What a hot summer day. Summer break has only begun and it was already muggily. This was absolutely not the right day for a bus to be late. I was sitting at the bus stop for around 15 minutes now, turning my head left every 3 minutes in hope I'll spot the light of the bus that came from the city. No luck till now. Sweat started dropping down my forehead and I sighed heavily. How troublesome – I thought to myself and turned back to look at my old Vista Cruiser. I wished I could go and turn on the air conditioning in the old lady but money was tight and I couldn't allow myself to waste gas on such pointless things. Not since my father died last year. It still was a painful memory and my mother would keep on wearing black and crying in the backyard in hope I wouldn't notice it. My father was a police officer, he got shot by a robber that tried to do the gas station over. The criminal later on said he didn't intend on killing my dad, he only was scared and had a nervous hand. One nervous hand put him for a long time in prison and destroyed my and my mother's life. We were now getting on a bit better but I had to work part time and my mother did the laundry and ironing for the neighborhood people so we didn't have to sell the house and land we had. I took most of fathers duties over and although I was grateful, because they prevented me from over thinking, but it was a lot and I am lazy. Or rather energy saving, so I don't like to waste my time and life on things that could be done better. My only way is to think of ways of improving, for example the wood chopping for winter. If only I had the money to buy me or build a machine that would to this for me… Sadly this still was my big point on the to do list for autumn. But now as the summer came in and school was over I finally got some more time I could use on relaxing. And just as obvious it was to going to be hot when July turned up it was for her to show up. She spend every summer here since she was 14. She's 2,5 years older than I am and I am 19 now. We've been friends for quite some time now – thinking this I had to smile, because I can only remember too well how we met for the first time. She and her brothers were quite a pack of weird kinds, that was my first thought when I saw them in the driveway of the neighbor house in summer 7 years ago. She is the oldest of 3 orphaned siblings that got taken up but a still young man from social services named Baki. Baki's parents left him the house next door to ours as part of their heritage. As he had a job in the city he only used it as a place to enjoy the summer and my parents looked after it for the rest of the year. Baki seemed to have found a special interest and feeling for those 3 weird kids and decided to keep them and raise them. I once overheard how my parents were talking that they had quite a rough back-story and they would do the same as Baki. At least that's what my mother said. My dad was nodding silently – he wasn't much of a talker and I am not sure he wanted more than just one child. Anyway, I didn't care back then about their past. They boys were shy and didn't find much interest in playing with us but the 14 years old Temari put all the effort in keeping up with me and my best friend Choji. By end of August she was part of the gang. She played football, climbed tries and cursed like an old man. Although in general she treated us as a pair of half-brained kiddos she seemed to like us and we returned her feelings. I looked up and saw the old church lady walking towards the bench I was sitting on. 'Good morning.' I smiled lazily at her and sensed the troublesome conversation that was just about to start. This woman wouldn't miss the opportunity to chat.
'Oh good morning Shikamaru!' She sat down heavily next to me. 'What a weather, huh? It's so hot I actually regret leaving the house.' She smiled.
'Absolutely.' I nodded kindly.
'Quite an early hour for you, isn't it?' She looked at me while whipping away the sweat with a linen tissue.
'Yeah…' I looked at my watch and realized the bus was now 20 minutes late. It was half past nine. 'I mean I got used to it.' I leaned back. 'School's barely over so it's not this bad.'
'Oh right. You're done with school now, aren't you?'
I nodded and sighed.
'You don't look excited for collage.' She laughed. 'Although I don't know if I have ever seen you excited about anything.'
'That's just how I am.' I smiled awkwardly and shrug my shoulders.
'I know, boy…' She patted my shoulder with her old, wrinkly, stiff hand. 'You're going for some groceries for your mom from the market?'
'No ma'am. I'm waiting for Temari.'
