Chapter 13! Sorry for a late update, again…
I own nothing…sadly
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The Jaguar is parked in front of a barbeque place. The village's dicey. Tenten sits behind the wheel, listening to the radio, tapping her fingers on the dashboard. A couple of kids are looking at the car.
"Touch it and you die." She says a senbon between her teeth.
In the restaurant is crowded. It's loud with customers and smoky in the corner where a few older men smoke. Neji and Sakura sit in a booth by the window.
"Be honest. How many guys have you gone out with who would have the class to bring you top a place like this?" Neji asks
"None," she replies
"I thought so."
"Look, how this happened is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. And I'm not any more thrilled then you. Okay? So stop giving me attitude."
"I'm giving you attitude?" he asks
"Like in the gym Friday. Pulling the power play with the he-man bullshit about how I have to ask my friends for permission. I didn't care for it." Sakura's voice increase in volume with each point.
"It's true, thought, isn't it?" Neji says
"At least I have friends."
"Do you? Really?" Neji says
"Hey, do you want to end this right now?"
"You don't want to eat?" he continues "It's ordered, you may as well take advantage of a free meal. Sit back and relax, pretend I'm dead."
"I wish."
Sakura turns around and looks into the crowd. She sees Ino and her two friends up to their elbows in barbeque. One of them, Choji, waves a rib at her. She smiles sheepishly at him and returns the wave, she turns back to Neji.
Neji is smiling. Sakura doesn't know why. A waitress serves a huge platter of ribs, and Neji keeps smiling. Sakura stares at the ribs, and then looks up at him.
"What did you expect? I work at a gas station. My inheritance will be a Timex watch and a lawn mower." He says
"I can't believe you'd bring me to a place like this to eat something like that." She says
"It's delicate, it's elegant."
He still has that smirk. She breaks a smile.
"Are you aware that you just smiled? What could that mean?"
Her smile grows, and she can't stop it. It's all so ridiculous.
Out in the parking lot, Tenten has ventured out of the car. She's standing at a window, looking in. What she can see is Neji and Sakura talking. It's obvious that the situation has improved. Tenten turns away from the window. A look, serious concern, on her face.
Sakura tried to daintily eat a dripping rib.
"You work a lot?" she asks
"Not really. Twenty hours a week, maybe."
"You like it?"
"Sometimes," a blushing Tenten pops into his mind suddenly, and he quickly shakes it away. "What about you? Do you work?"
"No"
"You ever worked"
"No. But I'll work this summer." She says
"You didn't work last summer?"
Sakura shakes her head, no.
"Beach?"
Sakura smiles. She knows it's a gentle insult.
"Where do you get your money?"
"Why don't we talk about something else?" she says
"What do you want to talk about? Sports?"
Sakura smiles. Neji lets her off the hook.
"Do you wrestle?" he asks
She bursts out laughing.
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Neji and Sakura exit the restaurant. Tenten is at the wheel again. She glances over. Neji is waiting for her to open the door. She groans and gets out.
"I can get the door." Sakura says, reaching for the handle.
"I got it. Sorry I wasn't on the ball, I was comatose." Tenten says
Tenten walks around to the door and opens it. Sakura gets in, and Neji hands Tenten a paper bag.
"I got you something." He says
"For me? A gift?" she says facetiously
"I thought you might be hungry."
"Jeez. Thanks. Eating ribs and driving, that's about as handy as skiing and doing your takes."
"I though you could eat at the next stop." Neji says
"Thanks, Neji. Can I book a time to go to the bathroom?" She says
"What's your problem?" Neji asks
"Nothing." Says Tenten
Neji leans over the door, and speaks to Sakura. "One second."
He closes the door.
"You volunteered to do this you know. I was prepared to drive myself, and you said 'oh, no, I'll drive, so you can talk.' Remember?"
It was this morning, baka, of course I remember." Tenten says
"So, why are acting like this?" Neji asks
She grabs the bag from Neji and walks around the front of the car. Neji doesn't understand why she's being so difficult. Sakura watches the little spat from the car. Tenten gets in the car and starts the engine. Neji gets in. He gives Sakura a little smile and Tenten, a puzzled look.
"If me dinner reeks, let me know, I'll put it in the trunk." Tenten says
"It's fine." Sakura says
"The, we're off." Tenten says
She drops the car into gear and pulls out.
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Tenten drives. Sakura and Neji are in the back seat. Neji is looking at Tenten, he's annoyed with her. She glances at the mirror and catches his look to her. She turns her eyes forward, feeling as if she let out too much emotion. She flips on the radio to help disguise her exposure. Sakura slumps down in her seat and lays her head back.
She rolls her head to the side to look at Neji. He is still looking at Tenten. Sakura looks forward again, thinking.
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Museum of Art….
It's late. The museum is long closed. The Jaguar is parked in front. Tenten opens the door for Sakura and Neji. They get out, and Sakura looks up at the building.
"What are we doing here?" she asks
"It's an art museum." Neji says
"I know, but what are we doing here?"
"You don't like art?" Neji asks
"Yeah, but isn't it closed?"
"That doesn't mean we can't go in."
Neji leads Sakura up to the building. She doesn't get it. Tenten leans back against the car. All her hopes are slipping away.
Neji and Sakura approach the loading dock. Neji gives her a hand up, and she clumsily climbs the dark steps. A heavy door opens up to reveal Kiba, from detention, and Shikamaru beside him.
"Welcome." Kiba says
Sakura looks curiously at Neji. He gives her another smile. He leads her in.
A security guard is standing at a door. He's a bit portly, and middle aged man.
"No monkey business." He says to Kiba.
"Dad, freeze it, okay. Please?"
The guard reaches for his keys and opens the door for Neji and Sakura. Neji hold his hand up high, and Kiba slaps it. Shikamaru sighs and heads out the loading dock door that the couple had just come through.
"Thanks." Neji says, not noticing the disappearance of the other boy.
"Anything for a friend, pal."
Neji and Sakura head into the museum and Kiba turns to his dad.
"Hey, where did Shikamaru go?"
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The lazy boy walks out to the parking lot with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He sees Tenten leaning against the Jaguar. She is watching him walk her way. She wears the same expression he saw her with when he sat with her a few days before. It a sadness hidden under a façade of a tough and independent little girl.
He stops in front of her, lifting a hand from his pocket in a silent greeting. Shikamaru leans against to car next to her, and both are silent.
"What a drag."
"Yeah, a wicked drag." Tenten sighs
"So what do you say we waste some time." He smiles at her, and she laughs.
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The next chapter will be the last, so I really want some reviews on this one. Okay? Please?