Studies and Half-Melodies

Disclaimer: I don't own anything! The song is Whispers in the Dark by Skillet.

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to write this, but writer's block was my Christmas present from God, and I finally got over it. And my birthday was two weeks ago, so now I'm officially fifteen! Woo! …I've been drinking too much Coke.

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"Homework should burn in hell. Luckily, it is highly flammable."-Anonymous

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Naruto grinned at Shikamaru. "You look so excited to be my lab partner."

"Ecstatic." Shikamaru replied flatly, but there was a slight smile on his face as he dropped into the stool. "Did you get that gig yet?"

Naruto took the toothpick, grimacing when he had to take out some of his cheek cells. He placed them on the slide and put iodine on it. "Nope. They don't want a sophomore for it because they're afraid I'll get 'overwhelmed.' Yeah right."

"You could actually take those tests that let you skip a grade. You'd pass and then you could get the gig."

"I could, but then I wouldn't see any of my friends. I'd rather not have the gig."

Shikamaru shook his head before peering into the microscope dutifully. "You should take it. We're gonna be here no matter what, but that offer won't always be there."

Naruto shook his head stubbornly. "No way. There's no point in coming to school without someone to make it interesting."

The brunette raised his eyebrows at him, knowing that Naruto could see the expression even while he scribbled the answer down. Biology wasn't even slightly interesting when it came to cells and Shikamaru was in no mood to have to do the lab over. "You still have the kids you tutor. Don't they make it interesting?"

Naruto glanced across the room. Shikamaru read the look on his face. "Uchiha Sasuke needing tutoring. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Did you think he'd get Ebisu? Of course he needs tutoring if Ebisu's his teacher." Naruto reasoned.

Yamato smacked the blonde lightly with a rolled up newspaper. "Get to work, Uzumaki, Nara."

"We finished." They informed him.

Yamato glanced over their papers skeptically. Both boys had an incredible amount of potential if they would only put some effort in. All perfect answers with some doodles on the side on Naruto's part. Yamato ran a hand through his hair. The class wasn't even half over and the boys were done. There wasn't any work he could give them or else they'd be way too far ahead.

"If you two can keep it quiet, you guys can relax for the rest of the period." Yamato told them as way of warning and permission as he walked away.

"Naptime." Shikamaru warned as Naruto opened his mouth.

The blonde laughed. "Alright, alright. Night, Shika."

Naruto pulled out a worn notebook, the bright orange color having faded from use, water spills and rips. A sticker stretched across the cover, white with black letters and a map of the Virgin Islands behind it. The writing read: 'Chuck Norris went to the Virgin Islands once. Now they're just called the islands.' Naruto nudged the pencil from where is was stuck in-between the spirals and opened to a page with carefully drawn scales were. Some of the notes were already filled in, but only up to the second measure.

Naruto began humming the beat he had in his head, before adding a melody and carefully sketching the notes. "Da na na na na You'll never be alone
When darkness comes, I'll light the night with stars
Hear my whispers in the dark."

Lines and notes appeared beneath Naruto's hand, the entire paper filled to the brim with the song. The words appeared in his mind as though they'd always been there, the words seeming to write themselves beneath the measures. A tapping that didn't fit with the beat made him snap his head up, searching for the source of the sound.

Bubblegum pink hair was held back by a Minnie Mouse headband, and emerald eyes were a little confused as she looked at him. Her white shirt had a crown and underneath in pink letters was 'Yes, I am a Disney princess, thanks for asking.'

"Sakura?"

"Welcome back to the land of the normal, Naruto. Class is almost over."

Naruto blinked at the clock, struggling to see the time. Seriously, why couldn't schools invest in readable clocks? It was twelve…God what was that second number? A two? Not that it mattered. Class got out at twelve o' eight.

After thanking Sakura, Naruto turned and gently shook Shikamaru awake. Dark brown eyes blink blearily at him. "Up ya get. Unless you wanna sleep on a cold lab table for the next period too."

As Shikamaru straightened, the bones in his back and neck popped and cracked satisfyingly. He glimpsed the page with the song on it. "New one?"

"Mmmhmm. I'm gonna play it at home, see how it sounds."

"You have everything but a name."

