Disclaimer: Read chapter one. Rated M for breathing room.
Pairings: Not known as of yet.
Note to readers: Any suggestions, leave in review. Any idea for pairings, leave in review. Flame me - I'll hunt you down and make you regret it. XD
Oh, if anyone wants me to put up a profile for a character that has already made an appearance, then please tell me so! It can be Gwyn's family or her friends at school. Just leave it in a review. If I don't answer all of them then I am sorry. I'll try my best.
Rating: T
Midnight Summer
Chapter Twenty-Five
The weeks slowly passed by since then and during that time Gwyn has put more force behind her 'shields' so that Deidara, or any of the Akatsuki, can't get past them. No one but Ari and Mark were able to do that. No one. And she'd prefer to keep it that way. And now Ari isn't there to comfort her when she feels lost. And, with Mark, she'd rather burn in hell for the rest of her life tan rely on him. That's how much she detests that guy.
Even thinking about him leaves a sour taste in her mouth.
She shakes her head. Ari's dead and Mark is – thank Kami – long gone. Only if she could reverse the two's places…
…and she smiles. Mark dead and Ari long gone? Mark dead she could handle. Ari – still alive but long gone? That she would have an issue with. But it'd be better than being buried six feet under.
Well, over the days, she has had several run-ins with Deidara at school. She hasn't provoked him enough to start another fight. No, that wouldn't help. She's also seen Tobi around but she has, thankfully, been able to stay out of his sight.
She has a lot of things on her mind.
At this moment?
Getting to the school without being late.
"Gwyn?" she turns and smiles.
"Hey, Naru-Chan." She greets the blond and he scowls at the nickname.
She shrugs and pauses. She watches Naruto curiously as he looks her up and down. No doubt due to her strange taste in clothes. Well, strange on her anyway.
Instead of a skirt and a blouse with boots, like usual, she decided to go with something casual. Black, jean bellbottoms replace her skirt and the silver studded belt gives it a bit of spice. A loose, long-sleeved, white button-down shirt replaces the blouse. Now, it would seem okay on her if she didn't add the black vest that stops under the bust. She kept her boots.
She looks different. Her hair is pulled up in a lopsided ponytail and the chocolate locks are slightly curled. Yep, she looks different. She even went up a notch and added eyeliner and lip-gloss.
"You look nice." Is the words out of Naruto's mouth.
She smiles and thanks him. She folds her hands behind him and the suitcase of her backpack hits her thigh continuously. She has plans.
She didn't tell Naruto or the others about the run-in with Deidara, Tobi, and the crazed Jashin-man that late Friday night. It would not be good. She highly doubts she would be let out of their sight again.
Now, on Monday morning about two weeks later, she plans to keep it that way. She wants to make sure today is a good day. She knows that she already has enemies in the school. One, being the Akatsuki and, two, being their fanclub.
She lived through the last days so she believes she can get through today. She knows she'll get through today.
She's strong. She gets it from her mother. She also has both parent's temper.
Calm when in a good mood but angered only if necessary. She use to be worse. She mellowed out after Mark came into her life.
Stupid male. If I ever see him again I will rip his face off, she grins at that thought. He deserves it.
"Oi, Gwyn-Chan! What are you doing after school today?" Naruto asks and she smiles as she answers, "I have to work. I ran into Gin this weakened and I told him I can work with him. I start today after school."
The boy pouts before saying, "Dang, I was hoping we could hang out."
"Sorry, Naruto, I really am. I have Sundays off, however." She replies and he nods.
"Hey, Gwyn!" another voice calls out and she turns.
Her eyes widen and she jumps out of the way as Ino comes to glomp her.
"I-Ino?" she asks and the girl whirls around with a gleeful expression on her face.
"What'd you do? Tell me!" she exclaims and Gwyn cocks her head to the side in confusion.
"What do you mean, what did I do?" Gwyn asks before Ino says, "I heard all about it!"
"All about what?" Sakura and Hinata, along with Sasuke, enter the scene. The question came from Sasuke.
"The Spring Dance is coming up and Gwyn already has someone asking her to dance! It's anonymous but I want to know! I always get the first note!" Ino giggles madly.
"What dance?" the question leaves Gwyn's mouth and Ino gives her 'the eye' before explaining, "At the end of spring is the Spring Dance. Guys ask girls to dance through notes. Most of the time they are supposed to sign their name but this someone didn't!"
