Fairless Love

CHAPTER THREE: THE IMPOSSIBLE

I didn't show up at the training grounds the next day. Or the day after that. Or the one after that. I hated him, I never wanted to see his face again. I don't think I would have ever shown up at training again- I could easily train on my own, like I had been doing for the past days- had it not been for Neji showing up at my house two weeks after my strike began.

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I was in my room, reading when I heard the door bell ring. I didn't think much of it then, thinking it was just a friend of mom's.

"Tenten?! Neji's at the door for you!!"

That caught me off guard. I asked her what she said, and she replied saying the exact same thing. Damn it. That asshole! The nerve he must have if he thinks I would ever want to talk to him. I couldn't believe he was here. I considered just sneaking out of my window, but my mother already knew I was in here. So I did the only thing I could think of, I put on what I hoped was a cold face and went down the freaking stairs. If the cold shoulder didn't work, I was screwed.

During the time I wouldn't show up at training, there were no missions. Which was excellent for me, but even if there was I don't even know if I would go. I might've just ditched it. But there weren't any so I had all this time to myself.

Usually I would have trained with Neji all day. But I was on strike. I know that just because he was flirting that one time with Sakura, it didn't give me the right to just ditch practice, but over the past two weeks I had figured out other reasons to not go, such as, working me too hard. Some days, when we trained, we would train all day long, from five in the morning until twelve at night or until I passed out, which ever came first. Then we would do the same thing tomorrow.

Sure, I loved to train. I loved it almost as much as Rock Lee, it was hard for me not to show up. I would tell myself that the next day I would go to the training grounds at the regular time and see if he was there, but then I would see him with Sakura, and the things they did made me want to slap Sakura and kiss him.

I've seen him around the village with Sakura, always flirting. He would intertwine their fingers, or he would whisper in her ear. Several times, I could have sworn that he would glimpse in my direction, smirk and then weave his arm around Sakura's waist, or kiss her cheek, making white-hot fury bubble underneath my skin. Like he was almost trying to make me jealous.

I just couldn't fucking believe it. What. An. Asshole. Screw him.

I dragged my unwilling feet down the stairs of hell. Muttering to myself about how shitty this was the entire way. My eyes narrowed as soon as I laid my eyes on his face. But I still got that warm feeling throughout my body.

Mom probably went back to the kitchen or wherever, but she wasn't there so it was just me and the traitor who never knew he was loyal. Leaning against the railing I attempted to show a bored, careless look, even though both sorrow and anger lurked beneath my skin. Resisting the urge to yell at him I said in a cocky yet calm manner, "Do you want to go sit in the living room?"

He said 'yes' and I led him past the kitchen and to the spacious sitting area where he sat on the couch, while I stretched out on the love seat. Not wasting any time, he got straight to the point, "Tenten, why haven't you been showing up at practice?"

I was about to tell him off, that I didn't give a shit about him and what he did with Sakura anymore, but stopped myself just in time because I remembered that he didn't actually know I was mad at him, or that I was unwillingly in love with him, or the reason I wasn't going to practice. Apparently Neji didn't know a lot of things.

He stared at me, waiting for my answer. Crap. I needed to think of an excuse, fast. Um…I had my period? No. To personal. Shit. My mind whirling, I said the first okay-ish thing that came to my head.

"Does it really matter to you Neji? It's not like you actually care, you just want to know why I haven't been training with you."

What?! Did that even make sense? Isn't that just what he said in the first place?

"Look Tenten, you can't keep skipping out on training. I- Lee and Gai have been worried about you.

"I haven't been not training," I retorted, "I can train on my own you know."

"Hmph," He said, rolling his eyes, "Watever, just come to practice tomorrow or you'll be a weak link on our next mission."

And then he just left. I let out an exasperating sigh and rubbed my temples. Why'd he even care? What just happened to my 'sparring partner abuse' excuse? Why? Why did I always have to screw up around Neji? What happened to my cold shoulder? I have serious issues.

Walking back through the hallway I saw a piece of paper taped to the front door. Ten digits were written neatly on it- a phone number. Underneath the number, in the same elegant script was a small message, Call me. I stared the number then read the message, then I would look over the number again and re- read the message. What the hell is this? I thought. Was this some kind of sick joke? Rolling my eyes I was about to tear up the stupid note when a thought sprung into my head.

What if this wasn't just some joke? Maybe someone really did want me to call them? I studied the number on the paper again. But even if it wasn't a trick who could've put the note there? The only person that had been in the house that wasn't a family member was- No. Impossible. There was no way. Was there?

