Thanks for the alerts and favourites! I feel better getting just one review, so thanks to HidaKakuFangirl for providing me with one. :) I'm having more fun writing this story than my others, so I don't mind too much about the lack of reviews, either. :D

I'm having a lot of trouble picking a summary which shows the plot of the story, so a warning that it might be changing until I'm happy with it. Sorry.

Warnings? Just like I mentioned last chapter, swearing. Some lesbian hints, as well. You'll know what I mean.

Enjoy.

—CHAPTER FOUR—
In A Pickle

I thought myself a fool.

If it was any other teenager who had to attend school, they most likely would have jumped at the chance to stay home, with criminals or not. But, me, well... I wanted to go to school, and not just because I wanted to get as far away from them as possible, but because I seriously wanted to learn.

I had a goal to be a massage therapist, and at the time, my parents had offered to support me so that I could study at a University somewhere else when I finally graduated. I decided to stick to my goal, putting aside the fact that my parents were no longer with me.

The Akatsuki were furious as it was when I sprung the rules on them, but for the rest of the night I had received glares that would have set me on fire if they had been allowed to hurt me. It was because after I informed Pein that I had to attend school, their anger intensified, which I honestly couldn't understand at the time.

I found out soon after that they feared I'd run off and tattle tale on them. The thought hadn't occurred to mind, to be frank. And I had to once again remind them—while also shuddering underneath the intense glower Hidan was sending me—that no one would believe me anyway. I had half expected to cry but I found my eyes clear of tears or any signs of it.

The conversation with Pein next was... something I couldn't remember. The only thing I could recall was the outcome; that, yes, I could go to school, but I had to come straight home afterwards. For Pete's sake, he was acting like my...

The event still scarred me, somehow. We still spoke before the rest of the cohort, and I did manage to keep conscious but... maybe that was it. I was able to force myself to keep awake as I spoke, that afterwards all my body really wanted to remember from the experience was the fact that I was allowed to return. It was stupid, really, having to ask for permission.

He didn't seem thrilled, either.

But that wasn't why I thought myself a fool. It was because I was stupid enough to actually say 'yes'. I lamented my decision every minute of every hour afterwards; while I sat and listened to Pein giving out orders and room placements, as I almost puppet-like told them that food here was different, while I was forced to cook dinner with Zetsu practically breathing down my neck as I sizzled the red meat, and finally when I dragged myself to the bathroom to brush my teeth and then be pushed out by Hidan who wanted the bloody mirror.

It was odd.

I found no enjoyment, whatsoever, in walking down the corridor and passing a fictional character throughout the day. I found no enjoyment in watching Tobi play with Fletcher (who was off limits to anybody to kill), and some of the members wandering about the house, testing things they didn't recognise during the day. I certainly felt no enjoyment when I entered my bedroom later that night, ready to go to bed and fervently praying that everything I experienced that day was just a horrid nightmare, only to see a certain blond Akatsuki member lounging on my bed, reading through my diary.

My face went red with anger, my hand gripping the golden handle so tightly that my nails scratched across the paint.

"What-what-what—what?" I stuttered. I felt my toes curl into the carpet in aggravation as he peered over my blue diary that was littered with gold and silver stars and raised an eyebrow at me.

"'W-what-what,'" he teased, rolling his eyes. "Kami, you're pathetic." And he went back to reading.

"Get out of my bed!" I screamed. When he didn't move, I grabbed Jubjub, my white unicorn teddy-bear, and chucked it at him. He blocked with my diary. "Get out! Get out! Get out of my room!"

"Look, you stupid bimbo," he growled, his blond eyebrows narrowed dangerously inwards. I froze, panic leaping up to my throat. "This is my room now, you got that?"

I scowled. "Over my dead body!"

We paused.

"In time," he seethed. I grew irritated, even more so.

"Just leave!"

"No."

"Get out, or I'll—I'll—"

"You'll what?" He leaned forward, his teeth bared. "You'll run away to Leader? You're too much of a coward to do even that, hmm."

"Arghh! I hate you!"

"The feeling is more than mutual!"

"Get out!" I shrilled, leaping forward and grabbing my diary from his grasp and throwing it away. I lurched for his wrists, but he quickly redirected my hands as he tried to push me off of him.

