Chapter 3

Things I'll never say

"I'm staring at my feet
My cheeks are turning red
I'm searching for the words inside my head"

- Avril Lavigne

Uchiha Sasuke had always known he was drop dead gorgeous.

With the way he strutted about with that confident, though, flawless and completely relevant smirk tugged at his lips, who was anybody else to tell him different? Even as a kid he had known he was sexy, girls well above his age swooned at him, cooing and fluttering their eyelashes, dishing themselves out as if some kind of whore. - Pathetic, he knew, but totally expected.

He was so convinced with his sexiness, in fact, that he had thought it impossible to make him in any way, imperfect.

Actually, to put things more precise, he would openly scoff at anybody that even considered such nonsense, let along tried to carry it out. It was an obvious fact that this Uchiha was just too damn sexy. With messy, dark tresses tossing and falling in all the right places, toned abdomen and flawless, butter-milk skin, he could turn a straight guy gay, a lesbian straight and heck, could make the world stop turning and do a few back flips whilst it was at it.

Okay, maybe not back flips.

But in the very least, he had always known he was a superstar amongst these… people.

So it really came to no surprise when he eventually made it big.

You see, the Uchiha had one vital obsession.

He loved to act.

Now, this in itself would not cause a problem. I mean, acting right? A totally harmless hobby that many kids his age liked to perform. So it was okay that he loved it so much, right? Wrong. He took it to a new level. Earning 8 Grammys, 6 Oscars and being "the sexiest" male in Asia for 3 years straight, he was earning awards every day of every month for over a year. A little bit of a problem if you were already as well established as Uchiha Sasuke.

His fan club didn't stand a chance.

Therefore, It was no surprise that he didn't even flinch when he stepped out his sleek, black Carrera GT. The camera flashes were just another part of his daily routine. Tch. Annoying fans.

"Sasuke! Welcome back!"

"Sasuke, I love you!"

"Sasuke, Sasuke, SASUKE!"

He tried to ignore it as a particularly irritating fan latched onto his arm. He had hoped for them to have some self control today... impossible if your name is Sasuke Uchiha. Prying the girl away, he glared, walking down the path to his souped up Mansion located in the heart of the city Tokyo. She whined. He ignored her.

"Did you miss me, Sasuke?" A girl, who he couldn't remember the face of, nor did he bother to really look at, asked, coming to walk beside him. He glared.

"No."

"How was your drive?" the first was elbowed out the way by an equally annoying second.

"Good."

"Will you date me?"

He didn't even bother to answer that one, reaching the big, glass doors and slamming it in her face. He headed up one of 3 sets of glass staircases, a servant automatically taking his jacket. He didn't even realize it was an excuse to touch him.

Yes.

This was indeed a normal morning in the life of a Uchiha.

Popular and sexy? Yes. Spoilt and glamorous? Completely. Annoying and frustrating?

Do I really need to answer that?

Rubbing his temples, Sasuke came to find his usual seat at the 4m bar overlooking a grand balcony and of course, a private tennis court. He barely noticed as his chief announced a rather... giggly "good morning" as she placed a plate of organic bacon and eggs and freshly squeezed OJ before him.

I've got a headache.

The Uchiha thought, turning to his morning meal. Yes. This was a normal day in the life of Uchiha Sasuke. Just as annoying, just as obsession-ridden, just as... boring.

Well it was, anyway. Up until his manager walked in, making him look up from his seat.

"Sasuke" he said, tossing him his uniform, "hurry up and get changed. You have a compulsory welcoming ceremony to attend. Hyuuga Hanabi has returned."

His manager turned to his laptop to run through the day's plans but for the first time in many years, all that Uchiha Sasuke could do was sit there, and stare.

Hyuuga Hanabi... was back?

"Yes. Of course. Friday would be good. I'll get on it straight away. See you tomorrow, ta."

Kabuto flipped the phone shut as he checked his watch. It was exactly 8.05 am. He had picked up the girl at 8, like he had said, and after a once over, had ushered her into the limo to be taken to KMS to begin the conference. Admittedly, she was a little bit smaller than he'd like, no matter. Nothing a pair of 6 inch platforms couldn't solve.

He glanced at the girl. She was playing with her skirt.

"Stop that." He rolled his eyes when the girl jumped.

