I
Sakura woke up to sound of the little footsteps running above her apartment. Didn't their parents teach them not to run in their home? She moved her pillow above her head and grumpily mumbled something. Why can't little kids just stay in bed and enjoy sleeping? They are going to miss it when they grow up and become full-fledge workaholics.
She had just closed her eyes when she heard the kids above begin to scream at each other. Sakura sat up in bed quickly, throwing her pillow onto her lap. She slapped her hands on her pillow and growled. She was going to have a talk with her neighbors. There was no way she was going to catch up on her sleep if they kept waking her up.
Getting up from bed, she decided to stay up the rest of the day. She figures she might as well do something useful on her day-off. She looks around her apartment and realizes she should probably tidy it up. Get some clothes washed. Change her bed sheets, even though she barely sleeps in her bed anymore. Go shop for some groceries and put some food back in the pantry. She is going to need it when the editing cycle began to get intense.
Changed her mind and planned on taking a shower first before she would do anything else. She enters the bathroom and groans at the mess that lay before her. Scratch that! Her bathroom was worse than her living room. Her makeup and hair products were all over the bathroom counter and most of her colorful bras were hanging over the shower and her door. Sakura look behind the door and there were dirty clothes piled up in a corner it. Her trashcan beside her toilet was over-filling (probably the cause of the smell in the room). Her shampoos and conditioners were all over her bath tub along with her razors and shaving cream. The pinkette scrunched up her nose and left the room, going to get her trash can.
She nearly stomp her foot when she look into her trashcan in the kitchen. God, how did she get to this point in her life? Sakura is usually a clean and organized person, but lately work had been kicking her butt. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She told herself to calm down and take each chore one at a time. Maybe she should call her mother or one of her friends and ask them if they wouldn't mind helping her tidy up. After they tidy up, then they could go and shop or whatever. It would turn into a relaxing day after all and Haruno like the way that thought rolled in her head.
-x-
Her best friends Ino, Temari, Hinata, and Tenten came over to help her not only because they like the thought of shopping, but they could also catch up on some things. After college, the girls haven't been able to talk like they use to. Life had caught up to them too quickly and they just haven't been able to work around their hours. All of the girls sat back against Sakura's couch and sighed. Each of them look at each other with a smile and bust out in a laugh and continued by giggles. Ino said, putting her hand on her side,
"Oh my gosh, this apartment was so dirty. I wonder if it says something about you, Forehead. I should have taken a 'before' and 'after' picture of your apartment. There is like," Her eyes got wide, "a huge difference in this place now."
Sakura laughed, standing up slowly,
"My amiga, this is what happen when you take a job in the Editor Apartment in Romance mangas. Life gets like a…," Sakura thought of the adjective to put with intense, "hellish intense to it."
All of the girls began to laugh again. Temari ask, putting her arm on the back of the couch and tilting her head onto her hand,
"So…when do we go shopping?"
Hinata spoke up,
"I-I would like to take an s-shower b-before we go."
"So what time should we meet up at the mall?" Tenten asked.
"And where in the mall?" Ino added, looking at the pinkette.
"Hmm…in front of the pet store and atttt," Sakura look at her cell phone to see the time, "Six o'clock, that way I can pay for ya's dinner tonight."
All of them agreed with her. They all felt pretty appreciated that Haruno would pay for their dinner tonight. Sakura gave each of the girls half of a hug before they left and as they were going out of the door, she waved,
"Thank you for helping me, you guys!"
Her friends waved back with a smile and went down the stairs to the first level. Sakura waited for each of her friends to enter their cars before she closed her door. When Ino close her door and finish adjusting her music or whatever, she pull out and left. Sakura closed the door and look at her apartment and smiled,
"Beautiful. They are really going to deserve this dinner."
Placing her hands on her hips, she walks around her apartment and touch her table. There was no dust on her fingertips. She wasn't really expecting her friends to get that clean with her apartment, but she was happy with it. She looks in her bathroom and the sweet smell of cinnamon overwhelms her senses. Her hair products and makeup were more organized. The shower look like it was better to step in. Hopefully she wouldn't feel like her life was in danger of slipping and busting her head. Her clothes were in the wash, but nothing was in the dryer.
Sakura had cleaned the kitchen when the girls were here. She bleached the counters and her oven top. Then looking in the pantry, she decided what was too old or what she would never eat. In which it was two-thirds of her poor pantry. Buying groceries to keep for at least two months (maybe she'll buy a month of food instead) was going to take a hit on her wallet, especially after she shops and pay for dinner.
After inspecting her apartment, she went into her bathroom and got into the shower before she began to get unmotivated and lazy because she was so exhausted.
-x-
The pinkette stood with Ino and Hinata while they waited for Temari and Tenten. They adored the fluffy puppies and kittens that sat in front of the window. Sakura, Ino, and Hinata nearly squealed when one puppy lick the window and nearly fell over after doing so. The kittens were jumping on each other or playing with a few of the toys that were in their box. The girls wanted to go in and hold the cute babies, but if they moved then Temari and Tenten wouldn't know if they were already here or they haven't made it yet.
