A/N: Thank you to all of those who reviewed and alerted this story. We love you guys!
Thanks (in no particular order): SakuraUchiha14, pink-strawberries, morgy-mo-chan, Random and ShikaGal, Princess of drama, secular cladestine, Vivi-G Weasley, shinobusurai, broken neko angel, cherryheart, Rae Ahn Mae, sasusaku0129, kawaiistalosicgrl, SasuSaku Forever and Ever, and UchihaRen246, AkatsukiDEMONangel, and RamenStealer.
Previously on Teaching Me-
Mr. Uchiha quickly glanced at his watch and made a face. "Sorry Sakura, but time goes by fast. We've been talking for twenty minutes. I have a meeting I need to go to in a few minutes."
"Oh. See you tomorrow Mr. Uchiha," I said.
Looking back at me, he said,"My name is Sasuke, by the way."
Chapter Two
Sasuke.
Sasuke.
Sasuke.
I repeated that name silently in my head. I didn't dare say it aloud. There was something taboo about it. I mean, he's Mr. Uchiha, my teacher! Not Sasuke, a man whom I shouldn't get too close with.
Lying in my bed, I turned to my left side where I could see out my window. The moon was out and the stars were shining. Like always. There are some things you can't change or the consequences will be disasterous. Me having a small crush on Mr. Uchiha, well, that has disaster written all over it.
What is it about him that makes me feel nervous yet comfortable around him? Today at the library...was it really twenty minutes that passed by? Talking to him, I didn't pay attention to the time. Once her left, I couldn't even concentrate on my project anymore. I went straight home and tried to busy myself with painting.
I heard a soft knock on my door. Dad. "Come in," I said, sitting up on my bed. He opened the door and popped his head in.
"Sakura, it's late. You should go to sleep," dad said. He was still in his workclothes because he stays up until midnight sometimes, reading through evidence in his cases.
"Okay," I said, getting underneath my covers.
"Goodnight," he said.
"Goodnight dad," I said. He turned off my lights and closed the door. But I didn't sleep. I couldn't sleep. I replayed mine and Mr.Uchiha's conversation in my head. I didn't want to forget anything; from the way he looked to the way he smirked when I spoke. I can't wait to see him tomorrow in class.
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"So, do you want to go shopping today?" Hinata asked me. I had just parked my car in the school parking lot five minutes ago.
"I can't today. I have to go work at the cafe afterschool," I said, opening my locker to take out my grammer textbook.
"Oh, I forgot," Hinata said. Just like me, she is loaded with money and still has to work. Our dads both agreed that we should learn the value of a dollar. Hinata works as a part-time secretary in her dad's business. "How about tomorrow then?" she said.
"Yeah, I think I'm free tomorrow," I said as we walking in the crowded hallways.
"So, are you excited about your date with Gaara?" Hinata asked me.
"The thought of it is as exciting at getting root canal," I said sarcastically.
"Oh, it won't be that bad! I'm sure the two of you will find out you have lots of things in common," Hinata said.
"Like what?"
"Well, like...like...like the fact that the both of you are interested in the arts. He's into sports and you're into drawing," Hinata said.
"I'm only doing this for you. I have no romantic feelings towards Gaara whatsoever," I said.
"You say that now, but-."
BRRIIING!!
"See you at lunch," I said, walking towards my English class. Hinata gave me a small nod and was soon lost in the crowd of people, heading to their first class of the day.
Opening the door, I was greeted with the sight of Mr. Uchiha, his back towards me as he wrote on the blackboard. I focused on his broad shoulders, my eyes slowly trailing down. Blushing, I realized I was staring at him. And I was being so obvious. Looking around, I saw that none of my classmates noticed. They were too busy talking to each other.
I sat down in my seat at the back os the room, placing my grammer book on my desk. I took out my notebook and started to draw the outline of a figure. I tore out the piece of paper and crumbled it, realizing what I had been doing. I need a distraction, anything to stop from thinking about him.
"Hey Sakura!" Naruto said, sitting beside me. Perfect. Just the kind of distraction that I need. "Are you coming to my game today?"
"Oh Naruto, I'm sorry. But I have work today," I said, truely sorry. I never like missing any of Naruto's games because I know how much they mean to him.
