An Early Christmas present for those Sasusakuita shippers. Merry Christmas!

Chapter 2

"Get together with your partners until it's time for dismissal, and tomorrow you'll get your poems that you'll be assigned to work with a partner and next week, before the break, you'll each receive the play script," Jiraiya declared. "Now do whatever you need to do now," he said and he snickered as he hopped to his computer and started working on his new book for Icha Icha Paradise.

This is so not fair! Karin in my group and Sasuke-kun in Twelfth Night, how worse can things get? Oh and not to mention about straining yourself in deciding whether risking to perform this in front of the whole school or just get a bad grade. Great, Sakura, you're life is perfect.

"Hey guys," I said, straining from my awkward smile, don't get me wrong, I tried my best to muster this smile!

"It's not fair! I don't want to be Elaine! You should be Elaine! We all know you'll commit suicide if Sasuke dumped you!" she said pointedly to me. "And if I would do such a thing, why am I still alive right now?"

Everybody ignored her, Kiba said. "Pity me for being Lancelot who's stuck between women,"

"Troublesome is what Shikamaru would say," I added.

"Hn," Neji added too, as though he have nothing to say in this conversation.

"So... Uchiha is in Hinata's play, huh?" Kiba said, intriguing. I always know he has a weak spot for her. But too bad, Hinata only has her eyes set on Naruto's. Baka, he's Sir Toby in Twelfth Night, score points for Hinata then. Poor Kiba, I can sense the hurt in his eyes.

"Are you going to sign up for Jiraiya-'sensei's' play for extra curricular?" Kiba strained himself to add sensei after Jiraiya. "The class play and the extra curricular play will be 2 that will be performed at the school assembly right?"

"I'm thinking about signing up for it... though I don't want to perform it at the assembly," I said, truthfully.

"There's no way you're going to get the part, Suck-kura," there goes Karin. "You know why? Cos I'm going to sign up for it too!"

"Oh yeah?! Let's see who's going to get the part!" I challenged.

"Hn," Neji did that again, breaking the feud between me and Karin. I hate it when Karin calls me that! And I hate it when Neji does that! It doesn't sound right from him; Hn belongs to Sasuke-kun! He is the rightful owner of that word! To me that is.

The school day was long gone, peacefully... Ugh. Neji and TenTen making me feel lonely again. I wish Sasuke-kun was here right now.

Oh my gosh, is that him?! Did I just saw Sasuke-kun leaning by the gate? Waiting for me? No, no, I mustn't be that obsessed to be hallucinating.

Oh my, he's waving at me! Am I just imagining this all? This is really embarrassing, is he even real? Must check...

I ran towards the gate and with an awkward face struck upon my face, rubbed his arm. "Oh, so you are real," I smiled.

"What are you talking about, Sakura?" he asked, looking at me as if I'm insane.

"Nothing, just making sure," I paused then frowned.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing,"

"Good," his smile scraped across his face by now. "I would like to invite you to... um, dinner to introduce you to my brother,"

"Really?" I exclaimed, jumping up and down. "For real?!"

"Yeah, for real," his smile turned awkward. "I should really try and get used to this weird act of yours," he tried to joke. He really doesn't have a great sense of humour, does he?

"Anyway, Sasuke-kun, I must tell you the bad news," my frown deepens.

"What happened? Did someone bully you?" he asked a voice with a mixture of concern and anger.

"No, it's the play... you're in 'Twelfth Night' and I'm in 'The Arthurian Legend'..."

"What's wrong with that?"

"We're not in the same play! I mean, when we're practicing and all... we're not together,"

"Baka," he called me idiot?! "That doesn't matter... what could possibly happen?"

Jealousy over the Hyuuga and his girl could happen! While they're getting all lovey dovey, I'm all alone, thinking about Sasuke-kun all by myself!

"Sakura?" he called, when he noticed my mind's absence. "I'll give you a ride back home,"

"Thanks Sasuke-kun,"

I have to write down the event... ^^ YIPPEE!!!

