I felt myself slowly slide from the ledge. My hands shakily going to the vine, my feet searching for footholds- my body was on co-pilot while my mind was replaying Ino's words. It wasn't happening. Coldness over took my body. The storm that roared behind me wasn't there. Nothing was true in this world anymore, not unless Ino was with me.

Until I felt myself slip from the slick rain, my hands let go and I was sailing through the air. My eyes closed. Was this the end? Would I die with the thought of Ino's sad face? It sounded like a sadistic death, but a very sweet one. My common sense kicked in again, assuring me I wasn't going to die like this. My hands rushed in front of me to cling on a vine again, but we were too far away from the house and moving too fast.

I hit the ground with a small splash of mud

I only felt a soft ache in my body. I opened my eyes, squinting from the rain to only see the vine that I slipped on snapped…It wasn't far off the ground. I closed my eyes again. I didn't want to get up, but I had to. I had to get back home. It was quite dark out now. My mom is probably worried. I slowly rose to my feet. I felt like my body and I wasn't a part of each other anymore. My body was moving on its own while I wanted to just lie down and rot away while thinking of what Ino and I use to have. I walked to the front of the house and one window didn't have curtains covering it. I peered inside. I could see Ino, smiling, and everyone singing happy birthday. Naruto was beside her with a lopsided smile, Nana was smiling happily, and I could see the back of some old man's head. I stopped. Her smiles…they were fake, just to cover up the pain. She was good at pretending. She even had Naruto under that false smile. Shikamaru and Choji came into view, holding a large birthday cake. Even Shikamaru had fallen prey to her fake side. Was I the only one that saw through her façade?

I began to stumble towards the gate again. It was open. Ino must've given her last pity to me by making the gates open so I wouldn't have to climb again. I shuffled through it, and it closed right behind me. I continued to walk aimlessly down the street. Cars went by without much care, some splashing at my already soaked feet. I was going to catch a cold, but that was fine with me. The rain continued to pour from the skies, telling me that life goes on even if I didn't want it to.

I heard squeaky brakes go to a halt as a car went by me. It quickly stopped and began to go in reverse. I stopped. Who was taking pity on me now? The black car finally stopped right beside me and rolled down their window.

A familiar woman's voice called out to me, "Sakura! Get in! you're going to catch a cold!"

I slowly made my way to the other side of the car and got in. I didn't really care if I got their seats wet, or who they were, or what they wanted.

Light golden-brown eyes stared at me with annoyance.

"Why the hell were you walking in the rain like that? You're totally soaked! You get sick from the poisonous gas, and now you decide to try and go catch a cold?" Tsunade nagged me. I didn't reply. I didn't care if I caught a cold. Life will give me what it wants to give me now.

Tsunade continued to lecture me until she noticed that I wasn't replying, or where I was supposed to go.

"Hey, Sakura, what's wrong?" She asked in a more serious, affectionate tone. I didn't look at her. She pulled into somewhere and stopped driving so she could stare me down. Her stare was piercing the outer shell of my body and into my weak insides.

"Ino…it's over," I quietly told her. I was detached from any other emotion but pain. Every other emotion was drowned out from that feeling. Nothing could cease it.

Tsunade didn't speak for a long time. She just shifted uncomfortably in her seat. I could tell from her reactions that she wasn't the one for gay people, but I could care less. She asked what was wrong and I told her. I continued to think of Ino….Nothing was real, not unless Ino was there smiling, then it would be real.

"I take it from the way you're acting…there is no way it's going to get better, huh?" She said while crossing her arms and looking out the window. I nodded feebly even though she couldn't see. She sighed in response.

"I am sorry to hear that, Sakura. I really am." She added. I doubted her sympathy, but I won't tell her. That would cause her just talk even more. I didn't reply.

"All I can say is this, if you love them a lot, just hope for the best for them. That's all you can really do," she said in a somber voice. I nodded again. It sounded right but my heart wouldn't take it in. I wanted Ino.

We sat in this uncomfortable silence for what seemed like minutes on end. She soon started up the car again and was about pull out until she got a text message. I lazily turned my head in curiosity.

"Dammit, of course they have to ask me to pick up chips," she muttered before making a sharp left and began to speed down the lane. She continued to mumble vulgar words until we reached a small grocery store. She began to get out until remembering me.

"You," she pointed at me, "have to get out. I need to get you some cold medicine. I know you'll be sick." She stated. I turned away from her and slowly got out the car. We both entered the grocery store. I was lagging behind until Tsunade got impatient and grabbed my hand, dragging me after her. She got ten different types of chips. I was curious what she was doing, but I didn't want to ask. We passed an isle that had cat food. I missed Ino. I wanted to hold her, kiss her.

"Here is your cold medicine. I'll pay for it," She said while putting it in the basket. She began to drag me towards the payout registers until a familiar silver haired man came into view.

