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Chapter Fifty (Far out! Fifty?! Already!? I still have so much to go!):

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen. - Albert Einstein

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*****

The rest of the afternoon passed generally well, we played many, many games of cards, including one very violent game of Spoons (five spoons, six players, several bruised hands and broken hearts) and about three or four rounds of 500, where we all got thoroughly annoyed at our partners (I was with Kankuro, who I think could have killed me by the end of it). It went something like this:

"Okay, I bid… six spades."

"Pass,"

"Pass,"

And of course, it came to me. But unfortunately beforehand, I happened to spend most of the time staring at Naruto cards (because he sucks at hiding them) and become very overconfident.

"Eight hearts," I say smoothly. Kankuro turns a little pale and gives me a worried glance.

Naruto doesn't see anything weird about this, and looks forlorn. "Pass," he muttered.

"Eight hearts it is, then," Kakashi would mutter. Then it would hit me that I had bid on Naruto's cards, and Naruto is an idiot and passed. I go a little pale, and look desperately in the Kitty. Finding nothing, I wing it all vigor I have and lose every trick to a now very confused Naruto.

"You bid on Naruto's cards again, didn't you?" Kankuro hissed at me, as I lost another hand.

"No," I lied quickly. "I just, er, was bluffing… a bit too well."

"You don't bluff in 500!"

"Yes you do!"

"That poker, you loser!"

"Yeah? Well you still bluff in 500!"

"Urgh, you're such a prat, Sora."

And so the evening continued, I would have liked Gaara to be there, with him I would have won quite a few tricks. Instead of ending up on negative 470 by the end of the game… nobody won, we all just got too frustrated with Naruto somehow getting every good card in the pack and not bidding. Especially Sasuke, who eventually told Naruto that on the fourth round it's custom to switch cards with their partner.

"But they haven't….," Naruto started.

"Yes they have, they've just already done it,"

"Oh, okay, here you go Sasuke,"

With that magical hand alone, they won the nine tricks they bid for, the bastards. I then told them on the fifth hand its custom to give you're hand to the person on the right, but Naruto didn't fall for that one.

Christmas dinner was not eventful, but it was delicious. I got back to the room at eleven, and found it empty, sighing, I showered and went to bed.

Of course, Gaara's in the office… Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean that nobody will try to bomb his country today.

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26/12/18

In honor of Boxing Day, I hit Naruto with a pillow.

I took the legal way to his and Sasuke's rooms, and found them both sleeping. At least they had the decency to have pants on this time around. I leaped on the bed in-between them both joyfully, and they both rolled sideways off the bed in surprise. I smiled gleefully at them, Sasuke was the first up, as he was trying to maintain his composure, but Naruto had hit his head on the bedside table and was practically crying.

"Oh, get up," I sighed and helped him up, he glared at me.

Sasuke came back and sat on the end of the bed with a shirt on (I'd never tell him, but it made it a lot easier to concentrate, he must have been working out.)

"Why are you here so early?" He complained, as he stretched and yawned.

"Because Gaara left half an hour ago and you can only drink so many cups of tea on your own."

"Don't you get annoyed at him leaving so early and coming back so late?" Naruto asked, running a hand through his hair and rummaging through a bag for a shirt.

"Yeah, but he's the Kazekage, you kind have to expect it, don't you?"

"I guess…," Naruto pulled out what he had been looking for, a plain white shirt, and pulled it over his head. "There," he said happily. He was obviously proud with himself for this feat.

I roll my eyes, and go to find Sasuke. "Cup of tea, please, no sugar, small amount of milk." I tell him and sit on his couch.

"White, two sugars." Naruto muttered, and sat down next to me.

"Since when am I making them?" He muttered angrily, but none-the-less pulled another two cups out of the cupboard.

"Shika and Sakura come back tomorrow." I told them.

"They won't be in a good mood," Naruto replied.

"Why?"

"Well, they've just been on a… I think four hour train-trip, from Shikamaru's parent's place, if Sakura is a happy girl when she arrives…. For no other reason then to see us all again, I will chop off my arms."

"Violent bet, willing to wager?"

"My arms?"

"Yeah,"

"Okay….," Naruto looked wary. "If I lose, what will you do with them?"

"I dunno, sell them?"

"Oh, okay. That's fine then. Dea-wait… what do I get?"

"Uhh, half my supply of Jelly-Beans."

"Deal." He said happily.

I shrug and shake his hand. Sasuke looked at us both as if we are mad, and handed us our tea. The morning passed fairly serenely, only a few arguments over silly things. But Naruto didn't seem to call his arms a 'silly thing' and got slightly ticked off when I referred to it as that.

"You shouldn't have bet them away, then!"

"Sakura hasn't come back yet!"

"I'm sure she'll get along with Mrs. And Mr. Shikamaru just fine."

"Their last names aren't Shikamar-,"

"Sh! I will not take impertinent behavior from today's youth like that!"

"What the hell, So-,"

"Far out you two are annoying!" Sasuke had, fortunately for the both of us, snapped.

This bet, it seemed would favor me either way. I get rid of about half a ton of Jelly Beans, or I get Naruto's arms. I'd prefer to get rid of half my lollies, but y'know, owning Naruto's arms might be amusing.

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11:00pm

I hate Spoons. I swear Sasuke cheats, he has like a spare spoon under his chair incase he looses. I may have broken my hand.

I swear, it's only Naruto and I that lose, ever.

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Sorry it's so short, very busy.

I HATE GEOGRAPHY. Who in the name of baby Jesus decided it's a great idea to force poor kids to study Soil Salinity and Urban Growth & Decline all in one term!? Okay, more importantly, who decided that we should study GEO in general!? Arrghh, I could hack them to bits, I could.

Anyway, LOVE YOU ALL. You keep me, er, sane enough to be let out in public. I hope you are all in great health, and are having the times of your lives.

TALLY-HO! Good chums, I bid thee fare-well!

Love youu!

Love, to-love.