Ch.2:Nothing's More Annoying Than Gossip


Temari gritted her teeth bitterly and tried desperately to calm the irate voices in her head. "No receipt, no exchanges."

The woman before her was scowling and waved the article of clothing in Temari's face angrily. "Do you see this?! I can't wear this ridicule! How is it my fault my idiot sister bought me this ridiculous item and tossed the receipt!? No! You MUST let me—"

"I must let you do nothing! I cannot allow you to exchange anything unless you have a damn receipt!"

The woman leaned forward a bit, a conspiratorial smile settling on her lips. "I won't tell anyone you let me do this." She winked at her. "It can be our little secret."

Temari closed her eyes and envisioned a happier place. "Lady, I don't even like you. Why would I do that?" Temari opened her eyes slowly. "I can do NOTHING for you."

The woman's scowl was vicious. "Let me talk to your manager."

"He's fucking busy."

"Are you swearing at me!?"

"You're irritating me. I'd say it's a fair trade."

"I DEMAND to speak to your manager."

"You – Actually, that would be an excellent idea. Tell him how much you hate me and how I'm incapable of conversing with human beings. Go on, shoo. Go get me demoted." Temari waved her away. "He's over in his office." She pointed forward. "Right there."

The woman faltered a bit, clearly confused, then her eyes sharpened and she stomped over to the office.

Temari scowled and rested her forehead on the desk. Maybe that irksome woman could talk some sense into Kana. Get him to realize she wasn't up to this job.

Then again, she considered, getting demoted would be bad. Usually demotions came with a lowering of pay and that would not be good. Especially since Kankurou sucked down food like their vacuum sucked up dust (he was probably more efficient than the vacuum when she thought about it). It's not as if they could really live on the spare bit of money that Baki sent them every now and then.

Ugh.

Maybe cussing at the woman had been a bad idea.

"If this job bothers you so much, why don't you quit?"

The voice was lazy, apathetic, and even though Temari would never admit it out loud, a tad bit sexy.

She raised her head from the desk not having heard anyone approach.

Shikamaru was leaning casually against the counter looking incredibly bored. Damn, he must be real sneaky. "'Cause I need the money."

More like her brothers needed the money. She could live on Baki's sporadic payments, but boys were so…ugh. Seriously. Greedy, picky bastards. They'd gotten far too used to living 'comfortably'. Not that she hated them or anything – she loved them, deeply so; but that didn't mean there weren't times when she wanted to strangle the living daylights out of them.

"Hn."

Temari stared at him for a bit, and then dropped her head back onto the counter, trying to figure out how to fix the problem she'd started. By now, Temari really should know better than to be so rude to customers. Ugh. Okay, so maybe she'd gotten a little bit too used to living 'comfortably' as well. You didn't have to be overly courteous when you had money.

"Excu—"

"I already told you, Blondie," Temari mumbled into her hands, "no receipt no exchange."

"Hmph! Excuse me! This time I have a receipt!"

Temari straightened and looked the girl in the eye. It was the same blonde girl that had wanted to return a pink top a few days ago. This one was in the store almost every day and usually came to complain to her about something. Returning the shirt had been her frequent demand for the last three, maybe four days, but she'd had other complaints.

Chewed gum under tables. All the bottles of perfume she wanted were used; even though there were EXACT same copies of the bottle she wanted but didn't want those because the sticker or box was wrinkly and old looking. The store should import Anna Kadin or Arni Kanna or some chick's fashion line. Some guy was listening to his headphones too loudly. 'Forehead girl' (whoever or whatever that was) took the shirt/skirt/jacket she wanted to buy. Really, the blonde's complaints were endless.

Temari could tell her apart immediately. For one, she always smelled incredibly strongly of lilies. Two, she was always chewing bubble-gum. Three, her heels always clicked on the floor in this obnoxiously annoying way that Temari could never really describe, merely KNEW. And four, her voice was haughty, squeaky, and laced with a well-practiced 'nice' tone. Temari resisted the urge to yawn. "Do you, now?"

The blonde happily (and a bit smugly) handed her a receipt. Temari looked down at it and studied the contents carefully.

"What're you doing here?"

Temari was about to raise an eyebrow and scowl when she realized the blonde wasn't talking to her, but to the lazy figure still leaning against the counter. Hunh, she thought he'd left.

The lazy figure shrugged.

Blondie scowled. "Honestly, Shikamaru!"

So Blondie knew Lazy. Odd. Considering she seemed a bit too much trouble for someone like him. Then again, he probably talked to her because of it. It being Blondie's appearance. Most guys seemed to go for that shtick. Skinny little things that looked like Barbie dolls.

Temari handed her back the receipt. "No receipt, no exchange."

The blonde's jaw dropped. "What are you talking about?! I just gave you—"

"It's fake." Temari interrupted.

