Best Friend's Brother 43
Winter Break Part 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters used aside from my OC. Please support the official release.
The next day, Natsumi awoke and began her routine of preparing for her day. She had settled on wearing a pair of black jeans with a grey sweater when she heard the sound of her mother calling her to come downstairs. Much to her surprise, there in the foyer of her home were three adults with long dark hair and pale purple hues that greatly resembled the Hyuga family. There was one man and two women.
"Um hello" Natsumi greeted the trio, seeing that they were all formally dressed in black and white suits.
Upon seeing the teen girl all three bowed before the man stepped forward to speak.
"Hello are you Ms. Natsumi Nakamaru?" the man asked earning a nod from the girl. "Our apologies for our unannounced arrival miss but we were informed that you would be escorted to the annual Hyuga Christmas Party so we are here to fit you for your evening wear" the man said stepping aside as one of the woman suddenly held up a large white box while the other stepped forward to remove the lid and reveal a pale purple silk dress.
Natsumi's brows rose in alarm as she looked at the dress before looking to her mother.
"Why don't you come in while I prepare some tea?" Natsumi's mother offered with a kind smile as she motioned the trio towards the living room before giving her daughter a surprised look. "They're fitting you for a dress?" she asked in hushed voice after the three were out of ear shot.
Natsumi shrugged, making her mother shake her head before departing to the kitchen as she pointed Natsumi in the direction of the living room. The dark haired teen released a breath to compose herself before sending a quick text to Hinata, asking if Neji was around and making her way to the living room to find the man off to the side on the phone while the two women went about setting up a changing divider.
Moments later Natsumi felt the vibrations of her phone, before seeing that she was receiving a call from Hinata. Seeing that the guests seemed to be paying no mind to her, she excused herself to the hall to answer the call.
"Hinata?" Natsumi spoke into the device.
"Natsumi it's Neji" the voice of the male Hyuga suddenly came over the line, catching the girl off guard for a moment.
"Neji" Natsumi said in greeting to the boy. "I'm sorry I- well there's three people at my house to fit me for a dress" Natsumi explained, hearing the boy sigh on the other end of the phone.
"My apologies for the inconvenience Natsumi. I told my uncle I would be bringing you and this must be his way of ensuring you were properly prepared." Neji informed her.
"Oh I see" Natsumi said glancing back to the living room as she heard the man instructing the women to begin readying the dress. "Well I appreciate the gesture but I think it definitely caught my mother and I off guard ... I told her I would be going with you on Christmas but I don't think she understood the full implications of the event" Natsumi said.
"This is something I should have expected and warned you about ... I'm afraid nothing can be done on the matter for now so please-" Neji started before Natsumi cut him off.
"Excuse me miss" one of the women suddenly said in a small voice as she stepped forward and tapped the dark haired teen on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to interrupt your call but I'd like to inform you that we are ready to fit you" she said earning a nod from Natsumi before she turned to leave.
"I'm sorry Neji, I have to go now but if there's anything else we need to discuss maybe we can talk later" Natsumi spoke into her device.
"Certainly" Neji replied. "I'll be sure to get your number from Hinata and I'll try my best to inform you on any other matter that may arise" he went on earning a hum from the girl in reply. "Goodbye" Neji said.
"Talk to you soon" Natsumi replied before hearing the light click from the other end of the line and bringing the phone down from her ear.
'I guess it's time to get this over with' Natsumi thought taking another breath to mentally prepare before stepping into the living room and being pulled behind the changing divider by the woman as her mother returned with tea.
...
Later that day Natsumi arrived at the Uchiha residence, feeling exhausted from her dress fitting and being prepped on the events of the details by the three Hyuga members that were at her house.
"Natsumi it's good to see you" Mikoto greeted the girl with a smile as she opened the door to greet the teen girl.
"Hello Mikoto" Natsumi greeted the woman with a smile before holding her arms out as the woman pulled her into a hug. "I haven't seen you in a while" Natsumi commented as they released each other.
