Title: Dramantics
Summary: Dramantics. Noun. Fusion word joining Drama and Antics together. Commonly used for describing TenTen's personality. Also used as an adjective for the Hyuga and her.
Chapter One: Looks aren't everything.
Chapter Summary: Drama plus Antics equals to TenTen.
Disclaimer: I do not, and most likely will never, own Naruto and its related whatever.
Author's Note: To myself and anyone who stuck with me since the first chapter of Troublesome High.
A/N: Happy Mother's Day!
A/N (II): I've just realized that it's Mother's Day in Hong Kong; nawt wherever you, potential reviwer, are. Ah well. Happy Early/Late Mother's Day!
"I hate this job…" TenTen mumbled into her fleece jacket as she and her best friend for ten years, Sakura, waited for the lift together.
Sakura smiled sympathetically, saying in the silent language, that they were both fluent in, to go on with her soon to be mind-numbing rant.
TenTen continued, "Everyday, as soon I get to work, he always give me the same stupid job that anyone can do…I mean, I'm his personal freakin' assistant and he treats me like a freakin' maid" She pushed the elevator button forcefully with every word after 'freakin', adding a little 'dramantics' to her rant.
Moving back a little, to let the custodians to do their daily mopping/wiping, TenTen stuffed her cold hands deep into her patched up-pockets and kicked the steel bin with her scuffed boots. Her kicking revealed that the boots were filthy while exposing her striped black and red leggings.
"Examples, please?" Sakura asked, checking her perfect hair in the elevator's glass reflection. Not one pink strand was out of place and TenTen felt like a reject teenager next to immaculate, beautiful, stylish Sakura. Ever since they were children, this feeling of utter plainness loomed around her. She always felt as though she was fiftieth-best to Sakura and today was no different.
Taking a deep breath, willing herself to remember that looks weren't everything, no matter how much she was forced to witness this everyday, TenTen continued:
"TenTen! Bring the latest copy!", 'TenTen! Espresso!' or 'TenTen! Cross-examine this article and send it to Haruno-Uzumaki immediately! She wants it now!'" As she spoke, she had put on a high-pitched, nasally voice, even though Neji Hyuuga had a serene, quiet and, somehow, sexy accent that made nearly every woman, and some men, worship his every move.
"Ah…" Sakura blushed self-consciously. She was Haruno-Uzumaki. Adjusting the hem of skirt-suit uncomfortable, Sakura opened her mouth for an explanation.
TenTen saw her fumble for an excuse so she hurriedly added, "No, no! S'not your fault! It's that stupid Neji Hyuuga!" Because it was.
He was the only guy who had the nerve to order her around like that. No one treated her like that! Even her previous bosses were terrified of her! And her father, little brother, older brother and that guy on the street today…
"He's just so annoying, so freakin…so freakin'…so…ugh!" Without a suitable adjective to badmouth about him, TenTen kicked the bin again, causing a boot-shaped dent.
Sakura's blush subsided and she let herself snigger into her palm, looking nostalgically like the mischievous schoolgirl she used to be.
"What?!" TenTen turned on her again. "What's so funny?!" TenTen's expression was almost comical.
Scrunched up eyebrows, confused look in her eyes and mouth in a deep frown. It was almost the exact same expression TenTen used when she was doing her science experiments and dealing with affectionate males back in high school. She just couldn't understand it.
Sakura laughed harder. "N-n-nothing…!"
Sakura's unexplainable peals of laughter stopped abruptly and she relaxed her grip on her sides when she saw the Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha, company's greatest architectural designer yet, come into view and stand behind them, obviously waiting for the lift as he pressed the button with the utmost pressure repeatedly.
TenTen saw the sharpness of Sakura's stopped laughter and looked around to see what caused the problem. Once target was recognized, TenTen mumbled to Sakura, "You're engaged to Naruto. Stop forgetting."
"I'm not!" Sakura said indignantly, unconsciously fingering her engagement ring, a one-of-a-kind 24K white gold with tiny diamonds encrusted into it. "Forgetting, I mean!"
TenTen nudged her nonchalantly and Sakura nudged her back un-nonchalantly and pretty soon, there was another one of their petty fights going on, right smack in the middle, or beginning, of work on a Friday.
Even though they were, especially TenTen, as she was Neji's assistant. She was 'expected' to be mature and responsible. Which of course made her even more reckless and rude.
The Uchiha arched an eyebrow at the play-fighting young women but continued to keep pressing the lift button forcefully, but, this time, though, he chose to do it a few feet away from the females, his arm stretched to the limit.
As soon as the lift came down with a ding, TenTen and Sakura bounded into it, still petty-fighting. Sasuke followed but chose to walk in more normally, one step at a time.
Sasuke ignored them expertly, pressed the floor button that Sakura and TenTen were going to and continued reading his latest job assignment from Mr. Hyuga.
TenTen read the size 9-fonted, Courier New-styled notes from over his shoulder, only to be shooed away by Sasuke with a flick of the shoulder.
