A/N: I can't believe I wrote a second chapter! Duuuuuude. I'm on a roll! This chapter is longer, so can't hate me for being short like last time. I uploaded last chapter and this one at the same time, so if you commented I haven't seen it yet, for it is in the future O.o
Anywho, this chapter is in Shika-darling's point of view. And some conflict arises! But between whom? Read to find out!
I sound like an infomercial...ew...
Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto STILL pwns Naruto and all associated characters. I hate him for pwning them, but I love him with all my heart. Emotional conflict much?
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"There's only a week until school starts! Aren't you excited?" shrieked the blue-eyed blonde standing in front of me. Somehow, it didn't surprise me that Ino was ecstatic about returning to the boarding school we both attended. She was ecstatic about everything.
"Excited?" I asked her. "Why would I be excited? I can't sleep late on weekdays when we're at school."
Ino just rolled her eyes at my indifference. "That's a good thing. We never have enough time to hang out because you're always sleeping!"
"You wouldn't know I was sleeping if you weren't always at my house." Over the years, she had made my house her second home. And my mother loved Ino, so she was no help when I tried to kick her out. It also didn't help that I was too lazy to actually do any kicking.
"Well, your mom loves it when I come over," Ino retaliated, as if she had read my mind. Kind of creepy how girls seem to have that ability. If females the world over banded together, guys wouldn't have a chance. But that would never happen, seeing that girls are too busy fighting each other to try for world domination.
"The only reason the hag lets you come within five miles of me is because you're like a mild version of her," I told her. "If you were any other girl, she would've eaten you alive by now."
"Don't be silly," Ino said. "Who could resist my charm and charisma?" She flamboyantly flipped her long blond hair.
"I could," I said impassively. Ino just laughed and shook her head at me.
"Shikamaru," she said, "why do you act like you're so…so…nonsexual?"
"Isn't that kind of a big word for you?"
"Don't change the subject!" Ino snapped at me. "Really, you act like you're not attracted to women whatsoever. It's impossible to be a guy and not like girls! Of course, unless you're gay…"
"I'm not gay," I responded wearily. We'd had this conversation several times before, and I was tired of it.
"Alright then!" Ino said brightly. "Just admit that you're just like any other guy and you like girls."
"Women are too troublesome to waste my time with." I turned to walk away, but Ino grabbed my arm and twisted it painfully in an effort to make me listen to her.
"Come on, Shika! Why can't you just admit, for once, that I'm right about these things?" I scowled at her. "Admit it!" she demanded.
I rolled my eyes. "Fine," I conceded. "You're right about these things. Now let me go."
Ino stared at me for a minute, then shook her head sadly. "You still don't believe me, do you?" she said sorrowfully.
"Nope." I tried to pull my arm from her iron grip, but she just held tighter.
"Fine," she hissed. "You know what? You're going to jinx yourself. One of these days you're going to like a girl. Reeeeeally like a girl. And you're going to need my help. But I'm not going to help you, oh no. You're going to have to figure it out by yourself. And you're going to screw up and --"
By this time I had somehow escaped her hold on my arm, and I began backing away. "Sorry, Ino, I have to go," I said in a fake apologetic voice. "Have to start packing. School starts next week, you know!" I began running home. Well, in my case, running wasn't the best word. It was more like walking quickly.
"Just wait, Shikamaru!" Ino screamed to my retreating back. "You'll see I'm right!"
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I sat down on my bed with a sigh. I couldn't believe my summer would be gone in just a week. Amazing how time flies when you can sleep all morning.
And school…well. School was okay. It took way too much time and energy, but it was fun. Most of the time.
Some of the time.
Well, it had a pool. That should count for something.
Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I stood and looked around my room. Packing wouldn't be much trouble. All I needed were clean clothes and toiletries. I wasn't one of those people who brought their whole entertainment center with them. If I ever wanted to play video games or something (which was highly unlikely), I could always borrow Kiba's. He was one of the "whole-entertainment-center" packers.