"Oh yes" Mikoto replied with a sigh. "I'm afraid I've been busy with preparing for the holidays and running to pick up groceries since I have not only Itachi and Sasuke but now Shisui and Naruto eating us out of the house." She went on making a small laugh escape Natsumi.
"That sounds like a lot, are you alright Mikoto?" Natsumi asked making the woman's brows raise in surprise before she placed one of her hands on Natsumi's shoulder and the other over her own heart.
"I'm fine but thank you for asking dear" Mikoto said with a grateful smile.
Natsumi smiled at the woman before her phone suddenly caught her attention and she looked down to see a new text message from Itachi.
"Oh it's from Itachi" Natsumi stated as Mikoto hummed in response.
"Itachi is most likely running late since I believe he's still out with Izumi" Mikoto said as Natsumi opened the message and nodded to confirm this as she wore a blank look on her face. "Izumi is such a lovely girl, have you had the chance to meet her yet?" Mikoto asked.
"Not yet" Natsumi said shaking her head as the two began to walk toward the kitchen.
"That's such a shame" Mikoto exclaimed. "You have to meet her, although I'm sure you'll have a chance ... she just got into town yesterday and the first person she called was Itachi to pick her up from the airport since her mother was preparing a little welcome home party" she informed the teen earning another nod from Natsumi.
'So that's what that phone call was about' Natsumi thought feeling her heart clench. 'He was the first person she called' the teen thought inwardly sighing.
"Hn" Natsumi replied before Mikoto went on.
"I'm sorry dear I've been going on about Itachi and Izumi, I almost forgot to ask, how you have been and how you're enjoying your break" Mikoto said allowing Natsumi release a breath of relief. "I heard you've been busy with interviewing Itachi and his friends for Kakashi Hatake's paper ... I'd love to read it when you write it" she said earning a nod from the girl. "Anything interesting so far? I know when I read articles on groups rather than an individual it can be a little difficult to relate" she said. "It's almost as if it's not personal enough" she went on as Natsumi gave a nod of understanding.
'Personal ... well I guess I could try to ask other types of things but I don't want to lose focus and I only have a few more to do' Natsumi thought as she thought of the final members she had left.
Suddenly the ring of Natsumi's phone caught her attention as she looked to see that she was receiving a call from Itachi.
"It looks like Itachi is calling me" Natsumi said.
"Go ahead and answer dear" Mikoto said earning a nod from the teen.
"Hello" Natsumi spoke into her device.
"Natsumi I'm sorry that I'm running so late but if you'd like you can start heading downstairs since I think Deidara and Sasori are ready to start their interviews. I'll be there as soon as I get a chance" he said from the other line, shortly followed by the sound of a laughing female voice in the background. "Hey Itachi get off your phone and come look at this!" the female voice called from the background as Natsumi strained her ears to hear more. "I'm sorry but I have to go" Itachi said before suddenly hanging up and leaving Natsumi with silence as she slowly lowered her phone with a solemn look on her face.
"Is everything alright dear?" Mikoto suddenly asked gaining the attention of the girl and making Natsumi plaster on a fake smile as she gave the woman a reassuring nod.
"Itachi just wanted me to know he'll be a little late so I can head downstairs to meet the others" she informed Mikoto, earning a nod of understanding.
"Seems like Izumi is keeping him busy" Mikoto commented earning a nod from Natsumi before she gave the woman and small wave and started to head toward the basement.
Walking downstairs, Natsumi tried to maintain the stoic expression she normally wore, but felt put off by the news of Itachi and Izumi.
'Hinata said it was alright to feel jealous but I hate feeling this way' Natsumi thought.
"Hey Natsumi" Deidara's loud voice boomed suddenly bringing the girl out of her thoughts as she realized she had reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh hey" Natsumi greeted the boy in front of her.
Deidara wore a pair of black joggers with a maroon sweatshirt.
So far it seemed like the only ones here were the blonde and the redhead on the couch. Sasori was currently wearing a pair of black pants and a white t-shirt with a tan cardigan over top. The red head seemed tired as he sat with his head leaning back and his eyes closed.
