Miss Trouble Magnet
Chapter 17:
March Break was fast approaching. I spent most of my days studying, doing homework, going out shopping with Hinata or hanging out with Sasuke, or Gaara… or Sai. Today, I just happened to be with Sai. We were just sitting comfortably on the bleachers outside, watching a soccer match. Sasuke and Naruto were all big fans, so we occasionally joined them at the bleachers. Hinata was absent that day, she had recently caught the stomach flu and had spent the last two days at home. I made a mental note to visit her that afternoon.
Sasuke had Naruto had come as well, but we hadn't seen them since they left to get some drinks. Sai booed when an opposing player injured a boy on our team, along with the crowd. I always wondered how they synchronised all their cheers, boos, hollers, protests, and food throwing so perfectly. Our injured player was helped to the bleachers by another player and the coach, and sat down. I sighed. People were just too competitive these days.
Nonetheless, our team won the match, with a winning goal from Naruto (he had just been walking over to us with the cokes we'd asked for when the ball bonked on his head). The crowd had cheered wildly when he'd "head-butted" the ball right passed the unsuspecting goalie, who had done a double-take. At the moment, Naruto was being carried in the air by the whole team and the happy crowd while all the members of the other team sulked and kicked the grass as they walked off.
Sasuke sat down beside me, watching the confused Naruto being carried around as though he were as light as feather. I shook my head, definitely too competitive. Winning was all they desired, though no one could blame them. I shook off the thought and joined the cheering crowd; I guess that I, too, was competitive.
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I yawned and walked into the girls' change rooms of the Konoha Café, which was also used as our staff only bathroom since there were three bathroom stalls and two sinks inside the small space. After changing, I washed my hands and fixed my hair. I sometimes loathed my hair, and today was one of those days. On most days, I was fine with it; I could say I loved it, even. It all depended on my mood when I woke up in the morning. If I was happy, everything was fine. But if I was a in a bad mood, my hair was somehow always making things worse.
Maybe it was because its bright, happy, colour always clashed with the scowl I occasionally wore on my face. My hair always seemed happy, even when I was angry, or sad, why couldn't it be too? Why couldn't it stop being so bright and shiny for once? It was disconcerting to think about it. I was definitely on the brink of losing my sanity. I groaned.
I decided to stop thinking about it as I walked out of the room, locking my clothes and bag into a locker on the wall. There were around 10 lockers on the change room wall, two rows of 5; there was more than enough for all the girls. With one last look, I felt the room and found myself in the kitchen, which already smelled of cinnamon buns and burgers. It was indeed a weird smell.
Naruto suddenly burst out of the boys' change room, panting, as usual. He was always late because of something or another, and today was the soccer game. I looked down at my watch, then back at him. "Two seconds late, buddy." I said, smiling.
"Darn it!" He said, slapping his leg.
Sasuke, who was already changed and was currently cleaning the floor, looked up to us. "Naruto," He said, "That's the earliest you've been this month. Bravo." He chuckled, leaning onto his mop.
I giggled as Naruto scowled at him. "How do you always get here before me? We both left the field at the same time!" He said in exasperation.
I shook my head. "Sasuke has his ways." I said, and winked at said boy, who smirked in return.
Naruto rolled his eyes and stalked off to the freezer room. Sasuke and I both smiled before getting to work.
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I rubbed my eyes as my shift came to an end and I pull out the last pizza of the day, relived that I could finally head home… Well… head back to school.
Honestly, it was better than it sounded.
But, just as I was ready to untie my ponytail and relax as I waited for the pizza to finish, someone called out my name. I turned my head to see none other than Ino, brandishing her grin and long blonde hair. "Yes?" I asked, playing with the hair elastic held around my wrist.
She looked like she was about to say something important, but had forgotten. She paused, then asked "How's it going these days?" She winked profusely.
"… Fine. Why?" I asked suspiciously.
"No!" She suddenly said, slapping my arm, "With…" She lowered her voice, "Sasuke?" She asked.
I rubbed my arm and felt myself blush. "Just the usual," I said, "I guess." I added.
She seemed unsatisfied. "Just as usual? What the hell, give me something to talk about, woman!" She said.
I blinked. "Well… You were there on Friday, when we watched that movie." I said, shrugging.
"Oh right, that was too cute." She said.
I nodded my head-absentmindedly and glanced at the oven's clock. There was still much time left to be wasted. I suddenly remembered our trip to Switzerland next week. It was so close it was nerve wracking. "I'm going to Europe next week." I blurted out.
Ino's face lit up instantly, her mind already racing. "Where? With who?" She asked.
I couldn't help smiling as I said, "I'm going to Switzerland with Sasuke, Hinata, Sai and Gaara. I think Naruto might come too…" I pondered this as I tapped my chin with a finger.
"Sakura!" Ino gasped.
I furrowed my eyebrows. "What?" I asked.
"That's not good! Not safe! Should've told me earlier!" She said, stumbling over her words.
"What?" I asked again, pushing myself off of the counter I'd been leaning on.
