Chp. 2: The First Day

Hinata was astounded. No, astounded wasn't the right word. She was overwhelmed.

When she came to Konoha High that morning, she expected to make no friends, get to all her classes late (if at all) and likewise make herself look like a complete and utter moron in front of the entire student body.

But what had actually occurred that day differed greatly from her fears. In fact, by all accounts, she considered this one of the best days of her entire life. At the top of the list was, of course, Naruto. She knew he was one of the most gorgeous guys she had ever seen, ever, and was ecstatic that he ended up being her guide. With Naruto's help, she managed to get to the rest of her morning classes on time. What was more, Naruto seemed to have many of these classes with her, so she was never really lost for company. She kept telling herself to pay attention to the teachers as much as possible to continue her studies, but she found her attraction quite happily taken up by the handsome blonde seated next to her quite often.

By the end of the morning, Hinata wouldn't have been able to tell anyone a thing about what she learned in class. But she would've been able to write whole novels about Naruto. She would most likely squeal about how he wrinkled his nose and his face when concentrating on a problem, or how his whisker marks made him look like a sleeping fox when he nodded off in class (which was quite often, especially in history). She would've been able to accurately describe the exact shades of blue mixed in his eyes or the way his blonde hair shone in the droning school lights. She would've sang about how his deep, hyper voice seemed to make her heart melt every time he spoke.

But it wasn't like she was obsessed with him. She would never be obsessed over a guy…right?

"Get a hold of yourself, Hinata! You only think you're attracted because he's been helping you around today. And his eyes are nice…and his hair, his voice, his build…GAH! STOP IT! I can't fall in love with a guy in one day! It doesn't work like that, right?"

Hinata slumped in her chair in the cafeteria, putting her face in her hands. "I could be wrong…I guess I do like him…"

"Like who?"

Hinata's head whipped up to find a slightly puzzled but amused looking Neji. "N-Neji! I…I…" Neji smiled and sat down next to his cousin. "I should've figured it, that kid has no idea what influence he has on people…" Hinata stared at her food, pointedly trying to avoid her cousin's inquisitiveness.

"Hinata, you can't hide anything from me, I know you better than anyone, and you know it."

"But…b-but what can I do? Why would somebody like N-Naruto be interested in m-me?"

"Hinata, you don't give yourself enough credit. I saw you when you tried to stop my guys from hurting him this morning. You might've been scared, but you tried to stick up for him anyway. That takes guts, it takes true courage. And if I know Naruto, that's one of the things he prizes most, not letting fear keep you from doing what's right."

Hinata considered this for quite awhile, and remembered another trend of events from the morning as well. "Neji…Naruto is a really nice guy…so why is it that so many people seem to not like him?" Neji put down his food and contemplated his response for a few moments. "A lot of the kids in this school, like you and me, come from fairly privileged families, Hinata. Naruto is not in the same boat, however…he was always ridiculed as a kid because of those marks on his face, the ones that look like whiskers. A lot of the older people in town think he's a street rat and a thug, all because of things he couldn't control…"

"L-like what?"

"Like people spreading rumors about me. Isn't that right, Neji?"

Neji and Hinata both paled when they met Naruto's gaze. It seemed unreadable, but Hinata saw something all right…he was hiding a deep hurt. "I never pegged you as the kind to start rattling off other people's private affairs, Neji."

"Ano, Naruto…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"Maybe…but the damage has been done. She might as well know…but not now. Right now our top priority is making sure Hinata has a good end to the day today."

Neji quickly nodded and began working on his food again. Naruto cast Hinata a seemingly hollow smile and did the same. As she started her lunch, she decided then and there that she would learn as much about Naruto as she could. She saw that pang of hurt in his eyes, and it didn't sit right with her at all. She wanted to help him, though she wasn't sure why.

So when Naruto walked home from school at the end of the day, she made sure to follow discretely, trying to see exactly how he was so pained…

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Naruto finally reached his apartment building and sighed heavily. Another day, another seven hours of his life eaten up by that accursed school. But today he seemed oddly lighthearted, and all because of that girl…

He couldn't deny it, Hinata was something special. It had been quite an interesting day…going from average student to tour guide in one fleeting moment before third period. He slumped up the stairs, dragging his pack behind him as he fumbled for his keys in the back pocket of his jeans. He jammed the key into his door and sighed as it creaked open. He counted down from five in his head and on cue, a large, old, broad shouldered man appreared from the room five doors down from him and starting ranting, "Uzumaki, where's my rent? You're behind two months now, AGAIN!"

"I'm a student Jiraiya, not some rich snob's son! I'm working on the rent…"

"You're working on it? Last time I checked, they didn't accept "I'm working on it's" at the store, kid!"

"Which store, perv? The liquor stand or the adult film shop?"

"STOP CALLING ME A PERVERT!"

Naruto slammed his door closed, drowning out the old man. "Damn Jiraiya…damn rent…" He threw his pack into the corner of the room and flopped on his couch. He was thankful that his parent's had left him this nice apartment…to bad they couldn't have done anything about the huge rent Jiraiya was putting on it before they…well, needless to say Naruto had issues with money. Living by yourself always made available income a rare commodity.

Outside his room, Hinata's nervous figure steadily emerged from the stairwell at the end of the hall. Her eyes darted to the door Naruto walked through, and then the one at the end of the hall where that odd old man was yelling at him for rent. "Why would Naruto-kun be paying rent? Shouldn't his parents be doing that…unless…oh god…he's not…is he?"

Hinata scared herself with that. What if…what if Naruto didn't have any parents? What if he was an orphan? Hinata found a new determination inside herself and reached into her bag, pulling out…her wallet and checkbook. She marched right on up to the old man's door and knocked smartly.

The door creaked open and he looked at Hinata in mingled apathy and annoyance. "What do you want, kid?"

"Pardon me sir, but how much does that man you were just yelling at owe you for rent?"

"What's it to you?"

"I'm just trying to be accurate, sir."

"Let's see…two months puts him at about 1,000 bucks…why?"

Hinata quickly whipped out a pen and thanked the gods above for her family's inheritance that she had gotten. She scrawled out her name and the amount of money and handed Jiraiya the check. "You'll find that this will cover his rent for the past two months along with the next four, correct?" Jiraiya merely stared at the check with wide eyes and nodded dumbly. Hinata bowed to him and closed the door, turning once again to Naruto's room.

She hesitated for a long time. If she was right…if Naruto was alone…he seemed awfully avoidant of it in school, what if he didn't want people to know? But she remembered that slight hurt in his eyes, and how she never wanted to see it again…she knocked on the door…