Kakashi watched Ellainna scurry out of the classroom and chastised himself. He had pushed too far. Maybe her act was all a joke and she didn't feel that way about him. Maybe he was reading her wrong. He figured he had to be, considering the way she flew out the room. She must have felt uncomfortable by his advanced. Kakashi convinced himself that Ellainna didn't have feelings for him and that was that. Kakashi sighed wearily and resolved not to let himself get out of line again. If he pressed her again, he could jeopardize his career as a Shinobi. Especially if she thought to report him. He facepalmed as it dawned on him that she could report him. He scolded himself once more, and again, resolved not to lose focus.
Ellainna was reclining on her bed with one of her pillows crushed against her face. She screamed into the pillow a few times and then removed it, her nerves now calmed. She sighed as she tossed the pillow to the floor and stared up blankly at the ceiling.
"From now on, Ellainna, you're on the straight and narrow. You focus on promoting, you focus on Sasuke, you focus on missions," she said to herself. "Heck, you can even focus on cleaning. Just anything but Kakashi. You have to stop thinking about him."
However, the more one says not to do something the more they're going to want to do it. She recalled when Kakashi asked her out to lunch and blushed. She groaned and turned on her side, grabbing another pillow to hide her head in. She figured that if she could avoid him for the next few days, she would be able to make it a habit and it would be easier to do in person.
"Just long enough until the next round of Chunin Exams, then Sasuke will be back," she exclaimed. "Perfect."
She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of her bed. She left out her room and went down the stairs to the kitchen. She lazily opened her refrigerator door and inspected its contents. There was just an old milk carton and what remained from a block of cheese her mother had bought for a dinner party a few months prior. Ellainna tossed the milk and decided to take a chance on the cheese. She bit into it and after determining that it had not gone bad yet, set it on the counter. She walked into the pantry and tossed out the moldy bread that was also bought for a dinner party. She sighed and made a mental note to cook more often. The emptiness of the large pantry was depressing her. She grabbed a box of spiral noodles she was sure was older than her and debated if she would take her chances on it. She decided that a trip to the grocery store wouldn't hurt and then she could just be sure to be aware of her surroundings.
When she got into town, she was surprised by how busy it was. Native and visiting ninja alike flooded the streets, bustling around from vendor to vendor to shop and back to vendor again. It was easy to get lost in the different wares and pop up shops around. She was glad for this as it also meant she blended in as well. She made her way to the closest grocery store and entered it. She grabbed a hand basket and made the split decision to shop meats first. She could shop vegetables after so that she could get once that complimented whatever meat she bought. She inspected varying types and packages of pork before she decided on two medium sized pork roasts. She put them in her basket and went to pick up some chicken when an advert for beef roast caught her eye. She remembered that it was her mother's favorite and debated if she'd buy one. She was motivated by the family dinners she used to have when she was younger and decided against her better judgement to grab one anyway. She wondered if they would even want to sit at the table for a dinner anyway.
She put her hopes out of her head thinking that it would squash them. She moved on to the chicken and examined the boneless breast. Shocked by the price, she moved on to the thighs and found them to be more reasonably priced. She grabbed one package of ten and made a mental note to get freezer bags so she could section them out. Satisfied with her meat selection, she moved to the opposite side of the store for vegetables. She grabbed the rest of her groceries and headed for the checkout. After she left the store, she made it back home without incident. She put all her groceries up and found herself no longer in the mood to cook. She sighed and resigned to cooking the next day. She munched on an apple instead as she reclined in bed with a photography book. She fell asleep soon after.
The next afternoon, Ellainna awoke with a start. Her book was stuck to her face by the drool that escaped her mouth during the night. She peeled it off, careful not to tear the pages, but lamented when she realized that the words were smudged. She hoped the library had another copy so it could be repaired accurately. After she washed, she air dried while she prepared herself a small fruit salad and bit of yogurt. Afterwards, she dressed herself in one of Sasuke's shirts she had swiped and some legging shorts. She sniffed the shirt, happy that it still had his scent. She realized she kind of missed him. She took a moment to think on her team and hoped they passed their exams. Or at the very least that they didn't die. She sucked her teeth and decided that she would spend the day walking around town so she could explore and have a bit of fun. She packed two pouches in anticipation for the day. One with a bit of money to spend at vendors, her drawing and photography books, and her forged ninja identification, just in case she wanted to sample a bit of booze while out. The other pouch carried her drawing tools, a carving knife, and a few ninja tools just in case. She didn't fret too much about her lack of tools in the pouch as she also intended to wear a thigh holster. She last minute decided to wear a long-sleeved fishnet torso garment and quickly peeled Sasuke's shirt off to do so and then put it back on. She pulled on her knee socks, put her holster and pouches on, and pulled her gloves on. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and left her bangs to fall naturally. She fastened her ninja headband through her belt on her hip and checked (admired) herself in the mirror. Feeling like she had sufficiently packed for the day, she floated down the stairs, locked up, and went into town.
The first thing she saw when she arrived was a jewelry vendor. She squealed and swooned as she quickly approached it.
"Ahh, beautiful woman deserves beautiful jewelry, yes," the vendor said excitedly when he noticed Ellainna approaching.
Ellainna grinned and began exploring the merchandise. They glittered alluringly in the setting sun and her eyes lit up. She absolutely adored jewelry.
"Bracelet, earring, necklace? What are you looking for, miss," the vendor asked.
"Uhmmm...I don't know! What do you think?"
Ellainna looked up at the vendor and he smiled, looking at her eyes.
"This necklace would go beautiful with beautiful eyes," he replied, holding up a silver chained necklace that cradled a round aquamarine stone.
Ellainna's eyes lit up more as she looked at the necklace.
"Oh, it's gorgeous,"she exclaimed.
"That is 30,000 ryo! Would you like me to wrap it or do you want to wear it right now," the vendor asked.
Ellainna's facial expression drooped and she looked from the necklace to the guy. That was at least 6 D-Rank missions! She stood up and giggled nervously.
