The class ranking pinned to the bulletin board mocked her. Hinata didn't even need to look at the first spot to know who it was. Disappointment was her base emotion at this point. It didn't even feel like anything anymore. She took a picture anyway. Her father would want the evidence of what to scold her with when she got home.

"Second best again."

Hinata closed her eyes to conceal her annoyance. Sasuke Uchiha was leaning against the wall with a smug smile. She didn't need to see him to know it. She could feel it burning against the back of her head.

Spoiled brat.

Hinata ignored him, heading back to the classroom. She worried that one of these times, she would lose her temper and smack him. She melted into her seat, pressing her face on her books, looking out the window at the spring rain. Was the sky crying for her?

"I'll just try harder. Even if it doesn't get me any further." Hinata promised herself.

"Hmm?" Shikamaru twitched his head up from the seat in front of her, blinking drowsily.

Hinata blushed. Hopefully, he didn't hear that. "Nothing. Sorry."

Shikamaru rolled his head up on his arm to look back at her. "Looking defeated doesn't sell the pep talk." He did hear her, wonderful.

She just wanted to sink through the floor. "Just ignore me."

Shikamaru's eyes slid close. "If there's no spirit left, it's not going to matter how hard you try."

Why did he have to be right all the time? Hinata bit down her bottom lip to keep from pouting. At least she knew he wasn't judging her. He was far too practical for that. His words were genuine, but that didn't always make them helpful.

She would just have to see if she could take it to heart at this point.

Sasuke thumbed at his phone screen. No messages. No calls. If it weren't the only lifeline to knowing if his brother was okay, he would chuck it in frustration. He reread his last message.

'I got first place in class ranking.'

Students swarmed the halls, moving between classes, adding their chatter to the noise in his head. Why couldn't he skip today? He didn't want to be here. It wasn't like he was focusing on a lecture while waiting for his brother to get out of surgery. He would be doing just as much in a hospital waiting room.

Hinata Hyuga ignored him as she passed him down the hall, darting her eyes away when hers accidentally met his. She then turned a big fake smile to one of the two oddballs that followed her around.

Pompous bitch.

Beating her always had a certain sweetness to it. Even if it was easy, it knocked her down a peg. She was like every other entitled rich girl. No one believed him because she was too good at hiding it behind her innocent, 'shy girl' routine.

Why would she participate in the pageant every year if she wasn't vain? Why would she volunteer for every after-school project if she wasn't boasting? Why would she run for student council if she wasn't full of herself?

Sasuke would love to crack that perfect little mask she wore and show everyone just how conniving and scheming she really was, but he was the only one who saw the hate in her eyes when she looked at him.

A project for another day. He refreshed his screen, but still no messages, and he had to get to class.

"This group project will be a significant portion of your grade for the rest of this quarter. You'll need to research and make logical conclusions, which for some of you will be a struggle," Kakashi handed out papers. "I will give you some class time with your partners, but that is not going to be enough to finish this project. You are going to have to do this on your own time if you want to pass. I could continue, but you aren't going to listen to me." He headed up to his podium. "You can stop looking around for partners. I already picked them out based on your skill level and competency."

The class groaned.

Kakashi started listing groups. Very few people were excited about their partners. Hinata felt her heart sink as soon as both Kiba and Shino were chosen for other groups. It looked like she would be doing all the work again.

"And that leaves Hinata Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha." Hinata snapped her head over at Sasuke, and then she closed her eyes in pain. Wonderful.

Ino's hand shot up. "They're both top students. How is that fair?"

Kakashi dismissed her with a half-hearted wave. "This isn't a competition. You're not being tested against them. I just want to have one competent report to read by the end of this. On the handout is the list of acceptable topics and the parameters. Extra points to the students who take the challenging topics. You have the rest of the class to talk with your partners. I want your chosen topic and main point by the end of the week." Kakashi sat down, burying his head in a book like he always did. He was notorious for his projects and worksheets. It forced you to learn about something without him having to do anything.

Hinata glanced over at Sasuke. He wasn't coming to her. She picked up her things, but there were no open chairs around him. If anything, he was more crowded than normal.

