Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters because I'm not that amazing. However: Aya, Mori, and the plotline (along with whatever other OCs I decide to throw in) are all my ideas and thoughts.

Of course, Temari didn't call out after me, but once I had reached Naru's locker I felt my phone in my jacket pocket vibrate. Taking it out and carefully angling myself into Mori's side as not to let a straying teacher see, I looked at my phone.

Unknown Number, accept message?

I clicked confirm and read over the message quickly.

Nice going. Temari has respect for you now. Don't forget we need to talk ASAP, but don't pull a disappearing act on me. ;) Give your friend my number.

+Kankuro+

I laughed aloud, and Mori questioned me immediately. Once she read the text, a giant grin exploded onto her fair-skinned face. "Ahah. I rock," she said with a proud smile.

The comment sent me into a bout of giggles, Mori and I sharing more giggles on our way to the cafeteria. I followed my crush-drunk friend into a food line. Glad the food wasn't horrid, I grabbed a taco salad and paid before trailing after Mori to a table. Naruto, Hinata, and four others were already seated. I held up a finger before dashing off to the soda machine – which Gaara was seated near with his siblings. Kankuro threw me a smile, to which I rolled my eyes again. Temari saw and almost laughed, but once glance at Gaara's expression rendered them both very silent. They continued eating, not glancing my way even once more. It was sort of weird that Gaara controlled them that easily, but for some reason I had the feeling it wasn't nearly as horrible as everyone else around here seemed to think.

A sigh escaped me as I awaited my orange juice to vend. When it was dispensed to me, I put on another large smile and threw the juice in the air, catching it easily. I continued this, my audience growing, and additionally flipped it in the air. Most people watching seemed mesmerized and extremely interested in the movements. The next time I threw it in the air it flipped several times and I caught it while walking. People actually stated clapping when I threw it far over my own head and caught it behind my back with one hand.

I sent Mori, only a few tables away, a look screaming 'What the hell?', but she and our tablemates were all talking and pointing at me.

"Mori, your classmates really are freakish. I mean, geez, it was just a couple tricks with a plastic bottle," I said as I took my seat.

Once I did, a girl with a bright smile and light pink hair was talking to me. "I'm Haruno Sakura. Where'd you learn to do all those tricks with a bottle?"

I practically fell out my chair. Naruto and Mori were thrown into fits of laughter. An unknown girl and Hinata were trying not to giggle uncontrollably, and a boy that resembled Hinata was smirking openly. Another boy was smirking, but in a laid-back, lazy manor instead of a cocky, open way.

"Sakura," Naru managed through laughs, "do you realize what you just asked Aya?"

The pink-headed girl finally caught on and blushed deeply, much darker than her hair. "Shut up guys, she's too young to have worked in any place like a bar!"

The smirking guy contributed to the conversation. "No one said anything about working, she could have been taught."

With a scowl, I threw a piece of lettuce at Naruto, who had started laughing harder than before. "Geez. Make fun of the totally unloved new girl who made miracles happen on her first day, why don't cha?" Even with the comment, I was grinning wildly. It was rare this many people talked to me in one day, let alone on my first. "What a bunch of lovable jerks you are. Except for Hinata. She's nice." At that Hinata was full-out laughing. I giggled and rolled my eyes. "I was trying to make you look good there, Hinata-chan."

Eventually, it all settled down. I was introduced to Neji (who was actually Hinata's father's twin's son, so they were (genetically speaking) part half-siblings and part cousins), TenTen (the other nice girl, who was trying not to laugh), and Shikamaru (the laid-back one). TenTen and Neji began a fierce conversation on the male vs. female statistics on something. It looked too intense and scary for me to even want to join. Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata engaged in a talk over what people were saying about me – which I pointedly ignored, even though I knew they meant no harm. Shikamaru was practically asleep, so I turned to Mori.

"What did you need to talk about?"

"It's all covered, due to your text," she said with a purr in her voice. This meant Mori was ready to attack, pouncing on the guy she wanted and claiming him her own for the year (hopefully it would be more for once…).

"You're going after Kankuro?"

Her grin was that of a devil as she replied, "I already am." As if on queue, her phone vibrated and she was texting rapidly. I inclined my head to see Kankuro reading her text, a certain glint in his eyes.

"I can help, but on one condition," I bargained.

"Deal." She didn't even ask.

"You have to get rid of his playboy attitude ASAP."

Mori rolled her blue eyes. "Already planning on it, and by the way, I just gained a valuable in for the both of us." When she saw my questioning look, she continued. "What are you doing this Saturday?"

My own devilish grin spread. "I don't know, what am I doing?"

"Going to Kankuro's house."

At that moment, I'd never hated Mondays more. Why couldn't it have been Friday?