"Is Sasori alright?" Natsumi asked raising a brow as she looked past Deidara.
"Oh don't mind him un, he's just tired from all the extra work he's been doing" Deidara said with a dismissive wave, earning a nod of understanding from the girl.
"So are you ready to start?" Natsumi asked making a smile cross Deidara's face before he draped an arm around her shoulders and began to lead her toward the couch.
It didn't take long to do the blonde's interview and by the time it finished he jumped up, excusing himself to go to the restroom while Natsumi finished the last bit of her notes. It was quiet in the room as Natsumi noted that she and Sasori were the only ones, so it was at this time she allowed herself to relax and the stoic expression she wore. The dark haired girl leaned her head back as she shut her eyes and released a heavy sigh.
'Thank goodness Sasori is asleep' Natsumi thought as she opened her eyes to stare upwards. 'I can't believe I still feel like this' she thought bringing her hands to wrap around herself before releasing another huff of frustration as her mind wondered back to Itachi.
'I thought he would be here by now ... but not just him but everyone else too' Natsumi thought.
"Geez this day is too much" Natsumi breathed out.
"You're telling me" a male voice said suddenly, making the teen jump a bit before turning to Sasori with alarm filled eyes as she saw that the boy's brown eyes were now open and fully focused on her.
"Sasori" Natsumi said. "I'm sorry did I wake you up?" she asked with a sheepish smile as she ran her hand through her dark hair.
"It's not like I was getting much sleep with how much talking you and the idiot were doing" Sasori said bluntly as he crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes again.
Natsumi felt a bit of guilt, but decided it would be best to drop the subject as to not annoy Sasori.
"Hn" Natsumi said with a nod as she looked down to her lap and took a breath to calm herself.
"What's wrong?" Sasori suddenly asked, taking the girl by surprise as she turned back to him with her brows raised.
Sasori was still in the same relaxed position, and when he felt like too much time had passed, he opened an eye to look at the girl.
"Well" Sasori said expectantly. "I don't like to be kept waiting" he said as he shut his eye again.
"What do you mean?" Natsumi asked in a confused tone.
This prompted a sigh of annoyance to escape the red head as he now opened his eyes and sat up straight.
"Is it really so hard to answer a simple question?" Sasori asked harshly. "Maybe talking with an idiot like Deidara for so long started to affect you" he said as Natsumi's mouth dropped open in shock. "So are you going to tell me what's wrong now or do you plan on playing dumb and continuing to sigh dramatically every ten seconds?" he asked.
Natsumi shrunk back in her seat, slightly hurt by the harshness of Sasori's tone as she wasn't used to it being directed at her.
'He's heard me this whole time' Natsumi thought feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her as their eyes locked for a moment.
"I'm sorry Sasori I-" the dark haired girl started to apologize before being cut off by the boy.
"I don't want an apology. I want an answer" he stated making the girl stiffen.
'Can I really tell him what's bothering me?' Natsumi wondered as she shifted her gaze to the side nervously. 'No I can't. He's friends with Itachi and I don't want to run the risk of him finding out and then telling him. Granted Sasori isn't really the type to care to spread gossip though ... but even so it might be better to just lie' Natsumi reasoned before looking back to the redhead and seeing him raise a brow at her.
"I ... I guess I'm just a little stressed" Natsumi said.
Sasori scoffed.
"Stress?" he asked. "Go on" he commanded.
"I was recently invited to a friend's Christmas Party and it's been on my mind since there's so much going into it" Natsumi explained.
"You're really not the type to get so worked up over something so trivial" Sasori said taking Natsumi by surprise. "But if you insist on lying then I'll play along" he said making the girl's brows furrow in surprise. "My advice for the situation is simple. If this party is going to stress you out then don't go" he stated.
Natsumi looked at the boy in disbelief for a moment before shaking her head.
'How does he know I'm lying?' Natsumi thought. 'No I can't focus on that now, I need to stick to my story' she thought with determination.
"I can't just back out. This is something he's counting on me for and it's not like he can find someone else to take since this is something a little more important than a regular party" Natsumi replied making Sasori cock a brow in interest.