'Oh right! The sweet little blonde.' She smiled wider showing a row of fake teeth. Temari wasn't a stranger over here for years now. Although Baki and her brothers stopped coming at a certain age she came every single summer and people recognized her easily. I mean how could you not remember a girl in piggy tails. Four piggy tails. 'Is she your girlfriend?'
'Temari?' I looked quite surprised.
'Yes, darling.' She laughed at me. 'She seem to come here every summer, doesn't she? I thought it's because of you.'
'Oh I don't know why she is coming but she's not my girlfriend. We're best friends.' I smiled and looked away.
'Don't you think she's got an eye on you? You grew up quite handsome Shikamaru and you're not dumb either.'
'I don't think so ma'am.' I again looked at my car and thought about escaping this conversation.
'Don't you like her? Or have you already an eye on someone?' She eyed me curiously.
'I …' I noticed the bus and breathed out in relieve.
'Oh look, the bus is here.' She stood up and again swiped her face with the linen tissue. ' Have a nice summer Shikamaru and take good care of Temari.' She smiled and walked to the bus doors that just opened.
'Thanks…' I murmured and stood up too. Two people got out and she appeared in the doors. Still pale, blonde, with her hair put up as usual, dressed in a tank top and shorts. Hard to believe I haven't seen her for another year. I smiled lazily and put my hands in my pockets. She didn't change much. She smiled widely and got off the bus, walked up to me and looked up to my face.
'Could you eventually stop growing, lazy?' She put her big bag next to her.
'I am trying my best. I don't think I've grown since last year, it's rather you who is getting smaller, troublesome.' I smiled a bit wider seeing her getting angry. Pissing her off was my favorite hobby.
'Screw you.' She smiled and hugged me unexpectedly. 'It's good to see you.'
She had never done this before and I had to look at the grinning church lady that was watching us from the leaving bus window. I blushed and answered puzzled.
'Good to see you too Temari. Can we go now? I'm all sweaty.'
'I can feel that.' She let go of him and looked disgusted. 'Gross, you're sticky.'
'Come on city girl, we've got to get you home.' I rolled my eyes and took her bag to my Vista Cruiser.
'Hello old lady.' She smiled pulling the doors of the old vehicle. 'It really is a miracle she is still not breaking down. Why don't you drive your father's car?'
I looked at her offended.
'Sorry…' She looked down while I closed the trunk.
'It uses more gas and you know cash is bad at the moment…'
'Yeah, sorry…' She got into the car. 'Oh my…it's a sauna in here!'
'Open the window and stop complaining. You're 10 minutes here and I'm already tired of you.' I rolled my eyes and smiled at her while starting the car. It really was unbearable inside.
'Shut up idiot.' She looked outside. 'How's your mom?'
'She's fine. Better at least…' I turned on the radio which went off with the trendiest summer hits. 'How's university?'
'Ah…' She sunk in her seat. 'I've got to retake an exam in September….'
'Oh no, again…' I looked at her. I didn't know if she was blushing or her pink cheeks were caused by the heat.
'Come on…It's this stupid statistics!'
'Statistics? That's so basic. Temari how can you fail this?'
'I just do.' She started going though her small bag. 'You're going to collage this year too, don't you? Where are you going?'
'What?' I wasn't prepared to tell her this then.
'College?' She looked at he raising a brow. 'That weird place they pretend to teach you stuff so you can write a title in your CV and get a nice job?'
'Yeah, yeah…Well…I'm not going.'
'WHAT?' She shouted making me get off the road slightly out of shock. 'What do you mean by you're not going?!'
'I am not. Just like this.'
'Are you nuts?!' She leaned towards me and started distracting me with her cleavage. In the end I'm just a man. 'You're totally the brightest guy I know and YOU are NOT going to collage!?'
'It's to troublesome.'
'It's not idiot! You totally told me you wanted to go!'
'Listen, I've got my reasons.' I hissed wanting to discourage her.
'What reasons could this be?!'
'Stop shouting at me woman.' I looked at her and our eyes met. She really was furious. Her turquoise eyes were dark as the sea before the storm.
