A/N - As anticpated, I wasn't away from this story for too long. I just needed a direction to take, so I had to do some creative new stories while I searched for the right way.

As you will soon see, I have decided to go North.

Nothing like getting frozen tf out.

DISCLAIMER - I do not own Naruto

Song used for this chapter - Biotones & Nazca - How Far Can We Go

By the third phone call that eventually went to voice mail, I understood that Ino didn't want to talk to me.

Which was good for her right? Maybe I was being too much of a strain on her, maybe she needed a breather. A walk around a god damn park.

But let's take a second on where that left me.

With the girl of my dreams suddenly going ghost.

Already feeling like she's slipping between my fingers by the second.

While the only thing I can do is sit there and reflect on every fucking action up until this point.

The cold shoulder she was giving me was fucking unbearable, literally freezing me the fuck out, and it felt like I couldn't do shit about it. Because I didn't tell her about the school I was honestly believing I was going to for awhile there, but why the fuck would I? What was I supposed to tell her, straight up? That I choose that school in the first place because of her?

Because she was so fucking consuming, I had to shove as far away from her as possible?

These were true, honest to god facts, and I was just supposed, what? Tell her?! Christ, I was her best fucking friend just because we started this unforgivable shit didn't change that fact, I couldn't say shit like that. Not to her. Of all people.

So of course I didn't fucking tell her.

But I can only imagine what creative reason she thought of on why I felt the need to keep it a secret. I could practically feel the hundreds of ways she was seeing herself being hurt because of that reason. And I knew for a fact it was my fault.

So I couldn't just sit here. I couldn't just say fuck it and go do my own thing, like I always did when we got like this. I couldn't not try to sit there and explain the softer truth of the reason I kept it quiet; Because I was still confused on what I wanted to do it.

I needed. To do. Something.

Because this time it was completely different, this time I hurt her without a possible way to make it all better. And it was more than that.

It was my credibility. It was whatever fucking faith I managed to build up from now being swirled down the fucking drain. Because I knew Ino, I knew what she was thinking the moment she found out and realized I had kept this from her.

She was just betting that whatever this was, between me and her, wasn't important enough to me. That this was another fun game I was playing just like she's watched me do a thousand times before. And no matter how many times I said it, I couldn't convince her enough to have the slightest faith in me, even now.

So, yes I was picking up the phone and calling her a fourth time. Yes I was sitting at the edge of my bed, head in my hands, as I froze out. Yes, I was still stuck like I always was.

Still standing there.

Still waiting on her.

Because that's all I have ever known to do.

When my phone rang, I couldn't stop myself from snatching it from my bed. But when I saw who it was from, I sighed and laughed at my pathetic ass behavior. "What's up, Hazel?"

"So not only did you have the nerve not to call me that night when you got home, but now you have the audacity not to call me for my lunch break?"

She sounded demanding and fierce, but I knew better seeing as the phone call I was supposed to give her was a week and a half old. Rolling my eyes, I didn't even bother to glance at my watch as I muttered back, "I had five more minutes to call before your lunch break started."

A small giggle slipped from the other line, and I couldn't help but smile slightly at the sound as she sighed out, "Alright, you got me. So I managed to take my lunch break early. What are you doing?"

"Sitting around trying to use my phone, the same one you're jamming up," I replied back truthfully.

I was only gifted with a low, rather convincing, moan, "Oh my god, do you know how sweet you are? You're a god damn tooth ache, I swear." Not even bothering to hold back my laugh, I rolled my eyes. Another sigh slipped through the line, this time much softer as I could practically see the slow pull of her lips as she admitted softly, "I love your laugh..."

I took a breath, feeling like shit when I forced myself to warn her all over again. "You need to stay away from me."

"She says for the hundredth time, yet here I am on the phone with her with no consequences," she taunted quietly.

"You love fucking with fire," I growled.

"No, I love fucking with you," she corrected softly, pausing to ask curiously, "Or did you not know by the way I was screaming your name? Do you need another convincing round, I'm completely down to take that loss."

Again, I couldn't help but laugh before slipping out another sigh. Eventually she fell silent too, losing her humor as she asked, "What, Sakura? Coming up with a better way to shove me out?"

I licked my lips as I asked honestly, "Is that a bad thing? Is that something you aren't used to by now?"

"I'm waiting to hear a different tone, something a bit more convincing," she whispered back, sucking in a breath just before letting it all tumble out noisily, "I can only imagine the tone you take with that best friend of yours."

"You're jealous," I mumbled in surprise.

"Am I not supposed to be? I can tell she gets that tone I'm looking for, that assertiveness with a dash of weakness, like you'd do anything for her."

"I practically have done everything for her," I grumbled under my breath.