"This party ... it wouldn't happen to be the Hyuga Company Christmas Party would it?" the redhead asked making Natsumi's brows raise in alarm.
"Yeah ... but how did you know?" Natsumi asked in shock.
Sasori leaned forward and ran a hand through his locks while Natsumi waited for his reply.
"I prefer not to say for now, but am I right?" he asked making the girl even more confused as she watched him lean back again as he stretched upwards.
"I said yes" Natsumi replied earning a nod from the boy.
"In that case you're right to be worried. That event is something they hold in high regard so if you can't uphold to the standard they want, you probably would be better off backing out" he said honestly with a shrug.
There were so many questions running through the teen's head as she stared at Sasori but before she could open her mouth to ask any of them, Deidara burst back into the room and shortly after so did Yahiko, Konan, Kakuzu and eventually Itachi. With the arrival of all the members for practice, the band started their rehearsal while Natsumi tried her best to hide the confused and conflicted look on her face every time she glanced at the Akatsuki's keyboard player.
'How does Sasori know all this? I know Neji said it was a major event for the company but he also said it was highly exclusive so how would Sasori know about it? Maybe one of his internships had him working at a company ... but then again he would only take an internship if it was in his field and I can't see him doing anything at any company like the Hyuga's' Natsumi thought.
'I guess I'll just have to ask him about it after practice' Natsumi thought.
...
After practice Itachi's onyx orbs watched as Konan made her way to the dark haired teen on the sofa of the basement and bowed as she began to apologize for her early departure yesterday.
"It's really alright Konan" Natsumi said reassuringly.
'I'm not surprised she would excuse it' Itachi thought with a small smile crossing his lips as he shook his head.
"We can make it up whenever you want, even on Christmas" Konan offered.
"Uh I actually can't on Christmas but I appreciate it" Natsumi said running a hand through her hair.
"Oh yeah what plans do you have un?" Deidara asked perking up in interest.
Itachi noticed Sasori roll his eyes as the blonde made his way over to the dark haired girl.
"Uh just a friend's Christmas Party" Natsumi replied.
"That's too bad I was going to ask if you wanted to spend the holiday together" Deidara said folding his hands behind his head.
It grew quiet as an awkward silence befell the group as the others gave the blonde judgmental looks.
"The youth today makes me sick" Kakuzu commented shaking his head dismissively. "Alright you kids are dismissed and I'll see you after the holidays" the man said gruffly before turning to leave.
"Well that was a heartfelt goodbye" Yahiko said sarcastically and earning nods of agreement from the others as they looked after the older man.
"So Natsumi when do you think you and Konan will be finishing up her interview?" Yahiko asked turning back to the teen.
"Um not sure yet" Natsumi replied. "I'm doing Sasori's today then I'm gonna be a little busy the next couple days for the holidays" the girl explained, making the Uchiha cock a brow in interest. "I'm sorry Konan but we can definitely do it after Christmas"
Itachi watched Konan give a nod of understanding before Yahiko casually moved to stand alongside the blue haired girl.
"Well if you're don't have any plans maybe we can do something" the orange haired boy offered.
The gesture left a small smile on Konan's lips and she gave a nod that was soon followed by teasing from Deidara.
"It's about time you asked her out" the blonde said teasingly as he slung an arm around Yahiko's shoulders.
Yahiko stiffened as his face lit ablaze with a blush before he pushed Deidara away.
"If you guys don't have any more business to handle, I think I would like to get my interview over with without all the needless distractions" Sasori said in a snarky tone that made the playful atmosphere disappear.
"Well aren't you pleasant lately?" Konan asked sarcastically.
Sasori rolled his eyes as he released a huff.
"I don't like to waste time" the redhead replied.
"Well we have to head out anyways" Yahiko said folding his hands behind his head. "Deidara do you think you could drop us off at the campus?" the orange haired boy asked looking to the blonde.
Deidara seemed to stiffen as a conflicted look crossed his face as his blue orbs shifted between Natsumi and Sasori.