'I will keep on shouting at you because you are a fucking idiot.'
'I can't go, ok?' I looked back at the road.
'Why?'
'I can't.'
' you moron!' She punched me in the arm. 'Name me reasons. I've known you this long, I fucking deserve honesty as a reward for keeping up with you.'
'Like you didn't like that.' I had to smile. 'I'm not the one coming over every year.' Another hit in the arm. 'Please don't hit the driver ma'am.'
'Screw you, dick.' She turned away. 'Why are you not going?' She repeated more calmly.
'We don't have the money, ok?' I glanced at her but couldn't see her face.
'You could take up a loan.'
'And pay it off with what money?'
'Money you would earn while at collage. You totally would earn more than you do here.'
'Doing what? I can't be a stripper, my legs are way too hairy, Temari.'
She snorted.
'You could work at a bar or cafe…the money's good.'
'The living's expensive. I can't see that working out.'
'I'd totally lend you some money.'
'Could you stop using the word totally please? And YOU could lend me money? What money?'
'Yeah. I've got money.'
'Where from?'
'I just have it, ok?'
'If you robbed a bank I am going to turn you in…'
'My parents left us money, ok?'
I looked surprised. I thought I knew everything about those people and yet they still are able to surprise me.
'I don't want your money, besides - my mom.'
'Your mom what?' She turned back towards me.
'I can't leave her alone here.'
'One day you'll have to anyway…Or don't you plan on doing that?'
'One day…Not now. It's been only a year. I'll go to college, maybe next year, ok?'
'That sounds better.' She sighed and looked at the road. 'You're really giving me a heart attack Nara.'
'You totally sound like my mother…'
'Now you're using it.' She smiled.
'What?'
'Totally.' She laughed and I blushed. 'So Nara, what are we up to this summer?'
'I don't know. Nothing- as usual?' I yawned.
'Come on. Let's take a trip.'
'Temari…'
'Ok, ok, we'll talk later about it.' She rolled her eyes. 'So you're having a girlfriend now?' She glanced at me smirking.
'What?!' Now I rose my voice. 'What makes you ask such stupid questions?'
'Stupid questions?! 'She laughed. 'I just thought something happened this year.'
'Again, what makes you think so?! No, I don't have a girlfriend.'
'Maybe looking for comfort cry-baby.' A cheeky smile covered her lips.
'You're so mean Temari.' He really was more than down after my father's death but I had more people to comfort me than I needed. Choji, my friends from school, even she came over for a couple of days to keep me company.
'I know that's why you like me.' She straightened up as they were reaching the driveway.
'And you?'
'Me what? I'm not having a girlfriend.'
'And a boyfriend?' I smiled although I wasn't quite sure why I asked. Not like it interested me in any way.
'If I had a boyfriend I probably wouldn't be here alone.' She winked at me.
'You would bring him with you?'
'Yeah. Why not? I mean he probably wouldn't want to let me alone here anyway. I'm a treasure, you know?' She got out of the car.
'Oh yeah…Special snowflake.' I opened the trunk to get her bag and somehow didn't like the idea of her coming over with a lapdog. It would be weird if their gang would be joined by some muscular football player. Now knowing why this was what I imagined Temari's boyfriend like. Not to bright but big with wide shoulders. Nothing like myself.
'Temari!' My mother called out of the opened kitchen door. 'Darling, look at you!'
'Mrs. Nara!' Temari smiled widely. The two women have grown together a lot and sometimes I thought my mother treated her like the second child she has never had. The blonde ran up to my mother and hugged her tightly. While dashing next to me I actually had the first chance to spot how short her shorts were. I couldn't remember seeing any of my classmates wearing this short trousers and I know why. Those were an awful distraction. Temari had great legs, me and Choji already appreciated them when they were 16 but now they made me stare.
'You're coming Shika?' My mother smiled at me sweetly. An honest smile I was grateful Temari for.