AND PICKS UP SPEED
August 30, 2004
It is the first day of school. Naruto and Ino are juniors. They wait for the bus on the corner of their street. A handful of other high school kids stand with them. Some are anxious. Some are terribly short. Naruto and Ino ignore the freshmen.
The bus is late. Luckily for Sasuke Uchiha, the bus is later than he is. Naruto and Ino know Sasuke-he's been trouble in school since ninth grade. Naruto doesn't remember him much before that-word was that he flunked down into their grade. He was often late. Always looked stoned. Now, he looks six inches taller than he did in the spring. His blue-black hair hangs in greasy ringlets in front of his eyes, and he walks with shoulders curved, as if he were more comfortable being short. He stands away from everyone and smokes a cigarette.
Naruto catches his eye by accident, so he nods hello. Sasuke looks down at the ground quickly. Blows smoke from his lips. Tosses the cigarette down and grinds in into the gravel.
Ino pokes Naruto in the ribs. "Lookie, it's your boyfriend."
Naruto rolls his eyes. "Be nice."
Ino observes him carefully while he's not looking. "Well. His pox-face cleared up over the summer. Or maybe the new fancy 'do hides it."
"Stop," hisses Naruto. He's giggling and feeling bad about it. But he's looking at Sasuke. Sasuke's got to be about dirt poor as Naruto, judging by his clothes. "He's a loner. And quiet."
"A stoner, maybe, who has a boner for you."
Naruto narrows his eyes, and his face grows somber. "Ino, stop it. I'm serious. You're turning mean like Sakura." Naruto glances at Sasuke. His jeans are too short. He knows what it's like to be teased for not having cool clothes and stuff. He feels himself wanting to defend Sasuke.
"He probably has shitty welfare parents, like me."
Ino is quiet. "I'm not like Melinda."
"So why do you hand with her?"
She shrugs and thinks about it for a minute. "I dunno. 'Cause she's rich."
Finally the bus comes. The ride is forty-five minutes to school, even though the school is less than five miles way, because of all the stops. Juniors like Naruto and Ino are considered by the unwritten bus rules to be upperclassmen. So they sit near the back. Sasuke passes by and falls into the seat behind them. Naruto can feel him push his knees up against his back. Naruto peers though the crack between the seat back and the window. Sasuke's chin is propped up by his hand. His eyes are closed, nearly hidden beneath his greasy hair.
"Fuck," Naruto mutters under his breath.
Thankfully, Sasuke Uchiha doesn't dream.
Not on the bus, anyway.
Not in chemistry class, either.
Or English.
Nor does anyone else. Naruto arrives home after the first day of school, relieved.