SN

Monday morning, for the first time Sasuke can remember in a long time, he wakes up smiling. There had been something hopeful in his dreams, something that makes him hum over cooking breakfast, something that makes him look up at the sky on the walk to school instead of at the pavement.

It isn’t until he reaches the locker hall that his good mood is disturbed. No love notes today, he notes as he slides his math textbook out. Usually he spots them right away: notebook paper folded into the shape of a heart (cliche) and on the inside, some sappy couplet or limerick (cheesy). This isn’t the first time he’s been on the receiving end of such notes, but it is the first time the sender has been so persistent -- twice a week or so a paper heart will flutter out of Sasuke’s locker when he opens it. In the past, simply ignoring the notes was effective enough to make them stop, so Sasuke never reacts when he reads them -- more often, he tosses them in the recycling without bothering to open them. But his “secret admirer” has been quite persistent this time -- “secret” in quotes because a couple of weeks ago, Sasuke happened to be rounding the corner in time to see pink-haired Sakura sliding a note through the door.

She’s nice enough, Sasuke supposes, in a bland kind of way. A lot like every other girl. He’s sick of it, honestly. Unlike seemingly every other guy, Sasuke has never drooled over a girl. They’ve never interested him, and that’s just the way it’s always been.

Sasuke closes the door to his locker, allowing his thoughts to drift back to Neji and the play. Neji had adamantly refused to accept Sasuke’s apology for sneaking up to his roof. “You did nothing wrong.” he insisted. “And besides, my uncle seems not to mind if I say you’re coming over for homework reasons.” Sasuke is wondering whether it would be too pushy to sneak up that night to see Neji, when he’s unexpectedly cornered.

“You.” Sakura is bristling, and Sasuke thinks for a moment that she’s mad at him for throwing out the love letters. “You -- you --” her face is bright red, and she’s breathing hard like she ran from one end of the school to the other to get to the lockers.

“Yes…?” Sasuke doesn’t have any time to argue with her for whatever misdemeanor she believes he has committed. He makes a move to step forward. “I have to get to math class --”

Sakura’s eyebrows dive lower and with one swift move, she grasps the front of his shirt and pushes him up against the lockers. Shock hits Sasuke as pain blooms at the tender spot on the back of his head, where he bumped it on Neji’s roof. What the -- is she going to kiss me?

For a moment, Sakura’s eyes flick to his mouth and her tongue darts out, wetting her lips. Crap, thinks Sasuke, as she leans forward.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” The shaking anger in Sakura’s voice, right in his ear, stuns Sasuke. “You jerk-- you must be blind--”

“What?” Sasuke is beyond confused. “Are you confusing me with someone else?”

Sakura is practically foaming at the mouth, and she’s close enough for Sasuke to smell her shampoo (cherry blossoms -- really?). “Are you a good actor or just oblivious?” she hisses, with enough venom that Sasuke has to bring his hand up to wipe away her spittle. “You’re so focused on yourself you forget everyone else!”

Oh. Sasuke sighs. “Is this about the love letters?” His hunch is proven correct when Sakura steps back, her eyes wide. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. I’m just not interested --”

Sakura’s fist shoots out and she punches the lockers right next to Sasuke’s head, with enough force to dent the metal. Holy shit, thinks Sasuke. This girl’s a psychopath.

“So you knew.” It’s not a question. Sakura’s voice is strained, like she’s trying to hold back tears, and if he hadn’t been worried she was about to pulverize him right then and there in the hallway, Sasuke probably would have tried to ask her why she was so concerned with this -- why did she even like him in the first place, anyway? “You knew all along…?”

“Um… yeah.” Sasuke scratches the back of his head. “Sorry.”

“No. It’s okay.” Sakura isn’t looking at him. “I thought it was a bad idea, but…” she shrugs and tries to smile, but Sasuke can see the sadness in her eyes. “Worth a shot, I guess. Just…” she exhales through her mouth and passes a hand over her eyes, “consider it, okay? The door’s still open.”

“Right.” Sasuke has no intention of ever remotely considering the possibility of reciprocating her feelings, but he nods and ducks away from her, speed-walking down the hall. I hope lunch isn’t too awkward.

. . .

As soon as Sasuke steps into the cafeteria, all thoughts of Sakura fly right out of his head. Because sitting there, smack-dab in the middle of his lunch table, eating his lunch like he belongs there, is Neji.

“Sasuke!” Naruto is waving from next to Gaara on the bench. “Lee and his friends wanted to eat in the cafeteria because it’s too cold outside today. Come sit down!”

Sasuke moves as if in slow motion towards the table. Neji hasn’t looked up at him, though Tenten and Lee have noticed his approach.

