Oh, there she is again, Hinata thought. She felt herself looking away. Was she a creep? A stalker? They only had homeroom together this year, but then again... they had homeroom together. In the morning, she easily knew which class Sakura went to. Was she paying too much attention? She didn't have any answers to the ponderings. All she knew was the fluttering in her heart was addictive. It felt like she was being embraced by life itself. No, perhaps it was more akin to a dream one really wanted to be true, then they were told it partly was. The girl who gave her this feeling was right there. But, although she was content with the distance between them, she was still drawn in. But wasn't that the case with everything she liked? Did there have to be something more? Just to watch Sakura from a distance forever would be bliss.

Alas, it wasn't meant to be (and Hinata knew, though she denied it, that school would one day end). Sakura disappeared into a classroom. It was fourth period. One day she just happened to notice Sakura going into that room. Really.

So, this is love, she thought, slowly making her way to her own classroom. It had to be love. Though she knew almost nothing of Sakura, she could only feel this way for someone deserving of her love. However, given her low self-esteem, that could practically be anybody. So why was it this cute girl with pink hair?

Hinata glanced over her shoulder hoping to see Sakura running up to her, or at least just to see her again. But of course, she was still gone.

She tried her hardest to pay attention in school. Never was she the best student, but lately her mind kept wondering. How would she talk to Sakura? Her shyness was too much.

Walking to her next class, she noticed a poster on a bulletin board. Tennis tryouts. Maybe this year she would make a friend. They'd have a common interest after all. It'd be good practice to talk to other people. Maybe other cute girls. No, despite her shyness, she knew already that despite how pretty she thought other girls were, the feeling she had for Sakura would make it so much harder. It was the fear of rejection, wasn't it?

Hinata reached into her pocket. Trembling fingers went around her cellphone.

She was back in homeroom; it was one of Hinata's favorite, and least favorite times of the day. Before being dismissed to the busses, everyone was to report back to homeroom. She kept staring at Sakura until she realized that maybe she was staring. Glancing around, she wondered if others had loves in this homeroom that they were staring at. If they were, they did a good job of hiding it. Did she?

The bell rang.

Sakura got up and made her way towards the door.

Ino jumped to her side. "Going somewhere?" she asked.

Sakura's timid expression disappeared into a smile, and the two girls began talking.

She's so shy she doesn't even confront Ino herself, Hinata thought. She watched the two talk and laugh, following a few paces behind. I wish it was me. I wish I was making her laugh. But I'm not funny. I'm not good at interacting with people at all. Ino touched Sakura on the shoulder. A strange feeling overtook Hinata. She watched Ino snap her hand away.

Hinata stepped onto the bus and immediately regretted her decision. Paralyzed by fear as she looked at all the heads poking up from behind seats, she attempted to reach for her cell. No, no, she thought, get off the bus! But she couldn't move.

"Take a seat," the bus driver said.

Why was she snapping at Hinata? Why did she look so scary?

"Wait, I haven't seen you before. What's your name?"

Her palms were feeling slimy and her breathing abnormal.

"Hello? Are you okay?"

"Y-yes," she whispered. "H-H...Hin~ata. H-Hyuuga Hinata."

"Hmm, let me just check the list... Oh. There you are. Haven't taken the bus all year. Well, take a seat."

"Y-yes," Hinata said. She turned to the faces of students—some she recognized, but there was no one she really knew. Well, she didn't have any friends. She was going to have to sit with a virtual stranger. She looked down at the ground and took the first open seat, not even bothering to look at the other student. She tried to distract herself with pining and sometimes looking for images in the lines of the plastic cover of the seat in front of her. Once in a while, the other student tried to speak to her, and Hinata would reply with a shake of the head whenever she could, or a hallow response when she couldn't.

Hinata stood in front of her mirror and attempted to smile at the person looking back. It felt awkward, but more, she didn't want to smile at that person, or rather, she didn't feel like smiling at all.

"Knock... knock?" she asked herself.

"Who's there?" she replied.

"A girl."

"A girl who?"

"A girl who thinks you're really pretty! Eek! That's so stupid! I'm so stupid! How would she even take that?"

Hinata looked down.