Sakura shifted on her feet and look at her phone once more. Ino sighed and Hinata played with her thumbs. Hearing high heels make music against the floor; the girls look up and saw a blond and a brunette in front of them. Temari said,
"Sorry we're late. My car wouldn't start and Tenten was nice enough to pick me up. I would have text you guys, but I just didn't feel like it."
Sakura smiled,
"It's all cool. What matters that we're all here together now."
"Y-yep." Hinata giggled.
Tenten asked,
"Where do we go-" Sakura, Ino, and Hinata tugged the two late girls into the pet store to look at the cute babies. Since the girls waited (what felt like forever) they will go in the pet store and hold the little creatures that have been torturing them to hold them and love on them. While Sakura was in the pet store, a little black kitten (about three and half months) with blue eyes caught her eyes. For a little bit they held eye contact and Sakura walk over to the cage the kitten was being kept in. A store keeper walked over to Sakura and asked,
"Would you like to hold the kitten?"
"Yes please." The words spilled out of her mouth before she even thought of them. The store keeper unlocks the cage, but didn't open the door. Sakura asked, "What's wrong?"
"Oh well, this is the feistiest little kitten alive. It bites or claws me every time I put my hand in there."
"Well, I wonder why. It's probably been kept in there for a long time." The pinkette rolled her eyes and opened the door. The kitten that has been eyeing her, walk to the edge of the cage and Sakura picked up the kitten. The kitten began to purr and rub up against Sakura's neck, "Awww, you're so cute…I want you so much now."
"Well, there is a discount on cats today, so if you would like it come to register and pay for it now, please." It almost sounded like the store keeper was pleading. Sakura watch her friends behind the store keeper roll their eyes. This guy doesn't need to be working at a pet store if he couldn't feel the love for the babies. They at least deserve that until they are bought.
"Well, you know what? I'll buy the kitten to get it off of your hands because it is the sweetest little kitten I've ever met. And you are the worst pet store keeper." Sakura held the kitten close to her.
The store keeper look like he either wanted to strangle her right then or throw his apron down and throw a tantrum. The thought of him doing either brought a smile to her cherry red lips. Sakura walked over to the register and Tenten asked,
"You're seriously buying a kitten?"
"Yep and this store needs to hire better workers. You know like, animal lovers? Not hardcore assholes."
The pinkette placed the kitten on the counter and watch it walk around and sniff a few of the objects that sat near it. Ino walked over to Sakura and picked up the kitten,
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"I don't know…" Sakura said. "What is it?"
"I can't tell." Ino shrugged and nearly dropped the kitten when it bit and clawed at her finger. "Ow! You little…!"
Sakura took the kitten from her blond friend and look at her finger. The kitten wiggled up into Sakura's neck because of Ino's reaction. She giggled,
"Quit being a baby, Ino, the kitten barely put a dent in you."
"But it hurts! It's teeth and claws are so sharp!" She held her finger close to her lips and kissed it repeatedly. Hinata asked,
"A-are you o-okay, Ino?"
"Yeah. I am. Thank you for asking, Hinata." She glared at Sakura; all the pinkette did was smiled and shrugged. Hinata smiled faintly and asked to hold the kitten while Sakura could pay for her new pet. Sakura hand the black kitten to her friend and walk right in front of the store keeper. He told her the total amount and Sakura paid. In the background, she heard Ino grunt about the kitten not hurting Hinata. She wanted to laugh, but she watches the jerk closely, making sure she didn't get screw over with buying her first pet.
After he hand back her card, he left the register and went to get a small carrier for the kitten. Only problem was, Sakura didn't want to carry her kitten around (pretty sure that other store keepers wouldn't want a kitten in their stores). So when he got back, Sakura asked,
"Is it okay if I keep my kitten here until I get back from shopping in other places?"
"Yeah. I guess. I'll keep the kitten in the back room until you get back. We close at eight-thirty, so don't be any later." The store keeper said icily. Sakura walked over to Hinata with the carrier and Hinata placed the kitten in the carrier. The dark-hair woman closed the door and the kitten began to meow loudly. Sakura felt a ping of guilt.
Temari asked,
"So I guess you're done shopping for today?"
"Nope. I'm gonna buy stuff for my kitten now."
"Ah."
"I-I want to g-go with you, Sakura." Hinata smiled at the pinkette. Ino said, linking her arms with Temari and Tenten,
"We'll go to the clothes section then."
"We'll probably meet you there. I don't want Hinata to miss out on getting clothes. I'll probably spend most of my money on the cat stuff and dinner." Sakura smiled.
"Alright. We are going to meet for dinner?"
"Hmm, how about the seafood place?"
"Sure." Everyone agreed on it and they went their own way. Hinata had unexpectedly tugged Sakura into another pet shop that was a few stores away from the one they bought the little black kitten. The girls look around in the shop and Sakura began to make a mental list. She didn't want to mess up bringing this kitten home and Hinata realized that when Sakura was putting stuff in the cart.