A/N: Here's what you need to know before reading:
1) This is just revamp of this story.
2) Currently, I have no plans to continue it.
3) Enjoy!
Happy Hour
Chapter Three
Sakura sat there as her friends laughed at her, well, mostly Ino and Tenten. Hinata had a small smile on her apologetic face. Sighing, she thought they would never stop. After a good few minutes, the laughing ceased.
"Sakura, you have the best stalker stories," said Ino earnestly.
"Yeah, all the best stories always happen when I'm scheduled to work," she retorted dryly.
"So, what else happen last night?" Tenten asked. "Any bar fights?"
"As a matter of fact, there was a fight! Oh man, you should have seen it. There was blood everywhere. Guess what the subject of the fight was about? Shiny hair," Sakura said, trying to keep a straight face. She could see her friends laughing their heads off.
Wiping a tear from her eye, Ino tried to speak between the giggles. "Shiny hair?"
"Yes, the whole damn fights was about 'shiny hair'!"
"You've got to be kidding," Tenten stated. The petal head girl shook her head. "Okay, it's official, men are definitely the stupidest creatures on earth!"
"Calm down. If you thought that was stupid, you should have seen what they were doing to each other. One of them was holding a chair and the other was holding a candlestick, right."
"Whoa, hold on, where did they get the candlestick?" Inquired Ino.
"From the walls," Sakura answered simply. "Anyway, they were armed with a chair and a candlestick. Did you know what they did next? Oh my gosh, it was so hilarious! First, the man bash the other one to the wall and he lived! The was no blood at that point, but then the one on the ground got up and charged at his opponent, and they crashed into each other shouting about 'Youth' and stuff. After that, the tall one punched the other, that's when the blood began to fall, and knocked himself out! It was the most bizarre fight I've ever saw! And did you know what else?" Sakura shuddered. "One of them asked me for a date!"
"What did you say?" Ino asked eagerly. The cherry blossom gave her a 'where the hell have you been' look.
"Of course I declined." A stiff giggle escaped Hinata's lips. Men, they always do weird things. People have often say the most complex species on earth are humans; they couldn't be more right. Humans are hard to understand. Their emotions, the way they think, how they communicate, it's all bewildering. Although men and women are the same species, they would never understand each other. They are two different genders and have different ways of living.
Currently, they were at the mall. It was a Saturday and since they had nothing better to do, they decided to do some shopping. After hours of walking in and out of many stores, they decided to rest their feet at the food court. It was a typical girl's day until they heard someone interrupt them.
"Excuse me," they heard from behind. They all turned around and faced the speaker. Standing there was the 'stalker' Sakura was talking about. Up close, they could see a big bruise on his left cheek and white bandages wrapped around his fingers to his mid-arm. Both with her mouths hanging open to argue with each other, Sakura and Ino collected themselves and tried to be 'civil' in front of their 'stalker'.
"Um, hi," Sakura answered meekly. Her eyebrow twitched slightly as he came a bit closer, making her swarm. Tenten had her guard up, ready to pound the life out of him if he made any sudden move. Sitting next to Sakura, Ino slid her chair close to Hinata. It was worse enough to meet the 'stalker' face to face, now, he was 'talking' to them. Her sapphire orbs were glued on him. He better think twice before laying a hand on her best friend.
"My name is Rock Lee!" He said with a wide smile accompanied by a wink. The girls stared at him like he was a nut out of the asylum. First, he looks over at them and practically 'stalk' them, and now he's telling them his name. His cartoon eyes were on Sakura the whole time, but she didn't make a move. Sure, this guy was weird but she kind of felt sorry for him after the way he was treated yesterday. Giving him a nervous smile, Sakura managed to recover a little from shock.
"N-nice to meet you," said Sakura. The smile was still on her face, but she didn't know whether to scream or brush him off. Glancing other at Tenten, she could see that she was ready to strike. Stalker or no stalker, this guy was creeping them all out. They wondered how long it would take for him to run before Tenten's wrath gets unleshed. All they had to do was wait to see what he'll do next. Hopefully, it won't be anything stupid. Keyword: hope.
