I know you don't think you did me wrong
And I can't stay this mad for long,
Keeping ahold of what you just let go
You're just somebody that I used to know
_____
Sakura arrived at home that hectic Friday afternoon dreading the preparations in store for her. She showered, shaved, and blow-dried her hair, and was heading for her bedroom wrapped in a fuzzy towel when she was intercepted by her mother.
"So sweetie," her mom began in an expectant voice that most children by the age of 19 come to loathe, "When are you gonna fill me in about your boyfriend?"
Sakura froze, instantly thinking of Kakashi. 'How does she know? What am I supposed to say to that?!'
Her mother continued, oblivious to her daughter's inner torment. "Are you even going to let me and dad meet this Sai boy?"
Sakura breathed an inconspicuous sigh of relief. "Ahaha mom...It's not like that, we're just going as friends."
Her mom shot her a suspicious look, and she laughed. "Mom, please. You know me better than that. Now, I have to go to Ino's and get ready. Don't forget, I'm sleeping over at her place after, so I'll see you tomorrow!"
---
Kakashi was irritated. It was a pretty standard side-effect of having to spend one's Friday night overseeing a horde of sexually frustrated teenagers dry-humping to the rhythm of mediocre rap. Besides, he had other things on his mind. He glanced at the clock; 2 hours before he had to leave. A short nap couldn't hurt....
4 hours later, he awoke with a start. 'Huh,' he thought. 'Looks like I'm a little late...'
---
Sakura had never really thought of Sai as particularly attractive, but she welcomed a distraction from her Kakashi-filled thoughts. She supposed it was normal to be stressing about him, as she hadn't seen him since the closet incident (as she privately referred to it in her head). Who knew what he thought? Maybe she had completely misunderstood, and he wasn't interested in her at all. How was she supposed to face him now? Why did she have to go and tell him, anyway?
Needless to say, it was a relief to be able to bury herself in idle conversation as she and Sai meandered into the crowded gym. Soon after they walked in, the lights dimmed and the music blared. Sakura couldn't help but feel a little flutter of excitement; it had begun.
---
Two hours later, she disentangled herself from Sai and the rest of her friends, and hit up the bathrooms. She peered into the mirrors, frowning with disgust at her sweaty skin. She splashed some water on her face, hoping to cool down- that gym could get really hot, thanks to the packed bodies and the lack of air...
She was getting more and more impatient, but no cooler, so she decided to be proactive and head outside. It was a cool evening, not quite fall but definitely not summer any more. She ran a hand through her hair and stared at the dark parking lot, lost in thought. Suddenly, the peace and quiet was abruptly shattered with the arrival of a loud, flashy white car. Sakura raised an eyebrow, but when it stopped on the curb a foot from where she was standing, her mouth went dry.
'I remember that car...' Sasuke. It was Sasuke. What the hell was he doing here? The car lights went off, and the door opened. Yep, it was definitely Sasuke.
"Hey stranger...long time no see."
Sakura stared.
"I just dropped by to visit, I was feeling nostalgic. What a surprise, seeing you here." He gave her an appraising glance; she was still too nonplussed to respond. "You've changed, you look a lot different."
Sakura blinked. "What... I thought you were in Japan."
Sasuke's lips twitched. "What, no welcome-back hug?"
Without a word, Sakura turned around and made to walk back into the gym. A hand grabbed her arm and spun her none-too-gently around. "Don't act like you didn't miss me."
She narrowed her eyes, irritated. "Sasuke, I haven't seen you in over two years. Like you said, I've changed. Clearly you have too." Her tone implied that this wasn't a good thing. Sasuke ignored her words, and smirked.
"Come on, I'm sure there's something that hasn't changed..." He pulled her closer, and she yanked away angrily. "No, Sasuke, I have changed. I'm not the way I was...are you drunk? This is ridiculous, let--" He silenced her with a short kiss, and she went limp with shock.
"Are you serious?! Is this what you are now? Get the fuck away from me!!"
---
All the way across the parking lot, Kakashi, who had just exited his vehicle, heard some sort of commotion. 'Probably the first of many loud irritating break-ups of the night,' he thought tiredly. He wondered how he could be tired when he had just been asleep for several hours. Maybe his age was catching up to him. He chuckled to himself. Yeah, right.
The yelling got louder, and he craned his neck and started walking faster for a better view. He was about to dismiss it and head inside when he caught a flash of pink hair- Sakura?! Suddenly, he was curious. He moved closer, ducking behind a strategically placed tree to preserve his cover.
---
Sakura was beginning to get seriously shaken, and was about to start yelling for help when Kakashi appeared out of nowhere. In one swift motion, he had pulled Sasuke off her and shoved him against his car. The next thing she knew, he had his arm around her shoulder, and was peering into her face concernedly. She felt tears of relief building in her eyes, and rubbed her face, ashamed.
Before either of them could say anything, the roar of a car starting up alerted them to Sasuke's escape. By the time they had turned around, he was nothing more than two headlight beams fading into the distance.
"Hey..." Kakashi began.
Sakura shook her head, voice choked with emotion. "I just want to get out of here."
Kakashi hugged her gently, rubbing her back comfortingly before letting go. "Alright, let's go."
---
Elliott Smith, one of my all-time favorites.