Chapter 13 - The Waitress and The Date

Naruto was a born optimist, like his father and mother. They were good people, and he liked to consider himself good people too. He did alright in school, sure he might be able to do better, but he was passing and would be able to go to college like he wanted to. He had no idea yet what he wanted to go to college to study, but at least he knew the option was there.

He was friendly and social, and was very loyal to his friends. He didn't rebel against his parents, the only times they got angry with him was when he stayed up too late playing video games.

Naruto also believed his friends to be good people. Sure, they got angry and frustrated and they got into fights, but that was perfectly normal.

If he was good, and he surrounded himself with good people, then why did so many bad things happen to him and them?

Half their high school years were over, and they'd been long, miserable years when it came to things such as bullying and teasing. They were happy with each other, having friends and at least having somebody in their corner, but when the entire school was against them... It felt like a war they could not win.

Life is full of good things and bad things.

Naruto realized that most of the good things that happened to him were taken away and replaced with bad things.

Like when he'd thought he'd gotten an A on his math test, only to find out the teacher had accidentally switched his sheet with someone else's. Or when he was about to win the game for his basketball team, but was illegally slammed into by someone from the other team, landing him in the hospital for the night and on crutches for two weeks.

Worse than that? When he thought he'd finally gotten a date with the girl of his dreams... And then? And then that was taken away from him too.

It was unjust and wrong and plainly... Unfair!

He'd tried so hard to get her to agree to a date with him. Sakura Haruno. He would have done anything for her. He convinced his friends to give her a chance, to give her the benefit of the doubt. Naruto had wanted just one date with her, away from friends, family, school cliques. It hadn't seemed like too much to ask.

He'd wanted to spend their date talking and getting to know each other away from school. So, he'd chosen a nice, little restaurant as their date location.

Naruto got there at six-thirty, half an hour before they were supposed to meet up. He went to sit at the booth the waitress had guided him to, and waited until seven, until the time she was supposed to show up.

Supposed to, being key words.

There was a very large part of him that believed she was late, because he didn't have it in him to think badly of her. He spent the time sipping his water and waiting patiently for her. He didn't touch his cellphone, because he knew there would be some comments he wouldn't like to read from his friends. They wanted the best for him, but he wasn't ready to hear it.

But as time passed, he began to think maybe she wasn't late.

Perhaps she just... Wasn't coming at all.

It was half past seven before he began to have those doubts. It was eight by the time he began to really think she wasn't coming at all. The waitress filled his water and asked if he wanted to order. He said no, because he was waiting for his date. At half past eight, he had accepted that she wasn't going to show up.

When the waitress returned, her eyes sad and pitying, he gave in and admitted to himself and to her that his date wasn't going to show up.

He felt utterly pathetic, and not only was he stood-up, but he also knew the waitress. She happened to be someone he knew very well, and for a very long time. She was one of his best friends' cousins.

"I guess I'll just take the bill and head on out." Naruto admitted with a sigh.

"You only ordered water... It doesn't cost anything." She pointed out, speaking gently as she always did.

"Oh..."

"Are you alright, Naruto? I-I mean... I, uh, I'm sorry for this..." She stuttered, not knowing what to say in such a situation.

"Don't worry about it, Hinata. I'll be fine. I should head on home then." He began to stand, but she held out her hand to stop him.

"Are-are you walking?"

"Yeah. She doesn't live far, so I thought I could walk her home..."

"If you want, I finish at nine and Neji's going to be picking me up. He could pick you up at the same time. Maybe you could spend the night, or something... I don't really know about these things, but if I was you I'd be surrounding myself with friends and ice cream... We have ice cream at home."

Naruto flicked the straw in his glass of water, pondering over the idea.

The pure sadness in his eyes made her want to take him into her arms and hold him until it was all better. That was her motherly instincts kicking in. And maybe a side of her little crush on him too.

"I... I guess it couldn't hurt. I'm just... Neji told me this would happen. Well, not this exactly, but he'd warned me and I hadn't believed him. He'll..."

"He'll take you home and get you a bowl of ice cream."

He smiled at her, and she returned the gestured, "You're right. I'll ask him if I can go over."