Sasuke kicked Naruto's chair in front of him. "Move."

Naruto flicked his head around, annoyed, but saw her and flashed a smile before moving to the other side of his own partner. Sweet of him.

Hinata settled into Naruto's seat, turning around to set her notebook on Sasuke's desk. She wasted no time making small talk. He wasn't going to give her a serious answer anyway. She skimmed the handout, turning it for him and pointing at one of the challenge topics. "I know this topic rather well."

"Then it's not really a challenge, is it?" Sasuke leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

So, he was going to be difficult. Fine. She pushed the list to him. "Which would you like to do?"

Sasuke glanced at the list. "Last on is less boring."

Hinata wasn't going to argue with him. She was probably going to be doing a lot of this. Diverting to his opinion just to get the work done. She marked it on her sheet. "We'll need to meet at the library a few times a week. We are already both on the student council. Would you like to meet after that?"

Sasuke made a face. "Why not before?"

"I have fencing." Sasuke rolled his eyes. This was going to be painful. "I also give music lessons twice a week and have to be in the radio studio for three shifts."

Sasuke's head rolled back dramatically. "Anything else?"

"I have to be home every day by nine," Hinata added.

"Of course you do." Sasuke huffed. "I can't meet today, but other than student council and basketball practice, I am free. You have my number from the student council. Just text me when you're done with whatever tomorrow."

Hinata would have to give him credit for at least working with her schedule. Group projects usually fell apart as soon as she explained what she did during the week. She pulled out her planner, made a quick copy, and slid it to him. "This is my general schedule. I am available outside these times if you need me."

Sasuke didn't look at it. Just slid it into his notebook and closed it, crossing his arms over it, laying his head down, and looking out the window. Ending the conversation.

This was going to be a nightmare.

'I am proud of you.'

Itachi was awake. That at least meant that the surgery wasn't completely botched, but it didn't tell him if the surgery was effective. Sasuke rubbed his face with his open hand. Should he grab him something before heading to the hospital?

"Hey." Naruto clamped his arm around his neck, jerking him down. "Stop moping." Sasuke shoved him off, but he was unfazed, bouncing back up to him. "Excited about the group project?"

"Why would I be?" Sasuke stopped at the lunch hall.

Naruto shrugged. "Hinata's your type, isn't she?"

Sasuke's face contorted. "What the hell makes you think that?"

"Well, you hate girls that are clingy, loud, and stupid. So I would think you would like the opposite." Naruto put his hands out like it was obvious.

Sasuke shook his head as he crossed the lunchroom. "I'll be happy when this is over. I see enough of her at student council."

"She's cute, at least." Naruto pushed.

"Don't let Sakura hear you say that." Sasuke grabbed a tray.

Naruto grabbed his own. "I said cute, not the pinnacle of beauty."

"And yet Ino wins every year." Sasuke countered by putting items on his tray.

"Blonde biased." Naruto shrugged.

Sasuke paid for his tray. "Then why aren't girls all over you?"

Naruto made a face. "I think it only works for girls."

"Sure." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"There's a dance coming up. She never has a date. You could ask her to it." Naruto really wasn't getting it, was he? Sasuke side-eyed him. "You're really not going to have one girlfriend before the end of school?"

"Rich coming from you." Sasuke rolled his eyes, moving to his usual spot.

"My heart is taken. I am just waiting." Naruto put his hand over his chest dramatically as he followed suit, putting his tray down next to his. "And if you get a girlfriend, Sakura might actually let me take her out." Yeah, that was going to do it. "But I would think Hinata and you might hit it off. You two are both smart, rich, and good-looking."

Sasuke sighed. "Now it just sounds like you are flirting with me."

Naruto made a dumb grin. "We might make a cute couple, too."

Sasuke groaned, shoving him away. He hated it when Naruto was in a good mood.

**Lavender Long Stories**

Hey, with how many issues has been having I would like everyone to know I cross post to AO3 under Lavender_Long_Stories and I have an active tumblr lavender-long-stories