The Grumpy Jerk

Chapter 10

"Good luck on your preliminary exams, honey," my mother says while we walk our ways out of the house.

"Um. Good luck at work too," I respond to her with a smile on my lips.

Before we parted ways, we give each other a tight hug like we don't want to be apart at all.

I miss my mom every day like how I miss dad. She waves goodbye at me and I turn my back at her and started walking away.

"Sarada!"

Cho-Cho is waving at me, waiting at the corner of the street. I slowly run in her direction and when we finally meet she gives me a bittersweet smile. I wonder why.

"What's wrong?" I ask her while furrowing my brow.

"You know it's exam day and I feel sick," she responds.

I laugh at her statement.

"Don't worry, we'll get through this," I encourage her.

"Heh! It's easy for you to say that because you are a smarty," she pouts.

"Um..." I murmur.

"Well, I guess I won't lose to you..."

I don't know why that memory of Boruto suddenly enters the picture. I secretly smile at the thought.

"Hey, I saw that," Cho-Cho smirks at me.

"H-Huh? You saw what?" I try to hide it from her.

"You smiled just now."

Oh crap! She notices. I think I cannot hide from Cho-Cho's investigative eyes.

"What made you smile like that?" she is starting to get persistent.

"What do you mean?" I keep refusing.

"Come on Sarada. I am your best friend for a reason," she rants.

"Just don't mind me and let's get going or we will miss the first exam," I pull her and she starts to awkwardly scream. Some of the students are watching us running towards the school gates.

"I guess everyone is here now. Let's start the first half of your exam," our adviser says.

I take a deep sigh.

I should not lose to Boruto today. I say in my mind and secretly watch his back.

Our adviser gives us the test papers one by one.

"When I say 'go' you can start answering your test, okay?" she instructs.

We respond by nodding our heads. I am holding my pencil so tight and I am actually praying in my head that this exam will go smoothly just like the junior year. I have reviewed my lessons but I cannot be confident with them. Boruto is my rival here.

"Go!"

"I think I lose all my brain cells," Cho-Cho complains. We are in the canteen eating our lunch. We just finished the first half of the test and we still have another half to go this afternoon.

"Do you think so?" I ask her while smiling awkwardly at her.

"It's not that easy, you know," she keeps grieving about it.

"It's fine Cho-Cho you did review our lessons, right?" I ask her.

"Well, a bit," she answers.

"Oh," I snort.

"Hey, Sarada. What should we do after the exam?" she asks.

"What do you mean?" I ask her back.

"We need to chill out after this exam, right?" she smirks.