A/N: Something went screwy with this story, so i'm re-uploading it!
As Sakura stepped out side her house she noticed something weird. Nauro and Gaara weren't there yet. She frowned.
'I've gotten too used to their presence.. dammit why am i letting them get close to me' she silently cursed herself. But she still pondered on why they weren't waiting on the sidewalk in front of her house as per usual. She sighed and began to walk to school alone for the first time in about 3 weeks. She pulled her waist length pink hair into a messy bun, but left her bangs hanging in her face as she walked. The wind picked up and she chided herself for not bringing her jacket. The walk was silent. Too silent. She had allowed herself to get used to Narutos constant chatter, hell she even gotten used to Gaaras silent strong presence. Of the two males, Gaara was the one who intrigued her most. And that scared her. Intrigue led to knowledge, which leads to understanding which leads to attachment. And Sakura knew all to well just how much pain attachment led to.
'Yeah, but Gaaras hot though!' her inner stated with hearts in her eyes.
'it doesn't matter if hes hot or not, nothing is worth that pain.' Sakura argued
'so you admit that hes hot eh?' inner sakura said with a perverted grin
'What? I-i-i no i..but! OKAY FINE HES FREAKING SEXY!' She burdened over her words.
"You know, they say the first sign of insanity is talking to yourself." Said a voice. She looked around and saw a blonde haired girl sitting on a bench in front of the school. She had long blonde hair pulled into a high pony tail, she wore a dark purple v-neack with a white long sleeved shirt underneath and tight black pants.
"Did you hear me? Or is there nothing but mush behind that large forhead."
Sakura twitched but kept walking. She had to stay out of trouble for a while, She had grow a little too attached to Naruto and Gaara to be expelled again.
'damn them.. giving me an excuse to not to get in trouble.' Sakura thought The girl walked up beside her and walked with her into the building.
"I like you. I'm Yamanaka Ino." the girl said. "You're Sakura right? The new girl who hangs out with Naruto and the scary kid?" Ino asked. For some reason her talking about Naruto and Gaara made Sakura a bit mad. "Well anyway, Naruto told Hinata who told me to tell you that they won't be here until later today." Ino said and walked away. 'so i'm on my own once again today eh?... its funny.. this whole time i thought i wanted to be away from people, i thought i was better by myself... but now i see just how wrong i was.' she thought.
"Ino wait up!" She had no idea what she was doing but she knew she didn't want to be alone.. for once she wanted human company.
Ino turned and smiled at her. "you have math as your 3rd class right? well i'll see you there forehead girl, you can meet Hinata too." then Ino walked away. 'what the hell are you doing Sakura?' She asked herself. She sighed and shrugged and went into Kakashi's classroom. Sakura pulled down her hair from the messy bun it was in and brushed it out with her fingers. She began to wonder why Gaara and Naruto would be coming in late.. maybe something was wrong? She kept musing over the possibilities until the bell rang she sat in her seat for science when she notice someone out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look and saw Sauske staring at her. she flipped him off and turned back to the window. She felt something brush past her hair and looked down to see a note on the desk.
Blossom, why don't you drop the freaks and start hanging out with a real man? Come to my house tonight at 8 o'clock for a good time.
5066 Leaf st.
p.s. wear something sexy my little cherry blossom
Sakura almost threw up on sight after reading the note. She crumpled it up and held it over the flame they where using in their experiments. She watched in disgust as the paper burnt into nothingness. Luckily Orochimaru didn't notice her "misuse" of lab equipment. As soon as the bell rang she practically ran to math class. Partly to get away from Sauske, partly to greet her new... well what would it be? friend? no no... acquaintance would be more appropriate right?
'damn i'm actually nervous about this -_-'
'what the hell Sakura? just a few weeks ago you where stronger than steel! get tough again girl!' her inner cheered her on
'well what should i do?'
'go in there and act like the badass that we are!' Inner Sakura exclaimed.
Sakura took in a deep breath and strode into the room. She looked around and saw a Ino waving her over to an open seat in between her and a pale dark haired girl. Sakura walked over and sat down.
"Sakura, this is Hinata." Ino said gesturing to the dark haired girl. She wore her long indigo locks down with her bangs framing her face. Her eyes where a pearly white colour and where soft and kind. She had on a dark blue hoddie with creamy tanish stripes across the arms and regular blue jeans.
"Hello Sakura-san." Hinata said shyly.
"Hello Hinata-san." Sakura said politely back. "Why arn't Gaara and Naruto here?"
"N-n-naruto-kun and Gaara-san didn't say why." Hinata stumbled over Narutos name.
'she must like him' Sakura thought 'like him... do i like anyone?' For some reason a picture of Gaaras face flashed before her eyes 'BAH! thats preposterous.. even if i did, he would never feel the same' She thought to herself.
The three girls chatted lightly through out math and when the bell rang, Ino and Hinata went to their next class (they had second lunch), which meant she would be all alone. Sakura realized that for the first time since she moved to Khona High, She has no one to sit with at lunch.
'have i really let them behind my guard this much?' she sneered at herself for her weakness 'to have gotten past my defenses this far.. you two are really something' She began to walk to the lunch room. She got her food and sat at her usual spot, but the silence was killing her.
