A sudden gasp of breath disturbed the dead silence of that quiet night as the blonde girl arose from her bed in shock. Chest panting, sweat trickling down her temples and on the sides of her back as the shirt clung to her body. She looked around her room; the girl couldn't notice anything in the dark, and her tear covered eyes weren't helping.
She had had another nightmare.
Again.
Her hand instinctively went to her throat as she touched it gently, almost scared of breaking it if she pressed too hard. She breathed a sigh of relief.
It was always the same car. The same lake. The same regretful argument that she had had with her mother just seconds before. The same terrified expression on her mother's face that still haunted her over a year later.
She didn't know if she could even call that a nightmare. Now she knew it wasn't a dream. But… it wasn't a nightmare either. Nightmares were supposed to be produced by your brain to scare you or for whatever other reason. What she experienced, however, wasn't being created by her mind.
It was real.
It was her memories.
Everything that she saw were her own remembrances, replaying themselves repeatedly without ever seeming to stop. She thought she would at least get used to it and maybe overtime, if she was lucky, it wouldn't affect her that much.
It turned out she was very unlucky.
Those memories worked in a vicious cycle she couldn't get out of, no matter how hard she tried. They would leave her alone for a while, making her believe she was slowly getting better, only to come back and hit her stronger than before. Each night, the dream repeated, it became more and more vivid.
She could sense the icy water on her legs as it filled up the car in slow motion, could see her arms desperately trying to open her car door to get out, but the pressure of the water was stronger than her fear of dying. She was left powerless in terror, her arms weak and heavy, knowing she could do nothing.
The water would soon fill the car up completely and she'd close her eyes in panic, trying to hold her breath and kick the window blindly, hoping it would break, only to be left with a throbbing pain in her arm and hands. To open her mouth to scream and to wake up from the dream was her only intention. However, all that greeted her instead was water going violently down her throat as she choked painfully and felt herself going crazy, the burning in her chest rising. The dream wouldn't stop until she felt as if her head was going to explode, until she felt herself on the brink of death, like she had been months ago. Only after that, she earned the luxury of waking up.
It had been a miracle she had survived. That's what they had said. The girl wasn't sure if it was a miracle anymore.
She sighed, her breathing calming down a bit, but she couldn't say the same about her heart racing against her chest. She placed her hand over it gently and let out a pathetic "please stop" as she struggled to recall the advice her therapist had given her. Perhaps she shouldn't have refused her help and stopped going. Her temples were throbbing and her mind was foggy, unable to focus.
She knew she had to breathe in and out slowly.
"Fuck this," she whispered, "I'll make my own breathing exercise."
She took a deep breath, and then released it gradually, repeating it a few times until she became calmer.
Even though her mouth had been filled with water in her dream, now it felt dry as she noticed the thirst taking over her. The bottle on the nightstand laid empty, she realized she'd have to go downstairs to get water.
Sighing, she got up. Her bare feet echoed against the cold marble floor as she walked down the hallway. Suddenly she stopped.
The lights downstairs were on.
"Dad?" she called quietly, her voice cracking as she cringed. No reply came. Maybe he hadn't listened to her. After calling him again, louder this time, still no sound was heard. She kept walking down until her face shifted in discomfort as she narrowed her eyes. The horrendous mess of the living room greeted her in silence.
What the hell happened here?
Clothes were thrown everywhere, some on the couches, some on the floor, hell she could even see her dad's green coat at the bottom of the stairs. She walked past it, but the living room area was in a much worse shape than she had imagined. Random objects occupied some parts of the couch and the floor; she picked her way carefully as to not step on any of them. Various documents and files were sprawled on the coffee table.
"Dad? What happened here?" she asked again, hoping her father was in his room. He was never the type to be messy, he never left a mess behind, especially when it was things that involved his work.
"You know," a hoarse voice emerged from her dad's room, only that it was not her dad's voice, "I've gotten called daddy before, but never dad. So, this name is kinda new to me."
She stood in shock. A strange man was coming out of her dad's bedroom and- was he shirtless?