"Uh I actually thought ... I would stick around to ..." the blonde started before trailing off as he tried to think of an excuse.
"Come on man, we'd ask Itachi but he already has other plans" Yahiko said glancing over to the Uchiha and sending him wink.
Itachi gave no reaction, making the orange haired boy roll his eyes with a playful grin before looking back to Deidara. The blonde released an annoyed huff before nodding dejectedly.
"Ok but I'll be right back!" Deidara said pointing to Sasori. "I don't think it's a good idea to leave Natsumi alone here with this weirdo" he said crossing his arms over his chest as Sasori narrowed his eyes at him.
"The only weirdo we have to worry about leaving her with is the one that would take advantage of her and end up on a registry for sex offenders" Sasori said making Deidara pale.
"Oh yeah so you admit if you were given the chance then you'd take advantage of Natsumi un?" Deidara asked making one of Sasori's brows twitch in annoyance.
"That weirdo is you idiot" Sasori snapped back at the blonde.
"I'm no idiot I'm just an admirer of the finer things in life!" Deidara shot back.
"Oh so all the magazines under your bed must be art to you?" Sasori asked making the Deidara fall silent. "Well that's no surprise since you have a skewered since of art" he went on making Deidara's mouth drop open in shock.
"You wouldn't know real art is it blew up in your face you puppet freak" Deidara yelled angrily.
"You guys should take it down a notch" Yahiko said stepping between the two boys.
"Honestly at least while Natsumi is in the room" Konan said motioning to the dark haired girl who currently wore a deadpanned expression.
"Can we go?" Yahiko asked looking directly at Deidara in hopes of changing the subject and ending the argument between the two.
"I don't think I want to leave Natsumi alone with this freak" Deidara said stubbornly, making the redhead roll his eyes while Yahiko face palmed.
"I'll be here" Itachi then said gaining the attention of the room as the others turned to him with surprised looks.
"Aren't you going to be busy with your family or whatever?" Sasori asked.
Itachi shook his head.
"I was going to meet a friend but I wanted to hang out and mess with a few chords anyways" he said as Sasori raised a brow at him before shrugging it off.
"So can we go now?" Yahiko asked impatiently as Deidara released an annoyed groan.
The blonde dejectedly started toward the door shortly followed by Yahiko and Konan as the pair waved goodbye to Itachi, Sasori, and Natsumi. After they exited the redhead turned to the dark haired girl and spoke.
"Well let's get this over with" Sasori said.
Natsumi gave a slow nod before nervously glancing to Itachi.
"I'll be on stage" Itachi said giving the girl a small smile and nod before turning to make his way away from the pair as they sat on the sofa and began their interview.
'Anything to distract me from what's going on' Itachi thought.
...
'Why did Itachi bother to stick around for so long?' Natsumi thought as she began packing her bag and Sasori rose up from the couch. 'His phone has rang like six different times ... I wonder if it was Izumi?' she thought as she now stood as well while slinging her bag onto her shoulder.
The older Uchiha was currently strumming the same few notes repeatedly before taking a break to write something down in a notebook he had balanced on his amp.
'What's he doing?' Natsumi thought letting her eyes run over the boy before glancing to Sasori as he cleared his throat.
"I'm going to head out" Sasori said earning a nod from Natsumi before Itachi's phone started to ring once more. "Maybe you should answer" Sasori said with a shrug before nodding to Natsumi and starting toward the door.
Natsumi noticed Itachi stiffen at the comment before glancing over releasing a small huff as he shook his head. There was a moment of awkward silence as Natsumi contemplated saying goodbye or just waving to the boy, but these thoughts were soon interrupted when Mikoto's voice sounded from the top of the stairs.
"ITACHI!" Mikoto's voice called. "Izumi just called to see if you were done with your practice" she yelled.
Natsumi gave Itachi a small smile and nod before turning for the stairs. She suddenly came to a halt when she was met with Sasori as her brows rose in surprise.
"Sasori I thought you left" Natsumi stated looking at the redhead who now side stepped her to walk back into the basement.
