*| KONOHA HIGH |* (sai. sasuke. naruto) *| TICK TOCK |* (number 2 part 2)

Konoha High

An area filled with smiles

*****

The games room was originally going to be my father's office. There was going to be an old fashioned oak table centred in the middle of the room, three bookshelves, two leather chairs and a computer in the right hand corner near the window.

My mother had laughed, woke me up in the middle of the night, and forced me to (secretly) help her turn it into a place where Deidara and me could go to 'Get the hell out of my (her) face.'

My father had not taken it well.

I shuffle the two bottles of wine out from under my arms and let them drop with a soft thud to the sofa in the main room. Taking one more chip out of the bowl and placing it into my mouth I head for the games room.

With my bare foot I kick the door. 'WHAT?' my brother screeches from inside, trying to yell above the loud noise of the TV.

'I'VE GOT MY HANDS FULL YOUR DICKHEAD,' I yell back, kicking the door again. The TV clicks off into silence.

'Who is it?' Deidara calls in a nervous, confused tone. Sighing, I kick the door again.

'It's me you twat,' I kick the door again, 'Rose. You know, your little sist-' I step back when he swings the door open. Two chips fall to the ground.

He raises an eyebrow at me. I smile and hand him the bowl.

'Here.'

'Holy shit,' he mumbles under his breath, taking the bowl, 'What happened to you?'

His eye's run up and down my body; I fold my arms defensively across my chest. 'Stop that.'

'I can't,' he looks me up and down again, 'Seriously what the fuck happened to you?'

'Nothing,' I say slowly, raising my eyebrow at him, 'Why is something wrong?'

'Deidara-senpai what's going on?' someone chirps behind him. A bouncy boy pushes him roughly out of the doorway, and his eyes do the same. Up and down. Up and down.

'Seriously stop doing that,' I tighten my arms around my chest, 'It's making me uncomfortable.'

Deidara sighs and hits the boy over the back of the head. 'Tobi get out of the way,' brother takes a step backwards. 'Come in,' he jerks his head back in the direction of the games room. I look behind me. 'Rose. You. In.'

I lower my arms and saunter into the room, brushing past the bouncing black haired boy.

*****

The sofas are full and the TV is on mute. Deidara shakes his head continuously as he heads for the coffee table.

The black haired bouncing boy jumps in front of me and sticks out his hand. 'I'm Tobi,' I gingerly except his handshake, 'Deidara-senpai told me he had a sister,' he gives my hand a rough shake, 'But he made you sound really ugly and young.'

'He would,' I mutter sourly under my breath. Tobi chuckles.

'I haven’t seen you for years,' my brother hisses in defence, slamming down the bowl of chips and turning on us. I glare at him.

'Well I've been back enough times,' Tobi drops my hand, 'and do I have to stay here I have things to do.'

'Like what?' Tobi asks happily, bouncing over to the sofa and flopping himself down.

'Nothing.'

'Drinking?' he chirps.

'No,' I snap heatedly, feeling a sudden rush of colour attack my face. A skinny red head cranes his neck around to look at me over the top of the sofa. He smiles when he catches my eye. 'I don’t drink,' I defend weakly.

'That's why your breath smells like alcohol,' Deidara grabs a handful of food, 'Your growing up like mum.'

'Bite me,' I hiss, folding my arms across my chest again.

'Smoke?'

'No,' I divert my gaze back to the redhead before quickly looking down to my naked feet, 'I'm not an idiot.'

'You used to be.'

'Get bent,' I snap.

Someone slaps a hand firmly on my shoulder. I suck in a sharp breath and twirl around, taking a panicked step away from the person.

Itachi smirks down at me, 'Hello Rose, it's been a while.'

*****

I give an uneasy laugh and force a smile up to the tall, black haired Uchiha. He continues to smirk down at me.

I gulp back my fear.

'Hi Itachi,' I chirp happily, tilting my head a little: I ignore his wandering eyes. 'How have you been?'

'Great, actually,' he mutters quietly, his eyebrows crumbling into a V, 'You sure your Rose?'

I nod. He nods his head slowly and whistles.

'Wow.'

*****

My room is red and orange. There are paintings on the wall, photos on the windowsill and posters on the wardrobe.

I sigh and throw myself onto my bed.

'I'm in hell.'

*****

Having a "crush" on someone is nearly as bad as being under a hypnotic spell. You don’t eat right, you can't function correctly, and your heart seizes up every time their name is mentioned or you see their face.

At the age of seven I suffered my first major "crush." I told my brother.

'Itachi,' Deidara had mocked, pulling his gaze away from the TV screen that flashed at him. I nodded. 'Like, Itachi Uchiha, Itachi?' I nodded again, and looked up through my mesh of hair that hung over my eyes.

