Part I

Somebody

By. Misery's-Toll

Chapter One: Nobody

Kiss the time
that goes away
'Cause it's just another day
You'll relive it anyway

- "Another Day" by Air

"Your mother would be terribly disappointed in you, Haruno."

Isn't she always?

"I just don't know what to do with you. I was hoping that the detentions and suspensions would be enough, but we're half-way through the school year, and you're still as reckless as ever," the principal shakes his head, "Why can't you be more like your sister? Ino is such a well-behaved student. You would do well to learn from her."

CRACK.

Sakura releases the fist her hand has formed around the weak splintered wood of the armrest of the chair she sits in, and slivers of it fall to the floor, a large crack left in its wake.

Her green piercing green eyes glare up from their spot on the floor, surprising the man, "Ino is not my sister."

When the principal recovers from his surprise, he waves the comment away offhandedly, "Damaging the school's property? That earns you another detention."

It's not your fault they're too cheap to buy the school sturdy enough chairs.

"I apologize," the pink-haired girl murmurs darkly.

After all, what's another detention?

The principal shakes his head again, "Here. Here's a detention slip. You know the drill. Get it signed by a parent or guardian and drop it off in the box by my door. You're dismissed. Detention is in the Chemistry room tomorrow. Be there."

Sakura nods, not looking away from her shoes as she stands and begins to walk away, taking the slip from the man's desk. As she reaches the doorway, the principal calls after her.

"This is your last warning, Haruno. Any more shenanigans from you, and I will have you expelled. No exceptions."

She pauses at the door for a second, unflinching, before uttering a quiet, "Hai."

Sakura exits the office, shutting the door with a soft click.

She is half-way down the hallway when she finally looks up and sees the familiar face of her best friend.

As always, her blonde hair is impeccably straight in its high ponytail, one thick lock covering one of her dazzling blue eyes, "Hey forehead, get your ass over here," the two girls on either side of her chuckle, hiding their faces behind hands with perfectly manicured fingernails. It makes Sakura mentally pause to think when the last time she had looked at hers was, "I've got a favor to ask, so hurry up."

A favor? Ino never trusts you with anything.

Sakura nods excitedly, and quickly trotting to the girl's side.

"You see," Ino says, placing a finger on her bottom lip, "This girl I know, she's been skanking around. She betrayed us, you see? I saw her kissing one of the guys on the football team --the one she knows I've been after for like...forever! So I need revenge, and I wanted to pull the fire alarm and get her all wet, and ruin that perfect new perm she got. But the problem is...I'm wearing fake nails, and I'm afraid that if I do it, then I'll break one of them off. So, Sakura, could you be a doll and pull it for me? I'd love you forever!"

Sakura misses the smirks of Ino's friends, and nods again fervently.

"Oh, good. It's right over there!" she announces in a sing-song voice, and points her faux-nailed finger in at the small red square on the wall opposite them.

Sakura walks up to it, swallowing the dry lump in her throat.

You'll get expelled if you get caught.

Simple then. I won't get caught.

She pushes in the handle, and then pulls it down.

The alarm goes off a split second later, and before long, water is spurting from the silver sprinklers on the ceiling.

The door the principal's office bursts open, and Sakura takes off running. For several moments, Sakura, the principal, Ino, and her friends are the only five people in the hallway. He stares at the pink-haired girl as she realizes she had been caught, the hallways now filling with people.

"Principal!" Ino wails in her soprano voice, "It's Sakura! I tried to stop her!"

She ratted you out.

He already knew it was me. Maybe she was hoping to show that she could be a good influence on me and that she's trying.

Parent-teacher conferences

are a funny thing.

They're meant to

show me how disappointed

my mother and father

and teachers

are

in me.

And maybe

make me feel a little bit insecure

about myself

so that

maybe

someday

I'll realize the error of my ways

and make someone

proud of me

in turn.

Parent-teacher conferences

have become so rare

that now

the idea of them is

almost

ludicrous.

At the start of the year

they were frequent.

Frequent as I showered

or as frequent as I slept.

Now sleeping is a luxury you can rarely afford.

But

I think eventually

the principal realized

that

no matter what

I wouldn't change.

You'll never change. Change is a lie.

Ino liked me this way

and if I had a friend

then it was worth it

to risk not getting into college

some day.

Because

who was going to pay

for a failure like me

to get a college degree?

But for some reason

I was here

in the principals office

again.

My parents behind me

and Ino

sulking in the corner.

Do you think she's proud of herself? Does she see what she's done?

"I'm sorry to have call you

at this point in the year

but-"

The ride home is

painful.

Not so much physically

unless you include

the tight clench

of an invisible fist

around my gut

or the

thick lump

that won't

disappear

from my throat

that had been there

for days,

weeks,

months.

How long has this been going on?

But

the thickness

in the air

was almost

tangible.

I could almost

taste

the displeasure

of my mother

my father

and Ino.

"Why do I have to leave?

I don't want to leave!

I have friends!

I have a boyfriend!

I have good grades!"

Didn't Ino have a crush on a football guy? Since when does she have a boyfriend?

My mother gritted her teeth.

"Shut up, Ino!

I'm

driving!"

She never yells at Ino.

"But, mom!"

"Shut up!"

My father roars from the front seat.

The car is silent for the remainder of the drive.

I don't sleep.

I never sleep.

Well

I do sleep

sometimes.

If I am lucky

I get some rest

three nights a week.

When I don't have

exams to study for

pranks to pull for Ino

or

when my parents

don't have the energy

to let their passion loose.

But

I wasn't going back.

I wasn't ever going back

to the school

with Ms. Loraine,

or the principal,

or Ino's friends,

or the football guy.

No more exams

and

no more pranks.

And

I think that maybe

my parents' moans

were those of sadness

through their grunts and

screams of ecstasy.

Because

their daughter,

their real daughter

was a failure.

While their adopted

was their pride

and joy.

But

I don't think I could have slept

whether they moaned

or not.

For

in one week

my world would change.

I'd be going

to a new school.

I'd have new opportunities.

I could have friends.

I could have

anything.

Sleeping

seemed impossible

when there was

time to daydream

even after the moans

and groans

and screams

stop.

But I think

sometime

just before sunrise

I must have fallen asleep

with a smile

on my face.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto doesn't belong to me. So...yeah.

Please tell me whatcha think. ;D

-MT