Author's Notes: Well look here…another fic of mine…who'da thought? Anyway, hi, nice to meet you, for the people that don't already know me! Welcome to my world where everything goes my way and that's final! –laughs insanely- ahem, yes, about the fic. Let's see what I can sum up in a few words. I've been reading a lot of depressing things lately, and what better way to cure it then write utterly stupid things! Yes, this idea popped out of nowhere, and I was smart enough to write it down this time. I haven't seen to many high school Naruto fictions around, so here's my interpretation. Sorry in advance if this is similar in any way to anyone else's (I assure you, I don't plagiarize XD). Anyway, for future chapters, the ANs will go on the bottom of the chapter. First chapter I know is kinda lame, but whatever. Also, I encourage criticism, but nothing too harsh (because those made me sad…) So enough with my rambling, time for chapter 1 of That's Life!
Pairings: I will only say this once. Focuses mainly on Sasu/Saku. Side pairings of (get ready for the list): Saku/Neji, Neji/Ten, Sasu/Ten, Naru/Hina, Hina/Kiba, Shika/Ino, Ino/Shika/Tem triangle. All of these pairings won't necessarily stay together at the end (mostly only for 1 chapter…like Sasuke and Tenten –laughs- very scary if you ask me…can't see that 1 at all).
Summary: AU Take a slightly emotional female, and mix that with an extremely unemotional male. What do you get? Total. Chaos. Plain and simple. (SasuSaku and other minor pairings)
Disclaimer: I only own the plot. Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei.
Key: Regular text, "talking", 'thinking', flashbacks
Chapter 1: All I Wanted was a Goddamn Summer Romance!
The young girl looked out the window of her family's car, as the trees were getting fewer and fewer, and the houses were increasing. She sighed, it was the first time in about 10 years that they'd moved…and of all places, back here? Back to where they'd originally were. The window was open, letting in a small breeze, and blowing back her soft pink hair. Well, at least it was good to be home.
"You're leaving, huh?" he'd asked her, once the family car was loaded and ready to go. Her mother beckoned for her presence, as they waited to leave.
"Yeah," she said sadly. She turned to see her house one last time. "I'm really going to miss this place…and you," she said shyly. "Thanks for being my friend." She kissed the dark-haired boy on the cheek.
His face instantly turned red, and it caused her to giggle. "Hey! You'll…come back some day…right?" he asked reluctantly as she turned to go.
"Definitely," she said with a smile. "And when I do, things are going to be just like now. You're going to be my boyfriend, kay?" she giggled as his blushed increase as he nodded. "You're going to wait for me!" and so were the last things she'd ever said to him, as the family car pulled out of the driveway and down the road…into the unknown world.
She sighed again. It was 10 years ago…she was seven at the time. So long ago…hell, she'd even forgot his stupid name! How was she supposed to date someone who she didn't even recognize, since she highly doubted that he looked even remotely similar, since he'd be also seventeen now. "Sakura! Stop daydreaming! We're here already!" her mother called from the front seat. So came the first glance at her new home.
Well, so much for new. "You mean to say we moved for ten whole years just to move back to our old house?" she asked in somewhat disbelief. She sighed, "I call my old room…" with that she took the tiny bag she was carrying and ran up the few steps to the unlocked front door. The inside looked exactly the same…minus the homey touches it used to carry. But without a doubt, it'd be like old times. She thought, 'Well, almost.'
It was the middle of July, and Sakura had planned to spend the summer like all the other teen girls her age. Trying to find a summer love. It made her sick. So suddenly her parents had decided they were suddenly going to move back and then wham! All hopes came crashing through her perfect little spotless mirror. Then the shards fell into her eyes and then they started bleeding and then…alright…to much of a mental image for her.