This was going to be a long process.

"G-Gomenasai." Hinata stopped straight away, looking at her feet, "I w-wasn't paying atten-"

She stopped though, when Kabuto raised his hand. He could hear screaming outside, and amongst it, the micro-phoned voice of the school principal.

"thank you for coming here today," she was saying, "Now without further ado, please give a warm welcome to Hyuuga Hanabi and her manager, Yakushi Kabuto"

Kabuto turned to the smaller Hyuuga. She was rooted to the spot.

"I'll lead." he sighed, as he put his hand on the private entrance to the function room, "just smile, keep quiet and go with it."

all she could do was nod.

"I can't believe she's here!"

"I know right! I've been counting down the days since I found out!"

"I've been counting down the hours since I found out!"

"I've been counting down the-"

Sasuke snorted as the girls in front of him continued their competition of who's the biggest Hyuuga Hanabi fan. He wished they would shut up. They didn't.

"Crazy isn't it?" Sasuke didn't even have to look to know who took the seat beside him. He turned to address the brunette anyway, thankful that they were hidden behind tinted glass. He was sipping his champagne.

"Yes." he agreed, "yes, it is."

Despite being a celebrity himself, it still overwhelmed him the amount of sheer energy that the fans had when adoring their favorite star. He had thought it weird that they had needed his body guards to push their way to the hall where Hanabi would be introduced. Apparently though, Sasuke looked at the crowd, this wasn't unusual. Everyone in the room was buzzing.

Sasuke shrugged, turning to his own glass.

Man was he happy he had a private booth. He did not fancy getting caught in that.

Shikamaru was thinking the same thing, letting out a low whistle.

"Would you look at them fans." he waved a hand in the direction of some by the door- this time a group of news reporters trying to get past the body guards, "Any more and the building's going to explode."

Sasuke nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. He was surprised it wasn't exploding now.

It was almost a relief when the lights dimmed, and an even brighter one lit the stage. A lady in blue walked on stage, making the whole room hush.

"Ladies and gentlemen." she announced, probably more for the benefit of the news reporters than the actual students, "thank you all for coming here today. Now without further ado." She smiled, signaling to the doors leading on to the stage, "Please give a warm welcome to Hyuuga Hanabi and her manager, Yakushi Kabuto."

The crowd went nuts as first, a silver haired man and then a petite figure stepped through the door. Cheers came from left, right and center, cameras flashing with no end.

Smiles were stuck on both figures' faces'.

"Thank you. Thank you." The man announced. The cameras were blinding but he was used to it, "it is an honor to be back in Japan."

An arm snaked around the girl's back. He lead her to the front of the stage.

"Now. To begin the questioning..."

Straight away, hands went up.

He pointed to a girl at the back.

"You." he kept a firm arm around the girl beside him, "What is your question?"

The girl practically leaped out of her seat.

"Hanabi niichan! What made you decide to come back?"

Sasuke was just about ready to kill himself.

Sighing, said Uchiha massaged his temples in an attempt to block out yet another round of questions being fired through the air. Yes, he was indeed a celebrity, and yes, he was used to hearing the most useless questions ever known to man, but by god, if he had to sit through any more of this... he'd be as alive as a bloody doornail.

He inwardly cringed upon hearing Kabuto select yet another fan to shoot a question.

Fans were so stupid.

"How do you get your hair so perfect?"

The silver head smiled, again answering as if it was the most cherished question in the whole wide world. Sasuke cringed. How he did it, he'd never know. "Herbal essence." he answered for her in perfect Japanese.

"How long are you staying?"

"9 months."

"Do you have a reasoning for being back?"

"Yes."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at that one. See? Totally stupid.

Eventually, he stood.

"I'm going to class." Sasuke stated. If he stuck round here much longer, he would honestly blow his brains out, "I'll talk to you about plans later."

Shikamaru didn't debate, noticing the familiar look in his eyes. He just threw him his bag, which the Raven head caught easily.

"Okay." He called after the retrieving back, "just be careful."

"Will do."

Sasuke replied.

Like there was much to hurt himself on, even though he wanted to.

Sasuke sighed wistfully to himself as he made his way toward the back of the hall. Luckily for him, everyone was still so preoccupied with a certain new comer, that they didn't even notice the raven haired boy slipping through the masses of crowd. It was lucky, he thought, had they recognized it was him making his way out, he wouldn't even make it past row one.