In the back of my mind, I wondered why he wasn't just adding chakra to his limbs to get rid of me, but in the flurry, I didn't think on it. All I wanted was for him to get out, so I continued to try and catch his arms so I could pull him off. Eventually I managed to grab one of his hands until his palm-mouth bit me. I yelped, feeling the blood seep out. I jumped back from the bed, breathing heavily.

"It's no wonder you fucking die!" I screamed.

There was a tense silence as my words died down, but I feared it was for two different reasons. Earlier that day, it was noted that what I knew of them could very easily occur still, but just at a different time. This stopped him to silence. But for me, I paused for a breath.

"You fight like a girl," I whispered.

I could see the effects of my sentences as his surprised, perhaps even sad, expression, morphed to anger. My only warning was the creaking of my bed before I was pushed against the wall, blue eyes flashing angrily above me as I gasped for air. There was a loud bang right next to my ear, and I glanced that way to see his fist flat against the plastered wall.

"You think you can just scream out how we're going to die? You think that, just because you know, you can spill all our secrets? What if I didn't want to know, hmm? You're not even a ninja! So don't even speak as though you're on par!" he yelled, his chest heaving to herd all the air to his lungs.

"What the hell is going on?"

Neither of us spoke. Both of us were breathing heavily, trying to get oxygen back to our brains so that we could think properly. I was vaguely aware of my dropped bottom lip as I stared into his angry, blue eyes, and as I shivered. His blond hair acted almost like a curtain as he towered over me, his arms just a little above either side my head.

Deidara was suddenly being pulled back and I released a shuddering breath as I stared at my bleeding hand. I bit my bottom lip, feeling goose bumps pop up all over my skin. He was so scary.

"What the hell were you doing, Deidara?" someone said.

"Nothing. I was doing nothing."

I could see him struggling to get out of the member restraining him, and I could definitely feel when he was glaring at me.

"That didn't look like it to me. You could have hurt her."

"He already did," another said.

A blue hand suddenly appeared in my view and pulled out my hand from my lap. I flinched, glancing up at the person, noticing it to be Kisame, before I inspected my hand. Deidara's bite mark was easily seen passed the running blood, as the punctures were a darker shade of red. Without waiting, he grabbed the end of my shirt and made to tear it.

"No. No," I protested, but he had already torn it and was busy dabbing up the blood.

"Leader isn't going to be happy," the other said. I recognised the voice to be Kakuzu's.

Deidara growled. "It was a petty bite wound, not a blown up arm."

"He said for her to not be wounded," Kisame reminded.

"Well, obviously that rule is getting to her head, hmm."

He was right. I had, for that moment, let my special position get to me.

"He's coming."

"And? I'm not afraid, hmm."

I heard Pein stop at the door, and I guessed that Konan was probably behind him. If there was anybody else, I wouldn't know. I was too scared to look up. Had I already pushed too far by pissing off one of their members?

Their voices were indiscernible, a smoky haze that made it impossible for me to catch what they were saying. I saw one of them approach me in my peripheral vision, their black nails standing out against their white skin and light blue carpet.

"Do you have anything for the wound?" It was Pein.

I numbly nodded.

"Dress it. Konan."

I slowly lifted myself off of the floor and staggered out the door. Konan followed behind me as I made my way further down the hallway, opposite direction to the stairs, and turned into the single bathroom. I switched the light on and paused at the mess.

The shower mat was still on the floor, soaked through. Two of the three towels that were usually hung up were now on the floor in a heap, also wet. And even though I was normally inclined to keep things clean, the sudden fact that I had to share the same bathroom with nine men unnerved me completely.

I was a seventeen year old girl. Single. Only two past boyfriends. And, admittedly, still a virgin. The thought of them even trying something was laughable though, as I knew they wouldn't commit anything of the sexual kind—or was my mind just saying that to reassure me? Was it beneath them to try?

Yes. Yes, it was.

They were murderers—if one can call it that considering all ninja would be murderers in that case—not rapists.

Still, the idea scared me.