"Whispers in the Dark, I guess. I'll bring my guitar on Thursday so you and the guys can hear it."

"You gonna skip sixth period?"

"Yeah. I'll stop by Iruka's room and borrow a guitar and head out."

-?-?-?-?

"Despite the lies that you're making
Your love is mine for the taking
My love is
Just waiting
To turn your tears to roses

I will be the one that's gonna hold you
I will be the one that you run to"
My love is
A burning, consuming fire."

His hands were darting up and down the fret board, strumming with a speed that didn't seem real. He sat on the edge of the roof of the building, one leg crossed under the other leg that was left hanging. It was late in the school day, with a half hour to go until the last bell of the day rang.

"You'll never be alone
When darkness comes you know I'm never far
Hear my whispers in the dark

You feel so lonely and ragged
You lay here broken and naked
My love is
Just waiting
To clothe you in crimson roses

I will be the one that's gonna find you
I will be the one that's gonna guide you
My love is
A burning, consuming fire"

"Not bad, dobe." Sasuke commented.

The blonde didn't jump, but the crystalline eyes turned to look at him. The gently sinking sun highlighted the gold of his hair and brought out the natural tan. "What're you doing here? A good student like you, skipping?"

"Free period. You don't think of yourself as a good student then."

Naruto leaned back on his right hand comfortably. "Nope. Being smart doesn't make a good student, obviously. The good ones are the ones that work for it. That's kinda why you fit in the description."

"If I'm a good student, why are you tutoring me?"

"'Cause I got 'volunteered' for the job. I'd be out looking for gigs instead."
"Hate the job?"

"Nah. I just really wanna be a performer, or a famous guitarist. Heard you had a test in Government."
"Hn."

A smile spread across Naruto's lips. "How'd it go? Was it easy?"

"Hn."

The smile widened and Naruto laughed, the warm sound wrapping itself around Sasuke. "All thanks to good tutoring."

Sasuke wouldn't say it out loud, but Naruto wasn't a bad tutor. There were some things that Naruto had tried to explain, but had been unable to. He'd said it was because the way his brain perceives ideas, things just tended to make sense and not give him an explanation. And to back that up after seeing the disbelieving expression on Sasuke's face, he'd said that that's what his aunt, a doctor, had told him.

"What good tutoring, dobe?"

"The one that helped you pass, teme. But hey, if you think you can pass without my help, go ahead." Naruto stood up, stretching and he propped the guitar on his shoulder. "You tell me how that goes."
"If you're going to go back inside, you're going to get caught."

Naruto smirked at him, and dug in his pocket before holding up a small, pink square of paper. "Nope. Iruka-sensei got me a pass. See ya, teme."

Sasuke counted down in his head. 3…2…1…

"Uzumaki." Sasuke could hear the familiar voice, one that Sasuke had heard since forever because Kakashi was an old friend of the family, through the door to the stairs that Naruto had gone through.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto greeted.

"Lemme guess-skipping?"

"Who? Me? Kakashi-sensei, why would I ever do something so vile and looked down upon?"

Sasuke could imagine the look that Kakashi was giving him with the visble dark eye. The other one always had an eye patch and when people asked him why, he would tell them the story about how he became a pirate captain. It was never the same story twice, simply because Kakashi liked to screw with people.

"Because you're you. Any pass that's not three weeks old?"

"Two and a half. Does that count?"

"Nope." A small pause and Sasuke figured that Naruto was showing him the pass. "You are so lucky that has the right date. But you don't have Iruka this period."

"My schedule got switched."

"That's a bad lie to someone who's classroom is right across the guidance counselor. Start heading to Gai's room."

"Seriously? Detention with Gai? That's bordering on cruel and unusual punishment!"

Kakashi was probably smirking now. "Don't get caught then. Oh, and Sasuke, you can join him."

Sasuke stepped through the door, staring at the tall man. His silver hair was gravity defying and messy, a dark gray eye staring right back at him. He wore an navy blue scarf around the lower half of his face, apparently not caring that it was nearing the end of summer. He wore an olive green jacket and black jeans.

"How'd you know I was back there?"

The eye was smiling now. "Call it my amazing ninja skills. Now both of you, off to detention. It'll take you the rest of the period to get to the gym. It's on the other side of the school."