Sasuke wasn't happy. Itachi had been thrilled, of course, him being the eldest, it meant he could move to the larger room. The girl would be taking Itachi's old room, right across the hall from Sasuke's.

He hadn't even clapped eyes on this mysterious girl, all he'd heard was her mother was a friend of the family and the Uchiha's owed her a favour.

Her suitcases arrived three weeks before she herself was due, they were currently littering in her quarters.

Uchiha Fugaku, the man of the house, flat out refused at first.

Sasuke didn't know what his mother had done to convince him, but whatever it was, Fugaku had ironed his own clothes for a week.

Uchiha Mikoto was a ditzy, elegant woman at first glance, but she had a fierce temper and if she wanted something, she got it, no questions asked.

So when Haruno Sakura's mother called one night, desperately pleading with her, Mikoto said yes.

"Mikoto... is that you?" Hundreds of miles away, Haruno Fumika whispered.

"Fumika-chan! Is that you!? We've got so much to talk about!" Mikoto was delighted. She'd known Fumika since College, before the other woman had settled down with a doctor. She heard that she'd had a daughter, and was dying to catch up.

"Oh, Mikoto-chan... it's terrible... you know Masahiko? We divorced two years ago, and Sakura has lived with him ever since... but..two days ago... he caught a fever and... Mikoto-chan! He died!"

Mikoto clapped her hand to her mouth in shock.

"So... Sakura lives with you now?" Mikoto asked, winding the the telephone cord around her finger in distress.

"Well... not exactly... Mikoto-chan... I have a favour to ask.."

xxxxxxxxx

Sasuke had heard from his mother that this 'girl' was moderately famous. Singing or acting, Sasuke didn't care. Fugaku was slightly apprehensive about having someone like Sakura in the house. He called it 'bad press'.

All Sasuke knew was, another girl to fawn over him. Great. How Annoying.

She was to go to his school with him as her escort. Mikoto had tried to make light of it, saying that Sakura wasn't likely to be impressed by his looks, considering that she was in the presence of handsome people all the time. Sasuke felt slightly insulted.

"Darlings! Sakura's here! Come and help with her bags!" Mikoto called from downstairs.

Sasuke felt his irritation rise slightly at this. More bags?

He made his way down the long winding stairs, making sure to take his time. Itachi didn't leave his room, uninterested.

"Wow! This house is so big!" A girl's voice rang out clearly, carrying all the way out to where Sasuke stood.

His mother noticed his presence. "Sasuke! This is Haruno Sakura!" She prodded the girl forwards, eagerly awaiting his reaction. The girl was pretty, he noted, but not in the way the girls usually were. Her features were unique, green eyes and - to Sasuke's disgust - pink hair.

She was smiling nervously, and he realised they were waiting for him to comment on something. He crossed the room with sharp strides, picking up her bags easily.

He turned his head and nodded at her. She frowned, obviously displeased about something.

He muttered under his breath and began up the stairs, heading for her room.

Sakura stood still, awkwardly rubbing her forearm. Mikoto sighed at her son's behaviour.

"He wants you to follow him, Sakura dear." She nudged the girl towards the stairs.

"Oh... OK! Thank you so much for letting me stay here! It's so nice of you! I'm really grateful!"

Fugaku held his newspaper above his face, hiding his laughter at the strange girl. She went up the stairs, thanking them fervently.

xxxxxxxxx

Sakura pulled the covers over her head. She hated the dark, felt so alone in it.

She wiped her forehead with her hand, feeling too hot. She kicked the covers off and hugged the pillow.

A single tear fell.