This chapter has a lot going on, and will have a lot of POV changes throughout. I apologize for any confusion this may cause, every change is shown -Name-, the same as all previous chapters. Enjoy!
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
-Sakura-
I shoved my apartment door open, running through a list of excuses as to why I was unsuccessful in obtaining our homework. I fully expected to see Tayuya sitting in the living room playing a game, but the living room and kitchen were unoccupied. Her worn controller littered across the floor by the coffee table.
That's odd. I checked the bathroom quickly and then the bedroom, still unable to locate my missing redhead.
"Where did she go?" I muttered, a small scrunched white piece of paper stuck out as I went back into the kitchen. Picking it up I read the chicken scratch Tay calls handwriting.
'Running errands, bbl.' Errands? What errands could she have to run? I bet she was just trying to avoid doing homework for a little longer. Oh well, I can always work on the dances paperwork for a while.
-Ino-
What the heck did I do? Kissing Temari? What is wrong with me!
Frustrated and confused, I threw my book bag and heard it crash against the wall, kicking my shoes off so they flew across the room. Great, Ino! Just perfect, make out with the person Saku hates the most. Oh! And she's also the person who slept with Tayuya and recently beat the living crap out of her precious redhead.
Perfect choice, she will definitely be okay with it.
I slumped down with my back against my apartment door, clutching my keys as my fingers wove through my loose hair. My ponytail still at the poolside in my rush to leave.
"No, no, no! I have to go!" I stifled a sob as my nails grated against my scalp, breaking down for the second time that day.
"Ino, wait!"
"No, Temari! This can't happen again, ever! And Saku can't can't find out!"
"Ino!" What was I thinking? When she kissed me, I should have left. I shouldn't have stayed so long! I shouldn't have let it go that far!
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" I bit the inside of my lip and choked out the words as I slammed my head against the door in time with my self loathing. My keys clinked down against the floor tiles and I let my nails graze against the wrist on my other arm.
My arms shook and I let out a thundering cough, tears splashing down against my pants. I need another way to dull the pain, I can't let Temaris way be the only way.
She was right on both counts, it helped; for a brief period in time, I felt better... wanted. And at the same time I hated it, I hate myself and I want there to be another way. Through bleary, swollen eyes I watched my nails run over the milky skin on the underside of my wrist. Tracing the veins up and down and feeling the slight bump they raised under the thin skin.
I can feel my pulse...
With a swift movement, I changed the gentle caress into a savage rake. Ripping a layer of skin off as I attacked my wrist with my nails. Searing pain screamed in protest, as layers of skin became bunched up under my nails.
The first drop of blood beaded down, building up before rolling down to the backside of my arm. I watched it, breathing heavily.
While my wrist screamed out, and my skin started to swell a furious red I found my thoughts clear. That the only pain that mattered was the pain emanating from my arm. Their gone, Saku, Tayuya, Temari... their all gone.
Temaris way isn't the only one.
-Sakura-
"Why do you have to wear such tight ass jeans?" Tayuya griped randomly. It's so good to have you back at school, spewing random thoughts out at the most awkward times. Ino scrunched up her nose, turning her baby blue eyes on me with a question in them. She doesn't know what Tay is going on about either.
"You don't like it when I wear tight jeans?" I asked, searching for clarification even though I have a distinct feeling I should have let the question go unanswered. Tay snorted, painting her trademark smirk on her lips before replying.
"No, I like the way tight jeans look. I hate trying to get tight jeans the fuck off someone." Emi blushed ten shades all in concession. Ino sighed and choose to remove herself from the debate, which if I were wise I would probably do as well.
I just stared at her, with a look that said 'think about what you are saying and where you are...' At least, I hope that's what this look says.
"What?" Tay glanced between her three companions. "Oh right, okay then. I hate trying to get tight jeans off the girl I'm dating. Is that better, Love?" I shook my head, trying to keep the smile off of my face as Tay rubbed my thigh under the cafeteria table.
"No," I half laughed and Tay knew she had won. Leaning over she planted a quick kiss before retreating to her plate of fries.
It's Monday, Tays suspension is over. Exams are the week after the Christmas dance which is this Friday. Preparations are coming together, today after school I have four bands auditioning to play at the dance. Inos posters received a lot more feedback then I thought they would.
Ticket sales are already seventy-five percent sold out, and I have a full comity of students signed up to set up the gym before, and clean up after the dance. Having Mr. Uchiha sign an agreement that the hours spent helping with the school dance could be used as volunteer hours really helped. Another brilliant idea from Ino.
When Tay came home after my talk with Temari she didn't ask where the homework was, just mumbled something about her mother being a bitch. We talked for a while more, about growing up with Anko and Iruka, and adventures with Ino. She still hasn't opened up about herself, it's starting to worry me but there's plenty of time.
Ino pushed back her tray while I was lost in my thoughts and Tay was busy poking fun at Emi. I looked up and noted a curious expression on her visage. Did what Tay said really bother her that much?
"Where are you going, Ino?" I asked and she stumbled, catching her foot on the bench. She caught herself but not before the sleeve on her sweater rode up and I saw her wrist tightly bandaged.
"Whoa, what happened, Barbie?" Tay asked switching her attention.
"I burned myself by accident cooking the other day, it's nothing." She chewed on her lip and started picking up her tray. "I just want to check on a few things before third period," Emi took her statement as the cue to leave and started to clean up her tray as well. "No, uh-"
Why is she acting so weird? "Stay here, I won't be long. I'll talk to you later, right Saku?"
