What happens to the people when a marriage is over? Ino can answer that, it leaves you broken. It leaves you stranded in a pit of despair and you wonder what could've went so wrong that caused them to seek affection from another woman. The idea drives Ino insane, especially when she has dream about said cheating.
She's haunted by Naruto and his little rendezvous with women, especially the one she caught in bed with him. Ino sighs in sadness as she looks in the mirror. She checks herself out. Was it because she was getting fatter? She was the same size. She had dieted to keep herself small for Naruto. Naruto loved her body? Did he? Was it her smile? No, no man could resist her smile. She is one of the most beautiful women according to the men at the parties, she attended on Naruto's arm. The same place he's probably showing that whore off now.
Ino turns away from the mirror and tries not to think about her looks. She can stand in the mirrors for hours and try to fix herself. They have been seperated for about a year, but she is waiting on the divorce to be finalize. She wishes it would all go away that way she can escape. She can start her life again.
"Ino!" Ino hears Shikamaru calls her name from the other side of the door. She jumps a little. "Hey! You know you have work at eight right?"
Ino has forgotten all about her job at the floral shop. Shit! Ino runs over to the closet and grabs her outfit she wears to work. "I'm coming." Ino and Shikamaru catch the subway together, due to Shikamaru's law firm being close to the floral shop.
She wishes that she had finished her degree in business. She could've had something to fall back on, but she left school to be someone's wife. What a stupid decision...
She slides on her pants and her shirt, then she adds her green apron. After work she has class. She's going back to finish her degree in business. Luckily she's only about four classes short. She can't wait to finally finish this semester up. Then she can finally quit this shitty flower shop.
She likes the flower shop, because she likes flowers, but the people they're are annoying. She's a thirty-one year old woman in a flower shop, and her old friends come there. How sad is it when you were going to stores and shopping with old friends, and now you're helping them find baby's breaths for their bouquet. They act like they don't know her, and she's sure they're talking shit about her. That's what they used to do about other girls after all.
Ino heads into the kitchen, where Shikamaru is downing a bowl of oatmeal. He points to the counter, which tells Ino he made her a bowl as well. She smiles, but declines with a simple shake of the head.
"Eat the oatmeal." Shikamaru instructs. "You're not fat."
She rolls her eyes. He knew why she wouldn't want to eat the oatmeal. Shikamaru can easily read her. "I'm not hungry." Ino says. "This has nothing to do with my eating habits, Shika." She says as she crosses her arms in a childish manor.
"Well you should eat, Ino, you always insist on going on these diets…" Shikamaru shrugged. "And you're thin enough already?"
"Whatever." Ino says. "I just don't want any oatmeal Shika. I will probably eat something for lunch, and hey I don't want to spoil my lunch."
"Whatever you say." Shikamaru says. "I don't know what to do with the other bowl so." Shikamaru's about to throw the bowl of oatmeal in the trash until Ino's stomach lets out a loud roar. Shit, that's what she gets for not eating dinner yesterday. "So...you're still not hungry."
"Shut up." Ino snatches the bowl from Shikamaru. The gig is up. Now she has to eat the oatmeal. She grabs her spoon and forces the oatmeal down. It's not that bad, as it's been covered with evaporated milk and Splenda. Shikamaru knows to use the zero calorie sweetener, although Ino would rather avoid sugar if she can.
"Hurry." Shikamaru says. "It's about seven and the subway will be here at seven fifteen."
"Right." Ino discards her leftover oatmeal and they race out the door.
On the way to the subway, Ino admires the busy streets and the boring people all around her. They all seem too busy to watch where they're going. Too busy changing songs and on the phone. They bump into her without even saying "sorry." People here are so mean, and Ino wishes they hay the kindness of the bitches in the suburbs. At least they are not mean to your face, but behind your back they're gossiping whores. Those were the good days…
Ino remembers Saumi, who was the the Queen B. She is the biggest bitch of them all, and she knows that she's talking about her now. Ino and her used to talk about stupid girls who get dumped by their rich men and end up penniless, little did Ino know she would be apart of that group soon.