The blonde huffed. "It is not!"

Temari raised an eyebrow. "Is so. I'm not stupid, I may be a bitch, but I'm not stupid."

"It is an authentic receipt!"

"So if I ran the code number on the computer it would match your shirt's code number?"

"H…How would you know the shirt's code number?"

"It's not too hard, you just cross-log the data of sold inventory, and pitch in the right date, it should match up to the given—"

"OH FINE!" She pouted bitterly. "It's fake." She crumpled the paper up and tossed in the nearby trash, all the while giving her an evil look. "I don't like you. Not in the least."

"That's okay; the list of people that don't like me is already so long one other person wouldn't make a difference." Temari muttered disinterestedly.

The blonde stared at her in confusion or maybe appall. Temari wasn't really sure. "You are beyond weird, you know. Everyone's right about you."

"Oh that's good. I'd hate to disappoint the larger mass of the conforming population. It's good to know I live up to standards here as much as I did in Suna."

"Freak." Blondie muttered as she walked away, giving her an odd stare.

"Shirts don't have code numbers." Shikamaru said to her, in what Temari suspected was a very mocking tone.

"So? She doesn't know that." Temari was about to slump her head against the counter again when she heard a distinct sound coming from the lazy one. She looked at him sharply. His body was shaking slightly and there was a smile on his lips. He was laughing!

Okay, not really laughing, more like chuckling, but still.

"What is so damn funny?"

"Ino's right. You're a bit odd."

Temari scowled. Odd? Odd? She wanted to smack him. Her eyes narrowed. "Go away."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't mean it like Ino said it. Odd in a good way."

"How can you possibly be 'odd' in a good way?" Temari questioned somewhat angrily. She wasn't sure if he was just trying to appease her or if he really thought there was a good way of being odd. "And is Ino the princess blonde?"

He shrugged, the smile still tugging at his lips. "It's possible. And really, 'princess blonde'? Where'd you get that from?"

"She acts like she's some fucking princess. Don't evade the subject. What is a good odd?"

"You're a good odd." He smirked.

Temari glared at him. For a lazy-appearing boy he was incredibly annoying. "You are aggravating."

"Really? And here I thought I was charming." It was sarcastic, but the boy was still smiling.

Temari couldn't get rid of the overpowering urge to smack him. "Go away." She repeated.

"Don't think so."

Temari closed her eyes. Can't…hit…customers…Can't…Showing bad example to Gaara…Must not…

"You're amusing when you try to control your anger."

"Do you want me to hit you?" she hissed at him.

He merely inclined his head and watched her.

Ugh! Men! Horrible creatures. An idea occurred to her suddenly. She was reminded of the blonde boy – Naruto. "What happened to Naruto?"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "With what?"

"That girl he was trying to…impress."

He yawned, but Temari couldn't suppress the distinct impression that instead of really being as disinterested as he appeared he was studying her. Really now, she was being ridiculous. "Sakura looked at him like he was a fish. Said thank you, then chased after Sasuke, ignoring Naruto for the whole day; except for this one bit when she hit him for insulting Sasuke."

Temari blinked. Sasuke…she knew that one. Gaara knew him too. He was a rather sullen, broody, I'm-cooler-than-you-are kind of boy. Sakura, though, was a new name.

He stared blankly at her, and then blinked. "Oh right. Sasuke is—"

"I know Sasuke, but not the other one. The girl."

"Pink hair. Green eyes. Loud. Usually around with Ino bickering. One of the many in the Sasuke fan-club." He looked at her closely at the last sentence.

Oh! She was that one. Blondie was always complaining and arguing with her. Temari had had them kicked out a few times.

She grinned at the thought. That had been fun.

She was so involved in her memories of kicking the girls out that she didn't notice that Shikamaru had been watching her, but she did catch him rolling his eyes. He pushed himself lazily off the counter and began to walk away. "Hey, wait!" Temari scowled as soon as the words were out in open air. Was she really that desperate for company?

A nagging voice in the back of her head said that to be honest he was pretty good company, overlooking of course the small bits of wanting to smack him.

He stared blankly at her. "What?" His voice was different. A bit colder and definitely disinterested. Before, he just seemed to appear apathetic, but now he really seemed not to care.

She blinked, feeling more wounded than she probably should. "Oh, fine." She muttered cynically. "Sorry for bothering you."

He seemed a bit confused at her reaction, but he didn't ask her anything, he just walked off.

Temari scowled involuntarily. Idiot.

