"I wasn't going to tell him!" Ino protested loudly after school when I confronted her, huffing as she crossed her arms, looking perfect and blonde and perfect and not bruised.

"You so were! YOU SO WERE, PIG. What the hell was going to come after 'how can you not notice? That silly pinkette has FREAKEN BEEN IN-' ? I roared at her. Hehe, roar. Sakura the beautiful, strong, independent LION!

"Uhm..In her own Lala-Land?" She said sheepishly. UGH. She is officially fired as my best friend. FIRED.

"You're officially fired from being my best friend! FIRED!" I am so angry at this blonde right now. I hate her.

"Oh shush, Forehead. Come. Let's go get some ice cream. My treat, to make it up to you," She waved her hand around insouciantly and walked away, expecting me to follow her like some dog or something. Seriously. I'm not Kiba or Akamaru; I'm not just going to follow her around whenever she calls-"You can even get gummy bear toppings."

"Ooh, gummy bears!" I pranced after her. I love her.

Hey, what d'you expect? The girl's buying me gummy bears. There's no real way she really meant me any harm-she's buying me gummy bears!

"Are we going to that really cute little store that just opened? YAY, Ino-Pig I love you!" I caught up and linked my arm through hers, humming quietly to myself. A world where there's free ice cream with gummy bears is a great world indee-

"So what're you going to do about Sasuke?" Dark clouds and stormy skies.

"What?" Think about happy stuff. Unicorns..Ponies..GUMMY BEARS..

"What're you going to do, Forehead. Stop thinking about happy stuff for a moment and tell me your plan." My plan? What?

"My plan? For what?" I'm really confused now; What does this girl want from me?

"Your plan of action, you idiot. But I guess you haven't told me what he's done to you, so I guess you can start there. Three scoops of pineapple ice-cream with sprinkles for me, and two scoops of vanilla and two of chocolate topped with gummy bears for he-SHIKAMARU?" SHIKAMARU?

"Hey." Wow. It's actually Shikamaru. When'd he get a job?

"When'd you get a job, Shika?" ..Whoa. Ino the mind reader! I could tell she was as stunned as I am, but she managed to recover faster and asked the question plaguing us both.

"A little while ago. My mom kicked me out for the day and said she wouldn't let me back into the house until I got 'off my lazy ass and finally contribute to society,' tch. Troublesome." Shikamaru, in a little white paper hat and a dainty apron, was indeed scooping our ice cream. I'm still stunned speechless; the lazy genius got a job! Granted, it's only because his mom kicked him out, but still. I'm so proud. Happy tear.

"So. Sakura." He was topping my ice cream with gummy bears and sprinkles! I like this new and improved employed-Shika.

"Yes, Shikamaru?" He handed me my little bowl of frozen cream heaven. Oh, and Shikamaru gave us a little bit extra on top of the free sprinkles! I definitely like employed-Shikamaru. That Shikamaru, what a sweetie. No wonder Ino actually likes him, and doesn't just toy with him like most other guys.

"Why'd Ino punch Sasuke in the face and tackle Naruto clear across the room today?" I coughed and spluttered. Not attractive.

"You punched him in the face?"

"Yeah. Ooh thanks for the extra sprinkles Shika!" There were cute little dainty tables and chairs everywhere around the store, but Ino and I were standing by the pick-up-your-order-it's-ready area so we could talk to Shikamaru. I'm still trying to process the fact that Shikamaru has now joined the world of the employed, and will no longer be bumming around the house/grassyfields/etcetc all the time.

Wow. This is seriously a big change.

"Hn," He did the Sasuke-Man-Grunt. What the hell, do all guys do this and I've just never noticed, or something? "Don't mention it. And yes, she did. Got him really good too, actually." I think Shikamaru just...smirked? Is he..Does he look ...proud of Ino? OHMIGOSH DOES HE LIKE INO? I need to store this information away for later! Hehehehe...

"Forehead, stop cackling like an idiot. People are going to stare." Oh, oops.. "And how did you not notice when you freaking flying-tackled me in the hallway? His cheek was all red and stuff!"