Konan nudged me and I approached the sink, opening the window cupboard above it and pulling out some alcohol and cotton buds, then a coil of bandages. She gestured for me to sit on the edge of the bath and I did, clumsily holding everything in my hands since one of them was bleeding. I silently set to work with Konan helping me.

"We could hear everything being said downstairs," the only Akatsuki female said after a moment's silence. "Before, we had forgotten about where'd you sleep, as your house has so little but, the worst would be that you and Deidara would have to share the room."

I started at that, eyes wide. "I can't stand him. Please, someone else. Where are they all sleeping? I wasn't listening, before," I admitted.

Her lips pursed. "Myself and Pein are in your parents' bedroom—" I winced, "—Itachi, Kisame and Zetsu in the spare."

"Zetsu?" I interrupted.

An amused smile stretched across her lips. "Because he is a plant and spends much of his time in the ground, you'd assume he slept, say, in the flowerbed?"

"Yes," I said, blushing.

Then her face went blank. "Normally, he might. But, in our current situation..."

I frowned. "Current... situation?"

"That's classified."

"Has it got anything to do with why Sasori is human?" I asked.

"Ahh, so you noticed."

"I could feel his breath against my ear and his hands gripping my arms for who knows how long. He ate some of my Fruit Loops as well. How could I not notice?"

A grim smile matched her emotionless eyes. "You said... that we are an anomaly, that people like us don't exist in your own world." I nodded. "Then how could Sasori, a puppet, we learned, exist in a world such as this?"

I think I knew this was the case, but to hear it from her lips just made it seem so much more real. No doubt the former puppet master was pissed that he was now like this, but how did this affect the others? Chakra doesn't exist in this world either, at least not in the substance that they have circulating around their body.

I exhaled almost silently. "Zetsu..."

She nodded grimly. "It seems you have it figured, and quite fast too. Maybe the other members underestimate you." I almost flushed at the compliment. Konan sighed. "Barely a day here, and already the physics of this world is dampening our powers."

Hope fluttered in my chest. "H-How long...?"

Her blue eyes met my green ones. "Who knows? We would have thought that we'd lose everything we can do over a matter of time, but the knowledge that Sasori is human right now, and that Zetsu is currently getting affected as well, Pein and myself are a little... uncertain."

"And..." I mouthed 'Tobi' and flinched when her eyes narrowed.

"We'll have to get used to that," she remarked, frowning. She changed the subject. "Deidara had every reason to get angry. I do not know how he's portrayed to the fans of this world, considering I do know that a fans perception often differs from the real deal, but he is arrogant, and believe it or not, a temperamental child at heart."

Curiosity flooded me, as well as a sip of guilt. The fact that she could understand that about him when they probably hardly ever interacted, then again, Masashi could be wrong, was interesting. I wondered why.

"Be careful what you say," Konan reminded. "Some of us... may not always follow Pein's orders."

Hidan sprung to mind instantly. Sasori and Deidara mingled in the background, along with Zetsu and his hungry grin. I had a thought.

"If... something is happening to Zetsu, would he still eat... humans?" I whispered, feeling my chest clench.

"Are cannibals allowed here?"

My throat tightened. "Some people are, but... it's not exactly normal..."

"Then yes. He may very well still have the appetite for human flesh." She said it simply, like she was talking about the weather.

I swallowed with difficulty. "What sort of changes are you expecting of... him?"

"Why? What are you?"

"Are those... plant things a part of him?" I asked slowly.

"Whether they are or not, doesn't matter, does it?" Konan responded.

I fell silent, staring at my bandaged hand. The bite stung a little, thanks to the alcohol, but it wasn't too bad. I reached over and tossed the bloody strip of my shirt into the bin in the bathroom. I sighed as I grabbed the mat and wrung it out over the bath before tossing it over the top pole.

"Men," I muttered. Konan managed a smile, and I heard her put away the towels on the floor in their rightful place. "Am I supposed to be some maid?"

"Technically, you are the master of the house and we are merely guests," she replied. "You are no maid, but as what is depicted of the master, you are meant to satisfy your guests by fulfilling their needs." She peered over her shoulder. "Within reason, of course."

"But, who knows how long you'll be staying here," I protested. "Are you really my guests then?"