With Naruto refusing to give her a dime, they're fighting in court. Ino is so thankful that Shikamaru, her friend since they were young, had agreed to take her case and let her live with him. She's so glad she and him are still friends. He's one of the only people who still cares about her. There's Sakura too, but she's married. So Ino knows she can't stay with Sakura. She knows the pain of someone living in your house and how it puts a strain on a marriage. The same thing happen when Ino's mother stayed with her and Naruto for a while, after Ino's dad died.
Naruto was understanding, but still it was hard to be romantic. She was there for six months.
They arrive at the subway, which is filled with people eager to get on. Once the train comes everyone runs inside and gets on the train. Ino and Shikamaru sit next to each other, Shikamaru taps on his phone probably texting someone at the office.
"Are you working hard?" Ino asks.
"I told you...you don't have to take an interest in me, just because you're staying with me." Shikamaru states as he tucks his phone away in his pocket.
"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" Ino asks. During the months Ino's been at Shikamaru house, she hasn't seen one girlfriend or person Shikamaru is dating. She wonders what he does with his free time. He has the occasional get togethers with his friends at the firm, but what about his sex life.
"I don't need a girl friend." Shikamaru replies uninterested in this conversation.
"Everyone needs someone." Ino quotes a line she heard before. "Maybe you should let me set you up on a blind date. Remember I set you up with a nice girl before." Ino remembers when she set Shikamaru up with Kurotsuchi, who Shikamaru didn't have much interest in. They only went out once, and Shikamaru didn't say much about it. That was about ten years ago.
"No." Shikamaru says.
"Hey don't downplay it, besides...don't you want to get married?" Ino asks. "I mean that could be nice for you."
"Why would I want to get married?" Shikamaru asks. "So I can get divorced? I mean divorce is horrible look at…" Ino frowns, and Shikamaru remembers. He doesn't want to say something that will hurt her feelings. "Sorry." He mutters.
"No...You're right to feel the way you do. I'm a cautionary tale." Ino says. "But still I'm a hopeless romantic and I might even get married again?"
"There yuy go…" Shikamaru frowns. "As troublesome as ever." Shikamaru takes his phone out after he feels the buzz tickle his leg. He frowns at his phone, and he doesn't notice Ino looking over his shoulder.
"Why is there only work stuff on your phone. C'mon Shika. All you do is sleep and work. We're going to get you someone soon, and then and only then will you be happy." Ino says. "That's why I swing from relationship to relationship."
"Ino." Shikamaru frowns. "You haven't dated in a year. And don't you want...I don't know...to have an identity outside of your relationships." Shikamaru replies back to Neji, who was texting him about the case they were working. "Remember in college how you joined that feminist group and you came to me saying, 'I will not be defined by the men in my life. I will be my own person.'"
"So...That doesn't mean I can't have someone to hold me at night." Ino says. "I like relationships. Everyone can't function alone."
"Whatever you say you say." Shikamaru mumbles focusing on his phone.
Ino wishes she had something to focus on. She had school and the flower shop, but none of that made her feel useful. She just had to graduate school and then she can get out of Shikamaru's apartment and off to pick up the broken pieces of her life. She has been staying with Shikamaru for six months, after she was kicked out of her house because Naruto quit paying the bills.
The subway train stops and Ino and Shikamaru stand to get off. They rush off as all the people scatter probably hoping to make it to their workplace. Ino knows one can get trampled because people are more concerned with work than another's well being.
They make it out alive, then it's off to work.
After making it back to the main street, Shikamaru says a goodbye to Ino. He's going west and she's heading east.
"And make sure to text me when you're at the house." Shikamaru says. "I'm working late tonight, so don't wait up on me."
"Of course." Ino knows that she might be alone. On a bad day Shikamaru doesn't get home till almost two, due to the heavy workload and after work drinks, on occasion.
