VitaminWater Fact Number 7: At a store, VitaminWater usually costs around $1.30 (US). It's a TOTAL rip-off when they start selling it at your school for $1.50 instead…

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x. by ANGELforSHOW

Chapter Six: Essential.
Purpose: Morning Nutrition.

-

Everyone learns when they're in elementary school that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" Well, unless you're French – then it's lunch.

Sakura, on her way to medical school in hopes of becoming a doctor, definitely knew this.

This is why she made everyone eat something at breakfast. She wasn't in the pre-med program for nothing – Haruno Sakura definitely knew that in order to function properly throughout the entire day, breakfast was definitely needed. Everyday.

Besides, she mused, breakfast foods were always so delicious.

French toast, waffles, pancakes, doughnuts, bacon, eggs, toast, cereal, oatmeal, orange juice, coffee, hot chocolate, croissants, omelets, sausage, ham, fruit, Nutella, cinnamon buns, yogurt, espressos, tea, hash browns, grits, scrapple, pastries…!

No doubt about it, Sakura loved her breakfast foods.

She'd enjoyed her Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms as an elementary school-er, and the she grew more sophisticated in middle school, insisting on Bisquick pancakes every morning. She absolutely adored breakfast in high school, making herself omelets everyday (extra cheese with green peppers and bacon bits).

It was no surprise that she loved college breakfast even more. She got to meet her best friends, Naruto, Ino, and Sasuke in the cafeteria everyday at 8:30 for her favorite meal ever. The food was decent, and the company was always wonderful. Ino was bright and cheerful, while Naruto was downright chipper. Sasuke, although always quiet was terrific once you had him talking.

As a plus, breakfast always meant a new flavor of VitaminWater for the day, and a new start at life.

But, was there something else about breakfast at college she loved too?

"Mm," Sakura cooed appreciatively. "This cinnamon bun is pretty good. Pig, you have to try one," she told Ino, licking icing off her fingertips. "Screw the no-lipid rule, we'll go jogging after this or something."

Ino wrinkled her nose. "Lipid?" she asked. "What are you, a biology teacher? Just say fat," she laughed, reaching over to pinch a section off of Sakura's cinnamon bun. Her eyes widened considerably. "Dear God, this is delicious," she mumbled, getting up. "Be right back."

Naruto laughed and leaned back in his chair, ripping off a third of one of his four doughnuts with his teeth.

Sakura took out her phone and checked the time. "It's like 8:45. We have that lecture at what, 10:00? Where's Sasuke?" she asked, taking a sip of VitaminWater. It was Essential today, orange-orange flavor.

She grimaced slightly. As delicious as it was (ALL VITAMINWATER WAS GOOD, DAMMIT!), if Essential hit the wrong taste buds, it had an uncanny resemblance to watery Sunny-D.

"The bastard's sick," Naruto said, shrugging. "I told him to stay in bed, and I'd bring him a tomato or something." He stretched his arms out and stood up. "Coffee refill…" he muttered, swiping his empty cup off the table and sauntering towards the coffee machines.

Ino licked her fingertips. "This cinnamon bun is going straight to my thighs," she complained, "…but I can't help it," she added, taking another piece of the sticky pastry and putting it in her mouth.

Sakura smiled. "I know right?" she agreed, wiping her fingers on a paper napkin. She looked at the remaining half of her cinnamon bun. "Do you want this Pig?" she asked, pushing her tray towards Ino.

The blonde eyed the pastry skeptically. "I thought you loved it. Why aren't you eating it?" she asked Sakura, azure eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Are you coming down with something, Forehead?"

Sakura shrugged, brushing some hair away from her forehead. "Nah, I'm just not that hungry today for some reason," she assured Ino. "I don't know why, but it just doesn't taste that great all of a sudden."

Ino sighed. "Well, give it to Naruto or something," she told Sakura. "Because it's just going to go straight to my thighs."

Snuggling comfortably into her seat in the psychology lecture hall, Sakura flipped open her phone and swiftly started composing a text message to Ino – she still had her calculator, and she needed it back before the Calculus lecture later that evening. Even though she was in the lecture hall, Ino and Naruto were at the opposite end of the room. Besides, class was starting already.

Ibiki scanned the room with his quick eyes before counting out papers to give out. "Where's Uchiha?" he asked, ignoring some dreamy sighs that unwillingly escaped from their mouths.

"He's sick, Sir," Naruto informed his teacher. "He looked kinda really awful this morning, so I don't think he'll be coming in today."

("Ooh, I'm going to make him a care package!" a Sasuke fangirl whispered excitedly to her friend. Sakura laughed slightly.)

Ibiki nodded. "Alright then. Haruno, you're his partner, correct?"

Sakura nodded, hastily shoving her phone into her purse. "That's right, Sir," she told him, discreetly dropping her bag to the floor. (Ino sniggered on the other side of the room none-too-quietly.)

"Good. Take good notes and give Uchiha a copy tonight," he ordered her shortly. "Now, we're moving on today to psychology in ancient philosophy…"

It was kind of strange that Sakura barely spent any time in her own dorm. After all, she had scored a great single dorm – on the corner of the building too, meaning more closet space – with a personal toilet and sink. Her neighbors were relatively quiet and easy to get along with, and the room was decorated and cozy.

Too bad she spent a minimal amount of time there.

Dropping off her belongings, Sakura decided to humor the idea of spending time in her dorm and sat down on her bed, turning on the light and pulling out a textbook.

It took her about three seconds to toss the history book aside and stand up.

Her reflection caught her as she reached into her closet to grab her coat. Yes, Sakura decided, it was time for an outfit change.

