"I love you Naru-kun." Kiba says again into my ear. His arms around my body, his body pressed against mine making me flinch and tremble with every move he makes.

That's how our love was before. It was the strongest I had ever had and I now wonder if I'll ever have it again.
A week ago to the day was how long ago our year long affair was extinguished by the flames which light a fag on the end of his mouth. He, a student of Konoha university, was smoking on campus which is punishable only by expulsion. But I guess that's how much he loved me.

I was crushed at the news of his expulsion and with seeing the last of his coattails fly out the door our relationship ended never to share a single glance of each other again...

Today I wake up to a large but lonely dorm room to which his presence is eliminated completely. I put on jeans, a white t-shirt,a navy scarf, black boots and a black jacket. Then I leave with my school bag in hand.
I
"Hey Naruto!"

I turn my head from the ground to the person that is calling me. Shikamaru,a good friend. I smile a half-hearted smile as he comes into view and in turn he parts my back. Then, I return my gaze back to whats in front of me.

I arrive to my first class that day with Shikamaru, biology. I lay my head on the desk top due to the large lack of sleep in my recent nights. My only good feeling are Shikamaru's fingers running through my hair.

But even that small thing ceases when others in the same class enter the room. "Oh, is this your new boyfriend Naruto?" One of them asks teasing me "Where is your puppy? Kiba? Oh wait he was expelled I forgot."

I curl my arms around my head to protect myself, as though it would work. After a bit of tantalizing not a moment too soon the teacher enters the room.

I raise my head and sit back only to prevent the teacher from stopping make me sit up. "Good morning class I'm sorry to admit but-" he begins but his voice is cut off from my hearing when another voice, Shikamaru, comes into my mind. "Keep going Naru, your doing so good."

I smile at the words coming from my friends mouth and only faintly hear what the teacher is saying "And I know you will miss me but I'm at that old of an age where-" the instructor is once again cut off when I feel Shikamaru pat my head. My smile doesn't recede until we part.

When lunch begins one period later I meet with Sasuke, my best friend. "Hi Sasuke." I say with the bravest smile I can put on and he replies with a simple "Yo." I sit next to him and look at the papers he is gazing letters, of course.

"Wow, your actually reading them this time?" I ask and he responds practically cutting me off "Yeah but it's just cus I have to write a script from a young girls position," He quickly crumples them up and continues nervously "Um... Have you seen whats in the news paper lately?" He takes out a clipping and shows it to me.

"Gaara Subaku?" I ask repeating the name that is printed on the grey newspaper clipping I'm holding. "Yeah. All the girls are falling on him because he's successful at teaching, attractive and in his mid-twenties,"

He pauses rolling his eyes "He's been in all of the recent magazines. The talk of the town.""Huh." I say then push it away out of disinterest. I attempt to go get lunch when he grabs my arm and whispers "How are you holding up?"

I simply nod "Good."