Ahaha! I kept my promise! Surprisingly...erm, ahem. Well, its a little late in the day, but I updated on Wednesday like I said! And from now on, if you want to check up on updates, just go to my profile. That's where I'll say when my updates will be. I'm getting a lot more reviews now, and that's probably why I found the strength to update! Yay! Now let's get on with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
I SAID let's get ON with the STORY! Stupid disclaimer...
"Did you rent a movie?" Kiba asked Nori.
"Yep," Nori said, taking out a DVD. "The Night of the Werewolves Part II: Fangs of Death."
The girls minus Tenten cringed at the title.
"I uh, haven't seen Part 1," Hinata said.
"That's okay, nothing really happens in Part 1," Nori said, sticking the DVD in the DVD player and turning to Video. She turned off the lights and jumped on the couch between Naruto and Kiba. "Let the movie begin!"
THIRTY MINUTES LATER…
"Sakura, Ino, if you're gonna jump on Sasuke every two seconds, let's just not watch a movie," Nori said, annoyed as she paused the video.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sakura said.
"Let go," Sasuke growled.
"Sorry Sasuke," Ino and Sakura said in unison.
"Forget the movie! Let's play a game!" Naruto said, bored.
"Game?" Nori said.
"Yeah, yeah! Like Truth or Dare!"
"Good idea!" Ino said. "Everyone, sit in a circle!"
Everyone stared at her.
"NOW!"
Two seconds passed and they were in a circle.
"Okay, who wants to start?" Ino said.
"N-Nori should b-because it's her party, r-right?"
"Uh, no thanks," Nori said. "I don't really play Truth or Dare."
"You have to go first!" Ino exclaimed. "That's the rules for a sleepover!"
"Okay…"
"Lee, truth or dare?" Nori said.
"I choose dare!" Lee declared.
"Okay…I dare you to…call Gai up and say that he's not youthful."
"GASP."
"Come on, Lee, do it."
"I…I cannot."
"Yes you can," Nori said gently. She picked up her phone and put it in his hand. "Dial his number…"
"I uh, do not know it."
"Yeah you do," Neji said.
"Thanks a lot," Lee said. He sighed and dialed the number.
"Greetings! This is Maito Gai speaking! Who is this?"
"Youarenotyouthful," Lee said and hung up.
"Did he even understand you?" Shikamaru said.
"I hope not…" Lee said. "Neji, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"…Really?" Lee said.
"It's less troublesome."
"That's my line," Shikamaru sighed.
"Well it's the truth. Just ask me a question already."
"Okay…do you think—"
"No."
"But I didn't finish!"
"You were going to ask if I think you could ever surpass me, right?"
"No."
"Oh. All right then. Keep going then."
"Do you think…Gai-sensei understood me?"
Everyone stared at Lee.
"That's not a Truth or Dare question," Tenten said.
"No, I don't think he did," Neji said, ignoring Tenten's comment.
"Oh good!" Lee said, feeling happy now.
"Shikamaru, truth or dare?" Neji said.
"Dare," Shikamaru said.
Another silence passed.
"Shikamaru…?" Nori said.
"Don't ask please," Shikamaru said. "What's the dare, Neji?"
"Uh…" Neji thought for a moment. "I dare you to join the soccer team and go for a week without saying 'troublesome' or anything related to it."
"Can you do two in this game?" Shikamaru asked.
"I don't think so…" Ino said.
"Pick one then," Shikamaru said.
"Go for a week without saying 'troublesome' or anything related to it then," Neji said. "You'll probably mess up the team anyway…"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Your turn, Shikamaru," Ino said.
"Ino, truth or dare?" Shikamaru said.
"Mm…dare," Ino said. "I'm feeling brave tonight."
"All right then," Shikamaru said, a small smirk creeping onto his face. "…I dare you to call up Chouji and tell him you've been secretly in love with him."
"I'm not feeling that brave…" Ino said quietly. "What kind of dare is that?"
"Isn't that the point of the game? To humiliate people? Oh, and say it slowly," Shikamaru said.
Ino sighed and took the phone. She silently dialed the number and put it up to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Hi Chouji. I called to say that I've been secretly in love with you." Then she hung up.