"You didn't hit him hard enough to bruise?" I'm disappointed. I thought Ino could hit harder than that.

"Oh shut up, Forehead. I was hitting from an awkward position, AND his face is hard. I have a bruise on my hand!" She shoved her (perfectly perfect no I'm not bitter) hand in my face.

"..Troublesome woman..Here. I'll go get you some ice. Troublesome.." Shikamaru mumbled before disappearing into the back. Wow. He got off his lazy ass to get Ino ice for her hand...He really has it bad for her! HEHEHEHEHE. The things I can do to pair them up!

"Anyway, Forehead. Just because we were super shocked and distracted by Shikamaru getting a job-wow that even sounded weird just to say-doesn't mean you're off the hook. Now tell me: what happened?" I think Ino was trying to be serious and demanding, but scooping bright yellow ice cream while trying definitely causes a problematic loss of effect.

"Uhm. Not much, actually..He just..He was just being Sasuke-kun, you know?"

"You mean incorporating absolutely no variety of vocabulary whatsoever when talking?"

"WHAT talking? Sasuke-kun doesn't talk. He freaken man-grunts." I'm right. In the gazillion years I've known him, I don't think we've ever had a proper conversation where both of us are speaking normally. It's always been me chattering on while he responds once in a while with either "hn," "aa," "you're annoying," or something equally synonymous.

"Hm. I suppose...Thanks Shikamaru!" Ino replied as Shikamaru came out carrying an ice pack wrapped in paper towels and handed it to her.

"..Troublesome." Shikamaru tilted his chin up a little and stuck his hands in the little pockets on his apron. Ooh, the cute little apron.

"Hey Shika, are you working tomorrow?" Ino opened her mouth so I could feed her some ice cream, seeing as she was holding the ice pack with one hand on her bruised one.

Shikamaru looked a little hesitant before replying, "No, it's Saturday. I don't work weekends. Why? Do you have something troublesome planned.."

I don't blame him for being hesitant. The last times Ino threw any "get-togethers"...


"WHO GAVE LEE ALCOHOL?"

"Why?"

"HE'S DANCING ON THE ROOF!"

"So what?"

"HE'S NAKED!"

"..."


"Oh what a cool lamp, the flames look so realistic!"

"THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S ON FIRE!"


"CALIFORNIA GURLZ WE'RE UNFORGETTABLE! DAISY DOOPS BIKINIS ON TOP! WE'RE SO HOT WE'LL MELT YOUR POPSICLES!"

"...So this is why Neji doesn't eat candy."


"Ino?"

"Yes?"

"Why is Kiba chewing on your purse?"

"HE'S WHAT? NOO! THAT'S MY FAVOURITE ONEE!"


"Is that... a stripper pole?"

"Is that...HINATA?"

"OH MY GOD, MY INNOCENT HINATA-CHAN!"


"SASUKE DID YOU JUST THROW SHINO OUT THE WINDOW?"

"Hn."

"WE'RE ON THE THIRD FLOOR!"

"Hn."


"Hinata, why is your and Neji's cat stuck in the cake..running around the house?"

"..."


Ugh. All of Ino's "get-togethers" always ended in disaster. SOMEONE (NARUTO.) always spikes something, and it always ends in disaster.

"YEP! Naruto and I have planned the best get-together to CHEER SAKURA UP! It's going to be awesome."

We rotate whose house has the unfortunate luck to host these parties of Ino's, because honestly, it's just plain mean to give one person the onus of hosting all the parties.

..Wait..Ino, Shino, Kiba, Gaara, Neji and Hinata, Sasuke, Naruto, and...everyone else's house...There's only one house left..

"THE ONLY ONE LEFT IS ME!" This is not going to be good. At all.

"Oh Forehead! I knew you were going to agree! There's going to be cooking and baking and.. It's going to go PERFECTLY!" Ino gushed happily.

Little did I know how very, very, very wrong she was.


Another chapter!

R&R, enjoy, etc :)