Chapter 2: Caught on Canvass
A/N: Hey guys sorry for the delay but here's the next chapter hope you like it. Read and review onegai.
After sending the photos, the lady photographer sat back on her couch and laid her back in relief. Gradually she closed her eyes and drifted off.
On her dream, she was standing again on the cherry blossom field as a breeze passed, sending pink petals gliding in the mid air. Captivated by the scene, Sakura decided to take a walk and enjoy the surroundings. Like what had happened before, again she heard a whimsical bird song.
She looked around to search for the blue bird. As she stepped forward, the louder the song became. Biting her lip in anticipation, she pushed away a branch to see the same blue bird she saw before but now it was perched on a branch inches above a sleeping figure.
Her viridian eyes widen in astonishment, she quietly approached the man with strange flaming red hair. And when she was inches away from him… a voice spoke from nowhere "Hey Sakura! I heard you just got back, well that's good. I have a few blind dates already scheduled for you," a female voice said excitedly.
The scene before her dissolved into darkness then she slowly opened her eyes. Her head lazily turned towards the table beside the sofa to see that what she heard in her dream was one of her friend's voice messages.
Blinking a few times, her dream flashed back in her mind. Her thin pink eyebrow rose questionably. "What's up with that dream?" she muttered as she yawned. Glancing at the clock, it was too early in the morning to be wandering about dreams. Finally, she decided to retreat in her bedroom. But as she stand up her sleepy gaze traveled to the coffee table… to the pictures she didn't send.
One photo made the sleep from her eyes go away. Picking up the certain picture, she walked to her room. As she opened the door and settled herself on her bed, her gaze never left the photo. "Just who the hell are you anyway?" she asked the photo that she was now holding in eye level while she was lying down.
She tilted her head as a smile lifted her lips. I wonder what color your eyes are? Onyx… Sapphire… Chocolate… then her own started to retire as she continued wandering.
"Wake up sleepy head!!!" someone tugged open her curtain and pulled her blanket. "Not today Tenten," she covered her head with a pillow but then it was swiped away by a girl with long dark brown hair. "Oh no, I have dates planned out for you," Tenten put her hands on her hips. "Seriously, why are you trying so hard to find the right guy for me?" Sakura said groggily as her eyes were still completely shut.
"Because my dear Sakura… Hinata is wed… I have Neji… PLUS… your EX-best friend Ino is hooking up every bachelor in town," her friend replied blatantly. "It's not a contest you know…" "Maybe for you… I mean the contest between the both of you practically started when she decided to imitate your unusual hair color… but then she realized she can't handle being a pink so she retained her usual blond get up," Tenten blabbered away loudly, enough to get Sakura to open her eyes. "Alright I get your point," the pink haired lady sighed in surrender.
"But Tenten, you do realize that there is no way that I can find 'the one' in one of your blind dates." Sakura's voice echoed from the bathroom. "Girl, why are you making it hard for me?" Tenten groaned as she sat on the bed. "Wait… don't tell me…" "What?"
Sakura stared at her reflection while she brushed her teeth. "Sakura… have you already found… 'The guy'?" she heard her friend conclude. She rolled her eyes in despair. "Yeah, yeah," she blurted out without thinking. "REALLY?!" Tenten's excited voice reverberated though out the entire room.
"Oh shit," what she said finally sank in. This is going to be trouble… she said to herself as she stared at the mirror. The long silence of her friend made her worried so she quickly opened the door. "Tenten, what are you…" Oh no… what her eyes saw made her realize that this was not going to be easy to explain.
"Is this your guy?" Tenten was holding a photo in mere inches against her face. Biting her pink lip in desperation, "Oh yeah… yeah…" What are the chances of me meeting him anyway?
"Really? What's he like?" her friend began her interrogation. "He's… handsome… sexy…" Sakura began laying out every detail of her ideal man. Whoa, I didn't know I had a type. "So he's a bad boy then," Tenten's well sculpted eyebrow rose in interest. Before she can even perceive, the guy she had described really had a bad boy image. "Yeah… b-but he can be really sweet…" she staggered as her friend pressed her in for more details.
She was running out of lies to tell but thankfully Tenten's phone rang. "Neji-kun? Okay… okay," her talked on as Sakura grinned in relief. Ending the call, her friend turned to her "Sakura, I'll let you go this time but… I need the details next time okay." Tenten got up and grabbed her bag. "Here," before she left she tossed her an envelope.
The door clicked shut. Sakura caught the package and quickly inspected the contents. Withdrawing what was inside, she read what was written. "11th annual portrait exhibit…" her phone vibrated as she read. "Sakura, that's for two people so make sure to bring HIM along okay…" the text message from Tenten said. She raised her head and looked at the ceiling Heavens give me mercy. She pleaded accompanied by a loud sigh.
Wearing her usual get-up, which is the tight t-shirt and flared jeans together with rubber shoes, she stepped inside the exhibit hall. Freezing like a statue, she stood right in behind the entrance. Unfortunately, she failed to read the little font below the ticket title that says that this was a formal event.
