Hinata was not one for lieing to someone's face, in fact she considered herself one the worst liars in her family. Every time she had attempted one or two little white lies, the sheer concentration of keeping her cool caused her speech to become incomprehensible, her palms sweaty, and her eyes darted left from right. Yet, as she bobbed her head in agreement of whatever it was that her cousin beside her said she could already feel that sinking feeling of being caught crawl down her spine. From what she processed of her cousins speech she was going to start doing the one thing she has never been able to do with a straight face…Lie to her father.
"N-Neji-nii…I d-don't know about th-this." She murmured, her soft voice almost swallowed up by the sound of a car driving passed them. Neji, the calmer of the two, looked down at the apprehensive girl and pat her head protectively.
"Hinata-sama, it was you who agreed to come back last week and we both know Uncle would never approve of the environment. Lying is the only option." Neji sighed evenly. He knew Hinata wasn't one to lie, but it was the only way he would be able to sneak her out of the house and to the clubbing scene that she wanted so much to be a part of. Yes, both long haired teenagers knew the consequences of lying to the head of the Hyuga clan, but they also knew that if she was never a part of the music again Hinata wouldn't feel alive anymore. The night he watched her perform as a stand in took Neji's breath away. It had been a long time since his cousin had so openly showed the real Hinata, the talented and cheerful side. That Hinata from his younger memories had been buried under the stress and confinement the Hyuga household brought to anyone so small.
Neji wanted Hinata to find freedom in the best way he could provide since Her father rarely showed favor to the two of them anymore.
"I-I'm sorry…for all of this N-Neji nii-san…" The violet haired girl murmured unevenly.
"It's no problem Hinata-sama, I'm happy to help you do this." He murmured.
The Academy came into sight before the two could realize and the familiar call of the pearl-eyed boys' friend Tenten rang out. This time though, Hinata's name hung in the air.
"Neji, Hinata! Hurry up!" the brunette teenager called as she waved her hands up in the air. Sakura, one of the girls to help Hinata with her make up last time was leaning on the great big Sakura tree Hinata usually saw her cousin and his friends met up. Now it was her turn to join them. In unspoken happiness her cheeks flushed as she wondered whether it was ok to wave hello back.
"Tenten, your too loud." The Hyuga boy sighed as he herded his cousin over to the meeting tree. Diluted sunlight peaked through the bare branched as Hinata looked for something to look at other than the two girls. Was it really ok? Tenten and Sakura were Neji's friends, not hers.
'Scared…' she thought in her mind and closed her eyes tight wanting to hide, her hands twitched nervously. Then the image of the spiky haired Naruto came into her thoughts. His sweet blue eyes as they looked down at her from the stairs where they first met. He said he was her friend, was it ok to wish he was here as well, to make her feel more at ease?
"Hinata-chan…what are you doing?" A coarse voice questioned so close to her she could feel his breath on her cheeks. Curiously, the violet-haired girl squinted an eye open. Her blurry vision cleared only to have tanned skin and blue eyes take over sight. Naruto stood inches from her with an oblivious smile plastered across his face as he waited for an answer.
"O-Oh my…" she breathed and felt her face heat up. From behind her she felt someone grab her jacket and pull her away from the boy that took over her thoughts.
"Uzumaki get the hell away from her." Hinata's cousin seethed, she heard a loud thump and then a hiss.
Opening her eyes to see what happened she looked down to see Naruto on his knees with his hands gripping a sore spot on his head. Neji had hit him for one reason or another. Worriedly, the Hyuga knelt down to see if the blond was ok.
"N-Naruto-kun…" she whispered shyly, her face still red as she held out a hand to see if he needed help.
"Hinata-sama, don't touch him, his vulgarity may rub off on you." Neji commented snidely.
"V-Vulgar—"
"Hey, I wouldn't hurt Hinata-chan, she's too nice!" The blonde yelled so suddenly it made said girl jump. Naruto covered his mouth and looked at the frantic girl in front of him.
"Was that too loud Hinata-chan? Sorry." He smiled and grabbed her pale hands. In one swift movement both Naruto and Hinata were back on their feet.
"Ahem…Not to ruin your little moment Naruto, but you and Hinata need to get to class, the bell just rang." Sakura's voice suddenly shot through the silence. Hinata jerked her hands away from the older teenager with a flush, then turned to her cousin who still had a sharp glare in Naruto's direction.
"N-Neji nii-san…b-bye!" she stuttered and scampered off towards the front doors. The other four watched her go.
"Awww, Hinata-chan ran away!" Naruto complained.
"Naruto…" Sakura warned with a knowing looked towards the cheerful blond. It was obvious she didn't particularly approve of his touchy feely relationship with the skittish 16 year old just as much as Neji.
Naruto's smile faded and he looked at his friends.
