A/N; Ok, you know I love you guys right? Thanks so much for the feedback! You people keep shocking me the whole way, Lol. I decided to be nice and post chapter nine today too. So here's chapter nine, and I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 9:
"Carnivals and cotton candy"
Tenten POV
"Tenten." A hand touched my shoulder gently, and I swatted it away.
"No, no mommy it's Monday. I don't have school yet," I grumbled in my sleep. The blanket over my body was warm and unbearably comfy so I turned my head away from my intruder and continued to sleep.
"Tenten-san?" There goes that annoying person again, pushing my shoulders as if the world was going to end. Half in a waking state but still half asleep I lifted my head up, and turned to the sound of the voice. "WHAT!"
My eyes were still half closed so I couldn't see who it was. After a moment of complete silence however sleep over took me once more and my head rested on the pillow just as darkness took me.
Faintly, I heard the rustling movement of a bag being zipped open. The voices were foggy and hushed but I made out most of what was being said.
"I got this."
"W-wait, Ino-chan?" Something was zipped closed quickly and light footsteps approached my direction. I grumbled something incoherent and turned to me left side, bringing the blanket over my face.
"This should wake her up."
"You're absolutely sure this won't damage her ears?"
"Relax, she'll be fine."
"U-um, ano, Ino-chan, I'm not sure th-"
"POOOOOMMMMMMPPPPP!"
I rolled on the floor with a dull thud, my hands at my ears, from the over excessive air horn. Annoyance was written on my face as I yelled, "What the hell!"
Ino shrugged uncaring, like it didn't matter to her that my eardrums were now most likely severely damaged, because of her.
"We needed you to wake up, so I woke you. I don't see what the big deal is."
I stood up from my position sprawled out on the floor next to my futon and glared at her. "The big deal IS that you woke me up, with an air horn no less. Are you crazy!"
"Well…I've been told."
"Hinata-sama, is everything alright in there?"
We all turned to the door across the room at the sound of a female's voice. "Yes Nika, were alright."
"Ok. Breakfast is ready downstairs for you and your friends when you're ready to come down."
"A-alright, thank you."
When the sound of retreating footsteps sounded, Temari, Hinata and I all turned to Ino.
"You still don't see the big deal?"
She waved us off dismissively.
"Pish, posh a little sound never kills anyone. Now if you all will please excuse me, I got a shower to take."
She rummaged in her small suitcase until retrieving a lavender towel and entering the large bathroom. Temari looked at the closed door and said
"Who still says crap like pish, posh?"
Hinata and I shrugged shoulders at the same time, and I turned around to put my futon away. "I'll be damned if I knew."
Neji POV
"That teme hasn't hung out with us in a while, huh?"
"Yeah, it's like he's ditching us or something."
"Hn, it's all a drag but it's true."
I didn't comment into the conversation, since my mind was contemplating on something else; a certain bun-haired girl to be exact. It had been a shock to find her sitting there, amongst my cousins friends. Yesterday was the first time I got to see her again since the university incident. She was cute when she was being defiant and angry, not that I would ever say it out loud.
The way she left me standing there speechless last night, was another thing I would never speak of. It was the first time a girl had stood up to me in such a way, and although it might have been a blow to my ego, it made me more aware that she wasn't a girl to take things lightly with. I guess that in its own way, that was pretty admirable considering the other girls I'm normally accustomed with.
My shy cousin, disporting fan girls, that loud emotional blond girl (I sill remembered the ruckus she caused this morning with that irritating morning call) kiba has a crush on; they were all so weak in my eyes. And although I've met other kind of woman that are strong willed like my other cousin Hanabi, and Shikamaru's girlfriend Temari, Tenten had been the first to actually leave behind an impression.
"STOP!"
I pressed on the brakes as hard as I could, and mentally let out a sigh of relief when my car came to a stop at the red lights.
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" Naruto yelled from the back.
"Yeah Neji, are you trying to kill us?" I looked through the rear-view mirror at an accusing Kiba, his brown hair disheveled from the abrupt stop.
"Hn."
Shikamaru who was seated in the passenger seat next to me only, shook his head lazily. "I can't die yet Neji. Temari would hunt me down in the after life and kill me again on top of that. Pay more attention to what your doing will ya."
"Yeah!" Agreed Naruto. "Or let someone else drive."
"As if I'd let you touch my car," I rolled my eyes and drove on after the light changed colors.
Kiba snickered. "He'd ruin it in a record of 3 seconds, just by touching it."
"What is that suppose to mean? Hey!"