"Well, Hello Tsunade." He greeted warmly. Tsunade stopped in her tracks, still holding my wrist. Kakashi didn't notice me.

"You're going to be quite late to the teacher meeting at his rate, Tsunade." He playfully told her. She scoffed.

"They made me go get chips for the damn thing, and I take it they made you get something too?" She asked with annoyance. Kakashi chuckled.

"Yes, they did in fact. I am supposed to get Coca-Cola." He gestured while showing the two bottles of coke he had in his hands. Tsunade let out an annoyed growl. Kakashi looked over to see me then saw her holding my wrist.

"Oh my," Kakashi stated," I do not think teacher-student relationships are allowed in this school, Miss Tsunade." He told her, and by the sound of his voice he was grinning from ear to ear.

Tsunade scoffed loudly and was lost for words. Kakashi looked at me with a childish stare.

"My, my Sakura, you are quite the womanizer," he complimented me. I looked down at the ground. I wasn't a womanizer…I only loved Ino. I only wanted Ino.

Tsunade noticed my downcast head and sighed. "The kid is going to be sick since she was walking in the rain without an umbrella like an idiot," she released her grip from my wrist and pointed at me with her thumb.

Kakashi examined me, "It looks like the cold has worn her down."

Tsunade shook her head, "She is slowly dying from the broken-heart syndrome." She said in a light playful voice. Kakashi's amusement left.

"Ah I see, though it isn't anything to be too playful about, Tsunade," he replied while warily glancing at her. She shrugged.

He averted his gaze back to me. He intently analyzed me before looking back up to Tsunade and smiling.

"How about I take her home for you? You don't want to be late for the meeting, do you?" He humbly suggested. Tsunade gave him an inquiring stare.

"Yeah, I don't, but where did this sudden generosity come from?" Tsunade asked. Kakashi's smile widened.

"I can't be on time for the meeting, it's very unlike me." He explained with a sarcastic voice. Tsunade scoffed again before gently pushing me towards Kakashi.

"Fine, whatever, you can buy her cold medicine too?" She asked. Kakashi nodded before catching the thrown medicine from Tsunade. The older woman quickly left to the registers. Kakashi began to walk to the back of the store, I followed suit. We continued to walk until we were in the most vacant corner of the store.

"So what happened between you and Ino, if I may ask?" He asked with sympathy. I looked up into the one eye he didn't have covered. His silver hair covered the other one, and an oversized scarf hid his mouth.

I felt more comfortable with him. He knew about us, whether it was fully detailed or not.

"Ino…She got the wrong idea, and now she doesn't even want to see me anymore," I vaguely told him. His single eyebrow rose.

"She saw you with Tsunade and thought you were cheating with her?" He exclaimed in much surprise. My eyes widened and some emotion flooded through me. I felt very embarrassed and violated. I would never cheat on Ino! Let alone with such a mean, much older woman!

"No!" I yelled. Kakashi jumped at the sudden reaction. I gave him an apologetic stare before sighing. Telling him the whole story would take forever.

"I would tell you, Kakashi, but the story is long." I told him while looking at the ground.

"We have time to spare." He assured me while sitting on the ground, in the middle of the store. I eyed him weirdly.

"But you'll be late for the meeting," I reminded him. He shrugged.

"Oh Sakura, you don't know me very well after all these years, do you?" He chuckled while gesturing me to sit down on the floor. I gave him a peculiar stare. He was such an odd man, making me try and sit on the floor in a store to yell my heart out. It was very bizarre, but, for some reason, something compelled me to sit down and begin my story from the beginning. As odd as Kakashi is, he has a weird way of making people feel comfortable.

---

"Wow, and I thought teenager's lives weren't that complicated," he humored to himself while rolling over on the floor. He was lying down on the floor once I got to the end of my story. I looked at him with sorrow filled eyes. He looked back at me with his playful ones before sitting up again.

"Well, I am not quite sure to say, Sakura," he stated while scratching the back of his head.

I shrugged at him before glancing away. I wasn't expecting him to say anything comforting. It was quite a predicament.

"Except," he added with a smile, "to never give up."

I felt the cheesy line hit me. I wanted to smack him around for saying such a cliché saying, but, ironically, it fit my position.

"To never give up on the person you love, because if she loves you, and you still love her, it will happen eventually. Two people in love always find each other in the end." Kakashi cheerfully told me. I watched him begin to chuckle. I didn't understand what was so funny about it, but what he said touched me. It was something I needed to hear.

High school would be over in less than a year, and Ino and I would have years of life to try and get close to each other again. Love would find a way between us. It was only right if it did. Nothing seemed to sound right besides that. I wasn't sure if it was my heart trying to hold onto something to believe in again, or if my mind was telling me it was really true. Either way, I believed it.

"Yes, I can understand that," I uttered to Kakashi. He got up, his smile still intact, before reaching down to help me up.

"Glad I can make you see not all is lost, Sakura." He said cheerfully. We were about to walk towards the registers until he stopped. He glanced at me.