As panic washed over her and her heartbeat immediately sped up, she didn't know if she wanted to scream or run away. Maybe both. Instead, she stood frozen, unable to move. An unknown man was inside her house. Was he trying to rob them? Or was he a criminal that had matters to solve with her dad?
"Who are you? What-what are you doing here?" she asked, but the silver-haired man only raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk resting on his lips. Instead of answering her, he just kept looking around the house.
"Are you listening to me? Where is my dad? What did you do to him?" she asked again, agitated by the lack of response and the way he was ignoring her. She wanted-needed answers-and she needed them now.
"You know, blondie, that's what I wish to know too. Where is he, that famous dad of yours? I had a few matters to… discuss with him. Quite the trouble he's caused us lately," he replied, looking at her straight in the eyes, the creepy smile never leaving his lips.
Her eyes widened as she realized this was no random burglar. He knew her dad, and he had unresolved matters with him, and if her own dad had dealt with him- he said us- with them in the past, that meant he was probably one of the most dangerous people in the country.
"Us? Who are you? What are you doing here?" she dared to ask again, but this time his patience seemed to run short as he clicked his tongue in annoyance. The smirk, nonetheless, stayed in place. He took a few steps closer to her.
"You sure ask a shit ton of questions. Almost as many as your dad and his pathetic friend. What was his name again? Asuma something?" he paused, his smile even wider, "killed him a heartbeat."
She stood shocked, finally getting a slight idea of who this man was. Her dad and one of his partners, Asuma, had been on a secret mission together when they encountered the criminal who seemed to be the one standing right in front of her now, and Asuma hadn't made it out alive. Her dad and Shikamaru were devastated for weeks, both working themselves to death to catch the man who killed their partner, but to no avail. And both of them refused to tell her anything, deeming the case as "too secret for anyone else to know".
And now that very man, who had killed her dad's partner, was standing right in front of her.
"So, unless you want me to cut off that nosy little tongue of yours and stick it to the wall," he reached out to her, cupping her cheek and causing her to flinch, "or even better, to rip you apart like I did to him, you better shut your goddamn mouth." His smile got wider as he stared deep into her eyes and noticed the terror that had settled in them while she took a few steps back, trying to get away from him.
She needed to act, and she needed to act fast.
Her eyes caught a glimpse of her dad's pocket knife lying on the coffee table and she reached to grab it with shaky hands, aiming it at the insane man. A simple pocket knife most likely wouldn't kill him, but maybe it would injure him and slow him down so she'd have time to run away and call for help.
Her dad had taught her self-defense classes since she was young, but old enough to understand the importance of these lessons. Her dad was a smart man. He knew his job was dangerous and could put not only him but also his family at risk, so he wanted to be prepared for anything. Too bad his efforts went to waste, she thought bitterly. Now that she needed them more than ever, she couldn't remember any of them, her mind having blocked most of her childhood memories.
The man opposite her kept smiling maliciously as he got closer to her again. Trembling as she remembered his threat, she took a step back.
"Don't come any closer or I'll stab you!" she yelled, but that pathetic threat did nothing to scare the silver-haired man. If anything, it only scared her. Her? Stabbing someone? Was she out of her mind? She could barely hurt a fly, let alone a grown man. But from what she could see, he didn't seem like he had any weapon on him so other than physical force, she seemed to have the upper hand. Still, she was so doomed.
"Really?" he raised an eyebrow playfully. She furrowed hers.
"Okay, you know what, fair enough," he raised his hands in defeat, "you had to have a weapon too. That way it's a fair fight."
She narrowed her eyes. Too?
He got closer to her, "The problem is sweetheart," he said as he took a gun out of his back pocket, putting it on her temple, as her breath got caught in her throat, "you brought a knife to a gunfight. Literally."
Scratch that, now she was completely doomed.
Not only he was a skilled murderer, he also had a gun with him. Of course he did. How could she naively think otherwise?
A short buzzing which made the man click his tongue in annoyance again interrupted the brief silence. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a small buttoned phone. He can't be tracked using that, she figured. This man was smart.
