nothing on you
Callista Miralni
disclaimer: nothing~
.:loop00.3_2:.
.:just dance:.
"Beautiful girls~ all over the world! I could be chasing but my time would be wasted-"
Sakura batted her brother's hand away from her face.
"-they've got nothing on youuuuuuuuuuuu~ baby!"
Karishma Jayswal laughed across from her as Sai broke into a little dance. At the sound of applause, he bowed.
"I didn't know you could dance," Karishma said. "That was incredible!"
"You never asked," Sai winked at her. "Did you know my sister could dance?"
The Indian girl's head whiplashed around to glare at her best friend. "Saki..."
Sakura looked up from her organic chemistry book. "You never asked," she replied shortly before going back to studying.
"ARGH! What is with you twins?"
It was the second week of school and Sasuke was sitting in the library minding his own business when the posters caught his eye.
They weren't anything outstanding; just another two pieces of highly decorative paper pinned to one of the many announcement boards on campus. The first was bolder than the second—with blocky letters screaming for any interested individual to join the Asian American Student Association. The second was more artistic than the first—a comic strip advertising the Anime Club.
The second flyer reminded Sasuke of one late spring afternoon reading Junko while sipping coffee with a complete stranger.
Ms. Jacoby said that AASA was a good organization to get involved in. Their first meeting was this Wednesday and it couldn't hurt to attend. Besides, they're having pizza.
What college student turns down free food?
Sakura took her place at the front of the meeting room and called for attention.
"Hey everyone!" Her eyes swept over the crowded room. "Welcome to the Anime Club! My name is Sakura Haruno and I'm your president this year."
She pointed out each of her officers. At the back of the room, Tommy shared a pleased smile at the large turn out with her. To her left, behind the computer, her vice president Rob waved when she pointed him out. On her right, the treasurer, Justin, grunted and gave a half-hearted wave when introduced.
"We're going to be trying out several things this year," she continued with her speech. "We're trying a previewing style of meeting and will be showing things based on what you tell us you like. We're also going to try to host more social events so we can get to know each other better. Also, our meetings are shorter-"
Sakura knew that she had power. But she also knew that authority was a double-edged sword. She couldn't afford to slack off on school and she didn't know just how much energy this club would take. For now, Sakura would just have to go one day at a time.
"You were incredible up there," Karishma quietly reassured her on their way to her car.
"Was I?" Sakura bit her lip. "I didn't feel like it. I'm always tripping over my words and forgetting what I need to say."
"Things like that only show that you're just as human as the rest of us," Karishma said as she started the car. "They make you more approachable and reassure members that you're not on a pedestal. Not like last year's officers who thought they were."
"I was an officer last year."
Karishma laughed. "Except you. You're the only one members thought to approach."
Sakura didn't know what to say to that.
"Even though you're forgetful and say things faster than your brain thinks, people know that you're in charge. You have authority and every inch of you conveys that message while making yourself open to new ideas. It's a difficult feat."
"A leader's charisma," Sakura softly replied.
"Well, I hope I'm the only Karishma in your life."
The Haruno girl groaned and lightly smacked her best friend on the arm.
Stupid homonyms.
Sasuke opened the door to the classroom and took a seat near the back. The room was nearly full. A table behind him had boxes of pizza on it and people were forming a line.
His stomach twisted a little bit—from hunger or nervousness, Sasuke wasn't sure—and he fell in line behind some guy carrying a camera. Picking out two slices of cheese pizza and a chocolate chip cookie, Sasuke expertly balanced his plate with one hand as he dug through the cooler for a bottle of water.
A guy carrying an iPad yelled for silence and waited until the room quieted before introducing himself as AASA's president and pointing out the other eight officers in the room. There were several items of business on the agenda: membership dues, sign ups to help staff a charity race, and the Harvest Moon festival in October.
Vice President Karishma Jayswal took the floor for the Harvest Moon festival.
"We've got several ideas for the AASA performance," the junior said as two other people set up the projector behind her. "And the officers can't reach a consensus. We've narrowed it down to these two dances but we want you to help us decide. Can someone get the lights—Amy?"
