A/N: Here's the next chapter!
Previously on Teaching Me-
My thoughts drifted to many things. Mr. Uchiha in particular. Another week has gone by and I'm still excited everytime I see him. This isn't normal. I'm not even trying to fight my feelings. You know why? I'm falling in love with Mr. Uchiha and I'm not going to hold back. This sounds crazy...but, I think he might like me too. I'm not stupid. I can sense it. He's just trying to fight it, but it's not working. He may be scared to make the first move, but I'm ready. I want him to know that.
Chapter Four
Call me delusional. Call me crazy. Just don't call me stupid for what I'm going to do next.
It's quiet afterschool, save for the few people who are still here, which includes me. Right now I'm walking towards Mr. Uchiha's classroom. Hopefully he's still here, unlike the last couple days. He's not trying to avoid me, is he? No, he can't be because he went to the cafe yesterday and we talked. For being handsome, his mind is what really attracts me. I can talk to him and not feel like I have to dumb myself down (or use elementary vocabulary). I can be just me.
When I get to Mr. Uchiha's door, I knock on it urgently. Not because I'm in ahy hurry, no, it's because I'm nervous. My thoughts are debating with one another; how shall I start it off? I haven't practiced for anything like this. Calling it a confession seems so dumb, yet, that's exactly what I'll be doing.
A few seconds later I'm greeted with Mr. Uchiha's surprised face; surprised to see me standing outside his classroom. "Sakura...what are you doing here?" he said slowly.
"Umm...I-I..." What a horrible time to suddenly become speechless. "How are you?" I asked, going for the simple approach.
"I'm fine," Mr. Uchiha said.
"Good. Th-That's good," I said. He looked kind of uneasy.
"Sakura," he said, looking down at the floor. There wasn't anything interesting about the clean tiles, but I think he was trying to avoid eye contact with me. "I think it's best if you go home. I have a conference with a parent concerning his son's grades in five minutes." My heart sank.
"Oh, of course," I said, nodding my head. Did he just make up this excuse? He looked up. "I'm sorry for disturbing you," I said quietly.
"You weren't dis-."
"It's ok. I'll just leave. I have tons of homework anyway," I said, turning around and running. I think I heard Mr. Uchiha yell my name, but I'm not sure. I wasn't going to stop.
This was going to be harder than I thought.
--
"Romeo and Juliet. A tragic love story and one of William Shakespeare's well-known plays," Mr. Uchiha said the next day in class. He was passing out an abridged version of the origianl copy.
"Mr. Uchiha, not to diss you or anything, but, a love story? I thought you had better taste," Naruto said. Other guys in the class agreed with him.
"It's not just a love story Naruto. There's drama, conflict, and death," Mr. Uchiha said.
"Really? Okay, I guess I'll give it a try," Naruto said, opening the pamphlet. "Everything's like in Old English."
"Well, Shakespeare was alive during the 1500's," I told him. "People talked different back then."
"Okay class, let's have a little discussion before we start reading," Mr. Uchiha said. "As you all know, Romeo and Juliet both die because they thought their love was more important than their family's hate. Do you think boyfriends or girlfriends are more important than family?" And that question launched a heated discussion.
Mr. Uchiha kept asking us questions about love, but there was a particular one that caught my interest. "Should you date someone your own age?"
"Well, if they're like a few years older than you, then yeah," one girl said, "I guess it would be okay."
"But if there's like a HUGE age difference, it would be kinda gross," a guy sitting behind me said.
"I don't think it matters how old you are because love isn't a number," I spoke up, looking directly at Mr. Uchiha. "When you truly love someone, you see them for who they are, not their age."
"What if the person you love is, like, forty years old? That'd be weird," Ino said.
"It'd be like dating your dad or something," someone said.
"If you loved them, then it wouldn't matter," I said, frustrated that they couldn't understand.
"I agree with Sakura," Naruto said, saving me.
Mr. Uchiha stayed silent, taking everything in. He seemed to be in serious thought. Damn, I wish I could read his mind. "I think that's enough. Let's begin with Act 1, Scene 1," he said. Then he assigned us roles. I was Lady Montague.
I wasn't even paying attention to my lines (I only had a few). I was studying Mr. Uchiha with my eyes. As long as he wasn't noticing, I could keep watching him secretly. The more I looked at his perfect physique, I felt like picking up a pencil and drawing him.
I wonder what he thought about today's discussion. Does he agree with me?