"Are you sure you can't come?" he asked.
"I can't. You know how my dad is. He says I should be responsible and besides, you know I use my work money to pay for gas," I said.
"Yeah, I understand. But that just means you have to come to the next game. Even if I have to kidanp youand tie you to the stands," Naruto said. I laughed, nodding my head.
"Okay, class has started. Settle down," Mr. Uchiha said, quieting us. "Today's lesson is prepositional phrases. Please open your books to page 38."
Every hand gesture, every lip movement I memorized. The lesson itself wasn't that important, but his words intrigued me. The sound of his voice, deep and husky, fascinates me. I want to hear ir everyday, whispering my name.
Wait, this is just too crazy. I shouldn't be thinking this. But I can't help it...I can't help myself from thinking these thoughts. These impossible thoughts. I'm a smart girl, I should know better than that. Mr. Uchiha and I...that's never, ever going to happen. Never. He only sees me as his student. But why did he tell me his first name? And so casually?
There I go again. Thinking. I'm always thinking. I should stop now. Yeah, that's it. I'll jus-
Why is he so effortlessly handsome? His dark eyes look like they're devoid of emotion, but I know there's something in them. When the light catches his eyes, I can see a burning fire in them.
"...describes the positon where the object is," Mr. Uchiha said, finishing his lesson. He had written a few examples on the board. "The little girl hid in fear under her bed. Under is the preposition."
His examples are always dark and morbid. Is he like that too? One conversation isn't enough to tell how a person is. Oh, it's like the gods are out to torture me. My thoughts seem to be occupied by nothing else but him. And it's barely been three days since I've met him.
Mr. Uchiha passed out some worksheets that we had to work on. Once we were all finished, we corrected them as a class. "Very good. I'm already starting to see an improvement with this class," Mr.Uchiha said as the bell rang. "For homework, complete pages 47 through 49 on your workbooks. See you all on Monday."
I waited until everyone had left (I told Naruto to walk on without me). It was just the two of us. "Um...Mr. Uchiha?" I said, cautiously. He turned around from erasing the chalkboard to look at me.
"Sakura, shouldn't you be going to your next class? You're going to be late," he said.
"I have a question," I said.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Yesterday, at the library...why did you tell me your first name?" I asked. I made it seem like it was a big deal to me. Honestly, it is.
"Well, we were having a discussion about a great poem, as equals. Not as teacher or student. If I meet a new aqcaintance, I'd like to introduce myself to that person. It's the polite thing to do," Mr. Uchiha said.
Not as teacher or student. That sentence opened up all these impossible possibilities to me. Does he...no, he just sees me as an equal; someone to discuss great literature with. But that's a step up than him seeing me as a student. I'm something more to him now.
"Right," I said, agreeing with him. "I better go or else I'll definitely be late for Calculus II."
"Sakura, why do you always sit in the back?" Mr. Uchiha asked, truely curious. I don't blame him. I'm a smart girl. Smart people always sit in the front.
"No one pays attention to the people sitting in the back," I said. Being invisible, that's my thing. I never liked the attention my pink hair gave me (or the ridicule).
"That's not true," he said.
"But it is. If you want to get noticed, all you need to do is sit in the front where everyone can see you. No one looks towards the back of the classroom," I said.
"You have a good point there. It'd be refreshing to see a new face sitting in the front though," Mr. Uchiha said. "Now hurry along Sakura, or you're going to be late for Calculus. I'm not going to write you a note." I nodded my head lamely, walking out of his classroom into the deserted hallways.
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Watching Hinata feed Naruto sushi made me feel lonely (and quite pathetic as well). I felt like I was intruding something private, meant for two people only. Everytime they kiss in front of me, I am reminded of what I'm lacking: love. Unconditional love.
But I'm happy for Naruto and Hinata. They are perfect for each other; soulmates. They're even applying to the same colleges so they can still be together. I know what they have is no typical relationship, it's more deeper than that.
"Mm, Hinata, you're the best cook ever!" Naruto said, putting his arm around her shoulder.
"Thanks Naruto," Hinata said.
"Well, what can I say? I know how to appreciate good food when I taste it," he said. Hinata and I both laughed.