"Oh...uhhhh...I don't have that much. Do you, maybe, haggle?"
The vendor quickly placed the necklace back out of sight.
"No," he responded flatly, no longer interested in her. He shooed her away as more customers approach. "Shoo. Shoo. People can smell cheap! Go!"
Ellainna made a face and walked off, intent on buying things from other vendors. Ellainna enjoyed perusing the various stands and of course, the food samples. By the time night fell, she had a full belly and a smile plastered on her face. She sat at a pop-up cards tent to play a bit and take a breather. She sat down in the middle of a game and watched the players, gauging how big a sucker they all were.
"Are you playing, Miss," the dealer asked.
She smiled coyly. "Oh, uhm, sure! It all looks so fascinating! I've never really played before, though. Is that okay?"
Ellainna looked bashfully at the men seated at the table and they all grinned slyly.
"That's okay with us," the man next to her said, scooting his chair closer. "Isn't that right, boys?!"
All the men nodded and the dealer shrugged his shoulders.
"How much in chips do you want, Miss? We have a 5,000 ryo minimum bet."
"Oh," Ellainna said, dejected. "I don't have that much."
"That's okay! I'll give you some of my winnings," the man next to her said. He tapped her knee affectionately and passed her some chips.
"Oh wow," Ellainna exclaimed. "Thank you so much!"
"All right," the dealer said as he began to shuffle and pass the cards out.
Ellainna looked down at the table and then back at the men, seemingly dumbfounded. The man next to her gently nudged her.
"You look at them. See if you think they're good cards."
"Oh yeah," she said goofily. "I think I remember my uncle trying to teach me!"
She looked at the cards in her hand and then looked back at the guy. Everyone around the table placed their bets until it came to her.
"Now you place your bet. If you think you can win, anyway."
"Ooohhhhh."
Ellainna looked at her chips and threw in the same amount the other men did.
"Right on," the man said.
The dealer dealt out three cards and everyone checked until all five cards were uncovered in the middle. Once more, everyone made a bet until it came back to Ellainna. She looked curiously at the man, who nodded at her, grinning like a fox would a wounded bunny. She looked at the table and pushed the rest of the coins she had into the pile. The men groaned and most folded, as they did not have enough to bet or want to bet it on the hand they had.
"Well, all right, little lady! You're going all in?!"
"Uhm...I guess? That's...right...right?"
The man that was next to Ellainna eyeballed her and she looked around nervously.
"Did I...Did I do something wrong?"
"Nah, but only because I get all my money back."
The man flipped his cards over to reveal a Full House. The other men who didn't fold groaned and threw their cards into the middle. As the man reached for his winnings, Ellainna flipped hers over.
"Oh...Then what do these mean?"
The man dropped the cigar from his mouth in shock. Ellainna's hand made a straight flush, knocking him down and making her the winner.
"You win," the dealer said, amused. "The pot is yours!"
"Oh wow, really? You mean it?!"
Ellainna reached over the man, who was still stupefied, and grabbed her winnings.
"That was fun, but I think I'd like to go now. Can I cash out?"
"Or course, Miss. Have a good evening."
Ellainna took her cash and left the stunned men in the tent. Once outside, she cackled in delight.
"My luck has come back it seems," she said to herself, grinning.
She heard the men inside the tent yelling and arguing and took off, trying to blend in with the crowd and avoid being caught.
"Hey, wait!"
Ellainna turned around to see one of the men from the table chasing after her. He was younger and slimmer than the man she was seated next to.
"I won fair and square," she said, suspicious of his motives.
"No," he said, dismissing her concern. "I just wanted to take you for a celebratory drink! That was some luck!"
"Oh...okay," she replied, confused. "I guess it was."
"And you say you've never played before," the man asked as they walked.
"Welllll..."
"Figures. You looked way too cunning to not know what you were doing."
Ellainna cheesed proudly and they arrived at a drinking establishment. Ellainna confidently waltz in, giggling with the man behind her, before her smiled slid off her face. She had glanced around the room and almost instantly noticed Kakashi at a table with Guy, Kurenai, and Asuma. Her entire face turned red and she quickly spun on her heel.
"I think I know a better place," she spoke nervously, pointing out the doorway.
"Nonsense," the man said, steering Ellainna towards a table. "Here is fine!"
He held her by her shoulders and walked her right past Kakashi's table and to a table that had just been vacated by a group of six boisterous people. He plopped her down on the booth and scooted in next to her. She scooted over to get some personal space and chuckled nervously. The man signaled for two drinks from the approaching waitress before he scooted in closer to Ellainna and put his arm around her.
"So," the man said.
"So...?"
The waitress brought out the two drinks and placed them on the table. Ellainna and the man sat in silence as she sipped her drink and he guzzled his down. After he was done, he sloppily wiped his mouth with his forearm and burped.
"So, young miss, how many drinks does it usually take to get you home?"
Ellainna recoiled in disgust.
"You don't even know my name!"
"I don't need to know your name," the man replied arrogantly before he leaned in and tried to kiss Ellainna.
When she pulled away, the man grabbed her face aggressively by the cheeks and made her face him.
"Look here, it's common fucking courtesy for one to be grateful someone buys them a fucking drink. Think you can do that?"
Ellainna was so caught off guard that all she could do was gulp and nod in compliance. She struggled not to gag from the smell of his breath. She wished she had only to deal with the large sweaty man from the poker table. The man roughly let go of Ellainna's face.
"Good. Now come here. Give me a kiss."
The man tapped his lips and Ellainna hesitated to move. The man prepared to grab her again but was interrupted by his head being forcibly banged against the table. Ellainna covered her mouth in shock and gasped. She looked at the hand on the back of the now unconscious man's head and traced it to its owner. Standing there, slightly swaying, was Kakashi. Instead of his usual stoic look, he had a more irritated look on his face the half cheek of his she could see was red from the alcohol he had drunk. Ellainna's face turned red, though her tinge was from her embarrassment.
