The first day of the rest of my life had ended with the abrupt ringing of bells in my ears. My mind subconsciously was shutting down from a major overload. I knew education was a drag, but I had never dreamed of what this could have amounted to. Not only was I harassed, but I had been shot the death glare just a few times.

Was it really my fault that I had to sit by the jerk known as "Sasuke-kun"? How was I supposed to know that he was the most desired testosterone filled male here? Oh Kami. I need some friends.

Or drugs.

Drugs would most likely be cheaper.

Instead I sat in my car, letting my cheap thrill of obscure indie rock through my ears. Suddenly, there was a knock on my window. The one who had drooled all over my papers, had used my alpaca scarf as a pillow, and had used my pen to finish a test that he barely glanced over and more than likely failed it, was tapping, TAPPING, on my window. Reluctantly, I roll down the window with a sigh, secretly pondering where I had kept my mace.

Was it in the glove compartment or underneath the seat?

The parking lot cleared, as I diverted my attention from him, and in a spilt second I turned my face back to him, and the temperature rose about 10.7 degrees in my body. Exactly.

There stood the mighty slacker in his geeky (but savory) glory. He was about a head and a half taller than me. His shirt tail was tucked halfway in, and his tie was undone and hung carelessly around his neck; as carelessly as his shirt was unbuttoned; as carelessly as my face turned red; as carelessly as I forgot to take a look at him when he was actually half coherent in class.

Black hair was tied into a ponytail, his hair sticking up in the back quite choppy. His coal eyes lingered on mine, looking through black wire frames. He scratched the back of his pierced ear and scowled.

"Troublesome…" he sighed as he kicked the dirt below us.

"Pardon me?" I squeaked, thoroughly peeved that he called me troublesome. I couldn't say anything though. I wasn't assertive. Instead, my well-manicured toe nails tapped nervously on the brake as I stared with utter confusion at his furrowed brows.

"Not you." He stated quickly and diligently. He looked as uncomfortable as I was. "I missed the bus, and I need a ride home. And since you seem like the most…um…how can I put this delicately…un-troublesome girl I've met in a while because your lack of speaking, I was wondering if you could save me from walking approximately 9 kilometers in the south east direction?"

That was the most I've ever heard him speak. It seemed it was equivalent to a castration on the pain scale for him as he looked up at the sky. He kept one hand in his pocket, fingering something that I wasn't sure of. It seemed square and far from a switch-blade.

Having time to kill, I nodded with little – no, wait – no words said. He seemed relieved when he went around to the door and sat in passenger seat. He waited for me to start the engine and pull out smoothly before he relaxed and put his seat belt on. We drove in silence while he fidgeted with fervor.

"Um…are you alright?" I asked quietly, keeping my eyes on the road.

"No." He said sternly, before hesitantly added. "Do you mind if I smoke?"

"A cigarette?"

"No. Weed."

My arms tensed as I squeaked with surprise.

"Geez. It was a joke. Yes, a cigarette. I'm not a drug addict. That's a waste of time and effort."

"I guess."

He rolled down the window for my sake, and lit a cigarette skillfully, and popped the ash tray out as if it was clockwork.

He sighed and smiled with a joy on a much rather blank face.

"Thanks."

"No-no problem."

"The name is Nara Shikamaru."

"Oh. It's nice to meet you. I'm Hyuga Hinata."

"So…um, do you usually allow strangers into your car, or is it a once in a lifetime thing?"

I laughed softly and shrug.

"O-O-Occasionally. You caught me on a good day."

He let out a hum as if he knew the song that was playing on my stereo lightly in the background. Realizing the absurdity that I was in the car with a guy I hardly knew at all, asking a yes or no question couldn't hurt.

"You-you listen to Sufjan Stevens?"

"Yeah. Usually, American music is too troublesome for my taste, but he's an exception."

"Wow. No one I've met has liked him."

"That's because most people enjoy indulging themselves in meaningless rap and stuff like that."

I nod my head vigorously as I turned when he told me to. In no time we came upon a housing complex, and he pointed to the right stairwell. I was surprised that I could talk to him sometimes easily, though other times I had no idea what he was talking about it.

He got out of the car, waving with nonchalance.

I went home in confusion. My face had turned back to its pasty complexion, though I still looked a little flustered. I got out and grabbed my bag before getting out of my car.

He was quite the person.

I walk in the door and my father was staring at me with a tyrannical glare worthy of a kind.

"Hello, father." I bow and peer through heavy bangs.

"Hinata, you are late. I schedule an appointment with you, and you are half an hour late. Care to explain yourself?"

"Ah, father. I had a club after school. It was necessary that I join it today or else I wouldn't have time to be in the picture for the year book. Gomen."

He mumbled and walked forward.

"Hinata. You smell like smoke." Raising a terrible brow in my general direction, I laugh uncomfortably.

"Father, unfortunately I can't handle m-my classmates' addictions."

"You make sure that you do not get involved with this kind of foolery; the future heiress of Hyuga Corporations can not die of tar lung at the weak age of 25. No daughter of mine will become a whore on the south side of the city just so she can make spare change for her unsettling drug addictions and then die of STDs and cancer."

"Yes. I understand, father." My head just shook as I saw his retreating backside. I wonder if I would see him see again at Christmas this year.

One can only hope in these situations.

After a brief dinner and daily nod to my sister Hanabi who showed me her new piercing in the most awkward of places, I went to my room. I tossed off my uniform and got into my silk pajamas in time for my 9:45 bed time.

Opening my guilty pleasure of a romance novel, I dive into a realm quite the opposite of my own.

Commercial fiction truly gave me a thrill. It was as if it could be so easy to run into your best friend of the past and fall in love instantly.

In that moment I thought of Naruto-kun, and my gentle smile turned into a frown. A first love was always hard to get over and forget. But I guess these novels were my emotional crutch; to replace the heroine with me and the prince in disguise as the pauper as Naruto.

I forgot about the angry heart-throb Sasuke, and about the lazy Shikamaru, and I went to sleep dreaming about the only man I would probably love for life.

It was just a bit alarming to wake up in the middle of that night realizing that both of them were in my dream, saving me from a dragon with crystal blue eyes.

A/N - I really need news because as much as I enjoyed finishing this chapter but I don't know if you as the reader enoys this. So tell me. Feedback, good or bad, is good.