Wheeeeee! My first ever Naruto fic! If you're reading, that means you're interested! Yay! Someone's interested!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

"I'm late...I'm so late..." Sakura Haruno thought, as she ran across her room, picking up items of clothing in a frenzy. Today was the first day of her senior year, and she had about ten minutes to get ready before classes started. Don't get the wrong idea – Sakura was a great student. Excellent, even. Straight As, exemplary behavior. But it just so happened that all of Sakura's academic glory crumbled at the mere sight of the most (unwillingly) popular boy of Konoha High School, Sasuke Uchiha. Yes, Sasuke Uchiha – excellent student, probably more so than Sakura, because while she had to spend days studying for a test, excellence just sort of came naturally for Sasuke. Grades-wise and looks-wise, thought Sakura and every other member of the Sasuke Uchiha fan club (other aspects of his person weren't usually considered).

And since this was Sakura's last year in high school, she was absolutely, one hundred percent determined to win over Sasuke's heart. It had to be this year, because afterwards, they wouldn't see each other and…they were meant to be. She knew it. She felt it. She knew he felt it. How couldn't he, when she was one of the most active members of his fan club, having spent weeks two years ago making pins and posters for his Student Body President campaign (that the fan club had nominated him for. He resigned after winning the election – the slogan was Vote Uchiha, he's just so dreamy!) and having almost threatened half the school last year to sign a petition urging the coach to change the school's soccer team name (from Konoha High to Sasuke Uchiha Football Club, in honor of their most sensational player)? No, they were meant to be.

But alas, Sakura had been way too caught up in one of her Sasuke-starred dreams to hear the alarm clock, so now she faced a choice – take her time, put on some of her best clothes, brush her long hair straight, and put on some make-up, so as to make a grand entrance and impress the boy of her dreams, with the downside of ruining her always-punctual school record; or grab whatever's clean, run for the door and comb her hair with her fingers, not impressing Sasuke but saving her school record. In the end, she gloomily decided that her future was slightly more important than Sasuke, so she grabbed some jeans, a yellow shirt with some design she didn't remember, the closest pair of flats, and a bracelet she had left in her desk, making sure that everything at least matched. She threw her bag over her shoulder, and yelled at her mom, desperately, to get her to school.

"Sakura, y-you look so f-frazzled, w-what h-happened?" was the first thing Sakura heard when she got to school. Hinata, her best friend, was waiting for her by the school gates.

"I woke up late, but I'm fine." They walked to their first class, chatting about some TV show. Sakura had known Hinata since junior high, but only as the shy, quiet girl who didn't have many friends. When they got to high school, Sakura's friendships were strained because most girls she knew shared her burning passion for the dashingly dark prince of Konoha High (said prince involuntarily twitched every time he heard the title). She still talked to them, but there was a rivalry and competitiveness than wouldn't let them be close. So, she got to know the one girl who didn't suffer the same plight. Hinata was shy, but she was also loyal and kind, and, not liking Sasuke herself, was available to listen to Sakura's rantings. She reminded Sakura of how she was when she was a little girl, sad, lonely and ashamed of her disproportionate forehead; Hinata had, luckily, a normal forehead, but she had always been a little plumper than the other girls, and she had always felt at fault because of this. Sakura tried her best to be the best friend she could be, so Hinata would come out of her shell and be happier with herself.

"Move it, fat-ass!"

But high school was as tough as ever. Hinata blushed furiously, and picked up the bag she had dropped.

"Come on Hina, don't listen to that jerk. If there's anyone fat here, it's his nose."

Hinata managed to giggle at her friend's comment. They reached their classroom, and went inside. Sakura stopped in her tracks, gawking at Sasuke, who was, as always, sitting in the back, surrounded by a bunch of giggling girls. Hinata patiently pulled Sakura by the hand to their seats. Sakura sat down, and dropped her head to the table, turning it towards Sasuke's direction. Some guys looked at her strangely.

"Is she unconscious?"

"Hina, should I've brought something for him?" Sakura said, ignoring the guys, looking at some girls who were trying to convince Sasuke to accept some homemade cookies with strawberry-frosted hearts. The accepting part was difficult, as Sasuke was, as always, trying to ignore the girls, which was nearly impossible, as they formed a circle around him. A very annoying, blushing, giggling circle. At some point he just grabbed some headphones and decided to zone out. Hinata felt more sorry than attracted to him.

"I-I don't think you sh-should have bothered..."

"And is it just me or does he look even more handsome this year?"

"I-I wouldn't know…"

"But he is! His eyes are darker! His lashes are longer! His hair is silkier! His muscles are bigger! And there is no trace of a tan on his skin! It's as porcelain white as ever! Do you know what that means, Hina?" Sakura almost screamed, now grabbing her friend by the collar, trying to get some fangirl-type reaction out of her. Not that she'd like it if Hinata was one. Then she'd have even more competition! But it unnerved her that her friend was so apathetic to the wonder that was Sasuke.

"T-that he stayed i-in?" The other girl said, tentatively.

"No! That this man is a god!" Sakura let go of her friend, sighting dramatically. Hinata smiled, used to her friend's drama. She tried to turn Sakura's attention away from the alleged god.

"Say, S-Sakura…do you know if t-there are any new s-students this year?"

The other girl shrugged.

"Probably not. Who'd transfer school in senior year? Besides…we don't need any new boys, right? I have Sasuke, and you have…"

Hinata shushed her friend, blushing. Sakura raised her eyebrows, teasing her.

"Good morning, students."

Most people groaned. Sakura and a few other girls cheerfully replied.

"I hope you all had your batteries charged during the summer, because now it's time to get back to work. I'll be handing you your timetables in…oh, it seems we have a new student. Care to introduce yourself?"

Everyone turned to where the teacher was looking. Most girls squealed vocally, some guys squaled mentally, as their eyes recognized Sasuke, who looked very annoyed.

"I'm not new." He said, in a low voice. Then he pointed to something on his right.

"He is." That something was a boy sitting next to him. "Wait…a boy?" Sakura thought. The person was certainly androgynous enough. It was obvious that no one had noticed him before (not with all the fangirls around Sasuke) because there was an echoed gasp. Sakura thought he ("Sasuke did say he…") looked generally uninviting. Short, messy blood-red hair, eyes the color of sea foam that the girl thought looked anything but nice, and, weirdest of all, a red kanji tattoo on his forehead. She couldn't make it out from where she was sitting. The person nodded and said "My name's Gaara."

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