"What? I know she isn't Himeko guys, it's not like I'm gonna treat my new friend like she has the plague because of it." Naruto crossed his arms.
"I know when enough is enough."
"Is that true?" Neji muttered. "Because if I find out you're doing nothing but leading her on I'll fucking kill you."
Tenten sighed and walked over to Neji and pulled his sleeve.
"Hey, uh…Lets just get to class before you two start throwing punches."
Naruto snickered at the paled eyed boy letting himself be dragged away by the older girl. Turning to his other friend, Sakura, he smiled reassuringly.
"Ne, Sakura-chan, I won't do anything stupid, she doesn't look that much like her."
The pink haired student didn't look convinced as she gathered up her things.
Lunch time came and Hinata waited by the door to the upper classmen's chemistry class. She was waiting for Neji so they could have lunch together as usual. The bell rang and she straightened up, alert as the door opened to let others pour out. She had yet to see her cousins face when a loud shout was heard behind her.
Turning around in surprise to see Naruto, once again her cheeks flushed.
"N-Naruto-kun…"
"What are you doin' here in the upper classmen floor Hinata-chan? Waiting for Neji?"
She nodded quietly.
"Ah, then how about having lunch with everyone? Me, Neji, Sakura and a bunch others; We usually go out to the Arts Academy to see Sakura-chan and the others."
"T-That sound like f-fun." Hinata smiled.
"Then it's decided! Ya hear that Neji?"
Confused the girl looked back to see her pale eyed cousin how held his still stern look with Naruto.
"If Hinata-sama wishes it…"
"I do!" she suddenly shouted hurriedly. So bad did she want to eat with others, with friends. People who liked her, she wanted to belong somewhere so much. Her pale eyes looked up at her cousin with a new resolve hidden in their lavender veil. She would never waste another chance like this again. She needed to be bold.
The boys looked at her more taken aback by her sudden outburst. When Neji locked his eyes with her he smirked and brought a hand to her head and pat it like a childs.
"Then I guess you can do what you want." He murmured with more meaning than what the blond before them picked up.
"Alright! I get to sit by Hinata-chan!"
"Hell no." Neji wacked the hyper blond upside the head as the three headed down the stairs. Hinata giggled, light and carefree, when was the last time she did such a thing.
That day was the best lunch she ever had. Sakura and Ino pounced as soon as they spotted Hinata, she spoke to Sasuke about Naruto's idiocy, Shikamaru and Lee argued, and others just talked. Hinata sat between her cousin and Ryu who also went to the Arts Academy.
The two of them smiled and talked, her own heart fluttered, but not like it did with Naruto where it felt as if the slightest touch of his rough hands would make her explode. No, with Ryu it was a more subtle feeling. She didn't hate it.
A laugh escaped the violet haired girls' pink lips and Naruto twitched. The boy began to peal the orange he had in his hands as he watched from to corner of his eye. Hinata smiled, she laughed, but why wasn't it him she laughed with?
Slender fingers a creamy white handed a napkin to Ryu who had rice stuck to a cheek. Blue eyes looked on intently.
'Ne, Naruto-kun you eat like a child.' A bell trilled in laughter.
Shaking his head quickly the blond snapped out of his memory.
"Oh…N-Naruto-kun, are you ok?" Hinata's sweet voice spoke before him. The group looked over to their unusually quiet friend.
"Eh…Ha, ha ha, I'm fine Hinata-chan, even I guy as great as I needs to think in silence for a while!"
"You think?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto yelled before throwing half his unpeeled orange at his friend. A giggle.
Naruto threw his head in Hinata's direction as she held a hand to her lips as she tried to hide it.
"Naruto-kun y-you like a…ch-child." She murmured with the sweetest of smiles. Oh how his chest tightened, blue eyes widened. A broad smiled bubbled up to his lips.
"I am not." And for a moment Naruto felt the world soar beneath his feet once more.
Cleaning up their lunches as soon as the bell rang Ryu was the first to leave as he bid farewell to Hinata and the rest. A smile was firmly planted on the Hyuga girls' lips as she pat the dirt from her jacket.
"Hey, hey, Hinata'chan can you come here for a second!" Naruto called over, he was already by their schools gate. Tilting her head she walked over to the teenager. Instantly tan hands grabbed a hold of her hands and pulled her to the side of the brick wall that Neji and the others couldn't see them from.
"N-N-Naruto….k-kun?" she whimpered as her back touched the brick. Naruto grinned his foxy grin and held his hands on either side of her head.
"Hey Hinata-chan, tell truthfully...do you like Ryu?"
Pearl eyes widened at her capture at the question, air left her lungs.
Did she like Ryu?
Hinata's mind went blank as the boy stared at her intently…but she liked Naruto didn't she?
Sorry for the wait everyone, life is meh~
