my neck in one of his signature bear hugs, almost knocking me over.

"Get off my, Tobi, yeah!" I cried, trying to push him away. I don't think he was this strong when I left. God dammit!

"Sorry," Tobi said as he let go. And then I did fall over. I lost my balance and fell backwards. "Deidara-senpai?" Tobi asked softly. So I flipped him off.

Once I was on my feet again – and realized people were staring – I grabbed Tobi's wrist and dragged him out of the lunchroom.

"Where are you taking Tobi, Deidara-senpai?" Tobi asked after awhile.

"Away from people, yeah," I answered teasingly.

"No! Really!" Tobi whined.

I sighed irritably. "The library, yeah."

"So you were serious…" Tobi's voice sounded like he was faking detective or something along those lines.

When we were in the library and sitting down, I made him hand over his schedule.

"And…?" Tobi prompted expectantly. "How many classes does Tobi have with Deidara-senpai?"

I groaned. "All but three, yeah." He was smart enough that I could put up with him, but dumb enough that I felt like I had to keep and eye on him or he might die somehow. Three classes without him would be like the two classes without Sasori – heaven.

"Sad," Tobi muttered, then perked up some. "But that means Tobi'll have time to make other friends here!"

I smiled. "Yeah, you're right!" My horrid day had just gotten a little better. The bell rang and I groaned again.

"C'mon, Deidara-senpai! Do you have this class with Tobi?" Tobi jumped out of his seat and slung his backpack onto his shoulders.

"Would I have groaned if I didn't, yeah?" I asked, standing up and putting my own backpack on.

"YAY!" Tobi cried.

He's the only person I know who's excited for school.

I hope this is long enough. Pasts and relationships will be further explained in later chapters, so if you can refrain from asking about those, please do.

And, I looked up what Tobi calls Deidara, but I'm still not sure if I spelled it right. Is it "senpi" or "senpai"? If anyone knows, please tell me so I don't look like a complete moron. Thanks.

Please review.