Sasuke capped his water bottle and watched the screen with interest. He didn't listen to much Korean pop music outside of the days when Karin sat in front of her laptop gushing over how hot so-and-so was during some song. His fingers tapped in rhythm to the catchy beat of SNSD's Genie, trying not to be impressed by the five guys smoothly dancing onstage with their partners.
Wait a minute—just how many girls were in this band? Their numbers doubled, making Sasuke's head spin as he tried and failed to count the moving bodies.
The next clip was longer than the first. The cheesy movie at the beginning made Sasuke roll his eyes but he actually liked the tango arrangement of the Wonder Girls' Nobody. Suigetsu had a thing for this song when it first came out in English.
Several guys expressed their awe when two more guys joined the five dancing onstage for a b-boy dance routine before the music transitioned to the disco version Sasuke heard once before.
The lights came back on and several people groaned as they blinked away the black spots in their vision.
"Let's do the second one!" Someone near the front yelled.
Karishma shot the president a triumphant smile. "I thought you might say that," she said smugly. "Regardless of what you picked, I'm happy to introduce the Haruno twins as our dance instructors."
An excited murmur rose among the females. Sai Haruno was often seen among the top AASA members, chased by many heartsick girls. His twin, while everyone knew he had one, was hardly seen around campus. Rumor had it that Sakura Haruno was a ninja.
Sasuke felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of the girl joining her brother at the front. She looked irritated, like all she wanted to do was escape as soon as possible.
Sai waved to the crowd. "How are you all doing?"
A happy yell erupted.
"For those who don't know us, I'm Sai Haruno and this is my twin sister Sakura. To twelve of you, we'll be your dance instructors. Umm... we've been doing this kind of stuff since we were twelve when we spent a summer in LA with our cousins. We expect the chosen dancers to work hard and be dedicated to this performance."
He waited for his sister to say something.
"Sakura?"
"Right," the other Haruno jumped. "Auditions will be during next week's meeting."
"That concludes our official meeting. You are welcome to stay and chitchat. We've still got tons of food so help yourself." Karishma beamed at them. "New members—please stay so we can collect your contact information at the back table. A sign up sheet for auditions will be on the back table as well."
Sasuke got out of his chair, threw away his trash and fell in line. The lines for new members and dance auditions mingled together and Sasuke wasn't sure which was which anymore.
"Hey, aren't you in my history class?"
Sasuke turned his head. "Maybe."
"I think you are!" The girl clapped her hands. "You sit right in front of me—oh hey Sakura."
The angry light left her eyes as Sakura gave the other girl an easy smile. "Hey yourself Nikki."
Discreetly, Sasuke turned away from Nikki as the lines advanced.
"Where have you been? Nikki asked. "I see your brother all the time but not you. In what hole are you hiding in, girl?"
"I told Kari, I have have other duties as a club officer that take up time. Not only that, but my homework and labs are ridiculous."
Nikki's eyes grew wide. "That sucks!" She groaned. "But I guess that's what happens when you're a super genius."
"Saki," Sai smoothly interrupted. "That noisy woman wants you over there."
"I heard that, Sai Haruno!" Karishma yelled across the room.
Sakura rolled her eyes and left. Sai turned to Nikki and asked, "Who's your friend?"
Sasuke was pulled over to the girl's side after writing his contact information on the sheet. "You mean him?" Nikki laughed, making Sasuke feel uncomfortable with the familiar way she treated him. "This is..."
Sai snorted. "You don't even know his name."
"I do too! It's... Sake, right?"
The other man started laughing. Growing warm, Sasuke replied, "Sasuke, actually."
"I told you that you didn't know his name," Sai teased. Facing Sasuke, Sai gave him a smile—one that reminded Sasuke of the one his twin sister gave him one late spring afternoon—and said, "I'm Sai. Nice to meet you."
Sasuke gave him a bewildered glance. Didn't the other guy recognize him? Sasuke was okay if Sai didn't remember; maybe it meant Sakura didn't remember his face either.
His stomach twisted at the thought.
"Nice meeting you too," Sasuke finally said.
"What year are you?"
"Third for chemistry. I just transferred here."
"Oh yeah?" Sai looked intrigued. "From where?"