She watched as he walked away, (she reasoned it was because shee had nothing better to watch) and noted Naruto pop out of nowhere and start conversing (rather loudly) with Shikamaru. Beside Naruto was the brooding 'hunk' of Konoha, Sasuke, and beside him was the pink-haired girl, Sakura, Temari thought it was. The blonde boy stopped talking briefly; Shikamaru was probably saying something, then the blond boy started ranting and waving his arms about. Sakura looked back at where Temari was. The pink haired girl's eyes were narrowed and a fierce scowl settled across her lips. Against her better judgment, Temari jumped at the look she was given. Sakura's glare was decisively chilly. Then Sasuke turned to assess her briefly. Assess was really the only word Temari could use. His eyes seemed to stare at her as if he was staring down into her soul, almost like he was deciding who she was and if she was worthy.

It bothered her immensely.

"Temari would never!" Temari heard Naruto exclaim loudly. Temari found herself wishing she could see Shikamaru's expression. What was the lazy one telling them?

Temari found she didn't have to wonder long as the pink-haired creature stomped over to where she was.

Sakura's green eyes, Temari found, reminded her a bit of Gaara's. They weren't exactly the same shade or…style, but they still reminded her of her little brother. Temari was leaning comfortably on the counter but straightened at the girl's approach. The pink-haired thing was livid, for some reason. (Who had pink hair nowadays anyway? Temari briefly wondered if the girl had a hair-dye malfunction. Those were always funny.) Temari might have asked if the girl didn't look quite so angry.

The girl paused right before her desk, the sinister glare still in her eyes. "Sasuke is mine."

Temari stared impassively at her. "Good to know."

"He doesn't need another pathetic girl like you chasing after—"

Temari almost fell to the floor. "I'm not chasing after that idiot!" She protested immediately, shuddering visibly at the thought. The boy might look good, but she had no intention of chasing after a boy quite so…dour. What a gloomy romance that would be. Temari was one for romance not…horror stories. She wanted to gag at the thought.

"Don't lie!" Sakura protested. "Shikamaru told us that you—"

"What did that idiot say?" Temari asked tersely. Fantasies of how to kill him began flowing through her mind. Asphyxiation was always fun. Pushing him off a tall building would be easier though, and harder to trace back to her.

How could that–? He didn't even know her! Temari didn't even bother to wait for Sakura's reply. Instead she stormed over to Naruto, Sasuke, and the idiot himself. Ignoring the other two, she placed her hand roughly on Shikamaru's shoulder and pulled him around to face her. "What the hell is your problem?"

He stared blankly at her.

Naruto seemed a bit shocked by her reaction and Sasuke annoyed. Temari didn't really care. She was pissed off. Sure, she got angry easily, but there were a few things she didn't stand for at all. Rumors were one of those things. "Are you so pathetic that you need to start some stupid rumor about stupid things like this!? Jeez, you fucking asshole." She dropped her hold of his shoulder. "If you wanna go about gossiping at least gossip about something true. Don't make me out to be one those Barbie-dolls that chase after this idiot." She pointed at Sasuke. "You are unbelievable, you know that?!" She was fuming, she knew. Before she could stop herself she kicked him in the shins.

Hard.

Shikamaru winced and jumped about on one leg to remove the pressure from the leg she'd just kicked.

She turned on Sasuke. "I don't like you. I'm not part of your fan club." She informed him. "As a matter of fact, you kind of creep me out." Then she faced Naruto. Struggling a bit to suppress her anger, she smiled at him. "Hey, Naruto."

Naruto grinned at her. 'Hi, Temari." He turned to stare self-righteously at Shikamaru. "I told you, jerk."

Shikamaru just scowled, the pain apparently still bothering him. "Damn, woman."

Temari resisted the urge to kick his other leg. Instead she flipped him off and headed back to her stupid, ungrateful, counter of doom.

She slumped behind her counter propping her head up with one hand. The other hand was tapping angrily against the wood.

Men!

Men!

Ugh. How she hated men!

Okay, not all men. Kankurou was okay (On occasion). Gaara was nice (Now, anyway). Naruto was decent (So far…).

"Temari?"

She started. Looking up she realized the manager was standing before her. "What?" She winced, she probably shouldn't address her boss in such a pissed off tone, "I mean, is there a problem?"

He shook his head, "No, you've been doing an excellent job."

She blinked. I have?

"Just next time, don't tell people I'm in my office. If they ask to speak to me, brush them off, like you do with everyone else."

Temari stared blankly at him. "I…uhm…okay then." The manager departed swiftly leaving her very confused. So there was no problem with her cussing out customers? What was up with that?

That's it, Konoha was crazy.

"You look like a fish."

Temari started once more. This time it was her brother standing by her counter. Jeez, how could people sneak up so easily on her? Was she that out of it? "A fish, Gaara?"

He nodded. "Your eyes are big and your mouth keeps opening and closing rather stupidly."

Temari scowled. "Oh, shut up."

Gaara's green eyes stared at her for a few seconds. "You're pissed off."

Temari grumbled incoherently.

"Why?"

She just glared at him.

Gaara glared back.