The bell rang and Mr. Uchiha announced there was no homework tonight. He looked at me quickly, pleading with his eyes. He pleaded for me to leave to my next class; to not linger in his classroom far more than necessary.
"Sakura, c'mon," Naruto said.
"I'm coming," I said after looking at Mr. Uchiha again. He seemed almost regretful.
"What's with the long face?" Naruto asked me. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," I said. "I think I'm just tired."
"Are you getting enough sleep?"
"Same as always."
"Well, don't worry about it. It's probably because of all the extra credit you do Ms. A+ genius," Naruto said. "See you at lunch." Then he walked in the direction of his next class and I went to Calculus.
At lunchtime I sat with Naruto and Hinata as usual. Although today there was an extra addition to our table: Gaara. "Hey guys. Do you mind if I sit with you for today?" he said, a big smile on his face, obviously meant for me. I smiled back politely as Hinata said no, we wouldn't mind. He plopped down next to me and I saw how heavy his tray was with food. Does everyone in the soccer team eat a lot?
"Sakura, you look very pretty today," Gaara said, chewing his greasy slice of pizza with his mouth open. I could see EVERYTHING.
"Um, thanks," I said, looking at my lap.
"So...Gaara, what brings you to our table today?" Hinata asked, frowning at his bad habit. At least Naruto closed his mouth when he chewed (most of the times).
"I wanted to sit next to my girlfriend," he replied. If I had been sipping my water, I probably would have spit it out. Instead, there was an uncomfortable silence. Naruto broke it.
"Well, buddy, she's not at this table," he said.
"Sakura's my girlfriend," Gaara said. Since when did one date signify that I was his girlfriend? It was just one date!
"Gaara...uh...I'm not your girlfriend," I said, stressing on the word not. And maybe Hinata's right that I'm too nice because I felt sad for him. "I'm sorry if I made you think that I was, but I don't see you in that way. You're a great guy and I'm sure there are a lot of girls out there who are-."
"You can stop talking now, Sakura," he said. He didn't seem to be upset...he kind of looked mad. "I thought you liked me, but obviously I was wrong. And that's okay because I can easily find another girl who does like me." Then he got up, grabbed his tray, and stormed off to sit next to his jock friends.
"What a jerk!" Hinata said.
"Hinata, cover your ears because I'm about to say some words that weren't meant to be in the bible," Naruto said. Hinata awkwardly placed her hands on her ears as Naruto swore like a pirate, maybe even worse. My cheeks blushed as I heard his colorful language. Once he was done, he removed Hinata's hands from her ears.
"Sakura, you can do waaay better than Gaara. He may be my friend, but he can be a jerk as well," Naruto said.
"It's fine. Gaara was a jerk, but I shouldn't have lead him on," I said. "I just didn't think he's say I was his girlfriend. That took me by surprise."
"Soo...," Hinata said.
"Boys are stupid," I said. But men, real men like Mr. Uchiha, are intellectual and so much more mature.
--
It's Thursday, one of the most uninteresting days of the week. No, scratch that. The most uninteresting day of the week. Seriously, why do we even have a Thursday? Hmmm...?
English class ends and everyone leaves. Naruto is absent. I decide to talk to Mr. Uchiha. "Hi," I said, at least two feet between us. Space, maybe that's what he needs. Maybe I've been standing too close to his personal bubble and he's been feeling uncomfortable.
"Hi," he said, putting the chalk eraser down to face me from cleaning the board. Okay, so he's at ease now. And so am I. "I can tell you didn't like today's reading," he said.
"Shakespeare's language is confusing," I admit. "If I don't understand something right away, I get so frustrated."
"With yourself?"
"Well, yeah," I said. "Being smart is like the only thing I'm known for, so I have to be good at being smart. It's stupid, I know."
"You like to draw," Mr. Uchiha pointed out. I just stared at him. "You think I didn't notcie? I see you always drawing in your notebook."
"Hehe," I said, embarrassed a bit. "I'm no Picasso, but I have talent. Would you like to see some of my sketches?" Oh yeah, I'm definitely not holding back.
"Sure, but not now Ms.Tardy. I don't want you to be late for your next class," he said, a smile tugging at he corners of his mouth. Already there were a few people shuffling into his room for their class.