"And imagine, you've hardly lifted a finger for me and I'm still like this," she pointed out with a sigh, "You don't get to tell me what to do with this."

"Come on..."

"I'm serious. I'm not going to stop just because you're trying to spare my feelings, yet contradicting yourself every time you feel the urge to remind me that I need to stay away. And you honestly believe those small little nudges don't bruise ribs. It's like you're taunting me, or something," she muttered in reply.

I took a breath, rubbing my eyes as I mumbled, "Alright. Alright. Sorry sweet heart."

"No. Say my name."

"I haven't forgotten."

"Prove it."

"I literally just said your name."

"Prove. it."

I released a very tired sigh before saying quietly, "I apologized, Hazel. What else do you want from me, princess?"

"Maybe some assurance," she huffed out, sounding peeved, "Answer truthfully. How well am I sticking to you?"

"Like fucking glue, apparently. I keep fucking up, and yet you still answer the phone when I call," I snorted out as I replied without hesitation, willing to take whatever loss to help her feel better.

For my efforts, a hum of satisfaction vibrated past my ears as I sat there, rolling my eyes with another weak smile as I listened to her ask, "So, I'm serious, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, honestly. I was trying to get a call through but was shot down three times," I answered truthfully with a huff of irritation, "And now I'm stuck on the phone with you."

"God, so sweet I swear I can't handle it. So sweet, in fact, that you'd come over if you weren't busy to spend some time with me."

I rubbed my eyes with a sigh, "You're not going to let me off the phone until I visit, are you?"

"Well it's honestly up to you on how you want this to go," she avoided the answer with a bored tone.

I laughed at her fake disinterested tone before caving in, "Alright alright, I'll swing by right now."

"Oh, wow, really Sakura? How spontaneous of you. Way to take life by the horns," she taunted quietly on the other line as I moved to snatch my keys up.

I muttered my accusation with my eyebrows pulling low while jogging down the stairs, "You're just trying to rile me up before I get there."

"Well how else am I going to convince you to give me that other round of screaming your name?" She asked, causing me to paused my palm on the car door handle.

"Stop fucking around, Hazel."

"She said as I sat here, without the slightest consequence."

"Because you know when I get over there I'll show you exactly what consequences I had in mind. So you better behave, sweet heart," I warned while jumping inside my car.

"Yes, daddy."

I literally froze, incapable of everything but the ability to blink. Then with a groan, I slammed my door shut and shoved it into drive, "I'm going to get you for teasing me like that."

"Oh, but I only thought it would be a kink you were into, it's not my fault," she whined, not sounding the least bit guilty as she continued to whimper out, "Sakura is so demanding and bossy, I don't want to make daddy mad."

"You enjoy fucking with me don't you," I accused as I cruised down the road.

"She's catching on, folks," Hazel whispered sarcastically before taunting, "If she's really that clever, she'd stop trying to push me away."

"It's what I do," I waved off, making a left turn.

"I'd love to squeeze in an exception somewhere in there," she sighed out wistfully.

"You're doing well enough as it is," I grumbled, "You already have me driving to see you for no reason."

"It's to 'spend time'."

"It's to take me away," I corrected, smiling when she stayed silent, "You know exactly who I'm trying to call, and you're effectively making me incapable of going back to try and call her again"

"You both need some time apart, some breathing room," she attempted to comfort, but her voice was condescending and coated with synthetic sugar, "I was just being helpful."

"Selfish."

"Is that not what I said?" She asked in mild curiosity, and I could only imagine her slow pulling smile on the other end.

I shook my head, "Whatever sweet heart."

"I think you meant baby girl."

"Hazel..."

"See you soon, daddy!"

And just like that, she skipped away scott free. As always. Without the slightest consequence.

What a con artist.

Maybe that's why I liked hanging out with her when times got shitty. Glancing at the phone that now sat on the passenger seat, I wondered if I should try reaching Ino again.

Sigh. No.

If she didn't answer the first three times, she wasn't going to answer a forth.

I kept driving to Hazel's work in silence.

xXx

"You both can't keep this up," Sasuke muttered as I kicked it in his room one random Sunday.

I sighed, rubbing my eyes for the fifth time because of the pending headache that was forming. When Ino found out about school, soon after the rest of the gang heard. I didn't hold it against Ino for blasting the information, but its back fire was irritating as fuck.

Because of course, no one gave a shit I was going to school far away. Everyone was concerned with me. Again. But this time about Ino.

And I didn't have one single shitty clue on how to fix it like they were asking me to do. Naruto, Temari, and now even Sasuke was constantly pressing the issue that the silence between Ino and I was reaching record breaking lengths. I didn't want it like that, but that's how it was, and I had no way to fix it.

She didn't want to talk to me.