"Right, we have a date with Shakespeare." Ino nodded and Emi settled back down onto the cafeteria bench, looking like a lost sheep in a forest full of wolves.
"Anyone else think Ino is acting strange?" Tay asked, after Ino had left the cafeteria.
-Ino-
That was far too close for comfort. If Saku had pressed it would have been next to impossible for me to explain those marks. I sped down the hall, feeling my heart pound in my chest a mile a minute.
I ignored a call from down one of the side hallways, rushing straight to one of the bathrooms at the back of the school. It's on one of the back, side halls so it's rarely used, and I doubt many people even know it's there.
As soon as the door swung shut behind me, I regretted my choice of destination.
"Ino? What are you doing in my neck of the woods?" Temari was sitting on the counter, legs dangling down as they swayed back and forth. Nails rapped against the broken stone counter top, blood red nail polish shining. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just needed to use the washroom."
"Right, and this one happened to be on the way? And you just happen to have lost Sakura and Tayuya during lunch hour. Plus, isn't your next class with Emi? Shouldn't she be following you around like a lost puppy?" Temari grinned like the Cheshire cat.
"Shut up." I snapped. Can't you just go back to pretending to be stupid? Or just extract yourself from my life during my most humiliating moments.
"Alright, so what did they do?" Temari pressed, I scowled at her but she ignored me; pulling a cigarette out of her pants pocket. She flicked her lighter to life and lit the tip of her cancer stick. "Make loving ooey-gooeyness at each other? No? Tayuya groped her in public again?" Temari seemed to catch something because she smiled and blew a cloud of smoke
"Not that either, but I was closer."
"Can't you just shut up! Do you really think running through all the possible things they 'could have' done is going to make me feel better?" I snapped. Temari didn't reply, but also didn't continue to guess. Simply returned to sitting quickly on the counter, swinging her legs back and forth.
"Did you-" she began, breaking the awkward silence as I turned on the tap to wash my hands. "Want to run away with me?" I gave her an incredulous look, and she smirked narrowing her eyes. "To Wonderland."
"Are you high?"
"Not at the moment," she crushed her cigarette on the counter top and flicked it down the drain of the nearest sink. "Com'on, what do you have waiting for you here?"
"I have to go to class." I turned off the tap and walked over to the air dryers, I felt Temari walk up behind me but didn't react.
"For the drama presentations? We both know it doesn't matter if you miss one."
"Or all of them." I shot back, Temari smiled catching the insult.
"Or all of them, but that only furthers my case. I promise you won't be disappointed, there's a worm that smokes a pipe-" she puffed on an imaginary pipe, turning to lean her back against the wall. "A purple cat that disappear in a puff of smoke, and a pair of twin midgets who have an amazing sense of humour."
"And a queen of hearts?" I replied sarcastically, trying to hide my piqued curiosity. I swear one of these days I'm going to have to find a way to quench it.
"Only if Alice decides to let herself fall down the rabbit hole."
-Sakura-
"No, Tay!" I slammed my locker shut, Tay pouted beside me and asked again.
"Com'on!"
"No!" I adjusted the books in my arms, Tay rolled her eyes and snatched two of the textbooks; one in each hand letting them dangle by her sides.
"Please! I'll do anything!" She whined, following me toward chemistry.
"No! Tay I have to study, I can't give up that much time to fool around! And I already promised Ino I would help her with English tonight." Tay let out a strangled noise, between another whine of protest and a moan. Stamping her feet, she tried again.
"Please! It won't take long, I promise!"
"No! I'm not going to participate in your stupid game!" I turned down the hallway that housed my chemistry class and paused outside the door. "We can talk about this later, class is about to start."
Giving me one last plaintive look she laughed as I smacked her arm with the textbook she handed me. "Get out of here! I have band auditions for the school dance after fourth period, remember? Are you going to come watch, or will I see you at home?"
"I'll be there."
-Ino-
The third class warning bell rang as Temari unlocked her car. Guilt knotted up inside of me and I looked back to see amused navy blue eyes.
"What?" I snapped, wrenching open the yellowy-brown car door. Quickly slumping inside, I managed to avoid sitting on a stack of papers that Temari snatched out from under me. I nudged a couple empty bottles and old food containers out of the way with my feet and Temari stuck the key in the ignition.
"You are such a goody-good." She teased, grabbing the garbage and tossing it idly into the backseat.
"And you're a slob." I wrinkled up my nose and stared at the air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror, poor thing. It's been given an impossible task. Temari shifted gears and shoulder checked before putting the car into reverse.
The atmosphere was awkward without any help from the foul smell emanating from somewhere in the backseat. I had to resist the urge to turn and see if something had died back there. Instead, I settled for staring out the window and watching the houses we passed. Temari hummed softly the entire time, playing through a list of songs I wasn't familiar with.
After what seemed like an eternity, we left the rural line up for houses, passed my apartment complex and entered a shopping district. All the way down both sides of the road were fancy, expensive shops with manicured displays filling the from windows.
We went past multiple clothing stores, the entrance to a mall, restaurants, book stores, a pet store and so on. Temari didn't slow down, except for lights and stop signs, simply continuing on her way to god knows here. We had left the small area of the city I'm familiar with a long time ago, I've never ventured this far from home. I've never had a reason to, there are small stores near my apartment that have everything I need. Plus, Saku isn't much of a shopper. Emi has invited me along a few times, but at the moment I don't have much spare change.
