Cashew Nuts
Tsunade drove off cackling like a madwoman, stranding Ari, Gaara, Lily, Itachi, Sakura, and Sasuke at Sakura's Basketball game. Joy. Sakura flipped out her phone to check the time and a small frown tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"I'm sorry guys, but I have to go warm-up with my team, I'll come get you all when the game is about to start!" Sakura called once they got inside, jogging to the other court, clad in a number 07 red jersey and green short-shorts. Sasuke trotted after her like a lost puppy, stopping and leaning against the wall to watch Sakura, practically emitting angst. But his eyes never left Sakura's form, and an angry scowl crossing his features whenever Sakura got in a particularly violent training exercise. One could laugh at his over protectiveness, if you didn't know he would send a withering glare one's way upon doing that.
"Where's my camera!" Ari exclaimed, watching the way Sasuke was watching Sakura, he was almost smiling! As if spidey sensing Ari's intentions he whipped his head to glare at her, which Ari missed but Gaara didn't. Swiftly Gaara caught her wrist to halt her flailing limbs. "What is it Gaara-kun?" she asked, turning to face him suddenly while cradling a can of cashew nuts in her other arm.
"Ari, you don't have a camera," he said bluntly.
"Ah…." she sighed and Gaara let go of her wrist. She and Lily giggled about nothing in particular and Gaara and Itachi remained behind them, cold and stoic as usual. Then, as Ari viewed the empty court next to the one Sakura was using her eyes grew wide and she almost, almost dropped her cashew's. This was big.
"OHMYGOSH!" was all she shouted before running off to the distant corner of the court. And running right behind her was Lily, probably just after the cashew nuts, and Gaara and Itachi swiftly followed.
"What?!" Lily yelled back as she nearly collided with Ari when the girl screeched to a stop. Ari merely raised a recently clipped rainbow fingernail at the two blue cheerleading mats rolled up in front of them. They were rolled and placed so if one could get on top of one they would be rather high off the ground and, if the hole was big enough you could either sit in it, stand in it, or drop down to the bottom and climb back up. Though Ari seemed the only one who knew what they were and how fun they could be, she noted when looking around.
"So?" Lily asked, placing a hand on her hip. Ari sighed and placed the canister of cashew nuts on top of the fatter mat before jumping from a metal bench placed right next to the mats. She smacked into the side of the mat, grabbing firmly in the hole on top and scrambling up. Once comfortable on top with cashew nuts in hand she beamed down at her audience.
"See?" she said, popping a cashew in her mouth.
"Sweet!" Lily exclaimed before jumping onto the other mat and sitting atop it, though with more actual muscle and ease and less flailing.
"Now give me the cashew nuts!!" she demanded, thrusting out her hand.
"No!" Ari shot back, quickly dropping down into the hole in the center of her mat.
"Yes!" Lily demanded, beginning to climb from the top of her mat to Ari's.
"NOOOOO!!" Ari screamed, tossing a handful of cashews at Lily.
Meanwhile, Gaara and Itachi had found spots where they could watch the unfolding of the event s with out being injured.
Ari and Lily were having trouble fighting over the cashews when they were laughing so hard. Lily eventually gave up, retreating to her own mat. And, both girls simultaneously found out something.
"There are basketballs inside these mats!" the two shouted, and Ari soon hoisted herself back up on top her mat, contentedly snacking on cashews. That's when Lily had the terrific idea to go diving for basketballs. So, she went arms and head first into the small center hole of the mat, grabbed a basket ball and tried to pull herself back up and out. Didn't quite work that way. So, Lily ended up stuck up to her waist in the mat, unable to pull herself out. Therefore she did the most reasonable thing, screamed and flailed her legs, nearly knocking the cashews out of Ari's hands. Ari sighed, set down the cashews and waited. But not for long.
Lily stopped flailing and a meek voice came muffled from the center of the mat.
"Ari…Help," came Lily's plea.
"I'm coming," she sighed. She reached over, grabbed Lily's ankles and pulled her until the mat tilted toward Ari so she could pull her out. Unfortunately, this freaked Lily out even more and she screamed and kicked Ari in the chest. This caused Ari to let go of Lily's leg and Lily began to fall sideways, mat and all, and Ari slipped off the edge of her mat. Here's where our little bystanders come in. And within a blink Itachi had righted the mat and pulled Lily out and Gaara's sand had scooped Ari out of the air and into the chair next to him. Ari and Lily slowly regained composure and Itachi had sat Lily in the seat next to him too. Ari and Lily burst out laughing until Ari became very serious.
"Lily, what happened to the cashews?" Ari asked, half-knowing the answer. Both girl's gaze fell on smaller mat where Lily had been stuck in. Ari shot up and launched herself up and on the mat. Sure enough the cashews sat there, not one spilt. Ari sighed and pulled it out, ate one, and then handed it to Lily.
"Where's the lid?" Lily asked between bites of cashews.
Ari looked into the pit and spotted the bright yellow lid between to basketballs.
"It's in the mat, I'll get it," she said and dove down, grabbed the lid, then realized what she had done. She tried to pull herself out, didn't work. Push herself out, didn't work. Next option? Scream and kick her legs? Worth a try.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! GAARA-KUN, HELP ME!" she shrieked, kicking wildly, her shorts hiking up every few kicks. And for a second Gaara wondered whether he should wait a second, see where those shorts ended up. But hell hath no fury what not…he sighed. His sand wound it's way around her waist, pulling her and the cashew nut's lid out. Ari and Lily regained their breath and were about to run back to the mats when firm arms wrapped around their waists.
"Gaara-kun?"
"Itachi?"
"No," both males stated firmly, stopping the two in their tracks. Luckily, before they could argue Sakura appeared around the corner.
"My game's starting soon! Ari, Lily, you two can be score keepers if you want!" Sakura called, waving.
"Of course!" came the reply and the thoughts of mats were lost and Lily and Ari ran to their friend, cashews in hand. The group disappeared around the corner and Itachi and Gaara stood still for a second.
"We picked some winners, neh?" Itachi said finally, sighing slightly.
"Feh," was the red-haired boys reply before both headed to watch the game, though they would mainly be watching the scorekeepers.
The (rather anticlimactic) End