Looking quite like a panda caught by the paparazzi, TenTen appeared bewildered but recovered quickly. She stuck her tongue out at his back, momentarily forgetting that he was quite close to being higher-ranked than her and therefore, worthy of respect.
For some reason, he knew what she had done and he turned around. Sakura blessed the silence with a muted squeak. TenTen, being a natural-born fighter, glowered at him, her hands on her hips. "What?" she said brusquely.
But before he could retort, the lift had arrived at their designated floor with another ding. The door opened but the odd threesome couldn't leave.
Partly because Neji Hyuga had walked, or floated, in, wearing a designer black suit and gripping a neatly-stuffed leather briefcase. But mostly because the Hyuga was surrounded by women who just had to ask him about his latest report or they would just die. He nodded to a few, spoke to even fewer. Once his eye caught TenTen's, though, he immediately turned to her to complain lengthily about her latest 'disaster'.
Sakura, Sasuke and the rest of the women left the vicinity quickly; everyone knew how Neji 'had it in' for TenTen and no one wanted to be a part of it.
Sakura, in the background, waved a goodbye, hoisted her oversized bag onto her shoulder and briskly walked into her office, sniggering a little at TenTen's obvious bad luck.
When she arrived, her own personal assistant, Hinata Aburame, greeted her with a steaming mug of latte, the latest issues of Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, US Weekly and People and today's printed e-mail of assignments.
Sakura smiled gratefully, as she did everyday, and began to do the one thing she loved the same as Naruto, family, friends and fashion: her job.
Back in the lift, TenTen automatically realized that today was not going to be a good day. Even though it was a Friday.
Because, one: Neji had complained to her about something completely irrelevant. Like her handwriting. Two: Neji looked especially devastatingly handsome today. And three: she looked like crud with crap thrown over. Her Chinese-style top and ripped-up jeans were tasteful, for her anyway, but not at all suitable for work.
Well, at least…that was what Sakura said in the morning…maybe she was right…maybe she was right about that skirt crack she made…hmm…Sakura did say that the office suit would be more suitable...was the outfit wrong for today...hmm...
"TenTen, are you listening to me or not?!" Neji very-nearly shouted, something he rarely did with anyone else.
'Hell, no!' TenTen wanted to reply but bit her lip in an effort to shut up. (Getting fired was not an option for her. Yet.) Instead, she took a step away from Neji and muttered an untruthful, "Sorry…"
Massaging his wrinkle-free forehead with one hand, seeming like he didn't want to argue anymore, Neji leaned on the elevator's wall and muttered, "Press four, please…"
TenTen pressed nineteen.
"TenTen!"
An hour later, a genuinely-smiling Sakura was closing the latest deal with a loopy signature and getting up to shake her new partner's hand. "Thank you, Mr. Nara, for this wonderful opportunity. I hope our companies will be a good fuse together."
"Shikamaru, if you will. 'Mr. Nara' is my dad, my grandpa and my cousins. Oh and please, I believe that this opportunity is benefiting all of us." Shikamaru Nara smiled back. He was scruffy-looking for a supposed genius/ tycoon, Sakura critically observed, but looks weren't everything, she reminded herself for the umpteenth time.
"So, your company will be under Hyuga Incorporated in…?" Sakura walked around the long, oval table to leave the room and Shikamaru, not Mr.Nara, followed.
"As soon as Gaara Sand and his siblings agree to our terms, Miss Haruno-Uzumaki," It was difficult to get the Sand, Sand and Sand law firm to agree to work for anyone so their company, Nara-Haruno, was pulling out all stops to get them to agree.
"Sakura, if you will," Sakura parroted in a snooty tone. "Miss Haruno-Uzumaki is..." Sakura stopped short and wondered who else could be Miss Haruno-Uzumaki.
Shikamaru laughed which surprised Sakura. Most businessmen she knew wouldn't even smile, for fear of looking soft. Soft was a death-word for the big men in Hyuuga Incorporated. Along with: 'nice', 'generous', 'kind' and 'merciful'.
Sakura ran her right hand through one side of her hair and the engagement whopper glinted in the fluorescent light and almost made a passing janitor blind.
Shikamaru noticed Sakura's extravagant ring and commented, "Nice engage-ring," Understatement of the century, Sakura thought wryly. "Bought that from Rock Lee's place, huh?"
"I hope so," Sakura smiled again, "My husband purchased it and he said he bought it there, but, well, you can't always believe Naruto Uzumaki and his 'crazy' stories…" Sakura laughed charmingly, the very same laugh she used at boring office parties when old women with too much make up on made stupid jokes about someone's, admittedly bad, fashion taste and their unrefined 'mongrel'.
Shikamaru's tired black eyes gave a sudden spark of recognition and he spoke excitedly, "The computer legend is your fiancé?!"
"Legend?" Sakura looked amused as they walked towards the lift, heavy briefcases in tow. "Naruto?"
