R e d W a t e r

C h a p t e r VI

For the first time in years, I could honestly say I was truly happy with my life. Even with the occasional beating my mom would give me. It didn't matter anymore though, since I knew I'd see Itachi soon enough. School seemed a bit more bearable and my teachers noticed my change. Almost cheerful, they might say. I guess they thought it was all because of that therapist I went to see.

As for my mom, well, she wouldn't know. How could she? She was always working or locked in her room. And sometimes, she wasn't even home. I guess she finally found a way to spend her time in other ways than just throwing shit at me.

Even the weather seemed a bit brighter to me.

After a couple months Itachi started getting me from school ever so often and we'd go back to his apartment. But the first time that happened, I was too excited and we never made it into his place. I could tell Itachi was happier too, smiling more when he's around me.

Finally, students began to get curious every time I was picked up by a mysterious someone in a sleek black sports car. And then Ino approached me. But, I guess she still wasn't quite over my behavior toward her when she asked me out last time. As it was lunch time again, just as it had been on our last encounter, she came up, sitting next to me as I ate. "Hello, Sasuke." She said cheerfully.

I sighed, knowing eventually someone was bound to ask me about Itachi. Unfortunately today was that day. "Hello." I responded, keeping my voice just as cheerful. I sent her a fake smile and looked at her with amused eyes.

"Everyone's talking about it, Sasuke. Who is it? The person that picks you up sometimes?" Well, she sure got straight to the point. Her voice wasn't as cheerful this time, though.

"Now what could you possibly mean?" I asked innocently.

She was getting angry. It was showing. Like…a lot. "Is there someone else?! Someone you're with, Sasuke?" I could tell she wanted to kill whoever stole me from her. I almost laughed, trying to picture Ino and Itachi fighting.

"Yes." I told her truthfully, still smirking. "Yes, I am with someone else. There was never any chance of you and I being together. Not in this or any other life time."

Oh, damn. Tears. Ino was a pretty strong girl, but for some reason, could not handle being rejected. Again. "Who is she? Wh-who…"

It never occurred to me that everyone else thought I would be going out with a girl. So when Ino said 'she' I almost told her otherwise. "It's none of your concern, Ino." I said to her. "And by the way, the person that picks me up from school sometimes, isn't her." 'Isn't her' as in, is not a girl. But Ino didn't need to know that.

I could tell she was about ready to kill, but couldn't help but smile. This girl was amusing. Finally she ran off, sobbing even louder. I continued my lunch in silence, but could feel the glares being sent toward me. Yes, I know what I did was mean, but I wanted her to stay out of my business. And as far as I could see, I was doing a pretty good job.

And so that was the latest rumor going around. I had a secret lover who everyone assumed was a girl, and still, no one could figure out who that mysterious person that picked me up from school was.

Itachi picked me up from school again that day. I told him about Ino and how she had demanded to know who he was. Itachi just laughed and I continued to tell him about the other things that occurred that day at school. Once I was done with my story, I realized how tired I was and eventually fell asleep, resting my head on Itachi's shoulder as he drove.

I blinked awake, unsure of where I was for a moment. Then I found that I was alone on Itachi's bed, but could smell food cooking in the other room. I hurriedly got up from the bed and headed toward that smell, leading me into the kitchen. There, I found Itachi in dark plaid pajama pants and a white t-shirt, making pancakes.

"Pancakes? At this time?" I yawned. "Isn't it dinner time?"

"Nope. Tonight we're having breakfast food. I think Deidara has eaten all of my other food, so we're just going to have to stick with pancakes, eggs, and bacon. That alright?" Itachi set a plate of the fluffy golden-brown pancakes in the middle of the small dark dining table. I just nodded, seating myself next to him and began to eat.

And then…

There was a loud knock at Itachi's front door. I jerked my head toward the sound of the knocking and frowned. Itachi set his fork down and headed toward the door. I followed close behind, curious as to who was here to see Itachi. My older brother had just unlocked the door and was about to open it when, BAM!

A blond blur burst into the apartment. Before I could react, I was off the ground, in the arms of…Deidara? "Sasuke! At last, we meet again!" the blond cried dramatically. I stared at him in confusion and annoyance. This guy had issues. "Oh, hi, Itachi!" Deidara grinned at my glaring brother. "Hey, I hope you don't mind. I brought a few friends with me."

"Get out." Itachi said coldly to his friend. The blond's smile vanished.

"But, Itachi--"

"Itachi, it's alright…I guess. I mean…I'm alright with him staying." I said to him while trying to get out of Deidara's grip…somehow.

