From: PinkCherries
To: 10outof10
Subject: Rawr.
Ino says you were checking out... you know, him, in P.E. today. I got one thing to say:
GET SOME, GIRL!
3
From: 10outof10
To: BlondeIsBest
Subject: Your operation
Ino. You have five seconds to tell me why you hate me so much. Before I come over and make you sterile for life. Kurenai-sensei or no.
From: BlondeIsBest
To: 10outof10
Subject: Chill, girl!
I like how you don't deny anything. Besides, it's not like she and Hina wouldn't have noticed. Except they were too busy staring at their men du jour. Du jours? Oui, non?
From: 10outof10
To: BlondeIsBest
Subject: Your French.
It sucks. Like you.
From: 10outof10
To: DreamAndReach
Subject: Gossip
Please disregard anything Ino tells you. Or has told you. I swear, she had ice cream for breakfast and you know how she gets when she has sugar. Especially in the morning.
From: DreamAndReach
To: 10outof10
Subject: Please don't lie.
I'm sure my cousin wouldn't mind. Actually, he has been talking about you a bit around the house. Well, I know I'm really not one to speak, but... maybe you should ask him on a date? He's been wanting to go see that new movie. That action one, I can't remember what it's called. You like action movies, too, right? It would be worth a try.
From: kYuhi
To: 10outof10; DreamAndReach; BlondeIsBest; PinkCherries
Subject: Pay attention in class, ladies.
My computer has a setting where I can see what windows are up on every computer in the computer lab. E-mailing was not part of your assignment.
Get back to your reports, please. And Tenten, stop banging your head on the desk. You know how stable the school's equipment is.
CRASH!
Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch!
Yeah, that was the desk and the computer that just fell on my foot. I swear I just broke it.
Crap. If I can't play volleyball because I broke my foot because I broke this desk because it's a piece of junk and our school can't afford anything better, I will sue this school. Or die trying. Seriously.
"Well, Tenten, at least it seems you didn't break the computer, if you look on the bright side," my friend Lee says, shooting me a super-bright grin. This guy should be in a toothpaste ad. And then maybe he'd have enough money to spend on all the gym equipment and weights plus new clothing. New clothing that isn't green.
"Oh shut it, Lee," I snap out. I don't mean to be rude. After all, Lee's one of my best friends. Still, my foot hurts like crazy. And I'm kindasortamaybe scared. What if I broke it? Seriously. Volleyball is my life. Volleyball and my kenjutsu courses, and I can hardly do either with a cast on my foot.
I see patent leather pumps and look up into the exasperated and concerned face of Ms. Yuhi. "Are you able to walk down to the nurse's office?" she asks, not unkindly.
Might as well try. Which I do, rather valiantly, may I add. Except for I can't put any weight on my right foot. I almost crash and burn, but strong hands grab me and keep me from embracing the carpet. "Thanks, Lee," I manage to say through gritted teeth.
Ms. Yuhi sighs and runs a hand through her dark, wavy hair. "Neji," she orders. Neji, resident genius and, yes, the object of my affections, snaps his head up from whatever he'd been researching.
"Yes?" he asks, his voice polite but maybe a little bit cold. You see, Neji's not know for being outgoing. And he used to be a complete jerk. Until he got in a fight with the number one idiot in our school, Naruto Uzumaki.
...but that's a story for a different time.
She looks down at me and I swear I can see something mischievous flash through her reddish-colored eyes. Uh-oh. "I trust you already have a good start on your project. You'll escort Tenten to the nurse's office."
Oh, dear God. Oh dear God. Oh dear God. Oh dear God.
"Here, put your arm around my shoulders," he instructs. I can sense the full weight of Ino's stare on my back. Sakura's probably staring, too, and although Hinata would never quite stare, I'm sure she's glancing up from her report every few moments to look at us. And I can practically feel Lee's impressive eyebrows wriggling in mischief and amusement.
Some friends I have. Still, I put my arm around Neji's rather wide shoulders, hoping to any deities that may be listening that my palms aren't too sweaty and I'm not blushing too much. Normally I can handle myself around Neji. I mean, I'm no Hinata. Still, being this close to him is asking a bit much.
I turn to Neji, whose face is blank as usual. "All right," I chirp, doing a pretty good job at acting as if I'm not affected by anything. "Let's go, then."
We do pretty well until we get to the door, which provides a bit of a challenge. I can hear my classmates laughing behind me as Neji and I try to position ourselves. Traitors, the lot of them. I don't love any of them anymore.
Finally we push through, and we're making our way slowly down the hall. "So were you actually started on it?" I ask, curious. I like to know things. Ino may be the gossip, but I'm the one who files away information about others. I research people.
"Excuse me?" he asks. A quick glance at his face tells me he's confused, not offended or anything, and I'm relieved.
Somehow I manage to wave my free hand. "The project. Ms. Yuhi said you probably had a good start on it, right? So did you?" I clarify.
"Oh," is his reply. "Actually, no. Ms. Yuhi told us we'd have three days in class. If I started today I'd be bored for the other two," he explained cooly.
I half-scoffed, a bit amazed at his cockiness. "Well, excuse me for not knowing that you work at the speed of light, Master Genius!" I retort.