"Alright, you can stay here for now and I'll come get you when my shift is over. Are you sure you don't want anything to eat though, while you wait?"

"Nah, I'm fine." He said, and she nodded.

She left him to his own, and he went straight for his phone. He stared at it for a moment, then finally went through his contacts and pressed call.

Neji answered on the second ring, "Hello?"

"Hey."

"What is it?" Naruto only called when he needed something. Everything else was done through text or e-mail.

"She, uh, didn't show."

"I'm picking Hinata up at nine, you okay to wait until then?"

Naruto smiled, and nodded to himself, then said, "Yeah."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

The dial tone reached him and he continued to smile. He shouldn't have doubted Neji, not for a second.

The next twenty minutes were difficult, because all he wanted to do was get away from the stupid restaurant, but he remained seated, waiting for his friend. The minutes passed by slowly, but they did pass and at nine o'clock sharp Neji showed up at his table, no signs of 'I told you so' in his expression.

"Let's get out of here."

He didn't need to be told twice.

Hinata met them at the entrance, greeting her cousin cheerfully and sending Naruto a bright smile. They packed themselves into the car, Hinata all but forcing Naruto into the front seat. It was a short drive, mostly spent in silence, but as they neared the house, he couldn't not say something to his friend.

"Thanks."

Neji shrugged it off and kept driving.

As they got very close to the house, Naruto noticed an extra vehicle in the driveway. The Hyuuga household only had the one vehicle, the mercedes they were currently in. The blue cavalier in the driveway? That was different. Naruto only knew who's vehicle it was by the bumper sticker, Inuzuka's Veterinary Office. Kiba was rarely allowed to take the family car, because well, his mother and sister shared it with him and were posessive.

Not like he really needed it anyways. When did Kiba ever leave the house to do anything other than walk Akamaru or go for his morning jogs? Why Kiba was willing to wake up before noon on the weekend to go run outside was beyond him. Seriously, who has the time for that anyways? He could be sleeping, or killing zombies or something useful. There were better things to do...

Where was he? Oh right.

So... Why was Kiba's car at Neji's?

He looked over at his friend and knew immediately that Neji had contacted their other friends.

Light purple eyes glanced at him, and there was another shrug, "I'm not really good at comforting. I figured you'd want them instead..."

Naruto laughed for the first time in two and a half hours. A record probably. "I think you're plenty good at comforting."

"Mhm... But if you want revenge, I'm your man." Neji gave him a pointed look, and he rolled his eyes. He had no plans for revenge.

Neji parked the car and the three stepped out. He went to his friend and handed him the key to the front door, "Go on in, the guys are... Somewhere. Probably my room."

"Thanks a lot, Neji!" Naruto took the keys and the advice. Neji would stay behind to talk to his cousin a little, but he just really wanted to be with his best friends right now.

He'd often been at the Hyuuga household and knew his way to Neji's room. Taking only a second to remove his shoes and put the keys on the hook near the door, he bounded up the stairs and straight to where his friends would be.

The door was opened and he was immediately in the presence of his group of friends, and thus in complete comfort.

Within seconds Neji was in the room with them, and they were all seated a little bit everywhere, and within minutes he found himself crying. And he had no shame about it, because they've all seen each other cry. Well, he'd have to think about that one, but in that moment he didn't really care.

God, he loved his friends.

"I was so sure it would be fine... I'm sorry for doubting you guys!" Naruto repeated for the upteenth time.

"It's okay, besides, you still might be right. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why she didn't show up." Haku was sitting on the bed, Naruto's head nestled in his lap. He was stroking the blonde hair affectionately, and Naruto thought briefly that his mother's lap would hardly be any different.

"I wasn't right. I should have known... There's no explanation as to why she didn't show, she just... Who'd want to go on a date with a loser? She's just too good for me, I guess. I have no hope of ever getting a girlfriend until I'm thirty, and even then I'll probably have to bribe her with a green card..."

Haku slapped the blonde head, earning an 'ow' from his friend, "Don't even think like that, you dummy!"

"Seriously, dude! You're the one who's way too good for her!"

"Then why does most of the school look at me like I'm scum?"

