Kitten: Gomenasai! (Japanese)
Pheonix: Bekümmert! (German)
Camillia: Désolé! (French)
Jade: Sorry!
Momoko: You see, I didn't get home until almost 8 pm on Thursday night. I had the chapter all set to upload, went to upload it...and Fanfiction said it wasn't able to upload it! I fixed the problem, and for those also reading Screwing With Heaven, that chapter is going up on Tuesday with the third one as well. School started last Tuesday, so I'm still getting into the swing of things and trying to juggle homework, cheerleading, writing club, anime club, my fan fictions, my writing festival entry, and my social life outside school.
Jade: Senior year is always the hardest, and in the coming weeks Momoko will work on getting the schedule down. She's still updating Who She Is on Thursdays and from now on, if she misses a week she will post two chapters the following Thursday so she can stay on schedule.
Momoko: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! Although I did read the newest chapter.
Exam And A Date
A knock on the door caused Chrys to stir. "Mm, who is it?" She asked, turning her head to the other side so she could see the door. "Chrys? It's us; Temari, Kankuro and Gaara." Temari's voice called through the door. Chrys's eyes widened in shock. "Give me a second!" She called out, looking around and realizing she fell asleep on Alex's bare chest. "Alex, get up!" She whispered, hitting him. "Ow, Sugarcane that hurt." He said softly, opening his eyes a crack. "Get up you lazy butt." Chrys said as she got up, tossing him his shirt. She looked down at herself and remembered she was in her sports bra because it had gotten too hot in the room while they were practicing. "Chrys, are you okay?" Kankuro called through. "Fine, just looking for something." She called out distractedly, pulling on her tank top and fixing her ponytail as best she could. Then she opened the door. "What were you looking for?" Temari asked, eyeing her hair with suspicion. "Uh, well, I had dropped a pen behind my bed, and then I got stuck upside-down, wedged between the wall and the bed." She lied, trying to not sound guilty. "Hey, has anyone seen Mo?" Alex asked, coming up behind Chrys. The Sand Sibling's eyes widened when they saw him put an arm around Chrys's waist and rest his chin on her head. "I think I saw Mo leaving when we came up. Who are you?" Temari asked flustered. "Oh, I'm Alex. Didn't Sugarcane tell you?"
"Alex, I just opened the door, how would I tell them?" Chrys asked turning and looking at him. "Oh, so you haven't even told them that you dance, have you?"
"Alex, can you do me a favor? Please be quiet for a second. Act like you're backstage at The Nutcracker, opening night."
"Aw, but I can't peek out of the curtain to look at the cuties in the audience and on stage."
"Well, you're not hiding from the audience, as much as people I know."
"Still, if everyone here is as beautiful as the one I'm looking at, I'm moving here."
"Wait, who do you find beautiful?" Chrys asked, thrown off a little. "You know I'm a sucker for blue eyes." He said as Chrys rolled her own blue eyes. "Well, try not to fall so hard."
"I won't, but I can't believe you're shoving me backstage, now I can't hear what you're saying."
"That would be the point. Just because you are Queen of The Sugarplum Fairies, doesn't mean you can blurt things out without thinking." Chrys scolded him. Then she shoved him in the room and closed the door behind her as she walked onto the porch. "So, who exactly is he?" Temari asked, casting the door a suspicious glance. "My dance partner. We have a contest-slash-recital coming up in the next two months which means we put in the work designing the routine this month and practice it like hell next month until we have it perfect."
"He's kind of cute, think I could date him?" Temari asked, obviously pleased with Chrys's answer. "Uh, I doubt it actually; and not because we have to get our butts in motion because we're behind, but because recently his dance partner, my cousin, dumped him. We're working together because recently I dumped my dance partner as well."
"Oh, so he's still a little sore over it."
"Yeah, he thought they were meant to be. And of course, Mary can't talk to her twin and tell me so I could warn Alex either. He's such a softie."
"Did I just hear that right? A guy is a softie."
"Well, yeah. Joe really broke his heart. I don't care if he is my cousin, I'm going to slap him senseless next time I see him."