"I want my life back!" she yelled into her pillow, once it was again in her possession, back in her room. Then, gazing around her old/new room, she spotted her stuffed bear that she'd named Teddy. Original, neh? "It's all your fault! It had to be that night where I had that dream and I said 'wow I wish I still lived there' and then it came true! See? All your fault!" and so commenced the staring contest between the stuffed animal, and a crazed and summer-love deprived teen. And guess who won? No one, actually, it was mutual.
"This sucks…" she complained again, but more silently. She gazed out the window. Everything was in the house, yet waiting to be unpacked. The sun had set. 'Man, but I have missed this place…' she walked over to open her window. The warm summer air filled the damp room. "Ah…" she sighed peacefully. "Huh?" she looked around. A tree branch hung just inches from the windowpane, outstretching to the outside of the fence. "Heh, I can sneak out! Awesome!" until she remembered she had nowhere to sneak out to.
"Therefore, nothing is left to do but sleep," she concluded aloud. And that's just what she did, not even bothering to get changed, nor close the window.
Morning came quicker then expected, with a thud, actually. She was just about to ask the pink fluffy cat what it's name was then it pushed her and wham! She had landed on the floor! And to her now, the room was upside down. "Oww…" she whined sleepily still too lazy to remove herself from the position. If there was one thing anyone should know, it was that Haruno Sakura was not (and that 'not' is in bold for a reason) a morning person.
She walked out of her room and turned to the first left, smack into the wall. 'Oh yeah…wrong house.' She stayed there against the wall, until her mother emerged from her room in her night robe.
"Sakura, what are you doing there?"
"Wondering why I can't live a normal teenaged life and I'm stuck moving and that the world's not fair and that I'm never going to find a guy and get some—"
"What?" her mother asked, cutting her off, since her daughter was mumbling rather than speaking…for good reason.
"Nothing. I forgot that I'm not at home anymore, and thought the bathroom was the wall. My bad," and she turned 180 degrees, and walked into the real bathroom.
A whole breakfast session, unpacking and more walking into wrong rooms later, Sakura could say that she was finally unpacked. It was mid-afternoon, and she still had time to kill. "Going out for a little bit," she said to no one in particular. She trotted across the front lawn, and opened the gate to her house. And now she was free! Free to stand there and look like the total lost kid that she was.
She looked down the right. A road. To the left, a road. In front…a tree. Alright. Interesting neighbors. Hi roads, trees, meet Sakura, your newfound best friend. She resisted the urge to gag. 'This can't be the only thing…not that I remember.'
So following old instincts, she wandered down the silent road for a bit until she came across a park. Not that there was anyone there…of course…because that would have been too easy. 'Whatever,' she plopped down onto the single swing and closed her eyes.
"What? You're leaving?"She nodded sadly, "Daddy says it's for work…but…I don't wanna leave! Can I come live with you or something?"
She had always been such a stupid child. Of course that'd never happen. Her trail of thoughts were cut rather short, as a shadow loomed over her. "Oh?"
There stood a girl. She wore a hooded sweatshirt, despite the hot weather. Her eyes looked rather vacant and silver. She looked very timid, judging by her stance. "H-hello," she stumbled, very quietly.
The first thing that dawned on her was: ah ha! A person! She wasn't the only one in this place, thank the Lord! She was ready to give this random girl a big hug! Wait! That'd probably scare her off, so it was best to refrain from doing so. "Hello!" she said strongly, her emerald eyes shining. "How are you today? Lovely weather isn't it?" hold on…she was rambling.
"Um…yeah…it is," she said nervously.
Oh great, she was scaring her off already. "Oh, wait! Sorry about that, I was just a bit fidgety 'cause you know I just moved here and all and know no one and…oh," the girl was looking at her weirdly again.
Then she giggled, "That's quite alright. I-I just come here everyday and I never see anyone else here but me…so I was a bit surprised…" she offered a small smile. "Where are my manners? I forgot, I'm Hinata. Hyuuga Hinata."
"Haruno Sakura," she replied, happy to find someone who she at least knew the name of.
"How'd you find this place anyway? The entrance is pretty hidden," observed the one called Hinata.