"H-h-hhhiii," Ellainna said softly, breathlessly.
Kakashi nudged his head, signaling for her to follow behind him before turning on his heel. She blinked in surprise, taking in the moment. Then it dawned on her she was supposed to be following him. She jumped up and climbed over the man before scurrying after Kakashi, who had already exited the building. She caught up to him easily outside and fell into step with him.
"So, where we going," Ellainna asked, looked up nervously at Kakashi. Kakashi, however, ignored her and kept walking, his hands nonchalantly in his pockets. She looked away and silently watched the ground as she followed Kakashi.
"I...ya know-I just-thank you...for back there," she said, trying again. Kakashi, still, was silent and continued walking. Ellainna grumbled and made a face at Kakashi. Annoyed that he still wasn't speaking to her, Ellainna did her best to bug Kakashi and force him to speak, trying to be as annoying as possible. She was utterly unsuccessful until they reached the edge of the forest towards her home. Then, Kakashi grabbed Ellainna by the collar and gently, but firmly, pushed her against a tree. Ellainna looked up at Kakashi nervously, her cheeks growing hot and red again.
"Ellainna," Kakashi spoke, softly. He leaned down and Ellainna closed her eyes wistfully, assuming he was going in for a kiss. However, Kakashi leaned down to her ear and whispered inside of it.
"Stop."
Ellainna opened her eyes and inhaled in shock. She watched Kakashi as he stood back up and began walking away again.
"Stop?"
Kakashi stopped, but didn't turn to face her, nor did he speak.
"Just stop?"
"Yes..."
"Yes?"
"No more games."
Kakashi resumed walking and Ellainna trudged behind Kakashi, annoyed and confused. She pouted with her arms folded, trying to figure out why Kakashi had made a complete 360 from the previous afternoon. Then she remembered the previous afternoon and uncrosses her arms. She remembered her promise to herself and stopped pouting.
Couldn't even go one day without getting caught up.
Once they had made it to her home, Ellainna turned to thank him for his help again but Kakashi had already turned and walked away. Ellainna huffed and walked inside her home. She locked the door and kicked her shoes off in frustration.
"Arrgghhh! This is why I don't get in relationships," she mumbled to herself. "They're always so complicated and end up-uughh!"
She ripped her shirt off as she walked up the stairs and flounced onto her bed. She undid her hair and let it fall before sighing, releasing the anger she had. She knew ultimately, it was she herself making things complicated by trying to deny and ignore her feelings for Kakashi. She pushed her pillow over her face again and once more screamed into it. When she was done, she dropped the pillow and sighed.
"I don't understand...I just..why can't I just-for once-be who I'm supposed to be and not...otherwise..."
She sighed and decided to get her mind off of everything by cooking. She stripped down to her underwear and put Sasuke's shirt back on. She tumbled down the stairs while putting her hair back up, this time with her bangs so it was completely out of her face. She went into the fridge and spent thirty minutes trying to decide what she wanted to eat before giving up and grabbing a cup of instant cup of ramen.
She sat at the table and ate in the dark, only a patch of the floor illuminated by the moon shining through the window. She sighed and picked at her food until, little by little, it was gone. Then she silently retired to bed.
Kakashi hobbled home, still feeling the effects of the alcohol he had consumed earlier. He was sure he would feel it in the morning but he didn't care much. He cared about very little as he walked. He stumbled towards a tree and used it to stay upright as he emptied his stomach for the third time that night. After he finished puking, he punched the tree in frustration and hobbled to another tree before his legs buckled. He slid down, resting momentarily. He put his head beneath his legs and breathed deeply, trying to stop the spinning and nausea.
He occasionally spat on the ground to remove the excess saliva building in his mouth as he contemplated and over examined everything. He felt guilty for rejecting Ellainna, and admittedly foolish. She was an exceptional young woman whom he could no longer pretend he didn't admire. But he also remembered how she turned him down and what it did. He remembered how it motivated him to do what was best; to fight his feelings and do his job. He was there to train the next generation of ninja, not fuck them. No matter how much he wanted to fuck her. He got derailed, imagining what it would be like to kiss her; if he had kissed her a few moments ago. She was pinned between himself and the tree. He had leaned down for goodness sake! All he had to do was stop a few inches earlier, move a few centimeters over, slide his mask down, and he could have felt her lips against his for the first time. He could have breathed in her floral scent as his tongue explored her mouth, dancing with her tongue. He could have grabbed her face with all the passion he had been holding in while their tongues played hide and seek. If he had given in to his fleshly desires, he could have been in the bed with her right now, releasing his energy and desire.
If he was honest with himself, he was resolved more out of anxiety and desolation than it was his self-righteous duty to abide by the law. He didn't enjoy being turned down and didn't want to experience it again. He didn't enjoy the strong feelings he had for her and the way she made him feel vulnerable. He wanted to avoid it and yet...he liked it. He liked that she was easy to open up to and how she made him feel...light.
Kakashi wanted to shake his head to clear his mind but thought against it. The nausea and spinning finally stopped and he was able to walk again. He stood, still unsure on his feet, and trudged home, thinking of Ellainna the entire way.
Ellainna woke up early the next morning with the taste of stale ramen in her mouth and leftover ramen juice and noodles spilled in her bed. She jumped out of bed with a huff and begrudgingly decided that it was laundry day for her. She took a quick shower and put on an airy nightgown. She pulled on shorts underneath it and went to work removing all her bedding. She took her carpet beater and used it to clean her pillows outside, ridding it of built up dirt, dust, and random debris. She dragged two large wash basins outside to her backyard and filled one with hot water and the other with warm water and detergent. She took one of the washboards leaning against the side of her house and set it in the second basin. Once she had round up all the dirty laundry, she carried it down the stairs and dumped it unceremoniously into the basin with the washboard.
