Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Life in the Labels ❯ Shadows of Fools ( Chapter 1 )

Life in the Labels

 

An outcast, a jock, a prep, a Goth, and a punk. Different perspectives, different styles, different souls, different minds. One loved, one shunned, one ignored, one being asked of too much, and one hated. Life in the labels.

 

One: Shadows of Fools

 

 

Naruto's POV

 

 

Against all wishing and hoping, the sun rose again the next day. The first day of another year in hell. Eight grade. I'm sure you're thinking “What! Eight grade rocks! You're the oldest and get to boss the little sixth grade shrimps around!” Well, I agree, totally. But the only problem is, how can I boss people around, when they all ignore you? When you're like the shadow of a locker, or an inanimate object. That's what I am to them, to her. The girl I like. She's really cute, with her pink shirts, blue skirts, and white sneakers.

 

Except she doesn't see me. She doesn't see me drooling over her. Oh well, I'm sure she'll notice me sooner or later.

 

I get dressed quickly, pulling on the only clean clothes I can find. These are, a dark orange shirt, and blue jeans. I don't obsess over my clothing, like some people. I just wear what's available. And who am I? I'm the one, the only, Naruto Uzumaki! Blonde hair, blue eyes, you'd think someone would care.

 

I don't have glasses, I don't have buckteeth, and I'm not that short, so why can't I get a girlfriend?

 

Anyway, I pull on my normal shoes, and head downstairs. “Iruka?” I ask, seeing him, surprisingly, in a pink apron. It nearly makes me laugh, but then I remember the occasion of his cooking. School. The word makes me sick.

 

“Hey, Naruto. Got your stuff?” He asks me casually while setting a plate full of smoking food. Stuff…? Oh yeah.

 

“Uh huh.” I murmur, and dig in. Soon after the food is devoured, I grab my backpack and run out the door, hearing a loud goodbye at my back. Absently, I wonder how her morning is going.

 

Sakura's POV

-

 

 

The alarm was getting annoying. No matter how hard I press the pillow against my head, it keeps on buzzing. Moaning about how unfair life is, I slide out of bed and shut it off. Blinking my eyes slowly, I turn on one of my duller lights, in hopes of not going blind. Then, I set off to the bathroom. The door's shut, and a light shines from beneath. Oh great, she got here before me. Pounding on the wood, I shout a few choice curse words, and wander back to my room to pick my outfit.

 

Once again, all I see is pink, some blue, and a little white. My mother's choice colors. No matter how much I beg for a darker color, I'd even settle for purple or orange, she shakes her head no.

 

So I'm stuck with this. Picking out a blue shirt saying “Single and Happy” and white pants, I walk back to the bathroom. She's out, but left havoc in her wake. “Argh. Evil, evil siblings.” I get my shower, relishing the silence.

 

Dressed and ready, I eat breakfast with my white-teeth-beaming parents, and half-awake sister. Life is like this for me. Saying a quick goodbye, I sprint as fast as I can to school. It's not far away, so I'm able to walk, unlike some unlucky people who have to take the bus. I make a beeline for my zero hour, where I'll receive my schedule, but am intercepted, sadly, by my dear friend Ino.

 

Her hair is in a high ponytail, and she was grinning like the fool she is. “What's up, Ino?” I really didn't want to deal with this right now.

 

“Sakura! Sasuke-kun just got dropped off by his dad, wanna go hug him?” She was practically shaking with excitement. Yeah, I liked Sasuke, but I didn't want to go out of my way to just…hug him.

 

“Sorry, Ino-chan, but I'm kinda tired. Maybe at lunch.” All eight graders had the same lunch, so I knew she would be there.

 

She looked rather upset. “Aw, okay. Well, bye! Wish me luck! Maybe he'll say yes this time…” I highly doubt that, Ino. Sasuke isn't the type to go out with loud, obnoxious, crazed-fan girls. I don't think he would even go out with me, being as calm as I tend to be. Though Ino has some good moments…

 

I entered the classroom, and was vaguely aware of the small bundle of red and black dart by.

 

Gaara's POV

 

 

My eyeliner was almost out. This calls for a stop at the quick mart. Let's hope father's late from work again, screwing some co-worker. If he wasn't late, I'd have to buy one extra pencil of black eyeliner. My eyes would be bruised, most likely. Funny how I'm his choice, and not my dearest siblings. It seems I look the most like mother. He hates it.

 

Scowling at the cracked mirror as I pasted by, I headed for the door, skipping breakfast altogether. I didn't need it. Maybe I could walk up to some guy and he'd drop his lunch and run, because I sure didn't have one.