"You are going to bring the food aren't you?" I asked her.
"Yeah. We're going to have a small picnic on the beach," Hinata said. "Remind me to bring my sun block. You know how easily I burn."
"I don't know what the big deal is from getting sun burned," Naruto said, who had tanned skin. He NEVER got sun burned.
"It hurts," I said. "Your skin gets all red and it hurts to move."
"Oh," Naruto said, grabbing a sushi with his chopsticks. "It sounds awful."
"It is," Hinata said. "Oh, that reminds me. Sakura, the date is tomorrow and since you can't go shopping today, I'll just buy your swimsuit."
"Hinata, just don't buy me something, you know, revealing," I said.
"I won't. Trust me, I would never buy anything like that for you or me," she said.
"You better not. I don't want any guy looking at you," Naruto said to Hinata. "And you too Sakura. You're like a sister to me."
"Thanks Naruto," I said, taking a sip from my water bottle. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to see Gaara standing behind me.
"Sakura," he said, so only I could hear," can't wait for our date tomorrow. It'll be nice to see you in a tiny bathing suit." Then he left.
"Hinata, remind me why I agreed to this," I said, sighing.
"Why? What did Gaara say?" she asked.
"He just proved to me that he's like all the other boys: a pervert!" I exclaimed.
"I am not a pervert!" Naruto said. Several people turned to look at him, sniggering. "Well, maybe a little." I rolled my eyes.
"Naruto, I am amazed you still haven't corrupted our innocent Hinata with your dirty mind," I said.
"Can we stop talking about this?" Hinata asked, a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Okay," Naruto and I said in unison.
"Jinx!" he said, stretching his hand out. I put my hands in my pocket, taking out a five dollar bill. I handed it to him. "Alright! I'm five bucks richer!"
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The sand was hot beneath my feet. The closer I got to the ocean, the cooler the sand felt. I ran the extra feet to the water, my friends trailing behind. A small wave hit me, splashing me with salty ocean water. I laughed, the sun smiling down on me.
Gaara and Naruto were surfing more farther into the ocean where the big waves were. Hinata was swimming a few feet away from me. She was wearing a modest two-piece bathing suit that had flower designs. The bathing suit she picked out for me was cute. It's bright pink (now I really stand out) with white polka dots. The only negative thing about that is that it gives Gaara a perfect view of my chest. He couldn't keep his eyes off there! I had to cross my arms over my chest everytime he talked to me.
"Lunchtime!" Naruto called out, hungry. We all gathered by the blanket with food on top of it. It was mostly sandwiches, riceballs, fruit, and lemonade. Hinata was sitting next to Naruto, laughing about something he said. Gaara sat very close to me, making me feel uncomfortable.
"I heard you guys won the game yesterday," I said to him, trying to start a conversation.
"Yeah, we did. We smoked the other team. Eight to one," Gaara said, eating grapes. Then he looked at me and threw a grape at my face. I just stared as he laughed good-heartedly. "You were supposed to catch it with your mouth. Here, let's try it again." He threw me another grape and I opened my mouth to get it but I missed. We were both laughing. Hinata and Naruto turned to look at us, wondering what was so funny.
"Okay, this time for sure," I said. Gaara threw the grape and I caught it in my mouth, savoring the juicy taste. "Mmm. Delicious."
Gaara ran his tongue over his lips, looking at me with hunger in his eyes. I turned my head away, trying to avert his gaze. "You're shy aren't you? Or do you just not like me?" Gaara asked.
"I don't even know you that well," I answered nicely.
"You could get to know me more if you want to," he said, moving closer towards me. I lookekd at Hinata and Naruto for help.
"Hey Gaara, why don't we all play soccer? I brought my soccer ball with me," Naruto said.
"Good idea Naruto," Hinata said.
"Yeah," I said, grateful to the both of them.
"Okay. How about boys vs. girls," Gaara suggested.
"What? No, it wouldn't be fair," I said. "Both you and Naruto are on the soccer team."
"Fine, Naruto and Hinata can be on one team and you'll be with me," he said smiling. "You know, you could have just asked me if you wanted to be on my team so badly."
I mentally groaned. Gaara totally misinterpreted things. I was going to kill Hinata for this. She owes me. Big time.