"I lost my phone" Sasori responded as he started back to the sofa he was sitting at earlier.
"Oh do you need help looking for it?" Natsumi offered turning away from the door.
Before Sasori could reply, Itachi suddenly spoke.
"Hey Natsumi do you need a ride home?" Itachi asked surprising the girl as she turned to see him standing from the stool he was sitting on while setting his guitar to the side.
Natsumi furrowed her brows in confusion as suddenness of his question made her feel like he intentionally wanted to cut Sasori off.
"No thank you Natsumi but I'll be fine" Sasori replied with a dismissive wave.
Natsumi gave a nod of understanding before turning back to Itachi.
"Um sure if you don't mind" she replied awkwardly running a hand through her hair as the Uchiha gave a small smile and nod.
"Found it" Sasori exclaimed holding the device up as the two dark haired teens turned to look at the redhead. "I'm going now" he said heading to the stairs again as the two looked after him before turning back to one another.
"I'll turn off the lights and then we can go" Itachi stated earning a nod from Natsumi.
It didn't take the Uchiha long to clean up after himself before turning off the lights as the pair made their way upstairs, where Itachi was immediately ambushed by Mikoto with a phone in hand.
"Honey, Izumi called" she informed her son. "You should call her back" she stated earning a nod from Itachi before he suddenly placed a hand around Natsumi's shoulders.
"Of course but I need to drop off Natsumi first" Itachi said as Natsumi felt her heart rate increase from the sudden contact.
Mikoto gave her son a weary look before giving a sigh of defeat and nodding.
"Alright dear but just make sure to call her" Mikoto said earning a nod from Itachi before he started to lead Natsumi to the door. "Oh and Natsumi" Mikoto called bringing the pair to halt as the teens turned back to her. "Don't be a stranger dear, we haven't had you over for dinner in ages" Mikoto said with a warm smile.
"Of course Mikoto" Natsumi said with her own smile and nod before she and Itachi resumed walking.
Once they reached the door, Itachi removed his hand to open the door before the pair made their way to his car. When they entered, Natsumi noted how off Itachi seemed. He was stiffer than usual and rather than connect his phone to play music like he usually would, he left it untouched to ring multiple times while they drove in silence.
'This is weird' Natsumi thought letting her brown eyes glance over to the Uchiha and to his phone that was now ringing for the fourth time since they'd started the drive.
When they reached Natsumi's house, Itachi pulled into the driveway before placing the car into park and leaving the pair in another round of silence.
"Um thanks" Natsumi said breaking the silence as she removed her belt and looked to the boy, who seemed to have a distant look on his face.
"No problem Natsumi" Itachi said after a while as he turned to the girl with a small smile.
Natsumi looked at the boy with furrowed brows before releasing a small sigh.
'This is awkward' she thought before deciding to speak.
"Are you alright?" Natsumi asked abruptly, taking the Uchiha by surprise.
"I'm sorry?" Itachi asked taken aback.
"You just don't seem like yourself" Natsumi said nervously folding her hands together.
Itachi wore a thoughtful look for a moment before giving the girl a reassuring smile.
"I'm fine Natsumi but thank you" Itachi said.
"You're lying" Natsumi stated making the boy stiffen.
"What do you mean?" Itachi asked.
Natsumi released a small huff before running a hand through her dark locks as her brown eyes shifted to the side.
"You've been acting different all day Itachi" Natsumi said making the boy's brows raise in surprise as she turned back to allow her eyes to meet the gaze of his onyx ones. "You stayed after practice today and you only played like three chords while your phone kept ringing and ... and when you asked to take me home, it was out of nowhere ... And when you're mom said you had a call ..." Natsumi started to list off before looking down to her lap.
"Natsumi I appreciate the concern but I'm really fine" Itachi said making the girl look back to him and seeing the disbelieving look in her brown orbs.
"You say you can tell when I'm lying because you know me ... well it goes both ways Itachi" Natsumi said nervously shifting her gaze to the side again.
"What do you mean?" Itachi asked.
