The car ride back gave Ino very little time to think about her inevitable confrontation with her mother. Part of her just wanted to storm up her stairs and ignore the woman for the rest of the day. The other part of her wanted to scream her head off at her. Usually there wasn't an in between type of fight between the Yamankas. It was either silence or a full on war.
Sadly for Ino, the drive was quick. She was at her front door in minutes. Maybe her mother would make the first move and Ino wouldn't have to decide. She wouldn't be able to control it.
Ino realized she wasn't in control of much lately. That's when everything clicked for her. Sure, her life had gone downhill in the past months, but she always blamed it on her own bad luck. Everything was just going wrong because it was meant to be. It never occurred to her that she wasn't really trying to fight it. She just let it happen. She lost control.
Ino wasn't submissive in the slightest. Everything that used to go amazing for her was because she demanded it to. She got to be cheer captain because she fought tooth and nail for it. Being the head of the newspaper didn't fall into her lap. She got the lead in the school musical because she practiced her audition every chance she got. She chose to be nice to people which got her popularity. She got good grades because she actually applied herself and studied. She wasn't a "teen idol" by destiny. She made herself one. She still hated that title though.
So what changed? Teen idol Ino wasn't the same girl tentatively holding her doorknob. It didn't take a genius to realize that the biggest problem was behind the door. Ino knew what she needed to do.
She took a deep breath, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and marched into the house.
"I'm back!" Ino called out. She didn't see her mother anywhere. Maybe she already went to bed.
Normally she avoided the master bedroom, but Ino was still determined to put her foot down. Her mother's bedroom was her sacred space, Ino wasn't supposed to invade it. The blonde decided it was fair given how many times her mother messed with her personal life.
"Mom?" She asked as she knocked on the door.
"I know you're mad, but I don't want to talk about this tonight." Her mother called back through the still shut door. Ino rolled her eyes and pushed it open. Her mother was reading a book on the bed.
"No." She stated sternly.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sick of you controlling my life. It doesn't belong to you." Ino continued and stepped into the dim room. Her usually beaming smile was in a tense line.
"Don't you think you're being a bit dramatic?" Her mother sighed. Her daughter was very in tune with her theatrical side.
"Maybe I need to be for you to listen." Ino replied back.
"You're the one who doesn't listen. I know what's best for you, and it's definitely not that boy of yours."
Ino narrowed her eyes. Her mother barely knew her since she was never home. How could she say she knew what was best? She would've held her tongue earlier that day but not now. She was finally going to stick up for herself like she used to.
"You're wrong. You know nothing about me or him." Ino snapped back defensively.
"Oh please, you're going to get sick of him soon enough. He's a good for nothing and you're better-"
"I love him, mom! And he's not going anywhere either so you better get used to it or shut up." Ino shouted. Even in the dim lighting, Ino could see her mother's eyes widen in shock.
Ino realized she actually admitted her love for Shikamaru. It had nevermind even crossed her mind before. Obviously she cared about him but loving someone was different. Maybe it just slipped out, yet saying it out loud made it seem so true though. She knew she couldn't tell him until she was sure.
"Is there anything else you want to say to me?" Her mother questioned with pursed lips. Ino knew she hit a nerve.
"I'm more than just a pretty face." Ino added. She was taking control of every aspect of her life. She was going to eat whatever she wanted, no more stupid diets.
"So what do you want from me exactly?"
"I want you to my mom. So if you can't support me, just go back to being a ghost." Ino confessed.
She wanted her mother back but wasn't sure if that was even possible anymore. Maybe the relationship was too broken. Ino was done. She'd rather have no relationship with the woman sitting in front of her instead of a miserable one.
"Okay."
"Okay? What does that mean?" Ino asked.
"It means I have to catch a flight in the morning." She replied solemnly and turned off her bedside lamp. The room became pitch black.
Ino refused to cry as she moved to her bedroom. She was prepared for that outcome, it wasn't going to upset her. She needed to get her groove back. Home life, check.
Her gaze shifted to her school bag. In it were assignments that needed to be completed, her newspaper reporter journal with no new scoops, and her musical script that she barely had memorized even though it was at the end of the month. In a crumpled pile at the corner of her room, lay her old cheer uniform.
School life was next up to get fixed. She was going to get an A on every assignment, not a problem. She'd come up with a newspaper article, harder but not difficult. She'd killthe musical, by far the most time consuming but worth it. Finally she'd get back on the cheer squad, now that would be a challenge. Ino was confident and there wasn't anything more deadly than that.
As Ino began her physics packet, her phone rang. She expected it to be Shikamaru, probably to make sure she was okay at home. Or it could be a classmate asking for the homework pages to read. Ino hoped it was the former.
It wasn't either. Instead it was from a number she didn't recognize. Ino was in a good mood so she answered it. If it was a prank caller, she'd just hang up.
"Hello?" She asked.
"Ino? Wow I'm surprised you ans-"
"Screw off."
Ino instantly recognized Sasuke's voice and hung up. She also bl packed the number which ended up under Sasuke's already blocked number. She wasn't going to deal with him anymore. She didn't care what he had to say. That story was over. It was just another thing that she gained control over. Sasuke, check.
The call did make Ino remember someone else that she'd like to forget, Sakura. It wasn't an easier decision to make though. Part of her didn't want to end their story. The other part of her just couldn't find a way to forgive her. What she did was cruel. It would be nice to have a best friend again. She could also just find a new one. Sakura, put on pause.
Ino woke up the next morning to an empty house. She wasn't surprised. She also couldn't deny the pang in her heart. It wasn't going to ruin her day. There was too much she needed to do.
First off, she needed to practice her cheer moves. They were probably rusty from no training. The blonde threw on a sweatshirt and headed into her backyard. The air was cold and the grass was slick from morning dew. Not ideal for tumbling practice, but Ino had to work with what she had.
She just finished warming up when her phone buzzed. Shikamaru was at her front door. She wasn't expecting that.
Shikamaru didn't expect to see Ino greeting him with a cartwheel from behind her house.
"What are you doing?" He asked curiously.
"Practicing cheer tricks. What are you doing here?" She answered. She was surprised that he was awake before noon on a weekend.
"My mom said I should check how you were doing. I also got you this." He stated and held out a mocha. He remembered Ino saying how much she loved them. His mom also had no idea he was at her house, he just didn't want to sound mushy.
"Was that her idea too?" Ino questioned with a raised eyebrow. She knew he was lying and wanted to see if he'd crack.
"No, I just thought of it on my way here."
"Thanks. And I'm doing great." She announced. Shikamaru didn't seem to buy it.
"Really?" He asked. Ino didn't need to lie to him. He assumed her night had probably gone awful with her mom.
"Yep. I've decided that I need to quit moping around and get back on track. That means getting back on the cheer team, even if I have to be at the bottom of the pyramid." She stated with a confident smile.
It was the happiest Shikamaru had seen her in the past few days. He was glad. Seeing someone so vibrant be gloomy was not a good sight. It also wasn't the Ino he cared about. He could finally see some of the old Ino in the blonde in front of him. He didn't try to hide the proud smile on his face.
