Me: *furiously plays Tekken 4 game, clearly chagrined*
Sasuke: What's wrong with her?
Hinata: She told me that this one website suspended her account for who knows long and didn't even send her a notice about why she was suspended in the first place, and now she's pissed.
Sasuke: So she might've gone for months without knowing?
Hinata: Pretty much.
Sasuke: Harsh…
Hinata: Yeah, and a week later after she deleted her account and made a new one, which they also suspended, her confirmation email came… for the old account.
Me: After six flippin' months!!!
Hinata: More or less… So I wouldn't mess with her right now if I were you.
Sasuke: Fine… for now. *mumbles to self* It's my job to give her grief, not some damn website…
Hinata: Anaghia-san does not own Naruto or its characters. Please enjoy!
-------------------- ----------------- ----------------- --------------- ---------------- ------------- ------------- -----------
Of all people, why did he have to be the leader of the Killers?
"C'mon Sasuke," Naruto says, sounding a little annoyed, "you didn't see her out there tonight. She totally kicked ass. And you, of all people, should know that kick-ass fighting skills and breaking go hand-in-hand!"
"I'd like to see for myself." Sasuke says, smirking.
Naruto's mouth dropped while mine just went dry for the second time tonight. "W-what?" I manage.
"I said that I'd like to see for myself." He was clearly enjoying this, which was making me both nervous and pissed at the same time.
"Fine! Hinata can do it." I look at Naruto, now very miffed since I do possess the ability to talk for myself.
"I don't want to join the Killers," I said, "I'm not interested."
"Hinata!" Naruto cries, but I ignore him.
"You heard her, she doesn't wanna join, so don't bother trying to make her." Sasuke says, sounding like he was being entertained.
Suddenly, Neji came through the door, making Sasuke move out of the way. "Hinata!" Neji says, walking up to me, clearly upset, "You were supposed to wait here for me! Why didn't you wait? Your father is going to be very upset with the both of us." Not even bothering to wait for a response, he grabs my wrist. "Come on, let's get home before he gets even more upset."
Obediently, I trail behind him, a little embarrassed that the guys witnessed this small outburst. I was just about to exit with my older cousin when Sasuke, the little instigator that he is, whispered to me as I passed. "I guess even you know that you're not cut out for any of this, huh? You couldn't handle it, and you know it."
I freeze on the spot, causing Neji to be yanked back. While he urges me to get going, I stay rooted to the spot. Even though Sasuke's taller than me, I size him up and look him the eye. "Alright," I say coldly, "I'll show you what I can do. Just name the time and place."
He grins. "I'll come and pick you up tomorrow."
"Do you know where I live?"
Ha, that threw him for a minute. "Um, no." He says, defeated.
I quickly take out a travel-size ink pen from my pocket and write my address swiftly on his hand. When I finish, I cap the pen, glare at him one more time, and take my leave with Neji. As my cousin pulls off, I swear to God, I can see Sasuke staring at me through my passenger window. Childishly, I stick my tongue out at him. I see him smile- probably laughing at my childish gesture (I didn't want to risk everything by giving him the finger)- and go back into the club.
***
Whether it was a miracle or sheer dumb luck, I don't know, but I'm not complaining.
Neji, who was taking pity on me, allowed me the chance to avoid talking with my father. We came into the house through the back door, shutting the door as quietly as possible. Of course, we still had to go past the living room -Father's favorite place- doorway to get to the stairway leading up to our rooms. After work, he usually sat in his favorite reclining chair, drank tea or coffee while reading the newspaper, and -if the occasion called for it- would wait up for us if he had something to say.
Apparently, luck had been shining down both Neji and I because he was asleep. Sure, he works hard and the little time that he takes off is spent making sure his young charges (me, Hanabi, and Neji) are exceeding expectations in everything, but even so, we rarely catch him sleeping it all off. He'd always be working on a project late into the night, or just reading. Either way, I'm relieved.
If he's asleep now, I think as I plop down on my bed, having just gotten out of the shower, maybe he missed the news report from earlier. Even if he hasn't, I know better than to ask about it. That would be suicide.
Trying to take my mind off of that, I think about my hell-date with Sasuke tomorrow. I can't help but wonder, though, was he just screwing with me? Does he really want to see what I've got?
Honestly, he must have short-term memory or something. Earlier tonight, he told me that I didn't belong, and that Sakura would murder me for just talking to him. Then later, on the very same day, he told me he wants to see what I've got and that he's going to be picking me up tomorrow. What the hell?
I swear, Sasuke, I think as I drift off to sleep, you are one strange dude…
***
When I wake up (reluctantly) to see off Neji and Father, something hits me. I forgot to ask when Sasuke was picking me up. And he doesn't have my number either.
…Crap…
Deciding to blow that off for now, I pour myself a bowl of Captain Crunch cereal and milk. I want some toast too, but I'm too tired -not lazy- to make myself some.
Of course, Sasuke had wormed his way into my dreams. In it, we were alone together on a rooftop, looking out at the sunset. It looked amazing, more so than any I've ever seen. Lavender, pink, blue, orange- all of those colors played a part in the beautiful sunset.
I know, it's a tacky cliché of a dream. But, hey, who hasn't had a dream like that.