"I used to live around here…like ten years ago. So I guess I came here a lot, since I did so absentmindedly."
"T-that's cool…" she said, and the conversation died. "Y-you live around here?"
"Yeah, just down the road a few minutes," she jerked her thumb in one direction.
"Then we're neighbors. The Hyuuga estate is just that way," she pointed in the opposite direction, "I haven't had many of those up until now."
Sakura laughed slightly nervous. "E-estate huh? You're rich?" the girl shook her blue-haired head. "Ah, I see…" in truth, she didn't really see at all.
"My cousin's family lives there too. So we need quite a bit of room…I-I'll show you if you'd like…I-I hope I'm n-not imposing or anything…"
"No! Not at all! Let's go!" she said rather quickly and dragged her new found friend off by the arm, not really caring what she thought of her at this point, only that she actually knew someone! For God sakes, she was dragging this girl to her own house, and she didn't even know where it was…only in that direction. She paused in her thoughts; oh well.
It was less than a minute before the two appeared before a large gated property, and right in the dead center, was the biggest darn house that Sakura had ever seen in her useless life. She rubbed her eyes, Osaka Castle? Nah… "Wha-what do you mean you aren't rich? Hello? Have u ever looked at the size of this place?"
"N-no, sorry. Did I upset you?"
"A-ah…no, no! it's just," 'good job Sakura,' "I've never seen a place so huge in m life! It's amazing!" she gripped the iron bars, looking longingly inside. She never remembered this here.
"W-would you like t-to come inside?" she asked nervously, unlocking the gate with a code.
The pink-haired girl wanted to scream "hell yeah!" but chose a softer, and more polite tone, "If you insist!" she walked silently up the gravel path, while on the other hand, Sakura was half skipping. Man, this was so cool! She was going to look inside a palace! Well, maybe it wasn't a palace but close enough! She could have squealed in delight, completely forgetting about her non-existing summer romance…but only temporarily though.
"H-here," Hinata opened the door, and let Sakura enter first. It was just as stunning inside than out. Marble floors, big staircases, a big chandelier, and stereotypical rich-people things were Sakura's opinion.
"Amazing," she breathed.
And then a loud crash was heard from somewhere deep inside. Sakura jumped back at the sudden noise, and Hinata flinched. "Neji nii-san's friends must be over…" and went inside the house.
Follow…or not follow? Hell, it'd take her days to get out of this place! "Hey! Hinata! Wait up!" she slid on the floor, but caught herself just before she ran into her friend. That would have been embarrassing. "Who's Neji?" she asked, but it was sort of obvious, judging by what she'd called him.
"My cousin," she stated, "he's the same age as me, well, a few months older. Seventeen, you-you're that too, right?" Pink hair moved up and down. "He's usually in here with his friends," she peered through the door. Sakura did the same.
It was another huge room, looked like a lounge. Inside were six guys. One lay comfortably one the couch. He was probably Neji, Hinata's cousin, judging by their eyes. One was sitting on the floor against a wall, looking bored. The other four were up and about, doing who knows what.
"…and then I swear, she comes up to me and goes you're the most annoying blonde I have ever met! I mean come on!"
"Man, you talk way to much," another one said.
"Arg! Shut up! You shouldn't talk mister, 'oh! See her over there? She's soooooo hot! I think I'm going to go—'" a pop can found it's way to the blonde boy's face. "Hey!"
"Serves you right for never shutting up and giving this world peace!"
Sakura glanced to Hinata, "Maybe it's best we leave." She nodded and they quietly exited. "Lively bunch they are," she laughed. "Why aren't you there in there with them? Aren't they your friends too?" the timid girl's cheeks flared slightly. Oh, so that was it. Boy, crush, nervous…end of story. "Haha, it's okay! You wouldn't believe how many stories I have like that and oh my Lord! Is that the time? Sorry if I feel like I'm rushing out but Mom's going to kill me!"
