CHAPTER 17 - Janitor Closets
Shikamaru walked down the hall, urging to just take out a cigarette and smoke right then and there. He couldn't stop thinking of everything that was going on. First, he completely breaks Temari's heart and now at such a timing, his ex-girlfriend texts him again? This had to break the record of completely being the biggest DRAG he had ever had to endure in.
"Hey! Shikamaru!" A familiar voice came out, turning around for it to be no other than his best friend, Choji. A sense of Shikamaru was relieved, wanting to spill out everything he was feeling to him. He knew Choji was trustworthy, of course, but Choji has had his past of accidentally blurting out sentences that weren't suppose to be said.
Nevertheless, Shikamaru forced a smile. "Hey man, what's up?"
Choji approached the guy, eating a bag of chips as always. "Nothing much. Just had gym, now I'm stuffing myself to fill in my lost calories!"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, how typical.
"Glad to hear that." And that was all he said, which to his mistake, caused Choji to feel some suspicion.
"Something wrong?" Choji asked worriedly. Usually Shikamaru would give a small lecture if Choji did something unwise, but this time, Shikamaru just seemed avoidant.
Shikamaru continued to smile. "N-Nothing! Nothing.. I-I'm gonna be late, I'll see you later, Choji."
And with that, he would walk away.
"Ladies! Since you all think walking is acceptable on your last lap of sprints, we're going to be doing five more laps!" Gai called out, punishing the girls for not being able to put their all into running around the gym.
Multiple groans noised, before lining up and jogging again. Temari looked down the whole time, minimizing her conversations with anyone. Every since last night, it felt like she had just completely been betrayed. She began to wonder if this was what a breakup was like, that although you miss the person like crazy, you want nothing than to slap them or scream at them endlessly. But then she came to a common conclusion that, her and Shikamaru were not dating. And so she continued this repetitive thought process.
Ten Ten looked back at Temari, wondering why she had not been in the best mood today. She then slowed down a bit to Sakura's speed, whispering to her as she jogged. "Hey, any idea you know what happened to Temari? She looks so down in the ditch."
Sakura was about to shrug, bearing in mind that any time someone asked her a question, she most likely had no idea of how to respond. But this time, she remembered what Sasuke texted her last night, about how he left Shikamaru with Temari to work things out. She gritted her teeth, most likely figuring out what happened. She looked behind her and beside her to make sure Temari was nowhere near their range, but that was nothing to worry about considering Temari was all the way at the end of the line.
"I'm sure you're aware that Sasuke and Shikamaru were pretty much together the whole time yesterday?" Sakura asked her friend, which she nodded in response. "Well, apparently Sasuke forced Shikamaru and Temari to talk things out. And so when that happened, I guess, well, everything got exposed. If you catch my drift."
Ten Ten's eyeballs expanded. "E-Everything? Damn. I'm quite curious what he said now, considering Temari..." She looked back to her friend, who was still jogging in a slower pace with her head aimed down to the floor. "Well, she looks upset!"
"Shh!" Sakura hushed her. "Listen, we'll work things out. I think we just need to confront them. At least, one of them."
"I'm not sure that's such a great idea," Ten Ten began. "Sounds like a bunch of drama to me."
The pink haired girl sighed, agreeing. "I get it, but what kind of friends would we be if we just let shit go to.. well.. shit! I don't think any of us want that happening."
"I get it." Ten Ten would stop running, finishing her lap along with Sakura. "We'll talk at lunch."
Scanning her vision across the words multiple times on the page, Temari couldn't wait to go home and just take some time to meditate or perhaps take a nap. On that specific day, she had study hall, which she would usually go out with Shikamaru to run some errands but since that obviously wasn't bound to happen anymore, she decided to give herself some alone time.
Of course, she wasn't actually reading the book that was in her hands. It was merely a 'disguise' to make it look like she was occupied, and won't attract any potential weirdos that would try to sit with her. Unfortunately, it happens a lot more than people would think. She begins to flip a page, continuing to be 'engaged,' until her ears perked up at a nearby conversation.
"Shikamaru?" A girl asked to another girl, who had red hair.