"I know you" she said hoping the heat that was rushing to her face wasn't visible to him as she looked back to meet the gaze of his onyx orbs. "So I know something is wrong" Natsumi stated.
Itachi's eyes lit up in surprise for a moment before a small smile crossed his lips.
"So you're throwing my own words back at me?" Itachi asked with a small huff as he turned forward again.
"What's wrong?" Natsumi asked regaining his attention.
It was silent for a moment before Itachi spoke again.
"Natsumi you really don't have to worry" Itachi said hoping the teen girl would drop the subject.
'I swear he's just as stubborn as Sasuke' Natsumi thought.
"Itachi" Natsumi said.
The Uchiha released a sigh of defeat.
"I'm not too sure how to explain it" he admitted making the girl furrow her brows in confusion. "Well it's Izumi" he said unknowingly making Natsumi suck in a sharp breath.
'Izumi ... His ex-girlfriend ... the one Mikoto said he's been with since she got back into town' Natsumi thought feeling her heart grow heavy.
"Go on" Natsumi said with a reassuring nod to Itachi.
"I'm not too sure if Sasuke told you but she's my ex-girlfriend" Itachi stated. "And even though we ended on good terms ... it's just not the same anymore" he said looking back to Natsumi who had a blank expression as she looked at him.
"What do you mean?" Natsumi asked.
Itachi took a moment to think before replying.
"It amazes me how she's able to pick up like there's nothing wrong but I feel conflicted being around her. It's why I stayed late at practice and why I've been putting off picking up my phone. I'm not sure why but I don't know how to normalize the situation" Itachi explained as Natsumi took in this new information.
'Does he still like her?' Natsumi wondered feeling her heart sting at the very thought before pushing the thought to the side. 'I can't think of that right now. I need to be here for him' she thought.
"What do you mean by normalize the situation?" Natsumi asked.
Itachi thought for a moment before replying.
"I don't know how to act like everything is alright" Itachi stated. "Too much has changed" he said.
Natsumi gave a nod of understanding as another silence fell over the pair.
'I never dreamed that in a million years that I would be sitting in a car with the boy I like while he talks about his ex ... Is this normal? What am I supposed to do in this situation?' Natsumi thought feeling conflicted over the situation.
The silence in the car made the dark haired girl feel like she was suffocating. And even if she was close to Itachi, she felt like she couldn't be further from the dark haired boy.
'What do I do?' Natsumi thought as she analyzed the situation, replaying his words, in hopes that she could think of a solution. 'Why is this so hard? If this were any other boy, I know I could come up with an answer but I can't think ... What would I do if this was one of the others? Like Sasuke or Naruto or anyone?' Natsumi internally debated with herself before coming to a realization that made her release a heavy sigh before speaking.
"I think you should talk to her" Natsumi advised surprising even herself with her advice. "It's just ... you guys are still friends and until you tell her this is what's wrong, she's going to keep pushing to hang out like things are normal while you feel off" Natsumi explained.
"While that seems like the most direct way to resolve this issue, I'm not sure if it's the most sincere way of going at it" Itachi said.
"Sincere?" Natsumi asked.
"I don't want to hurt her feelings" Itachi admitted. "I don't think I could bare to hurt her especially since she's so happy." He explained making Natsumi's eyes fall to her lap as she allowed her bangs to hide her eyes.
"You're too nice sometimes" Natsumi mumbled making the Uchiha furrow his brows in confusion before the dark haired girl turned to look directly in his eyes with a small smile. "Hiding how you feel just so she's happy, isn't going to do any good for either of you in the long run Itachi. You being honest with her is going to mean a lot more than trying to spare her feelings. And in the long run it'll mean that much more since you're her friend and you have that decency to tell her the truth." Natsumi said.
Itachi's brows rose in surprise before he placed a thoughtful hand under his chin. It became silent after she chastised him. She looked away from him and slowly started to think she went a little too far until she heard a soft hum come from him.
"I suppose you're right Natsumi" he said after a while making her turn back towards him.
