Surreal

Chapter Four

The shrill sound of the bell rang through the school, signaling the end of the lesson. I, surprisingly, was really disappointed because, for the first time in so long, I was paying attention to the lesson. Not only that, but I also seemed to be enjoying it.

As the students began to leave one by one, I stood up, collecting my things.

"Haruno, Uchiha, stay here." Kakashi's voice stopped me dead in my tracks. Why? I don't recall doing something. If anything, I have done my homework and that was the first time I ever bothered. And why Sasuke?

I walked to Kakashi's desk along with said Uchiha, confusion on both our faces. Kakashi's only visible black eye (the other one is bandaged because of a scar) moved towards me.

"Good job, Sakura." his mask lifted upwards, indicating that he was smiling.

Kakashi-sensei is a very shady person, for the lack of a better term. He wears a weird, black mask for no apparent reason. Also, like I said before, his left eye is bandaged by a cloth. He's always, always, late. And when asked about anything, like if he was married or how did he get that scar, he always remains quiet and then change the subject.

All in all, Hatake Kakashi is a very mysterious person.

"Sakura," he said, shaking me out of my reverie, "This is the first time you do your homework and, I've got to admit, you've done it quite brilliantly. It seems that you were indeed paying attention in class and I'm very glad," he smiled.

My heart fluttered a bit at his genuine words. Wow...is this how people feel when they accomplish something? It's been awhile since I felt like this.

"But, I have also noticed that you struggled a bit in some questions. In addition, when talking to some of your teachers, we've concluded that you need help in history and trigonometry. So I assigned Sasuke here to tutor you since he's the best student among all the classes."

My eyes widened at those words, any happiness from before dissipated completely into fickleness. Me? With Sasuke? I can't talk to him, never mind look him in the eye! What can I do? Surely he wouldn't agree. I mean he's a quiet person who likes his privacy; he wouldn't want any annoying girl pestering him to death!

"Hn. Sure." What! Is he out of his mind?!

I bit my lips frantically, "Uh...okay." I agreed quietly. Maybe this will turn to the better. Maybe we'd become friends. Maybe I'm just overreacting. Nothing would happen.

Right?

"Are you coming today?"

The sun shone above us as we walked down the track towards my house. I looked at the passing trees and got lost in my train of thoughts. I'm supposed to begin meeting up with Sasuke from next week. He said that since he can't stay late after school (for unknown reasons), I would have to come along with him to his house.

So from next week, I wouldn't be able to walk along with Gaara. I don't even know how to tell him this! He despises Sasuke for some reason and he would never agree to me spending time with said Uchiha. If I ever tell him, he'd surely explode.

"Sakura..?"

I looked at him weirdly, "Huh?"

He glared at me, annoyed.

"Sorry," I smiled sheepishly, rubbing my right hand against my left shoulder.

He sighed, exasperated, "I said, are you coming today? To Shizune's?"

That's the other thing that has been nagging me non-stop. Now that I sleep peacefully, I don't need Shizune's help anymore. But, now seeing Gaara would be reduced to null. I can't walk with him to home nor can I attend sessions with him. Or can I...?

I can always talk to Shizune and tell her that I don't need the sessions but I will still come along with Gaara. Surely she'd understand. She herself said once that my bond with Gaara is a positive thing for our nightmares. She had noticed that Gaara's personality has changed drastically ever since I joined the sessions.

"Yeah of course! I won't mess any session with you!"

His eyes sparkled happily, his face filled with life. A small smile twitched at the corners of his thin lips. I smiled back almost instantly.

It became a routine. Going out with Gaara for his little get-together with his fellow soccer players every weekend became quite repetitive.

I was sitting at my usual spot, beside Hinata. Kiba seated himself comfortably across from us, chatting animatedly about some prank he and Naruto did to Hinata's cousin, Neji.

"-and then he ran out of the shower screaming at us! He chased us all around the gym's lockers and his hair was a living hell. Putting dye in his shampoo is just damn funny!" he laughed out loud, earning a glare from everyone near us.

"What color...?" Hinata asked softly. She looked very worried (whether it's for Neji who had his beloved hair ruined for a week or for Naruto who was beaten up by said Hyuuga, I have no idea).

Kiba smirked proudly, "Green. Not like your eyes' beautiful shade, Sak! Much, much darker!"

My neck snapped towards him in shock. My face warmed up slightly as a faint blush tainted my pale cheeks. Beautiful shade of green…

I smiled at him thankfully as he returned it by his trademark grin.

"Is that why Hyuuga is wearing that weird hat and not flaunting his hair like he always does?" Shikamaru sighed as he flopped down next to me, lying down ungracefully. "Man it's getting agonizingly hot everyday! It's troublesome," he yawned.

"Tell me about it. Even Akamaru doesn't want to leave the house!"

Shikamaru grabbed a bottle of water and drenched all the water over his face. While doing that, he had succeeded into splashing some of it onto us.

"OI! You lazy bum! Stop being an idiot!" Kiba bellowed loudly. But the brunet ignored him completely, preferring to gaze at the clouds instead.

Kiba's eyes sparkled excitingly, his canines glinting in the sunlight-a total contrast to what I thought he'd do, "How about we go to the swimming pool instead, eh?"

Hinata averted her eyes to the grass in front of her, her face flushing. I had the same feelings like her as well. I mean, a pool means a swimsuit. And a swimsuit means less clothing covering our bodies. It would be very embarrassing.

But...at the same time...it would be an awesome change. I would never go to a swimming pool alone, but if it's with friends; it's an amazing idea.

"Troublesome."

"Oh c'mon you guys! It'll be fun, right Sak?" his eyes shone, clearly anticipating my answer.

It'll be fun. It'll be a good change. I'll have Gaara, Hinata and Kiba by my side. Nothing will go wrong."Yeah!" I grinned.