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Clutching the note in my hand, I ran up to my room and snatched my cell phone from my desk. Sitting on my bed, I brought up my Contact List, and scrolled down to the H section. And when I found Neji's number I compared it to the one on the sheet of paper. They were the same.

After selecting his number, I hit the tiny green button with shaking fingers and held the phone to my ear. It began to ring, once, twice…I hung up. Trying and failing to swallow the lump in my throat, nervous thoughts ran in and out of my mind. This had to be a trick. No way would Neji want me to call him. Would he? But what about Sakura? Did he know? About me, liking him? The thought made me feel nauseous, I wanted him to know…but at the same time I didn't. He likes Sakura…So what if he finds out? Won't it just get all awkward and weird?

I placed the phone on my bedside table and lay back in my bed, closing my eyes and envisioning me and Neji as a couple. The pictures come easily to my head. Him and me, holding hands, hugging…kissing. But then I got one of those occasional feelings that make me think that the images in my head are so wrong, so out of place that I don't love him, maybe I really don't, maybe this is all just a messed up dream, and the pictures shatter from my mind…and of course, as always it only lasts a few seconds, so I am soon seeing us together again.

If he really wants to tell me something, it can wait until tomorrow. But am I going to training tomorrow? Probably, I decided, I missed it. So I gathered all my scrolls and weapons and set them up in a neat pile by the door. Despite my anger and jealousy I found myself animated to go back training, I wondered how far behind I was…never mind animation, I was going to get my ass kicked.

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I woke up at five o' clock in the morning the next day, groggy and sleep-drunken. As I washed my face and tied up my hair, I thought about that note…Did Neji really want to tell me something? Or did I just narrowly avoid embarrassing myself? Regardless of everything I was wishing it was something romantic. Maybe he wanted to tell me he loved me too…Like that would happen. But I can dream right? It's all about him and Sakura now. Hmph. Either way, I would find out today.

Excited to see what would happen when I got there, I stepped down the same stairs I called hell yesterday, almost giddy. But when I arrived, there was almost no sound. Just the wind. There were no battle cries from Lee, and no sounds of Neji's palms striking the wooden posts over and over again. And when I steped out from the edge of the opening where I was, I didn't see Neji meditating, or Lee doing push-ups. There was no one there.

I bet this is a test. Either someone's gonna jump out at me as an ambush or…they're somewhere on the grounds pretending to be 'captured'

Instinctively jumping to a defensive position, I wandered the field waiting for an attack. Then, only partially surprising me, hands wrapped around my eyes, blocking off my sight. Wasting no time I thrust my elbow back hitting my captor's stomach, getting only a small grunt in return. I grabbed his or her index finger and yanked away from my face and spun around twisting the person's arm in the process so that my opponent's arm (who I now saw was of course, Neji) was pinned to his back.

Hah. I thought you insult me by saying I'll be a weak link, and now look: I've finally beaten you. I thought for sure that I had won. But then he took his leg and wove it around mine, and pulled forward, sending me to the ground. The ground hit my back hard, knocking the breath out of me. As if to say 'I won, you didn't.' he pinned my arms by my sides and straddled my waist.

I gasped quietly. It was a victorious gesture… but there was something about it. Something almost….almost flirtatious. "What did you do that for?"

"You attacked me. I had to defend myself." I stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which, it kind of was.

He didn't say anything afterwards, but he didn't move either. I was about to ask him what he was doing on top of me and if he would get off, and decided against it in the end- even though he might not enjoy this, I did. It was silent.

And then the impossible happened.

"I know." He said, "I know you have feelings for me Tenten, admit it."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. My mouth was dry and my body was numb. How? When? This was impossible! Completely, utterly impossible. He gave me a well-known smirk, "and you didn't call me either. Why?" Oh jeez. And I thought yesterday was hell. I should've told him to get off. Now I was freaking trapped.

THEN, the sky fell down.

"Speechless," he said in a monotone voice, and then in the most casual voice I had ever heard him use, "So I'll pick you up at six okay?" They he left. He got up, and walked away. Leaving me, on the ground, staring up at the sky… wondering, what the hell just happened?

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Oh my god. "I'll pick you up at six." He'd pick me up at six. Oh Kami. I was going on date with Neji Hyuuga. The Neji Hyuuga. Yes!

Oh Kami. I was going on a date with Neji Hyuuga. The genius, Neji Hyuuga. Oh No.

Millions of questions jammed into my brain, all at once, automatically giving me a pounding headache. It was a good thing I knew a person who could immediately give me all the answers.

FIN.

OOH!!! He found out!! Well obviously. I know…this story's so predictable!! I'm sorry….Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. And boo you to everyone who hasn't. Just Kidding. But seriously. Please review.