A Rose with Thorns
By Paine
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She supposed she looked all right. Not gorgeous, but not hideous either, yes, she decided finally, her appearance ranked somewhere in between the two extremes. The tangle of dark curls that lay on the top of her head had been tamed as much as have could have been expected, resting now as two buns on her head; the thousands of freckles that were scattered across her face had been concealed by the use of quite a large amount of powder. Her final concern lay in the blue glasses that were at the moment propped against the base of her nose.
Should she not wear them and reveal for once the startling brown eyes that were so often hidden or wear them and reduce the chance of her falling and making a complete fool of herself.
Does it matter Tenten, you'll never look as good as her.
A grim thought perhaps. But it was a truthful one all the same. And it was one that Tenten forced herself to come to terms with almost everyday. It was the reason that she had spent the entire day yesterday looking around Tokyo for something that actually fit her lanky frame, and the reason that she had spent the last four or so hours trying to force her untidy curls into something that Nihon Weekly had claimed was this month's hottest hair style.
She was in love with her best friend.
It was a simple statement, one that she felt the whole world must know by now, well the whole world except for the one person who should know. Him.
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And then there was her. Why, was there always a her ? This her however proved to be quite a pest because quite frankly this her was perfect. This her was, as all the magazines felt like constantly reminding Tenten, one the most successful and beautiful ninja of this century. And as an added insult, the her was engaged to the him. A final sigh and a groan and the glasses were back up on Tenten's face and the hair had freed itself from its constraints and it had just suddenly occurred to Tenten that the itch she was feeling on her face meant that she was probably allergic to the skin powder. And at this rate her clothes would tear by the time she got there and well why should she bother?
Why did she bother anyway?
Tenten asked herself when, true to form the skirt ripped right down the middle. Why, she could stay home and finish the story that she had started on a band of ninja assassins for work or finish the book she had just started or learn a new weapon's technique, or well do anything at all she wanted and think of an excuse to tell Neji about why she wasn't there in the morning.
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It was a plan then. Yes, she had read about the flu going around somewhere and Hinata at work did have it last week, and staying at home would been better than subjecting herself to the torment of listening to the her ramble on about some obnoxious topic, something that was always associated with these occasions. The clothes had already been discarded and the bathwater had been set, when a loud knock had come rapping at her door. Tenten personally disliked disruption due to an incident she had had as a child where distractions ruled her life, causing her grades to slip in the Ninja Academy. . But this one she would tolerate, because this message belonged to Neji.
After reading the piece of parchment handed to her by a thickset man, Tenten knew that she wouldn't be able to stay home at all. You see she had just gotten a vivid reminder of just why she bothered.
Tenten,
I've just found out from Lee's friend at the academy, they say that
I've got the award hands down, can you believe it, just like you
said. I can't wait to see you there.
Love from, Neji
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The atmosphere in the room was absolutely stifling. Inside had been filled with aristocrats and feudal lords, until the feeling of superiority could be felt in even the smallest corner.
"Tenten, my dear, I had begun to wonder if you were coming at all"
The voice belonged to the her, of course, (who from now on shall be referred to as Sakura), and was accompanied by the never faltering smile and laugh, both of which had become defining characteristics for her.
"Well, I'm sorry to be late, you see I had a bit of trouble with my outfit" Tenten regretted saying the words the moment they left her lips, for at the same moment, Sakura's emerald eyes had begun to travel downwards, taking in every detail of Tenten's appearance. Since Tenten's previous choice of clothing had been...destroyed, she had been forced to acquire a new one, quickly, from the only store open at eleven pm on a Sunday night. Needless to say, Tenten wouldn't make the best-dressed list tonight, even if she hadn't worn her glasses.
"I can see that" Sakura replied dryly as she turned up her nose with distaste. "You could have at least made an attempt to dress up Tenten, at least for Neji" The smile reappeared, and after a few more comments on her own gown, Sakura seemed to grow tired of Tenten's lack of enthusiasm for the subject and made up an excuse on why she had to be somewhere else at this very moment.
Tenten couldn't honestly say that she missed her.
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Again she found herself alone in her corner, clutching the drink in her hand a bit tighter than was really necessary. No one was paying any attention to her, which she had grown accustomed to. No one ever noticed her except for when she fell down or broke something, which happened a bit too often. But at least her corner was comfortable, and her drink wasn't too bad, and soon Neji would get his award and make his speech and she would be free to go home and wait for him to tell her about the next event that needed her attendance.
Tenten had learnt from her experiences in the past that the only way to survive these events was to remind herself of the glorious feeling you got when the entire thing was over.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have you attention please"
Tenten's thoughts were interrupted by the voice. She had jumped and her drink had spilt down the front of her clothes, and on the back of the man in front of her.
"We will now be announcing the winner of the most promising young athlete category"
The atmosphere of importance was replaced almost at once by one of anticipation.
"And the winner is..." The bodiless voice paused. "Neji Hyuuga"
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The room broke out in applause, and a stoic yet obviously pleased Neji could be seen as he collected a trophy from a very frail looking female ninja. For a brief moment Tenten's eyes met his, and her stomach fluttered, just as it always did. It would never cease to amaze her just how he could always make her feel this way with the slightest glance, even after all of these years. Neji, still beaming thanked his family and friends, the academy and his fans and of course his fiancée, he then descended from the stage. And it was over, the now familiar feeling of inadequacy washed over Tenten as people began to disappear from the room. She supposed she should follow suit.
But maybe...
There he was, with the her hooked onto his arm. They were deep in conversation, and then, without warning they kissed.
Tenten guessed her heart could be found somewhere on the floor at the moment. But instead of whining about it like she wanted, she decided to suck it up and go home.
She hoped he noticed she was gone.
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So that was it, that was the reason that she had wasted all of that time, for a two second glance and a three second mention in his speech. It was pathetic really, Tenten thought as she dug around her kitchen for some comfort food. She behaved more like a pet than a best friend.
She was pathetic. Waiting around for an engaged man when she could probably find a single one if she tried. She had been lying to herself, of course. She couldn't move on, she had been stuck in this position for five years.
Chocolate, yes chocolate would make it all go away. This wasn't the first time she had felt this way and it wouldn't be the last. But as she bit into the chocolate Tenten knew, that as pathetic as it was she would never trade in her two second glances or her three second mentions for a less pathetic existence.
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Disclaimer
I do not own Naruto. Review? I'll continue if I get at least ten reviews.
