Chapter 3:

I opened Pandora's Box

The day after my awkward encounter with Sakura, I wasn't greeted by a usually excited Naruto.

When I looked over my shoulder in chemistry class, his eyes were on me without fail. I figured he has nothing better to do but quickly realized that's unlikely since he likes to finish his worksheets fast, yet on his desk sat a worksheet with blank spaces waiting to be filled for over twenty minutes. I kept reassuring myself that I was just seeing things. Everything I thought of to excuse his intense staring was starting to sound stupid, because he wouldn't stop throughout the whole class time.

"Did your mom not teach you that staring is rude?" I confronted him right at the end of class. He looked up at me while getting his things together.

"Why are you so difficult, Hinata? If I wanna stare, I will."

I was appalled by his persistent attitude, on the inside rejoicing at the fact that he really was staring this whole time, but ultimately annoyed.

"Don't you know anything about personal space?"

"I'm not standing next to your desk all class, am I?"

"No, but you might as well be with your obnoxious staring,"

"Listen Hinata, I don't know what I did to upset you so much, but if you really are so annoyed by me then I won't talk to you anymore. It seems like that's all you want." And with that he took off, or more like stormed away, leaving me in a confused and flustered state. He had never given up on me, even if I called him the biggest jerk in the world; he always had a witty comeback. But this time, I was sure I wasn't going to hear more of his witty comebacks any time soon.

Later that day, during lunch time, I bumped into him again. He didn't say a single word to me or spark up a conversation like he usually would; instead he just kept walking towards the usual lunch table where the rest of his friends waited for him. They greeted him with wide grins and were being rowdy, but Naruto's attitude didn't seem to change. What surprised me the most was seeing him kiss Sakura on the cheek. I had never seen them do more than hugging around the hallways. It seemed forced, but I still felt a pinch of jealousy. I would give anything to feel his lips on my cheek.

"What's up with you?" Kiba approached my table and sat across from me.

"I don't know, honestly. I feel tired of having to deal with him."

"You're starting to get in too deep, Hina." He started devouring his sandwich as he spoke.

"I guess. He said he wouldn't talk to me ever again."

"That sucks. Or maybe it's just some kind of mind game. Maybe he wants to be the one chased after."

"As if! I wouldn't stoop so low as to chase after his obnoxious ass."

"Well you may think that, Hina. But we'll see who can resist the longest."

With that, we ended our lunch small talk and each went our separate ways for the rest of the day. I recognized I was being a bit mean to Naruto, but he made me go crazy with his constant attention. Still, I couldn't possibly think of a life without his bright smile and corny jokes. Maybe Kiba is right in a way and he just wants more attention from me. The only thing stopping me at this point is his relationship with Sakura. It just feels wrong to go for a guy that is already taken, especially if he has a history of cheating on his girlfriend. I wouldn't want to be seen as one of the many girls he messed around with, only to forget about me and continue on to the next one. The confusion made my head hurt, so by the time I got home, I took some painkillers and went straight to bed. I hoped that the next day would erase what happened in chemistry, and that maybe Naruto would make an effort to show me that it's worth chasing after him, or if all the fun time we have spent together so far is all a lie.

The next morning I wanted to set things right with him, so I looked for him.

Naruto sat on the bleachers, watching the fog covered football field with a hazy look. I took cautious steps to get closer and maybe climb some bleachers without him noticing, but before I even came into sight I heard his voice.

"Who's there?" He asked. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise.

"It's me…" I slowly peeked into view and gave him a soft smile.

I saw his once tense features relax once he saw me and returned the smile. I could've sworn I saw a slight blush on his cheeks, but he quickly regained his composure.

"What are you doing here?"

"I asked your friend, Sasuke, where you were." I climbed up and sat down next to him, discretely holding my skirt up to my legs to make sure I didn't sit my bare skin on the rigid bleachers.

"So you are stalking me." He smirked, giving me the playful look I was missing.

"Yes, I am stalking you, Naruto."

"But seriously, why did you come here?" He leaned back on the higher bleachers that stood behind us, inviting me to do the same.

"I wanted to apologize for being so nasty to you lately. I just…" I caught myself about to spill how insecure I was about his relationship with Sakura, and how much that affected me because I actually liked him. But I couldn't say it; I still had to know if this was something real.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, it's nothing." I shook my head and looked down at the fog hovering right above the grass.

We were quiet for a few seconds, I knew well he was dying to know what I wanted to say, but it just isn't the time to confess anything.

"This is quite relaxing, isn't it?" He asked. I looked over and nodded, smiling. Then, as we sat there, our legs touching, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. He wasn't rough about it; it felt as if a sudden warm and soft barrier planted itself on my shoulders, making me feel protected.

I abhorred the good feeling it brought, how the butterflies inside my stomach were fluttering viciously.

"N-Naruto…" I blushed, not looking him in the eyes.

He looked down at me, amused at my shyness, and kissed my forehead. I didn't know what came over him, but I knew this was way past the line I had set from the beginning. I knew that if Sakura, or anyone else saw us, we were screwed. Or at least I was.

"Hinata, I am saying this because I mean it. I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met."

I blushed even harder; I could just die in his arms in that moment, and die happily.

"N-Naruto I don't think this is right…" I whispered, but he quickly shushed me and turned me around, forcing me to face him.

"I wouldn't be so worried about Sakura if I were you. I don't know what I feel for her, but it sure as hell isn't as special as what I feel for you."

I shook my head, telling myself this was all a lie. He has a history, he's a heartbreaker, I know his girlfriend, I can't let my guard down, and this is just the beginning.

"No!" I stood up, suddenly feeling my eyes sting from the tears that started to swell up and blur my vision. "I'm not just some temporary girl; I'm not like the many others you used to cheat on Sakura!"

His eyes widened and I could see the remorse in his expression. Nevertheless, I couldn't feel pity for a player like him. I simply picked up my bag and left.