"Two girls and four boys?! You're bound to get into trouble." She said, wagging her finger at me with a scolding look.
"Ino, I have no idea what you're taking about." I said, shaking my head.
Ino sighed and rolled her eyes. "So clueless, Sakura. God, woman!" She said. I'd noticed Ino's habit of saying 'god, woman' at the end of her sentences whenever she was annoyed, irritated, or exasperated.
Our talk ended as Itachi walked over to us, swinging keys around his finger. "You two are still here?" He asked, carrying his usual scowl.
I blinked in confusion. "Of course, we can't just abandon our customer." I said.
"What customer?" Itachi asked, looking just as confused. He turned to Ino and said, "Didn't Karin tell you to tell Sakura that he left?"
I must have had a shocked expression on my face, because Ino stopped just to turn and look at me.
"Oh, I forgot…" Ino sidetracked, still looking at me with a funny look. "Sakura," she said more clearly, "Are you okay?"
I bit my lip, and looked to the floor, counting the tiles between myself and the oven. "… Karin?" I muttered, staring at the wall.
"Didn't Itachi tell you she came back yesterday? We had a meeting…" Ino stopped, thinking. She frowned, and then smacked her forehead. "I wasn't supposed to mention that, right?" She said quietly, nervously turning her gaze to Itachi.
He glared half-heartedly at her, and then closed his eyes. "Ino, just go home." He sighed.
She smiled apologetically, and put her hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently, before leaving. Itachi's looming presence reminded me of Sasuke, and I immediately wondered where he was. I hoped he wouldn't take me by surprise again. I looked up, ready to face my boss, only to see him retreating to his office. At first I grew irritated but his lack of explanation, but when he left his office door open, I took it as a sign to follow. I walked cautiously into the open door and closed it behind me.
"Aah, how shall I explain this?" He asked himself.
I slowly approached a chair facing his desk and sat down. The comfortable chair nearly made me forget why I was there. "So…" I started, "How'd she persuade you into doing it?" I asked.
He sighed and put his elbow on his arm chair, setting his chin on his knuckles to hold up his head. "Well…" He started.
"Well?" I asked.
"It's as simple as this." He said, and put both hands together. "We need more workers at the café when you leave for the break, and Karin was one of the only few people who qualified."
I felt the wooden edges of the chair crack in my palms. "Itachi, you can't do this to me." I said, feeling my face heat in anger as I stared at my feet. I heard his chair push backwards and his footsteps approach me.
"Sakura, I thought you were beyond this. I know you've had various disagreements with her, but-"
I shot up; making the chair I had been sitting on fall over. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't call those disagreements. I thought you understood that I didn't ever want to see her again." I hissed, surprising myself with my own fury.
Itachi studied my face with a firm expression. "I'm not going to fire her just because of your selfish desires." He said, and I knew by his tone that I wouldn't be able to change his mind.
"I'm not being selfish…" I muttered.
Itachi scowled. "Yes, you are." He paused. "Now get out, we have nothing left to talk about." He stated, turning around and walking back to his desk.
I hadn't seen Itachi irritated like this with me in a long time. In fact, he had been nice to me since the day I'd once lived in his house. I hadn't realized until now that I'd probably been the only one he'd ever been kind too, with the exception of Sasuke, though that was an on and off thing- Which then reminded me of the way he had dismissed Ino earlier, with utter indifference.
I must have been standing still for a while, expressions changing on my face periodically, because he was now staring at me quizzically. "Okay. I'll be leaving now." I finally said, slowly picking up the chair and dusting it off.
"Sakura," He said, making me stop immediately. I hoped he would apologize, and say he'd been too harsh on me. It was an unrealistic hope, as he said, "I hope this doesn't change your performance on the job." I came to the conclusion that he had nothing to apologize for, he was my boss, it was his job, and he had only been honest with me.
For that I should've been grateful, I hated lies, yet I decided, as I walked out, that I wasn't.
-
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I had called in sick at work the days following my unnerving confrontation with Itachi, and that night, I was leaving to Switzerland. I was currently packing my belongings with Hinata in our dorm room, and we would leave for the airport within the next hour.
"Hinata," I said, turning to my best friend.
She looked up at me, curiosity in her wide eyes. "Yes?" She asked me.
I stood up, pulling up my baggy sweatpants and tying my shoulder length hair in a pony tail. "I'm just going to go get by book back from… Kiba..." I said, "I won't be long."
Hinata's head didn't move, but her eyes darted to the left. She knew I was lying. "Well…" She paused, "… just promise me something." She said; her eyes cautious.
I nodded my head.
"Please, please don't leave school grounds." She pleaded, "Just… Just stay safe, okay?" She said, waiting. When I didn't answer right away, she added, "Please. For me?"
I sighed, stuffing my hands in my pockets.
She stared at me, waiting.
I said, "I promise."
-
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I sighed and pulled my pants up again, undoing the knot that held them up, just barely, and tying it again tighter. Satisfied with the baggy mess I wore – courtesy of my mother, who used to jog in the morning in them – and Hinata's cute purple T-shirt – which she doesn't wear anymore, thoroughly convinced that it must be mine (She has a little too many cute T-shirts to remember) – I walked down the hall.
