Nerdy

Thirty-Seven

Naruto stood outside the class near the door, waiting for it to end. He checked his watch; for once, he was actually wearing one. Only a few minutes umtil the lecture ended.

The bell went off and Kurenai-sensei came out. She almost jumped out of her skin to find Naruto standing right outside. He grinned at her. She knew Naruto always skipped classes, like how he had been doing now, considering how he reached there from his class all the way on the other side so fast. She eyed him with a frown, sighed, and left.

Naruto entered the class and went right up to (Name).

"You have to help me !" he cried.

(Name) was surprised to see him in front of her so suddenly. She raised her eyebrows at him, gesturing him to continue.

"That old woman said whoever fails even one subject in these exams will have to take extra classes to make up for it !" said Naruto, refering to the Principal. He slammed his hands on her desk.

"Isn't that how it usually is ?" said (Name) as she carefully moved her stuff away before Naruto slammed his hands again on the desk.

"But those classes wil be during summer vacation !" he cried, pulling a chair and sitting across (Name).

"Don't bully my classmate !" said Kiba, hitting Naruto with an eraser.

Naruto glared and threw the eraser back at him. "I'm not bullying her, am I ?" he turned to look at (Name) for a response, but she was not in her place.

She was already making her way out of the class. Naruto got up and followed her.

"Don't just walk away in the middle of a conversation." he said.

(Name) said nothing as Naruto started to walk beside her, matching his pace.

"I don't want to spend my summer vacation in school." Naruto continued, waving his hands about as he spoke.

"Are you so sure that you're going to fail at least a subject in the exams already ?" said (Name) with a smirk.

"I just know. Believe it !" said Naruto.

"Why don't you start working on your weak subjects then ?" (Name) suggested.

She had stopped walking now and stood in the corridor to talk to Naruto. At the speed they were walking, (Name) was pretty sure he was going to drag her to his group of friends.

"That's why I'm asking you to help me !" said Naruto, joining his hands in front of (Name).

(Name) looked at him and frowned slightly. She didn't like to be around him much because he always attracted attention. But she realized that he needed someone to help him get his grades up.

"Why don't you ask Uchiha Sasuke ?" (Name) said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, that bastard will just boast about how his grades are so much better than mine instead of helping me."

(Name) could actually picture Sasuke doing that. She saw him sitting on an armchair with his legs crossed, with Ino and Sakura fanning him with those big fans. In front of him was Naruto, bowing deeply.

(Name) smirked to herself as she imagined such weird things. There was no way Naruto would bow down to Sasuke. Ino and Sakura might just serve Sasuke, though.

"Alright, I'll help you." said (Name).

Naruto's face brightened up. He held (Name)'s shoulders and shook her back and forth.

"Really ?! Thank you so much, (Name)." he said.

She wriggled out of his grip and adjusted her glasses. Naruto was very loud and hyperactive - the type she didn't really like. But she didn't want to turn him down and then see him go to extra classes in summer.

"If you do that again, I will not help you." said (Name). "You will meet me after school in the library with your books."

Naruto nodded, and (Name) wondered how he didn't pull a muscle in his neck by nodding that fast. He turned to go, and bumped into Neji.

"Watch where you're going, idiot." said Neji, giving Naruto a bitter look.

He looked over Naruto's shoulder amd was surprised to see (Name). "Unusual company you've got here." he said.

"Well, I won't be an idiot anymore because (Name) her has agreed to help me with my studies." said Naruto proudly, standing behind (Name) and putting his hands on her shoulder.

"Good for you." said Neji, and narrowed his eyes at (Name). He had never talked to her, but from what he had heard, he knew she wasn't somebody he could get along with. Also, she had beat him in the last exams by a large difference so he had some sort of harsh feeling against her for it.

(Name) raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is what I just heard true ?! (Name) is helping you study ?!" Kiba came running and jumped in front of Naruto.

"Dude, just how good is your hearing ?" asked Neji, glancing back at from where Kiba had come.

"Believe it ! She agreed to help me." said Naruto, still standing behind (Name) with a firm grip on her shoulders.

"I don't want to attend extra classes in summer either." said Kiba. His rank was just a few above Naruto's, which was still bad. "Let's make this a group study."

"I--" said (Name), but was cut off by Naruto.

"Although I'd like to see you suffer in summer vacations, I won't be that mean. Let's study together and play around together in the summer vacations." said Naruto.

"How old are you both, to 'play around' in the summer holidays ?" said Neji. "It's still a long way until the vacations begin."

"Stop crushing little children's hopes !" said Kiba, scowling at Neji.

"Well, do you want to join us, Neji ?" asked Naruto.

"No. Let's not invite him." said Kiba, before Neji could answer.

Neji stared at him with his jaw dropped. "It's not as if I was going to come." he said, and walked away after glaring at Kiba.

"So it's me, you, (Name) and Hinata, then." said Kiba, counting on his fingers.

"Hinata is joining too ?" asked Naruto.

"Well, I figured we would ask her. She's a little smart, too." said Kiba.

Naruto looked at him for a while, and then nodded.

"So it's settled then !" said Kiba,  grinning at (Name) who was still caught in Naruto's grip.

"But I--" she began, but was interrupted again.

"Why aren't you guys counting me in too ?" said Shino.

"Woah, Shino, you were here ?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I've been here all along." he said. Although he was used to having his presence ignored, Shino was hurt by Naruto's reaction and he showed it not so subtly. He didn't need any tutoring as he was passing his subjects fine, but he didn't want to be left out of anything his friends were doing. Kiba laughed and patted him on his shoulder.

"Alright, you can come too !" he said, and started walking with his arm around Shino's shoulder, taking him along with him.

Naruto jogged after them, and they began chatting.

"How about we invite Choji too ?" said Naruto. "He'll bring food."

"Yeah, but he won't share it." said Kiba.

"Well, let's invite him anyway. And let's call Shikamaru too."

"I don't think that lazy ass would come." said Kiba.

(Name) stood there with her mouth agape as their voices faded out. She was totally ignored by them. Naruto kept adding people to their 'group' without even asking her.

(Name) sighed. The library was open to all students so they could all come there. If they caused any trouble, she was just going to get up and leave. All she agreed to do was to help Naruto only, anyway.