Trial and Error – Chapter Five
Standard disclaimer applies. As always.
xXx
From: Sasuke-kun
Should be there in twenty.
I can't help but keep looking at the text that he sent two hours ago. I know I always joke about him standing me up. But… I never expected it to actually happen. But he wouldn't do it! I mean, maybe he's just running late because he's picking up something special for me. Or he got a flat tire. Or he didn't notice the time. Or…
Or he just doesn't want to be with me…
xXx
I don't usually go out on the weekend. Konoha doesn't really have a lot to do, so staying at home is easier than getting dressed and stuff to do something in town. But this weekend is different. There are things that I need to get.
We haven't had any contact since the Halloween incident two weeks ago, but at least now she's not going out of her way to avoid me. She still won't look directly at me, though. No matter how long or often I watch her, her eyes never turn in my direction. I'm dying to be the reason she smiles again.
To: Yamanaka
I need your help.
From: Yamanaka
Would it kill you to say hi?
To: Yamanaka
I need Sakura's locker combination.
From: Yamanaka
Oh my god. You're totally planning on sneaking love letters in there aren't you? I KNEW YOU'D FOLLOR RULE NUMBER FIVE ON MY LIST, UCHIHA. HA! And no, you can't have it. You didn't say the magic word.
To: Yamanaka
… Please.
From: Yamanaka
14-21-7. See how much a little itty-bitty word can help? So. I totally expect you to show me all this good junk before you hand it over to her. Just so I can, you know, approve of it and all. :D
To: Yamanaka
No.
From: Yamanaka
You're a big, fat, stupid, mean boy-jerk. And that's the worst kind.
Girls have scary accurate predictions for all things "romantic." Maybe because they spend all their time hoping for a guy that would actually do the things on Ino's list on a regular basis. Which is a very limited number. No guy wants to be a fucking pansy. But the… psycho blonde has evidently caught on to what I'm planning. Great.
xXx
Sneaking shit into someone's locker isn't as easy as I imagined it would be. There are always people lurking in the hallway. Seriously, they should be in class. Getting caught doing this would be… awkward. I can't just hang around her locker all the time, waiting for an opening, but there aren't really many options.
Yamanaka has been watching me all day. So maybe getting her help – yet again – wasn't a good idea. But she's really the only connection to Sakura at this point.
Between fifth and sixth period is my only chance. We got let out early from gym, and Sakura had pre-calculus in the opposite direction. The hallways, by some miracle, were deserted. The inside of Sakura's locker looks ordinary – no marker board or obnoxious collage of Justin Bieber photos. Just before I can close the door, though, a hand grabs the edge.
"Ne, what are you doing in Sakura-chan's locker, teme?" Confusion is evident in Naruto's face, but he's not so much of an idiot that he doesn't have suspicions.
"Nothing." Trying to shut the door is pointless. His eyes scan the inside and grab the note I just put down. There's no catching a break when this guy's around.
"This doesn't look like nothing!" He unfolds the paper and reads aloud, "You're beautiful."
Uchihas must keep their tempers. But really, I'm sure I'd be forgiven for beating the shit out of him just this once. He can barely contain his laughter. "You're beautiful? Is that really the best you could come up with? Maybe you really are emotionally constipated!"
I snatch back the note and shove it in the locker before slamming the door. "Shut up, dobe."
So maybe I'm not good with all this emotional crap – which Naruto points out every day. But at least I'm trying… right?
"Do you understand how monumental this moment is? I mean, you're actually sort of telling her what you think! Heh! Just wait until I tell Ino about this!"
Fucking hell. This week is going to be the longest one of my life. And to think… it's only Monday.
xXx
From yesterday's fiasco, I've learned a lesson. Doing it between classes is not a good idea – especially in case the dobe decides to sneak out of nowhere again. Tuesdays mean having gym fifth period with Sakura. So putting today's item into the locker will have to wait until last period.
Chemistry is supposed to be an interesting subject. But today, I can't focus on memorizing the table of elements. The thing has been burning a hole in my pocket all day. I wait until there's only a half hour left in class before excusing myself to go to the bathroom.
This time, no one bothers me in the hallway. I manage to slip the object in and get back to class in five minutes, perfect timing to be convincing.
xXx
The keychain is hanging off one of the zippers on her backpack today. I notice her fingering the little panda charm as she talks to Hinata. I should be happy, but something about it makes me want to freeze in the middle of the hallway. She could think that all this stuff was just from some random secret admirer creep. If she knew that it was really me, she wouldn't want to flaunt the little presents… right?
But I guess today's gift will sort out any confusion. The picture was taken about four months ago. We were walking together out to the parking lots – something that was rare, I guess. That day, she was really happy. She grabbed my arm and didn't let go. I was close to pulling away since I'm not a huge PDA guy, but then I noticed she was just… smiling. And it was really… pretty. Anyway, the picture used to hang on the door to her locker before we broke up. I saw when she tore it down and threw it away.
Getting a copy of it was a pain in the ass. At least Naruto was the one who took the picture, not Ino. He still had a copy on his computer, which was sort of creepy, but whatever. So in order to get the picture, I have to pay for his loud mouth to have lunch at Ichiraku.
This time, I don't just shove the picture onto the locker shelf. I stick it up back in its rightful place. Call it cheesy, but whatever. It made her so happy before. Here's to hoping that it'll be enough again.
