Chapter Three- Rehearsals

The week basically continued on the same way, minus the fainting. Rehearsals went on. Karin, as Sakura noticed, had tried to make a couple moves on Sasuke, only to be stealthily stopped by Ino. Sakura knows Ino does it for her, but she also has that feeling that she just loves torturing Karin either way. Now she has an excuse.

About halfway into next week was when things started to get interesting.

"Okay class." Kakashi stated. "Today we'll do some work on Act Seven, Scene Nine."

Sakura flipped her script to the correct page and flushed.

"This is…!"

Ino caught her look, flipped open her book, and immediately leaned towards Sakura.

"Looks like things finally got interesting." Ino whispered with a smirk.

It was the climactic scene where Ayame and Keichi kiss.

Sakura stole a glance at Sasuke. He didn't seem too swayed by the looks of it.

Come on! This is your big chance! Inner Sakura surfaced.

"Are you nuts? I don't want to have my first kiss with Sasuke here in the classroom! It's too awkward!"

It's either here or out on stage with hundreds of people watching!

Sakura felt as though the world was guiding her fate, and at the moment…life sucked.

Kakashi looked down at his own copy of the script and smiled; or at least he seemed to be behind his mask.

"Oh, I see." Kakashi half chuckled. "We've hit a nerve in the cast, haven't we?"

Kakashi's glanced from Sakura to Sasuke and back again.

"Don't worry," Kakashi declared "I won't make you two kiss right here and now, better to let you guys save it and wait till we get on stage for real. I know how to improvise for the moment."

The lead weight feeling in Sakura's stomach began to lighten, but an improvisation in the hands of a perverted teacher like Master Kakashi meant she couldn't be certain till the bell rang.

"Now, come on up." Kakashi ordered.

Sakura gulped as she stood and walked to the front with Sasuke and another girl; the only people in the act. Sakura glanced at them both. Sasuke continued to look unmoved, and she could have sworn that the girl next to her was giving her a half-glare. Stupid fangirls.

"Now," Kakashi began, "here's what we're going to do. As you all have read, while the kiss scene is very climactic, this is a romantic comedy, and so there's the laugh factor that gets added in."

Sakura glanced down at her script. She had always been so riled up about reading the kissing scene, that she barely paid attention to what was supposed to happen next.

"Ayame and Keichi kiss; interrupted by a maid that walks in on the two. Caught in shock, they both topple over the side of the couch Ayame was sitting on previously." Sakura quickly rehearsed in her mind. "So basically, we're supposed to fall over the back of a couch…this ought to be interesting."

"Also, seeing as we have no couch, we'll use the desks and these mats to cushion the fall. We'll get a real couch in once we start on-stage rehearsals." Kakashi explained, setting up the desks and mats to be where they would land.

Sasuke and Sakura positioned themselves in front of the desks, Sakura's back was to it, leaning slightly against, and Sasuke stood about a foot away.

"From the top." Kakashi exclaimed.

From there, they rehearsed their scene. Everything seemed to be going very well, Sakura thought. She and Sasuke actually appeared to work pretty seamlessly together. Until finally, the part where he had to kiss her came up.

"Okay, now Sasuke, Sakura." Kakashi ordered. "To pretend like it actually happened so we can get the falling part right, I want you two to just hug real quick, and fall back. Got it?"

"O-okay." Sakura stammered.

"Fine." Sasuke answered shortly.

Shaking a little from embarrassment, Sakura put her arms around Sasuke's chest, and he put his around her waist. Glancing out to the students, Sakura saw several envying glares at her, and Ino as she silently gave her a thumbs-up.

"Tsuki, this is where you come in." Kakashi gestured for her to walk forward.

Tsuki walked a couple paces and pretended to open a door. "Milady Ayame, there's—" she gave a fake gasp of shock.

"Now." Kakashi instructed.

Sakura leaned back over the table. Her weight, combined with Sasuke's which was coming off the ground, landed her in funny position half on the table, half on a mat, and Sasuke flipped over her onto the ground.

"Could you watch where your hair's going?" Sasuke sighed at her.

Sakura blushed a bit, realizing her hair was in his face, and she quickly rolled to the side, off the table, and on to her knees.

"My…apologies milady. I…didn't know you had company." Tsuki continued.

"I understand." Sakura replied, brushing herself off. "Do not speak a word of this, however, or you will find yourself locked up for three years."

Tsuki gave a mock look of shock and horror as she bowed and pretended to leave through and shut a door.

By that time, Sasuke had already gotten up and resumed his role as Keichi. As was instructed by the script, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and said, "Dearest Ayame…."

Sakura sighed, half because it was what she had to do, and half because she was turning red, and needed to keep it controlled.

"I am yours…beloved Keichi." She finished.

There was an involuntary clap from the left side of the room. Sakura glanced over and caught that it was Ino, who was now shoving her hands underneath her desk. She smiled coyly at Sakura.

"Well," Kakashi announced, "that was nicely done. The fall looked a little rough, but that's no surprise. We'll practice it later. Let's continue on to the next stage."

Sakura hurried over to her seat by Ino as soon as Sasuke let her go. Ino secretly passed her a quick note which she opened under the cover of her desk. It read: Woo-hoo, Sakura! Encore!

Sakura rolled her eyes and safely stashed the note in her pocket. She looked over at Sasuke who, again, seemed unmoved by what had happened. She looked down at her desk.

"Maybe he doesn't feel anything towards me…." Sakura thought a little sadly.

While across the room with Sasuke:

Okay, it's clear; she's not looking at you! A voice rang.

"Why the hell do I listen to you?" Sasuke replied to the voice in his mind.

I'm just trying to help you on your way to love.

"I don't love anybody."

I know, you don't love her yet, but you do like her a lot!

"Who ever said that?"

I did! Because I know you better than you know yourself!

"Okay, that sounds a little weird, what are you, a stalker?"

Have you ever heard of a conscious, pretty boy?

"Yes, and I take offence to that last statement."

Oh, whatever! I know you like her, though!

"You don't have proof."

Then what were those things you were thinking in your mind while you held on to her? Do I need to play them back?

"No! Shut up! Okay! I sort of like her!" Sasuke grit his teeth to hold back the color that wanted to rise in his cheeks.

Then get to work! I'll give you tonight to think it over how you feel about her, and how you're going to actually talk to her!

"Tch, okay, mom. Just shut up already."

See you, oh clueless one!

Sasuke let out a small sigh and looked over at Sakura, who was watching the people perform up at the front. His eyes slid over her sitting figure, stopping at a few certain locations. He suddenly snapped his head away from her and to the front, hiding the side of his face with his hand.

"What the hell am I doing?" This time, some color did rise.

I told you! I told you! A voice cheered in his head.

Sasuke glanced over at Sakura one more time before he turned his eyes to the front with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, fine…." Sasuke admitted. "I like her."

This concludes chapter three, which, thankfully, I feel I did much better on than chapter two now that my head's clearing and I'm not as tired as before. Now I'm just plain tired from the weariness of the ongoing week that's still busy for my schedule. Now we shall continue on to chapter four, where my brain can finally start kicking in some of the key plans of the story I created. I think this'll probably be five, maybe six chapters, so we're, I guess, halfway there! Please review!