"Class, let me introduce our two new classmates, all the way from America" the teacher smiled.
The teacher...or sensei in Japanese had pure gray hair that toppled over to one side to cover one of his eyes. He also had a mask on that covered his nose down. Liz and I stood at the front of the classroom and bowed nervously. We were supposed to bow here in Japan, right?
"My name is Elvira May" I said slowly.
"Elize Chiffon, but you guys can call me Liz" she introduced enthusiastically.
"Well, since you've introduced yourselves I'll follow suit! My name is Hatake Kakashi and I will be your sensei or teacher from where you come from" he smiled at us, "You guys can take a seat over there, the two desks that we have prepared for you" he pointed to the back of the class.
Two empty seats sat between two guys, one looked to be rather serious. The boy had fluffy, red hair and his shirt wasn't buttoned up to the top. The other boy was familiar looking.
"It's the guy from earlier, he showed us to the office" Liz nudged me.
"Oh, right" I mumbled back.
"What a coincidence" he smiled, "Welcome to Class A" he greeted as Liz and I took our seats.
"Thanks" I replied dully.
"Well then, let's start class" Kakashi smiled and began our geography lesson.
Liz and I had been taking advanced classes back in America and Japanese had been one of our strong suits, learning since the age of six. The stuff that Kakashi was teaching had been taught to Liz and I two months ago. I twirled my pencil in my hand and doodled on my notebook idly. Liz sent me paper airplanes with notes scribbled in it saying how bored she was and how much she missed America already. I sighed, I did too. I drew the American flag on my notebook, making it as pretty as possible. My hair fell around my face as I inked the words 'Long Live America' into my abused notebook.
"Bored?" came a calm, quiet voice.
It was that boy from before...what was his name again? Daisuke? Sake? Whatever.
"Yeah" I let out a long breath.
"Did you used to take advanced classes in America?" he asked.
I nodded again. I glanced at Liz from the corner of my eye to see her socializing with the red-haired boy, he now seemed gentle and kind.
"What's our next period?" I asked him.
He looked surprised that I had actually asked a question, "Um, gym, we have another half hour to go" he replied.
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, "Thanks".
I leaned forward onto my desk and turned my head towards Liz, closing my eyes, "I'll wake you up" she promised and I mumbled back a thanks.
I fell into a half-conscious nap. I could hear everything around me but I was still at rest. A bell rang a while later, I had no idea how much time had passed but we were supposed to go to gym now. I got up and stretched.
"That was boring" Liz complained.
I picked up my bag and followed after the students filing out of the classroom, "Agreed".
We walked down to the first floor and entered the girls' change room. I pulled off my skirt and kicked it away and put on my basketball shorts.
"Let's go" I motioned to Liz and walked out into the gym.
The boys pointed and stared at me. I had no idea why, just a jersey over top a tank top and basketball shorts, what was so attention attracting about me? I tied my brown hair up in a ponytail and nearly choked on air as our gym teacher stepped out of his office.
"What? What? What is...oh, that's what" Liz looked rather taken aback, "Um...are those really thick eyebrows or what?" she uttered under her breath.
"That's Gai-Sensei, our school's gym teacher. He's hardcore...and a joke at the same time" the same boy that I had been talking to in class walked up from behind me.
"I see...nice mushroom cut though" I pulled a face.
He laughed, "Yeah, you could say that".
"Hey, Sasuke! We're playing dodgeball, wanna be on my-" a boy with blond hair came running, "Oh, hey guys...girls" he blushed.
"I think Gai's gonna choose this time, Naruto" he jerked his head towards the man in a green, one-piece track suit.
Oh, that's right, his name was Sasuke, "Line up, kids! We're going to play a youthful and heated game of dodgeball!" he declared, holding up a foam ball.
"Individual? Elimination?" Liz asked hopefully.
"Yes! You are right, young girl!" he threw the ball to Liz, "You may start!" he then scurried to the edge of the gym.
Liz smirked, "You guys better watch your backs, I'm a killer" she smiled evilly.
A few of the girls had clumped up in one corner of the gym, just a few stragglers here and there. Liz whipped the ball at them but hit a chubby boy that had been standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"You're out, Choji!" Gai called out.
"I know" he mumbled sadly.
A boy that looked very similar to Gai picked up the ball and stared at Naruto determinedly. He pretended to whip the ball at a tired-looking boy but then aimed it at Naruto with a curve ball. I leaped forward and caught it firmly in my hands.
"Lee, you're out!" came Gai's voice.
The boy looked shocked but then his face was pulled down in a frown, he sat down by Choji. I looked around and decided who my victim was going to be, I saw Sasuke, standing just a few paces away. I looked at a boy with red hair and feigned a throw at him but the ball shot towards Sasuke instead.
"Nice try" he smirked as he dodged it.
I raised my eyebrow. This one was gonna put up a fight, he was going to be mine. The game proceeded. Steadily, the amount of players decreased until, Liz, Sasuke, Naruto, a red-haired boy and I were the only ones left. Right now, Naruto had the ball.
"Rargh!" he threw the ball at Liz.
She caught it with ease, "You're out" she said, shooing him away.
Now there was just the four of us, Liz with the ball. Just as she was about to throw it at the red-haired boy, the bell rang.
"Time to go, Class A!" Gai called.
"Damn" Liz cursed.
"You always have next time" I smiled.
"True".
"Art time" grumbled Naruto.
"Hey, I love art, what's so bad about it?" Liz complained.
"Love the subject but the teacher can be a bit...inappropriate?" Naruto said for lack of a better word.
"Okay, we'll see, won't we" I shrugged and walked into the girls' change room.
"Ohhhh! I see we have two new faces! Would you two like to model for us?" the teacher cried.
He had long, white hair and his face was flushed red.
"Say no!" Sasuke whispered.
"No thanks" I said and pulled Liz into a seat.
"Aw...what a shame" the teacher sniffed.
"What was that all about?" Liz pouted.
The red-haired boy leaned over, "Just never agree, he makes you do some...embarrassing poses" he scratched his head.
"Oh wow" I whistled quietly.
"Exactly" Sasuke added.
"Thanks again" I realized this was probably the umpteenth time I had said thanks to him.
"Now, I believe that art is the most beautiful thing in the world! That's why I also think that women are all masterpieces of art" he started, winking at Liz and I.
"I don't feel safe here" I mumbled.
"No one does" the red-haired boy said.
"What's your name again?" I asked him.
"Gaara" he replied.
"Alright...hi" I waved pointlessly.
He grinned, "Hi".