A.N.- Yay! here it is. and in chapter 8 i finally get to introduce two of my own OCs. Yura and Mix. they both are a little strange and hopefully in later chapters you will get to learn a slight bit more about them. i hope everyone loves them.

To chikkachoo- Hi! Yes Sasuke will have a pairing in this. dont worry he wont have unrequited love for Naruto or Sakura or something. that would be sad. he may not be in a more usual pairing but its one i like...so i decided to try it. but it wont come for a while.
and Gaara just may end up throwing both of them out his window before it is all said and done. hee hee. and oops...i didnt mean to imply that. it was just meant to be 2 friends...ignore that. there wont be any narusasu in this stroy.
about Gaara's nickname- panda is the one he was given when Sakura was in suna a long time before this story. Temari got puffles, sakura got pinky, and kankuro got pinocchio. but then in chap 3 Gaara called sakura blossom (he hasnt used it again yet because he isnt comfortable enough with others being around when he does it) and she said she'd give him one, unfortunaelt me and her neither can come up with a good nickname for him...so i simply fell back on his suna given one. but i do kind of agree with the panda thing. i love seeing little chibi gaara's in panda suits, but eventually i want to see new stuff. so i am sorry it had to be panda, but i couldnt think of anything esle. sorry. anyway thank you so much for reveiwing both chapter 6 and 7 and i hope you like how 8 turns out!

To HalfBloodPhoenix- Hey! you love my sasuke!? thank you! i was worried no one would. i'm glad that you do. and thank you so much for saying that about this being your senior year escape. i am honored. not to mention delighted beyond all things that i get to do that for you. so you are very very welcome! thank you for reviewing and good luck with senior year, it can be a monster at times. i hope you like this next chapter!

To xoLovelyEyesox- Hiya! you thought Naruto's jokes were funny? thank you! i wondered if it would irritate people because of how overused the orochimaru thing can get sometimes. but i wanted to at least throw it in there once...maybe one time later too ya never know. anyway yep! i seriously used it. they said i knew too much about anime and that i devoted a bit too much brain power and time to it and i told them it was simply a healthy hobby with a smidge of obsession. they all started laughing said that was a different way of looking at it and then moved on to something else, so it worked! thank you bunches for that! btw, i totally get the morning thing. i sometimes end up wearing something weird because my brain is fuzzled in the morning. but because of how usually i am with people i can most of the time get away with doing something silly like that...except for a few very outrageous times. then my friends laughed everytime they looked at me.
and dont worry i will try to update everyday, cuz its exactly like you said. if a story goes too long un-updated the whole point of the story could be forgotten.
and i am happy i made you hug your computer but...i'm also glad your parents didnt see. mine are already convinced theres no helping me anymore. i kid you not my mom honestly beleives my dad dropped me on my head or something when she wasnt looking because of how i turned out. but i dont mind, even if he did. i think i'm fine. ;) so...yeah anyway thanks again for reveiwing and i hope you like chapter 8!

alright guys well enjoy chapter 8 and please reveiw!
Fanggirlx

Disclaimer: naruto and co...hm?...nope not mine.

Sakura collapsed in her laughter. She could hardly breathe she was laughing so much.

Gaara watched her silently, waiting for her to collect herself.

He had sand ported them into the campus garden. More specifically the hedge maze in the center of the garden.

It had proven to be an hour's worth of entertainment for him last night exploring it as the rest of the world slept. So when making a hasty escape he'd thought of it.

There was a gazebo in the center hidden within the bushes themselves. And two bubbling fountains on each far side.

He and Sakura were very close to the gazebo.

"Oh god. Gaara. That…was fun."

He stared down at her.

She was sitting cross legged on the dirt path holding her sides as she laughed.

The scene brought a light feeling to him. Inside him.

"They're faces. Were so red." she said between snickers.

"And I think it really got them when you played along." she said still giggling.

He simply continued to stare at her, bemused.

"Thank you." she beamed at him.

A single nod was his reply.

Sakura then stuck her hands up towards him.

It reminded him of an infant asking for something.

He looked at her questionably.

"Help me up, please?"

The red head said nothing, just stuck his hand out for her to grip.

A tiny shock tingled up his arm when she took his hand.

Ignoring it he pulled her up.

But when she came up she came up closer than either anticipated.

They were almost nose to nose.

Her emerald met his jade.

Gaara felt his stomach knot up and his chest tighten. A feeling he was beginning to understand only came from Sakura.

It seemed she was holding her breath.

Silently the boy studied her face, curious.

Taking his hand that was not holding hers he hesitantly reached up and placed it on her cheek.

