I walked to school very, very slowly. I barely got any sleep, I was really sore, and I felt depressed. I stared at my feet as cars zoomed past me. The feeling of people staring at me was freaking me out, but I knew no one was. I looked around me, seeing no one. I was still being a paranoid freak even though there wasn't anyone around me.

I sighed. I was probably being paranoid because of the dream I had last night. It wasn't scary or anything, it just freaked me out. I guess a lot of things freak me out.

"Hey." I jumped at the sound coming from right next to me. I turned and saw Hinata giving me a small smile.

"You scared the shit out of me." I said placing a hand over my racing heart. "Don't do that again." I scolded her.

"Why are you so freaked out?"

"It was this dream I had last night. Nothing big." I waved my hand in the air as if waving off the thought. We walked down the sidewalk slowly, neither one of us wanting to get to school anytime soon.

"What was it about?" She asked. She was concerned about me and I smiled at the thought. I pushed that thought out of my head and thought about the dream I had early this morning before I woke up.

"It wasn't really scary or anything. I walked up to this tube that was in the ground. It was like a slide, but it wasn't really big. In fact I could barely fit in it. I was a little scared to slide in it, but I had to for some reason. So I started sliding down and it reached a curve and I got stuck. I tried to use my arms to push me, but it wasn't working. So I started hyperventilating and then I woke up. No big deal." I looked at Hinata and expected to see her laugh, but she didn't.

"That's reasonable. Most people fear tight spaces." I gave her a sincere smile. Hinata, you always have a way of making me feel better.

"I don't like tight spaces much." I confessed.

"So how's life?" She asked me. I frowned and glared at the ground. "That bad?"

"You don't even know the half of it. My dad is trying to get it where we'll be at our moms for a week and then a week at his house, but my mom isn't cooperating and she's being a pain in the ass. And our 'family' counselor is telling my dad that this problem will take longer than we thought and my dad is moving into a bigger, more expensive apartment before the it can change so he will still be paying child support plus the apartment each month when he doesn't have any money as it is. This whole thing sucks." I told her. The situation was totally fucked up and the problem was, I couldn't do shit about it, but I was still stuck in the middle.

"That does suck. I wish I could do something to help you get through it, but I can't do anything. I'm sorry." She told me glumly and shyly.

"That's exactly how I feel about this whole situation. It's hell and I feel as though one day I'm just going to fucking crack!" I told her angrily. I then whispered quietly, "I'm going to crack and just end it one day." Hinata turned me to face her.

"What did you say?" She asked angrily. I could see the fury in her eyes.

"I said I'm going to kill myself when I crack. All this is way too much stress!" I gestured wildly and angrily. Hinata pulled me into a hug.

"Don't say that. You can't kill yourself. Everything will turn out right in the end you just have to wait." I placed my head on her shoulder and squeezed her tightly. The tears streamed down my cheeks and onto her shirt.

"What if it never gets better?" I whispered, while still squeezing her tightly. I was such a mess and falling apart and I needed her to help pick me back up. She was the only one that was even close to understanding me. Her parents were divorced also, but they still lived in the same house because it was best for Hinata and Hanabi. If only my parents could even put Gaara and me first instead of using us.

"It will eventually Temari. Until then," She pulled back and stared at me, "I'm here for you." I nodded and pulled her back in. I hugged the living daylights out of her and continued to sob quietly. I didn't care if the school bell had rung, I wasn't going to school. I looked like shit and felt like it.

"Thank you." I whispered before pulling back and turning back to my house. I started walking and wiped the tears from my eyes. I felt someone's arm around my shoulders and I looked up to see Hinata. "I'm fine. You can go to school."

"I'd be late and you need me." She said sincerely.

I gave her a small, sincere smile. "Thanks Hinata, but you should go to school. I'll be fine."

"Not until you're partly close to being yourself." She said. He grabbed my hand and started pulling me. "We can go to my house. My parents are out for now." I nodded and let her pull me. I didn't care if I was skipping. I just wanted to get away.

Hinata pulled me into her huge mansion-like house. I followed her. We walked up the stairs, past the entertainment center and Hanabi's room and into her own. We sat down on her bed and she stared at me, concern evident in her violet eyes. "Okay let's talk." She said quietly.

