"I think father is having secret parties," Hinata said from the back seat. "Or doing secret fun activities."
Neji was driving Hinata and Hanabi to Hiashi's house for one of the many family reunion dinners the Hyuuga had each month.
"I always knew you were stupid," Hanabi said from the passenger seat.
"No but seriously, I believe he is!"
Hinata looked up at the rearview mirror only to see Neji glaring at her.
"What's wrong with you?" Neji asked as though he had been trying to figure out what was wrong with Hinata for years and had finally given up.
"What?" Hinata asked startled.
Neji shook his head and did what he had wanted to do before: ignore Hinata's stupid question.
"You guys haven't seen those Toyota venza commercials?" she asked.
"I told you not to buy her a TV for her birthday," Hanabi sighed.
"I thought it would keep her up to date with what the Hyuuga's and our competition was doing and keep her up to date with the news. I didn't know she would actually get sucked into those stupid, inconveniently, convenient things they call commercials."
"Come on this is Hinata we are talking about! She believes everything! How do you think we trick her with the same trick every April's Fools Day?"
"Your right," Neji chuckled. "Every year we tell her the same thing."
"Hinata since we didn't throw you a birthday party on your birthday, we decided to throw a late surprise party for you but don't tell anybody I told you about it!"
"Just show up at so and so place at so and so time! She would always show up and the room would be dark and then a green light would come on!"
"And then that moving clown that only she thought was scary would come toward her and she would freak the hell out! She would run all the way to her apartment no matter how far!" Hanabi laughed.
Hinata meanwhile was in the back fuming.
"Maybe we shouldn't talk about it in front of her! We would be forced to find a new joke to play on her!" Neji said thoughtfully.
"What? Hell no! Just send a different person! It wouldn't be the first time somebody said it in front of her!"
"True."
"I'm not talking to you guys for a whole week!" Hinata said angrily.
Of course they did not take her seriously.
"I give her the whole night before she cracks." Hanabi said.
"You're gonna lose because we are going to the family reunion and therefore she will be forced to talk to us within the hour we get there. We all know she sucks at the art of misdirection." Neji stated.
"True. True. But I still might win."
"We'll see."
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Hinata had successfully survived last night despite Neji's "prediction." She was proud of herself and had planned to avoid talking to Neji and Hanabi for the rest of the week and she was doing an excellent job, if the petulant looks from Neji and Hanabi were not telling.
"Hinata," Sakura said interrupting Hinata thoughts, "did you ever call the love of your life."
Hinata blinked and gasped. "No! I can't believe I forgot!"
"Hinata it's been a month!" Sakura said giving Hinata a disappointed look.
"But I've seen them, well only the rude one anyways, in passing. I'm beginning to think he's stalking me." Hinata said speculatively.
"Yea, sure he is," Sakura said rolling her eyes. "Call them right this minute and set it up for next weekend."
"Why not this weekend?" Hinata asked confused while searching for her phone in her purse.
"Because it's girl's weekend!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh yea," Hinata said none too excitedly. She gave Sakura a triumphant smile as she held up her phone. The thought of what she was about to do with her phone finally caught up to her and her smile quickly dwindled away before it was replaced with a worried look.
"What's up?" Sakura asked, spending enough time outside her daydreams to notice Hinata's expressions.
"I'm scared to-to call," Hinata whispered looking down embarrassed.
"Fine," Sakura blew out before grabbing Hinata's phone. "I'll do it."
Hinata gave a hopeful look at Sakura.
"Well what's taking you so long? Dial the number and hand over the phone." Sakura said her patience wearing thin.
Hinata quickly did as she was told. Sakura didn't bother to look at the number or the name as she took the phone.
Sakura frowned then shoved the phone next to Hinata's ear. Hinata gave Sakura a wide-eyed look. Sakura smirked.
"Hello?" a voice said impatiently over the phone.
"H-h-h-hello," Hinata said clearly scared. She was met with a dial tone. She gaped at the phone before angrily jabbing at the buttons on her phone. She quickly put the phone by her ear and tapped her foot as she waited for Sasuke to answer his phone.
"What do you want? Can't you tell I don't want to talk to you?" Sasuke answered.
Hinata narrowed her eyes at a kid walking by who immediately burst into tears at her look. "My place. Eight o'clock. PM. Next Saturday. If I don't see you on my doorsteps…" Hinata trailed off before rapidly reciting her address. She did it twice to make sure before hanging up. "The fucking bastard." She muttered under her breathe before looking at Sakura.
Sakura was in a state of shock. Hinata cussed and she was "rude." "No fucking way," Sakura whispered in awe.
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It was girl's weekend out and Hinata was not looking forward to it. This time they were going to the next town over for some weekend festival. Hinata glared at the suitcase as she zipped it close.