"Yeah..." She would then fold her hands, in a way that she felt panicked. "I-I tried to text him last night and.. well.. he said he would meet with me some time this week."
Temari's eyes widened, so this is what he was going to do now? This is the Tayuya girl he had been so in love with? Even after they had finally confessed? All the times they had spent together? And that the one extreme feud he had, he doesn't even bother to try to fix things and just potentially go back to his ex? No, it couldn't be.
The girl who was talking to Tayuya then asked a deeming question. "Well, what do you plan to do once you two meet up? Are you trying to get back together with him?"
Tayuya lowered her voice, but not low enough to the point where Temari couldn't hear. "I just want to talk things out... and yes, I do plan on getting back together with him."
Temari froze, and her blood felt like it had just touched an ice cube. After hearing what Shikamaru felt about her, even though she had cheated countless times, had really hurt her heart as if it wasn't already battling before. She wanted to leave, she felt like crying. But the conversation was still going on, and she dreaded to her it.
"Even after you.."
Tayuya hushed her friend. "Shh! Yes! Trust me, I know what I did was pretty fucked up, but I know how Shikamaru is."
Her friend raised an eyebrow. "But I thought you only got together because you were failing that semester?"
"Yes well.. I've changed. And I'm sure he can forgive me."
'Pretty fucked up? Girl, get out of here.' Temari thought to herself, gripping onto her book in anger. Luckily, the bell rang and she immediately packed her things and walked out the library and rushed home.
Walking within the long hallways of the school, Shikamaru looked down at his feet, trailing in the same depressed mood as Temari was. He was definitely not in the mood to go to practice, but he knew if he wouldn't go, Coach Asuma would start asking questions. And honestly, Shikamaru hated talking about his problems. Mostly because they're always complicated to try to explain and engrave it within a person's head, no matter how old or young.
All of a sudden, he walked near a supposed locked janitor door, until two pairs of hands grabbed him and yanked him into it. As the force was strong, he fell onto his side but gained enough adrenaline to pull himself up immediately. "W-What the hell?!" He exclaimed.
And there they were, both a cross armed Ten Ten and Sakura in front of him. He scratched behind his head in a stressful manner, figuring that the situation was bound to explained. He watched Sakura pull a small chain, turning on a bright light bulb from the ceiling.
"I'm aware you know why you're here?" Sakura asked, still having an expression of displeasure.
Shikamaru didn't roll his eyes, but instead blinked disappointedly. This action surprised Ten Ten and Sakura, knowing that whenever Shikamaru had gotten himself into a sticky situation, he would usually complain. However, they did suspect that this situation was really heated, so they went straight to the interrogating. But before they could even begin the first question, Shikamaru spoke.
"I know, I know why," he began. "We talked in front of her apartment building and admitted we liked each other. But it all went to shit because I told her the truth about how Tayuya was once my everything that I loved, and I told her how I'd never forget about her and Temari didn't take it so lightly. She started saying how she felt like a rebound and damn.. I don't think I ever can recover from what she said to me after that."
Ten Ten raised an eyebrow curiously, unfolding her arms. "Did she cuss you out?"
Shikamaru shook his head. "No," he replied. "She actually told me something that made me rethink about everything."
"Well? Spit it out!" Ten Ten demanded.
"Ten Ten-" Sakura tried to calm her down.
"She said that while she was my second choice, I was always her first." He said bluntly, not wanting to look into the eyes of the girls in front of him.
The three of them stayed silent for what felt like a long minute. They were all taking in the confessions, and imagining the moment. Shikamaru was upset and Ten Ten and Sakura were also upset, but overall, the person they felt bad for most was Temari.
Ten Ten stood closer to Shikamaru, almost making him look up to her. "Shikamaru, is that true? Temari is your second choice?"
Sakura then matched her move, denying. "What? No way! Shikamaru, tell her that's not true."
Shikamaru looked down, speechless. He couldn't say anything. Mainly because he really didn't know how he felt. He had been so stuck on Tayuya for so long, that he forgot how it felt to like someone to such an extent. Of course, he did like Temari more than a friend, but to how much he liked Tayuya? He didn't know.