Chouji stared at his phone. "Ino?"
"Now that you've thoroughly humiliated me, are you happy now, Shikamaru?" Ino said, ready to blow a gasket. She turned her attention towards Sasuke. "Sasuke, truth or dare?" Ino asked.
Sasuke pondered her question. Ino would most likely make him kiss her or something stupid if he said dare. "Truth."
"Oh," Ino said disappointedly. "Um…do you…secretly love anyone?"
"Do I really have to answer that?" Sasuke said.
"Yes," Ino said, her eyes lighting up. Please say Ino, say Ino, say Ino!
"Obviously no one."
"Oh." He must be lying, but it isn't my place to call Sasuke a liar…
"That's lame that you picked truth!" Naruto shouted.
"Shut up," Sasuke said. "Truth or dare, stupid?"
"Dare—hey!"
"Okay…I dare you to…cook us all ramen for dinner after your turn."
"That's easy," Naruto said.
"Everyone will get to eat except you. You'll have to eat salad."
"WHAT?"
"You heard me."
Waterfalls fell from Naruto's wide eyes. "NO!"
"Yes."
"NOOOOOOOO!"
"Yes."
"N-"
"Zip it," Nori said, putting her hand over his mouth. "But it looks like I don't have to cook tonight."
Naruto quietly cried in a corner for a while then came back. "Hey Sakura-chan, truth or dare?"
If I choose dare, then Naruto will probably make me kiss him or something stupid like that, Sakura thought. "Truth."
"Oh…" Naruto said, disappointed. "Uh…what color is your underwear?"
Sakura stared at him in horror.
SLAP!
"Ow!"
"Hey, its truth or dare, Sakura," Ino laughed. "You have to answer."
"It's just white, you sicko," Sakura said angrily. "And don't ask a stupid question like that! Hmph!" She turned to Hinata. "Hinata, truth or dare?"
"Erm…um…truth?"
"Who is your secret crush?"
Hinata turned red. "S-secret c-crush?"
"Bleah, girl stuff," Naruto mumbled. "I'll go make…sniff…the ramen…" He walked away.
Hinata squeaked. "Er, um, um…." She started playing with her fingers and had a sudden interest in the carpet pattern.
"C'mon, answer, Hinata," Tenten said. "So we can get on with this."
"Pathetic…" Neji said.
"This is troub--er, what Neji said. Why ask a useless question like that?"
"Shut up, Shikamaru!" Ino exclaimed. "Hina—"
"Ramen's done!" Naruto shouted.
Hinata breathed.
"Come to think of it, I'm kind of hungry," Nori said. "Wanna eat, everybody?"
"Truth or Dare is a stupid game anyway," Sasuke said. "Let's eat."
"Good call," Shikamaru nodded.
Naruto set the ramen out for everyone and went back into the kitchen to find some salad. He cursed Sasuke under his breath. "Here you go your majesty."
Sasuke smirked.
After dinner, the boys separated from the girls to go to sleep.
THE GIRLS
"Too bad we didn't get to finish the game," Sakura said. "Want to finish it now?"
"Nah," Nori said. "Shikamaru and Sasuke are kind of right. It's sort of a mean game anyway."
"So why invite the boys again?" Tenten asked. "There were plenty of other girls in our class, right?"
"Yeah, but what fun is a party without guys around?" Nori said.
"But why invite Gaara?" Sakura asked. "He's weird…and creepy."
"…I guess…I felt like he wasn't what he led people to think he was," Nori said. "If that makes sense."
"Are you going for 'don't judge a book by its cover'?" Ino said. "Because Sakura doesn't know anything about that."
"What are you talking about, Ino-pig?" Sakura demanded.
"Oh nothing."
"Look who's talking, Ino," Tenten said.
"What?"
"You and Sakura fight over Sasuke all the time but he's obviously not interested. And he's sort of a jerk anyway. Plus Sakura, you don't even give Lee a chance."
"But he's so weird! Besides, you hang out with that Neji guy too!"
"Hey, he's the soccer team's best player and I want to get into that team!" Tenten exclaimed. "The only way to get good is to hang around him and practice!"
"I guess we're not as non-shallow as we think we are, huh?" Nori laughed. "Well, except for you, Hinata."