Eventually, we passed the shops and the scenery began to shift. Instead of upscale housing and shops it became obvious we were travelling into the downtown area for our city. The houses became worn down, and tattered. Closed signs, and boarded up windows became abundant. The bright splashes of paint disappeared, the colours became dark and drab.
Overturned garbage cans and unkempt lawns were everywhere. Even the people looked worn and beaten down. The few we saw had dark bags under their eyes, old worn clothes clung to their skeletal frames. How can a place like this exist in a town that so obviously isn't suffering from poverty? Can't our government do anything to help them?
It looks a lot like the main street of Suna did a few years ago, except there isn't armed guards.
We passed a homeless man, sitting behind a hat slumped against the wall; as I was watching him Temari turned down a side street and into a parking lot.
"Where are we going?" I asked, feeling uneasy.
"To Wonderland, Kitten." She parked the car and checked her pockets quickly before leaving the car. When I hesitated she poked her head back in, "are you coming?"
I caught her gaze for a moment before nodding and following suit. Well, Sakura always did say I was spontaneous and far too curious for my own good. Time to see if she's right.
We walked out of the parking lot, and Temari led me behind a row of nearby houses. I found myself walking so close to her I almost stepped on her feet multiple times.
"You can hold my hand if it would make you feel better." She teased, pointing to a house with tinted purple windows. I scowled at her and bit back a retort, forcing myself to walk a little farther apart. A rat with patched fur ran past my feet and my resolve disappeared, returning to my spot that allowed no personal space between Temari and I.
Temari grabbed the door knob and twisted, pulling the door open as it creaked on it's hinges. I looked overhead but couldn't see any sort of store sign, the walls are black planked wood. The aged store sign above the door frame is so faded that it is illegible. Temari gently pushed me inside with her hand on the small of my back.
A white ball of fur ran past my feet and I jumped, letting out a surprised scream that I managed to stifle, mostly. I heard Temari giggle behind me as the unknown furry creature jumped onto a counter top, poising itself in the reflection off the front window. The store, I'm assuming it's some sort of store; housed what looked like antique toys. A sad rocking horse sat in the far corner, missing a leg with speckles of gold paint clinging to his worn saddle.
I could smell must and old perfume in the air, dust blanketed the floor in a thick coating. Store shelves lined the walls, old tin and wooden toys stared down at us. Their eyes seemed to follow me and I shivered involuntarily. In front of us a counter loomed at the far end of the store, an old fashioned cash register sat in front of a curtained door.
As the light shone in, the purple tinting painted the white cat a light purple, dark eyes seemed to smile at us from his perch.
The Cheshire Cat.
As I stared, awestruck an old lady with a hunched back came out of a back room through the rug covered door. Braided bangles danced through the air as it settled back into it's earlier position.
"Yes? Who is it?" She barked, hobbling up to the counter and eyeing Temari and I. "Oh," she smiled, showing a row of crooked and yellow teeth. "It's you. Do you have my payment?" Payment? I managed to tear my eyes off the cat long enough to see Temari fish a stuffed envelope out of her pocket and hand it to the older lady.
"Of course." Temari smiled sweetly at the old lady who responded with a smile that took control of her wiry lips. She looked away and Temari leaned close enough to whisper so only I would hear. "Watch-" the old lady opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle and a brush, the cats tail started to twitch. "As the cat disappears in a puff of smoke."
Flicking the cork off the bottle, the old lady fished out one of the bills from the stark white envelope and dumped a healthy supply of whatever dust was in the bottle. It reeked of spices, causing my nose to tickle and I had to fight not to sneeze.
With an annoyed meow, the cat disappeared from sight and scurried away as a cloud of smoke rose up like a mushroom top on a nuclear explosion.
Taking the brush she started to sweep the dust off the bill, pressing her nose almost to the paper as she inspected it.
"Good, good." She murmured, stuffing it back in with it's companions.
"Is our business settled?" Temari asked, and I felt her hand slip into mine. Expertly spreading my fingers so hers could slide into position between mine. I looked at her, trying to read what she was thinking. All of her focus was on the old lady, her expression a mixture of fear and seriousness. Who is she dealing with that would cause this sort of reaction? Did she only take my hand so she could lead me from danger quicker, or perhaps it was more for self reassurance?
"For now, you may go." The old lady made a flicking motion that was mostly in her wrist, dismissing us as she turned and disappeared through the door she had entered. Before I could ask, or say anything Temari was ushering me back out the door and into the alley.
-Sakura-
"Alright, thank you. I think we have all we need." I yelled over the head spitting screaming that our current audition called 'music'. Somehow heavy metal mixed with dying girl screaming doesn't seem very Christmasy to me.
Well, I hope the next band is a lot better because it's the last on our list that signed up. If it's not we will have to go with our first audition, and I'd really rather not have a band of forty year old men singing for a high school dance. That should be the definition of creepy in the dictionary. It's the saying that Brian from family guy says that worries me 'that's what I love about high school girls, I just keep getting older and they stay the same age. Yes sir.'
Where is Tay? She'd be able to find some humour in this I'm sure.