He stared at the screen before setting his attention back to her. "You try to do anything while I'm talking and I won't hesitate to fucking blow your brains out and splatter em' all over the wall so your dad can have a pretty picture to come home to."
The blonde shivered as the gory image appeared in her mind and she felt nausea creeping up on her.
"Yo Kakuzu," the man answered the phone, gun still held against her temple.
The girl wanted to run, maybe if she could go upstairs and call someone–her dad, Shikamaru, the police, anyone–maybe someone would come to save her and catch this psychopath but she knew, the moment she'd make the slightest movement, the man would make his threats come to life. He seemed more than capable of doing so. If he had taken out a trained special agent that easily, and many others before and after him, this would be a piece of cake to the man. She couldn't risk it. She had to behave.
So she stood still and listened to his conversation, hoping she could catch anything useful that she could tell her dad later.
"No, he's not fucking here. And that isn't here either," pause, "Are you fucking dumb? Of course, I searched everywhere. I'm telling you, it's not here."
He eyed the girl hungrily, "Only his gorgeous doll of a daughter."
She felt shivers run down her spine as she lowered her eyes to the ground, his gaze making her uncomfortable.
"You sure you don't want me to kill her? You know I don't listen to you anyway," the girl looked up again, only to find him smiling in amusement, "Alright, alright fine, I'm coming."
He hung up, searched around one last time, before turning to the girl and pulling the gun's trigger. Her eyes widened as she shut them forcefully, realizing what he wanted to do.
This is it… I guess you can't escape death twice…
She flinched and yelled as the gunshot was heard, expecting to feel some kind of burning pain that would bring her to her knees, but none of it came.
Opening her eyes, scared out of her mind, she stared at the madman laughing in amusement.
"Next time it will be you if you don't behave. I got something to deal with, blondie. I'll be back for you later, wait for me," he winked at her before walking out the door and disappearing.
She jogged after him, closing the door shut as he left and locking it a few times. She finally let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.
What the hell had just happened? Dad, I should call dad.
She ran up to the stairs as quickly as she could, fearing another visit from that criminal. He did say he was going to be back again. Grabbing her phone with shaky hands while her heart was beating like crazy, she dialed his number. After three rings, he picked up.
"Ino-"
"Dad! Daddy, where are you?" she asked eagerly, not waiting for him to finish greeting her.
"What are you doing up at this hour, princess? Did you have another nightmare?" his voice sounded calm, he sounded okay. She paused for a second. The terrifying experience that she had just lived had left her nightmare in the shadows, long forgotten.
"Yes, I did," she replied, "but that's not important right now. Listen, where are you?"
"Me?" it was his turn to pause, "Oh, I got a call from work. Need to investigate another murder."
"Another? What type of murder?" she asked suspiciously.
"Just a normal one, Ino."
She paused, not believing him. "They called… you? One of their best FBI agents, because of a normal murder?"
Her father let out a sigh, "Listen Ino, I know you're angry because I left you alone at night again. I know it all. And I'm genuinely sorry for not being there for you all the time. I stayed home for you for a while, but I can't do that forever. Please, understand, I still have to work. One of us has to."
She gritted her teeth. "If me being like this was a burden to you, then maybe it would've been better if I had died that night instead of her."
As soon as the sentence left her mouth, she felt herself regretting every single word. Anger had taken over her, she had spoken without even thinking about what she was saying. She knew her dad didn't mean it like that. She didn't mean it like that either. But as she heard her dad exhale again, she knew the damage was already done.
"Ino, listen, I'm tired. I'm driving right now; I shouldn't even be on my phone. When I come back, we'll talk about this, so please head to bed now."
"No wait, dad, you don't understand, I need to tell you-" but before she could finish her sentence and tell him what had happened, he had hung up. That was the end of the conversation.
"Fuck, no, no, please answer me," she panicked as she tried calling him again, but this time it went straight to voicemail. Muttering curses under her breath, she called again and again. Every time he didn't answer, the guilt washed over her. She had been so stupid; how could she say that to him? To him, who had done everything for her? Before the accident, he had treated her well, giving her all the goods life had to offer. Even after the accident, he had tried his best to be close to her, to support her and give her everything she may needed.