Ellainna dropped to her knees and grumbled as she prepared to begin washing her linen. Before she began scrubbing, however, a familiar voice rang out to her.
"Still the same Basic Bitch, Ella?"
Ellainna's head whipped around to see a navy haired woman wearing nothing but a half jacket, full body fishnets, purple underwear, and black heels sitting on her fence. Her face instantly lit up as she jumped to her feet.
"TAM!"
Both women leapt towards each other and hugged each other tightly upon contact with one another. They jumped up and down in a circle, happily cheering.
"Ye-Ye-Ye-Ye-Ye-Ye-Ye-Ye!"
"Ye-Ye-Ye-Ye-Ye-Ye-Ye-Ye!"
After they grew tired of jumping, they fell to the ground in laughter until they caught their breath.
"What are you doing here," Ellainna asked excitedly, turning on her side and grabbing Tam's hand. "You never told me you were coming!"
"I know," Tam responded trivially, interlacing her fingers with Ellainna's. "It was-spur of the moment." She giggled as she too turned on her side to face her friend. She shook Ellainna's arm excitedly.
"So tell me! What. Is. UP?! Last I heard you had snagged that Uchiha boy, which I commend you on by the way, but you didn't talk about much else. Don't tell me you've become one of those girls that just can't live without their SugahWumpySnooguhLumphagus!"
Ellainna chuckled loudly. "No! You must not know me at all. I've just been too busy to write about much else is all. Missions are boring as usual."
Tam put her free hand to Ellainna's forehead. "Are you sick or something? You've never thought of missions as dull. Maybe you have changed," she teased.
Ellainna rolled her eyes. "Haha. No, they're boring when you're on a team of Genins and you're not allowed to do anything they can't."
"Oooh, yeah, bummer. How's that going for you? It must be good to have your boyfriend on the team, yeah? Ooooooh! It has been a while since you started dating. Have you guys, ya know? Sealed the deal?"
Tam made a lewd gesture with her and Ellainna's hand to get her point across. Ellainna laughed heartily as she sat up.
"You're so bad!" She stood up and Tam did so as well, following Ellainna into her house.
"Speaking of bad," Tam said. "Whatever happened to that Sensei of yours? You stopped talking about him." Tam arched her eyebrows suggestively and chuckled. Ellainna's cheeks turned bright red and she led Tam into the kitchen.
"Oh? Did something happen?!"
Ellainna tried to ignore her friend and opened a drawer to grab silverware to set the table but her hands were clammy and sent the silverware crashing audibly back into the drawer. Tam smacked her hand against the table she was now sitting at excitedly and pointed at Ellainna.
"I knew it! I fucking knew it! Didn't I call it?! Didn't I call it?! I knew he liked you too! Tell me! What happened?!"
Ellainna leaned against her kitchen sink, now facing Tam again, and folded her arms.
"Nothing, Tam. Nothing happened."
"That display of butter fingers tells me otherwise. Tell me, Elly Bean. I wanna know everything!"
Ellainna sighed and recounted her point of view of interactions with Kakashi from the last time she spoke of him until the day before yesterday while Tam listened intently. She didn't want to mention the trouble she had gotten into the night before and didn't see a way of discussing her interaction with Kakashi without doing so.
"So, that's all," she concluded. "Plus, I don't really care anyway. Sasuke's my boyfriend. I should be focusing on him anyway."
Tam drummed her fingers against the table as she seemed to be lost in thought.
"Well," she said definitively. "You can always just run away with me and play with these lovely bags all day!" She cackled as she opened her jacket and brandished her fishnet-clad boobs. Ellainna burst into laughter and bent over at the waist, clutching her waist.
"Tamryn!"
"What?! I'm sure in another life we were hot lesbian lovers who satisfied each other when our husbands' wouldn't!"
Ellainna made her way to the table as her and Tamryn's laughter died down.
"But in all seriousness," Tamryn said, reaching across the table and grabbing Ellainna's hand. "You're super sure Sasuke is the one you want?"
Ellainna sucked in a deep breath and nodded her head. "We're closer in age. Plus, Kakashi is my teacher. It's immensely inappropriate and it could end either of our careers. I'm not even eighteen yet! And Sasuke makes it quite clear that I-"
"But is that what you want?"
Ellainna nodded her head. "Yes."
"Okay," Tamryn sighed. She knew her friend; she knew her well. So she knew that Ellainna was lying to herself. She knew that as reckless and emotional as she pretended to be, she was a stickler for logic and thinking things through. She was also super stubborn and so whenever she made a decision, she would stick with it until the end of the world if you fought her on it. So she decided to let it play out and let Ellainna come to whatever truth she was afraid of admitting in her own time. Meanwhile, she'd be her cheerleader on the sidelines.
"So, in order to get your mind off of him, you know what you have to do right?"
"No, what," Ellainna asked expectantly.
Tamryn once more wiggled her eyebrows at Ellainna and made a suggestive motion with their hands. "You go make whoopie with Sasuke!"
"Oh, Tam," Ellainna cried, laughing, as she tossed Tamryn her hand back. "Besides, everyone is at the Chunin Exams right now so I couldn't even if I wanted to!"
Ellainna stood and walked to her fridge so she could prepare a meal for her and her friend.
"So I take it you're staying here a few days," she asked. She looked up from the fridge when all she heard was radio silence to see her friend had already made a mess in the kitchen from unpacking her bookbag and changing her clothes. Tamryn smiled sheepishly and Ellainna chuckled at the familiarity of her friend. It was nice to have someone to hang with.
As Ellainna cooked a simple breakfast omelet for each of them, Tamryn filled Ellainna in on the reason for her unexpected visit.
"So, I've been thinking of maybe transferring and moving here permanently."
Ellainna turned away from her stove to give Tamryn eye contact. "Really? Why?! What happened? I thought things were getting better with your parents?"
Tamryn shrugged her shoulders. "No, not really. Plus, Minama is gone now so there isn't really any reason for me to stay. You're all the family I got left."