Shikamaru ignored him and said, "Shouldn't we go pick up Sasuke?"
Kiba huffed. "Why the hell should we? He's the one that's been ignoring us for the past week. I say leave him."
"Hn, he's probably busy with his girlfriend anyway." I said just so that they wouldn't think I was spacing out. The last thing I needed was an interrogation.
"I guess your right." Shikamaru turned back to the window and stared out at the clouds, an activity he loves to do in his free time.
"OH LOOK, there's a carnival in town!" We all turned at the direction Naruto pointed to and sure enough a carnival was there, and groups of people were huddled together at the entrance. "LET'S GO! It looks like it could be a lot of fun. What do you guys say?"
"It's fine I guess, but I need to be home before six today or my sister is going to have my ass. What time is it now?"
Shikamaru checked his watch. "A little after three."
"Alright! So we can go right, am I right? You have a good three hours before six anyway." I resisted the urge to bash him in the head at the obvious excitement in his voice and groaned. Today was going to be a very long day, I could sense it.
Tenten POV
I laid spread out on the longest couch farthest to the flat screen and surfed through the channels. I turned my head back slightly to look at an I-rate Ino, when she sighed loudly.
"I'm bored!" she whined.
It was probably around two or three now since when I last checked it had been around one. After breakfast, we went out to the tennis court to fool around and stay out in the sun for a bit. The pool had been our next stop, and we spent an average of two hours there cooling off in the water, playing with water guns, and getting tans (well at least Ino did).
Everything had been fine not too long ago, but then we started to run out of things to do, and hence are current position.
Hinata was sitting Indian style on her queen sized bed reading a book. Temari and Ino were attempting to complete a puzzle, although Ino wasn't really that into it and Temari kept texting her boyfriend, but hey, they were trying. I was trying to find something interesting on the TV, (to no avail I might add), but there seemed to be nothing interesting on.
"Same here," I solemnly agreed.
Hinata lifted her eyes from her book and turned to look at us. "Do you want to go back to the arcade again?"
"Nah," I passed. Video games weren't my kind of thing.
"Then let's go out and do something, live a little." Came Temari's somber voice. "There's a Carnival in town, my boyfriends' there right now with some of his friends, wanna go?"
Something told me that the reason she wanted to go at all was because her boyfriend would be there, but I didn't say anything in hopes that the carnival would be more fun than this stuffy atmosphere.
I moved to a sitting position and laid my chin on my crossed elbows. "Sure, sounds like fun."
Temari nodded, "ok, what about you Hinata?"
"I-its fine."
"Ino?" She looked over at a bewildered Ino. "You want to go?"
"…I don't know." Her eyebrows bunched together. "Shouldn't we go at night instead? I mean the suns out right now, and it's probably oven hotter outside."
Temari slid her phone into the pocket of the jeans she was wearing and pouted at Ino. "Please Ino? Come on. "
She didn't look any more convinced than before so Temari took a different approach. "There'll be boys there…" She said in a singing voice. "I've seen Shikamaru's friends before and they're all pretty cute, - Right Hinata?"
She looked shock for a moment, but then blushed at the question. "Y-yes."
"Oh alright I guess I can come along too. But if my hair gets ruined out there you owe me a pedicure Temari!"
I rolled my eyes; typical Ino. I've only known her for two days and already I'm starting to find out some of her die-hard habits. I stood, placed the remote on the table after turning off the TV, and stretched.
Time to get ready for the carnival.
The old woman with the mole on her lip smiled at me when she gave me my ticket, I tried to smile back but instead settled for muttering a quick thank you and ran to catch up with the others. Some people were just too creepy. Ino had been right about the heat, and by the time I caught up to them I was sweating like crazy.
"You got your tickets? " Temari asked me as I came into hearing range.
"Yeah," I took a moment to breath through my nose.
"Ok. I just called Shikamaru and he's on his way here."
"Uhh, I don't care I just want to get out of this sun!" Ino tried to fan herself off with her hands.
"I think there's some shade over there, let's go wait,"
We moved under the shade just as Hinata suggested and waited there. After about eight minutes of waiting, a boy with a pineapple shaped head walked over to us and waved to Temari lazily. "Troublesome woman,"
Temari squealed and jumped into his arms. "Shika!"
I looked away when they kissed, feeling as though I was intruding on a private moment.
It wasn't until after Ino greeted one of the other boys did I notice, that he wasn't alone.
"Kiba, nice to see your stupid face again."
