''Is that her?''

''I see what you mean, the freak.''

''She's got pink hair! I hate people who want to get attention this badly.'''

''I heard she's a nerd as well.''

''Look at that forehead, she might as well be the Hunchback of the Notredame.''

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. If all those people would just go away...

She opened her locker, quickly shoved the books she needed for the next class into her bag and then closed her locker again. As she stiffly made her way to the classroom, the rumoring and pointing continued.

It wasn't like she was not used to the rumors and the fact that she was looking down upon.

She didn't get why it was, really. It could be because her hair was naturally pink, not an usual color. It could also be because she got the highest grades in school... but she did not see the logic; Why would people hate someone just because that person is intelligent?

If somebody has a talent, shouldn't others be happy for them?

As Sakura made her way to her seat, she mentally cursed. She was seated in the back of the class, and to get to her seat she had to pass Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke and Yamanaka Ino. The three of them were the most popular students on Konoha High, and the people that hated her the very most.

She took a deep breath and tried walking as quickly as possible, but, before she knew it, a foot was stuck between her legs, causing her to trip.
She let out a small shriek and fell down on the floor, knees first.

When she slowly looked up, the first thing she noticed was Ino's smug expression, ''My, my. I'm sorry, Sakura. I really didn't see you.''

Even though Sakura did not believe Ino for a second, she muttered, ''It's ok,'' she did not want to make things worse.

When she got up, a hand grabbed her shoulder.

She tried shaking it off, but the grip on her shoulder didn't loosen.

When she looked up, she noticed the person the hand belonged to was no one else than Uzumaki Naruto, ''I didn't hear you.''

''I said that it's ok.'' Sakura replied in a low voice.

''Really? Because I think you should be the one to apologise. You were the one that bumped into her leg in the first place.''

''He's right, you know. Apologise, Billboard-Brow.'' Ino threw in.

''But I didn't do a thing!'' Sakura stuttered. Oh how she wanted to cry... But she would not allow them to see her pain. She had to stay strong.
''Apologise! Apologise! Apologise!'' The class quickly followed.

As she looked around for help, her gaze lingered on Sasuke. She had had a crush on him since elementary school. And even though he just sat there, with a smirk on his face and an expression that said, ''kiss my ass,'' just the view of him almost entranced her.

''Apologise! Apologise! Apologise! Apolo-'' The class chimed, only to be cut off by the teacher that entered the classroom.

Kakashi opened the door and walked straight to his desk, without looking up from the book he was reading for a second.

''-If anyone would like to spend this afternoon in my office instead of with their friends, please continue whatever you are doing. The rest, open up your text books on page sixty-eight. Sakura, sit down please.''

Sakura tried to ignore her classmates' muffled giggling, as she rushed to the back of the class.

''...Er... Sakura?''

Sakura looked up. Hinata, one of her classmates, had turned in her seat, so she was now facing Sakura.

''Are you hurt?'' The black haired girl asked her, fidgeting her thumbs, ''It was a mean thing they did...''
''I'm fine, Hinata. Really.'' Sakura replied.

''...Er, I- ok.'' Hinata said, turning around again. The boy that sat next to her, Kiba, shot her a questioning look.

Sakura knew that Hinata, no matter how nice she was, didn't want to get too close to Sakura for she might be bullied as well. Sakura didn't blame her; she was probably right.

-

When the bell rang to announce the start of the lunch break, Sakura was the last to leave the classroom.

She walked straight up to her locker, and decided she would spend this break outside. The weather was beautiful today. And noticing it was spring, the temperature wasn't half bad either.

As she walked out of the door, she was greeted by a fresh breeze and the faint scent of flowers. She first passed a group of people that always used the school yard to smoke, and then a group of girls that started to giggle as soon as they caught sight of Sakura. She had learned to ignore people like them, so she walked on.

As soon as she turned around a corner and was about to sit down by the fountain, she noticed Naruto, Sasuke, Ino and a few more people whose names she didn't know sitting on a few benches that were shaded by trees.

Not wanting to get into trouble, she settled herself against one of the oak trees that were planted all over the school yard. When she sat down, she noticed how perfect this place was for a person like her. She was hidden from everybody's view by bushes that were planted around the tree, but she could hear everyone just fine.

About half way through the lunch break, Sakura's attention was caught by the conversation Ino, Naruto and Sasuke and their friends were having.

''You were great at the football game last Friday, Sasuke!'' Purred one of the girls that was sitting with them.

''And today we're gonna play even better.'' Naruto yelled a bit too loudly. He was probably annoyed because of the attention Sasuke got. Sakura rolled her eyes.

Naruto and Sasuke were the two star-players of the Wolves, Konoha High's football team. Sasuke was very talented, but Naruto had been training for years until he was finally allowed to enter the team.

He was pretty good right now, though. Sakura took a bite from her slice of bread.

Sakura usually not watched during the games, since she was never really interested in the sport. Nor did she look forward to watching all of the students that bullied her the very most showing off on the field.

Suddenly, the pink haired girl stopped chewing. She noticed the group had quieted down.

Just as she was about to leave her little hiding spot, the bushes that were hiding Sakura from the rest of the student's view were pushed aside roughly. Sakura's head snapped up from her lunch. There stood Ino.