Ellainna turned back to the stove to finish cooking. "Well, you know you've always got a room here with me. I just don't want you to feel like you have to uproot your whole life. You're still from the Village Hidden in the Clouds, and-"
"And I'm on a mission every single day just about. That place is about as much as home to me as a random tree in the forest. I'd rather be here with you. A place I feel like is home and welcoming."
Ellainna nodded her head understandingly. "Okay. When do you start the process?"
"I don't know yet. I have to talk to my superiors when I get back to see if it's even possible."
Ellainna approached the table with their food and sat down. "I can get you however many letters of recommendations you need."
"Yeah, since you know so many of Kakashi's friends now."
Ellainna and Tamryn both stuck their tongues out at each other and giggled before they dove into their meal. The two women dove into their meals and devoured it hastily as they chatted and giggled. Once they were done, Tamryn leaned back and rubbed her stomach appreciatively while Ellainna took their dishes to the sink.
"So...what's there to do fun around here," Tamryn asked, burping. "I gotta see if I can stretch my legs around here if I'm gonna live here."
Ellainna leaned against the sink, smiling, and opened her mouth to speak before she caught herself, remembering the trouble she had gotten into the night before.
"Uhm," she said nervously. "Actually, why don't we just stay in for the night?! I mean-you just got here and everything! I want to keep you all to myself for a little bit. Plus-"
"What trouble have you gotten yourself into now," Tamryn inquired, chuckling.
Ellainna hung her head in guilt and she revealed what happened the previous night. Tamryn laughed joyfully as Ellainna spoke.
These idiots are really hot for each other!
Tamryn stood and clapped Ellainna on the shoulder.
"Well, I'm here now, so you've got a bodyguard and a babysitter all in one. You can't get your pretty little head in anymore trouble."
Tamryn ruffled Ellainna's hair and Ellainna grinned.
"That can be your job here," Ellainna said giggling.
"Maybe! Come on, let's get dressed. We can't have a fun night on the town in this getup!"
Tamryn steered Ellainna up the stairs and into her room. She pushed Ellainna onto her bed and raided her closet.
"Mmmmm...here, put this on."
Tamryn tossed Ellainna some clothes and she held them up to examine it: a plain white t-shirt and black legging shorts.
"A little bland for a 'wild' night on the town, don't you think," she asked.
"Not for what we're doing," Tamryn hummed.
"What are we doing then," Ellainna asked as they both changed. "And-wait-how do you have something for us to do when you just got here?"
Tamryn looked to Ellainna and grinned before sliding the shirt over her heads.
"That's my secret."
"You always know where to go and I'm always stuck at home, bored," Ellainna complained as she slid her leggings on. She examined Tamryn's outfit and compared it to hers.
"I should have another pair of shorts in there, ya know."
"I know," Tamryn replied, spinning on her heel towards the door. "I'm not wearing any."
"Then what if-Cuz...You're not wearing underwear!"
"I know. I won't need underwear where we're going!"
"Then why do I have shorts?!"
"I'm not spoken for, Honey. I can have as much unadulterated fun as I'd like," Tamryn said, booping Ellainna playfully on the nose. "Besides, the shirts are long enough to cover our asses so we're fine. Pretend I'm wearing a swimsuit if it makes you feel better."
"Yeah, okay, whatever," Ellainna said, her face turning red. "Are you going to get wild like the last time we went out at night?"
Tamryn flashed Ellainna a devious grin but didn't answer her question. They each packed a pouch with ID's, money, and other incidentals before walking downstairs, sliding their shoes on, and heading towards the village.
"So what are you gonna do if you run into him," Tamryn asked Ellainna.
"Well, he's still in the Forest of Death so I'd say I have 3 more days until-"
"You know what I meant." Tamryn playfully jabbed Ellainna in the arm, who giggled at her joke.
"I know. I don't know. Probably ignore him like before."
"How'd that work out for you before?"
Ellainna shrugged. "Perfectly well," she joked cheerfully.
"Oh, so toeing the line so closely you were practically on the ground, legs wide open, ready and begging for him to take you was your goal. My bad."
"Hey!"
The girls playfully shoved each other and giggled as they neared the edge of the town.
"But seriously, ignoring something doesn't make it go away."
"I know. But what do you recommend I do then?"
"Act normal. No, I take that back, you're weird. No, uhm, but be as cordial and professional as possible. What would you do if it were a classmate from school?"
"I'd punch them in their face."
"A classmate you liked."
"I guess...I guess I see what you're saying...But what if it's weird?"
"It's going to be weird the first few interactions so don't expect it not to be."
You guys are hotter for each other than a fatso in a sauna in the middle of summer but we're not talking about that...
"Just work through the awkwardness and it'll be normal again. You'll blink and it'll be 6 months. You'll have forgotten you ever even liked him and you'll be living your life with your eyes solely on Sasuke."
Though, I doubt either of you can make it 1 more month, let alone 6 but what can you do?
Ellainna nodded her head, but doubted Tamryn's advice. She wasn't sure if she could just act professional. It was too weird! She was lost in thought as she followed Tamryn, deciding if she would follow her recommendation or not. She was snapped from her reflections by Tamryn's announcement.
"And we're here!"
"Ellainna looked around and they were at a dunk tank booth. The tank was being filled with water and some people were standing around it talking.
"You didn't," Ellainna whispered.
"I did! You need some fun," Tamryn replied back before addressing one of the men by the tank.
"Arten! I'm here! Just as promised!"
The tallest man in the group turned around and his face lit up when he saw Tamryn. He opened his arms wide and Tamryn jumped into them. They hugged each other while Ellainna hung back nervously and the people Arten was talking to watched in interest.
"Tammy! Baby! I was wondering when you were gonna show up! Can't have a dunk tank without its star!"
Arten set Tamryn down and she grinned.
"Well, two stars today. You remember Ellainna, right?"
