Chapitre Quatre

Narrateur: Monsieur Shikamaru

I knew I was shaking, but I couldn't help it. I was always like that on first days of school. We arrived there far too early, and when I looked up at the massive building, I was intimidated. It wasn't as though it was unrecognizable as a school building, but it wasn't exactly like ours. When I walked through the doors, I realized that tt wasn't as exciting with posters and boards and other things of the like. Before Shino went to his own classes, he had the decency to walk me to mine, not that I pinned him as the impolite type. So he gave me a friendly wave and walked in the opposite direction. I returned his gesture and took a deep breath before turning to the door. Nothing near it, or on it, which was different already from my classes. I placed my fingers on the door handle, unnerved, then turned it unhappily...

What I saw after the door swung open was a bit of a stunning vision. It was almost... depressing. The walls, the ceiling, the floor, all a perfectly plain shade of off-white. One student's desk, one teacher's desk. The teacher's desk had nothing on it, just as the student's and all of the walls. No windows, of course. So I took a clumsy step in. I could feel that my eyes were wide and my jaw was down. My hand felt heavy with the books in tow. I rubbed the arm and stepped all the way in, scanning the room again and again for anything. The room looked old, somehow, and it took me a moment to realize that the door had closed behind me. As if that wasn't haunting enough, I also began to realize that it was freezing cold in there. No air conditioning or anything, though...

I jumped and turned around, standing up at attention when the door bolted open with a creaking noise. The sound made my skin crawl. Two young ladies standing there? One looked to be about my mother's age. Blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, thin glasses which stood before piercing brown eyes, and a rather intimidating pointer. You know, the ones that teachers used to whip the shit out of kids with in the older days, at the same time that they point things out with them? I had to make note of her humongous breasts, not that I really had an attraction to them. The second looked around my age, maybe younger, maybe older. She had rose-pink hair and uninterested emerald eyes. She held a notepad, and looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. They both wore business-looking attire. The younger girl's cherry red, the older woman's pine green. The blond was glaring daggers at me, but the other was looking off into space boredly.

"Please allow me to 'set the ground rules' for you, Monsieur Nara. You will refer to me as Madame Tsunade, and only as such. You attend class Monday through Saturday, with the exception of Wednesday, and only Saturday morning. You will have two classes, Arithmetic and Language, then a two-hour lunch break before reporting back here immediately following for Science and World History. Not a bit of tardiness or horseplay will be tolerated. Detentions and other punishments will be handed out. You will sit and stand with perfect posture, and act as a gentleman at all times. Raise your hand if you have a question, no speaking, period."

If she was trying to frighten me, she was doing an excellent job of it. I was sweating, and I wouldn't be surprised if I had soiled myself a bit...

"And this is my assistant. Treat her with respect as well." I turned to her.

"Sakura Haruno. Pleased to make your acquaintance." she said with a pleasant smile, extending her hand. I shook it tenderly. Her smiling face quickly faded to an emotionless one again, and we both turned away.

"Take your seat, young man." Madame Tsunade growled before taking her own seat. I did as commanded. I was afraid not to. And so, I sat there through two long hours of work and lectures. I was very frightened that if I slouched even the tiniest of bits, I would be crucified. An unfitting end. All it took was a a simple bell and a "You're dismissed." for me to dash out the door of the drab classroom and prepare for Shino to whisk me away to lunch break. So I leaned against the wall next to the front door in the foyer of the school building, and I waited... and waited, and waited. I clutched my bag firmly.Where the hell was he? Wasn't he supposed to be the one to show me what to do, take me everywhere? Had he stood me up? It took such a long time... And worse, there was something extremely odd going on there. There were some guys, or perhaps, a small group of guys hiding behind a corner and staring at me. They chattered in a low and hushed tone to each other, so I couldn't really make out what they were saying.I tried not to make it obvious that I was looking at them, but it was uncomfortable. Where was Shino? And then, all of a sudden, I see them running off, almost as though retreating from something. I looked in the opposite direction. There he was, eyes shielded by black glasses. His hands were in the pockets of his jacket, and he cocked an eyebrow at me.

"You ready to go?" he asked with a vague smirk. God, I loved that smirk. My eyes shifted from him to where the kids had been, and then back, and I nodded.

LVSTRYNPRS

We had gone to that same cafe, and I had stuffed myself with a big lunch washed down with a frappuccino, which isn't quite like me. It was good, nevertheless, and it was time to go back before I knew it. As we we arrived at the school after a mid-length walk, Shino mentioned a night club, and that he would talk to me about it after school. That sounded exciting. I felt that we were already becoming close friends which was good, but I also knew deep down inside that things like this had happened before. I really had feelings for this guy, but I had to keep them undercover. Totally to myself. I was pretty skilled at hiding things, but it didn't stop it from hurting. Friends, just friends. That's all we would ever be, despite what was going through my mind.

Class was a drag, of course, and that Devil's spawn of a teacher actually made me do push-ups on two separate occasions because of wrong answers. Sakura seemed to be enjoying herself. All the while, I had been daydreaming. First day: failed. But it was fine. I was going to a hot European club with Shino, right? I quickly gathered my things after the final dismissal bell ended school. Ew, school.