Ino might be submerged in homework anyways. Her teachers are not kidding around since she's basically about to graduate. She's taking business writing, calculus, International business administration, and a Marketing Management class. With that and work her schedule is just about full.
She makes it to the flower shop and her boss, Kurenai, is not there. She probably doesn't come in today. At the counter is Karin, a girl who's pretty annoying, and the assistant manager. She reminds Ino of her college roommate and friend, Sakura. The way she's always obsessing over men. She can sense them too.
She likes Ino because Ino can tell what a man does just by looking at him. Ino knows the losers from the winners. This is useful because Karin likes to know who and who not to flirt with.
"Ino." Karin says. "What took you so long to get here. I've been here all by myself." Karin adjusts her glasses as she always does when she's bored.
"What do you mean?" Ino asks. "I don't start till eight."
"Oh you don't?" Karin looks down at her watch. "Oh it's only seven fifty." Karin is always a stickler for time. She likes for people to be punctual. Although she's the assistant manager, majority of the time she's like a friend. Only She's not lenient about people who are tardy. She gets on Suigetsu, another person who works there, daily.
"Is it just me and you this morning?" Ino asks as she puts her stuff away.
The place they work is not only a floral shop, but it sells chocolate, cards, vases, and other little nick nacks.
"Nah…" Karin says. "There's Tamaki, but she doesn't come in till ten."
"Oh her." Ino says as she hangs her coat up.
"Only old ladies been here trying to decorate their houses and pick up orders." Karin says. "Kurenai says that she needs you to work on that reef this afternoon. You know during the second part of your shift."
"Alright." Ino says. Ino loves the flower decorating aspect of her job. She loves making items for people and decorating. Her project she's been working on is a reef made with flowers, which is pretty tedious. She hopes it stays perfectly fine until it gets to it's rightful owner.
"So I had this date with this guy." Karin starts. "And you know he'd tried to come back to my house and get some."
"What?" Ino listens. The shop is empty so it's just her and Karin at the cash register casually speaking. Ino is actually interested in this. Karin has the best date stories.
"Yep." Karin sighs. "I told him no way in hell, buster. He wasn't my type. Then he goes 'you're so hot Karin. You're the prettiest girl I ever seen Karin." He must haven't seen many girls Ino thought in her mind, which made her giggle a little. "So then the pest follows me to the bathroom, mind you I have to piss. So he rushes me in the stall, and I'm all like 'Where the hell did you come from?' Then he pins me up against the wall and tries to grind on me, mind you I still have a full bladder. And he proceeds to ravage my neck like a psycho, and you know what happen next?"
"What could've possibly happened?" Ino can't think of one thing.
"My bladder...it failed on me. So I ended up peeing a little. I didn't have panties on so…" Karin frowns. "He got peed on."
"Ewwww!" Ino is discussed.
"But...that's not even the worst part." Ino wonders what could be worse than peeing on someone. "He actually likes it. He said he had a pissing fetish, and he asks me to do it again…"
"And!" Ino wants to know what she did.
"Oh I told him I don't do weird shit like that, and I pissed on you on accident." Karin says. "So I walk out of the bathroom and out of his life for good. Then of course I went to bathroom at the hotel next door."
"Well I'm glad everything worked out for you." If Ino wasn't awake before, she definitely is now.
"Yep. You gotta watch out for these guys. They get freakier and freakier by the day."
Ino's phones buzzes and it's Sakura. She has about two minutes before her shift starts so she takes the call. "Hold on Karin." She says. "Hello."
"Hi. Ino! I forgot when I talked to you yesterday to tell you something." Sakura burst through the phone.
"Okay so you haven't been dating and I wanted to set you up with a guy I know." Sakura says.
"I'm fine."
"Come on, Ino." Sakura tries to persuade her friend. "It's a double date so me and Obito will be there...c'mon."
"You will be there?"
"Yep."
"Fine." Ino says. "This one time…"
"Alright. You get of school at about seven so I will pick you up from Shikamaru's at about nine thirty." Sakura says. "Okay with you."