Deidara burped and turned back to the television.

'Good luck with that.'

I fantasised about ten-year-old little Itachi for two years and eight months, and only stopped when nine-year-old Kiba Inuzuka asked me to be his girlfriend.

When we "broke up" I continued my "fascination" with my brothers older friend.

*****

Someone raps their knuckles against my closed bedroom door.

'What?' I mumble into my purple pillow, 'Go away.'

'Are you not coming back down?' Deidara calls from the hallway, I lay in silence. 'Tobi sent me up here,' he pushes open the door, 'He wants to talk to you.'

With a groan I roll over and push myself up so that I can look at my brother. When he catches my eye he leans gracefully against the doorframe.

'Don’t be a spoil spoilt.'

'I'm not,' I fling my legs over the bed, 'And I don’t want to spend time with your friends.' Deidara raises his hands in mock surrender.

'Sorry m'lady aren't my friends good enough for you?'

'No,' I hiss, marching over towards him and grabbing a hold of the door. I know he want move. 'Go away.'

'All right all right, relax,' I slam the door shut angrily, 'CHILL!' he screeches as the pounding off his footsteps recede from my room.

I sigh and head back to my bed, flinging myself on it and wriggling under the duvet. Someone kicks my door.

'FUCK OFF.'

'Touchy,' I hear Itachi laugh from the hallway. I scramble off my bed and lurch towards the door, flinging it open. He smirks down at me. 'Hello Rose, you left.'

'I know,' I increase the grip on the door, making my knuckles white, 'What do you want?'

'Nothing really, I just thought you'd stay downstairs with us a little bit longer,' he rests him arm casually against the frame, 'We're quite insulted.'

'Good,' my bedroom phone rings, 'I was only coming to give you the chips.'

'The phones ringing,' he states, winking down at me. I huff, and march over towards the pale yellow phone that sits on the dresser beside my bed.

'What?'

The person down the other end stutters something inaudible. I juggle the phone from one ear to the other and turn my back on Itachi. I hear him chuckle.

'Who is it?'

'Hel-lo. R-Rose, is that you?'

'Oh, yeah hi Hinata,' I chirp excitedly, ignoring Itachi as he plops down on my bed. I glare at him, 'You alright?'

'Uh-huh. Actually, I was ringing to ask you something,' I smack Itachi's wandering hand as it flies for my bedside draw, 'Do you fancy coming over for tea tomorrow?'

This is the first time in nearly two years someone has invited me over for tea. I feel myself blushing and grinning. 'Of course, I'd love to where do you live?' I smack Itachi's hand again; he shakes his head and chuckles deeply. 'Don’t touch my things,' I hiss down at him, covering the mouthpiece.

He glares at me.

'I finish school at four,' Hinata mumbles, 'You could meet me at the gates if you want.'

'What gates?'

'Their the big blue main entrance ones,' she giggles, 'They have a huge 'entrance' sign beside th-'

'Okay, thank you.'

'Sorry.'

'Don’t be,' I turn my back on Itachi, 'Do you want me to buy your boyfriend his cake from the café?' She splutters down the phone, 'I don’t have to if you don’t want I was only maki-'

'He's not my boyfriend,' I nod, 'I just, really like him,' she sighs down the mouthpiece. 'Naruto Uzumaki.'

'Cute name.'

Itachi smacks the back of my leg. 'Hurry up,' he hisses, glaring. I ignore him.

'Are you sure your parents don’t mind?'

'No of course not,' Itachi flicks my leg again.

'Okay then, see you tomorrow.'

'Bye,' I slam the phone down 'WHAT?'

He shrugs. 'Not much, catch up.'

'Catch up?' he nods. 'Me and you catch up?' He nods slowly, 'What do we have to "catch up" on?'

'Stuff.'

'What stuff?' he gives a careless shrug, 'We're not even friends,' I say defeated, pointing back and forth between him and me.

He smirks. 'We weren’t.'

'We never will be,' I ignore his spreading smirk, 'I go to boarding school.'

Itachi shrugs again and grabs my hand, 'That doesn't stop you from being pretty.'

I fight the urge to burst into hysterical laughter. My brother's tall, black haired hottie of a friend is actually trying to butter me up. The hand around mine tightens, and my will to laugh increases.

I pull him to his feet and drag him to the door. 'It was nice of you to waste your time coming to see me in my room,' I drop his hand, 'But maybe you should go back downstairs.'

'If that’s what you want.'

'Yes, it is,' I fold my arms across my chest, 'And don’t tell Tony-'

'Tobi'

'Whatever. Don’t tell him where my room is.'

I slam the door shut.

*****