The four females stared at the figure in front of them, not daring to move. The look on Tenten's eyes would kill him in an instant if he stayed there any longer than he already has. Warily, Ino and Hinata watched him, making sure that their pink haired friend was safe. Sitting in their chairs, only one question came across their minds: What the hell did he want? The real question to ask is: Was he a stalker? From the looks of it, the guy, who introduced himself as Rock Lee, didn't seem to be dangerous. The looks were a dead give away, especially the goofy smile had and his lame pose.
Still standing there, Rock Lee held his breath as he looked at Sakura. Her body was tilting away from him slightly like he has some kind of a disease. The look of terror was on her tired face with a mix of shock and uneasiness. Right now, she wanted to be anywhere but here. She was in public and this guy over here is a bit weird. She had met him last night, but it was only because she was the bartender and had to get the ambulance for the stupid fight. She did it out of concern. Yeah, concern for her job and the safety of the people in the bar. It was some any person would do, if they had a heart that is.
"What is your name if I might ask," Lee exclaimed loud enough to catch the attention of the bystanders. Thinking, the words: 'Somebody, shoot me' came to mind. It's embarrassing enough to have someone like him walk up to her now, he was asking for her name. Sucking in a breath, she replied with her nickname.
"I'm Blossom," Sakura said with a smile.
"Yosh! Blossom, will you go out with me?" His white teeth made a 'pinging' noise as he gave her a wide grin. Eyes darted from one pair to another. Only the sounds of people munching on their food and children laughing and chatting can be audible from the awkward silence they all held. A second past, then another and another. Lee stood there with his smile still radiating, waiting for the girl's answer. The pink headed girl was the most beautiful person he had ever saw in his life.
"I'm sorry, but I-" Sakura managed out.
"She's already seeing someone," Ino interrupted. Whipping her head to her friend, Sakura gave her a 'what' look. With a fake smile on her face, Ino kept to her act hoping her friends would play along. "Blossom, don't go cheating on your price charming now," the blonde discreetly urged.
Inwardly, Sakura was yelling 'What prince charming?' Plastering an awfully fake smile on her surprised face, Sakura turned to Lee."I'm sorry, but I am seeing someone," she stressed. Looking up, she could see the male in front of her still smiling. His presence was starting to get to her. He got an answer and now he was showing no signs of leaving. What is with this guy?
"But I-"
"She is very happy-" Tenten added.
"I wasn't going-"
"So, you can leave now." Ino finished.
"I will protect you-"
"She's not interested," Tenten said loudly.
"So, this means-"
"Yes, it does." nodded Tenten.
"Well, excuse us for being rude, but we must get going!" Without letting the chance to let him say anything further, Ino pulled Sakura up along with Hinata with her other free hand. Tenten stood up and pushed her chair in, leaving Rock Lee there as he watches them depart to the other side of the food court. The smile soon faded and his head slumped down in defeat. He got rejected.
"I can't believed we just did that," Sakura exclaimed walking between the tables and chairs being careful not to bump into anyone.
"We had to get away from him! Did you see the way he looked at us?" The blonde shuddered. "His face so read 'stalker'!"
"I would have kick his ass if tried to touch any of you guys," assured Tenten, cracking her knuckles for effect.
"Yeah, don't forget the time where there was that 'guy' who wanted your phone number, Forehead Girl." The two were going at it until Hinata interrupted them.
"Y-you guys, please don't yell so loud."
"Stop acting like five year olds and hurry up. We have to get ready for work."
"Tenten, relax, its only noon," Ino stated. "Oh, we didn't eat lunch! Hinata, what are you going to cook for us today?"
"I-I think we need to go to the store. I was think along the lines of Thai cuisine," Hinata said thoughtfully.
"All right! Thai food it is!" The blonde cheered joyfully.
"Now, who is it that needed to relax?" Tenten gave Ino a smirk.
"Yeah, whatever."
"I would have-Oof" The pink headed girl stopped in her tracks. Her head was thrown back from the impact in front of her. Regaining her balance she looked up and found herself staring into a pair of obsidian eyes. The only thought that was running through Sakura's mind was, "Oh crap!"
Sakura was lost in a sea of black. No words came out of Sakura's 'o' shaped mouth. Breathlessly, she kept on looking at the figure in front of her. Her slightly glossy lips would have been hanging out wider if she hadn't felt a nudge at her side. Snapping back into reality, Sakura saw Ino beside her giving her a 'Hello?' look. She recollected herself and blinked a few times to come out of her daze.