"Ok," I said, waving goodbye. My mind was floating in a thick cloud that no on could penetrate through. I was in a long daze for the rest of the day, imagining the possibilities of him and I. We would sleep and wake up in each other's arms, knowing what we had took away the pain of lonliness. My sense of touch failed me. Everything felt so cold to me and only being in Mr. Uchiha's embrace could warm me up.
Damn, what is he doing to me? He's not even here and yet his prescence is with me. I've escaped and gone to a place where he and I are a reality.
I didn't even notice Hinata was talking to me until she waved a hand in front of my face. That snapped me back to Earth. "Huh?" I said unintelligentally. I was so out of it.
"Sakura? You back yet?" Hinata asked, giggling to herself.
"Yeah, I'm back," I answered. "So what were you saying?"
"Do you want to come to Naruto's house with me? I'm going to bring him hpt soup and juice. You can bring the crackers," she said. "Poor Naruto. He hates being sick."
"He hates anything that forces him to stay put in bed," I said. "He's probably squirming right now, but his mom won't let him get up."
"I can see it now," Hinata said, picturing it. She closed her locker and grabbed her school bag from the floor. "So, be there by five, k?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Don't forget the crackers."
"I won't. See ya later."
"You too. Bye!" Then she left in the direction of the parking lot. I took out my sketchbook from my locker and headed towards Mr. Uchiha's classroom. I skimmed through the pages as I walked. They were mostly full of scenery from where I traveled; important buildings, historical sites, beaches, etc. There were people too (mostly the contours of their figure) and a few animals on some pages. Hopefully he would be impressed with all this.
His door was slighly open, like is he was expecting me. At least it wasn't closed. I walked in, totally forgetting to knock. I catch Mr. Uchiha totally off-guard; he's sitting on his chair, his feet propped on top of his deck and he's reading a horror book by the look of the cover. He sees me enter and immediately composed himself. His feet are on the ground now.
"Sorry, I should have knocked first," I said, my sketchbook clutched tightly against my chest.
"No need to apologize. I was wrapped up in the book and you kind of frightened me a bit," he said, brushing a hand through his dark hair. I noticed how the lights reflected off it.
"What's the book about?" I asked.
"Blood-sucking vampires," he said in his best Dracula voice. I laughed. He's too adorable. "You weren't suppose to laugh. I was trying to be scary. You should have wailed your head off and ran away in fear. " I just laughed even more.
"You would make a very bad vampire," I said when I was done laughing.
"No shit," he said. Did Mr. Uchiha just say shit?
"Well, here's the sketchbook I wanted you to see," I said, handing it to him. He opened it up and observed each page. He paced around his classroom quietly. He flipped another page. I bit my bottom lip nervously, waiting for his remark. Good? Bad? Horrible?
"These are really good," Mr. Uchiha said, still looking at my book. "I'm super impressed. I had no idea you could draw like this. They almost look professional. You have a good eye for detail, it's incredible."
"Thank you," I said, smiling brightly.
"Have you been to these places?" he asked, looking up at me now.
"Yes. All of them. My dad and I like to travel a lot," I replied.
"What about your mom?" he asked.
"She's...She can't travel," I lied.
"Oh," he said, not asking any more questions.
I thought I was able to tell him about my mom, but I just realized how hard it actually is. You have to be able to trust someone completely to tell them something that big, and I hardly know anything about Mr. Uchiha. I don't even know how old he is.
"These drawings are beautiful," he said, closing my sketchbook.
"I'm glad you like them," I said as he returned my book to me.
"You should submit some of your drawings to an art contest. What are you going to major in college?" he asked.
"Pre-med," I answered. "I want to become a doctor and find cures for different kinds of cancers."
"A doctor, really?" He sounded surprised.
"Yeah," I said. "I'm actually really interested in medicine and the human anotomy. Plus, I get a great kick out of helping people."
"And to think I'm teaching a future Nobel Peace winner," Mr. Uchiha said, smiling. I smiled as well, although I don't know about that really happening. It'd be cool if I did win. "Wow, medical school. That's eight years of studying, you know?"
"Yeah." I nodded my head. "But it'll be worth it." I don't want any other girl or boy to lose a parent to cancer. I must've looked sad because Mr. Uchiha looked concerned.
"Sakura, is there something wrong?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"No, I'm fine," I said. "I just want to tell you something. I was thinking...maybe we could get a cup of coffee or something and just talk, about anything."
