Short trivia about the author. I started this story when I was a sophomore in college so that was three years ago in late 2011 and I've already graduated. My major's English, by the way. I'm still looking for a teaching job right now (yes yes, I'm a teacher... and I like animé... but so what?).

My inspiration to this story is... all those stories about a poor girl in a rich world. Cliché, I know. But who doesn't like it? Hana Yori Dango, Ouran High School Host Club etc. etc. Goes to show that everybody has the capacity to be rich as long as you're hard working and has a goal to achieve. Even those who didn't finish their studies. Many dropouts are now billionaires and made a lot of things that contributed to our society today. They're just people who realized what they want to achieve earlier. But as a teacher, I encourage you to finish your studies, especially those who doesn't know what they want to do yet. Maybe in the few years before you graduate, you'll realize what you really want to do.

Okay, emotion overload. Ha ha!

Thanks kitten9322 for that short but wonderful review! It made me happy so this chapter's for you.

Standard DISCLAIMER applied.

I present to you...

SURVIVING MY OWN STUPIDITY

Chapter 2

And She Eats With Them…

It was there in the café, while eating with my two new friends, Hinata and Tenten and my best friend, Ino, where I met them.

"Huh? Oh, Hinata- chan… Your cousin's coming this way." Tenten suddenly said while looking at my and Ino's back.

Hinata looked up from her food to behind our backs then sighed.

"Eh?" I look at my back and saw those familiar looking guys coming towards our table.

Everyone in the canteen is literally turning their heads around to look at them.

Hyuuga Neji, the one with the chestnut colored hair reaching his back but is ponytailed neatly, is obviously Hinata's cousin, aside from their surnames, they both have white irises. Hinata told us that he's in third year now.

There's also Nara Shikamaru, if I'm considered as the smartest girl in Konoha Gakuen then this guy's the smartest boy with his 200 IQ.

But the last one is the one who caught my attention the most. It's the first time I saw his handsome face on campus. His raven hair is like a chicken's butt but it looks really good on him and his onyx eyes can seem to hypnotize you to do what he wants. Even with the boy's uniform on- long sleeved white button up shirt with a black neck tie and gray slacks- he still looked like someone who came out of a magazine, sexy magazine to be exact.

I blinked. I must admit they're all gloriously handsome. I turned to Ino but instead of squealing like a crazy bird like she usually does whenever she sees handsome guys, she's looking down at her food and quietly eating.

Tenten scoffed. "These guys… everyone looks up to them because animosity aside, they have the looks and the brains and they're multibillionaires but they are still egotistical brats."

"Really huh." I mused. I turned to Ino again. She seems tense, I wonder why.

The three approached their table led by Hinata's cousin.

He stood beside Hinata and bowed.

I watched Hinata's face change. She's now composed with the straight back and all. It's like a whole new Hyuuga Hinata! There's an air of aristocracy around her.

"Hinata- sama, I'm terribly sorry for interrupting your meal but Hiashi- sama wants me to tell you to go straight home after your dismissal. Your car will arrive at exactly 3 o'clock. Please be at the entrance gate before then." He told her formally.

Hinata nodded. "I understand. I'll be there by 2:50. The coaches asked for all fighters. You should've told me there."

Oh, she mentioned a while ago that all Hyuugas are being trained in martial arts since childhood and Hinata- chan was one of the fighters the school sends out to compete with other schools.

Her cousin bowed again. "Hiashi- sama called me just now and told me to inform you immediately."

"Okay. Thank you for informing me, Neji- niisan." The Hyuuga heiress went back to her relaxed posture. "Have you eaten already? You can join us."

"We haven't yet…" He looked at the other two. Shikamaru just shrugged while the cool one turned away. Hinata's cousin must be asking for permission to the two. He turns back to Hinata. "We'll pas- "

"SAKURA- CHAAAAAN!" I heard a noisy voice coming from behind me.

Gosh, so this noisy idiot's with them too. Just my luck.

I sighed to myself as I saw the blonde son of the fourth Kouchou- sensei of this crazy school, Namikaze Minato, and stood beside the cool looking guy. "Naruto."

Naruto grinned at me. "How are you, Sakura- chan? I haven't seen you in a while!"

"Yeah. I intended to do that." I told him simply and continue eating my lunch.

Uzumaki Naruto is my second best friend here. Ino wanted to always be in my class but sometimes the school's decision is unchangeable and during those classes when I didn't have anyone to talk to but myself, this idiot approached me and offered to sit beside me. He said he was really amazed when I spoke with great fluency in English that even our teacher didn't understand what I was saying. You can say I've had an unwelcomed fan. He confessed at the last semester of first year which I politely turned down. I liked Naruto but not intimately.