I sighed and began. "Well I feel as if everyone is just ignoring me and thinking I'm weird because of my mood swings. I'm happy, depressed, bitchy, and much more and I feel as if that's the reason everyone is hating me." I said quietly. The tear stains on my cheeks were dry and hard.

"We don't hate you. Sakura and Tenten did say that last year they were annoyed by your bitchy attitude and your depressing one, but they don't know what you're going through. They don't understand." I nodded as the tears fell once again, onto her comforter. She pulled me into another hug and patted my back.

"I can't stand it anymore! I can't stand this situation. I can't stand my stepdad. I can't stand the fighting." I took a deep breath and calmed my anger. "I can't stand the stress!" I allowed the tears to flow freely onto Hinata's shirt again.

"Everything will get better." She said, trying to console me. "Everything turns out right in the end-"

"And if it isn't right it isn't the end." I cut her off. "Yeah I've heard that bull shit too many times. It doesn't help me." I sighed and laid down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I don't feel it'll ever get better."

"Don't worry. I'm here for you." I nodded and continued to stare at the ceiling.

The rest of the day Hinata and I hung out. We got on the computer and watched funny clips on youtube, watch movies on her big television in the entertainment area, and snacked a lot. When four rolled around I said a quick 'goodbye' and 'thanks.' I walked home slowly, not wanting to go home. I never want to go home. Everything is isolated, but it's mostly my fault.

I don't want to be around any of them. Gaara is probably the only one I can tolerate out of all of them. Sometimes when I'm really bored I'll play with my cat, Pepper. She's a cute little thing even though she is the oldest cat. We have another one, but he comes and goes. Pepper is more my cat than anyone else's. Unfortunately she has to stay outside because Shiri, my stepdad, is allergic. Ugh I hate him!

So anyways when I [finally] made it home and went up to my room and opened my window. "Pepper-cat! Come here kitty." I waited a few seconds and soon Pepper was on my roof, prancing her way towards me. I smiled and picked her off my roof and placed her on my bed.

"Meow!" She hopped off my bed and roamed around, meowing here and there.

"I love you Pepper." I told her. She heard my voice and came bounding to me. She jumped on my bed and plopped herself on my lap. I smiled and pet her.

"You're the only one who cares about me Pepper. I wish my friends actually cared. The only one who partly cares is Hinata, but sometimes she doesn't understand, you know?" She gave a meow as a reply. I sighed and continued petting the little creature in my lap as she licked herself.

"Can I tell you some secrets?" She gave another meow and I continued, "I have this strange feeling. Every time I get depressed I think about things and some things are about when I had cut myself." I sighed. "I feel as though I should cut myself, not because I want to try it, but because I'm seriously depressed. I think it may actually help me."

"Also, I think about my suicide, well if I had a suicide. I would imagine writing a note and telling them why I did it and why I cracked under the stress. I would tell Shiri he's a total ass and that this was all his fault. I would tell my mom to divorce his sorry ass and that this wasn't her fault. I would tell her that I love her so much. I would tell my dad that he tried his hardest to save me, but it was all in vain. I'd write that I would miss him. I would also miss Kankuro and tell him that he should help dad because I know he would grieve."

"I'd tell Gaara I love him no matter how many times he was a brat and that he needed to get through the situation for me. I would write down a list of people I would miss greatly, including Sakura, Tenten, Hinata, Shikamaru, my parents, and my brothers. My last wish would be that I would be cremated so my parents wouldn't have to waste senseless money we didn't have on a stupid funeral for their worthless and unimportant daughter. I wasn't worth their love and time. Then I'd take a knife to my heart or hang myself, something along those lines." Pepper rubbed her head against mine, trying to comfort me.

"I had a dream yesterday and it was weird. In it Shikamaru came over, through the window of course because he's weird like that, and he came in and we sat down. He was staring at me with such a serious face and then he asks me a question." I looked at the wall and took a deep breath.

