I don't own Naruto.

"High school was pretty rough for me. I mean, I never had any fun, any friends, or any luck with guys. Actually, the guys were the worst of the ones who picked on me. They could be merciless at times. I could tell that most of the girls weren't really all that into tormenting me, some even felt sorry for me, but the guys...they seemed to get off on punishing me every day.

"I guess it really started in middle school. That's when we all changed, and the so-called 'popular' people marked their territory and defended it like feral dogs. As for me, I sort of got lost in the mix at that time. I was always shy, always a wallflower, quiet. I wasn't a geek, or anything like that. I just never had much to say, and didn't feel like what I thought or felt mattered to anyone else, so why try to stand out? It was my downfall, though. It was seen as a weakness, and it was exploited to its fullest until the day we graduated.

"What did they do to me? Shit, you name it. I got slammed into my locker, I got locked in my locker. I had cafeteria food dumped on my head and rubbed into my hair. I've had guys pants me right in front of male teachers, I've had pictures taken of me in the gym showers and posted all over the school message boards, my tires slashed on my car, my car egged, ugh! You name it, it has been done to me, most of it at least once a week.

"Like I said, the girls weren't as bad, but the ones who did anything were the popular ones who were dating the boys that were the worst, so they had to comply to keep up appearances. They would yell things in the halls to me, horrible things. When I would walk by their little group, they would call me names like ugly skank, or whore, or even call me fat, as if that were possible. It's not like I ever ate. They would tease me about every bite of food I would put in my mouth, saying that I was a pig, or that I had a huge mouth. So, I just stopped eating altogether and sat in the far corner at lunch, staring out the window, trying to ignore their snide remarks.

"So yeah, it was horrible. It affected me pretty bad, and by the end of senior year, I had stopped talking to anyone at all, and turned off my emotions. I never looked at anyone, never smiled or laughed. I just went to school, took my daily abuse, did my schoolwork, and went home to my sanctuary. I couldn't wait to graduate, to get out of that hell, go to a huge university and start over again where nobody knew me.

"But, you know the worst part? There was this one guy, he was gorgeous. You know, blonde hair, blue eyes, athletic body that wouldn't quit, and a smile that could light up the room. Away from that Sasuke asshole who told everyone what to do, he seemed like a really nice guy. Too bad he wasn't decent enough to rise above the bullshit they were dishing out on me. Sometimes he did the worst things. He was the one who snuck in the gym showers and took pictures of me naked. Naruto was his name. I really would have liked him in different circumstances. But he was just a tool like all the others. A damn shame, what a hottie."

"Damn, girl, glad I wasn't you," Alisha said, shaking her head. "Time to put that all behind you now, you're in grad school, you're kicking ass in your major, and you have plenty of friends now. We all love you, Hinata, you know that, right?" She smiled at me over the milkshake she had been sipping, and patted my hand comfortingly.

"Yeah, I've left all of that in the past, and I have a great life now. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? You being my best friend ever is the best part, though," I smiled at her cheerily.

I looked down at my watch. "Oh shit, I gotta run. I need to hit the library and do some research on that anatomy project I'm taking on." I scooted out of the booth, plunking my part of the bill down next to my half-finished strawberry sundae. "Call me tomorrow, I want to go clubbing after work." I waved to her and rushed out the door of the cafe'.

Fall semester had just started, but my art classes were already in full swing. Being an art major in grad school gave me a pretty light class schedule, but since I was top of my class in my major, a lot was expected of me. I had worked like a dog and earned the respect of the department, which was no small feat. I had been determined to make a name for myself, and my work ethic paid off so far. It was expected that I would be offered a lucrative position in the department when I finished, and I was looking forward to that. This was now my home, and the thought of leaving really wasn't something I could consider. I wanted that position, and I would do anything, short of murder, to get it.

I opened the door and slid into the driver's seat of my vintage VW Beetle, starting it and adjusting the mirror. The library was due to close in a couple of hours, and I had a lot of research to get done before the weekend started. Pouring over human anatomy books all night was a snooze-fest, for sure, but I had been having some problems with some of the poses I was doing for my preliminary sketches in my project, and I had to get the musculature perfect, or I wouldn't get the grade I was looking for. Hey, at least I wasn't having to write dissertations like everyone else I knew. I had it easy compared to all my friends. Alisha was a Social Psychology major, and I shuddered to think of all the work she had to do to finish. Too stuffy and technical for me. I just wanted to draw and be creative. She actually had to think.

This time of day, the library was pretty crowded. Most of the classes were done for the day, and the undergrads were starting to have to gear up in their work load. I slid into a spot that a pick up truck just pulled out of and cut the engine. I checked my hair, grabbed my bag, and walked into the air conditioned building. It was still hot in mid September, and I was glad for the refreshing blast of cooler air. I took the elevator up to the third floor and walked to the shelf that held my new best friend, the enormous reference book that had the full-color anatomy renderings and photos in it. I had gotten it out a lot in the past few weeks, sketching and studying for hours, trying to better understand the muscles of the human body.