Sakura smiled tenderly at him and leaned into his touch, silently encouraging him.

Eyes wider than usual Gaara nervously moved his hand up. He began to timidly trace her features. Her nose. Her jaw line. Her eyes. Her cheeks. Gulping quietly he continued his hesitant caress on to her lips. Feeling their supple softness under his callused thumb, he met her eyes with a silent question.

'May I?'

He didn't understand his sudden desire to touch her lips. Nor his sudden thrill at touching her face. And he especially did not understand the quivering inside his body at the simple thought of touching his lips to hers. But it was there all the same.

A kiss.

He'd seen others do it.

Temari kissed people all the time.

Back then, seeing her and others do it, it had not looked that impressive. But now imagining himself performing such an act with Sakura Gaara felt excited. Eager.

He wanted to try. And he was asking if he could.

He only prayed she said yes.

For if she declined him he doubted he'd be able to comply with her wishes and not.

Fortunately a slight nod from her was the answer he got and it was all the answer he needed.

Sweet gods he was actually going to kiss Sakura.

He quivered as more heat pooled up inside his lower body at the mere thought.

Slowly he leaned closer.

Their noses brushed and Gaara nearly jumped.

Sakura giggled, breathlessly.

Meeting her gaze as he moved his hand to rest under chin he lifted her face towards his and leaned in ready to taste her.

"Whoa." a dark velvety feminine voice said from behind them.

Making them both jump apart, wide eyed and stunned as they stared at each other then to the newcomer who had interrupted them.

Gaara glared at the girl before them. How dare she! Now he'd lost his one and only chance! Now he'd never know what it would be like to kiss Sakura! There was no way that Sakura would ever allow such a thing again. She would never be lost in a moment such as this again. He studied this soon to be dead intruder.

That was when he noticed something twitch on top of the girls head.

An ear?

Up there?

"You have cat ears." Sakura likewise observed with a friendly smile.

The girl nodded, making her neck length dark gray hair sway.

"Yep. I have a tail too, see?" she smirked exposing tiny little cat fangs. A thin dark grey tail snaked out from behind her. It waved around in small slow circles.

"Cat ears and cat tail…but how?" Sakura asked as she came closer to the girl.

Said cat girl shrugged, "Cuz I'm a cat demon. Well…half of one anyway. Dad liked his human playthings."

Amusement flickered in her pale blue eyes as her observant gaze drifted from one blushing face to another. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything. I hadn't expected anyone else to be in this crazy thing." she waved one hand out indicating the hedge maze.

Sakura glanced back at Gaara as a dark blush spread on her porcelain cheeks.

"Um…its not a problem. I'm Sakura and this is Gaara. What's you're name?"

"Yura." she answered in her dark silky smooth voice.

"Nice to meet you." Sakura grinned.

"You too." Yura replied.

They shook hands then Yura cast her eyes on Gaara, "Nice to meet you too, handsome." Yura winked at him and then turned back to Sakura.

"So I guess I'll be seeing you around, you two love birds." Yura waved as she walked by them.

Sakura laughed nervously, "Oh no, we aren't love birds."

Yura tossed them a devilish grin over her shoulder. Slowly she turned back around, "Then what do you call it?"

"Um…I'm not sure."

Yura noticed the red head's gaze darken as he cast his glare to the ground.

"He doesn't talk much does he?" she asked with a small grin playing at her lips.

Sakura shook her head. "Nope Gaara is more the strong silent type most of the time."

"Those are always nice." Yura said with a grin. She eyed Gaara up and down a moment.

She then took the few necessary steps forward to close the gap between herself and Gaara.

"So if you aren't with her…what say you come with me? I'll finish what you're friend started." Yura purred in his ear.

Gaara scowled at her.

"No?" she asked with a slight laugh in her voice.

"Shame." she said casting him one last look of longing. "You're a cute one too. In that dark and creepy way."

Chuckling, she winked once again and turned to Sakura.

"Not love birds?" she asked one more time, her teasing grin still in place.

Sakura blushed, "Not love birds."

Glancing back at Gaara one last time she leaned close to Sakura and whispered, "Yet."

With that she walked a few steps away reached into a hedge pulled out a small brown shoebox and then hopped up over the hedges and out of sight.

Sakura stared after her a moment then turned back to Gaara who was suddenly very angry looking.

"Gaara?"

He said nothing, just glared at her a second longer before fading away in a cloud of sand.

"Hey! You can't just leave me in here!" she shouted after him.

But he was already gone. And she knew it.

Sighing heavily she picked a random direction and headed off in what she hoped was the direction of the exit.