"Wait, Alex is gay?"
"Yeah, and Gaara-sama, apparently he wants to date you." Chrys said, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably. Unfortunately, Gaara didn't find it as amusing. "So, uh, what song are you dancing to?" Kankuro asked, trying to clear the awkwardness of the moment. "We haven't decided. We've come up with routines for Face Down, Your Guardian Angel and Cat and Mouse for songs that are more modern. We passed out figuring out the routine for El Tango De Roxanne and Elephant Love Song from Moulin Rouge."
"Going romantic? I never would have believed it." Mo said, coming up and tugging on Kankuro's hat. "Yeah, I really don't want to do Face Down or Your Guardian Angel because I don't want Eugene to know that he bothered me. Besides, if we go with sadder songs Alex will stay sad, so romantic songs should cheer him up. Especially ones from his favorite movie."
"The movie is about a prostitute."
"It was never advertised as such."
"One of the lines is 'The only way of loving me baby, is to pay a lovely fee' from Elephant Love Song. Then there is 'Roxanne, you don't have to put on that red light. Walk the streets for money. You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right.' You tell me that doesn't scream prostitution."
"You're just bitter because you weren't able to get the apple tree to grow yesterday." Chrys said with a shrug. "So have you broken in the shoes yet?" Mo asked conversationally. "Yeah, I knew I should've had a clone break them in yesterday; but I forgot how painful these were to break in. I swear one of my blisters is going to bleed tomorrow."
"What shoes do you have to break in?" Temari asked. "My dance shoes. Ballroom and ballet. I swear it is the most torturous part of dance."
"I thought the torturous part was on point, or when your partner can't catch you to save his life."
"Nope, those rank second."
"How many times were you dropped?" Temari asked. "Um, around ten. Then Eugene finally started catching me a few years ago."
"Eugene? Like the Eugene you said you were dumping?"
"Yeah, we knew each other through dance; then we got bored and started dating. Biggest mistake ever to date him, best choice not to dance with him anymore." Chrys said. "I told her and told her that all Eugene was going to do was hurt her; but no, she couldn't listen to me. She is so stubborn." Alex said, stepping outside behind Chrys. "Sugar, there you are! We had wondered where you went!" Alex said happily, pulling Mo into another hug. "I had to buy some food. Now, since it is six, would you all like to stay to eat?" Mo offered everyone. "We'll stay." Gaara said emotionlessly, although he looked a little worried about how Alex was eying him. "Sorry, Sugars, I have to go back to World Four; my VCR is dead so I can't TiVo Ugly Betty, she is so amazing."
"Aw, but I bought bananas and everything."
"I'm sorry Sugar, but I'll be back tomorrow for sure. And Sugarcane; I'm bringing more music, I'll even try to get your music from Mary, as long as I don't see Joe that is."
"Well, if you do see him, tell me and we'll practice at the studio the day after tomorrow, then I can give him hell for breaking your heart." Chrys said as she gave him a hug before he walked through the portal of rainbows.
"I think that has to be one of the most awkward introductions I've ever been in." Kankuro said as they ate dinner. "I think I've been through worse." Mo said. "How much worse?"
"Let me see, I was meeting my father, only he still doesn't know I'm his daughter, and my Mother appears with very little warning. So I'm standing there as she yells at me because she's drunk and then after she leaves I have to tell him that, yeah, that is the woman he fell in love with. It'll be even more awkward when she finally tells him I'm his daughter. Besides, remember when you met my Mother and I was hiding behind you?"
"Dude, remember how my father was when he found out I was Rosemary's daughter? He's like 'who'd she marry' and when I told him no one, he didn't figure out that he's my father. Then when Mom came through her portal I thought for sure she was going to tell him point blank." Chrys said. "You're families are messed up." Gaara said as he shook his head. "Yours is better I assume?"
"Okay, so my Uncle tried to kill me when I was five on my father's orders, and he relished the assignment because my mother, his sister, died giving birth to me. Then there is the fact that before his death my father was the Kazekage and scared of the power I had."
