He stared at her. She stared at him. They hadn't seen each other in years, and now they were silent.
He finally decided to break the silence. "So Ino…are you two together yet?"
Ino raised an eyebrow. "Who might you be talking about, Chouji?"
"You know who I'm talking about. Our lazy teammate. Nara Shikamaru."
Ino looked at her feet. They were at Ino's house, and Chouji had decided to pay her a visit. "I…don't know where he is. I haven't seen him since…the reunion."
Chouji looked at Ino, alarmed. "You mean to say…he never told you?"
Ino shook her head. "No. Where is he?"
"He's in Suna on a mission. He's been gone for 2 weeks already."
All Ino could manage to say was, "Oh."
"Missing your old boyfriend?" Chouji teased. Ino nudged him playfully as she blushed in embarrassment. "I didn't even know he was gone! And I so do not like him!"
Chouji grinned. "Right. You love him!" Ino blushed even more madly. "Right. Um…tea?" She asked, deciding to change the subject.
Luckily for her, Chouji held his cup up. Ino poured some tea in it.
"When's the next reunion?" Ino asked.
"Next Saturday," he answered simply as he gulped down the tea. Ino checked her calendar. "Tell Tsunade I can make it. Will Shika-kun be back by then?"
Chouji finished his tea and looked at Ino doubtfully. "I really don't know, Ino. But everyone says he won't make it."
"Oh, that's…too bad." She said disappointedly. "Did he go with anyone?"
"Yeah. Temari." He replied and poured himself another cup of tea.
"Temari?" Ino asked as if she didn't understand the meaning of the word. Chouji nodded and finished his cup.
"Well," he said, getting up. "I better be going now. I have to help with the reunion. See you Saturday."
Ino nodded as she followed Chouji to the door. "See you." And with a wave and a smile, Chouji was gone.
Ino closed the door softly. Her back leaned against it, and she slid down until she was in a sitting position. Chouji's words kept repeating in his mind. He's going with Temari. He's going with Temari.
"Temari," Ino repeated, as if in a trance. For some reason, she wasn't at all happy to hear that name.
I know, I know, that really sucked. I just had to torture myself and write this. I'm not even sure if I should continue it.