Ellainna waved nervously at Arten and he held his arms out for a hug from her as well, though she didn't take him up on it.
"Little El! How are you?! I haven't seen you around since last time!"
"Yeah. You know me...just...been working..."
"Well, I'm glad you're taking a break to have some fun with us!"
"Oh yeah. Me too..."
Ellainna shot Tamryn an annoyed look and she smiled, ignoring it.
"Well, let us men finish setting up and you ladies can decide who going first," Arten announced before he went back to talking with his crew.
Tamryn skipped back to Ellainna happily.
"Why would you do this," Ellainna quietly hissed at her as soon as she was within range.
"I already told you, you need to have some fun!"
"So what if it's just as wild as last time?! What if-"
"It's fine. You'll go first for a few dunks. Then I'll go. The creepy ones don't come until later in anyway."
"Tamryn."
"He won't be here. I promise," Tamryn said, looking at Ellainna seriously. "He doesn't hang around booths like these."
"He did three years ago," Ellainna responded coldly, walking away. She sat on a nearby bench and crossed her arms. She was annoyed but resolved to have fun with her friend despite her lack of forethought and consideration. Tamryn approached Arten and his crew and tugged on the former's arm.
"Are you sure-"
"Yes," Arten replied. "I haven't seen him all year. He probably moved at this point. He's not going to be here. And if he magically decides to show up 2 years later, I've hired some help that's looking out for him and will make sure he doesn't come close to her." He put his arm around Tamryn affectionately.
"El's like a daughter to me. I won't let him hurt her."
"Again, you mean," Tamryn said. Arten looked at her and she sighed. "I'm sorry. That was mean. I just-I feel like it's my fault."
"It's not. Nobody's fault but the guy that did it." Arten ruffled Tamryn's hair affectionately, though it didn't do anything to reassure her.
Within no time, the tank was full and Arten's crew had finished setting up the display. He flipped a switch so that the lights came on.
"All right," Arten said, clapping his hand together. "Who's first?!"
Tamryn pointed to Ellainna, who had stood and risen her hand.
"Great! Step on up little lady!"
Ellainna removed her shoes and ninja pouch and handed them to Tamryn before walking up to the tank. Arten and another guy in his crew lifted Ellainna up and helped her into the seat.
"Comfortable up there, El," Arten asked. Ellainna gave a thumbs up and rubbed the hair out of her face. She was now regretting not having put her hair into a ponytail earlier in the day.
"Okay, well, if everybody is ready," Arten announced.
He, his crew, and Tamryn began heckling and calling out to villagers walking by, trying to entice them into playing a game or two. A few women accepted but missed all three of their shots. Ellainna cheered them on to try and persuade them to play another round but they declined. It was pretty slow for about an hour before Tamryn wandered off and came back half an hour later with participants. The first two guys played three rounds until they hit a sinker. The ball sailed onto the target dead on and sent Ellainna plunging into the water below. She took a deep inhale just before she fell in and quickly resurfaced. She smiled and cheered the boys as she walked to the edge of the tank where Tamryn was standing on the outside of it.
"I just want you to know I do have payback for you," she whispered, the grin on her face never faltering.
"Whatever for," Tamryn responded, playing dumb.
"You knew I had swimsuits in my closet."
Ellainna climbed back into the seat as Tamryn snickered. Ellainna pretended to shiver from the cold and crossed her arms over her chest so it wouldn't be as see-through. Ellainna tried to relax and enjoy her time but found herself constantly looking around anxiously. She kept thinking she saw his familiar mane of bright hair flittering here and there. Boy did she seem to have a type.
The line of patrons seemed to play tag throughout the day, constantly increasing and decreasing. A lot of people got in line multiple times and they enjoyed themselves. When the sun started to go down, Tamryn switched places with Ellainna. Arten lifted her out of the tank with a towel in his hands and set her down on the ground, wrapping the towel around her. Ellainna sat in the grass with their shoes and pouches. She would have jeered and called out to villagers as they passed by but there was no need. The line was longer than ever and Tamryn was doing a good job of teasing people into tossing balls. It took a shorter time for her to get dunked than Ellainna, but she made a bigger show out of it, making people want to play more.
Ellainna instead sat watching the line, looking for the familiar spiky blonde hair she knew. The one that smelled like grass and tickled her face while she slept. She wasn't sure why she was so intent on finding him. She hated him. She wanted nothing to do with him. He was a chapter from her past she didn't want to revisit. And yet...she wanted to see him again. She wanted to wring that pretentious smirk off his face. She wanted to punch him for every second of her life he had wasted. She wanted to take back her preciousness and innocence to the world. She wanted to wipe that chapter clean from her life and make it so it never happened.
Ellainna was so lost in memories that she hadn't noticed when Arten closed up the dunk tank until Tamryn threw her wet towel at her head.
"Earth to Beany," she called out. "What are you thinking about?"
Ellainna ripped the towel from off her head and looked up at Tamryn. "Nothing much. What's up?"
"Well, now we go relax!"
Tamryn waved to Arten as he and his crew drained and dismantled the tank.
"Bye! Thanks for having us again!"
"Thanks for coming again," Arten called back to Tamryn, waving and winking at her. She grinned back slyly before she grabbed Ellainna's hand and led her through the village. As they walked, Tamryn got a lot of attention from her wet t-shirt, which she of course wanted and enjoyed. Ellainna was glad that her shirt had dried in the hot heat so hers wasn't as revealing. Tamryn led her to a pop-up drinking tent and led them to a spot in the corner, where they could use the shadows to their advantage. When the waiter stopped by to take their order and drop off their drinks, the shadows from the lights in the village made it easier to fool him into thinking they were older. He didn't even ID them.
The two girls sat and drank, giggling and enjoying themselves, until they were cut off from being so loud and disruptive. They convinced the guy to give them two drinks to go if they would leave immediately afterwards. They then went on to drunkenly feast on every food stall they could stumble their way to. They were so inebriated it was a surprise that they could even make it all the way back to Ellainna's house late that night without incident. They collapsed in Ellainna's bed for the night.