“Hello!” Lee says cheerfully, beaming at Sasuke. “It’s nice to see you again!”

“Mm.” Tenten is giving Sasuke a dirty look. “Right. What a privilege to be in your company again.”

“Uh. Hi.” Sasuke might’ve paid more attention to the hatred in her tone if he hadn’t been distracted by Neji, who made eye contact and quickly looked away.

“So, Naruto said you two went over to Gaara’s house on Friday to work on some project?” The ice in Tenten’s voice makes Sasuke glance up. She’s frowning at Naruto, who is seemingly oblivious, but when Sasuke raises his head she cuts her glare back to him. Sasuke has no clue what to say. Did I somehow piss off every girl in the school?

“That’s right.” Gaara speaks up from the end of the bench, where he’s a little squished between Naruto and Lee. “I invited them over to work on the oral poetry project for Literature class.”

“Oh.” Tenten’s stink eye lessens, and she offers Sasuke a conciliatory smile. “We three don’t take that class until next semester. What’s it like?”

“It’s okay.” Sasuke glances at Neji, who’s still studying his food as though it has the secret to the universe written on it. “Poetry isn’t too interesting on its own, but it’s really the performance that makes it better.” He watches Neji for a reaction, but despite a small flicker in his eyes, the long-haired boy doesn’t even acknowledge that Sasuke is sitting across from him.

“Oh, Tenten, would you, Lee, and Neji like to come over to hear us practice sometime?” Gaara pushed his food around absentmindedly. “Maybe, say Friday? We should all have a first draft by then and be ready to try performing.” He shoots an inquisitive look at Sasuke, checking to make sure it’s all right.

Sasuke hesitates. Performing poetry? In front of an audience of people? He’s about to tell Gaara he’s busy that day when Neji speaks up.

“That would be really interesting.” Neji is speaking to Gaara, but he doesn’t take his eyes off Sasuke. “I would want to see that.” His mouth turns up at the corners, slightly. “We don’t have to bring roses, do we?”

As the rest of the table laughs, Sasuke can feel warmth spreading out in his stomach. Neji isn’t looking away, hasn’t stopped smiling that tiny smile, and Sasuke feels like his heart is doing a little cartwheel, because that smile is for him, and only him, and Sasuke knows it.

“Hey, Tenten.” The surprise in Gaara’s voice draws Sasuke’s attention. “You went to Sand Dune Drama Camp?”

“Huh?” Tenten glances over at Gaara. “What made you -- oh, right. My keychain.” Dangling off Tenten’s schoolbag is a beaming sun keychain, with the words ‘Sand Dune! Where the heat is on!’ emblazoned on it.

“Wow.” Gaara’s lips quirk upward in a smile. “I thought only my siblings were that dorky.”

“What?” Tenten’s eyebrows shoot up. “No way. Your siblings also went to Sand Dune?”

Neji rolls his eyes, and Sasuke bites his lip to hide a grin. “Mind cluing us into this conversation?”

“Oh!” Tenten turns to Neji, eyes shining. “Remember how I went to that summer drama program that had, like, terrible costume but great tech theater and set design? And we did Grease and Sandy forgot her lines halfway through? And the lake had a weird fungi --”

“Yes.” Neji cuts her off. “So Gaara’s brother went there too?”

“Well, brother and sister.” Gaara nods. “Temari is a bit older than us, so you probably didn’t --”

“WHAT?” Tenten is well out of her seat, and her yell draws the stares of a good chunk of the cafeteria. “No way! Temari Subaku is your sister??”

Gaara’s surprise seems almost forced. “What? No way…”

Tenten is too caught up in her excitement to notice. “That’s crazy! Neji, Lee, did you hear him? Gaara, you have to be kidding me. No freaking way.”

“Um…” Lee blinks up at her, confused. “Who is this Temari?”

“You remember.” Tenten is suddenly very interested in a spot on the table. “The girl. The one I told you about.”

Is it Sasuke’s imagination, or is she…blushing?

“Oh.” Neji shoots Sasuke a look, and Sasuke gets the feeling that there’s more to the situation than Tenten is saying, but Gaara interrupts his speculations with a question.

“What’s Subaku?”

Tenten grins, suddenly cheery again. “That was her nickname. ‘Cause she was... so tan.”

Again, Sasuke gets the feeling there’s more that Tenten isn’t saying, but he lets it drop.  Lee, however, apparently does not have the social tact that everyone else at the table does. “I don’t remember you telling us that, Tenten,” he says with a frown. “You told us that her nickname was “Of the Sand” because she had a reputation for -- Is there something wrong with your eyebrows, Neji?”