Hinata didn't say a word.
"Hey Sakura, if you could pick any boy to kiss, I mean besides Sasuke, who would you choose?" Ino asked.
"Why ask that?"
"You know, just in case you guys don't get married," Ino said, rolling her eyes.
"Well…" Sakura said, thinking hard. "I don't think I could kiss any other boy. Which doesn't matter because sooner or later Sasuke will come around."
"That's lame. What about you, Tenten? I'll give you two choices: Lee or Neji?"
Tenten stared at her. "Those are my choices?"
"Uh-huh."
"I'd uh…have to say…Neji."
"Aha! So you're pretty shallow, huh?"
"Of course not," Tenten said. "Which one would you have chosen? That's like picking between Shikamaru and Chouji. It's a no-brainer."
All the girls agreed.
"Well, its sort of late. Lights out everybody," Nori said. "I'd better check up on the boys. 'Night, everybody."
"Good night."
"'Night."
"G'night."
Nori knocked on the boys' door, then opened it. She winced.
The boys were pretty much piled up and scrawled across the room. Naruto was sleeping against the wall, Kiba was curled up in a dogs' sleeping position with Akamaru, Lee was lying flat on his back with his arms and legs spread out, Shikamaru was sleeping soundly with his hands behind his head, Sasuke was snoring on a couch, and Neji was sleeping normally on his back. Sasuke snores, huh? Nori thought. Oh wait…someone's missing. Gaara?
She walked around the house and saw a figure up on the balcony. The full moon reflected its light, outlining the figure of Gaara. Quietly, she opened the door and walked over next to him. "Couldn't sleep, huh?"
Gaara turned to her. "No. You don't mind, do you?"
She shook her head. "I usually come out here too. You'd better put some insect repellent on." She took out a bottle of insect repellent from a corner of the balcony. "I've kept this here ever since I fell asleep and got covered in mosquito bites." She smiled, spraying some on her as well.
"Why do you live in such a large and luxurious house?" Gaara asked after a while.
"Well…" Nori started. "My parents…were pretty rich. They had great jobs and saved a lot of money. Then there was an accident…" She stared down at the balcony's stone railing. "My parents were caught between a robbing. The criminal was in a car…and crashed. Then…they died. And they left everything to me. Nobody else would take me, so I had to live alone."
"I…I'm sorry that I asked. I shouldn't have," Gaara said.
Nori looked up at the stars and smiled. "No, it's okay. I'm over it. I shouldn't cling to the past anyway."
"I have no mother," Gaara said. "And my father is the one who killed her. My only real relatives are Temari and Kankuro. But they don't talk to me. They're really only my half brother and half sister, though. They fear me."
"Why is that?" Nori asked.
"They find me scary, and I don't blame them," Gaara said. "My heart turned black ever since my mother died."
"I understand," Nori said. "But…you still have Kankuro and Temari. And even if they find you…intimidating, they're still your family, right? And…I feel sad…that you've closed…your heart."
Gaara listened to her closely. He stared at the sky as she did.
"You should…open it. I have no real family either…but that doesn't stop me from making friends. And it really brightens my day. I feel happy." She chuckled. "Especially if I make friends with someone in need of friendship."
Gaara nodded. "You're trying to say something, aren't you?"
"Yeah. I need friendship. Will you help?" Nori said, turning toward him.
"…" Gaara stared at her. "Why me?"
"Because…we both need it."
Gaara nodded and smiled a little. "Yeah."
THE NEXT MORNING
Tenten yawned. She looked around. The clock said six o'clock. It was still early. "Mm…better get dressed…" She walked past the boys' room and the balcony. Then walked backwards and got back to the balcony. She smiled.
Nori and Gaara had fallen asleep on the balcony together. Nori's head rested on Gaara's shoulder and his right hand was around her shoulder. They looked peaceful, and Tenten wished she could take a picture just so she could stare at the serene scene whenever she felt angry.
She sighed and cracked a small smile. "My predictions always come true."
Eh heheh, I sort of suck at fluff, I know. But still...I did my best.lol I actually did fall asleep onmy balcony once...never again.R&R PLEASE!
-TTF