"You did say that you blame most of this partly on the Elders and Staff of the school, right?" He questioned me in a mysterious voice. I nodded, almost scared of what he had in his mind. He told me to hold both of the bottles of cokes as he went to go get something else. I absently held the pop while wondering what he was doing. It was only until thirty seconds later he came back, with a small bottle of whiskey.

"Well, I feel very bad for you Sakura, so, I guess I can give you some revenge by spiking the Cola, hm?" He added with a big smile. My eyes went wide in shock. Kakashi saw my face and began to laugh uncontrollably to where his scarf fell off.

My eyes went even wider.

Kakashi was really handsome. Kakashi stopped laughing.

"Oops," he uttered before picking up his scarf and wrapping it around his face again.

"You didn't see anything," he added with an amused voice. I stared up at him with big eyes and shook my head furiously.

I saw nothing.

We quickly went to the cash register area and paid for the drinks. The worker eyed the bottle of whiskey suspiciously while looking at me. Kakashi only smiled at the man while I tried to look occupied somewhere else.

Once we were back in Kakashi's car he sighed.

"I don't think spiking the coca-cola would cut out on vengeance, would it, Sakura?" He asked.

"I think that's good enough," I added quickly. He chuckled again.

"I think it isn't," he responded before taking out his cell phone and quickly texting someone and then many other people. He started his car once he was done.

"What was that about?" I questioned him curiously with some suspicion.

"Oh, just a few party-hard friends of mine and a DJ." He told me with a wink. I froze.

"Don't tell me you-," he nodded in humor.

"Oh god, Kakashi, I didn't want you to wreck the Teacher's Meeting!" I exclaimed while staring at the side of his face. He shrugged.

"Maybe I wanted to, it's quite boring," he told me with a sarcastic sad filled voice.

"Can you just drop me off at my house please, then? I'd really hate to see the teachers getting drunk and be any part of this," I asked with some fear. Kakashi nodded with more laughter.

He detoured off the road and did some shortcuts until we were at my house. I smiled towards him, thanking him quickly before going into my house.

Like I expected, my mom was waiting on the couch for me with a worried face.

"Sakura!" She exclaimed in relief, "Where were you? I was so worried!"

I took off my shoes quickly. My mom gasped.

"And you're soaked to the bone!" She told me while walking towards me with motherly affection.

"I am ok, I just…went to Ino's house," I told her while remembering what Ino said.

I can't love you, Sakura.

The assurance Kakashi gave me quickly left and was replaced with pain, again. My yearning for Ino returned to my body and my mind, once again, was back being dedicated to Ino.

My mom sighed. "You could've told me to get you, but ok. You should get some sleep. It's nine pm, and the assembly requires you to be there a little early than usual. So good night, Sakura." She quickly informed me before kissing my forehead and going into the kitchen.

I watched her disappear. She didn't even notice my pain. Then a thought struck me. Did I pretend I was happy too? Was I just like Ino, trying to look presentable to my friends and family? I looked down at my hand.

I missed her. I wanted to touch her, feel her, hold her, and kiss her. But I wasn't able to. She told me she couldn't love me, not with what happened last night. It was all my fault for letting it get this far. I should've just said no, I should've told my friends no, I didn't want to do that plan anymore. But, I was too weak, only wanting to please them so I let them push me around.

I slowly dragged myself up stairs. Ino was gone and it was my entire fault.

I took of my clothes and changed into some shorts and a baggy tank-top. Ino couldn't love me anymore, because it was my fault for not stopping the plan. I was the President and I could've stopped it anytime I wanted to, but I was just doing it to please my friends.

I crawled into my warm bed. Ino wasn't going to be around me anymore because I was selfish.

And I fell asleep with such tainted thoughts, yet, I dreamed of the purest thing I ever touched, Ino. She was there in my dreams. I could hold her anytime I wanted. I could kiss her. I could tell her how much I loved her, and she would repeat it back.

But it wasn't the same, not even close. I couldn't exactly feel Ino. I couldn't feel the reality there was whenever our lips met. There was just a hollow feeling of happiness. It wasn't full like when I held Ino and I felt complete.

I know I should be thankful to even have good dreams of her. At least, at the very least, we could meet each other in our dreams, and love each other how we wanted without interruptions. I just only hoped that I would be able to hold her again like I did, and smell her intoxicating smell, because in dreams, you can't smell, taste, or feel.

A/N:

I told you guys I would update fast if I got good reviews, and I did! I got eight over night! I was like, WOW! Thanks! So I gave you guys a big post. I noticed I could split the single chapter in two, so I did, just to get you guys going.

Though this is probably a chapter you don't want. You guys will have to bare with me, because there is only two roads for this story to end in the next, last chapter.

Sakura can either allow time to go, and only hope for Ino to come-back

OR

She can try to get Ino back again and hope love will win.

Or

Maybe, Sakura can give up.

Reviews are loved!