"I am sorry," Sakura managed to whisper, not daring to look in his eyes. Instead, she cast her emerald orbs above his right shoulder and had a friendly smile on her face. Darting them at back at the guy, she blinked several times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. The raven haired male gave her a look and walked straight pass her petite frame with his hands in his charcoal slacks as he headed toward the crowd of shoppers.
Sakura gave out a sigh. That kind guy would probably have a supermodel for girlfriend. The mute act was killing his socializing skills, but then again, his looks topped that. Working at bar, she knew first hand that men usually had trouble in the socializing department. She was the bartender and would serve the drinks and make small talk. Let's just say, nine out of the ten times, the men would only want the alcohol rather than a conversation.
Bar-tending could be a fun job if you know how to work it. Besides knowing how to mix drinks, they were also required to have a vast knowledge on alcohol. Mixing drinks was usually a tricky business. You flip some bottles every now and then, and do a little shake there, but that's just a show. The number one skill set a bartender would need to possess was charm; the second, confidence.
Sakura's hand slapped on her forehead. 'Yeah, I was so confident,' she thought, knowing that she had made a complete fool of herself by letting her mouth hang open like some fat kid drooling over a delicious moist chocolate cake. He probably thought she was flirting with him by just blinking.
Turning around, she wondered why her friends were all silent. When she came to, Ino, Tenten, Hinata were giving her a weird stare. Sakura tilted her head and saw the guy she bumped into was long gone. She gave out another sigh as Ino clear her throat, waiting for an explanation. Sakura raised a brow in bewilderment.
"That guy was so good looking!" Ino exclaimed. The brunette standing beside her rolled her eyes.
"Give it a rest, Ino."
"His eyes were so dreamy!"
"We have to get some lunch remember?"
"Hold your horses, Tenten. It's not like we didn't eat breakfast."
"But it was you who-"
"Then again, it's not like we would run into a hunk like that at the mall."
"Ino!"
"What? Its true though. I saw that look you gave him, Forehead Girl." Sakura's frown deepen.
"What look? I was looking somewhere else when I spoke to him!"
"Oh, somewhere else, eh?"
"Stop being perverted INO-PIG!" The pink haired girl pointed her index finger at the blonde.
"If it wasn't for me, you would have drooled a gallon of saliva at our feet!"
"I didn't drool!"
"Did too!"
"Did NOT!"
"Did TOO!"
"Did NOT!"
"Did TOO!"
"Did-"
"All right! That's enough for one day!" yelled Tenten at a reasonable volume. A few looks were shooting their way, but glare from the girl in buns made the shoppers averted their gaze. Acting like eight year olds, the two girls folded their arms in front of their chest, refusing to talk or feel the wrath of their 'referee'.
"Um, let's go grocery shopping then," suggested Hinata with a small smile on her face. Heading to the exit, the three girls followed behind to buy the ingredients for their lunch.
"Ooo, can we get this?"
"We're here to buy groceries, not junk food Ino!"
"But it's been so long since I had these!" The female pouted as she held up a bag of potato chips.
"No."
"Come on, girl, I know you've been wanting to eat some!"
"No."
"Why not? They are crispy, crunchy, and salty, and they're sour cream and cheddar!"
"I said 'no', Ino."
"But Sakura."
"Don't 'but Sakura' me."
"Ten-Ten, Sakura's being mean to me!"
"I'm at the aisle next to you guys. Don't need to yell, sheesh!"
"Sorry," They both chorused.
"Hey, what is that?" Ino pointed accusingly at the bag behind the cherry blossom.
"It's just-"
"Aha! I knew it! You were going to buy these, you sneak!"
"I was just thinking about it!"
"Yeah, right!"
"Ino, give it back here!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Ino, give me back my bag of cookies! Its been forever since we had some. I KNOW you want them. How can you resist the white and milk chocolate chip cookies with a tall glass of ice cold milk?"
"Ah, fine, fine," the girl said in defeat. "But if you get to buy cookies, I want to buy these chips." Sakura nodded and went over to Hinata and Tenten. Standing at the seafood section, Hinata held up two bags of shrimp.
"I don't know if you guys want jumbo shrimp or just regular shrimp," The Hyuuga Heiress tilted the bags on each hand like a balance. In the shopping cart was a bag of bean spouts, carrots, eggs, soy sauce, peanuts, a package of dried rice noodles, clusters of garlic and other herbs and spices.