What the fuck was I supposed to do if she didn't want to talk to me? Everyone seems to be ignoring that fact, but it's the one little speed bump that looks like the great fucking wall to me. I wanted to change it.

I really did.

But she wouldn't let me.

Because this time I hurt without a way to fix it. And even if I did, she wouldn't let me now. Not this time.

"Sasuke, seriously, just drop it," I muttered tiredly, rolling my eyes as I peaked up at him only to see him still frowning. "What man? What do you want from me? Ino isn't being stubborn about this one, she honest to god wants me to fuck off. I can't do much about it."

"You can talk to her."

"Jesus, are you even hearing me?" I demanded with a scowl. Shaking my head in disbelief, I stood up from the chair I was kicking it back in and muttered, "Listen man, I have to go."

I rushed out of there before he could ask any questions or argue. As I jogged down Sasuke's front porch, I pulled out my phone and checked my alerts.

Nothing.

Not a single notification, not a single text message or phone call. It was completely dark. And god, if that wasn't fucking eye opening I didn't know what was. In the course of a few months, of a few fuck sessions with Ino and the urge of wanting to fuck some more, I have done a complete three sixty.

Back in the day, my phone was swarming with messages from girl after girl. There was no end in sight, there was no pondering on what female was going to crash in my bed that night. Usually, they just came over or was already there. They lined up them selves.

But now?

Now I'm kicking it with one of my best guy friends with a silent god damn phone and an urge to make a call.

A call I know that's going to be a dud.

A call I know is going to make me feel stupid.

But a call that I still end up making anyway.

I shoved my hand through my hair as I gritted my teeth, snatching the phone to my face as I stood there like an idiot. As always. Waiting for her to answer. And as ring by ring went by, I felt my irritation flaring. Because I knew she wasn't going to pick up, I knew it was pointless to try, and yet I was trying anyway.

As voice mail answered the pathetically long ringing, I muttered out after the sound of the beep, "Ino, answer the god damn phone and talk to me."

I paused for a second, taking in the silence before pulling the phone from my face and hanging up. My hand dropped to my side as my head fell back while standing there. Shutting my eyes as I faced the sky, I wondered with my entire being why all this shit was happening right now.

Why did we start fucking around when we did?

Why was what school I was going to made into an entire situation?

Why was I still standing there with the phone in my hand like waiting for something?

Before I could meditate for an answer, my phone was ringing.

Again I was left laughing miserably when I knew yet found out anyway that it wasn't Ino calling. Sighing, I answered, "What's up."

"What are you doing?'

"Trying to use the phone, the very same one you're jamming up," I muttered, rubbing my eyes before moving to hop in my car parked on Sasuke's driveway.

"So fucking sweet," she teased, breathing out a small laugh before commenting softly, "You should come over tonight."

"Hazel..."

"What else do you possibly have going on?" She argued, pressing further as I gave her silence in return, "Come over Sakura, it will be fun. It's better than you sitting there because of her, and it's better than me missing you all night."

"You don't get it do you, the whole 'you should stay away from me' thing," I mumbled while placing my car in drive.

"I'm hard at hearing, an honest to god tragedy really," Hazel whispered back, sounding sarcastic as usual.

I took in a breath, driving ahead as I fought with myself on what I wanted to do. But there seemed like there was only so many options that involved me not being alone drinking as I waited for Ino to stop freezing me out.

So I broke.

And went over to Hazel's regardless of the responsibility I had and owed to Ino.

I mean what was I gonna do, what was I going to fix, just sitting there waiting on her? Fuck, if I sat there too long I would have mentally snapped, with a drink in my hand my room would be trashed. Some down time wasn't the worse idea in the world.

So I drove in silence to Hazel's crib.

And allowed her, just this once, to win and keep me for the night. Being her friend was a constant battle, I couldn't tell who mostly for, just to keep away from each other. I liked her, I really did, but I knew I was beyond fucking repair. It was shit, but it was true.

That's why I said she needed to stay away from me.

But I think what got to Hazel the most was that she knew, just like I did, things would be completely different if I had met her sooner. Her eyes were always so fucking wide and piercing, it was like she could see right through me since day one. I would bet everything that she could see that she did have strings stitched into me, she honest to god did, but it wasn't as many as Ino had sown over the years.

I was trying to protect Hazel, I never caved in when it came to boundaries, but it was hard to ignore the hope in her eyes. Nah it wasn't hope, it was like a fact to her. It was like she knew she'd end up snatching me away forever. Eventually.

And shit. Was it fucked up?

Was it fucked up that I was hoping she would stick around long enough for some shit like that happen?

God, I always felt like I was dealt a shit hand, like at the word 'go' there was already weights strapped to my legs. It's been up hill, sharp angle, since the fucking beginning and I was hoping someone would drag me out this trench.