We set up the game so there was only one goal (and no goalie) so whichever team got the ball inside of it would get one point. It was actually quite fun and I even made two goals. Naruto and Hinata won though.
"Oh yeah! Losers!" Naruto said, making an L with his thumb and index finger.
"Cheater! You tripped me fool," Gaara said.
"It is a game. Let's just say it was a moment of competition," he said.
"More like a moment of insanity," Gaara said. I couldn't help but laugh. I'll admit that Gaara can be funny sometimes. But he's still a pervert.
"Okay, the sun's almost setting. Should we call it a day?" Hinata said.
"C'mon Hinata. It's too early to leave. Let's just watch the sunset. Then we can pack up and leave," Naruto said.
"I second that," I said, but soon regretted it when I saw Gaara looking at me.
"How romantic Sakura," he said. "I always wanted to watch the sunset with a pretty girl." I forced a smile because he was being nice after all. But I feel kind of guilty, like I'm leading him on or something. He's not that bad of a guy. I just don't like him like that.
All four of us sat down on our towels, watching the beautiful colors in the sky, the dimming glow of the sun. The silence was serene. The clouds slowly drifted away as the sun hid behind the horizon. If only I had my sketchbook with me so I could draw the sunset. It was masterpiece beautiful.
I felt Gaara's arm around my shoulder and I didn't even bother to shake him away. Instead I closed my eyes and pretended it was someone else's arm around me. Someone with midnight hair and onxy eyes.
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Who the hell works on a Sunday? God did not intend for us to work on Sunday and yet here I am at the Chocolatte Cafe, serving a couple their order. Oh, life is cruel sometimes. And so is my boss Mr. Takahiro. He woke my peaceful sleep to call and inform me that he was one staff member short and if I could kindly come and fill in. And I was stupid enough to say yes.
Working at the cafe isn't so bad. Actually, it's kind of easy; take orders, smile politely, and bring costumers their coffee. It definitely isn't rocket science. I just really wanted to go to the new exhibit in the museum today. I am such a geek.
I was at the counter when I saw Mr. Uchiha enter. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that showed his muscular arms. He looked younger in those clothes. I followed him with my eyes. He sat down at a table for two (in my section). My heart started to beat fast. Was he waiting for someone... a date perhaps? Please no. But he's a good-looking man, of course he's going to have a girlfriend. I really am stupid for thinking he'd be single. Not with a face like that.
"Sakura, can you get that guy's order? I really need to go to the bathroom," Tenten said. She's my co-worker and we both share the same section in the cafe.
"Um...yeah. No problem," I said, getting my notepad from my apron pocket. I walked over to Mr. Uchiha with a timid smile on my face. I bet his girlfriend is smart and beautiful like a model. Her hair is probably a normal color. Not pink like mine.
"Hello Mr. Uchiha!" I said in a loud, perky voice that totally wasn't me. "What can I get you?" I asked, pen ready to write.
"Sakura, it's so nice to see you. I didn't know you worked here," he said.
"Well, my dad sort of forced me to get a job. But it's not too bad since I get to make a little extra money for me," I answered. "Anyways, I should probably be doing my job right now if I don't want to lose it. What would you like?"
"A black coffee with no sugar," Mr. Uchiha said. I wrote it down.
"You don't have much of a sweet tooth do you?" I asked.
"No, not really," he said.
"Are you waiting for someone?" I asked. Argh, I'm just abusing my tongue with unneeded words. It's none of my business if he's with someone or not. "Um... nevermind, I shou-."
"It's okay, I don't mind. To answer your question, no I'm not waiting for someone. I just like to enjoy a good cup of coffee and this cafe is one of my favorites. You must find it weird that I'm here all by myself," he said. "A lot of people do."
"Well, I don't. People should do a lot more things by themselves. They might actually learn something new about themselves that they didn't know before," I said.
"My thought exactly," Mr. Uchiha said, a smirk playing on his face. I blushed, trying to hide it with my hands oh-so casually.
"I should get your coffee now. I'll be right back," I said, walking back to the counter.
So he's here by himself. Good. But I still don't know if he's single or not. I shouldn't even be worrying about this. It's useless.