"Yep." Ino sighs. "See you then." After work, which ends at 4 she goes to school from 4:30 to 7:15. The school is close to her job so she's able to walk there in under fifteen minutes.
"Talk to you later." Sakura hums as she gets off the phone.
Ino get off the phone and now it's time for boring old work. She hates working here.
(BREAK)
Ino should probably stay and study for her test tomorrow but she promised Sakura she will go on this double date. How was she to know her professor decided that he would move the test up tomorrow because he had something to do this upcoming Thursday? Still she made the date, and she's going to go. She hopes the guy is really nice.
She decides to take her long hair out of the pony tail she had it in and let hang loose. It stopped a little below her butt. She didn't know why she had let it grow so long, but she enjoyed having long hair. Although it did get in the way sometimes, especially in the bathroom.
She decides on a dark purple dress with a pair of black heels. She looked at the time and it was 9:15. She had about fifteen minutes to get her makeup on. She placed it on her face in a slow motion. She didn't want it to look as if she had any on. She was so good at hiding it, many though her skin was flawless (Not that it looked bad without makeup). Little did they know...
She adds some eye liner around her eyes, making sure that her blue eyes pop out. She hears her phone buzz, so she reaches over and it's Sakura.
"I'll be out in a second." Ino hung up the phone and put all her energy into finishing her eyes shadow and making sure her makeup didn't give away her secret. She tucks the stuff back into the box and pushes it under the bed. She sighed and headed out for the night. I hope it all goes well.
She goes outside to see a nice black car parked in front. It hunks so she knows it's Sakura and Obito. She gets in the back seat, and they say their greetings.
"So tell me about this guy?" Ino asks. "Is he nice looking, what does he do for a living, and is he an asshole."
"Well he's pretty nice, and he's nice looking. He has been known to be kind of a dick on occasion. Although he's pretty good looking. I wouldn't bring you on a date with someone who wasn't up to par with your standards, Ino." Sakura says.
"I can work around him being a dick. Naruto was kind of a dick." Ino says. I miss him so much.
"And Obito still is." Sakura chuckles and her husband gives her a not so assumed look. "Anyways, what have you been up to."
"School…" Ino sighs. "I hate it there so much. All the kids are young and here I am in class with them. Thank god I'm not the oldest though, and I still look like a teenager because I moisturize. Boys there still think I live on campus."
"Oh they flatter you too much Ino." Sakura says.
"No true...you're just upset because no one will mistake you for a college student." Ino smirks.
"Shut up Ino pig." Sakura says.
"Whatever billboard brow." Ino shoots back.
"Aren't you two just a little too old to be calling each other names?" Obito asks.
"Shut up." Sakura says. "You and your friends do it all the time."
"No we don't." Obito says as he turns the car.
The rest of the ride is spent with Sakura and Obito debating about name calling, which Ino finds enjoyable to a certain degree.
At the restaurant, Ino, Sakura, and Obito take a seat. The restaurant is a fancy one, and everyone is dressed up. There are lots of people at the place, probably due to the show that's on tonight. Everyone in the city loves the theater.
"He said he's outside." Sakura smiles.
Ino wonders how this guy looks. She has been divorced for a year, and she hasn't been on a date at all. She can't bring herself to be with anyone else. She misses Naruto. He is the person who's supposed to take her out and show her a good time. He shouldn't have left her from some whore he was banging.
"Ahh…" Sakura stand up and so does Obito.
"Kiba." They shake his hand.
So he's my date? Not bad. Not bad at all.
(BREAK)
Tell me what you thought?
Okay this is the first chapter and I didn't expect for it to go on for so long, but at last it did. ;) Hoped you enjoyed. I love Ino (fav Character. That I haven't really had the chance to write about) and I decided I would write another Ino centric fic. Seventeen didn't work out too well and I'm trying to fix that one, so here's this one.
;) The Secret Sal