Howdy partners in crime. I have so much fun reading your comments! It's makes me happy that people are having fun reading what I write :)

A NOTE ABOUT THE STORY: 'kay, you know how Hinata's mom is usually dead or missing? She's alive and well in this story :)

I don't own Naruto or anything else I may mention!

Now, may I present to you... Chapter TWOOOO!

"You lucky dog," Karin said for the millionth time that day. I adjusted the strap of my messenger bag and we jaywalked across the street.

"What do I get him?"

"A ring," Karin cackled. "Get him a wedding ring."

"I'm being serious!"

"What makes you think I'm not?"

"Good grief…so, who do you think got our names?"

"Well," Karin sighed and looked towards the grey sky, "I have a feeling that the creepy kid with the glasses got mine. He was staring at me all day."

"Yeah, I noticed that. But he stares at everyone," I pulled my scarf up over my freezing face. "Want to come over for hot chocolate?"

"Is your dad home? I get a feeling he really doesn't like me ever since he caught me impersonating him."

"Well, it wasn't a very flattering impersonation. And no, he's not home. He and mom are going out to dinner with some big kahunas, and won't be home until late."

"Then, I accept your offer." Karin bowed dramatically.

We cut across the football field and made our way to my neighborhood.

"God, when you die can I have your mansion," Karin said as we walked up the tree-lined driveway.

"My dad prefers to call it 'our stately abode,'" I rolled my eyes. I was always a bit embarrassed by how much wealthier I was than all my friends. Karin was always telling me that being loaded was nothing to be self-conscious about, but sometimes, I just really wished I lived in a less grand home…without a chandelier in "the foy-yay" as my grandmother called it.

Inside we tossed our school things on the kitchen counter and started scavenging for hot chocolate makings.

"Where's Hanabi?" Karen asked.

"She's spending the night at her friends house."

"Ooh, so we have free range over the whole house," Karen got some whipped cream out of the fridge. "We should have a party! Can I get a 'Hell yes'!"

"Hell no!" I turned on a stovetop eye. The last thing I wanted was Karin trashing my home.

"Why don't you make him a mix tape? Or mix CD. Whatever," Karin hoisted herself onto the counter and crossed her legs.

"Hey," I grabbed two mugs from the cabinet. "That isn't a bad idea…he's always wearing that old Mumford And Sons t-shirt. But what of he doesn't like my taste of music?"

"If he doesn't like your music then you weren't made for each other," Karin said in a voice that implied "duh."

Twenty minutes later we were sitting upstairs on my bedroom floor, sipping hot chocolate and staring at my laptop screen.

"Wow, Hinata. I didn't mean for this CD to be some sort of encrypted message."

"Huh?" I looked up from iTunes.

"Well, I'm definitely sensing a pattern. So far you have 'I Want You To Want Me,' 'Gimme Some Lovin,' and 'Crazy In Love.'"

"Oh jeez." I deleted the playlist. Over the next half hour, I made three more playlists. The first was too sad. The second was too weird. The third was too girly.

"AGH!" I flopped onto my back and rolled across the floor. "This is impossible."

"It's not impossible! So far we've just decided what not to put on his CD. No depressing Pink Floyd, no soundtracks from foreign films, and absolutely no Taylor Swift."

"Mehhhrghhh," I replied from my current position face down on the floor.

"Okay let's think. Naruto just got his driver's license back in September. So he's been driving to school a lot. Ipso facto, make a CD of fun music he can listen to on the way to school in the morning."

With new vigor, we set to work, creating the perfect mix tape.

The next morning, I got to school early and slipped a CD case through the slots in Naruto's locker. The case was perfectly decorated with a list on the front.

Naruto's Totally Groovy Tunes

1. White Walls – Macklemore

2. D'yer Mak'er – Led Zeppelin

3. Harlem – New Politics

4. Paper Planes – M.I.A.

5. Gold On The Ceiling – The Black Keys

6. So Good – B.o.B.

7. The Impression That I Get – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

8. Jumpin' Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones

9. This Too Shall Pass – OK Go

10. Only The Good Die Young – Billy Joel

-Your Secret Santa :)

Karin only told me later that "Naruto's Totally Groovy Tunes" was "the dumbest shit" she had ever hear, much to my dismay. She could have told me before I wrote it all over the CD case.