"We do not live here—"

"You do now." I was surprised how much it hurt me to say that.

Konan paused, her lips parted as she stared at me. "What's your name again?"

"Faye. Faye Ella Gomez."

"Ella?"

"Middle name."

"You have middle names?" she asked slowly, as though digesting the thought. "What's the purpose of that?"

I shrugged as I grabbed the towel which was already in the holder and folding it up properly, putting it back. "I dunno."

"Faye. When you have a friend slumbering at your house, they are your guest. When you have a relative stay over, they are your guest. Are we not the same?"

I felt my face go sour. "You are neither. And you killed my parents to find a place to stay in."

"Self-defence."

"What?" I whirled around and glowered at her.

"Self-defence," she repeated, and I watched as her brow lowered. "Of a different sort."

"You're criminals! You don't hesitate to kill! How was that self-defence?"

"We are in a different world," the blue-haired woman said simply. "We'd do anything to stay alive."

"Only you realised too late that the inhabitants of this world are just as weak as the civilians in yours. Does that make you feel better or worse about the situation?"

"Neither. And perhaps both."

"What?"

"Killing your parents, Faye, opened up a door to you. If we had not killed them, there was the chance that we would not be here now, but instead left walking about your world like helpless lambs. We might've killed more, so much more confused about what's going on. In that case, perhaps you should be glad that it was you we landed with, because you know us and are therefore able to prevent us from harming others of this world.

"Two lives for the price of... how many? Millions?"

I deflated, conceding to her point. The only cost to save the rest of world—as stupid as that sounded—was my parent's lives and my happiness. The subject of world population was always a tricky one for me during Geography. Normally I was incessantly firm with my beliefs, but I had no idea what I believed concerning the rest of the planet.

"My Mum was pregnant," I stated, but Konan didn't answer.

I got my room back, but it wasn't solely mine any longer. Sasori and Deidara was to sleep on the floor on two mattresses that was in the spare room. It was difficult getting to sleep as I stared at my wall. My mind was whirring, and I could hear the both of them breathing; Sasori a little louder, as though he was unused to oxygen and was trying to grab as much as he could to make up for the time he hadn't needed it.

I couldn't get to sleep knowing I had two criminals barely a foot from me. I couldn't get to sleep knowing that they were meant to be fictional characters. It was just too weird, and I was way too wired.

So I lay there in the darkness, staring at my wall, my hands under my pillow as I listened. I hoped Fletcher was fine, asleep wherever Tobi was—downstairs, I think. He had to go back to his owner's tomorrow. I hoped school would be fine as well. The thought of walking around to my usual classes, laughing with my friends, eating lunch outside in the sunshine, while knowing that there were ten criminals waiting at home made me feel sick. I wondered if Pein was going to back against his word.

And somehow I managed to drift to sleep.

Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

I groggily reached over and tapped the 'sleep' button. Silence was rewarded. At least until...

"What the hell was that?" someone grumbled.

"Alarm," I mumbled in return. I stretched for a minute. Then I froze, snapping my eyes open and turning over in bed, taking in the sight of two sleeping Akatsuki members—well, one was half asleep. My heart pounded as my brain scrambled to collect my thoughts, my memories. But then my body went calm when I completely soaked in what I saw.

They looked so... at peace. Sasori was curled up a little, hugging his pillow like a child. Deidara was stretched out, the sheets strewn everywhere, and in one of his spread out hands there was one of my toys clutched in his fingers. I smiled to myself, until I realised that the mouth on that hand was chewing on the leg.

I was half tempted to take Nero away from him but figured better when I recalled last night. Deidara was furious at me, and waking him up entirely wouldn't serve to help my situation. It was just luck that he had conked out the night before when I decided to go to bed. Besides, when I glanced at the clock, I realised it was seven am.

Silently, I crept out of bed and made sure to avoid standing on one of them. I felt around for my uniform which I kept on a chair by the door, beside my wardrobe, and stole my way to the bathroom. I hoped that none of them were awake. At first I thought they'd be up way earlier than this, but given what has happened to them, and that they were probably more accustomed to Japan's time, their bodies were probably like dead weight.

For a moment I was surprised that Sasori was even asleep.