Bored of the white leggings and long, green and pink striped cowl-neck sweater she was wearing, she pulled off the cashmere sweater and switched it out for a heather gray jersey bubble skirt (leggings pulled to the knees of course) and fitted, three-quarter sleeved, pink, silk button up shirt.

Taking another VitaminWater out of her mini-fridge, she slipped her feet into metallic silver ballet pumps – kitten heeled – before heading out the door.

Locking her dorm, Sakura made sure she had her laptop, money, phone, ID, and iPod before walking away. After all, it'd be a shame if her (super cute) matching silver tote proved useless if she forgot something from her own carelessness.

Glancing at the clock in the hallway, Sakura contemplated the time. It was 8:00, but she had to give Sasuke the psychology notes before Ibiki had her head by the next lecture. The next class wasn't until the day after tomorrow, but they had that assignment due too, and Sasuke would definitely need more than just half a day to complete it on time…

She could always just barge into his room, if need be, to shake him out of his NyQuil-induced sleep if she had to anyway, Sakura decided. Naruto had an extra key.

Buttoning her black pea coat, Sakura headed briskly down the hallway. Sasuke's dorm building was at least a third of the way down campus – a good walk.

If she were lucky, she would be there by 8:10.

"Sasuke?" Sakura called quietly while knocking on his dorm door. "I know you're in there, open up."

The door slowly creaked open, and Sakura was greeted by Sasuke, pale, hair even more unkempt than usual, and with a nose that was slightly flushed from being blown so much.

"Sakura," Sasuke croaked out with a curt nod. Sakura cursed inwardly. Even with a freaking cold, he still looked and sounded positively delicious. When she was ill, she sounded like a choking toad.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at his appearance. "You look…uh…yeah, I have psych. notes I have to give you, and an assignment," she told him, patting her bag.

Wordlessly, Sasuke shifted backwards, a signal for Sakura to enter.

The bed sheets were rumpled and his trashcan was overflowing with crumpled (snotty) tissues, but other than that, his dorm looked the same. For once in his life, Sasuke had forgone his usual VitaminWater to drink regular water instead.

Sitting at the foot of his bed, Sakura pulled out her MacBook, opening it up and sticking a flash drive into a USB port. "I'll transfer the notes for you, if you want, and the assignment is typed at the bottom too," she told Sasuke, who handed her his laptop as she spoke, "It's due the next class we have, so I wanted to give it to you earlier so you'd at least know about it."

Pulling out the flash drive, Sakura gently slid it into one of Sasuke's MacBook Pro's USB ports. With a few circles on the trackpad and a click, the files were transferred.

"Done," she informed Sasuke, who was watching her over her shoulder next to her on the bed. "You look awful," she said to him bluntly. "Are you taking anything for your cold?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I'll get over it," he informed her. "I'll just eat some apples and drink water."

Sakura laughed. "I don't think so. It might work, but that'll take forever," she said with a smirk. "Just take some NyQuil," she told him. "Makes you sleep like a baby too."

Shutting her laptop lid, she slid her computer back into her bag. "Well, I guess I'll be going," she said. "I'll see you later."

Sasuke nodded. "Thanks for the notes," he told her with a cough, opening the door for her to usher her out.

Sakura smiled faintly. "Anytime," she told him. "If you need anything, beat Naruto over the head with a textbook, and he'll probably do everything for you," she said to him seriously.

"Hn," Sasuke snorted, amused.

Sakura waved slightly. "Bye Sasuke. NyQuil!" she sang out. "Don't forget the NyQuilllll!"

"Aa," Sasuke scoffed quietly. "Right."

Sakura licked her lips as she scooped more of her cereal-yogurt parfait into her mouth. Tired of the usual breakfasts she ate, she had opted for mixing cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats to be exact) into strawberry yogurt to make a parfait of sorts. "This is really good," she told Ino with a grin. "You should try it sometime, Pig."

Ino rolled her eyes. "You said that about the cinnamon buns yesterday, and I ended up eating three of them," Ino told Sakura crossly. "I'm never taking one of your food suggestions again, thanks."

"Have it your way," Sakura muttered, licking strawberry yogurt off of her spoon.

"Hn."

Everyone looked up as Sasuke pulled out his chair and sat down, setting his tray down on the table first. He had two slices of toast today, along with an apple. On a smaller plate next to it, there was a single, steaming cinnamon bun.

Ino's eyes widened. "No, not more…" she muttered, pushing her food away from her and shielding her eyes from Sasuke's plate.

"Are those fresh?" Sakura asked. "I'm so getting one…" she stood up and practically skipped to the pastry bar.

She returned with a small plate with two on it. "I got one for you Ino," she cackled, tearing off a piece and eating it. "Wow," she said, green eyes shining. "These are amazing today!"

"Gimme some," Ino demanded automatically, pulling a chunk off of the other pastry. "These taste exactly the same, Forehead," she told Sakura after a few moments of critical chewing.

Sakura shrugged. "They just taste better for some reason," she said, nibbling on a bit of cinnamon bun. She caught Sasuke's eye. "Try yours," she told him with a smile.

Ino smirked to herself, taking the rest of her swirl-shaped pastry off of Sakura's plate. She knew why Sakura was so happy this morning.

Sasuke took a bite of his cinnamon bun and promptly washed it down with his VitaminWater (defense, raspberry-apple). "It's too sweet. Eat it," he told Naruto, handing the plate to him.

The blond boy accepted the plate happily. "You look better bastard," Naruto commented. "What did you do?"

"NyQuil."

Ahh, that chapter was a little rough…

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