"He asked me what I would say if he said that he loved me. Then things led to things and I told him that I lo- that word and we kissed. We hugged and kissed and he asked me out and I agreed." I looked back at Pepper with a small smile appearing on my face (unconsciously). "It was the best thing. Then it was time for dinner and he ate with us. We went outside and I told him my thought about love."

"How I'm scared to love because of my parents. Then we started making-out again and my phone vibrated and I woke up. I don't know what to think of it." Pepper didn't give a reply that time, just kept on licking herself, scratching her head ever once in a while. I sighed. Of course she wouldn't be of help.. She's a cat.

I groaned and she got scared and jumped off of my lap. She went to the end of the bed and continued with what she was doing before I scared her. I sighed heavily and stuffed my head in my pillow. Being a teenager sucks! I groaned again.

Meanwhile, just outside my window (unknown to me) someone had been sitting there and heard the conversation I had with my cat about my dream. "What did she say? She dreamt of me?" Shikamaru turned away from the window and leaned against the house. He sat there deciding on what he should do. Tell her he heard her? Leave her alone for now? Talk to her and see what she does?

"Too confusing!" I heard someone say outside my window. I slowly stood up and peeked out. I looked right and spotted the man of my dreams (literally) sitting outside my window with his eyes closed and head against the roof.

"What are you doing here?" I asked quietly, so as not to scare him. He opened his eyes and stared at me in shock. "Why are you just sitting there?"

"I fell asleep." He said quietly. He got up and turned away from me.

"Where are you going? Don't you want to hang out?" He looked over his shoulder and stared at me.

"Not today."

"Please! I'm bored." I whined. He gave me a little smile and slowly turned around to face me. "Yay!" I cheered as I backed away from the window and he jumped in, making a loud band.

"Don't do that! My mom would kill me if there was a boy in my room, alone with me." I scolded him. Pepper ran past us and jumped through the window. "And you scared my baby!" I put my hands on my hips and fake glared.

"If you're going to just be angry with me then I'll leave." He said glumly while turning away. I shot my hand out and grabbed his shoulder.

"I was joking. Please don't leave." He turned around to face me, with a serious expression.

"Temari" "Shikamaru"

We said at the same time. "You first." We both said. "You first." I told him. He looked down at the ground not meeting my eyes.

"I was sitting outside your window when I saw you-"

"You were peeping at me?"

"Just let me finish. I saw you with Pepper and you were talking." I gulped. Please don't say what I think you're going to. I silently prayed God. "And you were talking about a dream you had, with you and I…" He trailed off. At least he didn't hear about the suicide thought. I wouldn't want him to worry about me when I'm not worth it. I was a little relieved, but still a little peeved.

"Don't say anymore." I said getting angry. "When you heard me talking privately," I strained the word, "you should've either let me know or left. But you did neither." I told him, practically shouting. He was so infuriating. And to think I was about to ask him out. I groaned. "I couldn't believe I almost told you…" I trailed off.

"I'm sorry. I was just so intrigued by the dream and a little shocked. I couldn't really move. I'm sorry. What were you about to tell me?"

"Nothing anymore." I said angrily, starting to rant. "I was so finally sure of myself and my feelings about you. I was feeling confident about myself and I was so sure you felt the same way." I continued not thinking, walking around the room, almost talking to myself. "I can't believe I was just about to ask you out on a date. Why would I do that when you're such a-" my voice was muffled when Shikamaru pulled me into a tight hug.

"Temari?" I looked up at him. "Will you go out with me?" I smiled, then glared at him.

"I don't want to go out with an eavesdropping jerk!" I said, still angry from his confession. He placed a hand behind my head and pulled me towards him. "If you kiss me I swear I'll kick your ass so far you'll-" He stopped my words with a kiss. I didn't kiss back, trying to get free from his hold on me. He pulled back and stared at me.

"Seriously Temari. Will you go out with me?" I sighed greatly and stared deeply into his eyes. He was serious.

"Fine alright! I'll go out with you. On one condition." I said with an evil smile on my face.

"What?" He said, sort of scared.

"You kiss me again." I brought my arms around the neck and pulled him towards me. I happily explored his mouth with my tongue, glad I was finally doing it for real and not in a dream.

Life was getting better.


A/N: I 3 my Pepper-cat! She is a little ball of fur.