I made my way to the kitchen once I had changed and dropped my night clothes in my room. I was slightly surprised to see someone there already, head bowed over a large book with his black hair curtaining his face. I was unsure how to approach Itachi Uchiha, so I did it normally but slowly. He looked up when I was at the table.

"Hungry?" I asked, uncertain. It sounded awkward.

"I'm not sure," he responded. I shuffled awkwardly on the spot when he ran his eyes over me. "You're uniform?"

I nodded my answer before heading to the cupboard with the cereal. I was about to pull out the Fruit Loops when I recalled Tobi handling them the other day, so I put them back and instead went for the bread.

"Stomach full of butterflies?" How stupid of me to try and make conversation. He looked absorbed in his book—I peered at the contents of it when I passed by; it was the Atlas.

"Why would I have butterflies?"

I paused, wondering if he took my comment literally or not, but I shook my head. Itachi was no idiot, stupid.

I started to make toast, getting some orange juice ready and putting it on the table in the mean time. "New world?" I added, hopefully. "Time difference?"

He chewed on the inside of his cheek in thought. "Maybe."

The toast popped, and the rest of the time was silent as I ate and he read, sitting at opposite ends of the table.

"Must you go to school?" Kakuzu asked.

I whirled around to see him leaning against the wall by the kitchen. Between having breakfast and gathering everything else (and brushing my teeth and fixing up my hair) most of Akatsuki was already up and lounging about the house, picking at the cupboards for food. I had briefly taught them the simplicity of making toast as I made my way to the door when Kakuzu asked me his question.

"It's a waste of money," he added.

"Yes! Yes, I do!" I finally said. "School is important! I am going there to learn, to survive, to get where I want to in my life when you guys are gone! You and your merry gang can stay here and plot, but you will not follow me and take me out of my school! I want to see my friends and I want to learn and I just totally should shut up now and so I will because I am rambling and have probably made you really... really angry with me now..." I deflated by the end of my rant and crossed my arms slightly nervously as I breathed.

Most of the Akatsuki were staring at me like was a pathetic idiot, while some select members were glaring at me for even yelling at them. I coughed and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"It was a simple question," Kakuzu frowned.

"Um, sorry. Just... don't come, okay? You will do fine here. You don't need me. Just don't leave the house. I need to see people, otherwise they'll wonder where I am and I should just shut up. Oh, and let Fletcher out. He isn't mine."

One of them sniggered but I was already storming out of the house and locking it, slinging my bag over my shoulders. School was going to be a breath of fresh air.

It was, actually; a breath of fresh air, I mean.

It was nice to arrive at school just before the bell and be met with my group of friends. Charlie had squealed when she saw me and ran over to me with her arms out, ready for a hug, with a huge smile on her face. Her short, hay-blonde hair, that levelled at her chin and was kept off her face thanks to her widow's peak, danced around her throat as she skipped.

"Oh wow! Faye! It's so good to see you!" She enveloped me in a big embrace. "Hmm! I love hugging you!"

"Hey," Pappy protested.

Charlie spun on her heel in a heartbeat. "Nothing's better than you, honey." And she skipped over there and gave her girlfriend a peck on the cheek, her blue eyes sparkling.

Behind her, Callum—my aborigine friend—was making kissing expressions until Jordan smacked the back of his head. I grinned when I approached them and gave the marine-like teenager a hug. My arms could barely fit around his chest but it was nice, like hugging a giant dog. It felt good to have these positive feelings flood me. It was like I had never felt happiness before, or for a very long time.

They were, in every way, a breath of fresh air, and it just made me realise how much I craved their company over the long, gruelling weekend. For a second, I wished they had been there with me.

I hadn't realised I had buried my face into Jordan's chest until I heard Callum's loud exclamation.

"Aww, group hug!" He suddenly embraced me from behind so that I was the filler of a hug sandwich.

"Oh," Pappy sighed, smiling serenely and twirling a rusty-red lock around a finger. "How sweet. The middle is the best part," she told us matter-of-factly.

Jordan chuckled, his laugh a little gruff and vibrate-like against my cheek. "I'm partial to crusts. I like crusts. Especially pizza crusts."