I paused for a moment when I came across a photograph of my parents and I. It had been in my closet underneath a pile of junk for who knew how long, but it was still okay. I picked it up and debated whether to bring it or not. After a moment I threw it into my bag. Might as well. Everyone else put pictures of their families on the walls of the dorms. Half of them thought I was an orphan because I had never brought a picture of my family before.
After packing my toothbrush, hairbrush (which I hardly used, I just kept my hair up all the time) and deodorant, I was bushed. Packing takes a lot out of you when you've just spent a whole summer lying around. I collapsed on my bed and fell asleep almost before my head hit the pillow.
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Six days later my father drove me to the school. Ah, the educational facility. Beautiful, yet functional.
Hey, it had a pool, right?
Anyway, after pulling up to the large front building, he offered to carry my bags up to my room for me. Being me, I let him go ahead and take them.
I had always liked the front walkway. It was bordered by tall bushes that flowered in the spring. The walkway itself was made of stone tiles, mortared together into a mosaic-like image of the school's emblem: the shape of a shield with roses entertwined around the outside, and on the inside, the letters H, P, and S. Honshu Prepatory School.
We arrived inside the front building and my dad signed me in at the front desk. After receiving my schedule and the key to my room, we headed over to the dorms so I could get situated.
The dorms were okay. They were nicer than most, but the rooms were still way too small. I opened the door to my room, expecting it to be empty except for two beds.
What I didn't expect was to see Sasuke sitting on one of the beds. When he heard the door open, he turned around and stared. I stared back. Apparently, neither of us were able to believe that the other was our roommate for the entire school year.
After a few moments, Dad broke the silence. "Hey there, Sasuke," he said brightly. "What a surprise, huh? Never would've expected them to stick you two together." He put my stuff down on the unoccupied bed, said a quick "See you later, Shikamaru" and was gone. I guess the bad vibes got to him.
There was another awkward silence as Sasuke and I glared openly at each other. Finally he said, "I know you don't like me."
"Yep."
"And I don't like you," he continued.
"I know."
"Then that's settled. We can live together peacefully, but it doesn't make us friends."
"My sentiments exactly," I replied.
Sasuke got up and walked out of the room. I watched him go, then laid back on the bed with a sigh. Great start to the school year, I thought to myself as I dozed off.
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When I woke up a half hour later, Sasuke was still gone, so I decided to unpack my crap. I looked around the room as I unzipped my suitcase. They hadn't changed anything. The room held the two beds, a closet, a small dresser, and a desk with a computer sitting on top. I put my clothes in the dresser (I didn't like hanging up my clothes, it required reaching up), put the small plastic box containing my toiletries on top of the dresser, and plugged my alarm clock into the wall.
After stowing my bags in the closet, I stood back and looked around. The room was neat, my things were put away, and the day was still young. The maid would be around later to put sheets on the bed and towels in the room. I walked down the hallway to the right. I had to find Chouji; he always had comfort food. And I was in need of something full of fat to prepare me for a year of Sasuke.
I didn't know exactly when Sasuke and I had begun to hate each other; it just, well, happened. All I knew was that we couldn't stand each other. He didn't like me because I wasn't a "hard worker." I didn't like him because he was the typical angsty teenager. Of course, this put me at odds with Ino, who was completely obsessed with him, along with every other girl at Honshu Prep. Why couldn't they understand that he wasn't going to pick any of them?
I was halfway down the stairs when I almost slammed into someone. I shifted to the side of the stairway just in time to avoid being knocked into. I couldn't see who the person was, seeing as they were holding a big box in front of them, but I knew it was a guy when he pushed past me and grumbled, "Watch where you're going, dumbass," in a deep voice. I turned my head to see who it was, but he was already to the top of the stairs, All I saw was a black hoodie with...cat ears?
I shook off the encounter as just one of those weird things and headed down the rest of the stairs and out the door. Chouji had to be around here somewhere.
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A/N: Soooo. How'd ya like it? I hope you lubbed it. I lubbed writing it. Why am I saying "lubbed"? I don't know. I'm a little high on ice cream right now. Don't forget to review, loves! I'm not British, but I'm going to call you loves anyway. Again, constructive criticism ONLY. No meanies allowed. I love you all! bear hug