Neji had been frantically wiggling his eyebrows at Lee, but when the gaze of the table is suddenly turned on him, he freezes. “What? Um, no, nothing. I just… had an itch.” He makes a big show of scratching at his omnipresent headband.

“Well.” Gaara clears his throat. “This has been a fascinating conversation about the wonders of drama camp. Now, if you all don’t mind, could one of you --” he shoots a pointed look at Lee, “explain why there is a man with a very shiny bowl cut and a very scary smile heading this way?”

Before anyone can answer, a cry rings out over the din of the cafeteria: “CHILDREN!” A green blur hurdles across the room and suddenly, Lee, Neji and Tenten are swept out of their seats as a man who looks like a carbon copy of Lee embraces them from behind. “I am so happy you’ve all found new friends! The power of YOUTH truly is extraordinary!”

Sasuke’s mouth has dropped open, and one look at the others reveals them to have a similar reaction. Who the heck is this guy?

Neji’s face is bright red -- whether from asphyxiation or embarrassment, it’s unclear -- but Lee seems to be enjoying the attention immensely. “Gai-sensei!” he cries. “We are so glad you came to see us!”

Gai-sensei squeezes the three of them one last time and releases them. “Of course, Lee!” he booms, flashing a blinding smile. “Please introduce me!” Before Lee can even open his mouth, he extends a hand to Sasuke. “I’m Maito Gai, the drama teacher. It is lovely to meet you all!”

Gingerly, Sasuke shakes his hand. “Um, hello. I’m Sasuke.” Gai is wearing a green jumpsuit very much like Lee’s, and their bowl cuts and bushy eyebrows seem identical. Is this his father?

“Ah! Sasuke! It is wonderful to make your acquaintance!” Gai bellows. “And you --” he points to Naruto “-- what is your name?”

“Naruto.” Naruto is staring unabashedly, wide-eyed. “Jeez, your hair’s shiny --”

“Why thank you!” Gai turns to Gaara. “What about you?”

“Um, I’m Gaara. Nice to meet you.” Gaara bobs his head, a little awkwardly. There is a pause, as Gai blinks very rapidly at Gaara. “...Are you okay--”

“LEE!” Gai swoons backwards towards an unprepared Tenten, who barely manages to leap out of her seat before he crashes down. “This boy is the one you have told me about! The one whose spirit fills you with youthful energy, the one whose smouldering gaze --”

“Gai-sensei!” Lee squeaks, his face the same brilliant red as a stop sign. “I d-d-don’t think you need to -- I mean, it doesn’t matter --”

“OF COURSE it matters!” Gai thunders. “The first blossomings of young --”

“I just remembered!” Lee blurts out, almost leaping in front of the enthusiastic sensei. “Weren’t you planning to have a full-costume rehearsal today after school, Gai-sensei? We should invite them!”

Gai’s incredibly large eyebrows (rivalled only by Lee’s) shoot up his forehead like tadpoles darting away from the blinding gleam in his eye. “That is a brilliant idea, young Lee!” He leaps out of his seat. “You three!” he barks at Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara. “You must come see the show tonight! It is a masterpiece! My pupils, of course, will be playing three of the leading roles!” He flashes his smile again and Sasuke winces. He should warn people before attempting to blind them like that. “All of the actors are talented, of course, and the play -- written by my co-director and eternal rival, Kakashi-sensei, you may know him -- is a masterpiece!”

“Tonight? Are you sure, sensei?” Tenten is anxiously fiddling with some stray hairs that have escaped her buns. “I mean, are we ready to have a real audience?”

“I believe we are, Tenten!” Gai claps a hand on her shoulder. “Absolutely! True theater is taking risks!”

Neji’s mouth is hanging partly open. “Gai-sensei -- we can’t --”

“So then! We will see you in the auditorium at four o’clock, exactly!” Gai strikes a pose. “Not a minute later! I look forward to seeing you!” With a whoop, he skips --actually skips -- out of the cafeteria.

There is a silence that lasts at least ten seconds.

“Oh my god,” Tenten mumbles, and stands up. “We have to warn everybody. Gai-sensei is going to invite every teacher in the school. Lee, Neji, come on. Nobody is ready for this. Crap. Let’s go.”

At the edge in her voice, Neji and Lee scramble to their feet. “See you later!” Lee cries to the three bewildered onlookers, and they take off -- Neji spares Sasuke a second glance, and something in his eyes makes Sasuke’s mouth go dry.

Gaara clears his throat. “Does… anyone understand what exactly just happened?”

Naruto sighs and snatches a pickled plum out of Gaara’s lunch. “I think we’re going to see a play,” he says, and pops it into his mouth.