--

"Arrgh!" Sakura shrieked as she once again found her way to the gazebo.

It was a nice gazebo.

Really it was. But she didn't want to keep coming back to it!

This was the fifth time she'd found her way to the damned thing!

Frustrated, tired, and more than a little hurt Sakura decided to give up for a while and just sit at the damned gazebo.

That's what it was now, the damned gazebo.

Stupid maze being too hard. Stupid Gaara leaving her. Stupid Yura walking up on them.

She sighed, stupid Sakura for almost kissing Gaara.

She stomped into the damned gazebo and was met with something she hadn't expected.

A guy. Another person in this crazy hedge maze at the damned gazebo?

He had long messy dark brown hair in a pony tail and some of his shaggy bangs fell over into his hazel eyes, which looked cloudy and unfocused.

He was wearing a hat on top of most of his hair.

"Hey…" he mumbled lazily.

Sakura stared at the boy, speechless.

"I was wonderin' when you'd give up." he said in his ever lazy voice.

"You mean you we're there the whole time?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah…"

"Oh." she said quietly to herself, then her shock of seeing such a strange boy in the middle of a maze quickly wore off and Sakura lost her temper, "You mean to tell me you just sat here and watched me tra la-la la-la by four times!"

He stared at her a moment, his hazy eyes studying her closely.

Letting out a long breath he asked, "You…were singing?"

"No I wasn't singing!"

"But you said…you tra la la-ed." he said staring down at the ground in thought. He looked back up at her. "That's singing…isn't it?"

"Not always!"

"Oh."

Sakura stood there angrily glaring at the boy who stared back at her with fairly empty eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity he asked her, "Are you mad, pink one?"

"Yes I'm mad! You just let me keep walking around in circles!"

"It's a square maze. You couldn't walk in circles." was his lazy argument.

"Fine, you sat there and watched me walk in frigging squares!!"

He shrugged, "I thought…you knew what you were doing."

"Did I look like I knew what I was doing?!"

"Would I have thought you did if you didn't?"

"No!" she paused, "Wait. What?"

He chuckled.

"Exactly."

"Exactly what?"

"That's my point."

Sakura shook her head in confusion and placed two fingers on the bridge of her nose to pinch it, "Wait, stop. What is your point?"

This guy was giving her a headache. Fast.

He sat there a minute.

Sakura waited and finally after growing impatient she snapped her fingers near his face.

"Hellooo?" she called.

"What? I was waiting like you said."

Sakura's eye twitched "Say what?"

"I said I was-"

"I know what you said!"

"Then why did you ask?" he shrugged.

"Just please tell me. What's your point?"

"What point?" he questioned, looking genuinely confused.

"You said exactly. And that it was your point."

"Oh."

She waited. But all there was on his side was more silence. Probably static, Sakura thought bitterly.

"What is your problem?!" she screamed.

"I'm not the one with the problem, oh lost one."

That deflated her fast.

"But, aren't you lost too?"

"Nah." he slowly shook his head once.

"Then why are you here?"

"Why not?" he shrugged.

Sakura stood staring at him, mouth slightly agape as he sat there completely at ease.

Looking at him in wonder she asked quietly. "What are you?"

"Mix."

"What?"

"I'm Mix."

"Mix what?"

"Mix is my name."

"Oh. Well nice to meet you…sort of." she watched him smile crookedly at her.

"You too." he replied.

She giggled, "You know, I asked what you were, not who."

"Oh."

After a moment he replied, "I'm Mix."

Sakura sighed, "Yes, I know that's who you are."

"That's what I am too." he answered.

"Oh, alright. I get it. Mixed of what?"

"Mixed up what?" he furrowed his brows in confusion.

"No. What are you mixed of? What makes you?"

He pondered it a moment.

Finally he smiled and said, "Blood, muscle, and bone mostly. A couple organs. Some other stuff…shit what else is in a body?…" his answer trailed off as he began to think about what made up a body, Sakura guessed. But with this guy it was just hard to tell what was actually going on inside his head.

Sakura shook her head and laughed, "No silly. You said you were a mix. I was asking what made up that mix."

"Oh." after his apparent trademark pause, he answered, "I lied then. I am sorry. I am not a mix."

"B-but you said you were a mix when I asked what you were." Sakura argued.

"No." he shook his head slowly. "I said I am Mix. That's what I am." The crazy boy then smiled triumphantly, "Ah. Then I did not lie." he said with a nod.

"But that's who you are, not what you are." Sakura argued.

"Can I be anything more then who I am as what I am? If I am Mix can I be anything but Mix?"