-Ellainna was awoken by a pounding migraine and a harsh bright light shining from her bedroom window right into her eyes. She groaned and attempted to cover her face with a pillow but couldn't feel one on her bed with her eyes closed. She groaned again and covered her face with her hands as she slowly, painfully, crept her eyes open. She struggled to climb to her knees and close the blinds. The lack of sunshine in her room helped lessen her headache but didn't completely alleviate it. Next, the smell of eggs cooking hit her and churned her stomach. She held her hand over her mouth as the churned contents of her stomach threatened to come back up. The sound of clattering in the kitchen confused her. She tried to get out of bed, slowly because of her headache and now her stomach. But as soon as her feet hit the floor and she took a step, she tripped over something. This pushed her stomach to the point of no return and she rushed to her bathroom so that she could at least unleash the contents in the toilet. She heaved repeatedly, burning her throat and making her headache intensify with each heave.
When she was finished, she sat next to the toilet, hugged it for stability, and rested her body against it to get relief from the cold porcelain. She burped a few times and her stomach felt settled, but weak. She feebly reached up with a trembling hand and flushed the toilet. When she felt stable enough to stand, she slowly rose to her feet, using the toilet and wall as a crutch. She slowly shuffled out of her bathroom and looked at what she tripped on. She was surprised to see Tamryn lying on the ground, spread eagle, with Ellainna's pillows scattered haphazardly around, under, and atop her. She was now confused who was in her kitchen.
She considered taking a kunai with her for protection to see who it was but she ultimately decided against it. She figured it was more dangerous to her to be carrying any kind of sharp weapon in her hungover state. She decided to grab a book instead, though her lacking cognitive skills didn't connect that this was not a wittier substitute. She crept down the stairs, one hand over her nose so the offending smell of food didn't cause her to heave and prematurely announce herself. She got to the bottom of the steps and silently crept into the kitchen, where the blinds were wide open. She squinted to see through the blinding and pounding sunlight to see a familiar figure standing at the stove.
"Unless you're going to be reading that book, which I doubt, put it down, please," Ellainna's mother said.
Ellainna slammed the book against the table in frustration.
"I guess today is going to be one of those days, hunh," Ellainna's mother sighed, not turning away from the stove.
"What are you cooking," Ellainna grumbled.
"Food. Why?"
"Because it stinks."
"Well you've got something in common."
Ellainna scoffed and turned on her heel to leave back upstairs.
"How long is the bad influence staying this time," her mother called out to her.
"Forever," Ellainna responded angrily. "Why are you cooking bacon and eggs?"
"Because your father and I are hungry."
"No, but, why bacon and eggs specifically. You know I can't stand the smell when I'm hungover."
"How am I supposed to know when you're drunk, Ellainna?"
"You had to have been in my room to know Tam was here."
Her mother took a beat to consider a comeback before she spoke. "At any rate, you're too young to be drinking. You shouldn't be drunk at all."
Ellainna rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mom."
She went upstairs and back into her room. She closed the door and got back into her bed after carefully maneuvering around Tamryn's body. She tried covering up and going back to sleep but that didn't help her so she sighed heavily and got up for the day. She went to get a towel for her shower when it dawned on her she had left her laundry outside the previous day. She raced to her window to see if it was still out there. She sighed when she saw that it was hung up on the clothesline and the bins were cleaned back up.
She stepped back over Tamryn and went into her shower. She took a moment to enjoy the invigorating effect the water was having on her. It was dulling her headache and waking her up further. She enjoyed showers when she was hungover. They were just better. When she was done, she made sure to use extra mouthwash after brushing her teeth and got dressed in a loose tank and shorts.
She floated down the stairs, now mostly recovered from her hangover and in a far better mood. She entered the kitchen where her parents were sitting at the table eating. She tried to greet them politely before getting a cup of orange juice and sitting at the table with them.
"How long are you guys back this time," Ellainna asked them nervously.
It was a long pause before her father answered.
"Until tomorrow night. Then we have another meeting in another village."
"Oh," Ellainna said a little chipper. "We can have dinner together tonight then! I bought roast..."
He parents sipped their drinks and continued eating in silence as she trailed off. Ellainna racked her brain for something else to say but didn't have to because Tamryn did that for her.
"Elly Bean! Good morning!" Tamryn walked into the kitchen in the same shirt from last night but she was wearing underwear now and hugged Ellainna from behind. Ellainna chuckled nervously but didn't push her away.
"Good morning to you too," Tamryn said, addressing Ellainna's parents, who did their best to ignore her.
"Oooh, yum. I LOVE eggs after a night of drinking." She went to the stove to see that the pans were empty. "Aww, bummer. There's no more left. Did you have any Ellainna?"
Ellainna shook her head no. "I've got this orange juice. It's all I can keep down anyway."
"Really?! I'm starving. I could eat a whole buffet right now!"
Tamryn went into the pantry and grabbed four cups of ramen, prepared them, and carried them to the table. She sat in a chair next to Ellainna backwards and slurped on one cup of noodles at a time.
"So," she said with a full mouth. "What's the plan today?" She looked from Hitomu to Isao. When they didn't respond, she kept talking. "Wow, that sounds so exciting! Ugh, I wish our plans were that fun! We're just gonna stay here and play Scissors!"
Ellainna choked on her orange juice and bit in her tongue hard to keep from laughing. Isao glanced at Tamryn in interest while Hitomu stabbed at her eggs unnecessarily hard before lifting them into her mouth. Tamryn continued as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
"Ellainna, do you think Sasuke is out yet? We could invite him over and we can all play together! And if we invite Arten, we can turn it into a whole party and-"
"Ellainna," Hitomu said pointedly. "Please inform your guest that we aren't vulgar, at the dining table or otherwise and I'd appreciate it if-"
"Oh my gosh," Tamryn cried out, grabbing Ellainna's arm. "Can-can your Mom not see me?! Oh my gosh! Can-can you see me?! Oh, Elly Bean, please say you can see me! I don't know what I'd do without my very best friend!" Tamryn grabbed onto Ellainna and theatrically cried out, rambling on. As her parents got more irritated, Ellainna found it increasingly harder to stifle her laughter.