Despite loving his job and knowing it would provide a much-needed distraction, he had taken a long break from it right after the accident. It was all just to take care of her back then when she hoped she didn't wake up the next day. The tender-hearted man spent all his days stuck by his daughter's side, making sure she got out of bed, making sure she ate and showered and took her meds, taking her out of the house to visit quiet parks or to have cute little picnics that he took the time to organize or inviting her friends so she'd be less lonely. He avoided beaches, lakes or rivers, even swimming pools, any large space filled with water that would threaten to bring back any traumatic memories of her near-death experience.
He had done everything for her, never leaving her side once, making sure she recovered slowly.
She didn't see it back then, stuck in her own gloomy world, but she had realized how selfish she had been. Even now she was selfish, thinking only about herself without realizing that her dad was hurting too. He had lost his wife too, almost lost his only child, although Ino didn't feel like her old self at all, so maybe he did lose his kid after all. It must've been so hard for him.
Also, she had noticed; he tended to avoid places with families.
It was all because of the memories, which appeared and followed him for a while like a lost puppy, every time he saw a happy couple pass by.
He had known his wife, the love of his life, since he was a little kid. They had watched each other grow, had watched themselves fall in love with the other, had gotten married with no doubts, had given birth to their little angel of a daughter. Never having thought he'd live the rest of his life without her, her death had shaken him completely. He had cried like a newborn baby would cry, like the man who had lost everything. But Ino and her critical condition didn't give him much time to grieve. He had decided to be strong, like his wife would have wanted him to be, and take care of his and his wife's creature, their own precious daughter. She was the only living thing that his wife had left behind. And she needed her dad more than ever.
Ino was so stupid, so selfish. She had tired him out, had made him quit the things he loved just so he could take care of her.
She put her head in her hands, dark thoughts filling her head once again.
It had been her fault.
Her mom had died because of her.
It was her fault. Everything was her fault.
Taking her mom's life wasn't enough, she had ruined her dad's life too.
The girl broke down in soft crying, her shoulders shaking as tears started coming out like a flowing river. She felt a lump in her throat, one she couldn't get rid of, so she cried and cried, loudly and messily, trying to push it all out. Thinking for even a few minutes was an enormous risk for her, her mind wandered to dark places that shouldn't be crossed.
"Calm down, calm down, it's all good. You got this, you're okay," she whispered to herself, wiping her tears with her sleeve and taking deep breaths. Even though it was all in the past, it was still her fault. However, now wasn't the time to drown in self-pity. She had a situation to take care of.
After calming down, she fell into deep thoughts once again.
A strange and possibly criminal man had broken into her house at night. He had been searching for her dad, who luckily wasn't at home at the dreaded hour of his visit. But he also had been searching for something inside the house. She didn't know what it was, but her dad surely would know. Her dad. If he had been home… would he had gotten killed?
She shook her head, trying to get those thoughts out of her mind. Her dad was fine and well. She had just talked to him. But… since the criminal hadn't found him in the house, would he try to find him outside?
She needed to notify her dad. And she needed to do it fast.
Ino had lost one parent because of her stupidity; the girl wasn't about to lose another.
She tried calling him again, but knew it was useless, he wouldn't pick up again. Not after what had just happened.
That left her only one other choice: Shikamaru.
If her dad was involved in a case, then probably so was Shikamaru. Their dads had been working together since her and Shikamaru were little kids. After climbing to the top of the FBI headquarters at quite a young age, the boy was one of the best geniuses to serve there. Just like his dad, he had earned the respect of many elders. He and her dad were often assigned missions together, her dad used to tell her stories all the time. She knew that could've been her if the accident hadn't happened. She could've been working by his side, they would've made the perfect team, him and her. Though they bickered and fought a lot, their teamwork and ability to combine forces and solve anything that went their way, was unmatched. Too bad she ruined that, too.
She had ruined her future. It was all her fault.
However, maybe she could save her dad's. Shikamaru was her best friend before being an agent. Or at least used to be. It had been a long time since they last talked, but maybe he would answer her.
She was wrong.
