Okay, so I lied.

I at least held a little hope as to it being a good day.

"Hey Sasuke, are we up for some private modeling?"

I didn't answer, and I didn't even care who was offering it. It could have been the sexiest man alive on the cover of People magazine, and I still wouldn't. To criticize my work was beyond unforgivable, and especially the way I looked doing it.

"How about me too, eh, Uchiha?"

I slipped some headphones on, big ones to muffle their voices. But as soon as it was on, it was pulled off.

"Did'ja hear us, Uchiha?"

I gave a deep angry sigh as I glared at my usual annoyances.

"...Haven't I always said no?" I told them. They were the Sound Squad, students who were majoring in musical theory rather than visual arts. With the way they always surrounded me, one would think they were in it for a gangbang.

"Yeah, but it's still worth a try," Jiroubo boomed. I scowled and tried to look uninterested. Tayuya bounced over to me, her cleavage extravagant. I shuddered.

"Come on, dipshit, join us."

"Your kind words of endearment flatter me," I said with batted eyelashes. It was her turn to scowl, and her pretty face wrinkled.

"Quit it, Tayuya, with your fucking mouth, he'll never join," Kidoumaru growled.

I started to cough, and in the middle of it, I choked it out:

"-CONTRADICTION."

"Oh shut the hell up, Sasuke! Why won't you just hang with us?" Sakon looked a little desperate, like if he didn't, Kimimaro was going to have his ass, which wasn't far from the truth. I would have told him 'I don't hang out with band geeks!' but then he stepped in.

"Because he's got us!"

I almost smashed my head against my desk at his lame abruptness. God, was this just a friendship war over me?

"Back off, Big Gulp, you're outnumbered." I almost laughed: Kidoumaru was digging his own grave. Suigetsu's fine eyebrows arched and his hands planted themselves on his hips. Karin fixed her glasses and turned away hurriedly.

"...Excuse me?" he purred. I had to smile at him, and his own grin grew.

"...You're outnumbered," Jiroubo foolishly repeated. And that's when Suigetsu made his move. Before anyone could even catch him with their eyes, his razorblade teeth were already an inch deep in Jiroubo's forearm. The poor guy gave a wretched cry and tore his bloody arm away from the still grinning through gory fangs Suigetsu.

"Try counting all my friends! They've made their mark!" he yelled as they made a mad dash for the door. The two then scurried to my desk, Suigetsu licking each individual tooth to rid it of blood.

"Man, d'you got any tissues or anything? It tastes really gross." I handed him one of my clean gym towels and he scrubbed his whole mouth clean.

"If it tastes so gross, why do it?" Karin asked, cheek pressed against her fist. Suigetsu smiled behind the towel.

"If I didn't, who would take care of Gorgeous?"

"I can take care of myself, thank you," I growled, "and you should have seen me with Sai yesterday. I was about to castrate him."

"Should have given me front row tickets." the toothy boy said, "So he's still chasin' ya?"

I nodded curtly, and he pulled out his infamous Big Gulp. Suigetsu was close to albino, with pale skin and white hair, and got dehydrated easily. So he was issued to always have water with him, all the time. And being the crazy bastard he was, he fashioned himself a belt with cup holders at each hip. I actually thought it was creative, but people deemed him 'Big Gulp' and would always make fun of him for it. But that in itself was hard to get away with, the way he tended to gnash his filed incisors and shut people up instantly.

"Haven't you reported him or anything?" Karin chimed in. I shook my head, and she fixed her glasses again. Karin was head of the school's science division, and knew practically everything there was to know about chemistry. I asked her once why she was still in this high school and not skipped up to college, and she told me it was her grades in English. It didn't stop her from brewing me and Suigetsu up some plastic explosives, or the occasional bit of meth. Even through our illegal antics, I still remained every teachers' favorite and therefore best student, Karin was top of her game, and well, Suigetsu remained the scariest person in town, save Kisame, his half brother, which is how I met the guy in the first place. Kisame had to baby-sit him for their dad, but he still had his daily engagement with Itachi to hold up, so he brought him over. We hit it off instantly, when he bit me in greeting, and I commented nicely on his teeth, even though my arm looked like ground beef. We've been friends ever since.