 

The bus was crowded, so I walked. Just one step on that over-heated vehicle made me growl at the line behind me and push my way off. I hated behind around too many people, it made me feel small and defenseless. And I really would rather feel anything but small and defenseless. Father likes to see me like this, so I felt it often.

 

It took a while to get to school, unfortunately, but I made it in enough time to avoid crowds. I hated crowds too. Another people-involved thing. Yeah, I'm very negative, but I can't help it.

 

My converses were really torn and tattered, but they didn't make a sound on the tile hallway, so I was happy about that, at least. Hopefully people would mistake me for the shadows now.

 

I passed that guy, Neji, as I walked to zero hour. His eyes stayed on me for about a second, before he began scanning the hall. Besides that, no one saw me. Good, I liked it that way.

 

When I reached the classroom, I had to brush by that girl, Sakura, on my way. She saw me too, but kept her pretty little mouth shut. I sat, not in the back, since there were two people making out, but in the front, and as close to the window as I could get. Ew, horny teenagers.

 

After a few more minutes, the classroom filled and the hormone-raging teens broke apart embarrassed. And just a few seconds after that, the teacher walked on in. I'd seen him on campus before; he had wavy brown hair, looked really young, and never stopped smiling. It got a little annoying. And there he was, standing spine straight in front of us, grinning like the fool I think he is.

 

“Hello, class!” He yelled. I saw most of the kids in the room flinch. It was way too early for such shouting.

 

“Shut up teacher!” A brave little boy bellowed. It was the one who was having a few quite minutes with his girlfriend this morning.

 

“…Um, well students! I am your zero hour teacher, Mr. Silent!” He began passing out our schedules, and I scanned over it, wishing for something better then what I knew was there. Nope, it sucked, just like the last two years of my life.

 

Zero Hour: Mr. Silent, room 606

 

Period One, English: Yashamaru, room 609

 

Period Two, Biology: Mr. Gekkou, room 500

 

Period Three, Math: Mr. Morino, room 560

 

Eighth Grade Lunch

 

Period Four, Gym: Ms. Mitarashi, Auditorium

 

Period Five, Writing Composition: Mr. Hatake, room 555

 

Period Six, Ancient Social Civilization: Mr. Hyuga, room 502

 

 

Ancient Social Civilization? What the hell is that? Well, it seemed all of my classes had a guy teaching, except for Gym, so that was good. Wouldn't want to get molested like last year. But, on the minus side, my only woman teacher was teaching the only class where I have to strip into something revealing.

 

Oh well, time to head to English, the bell was ringing. Mr. Silent seemed disappointed. I waited for the crowd of “in” people to file out before I rushed down the hall. It was never good to get caught up among them. Especially that Neji guy.

 

 

Neji's POV

-

 

 

Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Please, let my eyes be deceiving me. Please! Nope. The name was carefully printed across the white paper… “Mr. Hyuga, room 502.” I don't think I could take it. My father was teaching Ancient Social Civilization! And, I had him sixth hour, so I would have to endure him all the way home.

 

Well, besides that horrible news, the other remaining classes looked fine. I had gifted math with Ebisu, whoever that was, and I was pretty good at Biology… I heard Mr. Gekkou didn't give much homework out. As for gym, and English, I'd survive. Well, I'd have to, or father would get pissed. And then there was one…

 

Period Four, Beginning Acting: Haku, Backstage

 

ACTING! I HAVE TO TAKE ACTING? Since when? Who did this? Who messed with my schedule? Yes, I'm very paranoid, but I had a stalker once… Thankfully the police found her before I got raped and killed. Maybe I'm over exaggerating

 

But anyway, let's not linger in the past right now. Zero hour's over, and a few girls around me were pulling me out the door. I jerked my arm away, but smiled apologetically when they got all teary-eyed. It's not exactly like I was sad for making them fake-cry, but I didn't want them to egg my house one day…

 

That's how the school's system works. You're either “in,” “out,” or “close enough.” Close enough, meaning you're okay. You don't hang out with the cool kids, but you don't hang out with the freaks either. You're…normal… Not stressed with too much socializing, and not depressed for being ignored and teased. Not a scratch on the surface. You go home to a cooked meal, have a small fight with siblings, relax with the family during a movie, and joke about non-important stuff. Perfect.

 

Unlike my house and my family.

 

Yeah, they're so…uptight. And I'm supposed to act like the Prince of England. Is there a prince of England? Whatever. The fact is that my family acts as though they're part of a picture. A picture painted by the finest of artists. Where they are all sitting around a long, elegant marble table and have no expression. Where they are all using silver forks and spoons to stick a really small piece of steak through their pursed lips. A perfect picture.