I set the book down in front of me, took out my sketch book and started drawing, doing my best to reinterpret the picture in front of me with my own style, imitating the lines in the book's drawings with the lines coming from my pencil. I had a signature style, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't deviate from it. I almost failed my restoration class back in my junior year because I couldn't copy anyone else's style well enough to pass it off. Art forgery would never be a temptation for me. I wasn't cut out for it in the least.

After sketching for about an hour and forty-five minutes, I started getting a crick in my neck. I looked up from my work and lifted my arms over my head, stretching the kinks out. Looking around, I noticed the library had pretty much emptied out. There were only a few stragglers, and I was thinking about packing it in, myself. It was Friday, after all. I was itching to go home and relax.

I packed my bag, got up from the chair and turned around just in time to slam into a guy carrying a stack of books in front of him. I 'oofed' as the air was forced out of my lungs, and books flew everywhere. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" I cried out, stooping to the floor to gather as many books as I could for my unintended victim. "Hey, it was just as much my fault, don't worry about it," the guy replied in a eerily familiar voice. I handed him the books I collected and then finally looked at his face.

I gasped slightly as my eyes rested on his. I recognized those eyes, a gorgeous azure and too big to be real. I had drawn them so many times in my youth, fantasizing about them looking at me kindly and with love instead of what I always got-smirking and sneering. My flight response took over, and I dodged to the left of him, trying to get away as quickly as possible. "Sorry," I mumbled again as I walked off, trying to hurry but not act like it. I made it about ten paces, and then I heard him call out, "Hinata? Hinata Hyuuga?"

I stopped cold, my eyes scrunched shut and my teeth grinding in my skull. I balled up my fists, and answered, "Yeah," without turning around to face him. Then I felt the tiled floor vibrate as he ran up to me, coming around so he was standing in front of my face. He was smiling at me with a big goofy grin. He actually had the nerve to smile at me. It was ridiculous, so I answered his smile with a blank stare.

"Hey, don't you remember me? Naruto. You know, from high school. Man, it's been a long time!" He was totally oblivious.

I played it cool, like I hadn't a clue. "Naruto. Naruto? Hmm. I'm sorry, I don't think I know anyone by that name. Umm, I really have to go, I have somewhere I need to be," I lied.

Oh, come on, Hinata! I can't believe you don't remember one of your friends from high school. It hasn't been that long," he badgered.

My eyes narrowed and my jaw set when that one word, that one horrible, awful word came out of his mouth. FRIEND? The audacity of this guy was unreal! "Sorry, I don't know you at all, and I'm certain you have never been my friend," I growled back at him. I stomped off, leaving him standing with his mouth hanging open like a dead trout.

When the elevator reached the first floor and the door opened, I sprinted out of the building, fumbling in my backpack for my keys, trying desperately to get away from the person from my past. When I reached the door of my car, I was shaking so badly that the keys in my hand were jingling. I got in and slammed the door. After finally getting the car started after two tries, I sat there with my hands gripping the steering wheel, trying not to hyperventilate. I pulled out of the spot, a little too quick, and my tires squealed when I hit the gas in first gear. As I sped past the front door of the library, I noticed a guy with shaggy blonde hair run out of the building and into the parking lot.

I didn't stop shaking until I was inside my condo. I slammed the door shut behind my back and slid down to the floor, tears streaming down my cheeks. My heart was still slamming in my chest, and my mind was racing.

Why?

Why him?

Why now?

Why was he acting like nothing had happened, like it was no big deal?

He had done so many awful things to me. He had aided and abetted in ruining my life for six long years, from seventh grade on through graduation. He tormented me, abused me, and humiliated me for his own amusement and glorification. Now, he was acting like it never happened, like we were all chummy the whole time and that I should acknowledge him as a friend? Like hell I would! He didn't know me, not at all. And what's more, he didn't deserve to.

I wiped my eyes and pulled myself together. I got up off the floor and slung my backpack under the kitchen table where I normally kept it. I sauntered into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of my 'special stash' and a glass and poured myself a drink. "Just one," I reminded myself. I had a new student exhibit to set up the next day at the school's main gallery and I needed to be sharp to get it finished on time. It was hard work, but I loved doing it.

"I know what I need," I said to myself. I went over to my computer and turned on my favorite play list of music, the songs that calmed my mind, and I turned it up so that I could hear it through the house. I went to the bathroom and stripped, putting the used clothes in the half-full hamper. I slung on my kimono-style robe and started the bath water, adjusting it so that it was still very hot. I needed a hot, relaxing bath more than anything right now. I turned the lights down and lit a scented candle, resting it near me on the bathtub's platform. When the water was deep enough, I cut off the tap and lowered myself in. It burned slightly, but I loved it, it melted away all the anger, fear, and hatred I had been feeling towards Naruto.