'I'm a total hypocrite but yeah I am right' Natsumi thought, willing herself not to lose her composure whilst in the presence of the young man who currently sat taking in her words, oblivious in the inner turmoil of the dark haired girl beside him.
Natsumi gave a nod as she turned forward as well. She placed a hand out to start opening her door before being stopped as Itachi spoke again.
"Thank you Natsumi, for letting me speak and helping with the situation" Itachi said. "I really appreciate you."
Natsumi stiffened before looking back at him, feeling her heart beat start to beat a little faster. A small smile crossed the girl's face before she gave a nod and turned back to open the door and exit the car.
...
As she made her way back into her house, Natsumi closed the door and leaned against it while releasing a heavy sigh.
'What did I just do?' Natsumi thought as she stood back up and turned to look out the peephole to see the Uchiha pulling out of the driveway.
Natsumi released another sigh as she felt her heart constrict. Slowly the dark haired teen started to make her way to her bedroom. While passing through the living the room her mother caught sight of the teen while she was walking through.
"Natsumi you're home" her mother said.
Turning to her mother she saw the older woman sitting on the sofa with a throw blanket over her lap and her dark hair twisted into a bun.
"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod as she continued past the woman.
"Do you want to watch something together?" her mother offered holding her blanket up to invite her daughter to join her.
Natsumi shook her head much to the woman's confusion.
"Not now mom. I think I'm going to take a nap for a while" Natsumi said motioning to the stairs and earning a weary nod from her mother. She made her way past the couch and started her way up the stairs until she heard her mother speak.
"Natsumi."
Natsumi came to a halt and looked to her mother having a concerned look.
"Do you need to talk?" her mother asked in a worried tone.
"I'm ok" Natsumi lied while shaking her head.
"If this is about that paper your writing, I think you should take a break babe. Don't over work yourself." Natsumi's mother said earning a nod of understanding from the teen.
"Don't worry mom I won't even think about it over the next few days" Natsumi said before resuming her walk to her room.
Upon arriving upstairs, the dark haired teen quickly locked her bedroom door before falling face first onto her bed, burying her face into the familiar comfort of her bed as she held her pillow.
'What did I just do?' Natsumi thought releasing a huff. 'He's going to talk to her and that's a good thing but ... what if I was wrong? What if they get into a fight? What if ... they get back together?' Natsumi wondered feeling her eyes began to sting as she thought about the many scenarios that could follow her talk with Itachi.
"I'm the biggest idiot in the world" Natsumi thought aloud with a sigh. "Who in their right mind tells the guy they like to be honest about how he feels for another girl?" she asked feeling the warmth of her tears beginning to soak her pillow.
'When did I turn into such a mess?' Natsumi wondered as she felt more tears spill from her eyes. 'Why am I acting this way? Why am I becoming such a wreck over a guy I know I shouldn't like?' she thought.
...
A/N: Hey guys ... um I'm sorry about this chapter. It's not only late but short. To tell you the truth I've been struggling with it since I wrote it, reread it, didn't like it, rewrote it, and then had to redo half of it when working on it with me editor. We had a lot to talk about in terms of content as I have a lot planned for it (maybe too much) so that is partly why this took so long. It's a lot and I have a bit of tendency to overthink things thus making the process all the more complicated, so I'm sorry. I appreciate all of you for supporting me by reading and reviewing as they encourage me too keep going. I love hearing from you guys and would love to hear more. Feel free to leave a comment telling me your thoughts on the story so far and what you would you like to see happen next? How do you like the drama so far with Itachi and Izumi and the weirdness of being around an ex? (Based on real life experience lol) Did Natsumi make the right call with advising him to talk to her? Please read and review and until next time stay safe friends
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*Important Notice* For those of you looking for chapter 44, I understand that there is some difficulty in locating it. I have heard that I am not the only story experiencing this issue so it is my understanding that it is a bug with the site. I have also heard that this issue is not affecting the mobile app so if it would not be an issue I recommend checking it out there until the site resolves this matter. I apologize due to the inconvenience and thank you for your support and understanding.