After receiving no reply for five, six calls, she felt herself on the brink of tears. The best thing she could do now was to leave him a voicemail, just in case he was sleeping.
"Hey Shikamaru? It's me, Ino. I know it's been a long time since we last talked and… well, I don't know if you're sleeping right now or just working and ignoring me, but please call me back when you get this. It's kind of urgent…" she hit send and sighed, leaning against the wall for support.
Now she waited.
Time luckily was on her side because she didn't need to wait long as Shikamaru's name appeared on the bright screen. A bitter conclusion crossed her mind that he was indeed ignoring her, and she almost felt pity for the way they had ended up.
She picked up, "Shikamaru?"
"Ino, yeah it's me," a small smile crept its way into her face as she heard his deep masculine voice once again, the voice that had been there for her all her life, that now sounded so foreign and far away.
"Hi," she replied almost shyly.
"Hi?" he replied back, sounding confused, "what's up?"
She answered with a question of her own, "Where are you right now?"
"I'm in my office, I'm kinda busy." So, he wasn't with her dad. That couldn't be good.
"Its 3 am Shikamaru."
"A man's gotta work. I've got cases to solve," he replied.
"Couldn't your cases wait until the morning?"
"Couldn't your call wait until the morning?" her smile left her face as she felt that lump in her throat. She didn't understand why she was getting upset over such an insignificant thing. They always bickered, she never got so sensitive whenever he said anything mean. Maybe because she knew he didn't mean it back then. Did he mean it now?
"Well, sorry my presence is bothering you too, Shikamaru,"
"What? No, ugh," he groaned, "it's not like that. You know I'm just joking, you silly woman."
She rolled her eyes. At him or at herself, she wasn't sure anymore, "Right."
"So, what happened?" he asked, reminding her again of everything that had happened. She had gotten distracted again. She needed to tell him as soon as possible.
"Oh, right. Someone broke in."
"What?" he sounded calm, "Was it a burglar? Did they steal anything? Are you okay?"
"I don't think so. Not that I know of and… physically? Yes. Mentally? Still scarred from that gunshot sound."
"Gunshot? Ino, what happened?"
"He knew dad, Shikamaru. He was searching for him, that's why he was here. And for something in the house. He didn't find neither of them, so he left," she explained quickly.
"He knows Inoichi? This can't be good. Did you see his face or any distinctive features?"
Ino tried hard remembering, she could still make out his face and if she were to see him somewhere, she'd definitely recognize him, "Um, yeah I saw his face, I can still recognize him if I see him again, but… he had silverish hair."
"Shit. Fuck. No way," Shikamaru cursed, and she immediately tensed. The boy rarely cursed.
"Do you know him?" she paused, knowing what she was about to say would affect the boy "he said he was the one that killed Asuma…"
"Fucking hell, yes, I know him."
"He said he'd be back. I'm scared, Shikamaru."
"Yeah, I'll come over. I can't let you be alone right now. Lock your doors and stay somewhere safe till I'm there, okay?"
She nodded even though he couldn't see her. "Can you stay on the line with me?" she asked him after a while. Being alone with her own dangerous thoughts was the last thing she wanted.
"Yeah, sure," he replied, and for a while no one talked as both of them started moving. She bounced downstairs to lock the front door and to close all windows before running back upstairs, closing the door to her bedroom and hiding in her closet. Meanwhile, she could hear his faint breathing, his rushed steps, elevator dings, his car door being opened and slammed shut, his car engine turning on. Everything his.
"I miss you," she blurted out softly, earning a chuckle from him.
"We haven't seen each other in a while, have we?"
She hummed in agreement, "Sad that a criminal has to break into my house and hold a gun to my head for you to want to visit me."
He stayed silent, but she could tell he was probably frowning right now.
"We'll catch that fucker, Ino, I promise."
She didn't reply and frankly; she was not sure about that anymore. The guy had killed Asuma, one of their best agents, who was maybe as good as her dad. He looked dangerous, fearless. She trusted Shikamaru and his abilities, however the man seemed stronger.