"This better be worthwhile." She said.
Someone knocked on her door. Annoyed, Hinata walked out her bedroom to the door. Seriously, Temari had a problem. She needed to stop coming earlier than she planned to. It was damn annoying sometimes.
"You're early and I'm not even rea-" Hinata stopped once she realized who was at the door. "Oh it's you." Hinata then proceeded glaring at the person fouling her place of living. Said person pushed his way in.
"You haven't been answering your phone."
"I haven't gotten any calls!" Hinata said making a beeline for her phone. "I can even show you, Sasuke." Sasuke's name was said in a mocking manner. She found her phone and shoved it in Sasuke's face. "See?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I see a phone that isn't on."
Hinata looked at her phone and blushed. "Oh. I'm sorry."
"You should be," Sasuke said.
"I have some place to go; may I help you in anyway?" Hinata asked politely. She really wanted to take her garden pruners and decapitate Sasuke.
"We can't make it so I'm changing it to two weeks from today on Sunday." Sasuke said before walking past Hinata. "And we'll be here at twelve noon. Naruto wanted me to invite you to a shopping spree at Konoha's Mall next week Saturday." Sasuke left her apartment not caring at all if Hinata was okay with the change in plans.
Hinata eyes were twitching as she walked back to her room. She face-planted on to her bed and muttered, "Jerk monkey."
It sounded way better than jerk duck and she couldn't have said jerk chicken. That was a name of a food and she couldn't insult such a tasty sustenance!
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Hinata was getting ready for yet another night in the town the girls—being Temari, Ino, Sakura, and Tenten—chose for their girl's weekend. These occurrences happened on a monthly basis and had those who were married—Ino and Tenten—husbands disgruntled. Dealing with Shino and Neji before and after girl's weekend was a trying experience for Hinata, being as she had to work with one and was best friend to another. Although, she had avoided Neji all week so as not to talk to him—and would continue doing so next week—and that Shino was away on a business trip, this time it wasn't bad.
But still these girl's weekend, although fun, was really making it hard to have some alone time for herself. Every weekend she had to visit the Hyuuga mansion to appease her father and other family members, and every week night was spent with the company of her girl pals, boy pals, relatives, or work. She had no "me" time and the last time she did was in high school. Hinata needed a break. It had been years since she had one and now she had to go look for a husband now to give her father grandkids. Although treated like a son, if Neji were to get kids it would not be the same as having grandkids from the children of your own loins. Hinata snorted at the thought.
"Yo, Hinata! Get your ass out now! I know you're ready!" Temari said as she knocked on Hinata's door.
"I'm coming," Hinata said putting her earrings on and grabbing her purse before walking out the door.
Temari greeted her with a smile. "Now you get to suffer with me and Tenten as we wait for Sakura and Ino to finish get ready."
Hinata groaned. "They're still not ready?"
"When have they ever been ready on time?" Temari asked as she led the way to Sakura's room where both females were getting ready together as usual.
"I knew I should have soaked in that hot spring longer," Hinata said looking in the direction of the hot springs with regret. This was their last night at the hot springs hotel and she had to leave early tomorrow to take care of some loose ends at the company.
"You and me both," Temari said shaking her head. "You and me both."
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Hinata was lost. She didn't know how it happened, she just knew that Temari, Tenten, Ino, and Sakura was right in front of her a while ago and had seemed to disappear in thin air.
Hinata mumbled an apology as she bumped into the stranger.
"Of course you never watch where you're going," came the voice of the stranger.
Hinata blushed looking up and saw that it was Sasuke. "Sa-Sa-Sasuke what are you doing here?"
"Enjoying the festival," Sasuke said in an 'is-it-not-obvious' tone of voice.
Hinata looked down embarrassed.
"Sasuke! You almost got separated from me!" came Naruto's boisterous voice.
"The horror," Sasuke's voice was filled with sarcasm.
Hinata gave a little laugh before Sasuke scowled at her.
"Hinata what brings you here?" Naruto asked giving me a hug.
Hinata became redder than a tomato. "I'm with my friends to-to enjoy the festival."
Naruto nodded his head satisfied and then looked around. "So where are your friends? I want to meet them."
"I-I lost them in-in the crowd." Hinata said once again searching the crowds for bright pink hair.
"Oh. Well you can hang with us!" Naruto said excited as he dragged Hinata to the nearest ride which was a roller coaster that Hinata had avoided successfully so far. "Sasuke wouldn't ride with me on this ride." Naruto looked and whispered—quite loudly, "I think he's scared."
Sasuke slapped the back of Naruto's head. "I'm not scared Dobe. I just don't want to go."