The one with unruly brown hair and red triangle marks on his cheek, grinned over at Ino slyly. "Can't say the same about you, Ino." There was also a blond one, with an orange jumpsuit on (how he managed in this hot sticky weather, I did not know). He was too busy to notice me or anyone else for that matter as he chatted away with a tomato red Hinata.
When my eyes fell on the last guy, I had to lean back on the wall for support.
Is he stalking me! Everywhere I go Neji seemed to be there, I can't run away from this guy, can I? We stared at each other for what seemed to be a really long time, before I looked away from him.
"Well folks, Shika and I will be leaving now." Temari started to walk away until I called after her. "Hey-wait a second!", but she only turned back once to give me the piece sign before taking Shikamaru's hand in hers again and disappearing.
I stared after them, disbelieving and mouth agape. I turned to speak to Ino only to find her and the brown haired boy with the canine teeth gone as well.
"Oy, oy Hinata-chan, lets go! I have something to show you!" The guy with the bright golden hair bounced in anticipation as he led a blushing Hinata through the crowd of people. I looked after them in a defeated matter, why was everything against me?
"I can't believe they left us like that!"
"Hn, It can't be helped." I looked back at him just as he started to walk away and ran to catch up.
"W-wait!"
I matched his pace evenly after catching up and we silently walked together.
I could smell his cologne from my position and I had to look away to busy myself from the intoxicating smell.
"COTTON CANDY, GET YOUR COTTON CANDY HERE!"
I looked at the guy selling cotton candy and groaned in misery. I can't believe I was stupid enough to leave my wallet home before coming to this sleep over. I'm such a baka!
With all the strength I could muster I looked at the cotton candy stand one last time, and trudged ahead. It took me about two seconds to realize that Neji wasn't by my side anymore and another four seconds to find him buying Cotton Candy from the exact same stand I was looking at earlier.
I shook with animosity. That bastard saw me looking at it and now he's going to buy it just to rub it in my face.' The hell he will.'
I scowled to myself and started to speed walk to loose him. Unfortunately Neji's a good 6 feet tall and he was able to catch up to me in no time. I tried not to twitch when the cotton candy smell hit my nose.
His pale hand stretched out under my face. "Huh?" I asked stupidly.
"You wanted this right? Here." He shook the pink fuzz cone in his hand.
"But what about you?"
"I don't like sweets," he said bluntly.
"Oh." I accepted the cotton candy with shaking hands and thanked him under my breath.
"Arigato,"
He smirked at me and I looked away embarrassed, damn that bastard. I took a bite from the cotton candy, closing my eyes as the sweet melted.
We were passing the basketball area when one of the guys there turned to Neji and exclaimed. "Hey buddy, play for 2 dollars, and win your girlfriend a prize. What do you say?"
A rosy red seeped through my cheeks and I was about to deny his assumption of me being Neji's girlfriend when Neji stepped in front of me and gave him the two dollars.
He grabbed the ball, twisted it around his fingers for a bit and sent it flying for the goal. The basketball fell easily in the net with an audible SWOOSH!
"And …we have a winner! What prize would you like miss?"
I looked over at Neji, unsure if he would accept me wasting his money in such a way, (completely forgetting for a single moment that he was filthy rich). He gave me an affirmative nod and I picked out the baby panda I saw, hanging in the far end corner of the stand.
I tried not to squeal when I saw him approaching me with the teddy bear like a complete god.
"I'll hold it for you while you finish that,"
Why was he being so nice? I could not for the life of me contemplate Neji's intentions right now. It was most likely a trap he had set up to embarrass me.
"Ok." I peaked at him from the corner of my eyes to find the monotone mask back on his face.
We walked at a slower pace now watching kids, couples, and families attempt to play different games. The sun was setting low, and an orange, red like glow settled over the scene. A feeling of calm fled into my system, and I realized how safe I felt by just being there with him; a guy who I couldn't stand before, but who was suddenly starting to get under my skin, now.
I threw away the cotton candy cone at the nearest garbage can and reached out for the baby panda. He gave it to me wordlessly and we continued to walk at our own steady pace.
"You like panda's?" He suddenly asked from out of the blue.
"Yeah, I find them to be really adorable. "
"Hn."
I grinned at his lack of conversation; I was starting to like this side of Neji.
A/N; you know what I realized? It doesn't matter how hard I try, unless I stick my face inside a freezer, there's just no way I'm going to stay cool. Ice cream, fans, showers, none of the crap works. LOL.
Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter a lot more than the last one (I know I do)
PLEASE REVIEW!