I had no real destination; I had just craved a nice walk in the halls, deciding that I'd earned it after helping Hinata pack all of her cute T-shirts (ha-ha). There was no news on the billboards, I realized as I stopped to check. A door flew open in front of me as I turned away from the billboards, and out of it came to chatting females. One was a very tall brunette that I didn't recognize and the other had red hair and glasses.
Damn it.
I stopped moving as they stood together, saying something inaudible. I waited, my frame against the wall, waiting for them to choose their direction. Suddenly, Karin took a step towards me, her head still turned to the girl she was speaking with. Once she turned her head she would see me, leaning awkwardly against the wall.
Just when she began taking moving again, the brunette grabbed her arm, whispering something to her and dragging her away. I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding, and put my hand to my chest in relief.
I was exaggerating.
I was totally exaggerating.
It was just Karin. Nothing to be afraid of, right?
"Yo."
I nearly screeched as I jumped up and nearly fell over, scrambling against the wall clumsily. The boy beside me chuckled. I turned, immediately realizing that it was Kiba. "God… What was that for?" I asked, out of breath.
He chuckled again, and smiled. "Hinata-chan said you wanted to see me?" He asked.
I frowned, and then remembered my dumb lie; Kiba wasn't much of a bookworm. "Oh… right. I was just wondering… If you were uh…" I tried hard to find something to say.
His eyebrows rose. "Sakura-chan! I never knew you were one to cheat!" He said.
I punched his shoulder roughly. "I'm not asking you out, you idiot." I muttered.
He pouted. "I see… So, you are indeed immune to my power." He said, like a game show host.
I cocked an eyebrow. "Which is?" I asked.
He smirked, striking a ridiculous pose. "My power to have any woman faint at the sight of me." He said in very low pitched voice.
I suppressed my urge to punch him again- instead I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Hardly." I said. I couldn't help but laugh as I did.
Kiba grinned at me, his hands in his pockets. "Well, I think I'll get back to what I was doing now. I just wanted to give you some comic relief before you left."
I didn't answer him.
"Cause, you don't look so good these days." He added.
"Gee, thanks." I snapped before I could help myself.
"No, that's not what I mean, dummy." He said, punching my shoulder 'playfully'. Kiba had always been a complicated fellow to understand. At least I thought so. He was a rowdy boy; he was as rough as he was with girls as he was with boys. Mentally, verbally, he was softer, but his actions were always the same. I didn't think he even realized this, but I had never mentioned it to him. "You don't look really happy. That's all." He said.
I rubbed my shoulder. "Well, look." I said. I pointed to my smiling face. "I'm happy now. So, thank you." I said. I was just beginning to turn around when I heard someone sing my name. I didn't have to turn around to guess who it was.
"Sakura-chan!" Karin sang again.
I took a deep breath before turning around. "What." I deadpanned.
She pouted and put her hands on her hips. "Saku-chan, why so harsh? I was just saying hello." She said in a pathetic tone.
I had to close my eyes to keep them from rolling by themselves. When I opened them, she was walking towards me, her company gone. "You never just say hello." I muttered.
She ignored and eyed my choice of clothing. "Gotten a little lazy, have we? I see you can't take the time to pick your clothes anymore. Did your mommy pick that for you?" She asked.
It was on.
It was so on.
She knew about my mother.
She knew everything.
It was sickening to even look at her.
The small reminder of my sanity was the only thing that kept me from smashing a chair into her disgusting face. Kiba just stared at me, probably hoping to see some sort of fight to break out. He'd probably cheer me on- until it got out of hand of course. He'd never been a fan of blood; he said that it smelled weird.
During that one time that I thought that Karin had given up on ruining the last untouched piece of my shattered life, she had risen from the ashes like a phoenix.
… An ugly, broken, callous phoenix.
"So," She said, glancing at Kiba, who just stared at her, "Sasuke not so interesting anymore?" She said, a malicious grin sliding across her cheeks.
"I swear to god if you don't get out of my sight right now I'll rip your damn head off." I hissed in anger.
Kiba looked taken back by my reaction. Karin's grin only grew larger. "So, I'm right?" She asked, "Because, then it makes you two even, right?" She asked, lifting both her hands, palms upwards. "I see, a well balanced couple, eh?"
I paled. "What?" I mumbled.
"Well, since you're already with him then it doesn't matter." She said, shrugging. She still observed her too equally levelled hands.
I should've known better, but I didn't. I couldn't tell who I was really mad at anymore. One of the highest possibilities would be my self, but I wouldn't believe and decided to drown my self in my own denial.
"I'm not with him. I'm not with anyone. Not with anyone but Sasuke." I growled.
Karin's hands immediately dropped back down to her hips. Her grin shrunk into a smirk. "I guess I should tell you then." She said.
Kiba tried to stop me, but I shoved pass him and stood right in front of Karin, nostrils flaring. "I'm waiting then. Spit it out,
Bitch."
