Author's note: This started as a gift for my friend who doesn't know Naruto, I just thought I'd put that out in the open first

I tend to mess up tenses, so if you notice a mistake (any mistake, typos too) please let me know.

I tried to keep the characters in character, if you notice OOC-ness let me know and I'll try to fix it.

I don't really know what rating to give this, I've given it 'T' now but if you think that's wrong... Well you get it, I'm asking for advice and reviews XD

If you love/hate it let me know too...

also, no one significant shows up until the end of the second chapter, sorry. And just so were clear, I'm not gonna pair me or my friend up with anyone. None of you want to read what I'd like to do to Neji, ahem, anyhow...

disclaimer: I don't own anything. Naruto at Masashi Kishimoto.

Time setting: sometime after Sasuke makes a run for the village of sound. I have a bit of trouble with the time since I both read the manga and watch the anime. I keep forgetting what was filler and all that.

Awkward Konoha

Chapter 1: Down the bowl of ramen

"Come on Caro!" A brown haired menace makes her way through the crowd while the addressed redhead merely smiles. They hadn't seen each other for a year because Caro had spent an entire year abroad and somehow she had let her best friend convince her that eating ramen together was the best way to 'atone for her sins'. In the year that they were apart the overactive girl in front of her had discovered anime, decided to study Japanese and become overly obsessed with a character named Neji. All in all her best friend was being her normal insane self, just with a new fascination. "Alvar wait up!" The redhead calls out as she starts her pursuit, finally breaking free from her reverie.

They enter the store and Alvar pivots in place. "Say hello to the store that has sustained me during my first year in college." Taking the lead in for her familiar terrain she leads the two of them through the store while chatting endlessly about all of her adventures in said store. It takes a while for the redhead to notice they have stopped. She looks questioningly at her friend, not knowing why they stopped at the hair products. "Mom was really mad when I coloured my hair." The brunette says. "It was the best welcoming gift ever." Is the immediate reply. Caro's pretty sure she alone has a friend that colours her hair to celebrate her return. "well, enough thinking of good old times and time to make new ones!" Caro lets herself be guided out the store with those words.

(^_^)

The microwave is the only sound in the room. Alvar has stopped talking and is now trying to make a house with her manga's as if they are cards while her friend is studying the room. The walls are filled with posters, pictures and poems. "Which one is Neji?" If Caro had to take a guess she would say the longhaired boy with his weird eyes since wherever you looked, you saw him. She has her suspicions confirmed and they launch into a conversation about boys. Just when they decide that the perfect guy is not to be found in this dimension the microwave alerts them that dinner is served.

"Stop laughing, you've been using these a lot longer than me but you're still not much better than me!" Caro yells out when she fails the bring the food to her mouth for the third time. Her friend is too busy laughing to notice the insult. She hasn't been able to eat because she's laughing too much. The bit of food that has made its way to her mouth is now busy blocking her airways. The predictable series of useless movements follow as she struggles to get air. When the pale girl finally notices that the brunette's complexion is looking an awful lot like her own she starts patting the struggling teen's back. Once both have regained composure they stare at the floor. It's an absolute mess since both cups of ramen have been emptied on the floor. "But I'm still hungry." The brunette acts as though her friend is years older instead of months hoping that the other would clean up the mess they'd made. "I'll warm some more while you clean up the mess you made!" The eldest replies, evading the trap thanks to years of dealing with the occasionally very lazy girl. Not that she's much better, the two of them are known for their ability to switch between overly active and ridiculously lazy in a matter of seconds. Though it's not completely random, Alvar becomes lazier as the day goes on while Caro just seems to be waking up. Sitting down just makes the two more active but once they are laying down they instantly become drowsy.

"Take two!" Alvar smiles. Caro smiles back and suddenly looks mischievously at her friend but before she can even say anything the brunette cuts her off, "No sexual innuendos about the food we're eating." She is rewarded with a pout while the other tries to pretend that is not what she was going to say at all. Of course she fails miserably, makes a stupid remark about the use of fingers and sends the two of them in a new fit of laughter. Alvar looks at her food as if she's considering whether or not to eat it after her friend's remark. Caro notices her hesitation and says: "As if you would ever let food go to waste." Alvar accepts the truth of those words and continues eating. Even Caro manages to eat, now that she's finally gotten the hang of eating with chopsticks.

(-_-)

The alarm shows three am but the two friends are still watching the screen in front of them attentively, sort off. They are singing along with Disney's little mermaid and making the occasional sexual remark. Everything could and would be interpreted sexually. They are nearing the end of their fourth movie when Alvar starts coughing violently. It's over just as suddenly as it had started and the brunette looks at her friend with an apologetic smile. Caro smiles back automatically, she remembers that Alvar had said she picked up a nasty cough that wouldn't go away but that had been in the winter, a good five months ago. She opts not to mention it, knowing her friend hated medication almost as much as the hospital. "Let's call it a night, okay?" The fact that her friend didn't complain meant it was a lot worse than she was letting on. The redhead looks at her friend again but decides to trust that Alvar would let someone know when things got too bad. Just because you're stubborn doesn't mean you're stupid. Neither of them believe that pride or fear are things worth dying for.

The light hadn't been out for more than ten minutes before the two of them are staring at the black mass in front of them convincing themselves that there is nothing odd. Pretending they don't hear a weird sloshing sound. "Ok that's it, I'm turning on the lights. No one has to know we were chickens." The youngest whispers as she reaches for a shoe to throw at the switch. The eldest sighs, she knows that neither of them would ever volunteer to turn on the light manually but her friend has the worst aim ever. "Don't worry, this isn't the first time I've had to do this." The brunette says, sensing her friends scepticism. With a face that expresses absolute concentration she throws the shoe hitting the lights on the first try. "How did you do that?" The redhead exclaims. "When you aim for the pole you will always miss," the brunette replies, "but when you don't aim for it, you will hit it." Caro smiles knowing her friend just admitted that it had been a lucky shot. The little troublemaker has an unfair amount of luck. Alvar grabs her glasses and they quickly scan the room. The two are just about to go back to bed again when they hear a noise outside.

"This is the part in the horror movies were everybody is thinking: Don't open the door, are you stupid? You will die if you open it!" The redhead looks at her friend. "'T is the wind and nothing more." The brunette replies. "Oh that's a good idea, lets quote Edgar Allen Poe in this situation. Because we definitely can't come up with enough near death scenarios ourselves." Caro scowls at her friend who is now apologizing and complaining about the sarcasm. Their argument is cut short when they hear another sound. "I smell food" Alvar says, immediately awake. "I always knew food would be the death of you but this is just stupid." The redhead mutters as she follows her friend reluctantly. Alvar opens the door and stops. "Ramen?" She asks. Caro not expecting her friend to stop bumps into her and the two slide forward over the slippery floor. They barely have the time to register that the floor is completely covered in ramen before fear takes over their minds. The two of them are headed straight towards the stairs with too much momentum to stop. They grab a hold of each other and scream as they fall into the darkness.

If I were a pot of petunias I'd definitely think 'not again', Caro thought.

I don't want to go down the rabbit hole, Alvar mentally screamed.

disclaimer 2: The Raven at Edgar Allen Poe.

pot of petunias thinking 'not again' at the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy at Douglas Adams.

down the rabbit hole at Alice's Adventures in Wonderland at Lewis Carroll