Everyone stared at her from head to toe as if she was not human. "Hey Sakura," a lady wearing an elegant evening gown escorted by a man with long black hair and grey eyes, approached her. "Sakura you never change," the man said instantly. "Thanks Neji," Sakura forced a smile. "What the hell are you wearing anyway?" Tenten eyed her friend. "Don't mind me. You two love birds enjoy each other's company and as for me… I'll just enjoy seeing the things I REALLY CAME FOR," she was desperately trying to get away before her friend remembers something else.
"Wait… wait… wait," Tenten grabbed her arm "Where is he?" "Who?" Sakura asked innocently as she forced a laugh. "Who?! Your boyfriend," Tenten almost yelled. "He's… uummm… we had a fight so… you know how it is…" Sakura gradually made a few steps backward.
"Isn't that Ino?" Neji's eyes traveled behind her. Sakura was afraid to turn around but she did. A beautiful blond lady wearing a very revealing blue gown was laughing with a few serious rich looking men.
Tenten's eyes wandered to Ino's far left. "Sakura isn't that your…" she tore her gaze away from what she saw to her friend. "Sakura… Sakura?" she searched for her friend but obviously she was nowhere in sight.
"What's wrong?" her boyfriend inquired. "Nothing," she looked back at the man with flaming red hair that was staring at the one of the paintings.
This day couldn't possibly get any worse. She made sure that Ino was in a real distance away from her before she enjoyed the beautiful portraits. Thankfully, it was a joint photo and painting exhibit. Her frustration was turned into fascination as she saw the colorful landscape paintings and photos made by some of well-known photographers and painters.
Her eyes wandered to the next photo. She let out a soft laugh as she saw one of her photo featuring a sparkling lake with the sun setting on the background. This was the photo I donated… I never expect them to display it. Fingering the label that indicates her name, she decided to leave.
As she turned around, "You're Haruno, Sakura aren't you?" a blond lady about a few years older than her asked. Sakura merely smiled and nodded. "Temari," she offered her hand and Sakura accepted. "Sakura," she returned her gesture.
"I love your photos. It was as if you are the only one who can capture that moment in a shot," they began strolling around. "You flatter me too much," the lady photographer slightly blushed from the complement. "This event's really getting boring," the blond sighed. "I know what you mean," her companion supported.
"Why don't we go to my place and talk," Temari suggested. "O…okay," she replied as if she had no choice.
Within forty five minutes, they were at her condo unit. "Wow, this is some place," Sakura placed her camera on the nearby table as she let her eyes be amazed by the view. The place was a palace. It was wide, fully furnished and well… everything else that fits the word amazing.
"So tell me Sakura, do you always bring your camera around?" Temari appeared from the kitchen then handed her a cup of tea. "Yeah, it's been like a habit ever since I was sixteen. Because if I see a unique sight then I let the opportunity pass by without me taking a shot, it's like well regret… in a hundred fold." She clumsily explained.
They exchanged views for quite a while. "It's getting late, we'll talk again sometime okay," she got up and proceeded to the door. After exchanging numbers, Sakura walked out of the place and hailed a cab.
Temari was on her way to the living room when a certain man with short brown hair opened the door. "Kankuro, you're surprisingly early today," she settled herself on the couch. "Since when did we have a camera?" he removed his shoes and looked at the camera on the table.
"Oh it's Sakura's. She must've left it by accident." Temari replied as she turned on the television. "Who's Sakura?" he joined his older sister on the sofa. "The famous landscape photographer," his sister replied flatly. "You got a famous photographer to come here?!" his eyes widened in astonishment as her sister merely smirked.
"OH SHIT!!!" Sakura shouted as she finally realized she left her camera at Temari's place. "Sir, could you drive back to the condominium?" she told the cab driver.
The door bell rang twice. "Get the door," she ordered her brother. "You get it," Kankuro countered. "It was not my fault that our maid ran off because she was so sick and tired of cleaning after your puke all over the floor. Now, the damned door," it was arguments like this that Kankuro knew he cannot win so he decided it would be easier to just follow her command.
"Must be Gaara," he mumbled. "Gaara has a key you idiot," Temari called after him. As soon as he opened the door, "Temari, I left my…" Sakura stopped her statement as she saw a man by the door. "Sakura… here," Temari handed her the camera. "I'm sorry for interrupting," she blushed madly. "Interrupting?" Temari's thin eyebrow rose. Looking at Sakura's expression, she realized what was up. "Oh no, this goof ball's my little brother, Kankuro," the blond patted the man's unresponsive head.
Kankuro stood there staring at Sakura as if she came out of a canvass. "Oh hi, I'll introduce myself another time. The cab's waiting. Thanks again Temari," Sakura slightly bowed and then ran catch the elevator.
"Beautiful isn't she?" Temari elbowed her brother playfully. Gaining no reaction, she waved her hand in front of her brother to get his attention. "What's wrong with you?" she started slapping Kankuro. "OKAY THAT HURTS!!!" finally he woke up from his trance.
"Temari!" he shouted though his sister's right beside her. "WHAT?!" she replied in annoyance. "You obviously haven't seen his sketch," "What?" she tilted her head innocently.
Kankuro grabbed her sister's hand and led her to their little brother's room. On the chair was a white canvass, Temari's eyes became as big as plates as the moonlight revealed her little brother's sketch.
A/N: Okay… I find this chapter cute… did you? Read and review onegai!!!