Okay, this did take a little longer than I expected, but it couldn't be helped. I had a little bit of a writer's block when writing the next chapters, and I already told myself that I can only publish a chapter when I have completed (or nearly completed) a chapter that's in progress. Did that make sense? o.O Oh well. I have also been doing a lot of research for this story, too. I think I had already known this, but I probably just forgot, but school in Japan starts in Spring... So I had to edit the last chapter where I said 'late summer breeze' x But hey, at least I know that there's only three years in a Japanese High School!
Now let's see where we left off...

"I'll see you tomorrow, Sasuke! Ja," Kari quickly bid farewell and rushed inside her apartment building. As she climbed the stairs to her apartment, she was filled with mix emotions.

Why did Neji invite me? If Sasuke wanted to hangout with me, why the hell didn't he just ask me? Also, TenTen should know by now that I have a crush on Neji, but no, she goes off and flirts with him anyways. Neji's flirted with me a few times before, I could've sworn he had some interest me. Anyways, since when did Sasuke like me? Ugh, please let this be a quick crush. I don't like him like that!

Kari unconsciously slammed open her apartment door that led into her eat-in kitchen. She quickly grabbed an apple off the counter, bit into it, and then slumped onto a couch in the living room. Kari let out an exhausted sigh as she gazed at the TV screen.

"Kari, what's got you in such a bad mood?" Sasori asked as he paused the video game he and Deidara were playing, Dragon Ball Z Sparking Neo. She gave her brother sideways glance and an eye roll.

"Oi, you're brother is just trying to be nice, yeah?" Deidara said with mock sincerity.

Kari took another bite out of her apple. "Yeah, definitely. Because that's Sasori. He is my wonderful, caring oniichan, ne?" she laughed cruelly, "Niisan, what do you want?"

Sasori frowned. "Hai, hai. I have a favor to ask you."

Deidara was seen trying to hold back laughter. Sasori sent him a glare.

"Nani?" Kari asked, confused.

"You know Kudo Yumi, ne?" Sasori asked.

"I ran into her today, but I don't normally talk to her," Kari looked at her brother with curious eyes, "Why?"

Deidara burst out laughing, "Sasori-san has a huuuuge crush on Yumi-chan!"

Sasori turned red and then threw a throw cushion at him. Hah, throwing a throw cushion. Deidara responded by throwing it back at him. Kari could not help but let out a few chuckles herself.

"So what if you like her, what do you want me to do about it? I'm not asking her out for you. You're a senior, niisan, do it yourself," Kari went to stand up but Sasori stopped her.

"No, that's not what I want. I just need an opportunity to talk to her alone," he began shyly, "You know how popular she is! She's always surrounded by other people."

Kari sighed, "Lemme guess: You want me to befriend her and invite her over, don't you?" Sasori nodded. Deidara's laughter could still be heard in the background of the conversation. "Fine. But you owe me, niisan," Kari said and stood up.

"Arigato, neesan!" Sasori called gratefully to his younger sister.

"Hai, hai," Kari waved her hand back at him as she entered her room.

She threw her school bag on her bed and walked over to her desk. She opened her laptop and signed on AIM. Immediately, she got an IM from Lizzi.

Kozuki-sama: Kari-chan, yoo!

Kari of teh Red Sand: oh god, Lizzi-chan, I have too much to tell you right now

Kozuki-sama: nani!?

Kari of teh Red Sand: You know how Neji invited me to the skate park with him Sasuke, ne?

Kozuki-sama: oh yeah, how'd that go??

Kari of teh Red Sand: Horrible! Neji didn't want me there, Sasuke did! And to make it worst, TenTen was there, too! I think her and Neji are together now :

Kozuki-sama: TT

Kari of teh Red Sand: I know! Blehh, anyways, how has your afternoon been?

Kozuki-sama: I don't mean to rub it in your face buuut, ... it's been wonderful :3

Kari of teh Red Sand: ?

Kozuki-sama: uno momento! I'll call you!

Kari got her phone out of her bag and waited for it to ring.

"Okay, Lizzi-chan, what's up?" she said into the phone as soon it rang.

"You know the new kid, Gaara-san?" Lizzi asked from the other end.

"Oh yeah, the one you were drooling over?" Kari laughed.

"Urusei! But, anyways, I met his sister today in gym class, and she invited me over their house tomorrow!"

"That's kinda creepy, you know."

"Nani? What's so creepy about it?"

"It sounds like you're hanging out with his sister just to see Gaara. I think it's more creepy than rude, actually."

"Well, no, I do like Temari. She's really cool! She's a senior. It's just an upside to being friends with her, you know?"

Kari laughed, "Whatever you say, Lizzi-chan. I'll talk to you later." She hung up her phone just as she heard an IM alert from her computer.

"Eh?" Kari walked over and sat down at her computer once again to see whom the IM was from.

1010: This may have been the best day of my life.

Kari rolled her eyes at TenTen's message.

Kari of teh Red Sand: Are you and Neji going out?

1010: Well, not exactly...

Kari of teh Red Sand: o.O?

1010: We kinda... hooked up .

Kari of teh Red Sand: OO TENTEN-CHAN! YOU WHORE!

1010: I know, I know! But, you know how fucking hot that kid is! Don't tell me that you wouldn't have done the same ;P

1010: But anyways, what happened with you and Sasuke?

Kari of teh Red Sand: He tried to kiss me goodbye .

1010: !?

Kari of teh Red Sand: Well, he didn't try to, but he was about to before I rushed into my house.

1010: I still can't believe you don't like him. If I wasn't involved with Neji right now, I would soo be after Sasuke.

Kari of teh Red Sand: TenTen... Shuddup.

Kari ignored whatever messages TenTen sent her after that and decided to talk to someone who wouldn't annoy her so much.