I fished for my sidekick and select the calendar and mark down for appointment on December 2, the day I'm meeting Sasuke-kun's big brother! Boy, I'm so excited.

The next day arrived, and I barely have any sleep and I have bags under my eyes! Holy crap! I look horrible! Must get rid of them! I can't help but think about the fun that's going fill my winter break! I'll ask Sasuke-kun to go to Tayuya's musicale with me. That'd be super fun! And think about getting introduced to Sasuke-kun's big brother!

"Sakura!" I heard my name from downstairs. "You're going to be late for school,"

HOLY CRAP! I only have 30 more minutes!

I quickly shrugged myself in my school uniform and grabbed my messenger bag and dashed out of the room and into the kitchen to grab a spring roll and messed the fridge for a small carton of strawberry milk.

I am so doomed! I need a ride... and I told Ino-pig I don't need a ride for today! Stupid me! I have to get public transportation? Hell no! I'll just get a cab, I hate my life.

"Morning," oh wait, aha! My homeroom teacher is Kakashi-sensei! Perfect! He's not even here yet! "Yippee!!!!" I exclaimed solemnly and the heads in the classroom turned to me.

"What the..." Temari managed to say.

"Nothing... nothing, absolutely nothing," I gave awkward smiles as I approach to my seat next to... huh? Where's Sasuke-kun?

"Ino-pig," I called. She glared at me for the name.

"What is it? Billboard brows?" she retorted, sounding innocently scary.

"Sasuke-kun's still absent?"

"I guess so, he hasn't been seen yet," she stopped and said. "I thought you're his girlfriend, why are you asking me? Didn't he tell you he won't be here?"

"No," I screeched, and then cleared my throat to resume my normal voice. "No,"

"Well, whatever," she said nonchalantly.

Then Karin came over, "Hey Suckura," she greeted, if that's what you call a greeting. "There's a 'screw-homework' party... I guess nerd like you won't come and all, but don't wanna be rude so here's an invitation... for you too, Pig," she threw the card down like dropping money for a beggar. How dare she?!

"Excuse me?" Ino snorted.

I cracked my knuckles and prepared myself to take action, but Kakashi-sensei entered the classroom. "Morning class, I was..." before he could complete his excuse which is obviously a lie, a valiant loudmouth interrupted abruptly. "LIAR!"

"Hehheh... let me complete my sentence," he scratched his head anime style. "There have been technical difficulties so I'm in a staff meeting, you guys will have to arrange rides back home promptly at 12:00.

"Lunch at the pizza stand?" Ino asked and I nodded. "I'll try and call Sasuke-kun too,"

"Leave him alone," she snapped. "I mean, we're going to go shopping after that, k?"

"O...k," I mouthed and I believe I look weird.

The school day passed by and me and Ino headed for the pizza stand and ordered a vege pizza, diet coke and 2 plates of salad. Ino's idea, hmmph.

She came back with the drinks and flop down on her seat. "So you going to the screw homework party?"

"Of course not, obviously," I paused, knowing her too well. "I have many reasons why I'm not going," I stated. "1, I hate Karin. 2, I am a studious student who loves homework," I managed to add. "Believe it or not," and continued to state my facts. "Sasuke-kun wouldn't approve of me going to such parties where people play games that he despise of,"

"Whatever," she said as she sipped her drink that tasted almost like water. "I'm not missing any party," truth told.

We finished our lunch, if this is what you called lunch... and headed for the nearest mall.

I spotted a book store and knowing Ino too well, I decided to uncling our linked arms. "I'll meet you back at the fountains in 30 minutes,"

"Bookstore, I guess?" she said after looking around the surrounding. "See ya,"

I ran into the store and started fishing books after book and finally found the one that I might like, Atherton The House of Power. As I reached for the book, another hand was reaching for it too. And both our hands touched and sparks flew through my body by a single touch.

"I'm sorry," I said and quickly grabbed for the book.