And yes, I do like him. But if he keeps being an ass, then I probably won't anymore. I think…
That's when I hear the doorbell ring. A small voice in the back of my head -the one that acknowledges that I'm still in my purple pajamas and furry purple slippers- says that it could be Sasuke. I push it aside, though, because there's no way Sasuke would ever care enough to come over this early. It's probably Neji or Father coming back to get something he forgot, I think as I hurry to the door. It rarely happens, but it happens.
When I turn the knob and open the door, I want to slam it shut. Surprise, surprise, my conscious was right. Sasuke is standing on my doorstep, looking even more handsome in daylight. He is -I kid you not- looking me up and down, grinning all the while.
"W-what?" I accidentally yelp, feeling self-conscious.
He looks me in the eye. "I'm here to pick you up, but" -he takes another look at me- "I didn't know it was Pajama Day."
I groan -practically growl- and pull him inside, closing the door behind him. I push him in the direction of the couch roughly. "Sit." I say simply.
"Yes, ma'am," he says, rolling his eyes.
I ignore his sarcasm and make my way to my room, not even waiting for him to comply. He's such a pain, I think as I go in and close my door. I eye the door and wonder if I should lock it. By Father's orders, I'm never supposed to use it (unless I want him to break my door down or take it away completely). But he's not home, and this would be an appropriate time…
I just end up shaking it off and proceed to get dressed.
***
When I come back into the living room, fully dressed and officially ready to go, I find Sasuke looking around the room. Instead of interrupting, I decide to watch him.
I quickly discover, from the moment I enter, that he looks really cute when he's curious about something and not messing with me. He forever looked through our photo albums, which should've angered me but didn't, and lingered momentarily on the pictures of me when I was little, which I could see over his shoulder. He even looked through a book that my father had been reading (I reminded myself to put it back the way it had been before Sasuke picked it up- Father's always been able to notice when the smallest thing has been moved the smallest bit).
Then I see him pause in front of a picture I know too well. I look at it everyday when I pass it, even though it's memorized in my very heart.
"Hey," he said, making me jump. How long did he know I was here? "Who's this a picture of?"
I daintily walk over to where he's standing, staring at the picture. "It's a picture of my mother," I say, smiling sadly at the thought of her.
"Oh," he says in a tone that says he wants to hear more. "Well, c'mon, we've got no time to lose."
***
His car, just as I had suspected, is black- a black Ford Focus (A/N: Yeah, I don't really speak the Car language, but I know some of them =D ). I don't comment on it, and he doesn't mention anything about- or at all.
The ride to wherever we're going starts off in silence, giving me time to think about the questions in my head- the questions that could be answered if I ask him nicely (bleck). Why is he doing this when he warned me less than 24 hours ago to not get into something like this? What's Sakura gonna do if she finds out about this? And where the hell are we going?
The last one would do. "Where are we going?"
"We're heading to one of my old hangouts," he says simply.
"Which is where exactly?" I ask.
"Wait and see." He says, making my temper flare up a smidge. "Actually, it's not that far from where you live- or where I live, for that matter- so we could've walked. But I didn't think you'd let me blindfold you." He grins. "Would've been more fun though."
"To- what? Drag me out of the house in my pajamas blindfolded- kicking and screaming the whole way there?"
He glances at me with an amused look. "If that's your definition of 'fun', then yes."
If all I'm going to get out of talking to him is sarcasm, then I might as well be quiet.
***
Just as Sasuke said, it doesn't take us long to get to the place. The place, I realize, is… a park. A park!
"Why didn't you tell me we were just going to the park?!" This was the very same park I came to when I was little- when my mother was still around to take me.
"Because," he says as he puts the car in park (no pun intended) and begins to get out, "it was more fun not to tell you."
I get out and slam my door. "You…" I trailed off.
"Besides," he continues, as though I'd never spoken, "I would have been lying if I'd told you we were coming to the park."
Was he insane?! "Are you insane? How could you be lying? We're at a park, aren't we?"
"Nope," he folds his arms and rests them on top of his car, and then rests his chin on them, all the while gazing at me. "Because starting today -that is if you actually make the team- this place will be your own personal hell."
…Help me…
-------------------- ----------------- ----------------- --------------- ---------------- ------------- ------------- -----------
Me: Phew!
Naruto: Awwww, another cliffhanger?!?!?!
Me: Yep, sorry Naruto.
Naruto: But I wasn't even in this chapter!!!
Sasuke: Shut up loser. *turns to me* You've gotta be kidding me- this chapter absolutely sucked.
Me: I've got enough deal with- the little self-criticism voice in my head won't shut up! I don't need to hear crap from you too!
Sasuke: Pft, whatever…
Me: Anyways, sorry if it took awhile to get this chapter out. School's started already, and my teachers loaded me down with some assignments already. And on top of the fact that I don't know too much about breakdancing, the present-tense POV isn't helping at all. Maybe (if you guys don't mind) I'll change it from present-tense to past-tense in the next chapter- it'd be easier for me to write, so it'd be more enjoyable for all ^_^
Sasuke: It'd still be crappy…
Hinata: Sasuke, please…
Me: *ignores him and continues* Also, I'm thinking about creating a new story (as insane as that is) called "What The Butterflies Told Me". It's another SasuHina fic- yay- but I won't get into it just yet. And look out for Chapter 6 soon!
Naruto: Read and review people! Just press the magic button below! =D