'*sigh* i don't want to admit it but-' a hand was suddenly on her shoulder, pinning her to the seat.
"You know its rude to not even reply when someone sends you a note." came the voice of Sauske. He leaned down and put his arm around her neck and kissed her neck.
"You'll have to make it up to me tonight blossom, because i have no intention of letting you say no." he pulled her up and ground himself against her. Then he turned and started to walk away when he suddenly stopped.
"You can tell that freak Gaara that you already belong to me." He said with a smirk.
"And what gives you the right to decide that teme?" Sakura whirled around to see Gaara standing next to her with an arm protectivly pushing her behind him.
'Gaara...' She looked up at him with wide eyes. 'this is the second time you've saved me from him' For the first time, she looked- really looked at Gaara. She saw an extreamly handsome boy, with blood red hair and jade green eyes. But underneath that she saw a scared and lonely young man trying to ease his pain.
'so whats underneath the underneath? whos the real Gaara...?' she wondered.
She noticed that Gaara was staring at her, and realized he must have asked her a question.
"Huh?" She said
"I asked if you where alright.." Gaara said with that monotone voice of his.
"Yeah im fine.. thank you Gaara." They sat down at the table while they waited for Naruto to get back with his food.
"Did he do anything to you?" Gaara asked. his tone appeared uncaring, but she could hear a sense of anger.
"No." She lied quickly. He didn't buy it.
"What did he do?"
"He.. well first he gave me a note giving me his address telling me to come to his house tonight for a 'good time'"she spat "then just now he came up and pinned me to the table and said he won't let me say no.." She trailed off.
"hn." He knew there was more, but he wasn't going to push it.
"So basically you'll just come over to my house tonight!" Exclaimed Naruto. Wait Naruto?
"WHEN THE HELL DID YOU GET HERE!" Sakura exclaimed, he was loud and obnoxious, he shouldn't be able to sneak up and sit down right next toher without her noticing.
"Since Gaara asked what Sauske did to you.." Naruto said
"Oh... and why would i have to go over to your house Naruto?" She asked
"Well for one its friday, for two everyone will be there and oh yeah for three Sauske-teme is the kind of guy to show up at your house." He explained
"oh..okay.."
"So we'll just swing by you're house to ask you're parents an-"
"Naruto... I don't have any parents." She said while hiding her face with her hair.
"Well i guess thats just one more thing you and I have in common!" He grinned. Sakura looked up at him astonished. He had lost his parents too, he was just as alone as she was.. so how could he be so.. so... happy? how could he just draw people in and risk the saddness when they leave? Almost as if he read her mind Gaara said in a bored tone "You get used to the cheeriness."
"So this is what its like.." she said under her breath.
"What was that Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto
"Nothing Naruto." She smiled up at him for the first time since she'd met them. It wan't completely real, but it was the easiest smile she had in a very long time.
'She's beautiful when she smiles... wait did i just think that?' Gaara thought 'You sure did kid. hah-hah! looky there! Gaaras finding love for the first time!' Came the voice of his inner 'Shut up... i am not! I just think she's pretty thats all...'
'GAARAS GOT A CRUSH!~ GAARAS GOT A CRUSH!~' his inner voice cheered.
'ugh...'
'Just admit it kid, you like her.'
'I.. do not...'
'Yeah uh-huh sure and i'm the tooth fairy. You'll have to admit it sometime or another.'
' i do NOT like her nor will i EVER like her! I am Sabuku no Gaara, a cold, heartless bastard who hates all forms of emotion!' he exclaimed to himself
'The how do you explain you're friendship with the blonde idiot?'
'...' he hated to admit it, but Naruto had made him soft. no one else would have noticed but he did care for a few select people.. Sakura being one of them. He knew that he had deeper feelings for the girl, but he was too stuborn to admit it to himself.
'love yourself and only yourself' he muttered to himself while feeling his love tattoo. The one he got to remind himself that love only brought pain, and sadness. Something he had learned from his bastard of a father. The bell rang for class, which for him was english.
He hated english, partly because of the teacher but mostly because it was one of his few classes with the Uchiha and the only one without Naruto or Sakura.
'oh joy...' he thought sarcastically. He sat down in his seat next to the window and took out his sketch pad to work on one of his drawings. Class had been going for about 30 minuets when a note landed on his deask.
hey freak, you can just forget about Sakura shes mine.
This infuriated Gaara. Sakura was not some item of male possession, she is an independent woman who is to be respected. Gaara turned around and flipped the teme off. Not a minuet later there was another note on his desk.
Heh, although there shouldn't be much of a competetion who would love a freak like you? Gaara wrote back this time.
fuck off Uchiha. She doesn't even like you, why would she do anything with you teme?
Hah who said she doesn't like me? And she's done stuff with me before, unlike YOU freak.
Gaara was shocked. She had been with Uchiha before? How could she? She seemed like she hated him.. He made a mental note to ask her in their next class.
END 'O' CHAPTER!
so what'd you think? eh?
just a warning! i will more than likely NOT update this frequently