Wednesday means it's halfway through the week at least.
xXx
Getting a flower was probably not a bright idea, seeing how Yamanaka Flower Shop is the only place to go in Konoha to buy them. So Ino saw me. And knows everything now. But girls like flowers, so maybe things won't go as horribly as my last attempt to win Sakura back.
Back in freshman year, I gave her roses to ask her to the homecoming dance. Not in person, though. It would have been too embarrassing. Leaving them on her front porch steps was as close as I was willing to go. She said that she loved it, but some part of me always whispered that she was slightly disappointed in them.
Google has proved to be very useful. This time, I didn't want to do something that has been written about a million times. This had to be something special. Each flower and color has its own meaning. This one had to be something better than a red rose or a plain daisy.
The next present in her locker will be a pink primrose and a note saying what it symbolizes. I can't live without you.
Even if it sounds so unbelievably stupid, I think it's true. I don't care if we're only teenagers, because this… this is something beyond a high school crush. Every time I said that I loved her, I knew it was true.
xXx
"Oi, teme! I think I just saw your dignity walk out the door!" Naruto comes barreling down the hallway – stupid grin in place and eyebrows waggling suggestively. "Ino told me what you did! A note, a keychain, a picture, and flowers? Seriously?"
That earns him a slap to the head. When he talks about it in such a casual way, it all seems so… pathetic. I'm the captain of the soccer and basketball teams, an honor student, and an Uchiha, yet when it comes to all-things related to Sakura, none of it matters. I'm just as clueless as any other guy out there. At least tomorrow, the week will finally be over...
xXx
I can't help but watch her when she stops by the locker after final bell rings. Her smile falls when there's no little object sitting on the shelf. It makes me sort of happy, which sounds bad, but it's true. She's accepting and maybe even looking forward to the gifts. Maybe I should have thought about doing something like this before we broke up…
But whatever. Guess there's no point in thinking about all the what-ifs, since I can't change anything about the past. I kept hoping that this week would go by as quickly as possible, but right now, I sort of wish it was back to Monday. This is the thing that's going to count the most, so by definition, I'll probably find some way to fuck it up.
Sakura's already throwing things into her backpack. In a few seconds, she'll shut the locker door, bend her head, and then weave her way through the stream of students heading towards the school's parking lot. It's now or never.
It feels sort of creepy to just walk up behind her silently, but they do it all the time in chick flicks, and girls seem to love it. "Sakura…"
She whips around and flinches away slightly when she realizes it's me. There's the stupid twinge in my chest again, but I try to stay composed. Still, it's hard to follow through with my plan when all I want to do is stare into her eyes. But I have to try, right?
"You kept all the stuff. Why?"
She's confused at first, but then realization dawns on her face. The faintest hint of pink crawls up to her cheeks. I would smirk, but now's probably not the best time. "I…"
I don't let her finish. "I think it's because, maybe, you miss me. Just as much as I, maybe, miss you."
Just like after the cafeteria incident, her reaction doesn't match what I expect it to. I thought she'd blush even more and maybe hug me. But instead, her eyes flash indignantly. She tries to shove me away, but since she's so tiny, it doesn't work out too well. I take a step back just to give her the space, though.
"Oh, yeah?" She straightens her shoulders and puffs out her cheeks. "Well, you shouldn't make assumptions like that. You just look like an ass." She makes sure to push me out of the way as she turns to head towards the doors.
This time, I'm not letting her walk away. I catch up to her just as she reaches the sidewalk and pull her arm to make her turn around. Maybe I pulled too hard. She stumbles, and reflex makes me grab her. We end up standing too close for friends, but the twinge in my chest gets worse because it's not close enough.
She tries to step away, but I don't let go. "Alright. Maybe you don't care. But…" And again words have failed me. There's no climax in doing this. It's only going to flop. My arms slacken from her waist, but she doesn't move. She's staring down at the ground as her eyebrows scrunch in confusion.
"I thought I told you to leave me alone, Sasuke-kun." There's no malice in her voice. It comes out as a sigh, sort of resigned.
"You know I have trouble following orders."
The corners of her lips twitch upward. The faintest hint of amusement crinkles around her eyes. Her hand brushes against mine as she steps away. "Yeah, I guess so. Uchihas are quite the stubborn lot, ne?"
"Ah." She almost smiles, but seems to think better of it.
"Have a nice weekend, Sasuke-kun." I watch her as she walks out to her car. Her fingers pause before they turn the key in the ignition, however. She stares at the passenger side seat for a moment until her hand reaches for something. She makes eye contact with me and a huge smile breaks over her face. I smirk back and start walking towards my own car.
Sneaking her keys out of her bag during break was a pain in the ass. But if she'll smile like that over a cupcake, I'd do it all over again.
Step four – spoil her: check, and it might just be enough to finally break the ice.
xXx
Sweet deal on getting this chapter out, yeh? Well, not really. In my head, it was going to be a lot better. But then I realized that the breaks in the chapter got a little confusing. Each present is supposed to represent a new day, so: monday - note, tuesday - keychain, wednesday - photo, thursday - flower, friday - cupcake in car/ confrontation of a sort.
Apologies for confusion. But to be honest, I got sick and just sort of want to sleep for a long time until my head stops hurting.
Reviews make me happy. So happy that I'll abandon my homework to write. (:
Go listen to kpop. Now. I'm serious.