I leaned back, put my bath pillow behind my head and closed my eyes, doing my best to empty my mind. The warm, heady scent of the candle filled my senses and I breathed in deeply, willing myself to relax. Then, unexpectedly, a sharp vision of huge, Carribean blue eyes filled my mind. I sat up with a jerk, cursing. Damn him! Why did he have to be so smoking hot? I couldn't deny how handsome he had turned out. He looked pretty much the same, but more masculine, more chiseled. He was even a little taller than I remembered, but he still had that same moppish hair, that same blazing smile, and those same soul-stealing eyes. It annoyed me more than a little.

Still, I had changed, too, and for the better. My midnight black hair was styled in soft waves that framed my face and hung down to the middle of my back. My big, lavender eyes were always expertly crafted with shadows and mascaras, and my full, pouty lips made a wonderful canvas for the myriad shades of pink lipsticks and glosses that forever graced them. My figure had filled out since high school, too, and I was extremely proud of my body. I worked out as much as I could though, to maintain my hourglass curves and so I could continue eating whatever I wanted. Gone was the mousey, wallflower Hinata that was everyone's doormat in high school. The Hinata of today was a confident, successful, independent woman who was sex on two feet and wasn't afraid to flaunt it.

The water was getting cool, and my hands were starting to get pruney, so I decided to get out of the bath. I blew out the candle and stood up in the tub while the water drained. I took a huge, fluffy purple bath towel and dried myself, my skin raising goosebumps in the cool air conditioned room. I threw on my robe, brushed my teeth, and just as I started brushing my hair out so I could go to bed, there was a knock at my front door.

I jumped a little, and checked the clock. It was almost ten. Who in the world could that be? It must be Alisha, maybe she and her boyfriend, Johnathan had a fight. "Just a minute!" I called out. The knocking continued, spurring me to rush to the door and open it without checking the peep hole first. I knew better, but for some reason I couldn't stop myself. It had to be my best friend, no one else would show up this time of night, and rapists didn't knock.

As I swung the door open, I called out, "'Lisha, honey, what's the mat-". I cut off at the last second as I noticed it wasn't Alisha, but Naruto Uzumaki behind my door. I stood there, paralyzed, like a rabbit that knows it's about to be taken out by a fox.

He was standing there, a shit-eating grin on his face, holding a very expensive bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers. "Hey, I did get the right place, after all! I wasn't sure, the way the parking spaces are arranged in the lot." He stood there, waiting for me to react.

"H-how did you f-f-find me?" I queried, my voice cracking with distress. My nervous system was still unresponsive, and I was really glad he wasn't a rapist. Or, at least I was still hoping he wasn't.

"Oh, he-he-he," he chuckled, apologetically. "Um, I'm a Criminal Justice major. I got straight A's in my investigations class." He grinned sunshine at me. "Once you know the tricks, it's simple to find anyone, and you were super-easy. Everyone in your department knows who you are. Just making the right calls and saying the right words to people get them to spill all kinds of information. It took me about fifteen minutes to get your address." He appeared to be incredibly proud of himself.

The shock was wearing off, and my true feelings were coming out. "Well, that was a waste of your fifteen minutes," I spat. "I don't want to see you. Leave me alone and don't bother me again, or I'll call the cops and you can get some hands-on experience with the criminal justice system." I found the strength to slam the door in his face, but he blocked it with one hand, easily holding it open.

"Hinata? What the heck is wrong with you? I haven't seen you, in like, forever. I was hoping we could catch up." He looked totally puzzled, like what he had done to me never happened. Was he really that oblivious, or was it all an act? Maybe he was playing me, trying to worm his way in so he could play another prank and hurt me again. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Naruto, you can't honestly not know what the problem is. OK, you want to know? I'll spell it out for you in terms even someone like you can understand." He looked irritated at that, but I continued with my rant, anyway. " I hate you. No, wait. I despise you. You made my life hell all through school, never once giving a shit how miserable you were making me. The way you were acting, I could see you actually enjoyed it. Now, here you are, out of the blue, trying to pass it off as nothing, like I'm just supposed to drop it and be best friends with you. Well, I've got to tell you, that's not going to happen. I think the only other person on this planet I hate more than you is Sasuke, and I'm just praying right now that he isn't going to show up to start giving you orders to torture me again.

"Now, if you don't get the fuck out of here by the time I count to three, I really am going to call the cops and you can bet there'll be a restraining order to follow. Don't call, don't come by, don't even look at me if you see me on the street. I don't want anything to do with you, you disgusting, cold-hearted bastard!"

The look on Naruto's face was one of complete and total shock and sadness. This made me smirk a little on the inside, knowing that I had wounded some part of his psyche. I took one last, defiant look into his eyes and forcefully slammed the door in his face.

Whoa. Looks like Hinata told him, huh? Well, see what happens next in chapter 2! I promise, the plot will thicken as we move on. Be kind and review!