As the band I had dismissed packed up their things and left, I looked up and down the table. It didn't look like the rest of the student council was impressed by the display either. Poor Hinata looks absolutely terrified, and where the hell is Ino? She said she wanted to be here for this, she did post about a hundred fliers. I told her she could vote on who would play at the dance. It's not like her to simply bail.
Emi has also been missing since lunch, where did everyone run off to?
I heard the music rooms door open and looked up. Tay poked her head inside and smirked, what is she so amused about? At least she made it, if only for the final act.
Disappearing back behind the door the next time it opened there were two more people behind her. One I recognized as Jirobo, and the other was Naruto. Tay pointed at the drums that were set up on stage and walked up to the student councils table, guitar hanging on her back.
"We're here for the audition." I gaped, stunned.
"Sakura?" Hinata squeaked and I managed to unfreeze.
"Uh, right." Tay looks far too pleased with herself, is this why she has been staying late at school and disappearing while I am studying? I'm so going to get her back, this isn't a fight I'm going to lose. Or whatever this is, she isn't winning.
When they were finished setting up, Jirobo was set up to play bass guitar which looked odd on a six something monstrosity. He has gotten a lot bigger than when I last saw him, Tay said he was trying to get a wrestling scholarship. I guess he's been working out more, a lot more.
Naruto was twirling the drum sticks around his fingers and Tay was set up with her guitar and the mic. I've only heard her sing a few times, mostly when she is playing or practising with her guitar at night and starts to sing a lot. Most of the time it's joke songs, or a soft hum. I've caught her singing in the shower a few times as well, but again mostly joke songs or parody spoofs.
I've never heard her sing seriously before.
"When you're ready, you can begin." I told them, Tay said something to Jirobo I couldn't hear and he laughed. She turned back to the panel of judges just in time to wink at my curious expression and start their audition.
-Ino-
Okay fine, so she found a purple cat that disappears in a puff of smoke. But she can't possibly know of a worm that smokes on a pipe, and a pair of midget twins with a sense of humour and a queen of hearts? Can she? And what about the mad hatter, or the cards that are the queens guards? Or did she not promise those last two?
"What about the mad hatter and the cards that guard the queen?" I asked, side stepping a puddle that looked rather deep as she continued down the alley. Temari chuckled, purposefully putting herself in the direct way of a man sitting against a house as we passed. Did she do that to protect me? Or just out of habit I wonder. And why do I care, why am I even questioning that there might be a motif behind her actions? It's stupid, it was probably reflex. I felt her fingers tighten against mine as she shoulder checked quickly, making sure the man we had passed hadn't moved.
So then is she still holding my hand?
"I could show you everything in Wonderland, Kitten. But, I would have to bring you to a much scarier place than that shop to introduce you to those two." She tilted her gaze to me, and for that brief moment there was a challenge. She's daring me to accept anyways, crafty bitch.
"Show me the other two you promised first, and then we will see about the others." I replied, making no promises but also blocking any sarcastic retort or possibility that I was indeed scared. Temari motioned towards an old subway entrance, accepting the answer without question.
As I started to walk forward, she put herself in front, pausing as she came up to the entrance. I stood behind her, waiting and looking around. Nothing moved, nothing made a noise, what are we waiting on? Stains and a sticky substance painted splotches on the worn stone. An old rusted metal fence protruded from either side, as if to guide the ghosts of past passengers down onto the subway. Across the top letters appeared to have been carved into the stone at one point, but were long since worn.
Temari tensed, dropping my hand so she could move directly in front of me and I had to struggle to see past her. Her hand dropped into the pocket of her jacket, and I decided behind her was probably a better idea right now.
A ragged looking man jumped out of hiding from the side of the entrance way, pointing a rusty looking knife at Temari. He reeked of alcohol, a wild look in his rusty brown eyes. His hair was barely visible against his clammy skin, grey tuffs protruding from under a mouldy hood. Whiskers covered his neck and chin, climbing up like ivy to cover the majority of his face.
"We told you," he spat, bits of saliva flying in every direction, "no cops!" My attention was focused on the knife he was pointing at Temari, his grip was loose and it looked like it hurt his hand to clench it around the handle. Scabs covered his knuckles, and bones were visible under the paper like layer of skin that clung to him.
"She's not a cop, Rusty. Look at her, she couldn't harm a fly." 'Rusty' shifted his weight, the old clothes that hung on his frame were littered with holes and stains. Temari's car smells like butterflies and flowers compared to Rusty.
"I'm not a cop." I smiled tentatively, poking my head around Temari and his eyes flared, switching to point the knife at me instead as he approached. Temari pulled me further behind her and stepped back in the way, her arm twitched but her hand stayed hidden within her coat.
"Cops always say they ain't cops." Rusty snarled, "and we don't want no stinkin' cops!" Temari glared at the hobbled man, looking far meaner than I had ever seen her at school. Malice and a silent warning painted her face as she took a step backwards. Her back pressed against my chest and I didn't move for fear of setting him off again.
"She's not a cop, Rusty. Or do you want to be the one to tell the twins that I couldn't meet with them today because you wouldn't let some mini-blonde, cheerleader pass. I mean seriously, does it look like she could be a cop?" He looked nervously over his shoulder, flexing his fingers around the handle of his knife.
"She could be one of 'em under cover cops." He griped, his left eye picked up a nervous twitch and he continually looked over his shoulder. The implication of how these 'twins' would punish him seemed to push a red warning button that had him on edge.