Reaching his hand out to open the door, he almost got the door open when something came hurtling at him with such speed, that it almost bowled him over.

Something?

Excuse me. More like someone.

He looked down at the small figure, now clutching on to his already ruffled school shirt... and cringed. Pink hair, green eyes, the girl was looking at him with the most puppy dog- fake cute expression he'd ever seen.

He tried to swerve past her. She wouldn't let him.

"Sasuke!" cue annoying sheik and ridiculous babble of love and devotion that's sweet enough to make you vomit, "God, I've missed you baby!"

His eyebrow twitched. Pet names should not be allowed. Especially in the mouth of a certain pink-head called Sakura.

He made it known. If he was lucky, he'd make her cry.

"Don't call me that."

She pouted. He rolled his eyes.

"But baby-"

"Don't. Call. Me. That."

He clarified for the second time in about 5 seconds.

God, how thick was this girl?

She didn't care though, shaking his shirt.

"Where were you last night? I waited and waited for your call but you never called me! I left you my number in your locker! Why didn't you call me?"

Oh. That was hers?

Sasuke thought back to the little pink note that he had quite happily ripped up and labeled as "junk mail" before ditching it in the nearest trash can. He was used to notes in his bag. But only he could get into his-

"How did you get into my locker?"

He accused. Girls having access to his personal stuff was probably worse than getting a very bad case of herpes.

She didn't think so, holding up a set of keys.

"I copied it."

one second.

Two second.

Oh.

His hand drifted down to his left pocket, the summer home for all sorts of important bits and bobs, and he paused. Come to think of it, there was a time yesterday where he had to ask Shikamaru where they were... Apparently the boy was telling the truth about "not knowing."

"Go away."

He tried to sound intimidating as he pushed past her, intent on getting to the hallway. Kind of hard when warning signs were flashing in his head telling him to "Run! Run! Run before she rapes you to death!"

She didn't. (thank god)

But she did, however grab his arm.

"Sasuke."

He tried to ignore her again, but this time it came as more of a whine.

"Please call me."

He rolled his eyes. Was this her idea of intimidation?

"Whatever."

He jerked his arm away, turning toward the door. He had way more important things to think about then a damn phone call. Like changing his locker around. That's a good start.

"What do you mean, "there's no more lockers left?""

Sasuke stared incredulously at the receptionist sitting calmly behind his desk. This was an outrage! This school was freaking humongous!

He clicked on the computer, flicked through a few files, then sighed, eyes never leaving the screen.

"I'm sorry sir." he nodded, and had they not been on the premises of the most expensive school in all of Konoha, Sasuke would have pummeled him one, "but it seems the last locker was checked out today."

Sasuke blinked.

"By who?"

"None of your concern, sir."

Dark eyes narrowed on the poor victim before him. Like it or not, he was pretty sure that being drowned in love letters every time he stepped anywhere near his locker let along getting bombarded by little teddy bears and roses and god knows what else was indeed a problem. How was this not his concern?

Instead, he snatched a random set of keys off the wall and pocketed them.

It was the "spare keys wall", a wall that officially, students were not allowed to touch.

"fine."

He shrugged, storming out the door. Now was not a time to worry about school rules. He was going to find his own way to sort the problem.

Hinata was walking quickly, trying to find her locker. With the success of the conference, Kabuto had let her go to class early before the students were let out of the hall. Okay, so maybe he had done all the talking. And maybe she had spent the whole time staring at her feet. But no matter. It was over now. She finally had a chance to relax.

"Oh!"

she almost yelled, when she went face first into someone solid, spilling her bag and it's contents all over the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" she flustered, hurrying to pick up her things. This was so embarrassing!

She paused though, as her hand hovered over one of the books that the person had dropped.

Wait. Blue cover, lilac writing, unmistakeable print... What one earth was this doing here?

Glancing up, she opened her mouth to ask where he had gotten it, (she swore this was the exact book that Kabuto had put in her locker this morning) and her words dies in her mouth.

Before her lay her locker, wide open, the whole contents of it sitting in a messy pile on the floor.

And before that, stood the most gorgeous guy she'd ever seen.

Torn between raging and blushing?

Yes, Yes she was.