"Did you see Sasuke earlier? He looks better every day," Sakura called out to us. Us, that was Ino, Hinata and me. "And I'm the next Hokage. Sakura, you're just imagining that." I rolled my eyes while Ino was already violently about to agree. I grabbed Hinata and dragged her into class with me. If the two started about Sasuke, I didn't necessarily have to stay close to them. "Are you jealous?", Hinata suddenly asked me. "Why should I be jealous when two of my friends are into my best friend? I just don't feel like listening to the one hundred and ninetieth repetition of 'He looks so good, he's just great'. You know how they are when one happens Now at least I already know a taboo subject for our next shopping trip. "I rolled my eyes again and Hinata and I started laughing at the same time. "Tomorrow," came cheerfully from the door. When I looked up I saw Kiba and Naruto. "Nothing to argue about today?" I said as they sat down in front of us. "Well, I don't know. But are Ino and Sakura talking about Sasuke again?", Kiba asked with a laugh. "Do they have a different topic in the morning?" I asked back. "Not really. But I don't know what's so interesting about the guy either. Maybe you can tell me that after he's your best friend," Naruto intervened. "Let me think about it ... if he wants you can even talk to him and have fun, but as a boyfriend I still don't need him." "But you probably have one thing in common: Hundreds of invitations for the ball. Can be quite exhausting its so popular to be. "Kiba grinned at me. I knew he secretly had a crush on me, but he was just my friend and he knew it too. "Don't brag. I don't want to know how many invitations you get. Although, when I think about it, most of them go to Akamaru. It must be really exhausting to be jealous of your dog because he steals the show. "I returned his smile mockingly. "And also other wishes?", Kiba growled in mock anger. Naruto and Hinata had moved to the other side and I didn't hear what they were talking but it looked like I could hope that Hinata would get her love after all. "You don't believe what just happened," Ino called from the door. Behind her sakura. "You will tell us in a moment, Ino," I sighed. "We have a new student. His name is Gaara and he looks almost better than Sasuke." "But only almost," emphasized Sakura. She was completely addicted to Sasuke and sometimes I thought about telling her what Sasuke thought of such crazy fangirls. Bored because the good mood was suddenly gone, I looked out the window while the others from our class slowly came in.Naruto rejoined Kiba as well as Choji and Shikamaru, who had come in the meantime, and Hinata took her seat again next to me. It was then that I happened to see the new student. He looked really good, especially his eyes held a strange fascination for me when our eyes met for a moment. He stood next to Sasuke, who always preferred to show up in class a minute before school started, and seemed to be talking to him excitedly. When I saw him, I also realized where his name meant something to me. Temari and Kankuro, who were two classes above me but were among my closest friends, told me about their brother who went to an expensive private school. Temari showed me a photo of him once and now this guy from the photo, only about two years older, was standing out there next to my best friend. Now Temari and Kankuro were added. I just wondered why Gaara suddenly went to school here. "Who's that next to Sasuke?", Naruto suddenly asked and pulled me out of my thoughts. "The redhead? That's Gaara, the new one. But what are Temari and Kankuro doing out there? It can't be that interesting.", Sakura answered him. "Not at all, it's just her brother," I said ironically. "How do you know that?" Ino asked me and I noticed immediately that she had found a Sasuke understudy in Gaara. I already felt sorry for him. I owed Ino the answer because the doorbell rang and Iruka entered, punctually as always. The next two hours passed without Ino or Sakura sending me a note with further questions about Gaara, which surprised me a little. In the first long break I made my way to the school yard. There Kankuro and Sasuke warmed up a little for a little basketball game. I joined them too and ran with them while we waited for the others. Kiba and Naruto were next. Sakura and Ino also came, but only to adore Sasuke. Hinata was there too, presumably because she had nothing else to do. I discovered Shikamaru lying around lazily in the meadow. Temari sat next to him and they seemed to be talking. Finally, Neji also came to us. Our break game was almost a tradition. Except that Sasuke made most of the viewers girls who gave me dirty looks. Especially since Sasuke always wanted me on the team whenever possible. This time Sasuke, Kankuro and I were on the same team. Naruto jokingly complained that I had two older and better players on the team, to which I countered that I was a girl too. We started to play and beat Naruto and Kiba down despite Neji. We let ourselves fall on the floor for a moment. It was two minutes before we had to go back inside. I gratefully took the water bottle that Kankuro offered me."Yumi", I suddenly heard someone call, but it took a moment before I saw Temari waving to me. Gaara stood next to her, with a not exactly friendly look and arms crossed. "Doesn't look like my brother would like to meet you," Kankuro joked next to me. I handed the bottle back to him and made my way to Temari. Once there, she introduced me to Gaara, but he just nodded to me. He didn't seem to like being shown around like a rare animal. Somehow I could understand him. Then it rang. "If it is up to your sister we will definitely see each other again", I gave Gaara a friendly smile before I made my way to my class.