Karin, though, I found through my fan girls. She had one of the biggest crush on me I'd ever seen. It wasn't surprising, the science geek falling in love with the most popular guy in school. Sounded like a bad plot for a movie, but at least I then realized it could actually happen. She'd often leave me baked goods in my locker, and being a chemist had it's basics for cooking. I met up with her and talked a little, but I couldn't say much, seeing as all she did was stare at me. I let her hang around me since junior high, and having turned down every single offer, she slowly grew out of it. Now she was just the smart dork that I had come to call a friend, whatever that implied exactly.

"...That's what you're supposed to do, stupid." She said. I smirked a little at her bravery. I doubt anyone but her could get away with calling me that.

"He didn't really do anything too bad. Just big talk from a small man."

"In which ways? Since he talks so much about penises, I don't think he even has one!"

I allowed myself to laugh along with Karin and Suigetsu. Not many can pull that from me, much less a smirk. But these guys were the best relationships I've ever held, and I hoped to keep them until graduation. Or even college, if life would allow me.

"Hey! You kids, get the hell out of here! You're late for class!" Kakashi hissed. Suigetsu and Karin sprang to their feet, Karin's skimpy lab coat fluttering and Suigetsu's Big Gulps sloshing. They both threw hurried waves over their shoulders, echoed a quick "See you later!", and they were gone.

---

"If you want to date me, you have to come over every day."

"...Every day?"

"Every day, even if you're sick. If you forget, I'll break up with you."

I sifted my hand through my glossy midnight hair, a heavy sigh hissing behind clenched teeth. My coffee lay slipped and worthless near my nose, as my cheek was pressed to the cold marble counter. I blinked lazily at it.

"...What is that, your seventh cup?" the burly voice asked me. I closed my eyes sleepily, fingers numbly dipping themselves in the brown liquid and drawing elegant circles in the stone.

"...Eighth," I corrected, palm splashing in the puddle of drink. He gave a brief chuckle, elbows resting on the counter near my face.

"At least you aren't a crack head. I wouldn't know what to do with you."

"...Oh, so this is a bad time to tell you..."

"...And I should tell you to use better lines," he laughed. His voice buried itself in my eardrums, and it rang loudly, lulling me to sleep.

"...You know, you're supposed to get hyper when you drink coffee, Itachi."

I forced myself to open an eyelid, trying to focus in on the big toned man before me. He was rolling his neck from side to side, his large sharp teeth glistening as he yawned.

"...Yeah, well, It just makes me that much more unique," I defended quietly. I felt myself start to slip from my chair, but I was so drugged up on caffeine, fuck me for saying it, I was about to pass go and jump to Candy land. But I slowly felt his strong bulky arms slip around me like I was glass, and brushed me to his chest. I could still hear Kisame's godly laugh in my ears, even as I collected my two hundred dollars and got lost in the Candy Cane Forest.

"I'm so sure, lover boy."

---

"WELCOME TO ART CLASS!"

I stood by Kakashi as he shouted, waiting for his students to scurry in with their materials and sit at their assigned easels. One easel remained empty.

"...You still haven't replaced Sakura?" I asked. Sakura was one of the creepiest girls I had ever met. She was head of my fan club, and had once actually followed me home. Of course, whenever she got near my house, I'd kindly ask Kisame to go bark at her. He hated being ordered around, by me, at least, but he did it anyway. I started to believe he enjoyed gnashing those white killers at the girl, as her shrieks always made him laugh. That, and when she brought cookies or chocolates, she'd toss them in her escape, which Kisame would then share with my brother. Those were the better days. But soon finding she couldn't get me out of my house, she'd stalk me in school; even skip classes just to stare at me through the window. Before I knew it, she was accepted into Kakashi's art class. She was surprisingly a great artist, and was admitted without Kakashi even asking if she was a member of the Sasuke Club. Kakashi soon discovered that through every pose I made, she'd draw quickly and professionally, then add, to which was hidden by a sheet, what she believed to be what my dick looked like. Then, she began to add herself into the pictures, doing God knows what with me. Kakashi had to kick her out, because her pictures were violating my privacy and pornographic. Not that he minded; Kakashi was a pervert at heart, and I had come to notice he kept all of Sakura's paintings and sketches in his desk. All in all, I burned them, despite my teacher's tearful pleas.

I was no slut to be treated like an item.