"Rusty!" Temari barked and he threw his hands up in submission, shoving the knife into a pocket and I cringed. One of these days he's going to stab himself, if he hasn't already.
"Fine! Git! But if she's a cop, them twins will gut you themselves!" He retreated back behind the doorway and Temari slipped her hand back into mine, tugging me along. This time, I found it reassuring and more of a comfort than it should be.
I looked behind the door frame as we passed, Rusty had carved out his own little nook. Tacked up walls and blankets formed a tidy little house to keep him warm in the cold, but also concealed him from anyone walking by outside.
"I don't think I need to tell you not to say anything stupid," Temari took the steps two at a time, the light from the afternoon sun quickly disappeared and we became shrouded in darkness. I had to squint to see the steps, cringing as my foot splashed in a puddle of only god knows what. "But don't say anything stupid." She hissed, reaching the bottom of the stairs and the old subway platform.
What I would guess used to be a ticket booth, had been gutted and the windows spray painted. There was trash covering the floor, old pop cans and fast food trays every few steps.
The booth was a dingy grey, smudges and patches of filth turning the once white booth into a new colour. Temari rapped her knuckles against the door and took a giant step back. I heard a crash and a yell before the door opened.
Standing in the doorway, was a short man who barely cleared Temaris waist with the top of his head. He wore old sweats and a thin muscle shirt, a wave of heat rolled out of the booth which would explain how he wasn't freezing in this weather. Short, neatly trimmed dark brown hair covered the top of his head. He looked fit, a soft outline of muscles showed under the skin on his arm and neck.
"What do ye' want? I told Rusty I had company and I wasn't t'be disturbed." He glared at Temari, looking past her when he caught site of me. "And whose this? Did ye bring me more company?" My eyes went wide, please tell me this is not why you brought me along. I felt her fingers tighten painfully, almost possessively around mine and felt reassured.
"She's not a hooker, Sam. I came with the new order request." 'Sam' smiled at me and I felt increasingly uncomfortable.
"All things change with time." Sam replied and I recognized the line. Temari had said something similar, the other day by the pool. I felt growing angst growing inside my chest and folded my fingers under the sleeve of my coat and sweater, feeling the bandage.
"And if she ever becomes one, I doubt you could afford her." Temari smiled and Sam let out a deep bellow of a laugh, motioning us to follow him inside.
I quickly extracted my hand from my sweater but not before Temari caught the motion. She didn't say anything, simply held the door and waited for me to follow Sam inside.
The booth was small, but big enough to house Temari, Sam, a lady I assumed was his 'company' before we had knocked, and I, all reasonably comfortably. I blushed and tried not to make eye contact as Sam's 'company' made a lewd gesture in my direction. It was then that I noticed there were two Sams, one we had followed inside and the other was sitting on the lady's lap.
"Hello, Adam." Temari greeted. I can't believe it, she knows a pair of midget twins only a few blocks away from a purple cat. (1)
"Temari! Are you here to join in our party?" I crinkled my nose, there's one hooker and two brothers. That paints an interesting picture. Adam was wearing a tie and dress pants, his short thick fingers all wore studded rings as he let them run over the bare chest of his 'friend'. She purred and I kissed at his cheek and ear, winking when she caught me watching them.
"No, I'm just here to drop off the next order request." Temari didn't move far from the door, but appeared mostly relaxed. She pulled a folded sheet of paper out of her coat pocket, handing it to Sam.
"Yer old man still has ye' working t'the bone, does he?" Sam smiled, unfolding the paper and skimming it over. My curiosity sky rocketed, but I'm not stupid enough to ask what is written on the sheet of paper.
"You could work for us, the pay is probably better and we wouldn't work you nearly as hard." Adam added, kissing the hand of his lady friend and causing a giggle as she played with his hair.
"Thank you for the offer, but I don't plan on being in town much longer as it is." My eyebrows rose but I managed to keep my mouth shut, finding it harder and harder to stay quiet.
"That's a shame, but if ye' ever want t'make a quick buck, ye' know where t'find us." Sam smiled and Temari took it as a dismissal, saying her good byes and holding the door open so I could leave first. We hadn't taken two steps before heard another crash, what a creepy pair of twins.
-Sakura-
That was actually... really good. Tay stepped back from the mic, turning to say something to Naruto who grinned from ear to ear. I don't want to be the first to say an opinion... given that it could be seen as bias.
I turned to Hinata who was sitting to my right, she seemed to pick up on what I wanted before I had to say it.
"W-well, um..." she stuttered and another council member spoke up.
"I think we have our band." He said, and was instantly agreed with from multiple parties. I let out a sigh of relief and Tay flashed me another wink before turning back to her band mates. I can not wait to be home with you tonight, maybe we will play that game you want to play after all.
-Ino-
Okay, so Temari is in some sort of carrier pigeon business for her father. She knows a lady with a purple cat, and a pair of midget twins who have an insatiable appetite for hookers.
What in the world have I gotten myself into?
"Are you getting hungry?" Temari asked as we turned back onto the main road towards the parking lot. I am a little hungry, I wonder what time it is. Or where we could find edible food in a place like this.
Temari unlocked the door to her car and slid back inside, flicking the lock open on the passenger side as she leaned across the front seat. Turning the key in the ignition, the clock blinked to life and read four-thirty in bright green. The heater roared to life before Temari turned it off, rubbing her hands together and mumbling something about the car having to warm up first.
