Temptation (NEW)

Chapter Nine

I actually made it to class before Sasuke did. Like, I'm actually a whole thirty minutes early. It's an incredible feat for me. The reasoning behind it was because I didn't want to stumble upon him and Sakura again. I've been in such a delightful mood and I didn't want it ruined by that sight. I wanted to live in ignorant bliss.

When he finally walked in, I felt my heart leap to my throat. I hadn't thought of what I could say to him. What's the proper greeting for someone you're sleeping with on the down-low? I really wish there was a guidebook for this.

"You're still coming over to finish our project, right?" Sasuke asked as he sat down beside me. It wasn't the kind of greeting I expected, but at least he broke the ice.

"Yeah, of course," I replied.

"Good," he nodded.

He settled into his chair and started unpacking his notebooks for class. I waited for a second to see if he'd say anything else, but he seemed disinterested in conversation. I'd be mad, but I guess I should have expected that. He's probably avoiding suspicion. I doubt anyone would assume we were fooling around, but I don't think he wants his two worlds mingling. That's where the real trouble lies.

Class started and it went as usual. The professor droned on and on about concepts that I could barely follow. It was boring. So boring that I was fading in and out of consciousness. The words the professor spoke were slurring together in my mind as I nodded off in my hand. I was about to fold into my desk when suddenly a gentle squeeze on my thigh jolted me awake.

"Pay attention," Sasuke sternly whispered.

His hand lingered for a second before pulling away from me. Needless to say, I was awake now. I could still feel his touch on me, even through the jeans I wore. He wasn't looking at me anymore. He was facing forward, tuning back into the lecture. That's all he could offer me. He was disguising himself as a concerned peer.

"The projects better be submitted by this weekend," the professor reminded the class once the lecture was over. "Don't forget because this is my last reminder."

He dismissed the class, and the rustling of papers being jammed into bags filled the air. I took my time putting away my things, secretly hoping Sasuke would say something more. I knew better than to get my hopes up. He wouldn't dare risk ruining his image. We were supposed to be enemies. Not friends. Not lovers.

I watched him from the corner of my eye. He walked down the aisle that led straight to the door. Not a word or even a look in my direction. I waited a moment before I made my own exit out of the classroom.

"Why do you look like a sad puppy?" Shikamaru asked as I walked over to his usual waiting spot. "Boyfriend didn't give you any attention?"

"What? No!" I defended, crossing my arms. My cheeks were probably giving me away. I could feel them getting hotter and hotter. "Stop being so obvious about him."

He stood up and walked along beside me. We trudged through the hallways, passing the bland artwork from past students on the walls. We kept going until we made it to the exit that led us straight to the courtyard. Tons of students hung out here until their next class. You'd find various organizations fundraising or begging for new recruits. On some days, they'd even have food stands set up.

Today, there was a table set up at the center, right next to the giant sculpture of our mascot. Students were gathered around it, holding flyers for whatever it was. Shikamaru and I continued walking, going straight towards the crowd. As we got closer, I began recognizing faces---both good and bad.

"Shikamaru!" a sweet, sing-songy voice called out. "C'mere Shikamaru!"

Ino. She was calling him over towards the table. The pretty blonde was behind it, waving a flyer in her hand. I'll be honest, Ino has her moments of being a royal bitch. She is horribly spoiled and critical of most people. I'm pretty sure people are only friends with her because she's hot and rich. However, I have immunity with her. Her family is close with Shikamaru's family, so they have no choice but to be friends. So through him, she has to be nice to me, too.