"Sakura...I'd love to. It's just-." He stopped. His eyes are suddenly sad. Has something happened? Is it something I've done? No. It's something he wants to do. I can see it. Something he wants to do so badly, it's eating him up inside. But he's holding back. He's resisting from taking that step and climbing. And I need to let him know that I'm here to help him climb. He has to feel it. Has to see that I'm ready; I'm mature enough, smart enough. I need to give him a sign, something to let him know.
"It's alright," I said, smiling. "Whatever you want to do, it's okay with me." If you need time, I'll give it to you. I'll give you all the time in the world.
"Yeah. Sure. It's just- I don't know," Mr. Uchiha said. "Maybe we could do that sometime. Thanks for asking."
"You're welcome," I said politely. "I should probably get going. I have to go visit Naruto. He's sick, so, my friends and I have like this tradition of bringing the sick person soup and crackers to make them feel better."
"And what are you bringing?"
"The crackers. Hinata, she's in one of your other classes, is bringing the juice and soup."
"Naruto's a lucky guy to have friends like you two."
"Well, he sure makes our lives much more interesting."
--
I'm obsessing. I'm like a fever; contagious. I think too much, or maybe not enough. Is my brain even functioning right? I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. But I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of Mr. Uchiha in the other aisle.
"Sakura, what else is on the list?" my dad asked, pushing the cart. It's Sunday and we're out grocery shopping. With his glasses on, dad looks much older.
Maybe it was just a figment of my imagination.
"Milk. The fat-free kind," I read from the paper I have in my hands. He pushed the cart along, careful not to get in the way of other shoppers. If I haven't mentioned it before, my dad is a tall man. He towers over people. His height is one of the few genes I inherited from him. I'm a staggering 5"9.
My dad was going to turn a corner when he bumped into someone. Our cart hit the other person's cart in a loud bang. My dad almost fell backwards from the impact.
"I'm sorry," a familiar voice said. Mr. Uchiha! So I wasn't imagining him.
"No, no, my apologies," my dad said. My heartbeat sped up. I never thought what would happen when my dad and Mr. Uchiha would meet each other. And why am I trying to hide behind my dad? I'm sure Mr. Uchiha already saw me, so wha-
"Sakura? What are you doing back there? I thought I saw pink hair," Mr. Uchiha said.
"You two know each other?" dad asked, slightly confused.
"Yeah, he's my English teacher," I managed to say.
"Sasuke Uchiha. It's a pleasure to meet you sir," he said, shaking hands with my father.
"Takashi Haruno," dad said. "Well, it's a small world indeed. I just find it amazing when I bump into people that I haven't seen in a while of haven't seen at all, but heard of. In this case, I quite literally bumped into you."
Oh God! Make this end! This is horrible! Why does my dad have to be so damn embarrassing? And why did I choose today to wear shorts? I don't care what people say, I hate my legs.
"Uchiha...hmm...you know, that name sounds familiar," my dad said, pondering. I chose that time to sneak a peek into Sasuke's cart. He had eggs, bread, a liter of Coca-Cola, cheese, barbeque chips, and (oddly) tomatoes. Lots of tomatoes.
"I don't know why, it's not a common name," Mr. Uchiha said, paling. He fidgeted with his hands, stuffing them in his pockets in the end.
"Are you okay?" I asked, worried. "Mr. Uchiha?"
"Yes. I'm okay," he said. "It's a bit stuffy in here, that's all.
"That's what I told Sakura. They should really turn the AC up," dad said. I think he likes Mr. Uchiha, or at least finds him agreeable. Maybe this is good.
"Excuse me, " an old lady said to my dad. He was blocking her way to get to the aisle. My dad quickly moved, standing almost side by side to Mr. Uchiha. Seeing them that close together, I noticed that Mr. Uchiha was about two inches shorter than my dad, making him at least 6"1.
I should stop thinking about height, but anything that concerns Mr. Uchiha interests me. Like the fact that he's wearing a very form-fitting t-shirt that showcases his amazing biceps and lean waist. It should be a crime for English teachers to be that hot. Look what they do to girls like me. I've basically lost my sanity and rationality.
"Are you shopping alone?" I asked. See? No rationality at all.
"Yes. I seem to be doing things alone quite often, don't I?" Mr. Uchiha said with a small smirk. Then he addressed my father. "Mr. Haruno, I'm sorry to say that I'm a dull person. I can never understand why someone like Sakura would find my class interesting. She's a great student, though. Very focused."
I hate this. He's acting like a teacher. Reality check: he is.
