My pink hair is tied up in a ponytail, keeping it off of my sweaty neck. Only in black short shorts and a red sports bra, nothing is helping me cool down from the scorching weather. Sweat is literally pouring out of my veins. It's attractive. My refusal to turn the A/C is starting to look like a terrible idea, but moving in and out with boxes and leaving the door open… I'm not paying to cool the outside! Especially if I'm broke and jobless. Yeah, no. Not happening. So, I would rather sweat and die of heat exhaustion than be piled with debt thank you very much.

I bought a studio apartment on 23rd Street. It's one bedroom. A 20 minute walk to the Konoha University Campus. It's totally small and convenient. Walking in the door there is a bathroom, at the end of the hall the bedroom, and to the right of that the kitchen and living area in a giant room. Right now boxes are everywhere but I plan to have this place hip and ready in no time!

Ino, my beach blonde-headed best friend, comes exhaustingly angry with another box.

"Why the hell do you have so much stuff?" she bites with a snare.

"Uh... I like to shop?" I say trying to lighten the mood.

"I can't believe I have to say this but you should lock your credit cards in a drawer and throw away the key for a while. I mean what do you need this for?", She picks up a miniature version of Audrey Hepburn photo with looking her at the camera and hands on her mouth, a copy of a large one that I keep in the bedroom.

"Don't you have a large one in the bedroom? Why don't you throw it away?" She aims the miniature photo towards the trash, I jump and grab the frame before it leaves her hands.

"Are you crazy?! What the hell? STUPID PIG!" Ripping out of her hands, I wipe it off like she got her cooties on it, hugging it after for extra measure.

"If you think I'm obsessive and crazy, well think again," she waves me off. "Anyway, I have to go. Working at the bar tonight."

"Alright. Speaking of which, are there any openings for a dancer or bartender?" Secretly, I get my hopes up. I am in desperate need of a job. This life is not going to pay itself. It's almost nerve wracking to see how broke I am. I have a total of 4,000 bucks in the bank. This apartment ran me dry, along with all my expenses for college.

"Not that I know of, but I'll ask. In the mean time, go to Shikamaru's club down the block. There's bound to be one there." She grabs her shoes and keys, heading out the door.

"Got it!" I almost jump out of my shoes.

After Ino left, I looked around my apartment. No need to unpack now. Right? I can do that later. Shower time!

A couple hours later I'm walking down the road. I spotted the club. It was quite interesting. The sign lit up bright enough for it to stick out. As I approached the door, I realized the windows were blacked out. This is a STRIP club?! THAT PIG! Stupid bitch. Sending me to a strip club! But…. I do need the money. What if Naruto sees me here? He would shoot me! But… I hear it pays well. Maybe it won't be so bad. I breathed in deeply and held it as I opened the door.

The booming music filled my ears in an instant. The club wasn't grimy. It had a checkered black and white floor. The walls here painted a deep red with sheer white cloth running down the sides. The ceiling was about 15 feet high and three bronze cages hanging. The girls in them were hanging, dancing, and topless. A few black lights around to light the place up. Neon colors illuminated the rafters and the stages in which more girls were dancing. They were lit up in white. Giant poles with topless girls and lights dancing to the music. A shadowed DJ with neon accessories and headphones bouncing up and down to the beat. If you took out the factor of all the topless girls then the place was a little on the classier side, for a club. If that was possible. People were dancing everywhere. Men and women alike. The dance floor was crowded on one side, topless strippers filling the stage in front of it, on the other side there was a lit up bar. No strippers but a few clothed dancers. People sat looking up at the girls shaking their asses to the music. It wasn't packed like the dancefloor.

I decided to head to the bar. A man and a girl were working behind it. The man was cleaning the glasses at a psychotic speed.

"Are you Sakura?" He asked before I can even say a hello. My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He didn't even give me a hello. Does he want to die young?

"Ummmm, yeah. Shikamaru?" Keeping my cool, I decided killing my future boss wouldn't really get me a job.

"Yeah. Ino called me about you coming in. She said you had pink hair. It's natural right?" He said never even bothering to look up once. How the fuck would he know?! He didn't even look up, damn it!

"Yeah it is."