"This is some bullshit," Sakura said. "You and Temari, you both were so close the moment she laid a foot into this school. And now you're contemplating on whether or not you still like Tayuya or not? Tayuya fucking cheated on you the whole time, Shikamaru. Don't you fucking get that?"
The genius looked up with widened eyes, he haven't seen Sakura that bothered in awhile. He then eyeballed Ten Ten, who was also looking as fierce.
"Yeah, I agree." Ten Ten added. "Listen, Shikamaru, we love you. But why? It's been quite some time. I get your first break up is always the worst, I get it, but you finally have another girl, a way BETTER girl, that likes you too and has the potential to be your rightful everything. So I don't get it, why?"
Shikamaru looked down again, taking a deep breath before saying, "She texted me the night I came back into the dorms after Temari spazzed out on me, and she wanted to meet up. I thought considering I had lost my chance with Temari, I thought I could of given Tayuya another chance."
The two girls blinked, until Sakura practically screamed out. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"
Temari snuggled herself as she held onto Kankuro's arm on the living room couch, Gaara on the sofa chair. The two brothers had just went through Temari's ranting, and they were quite happy she did.
About two hours ago...
"She's crying." Kankuro told Gaara, peeking a head into his bedroom.
Gaara tossed Kankuro his wallet, waving a hand away as he finished up some homework. "You know what to get."
Kankuro opened the wallet. "DAMN GAARA, YOU'RE LOADED!"
Gaara gave him a death stare.
"Right, ice cream and pizza, on its way!"
There was no one Temari loved more than her two brothers. Although they barely talk nowadays, it still gave them the opportunities to cherish small moments like this one; where they would lounge and just eat their feelings away as if nothing else mattered. It was all an unconditional bond, and they were lucky to have it.
"So?" Kankuro began. "What are you going to do about Shikamaru, sis?"
Temari frowned. "I don't know, Kankuro. I like him a lot no doubt, but he wants her back it seems." She lifted herself up from his arm. "And there's no way I misheard what happened in the library."
Gaara sat comfortably in his chair, placing his glass of water down on the table. "I think he simply doesn't know how to move on," he began. "When you experience a sensation for the very first time, especially with another, you don't know how to feel that sensation comfortably again until you push yourself to move on."
Kankuro looked at his little brother, nodding. "You hear that sis?"
Temari was expressionless. "I know he's still stuck on her, but there's no point in me waiting. I need to move on."
"I'm glad you have that sense of self respect." Gaara commented.
Kankuro smiled. "Yep! Me too! Although, Shikamaru is one for homework, so having him around doesn't sound too ba-"
Temari would throw a pillow at him.
That night at the dorms, the girls sat in the bathtub as they began to discuss everything that had happened. While doing so, Ino and Hinata were completely in shock, and Hinata had to beg Ino to behave at times or else the curtains were definitely going to be ripped.
"I can't believe that Shikamaru!" Ino clenched her fists. "Temari and him were meant to happen! I know it!"
Hinata gloomed, resting her hands on Ino's arms, rubbing them in comfort. "It really is a shame. And the saddest part is that Temari probably doesn't even know about what's happening either."
"That's the thing," Ten Ten told them. "What kind of friends are we right now? The fact we know everything that's pretty much going on, how we would be terrible for snitching on Shikamaru, or we risk Temari another broken heart."
"Quite honestly, I am so for tattling on Shikamaru, just for the record." Sakura said as she raised a hand up in compliance.
Ino nodded. "Same here! Poor girl, she's probably hurt because of his dumbass."
"Wait! Guys!" Ten Ten extended her arms in signs of preventing a feud. "I don't think it's right to be so one-sided about this! I feel like we should talk to Shikamaru first, maybe try to fix his ways."
"I mean, we can." Ino said. "But this is Tayuya we're talking about, you think that's going to be easy?"
Ten Ten gave her a face. "If it were you, you know Shikamaru would of done the same too and you know it."
Ino sighed. "Can't lie there."
"Mhm." Hinata hummed.
Sakura extended back, leaning on the wall of the tub. "I'm still for telling Temari, but whatever floats your boat. I'll side with whatever you guys decide to do overall."
"How sweet." Ten Ten commented before checking her watch. "The guys get back from soccer in about fifteen minutes, let's get ready."