How has it been four hours? Have we really been walking around for that long?
Temari paused before putting the car into drive, "you aren't going to ask?" I held back the flood gate before it could burst open, do I really want to know?
"Alice never questioned the marvels of Wonderland." Temari smirked and the car sputtered, coming to life.
"Well then, time to show you more of the 'marvels'." She let the words take on a suggestive manner and I blushed resuming my earlier pose of staring out the window silently. Temari did a u-turn in the parking lot, and left the same way we had entered. It was like watching the same movie as earlier, except this time we were on rewind like an old VHS tape.
The dingy, broken down and boarded up buildings gradually disappeared. Right before leaving the area and heading back into the friendlier part of town; Temari turned down another side street. Humming quietly to herself, seeming to forget I was even there.
We drove past an old theatre, one that looked like it was from the sixties of seventies, Temari turned and pulled into the old vacant parking lot. Carefully positioning her car so it was hidden behind a dumpster, invisible to anyone who drove or walked by the old building. She grabbed her school bag from behind the drivers seat and got out of the car without a word.
I thought she had asked if I wanted food? I starred at the old brick walls, I wonder how old this place is. It looks completely empty.
"Are you coming?" Temari asked, standing in front of a side entrance that I would assume used to be the door employees would use to dump garbage. Temari reached up and pulled a board that was wedged in the top of the door, causing the door to swing open as if the lock were broken.
"After you." She smiled at my expression, I feel like a kid in a candy store. So many new things to explore, I wonder if she knows how much I love stuff like this. I stepped inside and realized I was in the room that is hidden behind the counter when you enter a theatre. The kitchen behind the wall that you can't see past when you are buying popcorn.
Temari followed me, pulling the door shut and fishing a shoelace out of her pocket. She wrapped it around the door handle and tied it off on a nearby post so the door would stay shut. Tossing the makeshift door jam on the floor, she pushed past me and flicked the lights on so it was no longer hard to see. How is there electricity still being provided to a building that is so obviously closed down?
A hotdog cooker was to my right, spiderwebs and dust clinging to the old metal. A sink, and a stove stood by the hotdog cookers side, but were oddly spotless, like someone had been cleaning and using them. The floor was covered in a thin layer of dust, and peeling red paint was falling off the walls.
"How-" I started to ask as Temari pressed past me and opened the door leading to the lobby.
"Com'on, or we're going to be late."
"Late for what?" I asked, but my curious companion only smiled as she slipped her hand into mine and led me towards one of the movie rooms. The carpet under my feet was old and worn, and oddly spongy. The smell of stale popcorn and pop clung to the building like an incurable ailment. Old globe lights hung from the ceiling, and it felt like I had been thrown back in time. "Temari?"
I looked to my left and right, realizing she had gone when I had lost myself in the magic of the building. I peered inside the room she had left me in front of, looking over the aisles of old chairs. Worn fabric clung to the wooden chairs, and I walked down the aisle and looked up at the carved decorations on the wall.
Peeling and faded painted faces of actors looked down at me from the walls, drapes hung loosely on the side of the old screen; moth holes littered the ruby fabric.
I heard a click and looked behind me and up, a light flared to life and the projector started to roll. I heard a subtle click and saw Temari in the window for a brief moment, the light blinked out and I heard the shifting of gears.
"After you." I jumped and realized she was behind me, appearing through a tiny door that was all but hidden by the entrance. Universal Pictures credits started to play and Temari led me to a pair of seats in the centre of the theatre that were still in good shape. She set her bag down as the opening for Jaws started to play, fishing out a bag of popcorn and a couple of sandwiches.
"So you planned to kidnap me?" I asked.
"No, I planned on bailing this afternoon. You just happened to be around and came for the ride." She smiled, poking my lips with a kernel that I grudgingly accepted with my teeth. I still think it was planned, no matter what she says.
We settled in for the movie, after flicking a popcorn kernel back at Temari for payback.
-Sakura-
"Tay, I died again." I looked over at my glorious, zombie-slaying redhead of a girlfriend as she mashed the buttons on her controller. I really don't understand this game, and I've already died a couple dozen times but she said she needs to do something in zombie mode on two player.
For all I can tell it's a non-stop, and continually increasing number of brain obsessed undead. You just keep shooting them, and moving further so you can shoot more. But they never stop.
"Get ready, I'm reviving you." I smiled and nodded, knowing she couldn't see it but content with my lot in life. I can study later, making her this happy is worth slacking off a bit. (2) "Oi! Pay attention they're gonna rip off your fuckin' head again, Pinkie!" Crap.
-Ino-
As the movie ended and the roll ran out of film, Temari crumpled up the empty popcorn bag and stuffed it into her backpack. I opened my mouth to say something, but Temari was already zipping up her pack and heading back towards the hidden door.
I listened to her footsteps as she went back into the projector room and slumped down farther into my seat, resting the back of my head on the top of the seat.
"Ready?" Temari asked, standing beside me once more. I looked over at her but didn't raise my head, "I promised you a worm that smokes, the mad hatter, the queen of hearts and the guards that are cards. And I'm a girl that keeps my promises, Kitten."
Slowly, I got up from my seat and followed her when she trotted off towards the front of the auditorium.
She motioned for me to don my my jacket once more, quickly tugging hers on and pushing the door hidden behind the curtains open. The door led to the back of the building and yet another alley way. There was barely enough room for the fire escape directly to our left between the theatre and the building directly behind it.