"N-no problem. See you, um, later then," she smiled and showed Sakura out.
'Oh crap! Oh crap! I'm soooo dead!' she thought as she flew down the road back in the direction of her house. 'Sakura, make plans for your funeral. First, I leave all my girl-things to my friends back home, I miss you guys oh so much! Especially Temari! You get the special stuff! I leave some stuff for Hinata, girl, I only knew you for 2 hours but it was fun. The rest I leave to my mystery man, if he remembers me…' and her running stopped to a walk, then a stop, as she observed the person standing in front of her.
He gripped the bars of the gate and was staring off onto her property. He had dark, almost black hair, like most people nowadays. And he was tall, about a head above herself. He wore a navy T-shirt, and black shorts; casual wear. From his wrists to his elbows were covered with bandages.
She cleared her throat. The young man jumped back, startled by her presence, and flustered that he'd been 'caught' doing whatever the hell he was doing. "Excuse me, what do you want?" he said nothing, just looked at her from head to toe, observing her every feature. 'Is he deaf or something? Or mute?' she wondered, getting quite nervous from all this eye contact from those black orbs of his. "Hello? Are you deaf? What are you doing here?"
He snapped to attention. His face with an unreadable expression, "Like I'd tell a total stranger," he sneered. But she had to admit, his voice was very captivating.
"Haruno Sakura," she said rather bitterly, "now what?" Her foot tapped lightly on the ground.
"And just because you tell me your name, means that I'll tell you my business here?" he asked monotone. She nodded. "Then you're more foolish then you look."
'Foolish? Why that arrogant, pig-headed jerk! No one calls me foolish!' her insides screamed. On the outside she remained cool. "Look, I'm late to go home, my mom will kill me, it's my first day here in a long while and I'd like to live through at least the summer. So hurry up, tell me, then have a nice life!"
"You live here?" he eyed her again with that same flat expression. "Uchiha Sasuke, if you're so interested. My business is meaningless now. Have a nice life," he repeated before strolling away, that is, before Sakura caught his arm. He winced slightly, obviously we was wounded.
"That's it? You can't just walk up to someone's house and act like it's nothing. Listen, Sasuke-san, I just want to know what you were doing. That's all!"
She flicked her hand away. "Man, you're annoying." It left her standing there half shocked, as he continued to walk away.
'Bastard.' She inwardly cursed, 'what a weird guy, and so damn innerving too! What does he think to call me that only meeting me for five seconds…' she picked up a rock and threw it in that direction, and it landed far away from it's target, as he was already too far away. 'Man, I could just strangle something…'
And speaking of being strangled. "Ah! Mom! I'm soooo dead even more now! If I die it's your fault!" she yelled after him, not really caring if he was listening or not. With that last note lingering, she quickly opened the gate and bolted inside. "Dead, dead…I'm a dead teen walking!"
"If I die it's your fault!" was heard in the distance.
"That's fine," he said quietly stopping and slumping down to the ground. He'd caught wind that some new family had moved into the house and went to check it out. He didn't catch a glimpse of the parents, who he was hoping for, since they wouldn't have changed very much. 'She's…Sakura?' then he shook it from his mind.
He stood up, and headed for home. 'Well, I obviously wasted my time today. However,' his scowl darkened, 'I'm sure I haven't seen the last of you, Haruno.'
'I can't believe him! Thank God I wasn't grounded! She bought my 'I got lost lie'. Ha! Anyway,' her thoughts trailed as she lay on her bed. Something was bugging her. "Man, you're annoying." Came into play again. 'Why am I remembering that? Stupid him! I just met him too! It's not worth working up over. We just started off on the wrong foot. That's all.' She turned onto her back. 'Sheesh, if my mystery man was here, he'd beat the crap out of that guy. I wonder what he did turn out like…maybe a handsome voice, and looks awesome. Wouldn't that be great?'
She desperately hoped she'd at least find him sometime before school started.
TBC