But I knew myself.

I knew exactly who I was, who I had become, and what I would be too weak not to do. I knew myself. And that was the reason why our levels of confidence didn't match. That's why Hazel didn't deserve me. Because she was too fucking perfect to be stabbed in the chest by a prick like me. She had so much more going for her.

Yet there I was, driving to her place anyway, like it's a good idea.

So desperate to find faith, I snatched someone else's.

So ready in believing in something that I mistake it as my own sign to take a chance.

All because I was selfish, because this was out of Hazel's expense. Not mine. That the step forward I was taking, the chance I was making, would be at Hazel's risk but my reward.

God... It's crazy but...

Wouldn't you know, I never truly stopped being a fucking idiot.

X

I took in heavy breaths, staring at the closed door in front of me. My heart was slamming against my chest, shouting at me to run after her. That losing her was like losing my last hope, my last shot to ever leaving this trench I always felt myself in.

So deep down your ears popped.

The climb so high and steep your neck cracked.

But the tug in my gut, the stirring deep down within my chest, wouldn't allow me to move forward. Only back. And I knew, just like she did, that it was the stitches from them both yanking at each other at the same time.

And she knew, just like I did, that her tugging wouldn't sway me forward.

And Ino's will yank me back.

My hand gripped my phone hard as I stood there, heaving in breaths, feeling myself stretch beyond it's boundaries. I used to know what to do, I used to always have shit figured out, but now I was stuck where I constantly was fucking oblivious.

"Hello?"

I ran my free hand through my hair as I shut my eyes tight, ignoring the voice on the phone as I cursed in long stringing sentences to help me think. To help find the right answer.

But the tugs in my chest and gut were already dragging me away even as I stood there...

So maybe that's why it was so easy and effortless to bring the phone to my face as I turned around and walked down the porch steps. "So you decided to call Ino. Now. Of all times."

"You're allowed to call but I'm not?" She asked curiously.

I glanced behind me, noticing the shifting in the shades at the top right window. My heart continued to slam at my chest, but this time weakly and I could hardly warm myself with the idea of turning around. Tearing my gaze away, I muttered, "I call during the day, while there is still light and while you still have the chance to answer the phone before that boyfriend of yours skips over there for the night. Ino... I don't call you at three in the morning."

"It sounds like it really bothers you, like you haven't been calling me for two weeks straight. I wonder what the reason could possibly be," Ino drawled conversationally, but I already knew her direction. Already frowning, I listened as she asked, "Were you with a girl, Sakura? Was I interrupting something?"

My heart twitched with the need to turn back to Hazel.

But my lips pulled high in disbelief as I opened my car door, "You're a brat."

"It was a simple question."

"That's not why you called," I shut down, refusing to get dragged into that conversation because I would have enough to talk about once the time came. "You didn't call me at three in the morning to ask me what I was doing. You wanted something. What is it?"

"I wanted you over."

My hand slipped from the gear as I sat inside my car at the side of Hazel's house. I took in a shaky breath, shaking my head in defeat as my eyes wandered back to the windows. This time it wasn't shifting shades, they were pulled all the way open.

And in view within them?

Hazel herself sitting there, watching me. She ran her hand through her hair, attempting to look bored as she fought with her own smile to pull higher than the snatching tugs that tempted her to frown. And luckily I was too far away to stare into her eyes.

Because I could imagine they were stinging to shut.

I looked away, clutching into first gear before driving off. "Your boyfriend isn't there, is he?" I asked, but I already knew the answer. I wasn't stupid. I wasn't being tricked. I knew exactly what the fuck was going on.

And I was driving at three in the morning to get to her anyway.

"It gives us a chance to talk," Ino replied quietly.

My hands tightened around the steering wheel as I muttered, "Tonight of all nights, huh."

"If she were that important Sakura, you wouldn't have left."

I laughed.

It was hallow and empty and crumbling. But I laughed.

Because as fucked up as it was...

She was right.

There we have it. Chapter 15. Great. Wonderful. All that we've ever dreamed of.

I don't know what to say about this chapter honestly. Only that I hope I managed to catch some of the... feelings that I was trying to portray for Sakura's side. I feel like the reason I like Sakura's character so much in this story and the other is because knows herself. Like she knows she's going to fuck up, that she's going to run back to Ino, that each and every time she's going to be too weak to try to even stay away from Ino.

At least she understands herself enough to know she's a fucking shit bag, but because she knows that she's trying to protect anyone from getting close.

And that's commendable.

Either way, read review, tell me what you think.

I think I got the juices flowing again. I think I knew which way to wrap this all up with a nice bow.

Shycadet might have presents earlier than Christmas. Shy is a good elf.

Out.