"Satome, do we really have to get this dressed up just to go out to eat?"I complained, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My black hair rested around my shoulders, which I would use to cover up my exposed skin. The black nylon dress Satome, my best friend since I can ever remember, made me wear had a baby blue tie around my waist and came to a bow at the small of my back. She even made me wear matching blue heels and ribbons in my hair. "Mii, I'm getting you dressed up because it'll be new for you. Besides, you need to get out and have some fun! And possibly find a boy…" she had a sly look that I could see through the mirror as she stood behind me. She wore a lavender silk dress that went halfway down to her mid thighs. Black strapped heels supported her feet and she borrowed one of my black chokers for the occasion. Her deep purple hair flowed down to the back of her knees.
We were staying in her house, as usual. But all I wanted to do was go back to my pond, the one place I could think and be myself in peace. This was another one of those times my parents left me to care for myself. Every so often I would come home from my day job delivering bento and ramen to people's homes, to find my home dark and deserted. I expected them back from weeks, to maybe a few months. Usually, they headed out to other towns for 'vacation', but it was really just escaping everyone but themselves and avoiding paying bills and cleaning and parenthood. Ever since I was a little girl, it was this way. I got used to it after a while of having to deal with it. It was just something in my life.
I used to have another friend to talk to, but he left me. It was more like betrayal, but I dealt with that too. He was the only boy I trusted; after he, Itachi, left my life, I vowed to never trust another male with my heart. But Satome refused to let me run away like that. I was eighteen, and she wasn't letting me have any excuse to cling onto her.
"I love you to death, Hun, but you know as well as I do that there is someone else, a boy, out there for you." She said while we sat around her living room. Then she decided upon tonight.
And now we were walking through town to a popular restaurant in Konoha. I blushed as it seemed every set of eyes were staring at us.
"Don't worry about them. They just think we're gorgeous." She grinned. I rolled my eyes with a small smile. We both walked confidently right into the crowd. Oh boy.
"Hey, look, there's a table there!" You laughed and took my arm so we could both hurry over to the benches. I swept my dress underneath me and took a seat, feeling awkward.
"You already have an admirer!" She commented. I looked around to blue eyes gazing at me. When he saw me looking his way, he quickly turned back to the red head sitting across from him. I watched the blond boy a moment longer until a body stood in my view. I focused on the person who moved in front of me. It was a man, semi dressed up, with a scruffy beard. He was the one Satome had been talking about. I gave him a confused look. He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"I was just wondering, ladies, if I could, um, learn you names and possibly buy you a drink." I looked to my friend hoping she would take charge. She gave a nice smile to the man.
"My name is Satome and this is Mii, and yes, we'd love a drink!" The man looked immensely relieved and grinned.
"I'm Umo. If you want, you can sit with me and my friends." She stood up and signaled for me to follow. I glanced over at the blond boy another time then followed behind to the bar table.
We told the bartender the drink we preferred and were introduced to the rest of the men, Umo's friends, and a few that just wanted to join in conversations for fun. I just sat there, not really listening. I wanted to escape more and more as time passed. Satome leaned over to look towards where I was staring. Unfortunately, it had been at that same boy, and I didn't even realize it until then. She elbowed my side and whispered in my ear.
"Go talk to him!" I heard her also mumble something incoherent about the red head he was sitting with. I blushed, not able to move an inch.
"Mii!" She nudged me more, laughing as I darted my look back and forth, debating and getting more nervous. "Just go!" I took a deep breath and stood up from the round, spinning chair just to trip over my heel and fall straight to the ground. I jumped up and dusted myself off with my heart clamoring in my chest. I looked to see a hand on the purple haired girl's forehead and anime tears streaking down her face. I took another breath and walked. I got to the table and both boys' eyes were boring right into me. I gulped.
"H-hello… I, uh… I…"
"She wants you to dance with her!" Satome threw her arms on my shoulders and smirked at the blond. I snapped my head sideways to quickly glare at her. She just smiled innocently. The blonde's eyes grew wide but he quickly scooted out of the bench and stood in front of me.
"S-sure." My best friend stepped away from me and I took the boy's hand he held out for me. He led me over to the dance floor. I felt like hurting her. Especially since, being my friend and all, she knew I couldn't dance. But it wasn't that bad. I got the hang of it.
"My name's, um, Mii." I shifted my eyes away from his intent blue ones. When I looked to my shoes, I noticed they were the same vibrant color.
"Well Um Mii, my name is Deidara, hm!" I couldn't help but smile brightly. He laughed as we moved around in sync. I saw Satome had taken the seat in Deidara's place, half talking to the red head and half laughing at the two of us.
"So what led you here tonight?" Deidara asked, bringing me back from daydreams as we kept dancing to the random music that was playing.
"Oh, Satome kind of dragged me here. She said I needed to get out more."