"...Oh? I was quite sure I did..." he drawled out, smile widening behind his medical mask. Not long after he uttered those words, I heard heavy footsteps pounding down the hallway, a voice cursing colorfully, and soon a being skidded to a stop at the door. I didn't get to see his face because he immediately propped his palms over his knees to catch his breath, his bright blonde head hung.

"I...I'm sorry," he coughed out, "Iruka...Needed to...Talk."

I turned to Kakashi, whose eyes were brightly shining behind his red and black bandana.

"...Is Iruka-kun still on for Friday, then?" I watched as the guy hesitantly nodded, slowly standing and showing his face.

And that's when it hit me like a fucking semi. Blue eyes the size of dishes, sparkling like sapphires. I had never seen eyes like that, no one his age was supposed to have such innocent eyes.

We stared at each other for a long time from across the room. I don't know what he was thinking, looking at me with parted lips and a growing redness. I then recognized that kind of face:

Sakura.

I immediately scowled at the beautiful boy, and he was just as quickly taken aback. Hurt obviously flashed in those big perfect eyes, but I could have cared less at that point. All of them were the same!

"...Ahem. Well, if Naruto-kun would please be seated, we can begin. Sasuke..."

"Yeah," I said automatically, stalking to the changing curtain. Once I was hidden, I pumped my angry fists and cursed silently. Another one: Another little brainless follower! Again, again, I'm stuck with a little fan BOY. No one could see me as a person, only as a slut, a whore!

"...Sasuke, done?" Kakashi's muffled voice carried through the curtain, and I growled. But I took a fine, deep breath, and responded.

"Almost. Sheet?" The white fabric was handed to me from behind the curtain, and I put it on a hook before practically ripping my clothes off, angry that I had to show skin to such an abomination. I took another calming breath before wrapping the sheet around my hips and strutting out to my stool in the middle of the room. I glanced at the blonde, who watched me with the most depressing eyes. He no longer had a red face, his jaw no longer on the floor.

I didn't actually take into consideration that he had been running, that he was panting and was red with exhaustion: Guilt trip.

He didn't meet my eyes; he looked too defeated to do anything of the sort. I chewed my lip lightly, but forced myself into a pose. Sitting on the stool, I raised a pale veined arm above my head to reach for the ceiling, head tilted up with it, and my other hand clutching the sheet at my lap. Everything was silent for a few seconds, until Kakashi issued a "Begin." And pencil dust went flying. I tried to tilt my head down so I could see the so called Naruto, and almost did if it hadn't been for Neji.

"Hold still, Uchiha," he purred. I shivered lightly, wanting to gag. No one in this class took me seriously, eying me like a piece of fucking sirloin. Especially Neji: His pale white eyes were a medical mystery, but they are horrible when they scanning you like a fucking laser all the time. I sat still, waiting patiently. As time went by, I became concerned toward the blonde. Maybe he hadn't meant any harm, and being angry was obviously affecting him, through his artistic abilities or mental capacity. I couldn't see if he was drawing, or if he was just staring at the floor still.

After what seemed fucking ages, Kakashi uttered the word "break", and the students groaned as they stood, stretched, and walked into the hall. I was hesitant to see if he was still there, but I dropped my position so my body could return its blood circulation.

And there he was, sitting at his easel, scribbling away. He glanced up at me, but let out a quietly pitiful yelp before going back to his picture, nervous scratching echoing to me.

"I'm sorry, for whatever I did," he said quickly, hiding behind his tall easel, adding his finishing touches. I shook my head and scratched through my black hair.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. Forget it," I consoled. It did him good, apparently, as he let out a soft sigh. I stretched my neck so I could see him over the easel. His small smile screamed at me, how it was so relieved.

"I'm new to this art stuff...I was afraid I did something wrong, but no one said anything to me, so I didn't know. You just looked so angry, so I was a little freaked...I...umm...Why were you angry?"

I sat there and stared at him. God, his face was like he was twelve, but he had defined muscles, and was obviously taller than me. Three little lines scarred each cheek, and his wild blonde hair fell into his eyes and flipped out a little past his neck. I noticed his confused blue eyes, and focused.

"...Nothing of importance...Just a little iffy," I told him, standing and walking around. His eyes instantly became nervous, and he began to ruffle the papers clamped to his easel. I came around behind him, but he buried the picture of me behind the paper, and his bandaged hands.