The corners of his lips tilt up in the first smile I've ever seen on Neji Hyuuga, and it takes all my self control not to swoon (which would have proven a bit difficult with him holding me up). This guy is normally gorgeous. But he's even hotter when he smiles. "That did sound arrogant, didn't it? I just meant I work fast, so I usually procrastinate," he told me.
"I procrastinate, too," I declare, quite proudly. "Not 'cause I work really fast, but just because school work's really boring."
He gives a quiet chuckle. "You'd rather be playing volleyball, I'm assuming?" he asks me. I almost trip over my hurt foot in my surprise.
"You know I play volleyball?" I question him, my eyes wide. It's kinda a stupid question, I guess. "I mean, you don't really seem like you're into sports or anything. So it's kinda strange to hear that from you."
We turn a corner and I feel a bit sad that we're starting to get the hang of this thing and we're able to pick up the pace. For some reason, I want to go slower. To take forever to get there. It's so comfortable here, with Neji supporting me, and us talking like we've been friends forever. "Yes, I know you play volleyball," he tells me, snapping me out of my thoughts. "It's not quite a secret, even to one who's not into sports. You're well-known for your skill in volleyball." I give a blush that would put Hinata to shame. "Either way, Miss Hinata goes to your games often, so I also know from her."
I look over at him. He's so well-built it's hard to believe he's not in any sports. "But you don't do any sports here, right?" I wonder aloud.
"No," he clarifies. "I take martial arts classes."
Oh, that makes sense now. "Really? I take martial arts, too! I'm in– oh! We're here!" I say in surprise as I see the nurse's door right in front of the pair of us. This door is easier, seeing as we'd already faced one door.
"Miss Shizune?" Neji calls out as we enter. The woman in question comes into view and immediately seats me on one of the many chairs. Shizune is a nice woman, and she's really good with medicine and fixing people. She actually used to be a doctor, which kinda screws you over if you fake sick. In half a second she can tell if someone's seriously ill or not. It's crazy.
Her hands are gentle on my foot, but it still hurts. "What happened?" she asks. I explain how the desk broke and the computer hit my foot, opting to leave out the part where I broke the desk. With my own forehead.
Forehead wrinkling, her lips turn downwards. "This school equipment is causing far more accidents and injuries than it should. It's almost ridiculous in a school that has this much money," she mutters. Shizune's normally really happy and nice, if a bit or a worrier. However, she gets annoyed by cheap school stuff causing injuries. Trust me when I say I'm not the first one to go to her courtesy of shoddy desks, chairs, etc.
A few more excruciating minutes go on with her poking at and manipulating my foot. Neji hangs around, probably not wanting to get back to class. When I look at him from the corner of my eyes, he seems to be worried. The concern's gone when I look at him face-on.
Neji Hyuuga is an enigma, that's for sure.
"The good news is it's not broken!" she exclaims suddenly, and I can't help but sigh and slump as relief washes over me. "There's heavy bruising, and you've sprained one of your big toes, actually. It must have bent the wrong way when the computer hit it. Make sure you elevate it and ice it. No volleyball practice for a week, do you understand?" she asks, suddenly stern, and I nod. "You should stay and ice it for a while right now, and I'll grab some bandage to compress your tow. Mr. Hyuuga, she should be fine to walk to her class when I release her, so you should head back to class now," she says as she signs a pass for him. "Thanks for bringing her here." Shizune smiles and he nods, accepts the pass, and leaves.
Wrapping my toe and the tip of my foot takes Shizune only a few moments. In the next minute, she's back in with a bag of ice, and she elevates my foot on a second chair and then places the ice on it. "I'll be back in my office. When I think you should go back out to class, I'll get you," she tells me, giving me one last smile as she goes through an open door. In the next moment, I can hear her computer keys clicking.
I remember the last e-mail I got before The Incident. The one that Hinata sent me. An idea pops into my head, and even though it's not exactly what Hinata prescribed, I figure it might work pretty well. When I'm sure Shizune's not going to come back out and check up on me, I pull my cell phone from the pocket of my jeans.
New message
To: Hina
Hey, what's your cuz's cell number?
Send
It's a bit of a 50-50 tossup whether Hinata will answer or not. She's not exactly a prude, but she's really careful, and she doesn't usually text in class. After a few minutes, I was about to put my phone in my pocket. However, I pause when I see a notice flash across my screen:
one new message
From: Hina
It's 523-1111. I don't know what you're planning, Tenten, but good luck. =)
New message
To: 523-1111
Hey, Neji, it's Tenten. The girl whose life you just saved. Haha, or not. Well, after talking to you, I bet you've never been to a school sports function. Our next volleyball game is in exactly two weeks. You should come; who knows? You might like it.
Send
I close my phone and sit there, the butterflies in my stomach going absolutely crazy.
What if he thinks I'm a stalker? Or a freak? Or– Oh my God. He replied. I don't even know if I can look at it.
Curiosity gets the best of me, as usual. They say it killed the cat. Good thing I'm not a cat, or I'd seriously be dead twenty times over.
one new message
From: 523-1111
I don't have anything planned. So I suppose I'll see you there.
New message
To: 523-1111
Awesome! :D Game starts at 6:00 sharp. See ya!
Send
It takes all my willpower to keep from squealing.