Temari grabbed the rusty bar and pulled herself over the first three steps, two of which were broken. Gingerly, I tested the bar with my bare hands and the chill from the winter air put goosebumps on my skin instantly.
Going up was slow and full of small panic attacks. The fire escape creaked and swayed under our combined weight, chips of rust got stuck in my skin and the winter wind howled through the alley. We reached the top and I realized that there was a large sign propped up on the top of the theatre. From this side, it was a plain, undecorated plank of wood that stood about ten feet tall.
The top of the building was covered in a layer of small rocks that were corralled in by a short ledge surrounding the top of the building. Temari held out her hand to help me over the edge without incident, before turning and leading me towards the back of the sign.
In the centre of the roof, stood a smoke stack; the top rim stained black. The sun was long since set, making sight hard and I gingerly followed Temari.
Once we were in the shelter of the sign, the wind stopped attacking me through my jacket. The edges hooked around, covering us from behind and on both sides. Temari sat down on the gravel with her back to the wooden sign, directly in front of the old smoke stack.
As I sat down beside her, a tiny snowflake floated down to land on my nose and melt instantaneously. This is my first winter, and my first snowfall. When we had went skiing, all the snow was made by a machine, and there wasn't a snowfall. This is real though.
I put my hand out and another tiny flake fell down and touched my skin, instantly it was eaten by the heat from my body and turned into the tiniest speck of water.
Another fell and landed on the leg of my pants, this one didn't melt but instead sat perched and watchful as the rest of it's brethren made their way down from the clouds. I leaned closer to look at it, it sort of looks like a white dot with fuzzy edges. Like you are trying to see something without glasses, so it becomes a fuzz ball instead of a solid object.
"What are you doing?" Temari asked, a hidden but soft laugh in her voice.
"Sitting on the roof of a shut down theatre, for an unknown reason, with someone I can't figure out, while watching my first snowfall." The temperature in Suna sometimes made you wear a thin sweater, but it was never cold enough for ice or snow. I wonder how Saku felt, during her first winter here.
I nudged my foot into the flooring, I was suppose to meet Saku after school for the auditions... and then she was going to help me with Shakespeare. Shoot, I hope she's not mad; I had completely forgotten.
"Get ready." I heard Temari ruffle through her back as she pulled out a flashlight. I looked up to see where she was pointing the light and my eyes settled on the old smokestack. In the dark, it looked like stains and weather wounds but under the flashlights gaze, there was an elaborate picture painted. The first puff of smoke came up from the old smokestack, and on the side was a painting of the smoking worm Alice met.
He had a dark blue back that leaned up against a leaf to wrap around the pillar. His stomach was a soft baby blue, with stripes reaching around his back to tickle his belly. His legs were curled into his stomach except the top pair. They were holding a pipe that reached up to the top of the smokestack where the smoke came out.
As I gaped at the picture as Temari watched me silently, I could feel her eyes but I was too lost in thought to say anything.
"How...?" I finally managed to breathe out when she set down the flashlight so it was still shining on the image.
"Read the bottom." She replied, I looked over at her curiously but pushed myself up to and go look anyways. Gravel dug into the palm of my hand and I swatted it off as I walked up to the picture. Crouching down my shoes created a grating sound and I ran my hand over the worn painting. It's been here for a while, but it's still in good shape. Considering where it is at least.
Right at the bottom, along the edge of the leaf was a short caption. 'By the Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter, to help Alice when she needs it most.' I ran my fingers over the painting again before the proximity of the smoke started to bother my lungs and nose.
"Who are the Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter?" I asked sitting back down beside Temari. I could feel the heat emanating from her body and realized I had sat intimately close to her without meaning to. I was about to shift away when I felt her cheek on my shoulder and realized she was leaning on me.
Startled as I was, I tried not to let it show when she started to reply.
"You know both of them. Who wears a hat everywhere, has flaming red hair and says the most ridiculous things but always seems to be there to help her heroine?"
"Tayuya...?" I asked slowly, it sounded ridiculous and yet oddly fitting at the same time. Temari smiled and didn't answer, she didn't have to; just by her smile I knew I was right. Which leads me to a logical conclusion about the other party involved.
"And you are the Queen of Hearts." Again Temari didn't reply, just stared with a sullen look at the painting. I didn't press, just left her to her thoughts as the snow fell around us. That painting had to have taken a while, months easily. I can't imagine the memories, and the pain a reminder like that would bring back.
We watched the snow fall silently until she was ready to speak.
"I don't know why the smokestack turns on at this time every night." She whispered, snapping me out of my train of thought. "Ever since I hot wired the building behind this ones electricity so I could use it here, it's been turning on at this time." Well, that explains how the lights work.
"And the owner doesn't notice?"
"No, as long as I only use a little bit and only every once in a while. He doesn't notice, or he has noticed and simply hasn't figured it out yet." She grinned triumphantly and we trailed off into an uncomfortable silence again.
I felt my legs and bum started to grow numb in the cold, my hands were recoiled protectively into my jacket sleeves and tucked into my arm pits. The only warm spot on me was my right side, and shoulder; where Temari was still laying against me.
"Whose Alice?" I asked, trying to keep the chatter out of my teeth.
"We never met her, but we always said she would be a curious blonde that wandered too far into Wonderland for her own good." Temari replied, completely monotone. That sounds an awful lot like me right now.