"Just pick whatever you feel like cooking, Hinata. You're a great cook. You can make anything look good, even eggplants. Now that takes talent." Hinata blushed at the compliment Tenten gave her. She knew she had good culinary skills, but didn't picture herself to be a master chef.
"Hey you guys!" Turning, they saw the other girls putting more items into the cart. Chips, cookies, orange soda, and now ice cream.
"Ice cream," Tenten raised a brow. "You do know we have a show to perform tonight."
"I know, but it's fat free, see!" The golden haired girl pointed at the label.
"And it's sherbet, not ice cream!" added Sakura.
"Okay, okay."
"Are we done yet?" questioned Ino. Deciding to pick quality over quantity, Hinata set the bag of tiger pawns down into the cart.
"Yeah, we're done." With a smile, they all headed down the aisle to pay for the groceries.
The oil in the wok sizzled as Hinata placed in the chopped up garlic cloves and chili. Taking a pair of chopsticks, she moved the pile around in the oil and turned the heat down a bit. Soon the air was filled with the aroma that will fill the room, making the whole apartment smell like you are in a real restaurant.
"Are you two done shelling the prawns yet?"
"Yes, we are!" Sakura shouted. Throwing in the last of the prawns into a bowl, she handed it to Hinata. "Here."
"Thank you," she said, taking it over to the stove.
The cool liquid poured out of the faucet as Sakura rubbed her hands underneath, dried them and went into the living room. Tenten took the filmy shells of the raw shrimp and threw them all in the garbage before any of the cats in the building decide to come and eat lunch at their window. Squeezing the lemon-scented soap, she started to cleanse her hands from the smell and bacteria. After rising them clean, she joined Sakura and Ino in the living room, drying her hands with a paper towel. Music came from the television set as Tenten saw the pair of girls singing along.
Don't wanna be like
Every other girl in the world
Like every other one who wants you
Cuz when I see you something inside me burns
And then I realize I wanna come first
I wanna come first
I wanna come first
The song ended and a commercial about a show came up. The two singers were laughing like crazy as they sat down from their little performance.
"I see you two are having fun," Tenten stated.
"Is lunch ready yet?"
"Geez, Ino, do you think about anything else besides food?"
"Oh, be quiet Forehead Girl. You know you want to eat Hinata's cooking. She's the best!"
"Of course!"
Tenten made her way to the couch and sat down to relax and watch some television. Ino flipped the channels to see if there was any good music videos to sing along with. It was something they would all do every chance they get. Singing was something they enjoyed to do besides bartending, not that giving alcohol to people and intoxicating them was a good thing to do.
Sakura sat there with her eyes closed and her legs swung on top of the coffee table. A little yawn escaped from her lips and just half the day have gone by. She was napping alright and they know why. It was a rough night or morning some would say. The sky was dark, but it was way past midnight, making it the mark of the next day. They all live their life mostly awake at night and most of the morning, and sleeping through the afternoon and in the early evenings, then go to work. That's the life of a bartender.
All the windows were closed except for the ones in the kitchen to let all of the steam from the stove out. A little breeze from the air conditioner flown in their faces and around the living room as they waited for lunch. Inside the kitchen, Hinata worked hard to prepare for her friends. Cooking was a hobby she love to do when had the time from her busy schedule. She took classes when she was in high school and exceeded the expectations of the teachers. Cooking was a passion of hers. It was something to do to get her mind off things, especially if your family isn't perfect. But now, she just cooks for the fun of it. After cooking the numerous meals, she can't help but blushes every time they compliment her. They were her friends after all. If they want her to cook, she would gladly do it without hesitation.
The last of the rice noodles were dished out onto the serving plate. Bright orange striped tiger prawns were gracefully placed on top of the noodles mixed with bean sprouts, thin slices of carrots, flakes of chili, and eggs. Finishing it up, she sprinkled some crushed peanuts over the dish for a bit of crunch. Hinata took the plate over to the table once she was satisfied with the presentation, along with other dishes she had made. And before she can say 'lunch is served', Sakura, Ino, and Tenten were already sitting in their seats. A family that eats together, stays together. Hinata smiled brightly and sat down in her own chair as she laid her dishes onto the center of the table.
Without wasting another second, they all exclaimed "Let's eat!" and dug in hungrily.
Thank you for reading!