| Sakura Haruno |

I placed my arm on Sasuke's shoulder to steady myself as I leaned on him. The both of us were standing around at school listening to Ino tell us about her ever so romantic date with Sai. I honestly didn't care about what she did over the weekend. So I tuned her out. I already knew Sasuke wasn't listening because he was too busy playing a game on his phone

"So what did you do over the weekend Sakura?" She asked me causing me to look up from Sasuke's phone. All eyes were on me, including Karin.

"I uh, went to the gun range."

"Cool." Choji says through crunching on a bag of chips.

"Were you scared?" Tenten asked.

"A little but Sasuke helped me through it."

I could see Karin fuming. You could visibly see her grinding her teeth together.

"So guys I was thinking," Ino started.

"Woah, you think?" Sasuke smirked causing our circle to laugh. Even Ino got a few chuckles in.

"Fuck off Sasuke." She says flipping him the bird.

"I'm just saying," He shrugs. "I wouldn't want you over exerting yourself like that."

"You're such a jerk." She smiles and shakes her head. "Anyways as I was saying, Thanksgiving is coming up in a few weeks and I was thinking intead of us spending it with our families, we spend it with eachother."

"Long as Tenten isnt cooking." Sai reasoned. "Last time she baked a cake it was hard as a rock."

"Screw you Im a great cook!" She argues. "Right Neji?" She looked over to Neji for confirmation.

"Uh, well." His voice trailed off as she smiled brightly at her.

"Nobody is cooking anything." Ino says getting everyone back on track. "We're going out to eat so dress nice. Okay?"

"Define 'nice'." Shikamaru asked.

"Suit and tie is okay." She smiled.

"Count me out." Sasuke says sticking his hands in his pockets. "The last time I wore a suit was my parents funeral and I dont think I could fit that anymore."

"Oh Sasuke with your physique I'm sure you'd be able to fit it perfectly." Karin coos as she batts her mascara infused eyelashes. Sasuke visibly cringed.

"Count me out period." He says again.

Ino crossed her arms. "You're not getting out of this Sasuke."

With a roll of his eyes, he sighed heavily.

"Uh, I dont have anything dressy." I say.

"Thats what shopping is for Sakura." Ino says sternly. "You're not getting out of this either. Everyone needs to be there. Please."

"What gave you this lame idea anyway?" Sasuke asked.

"It's not lame you Idiot." She frowns. "And because I really care alot about you guys. Its our senior year. Let's spend as much time as we can with eachother because when we go off to college who knows if we'd still be friends."

"I'm not sympathizing with you." Sasuke says blankly. I nudged him causing him to hold his ribs and grunt. His head shot towards me.

"Be nice." I tell him.

"Thank you Sakura." Ino says. We could hear Karin scoff. "So I'll make the reservations and I'll keep everyone updated. We'll get carpool in order and everything."

"Hinata and I are riding with Sasuke & Sakura." Naruto says.

"Who says I was going in the first place?" He frowns.

"Sasuke, you're going." Naruto looked at his friend sternly. "End of discussion."

Ino squiels. "Great!" She says just as the bell rings. "I see you guys all at lunch."

I hugged Ino goodbye and Sasuke and I walked to class with Naruto.

"Who do you all think you are forcing me to go somewhere?" Sasuke asked.

"Dude, we all know November is a touchy month for you." Naruto says slowly. "But this will sorta take your mind off of it. Instead of being alone and sulking."

Sasuke chewed on his lip. "I'm not going Naruto."

"Wanna bet?" Naruto challenged.

Sasuke sighed. He was going. Even if Naruto pulled him there. And he knew that.

| Sasuke Uchiha |

"Ino's putting together this dinner for everyone on Thanksgiving." I say leaning against the counter while Itachi made spaghetti. "I honestly dont want to go."

"Why not?" He asks.

"We're always together for the holidays." I mumbled. He smiled and reached over to ruffle my hair. "I'll be fine brother dont worry about me. Your friends are trying to do this to get your mind off of next week okay? They care alot about you Sasuke. Just go and have fun." Then his head shot up from the pot he was stirring. "Isnt Sakura in your room?!"

I nod. "She fell asleep on me though." I asnwer. "I'm dropping her off later."

"She's been spending alot of time here." He says. "It's not a problem but its just odd considering you have no interest for the girl."

I shift my weight from one leg to the other. "Shes having problems at home."

His eyebrows furrowed together. "Oh, no. How sad."

"I kind of think her dad abuses her." I whisper. "It sure does seem like it."

"What do you mean?" My brother asked. He turned the heat on the stove down and leaned against the counter to get my full attention. He'd pulled his hair into a manbun at the top of his head then crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"Like, she says her father does something." I try to explain. "He's not cheating on her mother, but yet if she tells her mother whats going on she fears her mother either might not believe her, or it would ruin her family."

Itachi's eyes grew wide. "SASUKE YOU IDIOT!" Itachi slams his hand on the counter causing me to jump.

"What?!" I asked confused.

"How could you not put that together?!" He harshly whispered.

"Put what together Itachi??" I ask.

"That she's being-"

"Sasuke?" I whirled around seeing Sakura coming from my room rubbing her eyes. She yawned before her eyes fluttered opened and focused on me and my brother.

"Sakura." Itachi smiled warmly at her.

"Hi Itachi how are you?" She asked. "How was work?"

"Ah, the same old cupcakes and rainbows it always is." He replied. She smiled as she walked and stood at my side. Her arm linked around mine as she laid her head on my shoulder.

"You're making spaghetti?" She asked. He nodded. "Can I help?"

"Sure."

Sakura smiled and immediately washed her hands to help Itachi. He looked at me with a concerned look on his face and for the first time in a while, I feared for what he was going to tell me.