"...What's with your hands?" I asked innocently. He immediately withdrew them so I couldn't see which gave me the chance to steal it. I swiftly ripped it from the easel papers and looked it over, even though Naruto had jumped from his chair and acted to get it back. I held him back, reviewing it. His form was excellent, a little rigid in the shoulders, nothing a little practice couldn't fix. My eyes traveled to the face.

"...Where are the eyes?" I asked. He wiggled from behind me and snatched it back, crumpling it into a tight ball and angrily throwing it onto the ground.

"Hey!" I defended. He looked up at me, sad, sad, eyes blasting holes into my own.

"...I couldn't figure them out," he said quietly. I tried not to scoff as I folded my arms: I could say the same.

"Eyes are easy! What was so hard about them?"

He didn't answer, and out of the corner of my 'difficult' eye, I saw his hands clawing at one another.

"...What are you doing?" He without delay tore his hands away and hid them behind his back.

"Nothing!" He defended with a hoarse throat, gulping down a lump. I eyed him warily, not paying any attention to the students reentering the classroom.

"Sasuke, ready?" Kakashi called out from the door. I glanced at Naruto one last time before nodding. As I sat back on my stool, I realized in the time I was talking to Naruto, I was supposed to be stretching. My muscles were still sore, and I winced a little as I took a new position. My palms were pressed to the seat behind me while the sheet lay limply across my lap, and my shoulders were nearly shaking from the strain. For a moment, I thought the sheet was going to slip off. But as long as I sat still and tried not to make a big deal about it, it wouldn't move. Of course, that's easier said than done. I bit my lip, shifting my eyes over to Naruto so I could focus on something and not the pain. He wouldn't leave my sight, and I watched him draw. He would scribble out his guidelines, look up at me, and repeat. He also had a habit of going out to lick the bottom left corner of his lips, doing so every other glance. When he slowed down to do detail, he became somber, not as energetic. He took more and more glances, memorizing my face. I almost smiled when I could predict what he was drawing: He'd bite his lip, then his nose would twitch, and he'd scratch his ear, whenever he had to draw mine. His fine golden eyebrows arched as he drew the ones on my face, and it was then I knew he was going to draw my eyes. But he only blinked quickly a few times and looked me straight in the eye. He wasn't just glancing anymore, he was staring. His eyes were so full of feeling; I could see why he'd have trouble with them.

But mine?

My eyes held nothing, is what I've been told. So black, it's the only color. So why would he find those difficult? My Uchiha pride concealed any emotion behind those stupid dark eyes, while his never even hesitated.

I felt my stomach sink as I saw that face again, the face of defeat, on him. From behind his easel, I could see his surprisingly sharp fingernails cut easily through white bandages and scratch his hands. I thought it was pretty innocent; I once broke my leg jumping off a swing set in 4th grade, and I knew how annoyingly itchy bandages could get. But after a moment, I saw his nails break the skin, and red dripped down his palms quickly.

"Naruto."

I grabbed his attention quickly, along with everyone else in the room. Naruto looked down at his bloody hands and whispered out little nothings to himself.

"...I'm sorry," I heard him say. I turned to Kakashi, and he shrugged.

"Break. Sasuke, why don't you escort him?" I nodded and strode behind the curtain, throwing off the sheet and pulling on my pants. I didn't want to fully dress, seeing as I had to come back to take it off anyway. When I stepped out again, Naruto was still muttering to himself. I pulled him up by the bicep and dragged him down the hall, towards the nurse office. Kabuto was probably the best doctor I knew, but I still wasn't sure why he wanted to spend his life working at a high school, being made fun of for being a 'nurse' by every immature kid to cross his path. He liked to stay after school so he could help his uncle, the chemistry teacher, with determining the hazardous conditions of the chemicals used in his class. Orochimaru, though, was a pasty old man who was a perfect addition to my fan club, never ceasing in his chase for me. He was like Sakura: Save the unhealthy dry skin, old crusty wrinkles, and a Gene Simmons tongue.

"Ah, Sasuke! Good to see you!" the old man croaked. Kabuto fixed his big round glasses at me and Naruto, who remained unfocused. Orochimaru practically pranced over to me, a grin bringing up solid wrinkles. "What a pleasant surprise! What is the occasion for this special visit?"

