Majide Hero
NejiXTenten. Tenten is Sasuke's cheerleader. Neji is a bespectacled nerd. This is going to feel good.
I don't own Naruto. But the impossible happened and I now own a Sasuke plushie XD
Chapter 12: The ultimate dream of any girl- a super romantic date with Uchiha Sasuke. Yea right.
Sasuke held her hand as they walked toward their reserved table. It made her even more nervous because then, he would notice that her hands were ice-cold. The restaurant was an outdoor garden setting and she couldn't think of anything else to make it better. It was a fantasy that became reality. Her haltered pale blue cocktail dress was definitely eye catching but it was nothing compared to his presence by her side. Guests and staffs alike were probably looking because they were such a lovely pair. He helped her to her seat before he took his own.
He smiled at her when she didn't even bother looking at the menu- saying 'anything' when he asked her what she wanted to have. He dropped the menu on the table, leaning forward so he could reach her. And he did- his hand touched her jaw while his thumb gently caressed her blushed cheek. She thought of turning away- he was making her jittery from all corners of her body. But she was too engrossed staring back to his deep black eyes that she couldn't even blink- much less move. She couldn't describe the moment. No word would suffice. It was beyond perfect.
Reality check.
Except for what she was wearing, everything was just not right. She had been standing for almost an hour, carrying Sasuke's bag and her own. What a relief that she brought a small cutesy tote for her 'date'- if that was actually a date. The noise was deafening to her. With all those kids, teens, and she could bet those guys at the combat game machine were gang members, it was not surprising. Sasuke liked those shooting games a lot and he was good at it. She figured since he had been at that machine for so long that the rest of the guys who were previously waiting for their turn had given up.
So what was the point of dressing up, fixing her hair and make up- not to mention wearing pretty peep toe pumps when he kept on staring at that screen instead of her? This is Sasuke, she told herself, be patient Tenten, just standing this close to him and hugging his bag would cause someone like Ino to convulse in happiness. But damn it, she wasn't Ino, after all. And all that standing was making her feet sore. She was on the verge of throwing his goddamn heavy bag straight to his face. If that was his idea of a date then he was just as clueless as Neji.
Neji.
Did he really go out on a date? Perhaps with their classmate or maybe with someone from his pack of newly-anointed fan girls? She knew he wouldn't be able to ask someone out. Neji doing the first move just didn't sound right to her. But since he had all those letters, he didn't have to. All he needed to do was to show up, talk a little and take his pick. What a sudden twist of luck. She wondered where he would take his date, what they would do. He couldn't dance well and she doubted that he knew what to do in a movie theater. She chuckled at the thought.
"Tenten?"
"Huh?" She blinked- Sasuke was looking at her.
He was probably talking to her but she didn't hear a thing he said. Way to go, she thought, show him that you're uninterested and seal the chances that this would be your first and last date with the man of your dreams.
"You seem to be having fun."
She wanted to yell at him. She didn't know how he could come up with such a ridiculous thing to say. It seemed improbable to her that a person could actually have fun standing alone in a corner but he didn't sound like he was joking.
"Oh, no, I was just thinking to myself…" She brushed off the smile on her face.
"Why don't you give this a shot?" He took her hand.
"But… I haven't played this game before…" She said as she went closer.
"It's okay." He said. "Better than just standing there."
OH MY GOD. SO HE NOTICED. She sighed, taking the plastic gun from him. He took his bag from her in exchange. Wearing a cocktail dress to play an arcade game was about as appropriate as wearing a bikini in a funeral ceremony. What was he thinking?
"It's a great game and it's very easy. Just aim at every opponent you see on the screen and shoot. Your goal is to clear the area so don't leave a single enemy alive. Shoot them until they're all dead."
"And that's supposed to be fun?" She muttered- taking advantage of the loudness of that place.
"You're all set." He said, sounding somewhat proud of his quick tutorial.
Tenten aimed at the screen just as he instructed and perhaps, due to her frustration with their so-called date, she couldn't help but imagine Sasuke's face on her target. The virtual blood spill started.
Lee stared at the boxes that occupied the table between his chair and the one across. And behind those boxes, on the seat opposite his, was Neji.
"You sure communicate in a weird way, Neji-kun."
"You think so?"
"Why are we talking with stacks of boxes between us?"
"My bad." Neji said as he stood up and placed the boxes under the table.
A girl came and placed another ornamented box before them. She smiled at Neji before she left to join the rest of the girls waiting for her at the next table. Neji took the box and carefully placed it among the rest on the floor.
"This one's better, isn't it?"
"No, no, that's not what I mean…" Lee said. "I mean, why are the girls giving you these presents?"
"Um… because…"
"You don't have to be shy about it!" He interrupted. "You should say it out loud and proud! They like you!"
"Okay, point taken."
"It may be distracting to have them approach you all the time but that's how a person expresses the emotions of liking someone!"
Neji glanced at the last girl who approached their table- thinking about Lee's words. They haven't met before. He didn't even know her name. But even at that, she was courageous enough to approach him, just as Lee said- to express her feelings. It was admirable, he had to admit.