"Plus Kankuro was scared witless of you and so was I. Then you also said you didn't even consider us your siblings." Temari put in. "See, your family is as screwy as ours." Angel said. "How do you think your father is going to react when he finds out you're his daughter?" Kankuro asked. "Well, he'll either be really happy to the point where it is embarrassing, or he will deny that I'm related to him. In a way I'm hoping it's the latter."
"That is cold." Sasuke said, biting into a tomato chunk. "Dude, you know who my father is, would you want to be related to him? He called my mother his Yoko Bakemono."
~The Next Week~
"So, good news everyone, the exams are here." Gai-sensei said, striking his 'good-guy' pose for effect. "So basically remember the teams you are on. Angel, Naruto, Sasuke you are all one team. Chrys, Mo, Tatsu you are the other team." Kakashi-sensei said, looking up from his book. "Time to go inside. If you pass these exams you will be Chuunin and then we will no longer be considered you senseis." Jiraiya said. "Sugars, good luck to each of you. Tell me how it goes as soon as it is over, you know where you'll find me." Alex said, having come to support them. "Thanks for coming Alex. And FYI, as soon as this portion of the exam is over we're getting back to practice while I train for the next part." Chrys said ominously as they went inside. "You're a bitch!" Alex shouted after their retreating backs.
"How will you practice a dance routine while getting ready for tomorrow? It's impossible." Sasuke said as they walked in the room, being the last teams to arrive. "I'll find a way." Chrys said with a shrug, glancing around carefully and mentally measuring each ninja's strength. "I'd say this will be interesting; after all, we have the skills and knowledge." Mo said softly, having done the same as her sister. "What do you want to do after we pass today?" Angel asked her sisters. "I was thinking more training, you know, so we can pass the second part as well." Mo answered. "You know what I was thinking, although since we aren't on the same team anymore, are you sure you want to train with us?" Chrys asked. "Good point, I hope you realize that you are the only all girl team here. All other teams have two guys and one girl." Angel said. "Whatever." Tatsu said, looking around and carefully watching every team's reaction to each other.
(Yeah, I'm skipping. I'm going right into the written exam)
Tatsu ended up seated next to a guy from the Sand Village a few rows behind Mo, who was seated next to Sasuke and a girl from the Mist Village. Chrys was seated on the other side of the room, rows in front of Angel, but since she was next to a cute guy Tatsu was worried that Chrys would get distracted and not take the exam. Naruto was across the room from Angel. Already each girl had figured out the point of the exam. The trouble was how to cheat inconspicuously. Suddenly inspiration hit.
'Testing one two, testing one two.' Tatsu said in Chrys and Mo's heads. Or at least those were the heads she was aiming for. Naruto slumped in his chair, grabbing his head. 'Tatsu, get out of Naruto's head before you cause him to pass out.' Chrys said dryly. 'Sorry, this is the first time I've used this technique in a crowded room.' Tatsu apologized, pulling her mind out of Naruto's. 'Well, who am I talking to?' Tatsu asked to double check her aim. 'Mo here.'
'Chrys is here as well.'
'That all? I didn't accidently get one of the Chuunins involved in this?' Tatsu asked worriedly. 'Nope. Do you have answers?' Mo assured her. 'No; the person next to me is clutching his head and staring hopelessly at his paper.'
'The cutie next to me has his answers down. I've got them written down in ice. I'll tell you them right now.' Chrys told them the answers.
'So easy, thank you Chrys!' Mo cheered; her voice quiet so she wouldn't cause either of her teammates to clutch their head in pain. 'So, what songs have you thought of with Alex?' Tatsu asked her sister. 'So far we're either doing El Tango De Roxanne or Cat and Mouse. I almost killed him when he suggested Love Me or Hate Me though.' Chrys said. 'You had a reason. You can't dance to that song; you always end up singing it.' Mo said. 'Thank you; remind him of that when we see him after the exam is over. By the by, how much time is left?'
"Time for the final question!" The proctor, Ibiki, called out. 'Apparently fifteen minutes.' Mo said, lightly.