I was tempted to roll my eyes, but doing that would indeed deter them from Naruto getting medical attention. "My friend here needs some disinfectant, bandages, and probably bed rest."

Orochimaru was only ecstatic to help the most beautiful boy in the world. He danced around the office, collecting what I needed. I wish I could have watched in amusement, but as I was too disgusted. Kabuto walked to the medical beds behind the curtain, smiling apologetically.

"I am so sorry. I'll make sure he doesn't bother you." I nodded in thanks, and tried to with Orochimaru as well as he cupped my hands in his and discarded the essentials in them. Finally done being freaked out, I closed the curtain behind us. Naruto sat on the edge of the bed, watching the blood fall from his fingertips to his lap. I sighed, taking a damp washcloth and putting it to the cuts. Naruto didn't flinch, didn't move, and barely even blink eyelids over those dull sapphires.

"...So this is why you had bandages? What are you, a cutter?" I tried to joke. He didn't laugh.

"I've got a mental condition..." He whispered. I stared up at him with little surprise. I wanted to smile when his hazy blue eyes lit up like Las Vegas. "...Well? Don't you think it's weird?"

"Sure I do," I admitted, "but that doesn't mean I have to say something. What, split personalities?"

He looked at me incredulously, but straightened his posture so he loomed over me in his tall muscular form. "...Whatever you want to call it."

I smirked and began to remove the now bloodied bandages from around his fingers. He watched me wearily, his eyes still blinking with neon. While the white unraveled, I was assaulted with little crisscross scars. His fingertips swelled from the scarring tissue, looking lumpy and abnormal. Some scars swirled delicately around and down his fingers, ending at the junctures. One particulate cut had traveled all the way around his palm and the back of his hand, looking like he wanted to slice the whole thing clean off.

"...So you really are a cutter." He frowned at me, jerking his hand back to examine it for only a moment.

"I told you, it's a mental condition, jerk! I don't even know what I'm doing half the time!"

I propped my chin up on a palm, tilting my head at him smugly from my place on the floor. "So what about the other half?"

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?" he scoffed. I took his hand back with much struggle, but continued to clean and dress it properly. The guy wouldn't stop staring at me, and it was a little nerve-wracking.

"...Wait...Kakashi said your name...Sa...Sosuke."

"Try again, genius," I mumbled as I tugged the bandage and he yelped.

"Ow...Okay...Umm...It started with an S." I almost bashed my face into the bed. Brawn over brains, apparently.

"Good job. You deserve an A+."

"Shut the hell up, Sasuke, I was kidding," he said with a laugh, "I just wanted you to stop looking so flipping pissed. If I had waited any longer, I was sure you were going to blast a hole straight through my hand with your laser beams."

I frowned. I've barely known the guy for a few hours and he's already acting like we're best friends.

"Oh come on. Don't look at me like that," he laughed again. I tightened the bandages and he shut up. Standing up, I shoved him onto the bed, glaring down at him.

"...I'd say you'd rather lie here for a while, or else you'll just cut yourself again." he pouted, but crossed his arms behind his head and smiled.

"Okay, nurse."

I almost punched him, but stopped myself. He didn't know any better, he hadn't known me for long enough. Plus, it just sounded like his mental condition was working itself over; He didn't sound like the guy I had just seen 5 minutes ago.

"Okay, that was really uncall-"

"Sorry," he interrupted quickly, big tan bandaged hands ruffling blonde hair nervously, "I didn't mean to say that."

I looked over his apologetic face one last time, before turning for the curtain and preparing myself for a full-forced Orochimaru attack. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"...Wait here until class is out, and we can go grab something to eat."

As I closed the curtain, I heard him give a loud whoop of victory. I let a quiet chuckle slip; he had yet to realize that a curtain was not soundproof. Orochimaru sparkled at me, waving his hand frantically at me in goodbye, while Kabuto tried to calm him.

Well, it wasn't every day that Orochimaru got to see his obsession shirtless...Unless, of course, he imagined it every day.

I returned to class with that disgusting thought, stepping behind my changing curtain to replace my pants with a sheet again. I sat on my stool, poised and elegant as ever, holding a new exotic position for the boys to ogle, looking over at that empty easel with a smirk:

All of a sudden, the class seemed boring.