Hero
Sasuke�s eyes narrowed as he glared at the shorter football player. �I was going to ask why such a short know-nothing was peering over my shoulders as I ate,� Sasuke sneered.
Naru glared.
�Here, allow me to help you,� Sasuke sang mockingly, making a big show of shortening himself so her was Naru�s height. He fought off the urge to smirk when Naru�s features twisted in anger yet more still.
Neither he nor Naru expected the football to come flying behind Naru, and the were both surprised when it hit the back of Naru�s head, forcing his face into Sasukes.
Nor did either of the react right away when they found their lips locked. Actually, it took a few seconds of their too-wide, practically bulging eyes staring, too actually comprehend what was happening. By the time it did, everyone who was in the cafeteria at the time stared at the two.
And then, comprehension dawned. Sasuke and Naruto pulled away as fast as possible, sputtering, gaging and retching. Cries of �My lips! They�re poisoned!� and �Ahh! It burns!� filled the now silent cafeteria.
The football team at one of the far tables began laughing hysterically, and a few more nervous chuckles joined them.
Soon, both Naru and Sasuke�s disgust faded, and Naru found himself glaring at his fellow teammates.
Their laugher died down a bit, a couple of them still having to lean against each other, but their body-racking giggles were silent.
�Now, what did you want?� Sasuke demanded.
Naru�s glare turned to him. �Nothing,� he snapped, and then stormed out of the building.
*
Sasuke�s last class of the day was English. It was also his only class with the blood football player.
The only thing that alerted him to the blond�s absence was how unusually quiet the class was. Usually, the fox like boy was always making a fool of himself, making the working ability in the class annoyingly at zero.
It was a pleasant change at first. The teacher was able to teach without constantly having to yell over or at Naru. The students could actually work.
Sasuke didn�t understand why Iruka-sensei kept stealing worried glances at Naru�s desk, to the digital clock build into the wall, to the door.
At least, he didn�t understand until the middle of class. That was when he realized that Naru had never missed a class. Not even the one time when he had been so sick Iruka had to literally force him to go home � he had even given Naru a ride home, because he was afraid Naru couldn�t get home safely himself, dismissing the class 15 minutes early.
And Naru had seemed perfectly healthy during their incident during lunch, and he didn�t seem like the type to skip.
Sasuke told himself he didn�t care. He had himself convinced he believed it.
But, for the strangest of reasons, he couldn�t concentrate on his work, or the words coming out of the teachers mouth for the rest of the class.
*
The next day, even before lunch, Sasuke knew Naruto wasn�t at school. It was the main subject in his second period class.
Apparently, he wasn�t the only one who had realized Naru never missed a class, and the people who shared a first period class with Naru, and a second period class with Sasuke, were all talking about it.
Sasuke wondered why he was so interested in the senseless drabble, and the revelations on what happened to the boy.
His third period class, Art, was even worse. Apparently, Naru�s second period class was gym. Apparently, he wasn�t in it either.
It had always been so easy for Sasuke to get lost within his art. To become entranced with the paintbrush in his hand, to feel the paint on his skin, and to frolic in the experience of being able to mold the clay to the picture with resided in his mind.
Today, he couldn�t get into it. Today, he couldn�t create anything to his liking. Today, everything he made somehow looked like Naru.
He didn�t bother staying in the art-room at lunch. He knew when he could work or not, and he knew he couldn�t work today.
Instead, he headed straight for the cafeteria where he found Iruka-sensei speaking to Naru�s teammates.
�What do you mean you don�t know where he is?� Iruka demanded, sounding as though he was stretched to the limits of his patience.
�That�s exactly what we mean,� one of the boys, Kiba was it?, answered. �None of us are friends of his.�
�Shouldn�t the office have his number or address or something?� another one, Neji answered. �I�d give it to you, but,� he shrugged, �don�t have it.�
Iruka sighed angrily. �I�ve already called him. He wasn�t there. Nor has he called in sick.�
Kiba laughed, a loud, barking laugh. �He�s probably skipping. Don�t worry about it.�
Sasuke could almost hear Iruka�s teeth grinding against each other.
�Naruto would not skip classes. Are you telling me, that after seeing him every bloody day you don�t know where the hell he is?� Iruka demanded angrily, his patience finally snapping.
�Not everyday, sir. He didn�t show up for practice yesterday,� one of the other boys, Sasuke couldn�t recall his name piped up quietly.
That was the last straw for Iruka. He growled lowly, but the growl soon turned into a full out scream of anger. He turned sharply and stalked out of the cafeteria, brushing against Sasuke as he left. Sasuke watched him go, slightly surprised at the teachers reaction.
Though, he probably would of reacted the same way.
Of course, he didn�t admit that to anyone, not even himself.
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