Who'd want to dance with me?
Gwyn laughs and shakes her head. She then says, "Sorry, but I'm not going to the dance. To any dance, for a matter of fact."
Ino looks at her, along with Sakura, like she sprouted a second head.
Even Naruto looks shocked. Sasuke and Hinata are just curious but they don't start bombarding her with questions. Not like the three who are surrounding her.
"H-H-Hey!" Gwyn shoves them back to say, "And what about this note? Do you have it?"
Ino nods her head vigorously before pulling it out of her back pocket. She hands it over.
On it is three words: Dance with Me
On the back is a picture of a crescent moon. She frowns.
"Well, someone obviously thought I was someone else. I don't have anyone interested in me that way." Gwyn hands it back as she adds as an afterthought, "and it was probably for you, Ino. I hear you have a lot of guys fawning after you."
Ino shakes her head again before she says, "No, the deliverer of the note came up to me and asked, 'are you a friend of Gwyn Armstrong' and I said 'yes, I am' and he handed me the note. He then said to me 'get this note to her before school's over' and ran off."
Gwyn, at this point, can't stop herself from laughing.
"You seriously got your leg pulled, Ino. Someone obviously thought it'd be funny and new you would do it. They're laughing, I bet." Gwyn smiles but Sakura says, "No, I highly doubt it."
She turns to the pink-haired 'blossom' and asks, "Why?"
"It's simple. Someone wouldn't pay the deliverer money and have their note sent just for a good laugh. That paper costs a bit as well. Whoever it is, is serious." Sasuke voices this and Gwyn frowns.
They head into the school, all quiet, and enter the library. Gwyn takes her seat on the couch and Hinata sits next to her. Ino and Sakura take the arm chairs and Naruto sits in front of Gwyn, on the floor, and Sasuke sits across from all of them. He's looking at the note.
How he got it she does not know.
"After receiving a note you have to go to the person and answer them. You tell them yes or you tell them no." Sakura says more to herself but Gwyn asks, "Okay, so what about if there's no name?"
"Y-you have t-to go, then, because you h-haven't a name to g-go by. If anything…" Hinata trails off and it is Ino that answers, "Only upperclassmen can do that. How many do you know?"
"All of you?" she asks and Ino snorts.
"Besides us." Gwyn worries her lip as she goes through a list.
"Well, there's Lee. I met him once in gym and he called me pretty." She leans back and frowns.
Now, of all times, is a day she cannot remember everyone she came across.
"Do you think – " Ino goes to say but Sasuke cuts her off with a, "As if."
"I don't see why you find it so unbelievable. It'd be a great way to humiliate someone." She replies and Gwyn watches the two bicker.
"It doesn't matter. I'm not going anyway so it doesn't matter who sent the note." She cuts in and both look at her before Ino says, "But you have to!"
"No, I don't." Gwyn replies before Sakura says, "But, Gwyn, your date – "
"I don't have a date. Anyway, if I did go to a dance I would only go with my friends and, if I had one, I would also go with my boyfriend." She smiles as she leans back again.
They all go quiet before Hinata asks, "Where are you going on the day of the dance?"
"Don't know. I might just hit the town. Go swimming or go shopping. I might watch movies." She replies and Hinata starts to twiddle with her thumbs as she nods.
Gwyn groans before sitting up.
"Anyway, we all need to head to class. The teachers are probably wondering if we decided to just drop out." They all give her odd looks.
She doesn't blame them.
She stands up and grins.
"Anyway, let's met up at lunch."
She can see a few more odd looks before Naruto asks, "Gwyn-Chan, what are you planning?"
"Nothing today. I just want to get through today alive."
Words: .1,543(above the line)
Note from the Author: .Hmm. The dance is on its way. So, who sent the note. What is going to happen. And we learned a bit about Ari, not much, and now we now that he was close to Gwyn. And she seems to hate this guy named Mark. Hmmm...
Profiles (only original characters unless asked otherwise - they only come up when the new character comes into the story):
Gwyn Armstrong
Age: 15, almost 16 (metioned in last chapter - hinted in the last few - but forgot to put down)
Gender: female
Hair: chocolate brown, long
Eyes: NM
Family: Mom, dad, Max, Grandma Berta
Gin (NM)
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Hair: Long, brown
Eyes: Green
Family: (NM)
R&R