"Okay," I giggled—it sounded slightly forced to me. "We're having pizza for dinner next time we go out."

"Oh!" Charlie cheered, clapping her hands. "Excellent."

"Hmm," Callum moaned. "I'm hungry now. May I eat you?" he whispered in my ear and made to bite my shoulder when he suddenly caught Paprika's concerned expression. I was giggling at the time, but felt my breath hitched when I saw the red-head tilt her head at me.

"Pappy, honey?" Charlie soothed, grazing her fingers across the back of her girlfriend's hand that was in her grasp. "What's wrong?"

Paprika was observant. She intended to become a counsellor, because she was just that good at understanding people's facial expressions, their thoughts and feelings, without them even opening their mouths to speak. I wondered why she looked so worried, and realised, belatedly, that she was gesturing to my bandaged hand wrapped around Jordan's neck.

"What did you do, Faye?" she asked me, her orange eyes staring at me.

I shoved Callum away from me and stepped back from Jordan, holding my hand to my chest and biting my lip. Now all of them were looking at me in confusion.

"It's nothing," I protested. It wasn't a lie. It seriously wasn't much of anything. "I was bitten, that's all."

Callum tossed his head back and laughed. "It had to be Fletcher. I knew that dog was evil!"

"Oh, hush," Pappy reprimanded, whacking his arm. "Fletcher is a beautiful dog. I cannot believe he'd bite you, Faye. I thought you were always nice to him."

I was glad that the band-aid I used this morning to redress it was one of the big square ones, as it covered the entire wound. If they ever saw the dentures... I didn't doubt they'd ask me questions. And I wasn't lying, technically.

"I am," I responded hastily, then chuckled nervously.

"Did you take his food again?" Callum asked. Charlie laughed, along with him who patted my back. "What did I tell you about taking a male dog's food?"

With that, he started to lead me towards the entrance of the school, the others following beside us as they grinned. The bell had gone not too long ago, but there was still plenty of time to get to Homeroom while escaping any trouble.

"That they'd bite you," I said, rolling my eyes, feeling my lips stretch into a tired smile.

"Comparing yourself to the mutt again, Cal?" Charlie beamed. She had a fear of dogs, but just a small one.

And the two started their petty squabble, jabbing at each other with half-meant insults, and laughing out loud. I joined them too, willing my mind to just forget what was waiting for me at home. To just forget how fast my life had spiralled to the dark abyss below, and how tightly chained I'd be to it. To just forget that, for the first time of my life, I would never come home to see my parent's greeting smiles when I'd walk through the front door.

For most of the day, it actually worked, but it seemed Pein didn't want to leave me in the momentary state of bliss.

It was at the beginning of lunch when the inevitable happened. I was leaving the building with a swarm of other students and Charlie glued to my arm—it's a habit of hers to always be touching somebody, friend or no—for lunch, planning to meet up with the other three at our usual special spot. Except, I stopped short on our way when I saw someone standing across the road, at least twenty metres from me, dressed in familiar ninja clothes and sporting black sunnies. He tried to complete the supposed 'cool' look by having his hands stuffed into his trackies.

Who else would sport the arrogant I-am-the-best-so-bow-down-to-me smirk on his face, and have his blond hair pulled into a high ponytail to get it off his neck? And who else would, as soon as they saw someone they knew, start waving like mad?

I knew, instantly, that he was doing it just to spite me. He hated me, and I hated him. And everything rushed back to me like a wave hitting my full-frontal—not that I ever had many opportunities to see the ocean but I could imagine.

If Deidara was here then they broke one of the rules—or rather, a preference—that I set down. If he was here, then Pein must have sent him. Or maybe he was just curious about my world, but I was under the impression that I was going to give them a debrief, of sorts, later on when things were ironed out. What annoyed me, though, was the surge of anger that collected in my chest at the sight of him, and the sudden tensing of my muscles.

Everything I was trying to ignore had just come back.

"Oh, you have an eye for men, Fifi," Charlie teased, running a finger up and down my shoulder. I gaped at her in horror but she just winked. "He's totes hot, but my Pappy is so much better. Just sayin'." She nudged me. "Go on, say hi. He seems to know you."