Before history class, I saw Naruto showing the CD to Sasuke and overheard Sasuke call it "Pretty dope." I think that's good. I told Karin and she gave me a thumbs up. I definitely like this whole Secret Santa thing.

The next day Karin got her first gift.

"What is it?" I leaned over her shoulder at lunch. She found it that morning, sitting on her desk, but didn't have a chance to open it until now. Karin pulled out a wad of red tissue paper. Inside were three bottles of nail polish. A bright pink one, a sparkly pink one, and neon purple.

"I think we can narrow your Secret Santa down to the girls," I said, "Cause I doubt a guy would be caught dead buying these. Actually maybe it was Chouji. I can see him buying pink nail polish..."

"Fuckin' don't even like pink." Karin curled her upper lip.

"Karin! Quite! What if your Secret Santa is somewhere close by and they hear you. You don't want to hurt their feelings," I said, glancing around for people who looked thus offended. Nobody was paying us a lick of attention. As usual.

"Yeah, yeah. Have you gotten anything yet?" Karin asked as she unscrewed the bottle of bright pink polish and started painting her fingernails.

"No I haven't gotten anything yet. Typical," I said. "I thought you hated pink."

"I do, but I might as well use this polish," Karin stuck out her tongue and carefully painted her left pinkie. "To placate my Secret Santa."

After school Karin and I headed downtown to find gifts for our giftees. Karen was finding a present for Tenten. We stopped in a knickknack store where Karen found a coffee cup that said "Bitch, I'm fabulous."

"I don't think that's very appropriate, Karin," I said as she carried it to the front of the store to make her purchase.

"Don't worry. I think Tenten will appreciate the humor in it," Karin said.

We ended wandering the outdoor mall an hour later. I still hadn't found something for Naruto and Karin was starting to complain.

"I'm freezing, can we go home?" Karin shivered.

"I have to find something for Naruto!"

"You just gave him the CD yesterday. It's not mandatory to get him something every other day!"

"But tomorrow is Friday and I won't see him again until Monday," I sighed. "Plus I like doing this."

"You like freezing your ass off, and worrying about if he'll like what you get him or not? Listen, I love you Hinata, but I'm tired of walking around, I've got my gift for Tenten–" Karin held up her shopping bag– "And I have to go home and study. So catch ya on the flip side, muchacha."

"Oh, Karin! Please don't leave me! I need you. I worship you!"

"Girl, that's idolatry. Better check yourself before you wreck yourself," Karin called over her shoulder.

"You've never even seen that movie! Stop quoting the trailer!"

Karin didn't even turn around this time; she just waved over her shoulder. Great. In my quest to be the perfect Secret Santa, my best friend has left me. She what I mean about Naruto being a problem? People bustled past me. Couples bustled past me. Look at them. All happy. Holding hands. Smiling at each other. And what do I have? Frostbite…

Some foreign guy was yelling in my ear about his scarves, so I stopped at his stall to admire them.

The man said something about making me look beautiful and held up a light pink, sequined scarf. I took the scarf and looked at it. I didn't really want a scarf but since he kept on saying "Half price for the pretty lady!" maybe I should get it. It's not every day I get called a pretty lady. Even if it is by sixty year old guy…nevermind, that's actually slightly creepy. Then an idea donned on me.

"Do you have any scarves for uh, men? Without the sequins?"

"Yes!" He beckoned me over to the other side of the booth. "For your boyfriend!"

Wow, he's definitely not afraid of making assumptions. I rummaged through the mound of folded scarves. Ew, maroon. Black is boring. Polka-dots? I think not. I pulled out a green scarf. And put it back quickly, after realizing 'YOLO' and 'SWAG' was embroidered all over it. I thought the guy said these scarves were for men.

Then something caught my eye: a dark and light blue plaid scarf. I picked it up. It was fringed at the ends and extremely soft.

"A hundred percent wool!" suddenly the man was back in my face, hawking his scarves.

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