A/N:
Is anyone even reading this still?
Y'all can officially elect me as the most inconsistent writer ever.
Anyway, I've always known how this story was going to play out because I wrote the outline for it way way back, but I'm so so so so so bad at updating so please bear with me. Or don't. (I honestly wouldn't blame you). I'm for sure making no promises about when I plan to update again. All I can say is that I'm interested in getting the next few chapters out because they will be very entertaining, and, as you know (or don't know), filled with tons and tons of…. melodrama…..partying…. a bomb…the Akatsuki….. kidnappings…. surprise appearances….Sociopathic- mode Sasuke… confrontations …AND… daddy issues.
Ps: this chapter is unbeta'd so please forgive me for any grammatical mistakes.
leave a review! Let me know if anyone is even keeping up with this shit lol!
Ch8
Their flight had been delayed.
And while Sarada felt inherently annoyed (she hated being off schedule), ChoCho put it upon herself to entertain everyone by instigating a competition between Mitsuki and Inojin. Whichever one of them brought her back a caramel frappuccino first would be rewarded with the most eloquent of meeds. As to what this meed would be Sarada was sure ChoCho didn't even know herself, but she had this weird hunch it would undoubtedly affect her so she thought it best to take part in the competition as well so she wouldn't somehow end up on a date with someone she had already, adequately friend-zoned.
"Hmm, you're smarter than you look," Chocho said coquettishly when her dark-haired friend presented her with a pretty, Starbucks beverage.
"You owe me seven dollars," Sarada deadpanned as she took a seat in their gate's waiting area.
ChoCho sucked some of the whipped cream between her full lips.
"And fifty cents."
"Don't think for one second I don't have something else up my sleeve."
Sarada narrowed her eyes. "So you were gonna set me on a date with one of those idiots," she stated while pointing an accusing finger at her friend.
"Oh, now you're just jumping to conclusions," ChoCho scoffed, but she couldn't hide her amusement.
"You're a dumb bitch."
"The stoooopidest," she retorted earning her a nasty glare. "Woah! chill out, babe. Mama would never make you do anything you genuinely didn't want to do."
"You already know that's a flat-out lie."
"Ok, so maybe I can be a little pushy, but at some point, you're gonna have to let loose a little. I mean, when was the last time you kissed someone?"
Sarada blinked several times, pretending to be undisturbed. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.
ChoCho stared at her friend as a shit-eating grin slowly crept across her face. Her cheeks started to puff up as a cackle bubbled up in her throat.
"Don't start ChoCho."
"Don't start what?" Inojin asked as he walked up to the two females. He had a large hot drink from Dunkin Donuts and was sipping on it carefully.
The laugh that was about to explode out of ChoCho's mouth all but dissipated when she saw the offending beverage. "What is that?" she asked and pointed to the blonde's cup. "That's not a caramel frappuccino."
"Oh, this," Inojin tittered. "This is a spiced rum coffee. Well, actually, I think a better way to describe it is a caramel macchiato with rum." He looked up as another thought crossed his mind. "It's 90 percent rum; 10 percent coffee. Yah. with a hint of caramel, nutmeg, and cinnamon."
"Dunkin Donuts doesn't serve alcohol Inojin," Chocho protested
"Oh, they don't?' the boy responded coyishly.
Sarada snatched the drink out of his hand a took a taste for herself. She winced when the hot alcohol hit the back of her throat. "How how does he do it?" she asked between a small cough. She looked at her best friend who was surprised but not impressed.
"Your guess is as good as mine," she conceded and grabbed the cup to take a swig. "Hmm. not bad," she said while smacking her lips.
"I'm glad you like it." Inojin annoyingly replied as he took back his new prized possession. "I have my ways that's all you really need to know."
"I suspect it's some kind of pheromone that attracts the opposite sex." Mitsuki suddenly appeared behind Sarada's chair causing the girl to flinch.
"I literally hate it when he does that," Inojin tsked, shaking his head.
The Uchiha leaned to one side of her seat. "Please elaborate Mitsuki."
"Well, just as females flaunt certain parts of their anatomy to appeal to men and manipulate their behavior, Inojin appears to give off some kind of physiological signal that coerces women into giving him what he wants."
"Ok bro, coercion is a strong word. I don't coerce anyone into anything. I just so happen to be a very attractive individual." The blond took another drink of his "coffee" and rolled his eyes.
"Well, I can't disagree with you there," ChoCho shrugged, "but you're still an asshole."
"That's fair I guess," Inojin nodded.
"By the way, where is my Frappuccino Mitsuki?"
"Inojin suggested I not buy you a drink on an account that it may not be good for your health or your weight."
"Is that so?" ChoCho slowly turned a dangerous gaze towards Inojin, making the boy take a few steps back.
"He's clearly lying," Inojin contested.
Sarada was always amazed by how her friends freely spoke their minds. Was it healthy to always point out each other's flaws and or comment on each other's physical appearance? She glanced at Inojin. Sure, the boy was fucking handsome: light, feathery, blonde hair; aquamarine eyes; delicately pale skin, he was like something out of a fantasy novel. But she'd be damned if she ever admitted it out loud. And while ChoCho was more on the side of plus size when it came to the body type spectrum, she was undoubtedly a very sexy female. She on more than one occasion found Inojin and Mitsuki staring at her ass or her chest, and yet they were always giving her a hard time about her weight. It made her wonder what they truly thought about her.
"You must teach me how to produce such a signal Inojin," Mitsuki insisted, "for I find It may be of great use to me this week in California."
"You, my friend, are a hopeless case. but I assure you I will not let your social cluelessness go to waste, especially when we hit up those LA nightclubs," the blonde smirked as he walked over to where Mitsuki was standing and threw an arm over his shoulder. His eyes seemed to twinkle as he daydreamed about the party scene.