She stared at him a long while. Eyes wide with disbelief.

"Are you even aware I am talking?" she asked with narrow eyes.

"Are you?" he countered.

"Of course I am. I'm saying it."

"But are you aware of what you say?"

"Well duh. I'm always aware of what I say. I said it, how could I not be aware of what I said?"

"Exactly." he answered as he leaned further into his bench.

"Oh no. Not that again." she groaned.

"Not what?"

Huffing, she threw herself down onto a bench, "Nevermind."

"I never do." he said with a slow smile.

"Are you doing drugs?" she asked after a moment.

"Right now?" the boy asked with a chuckle in his voice.

"Forget it."

"What?" he asked glancing at her.

She smirked, "Exactly."

Slowly a grin spread over his features, "Aaahhh. You're catching on."

"Yes, I think so, but to what I'm not sure."

"Exactly…" he chuckled lowly.

After a short while the strange boy said, "You lied."

"Look, Mix ,or whatever your name is-"

"It is Mix."

"Okay. Look Mix, I have no idea what you have said to me at all, as in through this whole conversation. I have no way of knowing if and when I lied."

"But I do."

"Okay. Fine. Then how did I lie?"

"You said you were aware of what you said."

"Yes and I was."

"You said always."

"Yes. And again I say if I am saying it how can I not be aware of what I am saying?"

He locked eyes with her and grinned, "Exactly."

"Oh lord!" she dropped her head into her palms.

"No need to call me that. I'm brilliant but not miraculous."

"No, Mix you really are. It's a miracle you have made it this far in life."

"Thank you." he said as his lip trembled making him appear to be on the verge of tears, "That was a beautiful thing to say."

"Uh, huh. Sure."

"So are you going to apologize soon?" Mix asked later as minutes ticked by.

"Apologize for what? Lying? Yeah sure. I'm sorry I lied to you, Mix." Sakura said in a toneless voice.

"Thank you, apology accepted. But I was not talking about to me."

"Then who?" she asked deciding to just disregard his little statement about it not being his apology even though he accepted it anyway. She couldn't afford to distract him anymore than he already did himself.

"Your friend."

Sakura gasped. Did he mean Gaara?

"W-what did you say?"

"You are aware of what you say."

"We've established that, Mix. Rewind to what you were just saying."

"There is no rewind. Time can only go forward in life."

Sakura felt her eyebrow twitch in anger.

"Yes, I know. But…okay fine. Can you repeat what you just said?"

"Of course. There is no rewind. Time can-"

"I meant the thing before that!"

"But you said-"

"I don't care what I said! Just please for the love of waffles! Please, just tell me what you were saying about my friend."

"Oh that...Sure. You need to apologize to your friend."

"But I haven't lied to Gaara and that's what we're talking about aren't we?" she honestly wasn't sure anymore. This Mix guy was appropriately named. He definitely mixed people up.

"Nah. You lied to me. You didn't lie to him. You did to him what you lied to me about."

"Okay pause. What?"

"No pause. Time keeps moving, life keeps moving; whether we want it to or not."

"Okay, okay I get it. We can't mess with time. Just tell me what I did to Gaara."

"But you should know."

"But I don't."

"Which is why you had to apologize to me."

"Huh?"

Mix stared at her.

Sakura's head was spinning.

He was talking in circles! The frigging maze was easier than this!

With a huff Sakura sat back slumped in her bench and tried to figure out what Mix was going on about.

She had to apologize to him for lying. What she lied about is what she did to Gaara and what she should apologize to Gaara for?

But what did she lie to Mix about again? Not saying something?

"What did I apologize to you for again?" she asked sheepishly.

Mix simply snorted, then mumbled to himself, "And she said she was aware of what she was saying…"

He closed his eyes and folded his hands behind his head. Once his head was resting where he wanted it, he remained quiet.

Sakura stared at him blankly. Absently repeating his words in her mind. She was aware of what she was saying…that's it!

That's what she had to apologize to Mix for. So she had to apologize to Gaara because…because of what she said?

Sakura gasped.

Oh no.

"No." she whispered covering her mouth with her fingertips.

Mix slowly opened one eye to watch her.

"Oh thank you, Mix. You helped me see that I've made a huge mistake! I have to go fix this right now!"

She stood and raced out of the damned gazebo.

Mix smirked and slowly closed his eye again letting out a long slow sigh. "Exactly."

don't worry guys, they'll fix things! well bye until next time! btw, i hope mix didnt confuse anyone, he almost confused me as i was writing him. silly mix...
Fanggirlx