"You know earlier… were you ignoring me?" she asked, changing the topic, although she wasn't sure that was such a good idea. She kept jumping from one sensitive topic to another.
"Ino, it's not like that. I was just busy and-"
"So you were ignoring me," Ino interrupted him, snorting a fake laugh. She knew this wasn't the time nor her place to sulk and be upset over something he did, but she just couldn't help herself. The girl felt bitter, like the black coffee she hated, hurt. Despite knowing she wasn't a part of them anymore, it hurt that he had to make it so obvious.
"I was," he finally admitted, "and I'm sorry about that."
That was probably the best apology she would ever get from him, and although it stung, she didn't push it. It was okay. She was okay.
"You are welcome to come and visit me in my office, Ino, you know that, right? You can visit your dad, too."
Ino sighed, "If you don't even bother to answer my calls, I doubt you'd want me there in person."
He groaned, "Look, Ino, that's not it. I'm really busy these days. Work, Temari…"
She scrunched her face in disgust at the sound of the girl's name, "Oh right, her. Is she giving you a hard time?"
"Well, you know how she can be… and you know how I am. We get in fights… a lot," he replied.
She knew. She knew it all. They were a wreck, always fighting, always arguing. He hated her guts, and she hated his even more. They were complete opposites but strangely, that's what made them work, that's what kept them together, that's what brought them back in each other's arms after every fight. They always made up, never holding grudges, being softer with each other than they had ever been with anymore else.
And it hurt. Ino knew her heart sank at the sight of them, of their relationship, of her. She had gotten everything Ino would've ever wanted, while she was left with the short end of the stick.
"I wonder why," she finally said, and he was quick to go back to his rant.
"I'm busy, so I have little time for her. She comes to my office sometimes but its usually just to give me lunch and yell at me for sleeping on my paperwork."
"And when you're not busy, you're tired and lazy, yeah?"
"Yep," he admitted, and she sighed again. For someone so smart, he really could be an idiot sometimes. Growing up with him, she had come to know him like the back of her hand. She knew his habits, his preferences, what he liked and what he didn't like, knew how to deal with him. Others, however, maybe not so much.
"Look, as much as I don't like her, I'll have to be on team Temari this time."
He snickered, "For someone who doesn't like her, you sure stick up for her a lot."
"I have to if her boyfriend is a goddamn idiot," she replied, rolling her eyes. He didn't reply to that, not knowing what to say as she figured this was probably the end of their conversation. Was this really as much as he was willing to talk to her? She put her phone on the speaker and set it on the ground next to her, and brought her knees to her chest.
As much as she hated the silence and the dark thoughts it brought when it came, this kind of silence between her and Shikamaru was rather bittersweet. A part of her was filled with sadness, it felt bad not knowing what to say when he used to be her best friend, they weren't supposed to run out of things to talk about. The other part of her, maybe the more rational side, found the silence slightly comforting. Just the idea that he had accepted to stay on the other line and kept his promise and even talked to her for a bit through it, made her feel safe. He was there for her; he was coming for her.
His voice announcing he had arrived shook her out of her thoughts.
"Good," she replied, "any longer and I would've assumed you had forgotten the way to my house."
"Haha, you're so funny," he said, and she could almost imagine his emotionless face as she heard a car pulling out of the driveway. He was here.
"You should probably come open the door."
She got up slowly and grabbed her phone, "Actually, I was thinking of leaving you to guard outside."
Before he could reply, she hung up and went out of her bedroom, running down the stairs and stopping in front of the door. Her heart was beating fast, from running or from the fact that he was here, she couldn't tell.
Ino opened the door, and a shiver went down her spine as a gust of chilly winter air engulfed her. The man in front of her seemed unfazed by the cold. He was staring at her with that emotionless expression that she knew so well, but in that moment, she felt shy under his gaze, felt as if her every move was being analyzed.
Noticing her discomfort, he gave her a small smile, "Hey, you."
"Shika…" she whispered lowly. Trying to avoid his intense stare, she thrust herself into his arms, wrapping her own fragile ones around his waist tightly as if he'd leave if she didn't hold on tight enough. His warmth spread through her body with rapid speed, making her feel safe as she inhaled his deep scent. He was finally here. She had missed him.