"Canton Community."
"No way! I'm from there. Where'd you graduate high school?"
"Plymouth High. You?"
"Bishop's," Sai grinned. "We never got play each other. You play any sports?"
"Soccer. But I quit my senior year to focus on school."
"You should play with me and the guys sometime then. It's nothing serious but we have friendly matches with other unofficial teams on campus."
"Sai!" Sakura hollered across the room. "I'm leaving! Give me the keys!"
"You live on campus?" Sasuke asked.
"Close enough, we might as well be," Sai sighed as he prepared to throw his twin the car keys. "What about you?"
"North campus in Bates."
The Haruno's eyes widened. "Wow. That's quite a walk. You want a ride?"
"Yeah Sai!" Karishma popped out of nowhere. "Prove you're a decent human being and give me one too."
"Who the hell wants to give you a ride home?"
"Hey! I live down the hall from you. It's hardly an inconvenience."
"Listening to you yap is an inconvenience."
"Don't be an ass to my best friend, baby brother."
Their heads turned. Sasuke never realized how short Sakura was until she stood in between her twin and best friend. Earlier, she seemed as tall as the rest of the girls.
"I thought you left," Sai furrowed his brow.
"I was about to but then I got text from this one," she jabbed her thumb towards Karishma. "-asking for a ride home."
"Perfect." Sai grinned. "Nee-chan..."
"You know I hate it when you try and sweet talk me, Sai. What is it this time?"
"Drop my buddy Sasuke home?"
What is it with the overly-friendly Asians at this school? — Sasuke wondered.
"Sasuke?" The woman frowned. "Since when do you know someone named Sasuke?"
Her green eyes landed on the Uchiha and he offered her a casual wave.
"Long time, no see."
"It's you..."
"Spill. Now." Karishma demanded as she followed her best friend into her apartment. "How do you know Sasuke?"
"We've met," the elder Haruno said shortly.
"Don't be cheap. How? And from the way he greeted you, it sounds like you two know each other."
Karishma let out a small 'eep' at the glare Sakura directed her way. "We don't know each other," she said fiercely. "We've bumped into each other a few times in Canton, that's all."
Sai snorted over his Gatorade. His sister's glare was on him now.
"Sai Haruno, I dare you to say something."
"I'm not going to," he answered calmly. "I value my life too much."
"So there is a history between the two of you!" Karishma shrieked.
"There's nothing!"
Ino Yamanaka laughed as the boy pouring her another shot of tequila tried another pick up line on her.
"Nice try," she shook her head, thanking him for the shot. "But you'll have to try something else."
Boys. They're so ridiculous sometimes.
She wandered the frat house, bored with this party already. Finding her roommate, Ino yelled she was going home.
While on the bus, her cell phone rang, providing a nice distraction. Sakura was calling. How nice. She hadn't heard from her cousin in a while.
"Yo chica. Tell me something new."
Her cousin shrieked something on the other end of the line that made her drop her phone in surprise.
"The Anime Paper Boy goes to your school?"
Sakura pressed replay on the YouTube video and watched the screen intently, scribbling a few notes on her notebook.
"Hey Sai?" She called through her open bedroom door. "Can you check this for me?"
She pressed replay for the fourth time and waited until Sai was done checking her choreography notes.
"Let's try it," he suggested. "We'll record it on Photo Booth."
Pressing a few keys, he opened up the program and hit record. Another few keys and the music played through the laptop's speakers.
They ran through each choreography set, creating individual clips. After two hours, the two sat down and watched them.
"I think we got it," Sai gulped down a glass of water. "I'm gonna have to watch the 2PM part but I'll worry about that later. Why don't you start on dinner?"
"Yeah," Sakura agreed. "I'm starved. And I've got homework."
"Since when do you not have homework?"
Sasuke took the offered bowl of ice cream and ate some gingerly. He wasn't fond of sweets but it seemed rude not to eat it.
Nikki seated herself beside him. "You gonna try out?"
"No," he responded. "Not much of a dancer."
"Nobody here is," she smiled at him. "Why don't you try out anyways? They're still taking names. Maybe you can request to be a back up or something."
"You mean an understudy?"