"The only place I want to know him is the second before I kill him," I growled venomously as I latched onto her elbow and stalked in our old direction. "He's a stalker. Don't talk to him. He has a horrible personality, a fetish for cheese, and an inescapable love for art that goes boom! Not to mention, he snores. Yeah. Really loudly. And he takes forever to brush his hair! I mean, look at his locks! Wouldn't you agree? And who would have too yellow hair like that?—and does he really think that the whole slouching-on-the-curb-with-my-hands-stuffed-into-my-pockets-plus-my-new-super-cool-sunnies-that-I-stole-from-Faye looks cool? No! It's stupid! It's idiotic! It's—"

"Faye, honey, you're nervous. You're rambling," Charlie told me and I went silent. She frowned, a dirty finger to her mouth as she twisted her lips up in concentration. "Did you say he was wearing your glasses? And you seem to know him quite well, too. I didn't realise my dear Fifi could be so hateful towards someone—besides Luke, of course."

My heart jumped to my throat. See? I tend to spill things so easily when in a rambling mood. And... I couldn't lie. Damn my friends.

"Y-Yeah, I sorta do know him." My anger was surmounting but the only obvious sign of it was through my gritting teeth.

"Uh huh. And if you think his whole too-long-a-thing-to-say-so-I-won't-say-it thing is totes uncool, then why does he have Hilary fawning over him with those usual googly eyes of hers?"

I dropped my jaw and frowned, glancing over my shoulder at Deidara who was, indeed, being flirted with Hilary and her two cronies—females of course. Hilary had a similar habit to Charlie, and that was to continually touch someone, but hers was different. Hers was smooshing her breasts against someone—or sometimes something (long story; caught her in the act unfortunately)—hoping to get a lift off or something.

She was pretty, I suppose, what with her black hair and tanned skin, but... yeah. Charlie, who was more in tune with the fascination of the female species, said she would have dated Hilary had the girl not had the attitude of an old cow. We didn't really hate the girl, per ce, as she did tend to have interesting tastes, and often they melded with our own. She was more of a pesty, annoying rival, of sorts.

"Aren't you going to save him?" Charlie asked.

I shook my head. "No. No. He can suffer." I was not going to forget everything they did so easily, and submitting him to the claws of the known bed-jumper somehow eased a little of my anger.

"Suffer, yes, maybe, but torture?" She clucked her tongue. "Even you ain't that horrible, honey."

I pretended to think. Quickly I realised that there had to be a reason for his presence, and no matter how much I wanted to avoid him, it was probably best to 'save' him; also to keep the pretence.

"Yeah, you're right. I torture with my witty words, not with the smooshing of boobies." I took two steps and thought better. "Oh, look! He doesn't even seem to care!"

Charlie raised an eyebrow, and peered around me. His hands were up in a defensive position but they happened to be badly placed over Hilary's breasts like he was warming them up in front of a fire. He had an awkward smile on his face and had taken one or two steps back but otherwise, he looked fine.

"See? Maybe he needs a little fun," I said as I spun around and grabbed her elbow before walking off. Charlie protested.

"Oh, come on. I wanna know who this sausage is."

I blushed; out of anger or embarrassment, I didn't know.

"I don't!"

The inevitable pictures of penises-now-sausages appeared. And then she dragged me over to him. I tried to resist, honestly, and I was close to bursting out with tears because of my strong dislike for him and what had happened. I wouldn't forget, ever, but I was willing to put aside my emotions as much as possible to get the Akatsuki out of my world. When they were gone, I vowed to myself that I would sit down in my room and cry my green eyes out, preferably surrounded with lots of ice cream and chocolate.

"No, please," I whispered to her when we breached the opposite side walk. "I really don't want to go over to him."

"I may not have the best perception of males, Faye, but dayum! Look at that thigh!" Charlie exclaimed, and I was torn between whether she meant it or was just saying it to tease me since I was so sensitive about it.

And just because she said it, I looked at his thigh, seeing it clench a little in his trackies when he took a step back and added weight to his leg. I blushed, pursing my lips and then biting them when he glanced in our direction. I struggled a bit more against Charlie when he grinned, his blue eyes glinting in mischievous.

I was going to kill him.