He gave a chuckle at her reaction and wrapped one arm around her, while his other hand was occupied with her soft hair, running his fingers through her hair, hoping to give her a sense of tranquility.
"You okay?" he asked after a while.
She parted from him, so she could look at him in the eyes and chuckled sadly. "When have I ever been okay?"
He stiffened after hearing that, and once he saw her shiver again, he took it as a signal to grab her hand and drag her inside, away from the cold, and close the door. As he took a few steps in, his expression darkened.
"What the hell happened here?"
She shrugged, "Told you he was trying to find something."
"Did you touch or move any of these? Maybe we can bring someone to get his fingerprints-"
"No use," she interrupted him, "he was wearing gloves."
Shikamaru scowled.
"He's not an amateur, is he?" she asked.
"He's not."
"And he's after my dad," she stated again.
"Possibly," he agreed.
"If my dad had been here tonight, he would've gotten killed. Which, by the way, where is he?"
Shikamaru shrugged, giving her a bored look. She raised an eyebrow.
"You don't know? I thought you two worked together."
"We do. Sometimes. I didn't even know he was on a mission."
She felt herself getting irritated at his dumbfounded responses. He was acting clueless, like he didn't know where her dad was. Did he assume she was that stupid as to believe that? He probably had as much information as her dad did. They worked together. She knew this.
Maybe it was a mistake, but she figured it was better to voice her opinion. "How dumb do you think I am, Shikamaru?"
His eyes narrowed as he stared at her intensively, but didn't reply. This served to only anger her more.
"Why are you lying to me? That's my dad, for fuck's sake. Don't I deserve to know? Do you think I'll ruin things if I know where he is? I mean, what could I even do? I'm just worried about him, goddamn it," she lashed out.
"Ino, calm down," he replied, his voice soft and calm, but she didn't want to listen to a word he said.
"Screw you, Shikamaru," she hissed, "Why do you treat me like this? I almost died and you–you all–treat me like trash, as if I don't even matter. No one calls or wants to hang out with me anymore. You all just avoid me, as if I have some kind of contagious disease. And I'm fucking sick of it. None of you seem to like me, you've all made it pretty clear."
Everything that she had bottled up the past months came out of her in a fury, in the form of sad and angry salty tears. She hadn't meant to explode, hadn't meant to tell him everything that kept bothering her at night and making her feel worthless.
Shikamaru's expression stayed fixed, but his voice had softened. "Ino, I promise. I don't know where he is. If I did, I'd tell you. Why would I lie to you?"
All he received in reply were her soft sobs, so he got a hold of her hand and led her to a couch, sitting down with her. She had hidden her face in her hands, but her shoulders were shaking. He put his arm around them and brought her to his chest again. She didn't refuse. He took that as a sign that she didn't hate him. She felt tired, stressed; everything that was happening had become too much for her.
Ino stayed like that for a while, before wiping her tears with her sleeve and saying, "When I asked him about it, he said it was just a normal homicide."
The boy next to her sighed, before rubbing her back, "You silly girl. If he told you it was a normal murder, then a normal murder it was. You're overthinking this."
Before she could reply, a small buzzing coming from Shikamaru's pants stopped her. She stayed still as he fished his phone out of his pocket. Hope filled her entire being as she thought that maybe it was her dad calling. She looked up at Shikamaru, but couldn't notice anything different in his expression.
He answered it with a disinterest look on his face. Silence ensued as he only listened to the other person without talking. While Ino observed the way his face changed; bored soon turned to shocked. The uneasy feeling in her stomach arose.
"What?!" he yelled as he arose from where he was sitting, eyeing the girl next to him in worry. The anxiety filling her only intensified, and she felt herself becoming more and more nauseous with each second that passed.
After muttering a quiet 'alright', Shikamaru hung up, turning around to give her a look. She tried to prepare herself for the worst.
"Ino," his voice was shaking. She didn't think she had ever heard his voice shake. "Your dad… he got in a car accident."
Should've known her gut feeling didn't lie.