"Aww, Sakura- chan. You're so cruel." I heard him say, then dragged a table and sat beside me. "Let's just eat here. I'm tired. Tsunade- baachan made me lift his GINORMOUS cabinet full of her unfinished paper works. I'll just reschedule our reservation at the restaurant tomorrow."

Senju Tsunade is Konoha Gakuen's fifth Kouchou- sensei. The ALWAYS drunk woman who looks like she's in her thirties but is actually in her fifties. Geez. She's the only Kouchou-sensei that I know who drinks sake in her office AT SCHOOL. But she's a loving person and an amazing leader so her 'hobby' is not really a problem.

"Hn. Whatever." The cool one sat beside Naruto. Neji sat beside Tenten and beside him is Shikamaru.

Everyone was too quiet as we eat that it was so awkward.

I sighed. 'Eerie.'

"So, Ino! When will be your engagement party?" Naruto blurted out which earned a glare from the blonde woman.

I choked the omelet I was eating and look at Ino with wide eyes. "Y- You're engaged? With whom? How come I didn't know that?"

I watched Ino sigh and turn away. "It's not that important, Forehead. There's no need to fuss over it."

I furrowed my brows. She's avoiding the topic huh. I turn to Naruto. "Who's she engaged with, Naruto?"

Naruto raised his head from the food he's eating. "Huh? Oh, it's him. Nara Shikamaru."

I raised a brow. "Shikamaru?"

The 200 IQer must've caught the suspicion in my voice. "What?"

I frowned. "You didn't mention anything about your and Ino's engagement at the seminar last week! Even when we talked about her!"

Shikamaru and I can be considered as close friends now since we've been the representatives of the school in different seminars for two years and we've had conversations about our personal lives but really, their engagement was never mentioned.

He turned to me lazily. "We talked about her but we didn't talk about our engagement. You never did ask, Sakura."

"WHAT? That is not worth asking! That topic is meant to be shared. You understand that, huh? Geez. Sometimes you just don't care, Shikamaru." I told him as- a- matter- of- factly.

"Troublesome. Sometimes you care too much."

I frowned to that. "That's because Ino's my friend, duh."

"Hey hey. Calm down you two. Your participation in the next seminar might get affected by your fight- "

"We're not fighting, Naruto. I'm just telling him how concerned I am with my best friend's affairs. Ino's clueless at times and I'm worried about how her decisions affect her." I cut him off sharply and turn to Shikamaru. "You don't act as the top 1 in our batch's boys department."

The school shows the top fifteen students after every semester via LCD covering one whole wall that is also used as a bulletin board. It's also part of the scholarship that I must top those fifteen so there, I've been number one since last year when I entered this school.

Shikamaru chuckled at my tone. "And you don't really sound like you're the top 1 in the girl's department."

"Whatever."

"You're so childish for a genius." He commented.

"I'm not a genius. You are. I don't have a 200 IQ like you. I just like studying." I retorted.

"WHOA! Please stop talking! I can't take it when people starts to talk about studying!" Naruto yelled crazily.

BLAG!

His face fell flat on the table.

"Stop yelling, you idiot!" I shouted angrily.

Naruto raised his face and pouted. "But you're also yelling, Sakura- chan…"

I strangled him. "Ha! You still have the nerve to talk back huh?"

"AAAH! SAKURA- CHAN! Stop it! You're going to kill me!" Naruto begged.

I heard everyone laugh, even the ones that are not in our table.

I blushed and sat down with my fingers still pinching Naruto's cheek.

"Ow- ow- ow- ow- ow. Geez, Sakura- chan. You're becoming MORE violent every single day."

"It's because you're such an idiot."

I caught sight of Ino and she looked like she really wants to cry.

End of Chapter 2

Okay. Notice how this story is in Sakura's point of view? Well, so far I don't see the need to have another character's point of view. I'll just stick to Sakura's. She's the protagonist anyway. Feminist much? Ha ha.

I like having Naruto and Sakura together AS BEST FRIENDS. It's so typical. The guy loves the girl who's still in love with another guy who has greater priorities in life. And yes, I do believe that a girl and a boy can never be just friends. At some point in time, one liked the other but realized it will always be unrequited. Geez. Anyway, back to Naruto and Sakura. They're those kind of characters who like each other but have a lot of complications for them to be together. And they're just so similar to be together. Opposites attract, that's the law. (What am I saying?)

Goodness.

K. See you next chapter!

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inna