Yui's online, she's nice. I wonder why I don't hangout with her as much as I should...

Hira Yui was a shy and sweet second year. She didn't seem to hang out with many people, but she was well liked in school. The closest person to a best friend she had was Hinata. That's the only person she has ever been spotted with outside of school.

Kari of teh Red Sand: yo, Yui, what's up?

YuiStar: Can you hold on a few minutes? I need to finish this episode of Haruhi.

Kari of teh Red Sand: Haruhi? Um, sure.

Kari stared at the name 'Haruhi' that Yui typed. What the hell was Haruhi?

YuiStar: Gomen! I was watching my Haruhi Suzumiya no Yuutsu DVD. I love this anime...

Kari blinked. Oh! It's an anime! She laughed at herself.

Kari of teh Red Sand: So that's what you do all day, Yui-chan? You're an otaku?

YuiStar: Mhm, much pride in it. Actually, you would probably like this series. You should watch it!

YuiStar: Or Lucky Star. They're both really good! I'll lend you my DVDs if you want!

Kari of teh Red Sand: Sure! I think I also saw some of Lucky Star on TV one day. I really liked it!

YuiStar: I'll bring it to school tomorrow, I'm sure you'll love it

YuiStar: I gotta go now, ttyl Kari-chan

Kari of teh Red Sand: Ja ne!

So that was Yui's big secret? Well, not a secret, but the reason why she's never seen out of school. She's an otaku; A crazed, anime-obsessed freak. Kari laughed, "Yui is so adorable."

Kari looked at the computer's clock: 7:38.

"It's that late already!?" Seeing the time, Kari quickly put up an away message.

"Shit, it's my day to cook dinner!" Kari jumped up from her seat and rushed into the kitchen. She was shocked when she found her brother and grandmother already eating.

"I decided to make dinner tonight, neesan," Sasori smiled up from his food. Kari knew what he was doing. She sat down where her plate was set.

"Don't think that this is going to be your payment, niisan," Kari grinned.

Their grandmother glanced from both Sasori and Kari. "What are you two talking about?" she asked.

"Nothing, Chiyo-baachan!" both grandchildren said in unison. This was not something that the two of them would talk about with their grandmother. That would just be strange.

"Okaasan should be home soon, ne?" Kari asked as she cleared her plate from the kitchen table.

"Hai, it's almost eight," Chiyo nodded as she slowly ate her dinner.

Kari placed her plate in the dishwasher and looked over at her brother. "Oi, has Deidara gone home already?" she asked him. Usually, Deidara stays at their house until at least ten o'clock.

"No, he's in the living room playing Final Fantasy," Sasori said as he cleared his plate.

"Which one?"

"Seven."

With that, Kari hurried into the living room to watch Deidara play.

"Go left, Deidara-sempaiii!" Kari joked as Deidara was fighting a boss.

Deidara scowled, "For the last time, yeah, I can't go left!"

Kari giggled, "I still think you should go left."

"It's almost ten, shouldn't you be in bed, freshman."

"Ouch, a freshman insult," Kari rolled her eyes, "At least I'm not a loser, art-obsessed senior."

"Urusei! Aw, damn it! Look what you made me do!" Deidara cried as he accidentally used Cure 3 on his opponent.

Kari burst out laughing, "I'm going to bed. Nightie night, Deidara-sempai!" And Kari laughed into her room. She fell onto her bed and closed her eyes momentarily. Suddenly, Kari felt a furry something walking on her stomach. She opened her eyes to see her cat. "Bakae-chan, konnichiwa," Kari smiled and reached her hand out to pet the cat. Kari then got up and left Bakae to curl up and sleep on her bed.

She changed into an over-sized shirt and sat down at her computer. Although she was tired, Kari didn't want to go to bed. Insomnia; Sometimes Kari believed that she had a small case of it... occasionally. Kari sighed and put on her American Music play list. "Play Crack the Sky" by Brand New could be heard through the computer speakers.

"Sent out an SOS call

It was a quarter past four in the morning

When the storm broke our second anchor line"

As Kari was lying back in her computer chair, listening to the mature lyrics of Jesse Lacey, she heard an IM alert interrupt the song. It was Sasuke.

"What they call love is risk

'Cause you always get hit out of nowhere

By some wave and end up on your own"

xxAvenger: hey

Kari of teh Red Sand: hey, Sasuke

It took Sasuke a couple of minutes to reply.

xxAvenger: how are you?

Kari of teh Red Sand: kinda tired, you?

xxAvenger: same.

Kari of teh Red Sand: yeah...

Kari rolled her eyes at Sasuke's nervousness. Frankly, she had become annoyed with him. This sounds bad, but she just wants him to ask her out so she can turn him down and get on with her life.

xxAvenger: do you wanna go to the movies on Friday?

Bingo. Now she just needed to be sweet about it... but in her own normally playful way.

Kari of teh Red Sand: Sasuke Uchiha, are you ask me out?

xxAvenger: Well, yeah.

Kari of teh Red Sand: Sasuke, I'm sorry, but I just don't like you in that way.

...

Kari of teh Red Sand: I don't mean to hurt you, I just hope we can still be friends. And I really mean that, because I value you as a good friend.

xxAvenger: okay.

xxAvenger has signed off

Kari frowned. She hurt him, she knew it, and she felt horrible about it. Kari spent the rest of the night listening to music and zoning out.

Taw, poor emo boy. I think I have made Sasuke more of the typical emo boy than I had planned to... But I think somewhere he does still hold his rudeness and cocky side. That will be shown in later chapters. Also, I know many of you may be wondering why this is rated M when no M material has appeared... Well, it will definitely appear in future chapters. OO YZZ-SAMA, YOU PERV!

ahem Please review.