Naruto rubbed his sore head and grumbled, "I know you're a big scaredy cat and don't want to ride any of the rides because of it."
Sasuke glared at him before standing in line to the roller coaster. Hinata glared at Sasuke as he glared at Naruto. Great, just great, now she had to go on the roller coaster, if only to be able to sit next to Naruto. Hopefully, Naruto would get impatient with the long wait. Hopefully.
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Hinata didn't get to sit next to Naruto but she did get to sit next to Sasuke. And Naruto sat next to a girl who kept sprouting facts about the roller coaster, which she only knew about the deaths and accidents that occurred. Before the ride started, Hinata was whimpering until, which she was still shocked about, Sasuke gave her a comforting pat on her hand.
They were now walking around the area. Hinata suddenly ran for a cart that was selling cotton candy and ice cream.
Hinata was ecstatic. It was rare for her to get sweets due to her demanding job. "I'll take vanilla ice-cream and a cotton candy bag."
The young man gave her a smile. "Give me a kiss and it's free."
Hinata looked at the guy dumbfounded. "Wh-what?"
Sasuke had stopped by the cart in time to hear that. He turned and glared at the boy and said in one of his coldest voices, "She'll only be kissing one person here."
Hinata looked at Sasuke flabbergasted and the young man quickly handed Hinata's order before dragging his cart elsewhere. Sasuke continued to glare at him.
"Oh man! The cart's leaving!" Naruto kindly pointed out as he finally emerged from the crowd.
"Let's go." Sasuke said walking away.
"What?" Naruto screamed running after him. "Speak up! It's loud and I can't hear you."
Hinata numbly followed along, secretly enjoying her snacks. "B-but we didn't pay."
"And?" Sasuke asked herding Hinata and Naruto to a decent spot.
"Where are we going now?" Naruto asked looking longingly at the ramen stand he spotted.
"Hn."
"I don't know. Sasuke's pushing us somewhere."
"Can I get some ramen? Please Sasuke!" Naruto begged with tears forming in his eyes and holding a fat frog purse that looked oddly sad, next to his face.
Hinata watched, as Sasuke seemed to survey his surroundings.
"Do what you want dobe but this chick and I are going to that hill right there." Sasuke said the last part slowly and pointed in the direction of a hill surrounded by trees.
That chick? If Hinata was not enjoying her ice-cream, she would have thrown it at his crotch so that there would be a stain. People would have laughed and enjoyed that. Hinata looked at the hill. That's kinda far to be going to look at fireworks.
In no time, they reached the spot Sasuke chose. Hinata plopped onto the grass.
"So-" Hinata began.
"Stay here." Sasuke said and disappeared.
Hinata gaped at the spot where Sasuke should have been standing. "Why you no good son of a-son of a-" Hinata didn't want to insult Sasuke's mother. It couldn't be her fault for the disastrous outcome that would be Sasuke. Hinata contemplated whether she should move from her spot to find her friends and face Sasuke's wrath or just stay put like the good girl she was. This was Sasuke. Of course she was going to move.
Hinata stood up just as there was a big boom. Hinata screamed at the top of her lungs and quickly dropped to the ground in a fetal position. There were a couple of booms before Hinata realized that nobody was throwing grenades and bombs at her for the sheer hell of it. She slowly got up and realized that those bombs were fireworks. Hinata stared at the sky dumbfounded. What on earth made her think that the booms she heard were bombs? Oh yea, she thought it was Sasuke's wrath in full force. Speaking of the devil...where was-
"Boo." She heard behind her. Hinata quickly jumped up and kicked the person in the face—all while screaming at the top of her lungs again.
The sound of laughter penetrated her terror-induced mind.
"Sasuke you were just kicked in the face!" Naruto laughed out holding his stomach before he fell to the ground.
Sasuke?
Hinata looked down at the person holding their face and sure enough the telltale signs that characterized Sasuke made themselves known. Hinata was even more scared.
She kneeled next to Sasuke's side trying to remove his hands. "Sasuke I'm so-so sorry! I didn't know it was you! I'm sorry please let me make it up to you!"
Sasuke calmly removed his hands, glared in Naruto's direction, who quickly stopped laughing, and looked at Hinata dead in the eye. "You will make it up to me."
"Y-y-y-yes," Hinata answered although it was more of a demand than a question.
"Good. Now both of you keep still, shut up, and watch the fireworks." Sasuke said glaring at the fireworks.
Both Hinata and Naruto quickly did what Sasuke demanded.
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"Hey where did Hinata go?" Tenten asked looking around for said girl.
The others shrugged, too mesmerized by the fireworks.
"She's probably at the hotel already. She did say she have to leave early." Temari replied.
"True. I wonder why though." Tenten said offhandedly.