This guy was going to get punched in the face. Thanks for making eye contact, you dirt-bag! Could it kill you to look at me? Am I that horrendous?!

"Okay, come on back." He sighed.

SIGHED?! He is looking for a death wish. I hope you slip on spilled fucking liquor! STUPID JERK.

He took me around the corner and down the hallway next to the bar. Then all the way to the back to a room on the left. I assume, his office.

"Okay. 19? You know how to mix a drink? You can dance too right?" He said.

"Mhm. Hip hop class since I was 13. Bartending illegally since 16. Until now." I replied.

"Okay. You're hired. Plus, you're Ino's best friend. She's such a troublesome women."

Inner Sakura screamed and pounded her fist in the air saying, "FUCK YEAH. NAILED IT."

I just smiled and said, "Right on. When can I start?".

"Now good?"

"Um, yeah. What am I doing? I live just down the block so give me an hour?"

"You'll start with just a dancer. Then I will switch you to bartending. If all goes well."

"Okay see you in an hour."

I rolled into the club, at 10. Exactly one hour after I was hired. To say I was nervous was sort of, kind of, totally an understatement. At least I wasn't stripping yet, right? Breathe. In, out. Simple. You have this. Just feel the music.

With that, I searched for Shikamaru. I spotted him still at the bar, smiling at a couple of girls sitting having a drink. Only the smile looked slightly forced.

"Hey, I'm ready." I say and he gives me a look of relief.

"Okay. Let me put you on the bar so I can see how you do. Not sexually of course. If you are comfortable, maybe I can put you on the stage. But we will stick to the bar side tonight."

"Alright."

"Karin! Come here for a sec." He shouts over the music to a redhead with glasses, who was dancing on the bar. She was decked out with a side pony and a fancy bra. I immediately didn't really like her. Annnnnd, she obviously didn't like me with the daggers shooting out of her eyes.

"Who is she?" She spit venomously.

"This is Sakura. I need you behind the bar. She's gonna be on it. Clear?"

I give a small wave and a lopsided smile. She turns her head and points her nose up, then leaves and goes behind the bar.

"Troublesome woman."

This was going to be a long night.

I got up on the bar and listened to the music. It was some hip hop song I didn't really know. I honestly don't really like hip-hop or anything before MAYBE 1990. I love Rumspringa (It's a band), the Pixies, Gogol Bordello, and just older stuff.

Dancing for me was always exhilarating. I didn't pay attention to the men's whistles or the girlfriends' glares. I just closed my eyes and felt the beat tear through my body in it's rhythmic pattern. Losing yourself while listening to music is common but to lose yourself to the dance you feel is something I have never found someone else to accomplish. The world melted away and all that was left was feeling. No thinking just feel.

I don't know how long passed until Shikamaru tapped on the foot. If I didn't know any better, it could have been days later.

"Hey Sak, You're doing great but I need you to work bar. Ready?" he asked.

"Sure, Anything I need to know? Special discounts, unique drinks, customers to watch out for?"

"No, I'll give you a book with all the drinks. You will learn as you go."

"Okay!"

I got off the bar and hoped behind it. Time to get to work! The bar has always been my second home so I can manage that pretty well. As soon as I got a feel for where things were, how my coworkers worked, and how the people acted, a natural flow was created and I just did my thing. (It only took me 30 minutes to gather things up. So the flow came easy and fast.)

Eventually, it was all second nature. I couldn't really even tell you who I met, or what specifically happened. It's the zone I get into. Don't think. Feel.

Walking home, I replayed what happened through out the night. Nothing spectacular. Danced, shooed away men who were too grabby, worked the bar. All went well in my opinion. I ignored the Karin-slut's glares.

Jeesh. It looked like I stole her boyfriend with the looks she was giving me.

I walked into my apartment around 3 am. Unfortunately, I don't have a bed yet. YET. But when I do, I'm ready to pounce on that shit.

I shower in a daze. Almost like a zombie. I don't have school for another two weeks so, I'll punch in as much work time as possible. But right now? I'm sleeping. Hard.

Jumping on the couch, my lights were out by the time my head hit the pillow.

The last image in my head was Karin giving me a glare to beat the band. Hm, I wonder if there is a poll up her ass.