"Is Satome that purple haired girl sitting with Sasori, yeah?" We spun around.
"It depends. Is Sasori that red head you were sitting with?" Deidara laughed out while I blushed and laughed softly with him.
"Yes. That's her."
"She seems very friendly, hmm." I laughed harder this time.
"You don't know the half of it."
"Hey, how about we go give them a good surprise, hn!" I looked up to see him grin mischievously.
"Like what?"
"Oh, you'll see." His grin grew and he took my hand, heading to the back where a sign said 'Employees Only'. We walked straight passed it.
He stopped one of the waitresses and whispered in her ear. I just watched him curiously. "This will be fun!" He laughed while taking my hand again, and we returned to the dance floor like nothing happened.
"What did you say to her, Deidara?" He shushed me while smiling then pointed towards his table. Several waiters and waitresses gathered around, setting white candles around the table and a single slice of angel cake in the middle. One waiter put a rose in a vase between Satome and Sasori, and together, the employees sang a romantic song. Deidara sniggered, hiding his face in my shoulder. I held my breath, but then laughed at the two bewildered faces of our two friends.
"Escape time, hm!" Again, he led me out of a back exit of the restaurant and we took off running.
"Are you always doing stuff like this?" I panted as we made it to the park.
"Pretty much, yeah. There's not really anything better to do where I come from… Everyone thinks I'm so serious about work, but they don't know I'm the one dying their socks pink, hm." I giggled but remembered about serious seeming boys. Was he like Itachi? I didn't want to end up in the same situation…
Deidara sat on the ground the laid back on his arms, not without patting the ground beside him as an invitation. But I was wearing a dress. I had already removed the heels while running through the streets to catch up with the blond and run away from the scene in the restaurant. The dress really didn't present a problem since it came down passed my knees. I took a seat next to him. He peeked at me with one eye closed and a little smile.
"Where do you live?" I asked, but then I regretted it.
"Well, where do you live, un?" He asked. That brought on the thought was unsure to talk about. Did I even have a home now? He was the sad look.
"I think home is wherever you want it to be, yeah. With whomever you're close to. You know?" He turned his head and rested it on one elbow to gaze up at my flushed face.
"Yeah, I think I do know." He was right. It really only mattered where I loved to be, not where my name was.
"That's good, hmm." My heart accelerated as his eyes connected with mine.
I thought I promised not to be close… and trust.
"It's nice to talk to someone new for a change… Sasori was starting to bug me!" He chuckled then turned back to the stars. It really was nice. I don't care what happened in the past. I didn't want this to end.
"Deidara…"
"Yeah?"
"Do you- do you think maybe we can hang out even after tonight ends?" I bit my lip, knowing it would be a rejection, most probably. He shifted back to his side and leaned his head on his hand.
'I don't know, hmm… But I hope so." He looked sincere. I couldn't help it. I laughed, letting any tension there was slide away. It was silly that I was acting so shy and unsure. I laid back with him and we both watched the stars, not saying anything. It was a contented silence. That is, until you and Sasori walked right up to us, equally annoyed.
"Hello." I smiled, sitting up. Deidara followed. Satome saw us and her stern look softened a fraction.
"Why so serious?" Deidara asked of his friend.
"Get up. We're leaving." Sasori stated dully.
"Where are we going, hm?" Deidara glanced my way then back at his friend.
"Home." Sasori grumbled while walking off. This time Deidara turned with a sad and apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, Mii. Maybe we will meet back up one day, yeah." I felt my heart drop. No wonder I never got out. Something bad always happened.
"It's ok." He helped me up, while I kept my dress secure. Then, to what surprised me, he pulled me into a hug.
"Goodbye, friend." He mumbled before Sasori called impatiently, and he had to follow.
"B-bye, Deidara!" I called to his back. He gave a wave over his shoulder. I sighed longingly, watching them walk down the dirt path off through the border of town.
"Uh…huh." I looked at Satome and her smirk, hand on her hip. "Hate to say I told you so."I mock glared at her but could only smile.
"Let's just go, 'kay?"
"Kay." We walked, me barefoot, back to her house. When we got there, I headed to her bedroom and before taking off the dress I wore, I looked in the full body mirror and gave a spin. The dress flared out like a bell then settled down in ripples. I imagined dancing with Deidara again then smiled.
'Can we hang out after tonight?'
'I don't know, but I hope so.' Even if he couldn't, he still wanted to stay around. That meant something at least. 'Maybe we will meet back up again one day, yeah.' Maybe. 'Goodbye, friend.' A friend: that's all we would ever be if we ever met up again. I sighed, slipping off the dress and crawled into bed. I fell asleep after going over tonight in my head a few times. I had a feeling that eventually Deidara and I would meet back up again, and we would have more adventures far exceeding tonight.