I got Mr. Uchiha his coffee and walked over to his table. "Here you go. I'd ask if you'd want any cake or pie, but something tells me you don't want any. I'll bring your check later," I said.
"Thanks," he said, grabbing the huge mug and smelling the coffee's strong aroma. I was going to say something witty but Mr. Takahiro was giving me the eye. That meant I had to go and clean some tables. I went to the back of the counter and grabbed a rag. I cleared a few tables and handed dirty plates to other workers to wash. I was so busy that I didn't have time to watch Mr. Uchiha. When I did, I saw that he was reading a book. He was really engrossed in it.
"Who are you looking at?" Tenten asked, trying to follow my gaze. "Oh. He's cute. Do you think he's a sophmore in college, like me?"
"He's my English teacher," I said, watching as Mr. Uchiha turned a page. Every now and them he'd stop to take a sip from his coffee.
"He's your teacher? No way! How old is he?" Tenten asked, surprised.
"That I don't know. And it's really bugging me," I confessed.
"He's obviously in his twenties, that's for sure. But why is he a teacher? With those looks he could be a model," she said. I silently agreed with her.
"Oh, I almost forgot. I have to bring him his check," I said, walking over to Mr. Uchiha.
"Ah, Sakura. Have you read this book?" he asked, pointing to the cover. One Hundred Years of Solitude it read. I shook my head.
"No, I haven't."
"Well, I recommend that you read it. It's a marvelous book and the story, I don't want to give it away, but it's exceptionally written. The characters breathe life into the story," he said.
"Okay. If it's as good as you say, I'll go to the bookstore after work and buy it," I said, memorizing the title in my head.
"My opinion counts that much, huh?" he asked.
"Yes," I said, confident in my response. He leaned back in his chair to look up at me.
"Your hair...," he said.
"What?" I said, touching it. Did I have something in my hair? How embarrassing.
"Is it naturally pink?" he asked. I blinked at the bluntness of his question. Then I laughed because he's probably been wondering that since the day he met me. Mr. Uchiha crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at me. I stopped laughing and collected myself.
"Yes, my hair is naturally pink," I said. "It's an unusual color, I know."
"Unusual, yes. But unique as well," he said. Then he looked at his check and took out his wallet. He gave me a ten.
"I'll just giv-."
"You can keep the change for being a good server," Mr. Uchiha said, standing up to leave.
"Thanks," I said, smiling.
"Goodbye Sakura, see you tomorrow," he said, holding his book at his side.
"You too Mr. Uchiha," I said, waving a small goodbye. Once he walked out the door I went back to the counter with Tenten.
"Ohmygod Sakura! Girl, he was totally checking you out. I was surprised your butt didn't fall off from the way he was staring at you. That's some teacher you have," Tenten said.
"Tenten, stop exaggerating," I said. "He wasn't looking at me like that." Or was he? Does he find me appealing? Sasuke...he didn't look like a teacher today, but like someone I can see myself with. Does he want to be with me just as much as I want to be with him? Am I just dreaming a hopeless dream?
"But he was. Look, I know these kind of things," Tenten said, interrupting my thoughts. "What were you two talking about anyways?" she asked.
"A book," I answered. "He's actually an interesting person to discuss things with. And he listens to me, to what I have to say."
"I'd be careful if I were you," Tenten said, grabbing a cookie from the tray and eating it.
"Why?" I asked. She sighed.
"Sakura, just trust me on these kind of things. You're so young and I don't think you've ever been in love before," she said. "You have this idea of what love is, but it's not that great."
"Since when did you become such a pessimist?" I asked her. She laughed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to come off like that. But I might be wrong. Maybe your teacher didn't look at you like that. But he did look at you," Tenten said.
But he did look at you.
He looked at me. I'm not invisible to him. I felt a smile forming on my lips. Everyday I feel like we're closer to being something. Something...undescribable.
-------------------------End of Chapter Two---------------------------
A/N: This chapter turned out totally different than how we planned, but we think the final version turned out great.
The book that Sasuke mentioned One Hundred Years of Solitude is a real book. The author is Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It was traditionally in Spanish, but it's been translated to English.
PLEASE REVIEW!! NO FLAMES!!
We will try to update A.S.A.P. Love ya'll!!
DarkAngelz99