''Well well, Sakura. Eavesdropping, aren't we?''

''No! I was just eating!'' Sakura retorted.

''As if you'd speak the truth,'' The blonde said, running a hand through her hair.

''I am! I don't eavesdrop!'' the rosette said, getting up so quickly that she had to hold on to the tree so she wouldn't fall.

''Well, seems like you need to be taught a lesson,'' Ino said, snatching Sakura's carton of milk out of her grip.

Before the pink haired girl could protest, the blonde tore open the carton and emptied it above her head.

Sakura let out a scream. All she could do was stand powerlessly as the white liquid wet her hair and slowly dripped down her chin and into her shirt.

Ino just opened her mouth to make another comment, when she was interrupted by somebody.

''Well, well, Barbie. Making another person's life miserable again?''

Sakura and Ino simultaneously turned their heads towards the person the voice belonged to. It was a red haired girl that looked about a year or two older than them. She had piercing red eyes and was quite tall, giving her an intimidating look.

Sakura recognised her as one of the people that were always smoking during the breaks.

''No one asked you anything, Karin.'' Ino muttered through clenched teeth, squeezing the carton she was holding so tightly that the remains of the milk streamed out.

''That's the fun thing about being me; I don't give a crap,'' She said. She popped a bubble of chewing gum between her teeth before continuing, ''Now be a good Barbie and piss off.''

Ino grunted, dropped the remains of the carton on the grass and walked over to her friends, who had all stopped talking and were looking in her direction, shooting her puzzled looks.

Sakura didn't notice her jaw had dropped until the girl named Karin said, ''Close your mouth, girl. I swallowed a fly like that once.''
Sakura sweat-dropped and closed her mouth. ''I'm sorry... I am just not used to somebody... standing up for me,'' she then looked up at the redhead again, ''-Thank you.''

''It's no problem. You're Sakura, right?''

The pink haired girl nodded.

''You shouldn't let people like her push you around like that, you know.'' Karin said, offering Sakura a piece of paper.

The rosette accepted it, and attempted to dab her clothes dry with it, ''There are too many of them... I couldn't.''

''Look, pinkie, if you get bored of always being bullied, you can always join my friends and me in the breaks.''

Sakura didn't mind Karin's harsh words, she was obviously nice, just a bit tough.

''Thank you,'' Sakura smiled.

Before Karin could reply, though, the bell rung.

''Oh, crap. I'd better get to class,'' She muttered, ''keep your pecker up, ok?''

Sakura nodded, ''Bye!''

As she hurried to class, Sakura felt warm inside. Had she actually made a friend? It must be the first time since elementary school!

Back then, Sakura had many friends. Ino had been among them.

Then, one day, she and Ino discovered they both shared feelings for Uchiha Sasuke. That must have been the moment they started despising each other. They then were rivals.

In high school, Ino became surprisingly popular. She used her popularity to set everybody against Sakura. Soon, the poor girl was bullied by every person in her school. Among them was Naruto.

Back in elementary school he had a crush on Sakura. She was always very mean to him, though. Blinded by her love for Sasuke, she pushed the poor boy aside.

Then, in high school, he was popular as well. He no longer was the hyperactive, little brat he had been. He now was taller than Sakura, and was no longer cheeky to his teachers. He and Sasuke were best friends now, instead of rivals.

All together: it was payback time for Sakura. And boy they got her.

She had, unlike her friends, changed negatively. Since she didn't have any friends anyway, she thought there was no need to talk much like she had when she was younger. She also no longer was rude, unkind or made jokes. She felt it would only make matters worse.

Her once long, pink hair was cut off so it barely reached her shoulders, and she had become even more skinny than she already was. Her emerald eyes had become dim with loneliness.

Now, when she got home, all she did was study. She had nobody to talk to, and became depressed. Her parents didn't know what was wrong, so they pretended nothing was.

Many parents do that, you know. Because, if they don't make decision, they can't make a wrong one either.

-

The bell rung. The students all left the classroom chattering and laughing. They talked about their plans for the weekend.

Sakura got up slowly from her desk. During math class, she had not paid attention, but instead let her mind drift away. She loved doing that.

Looking at clouds through the window, and pretending those clouds were her. She could almost feel the wind carrying her, a million feet above everybody and everything she despised so much. They would all look up at her, wondering how come they recognised her from somewhere, and what it would be like to float in the sky.

As Sakura exited the school, she could hear the faint sounds of cheering from the football field. The whole school yard was deserted, aside from a paper bag that whirled over the tiles, carried by the warm spring breeze.

She closed her eyes to the bright sunlight. Oh how she loved sunshine. It was so warming and gave everything a familiar and friendly feel.
Sakura looked around for her bicycle, but then remembered how she had found it two days ago, all scratched and beaten up. Her front wheel had been gone, and the rest had been so battered that she had to bring it to the dump. She had been walking from and to school ever-since.

She sighed and looked up at the sun again.

Even when all other things looked hopeless, there were single things that you could depend on. Like the fact that there will always be people who like you, and people who don't. Like there will always be life, no matter in what form. Like the fact that the sun will always rise again, even when you're not there to see it.

Yes, all Sakura had to do, was base herself on certainties.

There would be no risks.

So how did you like the first chapter? Do you want me to work on something?
Please tell me in a review!

~Lion3queen