The rest of my day passed without much going on. Gaara was also in my Geometry and Creative Writing classes. Mori joins me again in Creative Writing, World History, and Nature Sciences. Both Neji and Hinata are in my Geometry class, along with Shikamaru (who slept through my Nature Science class as well as Geometry). Naruto is – of course – in my Creative Writing and World History Class. The teachers are okay; I still have Kakashi for the writing class, but I have three other interesting teachers. Okay, one's not so much as interesting as creepy, another is strict, and my Science teacher is just plain sadistic. His name was something like Itchy, and I was afraid as soon as I saw the dismembered mannequins lying near his desk. My History teacher seriously has problems, and I couldn't figure out if one of my classmates happened to be a family member or obsessed fan of Gai. Thankfully, I was given a slightly more normal (despite being overly strict, prone to yelling, and able to catch any student before beginning to pull something) teacher for my Geometry class. So other than having an extremely disturbing History teacher, a sadistic Science teacher, and a physic Geometry teacher, everything was fine. Well… Except for when Mori practically fainted after getting a text from Kankuro implying they should go out sometime. I really thought Mori was losing it, so I slapped her. After that, we got into a long discussion of when to slap a friend and when not too. Mori's kind of scary…

Walking home, I actually spotted Kankuro, Gaara, and Temari walking ahead of me. I decided to freak out Kankuro, and when he playfully slapped Temari's arm I sent him a text.

Don't hit girls, you jerk!

Quickly dodging behind a group of cheerleaders, I peered over their heads to see him looking around with a stupid look on his face. I checked my phone, trying hard not to laugh.

Where are you?

Still hidden, I thought about how to reply to this… They were going up a walk to a light blue house surrounded by thick green bushes. Ahah! Perfect.

I'm in your bushes.

Kankuro actually looked into the bushes and asked Temari a question, to which she replied with a look that questioned his sanity. Now that I was about two feet from their yard, I began laughing loud enough for him to hear me. He turned around, completely shocked. Gaara and Temari were both on-lookers to the weird scene.

"I can't believe," I said while trying not to laugh, "you seriously thought I was in your bushes! What kind of freak do you take me for anyway Kankuro? Geez, now I'm totally offended."

Temari was actually laughing at this, her apparent dislike for me seemingly gone. "I can't believe that either, Kankuro. She's not that creepy!"

"Hey, I'm not creepy by choice. It just comes naturally thank you."

They laughed again. Gaara just sported a glare, aimed at no one but the world. "Hey Gaara!" I called to him. Both his siblings looked a lot less comical and a lot more like they were worried about him attacking me. "Now you and your brother think I'm stalking you! You're not so alone after all, are you?"

Something flashed in his eyes, but I couldn't tell what. Gaara just stared at me, not moving or saying a word. His siblings didn't speak or move either. His glare wavered right before he turned and entered his house. I stared, completely shocked by his reactions. Kankuro and Temari stared at me, even as my smile fell and I turned my back to them preparing to leave. Kankuro's voice stopped me, but I didn't turn around.

"Hey, Aya. Hold up."

"Yeah, Kankuro?"

He was right behind me, and I felt his hesitation. I think he was reaching out to touch my shoulder but decided against when I spoke again. "Bast is waiting and ready to complain, so please hurry," I lied. My cat only bothered me at random moments in the middle of the night.

"Bast?"

"That's the name of my kitten. 'Bast' is the name of the Egyptian goddess of cats, so I thought it was pretty appropriate. She's a small, stone gray fuzz ball."

"You're worried about getting home to your kitten?" Kankuro looked slightly dazed, and kind of surprised. Temari as well had a comically surprised look on her face. What was so surprising that I had a kitten anyways? I mean, c'mon…

"Yeah. I can't leave her home alone too long. She can't sleep by herself."

"Let her sleep in your parents' bed."

"As if. They hated her, and I live alone." I turned around with a look of distaste on my face.

"You live by yourself?" Temari said skeptically.

"Uh hum."

"You're around fourteen! Why do you live alone?" she asked.

"I hate my family."

"How can you hate all of your family?"

"Not all of it, just the immediate and most of the rest. I love my grandmother, but she doesn't live around here…"

"Why do you hate your family?" Kankuro asked.

"I have a lot of reasons, but mainly because they are completely and totally against the idea of living in one place and settling down. Even with children and marriage, neither of my parents actually 'settled down', they just added people to switch houses with. The idea of being in one place for long is like the thought of willingly looking at Gai in a tutu. Repulsive, disturbing, and something you would never do.

"Is this really why you stopped me?"

"…No…"

"Then can we get back to that please Kankuro?" My voice had taken on an empty tone, almost completely emotionless. Almost like Gaara's.

"Just… I was just wondering if you're coming over when Mori does…" I knew he was lying, but replied all the same.

"I don't know now… Mori-san planned for us to come over together, but…" I left it at that, not sure how I would continue anyway.

"Aw, don't let Gaara get you down. I mean, I know you're dead set on being his first friend and that wasn't a great start, but don't let it ruin your day. Gaara's like that with everyone… Actually, he's a tad less violent around you. It's kinda disturbing, but at the same time I can't believe that's possible. If anyone could do this, I actually think it would be you. So please don't give up. I mean, sure, Gaara's a jerk and I wouldn't doubt he hates me, but if someone could help him and I had the choice as to whether or not he's helped, I'd definitely want that person to help him. So, Aya, you have to help him. None of us – including myself and Temari – are any help to him. I want Gaara to be happy, even though a lot of things about him scare me shitless and he probably wants to run me over with a car. Gaara's had problems since childhood, and Temari and I – admittedly – haven't made anything better by trying to protect him. I want you to continue to be dead set on gaining my brother's friendship, Aya."

I let a tiny grin spread on my face and finally looked Kankuro straight in the eyes, thoughts all over my face.

"Kankuro, you just did the worst possible thing in the world." He looked stricken, totally confused. I continued before he could say something though.

"You just motivated me."