"If you're sorry, let me have the book," oh my, how rude!

"Excuse me?" I said, sounding like Ino. "I saw this book first and I'm getting it," I moved the book further away from him and walk to the counter.

Defeated by my words he backed away and reached for a... wait, for a comic?! WTF...

"Some girls never know when to quit, do they?" he muttered as he left after paying for his. How come he is faster than me?

"He is so hot," one of the ladies from the shop said.

"Totally," another one added.

"He's nothing compared to my boyfriend," I boasted as I left. What's so hot about that guy anyway? All I see is... he looks a lot like Sasuke if you take a closer look at him. Could he be Sasuke-kun's brother? It can't be, he'd have more manners than that guy!

I ran to the fountains and waited there, for Ino-pig. How troublesome –grunt-

Ino-bachan... I know, I'm early... I'm already at the fountains, where are you? Shall I come? _S

I waited for her reply.

Sakura-hog, I'll come to you, I'm just getting a latte _I

What the... a latte without me?! I'll show her! I'm going to get a scoop and make her wait and wait for her txt msg in looking for me!

I entered the nearest ice cream place and asked for a scoop of bubblegum with blueberry. Yummy.

Then that guy appeared again. "Blackforest," he ordered as he sat.

He looked around the place and spotted me and smirked. I shifted my gaze from him and quickly shoved in spoons of frozen solid ice cream when it was passed out. Then suddenly, my headache from the cause of eating sheer cold ice cream! I dropped the spoon and it fell on to the linoleum floor of the shop.

I could feel his pair of eyes on me, worried maybe? Then later turned into a smirk according to my instincts.

The headache passed by and I slowly finished the ice cream spoon by spoon and left the place, mustering the deathliest glare I could manage and sent the glare towards him.

She returned back to her original pose, Ino was still no where to be found. After 5 minutes' wait, Ino came back, more like flounce back with her many shopping bags dangling from both sides, shouting. "Sakura! Guess what happened!"

"Ooh how exciting, what happened?" I replied, sarcasm dripping off.

"I found someone to my likings," she said. Wait, what?

"Really, who?" my activity came back to me. Hooray!

"I don't know... he looks familiar and all... I met him at Madame Z's fortune reading or something... you know there's something in the middle, do you think he works there?"

"I guess so... maybe TenTen will know him since she works there too... for part time, you know,"

"How did you know so much?" she wanted to know.

"Is that even a question?" I retorted, proudly.

"Hey Saki, let's go to a beauty spa, I need a head massage to lessen stress from school," Ino pleaded in a bribery voice.

"Fine... I really need new finger manicure too," I said, looking at my carefully polished fingernails.

"Fine, let's go!" she jumped, causing attention to us. I gave them back awkward smiles according to the situation and said, "She's a bit crazy," and stuff.

We arrived at the beauty spa. "I want a head massage... and Sakura wants the usual, right Sakura?" Ino asked and I nodded with a beatific smile.

I was taken to the feet cleansing room... after half an hour past, they finished scrubbing and offered me to choose a colour and a design for my nails. As I look around the room, I saw a familiar face. He seems to be sleeping but I recognize him immediately.

His feet cleansing was done and prepared to get up, my nails were done, too. So I ran behind him and forced him to spin around to face me. "Are you a stalker?" he laughed, sleepily. "Are you following me?" it has to be. There are no coincidences like this! Or did Ino plan it?

"Give me one reason why I should?"

"For my father's business and you people want to kidnap me for ransom," I panicked.

"I have no intention for whatever your father does,"

"So... you don't know me?"

"You're a new face to me,"

"You're done?!" it sounds like Sasuke-kun's voice. Ooh, he came to pick me up? How sweet. "Yes, I'm done," I replied back, spinning gracefully back to face him.

"Sakura? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at school?" so he didn't came to pick me up?

"Oh, Sakura, say hi to my brother," he gestured to the rude man beside me. Wait, what?!

End of Chapter 2

Ooh a cliffie! Cya!