"-And then he-"

"-chased you and Naruto all around the gym's locker, right?"

Kiba looked at me with clear amusement, "Well that was expected but you'll never guess the color!"

"Green, not like my eye's shade. A little bit darker?" I smirked.

His mouth formed into a cute pout as his eyes glistened in aggravation, "How!"

"Let's just say I've already heard about that," I answered, laughing triumphantly.

"Humph! No fair!"

Hinata ruffled his hair from his other side, "Don't be sad, Kiba-kun."

We giggled loudly at the blush that spread across his cheeks.

I sighed loudly, looking at the cerulean sky. I wondered what it would be like to fly. It would surely be a nice thing. Soaring through the wind, meekly avoiding puffs of clouds and feeling the cool breeze hitting my face, ruffling my hair. Wouldn't that be great?

I closed my eyes and imagined the view from up there. It would be quite mesmerizing. Flying with a plane is nice, but I want to fly myself. I want to fly, without having to ride anything, without having to tighten my seat belt, without worrying about the plane falling or crashing. I want to be free.

"Sakura."

I opened my eyes slowly to see whose beautiful voice that was. I blinked once, twice, thrice as I tried to comprehend what's around me. It seemed that Hinata and Kiba were no longer nearby. Obsidian eyes looked down at me. Sasuke?

Looking downwards, I realized that his right arm was extended towards me. I grabbed his calloused hand carefully, slowly drowning in those dark charcoal eyes. I let out a sudden gasp when he lifted me upwards strongly.

But it was too strong; for as soon as I was on my feet, I lost balance and crashed unceremoniously right onto his warm chest.

Silence consumed us, the only sounds I could hear was my beating heart. Beating and beating stronger and quicker by the second. My face was flush against his (strong, warm, muscular) chest. My ears could hear his soft heart beat and the soothing sounds it made.

It felt right, so right, to just close my eyes and sleep in this more than comfortable embrace. I felt his arms snake around my slender hips, his head slowly and carefully bending downwards, next to my ear.

"Do you like it here?" his low and husky voice sent shivers throughout my body, shaking me out of my embarrassing daydreams.

With a great strength and a renewed resolve, I quickly untangled myself from his body. "Uh um s-sorry!" I spluttered out indignantly.

Smirking triumphantly, as if he had accomplished something pride-worthy, he tugged on my hand, "Let's go sit on that bench."

I followed along towards the aforementioned bench, the oddly familiar one that's under the big Sakura tree. He sat down first, but I didn't follow his lead. Sasuke wants me to sit with him, on the same bench, and actually talk to me. Sasuke (the one that barely moves his eyes upwards to look at his only best friend when talking) wants to talk to me (a nobody with any significant meaning in his life)!

"What are you waiting for?" He asked in that smooth voice of his.

Blushing yet again, I sat down at the very end of the wooden bench, very far away from him. I caught him rolling his eyes as he moved ever-so-slowly towards me, much to my embarrassment.

"So, Sakura, why are you so stiff and flustered around me?" Sasuke, totally out of character, turned to face me, effectively bringing his face closer to mine. Our noses brushed, forehead touched, and eyes clashed.

My answer, which was going to be all jumbled and incoherent, quickly disappeared, taking my breath with it. I wanted to close my eyes and maybe lean closer and closer to capture his lips in a heated kiss that every other girl was craving to experience. I was about to forget all about my shyness, all about my anxiety. I was going to finally feel his precious, pink paradise against mine.

However, as soon as I made my mind and dipped my mouth forwards to meet his, he completely vanished into thin air.

"Huh?"

Laughter issued just beside me, and I turned around to meet my father's laughing form.

"What?!" I yelled, still a little dazed.

"Ahahaha-you and then he-ahahahaha! Oh God, Sakura help me I can't stop laughing!"

I stomped my feet angrily on the ground, successfully silencing him, "What just happened?"

His mouth stretched into a lopsided grin, "He woke up."

My mouth stretched inwards forming the letter "O" as realization dawned on me.

"Were you going to kiss him?" Dad asked, quickly sobering up.

My cheeks flared red, green irises darting everywhere except on him. He let out a sigh, walking closer towards me and settled down on the bench.

"Look, Saku-chan. This world is for you to finally enjoy your life and live happily. It's made up to make you forget about all the hardships in life and to do things you normally can never do. Like, for example, flying or sitting on clouds or something. It's your dreamland."

He paused a little so I can grasp everything he said, "But, you do realize that this is a false reality; a fantasy. So, whatever happens here won't be remembered in the real world. If you confess to someone here, he won't bother remembering it when he wakes up." He looked me straight in the eyes, "All I'm saying is, Sakura, don't do anything absurd here, and then have hope that it will be remembered when in reality. No one here will relate the events with the two worlds. Some of them might even treat you differently. Of course, you've noticed that Sasuke-kun is completely irrational and out of character here, unlike his true cold self. And Hinata-chan seems like she got over her bashfulness and is laughing and talking quite openly."

I nodded mutely.

"Be careful, dear. Don't be led on, or you'll be severely disappointed."

His words echoed in my mind, replaying and replaying until it was burned into her memory.

Whatever happens here, it won't happen anywhere else. If I had kissed him, nothing would have changed in real life. I don't want to have a pretense relationship with anyone. I don't want to be misled. I don't want to wait for something that won't ever happen.

I don't want to be hurt again.

"Don't worry, dad," I looked defiantly into his eyes.

A/N: Because Valentine! Since I have nothing to do in that specific day, I decided to write some SasuSaku. So here it is... Soz, my fluff is rather boring and jumbled and irrational and I should never attempt to write fluff ever again \(o.o)/

Have a happy Valentine y'all!

pleeaaase review please *cute puppy face*