(Once again feeling lazy, so everyone on the two teams stayed and passed the first part of the exams. However, the girl next to Mo and the guy next to Chrys both left, turns out they were on the same team and their other member wanted out. Anko just left after explaining what she expected everyone to do the next day.)
"Hey, congratulations on passing." The Sand ninja said; turning to face Tatsu as everyone got up. "You too. I'm Tatsu."
"Tomimaru. Want to get some ramen? I heard Ichiraku's Ramen has the best, but I figure it would be best to go there with someone who knew where it was." He said, his dark hair glinting and becoming darker as a light blush met his tan skin. "Sure, but I'll have to let my siblings know where I'm going. They can be a bunch of worrywarts." Tatsu said apologetically. "If it makes them more comfortable they can come with us, I'm sure my team would also want to try the ramen." Tomimaru said. "I think that would be insane in all honesty."
"How many siblings do you have?"
"Four. Three older sisters, none of whom are related to me, and an older brother." Tatsu said, now it was her turn to blush lightly. "Tatsu, are you trying to convince someone to hate us?" Mo asked coming up, wearing some of her baggiest ninja clothes.
"This is your sister?"
"Yes, this is my eldest sister; Mo. Angel is behind her, while my other sister is talking to the blond guy."
"Let me guess, the blond guy is your older brother?"
"No, he's on my brother's team though." Tatsu said as Sasuke came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "This would be my older brother." She gestured to said guy as another pair of guys came up.
"Hm, then it does sound a little insane for all…eight of us going for ramen." Tomimaru said with a slight laugh. "Ramen?" One of the guys asked, his red hair reflecting the light as he turned to look at the group. "I take it you like ramen?" Chrys asked him. "Definitely, the only thing better is bananas." He said. "I'm Dai, what's your name?" He asked Chrys. "Chrysanthemum. Brownie points if you can pronounce it correctly."
"Chrysanthemum." He said slowly, "So, how many points does it take to get a brownie?" Chrys laughed a little. "Well, it takes a quite a few unfortunately. Hey Tatsu, I'm going to go meet up with Alex, knowing him he'll be worried if none of us go meet him for sushi. Besides, I have to talk to him about the transition." Chrys said with an apologetic smile aimed at Dai. "I knew it, he keeps dropping you." Angel said. "We're trying to pull a 3-count transition in one count, it has to be changed."
"Well, go talk dance moves Chrys; I'm sure he'll be overflowing with happiness when he hears we all made it to the next part." Mo said as Chrys walked off with a wave, not really caring about how long a transition took. "So, Chrysanthemum has a boyfriend named Alex?" Dai asked slightly confused, but even more so when the girls burst out laughing. "No, they would never date each other. They love each to bits, but they would never date." Angel said between laughs.
"I honestly don't get how that works."
"How can I put this? Both can describe themselves with the song I Must Not Chase the Boys." Mo said after a moment. "Ah, that would explain a lot then." Dai said. "Personally, I'm not hungry, you guys know where to find me if you need me." Angel said as she walked out with, what seemed, hardly a care in the world. But inside she was worried.
"Okay, so I'm going to train. See you in about an hour." Sasuke said, dragging Naruto out by the back of his jacket. "Hey! Why are you dragging me along?!"
"Because you are weak. Baka." Their insults could be heard as they walked out of the building. "So, who wants ramen?" Tomimaru asked the group. "I'm in." The unnamed member said, "I'm Haru by the way." He introduced himself. Then they all walked out.
Momoko: I didn't get this posted because I am weak. If I really was determined I could've had this posted. I fail at life and you, dedicated readers, should not be subject to my horrible updating skills. Maybe I should just give up on this story.
Jade: Momoko! Don't talk like that! You have the chapter up and people are reading it!
Pheonix: Do you want me to slap you? I will unless you get out of this funk.
Momoko: Fine; as long as people look forward to chapter 9; Flirting With Ramen. And yes, I am aware of how strange the chapter titles are, thank you very much.