Having these sorts of arguments with Gaara were…weird at best. With Kankurou she'd be yelling at him and cussing him out – and eventually she'd win. With Gaara, the whole argument was done silently, through glares and body movements. Winning a battle where not a word was said was a pretty hard thing for her to do.

She sighed. "Shikamaru."

He peered at her then looked behind his shoulder to the loud Naruto, broody Sasuke, flirty Sakura, and annoying-as-hell Shikamaru. Gaara walked over to them without saying another word to her.

"Hey! Gaara!" Temari tried to call him back. "Hey!" Her little brother paid her no mind. She sighed irritably. Stupid brother.

Naruto seemed to energetically greet him. Gaara nodded in response, his lips moving the tiniest bit. Sasuke ignored him. Sakura edged away from her brother, hiding behind the broody boy. Shikamaru was too busy rubbing his shin to pay any attention to Gaara.

The redhead boy turned to look at the lazy boy. His lips moved the tiniest bit. Shikamaru glanced up and stared at her brother. She could discern the word 'what' slip from his mouth. Gaara's lips moved again.

Temari was normally pretty good at reading lips. Gaara, though, was an entirely different story. His lips BARELY moved when he was talking making it really hard to understand what he was saying. Unfortunately, Shikamaru seemed the same. He was saying something back to her brother, but his lips didn't seem to move at all. He looked agitated though.

Now Gaara looked a bit angry.

Then Shikamaru looked angry.

Then Gaara looked angrier.

Then Shikamaru looked annoyed.

Then Gaara turned around and made his way back to her counter. Temari was still watching Shikamaru. His lips were pressed together and annoyance was more than evident in his features. There was also something else – far be it for her to interpret it correctly, but whatever it was, it was most certainly dominating his face.

"What did you do – say?" Temari asked as soon as Gaara was within hearing range.

"Nothing."

"Gaara." Temari complained.

"It's not important."

Temari growled a bit. "Some days, you really get on my nerves, you know."

"Most days, you really get on my nerves." Gaara replied monotonously.

"Well, gung ho, that really hurt me."

Gaara smiled. "'Gung ho'? Are you serious?"

Temari grimaced and rested her head on the counter. "It's this job. It's tainting and ruining my intelligence. It's even frying my hair." She straightened and pulled at the tips of her blonde tresses. "Look! Ugh. I'm withering. I need hot Suna air and bright blinding sun to get it back to the way it was. That and lack of stupid people telling me they want to return a stupid article of stupid clothing."

"Temari," Gaara said slowly, "your hair has always looked like crap."

She scowled. "You see! This is why I like Kankurou better than you."

"Just yesterday you told Kankurou that you liked me better than him."

"How is it my fault you're both annoying and horrible excuses for human beings?"

"You've raised us. That must have something to do with you."

She lowered her head back onto the desk. "I don't like you right now."

"That's okay."

"Did you need something?" She mumbled into the counter.

"No."

"Mmkay."

"Do you really get paid for this?" Gaara asked incredulously.

"Shocking, isn't it?" She mumbled. She straightened abruptly as she felt someone pull her hair hard. "OW! WHAT THE—!?" Kankurou stood by Gaara grinning. Temari's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to kill you."

"Can't do that. I'm a customer." Kankurou chided.

Temari glared at the pathetic excuse for eldest brother. She was still older than him by a year, but he was older than Gaara. Not that you could tell from personality alone. Height, he was – hands down – the winner. But maturity? He lost. "I. Hate. You."

"Now that's just a horrible thing to say to your younger brother."

"Everything I say to you is horrible. Just like everything you do to me is horrible."

He grinned. "True enough."

"What do you want?"

"What? I can't visit my own sister at her work?"

"You're up to something." She said calmly, eyeing her brother speculatively.

"What on earth makes you think that?"

"I'm your older sister. I just know." It sounded like a stupid reason in theory, but in practice it was actually very…useful. She looked at Kankurou trying to figure out what it was. "A girl." She noted. Kankurou stiffened just the slightest bit. "I probably won't like her…" Temari bit her lower lip. "Mm…I've met her…"

"Ok, you've crossed the line from bizarre to insane, Temari. You don't know what you're talking about."

Gaara meanwhile, was looking at her in mild surprise.

Temari glanced at the redhead. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Very."

"GAARA!"

"What? It's the truth."

Kankurou narrowed his eyes at the redhead.

Temari idly played with a strand of her hair. "She doesn't like you. She doesn't know you like her. Probably not worth liking if I don't like her."

"Alright! That's it! I'm leaving." Kankurou grudgingly began to walk away.

Temari leaned toward the redhead. "Who is it?"

Before Gaara could respond Kankurou stomped back and clamped his fingers around the redhead's wrist pulling him away.

"NO FAIR, KANKUROU!"

"WHATEVER, TEMARI!"

Temari growled and sank back down onto the counter.

Life. Sucked.