The party lasted well after midnight, and after getting tugged away by her friends, Akane wished Sasuke a good night.

"Please, may I take you home?" He asked, fiddling with his key ring.

"Oh, no, it's okay." She shook her head, giving him a patient smile. "I'll hitch a ride with Tenten-san."

"But I insist," he stepped closer. "I've wanted to see where you live for quite a while now."

"I'm sure you'll see it sometime," she promised. If you saw, you'd definitely remember me.

Before he protested again, she pecked his lips, shocking him enough for her to slip away.

As soon as Tenten's car doors shut, he remembered what he wanted to do and quickly ran to his room, grabbing the shoe. He slid down the banister and rushed out the door, jumping into his car and slamming the door.

"Shit, Ten, he's trying to follow." Sakura groaned, watching him out the window.

"I gotcha, Sak." She nodded and sped away faster, making a sharp left into the woods.

"Wait, where are we going?" Hinata asked, a little worried.

"Don't worry, I know these woods like the back of my hand." The brunette gave her a grin in the rear-view mirror. "We'll lose him in five minutes, promise."

"If you say so," Ino sighed dreamily. "I wish I could have stayed with Sai a little longer."

"You two were the cutest couple on the dance floor," Hinata chimed in with a happy giggle.

Ino suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to face the backseat. "Oh, yeah! Sakura, don't think I didn't notice that necklace you're wearing!"

She blushed red and looked away. "Oh, yeah... Sasuke gave it to 'Akane'."

"He really was at the jewelry store looking for a gift, huh..." Tenten muttered. "Well, now we know he feels the same!"

"Yeah, with Akane. Not me." Sakura sighed, fiddling with the jewels. "He kissed Akane, not me. If he knew who 'she' really was, he'd begin bullying me himself."

"Whatever happened to the loud, confident Sakura Haruno I know?" Hinata asked her, a stern look on her adorable face.

"She left, along with the chance of having a normal life." The pinkette shrugged. "Whatever, though. All I have to do is hide all evidence of tonight happening, and we'll be in the clear."

Hinata was quiet for a few moments before Ino spoke up.

"But you don't want to forget, do you?"

Sakura flinched at the question and merely stared out the window.

"Maybe not," she admitted quietly.

--

The rest of the weekend passed by quietly, although Sakura spent most of it mooning over the necklace Sasuke had given her. She had taken it off before falling asleep, and ever since it had been in its box on her nightstand, next to her framed photo of herself and Sasuke as children.

Monday morning came, and Sakura was quietly going about her usual tasks. Hinata watched her all throughout the day, and during lunch approached her on the roof.

Sakura was staring up at the sky, eating a sandwich, when the heiress sat down next to her with a tray.

Neither of them said a word, although Sakura acknowledged her presence with a subtle nod and a glance.

"How's Hanabi?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence as she finished the sandwich.

Hinata paused before her first bite of onigiri. She frowned. "She's... taking the news rather well."

"I see." She turned toward the Hyuuga with a deep sigh. "I can't say I know how you feel to the fullest extent, but I'm still here to extend my sympathy."

Hinata swallowed hard, the rice feeling like stones in her throat. "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

--

Sasuke stared off into space, still deep in thought about Friday night.

Akane...

"Oi, earth to Teme!" Naruto vigorously waved his hand in front of the Uchiha's face. "Dude, why are you spacing so much today?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blond. "None of your business."

"Oh please! As your best friend, I have a right to know why you're so much moodier than usual!" He declared with a grin.

"And who assumed you were my best friend?" Sasuke asked dryly, although there was an underlying joking tone to his voice.

"You're so mean, Sasuke-teme." Naruto began to sulk.

Brushing off the insult, the blond asked, "Say, where's Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan? Shouldn't they be here too?"

Sasuke felt a twinge at the mention of her. "She eats on the roof from time to time."

"Whoa, you knew that?" Naruto looked shocked. Genuinely shocked. "How'd you guess?"

"Because, dope, there's only so many different places you can eat in school," he snapped, feeling more annoyed than usual. He stood from the lunch table, taking his tray.

"Where are you going?" Suigetsu called after him.

"To be alone, don't let the dope follow me." He replied with a glare.

Silence permeated the atmosphere of the table for a few moments before Suigetsu grinned.

"He's so hung up over that girl, it's insane." He crossed his arms behind his head.

"Yeah, I guess." Karin shrugged. "What's this about him giving her a necklace?"

"Oh, yeah! Sasuke-teme spent practically all night with that girl, confesses his love, and gives her a necklace!" Naruto explained energetically. "Man, she sure is lucky."

"I would suppose," the redhead shrugged.

--

Sasuke inhaled a large gulp of fresh air, choosing to sit underneath a tree.

So many things ran through his mind, yet the one thought he kept coming back to was of Akane.

He frowned once more, her lovely face appearing in his mind's eye. Her sweet smile, her familiar voice, and her long, auburn hair swept up in that bun...

He sighed, leaning his head back against the tree trunk.

How the heck would he figure out who she was?

There were only so many girls in school with red hair, and unfortunately, most of them had grown theirs out.

So much for that rumor that I liked long hair on a girl, he snorted. That was years ago.

He closed his eyes, and he could see her.

On that night, her eyes sparkling with adoration, her cherry lips parted... he could still taste the lip gloss she used.

He felt a blush creeping up his neck, but he didn't care. This was the first time since seventh grade that he actually felt something... and he wasn't sure if he disliked it.

Sakura...

He conjured up an image of her. All sass with that shoulder-length, ridiculous pink hair, those pretty green eyes...

He scoffed to himself. Sasuke Uchiha did not talk about his feelings about pink-haired girls who insulted him daily.

And yet, he remembered a simpler time, back before she grew cold, before her father married Karin's mother.

Her sweet smile, round, curious eyes, long pink hair... her large forehead...

He knew it was a sensitive topic at the time, and he smiled faintly, remembering how mad she used to become at the sheer mention of it. That topic had caused Naruto many, many bumps on the head.

What exactly did he feel for her?

He sighed once more, thinking back to her angry rant on the rooftop.

"My mother... is gone," her voice had cracked and she sounded close to tears. He wanted to go over there and tell her it was alright, but...

Something told him she wouldn't be too happy learning that he had accidentally eavesdropped.

He felt guilty for letting his stupid fanclub bully her, and yet...

The memory of her mocking laughter when she called him "Chicken Boy" nagged him, and he glared at the ground.

She'd known he was sensitive because of his unruly hair. She hadn't just been joking.

Yet at the same time, he knew why.

He stood up, noting to himself that lunch would end soon. He grabbed a pair of rose clippers one of the gardeners had left carelessly beside a rosebush, snipped a thornless rose, and headed back inside.

--

A/N: Oh, Sakura. The lights are on but nobody's home.

And why is Sasuke so hung-up on this Akane chick? Well, why not?