"You're like a sister to me, El! Without you, who would I Scissor with?!"
Hitomu dropped her silverware abruptly so it clanged loudly against her plate in frustration. She rose from the table and left, her husband following suit. Once they were out of the house, Ellainna and Tamryn both doubled over and broke out in laughter.
"You're are absolutely, dreadfully, awful," Ellainna breathed out. Tamryn clapped her on the back as their laughter died down.
"Well, they've been absolutely dreadful to you since I could remember. What kind of a friend would I be if I didn't help you dish some of that dread back?"
They heard the front door open and Tamryn, without missing a beat, cried out, "oh, Ellainna!"
The front door slammed shut and the duo erupted in laughter once more. After they finished their respective meals at the table, they cleared it. Ellainna pulled the beef roast out of the freezer before she and Tamryn went back up to Ellainna's room to prepare for the day. As Tamryn showered, Ellainna got dressed. She slid on thigh socks with her shorts, put on a fishnet tank underneath her spaghetti strapped normal tank, which she tied to the side, and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She put on her gloves and attached her pouches.
She was done getting dressed by the time Tamryn was out the shower so they chatted while she got dressed. She put on a pair of underwear, a pair of breakaway pants with all but one pair of buttons on the top and very bottom undone, and a sports bra like top. She pulled her short hair back into a half up, half down, ponytail. Tamryn followed Ellainna outside to get her clothes off the line and helped her fold them and put them away. By that point, they were immensely bored.
"I'm so-ugh-bored," Tamryn complained.
"I'm so sorry to hear that," Ellainna replied sarcastically.
"I know," Tamryn announced excitedly.
"You can't drink your days away every day, Tam."
"Maybe you can't," she replied huffily, crossing her arms.
"You can come on a nature walk with me," Ellainna suggested.
"And what? Watch you show off? No thank you."
"Well, I don't know then," Ellainna cried out, dramatically plopping backwards on her bed.
"Ugh...Maybe I should've waited until after the Chunnin Exams to visit. You're so boring," Tamryn teased. Ellainna threw a pillow at her face and both girls launched into laughter.
"Well, I did volunteer last year to help villagers during the Chunin Exams. You can tag along," Ellainna offered.
"Booooriiiiiinng," Tamryn heaved, theatrically falling over to the ground. "But, fine. I'll go along on your do goody mission trip. Maybe I'll meet a hottie to pass the time by with, hunh?"
Ellainna chuckled and waved her off.
"Come on, let's go. I have to go by the arena first, though, to see if my team passed or not," Ellainna said as she headed for her bedroom door.
"Fine with me," Tamryn shrugged.
Both girls trudged down the stairs and put their shoes on before setting off for the arena where the third portion of the exams would be held. As they approached the front gate, they noticed Kakashi walking in their direction. He didn't immediately notice them because his nose was buried in one of his Icha Icha books. Ellainna momentarily panicked and glanced at Tamryn who motioned for her to take a deep breath.
"Just be cool," she encouraged.
Ellainna nodded and took a few deep breaths before she plastered a smile of ease on her face. She walked up to Kakashi and addressed him, taking his attention from the book and moving it to her.
"What's happenin', Captain?!"
Kakashi stopped and blinked at Ellainna, confused.
"Have the kiddies finished yet?!"
Kakashi slowly shook his head and Ellainna shrugged.
"Okay," she said cheerfully. She playfully smacked Kakashi on the arm and spun on her heel. "I'll see you here tomorrow afternoon then!"
Ellainna linked arms with Tamryn and began walking off with her, leaving Kakashi standing in his spot. He watched her walk away in confusion.
"See, that wasn't so bad," Tamryn commented once they were far out of earshot.
Ellainna exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"That was AWKWARD," she proclaimed. "He didn't even talk to me! What if he transfers me? Or recommends to the Hokage that I shouldn't be promoted?"
"Ellainna-"
"What if this whole thing permanently affects my promotion eligibility?! What if I never get promoted?"
"Ellainna-"
"A chunnin?! For the rest of my life? Oh my gosh! And-"
"Elly," Tamryn grabbed Ellainna by the shoulders and shook her. "You're spiraling, Hon."
Ellainna made a face and stuck her tongue out at her.
"I'm just considering my future," Ellainna replied before they started walking again.
"My doomed future."
Tamryn rolled her eyes and patted her friend on her back.
"Always with the dramatics, Elly. You'll be fine. Just wait out the awkwardness."
Ellainna shrugged before agreeing apathetically and face palming.
"I sounded so stupid! What's Happenin', Captain. What am I, 6?"
"Not to him," Tamryn chuckled.
"Oh my gosh," Ellainna cried out. She playfully shoved Tamryn and shook her head.
"Alright. Okay. Let's go help some villagers."
"And find me a new plaything," Tamryn cheered.
Both women chuckled loudly.
A/N:
Hey guys! So, I'm off hiatus early because it just dawned on me that October is Inktober and I want to participate (I'm going to try doing 2 at once 0.0) Plus, I have to take my State Board exams and walk across my Graduation stage and take pictures and get my hair done and go on vacation and ugh! Essentially, it's going to be a busy month for me. So I came off early and I am posting this chapter and next chapter before October and possibly only one next month but we'll see. Thanks for the love! Thanks for sticking around! And thank you to the new favorites/watchers! I appreciate it. If you like my art, visit my Deviant page.
So, that's it for now. I'm immensely happy I've more than met my quota this chapter. The next chapter will start the next part of the Chunnin Exams and this is one of my favorite parts in my story. Thanks, loves! Don't forget to favorite, share, comment, and obsess!