Reputations at Stake

I was smiling the whole way, until we got to the cafeteria. Then the smile fell.

I felt them all, the stares that is, and a sudden silence filled the space as people saw me enter the room with Ino and Inner-even though I am the only one knowing Inner is here. I don't know what to do so I inch closer to Ino and ask her why everyone is staring.

She giggles and it echo's throughout the lunch room. "At you Forehead!" Then taking my hand she leads me towards the lunch line.

The whispers start as we move. Like with Sasuke earlier they slowly got louder and louder. By the time we were able to get out trays most of the students returned to their lives. But the others were still focused on the new girl with the pink hair.

"Hi!"

I turn to see a girl with dark purplish violet hair cut in a choppy A-cut and mud brown eyes. They bring a vision on TenTen from this morning to mind but I dismiss the thought almost immediately. TenTen's eyes were way prettier.

"Hi," I reply.

"Aren't you embarrassed?" she whispered to me as if sharing a secret.

Confused I don't even verbally answer her question. She reads it straight off my face.

"About the bubblegum stuck all over your head. You know I hear peanut butter gets it out." She smiles sweetly and I hear Inner growl.

"What the fuck is wrong with you people?!" Inner shrieks while taking a step towards the girl.

I'm about to correct the purple haired bitch when Ino puts her hand on my head and runs her fingers through my hair.

"Wow Sakura your hair is so soft and healthy! What do you use to keep it like this? I mean obviously not bubblegum because your hair is too perfect for something like that to be in it." She then smiles just as sweetly to the brown eyed girl before reaching out and touching a lock of her hair. "Oh Ami! What have you been doing to your hair! It's so dry!" With a sympathetic pout Ino pats Ami's shoulder. "It's okay horse hair does that but doesn't get rid of the, you know fleas." Ami's face becomes a furious snarl then she turns away and returns to her table.

I snort out a laugh. "Fleas?"

Ino grins, "well word on the street is that slut Ami slept with Kiba. You remember the guy from our Lit. class with the red fang tattoo's on his cheeks?" I just stare at her.

THERE'S A GUY IN MY SCHOOL WITH RED FANG TATTOO'S ON HIS CHEEKS? AND I DIDN'T NOTICE?! HOW?!

Ino rolls her eyes before continuing. "Anyway word is he has this thing for dogs. His whole family does so of course his place has to be covered in fleas. Apparently after they did it in the janitor's closet she got a whole lot of fleas in her hair and eventually she had to shave off all her hair! All the shampoos didn't work to kill the little pests! That's why her hair looks so shitty. She claims it's the new edgy look but that look is from like five years ago or something." With a flip of her hair we move forward to get out lunches. When I look at all the junk food though I made a mental note to stare bringing lunch from home. Last night's spaghetti was a treat but I need healthy food otherwise I'll blow up like a balloon. It's not my fault, it's my medicine.

I stick to a salad and some fruits.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

I turn to find Naruto by the entrance and he is heading my way. His grin is infectious, I can't help but smile right back at him. I raise my hand to wave but Ino catches it and drags me towards a table where a bunch of people are already seated.

"Ino, wait! Remember I said I already made plans to sit with someone. Naru-"

"You didn't tell me it was with the freak!" she hissed at me while keeping a mostly calm face. If it wasn't for her teeth clenched I never would have guessed she was in such a bad mood.

But the problem now is I am pissed.

I jerk Ino to a stop. One hand holding hers while another is hanging on to my trey with my lunch on it. My hand holding hers is griping tightly and I glare at her.

"Freak?" I whisper.

Understanding lights her eyes, she cringes as she remembers my old nickname from some of the other patients at the hospital.

"Look, Sakura, you are one of the coolest people I've ever known in like my whole life! You're not a freak. But Uzumaki is defiantly one. None of the adults in Konoha want to deal with him; he was kicked out of the orphanage when he was 10 and given his own place to stay from the city! Isn't that weird? Its amazing Sasuke-kun can stand to be around him. But that's might be because they were on the same team last quarter." Ino shook her head. "Anyway, don't hang out with him okay? It's bad for your reputation, and mine by association. Don't worry though I got your back Forehead, I won't let you be picked on like when we were kids. You're the only one who really knows me."

I can' believe it. Ino why? How can you be so cruel to someone because others are doing it yet protect me? How does that even make sense! You call him an insult that hurts me yet you try comfort me? What happened to the girl who would proudly shout to the world what she knows? Who didn't care what others thought because she knew their mind already? The girl who would bravly stand up to a demon for me? Where did she go? Why are you so scared of having your reputation tarnished?

A hand on my shoulder brings my attention to my blond friend who is standing behind me. I see his grinning face, mysteriously glowing blue gaze and I suck in a breath.

It's like I'm trapped in a whirlpool. That's what his eyes do to me. They capture my attention.

"Oi! Sakura concentrate!" Inner snaps.

I jolt and turn back to Ino who was discretely tugging on my now slack hand.

"Come on Sakura I want to introduce you to some of my friends!" Ino cheerfully says.

"Eh? But Sakura-chan you promised me remember! It was two promises!" Naruto whines.

I don't move from my spot.

What should I do? I know the right thing should be to go sit with Naruto but I do want to spend time with Ino. I mean Naruto accepts me, I didn't need to do anything, to prove anything. But Ino understands me in a way no one else ever has. She saw my monsters. She's the only other person that knows they are real and wants to help me. She doesn't want me to suffer, she still want to protect me, even in such a shallow way.

I want to be friends with both of them. How can these two blonds become friends?

"I.." Oh crap what should I do!

A grunt causes me to turn towards this group's latest member. Holding a black bento box with a red and white fan on top of it is, Sasuke.

"Oh great! The Caveman is here!" Inner mumbles.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino joyfully exclaims as she releases my hand and starts to play with her hair.

"Move," he orders, glaring at me specifically. Confused I take a step to the side, closer to Naruto as Ino looks to be trapped in her own world, and Sasuke walks past me with Ino following him like a lost puppy.

"Bastard," hisses Naruto as he tugs me away from the tables and towards the door leading to the hallway.

I turn around and see Sasuke weaving through the tables while a group of girls, chases after him. I can hear their joyful cries and excitement as he brushes past them while protecting his food. The guys are looking at him and shaking their heads, as to say they will never understand girls.

Why would he purposely go through that hell?

A light bulb went on in my head as me and Naruto make our way out the door.

Could he have done that to save me?

A/N:

Alright! Finally some SasuSaku action! A sweet gesture from Sasuke, a deliberate gesture I might add. Facing a horde of fan-girls for Sakura's sake to protect her from making a possibly very public decision about where she stands when it comes to cliques. That's sweet!

Giving her a chance to sneak away with Naruto without bringing so much attention to herself and having Naruto dragging her off makes it seem like she wasn't going willingly huh?

Sorry this was a short one. I've been sick the last few days and going through some stressful situations. This was all I could focus on at this point in time.

Next chapter Sakura's secrets are going to start spilling then…well you'll see. Hehehe.

Please review! I love reading reviews they help keep me motivated when it comes to writing through these tough times.