Kiba sighed from his seat on the floor, "Dude, they're just stupid. High school is just... Stupid."

"Naruto, you're kind and smart and loyal, and you're just an all-around good person. If they can't see that, it's their problem. You have to show them it doesn't faze you, and then they'll leave you alone."

"Oh yeah? Then why did they dump pink paint on Neji? Why are they still calling you all those degrading names?" Naruto said, getting off his friend's lap and staring at him as though he held the answers.

"That's because... Um..." Haku looked around at his friends, searching for the answers he was supposed to give.

"Some people can't accept the awesomeness that we are, and do what they can to take that away from us." Lee answered for him, feeling proud of his answer.

There was a sigh from Neji, who was seated at his desk, typing on his computer. He turned on his chair and stared blankly at him, "Naruto, the answer is simple. They don't like us, they don't accept us. We have to deal with it. The end."

It didn't make him feel better, but it answered his questions.

Another sigh from Neji. He unplugged his laptop and brought it over to his blonde friend. "But look on the bright side. You have some people who do like you and accept you. And that's what you have to think about." He placed the computer on the bed and fixed it so the camera was aimed towards the blonde and he had a good view of the screen.

On the screen was an open live video stream with Sasuke, who for some reason, was skyping with Neji? Or something? Naruto didn't get it, but he smiled to his friend on the screen and waved.

"Think twice next time before calling me a bitch." Neji said simply with a grin.

"I never-" Naruto began to protest, but he was shushed.

"Calling it was it is isn't wrong." The remaining grin showed the blonde that his friend wasn't upset with him, and he returned to staring at the screen.

"I don't get it!" He said simply.

"Neji knew you'd want all of your friends here. Since Sasuke couldn't come in person, he can't leave the house until all his homework is done, Neji figured this would be the next best thing." Haku explained.

"That's... You guys are awesome!"

"What's even more awesome? I have everything set up in the living room downstairs, so if you want to crown some witches in Left4Dead, now would be the time..." Kiba offered, and Naruto jumped at the chance.

"Have you ever played Left4Dead?" The blonde asked his friend who could only be there through technology.

"No."

"It's awesome! I love playing as Ellis 'cause he's the coolest and he has this awesome friend called Keith who does all this crazy shit, it's hilarious!" Naruto stood up with the laptop in hand, following his friends downstairs.

Neji took hold of Kiba's wrist and stopped him, "I'm going somewhere. I want you to come with me."

Kiba nodded, "Alright...?" He didn't know what it was, but he knew better than to say no.

"Thank you." Neji let go of him and entered the living room, where his youngest cousin was watching some old horror flick. "Hanabi, can we have the tv?"

She yawned and nodded, "Go ahead. This movie's crap anyways."

"Watch your language." Neji scolded lightly, then turned to his friends, "You guys stay here, Kiba and I are going to go do something. Hanabi, go to bed. Haku, you know where the food is, if anyone wants anything. Lee, don't be easy on Naruto just because he's upset. Naruto, be good, and don't break anything. Sasuke, um... Bye." He was still getting used to the new addition.

Actually, Sasuke wasn't a new addition, but a potential addition. Even Naruto could agree to this. Only those a part of Haku's charm bracelet were really a part of their group. That was a part of their unwritten rules. Along with no mistreating animals (Kiba), no insulting Mr. Gai or Jackie Chan (Lee's idols), no not having any ramen in the house (Naruto), no throwing others into pools (Haku), and no touching the hair (Neji).

Simple rules, but they had to be followed.

Sasuke was not yet a part of it all, but Naruto was hopeful that he could be. Neji was hoping that he wouldn't be.

It was up for debate, but for now, Neji and Kiba had somewhere to be.

AN: Hello! Been a while, hasn't it? Well, I've been working on my other story and I just couldn't stop! Well, I do know where this story is going so updates will be steady. I think...

I'm utterly delighted to be thanking AUehara, EatEmUp, AkatsukiCrush, Reeserella, and itanejiluver for reviewing! You are all fabulous!

For those wondering about the days going on, this chapter takes place friday night. So, it's weekend again. I only now realize that it might be confusing to those not in my brain...

Thank you very much for reading and reviewing!
-MewMew