The rest of the day hadn't been exciting. Ino and Sakura had asked me about Gaara, my team had won the second game of the day and as the holidays were approaching there wasn't much going on in class either. Unfortunately, Kiba's prognosis turned out to be correct. When I wanted to put the things I didn't need at home in my compartment, there was a whole pile of invitations in it. Sighing, I put it in my pocket. Let's see who I would reject everything. Sasuke was waiting for me in front of the school gate. Since we lived almost next to each other, we went to school together and from there home. "Don't you have a group of raving girls? That's a miracle, especially since the ball is only two weeks away," I called out to him. "Invitations enough for that. And how are you?" He asked. "I think I don't do anything today except to write rejections. How many guys expect a real chance to go to the ball with me?" "Half of the school? But if you feel like we can have an ice cream beforehand. Then it might not be that bad with the rejection letter. "I nodded. In the heat, ice cream was never a bad idea.
Sasuke had once again managed to invite me. I wasn't paying attention and he was already paying for my ice cream. In the meantime it was dark outside and I was on the twentieth cancellation. Sure, some guys invited several girls and which one they liked first with which they went to the ball, but still I couldn't imagine how many would bother to invite me. Kiba had been clear and I knew that I was only second choice at Naruto. But Kankuro and Neji had also sent me invitations. Just like I discovered one from Shikamaru and one from Lee. Luckily Sasuke wasn't there. But firstly, he knew that I wouldn't go to the ball with my best friend and, secondly, he wasn't sure that he would go at all. When the phone rang, I checked my watch for the first time in a long time. Half past ten, who else called at this time? I picked it up and heard Hinata's voice: "Yumi? Sorry if I bother you now, but you won't believe what happened.Neji only gave me the content from my subject ten minutes ago because he had forgotten about it and guess what, he invited me. "" Naruto? "" Also, but I meant Sasuke. Sasuke invited me. "Well, now I was speechless. Why hadn't I noticed that my best friend was into my best friend? There just couldn't be another explanation why Sasuke had invited her to the ball." Yumi? "Hinata asked carefully." Yeah, I'm still there, but my brain is still processing. I mean, my best friend and my best friend and I don't notice anything. It's a miracle, especially for you. I'm probably getting old by now. "" I had no idea that Sasuke was into me, even if I've been doing it myself since our picnic together. And for other reasons than Ino and Sakura, "she added. I still couldn't believe it. The two must have made a cute couple, but I never would have thought they'd ever get together." I can imagine . But that means that you are not left. Let's see what comes out of me. "" Don't you have an invitation yet? "" A lot, but somehow there is nobody I would like to go with. I'll probably go alone for five minutes. "" Well, I don't think so. But I have to break up. Good night. " "Sweet Dreams. "I hung up and went back to my rejections. I kept thinking that Sasuke had invited Hinata. I would have to talk to him about it tomorrow to make sure it wasn't a joke.
"Tell me," I started a little uncertain the next morning when I was on our way to school with Sasuke; “Did you really invite Hinata to the ball?” Sasuke remained surprised, almost startled. "Where from ..." "Hinata told me. But I want to tell you one thing, Mister Womanizer. She has high hopes and if you hurt her then I'll turn your neck with pleasure." "Don't worry, I won't. Since When we were out together back then, I always think of her and I hope that we might get closer at the ball, "he finally admitted. 'How cute' slipped out of my head, but I left that to Ino, even if she wouldn't find it cute at all.
When we arrived it was clear to see that the preparations for the ball had begun and with it the time for the invitations. Many girls whispered who was invited by whom and who