Itachi glanced at me quickly before saying, "Fine. You can stay." Deidara spun me around happily and set me down before a tall man with spiky blue hair entered the room also. And then a guy with fiery red hair and pale skin. People kept coming into the apartment ever so often until there were at least thirty people in Itachi's place.

'A few friends?' I thought to myself while scanning the room. Damn, Deidara and Itachi sure had a lot of friends. I searched for a familiar face through the crowds of people. Finally, I spotted Deidara's yellow-blond hair and approached him. Tugging on his shirt, he turned. "What the hell, Deidara! This isn't a few friends. How do you know so many people?!" I asked him.

"Oh…I don't know everyone. I only invited seven of them…" Deidara shrugged and headed toward that red head I had seen earlier. I did not get this guy. At all.

I felt lost in the sea of unfamiliar faces and began nervously looking for Itachi who had disappeared soon after reluctantly agreeing to let Deidara stay. I tried his bedroom, but found it was currently occupied by a couple making out on Itachi's bed. My eye twitched slightly, pissed off at seeing the two of them on his bed. It should have been me and Itachi on that bed, or no one at all, but there wasn't much I could really do now, was there?

I quickly shut the bedroom door and tried the next one, which happened to be a closet. I have no idea why I thought Itachi would be in a closet, but I opened it anyways. Nope. He wasn't there either. The next door was the bathroom, though I had some doubts about opening that door. I didn't want to walk in on anything…unexpected.

I opened it anyways, but to my surprise, it wasn't a couple making out. The lights were off and Itachi was sitting on the ground, his back leaning against the shower door as he stared at the floor. I stepped in further. "Itachi…" I said quietly before closing the door behind me. "Hey, sorry…I didn't know there'd be so many people coming with Dei-" Itachi grabbed my hand, pulling me down into his lap.

" It's alright," I heard him whisper into my ear.

Running his hand through my hair, my brother came even closer, kissing me softly. His hands lowered to my waist and he readjusted himself, my back now on the floor as he hovered over me. Recapturing my lips, I felt Itachi's tongue enter my mouth and I moaned, gripping his white t-shirt. While one of Itachi's hands were up next to my face, the other had slipped under my shirt right before the bathroom door opened.

"…I hope Itachi doesn't find out about that couple in his roo-" I heard a voice begin to say. I froze. So did the person at the door. Itachi, on the other hand, broke the kiss, calmly sitting up on the bathroom floor. Finally breathing again, I scrambled up to my feet to see who had found us out. "Um…Sasori, the bathroom is taken." My wide eyes found Deidara's, whose were just as big as mine. The blond shut the door behind him, leaving the two of us in silence and darkness.

"Itachi…did Deidara just see us…making out on the floor?" I broke the silence. Itachi nodded. There was nothing left to say but, "What the hell are we going to do now?"

"He won't tell anyone. He knows that if he does, I'll kill him." Itachi reassured me, bringing me close again. "Here, if it makes you feel any better, I'll go talk to him." Itachi got up, stealing a kiss from me before pushing me away from him and heading out of the bathroom. I decided to follow, seeing as the bathroom was pretty much vacant now and someone was bound to want to use it.

Trailing behind him, I saw Itachi check the spare bedroom he had in his apartment. He came back out, dragging a resisting blond. "I-Itachi…I was bu-busy!" Deidara complained while struggling to re-zip his pant. Itachi pulled him back into the bathroom. I slipped into the room after them, closing the door quietly behind me.

Itachi was about to speak when Deidara interrupted him, apparently realizing what my brother was going to say to him. "I wont tell anyone, I swear!" Deidara glanced over at me quickly. "I'm totally cool with it, really. It was just a bit of a…shock."

"See?" Itachi turned to me. "He wont tell." I nodded, smiling at the two of them. Well, that was one less person I would have to worry about now.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me? Because, I was kind of in the middle of something." the blond told us in an annoyed tone.

"No." I shook my head. "I want you to get all these people out of here. Like…now. And then I want you to wash Itachi's bed covers."

Deidara didn't take this too well, but eventually Itachi persuaded him. Well, it was more of a threat but, either way…

The apartment was finally emptied and I was soon getting dropped off by Itachi. Man, this day had been weird.

I walked into my seemingly empty house, everything silent for the moment. But when I saw my mom's terror-stricken, tear stained face, the last thing I remembered was a large heavy object colliding with my face.

T o B e C o n t i n u e d . . .

P l e a s e R e v i e w

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