"Yeah that."
The last person auditioned and left the room. Officers were cleaning up the classroom, arranging the tables and chairs in their usual places. A number of people lingered, talking to each other.
Sasuke spotted Sakura studying the list of all the would-be dancers in the back of the room and made his way over to her.
"You're really quiet."
She looked up from her list and laughed. "You're one to talk," Sakura said. "You've hardly said a word to anyone other than Nikki and my brother."
"I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before."
"Pride and Prejudice." Sakura realized. "Mr. Darcy said that."
Sasuke smirked, mocking her with applause.
"It's one of my favorites," she suddenly confessed before returning to her list.
"I thought you were the type who read bloody crime novels." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them.
When she didn't say anything, Sasuke winced. He wasn't supposed to know that about her. It was a piece of knowledge gained from the time he worked at the sushi restaurant.
"I love crime novels but I can appreciate the classics every once in a while." Sakura finally put down her list. "How did you know I liked crime novels?"
"Err... lucky guess."
She accepted the flimsy lie, excusing herself to talk to her brother.
"We have a problem," Sakura announced grimly. "We're short."
"Yes," Sai acknowledged. "We're Asian."
She smacked her brother in the arm with her notebook. "Besides that," Sakura said frostily. "We need one more guy. Not enough signed up."
Sighing, Sai heaved another chair onto the growing stack. "I'd do it but who would teach? It's harder to teach complete noobs while dancing yourself."
"Find someone else before Saturday then," Sakura answered. "I have to go to an officers' meeting so I'll see you at home."
Sasuke registered the fact that someone slid into the chair opposite from him at the library but he waited until he was done copying the problem for his homework before acknowledging his intruder.
"Fancy seeing you here," Sai grinned at him. "What up, Sasuke?"
He shoved his homework to the side. "Not much," Sasuke leaned back in his chair. "What's new with you?"
"Hiding from my sister. She wants me to do homework." Sai wrinkled his nose. "It's Friday afternoon! What loser does homework on party night?"
Sasuke tapped the edge of his textbook with his pencil, smirking. The other man flushed.
"Err... besides you. I mean, no offense or anything. I'm not trying to say that you're a loser, it's just-"
His smirk grew wider.
"You know what?" Sai finally stopped babbling. "I'm going to shut up now."
Sasuke laughed softly. "It's cool man. Any plans for the weekend?"
"Soccer game with the guys and the first dance practice. I still gotta find one more person to fill that empty spot though."
"Good luck with that."
Sasuke pulled his book towards him to work on his homework again and almost jumped out of his chair when Sai's hand landed heavily on his book.
"The hell?"
The other man looked at him seriously. "Can you do a back flip?"
"What?"
Sai pressed again. "Do you have abs?"
"You're kinda freaking me out."
"Can you dance-" He jumped out of his chair and made a motion like he was swimming. "Again and again and again and again?"
Sasuke jumped out of his chair and wrestled Sai back into his seat. "Do not ever," He hissed. "Do that again."
Holding up his hands in surrender, Sai asked, "Can you fill that empty space I was talking about?"
"You don't even know if I can dance!"
"Are you Asian or not?" Sai demanded. "B-boying is in our blood. Channing Tatum has nothing on us, man. Grow some balls and show me your stuff!"
The library went eerily quiet. All heads turned to look at their table and Sasuke wanted the millions of books on the shelves to bury him alive.
Standing up, Sasuke calmly packed his bag.
"There's no way in hell you're related to your sister."
Sai watched him walk towards the stairs.
"I'll see you at seven pm at the gym! I owe you one, man! We're gonna get it on!"
He laughed at the sight of the lone finger waving back at him.
Author's Note:
Probably one of the better chapters. I'm thinking a lot about this fic... mostly because I want to finish it before the year is up. XD Might as well write while I'm thinking about it.
If you are interested in seeing what videos AASA showed as their choices for the Harvest Moon festival, they are SNSD and SHINee's performance of Genie (Tell Me Your Wish) and Wonder Girls and 2PM's collaboration on Nobody. I found them on YouTube and I'll post links in my LiveJournal later.
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!
Ja ne~
Callista Miralni