"And you are suppose to help her?"
"I suppose, but the Mad Hatter isn't around anymore and without a rival, what's the point of the Queen of Hearts? I'm not sure I would be much use to Alice alone." While I searched for a reply that would be moderately appropriate to the situation, Temari spook before I could. "We thought it was funny, y'know? The Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts lovers rather than rivals. Wonderland showed us, huh? Fixed that in a hurry."
I cringed, spite and hurt ran off every word in a thick layer that only a complete idiot would miss.
"It took us an entire summer up here to paint that. Well, I painted it; Tayuya sang songs and made food trips mostly. She was the one who figured out the Cheshire cat as well. The twins were easy enough, they were actually what set off our search." So Tayuya used to make these errand runs with Temari. Somehow, the realization of that hurt.
It's stupid, but I feel like I'm losing to her all over again. Which doesn't make sense because Temari and I are friends, or acquaintances. Or whatever we are.
"We spent so much time here, when we first found this place it was a complete wreck. Some of the walls were coming down, there was garbage everywhere. Most of the seats were caved in, and the projector was in bits on the floor. The kitchen in particular had spider webs and rat shit all over the place. It took three months, everyday after school, to clean it up."
Temari sighed and I felt her hand through the fabric of my jacket on my side. My arm started to itch under the band aid, she is just feeling lonely right now, I told myself. That's why she brought you, because you are hurting because of Saku and the Harpie.
She saw a kindred spirit, and consciously or not that's why she brought you here. Stop freaking out and over analyzing every little thing!
"This is where it ended." She continued in spite of my inner drama, "it was the day after I had finished the worm. I was sitting right in front of the pipe, detailing the writing on the bottom when Tayuya told me she loved me, for the first time." Temari made a jerky motion and I realized she was crying.
"She said it was funny, that I would write that the painting was by both of us when only I had worked on it." I could hear the slight shake in her voice before she steeled it and spat out the last part with no emotion at all. "And then she told me she loved me.
"It was stupid! I told her when we got into this not to!" Temari shook her head, pushing herself quickly to her feet and effectively ending the conversation.
I stood shakily after her, my legs still numb from sitting for such a long time. Temari stormed off with her bag, leaving the flashlight where it was still illuminating the painting. I debated grabbing it when I heard her call my name and step onto the fire escape.
I left it, quickly following her as we made our escape to her car.
She sat with her hands on the wheel, key in the ignition while the small frigid vehicle worked to warm itself. A thin layer of snow covered the front window, Temari flicked a switch irritably and her windshield wipers swatted the irritants away.
She let out a deep breath and sat back in the drivers seat, visibly much more under control than a few minutes earlier. Even if I was no less confused.
"There was one more thing you asked to see-" I opened my mouth to assure her it was alright, if she wanted to go home and call it a night instead. The predatory look in her eyes stopped me. "But coming home with me right now could be dangerous for you." Dangerous for me?
I gave her a curious look and her eyes flashed, taking that as my answer she started to roll the car out of the parking lot.
"I'd like to see it." I replied, ignoring the warning bells going off in my head. Temari nodded silently and we were back on the street.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Again! I didn't get everything I wanted into one chapter, but alas that just means for you all next time! This is by far, my favourite chapter to date. I had a lot of fun planning, and writing this one. It is probably the most Ino centred chapter since, what was it? Chapter three? Or four? Oh well, it's about time I started giving her more spotlight time.
I hope you all enjoy reading the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
On a side note, there is another bug with FF right now. Every time I try to reply to a comment, I receive an error message. So, to reply to comments I have to look up the story, go to reviews, find the review in question and then reply manually. Needless to say, it's a pain in the ass.
So, I'm going to reply to a few from chapter fifteen, here:
First question - Oh by the way, I noticed you only have 2 stories, so what happened to Pink Crush? - I removed Pink Crush from the site to rewrite it. I felt that the quality was really low compared to my current work and wanted to completely redo it. I will eventually post it again, likely once I've finished MPP. I'm also thinking about redoing, or just thoroughly editing the first four or five chapters for MPP. My writing (IMO) has progressed a lot since I started this story, and I'd like to keep the same quality throughout.
The second question multiple people asked was about Temari and her comment about 'only being with one person' while trying to prove her status as school slut, false. While then moving on to tell Ino that her way to cope with losing Tayuya, was to fool around. - Temari's behaviour while illogical if you look at it from the outside, will make sense after chapter seventeen or eighteen.
She was referring to love, not sex when she told Ino she has only ever been with one person. I don't want to say anything else, for fear of giving away something I shouldn't. So I leave you with that! Make of it what you will!
The third question, as always with every new chapter lately was – What the fuck is Emi playing at? Well, I have no intention of explaining. You will have to read to the end to find out!
Finally, this wasn't so much as a question but an observation on my part. I particularly enjoyed how a few readers were angry with Temari, one or two were disgusted by the proposition. I think one person was really happy with it, but the general consensus was 'WTF'.
That is what I was going for, sometimes life throws you curve balls and it's what you do with them that counts.
I hope I covered everything, until next time - Kiravu
1 – Adam and Sam, it's a reference from another series of novels I'm reading. They are by Patrica Briggs and the series is called 'The Mercy Thompson Novels.' If you need a good read, I would suggest the series.
2 – Zombie mode on Black Ops