"Well, she's always been focused. Personally, I think it's a gift. Not that many people her age are as focused as she is," dad said. 'Hello!' I feel like screaming. I'm right here. Stop talking about me like I'm not here!
"Ummm...," I said. They both looked at me. "Can we not talk about me...in front of me?" My cheeks are burning. I don't like being the center of someone's conversation. And although I am a focused person, I don't like the focus to actually be on me. Blending in, I'm good at doing that.
"Sure, sweetie. We didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," dad said.
"I still have some more shopping to do, but it was nice meeting you," Mr. Uchiha said, shaking hands with my dad again. "Goodbye Sakura. I'll see you tomorrow." He shook my hand and I desperately hoped he wouldn't let go. But he did. And he left. I could still feel the warmth of his touch on my palm and that was enough.
"What a nice man," dad said, pushing our cart along. We still had to get the milk. "He's very polite and he seems smart. Charming too. I can see why you enjoy his class."
"Dad," I said. Something has been bugging me. "Why does his last name sound so familiar to you?"
"I don't know. I think I've heard it before, but I can't remember where," he said. Then he shrugged. "But let's not worry about that right now."
I can't wait for tomorrow.
--
"Good morning class. I assume you all had wonderful weekends," Mr. Uchiha said on Monday. People mumbled their yeah's and no's, having side conversations with their friends.
"Sakura, my weekend was just plain bad. You know why?" Naruto said.
"Let me guess...you were sick," I said. "Duh! I knew that. I visited you, didn't I?"
"Yeah, but that's not it. I got-."
"Ahem, ahem," Mr. Uchiha said, bringing our attention back to him. "Lately, we've been neglecting our grammer. So, turn to page 56 and do exercises two and three."
While we worked, we socialized. "Naruto, you got what?" I asked.
"Grounded," he answered.
"For what?"
"Well, I sorta borrowed 50 from my dad for gas," Naruto said.
"Sorta borrowed? Wait...you stole 50 from your dad?" I said.
"I didn't steal it! I just borrowed it without asking him," he said as I rolled my eyes.
"You deserve to be grounded," I said. "But, I thought you had money for gas?"
"I did. But I wasted it all-."
"-on a videogame," I finished for him. "Typical."
"Wrong. I wasted it on a date with Hinata," Naruto said.
"Oh," I said, feeling stupid. Of course. A date. I wonder how great a date would be if I went out with a guy I actually like. Too bad hot English teachers are off-limits. Speaking of...
Mr. Uchiha looks especially good-looking today. Hmm...something's different about him, a good different. He got a haircut. It's a bit shorter than before, but still considerably long. And...he's staring at me. Well, not anymore. He looked away at the last second. But I caught him. I caught him staring at me. Does he find me attractive? What does that even mean from a guy like him? He's my teacher, but he's rapidly becoming something more to me than just a teacher. A friend and possibly...a lover?
During the rest of the class, I stole glances at him, trying to catch his gaze again. My eyes followed everything he did like it was an important moment in time. The bell rang and I didn't even notice until I heard the zippings of backpacks. I started to pack up as well, deciding I'd go straight to my next class and not stay to talk to Mr. Uchiha. There'd be enough time for that later. I had it all planned out. Just now, in class, my confidence boosted up. Now all I had to do was wait.
Classes draggen on forever, or so it seemed. To me, at least. My heart was beating fast because I was nervous...and anxious. This was it. All I had to do was knock on his door (like right now) and jump into his arms, all the while telling him how I feel. Then...well, I don't know what he'll say.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
This stupid door is like a barrier. I have to go through it, but not if'it's closed. He has to open it.
I gulped, my hand ready to knock on the wooden door. Before I could, Mr.Uchiha opened it, obviously leaving.
"Hello Sakura," he said with a small smile. He wasn't so surprised to see me because I think he knew. He's not dumb.
"Hello," I said. "Can we talk...in there?" I asked, pointing inside to his empty classroom. He looked back and then at me again.
"Sure," he said, motioning with his hand for me to come in. I entered. I stared up into his dark, onyx eyes and did the only thing I longed to do for so long. Without hesitation I kissed him. I kissed my teacher, Mr. Uchiha.
--End of Chapter Four--
A/N: Yeah, so it's not much of a cliffy, but it is suspenseful. You'll have to wait for the next chapter (and who knows how long that could take) to find out what happens.
XOXO- Gossip Girl (JK!) Wits and the Ditz