"Sakura, he developed the machine that program DVDs into computer games, the machine that used gum wrappers instead of money and the program that would let people design their own inventions with a touch of the finger! Don't you think that's awesome?"
Hearing the word 'awesome' coming from the successful entrepreneur's mouth tickled Sakura and she let it show, sniggering into her palm again. "Dunno. Does it help with the fashion industry?"
"…Not sure." Shikamaru said vaguely and looked lost in thought. Sighing huffily, Sakura pressed the lift button. She never liked it when people spaced out. Either they should be committed or not at all.
Wanting to start a new topic with the amusing yet totally weird Nara, Sakura returned to the previous topic, but with a newly added sub-genre, "So, Nara, involved with anyone lately?"
"Do video games count?" He asked ruefully, causing Sakura to snigger again but continued, "Yeah, you could say that…"
Sakura raised her eyebrows in unadulterated intrigue.
Shikamaru noticed her questioning expression and laughed again. "Sakura. No offence but I've known you for what - two days? No way am I going to tell you about my love life!" He laughed again, to show how absurd the notion was. Which it was. "No offence, though!" He hurriedly added.
Sakura smiled ruefully, shaking her head. "None taken…s'pose you're right, though."
The lift arrived and they forced themselves in, pushing past a few stocky people. "Since you barely know me, wanna come over to dinner tonight?" Sakura muttered, her windpipe getting uncomfortably blocked in th stuffy air.
"Will the 'Legend' be there?" Shikamaru asked immediately; he wasn't one to mince words, especially when it involved his 'idols'.
Sakura rolled her eyes but nodded, "Sadly."
"Then great! Okay if I bring my friends along?"
Sakura pursed her lips as she contemplated this new predicament she had gotten her friends into. "Sure, why not? It is a Friday, after all."
Shikamaru grinned and he got off at the next floor, leaving Sakura to deal with chubby, rude and impatient people all around her.
As the lift door was closing, Sakura watched Shikmaru turn around and wink at her while mouthing, "Ha!" He pointed towards the chubbs and then at himself, indicating that he was out here and that she was in there.
"Shikamaru!"
Slightly slamming the mug onto Mr. Hyuuga's desk, TenTen continued her way to her 'area of work'. It was an area of work that Neji had forced her to have, directly in front of him. TenTen had hated it but she couldn't voice against it. This was her job for Pete's sake! And she desperately needed it and its whopping salary.
Sitting down in the leather chair, which was one of the very few plus sides in her stupid job, TenTen checked her latest e-mail sent by Mr. Neji Hyuga and reviewed today's work. Ew, she thought, today sucks…
Relaxing against the backrest, she instinctively stretched her legs out, hazily thinking that there'd be a little counter for her legs to go on but nay. There wasn't. Her legs were utterly visible to Neji Hyuua and anyone who happened to walk by and choose to stand there. It made TenTen nervous and vulnerable. Something she hated deeply.
Women were not weak, especiallyTenTen.
Gliding in again, Neji gracefully sat in his chair and surveyed his 'floor'.
His PA, TenTen, was typing something on her desktop, hopefully his memo for the day; His marketing manager, Ino Yamanaka, was busy calling someone and Kiba Inuzuka, their logistics executive, was sitting on the desk of one of their key designers, talking to her about something very graphic because his hands kept moving around and slamming onto the desk.
Neji lifted the 'I AM OLD' mug - last year's Christmas gift from TenTen - to his lips and, with maximum poise and dignity, took a sip. As soon as the liquid went though his oral cavity, Neji spat it out, causing the papers in front of him to stain inelegantly. "TenTen!" He roared.
The entire floor's staff jumped but she looked up boredly, her bangs falling into her eyes, and stared inquisitively but yet somehow rudely at Neji. "Yeah?"
"This isn't espresso!"
Putting on a very clever fake-yet-real look of surprise, TenTen got up, "It isn't?! Oh, I'm so sorry!" The words were a good choice to make amends but TenTen's sarcastic voice overtook the niceties of it, so it sounded rude, offhand and plastic. Like Lindsay Lohan.
"TenTen…" Neji growled, getting up and giving her the look. The look symbolized TenTen-get-out-of-the-room-and-do-it-right.
TenTen shot back the same look she gave him everyday. The look that meant oh-sure-your-royal-highness-can-I-lick-your-shoes-too?
She went outside, took a deep breath and walked off to the refreshment area – a place to kick back, take a break, read the latest TIME and get a cup of what makes businesspeople run like clockwork: coffee.
Back at the office, Ino, hanging up on her now ex-lover, went up to Kiba and hit him on the head. "Ouch!" Kiba grabbed his head as Ino rounded in for another one. "What?!"
"Five bucks. It happened again."
Kiba groaned. "…here!" He took out five bucks and shoved it in her outstretched hand. She nodded happily, "Pleasure doing business with you!" and sauntered off to her seat, flicking her blonde bangs out of her eyes, every so often. Much to the pleasure of the company's lowlies. Translation: everyone else around her.
BTW - this isn't going to be a long story. I'm sick of them at the moment.