Introduction
Turning over in his king-sized bed, Shikamaru Nara let out a large groan and grabbed the silk sheets tightly. He continually heard his mother calling his name calmly, and as far as he was concerned, it was the most annoying sound he could ever hear.
"Get up." his father commanded.
"No." he answered curtly, almost as if an instant and uncontrollable reaction.
"Get up." Shikaku repeated himself through clenched teeth. Shikamaru didn't answer that time.
His mother, Yoshino, clocked him over the head with her fist and shouted, "Wake the hell up." quite imparatively. He sighed and pulled the deep green covers off of his eyes. His face had an unenthusiastic frown, baggy eyes, and slanted eyebrows from the morning light.
"It's Sunday, and one-o'-clock PM. What do you want from me?" he growled.
"Your mother and I have had it with you and your grades." Shikamaru's enraged father stated.
"You are capable of so much more, Shikamaru Nemuri Nara. Your IQ is--"
"Yeah, yeah. My IQ is over two-hundred, and you're disappointed because I'm not using my brains. It's only the umpteenth time I've gotten this goddamn speech." Shikamaru huffed, upset that she had used his full name.
"Show some more respect, boy. You're not staying here for long." Shikaku mumbled.
Shikamaru blinked. "I'm what?"
"Well, you're going to Paris for a special educational program in which you'll learn to be a model student."
He sat up in bed slowly, and he quite literally slapped himself across the face, just to make sure he was conscious, or perhaps even sane. After he was sure, he pleaded "Could you repeat that?"
"You heard her."
"When did you decide this?"
"Last night," his mother Yoshino answered.
"When am I going?"
"We've got a flight scheduled for tomorrow morning," his father said.
He fell back and covered his face with a pillow. His mother walked over to him and pulled the pillow off tenderly, then stroked his hair.
"Don't be upset, honey. It won't be so bad. We're just worried about you and your future. Afterwards, you'll be so much better."
"I'm only seventeen. I'm going alone?"
"You can fend for yourself. Be a man." Shikaku said with a grin.
"...But don't the French hate Americans anyway? What if I get stoned?"
"Trust me, our relationship isn't that major. Now stop worrying." Yoshino said. The expresion on her face shifted to a soft smile. "Besides, you might meet a cute French boy there," she finished teasingly. Shikamaru blushed furiously and re-covered his face with the soft velvet pillow. He absolutely hated when anyone, especially his parents, adressed the fact that he was gay.
"As if my life wasn't sucky enough..." He tried to go back to sleep.