"You like someone so you naturally tell them and show them how you feel… not push them away so they can date someone else."
"Lee, you have a good point there but what can I do? She likes Sasuke so much that she gets so excited just by the mention of his name."
"And you let that get into you." He sighed. "You know, it's not like you to give up so easily."
"But it's like me to know the chances of success and failure."
"I still find this so weird. What's so difficult with saying 'Tenten, you are a beautiful bloom, unique in this flower garden, please go out with me!" He said with matching elaborate movemements.
"I believe your expression is just as weird as mine… if not frightening…"
"Anyway, how do you feel now that they're spending time together? Do you feel satisfied?"
He shrugged as though saying that he was alright with it, like it was nothing. But skipping lunch, cancelling a Science club meeting, and failing to stay attentive for more than 10 minutes in a conversation- Lee thought it was quite obvious that he had been lethargic throughout the day. Lee sighed when his friend turned quiet, staring at the empty table between them.
Sasuke shifted his weight- for how many times, he lost count.
"You're good at this…"
"Yea…" She said without looking at him. "Looks like I have the talent…"
The game was not fun for her but indeed, it was better than just standing nearby. And it was quite a revelation that she was good at shooting games. Her accuracy level, at least according to her stats indicated on the screen, was a high 96 percent- definitely not bad for a first timer. And then the enemy retaliated.
"You should've covered up." He commented as the words 'game over' flashed on the screen.
"I guess so…"
"Let's go somewhere quiet."
"S-somewhere… quiet…" She stuttered, almost dropping the gun.
"You need to tell me something, right?"
"Me…?" She asked as she went after him. "Tell you something…?"
She wasn't planning to tell him to be her boyfriend just yet. Actually, it should be the other way around. She had no idea on what he was talking about.
"The president told me…"
"Neji?" She asked again, totally lost.
"Yes."
"Oh no… Neji…" Worry suddenly took over. "Sasuke, I have to go! I forgot something very, very important!"
"What happened?"
"I forgot to tell Neji that I'm not coming!" She headed toward the exit.
"To…?"
"We have this daily study time together." She said, nearly running. "I forgot to tell him that we'll be going out this afternoon… he's probably waiting for me in the library…"
"I think he knows that you won't be coming." He was right behind her.
"He knows?" She came to a halt.
"Well, he was the one who suggested that I ask you out."
"He was… what?!" Her eyebrows furrowed. "Can you tell me what's going on here?"
"He told me to ask you out and I thought it was because you have something to tell me." He explained. "I've always been free from Student Council responsibilities and it was the first time he asked me to do something so I didn't think of saying no."
"I don't have anything to tell you except that this date sucks and Neji is going to be dead when I get to him!" She said as she continued walking out of the establishment, lashing out one last warning. "Stay back or you're going to regret it!"
Sasuke wasn't used to obeying orders. In fact, he hated it. But he did as he was told- something about an angry female's deadly aura. He watched her stomp her way out, wondering what went wrong.
She rushed toward the Student Council office. It was almost seven in the evening but he never went home early due to his many obligations at school. And she was right. She saw him with his bag and it looked like he was all set to leave. Glad that she made it on time, she went straight to him- pulling him by the sleeve of his sweater to get his attention.
"This is one of the worst days of my life and you know why?"
He shook his head. His wide eyes told her that he wasn't expecting to see her back at school- all the more that he wasn't expecting her to be wearing that face.
"You know that I gave up a lot of things for Sasuke and if he asks me to do so again, then I will gladly do it." She started. "This is no childish crush, Neji, do you understand me? Of course you don't, because if you do, you wouldn't be meddling like what you just did."
Clearly, Sasuke mentioned that he was the one who suggested that they should go out. He never imagined that she would be so angry about it. Perhaps Lee was right- his feelings and expressions, including his thoughts were all mixed up.
"I wonder what Sasuke thinks of me now." She paused, biting her lip. "That I'm hopeless? That I'm pathetic? Is that what you want? Do you pity me because while you have girls at your mercy, Sasuke still hasn't noticed me? So you decide to save me from shame and this is your bright idea of helping me with him?"
"I never for once thought of it that way."
"You made me look like an idiot."
"That wasn't my intention." He limply said. "I'm sorry."
"I didn't ask for your help so mind your own business."
He looked all the more pale to her than he usually did. He was probably surprised at the backlash of his plans. Similarly, she was surprised that she was able to say those things. But those were the exact thoughts in her head- and she didn't regret giving him a piece of her mind. Why was he going out of his way to set her up with Sasuke? She just couldn't get it.
"Don't ever come near me again." She said before she turned around, leaving him frozen.
From the Student Council office to the stairs, she walked as fast as she could, slowing down before coming to a stop before the steps- looking back at the corridor that she just passed by. She wanted to get back to her place, eat something, sleep and hope things would be better the following day. She dismissed any second thoughts as she hurried down the stairs.
Hey everyone! Thanks for your continued support. You guys keep me writing.