 

And I just want to take a Sharpie and doodle over their faces. Draw mustaches, missing teeth, spiky hair, like they just got out of bed… Normal stuff.

 

But this can't ever be true. My dreams will never become reality. Because it's not just a picture, it's my life. And it'll never change. That's why I have to get out of that standstill reality as fast as possible.

 

I suddenly felt myself being dragged into a seat. It's seems my posse had brought me to English while I daydreamed. Well, they can be useful sometimes, I guess. That is, they are, unless they try to seduce you behind the bleachers during a football game. Yeah…and then get pleas from the same girls about “Oh! Neji-kuuuun! What are you talking about? I know you felt something too! Don't leave me here like this!”

 

But of course I just smile pretty and walk away. A simple mask. Sometimes I don't even smile, just shrug, mutter “Sorry not interested” and head off to lunch. Poor girls. Can't find a less perfect guy to hit on. I really wish I could be mistake as a shadow one of these days…like the outcasts, or the Goths. I silently envy their peace.

 

Yeah. Well, I better focus; it's the first day here. It would be bad if I didn't learn anything… And why is everyone staring at me weirdly, including the teacher? What did I miss?

 

Sasuke's POV

 

-

 

Today wasn't going as I had planned. Worse then what I planned, actually. So far I had been hugged too tight, handed numbers, given love notes, and begged for dates. All of which I have refused. I even got over the fact that only Ino came to hug me today and not— Enough about that…I don't want to explain… Let's move on. Current position: staring at a piece of paper with equations all over it. Current state of mind: anything but math.

 

I have to start paying more attention to math. I may even be forced to get a tutor. Oh no, anything but that. Anything but having to tell all my little tennis-playing-filthy-rich friends that I wouldn't be able to “hang out” after school.

 

Please Lord, give me a tutor.

 

Oh and, along with that, give me a few shadows to hide myself in. Give me a few problems to scare people away with. A few messed up features, like messy hair, maybe an ugly scar on my face, or even an obsession with something stupid like bugs. Yeah. Scare all their pretty little selves away.

 

But no. I have to be stuck in this body. I have to be stuck rated one of the hottest guys on earth. I have to exist. And even the black I wear doesn't scare them away. Not that I wear it everyday, but I like the color. It suits my black hair and black eyes. Not even the red eyeliner shuns their pink eye shadow.

 

Oh look; here comes a Barbie doll now. She's blushing the color or a bright red apple. “S-Sasuke-kun?” She asks softly.

 

I look down at her. “Yeah?” My expression of bored-ness not showing. I hate being so mean to them, but I really get sick of these questions.

 

“C-can I…borrow a piece of paper?”

 

I swear the halls got brighter. I want to hug her, even if she didn't mean it. For once someone says something besides “Be my boyfriend” or “Go out with me”! I hand her three, instead of one. She smiles a little, then runs away quickly, back to her seat. For some reason the teacher didn't care if we walked across the room. Just as long as we weren't doing it to make out or pass notes.

 

Math is evil. So many numbers… Okay, so there's…about ten…and they're in different orders, but think of the combinations! I don't like math. Even if barely any of my fans are in this class. Well, Sakura is here, but I don't really mind her that much… She doesn't bug me all the time.

 

“YOU! THE KID WITH THE BLACK HAIR! ANSWER THIS QUESTION!” Mr. Morino shouted. What a rude awakening from La-La land… I look up at the board and see a question I couldn't possibly answer.

 

So instead, I make it worse. “Apple,” is my answer.

 

At first the whole class is silent. Then, one after another, everyone starts breaking into laughter. I smile a little, seeing the dumbstruck look on the teachers face. It's so amusing to see them when they have no clue what to do. So, Mr. Morino does what every teacher in his position would do…

 

“DETENTION!” Heh. Yup.

 

The bells rings, I grab the pink paper and shove it into my backpack. Hopefully my parents will pay me enough attention to scrawl a signature at the bottom and say I'm excused from dinner. I'll be walking home, by the way.

 

I leave the room before anyone else has a chance to bother me. Now, what's next? Ah, yes. I twitch. English.

 

End of Chapter One

 

Whoot! Scream with me! I finished! Hahaha, Haku teaches acting? -gasp- I bet you all thought Orochimaru would teach Biology, am I right? Well, I wanted my story to be a bit different, since I read three fanfics where Mr. Snake is a biology teacher. I mean, he fits, but give Hayate some fame too! Oh, and Ancient Social Civilization is just another term for History. As simple as that. And pie.

 

Please review, and tell me if you likey. Yeah, I haven't said the pairings yet, and I'm gonna keep you in the dark for a little while longer. Start guessing, and I'll give you something special if you guess right!