Title: Duped
Prompt: SASUSAKU MONTH 2012!
Rating: T

Summary: She thought she could love someone else.

.twenty-one.
Duped

"This isn't going to work out."

"What do you mean?"

"Us. We're not working out!"

"...Sasuke, wh—"

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

.

.

You don't know how long you've been in your room, but your mother sits on the edge of your bed, a noticeable weight shift is created and you don't tear your eyes away from your pale pink fingernails.

"Sakura, honey," she begins. "You've got to get out of this house."

You don't know what to say but you narrow your eyes in annoyance and she threads her hand through your hair (how long has it been since you washed it?) and knowingly says, "You'll find someone else."

"Mom," your voice is raspy, but you don't seem to notice—or care—and you shake your head. "I love him."

She sighs, standing up in defeat.

Love. Not loved.

.

.

School is only worse. You see him everyday and it's not very pleasant.

He can tell you're a mess from your tangled hair to your wrinkled clothing and dull eyes. You meet his eyes once though, only once and you're the one who looks away because those were the same eyes you fell in love with.

Your friends, Karin and Ino, try to cheer you up. "C'mon, there are plenty of fish in the sea!" They chirp sagely.

You tell them to be quiet and turn to stare at the board, your heavy pathos sweeping over you like water.

.

.

There is a new boy in school. His name is Naruto. You don't know his last name because the girl with the odd eyes doesn't mention it.

"Wow, Hinata, he sounds cute!"

You halfheartedly pay attention to their talking because you can't find the murky eyed boy.

It's not like I'm trying to search for him, you broodingly think, but of course, there is a lace of despondent in that thought.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a tall boy with sunshine hair and Hinata immediately turns red, and you understand the feeling because that's how you were with Sasuke-kun.

You begin to wonder if you'll ever get the same feeling again, but you don't think long because the boy with the golden hair sits next to you and gives you an enchanting smile and you realize how bright his teeth are and it makes you slightly smile back for some crazy reason.

He introduces himself as Naruto Uzumaki and talks to you more than the other girls. Hinata seems sad, but you don't really realize that and you like how blue his eyes are.

.

.

The talk of Sasuke-kun at the table had fallen short, and was nulled out by the new chatter of Naruto-kun.

Your parents seem happy that you've found someone new, however, your mother can't help but start talking to you about this boy while you're helping her with the dishes.

"So this Naruto-kun, is he nice?" Is he treating you well?

"Yes, very nice."

"And you... you like him?" Are you truly falling for him?

"Mhm."

It wasn't much of an answer, and your mother turns skeptical.

"Sakura, darling.. Are you sure?" I'm not sure about this, honey.

You start to get impatient, and you want to scream out: Isn't this what you wanted me to do? Didn't you want me to go find someone new? You want to scream out: You wanted me to get over Sasuke-kun right? You want to scream out: Stop acting like I don't like him. Why can't you see I'm happy? Happy. Happy.

Happy.

But instead, you settle for a "Yeah, I'm sure."

.

.

Naruto takes you out on a date, and you contemplate wearing your lucky bracelet. You decide not to, because it was given to you by Sasuke-ku—Sasuke. It hurts to not add the affectionate suffix at the end of the name that comfortably rolled off your tongue like rain, but you try to shake it off.

He's at the door and makes a good impression on your parents, and you glance at your mother who gives you a look for a moment as you close the door behind you. It's a snooty look, showing that she doesn't approve of your choice—because she knows you're not in love with him—but, of course, you don't care and shut the door fully, taking his hand in yours.

It's been a while since you've held someone's hand, and it feels a little bit weird and foreign, especially since his hand doesn't mold into yours like playdough just like Sasuke's.

"Where do you want to go to eat?" Naruto asks you, and you casually shrug.

"Anywhere." You respond, and you don't even understand how much this is hurting your dear friend, Hinata.

.

.

When you go back to school after the weekend, Naruto approaches you with a grin and pulls you in for a hug.

You take a moment to let his scent sink in, and yes, he does smell good—like Axe and soap, but you're not happy because it's not that familiar cologne that wafted into your nose.

You're angry. You're angry because you promised to not think about him, yet you do!

He separates you from him before you had a chance to hug him back, (not that you were going to do so anyways) and you notice long midnight hair and it only takes a second for the recognition to sink in.

"Hinata!" You bellow out, trying to earn her acknowledgment, but she swiftly turns away and you think you might have seen a tear. You dismiss it as a lighting problem and let Naruto wrap an arm around your shoulder as you pass Ino and Karin who you haven't talked to in a while and you feel your heart pause because you realize you're losing them.

You try to smile at them but they just look away awkwardly.

This is so wrong.

.

.

You start to avoid Naruto-kun like the plague, and it seems that your friends are doing the same to you because you can't find them. You bump into somebody in the midst of your search, and the person you bumped into was Sasuke-kun (you decided that old habits die hard). He stares at you long enough to watch your eyes go wide and starts to walk away but you don't really want to let that happen. "Sa-Sasuke," you fumble.

The boy turns to you, narrowing his eyes questioningly and it somehow makes you feel inferior even though the gaze was not can't come up with anything to say and he just asks: "What?" in that still boyish voice of his.

It makes your heart flutter in a way that Naruto-kun's voice never did and it hits you like a brick when you realize how much you miss him.

"I miss you."

Sasuke doesn't give you a proper answer yet, and you just wait to listen to that dusty voice of his, but all you hear is a small, "Aa."

It hurts.

.

.

When Naruto finally finds you, it's in the same spot you were in when you bumped into Sasuke-kun. He tilts his head at you, confused as to why you were still in school when it was let out ten minutes ago and reaches out to touch your shoulder.

"Sakura-chan?" He asked, worry in his voice but you don't care because Sasuke-kun didn't say he missed you too, he didn't give you a fairytale ending, and you feel the uncomfortable lump in your throat rise back up, so you take a brisk intake of breath that isn't subtle on any level.

The tears are finding its way to your jade eyes that everyone loves so much yet you hate them because Sasuke-kun said he liked them.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." You drop the 'kun' and it somehow relinquishes a weight on your shoulders. (You're such a horrible person, using what someone had said to leave you—on someone else.)

It was a sentence that gave said boy a sense that she wasn't going to talk to him anymore and that bothered him because she was leading him on.

"I'm sorry too, Sakura-chan."

.

.

You're back in your room, and it's an all too familiar scene except the roles are reversed this time. She had left Naruto—even if they weren't officially dating.

Your mother comes in, and you stare at your fingernails that are now painted a lovely shade of blue that match Naruto's eyes.

She wraps an arm around your tiny frame and brings you closer, rubbing your shoulder consolingly.

You can't dupe yourself into loving someone else, Sakura-chan your mother thinks, sighing mildly.

SO.. how was it? First time writing in this kind of way so uh be gentle with your reviews. BUT STILL REVIEW. By the way, does anybody else hate the are-you-human? Word things that you have to do to log in. I do. :\

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