Sarada leaned over and whispered into her best friend's sleeve "It's possible I might be looking forward to how this all pans out."
"Atta girl! I see that clamshell of a mind opening up, if even just a little," ChoCho snickered. "Oh, and consider going halves with me on a portable battery pack because I plan to document everything on my phone."
"Done," Sarada agreed, giving her curvy friend a strong handshake.
xXx
Sarada didn't hesitate to put in her earbuds the moment she was settled into her seat on the plane. She was grateful she and ChoCho purchased their tickets together because had she'd been forced to sit next to a weird stranger or her weird, male companions, she would have exited the plane before it even took flight. She glanced over at Inojin and Mitsuki who were across the aisle then nudged ChoCho with her elbow to make her pay attention to the blonde's current shenanigans. Inojin had grown a creepy infatuation with one of the flight attendants and found it hilarious to ask for something every time she walked by.
"What an ass," ChoCho mumbled.
Regardless of what the others thought she genuinely was excited to be taking a break from her studies. She just wished her spring break could have been something more of a girl's trip. It wasn't that Inojin and Mitsuki weren't good friends of hers. It was just that they were so irresponsible and high maintenance. She meant it when she said her time in California would be spent babysitting them. It also bothered her that they would be meeting up with Boruto and his father. Mr. Uzumkai was a nice man, but seeing him reminded her of her own father and Sarada wasn't too interested in thinking about the Uchiha patriarch. The last time she had seen him was right before she left for college. He had bought her a new laptop, which she rudely didn't accept, and just as her taxi pulled up to take her to the airport she remembered her father leaving to take a phone call. He didn't even say goodbye. Sarada took a deep breath. She had to pull back on the daddy issues today. Somehow that suppressed anger always seemed to trickle into her personality making her act cold, stubborn, and prudish. Not many people got to see the side of her that was carefree and fun. That side of her justified the relationship she had with ChoCho. No one could understand how someone as wild and open-minded as ChoCho could be best friends with someone so reserved and closed off as herself. But just as everyone always says, opposites do attract.
"Girl, try not to lose yourself in your brain."
Sarada quickly rubbed her eyes with her fists.
"You've been zoning out for the past 30 minutes. I mean did you even notice when we went through that big ass cloud? The turbulence was gnarly."
"Yah, sorry. I was just trying to sort through some things."
"Like what baby doll, what's on your mind?"
Sarada tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear.
ChoCho could always tell when Sarada was feeling down or anxious. She figured the girl's silence had something to do with seeing Mr. Uzumaki, but she knew not to press it. If anything, Sarada needed a distraction so she thought it best to bring up some gossip she had heard going around at their dorm.
"God, that girl is such an idiot," Sarada laughed as she pushed herself back into her seat. "Sometimes it's hard to tell whether the stories you hear at school are real or just heavily embellished."
ChoCho shrugged then smirked.
"Ok, so embellishments are what we're dealing with."
"I mean, my takes on the tea are clearly going to be more entertaining than the actual truth."
'I can't with you."
"Yah, but you love me."
xXx
The flight was about an hour and a half long, giving Inojin more than enough time to down his coffee and ride out an annoying buzz. He quickly collected his items from the stowage compartment and joined the line of people exiting the plane. Somehow he managed to get the number of the flight attendant he harassed, promising he would contact her in the evening. Once off the plane Mitsuki seized the napkin with the number on it and held it as if it were an exquisite specimen.
"Careful Bro," Inojin complained, "you're gonna tear it up."
Mitsuki held the napkin up above his face and studied it as if it were a counterfeit bill.
"It's really not that deep Mitsuki," ChoCho commented, grabbing the inquisitive boy by the arm and leading him to the baggage claim.
"I'd beg to differ," the boy replied, allowing himself to be led.
Sarada stayed behind to wait for Inojin. He had made a beeline for the restroom once they came through the gate.
"That was probably the worst plane ride I've ever experienced," he groaned and bent over to take a drink from the water fountain outside the restroom stalls.
"Well, what did you expect? You've been drinking since five this morning."
"I may have thrown up once or twice in my mouth."
'Gross dude." Sarada pulled her face up in disgust. "I don't know why I waited for you."
"Oh. you know Sarada…" the blonde smirked
"As if, Yamanaka."
xXx
"Alright guys," ChoCho announced, clasping her hands together outside of the airport. Their uber was two minutes out, leaving them standing next to a palm tree at a pickup station. The weather was beautiful; a pleasant 75 degrees with a light breeze. The smell of the ocean seemed to encompass the air, giving the impression you were tasting salt every time you talked or took a relaxing breath. "We are in for a great week. So let's try to keep our spirits up! Also, Boruto's dad is gonna be joining us for lunch this afternoon, and well, I'm still trying to make a good impression so please, I. beg. of. you. do not be fucking ridiculous.
There was a moment of silence before Inojin said, "You're not exactly the girlfriend type. So I'm pretty sure we're the last ones you need to worry about making a good impression ChoCho."
Mitsuki nodded. "Yah, he has a point. You're more like the inappropriate, busty, older, sister type."
ChoCho stared at her two friends speechless.
Sarada tried to hold in her laughter, but she very quickly found herself gasping for air on the ground, a trail of mirth-filled tears running down her cheeks.
"Ok, I officially hate ALL of you," the busty female declared just as their uber pulled up to its designated stop.
"Hey what about all that talk of keeping ourselves in high spirits?" Sarada joked, wiping a tear from her eye, and picking herself up off the concrete.
"Shut the fuck up Uchiha."
